Automatic loading and unloading device and method and tray chip material automatic loading system

Abstract

An automatic loading and unloading device and method, and an automatic loading system for tray chip materials, are disclosed. The automatic loading and unloading device includes: a movable frame having a first area and a second area distributed left and right along the X-axis; a material handling device disposed in the first area, including a lifting mechanism, a transfer mechanism, a rotating mechanism, and a conveying mechanism, wherein the lifting mechanism is connected to the transfer mechanism, and the conveying mechanism, the rotating mechanism, and the transfer mechanism are stacked and connected from top to bottom along the Z-axis; the conveying mechanism is configured to reciprocate in the conveying direction to pick up and place materials, the rotating mechanism is configured to rotate the conveying mechanism relative to the transfer mechanism in the rotating direction, the lifting mechanism is configured to move the transfer mechanism up and down in the Z-axis direction, and the transfer mechanism is configured to cause the rotating mechanism to reciprocate in the X-axis direction; and a buffer device disposed in the second area, including a buffer box and a buffer box positioning platform; the buffer box is removably / insertable and disposed on top of the buffer box positioning platform.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent manufacturing, and in particular to an automatic loading and unloading device and method and an automatic loading system for tray chip materials. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in the fields of intelligent manufacturing and intelligent logistics, factories are increasingly moving towards a workforce-less model due to the increasing level of automation.

[0003] Currently, the chip loading process in an automated SMT (Surface Mount Technology) production line is as follows: the operator manually opens the cabinet door of the loading equipment, removes the tray without chips (also known as a tray), places a full chip tray in, closes the cabinet door of the loading equipment, and then clicks the loading completion button on the loading equipment to complete the chip loading.

[0004] To address challenges such as ensuring chip undamaged operation, precise positioning and docking, anti-collision measures during precision chip movement, and data interaction between the machine and the MES (Manufacturing Execution System), chip loading and unloading are currently done manually. However, manual operation suffers from pain points such as high replacement rate, cumbersome procedures, and high labor costs.

[0005] Therefore, how to achieve 100% automation of SMT production lines to complete the last mile of material transportation and help factories build advanced SMT intelligent production lines has become an urgent problem to be solved in the industry. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic loading and unloading device and method and an automatic loading system for tray chip materials, which can solve one or more defects of the prior art and realize the automation of SMT production lines.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, according to an embodiment of the present invention, an automatic loading and unloading device is provided, comprising: a movable frame having a first region and a second region distributed left and right along the X-axis; a material handling device disposed in the first region, the material handling device including a lifting mechanism, a transferring mechanism, a rotating mechanism, and a conveying mechanism, the lifting mechanism being connected to the transferring mechanism, the conveying mechanism, the rotating mechanism, and the transferring mechanism being stacked and connected from top to bottom along the Z-axis, wherein the conveying mechanism is configured to reciprocate in the conveying direction to handle materials, the rotating mechanism is configured to rotate the conveying mechanism relative to the transferring mechanism in the rotating direction, the lifting mechanism is configured to move the transferring mechanism up and down in the Z-axis direction, and the transferring mechanism is configured to reciprocate the rotating mechanism in the X-axis direction; and a buffer device disposed in the second region, the buffer device including a buffer box and a buffer box positioning platform; the buffer box is removably / insertable disposed on top of the buffer box positioning platform.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the automatic loading and unloading device further includes one or more of the following systems: an optical self-calibration system configured to correct the position of the automatic loading and unloading device based on the relative position information between the automatic loading and unloading device and the loading device; a restart self-recovery system configured to, after a power failure and restart, automatically return the material handling device to its position before the power failure based on historical data before the power failure; a material handling force control system configured to detect first position information of whether the material is placed in place and / or resistance information of the material during the handling process, and control the movement of the transmission mechanism based on the first position information and / or the resistance information; and a vertical position positioning system configured to position the vertical position of the material on the transmission mechanism relative to a section of the buffer device.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the optical self-calibration system includes: a first optical marker point disposed on the loading device; a camera disposed at the center of the side of the rotating mechanism facing the loading device and configured to acquire second position information of the first optical marker point; and a first control system configured to generate a first control command based on the second position information to control the movement of the transmission mechanism, the rotating mechanism, and / or the transplanting mechanism.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first optical marker point includes one or more infrared LED light sources; the camera is an infrared camera.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first optical marker point includes a plurality of infrared LED light sources, and the optical self-calibration system further includes: a tilt adjustment mechanism connected to the rotation mechanism, the tilt adjustment mechanism being able to adjust the tilt of the rotation mechanism in the X-axis direction.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the historical data before the power outage is stored in the database of an industrial control computer, which can automatically return the material handling device to its position before the power outage based on the historical data before the power outage.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the industrial control computer is further configured to store the operating data of the automatic loading and unloading equipment and / or the interaction data with the outside world.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the material handling force control system includes: a first force sensor disposed at the front end of the transmission mechanism, configured to acquire first position information indicating whether the material is placed in place, and / or acquire resistance information of the material during the handling process; and a second control system configured to generate a second control command based on the first position information and / or the resistance information to control the reciprocating motion of the transmission mechanism.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the vertical position positioning system includes: a scanning and ranging mechanism for rotating around an origin, the origin being the center point of the rotating mechanism and having an initial facing direction, for scanning and ranging multiple scanning points on the left and right sides of the vertical position of the cross-section of the buffer device from the origin to obtain corresponding multiple scanning results; and an analysis unit for analyzing the multiple scanning results to obtain scanning points with equal scanning results in the regions on the left and right sides of the vertical position as reference points, and analyzing the deflection angle between the initial facing direction and the vertical position based on the reference points; wherein, the rotating mechanism is further configured to rotate the deflection angle so that the facing direction of the material loaded on the conveying mechanism is perpendicular to the cross-section.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the movable frame includes: a frame structure, a housing mounted on the frame structure, and casters mounted on the frame structure.

[0017] In one embodiment of the invention, the caster is an adjustable caster configured to adjust its height in the Z-axis direction.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the movable rack further includes: a first cabinet door that can be electrically controlled, corresponding to the first area; and / or a second cabinet door that can be electrically controlled, corresponding to the second area; and an electric control mechanism that is electrically connected to the first cabinet door and / or the second cabinet door and configured to control the first cabinet door and / or the second cabinet door to automatically open or close.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the movable rack further includes a first opening formed on one side of the movable rack and configured to allow the transmission mechanism to enter and exit.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, the lifting mechanism includes: a first linear slide rail arranged along the Z-axis direction, and a first slider disposed thereon; a first ball screw arranged parallel to the first linear slide rail; a lifting receiving plate connected to both the first ball screw and the first slider, and supporting the transplanting mechanism; and a first motor drivenly connected to the first ball screw, wherein the first motor can drive the first ball screw to make the lifting receiving plate slide up and down.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, there are two first linear slide rails, each of which is mounted on one side of the movable frame via a slide rail base plate; and / or, the first ball screw is located between the two first linear slide rails and is fixedly mounted via a fixed base plate.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, the transplanting mechanism includes: two fixed side plates, one side of each fixed side plate being connected to the lifting receiving plate; a second linear slide rail arranged along the X-axis direction, and a second slider disposed thereon; a second ball screw arranged parallel to the second linear slide rail; a translational base plate fixedly connected to the fixed side plates, wherein the fixed side plates, the second linear slide rail, and the second ball screw are all arranged parallel to each other and from the outside to the inside on the translational base plate; and a second motor drivenly connected to the second ball screw, the second motor being capable of driving the second ball screw to move along the X-axis direction.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present invention, the second linear slide rail includes two second linear slide rails, the two fixed side plates are located on the outermost sides of the translation base plate, the two second linear slide rails are located between the two fixed side plates, and the second ball screw is located between the two second linear slide rails.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, the rotating mechanism includes: a rotating base plate connected to the second ball screw and the second slider; a first synchronous pulley disposed on the front side of the rotating base plate; a second synchronous pulley disposed in the center of the front side of the rotating base plate; a first synchronous belt connecting the first synchronous pulley and the second synchronous pulley; a rotating receiving plate connected to the flange side of the second synchronous pulley; and a third motor disposed on the back side of the rotating base plate and drivenly connected to the first synchronous pulley. The third motor can drive the first synchronous pulley to rotate and drive the second synchronous pulley to rotate synchronously through the first synchronous belt. The second synchronous pulley further drives the rotating receiving plate to rotate between the first workstation and the second workstation.

[0025] In one embodiment of the present invention, the rotating mechanism further includes a plurality of first pillars, which are evenly disposed on the front edge of the rotating receiving plate to support the connection of the transmission mechanism.

[0026] In one embodiment of the present invention, the transmission mechanism includes a power component, a linkage transmission component, and a material gripper assembly; the power component is connected to the linkage transmission component and drives the linkage transmission component to reciprocate along the transmission direction; the material gripper assembly is disposed at the front end of the linkage transmission component and is used to pick up and place the material.

[0027] In one embodiment of the present invention, the transmission mechanism is disposed on a transmission workbench, the transmission workbench having a front and a back facing each other, the power assembly being disposed on the back side of the transmission workbench, and the linkage transmission assembly being disposed on the front side of the transmission workbench.

[0028] In one embodiment of the present invention, the buffer box positioning platform includes: a buffer box receiving platform fixed to the second region; a guide block disposed in the center of the front of the buffer box receiving platform along the guiding direction, configured to cooperate with the guide groove at the bottom of the buffer box to guide the buffer box into and place it on the buffer box receiving platform; a baffle plate located at the end of the guide block and connected to the side of the buffer box receiving platform for limiting the storage of the buffer box; a positioning cylinder having a positioning push rod that is inserted into the positioning hole at the bottom of the buffer box; and a transplanting cylinder having a transplanting push rod connected to the positioning cylinder, wherein the transplanting cylinder is configured to drive the positioning cylinder to insert its positioning push rod into the positioning hole, and the positioning cylinder drives the buffer box to slide to the storage position.

[0029] In one embodiment of the present invention, the buffer box positioning platform further includes four positioning pillars for fixing the buffer box receiving platform to the bottom of the movable frame.

[0030] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention further provides an automatic loading and unloading method, comprising:

[0031] Configure the automatic loading and unloading equipment as described above;

[0032] Move the automatic loading and unloading equipment to be opposite to the loading equipment, and adjust one or more states of the automatic loading and unloading equipment to put it into a ready-to-work state;

[0033] The automatic loading and unloading equipment can use its picking and placing device to retrieve a tray containing chips from the storage compartment of the buffer box and place it into the loading equipment to complete the automatic loading of the chips; or, it can retrieve an empty tray from the loading equipment and place it into the storage compartment of the buffer box to complete the automatic unloading of the tray.

[0034] In another embodiment of the present invention, adjusting one or more states of the automatic loading and unloading device includes: correcting the position of the automatic loading and unloading device according to the relative position information between the automatic loading and unloading device and the loading device.

[0035] In another embodiment of the present invention, the automatic loading and unloading method further includes: after the automatic loading and unloading equipment is powered off and restarted, the material handling device is automatically returned to its position before the power failure based on historical data before the power failure.

[0036] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an automatic tray chip loading system, comprising: an automatic loading and unloading device as described above; and a loading device; wherein, by means of the picking and placing device of the automatic loading and unloading device, a tray containing chips can be taken from the storage cell of the buffer box and placed into the loading device to complete the automatic loading of the chips; or, an empty tray can be taken from the loading device and placed into the storage cell of the buffer box to complete the automatic unloading of the tray.

[0037] This invention employs an innovative tray chip automatic loading and unloading device to complete the last mile of material transportation, enabling factories to build advanced SMT intelligent production lines and achieve 100% automation of SMT production lines.

[0038] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0039] The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from a detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] Figure 1AThis is a schematic diagram of the automatic feeding system for Tray disk chip materials according to the present invention;

[0041] Figure 1B This is a schematic diagram of the automatic loading and unloading equipment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 1C This is a schematic diagram of the automatic loading and unloading equipment of the present invention after the cabinet door has been removed;

[0043] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the material handling device in the automatic loading and unloading equipment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 3A for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism in the material handling device is shown.

[0045] Figure 3B for Figure 2 The diagram shows the structural schematic of the transplanting mechanism in the material handling device.

[0046] Figure 3C for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the rotating mechanism in the material handling device shown;

[0047] Figure 3D and Figure 3E They are respectively Figure 2 The diagram shows the front and back structures of the conveying mechanism in the material handling device.

[0048] Figure 3F for Figure 1C A schematic diagram of the buffer device in the automatic loading and unloading equipment shown.

[0049] Figure 3G for Figure 3F A schematic diagram of the cache bin positioning platform in the cache device shown;

[0050] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the tilt adjustment mechanism in the optical self-calibration system of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the Tray disk of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the automatic loading and unloading method of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0053] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that the invention will be thorough and complete, and the concept of the exemplary embodiments will be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore their detailed description will be omitted.

[0054] In describing the elements / components / etc. described and / or illustrated herein, the terms “a,” “an,” “the,” “the,” and “at least one” are used to indicate the presence of one or more elements / components / etc. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are used to indicate an open-ended inclusion and to mean that additional elements / components / etc. may exist in addition to those listed. Relative terms, such as “upper” or “lower,” may be used in the embodiments to describe the relative relationship of one component of the icon to another component. It is understood that if the device of the icon is flipped so that it is upside down, the component described as being on the “upper” side will become the component on the “lower” side. Furthermore, the terms “first,” “second,” etc., in the claims are used only as illustrative marks and are not intended to limit the number of objects to which they apply.

[0055] like Figures 1A-1C As shown, the automatic tray chip feeding system 1000 of the present invention may include an automatic loading and unloading device 100 (such as...) Figure 1B and Figure 1C (as shown) and loading device 200. In one embodiment of the present invention, the automatic loading and unloading device 100 may include, for example, a movable frame 10, a picking and placing device 20, and a buffer device 30. In other embodiments, the automatic loading and unloading device 100 may further include, for example, one or more of an optical self-calibration system 40, a restart self-recovery system 50, a picking and placing force control system 60, and a vertical position positioning system 70. In the present invention, the picking and placing device 20 of the automatic loading and unloading device 100 can be used to load materials from the storage cell 311 of the buffer box 31 (see...) Figure 3F Remove the Tray 300 containing the chip from the tray. Figure 5 (As shown) and placed into the loading device 200 to complete the automatic chip loading. Alternatively, the loading and unloading device 20 of the automatic loading and unloading device 100 can remove an empty tray 300 from the loading device 200 and place it into the storage cell 311 of the buffer box 31 to complete the automatic unloading of the tray 300. Figure 5 As shown, the Tray disk 300 may have a length L, a width W and a height H, and one end also has a clamping part 301.

[0056] like Figures 1B-1C As shown, in the automatic loading and unloading device 100 of the present invention, the interior of the movable frame 10 has a first region 11 and a second region 12 distributed left and right along the X-axis. In some embodiments of the present invention, the movable frame 10 may include, for example, a frame structure 13, a housing 14 mounted on the frame structure 13, and casters 15 mounted on the frame structure 13. Preferably, the frame structure 13 may be a profile structure; the casters 15 may be adjustable casters, which may be configured to adjust the height in the Z-axis direction. In some embodiments of the present invention, the movable frame 10 may further include an electrically controllable first cabinet door 16 and / or an electrically controllable second cabinet door 17, and an electric control mechanism (not shown). The first cabinet door 16 is provided, for example, corresponding to the first region 11, and the second cabinet door 17 is provided, for example, corresponding to the second region 12. The electric control mechanism may be electrically connected to the first cabinet door 16 and / or the second cabinet door 17, and may be configured to control the first cabinet door 16 and / or the second cabinet door 17 to automatically open or close. In this invention, the movable frame 10 further includes a first opening 18, which is formed, for example, on one side of the movable frame 10 (e.g., Figure 1C On the back of the automatic loading and unloading device 100 shown, and can be configured for the conveying mechanism 24 of the loading and unloading device 20 to enter and exit.

[0057] like Figure 1C As shown, in the automatic loading and unloading equipment 100 of the present invention, the material handling device 20 is disposed in the first region 11. (Referring to the reference...) Figure 2 The material handling device 20 may include, for example, a lifting mechanism 21, a transferring mechanism 22, a rotating mechanism 23, and a conveying mechanism 24. The lifting mechanism 21 may be connected to the transferring mechanism 22. The conveying mechanism 24, the rotating mechanism 23, and the transferring mechanism 22 are stacked and connected from top to bottom along the Z-axis. Furthermore, the conveying mechanism 24 may be configured to reciprocate in the conveying direction T to handle materials, such as a tray 300 (e.g., Figure 5 (As shown). The rotating mechanism 23 can be configured to cause the transmission mechanism 24 to rotate relative to the transplanting mechanism 22 in the rotation direction R. The lifting mechanism 21 can be configured to cause the transplanting mechanism 22 to move up and down in the Z-axis direction. The transplanting mechanism 22 can be configured to cause the rotating mechanism 23 to reciprocate in the X-direction.

[0058] like Figure 2As shown, the conveying mechanism 24 is, for example, in the first position D1, and its conveying direction T is in the same direction as the X-axis in the figure. In this state, the conveying mechanism 24 can reciprocate along the conveying direction T (i.e., the X-axis direction) to pick up and put materials into the buffer box 31. When the rotating mechanism 23 rotates, it drives the conveying mechanism 24 to rotate relative to the transfer mechanism 22 from the first position D1 to the second position D2 in the rotation direction R, that is, the conveying mechanism 24 is rotated counterclockwise, for example, 90 degrees. At this time, the conveying direction T of the conveying mechanism 24 also changes accordingly, that is, it becomes the conveying direction T' shown by the dotted line in the figure (in the same direction as the Y-axis in the figure). In this state, the conveying mechanism 24 can reciprocate along the conveying direction T (i.e., the Y-axis direction) to load the feeding device 200 (e.g., Figure 1A (As shown) Take and put materials.

[0059] like Figure 1C As shown, in conjunction with reference Figure 3F In the automatic loading and unloading equipment 100 of the present invention, the buffer device 30 is disposed in the second area 12 and may include a buffer box 31 and a buffer box positioning platform 32. The buffer box 31 has multiple storage compartments 311 (e.g., ...). Figure 3F As shown in the diagram, the buffer box 31 is removably / insertable and positioned on top of the buffer box positioning platform 32. For example, the buffer box 31 can be positioned along... Figure 3F The Y-axis direction shown is either removed or inserted.

[0060] like Figure 3A As shown, in conjunction with reference Figure 2 In one embodiment of the present invention, the lifting mechanism 21 may include, for example, a first linear slide rail 211, a first ball screw 212, a lifting receiving plate 213, and a first motor 214. The first linear slide rail 211 is arranged along the Z-axis and a first slider 2111 is also provided thereon. The first ball screw 212 is arranged parallel to the first linear slide rail 211. The lifting receiving plate 213 is connected to both the first ball screw 212 and the first slider 2111, and is used to support the transplanting mechanism 22. The first motor 214 is driven by the first ball screw 212, and can drive the first ball screw 212 to make the lifting receiving plate 213 slide up and down along the Z-axis.

[0061] Preferably, there may be two first linear slide rails 211. Each first linear slide rail 211 can be mounted on one side of the movable frame 10 via a slide rail base plate 216, for example, by cooperating with the frame structure 13 of the movable frame 10. Figure 1COn the left side of the slide. The first ball screw 212 is located between the two first linear guides 211 and can be fixedly installed by the base plate 215.

[0062] like Figure 3B As shown, in conjunction with reference Figure 2 In one embodiment of the present invention, the transplanting mechanism 22 may include two fixed side plates 221, a second linear slide rail 222, a second ball screw 223, a translational base plate 224, and a second motor 225. One side of each fixed side plate 221 may be connected to the lifting receiving plate 213. The second linear slide rail 222 may be arranged along the X-axis direction, and a second slider 2221 is also provided thereon. The second ball screw 223 is arranged parallel to the second linear slide rail 222. The translational base plate 224 is fixedly connected to the fixed side plates 221, and the fixed side plates 221, the second linear slide rail 222, and the second ball screw 223 are all parallel to each other and arranged from the outside to the inside on the translational base plate 224. The second motor 225 is driven by the second ball screw 223 and can drive the second ball screw 223 to move along the X-axis direction.

[0063] Preferably, the second linear slide rail 222 includes, for example, two second linear slide rails 222, the two fixed side plates 221 are located on the outermost sides of the translation base plate 224, the two second linear slide rails 222 are located between the two fixed side plates 221, and the second ball screw 223 is located between the two second linear slide rails 222.

[0064] like Figure 3C As shown, in conjunction with reference Figure 2In one embodiment of the present invention, the rotating mechanism 23 may include, for example, a rotating base plate 231, a first synchronous pulley 232, a second synchronous pulley 233, a first synchronous belt 234, a rotating receiving plate 235, and a third motor 236. The rotating base plate 231 may be connected to the second ball screw 223 and the second slider 2221. The first synchronous pulley 232 may be disposed on the front side of the rotating base plate 231. The second synchronous pulley 233 may be disposed in the center of the front side of the rotating base plate 231. The first synchronous belt 234 connects the first synchronous pulley 232 and the second synchronous pulley 233. The rotating receiving plate 235 is connected to the flange side of the second synchronous pulley 233. The third motor 236 is located on the back of the rotating base plate 231 and is driven to connect with the first synchronous wheel 232. The third motor 236 can drive the first synchronous wheel 232 to rotate and drive the second synchronous wheel 233 to rotate synchronously through the first synchronous belt 234. The second synchronous wheel 233 further drives the rotating receiving plate 235 to rotate between the first station (e.g., the station corresponding to picking up and placing materials to the buffer device 30) and the second station (e.g., the station corresponding to picking up and placing materials to the feeding device 200).

[0065] Preferably, the rotating mechanism 23 may further include a plurality of first support pillars 237, which may be evenly arranged on the front edge of the rotating receiving plate 235 to support and connect the transmission mechanism 24. In some embodiments of the present invention, the number of first support pillars 237 is preferably four. It is understood that the number and position of the first support pillars 237 can be flexibly set, and the present invention does not impose any limitations.

[0066] like Figure 3D and Figure 3E As shown, in conjunction with reference Figure 2 In one embodiment of the present invention, the transmission mechanism 24 may include, for example, a power component 241, a linkage transmission component 242, and a material gripper assembly 243. The power component 241 is connected to the linkage transmission component 242 and can drive the linkage transmission component 242 to reciprocate along the transmission direction T. The material gripper assembly 243 is disposed at the front end F of the linkage transmission component 243 and is used to pick up and place materials, such as a tray 300 (e.g., Figure 5 (As shown).

[0067] Preferably, the transmission mechanism 24 is mounted on a transmission worktable 244. The transmission worktable 244 has opposing front faces 2441 (e.g., ...). Figure 3D (as shown) and back 2442 (as shown) Figure 3E(As shown). The power assembly 241 can be disposed on one side of the back 2442 of the transmission worktable 244, and the linkage transmission assembly 242 can be disposed on one side of the front 2441 of the transmission worktable 244.

[0068] In one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 3E As shown, the power assembly 241 may include, for example, a motor 2411, a first synchronous pulley 2412, a second synchronous pulley 2413, a synchronous belt 2414, a linear guide rail 2415, a third slider 2416, and a receiving plate 2417. The first synchronous pulley 2412 and the second synchronous pulley 2413 are respectively disposed at the rear end B and front end F of the transmission worktable 244 along the transmission direction T, and are connected by the synchronous belt 2414. The motor 2411 is connected to the first synchronous pulley 2412 and is disposed at the rear end B of the transmission worktable 244. The linear guide rail 2415 is disposed on the back end 2442 of the transmission worktable 244. The receiving plate 2417 is connected to the synchronous belt 2414 and the third slider 2416 disposed on the linear guide rail 2415, and is connected to the linkage transmission assembly 242, for driving the linkage transmission assembly 242 to reciprocate along the transmission direction T.

[0069] like Figure 3D As shown, the linkage transmission assembly 242 can drive the material gripper assembly 243 to reciprocate along the transmission direction T. The material gripper assembly 243 may include, for example, a gripper 2431 and a moving device 2432 connected to the gripper 2431. The moving device 2432 can control the gripper 2431 to move along the movement direction M (in...). Figure 3D The gripper 2431 moves in the same direction as the X-axis to clamp or release the material, for example, with the tray 300 (e.g., in the same direction as the X-axis) .... Figure 5 The clamping part 301 on one end (as shown) engages to clamp or release the object. The transmission direction T is perpendicular to the movement direction M.

[0070] In some embodiments of the present invention, the conveying mechanism 24 may further include a pair of material receiving blocks 245, which may be disposed on the front surface 2441 of the conveying worktable 244. Each of the material receiving blocks 245 extends along the conveying direction T and is disposed opposite to each other on the left and right sides of the conveying worktable 244 for receiving the material being taken out. In other embodiments, the conveying mechanism 24 may further include support rollers 246, which may be disposed at the front end F of the front surface of the conveying worktable 244 for assisting in supporting the material being taken out. The conveying mechanism 24 may further include a photoelectric sensor 247 disposed at the front end F of the conveying worktable 244 for detecting the material being picked up or placed.

[0071] like Figure 3GAs shown, in conjunction with reference Figure 3F as well as Figure 1C In one embodiment of the present invention, the buffer box positioning platform 32 may include, for example, a buffer box receiving platform 321, a guide block 322, a baffle plate 323, a positioning cylinder 324, and a transfer cylinder 325. The buffer box receiving platform 321 is fixed to the second region 12. The guide block 322 is disposed in the center of the front of the buffer box receiving platform 321 along the guiding direction G (same as the Y-axis direction in the figure) and can be configured to cooperate with the guide groove 312 at the bottom of the buffer box 31 to guide the buffer box 31 into and place it on the buffer box receiving platform 321. The baffle plate 323 is located at the end of the guide block 322 and connected to the side of the buffer box receiving platform 321, used for limiting the storage position of the buffer box 31. The positioning cylinder 324 has a positioning push rod that can be inserted into the positioning hole (not shown in the figure) at the bottom of the buffer box 31. The transplanting cylinder 325 has a transplanting push rod, which can be connected to the positioning cylinder 324. The transplanting cylinder 325 can be configured to drive the positioning cylinder 324 so that its positioning push rod is inserted into a positioning hole at the bottom of the buffer box 31, and the positioning cylinder 324 drives the buffer box 31 to slide to the storage position.

[0072] Preferably, the buffer box positioning platform 32 may further include four positioning supports 326 for connecting the buffer box receiving platform 321 to the movable frame 10 (e.g., Figure 1C The bottom is fixedly connected (as shown).

[0073] In this invention, the optical self-calibration system 40 can be configured to correct the position of the automatic loading and unloading device 100 based on the relative position information between the automatic loading and unloading device 100 and the loading device 200.

[0074] In one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1A As shown, the optical self-calibration system 40 may include, for example, a first optical marker 41, a camera 42, and a first control system (not shown). The first optical marker 41 is disposed on the loading device 200. Preferably, the first optical marker 41 may include one or more infrared LED light sources, for example... Figure 1AThe system may include three infrared LED light sources. The camera 42, for example, may be an infrared camera, positioned at the center of the side of the rotating mechanism 23 facing the loading device 200, and configured to acquire second position information of the first optical marker point 41. The first control system may be configured to generate a first control command based on the second position information to control the movement of the transmission mechanism 24, the rotating mechanism 23, and / or the transfer mechanism 22. For example, the optical self-calibration system 40 may control the second motor 225 to drive the second ball screw 223 through the first control system, completing the horizontal self-calibration between the automatic loading / unloading device 100 and the loading device 200.

[0075] In other embodiments, the first optical marker 41 may, for example, comprise a plurality of infrared LED light sources, and the optical self-calibration system 40 may further include, for example, a tilt adjustment mechanism 43 (e.g., Figure 4 As shown), it is connected to the rotating mechanism 23 and can adjust the tilt of the rotating mechanism 23 in the X-axis direction. Figure 4 As shown, the tilt adjustment mechanism 43 may include, for example, a fixed base 431, a rotating mechanism 432, and a moving mechanism 433. The fixed base 431 may be, for example, the translation base plate 224 of the transplanting mechanism 22, and is rotatably connected to the rotating base plate 231 of the rotating mechanism 23. The rotating mechanism 432 is mounted on the fixed base 431. The moving mechanism 433 connects the rotating mechanism 432 and the rotating mechanism 23, and is configured to convert the rotation generated by the rotating mechanism 432 into rotation along a second direction F2 (e.g., which may be connected to...). Figure 1C Parallel movement (where the Z-axis direction is the same as the first direction F1), wherein the second direction F2 is perpendicular to the first direction F1 (e.g., it can be parallel to the first direction F1). Figure 1C (The X-axis direction is the same as the X-axis direction), the moving mechanism 433 can drive the rotating mechanism 23 to move along the second direction F2 to adjust the tilt of the rotating mechanism 23 in the first direction F1.

[0076] Preferably, the rotating mechanism 432 may include, for example, a drive unit 4321, a bearing support 4322, a bearing 4323, a threaded sleeve 4324, a first pulley 4325, a second pulley 4326, and a belt 4327. The drive unit 4321 may be, for example, a motor, which may have a drive shaft. The bearing support 4322 is fixedly mounted on the fixed base 431. The bearing 4323 is mounted on the bearing support 4322. The threaded sleeve 4324 is sleeved on the bearing 4323. The first pulley 4325 is sleeved on the drive shaft of the drive unit 4321. The second pulley 4326 is sleeved on the threaded sleeve 4324. The belt 4327 connects the first pulley 4325 and the second pulley 4326. The drive device 4321 can drive the first pulley 4325 through the belt 4327 to drive the second pulley 4326 to rotate, thereby driving the threaded sleeve 4324 to rotate.

[0077] Preferably, the moving mechanism 433 may include, for example, a limiting block 4331, a limiting shaft 4332, and a threaded rod 4333. The limiting block 4331 is fixedly mounted on the bottom of the rotating base plate 231 of the rotating mechanism 23. The first end of the limiting shaft 4332 is hinged to the limiting block 4331. The first end of the threaded rod 4333 is fixedly connected to the second end of the limiting shaft 4332, and the second end of the threaded rod 4333 is threadedly connected to the threaded sleeve 4324. Thus, rotation of the threaded sleeve 4324 can drive the threaded rod 4333 to move parallel to the second direction F2.

[0078] The driving device 4321 drives the first pulley 4325 to rotate the second pulley 4326 via the belt 4327. Since the threaded sleeve 4324 is fixed to the second pulley 4326, the threaded sleeve 4326 can be rotated. Because the threaded sleeve 4324 can only rotate and not move up and down, and due to the characteristics of the threaded connection, the threaded rod 4333 can only translate up and down and not rotate. Therefore, when the threaded sleeve 4324 rotates, it drives the threaded rod 4333 to translate up and down along the second direction F2, thereby realizing the translation of the threaded rod 4333 by the driving device 4321, and thus realizing the adjustment of the tilt of the rotating mechanism 23.

[0079] In this invention, the restart self-recovery system 50 can be configured to automatically return the material handling device 20 to its pre-power-out position based on historical data prior to the power outage after a power failure and restart. Preferably, the historical data prior to the power failure is stored, for example, in a database of an industrial control computer, which can automatically return the material handling device 20 to its pre-power-out position based on this data. In some embodiments of this invention, the industrial control computer can also be configured to store the operating data of the automatic loading / unloading equipment 100 and / or interaction data with external systems.

[0080] In this invention, the material handling force control system 60 can be configured to detect first position information of whether the material is placed in place and / or resistance information of the material during the handling process, and control the movement of the transmission mechanism 24 according to the first position information and / or the resistance information.

[0081] In some embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 3D As shown, please refer to the following: Figure 1B , Figure 2 The material handling force control system 60 may include, for example, a force sensor 61 and a second control system (not shown). The force sensor 61 is located at the front end F of the transmission mechanism 24 and may include, for example, a first force sensor 611 and / or a second force sensor 612 mounted on the material handling gripper assembly 243. The first force sensor 611 may acquire first position information indicating whether the material is in place, and the second force sensor 612 may acquire resistance information of the material during the handling process. The second control system may be configured to generate a second control command based on the first position information and / or the resistance information to control the reciprocating motion of the transmission mechanism 24.

[0082] In this invention, the vertical positioning system 70 can be configured to position the material on the conveying mechanism 24 vertically relative to a section of the buffer device 30.

[0083] In some embodiments of the present invention, the vertical positioning system 71 may include, for example, a scanning ranging mechanism 71 (such as...). Figure 2As shown, for example, a laser ranging mechanism and an analysis unit (not shown in the figure). The scanning ranging mechanism 71 can be used to rotate around an origin, such as the center point of the rotating mechanism 23, having an initial facing direction, to scan and measure multiple scanning points on both sides of the vertical position from the origin to the cross-section of the buffer device 30, obtaining corresponding multiple scanning results. The analysis unit can be used to analyze the multiple scanning results to obtain scanning points with equal scanning results in the regions on both sides of the vertical position as reference points, and based on the reference points, analyze the deflection angle between the initial facing direction and the vertical position. The rotating mechanism 23 can also be configured to rotate the deflection angle so that the facing direction of the material (e.g., a tray) loaded on the transmission mechanism 24 is perpendicular to the cross-section.

[0084] like Figure 6 As shown, in conjunction with reference Figure 1A , Figure 1C as well as Figure 2 The present invention also provides an automatic loading and unloading method 600, which mainly includes:

[0085] Step S601: Configure the automatic loading and unloading equipment 100.

[0086] Step S602, move the automatic loading and unloading device 100 to be opposite to the loading device 200 (e.g., Figure 1A (as shown), and adjust one or more states of the automatic loading and unloading equipment 100 to put it into a standby state.

[0087] In step S603, the automatic loading and unloading equipment 100 uses a pick-and-place device 20 to retrieve materials from storage compartment 311 of the buffer box 31 (e.g., ...). Figure 3F Take out the Tray 300 containing the chip from the (as shown) container. Figure 5 (As shown) The chip is placed into the loading device 200 to complete the automatic loading of the chip; or, an empty Tray disk 300 can be taken out from the loading device 200 and placed into the storage cell 311 of the buffer box 30 to complete the automatic unloading of the Tray disk.

[0088] In some embodiments of the present invention, in step S602, adjusting one or more states of the automatic loading and unloading equipment may include: correcting the position of the automatic loading and unloading equipment 100 according to the relative position information between the automatic loading and unloading equipment 100 and the loading equipment 200.

[0089] In some embodiments of the present invention, the automatic loading and unloading method 600 may further include: after the automatic loading and unloading equipment 100 is restarted after a power outage, the material handling device 20 is automatically returned to its position before the power outage based on historical data before the power outage.

[0090] The above is only a description of some embodiments of the automatic loading and unloading device and method for tray chip materials of the present invention. In order to facilitate precise docking with the Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV), relevant automatic control mechanisms and electronic control components can be added to the cabinet door 17 and bottom support structure of the buffer device. With the assistance of the scheduling system and control software, precise docking with the AGV can be completed, and the remote delivery of tray chip materials by the AGV can be realized.

[0091] This invention is an innovative tray chip automatic loading and unloading device that can complete the last mile of material transportation, helping factories build advanced SMT intelligent production lines and achieve 100% automation of SMT production lines.

[0092] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been specifically illustrated and described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments; rather, the present invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements contained within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An automatic loading and unloading apparatus, characterized by, include: A movable frame, the interior of which has a first region and a second region distributed left and right along the X-axis; A material handling device is disposed in the first area. The material handling device includes a lifting mechanism, a transferring mechanism, a rotating mechanism, and a conveying mechanism. The lifting mechanism is connected to the transferring mechanism. The conveying mechanism, the rotating mechanism, and the transferring mechanism are stacked and connected from top to bottom along the Z-axis direction. The conveying mechanism is configured to reciprocate in the conveying direction to handle materials. The rotating mechanism is configured to rotate the conveying mechanism relative to the transferring mechanism in the rotation direction. The lifting mechanism is configured to move the transferring mechanism up and down in the Z-axis direction. The transferring mechanism is configured to make the rotating mechanism reciprocate in the X-direction. A buffer device, disposed in the second area, includes a buffer box and a buffer box positioning platform; the buffer box is removably / insertable and positioned on top of the buffer box positioning platform. The transmission mechanism includes a power unit, a scissor conveyor assembly, and a material gripper assembly; the power unit is connected to the scissor conveyor assembly and drives the scissor conveyor assembly to reciprocate along the transmission direction; the material gripper assembly is located at the front end of the scissor conveyor assembly and is used to pick up and place the material. The transmission mechanism is mounted on a transmission workbench, which has a front and a back side. The power assembly is located on the back side of the transmission workbench, and the scissor lift assembly is located on the front side of the transmission workbench.

2. The automatic loading and unloading apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes one or more of the following systems: An optical self-calibration system is configured to correct the position of the automatic loading and unloading equipment based on the relative position information between the automatic loading and unloading equipment and the loading equipment; The self-recovery system is configured to automatically return the material handling device to its previous position after a power outage, based on historical data from before the power outage. The material handling force control system is configured to detect first position information of whether the material is placed in place and / or resistance information of the material during the handling process, and control the movement of the transmission mechanism according to the first position information and / or the resistance information. A vertical positioning system is configured to position the material on the conveying mechanism vertically relative to a section of the buffer device.

3. The automatic loading and unloading apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The optical self-calibration system includes: The first optical marker point is set on the feeding device; A camera, located in the middle of the side of the rotating mechanism facing the feeding device, is configured to acquire second position information of the first optical marker point; The first control system is configured to generate a first control command based on the second position information to control the movement of the transmission mechanism, the rotation mechanism, and / or the transplanting mechanism.

4. The automatic loading and unloading apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first optical marker point includes one or more infrared LED light sources; the camera is an infrared camera.

5. The automatic loading and unloading apparatus according to claim 4, wherein The first optical marker point includes a plurality of the infrared LED light sources, and the optical self-calibration system further includes: A tilt adjustment mechanism is connected to the rotating mechanism, and the tilt adjustment mechanism can adjust the tilt of the rotating mechanism in the X-axis direction.

6. The automatic loading and unloading apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The historical data prior to the power outage is stored in the database of an industrial control computer. The industrial control computer can automatically return the material handling device to its position before the power outage based on the historical data prior to the power outage.

7. The automatic loading and unloading apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The industrial control computer is also configured to store the operating data of the automatic loading and unloading equipment and / or the interaction data with the outside world.

8. The automatic loading and unloading apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The material handling force control system includes: A first force sensor is disposed at the front end of the transmission mechanism and is configured to acquire first position information indicating whether the material has been placed in place, and / or to acquire resistance information of the material during the picking and placing process. The second control system is configured to generate a second control command based on the first position information and / or the resistance information to control the reciprocating motion of the transmission mechanism.

9. The automatic loading and unloading apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The vertical positioning system includes: A scanning and ranging mechanism is used to rotate around an origin, which is the center point of the rotating mechanism and has an initial facing direction, to scan and measure multiple scanning points on the left and right sides of the vertical position from the origin to the cross-section of the buffer device, so as to obtain multiple corresponding scanning results. The analysis unit is used to analyze the multiple scan results to obtain scan points with equal scan results in the regions on the left and right sides of the vertical position as reference points, and to analyze the deflection angle between the initial facing direction and the vertical position based on the reference points. The rotating mechanism is further configured to rotate the deflection angle so that the facing direction of the material loaded on the conveying mechanism is perpendicular to the cross-section.

10. The automatic loading and unloading apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movable frame includes: a frame structure, a housing mounted on the frame structure, and casters mounted on the frame structure.

11. The automatic loading and unloading apparatus according to claim 10, wherein The casters are adjustable casters, configured to adjust their height in the Z-axis direction.

12. The automatic loading and unloading apparatus according to claim 10, wherein The movable rack also includes: A first cabinet door that can be electrically controlled is provided corresponding to the first area; and / or, A second cabinet door, which can be electrically controlled, is provided corresponding to the second area; An electric control mechanism is electrically connected to the first cabinet door and / or the second cabinet door and is configured to control the first cabinet door and / or the second cabinet door to open or close automatically.

13. The automatic loading and unloading apparatus according to claim 10, wherein The movable rack also includes: A first opening is formed on one side of the movable frame and is configured to allow the transmission mechanism to enter and exit.

14. The automatic loading and unloading apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized by, The lifting mechanism includes: A first linear slide rail is arranged along the Z-axis direction, and a first slider is provided thereon; The first ball screw is arranged parallel to the first linear slide rail; The lifting receiving plate is connected to the first ball screw and the first slider, and supports the transplanting mechanism. A first motor is connected to the first ball screw, and the first motor can drive the first ball screw to make the lifting support plate slide up and down.

15. The automatic loading and unloading equipment according to claim 14, characterized in that, The number of the first linear slide rails is two, and each first linear slide rail is mounted on one side of the movable frame via a slide rail base plate; and / or, The first ball screw is located between the two first linear guides and is fixedly installed via a base plate.

16. The automatic loading and unloading apparatus according to claim 14, wherein The transplanting mechanism includes: Two fixed side plates, one side of each fixed side plate being connected to the lifting support plate; The second linear slide rail is arranged along the X-axis direction and a second slider is provided thereon; The second ball screw is arranged parallel to the second linear guide rail; A sliding base plate is fixedly connected to the fixed side plate, and the fixed side plate, the second linear slide rail, and the second ball screw are all parallel to each other and arranged from the outside to the inside on the sliding base plate; The second motor is connected to the second ball screw drive, and the second motor can drive the second ball screw to move along the X-axis direction.

17. The automatic loading and unloading equipment according to claim 16, characterized in that, The second linear slide rail includes two second linear slide rails, the two fixed side plates are located on the outermost sides of the translation base plate, the two second linear slide rails are located between the two fixed side plates, and the second ball screw is located between the two second linear slide rails.

18. The automatic loading and unloading apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, The rotating mechanism includes: The rotating base plate is connected to the second ball screw and the second slider; The first synchronous pulley is located on the front side of the rotating base plate; The second synchronous wheel is located in the center of the front of the rotating base plate; A first synchronous belt connects the first synchronous pulley and the second synchronous pulley; The rotating receiving plate is connected to the side of the second synchronous wheel flange; A third motor is located on the back of the rotating base plate and is connected to the first synchronous pulley. The third motor can drive the first synchronous pulley to rotate and drive the second synchronous pulley to rotate synchronously through the first synchronous belt. The second synchronous pulley further drives the rotating receiving plate to rotate between the first and second workstations.

19. The automatic loading and unloading apparatus according to claim 18, characterized in that, The rotating mechanism also includes a plurality of first pillars, which are evenly arranged on the front edge of the rotating receiving plate to support the connection of the transmission mechanism.

20. The automatic loading and unloading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The buffer bin positioning platform includes: The buffer box receiving platform is fixed in the second area; A guide block is disposed in the center of the front of the buffer box receiving platform along the import direction, and is configured to cooperate with the guide groove at the bottom of the buffer box to guide the buffer box into the platform and place it on the buffer box receiving platform. A baffle plate, located at the end of the guide block and connected to the side of the buffer box receiving platform, is used for limiting the storage position of the buffer box; A positioning cylinder having a positioning push rod that is inserted into a positioning hole at the bottom of the buffer box; A transplanting cylinder has a transplanting push rod connected to the positioning cylinder, wherein the transplanting cylinder is configured to drive the positioning cylinder to insert its positioning push rod into the positioning hole, and the positioning cylinder drives the buffer box to slide to the storage position.

21. The automatic loading and unloading apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, The buffer bin positioning platform also includes: Four positioning supports are used to fix the buffer box receiving platform to the bottom of the movable frame.

22. An automatic loading and unloading method, characterized by, include: Configure the automatic loading and unloading equipment as described in any one of claims 1 to 21; Move the automatic loading and unloading equipment to be opposite to the loading equipment, and adjust one or more states of the automatic loading and unloading equipment to put it into a ready-to-work state; The automatic loading and unloading equipment can use its picking and placing device to retrieve a tray containing chips from the storage compartment of the buffer box and place it into the loading equipment to complete the automatic loading of the chips; or, it can retrieve an empty tray from the loading equipment and place it into the storage compartment of the buffer box to complete the automatic unloading of the tray.

23. The automatic loading and unloading method according to claim 22, wherein, Adjusting one or more states of the automatic loading and unloading equipment includes: The position of the automatic loading and unloading device is corrected based on the relative position information between the automatic loading and unloading device and the loading device.

24. The automatic loading and unloading method according to claim 22, wherein, Also includes: After the automatic loading and unloading equipment is restarted after a power outage, the material handling device automatically returns to its position before the power outage based on historical data before the power outage.

25. A tray core material automatic feeding system, characterized in that, include: The automatic loading and unloading equipment as described in any one of claims 1 to 21; Feeding equipment; The automatic loading and unloading equipment can automatically load chips by taking out a tray containing chips from the storage compartment of the buffer box and placing it into the loading equipment; or, it can automatically unload an empty tray from the loading equipment and place it into the storage compartment of the buffer box.

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