Intelligent sorting device and method for hard-box cigarettes

Abstract

The invention provides an intelligent sorting device and method for hard box cigarettes. The device comprises a cigarette case feeding frame, a secondary sorting conveying belt, a four-dimensional sorting manipulator, a longitudinal conveying belt, a film trimming mechanism, a film cutting mechanism, a front and rear cover cutting mechanism, a front and rear end aluminum foil paper opening mechanism, a cigarette push-out mechanism, a 90-degree transposition mechanism and a cigarette rotating wheel ordered arrangement and cigarette detection mechanism which are connected in sequence, a cigarette collecting mechanism; and a station transferring mechanism. According to the cigarette case disassembling device, automatic, rapid and accurate disassembling of cigarette cases is achieved, qualified cigarettes are collected into the transfer box, an operator can directly place the qualified cigarettes back to a production line, and therefore recycling of good cigarettes is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tobacco machinery automation technology, and in particular to an intelligent sorting device and method for hard-pack cigarettes. Background Technology

[0002] During the cigarette packaging process, defective products may occur, such as damaged cigarettes inside, incomplete packaging, missing packaging, or broken packaging. Currently, cigarette factories use manual dismantling methods, requiring operators to visually inspect the integrity of the cigarettes. This increases the workload of operators and also introduces secondary contamination into the cigarettes. Cigarette factories urgently need an automated dismantling machine to free up operators' time while automatically identifying the quality of the cigarettes and rejecting substandard ones. Currently, there is no such equipment on the market. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides an intelligent sorting device and method for hard-pack cigarettes, which solves the problem of rejecting defective products in the cigarette packaging process. The technical solution is as follows: A smart sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes includes a cigarette box feeding frame and a secondary sorting conveyor belt, a four-dimensional sorting robot, a longitudinal conveyor belt and a film cutting mechanism, a film cutting mechanism, a front and rear cover cutting mechanism, a front and rear aluminum foil opening mechanism, a cigarette pushing mechanism, a 90-degree rotation mechanism, an orderly arrangement of cigarette wheels and a cigarette detection mechanism, a cigarette collection mechanism and a workstation transfer mechanism, all connected in sequence. The cigarette box feeding frame and secondary sorting conveyor belt output the substandard hard-pack cigarettes in a horizontally arranged state; the four-dimensional sorting robot adjusts the irregularly horizontally arranged hard-pack cigarettes into a uniform state and places them at the set positions of the longitudinal conveyor belt and film cutting mechanism according to the set direction and orientation; the longitudinal conveyor belt and film cutting mechanism adjust the front and back of the hard-pack cigarettes and longitudinally cut two slits on the left and right sides of the outer layer of the cigarette box to facilitate the later removal of the film; the film cutting mechanism cuts the outer film into upper and lower parts and removes the film; the front and rear cover cutting mechanism is used to separate the hard-pack cigarettes... The front and rear covers are cut open. The front and rear aluminum foil opening mechanism is used to open the folded aluminum foil at both ends. The cigarette ejection mechanism pushes the cigarettes in the cigarette box into the cigarette receiving box and sends them to the 90-degree rotation mechanism. The 90-degree rotation mechanism rotates the cigarettes. The orderly arrangement of cigarette wheels and the cigarette detection mechanism are used to remove unqualified cigarettes. The cigarette collection mechanism collects qualified cigarettes. The station transfer mechanism is used for the transfer of hard-pack cigarettes between the longitudinal conveyor belt and the film trimming mechanism, film cutting mechanism, front and rear cover cutting mechanism, front and rear aluminum foil opening mechanism, and cigarette ejection mechanism.

[0004] The cigarette box feeding frame and secondary sorting conveyor belt include a cigarette box feeding frame, an upper conveyor belt, a first feeding roller, a second feeding roller, and a lower conveyor belt. The cigarette box feeding frame is installed above the upper conveyor belt. An outlet is provided on the side of the cigarette box feeding frame in the forward direction of the upper conveyor belt. A first feeding roller is provided at the outlet. The feeding direction of the first feeding roller when rotating is opposite to the conveying direction of the upper conveyor belt. A lower conveyor belt is also provided below the upper conveyor belt. After the cigarette boxes fall onto the upper conveyor belt, they fall onto the lower conveyor belt through the outlet of the cigarette box feeding frame. As the lower conveyor belt continues to convey, the conveying direction of the lower conveyor belt is the same as that of the upper conveyor belt. A second feeding roller is provided above the lower conveyor belt. The feeding direction of the second feeding roller when rotating is opposite to the conveying direction of the lower conveyor belt, so that the passing cigarette boxes are arranged in a horizontal position.

[0005] The four-dimensional sorting robot includes an X-axis module, a Y-axis module, a vision inspection camera, a Z-axis module, a rotary motor, and a vacuum suction cup. The X-axis module has a first linear module, which includes a first stepper motor, a first slide rail, and a first slider. The first slider is fixedly connected to the Y-axis module, and the first stepper motor of the first linear module drives the Y-axis module to move back and forth along the first slide rail. The Y-axis module has a second linear module, which includes a second stepper motor, a second slide rail, and a second slider. The second slider is fixedly connected to the Z-axis module, and the second stepper motor of the second linear module drives the Z-axis module to move left and right along the second slide rail. The Z-axis module has a third linear module, which includes a third stepper motor, a third slide rail, and a third slider. The third slider is fixedly connected to a rotary motor, and the third stepper motor of the third linear module drives the rotary motor to move up and down along the third slide rail. A vision inspection camera is fixedly mounted above the Z-axis module, and a vacuum suction cup is fixedly connected below the rotary motor.

[0006] The longitudinal conveyor belt and film trimming mechanism include a longitudinal conveyor belt with a 180-degree flipping mechanism installed at one end and a trimming mechanism installed at the other end. The longitudinal conveyor belt includes a third driving roller and a third driven roller. A third drive motor is provided on the side of the third driving roller. The third driving roller drives the third driven roller to rotate through the longitudinal conveyor belt, realizing the transmission motion of the longitudinal conveyor belt. A 180-degree flipping mechanism is installed above the third driving roller. The 180-degree flipping mechanism includes a flipping motor and a cigarette box placement rack. The flipping motor can drive the cigarette box placement rack to rotate 180 degrees. The cigarette box placement rack is rectangular and has no border in the direction facing the trimming mechanism. After the cigarette box placement rack rotates 180 degrees, the cigarette box comes into contact with the longitudinal conveyor belt 302. As the longitudinal conveyor belt moves toward the trimming mechanism, the cigarette box placement rack rotates 180 degrees and returns to its initial state.

[0007] The film cutting mechanism includes a linear drive device, a swing pressing device, a rotary device, and a film cutting device. The linear drive device includes a ball screw and a motion platform. The ball screw drives the motion platform to perform reciprocating linear motion. The motion platform is equipped with a swing pressing device and a rotary device. The rotary device includes a fixed box for holding hard-pack cigarettes and a stepper motor for driving the fixed box to rotate. The swing pressing device includes a horizontal swing cylinder, a rotating drum, and a vertical lifting cylinder connected in sequence. The vertical lifting cylinder is installed on the rotating drum and swings through the horizontal swing cylinder. A pressure plate is provided at the lower end for pressing the hard-pack cigarettes placed in the fixed box. A film cutting device is provided on the side of the rotary device. The film cutting device includes a circular blade driven by a film cutting cylinder for laterally cutting the plastic film on the outside of the hard-pack cigarettes.

[0008] The front and rear cover cutting mechanism includes a hard-pack cigarette fixing bracket, a front cover positioning device, a front cover flipping device, a front cover cutting device, a rear cover positioning device, a rear cover cutting device, and a pressing cylinder. The hard-pack cigarette fixing bracket has an overall U-shaped structure and is used to hold the hard-pack cigarettes with the reverse side facing upwards, so that it can be pressed tightly by the pressing cylinder. The front cover positioning device and the rear cover positioning device are used to press the front and rear ends of the hard-pack cigarettes. The front cover positioning device is equipped with a front cover flipping device for flipping the front cover of the hard-pack cigarettes. The front cover cutting device is located on the side of the front cover positioning device and is used to cut the front cover of the hard-pack cigarettes. The rear cover positioning device is provided with a rear cover cutting device on its side for cutting off the rear cover of the hard-pack cigarettes.

[0009] The 90-degree rotation mechanism includes a first cylinder, a first lever, a second cylinder, a second lever, an inverted cigarette receiving groove, and a rotation swing cylinder. The first cylinder is connected to the second lever and is used to drive the second lever to push the cigarette longitudinally into the inverted cigarette receiving groove. The second cylinder and the first lever are installed above the rotation swing cylinder. The first lever is fixedly connected to the inverted cigarette receiving groove. The second cylinder is used to push the first lever to move the cigarette laterally into the groove of the next station.

[0010] The cigarette wheel arrangement and detection mechanism includes a cigarette arrangement device and a defective cigarette inspection device. The cigarette arrangement device includes a fifth stepper motor, a wheel, and grooves. The fifth stepper motor drives the wheel to rotate. The wheel is designed with evenly distributed arc-shaped grooves, and the lower edge of the grooves reaches the wheel. The defective cigarette inspection device includes a vision camera, a pressing mechanism, a vent, a sixth stepper motor, a non-powered roller, and a chain. The sixth stepper motor drives the chain to rotate. A non-powered roller is installed on the chain. The pressing mechanism is located below the vision camera and is used to press the passing non-powered roller. The vent is located on the side of the pressing mechanism and is used to blow away defective cigarettes.

[0011] The workstation transfer mechanism includes a transfer suction cup, a transfer cylinder, a transfer ball screw, a transfer servo motor, and a transfer bracket. The transfer bracket is equipped with multiple sets of transfer cylinders. The lower end of each transfer cylinder is equipped with a transfer suction cup, which drives the suction cup to move up and down. The transfer cylinder and the suction cup together form a whole and are fixedly connected to the nut of the transfer ball screw. The transfer ball screw is axially fixed and driven by the transfer servo motor.

[0012] A method for intelligent sorting of hard-pack cigarettes includes the following steps: S1: Before starting the machine, the operator needs to check that there are no hard-pack cigarettes in the longitudinal conveyor belt and the working positions of the film cutting mechanism, the film cutting mechanism, the front and rear cover cutting mechanism, the front and rear aluminum foil paper lifting mechanism, and the cigarette ejection mechanism. S2: After startup, all motors and cylinders return to their initial rotational state; S3: The operator pours the hard-pack cigarettes that need to be disassembled into the cigarette box feeding frame; presses the start button, and the whole machine is in automatic operation mode. Processes without hard-pack cigarettes are in standby mode. S4: The four-dimensional sorting robot adjusts the irregularly horizontally arranged hard-pack cigarettes into a uniform state and places them in the set positions of the longitudinal conveyor belt and film cutting mechanism according to the set direction and orientation. S5: The longitudinal conveyor belt and film cutting mechanism control the action of the cutting mechanism to longitudinally cut two slits in the outer plastic film on the front and back sides of the cigarette box. S6: The station transfer mechanism transports the upper hard-pack cigarettes from the longitudinal conveyor belt and the film trimming mechanism to the film cutting mechanism; the film cutting mechanism controls the film cutting and then enters standby mode after completion. S7: The station transfer mechanism transfers the hard-pack cigarettes on the longitudinal conveyor belt, the film trimming mechanism, and the film cutting mechanism to the corresponding next station. The above actions are repeated, and each hard-pack cigarette moves step by step to the next adjacent process according to the process sequence. Hard-pack cigarettes on longitudinal conveyor belt and film cutting mechanism - film cutting mechanism - front and rear cover cutting mechanism - front and rear aluminum foil paper lifting mechanism - cigarette ejection mechanism; S8: The cigarettes ejected by the cigarette ejection mechanism enter the drive wheel of the cigarette rotating wheel and cigarette detection mechanism through the 90-degree rotation mechanism, realizing the sequential arrangement and inspection of cigarettes; The qualified cigarettes are moved horizontally along the chain to the rotating position, and fall onto the cigarette collection mechanism's cigarette conveyor belt due to their own weight. S9: The cigarette conveyor belt moves the cigarettes horizontally to the rotating position. Due to their own weight, the cigarettes fall into the transfer box and are arranged in a regular pattern. After the cigarettes in the transfer box are filled to a certain height, all the cigarettes are pushed into the factory cigarette collection box. The operator removes the cigarette collection box and replaces it with an empty one, controlling the repetition of the above process.

[0013] The aforementioned intelligent sorting device and method for hard-pack cigarettes combines technologies such as automation, visual guidance, and intelligent recognition to achieve automatic, rapid, and accurate disassembly of cigarette boxes, collect qualified cigarettes into transfer boxes, and allow operators to directly return them to the production line, thereby realizing the recycling and reuse of good-quality cigarettes. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the overall structure of the intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes. Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of the cigarette box feeding frame and the secondary sorting conveyor belt; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the four-dimensional sorting robot; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the longitudinal conveyor belt and the film trimming mechanism; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the film cutting mechanism; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the interpolation motion; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the front and rear cover cutting mechanism; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing how the upper and lower pressure rollers press the back cover of the cigarette box into an arc shape to create a gap between the back cover and the cigarette box; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the pneumatic gripper clamping the front cover of the cigarette box from top to bottom; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the front cover cutting the front cover by moving the cutting blade horizontally; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the front and rear aluminum foil paper lifting mechanism; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the coordinate system for the hard-pack cigarettes; Figure 13 This is a structural schematic diagram of the left-side lifting component; Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the aluminum foil structure of the hard-pack cigarettes; Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cigarette ejection mechanism; Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping block securing the hard-pack cigarettes; Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the smoke receiving trough docking with the U-shaped positioning groove; Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the cigarette being pushed out of the hard pack of cigarettes; Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the pusher cylinder pushing the hard-pack cigarettes out of the U-shaped positioning groove; Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of the 90-degree indexing mechanism; Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram showing how the cigarette feeding slot of the cigarette ejection mechanism feeds the cigarette into the 90-degree rotation mechanism; Figure 22 This is a schematic diagram showing the first dial of the 90-degree indexing mechanism pulling the smoke into the next work station groove; Figure 23 This is a schematic diagram of the orderly arrangement of the cigarette rollers and the cigarette detection mechanism. Figure 24 This is a schematic diagram of the chain structure; Figure 25 This is a schematic diagram of the unpowered roller using a hollow round bar; Figure 26 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the aforementioned vision camera; Figure 27 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping mechanism; Figure 28 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cigarette collection mechanism; Figure 29 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the transfer box; Figure 30 This is a schematic diagram of the movement direction of the transfer box; Figure 31 This is a schematic diagram of the back plate pushing the cigarettes into the cigarette collection box; Figure 32 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the workstation transfer mechanism; Figure 33 This is a flowchart illustrating the sorting method of the intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes. Detailed Implementation

[0015] like Figure 1As shown, the intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes includes a cigarette box feeding frame and a secondary sorting conveyor belt 1, a four-dimensional sorting robot 2, a longitudinal conveyor belt and a film trimming mechanism 3, a film cutting mechanism 4, a front and rear cover cutting mechanism 5, a front and rear aluminum foil opening mechanism 6, a cigarette ejection mechanism 7, a 90-degree rotation mechanism 8, an orderly arrangement mechanism for cigarette wheels and a cigarette detection mechanism 9, a cigarette collection mechanism 10, and a station transfer mechanism 11, all connected in sequence. The above mechanisms enable the processing of hard-pack cigarettes. To facilitate the explanation of the state of the hard-pack cigarettes during processing, when the hard-pack cigarettes are laid flat horizontally, they are defined as having a front end and a rear end. The end with the front cover open is the front end, and the end with the rear cover open is the rear end. Correspondingly, the end face of the front end is the front, and the end face of the rear end is the back. Combining this with the front, back, left, and right sides of the hard-pack cigarettes, there are six surfaces in total. Thus, the front of the hard-pack cigarette is the upper surface, and the back of the hard-pack cigarette is the lower surface.

[0016] The cigarette box feeding frame and secondary sorting conveyor belt 1 output the unqualified hard-pack cigarettes in a horizontally arranged state; the four-dimensional sorting robot 2 adjusts the irregularly horizontally arranged hard-pack cigarettes into a uniform state and places them at the set positions of the longitudinal conveyor belt and film cutting mechanism 3 according to the set direction and orientation; the longitudinal conveyor belt and film cutting mechanism 3 adjust the front and back of the hard-pack cigarettes and longitudinally cuts two slits on the left and right sides of the outer layer of the cigarette box to facilitate the later removal of the film; the film cutting mechanism 4 cuts the outer film into upper and lower parts and removes the film; the front and rear cover cutting mechanism 5 is used to cut the front and rear covers of the hard-pack cigarettes. The front and rear aluminum foil opening mechanism 6 is used to open the folded aluminum foil at both ends. The cigarette ejection mechanism 7 pushes 20 cigarettes from the cigarette box into the receiving box and sends them to the 90-degree rotation mechanism 8. The 90-degree rotation mechanism 8 rotates the cigarettes. The orderly arrangement of cigarette wheels and the cigarette detection mechanism 9 are used to remove unqualified cigarettes. The cigarette collection mechanism 10 collects qualified cigarettes. The station transfer mechanism 11 is used for the transfer of hard-pack cigarettes between the longitudinal conveyor belt and the film cutting mechanism 3, film cutting mechanism 4, front and rear cover cutting mechanism 5, front and rear aluminum foil opening mechanism 6, and cigarette ejection mechanism 7.

[0017] like Figure 2As shown, the cigarette box feeding frame and secondary sorting conveyor belt 1 include a cigarette box feeding frame 101, an upper conveyor belt 102, a first feeding roller 103, a second feeding roller 104, and a lower conveyor belt 105. The cigarette box feeding frame 101 is installed above the upper conveyor belt 102. An outlet is provided on the side of the cigarette box feeding frame 101 in the forward direction of the upper conveyor belt 102. The first feeding roller 103 is provided at the outlet, and the feeding direction of the first feeding roller 103 when rotating is the same as that of the upper conveyor belt 102. In opposite directions, for example, the upper conveyor belt 102 conveys from left to right, and the first feeding roller 103 is located on the right side of the conveyor belt, rotating clockwise so that the feeding material below it is pushed from right to left. Below the upper conveyor belt 102, a lower conveyor belt 105 is also provided. After the cigarette boxes fall onto the upper conveyor belt 102, they pass through the outlet of the cigarette box inlet frame 101 and fall onto the lower conveyor belt 105. As the lower conveyor belt 105 continues to convey, its conveying direction is the same as that of the upper conveyor belt 102. Above the lower conveyor belt 105, a second feeding roller 104 is provided. When the second feeding roller 104 rotates, its feeding direction is opposite to that of the lower conveyor belt 105, pushing the passing cigarette boxes into a horizontal position.

[0018] The cigarette box feeding frame and the secondary sorting conveyor belt 1 are provided with a main frame. The main frame is installed on the main body of the intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes and is used to support the various components of the cigarette box feeding frame and the secondary sorting conveyor belt 1. The main frame is provided with a first drive motor 106 and a second drive motor 108 arranged vertically, which are used to drive the upper conveyor belt 102 and the lower conveyor belt 105, respectively. A first drive roller and a first driven roller 107 are respectively provided on both sides of the upper conveyor belt 102. The drive shaft of the first drive motor 106 is connected to the first drive roller through the first conveyor belt. The first drive roller drives the first driven roller 107 through the upper conveyor belt 102 to realize the conveying movement of the upper conveyor belt 102. A second drive roller and a second driven roller 109 are respectively provided on both sides of the lower conveyor belt 105. The drive shaft of the second drive motor 108 directly drives the second drive roller. The second drive roller drives the second driven roller 109 through the lower conveyor belt 105 to realize the conveying movement of the second driven roller 109.

[0019] Furthermore, the second drive motor 108 drives the intermediate rotating wheel 110 to rotate via the second transmission belt. The intermediate rotating wheel 110 drives the second feeding roller 104 to rotate via the third conveyor belt 111. The intermediate rotating wheel 110 is installed on the side of the main frame of the cigarette box feeding frame and the secondary sorting conveyor belt 1, and a rotating shaft with the second and third transmission belts sleeved on its outer side is provided. Similarly, one end of the first drive roller is sleeved with the first conveyor belt, and the other end is sleeved with the fourth conveyor belt. The first drive roller drives the first feeding roller 103 to rotate via the fourth conveyor belt 112.

[0020] In use, operators directly pour the substandard hard-pack cigarettes collected from the production line into the cigarette box feeding frame 101, without any special placement. To ensure the stacked cigarette boxes are laid flat on the conveyor belt, a total of two conveyor belts are used, arranged vertically. The upper conveyor belt 102 moves the cigarette boxes towards the outlet, delivering the stacked hard-pack cigarettes in small batches to the lower conveyor belt 105. At the outlet of the upper conveyor belt 102, a powered first guide roller 103 is designed, rotating in the opposite direction to the upper conveyor belt 102 to prevent outlet blockage. As the lower conveyor belt 105 moves forward, it passes through a second guide roller 104 installed above. The second guide roller 104 moves in the opposite direction to the lower conveyor belt 105, guiding the passing cigarette boxes into a horizontal position, i.e., the wide side contacts the conveyor belt, facilitating gripping in subsequent processes.

[0021] like Figure 3 As shown, the four-dimensional sorting robot 2 includes an X-axis module 201, a Y-axis module 202, a vision inspection camera 203, a Z-axis module 204, a rotary motor 205, and a vacuum suction cup 206. The X-axis module 201 is equipped with a first linear module, which includes a first stepper motor, a first slide rail, and a first slider. The first slider is fixedly connected to the Y-axis module 202, and the first stepper motor of the first linear module drives the Y-axis module 202 to move back and forth along the first slide rail. The Y-axis module 202 is equipped with a second linear module, which includes a second stepper motor, a second slide rail, and a second... The slider, the second slider is fixedly connected to the Z-axis module 204, and the Z-axis module 204 is driven to move left and right along the second slide rail by the second stepper motor of the second linear module; the Z-axis module 204 is provided with a third linear module, the third linear module includes a third stepper motor, a third slide rail and a third slider, the third slider is fixedly connected to the rotary motor 205, and the rotary motor 205 is driven to move up and down along the third slide rail by the third stepper motor of the third linear module; a vision inspection camera 203 is fixedly installed above the Z-axis module 204, and a vacuum suction cup 206 is fixedly connected below the rotary motor 205.

[0022] The four-dimensional sorting robot 2 is equipped with a robot support frame, which is installed on the main body of the intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes and is used to fix and support the X-axis module 201. The four-dimensional sorting robot 2 is used to adjust the irregularly horizontally arranged hard-pack cigarettes on the conveyor belt into a uniform state (angle, front and back), and place them in the set position for the next process according to the specified angle and front and back orientation. In this embodiment, the four-dimensional sorting robot 2 uniformly adjusts the hard-pack cigarettes to be placed horizontally, with the front end (the end with the cigarette box open) in front.

[0023] In use, the lower conveyor belt 105 transports the horizontally placed hard-pack cigarettes to a certain position. The vision inspection camera 203 detects the hard-pack cigarettes within its designated area. By calibrating the angle and front and back of each hard-pack cigarette, the information is fed back to the control system of the intelligent hard-pack cigarette sorting device. The control system then controls the X-axis module 201, Y-axis module 202, and Z-axis module 204 to move the vacuum suction cup 206 above the designated hard-pack cigarettes, sucking up the corresponding hard-pack cigarettes. After lifting the hard-pack cigarettes, the rotary motor 205 is controlled to rotate a certain angle according to the calibrated data of the hard-pack cigarette, turning the cigarette box to a uniform angle and moving the hard-pack cigarette to the designated position of the next process.

[0024] like Figure 4 As shown, the longitudinal conveyor belt and film trimming mechanism 3 includes a longitudinal conveyor belt 302, which is installed on the main body of the intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes. A 180-degree flipping mechanism 301 is installed at one end of the longitudinal conveyor belt 302, and a trimming mechanism 303 is installed at the other end. The longitudinal conveyor belt 302 includes a third driving roller and a third driven roller. A third drive motor is installed on the side of the third driving roller. The third driving roller drives the third driven roller to rotate through the longitudinal conveyor belt 302, thus realizing the transmission movement of the longitudinal conveyor belt 302. A 180-degree flipping mechanism 301 is installed above the third active roller. The 180-degree flipping mechanism 301 includes a flipping motor and a cigarette box placement rack. The flipping motor can drive the cigarette box placement rack to rotate 180 degrees. The cigarette box placement rack is rectangular and has no border in the direction facing the edge cutting mechanism 303. After the cigarette box placement rack rotates 180 degrees, the cigarette box comes into contact with the longitudinal conveyor belt 302. As the longitudinal conveyor belt 302 moves toward the edge cutting mechanism 303, the cigarette box placement rack rotates 180 degrees and returns to its initial state.

[0025] The trimming mechanism 303 is installed above the third driven roller and includes a mechanical limit block 307, a detection switch 304, and wallpaper blades. The mechanical limit block 307 is located at one end of the trimming mechanism 303, which is also the end of the longitudinal conveyor belt 302. The detection switch 304 is located at the other end of the trimming mechanism 303. Two sets of wallpaper blades are provided and installed between the mechanical limit block 307 and the detection switch 304. They are the first blade 305 and the second blade 306, respectively, and are pneumatically driven.

[0026] In use, since the cigarette boxes are sometimes placed upside down on the lower conveyor belt 105, to facilitate subsequent processing, the reversed cigarette boxes need to be flipped 180 degrees. Therefore, a 180-degree flipping mechanism 301 is designed. For cigarette boxes that need to be flipped, the four-dimensional sorting robot 2 places the cigarette box into the box on the flipping mechanism. After the flipping mechanism flips the cigarette box 180 degrees, it automatically falls onto the longitudinal conveyor belt 302, which moves the cigarette box forward. For cigarette boxes that do not need to be flipped, the four-dimensional sorting robot 2 directly places the cigarette box onto the longitudinal conveyor belt 302. A mechanical limit block is designed and installed at the end of the longitudinal conveyor belt 302. After the hard cigarette box hits the mechanical limit block, it automatically stops and is arranged in front and behind in sequence. In this embodiment, the front end of the hard cigarette box (the end with the cigarette box open) is set to face the edge cutting mechanism 303 at this time.

[0027] When a hard-pack cigarette stops at the mechanical limit block 307, the detection switch 304 detects the presence of a hard-pack cigarette and the control system controls the cutting mechanism 303 to operate. This mechanism uses two pneumatically driven wallpaper blades that move up and down to longitudinally cut two slits in the outer plastic film on the left and right sides of the cigarette box, making it easier for the film to be removed later.

[0028] like Figure 5 As shown, the film cutting mechanism 4 includes a linear drive device, a swing pressing device, a rotary device, and a film cutting device. The linear drive device includes a ball screw 412 and a motion platform 414. The ball screw 412 drives the motion platform 414 to perform reciprocating linear motion. The swing pressing device and the rotary device are installed on the motion platform 414. The rotary device includes a fixed box 404 for placing hard-pack cigarettes and a stepper motor 407 for driving the fixed box to rotate. The swing pressing device includes a horizontal swing cylinder 401, a rotating cylinder 410, and a vertical lifting cylinder 402 connected in sequence. The vertical lifting cylinder is installed on the rotating cylinder 410 and swings through the horizontal swing cylinder 401. A pressure plate is provided at the lower end for pressing the hard-pack cigarettes placed in the fixed box 404. A film cutting device is provided on the side of the rotary device. The film cutting device includes a circular blade 405 driven by a film cutting cylinder 406 for laterally cutting the plastic film on the outside of the hard-pack cigarettes.

[0029] The linear drive device further includes a fixed plate 400, a servo motor 408, a synchronous belt 411, and a first linear slide rail 415. The fixed plate 400 and the first linear slide rail 415 are both fixed to the main body of the intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes. The servo motor 408 is fixedly mounted on the fixed plate 400. The drive shaft of the servo motor 408 drives the ball screw 412 to rotate via the synchronous belt 411. The ball screw 412 is axially fixed, and the nut on the ball screw is fixed to the motion platform 414. When the ball screw rotates, the nut can achieve linear motion, thereby driving the motion platform 414 to achieve linear motion. Furthermore, the motion platform 414 is also mounted on the slider of the first linear slide rail 415. The first linear slide rail 415 is parallel to the ball screw 412, providing positional support for the motion platform 414. Driven by the servo motor 408, the motion platform 414 moves horizontally along the axial direction of the ball screw 412.

[0030] The swing clamping device also includes a support member 409, the lower end of which is fixedly mounted on the motion platform 414. The horizontal swing cylinder 401 is mounted on the support member 409. Specifically, the support member 409 includes an upper support rod and a lower support rod, which are provided with vertically corresponding openings. The upper surface of the horizontal swing cylinder 401 is provided with an upper column extending into the opening of the upper support rod, and the upper surface of the horizontal swing cylinder 401 is provided with a lower column extending into the opening of the lower support rod, so that the horizontal swing cylinder 401 can rotate on the support member 409 with the straight line containing the upper and lower columns as the axis. The horizontal swing cylinder 401 is provided with a horizontally moving first piston rod, which is fixedly connected to the outer cylindrical surface of the rotating cylinder 410 by a hinge. When the first piston rod extends or retracts, the rotating cylinder 410 can rotate, thereby causing the vertical lifting cylinder 402 to swing.

[0031] The rotating cylinder 410 is mounted on the motion platform 414. The rotating cylinder 410 includes a cylinder, a first bearing, and an extension bracket. The lower end of the cylinder is provided with the first bearing. The outer ring of the first bearing is fixed to the motion platform 414, and the inner ring is fixedly connected to the cylinder. The outer side of the cylinder is connected to the first piston rod through a hinge. The upper and lower ends of the cylinder are fixedly connected to the extension bracket. The other end of the extension bracket is used to fix and install the vertical lifting cylinder 402. The vertical lifting cylinder 402 is provided with a second piston rod that moves up and down. The end of the second piston rod is connected to a pressure plate 403, which drives the pressure plate 403 to move up and down.

[0032] In addition to the fixed box 404 and the fourth stepper motor 407, the rotary device also includes a rotary shaft and a gear 413 mounted on the motion platform 414. The fourth stepper motor 407 is used to drive the gear 413, and the gear 413 drives the fixed box 404 to rotate through the rotary shaft.

[0033] The fixed box 404 is a concave square box, and the hard-pack cigarettes to be processed are placed horizontally inside the box. A rotating shaft is fixedly installed at the bottom of the fixed box 404. The rotating shaft is fixed to the motion platform 414 by bearings and bearing seats. A gear 413 is installed below the rotating shaft. The fourth stepper motor 407 drives the gear 413 to rotate, thereby realizing the infinite rotation of the component 404.

[0034] In the film-cutting device, the film-cutting cylinder 406 is fixedly mounted on the main body of the intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes. The film-cutting cylinder 406 is equipped with a horizontally moving third piston rod, and a circular blade 405 is installed at the end of the third piston rod. The extension and retraction direction of the third piston rod is parallel to the movement direction of the motion platform 414. The third piston rod can move the circular blade 405 to the side of the fixed box 404, thereby achieving horizontal cutting of the plastic film on the outside of the hard-pack cigarettes.

[0035] When the film cutting mechanism 4 is in operation, the hard-pack cigarettes are placed from the edge-cutting mechanism 303 into the fixed box 404 via the station transfer mechanism 11. The horizontal swing cylinder 401 drives the vertical lifting cylinder 402 and the pressure plate 403 to swing around the horizontal swing cylinder 401, moving them directly above the fixed box 404. The vertical lifting cylinder 402 then drives the pressure plate 403 to move downwards, pressing the front of the hard-pack cigarettes. The film-cutting cylinder 406 pushes the circular blade 405 to press against the side of the hard-pack cigarettes.

[0036] Because the hard-pack cigarettes have a square structure, the circular blade 405 remains stationary after reaching its position. To ensure that all four sides of the hard-pack cigarettes can contact the circular blade 405, the fourth stepper motor 407 and the servo motor 408 are controlled to begin interpolation motion. That is, the fixed box 404 also moves back and forth during rotation, ensuring that the four sides of the hard-pack cigarettes are always tangent to the circular blade 405 during rotation. Figure 6 As shown, after the fixed box 404 rotates 360°, the circular blade 405 can cut the outer film of the hard-pack cigarette into two parts, upper and lower.

[0037] The film-cutting cylinder 406 pushes the circular blade 405 back. The pressure plate 403 is designed with a vacuum suction cup to hold the upper half of the film. The vertical lifting cylinder 402 rises and lifts the upper half of the film. After the horizontal swing cylinder 401 swings back, the upper half of the film is simultaneously moved to the top of the discharge port. The vacuum suction cup is connected to compressed air and blows the upper half of the film into the discharge port.

[0038] The hard-pack cigarettes are removed by the transfer mechanism 11, leaving the lower half of the film inside the fixed box 404. The horizontal swing cylinder 401 drives the vertical lifting cylinder 402 and the pressure plate 403 to swing around the rotating drum 410 again, moving to the top of the fixed box 404. The vertical lifting cylinder 402 drives the pressure plate 403 to press down, sucking up the lower half of the film. After swinging back, it moves to the top of the discharge port. The vacuum suction cup then passes compressed air again, blowing the lower half of the film into the discharge port, completing one cycle.

[0039] like Figure 7 As shown, the front and rear cover cutting mechanism 5 includes a hard-pack cigarette fixing bracket 501, a front cover positioning device, a front cover flipping device, a front cover cutting device, a rear cover positioning device, a rear cover cutting device, and a pressing cylinder 511. The hard-pack cigarette fixing bracket 501 has an overall U-shaped structure and is used to hold hard-pack cigarettes with the reverse side of the hard-pack cigarettes facing upwards, so that it can be pressed tightly by the pressing cylinder 511. The front cover positioning device and the rear cover positioning device are used to press the front and rear ends of the hard-pack cigarettes. The front cover positioning device is equipped with a front cover flipping device for flipping the front cover of the hard-pack cigarettes. The front cover cutting device is located on the side of the front cover positioning device and is used to cut the front cover of the hard-pack cigarettes. The rear cover positioning device is provided with a rear cover cutting device on its side for cutting off the rear cover of the hard-pack cigarettes.

[0040] The hard-pack cigarette fixing bracket 501 has an overall U-shaped structure, clamping the left and right sides of the hard-pack cigarettes. When the hard-pack cigarettes are placed in the fixing bracket 501, the reverse side faces upward. The fixing bracket 501 and the pressing cylinder 511 are installed on the main body of the intelligent hard-pack cigarette sorting device. After the hard-pack cigarettes are placed in the fixing bracket 501, the pressing cylinder 511 presses down on the reverse side of the hard-pack cigarettes, positioning them vertically. The hard-pack cigarettes can only move horizontally.

[0041] The front cover positioning device includes a front positioning cylinder 503 and a moving plate 514. A front cover flipping device is installed on the moving plate 514. The front positioning cylinder 503 pushes the moving plate 514 to move back and forth through its piston rod, so that the moving plate 514 drives the front cover flipping device to move back and forth. The front cover flipping device includes a flipping cylinder 502, a pneumatic gripper 504 and a front positioning block 505. The flipping cylinder 502 is used to drive the front positioning block 505 to flip. The front positioning block 505 is equipped with a pneumatic gripper 504. The pneumatic gripper 504 is provided with two pressure blocks 513, which are used to clamp the front cover of the hard-pack cigarette. When the flipping cylinder 502 is activated, it can flip the front cover of the hard-pack cigarette.

[0042] Furthermore, the piston rod end of the flipping cylinder 502 is provided with a first rack for driving a second gear on one side of the synchronous shaft. The synchronous shaft is mounted on the moving plate 514 via bearings. The other side of the synchronous shaft is fixedly connected to the side of the front positioning block 505 via a connecting rod. When the piston rod of the flipping cylinder 502 extends or retracts, the first rack drives the second gear to rotate, which in turn drives the synchronous shaft to rotate. This causes the connecting rod to rotate around the synchronous shaft, which in turn causes the front positioning block 505 and the pneumatic gripper 504 to rotate around the synchronous shaft, thereby flipping the front cover of the hard-pack cigarettes.

[0043] The front cover cutting device includes a blade drive cylinder 507 and a front cover cutting blade 506. The blade drive cylinder 507 drives the front cover cutting blade 506 to move, cutting the connection between the front cover 515 and the hard-pack cigarette, thus cutting off the front cover 515. The front cover cutting blade 506 is installed at the front end of the hard-pack cigarette, and its bottom is mounted on a slider of a second linear guide rail. The second linear guide rail is fixed to the main body of the intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes. The installation direction of the front cover cutting blade 506 is perpendicular to the length direction of the hard-pack cigarette, and the front cover cutting blade 506 can move horizontally along the linear guide rail.

[0044] The rear cover positioning device includes a rear positioning cylinder 509, which is installed on the main body of the intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes. The rear cover cutting device includes a rear cover cutting blade driving cylinder 508, a rear cover cutting pressure roller 510, and a rear cover cutting blade fixing frame 512. The rear cover cutting blade fixing frame 512 is installed between the end of the rear positioning cylinder 509 and the rear end of the hard-pack cigarettes. The rear cover cutting blade fixing frame 512 is driven by the rear cover cutting blade driving cylinder 508 and is equipped with two upper and lower rear cover cutting pressure rollers 510 and two upper and lower blades to cut the rear cover of the hard-pack cigarettes.

[0045] When the front and rear cover cutting mechanism 5 is working, the hard-pack cigarettes are first placed on the hard-pack cigarette fixing bracket 501, and the pressing cylinder 511 presses the back of the hard-pack cigarettes to position the hard-pack cigarettes vertically. The hard-pack cigarettes can only move in the horizontal direction.

[0046] Then, the rear positioning cylinder 509 is used to position the rear end of the hard-pack cigarette in the horizontal direction. Driven by compressed air, the piston rod inside the rear positioning cylinder 509 is pushed out and pushed against the rear end of the hard-pack cigarette, leaving the hard-pack cigarette with only one degree of freedom in the other direction.

[0047] Then, the front positioning cylinder 503 is used to position the front end of the hard-pack cigarettes in the horizontal direction. The front positioning cylinder 503 is connected to the moving plate 514, and the lower part of the moving plate 514 is mounted on the slider of the third linear slide rail, which is fixed to the main body of the intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes. Then, the front positioning cylinder 503 operates, driving the moving plate 514 to move back and forth. The moving direction of the moving plate 514 is consistent with the length direction of the hard-pack cigarettes, so that the front positioning block 505 pushes against the front end of the hard-pack cigarettes.

[0048] The three actions of the aforementioned clamping cylinder 511, front positioning cylinder 503, and rear positioning cylinder 509 position the hard-pack cigarettes vertically and horizontally, ensuring that each pack of cigarettes is always in the same position. After the above actions are completed, the rear positioning cylinder 509 is retracted.

[0049] The bottom of the rear cover cutting blade holder 512 is mounted on the slider of the fourth linear slide rail, which is fixed to the main body of the intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes. The installation direction of the rear cover cutting blade holder 512 is perpendicular to the length direction of the hard-pack cigarettes. The rear cover cutting blade holder 512 can move horizontally along the third linear slide rail. The rear cover cutting blade drive cylinder 508 is connected to the rear cover cutting blade holder 512, driving the rear cover cutting blade holder 512 to move.

[0050] like Figure 8 As shown, two blades, one upper and one lower, are mounted on the back cover cutting blade holder 512. Pressure rollers 510 are also designed on the back cover cutting blade holder 512, one upper and one lower, moving together with the back cover cutting blade holder 512. The back cover cutting blade drive cylinder 508 drives the back cover cutting blade holder 512 to move horizontally. The back cover cutting pressure rollers 510 first contact the upper and lower surfaces of the hard box, pressing the back cover of the cigarette box into an arc shape, creating a gap between the back cover and the cigarette box.

[0051] The tips of the upper and lower blades mounted on the cutting blade holder 512 are inserted into the gap and continue to move horizontally under the action of the rear cover cutting blade drive cylinder 508, thus cutting off the rear cover. The cut-off rear cover falls into the receiving trough below. After the rear cover is cut, the cutting blade holder 512 is fixed in place.

[0052] like Figure 9 As shown, the pneumatic gripper 504 clamps the front cover of the cigarette box vertically, as... Figure 10As shown, the flipping cylinder 502 is activated, causing the front cover 515 to flip at a certain angle. After the front cover is flipped at a certain angle, it remains stationary. The front cover cutting blade 506 is designed to be located at a height of 0.5mm above the upper surface of the hard-pack cigarette. When the blade driving cylinder 507 moves the front cover cutting blade 506, the front cover cutting blade 506 is inserted between the front cover 515 and the hard-pack cigarette body. The blade driving cylinder 507 moves the front cover cutting blade 506 horizontally, cutting off the front cover 515. The cut-off front cover falls into the receiving trough below.

[0053] Through the above-mentioned front and rear cover cutting action, the front and rear covers of the hard-pack cigarettes can be cut off. Then, the rear cover cutting blade drive cylinder 508 drives the rear cover cutting blade fixing bracket 512 to move horizontally back, and the clamping cylinder 511 opens, waiting for the station transfer mechanism 11 to take away the hard-pack cigarettes.

[0054] like Figure 11 As shown, the front and rear aluminum foil opening mechanism 6 includes a left opening device, a right opening device, a U-shaped positioning groove 611, and an L-shaped clamping block 610 for hard-pack cigarettes. The U-shaped positioning groove 611 is installed on the main body of the intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes. After the station transfer mechanism 11 places the hard-pack cigarettes with the front and rear covers removed into the U-shaped positioning groove 611, the cigarette box clamping cylinder 609 is connected to the L-shaped clamping block 610 for hard-pack cigarettes. The cigarette box clamping cylinder 609 drives the L-shaped clamping block 610 for hard-pack cigarettes to move, pressing the left and right sides of the hard-pack cigarettes together. The upper surface of the L-shaped clamping block 610 for hard-pack cigarettes is provided with an "L"-shaped horizontal part 608, which is used to position the hard-pack cigarettes vertically. The hard-pack cigarettes can only move in the horizontal direction.

[0055] The left-side opening device includes a left-side X-axis linear slide rail, a left-side Y-axis linear guide rail, and a left-side Z-axis linear guide rail. The left-side X-axis linear slide rail is equipped with a left-side X-axis drive motor 607 and a first plate. The first plate is mounted on a slider of the left-side X-axis linear slide rail, enabling horizontal movement of the plate perpendicular to the end of the hard-pack cigarette (X-axis). A second rack is also mounted on the first plate. The left-side X-axis drive motor 607 is fixed, and its drive shaft is connected to the second rack via gears. Through the meshing of the gears and the second rack, the first plate moves linearly back and forth, thus positioning the front end of the hard-pack cigarette.

[0056] The first plate is equipped with a left Y-axis linear guide rail, which includes a left Y-axis motor 602, a left Y-axis guide rail, and a left Y-axis slider. The left Y-axis motor 602 drives the left Y-axis slider to move left and right along the left Y-axis guide rail. The left Y-axis slider is fixedly equipped with a left Z-axis linear guide rail, which includes a left Z-axis motor 601, a left Z-axis guide rail, and a left Z-axis slider. The left Z-axis motor 601 drives the left Z-axis slider to move up and down along the left Z-axis guide rail. The left Z-axis slider is equipped with a left lifting component 603, which achieves three-dimensional movement along the Z, X, and Y axes via the left Z-axis motor 601, the left Y-axis motor 602, and the left X-axis drive motor 607.

[0057] The right-side lifting component includes a right-side X-axis linear slide rail, a right-side Y-axis linear guide rail, and a right-side Z-axis linear guide rail. The right-side X-axis linear slide rail is equipped with a right-side X-axis drive motor 612 and a second plate. The second plate is mounted on a slider of the right-side X-axis linear slide rail, enabling horizontal movement of the second plate perpendicular to the end of the hard-pack cigarette (X-axis). Simultaneously, a third rack is designed and installed on the second plate. The right-side X-axis drive motor 612 remains stationary, and its drive shaft is connected to the third rack via gears. Through the meshing of the gears and the third rack, the second plate is moved linearly back and forth, thus positioning the rear end of the hard-pack cigarette.

[0058] The second plate is equipped with a right-side Y-axis linear guide rail, which includes a right-side Y-axis motor 606, a right-side Y-axis guide rail, and a right-side Y-axis slider. The right-side Y-axis motor 606 drives the right-side Y-axis slider to move left and right along the right-side Y-axis guide rail. A right-side Z-axis linear slide rail is fixedly mounted on the right-side Y-axis slider. The right-side Z-axis linear slide rail includes a right-side Z-axis motor 605, a right-side Z-axis guide rail, and a right-side Z-axis slider. The right-side Z-axis motor 605 drives the right-side Z-axis slider to move up and down along the right-side Z-axis guide rail. A right-side lifting component 604 is mounted on the right-side Z-axis slider. The right-side lifting component 604 achieves three-dimensional movement along the Z, X, and Y axes via the right-side Z-axis motor 605, the right-side Y-axis motor 606, and the right-side X-axis drive motor 612.

[0059] By positioning the cigarette packs in the above three directions, the vertical and horizontal directions are determined, ensuring that the position of each pack is always consistent.

[0060] like Figure 12 As shown, the three axes of the present invention for hard-pack cigarettes are defined as follows: Z-axis: width direction of the end face of the hard-pack cigarette; X-axis: vertical direction of the end face of the hard-pack cigarette; Y-axis: length direction of the end face of the hard-pack cigarette.

[0061] Furthermore, the front and rear cover opening processes are the same, and their structural forms are basically the same. They are respectively installed on the front and rear cover sides of the hard-pack cigarettes, with the actuators being the left-side opening component 603 and the right-side opening component 604. The following description takes the left-side opening component 603 of the left-side opening device as an example. The left-side Z-axis motor 601 and the left-side Y-axis motor 602 operate to control the 3mm round rod on the left-side opening component 603 to perform any shape curved motion in the Z\Y plane at the end of the hard-pack cigarette.

[0062] like Figure 13 As shown, the left-side lifting component 603 consists of a 3mm diameter round bar 614, a bearing 613, and a bearing seat 612. The 3mm diameter round bar 614 is fixed to the bearing seat 612 by the bearing 613 and cannot move axially, but can rotate around the center.

[0063] like Figure 14 As shown, the packaging of the hard-pack cigarettes uses a folding mechanism for both the front and back aluminum foil, which is folded and pressed in layers, including a third layer of aluminum foil 618, a second layer of aluminum foil 617, and a first layer of aluminum foil 616 that are folded in sequence.

[0064] The front cover opening action is explained as follows: The X-axis drive motor 612 drives the end of the 3mm round bar on the left opening component 603, positioning the hard-pack cigarettes at the round bar positioning point 615. Then, the left Z-axis motor 601 and the left Y-axis motor 602, through differential motion, move the end of the 3mm round bar on the left opening component 603 to the position of the second layer of aluminum foil. Figure 14 Using the direction as a guide, the 3mm round rod first moves to the left to the middle of the hard-pack cigarettes. At this point, the first layer of aluminum foil 616 can be opened at a certain angle. Then, control the 3mm round rod to move upward, and the first layer of aluminum foil 616 can be lifted. Then, control the 3mm round rod to move to the left and then to the right to the two ends of the hard-pack cigarettes, which can simultaneously open a part of the third layer of aluminum foil 618, and at the same time drive the second layer of aluminum foil 617 to automatically open at a certain angle.

[0065] Control the 3mm round rod to move it back to the center of the hard-pack cigarette, and then move it downwards to below the end of the hard-pack cigarette; then control the 3mm round rod to move it to the left and then to the right to reach both ends of the hard-pack cigarette, which can open the lower half of the third layer of aluminum foil 618. The running trajectory of the 3mm round rod described above is actually an I-shape.

[0066] Furthermore, the opening action of the aluminum foil on the back cover is the same as that on the front cover, and will not be described in detail here. After the front and rear aluminum foils are opened, control each component to return to its initial position, waiting for the station transfer mechanism 11 to take away the hard pack cigarettes.

[0067] like Figure 15As shown, the cigarette ejection mechanism 7 includes a hard-pack cigarette positioning device, a cigarette pushing device, a cigarette receiving device, and a cigarette box ejection device. The cigarette pushing device includes a U-shaped positioning groove 703 for placing hard-pack cigarettes and a push rod 701 for ejecting cigarettes. The right side of the cigarette pushing device is provided with a hard-pack cigarette positioning device for fixing hard-pack cigarettes, and the left side is provided with a cigarette box ejection device for ejecting empty cigarette boxes from the U-shaped positioning groove 703. The cigarette receiving device includes a cigarette receiving groove 709, and the connection between the cigarette receiving groove 709 and the U-shaped positioning groove 703 is adjusted by a transverse module 708 and a displacement cylinder 710.

[0068] The cigarette pushing device also includes a drive motor 702, the drive shaft of which is equipped with a gear. A fourth rack, meshing with the gear, is provided on the side of the push rod 701. Through the meshing of the gear and the fourth rack, the push rod 701 is driven to move along a fifth linear slide rail. The lower end of the push rod 701 is fixed to a slider on the fifth linear slide rail, enabling it to move linearly along the rail. The U-shaped positioning groove 703 is installed on the main body of the intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes. Hard-pack cigarettes are placed into the U-shaped positioning groove 703 via the station transfer mechanism 11.

[0069] The hard-pack cigarette positioning device includes a longitudinal drive cylinder 705, a transverse drive cylinder 706, and a pressing block 707. The transverse drive cylinder 706 is fixed to the piston rod of the longitudinal drive cylinder 705. The pressing block 707 is mounted on the piston rod of the transverse drive cylinder 706. The longitudinal drive cylinder 705 extends, driving the pressing block 707 and the transverse drive cylinder 706 to move towards the U-shaped positioning groove 703. A horizontal silicone sheet 711 is designed and installed at the end of the pressing block 707. After pressing on the hard-pack cigarette, it achieves vertical positioning of the hard-pack cigarette. In the horizontal direction, the frictional resistance of the silicone sheet ensures that the hard-pack cigarette is also fixed in the horizontal direction.

[0070] The cigarette box ejection device includes a pusher cylinder 704, which is used to push the empty cigarette box out from the U-shaped positioning groove 703 toward the longitudinal drive cylinder 705.

[0071] In use, the workstation transfer mechanism 11 places the hard-pack cigarettes into the U-shaped positioning groove 703, as follows: Figure 16 As shown, the hard-pack cigarette positioning device starts working. The horizontal drive cylinder 706 extends, and then the vertical drive cylinder 705 extends, so that the hard-pack cigarette can be pressed into the U-shaped positioning groove on 703 by the pressing block 707.

[0072] The function of push rod 701 is to be inserted from the front end of the hard-pack cigarettes and push out the 20 cigarettes inside. Push rod 701 is installed on the fifth linear slide rail and can move along the length of the hard-pack cigarettes. It drives motor 702 to drive push rod 701 to move through gear and fourth rack meshing.

[0073] like Figure 17 As shown, the cigarette receiving slot 709 has a U-shaped groove structure and is mounted on the displacement cylinder 710. Driven by compressed air, it can move along the length of the hard-pack cigarettes. These two parts are mounted on the horizontal module 708. The horizontal module 708 drives the cigarette receiving slot 709 and the displacement cylinder 710. By controlling the movement of the horizontal module 708, the cigarette receiving slot 709 is moved to the overlap position of the hard-pack cigarettes. At the same time, the displacement cylinder 710 is extended to move the end of the cigarette receiving slot 709 to the rear cover of the hard-pack.

[0074] like Figure 18 As shown, by controlling the push motor 702 to drive the push rod 701 to insert into the hard-pack cigarettes, the 20 cigarettes inside are pushed out and enter the cigarette receiving slot 709.

[0075] Then, the control motor 702 drives the push rod 701 to return, and the compressed air drives the displacement cylinder 710 to retract the smoke receiving slot 709. The horizontal module 708 then moves the smoke receiving slot 709 to the next station. The compressed air drives the horizontal drive cylinder 706 to retract, and the silicone block designed on the clamping block 707 drives the hard cigarette box shell to retract as well. The compressed air drives the vertical drive cylinder 705 to retract, at which point the hard cigarette box shell remains in the U-shaped positioning groove 703.

[0076] like Figure 19 As shown, by controlling the compressed air to drive the pusher cylinder 704 to move, the hard-pack cigarette outer shell is pushed away from the positioning groove 703 and falls into the collection groove below.

[0077] Once the entire process is complete, control all components to return to their initial positions, waiting for the station transfer mechanism 11 to remove the hard-pack cigarettes.

[0078] like Figure 20 As shown, the main function of the 90-degree rotation mechanism 8 is to transfer 20 cigarettes. It includes a first cylinder 801, a first deflector 802, a second cylinder 803, a second deflector 804, an inverted cigarette receiving groove 805, and a rotational swing cylinder 806. The first cylinder 801 is connected to the second deflector 804 and is used to drive the second deflector 804 to push the cigarettes longitudinally into the inverted cigarette receiving groove 805. The second cylinder 803 and the first deflector 802 are installed above the rotational swing cylinder 806. The first deflector 802 is fixedly connected to the inverted cigarette receiving groove 805. The second cylinder 803 is used to push the first deflector 802 to move the cigarettes laterally into the groove of the next station. The first cylinder 801 is mounted on the main body of the intelligent hard-pack cigarette sorting device via a fixing plate, and the lower part of the rotational swing cylinder 806 is fixed to the main body of the intelligent hard-pack cigarette sorting device.

[0079] A flat plate is provided above the indexing and swinging cylinder 806, and an inverted smoke receiving groove 805 is provided above the flat plate. The inverted smoke receiving groove 805 has a U-shaped structure and is installed in an inverted manner. The inverted smoke receiving groove 805 and the flat plate below form a U-shaped cavity. The first cylinder 801 is connected to the second deflector plate 804. The inverted smoke receiving groove 805 and the second deflector plate 804 are on the same straight line.

[0080] like Figure 21 As shown, the transverse module 708 of the cigarette ejection mechanism 7 drives the cigarette receiving groove 709 and the displacement cylinder 710 to move laterally to a set position, coinciding with the position of the inverted cigarette receiving groove 805. By controlling the retraction of the first cylinder 801, the second deflector 804 is moved, pushing 20 cigarettes into the inverted cigarette receiving groove 805. Then, the transverse module 708 drives the cigarette receiving groove 709 and the displacement cylinder 710, along with the second deflector 804, to return to their original positions, and then drives the first cylinder 801 to extend.

[0081] like Figure 22 As shown, the indexing and swinging cylinder 806 drives the first deflector plate 802 and the second cylinder 803 to rotate 90 degrees. The second cylinder 803 drives the first deflector plate 802, which in turn drives the inverted cigarette receiving slot 805 to move laterally along the flat plate. The cigarettes fall from the edge of the flat plate into the groove of the next station. The first deflector plate 802 pulls 20 cigarettes into the groove of the next station.

[0082] Once the entire process is complete, control all components to return to their initial positions, waiting for the station transfer mechanism 11 to remove the hard-pack cigarettes.

[0083] like Figure 23 As shown, the orderly arrangement of cigarette wheels and the cigarette inspection mechanism 9 are used to place 20 cigarettes one by one and inspect the appearance of the cigarettes, and reject unqualified cigarettes. It includes a cigarette arranging device and a defective cigarette inspection device. The cigarette arranging device includes a fifth stepper motor 901, a rotating wheel 902, and a groove 903. The fifth stepper motor 901 drives the rotating wheel 902 to rotate. The rotating wheel 902 is designed with evenly distributed arc-shaped grooves. The lower edge of the groove 903 reaches the rotating wheel 902. The defective cigarette inspection device includes a vision camera, a pressing mechanism 906, a vent 907, a sixth stepper motor 908, a non-powered roller 909, and a chain 910. The sixth stepper motor 908 drives the chain 910 to rotate. The non-powered roller 909 is installed on the chain 910. The pressing mechanism 906 is located below the vision camera and is used to press the non-powered roller 909 as it passes. The vent 907 is located on the side of the pressing mechanism 906 and is used to blow away defective cigarettes.

[0084] The orderly arrangement of the cigarette rollers and the overall structure of the cigarette detection mechanism 9 are divided into two parts. The first part consists of the fifth stepper motor 901, the roller 902, and the groove 903. Its function is to separate the cigarettes one by one. The working principle is briefly described as follows: The fifth stepper motor 901 drives the rotating wheel 902 to rotate. The rotating wheel 902 is designed with evenly distributed arc-shaped grooves, each of which can hold one cigarette. In the above process, the second cylinder 803 drives the first paddle plate 802 to pull 20 cigarettes into the groove 903. The groove is designed with a slope, and the lower edge of the groove reaches the rotating wheel 902, so that the cigarettes automatically roll down to the rotating wheel 902 (approximately 0° position).

[0085] The fifth stepper motor 901 drives the rotating wheel 902 to rotate. The cigarettes in the groove 903 fall to one side of the rotating wheel 902 by gravity. During the rotation of the rotating wheel 902, the edge of each cigarette automatically rolls into the groove, and each groove carries away one cigarette.

[0086] The left side of the rotating wheel 902 (the side away from the groove 903) is provided with an arc-shaped plate. The arc-shaped plate is designed to protect the cigarettes at an angle of 110°-268°. Within this angle range, the cigarettes will not fall out of the arc-shaped groove. When the rotating wheel 902 rotates to the bottom (at 270°, the cigarette spacing angle is 2.6°), the cigarettes are not supported by the arc-shaped plate and will fall down automatically due to gravity, landing on the horizontally rolling chain 910, thus achieving a uniform arrangement of the cigarettes.

[0087] The second part, the defective cigarette inspection device, is a cigarette inspection mechanism composed of a first vision camera 904, a second vision camera 905, a clamping mechanism 906, a vent 907, a sixth stepper motor 908, a non-powered roller 909, and a chain 910. Its working principle is briefly described below: The overall structure is a chain drive system, with the sixth stepper motor 908 driving the chain 910 to rotate via a sprocket. Figure 24 As shown, there are two sets of chains 910 with a span of 180mm. The sprockets driving the chains are in the same phase to ensure that the rotation phase of the two sets of chains is always consistent. The two chain links with the same phase are designed to be mounted on a single optical shaft. The two ends of the optical shaft are locked with snap rings to prevent the optical shaft from moving axially.

[0088] like Figure 25 As shown, a hollow round bar is designed and installed on the optical shaft, loosely fitted onto the optical shaft, with chain links on both sides for limiting movement. The hollow round bar can rotate on the optical shaft, but does not rotate when there is no external force; it can only move with the chain, thus realizing the unpowered roller 909. The entire chain is designed and installed with the optical shaft and the hollow round bar, allowing for infinite rotation under the drive of the sprocket.

[0089] When the cigarette on the rotating wheel 902 rotates to 270°, the cigarette falls down by its own weight and lands on the rotating chain. Because the hollow round bars on the chain are arranged one by one, the fallen cigarette naturally falls between two hollow round bars. By controlling the speed of motors 901 and 908, it can be ensured that the chain moves by one chain pitch for each cigarette that falls down, so that the cigarettes can be arranged one by one on the chain and move forward with the chain.

[0090] like Figure 26 As shown, cigarettes are arranged one by one on a moving chain. The sixth stepper motor 908 drives the chain to move horizontally. A first vision camera 904 and a second vision camera 905 are respectively designed and installed on the upper sides of the chain to detect the filter tip and the circumferential surface of the cigarette.

[0091] like Figure 27 As shown, to achieve 360° circumference detection of the cigarette, it needs to rotate when it moves below the camera. The clamping mechanism 906 is a long, fixed pressure plate. The length of the pressure plate is designed according to the camera's field of view to ensure that the cigarette can rotate continuously within the entire field of view. A silicone strip is installed at the bottom of the pressure plate, pressing against the upper surface of a hollow rod. An internal clamping spring allows for adjustment of the clamping force. Because the hollow rod is loosely fitted onto the optical axis, when the rod contacts the silicone strip, the forward movement of the chain drives the hollow rod to rotate around the optical axis under the reverse friction force generated by the silicone strip, thus rotating the cigarette. When the hollow rod leaves the silicone strip, it loses friction and stops rotating.

[0092] The aforementioned mechanism ensures that the hollow rod only begins to rotate when the chain reaches below the camera, causing the cigarette to rotate 360 ​​degrees. Cameras 905 and 904 measure the cigarette's 360-degree range to detect defects such as breakage or holes. For cigarettes of acceptable quality, the vent 907 blows them away, causing them to fall into the waste bin below. Qualified cigarettes continue moving forward. Upon reaching the end, they automatically roll down by gravity onto the cigarette conveyor belt 1001 at the next station.

[0093] like Figure 28 As shown, the cigarette collection mechanism 10 collects qualified cigarettes and includes a cigarette conveying and rotating mechanism and a cigarette collection mechanism. The cigarette conveying and rotating mechanism is used to receive qualified cigarettes from the orderly arrangement of the cigarette wheel and the cigarette detection mechanism 9, and send them to the cigarette collection mechanism. When the transfer box 1004 of the cigarette collection mechanism is full of qualified cigarettes, it is sent to the cigarette collection box 1005.

[0094] The cigarette conveying rotation mechanism includes a seventh stepper motor 1002, a cigarette conveying synchronous belt 1001, and auxiliary mechanical parts. The seventh stepper motor 1002, the cigarette conveying synchronous belt 1001, and auxiliary mechanical parts form a rotation mechanism. The seventh stepper motor 1002 drives the cigarette conveying synchronous belt 1001 to rotate infinitely to realize the conveying of cigarettes. The cigarette conveying synchronous belt 1001 has a double-sided tooth structure, with the inner teeth used for transmission and the outer teeth used for placing cigarettes.

[0095] Furthermore, in the orderly arrangement of cigarette wheels and the cigarette inspection mechanism 9, cigarettes that pass the inspection move forward with the chain. When they reach the turning point, they lose the support of the hollow round bars and will fall due to gravity when they reach the vertical position. Therefore, a plate at a certain angle is designed and installed between the chain 910 and the cigarette conveying timing belt 1001, so that the cigarettes roll down the plate onto the cigarette conveying timing belt 1001. The cigarettes that fall onto the timing belt move forward together with the cigarette conveying timing belt 1001.

[0096] The cigarette collection mechanism includes a Y-axis drive motor 1003, a transfer box 1004, a pusher cylinder 1006, and an X-axis drive motor 1007. The Y-axis drive motor 1003 and the X-axis drive motor 1007 can drive the transfer box 1004 to move in the up-down and left-right directions, and the pusher cylinder 1006 can drive the back plate of the transfer box 1004 to move in the back-and-forth direction, so as to send qualified cigarettes from the transfer box 1004 into the cigarette collection box 1005.

[0097] like Figure 29 The diagram shows the structure of the transfer box 1004. The transfer box 1004 consists of four plates, with an open top and front. The left and right side plates are fixed in the X-axis direction and can only move synchronously left and right along the X-axis. The bottom plate and back plate can move in the X and Y axes. The back plate is connected to a pushing cylinder 1006, which can push the back plate back and forth. Figure 30 As shown, the Y-axis drive motor 1003 and the X-axis drive motor 1007 drive the transfer box 1004 to move in the X and Y axes through gear and rack meshing.

[0098] The cigarette conveying synchronous belt 1001 rotates under the drive of the seventh stepper motor 1002. Cigarettes falling from the previous station roll onto the synchronous belt. When the cigarette conveying synchronous belt 1001 moves horizontally to the rotation position, the cigarettes fall into the transfer box 1004 due to their own weight. For each cigarette that falls, the X-axis drive motor drives the transfer box 1004 to move along the X-axis by a distance of one cigarette diameter (approximately 7.8 mm) to ensure that the cigarettes are evenly distributed. The number of cigarettes that fall in one layer is set according to the width of the transfer box. After one layer is filled, the Y-axis drive motor 1003 drives the transfer box 1004 to descend along the Y-axis by a distance of one cigarette diameter (approximately 7.8 mm). The X-axis drive motor 1007 and the Y-axis drive motor 1003 work together to fill the transfer box 1004 layer by layer.

[0099] like Figure 31 As shown, after the cigarettes are loaded to a certain height, the pusher cylinder 1006 moves the back plate, pushing all the cigarettes in the transfer box 1004 into the factory cigarette collection box 1005. The operator removes the cigarette collection box 1005, replaces it with an empty one, and then repeats the above process. The transfer box 1005 is a standard product of the cigarette factory and can be used with existing production lines, facilitating the return of collected cigarettes to the production line.

[0100] like Figure 32 As shown, the station transfer mechanism 11 is used to simultaneously transfer hard-pack cigarettes between various processes. It includes a transfer suction cup 1101, a transfer cylinder 1102, a transfer ball screw 1103, a transfer servo motor 1104, and a transfer bracket 1105. The transfer bracket 1105 is mounted on the main body of the intelligent hard-pack cigarette sorting device and has multiple sets of transfer cylinders 1102 installed on it. The lower end of each transfer cylinder 1102 is equipped with a transfer suction cup 1101, which drives the suction cup 1101 to move up and down. The transfer cylinder 1102 and the suction cup 1101 form a whole, which is fixedly connected to the nut of the transfer ball screw 1103. The transfer ball screw 1103 is axially fixed and driven by the transfer servo motor 1104.

[0101] The workstation transfer mechanism 11 is used to transfer hard-pack cigarettes at the following workstations: (1) Hard-pack cigarettes on the longitudinal conveyor belt and film cutting mechanism 3 at the work station of film cutting mechanism 4; (2) Hard-pack cigarettes on film cutting mechanism 4 - front and rear cover cutting mechanism 5; (3) Hard-pack cigarettes on the front and rear cover cutting mechanism 5 - front and rear aluminum foil paper lifting mechanism 6; (4) Hard pack cigarettes on the front and rear aluminum foil opening mechanism 6 and cigarette stick ejection mechanism 7.

[0102] The transfer cylinder 1102 is connected to the transfer suction cup 1101. A total of four sets of transfer cylinders 1102 and transfer suction cups 1101 are designed. The spacing between the four sets corresponds to the spacing between the five workstations (the spacing between the five workstations is the same).

[0103] The four sets of transfer cylinders 1102 and transfer suction cups 1101 are designed as a single unit, fixed on the transfer bracket 1105 via linear guide rails, and simultaneously connected to the nut on the transfer ball screw 1103. The transfer servo motor 1104 is connected to the transfer ball screw 1103 via a coupling and is also mounted on the bracket 1105. The ball screw 1103 is axially fixed and can only rotate. The transfer servo motor 1104 drives the transfer ball screw 1103 to rotate. The nut on the transfer ball screw 1103 is connected to the unit formed by the four sets of transfer cylinders 1102 and the transfer suction cups 1101. The rotation of the transfer ball screw 1103 drives the nut to perform linear motion, thereby achieving linear motion for the unit connection formed by the four sets of transfer cylinders 1102 and the transfer suction cups 1101. The direction of motion is parallel to the line connecting the five workstations of hard-pack cigarettes. The hard-pack cigarettes at the five workstations are equidistantly arranged, with the same height and front-to-back position.

[0104] When workpiece transfer is required, the servo motor 1104 drives the four sets of cylinders 1102 and the suction cups 1101 to move to the top of each workstation. The four cylinders 1102 drive the corresponding suction cups 1101 to move downwards, sucking up the hard-pack cigarettes and moving them to the next workstation. Then, the cigarette pack is lowered. This reciprocating motion is used to gradually move the hard-pack cigarettes. Then, the components are controlled to return to their initial positions. After each workstation completes its operation, the next transfer operation is performed.

[0105] like Figure 33 As shown, the sorting method of the intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes includes the following steps: S1: Before starting the machine, the operator needs to check the following five stations: the longitudinal conveyor belt and the film cutting mechanism 3, the film cutting mechanism 4, the front and rear cover cutting mechanism 5, the front and rear aluminum foil lifting mechanism 6, and the cigarette ejection mechanism 7, to ensure that there are no hard-pack cigarettes. S2: After startup, all motors and cylinders return to their initial rotational state; S3: The operator pours the hard-pack cigarettes that need to be disassembled into the cigarette box feed frame 101; presses the start button, and the whole machine is in automatic operation mode. Processes without hard-pack cigarettes are in standby mode. S4: The disordered hard-pack cigarettes in the cigarette box feed frame 101 are placed horizontally on the transmission belt by the secondary sorting conveyor belt and transported to the area below the vision inspection camera 203. The secondary sorting conveyor belt then stops. After inspection by the visual inspection camera 203, the four-dimensional sorting robot 2 is controlled to place the hard-pack cigarettes onto the longitudinal conveyor belt 302 according to their specifications. This action is repeated until the longitudinal conveyor belt 302 is full. Once the hard box within the field of view of the vision inspection camera 203 has been picked up, the automatic secondary sorting conveyor belt restarts. S5: Control the movement of the cutting mechanism 303. This mechanism uses two pneumatically driven wallpaper blades that move up and down to cut two longitudinal slits in the outer plastic film on the front and back sides of the cigarette box. S6: The station transfer mechanism 11 transports the upper hard-pack cigarettes from the longitudinal conveyor belt and the film cutting mechanism 3 to the film cutting mechanism 4. The film cutting mechanism 4 controls the film cutting, and then enters a standby state after completion. S7: The station transfer mechanism 11 transfers the hard-pack cigarettes on the longitudinal conveyor belt, the film trimming mechanism 3, and the film cutting mechanism 4 to the corresponding next station. The above actions are repeated, and each hard-pack cigarette moves gradually to the next adjacent process step by step according to the order of the process steps. Hard-pack cigarettes on longitudinal conveyor belt and film cutting mechanism 3 - on film cutting mechanism 4; Hard-pack cigarettes - front and rear cover cutting mechanism 5 on film cutting station 4; Hard-pack cigarettes on front and rear cover cutting mechanism 5 - front and rear aluminum foil paper lifting mechanism 6; The hard-pack cigarettes on the front and rear aluminum foil lifting mechanism 6 are pushed out by the cigarette stick mechanism 7. S8: The 20 cigarettes pushed out by the cigarette ejection mechanism 7 enter the drive wheel 902 through the 90-degree rotation mechanism 8, realizing the sequential arrangement of the cigarettes; When the cigarette stick rotates to a 270° position inside the drive wheel 902, it falls between the hollow round bars on the cigarette stick detection mechanism 9, where the cigarette stick is subjected to a 360° appearance inspection. The qualified cigarettes are moved horizontally along the chain to the rotating position, and fall onto the cigarette collection mechanism 1001 on the cigarette transfer synchronous belt due to their own weight.

[0106] S9: Synchronous belt 1001 moves the cigarettes horizontally to the rotating position, and they fall into the transfer box 1004 due to their own weight, thus achieving a regular arrangement. Once the cigarettes are loaded to a certain height inside the transfer box 1004, the internal cylinder 1006, driven by compressed air, pushes the back plate to move, moving all the cigarettes inside the transfer box 1004 into the factory cigarette collection box 1005. The operator then removes the cigarette collection box 1005 and replaces it with an empty one, repeating the above process.

[0107] The above-mentioned processes operate in a cyclical manner, running independently of each other, but are connected in series through various transfer mechanisms to achieve automatic operation of the entire machine.

[0108] This invention utilizes a novel intelligent cigarette sorting machine technology. The process does not damage the cigarettes or cause secondary pollution. Defective cigarettes are completely removed visually, resulting in extremely high sorting accuracy. One operator can control multiple machines simultaneously, reducing operating costs. This device has a small footprint, operates fully automatically, and eliminates manual labor, making it highly practical.

[0109] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be included within the present invention.

Claims

1. A smart sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes, characterized in that: It includes a cigarette box feeding frame and a secondary sorting conveyor belt, a four-dimensional sorting robot, a longitudinal conveyor belt and a film cutting mechanism, a film cutting mechanism, a front and rear cover cutting mechanism, a front and rear aluminum foil paper lifting mechanism, a cigarette pushing mechanism, a 90-degree rotation mechanism, an orderly arrangement of cigarette wheels and a cigarette detection mechanism, a cigarette collection mechanism and a workstation transfer mechanism. The cigarette box feeding frame and secondary sorting conveyor belt output the substandard hard-pack cigarettes in a horizontally arranged state; the four-dimensional sorting robot adjusts the irregularly horizontally arranged hard-pack cigarettes into a uniform state and places them at the set positions of the longitudinal conveyor belt and film cutting mechanism according to the set direction and orientation; the longitudinal conveyor belt and film cutting mechanism adjust the front and back of the hard-pack cigarettes and longitudinally cut two slits on the left and right sides of the outer layer of the cigarette box to facilitate the later removal of the film; the film cutting mechanism cuts the outer film into upper and lower parts and removes the film; the front and rear cover cutting mechanism is used to separate the hard-pack cigarettes... The front and rear covers are cut open. The front and rear aluminum foil opening mechanism is used to open the folded aluminum foil at both ends. The cigarette ejection mechanism pushes the cigarettes in the cigarette box into the cigarette receiving box and sends them to the 90-degree rotation mechanism. The 90-degree rotation mechanism rotates the cigarettes. The orderly arrangement of cigarette wheels and the cigarette detection mechanism are used to remove unqualified cigarettes. The cigarette collection mechanism collects qualified cigarettes. The station transfer mechanism is used for the transfer of hard-pack cigarettes between the longitudinal conveyor belt and the film trimming mechanism, film cutting mechanism, front and rear cover cutting mechanism, front and rear aluminum foil opening mechanism, and cigarette ejection mechanism.

2. The intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cigarette box feeding frame and secondary sorting conveyor belt include a cigarette box feeding frame, an upper conveyor belt, a first feeding roller, a second feeding roller, and a lower conveyor belt. The cigarette box feeding frame is installed above the upper conveyor belt. An outlet is provided on the side of the cigarette box feeding frame in the forward direction of the upper conveyor belt. A first feeding roller is provided at the outlet. The feeding direction of the first feeding roller when rotating is opposite to the conveying direction of the upper conveyor belt. A lower conveyor belt is also provided below the upper conveyor belt. After the cigarette boxes fall onto the upper conveyor belt, they fall onto the lower conveyor belt through the outlet of the cigarette box feeding frame. As the lower conveyor belt continues to convey, the conveying direction of the lower conveyor belt is the same as that of the upper conveyor belt. A second feeding roller is provided above the lower conveyor belt. The feeding direction of the second feeding roller when rotating is opposite to the conveying direction of the lower conveyor belt, so that the passing cigarette boxes are arranged in a horizontal position.

3. The intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The four-dimensional sorting robot includes an X-axis module, a Y-axis module, a vision inspection camera, a Z-axis module, a rotary motor, and a vacuum suction cup. The X-axis module has a first linear module, which includes a first stepper motor, a first slide rail, and a first slider. The first slider is fixedly connected to the Y-axis module, and the first stepper motor of the first linear module drives the Y-axis module to move back and forth along the first slide rail. The Y-axis module has a second linear module, which includes a second stepper motor, a second slide rail, and a second slider. The second slider is fixedly connected to the Z-axis module, and the second stepper motor of the second linear module drives the Z-axis module to move left and right along the second slide rail. The Z-axis module has a third linear module, which includes a third stepper motor, a third slide rail, and a third slider. The third slider is fixedly connected to a rotary motor, and the third stepper motor of the third linear module drives the rotary motor to move up and down along the third slide rail. A vision inspection camera is fixedly mounted above the Z-axis module, and a vacuum suction cup is fixedly connected below the rotary motor.

4. The intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The longitudinal conveyor belt and film trimming mechanism include a longitudinal conveyor belt with a 180-degree flipping mechanism installed at one end and a trimming mechanism installed at the other end. The longitudinal conveyor belt includes a third driving roller and a third driven roller. A third drive motor is provided on the side of the third driving roller. The third driving roller drives the third driven roller to rotate through the longitudinal conveyor belt, realizing the transmission motion of the longitudinal conveyor belt. A 180-degree flipping mechanism is installed above the third driving roller. The 180-degree flipping mechanism includes a flipping motor and a cigarette box placement rack. The flipping motor can drive the cigarette box placement rack to rotate 180 degrees. The cigarette box placement rack is rectangular and has no border in the direction facing the trimming mechanism. After the cigarette box placement rack rotates 180 degrees, the cigarette box comes into contact with the longitudinal conveyor belt 302. As the longitudinal conveyor belt moves toward the trimming mechanism, the cigarette box placement rack rotates 180 degrees and returns to its initial state.

5. The intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The film cutting mechanism includes a linear drive device, a swing pressing device, a rotary device, and a film cutting device. The linear drive device includes a ball screw and a motion platform. The ball screw drives the motion platform to perform reciprocating linear motion. The motion platform is equipped with a swing pressing device and a rotary device. The rotary device includes a fixed box for holding hard-pack cigarettes and a stepper motor for driving the fixed box to rotate. The swing pressing device includes a horizontal swing cylinder, a rotating drum, and a vertical lifting cylinder connected in sequence. The vertical lifting cylinder is installed on the rotating drum and swings through the horizontal swing cylinder. A pressure plate is provided at the lower end for pressing the hard-pack cigarettes placed in the fixed box. A film cutting device is provided on the side of the rotary device. The film cutting device includes a circular blade driven by a film cutting cylinder for laterally cutting the plastic film on the outside of the hard-pack cigarettes.

6. The intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front and rear cover cutting mechanism includes a hard-pack cigarette fixing bracket, a front cover positioning device, a front cover flipping device, a front cover cutting device, a rear cover positioning device, a rear cover cutting device, and a pressing cylinder. The hard-pack cigarette fixing bracket has an overall U-shaped structure and is used to hold the hard-pack cigarettes with the reverse side facing upwards, so that it can be pressed tightly by the pressing cylinder. The front cover positioning device and the rear cover positioning device are used to press the front and rear ends of the hard-pack cigarettes. The front cover positioning device is equipped with a front cover flipping device for flipping the front cover of the hard-pack cigarettes. The front cover cutting device is located on the side of the front cover positioning device and is used to cut the front cover of the hard-pack cigarettes. The rear cover positioning device is provided with a rear cover cutting device on its side for cutting off the rear cover of the hard-pack cigarettes.

7. The intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The 90-degree rotation mechanism includes a first cylinder, a first lever, a second cylinder, a second lever, an inverted cigarette receiving groove, and a rotation swing cylinder. The first cylinder is connected to the second lever and is used to drive the second lever to push the cigarette longitudinally into the inverted cigarette receiving groove. The second cylinder and the first lever are installed above the rotation swing cylinder. The first lever is fixedly connected to the inverted cigarette receiving groove. The second cylinder is used to push the first lever to move the cigarette laterally into the groove of the next station.

8. The intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cigarette wheel arrangement and detection mechanism includes a cigarette arrangement device and a defective cigarette inspection device. The cigarette arrangement device includes a fifth stepper motor, a wheel, and grooves. The fifth stepper motor drives the wheel to rotate. The wheel is designed with evenly distributed arc-shaped grooves, and the lower edge of the grooves reaches the wheel. The defective cigarette inspection device includes a vision camera, a pressing mechanism, a vent, a sixth stepper motor, a non-powered roller, and a chain. The sixth stepper motor drives the chain to rotate. A non-powered roller is installed on the chain. The pressing mechanism is located below the vision camera and is used to press the passing non-powered roller. The vent is located on the side of the pressing mechanism and is used to blow away defective cigarettes.

9. The intelligent sorting device for hard-pack cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The workstation transfer mechanism includes a transfer suction cup, a transfer cylinder, a transfer ball screw, a transfer servo motor, and a transfer bracket. The transfer bracket is equipped with multiple sets of transfer cylinders. The lower end of each transfer cylinder is equipped with a transfer suction cup, which drives the suction cup to move up and down. The transfer cylinder and the suction cup together form a whole and are fixedly connected to the nut of the transfer ball screw. The transfer ball screw is axially fixed and driven by the transfer servo motor.

10. A method for intelligent sorting of hard-pack cigarettes, comprising the following steps: S1: Before starting the machine, the operator needs to check that there are no hard-pack cigarettes in the longitudinal conveyor belt and the working positions of the film cutting mechanism, the film cutting mechanism, the front and rear cover cutting mechanism, the front and rear aluminum foil paper lifting mechanism, and the cigarette ejection mechanism. S2: After startup, all motors and cylinders return to their initial rotational state; S3: The operator pours the hard-pack cigarettes that need to be disassembled into the cigarette box feeding frame; presses the start button, and the whole machine is in automatic operation mode. The process without hard-pack cigarettes is in standby mode. S4: The four-dimensional sorting robot adjusts the irregularly horizontally arranged hard-pack cigarettes into a uniform state and places them in the set positions of the longitudinal conveyor belt and film cutting mechanism according to the set direction and orientation. S5: The longitudinal conveyor belt and film cutting mechanism control the action of the cutting mechanism to longitudinally cut two slits in the outer plastic film on the front and back sides of the cigarette box. S6: The station transfer mechanism transports the upper hard-pack cigarettes from the longitudinal conveyor belt and the film trimming mechanism to the film cutting mechanism; the film cutting mechanism controls the film cutting and then enters standby mode after completion. S7: The station transfer mechanism transfers the hard-pack cigarettes on the longitudinal conveyor belt, the film trimming mechanism, and the film cutting mechanism to the corresponding next station. The above actions are repeated, and each hard-pack cigarette moves step by step to the next adjacent process according to the process sequence. Hard-pack cigarettes on longitudinal conveyor belt and film cutting mechanism - film cutting mechanism - front and rear cover cutting mechanism - front and rear aluminum foil paper lifting mechanism - cigarette ejection mechanism; S8: The cigarettes ejected by the cigarette ejection mechanism enter the drive wheel of the cigarette rotating wheel and cigarette detection mechanism through the 90-degree rotation mechanism, realizing the sequential arrangement and inspection of cigarettes; The qualified cigarettes are moved horizontally along the chain to the rotating position, and fall onto the cigarette collection mechanism's cigarette conveyor belt due to their own weight. S9: The cigarette conveyor belt moves the cigarettes horizontally to the rotating position. Due to their own weight, the cigarettes fall into the transfer box and are arranged in a regular pattern. After the cigarettes in the transfer box are filled to a certain height, all the cigarettes are pushed into the factory cigarette collection box. The operator removes the cigarette collection box and replaces it with an empty one, controlling the repetition of the above process.

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