Box sealing device based on manipulator

Abstract

A box sealing device based on a mechanical arm comprises a short edge pre-folding mechanism and a top cover side tongue box sealing mechanism, the short edge pre-folding mechanism is used for pre-folding the short edge of the top of a packaging box and comprises a first suction cup, a pre-folding plate and a linear driving assembly, the suction cup sucks the front side face of the packaging box, and the pre-folding plate pre-folds the short edge of the top of the packaging box; the top cover and side tongue box sealing mechanism is connected with a mechanical arm and comprises a second suction cup, a top cover pressing plate, a side tongue pressing plate, a second suction cup driving assembly, a top cover pressing driving assembly and a side tongue pressing driving assembly, the second suction cup sucks the rear side face of the packaging box, and the top cover pressing plate and the side tongue pressing plate are driven by the mechanical arm to obliquely move downwards; after the top cover and the side tongue are pre-folded through the top cover pressing plate and the side tongue pressing plate respectively, the top cover pressing driving assembly drives the top cover pressing plate to press the top cover in place, and the side tongue pressing driving assembly drives the side tongue pressing plate to press the side tongue in place. The automatic dispensing and box sealing device can realize automatic dispensing and box sealing, and is accurate in control, stable in operation, high in working efficiency and small and exquisite in structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of packaging equipment technology, and in particular to a box sealing device based on a robotic arm. Background Technology

[0002] The automation of cardboard box packaging requires multiple processes, such as box feeding, opening, bottom sealing, and top sealing. Bottom and top sealing themselves involve multiple steps, depending on the box's structure. For tongue-and-groove boxes, each fold must be aligned before inserting the tongue. For glued boxes, glue must be applied to each fold before folding and pressing. Existing sealing devices typically have functional components at the sealing station, working in tandem. However, these structures are often fixed at the sealing station and driven by cylinders or electric cylinders. Due to the numerous processes and modules, multiple drive modules are required, resulting in a complex overall structure, large size, and difficult maintenance. Robots (manipulators), with their ability to perform multiple degrees of freedom, high control precision, and reprogrammability, are widely used in various fields. Their technology is maturing, and they can be customized as needed, such as six-axis, five-axis, and four-axis robots, offering high flexibility and applicability to various situations. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a robotic arm-based sealing device that is stable in operation, highly efficient, and simple in structure.

[0004] This utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0005] A robotic arm-based box sealing device includes a short-side pre-folding mechanism and a top-cover / side-tip sealing mechanism. The short-side pre-folding mechanism is located beside the sealing station and is used to pre-fold the short side of the top of the packaging box. The top-cover / side-tip sealing mechanism is connected to the robotic arm, which drives the top-cover / side-tip sealing mechanism to move diagonally downwards to directly above the sealing station, and moves the packaging box to the next process after sealing. The top-cover / side-tip sealing mechanism is used to press the top cover and side flap of the packaging box into place to complete the sealing (both the top cover and side flap are pre-coated with adhesive, such as hot melt adhesive).

[0006] The short-side pre-folding mechanism includes a first suction cup, a pre-folding plate, and a linear drive assembly. The suction cup and the pre-folding plate are connected to the linear drive assembly and move to the sealing station under the drive of the linear drive assembly. The suction cup holds the front side of the packaging box at the sealing station to fix the packaging box. The pre-folding plate is used to pre-fold the short side of the top of the packaging box at the sealing station.

[0007] The top cover and side tongue sealing mechanism includes a mounting frame and a second suction cup, a top cover plate, a side tongue plate, a second suction cup drive assembly, a top cover drive assembly, and a side tongue drive assembly mounted on the mounting frame. The second suction cup drive assembly is connected to the second suction cup to drive the second suction cup to move to the rear side of the packaging box to hold the rear side and fix the packaging box. As the top cover plate and side tongue plate move diagonally downward under the drive of the robot to directly above the sealing station, they contact the top cover and side tongue of the packaging box at the sealing station and pre-fold them to maintain a predetermined posture. The top cover drive assembly is connected to the top cover plate to drive the top cover plate to move downward and press the pre-folded top cover into place. The two sets of side tongue drive assemblies are connected to the two sets of side tongue plates to drive the two sets of side tongue plates to move towards the two side tongues of the packaging box and press the pre-folded side tongues into place.

[0008] Furthermore, the mounting bracket is also equipped with two guide plates, which are used to assist the top cover plate and the side tongue plate in pre-pressing the top cover and the two side tongues into a predetermined position.

[0009] Furthermore, the side tongue pressing drive assembly includes a side tongue pressing cylinder, a connecting rod, and a rotating shaft. The side tongue pressing cylinder is hinged to the mounting bracket. The telescopic end of the side tongue pressing cylinder is connected to one end of the connecting rod, and the other end of the connecting rod is connected to the rotating shaft. The side tongue pressing plate is connected to the rotating shaft. The side tongue pressing cylinder drives the rotating shaft to rotate through the connecting rod, and the rotating shaft drives the side tongue pressing plate to rotate, pressing the side tongue of the packaging box into place.

[0010] Furthermore, the pressure cap driving assembly includes a pressure cap cylinder, and the second suction cup driving assembly includes a suction cup cylinder.

[0011] Furthermore, the top cover side tongue sealing mechanism is installed on the first frame, and each first frame is equipped with several sets of top cover side tongue sealing mechanisms, and the robot arm is connected to the top of the first frame.

[0012] Furthermore, the linear drive assembly includes a first linear drive assembly and a second linear drive assembly. The first suction cup and the second linear drive assembly are mounted on the first linear drive assembly, and the first and second linear drive assemblies run in the same direction. The pre-folding plate is mounted on the second linear drive assembly. When the first suction cup and the pre-folding plate move to the sealing station under the drive of the first linear drive assembly, after the first suction cup adheres to the front side of the packaging box, the pre-folding plate continues to move under the drive of the second linear drive assembly to pre-fold the short side.

[0013] Furthermore, the first linear drive assembly is a lead screw drive structure, and the second linear drive assembly includes a short-side pre-bending cylinder.

[0014] Furthermore, the first linear drive assembly is mounted on the second frame, and a plurality of the first suction cups and a plurality of the second linear drive assemblies are disposed on the first linear drive assembly. The number of the first suction cups and the second linear drive assemblies is the same and consistent with the number of the top cover side tongue sealing mechanism. A pre-folding plate is mounted on each group of the second linear drive assemblies.

[0015] Furthermore, the pressure-side tongue plate is provided with vent holes for introducing gas to accelerate the cooling of the heat sealant.

[0016] Furthermore, the inner side of the pressure tongue plate opposite to the packaging box is a gradually upward sloping surface, making the pressure tongue plate wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, which can press the side of the packaging box tightly to prevent the packaging box from slipping and facilitate the robotic arm to move the packaging box to the next process.

[0017] This invention comprises two parts: a short-side pre-folding mechanism and a top-cover / side-tongue sealing mechanism. The short-side pre-folding mechanism uses a servo drive to pre-fold the short side of the packaging box, while the top-cover / side-tongue sealing mechanism uses a robotic arm for overall movement, pre-folding the top cover and side tongues. A combination of cylinders and suction cups then presses the top cover, side tongues, and short side into place, achieving adhesive sealing. The robotic arm drive allows for flexible design of the movement path, enabling multi-dimensional motion and avoiding the complex structure and bulky size issues associated with traditional multi-linear module combinations, thus facilitating equipment layout and maintenance. The servo drive in the short-side pre-folding mechanism uses a lead screw drive, ensuring smooth operation and speed, and guaranteeing the equipment's durability. The pre-folding plate, top cover plate, and side tongue plate are all driven by small cylinders, significantly reducing weight and simplifying the structure. Multiple sets of motion mechanisms can be set in parallel to seal multiple packaging boxes simultaneously, improving work efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of the pre-folded short side state of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the sealed box state in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the short-side pre-folding mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the short-side pre-folding mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention, showing the short-side pre-folding state.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of the short-side pre-folding mechanism from another perspective in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0023] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the short-side pre-folding mechanism in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the top cover side tongue sealing mechanism in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0025] Figure 8 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the top cover side tongue sealing mechanism in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0026] Figure 9 This is a structural schematic diagram of the top cover side tongue sealing mechanism in an embodiment of this utility model from another perspective.

[0027] Figure 10 This is an enlarged structural diagram of the top cover side tongue sealing mechanism in another embodiment of this utility model.

[0028] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the packaging box after adhesive spraying according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the packaging box after the short side is pre-folded according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0030] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the packaging box after the top cover and side flaps are pre-folded, according to an embodiment of this utility model.

[0031] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the packaging box after the short side and top cover are pressed in according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0032] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the packaging box after the side tongue is pressed in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0033] Reference numerals: 1-Packaging box; 2-Short side pre-folding mechanism; 3-Top cover side tongue sealing mechanism; 4-First frame; 11-Short side; 12-Top cover; 13-Side tongue; 21-Pre-folding plate; 22-Second linear drive assembly; 23-First suction cup; 231-First suction cup plate; 24-First linear drive assembly; 25-Second frame; 31-Second suction cup; 311-Second suction cup plate; 32-Top cover plate; 33-Side tongue plate; 331-Ventilation hole; 34-Top cover drive assembly; 35-Side tongue drive assembly; 351-Side tongue cylinder; 352-First connecting rod; 353-First rotating shaft; 36-Guide plate; 37-Mounting bracket; 38-Second suction cup drive assembly; 381-Suction cup cylinder; 382-Second rotating shaft; 41-Mechanical arm connecting flange. Detailed Implementation

[0034] A robotic arm-based sealing device is mainly designed for packaging boxes 1 sealed by dispensing adhesive, such as... Figure 11Furthermore, the top of the packaging box 1 has a short side 11, opposite to the top cover 12. Both sides of the top cover 12 are connected to side tongues 13, such as... Figure 1 , Figure 2 The sealing device mainly includes a short side pre-folding mechanism 2 and a top cover and side tongue sealing mechanism 3. The short side pre-folding mechanism 2 is located on the side of the sealing station and is used to pre-fold the short side 11 of the top of the packaging box 1. The top cover and side tongue sealing mechanism 3 is connected to a robot (not shown in the figure). The robot is used to drive the top cover and side tongue sealing mechanism 3 to move diagonally downward to the top of the sealing station, and to move the packaging box 1 to the next process after sealing. The top cover and side tongue sealing mechanism 3 is used to press the top cover 12 and side tongue 13 of the top of the packaging box 1 into place to complete the sealing (the corresponding positions of the top cover 12 and side tongue 13 are pre-applied with adhesive, such as hot melt adhesive).

[0035] like Figures 3 to 6 The short side pre-folding mechanism 2 includes a first suction cup 23, a pre-folding plate 21, and a linear drive assembly. The suction cup and the pre-folding plate 21 are connected to the linear drive assembly and move to the sealing station under the drive of the linear drive assembly. The suction cup holds the front side of the packaging box 1 at the sealing station to fix the packaging box 1. The pre-folding plate 21 is used to pre-fold the short side 11 of the top of the packaging box 1 at the sealing station.

[0036] like Figures 7 to 10 The top cover and side tongue sealing mechanism 3 includes a mounting frame 37 and a second suction cup 31, a top cover plate 32, a side tongue plate 33, a second suction cup drive assembly 38, a top cover drive assembly 34, and a side tongue drive assembly 35, all mounted on the mounting frame 37. The second suction cup drive assembly 38 is connected to the second suction cup 31 to drive the second suction cup 31 to move to the rear side of the packaging box 1 to hold the rear side, thereby fixing the packaging box 1 and preventing the packaging box 1 from slipping after the first suction cup 23 is removed. The top cover plate 32 and the side tongue plate 33 move diagonally downwards under the drive of the robotic arm to seal the box. During the process directly above the box sealing station, the top cover plate 32 and the side tongue plate 33 contact the top cover 12 and the side tongue 13 of the packaging box 1 at the sealing station and pre-fold them, so that the top cover 12 and the two side tongues 13 maintain a predetermined posture; the top cover driving assembly 34 is connected to the top cover plate 32 to drive the top cover plate 32 to move downward and press the pre-folded top cover 12 into place; the two sets of the side tongue driving assemblies 35 are respectively connected to the two sets of the side tongue plates 33 to drive the two sets of the side tongue plates 33 to move towards the two side tongues 13 of the packaging box 1 and press the pre-folded side tongues 13 into place.

[0037] In this embodiment, as Figure 10The mounting bracket 37 is also fixedly equipped with two guide plates 36. The guide plates 36 are used to assist the top cover plate 32 and the side tongue plate 33 in pre-pressing the top cover 12 and the two side tongues 13 into a predetermined posture, especially in guiding the pre-folding of the side tongues 13. The two guide plates 36 are respectively set at opposite positions of the side tongues 13, and as the robot moves towards the packaging box 1, it bends the two side tongues 13 inward.

[0038] As one implementation method, such as Figure 8 The side tongue pressing drive assembly 35 includes a side tongue pressing cylinder 351, a first connecting rod 352, and a first rotating shaft 353. The side tongue pressing cylinder 351 is hinged to the mounting bracket 37. The telescopic end of the side tongue pressing cylinder 351 is connected to one end of the first connecting rod 352, and the other end of the first connecting rod 352 is connected to the first rotating shaft 353. The side tongue pressing plate 33 is connected to the first rotating shaft 353. The side tongue pressing cylinder 351 drives the rotating shaft to rotate through the first connecting rod 352, and the first rotating shaft 353 drives the side tongue pressing plate 33 to rotate, pressing the side tongue 13 of the packaging box 1 into place.

[0039] The pressure cap driving assembly 34 includes a pressure cap 12 cylinder, which drives the pressure cap plate 32 to move downward. The second suction cup 31 is mounted on the second suction cup plate 311, and the second suction cup driving assembly 38 includes a suction cup cylinder 381. In this embodiment, to facilitate spatial layout, such as... Figure 10 The second suction cup plate 311 is configured to be rotatable, similar to the structure of the pressure tongue drive assembly 35. The second suction cup drive assembly 38 also includes a second connecting rod (not shown in the figure) and a second rotating shaft 382. The suction cup cylinder 381 drives the second rotating shaft 382 to rotate through the second connecting rod. The second rotating shaft 382 drives the second suction cup plate 311 to rotate, rotating the second suction cup 31 to fit against the rear side of the packaging box 1 for vacuum adsorption.

[0040] As one implementation method, such as Figure 7 , Figure 9 The top cover side tongue sealing mechanism 3 is mounted on the first frame 4, and each first frame 4 is equipped with several sets of top cover side tongue sealing mechanisms 3, which can seal multiple packaging boxes 1 simultaneously, improving work efficiency. In this embodiment, a robot arm connecting flange 41 is provided on the top of the first frame 4 for connecting the robot arm to the first frame 4.

[0041] As one implementation method, such as Figure 6The linear drive assembly includes a first linear drive assembly 24 and a second linear drive assembly 22. A first suction cup 23 is mounted on a first suction cup plate 231. The first suction cup plate 231 and the second linear drive assembly 22 are mounted on the first linear drive assembly 24, and the running directions of the first linear drive assembly 24 and the second linear drive assembly 22 are the same. The pre-folding plate 21 is mounted on the second linear drive assembly 22. When the first suction cup 23 and the pre-folding plate 21 move to the sealing station under the drive of the first linear drive assembly 24, after the first suction cup 23 adheres to the front side of the packaging box 1, the pre-folding plate 21 continues to move under the drive of the second linear drive assembly 22, pre-folding the short side 11.

[0042] In this embodiment, the first linear drive assembly 24 is mounted on the second frame 25. A plurality of first suction cups 23 and a plurality of second linear drive assemblies 22 are disposed on the first linear drive assembly 24, and the number of first suction cups 23 and second linear drive assemblies 22 is the same as the number of top cover side tongue sealing mechanisms 3. Each group of second linear drive assemblies 22 is equipped with a pre-folding plate 21. In this embodiment, the top cover side tongue sealing mechanism 3 is provided in three parallel groups, and correspondingly, there are three groups of first suction cups 23, pre-folding plates 21, and second linear drive assemblies 22. The first linear drive assembly 24 may be a lead screw drive structure, and the second linear drive assembly 22 includes a short-side 11 pre-folding cylinder.

[0043] In this embodiment, the pressure-side tongue plate 33 is also provided with a vent hole 331 for introducing gas to accelerate the cooling of the heat-sealing adhesive. The vent hole 331 can be located on the side of the pressure-side tongue plate 33, so that the vent hole 331 penetrates the entire plane of the pressure-side tongue plate 33. The inner side of the pressure-side tongue plate 33 opposite to the packaging box 1 is a gradually upward sloping surface, making the pressure-side tongue plate 33 wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, which can press the side of the packaging box 1 tightly to prevent the packaging box 1 from slipping, and facilitate the robotic arm to hold the packaging box 1 and move it to the next process.

[0044] The working process of this utility model is as follows:

[0045] 1. After the packaging box 1 is conveyed to the sealing station, the screw drive structure drives the first suction cup 23, the short side 11 pre-folding cylinder and the pre-folding plate 21 to the sealing station. The first suction cup 23 vacuum adsorbs the front side of the packaging box 1, and the packaging box 1 is fixed.

[0046] 2. The short side 11 pre-folding cylinder extends, driving the pre-folding plate 21 to move forward, as shown. Figure 12 The top short side 11, which is connected to the front side of the packaging box 1, is bent.

[0047] 3. The robotic arm drives the top cover side tongue sealing mechanism 3 to move diagonally downwards toward the packaging box 1. During the process of the top cover side tongue sealing mechanism 3 moving to directly above the packaging box 1, as... Figure 13 After the top cover 12 and two side tongues 13 of the packaging box 1 are pre-folded to a predetermined position (posture) using the guide plate 36, the top cover plate 32, and the side tongue plate 33, the cylinder of the top cover 12 extends, driving the top cover plate 32 to pre-fold the top cover 12 again, as shown. Figure 14 ;

[0048] 4. The short side 11 pre-folding cylinder drives the pre-folding plate 21 to retract, and the top cover 12 cylinder drives the top cover plate 32 to press into place; the second suction cup 31 moves towards the packaging box 1 under the drive of the suction cup cylinder 381, vacuum adsorbing the rear side of the packaging box 1; the side tongue pressing cylinder 351 drives the side tongue pressing plate 33 to press the side tongue 13 of the packaging box 1 into place, as shown. Figure 15 The box is now sealed.

[0049] 5. The lead screw drive structure drives the first suction cup 23 and the pre-folding plate 21 to move backward, and the robot arm carries the packaging box 1 to the next process.

[0050] The above detailed description is a specific description of a feasible embodiment of the present utility model. This embodiment is not intended to limit the patent scope of the present utility model. All equivalent implementations or modifications that do not depart from the present utility model should be included in the patent scope of this case.

Claims

1. A sealing device based on a robotic arm, characterized in that, The device includes a short-side pre-folding mechanism and a top-cover / side-tongue sealing mechanism. The short-side pre-folding mechanism is located beside the sealing station and is used to pre-fold the short side of the top of the packaging box. The top-cover / side-tongue sealing mechanism is connected to a robotic arm, which drives the mechanism to move diagonally downwards to directly above the sealing station and moves the packaging box to the next process after sealing. The top-cover / side-tongue sealing mechanism is used to press the top cover and side tongue of the packaging box into place to complete the sealing. The short-side pre-folding mechanism includes a first suction cup, a pre-folding plate, and a linear drive assembly. The suction cup and the pre-folding plate are connected to the linear drive assembly and move to the sealing station under the drive of the linear drive assembly. The suction cup holds the front side of the packaging box at the sealing station to fix the packaging box, and the pre-folding plate is used to pre-fold the short side of the top of the packaging box at the sealing station. The top cover and side tongue sealing mechanism includes a mounting frame and a second suction cup, a top cover plate, a side tongue plate, a second suction cup drive assembly, a top cover drive assembly, and a side tongue drive assembly mounted on the mounting frame. The second suction cup drive assembly is connected to the second suction cup to drive the second suction cup to move to the rear side of the packaging box to hold the rear side and fix the packaging box. As the top cover plate and side tongue plate move diagonally downward under the drive of the robot to directly above the sealing station, they contact the top cover and side tongue of the packaging box at the sealing station and pre-fold them to maintain a predetermined posture. The top cover drive assembly is connected to the top cover plate to drive the top cover plate to move downward and press the pre-folded top cover into place. The two sets of side tongue drive assemblies are connected to the two sets of side tongue plates to drive the two sets of side tongue plates to move towards the two side tongues of the packaging box and press the pre-folded side tongues into place.

2. The sealing device based on a robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting bracket is also equipped with two guide plates, which are used to assist the pressure plate on the top cover and the pressure plate on the side tongues in pre-pressing the top cover and the two side tongues into a predetermined position.

3. A sealing device based on a robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The side tongue pressing drive assembly includes a side tongue pressing cylinder, a connecting rod, and a rotating shaft. The side tongue pressing cylinder is hinged to the mounting bracket. The telescopic end of the side tongue pressing cylinder is connected to one end of the connecting rod, and the other end of the connecting rod is connected to the rotating shaft. The side tongue pressing plate is connected to the rotating shaft. The side tongue pressing cylinder drives the rotating shaft to rotate through the connecting rod, and the rotating shaft drives the side tongue pressing plate to rotate, pressing the side tongue of the packaging box into place.

4. A sealing device based on a robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure cap driving assembly includes a pressure cap cylinder, and the second suction cup driving assembly includes a suction cup cylinder.

5. A sealing device based on a robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top cover side tongue sealing mechanism is installed on the first frame, and each first frame is equipped with several sets of top cover side tongue sealing mechanisms. The robot arm is connected to the top of the first frame.

6. A sealing device based on a robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The linear drive assembly includes a first linear drive assembly and a second linear drive assembly. The first suction cup and the second linear drive assembly are mounted on the first linear drive assembly, and the first linear drive assembly and the second linear drive assembly run in the same direction. The pre-folding plate is mounted on the second linear drive assembly.

7. A sealing device based on a robotic arm according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first linear drive assembly is a lead screw drive structure, and the second linear drive assembly includes a short-side pre-bending cylinder.

8. A sealing device based on a robotic arm according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first linear drive assembly is mounted on the second frame. A plurality of first suction cups and a plurality of second linear drive assemblies are arranged on the first linear drive assembly. The number of first suction cups and second linear drive assemblies is the same and consistent with the number of top cover side tongue sealing mechanisms. A pre-folding plate is mounted on each group of second linear drive assemblies.

9. A sealing device based on a robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure-side tongue plate is provided with vent holes for introducing gas to accelerate the cooling of the heat sealant.

10. A sealing device based on a robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner side of the pressure tongue plate opposite to the packaging box is a gradually upward sloping surface, making the pressure tongue plate wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, which can press the side of the packaging box tightly and prevent the packaging box from slipping.

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