Automatic sheet material loading and unloading apparatus and method

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of sheet material automatic loading and unloading equipment and automatic loading and unloading method, sheet material automatic loading and unloading equipment includes rack, hanger, loading and unloading rack and tray rack;Three-axis sliding table module is equipped on rack, and suction disc is connected through swing arm mechanism on three-axis sliding table module;H-shaped two-axis linear sliding table is equipped on the side of rack, and hanger clamping positioning mechanism and spring dog opening mechanism are arranged on H-shaped two-axis linear sliding table;Positioning funnel for falling sheet material is connected on loading and unloading rack, and the adjustment guiding correction of falling sheet material is carried out through positioning funnel before falling into tray material groove, can accurately fall into the material groove of tray, solve the problem that sheet material cannot be accurately placed into the material groove of tray;Through the suction disc driven by swing arm mechanism installed on three-axis sliding table module, sheet material is automatically loaded into tray from hanger, or sheet material is placed into hanger from tray, improve production efficiency, reduce the working strength of worker.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an automated device, specifically an automatic loading and unloading device and method for sheet materials. Background Technology

[0002] In industrial production, automated equipment is often used to improve production efficiency and save manpower. In the processing of sheet materials (such as ceramic sheets, glass sheets, plastic sheets, and ceramic tiles), when spraying, drying, or performing other processing, the sheet materials need to be removed from the tray's trough and placed on a rack for processing. After processing, the sheet materials are removed from the rack and placed back into the tray. This process requires accurate placement of the sheet materials into the tray's trough. Currently, the loading and unloading of sheet materials is mostly done manually, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Furthermore, during the process of placing the sheet materials into the tray or rack, there is a risk of inaccurate placement, resulting in poor accuracy and low efficiency. Therefore, an automated loading and unloading device is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic loading and unloading device and method for sheet materials, so as to solve the problems of poor accuracy and low efficiency in manual loading and unloading of sheet materials.

[0004] This invention is implemented as follows: an automatic loading and unloading device for sheet materials, comprising: The frame is a house-shaped structure designed to accommodate loading and unloading platforms and hanging racks. Hanging rods are installed on the frame, and these rods are connected to hanging racks via hooks. A hanging rack fixing mechanism is also provided on the frame. A three-axis slide module is installed at the top of the frame. A vertical arm is connected to the lower end of the Z-axis slide module of the three-axis slide module, and a suction cup is connected to the vertical arm via a swing arm mechanism. An H-shaped two-axis linear slide is installed on one side of the frame, and a hanging rack locking and spring-loaded claw opening mechanism is provided on the H-shaped two-axis linear slide. The hanging frame is composed of several vertical and horizontal bars connected to form a grid-like frame. Each horizontal bar is connected to a row of horizontally extending spring claws. Two adjacent rows of spring claws form a group to elastically clamp the sheet material. An upper horizontal bar is set at the top of the hanging frame, and positioning connecting blocks that cooperate with the hanging frame fixing mechanism on the machine frame are set at both ends of the upper horizontal bar. The loading and unloading platform has a double-cavity frame for accommodating pallet racks. A first slide and a second slide are located at the top of the platform. A positioning funnel is attached to the first slide, and a pallet clamping mechanism is located on the second slide. A vertical third slide is located on one side of the platform, and a pallet support is provided on the third slide. The left side of the platform forms a pallet receiving station, and the right side forms a pallet loading and unloading station. The pallet rack is a vertical frame structure with U-shaped plates inside for supporting pallets.

[0005] Preferably, the bracket fixing mechanism includes an upper fixing mechanism and a lower clamping mechanism; The upper fixing mechanism includes a fixing cylinder and a positioning block; the fixing cylinder is connected to the frame through a cylinder bracket, and the positioning block is fixedly connected to the cylinder rod of the fixing cylinder, and a positioning pin is provided on the positioning block; the positioning pin moves with the positioning block and is inserted into the pin hole of the positioning connecting block on the crossbar of the hanger to realize the hanging and positioning connection with the frame. The lower clamping mechanism includes two sets of clamping cylinders mounted on the frame and arranged facing each other. Clamping plates are attached to the cylinder rods of the clamping cylinders to clamp and position the lower part of the hanger.

[0006] Preferably, the upper fixing mechanism further includes a guide rod, which is disposed on the cylinder bracket and is arranged parallel to the fixed cylinder. The guide rod and the cylinder rod of the fixed cylinder are connected to the positioning block.

[0007] Preferably, the structure of the hanger latching and spring claw opening mechanism is as follows: the two piston rods of the double-rod cylinder are connected to a vertical plate; a left cylinder and a right cylinder are provided on the vertical plate, each connected to a claw; the lateral expansion of the two claws forms a latching and positioning mechanism for the hanger; two vertical cylinders with opposite actions are also arranged side by side on the vertical plate, each connected to a support rod via a connecting rod; the upper and lower support rods of the two support rods open a set of spring claws on the hanger for latching sheet materials; the cylinder body of the double-rod cylinder is connected to an H-shaped two-axis linear slide.

[0008] Preferably, the swing arm mechanism comprises a servo motor connected to a reducer, a swing arm connected to the reducer, and the servo motor and the reducer being disposed at the lower part of the vertical arm.

[0009] Preferably, the pallet clamping mechanism has a double-rod cylinder connected to the lower end of the second cylinder, with pneumatic grippers connected to both rod ends of the double-rod cylinder, and the cylinder body of the second cylinder is connected to the second slide.

[0010] Preferably, a pallet fixing mechanism is provided on the loading and unloading platform. The pallet fixing mechanism consists of a first clamping plate, a second clamping plate, and two clamping blocks connected by a cylinder on the right side of the loading and unloading platform.

[0011] Preferably, two sets of opposing limit cylinders are connected to the loading and unloading platform to secure the pallet frame.

[0012] An automatic tray loading method for sheet materials includes the following steps: S1. An automatic loading and unloading device for sheet materials as described in any one of claims 1-6 is provided, wherein a hanging frame with sheet materials is installed on a hanging rod, and a hanging frame fixing mechanism fixes the hanging frame; a pallet frame with an empty pallet is pushed into the left cavity of the loading and unloading platform and fixed, and an empty pallet frame is pushed into the right cavity of the loading and unloading platform and fixed, forming a pallet supply station on the left side of the loading and unloading platform and a pallet loading station on the right side of the loading and unloading platform; S2. The third slide of the tray supply station moves the tray in the left tray rack upward to a predetermined position where the tray clamping mechanism can clamp the tray at the top; the third slide of the loading station moves the pallet upward to the top of the tray rack, waiting to receive the empty pallet transferred from the tray supply station. S3. The pallet clamping mechanism moves to clamp and lift the pallet at the top of the left pallet rack; the second slide moves to move the pallet clamped by the pallet clamping mechanism from the pallet supply station to the pallet loading station; the pallet clamping mechanism moves to lower and release the pallet; the second slide moves to move from the pallet loading station to the pallet supply station; the third slide at the pallet supply station moves the pallet in the pallet rack upward by one pallet distance. S4. The pallet fixing mechanism activates to fix the pallet at the top of the loading station; S5. The slide moves the positioning funnel above the tray, with the discharge port of the positioning funnel facing the first or first row of material troughs on the tray. S6. The swing arm mechanism moves, causing the suction cup to rotate; the three-axis slide module moves, moving the suction cup to the first or first group of sheet material that is held by the spring claws on the rack. The S7.H type two-axis linear slide moves the bracket snap-fit ​​and spring claw opening mechanism to the rear of the sheet material directly opposite the suction cup; the bracket snap-fit ​​and spring claw opening mechanism is activated to snap the bracket in place. S8. The three-axis slide module moves, causing the suction cup to approach the sheet material and begin suction. The suction cup then picks up the sheet material. S9. The hanging bracket snap-fit ​​and spring claw opening mechanism operates to open a set of spring claws that hold the sheet material adsorbed by the suction cup. S10. The three-axis slide module moves the sheet material adsorbed by the suction cup away from the hanger; the swing arm mechanism moves, causing the suction cup to rotate in the opposite direction; the three-axis slide module moves the sheet material adsorbed by the suction cup above the positioning funnel, the suction cup stops sucking air, and the sheet material falls into the material slot of the tray through the positioning funnel. S11. The bracket latching and spring claw opening mechanism reset, releasing the support of the spring claw and loosening the bracket; S12. The swing arm mechanism moves, causing the suction cup to rotate; the three-axis slide module moves, moving the suction cup to the next or next group of sheet materials held by spring claws on the rack. S13. The first slide moves the positioning funnel one or one row of material troughs away, and the discharge port of the positioning funnel is directly opposite the next or next row of material troughs above and below the tray. S14. Repeat steps S7-S13 until a tray is full.

[0013] Furthermore, it also includes the following steps: S15. The pallet fixing mechanism resets, releasing the pallet and allowing it to be moved. S16. The first slide moves to move the positioning funnel away from the top of the tray; the third slide of the loading station moves the tray of the loading station down by the distance of one tray to place another tray. S17. Repeat steps S3-S16 until all pallets are full or the sheet material is used up.

[0014] This invention solves the problem of inaccurate placement of sheet materials by installing a positioning funnel on the first slide platform, which guides and corrects the sheet material before it falls into the tray trough. The invention also improves the accuracy of sheet material handling by installing a tray fixing mechanism on the right side of the loading / unloading platform to prevent the tray from moving during loading and unloading. Furthermore, the invention automatically transfers the tray between the loading / unloading station and the receiving / receiving station by installing a second slide platform on the loading / unloading platform. A third slide platform installed on the vertical plate automatically supplies the tray. An automatic opening mechanism for the spring claws is achieved by installing a hanger latch and spring claw opening mechanism on the Z-axis slide platform. Finally, a suction cup with a swing arm mechanism installed on the three-axis slide module automates the loading of sheet materials from the hanger into the tray or from the tray into the hanging machine. This invention automates the loading and unloading of sheet materials, improving accuracy, increasing production efficiency, and reducing worker workload. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A structural diagram showing the removal of the frame, crossbars, and sheet material.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the loading and unloading platform.

[0018] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A structural diagram showing the removal of the pallet rack and pallet.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the three-axis slide module structure.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an H-type two-axis linear slide structure.

[0021] In the diagram: 100, frame; 101, house-shaped frame; 102, hanging rod; 103, hook; 104, cylinder bracket; 105, fixed cylinder; 106, guide rod; 107, clamping cylinder; 108, clamping plate; 110, fixed frame; 111, positioning block; 112, pin; 200, loading / unloading platform; 201, double-cavity frame; 202, first slide; 203, first cylinder; 204, positioning hole. 205. Bucket, 206. Second slide, 207. Second cylinder, 208. Double rod cylinder, 209. Gripper, 210. Third cylinder, 211. Fourth cylinder, 212. First pallet, 213. Second pallet, 214. Pallet block, 215. Vertical plate, 216. Third slide, 217. Pallet, 218. Vertical frame, 219. U-shaped plate, 220. Fifth cylinder, 221. 1. Sixth cylinder; 222. Limit cylinder; 300. Three-axis slide module; 301. X-axis slide module; 302. Y-axis slide module; 303. Z-axis slide module; 304. Vertical arm; 305. Servo motor; 306. Reducer; 307. Swing arm; 308. Suction cup; 400. H-type two-axis linear slide; 401. X-axis slide; 402. Z-axis slide; 403. Double-rod cylinder; 404. 405. Vertical plate, 406. Left cylinder, 407. Right cylinder, 408. Claw, 409. Vertical cylinder, 410. Connecting rod, 501. Support rod, 502. Hanger, 503. Vertical rod, 504. Horizontal rod, 505. Spring claw, 506. Upper horizontal rod, 507. Frame, 508. Support seat, 509. Positioning connecting block, 510. Pin hole, 600. Wheel, 700. Pallet, 701. Sheet material. Detailed Implementation

[0022] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the automatic tray loading equipment includes: a frame 100, a hanging rack 501, a loading and unloading platform 200, and a tray rack 214.

[0023] The frame 100 is a house-shaped frame 101 that houses the loading / unloading platform 200 and the hanging rack 501. A horizontally arranged hanging rod 102 is connected to the lower side of the top of the frame 100 via a corner plate. Hooks 103 are provided on the hanging rods, and the lower parts of the hooks are bolted to the upper crossbar 505 at the top of the hanging rack 501. A hanging rack fixing mechanism is provided on the frame. A three-axis slide module 300 is provided on the top of the frame 100; an H-shaped two-axis linear slide 400 is provided on one side of the frame 100.

[0024] The lower part of the frame 100 is fixed with bolts to prevent the frame from moving during operation. A fixing frame 110 is provided at the lower part of the frame. The fixing frame is connected to the loading and unloading platform 200 through an angle plate. The lower part of the fixing frame is fixed with bolts.

[0025] The hanger 501 is composed of several vertical bars 502 and horizontal bars 503 connected to form a grid-like frame. Each horizontal bar has a row of horizontally extending spring claws 504. Two adjacent rows of spring claws form a group to elastically engage the sheet material 700. An upper horizontal bar 505 is provided at the top of the hanger 501, and positioning connecting blocks 508 are provided at both ends of the upper horizontal bar to cooperate with the hanger fixing mechanism on the frame 100.

[0026] The hanger fixing mechanism includes an upper fixing mechanism and a lower clamping mechanism. The upper fixing mechanism includes a fixing cylinder 105 and a positioning block 111. The fixing cylinder 105 is connected to a cylinder bracket 104 located on the lower side of the top of the frame 100. The positioning block 111 is fixedly connected to the cylinder rod of the fixing cylinder 105. A positioning pin 112 is provided on the positioning block. The positioning pin moves with the positioning block and inserts into the pin hole 509 of the positioning connecting block 508 on the upper crossbar of the hanger, realizing the positioning connection between the hanger 501 and the frame 100. There are four upper fixing mechanisms, arranged in groups of two, with the two fixing mechanisms in each group arranged opposite each other on both sides of the positioning connecting block 508. The upper fixing mechanism also includes a guide rod 106 provided on the cylinder bracket 104. The guide rod 106 is arranged parallel to the fixing cylinder 105. The guide rod and the cylinder rod of the fixing cylinder are connected to the positioning block 111, making the positioning block more securely connected to the cylinder rod.

[0027] The lower clamping mechanism includes two sets of clamping cylinders 107 mounted on the frame 100 and arranged in opposite directions. They are respectively located at the left and right ends of the lower part of the hanger. Clamping plates 108 are attached to the cylinder rods of the clamping cylinders to clamp and position the lower part of the hanger. Each set has two clamping cylinders working together to clamp one end of the lower part of the hanger.

[0028] The hanger 501 is placed on the frame 506 to facilitate its movement. Support seats 507 are provided at both ends of the top of the frame 506 to hold the upper crossbar 505 of the hanger. The length of the upper crossbar is greater than the distance between the two support seats. Both ends of the upper crossbar extend beyond the support seats. Positioning connecting blocks 508 are provided on the portions of the upper crossbar extending beyond the support seats. Each positioning connecting block consists of two connected strips, which are vertically arranged on both sides of the upper crossbar. Pin holes 509 are provided on both sides of the positioning connecting block 508.

[0029] Wheels 510 are provided at the lower part of the frame 506, which can easily push the bracket 501 into the frame 100 or pull it out of the frame. The wheels have a braking function.

[0030] like Figure 5 As shown, the three-axis slide module 300 includes a horizontally arranged X-axis slide module 301, a vertically arranged Y-axis slide module 302, and a vertically arranged Z-axis slide module 303, giving the three-axis slide module three degrees of freedom. A vertical arm 304 is located at the lower part of the Z-axis slide module, and a suction cup 308 is connected to the vertical arm via a swing arm mechanism. The swing arm mechanism consists of a servo motor 305 connected to a reducer 306, and a swing arm 307 connected to the reducer. The servo motor 305 and reducer 306 are located at the lower part of the vertical arm 304. The motor drives the reducer to rotate the swing arm, and the suction cup 308 is connected to the lower part of the swing arm. One or more suction cups can be arranged side-by-side, with the number of suction cups adapted to the positioning funnel.

[0031] like Figure 6 As shown, the H-type two-axis linear slide 400 includes a horizontally arranged X-axis slide 401 and a vertically arranged Z-axis slide 402. There are two horizontally arranged X-axis slides 401, which are distributed vertically. The upper and lower ends of the Z-axis slide 402 are respectively connected to an X-axis slide. A bracket engaging and spring-loaded claw opening mechanism is provided on the H-type two-axis linear slide 400. The structure of the bracket engaging and spring-loaded claw opening mechanism is as follows: the two piston rods of the double-rod cylinder 403 are connected to the vertical plate 404. A left cylinder 405 and a right cylinder 406 are provided on the vertical plate. Each of the left and right cylinders is connected to a claw 407. The bracket is engaged and positioned by the lateral expansion of the two claws. Two vertical cylinders 408 with opposite actions are also provided side by side on the vertical plate. Each of the two vertical cylinders is connected to a support rod 410 through a connecting rod 409. The upper and lower support of the two support rods opens a set of spring-loaded claws on the bracket for engaging sheet materials. The cylinder body of the double-rod cylinder 403 is connected to the H-type two-axis linear slide 400.

[0032] like Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the loading / unloading platform 200 is a left-right double-cavity frame 201 for accommodating the pallet rack 214. A longitudinally arranged first slide 202 and a transversely arranged second slide 205 are connected to the top of the loading / unloading platform. There are two first slides 202, arranged parallel to each other at the center and right positions of the top of the loading / unloading platform. Each first slide is connected to a vertically arranged first cylinder 203. A positioning funnel 204 is connected to the first cylinder to position the falling sheet material 700. The two first cylinders are respectively connected to one end of the positioning funnel, and the first cylinders can drive the positioning funnel to move up and down. The number of positioning funnels connected to the first cylinder can be one, or two or more positioning funnels connected in a row. In use, the first slide 202 moves the positioning funnel above the pallet, with the hole at the bottom of the positioning funnel aligned with the material slot of the pallet 600 to ensure that the sheet material is accurately placed into the material slot of the pallet. The sheet material 700 falls into the pallet 600 through the positioning funnel. The positioning funnel guides the falling trajectory of the sheet material and adjusts the falling position of the sheet material 700 so that the sheet material falls accurately into the pallet trough and prevents the sheet material from scattering on the pallet.

[0033] The tray 600 is provided with an array of material troughs. The number of positioning funnels and suction cups is adapted to the number of material troughs in each row of the tray, so that one row of sheet material can be loaded and unloaded at a time. The tray used in this invention has an array of material troughs. Of course, the tray can have only one material trough or a row of material troughs, in which case only one funnel and one suction cup are needed.

[0034] A pallet clamping mechanism is provided on the second slide table 205. The pallet clamping mechanism consists of a double-rod cylinder 207 connected to the lower end of a vertically arranged second air cylinder 206, and air claws 208 connected to both rod ends of the double-rod cylinder. The air claws are used to clamp the two ends of the pallet. The cylinder body of the second air cylinder 206 is connected to the second slide table 205.

[0035] A pallet fixing mechanism is also provided on the right side of the loading and unloading platform to secure the pallet and prevent it from moving during the loading and unloading of sheet materials, thus affecting the accuracy of loading and unloading. The pallet fixing mechanism consists of a vertically arranged third cylinder 209 connected to the loading and unloading platform below the right side of the second slide, a longitudinally arranged fourth cylinder 210 connected to the lower end of the third cylinder, and a first clamping plate 211 connected to the fourth cylinder; a second clamping plate 212 connected to the loading and unloading platform via a longitudinally arranged fifth cylinder 220, with the second clamping plate opposite to the first clamping plate; and a clamping block 213 connected to the loading and unloading platform below the first slide via a horizontally arranged sixth cylinder 221. The first clamping plate, the second clamping plate, and the clamping block are used to clamp and fix the pallet. When clamping and securing the pallet, the third cylinder 209 moves the fourth cylinder and the first clamping plate downwards, and then the fourth cylinder pushes out the first clamping plate, which, together with the second clamping plate and the clamping block pushed out by the cylinder, clamps the pallet; when releasing the pallet, the fourth cylinder retracts the first clamping plate, the second clamping plate and the clamping block are retracted, and then the third cylinder 209 moves the fourth cylinder and the first clamping plate upwards.

[0036] Vertically arranged upright plates 215 are attached to the left and right sides of one side of the loading and unloading platform 200. The upright plates are located on the side opposite to the second slide. Vertically arranged third slides 216 are attached to the upright plates. A support plate 217 is provided on the third slide for supporting the pallet.

[0037] The pallet rack 214 is a vertical frame 218. A U-shaped plate 219 for supporting pallets is installed within the pallet rack, and pallets 600 can be stacked on the U-shaped plate. The opening of the U-shaped plate faces the vertical plate 215. The size of the pallet is smaller than the opening size of the U-shaped plate to ensure that the pallet can pass through the U-shaped plate. A third slide moves the pallet up and down inside the pallet rack, thereby achieving the lifting and lowering of the pallets on the U-shaped plate. Pallet racks 214 are installed in both the left and right cavities of the loading / unloading platform 200. Laterally arranged limiting cylinders 222 are connected to the loading / unloading platform 200. There are two sets of limiting cylinders, two in each set, facing each other. After the pallet rack 214 is pushed into the loading / unloading platform, the cylinder rod of the limiting cylinder extends and blocks the outside of the pallet rack to fix it. The end of the cylinder rod of the limiting cylinder is equipped with a roller to reduce friction between the cylinder rod and the pallet rack. Handles are attached to the outside of the pallet frame 214, and wheels are provided at the bottom of the pallet frame, allowing the pallet frame to be pushed into or pulled out of the loading and unloading platform. The side containing the second slide 205 at the top of the loading and unloading platform is higher than the other sides to facilitate the passage of the pallet frame 214. The bottom of the loading and unloading platform and the bottom of the upright plate 215 are both fixed with bolts.

[0038] In this way, a loading and unloading station is formed on the right side of the loading and unloading platform, and a receiving and receiving station is formed on the left side of the loading and unloading platform.

[0039] An automatic tray loading method for sheet materials includes the following steps: S1. Set up the aforementioned automatic loading and unloading equipment for sheet materials, install the hanger with the sheet material attached on the hanging rod, and fix the hanger with the hanger fixing mechanism; push the pallet rack with the empty pallet into the left cavity of the loading and unloading platform and fix it, and push the empty pallet rack into the right cavity of the loading and unloading platform and fix it; form a pallet supply station on the left side of the loading and unloading platform and a pallet loading station on the right side of the loading and unloading platform.

[0040] S2. The third slide of the tray supply station moves the pallet 600 in the left pallet rack upwards to a position where the pallet clamping mechanism can clamp the pallet at the top; the third slide of the loading station moves the pallet upwards to the top of the pallet rack, waiting to receive the empty pallet transferred from the tray supply station.

[0041] S3. The pallet clamping mechanism operates to clamp and lift the pallet at the top of the left pallet rack; the second slide moves the pallet clamped by the pallet clamping mechanism from the pallet supply station to the pallet loading station; the pallet clamping mechanism then lowers and releases the pallet; the second slide moves from the pallet loading station to the pallet supply station; the third slide at the pallet supply station moves the pallet in the pallet rack upwards by one pallet's distance. The double-acting cylinder 207 extends the grippers 208 to both sides, and the second cylinder 206 pushes the double-acting cylinder 207 downwards, positioning the grippers on both sides of the pallet 600. Then, the double-acting cylinder retracts the grippers, clamping both ends of the pallet 600. The cylinder rod of the second cylinder retracts, and the pallet is lifted upwards. The second slide 205 moves the pallet from the left to the right of the loading and unloading platform. The second cylinder moves downward, and the double-rod cylinder extends the grippers to both sides to release the pallet. The second cylinder moves upward, and the double-rod cylinder retracts the grippers. The pallet is placed on the pallet plate 217 in the pallet rack on the right side of the loading and unloading platform. The second slide 205 moves from the right to the left of the loading and unloading platform 200. The third slide 216 moves the pallet in the pallet rack on the left side of the loading and unloading platform upward by the distance of one pallet.

[0042] S4. The pallet fixing mechanism is activated to fix the pallet at the top of the loading station; the third cylinder 209 moves the fourth cylinder 210 and the first clamping plate downwards, and then the fourth cylinder pushes out the first clamping plate 211, which works together with the second clamping plate 212 and the clamping block 213 pushed out by the cylinder to clamp the pallet at the top of the loading station.

[0043] S5. The first slide moves the positioning funnel 204 above the tray 600, with the discharge port of the positioning funnel facing the first or first material chute on the tray. The two first cylinders 203 lift the positioning funnel upwards, the first slide 202 moves the positioning funnel above the tray, and the first cylinder lowers the positioning funnel.

[0044] S6. The swing arm mechanism moves, causing the suction cup to rotate; the three-axis slide module moves, moving the suction cup to the first or first group of sheet materials held by spring claws on the rack. The servo motor 305 drives the reducer 306 to rotate the suction cup 308 on the swing arm 307 by 90°. During this process, the three-axis slide module 300 moves the suction cup 308 to a predetermined position facing the sheet material 700.

[0045] The S7.H type two-axis linear slide 400 operates, moving the bracket engaging and spring claw opening mechanism to the rear of the sheet material directly opposite the suction cup; the bracket engaging and spring claw opening mechanism then engages and secures the bracket. The double-rod cylinder 403 moves the left cylinder 405, right cylinder, and two vertical cylinders 408 to a predetermined position near the bracket 501. Then, the left cylinder 405 and right cylinder 406 push the claws 407 to both sides, where they engage with the vertical rod 502 of the bracket 501, securing the bracket and completing its positioning. The support rod 410 passes through the horizontal bar and approaches the sheet material 700.

[0046] S8. The three-axis slide module moves, causing the suction cup 308 to approach the sheet material 700 and begin suction. The suction cup then picks up the sheet material.

[0047] S9. The hanger latching and spring claw opening mechanism actuates, opening a set of spring claws holding the sheet material held by the suction cup. Two vertical cylinders 408 drive two support rods to move in two directions, pushing the spring claws in both directions and releasing the spring claws from fixing the sheet material.

[0048] S10. The three-axis slide module moves the sheet material adsorbed by the suction cup away from the hanger; the swing arm mechanism moves, causing the suction cup to rotate in the opposite direction; the three-axis slide module moves the sheet material 700 adsorbed by the suction cup above the positioning funnel 204, the suction cup stops suction, and the sheet material falls into the tray's trough through the positioning funnel. The three-axis slide module 300 moves the suction cup away from the hanger 501, the servo motor 305 drives the reducer 306 to rotate the suction cup 308 90 degrees in the opposite direction, so that the suction cup faces downward; the three-axis slide module moves the sheet material 700 adsorbed by the suction cup 308 to a predetermined position close to the top of the positioning funnel. The suction cup 308 stops suction, and the sheet material falls into the positioning funnel 204. During the process of the sheet material falling into the tray 600's trough through the positioning funnel 204, after adjustment and guidance, it can accurately fall into the tray's trough. During this process, the suction cup can also ensure that the sheet material falls smoothly from the positioning funnel by blowing air.

[0049] S11. The bracket locking and spring claw opening mechanism reset, releasing the support of the spring claw and loosening the bracket. The vertical cylinder 408 retracts the support rod 410; the left cylinder 405 and right cylinder 406 retract the claw 407, releasing the fixation on the bracket 501; the double-rod cylinder 403 retracts the left cylinder, right cylinder, and two vertical cylinders 408.

[0050] S12. The swing arm mechanism moves, causing the suction cup to rotate 90°; the three-axis slide module moves, moving the suction cup to the next or the next group of sheet materials held by spring claws on the rack.

[0051] S13. The first slide moves the positioning funnel one or one row of material troughs, and the discharge port of the positioning funnel is directly opposite the next or next row of material troughs on the tray.

[0052] S14. Repeat steps S7-S13 until a tray 600 is filled.

[0053] S15. The pallet fixing mechanism is reset, releasing the fixation on the pallet 600, so that the pallet is in a movable state. The first card plate 211, the second card plate 212, and the two card blocks 213 on the loading and unloading platform are retracted, and the pallet at the rear of the loading and unloading platform 200 is released.

[0054] S16. The first slide moves to move the positioning funnel 204 away from the tray 600, the first cylinder 203 lifts the positioning funnel, and the first slide 202 moves the positioning funnel to the side opposite to the second slide 205; the third slide of the loading station moves the tray of the loading station down by the distance of one tray to place another tray.

[0055] S17. Repeat steps S3-S16 until all pallets are full or the sheet material is used up.

[0056] The reverse of the above steps is the automatic unloading method for sheet materials, used to transfer sheet materials from the pallet trough to the hanger for further processing.

[0057] Although the equipment and methods of this invention automatically place sheet material from the rack into the pallet, or load sheet material from the pallet onto the rack, the equipment and methods involved in this invention can also be used for loading and unloading sheet material between the pallet and the production line, or for loading and unloading sheet material between the production line and the rack.

Claims

1. An automatic loading and unloading device for sheet materials, characterized in that, include: The frame is a house-shaped structure designed to accommodate loading and unloading platforms and hanging racks. Hanging rods are installed on the frame, and these rods are connected to hanging racks via hooks. A hanging rack fixing mechanism is also provided on the frame. A three-axis slide module is installed at the top of the frame. A vertical arm is connected to the lower end of the Z-axis slide module of the three-axis slide module, and a suction cup is connected to the vertical arm via a swing arm mechanism. An H-shaped two-axis linear slide is installed on one side of the frame, and a hanging rack locking and spring-loaded claw opening mechanism is provided on the H-shaped two-axis linear slide. The hanging frame is composed of several vertical and horizontal bars connected to form a grid-like frame. Each horizontal bar is connected to a row of horizontally extending spring claws. Two adjacent rows of spring claws form a group to elastically clamp the sheet material. An upper horizontal bar is set at the top of the hanging frame, and positioning connecting blocks that cooperate with the hanging frame fixing mechanism on the machine frame are set at both ends of the upper horizontal bar. The loading and unloading platform has a double-cavity frame for accommodating pallet racks. A first slide and a second slide are located at the top of the platform. A positioning funnel is attached to the first slide, and a pallet clamping mechanism is located on the second slide. A vertical third slide is located on one side of the platform, and a pallet support is provided on the third slide. The left side of the platform forms a pallet supply station, and the right side forms a pallet loading station. The pallet rack is a vertical frame structure with U-shaped plates inside for supporting pallets.

2. The automatic loading and unloading equipment for sheet materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bracket fixing mechanism includes an upper fixing mechanism and a lower clamping mechanism; The upper fixing mechanism includes a fixing cylinder and a positioning block; the fixing cylinder is connected to the frame through a cylinder bracket, and the positioning block is fixedly connected to the cylinder rod of the fixing cylinder, and a positioning pin is provided on the positioning block; the positioning pin moves with the positioning block and is inserted into the pin hole of the positioning connecting block on the crossbar of the hanger to realize the hanging and positioning connection with the frame. The lower clamping mechanism includes two sets of clamping cylinders mounted on the frame and arranged facing each other. Clamping plates are attached to the cylinder rods of the clamping cylinders to clamp and position the lower part of the hanger.

3. The automatic loading and unloading equipment for sheet materials according to claim 2, characterized in that, The upper fixing mechanism also includes a guide rod, which is disposed on the cylinder bracket and is arranged parallel to the fixed cylinder. The guide rod and the cylinder rod of the fixed cylinder are connected to the positioning block.

4. The automatic loading and unloading equipment for sheet materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The structure of the hanger latching and spring claw opening mechanism is as follows: the two piston rods of the double-rod cylinder are connected to a vertical plate. A left cylinder and a right cylinder are set on the vertical plate. Each of the left and right cylinders is connected to a claw. The hanger is latched and positioned by the lateral expansion of the two claws. Two vertical cylinders with opposite actions are also arranged side by side on the vertical plate. Each of the two vertical cylinders is connected to a support rod through a connecting rod. The upper and lower support rods open a set of spring claws on the hanger for latching sheet materials. The cylinder body of the double-rod cylinder is connected to an H-shaped two-axis linear slide.

5. The automatic loading and unloading equipment for sheet materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The swing arm mechanism consists of a servo motor connected to a speed reducer, and a swing arm connected to the speed reducer. The servo motor and the speed reducer are located at the lower part of the vertical arm.

6. The automatic loading and unloading equipment for sheet materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pallet clamping mechanism consists of a double-rod cylinder connected to the lower end of the second cylinder, with pneumatic grippers connected to both rod ends of the double-rod cylinder, and the cylinder body of the second cylinder connected to the second slide.

7. The automatic loading and unloading equipment for sheet materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The loading and unloading platform is equipped with a pallet fixing mechanism, which consists of a first clamping plate, a second clamping plate, and two clamping blocks connected by a cylinder on the right side of the loading and unloading platform.

8. The automatic loading and unloading equipment for sheet materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two sets of opposing limit cylinders are connected to the loading and unloading platform to lock and fix the pallet frame.

9. An automatic tray loading method for sheet materials, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. An automatic loading and unloading device for sheet materials as described in any one of claims 1-6 is provided, wherein a bracket with sheet materials attached is installed on a hanging rod, and a bracket fixing mechanism fixes the bracket; a pallet frame with an empty pallet is pushed into the left cavity of the loading and unloading platform and fixed, and an empty pallet frame is pushed into the right cavity of the loading and unloading platform and fixed, forming a pallet supply station on the left side of the loading and unloading platform and a pallet loading station on the right side of the loading and unloading platform; S2. The third slide of the tray supply station moves the tray in the left tray rack upward to a predetermined position where the tray clamping mechanism can clamp the tray at the top; the third slide of the loading station moves the pallet upward to the top of the tray rack, waiting to receive the empty pallet transferred from the tray supply station. S3. The pallet clamping mechanism moves to clamp and lift the pallet at the top of the left pallet rack; the second slide moves to move the pallet clamped by the pallet clamping mechanism from the pallet supply station to the pallet loading station; the pallet clamping mechanism moves to lower and release the pallet; the second slide moves to move from the pallet loading station to the pallet supply station; the third slide at the pallet supply station moves the pallet in the pallet rack upward by one pallet distance. S4. The pallet fixing mechanism activates to fix the pallet at the top of the loading station; S5. The first slide action moves the positioning funnel above the tray, with the discharge port of the positioning funnel facing the first or first row trough on the tray. S6. The swing arm mechanism moves, causing the suction cup to rotate; the three-axis slide module moves, moving the suction cup to the first or first group of sheet material that is held by spring claws on the rack. The S7.H type two-axis linear slide moves the bracket snap-fit ​​and spring claw opening mechanism to the rear of the sheet material directly opposite the suction cup; the bracket snap-fit ​​and spring claw opening mechanism is activated to snap the bracket in place. S8. The three-axis slide module moves, causing the suction cup to approach the sheet material and begin suction. The suction cup then picks up the sheet material. S9. The hanger latching and spring claw opening mechanism operates to open a set of spring claws holding the sheet material adsorbed by the suction cup; S10. The three-axis slide module moves the sheet material adsorbed by the suction cup away from the hanger; the swing arm mechanism moves, causing the suction cup to rotate in the opposite direction; the three-axis slide module moves the sheet material adsorbed by the suction cup to the top of the positioning funnel, the suction cup stops sucking air, and the sheet material falls into the material slot of the tray through the positioning funnel. S11. The bracket latching and spring claw opening mechanism resets, releasing the support of the spring claw and loosening the bracket; S12. The swing arm mechanism moves, causing the suction cup to rotate; the three-axis slide module moves, moving the suction cup to the next or next group of sheet materials held by spring claws on the rack. S13. The first slide moves the positioning funnel one or one row of material troughs away, and the discharge port of the positioning funnel is directly opposite the next or next row of material troughs above and below the tray. S14. Repeat steps S7-S13 until a tray is full.

10. The automatic tray loading method for sheet materials according to claim 9, characterized in that, It also includes the following steps: S15. The pallet fixing mechanism resets, releasing the pallet and allowing it to be moved. S16. The first slide moves to move the positioning funnel away from the top of the tray; the third slide of the loading station moves the tray of the loading station down by the distance of one tray to place another tray. S17. Repeat steps S3-S16 until all pallets are full or the sheet material is used up.

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