A smart conveying and flipping system

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of processing equipment technology, specifically to an intelligent conveyor and tilting system, comprising a feeding conveyor belt, a discharging conveyor belt, an interleaved conveyor belt, a tilting mechanism, and a control module. The feeding conveyor belt, discharging conveyor belt, and interleaved conveyor belt are located on the same straight line and move in the same direction. The interleaved conveyor belt is located in front of the discharging conveyor belt, and the tilting mechanism is located between the end of the feeding conveyor belt and the beginning of the interleaved conveyor belt. This invention simplifies the system structure, reduces equipment complexity, and improves production cycle time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of processing equipment technology, specifically to an intelligent conveying and flipping system. Background Technology

[0002] In the manufacturing industry, workpieces typically undergo multiple processing steps, many of which require operation on both sides of the workpiece to ensure effective processing of the other side as well. To achieve this, traditional conveying systems usually integrate a flipping mechanism, enabling the workpiece to be automatically flipped during transport to meet the needs of subsequent processing.

[0003] However, existing conveying and flipping systems have a significant technical flaw: after flipping, workpieces often fail to automatically detach from the flipping mechanism and re-enter the conveyor track, causing processing interruptions. Specifically, the design of the flipping mechanism focuses on achieving workpiece orientation changes but lacks an effective release mechanism, causing the flipped workpiece to remain inside the flipping device and unable to smoothly flow into the next processing station. This problem forces the production system to introduce an additional transfer mechanism to remove the workpiece from the flipping system and reposition it onto the conveyor mechanism through mechanical clamping or other methods. The introduction of the transfer mechanism makes the entire conveying and flipping system more complex, increasing equipment costs and maintenance difficulty; moreover, the additional transfer steps prolong the workpiece turnaround time, affecting overall production efficiency.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new type of conveying and flipping system that can provide an effective solution to the shortcomings of existing technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an intelligent conveying and flipping system to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0007] An intelligent conveyor flipping system includes a feeding conveyor belt, a discharging conveyor belt, an interleaved conveyor belt, a flipping mechanism, and a control module. The feeding conveyor belt, discharging conveyor belt, and interleaved conveyor belt are located on the same straight line and move in the same direction. The interleaved conveyor belt is located in front of the discharging conveyor belt. The flipping mechanism is located between the end of the feeding conveyor belt and the beginning of the interleaved conveyor belt. The flipping mechanism includes a rotating shaft and a contact baffle. The rotation axis of the rotating shaft is perpendicular to the movement direction of the feeding conveyor belt, the discharging conveyor belt, and the interleaved conveyor belt. The contact baffle is used to sense the workpiece. The rotating shaft is provided with one or more clamping devices for holding the workpiece. The clamping devices are perpendicular to the rotating shaft. The interleaved conveyor belt includes two or more independent sub-conveyor belts. There is a clearance interval between adjacent independent sub-conveyor belts to avoid the clamping devices. The rotating shaft, along with the workpiece and the clamping devices, is driven to rotate by a motor. An angle sensor that senses the rotation angle is provided at the end of the rotating shaft. The angle sensor, the motor, and the clamping devices are electrically connected to the control module.

[0008] Furthermore, the flipping mechanism also includes a pair of mounting bases respectively disposed on both sides of the conveying path, each mounting base having a bearing seat fixedly mounted on it, the rotating shaft being rotatably mounted on the pair of bearing seats, the motor and the angle sensor each being mounted on one mounting base, the output shaft of the motor having a drive gear fixedly mounted on it, the end of the rotating shaft having a driven gear fixedly mounted on it, the drive gear and the driven gear being meshed together, and the end of the telescopic rod of the telescopic motor being fixedly connected to the upper rail seat.

[0009] Furthermore, a base plate is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, and the clamping device includes an extension arm. The extension arm is perpendicular to the rotating shaft, and a pair of grippers are slidably mounted on the extension arm. The pair of grippers are driven by a telescopic motor also mounted on the extension arm to move synchronously in opposite directions. The contact baffle is provided with a clearance groove for avoiding the grippers.

[0010] Furthermore, the top and bottom of the extension arm are each provided with a pair of outwardly protruding side rails, the top of the gripper is provided with a rail seat, and the top side rail and the bottom side rail are each slidably mounted with a rail seat.

[0011] Furthermore, each of the aforementioned rail seats is provided with a rack extending to another rail seat, the two racks are staggered vertically, the middle part of the extension arm is provided with a rack groove for avoiding the racks, the middle part of the extension arm is rotatably mounted with an intermediate gear, the intermediate gear is meshed with the racks on both the upper and lower sides, and the end of the telescopic rod of the telescopic motor is fixedly connected to the upper rail seat.

[0012] Furthermore, the ends of the contact baffles are respectively connected to a mounting base, and a fixing seat is provided on the inner side wall of each mounting base. A pressure sensor is provided between the end of the contact baffle and the fixing seat.

[0013] Furthermore, a guide sleeve is fixedly installed on the inner side wall of each of the mounting bases, and a guide post is provided at both ends of the contact baffle. The guide post is slidably connected to the guide sleeve, and a contact seat is provided at the end of the guide post away from the contact baffle. The pressure sensor is installed between the contact seat and the fixed seat.

[0014] Furthermore, the end of the guide post away from the contact baffle is provided with a spring hole, and a spring is connected inside the spring hole. The contact seat is connected to the end of the spring that extends out of the spring hole.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0016] 1. This invention achieves automatic workpiece transfer through an intelligent obstacle avoidance and release mechanism. Through precise coordination between the conveyor belt intervals and the flipping mechanism, the workpiece naturally detaches from the clamping device after flipping, eliminating the need for an additional transfer mechanism. This invention simplifies the system structure, reduces equipment complexity, and improves production cycle time. The entire process is controlled by a closed-loop sensor system, ensuring precise synchronization of actions and continuity of the production flow.

[0017] 2. This invention achieves precise synchronous movement of the grippers through an optimized clamping drive mechanism employing a gear and rack linkage design. This symmetrical drive method ensures uniform force distribution during workpiece clamping, effectively preventing workpiece displacement or detachment. Combined with a precision guide structure, clamping and positioning accuracy is significantly improved, making it suitable for precision machining scenarios with high positional accuracy requirements. Simultaneously, the overall design is more compact, saving equipment installation space.

[0018] 3. This invention improves reliability through the synergistic effect of a buffer mechanism, spring damping, and precision guidance. The spring mechanism effectively absorbs the impact energy of the workpiece, protecting both the sensor and preventing workpiece damage. The linear guide design eliminates lateral interference, ensuring the accuracy of the detection signal. This system can flexibly adapt to the detection needs of workpieces of different weights and exhibits excellent stability in high-speed production environments. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an intelligent conveying and flipping system when it begins to clamp a workpiece.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a smart conveying and flipping system driving a workpiece to flip.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the infeed conveyor belt, the discharge conveyor belt, and the partition conveyor belt;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure when the flipping mechanism clamps the workpiece (not shown).

[0023] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure when the flipping mechanism drives the workpiece (not shown) to flip.

[0024] Figure 6 Exploded view of the installation structure of the contact baffle and pressure sensor;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the contact baffle.

[0026] Figure 8 A structural diagram of the base plate, extension arm, gripper, and telescopic motor;

[0027] Figure 9 An exploded view of the structure of the base plate, extension arm, gripper and telescopic motor;

[0028] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the structure of the gripper, rack, intermediate gear, gripper and telescopic motor;

[0029] Figure 11 This is a structural diagram of the seat plate and the extension arm.

[0030] In the diagram: 1. Feed conveyor belt; 2. Independent sub-conveyor belt; 3. Clearance interval; 4. Discharge conveyor belt; 5. Workpiece; 6. Tilting mechanism; 7. Motor; 8. Drive gear; 9. Driven gear; 10. Rotating shaft; 11. Seat plate; 12. Extension arm; 13. Side rail; 14. Rack groove; 15. Telescopic motor; 16. Telescopic rod; 17. Rail seat; 18. Gripper; 19. Rack; 20. Intermediate gear; 21. Bearing seat; 22. Angle sensor; 23. Contact baffle; 24. Clearance groove; 25. Mounting base; 26. Guide post; 27. Spring; 28. Contact seat; 29. ​​Pressure sensor; 30. Fixed seat; 31. Guide sleeve; 32. Interval conveyor belt. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] Example 1: Please refer to Figures 1-5An intelligent conveying and flipping system includes a feeding conveyor belt 1, a discharging conveyor belt 4, an interval conveyor belt 32, a flipping mechanism 6, and a control module. The feeding conveyor belt 1, the discharging conveyor belt 4, and the interval conveyor belt 32 are located on the same straight line and move in the same direction. The interval conveyor belt 32 is located in front of the discharging conveyor belt 4. The flipping mechanism 6 is located between the end of the feeding conveyor belt 1 and the beginning of the interval conveyor belt 32. The flipping mechanism 6 includes a rotating shaft 10 and a contact baffle 23. The rotation axis of the rotating shaft 10 is related to the movement of the feeding conveyor belt 1, the discharging conveyor belt 4, and the interval conveyor belt 32. The directions are perpendicular. The contact baffle 23 is used to sense the workpiece 5. The rotating shaft 10 is provided with one or more clamping devices for clamping the workpiece 5. The clamping devices are perpendicular to the rotating shaft 10. The interval conveyor belt 32 includes two or more independent sub-conveyor belts 2. There is a clearance interval 3 between adjacent independent sub-conveyor belts 2. The clearance interval 3 is used to avoid the clamping devices. The rotating shaft 10, together with the workpiece 5 and the clamping devices, is driven to rotate by the motor 7. The end of the rotating shaft 10 is provided with an angle sensor 22 to sense the rotation angle. The angle sensor 22, the motor 7 and the clamping devices are electrically connected to the control module. The flipping mechanism 6 also includes a pair of mounting bases 25 respectively set on both sides of the conveying path. Each mounting base 25 is fixedly mounted with a bearing seat 21. The rotating shaft 10 is rotatably mounted on the pair of bearing seats 21. The motor 7 and the angle sensor 22 are each mounted on one mounting base 25. The output shaft of the motor 7 is fixedly mounted with a drive gear 8. The end of the rotating shaft 10 is fixedly mounted with a driven gear 9. The drive gear 8 and the driven gear 9 are meshed together.

[0033] Working principle of this embodiment:

[0034] Automatic clamping and flipping mechanism (combined) Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 ):

[0035] When workpiece 5 is conveyed from the end of the feeding conveyor belt 1 to the flipping mechanism 6, the contact baffle 23 senses the workpiece's arrival signal through the pressure sensor 24, triggering the clamping device to operate. The clamping device clamps workpiece 5. The rotating shaft 10 rotates 180° under the drive of the motor 7 (through the meshing of gear pairs 8 and 9), causing the workpiece to complete the flipping. The angle sensor 22 monitors the angle of the rotating shaft in real time to ensure precise stopping. The control module adjusts the speed and stopping position of the motor 7 in real time through feedback from the angle sensor 22, and, in conjunction with the trigger signal from the contact baffle 23, ensures precise synchronization of the clamping, flipping, and releasing actions. This improves the flipping positioning accuracy, prevents workpieces from falling or getting stuck, and ensures the reliability of the production process. The above mechanism effectively solves the problem of traditional flipping mechanisms relying on manual intervention or additional transfer devices. Through an integrated clamping-flipping-release process, it reduces process interruptions and improves continuous production efficiency.

[0036] The avoidance interval design enables automatic release (combined with) Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 ):

[0037] The interval conveyor belt 32 consists of multiple independent sub-conveyor belts 2, with clearance intervals 3 between adjacent sub-conveyor belts. During the flipping process, when the extension arm 13 and gripper 15 of the clamping device rotate downwards with the rotating shaft 10, the clearance intervals 3 provide physical space for the gripper, allowing the workpiece 5 to naturally detach from the clamp and fall onto the interval conveyor belt 32, and then be conveyed to the discharge conveyor belt 4. No additional transfer mechanism is required; by utilizing the coordinated design of the clearance intervals 3 and the clamping device, automatic workpiece release is achieved, simplifying the system structure and reducing equipment costs and maintenance difficulty.

[0038] This embodiment effectively solves the technical defects of the workpiece retention and flipping mechanism in the background technology, which requires additional transfer, through the integrated design of clamping-flipping-avoidance release and sensor closed-loop control, and realizes an efficient and low-cost automated production process.

[0039] Example 2: Please refer to Figures 8-11 An intelligent conveying and flipping system, which differs from Embodiment 1, has a base plate 11 fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 10, and a clamping device including an extension arm 12. The extension arm 12 is perpendicular to the rotating shaft 10, and a pair of grippers 18 are slidably mounted on the extension arm 12. The pair of grippers 18 are driven by a telescopic motor 15 also mounted on the extension arm 12 to move synchronously in opposite directions. The contact baffle 23 is provided with a clearance groove 24 for avoiding the grippers 18.

[0040] The top and bottom of the extension arm 12 are each provided with a pair of outwardly protruding side rails 13, and the top of the gripper 18 is provided with a rail seat 17. The top side rail 13 and the bottom side rail 13 are each slidably mounted with a rail seat 17.

[0041] Each rail seat 17 is provided with a rack 19 extending to another rail seat 17. The two racks 19 are staggered vertically. The middle part of the extension arm 12 is provided with a rack groove 14 for avoiding the racks 19. An intermediate gear 20 is rotatably installed in the middle part of the extension arm 12. The intermediate gear 20 is meshed with the racks 19 on both the upper and lower sides. The end of the telescopic rod 16 of the telescopic motor 15 is fixedly connected to the upper rail seat 17.

[0042] Working principle of this embodiment:

[0043] Clamping drive mechanism: such as Figure 10 As shown, the telescopic motor 15 pushes the upper rail seat 17 to move via the telescopic rod 16, which in turn drives the upper rack 19 to move. Through the transmission action of the intermediate gear 20, the lower rack 19 is synchronously driven to move in the opposite direction, thereby achieving synchronous opposite or forward movement of the pair of grippers 18. Figure 7As shown, the clearance groove 24 provided on the contact baffle 23 provides sufficient space for the movement of the gripper 18 and avoids interference.

[0044] Guiding institutions: such as Figure 9 and Figure 11 As shown, the side rails 13 at the top and bottom of the extension arm 12 and the rail seat 17 on the gripper 18 form a precision sliding pair to ensure that the gripper moves smoothly and without deviation.

[0045] In this embodiment, the drive mechanism is fully integrated inside the extension arm 12. Through the optimized design of the rack groove 14 and the clearance groove 24, the structure is compact and small. This embodiment achieves synergistic optimization of clamping stability and space utilization, providing a reliable guarantee for high-precision machining.

[0046] Example 3: Please refer to Figures 6-7 An intelligent conveying and flipping system, which differs from Embodiment 1, has its end of the contact baffle 23 connected to a mounting base 25, and each mounting base 25 has a fixing seat 30 on its inner side wall. A pressure sensor 29 is provided between the end of the contact baffle 23 and the fixing seat 30.

[0047] A guide sleeve 31 is fixedly installed on the inner side wall of each mounting base 25. A guide post 26 is provided at both ends of the contact baffle 23. The guide post 26 is slidably connected to the guide sleeve 31. A contact seat 28 is provided at the end of the guide post 26 away from the contact baffle 23. The pressure sensor 29 is installed between the contact seat 28 and the fixed seat 30.

[0048] The end of the guide post 26 away from the contact baffle 23 is provided with a spring hole, and a spring 27 is connected in the spring hole. The contact seat 28 is connected to the end of the spring 27 that extends out of the spring hole.

[0049] Working principle of this embodiment:

[0050] like Figure 6 As shown, when workpiece 5 impacts contact baffle 23, guide post 26 slides within guide sleeve 31 to compress spring 27, reducing the impact force through the buffering effect of spring 27. Contact seat 28 transmits the remaining pressure to pressure sensor 29 for precise detection. The precise fit between guide post 26 and guide sleeve 31 (e.g., ...) Figure 7 (As shown) Ensure that the contact baffle 23 always maintains a straight line movement to avoid detection errors caused by skewness. The preload of the spring 27 can be adjusted according to the weight of different workpieces to ensure reliable detection of lightweight workpieces without damaging the sensor and the workpiece itself due to impact from heavy workpieces.

[0051] This embodiment, through a buffer mechanism, achieves a comprehensive improvement in detection accuracy, impact resistance, and adaptability while maintaining the original detection functions. It is particularly suitable for heavy workpiece detection scenarios on high-speed production lines, solving the shortcomings of traditional rigid detection mechanisms that are prone to damage and workpiece injury.

Claims

1. An intelligent conveying and flipping system, characterized in that, Includes a feeding conveyor belt (1), a discharging conveyor belt (4), an interval conveyor belt (32), a flipping mechanism (6), and a control module: The feeding conveyor belt (1), the discharging conveyor belt (4) and the interval conveyor belt (32) are located on the same straight line and move in the same direction. The interval conveyor belt (32) is located in front of the discharging conveyor belt (4). The flipping mechanism (6) is located between the end of the feeding conveyor belt (1) and the beginning of the interval conveyor belt (32). The flipping mechanism (6) includes a rotating shaft (10) and a contact baffle (23). The rotation axis of the rotating shaft (10) is perpendicular to the movement direction of the feeding conveyor belt (1), the discharging conveyor belt (4) and the interval conveyor belt (32). The contact baffle (23) is used to sense the workpiece (5). The rotating shaft (10) is provided with one or more clamping devices for clamping the workpiece (5). The clamping devices are perpendicular to the rotating shaft (10). The interval conveyor belt (32) includes two or more independent sub-conveyor belts (2). There is a clearance interval (3) between adjacent independent sub-conveyor belts (2). The clearance interval (3) is used to avoid the clamping devices. The rotating shaft (10) together with the workpiece (5) and the clamping devices are driven to rotate by a motor (7). An angle sensor (22) for sensing the rotation angle is provided at the end of the rotating shaft (10). The angle sensor (22), the motor (7) and the clamping devices are electrically connected to the control module. The clamping device includes an extension arm (12) that is perpendicular to the rotating shaft (10). A pair of grippers (18) are slidably mounted on the extension arm (12). The pair of grippers (18) are driven to move synchronously in opposite directions by a telescopic motor (15) also mounted on the extension arm (12). The contact baffle (23) is provided with a clearance groove (24) for avoiding the grippers (18). The top and bottom of the extension arm (12) are each provided with a pair of outwardly protruding side rails (13), and the top of the gripper (18) is provided with a rail seat (17). The top side rail (13) and the bottom side rail (13) are each slidably mounted with a rail seat (17). Each of the rail seats (17) is provided with a rack (19) extending to another rail seat (17). The two racks (19) are staggered vertically. The middle part of the extension arm (12) is provided with a rack groove (14) for avoiding the racks (19). An intermediate gear (20) is rotatably installed in the middle part of the extension arm (12). The intermediate gear (20) is meshed with the racks (19) on both the upper and lower sides. The end of the telescopic rod (16) of the telescopic motor (15) is fixedly connected to the upper rail seat (17).

2. The intelligent conveying and flipping system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flipping mechanism (6) also includes a pair of mounting bases (25) respectively disposed on both sides of the conveying path. Each mounting base (25) is fixedly mounted with a bearing seat (21). The rotating shaft (10) is rotatably mounted on the pair of bearing seats (21). The motor (7) and the angle sensor (22) are each mounted on one mounting base (25). The output shaft of the motor (7) is fixedly mounted with a drive gear (8). The end of the rotating shaft (10) is fixedly mounted with a driven gear (9). The drive gear (8) and the driven gear (9) are meshed together.

3. The intelligent conveying and flipping system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The end of the contact baffle (23) is connected to a mounting base (25), and a fixing seat (30) is provided on the inner side wall of each mounting base (25). A pressure sensor (29) is provided between the end of the contact baffle (23) and the fixing seat (30).

4. The intelligent conveying and flipping system according to claim 3, characterized in that: Each mounting base (25) has a guide sleeve (31) fixedly installed on its inner sidewall. Each end of the contact baffle (23) is provided with a guide post (26). The guide post (26) is slidably connected to the guide sleeve (31). The end of the guide post (26) away from the contact baffle (23) is provided with a contact seat (28). The pressure sensor (29) is installed between the contact seat (28) and the fixed seat (30).

5. The intelligent conveying and flipping system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The guide post (26) has a spring hole at the end away from the contact baffle (23), and a spring (27) is connected inside the spring hole. The contact seat (28) is connected to the end of the spring (27) that extends out of the spring hole.

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