An automatic feeding component for a digital carton printer

Abstract

This utility model discloses an automatic feeding component for a digital carton printer, belonging to the technical field of digital carton printing equipment. It includes a pair of support plates, a connecting rod, and a printing tray. The support plates have a loading position and a turnover loading position, while the printing tray has a printing position. The support plates are equipped with a power mechanism and a turnover mechanism. The power mechanism includes a cylinder and a push-pull rod, and the turnover mechanism includes a guide rail, a guide seat, a second cylinder, a bracket, and a tray. During operation, the second cylinder pushes the bracket to lift the carton from the loading position via the tray. The first cylinder pulls the guide seat via the push-pull rod, causing the carton to move upwards towards the turnover loading position. The second cylinder retracts, placing the carton in the turnover loading position. After the first cylinder resets, the operation repeats, ultimately conveying the carton to the printing position. This utility model achieves automated continuous feeding through the coordinated operation of two cylinders, solving the problems of low feeding efficiency and easy jamming in existing systems, improving feeding stability and accuracy, reducing labor and maintenance costs, and adapting to diverse carton printing needs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of digital printing equipment for cartons, specifically to an automatic feeding component for a digital carton printer, used to realize the automated and continuous feeding of cartons to the printing position of the digital printer, thereby improving the production efficiency and stability of carton printing. Background Technology

[0002] Digital printing is a crucial step in the cardboard box manufacturing process, as it accurately prints patterns, text, and other information onto the box surface. Currently, the feeding methods for digital cardboard box printers are mainly divided into two categories: manual feeding and semi-automatic feeding.

[0003] Manual feeding requires operators to continuously place the cartons to be printed one by one into the printing position of the printer. This is not only labor-intensive and costly, but the feeding speed is also affected by the operator's skill level and is difficult to match with the printer's high-speed printing rhythm, which can easily lead to interruption of the printing process and low production efficiency.

[0004] Existing semi-automatic feeding components mostly adopt chain drive or belt drive structures. On the one hand, the transmission structure is complex, the parts are prone to wear and tear, and frequent maintenance is required. On the other hand, the lack of precise positioning and reversing mechanisms makes it easy for cartons to deviate or jam during the conveying process, resulting in deviations in the printing position of the cartons, or even damage to the cartons and printing equipment, further increasing production costs.

[0005] Therefore, developing an automatic feeding component that is simple in structure, highly automated, stable in conveying, and can accurately deliver cartons to the printing position has become a key requirement for solving the current feeding problem in digital printing of cartons. Utility Model Content

[0006] To address the problems of low feeding efficiency, poor stability, and easy jamming in existing digital carton printers, this utility model provides an automatic feeding component for a digital carton printer. Through the coordinated action of two cylinders, the component achieves the lifting, lateral conveying, and precise placement of the carton, thereby achieving automated continuous feeding, improving feeding efficiency and stability, and reducing labor and equipment maintenance costs.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an automatic feeding assembly for a digital carton printer, comprising a pair of support plates mounted on a conveyor, the two support plates being fixed together by a pair of connecting rods, and a printing tray mounted on the digital printer being fixed to the other end of the pair of support plates.

[0008] The support plate is provided with a material loading position and a number of turnover loading positions in sequence, and the printing tray is provided with a printing position. The distance between two turnover loading positions and the distance between the material loading position and the adjacent turnover loading position are all equal.

[0009] The support plate is equipped with a power mechanism for driving the carton to move laterally, and a turnover mechanism for carrying and lifting the carton.

[0010] The power mechanism includes a cylinder fixed on the support plate and a push-pull rod fixed to the free end of the piston rod of the cylinder.

[0011] The turnover mechanism includes a guide rail fixed to the side wall of the support plate, a guide seat that is engaged with the guide rail and can slide left and right along the guide rail, a second cylinder fixed on the guide seat, a bracket fixed to the free end of the piston rod of the second cylinder, and several tray positions fixed on the bracket.

[0012] The number of pallet positions is the same as the total number of material-to-be-loaded positions and turnover-loaded positions, and the distance between two pallet positions is consistent with the distance between two turnover-loaded positions, ensuring that the pallet positions can be accurately aligned with the material-to-be-loaded positions and turnover-loaded positions;

[0013] The end of the push-pull rod away from the cylinder is fixedly connected to the guide seat, so that the cylinder can drive the guide seat to slide along the guide rail through the push-pull rod.

[0014] To improve structural stability and functional reliability, the following optimization designs are also included:

[0015] The guide rail has a dovetail-shaped cross section, and the guide seat has a dovetail groove adapted to the dovetail-shaped guide rail. Several rolling balls are embedded in the inner wall of the dovetail groove. The rolling balls make rolling contact with the side wall of the guide rail, reducing the sliding friction between the guide seat and the guide rail and improving the stability of the transverse conveying.

[0016] Each of the aforementioned pallet positions has a U-shaped groove structure, and the bottom of the U-shaped groove is fixed with an anti-slip rubber pad to prevent the carton from slipping and shifting during lifting and conveying.

[0017] It also includes a solenoid valve assembly, which is connected to cylinder one and cylinder two respectively through air pipes. The solenoid valve assembly is also electrically connected to the main control system of the digital printer. The main control system can independently control the extension stroke and speed of cylinder one and cylinder two through the solenoid valve assembly to achieve precise matching between the feeding rhythm and the printing rhythm.

[0018] Both ends of the connecting rod are detachably connected to the support plate by hexagon socket bolts. Spring steel anti-loosening washers are fitted on the outside of the hexagon socket bolts. The two ends of the anti-loosening washers are tightly fitted to the connecting rod and the support plate respectively to prevent the bolts from loosening and causing the support plate to shift during long-term use.

[0019] The upper surface of the printing tray is provided with a mounting groove, and a pressure sensor is fixed in the mounting groove. The detection surface of the pressure sensor is flush with the upper surface of the printing tray, and the pressure sensor is electrically connected to the main control system of the digital printer to detect whether a carton is placed at the printing position to avoid empty printing or missing printing.

[0020] The bracket adopts an integrally molded aluminum alloy structure, which is lightweight and high-strength. A circular reinforcing plate is welded to the connection end between the bracket and the piston rod of the second cylinder. The diameter of the reinforcing plate is 1 times the diameter of the piston rod of the second cylinder. The reinforcing plate is fixed to the bracket by a fillet weld, which improves the connection strength between the bracket and the second cylinder and prevents the bracket from deforming due to the weight of the carton.

[0021] Working principle:

[0022] This invention utilizes the coordinated action of cylinder one and cylinder two, along with a pallet position, guide rails, and other structures, to achieve automated and continuous conveying of cartons from the loading position to the printing position. The specific steps are as follows:

[0023] Initial state settings:

[0024] Place the cartons to be printed in the material loading area; all turnover material loading areas and printing areas are empty.

[0025] Both cylinder one and cylinder two are in the fully retracted state. The guide seat is located at the leftmost end of the guide rail. The pallet positions on the bracket are respectively located directly below the material to be loaded position and each turnover material loading position. The upper surface of the pallet position is lower than the bearing surface of the material to be loaded position and the turnover material loading position, and does not contact the carton.

[0026] The main control system of the digital printer monitors the extension and retraction status of cylinder one and cylinder two in real time through the solenoid valve group and receives the detection signal from the pressure sensor.

[0027] Step 1: Lift up the cardboard box at the material loading position:

[0028] The main control system sends a command to the solenoid valve group to control the air intake circuit of cylinder two to be turned on, and the piston rod of cylinder two slowly extends, pushing the bracket to move upward.

[0029] The support frame drives all pallet positions to rise synchronously. The pallet position located directly below the material to be loaded is gradually inserted into the bottom of the material to be loaded until the anti-slip rubber pad on the pallet position is in close contact with the bottom of the carton. The carton is then lifted up to the height that the carton is completely separated from the bearing surface of the material to be loaded, so as to avoid friction between the carton and the material to be loaded.

[0030] After the piston rod of cylinder two extends to the preset stroke, the solenoid valve group cuts off the air intake circuit of cylinder two, and cylinder two remains in the extended state, so that the carton is stably supported on the pallet position.

[0031] Step 2: Laterally convey the cartons to the area above the turnover loading position:

[0032] After the main control system confirms that cylinder two has reached the extension limit, it sends a second command to the solenoid valve group to control the air intake circuit of cylinder one to be turned on, and the piston rod of cylinder one slowly extends.

[0033] The piston rod of the cylinder drives the push-pull rod to move to the right. The push-pull rod pulls the guide seat to slide to the right along the guide rail. The dovetail guide rail cooperates with the ball to reduce sliding resistance and ensure that the guide seat does not deviate.

[0034] The guide seat drives cylinder two, the bracket and the pallet position carrying the carton to move to the right synchronously. The movement distance is equal to the "distance between the material to be loaded position and the adjacent turnover loading position". This distance is precisely controlled by the main control system through the preset extension and retraction stroke of cylinder one.

[0035] When the guide seat slides to the preset position, the pallet position carrying the carton is exactly above the first turnover loading position. At this time, the piston rod of cylinder one extends to the preset stroke, the solenoid valve group cuts off the air intake circuit of cylinder one, and cylinder one remains in the extended state.

[0036] Step 3: Place the cardboard box in the turnover loading area:

[0037] After the main control system confirms that cylinder one has reached the extension limit, it sends a third command to the solenoid valve group to control the exhaust circuit of cylinder two to be opened, and the piston rod of cylinder two slowly retracts.

[0038] Cylinder 2 drives the bracket and pallet to move downwards, and the cartons on the pallet descend accordingly until the bottom of the cartons is in close contact with the bearing surface of the first turnover loading position.

[0039] The piston rod of cylinder two continues to retract until the upper surface of the pallet position is lower than the bearing surface of the turnover material position, ensuring that the pallet position is completely separated from the carton. At this time, the solenoid valve group cuts off the exhaust circuit of cylinder two, and cylinder two remains in the retracted state.

[0040] Step 4: Reset the power mechanism and the turnover mechanism:

[0041] After the main control system confirms that cylinder two has reached the retraction limit, it sends a fourth command to the solenoid valve group to control the exhaust circuit of cylinder one to be opened, and the piston rod of cylinder one retracts slowly.

[0042] Cylinder 1 pulls the guide seat along the guide rail to slide to the left via the push-pull rod until the guide seat returns to its initial position at the leftmost end of the guide rail. At this time, the piston rod of cylinder 1 retracts to its initial state, and the solenoid valve group cuts off the exhaust circuit of cylinder 1, completing one cycle of "lifting-conveying-placing-resetting".

[0043] Step 5: Circularly transport the material to the printing position:

[0044] Repeat the above steps. At this time, the pallet located directly below the first turnover loading position will lift the carton on the turnover loading position and be conveyed to the next turnover loading position under the drive of cylinder 1.

[0045] In this way, through multiple cycles, the carton passes through all the turnover and feeding positions in sequence, and is finally conveyed to the top of the printing position;

[0046] When the second cylinder contracts and drives the carton to descend, the carton is placed on the printing position. The pressure sensor on the printing tray detects the pressure signal of the carton and feeds the signal back to the main control system.

[0047] Once the main control system confirms that a carton has been placed at the printing position, it controls the automatic feeding component to stop the current feeding cycle and simultaneously sends a "printable" signal to the digital printer, which then begins the printing operation.

[0048] Step 6: Post-printing preparation:

[0049] After the digital printer finishes printing, it sends a "printing complete" signal to the main control system.

[0050] If continued feeding is required, the operator can place the new cardboard box to be printed in the feeding position. After the main control system receives the "printing complete" signal, it will automatically start the next feeding cycle to achieve continuous production.

[0051] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0052] By coordinating the action of dual cylinders and linking with the main control system, the entire process of conveying the carton from the loading position to the printing position is automated, without the need for manual intervention, reducing labor intensity and labor costs. The use of cylinder transmission instead of traditional chain and belt transmission results in fewer parts, lower wear, and the connecting rod and support plate can be detached for easy maintenance and parts replacement. Attached Figure Description

[0053] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the present invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the present invention to explain the present invention, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0054] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;

[0055] Figure 2 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 3 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the bottom view structure;

[0058] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A front view structural diagram;

[0059] In the picture:

[0060] 1-Support plate, 2-Connecting rod, 3-Printing tray platform, 4-Waiting to load material position, 5-Turning material loading position, 6-Waiting to print position, 7-Power mechanism, 71-Cylinder 1, 72-Push-pull rod, 8-Turning mechanism, 81-Guide rail, 82-Guide seat, 83-Cylinder 2, 84-Bracket, 85-Tray position. Detailed Implementation

[0061] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0062] Example 1

[0063] like Figure 1-5 As shown;

[0064] An automatic feeding component for a digital carton printer.

[0065] This implementation plan addresses the technical problems existing in the prior art, such as those disclosed in the background section above: "In the cardboard box production process, digital printing is one of the key steps, requiring the accurate printing of patterns, text, and other information onto the cardboard box surface. Currently, the feeding methods for cardboard box digital printers are mainly divided into two categories: manual feeding and semi-automatic feeding."

[0066] Manual feeding requires operators to continuously place the cartons to be printed one by one into the printing position of the printer. This is not only labor-intensive and costly, but the feeding speed is also affected by the operator's skill level and is difficult to match with the printer's high-speed printing rhythm, which can easily lead to interruption of the printing process and low production efficiency.

[0067] Existing semi-automatic feeding components mostly adopt chain drive or belt drive structures. On the one hand, the transmission structure is complex, the parts are prone to wear and tear, and frequent maintenance is required. On the other hand, they lack precise positioning and reversing mechanisms, which can easily cause the cartons to deviate or jam during the conveying process, resulting in deviations in the printing position of the cartons and even damage to the cartons and printing equipment, further increasing production costs. In practical terms, this problem is obviously a real and difficult problem to solve. Therefore, in order to solve this technical problem, an automatic feeding component for a digital carton printer is provided.

[0068] like Figure 1-5 As shown in the figure;

[0069] This utility model provides a technical solution: an automatic feeding component for a digital carton printer.

[0070] Component selection and assembly

[0071] Support plate 1 and connecting rod 2: Support plate 1 is cut from Q235 steel plate with dimensions of 1200mm×150mm×10mm; connecting rod 2 is a Φ30mm No.45 steel round rod with threaded holes at both ends; connecting rod 2 is connected to support plate 1 by M16 hex bolts, and Φ20mm×2mm spring steel anti-loosening washers are fitted on the outside of the bolts to ensure a tight connection.

[0072] Printing tray 3: Made of aluminum alloy sheet, with dimensions of 500mm×500mm×15mm. A Φ20mm×5mm mounting groove is opened on the upper surface. A pressure sensor of model PT124G-111 is fixed in the groove. The sensor detection surface is flush with the surface of the tray and is electrically connected to the main control system of the digital printer (model PLCS7-200SMART) through a wire.

[0073] Power mechanism 7: Cylinder 71 is a standard cylinder of model SC63×300 with a stroke set to 150mm (matching the material level spacing); Push-pull rod 72 is a Φ20mm stainless steel rod, one end of which is connected to the piston rod of cylinder 71 by thread, and the other end is fixed to guide seat 82 by welding.

[0074] Turnover mechanism 8: The guide rail 81 is a dovetail aluminum alloy guide rail with a size of 1200mm×40mm×30mm; the guide seat 82 is made of aluminum alloy die casting, and the inner wall of the dovetail groove is inlaid with Φ5mm bearing steel balls (6 on each side); the cylinder 2 83 is a standard cylinder of model SC50×100 with a stroke of 80mm; the bracket (84) is an integral aluminum alloy structure with a size of 800mm×80mm×10mm, and a Φ100mm×5mm circular reinforcing plate is welded to the connection end with the cylinder 2 (83). The reinforcing plate is fixed to the bracket (84) by fillet weld (weld height is 5mm); the pallet position (85) is a U-shaped groove structure with a groove size of 100mm×50mm. A 3mm thick nitrile rubber anti-slip pad is pasted on the bottom of the groove. A total of 4 pallet positions are set (corresponding to 1 waiting material position + 3 turnover material positions), and the spacing is 150mm.

[0075] Solenoid valve assembly: Two sets of two-position five-way solenoid valves of model 4V210-08 are selected. They are connected to cylinder 71 and cylinder 83 respectively through Φ8mm PU air pipes. The solenoid valve coils are electrically connected to the main control system through wires to realize the cylinder action control.

[0076] Assembly process

[0077] A pair of support plates 1 are placed parallel to each other on the conveyor frame with a spacing of 800mm. The two support plates 1 are fixed by the connecting rod 2 to form a frame structure.

[0078] The printing tray 3 is fixed to the right end of the support plate 1 with bolts to ensure that the tray is perpendicular to the support plate 1.

[0079] The guide rail 81 is fixed to the side wall of the support plate 1 with bolts, and the guide seat 82 is snapped onto the guide rail 81. Test whether the guide seat 82 slides smoothly.

[0080] Fix cylinder 83 on guide seat 82 with piston rod of cylinder 83 facing upward. Fix bracket 84 to piston rod of cylinder 83 to ensure tray position 85 is horizontal.

[0081] Fix cylinder 71 on the left side of support plate 1, connect push rod 72 to guide seat 82, adjust the position of cylinder 71 to ensure that push rod 72 is parallel to guide rail 81;

[0082] Connect the solenoid valve assembly to the cylinder and the main control system, and connect the pressure sensor to the main control system to complete the overall assembly.

[0083] Usage Operation

[0084] Connect the power supply to the device, start the main control system of the digital printer, enter the feeding parameter setting interface, and set the extension stroke of cylinder 1 71 to 150mm and the speed to 50mm / s, and the extension stroke of cylinder 2 83 to 80mm and the speed to 40mm / s.

[0085] Place the cardboard box to be printed (400mm×300mm×50mm) in the feeding position 4. The main control system detects that there is a cardboard box in the feeding position (detection can be assisted by an additional photoelectric sensor, which is omitted here) and automatically starts the feeding cycle.

[0086] According to steps 2-6 in the "Working Principle" above, the component automatically completes the lifting, conveying, and placement of the carton until the carton reaches the printing position 6;

[0087] After the pressure sensor detects the cardboard box, it sends a signal to the main control system, which then controls the printer to start printing.

[0088] After printing is complete, the operator removes the printed cardboard box. The main control system detects that there is no cardboard box at printing position 6 (pressure sensor has no signal). If there is a new cardboard box at feeding position 4, the next round of feeding will be started automatically.

[0089] Maintenance and troubleshooting

[0090] Before daily use, check the cylinder air pressure (maintain 0.5-0.6MPa), whether the air pipe connection is leaking, and whether there are foreign objects on the guide rail 81 to ensure that the equipment is operating normally;

[0091] Apply lubricating oil (model 32# machine oil) to guide rail 81 weekly, clean impurities from the balls, and prevent slippage and jamming.

[0092] If the carton shifts, check if the anti-slip pad at the pallet position 85 is worn and if the cylinder action is synchronized. If necessary, replace the anti-slip pad or adjust the solenoid valve parameters.

[0093] If the pressure sensor has no signal, check if the sensor wiring is loose or if there are impurities on the sensor surface. Rewiring or cleaning the impurities should resolve the issue.

[0094] Finally, it should be noted that the above are merely preferred embodiments of this utility model and are not intended to limit the utility model. Although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. An automatic feeding assembly for a carton digital printer, comprising a pair of support plates (1) mounted on a conveyor, characterized in that: The two support plates (1) are fixed together by a pair of connecting rods (2). The other end of the pair of support plates (1) is fixed with a printing tray (3) mounted on a digital printer. The top left end of the pair of support plates (1) is provided with a material loading position (4). The support plate (1) to the right of the material loading position (4) is provided with several turnover loading positions (5). The printing tray (3) is provided with a printing position (6). The support plate (1) is provided with a power mechanism (7) and a turnover mechanism (8). The power mechanism (7) includes a cylinder (71) fixed on the support plate (1) and a push-pull rod (72) fixed on the piston rod of the cylinder (71). The turnover mechanism (8) includes a push-pull rod (72) fixed on the support plate (1). The guide rail (81) on the side wall of the plate (1) is engaged with a guide seat (82) that slides left and right. A cylinder (83) is fixed on the guide seat (82). A bracket (84) is fixed on the cylinder (83). Several tray positions (85) are fixed on the bracket (84). The number of tray positions (85) is the same as the total number of the material-to-load position (4) and the turnover material-to-load position (5). The distance between two turnover material-to-load positions (5) is the same as the distance between the material-to-load position (4) and the turnover material-to-load position (5). The distance between two tray positions (85) is the same as the distance between two turnover material-to-load positions (5). The push-pull rod (72) is fixedly connected to the guide seat (82).

2. An automatic feeding assembly of a carton digital printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide rail (81) of the turnover mechanism (8) has a dovetail-shaped cross section. The guide seat (82) has a dovetail groove adapted to the dovetail-shaped guide rail (81), and a number of rolling balls are embedded in the inner wall of the dovetail groove. The rolling balls are in rolling contact with the side wall of the guide rail.

3. An automatic feeding assembly of a carton digital printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the tray positions (85) is a U-shaped groove structure, and the bottom of the U-shaped groove is fixed with an anti-slip rubber pad.

4. An automatic feeding assembly of a carton digital printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a solenoid valve assembly, which is connected to cylinder one (71) and cylinder two (83) respectively through air pipes, and the solenoid valve assembly is electrically connected to the main control system of the digital printer. The main control system can independently control the extension stroke and speed of cylinder one (71) and cylinder two (83) through the solenoid valve assembly.

5. An automatic feeding assembly of a carton digital printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both ends of the connecting rod (2) are detachably connected to the support plate (1) by internal hex bolts. The outer side of the internal hex bolts is fitted with anti-loosening washers, which are made of spring steel. The two ends of the anti-loosening washers are tightly fitted to the connecting rod (2) and the support plate (1) respectively.

6. An automatic feeding assembly of a carton digital printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper surface of the printing tray (3) is provided with an installation groove, and a pressure sensor is fixed in the installation groove. The detection surface of the pressure sensor is flush with the upper surface of the printing tray (3), and the pressure sensor is electrically connected to the main control system of the digital printer to detect whether a carton is placed in the printing position (6).

7. An automatic feeding assembly of a carton digital printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bracket (84) adopts an integrally formed aluminum alloy structure. A circular reinforcing plate is welded to the connection end between the bracket (84) and the piston rod of cylinder two (83). The diameter of the reinforcing plate is 2-3 times the diameter of the piston rod of cylinder two (83), and the reinforcing plate is fixed to the bracket (84) by fillet weld.

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