Feeding device and feeding method

Abstract

The application provides a feeding device and a feeding method. The feeding device comprises at least one stock bin, the stock bin comprises a jacking mechanism, the jacking mechanism comprises a jacking driving member and a jacking support connected with the jacking driving member, the jacking support is used for carrying a plurality of materials stacked in layers, the jacking driving member is used for driving the jacking support to jack the materials in a jacking direction, and the jacking direction is consistent with the stacking direction of the plurality of materials; a turnover mechanism is used for picking up and turning over the nth layer of materials in the plurality of materials; a material taking mechanism is used for picking up and transferring the mth layer of materials and the nth layer of materials turned over by the turnover mechanism in the plurality of materials respectively, m≠n and m and n are positive integers; and a material placing table is used for receiving the mth layer of materials and the nth layer of materials transferred by the material taking mechanism. The application can improve production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery technology, and more specifically, to a feeding device and a feeding method. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of new energy technologies, the demand for new energy products such as battery devices and energy storage devices is constantly increasing, which puts forward higher requirements for the production efficiency of these new energy products. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a high-efficiency feeding device and feeding method.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a feeding device, comprising: at least one hopper, the hopper including a lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism including a lifting drive and a lifting bracket connected to the lifting drive, the lifting bracket for carrying multiple stacked materials, the lifting drive for driving the lifting bracket to lift the materials along a lifting direction, the lifting direction being consistent with the stacking direction of the multiple materials; a flipping mechanism for picking up and flipping the nth layer of the multiple materials; a picking mechanism for picking up and transferring the mth layer of the multiple materials and the nth layer of materials flipped by the flipping mechanism, m≠n and m and n are positive integers; and a discharging platform for receiving the mth layer of materials and the nth layer of materials transferred by the picking mechanism.

[0005] The material hopper can hold multiple stacked materials. The m-th layer of material that does not need to be flipped can be directly picked up by the picking mechanism and transferred to the unloading platform. The n-th layer of material that needs to be flipped is flipped by the flipping mechanism and then picked up by the picking mechanism and transferred to the unloading platform. This not only speeds up the feeding speed, meets the production cycle, and improves production efficiency, but also eliminates the need for additional fixtures in the hopper, making it compatible with materials of different sizes. In addition, the stacked materials can reduce the space occupied.

[0006] In some embodiments, one of m and n is odd and the other is even.

[0007] By using a flipping mechanism and a picking mechanism to pick up materials from the hopper in alternating order based on odd and even numbers, the production cycle and process requirements can be met, and the feeding efficiency can be improved. At the same time, for materials with similar flipped side plates, the space occupied can be significantly reduced, which helps the hopper to accommodate more materials.

[0008] In some embodiments, the hopper includes: a storage rack having a receiving space for accommodating the material; and a lifting support disposed in the receiving space.

[0009] The lifting mechanism drives multiple stacked materials to the top picking position one by one, which can realize automated feeding and improve production efficiency; the storage rack forms a space to hold materials, reducing the risk of multiple stacked materials scattering.

[0010] In some embodiments, the hopper further includes a first slide rail extending along the lifting direction, and the lifting bracket is slidably connected to the first slide rail.

[0011] By using a first slide rail that extends along the lifting direction, the lifting support is slidably connected to the first slide rail, which can improve the stability of the lifting support during the process of lifting materials and reduce the risk of materials shaking and slipping.

[0012] In some embodiments, the storage rack can switch between a material preparation position and a lifting and feeding position. When the storage rack is switched to the material preparation position, it is used to receive the material. When the storage rack is switched to the lifting and feeding position, it is used to provide the material to the flipping mechanism and the picking mechanism.

[0013] Therefore, while one silo in a multi-silo system is supplying material, other silos that are short of or have run out of material can receive material at their reserve positions, thus enabling multiple silos to supply material continuously without stopping the machine and improving production efficiency.

[0014] In some embodiments, the hopper further includes a fixing plate, the fixing plate being provided with a second slide rail extending along a first direction, the storage rack being slidably connected to the second slide rail, the storage rack being able to switch between the material preparation position and the lifting material loading position along the second slide rail, the first direction being perpendicular to the lifting direction.

[0015] The storage rack is slidably connected to the second slide rail extending along the first direction, allowing the storage rack to switch between the material preparation position and the lifting and feeding position more smoothly, reducing the risk of material shaking. At the same time, the storage rack slides to the material preparation position along the first direction perpendicular to the lifting direction, avoiding the flipping mechanism and material picking mechanism that pick up materials at the top of the storage rack, thus reducing the risk of mutual interference.

[0016] In some embodiments, the storage rack is provided with handles.

[0017] The storage rack is equipped with handles, allowing manual switching between the material preparation position and the lifting and loading position. This facilitates operation, reduces the need for drive structures, and thus minimizes space occupation.

[0018] In some embodiments, the top of the storage rack is provided with a feeding port, and the storage rack is provided with a first material detection device at the feeding port position, the first material detection device being used to detect the position of the material in the storage rack.

[0019] By detecting the position of materials in the storage rack using the first material detection device, abnormal conditions in the material silo can be detected in a timely manner, thus improving the reliability of material feeding.

[0020] In some embodiments, the flipping mechanism includes at least one flipping component, the flipping component including a flipping drive and a connecting rod connected to the flipping drive, the connecting rod being provided with a flipping suction cup.

[0021] The flipping mechanism can automate the picking and flipping of materials, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0022] In some embodiments, multiple hoppers are provided, and the multiple hoppers are arranged side by side; the flipping mechanism further includes a moving component, the moving component includes a moving drive and a third slide rail extending along the arrangement direction of the multiple hoppers, the flipping drive is connected to the third slide rail via a slider, and the moving drive is connected to the slider.

[0023] The system has multiple hoppers arranged side by side. The flipping component can move along the arrangement of the hoppers, enabling continuous material retrieval and improving production efficiency.

[0024] In some embodiments, multiple flipping components are provided, and the multiple flipping components are arranged side by side along the arrangement direction.

[0025] Multiple flipping components can pick up multiple materials to be flipped at once, thereby further improving production efficiency.

[0026] In some embodiments, the material handling mechanism includes a multi-axis robotic arm and a material handling suction cup disposed at the end of the multi-axis robotic arm, wherein the air passage interface of the material handling suction cup is connected to a negative pressure device through a dual air passage solenoid valve.

[0027] Because the material suction cup is connected to the negative pressure device through a dual-air-path solenoid valve, which has a power-off and air-off retention function, the material suction cup can maintain the state of sucking up materials even in the event of a sudden power-off or air-off, thereby reducing the risk of the side plate falling off.

[0028] In some embodiments, the material-grabbing suction cup includes a mounting frame and a plurality of suction nozzles disposed on the mounting frame, wherein each suction nozzle is provided with an elastic element between itself and the mounting frame.

[0029] During the process of the suction nozzle drawing up materials, the elastic element plays a certain role in buffering and reducing the degree of damage to the side plate.

[0030] In some embodiments, the mounting bracket is provided with a second material detection device for detecting the material sucked up by the nozzle.

[0031] The mounting bracket is equipped with a second material detection device, which can detect whether the suction nozzle has picked up the material in place, thereby improving the reliability of material transfer.

[0032] In some embodiments, the feeding platform includes a first feeding platform, a second feeding platform, and a switching mechanism. The switching mechanism is connected to the first feeding platform and the second feeding platform and is used to drive the first feeding platform and the second feeding platform to alternately reach the receiving position for receiving the material.

[0033] By switching the first and second feeding platforms to alternately reach the receiving positions for receiving materials through the switching mechanism, uninterrupted material receiving can be achieved, thus improving production efficiency.

[0034] In some embodiments, the feeding platform further includes a fourth slide rail and a fifth slide rail that are parallel to each other. The first feeding platform is slidably connected to the fourth slide rail, and the second feeding platform is slidably connected to the fifth slide rail. The second feeding platform is located below the first feeding platform. The switching mechanism includes a servo motor, a driving wheel, a driven wheel, and a transmission belt. The driving wheel is connected to the servo motor, and the transmission belt is wound around the driving wheel and the driven wheel. The first feeding platform and the second feeding platform are respectively connected to the upper and lower sections of the transmission belt.

[0035] Therefore, by using a servo motor in conjunction with a transmission belt, the first and second unloading platforms can move synchronously back and forth, thereby alternately reaching the receiving position, achieving uninterrupted material receiving, accelerating the production cycle, and improving production efficiency.

[0036] In some embodiments, both the first and second feeding platforms are provided with at least one material clamp and a material positioning component, wherein the material positioning component is used to push the material on the material clamp to move to a predetermined position in different directions.

[0037] By using a material positioning component, the materials on the material fixture are moved to the specified positions in different directions, so that each material is in the same position on the material fixture. This facilitates subsequent processing and helps to improve processing accuracy.

[0038] In some embodiments, the positioning component includes a first positioning component and a second positioning component. The first positioning component includes a first positioning drive and a first push rod. The first positioning drive is used to drive the first push rod to move along a first direction and push the material on the material clamp. The second positioning component includes a second positioning drive and a second push rod. The second positioning drive is used to drive the second push rod to move along a second direction and push the material on the material clamp. The first direction, the second direction, and the stacking direction of the plurality of materials are perpendicular to each other.

[0039] By using the first positioning component and the second positioning component to position the material on the material fixture in the first and second directions, each material placed on the material fixture can accurately reach the specified position, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of the material.

[0040] In some embodiments, the feeding device further includes a feeding conveyor mechanism and a vision inspection mechanism, wherein the vision inspection mechanism is used to detect the material picked up by the picking mechanism, and the feeding conveyor mechanism is used to receive the non-conforming material picked up by the picking mechanism based on the detection of the vision inspection mechanism.

[0041] By using a visual inspection system to inspect the materials placed in front of the feeding platform, unqualified materials can be detected in a timely manner, thus improving the reliability of feeding.

[0042] In some embodiments, along a first direction, the flipping mechanism is located between the hopper and the picking mechanism; along a second direction, both the vision inspection mechanism and the picking mechanism are located between the feeding platform and the unloading conveying mechanism, and the first direction, the second direction, and the stacking direction of the plurality of materials are perpendicular to each other.

[0043] A well-organized layout of the various mechanisms in the feeding equipment can not only reduce the space occupied, but also shorten the operation time, speed up the production cycle, and thus improve production efficiency.

[0044] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a feeding method applied to a feeding device. The feeding device includes a hopper, a tilting mechanism, a picking mechanism, and a discharging platform. The hopper includes a lifting mechanism, which includes a lifting drive and a lifting bracket connected to the lifting drive. The lifting bracket carries multiple stacked materials. The feeding method includes: the lifting drive driving the lifting bracket to lift the multiple materials along a lifting direction, so that a target material among the multiple materials reaches a picking position; the lifting direction is consistent with the stacking direction of the multiple materials; and responding to the hopper... The system receives a target material arrival command and determines whether the target material is odd or even in the total number of stacked materials. Based on the determination result, it controls the flipping mechanism and the picking mechanism corresponding to the odd or even number to pick up the target material. If the picking mechanism picks up the target material, it controls the picking mechanism to place the target material on the feeding platform. If the flipping mechanism picks up the target material, it controls the flipping mechanism to flip the target material and controls the picking mechanism to pick up the target material after it has been flipped by the flipping mechanism and place the target material on the feeding platform.

[0045] Based on odd-numbered and even-numbered material layers, controlling the corresponding flipping and picking mechanisms of odd-numbered and even-numbered layers to pick up materials alternately enables each material to be placed on the feeding table in the required posture (e.g., the same posture), which facilitates subsequent processing, meets cycle time requirements, and improves production efficiency.

[0046] In some embodiments, the feeding device further includes a feeding conveyor mechanism and a vision inspection mechanism, and the feeding method further includes: detecting the target material picked up by the picking mechanism through the vision inspection mechanism, determining whether the target material is qualified based on the detection result, and if it is qualified, controlling the picking mechanism to place the qualified target material on the unloading platform; if it is unqualified, controlling the picking mechanism to place the unqualified target material on the feeding conveyor mechanism.

[0047] By using a visual inspection mechanism to inspect the target materials picked up by the material handling mechanism, unqualified materials can be detected in a timely manner, thus improving the reliability of material feeding.

[0048] In some embodiments, the feeding platform includes a first positioning component and a second positioning component. The first positioning component includes a first positioning drive and a first push rod connected to the first positioning drive. The second positioning component includes a second positioning drive and a second push rod connected to the second positioning drive. After the material handling mechanism places the target material on the feeding platform, the feeding method further includes: controlling the first positioning drive to drive the first push rod to push the target material along a first direction, and controlling the second positioning drive to drive the second push rod to push the target material along a second direction, thereby positioning the target material at a predetermined position, wherein the first direction, the second direction, and the stacking direction of the plurality of materials are perpendicular to each other.

[0049] The first positioning component and the second positioning component position the material on the material fixture in the first and second directions, respectively, so that each material placed on the material fixture can accurately reach the specified position, thereby facilitating subsequent processing and helping to improve the processing accuracy of the material. Attached Figure Description

[0050] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope.

[0051] Figure 1 Top view of the overall structure of the feeding device provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0052] Figure 2 This application provides structural schematic diagrams of silos for some embodiments.

[0053] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the flipping mechanism provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0054] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the material handling mechanism provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0055] Figure 5 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the feeding platform provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0056] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the feeding and conveying mechanism provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0057] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a visual inspection mechanism provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0058] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a structure in which multiple materials are stacked together, provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0059] Figure 9 The flow chart of the feeding method provided in some embodiments of this application Figure 1 ;

[0060] Figure 10 The flow chart of the feeding method provided in some embodiments of this application Figure 2 ;

[0061] Figure 11 The flow chart of the feeding method provided in some embodiments of this application Figure 3 .

[0062] icon:

[0063] 100-Feeding equipment; 200-Material; 201-First side; 202-Second side; 203-Flanged edge; 10-Hopper; 11-Storage rack; 11A-Accommodation space; 11B-Feeding port; 12-Lifting mechanism; 13-First slide rail; 14-Fixing plate; 15-Handle; 16-First material detection device; 121-Lifting drive component; 122-Lifting bracket; 20-Tilting mechanism; 21-Tilting assembly; 22-Moving assembly; 211-Tilting drive component; 212-Connecting rod; 213-Tilting suction cup; 221-Moving drive component; 222-Third slide rail; 223-Slider; 30-Material handling mechanism; 31-Material handling suction cup; 32-Dual air-path solenoid valve; 33-Second material detection device ; 34-Flange; 311-Mounting bracket; 312-Suction nozzle; 313-Elastic element; 40-Discharging platform; 40A-Receiving position; 41-First discharging platform; 42-Second discharging platform; 43-Switching mechanism; 44-Fourth slide rail; 45-Fifth slide rail; 46-Material clamp; 47-Positioning component; 431-Servo motor; 432-Drive wheel; 433-Transmission belt; 471-First positioning component; 472-Second positioning component; 4711-First positioning drive; 4712-First push rod; 4721-Second positioning drive; 4722-Second push rod; 50-Discharging conveyor mechanism; 51-Conveyor motor; 52-Conveyor belt; 60-Vision inspection mechanism; 61-Camera; 62-Light source. Detailed Implementation

[0064] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0065] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other.

[0066] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0067] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that the indicated orientation or positional relationship is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of this application is in use, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly understood by those skilled in the art. It is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and is not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation on this application. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0068] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "set" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0069] Currently, judging from market trends, the application of new energy technologies is becoming increasingly widespread. Taking battery devices as an example, they are widely used in electric vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and electric cars, as well as in power tools, drones, energy storage equipment, and many other fields. As the application areas of battery devices continue to expand, the market demand is also constantly increasing, thus placing higher demands on the production efficiency of battery devices.

[0070] In the manufacturing process of battery devices, many stages require material loading equipment. Due to manufacturing process requirements, the orientation of incoming materials sometimes needs to be adjusted to accommodate subsequent processing. Taking the side plate in a battery device as an example, typically, the two opposite sides of the side plate have different structures along the thickness direction; one side is basically flat, while the other has a flange. When loading the side plate, there may be certain requirements regarding its placement orientation; for example, the flanged side of the side plate must always face upwards to facilitate subsequent processing.

[0071] Currently, the manual method of loading side panels one by one cannot meet the production cycle, resulting in low production efficiency. Furthermore, manual loading increases the probability of incorrect side panel placement, failing to meet subsequent processing requirements. In addition, with the increasing types of battery devices, the required side panel sizes may differ for different types of battery devices. For example, larger side panels with a length exceeding 800mm require larger clamps for fixing, which are incompatible due to space constraints.

[0072] By stacking multiple side panels, no additional fixtures need to be designed. Side panels that meet the posture requirements can be directly picked up and transferred, while side panels that do not meet the posture requirements can be flipped to meet the posture requirements before being transferred. This not only allows for compatibility with side panels of different sizes but also meets the requirements of the manufacturing process and improves production efficiency.

[0073] Based on the above design concept, this application provides a feeding device, including: at least one hopper, the hopper including a lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism including a lifting drive and a lifting bracket connected to the lifting drive, the lifting bracket being used to carry multiple stacked materials, the lifting drive being used to drive the lifting bracket to lift the materials along a lifting direction, the lifting direction being consistent with the stacking direction of the multiple materials; a flipping mechanism for picking up and flipping the nth layer of materials among the multiple materials; a picking mechanism for picking up and transferring the mth layer of materials and the nth layer of materials flipped by the flipping mechanism respectively, where m≠n and m and n are positive integers; and a discharging platform for receiving the mth layer of materials and the nth layer of materials transferred by the picking mechanism.

[0074] The material hopper can hold multiple stacked materials. The m-th layer of material that does not need to be flipped can be directly picked up by the picking mechanism and transferred to the unloading platform. The n-th layer of material that needs to be flipped is flipped by the flipping mechanism and then picked up by the picking mechanism and transferred to the unloading platform. This not only speeds up the feeding speed, meets the production cycle, and improves production efficiency, but also eliminates the need for additional fixtures in the hopper and is compatible with materials of different sizes. In addition, the stacked materials can reduce the space occupied.

[0075] The feeding equipment in this application embodiment is not limited to feeding the side plates of the battery device, but can also be used to feed the end plates, top covers, bottom protective plates and other products of the battery device that can be stacked and that alternate between products that need to be flipped and those that do not.

[0076] In the following description, the materials are illustrated using the side panel of the battery device as an example.

[0077] Below, refer to Figures 1 to 11 The feeding device 100 of the present application embodiment will be described in detail.

[0078] This application provides a feeding device 100, including: at least one hopper 10 for accommodating multiple stacked materials 200; a flipping mechanism 20 for picking up and flipping the nth layer of materials among the multiple materials 200; a picking mechanism 30 for picking up and transferring the mth layer of materials and the nth layer of materials flipped by the flipping mechanism 20, respectively, where m ≠ n and m and n are positive integers; and a discharging platform 40 for receiving the mth layer of materials and the nth layer of materials transferred by the picking mechanism 30.

[0079] The hopper 10 has a storage space for accommodating multiple stacked materials 200. Multiple stacked materials 200 means that multiple materials 200 can be stacked together in a stacking direction within the storage space of the hopper 10. The stacking direction can be, for example, [missing information - likely a specific direction]. Figure 2 The up and down directions shown are the directions of arrow Z.

[0080] Material 200 can be various components used in the manufacturing process of a battery device. Specifically, the battery device may include a housing and multiple battery cells arranged in a row within the housing, with the multiple battery cells fixed to the housing by side plates and end plates. The battery device may also include a top plate disposed on top of the battery cells and a bottom plate disposed on bottom of the battery cells. Material 200 can be a side plate, end plate, top plate, or bottom plate, etc. This application embodiment does not have a particular limitation on the type of material 200; any component that needs to be flipped and stacked in the hopper 10 can be used.

[0081] Reference Figure 8 Taking material 200 as a side plate as an example, the side plate includes a first surface 201 and a second surface 202 that are opposite in thickness direction. Both ends of the side plate protrude from the first surface 201 along its length, forming flanges 203. In the battery assembly, these flanges 203 can be used to connect with the end plate to better secure the battery cell. Typically, the first surface 201 with the flanges 203 faces the battery cell and is the inner side, also known as the "back side," while the second surface 202 faces away from the battery cell and is the outer side, also known as the "front side." Due to manufacturing process requirements, sometimes the side plate needs to be loaded in a fixed posture, for example, requiring the first surface 201 with the flanges to always face upwards. Of course, depending on the manufacturing process, there may also be situations where the second surface 202 of the side plate is required to always face upwards.

[0082] One or more hoppers 10 may be provided. Each hopper 10 may have one or more receiving spaces. Of the multiple hoppers 10, one may be a feeding hopper, used to feed materials to the tilting mechanism 20 and the picking mechanism 30, while the remaining hoppers 10 may be reserve hoppers, waiting to be fed to the tilting mechanism 20 and the picking mechanism 30. For example, refer to... Figure 2 There are four silos 10. Each silo 10 contains two storage spaces for materials 200. When one silo 10 is supplying materials, the other silos 10 can be used for material preparation.

[0083] The flipping mechanism 20 is used to pick up and flip the nth layer of material among multiple materials 200. The nth layer of material is the material that needs to be flipped among the stacked materials in the silo 10. The flipping angle can be determined based on process requirements.

[0084] The picking mechanism 30 is used to pick up and transfer the m-th layer of material and the n-th layer of material flipped by the flipping mechanism 20 from multiple materials 200, where m ≠ n and m and n are positive integers. The m-th layer of material is the material in the stacked materials of the 10-layer silo that does not need to be flipped by the flipping mechanism 20. The picking mechanism 30 can directly pick up the m-th layer of material and transfer it to the discharging platform 40. The picking mechanism 30 is also used to pick up the n-th layer of material that has been flipped by the flipping mechanism 20 and transfer it to the discharging platform 40.

[0085] In some embodiments, the picking mechanism 30 can directly pick up the nth layer of material that is being flipped on the flipping mechanism 20. The flipping mechanism 20 does not need to transfer the nth layer of material, and there is no need to set up an additional station for placing the flipped material, thereby improving feeding efficiency and reducing space occupation. The flipping mechanism 20 can have the functions of picking up and flipping materials, and the picking mechanism 30 has not only the function of picking up materials but also the function of transferring materials.

[0086] For example, when the nth layer of material arrives at the pickup position, the flipping mechanism 20 picks up the nth layer of material and flips it 180°. The picking mechanism 30 picks up the nth layer of material that has been flipped 180° and transfers it to the unloading platform 40. When the mth layer of material arrives at the pickup position, the picking mechanism 30 directly picks up the mth layer of material and transfers it to the unloading platform 40.

[0087] In the above, m≠n and m and n are positive integers. The values ​​of m and n are based on the total quantity of material in the initial state of the silo 10's capacity. The total quantity of material in the initial state is the total quantity in the silo 10 before or just before it starts feeding. For example, the total quantity of material in the silo 10 in the initial state is 20, which are recorded from top to bottom as layer 1, layer 2, layer 3, layer 4, layer 5, ... layer 20. Of course, they can also be recorded from bottom to top, and the total quantity of material in the initial state is not limited to 20; it can be more or less.

[0088] Furthermore, the tilting mechanism 20 and the picking mechanism 30 can alternately pick up materials from the picking bin 10 sequentially, or they can alternately pick up materials from the bin 10 at intervals of one or more layers. The number of layers between each interval can be the same or different. For example, the tilting mechanism 20 picks up the first layer of materials, the picking mechanism 30 picks up the second layer of materials, the tilting mechanism 20 picks up the third layer of materials, the picking mechanism 30 picks up the fourth layer of materials, and so on, picking up materials from the bin 10 alternately in this way. Another example is that the tilting mechanism 20 picks up the first layer of materials, the tilting mechanism 20 picks up the second layer of materials, the picking mechanism 30 picks up the third layer of materials, the picking mechanism 30 picks up the fourth layer of materials, and so on, picking up materials from the bin 10 alternately at intervals of two layers.

[0089] The alternating picking up of materials from the hopper 10 by the aforementioned flipping mechanism 20 and picking up mechanism 30 can be achieved by a control device, which can be a host computer or a controller integrated into the flipping mechanism 20 and / or picking up mechanism 30. The control device can control the flipping mechanism 20 and picking up mechanism 30 to alternately pick up materials from the hopper 10 based on a control program.

[0090] The feeding platform 40 is used to receive the m-th and n-th layers of material transferred by the picking mechanism 30. The feeding platform 40 receives the m-th layer of material picked up directly from the hopper 10 by the picking mechanism 30 in the required posture, and also receives the n-th layer of material picked up by the picking mechanism 30 and flipped by the flipping mechanism 20. The n-th layer of material on the feeding platform 40 can have the same posture as the m-th layer. Of course, depending on the actual process requirements, the n-th layer of material on the feeding platform 40 can also have different postures than the m-th layer.

[0091] The hopper 10 can hold multiple stacked materials 200. Among the stacked materials 200, the m-th layer of material that does not need to be flipped can be directly picked up by the picking mechanism 30 and transferred to the unloading platform 40. The n-th layer of material that needs to be flipped is flipped by the flipping mechanism 20 and then picked up by the picking mechanism 30 and transferred to the unloading platform 40. This not only speeds up the feeding speed, meets the production cycle, and improves production efficiency, but also eliminates the need for additional fixtures in the hopper, making it compatible with materials of different sizes. In addition, the stacked materials can reduce the space occupied.

[0092] In some embodiments, one of m and n is odd and the other is even.

[0093] In one example, n is odd and m is even. The flipping mechanism 20 picks up and flips the odd-numbered material in the hopper 10, while the picking mechanism 30 directly picks up and transfers the even-numbered material in the hopper 10.

[0094] In another example, m is odd and n is even. The flipping mechanism 20 picks up and flips the even-numbered material in the hopper 10, while the picking mechanism 30 directly picks up and transfers the odd-numbered material in the hopper 10.

[0095] Thus, the flipping mechanism 20 and the picking mechanism 30 pick up the material in the hopper 10 alternately according to the odd and even numbers.

[0096] Reference Figure 8Taking m as an odd number and n as an even number as an example, the odd-numbered side panel is placed in the hopper 10 with its first side 201 (with the flange) facing upwards, and the even-numbered side panel is placed in the hopper 10 with its second side 202 (without the flange) facing downwards. Specifically, multiple side panels are stacked in the vertical direction, and from top to bottom, they are arranged as the 1st layer, 2nd layer, 3rd layer, 4th layer... 13th layer side panels. Among them, the first side panel with the flange 201 faces upwards, the second side panel with the flange 202 faces downwards, and the even-numbered side panel... The first side panel 201 with the flange faces down, the third side panel with the flange faces up, the fourth side panel with the flange faces down, and so on. That is, the side panels in odd-numbered layers have the flanged first side 201 facing up, and the side panels in even-numbered layers have the flanged first side 201 facing down. In this way, the odd-numbered and even-numbered side panels are stacked together in an alternating and nested manner, which can minimize the space occupied and help the silo 10 accommodate more materials. The picking mechanism 30 picks up the odd-numbered side panel and transfers it to the discharge platform 40, the flipping mechanism 20 picks up the even-numbered side panel and flips it 180°, and then the picking mechanism 30 picks up the flipped side panel and transfers it to the discharge platform 40. Thus, the odd-numbered and even-numbered side panels are transferred to the discharge platform 40 with the flanged first side 201 always facing up.

[0097] Figure 8 The way multiple side panels are stacked is just an example. It is understood that the number of side panels may be less or more than the number shown in the figure, and there may be a variety of arrangements. For example, odd-numbered side panels may not be stacked in an alternating manner with even-numbered side panels, but may be stacked in an alternating manner after a certain number of layers.

[0098] The flipping mechanism 20 and the picking mechanism 30 pick up materials from the hopper 10 in alternating order according to odd and even numbers, which meets the production cycle and process requirements, thereby improving the feeding efficiency. At the same time, for materials with similar flipped side plates, it can also greatly reduce the space occupied, which helps the hopper 10 to accommodate more materials.

[0099] In some embodiments, the hopper 10 includes: a storage rack 11 having a receiving space 11A for receiving materials 200; and a lifting mechanism 12 including a lifting drive 121 and a lifting bracket 122 connected to the lifting drive 121. The lifting bracket 122 is disposed in the receiving space 11A and is used to carry the materials 200. The lifting drive 121 is used to drive the lifting bracket 122 to lift the materials 200 along the lifting direction Z, which is consistent with the stacking direction of the plurality of materials 200.

[0100] The storage rack 11 has a receiving space 11A for accommodating materials 200, and the storage rack 11 may have one or more receiving spaces 11A. Figure 2The illustration shows a hopper 10 with a storage rack 11 having two receiving spaces 11A. As an example, the storage rack 11 can be a frame structure that encloses receiving spaces 11A with a certain height in the vertical direction to accommodate multiple stacked materials 200.

[0101] Driven by the lifting drive unit 121, the lifting bracket 122 lifts multiple stacked materials 200 along the lifting direction Z, so that the multiple stacked materials 200 reach the top picking position one by one. When the topmost material 200 reaches the top picking position, the picking mechanism 30 and the flipping mechanism 20 pick up the material 200.

[0102] The lifting drive component 121 can be a servo motor, cylinder, hydraulic cylinder, or other component that can directly or indirectly drive the lifting bracket 122 to rise and fall.

[0103] The lifting mechanism 12 drives multiple stacked materials 200 to the top picking position one by one, which can realize automated feeding and improve production efficiency.

[0104] In some embodiments, the hopper 10 further includes a first slide rail 13 extending along the lifting direction Z, and the lifting bracket 122 is slidably connected to the first slide rail 13.

[0105] The first slide rail 13 guides the lifting support 122 during its raising and lowering. The lifting support 122 can be slidably connected to the first slide rail 13 via a slider.

[0106] The lifting bracket 122 is slidably connected to the first slide rail 13, which extends along the lifting direction Z. This improves the stability of the lifting bracket 122 during the lifting process of the material 200 and reduces the risk of the material 200 shaking.

[0107] In some embodiments, the storage rack 11 can switch between a material preparation position and a lifting and feeding position. When the storage rack 11 is switched to the material preparation position, it is used to receive material 200. When the storage rack 11 is switched to the lifting and feeding position, it is used to provide material 200 to the flipping mechanism 20 and the picking mechanism 30.

[0108] When the material 200 in the storage rack 11 is used up or insufficient, it is switched to the preparation position so that material can be fed into the storage rack 11. When the feeding is completed, the storage rack 11 is switched to the lifting and feeding position so that the lifting mechanism 12 lifts the material 200, thereby providing the material 200 to the flipping mechanism 20 and the picking mechanism 30.

[0109] Therefore, while one of the multiple silos 10 is supplying material, the other silos 10 that are short of material can receive material at their preparation positions, thus enabling continuous material supply from multiple silos 10 and improving production efficiency.

[0110] In some embodiments, the hopper 10 further includes a fixing plate 14, the fixing plate 14 being provided with a second slide rail (not shown) extending along a first direction X, the storage rack 11 being slidably connected to the second slide rail, the storage rack 11 being able to switch between a material preparation position and a lifting material loading position along the second slide rail, the first direction X being perpendicular to the lifting direction Z.

[0111] The second slide rail guides the storage rack 11 during the switching between the material preparation position and the lifting and loading position. For example, the fixing plate 14 can be set at the bottom of the storage rack 11, and the top of the storage rack 11 is slidably connected to the second slide rail on the fixing plate 14.

[0112] The storage rack 11 is slidably connected to the second slide rail extending along the first direction X, allowing the storage rack 11 to switch between the material preparation position and the lifting and feeding position more smoothly, reducing the risk of material 200 shaking. At the same time, the storage rack 11 slides along the first direction X perpendicular to the lifting direction Z to switch to the material preparation position, avoiding the material picking and turning mechanism 20 and the material picking mechanism 30 at the top of the storage rack 11, reducing the risk of mutual interference.

[0113] In some embodiments, the storage rack 11 is provided with a handle 15.

[0114] The storage rack 11 can be manually slid along the second slide rail extending in the first direction X, thereby switching between the material preparation position and the lifting and feeding position. Specifically, the switching operation of the storage rack 11 can be conveniently achieved by pulling it along the first direction X using the handle 15. Therefore, the storage rack 11 is designed with a drawer-like structure. Of course, the switching between the material preparation position and the lifting and feeding position of the storage rack 11 can also be automated using a drive device, such as a motor, cylinder, or hydraulic cylinder.

[0115] The storage rack 11 is equipped with a handle 15, which allows the storage rack 11 to be switched between the material preparation position and the lifting material position in a manual manner. This facilitates operation, reduces the layout of the drive structure, and makes the entire silo 10 simpler.

[0116] In some embodiments, the top of the storage rack 11 is provided with a feeding port 11B, and the storage rack 11 is provided with a first material detection device 16 at the feeding port 11B position. The first material detection device 16 is used to detect the position of the material 200 in the storage rack 11.

[0117] The first material detection device 16 can detect whether the topmost material 200 of multiple stacked materials 200 is in place. If it is in place, the flipping mechanism 20 and the picking mechanism 30 pick up the material 200. The first material detection device 16 can be, for example, a laser sensor.

[0118] The first material detection device 16 can also detect whether the top layer of material 200 among multiple stacked materials 200 is tilted. If it is tilted, a warning will be issued. The first material detection device 16 can be, for example, a diagonal sensor.

[0119] As an example, refer to Figure 2 The first material detection device 16 can be fixed at the feed port 11B position by a support rod.

[0120] By detecting the position of material 200 in storage rack 11 using the first material detection device 16, abnormalities can be detected in a timely manner, thus improving the reliability of material feeding.

[0121] In some embodiments, the flipping mechanism 20 includes at least one flipping component 21, the flipping component 21 including a flipping drive member 211 and a connecting rod 212 connected to the flipping drive member 211, the connecting rod 212 being provided with a flipping suction cup 213.

[0122] The flipping suction cup 213 is used to pick up material 200. The flipping drive component 211 drives the connecting rod 212 to rotate, thereby causing the flipping suction cup 213 to flip the picked-up material 200. The flipping angle is determined based on manufacturing process requirements. (Refer to...) Figure 3 When flipping the side panel, the flipping suction cup 213 picks up the second side panel 202. Figure 8 As shown), the rotating drive component 211 drives the connecting rod 212 to rotate, thereby causing the rotating suction cup 213 to rotate the picked-up side plate 180°, so that the side plate has a flange 203 ( Figure 8 The first face 201 (as shown) Figure 8 (As shown) facing upwards. The flipping drive 211 can be a servo motor, cylinder, hydraulic cylinder, etc.

[0123] The flipping mechanism 20 can automatically pick up and flip materials 200, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0124] In some embodiments, multiple hoppers 10 are provided, and the multiple hoppers 10 are arranged side by side; the flipping mechanism 20 also includes a moving component 22, the moving component 22 includes a moving drive 221 and a third slide rail 222 extending along the arrangement direction of the multiple hoppers 10, the flipping drive 211 is connected to the third slide rail 222 through a slider 223, and the moving drive 221 is connected to the slider 223.

[0125] At least one of the multiple hoppers 10 can provide material 200 to the tilting mechanism 20, while the remaining hoppers 10 can hold material 200 for later use. For example, when the material 200 in one hopper 10 is used up, the moving drive 221 drives the slider 223 to move along the third slide rail 222 extending along the arrangement direction of the multiple hoppers 10, thereby moving the tilting assembly 21 to another hopper 10 waiting for use, thereby picking up the material in that other hopper 10, thus achieving uninterrupted feeding.

[0126] Multiple hoppers 10 are provided, arranged side by side. The flipping component 21 can move along the arrangement direction of the multiple hoppers 10, which can realize uninterrupted feeding and improve production efficiency.

[0127] In some embodiments, multiple flipping components 21 are provided, and the multiple flipping components 21 are arranged side by side along the arrangement direction.

[0128] The number of flip components 21 can be two, three, four or more.

[0129] Multiple flipping components 21 can pick up multiple materials 200 to be flipped at once, thereby further improving production efficiency.

[0130] As an example, see Figure 2 and Figure 3 There are four hoppers 10 arranged along the second direction Y. Each hopper 10 has two holding spaces 11A. There are two flipping components 21. The two flipping components 21 pick up the material to be flipped from the two holding spaces 11A in each hopper 10 at one time.

[0131] In some embodiments, the material handling mechanism 30 includes a multi-axis robotic arm and a material handling suction cup 31 disposed at the end of the multi-axis robotic arm. The air passage interface of the material handling suction cup 31 is connected to a negative pressure device through a dual air passage solenoid valve 32.

[0132] Multi-axis robotic arms can move in different directions. In some embodiments, the multi-axis robotic arm can also rotate about one or more axes. For example, the multi-axis robotic arm can move along a first direction X, a second direction Y, and a lifting direction Z, and can also rotate about a rotation axis in the lifting direction Z. For example, see [reference needed]. Figure 4 The material suction cup 31 is connected to the end of the multi-axis robotic arm via a flange 34.

[0133] The material suction cup 31 can pick up and release material 200. Since the material suction cup 31 is connected to the negative pressure device through the dual air-path solenoid valve 32, the dual air-path solenoid valve has a power-off and air-off retention function, reducing the risk of the side plate falling off.

[0134] In some embodiments, the material suction cup 31 includes a mounting frame 311 and a plurality of suction nozzles 312 disposed on the mounting frame 311, and an elastic element 313 is disposed between each suction nozzle 312 and the mounting frame 311.

[0135] The elastic component can be a spring, an elastic rubber component, etc.

[0136] During the process of suction nozzle 312 sucking up material 200, elastic element 313 plays a certain buffering role, reducing damage to side plate.

[0137] In some embodiments, the mounting bracket 311 is provided with a second material detection device 33, which is used to detect the material 200 sucked up by the suction nozzle 312.

[0138] The next operation is performed after the second material detection device 33 detects that the suction nozzle 312 has picked up the material 200. The second material detection device 33 can be a device that can detect the presence or absence of the material 200, such as a laser sensor or a vision camera.

[0139] The mounting bracket 311 is equipped with a second material detection device 33, which can detect whether the suction nozzle 312 has picked up the material 200 in place, thereby improving the reliability of material transfer.

[0140] In some embodiments, the feeding platform 40 includes a first feeding platform 41, a second feeding platform 42 and a switching mechanism 43. The switching mechanism 43 is connected to the first feeding platform 41 and the second feeding platform 42 and is used to drive the first feeding platform 41 and the second feeding platform 42 to alternately reach the receiving position 40A for receiving the material 200.

[0141] When either the first feeding platform 41 or the second feeding platform 42 reaches the receiving position 40A, it receives the material 200 transferred by the picking mechanism 30. When the first feeding platform 41 is full of material 200, the switching mechanism 43 drives the first feeding platform 41 to leave the receiving position 40A and drives the empty second feeding platform 42 to reach the receiving position 40A, thereby receiving the material 200 transferred by the picking mechanism 30. This process is repeated to achieve uninterrupted material receiving. The actions of the first feeding platform 41 and the second feeding platform 42 leaving and arriving at the receiving position 40A can be performed synchronously or asynchronously. Synchronization can speed up the cycle time and improve production efficiency.

[0142] By driving the first feeding platform 41 and the second feeding platform 42 alternately to the receiving position 40A for receiving materials 200 through the switching mechanism 43, uninterrupted material receiving can be achieved, thus improving production efficiency.

[0143] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 5The feeding platform 40 also includes a fourth slide rail 44 and a fifth slide rail 45 that are parallel to each other. The first feeding platform 41 is slidably connected to the fourth slide rail 44, and the second feeding platform 42 is slidably connected to the fifth slide rail 45. The second feeding platform 42 is located below the first feeding platform 41. The switching mechanism 43 includes a servo motor 431, a drive wheel 432, a driven wheel (not shown in the figure), and a transmission belt 433. The drive wheel 432 is connected to the servo motor 431, and the transmission belt 433 is wound around the drive wheel 432 and the driven wheel. The first feeding platform 41 and the second feeding platform 42 are respectively connected to the upper and lower sections of the transmission belt 433.

[0144] The first feeding platform 41 and the second feeding platform 42 alternately reach the receiving position 40A by changing the rotation direction of the servo motor 431. As an example, two fourth slide rails 44 can be provided, which are parallel to each other and extend along the second direction Y. Two fifth slide rails 45 can also be provided, which are parallel to each other and extend along the second direction Y. In the first direction X, the two fifth slide rails 45 are located between the two fourth slide rails 44. As an example, since the first feeding platform 41 and the second feeding platform 42 are respectively connected to the upper and lower sections of the transmission belt 433, when the servo motor 431 rotates clockwise, the first feeding platform 41 moves closer to and reaches the receiving position 40A along the fourth slide rail 44, while the second feeding platform 42 moves away from the receiving position 40A along the fifth slide rail 45. When the servo motor 431 rotates counterclockwise, the first feeding platform 41 moves away from the receiving position 40A along the fourth slide rail 44, while the second feeding platform 42 moves closer to and reaches the receiving position 40A along the fifth slide rail 45, so that the first feeding platform 41 and the second feeding platform 42 move synchronously and alternately reach the receiving position 40A.

[0145] Therefore, by cooperating with the servo motor 431 and the transmission belt 433, the first feeding platform 41 and the second feeding platform 42 can move synchronously and alternately reach the receiving position 40A, which can realize uninterrupted material receiving, speed up the production cycle, and improve production efficiency.

[0146] In some embodiments, at least one material clamp 46 and a material positioning component 47 are provided on both the first feeding platform 41 and the second feeding platform 42. The material positioning component 47 is used to push the material 200 on the material clamp 46 to move to a predetermined position in different directions.

[0147] Since the position of the material 200 placed on the material fixture 46 may be inaccurate and may not reach the specified position of the material fixture 46, it will cause inconvenience to subsequent processing and may affect the accuracy of subsequent processing. Therefore, it is necessary to perform secondary positioning on the material 200 placed on the material fixture 46.

[0148] The material positioning component 47 pushes the material 200 on the material fixture 46 to move to the specified position in different directions, so that the position of each material 200 on the material fixture 46 is consistent, which facilitates subsequent processing and helps to improve the processing accuracy of the material.

[0149] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 5 The positioning component 47 includes a first positioning component 471 and a second positioning component 472. The first positioning component 471 includes a first positioning drive 4711 and a first push rod 4712. The first positioning drive 4711 is used to drive the first push rod 4712 to move along the first direction X and push the material 200 on the material clamp 46. The second positioning component 472 includes a second positioning drive 4721 and a second push rod 4722. The second positioning drive 4721 is used to drive the second push rod 4722 to move along the second direction Y and push the material 200 on the material clamp 46. The first direction X, the second direction Y and the stacking direction (lifting direction Z) of the multiple materials are perpendicular to each other.

[0150] The first positioning drive 4711 drives the first push rod 4712 to move the material 200 on the material clamp 46 along the first direction X until the material 200 abuts against the X-direction limiting structure of the material clamp 46 along the first direction X. The second positioning drive 4721 drives the second push rod 4722 to move the material 200 on the material clamp 46 along the second direction Y until the material 200 abuts against the Y-direction limiting structure of the material clamp 46 along the second direction Y. Thus, the material 200 is pushed to the predetermined position. The first positioning drive 4711 and the second positioning drive 4721 can be linear motors, cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, etc.

[0151] The first positioning component 471 and the second positioning component 472 are used to position the material 200 on the material fixture 46 in the first direction X and the second direction Y, so that each material 200 placed on the material fixture 46 can accurately reach the specified position, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of the material 200.

[0152] In some embodiments, the feeding device 100 further includes a feeding conveyor 50 and a vision inspection mechanism 60. The vision inspection mechanism 60 is used to detect the material 200 picked up by the picking mechanism 30, and the feeding conveyor 50 is used to receive the non-conforming material 200 picked up by the picking mechanism 30 based on the detection of the vision inspection mechanism 60.

[0153] The material 200 picked up by the picking mechanism 30 can first be inspected by the vision inspection mechanism 60. If the inspection is qualified, the qualified material 200 is transferred to the unloading table 40. If the inspection is unqualified, the unqualified material 200 is transferred to the unloading conveyor mechanism 50.

[0154] The visual inspection unit 60 can detect the orientation and / or defects of materials. The orientation of materials can include whether the front and back are facing correctly, such as whether the side with the flange is facing up. Defects of materials can include surface scratches, dents, cracks, etc.

[0155] As an example, refer to Figure 7 The visual inspection mechanism 60 includes a camera 61 and light sources 62 respectively disposed on both sides of the camera 61. The lens of the camera 61 can be facing upwards, and the light sources 62 on both sides can be strip light sources.

[0156] The unloading conveyor 50 is used to receive defective materials 200 and convey them to the unloading position. For example, see... Figure 6 The material feeding and conveying mechanism 50 may include a conveying motor 51 and a conveyor belt 52, with the conveyor belt 52 connected to the conveying motor 51 via pulleys.

[0157] By using a visual inspection mechanism 60 to inspect the material 200 placed in front of the feeding platform 40, unqualified materials can be detected in a timely manner, thus improving the reliability of feeding.

[0158] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 1 Along the first direction X, the flipping mechanism 20 is located between the hopper 10 and the picking mechanism 30; along the second direction Y, the vision inspection mechanism 60 and the picking mechanism 30 are both located between the feeding platform 40 and the unloading conveyor mechanism 50. The first direction X, the second direction Y and the stacking direction (lifting direction Z) of multiple materials are perpendicular to each other.

[0159] A well-organized layout of the various mechanisms in the feeding equipment can not only reduce space occupation but also shorten the time of each operation step, speed up the production cycle, and thus improve production efficiency.

[0160] This application embodiment also provides a feeding method applied to a feeding device 100. The feeding device 100 includes a hopper 10, a tilting mechanism 20, a material handling mechanism 30, and a discharging platform 40. The hopper 10 includes a lifting mechanism 12, which includes a lifting drive component 121 and a lifting support 122 connected to the lifting drive component 121. The lifting support 122 carries multiple stacked materials 200. (Refer to...) Figure 9 The feeding method includes steps S10, S11 and S12.

[0161] In step S10, the lifting drive 121 drives the lifting bracket 122 to lift multiple materials 200 along the lifting direction so that the target material among the multiple materials 200 reaches the picking position, and the lifting direction is consistent with the stacking direction of the multiple materials.

[0162] In step S11, in response to the arrival command of the target material 200 in the silo 10, the odd or even number of the target material 200 in the total number of materials stacked in multiple layers is determined.

[0163] In step S12, based on the judgment result, the flipping mechanism 20 and the picking mechanism 30 corresponding to the odd and even numbers are controlled to pick up the target material 200 respectively;

[0164] If the picking mechanism 30 picks up the target material 200, it controls the picking mechanism 30 to place the target material 200 on the feeding platform 40; if the flipping mechanism 20 picks up the target material 200, it controls the flipping mechanism 20 to flip the target material 200, and controls the picking mechanism 30 to pick up the target material 200 after it has been flipped by the flipping mechanism 20 and place the target material 200 on the feeding platform 40.

[0165] The "Target Material 200 Arrival" command means that the command is triggered when the topmost material in a stack of materials in silo 10 reaches the pickup position. Alternatively, the command can be triggered manually via an operating platform or voice commands.

[0166] The total number of stacked materials refers to the total number of materials in the initial state of the silo 10, that is, the total number before or just before feeding. The counting can be done sequentially from bottom to top or from top to bottom, meaning the material on the top layer can be the first layer material, or the material on the bottom layer can be the first layer material.

[0167] The flipping mechanism 20 and the picking mechanism 30 corresponding to odd and even numbers can be such that the target material is the odd-numbered layer material corresponding to the flipping mechanism 20 and the even-numbered layer material corresponding to the picking mechanism 30; or the target material is the odd-numbered layer material corresponding to the picking mechanism 30 and the even-numbered layer material corresponding to the flipping mechanism 20.

[0168] If the picking mechanism 30 picks up the target material 200, it controls the picking mechanism 30 to place the target material 200 on the discharging platform 40, meaning the material does not need to be flipped by the flipping mechanism 20. If the flipping mechanism 20 picks up the target material 200, it controls the flipping mechanism 20 to flip the target material 200, and then controls the picking mechanism 30 to pick up the target material 200 after it has been flipped by the flipping mechanism 20 and place the target material 200 on the discharging platform 40. In other words, the target material 200 is flipped first and then placed on the discharging platform 40 by the picking mechanism 30.

[0169] As an example, refer to Figure 8Multiple side panels are stacked vertically and sequentially from top to bottom as layer 1, layer 2, layer 3, layer 4... layer 13. The first side panel with the flange 201 of layer 1 faces upward, the first side panel with the flange 201 of layer 2 faces downward, the first side panel with the flange 201 of layer 3 faces upward, the first side panel with the flange 201 of layer 4 faces downward, and so on. That is, the first side panel with the flange 201 of odd-numbered layers faces upward, and the first side panel with the flange 201 of even-numbered layers faces downward. In this way, the odd-numbered and even-numbered side panels are stacked together in an alternating and nested manner, which can minimize the space occupied and help the silo 10 to accommodate more materials. When the first layer side plate is in place, the material picking mechanism 30 is controlled to pick up the first layer side plate and transfer it to the feeding platform 40. When the second layer side plate is in place, the flipping mechanism 20 is controlled to pick up the second layer side plate and flip it 180° so that the first side 201 of the second layer side plate faces upward. Then, the material picking mechanism 30 is controlled to pick up the flipped second layer side plate and transfer it to the feeding platform 40. In this way, based on the odd-numbered and even-numbered layers of material, the flipping mechanism 20 and the material picking mechanism 30 are controlled to pick up the material alternately.

[0170] Based on the odd-numbered and even-numbered material layers, the flipping mechanism 20 and the picking mechanism 30 corresponding to the odd-numbered and even-numbered layers are controlled to pick up the materials alternately, so that each material can be placed on the feeding table 40 in the required posture (e.g., the same posture), which is convenient for subsequent processing and can meet the cycle time requirements and improve production efficiency.

[0171] In some embodiments, the feeding device 100 further includes a discharging conveying mechanism 50 and a vision inspection mechanism 60, as shown in the figure. Figure 10 The feeding method also includes step S13.

[0172] In step S13, the visual inspection mechanism 60 detects the target material 200 picked up by the picking mechanism 30, and determines whether the target material 200 is qualified based on the detection result. If it is qualified, the picking mechanism 30 is controlled to place the qualified target material 200 on the unloading platform 40; if it is unqualified, the picking mechanism 30 is controlled to place the unqualified target material 200 on the unloading conveying mechanism 50.

[0173] The qualified target material 200 includes, but is not limited to, materials that meet the posture requirements when placed on the feeding table 40. For example, for a side panel, a side panel with the flange facing upwards is a qualified material.

[0174] The unqualified target material 200 includes, but is not limited to, materials that do not meet the posture requirements for placement on the feeding table 40, and defective materials, including scratches, dents, cracks, etc.

[0175] By using the visual inspection mechanism 60 to inspect the target material 200 picked up by the material handling mechanism 30, unqualified materials can be detected in a timely manner, thus improving the reliability of material feeding.

[0176] In some embodiments, the feeding table 40 includes a first positioning component 471 and a second positioning component 472. The first positioning component 471 includes a first positioning drive 4711 and a first push rod 4712 connected to the first positioning drive 4711. The second positioning component 472 includes a second positioning drive 4721 and a second push rod 4722 connected to the second positioning drive 4721.

[0177] After the material handling mechanism 30 places the target material 200 on the unloading platform 40, refer to Figure 11 The feeding method also includes step S14.

[0178] In step S14, the first positioning drive 4711 is controlled to drive the first push rod 4712 to push the target material 200 along the first direction X, and the second positioning drive 4721 is controlled to drive the second push rod 4722 to push the target material 200 along the second direction Y, thereby positioning the target material 200 to a specified position, with the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the stacking direction (lifting direction Z) of the multiple materials being perpendicular to each other.

[0179] Since the position of the material 200 placed on the material fixture 46 may not be accurate, that is, it may not reach the specified position of the material fixture 46, which may cause inconvenience to subsequent processing and may affect the accuracy of subsequent processing, it is necessary to perform secondary positioning on the material 200 placed on the material fixture 46.

[0180] The first positioning component 471 and the second positioning component 472 position the material 200 on the material fixture 46 in the first direction X and the second direction Y, so that each material 200 placed on the material fixture 46 can accurately reach the specified position, thereby facilitating subsequent processing and helping to improve the processing accuracy of the material.

[0181] The following is a specific example illustrating this application.

[0182] In the traditional battery assembly process, side panels are manually loaded one by one. For side panels longer than 800mm, large clamps are required, but space is limited and clamps cannot be compatible. Clamps cannot accommodate side panels with extended sheet metal (flanged) on the back. Furthermore, the material hopper cannot be rigidly limited, making it impossible to control the accuracy of manual loading. Additionally, there is a risk that the side panels may not be picked up during assembly or may fall during operation.

[0183] In view of the above problems, this application provides a feeding device that can be used in the side plate installation process of battery devices. The integrated feeding device replaces the traditional silo. The feeding device can be designed in the original silo location, with a floor area of ​​approximately 3.2m×2m×2.1m. It utilizes the original silo space effectively.

[0184] Reference Figure 2 The feeding equipment includes a hopper 10, a collaborative robot (flipping mechanism 20, picking mechanism 30), a machine vision system (vision inspection mechanism 60), an NG table (unloading conveyor mechanism 50), and a buffer slide (discharging table 40), all of which are independent and do not interfere with each other. (Refer to...) Figure 2 The material hopper 10 uses a spring clip feeding system, which can accommodate multiple stacked side panels, solving the problem of incompatibility of clamps used for large-sized side panels. The material hopper 10 uses a drawer-type preparation system, enabling material supply without stopping the machine. (Refer to...) Figure 3 and Figure 4 A collaborative robot is used to alternately pick up side panels via a flipping mechanism 20 and a picking mechanism 30. When the side panel with the flipped edge facing upwards, it is directly picked up by the picking mechanism 30 and transferred to the unloading table 40. When the flipped edge facing downwards, it is flipped 180° by the flipping mechanism 20 and then picked up by the picking mechanism 30 and transferred to the unloading table 40. This ensures that the side panel placed on the unloading table 40 always has the flipped edge facing upwards, facilitating subsequent processing. (Refer to...) Figure 7 To prevent the side panels from being placed backwards, a visual inspection mechanism 60 is used to detect abnormalities and defects in the incoming material's posture in a timely manner, improving the reliability of material feeding. The feeding platform 40 is designed with a double upper and lower structure to achieve uninterrupted material receiving and meet the process cycle requirements; refer to Figure 5 The side plates on the feeding platform 40 are repositioned by the positioning component 47, so that the position of each side plate placed on the feeding platform 40 is consistent, which meets the process cycle requirements.

[0185] Specifically, refer to Figure 2 The hopper 10 includes a lifting servo motor (lifting drive 121) and a drawer slide-type storage rack 11. The lifting servo motor lifts the side plate, enabling precise delivery of the side plate to the pick-up position at the loading port 11B. The loading port 11B is equipped with a grating sensor to detect whether the side plate is tilted. The storage rack 11 is also equipped with a sensor to determine whether the side plate is in place.

[0186] Reference Figures 3 to 7The collaborative robot includes a material handling mechanism 30 and a flipping mechanism 20. The servo motor (movement drive 221) in the flipping mechanism 20, together with the third slide rail 222 and the slider 223, can accurately move the flipping component 21 to the side plate in the hopper 10. For the even-numbered side plate, the flipping suction cup 213 in the flipping component 21 picks up the even-numbered side plate and flips it 180° by a rotary cylinder (flipping drive 211) so that the back of the side plate (the side with the flipped edge) is always facing up. Then, the multi-axis robotic arm in the material handling mechanism 30 drives the material handling suction cup 31 to move to the top of the flipped side plate and picks up the flipped side plate. Then, the multi-axis robotic arm drives the material handling suction cup 31 to pick up the flipped side plate and move it to the vision inspection mechanism 60 for inspection. If it is qualified, it is placed on the unloading table 40. If it is unqualified, it is placed on the unloading conveyor mechanism 50. For the odd-numbered side panel, the multi-axis robotic arm in the material handling mechanism 30 drives the material handling suction cup 31 to move above the side panel in the hopper 10 and picks up the odd-numbered side panel. Then, the multi-axis robotic arm drives the material handling suction cup 31 to pick up the odd-numbered side panel and move it to the vision inspection mechanism 60 for inspection. If it is qualified, it is placed on the unloading table 40. If it is unqualified, it is placed on the unloading conveyor mechanism 50.

[0187] The collaborative robot is highly flexible and can repeatedly pick up the side panels in the hopper 10. The material suction cup 31 adopts a dual-air-path solenoid valve, which has a power-off and air-off retention function to reduce the risk of the side panels falling. The material suction cup 31 can also be equipped with a diagonal sensor to detect whether the side panel is placed backwards, and also has a real-time monitoring function for the side panels. The material suction cup 31 is connected to a spring (elastic element 313) to reduce damage to the side panels.

[0188] The feeding platform 40 has a secondary positioning and shaping mechanism for the side plates (material positioning assembly 47). Through side-push cylinders (first positioning drive 4711, second positioning drive 4721), the positions of the side plates in the first X direction and the second Y direction are adjusted, ensuring that the positions of each side plate placed on the feeding platform 40 remain consistent. The double-layer slides (first feeding platform 41 and second feeding platform 42) reciprocate to meet production cycle requirements.

[0189] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A feeding device, characterized in that, include: At least one hopper, the hopper including a lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism including a lifting drive and a lifting bracket connected to the lifting drive, the lifting bracket for carrying multiple stacked materials, the lifting drive for driving the lifting bracket to lift the materials along a lifting direction, the lifting direction being consistent with the stacking direction of the multiple materials; A flipping mechanism for picking up and flipping the nth layer of materials from a plurality of said materials; The material picking mechanism is used to pick up and transfer the m-th layer of material and the n-th layer of material flipped by the flipping mechanism, respectively, where m ≠ n and m and n are positive integers; A feeding platform is used to receive the m-th layer of material and the n-th layer of material transferred by the material handling mechanism; Wherein, m and n are odd numbers and the other is even number, the material picking mechanism and the flipping mechanism alternately pick up the m-th layer material and the n-th layer material at the picking position; The material handling mechanism includes a multi-axis robotic arm and a material handling suction cup disposed at the end of the multi-axis robotic arm. The multi-axis robotic arm can be used to drive the material handling suction cup to move along the lifting direction. The feeding platform includes a first feeding platform, a second feeding platform, and a switching mechanism. The switching mechanism is connected to the first feeding platform and the second feeding platform and is used to drive the first feeding platform and the second feeding platform to alternately reach the receiving position for receiving the material. The second feeding platform is located below the first feeding platform. The feeding conveyor mechanism and the vision inspection mechanism are provided. The vision inspection mechanism is used to detect the material picked up by the picking mechanism, and the feeding conveyor mechanism is used to receive the unqualified material picked up by the picking mechanism based on the detection of the vision inspection mechanism. Both the visual inspection mechanism and the material handling mechanism are located between the feeding platform and the unloading conveyor mechanism.

2. The feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The silo includes: The storage rack has a storage space for accommodating the material; The lifting support is disposed in the receiving space.

3. The feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The hopper also includes a first slide rail extending along the lifting direction, and the lifting bracket is slidably connected to the first slide rail.

4. The feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The storage rack can switch between a material preparation position and a lifting and feeding position. When the storage rack is switched to the material preparation position, it is used to receive the material. When the storage rack is switched to the lifting and feeding position, it is used to provide the material to the flipping mechanism and the material picking mechanism.

5. The feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The hopper further includes a fixed plate, the fixed plate being provided with a second slide rail extending along a first direction, the storage rack being slidably connected to the second slide rail, the storage rack being able to switch between the material preparation position and the lifting material position along the second slide rail, the first direction being perpendicular to the lifting direction.

6. The feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The storage rack is equipped with handles.

7. The feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The top of the storage rack is equipped with a feeding port. The storage rack is equipped with a first material detection device at the feeding port, which is used to detect the position of the material in the storage rack.

8. The feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flipping mechanism includes at least one flipping component, which includes a flipping drive and a connecting rod connected to the flipping drive, and the connecting rod is provided with a flipping suction cup.

9. The feeding device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The silos are provided in multiple ways, and the multiple silos are arranged side by side. The flipping mechanism further includes a moving component, which includes a moving drive and a third slide rail extending along the arrangement direction of the plurality of bins. The flipping drive is connected to the third slide rail via a slider, and the moving drive is connected to the slider.

10. The feeding device according to claim 9, characterized in that, Multiple flipping components are provided, and the multiple flipping components are arranged side by side along the arrangement direction.

11. The feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air passage interface of the material suction cup is connected to the negative pressure device through a dual air passage solenoid valve.

12. The feeding device according to claim 11, characterized in that, The material suction cup includes a mounting frame and a plurality of suction nozzles disposed on the mounting frame, and an elastic element is provided between each suction nozzle and the mounting frame.

13. The feeding device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The mounting frame is equipped with a second material detection device, which is used to detect the material sucked up by the nozzle.

14. The feeding device according to claim 13, characterized in that, The feeding platform also includes a fourth slide rail and a fifth slide rail that are parallel to each other. The first feeding platform is slidably connected to the fourth slide rail, and the second feeding platform is slidably connected to the fifth slide rail. The switching mechanism includes a servo motor, a drive wheel, a driven wheel, and a transmission belt. The drive wheel is connected to the servo motor, and the transmission belt is wound around the drive wheel and the driven wheel. The first feeding platform and the second feeding platform are respectively connected to the upper and lower sections of the transmission belt.

15. The feeding device according to claim 13, characterized in that, Both the first and second feeding platforms are equipped with at least one material clamp and a material positioning component. The material positioning component is used to push the material on the material clamp to move to a specified position in different directions.

16. The feeding device according to claim 15, characterized in that, The positioning components include a first positioning component and a second positioning component. The first positioning component includes a first positioning drive and a first push rod. The first positioning drive is used to drive the first push rod to move along a first direction and push the material on the material clamp. The second positioning component includes a second positioning drive and a second push rod. The second positioning drive is used to drive the second push rod to move along a second direction and push the material on the material clamp. The first direction, the second direction, and the stacking direction of the plurality of materials are perpendicular to each other.

17. The feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Along the first direction, the tilting mechanism is located between the hopper and the material handling mechanism; Along the second direction, the visual inspection mechanism and the material handling mechanism are both located between the feeding platform and the unloading conveying mechanism, and the first direction, the second direction and the stacking direction of the plurality of materials are perpendicular to each other.

18. A feeding method, characterized in that, This is applied to a feeding device, which includes a hopper, a tilting mechanism, a material handling mechanism, and a discharging platform. The hopper includes a lifting mechanism, which includes a lifting drive and a lifting support connected to the lifting drive. The lifting support carries multiple stacked materials. The feeding method includes: The lifting drive unit drives the lifting bracket to lift multiple materials along the lifting direction, so that the target material among the multiple materials reaches the pickup position, and the lifting direction is consistent with the stacking direction of the multiple materials; In response to the target material arrival command in the silo, determine the odd or even number of the target material in the total number of materials stacked in multiple layers; Based on the judgment result, the flipping mechanism and the picking mechanism corresponding to the odd and even numbers are controlled respectively to pick up the target material; If the picking mechanism picks up the target material, then control the picking mechanism to place the target material on the feeding platform; If the flipping mechanism picks up the target material, then the flipping mechanism is controlled to flip the target material, and the material picking mechanism is controlled to pick up the target material after it has been flipped by the flipping mechanism and place the target material on the feeding platform.

19. The feeding method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The feeding equipment further includes a material unloading conveying mechanism and a vision inspection mechanism, and the feeding method further includes: The visual inspection mechanism detects the target material picked up by the material handling mechanism, and determines whether the target material is qualified based on the detection result. If it is qualified, the material handling mechanism is controlled to place the qualified target material on the feeding platform; if it is unqualified, the material handling mechanism is controlled to place the unqualified target material on the unloading conveyor mechanism.

20. The feeding method according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that, The feeding platform includes a first positioning component and a second positioning component. The first positioning component includes a first positioning drive and a first push rod connected to the first positioning drive. The second positioning component includes a second positioning drive and a second push rod connected to the second positioning drive. After the material handling mechanism places the target material on the feeding platform, the feeding method further includes: The first positioning drive unit is controlled to drive the first push rod to push the target material along the first direction, and the second positioning drive unit is controlled to drive the second push rod to push the target material along the second direction, thereby positioning the target material to a specified position, wherein the first direction, the second direction, and the stacking direction of the plurality of materials are perpendicular to each other.

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