Aluminum plate automatic feeding machine and feeding method

Abstract

The present invention discloses an automatic aluminum plate feeder and feeding method, including a positioning platform, a slide rail, a movable support plate and a suction cup mechanism, one side of the positioning platform is provided with an opening, and the other side is provided with a positioning area, the positioning area has two connected fixed sides and two connected movable sides, a plurality of fixed positioning pins are respectively provided on the fixed sides, and a plurality of movable positioning pins are respectively provided on the movable sides, a lifting platform is installed below the opening, the slide rail includes a fixed slide rail and a movable slide rail, the movable slide rail is installed on the lifting platform, the movable support plate moves on the slide rail, the suction cup mechanism includes a suction cup frame, a plurality of vacuum suction cups are installed on the suction cup frame, the suction cup frame is slidably installed on the transverse track, and the suction cup frame is driven by the transverse driving mechanism to move back and forth between the top of the opening and the top of the positioning area. The automatic aluminum plate feeder of the present invention realizes the rapid, automatic and precise positioning and feeding of large-area, light and thin aluminum plates, and improves the production and processing efficiency of aluminum gusset plates.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of aluminum plate feeding, and in particular relates to an automatic aluminum plate feeding machine and a feeding method. Background Art

[0002] In the automated production process of aluminum gusset plates, the aluminum plates need to be positioned and loaded for grabbing by robots, etc., and then go through processing steps such as punching corners and stamping. The entire forming process is automatically operated by robots, which can improve the production efficiency of gusset plates and save labor costs. However, the automated production process requires high feeding accuracy of aluminum plates, that is, the position of the robot grabbing the aluminum plate needs to be accurate, so as to ensure the accuracy of subsequent automatic processing steps. The aluminum plates used in large aluminum gusset plates are large in area and small in thickness. They are prone to curling and deformation during manual loading, and are also difficult to accurately position. Therefore, there is a need for a feeding device that can achieve fast, automatic, and accurate positioning and feeding of thin, large-area aluminum plates. Summary of the invention

[0003] To solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: an automatic aluminum plate feeding machine, comprising a positioning platform, a slide rail, a movable support plate and a suction cup mechanism, one side of the positioning platform is provided with an opening, and the other side is provided with a positioning area, the positioning area has four edges connected end to end in sequence, two of which are connected to each other as fixed edges, and a plurality of fixed positioning pins are respectively provided on the fixed edges, and the other two connected edges are set as movable edges, and a plurality of movable positioning pins are respectively provided on the movable edges, and the movable positioning pins are respectively driven by the positioning drive mechanism to move in the direction perpendicular to the corresponding movable edges, a lifting platform is installed below the opening, and the lifting platform is driven to rise and fall by the lifting drive mechanism, the slide rail comprises a fixed slide rail and a movable slide rail, the fixed slide rail is connected to the movable slide rail, the movable slide rail is installed on the lifting platform, the movable support plate moves on the slide rail, the suction cup mechanism comprises a suction cup frame, and a plurality of vacuum suction cups arranged downward are installed on the suction cup frame, the suction cup frame can be slidably installed on the transverse track, and the suction cup frame is driven by the transverse drive mechanism to move back and forth between above the opening and above the positioning area.

[0004] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, a plurality of elongated movable holes are provided on the positioning platform on one side of the movable edge, the elongated movable holes are perpendicular to the corresponding movable edge, the elongated movable holes correspond to the movable positioning pins one by one, the upper ends of the movable positioning pins pass through the corresponding elongated movable holes from bottom to top, and the positioning drive mechanism includes two positioning cylinders, which are fixedly connected to the lower ends of all the movable positioning pins on the same side of the movable edge through a connecting plate.

[0005] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, the lifting drive mechanism is a lifting cylinder or a lifting motor.

[0006] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, rollers are installed under the movable pallet, the rollers roll on the slide rails respectively, and a motor for driving the rollers to roll is installed on the movable pallet.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, a baffle is provided at the end of the movable slide rail, an installation chamber is provided inside the movable slide rail, a front connecting port and a rear connecting port are provided on the movable slide rail, a telescopic baffle rod is movably inserted in the front connecting port, and a rear pressure rod is movably inserted in the rear connecting port, the upper ends of the telescopic baffle rod and the upper ends of the rear pressure rod respectively have inclined guide surfaces, a movable rod is provided in the installation chamber, the middle part of the movable rod is rotatably hinged in the installation chamber, the rear end of the movable rod is located below the rear pressure rod, the front end of the movable rod is connected to the lower end of the telescopic baffle rod through a pull belt, a limit block is provided below the front end of the movable rod, and a spring is provided below the rear end of the movable rod.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, the cross section of the slide rail is circular, the inclined guide surface is a spherical surface, and the circumferential surface of the roller is provided with an annular groove, which matches the slide rail.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, the transverse driving mechanism includes a transverse screw rod, which is rotatably mounted on the positioning platform, and a screw rod pair fixedly connected to the suction cup frame is provided on the transverse screw rod.

[0010] The loading method of the automatic aluminum plate feeding machine is to use a forklift to transfer the aluminum plate on the pallet to the movable pallet, and the movable pallet is transferred from the fixed slide rail to the movable slide rail, and then the lifting platform rises, so that the top aluminum plate is raised to be sucked by the vacuum suction cup on the suction cup frame, and then the lifting platform is lowered a short distance to separate the sucked aluminum plate from the lower aluminum plate, and the suction cup frame moves to the positioning area, puts down the aluminum plate, and then the movable positioning pin moves to position the aluminum plate for the robot to grab and load.

[0011] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the automatic aluminum plate feeding machine and feeding method of the present invention realize the rapid, automatic and precise positioning feeding of large-area, light and thin aluminum plates, and improve the production and processing efficiency of aluminum gusset plates. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention from another angle;

[0014] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure inside the installation room after the rear pressure rod is lowered;

[0015] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the installation room after the rear pressure rod rises. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The technical solution of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0017] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0018] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0019] like Figure 1-2As shown, the automatic aluminum plate feeding machine includes a positioning platform 1, a slide rail 2, a movable support plate 3 and a suction cup mechanism 4. An opening 5 is provided on one side of the positioning platform 1, and a positioning area 6 is provided on the other side. The positioning area 6 has four edges connected end to end in sequence, two of which are connected to each other and are set as fixed edges 7. A plurality of fixed positioning pins 8 are respectively provided on the fixed edges 7. The other two connected edges are set as movable edges 9. A plurality of movable positioning pins 10 are respectively provided on the movable edges 9. The movable positioning pins 10 are respectively driven by the positioning drive mechanism to move in a direction perpendicular to the corresponding movable edges 9. A plurality of movable positioning pins 10 are respectively driven by the positioning drive mechanism to move in a direction perpendicular to the corresponding movable edges 9. The lifting platform 11 is equipped, and the lifting platform 11 is driven to lift by the lifting drive mechanism. The slide rail 2 includes a fixed slide rail 12 and a movable slide rail 13. The fixed slide rail 12 and the movable slide rail 13 are connected, and the movable slide rail 13 is installed on the lifting platform 11. The movable pallet 3 moves on the slide rail. The suction cup mechanism 4 includes a suction cup frame 14. A plurality of vacuum suction cups 15 arranged downward are installed on the suction cup frame 14. The suction cup frame 14 is slidably installed on the transverse track 16. The suction cup frame 14 is driven by the transverse drive mechanism to move back and forth between the upper part of the opening 5 and the upper part of the positioning area 6. Aluminum plates 36 are stacked on the pallet 37. The pallet 37 is transferred to the movable pallet 3 by a forklift or other tool. The movable pallet 3 is transferred to the movable slide rail 13. The lifting platform 11 rises to a certain height so that the top aluminum plate 36 is close to the vacuum suction cup 15 on the suction cup frame 14. The vacuum suction cup 15 starts to suck the top aluminum plate 36, and the lifting platform 11 drops to a certain height, so that the top aluminum plate 36 is separated from the aluminum plate 36 pile. Then the suction cup frame 14 moves the horizontal track 16 to move the sucked aluminum plate 36 to the positioning area 6. The vacuum suction cup 15 puts down the aluminum plate 36. The movable positioning pin 10 moves in a direction perpendicular to the corresponding movable edge 9, so that the aluminum plate 36 is clamped between the fixed positioning pin 8 and the movable positioning pin 10, forming a precise positioning for the robot to grab. The suction cup frame 14 returns to the opening 5, the lifting platform 11 rises, and the above steps are repeated to complete the sequential loading of the aluminum plates 36.

[0020] Further, such as Figure 3-4As shown, a plurality of long strip movable holes 17 are provided on the positioning platform 1 on one side of the movable edge 9. The long strip movable holes 17 are perpendicular to the corresponding movable edge 9. The long strip movable holes 17 correspond to the movable positioning pins 10 one by one. The upper end of the movable positioning pin 10 passes through the corresponding long strip movable hole 17 from bottom to top. The positioning drive mechanism includes two positioning cylinders 18. The positioning cylinders 18 are fixedly connected to the lower ends of all movable positioning pins 10 located on the same side of the movable edge 9 through the connecting plate 19. When the movable positioning pin 10 moves to the outermost side in the long strip movable hole 17, the area enclosed by the fixed positioning pin 8 and the movable positioning pin 10 is the largest. After the aluminum plate 36 is placed, the movable positioning pin 10 moves in the opposite direction to the other end of the long strip movable hole 17, so that the area enclosed by the fixed positioning pin 8 and the movable positioning pin 10 is the smallest. The movable positioning pin 10 pushes the aluminum plate 36, so that the aluminum plate 36 is located at the position defined by the fixed positioning pin 8 and the movable positioning pin 10, thereby realizing the precise positioning of the aluminum plate 36. When the aluminum plate 36 is grasped by a robot arm, the movable positioning pin 10 moves to the other end of the long strip movable hole 17 without affecting the grasping of the aluminum plate 36 by the robot arm.

[0021] Furthermore, the lifting drive mechanism is a lifting cylinder 20 or a lifting motor. The lifting drive mechanism can be driven by a conventional driving method. However, in order to cooperate with the vacuum suction cup 15 to suck the aluminum plate 36, it is preferred to use a lifting platform 11 driven by a servo motor to facilitate accurate control of the height of the lifting platform 11.

[0022] Furthermore, rollers 21 are installed under the movable support plate 3, and the rollers 21 roll on the slide rails 2 respectively, and a motor for driving the rollers 21 to roll is installed on the movable support plate 3. The rollers 21 are divided into two pairs, front and rear, and each pair of rollers is connected by a rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is rotatably installed on the movable support plate 3. One of the rotating shafts is connected to the motor through a gear or a belt.

[0023] Further, a baffle 22 is provided at the end of the movable slide rail 13, an installation chamber 23 is provided inside the movable slide rail 13, a front connecting port 24 and a rear connecting port 25 are provided on the movable slide rail 13, a telescopic blocking rod 26 is movably inserted in the front connecting port 24, a rear pressure rod 27 is movably inserted in the rear connecting port 25, the upper ends of the telescopic blocking rod 26 and the upper ends of the rear pressure rod 27 respectively have inclined guide surfaces 28, a movable rod 29 is provided in the installation chamber 23, the middle part of the movable rod 29 is rotatably hinged in the installation chamber 23, the rear end of the movable rod 29 is located below the rear pressure rod 27, the front end of the movable rod 29 is connected to the lower end of the telescopic blocking rod 26 through a drawstring 30, a limit block 31 is provided below the front end of the movable rod 29, and a spring 32 is provided below the rear end of the movable rod 29. There are two slide rails 2, and the two slide rails 2 are arranged in parallel. Correspondingly, there are two movable slide rails 13. When the movable pallet 3 is transferred to the lifting platform 11, the first pair of rollers 21 continue to move after passing through the front connecting port 24, and then contact the rear pressure rod 27 extending from the rear connecting port 25. The inclined guide surface 28 on the rear pressure rod 27 contacts the rollers 21 and generates a downward component force, causing the rear pressure rod 27 to descend. The corresponding end of the movable rod 29 is pressed down by the rear pressure rod 27 and overcomes the elastic force of the spring 32. The other end of the movable rod 29 rises and pushes the telescopic blocking rod 26 out of the front connecting port 24, so that the two pairs of rollers 21 on the movable pallet 3 are clamped between the telescopic blocking rod 26 and the baffle 22. The movable pallet 3 is prevented from moving during the lifting process of the lifting platform 11, and the movable pallet 3 is positioned. As the aluminum plate 36 on the movable support plate 3 decreases, the pressure on the rear pressure rod 27 decreases. When the restoring force of the spring 32 begins to be greater than the pressure on the rear pressure rod 27, the rear pressure rod 27 gradually rises, the movable rod 29 rotates, and the telescopic blocking rod 26 gradually descends. Finally, the upper end of the telescopic blocking rod 26 is completely retracted into the front connecting port 24. The movable support plate 3 can move on the slide rail 2.

[0024] Furthermore, the cross section of the slide rail 2 is circular, the inclined guide surface 28 is a spherical surface, and the circumferential surface of the roller 21 is provided with an annular groove 33, which matches the slide rail 2. In this way, the contact area between the roller 21 and the inclined guide surface 28 is reduced, and the friction between the inclined guide surface 28 and the roller 21 is small, thereby avoiding the problem of jamming. The rear pressure rod 27 rises to make the movable support plate 3 tilt at a small angle, which does not affect the vacuum suction cup from sucking the aluminum plate.

[0025] Furthermore, the transverse driving mechanism includes a transverse screw rod 34 , which is rotatably mounted on the positioning platform 1 , and a screw rod pair 35 fixedly connected to the suction cup frame 14 is provided on the transverse screw rod 34 .

[0026] It is worth mentioning that the technical features such as motors, screws, cylinders, etc. involved in the patent application of this invention should be regarded as prior art. The specific structure, working principle, and possible control method and spatial layout method of these technical features can be selected according to the conventional methods in the field, and should not be regarded as the inventive point of this patent. This patent will not be further elaborated.

[0027] The preferred specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above. It should be understood that ordinary technicians in this field can make many modifications and changes based on the concept of the present invention without creative work. Therefore, all technical solutions that can be obtained by technicians in this technical field through logical analysis, reasoning or limited experiments based on the concept of the present invention on the basis of the existing technology should be within the scope of protection determined by the claims.

Claims

1. Aluminum plate automatic feeding machine, characterized in that: The invention comprises a positioning platform, a slide rail, a movable support plate and a suction cup mechanism. An opening is arranged on one side of the positioning platform, and a positioning area is arranged on the other side. The positioning area has four edges connected end to end in sequence, two of which are connected to each other as fixed edges, and a plurality of fixed positioning pins are arranged on the fixed edges respectively. The other two connected edges are arranged to be movable edges, and a plurality of movable positioning pins are arranged on the movable edges respectively. The movable positioning pins are driven by the positioning driving mechanism to move in the direction perpendicular to the corresponding movable edges respectively. A lifting platform is installed under the opening, and the lifting platform is driven to rise and fall by the lifting driving mechanism. The slide rail comprises a fixed slide rail and a movable slide rail, and the fixed slide rail and the movable slide rail are connected to each other. The slide rail is installed on the lifting platform, and the movable support plate moves on the slide rail. The suction cup mechanism includes a suction cup frame, and a plurality of vacuum suction cups arranged downward are installed on the suction cup frame. The suction cup frame can be slidably installed on the transverse track. The suction cup frame is driven by the transverse driving mechanism to move back and forth between the upper part of the opening and the upper part of the positioning area. Rollers are installed under the movable support plate, and the rollers roll on the slide rails respectively. A motor for driving the rollers to roll is installed on the movable support plate. A baffle is provided at the end of the movable slide rail, and an installation chamber is provided inside the movable slide rail. A front connecting port and a rear connecting port are provided on the movable slide rail. A telescopic baffle rod is movably inserted in the front connecting port, and a telescopic baffle rod is movably inserted in the rear connecting port. A rear pressure rod is movably inserted in the connecting port, and the upper ends of the telescopic baffle rod and the rear pressure rod respectively have inclined guide surfaces. A movable rod is arranged in the installation chamber, and the middle part of the movable rod is rotatably hinged in the installation chamber. The rear end of the movable rod is located below the rear pressure rod, and the front end of the movable rod is connected to the lower end of the telescopic baffle rod through a drawstring. A limit block is arranged below the front end of the movable rod, and a spring is arranged below the rear end of the movable rod. The feeding method of the automatic aluminum plate feeding machine is to transfer the aluminum plate placed on the pallet to the movable pallet by a forklift, and the movable pallet is transferred from the fixed slide rail to the movable slide rail, and then the lifting platform rises, so that the uppermost aluminum plate is raised to the position on the suction cup frame. The vacuum suction cup sucks the aluminum plate, and then the lifting platform descends a short distance to separate the sucked aluminum plate from the lower aluminum plate. The suction cup frame moves to the positioning area, puts the aluminum plate down, and then the movable positioning pin moves to position the aluminum plate for the robot to grab and load. A number of long movable holes are provided on the positioning platform on one side of the movable edge. The long movable holes are perpendicular to the corresponding movable edges. The long movable holes correspond to the movable positioning pins one by one. The upper ends of the movable positioning pins pass through the corresponding long movable holes from bottom to top. The positioning drive mechanism includes two positioning cylinders, and the positioning cylinders are fixedly connected to the lower ends of all the movable positioning pins on the same side of the movable edge through a connecting plate.

2. The automatic aluminum plate feeding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting drive mechanism is a lifting cylinder or a lifting motor.

3. The automatic aluminum plate feeding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cross section of the slide rail is circular, the inclined guide surface is a spherical surface, and the circumferential surface of the roller is provided with an annular groove, which matches the slide rail.

4. The automatic aluminum plate feeding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transverse driving mechanism comprises a transverse screw rod, which is rotatably mounted on the positioning platform, and a screw rod pair fixedly connected to the suction cup frame is arranged on the transverse screw rod.

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