Laser coding device for cigarette packets

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of cigarette production equipment, and particularly relates to a cigarette packet laser coding device which comprises an equipment platform and a laser coding mechanism, and a coding station is arranged on the equipment platform; a cigarette packet cache library is mounted on the code printing station; the top end of the cigarette packet cache library is connected with a cigarette packet conveying mechanism which is used for conveying cigarette packets to the cigarette packet cache library, and the cigarette packet cache library can enable the cigarette packets in the cigarette packet cache library to be vertically arranged and controlled to intermittently fall into the coding station; the laser code printing mechanism comprises a laser generator and a laser code printing head, the laser code printing head and the code printing station are oppositely arranged, and the laser generator conducts laser code printing on the cigarette packets on the code printing station through laser emitted by the laser code printing head. The utility model aims to replace manual code printing, improve the code printing precision and efficiency of identification codes on transparent paper of cigarette packets, and reduce the labor intensity of workers; the structure is simple and practicability is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the technical field of cigarette production equipment, specifically relating to a laser coding device for cigarette packs. Background Technology

[0002] In the cigarette production process at cigarette factories, in order to prevent moisture loss from the cigarette packs, the packs are wrapped in transparent paper using a small transparent paper packaging machine.

[0003] In current cigarette pack manufacturing processes, after the packs are wrapped in transparent paper, they are typically marked with identification codes. The reasons for marking these codes include the following: **Anti-counterfeiting:** The codes help consumers verify the authenticity of cigarettes, preventing the purchase of counterfeit products. Scanning or entering the code verifies the cigarette's origin and authenticity. **Production Management:** The codes contain production and batch numbers, which help track the production and distribution of cigarettes, ensuring product quality and safety. **Market Management:** For tobacco companies, the codes aid in market management and data analysis, helping them understand sales performance and consumer preferences, thereby optimizing production and sales strategies. In practice, after the transparent paper is applied to the packs, the codes are usually printed manually on the boxes and cartons of cigarettes. However, manual coding is labor-intensive and inefficient, necessitating improvement. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a cigarette pack laser marking device that, through a set cigarette pack buffer and a cigarette pack conveying mechanism, can automatically and intermittently feed the cigarette packs to the marking station, and then control the laser marking mechanism to perform laser marking, thereby solving the problems of high labor intensity and low efficiency in the existing technology.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows:

[0006] A cigarette pack laser marking device includes an equipment platform and a laser marking mechanism. The equipment platform is equipped with a marking station. A cigarette pack buffer is installed on the marking station. A cigarette pack conveying mechanism is connected to the top of the cigarette pack buffer for conveying cigarette packs to the buffer. The buffer allows the cigarette packs inside to be arranged vertically and fall intermittently into the marking station in a controlled manner. The laser marking mechanism includes a laser generator and a laser marking terminal. The laser marking terminal is arranged opposite to the marking station. The laser generator emits a laser through the laser marking terminal to laser mark the cigarette packs at the marking station.

[0007] In this application, cigarette packs to be coded are conveyed to a cigarette pack buffer warehouse via a cigarette pack conveying mechanism. The cigarette pack buffer warehouse arranges the cigarette packs vertically and sequentially positions them at the coding station. The cigarette packs are then coded in an orderly manner in conjunction with a laser coding mechanism, and finally, the coded cigarette packs are ejected. This replaces manual laser coding of small boxes of cigarette packs wrapped in transparent paper, resulting in high work efficiency and reduced labor intensity.

[0008] Further specifying, a fume extraction duct is provided between the laser marking station and the marking workstation, and the fume extraction duct is connected to a fume extractor to remove smoke and odors generated during laser marking. The structure provided in this application can solve the problems of smoke affecting continuous marking effect and odor affecting the on-site working environment caused by continuous marking and ablation in the laser marking mechanism. Therefore, the fume extraction duct can remove smoke and odors in a timely manner during the laser marking process.

[0009] Further specifying, the smoke extraction pipe is a circular pipe, and optical path through holes are provided at both ends of the circular pipe, through which the laser emitted by the laser amplification device passes.

[0010] Further specifying, the cigarette pack buffer includes a U-shaped frame, with a printing port on the side of the U-shaped frame near the laser marking station, and a discharge port on the side of the U-shaped frame away from the cigarette pack conveying mechanism. The printing port, the discharge port, and the platform surface of the equipment constitute the marking station. The U-shaped frame is used to arrange the cigarette packs vertically and to limit the printing position of the cigarette packs arranged at the lowest point to the printing port.

[0011] Further, the U-shaped frame has an adjustment port on the side where the discharge port is located. A limiting rod is installed within the adjustment port, extending into the U-shaped frame and connecting to a vertically positioned limiting plate. The limiting plate restricts the position of the cigarette pack within the U-shaped frame. This structural design ensures, on the one hand, that the cigarette pack laser marking device still has redundancy for adjusting the cigarette pack's position after prolonged marking, compensating for structural wear; on the other hand, it provides a certain buffer distance, preventing momentum accumulation in the U-shaped frame during high-speed conveying and thus affecting the stability of the marking process.

[0012] Further specifying, the equipment platform is provided with a material pushing notch, which extends from the outer side of one end of the coding station to the outer side of the other end; a pusher block is slidably installed in the material pushing notch, and a driver is installed at the bottom of the equipment platform, the driver being used to drive the pusher block to push out the laser-printed cigarette pack; the driver includes a rotating chain rotatably installed at the bottom of the equipment platform, at least one of the pushers is installed on the outer edge of the rotating chain, and a second motor is installed at the bottom of the equipment platform, the second motor being used to drive the rotating chain to rotate.

[0013] The cigarette pack conveying mechanism, laser generator, and driver can work together efficiently to convey, code, and discharge the cigarette packs, thus improving the automation level and work efficiency of the device.

[0014] Further specifying, the cigarette pack conveying mechanism includes a mounting frame and a belt conveyor, the belt conveyor being mounted on one side of the cigarette pack buffer via the mounting frame; an arc-shaped guide rail connects the output end of the belt conveyor to the top of the cigarette pack buffer. The arc-shaped guide rail allows for adjustment of the cigarette pack's posture and is simple in structure and highly practical.

[0015] Furthermore, the laser generator is connected to an industrial control computer, which controls the operation of the laser generator. The industrial control computer is also connected to a controller with a display screen. In this way, the overall control of the cigarette pack laser marking device through the industrial control computer can ensure that the working steps of the belt conveyor, laser generator, and driver are highly consistent.

[0016] The utility model adopting the above technical solution has the following advantages:

[0017] In this application, cigarette packs to be coded are cached and sorted by a cigarette pack cache library. The cigarette packs can be placed intermittently at the coding station by their own gravity, and the laser coding mechanism is controlled to code the cigarette packs at the coding station. The working rhythm of the cigarette pack conveying mechanism and the laser coding mechanism is controlled according to the intermittent rhythm, so that the mechanism can cooperate efficiently. It replaces manual coding, reduces the labor intensity of manual labor, and improves work efficiency. Moreover, the overall structure is simple, low in cost, and highly practical. Attached Figure Description

[0018] This utility model can be further illustrated by the non-limiting embodiments given in the accompanying drawings;

[0019] Figure 1 This is a first structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a cigarette pack laser marking device of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a second structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a cigarette pack laser marking device according to the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a third structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the laser marking device for cigarette packs according to this utility model;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a fourth structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the laser marking device for cigarette packs according to this utility model;

[0023] Figure 5 for Figure 4Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the device platform and the cigarette pack cache library in this embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a block diagram illustrating the control principle of the industrial control computer in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0026] The symbols for the main components are explained below:

[0027] 100. Cigarette pack conveying mechanism; 101. Mounting frame; 102. First motor; 103. Drive belt; 104. Conveyor belt; 200. Arc-shaped guide rail; 201. Top arc-shaped strip; 202. Side arc-shaped strip; 203. Bottom arc-shaped strip; 300. Cigarette pack buffer; 301. Discharge port; 302. Printing port; 303. Limiting plate; 304. Movable plate; 305. Limiting rod; 306. U-shaped frame; 307. Adjustment port; 400. Equipment platform; 401. Pushing notch; 402. Push block; 403. Limiting groove; 404. Rotating chain; 405. Drive shaft; 406. Coding station; 500. Laser coding mechanism; 501. Laser coding dock; 502. Laser generator; 600. Smoke extraction duct. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that similar or identical parts are referred to by the same reference numerals in the drawings or description. Implementations not shown or described in the drawings are forms known to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, directional terms mentioned in the embodiments, such as "up," "down," "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "front," and "back," are only for reference to the directions in the drawings and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] like Figures 1-6As shown in the figure, a cigarette pack laser marking device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an equipment platform 400 and a laser marking mechanism 500. The equipment platform 400 can be a table made of stainless steel frame and stainless steel plate. A marking station 406 is provided on the equipment platform 400. A cigarette pack buffer 300 is installed on the marking station 406. A cigarette pack conveying mechanism 100 is connected to the top of the cigarette pack buffer 300. The cigarette pack conveying mechanism 100 is located on the right side of the equipment platform 400 and is used to convey cigarette packs to the cigarette pack buffer 300. The cigarette pack buffer 300 can arrange the cigarette packs in a vertical position and controllably drop them intermittently into the marking station 406. The laser marking mechanism 500 includes a laser generator 502 and a laser marking terminal 501. The laser marking terminal 501 is arranged opposite to the marking station 406. The laser generator 502 emits laser light through the laser marking terminal 501 to laser mark the cigarette packs at the marking station 406. In this embodiment, the cigarette packs to be coded are conveyed to the cigarette pack buffer 300 by the cigarette pack conveying mechanism 100. The cigarette pack buffer 300 arranges the cigarette packs vertically and sequentially positions them at the coding station 406. The laser coding mechanism 500 then performs orderly coding on the cigarette packs, and the coded cigarette packs are then ejected. This replaces manual laser coding of small boxes of cigarette packs wrapped in transparent paper, resulting in high work efficiency and reduced labor intensity.

[0030] In this embodiment, laser marking is performed by ablating transparent paper, and the marking speed is fast. Continuous marking and ablation will generate smoke and odor. The smoke affects the continuous marking effect, and the odor affects the on-site working environment. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the smoke and odor in a timely manner during the marking process. In this embodiment, a smoke extraction pipe is installed between the laser marking station 501 and the marking station 406. The smoke extraction pipe 600 is connected to a smoke extractor to remove the smoke and odor generated by laser marking.

[0031] The extraction duct 600 is a transparent circular tube with optical through-holes at both ends, allowing the laser emitted from the laser marking station to pass through. The small diameter of these through-holes maximizes the tube's seal while allowing the laser to pass through, preventing smoke leakage. During operation, the extraction machine creates a negative pressure to draw smoke from the tube and remove odors. The transparent tube facilitates observation of the marking position on the cigarette packs, enabling timely adjustments and optimizations to the marking station 406.

[0032] like Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, in this embodiment, the cigarette pack buffer 300 includes a U-shaped frame 306, which is installed on the right edge of the equipment platform 400, with the notch side of the U-shaped frame 306 facing the cigarette pack conveying mechanism 100. A printing port 302 is provided on the side of the U-shaped frame 306 near the laser marking terminal 501, and a discharge port 301 is provided on the side of the U-shaped frame 306 away from the cigarette pack conveying mechanism 100. The printing port 302, the discharge port 301, and the platform surface constitute a marking station 406. The U-shaped frame 306 is used to arrange the cigarette packs vertically and to limit the printing position of the lowest-ranking cigarette pack at the printing port 302. The laser emitted by the laser marking terminal 501 is transmitted through a circular tube to the printing port 302 to mark the printing position of the cigarette pack with an identification code; the printing position of the cigarette pack is limited according to the actual design of the cigarette pack.

[0033] In fact, in this embodiment, the printing port 302 can also be set as a vertical strip groove as needed; in this way, the coding position can be adapted to cigarette packs of different thicknesses, and the identification code printing of different types of cigarette packs can be realized. This device has high adaptability and high practicality.

[0034] like Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, the equipment platform 400 is provided with a pusher notch 401, which extends from the outer side of one end of the coding station 406 to the outer side of the other end; a pusher block 402 is slidably installed in the pusher notch 401, and a driver is installed at the bottom of the equipment platform 400. The driver is used to drive the pusher block 402 to push out the cigarette pack after laser printing; the driver includes a rotating chain 404 rotatably installed at the bottom of the equipment platform 400, at least one pusher block 402 is installed on the outer edge of the rotating chain 404, and a second motor is installed at the bottom of the equipment platform 400. The second motor is used to drive the rotating chain 404 to rotate.

[0035] The rotational installation of the rotating chain 404 can be achieved as follows: four bearing seats are installed at the four corners of the push notch 401 at the bottom of the equipment platform 400. A rotating shaft is installed between two of the bearing seats perpendicular to the length of the push notch 401, and a drive shaft 405 is installed between the other two bearing seats. Sprockets are installed on the rotating shaft and the drive shaft 405, and the two sprockets are used to install the rotating chain 404. A second motor installed at the bottom of the equipment platform 400 is connected to the drive shaft 405 and is used to drive the rotation of the rotating chain 404 through the drive shaft 405. In addition, an encoder can be set to collect the operating parameters of the second motor (such as speed, rotation angle, etc.) to facilitate analysis and determination of the position and state of the push block 402.

[0036] In fact, in this embodiment, a belt module can also be selected to drive the movement of the pusher 402; the installation method of the belt module is basically the same as that of the rotating chain 404.

[0037] In fact, the middle section of the feeding notch 401 is set as a slender limiting groove 403; the pushing block 402 is an I-shaped stainless steel block; the middle part of the pushing block 402 can be limited in the limiting groove 403; driven by the second motor, the pushing block 402 can enter the limiting groove 403 from the feeding notch 401 on the side of the marking station 406, and disengage from the limiting groove 403 from the feeding notch 401 on the outside of the discharge port 301. During this process, the pushing block 402 pushes the cigarette pack buffer 30 The bottommost pack of cigarettes is conveyed to the left. After the pack moves out of the pack buffer 300, the packs on the next layer fall back to the bottom layer under gravity, waiting for the next push block 402 to push them out. This achieves the intermittent push-out of the packs from the pack buffer 300. At the same time, the packs in the pack buffer 300 move down and stop intermittently. In this way, by pushing the packs out of the coding station 406 through the push block 402, the controlled intermittent falling of the packs into the coding station 406 and then out can be achieved.

[0038] A rubber block can be installed on top of the stainless steel block to serve as the main body in contact with the cigarette pack. The rubber block is attached by screws or clips, making it easy to replace. This facilitates the replacement of the rubber block after it wears out, or allows for the selection of a suitable rubber block for different cigarette packs, making it highly practical.

[0039] like Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, the cigarette pack conveying mechanism 100 includes a mounting frame 101 and a belt conveyor. The belt conveyor is mounted on one side of the cigarette pack buffer 300 via the mounting frame 101. An arc-shaped guide rail 200 is connected between the output end of the belt conveyor and the top of the cigarette pack buffer 300.

[0040] The arc-shaped guide rail 200 of this embodiment includes a top arc-shaped strip 201 and a bottom arc-shaped strip 203 arranged at equal intervals. Side arc-shaped strips 202 are arranged on both sides between the top arc-shaped strip 201 and the bottom arc-shaped strip 203 to form an arc-shaped channel. The arc-shaped channel is used to transport cigarette packs and can change the cigarette packs from a horizontal arrangement to a vertical arrangement. The arc-shaped guide rail 200 has a simple structure and high practicality.

[0041] Understandably, the distance between the top arc strip 201 and the bottom arc strip 203 is adjustable, making it convenient to use cigarette packs of different sizes.

[0042] The belt conveyor in this embodiment includes a first motor 102 fixedly mounted on a mounting frame 101 and a conveyor belt 104 rotatably mounted on the mounting frame 101. A drive belt 103 is installed at the output end of the first motor 102 and at one end of the mounting wheel included in the conveyor belt 104. The first motor 102 drives the conveyor belt to rotate, thereby realizing the conveying of cigarette packs. The first motor 102 can also be equipped with an encoder to collect the operating parameters of the first motor 102.

[0043] In this embodiment, the U-shaped frame 306 has an adjustment port 307 on the side where the discharge port 301 is located. A limiting rod 305 is provided in the adjustment port 307. The limiting rod 305 extends into the U-shaped frame 306 and is connected to a vertically arranged limiting plate 303. The limiting plate 303 is used to limit the position of the cigarette pack in the U-shaped frame 306.

[0044] One end of the top arc-shaped strip 201, the side arc-shaped strip 202, and the bottom arc-shaped strip 203 is connected to the mounting bracket 101; the other end of the top arc-shaped strip 201 is connected to the limiting plate 303; and the other ends of the side arc-shaped strip 202 and the bottom arc-shaped strip 203 are connected to the U-shaped frame 306. The position of the limiting plate 303 relative to the U-shaped frame 306 can be adjusted by the limiting rod 305.

[0045] In this embodiment, the limiting rod 305 can be detachably clamped to the wall of the U-shaped frame 306 at the adjustment port 307 by means of a nut.

[0046] In fact, the limiting rod 305 in this embodiment can also be clamped and fixed to the wall of the U-shaped frame 306 at the adjustment port 307 by the movable plate 304 and the limiting nut.

[0047] like Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment, the laser generator is connected to an industrial control computer, which controls the operation of the laser generator. The industrial control computer is also connected to a controller with a display screen.

[0048] The display screen can be a touch screen, allowing users to set the content and font of the printed text. The industrial control computer is connected to the encoder and can acquire the operating parameters of the first and second motors collected by the encoder. This allows for analysis of whether the cigarette pack has entered the coding station or has been fully ejected, thus enabling control of the laser coding mechanism 500 to perform the coding. The workflow of the industrial control computer in this embodiment is as follows:

[0049] The first motor 102 drives the conveyor belt 104 to transport the cigarette packs. The cigarette packs pass through the arc guide rail 200 and enter the cigarette pack buffer 300, where they are arranged vertically in the U-shaped frame 306.

[0050] The rotating chain 404 and the second motor connected to the push block 402 are in standby mode, controlling the laser marking mechanism 500 to mark the bottom layer of cigarette packs in the U-shaped frame 306;

[0051] After coding is completed, the second motor drives the rotating chain 404 to run, which drives the pusher block 402 to push the cigarette pack (i.e. the bottommost cigarette pack in the U-shaped frame 306) from the discharge port 301.

[0052] Meanwhile, uncoded cigarette packs enter coding station 406, where the laser coding mechanism codes the uncoded cigarette packs.

[0053] Correspondingly, during the coding of cigarette packs, the smoke extractor is controlled to generate negative pressure to extract smoke and remove odors from the smoke extraction pipe.

[0054] This structural design allows the cigarette pack buffer 300 to buffer and sort the cigarette packs during the conveyor belt (or conveyor belt 104) transport of cigarette packs. The cigarette packs themselves can be placed intermittently at the coding station 406 using gravity, and the laser coding mechanism 500 can then be controlled to code the cigarette packs at the coding station 406. The working rhythm of the conveyor belt 104, laser generator 502, and pusher block 402 is controlled according to the intermittent rhythm, enabling efficient collaboration between the various mechanisms. This replaces manual coding, reducing labor intensity and improving work efficiency. Furthermore, the overall structure is simple, low-cost, and highly practical.

[0055] The above provides a detailed description of a laser marking device for cigarette packs provided by this utility model. The specific embodiments are described only to aid in understanding the method and core concept of this utility model. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications to this utility model without departing from its principles, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A laser marking device for cigarette packs, comprising an equipment platform and a laser marking mechanism, wherein the equipment platform is provided with a marking station; characterized in that, The coding station is equipped with a cigarette pack buffer; the top of the cigarette pack buffer is connected to a cigarette pack conveying mechanism for conveying cigarette packs to the cigarette pack buffer, which enables the cigarette packs inside to be arranged vertically and fall into the coding station in a controlled, intermittent manner; the laser coding mechanism includes a laser generator and a laser coding terminal, which is arranged opposite to the coding station, and the laser generator emits a laser through the laser coding terminal to perform laser coding on the cigarette packs at the coding station.

2. The cigarette pack laser marking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A smoke extraction duct is provided between the laser marking station and the marking workstation. The smoke extraction duct is connected to a smoke extractor to remove the smoke and odor generated by laser marking.

3. The cigarette pack laser marking device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The smoke extraction pipe is a circular pipe, and optical path through holes are provided at both ends of the circular pipe, through which the laser emitted by the laser amplification device can pass.

4. The cigarette pack laser marking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cigarette pack buffer includes a U-shaped frame. A printing port is provided on the side of the U-shaped frame near the laser marking station, and a discharge port is provided on the side of the U-shaped frame away from the cigarette pack conveying mechanism. The printing port, the discharge port, and the table surface of the equipment platform constitute the marking station.

5. The cigarette pack laser marking device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The U-shaped frame has an adjustment port on the side where the discharge port is located. A limit rod is provided in the adjustment port. The limit rod extends into the U-shaped frame and is connected to a vertically arranged limit plate. The limit plate is used to restrict the position of the cigarette pack in the U-shaped frame.

6. The cigarette pack laser marking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The equipment platform is provided with a material pushing notch, which extends from the outer side of one end of the coding station to the outer side of the other end; a pusher block is slidably installed in the material pushing notch, and a driver is installed at the bottom of the equipment platform. The driver is used to drive the pusher block to push out the laser-printed cigarette pack.

7. The cigarette pack laser marking device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The driver includes a rotating chain rotatably mounted on the bottom of the device platform, at least one pusher block mounted on the outer edge of the rotating chain, and a second motor mounted on the bottom of the device platform for driving the rotating chain to rotate.

8. The cigarette pack laser marking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cigarette pack conveying mechanism includes a mounting frame and a belt conveyor. The belt conveyor is mounted on one side of the cigarette pack buffer via the mounting frame. An arc-shaped guide rail connects the output end of the belt conveyor to the top of the cigarette pack buffer.

9. The cigarette pack laser marking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The laser generator is connected to an industrial computer, which controls the operation of the laser generator. The industrial computer is also connected to a controller with a display screen.

Images