A glass lamination apparatus and a control method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a glass lamination device, which comprises a material receiving unit, a scanning feeding unit, a spacer preparation unit, a carrying unit, a lamination unit and a buffer unit, wherein the material receiving unit comprises a glass feeding module and a receiving monitoring module; the scanning feeding unit comprises a bottom plate feeding module, a material grabbing module for grabbing the glass or the bottom plate, a scanning identification module for identifying the type and state of the grabbed material, and a first positioning module for positioning the identified qualified material; the spacer preparation unit comprises a spacer feeding module, a spacer grabbing module and a second positioning module for positioning the spacer; the lamination unit comprises a lamination receiving module for receiving the material from the carrying unit, a lamination positioning and arranging module for guiding the stacked material, a lamination feeding control module for controlling the carrying unit to alternately grab the material from the first and second positioning modules and counting the glass, and a lamination pressing module for pressing the top of the stacked material when the lamination height reaches a preset value. The application further discloses a control method of the glass lamination device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of mobile phone back cover glass processing technology, and in particular to a glass stacking device and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] For the processing of mobile phone back cover glass, before the edging process, the cut glass sheets need to be cleaned to remove glass debris from the surface and prevent it from interfering with the edging operation. The cleaned glass sheets also need to be stacked to allow for batch edging of multiple sheets at once, thus improving the processing quality of the back cover glass. Currently, the industry mainly uses manual stacking of cleaned glass and spacers alternately. After stacking, a special comb is used to adjust the flatness of the glass and spacers. Due to variations in manual skills and working conditions, it is difficult to guarantee the consistency of spacer positions at different stack heights. As the stack height increases, the displacement of the spacers causes the glass sheets to shift, leading to increased differences in the overall flatness of the glass cut surface (side), affecting the yield rate of the edging process. Furthermore, when the spacer position shifts, the friction between the glass and the spacer increases linearly with the number of stacked glass panes. This reduces the stability of the stacked glass, making it prone to slipping or falling, causing breakage and increasing the risk of accidents. In addition, as the stacking time increases, workers become fatigued, resulting in insufficient stacking efficiency, a higher error rate, and higher manual stacking costs, thus increasing the processing cost of the phone's back cover glass. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to address the above-mentioned shortcomings by providing a glass stacking device and its control method that can adjust the glass position in real time, improve the overall flatness of the glass cut surface, enhance the stability and efficiency of glass stacking, and reduce stacking costs.

[0004] A glass stacking apparatus, comprising:

[0005] The incoming material receiving unit includes a glass feeding module for receiving and conveying glass materials output from the glass washing machine, and a receiving monitoring module that is communicatively connected to the glass washing machine and used to monitor the feeding status of the incoming material on the glass feeding module. The receiving monitoring module sends start and stop signals to the glass washing machine according to the feeding status of the incoming material.

[0006] The scanning and feeding unit includes a base plate feeding module for providing base plates to be stacked, a material gripping module for gripping glass or base plates from a glass feeding module or a base plate feeding module, a scanning and identification module for identifying and judging the type and condition of materials on the material gripping module, and a primary positioning module for receiving qualified materials identified by the scanning and identification module on the material gripping module and pre-positioning the materials.

[0007] The spacer preparation unit includes a spacer feeding module for providing spacers to be stacked, a spacer gripping module for gripping spacers from the spacer feeding module, and a secondary positioning module for positioning the spacers gripped by the spacer gripping module.

[0008] A conveying unit, which is used to alternately grab and move materials from a primary positioning module and a secondary positioning module;

[0009] The stacking unit includes a stacking receiving module for receiving materials from the transport unit, a stacking positioning and sorting module for guiding and pushing the stacked materials in the stacking receiving module to adjust the flatness of the stacked glass cut surface when each piece of material is received, a stacking loading control module electrically connected to the transport unit to control the transport unit to alternately grab and transport materials from the primary positioning module and the secondary positioning module to the stacking receiving module, and a stacking pressing module electrically connected to the stacking loading control module and used to press the top of the stacked materials when the stacking height in the stacking receiving module reaches a preset value. The stacking loading control module counts the glass in the stacked materials when the transport unit transports materials to the stacking receiving module. The stacked materials pressed by the stacking pressing module are provided with a bottom plate at the top and bottom, and glass and spacers are alternately stacked between the two bottom plates.

[0010] A buffer unit is used to store materials that are identified as unqualified by the scanning and identification module.

[0011] In one embodiment, the glass feeding module includes a first feeding mechanism for receiving incoming glass and a second feeding mechanism for receiving materials output by the first feeding mechanism, wherein the feeding speed of the first feeding mechanism is less than the feeding speed of the second feeding mechanism.

[0012] In one embodiment, the first conveying mechanism includes a first conveying belt for receiving and conveying glass and a first stepper motor for driving the first conveying belt to rotate. The second conveying mechanism includes a second conveying belt for receiving and conveying glass and a second stepper motor for driving the second conveying belt to rotate. The stepping speed of the second stepper motor is twice that of the first stepper motor.

[0013] In one embodiment, the base plate feeding module includes a first hopper for receiving the base plate and a first lifting servo module for driving the first hopper to vertically feed the material; the material gripping module is a four-axis manipulator; the primary positioning module includes a first support platform for receiving and clamping the glass or base plate and a third stepper motor for driving the first support platform to rotate to adjust the angle of the glass or base plate.

[0014] In one embodiment, the diaphragm feeding module includes a second hopper for receiving diaphragms and a second lifting servo module for driving the second hopper to feed materials vertically; the diaphragm gripping module includes a pneumatic gripper and an RZ drive mechanism that can drive the pneumatic gripper to rotate in the horizontal plane and can lift and lower in the vertical direction; the secondary positioning module includes a second support platform for receiving diaphragms, a first push plate for pushing the diaphragms on the second support platform to guide the diaphragms, and a first cylinder for driving the first push plate to move.

[0015] In one embodiment, the handling unit includes a vacuum suction cup for gripping glass, a base plate, or a spacer, and an XZ servo module for driving the vacuum suction cup to move horizontally and move vertically. The XZ servo module includes an X-axis guide rail arranged horizontally, a mounting bracket slidably disposed on the X-axis guide rail, a first driving member for driving the mounting bracket to slide on the X-axis guide rail, a Z-axis guide rail fixed on the mounting bracket, a slider or carriage slidably disposed on the Z-axis guide rail, and a second driving member for driving the slider or carriage to move vertically on the Z-axis guide rail. The vacuum suction cup is fixed on the slider or carriage.

[0016] In one embodiment, the stacking receiving module includes a stacking bin for receiving materials to stack the materials, and a third lifting servo module for driving the stacking bin to rise and fall; the stacking positioning and sorting module includes a second push plate for pushing the side of the stacked materials to adjust the flatness of the stacked glass cross-section, and a second cylinder for driving the second push plate to move.

[0017] In one embodiment, the buffer unit includes a waste glass conveying mechanism for receiving and transporting defective glass, and a waste glass jamming positioning mechanism for limiting the movement position of defective glass on the waste glass conveying mechanism.

[0018] The present invention also discloses a control method applied to the above-mentioned glass stacking equipment, comprising the following steps:

[0019] S1. The glass feeding module receives the incoming glass material, and the connection monitoring module monitors the feeding status of the incoming material in real time.

[0020] S2. The material grabbing module grabs glass or base plate from the glass feeding module or base plate feeding module. The scanning and identification module identifies and judges the type and condition of the material on the material grabbing module, and places the base plate or the qualified glass on the primary positioning module for pre-positioning.

[0021] S3, the spacer gripping module grips the spacer and places it on the secondary positioning module for positioning;

[0022] S4. The conveying unit alternately grabs materials from the primary positioning module and the secondary positioning module and stacks the materials on the stacking receiving module. The stacking feeding control module records the number of stacking times in real time and counts the glass sheets placed on the stacking receiving module.

[0023] S5, the stacking positioning and sorting module guides and pushes the stacked materials in the stacking receiving module each time a piece of material is received, so as to adjust the flatness of the stacked glass cut surface;

[0024] S6. When the stacking height in the stacking receiving module reaches the preset value, the stacking and pressing module presses the top of the stacked material.

[0025] In one embodiment, step S4 further includes:

[0026] S41. The stacking and feeding control module determines whether the current stacking count is zero. If so, the material grabbing module grabs the base plate from the base plate feeding module and identifies and positions it. The stacking and feeding control module controls the conveying unit to grab the base plate from the primary positioning module and place it into the stacking and receiving module. Otherwise, proceed to step S42.

[0027] S42. The stacking and feeding control module controls the conveying unit to alternately grab spacers and glass from the primary positioning module and the secondary positioning module, record the number of stacked glass, and determine in real time whether the number of glass stacks has reached the set value of glass stacks. If not, repeat step S42; if yes, proceed to step S43.

[0028] S43, The stacking and feeding control module controls the conveying unit to grab the spacer and the base plate from the secondary positioning module and the primary positioning module and stack them in the stacking and receiving module. The stacking and pressing module presses the top of the stacked material after the base plate is placed in the stacking and receiving module.

[0029] S44. The stacking and feeding control module will reset the recorded number of stacking times and the number of stacked glass to zero.

[0030] The glass stacking equipment and control method of this invention perform primary positioning of the base plate and glass, and secondary positioning of the spacers, so that the glass can be aligned when stacked with the spacers and base plate. The stacking positioning and sorting module guides the stacked material, which can adjust the position of the stacked glass, improve the flatness of the stacked glass cut surface, avoid the problem of insufficient yield in the edge grinding process caused by glass lateral displacement, and improve the stability of the stacked glass, preventing glass breakage or safety accidents caused by glass slippage or falling. It replaces manual stacking, improves stacking efficiency, and reduces glass stacking cost. Compared with manual stacking, its error rate is significantly reduced. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1This is a top view of a glass stacking device in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a glass stacking device in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A partially enlarged structural diagram of part A in the illustrated embodiment;

[0034] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A partially enlarged structural diagram of part B in the illustrated embodiment;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a glass stacking equipment control method in one embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0036] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be practiced in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0037] Please combine Figure 1-4 This invention discloses a glass stacking device that can adjust the glass position in real time, improve the overall flatness of the glass cut surface, enhance glass stacking stability and efficiency, and reduce stacking costs. This glass stacking device is installed between a glass washing machine and a glass edging machine to stack glass sheets after washing and before they are sent to the edging process, enabling batch processing of glass sheets. During glass stacking, to avoid adhesion between adjacent glass sheets caused by the high surface tension of residual cleaning water, spacers are placed between adjacent glass sheets to reduce the difficulty of separating them in subsequent operations. Additionally, after stacking, a base plate (i.e., an upper base plate and a lower base plate) is placed at the top and bottom of the stacking structure. This prevents scratches or breakage caused by direct contact and pressure between the glass and external objects during stacking structure transfer or edging processes, thus protecting the glass.

[0038] Specifically, in this embodiment, the glass stacking equipment includes a material receiving unit 100, a scanning and feeding unit 200, a spacer preparation unit 300, a handling unit 400, a stacking unit 500, and a buffer unit 600. The material receiving unit 100 includes a glass feeding module 110 for receiving and transmitting glass from the glass washing machine, and a connection monitoring module 120 that is communicatively connected to the glass washing machine and used to monitor the material feeding status on the glass feeding module 110. The connection monitoring module 120 sends a start / stop signal to the glass washing machine according to the material feeding status. Thus, when there is already glass on the glass feeding module 110, the connection monitoring module 120 sends a signal to the glass washing machine, and the glass washing machine stops feeding the glass stacking equipment to avoid difficulties in glass unloading caused by multiple pieces of glass being stacked together on the glass feeding module 110. The scanning and feeding unit 200 includes a base plate feeding module 210 for providing base plates to be stacked, a material gripping module 220 for gripping glass or base plates from the glass feeding module 110 or the base plate feeding module 210, a scanning and identification module 230 for identifying and judging the type and condition of materials on the material gripping module 220, and a primary positioning module 240 for receiving qualified materials identified by the scanning and identification module 230 on the material gripping module 220 and pre-positioning the materials. In this embodiment, the scanning and identification module 230's identification of the type and condition of materials includes identifying the material type as glass or a base plate. When the material is identified as glass, the scanning and identification module 230 further identifies the surface condition of the glass. If the glass surface has defects such as breakage or scratches, the scanning and identification module 230 judges the glass as unqualified; otherwise, it judges the glass as qualified and uses it as material to be stacked. The primary positioning module 240 is used to pre-position the base plate and glass to be stacked, thereby guiding the base plate or glass before it is sent to the stacking operation. This ensures that the base plate and glass are sent to the stacking station in the same posture, thus avoiding the collapse of the stacking structure during the glass stacking process caused by different feeding postures of the base plate and glass. This ensures the normal operation of the glass stacking operation. In addition, by pre-positioning the base plate and glass, the offset between adjacent glass after stacking can be reduced, thereby reducing the difficulty of positioning and tidying the glass during the glass stacking process.

[0039] The spacer preparation unit 300 includes a spacer feeding module 310 for providing spacers to be stacked, a spacer gripping module 320 for gripping spacers from the spacer feeding module 310, and a secondary positioning module 330 for positioning the spacers gripped by the spacer gripping module 320. In this embodiment, by positioning the spacers through the secondary positioning module 330, the spacers can always be sent to the stacking station in the same posture, thereby improving the consistency of the spacer positions between adjacent glass pieces during glass stacking, reducing the deviation of the relative positions of the spacers, and achieving an overall cross-sectional error of <1.0mm for the spacers after stacking. By adjusting the position and angle of the primary positioning module 240 and the secondary positioning module 330, the spacers can be aligned with the glass and the base plate during the stacking process, further solving the problem of glass lateral displacement caused by the positional deviation between the spacers and the glass. The handling unit 400 is used to alternately pick up and move materials from the primary positioning module 240 and the secondary positioning module 330. In other words, the handling unit 400 is used to transport and stack three different materials, namely glass, base plate and spacer, to the stacking station. The stacking unit 500 includes a stacking receiving module 510 for receiving materials from the handling unit 400, a stacking positioning and sorting module 520 for guiding and pushing the stacked materials in the stacking receiving module 510 to adjust the flatness of the stacked glass cross-section (side) when each piece of material is received in the stacking receiving module 510, a stacking loading control module electrically connected to the handling unit 400 to control the handling unit 400 to alternately grab materials from the primary positioning module 240 and the secondary positioning module 330 and transport materials to the stacking receiving module 510, and a stacking pressing module 530 electrically connected to the stacking loading control module and used to press the top of the stacked materials when the stacking height in the stacking receiving module 510 reaches a preset value. The stacking loading control module counts the glass in the stacked materials when the handling unit 400 transports materials to the stacking receiving module 510. The stacked materials pressed by the stacking pressing module 530 are provided with a bottom plate at the top and bottom, and glass and spacers are alternately stacked between the two bottom plates. In this embodiment, the conveying unit 400 picks up materials and places them one by one onto the stacking receiving module 510, realizing the stacking of materials within the stacking receiving module 510. Each time the conveying unit 400 places a piece of material into the stacking receiving module 510, the stacking positioning and tidying module 520 performs a first-time alignment of the stacked structure according to a preset reference surface. Specifically, the stacking positioning and tidying module 520 pushes the sides of the stacked structure according to a preset stroke, making the sides of the stacked structure vertical. This adjusts the flatness of the stacked glass cut surface, thereby eliminating material offset problems caused by material displacement when separated from the conveying unit 400 during the stacking process. In other words, the stacking positioning and tidying module 520 further aligns the materials after they have been aligned and stacked by the primary positioning module 240 and the secondary positioning module 330, ensuring the stability of the glass, base plate, and spacers stack and the flatness of the stacked glass cut surface.The stacking and feeding control module controls the stacking order, the number of glass stacks, and the stacking height, ensuring that the completed stacked structure has a base plate at the top and bottom, and that spacers and glass are alternately stacked between the two base plates. In this embodiment, the preset stacking height H = glass stacking quantity setting N x (glass thickness h1 + spacer thickness h2) + spacer thickness h2 + 2 x base plate thickness h3. The buffer unit 600 is used to place materials that are identified as unqualified by the scanning and identification module 230, that is, the buffer unit 600 is used to store glass with defects such as scratches or breakage on the surface, so that unqualified glass can be centrally processed later.

[0040] The aforementioned glass stacking equipment performs primary positioning of the base plate and glass, and secondary positioning of the spacers, ensuring that the glass is aligned when stacked with the spacers and base plate. The stacking positioning and sorting module 520 guides the stacked material, adjusting the position of the stacked glass, improving the flatness of the stacked glass cut surface, avoiding insufficient yield in the edge grinding process caused by glass lateral displacement, and improving the stability of the stacked glass, preventing glass breakage or safety accidents caused by glass slippage or falling. It replaces manual stacking, improves stacking efficiency, and reduces glass stacking costs. Compared with manual stacking, its error rate is significantly reduced.

[0041] It should be noted that in this solution, the glass stacking equipment includes two production lines arranged opposite each other. Each production line includes an independent scanning and feeding unit 200, a spacer preparation unit 300, a conveying unit 400, a stacking unit 500, and a buffer unit 600. The two production lines are fed and monitored for material feeding status through the same incoming material receiving unit 100. Thus, by having the two production lines work in parallel, it is beneficial to improve the glass stacking efficiency. In this embodiment, the glass feeding module 110 includes a first conveying mechanism for receiving incoming glass and a second conveying mechanism for receiving the material output by the first conveying mechanism. The conveying speed of the first conveying mechanism is lower than that of the second conveying mechanism. The first and second material conveying mechanisms are arranged side by side. The first material conveying mechanism is used to supply cleaned glass to one of the production lines, and the second material conveying mechanism is used to supply cleaned glass to the other production line. By making the conveying speed of the first material conveying mechanism less than that of the second material conveying mechanism, after two pieces of glass enter the glass feeding module 110 one after the other, the first piece of glass enters the second material conveying mechanism, while the second piece of glass remains on the first material conveying mechanism. The different moving speeds of the two pieces of glass increase the distance between the two products, so that the material grabbing modules 220 on the two production lines can grab the glass from the first and second material conveying mechanisms respectively.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first conveying mechanism includes a first conveying belt 111 for receiving and conveying glass, and a first stepper motor 112 for driving the first conveying belt 111 to rotate. The second conveying mechanism includes a second conveying belt 113 for receiving and conveying glass, and a second stepper motor 114 for driving the second conveying belt 113 to rotate. The stepping speed of the second stepper motor 114 is twice the stepping speed of the first stepper motor 112. In other embodiments, the first conveying mechanism may also include a first speed-regulating gear set disposed between the first stepper motor 112 and the first conveying belt 111 to adjust the rotational speed of the first conveying belt 111. Correspondingly, the second conveying mechanism may also include a second speed-regulating gear set disposed between the second stepper motor 114 and the second conveying belt 113 to adjust the rotational speed of the second conveying belt 113, so as to precisely control the moving speed of the glass on the glass loading module 110. In addition, a positioning cylinder is provided on the side of each of the first and second material conveying mechanisms, and a blocking cylinder is provided above or on the side of each of the first and second material conveying mechanisms. Both the extension and retraction ends of the positioning cylinder and the blocking cylinder are equipped with baffles. The glass on the first or second material conveying mechanism is pushed by the baffles. In this way, the positioning cylinder and the blocking cylinder work together to position the glass on the first and second material conveying mechanisms so as to accurately grasp the glass.

[0043] In one embodiment, the connection monitoring module 120 is an infrared sensor or a laser beam sensor, and the connection monitoring module 120 is connected to the glass washing machine via an I / O interface. When the connection monitoring module 120 detects that there is material on the first feeding mechanism, the connection monitoring module 120 sends a first signal to the glass washing machine to cause the glass washing machine to pause glass output; when the connection monitoring module 120 detects that there is no material on the first feeding mechanism, it is assumed that there is also a lack of material on the second feeding mechanism, and the connection monitoring module 120 sends a second signal to the glass washing machine to cause the glass washing machine to continue outputting glass. In this way, the problem of glass piling up on the first feeding mechanism caused by the continuous output of glass by the glass washing machine can be avoided.

[0044] The base plate feeding module 210 includes a first hopper 211 for receiving base plates and a first lifting servo module 212 for driving the first hopper 211 to vertically feed materials. The first hopper 211 can be a rotating hopper. The first lifting servo module 212 includes a first servo motor, a first lead screw that is driven and coaxially rotated with the output shaft of the first servo motor, and a first nut rotatably sleeved on the first lead screw. The first hopper 211 is fixed on the first nut to move synchronously up and down along the length of the first lead screw, so that when the number of base plates in the first hopper 211 decreases and the material level decreases, the height of the first hopper 211 is raised to adapt to the gripping height of the material gripping module 220. In other embodiments, the first lifting servo module 212 can also be replaced by a lifting mechanism such as a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder, which will not be described in detail here. The material gripping module 220 is a four-axis robot, and the gripping part of the four-axis robot is a pneumatic gripper or an electric gripper. Preferably, the material gripping module 220 is a SCARA four-axis robot. The scanning and recognition module 230 is a fixed machine vision system electrically connected to the control mechanism of the material gripping module 220. It pre-stores image information of the base plate and glass, as well as image information of glass defect features. After the scanning and recognition module 230 acquires image information of the base plate or glass, it matches the acquired information with the pre-stored information and outputs recognition information to the control mechanism of the material gripping module 220 based on the matching result. This allows the control mechanism to control the material gripping module 220 to place the material into the primary positioning module 240 or the buffer unit 600. The primary positioning module 240 includes a first support platform 241 for receiving and clamping the glass or base plate, and a third stepper motor 242 for driving the first support platform 241 to rotate and adjust the angle of the glass or base plate. Preferably, the first support platform 241 has protrusions around its perimeter to form an annular baffle. The annular baffle forms a cavity for clamping glass or base plate. When the glass or base plate is placed into the cavity, the first support platform 241 will drive the glass or base plate to rotate and be aligned as the third stepper motor 242 operates, so that the glass and base plate can always be fed to the stacking station in the same posture.

[0045] The septum preparation unit 300 is used to provide and position the septums. The septum feeding module 310 includes a second hopper 311 for receiving septums and a second lifting servo module 312 for driving the second hopper 311 to vertically feed septums. The second hopper 311 can be a rotating hopper. The second lifting servo module 312 includes a second servo motor, a second lead screw driven and coaxially rotated with the output shaft of the second servo motor, and a second nut rotatably sleeved on the second lead screw. The second hopper 311 is fixed on the second nut to move synchronously up and down along the length of the second lead screw, so that when the number of septums in the second hopper 311 decreases and the material level drops, the height of the second hopper 311 is raised to adapt to the gripping height of the septum gripping module 320. In other embodiments, the second lifting servo module 312 can also be replaced by a lifting mechanism such as a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder, which will not be described in detail here. The spacer gripping module 320 includes a pneumatic gripper and an RZ drive mechanism that can drive the pneumatic gripper to rotate in the horizontal plane and to rise and fall in the vertical direction. The RZ drive mechanism includes a base, a motor located below the base and driving the base to rotate, and a lifting cylinder fixed to the upper surface of the base. The pneumatic gripper is fixed to the extension end of the lifting cylinder. Thus, the motor enables the pneumatic gripper to rotate in the horizontal plane, and the lifting cylinder enables the pneumatic gripper to rise and fall in the vertical direction, so that the spacer gripping module 320 can grip the spacer, lift it, and lower the spacer into the secondary positioning module 330 when it rotates above the secondary positioning module 330. The secondary positioning module 330 includes a second support platform 331 for receiving the spacer, a first push plate 332 for pushing the spacer on the second support platform 331 to guide the spacer, and a first cylinder for driving the first push plate 332 to move. In this embodiment, the spacer is pre-positioned by the second support platform 331. After the spacer is placed into the second support platform 331, the spacer is guided by the first cylinder to eliminate the spacer offset caused by sliding or pneumatic gripper shaking during the spacer lowering process, so that the spacer can always be fed to the stacking station in the same posture.

[0046] The handling unit 400 is used to move materials to be stacked to a stacking station to achieve stacking of materials at the stacking station. The handling unit 400 includes a vacuum suction cup 410 for gripping glass, base plates, or spacers, and an XZ servo module for driving the vacuum suction cup 410 to move horizontally and move vertically. The XZ servo module includes an X-axis guide rail 420 arranged horizontally, a mounting bracket 430 slidably disposed on the X-axis guide rail 420, a first driving member for driving the mounting bracket 430 to slide on the X-axis guide rail 420, a Z-axis guide rail 440 fixed on the mounting bracket 430, a slider or carriage 450 slidably disposed on the Z-axis guide rail 440, and a second driving member for driving the slider or carriage 450 to move vertically on the Z-axis guide rail 440. The vacuum suction cup 410 is fixed on the slider or carriage 450. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the X-axis guide rail 420 spans between the primary positioning module 240, the secondary positioning module 330, and the stacking receiving module 510. The primary positioning module 240, the secondary positioning module 330, and the stacking receiving module 510 are arranged on the same straight line, and the stacking receiving module 510 is located between the primary positioning module 240 and the secondary positioning module 330. The first driving component is a cylinder or a drive motor. When the first driving component is a drive motor, the drive motor is driven and connected to the mounting bracket 430 through a lead screw and nut mechanism. Similarly, the second driving component is a cylinder or a drive motor. When the second driving component is a drive motor, the drive motor is driven and connected to the slider or carriage 450 through a lead screw and nut mechanism. During the stacking process, the first driving component drives the mounting bracket 430 to move, which enables the vacuum suction cup 410 to move between the primary positioning module 240, the secondary positioning module 330, and the stacking receiving module 510. The second driving component drives the slider or carriage 450 to rise and fall, which enables the vacuum suction cup 410 to lift or lower the base plate, glass, and spacer.

[0047] The stacking unit 500 provides a space for stacking materials and positions and organizes the stacked materials. The stacking receiving module 510 includes a stacking bin 511 for receiving materials to set up the stacked arrangement, and a third lifting servo module 512 for driving the stacking bin 511 to rise and fall. The stacking positioning and organizing module 520 includes a second push plate for pushing the sides of the stacked materials to adjust the flatness of the stacked glass cut surface, and a second cylinder for driving the second push plate to move. In this embodiment, the stacking unit 500 includes two stacking receiving modules arranged side by side. Thus, the handling unit 400 always puts materials into the same stacking bin 511 during the same stacking cycle, with the other stacking bin 511 as a backup. After the materials in one stacking bin 511 are stacked, the handling unit 400 puts materials into the other stacking bin 511, so that the glass stacking equipment can continue to work while the operator removes the stacked glass, ensuring continuous production of the equipment. The stacking compartment 511 includes a pallet that is driven and raised / lowered by the third lifting servo module 512, and columns spaced apart and surrounding the pallet. The columns limit the movement of the stacked materials within the pallet, while the gaps between adjacent columns provide a passage for the second pusher plate. In this embodiment, the third lifting servo module 512 includes a third servo motor, a third lead screw that is driven and coaxially rotated with the output shaft of the third servo motor, and a third nut rotatably sleeved on the third lead screw. The pallet is fixed to the third nut and moves synchronously up and down along the length of the third lead screw, following the third nut. During stacking, for each piece of material placed in the pallet, the third servo motor controls the pallet to descend by a height equal to the thickness of the material, ensuring the consistency of the height of the contact surface between the stacking receiving module 510 and the material during stacking, thereby adapting to the material release height of the vacuum suction cup 410. In other embodiments, the third lifting servo module 512 can be replaced by a lifting mechanism such as a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder, which will not be described in detail here. In addition, in this embodiment, a stacking positioning and sorting module 520 can be set around each of the stacking receiving module 510, and the stroke of each second cylinder can be controlled simultaneously. In this way, by pushing the four sides of the stacked structure simultaneously by the four second cylinders, the four sides of the stacked structure can be made into vertical planes, thereby improving the flatness of the stacked glass cut surface. The stacking pressing module 530 can be a pneumatic pusher or an electric pusher. The end of the stacking pressing module 530 is fixed with a pressure plate, which presses the stacked material with constant pressure, making it easy for the operator to remove the stacked material.

[0048] The buffer unit 600 includes a glass waste sheet conveying mechanism 610 for receiving and transporting defective glass, and a waste sheet jamming and positioning mechanism 620 for limiting the movement position of defective glass on the glass waste sheet conveying mechanism 610. In this embodiment, the glass waste sheet conveying mechanism 610 can be a conveyor belt and a motor that drives the conveyor belt to rotate. The waste sheet jamming and positioning mechanism 620 is a partition set at the output end of the conveyor belt. When the defective glass waste sheets placed on the conveyor belt move to the partition under the drive of the conveyor belt, the glass waste sheets are held on the conveyor belt under the constraint of the partition, so as to facilitate the subsequent centralized processing of the glass waste sheets. Of course, the glass stacking equipment of this solution also includes an industrial control computer that controls the operation of various electrical components (including various motors, cylinders, scanning and recognition modules 230, etc.), and all the above-mentioned electrical components are centrally controlled by the industrial control computer.

[0049] Please combine Figure 1-5 The present invention also discloses a control method applied to the above-mentioned glass stacking equipment, the control method comprising the following steps:

[0050] S1. The glass feeding module 110 receives the incoming glass material, and the connection monitoring module 120 monitors the feeding status of the incoming material in real time.

[0051] In this embodiment, after the glass stacking equipment is powered on, it automatically runs and detects all abnormal information, including the detection of glass residue on the glass feeding module 110 by the connection monitoring module 120, the detection of the connection status between the connection monitoring module 120 and the glass washing machine, the detection of the status of each cylinder, the detection of the stacking residue in the stacking unit 500, and the detection of the equipment emergency stop signal. If there are no abnormalities in the detection information, the equipment will reset and prepare. If there is an abnormality, an alarm will be triggered so that the operator can manually handle each abnormal situation. After the equipment is ready to reset, the industrial control computer controls each component in the material receiving unit 100, scanning and feeding unit 200, septum preparation unit 300, handling unit 400, stacking unit 500, and buffer unit 600 to return to their initial state or return to zero. Then, the operating conditions of the equipment are judged. If the current state of the equipment meets its normal operating conditions, the industrial control computer controls the material receiving unit 100, scanning and feeding unit 200, septum preparation unit 300, handling unit 400, stacking unit 500, and buffer unit 600 to run. If it does not meet its normal operating conditions, an emergency stop signal or a pause signal is output to stop the equipment so that abnormal situations can be handled.

[0052] When the glass is being fed, the connection monitoring module 120 first detects the glass feeding status on the glass feeding module 110. When the glass in the glass feeding module 110 is empty, the glass feeding module 110 starts, and at the same time, the connection monitoring module 120 outputs a feeding signal to the glass washing machine. After the glass enters the glass feeding module 110, the connection monitoring module 120 monitors the glass feeding status on the glass feeding module 110 in real time and determines that the glass feeding module 110 is full. At the same time, the connection monitoring module 120 sends signals to the glass feeding module 110 and the glass washing machine respectively, so that the glass feeding module 110 stops feeding and the glass washing machine stops feeding. At this time, the industrial control computer receives the signal from the connection monitoring module 120 and controls the material grabbing module 220 to pick up the material.

[0053] S2. The material gripping module 220 grips glass or a base plate from the glass feeding module 110 or the base plate feeding module 210. The scanning and identification module 230 identifies and judges the type and condition of the material on the material gripping module 220, and places the base plate or the qualified glass on the primary positioning module 240 for pre-positioning.

[0054] Before grabbing materials, the material grabbing module 220 first uses an industrial control computer to detect the feeding status of the base plate feeding module 210. In this embodiment, the base plate feeding module 210 also includes a sensor for detecting the material status in the first hopper 211, which can be a gravity sensor. When a base plate is detected in the base plate feeding module 210 (the detected gravity signal is greater than the gravity of the first hopper 211), the industrial control computer controls the first lifting servo module 212 to operate, so that the first hopper 211 is lifted to a preset position and loaded with materials. If the base plate in the base plate feeding module 210 is exhausted (the detected gravity signal is equal to the gravity of the first hopper 211), the industrial control computer outputs a signal to prompt for the replenishment of base plates. Subsequently, the material grabbing module 220 grabs glass or a base plate from the glass feeding module 110 or the base plate feeding module 210. The scanning and identification module 230 judges and identifies the type and state of the material grabbed by the material grabbing module 220, and puts the detected unqualified glass into the buffer unit 600. At the same time, the material grabbing module 220 puts the identified base plate and qualified glass into the primary positioning module 240 for positioning.

[0055] S3, the spacer gripping module 320 grips the spacer and places it on the secondary positioning module 330 for positioning.

[0056] Before the septum gripping module 320 grips the septum, the septum feeding status in the septum feeding module 310 is first detected. In this embodiment, the septum feeding module 310 also includes a sensor for detecting the material status in the second hopper 311, which can be a gravity sensor. When a septum is detected in the septum feeding module 310 (the detected gravity signal is greater than the gravity of the second hopper 311), the industrial control computer controls the second lifting servo module 312 to work, so that the second hopper 311 is lifted to a preset position and loaded with material. If the septum in the septum feeding module 310 is exhausted (the detected gravity signal is equal to the gravity of the second hopper 311), the industrial control computer outputs a signal to prompt for septum replenishment.

[0057] S4. The conveying unit 400 alternately picks up materials from the primary positioning module 240 and the secondary positioning module 330, and stacks the materials on the stacking receiving module 510. The stacking feeding control module records the number of stackings in real time and counts the glass sheets placed on the stacking receiving module 510.

[0058] In this embodiment, step S4 further includes:

[0059] S41. The stacking and feeding control module determines whether the current stacking count is zero. If so, the material grabbing module 220 grabs the base plate from the base plate feeding module 210 and identifies and positions it. The stacking and feeding control module controls the conveying unit 400 to grab the base plate from the primary positioning module 240 and place it into the stacking and receiving module 510. Otherwise, proceed to step S42.

[0060] S42. The stacking and feeding control module controls the handling unit 400 to alternately grab spacers and glass from the primary positioning module 240 and the secondary positioning module 330, record the number of stacked glass, and determine in real time whether the number of glass stacks has reached the set value of glass stacks. If not, repeat step S42; if yes, proceed to step S43.

[0061] S43, the stacking and feeding control module controls the handling unit 400 to grab the spacer and the base plate from the secondary positioning module 330 and the primary positioning module 240 and stack them in the stacking and receiving module 510. The stacking and pressing module 530 presses the top of the stacked material after the base plate is placed in the stacking and receiving module 510.

[0062] S44. The stacking and feeding control module resets the recorded number of stacking times and the number of stacked glass pieces to zero. Each glass stacking operation strictly follows steps S41-S44 until all glass is stacked.

[0063] In this embodiment, the stacking and feeding control module records the number of stacking times and the number of glass pieces. At the same time, the stacking and feeding control module controls the material gripping module 220 and the conveying unit 400 to work, so that a base plate is set at the top and bottom of the stacked structure, and the glass and spacers between the two base plates are set in an alternating stacking manner, and the spacers are always in contact with the base plates to avoid damage caused by direct contact between the glass and the base plates.

[0064] S5, the stacking positioning and sorting module 520 guides and pushes the stacked materials in the stacking receiving module 510 each time a piece of material is received, so as to adjust the flatness of the stacked glass cut surface.

[0065] S6. When the stacking height in the stacking receiving module 510 reaches a preset value, the stacking pressing module 530 presses the top of the stacked material to facilitate the operator to remove the stacked material. In this embodiment, the preset value of the stacking height H = the set value of the number of glass stacks N x (glass thickness h1 + spacer thickness h2) + spacer thickness h2 + 2 x base plate thickness h3.

[0066] The control method of the aforementioned glass stacking equipment achieves primary positioning of the base plate and glass, and secondary positioning of the spacers, ensuring alignment of the glass when stacked with the spacers and base plate. The stacking positioning and sorting module 520 guides the stacked material, adjusting the position of the stacked glass, improving the flatness of the stacked glass cut surface, avoiding insufficient yield in the edge grinding process due to glass lateral displacement, and improving the stability of the stacked glass, preventing glass breakage or safety accidents caused by glass slippage or drops. It replaces manual stacking, improves stacking efficiency, and reduces glass stacking costs. Compared with manual stacking, its error rate is significantly reduced.

[0067] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0068] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A glass stacking device, characterized in that, include: The incoming material receiving unit includes a glass feeding module for receiving and conveying glass materials output from the glass washing machine, and a receiving monitoring module that is communicatively connected to the glass washing machine and used to monitor the feeding status of the incoming material on the glass feeding module. The receiving monitoring module sends start and stop signals to the glass washing machine according to the feeding status of the incoming material. The scanning and feeding unit includes a base plate feeding module for providing base plates to be stacked, a material gripping module for gripping glass or base plates from a glass feeding module or a base plate feeding module, a scanning and identification module for identifying and judging the type and condition of materials on the material gripping module, and a primary positioning module for receiving qualified materials identified by the scanning and identification module on the material gripping module and pre-positioning the materials. The spacer preparation unit includes a spacer feeding module for providing spacers to be stacked, a spacer gripping module for gripping spacers from the spacer feeding module, and a secondary positioning module for positioning the spacers gripped by the spacer gripping module. A conveying unit, which is used to alternately grab and move materials from a primary positioning module and a secondary positioning module; The stacking unit includes a stacking receiving module for receiving materials from the transport unit, a stacking positioning and sorting module for guiding and pushing the stacked materials in the stacking receiving module to adjust the flatness of the stacked glass cut surface when each piece of material is received, a stacking loading control module electrically connected to the transport unit to control the transport unit to alternately grab and transport materials from the primary positioning module and the secondary positioning module to the stacking receiving module, and a stacking pressing module electrically connected to the stacking loading control module and used to press the top of the stacked materials when the stacking height in the stacking receiving module reaches a preset value. The stacking loading control module counts the glass in the stacked materials when the transport unit transports materials to the stacking receiving module. The stacked materials pressed by the stacking pressing module are provided with a bottom plate at the top and bottom, and glass and spacers are alternately stacked between the two bottom plates. A buffer unit is used to store materials that are identified as unqualified by the scanning and identification module; The diaphragm feeding module includes a second hopper for receiving diaphragms and a second lifting servo module for driving the second hopper to vertically feed materials; the diaphragm gripping module includes a pneumatic gripper and an RZ drive mechanism that can drive the pneumatic gripper to rotate in the horizontal plane and can lift and lower in the vertical direction. The secondary positioning module includes a second support platform for receiving the diaphragm, a first push plate for pushing the diaphragm on the second support platform to guide the diaphragm to the correct position, and a first cylinder for driving the first push plate to move. The handling unit includes a vacuum suction cup for gripping glass, a base plate, or a spacer, and an XZ servo module for driving the vacuum suction cup to move horizontally and move up and down. The XZ servo module includes an X-axis guide rail arranged horizontally, a mounting bracket slidably mounted on the X-axis guide rail, a first driving component for driving the mounting bracket to slide on the X-axis guide rail, a Z-axis guide rail fixed on the mounting bracket, a slider or carriage slidably mounted on the Z-axis guide rail, and a second driving component for driving the slider or carriage to move up and down on the Z-axis guide rail. The vacuum suction cup is fixed on the slider or carriage.

2. The glass stacking equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The glass feeding module includes a first feeding mechanism for receiving incoming glass and a second feeding mechanism for receiving materials output from the first feeding mechanism. The feeding speed of the first feeding mechanism is less than that of the second feeding mechanism.

3. The glass stacking equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first material conveying mechanism includes a first material conveying belt for receiving and conveying glass and a first stepper motor for driving the first material conveying belt to rotate. The second material conveying mechanism includes a second material conveying belt for receiving and conveying glass and a second stepper motor for driving the second material conveying belt to rotate. The stepping speed of the second stepper motor is twice that of the first stepper motor.

4. The glass stacking equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base plate feeding module includes a first hopper for receiving the base plate and a first lifting servo module for driving the first hopper to feed material vertically; the material gripping module is a four-axis robot; the primary positioning module includes a first support platform for receiving and clamping glass or base plate and a third stepper motor for driving the first support platform to rotate to adjust the angle of the glass or base plate.

5. The glass stacking equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stacking receiving module includes a stacking bin for receiving materials to stack them, and a third lifting servo module for driving the stacking bin to rise and fall. The stacking positioning and sorting module includes a second pusher plate for pushing the sides of the stacked materials to adjust the flatness of the stacked glass cut surface, and a second cylinder for driving the second pusher plate to move.

6. The glass stacking equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The buffer unit includes a glass waste transfer mechanism for receiving and transporting defective glass, and a waste glass jamming and positioning mechanism for limiting the movement position of defective glass on the glass waste transfer mechanism.

7. A control method applied to the glass stacking apparatus according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. The glass feeding module receives the incoming glass material, and the connection monitoring module monitors the feeding status of the incoming material in real time. S2. The material grabbing module grabs glass or base plate from the glass feeding module or base plate feeding module. The scanning and identification module identifies and judges the type and condition of the material on the material grabbing module, and places the base plate or the qualified glass on the primary positioning module for pre-positioning. S3, the spacer gripping module grips the spacer and places it on the secondary positioning module for positioning; S4. The conveying unit alternately grabs materials from the primary positioning module and the secondary positioning module and stacks the materials on the stacking receiving module. The stacking feeding control module records the number of stacking times in real time and counts the glass sheets placed on the stacking receiving module. S5, the stacking positioning and sorting module guides and pushes the stacked materials in the stacking receiving module each time a piece of material is received, so as to adjust the flatness of the stacked glass cut surface; S6. When the stacking height in the stacking receiving module reaches the preset value, the stacking and pressing module presses the top of the stacked material.

8. The control method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Step S4 also includes: S41. The stacking and feeding control module determines whether the current stacking count is zero. If so, the material grabbing module grabs the base plate from the base plate feeding module and identifies and positions it. The stacking and feeding control module controls the conveying unit to grab the base plate from the primary positioning module and place it into the stacking and receiving module. Otherwise, proceed to step S42. S42. The stacking and feeding control module controls the conveying unit to alternately grab spacers and glass from the primary positioning module and the secondary positioning module, record the number of stacked glass, and determine in real time whether the number of glass stacks has reached the set value of glass stacks. If not, repeat step S42; if yes, proceed to step S43. S43, The stacking and feeding control module controls the conveying unit to grab the spacer and the base plate from the secondary positioning module and the primary positioning module and stack them in the stacking and receiving module. The stacking and pressing module presses the top of the stacked material after the base plate is placed in the stacking and receiving module. S44. The stacking and feeding control module will reset the recorded number of stacking times and the number of stacked glass to zero.

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