Material turning device and automatic robot system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a material turning device and an automatic robot system. The material turning device includes: a tilting table having an inclined surface, the inclined surface including a feed side and a discharge side, the feed side being higher than the discharge side, a discharge port being provided on the discharge side, and the material being able to slide from the feed side on the inclined surface to the discharge port by its own gravity; a turning component, the turning component including a feed port, a discharge port, and a turning slide provided in the turning component and connecting the feed port and the discharge port, the feed port and the discharge port being docked, for receiving the material discharged from the discharge port on the inclined surface, the turning slide being twisted, and the material sliding from the feed port to the discharge port after being turned over by its own gravity through the twisted turning slide. The present invention cooperates with the tilting table and the twisted turning slide inside the turning component, and utilizes the material's own gravity to slide from the tilting table into the turning slide, and realizes automatic turning inside the turning slide, thereby reducing the turning error rate and improving product quality and efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automatic robots, and in particular to a material turning device and an automatic robot system. Background Art

[0002] The PCB board of the air conditioner outdoor unit controller has many electronic components. During the production of the controller PCB board, the electronic components need to be manually inserted, which increases labor costs.

[0003] With the advent of industrial automation, an automatic mechanical structure is considered to replace the manual insertion of large capacitor devices. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide a material turning device and an automatic robot system.

[0005] The first aspect of the present invention provides a material turning device, comprising: a tilting table, having an inclined surface, the inclined surface comprising a feed side and a discharge side, the feed side being higher than the discharge side, and a discharge port being provided on the discharge side, so that the material can slide from the feed side on the inclined surface to the discharge port by its own gravity; a turning component, the turning component comprising a feed port, a discharge port, and a turning slide arranged in the turning component and connecting the feed port and the discharge port, the feed port being docked with the discharge port, for receiving the material discharged from the discharge port of the inclined surface, the turning slide being twisted, and the material slides to the discharge port after being flipped from the feed port through the twisted turning slide by its own gravity.

[0006] In some embodiments, the flip slide is twisted 180 degrees, and the material enters the feed port in an upright state and slides through the 180-degree twisted flip slide to the discharge port, becoming an inverted state.

[0007] In some embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of the turning slide is adapted to the shape of the material.

[0008] In some embodiments, it also includes: a positioning chute, the positioning chute includes a connected linear inclined chute section and a linear horizontal chute section, one end of the linear inclined chute section is connected to the discharge port of the flipping component, and the other end of the linear inclined chute section is connected to the linear horizontal chute section, and the material discharged from the discharge port of the flipping component always slides in an inverted state through the linear inclined chute section to the end of the linear horizontal chute section.

[0009] In some embodiments, the positioning groove includes a first accommodating groove and a second accommodating groove that are connected to each other, the first accommodating groove is located below the second accommodating groove, the first accommodating groove is used to accommodate the pins of the capacitor, and the second accommodating groove is used to accommodate the body of the capacitor.

[0010] In some embodiments, the inclined surface of the inclined table is provided with a first limiting side plate and a second limiting side plate relative to each other, and the first limiting side plate and the second limiting side plate both extend from the feeding side to the discharging side; a guide inclined block is provided on the inclined surface of the inclined table, and the guide inclined block includes a first end and a second end relative to each other, and the first end and the second end extend toward the first limiting side plate and the second limiting side plate respectively, and the first end is higher than the second end, wherein there is a gap between the second end and the second limiting side plate, and the gap forms the discharge port.

[0011] In some embodiments, it also includes: a loading platform located upstream of the inclined platform and docked with the inclined platform; a lifting mechanism connected to the loading platform, used to drive the loading platform to rotate relative to the inclined platform, and change from a horizontal state to an inclined state, so that the material slides along the inclined loading platform to the inclined platform under the action of gravity.

[0012] The second aspect of the present invention also provides an automatic robot system, comprising: a material turning device as described in any of the above embodiments, the material turning device is used to turn over a first material; a feeding device is used to transport a second material to an installation station; a manipulator is used to pick up the turned first material, and convey the turned first material to the installation station, and install the first material on the second material.

[0013] In some embodiments, it also includes: a multi-layer material box, the multi-layer material box includes multi-layer storage space for storing material trays, and one or more third materials are placed on the material trays; a conveying mechanism, the feed end of the conveying mechanism is located at the discharge side of the multi-layer material box, and the conveying mechanism drives the material box to move back and forth toward or away from the multi-layer material box, for receiving the material tray carrying the third material from the multi-layer material box, and transferring the material tray carrying the third material to the picking position, and for transferring the empty material tray back to the storage space corresponding to the multi-layer material box; a lifting mechanism, supporting the multi-layer material box and driving the multi-layer material box to rise and fall so that each layer of the multi-layer storage space corresponds to the feed end of the conveying mechanism; a pushing mechanism, for pushing the material tray in the multi-layer material box to the conveying mechanism; the robot is also used to pick up the third material on the material tray, and transfer the third material to the installation station to install the third material on the second material.

[0014] In some embodiments, guide components are respectively provided on both sides of the feed end of the conveying mechanism, each of the guide components includes a connected straight guide portion and an arc guide portion, and the arc guide portions located on both sides of the feed end of the conveying mechanism extend toward the multi-layer material box and away from each other.

[0015] In some embodiments, it also includes: an image sensor for identifying the posture information of the first material and / or the third material picked up by the robot; a controller connected to the image sensor and the robot, for receiving the posture information of the first material and / or the third material transmitted by the image sensor, and controlling the robot to transfer the first material and / or the third material to the installation station according to the posture information, and install the first material on the second material.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first material includes a capacitor having pins, the third material includes a choke coil, and the second material includes a printed circuit board having a hole.

[0017] After adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art:

[0018] The present invention cooperates with the tilting platform and the twisted turning slide inside the turning component, utilizes the material's own gravity to slide from the tilting platform into the turning slide, and realizes automatic turning inside the turning slide, thereby reducing manual participation, lowering the turning error rate, improving product quality, increasing efficiency, and reducing labor costs.

[0019] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The accompanying drawings are part of the present invention and are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention, but do not constitute an undue limitation of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without inventive effort. In the accompanying drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the structure of an automatic robot system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 is a perspective view of an automatic robot system structure from another perspective according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 is a perspective view of an automatic robot system structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 is a top view of the structure of an automatic robot system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] It should be noted that these drawings and textual descriptions are not intended to limit the conceptual scope of the present invention in any way, but rather to illustrate the concept of the present invention for those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "inside" and "outside" etc. indicating orientations or positional relationships are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying 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 a limitation on the present invention.

[0027] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connected," "in contact," and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; and direct or indirect connections through an intermediary. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0028] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, a first aspect of the present invention provides a material turning device, comprising a loading platform 10 , a tilting platform 20 and a turning component 30 .

[0029] The loading platform 10 is used to place materials 10. The materials 10 can be electronic components on a PCB, such as capacitors.

[0030] The inclined platform 20 is docked with the loading platform 10 and has a downwardly sloping surface that is lower than the loading platform 10. This surface includes an inlet side and a discharge side, with the inlet side being upstream and the discharge side being downstream, with the inlet side being higher than the discharge side. A discharge port 22 is provided on the discharge side, allowing materials to slide down the inclined surface from the inlet side to the discharge port 22 by gravity.

[0031] In one example, the inclined surface of the tilting platform 20 is provided with a first limiting side plate 23 and a second limiting side plate 24, both of which extend from the feed side to the discharge side. A guide bevel 21 is provided on the inclined surface of the tilting platform 20. The guide bevel 21 includes a first end and a second end, each of which extends toward the first limiting side plate 23 and the second limiting side plate 24, respectively, with the first end being higher than the second end. For example, the first end is closer to the first limiting side plate 23 and closer to the feed side, while the second end is closer to the second limiting side plate 24 and closer to the discharge side. A gap is provided between the second end and the second limiting side plate 24, forming a discharge port 22 for material to pass through.

[0032] The flipping component 30 is docked with the tilting platform 20. The flipping component 30 is tilted downward and lower than the tilting platform 20. The fact that the flipping component 30 is lower than the tilting platform 20 does not mean that the entire flipping component 30 is lower than the tilting platform 20. Instead, the flipping component 30 is located downstream of the tilting platform 20, and the material slides to a lower position through the flipping component 30. The flipping component 30 includes a feed inlet 31, a discharge outlet 32, and a flipping chute connecting the feed inlet 31 and the discharge outlet 32. The flipping chute is formed inside the flipping component 30. The feed inlet 31 is used to receive material discharged from the discharge outlet 22. The flipping chute is twisted and used to flip the material. The material slides from the feed inlet 31 within the flipping chute under its own gravity, flips, and then slides to the discharge outlet.

[0033] Preferably, the cross-sectional shape of the turning slide is adapted to the shape of the material so as to achieve a turning motion smoothly and accurately within the turning slide.

[0034] The present invention cooperates with the tilting platform 20 and the twisted turning slide inside the turning component 30, and uses the material's own gravity to slide from the tilting platform 20 into the turning slide, and realizes automatic turning inside the turning slide, which has high turning efficiency, reduces manual participation, and reduces labor costs.

[0035] In some embodiments, the flip slide can be twisted in a 180-degree shape, and the material slides from the upright state entering the feed port through the 180-degree twisted flip slide to the discharge port and becomes inverted.

[0036] As an example of a material, capacitor A has an upright state and an inverted state. The upright state refers to the state where the capacitor body is at the bottom and the capacitor pins (solder pins) are at the top; the inverted state refers to the state where the capacitor body is at the top and the capacitor pins (solder pins) are at the bottom. The capacitor is in an upright state when it enters the feed port, that is, the capacitor body faces down and the pins face up. When it slides down the 180-degree twisted flip slide to the discharge port, it becomes an inverted state, that is, the capacitor body faces up and the pins face down.

[0037] In some embodiments, the material turning device further comprises a positioning chute 40, which comprises a linear inclined chute section 41 and a linear horizontal chute section 42. One end of the linear inclined chute section 41 is connected to the discharge port of the turning component 30, and the other end of the linear inclined chute section 41 is connected to the linear horizontal chute section 42. Material discharged from the discharge port 32 of the turning component 30 always falls in an inverted state through the linear inclined chute 41 to the end of the linear horizontal chute section.

[0038] The linear inclined chute section 41 serves as a buffer for the material, and the linear horizontal chute section 42 keeps the material in an inverted state from the discharge port 32 of the flip component 30, thereby providing reliability for subsequent grabbing and installation of the material.

[0039] In one example, to accommodate capacitor flipping, the positioning chute includes a first and second interconnected slots. The first slot is located below the second slot and accommodates the capacitor's pins, while the second slot accommodates the capacitor's body. The first and second slots respectively position the capacitor's body and pins, thereby maintaining the material in an inverted position from the discharge port 32 of the flipping member 30, further improving reliability.

[0040] In some embodiments, in order to realize automatic loading and turning operations, the material turning device further includes:

[0041] The lifting mechanism is connected to the loading platform and is used to drive the loading platform 10 to rotate relative to the tilting platform 20 and change the horizontal state to an inclined state, so that the material slides along the inclined loading platform 10 to the tilting platform 20 under the action of gravity. The lifting mechanism can be, for example, a cylinder, a screw and nut mechanism, a gear transmission mechanism, etc.

[0042] To sum up, the material turning device of the present invention can place multiple materials, such as capacitors A, in an upright state on the horizontal loading platform 10 during use. The lifting mechanism starts to lift the loading platform 10, so that the loading platform 10 rotates to an inclined state, for example, consistent with the inclination angle of the inclined platform 20. The multiple capacitors in the upright state slide from the inclined loading platform 10 to the inclined platform 20 by their own gravity. The multiple capacitors slide onto the inclined surface of the inclined platform 20 and are limited by the limiting bevel 21 on the inclined surface and arranged along the extension direction of the limiting bevel 21. The capacitors A arranged near the discharge port 22 are squeezed by the capacitors A away from the discharge port 22 and their own gravity and enter the turning slide in the turning component 30. They turn over during the sliding process in the turning slide, and the flipped capacitors are discharged through the discharge port. At this time, the capacitor A at the discharge port becomes inverted, and then slides to the position to be picked up through the positioning slide 40, waiting for subsequent picking and installation operations.

[0043] The present invention also provides an automatic robot system, including a material turning device, a feeding device 50 and a manipulator 60, wherein the material turning device is a material turning device as mentioned in any of the above embodiments, used to turn a first material, and the first material can be the capacitor mentioned above.

[0044] The feeding device 50 is used to transport the second material C to the installation station. The second material may be a circuit board (PCB). The feeding device 50 may be, for example, a transmission belt.

[0045] The robot arm 60 is used to pick up the flipped first material, and transfer the flipped first material to the installation station to install the first material on the second material.

[0046] When the inverted capacitor is flipped over and reaches the position to be picked up, the robot 60 rotates to the position to be picked up, picks up the inverted capacitor, and moves the picked up capacitor to the installation station to install the capacitor pins on the corresponding pin holes on the circuit board.

[0047] In some embodiments, the automatic robot system further includes: a multi-layer material box 70 , a lifting mechanism 80 and a conveying mechanism 90 .

[0048] The multi-layer material box 70 is used to store material trays, on which one or more third materials B are placed. The third material can be, for example, a choke coil. The multi-layer material box 70 includes multiple layers of space distributed vertically, and a material tray can be placed in each layer of space.

[0049] The lifting mechanism supports the multi-layer material box 70 and drives the multi-layer material box to rise and fall. The lifting mechanism can be, for example, a cylinder, a screw nut mechanism, a gear transmission mechanism, etc.

[0050] The conveyor mechanism 90 is located on the discharge side of the multi-layer material box 70. The conveyor mechanism 90 is capable of reciprocating motion and is used to receive material trays containing the third material B from the multi-layer material box 70, convey the material trays containing the third material to the pickup position, and convey empty material trays back to the corresponding multi-layer material box. The conveyor mechanism 90 can be, for example, a belt conveyor mechanism.

[0051] The pushing mechanism is used to push the material tray in the multi-layer material box 70 to the conveying mechanism 90. The manipulator 60 is also used to pick up the third material B on the material tray, and convey the third material B to the installation station to install the third material B on the second material C.

[0052] The lifting mechanism 80 drives the multi-layer material box 70 to rise and fall, so that the first layer of the multi-layer material box corresponds to the conveying mechanism 90. The pushing mechanism pushes the material tray carrying the choke coil onto the conveying mechanism 90, and the material tray is transported to the waiting station through the conveying mechanism 90. After the robot 30 picks up the choke coil on the material tray, the conveying mechanism 90 returns the empty material tray to the first layer of the multi-layer material box. Then the lifting mechanism 80 continues to rise, so that the second layer of the multi-layer material box corresponds to the conveying mechanism 90. The pushing mechanism pushes the material tray carrying the choke coil onto the conveying mechanism 90, and the material tray is transported to the waiting station through the conveying mechanism 90. After the robot 30 picks up the choke coil on the material tray, the conveying mechanism 90 returns the empty material tray to the second layer of the multi-layer material box. This process repeats until all the material trays in the multi-layer material box are empty, and the lifting mechanism 80 descends to its initial lowest position, waiting for loading.

[0053] In one example, guide components are provided on either side of the feed end of the conveyor mechanism 90. Each guide component comprises a connected linear guide portion 91 and an arcuate guide portion 92. The arcuate guide portions 92 on either side of the feed end of the conveyor mechanism extend toward the multi-layer material bin and away from each other. The opposing arcuate guide portions 92 on either side of the feed end of the conveyor mechanism are larger near the opening of the multi-layer material bin 70, ensuring smooth entry of the material trays into the conveyor mechanism 90.

[0054] In some embodiments, to achieve precise automated installation, the automated robotic system further includes: an image sensor for identifying posture information of the first and / or third materials picked up by the manipulator; and a controller, connected to the image sensor and the manipulator, for receiving the posture information of the first and / or third materials transmitted by the image sensor and, based on the posture information, controlling the manipulator to transport the first and / or third materials to the installation station and install the first material on the second material. The image sensor may be a visual camera.

[0055] It is further understood that in the present disclosure, "plurality" refers to two or more than two, and other quantifiers are similar. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. The singular forms "a", "the" and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0056] It will be further understood that the terms "first," "second," and the like are used to describe various types of information, but such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish information of the same type from one another and do not indicate a particular order or level of importance. In fact, the terms "first," "second," and the like are fully interchangeable. For example, first information could be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information could be referred to as first information without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0057] It is further understood that although operations are described in a particular order in the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure, this should not be construed as requiring that the operations be performed in the particular order shown or in a serial order, or that all of the operations shown be performed to obtain the desired results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.

[0058] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present disclosure that follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The description and examples are to be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure being indicated by the following claims.

[0059] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exact structures described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A material turning device, characterized in that: include: An inclined platform having an inclined surface, wherein the inclined surface has a feed side and a discharge side, wherein the feed side is higher than the discharge side, and a discharge port is provided on the discharge side, and materials can slide from the feed side to the discharge port on the inclined surface by their own gravity; A turning component, the turning component comprising a feed port, a discharge port, and a turning slide arranged in the turning component and communicating between the feed port and the discharge port, the feed port being used to receive material discharged from the discharge port of the inclined surface, the turning slide being twisted, and the material turning in the process of entering the twisted turning slide from the feed port and sliding to the discharge port under its own gravity; A positioning chute, wherein the positioning chute comprises a linear inclined chute section and a linear horizontal chute section connected to each other, one end of the linear inclined chute section is connected to the discharge port of the flip component, and the other end of the linear inclined chute section is connected to the linear horizontal chute section. The material discharged from the discharge port of the flip component always slides in an inverted state through the linear inclined chute section to the end of the linear horizontal chute section; The inclined surface of the tilting platform is provided with a first limiting side plate and a second limiting side plate opposite to each other, and the first limiting side plate and the second limiting side plate both extend from the feeding side to the discharging side; A guide bevel is provided on the inclined surface of the inclined table, and the guide bevel includes a first end and a second end relative to each other, the first end extends toward the first limiting side plate, the second end extends toward the second limiting side plate, and the first end is higher than the second end, wherein there is a gap between the second end and the second limiting side plate, and the gap forms the discharge port.

2. The material turning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The turning slide is twisted 180 degrees, and the material slides down the 180-degree twisted turning slide from the upright state when entering the feed port and turns to the discharge port to become an inverted state.

3. The material turning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cross-sectional shape of the turning slide is adapted to the shape of the material.

4. The material turning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning slot includes a first accommodating slot and a second accommodating slot that are connected to each other. The first accommodating slot is located below the second accommodating slot. The first accommodating slot is used to accommodate the pins of the capacitor, and the second accommodating slot is used to accommodate the body of the capacitor.

5. The material turning device according to claim 4, characterized in that: Also includes: a loading platform, located upstream of the tilting platform and docking with the tilting platform; The lifting mechanism is connected to the loading platform and is used to drive the loading platform to rotate relative to the tilting platform and change from a horizontal state to an inclined state, so that the material slides along the tilted loading platform to the tilting platform under the action of gravity.

6. An automatic robot system, characterized in that: include: The material turning device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the material turning device is used to turn over a first material; and the feeding device is used to convey a second material to an installation station; The robot arm is used to pick up the flipped first material, transfer the flipped first material to the installation station, and install the first material on the second material.

7. The automatic robot system according to claim 6, characterized in that Also includes: A multi-layer material box, comprising multiple layers of accommodation space for storing material trays, on which one or more third materials are placed; a conveying mechanism, wherein the feeding end of the conveying mechanism is located at the discharge side of the multi-layer material box, and the conveying mechanism drives the material box to move back and forth toward or away from the multi-layer material box, and is used to receive the material tray carrying the third material from the multi-layer material box, and convey the material tray carrying the third material to the to-be-picked position, and is used to convey the empty material tray back to the corresponding accommodation space of the multi-layer material box; A lifting mechanism, supporting the multi-layer material box and driving the multi-layer material box to rise and fall so that each layer of the multi-layer storage space corresponds to the feeding end of the conveying mechanism; A pushing mechanism, used for pushing the material tray in the multi-layer material box to the conveying mechanism; The robot is further used to pick up the third material on the material tray, transfer the third material to the installation station, and install the third material on the second material.

8. The automatic robot system according to claim 7, characterized in that Guide components are respectively provided on both sides of the feed end of the conveying mechanism, each of the guide components includes a connected straight guide portion and an arc guide portion, and the arc guide portions located on both sides of the feed end of the conveying mechanism extend toward the multi-layer material box and away from each other.

9. The automatic robot system according to claim 7, characterized in that Also includes: an image sensor, configured to identify posture information of the first material and / or third material picked up by the robot; A controller is connected to the image sensor and the robot, and is used to receive posture information of the first material and / or the third material transmitted by the image sensor, and control the robot to transport the first material and / or the third material to the installation station according to the posture information, and install the first material and / or the third material on the second material.

10. The automatic robot system according to claim 9, characterized in that The first material includes a capacitor having pins, the third material includes a choke coil, and the second material includes a printed circuit board having a hole.

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