Automatic packaging device for bottled beverages

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of packaging, in particular to an automatic packaging device for bottled beverages, which is used for clamping the neck of a bottle opening of a beverage bottle into a clamping groove in the side surface of a beverage lifting buckle and comprises a main bottom plate and an upper-layer plate, and a lifting buckle conveying unit is mounted at the top of the upper-layer plate; a finished product conveying unit and two groups of star wheel type beverage conveying units are mounted at the top of the main bottom plate; the two star wheel type beverage conveying units are symmetrically distributed on the two sides of the discharging end of the lifting buckle conveying unit and synchronously rotate in the opposite directions. The moving speed of the beverage lifting buckle is kept consistent with the linear speed of the star wheel type beverage conveying unit, so that the arrangement distance, the moving rhythm, the clamping groove distance and the moving speed of beverage bottles driven by a star wheel are always synchronous with those of the lifting buckle, and additional complex positioning calibration operation is not needed; therefore, the clamping grooves can be accurately aligned with the necks of the bottle mouths of the corresponding beverage bottles, and the packaging efficiency is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of packaging technology, specifically to an automated packaging device for bottled beverages. Background Technology

[0002] To enhance portability, bottled beverages on the market often employ multi-pack designs, where two, four, six, or eight bottles are linked together via handles to form a bundled product. This packaging format not only facilitates one-time purchase and transport for consumers but also meets the promotional needs of businesses.

[0003] Existing multi-pack packaging equipment for bottled beverages typically includes a bottle conveying unit, a buckle conveying unit, and a locking unit. During packaging, the bottle conveying unit (such as a conveyor belt) transports the beverage bottles to the locking station at preset intervals and positions them statically. Subsequently, the buckle conveying unit transports the beverage buckles to their corresponding locking positions via a conveyor belt or vibratory feeder and positions them. Finally, the locking unit drives the beverage buckles to move from top to bottom, causing the locking grooves on the sides of the buckles to engage with the necks of each beverage bottle, thus completing the locking assembly of the multi-pack packaging.

[0004] However, when using a top-and-bottom interlocking method with beverage handles of different numbers of units (e.g., two-unit, four-unit, six-unit, eight-unit), significant differences in overall length, number of slots, and positioning reference points mean that the number of beverage bottles and their positioning points must be perfectly aligned with the handles. Otherwise, misalignment between the slots and the bottle neck will occur, leading to interlocking failure. Therefore, when switching packaging specifications, it is necessary not only to readjust parameters such as bottle spacing and conveyor cycle time of the beverage bottle conveying unit to ensure the bottles are arranged according to the slot spacing of the new handle specifications, but also to disassemble the old beverage positioning mechanism, handle positioning mechanism, and other dedicated positioning components and replace them with those adapted to the new specifications. Furthermore, the relative positioning accuracy between the handles and beverage bottles must be recalibrated after replacement to avoid the risk of misalignment. This process is cumbersome and complex, requiring strict coordination between each step; any deviation in any step will affect the packaging effect, leading to prolonged downtime for equipment debugging and severely impacting the packaging efficiency of bottled beverages. To address these shortcomings, we propose an automated packaging device for bottled beverages. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automated packaging device for bottled beverages, which solves the problem of long downtime in the prior art when it is necessary to switch packaging specifications, as mentioned in the background section.

[0006] The present invention is achieved through the following technical solution: an automated packaging device for bottled beverages, used to insert the neck of the beverage bottle into the slot on the side of the beverage handle, comprising a main bottom plate and an upper plate spaced apart from bottom to top; The top of the upper plate is equipped with a lifting buckle conveying unit, which is used to drive the beverage lifting buckle to move in a straight line. The top of the main base plate is equipped with a finished product conveying unit and two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units; the finished product conveying unit is located at the discharge end of the two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units and is used to convey bottled beverages that have been packaged. Two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the discharge end of the lifting conveying unit and are arranged to rotate synchronously in opposite directions. They are used to drive the beverage bottles on both sides of the discharge end of the lifting conveying unit to move synchronously with the edge of the star wheel. The buckle conveying unit includes a pusher that can move linearly. The direction of movement of the pusher is consistent with the tangential direction of the star wheels of the two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units, and is used to push the beverage buckle along the tangential direction of the star wheels to the engagement area between the two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units. The speed at which the pusher drives the beverage handle to move is the same as the linear velocity of the star wheel edges of the two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units, so that the beverage handle moves synchronously with the beverage bottles on both sides.

[0007] Optionally, the star wheel beverage conveying unit includes a beverage conveyor belt, a beverage guide channel, and a star wheel mechanism installed on the top of the main base plate; The beverage guide channel is located at the discharge end of the beverage conveyor belt, and the star wheel mechanism is located at the discharge end of the beverage guide channel.

[0008] Optionally, the buckle conveying unit further includes a buckle conveyor belt and a buckle guide channel; The buckle guide channel is located at the discharge end of the buckle conveyor belt, and the discharge end of the buckle guide channel is located in the engagement area between the two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units. When the beverage handle is conveyed to the handle guide channel by the handle conveyor belt, the pushing surface of the pusher is in contact with the rear end face of the beverage handle, driving the beverage handle to continue moving along the handle guide channel.

[0009] Optionally, the pusher is provided in two sets, and a linear drive mechanism corresponding to each pusher is installed on the top of the upper plate; the two sets of linear drive mechanisms are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the pusher's moving direction, and the execution end of each linear drive mechanism is fixedly connected to the corresponding pusher. The two sets of linear drive mechanisms can work independently or alternately.

[0010] Optionally, the pushing member includes a first pushing part and a first pressing part; The first pushing part is fixedly connected to the execution end of the linear drive mechanism and is used to fit against the rear end face of the beverage handle; the first pressing part is fixedly connected to the pushing surface of the first pushing part and is used to fit against the upper surface of the beverage handle.

[0011] Optionally, the pusher further includes two sets of second push portions and two sets of second pressing portions; Two sets of second pushing parts are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the first pushing part; two sets of second pressing parts are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the two sets of second pushing parts, and each second pressing part is provided on the pushing surface of the corresponding second pushing part. A spacing adjustment mechanism is connected between each second pushing part and the first pushing part. The spacing adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the horizontal distance between the second pushing part and the first pushing part.

[0012] Optionally, the spacing adjustment mechanism may be a cylinder or an electric telescopic rod; The jacking surface of each second jacking part is always on the same plane as the jacking surface of the first jacking part.

[0013] Optionally, the second pushing part has an internal mounting cavity, and a slider is slidably connected in the mounting cavity along the pushing direction. A connecting rod is fixed between the slider and the second pressing part. The connecting rod movably passes through the pushing surface of the second pushing part, and a return spring located in the mounting cavity is sleeved on the connecting rod. A connecting rope is fixed between the slider and the first push part. The connecting rope moves through the side of the second push part. A guide wheel is installed in the mounting cavity to make the connecting rope L-shaped. When the second pushing part approaches the first pushing part to the limit position, the return spring is in a naturally extended state and the connecting rope is in a slack state, so that the second pressing part approaches the second pushing part. When the second pushing part moves away from the first pushing part to the limit position, the return spring is compressed and the connecting rope is taut, so that the second pressing part moves away from the second pushing part.

[0014] Optionally, the spacing adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of parallel and spaced linkage rods, one end of each linkage rod being rotatably connected to the first pushing part via a first hinge shaft, and the other end of each linkage rod being rotatably connected to the second pushing part via a second hinge shaft; a drive source is installed on the first pushing part, the drive source being used to drive each linkage rod to rotate around the corresponding first hinge shaft; When the second pushing part approaches the first pushing part to the limit position, the pushing surface of the second pushing part is located inside the pushing surface of the first pushing part; When the second pushing part moves away from the first pushing part to the limit position, the pushing surface of the second pushing part and the pushing surface of the first pushing part are on the same plane.

[0015] Optionally, the second pressing part is fixedly connected to the pushing surface of the second pushing part, and the length of the second pressing part is greater than the length of the first pressing part.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides an automated packaging device for bottled beverages, which has the following advantages: 1. This invention ensures that the moving speed of the beverage handle is consistent with the linear speed of the star wheel beverage conveying unit, so that the spacing and moving rhythm of the beverage bottles driven by the star wheel are always synchronized with the slot spacing and moving speed of the handle. Without the need for additional complex positioning calibration operations, it can ensure that each slot is accurately aligned with the neck of the corresponding beverage bottle, which greatly improves packaging efficiency.

[0017] 2. The pusher of the present invention is provided with two sets. When facing low-frequency conveying needs such as six-unit or eight-unit conveying, a single pusher is used in a working mode to adapt to heavy-load and slow-paced production scenarios. When facing high-frequency conveying needs such as two-unit or four-unit conveying, the two sets of pushers are used in an alternating working mode to accurately match fast-paced production needs and greatly improve the flexibility of the equipment.

[0018] 3. The pushing surface dispersion area and the pressing surface coverage area of ​​the pushing component of the present invention are both adjustable, which can adapt to different specifications of beverage handles, ensuring that the handles of various specifications are subjected to uniform force and have stable posture during the pushing process, which significantly improves the pass rate and overall stability of packaging operations. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the main base plate of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the storage rack of the present invention; Figure 4 for Figure 3 A diagram from another perspective; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the upper plate of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the linear motor of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the star wheel mechanism of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the star wheel of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the beverage guiding channel of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the pusher component in Example 1; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the pusher component in Example 2; Figure 12 for Figure 11 Enlarged view of point A in the middle; Figure 13 This is a state diagram of the jacking component under heavy load mode in Embodiment 2; Figure 14 This is a state diagram of the jacking component under light load mode in Embodiment 2; Figure 15 This is a state diagram of the jacking component under light load mode in Embodiment 3; Figure 16 for Figure 15 Enlarged view of point B in the middle; Figure 17 This is a state diagram of the pusher component under heavy load mode in Example 3.

[0020] In the diagram: 1. Beverage bottle; 2. Beverage handle; 3. Main base plate; 4. Upper plate; 5. Finished product conveying unit; 6. Star wheel type beverage conveying unit; 601. Beverage conveyor belt; 602. Beverage guide channel; 603. Star wheel mechanism; 6031. Rotating shaft; 6032. Upper star wheel; 6033. Lower star wheel; 7. Handle conveying unit; 701. Pushing component; 7011. First pushing part; 7012. First pressing part; 7013. Second pushing part; 7014, Second pressing section; 702, Buckle lifting conveyor belt; 703, Buckle lifting guide channel; 704, Linear drive mechanism; 7041, Linear motor; 7042, Avoidance cylinder; 8, Stop block; 9, Bin rack; 10, Suction and transfer mechanism; 11, Spacing adjustment mechanism; 111, Linkage rod; 112, First hinge shaft; 113, Second hinge shaft; 12, Slider; 13, Connecting rod; 14, Return spring; 15, Connecting rope; 16, Guide wheel. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] Example 1: Please refer to Figures 1 to 10 An automated packaging device for bottled beverages is disclosed, which secures the neck of a beverage bottle 1 into a slot on the side of a beverage handle 2. The device includes a main base plate 3 and an upper plate 4 spaced apart from bottom to top. Both the main base plate 3 and the upper plate 4 are fixedly installed inside the device's compartment, forming a layered functional layout that optimizes space utilization and avoids interference between units during operation. A control unit, which can be a PLC controller, is installed outside the compartment to regulate the device's operating speed, action sequence, and start / stop status through a preset program.

[0023] The top of the upper plate 4 is equipped with a lifting conveyor unit 7, which is used to drive the beverage lifting buckle 2 to move in a straight line.

[0024] Secondly, the top of the main base plate 3 is equipped with a finished product conveying unit 5 and two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units 6. The finished product conveying unit 5 (using a conveyor belt) is located at the discharge end of the two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units 6 and is used to convey the packaged bottled beverages and transport the packaged multi-pack bottled beverages to the next process (such as boxing and palletizing).

[0025] Two sets of star-wheel beverage conveying units 6 are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the discharge end of the lifting conveyor unit 7, and are arranged to rotate synchronously in opposite directions. They can be driven by the same servo motor in conjunction with a synchronous transmission mechanism (such as a synchronous belt or gear set), which can not only ensure the accuracy and synchronicity of the reverse rotation of the two sets of star wheels, but also simplify the drive structure and reduce energy consumption. The star-wheel beverage conveying unit 6 is used to drive the beverage bottles 1 on both sides of the discharge end of the lifting conveyor unit 7 to move synchronously with the edge of the star wheel, ensuring that the beverage bottles 1 are evenly spaced and have a stable posture during the conveying process.

[0026] In addition, the buckle conveying unit 7 includes a pusher 701 that can move linearly. The direction of movement of the pusher 701 is consistent with the tangential direction of the star wheel of the two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units 6. It is used to push the beverage buckle 2 along the tangential direction of the star wheel to the engagement area between the two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units 6, so as to ensure that the buckle slot and the neck of the beverage bottle 1 are on the same mating plane.

[0027] When the pusher 701 pushes the beverage handle 2 to move, the speed at which the pusher 701 drives the beverage handle 2 to move is the same as the linear velocity of the edge of the star wheel of the two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units 6, so that the beverage handle 2 moves synchronously with the beverage bottles 1 on both sides, thereby synchronously locking the bottle necks of the beverage bottles 1 on both sides into the slots on both sides of the beverage handle 2.

[0028] In operation, the two sets of star-wheel beverage conveying units 6 first rotate synchronously in opposite directions under the same drive source, guiding the beverage bottles 1 to be packaged one by one into the star-wheel grooves. The grooves limit the beverage bottles 1 to maintain a uniform spacing and stable posture, and convey them to the locking area along a preset trajectory. At the same time, the lifting buckle conveying unit 7 conveys the beverage lifting buckle 2 to the corresponding station of the pusher 701 to complete the positioning. Subsequently, the pusher 701 moves along the tangential direction of the star-wheel beverage conveying unit 6, pushing the beverage lifting buckle 2 to the locking area between the two sets of star-wheel beverage conveying units 6. During this process, the control unit ensures that the moving speed of the beverage lifting buckle 2 is completely consistent with the linear speed of the star-wheel beverage conveying unit 6, so that the locking groove on the side of the beverage lifting buckle 2 is precisely aligned with the neck of the beverage bottle 1 conveyed by the star wheel, and finally, multiple bottles of beverage are simultaneously locked into the lifting buckle locking groove. After locking is completed, the packaged multi-bottle beverage is transferred from the star-wheel beverage conveying unit 6 to the finished product conveying unit 5, and then from the finished product conveying unit 5 to the next production process, completing the entire automated packaging process.

[0029] With the above design, two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units 6 convey beverage bottles 1 synchronously from both sides. With the pusher 701 pushing along the tangential direction, the slots on both sides of the buckle can simultaneously engage with the corresponding bottle neck of the beverage bottle 1, avoiding engagement offset caused by unilateral force and improving engagement consistency.

[0030] Furthermore, the arrangement and movement rhythm of the beverage bottles 1 driven by the star wheel are always synchronized with the spacing and movement speed of the slots of the beverage handle 2, eliminating the need for manual intervention or complex mechanical calibration. This fundamentally eliminates the problem of misalignment between the slots and the bottle neck, reduces the difficulty of operation and debugging time, greatly improves packaging efficiency, and fully meets the needs of continuous production.

[0031] The following is a description of the star wheel beverage conveyor unit 6: The star wheel type beverage conveying unit 6 includes a beverage conveyor belt 601, a beverage guide channel 602, and a star wheel mechanism 603 mounted on the top of the main base plate 3. The beverage guide channel 602 is located at the discharge end of the beverage conveyor belt 601, and the star wheel mechanism 603 is located at the discharge end of the beverage guide channel 602. The beverage conveyor belt 601 features a height-adjustable design. The conveyor belt frame is driven to rise and fall through a threaded engagement structure between a screw and a threaded sleeve, allowing for flexible adjustment of the conveying height according to the height of different sized beverage bottles 1. This adapts to beverage bottles of various heights, enhancing the equipment's multi-specification compatibility.

[0032] In this embodiment, the star wheel mechanism 603 includes a rotating shaft 6031 rotatably connected to the main base plate 3. The rotating shaft 6031 can rotate around its own axis, and its power is provided by the main drive source of the device through a transmission mechanism (such as gears or synchronous belts).

[0033] An upper star wheel 6032 and a lower star wheel 6033 are fixedly mounted on the rotating shaft 6031 from top to bottom at intervals, forming a double-wheel limiting structure. The side of the upper star wheel 6032 has several first grooves that are adapted to the bottle cap of the beverage bottle 1 and are used to limit the bottle cap. The side of the lower star wheel 6033 has several second grooves that are adapted to the bottle body of the beverage bottle 1 and are used to limit the bottle body. The two sets of grooves correspond one to one and together form a limiting space for the beverage bottle 1, ensuring that the beverage bottle 1 is stable and does not deviate during the conveying process.

[0034] It should be added that the beverage guide channel 602 has a double-layer structure, including an upper guide channel and a lower guide channel spaced apart from top to bottom; the upper guide channel is set at the height of the bottle cap of the beverage bottle 1 and is used to limit and guide the bottle cap of the beverage bottle 1; the lower guide channel is set at the lower middle part of the beverage bottle 1 and is used to limit and guide the body of the beverage bottle 1. This double-layer guide structure can constrain the movement trajectory of the beverage bottle 1 from both above and below, preventing the beverage bottle 1 from tilting or shaking during the conveying process.

[0035] In use, the beverage bottle 1 to be packaged is first conveyed to the beverage conveyor belt 601, and the height of the conveyor belt is pre-adjusted according to the height of the beverage bottle 1. Then, the beverage bottle 1 moves with the beverage conveyor belt 601 to the beverage guide channel 602. Under the double-layer limiting and guiding action of the upper guide channel and the lower guide channel, the posture of the beverage bottle 1 is calibrated and moves towards the star wheel mechanism 603 along the preset trajectory. When the beverage bottle 1 reaches the feeding end of the star wheel mechanism 603, its cap is embedded in the first groove of the upper star wheel 6032 and the bottle body is embedded in the second groove of the lower star wheel 6033. Driven by the rotating shaft 6031, the upper star wheel 6032 and the lower star wheel 6033 rotate synchronously, driving the beverage bottle 1 to be conveyed towards the locking area along the arc trajectory of the star wheel, and finally delivering the beverage bottle 1 to the locking station.

[0036] The above design, with its upper and lower double-layer guide channels and upper and lower star wheels providing dual limiting, effectively avoids tilting, deviation, and posture disorder during the conveying process of beverage bottle 1, ensuring that the neck of beverage bottle 1 is always in the precise position required for locking; furthermore, it ensures that the arrangement spacing of beverage bottles 1 is uniform and the movement rhythm is stable, laying a key foundation for the synchronous locking of beverage handle 2 and beverage bottle 1, and indirectly improving the overall packaging efficiency and locking success rate.

[0037] The following is a description of the buckle conveyor unit 7: The buckle conveying unit 7 also includes a buckle conveyor belt 702 and a buckle guide channel 703; the buckle guide channel 703 is located at the discharge end of the buckle conveyor belt 702, and the discharge end of the buckle guide channel 703 is located in the engagement area between the two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units 6.

[0038] When the beverage handle 2 is conveyed to the handle guide channel 703 via the handle conveyor belt 702, the pushing surface of the pusher 701 is in contact with the rear end face of the beverage handle 2, driving the beverage handle 2 to continue moving along the handle guide channel 703 until it reaches the engagement area.

[0039] In this embodiment, two pull-tab conveyor belts 702 are provided, which are parallel to each other. The spacing between them can be finely adjusted according to the width of the beverage pull-tab 2 (e.g., through a slide rail adjustment structure) to accommodate the width requirements of pull-tabs of different specifications. The two pull-tab conveyor belts 702 are driven by the same servo motor through a synchronous transmission mechanism to ensure that their running speeds are completely consistent and to avoid pull-tab conveying deviation due to speed differences. Several stops 8 are evenly distributed on the surface of each pull-tab conveyor belt 702. The stops 8 are integrally molded from wear-resistant rubber material, and their height is greater than the thickness of the beverage pull-tab 2. The spacing between adjacent stops 8 is greater than the length of the beverage pull-tab 2, which facilitates the placement of beverage pull-tabs of different specifications and ensures that each pull-tab can be conveyed to the designated position.

[0040] Two lifting buckle guide channels 703 are provided, each corresponding to a lifting buckle conveyor belt 702, and are fixed to the discharge end of the two lifting buckle conveyor belts 702 respectively. Each lifting buckle guide channel 703 consists of two parallel guide plates, one above the other. The spacing between the two guide plates is adapted to the thickness of the beverage lifting buckle 2, allowing the lifting buckle to move linearly along the pushing direction only, effectively limiting the lateral offset and circumferential rotation of the lifting buckle, and ensuring that the slot on the side of the lifting buckle always faces the neck of the beverage bottle 1. In addition, the inlet end of the guide plate adopts a flared chamfer design, which facilitates the transition of the beverage lifting buckle 2 from the conveyor belt to the guide channel and avoids jamming.

[0041] In use, beverage handles 2 (two-piece, four-piece, six-piece, or eight-piece) are placed one by one on two handle conveyor belts 702. Then, the servo motor starts, driving the two handle conveyor belts 702 to run synchronously, conveying the beverage handles 2 along a preset direction. When the handle moves to the entrance end of the handle guide channel 703, guided by the chamfered flared end, the two sides of the handle enter between the guide plates of the two guide channels, completing the posture calibration. At this time, the pusher 701 has moved to the rear end of the handle, and its pusher surface is completely in contact with the end face of the handle. Under the command of the control unit, the pusher 701 drives the handle to move in a straight line along the guide channel, and finally pushes the handle to the locking station between the two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units 6, and completes synchronous locking with the beverage bottle 1.

[0042] It should be added that the top of the upper shelf 4 is detachably connected to a storage rack 9. This detachable design allows the storage rack 9 to be quickly changed to fit different specifications of beverage handles 2 (two-piece, four-piece, six-piece, and eight-piece) without modifying the basic installation structure of the upper shelf 4. A handle storage bin is fixed on the storage rack 9. This bin has an inclined design and several parallel guide ribs distributed along its length to guide the stacked beverage handles 2. A discharge port is provided at the bottom of the handle storage bin.

[0043] A suction and transfer mechanism 10 is installed on the shelf 9. The suction and transfer mechanism 10 is used to pick up the beverage handle 2 at the outlet and transfer the beverage handle 2 to the handle conveyor belt 702. Specifically, the suction and transfer mechanism 10 includes a connecting shaft rotatably connected to the shelf 9, which can rotate around its own axis. A suction plate is fixedly installed on the connecting shaft, and a number of vacuum suction cups are installed at intervals along the length of the suction plate (the number of suction cups is set to 2-4 according to the length of the handle). The vacuum suction cups are connected to a vacuum generator through air pipes, which can generate a stable suction force, ensuring that the handle is firmly picked up, while avoiding excessive suction force that may cause the handle to deform.

[0044] In use, the operator places beverage handles 2 into the handle hopper in batches with the handles in an inverted state. Under their own weight and guided by the guide ribs, the handles slide one by one towards the bottom outlet along the tilt direction of the hopper. Then, the suction and transfer mechanism 10 is activated, the connecting shaft rotates, and the suction plate moves to the outlet. The vacuum generator is activated, the vacuum suction cup adheres to the bottom surface of the handle and generates suction force. Then, the connecting shaft rotates in the opposite direction, turning the handles from the inverted state to the upright state, and placing the handles on the two handle conveyor belts 702, completing a single transfer action.

[0045] It is worth mentioning that there are two sets of pushers 701. Linear drive mechanisms 704 corresponding to each pusher 701 are installed on the top of the upper plate 4. The two sets of linear drive mechanisms 704 are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the moving direction of the pushers 701, and the execution end of each linear drive mechanism 704 is fixedly connected to the corresponding pusher 701.

[0046] The two sets of linear drive mechanisms 704 can work independently or alternately.

[0047] For example, when conveying a six-piece or eight-piece beverage handle 2, one of the linear drive mechanisms 704 operates independently, adapting to low-frequency, heavy-load modes.

[0048] When conveying two-piece or four-piece beverage handles 2, the two linear drive mechanisms 704 work alternately to adapt to high frequency and light load modes.

[0049] The linear drive mechanism 704 includes a linear motor 7041 fixedly mounted on the top of the upper plate 4. An avoidance cylinder 7042 is fixed to the actuating end of the linear motor 7041. The avoidance cylinder 7042 is a compact cylinder with its axis inclined at 30-45° to the horizontal. A pusher 701 is fixed to the actuating end of the avoidance cylinder 7042. During push-up, the cylinder piston rod extends, causing the pusher surface of the pusher 701 to fit tightly against the lifting buckle end face. After push-up, the cylinder piston rod retracts, causing the pusher 701 to move upwards and backwards along the inclined direction to avoid collisions with subsequently conveyed lifting buckles when the pusher 701 resets. This also provides sufficient space for the movement of another set of pushers 701, ensuring uninterrupted operation of the mechanism.

[0050] When in use, if the packaging requirement is a six- or eight-piece beverage handle 2, the equipment switches to a low-frequency heavy-load mode, with only one set of linear drive mechanisms 704 working independently: the control unit controls the avoidance cylinder 7042 of the non-working side linear drive mechanism 704 to remain in the retracted state, and the pusher 701 is in the avoidance position; the piston rod of the avoidance cylinder 7042 on the working side extends, driving the pusher 701 to move to the rear end of the handle guide channel 703, with the pusher surface fitting against the end face of the six- or eight-piece handle to be pushed; then the control unit controls the linear motor 7041 to start, driving the pusher 701 forward along the handle guide channel 703 at a preset speed (consistent with the star wheel linear speed) until the handle and the beverage bottles 1 on both sides are synchronously engaged; after engagement, the linear motor 7041 reverses to drive the pusher 701 to reset, and at the same time the avoidance cylinder 7042 retracts, and the pusher 701 tilts to avoid, waiting for the next handle to be delivered to the workstation before repeating the above actions. In this mode, the single drive mechanism focuses on pushing the long, heavy-duty lifting buckle, with stable power output, avoiding the interference risk that may occur when the two mechanisms work together.

[0051] When the packaging requirement switches to two- or four-piece beverage handles 2, the equipment switches to a high-frequency, light-load mode. The two linear drive mechanisms 704 work alternately according to a preset sequence: the control unit presets the alternation interval (adjustable within 0.2-1 seconds based on the conveyor rhythm). First, the first set of linear drive mechanisms 704's avoidance cylinder 7042 extends, and the pusher 701 engages with the handle. The linear motor 7041 starts, completing the push engagement and then resetting to avoidance. Simultaneously with the first set of pushers 701 resetting, the second set of linear drive mechanisms 704's avoidance cylinder 7042 extends, and the pusher 701 engages with the next handle. The linear motor 7041 starts, completing the push. The two sets of mechanisms cycle alternately, achieving continuous high-frequency pushes of the handles. Due to the short size and light weight of the two / four-piece handles, and the short reset stroke of the pusher 701, the alternating working mode significantly shortens the push interval time of a single handle, allowing the push rhythm to precisely match the star wheel conveyor rhythm and meet the demands of fast-paced production.

[0052] In this embodiment, the pushing member 701 includes a first pushing part 7011 and a first pressing part 7012. The first pushing part 7011 is fixedly connected to the actuating end of the linear drive mechanism 704, and its end face facing the beverage handle 2 is the pushing surface, used to fit against the rear end face of the beverage handle 2. The first pressing part 7012 is fixedly connected to the pushing surface of the first pushing part 7011, and its extension direction is consistent with the pushing direction. It is used to fit against the upper surface of the beverage handle 2, forming a "bottom pushing, top pressing" limiting structure to prevent the beverage handle 2 from tilting upwards or shifting during the pushing process.

[0053] Example 2: Please refer to Figures 11 to 14 This embodiment also proposes an automated packaging device for bottled beverages. The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that the pusher 701 further includes two sets of second pusher parts 7013 and two sets of second pressing parts 7014 to adapt to the pusher requirements of different number of lifting buckles.

[0054] During the research and development process, it was discovered that the more links the buckle has (e.g., six or eight links), the longer its overall length. When using the single pushing part structure of Example 1, the pushing force tends to concentrate in the middle of the buckle end face, leading to problems such as buckle end deformation, misalignment, or engagement failure. To solve this problem, the following design was developed: Two sets of second pushing parts 7013 are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the first pushing part 7011, forming a symmetrical distributed pushing structure; two sets of second pressing parts 7014 are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the two sets of second pushing parts 7013, and each second pressing part 7014 is provided on the pushing surface of the corresponding second pushing part 7013, and is on the same horizontal plane as the first pressing part 7012.

[0055] A spacing adjustment mechanism 11 is connected between each of the second push parts 7013 and the first push part 7011. The spacing adjustment mechanism 11 is used to adjust the horizontal distance between the second push parts 7013 and the first push parts 7011 to adapt to different beverage handle 2 serial number specifications.

[0056] With the above design, when packaging multi-unit long beverage handles 2 (low frequency, heavy load mode), the horizontal distance between the second push part 7013 and the first push part 7011 can be increased by the spacing adjustment mechanism 11, so that the push surfaces of the first push part 7011 and the two sets of second push parts 7013 together form a distributed push surface, and the push force is evenly transmitted to the entire rear end face of the beverage handle 2, effectively solving the problem of handle deformation and displacement caused by force concentration in the traditional single push part structure.

[0057] When packaging a short-sized beverage handle 2 with fewer links (high frequency, light load mode), the spacing adjustment mechanism 11 drives the second push part 7013 to retract towards the first push part 7011, reducing the overall volume of the push part 701. This effectively avoids collision interference when the two sets of push parts 701 work alternately, ensuring the smoothness of high-frequency switching actions and meeting the needs of fast-paced large-scale production.

[0058] In this embodiment, the spacing adjustment mechanism 11 uses a cylinder or an electric telescopic rod, which has the advantages of fast response speed and high adjustment accuracy. During the adjustment process, the pushing surface of each second pushing part 7013 and the pushing surface of the first pushing part 7011 are always on the same plane, ensuring that the pushing surface of each pushing part can be evenly attached to the rear end surface of the beverage handle 2.

[0059] It is worth mentioning that the more links there are in the beverage handle 2, the longer its corresponding length. The pressing part of the conventional push-fit component 701 has a fixed length. When pressing a longer beverage handle 2, the pressing range is too small, easily leading to uneven stress on the handle and causing bending deformation. To solve this problem, the following design is implemented: The second pushing part 7013 has an internal mounting cavity for mounting other components. A slider 12 is slidably connected within the mounting cavity along the pushing direction. A connecting rod 13 is fixed between the slider 12 and the second pressing part 7014. The connecting rod 13 movably passes through the pushing surface of the second pushing part 7013. A return spring 14, located within the mounting cavity, is sleeved on the connecting rod 13. In the initial state, the return spring 14 is in a naturally extended state, and its elastic force acts on the slider 12, causing the connecting rod 13 and the second pressing part 7014 to move closer to the second pushing part 7013, thus keeping the overall volume of the pushing member 701 compact.

[0060] A connecting rope 15 is fixed between the slider 12 and the first push part 7011. The connecting rope 15 moves through the side of the second push part 7013. A guide wheel 16 is installed in the mounting cavity to make the connecting rope 15 L-shaped.

[0061] When the second pushing part 7013 approaches the first pushing part 7011 to the limit position, the return spring 14 is in a naturally extended state and the connecting rope 15 is in a relaxed state, so that the second pressing part 7014 approaches the second pushing part 7013 and the overall volume of the pushing part 701 is minimized. When the second pushing part 7013 moves away from the first pushing part 7011 to the limit position, the return spring 14 is in a compressed state and the connecting rope 15 is in a taut state, so that the second pressing part 7014 moves away from the second pushing part 7013 and expands the pressing range.

[0062] With the above design, in the initial stage of adjusting the distance between the second pushing part 7013 and the first pushing part 7011, the connecting rope 15 is in a slack state, and the relative position between the second pressing part 7014 and the second pushing part 7013 remains unchanged, which can adapt to the pressing requirements of short-sized buckles. When the second pushing part 7013 moves to a preset distance, the connecting rope 15 is taut and pulls the second pressing part 7014 to unfold. At this time, the pressing surface area expands synchronously, and it is not easy for the buckle to bend and deform due to uneven force on the whole. This structure does not require additional driving components, and the structure is compact and has strong linkage.

[0063] The reason for this design is that the length of the short-sized handle (fewer links) is relatively short, and the longitudinal distance between the handle part in the middle and the pushing surface is small. If the second pressing part 7014 unfolds synchronously with the pushing part, the extension trajectory of the pressing part is prone to interference and collision with the handle part. This will not only cause the pressing part to fail to fit tightly with the upper surface of the handle, affecting the pressing stability, but may also cause the pushing force to shift due to the obstruction of the handle, reducing the smoothness of the pushing operation.

[0064] In the initial unfolding stage of the pushing part, the pressing part remains compacted, achieving posture constraint of the short handle only through small-area pressing, while avoiding the handle area in the middle of the handle to avoid interference risk. When the pushing part unfolds to a preset distance, the pressing part unfolds outward synchronously, maintaining a safe distance from the handle area, ensuring that the pressing surface covers a large area of ​​the upper surface of the long handle, while always avoiding interference from the handle.

[0065] Example 3: Please refer to Figures 15 to 17 This embodiment also proposes an automated packaging device for bottled beverages. The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 2 is that: The spacing adjustment mechanism 11 includes several parallel and spaced linkage rods 111. One end of each linkage rod 111 is rotatably connected to the first pushing part 7011 via a first hinge shaft 112, and the other end of each linkage rod 111 is rotatably connected to the second pushing part 7013 via a second hinge shaft 113. A drive source is mounted on the first pushing part 7011, which drives each linkage rod 111 to rotate around its corresponding first hinge shaft 112. In this embodiment, the drive source is preferably a rotary electromagnet, whose output end is connected to the linkage rod 111 for driving the linkage rod 111 to rotate around its corresponding first hinge shaft 112. The rotary electromagnet has a highly integrated structure, which does not increase the overall size of the pushing part 701 and effectively avoids structural interference caused by the exposed drive source.

[0066] When the second push part 7013 approaches the first push part 7011 to the limit position, the linkage rod 111 is in the retracted state, and the push surface of the second push part 7013 is located inside the push surface of the first push part 7011. At this time, the second push part 7013 does not contact the beverage handle 2, and only the first push part 7011 undertakes the push task. When the second pushing part 7013 moves away from the first pushing part 7011 to the limit position, the linkage rod 111 rotates to the horizontally extended state, and the pushing surface of each second pushing part 7013 and the pushing surface of the first pushing part 7011 are on the same plane, forming a distributed pushing surface.

[0067] With the above design, in the initial state, the second pushing part 7013 can be completely stored in the side of the first pushing part 7011, without interfering with the pushing of the short-sized lifting buckle (high-frequency mode). When it is necessary to package the long-sized lifting buckle, the linkage rod 111 can be unfolded to expand the pushing surface. The entire structure has a smooth transmission without jamming, and occupies very little space when retracted.

[0068] The structure has only two possible distribution states for the pushing surface: 1. The first pushing part 7011 is in contact with the rear end face of the buckle alone; 2. The first pushing part 7011 and two sets of second pushing parts 7013 are in contact with the rear end face of the buckle together. Although its distribution state is relatively simple, this structure allows the second pushing part 7013 to be completely fitted and closed with the first pushing part 7011, maximizing the compression of the overall volume of the pushing part 701, perfectly adapting to the working conditions of alternating operation of the two sets of pushing parts 701; at the same time, when unfolded, it can provide sufficient pushing surface width to meet the force distribution requirements of long-sized buckles.

[0069] In this embodiment, the second pressing part 7014 is fixedly connected to the pushing surface of the second pushing part 7013, and the length of the second pressing part 7014 is greater than the length of the first pressing part 7012. When the linkage rod 111 drives the second pushing part 7013 to unfold and achieve distributed pushing, the second pressing part 7014 moves synchronously with the second pushing part 7013, which can cover the upper surface of the long-sized buckle over a large area, preventing the buckle from bending.

[0070] Example 2 uses a cylinder or electric telescopic rod as the spacing adjustment mechanism 11, allowing for stepless adjustment of the spacing of the top pushing surface, which can accommodate more different length specifications of the lifting buckles. In contrast, this example uses a mechanical linkage structure of linkage rod 111 + rotating electromagnet. Although it only supports two states of adjustment, the structure is more compact, the response speed is faster, and it is more suitable for high-speed packaging scenarios with large batches of single-specification or two mainstream specifications of lifting buckles.

[0071] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0072] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An automated packaging device for bottled beverages, used to engage the neck of a beverage bottle into a slot on the side of a beverage handle, comprising a main base plate and an upper plate spaced apart from bottom to top, characterized in that: The top of the upper plate is equipped with a lifting buckle conveying unit, which is used to drive the beverage lifting buckle to move in a straight line. The top of the main base plate is equipped with a finished product conveying unit and two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units; the finished product conveying unit is located at the discharge end of the two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units and is used to convey bottled beverages that have been packaged. Two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the discharge end of the lifting conveying unit and are arranged to rotate synchronously in opposite directions. They are used to drive the beverage bottles on both sides of the discharge end of the lifting conveying unit to move synchronously with the edge of the star wheel. The buckle conveying unit includes a pusher that can move linearly. The direction of movement of the pusher is consistent with the tangential direction of the star wheels of the two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units, and is used to push the beverage buckle along the tangential direction of the star wheels to the engagement area between the two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units. The speed at which the pusher drives the beverage handle to move is the same as the linear velocity of the star wheel edges of the two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units, so that the beverage handle moves synchronously with the beverage bottles on both sides.

2. The automated packaging device for bottled beverages according to claim 1, characterized in that: The star wheel type beverage conveying unit includes a beverage conveyor belt, a beverage guide channel, and a star wheel mechanism installed on the top of the main base plate; The beverage guide channel is located at the discharge end of the beverage conveyor belt, and the star wheel mechanism is located at the discharge end of the beverage guide channel.

3. The automated packaging device for bottled beverages according to claim 1, characterized in that: The buckle conveying unit also includes a buckle conveyor belt and a buckle guide channel; The buckle guide channel is located at the discharge end of the buckle conveyor belt, and the discharge end of the buckle guide channel is located in the engagement area between the two sets of star wheel beverage conveying units. When the beverage handle is conveyed to the handle guide channel by the handle conveyor belt, the pushing surface of the pusher is in contact with the rear end face of the beverage handle, driving the beverage handle to continue moving along the handle guide channel.

4. An automated packaging device for bottled beverages according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pusher is provided in two sets. A linear drive mechanism corresponding to each pusher is installed on the top of the upper plate. The two sets of linear drive mechanisms are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the pusher's moving direction, and the execution end of each linear drive mechanism is fixedly connected to the corresponding pusher. The two sets of linear drive mechanisms can work independently or alternately.

5. An automated packaging device for bottled beverages according to claim 4, characterized in that: The pusher includes a first pusher portion and a first pressing portion; The first pushing part is fixedly connected to the execution end of the linear drive mechanism and is used to fit against the rear end face of the beverage handle; the first pressing part is fixedly connected to the pushing surface of the first pushing part and is used to fit against the upper surface of the beverage handle.

6. An automated packaging device for bottled beverages according to claim 5, characterized in that: The pusher also includes two sets of second push sections and two sets of second pressing sections; Two sets of second pushing parts are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the first pushing part; two sets of second pressing parts are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the two sets of second pushing parts, and each second pressing part is provided on the pushing surface of the corresponding second pushing part. A spacing adjustment mechanism is connected between each second pushing part and the first pushing part. The spacing adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the horizontal distance between the second pushing part and the first pushing part.

7. An automated packaging device for bottled beverages according to claim 6, characterized in that: The spacing adjustment mechanism uses a cylinder or an electric telescopic rod; The jacking surface of each second jacking part is always on the same plane as the jacking surface of the first jacking part.

8. An automated packaging device for bottled beverages according to claim 7, characterized in that: The second pushing part has an internal mounting cavity. A slider is slidably connected in the mounting cavity along the pushing direction. A connecting rod is fixed between the slider and the second pressing part. The connecting rod movably passes through the pushing surface of the second pushing part. A return spring located in the mounting cavity is sleeved on the connecting rod. A connecting rope is fixed between the slider and the first push part. The connecting rope moves through the side of the second push part. A guide wheel is installed in the mounting cavity to make the connecting rope L-shaped. When the second pushing part approaches the first pushing part to the limit position, the return spring is in a naturally extended state and the connecting rope is in a slack state, so that the second pressing part approaches the second pushing part. When the second pushing part moves away from the first pushing part to the limit position, the return spring is compressed and the connecting rope is taut, so that the second pressing part moves away from the second pushing part.

9. An automated packaging device for bottled beverages according to claim 6, characterized in that: The spacing adjustment mechanism includes several parallel and spaced linkage rods. One end of each linkage rod is rotatably connected to the first pushing part via a first hinge shaft, and the other end of each linkage rod is rotatably connected to the second pushing part via a second hinge shaft. A drive source is installed on the first pushing part, and the drive source is used to drive each linkage rod to rotate around the corresponding first hinge shaft. When the second pushing part approaches the first pushing part to the limit position, the pushing surface of the second pushing part is located inside the pushing surface of the first pushing part; When the second pushing part moves away from the first pushing part to the limit position, the pushing surface of the second pushing part and the pushing surface of the first pushing part are on the same plane.

10. An automated packaging device for bottled beverages according to claim 9, characterized in that: The second pressing part is fixedly connected to the pushing surface of the second pushing part, and the length of the second pressing part is greater than the length of the first pressing part.

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