Filling equipment and container lossless continuous conveying method

Abstract

The invention discloses filling equipment which comprises a bottle supply part, an empty bottle detection part, a cleaning part, a filling and cap screwing part, a lossless combining part, a lossless grouping part and a bottle distance adjusting unit I. According to the filling equipment, the lossless combining part and the bottle distance adjusting unit I are arranged at the input end of the empty bottle detection part; the filling equipment is provided with a lossless grouping part, a lossless combining part and a bottle distance adjusting unit I at the input end of the cleaning part, the input end of the filling and cap screwing part is connected with the output end of the cleaning part, and the filling equipment is provided with the lossless grouping part and the lossless combining part at the output end of the filling and cap screwing part. Containers in the filling equipment can be conveyed at intervals, collision and extrusion between the containers are avoided, the containers can be kept in a lossless complete state, based on the dynamic means of group distance adjustment and bottle distance adjustment, the conveying speed of the containers is high, the conveying mode is continuous, and finally the high-speed lossless continuous container conveying effect is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of filling. Background Technology

[0002] High-end baijiu is a high-value-added product, especially the premium baijiu from brands like Moutai and Wuliangye, which boasts extremely high profit margins. To ensure the commercial image of these products, they are typically bottled in exquisitely crafted, jade-like porcelain bottles with distinctive glaze patterns. However, as is well known, while porcelain is a hard ceramic material, it is not impact-resistant and easily breaks upon impact, damaging the glaze patterns. Compared to the automation levels of other industries, the bottling process for high-end baijiu lags far behind, often employing semi-automated production lines. Each workstation still relies on manual labor, resulting in insufficient production to meet consumer demand during periods of short-term market surges.

[0003] The conveyor line consists of a conveyor chain (or conveyor belt) and guardrails. Containers are placed on the conveyor chain and move with it. The guardrails remain stationary on either side of the conveyor chain. Together, the guardrails and the conveyor chain form the conveyor channel. Because the conveyor line is compactly arranged according to site conditions, it is not always in a straight line; it has straight sections and curved sections, resulting in both straight and curved sections in the conveyor channel. When containers travel through the curved sections of the conveyor channel, they turn and come into contact with the guardrails, experiencing friction. Initially stationary relative to the conveyor chain, the containers undergo relative motion due to friction, causing changes in the distance between containers within the conveyor channel. As containers pass through multiple curved sections, the spacing between them gradually decreases, eventually leading to collisions in the curved sections.

[0004] Containers are fragile, and collisions during transport can easily cause breakage or damage to the surface glaze, making it difficult to maintain their integrity. Current technologies prioritize straight conveyor lines to minimize bends in the transport path and prevent damage during transport. However, in practice, unlimited length is unavailable, so multiple bends are inevitable. Secondly, workers are stationed along the straight sections of the conveyor line to monitor container arrangement and manually maintain spacing within the transport path. This ensures that even with friction from guardrails during bends, adjacent containers do not collide. Finally, the transport speed is kept low to facilitate manual adjustment of container spacing.

[0005] In actual operation, due to the slow conveying of containers, the bottle feeding component, empty bottle detection component, cleaning component, and filling component cannot operate at their rated capacity. The slow flow of containers at each station forces the equipment at each station to reduce its operating rhythm to match the slow conveying speed of the containers.

[0006] In summary, the bottling technology for high-end baijiu is a semi-automated process based on manual labor. This not only requires extensive site conditions and a large workforce but also suffers from severe low production capacity. Therefore, there is a significant demand for fully automated equipment in the high-end baijiu bottling sector. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The technical problem to be solved by this invention is how to transport containers at high speed without damage on a liquor bottling production line.

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: The key to this technical solution is to optimize the container conveying structure of the entire line, thereby obtaining a filling equipment that can convey containers at high speed and without collision. The filling equipment includes a bottle feeding component, an empty bottle detection component, a cleaning component, and a filling and capping component. It also includes a non-destructive merging component, a non-destructive grouping component, and a bottle spacing adjustment unit I. The non-destructive merging component includes a parallel temporary storage unit and a group spacing adjustment unit I. The parallel temporary storage unit has parallel input channels, one end of which is the input end of the non-destructive merging component. The parallel temporary storage unit also has a single-column output channel connected to the input end of the group spacing adjustment unit I. The output end of the group spacing adjustment unit I is the output end of the non-destructive merging component. The non-destructive grouping component includes a group spacing adjustment unit II and a translational guide assembly. The input end of the group spacing adjustment unit II is the input end of the non-destructive grouping component. The output end of the group spacing adjustment unit II is located at one end of the input channel. The translational guide assembly is located above the output end of the group spacing adjustment unit II and moves along the output end of the group spacing adjustment unit II. The group spacing adjustment unit II is connected to each column of input channels sequentially via the translational guide assembly. The filling equipment is equipped with a non-destructive merging component and a bottle spacing adjustment unit I at the input end of the empty bottle detection component. The input end of the empty bottle detection component is located below the working area of ​​the bottle spacing adjustment unit I. The output end of the non-destructive merging component is connected to the input end of the empty bottle detection component. The output end of the bottle feeding component is connected to the input end of the non-destructive merging component. The filling equipment is equipped with a non-destructive grouping component, a non-destructive merging component, and a bottle spacing adjustment unit I at the input end of the cleaning component. The input end of the non-destructive grouping component is connected to the output end of the empty bottle detection component. The input end of the cleaning component is located below the working area of ​​the bottle spacing adjustment unit I. The output end of the non-destructive merging component is connected to the input end of the cleaning component. The input end of the filling and capping component is connected to the output end of the cleaning component. The filling equipment is equipped with a non-destructive grouping component and a non-destructive merging component at the output end of the filling and capping component. The input end of the non-destructive grouping component is connected to the output end of the filling and capping component. The output end of the non-destructive merging component is the output end of the filling equipment.

[0009] The improvements of this invention lie entirely in the interconnected conveyor structure of the production line, which integrates the bottle feeding component, empty bottle detection component, cleaning component, and filling and capping component. The technical problem stems from the excessive number of bends in the conveyor channel, causing containers to have reduced or even eliminated spacing after passing through these bends. One aspect of this invention's design is to compensate for the spacing of containers on the conveyor line. Even if the containers are obstructed and their spacing is reduced at bends, the current spacing can still cope with a limited number of bends during subsequent transport. Another aspect is the establishment of grouped buffer conveyors between the various components, connecting the capacities of upstream and downstream workstations. This allows for a buffered connection between components at upstream and downstream workstations, enabling each component to achieve its optimal capacity and reducing mutual interference between adjacent components due to capacity differences. In this technical solution, the combination of non-destructive grouping and non-destructive merging components not only supports the design concept of grouped buffer conveyors but also expands the bottle spacing, thus supporting the spacing compensation design concept.

[0010] The technical solution describes a connection between the input end of the filling and capping component and the output end of the cleaning component. This refers to a direct connection via a conveyor channel constructed with a conveyor chain and guardrails, without introducing the aforementioned non-destructive merging or non-destructive grouping components, i.e., without using methods to increase the length of the conveyor channel. The initial design principle of this technical feature is based on the premise that clean containers should be used for filling operations as quickly as possible and should not linger in the conveyor channel, otherwise there is a risk of recontamination. Therefore, the positional relationship between the cleaning component and the filling and capping component should be relatively close, and the conveyor channel length should be short enough to allow containers to directly enter the input end of the filling and capping component from the output end of the cleaning component. The optimal conveyor channel design should conform to the structural feature where the extension direction of the input end of the filling and capping component coincides with the extension direction of the output end of the cleaning component, thus maximizing the maintenance of bottle spacing. Other short conveyor channels with curved sections also conform to the structural design of connecting the input end of the filling and capping component to the output end of the cleaning component.

[0011] To ensure containers enter the filling and capping assembly with an ideal bottle spacing, a bottle spacing adjustment unit II can be installed at the input end of the filling and capping assembly. Bottle spacing adjustment unit II has the same structure as bottle spacing adjustment unit I. Specifically, the filling equipment has bottle spacing adjustment unit II at the input end of the filling and capping assembly, which is located below the working area of ​​bottle spacing adjustment unit II. Bottle spacing adjustment unit II is located within the conveying channel and does not change the length of the conveying channel. The main body of bottle spacing adjustment unit II is based on a magnetic levitation drive structure. It has a mover and a clamp located on the mover. The clamp moves along a circular path and can extend into the conveying channel to clamp the container. The conveying channel is located on one side of bottle spacing adjustment unit II, while the other side of bottle spacing adjustment unit II is away from the conveying channel.

[0012] To facilitate sampling and inspection of containers after cleaning, the filling equipment includes a sampling platform between the cleaning unit and the filling and capping unit. This sampling platform is located below the working area of ​​the bottle spacing adjustment unit II. The position of the sampling platform is determined by ensuring that it does not obstruct the exit of containers from the cleaning unit or their entry into the filling and capping unit. It can be located near the conveyor channel or near the side of the bottle spacing adjustment unit II furthest from the conveyor channel.

[0013] The non-destructive grouping component groups containers arranged in a single column for output. During the grouping operation, switching lanes to output a group of containers takes time, which can cause containers to accumulate. To better match the container conveying speed with the grouping speed, the grouping speed of the non-destructive grouping component needs to be increased. Therefore, this invention proposes an optimization scheme for the non-destructive grouping component, achieving the optimal grouping distance matching the grouping operation through at least two grouping distance adjustment processes, rather than reaching the optimal grouping distance all at once. This ensures that the non-destructive grouping component can meet the grouping requirements of containers at faster conveying speeds. Specifically, the non-destructive grouping component has at least two group spacing adjustment units II connected in series. The input end of one group spacing adjustment unit II is the input end of the non-destructive grouping component, and the output end of the other group spacing adjustment unit II is located at one end of the input channel and is perpendicular to the input channel. The translational guide component is located above the output end of the other group spacing adjustment unit II and moves along the output end of the other group spacing adjustment unit II. The output end of one group spacing adjustment unit II is connected to the input end of the other group spacing adjustment unit II. The two group spacing adjustment units II are connected to each column input channel one by one through the translational guide component.

[0014] When the filling equipment is working, all containers are arranged at intervals, whether in single-row conveying or group temporary storage. Therefore, there is no contact, friction, or collision between containers. Overall, the containers are in a non-destructive continuous conveying process.

[0015] The container conveying process within the filling equipment is as follows:

[0016] The first step involves arranging empty containers in a matrix at intervals at the bottle feeding station. Then, empty containers are sequentially output to the empty bottle inspection station. Before entering the empty bottle inspection station, the group spacing between adjacent groups of empty containers is adjusted, and then the bottle spacing between adjacent groups is adjusted. The empty containers then enter the empty bottle inspection station in a single-column arrangement with equal intervals.

[0017] The second step involves outputting empty containers at the empty bottle inspection station in a single-column arrangement with equal spacing. After grouping by adjusting the group spacing, the empty containers are arranged in a matrix pattern. Then, they are output column by column to the cleaning station. Before entering the cleaning station, the group spacing between adjacent groups of empty containers is adjusted, followed by the bottle spacing between adjacent groups. The empty containers then enter the cleaning station in a single-column arrangement with equal spacing.

[0018] The third step involves empty containers being output from the cleaning station in a single-row arrangement with equal spacing, and then entering the filling and capping station in the same single-row arrangement with equal spacing within the straight conveyor channel.

[0019] The fourth step involves filling empty containers with material and attaching caps at the filling and capping station to form capped containers. The capped containers are then output at the filling and capping station in a single-column arrangement with equal spacing. After the group spacing is adjusted, the capped containers are grouped and arranged in a matrix. The capped containers are then output column by column. Next, the group spacing between two adjacent groups of capped containers is adjusted, and then the bottle spacing between two adjacent groups of capped containers is adjusted. Finally, the capped containers are output in a single-column arrangement with equal spacing.

[0020] To ensure that the containers enter the filling and capping unit with the ideal bottle spacing, the bottle spacing between two adjacent empty containers is adjusted before the empty containers enter the filling and capping station in a single row with equal spacing.

[0021] In order to respond to the grouping requirements of containers at faster conveying speeds, the empty containers are adjusted by the grouping distance between the two adjacent groups of empty containers before and after grouping, and the covered containers are adjusted by the grouping distance between the two adjacent groups of covered containers before and after grouping.

[0022] This invention employs the aforementioned technical solution: the container conveying in the filling equipment achieves the technical effect of interval arrangement, with no collision or squeezing between containers, ensuring the containers remain intact and undamaged. Dynamic methods based on group spacing and bottle spacing adjustment enable high container conveying speed and continuous conveying, ultimately achieving a high-speed, damage-free continuous container conveying effect. With improved conveying efficiency, containers rotate quickly at each station, allowing each station's equipment to utilize its capacity, ultimately enabling the entire filling equipment to achieve a high output. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the filling equipment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 for Figure 1A magnified view of a portion at point A;

[0026] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A magnified view of the area at point B;

[0027] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A magnified view of a section at point C. Detailed Implementation

[0028] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the filling equipment includes a bottle feeding component 1, an empty bottle detection component 2, a cleaning component 3, a filling and capping component 4, a non-destructive merging component, a non-destructive grouping component, a bottle distance adjustment unit I 9, and a bottle distance adjustment unit II 10.

[0029] like Figure 2 As shown, the bottle supply unit 1 includes a robot and three conveyor belts. The robot is equipped with suction cups; each of the three conveyor belts has an independent motor, and starting any motor can drive the corresponding conveyor belt to operate. The three conveyor belts are arranged in a straight line. In use, the unpacked, exposed containers are placed within the robot's workstation area, arranged in a matrix pattern within the packaging box. The robot moves the suction cups to the location of the containers, adsorbing a large group of containers arranged in a matrix pattern at once. Then, it moves the containers to the conveyor belt closest to the robot, where they remain in a matrix pattern. When the robot moves containers again, the containers on the current conveyor belt have already been moved to the next conveyor belt; when the robot moves containers again, they have been moved to the conveyor belt furthest from the robot. At this point, all three conveyor belts have containers arranged in a matrix pattern. These containers move intermittently as a whole within the bottle supply unit 1, causing them to move forward in a step-like manner. When the robot moves a container again, the conveyor belt furthest from the robot outputs a large group of containers, thus the conveyor belt furthest from the robot becomes the output end of the bottle supply component 1.

[0030] The empty bottle detection component 2 can adopt the rotary empty bottle detection mechanism described in Chinese Utility Model Patent Application No. CN201920370024.4, filed on March 22, 2019. The cleaning component 3 can adopt the rotary cleaning mechanism described in Chinese Invention Patent Application No. CN201711238231.6, filed on November 30, 2017. The filling and capping component 4 can adopt the filling and capping mechanism described in Chinese Invention Patent Application No. CN201911035866.5, filed on October 29, 2019.

[0031] The non-destructive merging component includes a parallel temporary storage unit 5 and a group spacing adjustment unit I 6. The parallel temporary storage unit 5 can be a parallel temporary storage mechanism consisting of a storage channel and an output section arranged side-by-side, as described in German invention patent application number DE10312695, filed on March 21, 2003. The group spacing adjustment unit I 6 can be a conveying mechanism, after removing the transfer device, as described in Chinese invention patent application number CN201180066848.9, filed on December 6, 2011.

[0032] The non-destructive grouping component includes two grouping adjustment units II7 and a translational guide assembly 8, with the two grouping adjustment units II7 connected in series. The structure of the grouping adjustment unit II7 is the same as that of the grouping adjustment unit I6. The translational guide assembly 8 can be the transfer device described in Chinese invention patent application number CN201180066848.9, filed on December 6, 2011. In other words, the non-destructive grouping component can be the feed accumulator described in Chinese invention patent application number CN201180066848.9, filed on December 6, 2011.

[0033] Bottle spacing adjustment unit I9 and bottle spacing adjustment unit II10 have the same structure and can adopt the magnetic levitation mechanism described in Chinese invention patent application number CN202110100361.3, filed on January 26, 2021. Both bottle spacing adjustment unit I9 and bottle spacing adjustment unit II10 are equipped with clamps for holding containers, which are driven to move along a circular path. The working area of ​​bottle spacing adjustment unit I9 and bottle spacing adjustment unit II10 refers to the range of motion of the clamps holding the containers.

[0034] like Figure 2 , 3 As shown, the parallel temporary storage unit 5 has parallel input channels, each of which can operate independently, and the conveying direction of each input channel is unidirectional; one end of each input channel is the input end of the lossless merging component. The parallel temporary storage unit 5 also has a single-row output channel, which is connected to the input end of the group spacing adjustment unit I6, and the output end of the group spacing adjustment unit I6 is the output end of the lossless merging component.

[0035] In the two group spacing adjustment units II7 of the non-destructive grouping component, the input end of one group spacing adjustment unit II7 is the input end of the non-destructive grouping component, and the output end of the other group spacing adjustment unit II7 is located at one end of the input channel and is perpendicular to the input channel. A translational guide assembly 8 is located above the output end of the other group spacing adjustment unit II7 and moves along the output end of the other group spacing adjustment unit II7. The output end of one group spacing adjustment unit II7 is connected to the input end of the other group spacing adjustment unit II7, and the two group spacing adjustment units II7 are connected to each column input channel sequentially via the translational guide assembly 8.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, the filling equipment has a non-destructive merging component and a bottle spacing adjustment unit I9 at the input end of the empty bottle detection component 2. The input end of the empty bottle detection component 2 is located below the working area of ​​the bottle spacing adjustment unit I9. The output end of the non-destructive merging component is connected to the input end of the empty bottle detection component 2, and the output end of the bottle feeding component 1 is connected to the input end of the non-destructive merging component. The number of container rows output by the bottle feeding component 1 is the same as the number of input channels at the input end of the non-destructive merging component. Containers can enter the non-destructive merging component only after they have been completely output from the bottle feeding component 1.

[0037] like Figure 3 As shown, the filling equipment has a non-destructive grouping component, a non-destructive merging component, and a bottle spacing adjustment unit I9 at the input end of the cleaning component 3. The input end of the non-destructive grouping component is connected to the output end of the empty bottle detection component 2. The input end of the cleaning component 3 is located below the working area of ​​the bottle spacing adjustment unit I9, and the output end of the non-destructive merging component is connected to the input end of the cleaning component 3.

[0038] like Figure 4 As shown, the input end of the filling and capping component 4 is connected to the output end of the cleaning component 3, and the extension direction of the input end of the filling and capping component 4 coincides with the extension direction of the output end of the cleaning component 3. The filling equipment has a bottle spacing adjustment unit II 10 at the input end of the filling and capping component 4, and the input end of the filling and capping component 4 is located below the working area of ​​the bottle spacing adjustment unit II 10. The filling equipment has a sampling platform 11 between the cleaning component 3 and the filling and capping component 4. The sampling platform 11 is located on one side of the conveying channel between the cleaning component 3 and the filling and capping component 4, and is located below the working area of ​​the bottle spacing adjustment unit II 10.

[0039] The filling equipment is equipped with a non-destructive grouping component and a non-destructive merging component at the output end of the filling and capping component 4. The input end of the non-destructive grouping component is connected to the output end of the filling and capping component 4, and the output end of the non-destructive merging component is the output end of the filling equipment.

[0040] At the bottle feeding station where bottle feeding component 1 is located, unfilled empty containers are always arranged in a matrix at intervals. At the empty bottle detection station where empty bottle detection component 2 is located, only empty containers arranged in a single row at intervals are accepted.

[0041] Within the conveying channel from the bottle supply station to the empty bottle inspection station, the parallel empty containers inside the non-destructive merging component leave the parallel temporary storage unit 5 one after another and are assembled into a single-column interval arrangement before being conveyed to the group spacing adjustment unit I6. Because the matrix-arranged empty containers require a switching time to be assembled into a single column (the time required for the output channel to connect with different input channels), there is a large group spacing (or group distance) between adjacent groups of empty containers in the conveying direction. When the empty containers pass through the group spacing adjustment unit I6, the empty containers in the preceding group do not move forward, waiting for the empty containers in the following group to reach a reasonable distance from the empty containers in the preceding group. The empty containers at the front of the group on the group spacing adjustment unit I6 are then output outwards. After the empty containers pass through the bottle spacing adjustment unit I9, the distance between any adjacent empty containers is adjusted. Finally, the empty containers enter the empty bottle inspection station in a single-column interval arrangement with equal spacing.

[0042] The cleaning unit 3 is located at the cleaning station, within the conveying channel from the empty bottle detection station to the cleaning station. Empty containers are output at the empty bottle detection station in a single-row, evenly spaced arrangement. When the empty containers pass through the non-destructive grouping unit, they undergo two grouping operations. After a certain number of consecutive empty containers enter one of the grouping adjustment units II7, the grouping adjustment unit II7 increases its conveying speed, causing this group of empty containers to be spaced further apart from the following empty containers. Then, the grouping adjustment unit II7 inputs empty containers again in the same manner. The empty containers at the front of this grouping adjustment unit II7 are output to another grouping adjustment unit II7. After passing through the other grouping adjustment unit II7, the grouping distance is increased in the same way, thus adjusting the grouping of the originally consecutively arranged single-row empty containers. Finally, the empty containers are input one row after another into the parallel temporary storage unit 5. The purpose of adjusting the group spacing here is also to obtain the switching time, except that this is the time required for the translational guide component 8 to connect with different input channels. Under high-speed conveying conditions, the advantage of two grouping operations is that the group spacing is gradually increased in small increments, avoiding the overturning of the empty container due to the force imbalance caused by a large increase in the group spacing at once, thereby preventing the empty container from falling over.

[0043] Within the conveying channel from the empty bottle inspection station to the cleaning station, the empty containers in the parallel temporary storage unit 5 are grouped into rows. Each row contains the same number of empty containers arranged in parallel. Therefore, after the empty containers are grouped through the group spacing adjustment, they are arranged in a matrix with intervals. Simultaneously, the parallel empty containers leave the parallel temporary storage unit 5 one row after another and converge into a single row with intervals before being conveyed to the group spacing adjustment unit I6. Because the matrix-arranged empty containers require a switching time to converge into a single row, which refers to the time required for the output channel to connect with different input channels, there will be a large group spacing between adjacent groups of empty containers in the conveying direction. When the empty containers pass through the group spacing adjustment unit I6, the empty containers in the preceding group do not move forward and wait until the empty containers in the following group reach a reasonable distance from the empty containers in the preceding group. The empty containers arranged in front on the group spacing adjustment unit I6 are then output outwards. After the empty containers pass through the bottle spacing adjustment unit I9, the distance between any two adjacent empty containers is adjusted. Finally, the empty containers enter the cleaning station in a single-row arrangement with equal spacing.

[0044] The filling and capping unit 4 is located at the filling and capping station. In the conveying channel from the cleaning station to the filling and capping station, empty containers are output from the cleaning station in a single-row, evenly spaced arrangement. The conveying channel between the cleaning station and the filling and capping station is straight. After passing through the bottle spacing adjustment unit I9, the distance between any adjacent empty containers is adjusted. Finally, the empty containers enter the filling and capping station in a single-row, evenly spaced arrangement.

[0045] Empty containers are filled with material and capped at the filling and capping station to form capped containers. These capped containers are then output in a single-row, evenly spaced arrangement at the filling and capping station. When the capped containers pass through the non-destructive grouping unit, they undergo two grouping operations. As the capped containers pass through one of the grouping adjustment units II7, a certain number of consecutive capped containers enter this unit. The grouping adjustment unit II7 then increases its conveying speed, causing this group of capped containers to be spaced further apart from the following capped containers. Next, the grouping adjustment unit II7 inputs capped containers again in the same manner. The capped containers at the front of this grouping adjustment unit II7 are output to another grouping adjustment unit II7. As the capped containers pass through the other grouping adjustment unit II7, the grouping distance is increased in the same way, thus adjusting the grouping distance of the originally consecutively arranged single-row capped containers. Finally, the capped containers are input one row at a time into the parallel temporary storage unit 5. The purpose of adjusting the group spacing here is also to obtain the switching time, except that this is the time required for the translational guide component 8 to connect with different input channels. Under high-speed conveying conditions, the advantage of two grouping operations is that the group spacing is gradually increased in small increments, avoiding the imbalance of force on the covered container and the risk of overturning caused by a large increase in the group spacing at once, thus preventing the covered container from falling over.

[0046] The capped containers in the parallel temporary storage unit 5 are grouped into groups, with each column containing the same number of capped containers arranged in parallel. Therefore, after the capped containers are grouped through group spacing adjustment, they are arranged in a matrix with intervals. Simultaneously, the parallel capped containers leave the parallel temporary storage unit 5 one column at a time and converge into a single column, which is then fed to the group spacing adjustment unit I6. Because the matrix-arranged capped containers require a switching time to converge into a single column (the time required for the output channel to connect with different input channels), there is a significant spacing between adjacent groups of capped containers in the conveying direction. When the capped containers pass through the group spacing adjustment unit I6, the capped containers in the preceding group do not move forward, waiting for the capped containers in the following group to reach a reasonable distance from the capped containers in the preceding group. The capped containers in front of the preceding group are then output outwards on the group spacing adjustment unit I6. After the capped containers pass through the bottle spacing adjustment unit I9, the distance between any two adjacent capped containers is adjusted. Finally, the capped containers are output in a single row with equal spacing. The output operation at this stage is the output operation of the filling equipment as a whole.

[0047] In summary, the containers maintain a spaced-out arrangement within the filling equipment, preventing collisions, compression, and contact between them. This is achieved through pre-grouping spacing adjustment, post-grouping spacing adjustment, and post-grouping parallel temporary storage during the conveying process. The fewer the number of containers in a group, the more effective the spacing adjustment and post-grouping parallel temporary storage become, closely resembling bottle spacing adjustment. Each spacing adjustment essentially performs a compensation / reduction operation on the bottle spacing, with containers undergoing multiple bottle spacing compensation / reduction operations throughout the conveying process. The spacing adjustment operation consistently achieves a reasonable group spacing. However, in actual operation, containers may be rejected by quality control or sampled and removed from the queue, resulting in a distance between containers exceeding, rather than falling below, the reasonable distance. In such cases, the spacing adjustment stage requires a reduction operation to achieve the appropriate distance.

[0048] The number of group spacing adjustments before grouping can be increased or decreased as needed. In another embodiment, the non-destructive grouping component has only one group spacing adjustment unit II. The input end of group spacing adjustment unit II is the input end of the non-destructive grouping component, and the output end of group spacing adjustment unit II is located at one end of the input channel, and the output end of group spacing adjustment unit II is perpendicular to the input channel. A translational guide assembly is located above the output end of group spacing adjustment unit II and moves along the output end of group spacing adjustment unit II. Group spacing adjustment unit II is connected to each column input channel one by one through the translational guide assembly. In this embodiment, the container is input into the input parallel temporary storage unit after only one group spacing adjustment.

Claims

1. A filling device, comprising a bottle feeding component (1), an empty bottle detection component (2), a cleaning component (3), and a filling and capping component (4), characterized in that: The filling equipment also includes a non-destructive merging component, a non-destructive grouping component, and a bottle spacing adjustment unit I (9). The non-destructive merging component includes a parallel temporary storage unit (5) and a group spacing adjustment unit I (6). The parallel temporary storage unit (5) has parallel input channels, one end of which is the input end of the non-destructive merging component. The parallel temporary storage unit (5) also has a single-row output channel, which is connected to the input end of the group spacing adjustment unit I (6). The output end of the group spacing adjustment unit I (6) is the output end of the non-destructive merging component. The non-destructive grouping component includes a group spacing adjustment unit II (7) and a translational guide assembly (8). The input end of the group spacing adjustment unit II (7) is the input end of the non-destructive grouping component. The output end of the group spacing adjustment unit II (7) is located at one end of the input channel. The translational guide assembly (8) is located above the output end of the group spacing adjustment unit II (7) and moves along the output end of the group spacing adjustment unit II (7). The group spacing adjustment unit II (7) is connected to each column of input channels one by one through the translational guide assembly (8). The filling equipment has an empty bottle detection component. The input end of (2) is provided with a non-destructive merging component and a bottle spacing adjustment unit I (9). The input end of the empty bottle detection component (2) is located below the working area of ​​the bottle spacing adjustment unit I (9). The output end of the non-destructive merging component is connected to the input end of the empty bottle detection component (2). The output end of the bottle feeding component (1) is connected to the input end of the non-destructive merging component. The filling equipment is provided with a non-destructive grouping component, a non-destructive merging component, and a bottle spacing adjustment unit I (9) at the input end of the cleaning component (3). The input end of the non-destructive grouping component is connected to the input end of the empty bottle detection component I (9). The output end of the cleaning component (3) is connected to the input end of the bottle distance adjustment unit I (9). The input end of the non-destructive merging component is connected to the input end of the cleaning component (3). The input end of the filling and capping component (4) is connected to the output end of the cleaning component (3). The filling equipment is provided with a non-destructive grouping component and a non-destructive merging component at the output end of the filling and capping component (4). The input end of the non-destructive grouping component is connected to the output end of the filling and capping component (4). The output end of the non-destructive merging component is the output end of the filling equipment.

2. The filling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The direction of the input end of the filling and capping component (4) coincides with the direction of the output end of the cleaning component (3).

3. The filling equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The filling equipment is provided with a bottle distance adjustment unit II (10) at the input end of the filling and capping component (4), and the input end of the filling and capping component (4) is located below the working area of ​​the bottle distance adjustment unit II (10).

4. The filling equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The filling equipment has a sampling platform (11) between the cleaning component (3) and the filling and capping component (4), and the sampling platform (11) is located below the working area of ​​the bottle distance adjustment unit II (10).

5. The filling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The non-destructive grouping component is provided with at least two group spacing adjustment units II (7) connected in series. The input end of one of the group spacing adjustment units II (7) is the input end of the non-destructive grouping component. The output end of the other group spacing adjustment unit II (7) is located at one end of the input channel and is perpendicular to the input channel. The translational guide component (8) is located above the output end of the other group spacing adjustment unit II (7) and moves along the output end of the other group spacing adjustment unit II (7). The output end of one of the group spacing adjustment units II (7) is connected to the input end of the other group spacing adjustment unit II (7). The two group spacing adjustment units II (7) are connected to each column input channel one by one through the translational guide component (8).

6. A method for non-destructive continuous conveying of containers, characterized in that: The first step involves arranging empty containers in a matrix at intervals at the bottle feeding station. Then, empty containers are sequentially output to the empty bottle inspection station. Before entering the empty bottle inspection station, the group spacing between adjacent groups of empty containers is adjusted, and then the bottle spacing between adjacent groups is adjusted. The empty containers then enter the empty bottle inspection station in a single-column arrangement with equal intervals. The second step involves outputting empty containers at the empty bottle inspection station in a single-column arrangement with equal spacing. After grouping by adjusting the group spacing, the empty containers are arranged in a matrix pattern. Then, they are output column by column to the cleaning station. Before entering the cleaning station, the group spacing between adjacent groups of empty containers is adjusted, followed by the bottle spacing between adjacent groups. The empty containers then enter the cleaning station in a single-column arrangement with equal spacing. The third step involves empty containers being output from the cleaning station in a single-row arrangement with equal spacing, and then entering the filling and capping station in the same single-row arrangement with equal spacing within the straight conveyor channel. The fourth step involves filling empty containers with material and attaching caps at the filling and capping station to form capped containers. The capped containers are then output at the filling and capping station in a single-column arrangement with equal spacing. After the group spacing is adjusted, the capped containers are grouped and arranged in a matrix. The capped containers are then output column by column. Next, the group spacing between two adjacent groups of capped containers is adjusted, and then the bottle spacing between two adjacent groups of capped containers is adjusted. Finally, the capped containers are output in a single-column arrangement with equal spacing.

7. The container non-destructive continuous conveying method according to claim 6, characterized in that: Before the empty containers enter the filling and capping station in a single row with equal spacing, the distance between two adjacent empty containers is adjusted.

8. The container non-destructive continuous conveying method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The empty containers are adjusted in terms of spacing between adjacent groups of empty containers before being grouped, and the covered containers are adjusted in terms of spacing between adjacent groups of covered containers before being grouped.

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