Workpiece carrier capable of effectively improving machining efficiency
By using a foolproof structure and sensor-monitored workpiece carrier in the production of measuring instruments, the problems of workpiece fixture replacement errors and idle work were solved, and accurate workpiece placement and processing monitoring were achieved, thereby improving production efficiency and employee proficiency.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511997576.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-27
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-17
AI Technical Summary
In the production process of measuring instruments, errors in workpiece fixture replacement and differences in employee skill levels lead to low processing efficiency and idleness, resulting in low workstation utilization.
The workpiece carrier with a foolproof structure includes a rotatable base plate and a drive unit, and is equipped with workpiece clamps and a foolproof structure, photoelectric sensors and alarm devices to achieve accurate placement of workpieces and monitoring of the processing.
It effectively reduced the error rate of workpiece operation, improved the operational proficiency of employees and production efficiency, avoided idleness, and improved the utilization rate of workstations.
Smart Images

Figure CN121535685A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to a workpiece carrier used in the production process, and particularly to a workpiece carrier in the field of water meter and gas meter processing. Background Technology
[0002] In the traditional manufacturing process of measuring instruments, manual operation of the workpiece is used, which presents the following problems:
[0003] 1. Different types of workpieces have similar shapes. When employees receive the workpiece according to the instruction sheet, due to mistakes, they may not change the workpiece fixture to match the newly received workpiece in time, thus causing employees to make mistakes without their knowledge.
[0004] 2. Due to differences in the proficiency of employees, a bottleneck in processing efficiency occurs in a certain link of the production line. In order to improve the proficiency of employees with slow operation, it is urgent to adopt a workpiece processing platform with a set speed.
[0005] 3. In the actual production process, some employees may slack off, resulting in low workstation utilization. Summary of the Invention
[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a workpiece carrier that is simple in structure, low in manufacturing cost, applicable to a variety of workpieces, and has a high station idling rate, which can effectively improve processing efficiency.
[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:
[0008] A workpiece carrier that effectively improves processing efficiency includes a rotatable base plate and a drive device disposed below the base plate (1) for driving the base plate to rotate. The base plate is fixed to the output end of the drive device. Several processing positions are provided at circumferential intervals in the edge region of the base plate. A workpiece fixture is provided at each processing position. Several foolproof structures suitable for different workpiece fixtures are provided on the base plate. Each workpiece fixture is installed on the base plate in a quick-release manner.
[0009] The error-proof structure is a protrusion or recess set on the machining position. Correspondingly, a notch or protrusion is set on the bottom or side of the workpiece fixture that is unique to workpiece fixtures of the same type.
[0010] The driving device includes a drive motor and a coupling. A mounting hole is provided in the center of the base plate. The power output shaft of the coupling is inserted into the mounting hole and fixedly connected to the base plate.
[0011] The carrier is also equipped with an alarm device that issues a warning when a workpiece stays at a certain station for more than a set time.
[0012] The number of processing stations is 5-20.
[0013] A photoelectric sensor is installed above the workpiece fixture to determine whether a workpiece is placed inside the workpiece fixture.
[0014] A signal acquisition sensor is installed on or above the workpiece fixture to determine whether the workpiece is in place.
[0015] Above the substrate are laser processing devices, screen printing devices, glue injection devices, or screw-driving devices for processing workpieces.
[0016] The workpiece fixture is an elliptical, cylindrical, rectangular or special fixture, and has a workpiece clamping position that is recessed downward and adapted to the workpiece to be processed on the top surface of the workpiece fixture.
[0017] Compared with the prior art, the workpiece carrier of the present invention has the following advantages:
[0018] Because this invention uses a workpiece fixture with a foolproof structure that is suitable for processing different workpieces, even if the employee does not change the workpiece fixture, there will be no workpiece misoperation, thus reducing the error rate; each workpiece fixture is installed on the base plate in a quick disassembly and assembly manner, which can improve disassembly and assembly efficiency and facilitate maintenance; the semi-automatic processing method can improve the employee's operating proficiency and increase production efficiency. Attached Figure Description
[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the workpiece carrier of the present invention.
[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Exploded view.
[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A scaled-down view of the top surface of the substrate after the workpiece fixture has been removed.
[0022] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A scaled-down schematic diagram of the bottom surface of the workpiece fixture.
[0023] Reference numerals: 1. Base plate; 2. Machining position; 3. Workpiece fixture; 31. Workpiece clamping position; 4. Foolproof structure; 41. Protrusion; 42. Recess; 43. Notch; 44. Bump; 5. Drive device. Detailed Implementation
[0024] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-4 The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments. It should be noted that the following embodiments are only for illustrating the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it.
[0025] This application provides a workpiece carrier that effectively improves processing efficiency, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes: a substrate 1 and a driving device 5 located below the substrate 1 for driving the substrate 1 to rotate. The substrate 1 is a double-layer panel that can be rotated relative to each other and overlapped, or it can be a single-layer panel that can be rotated. The shape of the substrate 1 is circular, rectangular or other polygonal, preferably circular, to facilitate worker operation. The substrate is made of plastic, wood or aluminum alloy.
[0026] Furthermore, the substrate 1 is fixed to the output end of the drive device 5, and a plurality of uniformly arranged processing positions 2 are provided at circumferential intervals along the edge region of the substrate 1. The number of processing positions 2 can be set to 5-20, preferably 6-8, which is suitable for a single worker to process workpieces using the workpiece carrier. The number of processing positions 2 can be adaptively designed according to actual needs or the area of the substrate 1.
[0027] For processing station 2, each processing station 2 is equipped with a workpiece fixture 3. The workpiece fixture 3 is used to place the workpiece to be processed. The top surface of the workpiece fixture 3 is recessed downward to form a workpiece locking position 31. The workpiece locking position 31 is adapted to the workpiece to be processed. Therefore, one type of workpiece locking position 31 can only hold the same type of workpiece to be processed. In this way, even if the employee fails to replace the workpiece fixture 3 with the corresponding workpiece in time due to error, the workpiece will not be misoperated, thus reducing the error rate. The workpiece fixture 3 can be any one of elliptical, cylindrical, rectangular, or special fixture. Among them, the special fixture can be a tooling fixture or a measuring tool.
[0028] In addition, such as Figure 2 As shown, each processing station 2 is equipped with a foolproof structure 4 suitable for different types of workpiece fixtures 3. Each workpiece fixture 3 is mounted on the base plate 1 in a quick-release manner for easy replacement and maintenance. Specifically, the foolproof structure 4 is a protrusion 41 or a recess 42 provided on the processing station 2. Correspondingly, a notch 43 or a protrusion 44, which is unique to workpiece fixtures of the same type, is provided on the bottom or side of the workpiece fixture 3. Figure 3 or Figure 4 The example shown is one possible approach.
[0029] In practical use, the protrusion 41 is adapted to the notch 43, and the recess 42 is adapted to the protrusion 44. Furthermore, the position or type of the foolproof structure 4 varies depending on the type of workpiece fixture 3, ensuring a one-to-one correspondence between the workpiece fixture 3 and the processing position 2. Each type of workpiece fixture 3 has a unique and fixed position on the base plate 1, preventing operator confusion during placement. Over time, employee proficiency will continuously improve, and processing efficiency will gradually increase. Furthermore, the foolproof structure 4 can be, for example, a snap-fit structure, a tenon-and-mortise structure, or a male-female coupling structure. These structures are simple, easy to replace, and greatly improve employee operating efficiency. For more types of workpiece fixtures 3, different base plates can be used.
[0030] In summary, the workpiece fixture and the base plate achieve positioning error prevention through a foolproof structure, while the workpiece to be processed and the workpiece fixture achieve placement error prevention through shape adaptation. Together, these two mechanisms form a dual error prevention mechanism. Therefore, for the workpiece to be processed, there is no possibility of incorrect operation from fixture selection to workpiece placement, fundamentally eliminating the resulting delays and quality problems, and improving overall production efficiency and reliability.
[0031] This application employs a workpiece processing platform with a set speed, using a drive motor to drive the base plate 1 at a fixed frequency, causing it to rotate intermittently. During the rotation of the base plate 1, it pauses at each processing station 2 for a period of time to process the workpiece. Thus, the operator generally only needs to place the workpiece to be processed into the corresponding workpiece clamping position 31 of the workpiece fixture 3, and then use the processing device to operate the workpiece, avoiding the idle time phenomenon present in existing technologies. This semi-automated approach not only improves production efficiency but also enhances employee focus and operational proficiency.
[0032] Specifically, the driving device 5 includes a drive motor and a coupling. A mounting hole is provided in the center of the base plate 1, and the power output shaft of the coupling is inserted into the mounting hole and fixedly connected to the base plate 1. The drive motor outputs a stable frequency at a set frequency, driving the base plate 1 to rotate intermittently, wherein the set frequency is adjustable.
[0033] When the substrate 1 is a double-layer panel that can be rotated relative to each other and overlapped, the upper panel is fixed to the power output shaft of the coupling and rotates with the drive motor. The lower panel mainly plays the role of bearing, and it is fixed relative to the base of the drive motor. The two panels are equipped with bearings during installation, so that while the upper panel and the lower panel rotate relative to each other, the friction between the two panels is reduced.
[0034] Above substrate 1 are laser engraving devices, screen printing devices, glue injection devices, or screw-driving devices for processing workpieces. The laser engraving device and screen printing device engrave characters on the workpiece, the glue injection device fills the workpiece with glue, and the screw-driving device secures the workpiece. Production management personnel can select the corresponding processing device as needed, or automatically rotate the corresponding processing device to processing station 2 according to a pre-set operating sequence.
[0035] In one embodiment, a photoelectric sensor is provided above the workpiece fixture 3 to determine whether a workpiece is placed inside the workpiece fixture 3. Through this intelligent design, the corresponding processing device can only process the workpiece when the photoelectric sensor identifies that a workpiece is indeed placed inside the workpiece fixture 3. This serves two purposes: firstly, it provides a reminder to the operator (when the operator forgets to place the workpiece), and secondly, it prevents the operator from processing the workpiece by mistake and protects the fixture.
[0036] Furthermore, to ensure that the workpiece to be processed is placed within the workpiece latching position 31 set in the workpiece fixture 3, a signal acquisition sensor is provided above or on the workpiece fixture 3 to determine whether the workpiece is placed within the workpiece latching position 31. The signal acquisition sensor is a photoelectric sensor, a micro-motion sensor, or a contact sensor.
[0037] In another embodiment, the carrier is also equipped with an alarm device that issues a warning when a workpiece remains at a certain station for more than a set time. In this case, the photoelectric sensor works in conjunction with the alarm device. During actual production, if individual employees are negligent, the workpiece may remain in the workpiece fixture 3 for an extended period without being used, resulting in low station utilization. When the photoelectric sensor detects that a workpiece is placed in the workpiece fixture 3 and has remained there for more than a certain time, it will trigger the alarm device to alert the workers.
[0038] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application, based on the technical solution and concept of this application, should be included within the scope of protection of this application.
Claims
1. A workpiece carrier for efficiently improving processing efficiency, comprising a rotatable base plate (1) and a driving device (5) arranged below the base plate (1) for driving the base plate (1) to rotate, characterized in that: The substrate (1) is fixed to the output end of the drive device (5). Several processing positions (2) are provided at intervals along the circumference of the edge area on the substrate (1). A workpiece fixture (3) is provided on each processing position (2). Several foolproof structures (4) suitable for different workpiece fixtures (3) are provided on the substrate (1). Each workpiece fixture (3) is installed on the substrate (1) in a quick disassembly and assembly manner. 2. The workpiece carrier for efficient processing of claim 1, wherein: The anti-foolproof structure (4) is a protrusion (41) or a recess (42) set on the machining position (2). Correspondingly, a notch (43) or a protrusion (44) that only workpiece fixtures (3) of the same type have are set on the bottom or side of the workpiece fixture (3).
3. The workpiece carrier for efficient processing of claim 2, wherein: The drive device (5) includes a drive motor and a coupling. A mounting hole is provided in the center of the base plate (1). The power output shaft of the coupling is inserted into the mounting hole and fixedly connected to the base plate (1).
4. The workpiece carrier for efficient processing of claim 3, wherein: The carrier is also equipped with an alarm device that issues a warning when a workpiece stays at a certain station for more than a set time.
5. The workpiece carrier for efficient processing of claim 4, wherein: The number of processing stations (2) is 5-20.
6. The workpiece carrier for efficient processing of claim 5, wherein: A photoelectric sensor is provided above the workpiece fixture (3) to determine whether a workpiece is placed inside the workpiece fixture (3).
7. The workpiece carrier for efficient processing of claim 5, wherein: A signal acquisition sensor is provided on or above the workpiece fixture (3) to determine whether the workpiece is in place.
8. The workpiece carrier for efficient processing of claim 7, wherein: A laser device, screen printing device, glue injection device, or screw-driving device for processing workpieces is provided above the substrate (1).
9. The workpiece carrier for effectively improving processing efficiency according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The workpiece fixture (3) is an elliptical body, cylinder, rectangle or special fixture, and a workpiece clamping position (31) with a downward recess and adapted to the workpiece to be processed is provided on the top surface of the workpiece fixture (3).