Material turnover transfer system and material turnover transfer method

Abstract

The application provides a material overturning and transferring system, which comprises a material overturning device and a tray positioning device. The material overturning device is provided with two overturning bases, clamping jaws are installed on the two overturning bases, and the clamping jaws are driven to overturn by an overturning mechanism. The overturning bases are connected with supporting columns through Y-direction linear mechanisms, the supporting columns are connected with connecting columns through Z-direction linear moving mechanisms, and the connecting columns are connected with supporting cross beams through X-direction linear mechanisms, so that the overturning bases can move along the XYZ three-axis directions. The tray positioning device is integrated with a horizontal transmission mechanism for transferring an upper feeding tray and a flexible supporting mechanism for positioning a transferring tray on a bottom support. The transferring and lifting of different trays are completed by one set of equipment, and interference does not occur between the two functional units. The tray positioning device is accurate in positioning, reduces the positioning difficulty of the material overturning device, has strong cyclic working capacity, and can stably realize the overturning and transferring of materials, especially heavy-load materials.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an auxiliary device for transferring materials, specifically a material transfer system and a material transfer method. Background Technology

[0002] In the industrial technology field, different pallets are often used for loading and transporting materials in different states, such as loading and unloading, warehousing, and flipping. The transfer of materials places high demands on the pallets used for loading, especially for materials that are large, heavy, oddly shaped, or have special loading conditions. The positional accuracy of the pallet directly affects the installation accuracy of the material. Therefore, additional mechanisms are needed to position the pallet during material transfer. However, due to the inherent characteristics of the materials, the positional accuracy of the pallet inevitably suffers during transfer, thus affecting the installation accuracy of the material.

[0003] Material flipping is a common processing procedure in the industrial field, requiring corresponding flipping equipment. Flipping devices demand a certain level of design capability, especially for large materials, needing to balance the positioning, gripping, and movement capabilities of the grippers. Existing flipping equipment is typically fixed, only including flipping and gripping functions. Two sets of pallets, one before and one after material transfer, are precisely positioned at the inlet and outlet ends of the flipping device using positioning devices. For materials with high requirements, manual adjustment is still necessary, and the device cannot handle the influence of materials on the flipping device, resulting in poor cycle capacity. Flipping devices clamp materials before flipping them, cannot make directional adjustments for different materials, and require high positioning accuracy, making them unsuitable for long-distance gripping movements. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a material turning and transferring system, including a material turning device for clamping and turning materials, and a pallet positioning device for positioning and supporting a pallet. The material turning device includes two sets of parallel support trusses, with a support beam installed on the top of the support trusses, and the pallet positioning device is located between the two sets of support trusses.

[0005] The material turning device includes a connecting column, two sets of support columns, two sets of turning bases, an X-axis linear movement mechanism, a Y-axis linear movement mechanism, a Z-axis linear movement mechanism, a turning mechanism, and a positioning camera;

[0006] The two ends of the connecting column are connected to the supporting beam through an X-axis linear movement mechanism, which allows the connecting column to move along the extension direction of the supporting beam.

[0007] The support column is connected to the connecting column through a Z-axis linear movement mechanism, which allows the support column to move relative to the connecting column in the vertical plane.

[0008] The flip base is connected to the support column through a Y-axis linear movement mechanism, which allows the flip base to move in the opposite direction of the two sets of support trusses.

[0009] Two sets of flip bases are used to install grippers for holding materials. The flip bases are equipped with flipping mechanisms to drive the gripped materials to rotate.

[0010] The positioning camera is mounted on the flip base and is used to locate the position of the material on the pallet positioning device when the flip base moves.

[0011] Furthermore, the pallet positioning device includes a bottom support, a horizontal transmission mechanism and a flexible support mechanism disposed on the bottom support;

[0012] The horizontal transmission mechanism has the same transmission direction as the extension direction of the supporting beam; the horizontal transmission mechanism includes a roller conveyor.

[0013] The flexible support mechanism includes a support plate located at the top of the flexible support mechanism and a lifting mechanism located at the bottom of the support plate. The upper surface of the support plate is arranged with omnidirectional balls. The support plate and the roller conveyor are spaced apart.

[0014] The support plate is used to provide a support surface for the pallet. The lifting mechanism drives the support plate to move in the vertical direction. The flexible support mechanism can provide flexible support for the pallet during the vertical displacement of the support plate. The end of the support plate is provided with a baffle to position the end of the pallet.

[0015] Furthermore, the pallet positioning device also includes a lateral pushing unit installed on the outside of the horizontal transmission mechanism for lateral positioning of the pallet;

[0016] The lateral pushing unit includes a pushing guide rail extending laterally toward the roller conveyor and a pushing fixture slidably mounted on the pushing guide rail. The pushing fixture has a pressing surface facing the side of the tray, and the pressing surface is provided with positioning rollers.

[0017] Furthermore, the lifting mechanism includes multiple sets of screw jacks, each screw jack being driven by a first servo motor mounted on the bottom support via a steering gear, and the output end of the screw jack providing lifting power to the support plate;

[0018] The lifting mechanism also includes multiple sets of guide rods fixedly installed at the bottom of the support plate. The bottom bracket is provided with a guide sleeve at the position corresponding to the guide rod. One end of the guide rod is installed on the inner side of the guide sleeve and is slidably connected to the guide sleeve.

[0019] Furthermore, the roller conveyor has multiple sets of conveying rollers arranged along the conveying direction of the pallet; the ends of the conveying rollers are equipped with transmission gears, and the bottom of the conveying rollers is provided with drive gears. The drive gears are driven to rotate by a second servo motor mounted on the bottom support, which in turn drives the transmission gears to rotate.

[0020] Furthermore, the X-direction linear movement mechanism includes an X-direction rack extending along the end face of the supporting crossbeam, an X-direction gear meshing with the X-direction rack, and a first transmission rod that drives the X-direction gear to rotate.

[0021] Multiple sets of mounting seats are provided on the connecting column, and bearings are coaxially arranged in the mounting seats. The first transmission rod passes through the center of the multiple sets of bearings and is rotatably connected to the connecting column.

[0022] The first transmission rod is driven to rotate by the third servo motor, and the third servo motor transmits rotational power to the X-axis gear through the first transmission rod and the commutator.

[0023] Furthermore, the Z-axis linear movement mechanism includes a Z-axis rack extending vertically along the support column, a Z-axis gear meshing with the Z-axis rack, and a second transmission rod that drives the Z-axis gear to rotate.

[0024] The second transmission rod is driven to rotate by the fourth servo motor. A second reversing reducer is provided between the fourth servo motor and the Z-axis gear. The second reversing reducer is fixedly connected to the support column.

[0025] Furthermore, the Y-axis linear movement mechanism includes a transmission screw extending along the opposite direction of the two sets of flip bases, and the top of the flip base is connected to the transmission screw via a ball screw structure; the transmission screw is driven by a fifth servo motor.

[0026] The method of using the above-mentioned material handling and transfer system includes the following steps:

[0027] S1. The support plate of the flexible support mechanism is lowered below the upper plane of the roller conveyor; the loading pallet is transported to the loading position along the horizontal transmission mechanism of the pallet positioning device;

[0028] S2. The flip base moves along the truss to the top of the loading tray, the camera locates the position of the material on the loading tray, and the claws on the flip base grab the material on the loading tray;

[0029] S3. The transfer pallet is moved to the top of the flexible support mechanism by an external AGV trolley. The horizontal transmission mechanism provides auxiliary support for the transfer pallet. The flexible support mechanism starts and moves the transfer pallet into the transfer position. The flipping base continues to move along the truss until the positioning camera positions the transfer pallet. The robot places the material on top of the transfer pallet. The flexible support mechanism provides flexible buffering for the transfer pallet during the transfer process.

[0030] S4. The flexible support mechanism descends to its initial position, and the AGV trolley drives the material transfer tray out of the station.

[0031] This invention provides a material flipping and transferring system, including a material flipping device and a pallet positioning device. The material flipping device utilizes two flipping bases to mount grippers, which are flipped by a flipping mechanism. The flipping bases are connected to the support columns via a Y-axis linear mechanism, the support columns are connected to the connecting columns via a Z-axis linear movement mechanism, and the connecting columns are connected to the support beam via an X-axis linear mechanism, enabling the flipping bases to move along the XYZ axes, providing long-distance movement capability and material compatibility. The pallet positioning device integrates a horizontal transmission mechanism for transferring and loading pallets and a flexible support mechanism for positioning and transferring pallets on a bottom support. A single device can complete the transfer and lifting of different pallets without interference between the two functional units. Since the two functional units are located on the same bottom support, positioning between them is easily achieved.

[0032] The pallet positioning device of the present invention provides accurate positioning, reduces the positioning difficulty of the material flipping device, has strong cyclic working capability, and can stably realize the flipping and transfer of materials, especially heavy-duty materials. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a material transfer system according to the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the connecting column and the supporting column;

[0035] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the connection of the drive mechanism at point A in the middle;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the pallet positioning device.

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the flexible support mechanism;

[0038] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the horizontal transmission mechanism;

[0039] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the drive system for a roller conveyor.

[0040] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the flexible support mechanism;

[0041] Figure 9 A schematic diagram showing the connection between the supporting beam and the connecting column;

[0042] Figure 10 for Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the connection of the drive mechanism at point C;

[0043] Figure 11 for Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the structure at point B;

[0044] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the X-axis rack and the X-axis gear.

[0045] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the flip base and the Y-axis linear movement mechanism;

[0046] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the Y-axis linear motion mechanism.

[0047] Reference numerals: 1. Material turning device; 2. Pallet positioning device;

[0048] 11. Support beam; 12. Connecting column; 13. Support column; 14. Tilting base; 15. X-axis linear movement mechanism; 16. Z-axis linear movement mechanism; 17. Y-axis linear movement mechanism; 18. Tilting mechanism;

[0049] X-axis gear 1501; first transmission rod 1502; fourth right-angle commutator 1503; third servo motor 1504; X-axis rack 1505; X-axis linear guide 1506; X-axis slider 1507; mounting base 1508; bearing 1509; first commutator reducer 1510;

[0050] Z-axis rack 1601; second transmission rod 1602; gear reducer 1603; Z-axis gear 1604; fourth servo motor 1605; second reversing reducer 1606; Z-axis linear guide 1607; Z-axis slider 1608; mounting plate 1609;

[0051] Fifth servo motor 1701; transmission lead screw 1702; planetary reducer 1703; Y-axis linear guide 1704; Y-axis slider; lifting plate 1706;

[0052] Mounting surface 1801; Drive gear 1802; Driven gear 1803; Positioning camera 1804;

[0053] Bottom support 21; Horizontal transmission mechanism 22; Flexible support mechanism 23; Lateral pushing unit 24; Step ladder 25

[0054] Roller conveyor 2201; conveyor roller 2202; transmission gear 2203; drive gear 2204; rotating shaft 2205; third right-angle steering gear 2206; second servo motor 2207; support roller frame 2208; support roller 2209;

[0055] Support plate 2301; Universal ball 2302; End baffle 2303; Screw jack 2304; First servo motor 2305; First right-angle steering gear 2306; Second right-angle steering gear 2307; Guide rod 2308; Guide sleeve 2309;

[0056] Push guide rail 2401; pressing fixture 2402; positioning roller 2403; pressing cylinder 2404. Detailed Implementation

[0057] like Figure 1 The material turning and transferring system shown includes a material turning device 1 and a pallet positioning device 2. The material turning device 1 includes two sets of parallel support trusses, and a support beam is installed on the top of the support trusses. The pallet positioning device 2 is located between the two sets of support trusses.

[0058] like Figure 2 As shown, the material turning device 1 also includes a connecting column 12 connected to two sets of supporting beams 11 at both ends, and two sets of supporting columns 13 vertically installed on the connecting column 12; each of the two sets of supporting columns 13 has a turning base 14 installed at its bottom, and the inner sides of the two sets of turning bases 14 are provided with mounting surfaces 1801 for fixing external grippers. The mounting surfaces 1801 have a turning center and can rotate around the turning center to drive the grippers on the mounting surfaces 1801 to perform a turning action.

[0059] The extension direction of the two sets of supporting beams 11 is defined as the X direction, the setting direction of the connecting column 12 is defined as the Y direction, and the setting direction of the supporting column 13 is defined as the Z direction. The present invention also provides an X-direction linear movement mechanism 15 and a Z-direction linear movement mechanism 16. The two ends of the connecting column 12 are movably connected to the supporting beams 11 through the X-direction linear movement mechanism 15, and the supporting column 13 is movably connected to the connecting column 12 through the Z-direction linear movement mechanism 16.

[0060] The task of this embodiment is to flip the material in the loading tray and transfer it to the transfer tray. For example... Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the pallet positioning device 2 includes a bottom support 21, a horizontal transmission mechanism 22 and a flexible support mechanism 23 disposed on the bottom support 21. The horizontal transmission mechanism 22 is connected to the loading track, and the loading pallet loaded with materials is transported to the loading track through the horizontal transmission mechanism 22. The horizontal transmission mechanism 22 includes a roller conveyor 2201, and the roller conveyor 2201 has multiple sets of conveying rollers 2202 arranged along the conveying direction of the pallet.

[0061] The flexible support mechanism 23 includes a support plate 2301 at the top and a lifting mechanism at the bottom of the support plate 2301. Universal balls 2302 are arranged on the upper surface of the support plate 2301. The support plate 2301 is spaced apart from the roller conveyor 2201. The support plate 2301 provides a support surface for the transfer tray. The lifting mechanism drives the support plate 2301 to move vertically. The flexible support mechanism 23 provides flexible support for the tray at the upper end of the support plate 2301 during its vertical displacement. An end baffle 2303 is provided at the end of the support plate 2301 to position the end of the transfer tray.

[0062] like Figure 8 As shown, a lateral pushing unit 24 is installed on the outer side of the horizontal conveying mechanism 22 for lateral positioning of the transfer tray and the loading tray. Figure 5 As shown, the lateral pushing unit 24 includes a pushing guide rail 2401 extending laterally toward the horizontal transmission mechanism 22 and a pushing fixture 2402 slidably mounted on the pushing guide rail 2401. The pushing fixture 2402 has a pressing surface facing the side of the pallet. A pushing cylinder 2404 is provided at the bottom of the pushing fixture 2402 and connected to the output shaft of the pushing cylinder 2404. The piston stroke of the pushing cylinder 2404 drives the pushing fixture 2402 to move along the pushing guide rail 2401, thereby completing the lateral positioning of the pallet. Further, the pressing surface of the pushing fixture 2402 is provided with positioning rollers 2403 to provide flexible pressing force to the side of the pallet.

[0063] like Figure 5 As shown, the lifting mechanism includes a screw jack 2304, which is driven by a first servo motor 2305. The output end of the screw jack 2304 is connected to the bottom of the support plate 2301. The rotational stroke of the first servo motor 2305 is converted into the linear stroke of the screw jack 2304 through the worm gear structure of the screw jack 2304. Specifically, there are four sets of screw jacks 2304, located at the four corners of the support plate 2301. The lifting mechanism also includes a first right-angle steering mechanism 2306 and two sets of second right-angle steering mechanisms 2307. The input end of the first right-angle steering mechanism 2306 is connected to the output end of the first servo motor 2305; the output end of the first right-angle steering mechanism 2306 is connected to the input ends of the two sets of second right-angle steering mechanisms 2307, and the output ends of the second right-angle steering mechanisms 2307 are connected to the screw jack 2304 through the worm gear structure. The four sets of screw jacks 2304 are driven by a first servo motor 2305 through a first right-angle steering gear 2306 and a second right-angle steering gear 2307, thereby realizing the linkage of the four sets of screw jacks 2304.

[0064] The lifting mechanism also includes multiple sets of guide rods 2308 fixedly installed at the bottom of the support plate 2301. A guide sleeve 2309 is provided on the bottom bracket 21 at the position corresponding to the guide rods 2308. One end of each guide rod 2308 is installed inside the guide sleeve 2309 and slidably connected to it. The guide sleeve 2309 and the guide rods 2308 assist in positioning the lifting mechanism's lifting motion and provide cushioning for this motion.

[0065] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, there are two sets of roller conveyors 2201, located on both sides of the flexible support mechanism 23. When conveying the loading pallet, they can provide support for the loading pallet from both sides. By lowering the support plate 2301 below the roller conveyor 2201 through the lifting mechanism, or by adjusting the length of the support legs of the loading pallet, the flexible support mechanism 23 can be prevented from interfering with the transport path of the loading pallet. The end of the conveying roller 2202 is equipped with a transmission gear 2203, and a toothed chain is installed between adjacent transmission gears 2203 and the transmission gears 2203 are driven by the toothed chain. The bottom of the conveying roller 2202 is provided with a drive gear 2204, which is connected to the transmission gear 2203 by a toothed chain. The center of the drive gear 2204 is provided with a rotating shaft 2205, which is driven to rotate by a second servo motor 2207. In this embodiment, a third right-angle steering device 2206 is also provided. The input end of the third right-angle steering device 2206 is connected to the output shaft of the second servo motor 2207, and the output end of the third right-angle steering device 2206 is connected to the rotating shaft 2205 of the two sets of drive gears 2204 respectively. Power is transmitted to the two sets of roller conveyors 2201 through a set of second servo motors 2207 to achieve consistency in pallet transfer.

[0066] A support roller frame 2208 is also provided between the two sets of roller conveyors 2201. The support roller frame 2208 is provided with multiple sets of support rollers 2209 along the pallet conveying direction. The support roller frame 2208 is used to assist the roller conveyor 2201 in transporting the loading pallet and to support and position the loading pallet from the middle of the loading pallet.

[0067] Furthermore, a step ladder 25 is provided on the outside of the horizontal transmission mechanism 22 to facilitate the maintenance of the tray and the various functional units in this embodiment by the staff.

[0068] like Figures 9 to 12As shown, the X-direction linear movement mechanism 15 includes an X-direction rack 1505 extending along the end face of the support beam 11 and an X-direction gear 1501 connected to the connecting column 12 via a transmission mechanism. The connecting column 12 and the support beam 11 are connected by a rack and pinion structure, so that the connecting column 12 moves along the support beam 11 in the X direction. Specifically, the transmission mechanism includes a first transmission rod 1502 and a fourth right-angle commutator 1503. The first transmission rod 1502 rotates under the action of the drive mechanism. The input end of the fourth right-angle commutator 1503 is connected to the first transmission rod 1502, and the output end of the fourth right-angle commutator 1503 is connected to the central axis of the X-axis gear 1501. The first transmission rod 1502 transmits rotational power to the X-axis gear 1501 through the first and fourth right-angle commutators 1503. Multiple sets of mounting seats 1508 are provided on the support beam 11, and each set of mounting seats 1508 is equipped with a bearing 1509. The multiple sets of bearings 1509 are coaxially arranged, and the first transmission rod 1502 passes through the center of the multiple sets of bearings 1509 in sequence. The first transmission rod 1502 is connected to the support beam 11 by a bearing 1509 and the mounting base 1508, so that the mating structure of the X-axis gear 1501 and the X-axis rack 1505 can drive the connecting column 12 to move along the support beam 11.

[0069] In this embodiment, the first transmission rod 1502 is driven to rotate by the third servo motor 1504, and a first commutator reducer 1510 is also provided. The input end of the first commutator reducer 1510 is connected to the output shaft of the third servo motor 1504, and the end of the transmission rod away from the fourth right-angle commutator 1503 is connected to the output end of the first commutator reducer 1510. The first commutator reducer 1510 converts the rotational stroke of the third servo motor 1504 into a rotational stroke toward the two sets of support beams 11, so that the movement of the two ends of the connecting column 12 on the support beams 11 remains synchronized.

[0070] The X-direction linear movement mechanism 15 also includes an X-direction linear guide 1506 extending along the direction of the support beam 11 and an X-direction slider 1507 mounted on the X-direction linear guide 1506. The fourth right-angle commutator 1503 is mounted on the slider. The X-direction linear guide 1506 and the X-direction slider 1507 can assist in positioning the position of the connecting column 12 and enhance the accuracy of the moving of the connecting column 12 on the support beam 11.

[0071] like Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the Z-axis linear movement mechanism 16 includes a Z-axis rack 1601 extending vertically along the support column 13, a second transmission rod 1602 driven to rotate by a drive mechanism, and a gear reducer 1603 fixedly mounted on the connecting column 12. The input end of the gear reducer 1603 is connected to the second transmission rod 1602, and a Z-axis gear 1604 is installed at the output end of the gear reducer 1603. The Z-axis gear 1604 meshes with the Z-axis rack 1601. The second transmission rod 1602 drives the Z-axis gear 1604 to rotate, causing the support column 13 to perform Z-axis displacement. In this embodiment, the second transmission rod 1602 is driven by a fourth servo motor 1605. The output end of the fourth servo motor 1605 is connected to a second reversing reducer 1606, and the output end of the second reversing reducer 1606 is connected to the second transmission rod 1602. The fourth servo motor 1605 transmits rotational power to the second transmission rod 1602 through the second reversing reducer 1606.

[0072] Similar to the X-axis linear movement mechanism 15, the Z-axis linear movement mechanism 16 also includes a Z-axis linear guide 1607 mounted on the support column 13 and a Z-axis slider 1608 slidably connected to the Z-axis linear guide 1607. A mounting plate 1609 is fixedly connected to the Z-axis slider 1608, with one end of the mounting plate 1609 fixedly mounted on the connecting column 12. The vertically arranged support column 13 and the horizontally arranged connecting column 12 are connected to the mounting plate 1609 fixed to the Z-axis slider 1608 via the Z-axis slider 1608. When the Z-axis gear 1604 rotates, the Z-axis linear guide 1607 provides auxiliary positioning for the movement of the support column 13.

[0073] like Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, in this embodiment, a lifting plate 1706 is provided at the bottom of the support column 13, and a Y-axis linear movement mechanism 17 is provided at the bottom of the lifting plate 1706. The flip base 14 is connected to the bottom of the support column 13 through the Y-axis linear movement mechanism 17 and can move in the Y direction along the end face of the support column 13. The Y-axis linear movement mechanism 17 includes a transmission screw 1702 arranged in the Y direction, and the top of the flip base 14 is connected to the transmission screw 1702 through a ball screw structure. The transmission screw 1702 is driven by a fifth servo motor 1701, and a planetary reducer 1703 is installed between the fifth servo motor 1701 and the transmission screw 1702. The Y-axis linear movement mechanism 17 also includes a Y-axis linear guide rail 1704 disposed at the bottom of the lifting plate 1706 and a Y-axis slider 1705 slidably connected to the Y-axis linear guide rail 1704. The top end face of the flip base 14 is mounted on the Y-axis slider 1705.

[0074] like Figure 13As shown, in this embodiment, the flipping action of the gripper is controlled by the flipping mechanism 18 disposed on the flipping base 14, including two sets of driven gears 1803 disposed on opposite end faces of the flipping base 14 and a driving gear 1802 meshing with the driven gears 1803. The mounting surface 1801 is disposed on the end face of the driven gears 1803. The driving gear 1802 is driven to rotate by the driving mechanism, which drives the gripper on the driven gears 1803 to perform the flipping action.

[0075] The method for material flipping using the present invention is as follows: 1. The support plate 2301 of the flexible support mechanism 23 is lowered below the upper plane of the roller conveyor 2201; the loading pallet is transported to the loading position along the horizontal transmission mechanism 22 of the pallet positioning device 2;

[0076] 2. The flip base 14 moves along the truss to the top of the loading tray, the camera locates the position of the material on the loading tray, and the claws on the flip base 14 grab the material on the loading tray;

[0077] 3. The transfer pallet is inserted into the pallet positioning device 2 via an external AGV trolley, positioning the pallet above the flexible support mechanism 23. The horizontal transmission mechanism provides auxiliary support for the transfer pallet. The flexible support mechanism is activated, and the support plate 2301 rises, moving the transfer pallet into the transfer position. The flipping base 14 continues to move along the truss until the positioning mechanism positions the transfer pallet. The robot places the material above the transfer pallet, and the flexible support mechanism 23 provides flexible cushioning for the transfer pallet during the transfer process. In this embodiment, the pallet is confirmed by the positioning camera 1804 capturing images of the positioning holes on the pallet.

[0078] 4. The flexible support mechanism 23 descends to the initial position, places the transfer pallet on the AGV trolley, and the AGV trolley drives the transfer pallet out of the station.

[0079] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A material handling and transfer system, characterized in that: The device includes a material flipping device (1) for gripping and flipping materials and a pallet positioning device (2) for positioning and supporting a pallet. The material flipping device (1) includes two sets of parallel support trusses, and a support beam (11) is installed on the top of the support trusses. The pallet positioning device (2) is located between the two sets of support trusses. The material turning device (1) includes a connecting column (12), two sets of support columns (13), two sets of turning bases (14), an X-axis linear movement mechanism (15), a Y-axis linear movement mechanism (17), a Z-axis linear movement mechanism (16), a turning mechanism (18), and a positioning camera (1804). The two ends of the connecting column (12) are connected to the supporting beam (11) through the X-direction linear movement mechanism (15), so that the connecting column (12) can move between the loading position and the material transfer position along the extension direction of the supporting beam (11); The support column (13) is connected to the connecting column (12) through the Z-axis linear movement mechanism (16), so that the support column (13) and the connecting column (12) are relatively displaced in the vertical plane; The flip base (14) is connected to the support column (13) through the Y-axis linear movement mechanism (17), so that the flip base (14) moves in the opposite direction of the two sets of support trusses; Two sets of flip bases (14) are used to install grippers for holding materials. The flip bases (14) are provided with flipping mechanisms (18) to drive the gripped materials to rotate. A positioning camera (1804) is mounted on a flip base (14) to position the material on the pallet positioning device (2) when the flip base (14) moves. The pallet positioning device (2) includes a bottom support (21), a horizontal transmission mechanism (22) and a flexible support mechanism (23) disposed on the bottom support (21). The transmission direction of the horizontal transmission mechanism (22) is the same as the extension direction of the support beam (11); the horizontal transmission mechanism (22) includes a roller conveyor (2201). The flexible support mechanism (23) includes a support plate (2301) located at the top of the flexible support mechanism (23) and a lifting mechanism located at the bottom of the support plate (2301). Universal balls (2302) are arranged on the upper surface of the support plate (2301). The support plate (2301) and the roller conveyor (2201) are spaced apart. The support plate (2301) is used to provide a support surface for the pallet. The lifting mechanism drives the support plate (2301) to move in the vertical direction. The flexible support mechanism (23) can provide flexible support for the pallet during the vertical displacement of the support plate (2301). The end of the support plate (2301) is provided with a baffle (2303) for positioning the end position of the pallet.

2. The material handling and transfer system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The pallet positioning device (2) also includes a lateral pushing unit (24) installed on the outside of the horizontal transmission mechanism (22) for lateral positioning of the pallet; The lateral pushing unit (24) includes a pushing guide rail (2401) extending laterally toward the roller conveyor (2201) and a pushing fixture (2402) slidably mounted on the pushing guide rail (2401). The pushing fixture (2402) has a pressing surface facing the side of the tray, and the pressing surface is provided with positioning rollers (2403).

3. The material handling and transfer system as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism includes multiple sets of screw jacks (2304), which are driven by a first servo motor (2305) mounted on the bottom bracket (21) via a steering gear. The output end of the screw jack (2304) provides lifting power to the support plate (2301). The lifting mechanism also includes multiple sets of guide rods (2308) fixedly installed at the bottom of the support plate (2301). The bottom bracket (21) is provided with a guide sleeve (2309) at the position corresponding to the guide rod (2308). One end of the guide rod (2308) is installed on the inner side of the guide sleeve (2309) and is slidably connected to the guide sleeve (2309).

4. The material handling and transfer system as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The roller conveyor (2201) has multiple sets of conveying rollers (2202) arranged along the conveying direction of the pallet; the end of the conveying roller (2202) is equipped with a transmission gear (2203), and the bottom of the conveying roller (2202) is provided with a drive gear (2204). The drive gear (2204) is driven to rotate by a second servo motor (2207) set on the bottom support (21), and drives the transmission gear (2203) to rotate.

5. The material handling and transfer system as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The X-direction linear movement mechanism (15) includes an X-direction rack (1505) extending along the end face of the support beam (11), an X-direction gear (1501) meshing with the X-direction rack (1505), and a first transmission rod (1502) driving the X-direction gear (1501) to rotate. Multiple sets of mounting seats (1508) are provided on the connecting column (12). A bearing (1509) is coaxially arranged inside the mounting seat (1508). The first transmission rod (1502) passes through the center of the multiple sets of bearings (1509) and is rotatably connected to the connecting column (12). The first transmission rod (1502) is driven to rotate by the third servo motor (1504), and the third servo motor (1504) transmits rotational power to the X-axis gear (1501) through the first transmission rod (1502) and the commutator.

6. The material handling and transfer system as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The Z-axis linear movement mechanism (16) includes a Z-axis rack (1601) extending vertically along the support column (13), a Z-axis gear (1604) meshing with the Z-axis rack (1601), and a second transmission rod (1602) that drives the Z-axis gear (1604) to rotate. The second transmission rod (1602) is driven to rotate by the fourth servo motor (1605). A second reversing reducer (1606) is provided between the fourth servo motor (1605) and the Z-axis gear (1604). The second reversing reducer (1606) is fixedly connected to the support column (13).

7. The material handling and transfer system as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The Y-axis linear movement mechanism (17) includes a transmission screw (1702) extending in the opposite direction of two sets of flip bases (14). The top of the flip base (14) is connected to the transmission screw (1702) through a ball screw structure. The transmission screw (1702) is driven by a fifth servo motor (1701).

8. A material transfer method using the material transfer system according to any one of claims 2-7, for flipping and transferring material in a loading tray to a transfer tray, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1. The support plate (2301) of the flexible support mechanism (23) is lowered below the upper plane of the roller conveyor (2201); the loading pallet is transported to the loading position along the horizontal transmission mechanism (22) of the pallet positioning device (2); S2. The flip base (14) moves along the truss to the top of the loading tray, the camera positions the material on the loading tray, and the claws on the flip base (14) grab the material on the loading tray. S3. The transfer tray is transported to the top of the flexible support mechanism (23) by an external AGV trolley. The horizontal transmission mechanism provides auxiliary support for the transfer tray. The flexible support mechanism (23) is activated, which drives the transfer tray into the transfer position. The flipping base (14) continues to move along the truss until the positioning camera (1804) positions the transfer tray. The robot places the material on top of the transfer tray. The flexible support mechanism (23) provides flexible buffer for the transfer tray during the transfer process. S4. The flexible support mechanism (23) descends to the initial position, and the AGV trolley drives the material transfer tray out of the station.

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