Cargo carrying tray conveying device and packaging system

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of conveying equipment, and discloses a cargo carrying tray conveying device and a packaging system.The cargo carrying tray conveying device comprises a chain plate conveying mechanism, the chain plate conveying mechanism is used for conveying cargo carrying trays in the first direction, and a roller set is arranged at the cargo inlet end of the chain plate conveying mechanism; the roller set comprises a plurality of rollers which are parallel to one another and are sequentially arranged at intervals in the first direction, and the rollers can freely rotate around the axes of the rollers so as to form a conveying face which is flush with the bearing face of the chain plate conveying mechanism and extends in the direction away from the chain plate conveying mechanism. By means of the cargo carrying tray conveying mechanism, the problem that the cargo carrying tray cannot be smoothly transferred into the chain plate conveying mechanism due to the fact that a transition gap exists between the chain plate conveying mechanism and the previous conveying equipment and the cargo carrying tray is too heavy can be effectively solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of conveying equipment technology, and more specifically to a cargo pallet conveying device and packaging system. Background Technology

[0002] Palletized transport is a mode of transport in which goods are stacked on a standard pallet according to certain requirements to form a transport unit, so as to facilitate loading, unloading, handling and storage using forklifts or elevators.

[0003] In existing technologies, to ensure that forklifts or elevators can efficiently handle pallets (i.e., cargo pallets) and fully utilize the palletizing efficiency of robotic arms, cargo pallets typically need to be transported a distance away from the palletizing station. In actual operation, after empty pallets in the pallet warehouse are transported to the palletizing station via a large roller conveyor and stacked, they usually need to be transferred to a chain conveyor for further transport to the unloading station. However, during the transfer of cargo pallets, due to their heavy weight and the presence of transition gaps, it is often difficult to guide them smoothly onto the chain conveyor. Furthermore, because forklifts have certain requirements regarding the orientation of cargo pallets when handling them, and existing chain conveyors have a fixed and singular unloading station, forklifts cannot perform efficient handling operations, and the utilization rate of existing factory space is low. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to at least partially solve one of the aforementioned technical problems in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a pallet conveying device, including a chain conveyor mechanism for conveying pallets along a first direction. The inlet end of the chain conveyor mechanism is provided with a roller assembly, which includes multiple parallel rollers arranged at intervals along the first direction. The multiple rollers are configured to rotate freely around their respective axes to form a conveying surface that is flush with the bearing surface of the chain conveyor mechanism and extends in a direction away from the chain conveyor mechanism.

[0006] Preferably, the chain conveyor mechanism includes a support frame, a first drive mechanism, a sprocket assembly formed by two sprockets, and a chain formed by multiple chain links hinged together. The two sprockets of the sprocket assembly are rotatably connected to both ends of the support frame. The chain is wound around the two sprockets and meshes with them. A chain plate is provided on each chain link. The first drive mechanism is configured to drive the sprockets to rotate around their own axes and, during rotation, drive the chain to move along the first direction, so that the chain plate moves along the first direction.

[0007] Preferably, the sprocket has double rows of teeth, the chain has two branches that mesh with the double rows of teeth in a one-to-one correspondence, and the two ends of the chain plate are fixedly connected to the links on the two branches of the chain respectively.

[0008] Preferably, the sprocket assembly is provided in multiple sets, and the multiple sets of sprocket assemblies are arranged parallel to each other along the second direction and spaced apart in sequence, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction;

[0009] Preferably, the sprockets located at the same end of the support frame are coaxially connected via a rotating shaft to achieve synchronous rotation.

[0010] Preferably, the chain conveyor mechanism is provided with baffles extending along the first direction on both sides, and the two ends of the two baffles are respectively formed into an flared shape;

[0011] Preferably, the two baffles are configured to allow for adjustment of the distance between them.

[0012] Preferably, a support platform is provided at the bottom of the chain conveyor mechanism, and a rotary support assembly is provided between the support platform and the chain conveyor mechanism so that the chain conveyor mechanism can rotate relative to the support platform about the vertical rotation center line.

[0013] Preferably, the chain conveyor mechanism has roller groups at both ends located in the first direction.

[0014] Preferably, the rotary support assembly has an inner ring and an outer ring that can rotate relative to each other. The inner ring is fixedly connected to the chain conveyor mechanism via a first connecting plate, and the outer ring is fixed to the support platform via a second connecting plate. A second driving mechanism is provided on the support platform to drive the inner ring to rotate relative to the outer ring.

[0015] Preferably, the inner ring is provided with a driven gear coaxially connected, the power output end of the second drive mechanism is connected to a driving gear, and a transmission chain is provided between the driving gear and the driven gear for transmitting power.

[0016] Preferably, a photoelectric switch is provided between the support platform and the chain conveyor mechanism. The photoelectric switch is used to determine the position of the chain conveyor mechanism, thereby stopping the second drive mechanism.

[0017] A second aspect of the present invention provides a packaging system comprising a packing unit, a conveying unit, a palletizing unit, and the aforementioned pallet conveying device; the packing unit is used to pack materials to obtain bagged materials, the conveying unit is used to convey the bagged materials to the location of the palletizing unit, the palletizing unit is used to stack the bagged materials onto a pallet to form a pallet, and the pallet conveying device is used to convey the pallet away from the palletizing unit for forklift unloading.

[0018] The above technical solution involves setting a roller group consisting of multiple rollers at the inlet end of the chain conveyor mechanism. Since these rollers can rotate freely around their respective axes and form a conveying surface that is flush with the bearing surface of the chain conveyor mechanism and extends in a direction away from the chain conveyor mechanism, this conveying surface can provide transitional rolling support for the cargo pallet, smoothly transferring the cargo pallet from the previous conveying equipment to the bearing surface of the chain conveyor mechanism. This effectively solves the problem that the cargo pallet cannot be smoothly transferred into the chain conveyor mechanism due to transition gaps between the chain conveyor mechanism and the previous conveying equipment, or due to the excessive weight of the cargo pallet. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a top view of a cargo pallet conveying device provided by the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Sectional view of section AA;

[0021] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 An enlarged view of position B in the middle;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chain conveyor mechanism provided by the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Cross-sectional view of the middle chain conveyor mechanism;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a partial schematic diagram of a rotary support assembly provided by the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a packaging system provided by the present invention.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0027] 1. Cargo pallet; 2. Packaging unit; 3. Conveying unit; 4. Palletizing unit; 5. Forklift; 100. Chain conveyor mechanism; 110. Support frame; 120. First drive mechanism; 121. First drive motor; 122. First reducer; 130. Sprocket assembly; 131. Sprocket; 140. Chain; 141. Chain link; 150. Chain plate; 160. Shaft; 170. Chain plate idler roller; 180. Chain guide rail; 200. Roller assembly; 210. 201. Roller; 300. Conveying surface; 310. Baffle; 400. Strip mounting hole; 500. Support platform; 510. Rotary support assembly; 511. Inner ring component; 511. First connecting plate; 512. Driven gear; 520. Outer ring component; 521. Second connecting plate; 600. Second drive mechanism; 601. Second drive motor; 602. Second reducer; 610. Drive gear; 620. Transmission chain; 700. Photoelectric switch; 800. Buffer. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a pallet conveying device, including a chain conveyor mechanism 100. The chain conveyor mechanism 100 is used to convey a pallet 1 along a first direction. The inlet end of the chain conveyor mechanism 100 is provided with a roller group 200. The roller group 200 includes a plurality of parallel rollers 210 arranged at intervals along the first direction. The plurality of rollers 210 are configured to be able to rotate freely around their respective axes so as to form a conveying surface 201 that is flush with the bearing surface of the chain conveyor mechanism 100 and extends in a direction away from the chain conveyor mechanism 100.

[0030] In this invention, the infeed end of the chain conveyor mechanism 100 refers to the end where the cargo pallet 1 is guided from the previous conveying equipment into the chain conveyor mechanism 100.

[0031] In the technical solution provided by the present invention, a roller group 200 consisting of multiple rollers 210 is provided at the inlet end. Since the multiple rollers 210 can rotate freely around their respective axes and form a conveying surface 201 that is flush with the bearing surface of the chain conveyor mechanism 100 and extends in a direction away from the chain conveyor mechanism 100, the conveying surface 201 can provide transitional rolling support for the cargo pallet 1, so that the cargo pallet 1 can be smoothly transferred from the previous conveying device to the bearing surface of the chain conveyor mechanism 100. This effectively solves the problem that the cargo pallet 1 cannot be smoothly transferred into the chain conveyor mechanism 100 due to the existence of transition gaps between the chain conveyor mechanism 100 and the previous conveying device and the excessive weight of the cargo pallet.

[0032] In this invention, the chain conveyor mechanism 100 can adopt any suitable structural form, as long as it can stably transport the heavy transport unit, the cargo pallet 1. Combined with... Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the chain conveying mechanism 100 includes a support frame 110, a first drive mechanism 120, a sprocket assembly 130 formed by two sprockets 131, and a chain 140 formed by multiple chain links 141 hinged together. The two sprockets 131 of the sprocket assembly 130 are rotatably connected to the two ends of the support frame 110, the chain 140 is wrapped around the two sprockets 131 and meshes with the sprockets 131, and a chain plate 150 is provided on the chain link 141. The first drive mechanism 120 is configured to drive the sprockets 131 to rotate around their own axis, and during the rotation, drive the chain 140 to move along the first direction, so that the chain plate 150 moves along the first direction.

[0033] It is understood that multiple chain plates 150 mounted on multiple chain links 141 of chain 140 can form a bearing surface for bearing the cargo pallet 1. The first drive mechanism 120 provides power to drive the sprocket 131 to rotate. The teeth on the sprocket 131 can drive the chain 140 meshing with it to move in a first direction, thereby driving the chain plates 150 and the cargo pallet 1 carried on them to move in the first direction. Specifically, in this invention, the first drive mechanism 120 includes a first drive motor 121 and a first reducer 122. The output end of the first reducer 122 is connected to the sprocket 131 for transmission. The first drive motor 121 is used to drive the first reducer 122 to drive the sprocket 131 to rotate.

[0034] In some embodiments, the sprocket 131 has double rows of teeth, and the chain 140 has two chains that mesh with the double rows of teeth in a one-to-one correspondence. The two ends of the chain plate 150 are respectively fixedly connected to the chain links 141 on the two chains 140. In this invention, by configuring the sprocket 131 with double rows of teeth and cooperating with the two chains 140 to drive the chain plate 150, the load-bearing capacity of the chain plate conveyor mechanism 100 is significantly improved, ensuring stable transport of the heavy-duty transport unit, the cargo pallet 1.

[0035] It is understood that, in the technical solution provided by the present invention, in order to ensure the flatness of the bearing surface formed by the multiple chain plates 150, the chain plates 150 and the chain links 141 are connected by countersunk screws.

[0036] In some embodiments, combined with Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, multiple sets of sprocket assemblies 130 are provided, and these multiple sets of sprocket assemblies 130 are arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart in sequence along a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction. It can be understood that by arranging multiple sets of sprocket assemblies 130 at intervals along the second direction, a conveying system consisting of multiple chains 140 and multiple sets of chain plates 150 is formed. For the heavy transport unit, the cargo pallet 1, the multiple sets of sprocket assemblies 130 can reduce the load pressure on each chain 140, avoiding the problem of accelerated wear between the chain 140 and the sprocket 131 due to excessive load, thereby extending the service life of the equipment while improving the overall load-bearing capacity. Exemplarily, in a specific embodiment of the present invention, three sets of sprocket assemblies 130 are provided, corresponding to three sets of chain plates 150.

[0037] In a further technical solution, the sprockets 131 located at the same end of the support frame 110 are coaxially connected via a rotating shaft 160 to achieve synchronous rotation. It can be understood that, with the above arrangement, multiple sprocket assemblies 130 can be driven by only one first drive mechanism 120, while ensuring that the sprockets 131 of the multiple sprocket assemblies 130 can rotate synchronously.

[0038] In some embodiments, baffles 300 extending along the first direction are respectively provided on both sides of the chain conveyor mechanism 100, and the two ends of the two baffles 300 are respectively formed into flared shapes; the above arrangement can guide and shape the cargo pallet 1 on the chain conveyor mechanism 100, thereby facilitating the unloading operation of the subsequent unloading equipment.

[0039] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, in order to adapt to the guiding and shaping requirements of cargo pallets 1 of different sizes, the two baffles 300 are configured to be adjustable in distance from each other. Specifically, the baffles 300 may be provided with strip-shaped mounting holes 310 extending in the second direction for bolts to pass through and fix to the side of the chain conveyor mechanism 100. The distance between the two baffles 300 can be adjusted by adjusting the position of the bolts in the strip-shaped mounting holes 310.

[0040] In this invention, to ensure the stability of the chain plate 150 during operation, the chain plate conveying mechanism 100 is further provided with a plurality of chain plate idlers 170. The chain plate idlers 170 are rotatably mounted on the support frame 110, and extend along a second direction to provide rolling support for the chain plate 150. It should be noted that this invention does not impose a special limitation on the number of chain plate idlers 170; they can be adaptively set according to the length of the entire chain plate conveying mechanism 100 to support the chain plate 150 and ensure its stable operation.

[0041] Combination Figure 2 As shown, in order to ensure the stability of the chain plate 150 during operation, the support frame 110 is also provided with a chain guide rail 180. The chain guide rail 180 extends along the first direction and can form a guiding and limiting cooperation with the chain 140.

[0042] In some embodiments, combined with Figure 6 As shown, a support platform 400 is provided at the bottom of the chain conveyor mechanism 100. A rotary support assembly 500 is provided between the support platform 400 and the chain conveyor mechanism 100 to enable the chain conveyor mechanism 100 to rotate relative to the support platform 400 around a vertical rotation center line. In this invention, by providing a support platform 400 at the bottom of the chain conveyor mechanism 100 and using the rotary support assembly 500 to enable the chain conveyor mechanism 100 to rotate relative to the support platform 400 around a vertical rotation center line, the orientation of the loading pallet 1 on the chain conveyor mechanism 100 is changed, allowing the forklift to unload the loading pallet 1 from different directions.

[0043] The inventors of this application discovered in practice that by configuring the chain conveyor mechanism 100 to rotate relative to its bottom support platform 400, the forklift can unload the loaded pallet 1 from the chain conveyor mechanism 100 from different directions, thereby fully utilizing the efficiency of the palletizing station, that is, fully utilizing the palletizing capacity of the robotic arm, and significantly improving the palletizing and packaging efficiency of bagged materials. Taking the existing DDGS (Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles) packaging line as an example, the original palletizing and packaging capacity at the fixed unloading station was 10 pallets per hour, while by improving the chain conveyor mechanism 100 to be rotatable to increase the number of unloading stations, the palletizing and packaging capacity of the line is increased to 20 pallets per hour.

[0044] In this invention, the support platform 400 mainly serves to support and fix the structure. It is understood that, in order to overcome the impact of uneven factory flooring on the support platform 400's support of the chain conveyor mechanism 100, the support platform 400's base structure adopts a height-adjustable mechanism, connected with expansion bolts in the base holes to ensure reliable base fixing.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present invention, roller groups 200 are respectively provided at both ends of the chain conveyor mechanism 100 located in the first direction. It can be understood that the above arrangement enables the two ends of the chain conveyor mechanism 100 located in the first direction to serve as the infeed ends for the loading pallet 1 to move onto the bearing surface of the chain conveyor mechanism 100.

[0046] In this invention, the rotary support assembly 500 can adopt any suitable structural form, as long as it can enable the chain conveyor mechanism 100 to rotate relative to the support platform 400 about the vertical rotation center line. In some embodiments, the rotary support assembly 500 has an inner ring member 510 and an outer ring member 520 that can rotate relative to each other. The inner ring member 510 is fixedly connected to the chain conveyor mechanism 100 through a first connecting plate 511, and the outer ring member 520 is fixed to the support platform 400 through a second connecting plate 521. A second driving mechanism 600 is provided on the support platform 400 to drive the inner ring member 510 to rotate relative to the outer ring member 520.

[0047] In this invention, the second drive mechanism 600 can be configured with any suitable structural form. In some embodiments of this invention, the inner ring 510 is provided with a coaxially connected driven gear 512, and the power output end of the second drive mechanism 600 is connected to a driving gear 610. A transmission chain 620 is provided between the driving gear 610 and the driven gear 512 for transmitting power. Exemplarily, in a specific embodiment of this invention, the second drive mechanism 600 includes a second drive motor 601 and a second reducer 602. The driving gear 610 is coaxially fixed with the output shaft of the second reducer 602, and the second drive motor 601 is used to drive the second reducer 602 to rotate the driving gear 601.

[0048] In some embodiments, a photoelectric switch 700 is provided between the support platform 400 and the chain conveyor mechanism 100. The photoelectric switch 700 is used to determine the position of the chain conveyor mechanism 100, thereby stopping the second drive mechanism 600. It is understood that the photoelectric switch 700 can be arranged in any suitable form. For example, the photoelectric sensor of the photoelectric switch 700 can be placed on the support platform 400, and the light-shielding plate of the photoelectric switch 700 can be placed on the chain conveyor mechanism 100. When the light-shielding plate rotates to the blocking position of the photoelectric sensor, the light spot sensor sends out a signal indicating that the chain conveyor mechanism 100 has reached its position. To facilitate control of the position of the chain conveyor mechanism 100, it is preferable to provide photoelectric switches 700 in both the first and second directions.

[0049] In some embodiments, a buffer 800 is also provided next to the photoelectric switch 700. The buffer 800 can form a buffering cooperation with the rotating chain conveyor mechanism 100 to prevent the chain conveyor mechanism 100 from failing to stop at the appropriate position due to inertia.

[0050] like Figure 7 As shown, the present invention also provides a packaging system, which includes a packing unit 2, a conveying unit 3, a palletizing unit 4, and the aforementioned pallet conveying device; the packing unit 2 is used to pack materials to obtain bagged materials, the conveying unit 3 is used to convey the bagged materials to the location of the palletizing unit 4, the palletizing unit 4 is used to stack the bagged materials onto a pallet to form a pallet 1, and the pallet conveying device is used to convey the pallet 1 away from the palletizing unit 4 for unloading by a forklift 5.

[0051] In the packaging system provided by the present invention, by introducing the pallet conveying device provided by the present invention, not only is the reliability of the transition of the heavy transport unit pallet 1 from the large roller conveyor to the chain conveyor, but also the rotatable structure of the chain conveyor mechanism 100 can form multiple orientations for unloading, thereby fully utilizing the efficiency of the palletizing unit 4, effectively improving packaging efficiency and improving the space utilization of the factory.

[0052] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, the present invention is not limited thereto. Within the scope of the inventive concept, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the present invention will not describe the various possible combinations separately. However, these simple modifications and combinations should also be considered as the content disclosed in the present invention and are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pallet conveying device, characterized in that, The system includes a chain conveyor mechanism (100) for conveying a cargo pallet (1) along a first direction. The infeed end of the chain conveyor mechanism (100) is provided with a roller assembly (200). The roller assembly (200) includes multiple parallel rollers (210) arranged at intervals along the first direction. The multiple rollers (210) are configured to be able to rotate freely around their respective axes to form a conveying surface (201) that is flush with the bearing surface of the chain conveyor mechanism (100) and extends in a direction away from the chain conveyor mechanism (100).

2. The pallet conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The chain conveyor mechanism (100) includes a support frame (110), a first drive mechanism (120), a sprocket assembly (130) formed by two sprockets (131), and a chain (140) formed by multiple chain links (141) hinged together. The two sprockets (131) of the sprocket assembly (130) are rotatably connected to the two ends of the support frame (110). The chain (140) is wrapped around the two sprockets (131) and meshes with the sprockets (131). A chain plate (150) is provided on the chain link (141). The first drive mechanism (120) is configured to drive the sprocket (131) to rotate around its own axis and drive the chain (140) to move along the first direction during the rotation, so that the chain plate (150) moves along the first direction.

3. The pallet conveying device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The sprocket (131) has double rows of teeth, and the chain (140) has two branches that mesh with the double rows of teeth one by one. The two ends of the chain plate (150) are fixedly connected to the links (141) on the two chains (140).

4. The pallet conveying device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The sprocket assembly (130) is provided in multiple sets, and the multiple sets of sprocket assemblies (130) are arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart in sequence along the second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction; Preferably, the sprockets (131) located at the same end of the support frame (110) are coaxially connected via a rotating shaft (160) to achieve synchronous rotation.

5. The pallet conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The chain conveyor mechanism (100) is provided with baffles (300) extending along the first direction on both sides, and the two ends of the two baffles (300) are respectively formed into flared shapes; Preferably, the two baffles (300) are configured to allow for adjustment of the distance between them.

6. The pallet conveying device according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The bottom of the chain conveyor mechanism (100) is provided with a support platform (400), and a rotary support assembly (500) is provided between the support platform (400) and the chain conveyor mechanism (100) so that the chain conveyor mechanism (100) can rotate relative to the support platform (400) about the vertical rotation center line.

7. The pallet conveying device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The chain conveyor mechanism (100) has roller groups (200) at both ends located in the first direction.

8. The pallet conveying device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The rotary support assembly (500) has an inner ring (510) and an outer ring (520) that are rotatable relative to each other. The inner ring (510) is fixedly connected to the chain conveyor mechanism (100) via a first connecting plate (511). The outer ring (520) is fixed on the support platform (400) via a second connecting plate (521). A second drive mechanism (600) is provided on the support platform (400) for driving the inner ring (510) to rotate relative to the outer ring (520). Preferably, the inner ring (510) is provided with a driven gear (512) coaxially connected, the power output end of the second drive mechanism (600) is connected to a driving gear (610), and a transmission chain (620) is provided between the driving gear (610) and the driven gear (512) for transmitting power.

9. The pallet conveying device according to claim 8, characterized in that, A photoelectric switch (700) is provided between the support platform (400) and the chain conveyor mechanism (100). The photoelectric switch (700) is used to determine the position of the chain conveyor mechanism (100) and thereby stop the second drive mechanism (600).

10. A packaging system, characterized in that, The packaging system includes a packing unit (2), a conveying unit (3), a palletizing unit (4), and a pallet conveying device according to any one of claims 1-9; The packaging unit (2) is used to package the material to obtain bagged material. The conveying unit (3) is used to convey the bagged material to the location of the palletizing unit (4). The palletizing unit (4) is used to stack the bagged material onto a pallet to form a cargo pallet (1). The cargo pallet conveying device is used to convey the cargo pallet (1) away from the palletizing unit (4) for forklift (5) to unload.

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