An automatic loading and unloading device

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of automatic feeding and discharging equipment, by material box transfer device, two material taking and placing devices and two rear end flow channels are constituted.Material box transfer device includes multiple fixed platforms, multiple lifting platforms and handling mechanism, fixed platform is as the work area of artificial or with other equipment, handling mechanism carries material box to lifting platform.Two material taking and placing devices are responsible for the taking and placing of material box on a part of lifting platform.Material taking and placing device is provided with two vertical plates, which are relatively close or far away under the drive of vertical plate execution mechanism, and conveying belt is arranged on the side of the facing vertical plates to form flow channel, whether the vertical plates are relatively close or far away, Z-axis linear drive module, Y-axis linear drive module and fork hand assembly are always located at the center position of flow channel, and the adjustment of flow channel width can be realized by controlling vertical plate execution mechanism.Rear end flow channel is used for the connection with the flow channel of material taking and placing device, can adapt to different specifications of product, and adjusts product conveying spacing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of IC carrier processing, and in particular to automatic loading and unloading equipment. Background Art

[0002] During the manufacturing process, IC substrates need to go through multiple processes such as pressing and welding. Specialized material boxes are required to circulate products between each process. Therefore, it is necessary to repeatedly circulate filled and empty material boxes, as well as take products out of and put them back into the material boxes.

[0003] Currently, it is common to use a 4-axis robot to insert and remove products or an XZ two-axis motion mechanism to transport products. However, the 4-axis robot is expensive, while the XZ two-axis motion mechanism takes up a lot of space and has low efficiency.

[0004] The invention patent with application number 202311332714.8 discloses an automatic material transfer device, including a frame, a carrier provided on the frame, an automatic door opening device, and a mechanical fork located on one side of the frame; the mechanical fork includes a fork mechanism and a drive module; the fork mechanism includes a working platform, a drive mechanism provided on the working platform, a fork assembly driven by the drive mechanism, and a flow channel provided on the working platform; a fork guide is provided on the surface of the working platform, and the fork guide has a long horizontal guide surface and a short horizontal guide surface located at the tail and lower than the long horizontal guide surface; when the drive mechanism drives the fork assembly to move on the long horizontal guide surface, the fork in the fork assembly must be higher than the height of the conveyor belt in the flow channel, so that the fork drags the product without contacting the conveyor belt; when the drive mechanism drives the fork assembly to move on the short horizontal guide surface, the product is separated from the fork and placed on the conveyor belt. This solution can accurately pick up products while avoiding product wear.

[0005] However, the above solution has the following problems:

[0006] 1. The runner and fork sizes are fixed and cannot adapt to products of different sizes;

[0007] 2. Due to the warping of the product, when the fork places the product into the material box, the edge of the product occasionally touches the material box. Since the fork is driven by the driving mechanism to move on the special-shaped guide surface to realize the pick-up and placement function, the product will be forced to squeeze the entrance of the material box under the drive of the fork, causing the product to be damaged.

[0008] Furthermore, when some subsequent processing operations involve handling two IC substrates simultaneously, the substrates must be relatively close together, with a spacing of only about 20mm between them during transport. This is because when products are removed from the cassette and placed in the corresponding transport channel, the spacing between the transport channels cannot meet this requirement due to factors such as the cassette placement, the size of the robot that handles the product, and the structure of the robot. This necessitates adding a channel transition to meet this requirement.

[0009] Therefore, it is necessary to improve and optimize the existing automatic material box transfer device so that it can better meet user needs. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The purpose of the embodiment of the present invention is to address the shortcomings of the existing technical structure and propose an automatic loading and unloading equipment, which is mainly composed of a material box transfer device, two material picking and unloading devices and two rear-end flow channels. The material box transfer device includes multiple fixed platforms, multiple lifting platforms and a conveying mechanism. The fixed platform serves as a working area for manual work or connection with other equipment. Each sensor detects whether the material box is in place on the fixed platform, and then the conveying mechanism automatically transports the material box to the lifting platform for subsequent processing. The two material picking and unloading devices are respectively responsible for picking up and placing a part of the material boxes on the lifting platform. The rear-end flow channel is used to connect with the flow channel of the material picking and unloading device, which can adapt to products of different specifications and adjust the product conveying spacing.

[0011] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose of the invention, an automatic loading and unloading device proposed in an embodiment of the present invention is realized by the following technical solutions:

[0012] An automatic loading and unloading device, comprising:

[0013] The material box transfer device includes several fixed platforms and several lifting platforms for placing material boxes, and also includes a transport mechanism for transporting material boxes between the fixed platforms and the lifting platforms; the fixed platforms and the lifting platforms are arranged in a line and arranged side by side; the lifting platforms are provided with a lifting assembly for driving the material boxes on them to rise and fall;

[0014] Two material picking and unloading devices respectively include a translation platform driven by a first X-axis linear drive module, a first Z-axis linear drive module arranged on the translation platform, a first Y-axis linear drive module arranged on the first Z-axis linear drive module, and a fork assembly arranged on the first Y-axis linear drive module; the two first X-axis linear drive modules are coaxial and arranged along the lifting platform queue; the fork assembly is provided with a fork for extending into the material box on the lifting platform under the drive of the first Z-axis linear drive module; two vertical plates are vertically arranged on the translation platform, which can be relatively close to or away from each other under the drive of the vertical plate actuator, the two vertical plates are parallel to each other and symmetrically arranged along the central axis of the first Z-axis linear drive module, and the facing sides of the two are provided with conveyor belts and combined to form a flow channel with adjustable width; the first Y-axis linear drive module has: a first limit position that makes the fork higher than the height of the conveyor belt, so that the product can be supported by the fork without contacting the conveyor belt; a second limit position that makes the fork lower than the height of the conveyor belt, so that the product can be separated from the fork and fall on the conveyor belt;

[0015] The two rear-end flow channels are driven by the second X-axis linear drive module respectively; the two second X-axis linear drive modules are coaxial and parallel to the axis of the first X-axis linear drive module; the rear-end flow channel includes a fixed side plate perpendicular to the axis of the second X-axis linear drive module and a movable side plate driven by the third X-axis linear drive module to approach or move away from the fixed side plate, and the facing sides of the fixed side plate and the movable side plate are provided with conveyor belts and combined to form a flow channel with adjustable width; the other side of the fixed side plate opposite to the movable side plate constitutes the first end face of the rear-end flow channel; the two rear-end flow channels can move along the second X-axis linear drive module until their first end faces are roughly connected.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the above solution mainly consists of a material box transfer device, two material taking and placing devices and two rear end flow channels.

[0017] The material box transfer device includes multiple fixed platforms, multiple lifting platforms and a conveying mechanism. The fixed platform serves as an operating area for manual work or connection with other equipment. Each sensor detects whether the material box is in place on the fixed platform. Then the conveying mechanism automatically transports the material box to the lifting platform for subsequent processing.

[0018] Two loading and unloading devices are responsible for loading and unloading a portion of the cassettes on the lifting platform. The loading and unloading devices feature two vertical plates that move closer or farther apart under the drive of a vertical plate actuator. Conveyor belts are installed on the opposing sides of the vertical plates to form a flow channel. Regardless of the relative movement of the vertical plates, the Z-axis linear drive module, Y-axis linear drive module, and fork arm assembly remain centered in the flow channel. The flow channel width can be adjusted by controlling the vertical plate actuator.

[0019] The rear end flow channel is used to connect with the flow channel of the loading and unloading device, which can adapt to products of different specifications and adjust the product conveying distance.

[0020] As a further solution of the present invention: the fork includes a base body, a central fork rod fixed on the base body, and two extended fork rods detachably arranged on the base body. The fork composed of the central fork rod and the two extended fork rods is symmetrically arranged along the central axis of the Z-axis linear drive module, and its width is between the maximum spacing and the minimum spacing of the two vertical plates.

[0021] As a further solution of the present invention: a front hook is fixed to the front of the extension fork rod and the center fork rod, and a rear hook is fixed to the rear; the front hook has a first horizontal support surface and a front stop surface established in front of the first horizontal support surface; the rear hook has a second horizontal support surface and a rear stop surface established behind the second horizontal support surface, wherein the upper surface of the first horizontal support surface and the upper surface of the second horizontal support surface are located on the same horizontal plane.

[0022] As a further solution of the present invention: the fork hand assembly also includes a column block arranged at the central fork rod, which is driven by the column actuator to push the products on the central fork rod from the rear to the front of the central fork rod.

[0023] As a further solution of the present invention: the fork hand assembly also includes a first self-contracting assembly; the first self-contracting assembly has a first end fixed on the first Y-axis linear drive module, and a second end that approaches the first end when under pressure and rebounds after the pressure disappears, the fork is provided on the second end, and the direction in which the second end approaches the first end is located on the axis of the first Z-axis linear drive module.

[0024] As a further solution of the present invention: the first self-contracting component includes a base and a movable plate, the base is fixed on the Y-axis linear drive module to form a first end; the base is provided with a plurality of through holes, and a guide rod is movably sleeved in the through holes, one end of the guide rod has a flange larger than the through hole, and the other end is vertically connected to the movable plate, a spring is sleeved on the guide rod, and the two ends of the spring are respectively in contact with the end face of the base and the end face of the movable plate; the fork is fixed to the movable plate.

[0025] As a further solution of the present invention: the self-contracting assembly further includes a position sensor for detecting the relative distance between the base and the movable plate.

[0026] As a further solution of the present invention: the vertical plate actuator includes a bidirectional lead screw and a motor driving the bidirectional lead screw to rotate, and the vertical plate and the bidirectional lead screw are threadedly connected.

[0027] As a further solution of the present invention: the translation platform is further provided with a block that selectively blocks the flow channel. When the product carried by the flow channel is blocked, it can be supported by the fork that rises from the second limit position to the first limit position.

[0028] As a further solution of the present invention: the conveying mechanism includes a fourth X-axis linear drive module arranged along the fixed carrier queue, a second Z-axis linear drive module arranged on the fourth X-axis linear drive module, at least one group of second Y-axis linear drive modules arranged on the second Z-axis linear drive module, and a second self-contracting component driven by the second Y-axis linear drive module; the second self-contracting component has a first end fixed on the second Y-axis linear drive module, and a second end that is always parallel to the first end, approaches the first end when under pressure and rebounds after the pressure disappears, and the second end is provided with a pair of left and right clamps that are driven by a cylinder to open and close relative to each other.

[0029] As a further solution of the present invention: the second self-contracting component includes a base and a movable plate, the base is fixed on the Y-axis linear drive module to form a first end; the movable plate is provided with a plurality of through holes, and a guide rod is movably sleeved in the through holes, one end of the guide rod has a flange larger than the through hole, and the other end is vertically connected to the base, a spring is sleeved on the guide rod, and the two ends of the spring are respectively in contact with the end face of the base and the end face of the movable plate; the clamp and the cylinder for driving the clamp are fixed on the movable plate.

[0030] As a further solution of the present invention: the top of the fixed carrier has a horizontally arranged rectangular mounting surface, a left positioning piece is provided on the left side of the mounting surface, and a right positioning piece is provided on the right side thereof, and the mounting surface is also provided with slide rails on the left and right between the left positioning piece and the right positioning piece, and a left slider and a right slider that can be selectively fixed thereon are movably provided on the slide rails; the left positioning piece, the right positioning piece, the side of the left slider facing the left positioning piece, and the side of the right slider facing the right positioning piece all form positioning grooves for placing the ridges on the bottom surface of the material box, so that the left positioning piece and the left slider are combined to constitute the material box storage position, and the right positioning piece and the right slider are combined to constitute the material box storage position.

[0031] As a further solution of the present invention: the positioning grooves on the right slider and the right positioning member are composed of several sections of discontinuous grooves, and the positioning grooves of the two are staggered; the left slider and the right slider are both provided with in-position sensors for detecting whether the convex ridges on the bottom surface of the material box are in position to the positioning grooves; the lifting platform is provided with distance sensors for detecting whether there are substrates in each substrate storage position in the material box.

[0032] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0033] The loading and unloading equipment proposed in this invention is an integrated loading and unloading machine. By providing two flow channels, the machine can simultaneously load and unload materials. Furthermore, this equipment separates the moving area from the loading area (fixed platform), enabling non-stop loading. It can also collect two products simultaneously, achieving high speed. Two sets of main and backup hoppers ensure continuous material supply to the assembly line, significantly improving loading and unloading efficiency.

[0034] 2. It can be easily disassembled and assembled to adapt to products of different specifications. One platform can hold a variety of material boxes and can hold two small material boxes, which makes it more adaptable.

[0035] 3. The spacing between the discharge ports is small, and the spacing between the discharged products can be adjusted, with the minimum spacing being less than 30mm.

[0036] 4. Set up the first self-retracting component and sensor. When the edge of the product contacts the material box, the self-retracting component will retract, preventing the product from forcibly squeezing the material box. If the product still does not adjust the angle to enter the material box after the self-retracting component retracts, the sensor will trigger the control device to stop before the maximum contraction of the self-retracting component is reached, thus preventing product damage.

[0037] 5. The equipment has the characteristics of simple structure, high precision, fast response speed, high integration, safety and reliability, strong practicality and long service life. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The above features and advantages of the present invention will become more clear and easily understood through the following description of exemplary embodiments thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0039] Figure 1 This is a front perspective diagram of the automatic loading and unloading equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 This is a perspective diagram of the rear side of the automatic loading and unloading equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the fixed platform structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting platform structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the transport mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of a second self-shrinking component according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram of the combined state of the material taking and discharging device and the rear end flow channel according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of a material taking and unloading device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 9 1 is a perspective schematic diagram of a fork hand assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 10A side view of a fork hand assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the structure of the rear end flow channel of an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The following describes the implementation of the present invention using specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art will readily understand the other advantages and benefits of the present invention from the disclosure herein. Obviously, the embodiments described are only a portion of the present invention, not all of it. All other embodiments derived by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are intended to fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0051] The terms "front", "back", "left", "right", "inside", and "outside" used in this specification are for the purpose of clarification only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Any changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially changing the technical content, should be considered within the scope of the present invention.

[0052] In the following descriptions of the embodiments, unless otherwise specified or limited, the term "connection" and other terms should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connection" can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can refer to a mechanical connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can refer to internal communication between two components or an interaction between two components, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0053] See also Figure 1-2 As shown, the present invention proposes an automatic loading and unloading device, which is mainly composed of a material box transfer device 1, two material picking and unloading devices 2 and two rear end flow channels 3. Among them:

[0054] Material box transfer device 1

[0055] See also Figure 1 The magazine transfer device 1 includes several fixed platforms 11 and several elevating platforms 12 for placing magazines 4, as well as a transfer mechanism 13 for transferring magazines between the fixed platforms 11 and the elevating platforms 12. In a preferred embodiment, there are six fixed platforms 11 and four elevating platforms 12. These fixed platforms 11 and elevating platforms 12 are arranged in a line and side by side.

[0056] See also Figure 3The main function of the fixed carrier 11 is to store empty or full material boxes, which belongs to the storage area or storage work station. At the same time, the fixed carrier 11 serves as an operating area for manual work or connection with other equipment. Each sensor detects whether the material box is in place on the fixed carrier 11, and then the conveying mechanism 13 automatically conveys the material box 4 to the lifting platform 12 for subsequent processing.

[0057] The top of the fixed carrier 11 has a horizontally arranged rectangular mounting surface, with a left positioning member 111 on the left side of the mounting surface and a right positioning member 112 on the right side thereof. The mounting surface is also provided with slide rails 113 on the left and right between the left positioning member 111 and the right positioning member 112. The slide rails 113 are movably provided with a left slider 114 and a right slider 115 that can be selectively fixed thereon. For ease of operation, the left slider 114 and the right slider 115 can adopt set screws, locking devices with wrenches or other adjustable locking structures.

[0058] The left positioning member 111, the right positioning member 112, the side of the left slider 114 facing the left positioning member 111, and the side of the right slider 115 facing the right positioning member 112 all form positioning grooves 116 for placing the ridges on the bottom surface of the material box, so that the left positioning member and the left slider are combined to form a material box storage position, and the right positioning member and the right slider are combined to form a material box storage position.

[0059] The locating grooves 116 on the right slider 114 and the right positioning member 112 are both composed of several sections of intermittent grooves, and the locating grooves of the two are staggered. Through such a structure, when the right slider 114 is pushed to the right positioning member 112, the locating grooves of the two can be embedded in each other to save space.

[0060] By adjusting the left slider 114 and the right slider 115 to the middle position of the mounting surface, two smaller boxes can be placed on the fixed platform 11 at the same time.

[0061] On the contrary, when the right slider 115 is pushed to the side of the right positioning member 112 and the position of the left slider 114 is adjusted at the same time, the magazine storage position between the left positioning member 111 and the left slider 114 can accommodate a magazine with a larger width.

[0062] No matter one or two material boxes are placed on the carrier, the positions of the material boxes are determined by the fixed left positioning member 111 and the right positioning member 112 , so as to facilitate the transportation by the transportation mechanism 13 .

[0063] Thus, the fixed carrier 11 can be adapted to material boxes of different specifications.

[0064] In addition, both the left slider 114 and the right slider 115 are equipped with position sensors (not shown in the figure) for detecting whether the ridges on the bottom surface of the magazine are in place in the positioning grooves. An indicator light (not shown in the figure) is provided on the fixed platform 11. The indicator light can display different colors or flash at different frequencies according to the information collected by the position sensors, indicating whether the magazine is properly placed and whether it needs to be removed.

[0065] See also Figure 4 The lifting platform 12 is equipped with a lifting assembly 121 for driving the loading box to rise and fall. The lifting assembly 121 is capable of raising and lowering the loading box of the lifting platform 12 according to the vertical spacing of the products in the box, so that each layer of products in the box is aligned with the fork of the fork mechanism for subsequently loading and unloading products into the box. The lifting assembly 121 can achieve the up and down lifting function by using a motor-driven screw, gear rack, etc. As such structures are well known to those skilled in the art, their structure will not be described in detail here.

[0066] The top plate of the lifting platform 12 also forms a storage area for the magazines. A bar 123 is located on one side of the top plate, and a square notch is located in the middle of the other side, opposite bar 123. This notch houses a aligning block 122, which protrudes from the top plate. A cylinder is located below the top plate to drive the aligning block 122. The aligning block 122 can move within the notch, pushing the magazines on the lifting platform 12 toward the bar 123 to align them and ensure accurate positioning. Furthermore, since the magazines can be pushed into the storage area, the entire area within which they can be pushed serves as space for their placement. Regardless of size, the magazines ultimately come to rest on the side of the bar 123, aligning them. This allows for the use of magazines of varying sizes. Two lifting platforms 12 work as a group, alternating between operations to ensure the equipment is always operational and more efficient.

[0067] In the present application, the lifting platform 12 has a mapping function, that is, the lifting platform 12 is also provided with a distance sensor for detecting the distribution of the substrate (product) in the material box.

[0068] See also Figure 5 The transport mechanism 13 is a mechanical gripper capable of X, Y, and Z three-axis motion. It includes a fourth X-axis linear drive module 131, a second Z-axis linear drive module 132 mounted on the fourth X-axis linear drive module 131, at least one second Y-axis linear drive module 133 mounted on the second Z-axis linear drive module 132, and a first self-retracting assembly 134 driven by the second Y-axis linear drive module 133. The axis of the fourth X-axis linear drive module 131 is arranged along the fixed platform 11.

[0069] Since XYZ triaxial motion mechanisms are well-known to those skilled in the art, the specific structures of the fourth X-axis linear drive module 131, the second Z-axis linear drive module 132, and the second Y-axis linear drive module 133 will not be described in detail here. Any existing mechanism capable of achieving XYZ triaxial motion can be applied to the present invention and fall within the scope of protection of this patent.

[0070] See also Figure 6 The second self-retracting assembly 134, also known as the clamping jaw, has a first end fixed to the second Y-axis linear drive module and a second end that is always parallel to the first end, moving toward the first end when under pressure and rebounding when the pressure is released. The second end is equipped with a pair of left and right clamping jaws 1345 that are driven by a pneumatic cylinder to open and close relative to each other. Specifically, the second self-retracting assembly 1344 comprises a base 1341 and a movable plate 1342. The base 1341 is fixed to the Y-axis linear drive module, forming the first end. The base 1341 defines a plurality of through-holes, within which guide rods 1343 are movably mounted. One end of the guide rods 1343 is mounted with a flange 1346 larger than the through-holes, and the other end extends through the through-holes and is perpendicularly connected to the movable plate 1342. A spring 1344 is mounted on the guide rods 1343, with the ends of the spring 1344 respectively abutting the end surfaces of the base 1341 and the end surfaces of the movable plate 1342. The first self-retracting assembly 222 and the second self-retracting assembly 134 have substantially the same structure, and both realize the automatic retraction function of the movable plate relative to the base through a spring, a guide rod, a base and a movable plate.

[0071] The clamping jaws 1345 and the cylinder 1346 driving the clamping jaws 1345 are fixed on the movable plate 1342. The clamping jaws 1345 are detachable and can be matched with the fixed carrier and the lifting carrier by replacing the clamping jaws 1 of different sizes to adapt to the material boxes of various specifications.

[0072] Material taking and unloading device 2

[0073] See also Figure 7 As shown, there are two material taking and unloading devices 2, which have exactly the same structure and are mirror-symmetrical, and each corresponds to two lifting platforms.

[0074] See also Figure 8-10 As shown, the material picking and placing device 2 includes a translation table 21 driven by a first X-axis linear drive module, a first Z-axis linear drive module arranged on the translation table 21, a first Y-axis linear drive module arranged on the first Z-axis linear drive module, and a fork hand assembly 22 arranged on the first Y-axis linear drive module.

[0075] The two first X-axis linear drive modules are coaxial and arranged along the elevating platform array. The first X-axis linear drive module is positioned along the elevating platform array, while the first Z-axis linear drive module is positioned toward the magazine opening on the elevating platform. The first X-axis linear drive module and the first Z-axis linear drive module form a mechanism for X and Z axis motion. The X-axis and Z-axis linear drive modules utilize servo motor-driven linear modules. The Y-axis linear drive module utilizes a pneumatic cylinder. Since this structure is well-known to those skilled in the art, it will not be further described here.

[0076] Two vertical plates 211 are mounted vertically on the translation stage 21. Driven by a plate actuator 212, the plates 211 can be moved closer or further apart. The plates 211 always remain parallel to each other and are symmetrically arranged along the central axis of the first Z-axis linear drive module. In a preferred embodiment, the plate actuator 212 includes a bidirectional lead screw 2121 and a motor 2122 that drives the bidirectional lead screw 2121. The plates 211 and the lead screw 2121 are threadedly connected.

[0077] Conveyor belts 213 are provided on the facing sides of the two vertical plates 211. Specifically, a number of driving wheels and driven wheels are set on the facing sides of the vertical plates 211. The rotation axes of these driving wheels and driven wheels are set horizontally, and the conveyor belts are wound on them. The working surfaces of the conveyor belts 213 of the two vertical plates 211 are at the same height and are higher than the vertical plates 211.

[0078] Furthermore, a row of limiting wheels 214 are installed on the upper edge of the vertical plate 211. These freely rotatable limiting wheels 214 are frustum-shaped and located outside the conveyor belt. They not only limit the left and right position of the product during its forward and backward movement, but also reduce friction on the product's sides to protect it. Furthermore, they automatically center the product as it falls from the fork. Thus, the conveyor belts 213 and limiting wheels 214 of the two vertical plates 211 together form the flow channel for conveying the product.

[0079] Since the Z-axis linear drive module, Y-axis linear drive module and fork assembly are always located in the center of the flow channel regardless of whether the vertical plates are relatively close or far away, the flow channel width can be adjusted by simply controlling the vertical plate actuator.

[0080] In order to match the width-adjustable flow channel, the fork handle in this embodiment is also specially designed. Figure 9-10As shown, the fork assembly 22 is provided with a fork 221 for picking up the product in the material box, and the fork 221 is axially arranged along the Z-axis linear drive module. In a preferred embodiment, the fork assembly 22 also includes a first self-contracting assembly 222, the first self-contracting assembly 222 has a first end fixed to the Y-axis linear drive module, and a second end that approaches the first end when under pressure and rebounds after the pressure disappears, and a fork 221 is provided on the second end, and the direction in which the second end approaches the first end is located on the axis of the Z-axis linear drive module. Specifically, the self-contracting assembly includes a base and a movable plate, the base is fixed to the Y-axis linear drive module to form the first end; the base is provided with a plurality of through holes, and a guide rod is provided in the movable sleeve of the through hole, one end of the guide rod has a flange larger than the through hole, and the other end is vertically connected to the movable plate, and a spring is provided on the guide rod, and the two ends of the spring are respectively in contact with the base and the movable plate. Fixed to the movable plate.

[0081] The first self-retracting assembly 222 also includes a position sensor for detecting the relative distance between the base and the movable plate. When the fork conveys the product and moves it to the magazine, if the edge of the product contacts the magazine, the first self-retracting assembly 222 will retract, thus preventing the product from forcing the magazine. If the product still does not adjust the angle to enter the magazine after the first self-retracting assembly 222 retracts, the sensor will trigger the device to shut down before the first self-retracting assembly 222 reaches its maximum contraction, thus preventing damage to the device, magazine, or product.

[0082] The fork 221 includes a base body 2211, a central fork rod 2212 fixed on the base body 2211, and two extended fork rods 2213 detachably arranged on the base body 2211. The fork composed of the central fork rod 2212 and the two extended fork rods 2213 is symmetrically arranged along the central axis of the Z-axis linear drive module, and the width of the fork formed by the two extended fork rods is between the maximum spacing and the minimum spacing of the two vertical plates.

[0083] When conveying large products, the flow channel is widened, and an extension fork rod 2213 is installed on the base 2211 of the fork 221 to ensure stability when picking up products. When conveying small products, the flow channel is narrowed, and the extension fork rod 2213 on the fork base 2211 is removed, and products are picked up only by the center fork rod 2212.

[0084] A front hook 2214 is fixed to the front of the extension fork and the center fork, and a rear hook 2215 is fixed to the rear. The front hook 2214 has a first horizontal support surface 22141 and a front stop surface 22142 located in front of the first horizontal support surface 22141. The rear hook 2215 has a second horizontal support surface 22151 and a rear stop surface 2215 located behind the second horizontal support surface 22151. The upper surface of the first horizontal support surface 22141 and the upper surface of the second horizontal support surface 22151 are coplanar. This arrangement minimizes the contact area between the fork and the product, reducing friction between the product and the fork, and preventing wear on the product.

[0085] In addition, the fork assembly 22 also includes a aligning block 223 located on the center fork 2212, which is driven by an alignment actuator to push the product on the center fork from the rear to the front of the center fork. In a preferred embodiment, the alignment actuator is a pneumatic cylinder. The purpose of the alignment block 223 is to facilitate the fork's picking up of the product. The spacing between the front and rear hooks of the fork should be slightly larger than the product size. When the product is supported by the fork, the pneumatic cylinder drives the alignment block forward, pushing the product on the fork onto the front stop surface of the fork's front hook, achieving alignment and facilitating subsequent operations.

[0086] The Y-axis linear drive module has: a first limit position in which the fork is higher than the height of the conveyor belt, so that the product can be supported by the fork without contacting the conveyor belt; a second limit position in which the fork is lower than the height of the conveyor belt, so that the product can be separated from the fork and fall onto the conveyor belt.

[0087] The translation platform 21 is also equipped with a stopper 215 that selectively blocks the flow channel. When the flow channel is blocked, the product can be supported by the fork, which has risen from its second limit position to its first limit position. Specifically, the stopper 215 is driven by a pneumatic cylinder. When the product needs to be deposited into the magazine, the product is transported along the flow channel, and the stopper 215 lowers to block the product until the fork is raised, thereby cooperating with the fork.

[0088] When taking materials, after the material box of the lifting platform is lifted into place, the fork 221 at the first extreme position extends into the material box, and then the lifting platform descends so that the product in the material box falls on the fork, and then the fork 221 retracts and falls to the second extreme position, and the product on the fork falls on the flow channel and is transported away.

[0089] During unloading, stopper 215 blocks the product carried by the flow channel. The fork is raised to its first limit position to support the product. Then, fork 221 extends into the material box. The lifting platform rises, allowing the product on the fork to fall onto the shelf inside the material box. The fork 221 then retracts and descends to its second limit position, waiting for the next product to be delivered by the flow channel.

[0090] Two rear runners 3

[0091] See also Figure 7 、 Figure 11 As shown, the two rear end flow channels 3 are driven by the second X-axis linear drive module, which is a linear module driven by a servo motor in this embodiment. The two second X-axis linear drive modules are coaxial and parallel to the axis of the first X-axis linear drive module.

[0092] The rear end flow channel 3 comprises a fixed side plate 31, perpendicular to the axis of the second X-axis linear drive module, and a movable side plate 32, driven toward or away from the fixed side plate by the third X-axis linear drive module. Conveyor belts 33 are located on the facing sides of the fixed and movable side plates 31 and 32, with stoppers located on their tops. Together, they form a flow channel with adjustable width. This structure is identical to the flow channel structure on the vertical plate of the fork-hand mechanism and will not be further elaborated here.

[0093] The other side surface of the fixed side plate 31 relative to the movable side plate 32 constitutes the first end surface of the rear end flow channel; the two rear end flow channels can be moved along the second X-axis linear drive module until the first end surfaces of the two are roughly connected.

[0094] The rear end flow channel is used to connect with the flow channel of the fork mechanism for taking and placing materials into the material box. It can adapt to products of different specifications and adjust the product conveying distance.

[0095] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0096] The loading and unloading equipment proposed in this invention is an integrated loading and unloading machine. By providing two flow channels, the machine can simultaneously load and unload materials. Furthermore, this equipment separates the moving area from the loading area (fixed platform), enabling non-stop loading. It can also collect two products simultaneously, achieving high speed. Two sets of main and backup hoppers ensure continuous material supply to the assembly line, significantly improving loading and unloading efficiency.

[0097] 2. It can be easily disassembled and assembled to adapt to products of different specifications. One platform can hold a variety of material boxes and can hold two small material boxes, which makes it more adaptable.

[0098] 3. The spacing between the discharge ports is small, and the spacing between the discharged products can be adjusted, with the minimum spacing being less than 30mm.

[0099] 4. Set up the first self-retracting component and sensor. When the edge of the product contacts the material box, the self-retracting component will retract, preventing the product from forcibly squeezing the material box. If the product still does not adjust the angle to enter the material box after the self-retracting component retracts, the sensor will trigger the control device to stop before the maximum contraction of the self-retracting component is reached, thus preventing product damage.

[0100] 5. The equipment has the characteristics of simple structure, high precision, fast response speed, high integration, safety and reliability, strong practicality and long service life.

[0101] The above embodiments describe in detail the inventive intent and implementation methods of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above embodiments are only preferred embodiments of the present invention. Due to space limitations, not all implementation methods are listed here. Any implementation that can embody the technical solutions of the claims of the present invention is within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0102] It should be noted that the above content is a further detailed description of the present invention in combination with specific implementation methods, and it cannot be determined that the specific implementation methods of the present invention are limited to these. Under the guidance of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications on the basis of the above embodiments, and these improvements or modifications fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic loading and unloading equipment, characterized in that: The automatic loading and unloading equipment includes: The material box transfer device includes several fixed platforms and several lifting platforms for placing material boxes, and also includes a transport mechanism for transporting material boxes between the fixed platforms and the lifting platforms; the fixed platforms and the lifting platforms are arranged in a line and arranged side by side; the lifting platforms are provided with a lifting assembly for driving the material boxes on them to rise and fall; The top of the fixed carrier is provided with a horizontally arranged rectangular mounting surface, a left positioning piece is provided on the left side of the mounting surface, and a right positioning piece is provided on the right side thereof. The mounting surface is further provided with left and right slide rails between the left positioning piece and the right positioning piece, and a left slider and a right slider that can be selectively fixed thereon are movably provided on the slide rails; the left positioning piece, the right positioning piece, the side of the left slider facing the left positioning piece, and the side of the right slider facing the right positioning piece are all formed with positioning grooves for placing the ridges on the bottom surface of the material box, so that the left positioning piece and the left slider are combined to form a material box storage position, and the right positioning piece and the right slider are combined to form a material box storage position; Two material picking and unloading devices respectively include a translation platform driven by a first X-axis linear drive module, a first Z-axis linear drive module arranged on the translation platform, a first Y-axis linear drive module arranged on the first Z-axis linear drive module, and a fork assembly arranged on the first Y-axis linear drive module; the two first X-axis linear drive modules are coaxial and arranged along the lifting platform queue; the fork assembly is provided with a fork for extending into the material box on the lifting platform under the drive of the first Z-axis linear drive module; two vertical plates are vertically arranged on the translation platform, which can be relatively close to or away from each other under the drive of the vertical plate actuator, the two vertical plates are parallel to each other and symmetrically arranged along the central axis of the first Z-axis linear drive module, and the facing sides of the two are provided with conveyor belts and combined to form a flow channel with adjustable width; the first Y-axis linear drive module has: a first limit position that makes the fork higher than the height of the conveyor belt, so that the product can be supported by the fork without contacting the conveyor belt; a second limit position that makes the fork lower than the height of the conveyor belt, so that the product can be separated from the fork and fall on the conveyor belt; The fork includes a base, a central fork rod fixed to the base, and two extended fork rods detachably provided on the base. The fork consisting of the central fork rod and the two extended fork rods is symmetrically arranged along the central axis of the first Z-axis linear drive module, and its width is between the maximum and minimum spacings between the two vertical plates. The fork assembly also includes a column block provided at the center fork rod, which is driven by the column actuator to push the product on the center fork rod from the rear end to the front end; the fork assembly also includes a first self-contracting assembly; the first self-contracting assembly has a first end fixed to the first Y-axis linear drive module, and a second end that approaches the first end when under pressure and rebounds after the pressure is released, the second end is provided with the fork, and the direction in which the second end approaches the first end is located on the axis of the first Z-axis linear drive module; The two rear-end flow channels are driven by the second X-axis linear drive module respectively; the two second X-axis linear drive modules are coaxial and parallel to the axis of the first X-axis linear drive module; the rear-end flow channel includes a fixed side plate perpendicular to the axis of the second X-axis linear drive module and a movable side plate driven by the third X-axis linear drive module to approach or move away from the fixed side plate, and the facing sides of the fixed side plate and the movable side plate are provided with conveyor belts and combined to form a flow channel with adjustable width; the other side of the fixed side plate opposite to the movable side plate constitutes the first end face of the rear-end flow channel; the two rear-end flow channels can move along the second X-axis linear drive module until their first end faces are roughly connected.

2. The automatic loading and unloading equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first self-contracting component includes a base and a movable plate, and the base is fixed on the first Y-axis linear drive module to form a first end; the base is provided with a plurality of through holes, and a guide rod is movably sleeved in the through holes, one end of the guide rod has a flange larger than the through hole, and the other end is vertically connected to the movable plate, and a spring is sleeved on the guide rod, and the two ends of the spring are respectively in contact with the end face of the base and the end face of the movable plate; the fork is fixed to the movable plate.

3. The automatic loading and unloading equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first self-retracting assembly further includes a position sensor for detecting a relative distance between the base and the movable plate.

4. The automatic loading and unloading equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The translation platform is further provided with a stopper that selectively stops on the flow channel. When the product carried by the flow channel is stopped, it can be held by the fork that rises from the second limit position to the first limit position.

5. The automatic loading and unloading equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conveying mechanism includes a fourth X-axis linear drive module arranged along the fixed platform queue, a second Z-axis linear drive module arranged on the fourth X-axis linear drive module, at least one group of second Y-axis linear drive modules arranged on the second Z-axis linear drive module, and a second self-contracting component driven by the second Y-axis linear drive module; the second self-contracting component has a first end fixed on the second Y-axis linear drive module, and a second end that is always parallel to the first end, approaches the first end when under pressure and rebounds after the pressure disappears, and the second end is provided with a pair of left and right clamps that are driven by a cylinder to open and close relative to each other.

6. The automatic loading and unloading equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning grooves on the right slider and the right positioning member are composed of several sections of discontinuous grooves, and the positioning grooves of the two are staggered; the left slider and the right slider are both provided with in-position sensors for detecting whether the ridges on the bottom surface of the material box are in position to the positioning grooves; the lifting platform is provided with a distance sensor for detecting whether there are substrates in each substrate storage position in the material box.

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