Equipment and method for transporting objects in three-dimensional space

Abstract

The invention discloses equipment and a method for transporting articles in a three-dimensional space. The equipment comprises an inlet device, at least one transporting device, at least one height adjusting device and an outlet device. The at least one transport device transports along a first direction. The at least one height adjusting device is used for adjusting the horizontal height of the at least one conveying device in the second direction so that the at least one conveying device can be connected with the inlet device or the outlet device, and the included angle between the first direction and the second direction ranges from 75 degrees to 105 degrees. The purposes of reducing the occupied area for object transportation, reducing the production cost and preventing the objects transported on the inclined plane from slipping off to cause danger can be achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device and method for transporting objects in three-dimensional space, and in particular to a device and method for automatically transporting cardboard stacks. Background Art

[0002] Today's manufacturing industry faces a shortage of labor, rising environmental awareness, increased labor and operating costs, and the pressure to transform from a labor-intensive to a technology-intensive industry. Most manufacturers respond to rising production costs by relocating their industries or introducing foreign workers, or by using production line automation technology and the assistance of jigs to improve operational performance and reduce costs, thereby reducing manpower, saving manufacturing hours, and increasing production capacity.

[0003] Furthermore, in the general high-precision processing industry, standardized methods are used to transport daily necessities, home appliances, and electronic and communications products manufactured from parts. These products, such as mirrors, LCD panels, touch panels, glass substrates, acrylic panels, and stainless steel plates, all require that their surfaces be intact and free of scratches or marks. These high-precision products have stringent surface requirements, requiring no scratches or cracks. Therefore, during the sheet material transportation, assembly, alignment, and testing processes, robotic arms or jigs are often used to ensure product quality and yield. However, for standardized transport containers such as cardboard stacks, crates, and containers, conveyor belts and other equipment are often used for transfer.

[0004] The rise of the stay-at-home economy due to the popularity of online shopping and the convenience of e-commerce has led to a greater demand for the transportation of objects than before. However, for equipment such as conveyor belts commonly used in traditional logistics and transportation, for inclined conveyor belts used for horizontal height differences, if the angle is too small, the inclined conveyor belt will occupy a large area, resulting in increased production costs; if the angle is too large, the friction between the object and the conveyor belt will be too low, resulting in the risk of the object slipping, tilting, deflecting, and other possible damage.

[0005] In logistics transportation, if transport requires traversing horizontal height differences and requires standardized conveyor belt assembly lines, a shallow incline angle would result in the conveyor belt occupying too much floor space, increasing production costs. Conventional technology uses continuous conveyor belts to extend transport distances and mitigate the impact of vertical transport height differences. For example, in Taiwan Patent No. 1 715788, continuous conveyor belts are used to achieve horizontal height differences while minimizing the floor space required. However, the cost associated with the spiral conveyor mechanism remains unreduced.

[0006] On the other hand, to prevent the dangers of transported objects slipping, tilting, or shifting, existing technologies incorporate anti-skid devices on the sides of continuous conveyor belts to maintain the objects in a standardized transport direction. For example, in Taiwan Patent No. M442350, a centering mechanism is formed to guide stable transport within the conveyor belt channel. A soft cushioning layer is placed on both sides of the conveyor belt track base to prevent the materials from shifting and ensure the integrity of the surface. However, this still cannot prevent slipping caused by height differences on the conveyor belt's inclined surface.

[0007] In summary, current automated equipment that transports objects via conveyor belts urgently needs to overcome the increased costs and safety concerns associated with transporting objects across height differences. Specifically, within the limited factory floor space, it needs to be able to more smoothly move objects horizontally while simultaneously lifting them to the desired location. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology, the present invention provides a high-efficiency, low-cost three-dimensional space transportation device and method, which uses multiple planar conveyor belts to transport objects in a stable plane, and adds multiple sets of vertical lifting mechanisms to these multiple planar conveyor belts, so that they can simultaneously perform lifting actions while transporting in the plane.

[0009] The technical means adopted by the present invention to solve the technical problem are: a device for transporting objects in three-dimensional space, comprising: an entrance device; at least one transport device for transporting along a first direction; at least one height adjustment device for adjusting a horizontal height of the at least one transport device along a second direction; and an exit device; wherein the at least one height adjustment device connects the at least one transport device with the entrance device or the exit device; wherein the angle between the first direction and the second direction is 75° to 105°.

[0010] The inlet device, the at least one transport device or the outlet device is a conveyor belt.

[0011] The first direction is parallel to the direction in which the object is transported.

[0012] The height adjustment device may be a lifting mechanism, which is used to adjust the horizontal height of the corresponding transportation device along the second direction.

[0013] The at least one transport device includes a first conveyor belt and a second conveyor belt, and the at least one height adjustment device simultaneously lifts the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt.

[0014] The at least one height adjustment device includes a first lifting mechanism and a second lifting mechanism. The first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism respectively lift the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt along the second direction.

[0015] The at least one transport device includes a first conveyor belt, a second conveyor belt and a third conveyor belt, and the at least one height adjustment device lifts the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt at the same time or lifts the second conveyor belt and the third conveyor belt at the same time, wherein the at least one height adjustment device includes a first lifting mechanism, a second lifting mechanism and a third lifting mechanism, the first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism lift the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt respectively at the same time along the second direction, or the second lifting mechanism and the third lifting mechanism lift the second conveyor belt and the third conveyor belt respectively at the same time along the second direction.

[0016] A method for transporting an object in three-dimensional space comprises the following steps:

[0017] Transporting an object from an entrance along a first direction to a transport device;

[0018] adjusting the horizontal heights of the object and the transport device along a second direction so that the transport device is connected to an exit; and

[0019] transporting the object to the exit using the transport device;

[0020] The included angle between the first direction and the second direction is 75° to 105°.

[0021] During the step of adjusting the horizontal height of the object along the second direction, the object is simultaneously transported along the first direction on the transport device.

[0022] The object may be a container such as a cardboard pallet, a crate, or a container.

[0023] The transport device includes a first conveyor belt and a second conveyor belt. In the step of adjusting the horizontal height of the transport device along the second direction, the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt are lifted at the same horizontal height.

[0024] The transport device includes a first conveyor belt and a second conveyor belt. In the step of transporting the object to the exit by the transport device, the second conveyor belt transports the object to the exit and adjusts the horizontal height of the first conveyor belt along the second direction so that the first conveyor belt is aligned with the entrance.

[0025] The problem solved by the present invention is that: by using a height adjustment device, each conveyor belt can transport objects while saving plane space, and at the same time avoid the safety concerns that objects may slip, tilt, or deflect caused by traditional inclined conveyor belts. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the inclined conveyor belt equipment in the prior art.

[0027] Figure 2A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a device for transporting objects in three-dimensional space.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a first transport device transporting an object to a second transport device.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the second transport device transporting an object to the third transport device.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the third transport device transporting an object to the exit device and the first transport device transporting the next object.

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the first object completely entering the third transport device and the second transport device descending.

[0032] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the third transport device transporting an object to the exit device and the first transport device transporting the next object to the second transport device.

[0033] Description of main component symbols:

[0034] 1,11 Entrance conveyor belt

[0035] 12 Inclined conveyor belt

[0036] 20 Transport device

[0037] 21 First conveyor belt

[0038] 22 Second conveyor belt

[0039] 23 Third conveyor belt

[0040] 3,13 Export conveyor belt

[0041] 40 Height adjustment device

[0042] 41 First lifting mechanism

[0043] 42 Second lifting mechanism

[0044] 43 Third lifting mechanism

[0045] H1 First Height

[0046] H2 Second Height

[0047] h A Entrance conveyor belt height

[0048] h1 Height of the first conveyor belt

[0049] h2 Height of the second conveyor belt

[0050] h3 Height of the third conveyor belt

[0051] h B Exit conveyor belt height

[0052] D1,d1 first direction

[0053] D2,d2 second direction

[0054] O1,O2,O3,O4 objects

[0055] X1 First Object

[0056] X2 Second object DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] The technical means in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments.

[0058] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating directions or positional relationships, are based on the directions 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 direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0059] Figure 1 The prior art discloses a transportation device using an inclined conveyor belt, comprising: an inlet conveyor belt 11, which transports an object O1 along a first direction D1 on a plane at a first height H1; an inclined conveyor belt 12 and the inlet conveyor belt 11 at a plane at a first height H1; A The entrance conveyor belt 11 is connected or connected, and object O2 can be transported to the inclined conveyor belt 12 via the entrance conveyor belt 11, and object O3 can be transported along the inclined surface parallel to the second direction D2. An exit conveyor belt 13 is connected to the entrance conveyor belt 11 at a second height H2, and object O4 can be transported to the exit conveyor belt 13 via the inclined conveyor belt 12. The inclined conveyor belt 12 can bridge the horizontal height difference between the entrance and exit. However, if the inclined angle is too small, the inclined conveyor belt 12 will occupy a large area, resulting in increased production costs. If the inclined angle is too large, the friction between object O2 and the inclined conveyor belt 12 will be too low, resulting in the risk of object O2 slipping, tilting, deflecting, and other possible damage.

[0060] Figures 2 to 7 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the three-dimensional space transport object device of the present invention and its continuous state of transporting objects. Figure 2, a device 20 for transporting objects in three-dimensional space, which includes: an entrance conveyor belt 1, a transport device 20, a height adjustment device 40 and an exit conveyor belt 3.

[0061] The transport device 20 includes a first conveyor belt 21, a second conveyor belt 22, and a third conveyor belt 23, wherein the first conveyor belt 21 is used to connect to the inlet conveyor belt 1, and the third conveyor belt 23 is used to connect to the outlet conveyor belt 3. The height adjustment device 40 includes a first lifting mechanism 41, a second lifting mechanism 42, and a third lifting mechanism 43, which are respectively configured to correspond to the positions of the first to third conveyor belts (21, 22, 23) and provide the first to third conveyor belts (21, 22, 23) with lifting motion. The specific implementation of the height adjustment device 40 is not limited to the lifting mechanism. For example, it can be: a lifting frame, a cantilever, and any mechanism that can generate vertical lifting motion is within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0062] The first to third conveyor belts (21, 22, 23) are arranged along the first direction d1 (a horizontal direction), and the first to third lifting mechanisms (41, 42, 43) are used to adjust the horizontal height of the corresponding conveyor belts in the second direction d2, so that two adjacent conveyor belts are connected or connected, and the angle between the first direction d1 and the second direction d2 (height direction) is 75° to 105°. The height of the entrance conveyor belt 1 is h A The height of the first conveyor belt 21 is h1, the height of the second conveyor belt 22 is h2, the height of the third conveyor belt 23 is h3, and the height of the outlet conveyor belt 3 is h B The heights h1, h2, and h3 are changed as the levels of the first to third conveyor belts (21, 22, and 23) are adjusted by the first to third lifting mechanisms (41, 42, and 43).

[0063] Reference Figure 2 , the first object X1 is transported from the entrance device 1 to the first conveyor belt 21. The first object X1 is placed on the entrance conveyor belt 1 and is transported along the first direction d1 to the first conveyor belt 21 by the entrance conveyor belt 1. At this time, the height of the first object X1 is h A , which is the height of the entrance conveyor belt 1. When the first object X1 completely enters the first conveyor belt 21, the first conveyor belt 21 transports the first object X1 along the first direction d1. Simultaneously, the first lifting mechanism 41 lifts the first conveyor belt 21 and the first object X1 along the second direction d2. When the first conveyor belt 21 and the second conveyor belt 22 reach a height, the height h1 equals the height h2.

[0064] Figure 3Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the first conveyor belt 21 transporting a first object X1 to the second conveyor belt 22. When the first conveyor belt 21 and the second conveyor belt 22 are connected (height h1 equals height h2), the first conveyor belt 21 transports the first object X1 along the planar direction d1 to the second conveyor belt 22. Simultaneously, the first and second lifting mechanisms 41 and 42 simultaneously lift the first and second conveyor belts 21, 22, and the first object X1 being transported along the first direction d1 along the second direction d2. When the second conveyor belt 22 reaches the same height h3 as the third conveyor belt 23, the second and third conveyor belts 22 and 23 connect.

[0065] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the second conveyor belt 22 transporting the first object X1 to the third conveyor belt 23. When the height h2 of the second conveyor belt 22 reaches the same height h3 as the third conveyor belt 23, they are connected to each other (height h2 equals height h3), and the first object X1 is transported to the third conveyor belt 23 along the first direction d1 via the second conveyor belt 22. The second lifting mechanism 42 and the third lifting mechanism 43 together synchronously lift the second conveyor belt 22, the third conveyor belt 23, and the first object X1 transported along the first direction d1 along the second direction d2. At the same time, the first lifting mechanism 41 lowers the height h1 of the first conveyor belt 21 in the opposite direction of the second direction d2, returning it to the height h3. A Connected with the entrance conveyor belt 1, waiting for or receiving the second object X2 to enter, such as Figure 5 At the same time, the second lifting mechanism 42 and the third lifting mechanism 43 lift the second conveyor belt 22 , the third conveyor belt 23 and the first object X1 transported along the first direction d1 along the second direction d2 , thereby unloading the first object X1 onto the exit conveyor belt 3 .

[0066] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the entrance conveyor belt 1 transporting the second object X2 to the first conveyor belt 21. The second lifting mechanism 42 and the third lifting mechanism 43 together synchronously lift the second conveyor belt 22, the third conveyor belt 23 and the first object X1 transported along the first direction d1 along the second direction d2. At the same time, when the height h1 of the first conveyor belt 21 reaches the same height h1 as the entrance conveyor belt 1, A When they are consistent, they are connected to each other (height h1 is equal to height h A ), transporting the second object X2 to the first conveyor belt 21 along the first direction d1 through the entrance conveyor belt 1.

[0067] Figure 6This diagram illustrates the first object X1 completely entering the third conveyor belt 23 and the second conveyor belt 22 descending. Once the first object X1 has completely entered the third conveyor belt 23, the third lifting mechanism 43 lifts the third conveyor belt 23 and the first object X1 in the second direction d2. Simultaneously, the second object X2 completely enters the first conveyor belt 21, and the first lifting mechanism 41 lifts the first conveyor belt 21 and the second object X2 in the second direction d2. The second conveyor belt 22 then begins to descend in a direction opposite to the second direction d2, connecting with the first conveyor belt 21 and thus awaiting or accepting the entry of the second object X2.

[0068] Figure 7 The third transport device transports an object to the exit device and the first transport device transports the next object to the second transport device. The third lifting mechanism 43 lifts the third conveyor belt 23 and the first object X1 along the second direction d2 to reach h B The third conveyor belt 23 is connected to the outlet conveyor belt 3 at the height h3 (the height h3 is equal to the height h B ), the first object X1 is transported along the first direction d1 to the exit conveyor belt 3 by the third conveyor belt 23. Simultaneously, when the height h1 of the first conveyor belt 21 reaches the same height h2 as the second conveyor belt 23, they are connected (height h1 equals height h2), and the second object X2 is transported along the first direction d1 to the second conveyor belt 22 by the first conveyor belt 21, thereby continuously conveying the second object X2.

[0069] The length of each conveyor belt is preferably 1 to 3 meters; the lifting height is preferably 1 to 6 meters.

[0070] The above embodiments cannot limit the protection scope of the invention. Equal modifications and changes made by those skilled in the art without departing from the overall concept of the invention are still within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A device for transporting objects in three-dimensional space, characterized in that: Include: an entrance device; at least one transport device for transporting in a first direction; at least one height adjustment device for adjusting a horizontal height of the at least one transport device along a second direction; as well as an exit device; wherein the at least one height adjustment device enables the at least one transport device to be coupled to the inlet device or the outlet device; The included angle between the first direction and the second direction is 75° to 105°.

2. The device for transporting objects in three-dimensional space according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inlet device, the at least one transport device or the outlet device is a conveyor belt.

3. The device for transporting objects in three-dimensional space according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first direction is parallel to the direction of transporting the object.

4. The device for transporting objects in three-dimensional space according to claim 1, characterized in that: The at least one transport device includes a first conveyor belt and a second conveyor belt, and the at least one height adjustment device simultaneously lifts the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt.

5. The device for transporting objects in three-dimensional space according to claim 4, characterized in that: The at least one height adjustment device includes a first lifting mechanism and a second lifting mechanism. The first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism respectively lift the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt along the second direction.

6. The device for transporting objects in three-dimensional space according to claim 1, characterized in that: The at least one transport device includes a first conveyor belt, a second conveyor belt and a third conveyor belt, and the at least one height adjustment device lifts the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt at the same time or lifts the second conveyor belt and the third conveyor belt at the same time, wherein the at least one height adjustment device includes a first lifting mechanism, a second lifting mechanism and a third lifting mechanism, the first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism lift the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt respectively at the same time along the second direction, or the second lifting mechanism and the third lifting mechanism lift the second conveyor belt and the third conveyor belt respectively at the same time along the second direction.

7. A method for transporting objects in three-dimensional space, characterized in that: It includes the following steps: Transporting an object from an entrance along a first direction to a transport device; adjusting the horizontal heights of the object and the transport device along a second direction so that the transport device is connected to an exit; and transporting the object to the exit using the transport device; The included angle between the first direction and the second direction is 75° to 105°.

8. The method for transporting an object in three-dimensional space according to claim 7, wherein: During the step of adjusting the horizontal height of the object along the second direction, the object is simultaneously transported along the first direction on the transport device.

9. The method for transporting an object in three-dimensional space according to claim 7, wherein: The transport device includes a first conveyor belt and a second conveyor belt. In the step of adjusting the horizontal height of the transport device along the second direction, the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt are lifted at the same horizontal height.

10. The method for transporting an object in three-dimensional space according to claim 8, wherein: The transport device includes a first conveyor belt and a second conveyor belt. In the step of transporting the object to the exit by the transport device, the second conveyor belt transports the object to the exit and adjusts the horizontal height of the first conveyor belt along the second direction so that the first conveyor belt is aligned with the entrance.

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