Processing system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a processing system, comprising: an assembly line module, comprising at least two assembly lines arranged in parallel, the processing system forming N workstations along the length extension direction, each assembly line comprising N sub-assembly lines connected in sequence along the length extension direction, the N sub-assembly lines of each assembly line corresponding one-to-one to the N workstations; N lifting modules corresponding one-to-one to the N workstations, any lifting module being connected to each sub-assembly line in the corresponding workstation, and being used to drive each sub-assembly line in the corresponding workstation to rise and fall in the vertical direction; at least one material supporting module, each material supporting module comprising a material supporting slide rail and at least one pallet movably arranged on the material supporting slide rail, the total moving range of each pallet covering the N workstations, the material supporting module being used to cooperate with the lifting module to pick up semi-finished materials from the sub-assembly line, and to cooperate with the lifting module to place finished materials on the sub-assembly line; processing equipment, being used to process the semi-finished materials picked up by the material supporting module into finished materials.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field related to camera module production equipment, and in particular to a processing system. Background Art

[0002] In modern industrial production, assembly lines are widely used in processing systems for the automated transportation of materials. Trays filled with materials serve as material carriers. Efficient transportation and safe loading and unloading on the assembly line are important links to ensure the continuity and stability of the production process.

[0003] At present, when the material tray is in a transmission state on the assembly line, due to the continuous operation characteristics of the assembly line, it is difficult to directly take or put the material from the assembly line during the transmission process. It is usually necessary to wait until the material tray is transmitted to a specific workstation and stops before loading and unloading operations can be carried out. As a result, the process of taking the material from the assembly line for processing and then putting the material back into the assembly line is very cumbersome, which greatly affects production efficiency and increases the time cost of the process.

[0004] Furthermore, in the prior art, mechanical devices such as clamps are often used to grab the trays to transfer them from the assembly line to the processing equipment. However, this method of grabbing has significant technical drawbacks: First, the clamps need to apply mechanical force to the trays during the grabbing process. Improper control of the clamping force can easily cause deformation or even damage to the trays, impacting their reuse and service life. Second, the material carried on the trays can scatter due to uneven force or vibration during the grabbing process. This not only wastes materials but can also pollute the production environment and even cause equipment failure, bringing numerous inconveniences and potential risks to production. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a processing system with higher material loading and unloading efficiency and less risk of material loss or material scattering in order to address the problems in the current processing system where the efficiency of loading and unloading materials from the assembly line is low and the material grabbing process is prone to damage or scattering of materials.

[0006] This application first provides a processing system, including:

[0007] An assembly line module includes at least two assembly lines arranged in parallel, wherein the processing system has N workstations formed along a length extension direction, each assembly line includes N sub-assembly lines sequentially connected along the length extension direction, and the N sub-assembly lines of each assembly line correspond one-to-one to the N workstations, where N is a positive integer greater than 1, wherein at least one of the assembly lines is used to transport semi-finished products, and at least one of the assembly lines is used to transport finished products;

[0008] N lifting modules corresponding one to each of the N workstations, each of the lifting modules being connected to each of the sub-assembly lines in the corresponding workstation and configured to drive each of the sub-assembly lines in the corresponding workstation to rise and fall in a vertical direction, wherein the vertical direction is perpendicular to the length extension direction;

[0009] At least one material supporting module, each of the material supporting modules comprising a material supporting slide rail and at least one tray movably disposed on the material supporting slide rail along the length extension direction, the total movement range of each tray covering the N workstations, the material supporting module being used to cooperate with the lifting module to pick up the semi-finished material from the sub-assembly line, and to cooperate with the lifting module to place the finished material on the sub-assembly line;

[0010] Processing equipment, used for processing the semi-finished material carried by the supporting module into the finished material;

[0011] The sub-assembly line has a material loading and unloading state and a transmission state, and the lifting module is used to drive the corresponding sub-assembly line to switch between the material loading and unloading state and the transmission state;

[0012] In the material loading and unloading state, the height of the sub-assembly line storage plane is higher than the height of the other sub-assembly line storage planes in the same assembly line, and the height of the sub-assembly line storage plane is flush with the height of the tray;

[0013] In the transmission state, the height of the sub-pipeline storage plane is the same as the heights of the other sub-pipeline storage planes in the same pipeline.

[0014] In one embodiment, the processing equipment includes N processing modules corresponding to the N workstations one by one, and the material supporting module can be moved to the corresponding processing module to process the semi-finished material supported by the processing module.

[0015] In one embodiment, each of the sub-assembly lines for transporting the semi-finished materials can accommodate a plurality of the semi-finished materials along the length extension direction, so as to provide a cache function for the processing modules of the subsequent workstations along the transport direction of the assembly line.

[0016] In one embodiment, the processing system includes N supporting modules corresponding to the N workstations, and the movement range of the tray of each supporting module covers the corresponding workstation. In one embodiment, the processing equipment is used to process the semi-finished materials on the tray; or

[0017] The processing equipment includes N processing carriers and N loading and unloading modules corresponding one to one to the N processing modules. The loading and unloading modules are used to unload the semi-finished materials on the tray to the corresponding processing carriers, or to load the finished materials on the processing carriers to the corresponding trays. The processing modules are used to process the semi-finished materials on the processing carriers.

[0018] In one embodiment, the processing system further includes a silo and / or a connecting assembly line, and the sub-assembly line at the end of at least one of the assembly lines is provided with a pushing module, which is used to push the material to the silo and / or the connecting assembly line.

[0019] In one embodiment, each of the pushing modules includes a sliding shaft, a stop block, a pushing block bracket, a pushing block and a spring, the sliding shaft and the stop block are fixed relative to the sub-assembly line, the push block bracket is slidably connected to the sliding shaft along the length extension direction, the push block is hinged to the push block bracket, and the two ends of the spring are respectively connected to the push block bracket and the push block, so that the push block has a retracted state and an extended state. In the retracted state, the push block and the stop block are abutted so that the highest point of the push block is lower than the storage plane of the sub-assembly line. In the extended state, the push block is separated from the stop block and the highest point of the push block is higher than the storage plane of the sub-assembly line.

[0020] In one embodiment, the assembly lines are spaced apart in the vertical direction, or the assembly lines are parallel to each other in the horizontal direction.

[0021] In one embodiment, the processing system includes two assembly lines spaced apart in the vertical direction, wherein the assembly line located on the upper side is used to transport the semi-finished materials, and the assembly line located on the lower side is used to transport the finished materials, and the height of the tray is higher than the storage plane of the assembly line located on the upper side.

[0022] In one embodiment, each of the lifting modules is used to independently drive the sub-assembly lines in the corresponding workstation to move up and down, or each of the lifting modules is used to synchronously drive the sub-assembly lines in the corresponding workstation to move up and down.

[0023] The above-mentioned processing system drives the sub-assembly line to rise and fall through the lifting modules arranged at each workstation, and cooperates with the pallet that can move along the length extension direction, so that the processing system of this application can pick up materials from the sub-assembly line of any workstation and move them to the processing equipment for processing while ensuring uninterrupted transmission, and place the materials on the sub-assembly line of any workstation after processing, thereby effectively improving the overall production and processing efficiency and production flexibility. At the same time, the pallet's picking action can also realize the damage-free transfer of materials, effectively reducing the possibility of material tray loss or scattering. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional diagram of two workstations and two production lines of the processing system for this application;

[0025] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A front view of each sub-pipeline in the transmission state;

[0026] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The front view of the upper sub-assembly line of the right workstation in the loading and unloading state;

[0027] Figure 4 for Figure 1 The front view of the lower sub-assembly line of the right workstation in the loading and unloading state;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional diagram of the push block in the push module in the extended state;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional view of the push block in the push module when it is in the retracted state.

[0030] Figure numerals: 100, work station; 10, assembly line; 11, conveyor belt; 20, lifting module; 30, material supporting module; 31, material supporting slide rail; 32, pallet; 40, silo; 50, connecting assembly line; 60, pushing module; 61, sliding shaft; 62, stop block; 63, pushing block bracket; 64, pushing block; 65, spring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more readily apparent, specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description sets forth numerous specific details to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be implemented in many other ways than those described herein, and those skilled in the art may make similar modifications without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0032] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like to indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0033] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In the description of the present invention, "plurality" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0034] In the present invention, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "installed," "connected," "connect," "fixed," etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection, electrical connection; direct connection, or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two components, or interaction between two components, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0035] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, when a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediary. Furthermore, when a first feature is "above," "above," or "above" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. When a first feature is "below," "below," or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a lower level than the second feature.

[0036] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be an intermediate element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation methods.

[0037] Please combine Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, the present application provides a processing system, comprising:

[0038] The assembly line module includes at least two assembly lines arranged in parallel. The processing system is formed with N workstations 100 along the length extension direction. Each assembly line includes N sub-assembly lines 10 connected in sequence along the length extension direction. The N sub-assembly lines 10 of each assembly line correspond to the N workstations 100 one by one, and N is a positive integer greater than 1. Among them, at least one assembly line is used to transport semi-finished materials, and at least one assembly line is used to transport finished materials; N lifting modules 20 correspond to the N workstations 100 one by one, and any lifting module 20 is connected to each sub-assembly line 10 in the corresponding workstation 100 to drive the corresponding workstation 10 Each sub-assembly line 10 in 0 is lifted and lowered in the vertical direction, which is perpendicular to the length extension direction; at least one material supporting module 30, each material supporting module 30 includes a material supporting slide 31 and at least one tray 32 movably arranged on the material supporting slide 31 along the length extension direction, and the total moving range of each tray 32 covers N workstations 100. The material supporting module 30 is used to cooperate with the lifting module 20 to pick up semi-finished materials from the sub-assembly line 10, and to cooperate with the lifting module 20 to place finished materials on the sub-assembly line 10; processing equipment (not shown) is used to process the semi-finished materials picked up by the material supporting module 30 into finished materials.

[0039] For ease of description, in this application, the processing system is divided into N areas along the length extension direction, and each area is defined as a workstation 100.

[0040] It's important to note that each assembly line's N sub-assemblies 10 correspond one-to-one to its N workstations 100. This means that the N sub-assemblies 10 of each assembly line correspond sequentially to the N workstations 100 in the order in which they are arranged, and each workstation 100 corresponds to a number of sub-assemblies equal to the number of assembly lines. For example, if a processing system includes i assembly lines (i is a positive integer greater than 1), the j-th sub-assembly line in each assembly line corresponds to the j-th workstation 100 (j ≤ N, where j is a positive integer). In other words, the j-th workstation 100 has i sub-assembly lines 10, and each of these i sub-assembly lines 10 is the j-th sub-assembly line in its own assembly line.

[0041] The N lifting modules 20 corresponding one-to-one to the N workstations 100 mean that the N lifting modules 20 correspond to the N workstations 100 in sequence according to the arrangement order of the N workstations 100, and each lifting module 20 corresponds to one workstation 100. For example, the j-th lifting module 20 corresponds to the j-th workstation 100 (j≤N, j is a positive integer), and the i sub-assemblies 10 in the j-th workstation 100 are all connected to the j-th lifting module 20. The j-th lifting module 20 can drive the i sub-assembly lines 10 to rise and fall in the vertical direction.

[0042] In addition, the structure corresponding to the workstation 100 in the present application can be located in the workstation 100 or not in the workstation 100, as long as the structure corresponding to the workstation 100 is connected to other structural processes in the workstation 100, for example: the lifting module 20 corresponding to the workstation 100, the lifting module 20 can be located inside or outside the workstation 100, as long as it can drive the sub-assembly lines 10 corresponding to the workstation 100 to rise and fall.

[0043] The semi-finished materials in this application refer to the materials before processing, and the finished materials refer to the materials after processing. The finished products and semi-finished products in this application are for this processing system. Materials that have not been processed by the processing equipment in this processing system can be called semi-finished materials, and materials that have been processed by the processing equipment in this processing system are called finished materials. After the processing equipment processes the semi-finished materials, finished materials are obtained. The finished materials can be directly unloaded or processed in the subsequent equipment, and this application does not impose any restrictions. A certain material can be both the finished material of the previous processing round and the semi-finished material of the next processing round. Taking the processing including three processing steps performed in sequence as an example, for the previous round of processing formed by the first processing step and the second processing step, the material of the first processing step is a semi-finished material, and the material of the second processing step is a finished material. For the next round of processing formed by the second processing step and the third processing step, the material of the second processing step is a semi-finished material, and the material of the third processing step is a finished material.

[0044] In the present application, the sub-assembly line 10 is driven to rise and fall by the lifting module 20 set at each workstation 100, and the tray 32 that can move along the length extension direction is used. This allows the processing system of the present application to pick up semi-finished materials from the sub-assembly line 10 of any workstation 100 and move them to the processing equipment for processing while ensuring that the transmission is not interrupted. After the processing is completed, the finished materials are placed on the sub-assembly line 10 of any workstation 100, thereby effectively improving the overall production and processing efficiency and production flexibility. At the same time, the picking action of the tray 32 can also achieve damage-free transfer of materials, effectively reducing the possibility of material tray loss or scattering. Especially in the processing scenario of smaller products (such as millimeter-level products), small-sized products are more likely to be lost or scattered when taking and placing materials. Therefore, through the processing system provided by the embodiment of the present application, damage and scattering of products caused by taking and placing materials can be avoided during the processing of small-sized products. For example, the processing system provided by the present application can be applied in the assembly scenario of camera modules. In the assembly scenario of the camera module, the assembly line module may include at least three assembly lines, wherein one assembly line is used to transmit the lens assembly, one assembly line is used to transmit the motor assembly or the motor chip assembly, and one assembly line is used to transmit the assembled camera module.

[0045] Specifically, each sub-assembly line 10 includes at least two parallel conveyor belts 11 , the tray 32 is vertically projected between the conveyor belts 11 , and the material is placed on the storage plane formed by the top surface of each conveyor belt 11 through the tray.

[0046] On this basis, the tray 32 can pick up the material through the lifting method of the sub-assembly line 10 or through the transmission method of the sub-assembly line 10, wherein the action flow of the lifting method of the sub-assembly line 10 is: the lifting module 20 drives the sub-assembly line 10 to rise and fall to a position where the storage plane is higher than the tray 32, and the tray 32 moves to a position corresponding to the material tray in the vertical direction, and then the lifting module 20 drives the sub-assembly line 10 to descend to a position where the storage plane is lower than the tray 32, so as to pick up the material tray through the tray 32; or the lifting module 20 drives the storage plane of the sub-assembly line 10 to rise to a certain height, and then the tray 32 is lowered to a height below the storage plane, and then the tray 32 moves along the length extension direction to a position corresponding to the material tray in the vertical direction, and then the material tray is picked up from the sub-assembly line 10 by the tray 32.

[0047] The action flow of the sub-assembly line 10 transmission mode is as follows: the tray 32 moves to a position where it docks with the sub-assembly line 10 along the length extension direction, the lifting module 20 drives the sub-assembly line 10 to rise and fall to dock with the tray 32, and then relies on the rotation of the sub-assembly line 10 to transfer the material tray to the tray 32.

[0048] The placement of materials on the tray 32 can be achieved by lifting the sub-assembly line 10. The action process is: the lifting module 20 drives the sub-assembly line 10 to rise and fall to a position where the storage plane is lower than the tray 32, and the tray 32 moves to a position corresponding to the material tray in the vertical direction. Then the lifting module 20 drives the sub-assembly line 10 to rise to a position where the storage plane is higher than the tray 32, so as to lift the material tray through the storage plane of the sub-assembly line 10.

[0049] That is to say, the process of picking up and placing the tray 32 in the present application does not involve mechanical grasping, so zero-damage loading and unloading can be achieved, effectively avoiding the risk of tray deformation and material scattering.

[0050] The total moving range of each pallet 32 ​​covers N workstations 100, which means that for any position along the length extension direction of any workstation 100, there is always at least one pallet 32 ​​that can move along the length extension direction to a position corresponding to that position along the vertical direction, so as to ensure that the pallet 32 ​​can move to the position corresponding to the material tray and take and place the material.

[0051] It should be noted that the present application does not limit the number of trays 32 in each material support module 30 and the number of material support modules 30. That is to say, one or more trays 32 can be set in each material support module 30, each tray 32 can move independently or synchronously with each other, the processing system can be provided with one or more material support modules 30, etc., as long as the total moving range of each tray 32 can cover N workstations 100.

[0052] In addition, since each assembly line in the present application is divided into multiple sub-assembly lines 10 located in each work station 100, when one of the sub-assembly lines 10 cooperates with the lifting module 20 and the material support module 30 to take and place materials, it will not affect the normal transmission operations of the sub-assembly lines 10 in other work stations 100, thereby reducing the impact of taking and placing materials on the overall transmission of the assembly line and improving processing efficiency.

[0053] On this basis, this application sets up at least two assembly lines, and divides the assembly lines into at least one assembly line for transporting semi-finished materials and at least one assembly line for transporting finished materials. This can distinguish between semi-finished products and finished materials, meet basic material classification requirements, and facilitate the automated operation of the system.

[0054] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the number of assembly lines is greater than or equal to the sum of the types of materials before and after processing, to ensure that each type of material can be independently transported through at least one assembly line, thereby achieving classified and independent transport of different materials.

[0055] In some embodiments, each lifting module 20 is used to independently drive each sub-assembly line 10 in the corresponding workstation 100 to move up and down, or each lifting module 20 is used to synchronously drive each sub-assembly line 10 in the corresponding workstation 100 to move up and down.

[0056] It should be understood that the former requires the provision of multiple independent driving elements corresponding to the number of sub-assembly lines 10, which is relatively costly. However, each sub-assembly line 10 in the same workstation 100 can independently perform the material loading and unloading action. In other words, when one sub-assembly line 10 is performing the material loading and unloading action, the other sub-assembly lines 10 in the same workstation 100 can still maintain normal transmission, thereby further improving production efficiency.

[0057] The latter only needs one driving element to meet the lifting and lowering requirements of each sub-assembly line 10 in a workstation 100. The cost is relatively low and it can meet the basic modular transmission requirements. That is, when the sub-assembly line 10 in one workstation 100 performs material taking and unloading operations, it will not affect the normal transmission of the sub-assembly lines 10 in other workstations 100.

[0058] Of course, in some other embodiments, the number of driving elements in the lifting module 20 and the correspondence between the driving elements and each sub-assembly line 10 can also be adjusted according to actual needs. For example, for the same workstation 100, each sub-assembly line 10 for transmitting semi-finished materials is connected by a driving element, and each sub-assembly line 10 for transmitting finished materials is connected by a driving element, etc. This application does not give examples one by one here.

[0059] Please combine Figure 2 、 Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the sub-assembly line 10 has a loading and unloading state and a transfer state, and the lifting module 20 is used to drive the corresponding sub-assembly line 10 to switch between the loading and unloading state and the transfer state. In the loading and unloading state, the height of the storage plane of the sub-assembly line 10 is higher than the height of the storage planes of other sub-assembly lines 10 in the same assembly line, and the height of the storage plane of the sub-assembly line 10 in the loading and unloading state is flush with the height of the tray 32. It should be noted that the sub-assembly lines 10 in adjacent workstations 100 in the same assembly line cannot be in the loading and unloading state at the same time. In the transfer state, the height of the storage plane of the sub-assembly line 10 is the same as the height of the storage planes of other sub-assembly lines 10 in the same assembly line. Specifically, when a material tray is placed on the tray 32, the sub-assembly line 10 can be further raised from the material taking and placing state to transfer the material tray on the tray 32 to the storage plane of the sub-assembly line 10, thereby completing the unloading of the tray 32; conversely, when a material tray is placed on the sub-assembly line 10, the sub-assembly line 10 can be further lowered from the material taking and placing state to transfer the material tray on the sub-assembly line 10 to the tray 32, thereby completing the loading of the tray 32.

[0060] More specifically, after the material taking and unloading action is completed, the sub-assembly line 10 returns to the transmission state under the drive of the lifting module 20, so that multiple sub-assembly lines 10 of the same assembly line are aligned and form a continuous transmission surface, ensuring the overall smooth operation of the assembly line.

[0061] It should be understood that when multiple assembly lines are arranged in parallel along the vertical direction, the height to which the sub-assembly line 10 is raised in the material taking and unloading state is determined by the position of the sub-assembly line 10 in the vertical direction in the corresponding workstation 100. For example, the sub-assembly line 10 located below needs to be raised to the same level as the pallet 32 ​​compared to the sub-assembly line 10 located above when they need to take and unload materials. Therefore, the height to which the sub-assembly line 10 located below needs to be raised is higher. That is to say, when multiple assembly lines are arranged in parallel along the vertical direction, the height to which the sub-assembly line 10 in the same workstation 100 needs to be raised to the material taking and unloading state is different.

[0062] In some embodiments, each sub-assembly line 10 for transporting semi-finished materials can accommodate multiple semi-finished materials along the length extension direction, so as to provide a caching function for the processing modules of subsequent workstations 100 along the assembly line transmission direction; each sub-assembly line 10 for transporting finished materials can accommodate multiple finished materials along the length extension direction to achieve the effect of material discharge caching; each sub-assembly line 10 is used to achieve material caching, and since a continuous transmission surface is formed between each sub-assembly line 10, when any workstation 100 lacks materials (for example, the processing module corresponding to the workstation 100 is idle, etc.), the material can be transported from the sub-assembly line 10 of other workstations 100 to the sub-assembly line 10 of the workstation 100, thereby realizing continuous material feeding, avoiding idle processing equipment, and further improving production and processing efficiency.

[0063] For example, the jth sub-assembly line 10 on the same assembly line holds multiple semi-finished products, providing a buffer for the processing module at the j+1th station 100. When the processing module at the j+1th station 100 runs out of products, the jth sub-assembly line 10 transfers the semi-finished products to the j+1th sub-assembly line 10. The j+1th sub-assembly line 10, the j+1th lifting module 20, and the supporting module 30 cooperate to transfer the semi-finished products to the processing module.

[0064] It is worth mentioning that since each sub-assembly line 10 forms an independent cache space, when any workstation 100 lacks materials, it can be fed from the sub-assembly line 10 of the adjacent workstation 100. The feeding path is short and the speed is fast, which can effectively reduce the idle time of the processing equipment during the feeding process.

[0065] Preferably, the materials are buffered sequentially starting from the sub-assembly line 10 on the feed side of the assembly line, that is, the materials are arranged in sequence according to the transmission direction, and after the material at the end of the arrangement is consumed, the previous material is automatically replenished under the transmission action of the continuous transmission surface.

[0066] In some embodiments, the processing system includes N supporting modules 30 corresponding to the N workstations 100 , and the movement range of the tray 32 of each supporting module 30 covers the corresponding workstation 100 .

[0067] It should be noted that the N supporting modules 30 corresponding one-to-one with the N workstations 100 means that the N supporting modules 30 correspond to the N workstations 100 in the order in which the N workstations 100 are arranged, and each supporting module 30 corresponds to one workstation 100. For example, the j-th supporting module 30 corresponds to the j-th workstation 100 (j≤N, where j is a positive integer).

[0068] By separately configuring a material support module 30 for each workstation 100, closed-loop operation can be achieved within each workstation 100, thereby avoiding the problem of low handling efficiency caused by the scheduling of material support modules 30 across workstations 100, and further improving the overall production efficiency of the processing system; in addition, even if one of the material support modules 30 fails, the other workstations 100 can still operate normally, and will not cause the entire processing system to stop, and the materials at the workstation 100 where the failure occurs can also be transmitted to other workstations 100 for feeding through the continuous transmission surface formed by the assembly line.

[0069] Preferably, each supporting module 30 includes a tray 32 .

[0070] In some other embodiments, the size of the tray 32 can be configured differently according to different workstations 100 .

[0071] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the processing equipment includes N processing modules corresponding one to one to the N workstations 100 , and the material supporting module 30 can be moved to the corresponding processing module to process the semi-finished material supported by the processing module.

[0072] It should be noted that the N processing modules corresponding one-to-one with the N workstations 100 mean that the N processing modules correspond to the N workstations 100 in the order in which the N workstations 100 are arranged, and each processing module corresponds to one workstation 100. For example, the j-th processing module corresponds to the j-th workstation 100 (j ≤ N, where j is a positive integer).

[0073] It should be understandable that the N processing modules corresponding one-to-one to the N workstations 100, together with the material support module 30 separately configured for each workstation 100, can form an independent processing unit at each workstation 100. Each material support module 30 is only transferred between the sub-assembly line 10 and the processing module of the corresponding workstation 100, which can further shorten the transportation time. In addition, when there is a lack of material in the workstation 100, rapid material supply scheduling can also be carried out through the continuous transmission surface formed by the assembly line, further improving production efficiency.

[0074] Similarly, even if one of the processing modules fails, the other workstations 100 can still operate normally, and the entire processing system will not be shut down. The material in the faulty workstation 100 can also be transported to other workstations 100 for feeding through the continuous transmission surface formed by the assembly line.

[0075] In some embodiments, the processing equipment is used to process the semi-finished materials on the pallet 32. That is, the pallet 32 ​​is directly used as a carrier to process the semi-finished materials on the pallet 32. This is more efficient because the material transfer process between the pallet 32 ​​and the processing equipment is omitted.

[0076] In other embodiments, the processing equipment includes N processing carriers corresponding one-to-one to the N processing modules and N loading and unloading modules. The loading and unloading modules are used to unload the semi-finished materials on the tray 32 to the corresponding processing carriers, or to load the finished materials on the processing carriers to the corresponding trays 32. The processing modules are used to process the semi-finished materials on the processing carriers to obtain finished materials. The materials carried on the tray 32 are transferred to the processing carriers for processing through the loading and unloading modules. On the one hand, it can avoid damage to the tray 32 during processing. On the other hand, after the tray 32 completes unloading, it can be moved to the sub-assembly line 10 position for the next round of material retrieval, and the overall production rhythm is faster.

[0077] Please combine Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the processing system also includes a silo 40 and / or a connecting assembly line 50, and the sub-assembly line 10 at the end of at least one assembly line is provided with a pushing module 60, which is used to push the material to the silo 40 and / or the connecting assembly line 50. The material here can be a finished material or a semi-finished material.

[0078] When the cache of each sub-assembly line 10 of the assembly line reaches the threshold, the semi-finished product or finished product material can be pushed into the silo 40 for caching through the pushing module 60. In addition, in conjunction with the lifting module 20 to drive the sub-assembly line 10 to rise and fall, different assembly lines can be selected to be docked with the silo 40, or the assembly line can be selected to be docked with different storage openings of the silo 40.

[0079] As for the finished product materials, by connecting the sub-assembly line with the connecting assembly line 50, the finished product materials can be directly transferred to the next equipment.

[0080] Please combine Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, each pushing module 60 includes a sliding shaft 61, a stop block 62, a pushing block bracket 63, a pushing block 64 and a spring 65. The sliding shaft 61 and the stop block 62 are fixed relative to the sub-pipeline 10, the push block bracket 63 is slidingly connected to the sliding shaft 61 along the length extension direction, the push block 64 is hinged to the push block bracket 63, and the two ends of the spring 65 are respectively connected to the push block bracket 63 and the push block 64, so that the push block 64 has a retracted state and an extended state. In the retracted state, the push block 64 is abutted against the stop block 62 so that the highest point of the push block 64 is lower than the storage plane of the sub-pipeline 10. In the extended state, the push block 64 is separated from the stop block 62 and the highest point of the push block 64 is higher than the storage plane of the sub-pipeline 10.

[0081] Specifically, each pushing module 60 also includes a driving member for driving the pushing block bracket 63 to move along the sliding shaft 61; through the cooperation between the stop block 62 and the spring 65, the pushing block 64 can complete the switching between the retracted state and the extended state while sliding with the pushing block bracket 63. Only one driving member is needed to realize the sliding of the pushing block 64 along the length extension direction and the rotation around its own hinge axis with two degrees of freedom, thereby reducing the equipment cost.

[0082] More specifically, when the push block 64 is in the retracted state, the push block 64 is squeezed and stressed by the stop block 62 under the drive of the driving member of the pushing module 60, and the spring 65 is in a stressed and deformed state. When the push block 64 is disengaged from the stop block 62, the push block 64 rotates and returns to the extended state under the action of the elastic force of the spring 65.

[0083] In some embodiments, the sliding shaft 61 is a screw, the driving member is a motor fixed to the sub-assembly line 10, the screw is fixed to the output shaft of the motor, and the push block bracket 63 is threadedly connected to the screw.

[0084] In some embodiments, the assembly lines are spaced apart in the vertical direction, or the assembly lines are arranged parallel to each other in the horizontal direction.

[0085] Specifically, the setting method between each assembly line can be selected according to the space conditions on site. For example, when the space along the height direction of the site is larger, the assembly lines are spaced apart in the vertical direction. Conversely, when the space along the width direction of the site is larger, the assembly lines are set parallel to each other in the horizontal direction.

[0086] In some embodiments, the assembly lines are arranged parallel to each other in the horizontal direction. In addition to being able to slide along the length extension direction, the tray 32 of the material support module 30 can also slide along the width direction to correspond to different assembly lines to meet the material picking and unloading needs of different sub-assembly lines 10 at the same workstation.

[0087] Please combine Figure 2 、 Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the processing system includes two assembly lines spaced apart in the vertical direction, wherein the assembly line located on the upper side is used to transport semi-finished materials, and the assembly line located on the lower side is used to transport finished materials, and the height of the tray 32 is higher than the storage plane of the assembly line located on the upper side.

[0088] Specifically, refer to Figure 3 The lifting module 20 in the right station 100 drives the sub-assembly line 10 carrying the semi-finished material on the upper side of the station to rise to the material loading and unloading state. At this time, the tray 32 is moved to the bottom of the material (that is, Figure 3 The tray 32 in the right moves), and the lifting module 20 drives the sub-assembly line 10 to descend to transfer the material to the tray 32; then the tray 32 moves to the processing equipment position to complete the material processing; Figure 4 After the material processing is completed, the tray 32 carrying the finished material is moved to the right station 100 (that is, Figure 4 The pallet 32 ​​in the right station 100 moves to the right), and then the lifting module 20 in the right station 100 drives the sub-assembly line 10 on the lower side of the station 100 to rise to above the material taking and placing state, and the finished materials on the pallet 32 ​​can be transferred to the sub-assembly line 10 on the lower side; after the transfer is completed, the pallet 32 ​​moves to the left to avoid, and the lifting module 20 drives the sub-assembly line 10 to descend to the transmission state, and the processed materials can be transferred backward through the assembly line on the lower side.

[0089] Of course, in some other embodiments, the processing system may also set up other numbers of assembly lines according to actual production process requirements. For example, when the finished product needs to be processed from two semi-finished products, three assembly lines may also be set up, respectively used to transport the first semi-finished product, the second semi-finished product and the finished product. This application does not give examples one by one here.

[0090] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0091] The above-described embodiments merely illustrate several implementations of the present invention, and while their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art would be able to make numerous variations and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present invention, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the patent for this invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A processing system, characterized in that: include: An assembly line module comprises at least two assembly lines arranged in parallel, wherein the processing system is formed with N workstations (100) along a length extension direction, each of the assembly lines comprises N sub-assembly lines (10) sequentially connected along the length extension direction, the N sub-assembly lines (10) of each assembly line corresponding one-to-one to the N workstations (100), N being a positive integer greater than 1, wherein at least one of the assembly lines is used to transport semi-finished materials, and at least one of the assembly lines is used to transport finished materials; N lifting modules (20) corresponding one to each of the N workstations (100), each of the lifting modules (20) being connected to each of the sub-assembly lines (10) in the corresponding workstation (100) and used to drive each of the sub-assembly lines (10) in the corresponding workstation (100) to rise and fall in a vertical direction, wherein the vertical direction is perpendicular to the length extension direction; At least one material supporting module (30), each of the material supporting modules (30) comprising a material supporting slide rail (31) and at least one tray (32) movably arranged on the material supporting slide rail (31) along the length extension direction, the total movement range of each tray (32) covering the N workstations (100), the material supporting module (30) being used to cooperate with the lifting module (20) to pick up the semi-finished material from the sub-assembly line (10), and to cooperate with the lifting module (20) to place the finished material on the sub-assembly line (10); Processing equipment, used for processing the semi-finished material carried by the supporting module (30) into the finished material; The sub-assembly line (10) has a material taking and placing state and a transmission state, and the lifting module (20) is used to drive the corresponding sub-assembly line (10) to switch between the material taking and placing state and the transmission state; In the material taking and unloading state, the height of the storage plane of the sub-assembly line (10) is higher than the height of the storage planes of other sub-assembly lines (10) in the same assembly line, and the height of the storage plane of the sub-assembly line (10) is flush with the height of the tray (32); In the transmission state, the height of the object placement plane of the sub-pipeline (10) is the same as the height of the object placement planes of other sub-pipeline (10) in the same pipeline; Each of the sub-assembly lines (10) comprises at least two conveyor belts (11) parallel to each other, the projection of the tray (32) in the vertical direction is located between the conveyor belts (11), and the semi-finished materials and the finished materials are placed on a storage plane formed by the top surface of each conveyor belt (11) through the tray; The tray (32) carries the semi-finished product material by lifting the sub-assembly line (10) or by transporting the sub-assembly line (10); The tray (32) is used to place the finished product material through the lifting of the sub-assembly line (10).

2. The processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that The processing equipment includes N processing modules corresponding one to one to the N workstations (100), and the material supporting module (30) can be moved to the corresponding processing module to process the semi-finished product material supported by the processing module.

3. The processing system according to claim 2, characterized in that Each of the sub-assembly lines (10) for transporting the semi-finished materials can accommodate a plurality of the semi-finished materials along the length extension direction, and is used to provide a buffering function for the processing modules of the subsequent workstations (100) along the conveying direction of the assembly line.

4. The processing system according to claim 2, characterized in that The processing system includes N supporting modules (30) corresponding one-to-one to the N workstations (100), and the moving range of the tray (32) of each supporting module (30) covers the corresponding workstation (100).

5. The processing system according to claim 4, characterized in that The processing equipment is used to process the semi-finished product material on the tray (32); or The processing equipment includes N processing carriers and N loading and unloading modules corresponding one to one to the N processing modules. The loading and unloading modules are used to unload the semi-finished materials on the tray (32) to the corresponding processing carriers, or to load the finished materials on the processing carriers to the corresponding trays (32). The processing modules are used to process the semi-finished materials on the processing carriers.

6. The processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that The processing system further comprises a silo (40) and / or a connecting assembly line (50), and the sub-assembly line (10) at the end of at least one of the assembly lines is provided with a pushing module (60), and the pushing module (60) is used to push the material to the silo (40) and / or the connecting assembly line (50).

7. The processing system according to claim 6, characterized in that Each of the pushing modules (60) includes a sliding shaft (61), a stopper (62), a pushing block bracket (63), a pushing block (64) and a spring (65), wherein the sliding shaft (61) and the stopper (62) are fixed relative to the sub-pipeline (10), the pushing block bracket (63) is slidably connected to the sliding shaft (61) along the length extension direction, the pushing block (64) is hinged to the pushing block bracket (63), and the two ends of the spring (65) are respectively connected to the pushing block bracket (63) and the pushing block (64), so that the pushing block (64) has a retracted state and an extended state. In the retracted state, the pushing block (64) and the stopper (62) are abutted so that the highest point of the pushing block (64) is lower than the storage plane of the sub-pipeline (10), and in the extended state, the pushing block (64) is separated from the stopper (62) and the highest point of the pushing block (64) is higher than the storage plane of the sub-pipeline (10).

8. The processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that The assembly lines are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction, or the assembly lines are arranged parallel to each other in the horizontal direction.

9. The processing system according to claim 8, characterized in that The processing system comprises two assembly lines spaced apart in a vertical direction, wherein the assembly line located on the upper side is used to transport the semi-finished material, and the assembly line located on the lower side is used to transport the finished material, and the height of the tray (32) is higher than the placement plane of the assembly line located on the upper side.

10. The processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that Each of the lifting modules (20) is used to independently drive each of the sub-assembly lines (10) in the corresponding workstation (100) to lift or lower, or each of the lifting modules (20) is used to synchronously drive each of the sub-assembly lines (10) in the corresponding workstation (100) to lift or lower.

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