Flexible in-feed sorter

Abstract

The application discloses a flexible feeding and sorting machine, which comprises a rack and a workbench; a flexible vibrating mechanism is fixed on the workbench and used for placing and vibrating a plurality of workpieces; a visual detection mechanism is fixed on the top of the rack and used for taking a photo of the workpieces; a material sorting mechanism is located on one side of the flexible vibrating mechanism and used for picking up the workpieces and moving to a detection station to wait for the visual detection mechanism to take a photo, moving the unqualified workpieces to a recycling box, and moving the qualified workpieces to a transfer fixture; a material picking mechanism is located on one side of the material sorting mechanism and used for picking up the qualified workpieces on the transfer fixture to enter the next process; the whole process of the device does not need manual participation, can work continuously for 24 hours, is high in efficiency, is not prone to errors, can select different material trays according to the size and shape of the workpieces, is very flexible and convenient, does not need to frequently train a large number of workers, and greatly saves the labor cost.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of mechanical processing, in particular to a flexible feeding and sorting machine. BACKGROUND

[0002] Copper sheet is one of the important components of a capacitor, mainly used for connecting the elements inside the capacitor or as a lead terminal. During the assembly of the capacitor, the copper sheet needs to be sorted manually first to separate the qualified and unqualified copper sheets, and then the qualified copper sheet is assembled into the capacitor in a fixed posture by manual operation. At present, manual operation is not only inefficient, but also prone to errors due to physical consumption and visual fatigue. SUMMARY

[0003] In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a flexible feeding and sorting machine, which comprises:

[0004] A cabinet comprising a rack and a workbench;

[0005] A flexible vibration mechanism fixed on the workbench for placing and vibrating a plurality of workpieces;

[0006] A visual detection mechanism located above the flexible vibration mechanism and fixed on the top of the rack for photographing and detecting the workpieces;

[0007] A material sorting mechanism fixed on the workbench and located on one side of the flexible vibration mechanism for picking up the workpieces and moving them to a detection station for photographing and detecting by the visual detection mechanism, and moving the unqualified workpieces detected to a recycling box and the qualified workpieces detected to a transfer fixture;

[0008] A material picking mechanism located on one side of the material sorting mechanism for picking up the qualified workpieces on the transfer fixture to enter the next process;

[0009] A control mechanism electrically connected with the flexible vibration mechanism, the visual detection mechanism, the material sorting mechanism and the material picking mechanism.

[0010] Preferably, the flexible vibration mechanism comprises a vibrating hopper provided on the workbench and a flexible vibrating disc, the outlet of the vibrating hopper faces the flexible vibrating disc, the workpieces are stored in the vibrating hopper and are vibrated in batches from the vibrating hopper to the flexible vibrating disc.

[0011] Preferably, the vibrating hopper includes a base, a support block, a feeding trough, a vibrator, a buffer spring, and a hydraulic cylinder. The feeding trough is located above the base and is connected to the base by the buffer spring. The vibrator is also fixedly connected to the bottom of the feeding trough. A support block is provided at one end of the base, and a hydraulic cylinder is fixedly connected to the support block. The drive end of the hydraulic cylinder is fixedly connected to the side wall of the feeding trough. The hydraulic cylinder is used to adjust the tilt angle of the feeding trough. When feeding is required, the hydraulic cylinder extends to tilt the feeding trough at a certain angle so that the feeding trough can pour material smoothly. At the same time, the vibrator starts to work, causing the feeding trough to vibrate. The buffer spring can prevent the amplitude of the feeding trough from being too large. However, when feeding is not required, the hydraulic cylinder retracts to return the feeding trough to a horizontal state, and the vibrator stops working. In addition, the tilt angle of the feeding trough can be adjusted according to the shape and size of the workpiece and the required feeding speed.

[0012] Preferably, the flexible vibratory feeder includes a feed pan, a vibrating plate, a first fixed base, a first driving element, and a pulse generator. The vibrating plate is located at the bottom of the feed pan and is located together with the feed pan at the top of the first fixed base. The first driving element and the pulse generator are both located inside the first fixed base. The pulse generator is located on one side of the first driving element and abuts against the vibrating plate. The pulse generator and the first driving element are electrically connected to a control mechanism. The control mechanism controls the operation of the pulse generator and the first driving element. The feed pan has a slot, and the vibration of the flexible vibratory feeder causes the workpiece to be stuck in the slot of the feed pan.

[0013] Preferably, the visual inspection mechanism includes a CCD camera and an inspection light source. The CCD camera is mounted on the top of the frame and faces the inspection station, and the inspection station is equipped with an inspection light source.

[0014] Preferably, the material sorting mechanism includes a first sliding component, a second sliding component, a sorting robot, a recycling box, and a transfer fixture. The first sliding component is fixed on the worktable, the second sliding component is located above the first sliding component and is slidably connected to the first sliding component, the sorting robot is located on the second sliding component and is slidably connected to the second sliding component, and the recycling box and the transfer fixture are both fixed on the worktable and located on both sides of the inspection station.

[0015] Preferably, the first sliding component includes a first slide rail and a first slider. The first slide rail is disposed on the worktable along the PA direction, and the first slide rail is slidably connected to the second sliding component through the first slider.

[0016] Preferably, the second sliding component includes a second slide rail and a second slider, which are arranged perpendicularly to the first slide rail along the PB direction, and the second slide rail is slidably connected to the sorting robot through the second slider.

[0017] Preferably, the transfer fixture includes a second fixed base and two side plates. The top of the second fixed base is used to temporarily place the workpiece, and the two side plates are arranged opposite each other on both sides of the second fixed base. An infrared emitting sensor and an infrared receiving sensor are respectively fixed on the two side plates.

[0018] Preferably, the material picking mechanism includes a third fixed base, a movable arm, and a picking robot. The third fixed base is fixed on the worktable, the picking robot is rotatably mounted on the third fixed base, one end of the movable arm is rotatably mounted on the third fixed base, and the end of the movable arm away from the third fixed base is fixedly connected to the picking robot.

[0019] The beneficial effects are as follows: In the process of assembling capacitors, the workpiece copper sheets are first stored in the vibrating hopper of the flexible vibration mechanism. The vibrating hopper drops the workpiece copper sheets into the flexible vibrating plate in batches. The vibration of the flexible vibrating plate causes the workpiece copper sheets to be stuck in the slots of the flexible vibrating plate in a fixed posture. The sorting robot picks up the workpiece copper sheets from the slots and moves them to the inspection station. The CCD camera of the vision inspection mechanism takes pictures of each copper sheet for inspection. Copper sheets that do not meet the quality standards are put into the recycling box to avoid entering the next process. Copper sheets that meet the quality standards are put into the transfer fixture to wait for the picking robot to pick them up and enter the next process. The whole process does not require human intervention and can work 24 hours a day without stopping. It is highly efficient, less prone to errors, and different trays can be selected according to the size and shape of the workpieces. It is very flexible and convenient, and there is no need to frequently train workers extensively, which greatly saves labor costs. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 This is a front view of the overall structure of this application;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a top view of the overall structure of this application;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the visual inspection mechanism structure of this application;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the vibrating silo and flexible vibrating plate structure of this application;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the transfer fixture structure in this application;

[0026] In the picture:

[0027] 1. Server rack; 11. Server stand; 12. Workbench; 13. Casters; 14. Alarm device;

[0028] 2. Flexible vibration mechanism; 21. Vibrating hopper; 211. Base; 212. Support block; 213. Feed trough; 22. Flexible vibrating plate; 221. Material tray; 2211. Groove; 222. First fixed seat;

[0029] 3. Visual inspection agency; 31. CCD camera; 32. Inspection light source;

[0030] 4. Material sorting mechanism; 41. First sliding assembly; 42. Second sliding assembly; 43. Sorting robot; 44. Recycling box; 45. Transfer fixture; 451. Second fixed base; 452. Side plate; 453. Infrared emitting sensor; 454. Infrared receiving sensor;

[0031] 5. Material picking mechanism; 51. Third fixed seat; 52. Movable arm; 53. Picking robot; 531. Vacuum suction cup. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The following drawings disclose several embodiments of the present invention. For clarity, many practical details will be described in the following description. However, it should be understood that these practical details are not intended to limit the invention. That is, in some embodiments of the invention, these practical details are not essential. Furthermore, for the sake of simplicity, some conventional structures and components will be shown in the drawings in a simple schematic manner.

[0033] It should be noted that all directional indications in the embodiments of the present invention, such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc., are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture as shown in the attached figure. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0034] Furthermore, in this invention, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" is for descriptive purposes only and does not specifically refer to any order or sequence, nor is it intended to limit the invention. They are merely used to distinguish components or operations described using the same technical terms, and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only if they are feasible for those skilled in the art. If a combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, such a combination should be considered nonexistent and not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0035] Example

[0036] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 This is a front view of the overall structure of this application. Figure 2This is a top view of the overall structure of this application. This embodiment provides a flexible feeding and sorting machine including a control mechanism and a cabinet 1, a flexible vibration mechanism 2, a vision inspection mechanism 3, a material sorting mechanism 4, and a material picking mechanism 5 electrically connected to the control mechanism; wherein the cabinet 1 includes a frame 11, a workbench 12, casters 13, and an alarm 14. The workbench 12 is mounted on the frame 11, the casters 13 are located at the bottom of the frame 11, and the alarm 14 is located at the top of the frame 11; the flexible vibration mechanism 2 is fixed on the workbench 12 and is used to place and vibrate multiple workpiece copper sheets; the vision inspection mechanism 3 is located above the flexible vibration mechanism 2 and... The visual inspection mechanism 3 is fixed on the top of the frame 11 and is used to photograph and inspect the copper workpieces. The material sorting mechanism 4 is fixed on the workbench 12 and located on one side of the flexible vibration mechanism 2. It is used to pick up the copper workpieces and move them to the inspection station to wait for the visual inspection mechanism 3 to photograph and inspect them. It also moves the copper workpieces that fail the inspection to the recycling box 44 and moves the copper workpieces that pass the inspection to the transfer fixture 45. The material picking mechanism 5 is fixed on the workbench 12 and located on one side of the material sorting mechanism 4. It is used to pick up the copper workpieces that pass the inspection on the transfer fixture 45 and put them into the next process.

[0037] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the vibrating hopper and flexible vibrating plate structure of this application. The flexible vibration mechanism 2 includes a vibrating hopper 21 and a flexible vibrating plate 22 mounted on a workbench 12. The outlet of the vibrating hopper 21 faces the flexible vibrating plate 22. The workpiece copper sheet is stored in the vibrating hopper 21 and is vibrated in batches from the vibrating hopper 21 into the flexible vibrating plate 22. The vibrating hopper 21 includes a base 211, a support block 212, a feeding trough 213, a vibrator, a buffer spring, and a hydraulic cylinder. The feeding trough 213 is located above the base 211 and is connected to the base 211 by a buffer spring. A vibrator is also fixedly connected to the bottom of the feeding trough 213. A support block 212 is provided at one end of the base 211, and a hydraulic cylinder is fixedly connected to the support block 212. The driving end of the hydraulic cylinder is fixedly connected to the side wall of the feeding trough 213, and the hydraulic cylinder is used to adjust the tilt angle of the feeding trough 213. When feeding is required, the hydraulic cylinder extends to tilt the feeding trough 213 at a certain angle so that the feeding trough 213 can pour materials smoothly. At the same time, the vibrator starts to work and causes the feeding trough 213 to vibrate. The buffer spring can prevent the feeding trough 213 from having an excessive amplitude. However, when feeding is not required, the hydraulic cylinder retracts to restore the feeding trough 213 to a horizontal state, and the vibrator stops working. In addition, the tilt angle of the feeding trough 213 can be adjusted according to the shape and size of the copper sheet of the workpiece and the required feeding speed. The flexible vibratory feeder 22 includes a feed tray 221, a vibrating plate, a first fixed base 222, a first driving element, and a pulse generator. The vibrating plate is located at the bottom of the feed tray 221 and is located together with the feed tray 221 at the top of the first fixed base 222. The first driving element and the pulse generator are both located inside the first fixed base 222. The pulse generator is located on one side of the first driving element and abuts against the vibrating plate. The pulse generator and the first driving element are electrically connected to the control mechanism. The control mechanism controls the operation of the pulse generator and the first driving element. The first driving element can be a drive motor. The feed tray 221 has a slot 2211. The vibration of the flexible vibratory feeder 22 causes the copper workpiece to be stuck in the slot 2211 of the feed tray 221 so that the material sorting mechanism 4 can clamp it. Different feed trays 221 can be selected according to the shape and size of the copper workpiece. For example, some feed trays 221 with large slot 2211 gaps are suitable for large copper workpieces, while some feed trays 221 with small slot 2211 gaps are suitable for small copper workpieces.

[0038] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the visual inspection mechanism structure of this application. The visual inspection mechanism 3 includes a CCD camera 31 and a detection light source 32. The CCD camera 31 is set on the top of the frame 11 and faces the inspection station. The detection light source 32 is provided on the inspection station to illuminate the copper sheet of the workpiece. According to actual needs, two CCD cameras 31 can be set, one above the inspection station and one below the inspection station, so as to take pictures and inspect the copper sheet of the workpiece from multiple angles.

[0039] See alsoFigure 2 To facilitate understanding of this embodiment, a direction axis is established: PA is the first direction, PB is the second direction, and PC is the third direction. The first and second directions are parallel to the worktable and perpendicular to each other, while the third direction is perpendicular to the first and second directions. The material sorting mechanism 4 includes a first sliding assembly 41, a second sliding assembly 42, a sorting robot 43, a recycling box 44, and a transfer fixture 45. The first sliding assembly 41 is fixed on the worktable 12 along the PA direction. The second sliding assembly 42 is disposed above the first sliding assembly 41 along the PB direction and is slidably connected to the first sliding assembly 41. The sorting robot 43 is disposed on the second sliding assembly 42 and is slidably connected to the second sliding assembly 42. The recycling box 44 and the transfer fixture 45 are both fixed on the worktable 12 and are located on both sides of the inspection station, respectively. The first sliding assembly 41 includes a first slide rail and a first slider. The first slide rail is disposed on the worktable 12 along the PA direction and is slidably connected to the second sliding assembly 42 through the first slider. The second sliding assembly 42 includes a second slide rail and a second slider. The second slide rail is disposed on the first slider and is perpendicular to the first slide rail along the PB direction. The second slide rail is slidably connected to the sorting robot 43 through the second slider. Please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the transfer fixture structure in this application. The transfer fixture 45 includes a second fixed base 451 and two side plates 452. The top of the second fixed base 451 is used to temporarily place the workpiece copper sheet. The two side plates 452 are arranged opposite each other on both sides of the second fixed base 451. An infrared emitting sensor 453 and an infrared receiving sensor 454 are respectively fixed on the two side plates 452. When a qualified workpiece copper sheet is picked up by the sorting robot 43 and placed on the top of the second fixed base 451, if the orientation or state of the workpiece copper sheet is incorrect, it will block the infrared light emitted by the infrared emitting sensor 453, thereby triggering the alarm 14 to sound an alarm. The control mechanism will control the material picking mechanism 5 to stop picking up the workpiece copper sheet on the top of the second fixed base 451. The sorting robot 43 includes a telescopic cylinder, a clamping cylinder, and a robot gripper. The telescopic cylinder drives the robot gripper to rise or fall, and the clamping cylinder drives the robot gripper to clamp or release.

[0040] See also Figure 2The material picking mechanism 5 includes a third fixed base 51, a movable arm 52, and a picking robot 53. The third fixed base 51 is fixed on the worktable 12. The picking robot 53 is rotatably mounted on the third fixed base 51. One end of the movable arm 52 is rotatably mounted on the third fixed base 51. Specifically, one end of the movable arm 52 is mounted on the third fixed base 51 via a rotating seat. The third fixed base 51 is equipped with a second driving component, which drives the rotating seat and the picking robot 53 to rotate. The second driving component can be a drive motor. The end of the movable arm 52 away from the third fixed base 51 is fixedly connected to the picking robot 53. Adding the movable arm 52 can provide support for the picking robot 53. The picking robot 53 is equipped with a vacuum suction cup and a connection port connected to the vacuum suction cup. The vacuum suction cup is equipped with a rubber suction cup port, and the connection port is connected to an air supply pipe. The vacuum suction cup adsorbs the copper sheet workpiece.

[0041] In summary, during the capacitor assembly process, the copper workpieces are first stored in the vibrating hopper 21 of the flexible vibration mechanism 2. The vibrating hopper 21 then vibrates in batches, dropping the copper workpieces into the flexible vibrating plate 22. The vibration of the flexible vibrating plate 22 causes the copper workpieces to be fixed in the slots 2211 of the flexible vibrating plate 22. The sorting robot 43 picks up the copper workpieces from the slots 2211 and moves them to the inspection station. The CCD camera 31 of the vision inspection mechanism takes pictures of each copper workpiece for inspection. Copper workpieces that do not meet the quality standards are placed in the recycling box 44 to avoid entering the next process. Copper workpieces that meet the quality standards are placed in the transfer fixture 45 to wait for the picking robot 53 to pick them up and enter the next process. The entire process does not require manual intervention, can work 24 hours a day without interruption, is highly efficient, and is less prone to errors. Furthermore, different trays can be selected according to the size and shape of the workpieces, which is very flexible and convenient. It does not require frequent and extensive training of workers, which greatly saves labor costs.

[0042] The above are merely embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible feeding and sorting machine, characterized in that, include: The cabinet (1) includes a rack (11) and a workbench (12); A flexible vibration mechanism (2) is fixed on the worktable (12) for placing and vibrating multiple workpieces; The visual inspection mechanism (3) is located above the flexible vibration mechanism (2) and fixed to the top of the frame (11) for taking pictures of the workpiece for inspection. The material sorting mechanism (4) is fixed on the workbench (12) and located on one side of the flexible vibration mechanism (2). It is used to pick up the workpiece and move it to the inspection station to wait for the visual inspection mechanism (3) to take pictures and inspect it. The workpiece that fails the inspection is moved to the recycling box (44), and the workpiece that passes the inspection is moved to the transfer fixture (45). The material picking mechanism (5) is located on one side of the material sorting mechanism (4) and is used to pick up the qualified workpieces on the transfer fixture (45) and put them into the next process. The control mechanism is electrically connected to the flexible vibration mechanism (2), the visual inspection mechanism (3), the material sorting mechanism (4), and the material picking mechanism (5); The flexible vibration mechanism (2) includes a vibrating hopper (21) and a flexible vibrating plate (22) provided on the workbench (12). The outlet of the vibrating hopper (21) faces the flexible vibrating plate (22). The workpiece is stored in the vibrating hopper (21) and is vibrated in batches by the vibrating hopper (21) and dropped into the flexible vibrating plate (22). The vibrating hopper (21) includes a base (211), a support block (212), a feeding trough (213), a vibrator, a buffer spring, and a hydraulic cylinder. The feeding trough (213) is located above the base (211). The feeding trough (213) and the base (211) are connected by the buffer spring. The vibrator is also fixedly connected to the bottom of the feeding trough (213). The support block (212) is provided at one end of the base (211). The hydraulic cylinder is fixedly connected to the support block (212). The driving end of the hydraulic cylinder is fixedly connected to the side wall of the feeding trough (213). The hydraulic cylinder is used to adjust the tilt angle of the feeding trough (213). The flexible vibratory feeder (22) includes a feed tray (221), a vibrating plate, a first fixed base (222), a first driving member, and a pulse generator. The vibrating plate is located at the bottom of the feed tray (221) and together with the feed tray (221), it is located at the top of the first fixed base (222). The first driving member and the pulse generator are both located inside the first fixed base (222). The pulse generator is located on one side of the first driving member and abuts against the vibrating plate. The pulse generator and the first driving member are electrically connected to the control mechanism. The control mechanism controls the operation of the pulse generator and the first driving member. The feed tray (221) has a slot (2211). The vibration of the flexible vibratory feeder (22) causes the workpiece to be stuck in the slot (2211) of the feed tray (221). The visual inspection mechanism (3) includes a CCD camera (31) and an inspection light source (32). The CCD camera (31) is located on the top of the frame (11) and faces the inspection station. The inspection station is provided with an inspection light source (32). The material sorting mechanism (4) includes a first sliding component (41), a second sliding component (42), a sorting robot (43), a recycling box (44), and a transfer fixture (45). The first sliding component (41) is fixed on the workbench (12). The second sliding component (42) is located above the first sliding component (41) and is slidably connected to the first sliding component (41). The sorting robot (43) is located on the second sliding component (42) and is slidably connected to the second sliding component (42). The recycling box (44) and the transfer fixture (45) are both fixed on the workbench (12) and are located on both sides of the detection station. The first sliding component (41) includes a first slide rail and a first slider. The first slide rail is disposed on the worktable (12) along the PA direction. The first slide rail is slidably connected to the second sliding component (42) through the first slider. The second sliding component (42) includes a second slide rail and a second slider. The second slide rail is disposed on the first slider and is perpendicular to the first slide rail along the PB direction. The second slide rail is slidably connected to the sorting robot (43) through the second slider. The transfer fixture (45) includes a second fixed base (451) and two side plates (452). The top of the second fixed base (451) is used to temporarily place the workpiece. The two side plates (452) are arranged opposite to each other on both sides of the second fixed base (451). An infrared emitting sensor (453) and an infrared receiving sensor (454) are respectively fixed on the two side plates (452). The material picking mechanism (5) includes a third fixed base (51), a movable arm (52), and a picking robot (53). The third fixed base (51) is fixed on the worktable (12). The picking robot (53) is rotatably mounted on the third fixed base (51). One end of the movable arm (52) is rotatably mounted on the third fixed base (51), and the end of the movable arm (52) away from the third fixed base (51) is fixedly connected to the picking robot (53).

Images