Container Bag Automatic Tightening Device

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automatic container bag tightening device, and provides an automatic container bag tightening device including a pair of clamping units that are horizontally provided on both sides near the inlet of a hopper and press and tighten the lower part of an empty container bag after the raw material has been charged into the hopper.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic container bag tightening device and an automatic container bag conveying and loading device including the same.

Background Art

[0002] A container bag is a type of packaging container for storing raw materials such as electrode active materials (active substances) of a battery. These container bags may be flexible and deformable flexible container bags, which are sometimes abbreviated as flecon bags.

[0003] Conventionally, after the active material is completely loaded into the hopper, a small amount of active material powder may scatter through the discharge part when the empty container bag is collected.

[0004] Also conventionally, an operator manually loaded the active material for all parts using a manual hoist. Specifically, conventionally, a manual hoist was used to convey the container bag, the input amount was adjusted while visually observing the discharge of the active material, and when the discharge was not smooth due to the aggregation of the active material, the operator hit it with a hammer to eliminate the aggregation and continuously discharged it. After the discharge was completed, the tip of the discharge part was tied with a string so that the remaining amount would not fall.

[0005] Therefore, as described below, a control technology for container bags for loading active materials into a hopper is required.

[0006] 1) Conveyance of the container bag

[0007] 2) Inclination during conveyance of the container bag

[0008] 3) Automatic detection of the weight of the container bag and height correction of the container bag by discharging the active material into the hopper (as the active material is discharged from the container bag, the length of the container bag increases, and the height must be increased by the increased length)

[0009] 4) It is necessary to eliminate the agglomeration when the discharge is interrupted due to the agglomeration of the active material in the container bag

[0010] 5) After the discharge of the active material in the container bag is completed, block the discharge of the tiny amount of active material remaining at the discharge port (block it so that the remaining amount does not fall to the floor)

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0011] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for automatically tightening a container bag after charging an active material

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for automating the conveyance and charging of a container bag that automatically conveys the container bag and charges the active material

Means for Solving the Problems

[0013] One embodiment of the present invention provides a container bag automatic tightening device including a pair of clamping units provided horizontally on both sides near the charging port of the hopper, which press and tighten the lower part of an empty container bag after the charging of the raw material into the hopper is completed

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the pair of clamping units may be symmetrically arranged around the charging port of the hopper at the same height

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, each clamping unit may include a cylinder, a rod movably provided in the cylinder in the forward and backward directions, and a pusher connected to the rod and pressing the container bag.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, a pair of pushers are arranged to face each other, and by moving forward inwardly respectively to press both sides of the lower part of the container bag, it can be plastically deformed and tightened.

[0017] Further, one embodiment of the present invention provides a container bag conveying and charging automation device including a rail arranged at a certain height in the horizontal direction, a hanger mounted on the rail and capable of reciprocating in the horizontal direction, and enabling the container bag mounted at the lower end to reciprocate in the vertical direction, a hopper arranged under the rail and into which the raw material inside the container bag moved by the hanger is charged, and a pair of clamping units provided horizontally on both sides near the charging port of the hopper and pressing and tightening the lower part of the empty container bag after the charging of the raw material into the hopper.

[0018] The container bag conveying and charging automation device according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a hit post arranged near the charging port of the hopper, and the container bag is struck by the reciprocating movement of the hanger in the vertical direction to eliminate the aggregation phenomenon of the raw material.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the hanger may include an upper hanger mounted on the rail, a lower hanger arranged under the upper hanger, a wire provided between the upper hanger and the lower hanger, and a hook mounted on the lower hanger for hanging the container bag.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, a positioning hole (Location Hole) may be formed in either the upper hanger or the lower hanger, and a positioning pin (Location Pin) inserted into the positioning hole may be formed in the other.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, the hooks are configured as at least a pair, and the pair of hooks may have an interval for gripping the string-shaped sling bar of the container bag at two points to minimize the height of the container bag.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, the hanger may further include load cells (Load Cell) provided on both the left and right sides of the lower hanger.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present invention, the hanger can detect a weight deviation by the load cells on both the left and right sides to correct the inclination of the container bag, and the height of the container bag can be adjusted according to the weight change detected by the load cells on both the left and right sides.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, the hopper may be provided vertically near the inlet and include upper and lower photo-electric sensors (Photo-Electric Sensor) for detecting the position of the end of the discharge part of the container bag.

[0025] In one embodiment of the present invention, the hit post may include a support base provided on both sides of the hopper and a striking plate extending inward from the upper end of the support base.

Advantages of the Invention

[0026] The automatic tightening device for a container bag according to the present invention can automate the tightening operation of an empty container bag after raw materials are input, thereby reducing the man-hours of conventional comparison operators.

[0027] In addition, the container bag conveying and charging automation device according to the present invention can provide container bag automatic control (OHT) and control (clamping unit, hit post) technologies for charging the active material into the hopper. Further, by automatically charging the active material into the hopper, the number of workers can be reduced, and the risk of safety accidents caused by handling high-load (e.g., 1 ton) active materials can be decreased.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028]

Figure 1

[0029]

Figure 2

[0030]

Figure 3

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0031] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] The present invention relates to an automatic container bag tightening device and an automatic container bag conveying and charging device including the same. The container bag 10 is a large bag for storing raw materials, and can be, for example, a flexible and deformable flexible container bag (flexible container bag). At least one or more sling bars 11 in the shape of a bag strap are provided at the upper part of the container bag 10 and can be hung on the hook 34 of the hanger 30. A raw material discharge part that can be opened and closed may be provided at the lower part of the container bag 10. The container bag 10 can be composed of an outer packaging material and an inner packaging material. The raw materials are not particularly limited and can be, for example, mixer process active substances, etc., and specifically can be active substances (active materials) of battery electrodes (negative electrodes, positive electrodes). The raw materials can be stored in the container bag 10 in the form of powder (powder) or particles.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 1 etc., the automatic container bag conveying and charging device according to the present invention can be composed of a rail 20, a hanger 30, a hopper 40, a hit post 50, a clamping unit 60, etc.

[0034] The rail 20 is for the movement of the hanger 30, is arranged at a certain height (for example, 3 m to 10 m) in the horizontal direction, and can implement OHT (Overhead Hoist Transfer). The rail 20 can be fixed or supported through fixing means or support means suitable for the ceiling or the bottom, etc. The shape, size, etc. of the rail 20 are not particularly limited and can be set appropriately.

[0035] The hanger 30 (also called a carrier) is for the movement of the container bag 10, is mounted on the rail 20 and can reciprocate horizontally along the rail 20, and can also reciprocate the container bag 10 mounted on the lower end vertically.

[0036] The horizontal reciprocating movement and vertical reciprocating movement of the hanger 30 can be achieved by a normal mechanism (such as a pulley and belt, gear and chain, cylinder and piston, rack and pinion, reel and wire, etc.) that converts the rotational motion of the motor into linear motion, and can be appropriately selected from these as needed.

[0037] The hanger 30 can be composed of an upper hanger 31, a lower hanger 32, a wire 33, a hook 34, a positioning hole 35, a positioning pin 36, a load cell 37, etc.

[0038] The upper hanger 31 is mounted under the rail 20 and can be composed of a plate shape (such as a polygonal plate like a square plate, a circular plate, an elliptical plate, etc.). The lower hanger 32 is arranged under the upper hanger 31 and can be composed of the same plate shape as the upper hanger 31.

[0039] The wire 33 can be provided between the upper hanger 31 and the lower hanger 32 to connect them. The upper end of the wire 33 can be fixed to a roller or reel (Reel) provided on the upper hanger 31 or the rail 20, etc., and the lower end of the wire 33 can be fixed to the lower hanger 32. The wire 33 can be wound or unwound by a roller, reel, etc., and the lower hanger 32 can be reciprocated in the vertical direction.

[0040] The hook 34 is mounted on the lower hanger 32 and is configured in a ring shape to hang the container bag 10. The hook 34 is composed of at least a pair (preferably, two pairs or more), and a pair of hooks 34 grip the string-like sling bar 11 of the container bag 10 at two points, but can have an interval that minimizes the height of the container bag 10 and the sling bar 11 (applicable to Wide Double Hook).

[0041] When the hook 34 is at its maximum height, i.e., when the lower hanger 32 rises and is in close contact with the upper hanger 31, the height between the upper end of the rail 20 and the lower end of the hook 34 can be, for example, at most 1.2 m. The height of the container bag 10, including the sling bar 11 hung on the hook 34, can be, for example, 1.8 m. The height of the manual operation space between the lower end of the container bag 10 and the upper end of the hopper 40 can be, for example, 0.5 m. The height between the lower end of the hook 34 located at the maximum height and the upper end of the hopper 40 can be, for example, at most 2.3 m. Thus, since there may be a shortage of floor height, a solution to the floor height shortage is required.

[0042] To solve the problem of insufficient floor height, the height of the container bag 10 can be minimized by maximizing the two-point gripping distance for each sling bar. When the sling bar 11 is gripped at one point, the sling bar 11 is hung so as to droop on the hook 34, adding up to the height of the sling bar 11 and increasing the height of the container bag 10. When the sling bar 11 is gripped at two points, the height of the container bag 10 decreases as the height of the sling bar 11 decreases. In particular, by maximizing the distance (interval) between a pair of hooks 34 corresponding to the gripping distance at the two-point gripping, the height of the container bag 10 can be minimized. In this case, the upper end of the container bag 10 can be in close contact with or almost in close contact with the hook 34.

[0043] Also, by compactifying the traveling rail 20 and the hanger 30, the shortage of floor height can be solved. Specifically, when the upper hanger 31 and the lower hanger 32 are docked, the hook 34 is located at the maximum height. At this time, it is preferable to design the height between the upper end of the rail 20 and the lower end of the hook 34 to be at most 1.2 m.

[0044] The positioning hole 35 is formed in either the upper hanger 31 or the lower hanger 32, and the positioning pin 36 inserted into the positioning hole 35 can be formed in the other. In FIG. 1, the positioning hole 35 is formed in the upper hanger 31 and the positioning pin 36 is formed in the lower hanger 32, but the reverse case is also possible. The positioning hole 35 can be formed in the form of a groove or a hole on the lower surface of the upper hanger 31, and the positioning pin 36 can be formed in the form of a protrusion on the upper surface of the lower hanger 32.

[0045] At least one pair or more of positioning holes 35 can be formed on both sides of the upper hanger 31. Similarly, at least one pair or more of positioning pins 36 can also be formed on both sides of the lower hanger 32. The positioning holes 35 and the positioning pins 36 can have corresponding shapes and sizes. As the container bag 10 moves upward along the lower hanger 32 and the hook 34, the positioning holes 35 and the positioning pins 36 can be docked while the upper hanger 31 and the lower hanger 32 are in close contact.

[0046] When the container bag 10 moves left and right, there may be a problem that the container bag 10 sways in the left - right direction. However, by the docking of the positioning holes 35 and the positioning pins 36 and the two - point gripping of the sling bar 11, the problem of the left - right sway of the container bag 10 during the left - right movement of the container bag 10 can be solved or minimized.

[0047] The hanger 30 may further include a scissor frame. The scissor frame is provided between the upper hanger 31 and the lower hanger 32 and can expand and contract (deform) in the vertical (height) direction. The upper end of the scissor frame can be fixed to the upper hanger 31, and the lower end of the scissor frame can be fixed to the lower hanger 32. When the container bag 10 descends, the height of the scissor frame can extend, and when the container bag 10 ascends, the height of the scissor frame can decrease. The scissor frame can simply expand and contract passively by the active movement of the wire 33.

[0048] When the container bag 10 moves up and down, there may be a problem that the container bag 10 sways in the left - right direction. However, by applying a shear frame between the upper hanger 31 and the lower hanger 32, the problem of the left - right sway of the container bag 10 during the up - down movement of the container bag 10 can be solved or minimized.

[0049] When loading the active material, the container bag 10 can tilt to either side. Also, when loading the active material, the length of the container bag 10 can increase. To solve the problems of the tilt and length increase of the container bag 10, load cells 37 can be provided on both the left and right sides of the lower hanger 32. The load cells 37 can be formed in at least one pair or more on both sides of the lower hanger 32 and can measure the weight in real - time. The weight deviation can be detected by the load cells 37 on both the left and right sides, and the tilt of the container bag 10 can be corrected. Also, the height of the container bag 10 can be adjusted according to the weight change detected by the load cells 37 on both the left and right sides.

[0050] For example, when the container bag 10 tilts downward to the right side, the load cell 37 detects the weight deviation and adjusts the displacement of the right - hand wire 33, thereby correcting and aligning the tilt of the container bag 10. Also, when the length of the container bag 10 increases, the load cell 37 detects the weight change and the wire 33 rises, thereby offsetting and correcting the increase in the length of the container bag 10.

[0051] The hopper 40 is arranged under the rail 20. When the raw material inside the container bag 10 that has moved to the hanger 30 is loaded, when adjusting the height of the container bag 10, the discharge part of the container bag 10 may be detached from the hopper 40, and thus, the problem that the active material scatters may occur. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the depth of entry of the discharge part of the container bag 10 into the hopper 40 when adjusting the height of the container bag 10.

[0052] In order to solve the problem of the scattering of the active material, an upper photosensor 41 and a lower photosensor 42 are vertically provided near the inlet 43 of the hopper 40 so as to be able to detect the position of the end of the discharge part of the container bag 10. The upper photosensor 41 is mounted at least in a pair or more on both sides above the inlet 43 of the hopper 40 and can detect the minimum (Min.) position of the end of the discharge part of the container bag 10. The lower photosensor 42 is mounted at least in a pair or more on both sides below the inlet 43 of the hopper 40 and can detect the maximum (Max.) position of the end of the discharge part of the container bag 10. Reflecting the detection results of both photosensors 41 and 42, when detecting the minimum (Min.) position, the container bag 10 can be lowered, and when detecting the maximum (Max.) position, the container bag 10 can be raised.

[0053] Agglomeration of the active material may occur near the discharge part of the container bag 10, resulting in the interruption of discharge. In order to solve the problem of agglomeration of the active material, the hit post 50 can be arranged near the inlet 43 of the hopper 40. The hit post 50 may be fixed, and may be composed of a support base 51 provided on both sides of the hopper 40 and a striking plate 52 extending inward from the upper end of the support base 51. Due to the reciprocating movement of the hanger 30 in the vertical direction, the container bag 10 can be struck against the striking plate 52 of the hit post 50 to eliminate the agglomeration phenomenon of the active material.

[0054] Specifically, when there is no change in weight detected by the load cell 37, it is considered that the agglomeration phenomenon of the active material has occurred, and the container bag 10 is repeatedly lowered and raised to cause the container bag 10 to collide with the striking plate 52 of the fixed hit post 50, thereby eliminating the agglomeration of the active material. The load cell 37 can detect the moment when the container bag 10 strikes (collides) with the hit post 50.

[0055] Conventionally, the hopper custom charging and clamping operations were carried out manually. Specifically, after the operator confirmed the charging weight, the operator grasped and clamped the discharge part of the container bag 10. That is, conventionally, after the raw material charging was completed, the operator's input was required for the clamping operation of the inner packaging material of the container bag 10. In order to solve the problems of such conventional manual operations, by adding a clamping unit 60 for clamping the inner packaging material in the forward / backward stroke method, the lower part of the empty container bag 10 after the raw material charging into the hopper 40 was clamped to block the discharge of the raw material.

[0056] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the clamping unit 60 can be horizontally provided on both sides near the charging port 43 of the hopper 40. The clamping unit 60 can be disposed under the striking plate 52 of the hitting post 50 and can be fixed to a support base 51 or the like. A pair of clamping units 60 can be symmetrically arranged around the charging port 43 of the hopper 40 at the same height. A pair of clamping units 60 can be arranged to face each other on the opposite side at an interval of, for example, 180 degrees.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 3, each clamping unit 60 may include a cylinder 61, a rod 62 provided to be movable back and forth in the cylinder 61, and a pusher 63 connected to the rod 62 for pressing the container bag 10. The cylinder 61 can be, for example, an air cylinder. The rod 62 can be composed of one or more. The pusher 63 can be, for example, a square flat plate. A pair of pushers 63 are arranged to face each other and move inward toward the center respectively, and by pressing both sides of the lower part of the inner packaging material of the container bag 10, the container bag 10 can be plastically deformed and clamped. When the container bag 10 reaches a certain weight, the clamping unit 60 can clamp it to block the discharge of the active material.

[0058] In this way, in the present invention, the internal packaging material can be plastically deformed by the clamping clamp of the damping hopper post unit to prevent the remaining amount of the raw material from falling. Conventionally, after the input of the raw material (active material) is completed, in the manual operation step where the operator moves to the hopper input workbench to clamp the internal packaging material, in the present invention, the man-hour can be reduced by promoting automation up to the process of clamping the container bag and collecting the empty bag.

[0059] Hereinafter, the conveyance of the container bag, the hopper input of the raw material, and the clamping process of the container bag will be sequentially described. Only one rail 20 can be provided, and a plurality of hangers 30, hoppers 40, hit posts 50, clamping units 60, etc. can be provided. The container bag 10 can be placed on a stand.

[0060] First, the hanger 30 descends, the operator fixes the container bag 10 to the hanger 30, and presses the work completion button after the fixing (manual process).

[0061] Next, the hanger 30 is lifted by the OHT, and after the container bag 10 is conveyed to the position of the specified hopper 40 along the rail 20, the hanger 30 descends (automatic process).

[0062] Next, the operator disassembles the lower part of the container bag 10 and connects it to the inside of the hopper 40, and then presses the work completion button (manual process).

[0063] Next, the raw material inside the container bag 10 is put into the hopper 40 by the OHT, and while measuring the weight in real time with the load cell 37, when the raw material inside the container bag 10 aggregates and there is no weight change, the container bag 10 is collided with the hit post 50 while ascending / descending to eliminate the aggregation (automatic process).

[0064] Next, the OHT measures the weight of the container bag 10 on the hanger 30 in real time with the load cell 37, and as the length of the container bag 10 increases due to the discharge of the raw material inside the container bag 10, while correcting the overall height of the container bag 10, the internal raw material is put into the hopper 40 (automatic process). When adjusting the overall height of the container bag 10, the end positions of the discharge part are detected by the photo sensors 41 and 42 so that the end of the discharge part does not come out of the hopper 40.

[0065] Next, when the material input is completed by the OHT and the weight detected by the load cell 37 becomes zero, the internal packaging material of the container bag 10 is plastically deformed and tightened by the clamping unit 60 to prevent the remaining amount of the raw material remaining in fine particles from coming out of the discharge part (automatic process).

[0066] Next, after the hanger 30 rises by the OHT and the empty container bag 10 after the input is conveyed to the recovery position along the rail 20, the hanger 30 descends (automatic process).

[0067] Next, the operator detaches and discards the empty container bag 10 conveyed to the recovery position (manual process).

[0068] That is, the working sequence is as follows. Hanger (carrier) 30 descends → Transfer of the container bag 10 and hanger 30 rises → Conveyance of the container bag 10 to the hopper 40 (horizontal movement along the rail 20) → Detection of the weight deviation of the load cell 37 and alignment of the container bag 10 (correction of inclination, etc.) → Descent of the container bag 10 and input of the active material into the hopper 40 → Striking the lower part of the container bag 10 against the hit post 50 to eliminate aggregation → Shut-off of the discharge by the clamping unit 60 after the input of the set weight (custom input) → Ascent of the empty container bag 10 and movement to the recovery position.

[0069] As described above, in the present invention, the OHT can be applied to automatically control the container bag 10 to charge the active material. Specifically, in the present invention, the OHT with the rail 20 arranged at a certain height is applied to attach the container bag 10 to the hanger 30 and automatically convey it. The load cell 37 applied to the hanger 30 measures the conveyance weight in real time. When the change in the weight discharged due to the aggregation of the active material is negligible, the container bag 10 is raised / lowered to collide with the hit post 50 to eliminate the aggregation. When the discharge to the hopper 40 is completed, the internal packaging material can be deformed by the clamping unit 60 so that the negligible remaining amount does not fall to the floor.

Explanation of Reference Signs

[0070] 10: Container bag, 11: Sling bar, 20: Rail, 30: Hanger, 31: Upper hanger, 32: Lower hanger, 33: Wire, 34: Hook, 35: Positioning hole, 36: Positioning pin, 37: Load cell, 40: Hopper, 41: Upper photosensor, 42: Lower photosensor, 43: Inlet, 50: Hit post, 51: Support base, 52: Impact plate, 60: Clamping unit, 61: Cylinder, 62: Rod, 63: Pusher

Claims

1. An automatic container bag tightening device including a pair of clamping units horizontally provided on both sides near the inlet of a hopper, and pressing and tightening the lower part of an empty container bag after the raw material input into the hopper is completed.

2. The automatic container bag tightening device according to claim 1, wherein the pair of clamping units are symmetrically arranged around the inlet of the hopper at the same height.

3. The automatic container bag tightening device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each clamping unit includes a cylinder, a rod movably provided in the front and rear directions on the cylinder, and a pusher connected to the rod and pressing the container bag.

4. The automatic container bag tightening device according to claim 3, wherein a pair of pushers are arranged to face each other, and are respectively moved forward inside to press both sides of the lower part of the container bag, thereby plastically deforming and tightening.

5. A rail arranged horizontally at a certain height, A hanger mounted on the rail and capable of reciprocating horizontally, and enabling the container bag mounted at the lower end to reciprocate vertically, A hopper arranged under the rail and into which the raw material inside the container bag moved by the hanger is input, An automatic container bag conveying and inputting device including a pair of clamping units horizontally provided on both sides near the inlet of the hopper, and pressing and tightening the lower part of an empty container bag after the raw material input into the hopper is completed.

6. The automatic container bag conveying and inputting device according to claim 5, further including a hit post arranged near the inlet of the hopper, and the container bag is hit by the vertical reciprocating movement of the hanger to eliminate the agglomeration phenomenon of the raw material.

7. The automatic container bag conveying and inputting device according to claim 5, wherein the hanger includes an upper hanger mounted on the rail, a lower hanger arranged under the upper hanger, a wire provided between the upper hanger and the lower hanger, and a hook mounted on the lower hanger for hanging the container bag.

8. The automatic container bag conveying and inputting device according to claim 7, wherein a positioning hole is formed in either one of the upper hanger and the lower hanger, and a positioning pin inserted into the positioning hole is formed in the other.

9. The hook is composed of at least a pair, and the pair of hooks grip the string-like sling bar of the container bag at two points and have an interval for minimizing the height of the container bag. The container bag conveying and loading automation device according to claim 7.

10. The hanger further includes load cells provided on both the left and right sides of the lower hanger. The container bag conveying and loading automation device according to claim 7.

11. The hanger can detect a weight deviation by load cells on both the left and right sides to correct the inclination of the container bag, and can adjust the height of the container bag according to the weight change detected by the load cells on both the left and right sides. The container bag conveying and loading automation device according to claim 10.

12. The hopper is provided vertically near the inlet and includes upper and lower photosensors for detecting the position of the end of the discharge part of the container bag. The container bag conveying and loading automation device according to any one of claims 5 to 11.

13. The hit post includes a support base provided on both sides of the hopper and a striking plate extending inward from the upper end of the support base. The container bag conveying and loading automation device according to claim 6.

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