Material taking device and material taking method

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of material taking equipment and material taking method, comprising: for containing liquid water tank, for sheet material can be stacked in its material tank, with nozzle for applying liquid flow to sheet material in material rack nozzle liquid injection mechanism, and for driving nozzle or for driving material tank to make nozzle and material rack between relative movement along sheet material stacking direction driving mechanism, material tank is placed in water tank and nozzle is used to apply liquid flow to sheet material side wall in material tank.Using the material tank is immersed in water tank, make sheet material in water tank get water pressure balance eliminate the wet liquid adhesion between two sheet materials, while through reasonable compact structure design makes that nozzle sprays liquid pressure in water tank, forms water pressure between two sheet materials and makes two sheet materials effectively separate.Structure is simple and reasonable, separation is efficient and accurate, greatly reduces manpower cost and material cost, improves processing efficiency.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of automatic processing equipment, in particular to a material taking device and a material taking method. BACKGROUND

[0002] The manufacturing process of the screen and other sheet materials of electronic products first uses a cutting machine to cut a large glass sheet, then uses a fine carving machine for fine processing, and then uses a polishing machine for polishing. The demand for manual work is too large for fine carving and polishing processing. The biggest difficulty in automatic feeding and unloading is how to put the glass sheet material into the processing equipment one by one for processing.

[0003] When using a cutting machine to cut, kerosene is often used to protect the smoothness of the cutting edge of the glass and the service life of the cutter. Therefore, there will be kerosene on the cut glass. After stacking, the glass is not easy to separate because of the kerosene. The cut glass sheet material is stored in a stacked manner. Therefore, in order to supply the automatic feeding and unloading fine carving machine for processing, the scheme of not putting kerosene is often used to sacrifice the service life of the cutting machine to ensure the accuracy of automatic feeding and unloading.

[0004] When using a fine carving machine for fine processing, a large amount of cooling liquid is needed for cooling. The collected glass sheet material is stacked in water. Since the glass sheet material is wet, the glass sheet material is adhered and tightly attached between the glass sheet material. It is very difficult to separate. This problem has been the biggest difficulty in using automatic feeding and unloading for fine carving machines or polishing machines.

[0005] Most traditional separation schemes use a material tank with isolation grooves to separate the sheet material. However, since such a material tank with isolation grooves has a spacing between the sheet materials, it affects the storage capacity of the entire material tank. In addition, manual work is required to place the sheet material in the isolation groove before supplying it to the subsequent processing machine for processing. The efficiency is low and the labor cost is high.

[0006] In the stacking glass sheet material separation positioning device mentioned in the patent application with the application number 201821336633.X, a gas float separation method is used. Compressed air is used to blow air to the side wall of the stacked glass sheet material to separate and float the glass. Then a mechanical arm or a material taking mechanism is used to suck and supply the device for processing. Although this scheme solves the problem of the existing isolation groove, it is more suitable for dry glass sheet material. When the glass sheet material is wet and the two pieces are adhered and tightly attached, simply relying on compressed air cannot ensure the success rate of separation. If it cannot ensure that only a single piece is separated and taken out each time, it will lead to failure of processing, glass sheet material breakage, and waste of a large amount of raw materials if the processing is not discovered in time. At the same time, it will also affect the service life of the machine.

[0007] Therefore, a technical scheme is needed to effectively separate wet liquid sheet material. SUMMARY

[0008] This invention provides a material handling device and a material handling method to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0009] The present invention provides a material handling device, comprising: a water tank for holding liquid, a material trough in which sheet materials can be stacked, a spraying mechanism having a nozzle for applying liquid flow to the gap between the first sheet material and the adjacent sheet materials in the material trough, and a driving mechanism for driving the nozzle or for driving the material trough to cause relative movement between the nozzle and the material rack along the stacking direction of the sheet materials, wherein the material trough is placed in the water tank.

[0010] Preferably, the nozzle is inserted into the water tank to immerse the nozzle in the liquid and apply liquid flow to the side wall of the sheet material in the trough.

[0011] Preferably, if the nozzle is fixed relative to the water tank, the drive mechanism drives the feed trough to move relative to the nozzle along the track; or if the feed trough is fixed relative to the water tank, the drive mechanism drives the nozzle to move relative to the feed trough along the track.

[0012] Preferably, the drive mechanism includes a track arranged along the stacking direction of the sheet material, a slider for carrying a material trough or nozzle, and a drive assembly for driving the slider to move along the track.

[0013] Preferably, the driver assembly includes a drive motor and a lead screw, and the slider is provided with a bearing sleeve that cooperates with the lead screw. The drive motor drives the lead screw to rotate, causing the slider to move along the track. Alternatively, the driver assembly includes a drive motor, a drive wheel, a driven wheel, and a transmission belt. The transmission belt is sleeved between the drive wheel and the driven wheel, and the slider is fixed on the transmission belt. The drive motor drives the drive wheel to rotate, thereby causing the slider to move on the track. Alternatively, the driver assembly includes a rack and a gear that cooperates with the rack. The motor drives the gear to rotate, and the slider and the rack are linked together.

[0014] Preferably, the spraying mechanism further includes a pump body and a pipeline connecting the pump body and the nozzle.

[0015] Preferably, the pump body is also connected to a liquid storage tank for supplying liquid to the water tank and / or the spraying mechanism.

[0016] Preferably, the water tank has an overflow port, through which the liquid in the water tank flows back to the storage tank or other containment space.

[0017] Preferably, a water receiving trough is provided below the water tank, and the liquid in the water tank flows into the water receiving trough through the overflow port and collects therein. A drain pipe is provided at the bottom of the water receiving trough to allow the liquid in the water receiving trough to flow back to the storage tank or other containment space.

[0018] Preferably, the water tank has a filling port, and the pump body draws liquid from the storage tank and injects it into the water tank through the filling port.

[0019] Preferably, the pipeline includes a hollow pipe arranged along the width of the trough, with two or more liquid outlets arranged axially on the side wall of the hollow pipe, and a liquid inlet provided at one or both ends or on the side wall of the hollow pipe. The liquid inlet is connected to the pump body through a connecting pipe, and the liquid outlet is connected to the corresponding nozzle through a connecting pipe.

[0020] Preferably, the spraying mechanism further includes a mounting frame, with a space between the mounting frame and the water tank wall through which the material trough can pass, a hollow tube installed at the rear of the mounting frame, and a nozzle installed at the front of the mounting frame.

[0021] Preferably, the spraying mechanism further includes a mounting bracket for mounting a nozzle, the nozzle being positioned on the mounting bracket toward the storage space within the trough and avoiding a trajectory of relative movement with respect to the trough.

[0022] Preferably, there is one or more material troughs, and two nozzles are respectively provided on both sides of each material trough on the mounting frame.

[0023] Preferably, the nozzles are mounted on the mounting frame with adjustable spacing to adjust the distance between the two nozzles on both sides of the trough: the mounting frame has a raised strip along the width of the trough, and the nozzle has a slot that matches the mounting strip. The nozzle is mounted on the raised strip of the mounting frame through the slot and can slide in the width of the trough; or the mounting frame has an elongated hole / arrangement hole along the width of the trough, and the nozzle has a protrusion that matches the elongated hole / arrangement hole. The nozzle is mounted in the elongated hole / arrangement hole of the mounting frame through the protrusion and can slide / change position in the width of the trough.

[0024] Preferably, a stopper extends from the mounting bracket, nozzle, or water tank into the feed trough to stop the first sheet from being positioned next to the nozzle's water jet hole in the direction of relative sheet movement.

[0025] Preferably, a stop is provided on the nozzle extending toward the corresponding material trough side, and the front surface of the stop forms a positioning structure with the side wall of the material trough.

[0026] Preferably, a flipping frame is rotatably mounted on the front end of the mounting frame, a nozzle is mounted on the flipping frame, and a stop is mounted on the nozzle or the flipping frame. The stop extends downward to the bottom of the trough to limit the flipping angle of the flipping frame when it flips to one side of the trough.

[0027] Preferably, a flipping frame is rotatably mounted on the front of the mounting frame, a nozzle is mounted on the flipping frame, and a flipping limiter extending downward to the bottom of the trough is provided on the nozzle or the flipping frame to limit the flipping angle of the flipping frame when the flipping frame flips to one side of the trough.

[0028] Preferably, the nozzle includes a nozzle body with an internal water channel and a base for fixing the nozzle body. The nozzle body is provided with a water spray hole and a water inlet communicating with the water channel. The nozzle body is mounted on a mounting frame through the base. The base is also provided with a stop member extending into the material trough to stop the first piece of sheet next to the nozzle water spray hole in the direction of relative movement of the sheet. The nozzle body is provided with a narrow water spray hole or two or more water spray holes arranged along the side wall of the sheet on the side facing the corresponding material trough.

[0029] Preferably, at least two nozzles form a group and are arranged relative to at least two sidewalls of the sheet material in the corresponding feed trough.

[0030] Preferably, the nozzle has a narrow water spray hole or two or more water spray holes arranged along the side wall of the sheet material facing the corresponding material in the trough.

[0031] Preferably, nozzles are respectively provided on both sides of the material trough. The nozzles are provided with narrow water spray holes or two or more water spray holes arranged with reference to the direction along the side wall of the sheet material. The narrow water spray holes or the two or more water spray holes are formed at least at both ends as wide strip holes extending a certain width parallel to the stacking direction of the sheet material.

[0032] Preferably, the end of the feed trough away from the nozzle is provided with an inclined abutment surface to allow the sheet material to be placed in the feed trough at a certain angle towards the rear in the stacking direction.

[0033] Preferably, with the center position of the wide strip hole as a reference, the width of the wide strip hole farther from the abutting surface is greater than the width of the wide strip hole closer to the abutting surface.

[0034] Preferably, the material trough is fixedly installed relative to the water tank or drive mechanism by a material rack, and two or more material troughs are arranged side by side in the material rack, with nozzles installed on both sides of each material trough.

[0035] Preferably, the material trough is provided with a locking post / slot, and a matching locking slot / locking post is provided at a corresponding position on the material rack for the material trough to be detachably installed on the material rack.

[0036] Preferably, the mounting frame includes a front frame for mounting the nozzle and a rear frame for mounting the front frame. The rear frame is fixedly mounted relative to the water tank, and the front frame is foldable relative to the rear frame or can be pushed and pulled over to overlap the rear frame to allow for a shrinkage space in the front frame, thus providing more space when the feed trough is removed from the water tank.

[0037] The present invention also provides a material handling method for the above-mentioned material handling equipment, comprising the following steps:

[0038] A: After filling the water tank with liquid to submerge the sheet, control the nozzle to spray the liquid;

[0039] B: The control drive mechanism drives the material trough forward relative to the nozzle side. When the first piece of material in the trough enters the spray position directly opposite the nozzle, the trough stops, and the liquid flow from the nozzle separates the first piece of material.

[0040] C: The robotic arm moves into the trough and removes the first separated piece of material to the designated position. At the same time, it checks whether there is any piece of material in the trough. If there is still piece of material, it returns to step B. If the trough is empty, it stops removing material.

[0041] Preferably, controlling the drive mechanism to drive the material trough forward relative to the nozzle side includes: the material trough is fixed inside the water tank, and the drive mechanism drives the nozzle to move; or the nozzle is fixedly installed relative to the water tank, and the drive mechanism drives the material trough to move.

[0042] As can be seen from the above technical solution, this invention uses a material tank immersed in a water tank to achieve water pressure balance within the tank, eliminating the adhesion force of wet liquid between the two sheets. Simultaneously, the reasonable and compact structural design allows the nozzle to spray hydraulic pressure within the tank, creating water pressure between the two sheets for effective separation, facilitating removal by a robotic arm. The structure is simple and reasonable, the separation is highly efficient and precise, significantly reducing labor and material costs while improving processing efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0043] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0044] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the sheet material separation device of the material handling equipment in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the sheet material separation device of the material handling equipment in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the drive mechanism of the sheet material separation device in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sheet separation device of the material handling equipment connected to the water storage tank in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sheet material separation device of the material handling equipment in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, in which sheet material is stacked in the material trough;

[0049] Figure 6This is an exploded structural diagram of the water tank and material trough of the sheet separation device in the material handling equipment of Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the spraying mechanism of the material handling device in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the material handling device in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the material handling method in Embodiment 5 of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0054] Example 1:

[0055] This invention provides a material handling device, including a sheet separation device for storing and separating sheet materials one by one, and a robotic arm for removing sheet materials from the sheet separation device. The robotic arm can be a common robotic arm capable of picking up and placing sheet materials. Figures 1 to 8 First, a detailed description of the sheet separation device is provided. The sheet separation device includes: a water tank 1 for holding liquid, a material trough 2, a spraying mechanism 3, and a driving mechanism 4. The material trough 2 holds the sheet material, which is stacked in layers within the trough. This stacking can be either a horizontal, flat stack or a vertical arrangement. In this embodiment, the stacking is a close-fitting stack of the sheet material, not an arrangement using partitions. Therefore, there are no partitions in the material trough in this embodiment; the sheet material is placed in the trough and forms a close-fitting arrangement, greatly increasing the capacity of the trough. The spraying mechanism 3 is a mechanism capable of spraying liquid outwards. The spraying mechanism 3 has nozzles 31, which apply a liquid flow to the sheet material in the trough, creating a certain hydraulic pressure at the nozzle to spray the liquid outwards.

[0056] The water tank is used to hold the liquid. In this embodiment, tap water is sufficient. In other embodiments, the liquid can be purified water, seawater, or conventional liquids such as self-adjusting liquids used in industrial production. When the water tank is full, it creates an immersion storage environment for the sheet material. This environment moistens the sheet material, making it ideal for processing in humid environments, especially those requiring coolant or lubricant. Furthermore, it helps to keep the sheet material clean.

[0057] The feed trough 2 is placed inside the water tank 1, and the nozzle is also inserted into the water tank to allow the nozzle to be immersed in the liquid and apply liquid flow to the side wall of the sheet material in the feed trough. Applying liquid flow to the side wall of the sheet material is actually applying liquid flow to the gap between the first sheet material and the adjacent sheet material in the feed trough. Because the gap between the two sheet materials is extremely small, the nozzle inevitably applies liquid flow to the side wall of the sheet material. The liquid flow seeps from the side wall of the sheet material into the gap between the two sheet materials, causing the sheet materials to separate. Since the nozzle is also placed below the liquid surface in the water tank, what is formed at the nozzle is a liquid flow. This liquid flow is applied to the sheet material in the feed trough, specifically the side wall of the stacked sheet materials. The liquid flow further penetrates from the tiny gap between the two sheet materials, achieving effective separation of the two sheet materials.

[0058] In other embodiments, the nozzle may not be submerged below the liquid surface of the water tank. Instead, the nozzle may be positioned above the water tank to apply liquid flow by spraying the side wall of the sheet material, which can also eliminate the problem of liquid adhesion between the two sheets.

[0059] In this embodiment, after two adjacent sheets are separated by the liquid flow, they are taken out by a robotic arm. The two adjacent sheets at the next adjacent position are then effectively separated by the liquid flow from the nozzle. This process is repeated until all the sheets in the trough are separated and taken out.

[0060] To ensure the relative movement of the nozzle and the sheet material in the trough, allowing the sheet material to be removed one by one in an orderly manner, this embodiment uses a drive mechanism 4 to drive the trough to move. This movement is relative; the trough moves relative to the nozzle, while the nozzle remains stationary relative to the water tank. Therefore, in other embodiments, the drive mechanism can drive the nozzle to move, while the trough remains stationary relative to the water tank. That is, if the nozzle is fixed relative to the water tank, the drive mechanism drives the trough to move along the track relative to the nozzle; if the trough is fixed relative to the water tank, the drive mechanism drives the nozzle to move along the track relative to the trough. The nozzle being fixed relative to the water tank does not necessarily mean the nozzle is fixedly mounted on the water tank; it also includes the nozzle being mounted on a mounting bracket, which may be independent of the water tank, as long as the nozzle is stationary relative to the water tank.

[0061] Regarding the sheet material, the rectangular sheet material has a front and back side and four sides (sidewalls). As mentioned above, the sheet material can be stacked vertically in the feed trough (one sheet is stacked on top of another) or horizontally arranged vertically (when flattened, it is rotated 90 degrees around a certain side as an axis to become vertical; when arranged vertically, the front and back sides of one sheet overlap). The stacking direction of the sheet material is the same as the forward direction of the sheet material relative to the nozzle (relative movement). For example, in this embodiment, the sheet material is arranged according to... Figure 1 They are placed in the trough and arranged horizontally in the front-to-back direction.

[0062] To facilitate readers' better understanding of the technical solutions in this embodiment, a directional definition is provided. Figure 1The three-dimensional view of the material separation device, viewed from a top-down perspective, serves as a reference. The reader's perspective, perpendicular to the paper, is considered the top-down direction (approaching the device's top-down view), which is also the vertical direction (Z-axis). The left-right direction on the paper, viewed from the reader's perspective, is considered the left-right direction approaching the device itself, also called the horizontal direction (X-axis). The top-bottom direction on the paper, viewed from the reader's perspective, is considered the front-back direction of the device, with the lower end being the front (the end of the material trough furthest from the nozzle) and the upper end being the rear (Y-axis). It is understood that these directional definitions are for reference only in this embodiment. Adjustments will be made if the reading environment or scene changes, and these directional definitions are not considered limitations on the scope of protection.

[0063] Since the sheet material is stacked in a front-to-back direction in this embodiment, the drive mechanism 4 also drives the material trough to move in the front-to-back direction. In other embodiments, if the sheet material is stacked vertically, the drive mechanism can also be changed to drive the material trough to move vertically. In this case, the material trough will move in a rising or falling motion in the water tank. The nozzle can be fixed in the water tank and installed correspondingly to the material trough. The so-called corresponding installation means that the nozzle is installed so that its spray hole can apply liquid flow to the side wall of the stacked sheet material in the material trough. This corresponding installation can be completed by those skilled in the art using existing installation methods. If there is a special structure installation in this embodiment, it will be described in detail below.

[0064] In this embodiment, the driving mechanism 4 includes a component along the sheet stacking direction (i.e., Figure 1 The system includes a track 41 arranged in the front-back / X-axis direction, a slider 42 for carrying the material trough 2, and a drive assembly for driving the slider 42 to move along the track 41. The track-driven mechanism ensures smooth operation of the material trough. To more precisely control the movement distance of the material trough, the drive assembly in this embodiment includes a drive motor 43 and a lead screw 431. The slider 42 is equipped with a bearing sleeve 432 that cooperates with the lead screw. The drive motor 43 drives the lead screw 431 to rotate, causing the slider 42 to move along the track 41. In this embodiment, the lower part of the water tank 1 serves as the space for the drive mechanism. A base 40 is provided at the lower part of the water tank 1, and the base 40 has front and rear baffles 401, which can support and fix the water tank. Telescopic protective covers 402 are installed on the left and right sides of the base. One end of the telescopic protective cover is connected to the front or rear baffle 401 of the base in the front-rear direction, and the other end is connected to the slider. The bottom ends of the left and right sides of the protective cover are connected to the base, which can enclose and protect the entire drive mechanism, prevent liquid or dust from falling in, and effectively increase the service life of the drive mechanism.

[0065] In this embodiment, the material trough 2 is fixedly installed relative to the drive mechanism through the material rack 22. That is, the material rack is fixed on the slider of the drive mechanism. Three material troughs are arranged side by side in the material rack 22, and nozzles are respectively arranged on both sides of each material trough.

[0066] In this embodiment, the material trough adopts a special structure. The material trough 2 is provided with a locking post 23, and the corresponding position on the material rack 22 is provided with a matching locking slot 24 for the material trough to be detachably installed on the material rack.

[0067] The material trough 2 includes a base plate and front and rear support plates extending upwards from both ends of the base plate. Each support plate has a locking post 23, although a locking post can also be installed on only one of the support plates. The front support plate is higher than the rear support plate, and it bends forward to form a handle 25 for easy handling. The rear support plate bends backward and then bends back at its rear end to form a quick-positioning abutment 26. When placing the material in the trough, the operator tilts this quick-positioning abutment downwards against the material rack, and the back bend at its end forms a smooth arc surface, facilitating the quick placement of the material trough into the rack. Left and right baffles 27 are located on the left and right sides of the base plate, respectively mounted on the front and rear support plates. One of the left and right baffles has adjustable structures with elongated holes 28 and adjusting posts between its ends and the front and rear support plates. For example, the left baffle has elongated holes at both ends, and bolts are installed on the front and rear support plates, allowing adjustment of the trough width to accommodate different sheet sizes. The front support plate has a forward-inclined abutment surface 21 to ensure the sheet material is placed at an angle.

[0068] It is understandable that the so-called driving mechanism driving the material trough to move relative to the nozzle can mean that the driving mechanism drives the entire material trough to move, or that the driving mechanism drives the movement of a part of the material trough. In other embodiments, there may be other specially designed material troughs. For example, for horizontally stacked material troughs, the trough has left and right baffles, and at least the front baffle (abutting the last sheet) and the bottom plate are relatively movable. In this case, the driving mechanism drives the material trough by driving the bottom plate, and the left and right baffles may not be driven, thus allowing the sheet to move relative to the nozzle. For vertically stacked material troughs, the trough has baffles around its perimeter, and the bottom plate is movable. In this case, the driving mechanism drives the material trough by driving the bottom plate to move vertically, and the baffles around the perimeter may not be driven. The bottom plate can be a support plate or a support strip. The sheet itself should remain relatively stationary with respect to the material trough, or at least the sheet itself should remain relatively stationary with respect to a part of the material trough. If the sheet moves relative to the material trough, it will be scratched. Therefore, driving the material trough means driving the movement of the sheet. It doesn't have to be the entire feed trough that moves; it can be just a component in the feed trough that moves the sheet material.

[0069] In other embodiments, setting a slot on the material trough and a pin on the material rack is a common alternative technique.

[0070] In another embodiment, the drive assembly includes a drive motor, a drive wheel, a driven wheel, and a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt is fitted between the drive wheel and the driven wheel, and the slider is fixed on the conveyor belt. The drive motor drives the drive wheel to rotate, thereby moving the slider on the track. This conveyor belt structure makes slider movement feasible and cost-effective.

[0071] Understandably, the nozzle can utilize an existing nozzle structure. During production, the pump body doesn't need to be installed; instead, an existing pump body can be fitted onto the nozzle in practical applications, achieving a plug-and-play structure that is simple and convenient. For example, without a pump body, a faucet with a valve can be connected to the nozzle via a water pipe, relying on the high potential energy of the water pressure to provide hydraulic pressure to the nozzle and apply liquid flow to the sheet material in the trough.

[0072] To adapt to more processing scenarios, including small, independent processing machines, the spraying mechanism 3 in this embodiment also includes a pump body 32 and a pipeline 33 connecting the pump body 32 and the nozzle. The pump body is a water pump, which can draw water from a water source and supply it to the water tank. To facilitate production, simplify the structure, and form a green and environmentally friendly model that can be recycled, the pump body 32 in this embodiment is also connected to a liquid storage tank 34 for supplying liquid to the spraying mechanism. In another embodiment, the pump not only supplies liquid to the spraying mechanism but also to the water tank. Especially during initial operation, the water tank must be filled with water first. This can be done by pouring liquid into the tank using a bucket. However, if the pump supplies liquid to the spraying mechanism, the limited flow rate of the nozzles means it takes a long time to fill the tank. To improve automation while maintaining efficiency, the water tank 1 has a filling port 11. The pump draws liquid from the storage tank 34 and injects it into the water tank through the filling port 11. This can be achieved by adding a three-way valve to the pipeline. During initial operation, the three-way valve connects the pump to the filling port of the water tank, preventing liquid from entering the tank through the nozzles. Instead, a large amount of liquid is injected into the tank through the filling port, significantly reducing the time to fill the tank and improving efficiency. Alternatively, a dedicated pump and pipeline can be added to draw liquid from the storage tank and inject it into the water tank through the filling port. Water tank 1 has an overflow port 12. The liquid in water tank 1 flows back to the storage tank 34 through the overflow port 12, forming a recycling and environmentally friendly model. In large-scale processing applications or other situations, if the overflow liquid in the water tank does not need to flow back to the storage tank, the overflow liquid can flow back to other storage spaces, such as water channels or buckets. The storage tank is a water storage container; it can be a separate container, a water tank installed on the machine, or a water reservoir located elsewhere, detached from the machine.

[0073] In applications requiring high-efficiency processing, the sheet separation device can have two or more water tanks for multi-line operation. Each water tank is equipped with a material trough to accommodate large-capacity material handling equipment. A receiving trough is located below each water tank. Liquid from the water tank flows into the receiving trough through overflow outlets and is collected. A drain pipe at the bottom of the receiving trough allows the liquid to flow back to a storage tank or other containment space. Two or more water tanks can be placed in one receiving trough for unified return of overflowing liquid. Alternatively, one receiving trough can be used per water tank. Each water tank may have two or more overflow outlets or overflow pipes, but the receiving trough can have only one drain pipe, or two or more.

[0074] For the pipeline design, this embodiment adopts a simple structure, which is low in cost, occupies little space, and has good effect. The pipeline 33 includes a hollow tube 331 arranged along the width direction of the material trough (the left-right direction of the device). Two or more liquid outlets 332 are arranged on the side wall of the hollow tube 331 along the axial direction of the hollow tube (i.e., the left-right direction of the device). If only one nozzle is available, the other liquid outlets can be blocked, leaving only one liquid outlet. Liquid inlets 333 are provided at both ends of the hollow tube 331. The liquid inlets 333 are connected to the pump body through connecting pipes (the connecting pipes are hidden in the figure by dashed lines). The liquid outlets are connected to the corresponding nozzles 31 through connecting pipes (the connecting pipes are hidden in the figure by dashed lines). Liquid entering from both ends of the hollow tube can ensure more stable hydraulic pressure and smoother output. Of course, in other embodiments, the hollow tube can only have a liquid inlet at one end, or a liquid inlet can be provided on the side wall of the hollow tube, which can also achieve the liquid entering effect.

[0075] The spraying mechanism 3 also includes a mounting frame 30. The mounting frame 30 has a space between itself and the water tank wall through which the material trough can pass. For example, in this embodiment, the mounting frame leaves space between itself and the bottom wall of the water tank to allow the material trough to pass through. If the sheet material is stacked vertically, the mounting frame only needs to leave space between itself and the side wall of the water tank. The hollow tube 331 is installed at the rear of the mounting frame 30, and the nozzle 31 is installed at the front of the mounting frame 30. This front-to-back spatial combination maximizes space utilization, reduces space occupation, and keeps the surface pipelines neat, preventing messy piping. The mounting frame is the carrier that ensures the spraying mechanism is connected to the device. The mounting frame can be simple or complex. In this embodiment, the mounting frame is a plate-like structure, occupying little space and easy to install. Of course, in other embodiments, the mounting frame may be composed of several supports, or a smaller fixing component may be used to fix the nozzle. This smaller fixing component should also be considered as the mounting frame. The mounting frame may be a single structure or several small parts forming the mounting frame. It is also possible that in the case of a single material trough, a metal shaped tube can be used to make the nozzle, thus eliminating the need for a mounting frame. In summary, the nozzle should be installed on the mounting bracket so that it faces the storage space inside the material trough (i.e., towards the corresponding sheet material inside the material trough) and avoids the trajectory of relative movement to the material trough. In other words, the nozzle should not block the movement of the material trough. The nozzle can be partially inserted into the material trough, as long as it does not affect the movement of the sheet material inside the material trough. Of course, this does not apply to components where the nozzle has a sheet material limiting function.

[0076] In this embodiment, to further improve processing efficiency, three material troughs are provided, and two nozzles 31 are respectively provided on both sides of each material trough 2 on the mounting bracket 30. Having two nozzles for each material trough helps to separate the sheet material more evenly. In particular, if the material trough only has nozzles on one side, the sheet material separation effect can still be achieved, but a single-sided nozzle arrangement can easily cause the sheet material to tilt, affecting the separation accuracy. In other embodiments, depending on the processing and production needs, the number of material troughs can be set to a minimum of one, or two, four, or more, with the corresponding number of nozzles adjusted accordingly.

[0077] In other embodiments, at least two nozzles form a group and are arranged relative to at least two sidewalls of the sheet material in the corresponding feed trough. That is, the two nozzles as a group do not necessarily have to be arranged on opposite sides of the feed trough, but can also be arranged on adjacent sides, such as nozzles on the left side and bottom side of the feed trough, which can also achieve the effect of effectively and accurately separating the sheet material.

[0078] To accommodate sheet materials of different sizes and enhance the adaptability of the device, the nozzles are mounted on the mounting frame with an adjustable spacing to adjust the distance between the two nozzles on both sides of the material trough. A protrusion 35 is provided on the mounting frame 30 along the width of the material trough, and a groove 311 matching the protrusion is provided on the nozzle 31. The nozzle 31 is mounted on the protrusion 35 of the mounting frame via the groove 311 and can slide in the width direction of the material trough (left-right direction of the device). The groove and the protrusion can be fixed by an interference fit or by bolt locking.

[0079] In other embodiments, a mounting bracket may have elongated holes / arranged holes along the width of the feed trough. The nozzles may have protrusions that match these holes / arranged holes. The nozzles are mounted within these holes via the protrusions and can slide / change position along the width of the feed trough. The protrusions can slide and change position within the elongated holes. For interference fits, they can be directly embedded, or bolts and nuts can be used to lock them securely within the holes. Alternatively, arranged holes can be used in a left-right direction, i.e., multiple holes are spaced at certain intervals, with each hole defining a different nozzle spacing to accommodate sheet materials of different sizes.

[0080] As the sheet materials are progressively fed towards the nozzle, as long as the accuracy of the forward distance is controlled, the sheet materials will automatically separate upon entering the liquid application area of ​​the nozzle. At this point, the robotic arm can promptly remove the separated sheet materials. In this embodiment, to prevent errors, a stop is provided in the material trough near the rear of the nozzle. When the material trough advances, it carries the sheet materials to the stop position, where they are limited. The sheet material is stopped at a specific position. Since the stop is located near the nozzle, the sheet materials will be separated by the liquid flow from the nozzle, and after separation, they are precisely limited by the stop, allowing the robotic arm to accurately remove them. Specifically, the nozzle 31 extends into the material trough 2 to provide a stop 312 for stopping the first sheet material next to the nozzle's spray hole in the direction of relative sheet material movement. The so-called first sheet is the last sheet (and closest to the nozzle) in the front-to-back direction. In this embodiment, a stop is provided on the nozzle 31 extending towards the corresponding material trough side (the nozzle is outside the material trough, so the nozzle faces inward towards the material trough). The front surface of the stop 312 forms a right-angle positioning structure with the side wall of the material trough 2, further ensuring that the sheet will not tilt or misalign after separation. In other embodiments, the stop can also be provided on the mounting bracket instead of the nozzle, as long as there is a stop near the rear side of the nozzle in the material trough. If the stop is too far from the nozzle, it will not have a limiting effect; if it is too close, it will easily interfere with the liquid flow of the nozzle, causing the sheet separation to fail. Therefore, it is advisable for the stop to be within a distance of 1 to 2 sheet thicknesses behind the nozzle.

[0081] Since the stop may extend into the material trough to stop the sheet material, if the stop is fixed, the loading and unloading of the material trough will be restricted. During processing, the material trough can only be pushed and pulled back and forth. After processing, the material trough is pulled back to its original position, and then the sheet material is put into the material trough again, which will greatly affect the processing efficiency, or at least the material trough will bump the stop when it is removed. In order to ensure processing efficiency, this embodiment makes further improvements. The front end of the mounting frame 30 is rotatably mounted with a flipping frame 301. The nozzle 31 is mounted on the flipping frame 301, and the stop 312 is mounted on the nozzle. The stop 312 extends downward to the bottom of the material trough to limit the flipping angle of the flipping frame when it flips to one side of the material trough. In fact, the stop also functions as a flipping limiter 313. When the flipping frame flips downward, it can be quickly positioned and processed directly. The flipping limiter 313 can be integrally formed with the stop, or it can be installed separately on the nozzle, or the flipping limiter can be installed independently on the flipping frame. In other embodiments, when a tilting frame is present, the stop can be directly mounted on the tilting frame, and does not necessarily have to be fixed to the nozzle. When processing is complete (all sheets have been removed), the tilting frame is tilted upwards, which frees up a large space in front of the water tank, facilitating quick removal and replacement of the material trough.

[0082] Therefore, to avoid the mounting frame bumping into it when the material trough is being removed from the water tank, the mounting frame can be specially designed. Similar to the design of the flip-over frame in front of the mounting frame mentioned above, flipping the frame backward creates more space for removing or placing the material trough into the water tank. In other embodiments, the mounting frame can be further designed. For example, the mounting frame includes a front frame for mounting nozzles and a rear frame for mounting the front frame. The rear frame is fixed relative to the water tank, while the front frame can be flipped relative to the rear frame or pushed / pulled over the rear frame to allow for a larger space when the material trough is removed from the water tank. For the flip-over structure, the front frame essentially functions as the flip-over frame; the front and rear frames can be pivotally connected to achieve the flip. For the push-pull overlay structure, a sliding track can be provided on the water tank or rear frame for the front frame to slide on. Pushing the front frame backward to overlap with the rear frame also significantly reduces the space occupied by the front frame. Pipes and other components can be mounted on the rear frame. If the pipes are on the upper surface of the rear frame, they will pass through the lower surface of the rear frame when the front frame is pushed or pulled. The rear frame can even be just a sliding track, as long as the front frame can be mounted on it.

[0083] In this embodiment, a special structural design is adopted for the nozzle. The nozzle 31 includes a nozzle body 313 with an internal water channel and a seat 314 for fixing the nozzle body. The nozzle body 313 is respectively provided with a water spray hole 315 and a water inlet 316 communicating with the water channel. The nozzle body 313 is mounted on the mounting frame 30 (specifically the flipping frame 301) through the seat 314. The seat 314 is also provided with a stop member 312 extending into the material trough 2 to stop the first piece of sheet material next to the nozzle water spray hole in the direction of relative movement of the sheet material. The nozzle body 31 is provided with two or more water spray holes 315 arranged along the side wall of the sheet material on the side facing the corresponding material trough 2. For example, if the side wall of the sheet material is vertical, the water spray holes are also arranged vertically, that is, multiple water spray holes are arranged from top to bottom (or from bottom to top), so that the sheet material can obtain a linear liquid flow influence in the vertical direction of the side wall, rather than a point liquid flow influence, thereby enhancing the liquid flow influence. Therefore, instead of multiple spray holes, elongated spray holes can be used. This embodiment illustrates two spray holes, one above the other, but other embodiments may also use three or more spray holes.

[0084] As shown in the figure, the nozzle body, the base body, and the stop in this embodiment are all plate-shaped. The side of the nozzle body facing the corresponding material trough is flat, and this side has spray holes. These spray holes are elongated holes with width in the front-to-back direction, and there are two or more of them, arranged along the sidewall of the sheet material, i.e., along the vertical direction. The nozzle body, base body, and stop are assembled together, resulting in a simple structure that is easy to assemble and disassemble. A stepped surface is provided on the side of the nozzle body facing the corresponding material trough, and the stop is installed at this stepped surface, forming a right angle with the nozzle body. The nozzle body is locked to the base body with screws.

[0085] To prevent sheet separation failure when the nozzle's spray hole is directly aligned with the sheet's sidewall, this embodiment provides nozzles on both sides of the material trough. Each nozzle has a narrow, elongated spray hole or two or more spray holes arranged along the sheet's sidewall direction. These narrow, elongated spray holes or two or more spray holes form wide strips extending a certain width parallel to the sheet's stacking direction at at least both ends. The sheet's sidewall direction refers to the sidewall of the sheet the nozzle is aligned with, which is analogous to a line. If the sheets are stacked horizontally as shown in the attached diagram of this embodiment, this line is vertical; if the sheets are stacked vertically, this line is horizontal either front-to-back or left-to-right.

[0086] As shown in the attached figures of this embodiment, nozzles 31 are respectively provided on both sides of the material trough 2. Two or more water spray holes 315 are arranged on each nozzle 31 with reference to the direction from the bottom to the top of the material trough (the vertical direction in this embodiment). The width of the water spray hole near the top of the material trough (the upper water spray hole) in the sheet stacking direction (front-back direction) is greater than the width of the water spray hole near the bottom of the material trough (the lower water spray hole) in the sheet stacking direction (front-back direction). That is to say, the water spray hole also has a width in the front-back direction, which is defined here as a wide strip orifice. Thus, the liquid flow of the wide strip orifice will form a line rather than a point in the front-back direction, and the pressure range of the wide strip orifice type water spray hole can correspond to a thickness range greater than that of a single sheet of material. The reason why the upper spray hole is wider than the lower spray hole in this embodiment is to adapt to the feeding habits. In practice, the sheet material is not completely perpendicular to the bottom wall of the material frame when it is stacked and put into the material frame. Instead, it is slightly tilted backward (forward in the direction of the device). Therefore, the upper spray hole has a larger width, so the upper part of the sheet material will receive greater hydraulic pressure, and the sheet material will float forward (backward in the direction of the device) by a greater amount, so that it is completely perpendicular to the bottom wall of the material trough in the end.

[0087] To further stabilize the placement of the sheet material, in this embodiment, the end of the material trough 2 furthest from the nozzle (the front end of the material trough) is provided with a support surface 21 that gradually slopes away from the nozzle from the bottom to the top of the material trough (a support surface that slopes forward from bottom to top). This is used to place the sheet material into the material trough at a certain angle (forward of the device). This perfectly complements the special design of the different widths of the upper and lower water spray holes in this embodiment. For material troughs where the sheet material is stacked vertically in other embodiments, the support surface is provided at the bottom of the material trough, and one end of the support surface is higher than the other end to form an inclined support surface.

[0088] In this embodiment, the sheet material separation device is equipped with a material handling robot 5 to form a material handling device. The material handling robot 5 has a picking and placing section 51 for picking up sheet materials, and then picks up the separated sheet materials 9 in the material trough. The material handling robot has a rotating rod and Y-axis and Z-axis drives, which enable the picking and placing section to efficiently pick up the sheet materials and place them in the designated position. In other embodiments, the material handling robot can be equipped with XYZ-axis three-axis drives to cover a wider range of movement trajectories. The picking and placing section of other robots can be a mechanical gripper for gripping sheet materials, especially some sheet materials with perforated surfaces.

[0089] The working steps and principle of the material handling device in this embodiment are as follows: First, the sheet material is fully loaded into the material trough and the material trough is placed into the water tank. Then, the water tank is filled with water, the spray mechanism is started, the nozzle begins to spray liquid, and at the same time, the drive mechanism drives the material trough to move. When the first sheet material in the material trough is located at the spray hole of the nozzle, the first sheet material and the adjacent sheet material are both below the water surface in the water tank. Under the equalization of water pressure, the adhesion disappears, and the liquid flow from the spray hole will enter the gap between the two sheet materials, so that the two sheet materials are separated smoothly. The picking and placing part of the picking robot promptly picks up the first sheet material, and the next adjacent sheet material becomes the first sheet material. The drive mechanism continues to push the material trough so that the current first sheet material is located at the spray hole of the nozzle, and so on.

[0090] Example 2:

[0091] The material handling equipment in this embodiment only involves a slight difference in the sheet material handling device. In principle, the sheet material handling device in this embodiment is the same as the sheet material separation device in the above embodiment 1. The difference is that in this embodiment, the driving mechanism is used to drive the nozzle so that the nozzle and the material rack move relative to each other along the sheet material stacking direction. That is, the material trough is fixedly installed relative to the water tank, and the nozzle is installed on the driving mechanism through the mounting bracket. The driving mechanism drives the nozzle to move relative to the material trough along the sheet material stacking direction.

[0092] For the other structural components of the sheet separation device in this embodiment, please refer to the description in Embodiment 1 above, and they will not be repeated here.

[0093] Example 3:

[0094] In this embodiment, the relative movement direction between the nozzle and the feed trough is horizontal, meaning the sheet material is arranged vertically within the feed trough, as shown in the attached figure. Figure 5 As shown, the feed trough moves relative to the water tank. When the feed trough is placed into the water tank, the water tank provides a certain clearance for its movement. That is, initially, the feed trough is on one side of the water tank, and the other side of the water tank provides clearance, allowing the feed trough to move from one side to the other. This "one side" does not necessarily mean the end of the feed trough that touches the water tank; it is permissible for the end not to touch the water tank. Because clearance is required, the length of the water tank in the direction of feed trough movement is greater than the length of the feed trough. In other words, the water tank provides clearance in the direction of relative movement of the feed trough. Above this clearance on the water tank, a material collection box is installed to hold the processed sheet material. "Processed" refers to sheet material after the stacked sheet material has been separated, or processed sheet material after processing by a processing machine. The material collection box can have slots for separating and arranging the processed sheet material, or it can be a simple container for directly stacking sheet material.

[0095] Because the feed box is positioned above the clearance space of the water tank, it does not obstruct the material hopper's loading space, and it also effectively utilizes the redundant space on the water tank. Figure 1 For example, the rear half of the water tank is the clearance space for the material trough. Above the clearance space, a mounting bracket for installing nozzles is set. The mounting bracket can be set with a material box. In this way, the mounting bracket and the material box overlap vertically to utilize a space, effectively utilizing the limited space of the device. Especially when the material box has a slot for separating and arranging the processed sheet material, it can be combined with the material handling robot in the above embodiment to form a sheet material separation and insertion machine. The material handling robot can insert the stacked sheet material in the material trough into the slot of the material box, so that the sheet material is directly separated into insert sheet material, making it easy to use in subsequent processes.

[0096] It is understandable that placing the material box above the clearance space of the water tank is the best solution. If the material box is placed around the water tank, it can also form a sheet material separation and inserting machine.

[0097] For a device where the feed trough is stationary relative to the water tank and the nozzle moves relative to the feed trough, the same feed box setup described above can be made.

[0098] Example 4:

[0099] Both this embodiment and Embodiment 3 above provide a device for adding a material box. The corresponding structure can be referred to Embodiment 3 above. The difference is that in this embodiment, the relative movement direction between the nozzle and the material trough is vertical (Z-axis direction). That is to say, the sheet material is stacked flat in the material trough, and the material trough moves relative to the water tank. A certain clearance space is set above the water tank for the movement of the material trough. However, if the material box is placed above the water tank as in Embodiment 3 above, it will be not conducive to material retrieval. Therefore, since the relative movement direction of the material trough is vertical and the drive mechanism is placed next to the water tank, it is considered to place the material box above the drive mechanism. This can make full use of the limited device space.

[0100] Example 5:

[0101] Based on the material handling device in Embodiment 1 above, this embodiment provides a material handling method, such as... Figure 9 As shown.

[0102] Step 101: After filling the water tank with liquid to submerge the sheet material, control the nozzle to spray the liquid.

[0103] In this step, the water tank needs to be filled with liquid, either completely or nearly completely, to ensure the liquid level reaches a certain height so that the flakes are submerged. Submersion doesn't necessarily mean complete immersion; a small portion exposed above the liquid surface is also considered submersion. Simultaneously, the flakes are already stacked in the material trough, which is then placed into the water tank along with the trough. The wetted flakes are easier to remove. The nozzles start spraying liquid continuously. When the nozzles are below the liquid surface, the liquid flow is not very noticeable. After the nozzles start spraying liquid, the initial stage of flake separation begins.

[0104] Step 102: Control the drive mechanism to drive the material trough forward relative to the nozzle side. When the first piece of material in the trough enters the spray position directly opposite the nozzle, the trough stops and the liquid flow from the nozzle separates the first piece of material.

[0105] In this step, the nozzle is already in the spraying state; all that's needed is to push the sheet material in an orderly manner. The sheet material is stationary relative to the trough within it, so controlling the movement of the trough relative to the nozzle is sufficient. Controlling the drive mechanism to move the trough forward relative to the nozzle can be achieved by: the trough being fixed inside the water tank, with the drive mechanism driving the nozzle; or the nozzle being fixed relative to the water tank, with the drive mechanism driving the trough. In most cases, using the drive mechanism to move the trough is the preferred method, as it is more efficient.

[0106] To ensure high accuracy in the movement of the feed trough, a detection sensor can be installed next to the nozzle to detect whether the first piece of material is positioned at the spray position directly opposite the nozzle. Alternatively, the feed trough can be positioned by controlling the movement of the feed trough with a pre-planned path.

[0107] Step 103: The robotic arm moves into the material trough and removes the first separated piece of material to the designated position.

[0108] In this step, the robotic arm is responsible for removing the first sheet from the feed trough one by one and placing it in a designated location. This designated location can be on the processing table, in another storage space, or on the conveyor line. After the first sheet is removed from the feed trough, the sheet that was previously adjacent to the first sheet becomes the current first sheet in the feed trough, until all the sheets in the feed trough have been removed.

[0109] A robotic arm can be a multi-axis linked robotic arm, or a robotic arm that can move within the XYZ axis range, or it can be... Figure 8 The robotic arm shown in the image.

[0110] Step 104: Determine whether there are any flakes in the trough.

[0111] In this step, the method to determine whether there are flakes in the trough can be to install a material detection sensor at the position corresponding to the last flake in the trough, so that the controller can know the material loading status in the trough in a timely manner. Alternatively, a fixed number of flakes can be placed in the trough, and the program control can use a counting method to determine whether there are still flakes in the trough. This step ensures that the equipment does not cycle without load.

[0112] If the sheet material in the feed trough is not completely removed, after the robot removes the first sheet material from the feed trough each time, the drive mechanism will drive the feed trough to move forward one step (one sheet material thickness) relative to the nozzle. The nozzle will then apply liquid flow to the gap between the new first sheet material and the adjacent sheet material to separate the first sheet material.

[0113] Step 105: Stop material handling.

[0114] If all the sheet material in the trough is removed, the trough will be empty, the robotic arm will stop removing material, and the operator can remove the trough and refill the sheet material to begin the work in step 101.

[0115] The above provides a detailed description of a material handling device and method provided by the embodiments of the present invention. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the core ideas of the present invention. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas and methods of the present invention. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

Claims

1. A material handling device, characterized in that, The invention includes a sheet separation device for storing and separating sheet materials one by one, and a picking robot for removing sheet materials from the sheet separation device. The sheet separation device includes: a water tank for holding liquid; a trough in which sheet materials can be stacked; a spraying mechanism with nozzles for applying liquid flow to the gap between the first sheet material and adjacent sheet materials in the trough; and a drive mechanism for driving the nozzles or the trough to cause relative movement between the nozzles and the trough along the sheet material stacking direction. The trough is placed inside the water tank. The lower part of the water tank serves as the space for the drive mechanism. When the spraying mechanism is activated, the nozzles begin to spray liquid, and simultaneously the drive mechanism drives the trough to move or drives the nozzles to cause relative movement between the nozzles and the trough along the sheet material stacking direction. When the first sheet material in the trough is located at the spray hole of the nozzle, both the first sheet material and adjacent sheet materials are placed in the water tank. Below the water surface, under balanced water pressure, the adhesion disappears, and the liquid flow from the spray nozzle enters the gap between the two pieces, allowing them to separate smoothly. The picking and placing part of the picking robot promptly removes the first piece, and the next adjacent piece becomes the first piece. The drive mechanism continues to advance the trough or nozzle, positioning the current first piece at the spray nozzle's spray hole. The nozzle extends into the trough to stop the first piece next to the spray hole in the direction of relative movement of the pieces. The nozzle body is plate-shaped, and the stop is also a plate device. The side of the nozzle body facing the corresponding trough is flat, and the side of the nozzle body facing the trough has a spray hole, which is an elongated hole with a width in the front-to-back direction. A stop is set in the trough near the rear of the nozzle. The front surface of the stop forms a right-angle positioning structure with the side wall of the trough, preventing the pieces from tilting or misaligning after separation.

2. The material handling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The nozzle is inserted into the water tank to immerse it in the liquid and apply liquid flow to the side wall of the sheet material in the trough.

3. The material handling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, If the nozzle is fixed relative to the water tank, the drive mechanism will drive the feed trough to move relative to the nozzle along the track; or if the feed trough is fixed relative to the water tank, the drive mechanism will drive the nozzle to move relative to the feed trough along the track.

4. The material handling device as described in claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that, The drive mechanism includes a track arranged along the stacking direction of the sheet material, a slider for carrying a trough or nozzle, and a drive assembly for driving the slider to move along the track.

5. The material handling device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a drive motor and a lead screw, with a bearing sleeve on the slider that mates with the lead screw. The drive motor drives the lead screw to rotate, causing the slider to move along the track. Alternatively, the drive assembly includes a drive motor, a drive wheel, a driven wheel, and a transmission belt. A transmission belt is fitted between the drive wheel and the driven wheel, and the slider is fixed on the transmission belt. The drive motor drives the drive wheel to rotate, causing the slider to move on the track. Or, the drive assembly includes a rack and a gear that mates with the rack. The drive motor drives the gear to rotate, and the slider and rack move together as a single unit.

6. The material handling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The spraying mechanism also includes a pump body and pipelines connecting the pump body and the nozzle.

7. The material handling device as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The pump body is also connected to a storage tank for supplying liquid to the water tank and / or the spraying mechanism.

8. The material handling device as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The water tank has an overflow port, through which the liquid in the water tank flows back to the storage tank or other containment space.

9. The material handling device as described in claim 8, characterized in that, A water receiving trough is installed below the water tank. The liquid in the water tank flows into the water receiving trough through the overflow port and collects there. A drain pipe is installed at the bottom of the water receiving trough to allow the liquid in the water receiving trough to flow back to the storage tank or other containment space.

10. The material handling device as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The water tank has a filling port, and the pump body draws liquid from the storage tank and injects it into the water tank through the filling port.

11. The material handling device as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The pipeline includes a hollow tube arranged along the width of the trough. Two or more liquid outlets are arranged along the axial direction of the hollow tube on the side wall. A liquid inlet is provided at one or both ends or on the side wall of the hollow tube. The liquid inlet is connected to the pump body through a connecting pipe, and the liquid outlet is connected to the corresponding nozzle through a connecting pipe.

12. The material handling device as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The spraying mechanism also includes a mounting frame with a space between the mounting frame and the tank wall through which the trough can pass. The hollow tube is installed at the rear of the mounting frame, and the nozzle is installed at the front of the mounting frame.

13. The material handling device as described in claim 1, 2, or 6, characterized in that, The spraying mechanism also includes a mounting bracket for mounting nozzles, which are positioned on the mounting bracket toward the storage space in the trough and avoid a trajectory of relative movement to the trough.

14. The material handling device as described in claim 13, characterized in that, There is one or more material troughs, and two nozzles are installed on both sides of each material trough on the mounting frame.

15. The material handling device as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The nozzles are mounted on the mounting frame with adjustable spacing to adjust the distance between the two nozzles on both sides of the trough: the mounting frame has a raised strip along the width of the trough, and the nozzle has a slot that matches the raised strip. The nozzle is mounted on the raised strip of the mounting frame through the slot and can slide in the width of the trough; or the mounting frame has an elongated hole / arrangement hole along the width of the trough, and the nozzle has a protrusion that matches the elongated hole / arrangement hole. The nozzle is mounted in the elongated hole / arrangement hole of the mounting frame through the protrusion and can slide / change position in the width of the trough.

16. The material handling device as described in claim 1 or 15, characterized in that, The front end of the mounting frame is rotatably mounted with a tilting frame, the nozzle is mounted on the tilting frame, and a stop is mounted on the nozzle. The stop extends downward to the bottom of the trough to limit the tilting angle of the tilting frame when it tilts to one side of the trough.

17. The material handling device as described in claim 13, characterized in that, A tilting frame is rotatably mounted on the front of the mounting frame. A nozzle is mounted on the tilting frame. A tilting limiter extending downward to the bottom of the trough is provided on the nozzle or the tilting frame to limit the tilting angle of the tilting frame when it tilts to one side of the trough.

18. The material handling device as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The nozzle includes a nozzle body with an internal water channel and a base for fixing the nozzle body. The nozzle body is provided with a water spray hole and a water inlet that are connected to the water channel. The nozzle body is mounted on a mounting frame through the base. The base is also provided with a stop member that extends into the material trough to stop the first piece of sheet next to the water spray hole of the nozzle in the direction of relative movement of the sheet. The nozzle body is provided with a narrow water spray hole or two or more water spray holes arranged along the side wall of the sheet on the side facing the corresponding material trough.

19. The material handling device as described in claim 1, 2, or 6, characterized in that, At least two nozzles form a group and are positioned relative to at least two sidewalls of the sheet material in the corresponding feed trough.

20. The material handling device as described in claim 1, 2, or 6, characterized in that, The nozzle is set with a narrow water spray hole or two or more water spray holes along the side wall of the sheet material in the corresponding trough.

21. The material handling device as described in claim 1, 2, or 6, characterized in that, The material trough is provided with nozzles on both sides. The nozzles are provided with narrow water spray holes or two or more water spray holes arranged with reference to the side wall of the sheet. The narrow water spray holes or two or more water spray holes are formed at least at both ends as wide strip holes extending a certain width parallel to the stacking direction of the sheet.

22. The material handling device as described in claim 21, characterized in that, An inclined abutment surface is provided at the end of the feed trough away from the nozzle to allow the sheet material to be placed at a certain angle towards the rear side in the stacking direction when it is put into the feed trough.

23. The material handling device as described in claim 22, characterized in that, With the center of the wide strip hole as a reference, the width of the wide strip hole farther from the contact surface is greater than the width of the wide strip hole closer to the contact surface.

24. The material handling device as described in claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that, The material trough is fixedly installed relative to the water tank or drive mechanism via a material rack. Two or more material troughs are arranged side by side inside the material rack, and nozzles are installed on both sides of each material trough.

25. The material handling device as described in claim 24, characterized in that, The material trough is equipped with a locking post / slot, and the corresponding position on the material rack is equipped with a matching locking slot / locking post for the material trough to be detachably installed on the material rack.

26. The material handling device as described in claim 12, 14, 15, or 1, characterized in that, The mounting frame includes a front frame for mounting the nozzle and a rear frame for mounting the front frame. The rear frame is fixed relative to the water tank, and the front frame is either flip-mounted relative to the rear frame or push-pull-overlapping relative to the rear frame to allow for a shrinking space in the front frame, thus providing more space when the feed trough is removed from the water tank.

Images