Automatic production equipment for button

Abstract

This invention provides an automated button production equipment, comprising an assembly system and a welding system. The assembly system is configured to assemble pins onto a panel to form a button unit, and then convey the button unit to the welding system for welding. The assembly system includes a frame and a turntable assembly, the turntable assembly being configured to position and convey the button units. The assembly system further includes a waste removal mechanism, adapted to remove panels without assembled pins from the turntable assembly at a waste removal station to prevent the panels from entering the welding system. The waste removal mechanism includes a pin positioning device and a panel removal device. The pin positioning device is configured to move up and down driven to engage with and move away from the pins, and the panel removal device is adapted to output power to remove the panel from the turntable assembly. This invention can remove defective button units from the assembly system, reducing the product scrap rate, and has the advantages of high automation and high processing efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of button processing technology, and in particular to an automated button production equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Snap fasteners are a type of button, commonly known as snap buttons, spring buttons, or sewn buttons; they can be used in various clothing, bags, handbags, shoes, hats, packaging and other products; snap fasteners include female and male fasteners, with the male fastener being formed by stamping and riveting the first and second parts together.

[0003] In the button manufacturing industry, existing button machines have simple structures and low automation levels. They still require manual intervention during the assembly process, which reduces production efficiency. Moreover, manual operation poses safety hazards. For example, Chinese patent CN107497945A, published on 2017-12-23, discloses an I-shaped button riveting device and an I-shaped button multi-station assembly machine using this device.

[0004] The assembly machine described in the aforementioned patent has the following problems: its automation level is low. Although it can detect whether there are twisted surfaces and gaskets inside the buckle during processing using the first and second sensors, the machine stops every time a missing twisted surface or gasket is detected, requiring manual sorting. This not only affects the efficiency of the equipment but also poses safety hazards for manual operation. Therefore, it is necessary to solve these problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this invention provides an automated button production equipment with a high degree of automation. It can remove defective button units during the assembly process, thereby improving production efficiency and button processing quality.

[0006] The present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] This invention provides an automated button production equipment, comprising an assembly system and a welding system. The assembly system is configured to assemble pins onto a panel to form a button unit, and to convey the button unit to the welding system for welding. The assembly system includes a frame and a turntable assembly, the turntable assembly being configured to position and convey the button unit. The assembly system further includes a waste removal mechanism adapted to remove a panel without assembled pins from the turntable assembly at a waste removal station, thereby preventing the panel from entering the welding system.

[0008] The waste discharge mechanism includes a pin positioning device and a panel removal device. The pin positioning device is configured to be movable between a first position and a second position, and the panel removal device is configured to allow a panel to be removed from the turntable assembly. At the waste discharge station, the pin positioning device moves to the second position, which is configured such that the pin positioning device can cooperate with the pin to restrict the removal of panels with pins from the turntable assembly, but allows panels without pins to be removed from the turntable assembly.

[0009] The above technical solution can be further improved as follows:

[0010] Furthermore, the pin positioning device includes: a positioning member that can be inserted into a pin hole; a transmission member that is combined with the positioning member and can be linked with the positioning member; and a first actuation member that can actuate the positioning member from the first position to the second position through the transmission member.

[0011] Furthermore, the pin positioning device further includes an elastic element configured to apply force to the transmission element in the direction in which the positioning element moves toward the second position.

[0012] Furthermore, the assembly system also includes: a panel assembly station for assembling a panel onto a turntable assembly; and a pin assembly station for assembling pins onto the panel;

[0013] The pin positioning device is located at the first position at both the panel assembly station and the pin assembly station.

[0014] Furthermore, the first actuator is disposed on the frame and has a retaining surface configured to hold the positioning element in a first position at the panel assembly station and the pin assembly station.

[0015] Furthermore, the first actuator also has an actuating surface that is recessed relative to the retaining surface, the actuating surface being configured to allow the positioning member to move from the first position to the second position at the waste discharge station.

[0016] Furthermore, the lower end of the transmission member has a first roller that rotatably abuts against the first actuator.

[0017] Furthermore, the panel removal device is configured as an airflow generator, which is configured to generate an airflow at the waste discharge station to remove the panel from the turntable assembly.

[0018] Furthermore, the turntable assembly includes a first turntable, the outer circumferential edge of which has a plurality of receiving structures suitable for receiving the button units.

[0019] Furthermore, the receiving structure includes a receiving groove and a dropping hole, the dropping hole being disposed below the receiving groove and communicating with it; wherein, the dropping hole is configured to allow the pin to fall through the dropping hole when the panel is missing from the receiving groove. Specifically, the diameter of the dropping hole is between the diameter D1 of the pin and the diameter D2 of the panel.

[0020] Furthermore, the frame is equipped with a barrier located on the outer edge of the turntable assembly, the barrier being used to prevent the button unit from falling off during transport.

[0021] Furthermore, the assembly system also includes: a first waste discharge member adapted to receive pins removed from the turntable assembly; and a second waste discharge member adapted to receive panels removed from the turntable assembly.

[0022] Furthermore, it also includes a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the button unit from the assembly system to the welding system.

[0023] Furthermore, the transfer mechanism creates a transfer plate with dimensions matching those of the turntable assembly, the width of which gradually decreases in the direction toward the turntable assembly to form a wedge shape.

[0024] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0025] 1. The automated button production equipment of the present invention is equipped with a waste removal mechanism. This waste removal mechanism can remove the twisted surface lacking the tube pin from the turntable assembly in the waste removal station, preventing waste material from entering the welding system for processing, thus improving the processing quality of the buttons. Moreover, the waste removal mechanism does not affect the turntable assembly's conveying of button units while it is working, enabling continuous operation without stopping the machine. This solves the defect of the prior art that requires stopping the machine to screen unqualified products, thereby improving the production efficiency of buttons.

[0026] 2. The structure of the first turntable is optimized and improved in this invention. When the panel is missing in the first turntable, the pins can automatically fall off the first turntable, eliminating the need for a separate waste removal mechanism for removing the pins. This reduces the production and maintenance costs of the equipment, while also ensuring the production efficiency and quality of the buttons. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below only relate to some embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automated button production equipment according to the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the turntable assembly installed on the frame in this invention.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a front view of the automated button production equipment (with the front cover removed) of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a top view of the assembly system and welding system in this invention.

[0032] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the assembly system in this invention.

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the turntable assembly in the assembly system of this invention.

[0034] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the pin positioning component in the assembly system of this invention.

[0035] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the welding system in this invention.

[0036] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the welding mechanism in the welding system of this invention.

[0037] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the button unit in this invention.

[0038] Figure 11 This is a cross-sectional view of the button unit in the receiving groove in this invention.

[0039] Figure Descriptions: 100 - Assembly System; 110 - Turntable Assembly; 111 - First Turntable; 111a - Material Receiving Groove; 111b - Material Dropping Hole; 111c - Through Groove; 112 - Enclosure Component; 130 - First Waste Discharge Component; 140 - Second Waste Discharge Component; 120 - Waste Discharge Mechanism; 121 - Pipe Pin Positioning Device; 1211 - First Actuator; 1212 - Transmission Component; 1213 - Positioning Component; 1214 - Elastic Component; 1215 - First Roller; 122 - Panel Removal Device;

[0040] 200 - Welding system; 210 - Second turntable; 21a - Positioning groove; 220 - Unloading mechanism; 221 - Unloading baffle; 222 - Unloading channel; 230 - Welding mechanism; 231 - Welding head; 232 - Welding arm; 233 - Second actuator; 234 - Second roller;

[0041] 300 - Transfer mechanism; 310 - Transfer plate; 311 - Wedge-shaped part; 400 - First feeding device; 500 - Second feeding device;

[0042] 600 - Drive system; 601 - First drive shaft; 602 - Second drive shaft; 603 - Transmission shaft; 604 - Drive device;

[0043] 6-Frame; 7-Pin; 71-Body; 72-Circular Plate; 8-Face Panel; 81-Groove; 9-Button Unit;

[0044] F1 - Panel assembly station; F2 - Pin assembly station; F3 - Waste removal station; F4 - Transfer station. Detailed Implementation

[0045] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0046] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0047] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this patent document shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this patent specification and claims do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the terms "an," "a," or "the" do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. The terms "comprising" or "including" indicate that the element or object preceding "comprising" encompasses the element or object listed following "comprising" or its equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or objects. Terms such as "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly. These terms are only for the convenience of describing the invention and for 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 the invention.

[0048] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly 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 or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0049] The following detailed description of some embodiments of the present invention is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, features in the following embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0050] In the button manufacturing process, a lead 7 and a panel 8 are first assembled together to form a button unit 9. Then, the two are welded together using a welding system 200 to form a fixed button part. (See [reference needed]). Figure 10 As shown, Figure 10 The diagram shows the structure of the pin 7 and the panel 8. The pin 7 has a tube body 71 and a circular piece 72 attached to the bottom of the tube body 71. The panel 8 has a groove 81 adapted to receive the circular piece 72, and a wall portion extending upward from the bottom wall of the groove 81 is provided on the outer periphery of the groove 81. During welding, the wall portion is welded towards the inside of the groove 81 by the welding system 200 to fix the pin 7 to the panel 8.

[0051] However, existing button production equipment has the following problems during the production process: when assembling the panel 8 and the pin 7, one of them often fails to be delivered to the correct position, resulting in either panel 8 without pin 7 or pin 7 without panel 8, increasing the defect rate of button processing and thus increasing the production cost of buttons. To solve the above problems, this invention provides an automated button production equipment that can remove button units 9 with the aforementioned defects from the assembly system 100 during processing. This equipment has a high degree of automation and can complete the above operations without stopping the machine, improving button production efficiency and quality.

[0052] Please see Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the automated button production equipment includes an assembly system 100 and a welding system 200. The assembly system 100 is configured to assemble the pins 7 onto the panel 8 to form a button unit 9, and to convey the button unit 9 to the welding system 200 for welding. The assembly system 100 includes a frame 6 and a turntable assembly 110. The turntable assembly 110 is configured to position and convey the panel 8 and the pins 7, and during the conveying process, to assemble the pins 7 and the panel 8 together to form the button unit 9.

[0053] See Figure 1-7 As shown, the assembly system 100 further includes a panel assembly station F1 for assembling the panel 8 onto the turntable assembly 110; and a pin assembly station F2 for assembling the pins 7 onto the panel 8. The turntable assembly 110 includes a first turntable 111, on which a plurality of receiving structures are arranged along its circumferential direction. During the rotation of the first turntable 111, the receiving structures pass sequentially through the panel assembly station F1 and the pin assembly station F2, thereby receiving the panel 8 and the pins 7 respectively, and assembling the panel 8 and the pins 7 together to form a button unit 9. Then, the button unit 9 is conveyed to the welding system 200, where the two are welded together. To prevent the button unit 9 from being thrown off the first turntable 111 during transport, a retaining member 112 is provided on the outer periphery of the first turntable 111. The retaining member 112 is fixed to the frame 6, and its inner wall is tightly attached to the peripheral side wall of the first turntable 111. Furthermore, the height of its upper edge is higher than the height of the receiving structure. The retaining member 112 has corresponding notches at the panel assembly station F1, the pin assembly station F2, the waste discharge station F3, and the transfer station F4, so that the panel 8 and the pin 7 can be received or removed at the corresponding station. The transfer station F4 is configured to transfer the assembled button unit 9 to the welding system 200.

[0054] To detect cases where the receiving structure lacks a panel 8, the receiving structure includes a receiving groove 111a and a dropping hole 111b. The dropping hole 111b is located below and communicates with the receiving groove 111a. The dropping hole 111b is configured to allow the pin 7 to fall through when the panel 8 is missing from the receiving groove 111a. Furthermore, the centerline of the dropping hole 111b coincides with the centerline of the receiving groove 111a, and the diameter of the dropping hole 111b is between the diameter D1 of the pin 7 and the diameter D2 of the panel 8. (See details...) Figure 11 As shown, when the panel 8 falls into the receiving groove 111a, it will not fall from the dropping hole 111b. However, if there is no panel 8 to receive in the receiving groove 111a, the pin 7 can fall directly from the dropping hole 111b, thus avoiding the situation where only the pin 7 enters the welding system 200. This structure is simple and can effectively discharge the pin 7 that has not been assembled with the panel 8. There is no need to set up a separate removal device for discharging the pin 7, which reduces the production cost of the equipment.

[0055] In some embodiments, the turntable assembly 110 includes a first turntable 111, which is rotatably mounted on the frame 6. In this embodiment, the first turntable 111 includes a fixed bearing, a movable bearing, and an upper plate, a positioning plate, and a lower plate stacked sequentially from top to bottom. The fixed bearing is fixedly connected to the frame 6, the movable bearing is mounted in the fixed bearing by means of a bearing, the lower plate is fixedly connected to the movable bearing, the lower plate has a material discharge hole 111b along its circumferential outer edge, the positioning plate has a material receiving groove 111a along its circumferential outer edge, and the upper plate has a positioning groove along its circumferential outer edge. The positioning holes on the pin 7, along with the collinear centerlines of the receiving groove 111a and the discharge hole 111b, guide the pin 7 to accurately land on the center of the panel 8, specifically at the center of the discharge hole 111b. This ensures that the panel 8 will fall directly into the discharge hole 111b without getting stuck. Furthermore, the outer edge of the upper plate partially covers the receiving groove 111a, making the panel 8 more stable within it. This modular design reduces the overall machining difficulty of the parts, and in case of damage, only the corresponding part needs to be replaced, reducing maintenance costs.

[0056] Furthermore, to address the issue of having only panels 8 without pins 7 in the receiving trough 111a, the assembly system 100 also includes a waste removal mechanism 120, adapted to remove panels 8 without pins 7 from the turntable assembly 110 at a waste removal station F3, thereby preventing the panels 8 from entering the welding system 200. The waste removal mechanism 120 includes a pin positioning device 121 and a panel removal device 122. The pin positioning device 121 is configured to be movable between a first position and a second position, and the panel removal device 122 is configured to allow the panels 8 to be removed from the turntable assembly 110. At the waste removal station F3, the pin positioning device 121 moves to the second position, which is configured such that the pin positioning device 121 can cooperate with the pins 7 to restrict the removal of panels 8 with pins 7 from the turntable assembly 110, but allows panels 8 without pins 7 to be removed from the turntable assembly 110.

[0057] By adopting the above structure, the panel 8 lacking pin 7 can be moved out of the first turntable 111. Specifically, the pin positioning device 121 can move up and down between a first position and a second position, wherein the first position is located above the second position. When the first turntable 111 rotates to the panel assembly station F1 and the pin assembly station F2, the pin positioning device 121 is located in the first position, which is away from the pin 7. When the first turntable 111 rotates to the waste discharge station F3, the pin positioning device 121 will move from the first position... Moving downwards to the second position, the button unit 9 is fixed by engaging with the pin 7, thereby restricting the panel 8 with the pin 7 assembled from being removed from the turntable assembly 110 by the panel removal device 122, but allowing the panel 8 without the pin 7 assembled to be removed from the turntable assembly 110 by the panel removal device 122. When the pin positioning device 121 leaves the waste discharge station F3, the pin positioning device 121 will move upwards from the second position to the first position and move away from the pin 7, so as not to affect the button unit 9 being transferred to the welding system 200.

[0058] The waste discharge mechanism 120 is attached to the first turntable 111, and one waste discharge mechanism 120 is correspondingly provided at each of the material receiving structures. (See reference...) Figure 5-7 As shown, the pin positioning device 121 includes a positioning member 1213, a transmission member 1212, a first actuating member 1211, and an elastic member 1214; wherein, the positioning member 1213 can be inserted into the pin 7 hole; the transmission member 1212 is coupled to the positioning member 1213 and can be linked with the positioning member 1213; the first actuating member 1211 can actuate the positioning member 1213 from the first position to the second position through the transmission member 1212; and the elastic member 1214 is configured to apply force to the transmission member 1212 in the direction in which the positioning member 1213 moves toward the second position. (See reference...) Figure 5 As shown, the first actuator 1211 is disposed on the frame 6 and has a holding surface. The holding surface is configured to hold the positioning member 1213 in a first position at the panel assembly station F1 and the pin assembly station F2. It also has an actuating surface that is recessed relative to the holding surface. The actuating surface is configured to move the positioning member 1213 from the first position to the second position at the waste discharge station F3. By combining the holding surface and the actuating surface, the transmission member 1212 can drive the positioning member 1213 to move up and down between the first position and the second position.

[0059] Furthermore, the first turntable 111 is provided with a through groove 111c and a mounting bracket disposed within the through groove 111c. The transfer member 1212 passes through and slides within the mounting bracket. The upper end of the transfer member 1212 is connected to the positioning member 1213, and the positioning member 1213 is positioned above the receiving groove 111a. The lower end of the transfer member 1212 has a first roller 1215 that rotatably abuts against the first actuator 1211. The first actuator 1212... 11 is configured as a cylindrical cam, with the holding surface and actuating surface surrounding the cylindrical cam. The elastic element 1214 is a spring, which is sleeved on the transmission element 1212. When the transmission element 1212 rotates with the first turntable 111, the spring can always apply a spring force to the transmission element 1212 so that the first roller 1215 always fits against the cylindrical cam and rolls along the holding surface and actuating surface, so that the transmission element 1212 and the positioning element 1213 move up and down between the first position and the second position. When the first turntable 111 rotates, the transfer member 1212 and the positioning member 1213 are driven to rotate with the first turntable 111. When the first roller 1215 rolls on the holding surface of the first actuator 1211, it can keep the positioning member 1213 in a first position. At this first position, there is a space between the positioning member 1213 and the first turntable 111 so as to assemble the panel 8 at the panel assembly station F1, assemble the pin 7 at the pin assembly station F2, and transfer the button unit 9 at the transfer station F4. When the first turntable 111 rotates to the discharge station, the first roller 1215 rolls from the holding surface to the actuating surface, thereby driving the positioning member 1213 to move from the first position to the second position. At the second position, the positioning member 1213 can be inserted into the hole of the pin 7, thereby fixing the button unit 9 on the first turntable 111 so that the panel removal device 122 can remove the panel 8. When the first turntable 111 rotates the waste discharge station F3 to the transfer station F4, the positioning member 1213 will move from the second position to the first position, and so on.

[0060] Preferably, the positioning member 1213 can also be constructed as any other component capable of pressing against the pin 7, such as a pressure plate or a columnar component. In this embodiment, the positioning member 1213 is constructed as a limiting pin. The size of the limiting pin is adapted to the size of the pin 7 and can be inserted into the hole of the pin 7. In use, the bottom of the limiting pin can be controlled to press against the hole of the pin 7, thereby pressing the pin 7 and simultaneously fixing the panel 8 below the pin 7 into the receiving groove 111a of the first turntable 111. This can resist the force generated by the panel removal device 122 and prevent it from being removed from the first turntable 111. Since the bottom end of the limiting pin is higher than the upper surface of the panel 8 when the limiting pin is in the second position, the panel 8 does not contact the limiting pin, so that the panel 8 without the pin 7 is removed from the first turntable 111 by the force generated by the panel removal device 122, ensuring the assembly quality of the button unit 9.

[0061] See Figure 2 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the panel removal device 122 is configured as an airflow generator, which is configured to generate airflow at the waste discharge station F3 to remove the panel 8 without the pins 7 from the turntable assembly 110. In this embodiment, the panel removal device 122 further includes a guide pipe, which is connected to the airflow generator. The guide pipe is attached to the pin positioning device 121, and the airflow outlet of the guide pipe faces outward along the radial direction of the turntable assembly 110, generating airflow at the waste discharge station F3 to remove the panel 8 without the pins 7 from the first turntable 111. It should be noted that the airflow generator can be any type of air tank or air pump.

[0062] See Figure 2 and Figure 5As shown, the assembly system 100 further includes a first waste discharge component 130 and a second waste discharge component 140. The first waste discharge component 130 is installed at the pin assembly station F2 to receive fallen pins 7. The second waste discharge component 140 is installed at the waste discharge station F3 to receive the panel 8 removed from the first turntable 111 by the panel removal device 122. In this embodiment, the first waste discharge component 130 is configured as a first receiving pipe, with its upper opening located below the first turntable 111 and at the pin assembly station F2 to receive fallen pins 7. The second waste discharge component 140... The output part 140 is configured as a second receiving pipe, the upper end of which has a receiving cover. The receiving cover is located on the outer periphery of the first turntable 111 and at the waste discharge station F3 to receive the removed panel 8. Further, the lower end of the first receiving pipe is connected to the second receiving pipe. The lower end of the second receiving pipe is respectively provided with a first discharge port suitable for discharging the panel 8 and a second discharge port suitable for discharging the tube feet 7. With the above structure, the overall equipment is more compact, and the tube feet 7 and the panel 8 can be discharged from the same area, which is convenient for receiving the tube feet 7 and the panel 8 and has good practicality.

[0063] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the automated button production equipment also includes a first feeding device 400 and a second feeding device 500. The discharge end of the first feeding device 400 is aligned with the panel assembly station F1 to facilitate the sequential placement of panels 8 onto the first turntable 111. The discharge end of the second feeding device 500 is aligned with the pin assembly station F2 to facilitate the sequential placement of pins 7 onto the first turntable 111. It should be noted that since the receiving groove 111a of the first turntable 111 receives panels 8 first and then pins 7, the pins 7 can fall into the groove 81 of the panel 8 under the guidance of the positioning hole of the turntable assembly 110. If there is no panel 8 in the receiving groove 111a, the pins 7 will automatically fall into the first receiving pipe through the dropping hole 111b for recycling, thereby improving the button assembly quality. Both the first feeding device 400 and the second feeding device 500 can be commercially available vibrating screw feeders, which are technologically mature and highly reliable.

[0064] See Figure 1 , Figure 8 and Figure 9As shown, the welding system 200 includes a second turntable 210 and a welding mechanism 230. The second turntable 210 is rotatably mounted on the frame 6 and is located on one side of the first turntable 111 and tangentially disposed to the first turntable 111. The outer circumferential surface of the second turntable 210 has a plurality of positioning grooves 21a, which can receive button units 9 conveyed from the first turntable 111. The welding mechanism 230 is disposed on the second turntable 210 and located above the positioning grooves 21a. The welding mechanism 230 includes a welding arm 232, a second actuator 233, and an elastic element. The second actuator 233 is fixedly connected above the second turntable 210 and has a holding surface and a retaining surface relative to the holding surface. The welding arm 232 has a downward-protruding actuating surface that allows it to move downward to a welding position to press against and weld the button unit 9. An elastic element, which can be a commercially available spring, is nested within the welding arm 232. This spring allows the upper end of the welding arm 232 to apply force towards the second actuator 233. The upper end of the welding arm 232 has a first roller 1215 that rotatably abuts against the second actuator 233. The lower end of the welding arm 232 is fitted with a welding joint 231. A heating element (not shown) is disposed within the welding arm 232, which heats the welding joint 231 to facilitate welding the button units 9 together. Furthermore, the welding mechanism 230 is similar in structure to the pin positioning device 121, and will not be described in detail here.

[0065] The welding system 200 also includes a feeding mechanism 220, which is adapted to remove the welded button unit 9 from the second turntable 210 at the feeding station. The feeding mechanism 220 includes a feeding channel 222 and a feeding baffle 221. The feeding baffle 221 is disposed on the outer periphery of the second turntable 210 and has an extension extending into the turntable, which can block the button unit 9 in the positioning groove 21a and thus remove it from the second turntable 210, thereby realizing feeding.

[0066] See Figure 4As shown, a transfer mechanism 300 is also configured between the assembly system 100 and the welding system 200. This transfer mechanism 300 guides the button unit 9 into the welding system 200 while the first turntable 111 rotates in the assembly system 100. The transfer mechanism 300 includes a fixed base and a transfer plate 310. The transfer plate 310 is disposed between the first turntable 111 and the second turntable 210. The shape and dimensions of the transfer plate 310 match the external dimensions of the turntable assembly 110, and the width of the transfer plate 310 gradually decreases towards the first turntable 111 to form... Specifically, the wedge-shaped part 311 has a gap between the upper plate and the positioning plate in the first turntable 111 so that the transfer plate 310 can be embedded, thereby allowing the wedge-shaped part 311 to extend into the gap between the button unit 9 and the first turntable 111. Then, the button unit 9 gradually transitions to the second turntable 210 under the inclined side of the wedge-shaped part 311. Then, the button unit 9 is welded by the welding mechanism 230. During welding, the welding joint 231 presses the wall of the inner groove 81 of the panel 8, causing the wall to bend inward and shrink, fixing the circular piece 72 at the bottom of the tube foot 7, thus achieving the welding and fixing of the two.

[0067] In this embodiment, a drive system 600 is also included. The drive system 600 is adapted to drive the assembly system 100 and the welding system 200 to rotate. The drive system 600 includes one or two drive devices 604. In this embodiment, the drive system 600 includes one drive device 604, a first drive shaft 601, a second drive shaft 602, and a transmission shaft 603. One end of the first drive shaft 601 is connected to the second turntable 210, and the other end is connected to the drive device 604. The second drive shaft 602 is connected to the first turntable 111. The transmission shaft 603 is connected between the first drive shaft 601 and the second drive shaft 602 to transmit the power of the first drive shaft 601 to the second drive shaft 602, so that the first turntable 111 and the second turntable 210 can rotate synchronously, thereby realizing the smooth transmission of the button unit 9 between the first turntable 111 and the second turntable 210. In addition, the automated button production equipment of the present invention also includes a PLC control system, which is mounted on the frame 6 (not shown in the figure) to enable operators to control the operation of the equipment and improve the convenience of operation.

[0068] The automated button production equipment of the present invention, through the cooperation of the assembly system 100 and the welding system 200, has a high degree of overall automation and can achieve high-efficiency and high-quality button production. Furthermore, the assembly system 100 is optimized by the docking trough 111a, which can discharge the pins 7 that are missing the panel 8 in advance, and then discharge the panel 8 that is missing the pins 7 through the waste discharge mechanism 120, thus ensuring the assembly quality of the button unit 9, reducing the scrap rate of parts, and reducing production costs.

[0069] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An automated button production equipment, comprising an assembly system and a welding system, wherein the assembly system is configured to assemble pins onto a panel to form a button unit, and to convey the button unit to the welding system for welding, the assembly system comprising a frame and a turntable assembly, the turntable assembly being configured to position and convey the button unit; characterized in that, The assembly system also includes: A waste removal mechanism adapted to remove a panel without pins from the turntable assembly at a waste removal station to prevent the panel from entering the welding system; The waste discharge mechanism includes a pin positioning device and a panel removal device. The pin positioning device is configured to be movable between a first position and a second position, and the panel removal device is configured to allow the panel to be removed from the turntable assembly. At the waste discharge station, the pin positioning device moves to the second position, which is configured such that the pin positioning device can engage with the pin to restrict the removal of the panel with the pins from the turntable assembly, but allows the removal of the panel without the pins from the turntable assembly.

2. The automated button production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pin positioning device includes: Positioning element, which can be inserted into the pin hole; A transfer element, which is combined with the positioning element and is capable of being linked with the positioning element; and The first actuator is capable of actuating the positioning element to move from the first position to the second position via the transmission element.

3. The automated button production equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The pin positioning device further includes: An elastic element is configured to apply a force to the transmission element in the direction in which the positioning element moves toward the second position.

4. The automated button production equipment according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The assembly system also includes: A panel assembly station for assembling panels onto a turntable assembly; and A pin assembly station for assembling pins onto the panel; The pin positioning device is located at the first position at both the panel assembly station and the pin assembly station.

5. The automated button production equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first actuator is disposed on the frame and has a retaining surface configured to hold the positioning element in a first position at the panel assembly station and the pin assembly station.

6. The automated button production equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first actuator also has an actuating surface that is recessed relative to the retaining surface, the actuating surface being configured to allow the positioning member to move from a first position to a second position at the waste discharge station.

7. The automated button production equipment according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The lower end of the transmission member has a first roller that rotatably abuts against the first actuator.

8. The automated button production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The panel removal device is configured as an airflow generator, which is configured to generate airflow at the waste discharge station to remove the panel from the turntable assembly.

9. The automated button production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The turntable assembly includes a first turntable, the outer circumferential edge of which has a plurality of receiving structures adapted to receive the button units.

10. The automated button production equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that, The material receiving structure includes a material receiving groove and a material discharge hole, wherein the material discharge hole is disposed below the material receiving groove and communicates with the material receiving groove; The material drop hole is configured to allow the tube pins to fall through the material drop hole when the panel is missing from the receiving groove.

11. The automated button production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frame is equipped with a barrier located on the outer edge of the turntable assembly, which is used to prevent the button unit from falling off during the conveying process.

12. The automated button production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The assembly system also includes: A first waste discharge component, adapted to receive pins removed from the turntable assembly; and A second waste discharge component is adapted to receive a panel that has been removed from the turntable assembly.

13. The automated button production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the button unit from the assembly system to the welding system.

14. The automated button production equipment according to claim 13, characterized in that, The transfer mechanism creates a transfer plate with dimensions matching those of the turntable assembly, the width of which gradually decreases toward the turntable assembly to form a wedge shape.

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