An automatic loading and unloading device for a material tray and its feeding method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tray automatic loading and unloading device and a feeding method thereof. The tray automatic loading and unloading device includes a base, a transfer mechanism horizontally arranged on the base and placed along the length direction of the base, a plurality of storage stations arranged on the base and located above the transfer mechanism, a feeding station arranged on the base and located at one end of the transfer mechanism, and a plurality of lifting mechanisms arranged on the base and respectively located directly below the plurality of storage stations for conveying trays between the storage stations and the transfer mechanism; the plurality of storage stations are placed along the length direction of the transfer mechanism, one of the storage stations is used for loading, another storage station is used for unloading, and the remaining storage stations are used for loading or unloading; by flexibly using each storage station, the present invention enables some storage stations to be capable of both loading and unloading, thereby reducing the number of storage stations, effectively reducing the area occupied by the storage stations, and further being able to reduce the space occupied by the overall equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automatic feeding, and particularly to a device for automatically loading and unloading trays and a feeding method thereof. Background Art

[0002] In many automated production, inspection, and manufacturing equipment (such as chemical inspection, automated processing), trays are used for feeding. The trays can carry components that need to be inspected or processed, or samples that need to be inspected or undergo subsequent processing. During feeding, usually, an operator manually places the tray at the feeding position of the equipment so that the equipment can perform subsequent operations such as inspecting, processing, and opening the lids of the test tubes or components stored on the tray. However, in the manual tray feeding scheme, only one tray can be fed each time, and then the operator also needs to manually remove the tray during unloading. Therefore, the operator needs to perform frequent tray loading and unloading operations, resulting in low efficiency and high labor costs.

[0003] In view of the above problems existing in manual tray loading and unloading, some automatic feeding schemes have emerged in the prior art. For example, a tray automatic feeding mechanism disclosed in the prior art 201822001936.2 enables an operator to place multiple trays at the feeding station of the equipment at one time. Then, the equipment will pick up these trays one by one or at one time for subsequent operations, and after completion, convey these trays to the unloading station. By increasing the number of loading and unloading stations, the number of manual feedings can be effectively reduced, improving the overall efficiency. However, conventional feeding schemes often need to use mechanisms such as robotic arms to achieve the grasping and transfer of trays, which are costly and complex and not conducive to maintenance. In addition, to ensure that all trays fed at one time can be successfully unloaded automatically without the intervention of the operator, the number of loading stations and unloading stations needs to be the same, so that the unloading station of the tray can accommodate the maximum number of trays fed at one time. For example, if there are 2 loading stations, assuming that the number of trays accommodated by each station is the same, then the number of unloading stations is also 2. However, since both the loading station and the unloading station need to occupy space, with the increase in the number of stations, the overall volume of the equipment will increase, occupying more space and increasing the cost of the equipment indirectly. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a device for automatically loading and unloading trays and a feeding method thereof to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art. By flexibly using each station, some stations can be both loading stations and unloading stations, thereby reducing the number of stations, effectively reducing the area occupied by the stations, and further reducing the space occupied by the overall equipment.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: an automatic loading and unloading device for trays, comprising a base, a transfer mechanism horizontally arranged on the base and placed along the length direction of the base, a plurality of storage stations arranged on the base and located above the transfer mechanism, a feeding station arranged on the base and located at one end of the transfer mechanism, and a plurality of lifting mechanisms arranged on the base and respectively located directly below the plurality of storage stations for transporting the trays between the storage stations and the transfer mechanism; the plurality of storage stations are placed along the length direction of the transfer mechanism, one of the storage stations is for loading, another storage station is for unloading, and the remaining storage stations are for loading or unloading.

[0006] Preferably, each group of the lifting mechanisms includes a mounting plate horizontally arranged at the upper end of the base, a lifting plate horizontally arranged above the mounting plate, a plurality of guide rods vertically arranged at the bottom of the lifting plate and passing through the mounting plate, and a lead screw stepping motor arranged on the mounting plate for driving the lifting plate to lift; at least two positioning columns vertically placed and capable of extending into the positioning holes of the trays are arranged on the lifting plate.

[0007] Preferably, each group of the lifting mechanisms further includes a position detection component for detecting the position of the lifting plate; the position detection component includes a mounting frame vertically arranged at the bottom of the base, a plurality of groove-shaped photoelectric switches vertically spaced and arranged on the mounting frame, a connecting plate horizontally arranged and respectively connected to the bottoms of two guide rods at both ends, and an induction sheet arranged on the connecting plate and cooperating with the plurality of groove-shaped photoelectric switches.

[0008] Preferably, self-lubricating bushings are arranged at the connection parts of the mounting plate and the guide rods.

[0009] Preferably, each of the storage stations includes a gantry arranged on the base and located above the transfer mechanism, a material inlet arranged at the top of the gantry, angle columns respectively vertically arranged at the four corners of the material inlet and having an L-shaped cross section, and supporting components respectively arranged on both sides of the material inlet.

[0010] Preferably, each of the storage stations is further provided with a quantity detection component for detecting the number of trays in the storage station; the quantity detection component includes sensors vertically spaced and arranged on one of the angle columns.

[0011] Preferably, each group of the supporting components includes a mounting block, a supporting plate horizontally slidably arranged on the mounting block, and a supporting cylinder arranged on the mounting block for driving the supporting plate to extend into the material inlet to support the tray.

[0012] Preferably, the heights of two angle columns on one side in each of the storage stations are lower than the heights of two angle columns on the other side.

[0013] Preferably, the transfer mechanism includes a linear module disposed on one side of the upper end of the base and placed along the length direction of the base, a guide rail disposed on the other side of the upper end of the base and placed parallel to the linear module, a loading tray horizontally placed with both ends respectively disposed on the driving end of the linear module and the guide rail, and a through hole disposed on the loading tray to facilitate the lifting mechanism to pass through; a plurality of the lifting mechanisms are placed along the length direction of the transfer mechanism and are located between the linear module and the guide rail.

[0014] The present invention also discloses a feeding method for an automatic loading and unloading device of a tray, and there are three storage stations, wherein the A storage station is used for loading, the B storage station is used for loading or unloading, and the C storage station is used for unloading, including the following steps:

[0015] S1: The trays to be processed are respectively stacked in the A storage station and the B storage station, and the C storage station is empty and used for stacking the processed trays;

[0016] S2: The B storage station is used for loading, and the C storage station is used for unloading, including the following steps:

[0017] S21: The transfer mechanism moves to directly below the B storage station, and the lifting mechanism corresponding to the B storage station is used to place the lowest tray to be processed in the B storage station on the transfer mechanism;

[0018] S22: The transfer mechanism transports the tray to be processed to the feeding station for loading;

[0019] S23: The transfer mechanism moves the processed tray to directly below the C storage station, and the lifting mechanism corresponding to the C storage station is used to place the processed tray on the transfer mechanism into the C storage station;

[0020] S24: Repeat the above steps 21-23 until all the trays to be processed in the B storage station are processed and placed in the C storage station. At this time, the B storage station is empty;

[0021] S3: The A storage station is used for loading, and the B storage station is used for unloading. According to step 2, until all the trays to be processed in the A storage station are processed and placed in the B storage station. At this time, the A storage station is empty, and the B storage station and the C storage station respectively stack the processed trays.

[0022] Due to the application of the above technical solutions, the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0023] 1. By flexibly using each storage station, the present invention enables some storage stations to be capable of both loading and unloading, thereby reducing the number of stations, effectively reducing the area occupied by the stations, and further being able to reduce the space occupied by the overall equipment;

[0024] 2. The overall structure of the present invention is relatively simple, with high reliability, easy to maintain, and low cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the drawings:

[0026] Attached Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the automatic loading and unloading device for the tray of the present invention;

[0027] Attached Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the present invention after removing multiple material storage stations;

[0028] Attached Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the lifting mechanism in the present invention;

[0029] Attached Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of the material storage station in the present invention;

[0030] Attached Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of the material supporting component in the present invention.

[0031] Wherein: 1. Base; 2. Transfer mechanism; 21. Linear module; 22. Guide rail; 23. Loading tray; 24. Through hole; 3. Material storage station; 31. Gantry; 32. Material inlet; 33. Corner post; 34. Material supporting component; 341. Mounting block; 342. Support plate; 343. Material supporting cylinder; 35. Inductor; 4. Feeding station; 5. Lifting mechanism; 51. Mounting plate; 52. Lifting plate; 53. Guide rod; 54. Lead screw stepping motor; 55. Positioning column; 56. Position detection component; 561. Mounting frame; 562. Groove type photoelectric switch; 563. Connecting plate; 564. Inductive sheet; 57. Self-lubricating bushing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0032] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings and specific embodiments.

[0033] Attached Figures 1-5The automatic loading and unloading device for trays of the present invention includes a base 1, a transfer mechanism 2 horizontally arranged on the base 1 and placed along the length direction of the base 1, three storage stations 3 arranged on the base 1 and located above the transfer mechanism 2, a feeding station 4 arranged on the base 1 and located at one end of the transfer mechanism 2, and three groups of lifting mechanisms 5 arranged on the base 1 and respectively located directly below the three storage stations 3 for transporting the trays between the storage stations 3 and the transfer mechanism 2; the three storage stations 3 are placed along the length direction of the transfer mechanism 2, wherein the A storage station is for loading, the B storage station is for loading or unloading, and the C storage station is for unloading; by flexibly using each storage station, the present invention enables some storage stations to be capable of both loading and unloading, thereby reducing the number of stations, effectively reducing the area occupied by the stations, and further being able to reduce the space occupied by the overall equipment.

[0034] Furthermore, each group of the lifting mechanisms 5 includes a mounting plate 51 horizontally arranged at the upper end of the base 1, a lifting plate 52 horizontally arranged above the mounting plate 51, four guide rods 53 vertically arranged at the four corners of the bottom of the lifting plate 52 and passing through the mounting plate 51, and a lead screw stepping motor 54 arranged on the mounting plate 51 for driving the lifting plate 52 to lift and lower; two positioning columns 55 vertically placed and capable of extending into the tray positioning holes are arranged on the lifting plate 52; during operation: the lead screw stepping motor 54 is used to drive the mounting plate 51 to lift and lower, so as to transport the trays between the storage stations 3 and the transfer mechanism 2. Among them, by using the lead screw stepping motor 54 as the power, compared with the drive of a transmission cylinder, it is convenient to accurately control the lifting position of the mounting plate 51, and the four guide rods 53 can play a guiding role, making the lifting process of the mounting plate 51 more stable, and the two positioning columns 55 can position the trays to improve the position accuracy.

[0035] Furthermore, each group of the lifting mechanisms 5 further includes a position detection component 56 for detecting the position of the lifting plate 52; the position detection component 56 includes a mounting frame 561 vertically arranged at the bottom of the base 1, three groove-shaped photoelectric switches 562 arranged on the mounting frame 561 and vertically spaced, a connecting plate 563 horizontally arranged and with both ends respectively connected to the bottoms of the two guide rods 53, and an induction sheet 564 arranged on the connecting plate 563 and cooperating with the multiple groove-shaped photoelectric switches 562; during operation: since the induction sheet 564 synchronously lifts and lowers with the lifting plate 52, by cooperating the three groove-shaped photoelectric switches 562 with the induction sheet 564, they are respectively used to detect the upper limit position, origin position and lower limit position of the lifting plate 52, which is convenient for control.

[0036] Furthermore, self-lubricating bushings 57 are arranged at the connection positions of the mounting plate 51 and the guide rods 53; during operation: the self-lubricating bushings 57 can reduce wear and improve the service life.

[0037] Furthermore, each of the storage stations 3 includes a gantry 31 disposed on the base 1 and above the transfer mechanism 2, a material inlet 32 provided at the top of the gantry 31, corner posts 33 respectively vertically provided at the four corners of the material inlet 32 and having an L-shaped cross section, and supporting component 34 respectively provided on both sides of the material inlet 32; the four corner posts 33 form a storage bin; when the storage station 3 is used for loading: stack the trays to be processed in the storage bin, when the lifting mechanism 5 rises and contacts the lowermost tray to be processed in the storage bin, the two supporting components 34 retract, the lowermost tray to be processed in the storage bin falls on the lifting mechanism 5, then the lifting mechanism 5 descends, and at the same time the two supporting components 34 extend to hold the previous tray to be processed to prevent it from falling, at this time only the lowermost tray to be processed continues to descend with the lifting mechanism 5, and according to the above steps until the storage bin is empty; when the storage station 3 is used for unloading: the two supporting components 34 retract, the lifting mechanism 5 rises to place the processed tray in the storage bin, when the processed tray is higher than the supporting components 34, the two supporting components 34 extend to hold the processed tray to prevent it from falling until the storage bin is full.

[0038] Furthermore, each storage station 3 is further provided with a quantity detection component for detecting the number of trays in the storage station 3; the quantity detection component includes sensors 35 vertically and spacedly arranged on one of the corner posts 33; during operation: the multiple sensors 35 on the corner post 33 are used to detect the number of trays in the storage station 3 for easy control.

[0039] Furthermore, each set of the supporting components 34 includes a mounting block 341, a tray 342 horizontally slidably arranged on the mounting block 341, and a supporting cylinder 343 provided on the mounting block 341 for driving the tray 342 to extend into the material inlet 32 to hold the tray; during operation: the supporting cylinder 343 drives the tray 342 to extend into the material inlet 32 to hold the tray to prevent the tray from falling.

[0040] Furthermore, the heights of the two outer corner posts 33 outside each storage station 3 are lower than the heights of the two inner corner posts 33; since the heights of the two outer corner posts 33 are lower, it is convenient for the staff to load and unload materials.

[0041] Further, the transfer mechanism 2 includes a linear module 21 disposed on one side of the upper end of the base 1 and placed along the length direction of the base 1, a guide rail 22 disposed on the other side of the upper end of the base 1 and placed parallel to the linear module 21, a loading tray 23 horizontally placed with both ends respectively disposed on the driving end of the linear module 21 and the guide rail 22, and a through hole 24 disposed on the loading tray 23 to facilitate the lifting mechanism 5 to pass through; a plurality of the lifting mechanisms 5 are placed along the length direction of the transfer mechanism 2 and are located between the linear module 21 and the guide rail 22; during operation: the linear module 21 drives the loading tray 23 to move between a plurality of material storage stations 3 and a feeding station 4. Since both ends of the loading tray 23 are respectively disposed on the driving end of the linear module 21 and the guide rail 22, the movement of the loading tray is more stable.

[0042] The feeding method of the automatic loading and unloading device for trays of the present invention includes the following steps:

[0043] S1: The trays to be processed are respectively stacked in the A material storage station and the B material storage station, and the C material storage station is empty for stacking the processed trays;

[0044] S2: The B material storage station is used for feeding, and the C material storage station is used for unloading, including the following steps:

[0045] S21: The transfer mechanism 2 moves to directly below the B material storage station;

[0046] S22: The lifting mechanism 5 corresponding to the B material storage station rises, passes through the through hole 24 of the transfer mechanism 2, and contacts the lowermost tray to be processed in the B material storage station;

[0047] S23: The two tray supporting components 34 retract, and the lowermost tray to be processed in the B material storage station falls on the lifting plate 52 of the lifting mechanism 5;

[0048] S24: The lifting mechanism 5 descends, and at the same time the two tray supporting components 34 extend to hold the previous tray to be processed to prevent it from falling. At this time, only the lowermost tray to be processed continues to descend with the lifting mechanism 5; when the lifting plate 52 of the lifting mechanism 5 is lower than the loading tray 23 of the transfer mechanism 2, the tray to be processed falls on the loading tray 23 of the transfer mechanism 2;

[0049] S25: The transfer mechanism 2 transports the tray to be processed to the feeding station 4 for feeding;

[0050] S26: The transfer mechanism 2 moves the processed tray to directly below the C material storage station;

[0051] S27: The two tray supporting components 34 retract, and the lifting mechanism 5 corresponding to the C material storage station rises to place the processed tray into the C material storage station;

[0052] S28: When the processed tray is higher than the tray supporting component 34, the two tray supporting components 34 extend out to hold the processed tray to prevent it from falling.

[0053] S29: Repeat the above steps 21 - 28 until all the trays to be processed in the B storage station are processed and placed in the C storage station. At this time, the B storage station is empty.

[0054] S3: The A storage station is used for loading, and the B storage station is used for unloading. According to step 2, until all the trays to be processed in the A storage station are processed and placed in the B storage station. At this time, the A storage station is empty, and the processed trays are stacked in the B storage station and the C storage station respectively.

[0055] In the prior art, if it is necessary to realize loading and unloading at two stations, usually two loading stations and two unloading stations are required, that is, a total of four stations; while the present invention can realize two loading and two unloading operations through three storage stations, which is equivalent to saving one station. Among them, the B station is both a loading station and an unloading station; the present invention can also be provided with four storage stations to realize three loading and three unloading operations, which is equivalent to saving two stations, effectively reducing the area occupied by the stations, and thus being able to reduce the space occupied by the overall equipment.

[0056] The above are only specific application examples of the present invention and do not constitute any limitation to the protection scope of the present invention. Any technical solutions formed by equivalent transformation or equivalent substitution fall within the scope of the protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A feeding method implemented according to an automatic loading and unloading device for a tray, characterized in that: The automatic loading and unloading device for the material tray includes a base, a transfer mechanism horizontally arranged on the base and placed along the length direction of the base, a plurality of storage stations arranged on the base and above the transfer mechanism, a feeding station arranged on the base and at one end of the transfer mechanism, and multiple groups of lifting mechanisms arranged on the base and respectively directly below the multiple storage stations for transporting the material tray between the storage station and the transfer mechanism; the multiple storage stations are placed along the length direction of the transfer mechanism, one of the storage stations is for loading, another storage station is for unloading, and the remaining storage stations are for loading or unloading; There are three storage stations, among which the A storage station is for loading, the B storage station is for loading or unloading, and the C storage station is for unloading; The feeding method realized according to the automatic loading and unloading device for the material tray includes the following steps: S1: The material trays to be processed are respectively stacked in the A storage station and the B storage station, and the C storage station is empty and used for stacking the processed material trays; S2: The B storage station is for loading, and the C storage station is for unloading, including the following steps: S21: The transfer mechanism moves to directly below the B storage station, and the lifting mechanism corresponding to the B storage station is used to place the lowermost material tray to be processed in the B storage station onto the transfer mechanism; S22: The transfer mechanism transports the material tray to be processed to the feeding station for loading; S23: The transfer mechanism moves the processed material tray to directly below the C storage station, and the lifting mechanism corresponding to the C storage station is used to place the processed material tray on the transfer mechanism into the C storage station; S24: Repeat the above steps S21 - S23 until all the material trays to be processed in the B storage station are processed and placed in the C storage station. At this time, the B storage station is empty; S3: The A storage station is for loading, and the B storage station is for unloading. According to step 2, until all the material trays to be processed in the A storage station are processed and placed in the B storage station. At this time, the A storage station is empty, and the B storage station and the C storage station respectively stack the processed material trays.

2. The feeding method realized by the automatic loading and unloading device for the material tray according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each group of the lifting mechanisms includes a mounting plate horizontally arranged at the upper end of the base, a lifting plate horizontally arranged above the mounting plate, multiple guide rods vertically arranged at the bottom of the lifting plate and passing through the mounting plate, and a screw rod stepping motor arranged on the mounting plate for driving the lifting plate to lift; at least two positioning columns vertically placed and capable of extending into the positioning holes of the material tray are arranged on the lifting plate.

3. The feeding method implemented according to the automatic loading and unloading device for the material tray as claimed in claim 2, wherein: Each group of the lifting mechanisms further includes a position detection component for detecting the position of the lifting plate; the position detection component includes a mounting frame vertically arranged at the bottom of the base, multiple groove-shaped photoelectric switches arranged on the mounting frame and vertically spaced, a connecting plate horizontally arranged and respectively connected to the bottoms of two guide rods at both ends, and an induction sheet arranged on the connecting plate and cooperating with the multiple groove-shaped photoelectric switches.

4. The feeding method implemented according to the automatic loading and unloading device of the material tray as claimed in claim 3, wherein: Self-lubricating bushings are arranged at the connection parts of the mounting plate and the guide rods.

5. The feeding method implemented according to the automatic loading and unloading device of the material tray as described in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that: Each storage station includes a gantry arranged on the base and above the transfer mechanism, a material inlet arranged at the top of the gantry, angle columns respectively vertically arranged at the four corners of the material inlet and with an L-shaped cross-section, and supporting material components respectively arranged on both sides of the material inlet.

6. The feeding method implemented according to the automatic loading and unloading device of the material tray as claimed in claim 5, wherein: Each of the material storage stations is further provided with a quantity detection component for detecting the number of trays in the material storage station; the quantity detection component includes sensors arranged on one of the corner columns and vertically spaced apart.

7. The feeding method implemented by the automatic loading and unloading device for the material tray according to claim 6, characterized in that: Each set of the tray supporting components includes a mounting block, a tray horizontally slidably arranged on the mounting block, and a tray supporting air cylinder arranged on the mounting block for driving the tray to extend into the material inlet to support the tray.

8. The feeding method implemented according to the automatic loading and unloading device for the material tray as claimed in claim 7, wherein: The heights of two corner columns on one side in each of the material storage stations are lower than the heights of the two corner columns on the other side.

9. The feeding method implemented according to the automatic loading and unloading device for trays according to claim 8, characterized in that: The transfer mechanism includes a linear module arranged on one side of the upper end of the base and placed along the length direction of the base, a guide rail arranged on the other side of the upper end of the base and placed parallel to the linear module, a loading tray horizontally placed with two ends respectively arranged on the driving end of the linear module and the guide rail, and a through hole arranged on the loading tray to facilitate the lifting mechanism to pass through; a plurality of the lifting mechanisms are placed along the length direction of the transfer mechanism and are located between the linear module and the guide rail.

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