Feeding device and order production system

Abstract

The utility model provides a feeding device and an order production system. The feeding device comprises an annular outer disc, an inner disc and a cylindrical surrounding plate. The annular outer disc is configured to be rotatably disposed. The inner disc is used for receiving articles and obliquely arranged on the radial inner side of the annular outer disc. The inner disc is configured to be rotatably arranged so that the articles can be moved to the highest position of the inner disc and transferred to the annular outer disc under the action of centrifugal force. And the cylindrical coaming is arranged above the annular outer disc. A feeding channel extending in the circumferential direction is formed in the surface, located on the radial inner side of the cylindrical surrounding plate, of the annular outer disc, and the cylindrical surrounding plate is movably arranged relative to the annular outer disc so that the width of the feeding channel can be adjusted. According to the feeding device disclosed by the invention, the cylindrical coaming can move relative to the annular outer disc, so that the feeding channel is adaptive to different types of articles, and the application range of the feeding device is expanded.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of warehousing and logistics, and in particular to a feeding device and an order production system. Background Technology

[0002] After receiving an order, the warehouse needs to sort, load, and feed the items to the subsequent packaging equipment. However, the current feeding mechanism can only transport items of the same specification or the same type of item, so its scope of application is very narrow.

[0003] It should be noted that the statements in this background section only provide background information related to this disclosure and do not necessarily constitute prior art. Utility Model Content

[0004] This disclosure provides a feeding device and an order production system to improve the applicability of the feeding device.

[0005] The first aspect of this disclosure provides a feeding device, comprising:

[0006] The annular outer disk is configured to be rotatably mounted;

[0007] An inner disc, used to receive items, is inclined and radially inward of an outer annular disc. The inner disc is configured to be rotatably positioned so that the items, under centrifugal force, move to their highest position on the inner disc and transfer to the outer annular disc; and

[0008] A cylindrical enclosure is positioned above the annular outer disc;

[0009] The annular outer disk has a radially inner surface on the cylindrical enclosure forming a circumferentially extending feeding channel. The cylindrical enclosure is movably positioned relative to the annular outer disk to adjust the width of the feeding channel.

[0010] In some embodiments, a predetermined gap exists between the cylindrical enclosure and the annular outer disk in the height direction, and the cylindrical enclosure is configured to move in a predetermined plane parallel to the annular outer disk to maintain the predetermined gap between the cylindrical enclosure and the annular outer disk.

[0011] In some embodiments, the feeding channel includes an inlet near the highest position of the inner disc for receiving articles and an outlet for discharging articles, the inlet and outlet being located at opposite ends in a first direction of the annular outer disc, and the cylindrical enclosure is configured to move along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction to adjust the width of the feeding channel.

[0012] In some embodiments, the feeding device further includes a movable frame connected to and movably disposed of in order to move the cylindrical enclosure.

[0013] In some embodiments, the movable frame is connected to the cylindrical enclosure via a plurality of connectors configured to be evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical enclosure.

[0014] In some embodiments, the feeding device includes a first drive mechanism and a fixedly mounted bracket, the bracket including a guide rail, and the movable frame is configured to move on the guide rail under the drive of the first drive mechanism.

[0015] In some embodiments, the feeding device further includes a height limiter disposed above the annular outer disk and used to limit the height of items within the feeding channel.

[0016] In some embodiments, the feeding device further includes a height limiting element, which includes a height limiting roller and a height limiting baffle that are spaced apart in the feeding direction of the feeding channel, with the height limiting roller disposed upstream of the height limiting baffle.

[0017] In some embodiments, the height of the height limiter relative to the annular outer disk is adjustable to limit the height of different categories of items.

[0018] In some embodiments, the feeding device further includes a posture adjustment roller disposed on the radially inner side of the radially inner edge of the annular outer disk and configured to adjust the posture of the article in the feeding channel.

[0019] In some embodiments, the cylindrical enclosure has an opening in its peripheral wall, and the feeding device further includes a discharge mechanism disposed at the opening. The discharge mechanism includes a conveying surface connected to the feeding channel and used to carry and convey articles, an inner guide plate and an outer guide plate respectively disposed on both sides of the conveying surface, and a docking plate disposed between the outer guide plate and the cylindrical enclosure. The docking plate is disposed at the opening and is tangent to the peripheral wall of the cylindrical enclosure.

[0020] In some embodiments, the discharge mechanism further includes an adjustment plate disposed at the opening and opposite to the docking plate, wherein the distance between the adjustment plate and the docking plate is adjustable.

[0021] The second aspect of this disclosure is an order production system, including the aforementioned feeding device.

[0022] In some embodiments, the order production system further includes a weighing verification device located downstream of the feeding device, the weighing verification device including a weighing device and a rejection device, the feeding device being configured to sequentially convey items to the weighing device, and the weighing device being configured to obtain the actual weight of the items.

[0023] In some embodiments, the order production system further includes a loading device located upstream of the feeding device, the loading device docking with a rejection device to receive items rejected by the rejection device and continue to transport the items to the feeding device.

[0024] In some embodiments, the order production system further includes a packing device disposed downstream of the feeding device to receive items sequentially fed by the feeding device, and the packing device is configured to pack items after receiving a target number of items.

[0025] In some embodiments, the order production system further includes a labeling device disposed downstream of the packing device to affix labeling sheets to the outside of the packaging bags of the packed items.

[0026] In some embodiments, the order production system further includes a vision module configured to acquire and recognize label images.

[0027] Based on the technical solution provided in this disclosure, the feeding device includes an annular outer disk, an inner disk, and a cylindrical surround plate. The annular outer disk is configured to be rotatably disposed. The inner disk is used to receive articles and is inclinedly disposed radially inside the annular outer disk. The inner disk is configured to be rotatably disposed so that the articles move to the highest position of the inner disk under the action of centrifugal force and are transferred to the annular outer disk. The cylindrical surround plate is disposed above the annular outer disk. The surface of the annular outer disk located radially inside the cylindrical surround plate forms a circumferentially extending feeding channel, and the cylindrical surround plate is movably disposed relative to the annular outer disk to adjust the width of the feeding channel. In this embodiment of the feeding device, the cylindrical surround plate is movable relative to the annular outer disk. Thus, when feeding different types of articles, the width of the feeding channel can be adjusted by controlling the relative position between the cylindrical surround plate and the annular outer disk, thereby adapting the feeding channel to different types of articles and expanding the applicability of the feeding device.

[0028] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will become clear from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this disclosure and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments of this disclosure and are used to explain this disclosure, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this disclosure. In the drawings:

[0030] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an order production system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a top view of an order production system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 3 This is a partial structural diagram of an order fulfillment system according to other embodiments of this disclosure.

[0033] Figure 4This is a partially enlarged structural schematic diagram of an order production system according to some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0034] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a feeding device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the feeding device body of a feeding device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 7 for Figure 6 The diagram shows a top view of the main body of the feeding device.

[0037] Figure 8 for Figure 6 The diagram shows a three-dimensional view of the feeding device body from another angle.

[0038] Figure 9 for Figure 8 The diagram shows a partially enlarged structural schematic of the feeding device body.

[0039] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the adjusting mechanism of the feeding device and the cylindrical enclosure in some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0040] Figure 11 for Figure 10 The diagram shows a partially enlarged view of the adjustment mechanism.

[0041] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a feeding device according to other embodiments of this disclosure.

[0042] Figure 13 for Figure 12 The diagram shows a partially enlarged structural schematic of the feeding device.

[0043] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0044] 10. Feeding device;

[0045] 20. Feeding device; 21. Base; 22. Annular outer disc; 23. Inner disc; 24. Cylindrical enclosure; 241. Opening; 25. Discharge mechanism; 251. Conveying surface; 252. Inner guide plate; 253. Outer guide plate; 254. Docking plate; 255. Adjusting plate; 26. Support; 27. Moving frame; 271. First drive mechanism; 28. Height limiting component; 281. Second drive mechanism; 282. Height limiting roller; 283. Height limiting baffle; 2551. Third drive mechanism; 29. ​​Connecting component; 201. Attitude adjusting roller;

[0046] 30. Repeat weighing device; 31. Weighing component; 32. Conveyor line; 33. Rejecting component; 34. Slide plate;

[0047] 40. Packaging device;

[0048] 50. Labeling device;

[0049] 60. Conveyor line; 68. Rejection mechanism;

[0050] 70. Package containers;

[0051] 80. Visual module. Detailed Implementation

[0052] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit this disclosure or its application or use. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0053] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of this disclosure. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following drawings denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it need not be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0054] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "over," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "above" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways, and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0055] In the warehouse production process, there is a type of order that typically includes one or more similar items. These orders generally require centralized production. That is, after a batch of orders is issued, multiple similar items are manually picked, then checked, packaged, and labeled to complete the order. Here, "similar items" refers to the same SKU, meaning completely identical items with the same specifications, attributes, packaging, and unique identification code.

[0056] To improve the production efficiency of this type of order, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, some embodiments of this disclosure provide an order production system including a feeding device 20 and a packaging device 40. The feeding device 20 is used to receive multiple similar items and orderly separate them to form a continuous delivery flow, that is, the items are arranged in a certain posture and move downstream to the packaging device 40 for packaging.

[0057] In order to enable the above-mentioned order production system to be used for automated production of orders containing different types of items, where different types of items refer to orders that include first type of items with first type of SKU, and orders that include second type of items with second type of SKU, the same order production system can be used to automate the production of these different types of items, thereby improving the applicability of the order production system.

[0058] refer to Figures 4 to 7This disclosure provides a feeding device 20, including an annular outer disk 22, an inner disk 23, and a cylindrical surround plate 24. The annular outer disk 22 is rotatably configured. The inner disk 23 is used to receive articles and is inclinedly disposed radially inside the annular outer disk 22. The inner disk 23 is rotatably configured so that the articles move to the highest position of the inner disk 23 under the action of centrifugal force and are transferred onto the annular outer disk 22. The cylindrical surround plate 24 is disposed above the annular outer disk 22. The surface of the annular outer disk 22 located radially inside the cylindrical surround plate 24 forms a circumferentially extending feeding channel, and the cylindrical surround plate 24 is movably disposed relative to the annular outer disk 22 to adjust the width of the feeding channel.

[0059] refer to Figure 6 The feeding device 20 of this embodiment is a centrifugal disc feeding device and includes an annular outer disc 22, an inner disc 23, and a cylindrical surrounding plate 24. The annular outer disc 22 has an annular disc structure and includes an inner hole in the center. The inner disc 23 is inclinedly disposed inside the annular outer disc 22, i.e., disposed within the inner hole of the annular outer disc 22. Because of this inclined arrangement, the inner disc has a highest position and a lowest position, with its highest position close to the annular outer disc 22. Thus, when an item is thrown outwards by centrifugal force to the highest position of the inner disc 23, it can further move onto the annular outer disc 22 under the influence of centrifugal force, and then continue to be conveyed under the drive of the annular outer disc 22, thereby completing the separation and conveying of multiple items. The highest position mentioned here refers to an area of ​​the inner disc 23 near the highest position point, and does not represent a single position point. Figure 6 and Figure 7 The box marked in the figure represents the position where the item is moved from the highest position of the inner plate 23 to the outer ring plate 22 and where the outer ring plate 22 receives the material, i.e., the entrance P of the feeding channel.

[0060] The inner disc 23 of this embodiment is rotatably configured to rotate at a speed that is variable according to the weight of the item. For lighter items, the inner disc 23 rotates at a slower speed, and for heavier items, the inner disc 23 rotates at a faster speed.

[0061] The cylindrical enclosure 24 has a cylindrical structure with both ends extending through it. It has a circumferentially extending peripheral wall and an annular edge at the upper end of the peripheral wall. Thus, the cylindrical enclosure 24 is positioned above the annular outer disk 22, forming a receiving cavity with it. The cylindrical enclosure 24 acts as a barrier, preventing items entering the annular outer disk 22 from being thrown out and falling. During the operation of the feeding device 20, the annular outer disk 22 is rotatably mounted, while the cylindrical enclosure 24 remains stationary. Therefore, the cylindrical enclosure 24 does not contact the annular outer disk 22, reducing wear.

[0062] Furthermore, the cylindrical enclosure 24 is positioned above the annular outer disk 22. This divides the upper surface of the annular outer disk 22 into two radially distinct regions: a radially outer region located outside the cylindrical enclosure 24 and a radially inner region located inside the cylindrical enclosure 24. When an item is thrown onto the annular outer disk 22 by centrifugal force on the inner disk 23, it is thrown into the radially inner region. Therefore, the radially inner region of the annular outer disk 22 forms a circumferentially extending feeding channel. Specifically, the inlet P of the feeding channel is adjacent to the highest point of the inner disk 23. The item enters the feeding channel from inlet P and continues to move along the feeding channel under the influence of the annular outer disk 22. The outlet Q of the feeding channel is... Figure 6 and Figure 7 The discharge mechanism 25 is located in the middle. Therefore, the area from the inlet P to the outlet Q is the coverage area of ​​the feeding channel. Adjusting the width of the feeding channel refers to adjusting the width from the inlet to the outlet Q.

[0063] To prevent multiple items from being placed side-by-side in the width direction of the feeding channel when they are transferred to the outer ring 22, the width of the feeding channel needs to be adapted to the size of the items. Here, the width of the feeding channel refers to the radial dimension of the feeding channel.

[0064] To enable the feeding device to be applicable to different types of articles, the cylindrical enclosure 24 of the feeding device in this embodiment is movably arranged relative to the annular outer disk 22 to adjust the width of the feeding channel. The movability of the cylindrical enclosure 24 relative to the annular outer disk 22 means that when different types of articles need to be conveyed, the cylindrical enclosure 24 is moved in advance so that the width of the feeding channel matches the size of the articles to be conveyed, and then the position of the cylindrical enclosure 24 is fixed during the conveying process. Of course, in other embodiments, the width of the feeding channel can also be adjusted by controlling the movement of the annular outer disk 22 relative to the cylindrical enclosure 24.

[0065] The cylindrical enclosure 24 of the feeding device 20 in this embodiment is movable relative to the annular outer disk 22. Thus, when different types of items need to be fed, the width of the feeding channel can be adjusted by controlling the relative position between the cylindrical enclosure 24 and the annular outer disk 22, thereby making the feeding channel adaptable to different types of items and expanding the applicability of the feeding device 20.

[0066] In some embodiments, reference Figure 5In this embodiment, the cylindrical enclosure 24 is connected to the movable frame 27, and the movable frame 27 moves automatically under the drive of the first drive mechanism 271, thereby moving the cylindrical enclosure 24. In other embodiments, the cylindrical enclosure 24 can also be moved manually by the staff. In this mode, the position of the cylindrical enclosure 24 can be detected in real time by setting a sensor to provide feedback on whether the staff's push is in place.

[0067] In some embodiments, the width of the feeding channel matches the width of the article. For example, for a long, narrow article, the width of the feeding channel matches the width of the long, narrow article, where the width refers to the dimension perpendicular to the length direction. In some embodiments, a predetermined gap exists between the cylindrical enclosure 24 and the annular outer disk 22 in the height direction Z. The cylindrical enclosure 24 is configured to move in a predetermined plane parallel to the annular outer disk 22 to maintain the predetermined gap between the cylindrical enclosure 24 and the annular outer disk 22.

[0068] The set gap can be a specific value or a range of values. The set gap is the distance between the set plane and the annular outer disk 22, which are parallel to each other.

[0069] In the present embodiment, the cylindrical enclosure 24 maintains a set gap with the annular outer disk 22 during its movement relative to the annular outer disk 22. This helps to ensure that the cylindrical enclosure 24 does not come into contact with the annular outer disk 22 when the feeding device 20 feeds different types of items, avoiding wear and adverse effects caused by long-term friction, and improving the working reliability of the feeding device.

[0070] refer to Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 In some embodiments, the feeding channel includes an inlet P near the highest point of the inner disc 23 for receiving items and an outlet Q for discharging items. The inlet P and outlet Q of the feeding channel are positioned opposite each other, and are located at opposite ends of the annular outer disc 22, approximately at opposite ends in the first direction X. Therefore, when the cylindrical retaining plate 24 is moved to adjust the width of the feeding channel, the cylindrical retaining plate 24 is moved along the second direction Y. The second direction Y is perpendicular to the first direction X.

[0071] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the inlet P and outlet Q of the feeding channel are arranged opposite to each other, so that the feeding channel covers approximately 180° of the circumferential direction of the annular outer disk 22, that is, nearly half of the range. In other words, the other half of the radially inner region of the annular outer disk 22 does not form a feeding channel. Therefore, when the cylindrical enclosure 24 moves relative to the annular outer disk in the second direction Y, the other half of the radially inner region may become too narrow, but this does not affect the normal feeding of the feeding device. This disclosure is based on the above findings.

[0072] The width of the feeding channel can be adjusted by controlling the cylindrical baffle 24 to move along the second direction Y. In other words, adjustment can be achieved simply by controlling the cylindrical baffle 24 to move in a single direction. The control process is simple, easy to implement and promote, and further improves the applicability of the feeding device of the present disclosure.

[0073] In some embodiments, the cylindrical enclosure 24 is concentrically arranged with the annular outer disk 22 before movement, and is eccentrically arranged with respect to the annular outer disk 22 after movement.

[0074] The set gap between the cylindrical surrounding plate 24 and the annular outer disk 22 is approximately 2mm. Therefore, maintaining this set gap between the cylindrical surrounding plate 24 and the annular outer disk 22 before and after movement is very difficult. To solve this problem, refer to... Figure 5 and Figure 10 In some embodiments, the feeding device 20 further includes a movable frame 27, which is connected to the cylindrical enclosure 24 via a plurality of connectors 29 and is movably configured to drive the cylindrical enclosure 24 to move relative to the annular outer disk 22.

[0075] like Figure 5 and Figure 10 In some embodiments, the movable frame 27 is a square frame, which includes two first rods extending in parallel along a first direction X and two second rods extending in parallel along a second direction Y. Each rod is connected to the cylindrical enclosure 24 via a connector 29, specifically, to the annular edge of the cylindrical enclosure 24.

[0076] The movable frame 27 of this embodiment is connected to different positions of the cylindrical enclosure 24 via multiple connectors 29. In this way, during the movement of the movable frame 27, different positions of the cylindrical enclosure 24 can move synchronously under the drive of the movable frame 27 through the connection of the connectors 29, which helps to ensure the smooth movement and positional accuracy of the cylindrical enclosure 24.

[0077] In some embodiments, a plurality of connectors 29 are configured to be evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical enclosure 24.

[0078] Specifically Figure 10In the illustrated embodiment, eight connectors are evenly distributed around the circumference of the cylindrical enclosure 24. In other embodiments, two or more connectors may be distributed around the circumference of the cylindrical enclosure 24.

[0079] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, multiple connectors 29 are evenly distributed around the cylindrical enclosure 24, which makes the force on the cylindrical enclosure 24 more uniform during the movement of the moving frame 27, thereby further improving the stability of the position movement of the cylindrical enclosure 24.

[0080] Specifically, such as Figure 10 As shown, the feeding device 20 of this embodiment includes a first driving mechanism 271, which is configured to drive the moving frame 27 to move along the second direction Y.

[0081] refer to Figure 5 To further control the accuracy of the moving path of the movable frame 27 and improve the precision of the width adjustment of the feeding channel, in some embodiments, the feeding device 20 includes a fixedly mounted bracket 26. The bracket 26 includes a guide rail. The movable frame 27 is configured to move on the guide rail.

[0082] Specifically, the bracket 26 is fixedly mounted on the base 21 of the feeding device 20. The bracket 26 includes two guide rails located on both sides and arranged in parallel. Each guide rail extends along the second direction Y. The two sides of the movable frame 27 are respectively provided with sliders or rollers that cooperate with the two guide rails. In this way, the guide rails guide the movement path of the movable frame 27, which helps to ensure the movement direction and position of the movable frame 27.

[0083] During the conveying process within the feeding channel, items may be conveyed vertically or stacked. To minimize these situations and ensure that each item is output from the feeding channel in a single, uniform posture, refer to... Figure 5 , Figure 10 and Figure 11 In some embodiments, the feeding device 20 further includes a height limiting member 28. The height limiting member 28 is disposed above the annular outer disk 22 and is used to limit the height of the items in the feeding channel.

[0084] The height limiter 28 is positioned above the outer ring 22. When individual items are conveyed upright or stacked, the height limiter 28 acts as a barrier, pushing the upright conveyed items down or pushing the stacked items down so that they return to the inner ring for separation and feeding again.

[0085] Specifically, the height limiting component 28 includes a height limiting roller 282 and a height limiting baffle 283 that are spaced apart in the feeding direction of the feeding channel, with the height limiting roller 282 located upstream of the height limiting baffle 283.

[0086] The height-limiting brush roller 282 is located upstream, so it first blocks or pushes the items to prevent stacking. Simultaneously, the surface of the height-limiting brush roller 282 is made of soft brushes, which prevent damage to the items. If the height-limiting brush roller 282 fails to effectively block or push stacked items when they encounter it during transport, the rigid height-limiting baffle 283 will continue to block or push the items to prevent stacking, thus ensuring that the feeding device delivers items one by one.

[0087] In some embodiments, the height of the height limiter 28 relative to the annular outer disk 22 is adjustable to limit the height of different types of items.

[0088] To ensure that items are output from the feeding device in a uniform manner, refer to... Figure 13 In some embodiments, the feeding device further includes a posture adjustment roller 201. The posture adjustment roller 201 is disposed on the radially inner side of the radially inner edge of the annular outer disk 22 and is configured to adjust the posture of the article in the feeding channel.

[0089] Specifically, such as Figure 13 As shown, the attitude adjustment roller 201 is located on the radial inner side of the annular outer disk 22. If the outer edge of some items or a part near the outer edge protrudes from the radial inner side of the annular outer disk 22, the attitude adjustment roller 201 will apply a pushing force to the items, so that the items move radially outward and the entire surface of the items is supported on the annular outer disk 22. Alternatively, the attitude adjustment roller 201 can directly push the items back onto the inner disk 23 for re-separation and conveying. For example, if an item is long and narrow (such as an umbrella), and it is thrown onto the outer annular disk 22 under centrifugal force in a horizontal position (meaning its length extends roughly along the radial direction of the outer annular disk 22), then part of the item will protrude radially inside the outer annular disk 22. Consequently, the item will collide with the attitude adjustment roller 201 located radially inside the annular disk 22. This collision will cause the item to rotate until its length extends roughly along the circumferential direction of the outer annular disk 22, meaning the entire item is supported on the outer annular disk 22 in a longitudinal position. Alternatively, the item may fall onto the inner disk and be re-separated and conveyed after being impacted by the attitude adjustment roller 201.

[0090] In this embodiment, the posture of the conveyed item is adjusted by setting a posture adjustment roller 201 on the radial inner side of the feeding channel so that the entire surface of the item is supported on the annular outer disk 22, thereby ensuring that the posture of the item output by the feeding device 20 is consistent.

[0091] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the posture adjustment roller 201 is a brush roller, which, being flexible, avoids causing damage to the item.

[0092] Specifically, refer to Figure 11 The feeding device 20 of this embodiment further includes a second drive mechanism 281. The second drive mechanism 281 is configured to drive the height limiting member 28 to be movable in the height direction Z to adjust the height between the height limiting member 28 and the annular outer disk 22. For example, when the feeding device 20 of this embodiment is used to separately feed different types of articles, the height of the height limiting member 28 is adjusted according to the size of the articles being fed.

[0093] refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 In some embodiments, the peripheral wall of the cylindrical enclosure 24 has an opening 241. The feeding device 20 also includes a discharge mechanism 25 disposed at the opening 241. The discharge mechanism 25 includes a conveying surface 251 connected to the feeding channel and used to carry and convey articles, an inner guide plate 252 and an outer guide plate 253 respectively disposed on both sides of the conveying surface 251, and a docking plate 254 disposed between the outer guide plate 253 and the cylindrical enclosure 24. The docking plate 254 is disposed at the opening 241 and is tangent to the peripheral wall of the cylindrical enclosure 24.

[0094] refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 The cylindrical enclosure 24 has a cylindrical structure with an opening 241 on its peripheral wall. The conveying surface 251 of the discharge mechanism 25 connects with the annular outer disk 22 to receive the items output from the annular outer disk 22. Since the items are conveyed on the annular outer disk 22 under the rotation of the annular outer disk 22, the items tend to continue moving along the annular outer disk 22. To prevent this tendency and guide the items to the conveying surface 251 of the discharge mechanism 25, the discharge mechanism 25 also includes an inner guide plate 252 and an outer guide plate 253 disposed on both sides of the conveying surface 251. The inner guide plate 252 and the outer guide plate 253 provide a guiding effect on the conveying surface 251. The inner guide plate 252 extends inward along the extension direction of the conveying surface 251 to the radial inner edge of the annular outer disk 22 to guide the items to the conveying surface 251 after reaching this position. A docking plate 254 is also provided between the outer guide plate 253 and the cylindrical enclosure plate 24. Specifically, the docking plate 254 is nested on the outer guide plate 253.

[0095] Specifically, the conveyor surface 251 includes a belt module.

[0096] The discharge mechanism 25 of this embodiment guides and adjusts the posture of the items by setting an inner guide plate 252 and an outer guide plate 253, so that the items can be output in approximately the same posture and approximately the same direction, thereby optimizing the effect of separating and feeding the items.

[0097] refer to Figure 12 and Figure 13 In some embodiments, the discharge mechanism 25 further includes an adjusting plate 255 disposed at the opening 241 and opposite to the docking plate 254. The distance between the adjusting plate 255 and the docking plate 254 is adjustable.

[0098] Specifically, at this time, the inner guide plate 252 extends only to the radial outer edge of the annular outer disk 22, and the adjusting plate 255 is mated with the inner guide plate 252 and disposed opposite to one side of the docking plate 254. The discharge mechanism 25 of this embodiment further includes a third driving mechanism 2551 for driving the adjusting plate 255 to move. The third driving mechanism 2551 drives the adjusting plate 255 to move closer to or further away from the docking plate 254 to adjust the discharge width of the discharge mechanism 25.

[0099] In this embodiment, the feeding device 20 has an adjusting plate 255 at the end of the feeding process, i.e., the discharge mechanism 25, to adjust the distance between the adjusting plate 255 and the docking plate 254. This width adjustment can further regulate the posture of the items, which is equivalent to further ensuring that the items can be output in the same posture at the end, thus improving the reliability of the posture control of the items. Furthermore, the adjusting plate 255 is located at the entrance of the discharge mechanism 25, so that when the items enter the discharge channel of the discharge mechanism, they are adjusted by the position of the adjusting plate 255. For example, if there are items placed side by side, they can be directly rejected by the adjusting plate 255 and continue to fall into the inner plate 23 for separation. Therefore, the adjusting plate 255 plays the role of readjusting the posture and rejecting items before final discharge.

[0100] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 This disclosure also provides an order production system, including the aforementioned feeding device 20 and a controller. The controller is configured to obtain the width of the feeding channel based on item information and control the movement of the cylindrical enclosure 24 relative to the annular outer disk 22 based on the width of the feeding channel.

[0101] The item information includes the item's size information. The controller determines the width of the feeding channel based on the item's size information and controls the width of the feeding channel to control the movement of the cylindrical enclosure 24. In some embodiments, the item information, such as the item's size information, is input by a worker through an input device and transmitted to the controller. Since the order production system of this embodiment processes orders of the same type, the items included in that order are all similar products, they can be directly input by a worker through an input device. In other embodiments, the controller can directly receive order information and obtain item information from the order information, and then obtain size information based on the item information. This embodiment achieves a fully automated process, eliminating the need for manual input and increasing efficiency.

[0102] The order production system of this disclosure embodiment can obtain the width of the feeding channel based on the item information and control the movement of the cylindrical enclosure 24 based on the width of the feeding channel, thereby enabling the order production system of this disclosure embodiment to achieve automated feeding and production for different orders including different categories of items, thus improving the scope of application.

[0103] In some embodiments, the controller is signal-connected to the first drive mechanism 271. Therefore, after obtaining the width of the feeding channel, the controller calculates the moving distance of the cylindrical enclosure 24 and controls the first drive mechanism 271 to drive the moving frame 27 to move the aforementioned moving distance.

[0104] The order production system of this embodiment processes single-item orders, meaning orders involving only items of the same category. The feeding device 20 is used to orderly separate the items and form a continuous feeding flow, allowing each item to move downstream in a certain posture. However, if the items fed by the feeding device 20 are stacked, they need to be rejected.

[0105] Regarding this issue, refer to Figures 1 to 4 In some embodiments, the order production system further includes a weighing verification device 30 located downstream of the feeding device 20. The weighing verification device 30 is signal-connected to the controller and includes a weighing element 31 and a rejection element 33. The feeding device 20 is configured to sequentially feed items to the weighing element 31, which is configured to obtain the actual weight of the items.

[0106] The controller is configured to check whether the item is a single item based on its actual weight and standard weight. If it is not a single item, the controller controls the rejection device 33 to reject the item and return it to the feeding device 20. If it is a single item, the controller controls the weighing device 31 to continue conveying the item downstream.

[0107] The items fed by the feeding device 20 first pass through the weighing verification device 30, which verifies the weight of the items. The weighing element 31 is used for weighing, that is, to obtain the actual weight of the items fed onto the weighing element and send this actual weight to the controller. The controller obtains the standard weight of the items based on the obtained item information. The controller can then determine whether the delivered item is a single item by comparing the actual weight and the standard weight. If it is not a single item, the controller controls the rejection element 33 to reject the item and return it to the feeding device 20. If it is a single item, the controller controls the weighing element 31 to continue conveying the item downstream.

[0108] Specifically, a sliding plate 34 is provided between the weighing component 31 and the feeding device 10. The feeding device 10 is used to feed materials to the feeding device 20. Therefore, when the rejecting component 33 rejects the item, the item slides through the sliding plate 34 to the feeding device 10, and the feeding device 10 continues to transport the item back to the feeding device 20.

[0109] Since the order production system of this embodiment processes single-item orders, the rejected items can be returned to the feeding device without needing to be returned to the warehouse. This greatly avoids repeated warehouse operations and improves the processing efficiency of single-item orders.

[0110] The order production system of this embodiment verifies whether the conveyed items are single items by setting up a weighing verification device 30 downstream of the feeding device 20 and detecting the weight of the conveyed items. This helps to ensure that the items entering the subsequent packaging device 40 are single items, and helps to accurately calculate the number of items entering the packaging device 40, thus ensuring the accuracy of the number of items in the order package.

[0111] To ensure that items enter the packaging device 40 one by one from the feeding device 20, the conveying speed of the items needs to be controlled to increase the interval between items entering the packaging device 40. Specifically, the conveying speed of the items before entering the packaging device is controlled to be greater than the speed at which the items exit from the feeding device 20, thereby increasing the interval between items. For example, a first conveyor belt section and a second conveyor belt section are sequentially arranged between the feeding device 20 and the packaging device 40. The second conveyor belt section is located close to the packaging device 40, and the conveying speed of the second conveyor belt section is greater than that of the first conveyor belt section, thus creating a rhythm of faster conveyor belt at the beginning and slower conveyor belt at the end, which helps to ensure that items enter the packaging device 40 at specific intervals.

[0112] refer to Figure 4 In some embodiments, the order production system also includes a loading device 10 located upstream of the feeding device 20. The loading device 10 docks with the rejector 33 to receive items rejected by the rejector 33 and continue to transport the items to the feeding device 20.

[0113] The feeding device 10 is used for temporary storage of items corresponding to orders to be processed. When needed, the feeding device 10 is used to orderly feed the temporarily stored items to the feeding device 20.

[0114] This embodiment of the present disclosure provides a feeding device 10 upstream of the feeding device 20, and the feeding device 10 is directly connected to the rejecting component 33. In this way, the items rejected by the rejecting component 33 can be directly returned to the feeding device 10 and then conveyed to the feeding device 20 for re-separation and feeding. Therefore, complete automation can be achieved without human intervention, thus improving efficiency.

[0115] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The order production system also includes a packaging device 40. The packaging device 40 is located downstream of the feeding device 20 to receive items sequentially fed by the feeding device 20. The controller is configured to obtain the target quantity of items in the order based on the order information and control the packaging device 40 to package the items upon receiving the target quantity.

[0116] Specifically, in some embodiments, the counting is performed by a repeating core device 30. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the weighing component 31 of the weighing verification device 30 is connected to the discharge mechanism 25 of the feeding device 20 via the conveyor line 32. Therefore, the items output by the feeding device 20 first pass through the weighing verification device 30. After receiving the items, the weighing component 31 weighs them and continues to transport the qualified items to the packaging device 40 via the conveyor line 32. In some embodiments, each time the weighing is qualified, the weighing component 31 sends a qualified signal to the controller. The controller calculates the number of items transported to the packaging device 40 based on the qualified signal and obtains the target number of items in the order based on the order information. If the actual number of items transported to the packaging device 40 reaches the target number, the controller controls the packaging device 40 to package the items to form a parcel. In other embodiments, the number of items transported to the packaging device 40 can also be obtained through a monitoring module, and the packaging device can be controlled to package the items after the target number of items is received.

[0117] The controller in this embodiment is configured to obtain the target quantity of items in the order based on the order information and control the packaging device 40 to automatically package the items after receiving the target quantity, thereby achieving full automation and further improving the production efficiency of single-item orders.

[0118] The following is based on Figures 1 to 13 The structure and operation of an order production system according to a specific embodiment of this disclosure will be described in detail.

[0119] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the order production system of this embodiment includes a feeding device 10, a conveying device 20, a weighing and verification device 30, a packaging device 40, a labeling device 50, a conveyor line 60, and a collection container 70.

[0120] After multiple identical items are fed through the aforementioned series of devices, the packaged items are collected in the collection container 70 as multiple parcels that have been packaged and labeled.

[0121] Among them, the feeding device 10 is a feeding temporary storage device, which can temporarily store the items corresponding to the production order. When needed, the feeding device 10 can orderly feed the items in the temporary storage to the feeding device 20 behind.

[0122] The function of the feeding device 20 is to orderly separate the items and form a continuous feeding flow, that is, the items move downstream one by one in a certain posture. Specifically, in this embodiment, the feeding device 20 is a centrifugal disc feeding device.

[0123] After the feeding device 20 outputs the item, the item is transported to the weighing component 31 of the weighing verification device 30 via the conveyor line 32. The weighing component 31 weighs and verifies the item and counts it. The weighing verification device 30 verifies whether the item is correct or whether it has been separated by weighing. If the weight is incorrect, it is rejected by the rejection component 33 and the item flows back into the feeding device 10 via the slide plate 34.

[0124] Qualified items enter the packaging device 40 for packaging, and are then conveyed to the labeling device 50 to affix labels, completing the entire process. Labeled packages are then conveyed via conveyor line 60 to the downstream collection container 70 to await outbound shipment.

[0125] like Figure 3 As shown, in another embodiment, a vision module 80 is also provided above the conveyor line 60. The vision module 80 is used to verify whether the waybill can be recognized. If it can be recognized, it continues to be conveyed to the collection container 70; if it cannot be recognized, it is rejected by the rejection mechanism 68.

[0126] like Figures 4 to 9 As shown, the feeding device 20 includes a base 21, an inner plate 23, an annular outer plate 22, and a cylindrical surrounding plate 24. The inner plate 23 is inclined and its radius is smaller than that of the annular outer plate 22, and the highest point of the inner plate 23 is adjacent to the annular outer plate 22. After multiple items enter the inner plate 23, they will rotate with the inner plate, and the items will tend to move outward under the action of centrifugal force. When the items reach the highest point of the inner plate 23, some items will reach the annular outer plate 22 and move with the annular outer plate. However, if there are multiple items at the entrance of the annular outer plate, the item located at the innermost radial side will fall back into the lower area of ​​the inner plate due to the height difference between the inner and outer plates behind it, and then be sent to the higher area. This cycle repeats, with items being sent into the annular outer plate one by one. Under the action of the cylindrical surrounding plate 24, the items are transported to the exit position in a certain posture. A discharge mechanism 25 is set at the exit position. Under the guidance of the discharge mechanism 25, the items are discharged from the tray in sequence and sent to the next module.

[0127] To accommodate different types of items, the width of the inlet of the feeding channel of the annular outer disc 22 and the width of the feeding channel downstream of the inlet are changed.

[0128] The feeding device 20 in this embodiment also includes an adjustment mechanism. For example... Figure 5 and Figure 10As shown, the adjustment mechanism includes a bracket 26, a movable frame 27, a first drive mechanism 271, a height limiting component 28, and a second drive mechanism 281.

[0129] The cylindrical enclosure 24 is fixed on the movable frame 27 and can be moved under the driving action of the movable frame 27 to change the width between the radial inner edge of the cylindrical enclosure 24 and the annular outer disk 22, that is, the width of the feeding channel.

[0130] like Figures 8 to 11 As shown, a docking plate 254 is provided at the opening 241 of the cylindrical enclosure 24. This docking plate 254 docks with the outer guide plate 253 provided on the belt module, specifically, the docking plate 254 can be nested within the outer guide plate 253. During the loading process, some items may be transported upside down while others are transported upright, meaning the inverted surface of the items is incorrect, especially for items with similar length, width, and height ratios. In this case, the height limiting component 28 can ensure that the items are laid down.

[0131] To ensure that the entire item is supported on the annular outer disc 22 during transport, so that the item can be output in a certain posture, especially for some long and narrow items, the length of the item needs to extend along the transport direction, such as... Figure 13 As shown, the feeding device 20 in this embodiment also includes a posture adjustment roller 201, which is disposed on the radially inner side of the radially inner edge of the annular outer disk 22. Thus, if the outer edge of some items or a portion near the outer edge protrudes from the radially inner side of the annular outer disk 22, the posture adjustment roller 201 will act as a blockage, applying a pushing force to the items to push them radially outward, thereby ensuring that the entire surface of the items is supported on the annular outer disk 22. Alternatively, the posture adjustment roller 201 may push the items back onto the inner disk 23 for re-separation and conveying.

[0132] In this embodiment, the posture of the conveyed item is adjusted by setting a posture adjustment roller 201 on the radial inner side of the feeding channel so that the entire surface of the item is supported on the annular outer disk 22, thereby ensuring that the posture of the item output by the feeding device 20 is consistent.

[0133] As can be seen, this embodiment adjusts the posture of the item once by setting the height limiter 28 to avoid the problem of stacking or standing the item upright. Furthermore, it adjusts the posture of the item a second time by setting the posture adjustment roller 201 to prevent the item, especially long strip items, from extending out of the radial inner side of the annular outer disk 22. The posture of the item is adjusted through the above two adjustments.

[0134] The inner guide plate 252 is arranged along the conveying direction of the belt module and extends inward into the radial inner edge of the annular outer disc 22. After the annular outer disc 22 transports the item to this position, it guides the item to the belt module through the opening.

[0135] like Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, in another embodiment, the inner guide plate 252 extends to the outer side of the radial outer edge of the annular outer disk 22, and an adjusting plate 255 is provided on the inner side of the inner guide plate 252. The adjusting plate 255 is arranged opposite to the docking plate 254, and the adjusting plate 255 moves relative to the docking plate 254 under the drive of the third driving mechanism 2551 to adjust the width between the docking plate 254 and the adjusting plate 255. This width adjustment further regulates the output posture of the items and has a rejection effect on stacked items and items that are not completely separated. It is a supplement to the use of cylindrical enclosure plate adjustment to adapt to the separation and conveying of items, and can achieve better results.

[0136] Based on the above-mentioned device, the production process of the order production system is as follows:

[0137] First, the upstream system will issue an order production task, which can be a single-item order or a multi-item order for a single product.

[0138] The item information corresponding to the order will be sent out, including the item's length, width, and height, SKU information, and order quantity, etc.

[0139] Staff scan container numbers or items based on item information to verify whether the items are correct. The items are usually picked manually in the warehouse and collected into containers, or are pre-prepared goods, or are boxed items in the warehouse area.

[0140] After verification, the staff poured the items into the feeding device and entered the length, width and height dimensions of the items into the equipment;

[0141] Adjust the position of the cylindrical enclosure and the height of the height limiter according to the size information of the item, and at the same time control the movement of the adjustment plate to adjust the width control of the individual item separation;

[0142] Once everything is ready, the equipment starts operating, and the feeding device delivers the items into the feeding device in stages, thus commencing production.

[0143] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this disclosure and not to limit them; although this disclosure has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the specific implementation of this disclosure or equivalent substitutions can be made to some technical features without departing from the spirit of the technical solutions of this disclosure, and all such modifications and substitutions should be covered within the scope of the technical solutions claimed in this disclosure.

Claims

1. A feeding device, characterized in that, include: The annular outer disk (22) is configured to be rotatably set; The inner disc (23) is used to receive the article and is inclinedly disposed on the radially inner side of the annular outer disc (22). The inner disc (23) is configured to be rotatably disposed so that the article moves to the highest position of the inner disc (23) under the action of centrifugal force and is transferred to the annular outer disc (22). and A cylindrical enclosure (24) is disposed above the annular outer disk (22); The annular outer disk (22) has a surface located radially inside the cylindrical enclosure (24) forming a circumferentially extending feeding channel. The cylindrical enclosure (24) is movably arranged relative to the annular outer disk (22) to adjust the width of the feeding channel.

2. The feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the height direction, there is a set gap between the cylindrical enclosure (24) and the annular outer disk (22), and the cylindrical enclosure (24) is configured to move in a set plane parallel to the annular outer disk (22) so that the set gap is maintained between the cylindrical enclosure (24) and the annular outer disk (22).

3. The feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding channel includes an inlet (P) near the highest position of the inner disc (23) for receiving items and an outlet (Q) for outputting items. The inlet (P) and the outlet (Q) are located at opposite ends of the annular outer disc (22) in a first direction (X). The cylindrical enclosure (24) is configured to move along a second direction (Y) to adjust the width of the feeding channel. The second direction (Y) is perpendicular to the first direction (X).

4. The feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding device also includes a movable frame (27), which is connected to the cylindrical enclosure (24) and is movably arranged to drive the cylindrical enclosure (24) to move.

5. The feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The movable frame (27) is connected to the cylindrical enclosure (24) by a plurality of connectors (29), which are configured to be evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical enclosure (24).

6. The feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The feeding device includes a first drive mechanism (271) and a fixed bracket (26), the bracket (26) including a guide rail, and the movable frame (27) is configured to move on the guide rail under the drive of the first drive mechanism (271).

7. The feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The feeding device also includes a height limiting member (28), which is disposed above the annular outer disk (22) and is used to limit the height of the items in the feeding channel.

8. The feeding device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The height limiting component (28) includes a height limiting roller (282) and a height limiting baffle (283) spaced apart in the feeding direction of the feeding channel, wherein the height limiting roller (282) is located upstream of the height limiting baffle (283).

9. The feeding device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The height limiter (28) is adjustable relative to the annular outer disk (22) to limit the height of different types of items.

10. The feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The feeding device further includes a posture adjustment roller (201), which is disposed on the radially inner side of the radially inner edge of the annular outer disk (22) and configured to adjust the posture of the article in the feeding channel.

11. The feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The cylindrical enclosure (24) has an opening (241) on its peripheral wall. The feeding device also includes a discharge mechanism (25) disposed at the opening (241). The discharge mechanism (25) includes a conveying surface (251) connected to the feeding channel and used to carry and convey items, an inner guide plate (252) and an outer guide plate (253) respectively disposed on both sides of the conveying surface (251), and a docking plate (254) disposed between the outer guide plate (253) and the cylindrical enclosure (24). The docking plate (254) is disposed at the opening (241) and is tangent to the peripheral wall of the cylindrical enclosure (24).

12. The feeding device according to claim 11, characterized in that, The discharge mechanism (25) further includes an adjustment plate (255) disposed at the opening (241) and opposite to the docking plate (254), wherein the distance between the adjustment plate (255) and the docking plate (254) is adjustable.

13. An order production system, characterized in that, Includes the feeding device (20) as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The order production system according to claim 13, characterized in that, The order production system also includes a weighing verification device (30) located downstream of the feeding device (20), the weighing verification device (30) including a weighing component (31) and a rejection component (33), the feeding device (20) being configured to sequentially convey items to the weighing component (31), the weighing component (31) being configured to obtain the actual weight of the items.

15. The order production system according to claim 14, characterized in that, The order production system also includes a loading device (10) located upstream of the feeding device (20), which docks with the rejector (33) to receive items rejected by the rejector (33) and continue to transport the items to the feeding device (20).

16. The order production system according to claim 13, characterized in that, The order production system also includes a packaging device (40), which is located downstream of the feeding device (20) to receive items sequentially fed by the feeding device (20), and is configured to package the items after receiving a target number of items.

17. The order production system according to claim 16, characterized in that, The order production system also includes a labeling device (50), which is located downstream of the packaging device (40) to affix labels to the outside of the packaging bags of the packaged items.

18. The order production system according to claim 17, characterized in that, The order production system also includes a vision module (80), which is configured to acquire a waybill image and recognize the waybill image.

Images