An automated stacking device for straw fiber recycled cup holders

Abstract

This invention discloses an automated stacking device for straw fiber recycled cup holders. The device includes a stacking and conveying mechanism, a cavity limiting mechanism, a lifting drive mechanism, and a side-push support mechanism. Multiple guide positioning columns enclose a vertical guide cavity, providing circumferential constraint throughout the cup holder stacking process. The side-push support plate can move vertically and extend laterally, combining multiple functions such as layer-by-layer material support, smooth material drop and handover, and downward pressing and shaping, achieving integrated operation of "cavity constraint - layer-by-layer stacking - vertical material drop - pressing and shaping". This invention effectively solves the problems of easy deformation, poor alignment accuracy, and loose stacking of straw fiber cup holders. It achieves high stacking neatness and finished product yield. The equipment is highly versatile and adaptable to various cup holder specifications and different workstation requirements, making it suitable for large-scale automated production of straw fiber environmentally friendly products.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an automated stacking device for straw fiber recycled cup holders. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the environmentally friendly and biodegradable products industry, straw fiber recycled cup holders, as a typical environmentally friendly tableware product, are experiencing continuous expansion in market demand and production scale. Stacking and packaging, as a core back-end process in finished product manufacturing, directly determines the product's packaging quality and overall production cost based on its operational efficiency, stacking neatness, and the rate of damage-free finished products. Consequently, the industry's requirements for the stability, adaptability, and processing precision of automated stacking equipment are constantly increasing.

[0003] In existing technologies, the stacking of thin-walled materials such as trays and discs often employs a conveyor belt system combined with lateral pushers, while some equipment uses a simple lifting and lowering structure to complete layer-by-layer stacking. These solutions have significant limitations when handling cup holders made of straw fiber: straw fiber cup holders are relatively soft and easily deformed at the edges under stress. The lack of an effective circumferential constraint structure during stacking makes them prone to edge expansion and stacking misalignment when subjected to impacts or pushing. The resulting stacked product has an irregular shape and cannot meet the requirements for compact packaging and transportation.

[0004] Meanwhile, the material handling, stacking, and shaping functions of existing stacking equipment are relatively disconnected. After stacking, the material transfer is mostly done by direct pushing or free falling, which easily leads to problems such as material falling, surface scratches, and even structural damage. Moreover, the operating height and compatible specifications of most equipment are relatively fixed, making it difficult to flexibly adapt to silos and transfer stations of different heights. The equipment has poor versatility and cannot meet the multi-specification and large-scale production needs of straw fiber cup holders, becoming a technical bottleneck that restricts the improvement of production efficiency in the industry. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art and provide an automated stacking device for straw fiber recycled cup holders. Through the structural design of cavity constraint and multi-dimensional linkage, the device achieves precise, non-destructive, and efficient automated stacking of cup holders.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] An automated stacking device for straw fiber recycled cup holders includes a stacking and conveying mechanism, a cavity limiting mechanism, a lifting drive mechanism, and a side-pushing support mechanism.

[0008] The palletizing and conveying mechanism includes several hoppers arranged along the conveying direction, which are used to support the stacked cup holders.

[0009] The cavity limiting mechanism is located at the top opening of the hopper. The cavity limiting mechanism includes multiple vertically arranged guide positioning columns, which together form a vertical guide cavity that is adapted to the shape of the cup holder.

[0010] The lifting drive mechanism is located on the side of the palletizing conveyor mechanism. The lifting drive mechanism includes a lifting frame, a vertical guide assembly, and a lifting drive component. The vertical guide assembly is fixed vertically inside the lifting frame.

[0011] The side-push support mechanism includes a side-push frame, a lateral drive component, and a side-push support plate; the side-push frame is slidably mounted on the vertical guide assembly, and the lifting drive component is drive-connected to the side-push frame; the side-push support plate is slidably mounted on the side-push frame along the lateral direction, and the lateral drive component is drive-connected to the side-push support plate.

[0012] The side-push support plate has an extended support state and a retracted dropping state. In the extended support state, the side-push support plate is located directly below the guide cavity and is used to support the cup holders placed in the guide cavity layer by layer. In the retracted dropping state, the side-push support plate exits directly below the guide cavity, causing the supported cup holder assembly to fall vertically downward into the hopper. The side-push support plate is used to apply downward pressure to the cup holder assembly in the hopper when it extends and descends to complete the stacking and shaping.

[0013] Furthermore, the number of guide positioning posts is at least four, each corresponding to a corner position of the cup holder, and the guide positioning posts are detachably adjustable from the top of the hopper. By arranging multiple guide positioning posts along the circumferential corners of the cup holder, a stable circumferential constraint can be formed on the cup holder throughout the stacking process, effectively preventing the soft straw fiber cup holder from experiencing edge expansion and corner misalignment during material feeding and stacking, thus ensuring the coaxiality and neatness of the stack.

[0014] Furthermore, the vertical guide assembly includes at least two parallel guide columns, and the side of the side pusher frame is provided with a guide sleeve adapted to the guide columns, the guide sleeve being sleeved on the outside of the guide columns.

[0015] Furthermore, the lifting drive component is a lifting motor, which is fixed to the top of the lifting frame. The lifting motor is connected to the side push frame via a screw transmission assembly, driving the side push frame to descend sequentially at a set step distance, matching the stacking rhythm of the cup holders. The servo motor combined with the screw transmission drive has the characteristics of high positioning accuracy, wide speed range, and stable output torque. It can precisely control the step distance of each descent of the side push frame, accurately matching the thickness parameters of a single cup holder. This avoids excessive impact and cup holder deformation due to excessive step distance, and also prevents cup holders from being squeezed and broken due to insufficient step distance.

[0016] Furthermore, the lateral drive component is a side-push motor, the cylinder of which is fixed to the side-push frame, and the output end of which is connected to the back of the side-push support plate through the meshing of a gear and rack.

[0017] Furthermore, the upper surface of the side-push support plate is provided with an anti-slip buffer layer, which is made of a flexible and wear-resistant material. The flexible and wear-resistant anti-slip buffer layer can provide a cushioning and force-dissipating effect when the cup holder falls, effectively offsetting the impact force of the straw fiber cup holder falling, and preventing the bottom surface of the cup holder from being indented or structurally damaged due to impact.

[0018] Furthermore, the palletizing conveyor is a chain conveyor or a belt conveyor, and each of the hoppers is fixed at equal intervals on the conveying surface of the palletizing conveyor. The palletizing conveyor is used to transport the stacked hoppers to the next station and to transport empty hoppers to the stacking station.

[0019] Furthermore, it includes a counting detection unit and a control unit. The counting detection unit is located above the guide cavity and is used to detect the number of cup holders falling into the guide cavity and send the data to the control unit. The control unit is electrically connected to the lifting drive, the lateral drive, and the palletizing conveyor, and is used to control the descent step of the lifting drive, the extension and retraction of the lateral drive, and the conveying action of the palletizing conveyor according to the counting signal.

[0020] Furthermore, the control unit has a built-in shaping control module. After the cup holder assembly falls into the hopper, the shaping control module controls the lateral drive component to drive the side push support plate to extend to directly above the cup holder assembly, and then controls the lifting drive component to drive the side push support plate to descend a set distance, applying a set pressure to the cup holder assembly to complete the shaping.

[0021] Beneficial effects:

[0022] This invention addresses the material characteristics and stacking requirements of straw fiber cup holders. Through the coordinated operation of a cavity limiting mechanism and a side-push support mechanism, it constructs an integrated operation process that includes layer-by-layer support and stacking, vertical and stable material dropping, and synchronous downward pressing and shaping. The cup holders are circumferentially constrained throughout the stacking process, effectively solving the problems of easy deformation, poor alignment accuracy, and loose stacking of straw fiber cup holders during stacking. This significantly improves the neatness and appearance yield of the stacked products, while realizing fully automated operation of the stacking process and significantly improving the processing efficiency of the back-end of production.

[0023] The side-push support structure, which combines vertical lifting and horizontal telescopic linkage, has multiple functions, including layer-by-layer material support, control of material transfer, and downward shaping. It eliminates the need for an additional independent shaping mechanism, effectively simplifying the overall structure and space occupation of the equipment. At the same time, the full-process constraint design of the guide cavity can offset the lateral forces during the material dropping and stacking process, preventing the collapse of the stack and material displacement, and greatly improving the operational stability and stacking consistency of the equipment during high-speed operation.

[0024] The overall structure has strong adaptability and adjustability. The guide positioning column can be adjusted to change the guide cavity size according to the cup holder specifications. The lifting and side pushing drives can be precisely adjusted in terms of stroke, speed and force through the control system. It can flexibly adapt to the operation requirements of different stacking heights, different specifications of silos and different transfer stations. The equipment has strong versatility and is easy to adapt, modify and promote in the production lines of various straw fiber products and similar thin-walled easily deformable materials. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an automated stacking device for straw fiber recycled cup holders;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the stacked portion;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a top view of the stacked portion;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the hoist section;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a side view of the hoist section;

[0030] The components are: 1. Lifting frame, 2. Palletizing conveyor line, 3. Hopper, 4. Guide positioning column, 5. Side push frame, 6. Lifting motor, 7. Coffee tray, 8. Side push support plate, 9. Side push motor, and 10. Guide column. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To enhance understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments and accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only used to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] Example 1:

[0033] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown in the figure, the automated stacking equipment for straw fiber recycled cup holders disclosed in this embodiment mainly consists of a lifting frame 1, a stacking conveyor line 2, a hopper 3, a guide positioning column 4, a side push frame 5, a lifting motor 6, a side push support plate 8, a side push motor 9, and a guide column 10. The material being stacked and processed is a coffee cup holder 7 made of straw fiber.

[0034] The palletizing conveyor line 2 is horizontally arranged and adopts a chain conveyor structure. Two top-opening hoppers 3 are fixedly installed at equal intervals along the conveying direction on the conveying surface of the palletizing conveyor line 2. The internal cavity of the hopper 3 is adapted to the stacking shape of the coffee trays 7 to support the stacked coffee trays. The palletizing conveyor line 2 adopts an intermittent conveying mode. After the stacking operation is completed, the hopper 3 containing the coffee trays 7 is conveyed to the downstream packaging station, while the empty hopper 3 is precisely conveyed to the area directly below the stacking station.

[0035] At the top opening of the hopper 3 corresponding to the stacking station, several vertically extending guide positioning posts 4 are installed. Every six guide positioning posts 4 correspond to the corner positions of the coffee tray 7, together forming a vertically through guide cavity. The cross-sectional profile of the guide cavity is adapted to the shape of the coffee tray 7 and a sliding gap is reserved. During the fall of the coffee tray 7, it slides vertically along the inner wall of the guide positioning posts 4, and is constrained by circumferential limits throughout the process to avoid horizontal deviation and edge expansion deformation.

[0036] The lifting frame 1 is fixedly installed on one side of the palletizing conveyor line 2. Eight guide columns 10 are fixed vertically and parallel within the internal frame of the lifting frame 1, forming a vertical guiding structure. A guide sleeve is fixed to the back of the side pusher frame 5, and the guide sleeve is fitted onto the outer side of the guide columns 10, allowing the side pusher frame 5 to slide smoothly vertically along the guide columns 10. The lifting motor 6 is fixedly installed at the top crossbeam of the lifting frame 1. The output end of the lifting motor 6 is connected to the side pusher frame 5 via a ball screw drive pair. By rotating the lifting motor 6 forward and backward, it drives the side pusher frame 5 to reciprocate up and down along the guide columns 10, and the step distance and running speed of each lift can be precisely controlled.

[0037] The specific working process of this embodiment is as follows:

[0038] After the equipment starts up, it enters the initial working position. The side push motor 9 drives the side push support plate 8 to extend fully below the guide cavity. The lifting motor 6 drives the side push frame 5 and the side push support plate 8 to rise to the preset stacking starting height. The coffee trays 7 processed in the upstream process are transferred one by one to the top of the guide cavity and released and fall. Under the circumferential constraint of the guide positioning column 4, the coffee trays 7 land smoothly on the upper surface of the side push support plate 8. Each time a coffee tray 7 falls, the lifting motor 6 drives the side push frame 5 and the side push support plate 8 to descend synchronously by the thickness of one coffee tray, so that the upper dropping position remains relatively stable. This cycle is used to achieve the layer-by-layer stacking of coffee trays 7.

[0039] Once the number of stacked coffee trays 7 reaches the preset value, the side push motor 9 drives the side push support plate 8 to quickly retract laterally. The entire stack of coffee trays loses its bottom support and, under the vertical constraint of the guide positioning column 4, maintains its posture and falls vertically, smoothly into the material bin 3 below, completing the stacking and unloading process without any lateral deviation or collision / scratching.

[0040] After the unloading is completed, the lifting motor 6 drives the side pusher frame 5 to rise to the initial shaping height. The side pusher motor 9 then drives the side pusher support plate 8 to extend, moving it to directly above the coffee tray assembly in the hopper 3. The lifting motor 6 then slowly lowers the side pusher support plate 8, its lower surface contacting the top of the coffee tray assembly and applying uniform downward pressure to flatten and organize the entire stack of coffee trays, eliminating gaps between layers and improving stack compactness. After shaping, the side pusher support plate 8 rises back to its original position and retracts. The palletizing conveyor line 2 operates one station, sending the hopper 3 filled with coffee trays 7 out of the stacking station and the empty hopper 3 into the station, allowing the equipment to enter the next stacking cycle.

[0041] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A straw fiber recycled cup holder automated stacking apparatus, characterized by, This includes a palletizing and conveying mechanism, a cavity limiting mechanism, a lifting drive mechanism, and a side-pushing support mechanism; The palletizing and conveying mechanism includes several hoppers arranged along the conveying direction, which are used to support the stacked cup holders. The cavity limiting mechanism is located at the top opening of the hopper. The cavity limiting mechanism includes multiple vertically arranged guide positioning columns, which together form a vertical guide cavity that is adapted to the shape of the cup holder. The lifting drive mechanism is located on the side of the palletizing conveyor mechanism. The lifting drive mechanism includes a lifting frame, a vertical guide assembly, and a lifting drive component. The vertical guide assembly is fixed vertically inside the lifting frame. The side-push support mechanism includes a side-push frame, a lateral drive component, and a side-push support plate; the side-push frame is slidably mounted on the vertical guide assembly, and the lifting drive component is drive-connected to the side-push frame; the side-push support plate is slidably mounted on the side-push frame along the lateral direction, and the lateral drive component is drive-connected to the side-push support plate. The side-push support plate has an extended support state and a retracted dropping state. In the extended support state, the side-push support plate is located directly below the guide cavity and is used to support the cup holders placed in the guide cavity layer by layer. In the retracted dropping state, the side-push support plate exits directly below the guide cavity, causing the supported cup holder assembly to fall vertically downward into the hopper. The side-push support plate is used to apply downward pressure to the cup holder assembly in the hopper when it extends and descends to complete the stacking and shaping.

2. The automatic stacking apparatus for the straw fiber regenerated cup holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of guide positioning posts is at least four, each guide positioning post is set at the corner position of the cup holder, and the guide positioning posts and the top of the hopper are detachably adjustable.

3. The automatic stacking apparatus for the straw fiber regenerated cup holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vertical guide assembly includes at least two parallel guide columns, and the side of the side pusher frame is provided with a guide sleeve adapted to the guide columns, the guide sleeve being sleeved on the outside of the guide columns.

4. The automated stacking apparatus for straw fiber regenerative cup holders of claim 1, wherein, The lifting drive component is a lifting motor, which is fixed to the top of the lifting frame. The lifting motor is connected to the side push frame through a screw transmission assembly to drive the side push frame to descend step by step at a set distance, matching the stacking rhythm of the cup holders.

5. The automated stacking apparatus for straw fiber regenerative cup holders of claim 1, wherein, The lateral drive component is a side-push motor. The cylinder of the side-push motor is fixed on the side-push frame, and the output end of the side-push motor is connected to the back of the side-push support plate through the meshing of a gear and rack.

6. The automated stacking apparatus for straw fiber regenerative cup holders of claim 1, wherein, The upper surface of the side-push support plate is provided with an anti-slip buffer layer, which is made of a flexible and wear-resistant material.

7. The automated stacking apparatus for straw fiber regenerative cup holders of claim 1, wherein, The palletizing conveyor is a chain conveyor or a belt conveyor. Each of the hoppers is fixed at equal intervals on the conveying surface of the palletizing conveyor. The palletizing conveyor is used to transport the stacked hoppers to the next station and to transport empty hoppers to the stacking station.

8. An automated stacking device for straw fiber recycled cup holders according to claim 1, characterized in that, It includes a counting detection unit and a control unit. The counting detection unit is located above the guide cavity and is used to detect the number of cup holders falling into the guide cavity and send the data to the control unit. The control unit is electrically connected to the lifting drive, the lateral drive, and the palletizing conveyor, and is used to control the descent step of the lifting drive, the extension and retraction of the lateral drive, and the conveying action of the palletizing conveyor according to the counting signal.

9. An automated stacking device for straw fiber recycled cup holders according to claim 8, characterized in that, The control unit has a built-in shaping control module. After the cup holder group falls into the hopper, the shaping control module controls the lateral drive to drive the side push support plate to extend to directly above the cup holder group, and then controls the lifting drive to drive the side push support plate to descend a set distance, applying a set pressure to the cup holder group to complete the shaping.

Images