Bread stuffing mechanical arm collaborative automatic filling device and working method thereof

By using a robotic arm in conjunction with an automatic filling device, filling grooves are formed directly on the dough and fillings are injected in precise quantities. This solves the problem of bacterial growth caused by pipe residue and achieves automation and high efficiency in bread filling.

CN120937882APending Publication Date: 2025-11-14卡尔顿(集团)有限公司
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202511405681.4
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-09-29
Publication Date
2025-11-14

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In existing automated bread filling systems, residual filling in the pipes leads to bacterial growth and frequent maintenance, affecting production line efficiency and hygiene.

Method used

The automatic filling device, which uses a robotic arm to assist in filling the bread, forms a filling groove directly on the dough and injects the filling in a measured amount through the coordinated action of the robotic arm and the plunger pump, thus avoiding the need for a complex pipeline system design.

Benefits of technology

It completely eliminates the risk of bacterial growth caused by filling accumulation on the inner wall of the pipe, eliminates the need for frequent maintenance such as pipe disassembly, flushing and sterilization, and realizes the automation and efficiency of bread filling.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The invention provides a bread stuffing mechanical arm collaborative automatic filling device and a working method thereof. The device comprises a feeding conveyor, a filling device, a stuffing barrel and a mechanical arm. When the filling device works, the first gear rotates to drive the second gear to rotate, the transmission rod rotates around the first gear at the same time, synchronous movement of the translation base and the lifting base is achieved, and the mechanical movement state that the smooth base moves relative to the feeding conveyor and the discharging conveyor and the mechanical movement state that the lifting base moves relative to the stuffing barrel vertical lifting base are formed. In this way, the feeding conveyor intermittently conveys dough to the smooth base and presses the dough to form a filling groove, the plunger pump synchronously sucks and injects quantitative stuffing, dough interception and automatic discharging are achieved in the moving process of the smooth base, and stuffing suction and stirring are completed when the smooth base returns to be empty. According to the method, the production cycle efficiency is optimized, the idle time of equipment is shortened, the continuity and high efficiency of the filling process, the uniform distribution of stuffing and the consistency of product quality are ensured, and the reliability of the whole operation is favorably improved.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of bread processing technology, and in particular to an automatic filling device for bread fillings using a robotic arm and its working method. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of automated bread filling, existing technologies generally employ fixed-installation filling nozzle systems. These nozzles are positioned above the production line conveyor and connected to independent filling storage tanks via a piping network. During operation, when the bread dough is transported by the conveyor belt to a position directly below the filling nozzle, the nozzle opens, injecting the filling into the dough using gravity or an auxiliary pumping mechanism. This configuration relies on a stable piping connection to ensure continuous delivery of the filling from the storage tank to the injection point.

[0003] However, in the pipeline system, filling residue is easily left on the inner wall during the filling transportation process. This not only breeds bacteria, but also forces maintenance personnel to frequently disassemble the pipeline for flushing and sterilization, increasing equipment downtime and labor costs, and affecting production line efficiency and hygiene and safety. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings mentioned above in the background technology, the present invention provides a bread filling robotic arm-assisted automatic filling device and its working method.

[0005] The present invention adopts the following technical solution: In a first aspect, the present invention provides a bread filling robotic arm-assisted automatic filling device, the device comprising a feeding conveyor, a filling device, a filling hopper and a robotic arm, wherein the feeding conveyor and the unloading conveyor are respectively arranged at both ends of the filling device, the filling hopper is arranged below the filling device, and the robotic arm is arranged on one side of the filling device; The filling device includes: A gantry frame, wherein vertical rails and horizontal rails are provided on the side of the gantry frame, the vertical rails and the horizontal rails are perpendicularly intersecting, a lifting seat that slides relative to each other is connected to the vertical rails, and a smoothing seat that slides relative to each other is connected to the horizontal rails; A plunger pump, the plunger pump being fixed to the lifting seat, and the pump port of the plunger pump extending to the underside of the lifting seat; A transmission rod, the two ends of which are pivotally connected to the lifting seat and the smoothing seat, respectively; A first gear, located outside the gantry frame, is restricted to rotating at the intersection of the vertical and horizontal rails. The second gear is disposed on the side of the transmission rod and rotates, and the second gear meshes with the first gear; The first gear drives the second gear to rotate, causing the transmission rod to rotate and thus moving the smoothing seat and the lifting seat synchronously. When the smoothing seat moves to the feeding conveyor, the feeding conveyor transports the dough to the smoothing seat. The robotic arm descends to press the dough to form a filling groove. The transmission rod drives the lifting seat to drive the plunger pump to descend to the filling bucket. When the smoothing seat moves to the intersection of the vertical rail and the horizontal rail, the transmission rod drives the lifting seat to move above the smoothing seat.

[0006] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the height of the smooth seat is lower than the height of the conveying surface of the feed conveyor, and the output end of the feed conveyor is provided with a downwardly inclined slide plate. When the smooth seat moves to one end of the cross rail near the feed conveyor, the slide plate is located above the smooth seat.

[0007] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, both sides of the smooth seat are fixed with adjustment seats, and both adjustment seats are threadedly connected with adjustment screws. The end of the adjustment screw facing the smooth seat is connected to a limiting plate, and a space for placing dough is formed between the two limiting plates.

[0008] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, a stirring rod, a pressure rod, and a tension spring are provided inside the filling container. The two ends of the stirring rod are respectively connected to the two ends of the filling container and rotate. Stirring blades are distributed on the surface of the stirring rod and are offset from the pump port position of the plunger. The two ends of the stirring rod and the two ends of the pressure rod are connected and fixed relative to each other by a fixing rod. The two ends of the tension spring are respectively hooked to the upper end of the side of the filling container and the pressure rod. The elastic force of the tension spring pulls the pressure rod upward. A pressure plate is provided on the bottom surface of the lifting seat. When the lifting seat drives the plunger pump downward, the pressure plate descends into the filling container and presses against the pressure rod.

[0009] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the lifting seat is provided with a strip-shaped second connecting hole, the straight extension direction of the second connecting hole being parallel to the conveying direction of the feeding conveyor. After the screw passes through the second connecting hole and the plunger pump, a second nut is connected and tightened to fix the plunger pump to the lifting seat.

[0010] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the robotic arm includes a fixed base, a lifting rod, and a pressing head. The fixed base is fixed to one side of the gantry frame, and the fixed base has a built-in lead screw structure. The lifting rod is connected to the lead screw mechanism, and the pressing head is fixed to the lifting rod. The lead screw mechanism drives the lifting rod to move, causing the pressing head to descend and press into the dough to form a filling groove.

[0011] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, a strip-shaped first connecting hole is provided at one end of the lifting rod near the feeding conveyor. The straight extension direction of the first connecting hole is parallel to the conveying direction of the feeding conveyor. After the pressing head passes through the first connecting hole, the pressing head is spirally connected to the upper and lower ends of the lifting rod with first nuts until the pressing head is tightened.

[0012] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the device further includes a feeding conveyor, on which dough with filling completed on the smoothing seat is conveyed to the feeding conveyor when the smoothing seat moves to one end of the cross rail away from the feeding conveyor.

[0013] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the gantry frame has a crossbeam fixed above the horizontal rail, a baffle is hinged to the crossbeam, and a blocking part is fixed to the side of the baffle facing away from the unloading conveyor. The blocking part blocks the side of the baffle from flipping toward the feeding conveyor, so that the baffle can only flip toward the unloading conveyor.

[0014] Secondly, the present invention also provides a method for operating the above-mentioned device. This method involves the first gear rotating, which in turn drives the transmission rod to rotate via the second gear, thereby causing the lifting seat and the smooth seat to move synchronously, forming the following process: The lifting seat moves downward, causing the pump port of the plunger pump to be inserted into the filling barrel to draw in the filling. The smoothing seat moves to one end of the cross rail near the feeding conveyor, and the feeding conveyor delivers the dough to the smoothing seat in an intermittent conveying mode; The robotic arm presses the dough surface on the smoothing seat to form a filling groove; The smooth seat moves along the horizontal rail to the intersection of the vertical rail and the horizontal rail, and the lifting seat rises synchronously to move the plunger pump directly above the smooth seat. The plunger pump injects a quantitative amount of filling into the dough filling groove to complete the filling. The smooth seat continues to move while the lifting seat descends, and the smooth seat moves onto the feeding conveyor to release the dough onto the feeding conveyor.

[0015] As can be seen from the above description of the structure of the present invention, compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: In the device of the present invention, when the transmission rod is driven by the first gear and the second gear to move the smooth seat to the feeding conveyor to receive the dough, the lifting seat descends synchronously, so that the pump port of the plunger pump is directly inserted into the filling barrel to complete the filling absorption. When the smooth seat moves to the intersection of the vertical rail and the horizontal rail, the transmission rod drives the lifting seat to rise directly above the smooth seat, so that the plunger pump injects a quantitative amount of filling into the pre-pressed filling groove of the dough at a controllable flow rate, thus completing the filling. This filling method completely eliminates the structural design of the complex conveying pipeline system required by the traditional filling process, fundamentally eliminating the risk of bacterial growth caused by the accumulation of residual filling on the inner wall of the pipeline, and completely eliminating the high-frequency maintenance requirements of pipeline disassembly, flushing and sterilization. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the smooth seat.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the lifting platform.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the filling device.

[0020] Figure 5 for Figure 4 An enlarged schematic diagram of point A in the middle.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a plunger pump descending to the pump inlet and inserting into the filling container.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram showing the smooth seat after it moves under the slide plate of the feed conveyor.

[0023] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A magnified diagram of point B in the middle.

[0024] Figure 9 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the filling device when the trapezoidal slider of the smooth seat moves to the intersection of the horizontal and vertical rails.

[0025] Figure 10 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram showing the smooth seat moving past the baffle and positioned on the unloading conveyor.

[0026] Figure 11 for Figure 10 A magnified diagram of point C.

[0027] Figure 12This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the filling container.

[0028] Figure 13 for Figure 12 A magnified diagram of point D in the middle. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] In the following description, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0031] Furthermore, in this application, directional terms such as "upper" and "lower" are defined relative to the indicated placement of the components in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these directional terms are relative concepts, used for relative description and clarification, and can change accordingly depending on the placement of the components in the accompanying drawings.

[0032] This invention provides a robotic arm 5 and an automatic filling device 3 for bread filling, as shown in the attached figure. Figure 1 As shown, the device includes a feeding conveyor 1, a discharging conveyor 2, a filling device 3, a filling hopper 4, and a robotic arm 5. The feeding conveyor 1 and the discharging conveyor 2 are respectively located at both ends of the filling device 3. The filling hopper 4 is positioned below the filling device 3, and the robotic arm 5 is located on one side of the filling device 3. After the feeding conveyor 1 transports the dough to the filling device 3, the robotic arm 5 works in concert to precisely press the dough to form filling grooves. The filling device 3 then picks up the filling from the filling hopper 4 and fills the filling grooves into the dough. The filled dough is then transferred from the filling device 3 to the discharging conveyor 2 for continuous transport to the next process, such as baking, thereby achieving automation, efficiency, and collaborative control of the bread filling process.

[0033] As attached Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the filling device 3 includes a gantry frame 31, a plunger pump 32, a transmission rod 33, a first gear 341, and a second gear 342. The gantry frame 31 has vertical rails 312 and horizontal rails 311 that intersect each other perpendicularly on both sides. A lifting seat 35 that can slide relative to the vertical rails 312 is provided between the two vertical rails 312 on the gantry frame 31, and a smoothing seat 36 that can slide relative to the horizontal rails 311 is connected to it. See the attached diagram for further details. Figure 5Both the horizontal rail 311 and the vertical rail 312 adopt a dovetail-shaped groove structure, and both the horizontal rail 311 and the vertical rail 312 have a through-hole relief groove 314 inside the dovetail-shaped groove. Mounting shafts are fixedly installed at both ends of the lifting seat 35 and the smoothing seat 36. Each mounting shaft passes through the relief groove 314 and then fixes a trapezoidal slider 313. The trapezoidal slider 313 has beveled sides on all four sides to fit into the dovetail-shaped grooves of the horizontal rail 311 and the vertical rail 312. Through the sliding cooperation of the trapezoidal slider 313 embedded in the dovetail-shaped groove, a stable and reliable sliding guide mechanism is formed, ensuring that the lifting seat 35 and the smoothing seat 36 maintain precise positioning and a stable running trajectory during movement.

[0034] Please refer to the appendix. Figure 7 and 8 The height of the smooth seat 36 is lower than the conveying surface height of the feeding conveyor 1. The output end of the feeding conveyor 1 is equipped with a downwardly inclined slide plate 11. When the smooth seat 36 moves to the end of the horizontal rail 311 near the feeding conveyor 1, the slide plate 11 is positioned above the smooth seat, forming a smooth material transition channel. The dough output from the feeding conveyor 1 slides smoothly down the inclined slide plate 11 onto the surface of the smooth seat 36 under gravity, realizing the automated transfer of dough from the conveyor to the working platform. The feeding conveyor 1 adopts an intermittent conveying mode. Its conveying pause time is precisely calculated and matched with the mechanical action cycle, ensuring that during the pause, the dough on the smooth seat 36 can completely undergo the entire process of pressing and filling the trough, precise filling of the filling, and transfer to the unloading conveyor 2. This timing control and mechanical motion coordination optimizes the production cycle, ensuring sufficient working time for each process while avoiding efficiency losses caused by equipment idling, thus creating a continuous and smooth production cycle for the entire filling process.

[0035] Furthermore, please refer to the appendix. Figure 2 Both sides of the smoothing seat 36 are fixed with adjusting seats 361, and both adjusting seats 361 are threadedly connected to adjusting screws 362. The end of the adjusting screw 362 facing the smoothing seat 36 is connected to a limiting plate 363, forming a space for placing dough between the two limiting plates 363. The connection between the limiting plate 363 and the adjusting screw 362 can be such that a bearing is embedded in the side of the limiting plate 363 facing the adjusting seat 361, and the end of the adjusting screw 362 is embedded and fixed to the inner ring of the bearing, so that the limiting plate 363 is axially fixed relative to the adjusting screw 362, while the adjusting screw 362 and the limiting plate 363 can rotate relative to each other. In this structure, the gap between the two limiting plates 363 can be adjusted by rotating the adjusting screw 362, so as to facilitate the positioning of dough with different outer diameters relative to the Y-axis of the smoothing seat 36 (equivalent to the transverse direction of the feeding conveyor 1).

[0036] Continue to refer to the appendix Figure 5 and 6The robotic arm 5 includes a fixed base 51, a lifting rod 52, and a pressing head 53. The fixed base 51 is fixed to one side of the gantry frame 31 and has a built-in lead screw structure driven by a motor. The lifting rod 52 and the output end of the lead screw mechanism are connected by a flange to ensure stable power transmission. The pressing head 53 is fixed to the lifting rod 52. The motor-driven lead screw mechanism moves the lifting rod 52, causing the pressing head 53 to descend and press the dough to form a filling groove. Further, the pressing head 53 is fixed to the working end of the lifting rod 52 by an adjustable positioning mechanism. Specifically, a strip-shaped first connecting hole 521 is provided at the end of the lifting rod 52 near the feeding conveyor 1, and the straight extension direction of the first connecting hole 521 is parallel to the conveying direction of the feeding conveyor 1. After the pressing head 53 passes through the first connecting hole 521, the pressing head 53 is screwed to the upper and lower ends of the lifting rod 52 with first nuts 522 until tightened, thus fixing the pressing head 53 to the lifting rod 52. In this structure, the position of the pressing head 53 relative to the smooth seat 36 along the X-axis (i.e., the conveying direction of the feeding conveyor 1) under the lifting rod 52 can be adjusted by loosening the first nut 522. This ensures that the pressing head 53 is aligned with the center of the dough that falls freely from the feeding conveyor 1 onto the smooth seat 36 via the slide plate 11. Since the dough undergoes automated quantitative dividing in industrial bread production, its quality tolerance is generally controlled within ±1%, and the dimensional deviation does not exceed ±0.5mm. Therefore, the static position of the dough on the smooth seat 36 after falling along the slide plate 11 under gravity can remain consistent. Multiple tests have verified the position of the dough sliding onto the smooth seat 36. Adjusting the position of the pressing head 53 accordingly ensures consistent positioning during long-term mass production.

[0037] As attached Figure 3 As shown, the plunger pump 32 is fixed to the lifting seat 35, and the pump port of the plunger pump 32 extends below the lifting seat 35. Specifically, the pump port of the plunger pump 32 extends downward through a vertically extending pipe to below the lifting seat 35. See also the attached diagram. Figure 6 When the lifting seat 35 lowers the plunger pump 32 as a whole, the vertical pipe of the pump port can precisely extend into the filling barrel 4, and the filling is stably sucked in by the suction action of the plunger pump 32. Preferably, a cover 41 is installed on the filling barrel 4, and a first opening 411 is formed on the cover 41, through which the pump port pipe can enter the filling barrel 4. This structure plays a certain role in dust prevention. Furthermore, the entire gantry frame 31 can also be covered with a protective cover, which only has two openings for connecting the feeding conveyor 1 and the unloading conveyor 2, thereby improving the dust prevention effect.

[0038] As attached Figure 4 , 6As shown in Figure 9, a transmission rod 33, a first gear 341, and a second gear 342 are provided on both sides of the gantry frame 31. The two ends of the transmission rod 33 are pivotally connected to the lifting seat 35 and the smoothing seat 36, respectively. Specifically, the two ends of the transmission rod 33 are respectively sleeved on the mounting shaft of the lifting seat 35 and the mounting shaft of the smoothing seat 36. Snap rings are fitted on both sides of the mounting shaft of the transmission rod 33, forming a pivotal structure that allows relative rotation. The first gear 341 is located outside the gantry frame 31 and is restricted to rotating at the intersection of the vertical rail 312 and the horizontal rail 311. Specifically, connecting frames are fixed on both sides of the gantry frame 31, and bearing seats are fixed on the connecting frames. A rotating shaft is fixed to the axis of the first gear 341, and this rotating shaft is fitted to the bearing seat on the connecting frame, thereby restricting the first gear 341 to the intersection of the vertical rail 312 and the horizontal rail 311, ensuring the coaxiality and stability of the first gear 341 during rotation. Furthermore, a drive shaft 343, also constrained by bearing seats, can be configured under the two connecting frames outside the gantry frame 31. The two ends of the drive shaft 343 are connected to the rotating shafts on the first gears 341 of the two connecting frames via chains or synchronous belts. One connecting frame can also fix a motor, which drives the drive shaft 343 to rotate, synchronously driving the first gears 341 on both sides to achieve synchronous operation. A second gear 342 is installed on the side of the transmission rod 33 and maintains a constant meshing state with the first gear 341. Under the constraint of the transmission rod 33 on the movement trajectory of the lifting seat 35 and the smoothing seat 36, the second gear 342 always maintains the correct meshing relationship with the first gear 341. When the motor drives the first gear 341 to rotate, the second gear 342 performs a revolution around the first gear 341 while maintaining its own rotation. This unique gear transmission mechanism converts rotational motion into linear motion of the lifting seat 35 and the smoothing seat 36, achieving synchronization of the various actuators of the filling device 3 and providing a reliable transmission guarantee for filling bread fillings.

[0039] Specifically, during the revolution of the second gear 342 relative to the first gear 341, the transmission rod 33 rotates accordingly, causing the smoothing seat 36 and the lifting seat 35 to move synchronously. When the smoothing seat 36 moves along the horizontal rail 311 to the feeding conveyor 1, the transmission rod 33 drives the lifting seat 35 to perform a synchronous descent, causing the plunger pump 32 to descend to the filling hopper 4. The feeding conveyor 1 then transports the pre-treated standardized dough to the smoothing seat 36, and the pump inlet of the plunger pump 32 completes the filling intake. When the trapezoidal slider 313 of the smoothing seat 36 moves to the intersection of the vertical rail 312 and the horizontal rail 311, the transmission rod 33 drives the lifting seat 35 to rise directly above the smoothing seat 36. The discharge valve of the plunger pump 32 opens, injecting a controlled amount of filling into the pre-pressed filling groove of the dough at a controllable flow rate, completing the filling process. This filling method eliminates the need for complex filling pipeline setups, completely avoiding the problems of difficult pipeline cleaning and maintenance.

[0040] Please refer to the appendix. Figure 3The lifting seat 35 is provided with a strip-shaped second connecting hole 351. The straight extension direction of the second connecting hole 351 is parallel to the conveying direction of the feeding conveyor 1. After passing the bolt through the second connecting hole 351 and the plunger pump 32, the second nut 352 is connected and tightened to fix the plunger pump 32 to the lifting seat 35. In this structure, by loosening the second nut 352, the X-axis position of the plunger pump 32 on the lifting seat 35 relative to the smooth seat 36 can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the position of the pump port of the plunger pump 32 relative to the dough on the smooth seat 36, so as to form a relative positional relationship between the pump port and the filling groove of the dough on the smooth seat 36, ensuring that the filling can be released into the filling groove of the dough. This adjustment process can be performed simultaneously with the adjustment of the pressing head 53.

[0041] As attached Figure 12 and 13 As shown, the filling container 4 also integrates a stirring mechanism including a stirring rod 42, a pressure rod 44, and a tension spring 45. The stirring rod 42 is rotatably mounted on the side wall of the filling container 4 via bearing seats at both ends. Angled stirring blades 43 are axially distributed on the surface of the stirring rod 42, offset from the pump inlet of the plunger pump 32 to avoid the suction area of ​​the plunger pump 32. The stirring rod 42 and the pressure rod 44 are rigidly connected by a fixed rod 46 to achieve synchronous movement. The tension spring 45 is hooked at the upper end of the side wall of the filling container 4 and the pressure rod 44, respectively. Specifically, a pull ring can be fixed to the side wall of the filling container 4 so that the tension spring 45 can hook onto it. The elastic force of the tension spring 45 pulls the pressure rod 44 upward, placing it in a raised position in its natural state. A pressure plate 47 is also provided on the bottom surface of the lifting seat 35. When the lifting seat 35 drives the plunger pump 32 to perform the downward suction stroke, the pressure plate 47 presses down synchronously on the surface of the pressure rod 44. Through the connection of the fixed rod 46, the stirring rod 42 is driven to swing, thereby driving the stirring blade 43 to periodically stir the filling. This structure realizes the mechanical linkage between the working stroke of the plunger pump 32 and the stirring action, ensuring that the stirring function is automatically triggered during each suction operation, so that the filling always maintains a uniform component distribution and ideal fluidity, effectively preventing solid-liquid separation or component precipitation caused by static standing.

[0042] The sealing plate of the filling barrel 4 is provided with a second opening 412 at the position corresponding to the pressure plate 47, so that the pressure plate 47 can enter the filling barrel 4 vertically downward to perform the action of pressing down the pressure rod 44.

[0043] When the smoothing seat 36 moves to the end of the horizontal rail 311 away from the feeding conveyor 1, the dough with filling completed on the smoothing seat 36 is conveyed to the unloading conveyor 2. Its conveying structure can be as shown in the attached figure. Figure 10 and 11As shown, the gantry 31 has a crossbeam 21 fixed above the cross rail 311. The crossbeam 21 is hinged to the baffle 22 by a hinge connection. The crossbeam 21 has a blocking part 23 fixed on the side of the baffle 22 that is away from the feeding conveyor 2. The blocking part 23 adopts a high-strength flat plate structure, which strictly restricts the baffle 22 to flip only in the direction of the feeding conveyor 2. The blocking part 23 blocks the side of the baffle 22 that flips towards the feeding conveyor 1, so that the baffle 22 can only flip in the direction of the feeding conveyor 2. When the smoothing seat 36 carries the dough to the feeding conveyor 2, the propulsive force of the dough causes the baffle 22 to smoothly flip upwards and downwards towards the feeding conveyor 2, allowing the dough to pass smoothly under the baffle 22. When the smoothing seat 36 returns to the feeding conveyor 1, the blocking part 23 effectively prevents the baffle 22 from flipping in the opposite direction, ensuring that the dough is reliably intercepted above the feeding conveyor 2. After the smoothing seat 36 is completely removed from the feeding conveyor 2, the dough automatically falls to the feeding conveyor 2 under the action of gravity. This unidirectional flow method realizes the automated control of the dough conveying process, ensuring that the dough that has been filled in each production cycle can be accurately transferred to the next process. At the same time, it allows the smoothing seat 36 to move unloaded to the feeding conveyor 1 to receive dough again for filling.

[0044] Furthermore, the device of the present invention can also be configured with a control system, which can be a PLC controller, for co-positioning sensor control of the operation of the feeding conveyor 1, the unloading conveyor 2, the robotic arm 5, the plunger pump 32, and the drive motor. Specifically, the drive motor drives the transmission shaft 343 to synchronously drive the first gears 341 on both sides to rotate, and the second gear 342 revolves around the first gear 341 and moves the smooth seat 36 and lifts the lifting seat 35 through the transmission rod 33, forming the following process in sequence: The smooth seat 36 moves toward the feeding conveyor 1, while the lifting seat 35 descends below the horizontal rail 311, so that the pump port of the plunger pump 32 extends into the filling barrel 4 through the first opening 411 of the filling barrel 4 cover 41 to suck up the filling, and the smooth seat 36 moves toward the feeding conveyor 1. The smooth seat 36 moves to the underside of the slide plate 11 connected to the feeding conveyor 1, and at the same time the lifting seat 35 rises. The feeding conveyor 1 outputs the dough in an intermittent conveying mode, so that the dough slides down the inclined slide plate 11 onto the smooth seat 36. The screw mechanism inside the fixed base 51 of the robotic arm 5 drives the lifting rod 52 to descend, so that the pressing head 53 presses the dough surface to form a filling groove. The smooth seat 36 moves in the opposite direction (i.e., towards the downward conveyor 2), while the lifting seat 35 continues to rise. When the trapezoidal slider 313 of the smooth seat 36 moves along the horizontal rail 311 to the intersection of the vertical rail 312 and the horizontal rail 311, the lifting seat 35 rises synchronously to move the plunger pump 32 directly above the smooth seat 36. The plunger pump 32 opens the discharge valve to inject a measured amount of filling into the dough filling trough, thus completing the filling process. The smooth seat 36 continues to move, while the lifting seat 35 descends. The smooth seat 36 moves to the feeding conveyor 2, and the dough pushes the baffle 22 to flip towards the feeding conveyor 2 and pass under the baffle 22. The smooth seat 36 moves toward the feeding conveyor 1 to receive new dough, while the lifting seat 35 continues to descend. During the process, the baffle 22 is restricted by the blocking part 23 and cannot be reversed, so the dough is intercepted. After the smooth seat 36 is completely removed from the feeding conveyor 2, the dough automatically falls onto the feeding conveyor 2 and is transported to the next process. At this time, the smooth plate 11 moves toward the feeding conveyor 1 unloaded. The smooth seat 36 moves toward the feeding conveyor 1, while the lifting seat 35 descends below the horizontal rail 311, so that the pump port of the plunger pump 32 is inserted downward into the slurry tank to suck up material in preparation for the next filling cycle. At the same time, the pressure plate 47 at the bottom of the lifting seat 35 presses down the pressure rod 44, and drives the stirring rod 42 to swing through the fixed rod 46 to realize the mixing of the filling.

[0045] The above-described method of filling dough with filling utilizes the rotation of the first gear 341 to drive the rotation of the second gear 342, causing the transmission rod 33 to rotate simultaneously around the first gear 341. This achieves synchronous movement of the translation seat and the lifting seat 35, resulting in a mechanical motion state where the smooth seat 36 moves relative to the feeding conveyor 1 and the unloading conveyor 2, and the lifting seat 35 moves vertically relative to the filling hopper 4. This allows the feeding conveyor 1 to intermittently transport dough to the smooth seat 36 and press it to form a filling groove. The plunger pump 32 simultaneously draws in and injects a measured amount of filling. During the movement of the smooth seat 36, dough is intercepted and automatically unloaded, and when returning to an empty state, filling is simultaneously drawn in and stirred. This method optimizes production cycle efficiency, ensures continuous and efficient filling process, uniform filling distribution, and consistent product quality, and is beneficial for improving the overall automation level and operational reliability.

[0046] The above are merely specific embodiments of the present invention, but the design concept of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any non-substantial modifications made to the present invention using this concept shall be considered as infringing upon the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A robotic arm-assisted automatic filling device for bread filling, characterized in that, The device includes a feeding conveyor, a filling device, a filling hopper, a robotic arm, and a discharging conveyor. The feeding conveyor and the discharging conveyor are respectively installed at both ends of the filling device. The filling hopper is located below the filling device, and the robotic arm is located on one side of the filling device. The filling device includes: A gantry frame, wherein vertical rails and horizontal rails are provided on the side of the gantry frame, the vertical rails and the horizontal rails are perpendicularly intersecting, a lifting seat that slides relative to each other is connected to the vertical rails, and a smoothing seat that slides relative to each other is connected to the horizontal rails; A plunger pump, the plunger pump being fixed to the lifting seat, and the pump port of the plunger pump extending to the underside of the lifting seat; A transmission rod, the two ends of which are pivotally connected to the lifting seat and the smoothing seat, respectively; A first gear, located outside the gantry frame, is restricted to rotating at the intersection of the vertical and horizontal rails. The second gear is disposed on the side of the transmission rod and rotates, and the second gear meshes with the first gear; The first gear drives the second gear to rotate, causing the transmission rod to rotate and thus moving the smoothing seat and the lifting seat synchronously. When the smoothing seat moves to the feeding conveyor, the feeding conveyor transports the dough to the smoothing seat. The robotic arm descends to press the dough to form a filling groove. The transmission rod drives the lifting seat to drive the plunger pump to descend to the filling bucket. When the smoothing seat moves to the intersection of the vertical rail and the horizontal rail, the transmission rod drives the lifting seat to move above the smoothing seat.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The height of the smooth seat is lower than the height of the conveying surface of the feeding conveyor. The output end of the feeding conveyor is provided with a downwardly inclined slide plate. When the smooth seat moves to one end of the cross rail close to the feeding conveyor, the slide plate is located above the smooth seat.

3. The apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Both sides of the smooth seat are fixed with adjustment seats, and both adjustment seats are threadedly connected to adjustment screws. The end of the adjustment screw facing the smooth seat is connected to a limiting plate, and a space for placing dough is formed between the two limiting plates.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The filling container is equipped with a stirring rod, a pressure rod, and a tension spring. The two ends of the stirring rod are respectively connected to the two ends of the filling container and rotate. The surface of the stirring rod is distributed with stirring blades, which are offset from the pump port position of the plunger. The two ends of the stirring rod and the two ends of the pressure rod are connected and fixed relative to each other by a fixing rod. The two ends of the tension spring are respectively hooked to the upper end of the side of the filling container and the pressure rod. The elastic force of the tension spring pulls the pressure rod upward. The bottom surface of the lifting seat is equipped with a pressure plate. When the lifting seat drives the plunger pump downward, the pressure plate descends into the filling container and presses against the pressure rod.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting seat is provided with a strip-shaped second connecting hole. The straight extension direction of the second connecting hole is parallel to the conveying direction of the feeding conveyor. After the screw passes through the second connecting hole and the plunger pump, the second nut is connected and tightened to fix the plunger pump to the lifting seat.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The robotic arm includes a fixed base, a lifting rod, and a pressing head. The fixed base is fixed to one side of the gantry frame, and the fixed base has a built-in lead screw structure. The lifting rod is connected to the lead screw mechanism, and the pressing head is fixed to the lifting rod. The lead screw mechanism drives the lifting rod to move, causing the pressing head to descend and press the dough to form a filling groove.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that, The lifting rod is provided with a strip-shaped first connecting hole at one end near the feeding conveyor. The straight extension direction of the first connecting hole is parallel to the conveying direction of the feeding conveyor. After the pressing head passes through the first connecting hole, the pressing head is screwed to the upper and lower ends of the lifting rod with first nuts until the pressing head is tightened.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The device also includes a feeding conveyor, which conveys dough with filling completed on the smooth seat to the feeding conveyor when the smooth seat moves to the end of the cross rail away from the feeding conveyor.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, The gantry frame has a fixed crossbeam above the horizontal rail. A baffle is hinged to the crossbeam. A blocking part is fixed to the side of the baffle facing away from the feeding conveyor. The blocking part blocks the side of the baffle from flipping towards the feeding conveyor, so that the baffle can only flip towards the feeding conveyor.

10. A method of operating the apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The working method is as follows: the first gear rotates, which drives the transmission rod to rotate through the second gear, thereby causing the lifting seat and the smooth seat to move synchronously, forming the following process in sequence: The lifting seat moves downward, causing the pump port of the plunger pump to be inserted into the filling barrel to draw in the filling. The smoothing seat moves to one end of the cross rail near the feeding conveyor, and the feeding conveyor delivers the dough to the smoothing seat in an intermittent conveying mode; The robotic arm presses the dough surface on the smoothing seat to form a filling groove; The smooth seat moves along the horizontal rail to the intersection of the vertical rail and the horizontal rail, and the lifting seat rises synchronously to move the plunger pump directly above the smooth seat. The plunger pump injects a quantitative amount of filling into the dough filling groove to complete the filling. The smooth seat continues to move while the lifting seat descends, and the smooth seat moves onto the feeding conveyor to release the dough onto the feeding conveyor.

Citation Information

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