Multi-bin switching feeding mechanism and method

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of stock bins, and particularly relates to a multi-stock-bin switching feeding mechanism and method. The device comprises at least two stock bins used for storing labels in batches, a stock bin limiting mechanism, a label lifting mechanism, a label suction mechanism, a feeding conveying mechanism and a lifting arm transposition mechanism, and the stock bin limiting mechanism is arranged at the bottoms of the stock bins in a supported mode and used for fixing the stock bins; the label lifting mechanism is arranged below the stock bin and used for lifting labels in the stock bin to a material taking position, the label sucking mechanism is arranged above the stock bin and used for sucking the labels from the stock bin, and the feeding conveying mechanism is horizontally connected with the label sucking mechanism and used for driving the label sucking mechanism to reach a feeding position. The lifting arm transposition mechanism is arranged on the label lifting mechanism and used for switching to the second stock bin to take materials after no materials exist in the first stock bin. Feeding of products in multiple bins is automatically completed, manpower is saved, and the working efficiency is improved; and the separation mechanism is adopted to separate materials, so that the sheet connecting phenomenon is avoided, and the product quality is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of silos, and in particular relates to a multi-silo switching feeding mechanism and method. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous improvement of the level of industrial automation, more and more intelligent factories are being built and put into production. In the process of industrial manufacturing, the requirements for the automation of production equipment are getting higher and higher. For example, in the production process of signs, the signs need to be laser engraved, which involves the automatic loading of signs. Some traditional methods use manual loading, and some use the old single-bin mechanism for loading. Manual loading wastes manpower and is extremely inefficient. The old single-bin loading efficiency is average, and it is easy to produce the phenomenon of continuous loading, which affects product quality. In addition, it takes time to add materials, the structure is complex, and the production cost is high. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the shortcomings of the above-mentioned background technology and provide a multi-bin switching feeding mechanism and method. The multi-bin feeding method can be used to batch feed and improve efficiency, and the material separation mechanism is used to separate the materials to prevent the phenomenon of continuous pieces and ensure product quality.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a multi-bin switching feeding mechanism, including at least two silos for storing batch labels and a silo limiting mechanism, a label lifting mechanism, a label suction mechanism, a feeding conveying mechanism and a lifting arm switching mechanism. The silo limiting mechanism support is arranged at the bottom of the silo to fix the silo, the label lifting mechanism is arranged below the silo to lift the label in the silo to the material retrieval position, the label suction mechanism is arranged above the silo to suck the label from the silo, the feeding conveying mechanism is horizontally connected with the label suction mechanism to drive the label suction mechanism to reach the feeding position, and the lifting arm switching mechanism is arranged on the label lifting mechanism to switch to the second silo to retrieve materials after there is no material in the first silo.

[0005] Preferably, the silo includes a silo bottom plate, a silo enclosure, and a silo handle. The silo bottom plate and the silo enclosure form a long square box to become the silo body, and the silo handle is installed on the silo enclosure.

[0006] More preferably, the silo limiting mechanism includes a silo mounting frame, a silo guide block, a silo positioning block, a silo fixing block and a material dividing mechanism, the silo mounting frame is used to support the silo, the silo mounting frame includes a base plate and a side plate vertically connected to the base plate, a plurality of silo guide blocks are evenly spaced and parallelly arranged on the inner wall of the side plate for guiding when the silo is pushed in, the silo positioning block is arranged on the outer edge of the base plate for fixing the position of the silo, the silo fixing block is arranged in the middle of the side plate for limiting the side of the silo, and the material dividing mechanism is arranged on the top of the side plate to prevent the labels from being connected.

[0007] Preferably, the material dividing mechanism is a spring structure with one end fixed to the side plate.

[0008] In the above technical solution, the material dividing mechanism of the spring structure effectively prevents the labels from piling up in the silo, reduces the downtime caused by blockage, and improves the overall production efficiency; the elastic design of the spring can automatically adapt to labels of different thicknesses and sizes, improving the adaptability and versatility of the system.

[0009] Preferably, the sign lifting mechanism includes a lifting arm and a vertical lifting platform, and the vertical lifting platform is connected to the lifting arm to drive the lifting arm to pass through the silo limiting mechanism and the silo in turn to lift the sign in the silo to the material picking position.

[0010] In the above technical solution, through the coordinated work of the lifting arm and the vertical lifting platform, the sign can be quickly lifted to the material picking position to speed up the loading speed; the lifting arm can pass through the limiting mechanism in sequence to adapt to the switching needs of multiple material bins, ensuring that the lifting process of the sign is not affected when switching material bins.

[0011] Preferably, a through slot is provided on the bottom plate for the lifting arm to pass through.

[0012] More preferably, the label suction mechanism includes a suction cup, a suction cup connecting plate, and a vertical pneumatic slide, and the vertical pneumatic slide is connected to the suction cup via the suction cup connecting plate to drive the suction cup to suck and release the label.

[0013] More preferably, the feeding and conveying mechanism includes a horizontal moving platform and a suction mechanism connecting block. The horizontal moving platform is connected to a vertical pneumatic slide of a label suction mechanism through the suction mechanism connecting block to drive the label suction mechanism and the label to the feeding position.

[0014] More preferably, the lifting arm displacement mechanism includes a horizontal pneumatic slide and a pneumatic slide mounting plate. The horizontal pneumatic slide is connected to the sign lifting mechanism through the pneumatic slide mounting plate. The lifting arm is fixed on the horizontal pneumatic slide. The movement of the horizontal pneumatic slide can make the lifting arm move horizontally between the bottom of the silo.

[0015] In the above technical solution, the combination of the horizontal pneumatic slide and the lifting arm enables the lifting arm to automatically switch between multiple silos, ensuring that when one silo is out of material, it can quickly switch to another silo to avoid production stagnation; the stable motion characteristics of the pneumatic slide ensure the stability of the lifting arm during the switching process, reduce mechanical wear and failure rate, and extend the service life of the equipment.

[0016] A method for switching a feeding mechanism for multiple bins comprises: placing a bin in a bin limiting mechanism, a vertical lifting platform in a sign lifting mechanism moves, causing a lifting arm connected thereto to rise, the lifting arm is placed at the bottom of a first bin, and as the lifting arm rises, a stack of signs in the first bin is driven to rise, when the signs reach a material taking position, the sign lifting mechanism stops, a vertical pneumatic slide in a sign suction mechanism moves, driving a suction cup to move downward to suck up the signs, and after sucking up the signs, the suction cup moves upward, passes through a material dividing mechanism, and after the signs touch a spring piece of the material dividing mechanism, a suction cup is generated. The toggling effect causes the connected labels to fall off automatically and become single-piece labels. The horizontal moving platform in the feeding and conveying mechanism moves, and drives the label suction mechanism and the labels to move to the feeding position through the suction mechanism connecting block. Laser engraving and unloading processes are then carried out. This cycle is repeated until all the labels in the first silo are taken out. The horizontal pneumatic slide in the lifting arm transposition mechanism moves, driving the lifting arm to move to the bottom of the second silo, and the labels in the second silo are taken out for processing. When the two silos have been taken out of materials, a new silo filled with materials is replaced for processing.

[0017] The present invention automatically completes the loading of multi-bin products, which not only saves labor but also improves work efficiency; the material separation mechanism is used to separate materials to prevent the occurrence of continuous pieces, thereby improving product quality. The multi-bin switching loading mechanism is particularly suitable for automated production lines that require high frequency, replacement of labels or other similar materials, such as automatic labeling systems in the manufacturing and packaging industries. Its high efficiency, stability and flexibility can significantly improve the automation level and production efficiency of the production line and meet the needs of modern production.

[0018] Through the coordinated work of the above components, the multi-bin switching feeding mechanism of the present invention achieves the following comprehensive advantages:

[0019] The multi-bin design and automatic switching mechanism ensure that when one silo is exhausted, it can seamlessly switch to another silo, avoiding production interruptions and improving overall loading efficiency.

[0020] Precise positioning and suction mechanisms ensure accurate label loading, reducing errors and failures and improving production quality.

[0021] The design of each component is highly flexible and can adapt to the needs of signage of different specifications and batches, and is suitable for a variety of production environments.

[0022] The modular design and easy-to-operate structure make equipment maintenance and replacement more convenient, reducing maintenance costs and downtime. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2It is a structural schematic diagram of the silo of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the silo limiting mechanism of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the sign lifting mechanism of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of the label suction mechanism of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the feeding and conveying mechanism of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 7 It is a structural schematic diagram of the lifting arm transposition mechanism of the present invention.

[0030] In the figure, 1-the first silo (101-silo bottom plate; 102-silo enclosure; 103-silo handle); 2-the second silo; 3-silo limiting mechanism (301-silo mounting frame; 3011-bottom plate; 3012-side plate; 3013-through groove; 302-silo guide block; 303-silo positioning block; 304-silo fixing block; 305-material dividing mechanism); 4-label lifting mechanism (401-lifting arm; 402-vertical lifting platform); 5-label suction mechanism (501-suction cup; 502-suction cup connecting plate; 503-vertical pneumatic slide); 6-feeding conveying mechanism (601-horizontal moving platform; 602-suction mechanism connecting block); 7-lifting arm displacement mechanism (701-horizontal pneumatic slide; 702-pneumatic slide mounting plate). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The specific embodiments of the present invention are further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the description of these embodiments is used to help understand the present invention, but does not constitute a limitation of the present invention. In addition, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0032] In the following description, specific details such as specific system structures, technologies, etc. are provided for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation, so as to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present application. However, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that the present application may also be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other cases, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, devices, circuits, and methods are omitted to prevent unnecessary details from obstructing the description of the present application.

[0033] It should be understood that the term “and / or” used in the specification and appended claims of this application refers to any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes these combinations.

[0034] In addition, in the description of the present application and the claims, the terms "first", "second", "third", "top", "bottom", "one side", "the other side", "one end", "the other end", etc. are only used to distinguish the description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. For example, without departing from the scope of this specification, the first component can be called the second component, and similarly, the second component can be called the first component. The components at the top and the bottom can also be swapped or converted with each other under certain circumstances; the components at one end and the other end can have the same or different performances.

[0035] In the case of using "including", "having" and "comprising" described in this specification, unless used, there may also be another part or other parts, and the terms used may generally be singular but may also represent plural forms. In the description of this specification, it should be understood that the orientation or position relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc. is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention. In addition, when constituting a component, although there is no clear description thereof, it can be understood that a certain error area must be included.

[0036] When describing a positional relationship, for example, when the positional sequence is described as "on," "above," "below," and "next," unless words or terms such as "just" or "directly" are used, situations where they are not in contact or in contact may also be included. If a first element is mentioned to be "on" a second element, it does not mean that the first element must be above the second element in the figure. The upper and lower parts of the component will change depending on the change in the angle of observation and orientation. Therefore, in the drawings or in the actual construction, if it is mentioned that the first element is "on" the second element, it may include a situation where the first element is "below" the second element and a situation where the first element is "above" the second element.

[0037] Embodiment 1

[0038] like Figure 1As shown, a multi-bin switching feeding mechanism includes at least two silos for storing batch labels and a silo limiting mechanism 3, a label lifting mechanism 4, a label suction mechanism 5, a feeding conveying mechanism 6 and a lifting arm switching mechanism 7. The silo limiting mechanism 3 is supported at the bottom of the silo for fixing the silo, the label lifting mechanism 4 is arranged below the silo for lifting the labels in the silo to a material retrieval position, the label suction mechanism 5 is arranged above the silo for sucking labels from the silo, the feeding conveying mechanism 6 is horizontally connected to the label suction mechanism 5 for driving the label suction mechanism 5 to reach the feeding position, and the lifting arm switching mechanism 7 is arranged on the label lifting mechanism 4 for switching to the second silo for retrieving materials when there is no material in the first silo.

[0039] like Figure 2 As shown, the silo includes a silo bottom plate 101, a silo enclosure 102, and a silo handle 103. The silo bottom plate 101 and the silo enclosure 102 form a long square box as the silo body, and the silo handle 103 is installed on the silo enclosure 102 for easy placement.

[0040] like Figure 3 As shown, the silo limiting mechanism 3 includes a silo mounting frame 301, a silo guide block 302, a silo positioning block 303, a silo fixing block 304 and a material dividing mechanism 305. The silo mounting frame 301 is used to carry the silo. The silo mounting frame 301 includes a bottom plate 3011 and a side plate 3012 vertically connected to the bottom plate 3011. A plurality of silo guide blocks 302 are evenly spaced and parallelly arranged on the inner wall of the side plate 3012 for guiding when the silo is pushed in. The silo positioning block 303 is arranged on the outer edge of the bottom plate 3011 for fixing the position of the silo. The silo fixing block 304 is arranged in the middle of the side plate 3012 for limiting the side of the silo. The material dividing mechanism 305 is arranged on the top of the side plate 3012 for preventing continuous pieces. The material dividing mechanism 305 is a spring structure with one end fixed on the side plate 3012, and a through groove 3013 is provided on the bottom plate 3011.

[0041] like Figure 4 As shown, the label lifting mechanism 4 includes a lifting arm 401 and a vertical lifting platform 402. The vertical lifting platform 402 can drive the lifting arm 401 to pass through the through slot 3013 and the through hole on the silo bottom plate 101 in sequence to lift the label in the silo to the material extraction position.

[0042] like Figure 5 As shown, the label suction mechanism 5 includes a suction cup 501, a suction cup connecting plate 502, and a vertical pneumatic slide 503. The vertical pneumatic slide 503 is connected to the suction cup 501 through the suction cup connecting plate 502 to drive the suction cup 501 to suck and release the label.

[0043] like Figure 6As shown, the feeding conveying mechanism 6 includes a horizontal moving platform 601 and a suction mechanism connecting block 602. The horizontal moving platform 601 is connected to the vertical pneumatic slide 503 of the label suction mechanism 5 through the suction mechanism connecting block 602 to drive the label suction mechanism 5 and the label to the feeding position.

[0044] like Figure 7 As shown, the lifting arm switching mechanism 7 includes a horizontal pneumatic slide 701 and a pneumatic slide mounting plate 702. The horizontal pneumatic slide 701 is connected to the sign lifting mechanism 4 through the pneumatic slide mounting plate 702. The lifting arm 401 is fixed on the horizontal pneumatic slide 701. The movement of the horizontal pneumatic slide 701 can make the lifting arm 401 move horizontally between the bottoms of the silos, making it convenient to move from one silo to the bottom of another silo after taking out the materials.

[0045] Embodiment 2

[0046] A method for switching a feeding mechanism for multiple material bins, comprising: a material bin (in this embodiment, the material bins include two, a first material bin 1 and a second material bin 2) is placed in a material bin limiting mechanism 3, a vertical lifting platform 402 in a sign lifting mechanism 4 moves, causing a lifting arm 401 connected thereto to rise, the lifting arm 401 is placed at the bottom of the first material bin 1, and as it rises, it drives a stack of signs in the first material bin 1 to rise, when a sensor senses that the sign has reached a material-retrieving position, the sign lifting mechanism 4 stops moving, a vertical pneumatic slide 503 in a sign suction mechanism 5 moves, a suction cup connecting plate 502 is fixed thereon, driving the suction cup 501 to move downward to absorb the sign, and after absorbing the sign, it moves upward, passes through a material distribution mechanism 305, and the sign touches the material distribution mechanism. After the spring piece of mechanism 305 is moved, a toggle effect is generated, causing the continuous label to automatically fall off and become a single label. The horizontal moving platform 601 in the feeding and conveying mechanism 6 moves, and the suction mechanism connecting block 602 is fixed on it. The label suction mechanism 5 and the label are driven to move to the feeding position through the suction mechanism connecting block 602, and then the laser engraving and unloading process are carried out. This cycle is repeated until all the labels in the first silo 1 are taken out, and the horizontal pneumatic slide 701 in the lifting arm replacement mechanism 7 moves, driving the lifting arm 401 to move to the bottom of the second silo 2, and the labels in the second silo 2 are taken out and processed. The principle is the same as when processing the first silo 1. When the two silos have taken out the materials, they can be replaced with new silos filled with materials for processing. More preferably, it can be designed as a mechanism for loading more silos at a time, with the same principle.

[0047] The above are only specific embodiments of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention. The contents not described in detail in this specification belong to the prior art known to professional and technical personnel in the field.

Claims

1. A multi-bin switching feeding mechanism, characterized in that: The invention comprises at least two silos for storing batches of labels, a silo limiting mechanism (3), a label lifting mechanism (4), a label suction mechanism (5), a feeding conveying mechanism (6) and a lifting arm switching mechanism (7), wherein the silo limiting mechanism (3) is supported at the bottom of the silo for fixing the silo, the label lifting mechanism (4) is arranged below the silo for lifting the labels in the silo to a material taking position, the label suction mechanism (5) is arranged above the silo for sucking the labels from the silo, the feeding conveying mechanism (6) is horizontally connected to the label suction mechanism (5) for driving the label suction mechanism (5) to reach a feeding position, and the lifting arm switching mechanism (7) is arranged on the label lifting mechanism (4) for switching to the second silo for taking materials when there is no material in the first silo.

2. The multi-bin switching feeding mechanism according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The silo comprises a silo bottom plate (101), a silo enclosure plate (102), and a silo handle (103); the silo bottom plate (101) and the silo enclosure plate (102) form a long rectangular box to serve as the silo body; the silo handle (103) is mounted on the silo enclosure plate (102).

3. The multi-bin switching feeding mechanism according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The silo limiting mechanism (3) comprises a silo mounting frame (301), a silo guide block (302), a silo positioning block (303), a silo fixing block (304) and a material distribution mechanism (305). The silo mounting frame (301) is used to carry the silo. The silo mounting frame (301) comprises a bottom plate (3011) and a side plate (3012) vertically connected to the bottom plate (3011). A plurality of silo guiding blocks (302) are evenly spaced and arranged in parallel on the inner wall of the side plate (3012) for guiding when the silo is pushed in. The silo positioning block (303) is arranged on the outer edge of the bottom plate (3011) for fixing the position of the silo. The silo fixing block (304) is arranged in the middle of the side plate (3012) for limiting the side of the silo. The material distribution mechanism (305) is arranged on the top of the side plate (3012) for preventing the label from being connected.

4. The multi-bin switching feeding mechanism according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The material distribution mechanism (305) is a spring structure with one end fixed on the side plate (3012).

5. The multi-bin switching feeding mechanism according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The label lifting mechanism (4) comprises a lifting arm (401) and a vertical lifting platform (402). The vertical lifting platform (402) is connected to the lifting arm (401) and can drive the lifting arm (401) to pass through the silo limiting mechanism (3) and the silo in sequence to lift the label in the silo to the material extraction position.

6. The multi-bin switching feeding mechanism according to claim 5 is characterized in that: The bottom plate (3011) is provided with a through slot (3013) for the lifting arm (401) to pass through.

7. The multi-bin switching feeding mechanism according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The label suction mechanism (5) comprises a suction cup (501), a suction cup connecting plate (502), and a vertical pneumatic slide (503). The vertical pneumatic slide (503) is connected to the suction cup (501) via the suction cup connecting plate (502) to drive the suction cup (501) to suck and release the label.

8. The multi-bin switching feeding mechanism according to claim 1 or 7, characterized in that: The feeding and conveying mechanism (6) comprises a horizontal moving platform (601) and a suction mechanism connecting block (602). The horizontal moving platform (601) is connected to the vertical pneumatic slide (503) of the label suction mechanism (5) via the suction mechanism connecting block (602) to drive the label suction mechanism (5) and the label to reach the feeding position.

9. The multi-bin switching feeding mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The lifting arm displacement mechanism (7) comprises a horizontal pneumatic slide (701) and a pneumatic slide mounting plate (702); the horizontal pneumatic slide (701) is connected to the sign lifting mechanism (4) via the pneumatic slide mounting plate (702); the lifting arm (401) is fixed on the horizontal pneumatic slide (701); the movement of the horizontal pneumatic slide (701) can cause the lifting arm (401) to move horizontally between the bottoms of the silos.

10. The method for switching a feeding mechanism of multiple bins according to claim 1, characterized in that: include: The material bin is placed in the material bin limiting mechanism (3), and the vertical lifting platform (402) in the label lifting mechanism (4) moves, causing the lifting arm (401) connected thereto to rise. The lifting arm (401) is placed at the bottom of the first material bin, and as it rises, it drives a stack of labels in the first material bin to rise. When the labels reach the material taking position, the label lifting mechanism (4) stops moving, and the vertical pneumatic slide (503) in the label suction mechanism (5) moves, driving the suction cup (501) to move downward to suck up the labels. After sucking up the labels, it moves upward, passes through the material distribution mechanism (305), and the labels touch the spring sheet of the material distribution mechanism (305), generating The plucking effect causes the connected labels to automatically fall off and become single-piece labels. The horizontal movable platform (601) in the feeding and conveying mechanism (6) moves, and drives the label suction mechanism (5) and the labels to move to the feeding position through the suction mechanism connecting block (602). The laser engraving and unloading processes are then carried out. This cycle is repeated until all the labels in the first silo are taken out. The horizontal pneumatic slide (701) in the lifting arm replacement mechanism (7) moves, driving the lifting arm (401) to move to the bottom of the second silo, and the labels in the second silo are taken out for processing. When the two silos have taken out all the materials, a new silo filled with materials is replaced for processing.

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