An automatic assembly device for a dropper

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of drip tube automatic assembly equipment in the technical field of drip tube automatic production equipment, comprising: carousel device, drip tube feeding device, cannula device, heat sealing device and discharging device.The carousel device, drip tube feeding device, cannula device, heat sealing device and discharging device can form a rotary multi-station automatic drip tube assembly assembly line.The drip tube automatic assembly equipment of the application realizes unmanned, uninterrupted continuous operation from empty jig to finished product discharge, greatly improves production efficiency and capacity, solves the bottleneck problem of manual assembly.The intermittent motion of the turntable provides a stable operation time window for each station, ensures the synchronicity and beat controllability of each device action, and eliminates the individual differences caused by manual operation, ensuring the high consistency and repeatability of each product in insertion depth, heat sealing position and other key parameters.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated drip tube production equipment technology, and in particular to an automated drip tube assembly device. Background Technology

[0002] A dropper is a basic and widely used instrument, commonly used for dispensing, preparing, and adding pharmaceuticals. In certain specific medical or laboratory settings (e.g., applications requiring precise control of micro-volume liquid dispensing or preventing reactions between the dropper tip and the medication), a thin-diameter glass tube is added to the head of a standard plastic dropper to create a composite dropper assembly. This structure combines the convenience of the plastic dropper's reservoir with the chemical inertness and high precision of the glass tube.

[0003] Currently, the production and assembly of this composite dropper component mainly relies on manual operation. The typical process is as follows: the operator first holds the plastic dropper, machines side holes and marks the sides of the dropper, then uses tweezers or other tools to pick up a delicate glass tube, aligns one end of the glass tube with the opening of the dropper head, and inserts it. Finally, the connection between the plastic dropper and the glass tube is fixed and sealed using heat shrinking, adhesive application, or heat fusion methods.

[0004] However, this traditional manual assembly method is cumbersome, has low production efficiency, and is difficult to achieve large-scale and continuous production. Moreover, it is difficult to maintain a constant force, insertion depth, alignment and sealing effect during manual operation, which requires a high level of operator proficiency. The glass tube is brittle and small in size, and is easily damaged or broken due to uneven force or collision during manual clamping and alignment, which may lead to safety and hygiene risks. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic dropper assembly device to solve one or more technical problems existing in the prior art, and at least provide a beneficial option or create conditions.

[0006] The technical solution adopted to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows:

[0007] An automatic dropper assembly device includes: a turntable device, a dropper feeding device, a dropper insertion device, a heat sealing device, and a discharge device;

[0008] The turntable device includes a rotating disk and a turntable driving component for driving the rotating disk to rotate. The rotating disk has multiple working stations evenly distributed around its rotation axis. Each working station is provided with an assembly fixture. The assembly fixture is provided with a positioning groove for positioning the plastic dropper. The multiple working stations include at least a dropper feeding station, a tube insertion station, a heat sealing station, and a material unloading station.

[0009] The dropper feeding device includes a dropper feeding mechanism and a dropper loading mechanism. The dropper feeding mechanism has a dropper feeding end for supplying droppers. The dropper feeding end is located next to the dropper loading station. The dropper loading mechanism includes a loading gripper and a loading drive component. The loading gripper is used to hold the plastic dropper, and the loading drive component is used to drive the loading gripper to move so that the plastic dropper is moved from the dropper feeding end to the assembly fixture of the dropper loading station.

[0010] The insertion device includes a glass tube feeding mechanism and an insertion mechanism. The glass tube feeding mechanism has a glass tube feeding end for supplying glass tubes. The glass tube feeding end is located beside the insertion station. The insertion mechanism includes an insertion gripper and an insertion driving component. The insertion gripper is used to hold the glass tube, and the insertion driving component is used to drive the insertion gripper to move, so that the insertion gripper can drive the glass tube at the glass tube feeding end to move, thereby inserting the glass tube into the plastic dropper located at the insertion station.

[0011] The heat sealing device is located next to the heat sealing station and is used to heat the plastic dropper with the glass tube inserted, so that the plastic dropper shrinks and wraps around the glass tube.

[0012] The feeding device is located at the feeding station and is used to remove the dripping material from the assembly fixture.

[0013] The automatic dropper assembly equipment provided by this invention has at least the following beneficial effects: the turntable device, dropper feeding device, tube insertion device, heat sealing device, and unloading device can form a rotary multi-station automated dropper assembly line. Using the turntable device as a central transport carrier, multiple independent process modules, such as dropper feeding, glass tube insertion, heat sealing, and finished product unloading, are integrated into a continuous circular production line. Each station corresponds to a process step, with precise intermittent rotation achieved by the turntable drive component, ensuring that the semi-finished products on each assembly fixture can sequentially pass through each station to complete the entire assembly process. Each functional device is arranged around the turntable, performing its specific operation at its corresponding station. The automatic dropper assembly equipment of this application achieves unmanned, uninterrupted continuous operation from empty fixtures to finished product unloading, greatly improving production efficiency and capacity, and solving the bottleneck problem of manual assembly. The intermittent motion of the turntable provides a stable working time window for each station, ensuring the synchronicity and controllability of the actions of each device, eliminating individual differences caused by manual operation, and ensuring high consistency and repeatability of each product in key parameters such as insertion depth and heat sealing position.

[0014] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, each of the assembly fixtures is provided with a plurality of positioning grooves, which extend radially along the rotating disk. The positioning grooves are parallel to each other and arranged side by side in the horizontal direction. The positioning groove includes a tube segment and a tube body segment, with the tube body segment located on the side of the positioning groove away from the rotation axis of the rotating disk.

[0015] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the drip feeding mechanism includes a drip vibrating plate and a drip straight vibrating channel. Multiple drip straight vibrating channels are parallel to each other and arranged side by side in the horizontal direction. One end of each of the multiple drip straight vibrating channels is connected to the drip vibrating plate. The drip feeding end is located at the other end of the multiple drip straight vibrating channels and is arranged facing the drip feeding station.

[0016] The dropper feeding end is provided with a feeding groove, and the upper and lower sides of the feeding groove are provided with dropper stops that can be opened and closed elastically.

[0017] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the plastic dropper is vertically conveyed in the dropper direct vibration channel and horizontally placed on the assembly fixture. The dropper feeding device also includes a dropper flipping mechanism, which is located between the dropper feeding end and the dropper feeding station. The dropper feeding mechanism is located above the dropper flipping mechanism. The dropper flipping mechanism includes a flipping clamping component, a flipping driving component, and a translation driving component. The flipping clamping component is used to clamp the plastic dropper at the dropper feeding end. The flipping driving component is used to drive the flipping clamping component to rotate, so that the plastic dropper on the flipping clamping component flips from a vertical state to a horizontal state. The translation driving component is used to drive the flipping clamping component to move closer to or away from the dropper feeding mechanism.

[0018] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the dropper flipping mechanism further includes a dropper take-up guide plate, a first aligning component, and a second aligning component. The dropper take-up guide plate is located beside the flipping clamping component. The dropper take-up guide plate has multiple dropper take-up positioning slots corresponding to the dropper feeding ends of the multiple dropper straight vibrating material channels. The first aligning component and the second aligning component are respectively located on both sides of the flipping clamping component. The first aligning component is used to align the top of the plastic dropper radially, and the second aligning component is used to align the bottom of the plastic dropper axially.

[0019] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the automatic dropper assembly equipment also includes a punching device, and the working station also includes a punching station. The punching station is located between the dropper feeding station and the tube insertion station along the rotation direction of the rotary table. The punching device includes a needle mechanism and a needle driving mechanism. The needle mechanism is located above the punching station and has multiple puncture needles that correspond one-to-one with the positioning grooves. The needle driving mechanism is used to drive the needle mechanism to move up and down relative to the rotary table device.

[0020] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the automatic dropper assembly equipment also includes a marking device, and the working station also includes a marking station. The marking station is located between the dropper feeding station and the tube insertion station along the rotation direction of the rotary disk. The marking device includes a marking pen and a marking drive mechanism. The marking pen is positioned downwards above the marking station, and the marking drive mechanism is used to drive the marking pen to move relative to the rotary disk device to perform marking processing on the plastic droppers on the assembly fixture.

[0021] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the automatic dropper assembly equipment further includes a rotary device, and the working station further includes a rotary station. The rotary station is located beside the dropper feeding station along the rotation direction of the rotary disk. The rotary device includes a tube clamping rotary mechanism and a rotary shifting mechanism. The tube clamping rotary mechanism includes multiple rotary components, each of which corresponds to a plurality of positioning slots. Each rotary component includes a centering gripper and a rotary driving unit. The centering gripper has a central axis aligned axially with the plastic dropper on the positioning slot. The rotary driving unit is used to drive the centering gripper to rotate around the central axis. The rotary shifting mechanism is used to drive the tube clamping rotary mechanism to move along the extension direction of the positioning slot.

[0022] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the heat sealing device includes a heat sealing clamping mechanism and a heat sealing shifting mechanism. The heat sealing clamping mechanism includes multiple heat sealing components, each corresponding to one of the multiple positioning grooves. Each heat sealing component includes heat sealing jaws and a clamping drive unit. The heat sealing jaws are arranged in pairs on the upper and lower sides of the positioning groove. The clamping drive unit is used to drive the pairs of heat sealing jaws to press against each other. The heat sealing jaws are provided with heating elements. The heat sealing shifting mechanism is used to drive the heat sealing clamping mechanism to move along the extension direction of the positioning groove.

[0023] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the intubation device further includes an intubation guide mechanism. The intubation guide mechanism is located on the side of the intubation station away from the rotation axis of the rotary disk. The intubation guide mechanism includes an upper guide component and a lower guide component. The upper guide component includes an upper guide plate and an upper guide drive unit for driving the upper guide plate to move up and down. The lower guide component includes a lower guide plate and a lower guide drive unit for driving the lower guide plate to move up and down. The upper guide plate and the lower guide plate are arranged vertically, and each of the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate has a guide groove at one end facing each other. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments;

[0025] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an embodiment of the automatic dropper assembly device provided by the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a top view of an embodiment of the automatic dropper assembly device provided by the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of an embodiment of the dropper feeding device provided by the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a side view of an embodiment of the dropper feeding device provided by the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a side view of an embodiment of the rotary device provided by the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a side view of an embodiment of the punching device provided by the present invention;

[0031] Figure 7 This is a side view of an embodiment of the line drawing device provided by the present invention;

[0032] Figure 8 This is a perspective view of an embodiment of the intubation device provided by the present invention;

[0033] Figure 9 This is a side view of an embodiment of the intubation device provided by the present invention;

[0034] Figure 10 This is a side view of an embodiment of the heat sealing device provided by the present invention.

[0035] In the diagram: 100-Turntable device, 110-Rotating disk, 120-Assembly fixture, 200-Drip tube feeding device, 210-Drip tube feeding mechanism, 211-Drip tube vibrating plate, 212-Drip tube direct vibration channel, 220-Drip tube feeding mechanism, 221-Feeding gripper, 222-Feeding drive component, 230-Drip tube flipping mechanism, 231-Flipping clamping component, 232-Flipping drive component, 233-Translation drive component, 234-Tip guide plate, 235-First alignment component, 236-Second alignment component, 300-Torque device, 310-Tip clamping torsion mechanism, 311-Centering gripper, 312-Torque drive unit, 320-Torque shifting mechanism, 330-Vision inspection element, 400-Punching device, 410-Needle-piercing mechanism, 411 - Puncture needle, 412- Protective sleeve, 420- Punch drive mechanism, 430- Chip suction mechanism, 440- Support column, 500- Marking device, 510- Marking pen, 520- Marking drive mechanism, 600- Insertion device, 610- Glass tube feeding mechanism, 620- Insertion mechanism, 621- Insertion gripper, 622- Insertion drive component, 630- Glass tube dispensing mechanism, 631- Dispensing tray, 632- Dispensing drive component, 640- Insertion guide mechanism, 641- Upper guide component, 642- Lower guide component, 700- Heat sealing device, 710- Heat sealing clamping mechanism, 711- Heat sealing gripper, 712- Clamping drive unit, 713- Heating element, 720- Heat sealing displacement mechanism, 800- Detection device, 900- Unloading device. Detailed Implementation

[0036] This section will describe in detail specific embodiments of the present invention. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings. The purpose of the drawings is to supplement the textual description with graphics, so that people can intuitively and vividly understand each technical feature and overall technical solution of the present invention, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0038] In the description of this invention, if there are words such as "several", they mean one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than", "less than", "exceeding" etc. are understood to exclude the number itself, and "above", "below", "within" etc. are understood to include the number itself.

[0039] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set up," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0040] Reference Figures 1 to 10 The automatic dropper assembly equipment of the present invention is provided in the following embodiments:

[0041] An automatic dropper assembly device includes: a turntable device 100, a dropper feeding device 200, a rotary device 300, a punching device 400, a marking device 500, a tube insertion device 600, a heat sealing device 700, a detection device 800, and a feeding device 900.

[0042] The turntable device 100 includes a rotating disk 110 and a turntable driving component. The rotating disk 110 is disc-shaped, and the turntable driving component drives the rotating disk 110 to rotate around its rotation axis. The rotating disk 110 has eight working stations evenly distributed circumferentially around its rotation axis. Each working station is equipped with an assembly fixture 120, which has a positioning groove for positioning plastic droppers. The eight working stations are, in order: dropper loading station, twisting station, punching station, marking station, tube insertion station, heat sealing station, inspection station, and unloading station.

[0043] The dropper feeding device 200 includes a dropper feeding mechanism 210 and a dropper loading mechanism 220. The dropper feeding mechanism 210 has a dropper feeding end for supplying droppers, which is located beside the dropper loading station. The dropper loading mechanism 220 includes a loading gripper 221 and a loading drive component 222. The loading gripper 221 is used to hold the plastic dropper, and the loading drive component 222 is used to drive the loading gripper 221 to move, so that the plastic dropper is transferred from the dropper feeding end to the assembly fixture 120 of the dropper loading station.

[0044] The insertion device 600 includes a glass tube feeding mechanism 610 and an insertion mechanism 620. The glass tube feeding mechanism 610 has a glass tube feeding end for supplying glass tubes, and the glass tube feeding end is located beside the insertion station. The insertion mechanism 620 includes an insertion gripper 621 and an insertion driving member 622. The insertion gripper 621 is used to hold the glass tube, and the insertion driving member 622 is used to drive the insertion gripper 621 to move, so that the insertion gripper 621 can move the glass tube at the glass tube feeding end, thereby inserting the glass tube into the plastic dropper located at the insertion station.

[0045] The heat sealing device 700 is located beside the heat sealing station. The heat sealing device 700 is used to heat the plastic dropper with the glass tube inserted, so that the plastic dropper shrinks and wraps around the glass tube.

[0046] The feeding device 900 is located at the feeding station and is used to remove the dripping material from the assembly fixture 120.

[0047] The rotary table device 100, dropper feeding device 200, tube insertion device 600, heat sealing device 700, and unloading device 900 form a rotary multi-station automated dropper assembly line. Using the rotary table device 100 as the central transport carrier, multiple independent process modules, such as dropper feeding, glass tube insertion, heat sealing, and finished product unloading, are integrated into a continuous circular production line. Each station corresponds to a process step, with precise intermittent rotation achieved by the rotary table drive components, ensuring that the semi-finished products on each assembly fixture 120 can sequentially pass through each station to complete the entire assembly process. Each functional device (feeding, tube insertion, heat sealing, and unloading) is arranged around the rotary table, performing its specific operation at its corresponding station. The automatic dropper assembly equipment of this application achieves unmanned, uninterrupted continuous operation from empty fixtures to finished product unloading, greatly improving production efficiency and capacity, and solving the bottleneck problem of manual assembly. The intermittent motion of the turntable provides a stable working time window for each station, ensuring the synchronicity and controllability of the actions of each device, eliminating individual differences caused by manual operation, and ensuring high consistency and repeatability of each product in key parameters such as insertion depth and heat sealing position.

[0048] The turntable drive component in this embodiment can be a cam divider driven by a motor or a DD motor to drive the turntable 110 to rotate, thereby causing multiple assembly fixtures 120 on it to move stepwise along a circular path, thus realizing the sequential transfer between multiple workstations.

[0049] As is understandable, a plastic dropper consists of a long, thin tubular body and a bulb connected to one end of the tube. In actual use, the liquid is drawn in and released through the elastic deformation of the bulb.

[0050] In this embodiment, each assembly fixture 120 is provided with a plurality of positioning grooves, which extend radially along the rotating disk 110 and are parallel to each other and arranged side by side in the horizontal direction. The positioning groove includes a tube segment and a tube body segment, with the tube body segment located on the side of the positioning groove away from the rotation axis of the rotating disk 110.

[0051] Each fixture can handle multiple droppers simultaneously, directly determining the equipment's parallel processing capability. The positioning groove is divided into a bulb section and a body section. This contour-following design closely conforms to the irregular shape of the dropper: the wider bulb section supports and limits the bulb portion of the plastic dropper, preventing it from rolling; the narrower body section restrains the slender tube portion and positions the tube opening (the end to be inserted into the glass tube) towards the outside, away from the center of the turntable. This layout ensures that the openings of all plastic droppers face the outer edge of the turntable, providing optimal accessibility and operating space for actuators such as insertion and heat sealing mechanisms installed from the outside of the equipment.

[0052] It is worth noting that the length of the positioning groove is less than the length of the plastic dropper. When the bulb of the plastic dropper is in the bulb section, its tube body is located inside the tube body section, and the tube opening of the plastic dropper extends out and is exposed in the positioning groove and assembly fixture 120.

[0053] In this embodiment, the drip feeding mechanism 210 includes a drip vibrating plate 211 and a drip straight vibrating channel 212. Multiple drip straight vibrating channels 212 are parallel to each other and arranged side-by-side in the horizontal direction. One end of each of the multiple drip straight vibrating channels 212 is connected to the drip vibrating plate 211, and the drip feeding end is located at the other end of the multiple drip straight vibrating channels 212, facing the drip feeding station.

[0054] A vibratory feeder serves as the storage and initial orientation source for the plastic droppers. Through its internal spiral track and screening mechanism, the randomly stacked plastic droppers are automatically arranged into a predetermined posture, ensuring the dropper head bulbs face the same direction. Subsequently, the oriented droppers are conveyed to the dropper feeding end at a stable rhythm and spacing via a dropper straight vibratory feeder 212. This feeder is driven by a linear vibrating feeder, using vibration to transport the plastic droppers within the feeder. The parallel design of multiple straight vibratory feeders allows for the simultaneous transport of multiple droppers, enabling multi-station parallel feeding and significantly improving feeding efficiency.

[0055] Furthermore, the dropper feeding end is provided with a material receiving groove, which extends through the dropper direct vibration channel 212 in a left-right direction, allowing the middle part of the plastic dropper at the dropper feeding end to be exposed in the material receiving groove. Both the upper and lower sides of the material receiving groove are provided with elastically opening and closing dropper stops. The elastically opening and closing dropper stops at the dropper feeding end constitute a buffer and precise positioning mechanism, preventing the dropper from falling out of the dropper direct vibration channel 212 and allowing for gentle release during the material receiving action, protecting the dropper from damage.

[0056] The loading gripper 221 in this embodiment includes multiple clamping units arranged in a row. Each clamping unit corresponds one-to-one with a plurality of positioning slots on the assembly fixture 120 to simultaneously clamp multiple plastic droppers on the assembly fixture 120. The loading drive component 222 includes a translation drive unit and a lifting drive unit. The translation drive unit and the lifting drive unit are used to drive the loading gripper 221 to move horizontally and vertically, respectively, thereby realizing the transfer of the plastic droppers. The clamping units can use gripper cylinders to drive opposing clamping components to clamp the plastic droppers. The translation drive unit and the lifting drive unit can use linear drive components such as cylinders, electric push rods, hydraulic push rods, or lead screw and nut drive assemblies.

[0057] The specific structure of the feeding device 900 in this application can be set with reference to the specific structure of the dropper feeding mechanism 220 in this embodiment. By clamping and picking up the material from the assembly fixture 120 at the feeding station and transferring it to the corresponding feeding slide or storage container, this application will not provide further detailed examples.

[0058] Due to the special structure of plastic droppers, a vertical orientation with the nozzle facing downwards is the most stable and space-saving during vibratory feeding and dense storage. However, in subsequent processes such as insertion and heat sealing, horizontal placement facilitates operations such as axial insertion of glass tubes, heating and pressurization, and visual inspection. In this embodiment, the plastic dropper is vertically conveyed within the dropper vibratory feed channel 212, with the bulb of the plastic dropper located at the upper end and the nozzle facing downwards. The plastic dropper is placed horizontally on the assembly fixture 120, with the bulb of the plastic dropper located on the side facing the rotation axis of the rotating disk 110 and the nozzle facing outwards. The dropper feeding device 200 in this embodiment also includes a dropper flipping mechanism 230 for flipping the plastic dropper.

[0059] The dropper flipping mechanism 230 is located between the dropper feeding end and the dropper loading station, and the dropper loading mechanism 220 is located above the dropper flipping mechanism 230. The dropper flipping mechanism 230 includes: a flipping clamping component 231, a flipping driving component 232, and a translation driving component 233.

[0060] The flipping clamping member 231 is used to simultaneously clamp multiple plastic drops from the dropper direct vibration channel 212 located at the dropper feeding end. The flipping drive member 232 is used to drive the flipping clamping member 231 to rotate, so that the plastic drops on the flipping clamping member 231 flip from a vertical state to a horizontal state. The translation drive member 233 is used to move the flipping clamping member 231 closer to or further away from the dropper feeding mechanism 210.

[0061] Specifically, the first direction is the extension direction of the multiple positioning grooves of the assembly fixture 120 located in the dropper feeding station, and the second direction is the arrangement direction of the multiple positioning grooves of the assembly fixture 120 located in the dropper feeding station. The first direction, the second direction, and the up-down direction are perpendicular to each other. The multiple dropper straight vibrating channels 212 are arranged along the second direction at one end facing the dropper feeding station.

[0062] The translation drive component 233 includes: a tilting slide and a translation drive unit. The tilting slide is slidably disposed between the dropper linear vibrating channel 212 and the dropper feeding station along the first direction. The translation drive unit has a translation drive end that is driven by the tilting slide to reciprocate along the first direction. The translation drive unit can be a linear drive component such as a cylinder, an electric push rod, a hydraulic push rod, or a lead screw and nut drive assembly.

[0063] The flipping drive component 232 includes a flipping shaft and a flipping drive unit. The flipping shaft is rotatably mounted on the flipping slide and has a rotation axis extending along the second direction. The flipping drive unit has a flipping drive end that is drively connected to the flipping shaft to rotate the flipping shaft relative to the flipping slide. The flipping drive unit can be a rotary drive element such as a rotary cylinder, servo motor, stepper motor, or pneumatic motor.

[0064] The flipping clamping component 231 includes: a flipping clamping driving unit and two flipping clamps. The two flipping clamps are slidably connected along a second direction. Each of the two flipping clamps is provided with a plurality of clamping parts arranged at equal intervals. The clamping parts of the two flipping clamps are arranged opposite each other along the second direction. The flipping clamping driving unit is used to drive the two flipping clamps to move synchronously in opposite directions in the second direction to realize the opening and closing action of the two clamping parts arranged opposite each other.

[0065] Multiple plastic droppers are clamped at once by the flipping clamping component 231, while the flipping drive component 232 and the translation drive component 233 work together. In actual use, the translation drive component 233 drives the flipping clamping component 231 to move toward the dropper feeding mechanism 210, and clamps multiple vertical plastic droppers in the dropper straight vibrating channel 212 through multiple pairs of clamping parts; then the translation drive component 233 drives the flipping clamping component 231 to move in the opposite direction, so that the plastic droppers are disengaged from the dropper feeding end; then the flipping drive component 232 works to flip the entire flipping clamping component 231 and the plastic droppers on it upwards and rotates it 90 degrees to a horizontal state; finally, the loading gripper 221 takes the horizontal plastic droppers from the flipping clamping component 231 and places them in the assembly fixture 120.

[0066] In some other embodiments, the feeding drive component 222 may further include a flipping drive unit for driving the feeding gripper 221 to rotate, or the dropper feeding mechanism 210 may feed material with the plastic dropper placed horizontally.

[0067] When multiple droppers are clamped from the vibrating feed channel, their tops and bottoms may not be on the same plane or straight line due to gaps in the feed channel or clamping deviations. The dropper flipping mechanism 230 of this embodiment further includes: a dropper guide plate 234, a first aligning member 235, and a second aligning member 236. The dropper guide plate 234 is located beside the flipping clamping member 231 and has multiple dropper positioning slots corresponding to the dropper feeding ends of the multiple dropper straight vibrating feed channels 212. The first aligning member 235 and the second aligning member 236 are respectively located on both sides of the flipping clamping member 231. The first aligning member 235 is used to align the top of the plastic dropper radially, and the second aligning member 236 is used to align the bottom of the plastic dropper axially.

[0068] The tube-taking guide plate 234 has multiple tube-taking positioning slots extending along the second direction. When the flipping clamping member 231 faces the drip feeding mechanism 210, the tube-taking guide plate 234 is located on the lower side of the two flipping clamps, and the first aligning member 235 and the second aligning member 236 are respectively located on the upper and lower sides of the two flipping clamps.

[0069] The first aligning component 235 includes a first aligning plate and a first aligning drive unit. The first aligning drive unit drives the first aligning plate to move along a first direction, abutting against the top of the multiple plastic droppers from the side. The second aligning component 236 includes a second aligning plate and a second aligning drive unit. The second aligning plate is located below the two flipping clamps. When the flipping clamping component 231 clamps the plastic dropper at the feed end of the dropper, the second aligning plate is located below the plastic dropper. The second aligning drive unit drives the second aligning plate to move along a vertical direction, abutting against the bottom of the multiple plastic droppers from the axial direction. The first and second aligning drive units can be linear drive components such as cylinders, electric push rods, hydraulic push rods, or lead screw and nut drive assemblies.

[0070] The tube-taking guide plate 234, the first alignment member 235, and the second alignment member 236 are designed to solve the problem of positional consistency of multiple droppers during transfer and flipping. The tube-taking guide plate 234 serves as a transitional positioning reference, with multiple tube-taking positioning slots providing temporary and precise radial positioning for each dropper. The first alignment member 235, with its first plate extending from the side, acts on the top of the dropper, pushing the capsule of all plastic droppers radially, i.e., perpendicular to the dropper axis, to the same reference line. The second alignment member 236 acts on the bottom of the dropper, with the second plate moving axially, i.e., parallel to the dropper axis, ensuring that the end faces of all plastic droppers are flush. After these two alignments, the posture and position of multiple droppers achieve a high degree of uniformity, laying the foundation for subsequent precise placement and assembly. This eliminates defects such as skewed insertion and uneven heat sealing caused by deviations in the incoming material position, significantly reducing the assembly defect rate caused by inaccurate positioning.

[0071] In this embodiment, the dropper feeding mechanism 210 also uses a vibratory feeder as the storage and material source for the glass tubes. Through its internal spiral track and screening mechanism, the randomly stacked glass tubes are automatically arranged into a horizontal position and conveyed by a vertical vibration mechanism. The glass tube feeding mechanism 610 includes multiple vertical vibration channels for the glass tubes, which are parallel to each other and arranged side-by-side in the horizontal direction. The glass tube feeding end is located at one end of the multiple vertical vibration channels facing the insertion station.

[0072] The number of glass tube direct vibration channels is the same as the number of dropper direct vibration channels 212 and the number of positioning slots on the assembly fixture 120.

[0073] The glass tube feeding end is equipped with a glass tube dispensing mechanism 630, which includes a dispensing support plate 631 and a dispensing drive component 632. The dispensing support plate 631 is located at the end of multiple glass tube vibrating channels, and has multiple dispensing grooves, which are respectively aligned and connected to the multiple glass tube vibrating channels. The dispensing drive component 632 is used to drive the dispensing support plate 631 to move up and down.

[0074] When the glass tubes are conveyed to the glass tube feeding end along the multiple glass tube straight vibrating channels, the end of the glass tube is inserted into the distribution groove. At this time, the distribution drive component 632 drives the distribution support plate 631 to rise, thereby lifting the multiple glass tubes upward and exposing the end of the glass tube that is not inserted into the distribution groove.

[0075] The insertion gripper 621 is positioned above the glass tube feeding end and faces the insertion station. In this embodiment, the insertion drive component 622 includes two linear drive modules arranged vertically and horizontally, thereby driving the insertion gripper 621 to move. The insertion gripper 621 has multiple glass tube clamps arranged in a plurality of rows. These clamps are driven by clamp cylinders to open and close two clamping parts. A top plate is also provided behind the two opposing clamping parts to limit the movement of the glass tube end.

[0076] In actual use, the insertion drive component 622 drives the insertion gripper 621 to move to the rear upper side of the glass tube dispensing mechanism 630. After each dispensing slot end of the dispensing tray 631 detects a glass tube, the dispensing drive component 632 drives the dispensing tray 631 to rise, at which point the insertion gripper 621 aligns with the exposed end of the glass tube. Then, the insertion gripper 621 clamps multiple glass tubes and moves backward to disengage them from the dispensing slots. At this point, the dispensing tray 631 returns to its original position for the next glass tube receiving operation. Meanwhile, the insertion gripper 621 moves forward to the insertion position, inserting the glass tube into the opening of the plastic dropper.

[0077] Glass tubes are thin and brittle. If only the insertion gripper 621 holds the tail end for insertion, the tube is prone to bending or even breaking due to slight alignment errors or resistance when it is suspended in the air for a long time. Furthermore, the insertion device 600 in this embodiment also includes an insertion guide mechanism 640 to solve the problems of centering and guiding the slender glass tube and preventing bending at the moment of insertion.

[0078] The cannulation guiding mechanism 640 is located on the side of the cannulation station away from the rotation axis of the rotary disk 110. The cannulation guiding mechanism 640 includes an upper guiding member 641 and a lower guiding member 642. The upper guiding member 641 includes an upper guiding plate and an upper guiding drive unit, the upper guiding drive unit being used to drive the upper guiding plate to move up and down. The lower guiding member 642 includes a lower guiding plate and a lower guiding drive unit, the lower guiding drive unit being used to drive the lower guiding plate to move up and down. The upper and lower guiding plates are arranged vertically, and each of the upper and lower guiding plates has a guide groove at one of its facing ends.

[0079] The insertion guide mechanism 640 provides a temporary, openable "tunnel" at the insertion station, outside the dropper opening, via upper guide member 641 and lower guide member 642. Before insertion, the upper and lower guide drive units respectively drive the upper and lower guide plates to close, and the guide channel formed by their guide grooves is precisely aligned with the center of the dropper opening on the fixture. When the insertion gripper 621 advances while holding the glass tube, the front end of the glass tube first enters this guide hole and, under full constraint, is inserted straight and without wobbling into the dropper opening until the predetermined depth is reached. After insertion, the guide plate opens to avoid interfering with the rotation of the turntable.

[0080] The 640 cannulation guide mechanism greatly improves the success rate and yield of cannulation, providing rigid guidance for the glass tube throughout the process. It effectively compensates for the small cumulative errors in the gripper holding and dropper positioning, and almost completely eliminates the problem of cannulation failure or glass tube breakage caused by misalignment.

[0081] Some models and specifications of plastic droppers do not have a spherical or cylindrical shape for the capsule. Furthermore, in certain applications, it is necessary to ensure that a specific feature on the capsule (such as a trademark, graduations, or the aforementioned stamped vent) is at a specific circumferential angle relative to the dropper's axis. Therefore, a pre-treatment involving rotational adjustment of the dropper is often required during the dropper's manufacturing process.

[0082] The rotary station is located to the side of the dropper feeding station along the rotation direction of the rotary disk 110. The rotary device 300 includes: a tube clamping rotary mechanism 310 and a rotary displacement mechanism 320.

[0083] The tube clamping and rotating mechanism 310 includes multiple rotating components, each corresponding to one of the positioning slots. Each rotating component includes a centering gripper 311 and a rotating drive unit 312. The centering gripper 311 has a central axis aligned axially with the plastic dropper in the positioning slot. The rotating drive unit 312 drives the centering gripper 311 to rotate around the central axis. The rotating displacement mechanism 320 drives the tube clamping and rotating mechanism 310 to move along the extension direction of the positioning slot.

[0084] When angle adjustment is required, the rotary shifting mechanism 320 first drives the entire clamping rotary mechanism 310 to move, so that the centering jaw 311 aligns with and clamps the dropper on the fixture. Then, the rotary drive unit 312 drives the centering jaw 311 and the clamped dropper to rotate precisely around their axis by a certain angle. After completion, the jaw releases and retracts. In this embodiment, a vision detection element 330 is provided above the rotary station to perform closed-loop correction based on the difference between the detected actual angle and the target angle, thereby achieving precise control of the product's circumferential angle.

[0085] Some medical dropper products require a small vent hole in the sac to balance the internal and external air pressure and ensure smooth dripping. The punching device 400 includes a needle mechanism 410 and a needle drive mechanism 420. The needle mechanism 410 is located above the punching station and has multiple puncture needles 411 that correspond one-to-one with the positioning grooves. The needle drive mechanism 420 is used to drive the needle mechanism 410 to move up and down relative to the turntable device 100.

[0086] Furthermore, a protective sleeve 412 is coaxially sleeved on the outer side of the puncture needle 411, and the protective sleeve 412 is elastically arranged along the axial direction. The punching device 400 also includes a chip suction mechanism 430, which has multiple suction rods mounted on the plate. The multiple suction rods correspond to the multiple puncture needles 411 respectively. The suction rods are connected to the negative pressure generating element and have suction holes facing the puncture needles 411.

[0087] As the rotary table 110 rotates, the assembly fixture 120, carrying the plastic dropper, rotates to the punching station and stops. The punch drive mechanism 420 then drives the entire piercing needle mechanism 410 downwards rapidly. The piercing needle 411 pierces the dropper's inner wall and immediately returns, forming a clean micro-hole. The punching process is scheduled before insertion because the plastic dropper is "empty" at this time, simplifying the operation and preventing any impact or contamination to the already inserted glass tube. The position, depth, and diameter of the mechanical punching can be precisely controlled by the equipment, far superior to manual or semi-automatic punching, ensuring the reliability of the product's functionality.

[0088] Furthermore, a support column 440 is provided on the lower side of the punching station, and the upper end of the support column 440 is located on the lower side of the rotary disk 110.

[0089] The marking device 500 is used to mark processing steps, and the markings are typically used as capacity scale lines or insertion depth reference lines. The marking device 500 includes a marking pen 510 and a marking drive mechanism 520. The marking pen 510 is positioned downwards above the marking station, and the marking drive mechanism 520 is used to move the marking pen 510 relative to the turntable device 100 to mark the plastic dropper on the assembly fixture 120.

[0090] In this embodiment, the number of the drawing pens 510 is the same as the number of positioning slots on the assembly fixture 120. The drawing drive mechanism 520 includes two linear drive modules arranged in the vertical and horizontal directions, thereby driving multiple drawing pens 510 to move synchronously and draw lines on multiple plastic droppers simultaneously.

[0091] When the dropper moves to the marking station with the fixture, the drive mechanism lowers the marking pen 510 to contact the tube body. The marking pen 510 moves laterally a short distance along the radial direction of the tube body, or moves circumferentially along the tube body, thereby drawing a clear straight line on the tube body. This process is usually arranged before insertion, because at this time the surface of the tube body is clean and unobstructed, making it easy to operate.

[0092] In this embodiment, the heat-sealing device 700 includes a heat-sealing clamping mechanism 710 and a heat-sealing shifting mechanism 720. The heat-sealing clamping mechanism 710 includes a plurality of heat-sealing components, each corresponding to a plurality of positioning slots on the assembly fixture 120 located at the heat-sealing station. Each heat-sealing component includes a heat-sealing jaw 711 and a clamping drive unit 712. The heat-sealing jaws 711 are arranged in pairs on the upper and lower sides of the positioning slots. The clamping drive unit 712 is used to drive the pairs of heat-sealing jaws 711 to abut against each other. Each heat-sealing jaw 711 is provided with a heating element 713. The heat-sealing shifting mechanism 720 is used to drive the heat-sealing clamping mechanism 710 to move along the extension direction of the positioning slots.

[0093] The detection device 800 is used to detect the assembly effect between the glass tube and the plastic dropper. In this embodiment, the detection device 800 includes multiple detection sensors, which are positioned above the assembly fixture 120 at the detection station to detect the end position of the glass tube, thereby determining whether the insertion depth of the glass tube meets the standard. In other embodiments, the detection device 800 may also employ vision elements such as a CCD camera to visually inspect the dropper at the detection station.

[0094] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0095] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art can make various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention. All such changes, modifications, equivalent alterations or substitutions are included within the scope defined by the claims of this application, and the scope of the invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A drip chamber automatic assembly apparatus, characterized by: The application relates to a rotary disc device, a dropper feeding device, a dropper inserting device and a dropper unloading device. The rotary disc device comprises a rotating disc and a rotary disc driving member for driving the rotating disc to rotate, the rotating disc is uniformly distributed with a plurality of working stations around the circumferential direction of the rotating axis of the rotating disc, each working station is provided with an assembling jig, the assembling jig is provided with a positioning groove for positioning a plastic dropper, and the plurality of working stations at least comprise a dropper feeding station, a pipe inserting station, a heat sealing station and a dropper unloading station. The dropper feeding device comprises a dropper feeding mechanism and a dropper feeding mechanism, the dropper feeding mechanism is provided with a dropper feeding end for supplying droppers, the dropper feeding end is arranged on the side of the dropper feeding station, the dropper feeding mechanism comprises a feeding hand claw and a feeding driving member, the feeding hand claw is used for clamping a plastic dropper, and the feeding driving member is used for driving the feeding hand claw to move so that the plastic dropper is moved from the dropper feeding end to the assembling jig of the dropper feeding station. The dropper feeding mechanism comprises a dropper shaking disc and a plurality of parallel dropper straight vibration feeding channels, one end of each of the plurality of dropper straight vibration feeding channels is connected with the dropper shaking disc, the other end of each of the plurality of dropper straight vibration feeding channels is provided with the dropper feeding end, and the dropper feeding end is arranged towards the dropper feeding station. The dropper feeding device further comprises a dropper turnover mechanism, the dropper turnover mechanism is arranged between the dropper feeding end and the dropper feeding station, the dropper feeding mechanism is arranged above the dropper turnover mechanism, the dropper turnover mechanism comprises a turnover clamping member, a turnover driving member and a translation driving member, the turnover clamping member is used for clamping the plastic dropper at the dropper feeding end, the turnover driving member is used for driving the turnover clamping member to rotate so that the plastic dropper on the turnover clamping member is turned from a vertical state to a horizontal state, and the translation driving member is used for driving the turnover clamping member to approach or move away from the dropper feeding mechanism. The dropper turnover mechanism further comprises a pipe taking guide plate, a first alignment member and a second alignment member, the pipe taking guide plate is arranged on the side of the turnover clamping member, the pipe taking guide plate is provided with a plurality of pipe taking positioning clamping grooves corresponding to the dropper feeding ends of the plurality of dropper straight vibration feeding channels, the first alignment member and the second alignment member are arranged on the two sides of the turnover clamping member respectively, the first alignment member is used for aligning the top of the plastic dropper in the radial direction, and the second alignment member is used for aligning the bottom of the plastic dropper in the axial direction. The dropper inserting device comprises a glass tube feeding mechanism and an inserting mechanism, the glass tube feeding mechanism is provided with a glass tube feeding end for supplying glass tubes, the glass tube feeding end is arranged on the side of the pipe inserting station, the inserting mechanism comprises an inserting hand claw and an inserting driving member, the inserting hand claw is used for clamping a glass tube, and the inserting driving member is used for driving the inserting hand claw to move so that the glass tube of the glass tube feeding end can be moved to insert the glass tube into the plastic dropper at the pipe inserting station. A heat sealing device is arranged beside the heat sealing station to heat the plastic dropper inserted with the glass tube, so that the plastic dropper is shrunk to wrap the glass tube; A discharging device is arranged at the discharging station to take the dropper material away from the assembly jig.

2. The drip chamber automatic assembly apparatus of claim 1, wherein: Each assembly jig is provided with a plurality of positioning slots, which extend along the radial direction of the rotating disc, are parallel to each other and arranged side by side in the horizontal direction, and include a tube capsule segment and a tube body segment, and the tube body segment is arranged at the side of the positioning slot away from the rotation axis of the rotating disc.

3. The drip chamber automatic assembly apparatus of claim 2, wherein: The dropper feeding end is provided with a material taking groove, and the upper and lower sides of the material taking groove are both provided with elastic opening and closing dropper stoppers.

4. The drip chamber automatic assembly apparatus of claim 3, wherein: The plastic dropper is vertically conveyed in the dropper vertical vibration material channel, and the plastic dropper is horizontally placed on the assembly jig.

5. The drip chamber automatic assembly apparatus of claim 2, wherein: The automatic dropper assembly equipment further comprises a punching device, and the working station further comprises a punching station, the punching station is arranged between the dropper feeding station and the tube inserting station along the rotation direction of the rotating disc, the punching device comprises a piercing needle mechanism and a punching needle driving mechanism, the piercing needle mechanism is arranged above the punching station, the piercing needle mechanism is provided with a plurality of puncture needles corresponding to the positioning slots one by one, and the punching needle driving mechanism is used to drive the piercing needle mechanism to move up and down relative to the rotating disc device.

6. The drip chamber automatic assembly apparatus of claim 2, wherein: The automatic dropper assembly equipment further comprises a line drawing device, and the working station further comprises a line drawing station, the line drawing station is arranged between the dropper feeding station and the tube inserting station along the rotation direction of the rotating disc, the line drawing device comprises a line drawing pen and a line drawing driving mechanism, the line drawing pen is arranged above the line drawing station downward, and the line drawing driving mechanism is used to drive the line drawing pen to move relative to the rotating disc device to draw lines on the plastic dropper on the assembly jig.

7. The drip chamber automatic assembly apparatus of claim 2, wherein: The automatic dropper assembly equipment further comprises a twisting device, and the working station further comprises a twisting station, the twisting station is arranged beside the dropper feeding station along the rotation direction of the rotating disc, the twisting device comprises a tube clamping and twisting mechanism and a twisting displacement mechanism, the tube clamping and twisting mechanism comprises a plurality of twisting members, the plurality of twisting members correspond to the plurality of positioning slots one by one, the twisting member comprises a centering clamp and a twisting driving unit, the centering clamp has a central axis axially aligned with the plastic dropper on the positioning slot, the twisting driving unit is used to drive the centering clamp to rotate around the central axis, and the twisting displacement mechanism is used to drive the tube clamping and twisting mechanism to move along the extension direction of the positioning slot.

8. The drip chamber automatic assembly apparatus of claim 2, wherein: The heat sealing device comprises a heat sealing clamping mechanism and a heat sealing displacement mechanism, the heat sealing clamping mechanism comprises a plurality of heat sealing members, the plurality of heat sealing members correspond to the plurality of positioning slots one by one, the heat sealing member comprises a heat sealing clamp and a clamping driving unit, the heat sealing clamp is arranged on the upper and lower sides of the positioning slot in pairs, the clamping driving unit is used to drive the heat sealing clamps in pairs to abut against each other, the heat sealing clamp is provided with a heating element, and the heat sealing displacement mechanism is used to drive the heat sealing clamping mechanism to move along the extension direction of the positioning slot.

9. The drip chamber automatic assembly apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The intubation device further comprises an intubation guide mechanism arranged on the side of the intubation station away from the rotation axis of the rotary disc, the intubation guide mechanism comprises an upper guide member and a lower guide member, the upper guide member comprises an upper guide plate and an upper guide driving unit for driving the upper guide plate to move up and down, the lower guide member comprises a lower guide plate and a lower guide driving unit for driving the lower guide plate to move up and down, the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate are arranged in an up-down mode, and the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate are both provided with a guide groove at the end facing each other.

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