A flexible block conveying and sorting mechanism and its sorting method

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of flexible block conveying and sorting equipment, and particularly to a flexible block conveying and sorting mechanism and its sorting method, which includes a support frame and a first conveying device, a first camera device, a first transfer device, a second camera device, a second conveying device, a second transfer device, a pallet unloading machine, a third conveying device, and a third transfer device arranged on the support frame according to a production line; wherein the first camera device photographs the flexible object on the first transfer device, and according to the coordinate position of the flexible object, controls the parallel robot on the first transfer device to control the suction cup to move and adsorb the flexible objects not in the horizontal row position, and then adsorbs the flexible objects with scattered positions and arranges them in a row from left to right to preliminarily sort the flexible objects, solving the technical problem that after the existing flexible objects are produced by a production device, they are scattered and stacked on the conveying device, and need to be manually flattened, resulting in low sorting and arranging efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of flexible block conveying and sorting equipment, and particularly relates to a flexible block conveying and sorting mechanism and a sorting method thereof. Background Art

[0002] At present, Chinese Patent Application No.: CN201711327985.9 discloses a food conveying device, including a frame, a left roller, a right roller, and a conveyor belt. The left roller and the right roller are respectively rotatably and fixedly installed at the left and right ends of the frame. At least one brush is fixedly installed on the frame below the conveyor belt. A motor capable of driving the left roller to rotate is fixedly installed on the left side of the frame. Four telescopic legs are hinged to the bottom of the frame. A slag receiving container corresponding to the conveyor belt is detachably and fixedly installed on the leg below the brush, disclosing a video conveying device with a general structure in the prior art; however, after the existing food is produced by the production device, it is scattered and piled on the conveying device, and it needs to be manually flattened, resulting in low efficiency in sorting and arranging. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, in view of the above problems, the present invention provides a flexible block conveying and sorting mechanism and a sorting method thereof, which solve the technical problem that after the existing food is produced by the production device, it is scattered and piled on the conveying device and needs to be manually flattened, resulting in low efficiency in sorting and arranging.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: A flexible block conveying and sorting mechanism includes a support frame and a first conveying device arranged on the support frame according to the production line, a first imaging device for photographing and identifying the coordinates of the flexible object on the first conveying device, a first transfer device for adsorbing and moving the flexible object on the first conveying device, a second imaging device for photographing and identifying the coordinates of the flexible object on the first conveying device, a second conveying device, a second transfer device for adsorbing and transferring the flexible object on the first conveying device to the second conveying device, a pallet unloading machine for inputting pallets, a third conveying device for conveying the pallets output by the pallet unloading machine, a third transfer device for transferring the flexible object on the second conveying device to the pallet on the third conveying device, a fourth conveying device for inputting iron lids, and a gripper mechanism for placing the iron lids on the pallet of the third transfer device. The first transfer device includes a parallel robot arranged on the support frame and a suction cup arranged at the bottom of the parallel robot.

[0005] Further, a sorting mechanism for aligning the input flexible object is provided on the second conveying device. The sorting mechanism includes a mounting frame provided on the second conveying device, a first hinge block spaced on the bottom surface of the mounting frame, a first outer clamping block and a second outer clamping block rotatably provided on the first hinge block, a moving hinge block hinged to the tops of the first outer clamping block and the second outer clamping block, a first driving device for driving the moving hinge block to open and close the first outer clamping block and the second outer clamping block, a second hinge block provided on the bottom surface of the mounting frame and spaced front and rear, a first inner clamping block and a second inner clamping block rotatably provided on the second hinge block, a guiding block provided on the inner side surfaces of the first inner clamping block and the second inner clamping block, and a guiding groove provided on the guiding block. The top surface of the mounting frame is spaced above the second conveying device. The top of the first outer clamping block is hinged to the second outer clamping block. The guiding groove is inclined from both sides to the middle and from bottom to top. An extension shaft is provided on the outer side of the moving hinge block, and the extension shaft is slidably connected to the guiding groove.

[0006] Further, the bottoms of the first outer clamping block and the second outer clamping block are rectangular in shape, and the bottoms of the first inner clamping block and the second inner clamping block are plate-shaped.

[0007] Further, a plurality of card slots having the same shape as the flexible object are provided on the bottoms of the first outer clamping block and the second outer clamping block.

[0008] Further, the pallet unloading machine includes a pallet unloading frame, a conveyor belt for inputting pallets, a guiding plate for guiding the pallets, a supporting frame for supporting the output pallets, and an output channel. The supporting frame includes an upper blocking sheet metal, a middle blocking sheet metal spaced below the upper blocking sheet metal, side rods, and a rear rod. The middle blocking sheet metal is provided on the pallet unloading frame. The upper blocking sheet metal and the middle blocking sheet metal are in the shape of a "concave" character. The side rods are provided on the longitudinal two sides of the upper blocking sheet metal and the middle blocking sheet metal. The rear rod is provided in the middle of the upper blocking sheet metal and the middle blocking sheet metal. The tops of the side rods and the rear rod extend to the upper blocking sheet metal. The bottoms of the side rods and the rear rod are close to the output channel position. A short rod is provided on the middle blocking sheet metal, and the bottom of the short rod is close to the output channel position. A pallet unloading mechanism is provided above the output channel on the pallet unloading frame. The pallet unloading mechanism includes a plurality of sub-supporting wheels distributed in a rectangle, a rotating shaft provided on the top of the sub-supporting wheels, and a second driving device for driving the rotating shaft to rotate. The second driving device is connected to the pallet unloading frame. A spiral groove is provided on the outer side of the sub-supporting wheels. A feeding groove is provided on the top of the sub-supporting wheels, and a discharging groove is provided on the bottom of the sub-supporting wheels. The feeding groove and the discharging groove are communicated with the spiral groove.

[0009] Further, a sub-supporting piece is provided on the top surface of the sub-supporting wheel at the feeding groove; an extension part extending to the outer diameter of the sub-supporting wheel is provided on the outer side of the sub-supporting piece.

[0010] Further, a supporting piece is provided at the discharging chute of the sub-supporting wheel. The diameter of the supporting piece is larger than that of the sub-supporting wheel. The shape of the supporting piece is fan-shaped. A convex portion is provided at the outer side wall of the spiral groove near the sub-supporting wheel. The cross-sectional shape of the convex portion is triangular.

[0011] Further, the gripper mechanism includes a gripper bracket, a magnetic gripper device arranged below the gripper bracket, and a third driving device for driving the magnetic gripper device to rotate and move. The third driving device is connected to the gripper bracket. The magnetic gripper device includes a support plate connected to the third driving device, a baffle plate arranged at intervals below the support plate, a moving plate slidably arranged between the support plate and the baffle plate, a first driving mechanism for driving the moving plate to move, and a magnetic block arranged on the bottom surface of the moving plate. The third driving device includes a rotating block rotatably arranged at the bottom of the gripper bracket, a slider arranged at one end surface of the rotating block close to the magnetic block, a slide rail slidably connected to the slider, a swing rod connected to the slide rail, a driving rod rotatably arranged on the gripper bracket, and a second driving mechanism for driving the driving rod to rotate. One side of the driving rod relative to the gripper bracket is hinged to the swing rod.

[0012] By adopting the foregoing technical solutions, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0013] This flexible block conveying and sorting mechanism, through the setting of the first transfer device, the first conveying device inputs flexible objects from an external production line. After completion, the flexible objects pass through the first transfer device and then through the first camera device. The first camera device, the second camera device, the first transfer device, the second transfer device, and the third transfer device are connected to an external control center. The first camera device captures the flexible objects on the first transfer device and then converts them into electrical signals and sends them to the external control center. The external control center identifies the coordinate positions of the flexible objects based on the images. According to the coordinate positions of the flexible objects, the external control center controls the parallel robot on the first transfer device to control the suction cup to move and adsorb the flexible objects that are not in the horizontal row position, and then adsorbs the flexible objects with scattered positions and arranges them in a row from left to right to preliminarily sort the flexible objects. After completion, the positions of the scattered flexible objects on the first transfer device will be approximately in a horizontal row shape. The first conveying device continues to convey the flexible objects through the second camera device. The second camera device captures the flexible objects on the first transfer device and converts them into electrical signals and sends them to the external control center. The external control center identifies the positions of the flexible objects on the first conveying device, and then the external control center controls the second transfer device to adsorb the flexible objects according to the coordinate positions of the flexible objects and transfer and adsorb them to the designated position on the second conveying device, thus completing the sorting of the flexible objects. Then, the pallet unloading machine separates the stacked pallets and drops them onto the third conveying device. The third conveying device conveys the pallets to near the third transfer device and then stops conveying. The third transfer device transfers the flexible objects on the second conveying device to the pallets on the third conveying device, and then the third transfer device conveys them to the bottom of the gripper mechanism. The fourth conveying device inputs iron lids. The gripper mechanism adsorbs and transfers the iron lids to cover the pallets, covering the pallets, thus completing the sorting, conveying, and packaging of the flexible objects. The first transfer device and the second transfer device have high efficiency in adsorbing and sorting flexible objects, solving the technical problem that after flexible objects are produced by a production device, they are scattered and stacked on the conveying device and need to be manually flattened, resulting in low sorting and arranging efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 2 is a front view schematic diagram of a partial structure of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the pallet unloading machine of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of the sorting mechanism of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 5 is a front view schematic diagram of the sorting mechanism of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 6It is a schematic diagram of the exploded partial state of the left-side view structure of the sorting mechanism of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the exploded partial view of the right-side view structure of the sorting mechanism of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the partial structure of the unloading support machine of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 9 It is a front view schematic diagram of the partial structure of the unloading support machine of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 10 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the splitting support wheel of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 11 It is a top view schematic diagram of the structure of the splitting support wheel of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 12 It is a partial schematic diagram of the structure of the splitting support wheel of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 13 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the splitting support wheel in the side-lying state of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 14 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the splitting support wheel from the top view angle of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 15 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the gripper mechanism of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 16 It is a rear view schematic diagram of the structure of the gripper mechanism of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 17 It is a front view schematic diagram of the structure of the gripper mechanism of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 18 It is a partial sectional view schematic diagram of the structure of the gripper mechanism of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 19 It is a schematic diagram of the simplified drawing process plane of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0033] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation manners.

[0034] Reference Figures 1 to 19, the flexible block in the present invention can be flexible block objects such as cheese, toffee, etc. This embodiment provides a flexible block conveying and sorting mechanism, including a support frame 1, a first conveying device 2 arranged on the support frame 1 along the production line, a first camera device 3 for photographing and identifying the coordinates of the cheese on the first conveying device 2, a first transfer device 4 for adsorbing and moving the cheese on the first conveying device 2, a second camera device 5 for photographing and identifying the coordinates of the cheese on the first conveying device 2, a second conveying device 6, a second transfer device 7 for adsorbing and transferring the cheese on the first conveying device 2 to the second conveying device 6, a depalletizer 12 for inputting pallets, a third conveying device 9 for conveying the pallets output by the depalletizer, a third transfer device 10 for transferring the cheese on the second conveying device to the pallets on the third conveying device, a fourth conveying device 11a for inputting iron lids, and a gripper mechanism 11 for placing the iron lids on the pallets by the third transfer device;

[0035] The first transfer device 4 includes a parallel robot 4a arranged on the support frame 1 and a suction cup 4b arranged at the bottom of the parallel robot 4a; the first transfer device, the second transfer device, and the third transfer device can have the same structure. The first conveying device, the second conveying device, the third conveying device, the fourth conveying device, the first camera device, the second camera device, the suction cup, and the parallel robot are products that can be purchased on the market, and their structures are already known. Corresponding models can be selected according to production needs and will not be elaborated here; the suction cup is connected to an external pneumatic system and can control the adsorption and non-adsorption states of the suction cup. This is an existing conventional technology and will not be elaborated here.

[0036] The second conveying device 6 is provided with a sorting mechanism 8 for aligning the input cheese. The sorting mechanism 8 includes a mounting frame 801 provided on the second conveying device 6, first hinge blocks 802 spaced on the bottom surface of the mounting frame 801, a first outer clamping block 803 and a second outer clamping block 804 rotatably provided on the first hinge blocks 802, a moving hinge block 805 hinged to the tops of the first outer clamping block 803 and the second outer clamping block 804, a first driving device 806 for driving the moving hinge block 805 to open and close the first outer clamping block 803 and the second outer clamping block 804, second hinge blocks 807 provided on the bottom surface of the mounting frame 801 and spaced front and back, a first inner clamping block 808 and a second inner clamping block 809 rotatably provided on the second hinge blocks 807, guide blocks 810 provided on the inner side surfaces of the first inner clamping block 808 and the second inner clamping block 809, and guide grooves 811 provided on the guide blocks 810. The top surface of the mounting frame 801 is spaced above the second conveying device 6. The top of the first outer clamping block 803 is hinged to the second outer clamping block 804. The guide grooves 811 are inclined from both sides to the middle and from bottom to top. An extension shaft 85a is provided on the outer side of the moving hinge block 805, and the extension shaft 85a is slidably connected to the guide grooves 811. The first driving device can be any existing driving mechanism such as a cylinder or an electric push rod, which are all conventional existing technologies and will not be elaborated here.

[0037] Since parallel robots usually increase the transfer speed of parallel robots in order to improve efficiency, but the parallel robots move fast. Under the action of inertia, there will be an error of 1-2 mm of drift after reaching the specified position. If secondary correction and adjustment are carried out, the production speed will be reduced. Generally, the suction cups directly release the parallel robots and continue to transfer and input new cheese. The positions of the cheese on the second conveying device are uneven before and after, and the transfer device in the next process cannot accurately grasp the cheese, resulting in missed grasping of the cheese. Through the setting of the sorting mechanism, after the cheese on the second conveying device is conveyed to the lower part of the mounting frame, the first driving device drives the moving hinge block to move upward. When the moving hinge block moves, it drives the first outer clamping block and the second outer clamping block to move towards the middle. When the moving hinge block moves upward, the extension shaft on the moving hinge block slides in the guide groove. Since the guide groove is inclined from both sides to the middle and from bottom to top, the first inner clamping block and the second inner clamping block are driven by the guide groove to open from the middle to both sides. The first outer clamping block and the first inner clamping block can align a row of cheese, and the second outer clamping block and the second inner clamping block can align another row of cheese, while keeping the distance between the two rows of cheese. After completion, the first driving device drives the moving hinge block to move downward, and the first outer clamping block and the second outer clamping block will rotate and open to both sides to avoid the cheese. The first inner clamping block and the second inner clamping block will move towards the middle, and the distance between the first inner clamping block and the second inner clamping block will be reduced, so as to avoid the cheese to be conveyed. The cheese on the second conveying device can be sorted and aligned, avoiding the disadvantages that the parallel robot moves fast, the positions of the cheese conveyed to the second conveying device are inaccurate, resulting in the uneven positions of the cheese on the second conveying device before and after, and the transfer device in the next process cannot accurately grasp the cheese.

[0038] The bottom shapes of the first outer clamping block 803 and the second outer clamping block 804 are rectangular, and the bottom shapes of the first inner clamping block 808 and the second inner clamping block 809 are plate-shaped. The setting that the bottom shapes of the first outer clamping block 803 and the second outer clamping block 804 are long rectangular can facilitate thickening and widening the sizes of the first outer clamping block 803 and the second outer clamping block, and can control the distance between the first outer clamping block 803 and the first inner clamping block. Of course, it can also be in the shape of a thin plate or any existing shape, and can be changed according to actual needs. The first inner clamping block 808 and the second inner clamping block are long plate-shaped, and the distance between the first inner clamping block 808 and the second inner clamping block is reduced, so that the cheese can pass through without obstruction, which is convenient for the cheese to pass through. Various U-shaped protrusions can also be provided on the first inner clamping block 808 and the second inner clamping block, or in any existing shape, and can be changed according to actual needs. Being plate-shaped is more convenient for the cheese to pass through.

[0039] A plurality of card slots 812 having the same shape as the cheese are provided at the bottoms of the first outer clamping block 803 and the second outer clamping block 804; since there is an error of 1-2 mm in the spacing distance between the cheeses, if the first outer clamping block and the second outer clamping block are strip-shaped, only the longitudinal positions of a column of cheeses can be aligned, and the front and rear spacing errors cannot be adjusted. With the setting of the card slots, the shape of the card slots is the same as the other half of the cheese shape. When the first outer clamping block and the second outer clamping block clamp the cheese, the cheese can slide into the card slots, and the position of the cheese is accurately positioned again. The front and rear spacing distances of the cheese can be accurately adjusted. Moreover, the first outer clamping block and the second outer clamping block are rotated and opened through the first hinge block and suspended above the second conveying device. When the cheese needs to be clamped, it is rotated onto the second conveying device again. The rotation angle is large, and the first outer clamping block and the second outer clamping block do not contact the second conveying device, avoiding the position deviation of the cheese caused by the contact between the cheese and the card slots when the second conveying device conveys the cheese.

[0040] The pallet unloading machine 12 includes a pallet unloading bracket 121, a conveyor belt 122 for inputting pallets, a guide plate 123 for guiding the pallets, a supporting bracket 124 for supporting the output pallets, and an output channel 125; the supporting bracket 124 includes an upper blocking sheet metal 41a, a middle blocking sheet metal 42a spaced below the upper blocking sheet metal 41a, side rods 43a, and a rear rod 44a. The middle blocking sheet metal 42a is arranged on the pallet unloading bracket 121. The upper blocking sheet metal 41a and the middle blocking sheet metal 42a are in the shape of a "concave" character. The side rods 43a are arranged on the longitudinal two sides of the upper blocking sheet metal 41a and the middle blocking sheet metal 42a. The rear rod 44a is arranged in the middle of the upper blocking sheet metal 41a and the middle blocking sheet metal 42a. The tops of the side rods 43a and the rear rod 44a extend to the upper blocking sheet metal 41a. The bottoms of the side rods 43a and the rear rod 44a are close to the output channel 125. A short rod 45a is arranged on the middle blocking sheet metal 42a, and the bottom of the short rod 45a is close to the output channel 125. An unloading mechanism 126 is arranged above the output channel 125 on the pallet unloading bracket 121. The unloading mechanism 126 includes a plurality of sub-supporting wheels 61a distributed in a rectangular shape, a rotating shaft 62a arranged on the tops of the sub-supporting wheels 61a, and a second driving device 63a for driving the rotating shaft 62a to rotate. The second driving device 63a is connected to the pallet unloading bracket 121. A spiral groove 64a is arranged on the outer side of the sub-supporting wheels 61a. A feeding groove 65a is arranged on the top of the sub-supporting wheels 61a. A discharging groove 66a is arranged on the bottom of the sub-supporting wheels 61a. The feeding groove 65a and the discharging groove 66a are communicated with the spiral groove 64a.

[0041] Through the setting of the tray unloading mechanism, first, the stacked food trays are placed on the conveyor belt, and then the food trays are conveyed by the conveyor belt to the position of the supporting bracket. The side rods block the longitudinal two sides of the food trays, and the rear rod blocks the rear end of the food trays. They slide downward under the guidance of the side rods and the rear rod. The short rod, the side rod and the rear rod will surround and guide the four sides of the food trays until they slide to the bottom position of the short rod. At this time, the food trays are located on the top surface of the tray separating wheel. As the tray separating wheel rotates, the outer side of one food tray at the bottom will be guided by the feeding groove and slide into the spiral groove. The tray separating wheel continues to rotate to guide the food tray that has slid into the spiral groove to move downward. And because the notch of the feeding groove is short, after one food tray is stuck, the feeding groove on the tray separating wheel rotates to other positions, and the top surface of the tray separating wheel continues to support the stacked food trays. After the tray separating wheel rotates one circle, one food tray will slide out through the spiral groove unloading groove, and continue to rotate to continuously unload the whole stack of trays, greatly improving the unloading efficiency to meet the loading and packaging requirements. Compared with the suction cup unloading device that replaces manual operation with an efficiency of 20 trays per minute, the tray unloading efficiency of this tray unloading mechanism is increased to 70 trays per minute, greatly improving the tray separating efficiency, and solving the technical problem that the traditional suction cup unloading device replaces manual operation, but its efficiency is only 20 trays per minute and is low.

[0042] A tray separating piece 67a is provided at the top surface of the tray separating wheel 61a at the feeding groove 65a; due to the limitation of the spiral groove, the arc length of the feeding groove on the tray separating wheel is large. If a support edge formed integrally is directly added to the feeding groove of the tray separating wheel, the arc length of the feeding groove cannot be adjusted. However, the tray separating piece is detachably installed on the tray separating wheel, and the area of the feeding groove can be blocked by the tray separating piece to adjust the size of the feeding groove, which is convenient for adjusting the size of the feeding groove for different food trays.

[0043] An extension part 68a extending towards the outer diameter of the tray separating wheel 61a is provided on the outer side of the tray separating piece 67a. Since the thickness of the outer edge of the divided tray is thin and the stacking spacing is small, when the feeding groove of the tray separating wheel unloads the tray, it is easy to input two adjacent trays with a close position together downward. The extension part of the tray separating piece can be deeply inserted into the gap between adjacent trays. As the tray separating wheel rotates and is stuck in the spiral groove and slides out from the unloading groove at the bottom of the tray separating wheel, the extension part of the tray separating piece can be deeply stuck into the gap between adjacent trays, and the tray unloading effect is better.

[0044] The supporting wheel 61a is provided with a supporting piece 69a at the discharge chute 66a. The supporting piece avoids the discharge chute, and the diameter dimension of the supporting piece 69a is larger than that of the supporting wheel 61a. The shape of the supporting piece 69a is fan-shaped. The fan-shaped supporting piece is conducive to mass production, and the area of the fan-shaped supporting piece gradually increases from the circular position of the supporting piece to the outer position, providing good support for the trays that fall in advance. With the arrangement of the supporting piece, when the tray does not slide down from the discharge chute, the supporting piece will support the bottom surface of the tray, preventing some trays from falling from the discharge chute in advance, tilting or falling prematurely into the output channel, and the position of the falling output channel shifting, which will affect subsequent packaging.

[0045] A convex part 60a is provided at the outer side wall of the spiral chute 64a close to the supporting wheel 61a. The cross-sectional shape of the convex part 60a is triangular. With the arrangement of the convex part, when the outer edge of some trays bends downward, when the outer edge of the tray is caught in the convex part, the outer edge contacts the convex part, which can avoid the disadvantage that some trays are likely to accidentally slide out of the spiral chute.

[0046] A separating piece 60b is provided on the top surface of the rotating shaft. The included angle 60c between the separating piece and the feeding chute is 170 to 190 degrees, and the separating piece gradually thickens from one side to the other side. The cross-section of the separating piece is triangular. The trays are stacked in a stack with a certain height. When the supporting wheel separates a stack of trays, if the descending speed of a stack of trays is too fast, and the bottom two trays are soft trays, they may directly fall from the supporting wheel under the influence of the impact force. The rotating separating piece can separate a stack of descending trays at intervals. A stack of trays is rotated and caught by the separating piece. The bottom tray first descends to the supporting wheel. After the separating piece rotates one circle, the upper tray is caught by the separating piece, and the middle tray first descends to the bottom supporting wheel, separating and descending a stack of trays in segments, preventing the whole stack of trays from directly falling from the supporting frame.

[0047] The trays are light in weight. Since the trays are stacked tightly, one side of the bottom tray and the upper tray is loosely clamped and the other side is tightly clamped, that is, the two spacing distances between the two trays are inconsistent. There is a situation where the trays cannot be simultaneously caught in the feeding chute of the supporting wheel. If one tray is only caught in the feeding chutes of the two supporting wheels on the right, the right side of one of the trays will descend, and the left side of the descending tray will tilt up. Since the trays were stacked tightly before, the whole stack of remaining trays will be lifted and tilted by the descending tray, and the whole stack of trays will be tilted at 80 to 90 degrees. The four supporting wheels continue to rotate, and the whole stack of remaining trays will directly slide down to the output channel through the bottom tray, resulting in the remaining trays being directly conveyed to the next process without being separated.

[0048] Since the separating piece gradually thickens from one side to the other, the cross-section of the separating piece is triangular. The position of the separating piece on the rotating shaft is at about the middle height of a stack of trays. After the trays are separated until the last few trays at the top, there is no downward pressure due to gravity at the top, and at this time, the trays at the top position will be at the middle position of the unloading bracket. After the separating wheel separates and lowers one tray, the separating piece rotates and gets stuck into the trays stacked up and down. Since it gradually thickens from one side to the other, and the stack of separating pieces at the top is less affected by heavy pressure, the distance between the trays spaced up and down is widened by the separating piece. The included angle between the separating piece and the feeding chute is 170° to 190°. The separating wheel gets stuck into one tray and guides it to move downward. At this time, the tray on the separating wheel just descends and fits on the separating wheel. The thin part of the separating piece gets stuck into the trays stacked up and down. As the thickness of the separating piece increases, the distance between the trays stacked up and down increases, and the spacing of the trays at the top is looser. The distance between the upper and lower trays is the same, which can avoid the problem that after separating the last few trays at the top, the bottom tray is loosely stuck on one side and tightly stuck on the other side by the upper tray, that is, the two spacing distances of the two trays are inconsistent, and there is a problem that the trays cannot be simultaneously stuck into the feeding chute of the separating wheel.

[0049] The gripper mechanism includes a gripper bracket 1b, a magnetic gripper device 2b provided below the gripper bracket 1b, and a third driving device 3b for driving the magnetic gripper device 2b to rotate and move. The third driving device 3b is connected to the gripper bracket 1b. The magnetic gripper device 2b includes a support plate 201b connected to the third driving device 3b, a baffle 202b spaced below the support plate 201b, a moving plate 203b slidably disposed between the support plate 201b and the baffle 202b, a first driving mechanism 204b for driving the moving plate 203b to move, and a magnetic block 205b disposed on the bottom surface of the moving plate 203b, which is connected to the support plate 201b;

[0050] Through the setting of the gripper mechanism, when it is necessary to grasp the iron lid, the third driving device drives the support plate to move. The support plate drives the baffle to move onto the fourth conveying device, and the side of the iron lid can be adsorbed. Then the first driving mechanism drives the moving plate to move, and the moving plate drives the magnet to move towards the iron lid. The magnet will be close to the position of the baffle. Since the magnet fits the baffle, the iron lid on the baffle can be lifted. After completion, the third driving device drives the iron lid to rotate to the set position, realizing a 90-degree rotation and moving it onto the tray. The first driving mechanism drives the moving plate to move in the opposite position, and the distance between the moving plate and the baffle increases. Since the distance between the magnet and the baffle becomes larger, the iron lid blocks on the baffle, and the suction force of the magnet on the iron lid becomes smaller. The iron lid will fall above the tray. Then the driving rod rotates reversely, driving the swing rod to rotate along the original trajectory. The swing rod will slide downward. The baffle at the bottom of the sliding rod presses the iron cover plate on the top of the tray. Since there is no magnetic force, it will not adsorb the iron lid on the top of the tray and rotates 90 degrees to the position of the fourth conveying device. The moving plate drives the magnet to move towards the iron lid to continuously input the iron lid. This magnetic adsorption structure is simple, avoiding the disadvantages of complex mechanical structure for adjusting the spacing to clamp the iron lid. And even if the area of the iron lid is smaller than that of the magnet, the magnet can still lift the iron lid, avoiding the disadvantages of traditional mechanical structure for adjusting the spacing to clamp the iron lid, such as the iron lid being too small or not within the clamping distance, and the clamping stroke being limited.

[0051] The third driving device 3b includes a rotating block 301b rotatably provided at the bottom of the gripper bracket 1b, a slider 302b provided on one end face of the rotating block 301b close to the magnet 205b, a slide rail 303b slidably connected to the slider 302b, a swing rod 304b connected to the slide rail 303b, a driving rod 305b rotatably provided on the gripper bracket 1b, and a second driving mechanism 306b for driving the driving rod 305b to rotate. One side of the driving rod 305b relative to the gripper bracket 1b is hinged to the swing rod 304b.

[0052] During the movement of the existing iron lid, it usually moves from two spaced platforms. The existing moving platform needs to use a two-axis moving platform for movement, resulting in high usage costs. During the movement, after moving vertically to a certain position, it needs to pause and then move horizontally. During the pause, it is prone to shaking and instability. Regarding the setting of the third driving device, in the initial state, the baffle will be in contact with the iron lid, and then the magnet attracts the iron lid on the baffle. The second driving mechanism drives the rotation of the driving rod. The rotation of the driving rod drives the rotation of the swing rod. When the driving rod rotates to the upper left position of the gripper bracket, the slide rail at the rear end of the swing rod will rotate through the slider. The slider is fixedly connected through the rotating block. As the rotating block rotates about 90 degrees, after the swing rod rotates 90 degrees, it drives the iron lid at the bottom of the baffle to rotate 90 degrees. Then the driving rod continues to rotate, driving the swing rod to move upward. The swing rod moves upward through the slide rail in the slider. The driving rod rotates reversely, and then the swing rod rotates reversely again. The swing rod slides downward. During the downward movement of the swing rod, the iron lid at the bottom of the baffle is closed on the tray. Then the distance between the built-in moving plate and the baffle of the magnetic gripper device increases. The iron lid on the baffle will fall onto the tray and be pressed at the same time, thus completing the transfer and conveying of the iron lid. The second driving mechanism drives the rotation of the driving rod. The rotation of the driving rod drives the rotation of the swing rod. When the driving rod rotates to the lower right position of the gripper bracket, the slide rail at the rear end of the swing rod will rotate through the slider. The slider is fixedly connected through the rotating block. As the rotating block rotates about 90 degrees, after the swing rod rotates 90 degrees, it drives the iron lid at the bottom of the baffle to rotate 90 degrees. Then the driving rod continues to rotate, driving the swing rod to push leftward. The swing rod moves leftward through the slide rail on the slider. The sliding rod will move to the position of the fourth conveying device and then continuously input the iron lid. This mechanism is simple, not easily damaged, does not require two moving platforms to clamp and move the iron lid, has low usage costs, and the actions are continuous during the movement, without pausing and generating shaking, and the conveying is stable.

[0053] A plurality of through holes 206b are provided on the baffle 202b. Reinforcing columns 207b connected to the baffle 202b are provided on the support plate 201b. Round holes 208b for avoiding the reinforcing columns 207b are provided on the moving plate 203b. Regarding the setting of the through holes, the through holes on the baffle can enable the magnet to contact the iron lid without obstruction, increasing the attraction between the magnet and the iron lid. Regarding the setting of the reinforcing columns, when the magnet adsorbs the iron lid, the top surface of the iron lid is not a completely flat surface. The baffle is prone to being bent under force during long-term use. The reinforcing columns can support the baffle, increasing the stress points and avoiding the drawback that the baffle is easily bent under force. Moreover, the reinforcing columns are located between the horizontal intervals of the magnets, do not affect the distance between the magnet and the iron lid, and have little influence on the suction force of the magnet.

[0054] The first driving mechanism 204b is a cylinder. A push rod is built in the cylinder and is connected to the moving plate 203b. An avoidance hole 209b for avoiding the movement of the push rod built in the cylinder is provided on the support plate 201b. An avoidance hole 209b for avoiding the movement of the push rod built in the cylinder is provided on the support plate 201. With the setting of the first driving mechanism, the cylinder has good versatility and a long service life, which is beneficial for long-term use.

[0055] A lower mounting plate 4b is provided below the gripper bracket 1b. A third driving mechanism 5b is provided on the lower mounting plate 4b. A lifting plate 6b is provided on the top surface of the third driving mechanism 5b. When the baffle at the bottom of the third driving device structure is above the lower mounting plate, it cannot descend parallel to above the lower mounting plate. The lifting plate is driven to rise by the third driving mechanism, and the iron lid on the top surface of the lifting plate is lifted to be in parallel contact with the baffle, facilitating the attraction of the iron lid by the magnet in the baffle. The servo motor, cylinder, magnet, and driving mechanism are all products that can be purchased on the market, and their structures are well-known. Corresponding models can be selected according to production needs and will not be elaborated here. Preferably, the first driving mechanism is a cylinder, and it can also be a hydraulic cylinder, an electric push rod, or other mechanisms with the same function. It is an existing conventional technology and will not be elaborated here.

[0056] The second embodiment discloses a flexible block conveying and sorting method, including the following steps:

[0057] In the first step, the first conveying device inputs the cheese on the external production line. After completion, the cheese passes through the first transfer device and the first camera device. The first camera device takes pictures of the cheese on the first transfer device, and then converts it into an electrical signal and sends it to the external control center. The external control center determines the coordinate position of the cheese based on image recognition. According to the coordinate position of the cheese, the external control center controls the parallel robot on the first transfer device to control the suction cup to move and adsorb the cheese that is not in the horizontal row position, and then adsorbs the cheese with scattered positions and arranges it in a row from left to right to initially sort the cheese. After completion, the positions of the scattered cheese on the first transfer device will be roughly in a horizontal row. The first conveying device continues to convey the cheese through the second camera device. The second camera device takes pictures of the cheese on the first transfer device and converts it into an electrical signal and sends it to the external control center. The external control center identifies the position of the cheese on the first conveying device, and then the external control center controls the second transfer device to adsorb the cheese and transfer and adsorb it to the designated position on the second conveying device, thereby completing the sorting of the cheese.

[0058] In the second step, the second conveying device continues to convey. After the cheese on the second conveying device is conveyed under the mounting frame, the first driving device drives the moving hinge block to move upward. When the moving hinge block moves, it drives the first outer clamping block and the second outer clamping block to move toward the middle. When the moving hinge block moves upward, the extension shaft on the moving hinge block slides in the guiding groove. Since the guiding groove is inclined from both sides to the middle and from bottom to top, the first inner clamping block and the second inner clamping block are driven by the guiding groove to open from the middle to both sides. The first outer clamping block and the first inner clamping block can align a row of cheese, and the second outer clamping block and the second inner clamping block can align another row of cheese, while maintaining the spacing between the two rows of cheese. After completion, the first driving device drives the moving hinge block to move downward. The first outer clamping block and the second outer clamping block will rotate and open to both sides to avoid the cheese. The first inner clamping block and the second inner clamping block will move toward the middle, and the spacing between the first inner clamping block and the second inner clamping block will be reduced, so as to avoid the cheese to be conveyed. The cheese on the second conveying device can be sorted and aligned. A plurality of card slots with the same shape as the cheese are provided on the bottoms of the first outer clamping block and the second outer clamping block. The shape of the card slot is the same as the other half shape of the cheese. When the first outer clamping block and the second outer clamping block clamp the cheese, the cheese slides into the card slot, accurately positioning the position of the cheese and accurately adjusting the front and rear spacing of the cheese. After the adjustment is completed, the first outer clamping block and the second outer clamping block rotate and open through the first hinge block and are suspended above the second conveying device. The rotation angle is large, and the first outer clamping block and the second outer clamping block do not contact the second conveying device. The second conveying device continues to convey the sorted cheese;

[0059] In the third step, the stacked food trays are placed on the conveyor belt, and then the food trays are input to the position of the supporting bracket through the conveyor belt. The side rods block the longitudinal two sides of the food trays, and the rear rod blocks the rear end of the food trays. They slide downward through the guiding of the side rods and the rear rod. The short rod, the side rod and the rear rod will surround and guide the four sides of the food trays until they slide to the bottom position of the short rod. At this time, the food trays are located on the top surface of the split supporting wheel. As the split supporting wheel rotates, the outer side of a food tray at the bottom will be guided into the spiral groove through the feeding groove. The split supporting wheel continues to rotate to guide the food tray that has slid into the spiral groove to move downward. And because the feeding groove opening is short, after a food tray is stuck, the feeding groove on the split supporting wheel rotates to other positions, and the top surface of the split supporting wheel continues to support the stacked food trays. After the split supporting wheel rotates one circle, a food tray is discharged through the spiral groove discharge chute, and continues to rotate to continuously unload the entire stack of trays. The unloaded trays are output to the third conveying device through the output channel;

[0060] In the fourth step, after the third conveying device conveys the trays near the third transfer device, it stops conveying. The third transfer device transfers the cheese on the second conveying device to the trays on the third conveying device, and then the third transfer device is conveyed to the bottom of the gripper mechanism;

[0061] In the fifth step, the fourth conveying device inputs the iron lids. The baffle on the gripper mechanism will be attached to the iron lids. Then, the magnet blocks attract the iron lids on the baffle. The second driving mechanism drives the main rod to rotate. The rotation of the main rod drives the swing rod to rotate. When the main rod rotates to the upper left position of the gripper bracket, the slide rail at the rear end of the swing rod will rotate through the slider. The slider is fixedly connected through the rotating block. As the rotating block rotates about [rotation degree], after the swing rod rotates [rotation degree], it drives the iron lid at the bottom of the baffle to rotate [rotation degree]. Then, the main rod continues to rotate, driving the swing rod to move upward. The swing rod moves upward through the slide rail in the slider. The main rod rotates reversely, and then the swing rod rotates reversely again. The swing rod slides downward. During the downward movement of the swing rod, the iron lid at the bottom of the baffle is covered on the tray. Then, the distance between the built-in moving plate and the baffle in the magnetic gripper device increases. The iron lid on the baffle will fall onto the tray and be pressed at the same time, thus completing the transfer and conveying of the iron lid. The second driving mechanism drives the main rod to rotate. The rotation of the main rod drives the swing rod to rotate. When the main rod rotates to the lower right position of the gripper bracket, the slide rail at the rear end of the swing rod will rotate through the slider. The slider is fixedly connected through the rotating block. As the rotating block rotates about [rotation degree], after the swing rod rotates [rotation degree], it drives the iron lid at the bottom of the baffle to rotate [rotation degree]. Then, the main rod continues to rotate, driving the swing rod to push leftward. The swing rod moves leftward through the slide rail on the slider. The sliding rod will move to the position of the fourth conveying device, and then continuously input the iron lids. The iron lids are adsorbed and transferred to the tray through the gripper mechanism, and the tray is covered, completing the covering and packaging of the tray. After the covering and packaging of the tray are completed, the third conveying device outputs the covered tray.

[0062] To complete the sorting, conveying, and packaging of cheese, the first transfer device and the second transfer device have high adsorption and sorting efficiency for cheese, solving the technical problem that after the existing cheese is produced by the production device, it is scattered and stacked on the conveying device and needs to be manually flattened, resulting in low sorting and placement efficiency; and through the cooperation of the unloader and the sorting mechanism, the cheese can be accurately and quickly output onto the tray, and then through the cooperation of the gripper mechanism, the covering of the tray can also be quickly completed, thus rapidly completing the sorting and packaging of cheese.

[0063] In the third step, a separating support piece 67a is further provided on the top surface of the separating wheel 61a at the feeding trough 65a; the separating support piece 67a is detachably installed on the separating wheel 61a, and the separating support piece 67a blocks the area of the feeding trough 65a to adjust the size of the feeding trough 65a.

[0064] Limited by the spiral groove, the arc length of the feeding trough on the separating wheel is large. If a one-piece formed supporting edge is directly added to the feeding trough of the separating wheel, the arc length of the feeding trough cannot be adjusted. However, the separating support piece is detachably installed on the separating wheel, and the area of the feeding trough can be blocked by the separating support piece to adjust the size of the feeding trough, which is convenient for adjusting the size of the feeding trough for different food trays.

[0065] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality of" means two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0066] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms such as "mounted", "connected", "coupled", "fixed", etc. shall be construed in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it may be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0067] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the first feature being "on" or "under" the second feature may be that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are indirectly in contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "over" and "on top of" the second feature may be that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or merely indicates that the first feature has a higher horizontal height than the second feature. The first feature being "under", "below" and "beneath" the second feature may be that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or merely indicates that the first feature has a lower horizontal height than the second feature.

Claims

1. A flexible block conveying and sorting mechanism, characterized in that, It includes a support frame (1), a first conveying device (2) arranged on the support frame (1) according to the production line, a first camera device (3) for photographing and identifying the coordinates of the flexible object on the first conveying device (2), a first transfer device (4) for adsorbing and moving the flexible object on the first conveying device (2), a second camera device (5) for photographing and identifying the coordinates of the flexible object on the first conveying device (2), a second conveying device (6), a second transfer device (7) for adsorbing and transferring the flexible object on the first conveying device (2) to the second conveying device (6), a depalletizer (12) for inputting pallets, a third conveying device (9) for conveying the pallets output by the depalletizer (12), a third transfer device (10) for transferring the flexible object on the second conveying device (6) to the pallet on the third conveying device (9), a fourth conveying device (11a) for inputting iron lids, and a gripper mechanism (11) for placing the iron lids on the pallet on the third transfer device (10). The first transfer device (4) includes a parallel robot (4a) arranged on the support frame (1) and a suction cup (4b) arranged at the bottom of the parallel robot (4a). An alignment mechanism (8) for aligning the input flexible object is arranged on the second conveying device (6). The alignment mechanism (8) includes a mounting frame (801) arranged on the second conveying device (6), a first hinge block (802) spaced on the bottom surface of the mounting frame (801), a first outer clamping block (803) and a second outer clamping block (804) rotatably arranged on the first hinge block (802), a moving hinge block (805) hinged at the tops of the first outer clamping block (803) and the second outer clamping block (804), a first driving device (806) for driving the moving hinge block (805) to open and close the first outer clamping block (803) and the second outer clamping block (804), a second hinge block (807) arranged on the bottom surface of the mounting frame (801) and spaced front and back, a first inner clamping block (808) and a second inner clamping block (809) rotatably arranged on the second hinge block (807), a guiding block (810) arranged on the inner side surfaces of the first inner clamping block (808) and the second inner clamping block (809), and a guiding groove (811) arranged on the guiding block (810). The top surface of the mounting frame (801) is spaced above the second conveying device (6). The top of the first outer clamping block (803) is hinged to the second outer clamping block (804). The guiding groove (811) is inclined from both sides to the middle and from bottom to top. An extension shaft (85a) is arranged on the outer side of the moving hinge block (805), and the extension shaft (85a) is slidably connected to the guiding groove (811).

2. The flexible block conveying and sorting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom shapes of the first outer clamping block (803) and the second outer clamping block (804) are rectangular, and the bottom shapes of the first inner clamping block (808) and the second inner clamping block (809) are plate-shaped.

3. The flexible block conveying and sorting mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: A plurality of clamping grooves (812) having the same shape as the flexible object are arranged on the bottoms of the first outer clamping block (803) and the second outer clamping block (804).

4. A flexible block conveying and sorting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pallet unloading machine (12) includes a pallet unloading bracket (121), a conveyor belt (122) for inputting pallets, a guide plate (123) for guiding pallets, a supporting bracket (124) for supporting the output pallets, and an output channel (125); the supporting bracket (124) includes an upper blocking sheet metal (41a), a middle blocking sheet metal (42a) spaced below the upper blocking sheet metal (41a), side rods (43a), and a rear rod (44a). The middle blocking sheet metal (42a) is disposed on the pallet unloading bracket (121). The upper blocking sheet metal (41a) and the middle blocking sheet metal (42a) are in the shape of a "concave" character. The side rods (43a) are disposed on the longitudinal two sides of the upper blocking sheet metal (41a) and the middle blocking sheet metal (42a). The rear rod (44a) is disposed in the middle of the upper blocking sheet metal (41a) and the middle blocking sheet metal (42a). The tops of the side rods (43a) and the rear rod (44a) extend to the upper blocking sheet metal (41a). The bottoms of the side rods (43a) and the rear rod (44a) are close to the output channel (125). A short rod (45a) is provided on the middle blocking sheet metal (42a), and the bottom of the short rod (45a) is close to the output channel (125); above the output channel (125), a pallet unloading mechanism (126) is provided on the pallet unloading bracket (121). The pallet unloading mechanism (126) includes a plurality of sub-supporting wheels (61a) distributed in a rectangular shape, a rotating shaft (62a) disposed on the tops of the sub-supporting wheels (61a), and a second driving device (63a) for driving the rotating shaft (62a) to rotate. The second driving device (63a) is connected to the pallet unloading bracket (121). A spiral groove (64a) is provided on the outer side of the sub-supporting wheels (61a). A feeding groove (65a) is provided on the top of the sub-supporting wheels (61a). A discharging groove (66a) is provided on the bottom of the sub-supporting wheels (61a). The feeding groove (65a) and the discharging groove (66a) are communicated with the spiral groove (64a).

5. A flexible block conveying and sorting mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: At the feeding groove (65a), a sub-supporting piece (67a) is provided on the top surface of the sub-supporting wheels (61a); on the outer side of the sub-supporting piece (67a), an extension portion (68a) extending towards the outer diameter of the sub-supporting wheels (61a) is provided.

6. The flexible block conveying and sorting mechanism according to claim 5, wherein: At the discharging groove (66a), a supporting piece (69a) is provided on the sub-supporting wheels (61a). The diameter dimension of the supporting piece (69a) is larger than the diameter dimension of the sub-supporting wheels (61a); the shape of the supporting piece (69a) is fan-shaped; at a position close to the outer side wall of the sub-supporting wheels (61a) of the spiral groove (64a), a convex portion (60a) is provided, and the cross-sectional shape of the convex portion (60a) is triangular.

7. The flexible block conveying and sorting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gripper mechanism (11) includes a gripper bracket (1b), a magnetic gripper device (2b) provided below the gripper bracket (1b), and a third driving device (3b) for driving the magnetic gripper device (2b) to rotate and move. The third driving device (3b) is connected to the gripper bracket (1b). The magnetic gripper device (2b) includes a support plate (201b) connected to the third driving device (3b), a baffle (202b) spaced below the support plate (201b), a moving plate (203b) slidably disposed between the support plate (201b) and the baffle (202b), a first driving mechanism (204b) for driving the moving plate (203b) to move, and a magnetic block (205b) disposed on the bottom surface of the moving plate (203b); the third driving device (3b) includes a rotating block (301b) rotatably disposed at the bottom of the gripper bracket (1b), a slider (302b) disposed on one end face of the rotating block (301b) close to the magnetic block (205b), a slide rail (303b) slidably connected to the slider (302b), a swing rod (304b) connected to the slide rail (303b), a driving rod (305b) rotatably disposed on the gripper bracket (1b), and a second driving mechanism (306b) for driving the driving rod (305b) to rotate. One side of the driving rod (305b) relative to the gripper bracket (1b) is hinged to the swing rod (304b).

Images