A material storage and replenishment system and method

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of material storage and replenishment systems, including transfer conveying device and for conveying material material conveying device, the transfer conveying device includes lifting mechanism, first transfer conveying line and the second transfer conveying line below first transfer conveying line, first transfer conveying line and the second transfer conveying line are located in the same side of lifting mechanism, and both can be bidirectional conveying, the lifting mechanism is used to realize the transfer between tray first transfer conveying line and second transfer conveying line, first transfer conveying line is below material conveying device, material gripping and releasing robot is arranged above material conveying device.The application also discloses its material storage and replenishment method.The application has the advantages that transfer conveying line can be bidirectional conveying, compact structure, and small floor area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food and pharmaceutical packaging technology, and specifically to a material replenishment system and method. Background Technology

[0002] During the production of plastic ampoules, continuous production of the blow-fill-seal equipment is required. However, when the downstream packaging line malfunctions (in a connected line, a failure in any piece of equipment can cause the entire packaging line to stop), due to the special nature of aseptic preparations, there are strict requirements on the downtime of upstream equipment in the clean area. Each time the blow-fill-seal equipment is restarted, a long period of time is spent on confirmation and debugging, resulting in the waste of a large number of blister packs. Moreover, if the self-circulation verification time limit for liquid preparation is exceeded, the preparation cannot continue to be filled and must be scrapped. This leads to high production and management costs and low production efficiency. A material storage and replenishment system is needed to temporarily store the materials produced by the blow-fill-seal equipment until the packaging line malfunction is resolved. Existing material storage and replenishment systems, such as the one disclosed in application number CN202221358460.8, entitled "Pharmaceutical Buffer Device for Suspension Blister Production Line," disclose separate settings for the infeed conveyor belt, sorting conveyor belt, and discharge conveyor belt. This setting has the following disadvantages: 1) The structure is cumbersome and occupies a large area; 2) It can only transport in one direction, with a single transport mode and low transport efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a material storage and replenishment system and method that can transport materials in both directions, has a compact structure, and occupies a small area.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] A material replenishment system includes a transfer and conveying device and a material conveying device for conveying materials. The transfer and conveying device includes a lifting mechanism, a first transfer and conveying line, and a second transfer and conveying line located below the first transfer and conveying line. The first transfer and conveying lines are located on the same side of the lifting mechanism, and both can convey materials in both directions. The lifting mechanism is used to transfer pallets between the first transfer and conveying lines. The first transfer and conveying line is located below the material conveying device, and a material gripping and releasing robot is located above the material conveying device.

[0006] As a further improvement to the above technical solution:

[0007] The material conveying device includes a differentially adjustable pitched conveyor line and a uniform speed conveyor line. The input end of the pitched conveyor line is used to connect with the front-end blow-fill-seal equipment, and the output end is connected with the uniform speed conveyor line. The uniform speed conveyor line is provided with a disconnection drive mechanism for driving the output end of the uniform speed conveyor line to connect or disconnect with the rear-end packaging equipment. The first transfer conveyor line is located below the uniform speed conveyor line.

[0008] The first transfer conveyor line includes a roller conveyor belt and a belt conveyor belt that docks with the roller conveyor belt, and the belt conveyor belt is arranged close to the uniform speed conveyor line.

[0009] The uniform speed conveyor line includes a mounting frame, a conveyor belt, a fixed support plate and a movable support plate mounted on the mounting frame. The conveyor belt is wound around the fixed support plate and the movable support plate. The movable support plate is hinged to the fixed support plate. The disconnection drive mechanism includes a telescopic drive mounted on the mounting frame. The telescopic end of the telescopic drive is connected to the movable support plate.

[0010] A first visual inspection device is provided above the input end of the uniform speed conveyor line, a second visual inspection device is provided in the middle below the first transfer conveyor line, and a material recycling device is provided below the output end. Both the first and second visual inspection devices are connected to the material gripping and releasing robot.

[0011] The material replenishment system also includes a pallet conveying device and a pallet transfer robot, which is used to transfer pallets between the pallet conveying device and the transfer conveying device.

[0012] The pallet conveying device includes a first moving drive mechanism and a first pallet conveying line and a second pallet conveying line arranged in parallel. The first moving drive mechanism is used to drive the pallet to move between the first pallet conveying line and the second pallet conveying line.

[0013] The pallet transfer robot includes a robot body, on which a pallet clamping device and a third vision detection device are provided, and the third vision detection device is connected to the robot body.

[0014] The pallet clamping device includes a first clamp, a second clamp, and a second moving drive mechanism. The second moving drive mechanism is used to drive the first clamp and the second clamp to move closer or further apart. The pallet has clamping grooves on both sides, and the first clamp and the second clamp are each provided with clamping parts that cooperate with the clamping grooves.

[0015] A method for replenishing the material in the above-mentioned material replenishment system.

[0016] The storage method includes the following steps:

[0017] S1. The second transfer conveyor line drives the pallets with storage space to be transported forward toward the lifting mechanism;

[0018] S2. The lifting mechanism transfers the pallet with storage space to the first transfer conveyor line above. The first transfer conveyor line drives the pallet with storage space to be transported in the opposite direction away from the lifting mechanism. At the same time, the material grabbing robot grabs the material on the material conveying device and puts the material into the storage space of the pallet.

[0019] The replenishment method includes the following steps:

[0020] Y1. The first transfer conveyor line drives the pallet containing the material to be conveyed in the forward direction towards the lifting mechanism. At the same time, the material grabbing robot grabs the material in the pallet and puts the material on the material conveying device.

[0021] Y2. After the material is picked up, the lifting mechanism will transfer the empty pallet to the second transfer conveyor line below. The second transfer conveyor line will then transport the empty pallet in the opposite direction away from the lifting mechanism.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0023] The material storage and replenishment system disclosed in this invention includes a transfer and conveying device comprising a first transfer and conveying line and a second transfer and conveying line located below the first transfer and conveying line. Both the upper and lower conveying lines can transport materials in both directions and the transfer of pallets is achieved through a lifting mechanism. The structure is compact and can be adapted to both material storage and replenishment conditions by simply adjusting the conveying direction of the first and second transfer and conveying lines. There is no need to set up separate conveying lines for the two conditions, which makes it highly adaptable and reduces the floor space required.

[0024] The material storage and replenishment method of the material storage and replenishment system disclosed in this invention uses the above-mentioned material storage and replenishment system to store and replenish materials, and therefore also has the above-mentioned advantages. When switching between storage and replenishment modes, it is only necessary to change the conveying direction of the first transfer conveyor line and the second transfer conveyor line to share a set of transfer conveying devices without adding new conveyor lines and conveying steps. The conveying steps are simple and highly adaptable. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a top view of the material replenishment system of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention (concealed material conveying device).

[0027] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the material conveying device in this invention.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the material conveying device in this invention.

[0029] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the transfer and conveying device in this invention.

[0030] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the pallet conveying device in this invention.

[0031] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the pallet transfer robot in this invention.

[0032] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the tray in this invention.

[0033] Figure 9 This is a top view of the chassis structure in this invention.

[0034] The labels in the diagram represent: 1. Pallet conveying device; 11. First moving drive mechanism; 12. First pallet conveying line; 13. Second pallet conveying line; 14. Upper pallet pad; 2. Transfer conveying device; 21. First transfer conveying line; 211. Roller conveyor belt; 212. Belt conveyor belt; 22. Second transfer conveying line; 23. Lifting mechanism; 3. Pallet transfer robot; 31. Robot body; 32. Pallet clamping device; 321. First gripper; 322. Second gripper; 323. Second moving drive mechanism; 324. Clamping part. 33. Third vision inspection device; 4. Material conveying device; 41. Pitched conveyor line; 42. Uniform speed conveyor line; 421. Mounting frame; 422. Conveyor belt; 423. Fixed support plate; 424. Movable support plate; 425. First vision inspection device; 426. Second vision inspection device; 427. Material recovery device; 43. Disconnection drive mechanism; 431. Telescopic drive; 44. Material gripping and placing robot; 5. Pallet; 51. Clamping slot; 52. Material placement space; 6. Blow-fill-seal equipment; 7. Packaging equipment; 8. Chassis. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0036] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0037] 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 number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0038] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "assembly," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0039] Example 1

[0040] Figures 1 to 8 An embodiment of the present invention is shown. The material replenishment system of this embodiment includes a transfer conveying device 2 and a material conveying device 4 for conveying materials. The transfer conveying device 2 includes a lifting mechanism 23, a first transfer conveying line 21 and a second transfer conveying line 22 located below the first transfer conveying line 21. The first transfer conveying line 21 and the second transfer conveying line 22 are located on the same side of the lifting mechanism 23 and both can convey materials in both directions. The lifting mechanism 23 is used to transfer the pallet 5 between the first transfer conveying line 21 and the second transfer conveying line 22. The first transfer conveying line 21 is located below the material conveying device 4, and a material gripping robot 44 is located above the material conveying device 4.

[0041] The material replenishment process of this material replenishment system is as follows:

[0042] 1) Material storage process: The second transfer conveyor line 22 drives the pallet 5 with storage space to be transported forward toward the direction close to the lifting mechanism 23; the lifting mechanism 23 transfers the pallet 5 with storage space to the first transfer conveyor line 21 above, and the first transfer conveyor line 21 drives the pallet 5 with storage space to be transported in the opposite direction away from the lifting mechanism 23. At the same time, the material grabbing robot 44 grabs the material on the material conveying device 4 and puts the material into the storage space of the pallet 5.

[0043] 2) Replenishment process: The first transfer conveyor line 21 drives the pallet 5 containing materials to be conveyed forward towards the lifting mechanism 23. At the same time, the material grabbing robot 44 grabs the materials in the pallet 5 and places the materials on the material conveying device 4. After the materials are grabbed, the lifting mechanism 23 transfers the empty pallet 5 to the second transfer conveyor line 22 below. The second transfer conveyor line 22 drives the empty pallet 5 to be conveyed in the opposite direction away from the lifting mechanism 23.

[0044] The material storage and replenishment system includes a transfer conveying device 2 comprising a first transfer conveying line 21 and a second transfer conveying line 22 located below the first transfer conveying line 21. Both upper and lower conveying lines can transport materials in both directions, and the transfer of the pallet 5 is achieved through a lifting mechanism 23. The system has a compact structure and layout. It can be applied to both material storage and replenishment conditions by simply adjusting the conveying direction of the first transfer conveying line 21 and the second transfer conveying line 22. There is no need to set up separate conveying lines for the two conditions, which makes it highly adaptable and reduces the floor space required.

[0045] In this embodiment, the material conveying device 4 includes a differentially adjustable pitched conveyor line 41 and a uniform speed conveyor line 42. The input end of the pitched conveyor line 41 is used to connect with the front-end blow-fill-seal equipment 6, and the output end is connected with the uniform speed conveyor line 42. The uniform speed conveyor line 42 is provided with a disconnection drive mechanism 43 for driving the output end of the uniform speed conveyor line 42 to connect or disconnect with the rear-end packaging equipment 7. The first transfer conveyor line 21 is located below the uniform speed conveyor line 42.

[0046] When the back-end packaging equipment 7 malfunctions, the disconnect drive mechanism 43 disconnects the output end of the uniform speed conveyor line 42 from the back-end packaging equipment 7, preventing materials from being fed into the back-end packaging equipment 7. At this time, the transfer conveyor 2 and the material grabbing robot 44 begin to store the materials produced by the front-end blow-fill-seal equipment 6. When the back-end packaging equipment 7 malfunctions, the front-end blow-fill-seal equipment 6 resumes production. At this time, the pitched conveyor line 41 differentially conveys the produced materials, widening the material distance to form a replenishment gap, which then enters the uniform speed conveyor line 42. Then, the transfer conveyor 2 and the material grabbing robot 44 work together to replenish the stored materials in the tray 5 into the replenishment gap of the materials on the uniform speed conveyor line 42, achieving interleaved replenishment. This not only does not affect normal material conveying but also takes into account replenishment, meeting the material conveying needs when the front and back-end production rhythms are different. After replenishment is completed, the conveying speed of the pitched conveyor line 41 is kept consistent with that of the uniform speed conveyor line 42, and it can be used as a normal conveyor line to achieve normal conveying of subsequently produced materials. Of course, in other embodiments, when the back-end packaging equipment 7 malfunctions, the pitched conveyor line 41 can also be used for differential conveying to increase the distance between incoming materials, making it easier for the material grabbing robot 44 to grab the materials.

[0047] Next, let's take differential conveying during material replenishment as an example: The pitched conveyor line 41 reduces speed and adjusts the speed to bring the incoming materials closer together. When 5 materials are brought together, the speed is changed to pull the material apart, so that the materials are in small rows of 5. Then there is a material replenishment gap between the 5 materials. At this time, the capacity of the front-end blow-fill-seal equipment 6 is adjusted to 100 pieces / minute and the capacity of the back-end packaging equipment 7 is 120 pieces / minute. One material is inserted into the gap, which can replenish the stock of materials while adapting to the production line capacity.

[0048] In this embodiment, the first transfer conveyor line 21 includes a roller conveyor belt 211 and a belt conveyor belt 212 connected to the roller conveyor belt 211. The belt conveyor belt 212 is positioned close to the constant speed conveyor line 42. The metal pallet 5 is relatively heavy, making it less prone to slippage when conveyed on the belt conveyor belt 212, allowing for more precise movement. Positioning the belt conveyor belt 212 close to the constant speed conveyor line 42 facilitates precise material handling by the material handling robot 44. Preferably, the belt conveyor belt 212 is powered by a servo motor, further enhancing the precision of the pallet 5's movement. To buffer and coordinate the needs of the belt conveyor belt 212, the roller conveyor belt 211 is equipped with multiple active power segments to meet segmented control requirements.

[0049] In this embodiment, the second transfer conveyor line 22 is a roller conveyor line, which is also equipped with multiple active power sections to further meet the segmented control requirements.

[0050] In this embodiment, the uniform speed conveyor line 42 includes a mounting frame 421, a conveyor belt 422, a fixed support plate 423 and a movable support plate 424 mounted on the mounting frame 421. The conveyor belt 422 is wound around the fixed support plate 423 and the movable support plate 424. The movable support plate 424 is hinged to the fixed support plate 423. The disconnection drive mechanism 43 includes a telescopic drive 431 mounted on the mounting frame 421. The telescopic end of the telescopic drive 431 is connected to the movable support plate 424. When the rear packaging equipment 7 malfunctions, the telescopic drive 431 drives the movable support plate 424 to swing downward, causing the output end of the uniform speed conveyor line 42 to swing downward, disconnecting from the rear packaging equipment 7, so that the material produced by the front-end blow-fill-seal equipment 6 is no longer input into the rear packaging equipment 7. When the malfunction of the rear packaging equipment 7 is resolved, the telescopic drive 431 drives the movable support plate 424 to swing upward, causing the output end of the uniform speed conveyor line 42 to swing upward, reconnecting with the rear packaging equipment 7, and restoring the material conveying to the rear packaging equipment 7. Preferably, the conveyor belt 422 is a belt.

[0051] In this embodiment, a first visual inspection device 425 is provided above the input end of the uniform speed conveyor line 42, a second visual inspection device 426 is provided in the middle below the first transfer conveyor line 21, and a material recovery device 427 is provided below the output end. Both the first visual inspection device 425 and the second visual inspection device 426 are connected to the material gripping robot 44. After the material arrives at the uniform speed conveyor line 42, the first visual inspection device 425 identifies the distance between the materials and the material's orientation and transmits it to the material gripping robot 44, so that the material gripping robot 44 can accurately grip and place the material on the uniform speed conveyor line 42. The second visual inspection device 426 detects the stepping distance of the tray 5 on the first transfer conveyor line 21 and transmits it to the material gripping robot 44, eliminating the displacement deviation of the tray 5 during the transport on the first transfer conveyor line 21 and the second transfer conveyor line 22, so that the material gripping robot 44 can accurately grip and place the material in the tray 5. The material recovery device 427 can collect the material that has not been picked up when the output end of the uniform speed conveyor line 42 swings downward and disconnects from the rear packaging equipment 7, thus avoiding material waste.

[0052] Preferably, in this embodiment, the tray 5 is divided into multiple material placement spaces 52 by partitions, and multiple materials can be stacked in an alternating manner in one material placement space 52. The second vision detection device 426 can detect the stepping distance of the tray 5 to determine the position of each material placement space 52, so as to facilitate accurate storage and retrieval of materials.

[0053] In this embodiment, the material replenishment system also includes a pallet conveying device 1 and a pallet transfer robot 3. The pallet transfer robot 3 is used to transfer pallets 5 between the pallet conveying device 1 and the transfer conveying device 2. Empty pallets 5 or pallets 5 containing materials on the transfer conveying device 2 can be transferred to the pallet conveying device 1 by the pallet transfer robot 3 without stopping on the transfer conveying device 2, thus shortening the length of the transfer conveying device 2 and further reducing the floor space occupied by the transfer conveying device 2.

[0054] In this embodiment, the pallet conveying device 1 includes a first moving drive mechanism 11, a first pallet conveying line 12 and a second pallet conveying line 13 arranged in parallel. The first moving drive mechanism 11 is used to drive the pallets 5 to move between the first pallet conveying line 12 and the second pallet conveying line 13. To improve efficiency, during storage, multiple empty pallets 5 are stacked sequentially on the chassis 8, and the entire stack is input from the first pallet conveying line 12. The pallet transfer robot 3 unpacks the entire stack of empty pallets 5 and sequentially sends them to the transfer conveying device 2 for storage. After unpacking, the empty chassis 8 moves to the second pallet conveying line 13 via the first moving drive mechanism 11. After the input empty pallets 5 are filled with materials, they are sequentially stacked on the empty chassis 8 by the pallet transfer robot 3, and then output as a whole stack via the second pallet conveying line 13. During replenishment, the entire stack of pallets 5 filled with materials is input from the first pallet conveying line 12, and the pallet transfer robot 3 unpacks the entire stack of empty pallets 5. The transport robot 3 unpacks the pallets 5 containing materials and sequentially feeds them onto the transfer conveyor 2 for replenishment. After unpacking, the empty pallets 8 move to the second pallet conveyor line 13 via the first moving drive mechanism 11. After the pallets 5 containing materials are replenished, the empty pallets 5 are sequentially stacked onto the empty pallets 8 by the pallet transfer robot 3, and then output as a whole stack via the second pallet conveyor line 13. The whole stack input and output method facilitates the storage and retrieval of pallets 5, reduces the storage space occupied by pallets 5, and helps to ensure the continuity of material replenishment, speeds up the conveying speed of pallets 5, and improves the conveying efficiency.

[0055] In this embodiment, both the first pallet conveyor line 12 and the second pallet conveyor line 13 are provided with upper stacking pads 14 on the side away from the pallet transfer robot 3, which facilitates the forklift to input and output the entire stack of pallets 5.

[0056] In this embodiment, the pallet transfer robot 3 includes a robot body 31, on which a pallet clamping device 32 and a third vision detection device 33 are mounted. The third vision detection device 33 is connected to the robot body 31. The third vision detection device 33 detects the position information of the pallet 5 to be clamped and sends the information to the robot body 31, which then drives the pallet clamping device 32 to achieve precise clamping.

[0057] In this embodiment, the pallet clamping device 32 includes a first clamp 321, a second clamp 322, and a second moving drive mechanism 323. The second moving drive mechanism 323 is used to drive the first clamp 321 and the second clamp 322 to move closer or further apart. The pallet 5 has clamping grooves 51 on both sides, and the first clamp 321 and the second clamp 322 are each provided with clamping parts 324 that cooperate with the clamping grooves 51. When the second moving drive mechanism 323 drives the first clamp 321 and the second clamp 322 to move closer together, their clamping parts 324 clamp onto the clamping grooves 51 on both sides of the pallet 5, thereby clamping the pallet 5; when the second moving drive mechanism 323 drives the first clamp 321 and the second clamp 322 to move further apart, their clamping parts 324 leave the clamping grooves 51 on both sides of the pallet 5, thereby placing the pallet 5.

[0058] In this embodiment, multiple material gripping and releasing robots 44 are provided, and all multiple material gripping and releasing robots 44 are arranged above the uniform speed conveyor line 42 to improve the material gripping and releasing speed.

[0059] Preferably, in this embodiment, the transfer and conveying device 2 and the material conveying device 4 are arranged vertically, and the pallet transfer robot 3 and the lifting mechanism 23 are located on different sides of the material conveying device 4, which is locally reasonable.

[0060] The specific material replenishment process of this material replenishment system is as follows:

[0061] When the back-end packaging equipment 7 malfunctions, it begins to store materials. The storage process is as follows: 1) The telescopic drive 431 drives the movable support plate 424 to swing downward, causing the output end of the uniform speed conveyor line 42 to swing downward and disconnect from the back-end packaging equipment 7, so that the material produced by the front-end blow-fill-seal equipment 6 no longer enters the back-end packaging equipment 7. The material that has not been picked up is collected by the material recycling device 427. The material produced by the front-end blow-fill-seal equipment 6 is transported at a differential speed on the pitched conveyor line 41 to increase the distance between incoming materials. After entering the uniform speed conveyor line 42, the distance between materials and the incoming material posture are identified by the first vision detection device 425 and transmitted to the material grabbing and placing robot 44. At the same time, the entire stack of empty pallets 5 is input from the first pallet conveyor line 12. The pallet transfer robot 3 destacking the entire stack of empty pallets 5 and sequentially sending them to the second transfer conveyor line 22. After destacking is completed, the empty chassis 8 is moved to the second pallet conveyor line 13 by the first moving drive mechanism 11, waiting for... 1) Stacking: The second transfer conveyor line 22 drives the empty pallet 5 forward towards the direction of the lifting mechanism 23. The lifting mechanism 23 transfers the empty pallet 5 to the first transfer conveyor line 21 above. The first transfer conveyor line 21 drives the empty pallet 5 in the reverse direction away from the lifting mechanism 23. 2) When the empty pallet 5 reaches below the uniform speed conveyor line 42, the second vision detection device 426 detects the stepping distance of the empty pallet 5 and transmits it to the material grabbing robot 44. The material grabbing robot 44 combines the information from the first vision detection device 425 and the second vision detection device 426 to accurately grab the material on the uniform speed conveyor line 42 and put the material into the empty pallet 5. 3) After the empty pallet 5 is full, the full pallet 5 continues to be transported in the reverse direction away from the lifting mechanism 23. Then, it is stacked on the empty chassis 8 by the pallet transfer robot 3, and then output as a whole stack by the second pallet conveyor line 13. Finally, it is transferred and stored by a manual forklift to complete the storage.

[0062] After the fault of the back-end packaging equipment 7 is resolved, material replenishment begins. The material storage process is as follows: 1) The telescopic drive 431 drives the movable support plate 424 to swing upward, causing the output end of the uniform speed conveyor line 42 to swing upward and reconnect with the back-end packaging equipment 7. The material produced by the front-end blow-fill-seal equipment 6 is conveyed at a differential speed on the pitched conveyor line 41, which widens the distance between incoming materials and forms a replenishment interval before entering the uniform speed conveyor line 42. The distance between materials and the incoming material posture are identified by the first vision detection device 425 and transmitted to the material grabbing and placing robot 44. At the same time, the entire stack of full pallets 5 is input from the first pallet conveyor line 12, and the pallet transfer robot 3 handles the entire stack of full pallets 5. The pallets are destacking and sequentially fed onto the first transfer conveyor line 21. After destacking, the empty pallets 8 are moved to the second pallet conveyor line 13 via the first moving drive mechanism 11, waiting to be stacked. The first transfer conveyor line 21 drives the full pallets 5 to be conveyed forward toward the lifting mechanism 23. 2) When the full pallets 5 reach below the uniform speed conveyor line 42, the second vision detection device 426 detects the stepping distance of the full pallets 5 and transmits it to the material grabbing robot 44. The material grabbing robot 44 combines the information from the first vision detection device 425 and the second vision detection device 426 to accurately grab the materials in the full pallets 5 and place the materials on the replenishment interval. 3) After the material in the full pallet 5 is picked up, the empty pallet 5 continues to be conveyed forward towards the lifting mechanism 23. The lifting mechanism 23 transfers the empty pallet 5 to the second transfer conveyor line 22 below. The second transfer conveyor line 22 drives the empty pallet 5 to be conveyed in the opposite direction away from the lifting mechanism 23. It is then stacked on the empty chassis 8 by the pallet transfer robot 3, and then output as a whole stack by the second pallet conveyor line 13. Finally, it is transferred and stored by a manual forklift to complete the replenishment.

[0063] Example 2

[0064] A method for replenishing materials in the above-mentioned material replenishment system:

[0065] The storage method includes the following steps:

[0066] S1, the second transfer conveyor line 22 drives the pallet 5 with storage space to be transported in the direction of approaching the lifting mechanism 23;

[0067] S2, the lifting mechanism 23 transfers the pallet 5 with storage space to the first transfer conveyor line 21 above. The first transfer conveyor line 21 drives the pallet 5 with storage space to be transported in the opposite direction away from the lifting mechanism 23. At the same time, the material grabbing robot 44 grabs the material on the material conveying device 4 and puts the material into the storage space of the pallet 5.

[0068] The replenishment method includes the following steps:

[0069] Y1. The first transfer conveyor line 21 drives the pallet 5 containing materials to be conveyed in the forward direction towards the lifting mechanism 23. At the same time, the material grabbing robot 44 grabs the materials in the pallet 5 and puts the materials on the material conveying device 4.

[0070] Y2. After the material is picked up, the lifting mechanism 23 will transfer the empty pallet 5 to the second transfer conveyor line 22 below. The second transfer conveyor line 22 will drive the empty pallet 5 to be transported in the opposite direction away from the lifting mechanism 23.

[0071] This material storage and replenishment method uses the aforementioned material storage and replenishment system, and therefore also possesses the aforementioned advantages. When switching between material storage and replenishment modes, it is only necessary to change the conveying direction of the first transfer conveyor line 21 and the second transfer conveyor line 22, so that a single set of transfer conveyor device 2 can be used. There is no need to add new conveyor lines and conveying steps. The conveying steps are simple and highly adaptable.

[0072] While the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the invention. Any person skilled in the art can make many possible variations and modifications to the technical solutions of the present invention, or modify them into equivalent embodiments, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention, without departing from the scope of the present invention, should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A material replenishment system, characterized in that: The device includes a transfer conveying device (2) and a material conveying device (4) for conveying materials. The transfer conveying device (2) includes a lifting mechanism (23), a first transfer conveying line (21), and a second transfer conveying line (22) located below the first transfer conveying line (21). The first transfer conveying line (21) and the second transfer conveying line (22) are located on the same side of the lifting mechanism (23), and both can convey materials in both directions. The lifting mechanism (23) is used to transfer the pallet (5) between the first transfer conveying line (21) and the second transfer conveying line (22). The first transfer conveying line (21) is located below the material conveying device (4), and a material grabbing and placing robot (44) is located above the material conveying device (4).

2. The material replenishment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material conveying device (4) includes a differentially adjustable pitched conveyor line (41) and a uniform speed conveyor line (42). The input end of the pitched conveyor line (41) is used to connect with the front-end blow-fill-seal equipment (6), and the output end is connected with the uniform speed conveyor line (42). The uniform speed conveyor line (42) is provided with a disconnection drive mechanism (43) for driving the output end of the uniform speed conveyor line (42) to connect or disconnect with the rear-end packaging equipment (7). The first transfer conveyor line (21) is located below the uniform speed conveyor line (42).

3. The material replenishment system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first transfer conveyor line (21) includes a roller conveyor belt (211) and a belt conveyor belt (212) connected to the roller conveyor belt (211), and the belt conveyor belt (212) is arranged close to the uniform speed conveyor line (42).

4. The material replenishment system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The uniform speed conveyor line (42) includes a mounting frame (421), a conveyor belt (422), a fixed support plate (423) and a movable support plate (424) mounted on the mounting frame (421). The conveyor belt (422) is wound around the fixed support plate (423) and the movable support plate (424). The movable support plate (424) is hinged to the fixed support plate (423). The disconnection drive mechanism (43) includes a telescopic drive (431) mounted on the mounting frame (421). The telescopic end of the telescopic drive (431) is connected to the movable support plate (424).

5. The material replenishment system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The uniform speed conveyor line (42) is equipped with a first visual inspection device (425) above the input end, a second visual inspection device (426) is provided below the first transfer conveyor line (21) in the middle, and a material recycling device (427) is provided below the output end. The first visual inspection device (425) and the second visual inspection device (426) are both connected to the material grabbing and placing robot (44).

6. The material replenishment system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The material replenishment system also includes a pallet conveying device (1) and a pallet transfer robot (3), wherein the pallet transfer robot (3) is used to transfer the pallet (5) between the pallet conveying device (1) and the transfer conveying device (2).

7. The material replenishment system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The pallet conveying device (1) includes a first moving drive mechanism (11), a first pallet conveying line (12) and a second pallet conveying line (13) arranged in parallel. The first moving drive mechanism (11) is used to drive the pallet (5) to move between the first pallet conveying line (12) and the second pallet conveying line (13).

8. The material replenishment system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The pallet transfer robot (3) includes a robot body (31), on which a pallet clamping device (32) and a third vision detection device (33) are provided, and the third vision detection device (33) is connected to the robot body (31).

9. The material replenishment system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The pallet clamping device (32) includes a first clamp (321), a second clamp (322) and a second moving drive mechanism (323). The second moving drive mechanism (323) is used to drive the first clamp (321) and the second clamp (322) to move closer or further apart. The pallet (5) is provided with clamping grooves (51) on both sides. The first clamp (321) and the second clamp (322) are each provided with clamping parts (324) that cooperate with the clamping grooves (51).

10. A method for replenishing a storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The storage method includes the following steps: S1, the second transfer conveyor line (22) drives the pallet (5) with storage space to be conveyed in the forward direction towards the lifting mechanism (23); S2. The lifting mechanism (23) transfers the pallet (5) with storage space to the first transfer conveyor line (21) above. The first transfer conveyor line (21) drives the pallet (5) with storage space to be transported in the opposite direction away from the lifting mechanism (23). At the same time, the material grabbing robot (44) grabs the material on the material conveying device (4) and puts the material into the storage space of the pallet (5). The replenishment method includes the following steps: Y1. The first transfer conveyor line (21) drives the pallet (5) containing materials to be conveyed in the forward direction towards the lifting mechanism (23). At the same time, the material grabbing robot (44) grabs the materials in the pallet (5) and puts the materials on the material conveying device (4). Y2. After the material is picked up, the lifting mechanism (23) transfers the empty pallet (5) to the second transfer conveyor line (22) below. The second transfer conveyor line (22) drives the empty pallet (5) to be transported in the opposite direction away from the lifting mechanism (23).

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