Buffering capacity expansion device for bottled medicine production line

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of medicine production line storage, and discloses a buffer capacity expansion device for a bottled medicine production line, the buffer capacity expansion device comprises a base, four groups of supporting columns are fixedly connected to the upper surface of the base, inner screw rods are rotatably connected to the inner surfaces of the multiple groups of supporting columns, and lifting assemblies are arranged on the outer sides of the inner screw rods; the upper end of the base is fixedly connected with a front baffle, and storage assemblies are arranged on the inner sides of the multiple sets of supporting columns. Through the arrangement of the rotationally connected inner screw rod and the matched lifting assembly, the mode that a traditional medicine production line depends on extension of a horizontal conveying belt for caching is changed. The motor is used for driving the inner screw rod to rotate to drive the lifting frame to ascend and descend, and in combination with induction positioning of the light interrupter on the light barrier, automatic insertion connection of the storage tray is achieved. According to the structure, the storage trays filled with the medicine bottles are sequentially stacked in a multi-layer three-dimensional mode from bottom to top, plane caching is converted into vertical three-dimensional caching, and the caching capacity of the medicine bottles is greatly expanded on the premise that the occupied area is not increased.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of pharmaceutical production line storage technology, and in particular to a buffer expansion device for bottled pharmaceutical production lines. Background Technology

[0002] In the production and processing of bottled medicines, the various processes are usually connected by conveyor belts. To cope with situations such as maintenance or malfunctions of downstream production equipment, buffer devices need to be configured between the upstream production line and the downstream equipment to temporarily store the continuously produced medicine bottles on the conveyor belt, thereby ensuring the continuity of the upstream processing steps.

[0003] Existing medicine bottle buffer devices mainly rely on horizontal area expansion to provide temporary storage space for materials. The conventional approach is to increase the length of the horizontal conveyor belt between each production stage, or to connect a horizontally arranged rotary buffer platform and a large-area flat storage workbench to one side of the main conveyor belt. Medicine bottles flow into these planar buffer areas sequentially as the production line moves and are laid flat in a single layer.

[0004] This reliance on horizontally extending ground for buffering results in a large footprint, while in actual factory environments, ground space is typically limited, creating a clear physical limit to the expansion of overall buffer capacity. As production line downtime increases, the single-layer planar buffer space is easily exhausted, causing the entire production line to shut down, making it difficult to meet the demands of high-throughput production for large-capacity buffers and high space utilization. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To overcome the above shortcomings, this invention provides a buffer expansion device for bottled pharmaceutical production lines. It aims to improve the existing single-layer planar buffer method, which has a large equipment footprint due to its over-reliance on horizontal ground extension. Limited by the actual space of the factory, its buffer capacity has a clear physical limit. When the production line stops abnormally, it is easy to cause the entire line to stop due to buffer exhaustion. It cannot meet the needs of modern high-throughput production for large capacity and high space utilization.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is: A buffer expansion device for a bottled pharmaceutical production line includes a base, four sets of support columns are fixedly connected to the upper surface of the base, and internal screws are rotatably connected to the inner surfaces of the support columns. Lifting components are provided on the outer sides of the internal screws. A fan assembly is fixedly connected to the rear end of the base. Both ends of the fan assembly can be used as exhaust or intake ports. A front baffle is fixedly connected to the upper end of the base, and a material storage assembly is provided on the inner side of the support columns. The lifting assembly includes a movable plate, a rotary motor is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the movable plate, a screw is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the rotary motor, a lifting frame is threadedly connected to the threaded surface of the screw, a stop block is fixedly connected to the end of the screw away from the rotary motor, and a light interrupter is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the movable plate.

[0007] Preferably, the storage assembly includes a storage tray whose outer surface contacts a support column, a push plate slidably connected to the inner surface of the storage tray, an airbag fixedly connected to the rear end of the storage tray, an air inlet on the back of the storage tray, and a snap-fit ​​groove at the through hole on the front surface of the fan assembly.

[0008] Preferably, the inner surface of the support column is provided with a rectangular groove, and the front baffle is provided with a motor connected to the conveyor belt.

[0009] Preferably, both ends of the front baffle are fixedly connected to the support columns, and the four sets of support columns are located at the four corners of the upper surface of the base.

[0010] Preferably, the movable plate is provided with a threaded hole at the connection between it and the inner screw, the upper surface of the lifting frame is in contact with the movable plate, and two sets of lifting components are provided, with the two sets of lifting components symmetrically distributed about the center line of the base.

[0011] Preferably, a conveyor belt is provided at the upper end of the front baffle, and an auxiliary roller is rotatably connected to the upper end of the front baffle.

[0012] Preferably, the base is equipped with a motor connected to an internal screw, and the fan assembly is equipped with a pneumatic component controlled by a solenoid valve.

[0013] Preferably, light-blocking plates are fixedly connected to the bottom of both the front and rear ends of the storage tray, and a groove with the same shape as the lifting frame is opened on the lower surface of the storage tray.

[0014] Preferably, rectangular grooves are provided on both the left and right sides of the inner surface of the storage tray, and grooves are provided on the rear end of the inner surface of the storage tray and the rear end of the push plate.

[0015] Preferably, the two ends of the airbag are fixedly connected to the push plate and the storage tray, respectively, and the air inlet is connected to the airbag.

[0016] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. This invention, by incorporating a rotating internal screw and a matching lifting assembly, changes the traditional pharmaceutical production line's reliance on extended horizontal conveyor belts for buffering. A motor drives the internal screw to rotate, raising and lowering the lifting frame. Combined with a light-blocking device's sensing and positioning of the light-blocking plate, automatic insertion of storage trays is achieved. This structure sequentially stacks storage trays filled with medicine bottles in multiple layers from bottom to top, transforming planar buffering into vertical three-dimensional buffering. This significantly expands the medicine bottle buffering capacity without increasing the floor space and enables automatic operation of the buffer expansion process.

[0017] 2. This invention achieves smooth release and delivery of medicine bottles by incorporating an airbag and pusher plate inside the storage tray, in conjunction with a blower assembly. During dispensing, the storage tray rises to the top, and the air inlet connects with the blower assembly's locking slot. The blower assembly injects air inward, causing the airbag to expand, which in turn drives the slidingly connected pusher plate to move outward, gradually pushing the internal medicine bottles back onto the conveyor belt. This pneumatic pushing structure ensures uniform force on the pusher plate, resulting in a smooth and stable pushing process. It avoids the risks of bottle crushing or tipping that are common with traditional rigid pushing mechanisms, effectively ensuring the safety of medicine flow during the buffer and outbound process.

[0018] 3. The present invention has an auxiliary roller rotatably connected to the upper end of the front baffle. The auxiliary roller guides the moving medicine bottle laterally to prevent the medicine bottle from getting stuck and tipping over when entering the storage tray. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the back of a buffer expansion device for a bottled pharmaceutical production line under full load, as proposed in this invention. Figure 2 This is a front view of the buffer expansion device for a bottled medicine production line proposed in this invention in the state of not having medicine bottles loaded; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting component of a buffer expansion device for a bottled pharmaceutical production line proposed in this invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the storage component of a buffer expansion device for a bottled pharmaceutical production line proposed in this invention; Figure 5 This invention proposes a buffer expansion device for a bottled pharmaceutical production line. Figure 2 Enlarged diagram of point A in the middle.

[0020] in: 1. Base; 2. Lifting assembly; 3. Material storage assembly; 4. Inner screw; 5. Support column; 6. Conveyor belt; 7. Auxiliary roller; 8. Fan assembly; 9. Front baffle; 10. Light blocking plate; 201. Movable plate; 202. Rotary motor; 203. Screw; 204. Stop block; 205. Light interrupter; 206. Lifting frame; 301. Snap-fit ​​groove; 302. Material storage tray; 303. Push plate; 304. Airbag; 305. Air inlet. Detailed Implementation

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

[0022] Reference Figures 1-3 An embodiment of the present invention provides a buffer expansion device for a bottled medicine production line, comprising a base 1, four sets of support columns 5 fixedly connected to the upper surface of the base 1, and an inner screw 4 rotatably connected to the inner surface of each set of support columns 5. The inner screw 4 is driven to rotate by a motor inside the base, providing a stable power source for the vertical lifting of the subsequent structure. A lifting component 2 is provided on the outer side of the inner screw 4. A fan component 8 is fixedly connected to the rear end of the base 1. The fan component 8 is provided with a pneumatic component controlled by a solenoid valve. Both the front and rear ends of the fan component 8 can be used as exhaust or intake ports. The automatic switching between inflation and deflation states is achieved by controlling the airflow direction. A front baffle 9 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the base 1, and a storage component 3 is provided on the inner side of the multiple sets of support columns 5. The lifting assembly 2 includes a movable plate 201. A rotary motor 202 is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the movable plate 201. A screw 203 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the rotary motor 202. A lifting frame 206 is threadedly connected to the threaded surface of the screw 203. The rotary motor 202 drives the screw 203 to rotate, thereby driving the lifting frame 206 to perform horizontal telescopic movement to engage or disengage from the bottom of the tray for support. A stop block 204 is fixedly connected to the end of the screw 203 away from the rotary motor 202. 04 is used to limit the maximum outward extension of the lifting frame 206 to prevent it from leaving the transmission range. A light blocker 205 is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the movable plate 201. The light blocker 205 cooperates with the light blocking plate at the bottom of the tray to provide a precise height positioning signal, so that the lifting assembly 2 can automatically identify the position of the top fully loaded tray when searching for the tray downwards, and trigger the rotary motor 202 to perform a horizontal insertion action. A groove is provided on the movable plate 201 near the light blocker 205 to accommodate the light blocking plate 10 passing through.

[0023] The inner surface of the support column 5 has a rectangular groove for limiting and guiding the lifting path of the movable plate 201, preventing the lifting assembly 2 from circumferentially deflecting during the lifting process with the inner screw 4. It also accommodates the inner screw 4 within the groove. The base 1 contains a motor connected to the inner screw 4, which directly drives the inner screw 4 to rotate forward and backward, providing a stable power source for the vertical lifting of the lifting assembly 2. The fan assembly 8 contains pneumatic components controlled by a solenoid valve, which controls the on / off state and direction of airflow to achieve the lifting of the storage tray 30. 2. The internal airbag 304 automatically switches between inflation and deflation states. A motor connected to the conveyor belt 6 is installed inside the front baffle 9 to drive the conveyor belt 6 for smooth transport of medicine bottles. Both ends of the front baffle 9 are fixedly connected to the support columns 5, forming a stable lateral cross-connection structure. The height of the back side of the front baffle 9 precisely abuts and limits the lower edge of the storage tray 302 when it rises to the top, preventing the storage tray 302 from moving forward due to pushing force during material feeding. Four sets of support columns 5 are located at the four corners of the upper surface of the base 1, forming a rectangular frame. To improve the overall load-bearing capacity and structural stability of the device, the movable plate 201 is connected to the inner screw 4 with threaded holes. Both inner screws 4 on the same side pass through and engage with the threaded holes at both ends of the movable plate 201 on the same side, converting the rotational motion of the inner screws 4 into the linear lifting motion of the movable plate 201. The upper surface of the lifting frame 206 contacts the movable plate 201, providing surface guidance during horizontal extension and retraction of the lifting frame 206 to prevent angular deflection when carrying a fully loaded pallet. Two sets of lifting components 2 are provided, with the centerline of the base 1 as the reference point. The two sets of lifting components 2 are symmetrically distributed, so that the lifting frames 206 of the two lifting components 2 can extend from the left and right sides simultaneously to support the bottom of the storage tray 302, ensuring that the force on the multi-layer stacked storage tray 302 is balanced during the lifting process. The upper end of the front baffle 9 is provided with a conveyor belt 6, and the horizontal height of the conveyor belt 6 is flush with the bottom surface of the storage tray 302 when it is raised to the top, so as to achieve a seamless transition between the two. The upper end of the front baffle 9 is rotatably connected with an auxiliary roller 7, which guides the moving medicine bottle laterally to prevent the medicine bottle from getting stuck and tipping over when entering the storage tray 302.

[0024] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 4 as well as Figure 5The storage component 3 includes a storage tray 302 whose outer surface contacts the support column 5. The support column 5 limits and guides the lifting path of the tray to prevent circumferential deflection during its up-and-down movement. A push plate 303 is slidably connected to the inner surface of the storage tray 302. The push plate 303 is made of a flat, hard material to ensure that the pushing surface is evenly stressed and maintains a horizontal and straight pushing posture. An airbag 304 is fixedly connected to the rear end of the storage tray 302. An air inlet 305 is provided on the back of the storage tray 302. A snap-fit ​​groove 301 is provided at the through hole on the front surface of the blower component 8. When the storage tray 302 rises to the material release position at the top of the equipment, the air inlet 305 and the snap-fit ​​groove 301 automatically connect and communicate. A rubber sealing ring is provided on the inner wall of the snap-fit ​​groove 301 or the outer edge of the air inlet 305. The air inlet 305 and the snap-fit ​​groove 301 are sealed by the sealing ring to prevent air leakage during the inflation process.

[0025] Light-blocking plates 10 are fixedly connected to the bottom of both the front and rear ends of the storage tray 302. The light-blocking plates 10 correspond to the light-blocking devices 205 installed at the lower end of the movable plate 201, providing a precise height positioning signal when the lifting assembly 2 searches for a full-load tray downwards, triggering the automatic horizontal insertion of the lifting frame 206. A groove with the same shape as the lifting frame 206 is formed on the lower surface of the storage tray 302, penetrating the side edge of the storage tray 302. When the lifting frame 206 extends, it inserts and engages within this groove, preventing lateral displacement of the storage tray 302 during lifting. Rectangular sliding grooves are formed on both the left and right sides of the inner surface of the storage tray 302, linearly limiting the forward and backward movement trajectory of the push plate 303, ensuring that the push plate 303 always maintains a horizontal posture and pushes materials in a straight line. The inner surface of 302 and the rear end of the push plate 303 are both provided with grooves to provide space for the installation of the airbag 304. When the airbag 304 deflates, it is completely hidden inside the groove, maximizing the release of the storage space inside the tray. The two ends of the airbag 304 are fixedly connected to the push plate 303 and the storage tray 302 respectively, so that when the airbag 304 is inflated, it generates a forward thrust that directly acts on the push plate 303. When it is deflated, it generates a pulling force that drives the push plate 303 to automatically reset. The air inlet 305 is connected to the airbag 304. A rubber sealing ring is provided at the outer edge of the air inlet 305 or on the inner wall of the snap-fit ​​groove 301. When the air inlet 305 is connected to the snap-fit ​​groove 301, the sealing ring achieves a seal between the two to prevent air leakage when inflating the airbag 304.

[0026] Working principle: During the production and processing of bottled medicines, when the back-end production equipment is under maintenance or blocked, it is necessary to use a buffer space to buffer the medicine bottles. However, the existing buffer space is limited. At this time, this device can be connected to the medicine bottle buffer part, and a groove is opened on the side of the buffer device so that the medicine bottle can enter the device.

[0027] In use, multiple sets of internal screws 4 are driven to rotate by a motor located at the lower end of the internal screw 4. When the internal screw 4 rotates, it will drive the movable plate 201 connected to it to rise or fall. When the light blocker inside the movable plate 201 moves to the light blocking plate 10 fixedly connected to the storage tray 302, a signal will be triggered. At this time, the rotary motor 202 starts, driving the screw 203 to rotate as a whole. At this time, the lifting frame 206 connected to the screw 203 extends and moves to the groove below the storage tray 302. At the same time, the motor drives the internal screw 4 to rotate, driving the lifting assembly 2 and the storage tray 302 to rise to the level of the storage tray 302 and the conveyor belt 6. Meanwhile, the medicine bottles supplied at the front end will be pushed to the upper surface of the conveyor belt 6 because the existing buffer space is full. At the same time, the conveyor belt 6 moves the medicine bottles into the storage tray 302 for storage. The auxiliary roller 7 provides auxiliary guidance for the medicine bottles entering the storage tray 302. When the storage tray 302 is full of medicine bottles, the inner screw 4 rotates in the opposite direction, causing the storage tray 302 to descend to the base 1. At the same time, the lifting component 2 rises back to the top of the equipment and then extends the lifting frame 206. The operator can then place a new storage tray 302 on top of the lifting frame 206 to repeat the expansion storage of medicine bottles.

[0028] When the backend equipment restarts, the medicine bottles stored inside this device need to be released back onto the bottled medicine processing line. At this time, the lifting component 2 will repeat the aforementioned operation, lifting the storage tray 302 to the top of the equipment. Simultaneously, as the storage tray 302 moves to the top of the equipment, its rear air inlet 305 will align with the locking groove 301 at the front of the blower component 8. At the same time, the blower component 8 will operate, injecting air into the air inlet 305. The air entering the air inlet will then enter the airbag 304, causing the airbag to inflate and thus pushing the sliding connection with the storage tray 302... The push plate 303 moves outward and gradually pushes out the medicine bottles stored inside the storage tray 302. At this time, the lower edge of the storage tray 302 is blocked by the front baffle 9 and will not move. After the push is completed, the fan assembly 8 performs an air extraction operation to extract the air inside the airbag 304. At this time, the push plate 303 will move in the opposite direction until it moves to the rear of the storage tray 302. At this time, people can take out the empty storage tray 302 and, by operating the lifting assembly 2, repeat the above steps to continuously release the medicine bottles stored inside the storage trays 302 at different heights inside the equipment.

[0029] In the description of this invention, the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "vertical," and "horizontal," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only to describe the invention and not to require the invention to be constructed or operated in a specific orientation; therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. The terms "connected" and "linked" in this invention should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a connection or a detachable connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through intermediate components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms based on the specific circumstances.

[0030] The above description represents the preferred mode of operation of the present invention. The specific operational modes are provided solely for a better understanding of the invention's concept. Those skilled in the art can make various improvements or equivalent substitutions based on the principles of this invention, and these improvements or equivalent substitutions are also considered to fall within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A buffer expansion device for a bottled pharmaceutical production line, comprising a base (1), characterized in that: Four sets of support columns (5) are fixedly connected to the upper surface of the base (1). The inner surfaces of the multiple sets of support columns (5) are rotatably connected to internal screws (4). Lifting components (2) are provided on the outer side of the internal screws (4). A fan assembly (8) is fixedly connected to the rear end of the base (1). Both the front and rear ends of the fan assembly (8) can be used as exhaust or intake ports. A front baffle (9) is fixedly connected to the upper end of the base (1). A material storage assembly (3) is provided on the inner side of the multiple sets of support columns (5). The lifting assembly (2) includes a movable plate (201), a rotary motor (202) is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the movable plate (201), a screw (203) is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the rotary motor (202), a lifting frame (206) is threadedly connected to the threaded surface of the screw (203), a stop block (204) is fixedly connected to the end of the screw (203) away from the rotary motor (202), and a light blocker (205) is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the movable plate (201).

2. The buffer expansion device for a bottled pharmaceutical production line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The storage component (3) includes a storage tray (302), the outer surface of which is in contact with the support column (5), a push plate (303) is slidably connected to the inner surface of the storage tray (302), an airbag (304) is fixedly connected to the rear end of the storage tray (302), an air inlet (305) is provided on the back of the storage tray (302), and a snap-fit ​​groove (301) is provided at the through hole on the front surface of the fan component (8).

3. The buffer expansion device for a bottled pharmaceutical production line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner surface of the support column (5) is provided with a rectangular groove, and the front baffle (9) is provided with a motor connected to the conveyor belt (6).

4. The buffer expansion device for a bottled pharmaceutical production line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The left and right ends of the front baffle (9) are fixedly connected to the support columns (5), and the four sets of support columns (5) are located at the four corners of the upper surface of the base (1).

5. The buffer expansion device for a bottled pharmaceutical production line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable plate (201) is connected to the inner screw (4) with a threaded hole. The upper surface of the lifting frame (206) is in contact with the movable plate (201). The lifting assembly (2) is provided in two sets, and the two sets of lifting assemblies (2) are symmetrically distributed with the center line of the base (1) as the axis of symmetry.

6. The buffer expansion device for a bottled pharmaceutical production line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end of the front baffle (9) is provided with a conveyor belt (6), and the upper end of the front baffle (9) is rotatably connected with an auxiliary roller (7).

7. The buffer expansion device for a bottled pharmaceutical production line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base (1) is equipped with a motor connected to the inner screw (4), and the fan assembly (8) is equipped with a pneumatic component controlled by a solenoid valve.

8. A buffer expansion device for a bottled pharmaceutical production line according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom of both the front and rear ends of the storage tray (302) are fixedly connected with light-blocking plates (10), and the lower surface of the storage tray (302) has a groove with the same shape as the lifting frame (206).

9. A buffer expansion device for a bottled pharmaceutical production line according to claim 2, characterized in that: The storage tray (302) has rectangular grooves on both the left and right sides of its inner surface, and grooves are provided on the rear end of the inner surface of the storage tray (302) and the rear end of the push plate (303).

10. A buffer expansion device for a bottled pharmaceutical production line according to claim 2, characterized in that: The two ends of the airbag (304) are fixedly connected to the push plate (303) and the storage tray (302) respectively, and the air inlet (305) is connected to the airbag (304).

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