An automatic four-sided corner protector installation device and its usage method

Abstract

This application provides an automatic four-sided corner protector installation device and its usage method, relating to the field of automatic packaging equipment technology. The device includes a frame assembly; a chain conveyor mounted on the frame assembly; a corner protector hopper assembly mounted on one side of the frame assembly; left and right telescopic arm assemblies respectively located on either side of the corner protector hopper assembly for gripping and conveying corner protectors; a four-sided clamping mechanism mounted above the chain conveyor, including multiple independently driven and synchronously operating clamping units; a four-sided clamping Z-axis power assembly connected to the four-sided clamping mechanism; a cover cardboard handling mechanism mounted on the frame assembly; and multiple pressure roller assemblies arranged around the chain conveyor. Through synchronous four-corner clamping and graded collaborative pressing processes, the device significantly improves the positional accuracy and insertion stability of the corner protectors, thereby enhancing packaging production efficiency and product quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automatic packaging equipment technology, and in particular to an automatic four-sided corner protector installation device and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] In industries such as consumer goods, food, medical, toys, textiles and daily chemicals, bagged or boxed products are usually required to have corner supports installed at the four corners after being stacked, and cardboard covers are placed on top to improve the overall packaging stability and transportation protection.

[0003] In existing technologies, the installation of corner protectors and the covering of cardboard after palletizing are mostly done manually. Manual operation usually requires workers to perform multiple actions such as picking up corner protectors, positioning and inserting them, straightening and clamping them, and covering them with cardboard. This is not only labor-intensive and inefficient, but also results in poor consistency in the installation position of the corner protectors, which can easily lead to problems such as skewing, loosening, and improper pressing, affecting the subsequent packaging quality and transportation stability.

[0004] While some existing automated packaging equipment can achieve conveying or simple clamping, the following problems still exist: 1. Unable to achieve simultaneous automatic grabbing and positioning installation of the four corner protectors; 2. The corner protectors are prone to misalignment during installation, making it difficult to guarantee the synchronous clamping accuracy of the four corners; 3. The corner protectors and cover plate lack a coordinated pressing mechanism, resulting in poor stability of automatic insertion; 4. Visual positioning is often used, resulting in high equipment costs, complex structures, and difficult maintenance.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need to provide an automatic four-sided corner protector installation device to achieve automatic corner protector picking and placing, synchronous positioning and clamping, automatic cover plate and collaborative pressing, thereby improving the level of automation and packaging quality. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the issues of manual installation, low automation, poor positioning accuracy, and insufficient pressing stability of four-sided corner protectors, this application provides an automatic installation device for four-sided corner protectors.

[0007] The automatic installation device for four-sided corner protectors provided in this application adopts the following technical solution: An automatic four-sided corner protector installation device, comprising: Rack components; A chain conveyor mounted on the frame assembly is used to transport palletized products. A corner protector hopper assembly located on one side of the frame assembly is used to store corner protectors to be installed. The left telescopic arm assembly and the right telescopic arm assembly, which are respectively located on both sides of the corner protector hopper assembly, are used to grab corner protectors from the corner protector hopper assembly and transport the corner protectors to the four corners of the palletized products. The four-sided clamping mechanism is located above the chain conveyor. The four-sided clamping mechanism includes multiple independently driven clamping units that can move synchronously, and is used to synchronously clamp and position the corner protectors placed at the four corners of the palletized products. The four-sided clamp Z-axis power assembly connected to the four-sided clamp mechanism is used to drive the overall lifting and lowering of the four-sided clamp mechanism. A cover paper handling mechanism, mounted on the frame assembly, is used to grab the cover paper and cover the top of the palletized products; Multiple pressure roller assemblies arranged around the chain conveyor are used to apply pre-pressure to the corner guards from the side.

[0008] Furthermore, both the left and right telescopic arm assemblies include a three-stage telescopic mechanism: the first stage is a fixed arm; the second stage is an intermediate arm; and the third stage is a terminal arm. The intermediate arm is slidably mounted on the fixed arm via guide rails, and the terminal arm is slidably mounted on the intermediate arm via guide rails. The fixed arm is equipped with a two-stage arm power assembly for driving the intermediate arm to slide along the guide rails, and the intermediate arm is equipped with a terminal arm power assembly for driving the terminal arm to slide. The front ends of the intermediate arm and the end arm are both fixed with corner protection fixing arms perpendicular to the end arm. The corner protection fixing arms are slidably set with corner protection sliding arms via linear guide rails. The corner protection fixing arms are equipped with a corner protection power assembly for driving the movement of the corner protection sliding arms. The suction cup assembly is installed on the corner protector sliding arm and is used to adsorb the corner protector. Two suction cup assemblies on the same telescopic arm assembly are used to adsorb two corner protectors with the same opening on the same side of the product. After the intermediate arm is extended by the two-stage arm power assembly, the final arm power assembly then extends the final arm further to adjust the positional relationship of the two suction cup assemblies on the same telescopic arm assembly, so as to transport the corner protector from the corner protector hopper to the installation position of the palletized product.

[0009] Furthermore, the suction cup assembly includes a vacuum suction cup, a telescopic cylinder, and a solenoid valve assembly; the telescopic cylinder is used to drive the vacuum suction cup to approach or move away from the corner protector, and the solenoid valve assembly is used to control the adsorption and release of the vacuum suction cup.

[0010] Furthermore, the four-sided clamping mechanism includes a left four-sided clamping assembly and a right four-sided clamping assembly arranged opposite to each other, as well as a left four-sided clamping X-axis power assembly and a right four-sided clamping X-axis power assembly that drive the left four-sided clamping assembly and the right four-sided clamping assembly to move horizontally along the X-axis, respectively; each of the left four-sided clamping assembly and the right four-sided clamping assembly includes an upper gripper and a lower gripper that can move relative to each other horizontally along the Y-axis, and the four grippers together form a four-corner synchronous clamping structure.

[0011] Furthermore, the pressure roller assembly includes four independent pressure roller units located at the upper left pressure roller assembly, lower left pressure roller assembly, upper right pressure roller assembly, and lower right pressure roller assembly of the palletized product, respectively corresponding to the positions of the four corner protectors; each pressure roller unit includes a pressure roller driven by an electric cylinder, which is used to drive the pressure roller to extend horizontally to pre-press the corner protector or retract to release the corner protector.

[0012] Furthermore, the cover plate handling mechanism is a multi-joint handling robot, whose end effector integrates a suction cup assembly for picking up the cover plate and a mechanism for opening the cover plate folds.

[0013] Furthermore, the corner protector hopper assembly is connected to a hopper power assembly, which drives the corner protector hopper assembly to reciprocate between the working position and the replenishment position; the hopper power assembly includes a motor and a gear and rack transmission mechanism, which is connected to the bottom of the corner protector hopper assembly.

[0014] This application also discloses a method for using the above-described apparatus, comprising the following steps: S1. Feeding and shaping steps: The palletized products are transported to the work station by the chain conveyor, and the four-sided clamping mechanism is lowered and the product stack is clamped and flattened multiple times. S2. Automatic corner protector removal steps: The corner protector removal and placement power components of the left and right telescopic arm assemblies drive the suction cup assembly to move towards each other. The telescopic cylinder of the suction cup assembly extends to make the vacuum suction cup fit the corner protector, and the vacuum suction of the corner protector is activated. Then the telescopic cylinder retracts to pull the corner protector out of the corner protector hopper. S3, Corner Protector Handling Steps: The left and right telescopic arm assemblies are driven to extend in the middle by their two-stage arm power assemblies, and then driven to extend further by their end-stage arm power assemblies, transporting the corner protectors to the floor cardboard slots at the four corners of the palletized products. S4. Four-sided synchronous clamping steps: The four-sided clamping mechanism descends again, and its multiple clamping units move synchronously towards the center of the product to clamp and straighten the four corner protectors. At the same time, the suction cup assembly closes the vacuum and retracts, and the left and right telescopic arm assemblies reset. S5. Automatic cover plate step: The cover plate conveying mechanism grabs and opens the cover plate, covering the top of the product, so that the four corner guards pass through the reserved holes in the cover plate; S6, Lateral pre-compression step: The four pressure roller assemblies extend synchronously, and the pressure rollers contact the corner guards from the side and maintain an over-compression state; S7. First insertion step: The four-sided clamping mechanism is released and rises to avoid the gap. The cover cardboard transport mechanism drives the cover cardboard and the four corner protectors to move downward as a whole, so that the lower end of the corner protectors is initially inserted into the ground cardboard. S8. Second insertion and reset step: The pressure roller assembly retracts, and the cover paper conveying mechanism drives the cover paper and corner protector to move downward to the preset final depth again. Then the cover paper conveying mechanism resets. S9. Finished Product Release Procedure: The chain conveyor is started to transport the finished product with the corner protectors and cover cardboard installed to the next process.

[0015] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: This equipment achieves full-process automation, significantly improving production efficiency. It integrates multiple functional modules including automatic feeding, shaping, corner protector removal, handling, four-sided synchronous clamping, automatic cover closing, lateral pre-compression, and graded insertion. Through precise timing control, it completely replaces manual operation. The entire work cycle requires no manual intervention, greatly reducing labor intensity and improving production cycle time and packaging efficiency.

[0016] The four corner protectors are positioned and clamped synchronously, ensuring high installation accuracy. Symmetrically arranged left and right telescopic arm assemblies enable simultaneous gripping and handling of the two corner protectors. Combined with multiple independently driven and synchronously operating clamping units in the four-sided clamping mechanism, the corner protectors can be simultaneously straightened and clamped from four directions. This collaborative mode of "synchronous gripping and handling followed by synchronous clamping and positioning" ensures that the four corner protectors are installed at the same height relative to the four corners of the palletized product, effectively avoiding problems such as skewing and loosening, and improving packaging quality.

[0017] The corner protectors and cover cardboard are pressed together for stable and reliable insertion: The equipment features a unique collaborative pressing process of "lateral pre-pressure - first insertion - lateral pressure release - second insertion". The pressure roller assembly provides lateral pre-pressure before the first insertion, eliminating gaps between the cover cardboard fold, the corner protector, and the product sidewall; the pressure is released before the second insertion, avoiding frictional resistance. This tiered, collaborative pressing method ensures that the corner protectors can be smoothly and accurately inserted into the cardboard slot to the preset depth, solving the problem of corner protector skewness or incomplete insertion caused by simple pressing.

[0018] The ingenious structural design reduces equipment costs and maintenance difficulty: the left and right telescopic arm assemblies adopt a two-stage and three-stage telescopic arm structure, enabling long-distance corner protection transport within a limited space. The four-sided clamping mechanism adopts a modular design with independent X / Y-axis drive and overall Z-axis lifting, ensuring flexible movement and precise positioning. The overall solution does not rely on a high-cost vision positioning system; high-precision installation requirements can be met through mechanical positioning and precise timing control. It features a compact structure, controllable cost, and easy maintenance.

[0019] Equipped with product stacking pre-shaping function, it improves adaptability to incoming materials: Before the corner protectors are installed, the four-sided clamping mechanism will first descend and clamp and flatten the stacked products multiple times, correcting the slight skewing or unevenness that may be caused by the upstream stacking process, creating a good foundation for the accurate installation of subsequent corner protectors and cover paperboards, and improving the equipment's adaptability to different stacking quality. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention from another perspective; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection structure of the three-stage telescopic mechanism of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall structure of the three-stage telescopic mechanism of the present invention.

[0021] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagrams: 1-1, Frame assembly; 1-2, Left support column assembly; 1-3, Left four-sided clamp X-axis power assembly; 1-4, Left four-sided clamp assembly; 1-5, Right four-sided clamp assembly; 1-6, Right four-sided clamp X-axis power assembly; 1-7, Four-sided clamp Z-axis power assembly; 1-8, Right support column assembly; 1-9, Corner guard hopper assembly; 1-10, Right telescopic arm assembly; 1-11, Hopper power assembly; 1-12, Left telescopic arm assembly; 1-13, Left upper pressure roller assembly; 1- 14. Chain conveyor; 1-15. Lower left pressure roller assembly; 1-16. Upper right pressure roller assembly; 1-17. Lower right pressure roller assembly; 2-1. Second-stage arm power assembly; 2-4. End-stage arm power assembly; 1. Fixed arm; 2. Intermediate arm; 3. End-stage arm; 4. Corner guard fixed arm; 5. Corner guard sliding arm; 6. Vacuum suction cup; 7. Telescopic cylinder; 8. Mounting frame; 9. Rotary cylinder; 10. Sliding frame; 11. Second-stage arm power assembly; 12. End-stage arm power assembly; 13. Cable drag chain; 14. Corner guard. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The terminology used in the following embodiments is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this application. As used in the specification and appended claims of this application, the singular expressions “a,” “an,” “the,” “the,” “the,” and “this” are intended to also include expressions such as “one or more,” unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that in the following embodiments of this application, “at least one” and “one or more” refer to one, two, or more than two. The term “and / or” is used to describe the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships may exist; for example, A and / or B can indicate: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character “ / ” generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an “or” relationship.

[0023] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" as described in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0024] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] This embodiment provides an automatic four-sided corner protector installation device. The device includes a frame assembly 1-1 that serves as a foundation. The frame assembly 1-1 consists of a frame welded from square steel pipes, a large panel fixed and covering it, leveling feet at the bottom, and L-shaped fixing plates for fixing various components, providing stable support for the entire machine.

[0026] Conveying and shaping system: A chain conveyor 1-14 is arranged along the length of the frame assembly 1-1. This chain conveyor 1-14 is driven by a geared motor and transmitted via sprockets and chains. It is equipped with a guide shaft and a photoelectric sensor to ensure smooth movement. When the stacked packs of tissue paper are conveyed to the workstation, the photoelectric sensor is blocked, and the system receives a "product in place" signal.

[0027] On the frame assembly 1-1, a left support column assembly 1-2 and a right support column assembly 1-8 are vertically mounted along the conveyor feeding direction. Both support column assemblies are fixed with vertical linear guide rails. A crossbeam connecting the left support column assembly 1-2 to the right support column assembly 1-8 is provided on the left support column assembly 1-2. The crossbeam, the left support column assembly 1-2, and the right support column assembly 1-8 form a gantry structure. A four-sided clamping Z-axis power assembly 1-7 is mounted on the crossbeam. The Z-axis power assembly includes a servo motor and a reducer, and is connected to the chains inside the left and right support columns via a transmission spindle and sprocket chain mechanism. When the servo motor starts, it can drive a crossbeam spanning the linear guide rails of the left and right support columns to move smoothly up and down.

[0028] The four-sided clamping mechanism includes a left four-sided clamping X-axis power assembly 1-3, a left four-sided clamping assembly 1-4, a right four-sided clamping assembly 1-5, and a right four-sided clamping X-axis power assembly 1-6. Both the left four-sided clamping X-axis power assembly 1-3 and the right four-sided clamping X-axis power assembly 1-6 are mainly composed of a servo motor, a reducer, a synchronous pulley, a synchronous belt, a ball screw, a nut seat, a linear guide rail, and a slotted photoelectric switch, responsible for driving their corresponding clamping assemblies to move along the beam direction (i.e., the X-axis).

[0029] The left four-sided clamping assembly 1-4 and the right four-sided clamping assembly 1-5 include grippers adapted to the product and used for product shaping. The grippers have a telescopic structure along the Y-axis. The left four-sided clamping assembly 1-4 and the right four-sided clamping assembly 1-5 also mainly include a Y-axis drive mechanism composed of a servo motor, a reducer, a synchronous pulley, a synchronous belt, a ball screw, a nut seat, a linear guide rail, sheet metal parts, and a slotted photoelectric switch. The grippers move in opposite directions along the X-axis via the drive of the corresponding X-axis power assembly, while simultaneously extending towards the Y-axis via the Y-axis drive mechanism. After the corresponding servo motor starts, the reducer reduces speed and increases torque, driving the synchronous pulley to rotate. The synchronous pulley rotates via the synchronous belt, and the ball screw converts the rotational motion into linear motion of the nut seat along the linear guide rail. The nut seat drives the clamping assembly fixedly connected to it to move in the corresponding direction to meet the needs of products of different sizes. The grippers can be precisely controlled to synchronously move towards the center from four directions, achieving product centering and shaping as well as synchronous clamping of the corner protectors 14.

[0030] Material feeding and unloading system: A corner protector hopper assembly 1-9 is installed on the frame assembly 1-1. The corner protector hopper assembly 1-9 is constructed of sheet metal and aluminum profiles. A guide rail is fixed on the frame assembly 1-1, and a sliding seat is slidably mounted on the guide rail. The sliding seat forms several placement slots for vertically placing the corner protectors 14 through the sheet metal and aluminum profiles. A brush is installed on the opposite side of the placement slot. A hopper power assembly 1-11 is installed on the frame assembly 1-1 to drive the sliding seat and move the corner protectors 14. The hopper power assembly 1-11 includes a rack fixed to the side of the sliding seat. A gear meshing with the rack is rotatably connected to the frame assembly 1-1. A motor is installed on the frame assembly 1-1. The motor output shaft drives the sliding seat to move through a worm gear reducer, which is responsible for automatically moving the corner protector hopper from the working position to the manual loading position, making it convenient to install the corner protectors 14 into the placement slots. The hopper power unit 1-11 can precisely move the hopper between the "working position" (located inside the frame) and the "replenishment position" (located outside the frame), achieving safe and efficient continuous feeding.

[0031] On the left and right sides of the corner protector hopper assembly 1-9, the right telescopic arm assembly 1-10 and the left telescopic arm assembly 1-12 are symmetrically installed respectively. Since the two have symmetrical structures and the same function, the right telescopic arm assembly 1-10 will be used as an example for detailed explanation.

[0032] Both the left telescopic arm assembly 1-12 and the right telescopic arm assembly 1-10 include a three-stage telescopic mechanism: the first stage is a fixed arm 1, the second stage is an intermediate arm 2, and the third stage is a terminal arm 3. The intermediate arm 2 is slidably mounted on the fixed arm 1 via a guide rail, and the terminal arm 3 is slidably mounted on the intermediate arm 2 via a guide rail. The fixed arm 1 is equipped with a two-stage arm power assembly 2-1 that drives the intermediate arm 2 to slide along the guide rail, and the intermediate arm 2 is equipped with a terminal arm power assembly 2-4 that drives the terminal arm 3 to slide. The front ends of both the intermediate arm 2 and the terminal arm 3 are fixed with corner protection fixed arms 4 perpendicular to the terminal arm 3. The corner protection fixed arms 4 are slidably mounted with corner protection sliding arms 5 via linear guide rails, and the corner protection fixed arms 4 are equipped with a corner protection picking and placing power assembly for driving the corner protection sliding arms 5.

[0033] The suction cup assembly is mounted on the corner protector sliding arm 5 to adsorb the corner protector 14. Two suction cup assemblies on the same telescopic arm assembly are used to adsorb two corner protectors 14 with the same opening on the same side of the product. After the second-stage arm power assembly 2-1 drives the middle arm 2 to extend, the final-stage arm power assembly 2-4 drives the final-stage arm 3 to extend further. This is used to adjust the positional relationship of the two suction cup assemblies on the same telescopic arm assembly so as to transport the corner protector 14 from the picking position of the corner protector hopper to the installation position of the palletized product.

[0034] The corner protection power assembly includes a left corner protection power assembly and a right corner protection power assembly. The two-stage arm power assembly 2-1, the end arm power assembly 2-4, the left corner protection power assembly, and the right corner protection power assembly mainly consist of a servo motor, a reducer, a synchronous pulley, a synchronous belt, a slotted photoelectric switch, a linear guide rail, a drag chain 13, sheet metal parts, and some machined parts. The servo motor transmits power to the synchronous pulley and synchronous belt through the reducer, and the synchronous belt drives the intermediate arm 2 and the end arm 3 to extend or retract along the guide rail.

[0035] The suction cup assembly includes a vacuum suction cup 6, a telescopic cylinder 7, and a solenoid valve assembly. The telescopic cylinder 7 drives the vacuum suction cup 6 to approach or move away from the surface of the corner protector 14. The solenoid valve assembly controls the on / off state of the vacuum generator, enabling reliable adsorption and rapid release of the corner protector 14. A mounting bracket 8 is rotatably connected to the end of the corner protector sliding arm 5 via a vertical pivot. The mounting bracket 8 can rotate freely around the pivot in a vertical plane. A rotating cylinder 9 is mounted on the corner protector fixing arm 4. The cylinder body of the rotating cylinder 9 is fixed to the corner protector sliding arm 5, and its piston rod end is connected to the mounting bracket 8, allowing the entire mounting bracket 8 to rotate vertically, facilitating angle adjustment. Two opposing sliding frames 10 are slidably mounted on the mounting bracket 8, with the positions of the two sliding frames 10 corresponding to the two outer walls of the corner protector 14. The vacuum suction cup 6 is mounted on the corresponding sliding frame 10. There are two telescopic cylinders 7, with the piston rod end of each telescopic cylinder 7 connected to one sliding frame 10. Meanwhile, the suction cup assembly, through a solenoid valve assembly, is used to control the connection and disconnection of the vacuum circuit.

[0036] Cardboard Handling System: A multi-joint handling robot is positioned next to frame assembly 1-1 or above the four-sided clamping mechanism. The robot is connected to grippers via flanges, and the grippers can cooperate with suction cups and a vacuum generator via several cylinders to pick up the cardboard cover.

[0037] Pressure roller auxiliary system: Around the workstation on the chain conveyor 1-14, near the four corners of the product, there are four pressure roller assemblies: upper left pressure roller assembly 1-13, lower left pressure roller assembly 1-15, upper right pressure roller assembly 1-16, and lower right pressure roller assembly 1-17. Each pressure roller assembly contains a pressure roller driven by an electric cylinder, which can precisely extend or retract under the control of the electric cylinder. This is used to apply lateral pre-pressure to the corner protector 14 in critical processes, to compress the corner protector 14 and the product, and to facilitate the installation of the cover cardboard onto the product.

[0038] This application also discloses a method for using the above-mentioned automatic installation of four-sided corner protectors, the specific actions of the complete working cycle are as follows.

[0039] S1 Conveying and Initial Shaping: Chain conveyor 1-14 delivers the stacked products to corner protector mounting station 14. Upon arrival, the four-sided clamp Z-axis power assembly 1-7 reverses, causing the entire four-sided clamping mechanism to descend. Driven by their respective X / Y-axis power assemblies, the four clamps rhythmically move towards the center of the product and press down, performing clamping and shaping on the product in three stages to correct any slight misalignment that may have been caused by stacking. After shaping, the clamping mechanism rises back to its standby point.

[0040] S2, Coordinated Removal of Corner Protector 14: The left telescopic arm assembly 1-12 and the right telescopic arm assembly 1-10 begin operation. First, the corner protector removal and placement power assembly at its end drives the left and right suction cup assemblies to move closer to each other. Simultaneously, the cylinders of the suction cup assemblies extend, causing the vacuum suction cups 6 to tightly adhere to the outer surface of the frontmost corner protector 14 in the hopper. The solenoid valve opens the vacuum, and the suction cups hold the corner protector 14. Immediately afterwards, the cylinders retract, "pulling" the corner protector 14 out of the hopper.

[0041] S3, Corner Protector 14 in place: The second-stage arm power assembly 2-1 of the left telescopic arm assembly 1-12 and the right telescopic arm assembly 1-10 starts to rotate forward, driving the middle arm 2 to extend. Then the end arm power assembly 2-4 rotates forward, driving the end arm 3 to continue to extend, accurately delivering the corner protector 14 attached to the suction cup to the four corner edges of the product, close to the slot position of the floor cardboard.

[0042] S4. Transfer and Clamping: After the corner protectors 14 are in position, the Z-axis assembly of the four-sided clamping mechanism descends again. Simultaneously, the X-axis and Y-axis power assemblies on both sides work together to drive the four grippers to move from all four directions towards the center, tightly gripping the four corner protectors 14. At this point, the suction cups release the vacuum and retract, and the telescopic arm assembly fully resets. The corner protectors 14 are successfully transferred from the telescopic arm to the four-sided clamping mechanism.

[0043] S5. Automatic Covering: The multi-joint handling robot starts, and its end gripper picks up a cover sheet from the cover sheet hopper. The mechanism on the gripper moves the open cover sheet directly above the product, then descends vertically to gently cover the top of the product. At this point, the tops of the four corner protectors 14 should have passed through the pre-drilled holes on the cover sheet.

[0044] S6. Synchronous Side Pressure: The electric cylinders of the upper left pressure roller assembly 1-13, lower left pressure roller assembly 1-15, upper right pressure roller assembly 1-16, and lower right pressure roller assembly 1-17 extend synchronously, driving their respective pressure rollers to firmly press the sides of the corner protector 14. This action ensures a tight fit between the folded edge of the cover paper, the corner protector 14, and the product side wall, eliminating gaps and providing conditions for subsequent precise insertion.

[0045] S7. Four-sided clamping clearance and initial insertion: Driven by their respective power components, the four grippers of the four-sided clamping mechanism quickly release outwards from the four corners and rise to a safe height. Then, the multi-joint handling robot, holding the cover cardboard, moves the four corner protectors 14 downwards a certain distance, so that the lower ends of the corner protectors 14 are inserted into the grooves of the cardboard.

[0046] S8, Lateral Pressure Release and Secondary Insertion: The four pressure roller assemblies retract synchronously, releasing the lateral restriction on the corner protectors 14. The multi-joint handling robot moves vertically downwards again, pressing all four corner protectors 14 into the floorboard to the preset final depth.

[0047] S9. Reset and Cycle: The multi-joint handling robot, with its gripper, rises to a safe position and returns to its origin. Chain conveyors 1-14 start, transporting the finished product with corner protectors 14 and cover cardboard installed out of the workstation. Simultaneously, the next stack of products is fed in, beginning a new cycle.

[0048] Through the aforementioned precise and efficient coordinated actions, this invention achieves complete automation of the corner protector 14 from feeding, picking, handling, clamping to collaborative pressing with the cover paperboard, greatly improving the efficiency and quality of packaging production.

[0049] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An automatic four-sided corner protector installation device, characterized in that, include: Rack assembly (1-1); The chain conveyor (1-14) mounted on the frame assembly (1-1) is used to transport palletized products; The corner protector hopper assembly (1-9) located on one side of the frame assembly (1-1) is used to store corner protectors (14) to be installed; The left telescopic arm assembly (1-12) and the right telescopic arm assembly (1-10) located on both sides of the corner protector hopper assembly (1-9) are used to simultaneously grab two corner protectors (14) on the same side of the corresponding product from the corner protector hopper assembly (1-9) and simultaneously transport the four corner protectors (14) to the four corners of the palletized product. The four-sided clamping mechanism is set above the chain conveyor (1-14). The four-sided clamping mechanism includes multiple independently driven clamping units that can move synchronously, which are used to synchronously clamp and position the four corner guards (14) before the corner guards (14) are released. The four-sided clamp Z-axis power assembly (1-7) connected to the four-sided clamp mechanism is used to drive the overall lifting and lowering of the four-sided clamp mechanism; The cover paper handling mechanism, which is provided on the frame assembly (1-1), is used to grab the cover paper and cover the top of the stacked products so that the four corner protectors (14) pass through the reserved holes of the cover paper, and the cover paper handling mechanism is used to drive the cover paper and the four corner protectors (14) to be inserted in at least two stages. Multiple pressure roller assemblies arranged around the chain conveyor (1-14) are used to apply pre-pressure from the side to the corner protector (14) before the first insertion, so that the corner protector (14), the cover cardboard and the side wall of the stacked product fit and are positioned, and to release the lateral pressure on the corner protector (14) after the first insertion, so as to reduce the resistance of the second insertion. The four-sided clamping mechanism is used to release the corner protectors (14) before the first insertion. The cover paper conveying mechanism drives the corner protectors (14) to perform the first insertion under the lateral pre-pressure state of the pressure roller assembly, so that the lower end of the corner protectors (14) is initially inserted into the cardboard slot. After the pressure roller assembly releases the lateral pressure, the cover paper conveying mechanism drives the corner protectors (14) to perform the second insertion, so that the four corner protectors (14) are inserted to the preset depth simultaneously.

2. The automatic installation device for four-sided corner protectors according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the left telescopic boom assembly (1-12) and the right telescopic boom assembly (1-10) include a three-stage telescopic mechanism. The first stage is a fixed boom (1); the second stage is an intermediate boom (2); and the third stage is a terminal boom (3). The intermediate boom (2) is slidably mounted on the fixed boom (1) via a guide rail, and the terminal boom (3) is slidably mounted on the intermediate boom (2) via a guide rail. The fixed boom (1) is equipped with a two-stage boom power assembly (2-1) that drives the intermediate boom (2) to slide along the guide rail, and the intermediate boom (2) is equipped with a terminal boom power assembly (2-4) that drives the terminal boom (3) to slide. The front ends of the intermediate arm (2) and the end arm (3) are both fixed with corner protection fixing arms (4) perpendicular to the end arm (3). The corner protection fixing arms (4) are slidably set with corner protection sliding arms (5) through linear guide rails. The corner protection fixing arms (4) are provided with a corner protection power assembly for driving the corner protection sliding arms (5) to move. The suction cup assembly is installed on the corner protector sliding arm (5) and is used to adsorb the corner protector (14). Two suction cup assemblies on the same telescopic arm assembly are used to adsorb the two corner protectors (14) on the same side of the product with the same opening. After the two-section arm power assembly (2-1) drives the middle arm (2) to extend, the end arm power assembly (2-4) then drives the end arm (3) to extend further, which is used to adjust the positional relationship of the two suction cup assemblies on the same telescopic arm assembly, so as to transport the corner protector (14) from the corner protector hopper to the installation position of the palletized product.

3. The automatic installation device for four-sided corner protectors according to claim 2, characterized in that: The suction cup assembly includes a vacuum suction cup (6), a telescopic cylinder (7), and a solenoid valve assembly; the telescopic cylinder (7) is used to drive the vacuum suction cup (6) to move closer to or away from the corner protector (14), and the solenoid valve assembly is used to control the adsorption and release of the vacuum suction cup (6).

4. The automatic installation device for four-sided corner protectors according to claim 1, characterized in that: The four-sided clamping mechanism includes a left four-sided clamping assembly (1-4) and a right four-sided clamping assembly (1-5) arranged opposite to each other, and a left four-sided clamping X-axis power assembly (1-3) and a right four-sided clamping X-axis power assembly (1-6) that drive the left four-sided clamping assembly (1-4) and the right four-sided clamping assembly (1-5) to move horizontally along the X-axis respectively; the left four-sided clamping assembly (1-4) and the right four-sided clamping assembly (1-5) each include an upper gripper and a lower gripper that can move horizontally relative to each other along the Y-axis, and the four grippers together form a four-corner synchronous clamping structure.

5. The automatic installation device for four-sided corner protectors according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure roller assembly includes four independent pressure roller units located on the upper left pressure roller assembly (1-13), lower left pressure roller assembly (1-15), upper right pressure roller assembly (1-16), and lower right pressure roller assembly (1-17) of the palletized product, respectively corresponding to the positions of the four corner guards (14); each pressure roller unit includes a pressure roller driven by an electric cylinder, which is used to drive the pressure roller to extend horizontally to pre-press the corner guards (14) or retract to release the corner guards (14).

6. The automatic installation device for four-sided corner protectors according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cover plate handling mechanism is a multi-joint handling robot. The end effector of the robot integrates a suction cup assembly for picking up the cover plate and a mechanism for opening the folded edge of the cover plate.

7. The automatic installation device for four-sided corner protectors according to claim 1, characterized in that: The corner protector hopper assembly (1-9) is connected to a hopper power assembly (1-11), which is used to drive the corner protector hopper assembly (1-9) to reciprocate between the working position and the replenishment position. The hopper power assembly (1-11) includes a motor and a gear and rack transmission mechanism, which is connected to the bottom of the corner protector hopper assembly (1-9).

8. A method for automatically installing four-sided corner protectors, using the automatic four-sided corner protector installation device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Feeding and shaping steps: The palletized products are transported to the work station by the chain conveyor (1-14), and the four-sided clamping mechanism descends and clamps and flattens the product stack multiple times. S2, Automatic corner protector (14) steps: The corner protector picking and placing power components of the left and right telescopic arm assemblies (1-12) and (1-10) drive the suction cup assembly to move towards each other. The telescopic cylinder (7) of the suction cup assembly extends to make the vacuum suction cup (6) fit the corner protector (14), and the vacuum suction of the corner protector (14) is activated. Then the telescopic cylinder (7) retracts to pull the corner protector (14) out of the corner protector hopper. S3, Corner Protector (14) Handling Steps: The left and right telescopic arm assemblies (1-12) and (1-10) drive the middle arm (2) to extend through their two-stage arm power assembly (2-1), and then drive the end arm (3) to extend further through their end arm power assembly (2-4), transporting the corner protector (14) to the floor cardboard slots at the four corners of the palletized product; S4, Four-sided synchronous clamping steps: The four-sided clamping mechanism descends again, and its multiple clamping units move synchronously toward the center of the product to clamp and straighten the four corner guards (14). At the same time, the suction cup assembly closes the vacuum and retracts, and the left and right telescopic arm assemblies reset. S5. Automatic cover plate step: The cover plate conveying mechanism grabs and opens the cover plate, covering the top of the product, so that the four corner guards (14) pass through the reserved holes of the cover plate; S6, Lateral pre-compression step: The four pressure roller assemblies extend synchronously, and the pressure rollers contact the corner guard (14) from the side and maintain an over-compression state; S7. First insertion step: The four-sided clamping mechanism is released and rises to avoid the gap. The cover cardboard transport mechanism drives the cover cardboard and the four corner protectors (14) to move downward as a whole, so that the lower end of the corner protectors (14) is initially inserted into the ground cardboard. S8. Second insertion and reset step: The pressure roller assembly retracts, and the cover paper conveying mechanism drives the cover paper and corner protector (14) to move downward to the preset final depth. Then the cover paper conveying mechanism resets. S9. Finished product release procedure: The chain conveyor (1-14) is started to transport the finished product with the corner protectors (14) and cover cardboard installed to the next process.

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