Electronic cigarette assembling production line

Abstract

The invention discloses an electronic cigarette assembling production line which comprises a machine body, a first circulating conveying line, a second circulating conveying line and multiple groups of functional devices arranged along the two conveying lines. The first circulating conveying line is used for circularly conveying split charging jigs for bearing oil cup shells and bottom shells, and a jig detection device, an oil injection device, an oil injection port glue sealing device, a steel needle pulling device and an assembling device are sequentially arranged along the line; the second circulating conveying line is used for circularly conveying forming body jigs for bearing electronic cigarette forming bodies, and a smoke testing device, a sorting device and a discharging device are sequentially arranged along the second circulating conveying line; a transfer device is arranged between the two lines and used for automatically transferring the assembled electronic cigarette forming bodies from the split charging jig to the forming body jig. Through the integrated layout of the double-circulation conveying line and the functional device, full-process automatic continuous production is achieved, the production efficiency and the takt are greatly improved, and the automatic production line is suitable for large-scale automatic manufacturing of electronic cigarette products.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of electronic cigarette manufacturing equipment, and more specifically, to an electronic cigarette assembly line. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the e-cigarette market and the continuous growth of consumer demand, the production scale of e-cigarettes is constantly expanding, and the requirements for production efficiency and product consistency are also increasing. Traditional e-cigarette assembly and production mostly rely on a combination of manual operation and semi-automated equipment, which has problems such as fragmented processes, slow production cycle, high labor costs, and product quality being greatly affected by human factors, making it difficult to meet the needs of large-scale, high-standard production.

[0003] Currently, some automated equipment for specific processes has emerged in the industry, such as standalone oiling machines, sealing machines, or testing equipment. However, these devices are often independently set up, requiring manual handling or simple conveyor belts to connect different processes. This results in poor overall production line continuity, large footprint, and weak compatibility and information coordination between different devices. This production unit, simply formed by connecting multiple individual devices, not only has high initial investment costs but also low layout flexibility, complex maintenance and management, and bottlenecks in improving overall production efficiency. Furthermore, due to the precision of e-cigarette components, errors can easily occur during multiple handling and positioning processes, affecting the accuracy of subsequent assembly and testing, leading to an increased product defect rate.

[0004] Therefore, the industry urgently needs a highly integrated, highly automated, compact, and streamlined e-cigarette assembly line to solve the problems of low efficiency, insufficient automation continuity, large equipment footprint, and difficulty in meeting the requirements of large-scale automated production in the existing production methods. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the problem that existing e-cigarette assembly production relies heavily on a combination of manual operation and semi-automated equipment, making it difficult to meet the demands of large-scale, high-standard production, this application provides an e-cigarette assembly production line.

[0006] An electronic cigarette assembly production line includes:

[0007] Organism;

[0008] The first circulating conveyor line is set on the machine body and is used to circulate and convey the dispensing fixtures used to carry the outer shell and bottom shell of the oil cup;

[0009] The second circulating conveyor line is set on the machine body and is used to circulate and convey the molding fixture for carrying the electronic cigarette molding body;

[0010] The machine body is sequentially equipped with a jig detection device, an oil injection device, an oil injection port sealing device, a steel needle removal device, and an assembly device along the conveying direction of the first circulating conveyor line.

[0011] The machine body is sequentially equipped with a smoke testing device, a sorting device, and a feeding device along the conveying direction of the second circulating conveyor line.

[0012] A transfer device, disposed on the machine body and located between the first and second circulating conveyor lines, is used to transfer the electronic cigarette molded body assembled by the assembly device from the packaging fixture to the molding fixture.

[0013] Preferably, the first circulating conveyor line is a closed-loop layout, including a first belt conveyor, a first roller conveyor frame, a second roller conveyor frame, a first head-end transfer pusher frame, and a first tail-end transfer pusher frame; the first roller conveyor frame is connected to the output end of the first belt conveyor; the first head-end transfer pusher frame is disposed between the end of the first roller conveyor frame and the beginning of the second roller conveyor frame, and is used to push the fixture laterally from the first roller conveyor frame to the second roller conveyor frame; the end of the second roller conveyor frame is connected to the input end of the first belt conveyor frame through the first tail-end transfer pusher frame.

[0014] Preferably, the dispensing fixture is provided with a plurality of first positioning grooves for placing the outer shell of the oil cup and a second positioning groove for placing the bottom shell; the first roller conveyor is provided with a stepped frame, the stepped frame including a first step surface and a second step surface of different heights, a first photoelectric switch corresponding to the first positioning groove is provided on the first step surface, and a second photoelectric switch corresponding to the second positioning groove is provided on the second step surface; the fixture detection device includes a first camera module and a first camera drive linear module that drives it to move along the length direction of the second roller conveyor.

[0015] Preferably, the oil injection device includes an oil injection frame, a plurality of oil injection needles mounted on the oil injection frame, an oil injection drive linear module for driving the oil injection frame to rise and fall, and an oil supply mechanism for simultaneously supplying oil to the plurality of oil injection needles; the number of oil injection needles is equal to the number of the first positioning grooves and their positions correspond one-to-one.

[0016] Preferably, the oil inlet sealing device includes a sealing frame, multiple dispensing valves mounted on the sealing frame, a three-axis robotic arm that drives the sealing frame, a dispensing tank, and a dispensing mechanism; the dispensing tank is located on the drive path of the three-axis robotic arm, and the dispensing mechanism is connected to the dispensing valves through a conduit to supply dispensing valves with dispensing material. A sealing detection device is also provided between the oil inlet sealing device and the steel needle removal device. The sealing detection device includes a second camera module and a second camera driving linear module that drives its movement. The second camera driving linear module drives the second camera module to scan across the entire dispensing fixture.

[0017] Preferably, the steel needle removal device includes an L-shaped limiting piece disposed on the second roller conveyor frame, a recycling frame, a clamp for simultaneously holding all safety steel needles on the oil cup shells, a clamp driving linear module for driving the clamp to rise and fall, and a clamp lateral movement driving linear module for driving the clamp to move laterally. The L-shaped limiting piece is used to limit the oil cup shells on the dispensing fixture by raising the clamp to remove the steel needles.

[0018] Preferably, the assembly device includes a pre-assembly mechanism and a pressing mechanism arranged sequentially along the conveying direction; the pre-assembly mechanism includes an assembly gripper for simultaneously clamping all bottom shells, a gripper lifting drive linear module for driving the assembly gripper to rise and fall, and a gripper lateral movement drive linear module for driving the assembly gripper to move laterally; the pressing mechanism includes a lifting frame, a lifting plate slidably disposed on the lifting frame, a pressure block fixed on the lifting plate, and a lifting drive cylinder for driving the lifting plate to fall, wherein the position of the pressure block corresponds to all oil cup shells.

[0019] Preferably, the second circulating conveyor line is a closed-loop layout, including a second belt conveyor, a third roller conveyor frame, a second head-end transfer pusher frame, and a second tail-end transfer pusher frame; the smoke testing device includes multiple mouthpieces, a mouthpiece drive cylinder for driving the mouthpieces into the smoke outlet of the electronic cigarette molded body, and a suction resistance machine; the sorting device includes a defective product frame, sorting grippers for holding the molded body, and a sorting three-axis robotic arm for driving the sorting grippers to move; the unloading device includes unloading grippers and an unloading three-axis robotic arm for driving their movement.

[0020] Preferably, the transfer device includes a picking and swinging mechanism and an adsorption transfer mechanism; the picking and swinging mechanism includes a picking gripper capable of simultaneously holding all electronic cigarette molded bodies, a swinging component that drives the picking gripper to rotate 90 degrees, and a picking drive linear module that drives the swinging component to rise and fall; the adsorption transfer mechanism includes multiple suction components, an adsorption lateral drive linear module that drives the adsorption components to reciprocate, and an adsorption lifting drive module that drives them to rise and fall.

[0021] Preferably, both the first and second circulating conveyor lines are provided with multiple positioning mechanisms; each positioning mechanism includes two lifting drive components spaced apart along the conveying direction, each lifting drive component is connected to a positioning pin, and both ends of the dispensing fixture or the molding fixture are provided with positioning holes that match the positioning pins.

[0022] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0023] 1. This application's production line, through a first circulating conveyor line, a second circulating conveyor line, and multiple sets of functional devices installed between them, constructs a complete closed-loop automated production system from component loading, assembly, testing to unloading. Sub-assembly fixtures and molded body fixtures automatically flow on the two circulating conveyor lines. Fixture inspection, oiling, sealing, steel pin removal, assembly, testing, sorting, and unloading are all completed automatically online, with seamless connections between processes, eliminating the waiting time associated with manual handling, turnover, and docking between individual equipment in the traditional model. In particular, through the automatic connection of the transfer device, the assembled finished products from the first line are automatically and smoothly transferred to the second line for testing, achieving continuous material flow. This highly integrated automated layout completely changes the dispersed process and manual operation-dependent mode, significantly accelerating the production cycle and meeting the needs of large-scale, high-cycle production.

[0024] 2. Employing two closed-loop conveyor lines (first and second), and utilizing a combination of belt conveyors, roller conveyor frames, and transfer pushers, the fixtures automatically return to their starting point after completing one cycle, forming a continuous and stable material flow. The roller conveyor frames achieve transport through the thrust between adjacent fixtures, while the transfer pushers achieve precise transfer of fixtures between different conveyor sections through vertically intersecting pushing actions. The entire conveying process is smooth, reliable, and compact, requiring minimal floor space. Multiple positioning mechanisms consisting of lifting drive components and positioning pins are installed on the conveyor lines, precisely engaging with the positioning holes on the fixtures to lock and position them at each functional station. This design effectively solves the problem of errors easily generated during multiple turnovers of precision components, providing a stable and reliable benchmark for precision operations such as oiling, sealing, assembly, and testing. It greatly improves the processing accuracy and repeatability of each process, thereby ensuring a high degree of consistency in the final product's dimensions and performance.

[0025] 3. The oil injection device adopts a multi-needle synchronous oil injection design, completing the oil injection of all oil cups on the fixture in one operation, resulting in high efficiency. The oil injection port sealing device is equipped with multi-valve dispensing and a three-axis robotic arm drive, which can accurately and evenly dispense and seal each oil injection hole, and clean the nozzles through the dispensing tank to ensure sealing quality. The steel needle removal device uses L-shaped limit plates to fix the oil cups, and clamps and removes all safety steel needles at once using a clamp, ensuring reliable operation and centralized collection of steel needles to avoid contamination. The assembly device consists of two steps: pre-assembly and pressing. First, the gripper accurately pre-places the bottom shell on the oil cup, and then the pressure block presses down to complete the final assembly, ensuring proper assembly without damage. Fixture inspection and sealing inspection utilize photoelectric switches and camera modules to automatically check the presence, position, and sealing effect of components at key workstations, achieving process quality control.

[0026] 4. The second circulating conveyor line integrates smoke testing, automatic sorting, and unloading functions. The smoke testing device can simultaneously perform suction tests on multiple molded parts to quickly determine whether their smoke volume meets the standards. The test results directly link to the sorting device, where a three-axis robotic arm drives the sorting grippers to accurately and automatically remove defective products to designated material frames, while qualified products are automatically removed by the subsequent unloading device. This process enables real-time feedback of production quality data and automatic product sorting, ensuring the reliability of outgoing products while saving a significant amount of manpower and time required for traditional manual testing and sorting. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the first angle structure of an electronic cigarette assembly production line according to this embodiment.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a second-angle structural schematic diagram of an electronic cigarette assembly production line according to this embodiment.

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembly fixture and the molding fixture in this embodiment.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first circulating conveyor line in this embodiment.

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the second circulating conveyor line in this embodiment.

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the first roller conveyor, positioning mechanism, dispensing fixture and step frame in this embodiment.

[0033] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the fixture testing device in this embodiment.

[0034] Figure 8This is a schematic diagram of the oil injection device in this embodiment.

[0035] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the sealing device for the oil inlet in this embodiment.

[0036] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the steel needle removal device in this embodiment.

[0037] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly device in this embodiment.

[0038] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the sealing detection device in this embodiment.

[0039] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the smoke testing device in this embodiment.

[0040] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the sorting device in this embodiment.

[0041] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding device in this embodiment.

[0042] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the transfer device in this embodiment.

[0043] Reference numerals: 1. Machine body; 2. Dispensing fixture; 201. First positioning groove; 202. Second positioning groove; 3. Molded body fixture; 301. Third positioning groove; 4. First circulating conveyor line; 401. First belt conveyor; 402. First roller conveyor frame; 4021. Conveyor frame body; 4022. Guide limit strip; 4023. Roller assembly; 4024. Step frame; 4025. First photoelectric switch; 4026. Second photoelectric switch; 403. Second roller conveyor frame; 4031. Positioning mechanism; 40311. Lifting drive component; 40312. Positioning pin; 40313. Positioning hole; 404. First head-end transfer pusher frame; 4041. Pusher frame Body; 4042, Support roller; 4043, L-shaped limiting stop; 4044, Pushing linear module; 4045, Pushing component; 405, First tail-end transfer pusher; 5, Second circulating conveyor line; 501, Second belt conveyor; 502, Third roller conveyor; 503, Second head-end transfer pusher; 504, Second tail-end transfer pusher; 6, Fixture detection device; 601, First camera module; 602, First camera drive linear module; 7, Oil injection device; 701, Oil injection frame; 702, Oil injection needle; 703, Oil injection drive linear module; 704, Oil supply mechanism; 8, Oil injection port sealing device; 801, Sealing frame; 802, Dispensing valve; 803, Dispensing drive Three-axis robotic arm; 804. Glue dispensing tank; 805. Glue supply mechanism; 9. Steel needle removal device; 901. L-shaped limit plate; 902. Recycling frame; 903. Fixture; 904. Fixture drive linear module; 905. Fixture lateral movement drive linear module; 10. Assembly device; 101. Pre-assembly mechanism; 1011. Assembly gripper; 1012. Gripper lifting drive linear module; 1013. Gripper lateral movement drive linear module; 102. Pressing mechanism; 1021. Lifting frame; 1022. Lifting plate; 1023. Pressing block; 1024. Lifting drive cylinder; 11. Sealing detection device; 1101. Second camera module; 1102. Second camera drive linear module; 12 1201 Smoke Testing Device; 1202 Suction Nozzle; 1203 Suction Nozzle Drive Cylinder; 1204 Suction Resistance Mechanism; 1305 Sorting Device; 1301 Non-conforming Product Frame; 1302 Sorting Grippers; 1303 Sorting Three-Axis Robotic Arm; 1405 Unloading Device; 1401 Unloading Grippers; 1402 Unloading Three-Axis Robotic Arm; 1506 Transfer Device; 1501 Pick-up Swing Mechanism; 15011 Pick-up Grippers; 15012 Pick-up Drive Linear Module; 15013 Tilting Shaft; 15014 Servo Motor; 1502 Adsorption Transfer Mechanism; 15021 Suction Component; 15022 Suction Lateral Drive Linear Module; 15023 Suction Lifting Drive Module; Detailed Implementation

[0044] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0045] Reference Figure 1-2 An electronic cigarette assembly production line includes a body 1, a dispensing fixture 2, and a molding fixture 3. The body 1 is equipped with a first circulating conveyor line 4 and a second circulating conveyor line 5. The first circulating conveyor line 4 is used to circulate the dispensing fixture 2, and the second circulating conveyor line 5 is used to circulate the molding fixture 3. The dispensing fixture 2 is specifically used to carry the e-cigarette's oil cup shell and bottom shell, while the molding fixture 3 is used to carry the assembled electronic cigarette molded body.

[0046] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 6 The first circulating conveyor line 4 adopts a closed-loop layout, including a first belt conveyor 401, a first roller conveyor frame 402, a second roller conveyor frame 403, a first head-end transfer pusher 404, and a first tail-end transfer pusher 405. The first roller conveyor frame 402 is connected to the output end of the first belt conveyor 401, allowing the sub-assembly fixture 2 to smoothly transition from the belt conveyor to the roller conveyor frame. Both the first roller conveyor frame 402 and the second roller conveyor frame 403 include a conveyor frame body 4021. Guide limiting strips 4022 are provided on both sides of the frame body along the length direction. Multiple rollers evenly distributed along the length are rotatably mounted on each guide limiting strip 4022. These rollers together support and guide the movement of the fixture. The fixture is continuously conveyed on the roller conveyor frame by the pushing force between adjacent fixtures. The first end transfer pusher 404 is located between the end of the first roller conveyor 402 and the beginning of the second roller conveyor 403. It includes a pusher body 4041, several support rollers 4042 rotatably mounted on the body, an L-shaped limiting stop 4043 along one side, and two pusher linear modules 4044 with mutually perpendicular driving directions. Pusher components 4045 are connected to the movers of both modules. The fixture is pushed from the first roller conveyor 402 into the transfer pusher via one of the pusher linear modules 4044, and then laterally pushed to the second roller conveyor 403 via the other module. The second roller conveyor 403 is arranged along one side of the machine body 1, and its end connects to the input end of the first belt conveyor 401 via the first end transfer pusher 405, thereby returning the fixture to the belt conveyor to form a complete cycle. The first end transfer pusher 405 has a similar structure to the first end transfer pusher 404.

[0047] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 6The machine body 1 is arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the second roller conveyor frame 403, including a fixture detection device 6, an oil injection device 7, an oil injection port sealing device 8, a steel needle removal device 9, and an assembly device 10. The second roller conveyor frame 403 is equipped with multiple evenly arranged positioning mechanisms 4031, each positioning mechanism 4031 corresponding to a sub-assembly fixture 2, ensuring accurate alignment of the operating positions of the aforementioned devices. The positioning mechanism 4031 includes two lifting drive components 40311 spaced apart along the conveying direction. Each drive component is connected to a positioning pin 40312. The sub-assembly fixture 2 has corresponding positioning holes 40313 at both ends, with the distance between the two pins matching the distance between the two holes on the fixture. When the fixture is conveyed to the target position, the lifting drive component 40311 drives the positioning pin 40312 to rise and insert into the positioning hole 40313, achieving precise positioning and locking. After the process is completed, the positioning pin 40312 descends and retracts, allowing the fixture to continue conveying. The lifting drive component 40311 is preferably a cylinder.

[0048] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 6 The dispensing fixture 2 has multiple first positioning grooves 201 and second positioning grooves 202 arranged along its length between two positioning holes 40313. The first positioning grooves 201 are used to place the outer shell of the oil cup, and the second positioning grooves 202 are used to place the bottom shell. The two correspond one-to-one in the width direction of the fixture. The first roller conveyor frame 402 is also provided with a stepped frame 4024, which includes first and second stepped surfaces of different heights. Multiple first photoelectric switches 4025 and second photoelectric switches 4026 are respectively provided, with the number of switches matching the number of first and second positioning grooves 202 and their positions corresponding. Due to the height difference between the outer shell of the oil cup and the bottom shell, when the fixture passes through, the first photoelectric switch 4025 can detect whether there is an outer shell of the oil cup in the first positioning groove 201, and the second photoelectric switch 4026 can detect whether there is a bottom shell in the second positioning groove 202, thereby realizing automatic feeding detection. The first roller conveyor frame 402 is also provided with a positioning mechanism 4031 to realize the positioning of the dispensing fixture 2.

[0049] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 7 The fixture testing device 6 further includes a first camera module 601 and a first camera drive linear module 602 that drives it to reciprocate along the length of the second roller conveyor 403. The module can drive the camera to scan each oil cup shell and bottom shell on the dispensing fixture 2 one by one to confirm whether the placement and position of the oil cup shell and bottom shell are correct.

[0050] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 8The oil injection device 7 includes an oil injection frame 701, multiple oil injection needles 702 mounted on the oil injection frame 701, an oil injection drive linear module 703 that drives the oil injection frame 701 to rise and fall, and an oil supply mechanism 704 that supplies oil to all the oil injection needles 702 simultaneously. The number of oil injection needles 702 is equal to the number of first positioning grooves 201 on the fixture, and their positions correspond one-to-one. The lower end of the oil injection needle 702 is aligned with the oil injection hole on the oil cup shell. After the fixture is positioned, the oil injection drive linear module 703 drives the oil injection frame 701 to fall, so that all the oil injection needles 702 are inserted into the oil injection hole simultaneously and complete the oil injection, realizing multi-station simultaneous operation and improving oil injection efficiency. The oil supply mechanism 704 is connected to the oil injection needles 702 through a conduit to supply oil to the oil injection needles 702. The oil supply mechanism 704 is a combination of an oil tank, an oil pump, and a control valve.

[0051] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 9 The oil filling port sealing device 8 includes a sealing frame 801, multiple dispensing valves 802 mounted on it, a dispensing drive three-axis robotic arm 803 that drives the sealing frame 801 to move along the X, Y, and Z axes, a dispensing tank 804 located on one side of the second roller conveyor frame 403, and a dispensing mechanism 805 that supplies adhesive to the dispensing valves 802. The number of dispensing valves 802 matches the number of first positioning grooves 201 on the fixture, and their spacing is consistent. The dispensing drive three-axis robotic arm 803 can drive the dispensing valves 802 to move sequentially above the outer shell of each oil cup, align them with the oil filling hole for dispensing and sealing, and after sealing, it can be moved above the dispensing tank 804 for cleaning the nozzle to prevent adhesive residue.

[0052] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 12 A sealing detection device 11 is also provided between the oil filling port sealing device 8 and the steel needle pulling device 9. It includes a second camera module 1101 and a second camera drive linear module 1102 that drives it to move along the conveying direction. It is used to visually inspect the sealed oil filling hole to ensure that the sealing quality meets the requirements.

[0053] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 10 The steel needle removal device 9 includes an L-shaped limiting piece 901 mounted on the second roller conveyor frame 403, a recycling frame 902 on one side, a clamp 903 for simultaneously holding all safety steel needles on the oil cup shells, a clamp 903 drive linear module for driving the clamp 903 to rise and fall, and a clamp 903 lateral movement drive linear module for driving the clamp 903 to move laterally. During operation, the L-shaped limiting piece 901 presses against the top of the oil cup shell to prevent movement. The clamp 903 descends and clamps all the steel needles. Then, the clamp 903 drive linear module lifts the clamp 903 to pull out the steel needles. Finally, the lateral movement drive linear module moves the clamp 903 above the recycling frame 902 to release the steel needles, completing the centralized removal and recycling of the steel needles.

[0054] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 11 The assembly device 10 includes a pre-assembly mechanism 101 and a pressing mechanism 102 arranged sequentially along the conveying direction. The pre-assembly mechanism 101 includes an assembly gripper 1011 for simultaneously clamping all the bottom shells on the fixture, a gripper lifting drive linear module 1012 for driving the assembly gripper 1011 to rise and fall, and a gripper lateral movement drive linear module 1013 for driving the gripper to move laterally. During operation, the assembly gripper 1011 descends to clamp all the bottom shells, rises, and then the lateral movement drive module moves them to directly above the corresponding oil cup shell, and then descends again to initially fit the bottom shell into the oil cup shell. Subsequently, the fixture is sent to the pressing mechanism 102, which includes a lifting frame 1021, a lifting plate 1022 slidably disposed on the lifting frame 1021, a pressure block 1023 fixed on the lifting plate 1022, and a lifting drive cylinder 1024 for driving the lifting plate 1022 to rise and fall. The position of the pressing block 1023 corresponds to all the outer shells of the oil cup. The lifting drive cylinder 1024 drives the pressing block 1023 to press down as a whole, completely pressing the bottom shell onto the outer shell of the oil cup to form the electronic cigarette molded body.

[0055] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 5 The second circulating conveyor line 5 also adopts a closed-loop design, including a second belt conveyor 501, a third roller conveyor frame 502, and a second head-end transfer pusher and a second tail-end transfer pusher 504. The structure of the third roller conveyor frame 502 is similar to that of the aforementioned roller conveyor frame, with guide limit strips 4022 with rollers on both sides. The structure and movement of the second head-end transfer pusher and the second tail-end transfer pusher 504 are the same as those of the transfer pusher in the first circulating conveyor line 4. The transfer of the molding fixture 3 between the belt conveyor and the roller conveyor frame is achieved through two vertically oriented pusher linear modules 4044. The third roller conveyor frame 502 is also evenly provided with multiple sets of positioning mechanisms 4031. The molding fixture 3 has corresponding positioning holes 40313 at both ends, and the fixture has multiple third positioning grooves 301 arranged along the length direction for horizontally placing the electronic cigarette molding body.

[0056] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 13 A smoke testing device 12, a sorting device 13, and a feeding device 14 are sequentially arranged along the conveying direction on the third roller conveyor frame 502. The smoke testing device 12 is aligned with a positioning mechanism 4031, including multiple mouthpieces 1201, a mouthpiece driving cylinder that drives the mouthpieces 1201 to fit into the smoke outlet of the electronic cigarette molded body, and a suction resistance machine 1203 for suction detection. The number of mouthpieces 1201 and cylinders is the same as the number of third positioning grooves 301, which can simultaneously test the smoke volume of multiple molded bodies. The suction resistance machine 1203 provides suction to the mouthpieces 1201 and detects the smoke volume, which is prior art and will not be described in detail in this application.

[0057] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 14 The sorting device 13 is aligned with a set of positioning mechanisms 4031, which includes a defective product frame 1301 located on one side of the third roller conveyor frame 502, sorting grippers 1302 for holding the molded body, and a three-axis robotic arm 1303 for driving the sorting grippers 1302 to move along the X, Y, and Z axes. When the smoke volume test result is unqualified, the three-axis robotic arm 1303 drives the sorting grippers 1302 to pick up the corresponding molded body and move it into the defective product frame 1301.

[0058] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 15 The unloading device 14 is also aligned with a set of positioning mechanisms 4031, including unloading grippers 1401 and unloading three-axis robotic arms 1402 that drive them to move along the X, Y, and Z axes, for removing the tested and qualified electronic cigarette molded body from the fixture and transferring it to the unloading area or subsequent packaging stage.

[0059] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 16 A transfer device 15 is provided between the first circulating conveyor line 4 and the second circulating conveyor line 5 to transfer the assembled electronic cigarette molded bodies from the packaging fixture 2 to the molding body fixture 3. The transfer device 15 includes a pick-up swing mechanism 1501 and a suction transfer mechanism 1502. The pick-up swing mechanism 1501 includes a pick-up gripper 15011 capable of simultaneously holding all electronic cigarette molded bodies, a swing assembly that drives the pick-up gripper 15011 to rotate 90 degrees, and a pick-up drive linear module 15012 that drives the swing assembly to rise and fall. The swing assembly includes a flipping shaft 15013 and a servo motor 15014 that drives its rotation, which can change the molded body from a vertical to a horizontal position. The suction transfer mechanism 1502 includes multiple suction components 15021, a suction traverse drive linear module 15022 that drives the suction components 15021 to reciprocate between the pick-up gripper 15011 and the second circulating conveyor line 5, and a suction lifting drive module 15023 that drives its rise and fall. During operation, after the picking gripper 15011 picks up the molded body, the swing assembly lays it down, and then the suction component 15021 of the adsorption transfer mechanism 1502 descends to suction the upper surface of the molded body. The transverse drive module then transfers it to the third positioning groove 301 of the molded body fixture 3 on the third roller conveyor 502, completing the automatic transfer and placement.

[0060] The electronic cigarette assembly production line of this application tightly connects each process through two closed-loop conveyor lines. The positioning mechanism 4031 ensures the accuracy of each station. Through a variety of automated devices, the entire process of oil injection, sealing, needle removal, assembly, testing, sorting and unloading is fully automated. This not only greatly improves production efficiency and product consistency, but also has a compact layout, reduces manual intervention and component turnover, and meets the needs of large-scale automated production.

[0061] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of this application, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An electronic cigarette assembly production line, characterized in that, include: Organism; The first circulating conveyor line is set on the machine body and is used to circulate and convey the dispensing fixtures used to carry the outer shell and bottom shell of the oil cup; The second circulating conveyor line is set on the machine body and is used to circulate and convey the molding fixture for carrying the electronic cigarette molding body; The machine body is sequentially equipped with a jig detection device, an oil injection device, an oil injection port sealing device, a steel needle removal device, and an assembly device along the conveying direction of the first circulating conveyor line. The machine body is sequentially equipped with a smoke testing device, a sorting device, and a feeding device along the conveying direction of the second circulating conveyor line. A transfer device, disposed on the machine body and located between the first and second circulating conveyor lines, is used to transfer the electronic cigarette molded body assembled by the assembly device from the packaging fixture to the molding fixture.

2. The electronic cigarette assembly production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first circulating conveyor line is a closed-loop layout, including a first belt conveyor, a first roller conveyor frame, a second roller conveyor frame, a first head-end transfer pusher frame, and a first tail-end transfer pusher frame; the first roller conveyor frame is connected to the output end of the first belt conveyor; the first head-end transfer pusher frame is disposed between the end of the first roller conveyor frame and the beginning of the second roller conveyor frame, and is used to push the fixture laterally from the first roller conveyor frame to the second roller conveyor frame; the end of the second roller conveyor frame is connected to the input end of the first belt conveyor frame through the first tail-end transfer pusher frame.

3. The electronic cigarette assembly production line according to claim 2, characterized in that, The dispensing fixture is provided with multiple first positioning grooves for placing the outer shell of the oil cup and second positioning grooves for placing the bottom shell; the first roller conveyor is provided with a stepped frame, the stepped frame including a first step surface and a second step surface of different heights, a first photoelectric switch corresponding to the first positioning groove is provided on the first step surface, and a second photoelectric switch corresponding to the second positioning groove is provided on the second step surface; the fixture detection device includes a first camera module and a first camera drive linear module that drives it to move along the length direction of the second roller conveyor.

4. The electronic cigarette assembly production line according to claim 3, characterized in that, The oil injection device includes an oil injection frame, multiple oil injection needles mounted on the oil injection frame, an oil injection drive linear module for driving the oil injection frame to rise and fall, and an oil supply mechanism for simultaneously supplying oil to the multiple oil injection needles; the number of oil injection needles is equal to the number of the first positioning grooves and their positions correspond one-to-one.

5. The electronic cigarette assembly production line according to claim 3, characterized in that, The oil inlet sealing device includes a sealing frame, multiple dispensing valves mounted on the sealing frame, a three-axis robotic arm that drives the sealing frame, a dispensing tank, and a dispensing mechanism. The dispensing tank is located on the drive path of the three-axis robotic arm. The dispensing mechanism is connected to the dispensing valves via a conduit to supply dispensing valves with adhesive. A sealing detection device is also provided between the oil inlet sealing device and the steel needle removal device. The sealing detection device includes a second camera module and a second camera drive linear module that drives its movement. The second camera drive linear module drives the second camera module to scan across the entire dispensing fixture.

6. The electronic cigarette assembly production line according to claim 3, characterized in that, The steel needle removal device includes an L-shaped limiting plate on the second roller conveyor frame, a recycling frame, a clamp for simultaneously holding all safety steel needles on the oil cup shells, a clamp driving linear module for driving the clamp to rise and fall, and a clamp lateral movement driving linear module for driving the clamp to move laterally. The L-shaped limiting plate is used to limit the oil cup shells on the dispensing fixture when the clamp rises to remove the steel needles.

7. The electronic cigarette assembly production line according to claim 3, characterized in that, The assembly device includes a pre-assembly mechanism and a pressing mechanism arranged sequentially along the conveying direction; the pre-assembly mechanism includes an assembly gripper for simultaneously clamping all bottom shells, a gripper lifting drive linear module for driving the assembly gripper to rise and fall, and a gripper lateral movement drive linear module for driving the assembly gripper to move laterally; the pressing mechanism includes a lifting frame, a lifting plate slidably arranged on the lifting frame, a pressure block fixed on the lifting plate, and a lifting drive cylinder for driving the lifting plate to fall, wherein the position of the pressure block corresponds to all oil cup shells.

8. The electronic cigarette assembly production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second circulating conveyor line is a closed-loop layout, including a second belt conveyor, a third roller conveyor frame, a second head-end transfer pusher frame, and a second tail-end transfer pusher frame; the smoke testing device includes multiple mouthpieces, a mouthpiece drive cylinder for driving the mouthpieces into the smoke outlet of the electronic cigarette molded body, and a suction resistance machine; the sorting device includes a defective product frame, sorting grippers for holding the molded body, and a sorting three-axis robotic arm for driving the sorting grippers to move; the unloading device includes unloading grippers and an unloading three-axis robotic arm for driving their movement.

9. The electronic cigarette assembly production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transfer device includes a pick-up swing mechanism and an adsorption transfer mechanism; the pick-up swing mechanism includes a pick-up gripper that can simultaneously hold all electronic cigarette molded bodies, a swing component that drives the pick-up gripper to rotate 90 degrees, and a pick-up drive linear module that drives the swing component to rise and fall; the adsorption transfer mechanism includes multiple suction components, an adsorption lateral drive linear module that drives the adsorption components to reciprocate, and an adsorption lifting drive module that drives them to rise and fall.

10. An electronic cigarette assembly production line according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, Both the first and second circulating conveyor lines are equipped with multiple positioning mechanisms; each positioning mechanism includes two lifting drive components spaced apart along the conveying direction, each lifting drive component is connected to a positioning pin, and both ends of the dispensing fixture or the molding fixture are provided with positioning holes that match the positioning pins.

Images