An automated processing line for gas meter valve seats

Abstract

The application discloses an automatic processing production line for a gas meter valve seat and relates to the field of gas meter production equipment, which comprises a main production line for conveying valve seats, and is sequentially provided with an injection molding station, a water port folding station, a sand blasting station, a baking station, a grinding station, a cleaning station, a detection station and a stacking station along the main production line, and a plurality of mechanical hands are arranged along the conveying and placing of the main production line, the valve seats are carried at different stations by the mechanical hands, automatic injection molding, automatic water port folding, automatic sand blasting, automatic baking, automatic grinding, automatic cleaning, automatic detection and automatic stacking of the valve seats are realized, and the production efficiency of the valve seat is improved from the whole production link. The application has the effect of improving the production efficiency of the valve seat.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of gas meter manufacturing equipment, and in particular to an automated production line for gas meter valve seats. Background Technology

[0002] In the structure of a gas meter, the valve seat is a component with multiple different gas passages, used in conjunction with the valve cover to guide gas into different metering chambers. As a metering instrument, the gas meter has high industry requirements for the structural dimensions of its components, such as surface roughness and flatness. During the manufacturing process, these components need to undergo deburring, grinding, and polishing processes.

[0003] Related technology can be found in Chinese patent application CN118577681A, which discloses a rapid production line for gas meter casings. This line includes a meter casing punch press with a discharge port, a batch gluing device comprising multiple gluing conveyor lines, and a gluing mechanism corresponding to each conveyor line. A transfer module exists between the meter casing punch press and the batch gluing device, including transfer conveyor line A, transfer conveyor line B, and a feeding mechanism. A flipping mechanism is provided between transfer conveyor lines A and B. Transfer conveyor line A receives the meter casings from the discharge port. After being flipped by the flipping mechanism, the meter casings enter transfer conveyor line B with their concave surfaces facing upwards. The feeding mechanism then delivers the meter casings on transfer conveyor line B to the gluing conveyor line. This design allows for rapid entry into the gluing device after stamping, significantly improving the production efficiency of meter casings. The overall layout is compact and reasonable, reducing space occupation. Simultaneously, the optimized gluing device improves gluing quality, ensuring high-quality finished meter casings.

[0004] Regarding the aforementioned technologies, since the finished valve seats are produced in batches and not immediately assembled into gas meters, high requirements are placed on the storage and transportation of the finished valve seats. Strong vibrations, compression, collisions, rolling, moisture, heat, packaging damage, and dust should be avoided. In addition to the basic performance indicators of these products, the development of intelligent and automated production, along with the increasing demand for production capacity, also places higher demands on the overall production efficiency of the production line. Factors such as the degree of automation, grinding efficiency per unit time, production line conveying efficiency, stacking efficiency, packing effect, and defective product inspection efficiency all comprehensively affect the overall production line efficiency. Therefore, it is urgent to integrate the production line to improve the production efficiency of valve seats. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To improve the production efficiency of valve seats, this application provides an automated production line for gas meter valve seats.

[0006] This application provides an automated processing production line for gas meter valve seats, employing the following technical solution:

[0007] An automated production line for processing gas meter valve seats includes a main production line comprising several sequentially connected conveyor belts; a processing section arranged along the conveyor belt conveying direction, with robotic arms for transporting valve seats installed between adjacent conveyor belts and between the conveyor belts and the processing section; the processing section includes: an injection molding station located at the beginning of the main production line for injection molding the valve seat; a sprue removal station located downstream of the injection molding station for removing sprues from the valve seat; and a sandblasting station located downstream of the sprue removal station, the sandblasting station including a sandblasting machine, wherein the valve seat with the sprue removed is transported by the conveyor belts and robotic arms to the sandblasting machine for sandblasting, and the sandblasting station also includes a buffer area. The process involves several steps: 1) a sandblasting station, where the valve seats are buffered in a buffer area; 2) a baking station, located downstream of the sandblasting station, which includes a baking machine for baking the sandblasted valve seats; 3) a grinding station, also downstream of the baking station, which includes a valve seat pre-assembly mechanism and a grinding machine. The grinding machine has several grinding positions for simultaneously grinding multiple valve seats, and the valve seat pre-assembly mechanism has multiple preset positions corresponding to the grinding positions, where the valve seats are placed according to the grinding positions of the grinding machine; 4) a cleaning station, located downstream of the grinding station, for cleaning the ground valve seats; and 5) a stacking station, located at the end of the main production line, which includes a stacking mechanism for stacking and packaging the cleaned valve seats.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, after the injection molding machine molds the valve seat, a robotic arm transports the valve seat to the sprue removal station to remove the sprue. After sprue removal, the conveyor belt and robotic arm work together to automatically transport the valve seat to the sandblasting machine for sandblasting. During this process, the valve seat is temporarily buffered in a buffer area. After sandblasting, the valve seat is transported to the baking machine for baking. After baking, the valve seat is transported to the grinding station. Multiple valve seats are pre-positioned by a valve seat pre-assembly mechanism, and then transported to the grinding disc for grinding in one go. Pre-positioning the valve seats during grinding improves grinding efficiency. After grinding, the valve seats are placed in the cleaning station for cleaning. After cleaning, the main conveyor moves the valve seats to the stacking station, where they are stacked by a stacking mechanism, thus completing the valve seat production process. Multiple processing stations process the valve seats one by one, and the processing links cooperate with each other, which helps to improve the production efficiency of valve seats.

[0009] Optionally, the baking station further includes a tray loading mechanism and a baking tray conveyor belt. Several baking trays are placed on the baking tray conveyor belt. The tray loading mechanism is used to place valve seats into the baking trays. The baking machine is equipped with a baking conveyor line that moves back and forth along the length direction, and the starting end of the baking machine is equipped with a baking tray stacking mechanism for stacking baking trays onto the baking conveyor line.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, the loading mechanism places the valve seats one by one onto the baking tray, and then the baking tray stacking mechanism places the baking trays from the baking tray conveyor line to the baking conveyor line for stacking, which facilitates batch baking of valve seats and helps to improve the efficiency of the baking machine.

[0011] Optionally, the baking station also includes a baking tray return conveyor line. One end of the baking tray return conveyor line is located at the discharge end of the baking machine, and the other end is connected to the baking tray conveyor line. The discharge end of the baking machine is equipped with a baking tray unloading mechanism for unloading the baking trays and placing the valve seats on the baking trays into the main production line. The end of the baking tray return conveyor line near the discharge end of the baking machine is equipped with a second baking tray stacking mechanism for stacking the unloaded baking trays.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, the valve seats after baking are moved out of the baking machine from the discharge end along the baking conveyor line under the drive of the baking tray. At the same time, the stacked baking trays and valve seats are unloaded onto the main production line by the baking tray unloading mechanism. Meanwhile, the empty baking trays are placed on the baking tray return conveyor line by the second baking tray stacking mechanism. The baking trays are then transported back from the discharge end of the barbecue oven to the feeding end by the baking tray return conveyor line, so that they can wait for the next batch of valve seats to be baked, which is beneficial to the convenience of baking.

[0013] Optionally, the grinding station also includes a CCD positioning mechanism for positioning the grinding disc to ensure that the position of the grinding position is aligned with the pre-installation position of the valve seat pre-installation mechanism when the grinding disc is positioned.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, the placement position of the valve seat is detected by a CCD positioning mechanism before grinding, which reduces the probability of the valve seat being tilted during placement and ensures that the valve seat is aligned with the grinding position when it enters the grinding disc.

[0015] Optionally, the valve seat pre-installation mechanism includes several placement discs and a rotating frame. The placement discs are arranged circumferentially along the rotating frame. When the rotating frame is working, it drives the placement discs to move sequentially along the main production line, the grinding disc, and the cleaning station. The rotating frame is equipped with a rotating component, which drives the placement discs to rotate around their own axis. Several positioning grooves are provided at the upper end of the placement discs. Positioning components for clamping the valve seat are provided in the positioning grooves. The positioning grooves and positioning components cooperate to form a preset position. The grinding disc is located above the placement discs. The grinding station also includes a lifting frame for driving the grinding disc to move back and forth vertically. Several grinding wheels corresponding to the positioning grooves are rotatably connected to the lower end of the grinding disc. When the placement disc is directly below the grinding disc, the grinding wheels are aligned with the corresponding positioning grooves.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, in the initial state, any placement tray is positioned close to the main production line, with adjacent placement trays directly below the grinding tray. A robotic arm moves the valve seats one by one into the positioning slots of the placement trays on the main production line, and the positioning slots are positioned by positioning components. During the placement of valve seats, the rotating component drives the placement tray to rotate continuously, ensuring that any empty positioning slots are always close to the main production line, thus improving the handling convenience of the robotic arm. When the placement tray is full of valve seats, the rotating component moves the placement tray downwards towards the grinding tray. At this time, another empty placement tray moves back to the main production line position for loading. After the placement tray moves below the grinding tray, the lifting frame moves the grinding tray downwards, allowing the grinding tray to grind the valve seats in the positioning slots using the grinding wheels. After grinding, the rotating frame rotates again, transporting the ground valve seats to the cleaning station for easy cleaning. The placement and grinding of the valve seats occur simultaneously, which helps improve the grinding efficiency of the valve seats.

[0017] Optionally, the positioning component includes a positioning plate, a clamping plate, a first drive rod, and a second drive rod. A movable frame is provided in the positioning groove. The movable frame is slidably connected to the inner wall of the positioning groove along the axis of the placement plate. The first drive rod is fixedly connected to the placement plate and is used to drive the movable frame to move vertically. The positioning plate is fixedly connected to the end of the movable frame away from the axis of the placement plate and is set vertically. The clamping plate is located at the end of the movable frame away from the positioning plate and is directly opposite the positioning plate. The second drive rod is fixedly connected to the movable frame and is used to drive the clamping plate to move closer to or away from the positioning plate.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, when the robot puts the valve seat into the positioning slot, it is positioned between the positioning plate and the clamping plate. Under the support of the moving frame, the second drive rod drives the clamping plate to approach the valve seat, so that the clamping plate and the positioning plate cooperate to clamp and position the valve seat. The first drive rod is used to drive the moving frame to move along the axis of the placement plate to adjust the position of the positioning plate and the clamping plate, which helps to improve the ease of use of the positioning plate and the clamping plate.

[0019] Optionally, a rotating ring is rotatably connected to the outer side of the placement plate, and the rotating component drives the placement plate to rotate around the axis of the rotating ring. A rotating column is fixedly connected to the side of the rotating ring near the support frame. The rotating column is rotatably connected to the rotating frame in a vertical direction. The rotating frame is equipped with a rotary motor for driving the rotating column to rotate. The positioning groove passes through the placement plate along the axis of the placement plate. The grinding station is also equipped with multiple sets of lifting components. During the valve seat positioning and grinding process, the lifting components support the valve seat.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, when placing the valve seat into the placement plate, the supporting component supports the valve seat, so that the positioning plate and clamping plate are in the middle position of the valve seat. After the grinding of one end of the valve seat is completed, the rotating column is driven to rotate by the rotary motor. Under the connection of the rotating ring, the rotating column causes the placement plate to flip. At this time, the moving frame is moved by the second drive rod, so that the other end of the valve seat extends out of the positioning groove, which helps to improve the convenience of grinding both sides of the valve seat.

[0021] Optionally, the lifting component includes a fixed frame, a lifting platform, several support rods, and several lifting discs. The fixed frame is located on one side of the rotating frame, the lifting platform is located at the upper end of the fixed frame and reciprocates vertically, a support ring is rotatably connected to the upper end of the lifting platform, several support rods correspond one-to-one with positioning grooves and are all fixedly mounted on the upper end of the support ring, the lifting discs correspond one-to-one with the support rods, the support rods pass through the lifting discs vertically and are connected to the lifting discs, a stop block is fixedly connected to the upper end of the lifting disc, the stop block fits against the inner wall of the positioning groove when it is located in the positioning groove, and the lifting platform is provided with a locking device for locking the support ring to rotate in its own circumference.

[0022] By adopting the above technical solution, in the initial state, the locking component positions the support ring so that the support rod on the support ring is aligned with the positioning groove. When placing the valve seat into the placement plate or grinding the valve seat, the lifting platform moves upward under the support of the fixed frame, so that the support rod enters the positioning groove and supports the valve seat. At this time, the lifting plate drives the stop block into the positioning groove, thereby sealing the positioning groove. At this time, the locking component releases the lock on the support ring so that when the placement plate rotates, the support ring rotates through the stop block, the lifting plate and the support rod.

[0023] Optionally, a retaining ring is slidably connected to the outer side of the placement plate along the axial direction. The retaining ring is connected to the movable frame. When the movable frame moves, it drives the retaining ring to move. The inner diameter of the retaining ring is adapted to the grinding plate. When grinding the valve seat, the grinding plate is located inside the retaining ring and fits against the inner wall of the retaining ring. An air pipe is fixedly provided at the lower end of the grinding plate. The air pipe is arranged in a transverse direction. The placement plate has an exhaust hole that communicates with the positioning groove. One end of the exhaust hole is located at the upper end of the placement plate, and the other end is located at the inner wall of the positioning groove. An air pipe corresponding to the exhaust hole is fixedly connected to the lower end of the grinding plate. An air source component for conveying high-speed airflow to the air pipe and the air pipe is fixedly provided at the upper end of the grinding plate. The retaining ring is hollow. An air inlet is opened on the side of the retaining ring near the axis, and an exhaust port is opened on the other side. A filter screen is detachably connected to the exhaust port.

[0024] By adopting the above technical solution, when the grinding disc drives the grinding wheel to contact the valve seat, the grinding disc is located in the retaining ring. At this time, the second air pipe is connected to the upper end of the exhaust port. During grinding, the air source component delivers airflow to the first and second air pipes. The airflow in the first air pipe pushes the grinding waste above the grinding disc towards the air inlet of the retaining ring. The airflow in the second air pipe enters the positioning groove along the exhaust hole, which facilitates the removal of impurities in the positioning groove. After passing through the air inlet, the impurities enter the retaining ring. At this time, the airflow passes through the filter screen and is discharged from the exhaust port. The impurities remain in the retaining ring, which facilitates the collection and cleaning of dust generated during the grinding process.

[0025] Optionally, an inspection station is provided between the cleaning station and the stacking station. The inspection station includes a CCD selection mechanism, a CCD defect recognition mechanism, several gripping robots, and a return material conveyor line. The return material conveyor line is located on one side of the main production line. The CCD selection mechanism is used to position the valve seats on the main production line. The gripping robots are located between the return material conveyor line and the main production line and are used to grip and flip the valve seats. The CCD defect recognition mechanism is located along the return material conveyor line and is used to detect and identify defects in the valve seats.

[0026] By adopting the above technical solution, the CCD selection mechanism identifies valve seats on the main production line, which facilitates the adjustment of valve seats by a robotic arm. The robotic arm then places the valve seats on the return material conveyor line. The CCD defect recognition structure detects and identifies the valve seats, which facilitates the removal of unqualified valve seats and improves the production quality of valve seats.

[0027] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0028] 1. After the injection molding machine molds the valve seat, a robotic arm transports it to the sprue removal station to remove the sprue. After sprue removal, the conveyor belt and robotic arm work together to automatically transport the valve seat to the sandblasting machine for sandblasting. During this process, the valve seat is temporarily buffered in a buffer area. After sandblasting, the valve seat is transported to the baking machine for baking. After baking, the valve seat is transported to the grinding station. Multiple valve seats are pre-positioned by a valve seat pre-assembly mechanism, and then transported to the grinding disc for grinding in one go. Pre-positioning the valve seats during grinding improves grinding efficiency. After grinding, the valve seats are placed in the cleaning station for cleaning. After cleaning, the main conveyor moves the valve seats to the stacking station, where they are stacked by a stacking mechanism, thus completing the valve seat production process. Multiple processing stations process the valve seats one by one, and the processing links cooperate with each other, which helps to improve the production efficiency of valve seats.

[0029] 2. Initially, any placement tray is positioned close to the main production line, with adjacent trays directly below the grinding tray. A robotic arm moves the valve seats one by one into the positioning slots of the placement trays on the main production line, and the positioning slots are positioned by positioning components. During valve seat placement, a rotating component drives the placement tray to rotate continuously, ensuring that any empty positioning slots remain close to the main production line, thus improving the robotic arm's handling convenience. Once the placement tray is full of valve seats, the rotating component moves the tray downwards towards the grinding tray. At this time, another empty placement tray moves back to the main production line position for loading. After the placement tray reaches the bottom of the grinding tray, a lifting frame moves the grinding tray downwards, allowing the grinding wheel to grind the valve seats in the positioning slots. After grinding, the rotating frame rotates again, transporting the ground valve seats to the cleaning station for easy cleaning. The simultaneous placement and grinding of the valve seats improves grinding efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall production process of an embodiment.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram designed to highlight the layout of the grinding station.

[0032] Figure 3 This is a diagram designed to highlight the positions of the placement tray and the support components.

[0033] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram designed to highlight the structure of the grinding disc.

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram designed to highlight the internal structure of the placement tray.

[0035] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram designed to highlight the structure of the support component.

[0036] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Injection molding station; 2. Sprue deflector station; 3. Sandblasting station; 4. Baking station; 5. Grinding station; 51. Valve seat pre-assembly mechanism; 511. Placement tray; 512. Rotating frame; 513. Rotating component; 514. Positioning groove; 515. Vent hole; 52. Grinding disc; 521. Grinding wheel; 522. Air pipe one; 523. Air pipe two; 524. Air source component; 53. Positioning component; 531. Positioning plate; 532. Clamping plate; 533. Drive rod one; 534. Drive rod two; 535. Moving frame; 54. 55. Lifting frame; 551. Rotating ring; 56. Rotary motor; 57. Lifting component; 571. Fixed frame; 572. Lifting platform; 573. Support rod; 574. Lifting plate; 575. Support ring; 576. Stop block; 577. Spring 1; 578. Clearance hole; 579. Positioning hole; 581. Push rod; 582. Positioning rod; 583. Positioning plate; 584. Spring 2; 59. Retaining ring; 591. Air inlet; 592. Exhaust outlet; 593. Filter screen; 6. Cleaning station; 7. Stacking station; 8. Inspection station. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to all the accompanying drawings.

[0038] This application discloses an automated production line for processing gas meter valve seats.

[0039] Example:

[0040] Reference Figure 1 An automated production line for processing gas meter valve seats includes a main production line comprising multiple conveyor belts connected sequentially along its length. It also includes a processing unit arranged along the length of the main production line. Multiple robotic arms are installed along the production direction on the main production line, and these robotic arms are used to move valve seats between adjacent conveyor belts or between the conveyor belts and the processing unit.

[0041] Reference Figure 1 The processing department includes injection molding station 1, sprue deflection station 2, sandblasting station 3, baking station 4, grinding station 5, cleaning station 6, inspection station 8, and stacking station 7. Injection molding station 1 includes multiple injection molding machines used to injection mold valve seats. Sprue deflection station 2 is located downstream of injection molding station 1 and includes multiple sprue deflection machines corresponding one-to-one with the injection molding machines. After the valve seats are injection molded at the injection molding machines, they are transported to the sprue deflection machines by a robotic arm for sprue deflection treatment. Both the injection molding machines and the sprue deflection machines are existing technologies and will not be described in detail here.

[0042] Reference Figure 1The sandblasting station 3 is located downstream of the sluice gate station 2. Sandblasting station 3 includes a sandblasting machine, a robotic arm, and a conveyor belt. These components collect the valve seats that have completed sluice gate processing and transport them to the sandblasting machine for further sandblasting. The sandblasting area includes a buffer zone, which is a buffer conveyor belt used to buffer the valve seats. The baking station 4 is located downstream of sandblasting station 3. The sandblasted valve seats are transported to the baking station 4 by the robotic arm and conveyor belt.

[0043] Reference Figure 1 Baking station 4 includes a baking machine, a baking tray conveyor belt, a baking tray stacking mechanism 1, a baking tray stacking mechanism 2, a baking tray return conveyor line, and a baking tray unloading mechanism. The baking machine is hollow and used to heat and bake the valve seat. A baking conveyor line is provided along the length of the baking machine. A support is provided on the baking conveyor line. When the baking conveyor is working, it drives the support to move back and forth along the length of the baking machine.

[0044] Reference Figure 1 The baking tray conveyor belt is located on one side of the main production line, and baking trays are placed in batches on the conveyor belt. The baking trays are designed to fit the shape of the valve seats and are used to position the valve seats. When the valve seats are transported to the baking machine, a robotic arm places the valve seats onto the baking trays. A baking tray stacking mechanism is located at the feed end of the baking machine and is used to stack the baking trays containing the valve seats onto the support. The baking conveyor line drives the valve seats to move along the length of the baking machine through the support and the baking trays, and bakes the valve seats on the baking trays.

[0045] Reference Figure 1 The baking tray unloading mechanism is located at the discharge end of the baking machine and is used to unload the valve seats on the baking trays onto the main production line. One end of the baking tray return conveyor belt is located at the discharge end of the baking machine, and the other end is connected to the baking tray conveyor belt. The second baking tray stacking mechanism is also located at the discharge end of the baking machine and is used to stack the empty baking trays that have been unloaded onto the baking tray return conveyor line and transport them to the baking tray conveyor belt through the baking tray return conveyor line to realize the recycling of the baking trays.

[0046] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The grinding station 5 is located downstream of the baking station 4. The baked valve seats are transported from the main production line to the grinding station 5. The grinding station 5 includes a valve seat pre-assembly mechanism 51 and a grinding disc 52. The valve seat pre-assembly mechanism 51 includes multiple placement discs 511 and a rotating frame 512. In this embodiment, three placement discs 511 are used as an example for explanation. The rotating frame 512 is fixedly installed in the working area. The three placement discs 511 are evenly arranged around the circumference of the rotating frame 512. When the rotating frame 512 is working, it drives the three placement discs 511 to rotate around the rotating frame 512.

[0047] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3A rotating ring 55 is rotatably connected to the outer edge of the placement tray 511. When the rotating ring 55 moves, it drives the placement tray 511 to move. A rotating column 551 is fixedly connected to the outer edge of the rotating ring 55. The rotating column 551 is rotatably connected to the rotating frame 512 in a vertical direction. The rotating frame 512 has rotating components 513 corresponding to the placement trays 511. Each rotating component 513 includes a motor and a gear set. The rotating component 513 is mounted on the rotating ring 55 and is used to drive the placement tray 511 to rotate around its own axis. A rotary motor 56 is mounted on the rotating frame 512 to drive the rotating column 551 to rotate. A worm gear is coaxially fixed to the rotating column 551. A worm gear meshing with the worm gear is coaxially fixed to the output shaft of the rotary motor 56. When the rotary motor 56 is working, it drives the worm gear to rotate through the worm gear, causing the worm gear to drive the rotating ring 55 and the corresponding placement tray 511 to rotate through the rotating column.

[0048] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 4 The grinding disc 52 is located above the placement disc 511, and a lifting frame 54 is provided at the grinding station 5 to drive the grinding disc 52 to move vertically. When the rotating frame 512 is working, it drives the placement disc 511 to pass directly below the grinding disc 52. When the placement disc 511 is directly below the grinding disc 52, the grinding disc 52 and the placement disc 511 are directly opposite each other. Multiple grinding wheels 521 are installed at the lower end of the grinding disc 52, and a grinding motor for driving the grinding wheels 521 to rotate is installed at the upper end of the grinding disc 52. The working position below all the grinding wheels is designated as the grinding position.

[0049] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 The placement plate 511 has multiple vertically openings with positioning grooves 514 corresponding one-to-one with the grinding wheels 521. Positioning elements 53 are provided within the positioning grooves 514, and the positioning elements 53 cooperate with the positioning grooves 514 to form preset positions, which correspond to the grinding positions. The positioning elements 53 include a positioning plate 531, a clamping plate 532, a first drive rod 533, and a second drive rod 534. A movable frame 535 is slidably connected within the positioning grooves 514 along the axis of the placement plate 511, and moves when the placement plate 511 moves, driving the movable frame 535 to move as well.

[0050] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5The positioning plate 531 is fixedly connected to one end of the movable frame 535 along its length and is parallel to the axis of the placement tray 511. The clamping plate 532 is located at the end of the movable frame 535 away from the positioning plate 531 and is slidably connected to the movable frame 535 in the direction of approaching or moving away from the positioning plate 531. The second drive rod 534 is fixedly connected to the movable frame 535 and is an electric actuator 581, used to drive the clamping plate 532 to approach or move away from the positioning plate 531. The first drive rod 533 is fixedly connected to the placement tray 511 and includes a motor and a screw. It is a commonly used drive mechanism in this technical field and will not be described in detail here. The first drive rod 533 is used to drive the movable frame 535 to move along the axis of the placement tray 511. When the movable frame 535 moves, it drives the clamping plate 532, the positioning plate 531, and the second drive rod 534 to move.

[0051] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 6 The grinding station 5 is also equipped with a support component. In this embodiment, there are two sets of support components. One set of support components is located near the main production line on the rotating frame 512, and the other set is located directly below the grinding wheel. The support component includes a fixed frame 571, a lifting platform 572, multiple support rods 573, and multiple lifting discs 574. The fixed frame 571 is fixed at the grinding station 5. The lifting platform 572 is located above the fixed frame 571 and is slidably connected to the fixed frame 571 in the vertical direction. The fixed frame 571 is equipped with a lifting motor for driving the lifting platform 572 to move back and forth in the vertical direction. The upper end of the lifting platform 572 is rotatably connected to a support ring 575 in the horizontal direction. When the placement disc 511 is in the position closest to the main production line or directly below the grinding disc 52, it is coaxial with the support ring 575 in the corresponding support component.

[0052] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 6 Each support rod 573 corresponds to a positioning groove 514, and all support rods 573 are vertically fixed to the upper end of the support ring 575. When the support ring 575 rotates, it drives all support rods 573 to move. When the placement tray 511 moves to the main production line position, the lifting platform 572 moves upward, causing the support rods 573 to enter the corresponding positioning grooves 514. Each lifting plate 574 corresponds to a support rod 573. The support rods 573 pass through the lifting plate 574 and are slidably connected to the lifting plate 574 vertically. A spring 577 is provided between the support rods 573 and the lifting plate 574. One end of the spring 577 is fixedly connected to the lifting plate 574, and the other end is fixedly connected to the lifting plate 574. In its natural state, the spring 577 pushes the lifting plate 574 away from the lifting platform 572.

[0053] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 6A stop block 576 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the lifting plate 574. When the stop block 576 enters the positioning groove 514 and fits against the inner wall of the positioning groove 514, the upper end face of the lifting plate 574 abuts against the lower end face of the placement plate 511. The lifting platform 572 continues to move. At this time, the lifting plate 574 and the support rod 573 generate relative displacement, and the first spring 577 gradually deforms. The support platform is provided with a locking component for locking the rotation of the support ring 575. The locking component includes a push rod 581, a positioning rod 582, a positioning plate 583, and a second spring 584. The positioning plate 583 is located between the support ring 575 and the lifting platform 572, and the positioning plate 583 is slidably connected to the lifting platform 572 vertically.

[0054] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 6 Spring 584 is located between the lifting platform 572 and the positioning plate 583. One end of spring 584 is fixedly connected to the lifting platform 572, and the other end is fixedly connected to the positioning plate 583. In its natural state, spring 584 pushes the positioning plate 583 away from the lifting platform 572. Multiple positioning rods 582 are provided, all fixedly connected to the upper end of the positioning plate 583 and arranged circumferentially along the positioning plate 583. When the positioning plate 583 moves, it drives all the positioning rods 582 to move. The lower end of the support ring 575 has multiple positioning holes 579 corresponding to the positioning rods 582. In the initial state, the positioning rods 582 are inserted into the positioning holes 579 under the action of spring 584, thereby restricting the rotation of the support ring 575.

[0055] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 6 Push rod 581 is fixedly connected to the lower end of any lifting plate 574 and is parallel to support rod 573. When the lifting plate 574 moves, it drives push rod 581 to move. Support ring 575 has clearance hole 578 corresponding to push rod 581. When the lifting plate 574 approaches the lifting platform 572 along support rod 573, push rod 581 passes through clearance hole 578 and abuts against positioning plate 583. At this time, lifting platform 572 continues to move, causing push rod 581 to push positioning plate 583 away from support ring 575, causing positioning rod 582 to move out of corresponding positioning hole 579, releasing the lock on support ring 575.

[0056] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 5When the valve seat approaches the rotating frame 512 driven by the main production line, the robot arm places the valve seat one by one into the positioning slot 514. During this process, the support rod 573 in the positioning slot 514 initially supports the valve seat. The moving frame 535 is located away from the lifting platform 572. As the valve seat enters the positioning slot 514, the drive rod 534 drives the clamping plate 532 to approach the valve seat, so that the positioning plate 531 and the clamping plate 532 cooperate to clamp and position the valve seat. After the valve seat is placed in any positioning slot 514, the rotating component 513 drives the placement plate 511 to rotate, so that the positioning slot 514 with the valve seat is moved out of the main production line. The other empty positioning slot 514 moves to the loading position. Under the action of the support rod 573 and the push block, when the placement plate 511 rotates, it drives the support ring 575 to rotate synchronously.

[0057] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 5 After all valve seats have been placed in the positioning slots 514 on the same placement tray 511, the rotating frame 512 moves the placement tray 511 from the main production line to below the grinding tray 52, and supports the valve seats in the positioning slots 514 through the lifting member 57 at the grinding tray 52. ​​Two retaining rings 59 are slidably connected to the outer side of the placement tray 511 along the axial direction. The two retaining rings 59 are located on both sides of the rotating ring 55. The retaining rings 59 are connected to the moving frame 535. When the moving frame 535 moves, it drives the retaining rings 59 to move. The retaining rings 59 are hollow, and an air inlet 591 is opened on the side of the retaining ring 59 closest to the placement tray 511, and an air outlet communicating with the air inlet 591 is opened on the other side. A filter screen 593 is detachably connected to the air outlet. During the grinding process, the moving frame 535 approaches the upward-facing end face of the placement tray 511. At this time, the upper end of the retaining ring 59 extends to the upper end of the placement tray 511.

[0058] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 When the placement plate 511 moves directly below the grinding plate 52, the lifting frame 54 drives the grinding plate 52 to move downwards. When the lower end face of the grinding wheel 521 abuts against the upper end face of the valve seat, the grinding plate 52 is located inside the retaining ring 59 and fits against the inner wall of the retaining ring 59. At this time, the air inlet 591 is aligned with the gap between the grinding plate 52 and the placement plate 511. The grinding station 5 is equipped with a CCD positioning mechanism, which is used to detect whether the grinding wheel of the grinding plate 52 is aligned with the valve seat in the positioning groove 514, so as to reduce the error rate in the grinding process.

[0059] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5During the grinding process of the valve seat, a large amount of dust is generated. The lower end of the grinding disc 52 is fixedly connected to air pipe 1 522 and air pipe 2 523, and the upper end of the grinding disc 52 is equipped with an air source component 524 for supplying airflow to air pipe 1 522 and air pipe 2 523. The lower end of air pipe 1 522 is horizontally arranged along the axis of the grinding disc 52 in the direction of the outer edge. After the airflow is ejected along air pipe 1 522, it pushes the dust on the upper surface of the placement disc 511 towards the air inlet 591 of the retaining ring 59.

[0060] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 The placement tray 511 has a vertically oriented vent 515. One end of the vent 515 is located on the upper surface of the placement tray 511 and is directly opposite the second air pipe 523. The other end of the vent 515 is connected to the positioning groove 514. During the grinding process, the second air pipe 523 is connected to the vent 515, and the airflow in the second air pipe 523 enters the positioning groove 514 along the vent 515, thereby moving the dust in the positioning groove 514 and causing the dust to move towards the baffle ring 59. The airflow entering the baffle ring 59 is discharged from the vent 592. At this time, the filter screen 593 filters the dust, which helps to improve the convenience of dust cleaning.

[0061] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 5 After the upper surface of the valve seat is polished, the grinding disc 52 and the lifting member 57 are reset. If the other end of the valve seat needs to be polished, the placement disc 511 is rotated by the rotary motor 56, and the moving frame 535 is moved along the axis of the placement disc 511 by the drive rod 533. Then, the valve seat is moved by the clamping plate 532 and the positioning plate 531, so that the other end of the valve seat extends out of the positioning groove 514. At this time, the valve seat is supported by the lifting member 57 again, which makes it easier to polish both ends of the valve seat. When polishing different ends of the valve seat, it is not necessary to re-clamp and position the valve seat.

[0062] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The cleaning station 6 is located downstream of the grinding station 5. The cleaning station 6 includes a cleaning tank and a conveyor belt. The cleaning tank contains cleaning fluid, and the conveyor belt runs along the length of the cleaning tank. After the valve seat has finished grinding, the rotating component 513 drives the placement plate 511 closer to the cleaning station 6, and a robotic arm places the valve seat in the positioning groove 514 onto the conveyor belt, causing the conveyor belt to carry the valve seat into the cleaning tank for cleaning. A dryer is located at the discharge end of the cleaning tank, and the cleaned valve seats are conveyed to the dryer by the conveyor belt for drying.

[0063] Reference Figure 1Inspection station 8 includes a CCD selection mechanism, a CCD defect identification mechanism, several gripping robots, and a return material conveyor line. The return material conveyor line is located on one side of the main production line. The CCD selection mechanism is used to position the valve seats on the main production line. When a valve seat is misaligned, the robots adjust it. The gripping robots are positioned between the return material conveyor line and the main production line to pick up the valve seats from the main production line onto the return material conveyor line. The CCD defect identification mechanism is located along the return material conveyor line to detect and identify defects in the valve seats. During the inspection process, the gripping robots rotate the valve seats, allowing for inspection of different end faces of the valve seats. This helps to remove unqualified valve seats and improve the production quality of the valve seats.

[0064] Reference Figure 1 The stacking station 7 is located at the end of the main production line and includes an empty tray conveyor line, a full tray conveyor line and an unloading mechanism. Several trays for placing valve seats are placed on the empty tray conveyor line. The unloading mechanism is used to stack the cleaned valve seats into the trays. The full tray conveyor line is located at the end of the empty tray conveyor line and is used to transport the stacked trays to the storage area.

[0065] The working principle of an automated processing production line for gas meter valve seats according to an embodiment of this application is as follows: After the injection molding machine molds the valve seat, a robotic arm transports the valve seat to the sprue removal station 2 to remove the sprue. After sprue removal, the main production line automatically transports the valve seat to the sandblasting station 3 for sandblasting. After sandblasting, the valve seat is then transported to the baking station 4 for baking. During baking, the baking tray supports and accommodates the valve seat, thereby improving the baking efficiency. After baking, the main production line transports the valve seat to the grinding station 5. The valve seats are supported and pre-placed by the placement tray 511, and multiple placed valve seats are transported to the grinding tray 52 for grinding. During the grinding process, there is an empty placement tray 511 for placing more valve seats. The placement and grinding processes of the valve seats are carried out simultaneously, which helps to improve the grinding efficiency of the valve seats. After grinding, the valve seats are placed in the cleaning station 6 for cleaning. After cleaning, the main conveyor moves the valve seats to the stacking station 7, where they are stacked by the stacking mechanism, thus completing the production and processing of the valve seats. The various processing links cooperate with each other, which helps to improve the production efficiency of the valve seats.

[0066] The above are all preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An automated production line for processing gas meter valve seats, characterized in that: The system includes a main production line comprising several sequentially connected conveyor belts; a processing section arranged along the conveyor belt direction, with robotic arms for handling valve seats installed between adjacent conveyor belts and between the conveyor belts and the processing section; the processing section includes: an injection molding station (1), located at the beginning of the main production line, for injection molding valve seats; a sprue removal station (2), located downstream of the injection molding station (1), for removing sprues from valve seats; and a sandblasting station (3), located downstream of the sprue removal station (2), the sandblasting station (3) including a sandblasting machine, where valve seats with sprues removed are transported by conveyor belts and robotic arms to the sandblasting machine for sandblasting. Station (3) also includes a buffer area where the sandblasted valve seat is buffered; a baking station (4) is located downstream of the sandblasting station (3), and includes a baking machine for baking the sandblasted valve seat; a grinding station (5) is located downstream of the baking station (4), and includes a valve seat pre-assembly mechanism (51) and a grinding machine. The grinding machine has several grinding positions for grinding multiple valve seats simultaneously. The valve seat pre-assembly mechanism (51) has multiple preset positions corresponding to the grinding positions, and the valve seats are placed at the preset positions according to the grinding positions of the grinding machine; a cleaning station (6) is located downstream of the grinding station (5) for cleaning the valve seat. The valve seats that have been ground are cleaned; a stacking station (7) is set at the end of the main production line and includes a stacking mechanism for stacking and packing the cleaned valve seats; the valve seat pre-assembly mechanism (51) includes several placement trays (511) and a rotating frame (512). Several placement trays (511) are arranged circumferentially along the rotating frame (512). When the rotating frame (512) is working, it drives the placement trays (511) to move cyclically along the main production line, the grinding tray (52) and the cleaning station (6). The rotating frame (512) is provided with a rotating component (513). The rotating component (513) is used to drive the placement trays (511) to rotate around their own axis. 11) Several positioning grooves (514) are provided at the upper end. Positioning parts (53) for clamping valve seats are provided in the positioning grooves (514). The positioning grooves (514) and positioning parts (53) cooperate to form a preset position. The grinding disc (52) is located above the placement disc (511). The grinding station (5) also includes a lifting frame (54) for driving the grinding disc (52) to move back and forth vertically. Several grinding wheels (521) corresponding to the positioning grooves (514) are rotatably connected to the lower end of the grinding disc (52). When the placement disc (511) is directly below the grinding disc (52), the grinding wheels (521) are directly opposite to the corresponding positioning grooves (514).The positioning component (53) includes a positioning plate (531), a clamping plate (532), a first drive rod (533), and a second drive rod (534). A movable frame (535) is provided in the positioning groove (514). The movable frame (535) is slidably connected to the inner wall of the positioning groove (514) along the axial direction of the placement plate (511). The first drive rod (533) is fixedly connected to the placement plate (511) and is used to drive the movable frame (535) to move vertically. The positioning plate (531) is fixedly connected to the end of the movable frame (535) away from the axial direction of the placement plate (511) and is set vertically. The clamping plate (532) is located on the movable frame (535). 535) The end away from the positioning plate (531) and directly opposite the positioning plate (531), the second drive rod (534) is fixedly connected to the moving frame (535) and is used to drive the clamping plate (532) to move closer to or away from the positioning plate (531); the outer side of the placement plate (511) is rotatably connected to a rotating ring (55), the rotating component (513) drives the placement plate (511) to rotate around the axis of the rotating ring (55), the side of the rotating ring (55) close to the support frame is fixedly connected to a rotating column (551), the rotating column (551) is rotatably connected to the rotating frame (512) in the vertical direction, and the rotating frame (512) is provided with a mechanism for driving the rotating plate to rotate. A rotary motor (56) rotates the moving column (551). A positioning groove (514) passes through the placement plate (511) along the axis of the placement plate (511). The grinding station (5) is also equipped with multiple sets of lifting components (57). During the valve seat positioning and grinding process, the lifting components (57) support the valve seat. The lifting components (57) include a fixed frame (571), a lifting platform (572), several support rods (573), and several lifting plates (574). The fixed frame (571) is located on one side of the rotating frame (512). The lifting platform (572) is located at the upper end of the fixed frame (571) and moves back and forth vertically. A support ring (575) is rotatably connected to the upper end of the plate. Several support rods (573) correspond one-to-one with the positioning grooves (514) and are all fixed to the upper end of the support ring (575). The lifting plate (574) corresponds one-to-one with the support rods (573). The support rods (573) pass through the lifting plate (574) vertically and are connected to the lifting plate (574). A stop block (576) is fixedly connected to the upper end of the lifting plate (574). When the stop block (576) is located in the positioning groove (514), it fits against the inner wall of the positioning groove (514). The lifting platform (572) is provided with a locking device for locking the support ring (575) to rotate in its own circumference.A retaining ring (59) is slidably connected to the outer side of the placement plate (511) along the axial direction. The retaining ring (59) is connected to the movable frame (535). When the movable frame (535) moves, it drives the retaining ring (59) to move. The inner diameter of the retaining ring (59) is adapted to the grinding plate (52). When grinding the valve seat, the grinding plate (52) is located inside the retaining ring (59) and is in contact with the inner wall of the retaining ring (59). An air pipe (522) is fixed at the lower end of the grinding plate (52). The air pipe (522) is arranged in a transverse direction. The placement plate (511) has an exhaust hole (515) that communicates with the positioning groove (514). One end of the grinding disc (515) is located at the upper end of the placement plate (511), and the other end is located on the inner wall of the positioning groove (514). The lower end of the grinding disc (52) is fixedly connected to an air pipe (523) corresponding to the exhaust port (515). The upper end of the grinding disc is fixedly provided with an air source component (524) for supplying high-speed airflow to the air pipe (522) and the air pipe (523). The retaining ring (59) is hollow, and the side of the retaining ring (59) near the axis has an air inlet (591), and the other side has an exhaust port (592). A filter screen (593) is detachably connected to the exhaust port (592).

2. The automated processing production line for a gas meter valve seat according to claim 1, characterized in that: The baking station (4) also includes a tray loading mechanism and a baking tray conveyor belt. Several baking trays are placed on the baking tray conveyor belt. The tray loading mechanism is used to place the valve seat into the baking tray. The baking machine is equipped with a baking conveyor line that moves back and forth along the length direction. The starting end of the baking machine is equipped with a baking tray stacking mechanism for stacking baking trays onto the baking conveyor line.

3. The automated processing production line for a gas meter valve seat according to claim 2, characterized in that: The baking station (4) also includes a baking tray return conveyor line. One end of the baking tray return conveyor line is located at the discharge end of the baking machine, and the other end is connected to the baking tray conveyor line. The discharge end of the baking machine is equipped with a baking tray unloading mechanism for unloading the baking trays and placing the valve seats on the baking trays into the main production line. The end of the baking tray return conveyor line near the discharge end of the baking machine is equipped with a baking tray stacking mechanism II for stacking the unloaded baking trays.

4. The automated processing production line for a gas meter valve seat according to claim 1, characterized in that: The grinding station (5) also includes a CCD positioning mechanism for positioning the grinding disc (52) to ensure that the position of the grinding position is aligned with the pre-installation position of the valve seat pre-installation mechanism (51) when the grinding disc (52) is positioned.

5. The automated processing production line for a gas meter valve seat according to claim 1, characterized in that: An inspection station (8) is provided between the cleaning station (6) and the stacking station (7). The inspection station (8) includes a CCD selection mechanism, a CCD defect identification mechanism, several gripping robots, and a return material conveyor line. The return material conveyor line is set on one side of the main production line. The CCD selection mechanism is used to position the valve seats on the main production line. The gripping robots are set between the return material conveyor line and the main production line to grip and flip the valve seats. The CCD defect identification mechanism is set along the return material conveyor line to detect and identify defects in the valve seats.

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