A vertical material handling unit, method and conveyor

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of vertical material handling unit, method and conveying device, the supporting assembly of vertical material handling unit is provided with M first connectors and M*N first supports, M first connectors are enclosed to form lifting channel, and first connector is movably connected with N first supports spaced apart in vertical direction;Its lifting assembly is provided with m second connectors and m*N second supports, m second connectors are located outside lifting channel, and second connector is movably connected with N second supports spaced apart in vertical direction, M, N and m are integer greater than or equal to 2;M first supports and m second supports are respectively built into first, second support set;First support and second support are overlapped with lifting channel, and only exit lifting channel when being subjected to upward abutment force;Its drive assembly is provided with power component for driving second connector to move in vertical direction.Using vertical material handling unit to transfer workpiece can improve production efficiency.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of workpiece conveying in a workshop, and in particular to a vertical material conveying unit, a vertical material conveying method and a conveying device. BACKGROUND

[0002] Workpieces are transferred between different stations in a workshop mainly through conveyors. The conveyors can quickly convey workpieces from one station to another, thereby improving the automation level of production and the production efficiency. If the stations are at the same horizontal level, only one layer of conveyors is needed. If the stations are at different horizontal levels, multiple layers of conveyors are needed.

[0003] The common methods for transferring workpieces from a lower conveyor to an upper conveyor are: ① using a mechanical arm to grab workpieces from the lower conveyor to the upper conveyor; ② connecting the end of the lower conveyor to the beginning of the upper conveyor by a spiral conveyor; and ③ connecting the end of the lower conveyor to the beginning of the upper conveyor by an inclined conveyor. However, the mechanical arm can only grab one workpiece at a time and cannot store workpieces. When the processing efficiency of the stations corresponding to the upper and lower conveyors is inconsistent, the mechanical arm cannot serve as a buffer to coordinate the transport efficiency of the upper and lower conveyors, which may cause the conveyors to be blocked or idle, affect the continuity of production, and result in low production efficiency. The spiral or inclined conveyor occupies a large space and has a long transport distance and long transfer time, which results in low production efficiency. SUMMARY

[0004] The present application provides a vertical material conveying unit, a vertical material conveying method and a conveying device to solve the technical problem of low production efficiency caused by the method for transferring workpieces between layers of conveyors in the prior art.

[0005] The present application provides a vertical material conveying unit, a vertical material conveying method and a conveying device to solve the technical problem of low production efficiency caused by the method for transferring workpieces between layers of conveyors in the prior art.

[0006] The vertical material conveying unit comprises a supporting assembly, a lifting assembly and a driving assembly.

[0007] The supporting assembly is provided with M first connecting members and M*N first supporting members. The M first connecting members surround to form a lifting channel extending in the vertical direction. The first connecting members are movably connected with N first supporting members which are spaced apart in the vertical direction. M and N are integers greater than or equal to 2.

[0008] The lifting assembly is provided with m second connecting members and m*N second supporting members. The m second connecting members are located outside the lifting channel. The second connecting members are movably connected with N second supporting members which are spaced apart in the vertical direction. m is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0009] M first support members connected with M first connecting members respectively form a first support set, and the distance between the M first support members in the vertical direction is the shortest;

[0010] m second support members connected with m second connecting members respectively form a second support set, and the distance between the m second support members in the vertical direction is the shortest, and the first support set and the second support set are used for stably supporting the workpiece;

[0011] The first support member and the second support member are located in the lifting channel, and only when subjected to an upward abutting force, the first support member and the second support member exit the lifting channel;

[0012] The driving assembly is provided with a power member connected with the second connecting member, and the power member is used for driving the second connecting member to move in the vertical direction.

[0013] In the first possible implementation of the first aspect, the first support set and the second support set are coplanar.

[0014] In combination with the first possible implementation of the first aspect, in the second possible implementation of the first aspect, the lifting assembly is further provided with m third support members movably connected with m second connecting members respectively;

[0015] The m third support members form a third support set used for stably supporting the workpiece.

[0016] The third support members are spaced below the lowermost second support member;

[0017] The third support members overlap the lifting channel, and only when subjected to an upward abutting force, the third support members exit the lifting channel.

[0018] In combination with the second possible implementation of the first aspect, in the third possible implementation of the first aspect, the third support members and the N second support members are equally spaced.

[0019] In the fourth possible implementation of the first aspect, the first connecting member is provided with a first limiting portion used for limiting the movement range of the first support member;

[0020] The second connecting member is provided with a second limiting portion used for limiting the movement range of the second support member.

[0021] In combination with any of the above possible implementations of the first aspect, in the fifth possible implementation of the first aspect, the first support member is rotatably connected with the first connecting member; and / or

[0022] The second support member is rotatably connected with the second connecting member.

[0023] In a sixth possible implementation of the first aspect, the supporting assembly is further provided with a third connecting member.

[0024] The third connecting member is fixedly connected with the first connecting member and movably connected with the second connecting member.

[0025] The second aspect of the present application provides a vertical material conveying method, which is applicable to any possible implementation of the vertical material conveying unit of the first aspect, and comprises the following steps:

[0026] Lifting the first workpiece carried by the first first supporting member through the second supporting member;

[0027] Pushing the second first supporting member out of the lifting channel through the first workpiece in the lifting process, the first workpiece passing through the lifting channel corresponding to the second first supporting member;

[0028] When the second first supporting member enters the lifting channel again, driving the first workpiece to move downward through the second supporting member;

[0029] When the first workpiece abuts against the second first supporting member, the second first supporting member carries the first workpiece;

[0030] Pushing the second supporting member out of the lifting channel through the second workpiece carried by the first first supporting member, and then entering the lifting channel again after the second supporting member passes through the second workpiece, and corresponding to the first first supporting member.

[0031] The third aspect of the present application provides a conveying device, which comprises:

[0032] Any possible implementation of the vertical material conveying unit of the first aspect.

[0033] In a first possible implementation of the third aspect, the vertical material conveying unit further comprises an upper conveying belt and a lower conveying belt.

[0034] The upper conveying belt is connected with the lower conveying belt through the vertical material conveying unit.

[0035] From the above technical solutions, the present application has the following advantages:

[0036] The vertical material conveying unit provided by the application drives the second connecting piece to move upward through a power member, drives the second supporting piece to move upward, and further drives the first workpiece carried by the first supporting piece to move upward. The first workpiece abuts against the second first supporting piece, so that the second first supporting piece is subjected to an upward abutting force. The second first supporting piece exits the lifting channel to avoid the first workpiece. After the first workpiece passes through the lifting channel corresponding to the second first supporting piece, the first workpiece is separated from the second first supporting piece. The upward abutting force disappears. The second first supporting piece reenters the lifting channel. Then, the second connecting piece is driven to move downward through the power member, the second supporting piece is driven to move downward, and the first workpiece is driven to move downward. The first workpiece abuts against the second first supporting piece, and the second first supporting piece carries the first workpiece. After the second supporting piece is separated from the first workpiece, the second supporting piece continues to move downward, abuts against the second workpiece carried by the first first supporting piece, is subjected to an upward abutting force, exits the lifting channel to avoid the second workpiece, reenters the lifting channel after passing through the second workpiece, corresponds to the first first supporting piece, and is reset to be ready for the next material conveying. The first connecting piece surrounds the vertical lifting channel to convey the workpieces between the conveying belt layers. The vertical material conveying unit occupies less space, has a shorter conveying distance and a shorter conveying time, and can improve the production efficiency. Meanwhile, the first connecting piece is provided with a plurality of first supporting pieces to simultaneously carry a plurality of workpieces. The vertical material conveying unit can be used as a buffer zone to coordinate the conveying efficiency of the upper and lower conveying belts, avoid the blockage or idling of the conveying belt, ensure the continuity of production, and improve the production efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0037] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or the prior art description. Obviously, the drawings in the following description only show some embodiments of the application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative labor.

[0038] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a structural schematic view of a vertical material conveying unit according to an embodiment of the application;

[0039] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a structural schematic view of a corner column according to an embodiment of the application;

[0040] Figure 3 FIG. 3 is a partial structural schematic view of the corner column according to an embodiment of the application;

[0041] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is another partial structural schematic view of the corner column according to an embodiment of the application;

[0042] Figure 5 FIG. 5 is a structural schematic view of a first supporting piece according to an embodiment of the application;

[0043] wherein:

[0044] 11, first connecting piece 12, first supporting piece 121, supporting surface

[0045] 122, pushing surface 123, first protrusion 124, second protrusion

[0046] 125, third protrusion 126, reinforcing rib 13, lifting channel

[0047] 14, third connecting piece 21, second connecting piece 22, second supporting piece

[0048] 23, third supporting piece 31, power piece 32, fourth connecting piece

[0049] 33, transmission plate 4, workpiece. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The embodiment of the present application provides a vertical material conveying unit, method and conveying device, and solves the technical problem that the workpiece 4 transfer method between the conveying belt layers in the prior art leads to low production efficiency.

[0051] In order to make the purpose, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely in combination with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the following described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0052] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third" are only for the purpose of description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0053] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be explained that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connection", "linking" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be fixed connection, or replaceable connection, or integral connection, it can be mechanical connection, or electrical connection, it can be direct connection, or indirect connection through intermediate medium, it can be internal communication of two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0054] The existing common method for transferring workpieces from the lower conveyor to the upper conveyor is: ① the workpieces are grabbed from the lower conveyor to the upper conveyor by a mechanical arm; ② a spiral conveyor is arranged to connect the end of the lower conveyor with the beginning of the upper conveyor; ③ an inclined conveyor is arranged to connect the end of the lower conveyor with the beginning of the upper conveyor. The workpieces 4 are transferred between the layers of the conveyor by the mechanical arm, and the mechanical arm can only grab one workpiece at a time, and cannot store workpieces. When the machining efficiency of the workstations corresponding to the upper and lower conveyors is inconsistent, the mechanical arm cannot serve as a buffer zone to coordinate the transportation efficiency of the upper and lower conveyors, which is easy to cause the conveyors to be blocked or idle, affect the continuity of production, and result in low production efficiency. The spiral or inclined conveyor occupies a large space, and the transportation distance is long, the transfer time is long, and the production efficiency is low.

[0055] Please refer to Figures 1 to 5 The embodiment of the present application provides a vertical material conveying unit, which comprises:

[0056] The support assembly, the lifting assembly and the driving assembly; the support assembly is provided with M first connecting pieces 11 and M*N first supporting pieces 12, the M first connecting pieces 11 are arranged to form a lifting channel 13 extending in the vertical direction, the first connecting piece 11 is movably connected with N first supporting pieces 12 distributed in the vertical direction, M and N are integers greater than or equal to 2; the lifting assembly is provided with m second connecting pieces 21 and m*N second supporting pieces 22, the m second connecting pieces 21 are located outside the lifting channel 13, the second connecting piece 21 is movably connected with N second supporting pieces 22 distributed in the vertical direction, m is an integer greater than or equal to 2; M first supporting pieces 12 connected with M first connecting pieces 11 respectively form a first supporting set, the distance between M first supporting pieces 12 in the vertical direction is the shortest; m second supporting pieces 22 connected with m second connecting pieces 21 respectively form a second supporting set, the distance between m second supporting pieces 22 in the vertical direction is the shortest, the first supporting set and the second supporting set are used for stably supporting the workpiece 4; the first supporting piece 12 and the second supporting piece 22 are located in the lifting channel 13, and only when subjected to upward abutting force, the first supporting piece 12 and the second supporting piece 22 exit the lifting channel 13; the driving assembly is provided with a power piece 31 connected with the second connecting piece 21, the power piece 31 is used for driving the second connecting piece 21 to move in the vertical direction.

[0057] It should be noted that the supporting assembly is used to stabilize the workpiece 4. The first support 12 in the supporting assembly is used to directly abut the workpiece 4. When the workpiece 4 applies an upward abutting force to the first support 12, the first support 12 linearly displaces or rotates to exit the lifting channel 13. When the workpiece 4 applies a downward abutting force to the first support 12, the first support 12 stably abuts and supports the workpiece 4. The shape of the first support 12 is not specifically limited and needs to be adapted to the shape of the workpiece 4 so that it can remain stable when subjected to a downward abutting force and move to exit the lifting channel 13 when subjected to an upward abutting force. The abutting force is the force applied by the workpiece 4 to the first support 12 when they abut. The upward and downward abutting forces can be understood as the resultant force in the vertical direction generated by abutting or as the component force in the vertical direction generated by abutting. The first connecting piece 11 in the supporting assembly is used to limit the plurality of first supports 12. The shape of the first connecting piece 11 is not specifically limited and any structure that can limit the plurality of first supports 12 can be used, such as a rod-shaped structure or a plate-shaped structure. The number of first connecting pieces 11 is at least two to ensure that at least one first connecting piece 11 is arranged on each of the two opposite sides of the lifting channel 13, thereby ensuring that the workpiece 4 can be subjected to the abutting force of the first support 12 on both opposite sides and can be stably supported. The M first connecting pieces 11 surround the lifting channel 13 extending in the vertical direction. The lifting channel 13 is used for the upward and downward movement of the workpiece 4 and is adapted to the workpiece 4. The side wall of the lifting channel 13 can be continuous, such as a square or circular cylinder surrounding the lifting channel 13. In this case, the first connecting piece 11 can be understood as a circular cylinder divided into two parts along the axial direction. The side wall of the lifting channel 13 can also be discontinuous, such as four vertical straight rods on the same circumferential surface surrounding the lifting channel 13. In this case, the straight rods are the first connecting pieces 11. The first connecting piece 11 is movably connected to the N first supports 12 spaced apart in the vertical direction, i.e., one first connecting piece 11 is connected to N first supports 12, and the N first supports 12 are spaced apart in the vertical direction on the first connecting piece 11. The connection between the first connecting piece 11 and the first support 12 is movable to allow the first support 12 to linearly displace or rotate to exit the lifting channel 13 when subjected to an upward abutting force.

[0058] The lifting assembly is used to drive the workpiece 4 to move up and down in the lifting channel 13. The second support 22 in the lifting assembly has the same working principle as the first support 12 in the supporting assembly, and specific details are described above in the detailed description of the first support 12, which will not be repeated here. The shape of the second support 22 also needs to be adapted to the workpiece 4, and the shape adapted to the workpiece 4 is not single, so the shape of the second support 22 and the first support 12 can be the same or different. The second connecting piece 21 in the lifting assembly is used to limit the plurality of second supports 22; the shape of the second connecting piece 21 is not specifically limited, and any structure that can limit the plurality of second supports 22 can be used, such as a rod-shaped structure, a plate-shaped structure, etc.; the number of the second connecting piece 21 is at least two, so as to ensure that at least one second connecting piece 21 is arranged on the two opposite sides of the lifting channel 13, thereby ensuring that the two opposite sides of the workpiece 4 can be subjected to the abutting force of the second support 22, and ensuring that the workpiece 4 can be stably supported; the m second connecting pieces 21 are arranged outside the lifting channel 13, which can avoid blocking the upward and downward movement of the workpiece 4; the second connecting piece 21 is movably connected with the N second supports 22 distributed in the vertical direction, that is, the second connecting piece 21 is connected with the N second supports 22, and the N second supports 22 are distributed in the vertical direction on the second connecting piece 21; the connection between the second connecting piece 21 and the second support 22 is movable, so that when the second support 22 is subjected to the upward abutting force, it can linearly displace or rotate to exit the lifting channel 13; the number of the second connecting piece 21 and the number of the first connecting piece 11 can be the same or different.

[0059] The M first supports 12 connected with the M first connecting pieces 11 respectively form a first support set, that is, each first connecting piece 11 provides a first support 12 to participate in the construction of the first support set; the shortest distance between the M first supports 12 in the vertical direction can be understood as that there is no first support 12 that does not participate in the construction of the first support set between the first support 12 with the highest height in the first support set and the first support 12 with the lowest height in the first support set; the first support set can be a set of multiple faces, a set of multiple points, or a set of points and faces, that is, when the M first supports 12 collectively stably support the workpiece 4 in the lifting channel 13, the set of faces (and / or points) stably contacted by the M first supports 12 and the workpiece 4, the contacted faces can be planes or curved surfaces.

[0060] The m second support members 22 connected with the m second connecting members 21 respectively are constructed into a second support set, that is, each second connecting member 21 provides one second support member 22 to participate in the construction of the second support set; the distance between the m second support members 22 in the vertical direction is the shortest, which can be understood as that there is no second support member 22 not participating in the construction of the second support set between the second support member 22 with the highest height and the second support member 22 with the lowest height in the second support set; the second support set can be a set of multiple faces, a set of multiple points, or a set of points and faces, that is, when the m second support members 22 collectively stably support the workpiece 4 in the lifting channel 13, the set of faces (and / or points) in stable contact with the workpiece 4 by the m first support members 12, the contacted faces can be planes or curved surfaces.

[0061] The first support member 12 and the second support member 22 are located in the lifting channel 13 and are withdrawn from the lifting channel 13 only when subjected to an upward abutting force, that is, the first support member 12 and the second support member 22 are located in the lifting channel 13 in the absence of an upward abutting force, which can be understood as that the first support member 12 and the second support member 22 are partially located in the lifting channel 13, or that the first support member 12 and the second support member 22 are entirely located in the lifting channel 13.

[0062] The driving assembly is used to provide power for the movement of the lifting assembly. The power member 31 in the driving assembly is a power source, and the shape and structure of the power member 31 are not specifically limited, and any power source that can provide power for the movement of the second connecting member 21 in the vertical direction can be used, such as a rotary motor, a linear motor, an air cylinder, etc.

[0063] The beneficial effects of the embodiment include:

[0064] The first connecting member 11 surrounds the vertical lifting channel 13 to transfer the workpieces 4 between the conveyor belt layers, which occupies less space, has a shorter transportation distance, and shorter transfer time, thereby improving production efficiency; at the same time, by providing multiple first support members 12 on the first connecting member 11, multiple workpieces 4 can be simultaneously carried, which can serve as a buffer zone to coordinate the transportation efficiency of the upper and lower conveyor belts, avoid blockage or idling of the conveyor belt, ensure the continuity of production, and improve production efficiency.

[0065] For ease of description, the workpiece 4 is a square flat plate in the following, the shape and size of the largest face of the square flat plate are the same as the shape and size of the channel cross section of the lifting channel 13; the first support set and the second support set are both sets of multiple planes as examples for explanation and description

[0066] Preferred embodiment of the first and second support sets: The first and second support sets are coplanar, that is, when the second connecting members 21 are not moved upward, the multiple planes constituting the first support set and the multiple planes constituting the second support set are at the same level, which can also be understood as that if there is a first support member 12 at a certain position on a certain horizontal plane, there must be (M-1) first support members 12 and m second support members 22 at other positions on the same horizontal plane. Exemplarily, each first connecting member 11 is movably connected with three first support members 12 which are vertically spaced apart; in one first connecting member 11, the spacing between the lowermost first support member 12 and the middle first support member 12 in the vertical direction is a, and the spacing between the middle first support member 12 and the uppermost first support member 12 in the vertical direction is b; each second connecting member 21 is movably connected with three second support members 22 which are vertically spaced apart; in one second connecting member 21, the spacing between the lowermost second support member 22 and the middle second support member 22 in the vertical direction is a, and the spacing between the middle second support member 22 and the uppermost second support member 22 in the vertical direction is b; when the second connecting members 21 are not moved upward, the lowermost first support member 12 and the lowermost second support member 22 are at the same level.

[0067] Optimization of the lifting assembly based on the above preferred embodiment: The lifting assembly is further provided with m third support members 23 which are movably connected with the m second connecting members 21 respectively; the m third support members 23 are constructed into a third support set for stably supporting the workpiece 4; the third support members 23 are spaced below the lowermost second support member 22; the third support members 23 are located in the lifting channel 13 and only exit the lifting channel 13 when subjected to upward abutting force, that is, the working principle of the third support members 23 is the same as that of the second support members 22. By additionally providing a third support member 23 below the lowermost second support member 22, the third support member 23 can be arranged below the lower conveying belt, when the workpiece 4 flows into the lifting channel 13, the second connecting members 21 are driven to move upward, driving the third support member 23 to move upward and abut against the lower surface of the workpiece 4, so that the workpiece 4 is carried on the upwardly moving third support member 23 and is lifted to the lowermost first support member 12. Exemplarily, a third support member 23 which is identical in shape to the second support member 22 is arranged directly below the lowermost second support member 22.

[0068] Further optimization of the lifting assembly: the third support 23 and the N second supports 22 on the same second connecting member 21 are arranged at equal intervals, i.e. on the same second connecting member 21, the interval between the third support 23 and the lowermost second support 22 in the vertical direction is equal to the interval between any two adjacent second supports 22 in the vertical direction. Correspondingly, the first supports 12 on the same first connecting member 11 are arranged at equal intervals, i.e. on the same first connecting member 11, the interval between adjacent first supports 12 in the vertical direction is a constant value, and the constant value is equal to the interval between the third support 23 and the lowermost second support 22 in the vertical direction.

[0069] Preferred embodiment of the first support 12: the first support 12 is rotationally connected with the first connecting member 11. By applying an upward abutting force to the first support 12 through the workpiece 4, the first support 12 is rotated to exit the lifting channel 13, and after the upward abutting force disappears, the first support 12 is rotated under the action of its own gravity to re-enter the lifting channel 13. In this way, the first support 12 is driven to reset by its own gravity, simplifying the structure of the supporting assembly, reducing production costs, and improving the durability of the supporting assembly. For example, Figure 5As shown, the first support 12 can be regarded as a pentagon with an arc edge vertically stretched a certain distance, the pentagon is connected in sequence by one arc edge and four straight edges, the pentagon has one acute angle, two obtuse angles and one round angle, the two obtuse angles are opposite, the acute angle is opposite to the round angle, and has a set of opposite parallel straight edges, the length of the straight edge constituting the acute angle is longer than the length of the straight edge connected with the arc edge; the surface stretched by the longer parallel straight edge constituting the acute angle is the support surface 121, the surface stretched by the other straight edge constituting the acute angle is the pushing surface 122, the support surface 121 is located above the pushing surface 122, and a plurality of support surfaces 121 located on the same horizontal plane form a first support set; the first support 12 is provided with two vertical through holes penetrating the surface of the pentagon, one of the through holes is a circular through hole with a hole opening located in the middle region of the surface of the pentagon, and the other through hole is a round corner rectangular through hole with a hole opening close to the arc edge of the surface of the pentagon, the long side of the hole opening of the round corner rectangular through hole is parallel to the straight edge connected with the parallel straight edge located on the support surface and connected with the arc edge; the initial state of the first support 12 is that the support surface 121 is in a horizontal state, and the end where the acute angle of the pentagon is located is located in the lifting channel 13, when the workpiece 4 abuts against the support surface 121, i.e. the workpiece 4 is carried on the support surface 121, the first support 12 forms stable support for the workpiece 4, when the workpiece 4 abuts against the pushing surface 122, the first support 12 rotates to the side where the support surface 121 is located under the pushing of the abutting force, the end where the acute angle is located exits the lifting channel 13, when the workpiece 4 separates from the pushing surface 122, the first support 12 rotates to the side where the pushing surface 122 is located under the action of its own gravity, and the end where the acute angle is located reenters the lifting channel 13; in addition, the first support is hollowed out to the maximum extent, the result of the hollowing out is that the surface where the pentagon is located has a first protrusion 123 arranged on the edge, the hole opening edge of the round corner rectangular through hole has a second protrusion 124 arranged thereon, the hole opening edge of the circular through hole has a third protrusion 125 arranged thereon, and the outer periphery of the third protrusion is connected with four radially extending reinforcing ribs 126, one of the reinforcing ribs 126 is connected with the first protrusion corresponding to the acute angle, two of the reinforcing ribs 126 are connected with the first protrusions corresponding to the two obtuse angles respectively, and one of the reinforcing ribs 126 is connected with the second protrusion, the outer periphery of the second protrusion is further connected with two reinforcing ribs 126 extending to the first protrusions corresponding to the two straight edges connected with the arc edge, so that the first support 12 can be lightweighted to the maximum extent on the premise of ensuring the structural stability of the first support 12. At the same time, in order to reduce the manufacturing cost, the first support 12, the second support 22 and the third support 23 adopt the same structural shape.

[0070] Further optimization of the lifting assembly: the second connecting piece 21 is provided with a second limiting part for limiting the activity range of the second support piece 22. For example, a limiting groove is provided on the second connecting piece 21, and the second support piece 22 is arranged in the limiting groove; when the second support piece 22 rotates upward and completely exits the lifting channel 13, the supporting surface 121 thereof abuts against the upper wall of the limiting groove and stops rotating, thereby ensuring that the center of gravity of the second support piece 22 is always located on the side close to the lifting channel 13, and further ensuring that after the workpiece 4 is separated from the pushing surface 122, it can rotate downward under the action of gravity to reset; during the process of the second support piece 22 rotating downward under the action of its own gravity, when the supporting surface 121 thereof is in a horizontal state, the pushing surface 122 thereof abuts against the lower wall of the limiting groove and stops rotating, thereby ensuring that the supporting surface 121 can stably adhere to the bottom surface of the workpiece 4 to stably support the workpiece 4. The rotation range of the second support piece 22 is limited by the limiting groove. Meanwhile, a same limiting groove is arranged outside the third support piece 23 to limit the rotation range of the third support piece 23. In addition, the same limiting groove is also arranged on the first connecting piece as the first limiting part to limit the rotation range of the first support piece 12.

[0071] The preferred embodiment of the supporting assembly: the supporting assembly is further provided with a third connecting piece 14; the third connecting piece 14 is fixedly connected with the first connecting piece 11 and movably connected with the second connecting piece 21. The example is: the first connecting piece 11, the second connecting piece 21 and the third connecting piece 14 are all square plate structures; the lifting channel 13 is a channel with a square cross section surrounded by four corner columns; one corner column is composed of one first connecting piece 11, one second connecting piece 21 and one third connecting piece 14, in one corner column, the largest faces of the first connecting piece 11, the second connecting piece 21 and the third connecting piece 14 are parallel to each other, and the third connecting piece 14 is located between the first connecting piece 11 and the second connecting piece 21; the first connecting piece 11 is fixedly connected with the third connecting piece 14 at intervals, and the largest face of the first connecting piece 11 close to the third connecting piece 14 is provided with a plurality of first rotation shaft protrusions and second rotation shaft protrusions arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction, the first rotation shaft protrusion is a cylindrical protrusion matched with the circular through hole of the first supporting piece 12, and the second rotation shaft protrusion is a cylindrical protrusion matched with the circular rectangular through hole of the first supporting piece 12; the circular through hole and the circular rectangular through hole are matched with the first rotation shaft protrusion and the second rotation shaft protrusion respectively to realize the rotary connection of the first supporting piece 12 and the first connecting piece 11; the second connecting piece 21 is provided with a sliding protrusion close to the largest face of the third connecting piece 14, and correspondingly, the largest face of the third connecting piece 14 close to the second connecting piece 21 is provided with a vertical groove matched with the sliding protrusion, the sliding protrusion is accommodated in the groove to realize the sliding connection of the second connecting piece 21 and the third connecting piece 14, and a plurality of first rotation shaft protrusions and second rotation shaft protrusions arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction are also arranged on the largest face of the second connecting piece 21 away from the third connecting piece 14 to realize the rotary connection with the second supporting piece 22.

[0072] The preferred embodiment of the driving assembly: in order to realize the synchronous up-down movement of the four second connecting pieces 21, a fourth connecting piece 32 is added to the driving assembly, the fourth connecting piece 32 is a square frame structure composed of four vertical square rods, the four corners of the square frame structure are fixedly connected with the top ends of the four second connecting pieces 21, the middle regions of the two parallel square rods of the square frame structure are connected through a transmission plate 33, the middle region of the transmission plate 33 is connected with a motor, more specifically, the motor is connected with a cam through a bearing, the cam drives the transmission plate 33 to move up and down with the same stroke, thereby driving the second supporting piece 22 to move down to reset after moving up by a constant distance each time. The periodic motion of the second supporting piece 22 in the vertical direction is controlled by the cam, thereby realizing precise and simple control.

[0073] Embodiment two

[0074] The embodiment of the application provides a vertical material conveying method, which is suitable for any vertical material conveying unit provided in the embodiment one, and the vertical material conveying method comprises the following steps:

[0075] Lifting the first workpiece 4 carried by the first first support 12 through the second support 22;

[0076] The second first support 12 is pushed out of the lifting channel 13 by the first workpiece 4 in lifting, and the first workpiece 4 passes through the lifting channel 13 corresponding to the second first support 12; when the second first support 12 enters the lifting channel 13 again, the first workpiece 4 is driven downward by the second support 22; when the first workpiece 4 abuts against the second first support 12, the second first support 12 carries the first workpiece 4; the second workpiece 4 carried by the first first support 12 pushes the second support 22 out of the lifting channel 13, and the second support 22 enters the lifting channel 13 again after passing through the second workpiece 4 and corresponds to the first first support 12.

[0077] It should be noted that the first first support 12 and the second first support 12 are any two adjacent first supports 12 on the same first connecting piece 11, wherein the first first support 12 is located below, and the second first support 12 is located above; the first workpiece 4 and the second workpiece 4 are any two adjacent workpieces 4 in the lifting channel 13, wherein the first workpiece 4 is located above the second workpiece 4; the above method process only describes the action process of one of the first supports 12 constituting the first support set and the action process of one of the second supports 22 constituting the second support set, and in actual execution, all the first supports 12 constituting the first support set should execute the same action at the same time, and all the second supports 22 constituting the second support set should execute the same action at the same time.

[0078] Embodiment three

[0079] The embodiment of the application provides a conveying device, which comprises any vertical material conveying unit provided in the embodiment one.

[0080] Specifically, the conveying device further comprises: a top conveying belt and a bottom conveying belt which are parallel to each other; the top conveying belt is connected with the bottom conveying belt through the vertical material conveying unit, that is, the second support 22 in the uppermost layer of the vertical material conveying unit lifts the workpiece 4 carried by the first support 12 in the uppermost layer to the top conveying belt, and the second support 22 (or the third support 23) in the lowermost layer lifts the workpiece 4 carried by the bottom conveying belt and located in the lifting channel 13 to the adjacent first support 12 (or the third support 23 lifts the workpiece 4 carried by the bottom conveying belt and located in the lifting channel 13 to the first support 12 in the lowermost layer).

[0081] The embodiments in the specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the difference from other embodiments, and the same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0082] The above examples are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and are not intended to limit the present application; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing examples can be modified, or some technical features can be replaced by equivalent features; and these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A vertical material conveying unit, characterized in that, include: Support components, lifting components, and drive components; The support component is provided with M first connectors and M*N first supports. The M first connectors form a lifting channel extending in the vertical direction. The first connectors are movably connected to the N first supports that are spaced apart in the vertical direction. M and N are integers greater than or equal to 2. The lifting assembly is provided with m second connecting members and m*N second supporting members. The m second connecting members are located outside the lifting channel. The second connecting members are movably connected to the N second supporting members that are distributed at intervals along the vertical direction. m is an integer greater than or equal to 2. M first support members, each connected to one of the M first connectors, form a first support set, wherein the M first support members are spaced apart by the shortest distance in the vertical direction. The m second support members, each connected to one of the m second connectors, form a second support set. The m second support members are spaced apart in the vertical direction with the shortest possible distance. The first support set and the second support set are used to stably support the workpiece. Both the first support member and the second support member are located in the lifting channel, and they only retract from the lifting channel when subjected to an upward resisting force; The drive assembly includes a fourth connector, a motor, a cam, and a transmission plate. The fourth connector is constructed as a square frame structure formed by four square rods connected vertically. The four corners of the square frame structure are fixedly connected to the tops of four of the m second connectors. The middle area of ​​the two parallel square rods of the square frame structure is connected through the transmission plate. The motor drives the transmission plate to move up and down by the same stroke via the cam, thereby driving the four second connecting members to move the second support members on the four second connecting members periodically in the vertical direction.

2. The vertical material conveying unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first support set and the second support set are coplanar.

3. A vertical material conveying unit according to any one of claims 2, characterized in that: The lifting assembly is also provided with m third support members that are movably connected to m second connecting members respectively; m of the third support members are configured to form a third support set for stably supporting the workpiece; The third support member is spaced apart and positioned below the lowest second support member; The third support overlaps with the lifting channel and exits the lifting channel only when subjected to an upward resisting force.

4. A vertical material conveying unit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The third support member and N second support members are distributed at equal intervals.

5. A vertical material conveying unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first connector is provided with a first limiting part for limiting the range of motion of the first support member; The second connector is provided with a second limiting part for limiting the range of motion of the second support member.

6. A vertical material conveying unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The first support member is rotatably connected to the first connector; and / or The second support member is rotatably connected to the second connecting member.

7. A vertical material conveying unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The support component is also provided with a third connector; The third connector is fixedly connected to the first connector and movably connected to the second connector.

8. A vertical material conveying method, characterized in that, The vertical material handling unit applicable to any one of claims 1 to 7 comprises: The first workpiece, which is supported by the first support, is lifted by the second support member; The first workpiece being lifted pushes the second first support out of the lifting channel, and the first workpiece passes through the lifting channel corresponding to the second first support. When the second first support member enters the lifting channel again, the second support member drives the first workpiece to move downward. When the first workpiece abuts against the second first support member, the second first support member carries the first workpiece. The second workpiece, supported by the first first support member, pushes the second support member out of the lifting channel. After passing the second workpiece, the second support member re-enters the lifting channel and corresponds to the first first support member.

9. A conveying device, characterized in that, include: The vertical material handling unit as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A conveying device according to claim 9, characterized in that, Also includes: Upper conveyor belt and lower conveyor belt; The upper conveyor belt is connected to the lower conveyor belt through the vertical material handling unit.

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