Feeding equipment

Abstract

The utility model provides feeding equipment which is used for splitting a book stack into independent books and comprises a stock bin, a movable part and a conveying device. The stock bin defines an accommodating space for accommodating book stacks. The stock bin comprises a limiting structure, the limiting structure is configured to limit a discharging port, and the size of the discharging port is larger than that of one book and smaller than that of two stacked books. The movable part is configured to move relative to the stock bin, the movable part protrudes out of the bottom face of the containing space, and the height of the movable part is matched with the thickness of a book so that the book, located at the bottom, in the book stack can be pushed to move towards the discharging port. The conveying device is arranged on one side of the discharging port and is configured to drive the books to move. According to the feeding device, manual operation can be reduced, labor intensity and labor cost can be reduced, working efficiency can be improved, feeding speed and frequency can be controlled, and follow-up machining procedures can be facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model generally relates to the technical field of printed matter processing, in particular to a feeding device. Background Art

[0002] During the processing of printed materials such as books, some workstations may be separated by gaps, necessitating transfers during processing. For example, semi-finished products are stacked on pallets (hereinafter referred to as book stacks) and then transferred to the next workstation. Furthermore, some processes in the processing of printed materials such as books require processing on a single book, such as the binding process. To prevent adhesive contamination and the resulting impact on product yield, each printed product is typically bound individually.

[0003] Therefore, in production lines for continuous production of printed materials such as books, some processing steps require the stacks of books to be separated into individual books and fed sequentially to the processing stations. This process is simple but manual, resulting in low efficiency and high labor costs. Furthermore, the frequency of manual separation is unstable, impacting subsequent processing steps.

[0004] The contents of the background technology section are merely the technologies known to the inventors and do not necessarily represent the existing technologies in this field. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of one or more deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a feeding device for splitting a stack of books into individual books, the feeding device comprising:

[0006] A silo defining a storage space for accommodating the stack of books; the silo including a limiting structure configured to define a discharge port, wherein the size of the discharge port is larger than the size of one of the books and smaller than the size of two stacked books;

[0007] a movable portion configured to move relative to the hopper, the movable portion protruding from the bottom surface of the accommodating space, and the height of the movable portion matching the thickness of one of the books, so as to push the book at the bottom of the book stack toward the discharge port; and

[0008] A conveying device is provided at one side of the discharge port and is configured to drive the books to move.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, the feeding device further comprises:

[0010] A guiding device is provided between the discharge port and the conveying device and is configured to drive the books to move onto the conveying device.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, the guiding device includes a roller, the movable portion is configured to push the book at the bottom of the book stack to the position of the roller, and the roller drives the book to move onto the conveying device.

[0012] According to one aspect of the present invention, the distance between the roller and the book stack is smaller than the width of the book; and the distance that the movable portion pushes the book to move is smaller than the width of the book.

[0013] According to one aspect of the present invention, the size of the limiting structure and the range of motion of the movable part relative to the silo are adjustable to match books of different sizes; the height of the movable part and the height of the roller are adjustable to match books of different thicknesses.

[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, the movable portion has a wedge-shaped surface on a side facing the book stack, and the wedge-shaped surface is configured to be inserted between the bottom surface of the book at the bottom of the book stack and the bottom surface of the accommodating space.

[0015] According to one aspect of the present invention, the silo further includes a sensor configured to detect the height or weight of the stack of books in the silo.

[0016] According to one aspect of the present invention, the silo further includes a pressing mechanism, and the pressing mechanism is configured to keep the pressure exerted by the book stack on the books at the bottom within a preset range.

[0017] According to one aspect of the present invention, the feeding device further comprises:

[0018] A guiding device is provided at the end of the moving direction of the conveying device and is configured to adjust the posture and / or moving direction of the book.

[0019] According to one aspect of the present invention, the guiding device comprises:

[0020] A guide wheel, the guide wheel is arranged above the end of the conveying device in the moving direction and is pressed against the book; and

[0021] A guide groove is provided at the end of the conveying device in the moving direction, and a gap is provided between the guide groove and the conveying device. The book moves along the conveying device and along the gap between the guide groove and the conveying device.

[0022] Compared to the prior art, the present invention provides a feeding device in which a stack of books can be added to a hopper, a movable portion is used to push out the books at the bottom of the stack, and a conveyor device drives the individual books to move, achieving the technical effect of separating the stack into individual books. In the present invention, the feeding device reduces manual operation, labor intensity and labor costs, and improves work efficiency. The feeding speed and frequency are controllable, facilitating subsequent processing steps. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present invention, they are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0024] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the feeding equipment in some embodiments of the present utility model;

[0025] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the guiding device in some embodiments of the present utility model;

[0026] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the movable part in some embodiments of the present utility model;

[0027] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the guide device in some embodiments of the present utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Hereinafter, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the described embodiments may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

[0029] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that terms such as "center," "longitudinal," "transverse," "length," "width," "thickness," "up," "down," "front," "back," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inside," "outside," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise" are used to indicate positions or locations based on those shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are intended solely to facilitate the description of the present invention and simplify the description. They do not indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed to indicate or imply relative importance or to implicitly specify the number of the technical features referred to. Therefore, features designated "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the aforementioned features. In the description of the present invention, “plurality” means two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0030] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed, removable, or integral connections; mechanical, electrical, or intercommunication connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediary; and internal communication between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this utility model based on specific circumstances.

[0031] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features not being in direct contact but being in contact via another feature between them. Furthermore, a first feature being "above," "above," and "above" a second feature may include the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below," "below," and "below" a second feature may include the first feature being directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0032] The disclosure below provides many different embodiments or examples for realizing different structures of the present invention. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present invention, the components and settings of specific examples are described below. Of course, they are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, the present invention may repeat reference numbers and / or reference letters in different examples. Such repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed. In addition, the present invention provides examples of various specific processes and materials, but a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0033] The following describes embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are only used to illustrate and explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0034] Figure 1 The structure of the feeding device 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. The feeding device 100 in this embodiment is used to split the book stack into individual books. Furthermore, the feeding device 100 can also be used to supply individual books to downstream processing stations. Figure 1 The feeding device 100 will be described.

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, the feeding device 100 includes a silo 110 , a movable portion 120 and a conveying device 130 .

[0036] The silo 110 defines a storage space, and a stack of books can be placed inside the storage space. In some embodiments, the storage space can be a space that is enclosed on the circumferential side, or it can be limited only at the corners. For example, the silo 110 includes a plurality of rods that overlap to form a roughly rectangular frame. The stack of books can be placed inside the rectangular frame, and the corners of the books in the stack can be defined by the rods. Preferably, the size of the storage space defined by the silo 110 is adjustable, for example, by adjusting the length and / or width of the storage space to make the storage space suitable for books of different sizes.

[0037] In some embodiments, the stack of books can be manually transported to the interior of the storage space. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the silo 110 can be connected to the discharge position of the upstream process, and the stack of books can be automatically transported to the interior of the storage space.

[0038] like Figure 1As shown, the silo 110 includes a limiting structure 111, which can define a discharge port 112. The size of the discharge port 112 is set to be larger than the size of a book and smaller than the size of two stacked books, so that the books in the stack inside the accommodating space can be moved from the inside of the accommodating space to the outside of the accommodating space in units of one book.

[0039] In some embodiments, the limiting structure 111 may include a baffle with a gap between its lower edge and the platform surface of the feeding device 100. The gap is slightly larger than the height of a book, allowing a single book to pass through the gap. The limiting structure 111 can prevent multiple books in a stack from passing through the gap simultaneously. Furthermore, the limiting structure 111 can be configured to be adjustable, for example, by adjusting the distance between the baffle and the platform surface of the feeding device 100 to accommodate books of varying thicknesses.

[0040] The movable portion 120 can move relative to the silo 110. The movable portion 120 protrudes from the bottom surface of the accommodating space, and the bottom surface of the accommodating space is, for example, the platform surface of the feeding device 100, and the height of the movable portion 120 (the dimension protruding from the bottom surface of the accommodating space) matches the thickness of a book. For example, the height of the movable portion 120 is equal to the thickness of a book, or preferably, the height of the movable portion 120 is slightly less than the thickness of a book to avoid affecting the book located above the bottom book. In some embodiments, the height of the movable portion 120 can be adjusted to accommodate books of different thicknesses. For example, the movable portion 120 is adjustable in a direction perpendicular to the platform surface of the feeding device 100, or the movable portion 120 can be disassembled and replaced.

[0041] When the movable portion 120 moves relative to the silo 110, the movable portion 120 can push the books at the bottom of the stack to move toward the discharge port 112, so that a book moves from the inside of the accommodating space to the outside of the accommodating space. Figure 1 As shown in FIG, the movable portion 120 moves from the right side to the left side of the hopper 110, pushing the book at the bottom of the book stack to move to the left side and move from the discharge port 112 to the outside of the accommodating space.

[0042] In this embodiment, the movable portion 120 reciprocates relative to the hopper 110, allowing the books in the stack to be sequentially moved outside the storage space. For example, a reciprocating motor can be used to drive the movable portion 120 to move linearly. In some embodiments, a slide rail can be provided on the platform surface of the feeding device 100 to drive the movable portion 120 to reciprocate relative to the hopper 110 along the slide rail. After the movable portion 120 pushes a book out, the stack moves downward under the action of gravity (or additional pressure), and the movable portion 120 pushes the next book.

[0043] In some embodiments, the range of motion of the movable portion 120 relative to the hopper 110 is adjustable to adapt the feeding device 100 to books of different sizes. For example, for books with a larger width, the range of motion of the movable portion 120 relative to the hopper 110 can be appropriately expanded.

[0044] The conveyor 130 is located on one side of the discharge port 112 and can move the books. After the books move from the discharge port 112 to the outside of the storage space, they can move further onto the conveyor 130. For example, the conveyor 130 includes a conveyor belt that can move a book. Preferably, the conveyor belt can be connected to the next processing station of the printed product to supply the next processing step.

[0045] In the feeding device 100 of this embodiment, the movable portion 120 and the limiting structure 111 cooperate to allow books in a stack to be removed from the storage space one at a time and moved along the conveyor 130. Feeding device 100 can be automatically controlled, reducing manual operation, labor intensity and labor costs, and improving work efficiency. Furthermore, the feeding speed and frequency of feeding device 100 are controllable, facilitating subsequent processing steps and adjusting production tact time.

[0046] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the feeding device 100 further includes a guiding device 140. The guiding device 140 is disposed between the discharge port 112 and the conveying device 130, and can drive the books to move onto the conveying device 130.

[0047] In this embodiment, the book pushed by the movable portion 120 is located at the bottom of the stack and is subject to the gravity of the books above it. Therefore, a large force is required to overcome the friction between the books and drive the books. In this embodiment, the guide device 140 can cooperate with the movable portion 120 to drive the book pushed by the movable portion 120 toward the conveyor device 130.

[0048] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the guide device 140 includes a roller 141. The roller 141 is driven to rotate by a driving source. In some embodiments, the guide device 140 includes a plurality of rollers 141. The plurality of rollers 141 can be arranged such that a portion of the rollers 141 is driven to rotate by the driving source, while another portion of the rollers 141 is a driven roller.

[0049] The movable portion 120 pushes the book at the bottom of the stack to move until the book extends to the outside of the discharge port 112 and moves to the position of the roller 141. The roller 141 can drive the book to move to the conveying device 130. Figure 2As shown in FIG, the book at the bottom of the stack moves to the left under the push of the movable portion 120. One end of the book moves between the upper and lower rollers 141 and is clamped by the upper and lower rollers 141. The upper roller 141 rotates clockwise, while the lower roller 141 rotates counterclockwise. Driven by the rollers 141, the book continues to move to the left and onto the conveyor 130.

[0050] Preferably, the stack of books is placed in a preset position within the silo 110, with the book edges facing the movable portion 120 and the book spines facing the rollers 141. The pages at the book edges can move relative to each other. For example, pages near the upper edge may tilt. In this embodiment, the spines of the books move to the position of the rollers 141, which helps reduce the risk of the rollers 141 rolling and causing the pages to be pressed and folded, thereby improving product yield. In some embodiments, the position of the books in the silo 110 can also be set to match subsequent processing steps, reducing the steps required to adjust the book positions and improving work efficiency.

[0051] Further, such as Figure 2 As shown, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the roller 141 and the book stack is smaller than the width of the book, wherein the width of the book refers to the size of the book in the direction of movement when pushed by the movable part 120, for example Figure 2 The book dimensions shown in the left-right direction.

[0052] In this embodiment, when the movable portion 120 pushes a book, the distance it pushes the book is less than the book's width, causing one end of the book to move to the position of the roller 141. The roller 141 then drives the book toward the conveyor 130, allowing the movable portion 120 to retract outside the silo 110. In this embodiment, the range of motion of the movable portion 120 pushing the book does not exceed the range of the stack. This prevents the movable portion 120 from scraping the edges of books in the stack or driving the book away from the conveyor 130 when retracting, thereby protecting the book.

[0053] On the other hand, in this embodiment, when the roller 141 drives the book to move toward the conveying device 130, the movable part 120 can retreat to the outside of the silo 110, and the movement distance of the movable part 120 is shortened, which is beneficial to shorten the waiting time and improve work efficiency.

[0054] In some embodiments, the height of the roller 141 is adjustable so that the roller 141 can be adapted to books of different thicknesses. Figure 2As shown in , the height of roller 141 can represent the distance between the upper roller 141 and the lower roller 141. Preferably, the height of roller 141 is set to be equal to the thickness of the book, or slightly less than the thickness of the book when it is at rest, so that roller 141 can be pressed against the surface of the book. The lower roller 141 can be set flush with the platform surface of the feeding device 100, while the position of the upper roller 141 is adjustable in the vertical direction.

[0055] In some embodiments, the guiding device 140 includes a roller 141 disposed above the platform surface of the feeding device 100 . The height of the roller 141 may represent the distance between the roller 141 and the platform surface of the feeding device 100 .

[0056] like Figure 3 As shown, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the movable portion 120 has a wedge-shaped surface 121 on the side facing the book stack. When the movable portion 120 pushes the book at the bottom of the stack, the wedge-shaped surface 121 can be inserted between the bottom surface of the book at the bottom of the stack and the bottom surface of the storage space. The wedge-shaped surface 121 in this embodiment can reduce the risk of scratching the book pages near the bottom surface of the storage space. When the movable portion 120 approaches the book, the wedge-shaped surface 121 is inserted between the book and the bottom surface of the storage space, preventing the bottom pages of the book from curling or bending under the pressure of the movable portion 120.

[0057] In some embodiments, the wedge surface 121 can be set to be flush with the non-wedge surface portion. Figure 3 As shown, a step shape is provided at the edge of the wedge-shaped surface 121 to prevent the movable portion 120 from being inserted as a whole between the book and the bottom surface of the accommodating space and being unable to push the book to move.

[0058] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the silo 110 further includes a sensor (not shown). The sensor can be used to detect the height or weight of the stack of books in the silo 110. Specifically, the sensor includes, for example, a camera, a photoelectric sensor, or a pressure sensor.

[0059] Among them, as the feeding device 100 is running, the number of books in the stack decreases, and the pressure acting on the books at the bottom decreases, which may cause the books to be unable to pass through the limiting structure 111, or cause multiple books to pass through the limiting structure. For example, the books rebound due to the reduction in pressure, the thickness of the books increases and cannot pass through the limiting structure 111, or the movable part 120 squeezes into the inside of the book, causing the pages to bend. For another example, the friction between multiple books decreases, and when the movable part 120 pushes a book to move, the books located above move synchronously, resulting in the inability to split into separate books. This embodiment can detect the height of the stack or the weight of the stack based on a sensor. Further, when there are fewer books in the silo 110, a signal can be sent to provide a signal to the staff to feed materials into the silo 110.

[0060] In other preferred embodiments of the present invention, the silo 110 further includes a clamping mechanism (not shown). This mechanism can maintain the pressure exerted by the stack on the books at the bottom within a preset range. For example, the clamping mechanism can include an elastic member. As the number of books in the stack decreases, the elastic force of the elastic member changes, maintaining the pressure on the books at the bottom within a preset range. This helps maintain production continuity while reducing the risk of books being unable to be separated.

[0061] like Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the feeding device 100 further includes a guide device 150. The guide device 150 is provided at the end of the movement direction of the conveying device 130 and can adjust the posture and / or movement direction of the books transported by the conveying device 130.

[0062] In this embodiment, the feeding device 100 can provide individual books to subsequent processing stations. The guide device 150 can be used to adjust the posture of the books to match the posture of the subsequent processing equipment. Alternatively, the guide device 150 can adjust the movement direction of the books to move from the conveyor device 130 to the feeding conveyor belt of the subsequent processing equipment.

[0063] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4As shown, the guide device 150 includes a guide wheel 151 and a guide groove 152. The guide wheel 151 is positioned above the end of the conveyor 130 in the direction of motion and can also be attached to the book. For example, the guide wheel 151 is suspended above the conveyor 130, with the height of the lower edge of the guide wheel 151 slightly less than the thickness of the book above the upper surface of the conveyor 130. As the book moves below the guide wheel 151 as the conveyor 130 moves, the guide wheel 151 presses against the book, preventing the pages from tilting. Furthermore, the guide wheel 150 can fine-tune the position of the book on the conveyor 130. For example, the guide wheel 150 remains fixed, and the direction of its rotation axis is perpendicular to the direction of motion of the conveyor 130. If the book tilts on the conveyor 130, the guide wheel 150 can correct the tilt.

[0064] The guide groove 152 is disposed at the end of the conveyor 130's movement direction, with a gap between the guide groove 152 and the conveyor 130. When the book reaches the end of the conveyor 130, it moves along the gap between the guide groove 152 and the conveyor 130, for example, falling below the gap between the guide groove 152 and the conveyor 130. Specifically, in some embodiments, the guide groove 152 may include a curved baffle to guide the book's movement after it leaves the conveyor 130.

[0065] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art will be able to modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments or replace some of the technical features therein with equivalents. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A feeding device, characterized in that: Used to split a stack of books into individual books, the feeding device includes: A silo defining a storage space for accommodating the stack of books; the silo including a limiting structure configured to define a discharge port, wherein the size of the discharge port is larger than the size of one of the books and smaller than the size of two stacked books; a movable portion configured to move relative to the hopper, the movable portion protruding from the bottom surface of the accommodating space, and the height of the movable portion matching the thickness of one of the books, so as to push the book at the bottom of the book stack toward the discharge port; and A conveying device is provided at one side of the discharge port and is configured to drive the books to move.

2. The feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding equipment also includes: A guiding device is provided between the discharge port and the conveying device and is configured to drive the books to move onto the conveying device.

3. The feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The guiding device includes a roller, and the movable portion is configured to push the book at the bottom of the book stack to move to the position of the roller, and the roller drives the book to move onto the conveying device.

4. The feeding device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The distance between the roller and the book stack is smaller than the width of the book; and the distance that the movable part pushes the book to move is smaller than the width of the book.

5. The feeding device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The size of the limiting structure and the range of motion of the movable portion relative to the silo are adjustable to match books of different sizes; the height of the movable portion and the height of the roller are adjustable to match books of different thicknesses.

6. The feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable portion has a wedge-shaped surface on a side facing the book stack, and the wedge-shaped surface is configured to be inserted between the bottom surface of the book at the bottom of the book stack and the bottom surface of the accommodating space.

7. The feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The silo further includes a sensor configured to detect a height of the stack of books or a weight of the stack of books in the silo.

8. The feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The silo further includes a pressing mechanism configured to keep the pressure exerted by the book stack on the books at the bottom within a preset range.

9. The feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The feeding equipment also includes: A guiding device is provided at the end of the moving direction of the conveying device and is configured to adjust the posture and / or moving direction of the book.

10. The feeding device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The guiding device comprises: A guide wheel, the guide wheel is arranged above the end of the conveying device in the moving direction and is pressed against the book; and A guide groove is provided at the end of the conveying device in the moving direction, and a gap is provided between the guide groove and the conveying device. The book moves along the conveying device and along the gap between the guide groove and the conveying device.

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