A cigarette smoking package apparatus

Abstract

The application relates to the packaging technical field, in particular to a product smoking packaging device. The product smoking packaging device comprises a circulating conveying line, a shell distribution unit, a tobacco distribution unit, a dust collection unit, a film covering unit and a blanking unit which are sequentially distributed along the circulating conveying line and constitute a flow line; a plurality of jigs are arranged on the circulating conveying line and sequentially circulate; the shell distribution unit comprises a shell storage mechanism and a shell taking and placing mechanism; the tobacco distribution unit comprises a tobacco storage mechanism and a tobacco filling mechanism; the dust collection unit is used for sucking scattered tobacco from a blister shell filled with product smoking by the tobacco filling mechanism; the film covering unit is used for covering and sealing the blister shell with the scattered tobacco sucked by the dust collection unit; and the blanking unit is used for moving the blister shell sealed by the film covering unit out of the circulating conveying line. The application realizes automatic packaging of product smoking, removes defective products by combining with machine vision detection technology, and is more beneficial to keeping the packaging appearance and tobacco aroma taste of product smoking.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of packaging technology, specifically relating to a cigarette packaging device. Background Technology

[0002] Cigarettes for appreciation and collection refer to cigarettes intended for appreciation and collection, not for daily consumption, and are not considered consumer goods sold in the market. Therefore, cigarettes for appreciation typically do not use the packaging format of ordinary commercially available cigarettes, but rather small packages of 1-2 cigarettes.

[0003] The applicant's research revealed that existing cigarette packaging technologies primarily consist of simple folding cardboard boxes, top-and-bottom boxes, and pull-out boxes. These only meet the need for miniaturization, lacking reliable internal containment of the cigarettes and exhibiting poor sealing. Existing technologies typically employ strap-like structures to restrain the cigarettes inside the packaging, or use overall film sealing to compensate for insufficient airtightness. However, strap-like structures may be too tight, negatively impacting the appearance of the cigarette and potentially causing tobacco leakage, disrupting the tobacco distribution density within the packaging. Furthermore, overall film sealing is a one-time seal that cannot be restored after removal, still hindering the long-term preservation of the cigarette's aroma and flavor.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a packaging form and packaging equipment that is more conducive to maintaining the appearance and aroma of cigarettes.

[0005] This application is submitted in order to address the above issues. Utility Model Content

[0006] The first aspect of this application provides a cigarette packaging device, including a circulating conveyor line and a shell dispensing unit, a smoke dispensing unit, a dust collection unit, and a film covering unit that are sequentially distributed from upstream to downstream along the circulating conveyor line;

[0007] The circulating conveyor line is equipped with multiple fixtures that are circulated in sequence;

[0008] The shell distribution unit includes a shell storage mechanism and a shell picking and placing mechanism. The shell storage mechanism stores several blister shells for packaging, and the shell picking and placing mechanism is used to transfer the blister shells stored in the shell storage mechanism one by one to the corresponding fixtures on the circulating conveyor line.

[0009] The cigarette distribution unit includes a cigarette storage mechanism and a cigarette filling mechanism. The cigarette storage mechanism stores a number of cigarettes, and the cigarette filling mechanism is used to fill the cigarettes in the cigarette storage mechanism one by one into the blister shells that are transferred to the fixture by the shell handling mechanism.

[0010] The dust extraction unit is used to remove loose tobacco from the blister pack containing the cigarettes after they have been filled by the cigarette filling mechanism;

[0011] The laminating unit is used to seal the blister pack containing the loose tobacco leaves that has been sucked up by the vacuuming unit.

[0012] Preferably, the cigarette packaging equipment further includes a feeding unit for removing the blister pack sealed by the film-coating unit from the circulating conveyor line.

[0013] Preferably, the top surface of the fixture is formed into a cavity, and the bottom surface of the vacuum-formed shell can be precisely embedded into the cavity;

[0014] The top of the blister shell is open, and the perimeter of the open end has a horizontally outward-curving lip. The inner bottom of the blister shell has a support part set along the center line. The support part protrudes upward relative to the inner bottom of the blister shell. The left and right sides of the support part cooperate with the left and right inner side walls of the blister shell to form a storage part that can accommodate a cigarette to be laid flat. After the bottom surface of the blister shell is embedded into the cavity, the lip extends out of the cavity and forms a surface contact with the top surface of the fixture.

[0015] The shell storage mechanism includes a rack for accommodating multiple vertically stacked blister shells;

[0016] The blister pack is inverted with its open end facing down; the top of the material rack forms an inlet for inserting the blister pack, and the bottom of the material rack forms an outlet for removing the blister pack; the outlet has a baffle pin on each of its opposite sides in the horizontal direction, which extends obliquely downward from the outside of the outlet to the inner edge of the outlet to block the lip of the blister pack and prevent the blister pack from detaching from the material rack.

[0017] Preferably, there are multiple racks arranged horizontally side by side.

[0018] The shell loading and unloading mechanism includes: a first vacuum suction cup and a first vacuum suction cup driving mechanism;

[0019] The first vacuum suction cup drive mechanism is configured to drive the first vacuum suction cup to transfer the blister packs stored in the packing mechanism one by one to the corresponding fixtures on the circulating conveyor line.

[0020] Preferably, the first vacuum suction cup drive mechanism includes a material handling device.

[0021] The first vacuum suction cup drive mechanism can also be a robotic arm, etc.

[0022] Preferably, there are multiple material handling devices, each corresponding to a different material outlet below the material rack;

[0023] The material handling device includes a vertical back plate, a vertical slide rail located on the front wall of the vertical back plate, a slide block that slides with the vertical slide rail, and a first cylinder that drives the slide block to slide along the vertical slide rail.

[0024] The material handling device also includes a rocker arm located in front of the slide block. The upper end of the rocker arm is rotatably connected to a vertical back plate. A guide groove that runs through the front and back is opened on the rocker arm. The guide groove has a first guide part, a second guide part, and a third guide part that are connected sequentially from top to bottom. The first guide part and the third guide part are vertically extending elongated slots, and the second guide part is a semi-circular arc-shaped slot. The first guide part and the third guide part are aligned in the center and are respectively connected to the upper and lower ends of the second guide part.

[0025] The material handling device also includes a positioning pin perpendicular to the front end face of the rocker arm, which is fixed at the center of the second guide portion; the material handling device also includes a swing arm located on the front side of the rocker arm, the swing arm having a guide rod that passes through the guide groove, the rear end of the guide rod passing through the guide groove and rotatably connected to the slide block, and a vertical long groove located above the guide rod is opened on the rear end face of the swing arm, and the front end of the positioning pin is movably sleeved in the vertical long groove.

[0026] The material handling device also includes a tilting arm fixed at the lower end of the swing arm. The tilting arm extends forward horizontally, and its bottom surface is equipped with a first vacuum suction cup.

[0027] The working method of the material handling device is as follows:

[0028] The slide rises and falls vertically under the drive of the first cylinder, and is used to drive the swing arm to reciprocate along the first guide part, the second guide part, and the third guide part of the guide groove via the guide rod; when the guide rod passes the second guide part, the swing arm and the flip arm are rotated 180 degrees in the direction of movement of the slide by the cooperation of the positioning pin and the vertical long groove, so that the adsorption end of the first vacuum suction cup is facing the direction of movement of the slide.

[0029] When the guide rod moves upward and passes the second guide section, the positioning pin and the vertical slot work together to make the swing arm and the flip arm rotate 180 degrees in the direction of movement of the slide (i.e., the vertical direction), and the suction end of the first vacuum suction cup is changed to face upward.

[0030] When the slide is at the upper end of the lifting stroke, the flipping arm is located at the first guide part of the guide groove, and the suction end of the first vacuum suction cup just contacts the blister shell in the corresponding material rack outlet, which is used to suck the blister shell out of the material rack outlet.

[0031] When the guide rod moves downward and passes the second guide section again, the positioning pin and the vertical long groove cooperate to make the swing arm and the flip arm rotate 180 degrees in the direction of movement of the slide, thereby making the adsorption end of the first vacuum suction cup face the direction of movement of the slide; that is, the adsorption end of the first vacuum suction cup is changed to face downward.

[0032] When the slide is at the lower end of the lifting stroke, the flip arm is located at the third guide part of the guide groove, and the suction end of the first vacuum suction cup just enters the cavity of the fixture, thereby transferring the blister shell into the cavity of the fixture.

[0033] Preferably, the cigarette storage mechanism includes a hopper for storing cigarettes, the distance between its front and rear side walls being adapted to the length of the cigarettes, and the cigarettes being stacked in the hopper with the mouthpiece facing forward; multiple distribution blocks are horizontally arranged at the lower end of the hopper, with equal gaps between adjacent distribution blocks for one cigarette to pass downwards; each distribution block is provided with a feeding roller at its upper end, the feeding rollers are axially parallel, and the gaps between adjacent feeding rollers are also equal, for one cigarette to pass downwards; the rear end of the feeding roller extends out of the hopper, and the rear end of the hopper is provided with a transmission device for driving the feeding roller to rotate in the same direction and synchronously.

[0034] Preferably, the cigarette filling mechanism includes: a horizontally fixed upper template, a horizontally fixed lower template, and a sieve plate slidably fitted between the upper and lower templates.

[0035] The upper template has an upper opening that corresponds one-to-one with the gap formed by the adjacent material distribution blocks, so that the smoke from the material in the gap between the adjacent material distribution blocks can pass downwards.

[0036] The lower template is fitted with the upper template below it. The lower template has a lower opening that corresponds to the upper opening. The lower opening and the corresponding upper opening coincide in the vertical direction.

[0037] The screen plate has material passages that correspond one-to-one with the upper openings; it also includes a second cylinder for driving the screen plate to move left and right, which drives the screen plate to be in a first position where the material passages completely overlap with the corresponding upper openings and a second position where the material passages are exactly offset from the corresponding upper openings.

[0038] For example, the stroke range of the drive screen plate is such that the material passage is exactly aligned with the corresponding upper opening, and the material passage is exactly offset from the corresponding upper opening.

[0039] Preferably, the vacuum unit includes a negative pressure hood fitted above the circulating conveyor line and a third cylinder for driving the negative pressure hood to move vertically up and down. The top of the negative pressure hood has an air intake for suction, and the bottom of the hood has a pressure block that engages with a fixture on the circulating conveyor line. The pressure block and the negative pressure hood are elastically connected by a spring. The pressure block is configured to press down on the product vacuum cleaner inside the blister pack. The spring-loaded connection between the pressure block and the negative pressure hood prevents the product vacuum cleaner inside the blister pack from being crushed.

[0040] The coating unit includes: a label separation device, a negative pressure adsorption table, and a robotic arm;

[0041] The label separation device is used to output adhesive labels one by one from a continuous release strip for sealing the blister pack.

[0042] The negative pressure adsorption platform is configured to adsorb the adhesive label from the release tape.

[0043] The robotic arm is configured to drive the adsorption table to transfer the adhesive label to the circulating conveyor line to seal the blister pack.

[0044] More preferably, the negative pressure adsorption stage is hollow, with suction holes evenly distributed on its bottom surface and an exhaust port on its top. The robotic arm is a three-axis robotic arm.

[0045] Preferably, the unloading unit includes a gantry robot and a second suction cup driven by the gantry robot;

[0046] The truss robot is used to drive the second suction cup to remove the film-sealed blister pack from the fixture and remove it from the circulating conveyor line.

[0047] Preferably, a first vision detection unit for a downward-facing circulating conveyor line is provided between the dust collection unit and the film coating unit, which is used to detect by machine vision whether there are loose tobacco leaves in the blister pack filled with cigarette smoke.

[0048] Preferably, a second vision inspection unit is provided between the film coating unit and the unloading unit for downward shooting circulation conveyor line, which is used to inspect whether the film sealing of the blister shell is qualified through machine vision.

[0049] A second aspect of this application provides a method for packaging cigarettes, wherein the packaging method is performed using cigarette packaging equipment.

[0050] Specifically, the method includes the following steps: the shell picking and placing mechanism transfers the blister shells 9 in the shell storage mechanism one by one to the corresponding fixtures on the circulating conveyor line;

[0051] The cigarette filling mechanism fills the cigarettes from the cigarette storage mechanism one by one into the blister shells of the fixture transferred by the shell handling mechanism;

[0052] The vacuum unit will extract the loose tobacco from the blister pack that has been filled with cigarette smoke by the cigarette filling mechanism;

[0053] The laminating unit seals the blister pack containing the loose tobacco shreds that the vacuuming unit has picked up.

[0054] The unloading unit removes the blister packs sealed by the film-coating unit from the circulating conveyor line.

[0055] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0056] The automated packaging of cigarettes is achieved by sequentially distributing shell distribution units, smoke distribution units, dust collection units, film coating units, and unloading units along the circulating conveyor line. Combined with machine vision inspection technology, defective products are eliminated, which is more conducive to maintaining the packaging appearance of cigarettes and preserving the aroma and taste of tobacco. Attached Figure Description

[0057] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model.

[0058] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the circulating conveyor line in this utility model.

[0059] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the fixture in this utility model.

[0060] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the shell storage mechanism in this utility model.

[0061] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the material rack structure in this utility model.

[0062] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the shell loading and unloading mechanism of this utility model.

[0063] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the material handling device in this utility model.

[0064] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the tobacco distribution unit in this utility model. Figure 1 .

[0065] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the tobacco distribution unit in this utility model. Figure 2 .

[0066] Figure 10 This is an assembly diagram of the smoke distribution unit in this utility model.

[0067] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the dust collection unit in this utility model.

[0068] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the coating unit in this utility model.

[0069] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the three-axis robot in this utility model.

[0070] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding unit in this utility model.

[0071] List of reference numerals in the attached diagram:

[0072] 1. Circulating conveyor line;

[0073] 2. Shell distribution unit; 21. Shell storage mechanism; 211. Material rack; 2110. Material stop pin; 22. Shell picking and placing mechanism; 220. Material picking device; 221. Vertical back plate; 222. Vertical slide rail; 223. Slide seat; 224. First cylinder; 225. Rocker arm; 2250. Guide groove; 2251. First guide part; 2252. Second guide part; 2253. Third guide part; 2254. Positioning pin; 226. Swing arm; 2260. Guide rod; 2261. Vertical long groove; 227. Tilting arm; 228. First vacuum suction cup;

[0074] 3. Smoke distribution unit; 31. Smoke storage mechanism; 311. Hopper; 312. Material distribution block; 313. Feeding roller; 314. Transmission device; 32. Smoke filling mechanism; 321. Upper template; 322. Upper opening; 323. Lower template; 324. Lower opening; 325. Screen plate; 326. Material passage; 327. Second cylinder;

[0075] 4. Dust collection unit; 41. Negative pressure hood; 42. Third cylinder; 43. Pipe port; 44. Pressure block;

[0076] 5. Lamination unit, 51. Label separation device, 52. Release tape, 53. Adhesive label, 54. Three-axis robot, 55. Negative pressure adsorption table, 551. Suction hole, 552. Air extraction port;

[0077] 6. Unloading unit; 61. Gantry robot; 62. Second suction cup;

[0078] 7. Smoking;

[0079] 8. Jig, 81. Cavity;

[0080] 9. Blister shell; 91. Lip; 92. Support part; 93. Storage part;

[0081] 9'. A blister pack that has been laminated and sealed;

[0082] 11. First visual detection unit; 12. Second visual detection unit. Detailed Implementation

[0083] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the embodiments.

[0084] Those skilled in the art will understand that the following embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. Where specific techniques or conditions are not specified in the embodiments, they are performed in accordance with the techniques or conditions described in the literature in the field or according to the product manual. Materials or equipment whose manufacturers are not specified are all conventional products that can be obtained by purchase.

[0085] Those skilled in the art will understand that, unless specifically stated otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” “the,” and “the” used herein may also include the plural forms. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, “a plurality” means two or more. It should be further understood that the term “comprising” as used in the specification of this application means the presence of the stated feature, integer, step, operation, element, and / or component, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. It should be understood that when we say an element is “connected” to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or there may be an intermediate element. Furthermore, the term “connected” as used herein can include wireless connections.

[0086] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0087] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0088] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0089] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0090] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. The illustrative expressions of the above terms in this specification should not be construed as necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification.

[0091] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in general dictionaries should be understood to have the meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the prior art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless defined as herein.

[0092] Please see Figures 1 to 3 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, a cigarette packaging device of the present invention includes a circulating conveyor line 1, and a shell distribution unit 2, a cigarette distribution unit 3, a dust collection unit 4, a film covering unit 5, and a feeding unit 6 arranged sequentially along the circulating conveyor line 1 to form an assembly line.

[0093] The circulating conveyor line 1 is equipped with multiple fixtures 8 that are circulated in sequence;

[0094] The shell distribution unit 2 includes a shell storage mechanism 21 and a shell picking and placing mechanism 22. The shell storage mechanism 21 stores a number of blister shells 9 for packaging. The shell picking and placing mechanism 22 is used to transfer the blister shells 9 in the shell storage mechanism 21 one by one to the corresponding fixtures 8 on the circulating conveyor line 1.

[0095] The cigarette distribution unit 3 includes a cigarette storage mechanism 31 and a cigarette filling mechanism 32. The cigarette storage mechanism 31 stores a number of cigarettes 7. The cigarette filling mechanism 32 is used to fill the cigarettes 7 in the cigarette storage mechanism 31 one by one into the blister shell 9 of the fixture 8 transferred by the shell taking and putting mechanism 22.

[0096] The dust extraction unit 4 is used to extract loose tobacco from the blister pack 9, which has been filled with cigarette smoke 7 by the cigarette filling mechanism 32;

[0097] The film-coating unit 5 is used to film and seal the blister shell 9 that has been sucked up by the dust-collecting unit 4;

[0098] The unloading unit 6 is used to remove the blister shell 9 sealed by the film-coating unit 5 from the circulating conveyor line 1.

[0099] Through the above embodiments, the automated packaging of cigarette smoke 7 is achieved by sequentially distributing the shell distribution unit 2, smoke distribution unit 3, dust collection unit 4, film coating unit 5, and unloading unit 6 along the circulating conveyor line 1.

[0100] like Figure 3 As shown, in the above embodiment, the top surface of the fixture 8 forms a cavity 81, and the bottom surface of the blister shell 9 can be precisely embedded in the cavity 81. The top of the blister shell 9 is open, and the periphery of the open end has a horizontally outward-curving lip 91. The inner bottom of the blister shell 9 is provided with a support portion 92 arranged along the center line. The support portion 92 protrudes upward relative to the inner bottom of the blister shell 9, and the left and right sides of the support portion 92 respectively cooperate with the left and right inner sidewalls of the blister shell 9 to form a storage portion 93 for accommodating a cigarette 7 laid flat. After the bottom surface of the blister shell 9 is embedded in the cavity 81, the lip 91 extends beyond the cavity 81 and forms a surface contact with the top surface of the fixture 8. The structure of the blister shell 9 is simple and easy to manufacture. By limiting and constraining the position of the cigarette 7 through the storage portion 93, it is more conducive to maintaining the appearance of the cigarette 7. Later, a re-adhesive protective film is used to seal the blister shell 9. After the protective film is removed, it can be re-adhere to seal the box, which is more conducive to maintaining the tobacco aroma and taste of the cigarette 7 for a long time.

[0101] In a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the shell storage mechanism 21 includes multiple horizontally arranged racks 211 for accommodating multiple vertically stacked blister shells 9, with the open ends facing downwards. The top of the rack 211 forms an inlet for inserting the blister shells 9, and the bottom of the rack 211 forms an outlet for removing the blister shells 9. The outlet has baffle pins 2110 on opposite horizontal sides, extending downwards from the outside of the outlet to the inner edge of the outlet to abut against the lip 91 of the blister shell 9, preventing it from falling out of the outlet.

[0102] like Figure 6As shown, in the above embodiment, the shell handling mechanism 22 includes a plurality of material handling devices 220, each corresponding to a material outlet below the material rack 211. Figure 7 As shown, the material handling device 220 includes a vertical back plate 221, a vertical slide rail 222 disposed on the front wall of the vertical back plate 221, a slide block 223 slidably engaged with the vertical slide rail 222, and a first cylinder 224 for driving the slide block 223 to slide along the vertical slide rail 222. The material handling device 220 also includes a rocker arm 225 located in front of the slide block 223. The upper end of the rocker arm 225 is rotatably connected to the vertical back plate 221, and a guide groove 2250 extending through the rocker arm 225 is provided on the rocker arm 225. The guide groove 2250 has a first guide portion 2251, a second guide portion 2252, and a third guide portion 2253 that are sequentially connected from top to bottom. The first guide portion 2251 and the third guide portion 2253 are vertically extending elongated slots, and the second guide portion 2252 is a semi-circular arc-shaped slot. The first guide portion 2251 and the third guide portion 2253 are centrally aligned and respectively connected to the upper and lower ends of the second guide portion 2252. The material handling device 220 also includes a positioning pin 2254 perpendicular to the front end face of the rocker arm 225, which is fixed at the center of the second guide portion 2252. The material handling device 220 also includes a swing arm 226 located on the front side of the rocker arm 225, which has a guide rod 2260 that extends rearward through the guide groove 2250. The rear end of the guide rod 2260 extends out of the guide groove 2250 and is rotatably connected to the slide block 223. A vertical long slot 2261 is formed on the rear end face of the swing arm 226, located above the guide rod 2260, and the front end of the positioning pin 2254 is movably sleeved in the vertical long slot 2261. The material handling device 220 also includes a tilting arm 227 fixed to the lower end of the swing arm 226. The tilting arm 227 extends forward horizontally, and its bottom surface is equipped with a first vacuum suction cup 228.

[0103] The working method of the material handling device is as follows:

[0104] Driven by the first cylinder 224, the slide 223 rises and falls vertically, which is used to drive the swing arm 226 to reciprocate along the first guide portion 2251, the second guide portion 2252, and the third guide portion 2253 of the guide groove 2250 via the guide rod 2260. When the guide rod 2260 passes the second guide portion 2252, the swing arm 226 and the flip arm 227 are flipped 180 degrees in the direction of movement of the slide 223 through the cooperation of the positioning pin 2254 and the vertical long groove 2261, thereby causing the suction end of the first vacuum suction cup 228 to face the direction of movement of the slide 223.

[0105] When the guide rod 2260 moves upward and passes the second guide part 2252, the positioning pin 2254 and the vertical long groove 2261 cooperate to make the swing arm 226 and the flip arm 227 flip 180 degrees in the direction of movement of the slide 223, and the suction end of the first vacuum suction cup 228 changes to face upward.

[0106] In the above embodiment, when the slide 223 is at the upper end of the lifting stroke, the flip arm 227 is located at the first guide part 2251 of the guide groove 2250, and the suction end of the first vacuum suction cup 228 just contacts the blister shell in the discharge port of the corresponding material rack 211, so that the blister shell in the discharge port is sucked up by the first vacuum suction cup 228, and then the blister shell is dragged out of the discharge port when the slide 223 descends. The other blister shells on the upper part will not be accidentally brought out due to the obstruction of the material stop pin 2110.

[0107] When the guide rod 2260 moves downward and passes the second guide part 2252 again, the positioning pin 2254 and the vertical long groove 2261 cooperate to make the swing arm 226 and the flip arm 227 flip 180 degrees in the direction of movement of the slide 223, and the suction end of the first vacuum suction cup 228 changes to downward.

[0108] When the slide 223 is at the lower end of the lifting stroke, the flip arm 227 is located at the third guide part 2253 of the guide groove 2250, and the suction end of the first vacuum suction cup 228 just enters the cavity 81 of the fixture 8, thereby transferring the blister shell 9 into the fixture 8.

[0109] like Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, in another preferred embodiment, the cigarette storage mechanism 31 includes a hopper 311 for storing cigarettes 7. The distance between its front and rear sidewalls is adapted to the length of the cigarettes 7. The cigarettes 7 are stacked in the hopper 311 with the mouthpiece facing forward. Multiple distribution blocks 312 are horizontally arranged at the lower end of the hopper 311, with equal gaps between adjacent distribution blocks 312 for allowing a cigarette 7 to pass downwards. Each distribution block 312 has a feeding roller 313 at its upper end. The feeding rollers 313 are axially parallel, with equal gaps between adjacent feeding rollers 313 for allowing a cigarette 7 to pass downwards. The rear end of the feeding roller 313 extends out of the hopper 311, and the rear end of the hopper 311 is provided with a transmission device 314 for driving the feeding rollers 313 to rotate in the same direction and synchronously. Driven by the transmission device 314, the feeding rollers 313 rotate in the same direction and synchronously, which facilitates the feeding of the corresponding product smoke 7 in the hopper 311 into the gap between the adjacent material distribution blocks 312 one by one.

[0110] In the above embodiment, the cigarette filling mechanism 32 includes a horizontally fixed upper template 321. The upper template 321 has upper openings 322 that correspond one-to-one with the gaps formed by adjacent material distribution blocks 312, allowing the cigarette smoke 7 in the gaps between adjacent material distribution blocks 312 to pass downwards. The cigarette filling mechanism 32 also includes a horizontally fixed lower template 323, which is fitted below the upper template 321 with a gap. The lower template 323 has lower openings 324 that correspond one-to-one with the upper openings 322, and the lower openings 324 and the corresponding upper openings 322 coincide in the vertical direction. The cigarette filling mechanism 32 also includes a sieve plate 325 that is slidably fitted between the upper template 321 and the lower template 323. The sieve plate 325 has material passages 326 that correspond one-to-one with the upper openings 322. The smoke filling mechanism 32 also includes a second cylinder 327 for driving the screen plate 325 to move left and right. The stroke range of its movement is such that the material outlet 326 is completely aligned with the corresponding upper opening 322, and the material outlet 326 is completely offset from the corresponding upper opening 322.

[0111] In the above embodiment, by setting the jigs 8 of the circulating conveyor line 1 at intervals, and combining this with the spacing between the two storage sections 93 in the blister pack, it is easy to ensure that the lower opening 324 corresponds one-to-one with the storage section 93 of the blister pack in which the jigs 8 on the circulating conveyor line 1 are mounted. Based on this, when the sieve plate 325 is shifted and the feed inlet 326 is completely aligned with the corresponding upper opening 322, the cigarette smoke 7 falls smoothly into the storage section 93 of the blister pack. When the sieve plate 325 is shifted and the feed inlet 326 is completely misaligned with the corresponding upper opening 322, the cigarette smoke 7 stops falling. This ensures that the cigarette smoke 7 in the cigarette storage mechanism 31 is loaded one by one into the blister pack 9 transferred to the jig 8 via the packing mechanism 22.

[0112] In another preferred embodiment, such as Figure 11 As shown, the vacuuming unit 4 includes a negative pressure hood 41 that mates with the circulating conveyor line 1, and a third cylinder 42 that drives the negative pressure hood 41 to move vertically up and down. The top of the negative pressure hood 41 has an air intake port 43, and the bottom of the negative pressure hood 41 has a pressing block 44 that mates with the fixture 8 on the circulating conveyor line 1. The pressing block 44 and the negative pressure hood 41 are elastically connected by a spring. There are two pressing blocks 44, positioned to press down on the product smoke 7 inside the blister pack 9. The pressing blocks 44 and the negative pressure hood 41 are elastically connected by springs to achieve elasticity in the downward pressure, thus preventing damage to the product smoke 7 inside the blister pack 9. The pressing blocks 44 can be made of a relatively lightweight material, such as a polymer. Driven by the third cylinder 42, the negative pressure hood 41 presses down on the circulating conveyor line 1, ensuring that the blister shell 9 is confined in the fixture 8 by the pressing block 44, and also ensuring that the tobacco 7 is confined in the blister shell 9. At this time, air is drawn through the pipe 43, and the loose tobacco shreds can be sucked out from the blister shell 9 through the pre-pressurized hood.

[0113] In another preferred embodiment, such as Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, the laminating unit 5 includes a label separating device 51 for sequentially outputting adhesive labels 53 from a continuous release liner 52 for laminating and sealing the blister pack 9, which are then adsorbed by a negative pressure adsorption table 55. The specific configuration of the label separating device 51 is prior art; for example, the release liner 52 is unfolded and transported at a certain speed using rollers. The laminating unit 5 also includes a three-axis robot 54 and a negative pressure adsorption table 55 driven by the three-axis robot 54, for transferring the adhesive labels 53 output from the label separating device 51 to the circulating conveyor line 1 for laminating and sealing the blister pack 9. The negative pressure adsorption table 55 is hollow, with suction holes 551 evenly distributed on its bottom surface for adsorbing the adhesive labels 53, and an air extraction port 552 on its top. The size of the adhesive labels 53 is configured to cover the top surface of the blister pack 9. The adhesive label 53 has re-adhesive backing around its perimeter for attaching to the lip 91 of the blister pack 9.

[0114] In another preferred embodiment, such as Figure 14 As shown, the unloading unit 6 includes a gantry robot 61 and a second suction cup 62 driven by the gantry robot 61. The second suction cup 62 is used to grab the blister shell 9' that has been covered and sealed, and remove it from the circulating conveyor line.

[0115] In another preferred embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, a first vision inspection unit 11 is provided between the dust collection unit 4 and the film coating unit 5 via the downward shooting circulation conveyor line 1, which is used to detect whether there are scattered tobacco shreds in the blister shell 9 filled with cigarette smoke 7 through machine vision; a second vision inspection unit 12 is provided between the film coating unit 5 and the unloading unit 6 via the downward shooting circulation conveyor line 1, which is used to detect whether the film sealing of the blister shell 9 is qualified through machine vision.

[0116] The method for packaging cigarettes according to this application is carried out using the aforementioned cigarette packaging equipment and includes the following steps:

[0117] The shell loading and unloading mechanism 22 transfers the blister shells 9 in the shell storage mechanism 21 one by one to the corresponding fixtures 8 on the circulating conveyor line 1;

[0118] The cigarette filling mechanism 32 fills the cigarettes 7 in the cigarette storage mechanism 31 one by one into the blister shell 9 of the fixture 8 through the shell taking and placing mechanism 22;

[0119] The vacuum unit 4 will extract the loose tobacco from the blister pack 9, which has been filled with cigarette smoke 7 by the cigarette filling mechanism 32;

[0120] The film-coating unit 5 seals the blister pack 9 that has collected the scattered tobacco shreds from the dust-collecting unit 4.

[0121] The unloading unit 6 removes the blister shell 9, which has been sealed by the film-coating unit 5, from the circulating conveyor line 1.

[0122] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A cigarette packaging device, characterized in that, The cigarette packaging equipment includes: a circulating conveyor line, and a shell distribution unit, a smoke distribution unit, a dust collection unit, and a film covering unit distributed sequentially from upstream to downstream along the circulating conveyor line; The circulating conveyor line is equipped with multiple fixtures that are circulated in sequence. The shell distribution unit includes a shell storage mechanism and a shell picking and placing mechanism. The shell storage mechanism stores a number of blister shells for packaging, and the shell picking and placing mechanism is used to transfer the blister shells stored in the shell storage mechanism one by one to the corresponding fixtures on the circulating conveyor line. The cigarette distribution unit includes a cigarette storage mechanism and a cigarette filling mechanism. The cigarette storage mechanism stores a number of cigarettes, and the cigarette filling mechanism is used to fill the cigarettes in the cigarette storage mechanism one by one into the blister shell of the fixture transferred by the shell handling mechanism. The dust extraction unit is used to remove loose tobacco from the blister pack containing cigarette smoke after being filled by the cigarette filling mechanism. The film-coating unit is used to seal the blister pack containing the loose tobacco leaves that has been sucked up by the vacuum unit.

2. The cigarette packaging equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cigarette packaging equipment further includes a feeding unit, which is used to remove the blister pack sealed by the film-coating unit from the circulating conveyor line.

3. The cigarette packaging equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top surface of the fixture is open, and the fixture has a cavity inside; The top of the blister shell is open, and the periphery of the open end has a horizontally outward-curved lip. The inner bottom of the blister shell is provided with a support part arranged along the center line. The support part protrudes upward relative to the inner bottom of the blister shell. The left and right sides of the support part respectively cooperate with the left and right inner sidewalls of the blister shell to form a storage part that can accommodate a cigarette to be laid flat. After the blister shell is configured to be embedded in the cavity, the lip of the blister shell extends beyond the cavity and forms a surface contact with the top surface of the fixture.

4. The cigarette packaging equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shell storage mechanism includes: a rack for accommodating multiple vertically stacked blister shells; The blister pack is inverted in the material rack with its open end facing down; The top of the material rack forms an inlet for inserting the blister pack, and the bottom of the material rack forms an outlet for removing the blister pack. The discharge port is provided with baffle pins on opposite sides in the horizontal direction. The baffle pins extend obliquely downward from the outside of the discharge port to the inner edge of the discharge port to block the lip of the blister shell.

5. The cigarette packaging equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shell loading and unloading mechanism includes: a first vacuum suction cup and a first vacuum suction cup driving mechanism; The first vacuum suction cup drive mechanism is configured to drive the first vacuum suction cup to transfer the blister packs stored in the packing mechanism one by one to the corresponding fixtures on the circulating conveyor line.

6. The cigarette packaging equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The cigarette storage mechanism includes: a hopper for storing cigarettes, the distance between its front and rear side walls being adapted to the length of the cigarettes, and the cigarettes being stacked in the hopper with the mouthpieces facing forward; The lower end of the hopper is horizontally arranged with multiple material distribution blocks, and the gaps between adjacent material distribution blocks are configured to allow a cigarette to pass downwards. Each material distribution block has a feeding roller at its upper end. The feeding rollers are parallel in axis, and the gap between adjacent feeding rollers is configured to allow a cigarette to pass downwards. The rear end of the feeding roller extends out of the hopper, and the rear end of the hopper is equipped with a transmission device for driving the feeding roller to rotate in the same direction and synchronously.

7. The cigarette packaging equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The cigarette filling mechanism includes: a horizontally fixed upper template, a horizontally fixed lower template, and a sieve plate that is slidably fitted between the upper and lower templates; The upper template has an upper opening that corresponds one-to-one with the gap formed by the adjacent material distribution blocks, so that the smoke from the gap between the adjacent material distribution blocks can pass downwards. The lower template is fitted with the upper template below it. The lower template has a lower opening that corresponds to the upper opening one by one. The lower opening and the corresponding upper opening coincide in the vertical direction. The sieve plate has material passages that correspond one-to-one with the upper opening; The tobacco filling mechanism includes a second cylinder for driving the screen plate to move left and right, which drives the screen plate to be positioned at a first position where the material inlet is completely aligned with the corresponding upper opening and at a second position where the material inlet is exactly offset from the corresponding upper opening.

8. The cigarette packaging equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dust collection unit includes: a negative pressure air hood that is fitted above the circulating conveyor line, and a third cylinder that drives the negative pressure air hood to move vertically up and down; The negative pressure hood has a port for evacuating air, and the bottom of the negative pressure hood is provided with a pressure block that cooperates with a fixture on a circulating conveyor line. The pressure block and the negative pressure hood are elastically connected by a spring. The pressure block is configured to press down the smoke in the blister pack.

9. The cigarette packaging equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The coating unit includes: a label separation device, a negative pressure adsorption table, and a robotic arm; The label separation device is used to output adhesive labels one by one from a continuous release strip for sealing the blister pack. The negative pressure adsorption platform is configured to adsorb the adhesive label from the release tape. The robotic arm is configured to drive the adsorption table to transfer the adhesive label to the circulating conveyor line to seal the blister pack.

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