Workpiece automatic loading and unloading device for machine tool

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of machine tool automation, and discloses a workpiece automatic feeding and discharging device for machine tools, which comprises a supporting frame, a rotating mechanism, a turnover mechanism, a workpiece tray and a clamping mechanism. The supporting frame comprises a cross beam. The rotating mechanism comprises a rotating part rotatably connected to the cross beam and a driving assembly for driving the rotating part to rotate. The rotating part has at least two material transferring positions. The turnover mechanism comprises a turnover arm and a power assembly. The turnover arm has a material transferring position and a feeding position. The power assembly is used for driving the turnover arm to switch between the feeding position and the material transferring position. The workpiece tray has a mounting position for mounting a workpiece. The workpiece tray is detachably connected to the turnover arm. The clamping mechanism is arranged at the material transferring position. When the turnover arm is in the material transferring position, the clamping mechanism can take or mount the workpiece tray mounted on the turnover arm, so that the workpiece tray is separated from the turnover arm, and the machining efficiency of the machine tool is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the technical field of machine tool automation, and specifically relates to an automatic workpiece loading and unloading device for machine tools. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the CNC machine tool industry, the requirements for machine tool automation are also getting higher and higher. Automated loading and unloading, as an important part of the development of machine tool automation, is also an indispensable auxiliary device for automated production lines. It plays a great role in improving production efficiency, reducing labor costs, and ensuring production safety.

[0003] Currently, the most common automatic loading and unloading method is the robotic arm gripping method. Due to the size limitation of the robotic arm's gripper, this method is more suitable for workpieces with smaller dimensions. However, for larger workpieces, the overall structure of the robotic arm needs to be enlarged, which increases the footprint of the automatic loading and unloading device. Furthermore, during the loading and unloading process, the robotic arm must first remove the machined workpiece from the machine tool's worktable, place the machined workpiece in the designated position, and then grip the unprocessed workpiece and install it onto the machine tool's worktable. This increases the machine tool's waiting time, thereby affecting the machine tool's loading and unloading efficiency as well as its workpiece processing efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides an automatic workpiece loading and unloading device for machine tools, which reduces the footprint of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device, improves the loading and unloading efficiency of the machine tool, and improves the processing efficiency of the machine tool on the workpiece.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in this application is as follows:

[0006] An automatic workpiece loading and unloading device for machine tools, comprising:

[0007] A support frame, the support frame including a crossbeam located above the machine tool bed;

[0008] A rotating mechanism, comprising a rotating component rotatably connected to the crossbeam and a driving assembly for driving the rotating component to rotate, the rotating component having at least two material transfer positions;

[0009] A flipping mechanism, comprising a flipping arm and a power assembly, wherein the flipping arm has a material conveying position in a vertical state and a material feeding position in a horizontal state, and the power assembly is used to drive the flipping arm to flip and switch between the material feeding position and the material conveying position.

[0010] A workpiece tray having mounting positions for mounting workpieces, and the workpiece tray being detachably connected to the tilting arm;

[0011] A clamping mechanism is provided at the material transfer position. When the flipping arm is in the material transfer position, the clamping mechanism clamps the workpiece tray and can drive the workpiece tray to rise and separate from the flipping arm, or the clamping mechanism can drive the workpiece tray to fall and connect with the flipping arm.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, when installing the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device in this application, the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device is first installed at the location of the machine tool so that the crossbeam is located above the machine tool bed.

[0013] When using the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device of this application for the first time to load workpieces, first activate the power unit to drive the tilting arm to the loading position, which in turn moves the workpiece pallet to the loading position. Then, the workpiece to be processed is installed in the mounting position. Next, activate the power unit to drive the tilting arm from the loading position to the transfer position. Then, use the clamping mechanism to clamp the workpiece pallet located on the tilting arm, and then the clamping mechanism drives the workpiece pallet to rise, so that the workpiece pallet separates from the tilting arm. After that, activate the power unit again, and the tilting arm moves to the loading position under the action of the power unit. Then, the drive assembly is activated, which drives the rotating component to rotate the clamping mechanism and the workpiece tray. This causes the workpiece tray and the workpiece to be processed mounted on it to move to one side of the machine tool's turntable. The turntable then moves toward the side closest to the workpiece tray, and the clamping mechanism lowers the workpiece tray. Finally, the turntable clamps and fixes the workpiece tray. The turntable then moves and rotates toward the side furthest from the clamping mechanism, so that the workpiece held by the turntable on the workpiece tray is aligned with the machine tool's machining mechanism for processing.

[0014] During the machine tool's processing of a workpiece, the operator installs a workpiece pallet onto the tilting arm in the loading position. Then, the next workpiece to be processed is installed in the mounting position, awaiting the completion of the previous workpiece's processing. After the previous workpiece is processed, the turntable moves towards the clamping mechanism while simultaneously rotating, so that the processed workpiece faces the clamping mechanism. When the turntable, along with the workpiece pallet and the workpiece mounted on it, moves to the clamping mechanism's position, the power unit drives the tilting arm to the transfer position. At this point, one clamping mechanism grips the workpiece pallet on the turntable, and the other clamps the workpiece pallet on the tilting arm. The clamping mechanisms then lift the workpiece pallets, separating one workpiece pallet from the tilting arm and the other from the turntable. The power unit then drives the tilting arm to the loading position, ensuring the tilting arm avoids the workpiece's rotation. Simultaneously, the machine tool's turntable moves away from the clamping mechanism, again avoiding the workpiece's rotation. Finally, the drive unit drives the rotating parts. The rotating component drives two sets of clamping mechanisms to rotate. These clamping mechanisms, via two workpiece trays, rotate the workpiece to be processed and the processed workpiece, respectively. The processed workpiece rotates to the side of the tilting arm, and the workpiece to be processed rotates to the side of the machine tool's turntable. Then, under the action of the power unit, the tilting arm moves towards the material transfer position, while the turntable moves towards the clamping mechanism. When the tilting arm reaches the material transfer position and the turntable reaches the workpiece to be processed position, both clamping mechanisms simultaneously move the workpiece trays downwards, allowing the workpiece tray containing the processed workpiece to be mounted on the tilting arm. The workpiece tray containing the workpiece to be processed is then clamped and fixed by the turntable. The power unit then drives the tilting arm to the loading position, allowing the operator to remove the processed workpiece and mount the next workpiece to be processed onto the workpiece tray. Simultaneously, the turntable moves and rotates away from the clamping mechanism, ultimately moving the workpiece to be processed to the machine tool's machining mechanism for processing.

[0015] In summary, the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device of this application enables simultaneous loading and unloading of workpieces onto the machine tool. Furthermore, the automatic loading device utilizes the machine tool's processing time to install the next workpiece onto the workpiece tray, and also utilizes the machine tool's processing time to remove the finished workpiece from the workpiece tray. Loading and unloading of the turntable can be performed simultaneously, eliminating the waiting time required for the machine tool and thus significantly improving the loading and unloading efficiency of the machine tool, thereby greatly enhancing the machine tool's workpiece processing efficiency.

[0016] In addition, since the crossbeam is located above the machine tool bed and the rotating parts are rotatably connected to the crossbeam, the upper space of the machine tool bed can be used to transfer the workpiece, thereby greatly reducing the footprint of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device.

[0017] Optionally, the rotating mechanism further includes a central shaft rotatably connected to the crossbeam, the rotating component being fixedly connected to the central shaft, and the driving assembly including a transmission structure for connecting to a motor on the crossbeam. The transmission structure is connected to the output shaft of the motor and the central shaft, so that the central shaft can rotate with the output shaft of the motor under the action of the transmission structure.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, when driving the rotating part, the motor is started so that the motor drives the central shaft through the transmission structure, and then the central shaft drives the rotating part to move, so as to drive the rotating part; since the motor is located on the crossbeam, the length of the central shaft can be reduced, so as to reduce the distance between the rotating part and the crossbeam, thereby reducing the height of the support frame, and thus reducing the space occupied by the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device.

[0019] Optionally, the rotating mechanism further includes a central shaft fixedly connected to the crossbeam, the rotating component being rotatably connected to the central shaft, and the driving assembly including a transmission structure and a motor connected to the rotating component. The transmission structure is connected to the output shaft of the motor and the central shaft, so that the rotating component can rotate with the output shaft of the motor under the action of the transmission structure.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, since the central shaft is fixedly connected to the crossbeam, the rotating part is rotatably connected to the central shaft, and the motor is located on the rotating part, when the motor drives the rotating part to rotate, the motor drives the rotating part to rotate axially around the central shaft under the action of the transmission structure, thereby driving the rotating part; at the same time, since the motor is located on the rotating part, the motor occupies the space between the crossbeam and the rotating part, thereby avoiding the space occupied by the top of the motor and the crossbeam, which can also reduce the space occupied by the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device.

[0021] Optionally, the transmission structure includes a first gear disposed on the output shaft of the motor and a second gear disposed on the central shaft, the first gear and the second gear being meshed and connected, and the diameter of the first gear being smaller than the diameter of the second gear.

[0022] By adopting the above technical solution, since the transmission structure includes a first gear located on the output shaft of the motor and a second gear located on the central shaft, and the first and second gears are meshed and connected, the stability of the transmission structure can be increased, and the volume of the transmission structure can be reduced. This allows the motor to be closer to the central shaft, ensuring the force balance of the crossbeam or central shaft as much as possible, thereby increasing the stability of the crossbeam or central shaft. Furthermore, since the diameter of the first gear is smaller than that of the second gear, the rotational speed of the central shaft is smaller than that of the motor output shaft, reducing the load on the motor when driving the rotating parts. This allows for the selection of a smaller power motor, thereby reducing the production cost of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device. At the same time, the size of the motor is reduced, facilitating the miniaturization of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device. It also improves the stability of the rotating parts during rotation, ensuring the stability of the workpieces during transfer, and thus increasing the safety of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device during operation.

[0023] Optionally, the rotating mechanism further includes an overload protection component, which includes a mounting plate and an elastic element. The motor is fixed to the mounting plate, which is movable in a direction toward or away from the second gear. The elastic element is located on the side of the mounting plate away from the second gear, and the elastic element is used to apply an elastic force to the mounting plate toward the side toward the second gear.

[0024] By adopting the above technical solution, since the motor is mounted on the mounting plate, the mounting plate can drive the motor to move towards or away from the second gear. The elastic element is located on the side of the mounting plate away from the second gear, and thus can apply an elastic force to the mounting plate towards the side where the second gear is located. This allows the first gear to maintain meshing with the second gear under the action of the elastic element, ensuring the meshing stability of the first and second gears. At the same time, when the load required by the motor is greater than the load it can drive, the force on the first gear towards the direction away from the second gear gradually increases. This causes the first gear to drive the mounting plate through the motor to overcome the elastic force of the elastic element and move away from the second gear, causing the first and second gears to slip. This prevents the motor output shaft from failing to rotate and thus avoids motor damage, thereby protecting the motor and reducing the failure rate and operating cost of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device.

[0025] Optionally, the clamping mechanism includes a gripping plate, a zero-point positioning fixture fixed to the bottom of the gripping plate, and a first drive cylinder fixed to the rotating component. The piston rod of the first drive cylinder is connected to the gripping plate to drive the gripping plate to move in the vertical direction. A receiving sleeve is provided on the top of the workpiece tray. The zero-point positioning fixture can extend into the receiving sleeve and can lock into the inside of the receiving sleeve.

[0026] By adopting the above technical solution, when clamping the workpiece pallet, the piston rod of the first drive cylinder extends, causing the gripping plate to move downwards along with the zero-point positioning fixture under the action of the piston rod of the first drive cylinder. After the zero-point positioning fixture extends into the receiving sleeve, the piston rod of the first drive cylinder stops moving. Then, the zero-point positioning fixture works and locks itself against the inner wall of the receiving sleeve, so that the zero-point positioning fixture clamps the receiving sleeve. Then, the piston rod of the first drive cylinder retracts, causing the gripping plate to move upwards along with the gripping plate, the zero-point positioning fixture, the workpiece pallet, and the workpiece mounted on the workpiece pallet under the action of the piston rod of the first drive cylinder, so that the workpiece pallet separates from the flipping arm, thereby realizing the clamping of the workpiece pallet.

[0027] Optionally, the clamping mechanism further includes an actuator disposed on the gripping plate and a stop block disposed on the actuator. The top of the workpiece tray has a connecting plate, the connecting plate is provided with a mating hole, the stop block can pass through the mating hole, and the actuator can drive the stop block to rotate so that the stop block is misaligned with the opening of the mating hole to stop.

[0028] And / or, the gripping plate is provided with guide rods located on the left and right sides of the first drive cylinder, and the guide rods pass through the rotating component.

[0029] By adopting the above technical solution, when the workpiece pallet is clamped, the piston rod of the first drive cylinder extends, causing the gripping plate to move the zero-point positioning fixture, the actuator, and the stop block away from the rotating component under the action of the piston rod of the first drive cylinder. When the zero-point positioning fixture extends into the receiving sleeve, the stop block passes through the mating hole. At this time, the zero-point positioning fixture works and abuts against the inner wall of the receiving sleeve. At the same time, the actuator drives the stop block to rotate under the action of the actuator, ultimately causing the stop block to misalign with the opening of the mating hole. Therefore, when the clamping force between the zero-point positioning fixture and the inner wall of the receiving sleeve is insufficient or the zero-point positioning fixture malfunctions, the workpiece pallet tends to separate from the gripping plate. At this time, the stop block can be used to prevent the workpiece pallet from separating from the gripping plate, thereby increasing the clamping stability of the clamping mechanism on the workpiece pallet and increasing the safety of the clamping mechanism when clamping the workpiece pallet, thus increasing the safety of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device.

[0030] When the gripping plate moves toward or away from the rotating part under the action of the piston rod of the first drive cylinder, the gripping plate drives the guide rod to move, which in turn causes the guide rod to slide relative to the rotating part. The sliding cooperation between the guide rod and the rotating part guides the movement of the gripping plate, thereby increasing the stability of the gripping plate during movement. This ensures that the zero-point positioning fixture can extend into the receiving sleeve, thereby improving the gripping efficiency of the workpiece pallet.

[0031] Optionally, the workpiece tray has rollers on both the left and right sides, and the flipping arm is provided with a receiving groove for accommodating the rollers. When the flipping arm is in the material transfer position, the end opening of the receiving groove faces upward. The flipping arm is provided with a rotating cylinder, and the piston rod of the rotating cylinder is provided with a downward pressing arm. When the flipping arm is in the material transfer position, the downward pressing arm can apply downward pressure to the workpiece tray under the action of the rotating cylinder.

[0032] By adopting the above technical solution, the workpiece pallet is installed after the tilting arm, and the roller is located in the receiving groove. The cooperation between the roller and the receiving groove is used to limit the workpiece pallet, thereby increasing the stability of the workpiece pallet and thus increasing the stability of the workpiece. Since the end opening of the receiving groove faces upward when the tilting arm is in the material transfer position, the clamping mechanism only needs to move in the direction of approaching or moving away from the receiving groove to clamp the workpiece pallet, so as to achieve the effect of clamping the workpiece pallet by the clamping component.

[0033] Because the tilting arm is equipped with a rotary cylinder, and the piston rod of the rotary cylinder is equipped with a pressing arm, after the workpiece pallet is installed on the tilting arm, the piston rod of the rotary cylinder can drive the pressing arm to rotate. Then, the piston rod of the rotary cylinder can drive the pressing arm to move towards the workpiece pallet, so that the pressing arm contacts the workpiece pallet and applies pressure to the workpiece pallet. This increases the connection stability between the workpiece pallet and the tilting arm, thereby avoiding the possibility of the workpiece pallet separating from the tilting arm during the tilting process, and thus increasing the safety of the tilting arm when tilting the workpiece pallet.

[0034] When the clamping mechanism clamps the workpiece pallet and needs to lift the workpiece pallet, the piston rod of the rotary cylinder first drives the lower pressure arm to move away from the workpiece pallet, so that the lower pressure arm separates from the workpiece pallet. Then the piston rod of the rotary cylinder drives the lower pressure arm to rotate, so that the lower pressure arm avoids the workpiece pallet, thereby enabling the clamping mechanism to lift the workpiece pallet.

[0035] Optionally, one end of the tilting arm is hinged to the machine tool bed, and the power assembly includes a second drive cylinder, the cylinder body of which is hinged to the machine tool bed, and the piston rod of which is hinged to the tilting arm.

[0036] By adopting the above technical solution, when the tilting arm is driven, the piston rod of the second drive cylinder extends or retracts. Since the cylinder body of the second drive cylinder is hinged to the machine tool bed, and the piston rod of the second drive cylinder is hinged to the tilting arm, the piston rod of the second drive cylinder can drive the tilting arm to rotate relative to the machine tool bed when it extends or retracts, so as to realize the switching of the tilting arm between the loading position and the material transfer position.

[0037] By placing the power unit in the second drive cylinder, it is possible to switch the tilting arm between the loading position and the transfer position. On the other hand, it simplifies the structure of the power unit, thereby reducing the production cost of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device. Furthermore, it also increases the stability of the tilting arm.

[0038] Optionally, the tilting mechanism further includes a support base, which is fixedly connected to the machine tool bed, and the tilting arm is hinged to the support base;

[0039] Alternatively, the tilting mechanism may further include a third drive cylinder, the cylinder body of which is fixedly connected to the bed of the machine tool, and the piston rod of which is hinged to the tilting arm.

[0040] By adopting the above technical solution, since the support base is fixedly connected to the machine tool bed and the tilting arm is hinged to the support base, the hinge stability between the tilting arm and the machine tool bed is increased, thereby increasing the stability of the tilting arm and reducing the failure rate of the tilting arm.

[0041] Since the cylinder body of the third drive cylinder is fixedly connected to the machine tool bed, and the piston rod of the third drive cylinder is hinged to the tilting arm, the tilting arm is hinged to the machine tool bed on the one hand, and the position of the tilting arm can be adjusted by adjusting the extension length of the piston rod of the third drive cylinder, so as to increase the flexibility of the tilting arm. At the same time, the tilting arm can meet the loading and unloading of various types of workpieces, thereby increasing the flexibility of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device.

[0042] Due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the beneficial effects achieved by this application are as follows:

[0043] 1. The automatic workpiece loading and unloading device of this application includes a support frame, a rotating mechanism, a flipping mechanism, a workpiece tray, and a clamping mechanism. The support frame includes a top frame beam. The rotating mechanism includes a rotating component rotatably connected to the crossbeam and a drive assembly for driving the rotating component to rotate. The rotating component has at least two loading positions. The flipping mechanism includes a flipping arm and a power assembly. The flipping arm has a conveying position and a loading position. The power assembly is used to drive the flipping arm to flip and switch between the loading position and the conveying position. The workpiece tray has a mounting position for mounting workpieces, and the workpiece tray is detachably connected to the flipping arm. The clamping mechanism is located at the loading position. When the flipping arm is in the conveying position, the clamping mechanism can clamp the workpiece tray and can drive the workpiece tray to rotate. The workpiece pallet rises and separates from the tilting arm, or the clamping mechanism can drive the workpiece pallet to descend and connect with the tilting arm. This allows the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device of this application to simultaneously load and unload workpieces onto the machine tool. Furthermore, the automatic loading device of this application can utilize the time the machine tool is processing a workpiece to install the next workpiece to be processed onto the workpiece pallet. It can also utilize the time the machine tool is processing a workpiece to remove the processed workpiece from the workpiece pallet. Loading and unloading the turntable can be performed simultaneously, eliminating the waiting time required for the machine tool and thus greatly improving the loading and unloading efficiency of the machine tool, which in turn greatly improves the processing efficiency of the machine tool for workpieces.

[0044] 2. The rotating mechanism in this application further includes a central shaft rotatably connected to the crossbeam, a rotating component fixedly connected to the central shaft, and a drive assembly including a transmission structure and a motor connected to the crossbeam. The transmission structure is connected to the output shaft of the motor and the central shaft, so that the central shaft can rotate with the output shaft of the motor under the action of the transmission structure. When driving the rotating component, the motor is started so that the motor drives the central shaft through the transmission structure, thereby causing the central shaft to drive the rotating component to move, thus realizing the driving of the rotating component. Since the motor is located on the crossbeam, the length of the central shaft can be reduced, thereby reducing the distance between the rotating component and the crossbeam, thereby reducing the height of the support frame, and thus reducing the space occupied by the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device.

[0045] 3. The transmission structure in this application includes a first gear located on the output shaft of the motor and a second gear located on the central shaft. The first gear and the second gear are meshed and connected, and the diameter of the first gear is smaller than the diameter of the second gear. This causes the rotational speed of the central shaft to be less than the rotational speed of the motor output shaft, thereby reducing the load on the motor when driving the rotating parts. This allows for the selection of a smaller power motor, thus reducing the production cost of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device. At the same time, it reduces the size of the motor, facilitating the miniaturization of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device. Furthermore, it improves the stability of the rotating parts during rotation, ensuring the stability of the workpieces during transfer, and thus increasing the safety of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device during operation. Attached Figure Description

[0046] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0047] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device described in one embodiment of this application installed on a machine tool;

[0048] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating mechanism described in one embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of part A in the middle;

[0050] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the rotating mechanism described in one embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the rotating mechanism described in another embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping mechanism described in one embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping mechanism described in one embodiment of this application from another perspective;

[0054] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the workpiece tray described in one embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing the relative positional relationship between the connecting plate and the clamping mechanism in one embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the flipping mechanism described in one embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the flipping mechanism in one embodiment of this application, mainly showing the rotating cylinder;

[0058] Figure 12 for Figure 11 Enlarged view of part B in the middle;

[0059] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the flipping mechanism described in another embodiment of this application, mainly showing the flipping arm in the loading position;

[0060] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the flipping mechanism described in another embodiment of this application, mainly showing the flipping arm in the material transfer position;

[0061] Figure 15 This is a partial structural diagram of the machine tool mentioned in this application. The dotted line in the diagram represents the rotation axis of the rotary seat.

[0062] Figure label:

[0063] 1. Support frame; 11. Crossbeam; 111. Fixing plate; 112. Support body; 12. Column; 2. Rotating mechanism; 21. Rotating component; 22. Drive assembly; 221. Motor; 222. Transmission structure; 223. Reducer; 224. First gear; 225. Second gear; 23. Central shaft; 24. Overload protection assembly; 241. Mounting plate; 242. Elastic element; 3. Tilting mechanism; 31. Tilting arm; 311. Receiving groove; 312. Blocking arm; 313. Rotating cylinder; 31 4. Lower pressure arm; 32. Power assembly; 321. Second drive cylinder; 33. Support base; 34. Third drive cylinder; 4. Workpiece pallet; 41. Connecting plate; 411. Mating hole; 42. Receiving sleeve; 43. Roller; 5. Clamping mechanism; 51. Gripping plate; 511. Guide rod; 512. Sensing ring; 513. Detector rod; 52. Zero-point positioning fixture; 53. First drive cylinder; 531. Optical axis brake; 54. Actuator; 55. Stop block; 6. Bed; 61. Turntable; 7. Workpiece. Detailed Implementation

[0064] To more clearly illustrate the overall concept of this application, a detailed explanation is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0065] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of this application. However, this application may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0066] Furthermore, it should be understood in the description of this application that the terms "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0067] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0068] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the "above" or "below" of the second feature can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "implementation," "example," "a particular embodiment," "example," or "specific example," etc., indicate that the specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0069] Reference Figure 15 To facilitate understanding of the technical solution of this application, a description of a machine tool in the prior art is provided first. This machine tool includes a bed, a rotary table, and a machining mechanism. The rotary table includes a base that can slide along the length of the bed and a rotary seat rotatably connected to the base. The rotary seat can rotate around a vertically extending axis (e.g., ...). Figure 15 (As shown by the dashed line in the middle) rotates, and the rotating seat has a clamping component for clamping the workpiece. The clamping component can be a three-jaw chuck or a zero-point clamping chuck, or other structures.

[0070] Reference Figures 1 to 15An automatic workpiece loading and unloading device for machine tools is disclosed, comprising a support frame 1, a rotating mechanism 2, a flipping mechanism 3, a workpiece tray 4, and a clamping mechanism 5. The support frame 1 includes a crossbeam 11 located above the machine tool bed 6. The rotating mechanism 2 includes a rotating component 21 rotatably connected to the crossbeam 11 and a drive assembly 22 for driving the rotating component 21 to rotate. The rotating component 21 has at least two material transfer positions. The flipping mechanism 3 includes a flipping arm 31 and a power assembly 32. The flipping arm 31 has a material transfer position in a vertical state and a material loading position in a horizontal state. The power assembly 32 is used to drive the flipping arm 31 to flip and switch between the material loading position and the material transfer position. The workpiece tray 4 has a mounting position for mounting workpieces 7, and the workpiece tray 4 is detachably connected to the flipping arm 31. The clamping mechanism 5 is located at the material transfer position. When the flipping arm 31 is in the material transfer position, the clamping mechanism 5 can clamp the workpiece tray 4 and drive the workpiece tray to rise and separate from the flipping arm 31, or the clamping mechanism 5 can drive the workpiece tray 4 to fall and connect with the flipping arm.

[0071] It is understood that at least two sets of clamping mechanisms 5 are provided, and the clamping mechanisms 5 are provided one-to-one with the transfer positions. That is, when there are two transfer positions, there are two sets of clamping mechanisms 5, and the two sets of clamping mechanisms 5 are respectively provided at the two transfer positions. When there are three transfer positions, there are three sets of clamping mechanisms 5, and the three sets of clamping mechanisms 5 are respectively provided at the three transfer positions. The workpiece tray 4 has a clamping body on the side away from the installation position for the machine tool turntable 61 to clamp and fix. The clamping body can be a columnar structure, block structure or pull stud structure that can be clamped by the clamping components of the turntable 61.

[0072] It should be noted that the above-mentioned "workpiece pallet 4 is detachably connected to the tilting arm 31" means that the workpiece pallet 4 can be connected to the tilting arm 31 so that the workpiece pallet 4 can be tilted with the tilting arm 31, and when the clamping mechanism 5 drives the workpiece pallet 4 to rise, the workpiece pallet 4 can be detached from the tilting arm 31.

[0073] When installing the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device of this application, first install the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device at the location of the machine tool so that the crossbeam 11 is located above the machine tool bed 6.

[0074] When using the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device of this application to load workpiece 7 for the first time, first start the power assembly 32 to drive the tilting arm 31 to the loading position, which in turn causes the tilting arm 31 to move the workpiece tray 4 to the loading position. Then, the workpiece 7 to be processed is installed in the mounting position. Next, start the power assembly 32 again to drive the tilting arm 31 from the loading position to the transfer position. Then, use the clamping mechanism 5 to clamp the workpiece tray 4 located on the tilting arm 31. Then, the clamping mechanism 5 drives the workpiece tray 4 to rise, so that the workpiece tray 4 is separated from the tilting arm 31. Then, start the power assembly 32 again, and the tilting arm 31 moves to the loading position under the action of the power assembly 32. Then start the drive assembly 32 again. The moving component 22 drives the rotating component 21, causing the rotating component 21 to rotate the clamping mechanism 5 and the workpiece tray 4. This causes the workpiece tray 4 and the workpiece 7 mounted on the workpiece tray 4 to move to the side of the machine tool's turntable 61. Subsequently, the machine tool's turntable 61 moves toward the side closer to the workpiece tray 4. Then, the clamping mechanism 5 lowers the workpiece tray 4 and finally clamps and fixes the workpiece tray 4 using the clamping components of the turntable 61. Then, the turntable 61 moves toward the side away from the clamping mechanism 5 and rotates around the rotation axis of the rotary seat, so that the workpiece 7 clamped by the workpiece tray 4 is directed toward the machine tool's processing mechanism for processing.

[0075] During the machining of workpiece 7 by the machine tool, the operator installs a workpiece tray 4 onto the tilting arm 31, which is in the loading position. Then, the next workpiece 7 to be processed is installed in the mounting position, waiting for the previous workpiece 7 to be processed. After the previous workpiece 7 is processed, the turntable 61 moves towards the direction close to the clamping mechanism 5. At the same time, the turntable 61 rotates around the rotation axis of the rotary seat so that the processed workpiece 7 faces the side where the clamping mechanism 5 is located. When the turntable 61 moves the workpiece tray 4 and the workpiece 7 mounted on the workpiece tray 4 to the position of the clamping mechanism 5, the power unit 32 drives the tilting arm 31 to the material transfer position. At this time, the two clamping mechanisms 5 clamp the workpiece pallet 4 located on the turntable 61 and the workpiece pallet 4 located on the tilting arm 31, respectively. Then, the clamping mechanism 5 drives the workpiece pallet 4 to rise, so that one workpiece pallet 4 separates from the tilting arm 31 and the other workpiece pallet 4 separates from the clamping component of the turntable 61. Then, the power assembly 32 drives the tilting arm 31 to the loading position, so that the rotation of the tilting arm 31 avoids the rotation of the workpiece 7. At the same time, the machine tool's turntable 61 moves away from the location of the clamping mechanism 5, so that the rotation of the machine tool's turntable 61 avoids the rotation of the workpiece 7. Then, the drive assembly 22 drives the rotating component 21. The rotating component 21 drives the two sets of clamping mechanisms 5 to rotate. The two sets of clamping mechanisms 5, through two workpiece trays 4, respectively drive the workpiece 7 to be processed and the processed workpiece 7 to rotate. Ultimately, the processed workpiece 7 rotates to the side where the tilting arm 31 is located, and the workpiece 7 to be processed rotates to the side where the machine tool's turntable 61 is located. Then, under the action of the power component 32, the tilting arm 31 moves towards the material transfer position, while the turntable 61 moves towards the direction closer to the clamping mechanism 5. When the tilting arm 31 moves to the material transfer position and the turntable 61 moves to the position where the workpiece is to be processed, the two sets of clamping mechanisms 5 simultaneously drive the workpiece trays 4 downwards. The workpiece pallet 4, on which the finished workpiece is mounted, is installed onto the tilting arm 31. The workpiece pallet 4, on which the workpiece 7 to be processed is mounted, is clamped and fixed by the clamping component of the turntable 61. Then, the power unit 32 drives the tilting arm 31 to the loading position so that the operator can remove the finished workpiece 7 and install the next workpiece 7 to be processed onto the mounting position on the workpiece pallet 4. At the same time, the turntable 61 moves away from the clamping mechanism 5 and rotates around the rotation axis of the rotary seat. Finally, the turntable 61 moves the workpiece 7 to be processed to the position of the machining mechanism of the machine tool so that the machining mechanism of the machine tool can process the workpiece 7 to be processed.

[0076] In summary, when using the automatic loading and unloading device for workpieces in this application, it is possible to load and unload the machine tool simultaneously. Moreover, the automatic loading device in this application can utilize the time when the machine tool processes the workpiece 7 to install the next workpiece 7 to be processed onto the workpiece tray 4. Additionally, it can also utilize the time when the machine tool processes the workpiece 7 to remove the processed workpiece 7 from the workpiece tray 4. Furthermore, the loading and unloading of the turntable 61 can be carried out simultaneously, which eliminates the time required for the machine tool to wait, thus greatly improving the loading and unloading efficiency of the machine tool, and further significantly enhancing the processing efficiency of the machine tool for the workpiece 7.

[0077] In addition, since the crossbeam 11 is located above the machine tool bed 6 and the rotating member 21 is rotatably connected to the crossbeam 11, it is then possible to reasonably utilize the upper space of the machine tool bed 6 to transfer the workpiece 7, thereby greatly reducing the floor area of the automatic loading and unloading device for workpieces.

[0078] This application does not specifically limit the number of transfer positions. Preferably, there are two transfer positions arranged oppositely to reduce the driving load required by the driving component 22 when driving the rotating member 21.

[0079] Specifically, after the automatic loading and unloading device for workpieces is installed, the flipping mechanism 3 and the turntable 61 of the machine tool are respectively located on opposite sides of the support frame 1, and at the same time, the flipping mechanism 3 and the turntable 61 are arranged oppositely, so that when one transfer position is on the side where the turntable 61 of the machine tool is located, the other transfer position is on the side where the flipping arm 31 is located.

[0080] This application does not specifically limit the structure of the rotating member 21. Preferably, the rotating member 21 is a solid beam structure to ensure the structural strength of the rotating member 21 and reduce the driving load of the driving component 22. At the same time, both ends of the solid beam form transfer positions. In other embodiments, the rotating member 21 can also be a solid plate structure.

[0081] In other embodiments, more than 2 transfer positions are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the rotating member 21, and the rotating member 21 is a solid plate structure, a "person" - shaped solid beam structure, a "cross" - shaped solid beam structure, etc.

[0082] This application does not specifically limit the structure of the support frame 1. Preferably, referring to Figure 1 , the support frame 1 further includes columns 12. There are two columns 12 which are respectively located on opposite sides of the machine tool bed 6, and both ends of the crossbeam 11 are fixedly connected to the two columns 12 to support the crossbeam 11 by means of the columns 12, thereby increasing the stability of the crossbeam 11 and achieving the effect of facilitating the installation of the automatic loading and unloading device for workpieces.

[0083] This application does not specify the fixing method of the column 12. When the width of the machine tool bed 6 can meet the space requirements of the rotating part 21 and the workpiece 7, the column 12 can be directly fixed to the machine tool bed 6 to further increase the stability of the column 12. When the width of the machine tool bed 6 cannot meet the space requirements of the rotating part 21 and the workpiece 7, the column 12 can be fixed to the factory floor.

[0084] In other embodiments, the column 12 can be omitted, and additional components can be used to fix the beam 11, for example, by using a connecting beam fixedly connected to the roof of the factory building to fix the beam 11.

[0085] This application does not specify the method by which the workpiece 7 is installed in the mounting position. Preferably, the mounting position is provided with a workpiece clamp, that is, the workpiece 7 is fixedly connected to the mounting position by the workpiece clamp. In other embodiments, the workpiece 7 can also be fixedly connected to the mounting position by other methods such as bolt fastening.

[0086] This application does not impose specific limitations on the arrangement of the drive component 22, which can be implemented in any of the following embodiments:

[0087] Implementation Method 1, in this implementation method, refer to Figures 2 to 4 The rotating mechanism 2 also includes a central shaft 23 rotatably connected to the crossbeam 11, a rotating component 21 fixedly connected to the central shaft 23, and a drive assembly 22 including a transmission structure 222 and a motor 221 connected to the crossbeam 11. The transmission structure 222 is connected to the output shaft of the motor 221 and the central shaft 23 so that the central shaft 23 can rotate with the output shaft of the motor 221 under the action of the transmission structure 222.

[0088] It is understandable that the central shaft 23 is set perpendicular to the crossbeam 11, and the middle position of the rotating part 21 in the length direction is fixedly connected to one end of the bottom of the central shaft 23.

[0089] When driving the rotating part 21, the motor 221 is started so that the motor 221 drives the central shaft 23 through the transmission structure 222, thereby causing the central shaft 23 to drive the rotating part 21 to move, thus realizing the driving of the rotating part 21. Since the motor 221 is located on the crossbeam 11, the length of the central shaft 23 can be reduced, thereby reducing the distance between the rotating part 21 and the crossbeam 11, thereby reducing the height of the support frame 1, and thus reducing the space occupied by the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device.

[0090] This application will not provide a specific description of the rotational connection between the central shaft 23 and the crossbeam 11; however, reference can be made to existing technologies.

[0091] Implementation Method Two: In this implementation method, refer to... Figure 5The rotating mechanism 2 also includes a central shaft 23 fixedly connected to the crossbeam 11, and the rotating component 21 is rotatably connected to the central shaft 23. The driving component 22 includes a transmission structure 222 and a motor 221 connected to the rotating component 21. The transmission structure 222 is connected to the output shaft of the motor 221 and the central shaft 23, so that the rotating component 21 can rotate with the output shaft of the motor 221 under the action of the transmission structure 222.

[0092] It is understandable that the central shaft 23 is set perpendicular to the crossbeam 11, and the rotating part 21 is rotatably connected to the bottom end of the central shaft 23 at the middle position in the length direction.

[0093] Since the central shaft 23 is fixedly connected to the crossbeam 11, the rotating part 21 is rotatably connected to the central shaft 23, and the motor 221 is located on the rotating part 21, when the motor 221 drives the rotating part 21 to rotate, the motor 221 drives the rotating part 21 to rotate axially around the central shaft 23 under the action of the transmission structure 222, so as to realize the drive of the rotating part 21. The rotation of the rotating part 21 only reciprocates within a 180° rotation stroke. At the same time, since the motor 221 is located on the rotating part 21, the motor 221 occupies the space between the crossbeam 11 and the rotating part 21, so as to avoid the space between the motor 221 and the top space of the crossbeam 11, thereby reducing the space occupied by the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device.

[0094] This application will not provide a specific description of the rotational connection method between the rotating component 21 and the central shaft 23, but can refer to the prior art.

[0095] This application does not specifically limit the transmission structure 222; however, preferred options are described below. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The transmission structure 222 includes a first gear 224 disposed on the output shaft of the motor 221 and a second gear 225 disposed on the central shaft 23. The first gear 224 and the second gear 225 are meshed and connected, and the diameter of the first gear 224 is smaller than the diameter of the second gear 225.

[0096] It is understandable that the first gear 224 is coaxially fixedly connected to the output shaft of the motor 221, and the second gear 225 is coaxially fixedly connected to the central shaft 23. The number of teeth of the first gear 224 is less than the number of teeth of the second gear 225, so that when the output shaft of the motor 221 rotates, the speed of the first gear 224 is greater than the speed of the second gear 225.

[0097] Since the transmission structure 222 includes a first gear 224 located on the output shaft of the motor 221 and a second gear 225 located on the central shaft 23, and the first gear 224 and the second gear 225 are meshed and connected, the stability of the transmission structure 222 can be increased. At the same time, the volume of the transmission structure 222 can be reduced, allowing the motor 221 to be closer to the central shaft 23, thus ensuring the force balance of the beam 11 or the central shaft 23 as much as possible, thereby increasing the stability of the beam 11 or the central shaft 23. Furthermore, since the diameter of the first gear 224 is smaller than that of the second gear 225... This reduces the rotational speed of the central shaft 23 to less than the output shaft speed of the motor 221, thereby reducing the load on the rotating part 21 when the motor 221 drives it. This allows for the selection of a smaller power motor 221, thus reducing the production cost of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device. It also reduces the size of the motor 221, facilitating the miniaturization of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device. Furthermore, it improves the stability of the rotating part 21 during rotation, ensuring the stability of the workpiece 7 during transfer, and thus increasing the safety of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device during operation.

[0098] Furthermore, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 5 The rotating mechanism 2 also includes an overload protection component 24, which includes a mounting plate 241 and an elastic member 242. The motor 221 is fixed to the mounting plate 241, which is capable of moving toward or away from the second gear 225. The elastic member 242 is located on the side of the mounting plate 241 away from the second gear 225, and the elastic member 242 is used to apply an elastic force to the mounting plate 241 toward the side of the second gear 225.

[0099] It should be noted that the center point of the first gear 224 and the center point of the second gear 225 are connected by a straight line, and this straight line is defined as the separation line. The above-mentioned "mounting plate 241 can move in the direction of approaching or moving away from the second gear 225" means that the mounting plate 241 can slide along the separation line.

[0100] Since the motor 221 is mounted on the mounting plate 241, the mounting plate 241 can drive the motor 221 to move towards or away from the second gear 225. The elastic element 242 is located on the side of the mounting plate 241 away from the second gear 225, and can apply an elastic force towards the side of the second gear 225 to the mounting plate 241. This allows the first gear 224 to remain engaged with the second gear 225 under the action of the elastic element 242, ensuring the meshing stability of the first gear 224 and the second gear 225. Simultaneously, when the motor 221... When the required driving load is greater than the load it can drive, the first gear 224 experiences a gradually increasing force in the direction away from the second gear 225. This causes the first gear 224 to drive the mounting plate 241 through the motor 221 to overcome the elastic force of the elastic element 242 and move in the direction away from the second gear 225. This causes the first gear 224 and the second gear 225 to slip, thus preventing the output shaft of the motor 221 from failing to rotate and causing damage to the motor 221. This protects the motor 221 and reduces the failure rate and operating cost of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device.

[0101] This application does not specifically limit the structure of the elastic element 242; preferably, refer to... Figure 3 and Figure 5 The elastic element 242 is a spring to ensure the meshing stability of the first gear 224 and the second gear 225. In other embodiments, the elastic element 242 can also be other elastic structures such as an elastic rubber column.

[0102] Specifically, refer to Figures 2 to 4 Regarding the aforementioned arrangement where the motor 221 is mounted on the crossbeam 11, a fixing plate 111 is provided on the side of the crossbeam 11, and a slide rail is provided on the fixing plate 111. The length direction of the slide rail is parallel to the separation line. A slider that slides with the slide rail is provided at the bottom of the mounting plate 241 to guide the movement of the mounting plate 241 and increase the stability of the mounting plate 241. A support body 112 is provided on the side of the fixing plate 111 away from the crossbeam 11, and an extension body is provided on the side of the mounting plate 241 close to the crossbeam 11. A spring is located between the extension body and the support body 112, with one end of the spring fixedly connected to the extension body and the other end of the spring contacting the support body 112. At the same time, when the first gear 224 and the second gear 225 are in a meshing state, the elastic element 242 is in a deformed state to ensure the meshing stability of the first gear 224 and the second gear 225.

[0103] Preferably, the extension body is fixedly connected to a guide post that passes through the spring. The guide post is parallel to the separation line and passes through the support body 112, so that the spring can be guided and positioned by the guide post to further increase the stability of the spring.

[0104] This application does not specifically limit the positional relationship between the second gear 225 and the crossbeam 11. Preferably, the crossbeam 11 has an internal mounting cavity, the second gear 225 is located in the mounting cavity, and the side of the crossbeam 11 near the first gear 224 has a passage opening. A portion of the second gear 225 extends out of the crossbeam 11 through the passage opening to ensure that the first gear 224 and the second gear 225 can mesh with each other. In other embodiments, the second gear 225 can also be located at the top or bottom of the crossbeam 11, as long as it can mesh with the first gear 224.

[0105] Specifically, refer to Figure 5 Regarding the aforementioned arrangement where the motor 221 is mounted on the rotating member 21, a slide rail is provided on the top of the rotating member 21, with the length direction of the slide rail parallel to the separation line. A slider that slides with the slide rail is provided on the bottom of the mounting plate 241 to guide the movement of the mounting plate 241, thereby increasing the stability of the mounting plate 241. A support body 112 is provided on the top of the rotating member 21, located on the side of the mounting plate 241 away from the second gear 225. An elastic member 242 is located between the support body 112 and the mounting plate 241, with both ends of the elastic member 242 contacting the support body 112 and the mounting plate 241 respectively. Simultaneously, when the first gear 224 and the second gear 225 are in a meshing state, the elastic member 242 is in a deformed state to ensure the meshing stability of the first gear 224 and the second gear 225.

[0106] Preferably, the mounting plate 241 is fixedly connected to a guide post that passes through the spring. The guide post is parallel to the separation line and passes through the support body 112, so that the spring can be guided and positioned by the guide post to further increase the stability of the spring.

[0107] Preferably, motor 221 is a servo motor to achieve precise control of the rotation angle of rotating part 21.

[0108] The better one is to refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The drive assembly 22 also includes a reducer 223. The housing of the reducer 223 is fixedly connected to the housing of the motor 221. The housing of the reducer 223 is fixedly connected to the mounting plate 241. The input shaft of the reducer 223 is coaxially fixedly connected to the output shaft of the motor 221. The first gear 224 is coaxially fixedly connected to the output shaft of the reducer 223 to further reduce the rotational speed of the rotating part 21 and further improve the stability of the workpiece 7 during transfer.

[0109] In other embodiments, the transmission structure 222 may also include a first pulley, a second pulley, and a belt sleeved on the outside of the first pulley and the second pulley. The first pulley is coaxially fixedly connected to the output shaft of the motor 221, and the second pulley is coaxially fixedly connected to the central shaft 23.

[0110] This application does not specifically limit the structure of the clamping mechanism 5; preferably, refer to... Figures 6 to 9 The clamping mechanism 5 includes a gripping plate 51, a zero-point positioning fixture 52 fixed to the bottom of the gripping plate 51, and a first drive cylinder 53 fixed to the rotating component 21. The piston rod of the first drive cylinder 53 is connected to the gripping plate 51 to drive the gripping plate 51 to move in the vertical direction. The top of the workpiece tray 4 is provided with a receiving sleeve 42. The zero-point positioning fixture 52 can extend into the receiving sleeve 42 and can lock into the inside of the receiving sleeve 42.

[0111] It is understood that the cylinder body of the first drive cylinder 53 is fixedly connected to the top of the rotating part 21, the piston rod of the first drive cylinder 53 passes through the rotating part 21, and the central axis of the first drive cylinder 53 is set parallel to the central axis of the central shaft 23; the inner wall of the receiving sleeve 42 is provided with an annular groove. After the zero-point positioning clamp 52 extends into the receiving sleeve, the locking member of the zero-point positioning clamp 52 works, so that the ball of the zero-point positioning clamp 52 partially extends into the annular groove of the receiving sleeve 42 under the action of the locking member and abuts against the groove wall of the annular groove, thereby realizing the clamping of the receiving sleeve 42 by the zero-point positioning clamp 52.

[0112] When gripping the workpiece pallet 4, the piston rod of the first drive cylinder 53 extends, causing the gripping plate 51 to move downwards along with the zero-point positioning fixture 52 under the action of the piston rod of the first drive cylinder 53. After the zero-point positioning fixture 52 extends into the receiving sleeve 42, the piston rod of the first drive cylinder 53 stops moving. Then, the zero-point positioning fixture 52 works and locks itself against the inner wall of the receiving sleeve 42, so that the zero-point positioning fixture 52 grips the receiving sleeve 42. Then, the piston rod of the first drive cylinder 53 retracts, causing the gripping plate 51, the zero-point positioning fixture 52, the workpiece pallet 4, and the workpiece 7 mounted on the workpiece pallet 4 to move upwards under the action of the piston rod of the first drive cylinder 53, so that the workpiece pallet 4 separates from the flipping arm 31, thereby realizing the gripping of the workpiece pallet 4.

[0113] The structure of the zero-point positioning fixture 52 in this application will not be described in detail, but can be referred to in the prior art.

[0114] This application does not specifically limit the structure of the first drive cylinder 53. Preferably, the first drive cylinder 53 is a hydraulic cylinder to improve the clamping stability of the clamping mechanism 5 on the workpiece tray 4. In other embodiments, the first drive cylinder 53 can also be a pneumatic cylinder, an electric cylinder, etc.

[0115] Furthermore, refer to Figures 6 to 9 The clamping mechanism 5 also includes an actuator 54 disposed on the gripping plate 51 and a stop block 55 disposed on the actuator 54. The top of the workpiece tray 4 has a connecting plate 41, and the connecting plate 41 is provided with a mating hole 411. The stop block 55 can pass through the mating hole 411. The actuator 54 can drive the stop block 55 to rotate so that the stop block 55 is misaligned with the opening of the mating hole 411 for a stop.

[0116] It is understandable that the cross-sectional shape of the stop block 55 is compatible with the cross-sectional shape of the mating hole 411.

[0117] When gripping the workpiece pallet 4, the piston rod of the first drive cylinder 53 extends, causing the gripping plate 51 to move the zero-point positioning fixture 52, the actuator 54, and the stop block 55 away from the rotating component 21 under the action of the piston rod of the first drive cylinder 53. When the zero-point positioning fixture 52 extends into the receiving sleeve 42, the stop block 55 passes through the mating hole 411. At this time, the zero-point positioning fixture 52 works and abuts against the inner wall of the receiving sleeve 42. At the same time, the actuator 54 drives the stop block 55, so that the stop block is under the action of the actuator 54. The rotation eventually causes the stop block 55 to misalign with the opening of the mating hole 411, thus preventing the workpiece tray 4 from separating from the gripping plate 51 when the clamping force between the zero-point positioning fixture 52 and the inner wall of the receiving sleeve 42 is insufficient or when the zero-point positioning fixture 52 malfunctions. At this time, the stop block 55 can be used to prevent the workpiece tray 4 from separating from the gripping plate 51, thereby increasing the clamping stability of the clamping mechanism 5 on the workpiece tray 4 and increasing the safety of the clamping mechanism 5 when clamping the workpiece tray 4, thereby increasing the safety of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device.

[0118] This application does not specifically limit the structure of the actuator 54. Preferably, the actuator 54 is a rotary cylinder with a rotatable piston rod, and the stop block 55 is fixedly connected to the piston rod of the rotary cylinder. In other embodiments, the actuator 54 may also be other structures capable of driving the stop block 55 to rotate.

[0119] Preferably, the mating hole 411 is an oblong hole to increase the number of stopping points between the stop block 55 and the connecting plate 41, thereby further ensuring the connection stability between the workpiece tray 4 and the clamping mechanism 5.

[0120] The better one is to refer to Figure 8 The receiving sleeve 42 is provided on the connecting plate 41 so that the receiving sleeve 42 and the mating hole 411 are integrated into the same component, thereby reducing the production difficulty of the workpiece pallet.

[0121] Furthermore, refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7The gripping plate 51 is provided with guide rods 511 located on the left and right sides of the first drive cylinder 53, and the guide rods 511 pass through the rotating part 21.

[0122] It is understood that the central axis of the guide rod 511 is set parallel to the central axis of the first drive cylinder 53, and the two guide rods 511 are located on the left and right sides of the first drive cylinder 53 respectively.

[0123] When the gripping plate 51 moves toward or away from the rotating part 21 under the action of the piston rod of the first drive cylinder 53, the gripping plate 51 drives the guide rod 511 to move, which in turn causes the guide rod 511 to slide relative to the rotating part 21. The sliding cooperation between the guide rod 511 and the rotating part 21 guides the movement of the gripping plate 51, thereby increasing the stability of the gripping plate 51 during movement. This ensures that the zero-point positioning fixture 52 can extend into the receiving sleeve 42, thereby improving the gripping efficiency of the workpiece tray 4.

[0124] Furthermore, refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 A sensing ring 512 is provided at the end of the guide rod 511 away from the gripping plate 51. The sensing ring 512 can detect the distance between itself and the rotating part 21, and thus can control the movement distance of the gripping plate 51 based on the distance between itself and the rotating part 21 detected by the sensing ring 512.

[0125] Furthermore, refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7A probe rod 513 is fixedly connected to the gripping plate 51. The central axis of the probe rod 513 is parallel to the central axis of the first drive cylinder 53. One end of the probe rod 513 extends out of the rotating part 21, and one end of the probe rod 513 has a pressure sensor. The bottom of the pressure sensor is flush with the bottom of the zero-point positioning fixture 52. The connecting plate 41 is provided with an insertion hole for the pressure sensor to extend into. The first drive cylinder 53 is provided with a light axis brake 531, which can brake the piston cylinder of the first drive cylinder 53. When the zero-point positioning fixture 52 extends into the receiving sleeve 42, the pressure sensor enters the insertion hole and contacts the workpiece tray 4, so that the pressure sensor detects pressure. At this time, the pressure sensor... The force sensor sends signals to the optical axis brake 531 and the first drive cylinder 53. The piston rod of the first drive cylinder 53 stops moving, and the optical axis brake 531 brakes the piston rod of the first drive cylinder 53 to increase the stability of the gripping plate 51. Then, after the zero-point positioning fixture 52 clamps the receiving sleeve 42, the optical axis brake 531 releases the brake on the piston rod of the first drive cylinder 53. Then, the first drive cylinder 53 drives the gripping plate 51 toward the rotating part 21 to separate the workpiece tray 4 from the flipping arm 31. Subsequently, the optical axis brake 531 brakes the piston rod of the first drive cylinder 53 again to increase the stability of the gripping plate 51 during the transfer of the workpiece 7.

[0126] In other embodiments, an electric chuck can be used to replace the zero-point positioning fixture 52 described above, and the workpiece tray 4 has a mating shaft for clamping and fixing by the electric chuck.

[0127] This application does not specify the exact connection method between the workpiece tray 4 and the tilting arm 31. Preferably, refer to... Figure 8 , Figure 13 and Figure 14 The workpiece tray 4 has rollers 43 on both the left and right sides. The tilting arm 31 is provided with receiving grooves 311 for accommodating the rollers 43. When the tilting arm 31 is in the material transfer position, the end opening of the receiving groove 311 faces upward. (Refer to...) Figure 11 and Figure 12 The tilting arm 31 is equipped with a rotary cylinder 313, and the piston rod of the rotary cylinder 313 is equipped with a pressing arm 314. When the tilting arm 31 is in the material transfer position, the pressing arm 314 can apply downward pressure to the workpiece tray 4 under the action of the rotary cylinder 313.

[0128] It is understandable that when the tilting arm 31 is in the material transfer position, the extension direction of the receiving groove 311 is vertically set; the piston rod of the rotary cylinder 313 can rotate around its own axis and move along its own axis, the cylinder body of the rotary cylinder 313 is fixedly connected to the tilting arm 31, and the pressing arm 314 is vertically fixedly connected to the piston rod of the rotary cylinder 313.

[0129] After the workpiece pallet 4 is installed on the tilting arm 31, the roller 43 is located in the receiving groove 311. The cooperation between the roller 43 and the receiving groove 311 is used to limit the workpiece pallet 4, thereby increasing the stability of the workpiece pallet 4 and thus increasing the stability of the workpiece 7. Since the end opening of the receiving groove 311 faces upward when the tilting arm 31 is in the material transfer position, the clamping mechanism 5 only needs to move in the direction of approaching or moving away from the receiving groove 311 to pick up and put down the workpiece pallet 4, so as to achieve the effect of clamping the workpiece pallet 4.

[0130] Since the tilting arm 31 is equipped with a rotary cylinder 313, and the piston rod of the rotary cylinder 313 is equipped with a pressing arm 314, after the workpiece pallet 4 is installed on the tilting arm 31, the piston rod of the rotary cylinder 313 can drive the pressing arm 314 to rotate. Then, the piston rod of the rotary cylinder 313 can drive the pressing arm 314 to move towards the workpiece pallet 4, so that the pressing arm 314 contacts the workpiece pallet 4 and applies pressure to the workpiece pallet 4, thereby increasing the connection stability between the workpiece pallet 4 and the tilting arm 31. This avoids the possibility of the workpiece pallet 4 separating from the tilting arm 31 during the tilting process, thereby increasing the safety of the tilting arm 31 when tilting the workpiece pallet 4.

[0131] When the clamping mechanism 5 clamps the workpiece tray 4 and needs to lift the workpiece tray 4, the piston rod of the rotary cylinder 313 first drives the lower pressure arm 314 to move away from the workpiece tray 4, so that the lower pressure arm 314 separates from the workpiece tray 4. Then the piston rod of the rotary cylinder 313 drives the lower pressure arm 314 to rotate, so that the lower pressure arm 314 avoids the workpiece tray 4, thereby enabling the clamping mechanism 5 to lift the workpiece tray 4.

[0132] This application does not specify the exact timing of the operation of the rotary cylinder 313. It can start working when the clamping mechanism 5 places the workpiece pallet 4 on the tilting arm 31, that is, when the roller 43 begins to engage with the receiving groove 311, the rotary cylinder 313 starts working so that the piston rod of the rotary cylinder 313 drives the lower pressure arm 314 to rotate. After the projection of the lower pressure arm 314 toward the rotary cylinder 313 is at least partially aligned with the workpiece pallet 4, the piston rod of the rotary cylinder 313 drives the lower pressure arm 314 to move downward with the workpiece pallet 4. After the workpiece pallet 4 is installed in place, the lower pressure arm 314 applies downward pressure to the workpiece pallet 4 under the action of the rotary cylinder 313, and the rotary cylinder 313 stops working. Alternatively, the rotary cylinder 313 starts working after the clamping mechanism 5 places the workpiece pallet 4 on the tilting arm 31, that is, the rotary cylinder 313 starts working only after the clamping mechanism 5 has finished placing the workpiece pallet 4.

[0133] Preferably, there are two rotary cylinders 313, which are located on both sides of the tilting arm 31. On the one hand, this can increase the limiting effect on the workpiece tray 4, and on the other hand, it can ensure the force balance of the workpiece tray 4. When the tilting arm 31 is in the material transfer position, both rotary cylinders 313 are located at the upper end of the tilting arm 31, so as to ensure that the rotary cylinders 313 can limit the workpiece tray 4.

[0134] Preferably, two rollers 43 are provided at intervals on both the left and right sides of the workpiece tray 4 to increase the connection stability between the workpiece tray 4 and the flipping arm 31, thereby ensuring the stability of the workpiece 7 when the flipping arm 31 flips the workpiece 7.

[0135] This application does not specifically limit the structure of the roller 43. Preferably, the roller 43 is a cylindrical structure with a circular cross-section to facilitate the picking and placing of the workpiece tray 4. In other embodiments, the roller 43 may also be a structure with an elliptical or square cross-section.

[0136] This application does not specifically limit the formation of the receiving groove 311. Preferably, the tilting arm 31 has an L-shaped block, and the L-shaped block and the tilting arm 31 together form the receiving groove 311. This shortens the vertical movement distance required for the clamping mechanism 5 to pick up and place the workpiece tray 4, thereby improving the efficiency of picking up and placing the workpiece tray 4 and reducing the height of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device. In other embodiments, the receiving groove 311 can also be formed by a groove-shaped structure formed in the tilting arm 31.

[0137] Furthermore, refer to Figure 14 The tilting arm 31 has a blocking arm 312, which is located at the bottom of the receiving groove 311. When the tilting arm 31 is in the material transfer position, the blocking arm 312 abuts against the bottom of the workpiece tray 4 to support the workpiece tray 4, thereby increasing the connection stability between the workpiece tray 4 and the tilting arm 31.

[0138] In other embodiments, an electromagnet is provided on the tilting arm 31. When the electromagnet is energized, it can generate a magnetic attraction force on the workpiece tray 4, so as to fix the workpiece tray 4 to the tilting arm 31 by using the magnetic attraction force.

[0139] This application does not specify the installation method of the tilting arm 31. Preferably, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 10 , Figure 13 and Figure 14 One end of the tilting arm 31 is hinged to the bed 6 of the machine tool. The power assembly 32 includes a second drive cylinder 321. The cylinder body of the second drive cylinder 321 is hinged to the bed 6 of the machine tool, and the piston rod of the second drive cylinder 321 is hinged to the tilting arm 31.

[0140] It is understandable that the tilting arm 31 moves between the loading position and the material transfer position by tilting.

[0141] When the tilting arm 31 is driven, the piston rod of the second drive cylinder 321 extends or retracts. Since the cylinder body of the second drive cylinder 321 is hinged to the bed 6 of the machine tool, and the piston rod of the second drive cylinder 321 is hinged to the tilting arm 31, the piston rod of the second drive cylinder 321 can drive the tilting arm 31 to rotate relative to the bed 6 of the machine tool when it extends or retracts, so as to realize the switching of the tilting arm 31 between the loading position and the material transfer position.

[0142] By placing the power assembly 32 on the second drive cylinder 321, it is possible to switch the tilting arm 31 between the loading position and the material transfer position. On the other hand, it simplifies the structure of the power assembly 32, thereby reducing the production cost of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device. Furthermore, it can also increase the stability of the tilting arm 31.

[0143] This application does not specifically limit the structure of the second drive cylinder 321. Preferably, the second drive cylinder 321 is a hydraulic cylinder to increase the stability of the tilting arm 31 in the feeding and conveying positions. In other embodiments, the second drive cylinder 321 can also be a pneumatic cylinder, an electric cylinder, etc.

[0144] This application does not specify the hinge method between the tilting arm 31 and the machine tool, which can be any one of the following embodiments:

[0145] Example 1, in this example, refers to Figure 10 The tilting mechanism 3 also includes a support base 33, which is fixedly connected to the bed 6 of the machine tool. The tilting arm 31 is hinged to the support base 33, thereby increasing the hinge stability between the tilting arm 31 and the bed 6 of the machine tool, and further increasing the stability of the tilting arm 31, so as to reduce the failure rate of the tilting arm 31.

[0146] Example 2, in this example, refer to Figure 13 and Figure 14 The tilting mechanism 3 also includes a third drive cylinder 34. The cylinder body of the third drive cylinder 34 is fixedly connected to the bed 6 of the machine tool. The piston rod of the third drive cylinder 34 is hinged to the tilting arm 31. Thus, on the one hand, the tilting arm 31 is hinged to the bed 6 of the machine tool. On the other hand, the position of the tilting arm 31 can be adjusted by adjusting the extension length of the piston rod of the third drive cylinder 34, thereby increasing the flexibility of the tilting arm 31. At the same time, the tilting arm 31 can meet the loading and unloading of various types of workpieces 7, thereby increasing the flexibility of the automatic workpiece loading and unloading device.

[0147] This application does not specifically limit the structure of the third drive cylinder 34. Preferably, the third drive cylinder 34 is a hydraulic cylinder to increase the stability of the tilting arm 31 in the feeding and conveying positions. In other embodiments, the third drive cylinder 34 can also be a pneumatic cylinder, an electric cylinder, etc.

[0148] In other embodiments, the support frame 1 includes a fixed beam located at the end of the bed 6 of the machine tool, and the tilting arm 31 is hinged to the fixed beam.

[0149] For any parts not mentioned in this application, existing technologies may be used or referenced.

[0150] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments.

[0151] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. An automatic workpiece loading and unloading device for machine tools, characterized in that, include: Support frame (1), the support frame (1) includes a crossbeam (11) located above the machine tool bed (6); The rotating mechanism (2) includes a rotating component (21) rotatably connected to the crossbeam (11) and a driving assembly (22) for driving the rotating component (21) to rotate. The rotating component (21) has at least two material transfer positions. The flipping mechanism (3) includes a flipping arm (31) and a power assembly (32). The flipping arm (31) has a material conveying position in a vertical state and a material feeding position in a horizontal state. The power assembly (32) is used to drive the flipping arm (31) to flip and switch between the material feeding position and the material conveying position. The workpiece tray (4) has a mounting position for mounting the workpiece (7) and is detachably connected to the tilting arm (31). The clamping mechanism (5) is located at the material transfer position. When the flipping arm (31) is in the material transfer position, the clamping mechanism (5) clamps the workpiece tray (4) and can drive the workpiece tray (4) to rise and separate from the flipping arm (31), or the clamping mechanism (5) can drive the workpiece tray (4) to fall and connect with the flipping arm (31). The clamping mechanism (5) includes a gripping plate (51), a zero-point positioning fixture (52) fixed to the bottom of the gripping plate (51), and a first drive cylinder (53) fixed to the rotating part (21). The piston rod of the first drive cylinder (53) is connected to the gripping plate (51) to drive the gripping plate (51) to move in the vertical direction. The top of the workpiece tray (4) is provided with a receiving sleeve (42). The zero-point positioning fixture (52) can extend into the receiving sleeve (42) and can lock into the inside of the receiving sleeve (42). The clamping mechanism (5) further includes an actuator (54) disposed on the gripping plate (51) and a stop block (55) disposed on the actuator (54). The top of the workpiece tray (4) has a connecting plate (41). The connecting plate (41) is provided with a mating hole (411). The stop block (55) can pass through the mating hole (411). The actuator (54) can drive the stop block (55) to rotate so that the stop block (55) is misaligned with the opening of the mating hole (411) to stop it.

2. The automatic workpiece loading and unloading device for machine tools according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating mechanism (2) further includes a central shaft (23) rotatably connected to the crossbeam (11), and the rotating component (21) is fixedly connected to the central shaft (23). The driving assembly (22) includes a transmission structure (222) and a motor (221) connected to the crossbeam (11). The transmission structure (222) is connected to the output shaft of the motor (221) and the central shaft (23) so that the central shaft (23) can rotate with the output shaft of the motor (221) under the action of the transmission structure (222).

3. The automatic workpiece loading and unloading device for machine tools according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating mechanism (2) further includes a central shaft (23) fixedly connected to the crossbeam (11), the rotating component (21) is rotatably connected to the central shaft (23), and the driving assembly (22) includes a transmission structure (222) and a motor (221) connected to the rotating component (21). The transmission structure (222) is connected to the output shaft of the motor (221) and the central shaft (23) so that the rotating component (21) can rotate with the output shaft of the motor (221) under the action of the transmission structure (222).

4. An automatic workpiece loading and unloading device for machine tools according to any one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that, The transmission structure (222) includes a first gear (224) disposed on the output shaft of the motor (221) and a second gear (225) disposed on the central shaft (23). The first gear (224) and the second gear (225) are meshed and connected, and the diameter of the first gear (224) is smaller than the diameter of the second gear (225).

5. The automatic workpiece loading and unloading device for machine tools according to claim 4, characterized in that, The rotating mechanism (2) further includes an overload protection component (24), which includes a mounting plate (241) and an elastic element (242). The motor (221) is fixed to the mounting plate (241). The mounting plate (241) is movable in a direction close to or away from the second gear (225). The elastic element (242) is located on the side of the mounting plate (241) away from the second gear (225) and is used to apply an elastic force to the mounting plate (241) toward the side close to the second gear (225).

6. The automatic workpiece loading and unloading device for machine tools according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gripping plate (51) is provided with guide rods (511) located on the left and right sides of the first drive cylinder (53), and the guide rods (511) pass through the rotating member (21).

7. An automatic workpiece loading and unloading device for machine tools according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The workpiece tray (4) has rollers (43) on both the left and right sides. The flipping arm (31) is provided with a receiving groove (311) for accommodating the rollers (43). When the flipping arm (31) is in the material transfer position, the end slot of the receiving groove (311) faces upward. The flipping arm (31) is provided with a rotating cylinder (313). The piston rod of the rotating cylinder (313) is provided with a pressing arm (314). When the flipping arm (31) is in the material transfer position, the pressing arm (314) can apply downward pressure to the workpiece tray (4) under the action of the rotating cylinder (313).

8. An automatic workpiece loading and unloading device for machine tools according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, One end of the tilting arm (31) is hinged to the bed (6) of the machine tool. The power assembly (32) includes a second drive cylinder (321), the cylinder body of the second drive cylinder (321) is hinged to the bed (6) of the machine tool, and the piston rod of the second drive cylinder (321) is hinged to the tilting arm (31).

9. The automatic workpiece loading and unloading device for machine tools according to claim 8, characterized in that, The flipping mechanism (3) also includes a support base (33), which is fixedly connected to the bed (6) of the machine tool, and the flipping arm (31) is hinged to the support base (33). Alternatively, the tilting mechanism (3) may further include a third drive cylinder (34), the cylinder body of which is fixedly connected to the bed (6) of the machine tool, and the piston rod of which is hinged to the tilting arm (31).

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