A box unpacking device

Abstract

This utility model belongs to the field of lens manufacturing and relates to a box-opening device. The box-opening device according to this utility model is used to open boxes and remove target objects from them. The target objects include lenses and packaging. The box-opening device includes: a box-picking and placing mechanism configured to pick up the box from the incoming material position and place it at the box-opening station; a box-opening mechanism configured to open the box at the box-opening station, thereby removing the target object from the box and conveying it to a picking station; a target object processing mechanism configured to pick up the target object at the picking station and separate the lens from the target object; and a conveying mechanism configured to convey the separated lens from the picking station to an inspection station. The box-opening device according to this utility model is fully automated, which can improve production efficiency, reduce defect rate, and facilitate digital management of the production process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of lens manufacturing and relates to a box-opening device. Background Technology

[0002] In the lens manufacturing industry, the initial stage of the production process typically involves removing lenses from their packaging and placing them on trays for subsequent ion purging. Currently, this step relies heavily on manual operation, requiring workers to manually unpack the boxes and transfer the lenses to the trays. This traditional manual unpacking method suffers from significant efficiency issues, with each tray taking up to 12 seconds to process, limiting the production capacity of a single operator to between 5,000 and 6,000 lenses per shift. This inefficient production method restricts overall production speed and increases labor costs.

[0003] Besides efficiency issues, manual unpacking also negatively impacts the yield rate of lenses. Due to the instability of manual operation, this unpacking method can result in a 0.1% defect rate for lenses, and this rate may be even higher for new operators. These defects not only reduce the product's market competitiveness but also increase the number of scraps.

[0004] Furthermore, the lack of digital management in the manual unpacking process makes it impossible to accurately track key production information such as production capacity, output, and labor efficiency. This limits the transparency and traceability of the production process, making it difficult to optimize production management and achieve automation and intelligence in the production process.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an automated unpacking device to improve production efficiency, reduce defect rates, and enable digital management of the production process. Utility Model Content

[0006] To address the above problems, according to a first aspect of this utility model, a box-opening device is proposed for opening a box and removing a target object from the box, the target object including a lens and packaging. The box-opening device comprises: a box-picking and placing mechanism configured to pick up the box from an incoming material location and place it at a box-opening station; a box-opening mechanism configured to open the box at the box-opening station, thereby removing the target object from the box and conveying it to a picking station; and a target object processing mechanism configured to pick up the target object at the picking station and separate the lens from the target object.

[0007] The box-opening device according to this utility model may have one or more of the following features.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the unpacking mechanism includes: a fixing member configured to fix the relative position of the boxes; a lid opening member configured to open the lid of the boxes in a first direction; and a push rod member configured to move toward the boxes in the first direction to push the target object out of the boxes through the opened lid.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the fixing member includes: a side clamping device configured to clamp the box from both sides; and a top suction device configured to fix the top of the box and / or drive the top of the box to move upward.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the opening member includes: an opening device configured to move toward the box in an angled direction to move the lid to a pre-open position and to move the top of the box to a raised position.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the push rod member is configured to first move in a first direction to at least partially open the rear portion of the box opposite the lid, and then move in the first direction to push the target object out of the box through the opened lid.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the target object processing mechanism includes an air blowing device that blows air at the interface of the package.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the unpacking device further includes a conveying mechanism configured to convey the separated lens from the pickup station to the inspection station.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the unpacking device further includes: a detection mechanism configured to detect the placement position of the removed lens at the detection station.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the unpacking device further includes a flipping mechanism configured to adjust the orientation of the boxes based on the sorting results.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the unpacking device further includes: a sorting mechanism configured to sort according to the working information of the boxes;

[0017] According to one embodiment, the unpacking device includes an information acquisition system configured to acquire production information of the box after unpacking.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the lens is an eyeglass lens, and the detection mechanism is configured to detect the orientation of the convex surface of the eyeglass lens.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the detection mechanism includes a first detection component and a second detection component capable of moving toward each other, the first detection component and the second detection component being configured to stop moving after contacting the lens.

[0020] According to one embodiment, when the convex surface of the eyeglass lens faces upward, the first detection member and the second detection member move relative to each other by a first distance, and when the convex surface of the eyeglass lens faces downward, the first detection member and the second detection member move relative to each other by a second distance, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the first detection component and the second detection component are configured to send the detected location information to a sensor.

[0022] Beneficial technical effects

[0023] This invention can automatically pick up and place lenses from the tray and automatically remove packaging boxes. The entire process no longer relies on manual operation but is basically replaced by machines. This automated operation reduces manual labor, significantly shortens the processing time of the unpacking process, thereby improving the labor efficiency of lens production. It can also reduce the lens defect rate caused by the instability of manual operation, improve the finished product rate of lenses and reduce the scrap rate. At the same time, it can also realize digital monitoring and digital management of the production process. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this utility model will be briefly described below. The drawings are merely illustrative of some embodiments of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of all embodiments of this utility model.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the unpacking device according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the unpacking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a partial perspective view of the unpacking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a partial perspective view of the box-opening mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the box to be opened;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a partial perspective view of a box-opening mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the box to be opened and the opening device.

[0030] Figure 6 This is a partial enlarged view of the top adsorption device and the opening device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] List of reference numerals

[0032] Box unpacking equipment 10, box 20;

[0033] 11. Retrieval and placement mechanism;

[0034] Box unpacking mechanism 12, fixing component 121, push rod component 123, side clamping device 1211, top suction device 1212, lid opening component 122, opening device 1221, lid opening claw 1222;

[0035] Target object processing mechanism 13;

[0036] Conveying mechanism 14;

[0037] 15 testing institutions;

[0038] Tilting mechanism 17;

[0039] Feed conveyor belt 18;

[0040] First direction X, second direction Y, third direction Z. Detailed Implementation

[0041] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same components. It should be noted that the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of this utility model without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0042] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this patent application specification and claims do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships; these relative positional relationships may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described object changes.

[0043] The present invention will be described in detail below by way of example embodiments.

[0044] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the unpacking device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] The target object according to this utility model may include a lens and packaging. The lens may be, for example, an eyeglass lens, and the packaging may be, for example, a protective sheet such as pearl cotton. In the example, a rectangular pearl cotton package wraps the lens and then places it into a box. In the step preceding the unpacking process, the complete box, along with the work ticket, is placed in a tray. In the example, two boxes may be placed side by side in each tray, and the number of boxes may be more than two, and can be either odd or even.

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown, this utility model provides a box-unpacking device 10, which may include a feeding conveyor belt 18, which is horizontally arranged at a certain height. After reaching the box-unpacking process, the tray containing the boxes can be fed in by a lifting mechanism 16. In this example, the lifting mechanism 16 may include a hoist and a sorting mechanism. The hoist may include, for example, a vertical conveying device driven by an electric motor, to convey the tray upward along the third direction Z to the feeding conveyor belt 18 of the box-unpacking device 10, wherein the conveying direction of the feeding conveyor belt 18 is the same as the removal direction of the target object.

[0047] Because lenses produced in different countries have different packaging types, the sorting mechanism selects different processes based on the sorting information. Some types of boxes need to be flipped at a flipping station first to turn the lid of the box to an easy-to-open orientation. The box-unpacking device 10 according to an embodiment of this utility model may include a flipping mechanism 17, which is configured to adjust the orientation of a specific type of box according to the sorting results of the sorting system to turn the lid of the box to an easy-to-open orientation. The box-unpacking device 10 may include a suction cup, the bottom surface of which picks up and fixes the top of the box for flipping. The suction cup may also be configured as other devices capable of gripping and fixing the box.

[0048] like Figure 1 As shown, the unpacking device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is used to unpack a box and remove a lens and packaging from it. The unpacking device 10 includes a frame, a box pick-and-place mechanism 11, an unpacking mechanism 12, and a target object processing mechanism 13. The box pick-and-place mechanism 11 is configured to pick up the box from the incoming material location and place it at the unpacking station. The unpacking mechanism 12 is configured to open the box at the unpacking station, thereby removing the target object from the box and conveying it to a pickup station. The target object processing mechanism 13 is configured to pick up the target object at the pickup station and separate the lens from the target object. The conveying mechanism 14 is configured to convey the separated lens from the pickup station to an inspection station. The inspection mechanism 15 is configured to inspect the placement position of the removed lens at the inspection station.

[0049] For boxes that do not require flipping, the pallets conveyed from the feed conveyor belt 18 will skip the flipping station and go directly to the receiving position. For example... Figures 1 to 3As shown, the box-picking and placing mechanism 11 is mounted to the upper guide rail along the second direction Y of the frame, enabling reciprocating motion along the second direction Y. The mechanism includes suction cups oriented along the third direction Z to pick up boxes from the top of the fixed boxes. The number of trays in the box-picking and placing mechanism 11 corresponds to the number of boxes in the trays. In the embodiment shown, two boxes are placed in the trays arranged in a straight line along the first direction X. The box-picking and placing mechanism 11 has two suction cups. After these two suction cups pick up the fixed boxes along the first direction X, the mechanism rotates at a suitable angle in the horizontal plane around the vertical mounting axis, turning the box lid towards the direction of removal from the target object to facilitate opening. Subsequently, the mechanism moves along the second direction Y, aligning the box with the unpacking station. Then, the suction cups of the mechanism move vertically downwards to place the box on the unpacking station. The mechanism then continues to reciprocate along the second direction Y to perform the next box-picking and placing action. In the example, the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z are defined according to the Cartesian coordinate system. That is, the first direction X can be a direction parallel to the direction in which the target object is taken out, the second direction Y can be a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the target object is taken out, and the third direction Z can be a direction perpendicular to both the first direction X and the second direction Y.

[0050] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the unpacking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a partial perspective view of the unpacking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a partial perspective view of the box-opening mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the box to be opened. Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the box-opening mechanism 12 includes a fixing member 121, a lid-opening member 122, and a push rod member 123. The fixing member 121 is configured to fix the relative position of the box. In an example, the fixing member 121 may include a side clamping device 1211 and a top suction device 1212. The side clamping device 1211 is configured to clamp the box from opposite sides, for example, along a second direction Y. The top suction device 1212 is configured to fix the top of the box and / or actuate the top of the box upward. In an example, the side clamping device 1211 may be a pair of clamps mounted on both sides of a lower guide rail extending along a first direction X, with their mounting positions corresponding to the box-opening station, so that when the box is placed at the box-opening station, the clamps can move relative to each other a suitable distance along the second direction Y to clamp and fix the sides of the box. The top suction device 1212 may include two suction cups to suction and fix the top of the box.

[0051] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the opening member 122 is configured to open the lid of the box along a first direction X. The opening member 122 is, for example, a pair of opening grippers 1222 mounted on both sides of a lower guide rail extending along the first direction X. Their mounting position in the first direction X is flush with the non-clamping position of the side clamping device 1211. The side of the opening grippers 1222 facing the box includes protrusions that can extend into the gap between the lid and other parts of the box, thereby opening the lid along the first direction X.

[0052] In the example, push rod member 123 is movably mounted at one end of a lower guide rail extending along a first direction X. Push rod member 123 is configured to move along the first direction X toward the position of the box to push the target object out of the box through the open lid. The foremost tip of push rod member 123 is semi-circular, which ensures that the rear of the box is opened during the first push, and that this shape conforms to the circumferential surface of the lens, thereby allowing the packaged lens to be stably pushed out of the box without damaging it. According to an embodiment of the present invention, push rod member 123 is configured to first move along the first direction X to at least partially open the rear of the box opposite the lid, and then move along the first direction X to push the target object out of the box through the open lid.

[0053] Specifically, for boxes that do not need to be flipped, the lid should open downwards when the box is at the unpacking station. For example... Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 This is a partial perspective view of the box-opening mechanism 12 according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the relative positional relationship between the box 20 to be opened and the various components of the box-opening mechanism 12. When the box 20 is placed at the box-opening station, firstly, the side clamping devices 1211 move an appropriate distance along the second direction Y toward the box 20, respectively contacting and fixing the two opposing surfaces of the box 20 in the second direction Y. Then, the lid-opening gripper 1222 moves along the second direction Y toward the box 20 to the gap between the lid and other parts of the box 20, and retracts away from the box 20 along the second direction Y. Then, the top suction device 1212 moves downward along the third direction Z to suction and fix the top of the box 20 and move the top upward a small distance. Subsequently, the opening gripper 1222 moves again along the second direction Y toward the box 20 to the gap between the lid and other parts where the protrusion extends into the box 20, and moves away from the box 20 along the first direction X, thereby opening the lid. Then, the opening gripper 1222 and the side gripping device 1211 move sequentially along the second direction Y away from the box 20 to return to their initial positions. During this opening process, the movement direction of the opening gripper 1222 is as follows: Figure 4As indicated by arrows D1 and D2. Finally, the push rod member 123 moves twice towards the box 20 along the first direction X. The first movement towards the box 20 punctures the rear of the box 20 and returns to the initial state. Then, it moves towards the box 20 again to completely push the target object out of the box 20. The direction of movement of the push rod member 123 is as follows: Figure 4 As shown by arrow D3 in the diagram.

[0054] like Figures 5 to 6 As shown, Figure 5 This is a partial perspective view of the box-opening mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the box 20 to be opened and the opening device 1221. Figure 6 This is a partially enlarged view of the top suction device and the opening device 1221 according to an embodiment of the present invention. For a box 20 that needs to be flipped, when the box 20 is flipped by the flipping mechanism 17 and placed at the unpacking station, the lid of the box 20 opens upwards. To better remove boxes of the flipping type, the unpacking device 10's opening member 122 further includes the opening device 1221, which is mounted on the front of the top suction device 1212 along a first direction X and configured to move at an angle toward the box 20, so that the lid moves to a pre-open position and the top of the box 20 moves to a raised position. The opening device 1221 includes an opening push rod and a boss. In this example, specifically, compared to the unpacking process of a box 20 that does not need to be flipped described above, the main difference is that before the protrusion of the opening gripper 1222 extends into the gap between the lid of the box 20 and other parts, the lid of the box 20 needs to be opened to the pre-open position first through the opening device 1221. The pre-opening process of the lid specifically includes the following steps: At the unpacking station, since the top of box 20 is picked up and fixed by the top suction device 1212 and moves upward a short distance, the opening push rod can move towards the lid at an angle through the opening at the top of box 20 to poke the lid open to the pre-opening position, and the protrusion can extend into the interior of box 20 through the pre-opened lid. The movement directions of the opening push rod and the top suction device 1212 are as follows: Figure 5 As indicated by arrows D4 and D5 in the diagram. Then the opening device 1221 retracts. During the retraction process, the boss lifts the top of the box 20, thereby reserving sufficient opening space for the subsequent lens to be pushed out of the box 20, ensuring the smooth ejection of the target object.

[0055] Therefore, the box-unpacking device 10 of this invention can replace manual box-unpacking operations with an automated process, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing the scrap rate of lenses during the box-unpacking process. Furthermore, this box-unpacking device can adapt to different types of boxes from different production locations, and can efficiently and stably unpack different types of boxes.

[0056] The unpacking device also includes a conveyor that extends and travels along the direction in which the target object is removed to transport the separated, packaged lenses to the next workstation. Figure 6 In the example shown, the picking station is located at one end of the conveyor in the first direction X, near the unpacking station, and the separating station is located above the picking station. The conveyor includes, for example, a dual conveyor belt. The target object handling mechanism includes an air blowing device that blows air at the interface of the package.

[0057] Therefore, the box-opening device of this utility model can not only complete the automated box-opening process, but also automatically remove packaging materials such as pearl cotton from the lens, so as to further improve production efficiency and yield.

[0058] The unpacking device 10 also includes a packaging recycling device and a box recycling device (not shown in the figure). After the unpacking and packaging separation processes are completed, the second suction cup moves the packaging into the packaging recycling device, and the unpacking mechanism 12 moves the unpacked box into the box recycling device. By setting up different recycling devices, waste boxes and pearl cotton can be recycled separately, thereby improving recycling efficiency.

[0059] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a detection mechanism is further included, configured to detect the placement of the removed lens at a detection station. The lens is an eyeglass lens, and the detection mechanism 15 is configured to detect the orientation of the convex surface of the eyeglass lens.

[0060] By setting up inspection steps, it can be ensured that the convex surface of the lens is always oriented upwards throughout the entire process of unpacking, separating, and inspecting. Furthermore, if there are problems such as machine malfunction, instability, or operator error, the inspection steps can promptly issue an alarm to notify the operator to handle the issue manually, thereby ensuring the overall yield rate.

[0061] According to an embodiment of this utility model, the unpacking device 10 includes an information acquisition system (not shown in the figure), configured to collect and complete production information after unpacking. This information acquisition system can be, for example, an RFID device similar to the sorting system described above, enabling the unpacking device 10 to collect production data before and after unpacking. This information may include the time of entry into the device, the time of completion of unpacking, and the corresponding work order number, thereby allowing for the tracking, digitization, and visualization of the lens production process.

[0062] It is understood that the unpacking device 10 of this invention also includes a human-machine interface (HMI) to allow operators to interact with the equipment or production process. This HMI is typically connected to a programmable logic controller (PLC), which controls the unpacking process based on inputs from the HMI and field sensors. Furthermore, the performance of the unpacking device 10 can be monitored digitally, for example, by collecting equipment data from RFID devices via KepWare and visualizing the data using Power BI, thereby enabling the recording and tracking of production data.

[0063] The exemplary embodiments of the box-opening device 10 proposed by the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to preferred embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and alterations can be made to the above specific embodiments without departing from the concept of the present invention, and various combinations can be made to the various technical features and structures proposed by the present invention without exceeding the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A box-opening device (10) for opening a box and removing a target object from the box, the target object comprising a lens and packaging, characterized in that, The unpacking device (10) includes: A box pick-and-place mechanism (11) is configured to pick up the box from the incoming material position and place it at the unpacking station; The box-opening mechanism (12) is configured to open the box at the box-opening station, thereby taking the target object out of the box and conveying it to the picking station; The target object processing mechanism (13) is configured to pick up the target object at the picking station and separate the lens from the target object.

2. The unpacking device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The unpacking mechanism (12) includes: The fixing member (121) is configured to fix the relative position of the boxes. The lid opening member (122) is configured to open the lid of the box in a first direction (X). The push rod component (123) is configured to move toward the box along the first direction (X) to push the target object out of the box through the open lid.

3. The unpacking device (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fixing member (121) includes: Side clamping device (1211), configured to clamp the box from both sides; and The top adsorption device (1212) is configured to fix the top of the box and / or drive the top of the box to move upward.

4. The unpacking device (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The opening component (122) includes: An opening device (1221) is configured to move toward the box in an angled direction to move the lid to a pre-open position and to move the top of the box to a raised position.

5. The unpacking device (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The push rod member (123) is configured to first move along a first direction (X) to at least partially open the rear of the box opposite the lid, and then move along the first direction (X) to push the target object out of the box through the opened lid.

6. The unpacking device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The target object processing mechanism (13) includes an air blowing device that blows air at the interface of the package.

7. The unpacking device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The unpacking device (10) further includes: The conveying mechanism (14) is configured to convey the separated lens from the picking station to the testing station.

8. The unpacking device (10) according to claim 7, characterized in that, The unpacking device (10) further includes: The testing mechanism (15) is configured to test the placement of the lens taken out at the testing station.

9. The unpacking device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The unpacking device (10) further includes: The flipping mechanism (17) is configured to adjust the orientation of the box according to the sorting result.

10. The unpacking device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The unpacking device (10) further includes: The sorting mechanism is configured to sort the boxes according to their working information.

11. The unpacking device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The unpacking device (10) includes an information acquisition system configured to collect production information of the box after unpacking.

12. The unpacking device (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that, The lens is an eyeglass lens, and the detection mechanism (15) is configured to detect the orientation of the convex surface of the eyeglass lens.

13. The unpacking device (10) according to claim 12, characterized in that, The detection mechanism (15) includes a first detection component and a second detection component capable of moving in opposite directions, the first detection component and the second detection component being configured to stop moving after contacting the eyeglass lens.

14. The unpacking device (10) according to claim 13, characterized in that, When the convex surface of the spectacle lens is facing upwards, the first detection component and the second detection component move relative to each other a first distance. When the convex surface of the spectacle lens faces downwards, the first detection component and the second detection component move relative to each other a second distance. Wherein, the first distance is greater than the second distance.

15. The unpacking device (10) according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The first detection component and the second detection component are configured to send the detected location information to the sensor.

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