Box opening wheel drum for boxing machine and boxing machine with same

Abstract

The utility model discloses a box opening wheel drum for a boxing machine, which is suitable for continuously converting paper boxes which are stacked from paper boxes and are in a pressing and stacking state into paper boxes which are suitable for being transferred to a box conveying station and are in an opening state. A first support disc and a second support disc; one end of the swing arm is provided with a picking suction nozzle used for picking up the paper boxes in a pressing and stacking state; and the box opening ejector rod is arranged to be capable of abutting against the paper box sucked by the pickup suction nozzle when the box opening wheel drum continuously rotates relative to the rotation axis, so that when the paper box is pulled inwards by the pickup suction nozzle in the radial direction, acting force for converting the paper box into an opening state from a pressing and stacking state is applied to the paper box. Therefore, reliable box opening of the paper during the continuous rotation period of the box opening rotary drum is ingeniously realized. The utility model further relates to a box packing machine with the box packing machine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of packaging machinery technology, specifically to an opening drum for a cartoning machine, which is suitable for a cartoning machine that uses the opening drum to effectively perform the opening operation. Background Technology

[0002] A cartoning machine is a device that semi-automatically or automatically loads unpackaged or small-packaged products into transport packaging. Its working principle involves arranging and quantitatively loading products into boxes and automatically closing or sealing the box opening. It is widely used in product packaging in industries such as pharmaceuticals and food and beverages. As is known, the cartoning machine is one of the main pieces of equipment in downstream packaging. Before forming, closed cartons are individually picked up from the stack of cartons by an opening mechanism. This opening mechanism can be, for example, an opening drum or a rotary drum, which is rotatably arranged between the carton stack and the carton feeding station to transfer cartons from the stack one by one to the downstream cartoning process in an adsorption and rotational manner during automated packaging. During rotation, suction cups pick up the cartons and rotate them with the rotating drum until they are transferred. Various forms of pre-opening devices are used to perform the opening operation during rotation. As an example, firstly, a drum used to pick up closed cartons rotates in, for example, a clockwise direction, and suction nozzles mounted on its surface pick up the closed cartons during the rotation. As the drum continues to rotate, these cartons are changed from their closed state to their open state via the drum, thus preparing them for subsequent cartoning processes.

[0003] In actual boxing processes, it was found that the current packaging production line requires the use of cardboard boxes from different manufacturers. Due to differences in size, physical properties of the cardboard materials, etc., the continuous high-speed operation of the drum can easily lead to incoordination between the cardboard boxes and the pre-opening device. This results in situations such as the cardboard boxes not being effectively converted from a closed to an open state, or the boxes falling off during pre-opening. Consequently, this not only reduces the continuous operating capacity of the production line but also increases the defect rate due to products not being properly packed after small boxes fall, leading to a large number of scrapped small boxes and increased production costs.

[0004] Therefore, there is a technical requirement in this field for continuous opening of high-throughput cardboard boxes in a lower cost, simpler, more feasible, and more stable manner. Utility Model Content

[0005] Therefore, the objective of this invention is to provide an opening drum for a cartoning machine that can overcome the shortcomings of the prior art.

[0006] To accomplish the above tasks, this utility model provides an opening drum for a cartoning machine, suitable for continuously transforming a stacked carton into an open carton suitable for transfer to a carton feeding station. It includes: a rotating shaft defining a rotation axis, wherein the opening drum is continuously rotatable about the rotation axis; a first support plate and a second support plate fixedly mounted to opposite ends of the rotating shaft, wherein the distance between the first support plate and the second support plate is adjustable and connected to each other; and a drum pivotally connected to the first support plate and the second support plate. At least one swing arm on the inner surface of either of the support plates, wherein one end of the swing arm is fitted with a pick-up nozzle for picking up a folded carton; and an opening push rod located on at least a portion of the outer periphery of either the first support plate or the second support plate, wherein the opening push rod is arranged to abut against the carton picked up by the pick-up nozzle during continuous rotation of the opening drum about the axis of rotation, so as to apply a force to the carton to change the carton from a folded state to an open state as the carton is pulled inward in the radial direction by the pick-up nozzle.

[0007] Compared with existing technologies, the carton opening drum of this invention utilizes an additional opening push rod near the pick-up nozzle. As the nozzle operates, it forces the carton against this opening push rod. Because the carton itself has a folded parallelogram cross-section, when the opening push rod exerts its force on the carton, it can cause the paper to stand up under the force, completing the opening operation. This cleverly achieves reliable opening of the carton during the continuous rotation of the opening drum.

[0008] In a preferred aspect, a plurality of box-opening push rods are evenly distributed around the entire outer periphery of the first support plate and / or the second support plate, wherein the box-opening push rods protrude outward from the outer periphery of the first support plate and / or the second support plate by a distance of 0.5 to 5 cm.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, when viewed along the axis of rotation of the box-opening drum, the box-opening push rod is arranged to be collinear with the corresponding pickup nozzle.

[0010] As a preferred aspect, the top lever of the box is spaced 1 to 5 centimeters apart from the corresponding pickup nozzle.

[0011] As a preferred aspect, the top rod of the box is designed as a cylindrical rod with a circular cross-section or a prism with a regular polygonal cross-section.

[0012] In a preferred aspect, the first support plate and the second support plate are connected to each other via a connecting rod located therebetween, wherein the length of the connecting rod between the first support plate and the second support plate is adjustable to accommodate the size of the carton.

[0013] As a preferred aspect, the box-opening push rod is arranged to abut against any elongated edge of the carton and apply force thereto during continuous rotation of the box-opening drum about the axis of rotation.

[0014] This utility model also relates to a cartoning machine, comprising: a stack of paper boxes capable of distributing paper boxes one by one, wherein the paper boxes are in a stacked or closed state; an opening drum capable of continuously rotating around its own axis of rotation for picking up and opening the paper boxes; and a carton feeding station for continuously conveying the paper boxes in the open state from the opening drum one by one to the cartoning station; wherein the opening drum is the opening drum for the cartoning machine described above.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the cardboard box stack includes an inlet, an outlet, and a feed channel chute connecting the inlet and the outlet, wherein the inlet is used to add a sheet-folded cardboard box into the feed channel chute, and the outlet is used to push out the sheet-folded cardboard boxes stored in the feed channel chute one by one.

[0016] As a preferred aspect, the cardboard stack is further provided with an opening for a push mechanism to enter the feed channel chute, wherein the push mechanism is used to push out the folded cardboard boxes one by one through the discharge port. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 A perspective view is shown of a paper box that is adsorbed and opened by an opening drum according to the present invention, wherein the paper box is in its folded or closed state.

[0018] Figure 2 It shows that Figure 1 The diagram shown illustrates the principle of a cardboard box transitioning from a closed state to an open state.

[0019] Figure 3 It shows Figure 1 The cardboard box shown is currently in the open position.

[0020] Figure 4 A cartoning machine with an opening drum according to the present invention is shown.

[0021] Reference numerals used repeatedly in this specification and drawings are intended to indicate the same or similar elements of this utility model.

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0023] 100 - Opening drum; 101 - First support plate; 102 - Second support plate;

[0024] 103A, 103B - Pickup nozzle; 104A, 104B - Swing arm; 105 - Box opening lever;

[0025] 106 - Cardboard box stacking; 107 - Box feeding station; A1 - Rotary axis;

[0026] 10-Paper box; 11-Leg; 12-Upper lid; 13-Lower lid;

[0027] 14 - Box body; 15A - First edge; 15B - Second edge; 16 - Inner cavity;

[0028] 17A - First surface; 17B - Second surface; Detailed Implementation

[0029] Those skilled in the art will understand that the following detailed description of embodiments is merely an illustration of exemplary models and is not intended to limit the broader aspects of this disclosure.

[0030] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0031] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0032] cardboard box

[0033] like Figures 1 to 3 The illustration shows a cardboard box 10 for packaging materials such as pharmaceuticals or preparations. The cardboard box 10 includes a box body 14 defining an inner cavity 16 for receiving materials, and one end of the box body 14 has a bottom opening (see [reference]). Figure 3Here, the bottom opening is formed with an upper cover 12 for closing the bottom opening, a pair of tongues 11, and a lower cover 13. Opposite to the bottom opening, the other end of the box body 14 is formed with a top opening for later inserting materials such as medicines or preparations into the inner cavity 16, wherein a top cover for closing the top opening, a pair of tongues, and a label for sealing the top cover are formed at this top opening.

[0034] In this embodiment, the cardboard box 10 is designed as a cuboid, and the internal cavity 16 formed inside the cardboard box 10 is also a cuboid space. The cuboid has a long side, a wide side, and a height. The first edge 15A and the second edge 15B of the cardboard box 10 are the long sides of the cuboid, and the two adjacent sides of the first edge 15A and the second edge 15B are designed to pivot about them, for example, the two sides are related to each other at a degree of (90±3) degrees (e.g., ...). Figure 3 As shown, the cardboard boxes are in the open state at this time, and they are at a (175~180) degree relationship with each other (as shown). Figure 1 As shown, the cardboard box is in a folded or closed state at this time, and each side wall of the cardboard box 10 has an edge that defines the opening. In other specific embodiments, the cardboard box 10 may also be other structural shapes, such as a polyhedron with a hexagonal cross-section or a regular shape with a cross-section of other polygons.

[0035] In this embodiment, as Figure 3 The illustrated cardboard box 10 is in an open or partially open state to allow materials such as pharmaceuticals or formulations to be inserted into the inner cavity 16. For ease of storage, the initial state of the cardboard box 10 is either folded or closed. Figure 1 The paper box sheet shown is stored in the paper box stack 106. When the paper box 10 is in a folded or closed state, the two surfaces of the box body 14 that were originally spaced apart are brought together tightly by means of the bending of the box body 14 about the first edge 15A and the second edge 15B. This makes the original cavity 16 basically disappear, thereby significantly reducing the space required by the paper box 10.

[0036] When using this cardboard box 10 to package materials such as pharmaceuticals or preparations, the first step is to... Figure 1 The cardboard box 10, shown in the image as being in a folded or closed state, is then opened. Specifically: [Example...] Figure 2 As shown, the standard procedure for packaging materials using this cardboard box 10 is as follows:

[0037] Step 1: Open the boxes. Pick out the boxes 10 that are folded or closed from the stack of boxes one by one (e.g., ...). Figure 1 (As shown) and perform the box opening operation to obtain a cardboard box 10 in an open or unopened state (e.g.) Figure 3 (as shown); here, as Figure 2 As shown, such an opening operation can be achieved, for example, by applying a force F in a predetermined direction to the first edge 15A and the second edge 15B of the carton 10, thereby forcing the two adjacent sides of the first edge 15A and the second edge 15B to pivot about them in a predetermined manner, thus opening the carton 10 from its folded or closed state. Figure 3 The cardboard box 10 shown is in an open or unopened state.

[0038] Step 2, bottom sealing, specifically: First, fold the paired tongues 11 inwards towards each other to close the bottom. Then, press the lower cover 13 against the folded paired tongues 11. Finally, press the upper cover 12 against the folded lower cover 13 and fix the two together by a suitable method such as gluing, inserting, or heat sealing to obtain the cardboard box 10 with the bottom sealed.

[0039] Step 3: Loading. At the loading station, the material is loaded into the inner cavity 16 of the paper box 10 through the top opening.

[0040] Step 4: Top sealing. Using the same method as in Step 2, fold the top opening of the cardboard box 10, the paired tongues, and the label section for sealing the top opening in sequence to achieve a complete seal. This completes the entire material packaging process.

[0041] Cartoning machine

[0042] Next, combine Figure 4 This invention describes a cartoning machine according to the present invention. Here, the cartoning machine is arranged from left to right with sequentially arranged components capable of dispensing products downstream one by one. Figure 1 The stack 106 of the cardboard boxes 10 in a folded or closed state, the opening drum 100 for picking up and opening the cardboard boxes 10 that can rotate continuously about its own axis of rotation A1, and the cardboard box drum 100 for picking up and opening the cardboard boxes 10 from the opening drum 100. Figure 3 The open cartons 10 shown are continuously moved one by one to the carton feeding station 107 of the downstream cartoning station. Here, the carton stack 106, the opening drum 100, and the feeding station 107 in the cartoning machine are all designed to operate at high speed in a fully automatic manner, thereby achieving high-throughput continuous processing of the cartons 10. The relative positions and operating cycles of the carton stack 106, the opening drum 100, and the feeding station 107 in the cartoning machine are well known to those skilled in the art and can be flexibly adjusted according to factors such as the size of the carton 10; therefore, they are not described or limited in detail in this embodiment.

[0043] As a feasible approach, the cardboard box stack 106 may have an inlet, an outlet, and a feed channel chute connecting the inlet and the outlet, wherein the inlet is used to add the sheet-folded cardboard box 10 into the feed channel chute. Figure 1 (In the state of being in operation); the discharge port is used to push out the folded cardboard boxes 10 stored in the material channel chute one by one. Preferably, the cardboard box stack 106 is also provided with an opening 13 for the push mechanism to enter the material channel chute. When the cardboard box stack 106 is working, the push mechanism extends into the material channel chute through the opening and pushes the folded cardboard boxes 10 one by one through the discharge port to the opening drum 100 located downstream for it to pick up and open the boxes in a rhythmic manner.

[0044] Here, the box feeding station 107 is preferably designed as a cylinder that can also rotate continuously around its own axis of rotation, wherein the box feeding station 107 can preferably be driven by a servo motor. At predetermined intervals, two pairs of suction cups are arranged on the outer circumference of the cylinder to firmly hold the opened carton 10 from the box opening drum 100 and then move it to the downstream boxing station. This is achieved by coordinating the rotational speeds of the box opening drum 100 and the box feeding station 107.

[0045] Opening the drum kit

[0046] Next, combine Figure 4 To describe the carton opening drum 100 of the cartoning machine according to this utility model. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the cassette drum 100 here has a transversely extending shaft that defines the rotation axis A1 (in Figure 4 (not shown), preferably, the drive mechanism of the servo motor is mounted at one end of the rotating shaft and is used to drive the rotating shaft continuously in a single direction (in Figure 4 The rotating shaft has two parallel, spaced-apart circular support plates 101 and 102. Each support plate 101 and 102 has several swing arms 104A and 104B evenly distributed along its outer perimeter on its inner surface. One end of each swing arm 104A and 104B is fixedly connected to a connecting shaft on its back side. The other ends of the two swing arms 104A and 104B are equipped with pick-up nozzles 103A and 103B for picking up paper boxes 10 from the stacked or closed state of the paper box stack 106.

[0047] Here, the first support plate 101 and the second support plate 102, which are spaced apart from each other, are adjustablely connected together by means of a plurality of connecting rods. This allows the distance between the pickup nozzles 103A and 103B to be adjusted by adjusting the length of the connecting rods located between the first support plate 101 and the second support plate 102, depending on the different sizes and specifications of the cartons 10 to be picked up. With the help of the design of the swing arms 104A and 104B, these pickup nozzles 103A and 103B have radial swing extension and retraction as the carton opening drum 100 rotates, so that there is a vertical pressure action when picking up cartons 10 in a folded or closed state, which can improve the stability and firmness of the pickup nozzles 103A and 103B in picking up cartons 10.

[0048] Furthermore, such as Figure 4 As clearly shown, the entire outer periphery of the first support plate 101 can be evenly divided into six sections, each section having an opening push rod 105 protruding outward from its outer periphery for opening the carton 10 after the pick-up nozzles 103A and 103B have picked up the carton 10 in a folded or closed state from the carton stack 106. During the unidirectional rotation of the first support plate 101 with the opening drum 100, the opening push rod 105 is arranged to abut against either the first edge 15A or the second edge 15B of the carton 10 picked up by either the pick-up nozzles 103A and 103B, thereby applying force to either the first edge 15A or the second edge 15B of the carton 10 as the carton 10 is pulled radially inward by the pick-up nozzles 103A and 103B to open the carton 10. Figure 1 The closed state in the middle becomes Figure 3 The force F applied in the open state is positively correlated with the force by which the pick-up nozzles 103A and 103B pull the carton 10 inward in the radial direction and the protrusion height or distance of the opening top rod 105 as described below. The magnitude of the force F can be adaptively selected and adjusted according to the design and material of different cartons 10, thereby improving the versatility of the opening drum.

[0049] Preferably, in Figure 4The diagram shows that the aforementioned box-opening push rods 105 are evenly distributed in six sections along the entire outer periphery of the first support plate 101. Here, the distance by which the box-opening push rod 105 protrudes outward from the outer periphery of the first support plate 101 ensures that the push rod 105 can support the rotation of the wheel drum 100 without causing the carton to deform or fold. Specifically, in a specific embodiment of this invention, the box-opening push rod 105 protrudes outward from the outer periphery of the first support plate 101 by a distance of 0.5 to 5 cm, further preferably 1 to 5 cm, even more preferably 1.3 to 3 cm, preferably 1.3 to 1.7 cm, and more preferably 1.6 cm. This protrusion height or distance can be, for example, set as the straight-line distance between the outer peripheral surface of the first support plate 101 and the outermost end or the highest tip of the box-opening push rod 105. Although the box-opening push rod 105 shown here is a cylindrical rod with a circular cross-section, the box-opening push rod 105 can also be a prism with a regular polygonal shape.

[0050] Preferably, when viewed along the rotation axis A1, the opening rod 105 is arranged collinear with the corresponding pickup nozzles 103A and 103B. Preferably, along the rotation axis A1, the opening rod 105 and the corresponding pickup nozzles 103A and 103B can be spaced 1 to 5 cm apart, more preferably 1 to 3 cm, even more preferably 2 to 2.5 cm, and most preferably 2 cm.

[0051] Preferably, the number of pickup nozzles 103A and / or 103B corresponds to the number of opening push rods 105. More preferably, the sum of the number of pickup nozzles 103A and 103B corresponds to the sum of the number of opening push rods 105. Thus, the faster the rotation speed of the opening drum 100, the more cartons are picked up by the pickup nozzles 103A and 103B. This allows the opening efficiency to be improved by increasing the rotation speed of the opening drum 100 or increasing the number of opening push rods with pickup nozzles 103A and / or 103B, depending on actual needs when using the cartoning machine.

[0052] Preferably, the entire outer periphery of the second support plate 102 can be evenly divided into six sections, and opening rods 105 are evenly distributed in the six sections of the second support plate 102. Here, the opening rods 105 protrude outward from the outer periphery of the second support plate 102 by a distance of 2 to 5 centimeters. Although the opening rods 105 shown here are cylindrical rods with a circular cross-section, the opening rods 105 can also be prisms with regular polygonal shapes.

[0053] Understandably, as a preferred method, in Figure 4The first support plate 101 shown drives the pickup nozzle 103A on it to rotate synchronously. When the pickup nozzle 103A rotates to the feeding port position of the cardboard box stack 106, the pickup nozzle 103A can pick up the cardboard box 10 located at the foremost end of the feeding port. After the first support plate 101 has rotated through a certain rotation angle, the cardboard box 10 picked up by the pickup nozzle 103A will be pulled inward in the radial direction under the action of the swing arm 104A, so that the cardboard box 10, preferably the first edge 15A, is forcefully abutted against the opening push rod 105. As a result, the opening push rod 105 can apply a force F to the first edge 15A of the cardboard box 10, and thus will be in a position during the predetermined rotation angle. Figure 1 The closed state of the cardboard box 10 is converted into a closed state in Figure 3 The diagram shows an open cardboard box 10. Then, with the rotation of the first support plate 101, the pick-up nozzle 103A can move the open cardboard box 10 to the area corresponding to the box-feeding station 107 and release and transfer the open cardboard box 10. In this invention, every time the first support plate 101 rotates a certain angle, a cardboard box 10 located on the cardboard box stack 106 is sucked down, and simultaneously, an open cardboard box 10 is fed into the box-feeding station 107. The multiple pick-up nozzles 103A in this invention perform the opening and transfer operations of the cardboard box 10 by rotation, which can significantly improve the processing speed of the cardboard box 10, thereby increasing the production speed.

[0054] Reference Figure 4 The opening process of the cardboard box 10 is described below using the movement path of one of the pickup nozzles 103A on the first support plate 101 as an example when passing the box opening rod 105: Assume that the two larger surfaces of the box body 14 of the cardboard box 10, located on the front and rear sides, are both first surfaces 17A, and the two smaller surfaces, located on the left and right sides, are both second surfaces 17B. The two first surfaces 17A located on the front and rear sides are arranged opposite each other, and the two second surfaces 17B located on the left and right sides are also arranged opposite each other. Furthermore, the two first surfaces 17A and the two second surfaces 17B are spaced apart from each other and form a circle from end to end.

[0055] When the cardboard box 10 is in a folded or closed state, the other three surfaces, except for the first surface 17A which will subsequently be picked up by the pick-up nozzle 103A, are all offset by a certain distance to one side of the first surface 17A that will be picked up subsequently. When the cardboard box 10 is stacked in the cardboard box stack 106, it will be in a flat folded or closed state. The pick-up nozzle 103A will first pick up the first surface 17A of the flat folded or closed cardboard box 10. When the pick-up nozzle 103A moves the flat cardboard box 10 past or near the opening rod 105, as the cardboard box 10 is pulled inward in the radial direction by the pick-up nozzles 103A and 103B, the portion of the cardboard box 10 preferably with the first edge 15A will first be stopped by the opening rod 105. As a result, the opening rod 105 can apply a force F to the first edge 15A of the cardboard box 10 to cause the originally offset second surface 17B to deflect relative to the first surface 17A; then, referring to Figure 2 The cardboard box 10, subjected to the force F of the opening push rod 105, will gradually shift in the opposite direction as the first support plate 101 rotates; finally, when the cardboard box 10, after shifting in the opposite direction, disengages from the stop action or force F of the box push rod 105, the cardboard box 10 has been opened to... Figure 3 The state shown in the figure is immediately and continuously transferred one by one from the box feeding station 107 to the downstream boxing station to achieve packaging.

[0056] As can be seen from the above, in this utility model, an opening push rod 105 is added near the pick-up nozzle 103A of the opening drum 100. As the nozzle is activated, the cardboard box 10 will be forced to press against the opening push rod 105. Since the cardboard box 10 itself has a folded parallelogram cross-section, when the opening push rod 105 pushes against a part of the cardboard box, preferably at least one edge, the cardboard box 10 can be supported by the force F to complete the opening operation, thus cleverly realizing the reliable opening of the cardboard box 10 during the continuous rotation of the opening drum 100.

[0057] The embodiments of this utility model have been illustrated and described herein, but those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, omissions, and additions can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this utility model. It should not be understood as limited to the specific embodiments described herein, but encompasses all possible embodiments embodied within the scope and equivalents of the features described in the appended claims.

[0058] The dimensions and values ​​disclosed herein should not be construed as strictly limited to the precise numerical values ​​stated. Rather, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to represent the value and a range of functionally equivalent values ​​around that value.

[0059] All documents referenced in the “Detailed Description” section are incorporated herein by reference in the relevant sections; no reference to any document should be construed as an admission that it is prior art concerning this utility model. In the event of any conflict between the meaning or definition of any term in this written document and the meaning or definition of any term in the referenced documents, the meaning or definition assigned to the term in this written document shall prevail.

[0060] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to cover all such changes and modifications within the scope of the present invention.

[0061] When describing elements of the present invention or their preferred embodiments(s), the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “the” are intended to indicate the presence of one or more elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that additional elements may be present in addition to the listed elements. Many modifications and variations may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Therefore, the above embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A drum for an opening wheel of a cartoning machine, which is adapted to continuously transform cartons from a stack of cartons in a collapsed state into cartons in an open state suitable for transfer to a carton delivery station, characterized in that, comprising: a rotating shaft defining a rotation axis about which the unboxing drum is continuously rotatable; a first support plate and a second support plate fixedly mounted to opposite ends of the rotating shaft, wherein the first support plate and the second support plate are adjustably connected to each other at a distance; at least one swing arm pivotably connected to an inner side surface of either of the first support plate and the second support plate, wherein one end of the swing arm is mounted with a picking suction nozzle for picking up a carton in a compressed state; and an unboxing top rod located at least a portion of an outer periphery of either of the first support plate and the second support plate, wherein the unboxing top rod is arranged to be abuttable to a carton picked up by the picking suction nozzle during continuous rotation of the unboxing drum about the rotation axis to apply a force to the carton to convert the carton from the compressed state to an open state as the carton is pulled inwards by the picking suction nozzle in a radial direction.

2. The drum for an opening wheel of a cartoning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, wherein a plurality of unboxing top rods are evenly distributed along an entire outer periphery of the first support plate and / or the second support plate, wherein the unboxing top rods protrude outwardly from the outer periphery of the first support plate and / or the second support plate by a distance of 0.5 to 10 centimeters.

3. The drum for an opening wheel of a cartoning machine according to claim 1, wherein, wherein the unboxing top rods are arranged to be collinear with corresponding picking suction nozzles when viewed in a direction along the rotation axis of the unboxing drum.

4. The drum for an opening wheel of a cartoning machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, wherein the unboxing top rods are spaced apart from corresponding picking suction nozzles by a distance of 1 to 5 centimeters.

5. The carton opening wheel drum of claim 1 wherein, wherein the unboxing top rods are designed as cylindrical rods with a circular cross section or prisms with regular polygonal cross sections.

6. The carton opening wheel drum of claim 1 wherein, wherein the first support plate and the second support plate are connected to each other via a connecting rod located therebetween, wherein a length of the connecting rod between the first support plate and the second support plate is adjustable to accommodate a size of the carton.

7. The carton opening wheel drum of claim 1 wherein, wherein the unboxing top rods are arranged to be abuttable to and apply a force to any elongated edge of the carton during continuous rotation of the unboxing drum about the rotation axis.

8. A cartoning machine comprising: a carton stack capable of dispensing cartons one by one, wherein the cartons are in a compressed or closed state; an unboxing drum capable of continuously rotating about its own rotation axis for picking up and opening the cartons; and a carton transfer station for continuously transferring the cartons in the open state from the unboxing drum one by one to a cartoning station; characterized in that the unboxing drum is the unboxing drum for the cartoning machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The packer of claim 8 wherein, wherein the carton stack comprises an infeed, an outfeed and a chute connecting the infeed and the outfeed, wherein the infeed is used to add cartons in a sheet-folded state into the chute, wherein the outfeed is used to push the cartons in the sheet-folded state stored in the chute out one by one.

10. The packer of claim 9, wherein, wherein the carton stack is further provided with an opening for a pusher mechanism to act into the chute, wherein the pusher mechanism is used to push the cartons in the sheet-folded state out one by one through the outfeed.

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