An automatic separating conveyor

Abstract

The application discloses an automatic separating and transporting device, which comprises a first conveying line, a second conveying line and a third conveying line, a plurality of separating stations are arranged on the first conveying line, a plurality of sorting subareas are arranged on the second conveying line, the feeding end of the second conveying line is arranged at the separating stations, a plurality of discharging subareas are arranged on the third conveying line, and the discharging end of any one of the sorting subareas is connected with one of the discharging subareas. The second conveying line and the plurality of sorting subareas arranged thereon are arranged to replace a plurality of material boxes arranged around the existing separating stations, so that the land occupation of the material boxes at the original separating stations is reduced, the number of the separating stations is reasonably increased, the sorting efficiency is improved, and finally the separated materials are transported by the third conveying line and the discharging subareas arranged thereon.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of material transportation technology, and in particular to an automatic separation and transportation device. Background Technology

[0002] Plastic products are ubiquitous in our lives. The current manufacturing process of plastic products is mainly based on injection molding machines. According to the production scale, they are classified into small batches and large batches. According to the mold cavity structure, they are classified into one-out-one and one-out-multiple, that is, the injection molding machine produces one finished injection part at a time and multiple finished parts at a time.

[0003] Currently, in injection molding processes involving multiple products, there are waste materials connecting the various products – sprues. Sprues can be recycled and reused as raw materials for injection molding. The drawbacks of manually separating injection molded products and sprues on-site are: when there are many types and colors of products to be sorted, many storage bins for products and sprues need to be placed around the workstation, resulting in a large footprint and the possibility of different products of the same color being placed in the wrong location, affecting sorting efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology that uses manual labor to complete the separation and sorting of products and sprues, which results in a large number of material boxes around a single workstation when there are many sorting types and colors of sorted products, thus occupying a large area and being prone to sorting errors, the purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic separation and transportation device.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problem is: an automatic separation and transportation device, including a first conveyor line, a second conveyor line and a third conveyor line, wherein the first conveyor line is provided with a plurality of separation stations, the second conveyor line is provided with a plurality of sorting zones, the plurality of separation stations are provided with the feeding end of the second conveyor line, and the third conveyor line is provided with a plurality of discharging zones, wherein the discharging end of any sorting zone is connected to a discharging zone.

[0006] As a further improvement of the present invention: the conveying direction of the plurality of sorting zones is consistent with the conveying direction of the second conveyor line, and the conveying direction of the plurality of discharge zones is consistent with the conveying direction of the third conveyor line.

[0007] As a further improvement of the present invention: material boxes are provided at the discharge ends of different discharge zones on the third conveyor line.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention: the height of the second conveyor line is greater than the height of the third conveyor line.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention: the first conveying line is a circular conveying line, and the third conveying line is located in the middle of the first conveying line.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention: both the third conveyor line and the second conveyor line are straight conveyor lines.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention: the height of the first conveyor line is less than the height of the third conveyor line.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention: a plurality of second conveyor lines are provided along the conveying direction of the third conveyor line.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention: the conveying lengths of the sorting sections on the second conveyor line are different.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention: the separation station is provided with several material storage boxes.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0016] This invention, by setting up a second conveyor line and several sorting zones on it, will carry out secondary diversion and transportation of materials that have been initially separated and classified at the separation station according to requirements. This eliminates the current design of placing many material boxes around the separation station in the material sorting site, reduces the floor space occupied by the original design of placing many material boxes at each separation station, and can further reasonably increase the separation station on the first conveyor line, thereby improving sorting efficiency. At the same time, it works in conjunction with the third conveyor line and its discharge zone to complete the diversion and transportation of the separated materials. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the layout of a material sorting site in the existing technology.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of one example of an automatic separation and transportation device according to the present invention.

[0019] Figure label:

[0020] 1. First conveyor line; 11. Separation station; 2. Second conveyor line; 21. Sorting zone; 3. Third conveyor line; 31. Discharge zone; 4. Material box; 5. Material storage box. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0022] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0023] To address the technical problems of existing technologies that involve manual separation and sorting of different types and colors of products and sprues, resulting in large space occupied by material boxes near workstations and the easy misplacement of different products of the same color, this invention is further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments:

[0024] like Figure 1 As shown, this invention discloses an automatic separation and transportation device, including a first conveyor line 1, a second conveyor line 2, and a third conveyor line 3. The first conveyor line 1 is provided with a plurality of separation stations 11, and the feeding end of the second conveyor line 2 is set at the plurality of separation stations 11. After the material has completed preliminary separation and sorting at the separation stations 11, it has completed a secondary sorting process through the feeding end of the second conveyor line 2. The second conveyor line 2 is provided with a plurality of sorting zones 21. The materials after preliminary sorting are further separated and transported by the divided sorting zones 21. Materials of different types or colors are classified and enter the feeding end of the corresponding sorting zone 21 on the second conveyor line 2, and flow into the third conveyor line 3 for the next processing stage. The third conveyor line 3 is provided with a plurality of discharge zones. The discharge end of any sorting zone 21 is connected to a corresponding discharge zone 31. The materials after secondary separation or classification are diverted and transported through the discharge zones.

[0025] To address the issue of a large area occupied by numerous material boxes 4 storing separated products and waste at the on-site separation station 11, this application addresses this by setting up a second conveyor line 2 and a third conveyor line 3 to divert the flow of products or waste requiring classified transportation. Specifically, by setting up the second conveyor line 2 and several sorting zones 21 on it, the numerous material boxes 4 placed around the existing separation station 11 are replaced, reducing the number of material boxes 4 at each separation station 11 and thus reducing the area occupied by the original numerous material boxes 4 at each separation station 11. Furthermore, it allows for the reasonable addition of separation stations 11 on the first conveyor line 1, thereby improving sorting efficiency. Simultaneously, due to the setting of sorting zones 21 and discharge zones 31, sorting is completed according to classification requirements (e.g., color or product type) during the separation process, avoiding the situation where different materials with the same classification standard (e.g., color) are placed in the wrong material box 4, thus mitigating the impact of classification errors on sorting efficiency to a certain extent.

[0026] In some embodiments, the separation station 11 can be a manual station, where materials are separated and sorted manually. The manual worker removes materials from the first conveyor line 1 and places them sequentially into the corresponding sorting section 21 of the second conveyor line 2 according to classification requirements. These materials then flow into the discharge section 31 of the third conveyor line 3 and finally to the next process via the third conveyor line 3. Alternatively, the separation station 11 can be an automated station, utilizing mechanical equipment, fixtures, robots, and other automated devices to complete the material separation and sorting. This automation replaces manual sorting, further improving sorting efficiency. Furthermore, automated devices offer higher accuracy and a lower error rate compared to manual sorting.

[0027] The first conveyor line 1 is provided with separation stations 11. This indicates that several separation stations 11 can be set on a single side of the first conveyor line 1, or several separation stations 11 can be set on both sides of the first conveyor line 1. The spacing, number, and method of setting the separation stations 11 can be adjusted according to the shape of the first conveyor line 1, the available space, and the material information. Furthermore, the drive structures of the first conveyor line 1, the second conveyor line 2, and the third conveyor line 3 are existing technologies and will not be elaborated upon in this application.

[0028] In addition, by canceling the third conveyor line 3 and using the first conveyor line 1, the separation station 11, the second conveyor line 2, and several sorting zones 21, it is also possible to separate and transport materials of different types and colors. However, in order to improve the separation efficiency, multiple second conveyor lines 2 need to be set up. The length of the second conveyor line 2 needs to be relatively long, the layout of the second conveyor line 2 needs to occupy a large space, and there are limitations in the length direction planning of the first conveyor line 1, the separation station 11, and the second conveyor line 2.

[0029] Similarly, eliminating the second conveyor line 2 and using the first conveyor line 1, separation station 11, third conveyor line 3, and several discharge zones 31 can also achieve the separation and transportation of materials of different types and colors. When setting up multiple third conveyor lines 3 to improve sorting efficiency, the length of the third conveyor line 3 needs to be relatively long, which also poses the problem of large footprint. However, in this application, even if multiple second conveyor lines 2 are set up, the length of the second conveyor line 2 does not need to be long or the lateral footprint is small. Setting up one or two sets of third conveyor lines 3 to uniformly separate and transport materials from the second conveyor line 2, compared with the solution of eliminating the second conveyor line 2 or the third conveyor line 3, this application only needs to set up a longer third conveyor line 3, which reduces the footprint.

[0030] Specifically, the second conveyor line 2 is connected to the third conveyor line 3. The second conveyor line 2 plays a role in transfer and sorting. For example, the second conveyor line 2 can be set above the third conveyor line 3 to make better use of the vertical space and reduce the space occupied on site.

[0031] In some embodiments, the sorting zones 21 can be divided on an independent second conveyor line 2, or several sorting conveyor lines can be used instead of several sorting zones 21. That is, the second conveyor line 2 is a single conveyor line divided into several sorting zones 21. The second conveyor line 2 can be a collective term for a collection of several sorting conveyor lines, where sorting conveyor line and sorting zone 21 have the same meaning. The second conveyor line 2 can also be a collective term for a collection of multiple sorting conveyor lines, where multiple sorting conveyor lines are also divided into sorting zones 21. The number of sorting zones 21 on each sorting conveyor line is relatively small. There are many other combinations of the second conveyor line 2 and sorting zones 21, which will not be listed here.

[0032] In practical applications, the second conveyor line 2 and the third conveyor line 3 can separate and transport different types of materials, materials of different colors, or materials of different types and colors at the same time.

[0033] Based on actual production conditions, when multiple types and colors of materials are produced on-site, including products and waste, the number of sorting zones 21 and discharge zones 31 is rationally planned, and the materials transported on sorting zones 21 and discharge zones 31 are planned according to classification requirements. After separating products and / or waste at the separation station 11, the separated products or waste are sorted to sorting zones 21 on the second conveyor line 2 according to sorting requirements and sorting time arrangements. They are then transported via the discharge zone 31 of the third conveyor line 3, thereby achieving the diversion and transportation of materials of different types and / or different colors.

[0034] Similarly, in some embodiments, the plurality of discharge zones 31 can be divided on an independent third conveyor line 3, or the plurality of discharge zones 31 can be replaced by setting up a plurality of discharge conveyor lines. That is, the third conveyor line 3 is a single conveyor line divided into a plurality of discharge zones 31; the third conveyor line 3 is a collective term for a plurality of discharge conveyor lines, where discharge conveyor line and discharge zone 31 have the same meaning; the third conveyor line 3 can also be a collective term for a plurality of discharge conveyor lines, where discharge zones 31 are also divided on the plurality of discharge conveyor lines. The number of discharge zones 31 on each discharge conveyor line is relatively small. There are many other combinations of the third conveyor line 3 and discharge zones 31, which will not be listed here.

[0035] Of course, according to actual production and production efficiency requirements, a plurality of second conveyor lines 2 are provided in the on-site space along the conveying direction of the third conveyor line 3. The plurality of second conveyor lines 2 are distributed on one side of the first conveyor line 1, or the plurality of second transport routes are distributed on both sides of the first conveyor line 1.

[0036] In a specific example, when several second conveyor lines 2 are set on one side of the first conveyor line 1, and the number of separation stations 11 is the same as the number of second transport routes, only one third conveyor line 3 needs to be set. In this case, the distribution position of the several second conveyor lines 2 is not restricted. When several second conveyor lines 2 are set on both sides of the second conveyor line 2, in order to ensure production efficiency and space arrangement, the second conveyor lines 2 on both sides are arranged in a staggered manner. In this case, one third conveyor line 3 can be set, and the materials on the second conveyor lines 2 on both sides are separated twice and then enter the same third conveyor line 3 to complete the transport. Alternatively, two third conveyor lines 3 can be set, with several second conveyor lines 2 on one side corresponding to one third conveyor line 3.

[0037] It should be noted that the sorting zones 21 are divided along the width direction of the second conveyor line 2, that is, the conveying direction of the sorting zones 21 is consistent with the conveying direction of the second conveyor line 2; similarly, the discharge zones 31 are divided along the width direction of the third conveyor line 3, and the conveying direction of the discharge zones 31 is consistent with the conveying direction of the third conveyor line 3.

[0038] In some embodiments, the discharge end of the second conveyor line 2 can be connected to the front end, middle end, or tail end of the third conveyor line 3, that is, the discharge end of the second conveyor line 2 is distributed on the third conveyor line 3. Furthermore, the discharge ends of the plurality of sorting zones 21 are distributed at any position on the third conveyor line 3. Even further, each sorting zone 21 corresponds to a discharge zone 31. Correspondingly, according to the setting position of the second conveyor line 2 relative to the third conveyor line 3, a separation station 11 is arranged at the feeding end of each second conveyor line 2.

[0039] In some embodiments, several second conveyor lines 2 are arranged along the length direction of the third conveyor line 3. That is, the conveying direction of the second conveyor line 2 is not the same as the conveying direction of the third conveyor line 3. They can be perpendicular to each other or have a certain angle. As long as the discharge end of the second conveyor line 2 or the discharge end of the several sorting sections 21 is connected to the third conveyor line 3, there is no specific restriction on the conveying direction of the second conveyor line 2.

[0040] In some current sorting sites, such as Figure 1As shown, materials are separated and sorted by setting up a first conveyor line 1 and several separation stations 11. The first conveyor line 1 transports materials to be processed. Each separation station 11 is surrounded by a number of material boxes 4. When there are materials of different colors and types, such as the separation and sorting of injection molded finished products and sprues, the products are manually removed from the first conveyor line 1, and the finished products and sprues are separated by cutting tools. Then, the finished products and sprues are placed into the corresponding boxes for recycling according to their colors. The material boxes 4 used for on-site sorting occupy a larger area, which makes sorting errors more likely.

[0041] In some implementations, the height of the second conveyor line 2 is greater than the height of the third conveyor line 3, so that the material after secondary separation by several sorting zones 21 falls directly from the discharge end of the second conveyor line 2 into the corresponding discharge zone 31 on the third conveyor line 3. Since the second conveyor line 2 is higher than the third conveyor line 3, it does not occupy too much horizontal space on site based on the horizontal area of ​​the third conveyor line 3. Instead, it makes full use of the space above the third conveyor line 3, avoids vertical air drop waste on site, and reduces the floor area of ​​a single material separation zone to a certain extent.

[0042] After the upstream material is transported to the first conveyor line 1, the material is taken off the first conveyor line 1 and the different types and colors of products are separated and sorted at the separation station 11. For example, the injection molded products are separated from the sprue at the separation station 11, and the sprues or injection molded products of different colors are sorted and placed into the corresponding sorting section 21 on the second conveyor line 2. The materials are then transported to the third conveyor line 3 through the discharge end of the different sorting sections 21, and finally enter the next processing stage through the third conveyor line 3.

[0043] In some embodiments, material boxes 4 are provided at the discharge ends of different discharge zones 31 on the third conveyor line 3. Products separated and transported by the third conveyor line 3 are stored in the material boxes 4. This eliminates the need to place a large number of material boxes 4 near several separation stations 11. Instead, material boxes 4 are placed uniformly at the discharge ends of different discharge zones 31 on the third conveyor line 3 to store the sorted materials, thereby reducing the footprint of the material boxes 4 at the original separation stations 11.

[0044] When further rationally planning the area around the separation station 11, some material boxes 4 can be retained at the separation station 11, or the material boxes 4 can be omitted and the materials can be directly transported to the material boxes 4 by the second conveyor line 2 and the third conveyor line 3. This will prevent the separated materials from accumulating too much around the separation station 11, and allow more separation stations 11 to be set up along the conveying direction of the first conveyor line 1, thereby improving sorting efficiency.

[0045] In a specific example, the discharge ends of the plurality of discharge zones 31 are respectively connected to receiving conveyor lines, and the end of the receiving conveyor lines is connected to the material box 4.

[0046] In some embodiments, the conveying paths of the second conveyor line 2 and the third conveyor line 3 are straight. That is, the second conveyor line 2 and the third conveyor line 3 are straight sections of conveyor lines. The types of the second conveyor line 2 and the third conveyor line 3 are belt conveyors, roller conveyors, chain conveyors, etc., depending on the materials to be separated and sorted. When the materials are injection molded products and sprues, the second conveyor line 2 and the third conveyor line 3 adopt belt conveyors.

[0047] In some embodiments, the conveying lengths of the sorting sections 21 on the second conveyor line 2 are different, that is, the distances of the sorting sections 21 from the third conveyor line 3 are different. Specifically, the distances of any sorting section 21 from each discharge section 31 on the third conveyor line 3 are different, so that each sorting section 21 corresponds to a discharge section 31, and each sorting section 21 and each discharge section 31 conveys a type of material or a material of a certain color.

[0048] In the above example, the lengths of the sorting sections 21 on the second conveyor line 2 are set to be of different lengths, which saves the space occupied by the second conveyor line 2 on site. When multiple second conveyor lines 2 are set on site, since the lengths of the sorting sections 21 are different, different types and colors of materials can be sorted at the same time, the space occupied by the automatic separation and transportation device is reduced.

[0049] In a specific example, the conveying direction of the second conveyor line 2 is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the third conveyor line 3. When the second conveyor line 2 and the third conveyor line 3 are straight conveyor lines, designing the conveying directions of the second conveyor line 2 and the third conveyor line 3 to be perpendicular to each other reduces the space occupied by the second conveyor line 2 to some extent.

[0050] In a specific example, the space on site is further utilized, and the shape of the second conveyor line 2 is set as a spiral, loop, or loop shape, etc. Through bending and loop design, the conveying length of the second conveyor line 2 is extended, the material separation and transportation length is increased, and the amount of material conveyed on the second conveyor line 2 is increased to a certain extent.

[0051] In some embodiments, the conveying path of the first conveyor line 1 is either circular or straight. That is, the first conveyor line 1 can be a circular conveyor line or a straight section conveyor line, and its type can also be a belt conveyor, roller conveyor, chain conveyor, etc., depending on the materials to be separated and sorted. When the materials are injection molded products and sprues, the first conveyor line 1 adopts a belt conveyor.

[0052] In some embodiments, the height of the first conveyor line 1 is less than the height of the third conveyor line 3, the height of the separation station 11 is greater than the height of the first conveyor line 1, and the height of the separation station 11 is less than the height of the third conveyor line 3.

[0053] In the above example, the heights of the first conveyor line 1, the second conveyor line 2, and the third conveyor line 3 are reasonably arranged, the on-site work space is reasonably planned, the automatic separation and transportation device occupies less space, the on-site space utilization rate is improved, and the sorting efficiency is further improved after multiple second conveyor lines 2 and multiple separation stations 11 are arranged on-site.

[0054] In some embodiments, the first conveyor line 1 is a circular conveyor line, and the second conveyor line 2 and the third conveyor line 3 are straight conveyor lines, with the third conveyor line 3 located in the middle of the first conveyor line 1. The location of the third conveyor line 3 makes full use of the middle space of the circular first conveyor line 1, solving the problem of wasted space, and at the same time reducing the additional space occupied by the third conveyor line 3.

[0055] In some embodiments, a plurality of material storage boxes 5 are provided at the separation station 11. The number of such material storage boxes 5 should be less than the number of material boxes 4 piled up at the existing separation station 11 in the sorting site. In this application, some material storage boxes 5 are reserved near the separation station 11 to make reasonable use of the spare space of the separation station 11 and avoid space waste.

[0056] In the example, after the first material and the second material are separated at the separation station 11, the first material is placed into the corresponding material storage box 5 according to the first classification requirements, and the second material is placed into the corresponding sorting section 21 on the second conveyor line 2 according to the second classification requirements, so as to realize separation and transportation. The material is then transported to the corresponding discharge section 31 on the third conveyor line 3 via the discharge end of the sorting section 21, and finally transported to the discharge end of the third conveyor line 3 and falls into the material box 4.

[0057] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. An automatic separation and transport device, characterized in that, The system includes a first conveyor line, a second conveyor line, and a third conveyor line. The first conveyor line has several separation stations, the second conveyor line has several sorting zones, and the feeding end of the second conveyor line is located at each of the separation stations. The third conveyor line has several discharge zones, and the discharge end of any sorting zone is connected to a discharge zone. The height of the second conveyor line is greater than the height of the third conveyor line. The first conveyor line is a circular conveyor line, and the third conveyor line is located in the middle of the first conveyor line. Both the third conveyor line and the second conveyor line are straight conveyor lines.

2. The automatic separation and transport device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying direction of the sorting zones is the same as that of the second conveyor line, and the conveying direction of the discharge zones is the same as that of the third conveyor line.

3. An automatic separation and transport device according to claim 2, characterized in that, Material boxes are provided at the discharge ends of different discharge zones on the third conveyor line.

4. An automatic separation and transport device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height of the first conveyor line is less than the height of the third conveyor line.

5. An automatic separation and transport device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Several second conveyor lines are provided along the conveying direction of the third conveyor line.

6. An automatic separation and transport device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying lengths of the sorting sections on the second conveyor line are different.

7. An automatic separation and transport device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Several material storage boxes are provided at the separation station.

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