CN117262311A - Cover attaching device and cover attaching method - Google Patents
Cover attaching device and cover attaching method Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CN117262311A CN117262311A CN202310231887.4A CN202310231887A CN117262311A CN 117262311 A CN117262311 A CN 117262311A CN 202310231887 A CN202310231887 A CN 202310231887A CN 117262311 A CN117262311 A CN 117262311A
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- cap
- suction
- cover
- station
- capping
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- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 40
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 77
- 210000000078 claw Anatomy 0.000 claims abstract description 52
- 238000012546 transfer Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 44
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 14
- 238000001179 sorption measurement Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 6
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims description 26
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 claims description 11
- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 claims description 6
- 238000000605 extraction Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000012545 processing Methods 0.000 abstract description 3
- 230000009286 beneficial effect Effects 0.000 abstract 1
- 230000009471 action Effects 0.000 description 4
- 238000012856 packing Methods 0.000 description 4
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 description 2
- 235000013361 beverage Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000009826 distribution Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000003754 machining Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012423 maintenance Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005457 optimization Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000005022 packaging material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000004806 packaging method and process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000001360 synchronised effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000013519 translation Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B7/00—Closing containers or receptacles after filling
- B65B7/16—Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons
- B65B7/28—Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons by applying separate preformed closures, e.g. lids, covers
- B65B7/2807—Feeding closures
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B50/00—Making rigid or semi-rigid containers, e.g. boxes or cartons
- B31B50/74—Auxiliary operations
- B31B50/81—Forming or attaching accessories, e.g. opening devices, closures or tear strings
- B31B50/84—Forming or attaching means for filling or dispensing contents, e.g. valves or spouts
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B51/00—Devices for, or methods of, sealing or securing package folds or closures; Devices for gathering or twisting wrappers, or necks of bags
- B65B51/10—Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof
- B65B51/22—Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof by friction or ultrasonic or high-frequency electrical means, i.e. by friction or ultrasonic or induction welding
- B65B51/225—Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof by friction or ultrasonic or high-frequency electrical means, i.e. by friction or ultrasonic or induction welding by ultrasonic welding
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B61/00—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages
- B65B61/18—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for making package-opening or unpacking elements
- B65B61/186—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for making package-opening or unpacking elements by applying or incorporating rigid fittings, e.g. discharge spouts
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B65/00—Details peculiar to packaging machines and not otherwise provided for; Arrangements of such details
- B65B65/02—Driving gear
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B7/00—Closing containers or receptacles after filling
- B65B7/16—Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons
- B65B7/28—Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons by applying separate preformed closures, e.g. lids, covers
- B65B7/2842—Securing closures on containers
- B65B7/2878—Securing closures on containers by heat-sealing
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B2110/00—Shape of rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B31B2110/30—Shape of rigid or semi-rigid containers having a polygonal cross section
- B31B2110/35—Shape of rigid or semi-rigid containers having a polygonal cross section rectangular, e.g. square
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Making Paper Articles (AREA)
- Sealing Of Jars (AREA)
Abstract
The present invention relates to a capping device and a capping method for attaching a cap to a package. The capping device includes a capping mechanism and defines a feed station and an attachment station, the capping mechanism for receiving a cap from the capping mechanism at the feed station and delivering the cap to the attachment station. The cap transfer mechanism includes a rotary shaft and a cap suction wheel disposed around the rotary shaft and including a central portion and a plurality of claw groups extending radially outward from the central portion, an adsorption portion for adsorbing the cap being provided at free ends of the claws in the claw groups. The suction cap disc is configured to be rotatable about an axis of the rotation shaft such that: the suction portions of the jaws of the jaw sets rotate between the feed station and the attachment station to transfer the cover from the feed station to the attachment station, and one of the jaw sets is located at the attachment station while the other of the jaw sets is located at the feed station. The capping device and the capping method are beneficial to simplifying the capping process and accelerating the processing speed.
Description
Technical Field
The present invention relates to the field of packaging, and more particularly, to a capping device and a capping method for attaching a cap to a wrapper to improve the manner of delivering the cap.
Background
The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not necessarily constitute prior art.
The present disclosure relates generally to lidded packages, for example, for filling beverages. Conventional lidded packages typically require the cover to be attached (e.g., welded) to the cylindrical sheet used to form the package at the time of manufacture. Related capping devices typically include a capping mechanism for continuously supplying caps, and a cap transfer mechanism for receiving caps from the capping mechanism and transferring caps to an attachment station. A common lid comprises a lid and a pull ring provided with a sealing part (such as a sealing film) and arranged at the neck part at the inner side of the lid to seal a pouring opening, when the lid is used, the lid needs to be unscrewed and taken down, and then the pull ring is pulled open, so that the uncovering process is complicated. For such caps, currently common cap transfer mechanisms include protrusions extending into the cap from the bottom end of the cap pour spout to engage the cap for transport to the attachment station. An improved cover body relates to a plane film arranged at the bottom end of the cover body, and when the cover is screwed, the cover can automatically cut off the film to realize one-step cover opening. Because the bottom ends of such caps are generally planar, such caps cannot be transported by conventional snap-on cap transfer mechanisms.
On the other hand, the cap transfer mechanism of conventional capping devices generally transfers only one cap at a time from the feeding station to the attachment station for attachment, and cannot simultaneously perform multiple/multiple groups of cap capping processes in parallel. In addition, the path of movement of the conventional cap transfer mechanism to transport the caps from the infeed station to the attachment station is often complex, and there is still room for further optimization of the process flow.
Disclosure of Invention
An object of the present disclosure is to simplify the capping process in the production process of capped packages and to increase the processing speed.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a capping device and a capping method adapted to simultaneously perform capping processes of a plurality of sets of caps in parallel, and in particular, to provide a capping device and a capping method adapted to achieve synchronous receiving of caps and attaching of caps in a single cap transfer mechanism.
It is a further object of the present disclosure to provide a capping device and a capping method suitable for conveying and attaching caps provided with a planar film at the bottom end.
An aspect of the present disclosure provides a capping device for attaching a cap to a wrapper. The capping device includes a capping mechanism and defines a feed station and an attachment station, the capping mechanism for receiving a cap from the capping mechanism at the feed station and delivering the cap to the attachment station. The cap transfer mechanism includes a rotary shaft and a cap suction wheel disposed around the rotary shaft and including a central portion and a plurality of claw groups extending radially outward from the central portion, an adsorption portion for adsorbing the cap being provided at free ends of the claws in the claw groups. The suction cap disc is configured to be rotatable about an axis of the rotation shaft such that: the suction portions of the jaws of the jaw sets rotate between the feed station and the attachment station to transfer the cover from the feed station to the attachment station, and one of the jaw sets is located at the attachment station while the other of the jaw sets is located at the feed station.
In some embodiments, the capping device is configured to: when the suction cap disc rotates to a position where one of the jaw sets is located at the feeding station and the other of the jaw sets is located at the attaching station, the suction cap disc pauses rotating and translates in an axial direction of the rotation shaft from a first axial position allowing the suction cap disc to rotate to a second axial position and stays for a preset time, and then the suction cap disc returns to the first axial position in the axial direction and continues rotating. In the second axial position, the suction portion of the claw located at the feeding station grips the cover from the feeding port of the cover feeding mechanism, and the claw located at the attaching station positions the cover in the attaching position so as to attach the cover to the bag material.
In some embodiments, each of the jaw sets includes a plurality of jaws, and the cap supply mechanism includes a plurality of feed ports in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of jaws in the jaw set.
In some embodiments, the suction cover disk is provided with a suction channel inside each jaw, and the suction portion of each jaw has a suction hole communicating with the suction channel.
In some embodiments, the suction channels of all the jaws in each jaw set of the suction cap wheel disc are communicated with each other, and the gas path on-off of the suction channels of all the jaws in each jaw set is independently controlled by a single fluid control element; or the air extraction channels of the claws of the suction cover wheel disk are not communicated with each other, and the air channel on-off of the air extraction channel of each claw is independently controlled by the respective fluid control element.
In some embodiments, the capping device further comprises a vacuum generator in communication with the suction channel.
In some embodiments, the cap transfer mechanism further comprises a pneumatic rotary joint disposed about the rotational axis and adjacent to the cap disk, the vacuum generator being in communication with the suction channel via the pneumatic rotary joint.
In some embodiments, the pneumatic rotary joint comprises a fixed end provided with a fixed negative pressure interface for receiving negative pressure from the vacuum generator and a rotary end provided with a rotary negative pressure interface for transmitting negative pressure to the suction channel.
In some embodiments, the capping device further comprises a conveyor belt disposed below the suction cap rim, the conveyor belt being adapted to convey the bale to be attached with the cap body adsorbed by the suction cap rim through the attachment station, the conveyor belt moving in conjunction with the suction cap rim such that the adsorption portion of the jaws of the suction cap rim rotates into the bale interior via the top opening of the bale and rotates out of the bale via the top opening of the bale after the cap body is attached to the bale as the bale passes through the attachment station.
In some embodiments, the suction portion of the claw of the suction cap disk comprises a rigid suction cup or a flexible suction cup.
In some embodiments, where the jaw set of the suction cap rim includes a plurality of jaws, a spacing angle between adjacent two of the jaw sets of the suction cap rim is less than or equal to a spacing angle between adjacent two of the jaw sets.
Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a capping method for attaching a cap to a wrapper, the capping method comprising the steps of:
a. providing a capping device comprising a cap transfer mechanism and a cap supply mechanism and defining a feed station and an attachment station, the cap transfer mechanism comprising a rotation shaft and a cap suction wheel arranged around the rotation shaft and comprising a central portion and a plurality of jaw groups extending radially outwardly from the central portion, an adsorption portion being provided at the free ends of the jaws in the jaw groups for adsorbing the cap;
b. positioning the suction cap disc at a first axial position along the axial direction of the rotating shaft;
c. rotating the suction cap wheel disc about the axis of the rotation shaft until one of the jaw sets is located at the feed station and another of the jaw sets is located at the attachment station;
d. translating the cover sucking disc from a first axial position to a second axial position along the axial direction of the rotating shaft and staying for a preset time, wherein in the second axial position, the sucking part of the claw positioned at the feeding station grabs the cover body from the feeding port of the cover supplying mechanism, and the claw positioned at the attaching station positions the cover body at the attaching position;
e. attaching the cover in the attached position to the wrapper; and
f. the suction cap disc is returned to the first axial position in the axial direction.
In some embodiments, the capping method further comprises: the wrapping material to be attached with the cover body adsorbed by the suction cover wheel is conveyed through the attachment station by a conveyor belt of the capping device disposed below the suction cover wheel, and the conveyor belt moves in conjunction with the suction cover wheel so that the adsorbing portion of the claw of the suction cover wheel rotates into the interior of the wrapping material via the top opening of the wrapping material and rotates out of the wrapping material via the top opening of the wrapping material after the cover body is attached to the wrapping material when the wrapping material passes through the attachment station.
In some embodiments, step e comprises welding the cover in the attached position to the wrapper using an ultrasonic welding process.
In some embodiments, the gripping of the cover from the feed opening of the cover feeding mechanism by the suction portion of the claw located at the feed station in step d is performed in synchronization with the attachment of the cover in the attachment position to the wrapper in step e.
The invention utilizes the rotatable wheel disc structure to simultaneously realize the grabbing and the attaching of a plurality of groups of cover bodies, and can simplify the movement path for conveying the cover bodies from the feeding station to the attaching station, thereby effectively accelerating the processing speed. Furthermore, the combination of the wheel structure and the vacuum suction structure makes the invention particularly suitable for attaching a cover body with a planar film covered at the bottom end to a packaging material.
Drawings
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like features or elements are indicated by like reference numerals and the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 shows a central cross-sectional view of a conventional cap;
FIG. 2 shows a central cross-sectional view of a modified cover;
FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a capping device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, with a portion of the housing of the capping device removed for clarity;
fig. 4 and 5 show perspective views of the cover transfer mechanism of the cover attaching device from different angles;
FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a suction cap wheel of the cap transfer mechanism;
FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the longitudinal central axis of the cap disc of FIG. 6;
fig. 8 to 10 schematically illustrate the flow of the capping method according to the present invention.
Detailed Description
Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Exemplary embodiments are provided herein so that this disclosure will be thorough and will fully convey the scope to those skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth, such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments may be embodied in many different forms without being limited to the specific details disclosed. In some exemplary embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.
In this document, if employed, the directional terms employed in connection with "upper", "lower", "top" and "bottom" and the like are determined, for example, by the locations shown in the drawings. The use of this orientation term is intended to facilitate description and is not intended to limit the present disclosure.
The application scenario of the present invention is first described with reference to fig. 1 and 2. The present invention relates generally to a capping device and a capping method for attaching a cap to a wrapper (e.g., a wrapper for forming a paper package). Fig. 1 shows a central cross-section of a conventional cover 1. The lid 1 includes lid 11 and sets up in the neck department of lid inboard in order to seal the pull ring 12 of pouring opening, need unscrew lid 11 earlier and take off when using, pull ring 12 pull open again, and the uncapping process is comparatively loaded down with trivial details. When attaching the lid 1 to the wrapper, the lid 1 is typically transported by a cap transfer mechanism comprising protrusions extending into the interior of the lid 1 from the bottom end of the lid pour spout and engaging the lid 1. Fig. 2 shows a central section through a modified cover 1'. The cover 1 'includes a cover 11' and a planar film 12 'covering the entire bottom end of the cover 11'. When the cover 11' is screwed, the cover 11' can automatically cut the plane film 12' to realize one-step cover opening. Since the planar film 12' completely covers the pouring spout at the bottom end of the lid 11', such a lid 1' cannot be transported by a conventional snap-on cap transfer mechanism. The capping device and the capping method described hereinafter are mainly designed for the cap 1' shown in fig. 2, but it should be understood that the capping device and the capping method according to the present invention can be applied to other types of caps, such as the conventional cap 1 shown in fig. 1, after being simply modified, for example.
Fig. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a capping device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, with a portion of the housing of the capping device removed for clarity. As shown in fig. 3, the capping device may generally include a cap supply mechanism 100 and a cap transfer mechanism 200, and define a feed station and an attachment station. The cap supply mechanism 100 may continuously supply caps 1' to a feed station where the cap transfer mechanism 200 may receive caps 1' from the cap supply mechanism 100 and transfer caps 1' to an attachment station. In the present embodiment, the cover feeding mechanism 100 includes two feeding slots (not shown) arranged substantially vertically, and the two rows of cover bodies 1' fall into the two feeding ports 110 along the respective feeding slots under the action of gravity. The capping device may further comprise a capping mechanism 300 disposed near the feeding station for pushing the cap 1 'out of the feeding port 110 and toward the cap transfer mechanism 200 so that the cap transfer mechanism 200 grips the cap 1'. The push cap mechanism 300 may include, for example, a push cap cylinder. The capping device may further comprise an attachment mechanism 400 arranged in the vicinity of the attachment station for attaching the caps 1' located at the attachment station to the respective packages 3. In the present embodiment, the attaching mechanism 400 includes an ultrasonic welding head 410 that can weld the cover 1' at a predetermined position of the wrapper 3 by an ultrasonic welding process. The exemplary packing material 3 may be a top-opened paper box, in which attachment holes for receiving the cover 1' are opened at predetermined positions of the side walls of the paper box. The attachment structure 400 may also include a bond head driver 420 for driving the ultrasonic bond head 410 toward or away from the cap transfer mechanism 200, and the bond head driver 420 may include, for example, a cylinder. In other embodiments, any other suitable means for attaching the cover and wrapper may be employed. In addition, the capping device may further include a conveyor belt (not shown) disposed below the attachment mechanism 400 for continuously conveying the wrapping material 3 through the attachment station.
Fig. 4 and 5 show perspective views of the cap transfer mechanism 200 from different angles. As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the cap transfer mechanism 200 includes a rotation shaft 210 and a cap suction wheel 220 disposed around the rotation shaft. Fig. 6 further illustrates a perspective view of the cap disc 220 of the cap transfer mechanism 200, and fig. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along the longitudinal central axis of the cap disc 220 of fig. 6.
As shown in connection with fig. 3-7, the cap disc 220 includes a central portion 221 and a plurality of jaw sets extending radially outwardly from the central portion 221, the central portion 221 may be configured as a sleeve for ease of installation. As best shown in fig. 6, in the present embodiment, the suction cap disc 220 includes eight claws divided into four claw groups, namely, a first claw group 222-1, a second claw group 222-2, a third claw group 222-3, and a fourth claw group 222-4, wherein each claw group includes two claws adjacent to each other. The eight claws of the suction cap disk 220 are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the suction cap disk 220. At the free end of each claw is provided an adsorption portion 223 for adsorbing the cover. As the suction cap disc 220 rotates one revolution about the axis of the rotation shaft 210, the suction portions 223 of the four jaw sets will rotate sequentially from the feeding station to the attachment station and back to the feeding station after the cap attachment is completed. At the feed station, the two suction portions 223 of one jaw set are aligned with the two feed ports 110 of the cap supply mechanism 100, respectively. As shown in fig. 3, at the feed inlet 110, the planar film 12 'at the bottom end of the cap body 1' faces the suction portion 223 of the suction cap rim 220. At the attachment station, the two suction portions 223 of one jaw set are aligned with the two ultrasonic welding heads 410 of the attachment mechanism 400, respectively. When one jaw set of the suction cap disc 220 is located at the attachment station, the other jaw set is located at the feeding station. For example, in the present embodiment, when the first jaw set 222-1 is located at the attachment station, the third jaw set 222-3, which is disposed opposite to the first jaw set 222-1, is located at the feeding station. The two jaws of each jaw set may simultaneously handle two caps, that is, the two jaws of each jaw set may simultaneously grasp two caps 1 'from the respective two feed ports 110 and simultaneously transport the two caps 1' to the attachment station for attachment to the respective two logs 3. In other embodiments, the number of the jaw groups included in the suction cap wheel disc, the number of the jaws included in each jaw group, and the spacing angle between the jaw groups or the jaws can be adjusted according to actual needs, and the number and positions of the feed inlet and the ultrasonic welding head can also be correspondingly adjusted according to the configuration of the suction cap wheel disc, so that the feed inlet and the ultrasonic welding head are respectively in one-to-one correspondence with the jaws in one jaw group of the suction cap wheel disc. For example, where each jaw set of the suction cap disc includes a plurality of jaws, the spacing angle between adjacent two of the jaw sets of the suction cap disc may be smaller than the spacing angle between adjacent two jaw sets, which may be advantageous to distinguish between the different jaw sets during operation and maintenance of the capping device.
In the present embodiment, the suction cap tray 220 grips and conveys the cap body 1' by vacuum sucking the planar film 12' at the bottom end of the cap body 1' by the suction portions 223 of the respective claw groups. As shown in fig. 3, the capping device may include one or more vacuum generators 500. In the present embodiment, four vacuum generators 500 are provided corresponding to the four claw groups of the suction cap disk 220. As shown in fig. 7, a suction passage 224 for communicating with the vacuum generator 500 is provided inside each claw of the suction cap disk 220. The first end 224-1 of each suction channel 224 may be disposed on an end surface 225 of the suction cap disc 220 facing away from the feed inlet 110 to facilitate receiving a conduit coupled to the vacuum generator 500. The second end 224-2 of each suction channel 224 may be disposed at the radially outer side of the claw of the suction cap disc 220 such that at least a portion of the suction channel 224 may be machined directly along the extension of the claw when machining the suction cap disc 220, which second end 224-2 is to be sealed in use. The first end 224-1 and the second end 224-2 may be configured as threaded bores for connection of pipes or seals.
As shown in fig. 7, the suction portion 223 of each claw of the suction cap disk 220 has a suction hole 226 communicating with the suction passage 224. The suction portion 223 may further include a rigid suction cup or a flexible suction cup disposed at the suction hole 226 or in the vicinity of the suction hole 226 to form a suction surface for sucking the planar film 12 'of the bottom end of the cover 1'. As shown in fig. 4 and 6, the suction portion 223 may include a recess 228 for receiving the flexible suction cup 227. The flexible suction cup 227 may be mounted in the recess 228, for example, by a screw connection, and a relief groove 229 may be arranged on a sidewall of the suction portion 223 surrounding the recess 228 so that a tool such as a wrench for mounting the flexible suction cup protrudes into the recess 228.
To facilitate gripping, transfer and attachment of the cap, the cap disc 220 may be configured to intermittently perform rotational movement about the axis of the rotational shaft 210 and axial reciprocation along the axial direction of the rotational shaft 210. The cap disc 220 is allowed to rotate when the cap disc 220 is located at a first axial position away from the inlet 110 and the attachment mechanism 400. When the cap disc 220 is rotated to a state that one jaw set is located at the feeding station and the other jaw set is located at the attaching station, the cap disc 220 is stopped from rotating and moved to a second axial position close to the feeding port 110 and the attaching mechanism 400 in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 210, so that the action of one jaw set grabbing the cap body and the action of the other jaw set attaching the cap body are simultaneously performed. When the action of gripping the cap and attaching the cap is completed, the cap disc 220 may be returned to the first axial position in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 210 and continue to rotate. As shown in fig. 3 to 5, the cap transfer mechanism 200 may include a rotation driver 230 for driving the cap disc 220 to rotate about the axis of the rotation shaft 210 and an axial driver 240 for driving the cap disc 220 to reciprocate in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 210. For example, the rotary drive 230 may comprise a motor and the axial drive 240 may comprise an air cylinder.
As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the cap transfer mechanism 200 may further include a pneumatic rotary joint 250 disposed about the rotational axis 210 and adjacent the cap disk 220. The pneumatic rotary joint 250 may include a fixed end 251 and a rotary end 252 that function to transfer the distribution of negative pressure generated by the vacuum generator 500 coupled to the fixed end 251 to the respective suction channel 224 of the suction cap disk 220 coupled to the rotary end 252. The fixed end 251 includes a fixed negative pressure interface 253 that may be coupled to the vacuum generator 500 via a conduit (not shown). In the present embodiment, four fixed negative pressure ports 253 for coupling with the four vacuum generators 500, respectively, are disposed on the radially outer side surface of the fixed end 251. The rotating end 252 is coupled with the cap disc 220 and is rotatable with the cap disc 220 relative to the fixed end 251. The rotary end 252 is provided with a rotary negative pressure interface 254 that communicates with the suction channel 224 of the suction cap disc 220 via a conduit (not shown). In this embodiment, four rotary negative pressure interfaces 254 are uniformly disposed along the radially outer side of the rotary end 252, each rotary negative pressure interface 254 being communicable via tubing with two first ends 224-1 of two suction channels 224 in one jaw set of the suction cap disk 220. Thus, the suction channels 224 of all the jaws in each jaw set of the suction cup wheel 220 are in communication with each other and are coupled to separate vacuum generators 500. In other words, the on-off of the air path of the air extraction channel 224 of each jaw set of the suction cap disc 220 is independently controlled by a single vacuum generator 500, which facilitates the simultaneous control of all the jaws in each jaw set to grasp and disconnect the cap. In other embodiments, the air suction channels 224 of the respective claws of the cover disk 220 may not be communicated with each other, and the air path on-off of the air suction channel 224 of each claw is independently controlled by the respective vacuum generator, which may avoid affecting the normal operation of the other claws when the vacuum generator associated with one claw fails. Furthermore, it is also contemplated that only a single vacuum generator may be provided and that the air paths of each suction channel and/or groups of suction channels may be controlled on and off by valves and/or other fluid control elements associated with each suction channel.
The flow of the capping method performed by the capping device according to the foregoing embodiment will be described in detail with reference to fig. 8 to 10.
In a continuous capping process, a conveyor belt (not shown) located below the cap wheel 220 conveys a series of packets through an attachment station. The rotational movement of the suction cap rim 220 and the movement of the conveyor belt cooperate such that the suction portions 223 of the respective claws of the suction cap rim 220 perform a meshing movement similar to a gear and a rack with the wrapping material on the conveyor belt. More specifically, as the package passes through the attachment station, the suction portion 223 of the claw of the suction cap disc 220 may rotate into the interior of the package via the top opening of the package and rotate out of the package via the top opening of the package after the cap 1' is attached to the package.
Fig. 8 shows a state in which the suction cap disc 220 is rotated at the first axial position until the suction portion 223 of the first jaw set 222-1 is located at the attachment station and the suction portion 223 of the third jaw set 222-3 is located at the feeding station. At this time, the suction portions 223 of the first and second claw groups 222-1, 222-2 that have previously rotated through the feeding station have both sucked the cover body 1', and the suction portions 223 of the first claw groups 222-1 have been rotated into the interiors of the respective first group of the wrapping materials 3-1 so that the cover bodies 1' on the first claw groups 222-1 are aligned with the attachment holes on the side walls of the first group of the wrapping materials 3-1. As shown by the arrow in fig. 8, the suction cap disc 220 pauses rotating, and the axial driver 240 drives the suction cap disc 220 to translate from the first axial position to the second axial position in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 210, so that the suction portion 223 of the first jaw set 222-1 positions the cap 1' thereon in the attached position (i.e., so that the cap 1' is received in the attachment hole on the package sidewall), and the suction portion 223 of the third jaw set 222-3 is ready to grasp the cap 1' near the feed inlet 110. Further, the cap pushing mechanism 300 moves toward the cap tray 220 in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 210 to push the cap 1 'out of the feed port 110 and toward the adsorbing portion 223 of the third jaw set 222-3 of the cap tray 220, so that the adsorbing portion 223 of the third jaw set 222-3 adsorbs the cap 1'; the bonding head driver 420 of the attachment mechanism 400 drives the ultrasonic bonding head 410 to move toward the suction cap wheel 220 in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 210 to attach the cap body 1' on the first jaw group 222-1 to the first group wrapper 3-1. When the attachment of the cover 1' on the first jaw set 222-1 to the first group packing 3-1 is completed, the vacuum generator 500 communicating with the suction passage 224 of the first jaw set 222-1 breaks the vacuum state, so that the suction portion 223 of the first jaw set 222-1 is disconnected from the cover. In some embodiments, the translation of the cap disc 220 from the first axial position toward the second axial position, the movement of the cap pushing mechanism 300 toward the cap disc 220, and the movement of the ultrasonic welding head 410 toward the cap disc 220 are performed synchronously, in this way, the capping process may be further expedited.
Subsequently, as indicated by the arrow in fig. 9, the axial driver 240 drives the cap disc 220 from the second axial position back to the first axial position in the axial direction of the rotary shaft 210. Meanwhile, the cap pushing mechanism 300 is reset away from the cap wheel 220 in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 210, and the bonding head driver 420 drives the ultrasonic bonding head 410 to reset away from the cap wheel 220 in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 210.
Next, as shown by the arrow in fig. 10, the rotary driver 230 drives the suction cap disc 220 to rotate about the axis of the rotary shaft 210 such that the second jaw group 222-2 is located at the attachment station and the fourth jaw group 222-4 is located at the feeding station while the conveyor belt conveys the second group of the wrapping material 3-2 to which the cap has not been attached to the attachment station. The above steps are repeated so that the cover body on the second jaw set 222-2 is welded to the second group packing material 3-2 while the fourth jaw set 222-4 grips the cover body from the feed port 110.
The continuous covering process can be realized by repeating the above cycle.
By utilizing the rotary and axial reciprocating wheel disc structure, the capping device can simultaneously carry out capping procedures of a plurality of groups of caps in parallel, and simplifies the movement path for conveying the caps from the feeding station to the attaching station, thereby effectively accelerating the production speed. Furthermore, the cover transfer mechanism of the cover attaching device does not need to perform up-and-down translational movement, which also simplifies the structure of the cover transfer mechanism. Furthermore, the capping device according to the present invention combines the wheel structure and the vacuum suction structure, so that such a capping device is particularly suitable for attaching a cap having a bottom end covered with a planar film to a packing material. It should be understood that the wheel structure in the capping device according to the present invention may also be modified to capture and transport conventional caps by way of snap-fit caps.
Furthermore, the present application is susceptible to various modifications.
For example, in the foregoing, it was specifically described that there is a cap pushing mechanism and the cap pushing mechanism is used to push the cap body out of the feed port and toward the cap transfer mechanism. However, it is conceivable to omit the cap pushing mechanism and to provide a stop member at the feed opening facing away from the cap transfer mechanism. In this case, only the cap transfer mechanism is required to axially translate toward the feed port to grasp the cap clamped between the stopper member and the suction portion of the suction cap disc of the cap transfer mechanism.
For another example, it is contemplated that the ultrasonic welding head may not move toward the suction cap rim but be configured to be stationary.
Here, exemplary embodiments of the capping device and the capping method according to the present invention have been described in detail, but it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described and illustrated in detail above. Those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications and variations to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. Moreover, all the components described herein may be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.
Claims (16)
1. A capping device for attaching a cap to a wrapper, the capping device comprising a cap transfer mechanism and a cap supply mechanism and defining a feed station and an attachment station, the cap transfer mechanism being for receiving a cap from the cap supply mechanism at the feed station and transporting a cap to the attachment station,
characterized in that the cover transfer mechanism comprises a rotary shaft and a cover sucking disc, the cover sucking disc is arranged around the rotary shaft and comprises a central part and a plurality of claw groups extending outwards from the central part in radial direction, an absorbing part for absorbing a cover body is arranged at the free ends of the claws in the claw groups,
the suction cap disc is configured to be rotatable about an axis of the rotation shaft such that: the suction portions of the jaws of the jaw set rotate between the feed station and the attachment station to transfer a cover from the feed station to the attachment station, and one of the jaw sets is located at the attachment station while the other of the jaw sets is located at the feed station.
2. The capping device of claim 1 wherein the capping device is configured to: when the suction cap disc rotates to the feeding station and one of the jaw sets is located at the attaching station, the suction cap disc pauses rotation and translates from a first axial position allowing rotation of the suction cap disc to a second axial position in an axial direction of the rotation shaft for a preset time, then the suction cap disc returns to the first axial position in the axial direction and continues to rotate,
in the second axial position, the suction portion of the claw located at the feeding station grips the cover from the feeding port of the cover supplying mechanism, and the claw located at the attaching station positions the cover in the attaching position so as to attach the cover to the bag material.
3. The capping device of claim 1 or 2 wherein each of the jaw groups comprises a plurality of jaws and the capping mechanism comprises a plurality of feed ports in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of jaws in the jaw group.
4. The capping device as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein a suction passage is provided in an interior of each jaw of the capping disc, and the suction portion of each jaw has a suction hole communicating with the suction passage.
5. The capping device of claim 4 wherein the suction channels of all the jaws in each jaw set of the capping wheel are in communication with each other and the gas path on and off of the suction channels of all the jaws in each jaw set is independently controlled by a single fluid control element;
or the air extraction channels of the claws of the cover sucking wheel disc are not communicated with each other, and the air channel on-off of the air extraction channel of each claw is independently controlled by the respective fluid control element.
6. The capping device of claim 4 further comprising a vacuum generator in communication with the suction channel.
7. The capping device of claim 6 wherein the cap transfer mechanism further comprises a pneumatic swivel joint disposed about the rotational axis and adjacent the cap suction wheel, the vacuum generator being in communication with the suction channel via the pneumatic swivel joint.
8. The capping device of claim 7 wherein the pneumatic swivel joint comprises a fixed end provided with a fixed negative pressure port for receiving negative pressure from the vacuum generator and a swivel end provided with a swivel negative pressure port for transmitting negative pressure to the suction channel.
9. The draping device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it further comprises a conveyor belt arranged below the suction cap rim, which conveyor belt is adapted to convey a bale to be attached with a cover body sucked by the suction cap rim past the attachment station, which conveyor belt is moved in conjunction with the suction cap rim such that the suction portion of the jaws of the suction cap rim rotates into the bale interior via the top opening of the bale and out of the bale via the top opening of the bale after the cover body is attached to the bale.
10. The capping device as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the suction portion of the jaws of the capping disc comprises a rigid suction cup or a flexible suction cup.
11. The capping device as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein in the case where the jaw set of the cap disc comprises a plurality of jaws, the spacing angle between adjacent two of the jaw sets of the cap disc is less than or equal to the spacing angle between adjacent two jaw sets.
12. A capping method for attaching a cap body to a package material, characterized by comprising the steps of:
a. providing a capping device comprising a cap transfer mechanism and a cap supply mechanism and defining a feed station and an attachment station, the cap transfer mechanism comprising a rotation shaft and a cap suction wheel arranged around the rotation shaft and comprising a central portion and a plurality of jaw sets extending radially outwardly from the central portion, the free ends of the jaws in the jaw sets being provided with a suction portion for sucking a cap;
b. positioning the suction cap disc at a first axial position along an axial direction of the rotation shaft;
c. rotating the capping wheel about the axis of the rotating shaft until one of the jaw sets is at the feed station and another of the jaw sets is at the attachment station;
d. translating the cover sucking disc from the first axial position to a second axial position along the axial direction of the rotating shaft and staying for a preset time, wherein in the second axial position, the suction part of the claw positioned at the feeding station grabs the cover body from the feeding port of the cover supplying mechanism, and the claw positioned at the attaching station positions the cover body at the attaching position;
e. attaching the cover in the attachment position to the wrapper; and
f. the cap disc is returned to the first axial position in the axial direction.
13. The method of applying a cover according to claim 12, further comprising: the wrapping material to be attached to the cover body adsorbed by the suction cover wheel is conveyed through the attachment station by a conveyor belt of the capping device, which is arranged below the suction cover wheel, the conveyor belt and the suction cover wheel move cooperatively so that when the wrapping material passes through the attachment station, the adsorption part of the claw of the suction cover wheel rotates into the interior of the wrapping material through the top opening of the wrapping material and rotates out of the wrapping material through the top opening of the wrapping material after the cover body is attached to the wrapping material.
14. The method of claim 12 or 13, wherein step e comprises welding the cover in the attached position to the wrapper using an ultrasonic welding process.
15. The method of applying a cover according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the method of applying a cover further comprises: after step e is completed, the suction portion of the claw of the suction cap wheel disc located at the attachment station is disconnected from the cap body.
16. The method of applying a cover according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the gripping of the cover from the feed port of the cover supply mechanism by the suction portion of the claw located at the feed station in step d is performed in synchronization with the attachment of the cover in the attachment position to the bag material in step e.
Priority Applications (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN202310231887.4A CN117262311A (en) | 2023-03-10 | 2023-03-10 | Cover attaching device and cover attaching method |
| PCT/EP2024/056369 WO2024188940A1 (en) | 2023-03-10 | 2024-03-11 | Spout applying device and spout applying method |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN202310231887.4A CN117262311A (en) | 2023-03-10 | 2023-03-10 | Cover attaching device and cover attaching method |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CN117262311A true CN117262311A (en) | 2023-12-22 |
Family
ID=89216643
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN202310231887.4A Pending CN117262311A (en) | 2023-03-10 | 2023-03-10 | Cover attaching device and cover attaching method |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CN (1) | CN117262311A (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2024188940A1 (en) |
Family Cites Families (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5484374A (en) * | 1991-10-25 | 1996-01-16 | Nimco Corporation | Method and apparatus for attaching a spout to a container |
| US5267934A (en) * | 1993-04-12 | 1993-12-07 | Elopak Systems A.G. | Carton pour spout fitment applicator |
| US5964687A (en) * | 1996-07-16 | 1999-10-12 | Elopak Systems Ag | Container fitment applicator |
| NO326538B1 (en) * | 2007-05-03 | 2008-12-29 | Stein Vidar Andersen | Closure applicator anvil device |
| WO2010037998A1 (en) * | 2008-09-04 | 2010-04-08 | Elopak Systems Ag | Apparatus and method for orientating a cap |
| GB2570671B (en) * | 2018-02-01 | 2020-08-19 | Elopak Gmbh | Improved anvil and spigot arrangement for cap applicator unit |
-
2023
- 2023-03-10 CN CN202310231887.4A patent/CN117262311A/en active Pending
-
2024
- 2024-03-11 WO PCT/EP2024/056369 patent/WO2024188940A1/en unknown
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| WO2024188940A1 (en) | 2024-09-19 |
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