Automatic material changing system and material changing method

Abstract

This invention discloses an automatic material changing system, including a magazine hopper, a material trolley, and a feeding mechanism. The magazine hopper is pre-stored in a loading area and used for loading fabric. The material trolley includes a movable body for loading and transporting the magazine hopper. The feeding mechanism includes a feeding chamber, a preparation area, and a drive mechanism. The feeding mechanism has an inlet and an outlet at opposite ends, respectively, communicating with the feeding chamber. The preparation area is connected to the inlet. The drive mechanism is installed on the outside of the feeding chamber and can reciprocate. The drive mechanism is used to push the magazine hopper from the preparation area into the feeding chamber. This invention uses the magazine hopper to batch load and transport fabric, and the material trolley to transport the magazine hopper, thereby systematically replacing the fabric in the feeding mechanism, achieving fully automatic material changing with high efficiency and no need for manual labor. This invention also discloses an automatic material changing method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automatic material changing technology, and in particular to an automatic material changing system and method suitable for pattern making machines. Background Technology

[0002] A pattern sewing machine is a device used to sew patterns onto fabric, thereby making the fabric more diverse in shape to meet various needs. In the production process of a pattern sewing machine, the cut fabric is first transported to the machine. Usually, a large batch of fabric is transported to the machine at once via a material cart. Then, the fabric is placed one by one on the pattern sewing machine for sewing. After sewing, the finished products are collected from the pattern sewing machine one by one. At the same time, the finished products are generally collected in the material cart. Once the material cart is full, the large batch of finished products is transported away at once.

[0003] In the above process, after the fabric in the material cart has been processed, the empty material cart needs to be moved away, and then the next material cart loaded with fabric needs to be moved to the pattern making machine, thus completing the material changing operation. The current method involves manually pushing the material cart to perform the material changing operation, which not only requires a lot of manpower, but also has low material changing efficiency, thus affecting the overall production efficiency.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an automated material changing system and method that reduces labor and increases production efficiency to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic material changing system that reduces manual labor and increases production efficiency.

[0006] Another objective of this invention is to provide an automated material changing method that reduces labor and increases production efficiency.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: An automatic material changing system is provided, applicable to a pattern making machine, comprising a magazine hopper, a material trolley, and a feeding mechanism; wherein, the magazine hopper is pre-stored in a loading area and used for loading fabric; the material trolley includes a movable body for loading and transporting the magazine hopper; the feeding mechanism includes a feeding chamber, a preparation area, and a driving mechanism, wherein two opposite ends of the feeding mechanism are respectively provided with an inlet and an outlet communicating with the feeding chamber, the preparation area is connected to the inlet, and the driving mechanism is installed on the outside of the feeding chamber and can reciprocate in a first direction, the driving mechanism being used to push the magazine hopper in the preparation area into the feeding chamber.

[0008] Preferably, when the loading chamber contains an empty magazine compartment, when the fully loaded magazine compartment enters the loading chamber, it can push the empty magazine compartment out of the discharge port.

[0009] Preferably, the material trolley further includes a first controller disposed on the trolley body. The first controller is used to control the trolley body to move back and forth between the loading area and the preparation area to transport the fully loaded magazine hopper. The first controller is also used to control the trolley body to move to the discharge port side to transport the empty magazine hopper to the loading area.

[0010] Preferably, the material trolley further includes a push mechanism disposed on the vehicle body and electrically connected to the first controller, the push mechanism being used to push out the magazine hopper inside the vehicle body.

[0011] Preferably, an entrance / exit is provided on one side of the vehicle body, and the entrance / exit and the pushing mechanism are respectively located on two opposite sides of the vehicle body. The magazine compartment moves into or out of the vehicle body through the entrance / exit.

[0012] Preferably, the preparation area is provided with a guide rail extending along the first direction, and the bottom of the magazine compartment is provided with a slot that mates with the guide rail.

[0013] Preferably, the driving mechanism includes a first driving member and a driving plate. The first driving member is fixed to the outside of the feeding cavity and can extend and retract along the first direction. The driving plate is fixed to the end of the first driving member and protrudes along a second direction intersecting the first direction. The first driving member drives the driving plate to extend and retract, so that the driving plate extends into the preparation area or pushes the magazine hopper in the preparation area into the feeding cavity.

[0014] Preferably, the feeding mechanism further includes a lifting mechanism installed on the side wall of the feeding chamber, the lifting mechanism being used to lift all the fabric in the magazine compartment layer by layer.

[0015] Preferably, the lifting mechanism includes a second driving member, a third driving member, and a carrier member. The second driving member is fixed to the side wall of the feeding chamber and can extend and retract in the vertical direction. The third driving member is fixed to the end of the second driving member and can extend and retract in the horizontal direction. The carrier member is fixed to the end of the third driving member. The third driving member drives the carrier member to extend and retract so that it extends into or out of the feeding chamber. After the carrier member extends into the feeding chamber and carries all the fabric, the second driving member drives the third driving member and the carrier member to rise layer by layer.

[0016] Preferably, the feeding mechanism further includes a second controller, which is electrically connected to the drive mechanism for controlling its operation. The second controller is also communicatively connected to the first controller and is also used to send a signal indicating that the fabric processing in the magazine compartment is complete to the first controller.

[0017] Preferably, the material trolley also includes a push handle located on the top of the trolley body.

[0018] Correspondingly, the present invention also provides an automatic material changing method using the automatic material changing system described above, which includes the following steps:

[0019] (1) When the material trolley receives the material change signal, it automatically moves to the loading area to load the fully loaded magazine hopper;

[0020] (2) The material trolley carries the fully loaded magazine hopper and moves to the feeding mechanism. The material trolley stops when it moves to the side of the preparation area of ​​the feeding mechanism.

[0021] (3) The drive mechanism of the feeding mechanism extends and moves its end to the end of the preparation area;

[0022] (4) The material trolley unloads the fully loaded magazine hopper into the preparation area, at which time the outer wall of the magazine hopper is engaged with the drive mechanism;

[0023] (5) The drive mechanism retracts and pushes the magazine compartment into the loading chamber.

[0024] Preferably, in the automatic material changing method of the present invention, during the above step (5), if there is an empty magazine hopper in the feeding chamber, the empty magazine hopper can be pushed out of the discharge port during the process of the fully loaded magazine hopper being pushed into the feeding chamber.

[0025] Preferably, in the automatic material changing method of the present invention, the following steps are further included after step (5):

[0026] (6) After unloading, the material trolley moves from the preparation area to the discharge port side of the feeding mechanism to transport the empty magazine hopper to the loading area.

[0027] Preferably, in the automatic material changing method of the present invention, the feeding mechanism sends a signal to the material trolley indicating that all the fabric in the feeding chamber has been used up as the material changing signal.

[0028] Compared with existing technologies, the automatic material changing system of this invention first loads the fabric into the magazine hopper, enabling rapid filling and large-volume transportation of the fabric, thereby increasing carrying capacity and material changing efficiency. Secondly, the automatic movement of the material trolley transports the fully loaded magazine hopper to the feeding mechanism, where the drive mechanism pushes the fully loaded magazine hopper into the feeding chamber, completing the automatic material changing. If an empty magazine hopper is present in the feeding chamber, the fully loaded magazine hopper directly pushes it out, eliminating the need for additional material changing operations, further improving material changing efficiency and overall production efficiency. Furthermore, no manual operation is required throughout the entire material changing process, thus reducing labor costs.

[0029] Correspondingly, the automatic material changing method using the automatic material changing system of the present invention also has the same technical effect. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic material changing system of the present invention during material changing by the feeding mechanism.

[0031] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Top view.

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic material changing system of the present invention after the material changing mechanism has completed the material changing process.

[0033] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the material trolley of the automatic material changing system of the present invention, which is loaded with a fully loaded magazine hopper.

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the material changing trajectory of the automatic material changing system of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a material changing state of the automatic material changing system of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing the status after material change is complete.

[0037] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic material changing system of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0038] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which similar element reference numerals represent similar elements. The orientational descriptions involved in this invention, such as up, down, left, right, front, and back, indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the technical solutions of this application or / and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. The terms "first," "second," etc., described are only used to distinguish technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the sequential relationship of the indicated technical features.

[0039] First, combine Figures 1-8 As shown, the automatic material changing system 100 provided by the present invention is mainly applicable to pattern making machines and is used to realize automatic material changing of pattern making machines. However, it is not limited to this. The automatic material changing system 100 can of course be applied to other similar settings.

[0040] Please refer to the following first. Figures 1-4 As shown, the automatic material changing system 100 of the present invention includes a magazine hopper 110, a material trolley 120, and a feeding mechanism 130. Multiple magazine hoppers 110 are provided, each pre-stored in the loading area and used to load fabric 200. Loading large quantities of fabric 200 through the magazine hoppers 110 not only enables rapid filling of the fabric but also facilitates batch transportation, thereby improving carrying capacity and material changing efficiency. The feeding mechanism 130 is located corresponding to the pattern-making machine and is used to supply the received fabric 200 to the pattern-making machine for processing. The material trolley 120 can automatically move back and forth between the loading area and the feeding mechanism 130 to transport the fully loaded magazine hoppers 110 in the loading area to the feeding mechanism 130, thereby achieving batch and automatic transportation of the fabric.

[0041] Furthermore, the material trolley 120 in this invention can also automatically move to the other side of the loading mechanism 130 to transport the empty magazine hopper 110 back to the loading area, thereby realizing the automatic handling of the empty magazine hopper 110 and improving the efficiency of the entire automatic material changing process of this invention. Of course, the empty magazine hopper 110 can also be transported back to the loading area by other devices.

[0042] The following is combined with Figure 1 , Figure 3-4As shown, the magazine compartment 110 of this invention includes a base plate 111 and a frame 112 disposed on the base plate 111. The base plate 111 and the frame 112 form a receiving cavity 113 with a top opening. Fabric 200 is placed into the receiving cavity 113 or removed from the receiving cavity 113 through the top opening. Since the magazine compartment 110 can hold a large number of pieces of fabric 200, a large number of pieces of fabric 200 can be transported at one time, thereby improving the efficiency of transportation and material changing.

[0043] More preferably, the magazine compartment 110 further includes positioning members 114 disposed on the frame 112 and located within the receiving cavity 113. The number and structure of the positioning members 114 are flexibly set according to the specific shape of the fabric 200, and they are used to position the fabric 200 stacked in the receiving cavity 113. The present invention does not specifically limit the structure and number of the positioning members 114. Of course, not providing positioning members 114 will not affect the magazine compartment 110's ability to store the fabric 200.

[0044] The following is combined with Figure 4 , Figure 8 As shown, in this invention, the material trolley 120 includes a movable body 121, a pushing mechanism 122 disposed on the body 121, and a first controller 123. One side of the body 121 has an inlet / outlet 1211. The pushing mechanism 122 is installed on the other side opposite to the inlet / outlet 1211 and is electrically connected to the first controller 123. The first controller 123 controls the operation of the pushing mechanism 122. The magazine hopper 110 moves into the body 121 through the inlet / outlet 1211 and moves out through the inlet / outlet 1211 under the push of the pushing mechanism 122.

[0045] The material trolley 120 of the present invention also includes a first controller 123 for controlling the free movement of the trolley body 121. Specifically, the first controller 123 can control the trolley body 121 to move to the loading area to load a fully loaded magazine hopper 110, and then control the trolley body 121 to move to the feeding mechanism 130 to transport the fully loaded magazine hopper 110 to the inlet side of the feeding mechanism 130; furthermore, it can also control the trolley body 121 to move from the inlet side of the feeding mechanism 130 to its outlet side, and then transport the empty magazine hopper 110 back to the loading area. The movement method of the trolley body 121 is a conventional method in the field of material trolleys, and therefore will not be described in detail.

[0046] See again Figure 4 As shown, the material trolley 120 of the present invention is further provided with a push handle 1212 on its body 121. The push handle 1212 is fixed to the top of the body 121. Therefore, the material trolley 120 can be moved by the push handle 1212 when necessary, thereby increasing the convenience of operation.

[0047] The following is combined with Figure 1-3 , Figure 8 As shown, the feeding mechanism 130 includes a feeding chamber 131, a preparation area 132, a drive mechanism 133, and a second controller 135. More specifically, the feeding mechanism 130 has a base plate 136 and an outer frame 137 disposed on the base plate 136. The base plate 116 and the outer frame 137 form the feeding chamber 131, and the two opposite ends of the outer frame 137 are respectively provided with an inlet 131a and an outlet 131b communicating with the feeding chamber 131. The preparation area 132 is connected to the inlet 131a and is used to receive the magazine hopper 110 unloaded from the material cart 120. The drive mechanism 133 is mounted on the base plate 136 or the outer frame 137 and can extend and retract along a first direction (X-axis direction). It is used to push the magazine hopper 110 in the preparation area 132 into the loading chamber 131. In this invention, the first direction is parallel to the direction from the inlet 131a to the outlet 131b. The second controller 135 is electrically connected to the drive mechanism 133 and is used to control its operation. Specifically, the second controller 135 first controls the drive mechanism 133 to move. The drive mechanism 133 extends to the preparation area 132. After the material trolley 120 unloads the fully loaded magazine hopper 110 into the preparation area 132, the outer wall of the magazine hopper 110 engages with the drive mechanism 133. When the drive mechanism 133 retracts, it pushes the magazine hopper 110 into the loading chamber 131.

[0048] Continue reading Figure 1 , Figure 3 As shown, preferably, the preparation area 132 is formed by protruding from the base plate 111 along the X-axis direction, and the preparation area 132 is provided with a guide rail 1321 extending along the first direction (X-axis direction). Correspondingly, the bottom of the base plate 111 of the magazine magazine 110 is provided with a slot that mates with the guide rail 1321. When the magazine magazine 110 is unloaded into the preparation area 132, the slot of the magazine magazine 110 can engage with the guide rail 1321. When the drive mechanism 133 pushes the magazine magazine 110, it will slide along the guide rail 1321 into the loading cavity 131. Therefore, only a small amount of power is needed to push the magazine magazine 110 into the loading cavity 131. Of course, the preparation area 132 can also be made of another plate and fixed to the base plate 136 or the outer frame 137.

[0049] See Figure 1-3 As shown, after all the fabric 200 in the feeding chamber 131 has been processed, the feeding chamber 131 has an empty magazine well 110. Therefore, during the process of the fully loaded magazine well 110 being pushed into the feeding chamber 131 by the drive mechanism 133, the fully loaded magazine well 110 directly pushes the empty magazine well 110 out of the discharge port 131b. The state of the empty magazine well 110 after it is pushed out is shown in the figure. Figure 3As shown, this enables the entire process of automatic material changing.

[0050] The following will continue to combine Figure 1 , Figure 3 As shown, in this invention, the driving mechanism 133 includes a first driving member 1331 and a driving plate 1332. The first driving member 1331 is fixed to the outside of the base plate 136 or the outer frame 137 and can extend and retract along a first direction (X-axis direction). Specifically, the first driving member 1331 extends and retracts in the preparation area 132. The driving plate 1332 is fixed to the end of the first driving member 1331 and protrudes along a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the driving plate 1332 protrudes towards the center of the preparation area 132. In this invention, the second direction is preferably perpendicular to the first direction, and the second direction is specifically the Y-axis direction. During material change, the first driving member 1331 extends to drive the driving plate 1332 to move and extend, so that the driving plate 1332 moves to the end of the preparation area 132 away from the loading chamber 131. See [reference needed]. Figure 1 As shown; then the fully loaded magazine well 110 is unloaded into the preparation area 132. At this time, the side wall of the magazine well 110 is just engaged between the telescopic rod of the first driving member 1331 and the driving plate 1332, that is, the driving plate 1332 is engaged with the outer wall of the magazine well 110; then, the first driving member 1331 retracts to drive the driving plate 1332 to retract, thereby pulling the magazine well 110 to move and push it into the loading chamber 131. The state after being pushed in is shown in the figure. Figure 3 As shown.

[0051] Continue to combine Figures 1-3 , Figure 8 As shown, the feeding mechanism 130 of the present invention preferably includes a lifting mechanism 134, which is mounted on the outer frame 137 and electrically connected to the second controller 135. The second controller 135 controls the operation of the lifting mechanism 134, so that the lifting mechanism 134 extends and retracts in the vertical direction to lift all the fabric 200 in the magazine compartment 110 layer by layer, so as to grab the fabric 200 in the magazine compartment 110.

[0052] Specifically, the lifting mechanism 134 includes a second driving member 1341, a third driving member (not shown), and a carrier member (not shown). The second driving member 1341 is fixed to the outer frame 137 and can extend and retract in the vertical direction, specifically extending downwards. The third driving member is fixed to the end of the second driving member 1341 and can extend and retract in the horizontal direction. In this embodiment, the third driving member extends and retracts in the second direction (Y-axis direction). The carrier member is fixed to the end of the third driving member. The third driving member drives the carrier member to extend and retract so that it extends into or out of the feeding cavity 131. When it is necessary to raise the fabric 200, the second drive member 1341 first extends downward to drive the third drive member and the carrier member to move downward as a whole. When the carrier plate moves down to the bottom of the feeding cavity 131, the third drive member extends to drive the carrier member to extend into the feeding cavity 131. When the carrier member is inserted into the bottom of all the fabrics 200, the second drive member 1341 retracts upward layer by layer, thereby driving the third drive member and the carrier member to move upward gradually, raising all the fabrics 200 layer by layer.

[0053] In this invention, the first driving component 1331, the second driving component 1341, and the third driving component can all be dual-axis cylinders, single-axis cylinders, rodless cylinders, or hydraulic cylinders, etc. However, they are not limited to the aforementioned driving mechanisms, and other power mechanisms can also be used.

[0054] See again Figure 8 As shown, in a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second controller 135 is also communicatively connected to the first controller 123. In this way, when the fabric 200 in the magazine hopper 110 is finished being processed, the second controller 135 sends a signal that the fabric 200 has been finished to the first controller 123. After receiving the aforementioned signal, the first controller 123 controls the material trolley 120 to move to the loading area to reload the fully loaded magazine hopper 110, thereby realizing fully automatic material changing.

[0055] Let's combine them again below. Figures 1-8 The working principle and process of the automatic material changing system 100 of the present invention are explained as shown.

[0056] When the first controller 123 of the material trolley 120 receives the material change signal, it controls the trolley body 121 to move to the loading area to load the fully loaded magazine hopper 110. After loading is completed, the first controller 123 controls the trolley body 121 to move to the feeding mechanism 130. When the trolley body 121 moves to the vicinity of the feeding mechanism 130, it moves in the negative direction of the first direction (X-axis direction) so that it can move parallel to the side of the preparation area 132.

[0057] Combination Figure 5-6As shown, when the vehicle body 121 moves to the side of the preparation area 132 and aligns, the vehicle body 121 stops moving; at this time, the second controller 135 of the loading mechanism 130 controls the drive mechanism 133 to run. Specifically, the first drive member 1331 of the drive mechanism 133 extends along the X-axis to drive the drive plate 1332 to move to the end of the preparation area 132, and the drive plate 1332 protrudes along the Y-axis. Of course, the first drive member 1331 and the drive plate 1332 are not limited to being at right angles. The angle between them is specifically set according to the external shape of the magazine compartment 110.

[0058] Next, the first controller 123 of the material trolley 120 controls the push mechanism 122 to operate and unload the magazine hopper 110 on it. Specifically, the push mechanism 122 actuates to push the magazine hopper 110, thereby pushing the magazine hopper 110 in the vehicle body 121 out of the inlet / outlet 1211 and unloading it into the preparation area 132. At this time, the slot at the bottom of the magazine hopper 110 engages with the guide rail 1321. (See reference...) Figure 1 , Figure 4 , Figure 6 As shown. Furthermore, at this time, the adjacent side walls of the magazine compartment 110 are engaged between the telescopic rod of the first driving member 1331 and the driving plate 1332, that is, the driving plate 1332 is parallel to one side wall of the magazine compartment 110, as shown. Figure 1 As shown.

[0059] Then, the second controller 135 of the feeding mechanism 130 controls its drive mechanism 133 to operate again. Specifically, the first drive member 1331 retracts in the negative direction along the X-axis to drive the drive plate 1332 to retract. The drive plate 1332 acts on the side wall of the magazine compartment 110, thereby pulling the magazine compartment 110 to move along the guide rail 1321. When the drive plate 1332 retracts to the initial position, it finally pushes the magazine compartment 110 into the feeding chamber 131 from the feed port 131a. See the completed state. Figure 3 , Figure 7 As shown.

[0060] Continue reading Figure 3 , Figure 7 As shown, during the process of a fully loaded magazine magazine 110 entering the loading chamber 131, if there is an empty magazine magazine 110 in the loading chamber 131, the fully loaded magazine magazine 110 directly pushes the empty magazine magazine 110 to move and push it out from the discharge port 131b. The state of the empty magazine magazine 110 after being pushed out is as follows. Figure 3 , Figure 7 As shown, this completes the entire process of automatic material changing.

[0061] Furthermore, the first controller 123 of the material trolley 120 can also control the trolley body 121 to move from the preparation area 132 to the side of the discharge port 131b of the loading mechanism 130, that is, to the side where the empty magazine hopper 110 is located, and transport the empty magazine hopper 110 back to the loading area.

[0062] Let's combine them again below. Figures 1-8 As shown, the present invention also provides an automatic material changing method, which uses the automatic material changing system 100 described above, and the method specifically includes the following steps:

[0063] S01: When the material trolley 120 receives the material change signal, it automatically moves to the loading area to load the fully loaded magazine hopper 110;

[0064] S02: The material trolley 120 carries the fully loaded magazine hopper 110 and moves to the feeding mechanism 130. The material trolley 120 stops after moving to the side of the preparation area 132 of the feeding mechanism 130.

[0065] S03: The drive mechanism 133 of the feeding mechanism 130 extends so that its end moves to the end of the preparation area 132;

[0066] Specific combination Figure 1-3 As shown, in this step, the first driving member 1331 of the driving mechanism 133 extends along the X-axis to drive the driving plate 1332 to move to the end of the preparation area 132, and the driving plate 1332 protrudes along the Y-axis, that is, the first driving member 1331 and the driving plate 1332 are arranged at right angles.

[0067] S04: The material trolley 120 unloads the fully loaded magazine hopper 110 into the preparation area 132. At this time, the outer wall of the magazine hopper 110 is engaged with the drive mechanism 133.

[0068] See details Figure 1 As shown, the adjacent side walls of the magazine compartment 110 are engaged between the telescopic rod of the first drive member 1331 and the drive plate 1332. Therefore, one side wall of the magazine compartment 110 is parallel to the drive plate 1332.

[0069] S05: The drive mechanism 133 retracts and pushes the magazine hopper 110 into the loading chamber 131.

[0070] Combination Figure 1-3 As shown, during the negative retraction of the first driving member 1331 along the X-axis, it drives the driving plate 1332 to move. The driving plate 1332 acts on the side wall of the magazine compartment 110, thereby pulling the magazine compartment 110 to move. When the driving plate 1332 retracts to the initial position, it pushes the magazine compartment 110 into the loading chamber 131.

[0071] See Figure 7 As shown, in a preferred embodiment of the automatic material changing method of the present invention, the following steps may be included after step S05:

[0072] S06: The unloaded material trolley 120 moves from the preparation area 132 to the discharge port 131b side of the loading mechanism 130, and transports the empty magazine hopper 110 back to the loading area.

[0073] See below. Figure 1-3 , Figure 7 As shown, in the automatic material changing method of the present invention, during the above step S05, if there is an empty magazine hopper 110 in the feeding chamber 131, the process of the fully loaded magazine hopper 110 being pushed into the feeding chamber 131 will directly push the empty magazine hopper 110 out of the feeding chamber 131.

[0074] See below. Figure 8 As shown, in a more preferred embodiment of the automatic material changing method of the present invention, the material trolley 120 used therein is communicatively connected to the feeding mechanism 130. Therefore, the feeding mechanism 130 can send a signal that all the fabric 200 in the feeding chamber 131 has been used up to the material trolley 120 as the material changing signal.

[0075] In summary, the automatic material changing system 100 of the present invention first loads the fabric 200 through the magazine hopper 110, enabling rapid filling and large-scale transportation of the fabric 200, thereby improving the carrying capacity and material changing efficiency. Secondly, the automatic movement of the material trolley 120 transports the magazine hopper 110, which is fully loaded with fabric 200, to the feeding mechanism 130. Then, the drive mechanism 133 of the feeding mechanism 130 pushes the fully loaded magazine hopper 110 into the feeding chamber 131, completing the automatic material changing. During this process, if there is an empty magazine hopper 110 in the feeding chamber 131, the fully loaded magazine hopper 110 directly pushes the empty magazine hopper 110 out, eliminating the need for additional material changing operations, thereby further improving material changing efficiency and thus improving overall production efficiency. In addition, no manual operation is required throughout the entire material changing process, thereby reducing labor costs.

[0076] Correspondingly, the automatic material changing method using the automatic material changing system 100 of the present invention also has the above-mentioned technical effects.

[0077] The structure and working principle of the material trolley and other parts of the feeding mechanism involved in this invention are all conventional methods well known to those skilled in the art, and will not be described in detail here.

[0078] The above-disclosed embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Therefore, any equivalent variations made in accordance with the claims of the present invention are still within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic material changing system, suitable for pattern making machines, characterized in that, include: The magazine compartment is pre-stored in the loading area and used for loading fabric; A material trolley, comprising a movable body for loading and transporting the magazine hopper; The feeding mechanism includes a feeding chamber, a preparation area, and a driving mechanism. The feeding mechanism has an inlet and an outlet at two opposite ends that communicate with the feeding chamber. The preparation area is connected to the inlet. The driving mechanism is installed on the outside of the feeding chamber and can reciprocate in a first direction. The driving mechanism is used to push the magazine compartment in the preparation area into the feeding chamber. The driving mechanism includes a first driving member and a driving plate. The first driving member is fixed to the outside of the loading cavity and can extend and retract along the first direction. The driving plate is fixed to the end of the first driving member and protrudes along a second direction that is intersecting the first direction. The first driving member drives the driving plate to extend and retract, so that the driving plate extends into the preparation area or pushes the magazine compartment in the preparation area into the loading cavity. Furthermore, when the loading chamber contains an empty magazine compartment, the fully loaded magazine compartment entering the loading chamber can push the empty magazine compartment out of the discharge port.

2. The automatic material changing system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The material trolley also includes a first controller disposed on the trolley body. The first controller is used to control the trolley body to move back and forth between the loading area and the preparation area to transport the fully loaded magazine hopper. The first controller is also used to control the trolley body to move to the discharge port side to transport the empty magazine hopper to the loading area.

3. The automatic material changing system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The material trolley also includes a push mechanism disposed on the vehicle body and electrically connected to the first controller, the push mechanism being used to push out the magazine hopper inside the vehicle body.

4. The automatic material changing system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, An entrance / exit is provided on one side of the vehicle body. The entrance / exit and the pushing mechanism are respectively located on two opposite sides of the vehicle body. The magazine compartment moves into or out of the vehicle body through the entrance / exit.

5. The automatic material changing system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The preparation area is provided with a guide rail extending along the first direction, and the bottom of the magazine compartment is provided with a slot that mates with the guide rail.

6. The automatic material changing system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding mechanism also includes a lifting mechanism installed on the side wall of the feeding chamber, which is used to lift all the fabric in the magazine compartment layer by layer.

7. The automatic material changing system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The lifting mechanism includes a second driving member, a third driving member, and a carrier member. The second driving member is fixed to the side wall of the feeding chamber and can extend and retract in the vertical direction. The third driving member is fixed to the end of the second driving member and can extend and retract in the horizontal direction. The carrier member is fixed to the end of the third driving member. The third driving member drives the carrier member to extend and retract so that it extends into or out of the feeding chamber. After the carrier member extends into the feeding chamber and carries all the fabric, the second driving member drives the third driving member and the carrier member to rise layer by layer.

8. The automatic material changing system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The feeding mechanism also includes a second controller, which is electrically connected to the drive mechanism for controlling its operation. The second controller is also communicatively connected to the first controller and is also used to send a signal that the fabric processing in the magazine compartment is complete to the first controller.

9. The automatic material changing system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The material trolley also includes a push handle located on the top of the trolley body.

10. An automatic material changing method using the automatic material changing system as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: (1) When the material trolley receives the material change signal, it automatically moves to the loading area to load the fully loaded magazine hopper; (2) The material trolley carries the fully loaded magazine hopper and moves to the feeding mechanism. The material trolley stops when it reaches the side of the preparation area of ​​the feeding mechanism. (3) The drive mechanism of the feeding mechanism extends so that its end moves to the end of the preparation area; (4) The material trolley unloads the fully loaded magazine hopper into the preparation area, at which time the outer wall of the magazine hopper is engaged with the drive mechanism; (5) The drive mechanism retracts and pushes the magazine compartment into the loading chamber.

11. The automatic material changing method as described in claim 10, characterized in that, In step (5), when the loading chamber contains an empty magazine hopper, the empty magazine hopper can be pushed out of the discharge port during the process of the fully loaded magazine hopper being pushed into the loading chamber.

12. The automatic material changing method as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The following steps are included after step (5): (6) After unloading, the material trolley moves from the preparation area to the discharge port side of the feeding mechanism to transport the empty magazine hopper to the loading area.

13. The automatic material changing method as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The feeding mechanism sends a signal to the material trolley indicating that all the fabric in the feeding chamber has been used up, as a material replacement signal.

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