A vision dispensing machine

Abstract

This invention discloses a vision-based dispensing machine, comprising a frame assembly, a conveyor belt, a gear pump, a glue tank, a dispensing needle valve, a PLC control system, a vibrating feeding tray, a transfer mechanism, a robot, a panoramic vision camera, and a photoelectric sensor. The vibrating feeding tray is located on one side of the frame assembly. One end of the transfer mechanism is connected to the discharge port of the vibrating feeding tray, and the other end is connected to the conveyor belt. The robot is a horizontal four-axis articulated robot, which has high repeatability and positioning accuracy. The dispensing needle valve is installed at the end of the horizontal four-axis articulated robot's end shaft. The panoramic vision camera is installed on the inner top wall of the frame assembly. The photoelectric sensor is a through-beam photoelectric position sensor. This invention, using a horizontal four-axis articulated robot and a panoramic camera, greatly improves the mobility of the dispensing needle valve and the dispensing positioning accuracy. It is equipped with an Internet of Things (IoT) module, allowing operators to remotely control the dispensing system via computer or mobile phone. It has good compatibility and can be applied to various product specifications.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of dispensing equipment technology, and more particularly to a vision dispensing machine. Background Technology

[0002] A vision dispensing machine is a device used for dispensing adhesive onto products. It uses a CCD camera to photograph and capture images of the dispensing location on the product, thereby locating the dispensing position. It is suitable for dispensing needs of various products.

[0003] Existing patent document CN209406723U discloses a vision dispensing machine, including a machine base, a three-axis robot, a conveyor, a carrier, a dispensing syringe, an industrial camera, and a distance sensor. The x-axis linear drive mechanism of the three-axis robot and the conveyor are fixed to the machine base, and the dispensing syringe, industrial camera, and distance sensor are fixed to the z-axis moving end of the three-axis robot. The transmission part of the conveyor is fixed to the carrier. This invention uses a three-axis robot to control the movement of the dispensing syringe to dispensing VCM motors, uses an industrial camera to identify the coordinate position of the VCM motor, and uses a distance sensor to control the accuracy of the dispensing syringe's movement position, thus improving the precision of the dispensing operation. However, the three-axis robot used in this patent consists of linear movement mechanisms along the X, Y, and Z axes, which means the dispensing syringe can only move linearly along the three axes and cannot rotate. This results in rigid movement, poor flexibility, low production efficiency, and low reusability of the three-axis robot.

[0004] Existing vision dispensing machines still have the following problems: their application products are relatively limited, their compatibility is poor, and they cannot be used for dispensing products of various specifications; the feeding devices of existing vision dispensing machines are too long and take up too much space; existing vision dispensing machines do not have network connectivity and cannot remotely control the equipment's dispensing system. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the problems of existing vision dispensing machines where the three-axis robot can only move linearly along the three axes and cannot rotate, resulting in rigid movement, poor flexibility, low production efficiency, and low reusability, this invention provides a vision dispensing machine that employs a horizontal four-axis articulated robot. This robot offers flexible and fast movement, high positioning accuracy, significantly improved production efficiency and dispensing accuracy, and also boasts a high reusability rate.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a vision dispensing machine, comprising a frame assembly, a conveyor belt, a gear pump, a glue tank, a dispensing needle valve, and a PLC control system. An electrical cabinet is located at the lower part of the frame assembly, and a work platform is located at the upper end of the electrical cabinet. The conveyor belt is positioned on the work platform, and a dispensing work area is set on the conveyor belt at a position corresponding to the middle of the frame assembly. The dispensing needle valve is located above the dispensing work area and is used for dispensing glue to workpieces. The dispensing needle valve is connected to the glue tank via the gear pump. The dispensing needle valve, gear pump, and conveyor belt are all connected to the PLC control system, which is located on the right side wall of the frame assembly and is used to control the dispensing operation. The machine is characterized by further including a vibrating feeding tray, a transfer mechanism, a robot, a panoramic vision camera, and a photoelectric sensor. The vibrating feeding tray, robot, photoelectric sensor, and panoramic vision camera are all connected to the PLC control system. The vibrating feeding tray is located on one side of the frame assembly. One end of the transfer mechanism is connected to the outlet of the vibrating feeding tray, and the other end is connected to the conveyor belt, used to transport workpieces onto the conveyor belt. The robot is a horizontal four-axis articulated robot, including a base installed above and behind the dispensing work area within the frame assembly. The horizontal four-axis articulated robot has high repeatability and positioning accuracy, possessing four degrees of freedom: upper arm rotation, forearm rotation, end-effector rotation, and end-effector vertical movement. A dispensing needle valve is installed at the end of the robot's end-effector, positioned above the dispensing work area. A panoramic vision camera is installed on the top wall of the frame assembly, directly above the dispensing work area, for taking panoramic photos of all workpieces within the dispensing work area and sending the photos to the PLC control system. The PLC control system receives the photo information and accurately calculates the specific coordinates of all workpieces to be dispensed within the dispensing work area, then sends the coordinate position information to the robot. The robot moves the dispensing needle valve to the corresponding coordinate position directly above the workpiece and begins the dispensing operation. The photoelectric sensor is a through-beam photoelectric position sensor, with the transmitting and receiving ends respectively mounted on the front and rear mounting profiles of the conveyor belt in the dispensing work area.

[0007] Working principle of this invention: Upon equipment startup, the PLC control system centrally sends control commands, the vibrating feeding tray loads the workpiece, which is then conveyed to the dispensing area via a transfer mechanism and conveyor belt. A photoelectric sensor detects the workpiece's arrival in the dispensing area and sends a detection signal to the PLC control system. Upon receiving the dispensing signal, the PLC control system activates a panoramic camera to take panoramic photos of all workpieces within the dispensing area and sends the photos back to the PLC control system. Based on the photo data, the PLC control system calculates the dispensing coordinates of all workpieces within the dispensing area and transmits this coordinate data to a horizontal four-axis articulated robot. The robot then moves to the starting dispensing position, opens the dispensing needle valve, and performs dispensing. Once dispensing is complete, the conveyor belt removes the dispensed workpiece, awaiting the arrival of the next batch of workpieces for the next dispensing cycle.

[0008] As a further improvement to this technology, the horizontal four-axis articulated robot adopts the BRTIRSC0603A horizontal four-axis robot from Borunt, which is fast, highly accurate, and has a repeatability accuracy of 0.02mm.

[0009] As a further improvement to this technology, a liftable baffle device is provided on the right side of the transfer mechanism on the conveyor belt. This device is used to block the subsequent workpieces from continuing to be conveyed forward before the previous batch of workpieces is glued, or to allow the subsequent batch of workpieces to continue to be conveyed forward after the previous batch of workpieces is glued. The baffle device includes a baffle plate, a lifting cylinder, and a first mounting bracket. The first mounting bracket is an L-shaped bent plate, and there are two of them, which are respectively fixedly connected to the front and rear mounting profiles of the conveyor belt. There are two lifting cylinders, which are respectively installed on the two first mounting brackets. The piston rod of the lifting cylinder is set upward, and the end of the piston rod is fixedly connected to the baffle plate. When the two lifting cylinders are started at the same time, they drive the two ends of the baffle plate to rise or fall at the same time.

[0010] This invention achieves automatic batch feeding and dispensing by setting up a material blocking device. Compared with the existing technology of lengthening the conveyor line and reducing the conveying speed to achieve batch dispensing, it greatly improves production efficiency, shortens the conveyor line, and greatly reduces the space occupied by the conveyor line.

[0011] As a further improvement to this technology, the transfer mechanism includes an inclined receiving plate, an upper baffle, and a lower baffle. The angle between the inclined receiving plate and the horizontal plane is set to 10-35°. The inclined receiving plate is a U-shaped bent plate with the opening of the U facing upwards. The front and rear side walls of the U-shaped bent plate are mounted on the upper surface of the front and rear mounting profiles of the conveyor belt through two second mounting brackets. The upper baffle is located at the upper end of the inclined receiving plate to prevent the workpiece from rebounding and jumping out of the inclined receiving plate when it falls. The lower baffle is located at the lower end of the inclined receiving plate to prevent the workpiece from stacking. Both the upper and lower baffles are U-shaped plates with the U-shaped opening facing upwards. The two side walls of the U-shape are fixedly connected to the two side walls of the U-shape of the inclined receiving plate. The distance between the lower surface of the upper and lower baffles and the inner bottom surface of the U-shape of the inclined receiving plate is greater than the height of the workpiece but less than twice the height of the workpiece. The lower baffle has several first waist-shaped holes arranged in an array in the middle to facilitate observation of the workpiece feeding situation below the lower baffle.

[0012] The upper baffle has a first bending plate that bends to the upper left side in the middle of its left side, and the lower baffle has a second bending plate that bends to the upper left side in the middle of its left side. Both the first bending plate and the second bending plate are used to prevent the workpiece from rebounding and jumping out of the inclined receiving plate when it falls.

[0013] As a further improvement to this technology, the inclined receiving plate is provided with a plurality of evenly distributed first mounting holes that penetrate the front and rear sidewalls. The upper baffle is provided with a plurality of evenly distributed second oblong holes that penetrate the front and rear sidewalls. The lower baffle is provided with a plurality of evenly distributed third oblong holes that penetrate the front and rear sidewalls. The hole spacing of the second oblong holes and the third oblong holes is consistent with the hole spacing of the first mounting holes. The upper baffle and the lower baffle are respectively locked and fixed to the corresponding first mounting holes by bolts through the second oblong holes and the third oblong holes.

[0014] The second mounting bracket has a second mounting hole at the upper left corner and an arc-shaped through groove at the upper right corner. The upper left corner of the second mounting bracket is fixed to the first mounting hole by bolts through the second mounting hole, and the upper right corner is fixed to the first mounting hole by bolts through the arc-shaped through groove. The tilting angle of the inclined receiving plate can be adjusted through the arc-shaped through groove.

[0015] The present invention, by setting a second waist-shaped hole and a third waist-shaped hole, allows the distance between the lower plane of the upper baffle and the lower baffle and the inner bottom surface of the inclined receiving plate to be adjusted, so that the transfer mechanism can be applied to products of various specifications.

[0016] This invention, by setting an arc-shaped through groove, allows the inclination of the inclined receiving plate to be adjusted, making the transfer mechanism applicable to products of various specifications.

[0017] As a further improvement to this technology, infrared photoelectric sensors are provided at the upper and lower ends of the inclined receiving plate and at the corresponding positions of the lower ports of the upper and lower baffles. These sensors are used to sense whether the workpiece is stuck in the upper or lower baffle and to send the sensing information to the PLC control system. After receiving the sensing information, the PLC control system will issue an audible and visual alarm.

[0018] The infrared photoelectric sensor is a through-beam infrared photoelectric sensor, with the transmitting and receiving ends of the through-beam type located on the front and rear sides of the inclined receiving plate, respectively.

[0019] As a further improvement to this technology, the PLC control system includes an Internet of Things (IoT) module, which is connected to the Internet, enabling operators to control the equipment remotely via computer or mobile phone.

[0020] As a further improvement to this technology, a feed counting sensor is also included. The feed counting sensor is located above the inclined receiving plate, between the upper baffle and the lower baffle, and corresponds to the position of the discharge port of the vibrating feeding plate.

[0021] As a further improvement to this technology, a dispensing needle positioning device is provided on the front side of the front mounting profile of the conveyor belt, which is used to align the dispensing needle on the dispensing needle valve when it is replaced.

[0022] As a further improvement to this technology, the dispensing needle positioning device includes a guide block and a guide rod. The guide block has an opening groove in the middle of its front side and a square groove penetrating the upper and lower sides of the guide block on its upper end face. The front side of the guide block has two vertically symmetrical mounting holes and two vertically symmetrical threaded holes offset from the mounting holes. The two mounting holes are respectively located on the upper right and lower right sides of the opening groove, and the two threaded holes are respectively located on the upper left and lower left sides of the opening groove. The guide block is mounted on the T-groove on the front side of the mounting profile using two T-bolts. T-bolts pass through two mounting holes and are secured with lock nuts. The guide rod is a 7-shaped rod, with its vertical section inserted into a square slot, forming a vertically movable connection with the slot. The horizontal rod extends towards the inside of the frame assembly and is positioned above the guide block. The upper end of the horizontal rod, extending beyond the vertical section, has a dispensing needle correction hole that passes through the horizontal rod. The diameter of this dispensing needle correction hole matches the outer diameter of the dispensing needle. Set screws are installed in both threaded holes. After adjusting the height of the guide rod, it is secured to the guide block using two set screws.

[0023] This invention improves the efficiency of dispensing needle replacement and calibration accuracy by setting a dispensing needle positioning device. By setting a guide rod, the height can be adjusted up and down along the square groove, making the dispensing needle positioning device applicable to a variety of products with different specifications.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0025] 1. This invention improves the flexibility of the dispensing needle valve and the dispensing positioning accuracy by setting up a horizontal four-axis articulated robot to drive the dispensing needle valve, thereby greatly improving dispensing efficiency and dispensing quality.

[0026] 2. By setting up a panoramic camera, this invention can capture the coordinate information of all workpieces to be glued in the dispensing work area from all directions, thereby improving the accuracy of dispensing.

[0027] 3. By setting up a vibrating feeding tray, a transfer mechanism, a material blocking device, and a conveyor belt, this invention achieves automatic feeding and automatic batching into the dispensing work area. The total length of the feeding mechanism is shortened by 2 / 3 compared to the feeding mechanism of the existing vision dispensing machine, which greatly saves space and improves production efficiency.

[0028] 4. This invention uses a through-beam photoelectric position sensor to activate a panoramic camera to take pictures as soon as the product arrives at the dispensing work area. By using two through-beam infrared photoelectric sensors, it can automatically detect the conveying status of the product on the transfer mechanism and sound an alarm as soon as the product is stuck.

[0029] 5. By setting up an Internet of Things (IoT) module, the present invention allows operators to communicate with the PLC control system remotely via a computer or mobile phone, thereby enabling remote control of the dispensing system and greatly reducing equipment maintenance costs.

[0030] 6. This invention has a simple structure, is easy and quick to operate, has good compatibility, and can be applied to a variety of products of different specifications. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the transfer mechanism and conveyor belt in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the transfer mechanism and conveyor belt in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the transfer mechanism, the feed counting sensor, the material blocking mechanism, and the conveyor belt in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a horizontal four-axis articulated robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the material blocking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the dispensing needle positioning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] In the diagram: 1. Vibrating feeder; 2. Transfer mechanism; 201. Inclined receiving plate; 2011. First mounting hole; 202. Upper baffle; 2021. First bending plate; 2022. Second oblong hole; 203. Lower baffle; 2031. Second bending plate; 2032. First oblong hole; 2033. Third oblong hole; 204. Infrared photoelectric sensor; 205. Second mounting bracket; 2051. Second mounting hole; 2052. Arc-shaped through slot; 206. First sensor mounting plate; 207. Second sensor mounting plate; 3. Feed counting sensor; 301. Counting sensor mounting bracket; 4. Frame assembly; 5. Audible and visual alarm; 6. Horizontal four-axis articulated robot; 601. Base; 6 02. Boom, 603. Arm, 604. End Shaft, 7. Glue Tank, 8. PLC Control System, 9. Gear Pump, 10. Conveyor Belt, 1001. Mounting Profile, 10011. Sensor Mounting Hole, 11. Dispensing Needle Valve, 12. Dispensing Working Area, 13. Workpiece, 14. Photoelectric Sensor, 15. Material Stopping Device, 1501. First Mounting Bracket, 1502. Lifting Cylinder, 1503. Material Stopping Plate, 16. Dispensing Needle Positioning Device, 1601. Guide Rod, 16011. Dispensing Needle Correction Hole, 1602. Guide Block, 16021. Opening Slot, 16022. Square Slot, 16023. Mounting Hole, 16024. Threaded Hole, 17. Waste Bin, 18. Drop Plate. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0040] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0041] like Figures 1 to 7As shown, this embodiment of the invention includes a frame assembly 4, a conveyor belt 10, a gear pump 9, a glue tank 7, a dispensing needle valve 11, and a PLC control system 8. An electrical cabinet is located at the lower part of the frame assembly 4, and a work platform is located at the upper end of the electrical cabinet. The conveyor belt 10 is placed on the work platform, and a dispensing work area 12 is set at the position corresponding to the middle of the frame assembly 4 on the conveyor belt 10. The dispensing needle valve 11 is located above the dispensing work area 12 and is used for dispensing glue onto the workpiece. The dispensing needle valve 11 is connected to the glue tank 7 via the gear pump 9. The dispensing needle valve 11, gear pump 9, and conveyor belt 10 are all connected to the PLC control system 8, which is located on the right side wall of the frame assembly 4 and is used to control the dispensing operation.

[0042] This embodiment of the invention also includes a vibrating feeding tray 1, a transfer mechanism 2, a robot, a panoramic vision camera (not shown in the figure), and a photoelectric sensor 14. The vibrating feeding tray 1, the robot, the photoelectric sensor 14, and the panoramic vision camera are all connected to the PLC control system 8. The vibrating feeding tray 1 is located on the left side of the frame assembly 4. One end of the transfer mechanism 2 is connected to the discharge port of the vibrating feeding tray 1, and the other end is connected to the conveyor belt 10, used to transport the workpiece 13 onto the conveyor belt 10. The robot is a horizontal four-axis articulated robot 6, including a base 601. The base 601 is installed above and behind the dispensing working area 12 inside the frame assembly 4. The horizontal four-axis articulated robot 6 has high repeatability and positioning accuracy and has four degrees of freedom: rotation of the upper arm 602, rotation of the forearm 603, rotation of the end axis 604, and vertical movement of the end axis 604. The dispensing needle valve 11 is installed at the end of the end axis 604 of the horizontal four-axis articulated robot 6 and is located in the dispensing working area 1. Above 2, a panoramic vision camera is installed on the top wall inside the frame assembly 4, directly above the dispensing work area 12. It is used to take panoramic photos of all workpieces 13 in the dispensing work area 12 and send the photos to the PLC control system 8. The PLC control system 8 receives the photo information and accurately calculates the specific coordinates of all workpieces 13 to be dispensed in the dispensing work area 12 based on the photo information. Then, it sends the coordinate position information to the horizontal four-axis articulated robot 6. The horizontal four-axis articulated robot 6 moves the dispensing needle valve 11 to the workpiece 13 at the corresponding coordinate position according to the coordinate position information and starts to perform the dispensing operation. The photoelectric sensor 14 adopts a through-beam photoelectric position sensor. The front and rear mounting profiles 1001 of the dispensing work area 12 corresponding to the conveyor belt are provided with coaxial sensor mounting holes 10011. The transmitting end and receiving end of the through-beam are respectively installed on the sensor mounting holes 10011 of the front and rear mounting profiles 1001.

[0043] The working method of this embodiment of the invention: Upon equipment startup, the PLC control system 8 centrally sends control commands, and the vibrating feeding tray 1 automatically feeds the workpieces in an orderly manner. After passing through the transfer mechanism 2, the workpieces 13 slide down onto the conveyor belt 10 under their own weight. During this process, if a workpiece gets stuck on the upper baffle 202 or the lower baffle 203, the infrared photoelectric sensor 204 sends detection information to the PLC control system 8, triggering an audible and visual alarm. The conveyor belt 10 then transports the workpieces 13 to the dispensing work area 12. The photoelectric sensor 14 detects the workpiece's arrival at the dispensing work area 12 and sends a detection signal to the PLC control system. 8. After receiving the dispensing signal, the PLC control system 8 starts the panoramic camera to take panoramic pictures of all workpieces 13 in the dispensing work area 12 and sends the pictures to the PLC control system 8. Based on the picture data, the PLC control system 8 calculates the dispensing coordinates of all workpieces 13 in the dispensing work area 12 and transmits the coordinate data to the horizontal four-axis articulated robot 6. Based on the coordinate data, the robot moves to the starting dispensing position, opens the dispensing needle valve 11, and performs dispensing. After dispensing is completed, the conveyor belt 10 takes away the dispensed workpieces 13 and waits for the next batch of new workpieces 13 to arrive for the next dispensing.

[0044] As a preferred option, the horizontal four-axis articulated robot 6 adopts the BRTIRSC0603A horizontal four-axis robot from Borunte, which is fast, highly accurate, and has a repeatability accuracy of 0.02mm.

[0045] Preferably, a liftable baffle device 15 is provided on the right side of the transfer mechanism 2 on the conveyor belt 10. This device is used to block the workpieces 13 behind from continuing to be conveyed forward after the previous batch of workpieces 13 has been glued, or to allow the next batch of workpieces 13 to continue to be conveyed forward after the previous batch of workpieces 13 has been glued. The baffle device 15 includes a baffle plate 1503, a lifting cylinder 1502, and a first mounting bracket 1501. The first mounting bracket 1501 is an L-shaped bent plate, and there are two of them, which are fixedly connected to the front and rear mounting profiles 1001 of the conveyor belt 10, respectively. There are two lifting cylinders 1502, which are respectively installed on the two first mounting brackets 1501. The piston rod of the lifting cylinder 1502 is set upward, and the end of the piston rod is fixedly connected to the baffle plate 1503. The two lifting cylinders 1502 are started at the same time, which drives the two ends of the baffle plate 1503 to rise or fall at the same time.

[0046] Preferably, the transfer mechanism 2 includes an inclined receiving plate 201, an upper baffle 202, and a lower baffle 203. The angle α between the inclined receiving plate 201 and the horizontal plane is set to 10-35°. The inclined receiving plate 201 is a U-shaped bent plate with the U-shaped opening facing upwards. The front and rear sidewalls of the U-shaped bent plate are mounted on the upper surface of the front and rear mounting profiles 1001 of the conveyor belt 10 via two second mounting brackets 205. The upper baffle 202 is located at the upper end of the inclined receiving plate 201 to prevent the workpiece 13 from rebounding and jumping out of the inclined receiving plate 201 when it falls. The lower baffle 203 is located at the upper end of the inclined receiving plate 201. The lower end of the inclined receiving plate 201 is used to prevent the workpieces 13 from stacking. The upper baffle 202 and the lower baffle 203 are both U-shaped plates with the U-shaped opening facing upwards. The two side walls of the U-shape are fixedly connected to the two side walls of the U-shape of the inclined receiving plate 201. The distance between the lower plane of the upper baffle 202 and the lower baffle 203 and the inner bottom surface of the U-shape of the inclined receiving plate 201 is greater than the height of the workpiece 13 and less than twice the height of the workpiece 13. The lower baffle 203 has several first waist-shaped holes 2033 arranged in an array in the middle to facilitate observation of the feeding of the workpiece 13 below the lower baffle 203.

[0047] The upper baffle 202 has a first bending plate 2021 bent to the upper left side in the middle of its left side, and the lower baffle 203 has a second bending plate 2031 bent to the upper left side in the middle of its left side. The first bending plate 2021 and the second bending plate 2031 are both used to prevent the workpiece 13 from rebounding and jumping out of the inclined receiving plate 201 when it falls.

[0048] Preferably, the inclined receiving plate 201 has several evenly distributed first mounting holes 2011 on its front and rear sidewalls, and the upper baffle 202 has several evenly distributed second waist-shaped holes 2022 on its front and rear sidewalls, and the lower baffle 203 has several evenly distributed third waist-shaped holes 2033 on its front and rear sidewalls. The hole spacing of the second waist-shaped holes 2022 and the third waist-shaped holes 2033 is the same as the hole spacing of the first mounting holes 2011. The upper baffle 202 and the lower baffle 203 are respectively locked and fixed to the corresponding first mounting holes 2011 by bolts through the second waist-shaped holes 2022 and the third waist-shaped holes 2033.

[0049] The second mounting bracket 205 has a second mounting hole 2051 at the upper left corner and an arc-shaped through groove 2052 at the upper right corner. The upper left corner of the second mounting bracket 205 is fixed to the first mounting hole 2011 with bolts through the second mounting hole 2051, and the upper right corner is fixed to the first mounting hole 2011 with bolts through the arc-shaped through groove 2052. The tilt angle α of the inclined receiving plate 201 can be adjusted through the arc-shaped through groove 2052.

[0050] Preferably, infrared photoelectric sensors 204 are provided at the upper and lower ends of the inclined receiving plate 201 and at the corresponding positions of the lower ports of the upper baffle 202 and the lower baffle 203. These sensors are used to sense whether the workpiece 13 is stuck in the upper baffle 202 or the lower baffle 203 and to send the sensing information to the PLC control system 8. An audible and visual alarm 5 is provided on the top of the frame assembly. The audible and visual alarm 5 is connected to the PLC control system. After receiving the sensing information from the infrared photoelectric sensors 204, the PLC control system 8 will send an audible and visual alarm command to the audible and visual alarm 5 to trigger an audible and visual alarm.

[0051] The infrared photoelectric sensor 204 is a through-beam infrared photoelectric sensor. The transmitting end and receiving end of the upper infrared photoelectric sensor 204 are respectively installed on the front and rear sides of the inclined receiving plate 201 through the first sensor mounting plate 206. The transmitting end and receiving end of the lower infrared photoelectric sensor 204 are respectively installed on the front and rear sides of the inclined receiving plate 201 through the second sensor mounting plate 207.

[0052] Preferably, the PLC control system 8 includes an Internet of Things (IoT) module, which is connected to the Internet, allowing operators to control the equipment remotely via computer or mobile phone.

[0053] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the feed counting sensor 3 is also included. The feed counting sensor 3 is disposed above the inclined receiving plate 201, between the upper baffle 202 and the lower baffle 203, and corresponds to the position of the discharge port of the vibrating feeding plate 1. The feed counting sensor 3 is mounted on the counting sensor mounting bracket 301, which is mounted on the upper plane of the mounting profile 1001 on the rear side of the conveyor belt.

[0054] Preferably, the front side of the front mounting profile 1001 of the conveyor belt 10 is provided with a dispensing needle positioning device 16, which is used to align the dispensing needle on the dispensing needle valve 11 when it is replaced.

[0055] The dispensing needle positioning device 16 includes a guide block 1602 and a guide rod 1601. The guide block 1602 has an opening groove 16021 in the middle of its front side and a square groove 16022 penetrating the upper and lower sides of its upper end. The front side of the guide block 1602 has two symmetrical mounting holes 16023 and two threaded holes 16024 that are offset from and symmetrical to the mounting holes 16023. The two mounting holes 16023 are located on the upper right and lower right sides of the opening groove 16021, respectively, and the two threaded holes 16024 are located on the upper left and lower left sides of the opening groove 16021, respectively. The guide block 1602 is mounted on the T-groove on the front side of the mounting profile 1001 using two T-bolts. T-bolts pass through two mounting holes 16023 and are locked in place with lock nuts. The guide rod 1601 is a 7-shaped rod, with the vertical part of the 7-shaped rod inserted into the square groove 16022, forming a vertically movable connection with the square groove 16022. The horizontal rod extends towards the inside of the frame assembly 4 and is located above the guide block 1602. The upper end of the horizontal rod has a dispensing needle correction hole 16011 that passes through the horizontal rod beyond the position of the vertical rod. The diameter of the dispensing needle correction hole 16011 matches the outer diameter of the dispensing needle. Set screws (not shown in the figure) are provided in both threaded holes 16024. After adjusting the height of the guide rod 1601, the guide rod 1601 is locked and fixed to the guide block 1602 by the two set screws.

[0056] Preferably, a waste bin 17 is also provided on the upper surface of the front mounting profile 1001 of the conveyor belt 10 for storing defective products that have not been properly glued.

[0057] Preferably, the right end of the conveyor belt 10 is also provided with a drop plate 18, which is bent and tilted downwards on the right side to facilitate the workpiece after dispensing to fall from the drop plate 18 into the storage box or onto the subsequent discharge conveyor belt.

[0058] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several improvements and substitutions without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, and these improvements and substitutions should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vision-based dispensing machine, comprising a frame assembly, a conveyor belt, a gear pump, a glue tank, a dispensing needle valve, and a PLC control system. The frame assembly has an electrical cabinet at its lower part and a work platform at its upper end. The conveyor belt is positioned on the work platform, and a dispensing work area is defined on the conveyor belt at a location corresponding to the middle of the frame assembly. The dispensing needle valve is located above the dispensing work area and is used for dispensing glue onto the workpiece. The dispensing needle valve is connected to the glue tank via the gear pump. The dispensing needle valve, gear pump, and conveyor belt are all connected to the PLC control system, which is located on the right side wall of the frame assembly and is used to control the dispensing operation. The machine is characterized by: It also includes a vibrating feeder, a transfer mechanism, a robot, a panoramic vision camera, and photoelectric sensors. The vibrating feeder, robot, photoelectric sensors, and panoramic vision camera are all connected to a PLC control system. The vibrating feeder is located on one side of the frame assembly. One end of the transfer mechanism is connected to the discharge port of the vibrating feeder, and the other end is connected to the conveyor belt, used to transport workpieces onto the conveyor belt. The robot is a horizontal four-axis articulated robot, including a base, which is installed above and behind the dispensing work area within the frame assembly. The horizontal four-axis articulated robot has high repeatability and positioning accuracy, possessing four degrees of freedom: arm rotation, forearm rotation, end-axis rotation, and end-axis vertical movement. The dispensing needle valve is installed on the horizontal four-axis articulated robot. The robot's end shaft is positioned above the dispensing work area. The panoramic vision camera is mounted on the top wall inside the frame assembly, directly above the dispensing work area. It is used to take panoramic photos of all workpieces within the dispensing work area and send the photos to the PLC control system. The PLC control system receives the photo information and accurately calculates the specific coordinates of all workpieces to be dispensed within the dispensing work area. Then, it sends the coordinate position information to the robot. The robot moves the dispensing needle valve to the workpiece at the corresponding coordinate position based on the coordinate position information and begins to perform the dispensing operation. The photoelectric sensor is a through-beam photoelectric position sensor, with the transmitting and receiving ends of the through-beam sensor respectively mounted on the front and rear mounting profiles of the conveyor belt in the dispensing work area. The transfer mechanism includes an inclined receiving plate, an upper baffle, and a lower baffle. The angle between the inclined receiving plate and the horizontal plane is set to 10-35°. The inclined receiving plate is a U-shaped bent plate with the U-shaped opening facing upwards. The front and rear side walls of the U-shaped bent plate are mounted on the upper surface of the front and rear mounting profiles of the conveyor belt through two second mounting brackets. The upper baffle is located at the upper end of the inclined receiving plate to prevent the workpiece from rebounding and jumping out of the inclined receiving plate when it falls. The lower baffle is located at the lower end of the inclined receiving plate to prevent the workpiece from stacking. Both the upper and lower baffles are U-shaped plates with the U-shaped opening facing upwards. The two side walls of the U-shape are fixedly connected to the two side walls of the U-shape of the inclined receiving plate. The distance between the lower surface of the upper and lower baffles and the inner bottom surface of the U-shape of the inclined receiving plate is greater than the height of the workpiece but less than twice the height of the workpiece. The lower baffle has several first waist-shaped holes arranged in an array in the middle to facilitate observation of the workpiece feeding situation below the lower baffle. The upper baffle has a first bending plate that bends to the upper left side in the middle of its left side, and the lower baffle has a second bending plate that bends to the upper left side in the middle of its left side. Both the first bending plate and the second bending plate are used to prevent the workpiece from rebounding and jumping out of the inclined receiving plate when it falls.

2. The vision dispensing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The horizontal four-axis articulated robot used is the BRTIRSC0603A horizontal four-axis robot from Borunte, which is fast, highly accurate, and has a repeatability accuracy of 0.02mm.

3. The vision dispensing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conveyor belt is equipped with a liftable baffle device on the right side of the transfer mechanism. This device is used to block the subsequent workpieces from continuing to be conveyed forward before the previous batch of workpieces is glued, or to allow the subsequent batch of workpieces to continue to be conveyed forward after the previous batch of workpieces is glued. The baffle device includes a baffle plate, a lifting cylinder, and a first mounting bracket. The first mounting bracket is an L-shaped bent plate, and there are two of them, which are respectively fixedly connected to the front and rear mounting profiles of the conveyor belt. There are two lifting cylinders, which are respectively installed on the two first mounting brackets. The piston rod of the lifting cylinder is set upward, and the end of the piston rod is fixedly connected to the baffle plate. When the two lifting cylinders are started at the same time, they drive the two ends of the baffle plate to rise or fall at the same time.

4. A vision dispensing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inclined receiving plate has several evenly distributed first mounting holes on its front and rear sidewalls that penetrate the front and rear sidewalls. The upper baffle has several evenly distributed second oblong holes on its front and rear sidewalls that penetrate the front and rear sidewalls. The lower baffle has several evenly distributed third oblong holes on its front and rear sidewalls that penetrate the front and rear sidewalls. The spacing between the second oblong holes and the third oblong holes is the same as the spacing between the first mounting holes. The upper baffle and the lower baffle are respectively locked and fixed to the corresponding first mounting holes through the second oblong holes and the third oblong holes with bolts. The second mounting bracket has a second mounting hole at the upper left corner and an arc-shaped through groove at the upper right corner. The upper left corner of the second mounting bracket is fixed to the first mounting hole by bolts through the second mounting hole, and the upper right corner is fixed to the first mounting hole by bolts through the arc-shaped through groove. The tilting angle of the inclined receiving plate can be adjusted through the arc-shaped through groove.

5. A vision dispensing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: Infrared photoelectric sensors are provided at the upper and lower ends of the inclined receiving plate and at the corresponding positions of the lower ports of the upper and lower baffles. These sensors are used to sense whether the workpiece is stuck in the upper or lower baffle and to send the sensing information to the PLC control system. After receiving the sensing information, the PLC control system will issue an audible and visual alarm. The infrared photoelectric sensor is a through-beam infrared photoelectric sensor, with the transmitting and receiving ends of the through-beam type located on the front and rear sides of the inclined receiving plate, respectively.

6. A vision dispensing machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: The PLC control system includes an Internet of Things (IoT) module, which is connected to the Internet, allowing operators to control the equipment remotely via computer or mobile phone.

7. A vision dispensing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a feed counting sensor, which is located above the inclined receiving plate, between the upper baffle and the lower baffle, and corresponds to the position of the discharge port of the vibrating feeding plate.

8. A vision dispensing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front side of the front mounting profile of the conveyor belt is provided with a dispensing needle positioning device, which is used to align the dispensing needle on the dispensing needle valve when it is replaced.

9. A vision dispensing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dispensing needle positioning device includes a guide block and a guide rod. The guide block has an opening groove in the middle of its front side and a square groove penetrating its upper and lower sides on its upper end face. The front side of the guide block has two symmetrical mounting holes and two threaded holes offset from the mounting holes and symmetrically positioned vertically. The two mounting holes are located on the upper right and lower right sides of the opening groove, and the two threaded holes are located on the upper left and lower left sides of the opening groove. The guide block is mounted to the T-groove on the front side of the mounting profile using two T-bolts. Do not pass through the two mounting holes. Secure the guide rod with a lock nut. The guide rod is a 7-shaped rod. The vertical part of the 7-shaped rod is inserted into the square groove, forming a vertically movable connection with the square groove. The horizontal rod extends towards the inside of the frame assembly and is located above the guide block. The upper end of the horizontal rod has a dispensing needle correction hole that passes through the horizontal rod beyond the position of the vertical rod. The diameter of the dispensing needle correction hole matches the outer diameter of the dispensing needle. Set screws are provided in both threaded holes. After adjusting the height of the guide rod, lock the guide rod onto the guide block with two set screws.

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