Automatic container bag fastening 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 charging apparatus including the same. [[BACKGROUND ART]]

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

[0003] Conventionally, after the active material has been completely charged into the hopper, a trace amount of active material powder may scatter through the discharge portion when an empty container bag is collected.

[0004] Furthermore, conventionally, workers manually charge the active material into all parts using a manual hoist. Specifically, conventionally, a manual hoist is used to convey the container bag, the charging amount is adjusted while visually checking the discharge of the active material. If the discharge is not smooth due to agglomeration of the active material, workers hit the bag with a hammer to break up the agglomeration while continuing discharge. After the discharge is completed, the tip of the discharge portion is tied with a string to prevent the remaining material from falling out.

[0005] Therefore, as described below, there is a need for a control technique for container bags for charging active materials into a hopper.

[0006] 1) Conveyance of container bags

[0007] 2) Inclination of container bags during conveyance

[0008] 3) Automatic weight detection 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 amount of this increase).

[0009] 4) It is necessary to resolve the aggregation of active material inside the container bag when discharge is interrupted.

[0010] 5) After the active material has been completely discharged from the container bag, the discharge of any remaining trace amounts of active material from the outlet is blocked (to prevent any remaining material from falling onto the floor). [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0011] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a device that automatically tightens a container bag after the active material has been added.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide an automated container bag transport and loading device that automatically transports container bags and loads active material into them. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] One embodiment of the present invention provides an automatic container bag clamping device that includes a pair of clamping units, which are horizontally positioned on both sides near the hopper's inlet and press and clamp the bottom of an empty container bag after raw materials have been loaded into the hopper, in order to achieve the aforementioned objective.

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

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, each clamping unit may include a cylinder, a rod mounted on the cylinder so as to be movable back and forth, and a pusher connected to the rod for pressing a container bag.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, a pair of pushers are arranged facing each other and move forward inward to press against both lower sides of the container bag, thereby causing plastic deformation and tightening.

[0017] Furthermore, one embodiment of the present invention provides an automated container bag transport and loading device that includes a rail positioned at a constant height in the horizontal direction, a hanger mounted on the rail and capable of reciprocating horizontally, and which allows a container bag mounted at its lower end to reciprocate vertically, a hopper positioned below the rail into which raw materials from inside the container bag moved by the hanger are loaded, and a pair of clamping units provided horizontally on both sides near the opening of the hopper to press and tighten the lower part of an empty container bag after the raw materials have been loaded into the hopper.

[0018] An automated container bag transport and loading device according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a hit post positioned near the hopper's loading opening, which strikes the container bags with the vertical reciprocating movement of a hanger to eliminate the aggregation phenomenon of raw materials.

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

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

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, at least one pair of hooks is provided, and the pair of hooks can hold a string-shaped sling bar (Sling Bar) of a container bag at two points, and have a spacing that minimizes the height of the container bag.

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

[0023] In one embodiment of the present invention, the hanger is capable of correcting inclination of the container bag by detecting weight deviation via the load cells on both the left and right sides, and adjusting the height of the container bag according to weight changes detected by the load cells on both the left and right sides.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, the hopper may include upper and lower photo-electric sensors (Photo-Electric Sensor) that are vertically provided near a feeding port and detect the position of an end of a discharge portion of the container bag.

[0025] In one embodiment of the present invention, the hitting post may comprise support bases provided on both sides of the hopper, and hitting plates extending inwardly from upper ends of the support bases. Effects of the Invention

[0026] The automatic container bag fastening device according to the present invention can automate the fastening operation of an empty container bag after raw materials are fed therein, thereby reducing the man-hours required by workers compared to conventional techniques.

[0027] Further, the container bag conveying and charging automation apparatus according to the present invention can provide automatic container bag control (OHT) and control (clamping unit, hit post) technologies for charging active materials into a hopper. Further, by automatically charging active materials 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 reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] [Figure 1] It is a front view showing the container bag conveying and charging automation apparatus according to the present invention.

[0029] [Figure 2] It is a plan view showing a hopper provided with the automatic container bag clamping apparatus according to the present invention.

[0030] [Figure 3] It is a plan view specifically showing the automatic container bag clamping apparatus according to the present invention. MODE 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 fastening device and an automated container bag conveying and loading device including the same, wherein the container bag 10 is a large bag for containing raw materials, and may be, for example, a flexible container bag (FIBC) that is flexible and deformable. The top of the container bag 10 may be equipped with at least one sling bar 11 in the shape of a bag strap, which can be hung on a hook 34 of a hanger 30, and the bottom of the container bag 10 may be equipped with an openable and closable raw material discharge section. The container bag 10 may be composed of an outer packaging material and an inner packaging material. The raw materials are not particularly limited and may be, for example, active materials for a mixer process, and specifically may be active materials (active substances) for battery electrodes (negative electrode, positive electrode). The raw materials can be contained in the container bag 10 in the form of powder or particles.

[0033] Referring to Figure 1 and other figures, the automated container bag transport and loading device according to the present invention may consist of rails 20, hangers 30, hoppers 40, hit posts 50, clamping units 60, and the like.

[0034] The rail 20 is for moving the hanger 30 and can be positioned horizontally at a certain height (e.g., 3m to 10m) to realize OHT (Overhead Hoist Transfer). The rail 20 can be fixed or supported via suitable fixing or support means such as ceiling or floor. The shape and size of the rail 20 are not particularly limited and can be set appropriately.

[0035] The hanger 30 (also called a carrier) is for moving the container bag 10 and is mounted on the rail 20 so that it can move back and forth horizontally along the rail 20, and the container bag 10 mounted on its lower end can also be moved back and forth vertically.

[0036] The horizontal and vertical reciprocating motion of the hanger 30 can be achieved by conventional mechanisms that convert the rotational motion of a motor into linear motion (such as pulleys and belts, gears and chains, cylinders and pistons, racks and pinions, reels and wires, etc.), from which the appropriate mechanism can be selected as needed.

[0037] The hanger 30 may consist 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, and the like.

[0038] The upper hanger 31 is mounted below the rail 20 and may be made of a plate-like shape (such as a polygonal plate like a square plate, a circular plate, or an elliptical plate). The lower hanger 32 is positioned below the upper hanger 31 and may be made of the same plate-like 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 provided on the upper hanger 31 or the rail 20, and the lower end of the wire 33 can be fixed to the lower hanger 32. The wire 33 can be wound and unwound by the roller or reel, allowing the lower hanger 32 to move back and forth vertically.

[0040] The hooks 34 are attached to the lower hanger 32 and are configured in a ring shape to hang the container bag 10. The hooks 34 consist of at least one pair (preferably two or more pairs), and each pair of hooks 34 grips the string-like sling bar 11 of the container bag 10 at two points, but may have a spacing that minimizes the height difference between the container bag 10 and the sling bar 11 (Wide Double Hook application).

[0041] When the hook 34 is at its highest height, that is, 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 may be, for example, a maximum of 1.2m. The height of the container bag 10, including the sling bar 11 hung on the hook 34, may be, for example, 1.8m. The height of the working space between the lower end of the container bag 10 and the upper end of the hopper 40 may be, for example, 0.5m. The height between the lower end of the hook 34 at its highest height and the upper end of the hopper 40 may be, for example, a maximum of 2.3m. Thus, there may be insufficient floor height, and therefore a solution to the floor height shortage is needed.

[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 hangs down on the hook 34, and the height of the container bag 10 increases as the height of the sling bar 11 is added. 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, the height of the container bag 10 can be minimized by maximizing the distance (spacing) between the pair of hooks 34 that corresponds to the gripping distance when gripping at two points, in which case the upper end of the container bag 10 can be in close contact with or nearly in contact with the hook 34.

[0043] Furthermore, the insufficient floor height can be solved by making the running rail 20 and hanger 30 more compact. Specifically, when the upper hanger 31 and the lower hanger 32 are docked, the hook 34 is at its highest position, and 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 a maximum of 1.2m.

[0044] The positioning hole 35 is formed in either the upper hanger 31 or the lower hanger 32, and the positioning pin 36, which is inserted into the positioning hole 35, may be formed in the other. In Figure 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 is also possible. The positioning hole 35 may be formed in the form of a groove or hole on the lower surface of the upper hanger 31, and the positioning pin 36 may be formed in the form of a projection on the upper surface of the lower hanger 32.

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

[0046] While the container bag 10 may sometimes sway from side to side when moved from side to side, the docking of the positioning hole 35 and the positioning pin 36, and the two-point gripping of the sling bar 11, can solve or minimize the problem of the container bag 10 swaying from side to side when it is moved from side to side.

[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 is expandable (deformable) in the vertical (height) direction. The upper end of the scissor frame may be fixed to the upper hanger 31, and the lower end of the scissor frame may be fixed to the lower hanger 32. When the container bag 10 is lowered, the height of the scissor frame can be increased, and when the container bag 10 is raised, the height of the scissor frame can be decreased. The scissor frame can be expanded and contracted simply passively by the active movement of the wire 33.

[0048] Even when the container bag 10 moves up and down, a problem may occur in which the container bag 10 sways from side to side. However, by applying a scissor frame between the upper hanger 31 and the lower hanger 32, the problem of the container bag 10 swaying from side to side when the container bag 10 moves up and down can be solved or minimized.

[0049] The container bag 10 may tilt to one side when the active material is loaded. Also, the length of the container bag 10 may increase when the active material is loaded. To solve the problems of tilting and length increase of the container bag 10, load cells 37 may be provided on both the left and right sides of the lower hanger 32. At least one pair of load cells 37 may be formed on both sides of the lower hanger 32, and the weight can be measured in real time. The tilt of the container bag 10 can be corrected by detecting the weight deviation with the load cells 37 on both sides, and the height of the container bag 10 can be adjusted according to the weight change detected by the load cells 37 on both sides.

[0050] For example, if the container bag 10 tilts downward to the right, the load cell 37 detects the weight deviation and adjusts the displacement of the right wire 33, thereby correcting the tilt of the container bag 10 and aligning it. Also, if 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 located below the rail 20 and is where the raw materials inside the container bags 10 that have been moved to the hanger 30 are fed. When the height of the container bags 10 is adjusted, the discharge portion of the container bags 10 may detach from the hopper 40, which could cause the active material to scatter. Therefore, when the height of the container bags 10 is adjusted, it is necessary to maintain the depth to which the discharge portion of the container bags 10 enters the hopper 40.

[0052] To solve the problem of active material scattering, an upper photosensor 41 and a lower photosensor 42 are installed vertically near the inlet 43 of the hopper 40 to detect the position of the end of the discharge section of the container bag 10. At least one pair of upper photosensors 41 are mounted on both sides of the upper part of the inlet 43 of the hopper 40 and can detect the minimum (Min.) position of the end of the discharge section of the container bag 10. At least one pair of lower photosensors 42 are mounted on both sides of the lower part of the inlet 43 of the hopper 40 and can detect the maximum (Max.) position of the end of the discharge section of the container bag 10. By reflecting the detection results of both photosensors 41 and 42, the container bag 10 can be lowered when the minimum (Min.) position is detected and raised when the maximum (Max.) position is detected.

[0053] Near the discharge area of ​​the container bag 10, aggregation of the active material may occur, interrupting discharge. To solve the problem of active material aggregation, a hit post 50 may be positioned near the inlet 43 of the hopper 40. The hit post 50 may be fixed, or it may consist of support bases 51 provided on both sides of the hopper 40, and striking plates 52 extending inward from the upper ends of the support bases 51. The vertical reciprocating movement of the hanger 30 causes the container bag 10 to strike the striking plates 52 of the hit post 50, thereby eliminating the aggregation phenomenon of the active material.

[0054] Specifically, if there is no weight change detected by the load cell 37, it is assumed that the active material has aggregated. The aggregated active material can then be resolved by repeatedly lowering and raising the container bag 10 to collide it with the impact plate 52 of the fixed hit post 50. The load cell 37 can detect the moment when the container bag 10 hits (collides) the hit post 50.

[0055] Traditionally, hopper custom loading and tightening operations were performed manually. Specifically, after the worker confirmed the loading weight, they grasped the discharge section of the container bag 10 and tightened it. In other words, conventionally, after the loading of raw materials was complete, the worker had to be brought in to tighten the internal packaging material of the container bag 10. To solve this problem of conventional manual work, by adding a forward / reverse stroke type clamping unit 60 for tightening the internal packaging material, the bottom of the empty container bag 10 after the loading of raw materials into the hopper 40 can be tightened to block the discharge of raw materials.

[0056] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the clamping units 60 can be provided horizontally on both sides near the inlet 43 of the hopper 40. The clamping units 60 can be positioned below the striking plate 52 of the hit post 50 and can be fixed to a support base 51 or the like. A pair of clamping units 60 can be positioned symmetrically at the same height around the inlet 43 of the hopper 40. A pair of clamping units 60 can be positioned, for example, facing each other on opposite sides at a 180-degree interval.

[0057] Referring to Figure 3, each clamping unit 60 may include a cylinder 61, a rod 62 mounted on the cylinder 61 so as to be movable back and forth, and a pusher 63 connected to the rod 62 to press against the container bag 10. The cylinder 61 may be, for example, an air cylinder. The rod 62 may consist of one or more. The pusher 63 may be, for example, a rectangular flat plate. A pair of pushers 63 are positioned opposite each other and can plastically deform and clamp the container bag 10 by moving forward toward the center and pressing against both lower sides of the internal packaging material of the container bag 10. When the container bag 10 reaches a certain weight, it can be clamped by the clamping unit 60 to block the discharge of the active material.

[0058] Thus, in this invention, the internal packaging material can be plastically deformed by the tightening clamp of the damping hopper post unit to prevent the remaining raw material from falling out. Conventionally, after the raw material (active material) has been loaded, an operator moves to the hopper loading workbench and tightens the internal packaging material manually. In this invention, however, the number of man-hours can be reduced by automating the container bag tightening and empty bag collection processes.

[0059] The following describes the processes of transporting the container bags, loading raw materials into the hopper, and securing the container bags. Only one rail 20 may be provided, while multiple hangers 30, hoppers 40, hit posts 50, clamping units 60, etc., may be provided. The container bags 10 can be placed on a stand.

[0060] First, the hanger 30 is lowered, and the worker secures the container bag 10 to the hanger 30. After securing the bag, the worker presses the "complete work" button (manual process).

[0061] Next, the hanger 30 is raised by the OHT, and the container bag 10 is transported along the rail 20 to the designated position of the hopper 40, after which the hanger 30 is lowered (automatic process).

[0062] Next, the worker disassembles the bottom of the container bag 10 and connects it inside the hopper 40, then presses the complete operation button (manual process).

[0063] Next, the OHT loads the raw materials inside the container bag 10 into the hopper 40, and while measuring the weight in real time with the load cell 37, if the raw materials inside the container bag 10 have agglomerated and there is no change in weight, the container bag 10 is raised / lowered and hit against the hit post 50 to disintegrate the agglomeration (automatic process).

[0064] Next, the OHT measures the weight of the container bag 10 on the hanger 30 in real time using a load cell 37. As the length of the container bag 10 increases due to the discharge of raw materials from inside the container bag 10, the overall height of the container bag 10 is corrected, and the raw materials inside are fed into the hopper 40 (automatic process). When adjusting the overall height of the container bag 10, the position of the end of the discharge section is detected by photosensors 41 and 42 to prevent the end of the discharge section from coming 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 0, the clamping unit 60 plastically deforms and tightens the internal packaging material of the container bag 10 to prevent any remaining fine raw materials from escaping from the discharge section (automated process).

[0066] Next, the hanger 30 is raised by the OHT, and the empty container bags 10 that have been loaded are transported along the rail 20 to the retrieval position, after which the hanger 30 is lowered (automated process).

[0067] Next, the worker detaches and disposes of the empty container bag 10 that has been transported to the collection point (manual process).

[0068] In other words, the work sequence is as follows: Hanger (carrier) 30 lowers → container bag 10 is transferred and hanger 30 rises → container bag 10 is transported to hopper 40 (horizontal movement along rail 20) → load cell 37 detects weight deviation and aligns container bag 10 (correction for tilt, etc.) → container bag 10 lowers and active material is fed into hopper 40 → the bottom of container bag 10 is struck against hit post 50 to break agglomeration → discharge is shut off by clamping unit 60 after the set weight has been fed (custom feeding) → empty container bag 10 rises and moves to the collection position.

[0069] As described above, in the present invention, the container bag 10 can be automatically controlled and loaded with active material by applying the OHT. Specifically, in the present invention, the container bag 10 is attached to the hanger 30 and automatically transported by applying the OHT, in which the rail 20 is positioned at a constant height. The transported weight is measured in real time by the load cell 37 applied to the hanger 30. If the change in 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. Once discharge to the hopper 40 is complete, the internal packaging material can be deformed by the clamping unit 60 to prevent any remaining amount from falling to the floor. [Explanation of Symbols]

[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: Striking plate, 60: Clamping unit, 61: Cylinder, 62: Rod, 63: Pusher

Claims

1. It includes a pair of clamping units that are horizontally positioned on both sides near the hopper's inlet and press and tighten the bottom of an empty container bag after the raw material has been loaded into the hopper, Each clamping unit includes a cylinder, a rod mounted on the cylinder so as to be movable back and forth, and a pusher connected to the rod for pressing the container bag. An automatic container bag tightening device in which a pair of pushers are positioned opposite each other and move forward inward to press against both lower sides of the container bag, thereby plastically deforming and tightening it.

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

3. Rails arranged at a constant height in the horizontal direction, A hanger that is mounted on the rail and is capable of reciprocating horizontally, and which allows a container bag mounted on its lower end to reciprocate vertically, A hopper is positioned below the rails into which raw materials from inside the container bags moved by the hanger are fed, A container bag transport and loading automation apparatus comprising a pair of clamping units as described in claim 1.

4. The container bag conveying and loading automation apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a hit post positioned near the hopper's inlet, which strikes the container bag by the vertical reciprocating movement of the hanger to eliminate the aggregation phenomenon of raw materials.

5. The container bag transport and loading automated device according to claim 3, wherein the hanger includes an upper hanger mounted on the rail, a lower hanger positioned below the upper hanger, a wire provided between the upper hanger and the lower hanger, and a hook attached to the lower hanger for hanging container bags.

6. The container bag transport and loading automation device according to claim 5, wherein a positioning hole is formed in either the upper hanger or the lower hanger, and a positioning pin is formed in the other hanger to be inserted into the positioning hole.

7. The container bag transport and loading automation device according to claim 5, wherein the hanger further includes load cells provided on both the left and right sides of the lower hanger.

8. The container bag transport and loading automated device according to claim 7, wherein the hanger can correct the tilt of the container bag by detecting weight deviations using load cells on both the left and right sides, and the height of the container bag can be adjusted in accordance with the weight changes detected by the load cells on both the left and right sides.

9. The container bag conveying and loading automation device according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein the hopper is provided vertically near the input opening and includes upper and lower photosensors for detecting the position of the end of the container bag discharge section.

10. The container bag conveying and loading automation device according to claim 4, wherein the hit post includes support bases provided on both sides of the hopper and a striking plate extending inward from the upper end of the support bases.

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