Bin tray separator

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of automation equipment, in particular to a stock bin tray material distributor which comprises a base, a material distributing frame and a stock bin fixedly installed on the material distributing frame are installed at the top of the base, trays are stacked in the stock bin, a material distributing mechanism is further fixedly installed in the middle of the top of the material distributing frame, and the material distributing mechanism is composed of two material distributing units. The two material distributing units are arranged on the two sides of the material bin correspondingly, and each material distributing unit comprises a cover frame fixed to the top of the material distributing frame, a cover plate detachably installed on the top of the cover frame and a material distributing assembly installed in a cavity formed between the cover frame and the cover plate. The two material distributing assemblies are matched to push the trays in the stock bin to stretch out in an upper-lower two-layer staggered mode, a simple and ingenious mechanical mechanism is used for enabling the lower supporting plate to move in the direction opposite to that of the upper supporting plate, the trays in the stock bin can be pushed to stretch out in an upper-lower-layer staggered mode, and the purpose of automatic tray distributing is achieved; and logic control of automatic material distribution is simplified.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automation equipment technology, specifically a silo pallet sorting machine. Background Technology

[0002] A pallet sorting machine is a device used to automatically separate pallets from a silo and transport them in sequence. It is widely used in logistics, warehousing, manufacturing and other fields, and can improve the sorting and conveying efficiency of pallets and reduce the intensity of manual labor.

[0003] Currently, most pallet separating methods employ a simple lifting and pushing structure. Specifically, when pallets are stacked unevenly or deviate from their intended position due to improper operation or environmental factors during storage or transportation, the lifting mechanism is prone to jamming during its attempt to separate the bottom pallet due to misalignment or jamming between upper and lower pallets. This jamming not only interrupts the entire separating process and affects production efficiency but may also cause a chain reaction on subsequent automated equipment, increasing system downtime and maintenance costs.

[0004] In addition, when the pusher plate performs the separating action, it needs to apply a certain amount of pushing force to ensure that the pallets can be separated smoothly. During this process, direct contact and friction between the pusher plate and the pallet surface are unavoidable. Under long-term operation, this continuous physical force will cause scratches, wear and even deformation on the pallet surface, which will affect the service life and appearance quality of the pallet. This problem is particularly prominent for pallets that need to maintain high cleanliness or special surface treatment. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a silo pallet feeder to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions: A silo pallet distributor, the distributor comprising: The base has a material distribution rack and a hopper fixedly installed on the top of the base. The pallets are stacked inside the hopper. A material distribution mechanism is also fixedly installed in the middle of the top of the material distribution rack. The material distribution mechanism consists of two material distribution units, which are placed on both sides of the hopper. The material distribution unit includes a cover frame fixed to the top of the material distribution rack, a cover plate detachably installed on the top of the cover frame, and a material distribution component installed inside the cavity formed between the cover frame and the cover plate. The two material distribution components work together to push the pallet inside the hopper to extend out in two staggered layers. The base is also equipped with a conveying mechanism and a suction cup mechanism corresponding to the hopper. The suction cup mechanism is used to cooperate with the material distribution mechanism to transfer the misaligned trays to the conveying mechanism.

[0007] As a preferred scheme of the silo tray distributing machine, the distributing assembly comprises a through slot formed on the cover plate and a mandrel rotatably installed in the cover frame, an upper supporting plate and a lower supporting plate movably inserted into the cover frame and located at the top and bottom of the mandrel respectively, and a power unit arranged between the upper supporting plate and the lower supporting plate and used to drive the upper supporting plate and the lower supporting plate to extend alternately.

[0008] As a preferred scheme of the silo tray distributing machine, the power unit comprises a baffle fixed on the top of the upper supporting plate, a cylinder two fixedly installed on the cover plate, and a toothed disc fixedly sleeved on the middle part of the mandrel, the baffle is movably connected to the inside of the through slot in a through manner, and the telescopic end of the cylinder two is fixedly connected with the baffle, and the opposite sides of the upper supporting plate and the lower supporting plate are fixedly provided with toothed columns engaged with the toothed disc.

[0009] As a preferred scheme of the silo tray distributing machine, the top of one end of the upper supporting plate and the lower supporting plate extending out of the cover frame is fixedly provided with an auxiliary lifting assembly, the auxiliary lifting assembly comprises a bracket, the bracket is arranged in a right-angled trapezoidal structure, a sunken groove is formed on the top of the bracket, and a plurality of roller two distributed at equal intervals are rotatably installed in the sunken groove.

[0010] As a preferred scheme of the silo tray distributing machine, the distributing frame comprises side frames fixed on the top of the base and located on both sides of the conveying mechanism, two load plates are fixedly installed between the two side frames, and two distributing units are fixedly installed on the top middle part of the corresponding load plates, one side of one side frame is fixedly installed with an electric push rod one, the telescopic end of the electric push rod one is fixedly connected with a vertical plate, the top of the vertical plate is fixedly connected with a plug plate movably inserted into the silo, and a plurality of roller one distributed at equal intervals are rollingly embedded on the top of the plug plate.

[0011] As a preferred scheme of the silo tray distributing machine, the top of the base is fixedly provided with a support frame opposite to the distributing frame, the conveying mechanism comprises straight plates fixed between the two ends of the support frame and the corresponding side frames, a rotating shaft is rotatably installed between one end of the two straight plates, a plurality of driving wheels distributed at equal intervals are fixedly sleeved on the outside of the rotating shaft, a U-shaped frame is fixedly installed between the other end of the two straight plates, L-shaped frames are fixedly installed on both ends of the U-shaped frame, driven wheels are rotatably installed on the inside of the two L-shaped frames, and a conveying belt is transmissionally connected between the driven wheels and the corresponding driving wheels.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the silo pallet sorting machine of the present invention, the suction cup mechanism includes a dovetail groove formed on the top of the base and an electric push rod two fixedly installed on the top of the base at one end of the dovetail groove. A T-shaped dovetail block is slidably installed inside the dovetail groove. The telescopic end of the electric push rod two is fixedly connected to the T-shaped dovetail block. A cylinder one is fixedly installed on the top of the T-shaped dovetail block. A mounting plate is fixedly connected to the telescopic end of the cylinder one. Suction cups are installed at the four corners of the top of the mounting plate, and a vision sensor is fixedly installed at the center of the top of the mounting plate.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the silo pallet sorting machine of the present invention, the silo includes a first half-silo and a second half-silo respectively fixed between the two ends of two carrier plates, the opposite ends of the first half-silo and the second half-silo are fitted together, and an auxiliary adjustment component is also installed between the first half-silo and the second half-silo.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the silo pallet distributor of the present invention, the auxiliary adjustment component includes two fastening blocks. The two fastening blocks are fixed to the corresponding ends of half-silo one and half-silo two by locking bolts. Both fastening blocks are hollow. The top of half-silo one and half-silo two are provided with column holes. The bottom of the fastening block is connected to a branch pipe that is movably inserted into the corresponding column hole. The top of the fastening block is connected to an air source pipe. Airbags are fixed inside half-silo one and half-silo two. Each column hole and the corresponding airbag are connected to a vent pipe embedded in the silo.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of the silo pallet sorting machine of the present invention, wherein: a receiving cavity is provided at one end of the upper pallet and the lower pallet extending out of the cover frame, and an air passage is provided on the upper pallet and the lower pallet to communicate with the receiving cavity; an air source pipe II that movably penetrates the cover frame is fixedly connected to one end of the upper pallet and the lower pallet, and one end of the air source pipe II is connected to the corresponding air passage; a push plate is movably inserted into each receiving cavity, and a spring is fixedly connected between one end of the push plate inside the receiving cavity and the inner cavity end face of the corresponding receiving cavity.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. In this invention, after the target pallets are stacked one by one inside the hopper where the material is blocked by the insert plate, the control terminal controls the cylinder two of one of the material distribution units to push the baffle towards the target pallet. At the same time, the control terminal controls the cylinder two of another material distribution unit to pull the baffle away from the target pallet. The moving upper support plate drives the toothed disc to rotate, causing the lower support plate to move in the opposite direction to the upper support plate. This can realize the purpose of automatically distributing the pallets inside the hopper by pushing them out in a staggered manner, thus achieving the purpose of automatic pallet distribution and effectively avoiding the occurrence of pallet jamming. 2. The present invention adds a pneumatic pusher structure to both the upper and lower pallets. Before the upper and lower pallets are staggered, air can be filled into the corresponding storage cavities through the air source pipe to push the corresponding pusher to the corresponding side of the target pallet, which can meet the requirements of pallet division of different specifications. 3. By rotating and installing a first roller on the top of the insert plate and rotating and installing a second roller inside the groove on the bracket, the static contact friction between the pallet and the insert plate and between two adjacent pallets during the process of misaligned pallet separation can be converted into rolling friction, thereby reducing the wear on the pallets during the separation process. 4. This invention, by setting an inflatable airbag inside the hopper, allows for inflation of the airbag installed inside the hopper via an air supply pipe after the pallets are stacked. This inflated airbag is used to pre-adjust the position of the stacked pallets, ensuring the subsequent staggered pallet sorting process between upper and lower layers. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention from a first-view perspective; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the invention from a second perspective; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the material distribution rack and the material bin of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a partial structural diagram of the insert plate of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the unfolded hopper of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the conveying mechanism structure of the present invention; Figure 7 This is the present invention. Figure 6 Enlarged schematic diagram of section A in the middle; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the material distribution unit of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the material distribution unit of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a partial sectional view of the upper support plate of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a partial sectional view of the lower support plate of the present invention; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application of the pallet feeder of the present invention; Figure 13This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the material distribution mechanism of the present invention.

[0018] The attached diagram is labeled as follows: 1. Base; 2. Support; 3. Material distribution frame; 31. Side frame; 32. Carrier plate; 33. Electric actuator one; 34. Insert plate; 35. Vertical plate; 36. Roller one; 4. Conveying mechanism; 41. Straight plate; 42. U-shaped frame; 43. L-shaped frame; 44. Driven wheel; 45. Driving wheel; 5. Suction cup mechanism; 51. Dovetail groove; 52. Electric actuator two; 53. T-shaped dovetail block; 54. Cylinder one; 55. Mounting plate; 56. Vision sensor; 57. Suction cup; 6. Material distribution mechanism; 61. Cover frame; 62. Cover plate; 63. Material assembly; 631, through slot; 632, cylinder two; 633, upper support plate; 634, baffle; 635, lower support plate; 636, gear column; 637, gear disc; 638, spindle; 639, auxiliary lifting assembly; 6391, bracket; 6392, roller two; 7, hopper; 71, half-hopper one; 72, half-hopper two; 73, auxiliary adjustment assembly; 731, fastening block; 732, column hole; 733, branch pipe; 734, air source pipe one; 735, air bag; 8, storage cavity; 9, air passage; 10, air source pipe two; 11, push plate; 12, spring. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] The material sorting machine of this invention belongs to a part of the intelligent manufacturing equipment industry. It is a type of equipment for processing materials during the material conveying process. It is mainly used to sort materials by staggering the upper and lower layers of pallets stacked inside the silo, thereby reducing the jamming rate and reducing the wear on the pallets during the sorting process.

[0021] Example 1: Refer to the appendix of the instruction manual. Figure 1 This embodiment is the first embodiment of the present invention, providing a silo pallet distributor, which includes: The base 1 has a material distribution rack 3 and a hopper 7 fixedly installed on the top of the base 1. The hopper 7 is stacked inside the hopper 7. The hopper 7 is designed to be deep enough to allow multiple products to be fed at once, thereby reducing the number of times the material is fed repeatedly. The material distribution rack 3 is also fixedly installed in the middle of the top of the material distribution rack 3. The material distribution mechanism 6 consists of two material distribution units, which are placed on both sides of the hopper 7. The base 1 is also equipped with a conveying mechanism 4 and a suction cup mechanism 5 corresponding to the hopper 7. The suction cup mechanism 5 is used to cooperate with the material distribution mechanism 6 to transfer the misaligned hoppers to the conveying mechanism 4.

[0022] It should be noted that the present invention pre-places the target pallets into the hopper 7 one by one, and then uses two material distribution units to push the pallets at the bottom of the hopper 7 to extend out in two staggered layers. During the staggered material distribution process, the suction cup mechanism 5 will also be used to hold the separated pallets and transfer them to the conveying mechanism 4 for the next process.

[0023] Furthermore, such as Figures 2-4 As shown, the material distribution frame 3 includes side frames 31 fixed on the top of the base 1 and located on both sides of the conveying mechanism 4. Two carrier plates 32 are fixedly installed between the two side frames 31. Two material distribution units are respectively fixed at the top center of the corresponding carrier plates 32. One side frame 31 is fixedly installed with an electric push rod 33. The telescopic end of the electric push rod 33 is fixedly connected to a vertical plate 35. The top of the vertical plate 35 is fixedly connected to an insert plate 34 that is movably inserted into the hopper 7. The insert plate 34 can be used to seal the bottom port of the hopper 7 to prevent material leakage when the target pallet is stacked into the hopper 7. In addition, multiple rollers 36 are rolled and embedded on the top of the insert plate 34. The rollers 36 can be used to lift the stacked target pallet to reduce the direct contact area between the insert plate 34 and the corresponding target pallet, and convert the static friction between the target pallet and the insert plate 34 into rolling friction, thereby reducing the wear on the corresponding surface of the target pallet during the staggered material distribution process between the upper and lower layers.

[0024] It should be noted that during the process of sequentially distributing the target pallets stacked inside the hopper 7, the two target pallets at the bottom of the stacked hopper 7 are pushed out in a staggered manner by the distributing mechanism 6 composed of two distributing units. During this process, since the top of the insert plate 34 is fitted with a roller 36, the wear caused by the insert plate 34 to the bottom pallet during the staggered distributing process can be greatly reduced. When the two pallets at the bottom of the stacked hopper 7 are misaligned, the suction cup mechanism 5 will rise to support the bottom target pallet and suck it up. Then, the electric push rod 33 is controlled by the control terminal to push the insert plate away from the hopper 7, release the blockage at the bottom port of the hopper 7, and then the suction cup mechanism 5 is used to drive the sucked lower pallet down, and the separated lower pallet is attached to the conveying mechanism 4 for conveying to the next process.

[0025] Furthermore, such as Figures 2-3 and Figures 6-7 As shown, a support 2 is fixedly installed on the top of the base 1, which is directly opposite the material distribution frame 3. The conveying mechanism 4 includes straight plates 41 fixed between the two ends of the support 2 and the corresponding side frames 31. A rotating shaft is rotatably installed between one end of the two straight plates 41. The rotating shaft is driven by a motor installed on one side of the support 2. Multiple drive wheels 45 are fixedly sleeved on the outside of the rotating shaft and are distributed at equal intervals. A U-shaped frame 42 is fixedly installed between the other ends of the two straight plates 41. L-shaped frames 43 are fixedly installed at both ends of the U-shaped frame 42. The U-shaped frame 42 and the two straight plates 41, as well as the two L-shaped frames 43 and the U-shaped frame 42, are detachably fixed by locking bolts. Driven wheels 44 are rotatably installed on the inner side of the two L-shaped frames 43. A conveyor belt is connected between the driven wheels 44 and the corresponding drive wheels 45.

[0026] It should be noted that since the U-shaped frame 42 and the two straight plates 41, as well as the two L-shaped frames 43 and the U-shaped frame 42, are detachably fixed with locking bolts, and multiple drive wheels are installed on the rotating shaft, the spacing between the two conveyor belts can be adjusted according to the length of the target pallet inside the hopper 7. Furthermore, the relative position between the U-shaped frame 42 and the straight plates 41 can be adjusted to keep the conveyor belt taut, ensuring a stable and orderly conveying process. When using the conveyor mechanism 4 to transport the separated target pallets, the conveyor belt can be continuously conveyed by a motor, or it can be conveyed in a stepping manner. During stepping conveying, the distance between the landing points of two adjacent pallets should be greater than twice the width of the target pallet to avoid the situation where the pallet at the rear landing point has not yet left the area of ​​the front landing point before the pallet at the front landing point lands again. The terms "front" and "rear" here refer to... Figure 2 The visual reference is used as a basis.

[0027] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 and Figure 6As shown, the suction cup mechanism 5 includes a dovetail groove 51 formed on the top of the base 1 and an electric actuator 52 fixedly installed on the top of the base 1 at one end of the dovetail groove 51. A T-shaped dovetail block 53 is slidably installed inside the dovetail groove 51. The telescopic end of the electric actuator 52 is fixedly connected to the T-shaped dovetail block 53. A cylinder 54 is fixedly installed on the top of the T-shaped dovetail block 53. A mounting plate 55 is fixedly connected to the telescopic end of the cylinder 54. Suction cups 57 are installed at the four corners of the top of the mounting plate 55. The suction cups 57 adopt a flexible design, that is, by changing the material, structure or shape of the suction cup, it can have a certain degree of elasticity and adaptability. The design allows for better fit to uneven, irregular, or fragile surfaces, thus preventing pallet wear. A vision sensor 56 is fixedly installed at the top center of the mounting plate 55. By capturing a 2D planar image of the bottom surface of the pallet, the shape and size of the bottom of the pallet are identified using edge detection, contour extraction, and other algorithms. The control end controls the electric push rod 52 to move the T-shaped dovetail block 53 based on the data fed back by the vision sensor 56, so that the geometric center of the mounting plate 55 is aligned with the geometric center of the bottom surface of the pallet, ensuring that the load-bearing capacity of each suction point is approximately equal after the suction cup 57 holds the pallet.

[0028] It should be noted that during the process of using the suction cup mechanism 5 to transfer the separated pallets to the top of the conveyor belt, after the two bottom pallets inside the hopper 7 are separated by the two material distribution units, cylinder 1 54 will push the mounting plate 55 upward. As the mounting plate 55 moves upward, electric push rod 2 52 will push the mounting plate to move horizontally based on the information fed back by vision sensor 56, ensuring that the geometric center of the mounting plate 55 is aligned with the geometric center of the bottom surface of the pallet. At the same time, electric push rod 33 will push the insert plate 34 to detach from the hopper 7, releasing the sealing state of the hopper 7, so that the rising suction cup 57 can smoothly contact and clamp the lower suction cup. During this process, the misalignment between the upper and lower pallets is a local misalignment, so that during the process of pulling out the insert plate 34 to clamp the lower pallet, the extended end of the material distribution unit will be used to prevent the pallets inside the hopper 7 from falling further.

[0029] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 , Figures 8-10 and Figure 13 As shown, the material distribution unit includes a cover frame 61 fixed to the top of the material distribution rack 3, a cover plate 62 detachably installed on the top of the cover frame 61, and a material distribution component 63 installed inside the cavity formed between the cover frame 61 and the cover plate 62. The two material distribution components 63 cooperate to push the pallet inside the hopper 7 to extend in two staggered layers.

[0030] Furthermore, the material distribution assembly 63 includes a through groove 631 opened on the cover plate 62 and a spindle 638 rotatably installed inside the cover frame 61. An upper support plate 633 and a lower support plate 635 located at the top and bottom of the spindle 638 are movably inserted inside the cover frame 61. A power unit for driving the upper support plate 633 and the lower support plate 635 to extend alternately is provided between the upper support plate 633 and the lower support plate 635. The power unit includes a baffle 634 fixed to the top of the upper support plate 633, a cylinder 632 fixedly mounted on the cover plate 62, and a gear disc 637 fixedly sleeved in the middle of the spindle 638. The baffle 634 is movably connected through the slot 631, and the telescopic end of the cylinder 632 is fixedly connected to the baffle 634. The upper support plate 633 and the lower support plate 635 are both fixedly provided with gear posts 636 that mesh with the gear disc 637. During the reciprocating translation of the baffle 634 inside the slot 631, the gear posts 636 on the upper support plate 633 and the lower support plate 635 are always meshed with the gear disc 637. During the meshing transmission of the upper support plate 633 and the lower support plate 635 under the rotation of the gear disc 637, the upper support plate 633 and the lower support plate 635 respectively move against the bottom end face of the cover plate 62 and the bottom end face of the inner cavity of the cover frame 61.

[0031] Furthermore, auxiliary lifting components 639 are fixedly provided at the top of the ends of the upper support plate 633 and the lower support plate 635 that extend outward from the cover frame 61. The auxiliary lifting components 639 include a bracket 6391, which is fixedly mounted on the corresponding mounting surfaces of the upper support plate 633 and the lower support plate 635 by locking bolts. A T-shaped slide block is fixedly provided at the bottom center of the bracket 6391, and a T-shaped groove is formed on the corresponding mounting surfaces of the upper support plate 633 and the lower support plate 635. The T-shaped slide block is slidably connected inside the T-shaped groove. This design allows for quick positioning of the bracket 6391 during installation (i.e., when the T-shaped slide block is inserted into the inner end of the corresponding T-shaped groove, the mounting hole on the corresponding mounting surface of the bracket 6391 is precisely aligned). The surface can increase the stability of the bracket 6391 during use. The bracket 6391 is designed as a right-angled trapezoidal structure, and a groove is opened on the top of the bracket 6391. Multiple rollers 6392 are rotatably installed inside the groove. In addition, during the process of separating two adjacent pallets in corresponding positions using the auxiliary lifting component 639, since the two pallets at the bottom are restricted on both sides by the corresponding upper support plate 633 and lower support plate 635 respectively, and the pallet on the third layer from the bottom is pressed down by the pallets stacked above it, the pallet located above the corresponding pallet will be vertically lifted upward by the pushing of the bracket 6391 during the advancement of the side bracket 6391, so that the contact surfaces of the two initially adjacent pallets are separated, thereby avoiding jamming during the pushing process.

[0032] It should be noted that flexible anti-slip pads can be set on the side of the upper support plate 633 and the lower support plate 635 that directly contacts the pallet, and the upper surface of the flexible anti-slip pads can be set as an inclined surface to ensure that the target pallet can be smoothly squeezed between the corresponding two flexible anti-slip pads. In the initial state, the distance between the two upper support plates 633 and the distance between the two lower support plates 635 are equal and equal to the width of the target pallet inside the hopper 7. Due to the design of the flexible anti-slip pads, the pallet group stacked in the hopper 7 will, under its own weight, allow the two pallets at the bottom to be stuck between the two upper support plates 633 and the two support plates 635. Thus, when the two pallets are staggered and extended and the insert plate 34 is pulled out to seal the bottom of the hopper 7, the separated lower pallet will not be separated from the clamping state of the two lower support plates 635 under its own weight. In addition, the resistance between the flexible anti-slip pads on the lower support plate 635 and the lower pallet in the clamping state is less than the suction force generated by the suction cup 57 when adsorbing the lower pallet. In the process of using two material distribution units to extend the pallets at the bottom of the hopper 7 in a staggered manner, after the target pallets are placed inside the hopper 7, the two pallets at the bottom are clamped by two upper support plates 633 and two lower support plates 635. Corresponding flexible anti-slip pads are used to enhance the contact resistance of the clamped pallets, preventing the lower pallets from escaping the clamping state of the two lower support plates 635 due to their own gravity after being removed from the obstruction of the insert plate 34. When the pallets are pushed to begin the staggered extension, the specific operation is as follows: The control terminal controls cylinder 632 of one of the material distribution units to push baffle 634 toward the target pallet. At the same time, it controls cylinder 632 of another material distribution unit to pull baffle 634 away from the target pallet. This causes the two upper pallets 633 to clamp the upper pallet and move to the left (this direction of movement is a pre-set state and will be determined according to the actual direction of movement, the same below). While the two upper pallets 633 move to the left in sync, they will drive the corresponding toothed disc 637 to rotate. The rotating toothed disc 637 will drive the two lower pallets 635 to move to the right in sync, thereby pushing the pallets inside the hopper 7 to extend out in a staggered manner, achieving the purpose of pallet separation. Furthermore, during the process of staggered extension of the upper and lower layers of the trays, as the two upper support plates 633 clamp the corresponding (i.e., the second to last layer in the hopper 7) tray and move to the left, the bracket 6391 at the top of the upper support plate 633 in the traveling direction will use its inclined surface to squeeze the upper layer (i.e., the third to last layer in the hopper 7) of the corresponding tray, and finally make the pusher of the third to last layer overlap with the area where the roller 6392 at the top of the bracket 6391 is located, so that the second to last layer and the third to last layer of the trays are separated. Similarly, the first to last layer and the second to last layer of the trays are also separated, thereby avoiding the wear of the corresponding side surface of the trays caused by the direct contact between adjacent trays during the staggered extension process. After the lower pallet separated by the suction cup mechanism 5 is transferred, the electric push rod 33 will drive the insert plate 34 to re-insert into the hopper 7 to block the material from falling. Then, the pallet clamped by the two upper support plates 633 will move to the right, and the two empty lower support plates 635 will move to the left. When it moves to the initial state, the pallet located between the two upper support plates 633 will fall to the top of the insert plate 34 under the gravity of the pallets stacked on top of it, while the pallet of the initial third-to-last layer will fall between the two upper support plates 633. Then, the above process of the upper and lower layers being staggered and extending to separate the pallets can be repeated.

[0033] During the process of the above-mentioned staggered extension of the trays, it should also be noted that: the insert plate 34 used to block the falling trays should have inclined protrusions on both sides, and the width of the space where the staggered extension of the trays is located at the lower end of the hopper 7 should be greater than the width of the space where the upper end of the hopper 7 is used to assist in stacking the pallets. At the junction of the staggered extension area and the area where the pallets are used to assist in stacking the pallets, there should be a vertical strip that is directly opposite the inclined protrusions. This is used to guide the pallets falling to the bottom to be located between the clamping parts of the two sorting units. Only in this way can the tray sorting process be ensured to proceed smoothly.

[0034] Example 2: Refer to the appendix of the instruction manual. Figures 9-11This embodiment is the second embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that: both the upper support plate 633 and the lower support plate 635 have a storage cavity 8 extending from the cover frame 61, and both the upper support plate 633 and the lower support plate 635 have an air passage 9 communicating with the storage cavity 8. One end of both the upper support plate 633 and the lower support plate 635 is fixedly connected to an air source pipe 10 that movably passes through the cover frame 61. The portion of the air source pipe 10 passing through the cover frame 61 is a rigid pipe, facilitating synchronous changes in the air source pipe 10 during the expansion and contraction of the upper support plate 633 and the lower support plate 635. One end of the air source pipe 10 is connected to the corresponding air passage 9. Each storage cavity 8 has a pusher plate 11 movably inserted into it. A spring 12 is fixedly connected between one end of the plate 11 located inside the storage cavity 8 and the corresponding inner cavity end face of the storage cavity 8. When the spring 12 is in its natural state, the push plate 11 is completely retracted inside the storage cavity 8, and a sealing gasket is fixedly covered on the outside of the push plate 11. This can form a piston-like structure between the push plate 11 and the storage cavity 8, so that the extension of the push plate 11 can be adjusted by controlling the air flow of the air source pipe 2 10. In addition, a pressure sensor can be set on the side of the push plate 11 that contacts the tray to control the pressure applied by the push plate 11 to the tray under the action of compressed air, so as to ensure that the clamped tray will not be released from the clamping state under its own gravity, while not affecting the suction cup 57 to suck the tray out of the clamping state.

[0035] It should be noted that when using two material distribution units to extend the pallets at the bottom of the hopper 7 in a staggered manner, if the target pallet is smaller (compared to the width of the target pallet in Embodiment 1), air will be injected into the corresponding receiving cavity 8 through the air source pipe 10 before the staggered pallet division, so as to push the corresponding push plate 11 against the corresponding side of the target pallet. Then the aforementioned pallet division process will be carried out. However, during the reset process after each round of transfer, the extended push plate 11 will be controlled to retract into the corresponding receiving cavity under the restoring force of the spring 12. After the pallet at the bottom of the hopper 7 falls to the top of the insert plate 34, the pallet division process in this embodiment can be repeated.

[0036] Example 3: Refer to the appendix of the instruction manual. Figures 2-3 and Figure 5 This embodiment is the third embodiment of the present invention. The difference between this embodiment and the second embodiment is that the hopper 7 includes half-hopper 1 71 and half-hopper 2 72, which are respectively fixed between the two ends of the two carrier plates 32. The opposite ends of half-hopper 1 71 and half-hopper 2 72 are fitted together. Half-hopper 1 71 and half-hopper 2 72 are fixed to the carrier plates 32 by locking bolts, which facilitates selection according to the specifications of the target pallet.

[0037] Furthermore, an auxiliary adjustment assembly 73 is installed between half-compartment one 71 and half-compartment two 72. The auxiliary adjustment assembly 73 includes two fastening blocks 731, which are fixed to the corresponding ends of half-compartment one 71 and half-compartment two 72 by locking bolts. Both fastening blocks 731 are hollow. A column hole 732 is opened at the top opposite end of half-compartment one 71 and half-compartment two 72. A branch pipe 733 is movably inserted into the corresponding column hole 732 at the bottom of the fastening block 731. An air source pipe 734 is connected to the top of the fastening block 731. Airbags 735 are fixedly installed on the inner side of each bin 72. A sealing ring is also fixedly fitted on the outside of the branch pipe 733 to ensure that there will be no air leakage at that point when the branch pipe 733 is inserted into the corresponding column hole 732 and inflates the airbag 735. The fastening block 731 is used to help fix half bin 1 71 and half bin 2 72, which can improve the docking stability between half bin 1 71 and half bin 2 72 and ensure the stable inflation process of the airbag 735. Each column hole 732 and the corresponding airbag 735 are connected by a vent pipe embedded in the bin 7.

[0038] It should be noted that during the process of stacking the target pallet into the hopper, in order to facilitate pallet stacking, the hopper 7 is generally designed to be larger than the pallet's dimensions (i.e., length and width). This can lead to misalignment and unevenness of the stacked pallets. Therefore, an auxiliary adjustment component 73 is added to the hopper 7. After the pallets are stacked, air is injected into the airbag 735 installed inside the hopper 7 through the air source pipe 734. The inflated airbag 735 is used to pre-adjust the position of the stacked pallets to ensure the subsequent staggered pallet separation process between upper and lower layers.

[0039] The working principle of the above-mentioned silo pallet distributor is as follows: After the target pallets are successively placed inside the silo 7 where the material drop is blocked by the insert plate 34, the control terminal controls the cylinder 632 of one of the distribution units to push the baffle 634 towards the target pallet. At the same time, the control terminal controls the cylinder 632 of another distribution unit to pull the baffle 634 away from the target pallet. The moving upper support plate 633 drives the gear plate 637 to rotate, causing the lower support plate 635 to interact with the upper support plate 633. The opposite movement pushes the pallets inside the hopper 7 to extend outwards in a staggered manner, achieving the purpose of separating the pallets, reducing the jamming rate. After the separation is completed, the rising suction cup mechanism 5 supports the bottom target pallet and sucks it in. Then, the control terminal controls the electric push rod 33 to push the insert plate away from the hopper 7, releasing the blockage at the bottom port of the hopper 7. Then, the suction cup mechanism 5 drives the sucked lower pallet to move downwards, and the separated lower pallet is attached to the conveying mechanism 4 for conveying to the next process.

[0040] In the above technical solution, the electric actuator 33 and electric actuator 52 mentioned above are both electric actuators of model HB-DJ801; the cylinders 54 and 632 mentioned above are both single-acting cylinders of model DSA25N200; the vision sensor 56 mentioned above is an IFM O2D500 vision sensor; and the pressure sensor mentioned above is a plate differential pressure sensor of model FSR-A406.

[0041] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claimed invention.

Claims

1. A silo pallet feeder, characterized in that, The material distributor includes: The base (1) has a material distribution rack (3) and a hopper (7) fixedly installed on the material distribution rack (3) at the top. The pallets are stacked inside the hopper (7). A material distribution mechanism (6) is also fixedly installed in the middle of the top of the material distribution rack (3). The material distribution mechanism (6) consists of two material distribution units, and the two material distribution units are placed on both sides of the hopper (7). The material distribution unit includes a cover frame (61) fixed on the top of the material distribution rack (3), a cover plate (62) detachably installed on the top of the cover frame (61), and a material distribution component (63) installed inside the cavity formed between the cover frame (61) and the cover plate (62). The two material distribution components (63) work together to push the pallet inside the hopper (7) to extend out in two staggered layers. The base (1) is also equipped with a conveying mechanism (4) and a suction cup mechanism (5) corresponding to the hopper (7). The suction cup mechanism (5) is used to cooperate with the material distribution mechanism (6) to transfer the misaligned trays to the conveying mechanism (4).

2. The silo pallet feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material distribution assembly (63) includes a through groove (631) opened on the cover plate (62) and a spindle (638) rotatably installed inside the cover frame (61). An upper support plate (633) and a lower support plate (635) located at the top and bottom of the spindle (638) are movably inserted inside the cover frame (61). A power unit for driving the upper support plate (633) and the lower support plate (635) to extend alternately is provided between the upper support plate (633) and the lower support plate (635).

3. A silo pallet feeder according to claim 2, characterized in that, The power unit includes a baffle (634) fixed on the top of the upper support plate (633), a cylinder two (632) fixedly installed on the cover plate (62), and a gear disc (637) fixedly sleeved in the middle of the spindle (638). The baffle (634) is movably connected through the slot (631), and the telescopic end of the cylinder two (632) is fixedly connected to the baffle (634). The upper support plate (633) and the lower support plate (635) are both fixedly provided with gear columns (636) that mesh with the gear disc (637).

4. A silo pallet feeder according to claim 2, characterized in that, The upper support plate (633) and the lower support plate (635) are both fixedly provided with auxiliary lifting components (639) at the top of the end extending outward from the cover frame (61). The auxiliary lifting components (639) include a bracket (6391), which is set as a right-angled trapezoidal structure, and a groove is opened at the top of the bracket (6391). Multiple rollers (6392) are rotatably installed inside the groove.

5. A silo pallet feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material distribution frame (3) includes side frames (31) fixed on the top of the base (1) and located on both sides of the conveying mechanism (4). Two carrier plates (32) are fixedly installed between the two side frames (31). Two material distribution units are fixed on the top center of the corresponding carrier plates (32). One side frame (31) is fixedly installed with an electric push rod (33). The telescopic end of the electric push rod (33) is fixedly connected with a vertical plate (35). The top of the vertical plate (35) is fixedly connected with an insert plate (34) that is movably inserted into the hopper (7). The top of the insert plate (34) is rolled with multiple rollers (36) that are evenly distributed.

6. A silo pallet feeder according to claim 5, characterized in that, The base (1) is fixedly provided with a bracket (2) facing the material distribution frame (3). The conveying mechanism (4) includes a straight plate (41) fixed between the two ends of the bracket (2) and the corresponding side frame (31). A rotating shaft is rotatably installed between one end of the two straight plates (41). Multiple driving wheels (45) are fixedly sleeved on the outside of the rotating shaft. A U-shaped frame (42) is fixedly installed between the other ends of the two straight plates (41). L-shaped frames (43) are fixedly installed at both ends of the U-shaped frame (42). Driven wheels (44) are rotatably installed on the inner side of the two L-shaped frames (43). A conveyor belt is connected between the driven wheel (44) and the corresponding driving wheel (45).

7. A silo pallet feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The suction cup mechanism (5) includes a dovetail groove (51) opened on the top of the base (1) and an electric push rod (52) fixedly installed on the top of the base (1) at one end of the dovetail groove (51). A T-shaped dovetail block (53) is slidably installed inside the dovetail groove (51). The telescopic end of the electric push rod (52) is fixedly connected to the T-shaped dovetail block (53). A cylinder (54) is fixedly installed on the top of the T-shaped dovetail block (53). A mounting plate (55) is fixedly connected to the telescopic end of the cylinder (54). A suction cup (57) is installed at each of the four corners of the top of the mounting plate (55), and a vision sensor (56) is fixedly installed at the center of the top of the mounting plate (55).

8. A silo pallet feeder according to claim 5, characterized in that, The hopper (7) includes a first half-hopper (71) and a second half-hopper (72) respectively fixed between the two ends of the two carrier plates (32). The opposite ends of the first half-hopper (71) and the second half-hopper (72) are fitted together, and an auxiliary adjustment component (73) is also installed between the first half-hopper (71) and the second half-hopper (72).

9. A silo pallet feeder according to claim 8, characterized in that, The auxiliary adjustment component (73) includes two fastening blocks (731). The two fastening blocks (731) are fixed to the corresponding ends of half-compartment one (71) and half-compartment two (72) by locking bolts. Both fastening blocks (731) are hollow. The top of half-compartment one (71) and half-compartment two (72) are provided with column holes (732). The bottom of the fastening block (731) is connected to a branch pipe (733) that is movably inserted into the corresponding column hole (732). The top of the fastening block (731) is connected to an air source pipe (734). The inner side of half-compartment one (71) and half-compartment two (72) is fixed with an air bag (735). Each column hole (732) and the corresponding air bag (735) are connected to a vent pipe buried on the silo (7).

10. A silo pallet feeder according to claim 2, characterized in that, The upper support plate (633) and the lower support plate (635) are each provided with a storage cavity (8) at one end of the cover frame (61), and the upper support plate (633) and the lower support plate (635) are each provided with an air passage (9) that communicates with the storage cavity (8). One end of the upper support plate (633) and the lower support plate (635) is fixedly connected to an air source pipe (10) that movably passes through the cover frame (61). One end of the air source pipe (10) is connected to the corresponding air passage (9). A push plate (11) is movably inserted into each storage cavity (8). A spring (12) is fixedly connected between the end of the push plate (11) inside the storage cavity (8) and the inner cavity end face of the corresponding storage cavity (8).

Images