CN114104414A

CN114104414A - Automatic packaging bag supply system and method

Info

Publication number: CN114104414A
Application number: CN202010885517.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 周林; 刘为波
Original assignee: Baxter Medical Supplies Co ltd; Baxter International Inc
Current assignee: Baxter Medical Supplies Co ltd; Baxter International Inc
Priority date: 2020-08-28
Filing date: 2020-08-28
Publication date: 2022-03-01

Abstract

The application provides an automatic packaging bag supply system and method. The automatic supply system of wrapping bag includes: a frame having a guide mechanism; a storage mechanism guided by the guide mechanism and configured to store the packaging bags; a lifting mechanism installed below the bottom of the storage mechanism for lifting at least one packing bag stored in the storage mechanism up to a predetermined area; and a grasping arm located above the storing mechanism and configured to grasp the at least one packing bag stored in the storing mechanism from the predetermined area.

Description

Automatic packaging bag supply system and method

Technical Field

The present application relates to automated feeding systems and methods, and more particularly to automated feeding systems and methods for packaging bags.

Background

Medical infusion bags are commonly used to contain larger volumes of medical injectate (e.g., 100ml or more). When a large dose of injection solution needs to be intravenously administered to a patient, a bag of injection solution is generally used for easy transportation and handling. Medical infusion bags containing an infusion solution are typically filled and sealed within a pharmaceutical facility and then optionally packaged together with infusion accessories (e.g., infusion needles, tubing, etc.) in an overwrap bag to form an infusion set. A medical infusion bag or a packaged infusion set is transported to a medical facility (e.g. a hospital or clinic) for medical use.

When a medical enterprise packs a medical infusion bag into an outer packing bag for packaging, a worker often manually picks up the outer packing bag and provides the outer packing bag to a position aligned with the medical infusion bag so as to pack the medical infusion bag into the outer packing bag for packaging. This manual operation is inefficient and does not allow for rapid, automated production.

Disclosure of Invention

One of the objectives of the present application is to provide an automatic bag feeding system and method, which can automatically convey a bag to a filling position, thereby improving packaging efficiency.

According to one aspect of the present application, an automatic supply system for packaging bags is provided. The system comprises: a frame having a guide mechanism; a storage mechanism guided by the guide mechanism and configured to store the packaging bags; a lifting mechanism installed below the bottom of the storage mechanism for lifting at least one packing bag stored in the storage mechanism up to a predetermined area; and a grasping arm located above the storing mechanism and configured to grasp the at least one packing bag stored in the storing mechanism from the predetermined area.

According to another aspect of the present application, a method for automatically feeding packages from a storage mechanism is provided. The storage mechanism is guided by a guide mechanism of the frame and is configured to store packages, the method comprising: lifting at least one packing bag stored in the storage mechanism up to a predetermined area by a lifting mechanism installed under a bottom of the storage mechanism; grasping the at least one packing bag stored in the storage mechanism from the predetermined area by a grasping arm located above the storage mechanism; and providing the gripped packing bag to a target position by the gripper arm.

According to the automatic packaging bag feeding system and method, the packaging bags are lifted to the preset area through the lifting mechanism arranged below the bottom of the storage mechanism, and then the packaging bags are grabbed from the preset area by the grabbing arm and sent to the target position, so that automatic packaging bag feeding in the packaging bag filling process is realized, and packaging efficiency is improved.

The foregoing is a summary of the application that may be simplified, generalized, and details omitted, and thus it should be understood by those skilled in the art that this section is illustrative only and is not intended to limit the scope of the application in any way. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Drawings

The above-described and other features of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the drawings and detailed description depict only exemplary embodiments of the disclosure and are not to be considered limiting of its scope. The contents of the present application will be described more clearly and in detail by referring to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a medical infusion bag filling and packaging line.

Fig. 2 schematically shows a perspective view of the automatic bag supply system 10 according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 3 shows a front view of the automatic bag supply system 10 of fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows a side view of the automatic bag supply system 10 of fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a schematic structural view illustrating the first lift mechanism 310 of the automatic bag feeding system 10 according to the embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 6 shows a schematic structural diagram of the first detection mechanism 600, the second detection mechanism 700 and the alarm device 810 of the automatic packaging bag supply system 10 according to the embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view showing the connection of the parts of the automatic bag supply system 10 of fig. 2.

Fig. 8 shows a flow chart of an automatic bag feeding method 1000 according to an embodiment of the present application.

List of reference numerals in the description:

Detailed Description

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, like reference numerals generally refer to like parts unless the context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not intended to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter of this application. It should be understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described in the present disclosure and illustrated in the figures herein, may be arranged, substituted, combined, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which form part of the present disclosure.

Referring to fig. 1, a medical infusion bag filling and packaging line is shown. The production line comprises an annular guide rail 20, a plurality of carriages 30 which can slide along the guide rail 20 are arranged on the guide rail 20, and the plurality of carriages 30 can simultaneously move along the annular guide rail 20 in a clockwise direction. The line also includes a conveyor 40, such as a belt conveyor or other conventional conveyor, for conveying the medical infusion bags. The bag grasping device 50 is used to grasp the medical infusion bag from the conveyor 40 and is positioned to the carriage 30. As the carriage 30 moves along the endless track 20, the medical fluid bag moves to the filling station 60 and is filled with injectate at the filling station 60, then to the plugging station 70 where the installation of the sealing plug is completed, and the filled and sealed medical fluid bag is then filled into an overwrap bag at the bagging station 80. The outer packaging bag with the medical infusion bag can further move to the sealing equipment to seal the outer packaging bag, so that a packaged infusion set is formed. The packaged infusion set will be transported to a medical institution for medical use.

The present application provides an automatic bag supply system 10 that may be applied, for example, to the bagging station 80 of the bag filling and packaging line of fig. 1. The automated bag supply system 10 can automatically supply an overwrap bag to a target location at the bagging station 80 for filling the overwrap bag with filled medical infusion bags at the target location. The system includes a frame, a storage mechanism, a lifting mechanism, and a grabber arm. The frame provides a mounting and work platform for the components within the system and has a guide mechanism thereon. The storage mechanism is mounted on the frame and guided by the guide mechanism, and the storage mechanism is configured to store the packing bags. A lifting mechanism is installed below the bottom of the storage mechanism and can lift at least one packaging bag stored in the storage mechanism to a predetermined area. The gripping arm is located above the storage mechanism and is capable of gripping the packages stored in the storage mechanism from the predetermined area and providing them to the target location for subsequent filling and packaging operations. The transfer of the packaging bag from the storage position to the grabbing position of the grabbing arm and then to the filling and packaging positions is automatically realized in a mechanized mode, manual operation of workers is not needed, and rapid and automatic production is achieved.

It should be understood that the automated bag supply system of the present application may also be applied to other systems, such as systems that use bags to package food products.

The automatic bag supply system of the present application will be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments.

Fig. 2-4 schematically illustrate a schematic diagram of an automatic bag feeding system 10 according to an embodiment of the present application, wherein fig. 2 is a perspective view of the system 10, and fig. 3 and 4 are a front view and a side view of the system 10, respectively. For clarity, the positional relationships of the various parts of the system 10 are illustrated in FIGS. 2-4 using uniform directional coordinates x, y, z.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2-4, the automated package supply system 10 includes a frame 100. The frame 100 provides a mounting and work platform for the various components within the system (e.g., the storage mechanism 200, the lifting mechanism 300, the grabber arms 400, etc., described below), the specific configuration of which may be set as desired for a particular application, and is not intended to be limiting.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2-4, the automated package supply system 10 further includes a storage mechanism 200. Storage mechanism 200 is configured to store packages. In the illustrated embodiment, the storage mechanism 200 includes a first case 210 and a second case 220 for storing the packages, respectively. However, the present application is not limited thereto, and in some embodiments, the storage mechanism 200 may also include only one cartridge, or more than two cartridges, e.g., three cartridges, four cartridges, etc.

The storage mechanism 200 is guided by a guide mechanism on the frame 100. Referring to fig. 2, in this embodiment, the guide mechanism is two

guide rails

110 and 120 on the frame 100, and the storage mechanism 200 is mounted on the two

guide rails

110 and 120 and is guided by the two

guide rails

110 and 120 to be movable in the x-axis direction shown in the drawing. In some embodiments, other forms of guiding mechanisms may be provided, such as conveyor belts, conveyor chains, lead screw nuts, and the like.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2-4, the automated package supply system 10 further includes a lifting mechanism 300. The lifting mechanism 300 is installed below the bottom of the storage mechanism 200, and serves to lift at least one packing bag stored in the storage mechanism 200 up to a predetermined area. Referring to fig. 3, in this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 300 includes a first lift mechanism 310 and a second lift mechanism 320, wherein the first lift mechanism 310 is installed below the bottom of the first cassette 210 for pushing at least one packing bag stored in the first cassette 210 upward to a predetermined area; the second lift mechanism 320 is installed below the bottom of the second cassette 220 for pushing up at least one packing bag stored in the second cassette 220 to a predetermined area. For example, the first and

second cassettes

210 and 220 have movable bottom plates on which the packing bags are placed, and the first and

second lifters

310 and 320 drive the movable bottom plates of the first and

second cassettes

210 and 220, respectively, to move upward, thereby pushing the packing bags upward to a predetermined area.

In other embodiments, the lift mechanism 300 may include other numbers of lift mechanisms, and the number of lift mechanisms is the same as the number of cartridges included in the storage mechanism 200. For example, when the storage mechanism 200 includes one cassette, three cassettes, or four cassettes, the lifting mechanism 300 also includes one lift mechanism, three lift mechanisms, or four lift mechanisms, respectively, and is installed below each cassette for pushing at least one packing bag in each cassette upward to a predetermined area. In still other embodiments, there may be a plurality of cassettes corresponding to a lift-up mechanism configured to push at least one bag in a cassette positioned above the lift-up mechanism up to a predetermined area.

Referring to fig. 5, the first jacking mechanism 310 installed at the bottom of the first cartridge 210 is illustrated as an example, showing the structure of the first jacking mechanism 310. As shown, the first lift mechanism 310 has a scissor lift mechanism 311 and a driving motor 312, and the driving motor 312 may drive the scissor lift mechanism 311 to extend, thereby pushing at least one packing bag stored in the second cassette 220 upward to a predetermined area. In other embodiments, the lifting mechanism may also be a telescopic lifting mechanism such as a hydraulic cylinder/pneumatic cylinder, and the application is not limited by this contrast.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2 to 4, the automatic bag feeding system 10 further includes a gripper arm 400, and the gripper arm 400 is located above the storage mechanism and configured to grip at least one bag stored in the storage mechanism 200 from a predetermined area. The gripper arm 400 is used to move the envelope from the predetermined area to a target location for filling or sealing. The gripper arm 400 may include a robot or a suction bag chuck, etc., depending on the specific application, which is not limited in this application.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2-4, the automated package supply system 10 further includes a drive mechanism 500. The drive mechanism 500 may be a servo motor or other powered drive device. The driving mechanism 500 is used to drive the storage mechanism 200 to reciprocate on the

guide rails

110 and 120 along the x-axis direction.

Specifically, when the driving mechanism 500 drives the storage mechanism 200 to reciprocate in the x-axis direction, the first cartridge 210 in the storage mechanism 200 is at the first supplement position P along the

guide rails

110 and 120_I1And a working position P_WIn a first, supplementary position P_I1The first box 210 can be filled with packages, in the working position P_WThe grasping arm 400 may grasp at least one packing bag stored in the first cassette 210. It will be appreciated that when the first cassette 210 is in the first replenishment position P_I1The second cassette 220 is in the working position P_WIn this case, the gripper arm 400 may grip at least one packing bag stored in the second cassette 220; when the first cartridge 210 is at the working position P_WThe second cartridge 220 is in the second replenishing position P_I2At this time, the second cassette 220 may be filled with the packing bag. In the first supplementary position P_I1At the first box 210, and at the second supplement position P_I2The filling of the second cassette 220 with the packing bags may be performed manually by a worker or automatically by an additional mechanical unit.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2 to 4, the automatic bag supply system 10 further includes a first detection mechanism 600 and a control unit (not shown). A first detecting mechanism 600 is mounted on the frame 100 and located above the storage mechanism 200 for detecting the position at the working position P_WWhether the first pod 210 or the second pod 220 is empty. In some embodiments, the first detection mechanism 600 may be an optical sensor including an emitter for emitting light (e.g., laser light) and a receiver for receiving reflected light reflected by an object. By detecting different reflection characteristics of the packaging bags and the bottoms of the first box 210/the second box 220 to light, whether the first box 210/the second box 220 have the remaining packaging bags can be judged. In other embodiments, the first detecting mechanism 600 may also be a camera, and the first/

second boxes

210, 220 may be photographed, and the photographed pictures may be image-recognized and analyzed to determine whether there are any remaining packaging bags in the first/

second boxes

210, 220. Of course, the first detection mechanism 600 may be of other typesThe sensor of (3) is not limited in this application.

The control unit is coupled to the driving mechanism 500 and configured to be in the working position P when the first detecting mechanism 600 detects that it is located in the working position P_WControls the driving mechanism 500 to move the first cartridge 210 to the first replenishing position P when the first cartridge 210 is empty_I1(ii) a Or when the first detecting mechanism 600 detects that the working position P is located_WControls the driving mechanism 500 to move the second cartridge 220 to the second replenishing position P when the second cartridge 220 is empty_I2。

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2-4, the automatic bag supply system 10 further includes an alarm device (not shown). The alarm device is configured to be placed in the working position P when the first detecting mechanism 600 detects that it is in the working position P_WProvides an alarm when the first pod 210 or the second pod 220 is empty. The alarm may be used to alert the operator that the first box 210 or the second box 220 has been depleted of packages so that when the empty first box 210 or second box 220 is from the operating position P_WRespectively move to the first supplement position P_I1Or a second supplementary position P_I2Thereafter, the worker can fill the empty first box 210 or second box 220 with the packing bags in time. The alarm device may be an optical alarm (e.g., an LED lamp) or an acoustic alarm (e.g., a voice alarm), and the specific type and structure thereof is not limited herein.

With continued reference to fig. 2-4, the automated package supply system 10 further includes a clamping mechanism 150, the clamping mechanism 150 being attached to the frame 100 and located in the operating position P_WAbove the first cassette 210 or the second cassette 220. The clamping mechanism 150 is biased toward the uppermost package stored in the first or

second cassette

210 or 220 to clamp the packages in the first or

second cassette

210 or 220. The clamping mechanism 150 may be a spring-loaded strip or a mechanical latch, etc., and is not particularly limited in this application.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2-4, the automated package supply system 10 further includes a second detection mechanism 700. The second detection mechanism 700 is used to detect the height of the clamping mechanism 150 and send a first signal to the control unit as soon as the height of the clamping mechanism 150 is below the lower limit of the predetermined area. The control unit is further configured to receiveAfter the first signal, the lifting mechanism is controlled to be in the working position P_WAt least one packing bag stored in the first cassette 210 or the second cassette 220 is lifted up to the upper limit of the predetermined area together with the clamping mechanism 150. The upper limit and the lower limit of the predetermined region herein mean that the gripper arm 400 can be moved from the working position P in the z-axis direction_WThe highest and lowest heights of the packages are grasped in the first box 210 or the second box 220.

Referring to FIG. 6, a schematic diagram of a second sensing mechanism 700 in one embodiment is shown. As shown, the second detection mechanism 700 includes a first proximity sensor 710 and a second proximity sensor 720, the first proximity sensor 710 and the second proximity sensor 720 being mounted on the frame 100 and located at the working position P_WAt the same height above. The first proximity sensor 710 has a first detection range R1, the second proximity sensor 720 has a second detection range R2, and the second detection range R2 is smaller than the first detection range R1. For example, the first detection range R1 may be 8cm, and the second detection range R2 may be 3 cm. The first proximity sensor 710 is configured to detect whether the clamping mechanism 150 is within a first detection range R1; the second proximity sensor 720 is configured to detect whether the clamping mechanism 150 is within the second detection range R2.

Once the first proximity sensor 710 detects that the clamping mechanism 150 is outside the first detection range R1, the first proximity sensor 710 sends a first signal to the control unit, which in response thereto controls the lift mechanism 300 to be in the operating position P_WAt least one packing bag stored in the first cassette 210 or the second cassette 220 is lifted up together with the clamping mechanism 150. Once the second proximity sensor 720 detects that the clamping mechanism 150 has entered the second detection range R2, the second proximity sensor sends a second signal to the control unit, which, in response to the second signal, controls the lifting mechanism 300 to cease operation. It will be appreciated that the lowest height of the first detection range R1 of the first proximity sensor 710 is approximately equal to the height at which the gripper arm 400 can move from the working position P_WThe lower limit of the predetermined area of the packing bag is grasped in the first box 210 or the second box 220, and the pair of the second detection ranges R2 of the second proximity sensor 720The minimum height should be approximately the upper limit of the predetermined area.

In the example of fig. 6, the second detection mechanism 700 also optionally includes a third proximity sensor 730. The third proximity sensor 730 is mounted on the frame 100 and located at the working position P_WAbove at the same height as the first and

second proximity sensors

710 and 720. The third proximity sensor 730 has a third detection range R3. The third detection range R3 is between the first detection range R1 and the second detection range R2, and for example, the third detection range may be 5 cm. The third proximity sensor 730 is configured to detect whether the clamping mechanism 150 is within the third detection range R3. When the lifting mechanism 300 is to be in the working position P_WOnce the third proximity sensor 730 detects that the clamping mechanism 150 enters the third detection range R3 during the process of lifting up at least one packaging bag stored in the first cassette 210 or the second cassette 220, the third proximity sensor 730 sends a third signal to the control unit, and the control unit may reduce the lifting speed of the lifting mechanism 300 in response to the third signal. The third proximity sensor 730 can effectively control the lifting speed of the lifting mechanism 300, so as to avoid that the lifting speed is too high and the lifting mechanism is not easy to stop at the upper limit of the predetermined range when the lifting mechanism 300 lifts the packaging bag and the clamping mechanism 150 together to the upper limit of the predetermined area.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2-4, the automated package supply system 10 further includes a status indicator 810. The status indication device 810 may be coupled to the control unit and provide an optical signal indicative of the height of the clamping mechanism 150 under the control of the control unit. For example, the control unit is configured to: once the first proximity sensor 710 detects the clamping mechanism 150 within the first detection range R1, the control status indicating device 810 provides a first optical signal; once the second proximity sensor 720 detects the clamping mechanism 150 within the second detection range R2, the control status indicating device 810 provides a second optical signal; and controls the status indicating device 810 to provide a third optical or acoustic signal once the third proximity sensor 730 detects the clamping mechanism 150 within the third detection range R3. These optical signals may provide the operator with information on the height of the clamping mechanism 150 in the automated bag supply system 10 (i.e., the height of the bags in the storage mechanism) so that the operator can understand the change in the current amount of bags in the storage mechanism.

Referring to FIG. 6, a schematic diagram of a status indication device 810 in one embodiment is shown. In this example, the status indication device 810 includes a first indicator light 811, a second indicator light 812, and a third indicator light 813. And the three indicator lights are provided at the same positions as the three proximity sensors in the second detection mechanism 700 for providing the first optical signal, the second optical signal, and the third optical signal, respectively. In other embodiments, the status indicator 810 may also include an indicator light that provides three different optical signals. In addition, the status indication device 810 may also be an acoustic (e.g., voice) indicator, and the specific type thereof is not limited in this application.

Referring to fig. 7, fig. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection of the parts of the automatic bag supply system 10 in the embodiment shown in fig. 2 to 4. As shown, the control unit 900 is coupled to the lifting mechanism 300, the gripper arm 400, the driving mechanism 500, the first detection mechanism 600, the second detection mechanism 700, the status indication device 810, and the alarm device 820, respectively. The first detection mechanism 600 and the second detection mechanism 700 detect the number and height of the bags in the storage mechanism 200 (the first cartridge or the second cartridge), and feed back the relevant information to the control unit 900. The control unit 900 then controls the lifting mechanism 300, the gripper arm 400 and the driving mechanism 500 to operate the storage mechanism 200 accordingly according to the information, and controls the status indicating device 810 and the alarm device 820 to provide the staff with the working status information or alarm, respectively, so as to implement the function of automatically feeding the packaging bags in the storage mechanism 200 to the target position.

The control unit 900 may be any kind of integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities, such as a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, an off-the-shelf programmable gate array, or other programmable logic device. The control unit 900 may perform related processing of information from the first and

second sensing mechanisms

600 and 700, control the lifting mechanism 300, the gripper arm 400, and the driving mechanism 500 to perform related operations, and control the status indicating device 810 and the alarm device 820 to provide operating status information or an alarm, respectively, by reading and executing executable codes stored in a non-volatile memory (not shown).

It should be noted that the connection relationship of the components in the automatic packaging bag supply system 10 shown in fig. 7 is only for illustration, and the technical solution of the present application is not limited thereto. For example, the control unit 900 may not be coupled to the status indication device 810, but directly couple the second detection mechanism 700 to the status indication device 810, so as to directly control the status indication device 810 to generate a corresponding optical or acoustic signal according to the output signal of the second detection mechanism 700. Alternatively, the control unit 900 may not be coupled to the alarm device 820, but directly couple the first detection mechanism 600 to the alarm device 820, so as to directly control the alarm device 820 to generate a corresponding alarm according to the output signal of the first detection mechanism 600.

A method for automatically feeding packaging bags from a storage mechanism according to the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Referring to FIG. 8, a method 1000 for automatically feeding packages from a storage mechanism in one embodiment of the present application is shown. The method may be performed by the automated bag supply system 10 of the embodiment shown in fig. 2-4, and includes the following steps 1100-1300.

Specifically, in step 1100, at least one packing bag stored in the storage mechanism 200 is lifted up to a predetermined area by the lifting mechanism 300 installed under the bottom of the storage mechanism 200.

In step 1200, at least one packing bag stored in the storage mechanism 200 is gripped from the predetermined area by the gripper arm 400 located above the storage mechanism 200.

In step 1300, the gripped envelope is provided to the target position by the gripper arm 400.

In some embodiments, the storage mechanism 200 includes a first cassette 210 and a second cassette 220 for storing the packages. The lifting mechanism 300 includes a first lift mechanism 310 installed below the bottom of the first cassette 210 and a second lift mechanism 320 installed below the bottom of the second cassette 220, the first lift mechanism 310 for pushing up at least one packing bag stored in the first cassette 210 to a predetermined area, and the second lift mechanism 320 for pushing up at least one packing bag stored in the second cassette 220 to a predetermined area.

The method 1000 of the present application further comprises: the first cassette 210 is driven by the driving mechanism 500 to the first supplement position P along the guide mechanism in the automatic packaging bag supply system 10_I1And a working position P_WAnd drives the second cartridge 220 in the operating position P along the guide mechanism_WAnd a second supplementary position P_I2To move in between. In the first supplementary position P_I1The first cartridge 210 may be filled with a package; in the second supplementary position P_I2The second cartridge 220 may be filled with packages; in the working position P_WThe grasping arm 400 may grasp at least one packing bag stored in the first cassette 210 or the second cassette 220.

In some embodiments, the method 1000 of the present application further comprises detecting, by the first detection mechanism 600, that the working position P is located_WIs empty, wherein the first detection mechanism 600 is mounted on the frame 100 and above the storage mechanism 200.

In some embodiments, the method 1000 of the present application further comprises: when the first detecting mechanism 600 detects that the working position P is located_WControls the driving mechanism 500 to move the first cartridge 210 to the first supplement position P by the control unit coupled to the driving mechanism 500 when the first cartridge 210 is empty_I1(ii) a Or when the first detecting mechanism 600 detects that the working position P is located_WThe second cartridge 220 is moved to the second supplement position P by the control unit controlling the driving mechanism 500 when the second cartridge 220 is empty_I2。

In some embodiments, the method 1000 of the present application further comprises: when the first detecting mechanism 600 detects that the working position P is located_WIs empty, an alarm is provided by an alarm device.

In some embodiments, the clamping mechanism 150 is attached to the frame 100 of the automatic bag feeding system 10, and the clamping mechanism 150 is located at the working position P_WThe first cartridge 210 or the second cartridge 220 and is biased toward the uppermost package stored in the first box 210 or the second box 220.

The method 1000 of the present application further comprises: detecting the height of the clamping mechanism 150 by the second detection mechanism 700 and sending a first signal to the control unit as soon as the height of the clamping mechanism 150 is lower than the lower limit of the predetermined area; and controls the lifting mechanism 300 to be in the working position P by the control unit in response to the first signal_WAt least one packing bag stored in the first cassette 210 or the second cassette 220 is lifted up to the upper limit of the predetermined area together with the clamping mechanism 150.

In some embodiments, the second detection mechanism 700 includes a first proximity sensor 710 and a second proximity sensor 720; wherein the first proximity sensor 710 is configured to detect whether the clamping mechanism 150 is within a first detection range of the first proximity sensor 710; the second proximity sensor 720 is configured to detect whether the clamping mechanism 150 is within a second detection range of the second proximity sensor 720, the second detection range being smaller than the first detection range. The first proximity sensor 710 and the second proximity sensor 720 are mounted on the frame 100 and are located at the same height above the storage mechanism 200.

The method 1000 of the present application further comprises: once the first proximity sensor 710 detects that the clamping mechanism 150 is outside the first detection range, a first signal is sent to the control unit by the first proximity sensor 710; in response to the first signal, the control unit controls the lifting mechanism 300 to be in the working position P_WAt least one packing bag stored in the first cassette 210 or the second cassette 220 is lifted up together with the clamping mechanism 150; once the second proximity sensor 720 detects that the clamping mechanism 150 enters the second detection range, the second proximity sensor 720 sends a second signal to the control unit; and controls the lifting mechanism 300 to stop operating by the control unit in response to the second signal.

In some embodiments, the second detection mechanism 700 further includes a third proximity sensor 730, the third proximity sensor 730 being configured to detect whether the clamping mechanism 150 is within a third detection range of the third proximity sensor 730, the third detection range being between the first detection range and the second detection range. The third proximity sensor 730 is mounted on the frame 100 and is located at the same height above the storage mechanism 200 as the first and

second proximity sensors

710, 720.

The method 1000 of the present application further comprises: when the lifting mechanism 300 is to be in the working position P_WWhen at least one of the packing bags stored in the first cassette 210 or the second cassette 220 is lifted up, once the third proximity sensor 730 detects that the clamping mechanism 150 enters the third detection range, a third signal is sent to the control unit through the third proximity sensor 730; and reducing the lifting speed of the lifting mechanism 300 by the control unit in response to the third signal.

In some embodiments, the method 1000 of the present application further comprises: an optical or acoustic signal indicating the height of the clamping mechanism 150 is provided by the status indicating device 810.

The embodiments of the apparatus described in the embodiments of the present application are merely illustrative, and for example, the division of the units may be regarded as only one functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be another division, for example, a plurality of units or components may be combined or may be integrated into another system, or some units or components may be omitted. On the other hand, the shown or discussed coupling or communication connections between each other may be indirect coupling or indirect communication connections through some interfaces, devices or units. Additionally, the order of acts described is not intended to be limiting as some steps may occur in other orders or concurrently with other steps from the embodiment of the method described in embodiments herein.

Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of one or more independent aspects of the application as described.

Claims

1. An automatic bag supply system, comprising:

a frame having a guide mechanism;

a storage mechanism guided by the guide mechanism and configured to store the packaging bags;

a lifting mechanism installed below the bottom of the storage mechanism for lifting at least one packing bag stored in the storage mechanism up to a predetermined area; and

a gripper arm positioned above the storage mechanism and configured to grip the at least one package stored in the storage mechanism from the predetermined area.

2. The automatic bag feeding system according to claim 1, wherein the storage mechanism includes a first box for storing the bags, and the lifting mechanism includes a first lift mechanism installed below a bottom of the first box for pushing at least one bag stored in the first box upward to the predetermined area.

3. The automatic bag feeding system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a drive mechanism configured to drive the first cartridge along the guide mechanism between a first refill position and an operative position, wherein the first cartridge can be filled with packages in the first refill position; in the operating position, the gripper arm may grip at least one package stored in the first cassette.

4. The automatic bag feeding system according to claim 3, wherein said storage mechanism further includes a second box for storing the bags, and said lifting mechanism further includes a second lift mechanism installed below a bottom of said second box for pushing at least one bag stored in said second box upward to said predetermined area; and

the drive mechanism is configured to drive the second cassette along the guide mechanism between the operating position, in which the gripper arm can grip at least one of the packages stored in the second cassette, and a second refill position, in which the second cassette can be filled with packages.

5. The automatic bag feeding system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a first detection mechanism mounted on the frame above the storage mechanism and configured to detect whether the first cartridge or the second cartridge located at the working position is empty.

6. The automatic bag feeding system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a control unit coupled with the drive mechanism and configured to:

when the first detection mechanism detects that the first box located at the working position is empty, controlling the driving mechanism to move the first box to the first supplement position; or

And when the first detection mechanism detects that the second box located at the working position is empty, controlling the driving mechanism to move the second box to the second supplement position.

7. The automatic bag feeding system according to claim 6, further comprising:

an alarm device configured to provide an alarm when the first detection mechanism detects that the first cartridge or the second cartridge located at the operating position is empty.

8. The automatic bag feeding system according to any one of claims 4 to 7, further comprising:

a clamping mechanism attached to the frame and located above the first or second cassette in the operating position, the clamping mechanism being biased toward an uppermost package stored in the first or second cassette.

9. The automatic bag feeding system according to claim 8 when dependent on claim 6, further comprising:

a second detection mechanism for detecting a height of the clamping mechanism and sending a first signal to the control unit upon the height of the clamping mechanism being below a lower limit of the predetermined area,

wherein the control unit is further configured to control the lifting mechanism to lift at least one packing bag stored in the first cassette or the second cassette at the working position up to an upper limit of the predetermined area together with the clamp mechanism in response to the first signal.

10. The automatic bag feeding system according to claim 9, wherein the second detecting mechanism includes:

a first proximity sensor configured to detect whether the clamping mechanism is within a first detection range of the first proximity sensor; and

a second proximity sensor configured to detect whether the clamping mechanism is within a second detection range of the second proximity sensor, the second detection range being smaller than the first detection range;

wherein the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor are mounted on the frame and are at the same height above the storage mechanism.

11. The automatic supply system of packaging bags according to claim 10,

the first proximity sensor sends the first signal to the control unit once the first proximity sensor detects that the clamp mechanism is out of the first detection range, and in response to the first signal, the control unit controls the lifting mechanism to lift at least one packing bag stored in the first cassette or the second cassette at the working position upward together with the clamp mechanism; and is

The second proximity sensor sends a second signal to the control unit upon the second proximity sensor detecting that the clamping mechanism enters the second detection range, and the control unit controls the lifting mechanism to stop operating in response to the second signal.

12. The automatic feeding system of packaging bags according to claim 10 or 11, wherein said second detecting mechanism further comprises:

a third proximity sensor configured to detect whether the clamping mechanism is within a third detection range of the third proximity sensor, wherein the third detection range is between the first detection range and the second detection range,

wherein the third proximity sensor is mounted on the frame and is located at the same height above the storage mechanism as the first and second proximity sensors.

13. An automatic bag feeding system according to claim 12 when dependent on claim 11, wherein when the lifting mechanism lifts up at least one bag stored in the first cassette or the second cassette in the operating position together with the clamp mechanism, the third proximity sensor sends a third signal to the control unit upon the third proximity sensor detecting that the clamp mechanism enters the third detection range, and in response to the third signal, the control unit reduces the lifting speed of the lifting mechanism.

14. The automatic bag feeding system according to any one of claims 9 to 13, further comprising:

a status indicating device configured to provide an optical or acoustic signal indicating a height of the clamping mechanism.

15. A method for automatically feeding packages from a storage mechanism guidable by a guide mechanism provided on a frame and configured for storing packages, the method comprising:

lifting at least one packing bag stored in the storage mechanism up to a predetermined area by a lifting mechanism installed under a bottom of the storage mechanism;

grasping at least one packing bag stored in the storage mechanism from the predetermined area by a grasping arm located above the storage mechanism; and

the grasped packing bag is supplied to a target position by the grasping arm.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the storage mechanism includes a first box for storing packages, and the lifting mechanism includes a first lift mechanism mounted below a bottom of the first box for pushing at least one package stored in the first box upward to the predetermined area.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

driving the first cartridge by a driving mechanism to move along the guide mechanism between a first replenishment position and a working position, wherein the first cartridge can be filled with packages at the first replenishment position; in the operating position, the gripper arm may grip at least one package stored in the first cassette.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the storage mechanism further comprises a second cassette for storing packages, and the lifting mechanism further comprises a second lift mechanism mounted below a bottom of the second cassette for pushing at least one package stored in the second cassette upward to the predetermined area;

the method further comprises the following steps:

the second cassette is driven by the drive mechanism to move along the guide mechanism between an operating position, in which the gripper arm can grip at least one package stored in the second cassette, and a second refill position, in which the second cassette can be filled with packages.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

detecting whether the first cassette or the second cassette located at the working position is empty by a first detection mechanism mounted on the frame and located above the storage mechanism.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

controlling, by a control unit coupled to the drive mechanism, the drive mechanism to move the first cartridge to the first replenishment position when the first detection mechanism detects that the first cartridge in the working position is empty; or

When the first detection mechanism detects that the second cartridge located at the working position is empty, the driving mechanism is controlled by the control unit to move the second cartridge to the second replenishing position.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

when the first detection mechanism detects that the first box or the second box located at the working position is empty, an alarm is provided through an alarm device.

22. The method of any one of claims 18 to 21, wherein a clamping mechanism is attached to the frame, the clamping mechanism being located above the first or second cassette in the operative position and biased towards an uppermost package stored in the first or second cassette.

23. The method of claim 22 when dependent on claim 20, further comprising:

detecting the height of the clamping mechanism through a second detection mechanism, and sending a first signal to the control unit when the height of the clamping mechanism is lower than the lower limit of the preset area once; and is

Controlling, by the control unit, the lifting mechanism to lift at least one packing bag stored in the first cassette or the second cassette at the working position up to an upper limit of the predetermined area together with the clamp mechanism in response to the first signal.

24. The method of claim 23,

the second detection mechanism includes:

a second proximity sensor configured to detect whether the clamping mechanism is within a second detection range of the second proximity sensor, the second detection range being smaller than the first detection range; and is

The first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor are mounted on the frame at the same height above the storage mechanism.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

sending the first signal to the control unit via the first proximity sensor upon the first proximity sensor detecting that the clamping mechanism is outside the first detection range;

in response to the first signal, the control unit controls the lifting mechanism to lift at least one packing bag stored in the first cassette or the second cassette at the working position upward together with the clamp mechanism;

upon the second proximity sensor detecting that the clamping mechanism enters the second detection range, the second proximity sensor sending a second signal to the control unit; and

and controlling the lifting mechanism to stop working through the control unit in response to the second signal.

26. The method of claim 24 or 25, wherein the second detection mechanism further comprises a third proximity sensor configured to detect whether the clamping mechanism is within a third detection range from the third proximity sensor, the third detection range being between the first and second detection ranges, the third proximity sensor being mounted on the frame and located at the same height above the storage mechanism as the first and second proximity sensors.

27. The method of claim 26 as dependent on claim 25, further comprising:

sending a third signal to the control unit by the third proximity sensor upon the third proximity sensor detecting that the clamping mechanism enters the third detection range when the lifting mechanism lifts up the at least one packaging bag stored in the first cassette or the second cassette at the operating position together with the clamping mechanism; and

in response to the third signal, reducing, by the control unit, a lifting speed of the lifting mechanism.

28. The method according to any one of claims 23-27, further comprising:

an optical or acoustic signal indicating the height of the clamping mechanism is provided by a status indicating device.