A material flow transfer system and method

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of shoe sole production, in particular to a material flow transfer system and method, wherein the material flow transfer system comprises a granulator, a barrel, a taking and placing conveying mechanism and an injection machine feeding structure; the barrel is provided with an inlet, an outlet, an inlet cover and an outlet cover; the granulator comprises a machine body provided with an outlet, a receiving station for placing the barrel and a first cover opening mechanism; the injection machine feeding structure comprises a rack and a second cover opening mechanism, the rack is provided with a receiving part and a feeding station for placing the barrel, the receiving part is provided with an inlet, and the inlet of the receiving part is communicated with an injection machine feeding pipe through the inside of the receiving part; the first cover opening mechanism is used for opening the inlet of the barrel; and the second cover opening mechanism is used for opening the outlet of the barrel. According to the technical scheme of the present application, it is beneficial to realize mechanized operation and reduce the working intensity of the workers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of sole production, and in particular to a material flow system and method. Background Art

[0002] The sole production process includes material preparation, mixing in a lina mill, mixing in a wheel mill, pelletizing in a pelletizer, bagging and packaging pellets, pellet storage, loading the injection molding machine, and sole injection molding. From pelletizer discharge to loading the injection molding machine and returning the empty bags to the pelletizer outlet, the process involves receiving materials, weighing, bagging, palletizing, handling, depalletizing, handling, unpacking, loading, and empty bag recycling.

[0003] The specific process of discharging the material from the above-mentioned granulator to the particle warehouse for storage is as follows: the operator opens the empty material bag and aligns it with the granulator discharge port, opens the granulator discharge port baffle, and puts particles into the material bag from the granulator discharge port; after the estimated weight is filled, it is placed on the electronic scale for weighing, and the number of particles in the material bag is increased or decreased so that the weight of each bag is 25 kilograms, and the material bag is sealed with a seal; the material information (material number, production time, weight, etc.) is written on the label, and then the label is attached to the material bag; the sealed material bags are stacked on the pallet (usually 30-45 bags are placed on a pallet); and the pallet containing the material bags is transported to the particle warehouse for storage using a manual hydraulic forklift.

[0004] The existing injection molding machine's loading structure consists of a rack with a hopper mounted on it, and a feed tube connected to the bottom of the hopper. The specific loading process is as follows: the operator, based on the intended product, goes to the pellet warehouse and finds the corresponding bag based on the material information label on the bag. They then take four bags and push them to the side of the injection molding machine's hopper using a cart. The bags are opened and the pellets are poured into the hopper. The pellets then flow through the feed tube into the injection molding machine.

[0005] The above production process has at least the following shortcomings: Both the pelletizer discharge and the injection molding machine loading are handled using bags. When feeding the pelletizer, the empty bags must be opened and loaded manually by the operator; when loading the injection molding machine, the bags must be manually opened and loaded. Both bag opening and unpacking require manual labor, which is labor-intensive and urgently requires a solution. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention provides a material flow system and method, the main technical problem to be solved is: how to reduce the operation intensity when receiving and loading materials.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention mainly provides the following technical solutions:

[0008] On the one hand, an embodiment of the present invention provides a material flow system, including a granulator, a barrel, a pick-and-place conveying mechanism and an injection molding machine feeding structure; the barrel has a feed port, a discharge port, a feed cover and a discharge cover; the granulator includes a body with a discharge port, a material receiving station for placing the barrel, and a first opening mechanism; the injection molding machine feeding structure includes a material rack and a second opening mechanism, the material rack is provided with a material receiving member and a feeding station for placing the barrel, the material receiving member has a feed port, the feed port of the material receiving member is opened through the inside of the material receiving member It is connected to the feed pipe of the injection molding machine; the pick-up and placement conveying mechanism is used to pick up and place and convey the material barrel to send the material barrel to the material receiving station or the loading station, or to take the material barrel away from the material receiving station or the loading station; the first opening cover mechanism is used to drive the feed cover of the material barrel at the material receiving station to move, so as to open the feed port of the material barrel, so that the feed port of the material barrel is connected to the discharge port of the machine body; the second opening cover mechanism is used to drive the discharge cover of the material barrel at the loading station to move, so as to open the discharge port of the material barrel, so that the discharge port of the material barrel is connected to the feed port of the material receiving member.

[0009] Optionally, the feed cover is provided with a handle portion, which is rotatably connected to the barrel body of the material barrel to form a lever structure with the feed cover; the first opening mechanism is used to drive the handle portion of the material barrel at the material receiving station to move, so as to drive the feed cover to move through the handle portion.

[0010] Optionally, a slot communicating with the interior is provided on the side of the discharge end of the barrel, and the discharge cover is plugged into and fitted into the slot; the second opening mechanism is used to drive the discharge cover of the barrel at the loading station to move along the slot.

[0011] Optionally, the weighing mechanism is used to weigh the barrel at the docking station, and generates a first signal when the weight of the barrel is greater than or equal to a set value. The granulator has a controller, and the controller is used to control the discharge port of the machine body to stop discharging according to the first signal.

[0012] Optionally, the weighing mechanism has an information reading and writing module, the material barrel has a reading and writing chip, and the information reading and writing module is used to write setting information into the reading and writing chip.

[0013] Optionally, the pick-and-place conveying mechanism is an automatic forklift.

[0014] Optionally, the material flow system also includes a control module; the control module is used to control the pick-up and place conveyor mechanism to send an empty material barrel to the material receiving station when the material receiving station is empty, and to control the pick-up and place conveyor mechanism to take away the material barrel of the material receiving station after the material barrel at the material receiving station is loaded with a set weight of material, and to control the pick-up and place conveyor mechanism to send a loaded material barrel to the loading station when the material loading station is empty, and to control the pick-up and place conveyor mechanism to take away the empty material barrel of the loading station after the material barrel at the loading station is unloaded.

[0015] Optionally, the material flow system further includes a first material rack, and the control module is used to control the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism to deliver the material barrel of the material receiving station to the first material rack after the material barrel of the material receiving station is loaded with a set weight of material, and to control the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism to deliver the loaded material barrel from the first material rack to the loading station when the loading station is empty;

[0016] And / or, the material flow system also includes a second material rack, and the control module is also used to control the pick-up and placement conveyor mechanism to send empty barrels from the second material rack to the material receiving station when the material receiving station is empty, and control the pick-up and placement conveyor mechanism to send the empty barrels at the loading station to the second material rack after the barrels at the loading station are unloaded.

[0017] Optionally, the material flow system further includes a configuration module and a marking module; the configuration module is used to configure a virtual address for each bin on the first material rack; the marking module is used to mark the virtual address corresponding to the bin as a first identifier after the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism places a material barrel into the corresponding bin of the first material rack; and after the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism takes the material barrel away from the corresponding bin of the first material rack, mark the virtual address corresponding to the bin as a second identifier; the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism is used to controllably send the material barrel of the material receiving station to the corresponding bin marked with the second identifier, and to send the loaded material barrel from the corresponding bin marked with the first identifier to the loading station;

[0018] And / or, the configuration module is used to configure a virtual address for each position on the second material rack; the marking module is used to mark the virtual address corresponding to the position as a third identifier after the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism places the barrel into the corresponding position of the second material rack; and after the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism takes the barrel away from the corresponding position of the second material rack, mark the virtual address corresponding to the position as a fourth identifier; the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism is used to controllably deliver empty barrels from the corresponding position marked with the third identifier to the material receiving station, and deliver the barrels from the loading station to the corresponding position marked with the fourth identifier.

[0019] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a material flow method, which is used in conjunction with the material flow system in any of the above examples, and the method includes the following steps:

[0020] The control module controls the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism to place the empty barrels on the material receiving station;

[0021] The weighing mechanism sends the weight of the empty barrel to the granulator's memory for storage;

[0022] The first opening cover mechanism on the granulator drives the feed cover of the barrel at the material receiving station to move to open the feed port of the barrel, so that the feed port of the barrel is connected with the discharge port of the granulator body;

[0023] The granulator opens the discharge port of the machine body and fills the granular material into the barrel;

[0024] The weighing mechanism monitors the weight of the barrel in real time and generates a first signal when the weight of the barrel is greater than or equal to a set value;

[0025] The controller of the granulator controls the discharge port of the machine body to stop discharging materials according to the first signal;

[0026] The information reading and writing module on the weighing mechanism writes the set information into the reading and writing chip on the barrel;

[0027] The control module controls the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism to transport the barrel from the material receiving station to the corresponding storage position marked with the second identifier on the first material rack;

[0028] The injection molding machine sends a material-calling signal to the control module;

[0029] The control module controls the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism to deliver the loaded material barrel from the corresponding position marked with the first identifier on the first material rack to the upper material station according to the material call signal;

[0030] The pick-and-place conveyor mechanism places the barrel on the loading station of the injection molding machine and sends a signal to the controller of the injection molding machine;

[0031] The controller of the injection molding machine controls the second cover opening mechanism to drive the discharge cover of the barrel at the loading station to open the discharge port of the barrel, so that the discharge port of the barrel is connected to the feed port of the material receiving member;

[0032] The pick-and-place conveying mechanism delivers the material barrel of the loading station to the corresponding position marked with the fourth identifier of the second material rack.

[0033] By means of the above technical solutions, the material flow system and method of the present invention have at least the following beneficial effects:

[0034] In the technical solution provided by the present invention, a material barrel is provided to replace the material bag in the prior art, and a first opening mechanism is provided to open the feed port of the material barrel, a second opening mechanism is provided to open the discharge port of the material barrel, and a pick-up and placement conveying mechanism is provided to convey the material barrel between the material receiving station of the granulator and the loading station of the injection molding machine loading structure. This is conducive to realizing mechanized operation and reducing the work intensity of operators.

[0035] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present invention and implement it according to the contents of the specification, the following is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of a material barrel located at a material receiving station of a granulator provided by one embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 yes Figure 1A magnified schematic diagram of point A in the middle;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of a material barrel located at a loading station of an injection molding machine loading structure provided by one embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A magnified schematic diagram of point B in the middle;

[0040] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Exploded diagram of the middle material barrel located in the injection molding machine loading structure.

[0041] Figure markings: 1. Granulator; 2. Barrel; 3. Weighing mechanism; 11. First driving mechanism; 12. First cover opening member; 13. Rotating rod; 21. Barrel body; 22. Feed cover; 23. Handle; 101. Discharge port of machine body; 201. Feed port of barrel; 32. Material rack; 33. Feed pipe of injection molding machine; 4. Material receiving member; 5. Discharge cover; 6. Second cover opening member; 7. Second driving mechanism; 8. Pull rod; 311. Positioning column; 321. Support column; 3101. Discharge port of barrel; 102. Slot; 3201. Positioning groove; 401. Feed port of material receiving member; 501. Socket. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0043] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0044] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features specified as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the fact that ordinary technicians in this field can implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0045] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a material flow system, which includes a granulator 1, a material barrel 2, a pick-and-place conveying mechanism and an injection molding machine feeding structure.

[0046] The material barrel 2 has a feed port 201, a discharge port 3101, a feed cover 22 and a discharge cover 5. The feed cover 22 and the discharge cover 5 are both movable covers, and the feed cover 22 can be opened and closed relative to the feed port 201 of the material barrel 2. The discharge cover 5 can be opened and closed relative to the discharge port 3101 of the material barrel 2.

[0047] The above-mentioned granulator 1 includes a machine body, a material receiving station and a first opening mechanism. The machine body has a discharge port 101, and the material receiving station is used to place the barrel 2 to receive the granular material flowing out of the discharge port 101 of the machine body. The injection molding machine feeding structure includes a material rack 32 and a second opening mechanism. The material rack 32 is provided with a material receiving piece 4 and a loading station for placing the barrel 2. The material receiving piece 4 can be fixed to the material rack 32, for example, by welding. The material receiving piece 4 has a feed port 401, and the feed port 401 of the material receiving piece 4 is connected to the injection molding machine feed pipe 33 through the inside of the material receiving piece 4. The granular material can flow into the injection molding machine feed pipe 33 through the inside of the material receiving piece 4, and then flow into the inside of the injection molding machine. The barrel 2 can be placed in the loading station to unload the granular material inside into the feed port 401 of the material receiving piece 4.

[0048] The pick-and-place conveyor mechanism is used to pick up and convey the barrel 2, so as to deliver the barrel 2 to the receiving station or the loading station, or to remove the barrel 2 from the receiving station or the loading station. In a specific application example, the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism is an automatic forklift. The automatic forklift can deliver the empty barrel 2 to the receiving station of the granulator 1 for receiving the material; after receiving the material, the automatic forklift can remove the barrel 2 from the receiving station of the granulator 1, for example, to a material rack for storage. The automatic forklift can also deliver the loaded barrel 2 to the loading station of the injection molding machine loading structure, and remove the empty barrel 2 from the loading station after unloading the material.

[0049] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the aforementioned first opening mechanism is used to drive the feed cover 22 of the material barrel 2 at the material receiving station to move, so as to open the feed port 201 of the material barrel 2, thereby connecting the feed port 201 of the material barrel 2 with the discharge port 101 of the machine body. In a specific application example, the material barrel 2 is located below the discharge port 101 of the machine body when at the material receiving station. When the feed cover 22 is opened, the feed port 201 of the material barrel 2 is opposite to the discharge port 101 of the machine body, and the particulate material flowing out of the discharge port 101 of the machine body can flow into the feed port 201 of the material barrel 2 under the action of gravity.

[0050] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the aforementioned second opening mechanism is used to drive the discharge cover 5 of the barrel 2 at the loading station to move, so as to open the discharge port 3101 of the barrel 2, so that the discharge port 3101 of the barrel 2 is connected with the feed port 401 of the receiving piece 4. In a specific application example, at the loading station, the discharge port 3101 of the barrel 2 and the feed port 401 of the receiving piece 4 are plugged into each other. For example, the discharge port 3101 of the barrel 2 can be inserted into the feed port 401 of the receiving piece 4. In this way, when the discharge port 3101 of the barrel 2 is opened, the discharge port 3101 of the barrel 2 can be connected with the feed port 401 of the receiving piece 4, so that the particulate material in the barrel 2 can flow into the feed port 401 of the receiving piece 4 under the action of gravity.

[0051] In the above example, during the granulation process, the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism can deliver the empty barrel 2 to the receiving station of the granulator 1, and then the first opening mechanism can drive the feed cover 22 of the barrel 2 at the receiving station to open the feed port 201 of the barrel 2, so that the feed port 201 of the barrel 2 is connected with the discharge port 101 of the machine body, so that the granular material flowing out of the discharge port of the granulator 1 can flow into the feed port 201 of the barrel 2. After the barrel 2 is filled with material, the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism can remove the barrel 2 from the receiving station. In the particle injection process, the pick-and-place conveying mechanism can deliver the filled barrel 2 into the loading station of the injection machine loading structure, and then the second opening mechanism can drive the discharge cover 5 of the barrel 2 at the loading station to move to open the discharge port 3101 of the barrel 2, so that the discharge port 3101 of the barrel 2 is connected with the feed port 401 of the receiving piece 4, so that the particle material in the barrel 2 can flow into the feed port 401 of the receiving piece 4, and then flow into the interior of the injection machine through the injection machine feed pipe 33.

[0052] Among them, a material barrel 2 is provided to replace the material bag in the prior art, and a first opening mechanism is provided to open the feed port 201 of the material barrel 2, a second opening mechanism is provided to open the discharge port 3101 of the material barrel 2, and a pick-up and placement conveying mechanism is provided to convey the material barrel 2 between the material receiving station of the granulator 1 and the loading station of the injection molding machine loading structure. This is conducive to realizing mechanized operation and reducing the work intensity of the operators.

[0053] In order to realize the function of the first opening mechanism driving the feed cover 22 of the barrel 2 at the receiving station to open the feed port 201 of the barrel 2, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the feed cover 22 may be provided with a handle portion 23, and the handle portion 23 may be integrally formed on the feed cover 22. The handle portion 23 is rotatably connected to the barrel body 21 of the material barrel 2, for example, it may be hinged on the barrel body 21 of the material barrel 2. The handle portion 23 and the feed cover 22 form a lever structure. The first opening mechanism is used to drive the handle portion 23 of the material barrel 2 at the material receiving station to move, so as to drive the feed cover 22 to move through the handle portion 23. The handle portion 23 is used to be pushed to drive the feed cover 22 to open the feed port. In a specific application example, when the first opening mechanism presses downward against the end of the handle portion 23, the handle portion 23 can drive the feed cover 22 to tilt upward to open the feed port 201 of the material barrel 2. When the first opening mechanism releases the handle portion 23, the feed cover 22 moves downward under the action of gravity to reclose the feed port.

[0054] like Figure 2 As shown, the aforementioned first cover opening mechanism may include a first driving mechanism 11 and a first cover opening member 12. The handle portion 23 is located on the motion trajectory of the first cover opening member 12. The first driving mechanism 11 is used to drive the first cover opening member 12 to descend, thereby pushing the handle portion 23 to rotate and open the feed cover 22. In a specific application example, the first driving mechanism 11 may include a driving cylinder, which may be a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder, etc. The first driving mechanism 11 drives the first cover opening member 12 to move via the driving cylinder.

[0055] The first cover-opening member 12 can be rod-shaped, and a rotating rod 13 can be provided at one end of the first cover-opening member 12 to rotate the handle portion 23 via the side of the rotating rod 13. The rotating rod 13 can be rotatably connected to the first cover-opening member 12 via a bearing or the like. Since the rotating rod 13 is rotatable, the frictional resistance against the handle portion 23 can be reduced.

[0056] In order to realize the function of the second opening mechanism driving the discharge cover 5 of the barrel 2 at the loading station to open the discharge port 3101 of the barrel 2, as shown in FIG. Figure 4As shown, the side of the discharge end of the barrel 2 can be provided with a slot 102 connected to the interior, and the discharge cover 5 is plugged into the slot 102. The second opening mechanism is used to drive the discharge cover 5 of the barrel 2 at the loading station to move along the slot 102 to open the discharge port 3101 of the barrel 2. In a specific application example, the second opening mechanism may include a second driving mechanism 7 and a second opening member 6. The second opening member 6 is used to connect with the discharge cover 5. Specifically, one of the discharge cover 5 and the second opening member 6 is provided with a socket 501, and the other is provided with a pull rod 8. The pull rod 8 is used to be inserted into the socket 501 to connect the second opening member 6 and the discharge cover 5. The second driving mechanism 7 is used to drive the second opening member 6 to move, so as to drive the discharge cover 5 to move along the slot 102 through the second opening member 6. The second driving mechanism 7 may include a driving cylinder to drive the second opening member 6 to move. The driving cylinder may be a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder.

[0057] In a specific application example, the aforementioned pull rod 8 is provided on the second cover opening member 6, for example, it can be integrally formed on the second cover opening member 6. The aforementioned insertion hole 501 is provided on the discharge cover 5. The driving cylinder is provided on the material rack 32.

[0058] like Figure 5 As shown, one of the barrel 2 and the rack 32 may be provided with a positioning slot 3201, and the other with a positioning post 311. At the loading station, the positioning post 311 is inserted into the positioning slot 3201, thereby limiting the position of the barrel 2 and improving the stability of the loading of the material 4 onto the barrel 2. In a specific application example, the barrel 2 may be provided with two or more positioning posts 311 along its circumference, specifically four. The rack 32 is provided with support posts 321, the number of which is equal to and corresponding to the number of positioning posts 311. Each support post 321 has a positioning slot 3201 at its upper end.

[0059] like Figure 1 As shown, the aforementioned material flow system may further include a weighing mechanism 3. The weighing mechanism 3 is used to weigh the material barrel 2 at the material docking station, and generates a first signal when the weight of the material barrel 2 is greater than or equal to the set value. The granulator 1 has a controller, and the controller is used to control the discharge port 101 of the body to stop discharging according to the first signal. In a specific application example, the weighing mechanism 3 may be an electronic scale, etc., and its specific structure is the prior art and will not be described here. In addition, a baffle that can be opened and closed may be provided at the discharge port 101 of the body, and the granulator 1 further includes another driving mechanism, wherein the controller is used to control the other driving mechanism according to the first signal, so that the other driving mechanism drives the baffle to close the discharge port 101 of the body. The other driving mechanism may be a driving cylinder, etc.

[0060] It should be noted that the aforementioned weighing mechanism 3 includes a weighing platform located below the discharge port 101 of the machine body, and the aforementioned material receiving station is located on the weighing platform. During material receiving, the aforementioned material barrel 2 is placed on the weighing platform. When an empty material barrel 2 is placed on the weighing platform, the weighing mechanism 3 is also used to weigh the empty material barrel 2 and transmit the weight of the empty material barrel 2 to the memory of the granulator 1 for storage. The aforementioned set value is the sum of the weight of the empty material barrel 2 and the set charge weight. The set charge weight is generally 100 kg.

[0061] The aforementioned weighing mechanism 3 also includes an information reading and writing module, which can be an RFID reader or writer. The material barrel 2 includes a reader / writer chip, and the information reading and writing module is used to write setting information to the reader / writer chip. This setting information can be material information of the particles, such as the material number, production time, and weight, making it convenient for operators to view relevant information about the particles in the material barrel 2.

[0062] The aforementioned material flow system may further include a control module, which may be a processor, etc. The control module is used to control the pick-up and place conveyor mechanism to deliver an empty material barrel 2 to the material receiving station when the material receiving station is empty, and to control the pick-up and place conveyor mechanism to take away the material barrel 2 at the material receiving station after the material barrel 2 at the material receiving station is loaded with a set weight of material, and to control the pick-up and place conveyor mechanism to deliver a loaded material barrel 2 to the loading station when the material loading station is empty, and to control the pick-up and place conveyor mechanism to take away the empty material barrel 2 from the loading station after the material barrel 2 at the loading station has been unloaded.

[0063] The aforementioned material flow system may further include a first material rack. The control module is configured to control the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism to deliver the material barrel 2 from the receiving station to the first material rack after the material barrel 2 at the receiving station is loaded with a set weight of material. Furthermore, when the loading station is empty, the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism is configured to deliver the loaded material barrel 2 from the first material rack to the loading station. In this example, the provision of the first material rack allows multiple material barrels 2 filled from the receiving station to be stored in the first material rack for use by the injection molding machine.

[0064] The aforementioned material flow system may further include a second material rack. The control module is further configured to control the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism to deliver an empty material barrel 2 from the second material rack to the material receiving station when the receiving station is empty, and to control the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism to deliver the empty material barrel 2 from the loading station to the second material rack after the material barrel 2 at the loading station has been unloaded. The second material rack allows multiple empty material barrels 2 removed from the loading station to be stored in the second material rack for use in the granulator 1.

[0065] In a specific application example, the pick-and-place conveying mechanism is an automatic forklift. When the weight of the barrel 2 at the receiving station is greater than or equal to the set value, the weighing mechanism 3 generates a first signal, the control module generates a first unloading instruction based on the first signal, and the automatic forklift delivers the barrel 2 at the receiving station to the first material rack according to the first unloading instruction. When the weight measured by the weighing mechanism 3 at the receiving station is less than the preset value, the weighing mechanism 3 generates a second signal, the control module generates a first loading instruction based on the second signal, and the automatic forklift transports the empty barrel 2 from the second material rack to the receiving station of the granulator 1 according to the first loading instruction. For the injection process, when the loading station is empty, the operator can send a third signal to the control module, and the control module generates a second loading instruction based on the third signal. The automatic forklift takes the filled barrel 2 from the first material rack and transports it to the loading station according to the second loading instruction. After the barrel 2 has finished unloading at the loading station, the operator can send a fourth signal to the control module. The control module generates a second unloading instruction based on the fourth signal, and the automatic forklift transports the empty barrel 2 at the loading station to the second material rack according to the second unloading instruction.

[0066] The aforementioned first material rack and second material rack both have positions for placing multiple supply barrels 2. In order to facilitate taking and placing the supply barrels 2 from the first material rack or the second material rack, preferably, the aforementioned material flow system also includes a configuration module and a marking module.

[0067] In a specific application example, the configuration module is configured to assign a virtual address to each bin on the first rack. The marking module is configured to mark the virtual address corresponding to a bin as a first identifier after the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism places a bucket 2 into the corresponding bin on the first rack. The marking module is also configured to mark the virtual address corresponding to the bin as a second identifier after the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism removes a bucket 2 from the corresponding bin on the first rack. The pick-and-place conveyor mechanism is controlled to deliver buckets 2 from the receiving station to the corresponding bin marked with the second identifier, and to deliver loaded buckets 2 from the corresponding bin marked with the first identifier to the loading station. The first identifier can be "yes" and the second identifier can be "no." Specifically, the first rack has two or more bins, for example, ten. The configuration module assigns a virtual address to each bin within the computer, for example, A1, A2, A3, ..., A10. The pick-and-place conveyor mechanism sequentially places and removes buckets 2 from each bin in a predetermined sequence. When the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism places a bucket 2 into the corresponding bin of the first rack, the marking module marks the virtual address corresponding to that bin as "yes." When the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism removes a bucket 2 from the corresponding bin of the first rack, the marking module marks the virtual address corresponding to that bin as "no." The pick-and-place conveyor mechanism is used to control the delivery of buckets 2 from the receiving station to the corresponding bin marked with the second identifier, "no," and to deliver loaded buckets 2 from the corresponding bin marked with the first identifier, "yes," to the loading station.

[0068] Among them, the purpose of automatically taking out and placing the material barrel 2 from the first material rack can be achieved through the program, which has the effect of saving manpower.

[0069] In another example, the aforementioned configuration module can be used to assign a virtual address to each bin on the second rack. The marking module is configured to mark the virtual address corresponding to a bin with a third identifier after the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism places a bucket 2 into the corresponding bin on the second rack. The marking module is also configured to mark the virtual address corresponding to the bin with a fourth identifier after the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism removes a bucket 2 from the corresponding bin on the second rack. The pick-and-place conveyor mechanism is controlled to deliver empty buckets 2 from the bin corresponding to the third identifier to the receiving station and to deliver buckets 2 from the loading station to the bin corresponding to the fourth identifier. The third identifier can be "present" and the fourth identifier can be "absent." Specifically, the second rack can have more than two bins, for example, ten. The configuration module assigns a virtual address to each bin within the computer, for example, B1, B2, B3, ..., B10. The pick-and-place conveyor mechanism sequentially places and removes empty buckets 2 from each bin in a predetermined sequence. When the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism places the bucket 2 into the corresponding position of the second rack, the marking module marks the virtual address corresponding to the position as "yes". When the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism places the bucket 2 into the corresponding position of the second rack, the marking module marks the virtual address corresponding to the position as the third identifier, i.e., "yes". When the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism takes the bucket 2 away from the corresponding position of the second rack, the marking module marks the virtual address corresponding to the position as the fourth identifier, i.e., "no". The pick-and-place conveyor mechanism is used to controllably deliver empty buckets 2 from the corresponding position marked with the third identifier, i.e., "yes", to the material receiving station, and to deliver the buckets 2 from the loading station to the corresponding position marked with the fourth identifier, i.e., "no".

[0070] One embodiment of the present invention further provides a material flow system, which is used in conjunction with the material flow system in the above example. The material flow system includes the following steps:

[0071] Step S1: The control module controls the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism to place the empty material barrel 2 at the receiving station of the granulator 1. The control module may be a processor, etc. The pick-and-place conveyor mechanism may be an automatic forklift. The receiving station of the granulator 1 is located on a weighing mechanism 3, such as a weighing platform of an electronic scale.

[0072] Step S2: The weighing mechanism 3, such as an electronic scale, sends the weight of the empty barrel 2 to the memory of the granulator 1 for storage.

[0073] Step S3: The first opening mechanism on the granulator 1 drives the feed cover 22 of the barrel 2 at the material receiving station to move, so as to open the feed port 201 of the barrel 2, so that the feed port 201 of the barrel 2 is connected with the discharge port 101 of the body of the granulator 1. The feed cover 22 may have a handle 23. The handle 23 is hinged on the barrel body 21 of the barrel 2. The first opening mechanism includes a first driving mechanism 11 and a first opening member 12. The handle 23 is located on the motion trajectory of the first opening member 12. The first driving mechanism 11 is used to drive the first opening member 12 to descend, so as to push the handle 23 to rotate, so that the feed cover 22 is opened.

[0074] Step S4: The granulator 1 opens the discharge port 101 of the machine body and charges the granular material into the material barrel 2. Specifically, the discharge port 101 of the machine body may be provided with an openable and closable baffle. The granulator 1 also includes another drive mechanism. The controller of the granulator 1 is configured to control the other drive mechanism to drive the baffle to open the discharge port 101 of the machine body, allowing the granular material to flow from the discharge port 101 of the machine body into the material barrel 2.

[0075] Step S5: The weighing mechanism 3 , such as an electronic scale, monitors the weight of the material barrel 2 in real time, and generates a first signal when the weight of the material barrel 2 is greater than or equal to a set value.

[0076] Step S6: The controller of the granulator 1 controls the discharge port 101 of the machine body to stop discharging materials according to the first signal. Specifically, the controller of the granulator 1 is used to control another driving mechanism on the machine body according to the first signal, so that the other driving mechanism drives the baffle to close the discharge port 101 of the machine body.

[0077] Step S7: the information reading and writing module on the weighing mechanism 3 , such as an RFID reader / writer, writes the setting information into the reading and writing chip on the barrel 2 .

[0078] Step S8: The control module controls the pick-and-place conveying mechanism to transport the material barrel 2 from the material receiving station to the corresponding storage position marked with a second identifier, such as "none", on the first material rack.

[0079] Step S9: The injection molding machine sends a material request signal to the control module. Specifically, the injection molding machine has a controller, and the injection molding machine sends a material request signal to the control module through the controller.

[0080] Step S10: The control module controls the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism to deliver the loaded material barrel 2 from the corresponding position marked with a first identifier, such as “yes”, on the first material rack to the upper material station according to the material call signal.

[0081] Step S11: A pick-and-place conveying mechanism, such as an automatic forklift, places the barrel 2 on the loading station of the injection molding machine and sends a signal to the controller of the injection molding machine.

[0082] Step S12: The controller of the injection molding machine controls the second cover opening mechanism to drive the discharge cover 5 of the barrel 2 at the loading station to move, so as to open the discharge port 3101 of the barrel 2, so that the discharge port 3101 of the barrel 2 is connected with the feed port 401 of the material receiving member 4.

[0083] Step S13: The pick-and-place conveying mechanism delivers the material barrel 2 of the loading station to the corresponding position of the second material rack marked with a fourth identifier, such as "none".

[0084] This invention utilizes the container principle to standardize material containers, replacing bags with barrels, facilitating automated material flow. Furthermore, by transforming the material flow between the granulation and injection processes from a tedious manual operation to a fully automated one, it saves manpower.

[0085] It should be noted here that: in the absence of conflict, technical personnel in this field can combine the relevant technical features in the above examples according to actual conditions to achieve corresponding technical effects. The specific combinations are not described here one by one.

[0086] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. All technical solutions based on the concept of the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, various improvements and modifications that do not depart from the principles of the present invention should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A material flow system, characterized in that: It includes a granulator (1), a material barrel (2), a pick-and-place transmission mechanism, and an injection machine feeding structure; The material barrel (2) has a material inlet (201), a material outlet (3101), a material inlet cover (22) and a material outlet cover (5); The granulator (1) comprises a body with a discharge port (101), a material receiving station for placing a material barrel (2), and a first cover opening mechanism; the injection molding machine feeding structure comprises a material rack (32) and a second cover opening mechanism, the material rack (32) is provided with a material receiving piece (4) and a material receiving station for placing a material barrel (2), the material receiving piece (4) has a material feed port (401), and the material feed port (401) of the material receiving piece (4) is communicated with the injection molding machine feed pipe (33) through the interior of the material receiving piece (4); The pick-up and delivery mechanism is used for picking up and delivering the material barrel (2) to deliver the material barrel (2) to a material receiving station or a material loading station, or to take the material barrel (2) away from the material receiving station or the material loading station; The first cover-opening mechanism is used to drive the feed cover (22) of the material barrel (2) at the material receiving station to move, so as to open the feed port (201) of the material barrel (2), so that the feed port (201) of the material barrel (2) is communicated with the discharge port (101) of the machine body; the second cover-opening mechanism is used to drive the discharge cover (5) of the material barrel (2) at the material loading station to move, so as to open the discharge port (3101) of the material barrel (2), so that the discharge port (3101) of the material barrel (2) is communicated with the feed port (401) of the material receiving member (4); The material flow system further comprises a control module; the control module is used to control the pick-up and place conveyor mechanism to send an empty material barrel (2) to the material receiving station when the material receiving station is empty, and to control the pick-up and place conveyor mechanism to take away the material barrel (2) at the material receiving station after the material barrel (2) at the material receiving station is loaded with a set weight of material, and to control the pick-up and place conveyor mechanism to send a loaded material barrel (2) to the loading station when the material loading station is empty, and to control the pick-up and place conveyor mechanism to take away the empty material barrel (2) at the loading station after the material barrel (2) at the loading station has been unloaded. The material flow system also includes a configuration module and a marking module; wherein, The material flow system further comprises a first material rack, wherein the control module is used to control the pick-up and place conveyor mechanism to send the material barrel (2) of the material receiving station to the first material rack after the material of the set weight is loaded into the material barrel (2) of the material receiving station, and to control the pick-up and place conveyor mechanism to send the loaded material barrel (2) from the first material rack to the loading station when the loading station is empty; the configuration module is used to configure a virtual address for each bin on the first material rack; the marking module is used to mark the virtual address corresponding to the bin as a first identifier after the pick-up and place conveyor mechanism puts the material barrel (2) into the corresponding bin of the first material rack; and to mark the virtual address corresponding to the bin as a second identifier after the pick-up and place conveyor mechanism takes the material barrel (2) away from the corresponding bin of the first material rack; the pick-up and place conveyor mechanism is used to control the material barrel (2) of the material receiving station to be sent to the corresponding bin marked with the second identifier, and to send the loaded material barrel (2) from the corresponding bin marked with the first identifier to the loading station; And / or, the material flow system further comprises a second material rack, the control module is further used for controlling the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism to deliver an empty material barrel (2) from the second material rack to the material receiving station when the material receiving station is empty, and controlling the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism to deliver the empty material barrel (2) at the loading station to the second material rack after the material barrel (2) at the loading station has been unloaded; the configuration module is used for configuring a virtual address for each bin on the second material rack; the marking module is used for marking the virtual address corresponding to the bin as a third identifier after the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism places the material barrel (2) into the corresponding bin of the second material rack; and marking the virtual address corresponding to the bin as a fourth identifier after the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism takes the material barrel (2) away from the corresponding bin of the second material rack; the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism is used for being controlled to deliver the empty material barrel (2) from the corresponding bin marked with the third identifier to the material receiving station, and to deliver the material barrel (2) at the loading station to the corresponding bin marked with the fourth identifier.

2. The material flow system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feed cover (22) is provided with a handle portion (23), and the handle portion (23) is rotatably connected to the barrel body (21) of the barrel (2) to form a lever structure with the feed cover (22); The first cover opening mechanism is used to drive the handle portion (23) of the material barrel (2) at the material receiving station to move, so as to drive the feed cover (22) to move through the handle portion (23).

3. The material flow system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A slot (102) communicating with the interior is provided on the side of the discharge end of the barrel (2), and the discharge cover (5) is plugged into and fitted with the slot (102); The second cover opening mechanism is used to drive the discharge cover (5) of the barrel (2) at the loading station to move along the slot (102).

4. The material flow system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also included is a weighing mechanism (3); The weighing mechanism (3) is used to weigh the material barrel (2) at the material docking station, and generates a first signal when the weight of the material barrel (2) is greater than or equal to a set value. The granulator (1) has a controller, and the controller is used to control the discharge port (101) of the machine body to stop discharging according to the first signal.

5. The material flow system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The weighing mechanism (3) has an information reading and writing module, and the material barrel (2) has a reading and writing chip. The information reading and writing module is used to write setting information into the reading and writing chip.

6. The material flow system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pick-and-place conveying mechanism is an automatic forklift.

7. A material circulation method for use with the material circulation system of claim 1, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: The control module controls the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism to place the empty material barrel (2) to the material receiving station; The weighing mechanism (3) sends the weight of the empty barrel (2) to the memory of the granulator (1) for storage; The first cover opening mechanism on the granulator (1) drives the feed cover (22) of the material barrel (2) at the material receiving station to move, so as to open the feed opening (201) of the material barrel (2), so that the feed opening (201) of the material barrel (2) is communicated with the discharge opening (101) of the body of the granulator (1); The granulator (1) opens the discharge port (101) of the machine body to fill the granular material into the barrel (2); The weighing mechanism (3) monitors the weight of the material barrel (2) in real time and generates a first signal when the weight of the material barrel (2) is greater than or equal to a set value; The controller of the granulator (1) controls the discharge port (101) of the machine body to stop discharging materials according to the first signal; The information reading and writing module on the weighing mechanism (3) writes the setting information into the reading and writing chip on the barrel (2); The control module controls the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism to transport the material barrel (2) from the material receiving station to a corresponding storage position marked with a second identifier on the first material rack; The injection molding machine sends a material-calling signal to the control module; The control module controls the pick-and-place conveyor mechanism to deliver the loaded material barrel (2) from the corresponding bin position marked with the first identifier on the first material rack to the upper material station according to the material call signal; The pick-and-place conveyor mechanism places the material barrel (2) on the loading station of the injection molding machine and then sends a signal to the controller of the injection molding machine; The controller of the injection molding machine controls the second cover opening mechanism to drive the discharge cover (5) of the barrel (2) at the loading station to move, so as to open the discharge port (3101) of the barrel (2), so that the discharge port (3101) of the barrel (2) is connected to the feed port (401) of the receiving member (4); The pick-and-place conveying mechanism delivers the material barrel (2) of the loading station to the corresponding position marked with the fourth identifier of the second material rack.

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