Delivery system for surface treatment of gas meter upper housing

Abstract

The application discloses a conveying system for surface treatment of a gas meter upper shell, which comprises a conveying belt arranged along a processing station, and a hanger for placing the gas meter upper shell, the hanger being capable of being hung on the conveying belt, the processing station at least comprising an automatic feeding station, and an automatic feeding mechanical arm corresponding to the automatic feeding station, and a hanger accommodating device, wherein the automatic feeding mechanical arm is used for placing the gas meter upper shell in batches on the hanger, and the hanger accommodating device is used for preventing the hanger from shaking during the automatic feeding process. By adopting the above scheme, the stability of the shell batch mounting, transportation and subsequent processing process is improved by simultaneously arranging the hanger accommodating device and optimizing the structure of the hanger, so that the production efficiency and product quality are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of gas meter manufacturing equipment, and specifically relates to a conveying system for surface treatment of the upper casing of a gas meter. Background Technology

[0002] Gas meters are widely used in daily life and manufacturing to record the amount of natural gas used. Their installation environments vary, and the surface of the meter casing needs to be treated with anti-corrosion measures. A common treatment is powder coating. This process requires cleaning the meter casing first, and then spraying the coating onto the surface of the workpiece under the action of an electric field to form a powder coating. After high-temperature baking and other treatments, a protective coating is formed.

[0003] During the processing, special hangers are required to suspend the watch cases and transfer them to different workstations via conveyor lines. In existing technologies, such as patent number "201920500655.3" entitled "A Processing Production Line for Gas Meter Cases" and patent number "201920477218.4" entitled "A Hook for Powder Coating of Gas Meter Case Upper Shells," the applicant found in their research that the hangers used in actual production still have problems with poor stability and large swaying amplitude. Especially when placing watch cases in batches, the swaying is even greater, which can easily cause resonance and lead to hook detachment. They are completely unsuitable for automated operation by robotic arms and seriously affect production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides a conveying system for surface treatment of gas meter casings, in order to solve the problem of unstable material feeding during gas meter casing processing in the prior art, which affects production efficiency.

[0005] The technical solution is as follows: A conveying system for surface treatment of gas meter casings includes a conveyor belt arranged along a processing station and a rack for placing gas meter casings. The rack can be suspended on the conveyor belt. The key feature is that the processing station includes at least an automatic feeding station, and an automatic feeding robot arm is provided corresponding to the automatic feeding station, as well as a rack welcoming device. The automatic feeding robot arm is used to place gas meter casings in batches on the rack, and the rack welcoming device is used to prevent the rack from shaking during the automatic feeding process.

[0006] The above solution mainly uses a hanging bracket catering device in conjunction with an automatic feeding robotic arm to avoid the hanging bracket shaking during automatic batch feeding, ensuring the stability and positional accuracy of the watch case. It ensures both feeding speed and the reliability of the feeding process, which helps to improve production efficiency.

[0007] Preferably, the hanger engagement device includes a hanger clamping mechanism, which includes two opposing frames, at least one of which is equipped with a pusher / puller for pushing or pulling the corresponding frame to move closer to or away from the other frame, and the conveyor belt is located directly above the two frames. The frame is equipped with a synchronous belt and a servo motor for driving the synchronous belt. The plane of the synchronous belt is parallel to the conveyor belt's transport direction. The synchronous belts on the two frames are positioned opposite each other, and the opposing sections of the synchronous belts on the two frames are straight. Using this design, when the hanger is conveyed by the conveyor belt, the synchronous belt on the frame flexibly clamps and transports the hanger. Then, an automatic feeding robot arm automatically feeds the hanger. This satisfies the need for rapid feeding because the hanger is clamped, preventing significant shaking during feeding. Furthermore, the hanger does not need to completely stop waiting, thus ensuring production efficiency.

[0008] Preferably, the same frame has two opposing synchronous belts, one above the other, and the synchronous belts on the same frame are driven by the same servo motor. This design increases the number of contact points, significantly improving the stability of the mounting bracket in the height direction.

[0009] Preferably, the hanger engagement device further includes a buffer mechanism located below the hanger clamping mechanism. The buffer mechanism includes a base plate, a guide seat slidably disposed on the base plate, and a buffer cylinder for driving the guide seat to slide horizontally. The guide seat has at least two movable roller mounting brackets, each with a rotatably mounted roller. The roller's rotation plane is parallel to the synchronous belt's running plane. When the hanger clamping mechanism clamps the upper part of the hanger, the roller is in contact with the lower part of the hanger. Using this solution, a buffer mechanism works in conjunction with the upper hanger clamping mechanism. The buffer mechanism is located on the side opposite to the automatic feeding robot arm, counteracting the inertial force during loading and ensuring the stability of the lower part of the hanger.

[0010] Preferably, the bottom of the guide seat slides in conjunction with the base plate, and the roller mounting bracket is supported on the guide seat by at least two guide rods. The guide rods slide in conjunction with the guide seat, and a buffer spring is sleeved on the guide rod, located between the roller mounting bracket and the guide seat. This design allows the roller to have good freedom of movement, avoids hard contact with the hanger, and improves the reliability of the engagement mechanism.

[0011] Preferably, the hanging bracket welcoming device includes a frame, the frame includes a column and a cantilever beam, an adjusting seat is slidably provided on the column, and the buffer mechanism is fixed on the adjusting seat; The two frames are respectively mounted on the upper part of the column and on the cantilever beam, and the push-pull device is fixed to the column. This design allows for easy adjustment of the height of the buffer mechanism to accommodate different sizes of hanging racks.

[0012] Preferably, the bracket includes multiple horizontal hanging rods arranged in a vertical array, and at least two vertically arranged vertical connecting rods, which are simultaneously fixed to all the horizontal hanging rods; The uppermost horizontal bar has two diagonal connecting rods arranged in a triangle with it. An extension rod is connected to the apex of the two diagonal connecting rods. The top of the extension rod has a suspension joint that matches the conveyor belt. The horizontal hanging rod has hook assemblies evenly distributed along its length, and each set of hook assemblies includes at least two parallel hooks. This design can meet the requirements for bulk shell mounting, provides good overall structural stability, and facilitates compatibility with the mounting bracket structure, improving transport stability.

[0013] Preferably, the hook is connected to the horizontal hanging rod via a support rod, the support rod is horizontally arranged and perpendicular to the horizontal hanging rod, and its extension direction is opposite to the extension direction of the hook. The hook includes an integrally formed downward inclined part, a horizontal part and an upward inclined part, wherein the upper end of the downward inclined part is connected to the end of the support rod, and its lower end extends inclinedly toward the side where the horizontal hanging rod is located. The horizontal part is perpendicular to the horizontal hanging rod. The upward inclined part extends upward inclinedly from the end of the horizontal part, and the angle between it and the horizontal part is 35°-45°. In the same hook assembly, at least one hook has a forked portion on its horizontal portion, the forked portion being perpendicular to the horizontal portion and extending obliquely toward the space between the two hooks, the apex of which is lower than the apex of the upwardly inclined portion; In the same hook assembly, the vertical distance between the apexes of the upward-sloping portions of the two hooks is adapted to the distance between the two apexes in the width direction of the gas meter's upper casing. Using this design, the bifurcated portion significantly improves the stability of the gas meter's upper casing support and reduces the amplitude of swaying.

[0014] Preferably, the apex of the forked portion is located on the middle vertical plane of the two hooks in the same group, and the horizontal distance between the apex of the forked portion and the apex of the upward-sloping portion is 1 / 2 to 2 / 3 of the depth of the gas meter's upper casing. Both the apex of the upward-sloping portion and the forked portion are conical. This design ensures that the tilt angle of the upper casing is in a relatively suitable position, further improving the stability of the transport, cleaning, and powder coating processes.

[0015] Preferably, the processing station also includes a manual feeding station and a replenishment station set along the conveyor belt, located upstream and downstream of the automatic feeding station, respectively. This design avoids situations where the robotic arm malfunctions and fails to feed materials, thus meeting the requirements for fully manual feeding and replenishment of any missed materials.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: The conveying system for surface treatment of gas meter casings provided by this invention mainly improves the stability of batch loading and transportation of casings and subsequent processing by setting up a bracket welcoming device and optimizing the bracket structure, which is conducive to improving production efficiency and the quality of processed products. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the hanging bracket accommodating device. Figure 3 for Figure 2 Side view; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the buffer mechanism structure; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the hanging bracket structure; Figure 6 for Figure 5 Enlarged view of a section at point I; Figure 7 for Figure 5 Side view; Figure 8 for Figure 7 Enlarged view of a section in area II; Figure 9 This is a 3D view of the hook assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] refer to Figures 1 to 9 The conveying system shown for surface treatment of gas meter casings mainly includes a conveyor belt 100 arranged along the processing station and a rack 200 for placing gas meter casings. The rack 200 can be suspended on the conveyor belt 100 and transported to different subsequent processing stations via the conveyor belt 100. In this application, the processing station includes at least an automatic feeding station A, and an automatic feeding robot arm 300 and a rack welcoming device 400 are provided corresponding to the automatic feeding station A. The automatic feeding robot arm 300 is a multi-suction cup type robot arm commonly used in industry, mainly used to place gas meter casings in batches on the rack 200. The rack welcoming device 400 is used to prevent the rack 200 from shaking during the automatic feeding process.

[0020] The processing station also includes a manual feeding station B and a replenishment station C set along the conveyor belt 100. The manual feeding station B and the replenishment station C are located upstream and downstream of the automatic feeding station A, respectively. When the automatic feeding robot arm 300 stops, a fully manual feeding operation can be performed at the manual feeding station B. When the automatic feeding robot arm 300 misses a feeding, it can be replenished manually at the replenishment station C.

[0021] The hanger engagement device 400 in this application mainly includes a hanger clamping mechanism 410, as shown in the figure. The hanger clamping mechanism 410 includes two opposing frames 411, at least one of which is equipped with a pusher 413. The pusher 413 is used to push and pull the corresponding frame 411 to move it closer to or away from the other frame 411. The conveyor belt 100 is located directly above the two frames 411.

[0022] The frame 411 has a synchronous belt 412 arranged along its length and a servo motor 414 for driving the synchronous belt 412 to operate. The operating plane of the synchronous belt 412 is parallel to the conveying direction of the transmission belt 100. The synchronous belts 412 on the two frames 411 are arranged facing each other, and the opposite parts of the synchronous belts 412 on the two frames 411 are straight sections.

[0023] In practice, the frame 411 is roughly in the shape of an "I". There are two synchronous belts 412 arranged opposite each other on the same frame 411. The synchronous belts 412 on the same frame 411 are driven by the same servo motor 414, which can fully ensure the synchronicity of the speed of the synchronous belts 412.

[0024] The hanger engagement device 400 includes a frame 430, which includes a column 431 and a cantilever beam 432. Two frames 411 are respectively set on the upper part of the column 431 and the cantilever beam 432. A pusher 413 is fixed on the column 431, as shown in the figure. An L-shaped mounting seat 433 is fixed on the upper part of the column 431. A connecting seat 415 is provided on the side of the corresponding frame 411. The connecting seat 415 and the bottom of the L-shaped mounting seat 433 are slidably engaged by a guide rail. The pusher 413 is a clamping cylinder, which is fixed on the L-shaped mounting seat 433. The end of its piston rod is connected to the connecting seat 415.

[0025] The hanger engagement device 400 in this application also includes a buffer mechanism 420 located below the hanger clamping mechanism 410. The buffer mechanism 420 includes a base plate 421, a guide seat 422 slidably disposed on the base plate 421, and a buffer cylinder 423 for driving the guide seat 422 to slide horizontally. The sliding direction of the guide seat 422 is consistent with the moving direction of the frame 411.

[0026] As shown in the figure, the base plate 421 and the guide seat 422 are generally T-shaped. The guide seat 422 has at least two movable roller mounting brackets 424. The roller mounting brackets 424 have rollers 425 that are rotatably mounted. The rotation plane of the rollers 425 is parallel to the running plane of the synchronous belt 412. When the hanger clamping mechanism 410 clamps the upper part of the hanger 200, the rollers 425 are in contact with the lower part of the hanger 200.

[0027] Specifically, the bottom of the guide seat 422 is slidably engaged with the base plate 421, and the roller mounting bracket 424 is supported on the guide seat 422 by at least two guide rods 426. The guide rods 426 are slidably engaged with the guide seat 422 and are usually installed with guide bearings. A buffer spring 427 is sleeved on the guide rods 426, and the buffer spring 427 is located between the roller mounting bracket 424 and the guide seat 422.

[0028] In this embodiment, an adjustment seat 440 is slidably provided on the column 431, and a buffer mechanism 420 is fixed on the adjustment seat 440. The adjustment seat 440 is sleeved on the column 431 and can slide up and down along the column 431 to adjust its height position. It is also fixed by locking screws. In addition, the base plate 421 and the adjustment seat 440 are fastened by strip holes and bolts, which allows for more flexible adjustment of the height position of the buffer mechanism 420.

[0029] Key reference Figures 5 to 9 In this application, the hanger 200 is applicable to the batch mounting of manual and robotic arms. It includes multiple horizontal hangers 210 arranged in a vertical array, and at least two vertically arranged vertical connecting rods 220, which are simultaneously fixed to all the horizontal hangers 210.

[0030] The uppermost horizontal hanging rod 210 has two diagonal connecting rods 230 arranged in a triangle with it. The apex of the two diagonal connecting rods 230 is connected to an extension rod 240. The top of the extension rod 240 has a suspension joint 241 that matches the conveyor belt 100. In this embodiment, there are only two vertical connecting rods 220. The two vertical connecting rods 220 are symmetrically arranged relative to the extension rods 240 and are close to the ends of the horizontal hanging rod 210 respectively.

[0031] The horizontal hanging rod 210 has hook assemblies evenly distributed along its length, and each hook assembly includes at least two hooks 250 arranged in parallel. As shown in the figure, the hooks 250 are connected to the horizontal hanging rod 210 through a support rod 260, which is horizontally arranged and perpendicular to the horizontal hanging rod 210, and its extension direction is opposite to the extension direction of the hooks 250.

[0032] The hook 250 includes an integrally formed downward-sloping portion 251, a horizontal portion 252, and an upward-sloping portion 253. The upper end of the downward-sloping portion 251 is connected to the end of the support rod 260, and its lower end extends obliquely toward the side where the horizontal hanging rod 210 is located. The angle α between the downward-sloping portion 251 and the horizontal portion is approximately 45°-85°, preferably 80° in this embodiment. The horizontal portion 252 is perpendicular to the horizontal hanging rod 210. The upward-sloping portion 253 extends obliquely upward from the end of the horizontal portion 252, and the angle β between it and the horizontal portion 252 is approximately 35°-45°, preferably 40° in this embodiment. In this way, the hook 250 has good support capacity and lateral deformation resistance, which is beneficial to extending its service life.

[0033] In the same hook assembly, at least one of the hooks 250 has a forked portion 254 on the horizontal portion 252, as shown in the figure. The forked portion 254 is perpendicular to the horizontal portion 252 and extends obliquely into the space between the two hooks 250. Its apex is lower than the apex of the upward-sloping portion 253. Thus, when the gas meter upper casing is placed on the hook assembly, it is actually supported at three points and is in an inclined posture with the opening facing downward, which is beneficial for cleaning and powder coating operations.

[0034] In the same hook assembly, the vertical distance between the apex of the upper inclined portion 253 of the two hooks 250 is adapted to the distance between the two apexes in the width direction of the gas meter upper shell. In this way, when supported, the apex of the upper inclined portion 253 is close to the top corner of the gas meter upper shell, which helps to further improve the stability of the gas meter upper shell.

[0035] In practical implementation, the apex of the forked portion 254 is located on the middle vertical plane of the two hooks 250 in the same group, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the horizontal distance L between the apex of the bifurcation 254 and the apex of the upward-sloping part 253 is 1 / 2 to 2 / 3 of the depth of the gas meter upper shell. This position, close to the center of gravity of the gas meter upper shell, can achieve better support and stability. In addition, the apex of both the upward-sloping part 253 and the bifurcation 254 is conical.

[0036] refer to Figures 1 to 9 The conveying system shown for surface treatment of the gas meter casing, after being installed according to the specifications of the bracket 200, has the bracket clamping mechanism 410 facing the oblique connecting rod 230, meaning the height of the frame 411 is within the range of the oblique connecting rod 230, while the buffer mechanism 420 is facing the lowest horizontal hanging rod 210. That is, when the buffer mechanism 420 is working, the roller 425 will inevitably be able to contact the lowest horizontal hanging rod 210 and be directly below the clamping positions of the two frames 411.

[0037] When the hanger 200 moves into the automatic feeding station A along with the conveyor belt 100, the servo motor 414 starts, the synchronous belt 412 runs at the same speed as the conveyor belt 100, the pusher 413 works, pushing the corresponding frame 411 towards another frame, so that the synchronous belt 412 contacts the inclined connecting rod 230 to achieve flexible clamping. At the same time, the buffer cylinder 423 works, pushing out the guide seat 422, and the roller 425 contacts the opposite horizontal hanging rod 210 to achieve flexible clamping. The automatic feeding robot arm 300 places the gas meter upper shells in batches on the hanger 200 according to the control in a follow-up state. Because the hanger 200 has excellent stability, it can minimize shaking during batch placement, fully ensuring the stability and consistency of the upper shell's posture, which is conducive to improving production efficiency and product processing quality. It should be noted that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Those skilled in the art, under the guidance of the present invention, can make various similar representations without departing from the spirit and claims of the present invention, and such modifications all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A conveying system for surface treatment of a gas meter casing, comprising a conveyor belt (100) arranged along a processing station and a bracket (200) for placing the gas meter casing, the bracket (200) being suspendable on the conveyor belt (100), characterized in that: The processing station includes at least an automatic feeding station (A), and an automatic feeding robot arm (300) and a hanging bracket welcoming device (400) are provided for the automatic feeding station (A). The automatic feeding robot arm (300) is used to place the gas meter upper shells in batches on the hanging bracket (200), and the hanging bracket welcoming device (400) is used to prevent the hanging bracket (200) from shaking during the automatic feeding process. The hanger engagement device (400) includes a hanger clamping mechanism (410), which includes two opposing frames (411), at least one of which is equipped with a pusher (413) for pushing or pulling a corresponding frame (411) to move closer to or away from the other frame (411). The conveyor belt (100) is located directly above the two frames (411). The frame (411) is provided with a synchronous belt (412) and a servo motor (414) for driving the synchronous belt (412) to operate. The operating plane of the synchronous belt (412) is parallel to the conveying direction of the transmission belt (100). The synchronous belts (412) on the two frames (411) are arranged opposite each other. The opposite parts of the synchronous belts (412) on the two frames (411) are straight sections. The hanger engagement device (400) also includes a buffer mechanism (420) located below the hanger clamping mechanism (410). The buffer mechanism (420) includes a base plate (421), a guide seat (422) slidably disposed on the base plate (421), and a buffer cylinder (423) for driving the guide seat (422) to slide horizontally. The guide seat (422) has at least two movable roller mounting brackets (424), and each roller mounting bracket (424) has a rotatably mounted roller (425). The rotation plane of the roller (425) is parallel to the running plane of the synchronous belt (412). When the hanger clamping mechanism (410) clamps the upper part of the hanger (200), the roller (425) is in contact with the lower part of the hanger (200). The bottom of the guide seat (422) is slidably engaged with the base plate (421). The roller mounting bracket (424) is supported on the guide seat (422) by at least two guide rods (426). The guide rods (426) are slidably engaged with the guide seat (422), and a buffer spring (427) is sleeved on the guide rods (426). The buffer spring (427) is located between the roller mounting bracket (424) and the guide seat (422).

2. The conveying system for surface treatment of the upper casing of a gas meter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The same frame (411) has two synchronous belts (412) arranged opposite each other, and the synchronous belts (412) on the same frame (411) are driven by the same servo motor (414).

3. The conveying system for surface treatment of the upper casing of a gas meter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hanging bracket welcoming device (400) includes a stand (430), the stand (430) includes a column (431) and a cantilever beam (432), an adjustment seat (440) is slidably provided on the column (431), and the buffer mechanism (420) is fixed on the adjustment seat (440); The two frames (411) are respectively set on the upper part of the column (431) and the cantilever beam (432), and the pusher (413) is fixed on the column (431).

4. The conveying system for surface treatment of the upper casing of a gas meter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The bracket (200) includes multiple horizontal hanging rods (210) arranged in a vertical array, and at least two vertically arranged vertical connecting rods (220), which are simultaneously fixed to all the horizontal hanging rods (210); The uppermost horizontal bar (210) has two diagonal connecting bars (230) arranged in a triangle with it. The apex of the two diagonal connecting bars (230) is connected to an extension bar (240). The top of the extension bar (240) has a suspension joint (241) that matches the conveyor belt (100). The horizontal hanging rod (210) has hook assemblies evenly distributed along its length, and each set of hook assemblies includes at least two hooks (250) arranged in parallel.

5. The conveying system for surface treatment of the upper casing of a gas meter according to claim 4, characterized in that: The hook (250) is connected to the horizontal hanging rod (210) via a support rod (260). The support rod (260) is horizontally set and perpendicular to the horizontal hanging rod (210), and its extension direction is opposite to the extension direction of the hook (250). The hook (250) includes an integrally formed downward tilting part (251), a horizontal part (252) and an upward tilting part (253), wherein the upper end of the downward tilting part (251) is connected to the end of the support rod (260), and its lower end extends obliquely toward the side where the horizontal hanging rod (210) is located. The horizontal part (252) is perpendicular to the horizontal hanging rod (210). The upward tilting part (253) extends obliquely upward from the end of the horizontal part (252), and the angle between it and the horizontal part (252) is 35°-45°. In the same hook assembly, at least one of the hooks (250) has a forked portion (254) on the horizontal portion (252), the forked portion (254) being perpendicular to the horizontal portion (252) and extending obliquely toward the space between the two hooks (250), the apex of which is lower than the apex of the upwardly inclined portion (253); In the same hook assembly, the vertical distance between the apex of the upward tilt (253) of the two hooks (250) is adapted to the distance between the two apexes in the width direction of the gas meter upper casing.

6. The conveying system for surface treatment of the upper casing of a gas meter according to claim 5, characterized in that: The apex of the forked portion (254) is located on the middle vertical plane of the two hooks (250) in the same group. The horizontal distance between the apex of the forked portion (254) and the apex of the upward tilting portion (253) is 1 / 2 to 2 / 3 of the depth of the gas meter upper casing. The apex of the upward tilting portion (253) and the apex of the forked portion (254) are both cone-shaped.

7. The conveying system for surface treatment of the upper casing of a gas meter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The processing station also includes a manual feeding station (B) and a replenishment station (C) set along the conveyor belt (100), with the manual feeding station (B) and the replenishment station (C) located upstream and downstream of the automatic feeding station (A), respectively.

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