Workpiece transfer system and transfer method

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of mechanical transfer, in particular to a workpiece transfer system and transfer method, the transfer system comprising: a shelf; a transport device, the transport device being capable of moving the shelf to a first area; a positioning device, comprising a positioning mechanism and a moving mechanism, the moving mechanism being capable of moving the shelf positioned in the first area to a second area; a material-picking device, comprising a material-picking mechanism being capable of removing a pallet from the shelf in the second area; and a dragging device being capable of moving the shelf in the second area to a third area. By means of the transport device, the positioning device, the material-picking device and the dragging device, the shelf can be automatically transferred from the production line to the inspection line, and the workpiece on the shelf can be automatically removed from the shelf for transfer, thereby improving the degree of automation, saving manpower and improving efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of mechanical transfer, and in particular to a workpiece transfer system and transfer method. Background Art

[0002] Gas meter workpieces need to undergo quality inspection after leaving the production line. Gas meters have complex components and many production and inspection steps, which means that the production line and inspection line of gas meters occupy a large area. Therefore, the production line and inspection line are generally far apart. In order to ensure a reasonable spatial layout, the production line and inspection line are also located on different floors of the factory, making the transportation of gas meter workpieces difficult. In the existing technology, workpieces are generally transported from the production line to the inspection line manually, which is inefficient and time-consuming and labor-intensive. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to solve the problem of low workpiece transfer efficiency, the present application provides a workpiece transfer system and transfer method.

[0004] The workpiece transfer system provided in this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] A workpiece transfer system comprises: a shelf capable of placing pallets for carrying workpieces; a transport device capable of moving the shelf to a first area; a positioning device comprising a positioning mechanism and a moving mechanism, the positioning mechanism capable of positioning the shelf in the first area in the X and Y directions, and the moving mechanism capable of moving the positioned shelf in the first area to a second area, wherein the X and Y directions are on the same horizontal plane and at a certain angle; a picking device comprising a picking mechanism capable of removing pallets from the shelf in the second area; and a dragging device capable of moving the shelf in the second area to a third area.

[0006] By adopting the above technical solution, the handling device moves the shelf loaded with workpieces from the production line to the first area, and then controls the movement of the shelf through the positioning device. The positioning device locates the position of the shelf in the first area and then moves the shelf to the second area, so that the material-picking mechanism can drag the pallet out from the shelf and the robot can grab the workpiece. After the workpiece on the pallet is grabbed, the material-picking mechanism returns the empty pallet to the shelf, and then moves the shelf to the third area through the dragging device, so that the handling device can move the shelf after emptying the workpiece to the production line to reload the workpiece, thereby realizing automatic transfer of workpieces, saving manpower and improving transfer efficiency.

[0007] Further preferably, the moving mechanism includes a base, an X-direction moving cylinder fixed on the base, an X-direction moving seat connected to the output end of the X-direction moving cylinder, a Y-direction moving cylinder fixed on the X-direction moving seat, and a Y-direction moving seat connected to the output end of the Y-direction moving cylinder, and the positioning mechanism is installed on the Y-direction moving seat.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, the positioning mechanism is installed on the Y-direction moving seat, and the positioning mechanism is moved in the X-direction and Y-direction by driving the X-direction moving cylinder and the Y-direction moving cylinder, so that the shelf is driven to move along the X-direction and the Y-direction by the positioning mechanism, so that the shelf can be moved from the first area to the second area conveniently and quickly.

[0009] Further preferably, the positioning mechanism includes an X-axis positioning cylinder fixed on the Y-axis moving seat, an X-axis positioning plate connected to the output end of the X-axis positioning cylinder, a Y-axis positioning cylinder fixed on the X-axis positioning plate, a Y-axis positioning plate connected to the output end of the Y-axis positioning cylinder, and a fixed plate fixed on the X-axis positioning plate.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, the X-direction positioning cylinder drives the X-direction positioning plate to move, and pushes the shelf to move in the X direction through the X-direction positioning plate until the shelf is positioned in the X direction; then the Y-direction positioning cylinder drives the Y-direction positioning plate to move, and pushes the shelf to move in the Y direction until the shelf abuts against the fixed plate, thereby positioning the shelf in the Y direction through the Y-direction positioning plate and the fixed plate, and clamping the shelf. While achieving the positioning of the shelf in the X and Y directions, the shelf can be clamped at the same time, making it convenient for the moving mechanism to drive the shelf to move and ensuring the stability of the shelf during movement.

[0011] Further preferably, the material picking mechanism includes a towing component for towing the pallet on the shelf, a conveying component for conveying the pallet towards or away from the shelf, and a mounting frame for installing the towing component and the conveying component, and the conveying component includes a conveying motor fixed on the mounting frame and a conveyor belt connected to the output end of the conveying motor.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, after the dragging component drags the pallet on the shelf onto the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt is driven by the conveying motor to run and the pallet is transported, and the structure is simple and compact.

[0013] Further preferably, the towing assembly includes a driving cylinder fixed on the mounting frame, a base plate connected to the output end of the driving cylinder, a guide rod vertically slidably connected to the base plate, a sliding plate fixed on the top of the guide rod, a suction cup fixed on the sliding plate, and a reset part fixed between the sliding plate and the base plate. The direction in which the driving cylinder drives the base plate to move is parallel to the conveying direction of the conveyor belt, and a pushing assembly capable of pushing the sliding plate to slide downward is also installed on the mounting frame.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, the suction cup sucks the pallet and then drives the bottom plate to move through the driving cylinder, thereby moving through the guide rod, sliding plate and suction cup, and dragging the pallet to the conveyor belt for transportation, saving the energy consumed by the driving cylinder and suction cup adsorption. In addition, after the pallet moves to the conveyor belt, the suction cup removes the adsorption effect and pushes the sliding plate down through the pushing component, so that the sliding plate connecting the suction cup and the pallet are staggered, avoiding the sliding plate and suction cup from colliding with the pallet transported on the conveyor belt.

[0015] Further preferably, the pushing assembly includes a pushing cylinder fixed on the mounting frame and a pushing plate connected to the output end of the pushing cylinder.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, when the sliding plate is located below the push plate, the push plate is moved downward under the drive of the pushing cylinder and pushes the sliding plate downward, so that the sliding plate and the pallet are misaligned; after the workpiece on the pallet is grabbed, the conveyor belt returns the empty pallet, and at this time the pushing cylinder drives the push plate to move up, and the sliding plate is reset upward under the reset action of the reset part, so that the suction cup can be re-adsorbed onto the pallet, and the anti-collision safety is good.

[0017] It is further preferred that the material-taking device also includes a lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism includes a lifting frame, a lifting motor fixed on the lifting frame, a lifting screw connected to the output end of the lifting motor, the mounting frame is threadedly connected to the lifting screw, and the lifting frame is provided with a guide groove for guiding the lifting of the mounting frame.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, a lifting mechanism is provided to drive the mounting frame to move up and down to adjust the height of the material-retrieving mechanism, thereby facilitating material retrieval on multi-layer shelves.

[0019] Further preferably, the dragging device includes a mounting seat, a dragging cylinder fixed on the mounting seat, a mounting plate connected to the output end of the dragging cylinder, a clamping cylinder fixed on the mounting plate, and a chuck connected to the output end of the clamping cylinder.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, after the empty pallet is returned to the shelf, the positioning device releases the shelf, and then drives the clamping head to clamp the shelf through the clamping cylinder, and then drives the towing cylinder to move the shelf from the second area to the third area, making it convenient for the handling device to move the shelf to the production line and realize automatic transfer.

[0021] This application also provides a transfer method using the following technical solution:

[0022] A transfer method using the transfer system as described above includes the following steps: S1: moving the shelf loaded with workpieces at the production line to the first area by a transporting device, and moving the transporting device to the third area to wait; S2: positioning the shelf in the X and Y directions in the first area by a positioning mechanism, and then moving the positioned shelf to the second area by a moving mechanism; S3: dragging the pallet loaded with workpieces on the shelf to the conveying component by a dragging component, and conveying the pallet to the side away from the shelf by the conveying component. After the robot on the inspection line has clamped the workpiece on the pallet, the conveying component conveys the empty pallet to the side close to the shelf, and the empty pallet is returned to the shelf by the dragging component; S4: after the workpieces on the shelf are transferred, the shelf in the second area is moved to the third area by the dragging device, and the transporting device waiting in the third area returns the shelf to the production line for re-loading of workpieces.

[0023] It is further preferred that in step S2, before the shelf in the first area is moved to the second area, it is necessary to detect whether there is a shelf in the second area. If not, the moving mechanism moves the shelf in the first area to the second area; if yes, the moving mechanism is in a standby state until it is detected that there is no shelf in the second area.

[0024] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0025] 1. In this application, the transport device, positioning device, material taking device and dragging device are used to automatically transport the shelves from the production line to the inspection line, and automatically remove the workpieces on the shelves from the shelves for transportation, thereby improving the degree of automation, saving manpower and improving efficiency.

[0026] 2. In a further configuration of the present application, a lifting mechanism is provided in the retrieving device to adjust the height of the mounting platform, thereby adjusting the height position of the retrieving mechanism, facilitating the retrieval of pallets of different heights on multi-layer shelves, and improving the efficiency of workpiece transfer;

[0027] 3. In a further configuration of the present application, before moving the shelf from the first area to the second area, it is necessary to detect whether there is a shelf in the second area, so as to avoid collision caused by the positioning device moving the shelf in the first area to the second area when there is a shelf in the second area, thereby improving safety. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a workpiece transfer system;

[0029] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the shelf and the handling device;

[0030] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A bird's-eye view and regional distribution diagram;

[0031] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the positioning device;

[0032] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A is an enlarged schematic diagram;

[0033] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the material taking device;

[0034] Figure 7 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the material taking mechanism;

[0035] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the dragging device;

[0036] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 A magnified schematic diagram of B in the middle;

[0037] Figure 10 It is the logic block diagram of the transshipment method.

[0038] Explanation of Reference Numerals: 1. first area; 2. second area; 3. third area; 4. positioning device; 41. moving mechanism; 411. X-axis moving cylinder; 412. base; 413. X-axis moving seat; 414. Y-axis moving cylinder; 415. Y-axis moving seat; 42. positioning mechanism; 421. X-axis positioning cylinder; 422. X-axis positioning plate; 423. fixing plate; 424. Y-axis positioning cylinder; 425. Y-axis positioning plate; 5. shelf; 51. roller; 6. transport device; 7. material picking device; 71. material picking mechanism; 711. dragging assembly; 7111. driving cylinder; 7112. Bottom plate; 7113. Sliding plate; 7114. Suction cup; 7115. Guide rod; 7116. Resetting member; 712. Conveying assembly; 7121. Conveyor belt; 7122. Conveying motor; 713. Pushing assembly; 7131. Pushing cylinder; 7132. Pushing plate; 714. Mounting frame; 72. Lifting mechanism; 721. Lifting frame; 722. Lifting screw rod; 723. Guide groove; 724. Lifting motor; 8. Dragging device; 81. Mounting seat; 82. Dragging cylinder; 83. Mounting plate; 84. Connecting rod; 85. Clamping cylinder; 86. Chuck; 9. Pallet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The following is combined with Figure 1 -Attached Figure 10 This application is described in further detail.

[0040] The present application discloses a workpiece transfer system, specifically the following embodiments:

[0041] As attached Figure 1 As shown, the transfer system includes a shelf 5, a transport device 6, a positioning device 4, a material taking device 7 and a towing device 8. In this embodiment, as shown in the attached Figure 2 As shown, the shelf 5 adopts a multi-layer shelf, which can hold multiple pallets 9 for carrying workpieces, so that multiple workpieces can be transferred from the production line to the inspection line during one transfer, ensuring the transfer efficiency. Rollers 51 are provided at the bottom of the legs of the shelf 5, and the rollers 51 facilitate the movement of the shelf 5; the transport device 6 adopts an AGV transport cart. Before transporting, the AGV cart drives under the shelf 5 and supports the bottom of the shelf 5, so that the AGV cart can drive the entire shelf 5 to move. In other embodiments, the AGV cart can also adopt a tracking cart. Compared with the AGV cart, the tracking cart is suitable for simple transport scenarios in a factory environment.

[0042] The positioning device 4, the material taking device 7 and the dragging device 8 are all installed on the ground at the detection line. Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment provides a top-down view of the spatial layout of a positioning device 4, a retrieving device 7, and a dragging device 8. Specifically, the right side of the positioning device 4 is divided into a first area 1, a second area 2, and a third area 3. The second area 2 is located between the first area 1 and the retrieving device 7. Based on the second area 2 being located in front of the first area 1, in this embodiment, the third area 3 is located to the right of the second area 2. The dragging device 8 is located in front of the second and third areas 2 and 3. The retrieving device 7 is located in front of the dragging device 8. A detection line (not shown) is located in front of the retrieving device 7.

[0043] After the handling device 6 moves the shelf 5 to the first area 1, the handling device 6 moves by itself to the third area 3 to wait, and the shelf 5 is positioned in the first area 1 under the action of the positioning device 4, which is convenient for the material picking device 7 to pick up the material. After positioning, the shelf 5 in the first area 1 is moved to the second area 2 by the positioning device 4. The material picking device 7 can drag out the pallet 9 on the shelf 5 in the second area 2, which is convenient for the robot on the inspection line to grab the workpiece. The empty pallet 9 is returned to the shelf 5 under the action of the material picking device 7, and the shelf 5 emptied of the workpiece is moved from the second area 2 to the third area 3 under the action of the towing device 8, and is sent back to the production line by the handling device 6 waiting in the third area 3 to load the next batch of workpieces.

[0044] Among them, when the material picking device 7 picks up materials from the shelf 5 in the second area 2, the positioning device 4 can position the next shelf 5 in the first area 1. Only when there is no shelf 5 in the second area 2 can the positioning device 4 move the shelf 5 in the first area 1 to the second area 2, thereby avoiding collision of the shelves 5, and realizing continuous transportation, thereby improving the degree of automation.

[0045] For the positioning device 4, as shown in the attached Figure 4 , Attachment Figure 5 As shown, it includes a positioning mechanism 42 and a moving mechanism 41. The positioning mechanism 42 can position the position of the shelf 5 in the first area 1 in the X and Y directions, and the moving mechanism 41 can move the shelf 5 positioned in the first area 1 to the second area 2. The X and Y directions are on the same horizontal plane and at a certain angle.

[0046] In this embodiment, the front-to-back direction is the X direction, and the left-to-right direction is the Y direction. The X direction is perpendicular to the Y direction, that is, the X direction and the Y direction are 90 degrees. After positioning the X and Y directions, the horizontal position of the shelf 5 can be determined. The displacement of the shelf 5 in the X and Y directions does not interfere with each other, which is suitable for positioning when high positioning accuracy is required.

[0047] Specifically, the moving mechanism 41 includes a base 412, an X-axis moving cylinder 411 fixed to the base 412, an X-axis moving seat 413 connected to the output end of the X-axis moving cylinder 411, a Y-axis moving cylinder 414 fixed to the X-axis moving seat 413, and a Y-axis moving seat 415 connected to the output end of the Y-axis moving cylinder 414. The positioning mechanism 42 is mounted on the Y-axis moving seat 415. The base 412 is fixed to the ground to maintain the stability of the X-axis moving seat 413 during movement.

[0048] Initially, the X-direction moving seat 413 is located at the rear limit position, and the Y-direction moving seat 415 is at the left limit position on the X-direction moving seat 413. The Y-direction moving cylinder 414 drives the Y-direction moving seat 415 to move to the right, and moves the positioning mechanism 42 to below the shelf 5 in the first area 1. The shelf 5 in the first area 1 is then positioned by the positioning mechanism 42. After positioning, the X-direction moving cylinder 411 drives the X-direction moving seat 413 to drive the Y-direction moving seat 415, the positioning mechanism 42 and the shelf 5 to move to the second area 2 until the shelf 5 is moved into the second area 2.

[0049] The positioning mechanism 42 includes an X-axis positioning cylinder 421 fixed to the Y-axis moving base 415, an X-axis positioning plate 422 connected to the output end of the X-axis positioning cylinder 421, a Y-axis positioning cylinder 424 fixed to the X-axis positioning plate 422, a Y-axis positioning plate 425 connected to the output end of the Y-axis positioning cylinder 424, and a fixed plate 423 fixed to the X-axis positioning plate 422. In this embodiment, two of each of the X-axis positioning cylinder 421, the X-axis positioning plate 422, the Y-axis positioning cylinder 424, the Y-axis positioning plate 425, and the fixed plate 423 are provided and divided into two groups. The Y-axis positioning cylinder 424, the Y-axis positioning plate 425, and the fixed plate 423 are fixed to one end of the X-axis positioning plate 422 that is away from each other, and the fixed plate 423 is fixed to the right edge of the X-axis positioning plate 422.

[0050] Initially, the distance between the two X-axis positioning plates 422 is minimal, and the distance between the Y-axis positioning plate 425 and the fixed plate 423 is maximal. When the Y-axis movable seat 415 drives the positioning mechanism 42 to move rightward, causing the two X-axis positioning plates 422 to extend between the two legs of the shelf 5, the X-axis positioning cylinder 421 is activated to move the two X-axis positioning plates 422 away from each other until the distance between the two X-axis positioning plates 422 is maximal. At this point, the two X-axis positioning plates 422 just abut against the two legs of the shelf 5, thereby positioning the shelf 5 in the X direction. The Y-axis positioning cylinder 424 is then activated to drive the Y-axis positioning plate 425 to move rightward until the legs of the shelf 5 are clamped between the Y-axis positioning plate 425 and the fixed plate 423, thereby positioning the shelf 5 in the Y direction. In addition, the clamping action of the Y-axis positioning plate 425 and the fixed plate 423 on the legs of the shelf 5 improves the stability of the shelf 5 when it is moved from the first area 1 to the second area 2.

[0051] In other embodiments, the X-direction and the Y-direction are at an angle and are not perpendicular, such as when the angle between the X-direction and the Y-direction is 40°. During the X-direction positioning process, the shelf 5 will also be displaced in the Y-direction, thereby enabling rough positioning of the shelf 5 in the Y-direction. After positioning in the X-direction is completed, positioning in the Y-direction is performed, thereby shortening the Y-direction positioning time and improving positioning efficiency. Compared to positioning when the X-direction and the Y-direction are perpendicular, positioning accuracy is relatively low when the X-direction and the Y-direction are not perpendicular.

[0052] For the material taking device 7, as shown in the attached Figure 6 , Attachment Figure 7 As shown, it includes a material-retrieving mechanism 71 and a lifting mechanism 72. The material-retrieving mechanism 71 can remove the pallet 9 on the shelf 5 in the second area 2. The lifting mechanism 72 is used to adjust the height of the material-retrieving mechanism 71 so as to be able to remove pallets 9 at different heights on the shelf 5.

[0053] Specifically, the material-retrieving mechanism 71 includes a mounting frame 714 , and a dragging component 711 , a conveying component 712 , and a pushing component 713 installed on the mounting frame 714 .

[0054] The conveyor assembly 712 is used to convey the pallet 9 removed by the drag assembly 711 and transport the pallet 9 away from the shelf 5. The conveyor assembly 712 can also transport the empty pallet 9 toward the shelf 5 so that the drag assembly 711 can return the empty pallet 9 to the shelf 5. The conveyor assembly 712 includes a conveyor motor 7122 and a conveyor belt 7121 connected to the output end of the conveyor motor 7122. The conveyor motor 7122 is fixed to the mounting frame 714. Two conveyor belts 7121 are provided and are arranged in parallel and spaced apart. The conveying direction of the conveyor belts 7121 is along the X direction. Specifically, when the dragging component 711 drags the pallet 9 carrying the workpiece onto the conveyor belt 7121, the conveying motor 7122 drives the conveyor belt 7121 to convey the pallet 9 forward, so that the pallet 9 moves away from the shelf 5 until the pallet 9 is at the front of the conveyor belt 7121, so that the robot on the detection line can grab the workpiece. After the workpiece on the pallet 9 is grabbed, the conveying motor 7122 switches the driving direction, so that the conveyor belt 7121 conveys the pallet 9 backward, so that the dragging component 711 can return the empty pallet 9 to the shelf 5.

[0055] The dragging assembly 711 includes a driving cylinder 7111, a base plate 7112, a sliding plate 7113, a guide rod 7115, a suction cup 7114, and a reset member 7116. In this embodiment, the dragging assembly 7111 is located between the two conveyor belts 7121. The driving cylinder 7111 is fixed to the mounting frame 714. The base plate 7112 is connected to the output end of the driving cylinder 7111. The sliding plate 7113 is located above the base plate 7112. The guide rod 7115 is fixed to the bottom of the sliding plate 7113 and is slidably connected to the base plate 7112. The suction cup 7114 is a pneumatic suction cup 7114 fixed to the rear end of the sliding plate 7113. The reset member 7116 is fixed between the sliding plate 7113 and the base plate 7112. Specifically, the reset member 7116 is a compression spring. The driving cylinder 7111 drives the bottom plate 7112 to move along the X direction, which is parallel to the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 7121.

[0056] In addition, the pushing component 713 includes a pushing cylinder 7131 and a push plate 7132. The pushing cylinder 7131 is fixed on the mounting frame 714, and the push plate 7132 is connected to the output end of the pushing cylinder 7131. The pushing cylinder 7131 drives the push plate 7132 to move up and down.

[0057] Initially, the push plate 7132 is in the upper limit position. After the shelf 5 moves to the second area 2, the bottom plate 7112 moves backward under the drive of the driving cylinder 7111, so that the suction cup 7114 is adsorbed onto the front end surface of the pallet 9. At this time, the driving cylinder 7111 drives the bottom plate 7112 to move forward and drags the pallet 9 forward through the suction cup 7114 until the pallet 9 is completely moved onto the conveyor belt 7121. At this time, the suction cup 7114 releases the adsorption force, and the driving cylinder 7111 stops running. The sliding plate 7113 is located below the push plate 7132. Driven by the pushing cylinder 7131, the push plate 7132 moves downward and pushes the sliding plate 7113 and the suction cup 7114 to move downward. At this time, the reset member 7116 is compressed until the sliding plate 7113 is below the conveying surface of the conveyor belt 7121 to avoid the pallet 9 and prevent the pallet 9 from colliding with the sliding plate 7113. At this time, the pallet 9 can be transported by the conveyor belt 7121.

[0058] After the workpiece is grabbed, the conveyor belt 7121 drives the pallet 9 to move backward. When the pallet 9 is located behind the suction cup 7114 in the X direction, the push cylinder 7131 unloads the force and resets the push plate 7132. At this time, the sliding plate 7113 slides upward under the action of the reset member 7116, and the suction cup 7114 can be re-adsorbed onto the pallet 9, and the pallet 9 is pushed back to the shelf 5 under the driving action of the driving cylinder 7111.

[0059] The lifting mechanism 72 comprises a lifting frame 721, a lifting motor 724 fixed to the lifting frame 721, a lifting screw 722 connected to the output end of the lifting motor 724, and a threaded connection between the mounting frame 714 and the lifting screw 722. The lifting frame 721 is provided with a guide slot 723 for guiding the lifting of the mounting frame 714. Specifically, the lifting frame 721 is fixed to the ground, the lifting motor 724 is fixed to the bottom of the lifting frame 721, and the lifting screw 722 is vertically arranged. Driven by the lifting motor 724, the lifting screw 722 drives the mounting frame 714 to move upward and downward, thereby adjusting the vertical height of the reclaiming mechanism 71.

[0060] For the towing device 8, as shown in the attached Figure 8 , Attachment Figure 9As shown, it includes a mounting base 81, a towing cylinder 82, a mounting plate 83, a connecting rod 84, a clamping cylinder 85, and a chuck 86. The mounting base 81 is fixed to the ground, the towing cylinder 82 is fixed to the mounting base 81, and the mounting plate 83 is fixed to the output end of the towing cylinder 82. The towing cylinder 82 can drive the mounting plate 83 to slide left and right along the Y direction. The connecting rod 84 is fixed to the mounting plate 83. Two clamping cylinders 85 are fixed on the connecting rod 84, and the output ends of the clamping cylinders 85 are both connected to the chuck 86. Specifically, since the towing device 8 is arranged at the rear side of the material picking device 7, in order to prevent the towing device 8 from interfering with the towing of the pallet 9 on the bottom layer of the shelf 5 by the material picking device 7, the overall height of the towing device 8 must be lower than the height of the pallet 9 on the bottom layer of the shelf 5.

[0061] In addition, two clamping cylinders 85 and two clamping heads 86 are provided, and the distance between the two clamping cylinders 85 is the same as the distance between the two legs of the shelf 5.

[0062] Initially, the mounting plate 83 is at the left extreme position. After the positioning device 4 moves the shelf 5 to the second area 2, the positioning device 4 is reset. At this time, the clamping cylinder 85 can drive the clamping head 86 to clamp the legs of the shelf 5 to ensure the stability of the shelf 5 during material retrieval. After the material is retrieval is completed, the towing cylinder 82 drives the positioning plate to move right, moving the shelf 5 from the second area 2 to the third area 3. The shelf 5 is then returned to the production line by the handling device 6 waiting in the third area 3.

[0063] The cylinder output end in this embodiment can be detachably connected using a floating joint as needed.

[0064] The present application also provides a method for transferring using the above transfer system, as shown in the attached Figure 10 As shown, the specific steps include:

[0065] S1: The shelf 5 loaded with workpieces on the production line is moved to the first area 1 by the transport device 6, and the transport device 6 moves to the third area 3 to wait;

[0066] S2: Position the shelf 5 in the X and Y directions in the first area 1 by the positioning mechanism 42, and then move the positioned shelf 5 to the second area 2 by the moving mechanism 41;

[0067] S3: The pallet 9 loaded with workpieces on the shelf 5 is dragged to the conveying assembly 712 by the dragging assembly 711, and the conveying assembly 712 conveys the pallet 9 to the side away from the shelf 5. After the manipulator on the inspection line has finished gripping the workpieces on the pallet 9, the conveying assembly 712 conveys the empty pallet 9 to the side close to the shelf 5, and the empty pallet 9 is returned to the shelf 5 by the dragging assembly 711;

[0068] S4: After the workpieces on the shelf 5 are transferred, the shelf 5 in the second area 2 is moved to the third area 3 by the towing device 8, and the handling device 6 waiting in the third area 3 sends the shelf 5 back to the production line for reloading the workpieces.

[0069] In step S2, before the shelf 5 in the first area 1 is moved to the second area 2, it is necessary to detect whether there is a shelf 5 in the second area 2. If not, the moving mechanism 41 moves the shelf 5 in the first area 1 to the second area 2; if yes, the moving mechanism 41 is in a standby state until it is detected that there is no shelf 5 in the second area 2.

[0070] The above are all preferred embodiments of the present application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, any equivalent changes made based on the structure, shape, and principle of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A workpiece transfer system, characterized in that: include: A shelf (5) capable of placing a pallet (9) for carrying workpieces; a transport device (6), wherein the transport device (6) is capable of moving the shelf (5) to a first area (1); a positioning device (4), wherein the positioning device (4) comprises a positioning mechanism (42) and a moving mechanism (41), wherein the positioning mechanism (42) is capable of positioning the position of the shelf (5) in the first area (1) in an X direction and a Y direction, and wherein the moving mechanism (41) is capable of moving the shelf (5) positioned in the first area (1) to a second area (2), wherein the X direction and the Y direction are on the same horizontal plane and form a certain angle; a material-retrieving device (7), wherein the material-retrieving device (7) comprises a material-retrieving mechanism (71) capable of removing the pallet (9) on the shelf (5) in the second area (2); and a dragging device (8), wherein the dragging device (8) is capable of moving the shelf (5) in the second area (2) to a third area (3); The moving mechanism (41) includes a base (412), an X-direction moving cylinder (411) fixed on the base (412), an X-direction moving seat (413) connected to the output end of the X-direction moving cylinder (411), a Y-direction moving cylinder (414) fixed on the X-direction moving seat (413), and a Y-direction moving seat (415) connected to the output end of the Y-direction moving cylinder (414); the positioning mechanism (42) is mounted on the Y-direction moving seat (415); The positioning mechanism (42) includes an X-direction positioning cylinder (421) fixed on the Y-direction moving seat (415), an X-direction positioning plate (422) connected to the output end of the X-direction positioning cylinder (421), a Y-direction positioning cylinder (424) fixed on the X-direction positioning plate (422), a Y-direction positioning plate (425) connected to the output end of the Y-direction positioning cylinder (424), and a fixing plate (423) fixed on the X-direction positioning plate (422); The dragging device (8) comprises a mounting seat (81), a dragging cylinder (82) fixed on the mounting seat (81), a mounting plate (83) connected to the output end of the dragging cylinder (82), a clamping cylinder (85) fixed on the mounting plate (83), and a clamping head (86) connected to the output end of the clamping cylinder (85).

2. A workpiece transfer system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material-retrieving mechanism (71) comprises a dragging assembly (711) for dragging a pallet (9) on the shelf (5), a conveying assembly (712) for conveying the pallet (9) toward or away from the shelf (5), and a mounting frame (714) for mounting the dragging assembly (711) and the conveying assembly (712); the conveying assembly (712) comprises a conveying motor (7122) fixed to the mounting frame (714) and a conveyor belt (7121) connected to an output end of the conveying motor (7122).

3. A workpiece transfer system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The dragging assembly (711) comprises a driving cylinder (7111) fixed on the mounting frame (714), a base plate (7112) connected to the output end of the driving cylinder (7111), a guide rod (7115) vertically slidably connected to the base plate (7112), a sliding plate (7113) fixed on the top of the guide rod (7115), a suction cup (7114) fixed on the sliding plate (7113), and a reset member (7116) fixed between the sliding plate (7113) and the base plate (7112). The driving cylinder (7111) drives the base plate (7112) to move in a direction parallel to the conveying direction of the conveyor belt (7121). The mounting frame (714) is also provided with a pushing assembly (713) capable of pushing the sliding plate (7113) to slide downward.

4. A workpiece transfer system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The pushing assembly (713) comprises a pushing cylinder (7131) fixed on the mounting frame (714) and a pushing plate (7132) connected to the output end of the pushing cylinder (7131).

5. A workpiece transfer system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: The material taking device (7) further includes a lifting mechanism (72), the lifting mechanism (72) including a lifting frame (721), a lifting motor (724) fixed on the lifting frame (721), and a lifting screw (722) connected to the output end of the lifting motor (724), the mounting frame (714) is threadedly connected to the lifting screw (722), and the lifting frame (721) is provided with a guide groove (723) for guiding the lifting of the mounting frame (714).

6. A transfer method using a workpiece transfer system as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The method comprises the following steps: S1: a shelf (5) loaded with workpieces on a production line is moved to a first area (1) by a transporting device (6), and the transporting device (6) is moved to a third area (3) to wait; S2: the shelf (5) is positioned in the X direction and the Y direction in the first area (1) by a positioning mechanism (42), and the positioned shelf (5) is moved to a second area (2) by a moving mechanism (41); S3: a pallet (9) loaded with workpieces on the shelf (5) is dragged to a conveying component (712) by a dragging component (711), and the conveying component (712) is used to move the pallet (9) loaded with workpieces on the shelf (5) to a conveying component (712). ) transports the pallet (9) to the side away from the shelf (5), and after the robot on the detection line completes the gripping of the workpiece on the pallet (9), the conveying component (712) transports the empty pallet (9) to the side close to the shelf (5), and the empty pallet (9) is returned to the shelf (5) by the dragging component (711); S4: After the workpiece on the shelf (5) is transferred, the shelf (5) in the second area (2) is moved to the third area (3) by the dragging device (8), and the handling device (6) waiting in the third area (3) returns the shelf (5) to the production line for re-loading of the workpiece.

7. A transport method according to claim 6, characterized in that: In step S2, before the shelf (5) in the first area (1) is moved to the second area (2), it is necessary to detect whether there is a shelf (5) in the second area (2). If not, the moving mechanism (41) moves the shelf (5) in the first area (1) to the second area (2); if so, the moving mechanism (41) is in a standby state until it is detected that there is no shelf (5) in the second area (2).

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