Multi-functional servo aligner

Abstract

The application discloses a multifunctional servo aligning machine, which comprises a rack, a control device, a feeding area, an arrangement and boxing area and a transfer and leveling transition area arranged on the rack; the feeding area comprises a conveying module and a preliminary leveling channel, the conveying module is provided with multiple groups of material placing chambers, each group of the material placing chambers is provided with multiple material bins capable of placing single materials; the transfer and leveling transition area comprises intermediate clamping components arranged between the conveying module and the arrangement and boxing area, clamping conveying clamps and surrounding aligning clamps; the arrangement and boxing area comprises a conveying line, the conveying line is provided with multiple placing bins; the multifunctional servo aligning machine further comprises a pressing rod pushing component corresponding to each placing bin and capable of preventing toppling and following the conveying line synchronously. The multifunctional servo aligning machine can automatically complete the quantitative grouping, leveling, compacting and surrounding aligning of multiple materials before boxing, so that the material groups are regular rectangular bodies, and each group of materials enters an outer box with the same size, thereby thoroughly solving the problem of outer packaging size fluctuation caused by product shapes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a multi-functional servo alignment machine. Background Technology

[0002] In the pet supplies industry, products such as cat litter, cat food, and dog food are often vacuum-packed to extend shelf life, reduce volume, and facilitate storage and transportation. However, vacuum packaging bags face several challenges in actual packing: Firstly, vacuum bags have high surface tension and are relatively brittle, making them prone to breakage when scratched by outer boxes or equipment, leading to vacuum leakage and affecting product quality. Secondly, pet food comes in various shapes, such as long granules and small granules, resulting in irregular shapes and significant size variations in the vacuum packaging bags after sealing. When multiple bags are stacked together, it is difficult to standardize the overall dimensions, making it hard to determine the outer box size during packing and requiring a large amount of extra space, which not only wastes packaging materials but also increases transportation costs. Furthermore, due to the varying dimensions, manually arranging and packing these bags is extremely difficult, labor-intensive, and inefficient.

[0003] For example, Chinese invention patent No. 2017114360824 (application date 2017.12.26; authorization announcement date 2023.12.08) discloses a horizontal bagging machine, comprising: a feeding device; an arranging device for arranging unit bags from the feeding device to form multiple sets of full-load unit bag groups; an upper transfer device for horizontally pushing and outputting the multiple sets of full-load unit bag groups from the arranging device; a side-pressure flipping device for horizontally clamping and flipping the multiple sets of full-load unit bag groups from the arranging device by 90 degrees; a bag hopper device; a transverse bag picking device; a bag feeding and opening device; a bag picking and bag-packing device; a bag opening guide and control device; a material pushing and bag-feeding device for pushing the multiple sets of full-load unit bag groups flipped by the side-pressure flipping device into a container bag fixed by the bag opening guide and control device, and pushing the container bag away from the bag opening guide and control device to reach a predetermined workstation; a whole-bag transfer device; a whole-bag flipping device; and a bag opening sorting and control device. This invention automatically and quickly realizes bag taking, bag opening, and small bag filling into large bag.

[0004] The aforementioned automated equipment is mainly used for bagging. The automated equipment for boxing is also mostly designed for packaging bags with regular shapes. In the actual production process, if scattered vacuum bags are directly put into the outer box, the gaps between the bags and the differences in their own shapes can easily cause the outer box to bulge and the dimensions to be out of tolerance. In addition, the compression of the vacuum bags by the boxing action may also cause the bags to break. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem this invention aims to solve is to address the issues in existing vacuum packaging technology where irregular shapes of small bags make it difficult to form neat and uniform material groups before packing, leading to inconsistent box sizes, easy tearing, and vacuum leakage. This invention provides a multi-functional servo aligning machine that can automatically complete quantitative grouping, leveling, pressing, and aligning of multiple materials before packing, forming neat rectangular shapes. This ensures that each group of materials enters the outer box with the same size, completely solving the problem of outer packaging size fluctuations caused by product shape, and achieving a high-speed aligning rate of up to 3000 bags per hour with a product qualification rate of 99.5%.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows:

[0007] A multi-functional servo aligning machine includes: a frame and a control device for switching between different specifications of material packaging, a feeding area, an aligning and packing area and a transfer and leveling transition area that intersect with the feeding area and the aligning and packing area respectively on the frame;

[0008] The feeding area includes a conveying module consisting of multiple parallel chains and a preliminary leveling channel that levels the material conveyed by the conveying module and adapts to materials of different sizes. The conveying module is equipped with multiple discharge chambers, which can place an equal amount of material into each discharge chamber according to the packing quantity of each box. Each discharge chamber is equipped with multiple hoppers that can hold individual materials.

[0009] The transfer and leveling transition area includes an intermediate clamping component located between the conveying module and the packing area, a clamping and conveying fixture that clamps and conveys the material in the unloading chamber to the intermediate clamping component, and a aligning fixture that conveys the material leveled by the intermediate clamping component to the perimeter of the packing area.

[0010] The clamping and conveying fixture transports the material in a discharge chamber to the middle clamping component, and then the middle clamping component clamps and presses the material on top. After the material is pressed, it is transported by the four-sided flattening fixture. During the transport process, the four-sided flattening fixture presses and flattens the material around its perimeter.

[0011] The packing area includes a conveyor line with several packing bins; it also includes a pressure bar pusher that corresponds to each packing bin, works in conjunction with the packing bins to press the materials to prevent tipping, and moves synchronously with the conveyor line.

[0012] Furthermore, the feeding area also includes an adjustment mechanism, which comprises two movable seats positioned above the conveying module, parallel to the conveying module, and capable of moving towards each other. Each movable seat has a vertical rod at its bottom end, and the two vertical rods are connected to baffles. The baffles on both sides form a preliminary leveling channel. The mechanism also includes a screw module that drives the two movable seats to adjust the size of the preliminary leveling channel. Through the adjustment mechanism, the spacing of the preliminary leveling channel can be adjusted according to the width or length of different product packaging, ensuring that the materials are constrained into a neat single row before entering the unloading chamber, laying the foundation for subsequent grouping and arrangement.

[0013] Furthermore, the discharge chamber includes multiple pusher sections spaced apart on the conveying module; the hopper is formed by two adjacent pusher sections. The pusher sections not only push the material forward, but also form independent hoppers by relying on the space between them, ensuring that each hopper contains only one piece of material, thus achieving quantitative separation of the material.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes an inlet conveying mechanism, which intersects with the feeding end of the conveying module, with a gap between them for the movement of the pusher plate. The inlet conveying mechanism also has a cavity to accommodate the pusher plate passing through. When material is located in the inlet conveying mechanism, the pusher plate passes through the cavity from the bottom of the inlet conveying mechanism upwards, pushing the material to the conveying module. This interlocking structure ensures that the pusher plate can stably receive and transfer material from the inlet conveying mechanism without interfering with the operation of the two conveying structures, making the connection from material loading to distribution smoother, avoiding problems such as jamming and misalignment during material transfer, and improving the stability and continuity of equipment operation.

[0015] Furthermore, the clamping and conveying fixture includes a first movable connecting seat and a first lifting drive device disposed on the first movable connecting seat; first lifting guide columns are symmetrically slidably arranged on both sides of the first movable connecting seat, and the bottom of the two first lifting guide columns are connected to a fixture fixing plate connected to the output end of the first lifting drive device. Each first lifting guide column has a radially protruding limiting boss at its top; the first movable connecting seat also has limiting posts extending in all directions to align with the fixture direction; the fixture fixing plate has a number of individual clamps at intervals consistent with the material bin, and the individual clamps are used to clamp the material in the material bin. Through this setting, all individual clamps can be driven to lift and lower synchronously to complete the clamping and picking action of the material in the material bin. The first lifting guide columns, together with the limiting bosses and limiting posts, can ensure that the lifting and lowering action of the individual clamps is smooth and does not deviate, and can also play a limiting protection role after lifting and lowering to the correct position, avoiding structural collision caused by excessive movement, ensuring the alignment accuracy between the individual clamps and the material bin, and ensuring the stability and consistency of each clamping. The method of setting up one-to-one correspondence between all individual clamps and hoppers can clamp all the separated materials in a row at once, improving the efficiency of the material handling process and adapting to the continuous production rhythm of the lining machine.

[0016] Furthermore, each clamp includes a fixing bar with a slide rail at the bottom, a Z-shaped fixing seat, an L-shaped moving seat, a moving clamp, a fixed clamp, a telescopic cylinder, and a soft pad; the Z-shaped fixing seat is fixed to one end of the fixing bar, the fixed clamp and the telescopic cylinder are located on the Z-shaped fixing seat, and the output end of the telescopic cylinder passes through the Z-shaped fixing seat; the L-shaped moving seat is slidably connected to the slide rail, and the output end of the telescopic cylinder is connected to it; the moving clamp is located on the L-shaped moving seat and is parallel to the fixed clamp; a buffer seat is provided on the L-shaped moving seat near one side of the fixed clamp, and a buffer is provided on the buffer seat; soft pads are provided on opposite sides of the moving clamp and the fixed clamp. Through this structural design, the telescopic cylinder can push the L-shaped moving seat to slide along the slide rail, causing the moving clamping plate to move closer to the fixed clamping plate, thereby realizing the clamping action of the material; the buffer can buffer and limit the movement of the moving clamping plate to avoid excessive impact force during clamping and damage to the material; the soft pad further increases the clamping friction while protecting the surface of the material, preventing damage to the workpiece, making the entire clamping action more stable and reliable, and effectively ensuring the finished product qualification rate of the material handling operation.

[0017] Furthermore, the four-sided aligning fixture includes a second movable connecting seat and a second lifting drive device disposed on the second movable connecting seat; second lifting guide columns are symmetrically slidably arranged on both sides of the second movable connecting seat, and the bottom of the two second lifting guide columns are connected to the upper fixed seat of the module; left and right aligning plates are slidably arranged on the left and right sides of the upper fixed seat of the module, and a first belt and servo motor drive mechanism for driving the left and right aligning plates to move in opposite directions; the upper fixed seat of the module also has a lower fixed seat of the module, and the bottom of the lower fixed seat of the module has a first guide rail slidably connected to the left and right aligning plates, and multiple horizontal sliding columns are spaced apart on the front side of the lower fixed seat of the module; a rear fixed aligning plate is provided on the rear side of the lower fixed seat of the module, and a front movable aligning plate is slidably arranged on the horizontal sliding columns; a front and rear aligning cylinder is provided on the rear fixed aligning plate, and a push block connected to the front movable aligning plate is provided at the output end of the front and rear aligning cylinders. Through the servo-driven left and right aligning and the cylinder-driven front and rear aligning, force can be applied to the material group from four directions, compressing the originally loose material group into a tight and regular rectangular body, so that the external dimensions of each group of materials are highly consistent.

[0018] Furthermore, the intermediate clamping component includes a platform with a mounting bracket at its bottom. The mounting bracket has a second guide rail extending along the length of the platform. Slide seats are slidably mounted on both ends of the second guide rail, and each slide seat has a clamping plate extending outwards through the platform at its upper end. The mounting bracket also includes a second belt and a servo motor drive mechanism to drive the left and right slide seats to move closer or further apart. After receiving a set of materials from the clamping conveyor, the intermediate clamping component moves towards each other, pressing the entire set of materials along its arrangement direction, eliminating longitudinal gaps between the materials, and providing a preliminary compaction state for subsequent alignment.

[0019] Furthermore, the pusher component includes a chain assembly and a servo motor drive mechanism that drives the chain assembly. Several fixed seats are spaced apart on the chain assembly, and slots are formed on the upper side of each fixed seat. Pushers extending horizontally radially towards the conveyor line are fixed to these slots. After the material is placed into the placement bin, the pushers immediately press down on the material from the side and move synchronously with the placement bin. This prevents the material from tipping over and scattering during movement, and also avoids putting additional pressure on the vacuum bag, which could lead to breakage.

[0020] Furthermore, it also includes a guiding mechanism mounted on the frame. The clamping and conveying fixture and the four-sided aligning fixture are respectively mounted on the guiding mechanism. The guiding mechanism includes servo drive components that drive the clamping and conveying fixture and the four-sided aligning fixture to move respectively. Each of the two fixtures has a high-precision servo guiding mechanism, which can achieve high-speed and accurate reciprocating transfer, meeting the cycle time requirement of 3000 packages per hour.

[0021] In summary, the alignment method using the above-mentioned multi-functional servo alignment machine includes the following steps:

[0022] Step 1: The control device sets the packing quantity, initial leveling channel width, and stroke parameters of each fixture according to the current product specifications; the conveying module in the loading area operates, and the inlet conveying mechanism sends the material to the pusher plate. The pusher plate pushes the individual materials into the hopper from bottom to top. The number of hoppers in each set of discharge chambers is equal to the preset packing quantity.

[0023] Step 2: After the material discharge chamber is fully loaded, the conveying module moves it to the position corresponding to the clamping conveyor in the transfer leveling transition area; the clamping conveyor descends, and each single clamp simultaneously clamps the material in the corresponding hopper, then rises and moves horizontally above the intermediate clamping component, and descends to release the material onto the platform of the intermediate clamping component.

[0024] Step 3: The two clamping plates of the intermediate clamping component move towards each other to clamp the material group along the arrangement direction, eliminating longitudinal gaps, and then the clamping plates are reset.

[0025] Step 4: The four-sided aligning clamps descend from above and clamp the material on the middle clamping component. The left and right aligning plates face each other and align under the action of the first belt and servo motor drive mechanism. The forward moving aligning plate moves backward and is fixed in the direction of the aligning plate under the action of the front and rear aligning cylinders, thus completing the alignment of the material group on all four sides in the left, right and front and back directions to form a regular rectangle.

[0026] Step 5: The clamps around the material group lift and hold the neatly arranged material group, and move it along the guide mechanism to the packing area. The material group is then placed into the corresponding placement bin on the conveyor line.

[0027] Step six: The push rod of the pressure rod pushing component moves synchronously with the chain assembly and presses down on the side of the material group in the placement bin. The placement bin moves forward with the conveyor line to the boxing station, where it is boxed by a robot or robotic arm. The above steps are repeated.

[0028] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0029] 1. Solves the problem of inconsistent outer packaging dimensions. Through preliminary leveling of channels, quantitative grouping, central clamping, and aligning of the four sides, each group of materials is organized into a rectangular shape with uniform dimensions before packing, with flat surfaces. This eliminates dimensional fluctuations caused by gaps between materials and differences in shape, greatly reducing packing difficulty. The outer box dimensions can be precisely designed, saving packaging costs.

[0030] 2. Effectively prevents vacuum packaging from breaking and leaking. During the clamping and aligning process, all clamping and aligning plates that come into contact with the vacuum bag are equipped with soft pads, and the clamping force and aligning force are precisely controlled by servo drive or cushioned cylinders to avoid hard squeezing and scratching, reducing the vacuum bag breakage rate to an extremely low level and ensuring product quality.

[0031] 3. High production efficiency and strong adaptability. The entire machine adopts servo drive, with a fast cycle time, and can achieve a high-speed arranging of 3000 bags per hour with a pass rate of up to 99.5%. At the same time, different product specifications can be quickly switched through the control device, and the adjustment mechanism and the stroke of each clamp can be automatically adjusted. It is a multi-purpose machine that can meet the arranging needs of various long strip and small granule products such as cat litter, cat food, and dog food.

[0032] 4. Stable operation and reduced manual labor. The entire process of aligning, packing, transferring, and pushing with pressure bars is automated, requiring no manual intervention, thus reducing labor intensity and costs. The pressure bar pushing component continuously holds the material group in place during material transfer, preventing tipping and ensuring the continuity and reliability of subsequent automatic packing. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding area in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the inlet conveying mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship and motion guidance of the guiding mechanism, clamping and conveying fixture, intermediate clamping component, and surrounding aligning fixture in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the clamping and conveying fixture in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the motion guidance of the clamping and conveying fixture of the present invention when clamping materials;

[0039] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a single clip in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the intermediate clamping component in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the four-sided aligning clamp in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the packing area in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The principles and features of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The examples given are only for explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0044] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown, this embodiment provides a multi-functional servo aligning machine, including a frame 1 and a control device 2 for switching between different specifications of material packaging. The frame 1 is divided into a feeding area 3, an aligning and packing area 4, and a transfer and leveling transition area 5 that intersects with the feeding area 3 and the aligning and packing area 4. The overall working process is as follows: the feeding area 3 divides the materials into multiple groups in a fixed quantity; the transfer and leveling transition area 5 clamps and transfers each group of materials, completing the pressing and aligning of the four sides during this process; finally, the aligning and packing area 4 receives and maintains the materials in an orderly state before they are packaged in cartons.

[0045] Specifically, the feeding area 3 includes a conveying module 31 composed of multiple parallel chains 311, and a preliminary leveling channel 32 that levels the material conveyed by the conveying module 31 and adapts to the passage of materials of different sizes.

[0046] Among them, such as Figure 2As shown, the conveying module 31 is driven by a drive mechanism consisting of a servo motor, a reducer, and a chain. The conveying module 31 has multiple sets of discharging chambers 314, allowing for the placement of equal amounts of material into each set of discharging chambers 314 according to the packing quantity of each box. Each set of discharging chambers 314 has multiple hoppers 313 for holding individual materials. Specifically, each discharging chamber 314 includes multiple pusher plates 312 spaced apart on the conveying module 31, and each hopper 313 is formed by two adjacent pusher plates 312. Each pusher plate 312 is driven to circulate via a chain 311, and their spacing corresponds to the width or thickness of a single bag of material, thus forming individual hoppers 313. In other words, depending on the packing quantity requirements, such as a customer's choice of 3, 4, 5, or 6 bags / box, only 3, 4, 5, or 6 hoppers 313 within each set of discharging chambers 314 need to be filled with material.

[0047] To accommodate different product sizes, the feeding area 3 also includes an adjustment mechanism 33. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the adjustment mechanism 33 includes two movable seats 331 positioned above the conveying module 31, parallel to the conveying module 31, and capable of moving towards each other. A guide rail assembly is provided on the frame 1 for the two movable seats 331 to slide on. Vertical rods 332 are respectively provided at both ends of the bottom of the two movable seats 331, and baffles 333 are connected to the two vertical rods 332; the baffles 333 on both sides form the preliminary leveling channel 32. It also includes a screw module 334 that drives the two movable seats 331 to move and adjust the size of the preliminary leveling channel 32.

[0048] In one embodiment, the lead screw module 334 may consist of a lead screw and a handwheel, and two movable seats 331 are respectively provided with a set of lead screw modules 334; the lead screw can be rotated by the handwheel to move one of the movable seats 331 toward the other movable seat 331, thereby changing the distance between the two baffles 333.

[0049] In another embodiment, the lead screw module 334 can be composed of a servo motor and a lead screw. Through left-hand and right-hand thread engagement, the two moving seats 331 can move closer or further apart synchronously, thereby changing the distance between the two baffles 333. When the incoming material is in long, vacuum-packed form, the distance can be increased; when it is in small, square-shaped packaging, the distance can be decreased, so that the material is restricted to a single, orderly arrangement before entering the hopper 313, preventing the material from being skewed or uneven on both sides.

[0050] To ensure a smooth entry of materials into the conveying module 31, this equipment is also equipped with an inlet conveying mechanism 34. For example... Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the inlet conveying mechanism 34 intersects with the feeding end of the conveying module 31, and there is a gap between them for the pusher plate 312 to move. The inlet conveying mechanism 34 includes a conveying side frame, a set of conveyor belts, a transition plate, and a servo motor; the set of conveyor belts is symmetrically arranged on both sides inside the conveying side frame through driven wheel sets, and the output shaft of the servo motor is connected to the driven wheel on one side of the set of conveyor belts for transmission; the transition plate is located between the set of conveyor belts and is connected to the transition plate.

[0051] The transition plate is equipped with a cavity 341 to accommodate the material pusher plate 312. Material advances on the inlet conveyor 34. When the material pusher plate 312 rotates downwards, it passes upwards through the cavity 341 from the bottom of the inlet conveyor 34, lifting and pushing the single material above it to the working surface of the conveyor module 31. With the movement of the chain 311, it enters the loading area. This bottom-up lifting loading method utilizes the balance between the material's own weight and the upward lifting force of the material pusher plate 312. The material does not roll during its ascent, maintaining its posture and ensuring that only one material enters each hopper 313, avoiding multiple bags entering the same hopper or empty hoppers. The beneficial effect is the achievement of precise single-bag quantitative grouping, ensuring the accuracy of the number of bags filled in each subsequent box.

[0052] like Figure 4 As shown, the transfer and leveling transition zone 5 includes an intermediate clamping component 52 located between the conveying module 31 and the packing area 4, a clamping and conveying fixture 51 that clamps and conveys the material in the unloading chamber 314 to the intermediate clamping component 52, and a surrounding leveling fixture 53 that conveys the material leveled by the intermediate clamping component 52 to the packing area 4.

[0053] The overall working sequence of the above-mentioned transfer and leveling transition area 5 is as follows: the clamping and conveying fixture 51 simultaneously clamps up all the materials that have been initially arranged in a set of discharge chambers 314 and transfers them to the intermediate clamping component 52. The intermediate clamping component 52 presses these materials along the arrangement direction (i.e., the parallel direction of the materials) to make the bags fit together more tightly; then the four-sided aligning fixture 53 clamps up this set of materials and aligns them from the left, right and front and back sides during the transfer process, and finally places the material group in a regular rectangular shape into the arrangement and packing area 4.

[0054] Figure 5 and Figure 6 The clamping and conveying fixture 51 is shown in detail. It includes a first movable connecting seat 511 and a first lifting drive device 512 disposed on the first movable connecting seat 511. In this embodiment, the first lifting drive device 512 is an electric cylinder.

[0055] First lifting guide columns 513 are symmetrically slidably mounted on both sides of the first movable connecting seat 511. The first lifting guide columns 513 are slidably mounted on the first movable connecting seat 511 via linear bearings. The bottoms of the two first lifting guide columns 513 are connected to a clamp fixing plate 515 that is connected to the output end of the first lifting drive device 512. Each first lifting guide column 513 has a radially protruding limiting boss 514 at its top. When the first lifting drive device 512 pushes the clamp fixing plate 515 down to the lowest position, the limiting boss 514 contacts the top surface of the linear bearing, playing a mechanical limiting role and ensuring the repeatability accuracy of the descent height.

[0056] The first movable connecting seat 511 is also provided with limiting posts 516 extending in the direction of the clamping fixture 53. When the clamping conveying fixture 51 moves horizontally above the intermediate clamping component 52, the limiting posts 516 cooperate with the corresponding stop or proximity switch to precisely limit the material release position. The clamp fixing plate 515 is provided with a number of single clamps 517 at intervals below it, which are the same as the number of material bins 313. The single clamps 517 are used to clamp the material in the material bins 313.

[0057] In one embodiment, the specific structure of each clip 517 is shown below. Figure 7 It includes a fixed strip 5171 with a slide rail at the bottom, a Z-shaped fixed seat 5172, an L-shaped movable seat 5173, a movable clamping plate 5174, a fixed clamping plate 5175, a telescopic cylinder 5176, and a soft pad 5177.

[0058] Specifically, the Z-shaped fixing seat 5172 is fixed to one end of the fixing strip 5171. The fixing clamp 5175 and the telescopic cylinder 5176 are located on the Z-shaped fixing seat 5172, and the output end of the telescopic cylinder 5176 passes through the Z-shaped fixing seat 5172. The L-shaped moving seat 5173 is slidably connected to the slide rail, and the output end of the telescopic cylinder 5176 is connected to it. The moving clamp 5174 is located on the L-shaped moving seat 5173 and is parallel to the fixing clamp 5175. When the telescopic cylinder 5176 is activated, the L-shaped moving seat 5173 drives the moving clamp 5174 to move towards the fixing clamp 5175, completing the clamping action.

[0059] In one embodiment, a buffer seat 5178 is provided on the L-shaped movable seat 5173 near one side of the fixed clamping plate 5175, and a buffer 5179 is provided on the buffer seat 5178. When clamping materials with a small thickness, the movable clamping plate 5174 is close to the fixed clamping plate 5175 to clamp the material, and the buffer 5179 is compressed by the fixed clamping plate 5175, thereby avoiding damage to the material packaging bag by instantaneous impact. At the same time, soft pads 5177 are provided on the opposite sides of the movable clamping plate 5174 and the fixed clamping plate 5175. The soft pads are usually made of silicone or polyurethane, which can conform to the surface of the vacuum bag without causing scratches. The principle of this design is to use elastic cushioning and flexible contact to apply the clamping force gently to the material, ensuring that the material does not slip and avoiding damage to the bag and leakage of vacuum.

[0060] like Figure 8 As shown, the intermediate clamping component 52 includes a platform 521, a mounting bracket 522 at the bottom of the platform 521, a second guide rail 523 extending along the length of the platform 521 on the mounting bracket 522, slide blocks 524 slidingly mounted at the left and right ends of the second guide rail 523, and each slide block 524 is provided with a clamping plate 525 extending outward through the platform 521 at its upper end; the mounting bracket 522 is also provided with a second belt and servo motor drive mechanism 526 for driving the left and right slide blocks 524 to move closer or further apart.

[0061] After the clamping and conveying fixture 51 releases a group of materials onto the platform 521, since the materials are simply placed sequentially on the platform, there may still be some longitudinal gaps between adjacent materials. At this time, the second belt and servo motor drive mechanism 526 drives the two slides 524 to move towards each other, and the two clamping plates 525 squeeze the material group from both ends towards the middle, pressing all the materials along the arrangement direction, eliminating internal gaps, and shortening and stabilizing the overall length of the material group to a precise value. This step is a key intermediate process to ensure that the final material group has consistent dimensions. The servo motor drive can precisely control the stroke and clamping force of the clamping plates 525 to adapt to material groups of different quantities and thicknesses. After clamping is completed, the clamping plates 525 retract.

[0062] Figure 9The detailed structure of the four-sided alignment fixture 53 is shown. The four-sided alignment fixture 53 includes a second movable connecting seat 531 and a second lifting drive device 532 disposed on the second movable connecting seat 531. The second movable connecting seat 531 is provided with a stop or proximity switch corresponding to the limiting post 516. In this embodiment, the second lifting drive device 532 is an electric cylinder. Second lifting guide posts 533 are symmetrically slidably disposed on both sides of the second movable connecting seat 531, and the bottoms of the two second lifting guide posts 533 are connected to a module upper fixing seat 534. A left alignment plate 535 and a right alignment plate 536 are slidably disposed on the left and right sides of the module upper fixing seat 534, respectively, along with a first belt and servo motor drive mechanism 537 that drives the left and right alignment plates 535 and 536 to move in opposite directions.

[0063] The upper mounting base 534 of the module is also provided with a lower mounting base 538 of the module. The bottom of the lower mounting base 538 is provided with a first guide rail 539 that is slidably connected to the left aligning plate 535 and the right aligning plate 536. Multiple horizontal sliding columns 540 are spaced apart on the front side of the lower mounting base 538; a rear fixed aligning plate 541 is provided on the rear side of the lower mounting base 538, and a forward moving aligning plate 542 is slidably mounted on the horizontal sliding columns 540; a front and rear aligning cylinder 543 is provided on the rear fixed aligning plate 541, and a push block 544 connected to the forward moving aligning plate 542 is provided at the output end of the front and rear aligning cylinder 543.

[0064] After the four-sided aligning clamp 53 completes longitudinal clamping in the middle clamping component 52, its second lifting drive device 532 drives the entire assembly to move to the middle clamping component 52 and drives the entire assembly to descend. The left and right aligning plates and the front and rear aligning plates are located on the left and right sides and front and rear sides of the material assembly, respectively.

[0065] First, the first belt and servo motor drive mechanism 537 drives the left aligning plate 535 and the right aligning plate 536 to move in opposite directions to align the left and right sides of the material group.

[0066] Then, the front and rear aligning cylinders 543 push the forward moving aligning plate 542 to move in the direction of the rear fixed aligning plate 541, aligning the front and rear sides of the material group.

[0067] Applying pressure simultaneously or sequentially from all four sides smooths out any protruding corners or edges of the bag, ensuring that all four sides of the material assembly are regular planes, forming a precisely sized cube. The aligning plates can also be padded to protect the packaging bag. After aligning all four sides, the plates remain clamped and are lifted by the second lifting drive device 532, moving the entire material assembly horizontally to the packing area 4. Through four independently controlled aligning actions, ideal shaping forces can be applied to different surfaces of the material assembly, compensating for minor posture deviations accumulated in previous processes, ultimately outputting a standardized material assembly.

[0068] To improve transfer accuracy and cycle time, such as Figure 6As shown, the frame 1 is also equipped with a guide mechanism 6, on which the first movable connecting seat 511 and the second movable connecting seat 531 are respectively mounted. The guide mechanism 6 includes servo drive components that drive the movement of both fixtures, as well as a slide rail assembly horizontally arranged in the loading area 3, the transfer and leveling transition area 5, and the packing area 4. The servo drive components employ linear motors or servo motors in conjunction with synchronous belts, racks, and pinions. Both fixtures can move at high speed and precision between their respective workstations, with a positioning accuracy of ±0.5mm, meeting the high cycle time requirement of 3000 packages per hour.

[0069] like Figure 10 As shown, the packing area 4 includes a conveyor line 41, which consists of multiple parallel chains, servo motors, and reducers. Section plates are laid on the chains. Several placement bins 42 are arranged on the conveyor line 41. Each placement bin 42 consists of two spaced-apart partitions, which are placed on the section plates of the conveyor line 41.

[0070] To prevent the material group from loosening or tipping over due to vibration during movement along the conveyor line 41, this embodiment also includes a pressure bar pushing component 43. The pressure bar pushing component 43 includes a chain assembly 431 and a servo motor drive mechanism 434 that drives the chain assembly 431. The chain assembly 431 is provided with several fixed seats 432 spaced apart. Each fixed seat 432 has a groove on its upper side, and a pushing rod 433 extending horizontally radially towards the conveyor line 41 is fixed in the groove. The running speed of the chain assembly 431 is synchronized with the speed of the conveyor line 41. When the material group is placed into the placement bin 42, the corresponding pushing rod 433 moves to the side of the material group. Through the pushing action of the chain assembly 431, the pushing rod 433 and the partition exert a relative force to compress the material, thereby preventing the upright material group from tilting or falling over during movement and maintaining the stability of the material group. The front-to-back distance of the pushing rod 433 can be adjusted through the groove on the fixed seat 432 to accommodate material groups of different specifications. The design principle is to replace the traditional fixed-position pressure plate with synchronous following pressure, which can continuously and effectively prevent material tipping and will not interfere with the continuous conveying of the placement bin, making it very suitable for high-speed production lines.

[0071] In summary, the working principle of this multi-functional servo alignment machine is as follows:

[0072] First, the operator selects the specifications of the pet supplies currently being produced, such as the size of the cat litter vacuum packaging bags and the number of bags per box, on the touchscreen of the control device 2. They then adjust the width of the initial leveling channel 32 of the adjusting mechanism 33, as well as the stroke and speed parameters of each servo drive group. After being arranged into a single column by the front-end equipment, the material is fed into the inlet conveying mechanism 34. The circulating pusher plates 312 rise sequentially from the cavity 341, pushing individual materials into the hopper 313 of the conveying module 31. Due to the limitations of the initial leveling channel 32, the material can only move forward in a prescribed posture, preventing it from flipping or becoming horizontal, ensuring that the front side of the material is initially level.

[0073] The conveying module 31 is grouped according to the number of bags per box (e.g., 4 bags). When the 4 hoppers 313 in a group of discharge chambers 314 are filled with materials, the group of discharge chambers 314 is moved to the pick-up position corresponding to the clamping conveyor 51.

[0074] The clamping and conveying fixture 51 is driven to descend by the first lifting drive device 512, and multiple single clamps 517 close simultaneously to clamp each material. Then the fixture is lifted and moved horizontally along the guide mechanism 6 to above the platform 521 of the intermediate clamping component 52, and then descends to release the material.

[0075] The two clamping plates 525 of the intermediate clamping component 52 move towards each other under servo drive, pressing the entire material group along the arrangement direction to eliminate longitudinal gaps, and then retract. Subsequently, the four-sided aligning clamp 53 descends, and the left, right, front, and rear aligning plates move sequentially to align the material group on all four sides, shaping it into a regular cube. After clamping the regularized material group, the four-sided aligning clamp 53 lifts it up and moves it horizontally to the arrangement and packing area 4, placing the material group into the empty placement bin 42.

[0076] Meanwhile, the push rod 433 of the push rod pusher 43 moves to the side of the material group under the drive of the chain group 431, and pushes the other side of the material group close to the partition. Under the relative force of the push rod 433 and the partition, the moving material group is prevented from tipping over until the material group moves to the packing area and is packed by a robot or robotic arm.

[0077] During this process, because the material groups have undergone rigorous leveling, compaction, and alignment before packing, the dimensions of each group are highly uniform. No unnecessary stuffing or squeezing is required when placing them into the outer carton, allowing for precise design of the outer carton dimensions. This effectively avoids problems such as packing small items into large cartons or bulging, saving on carton costs and transportation space. Actual testing shows a product qualification rate of up to 99.5% and an extremely low bag breakage rate. The servo drive and control device enable the machine to switch product specifications within minutes, adapting to various product forms such as long cat food packs and small cat litter granule packs, truly achieving multi-functional, highly efficient, and flexible automated sorting.

[0078] 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 multi-functional servo alignment machine, comprising: The control device for switching between different specifications of material packaging is characterized by a feeding area, a box-arranging area and a transfer and leveling transition area that intersects with the feeding area and the box-arranging area on the frame. The feeding area includes a conveying module consisting of multiple parallel chains and a preliminary leveling channel that levels the material conveyed by the conveying module and adapts to materials of different sizes. The conveying module is equipped with multiple discharge chambers, which can place an equal amount of material into each discharge chamber according to the packing quantity of each box. Each discharge chamber is equipped with multiple hoppers that can hold individual materials. The transfer and leveling transition area includes an intermediate clamping component located between the conveying module and the packing area, a clamping and conveying fixture that clamps and conveys the material in the unloading chamber to the intermediate clamping component, and a aligning fixture that conveys the material leveled by the intermediate clamping component to the perimeter of the packing area. The clamping and conveying fixture transports the material in a discharge chamber to the middle clamping component, and then the middle clamping component clamps and presses the material on top. After the material is pressed, it is transported by the four-sided flattening fixture. During the transport process, the four-sided flattening fixture presses and flattens the material around its perimeter. The packing area includes a conveyor line with several packing bins; it also includes a pressure bar pusher that corresponds to each packing bin, works in conjunction with the packing bins to press the materials to prevent tipping, and moves synchronously with the conveyor line.

2. The multi-functional servo alignment machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding area also includes an adjustment mechanism, which includes two movable seats located above the conveying module, parallel to the conveying module, and capable of moving towards each other; vertical rods are provided at both ends of the bottom of the two movable seats, and baffles are connected to the two vertical rods; the baffles on both sides form a preliminary leveling channel; It also includes a lead screw module that drives the two moving seats to adjust the size of the initial leveling channel.

3. The multi-functional servo alignment machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The discharge chamber includes multiple pusher sections spaced apart on the conveyor module; the hopper is formed by two adjacent pusher sections.

4. The multi-functional servo alignment machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes an inlet conveying mechanism, which intersects with the feeding end of the conveying module, and there is a gap between the two for the pusher plate to move. The inlet conveying mechanism is also provided with a cavity to accommodate the pusher plate passing through. When the material is located at the inlet conveyor, the pusher plate passes through the cavity from the bottom of the inlet conveyor and pushes the material to the conveying module.

5. The multi-functional servo alignment machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping and conveying fixture includes a first movable connecting seat and a first lifting drive device disposed on the first movable connecting seat; The first movable connecting seat is symmetrically provided with first lifting guide columns on both sides. The bottom of the two first lifting guide columns is connected to a clamp fixing plate that is connected to the output end of the first lifting drive device. Each first lifting guide column is provided with a limiting boss that protrudes radially at the top. The first movable connecting seat is also provided with a limiting column that extends in all directions to align with the clamp. The clamp fixing plate has a number of individual clamps that match the number of material bins, and the individual clamps are used to hold the material in the material bin.

6. The multi-functional servo alignment machine according to claim 5, characterized in that, Each clamp includes a fixing bar with a slide rail at the bottom, a Z-shaped fixing seat, an L-shaped moving seat, a moving clamp plate, a fixing clamp plate, a telescopic cylinder, and a soft pad; The Z-shaped fixing seat is fixed to one end of the fixing strip, the fixing clamp and the telescopic cylinder are located on the Z-shaped fixing seat, and the output end of the telescopic cylinder passes through the Z-shaped fixing seat; The L-shaped movable seat is slidably connected to the slide rail, and the output end of the telescopic cylinder is connected to it. The movable clamping plate is set on the L-shaped movable seat and is parallel to the fixed clamping plate. A buffer seat is provided on the L-shaped movable seat near one side of the fixed clamping plate, and a buffer is provided on the buffer seat; The movable clamp and the fixed clamp have soft pads on opposite sides.

7. The multi-functional servo alignment machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The four-sided clamping fixture includes a second movable connecting seat and a second lifting drive device disposed on the second movable connecting seat; The second movable connecting seat has symmetrically sliding second lifting guide columns on both sides, and the bottom of the two second lifting guide columns is connected to the module upper fixed seat; the left and right sides of the module upper fixed seat are respectively equipped with left and right aligning plates and a first belt and servo motor drive mechanism to drive the left and right aligning plates to move in opposite directions. The upper fixed base of the module is also provided with a lower fixed base of the module. The bottom of the lower fixed base of the module is provided with a first guide rail that is slidably connected to the left and right aligning plates. Multiple horizontal sliding columns are provided at intervals on the front side of the lower fixed base of the module. A rear fixed aligning plate is provided on the rear side of the lower fixed base of the module, and a front moving aligning plate is slidably mounted on the horizontal sliding columns. A front and rear aligning cylinder is provided on the rear fixed aligning plate, and a push block connected to the front moving aligning plate is provided at the output end of the front and rear aligning cylinders.

8. The multi-functional servo alignment machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intermediate clamping component includes a platform, a mounting bracket at the bottom of the platform, a second guide rail extending along the length of the platform on the mounting bracket, slide blocks at the left and right ends of the second guide rail, and clamping plates extending outward through the platform at the upper end of each slide block; the mounting bracket also includes a second belt and a servo motor drive mechanism for driving the left and right slide blocks to move closer or further apart.

9. The multi-functional servo alignment machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pusher component includes a chain assembly and a servo motor drive mechanism that drives the chain assembly. Several fixed seats are spaced apart on the chain assembly. The fixed seats have slots on their upper sides, and pushers extending horizontally in the radial direction of the conveyor line are fixed in the slots.

10. The multi-functional servo alignment machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a guide mechanism mounted on the frame, with the clamping conveyor and the four-sided aligning clamp mounted on the guide mechanism. The guide mechanism includes servo drive components that drive the clamping conveyor and the four-sided aligning clamp to move respectively.

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