Floor rail spray line and method of use

Abstract

The present application provides a ground rail type spraying line, comprising: a jig provided with a jacking part; a clamp mounted on the jig and provided with at least a hidden part for mounting a workpiece; and a lifting part for lifting the jacking part so that the jacking part can jack up the hidden part and then expose the hidden part to be clamped. The ground rail type spraying line also provides a method for using the ground rail type spraying line. The ground rail type spraying line can avoid the phenomenon of powder sticking on the jig bearing and the conveying chain, and can also avoid the clamp being stuck with powder.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ground-rail spraying technology, and particularly to a ground-rail spraying line and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] Spray coating generally includes painting and powder coating. Powder coating refers to a coating process in which powder coating is applied to a workpiece using corona discharge. After powder coating, the workpiece undergoes heat melting and curing steps to form a coating film on the workpiece surface. Because the powder coating is thicker, it can cover some marks that cannot be covered by painting. In addition, the cured powder coating is harder and less prone to scratches, making the workpiece look more upscale. Furthermore, it does not pollute water or the atmosphere, so powder coating is more favored by the industry than painting.

[0003] The ground-rail spraying line used in this application is a common type of conveyor line in the spraying industry, which mainly uses a conveyor chain to transport the workpiece. Compared with the non-ground-rail lines involved in the announcements CN214637530U and CN105935636B, the ground-rail spraying line involved in this application is different in that the lower part of the fixture (which drives the workpiece to rotate to achieve 360-degree powder coating) is not suspended in the air; the lower end of the fixture is clamped and fixed on the conveyor chain.

[0004] Therefore, regarding the ground rail coating line involved in this application, since the raw material used for powder coating is plastic powder, during the powder coating process, in addition to being evenly sprayed onto the workpiece, some of the plastic powder will inevitably fall onto the fixture and conveyor chain, causing the fixture bearings and the conveyor chain to easily become jammed. The current industry practice to address this is roughly as follows:

[0005] 1. After powder coating, the workpiece is not transferred (where transferring refers to removing the workpiece from the fixture, where the fixture is mounted on top of the jig and the workpiece is clamped in the fixture). The workpiece, along with the fixture, jig, and ground rail, directly enters the baking oven for heating, drying, and curing. As a result, when the powder coating on the surface of the workpiece is heated and cured, the powder on the fixture, jig, jig bearings, and conveyor chain also cures. This process is repeated, and new workpieces are continuously coated. The amount of cured powder increases and becomes thicker. As a transmission component, the jig bearings and conveyor chain will inevitably experience severe powder jamming, causing the jig bearings and conveyor chain to be directly jammed. Therefore, after a period of time, the machine needs to be stopped for inspection, cleaning, and maintenance. The fixture also needs to be cleaned and powder removed regularly, resulting in high maintenance costs.

[0006] 2. After powder coating, no parts are transferred. Only a double-layer dustproof structure is set on the ground rail spraying line to reduce the amount of powder entering. However, this solution is only a temporary fix and cannot fundamentally solve the problems of powder entering and powder jamming.

[0007] 3. After powder coating, the workpieces are transferred, i.e., the robotic arm removes the workpieces one by one from the fixture and places them in the baking oven for individual heating, drying and curing. At this time, the fixture and conveyor chain do not enter the baking oven with the workpieces. However, during the transfer, in order to avoid the robotic arm directly contacting the workpiece surface, the robotic arm indirectly grips the workpiece by clamping a fixture (industry practice generally requires a fixture to be set between the fixture and the workpiece to hold the workpiece, in order to avoid the robotic arm directly gripping the workpiece surface when removing the workpiece). Therefore, during the drying and curing process, the powder on the surface of the fixture will naturally be heated, dried and cured along with the powder on the surface of the workpiece. This requires frequent cleaning of the fixture. If it is not cleaned in time, after repeated heating and curing, a thick and uneven adhesive layer will be formed, which will seriously affect the clamping of the workpiece and fixture, as well as the gripping of the robotic arm. At the same time, the robotic arm will also carry powder during the gripping process, resulting in unstable gripping.

[0008] Therefore, how to develop a ground-rail spraying line that can avoid powder jamming in the jig bearings and conveyor chain, and also prevent powder from sticking to the fixture, is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0009] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this invention proposes a new type of ground-rail spraying line and its usage method.

[0010] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a ground-rail type spraying line, comprising:

[0011] The fixture has a lifting component; the clamp is mounted on the fixture and has at least a hidden part for mounting a workpiece; the lifting part is used to lift the lifting component so that the lifting component can lift the hidden part, so that the hidden part is exposed for clamping.

[0012] Preferably, the lifting component includes a lifting rod and a lifted body. The lifting rod is disposed on the fixture for lifting the hidden part. The lifted body can be lifted by the lifting part, and the lifted body is connected to the lifting rod, thereby driving the lifting rod to perform a lifting action.

[0013] Preferably, the fixture includes a separate exposed part and a hidden part. The exposed part is fitted to the fixture, and the hidden part is concealed within the exposed part and can be fitted to the workpiece. The hidden part is also equipped with a top structure for the lifting rod to push against.

[0014] Preferably, the top of the fixture is configured as an exposed portion, and the clamp is configured as a concealed portion, which is hidden within the exposed portion and can be fitted with a workpiece. The concealed portion is also equipped with a top structure for the lifting rod to be abutted.

[0015] Preferably, the lifting section includes a lifting ramp and a holding section connected together. When the fixture is conveyed to the lifting ramp, the lifted body moves along the lifting ramp and is lifted. When the fixture moves to the holding section, the lifted body moves along the holding section and maintains a constant height. This helps to keep the workpiece height consistent and facilitates precise gripping by the robot arm.

[0016] Preferably, the lifting section further includes a lowering ramp connected to the holding section, wherein when the fixture is conveyed to the lowering ramp, the lifted body moves downward along the lowering ramp to return to its original position.

[0017] Preferably, the fixture has a running channel on its wall arranged along the lifting direction, the lifting rod is provided with a radially extending connecting rod, the connecting rod runs in the running channel, and the part of the connecting rod extending out of the running channel is used to connect to the lifted body.

[0018] Preferably, the body to be lifted is constructed as a flat, easily lifted plate structure.

[0019] Preferably, the plate structure is a disc with a large radially extending area, which can also serve to block dust.

[0020] As a second aspect, the present invention proposes a method for using a ground-rail type spraying line, comprising:

[0021] The fixture, clamp, and lifting part are provided. The fixture is equipped with a lifting component that can be lifted by the lifting part. The clamp is mounted on the fixture. The clamp includes at least one hidden part for mounting a workpiece. The hidden part can be lifted and exposed by the lifting component.

[0022] When the fixture moves to the powder spraying work area, the hidden part is concealed in other parts of the fixture to prevent powder from sticking.

[0023] When the fixture moves to the lifting section, the lifting component is lifted by the lifting section, and the lifted lifting component lifts the hidden part, so that the hidden part is exposed for clamping, thereby realizing the transfer of the workpiece.

[0024] Preferably, after the workpiece is transferred, the workpiece along with the cleaned hidden part is transferred to the baking oven, while the other parts of the fixture and jig remain on the ground rail spraying line to wait for the powder cleaning device to perform powder cleaning treatment.

[0025] The ground-rail spraying line of this invention, based on the transfer mechanism, utilizes a fixture to create a hidden section. This prevents the hidden section from being exposed during spraying, effectively preventing dust from falling onto it. During transfer, a lifting component is raised, lifting the hidden section and exposing it for easy gripping by the clamping device. The workpiece is then clamped within the hidden section, thus achieving workpiece transfer by gripping the hidden section. Because the hidden section is free of powder, it remains clean. Even when moved to the baking oven along with the workpiece, it does not harden due to powder adhesion, eliminating the need for cleaning. Other parts of the fixtures and clamps can remain on the ground-rail spraying line without entering the baking oven. They only need to be cleaned by the powder cleaning device, including the fixtures, clamps, conveyor chain, and fixture bearings. Uncured dust is easily removed by the powder cleaning device, effectively maintaining the cleanliness of the entire ground-rail spraying line.

[0026] Compared with existing technologies, by setting up lifting components and lifting parts, especially by ensuring that the fixture has at least a concealed part, it is possible to avoid powder jamming in the fixture bearings and conveyor chain while also preventing powder from sticking to the concealed part, while still satisfying the requirements for component transfer. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 A partial structural diagram of a ground-rail spraying line provided for a specific embodiment of the present invention (mainly showing the state of the fixture being transported to the transfer area by the conveyor chain);

[0028] Figure 2 A partial structural diagram of the ground-rail spraying line provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention after the protective cover has been removed (mainly showing the state of the fixture being transported to the transfer area by the conveyor chain);

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal three-dimensional structure of the fixture provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure Labels

[0031] Frame 1, chain link 2, chain shaft 3, running bearing 4, limit guide plate 5, mounting shaft 6, rotating outer tube 7, outer sleeve 8, inner sleeve 9, base plate 10, lifting rod 11, lifted body 12, running channel 13, connecting rod 14, lifting inclined section 15, holding section 16, support frame 17, dust cover 18;

[0032] Conveyor chain 100, workpiece 200. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The technical solutions in specific embodiments of the present invention will be clearly described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the teachings of the following embodiments are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0035] A specific embodiment of the present invention provides a ground-rail type spraying line, which uses a transfer method to heat and dry the workpiece after powder spraying separately, avoiding the heating and drying of the jig bearings, conveyor chains, etc. that have fallen powder together. Since the powder on the jig bearings and conveyor chains has not been solidified, it is easy to be cleaned by the subsequent powder cleaning device to keep the whole thing clean.

[0036] In terms of structural design, the workpiece is clamped by a concealed part. During powder spraying, this concealed part is hidden and does not shed powder. Before transfer, the concealed part can be lifted and exposed by a lifting component, allowing the robot arm to grip the clean concealed part, thus realizing the transfer of the workpiece. The lifting component can also be lifted by a raising component, which simultaneously lifts the concealed part during the lifting process. Therefore, during transfer, the concealed part is lifted and exposed, allowing the robot arm to grip the clean, powder-free concealed part.

[0037] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown in the embodiment illustrated, the ground-rail spraying line includes a frame 1 and a conveyor chain 100 running along the flat top of the frame 1. The conveyor chain 100 is composed of several chain links 2 connected by chain shafts 3. Bearing mounting brackets (not marked) are selected at equal intervals on the lower chain links 2 to accommodate running bearings 4. The running bearings 4 run on the flat top of the frame 1, while the entire conveyor chain 100 is driven by a drive unit (not shown). The running bearings 4 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the bottom of the conveyor chain 100. Limiting guide plates 5 are provided on the outer sides of each running bearing 4 to limit and guide the running bearing 4 and the conveyor chain 100. This configuration facilitates the smooth and efficient operation of the conveyor chain 100.

[0038] In this embodiment, the ground-rail spraying line further includes a fixture comprising a mounting shaft 6 and a rotating outer tube 7. The mounting shaft 6 is fixedly mounted in a corresponding chain shaft 3. The rotating outer tube 7 is rotatably mounted on the mounting shaft 6 via an upper bearing (unmarked) and a lower bearing (unmarked). The rotating outer tube 7 rotates under the drive of a drive device (not shown) via a fitted gear (unmarked).

[0039] The top of the rotating outer tube 7 is equipped with a clamp. In this embodiment, the clamp adopts a split design, including an exposed part and a hidden part. The exposed part is designed as a hollow outer sleeve 8, while the hidden part is designed as an inner sleeve 9 with a base plate 10. The inner sleeve 9 is completely fitted into the outer sleeve 8, forming a hidden arrangement. The open end of the workpiece 200 is inserted upside down into the inner sleeve 9 to achieve clamping of the workpiece 200 by the clamp.

[0040] The lower end of the outer sleeve 8 has a sleeve bottom (unmarked), which has a sleeve hole, so that the outer sleeve 8 can be stably sleeved on the top of the rotating outer tube 7, thereby realizing that the fixture is stably clamped on the top of the fixture. When the rotating outer tube 7 rotates, the outer sleeve 8 is driven to rotate.

[0041] Of course, the design of the inner sleeve 9 and the outer sleeve 8 should be such that the inner sleeve 9 can be smoothly ejected, and the inner sleeve 9 can be driven to rotate when the outer sleeve 8 rotates with the outer tube 7, so as to realize the 360-degree rotation of the workpiece 200.

[0042] Therefore, when the conveyor chain 100 moves the fixture to the powder spraying area, the workpiece 200 achieves 360-degree uniform powder spraying as the outer tube 7 rotates. At this time, the hidden part, i.e., the inner sleeve 9, is concealed within the outer sleeve 8, preventing powder from falling into the inner sleeve 9 and keeping it clean. This invention designs the fixture as a split structure, where the inner sleeve 9 can be concealed within the outer sleeve 8 and can be lifted, effectively preventing powder from sticking to the concealed inner sleeve 9 during powder spraying. During workpiece transfer, the robotic arm can grip the clean, lifted, exposed inner sleeve 9.

[0043] In order to lift the inner sleeve 9 so that it can be lifted and exposed when the workpiece 200 needs to be rotated, the rotating outer tube 7 is equipped with a lifting component that can move up and down, and the ground rail spraying line is also equipped with a lifting part to lift the lifting component.

[0044] The lifting component includes a connecting lifting rod 11 and a lifted body 12. The lifting rod 11 is housed within the rotating outer tube 7 of the fixture and is used to lift the hidden part, specifically the inner sleeve 9, which in turn abuts against the bottom plate 10 at the bottom of the inner sleeve 9. The lifted body 12 can be lifted by the lifting component. In this embodiment, the lifted body 12 is constructed as a flat plate structure that facilitates lifting by the lifting component. Furthermore, the plate structure is designed as a disc. This disc has a large radially extending area, which not only effectively increases the overall stability and the lifted area but also serves to block dust.

[0045] To ensure that the lifting rod 11 is lifted along with the lifted body 12 when it is lifted, the rotating outer tube 7 of the fixture has a running channel 13 on its wall, arranged along the lifting direction. In this embodiment, the running channel 13 is generally a vertically arranged elongated oval hole, and two running channels 13 are arranged symmetrically. The lifting rod 11 is provided with symmetrical radially extending connecting rods 14, which run in the running channel 13. The portion of the connecting rod 14 extending out of the running channel 13 is used to connect to the lifted body 12. In this embodiment, the portion of the connecting rod 14 extending out of the running channel 13 is directly welded to the upper surface wall of the disc formed by the lifted body 12. Thus, when the lifted body 12 is lifted, the lifting rod 11 is also lifted along with it to perform a pushing action.

[0046] In this embodiment, the lifting section includes a connected ramp-type lifting section 15 and a holding section 16 for positioning. When the fixture is conveyed to the lifting ramp 15, the lifted body 12, i.e., the bottom of the disc, moves along the lifting ramp 15 and is gradually lifted. When the fixture moves to the holding section 16, the lifted body 12, i.e., the disc, moves along the holding section 16 with its height remaining constant. This helps to maintain a consistent workpiece height, facilitating precise gripping by the robotic arm.

[0047] To achieve the reset operation of the workpiece, that is, to ensure that the workpiece gradually descends from the holding section 16 to the normal operating height, the lifting section also includes a lowering ramp (not shown) connected to the holding section 16. When the fixture is conveyed to the lowering ramp, the lifted body 12 moves downward along the lowering ramp to return to its original position. In this embodiment, the lifting ramp 15, the holding section 16, and the lowering ramp are connected sequentially along the running direction of the workpiece, and the lowering ramp can be symmetrically arranged with the lifting ramp 15. Structurally, the lowering ramp can also be basically the same as the lifting ramp 15, the difference being that the lifting ramp 15 is inclined upwards, while the lowering ramp is inclined downwards.

[0048] In this embodiment, two lifting parts are provided, symmetrically arranged on both sides of the fixture to form a stable lifting effect. To support and fix the lifting parts, two symmetrical support frames 17 are provided on the frame 1, and the support frames 17 are connected and fixed to the corresponding lifting parts by connectors (not shown).

[0049] In this embodiment, a dust cover 18 is also provided on the frame 1. The dust cover 18 consists of two symmetrically arranged parts, with the gap between the two parts just enough for the fixture to extend out. The lower part of the fixture, including the upper and lower bearings of the fixture, the lifted body 12, the conveyor chain 100, and other components, is located within the protective space formed by the dust cover 18. In this embodiment, some optimized designs have also been made, with the size of the outer sleeve 8 designed to be larger than the size of the rotating outer tube 7. The outer sleeve 8 is also positioned just above the gap, which effectively prevents dust from entering through the gap.

[0050] In some other embodiments, the top of the fixture is configured as an exposed portion, meaning the exposed portion directly forms the top of the rotating outer tube 7 of the fixture. The clamp, on the other hand, is configured as a concealed portion, hidden within the exposed portion and capable of housing the workpiece 200. The concealed portion is also equipped with a supporting structure for the lifting rod to abut. This supporting structure can be the bottom of the concealed portion. In other words, in this embodiment, the clamp is designed as a single component, entirely concealed within the fixture.

[0051] In addition, in some embodiments, the method by which the hidden part of the ground-rail type spraying line of the present invention is lifted is as follows:

[0052] The fixture, clamp, and lifting part are provided; the fixture has a rotating outer tube 7, a lifting rod 11, and a lifted body 12 connected to the lifting rod 11; the clamp has an outer sleeve 8 and an inner sleeve 9, the outer sleeve 8 can be clamped at the top of the rotating outer tube 7, and the inner sleeve 9 can be inserted into the outer sleeve 8, thus forming a complete concealment in the outer sleeve 8, while the bottom open end of the workpiece 200 can be inserted upside down into the inner sleeve 9 to achieve assembly; the lifting part has a connected ramp-type lifting section 15 and a holding section 16 for lifting into place, so that the lifted body 12 can be forced to run along the lifting ramp 15 and the holding section 16;

[0053] Therefore, when the fixture is moved to the powder spraying work area by the conveyor chain 100, the inner jacket 9 is always hidden in the outer jacket 8, and the hidden inner jacket 9 can prevent powder from sticking.

[0054] Furthermore, when the fixture is moved to the lifting section by the conveyor chain 100, the lifted body 12 is gradually lifted by the lifting inclined section 15, which causes the lifting rod 11 to abut against the bottom plate 10 of the inner clamping sleeve 9, causing the inner clamping sleeve 9 to be pushed out of the outer clamping sleeve 8 and partially exposed, so that the robot arm can grip the exposed part of the inner clamping sleeve 9, thereby realizing the transfer of the workpiece 200 clamped on the inner clamping sleeve 9; during the gripping process, the robot arm grips the clean part of the inner clamping sleeve 9 that is not covered with powder.

[0055] After the transfer, the workpiece 200, along with the clean inner sleeve 9, can be transferred to the baking oven, while the fixture and outer sleeve 8 remain on the ground rail spraying line to await the powder cleaning device for powder cleaning.

[0056] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A ground-rail type spraying line, equipped with a conveyor chain, characterized in that, The ground-rail spraying line also includes: a fixture mounted on the conveyor chain, the fixture having a lifting component; a clamp mounted on the fixture, having at least a concealed portion for mounting a workpiece; and a lifting component for lifting the lifting component so that the lifting component can lift the concealed portion, thereby exposing the concealed portion for clamping.

2. The ground-rail type spraying line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting component includes a lifting rod and a lifted body. The lifting rod is mounted on a fixture to lift the hidden part. The lifted body can be lifted by the lifting component and is connected to the lifting rod, thereby driving the lifting rod to perform a lifting action.

3. The ground-rail type spraying line according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fixture includes a separate exposed part and a hidden part. The exposed part is fitted to the fixture, and the hidden part is concealed within the exposed part and can be used to fit the workpiece.

4. The ground-rail type spraying line according to claim 2, characterized in that, The top of the fixture is configured as an exposed portion, and the clamp is configured as a concealed portion, which is hidden within the exposed portion and allows for workpiece mounting.

5. The ground-rail type spraying line according to claim 2, characterized in that, The lifting section includes a lifting ramp and a holding section connected together; when the fixture is transported to the lifting ramp, the lifted body moves along the lifting ramp and is lifted; when the fixture moves to the holding section, the lifted body moves along the holding section at a constant height.

6. The ground-rail type spraying line according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fixture has a running channel extending in the lifting direction on its wall. The lifting rod is provided with a radially extending connecting rod. The connecting rod runs in the running channel, and the part of the connecting rod extending out of the running channel is used to connect to the lifted body.

7. The ground-rail type spraying line according to claim 6, characterized in that, The object to be lifted is constructed as a flat, easily liftable plate structure.

8. The ground-rail type spraying line according to claim 7, characterized in that, The plate structure is a disc.

9. The ground-rail type spraying line according to claim 5, characterized in that, The lifting section also includes a lowering ramp connected to the holding section. When the fixture is transported to the lowering ramp, the lifted body moves downward along the lowering ramp to return to its original position.

10. The ground-rail type spraying line according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The concealed part is also equipped with a top structure for the lifting rod to be pushed against.

11. A method of using a ground-rail type spraying line, employing the ground-rail type spraying line as described in any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The fixture, clamp, and lifting part are provided. The fixture is equipped with a lifting component that can be lifted by the lifting part. The clamp is mounted on the fixture. The clamp includes at least one hidden part for mounting a workpiece. The hidden part can be lifted and exposed by the lifting component. When the fixture moves to the powder spraying work area, the hidden part is concealed in other parts of the fixture to avoid powder sticking. When the fixture moves to the lifting section, the lifting component is lifted by the lifting section, and the lifted lifting component lifts the hidden part, so that the hidden part is exposed for clamping, thereby realizing the transfer of the workpiece.

12. The method of using a ground-rail type spraying line according to claim 11, characterized in that, After the workpiece is transferred, the cleaned hidden parts are moved to the baking oven, while the other parts of the fixture and jig remain on the ground rail spraying line to wait for the powder cleaning device to clean them.

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