Automatic unpacking and feeding device and method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of packaging production equipment, in particular to an automatic unpacking and feeding device and method.The automatic unpacking and feeding device comprises an unpacking mechanism, and the unpacking mechanism comprises a positioning unit used for determining the position of a material, a mechanical arm used for grabbing and transferring the material, a picking unit arranged on the top of the mechanical arm and a shearing unit arranged on the picking unit; the positioning unit comprises a portal frame arranged above the material stack, a first positioning 3D camera arranged on the portal frame, and a second positioning 3D camera arranged at the end part of the manipulator; the picking unit comprises a base plate arranged at the end of the mechanical arm, at least one L-shaped clamping claw arranged on the base plate, a clamping air cylinder arranged below the clamping claw, a clamping base arranged at the far end of the clamping air cylinder and at least two telescopic push rods symmetrically arranged at the upper end and the lower end of the clamping claw. The device has the advantages of being high in automation degree, low in labor intensity, high in operation safety, high in product standard consistency and the like, and has good market potential.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of packaging production equipment technology, and in particular to an automatic unpacking and feeding device and method. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of industrial automation, various materials are often bundled together for easy storage, transportation, and subsequent processing. Commonly bundled materials include waste paper, waste plastics, steel coil bundles, cylindrical packaging, and various packaged goods in the logistics and warehousing sector. Unbundling is a crucial preliminary step for the subsequent resource utilization or deep processing of materials, and its efficiency, effectiveness, and safety are extremely important.

[0003] Existing unbundling operations mostly rely on manual methods. After unbundling, the bundles are transported to the input end of the next process, resulting in very low efficiency. While existing unbundling equipment is mostly designed for materials with relatively uniform packaging, such as waste paper and steel coils, it is inefficient for dispersed materials, such as cylindrical plastic cans. For ease of transport, these cans are often bundled together, with each bundle typically containing 30-50 cans. These cans are prone to scattering during unbundling and are also easily dropped during handling. Simple unbundling can cause even more problems, hence the continued reliance on manual unbundling, which urgently needs improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The features and advantages of the present invention are set forth in part in the description which follows, or may be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention.

[0005] To overcome the problems of existing technologies, the present invention provides an automatic unpacking and feeding device, including a controller and an unpacking mechanism. The unpacking mechanism includes a positioning unit for determining the location of materials, a robotic arm for gripping and transferring materials, a picking unit located on top of the robotic arm, and a shearing unit located on the picking unit. The positioning unit includes a gantry frame located above the material stack, a first positioning 3D camera located on the gantry frame, and a second positioning 3D camera located at the end of the robotic arm. The picking unit includes a base plate located at the end of the robotic arm, at least one L-shaped gripper located on the base plate, a gripping cylinder located below the gripper, a gripping seat located at the distal end of the gripping cylinder, and at least two telescopic push rods symmetrically located at the upper and lower ends of the gripper. The shearing unit includes a first telescopic cylinder located on one side of the base plate and a cutting blade located at the other side of the first telescopic cylinder.

[0006] Preferably, the number of gripping claws is at least two, the cutting blade is disposed opposite to one of the gripping claws, and the gripping claw is provided with a cutting hole disposed parallel to the blade direction of the cutting blade.

[0007] Preferably, the bottom of the robotic arm is provided with a lifting column; and / or; the telescopic push rod includes at least two second telescopic cylinders connected to the base plate and respectively located at the upper and lower ends of the base plate, a flat push rod connected to the end of the second telescopic cylinder and located above the gripper, and a roller push rod connected to the end of the second telescopic cylinder and located below the gripper.

[0008] Preferably, it also includes a feeding device, which includes at least one hopper for storing materials, a conveying mechanism located at the bottom of the hopper, and a discharging mechanism located at the output end of the conveying mechanism.

[0009] Preferably, the hopper includes a body that runs vertically through the body and has a U-shaped cross-section, a baffle that is located on the U-shaped opening side of the body and slides vertically along the body, a guide plate that is located at the bottom of the body and is inclined, and a sealing door that is rotatably located at the bottom of the body and is used to open and close the bottom opening.

[0010] Preferably, the body has at least one longitudinally arranged partition inside; the partition divides the silo into different compartments, and each compartment has a guide plate at the bottom.

[0011] Preferably, the bottom of the guide plate is provided with a paving plate arranged in a vertical direction.

[0012] Preferably, the conveying mechanism includes a frame, a first driving wheel and a first driven wheel mounted on the frame, a drive motor for driving the first driving wheel, and a conveyor belt fitted onto the first driving wheel and the first driven wheel to form a transmission engagement; the conveyor belt is provided with a plurality of positioning elements; the positioning elements include a snap-fit ​​seat connected to the conveyor belt, and a snap-fit ​​groove provided on the snap-fit ​​seat and adapted to the external shape of the material.

[0013] Preferably, the discharge mechanism includes a forward and reverse detection sensor on the output end of the conveyor belt, a fan-shaped guide plate on the frame and at the output end of the conveyor belt, a connecting plate rotatably disposed on the downstream side of the guide plate and inclined, a storage box disposed below the connecting plate, and a discharge port disposed on the downstream extension line of the connecting plate.

[0014] Preferably, the present invention also provides an automatic unpacking and feeding method for the automatic unpacking and feeding device as described above, specifically including the following steps: The controller receives the location information of a certain bundle of materials that can be taken away from the first positioning 3D camera, and then controls the robot arm to move to the location information, that is, directly in front of the bundle of materials; The controller receives the cable tie position identified by the second positioning 3D camera, and controls the robot arm to fine-tune to the position above the cable tie. Then, the controller starts the gripper to approach the material, starts the robot arm to move downward, starts the gripper cylinder to make the gripper seat and gripper clamp together, and starts the telescopic push rod to make the telescopic push rod clamp the material. The controller controls the robotic arm to transfer materials to the preset bin positions in the preset hopper; The controller starts the servo motor to rotate forward or in reverse according to the number of bundles of material already put into the hopper, thereby causing the baffle to rise or fall. The controller activates the first telescopic cylinder, which in turn causes the cutting blade to cut the cable ties, and then activates the first telescopic cylinder to return to its original position. The controller moves the robotic arm above the waste bin, activates the gripping cylinder to return to its original position, causing the cable ties to fall into the waste bin; the controller then controls the robotic arm to return to its original position. The controller starts the drive motor to rotate the conveyor belt; the controller controls the opening and closing of the sealing door according to the hopper status; the controller receives real-time detection data sent by the forward and reverse detection sensors, and starts the rotating component in the discharge mechanism according to the detection data. If the detection data is positive, it means the material is in the correct direction, and the rotating component is closed; if the detection data is negative, it means the material is discharged in reverse, and the rotating component is started to drive the connecting plate to rotate; the hopper status is determined by the data uploaded to the controller by the full material detection sensor, the empty material detection sensor, and the empty material detection sensor. If the full material detection sensor uploads full material data, it means the hopper is full, and the controller can open the sealing door first; if the empty material detection sensor uploads empty material data, it means the hopper is empty, and the controller controls the sealing door to close; if the empty material detection sensor uploads empty material data, the controller can control the robot to transfer the material to the hopper.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention solves the problem in the prior art that it is impossible to automatically unpack relatively dispersed bundled packaging materials, such as glass glue, sealant, and other cylindrical packaging materials. This application improves the picking unit at the front end of the robotic arm, so that the materials in poorly dispersed bundled packaging will not fall off during picking and transfer. The setting of the hopper in the feeding device allows the cut cable ties to be smoothly carried away, preventing the materials from falling off. At the same time, the material is transported to the next process through the conveying mechanism, realizing the fully automated processing from unpacking to transfer to the next process, greatly improving the unpacking efficiency.

[0016] Meanwhile, this application uses a forward and reverse detection sensor installed at the output end of the conveying mechanism to detect whether the material is placed in reverse based on the shape difference of the material itself, thereby ensuring that the direction of the material entering the next process is consistent, which improves the compatibility of the invention with downstream equipment.

[0017] This invention has the advantages of high automation, fewer staff, low labor intensity, high operational safety, high product standard consistency, and low production cost. It greatly improves the unpacking efficiency of bundled packaging of relatively dispersed items, has high compatibility with downstream production equipment, and has great market potential. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The advantages and implementation methods of the present invention will become more apparent from this description. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute any limitation on the present invention. In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an automatic unpacking and feeding device according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the picking unit of an automatic unpacking and feeding device in a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a side view of the picking unit of an automatic unpacking and feeding device according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the picking unit of an automatic unpacking and feeding device in a specific embodiment of the present invention, showing how it picks up cable ties. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding device of an automatic unpacking and feeding device according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 for Figure 5 Enlarged view of point A in the middle; Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the feeding device of an automatic unpacking and feeding device according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; In the diagram, the correspondence between component names and drawing numbers is as follows: Material 1, Cable Tie 2, Feeding Station 3, Waste Bin 4, Control Cabinet 5, Unpacking Mechanism 100, Positioning Unit 110, Gantry Frame 111, First Positioning 3D Camera 112, Second Positioning 3D Camera 113, Pallet 114, Robot Arm 120, Guardrail 121, Lifting Column 122, Base Plate 123, Pickup Unit 130, Base Plate 131, Gripping Claw 132, Gripping Cylinder 133, Gripping Seat 134, Telescopic Push Rod 135, Second Telescopic Cylinder 1351, Flat Push Rod 1352, Roller Push Rod 1353, Clamp 1354, Shearing Unit 140, First Telescopic Cylinder 141, Cutting Blade 142, Cutting Hole 143, Feeding Device 200, Hopper 210, Body 211, Baffle 212, Guide Plate 213, Sealing Door 214 Partition 215, lifting mechanism 216, second drive wheel 2161, second driven wheel 2162, servo motor 2163, synchronous belt 2164, fastener 2165, paving board 217, conveying mechanism 220, frame 221, first drive wheel 222, first driven wheel 2221, drive motor 223, conveyor belt 224, L-shaped guide frame 2241, positioning component 225, slot 226, full material detection sensor 227, empty material detection sensor 228, empty material detection sensor 229, discharge mechanism 230, forward and reverse detection sensor 231, guide plate 232, connecting plate 233, storage box 234, discharge port 235. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0020] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more; the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "top," "bottom," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are merely simplified descriptions for the convenience of describing this invention, 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 invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0021] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides an automatic unpacking and feeding device 200, including a controller and an unpacking mechanism 100. The unpacking mechanism 100 includes a positioning unit 110 for determining the location of material 1, a robotic arm 120 for gripping and transferring material 1, a picking unit 130 disposed on top of the robotic arm 120, and a shearing unit 140 disposed on the picking unit 130. The positioning unit 110 includes a gantry 111 disposed above the material stack, a first positioning 3D camera 112 disposed on the gantry 111, and a second positioning 3D camera 113 disposed at the end of the robotic arm 120. Figure 2-4 As shown, the picking unit 130 includes a base plate 131 disposed at the end of the robotic arm 120, at least one L-shaped gripper 132 disposed on the base plate 131, a gripping cylinder 133 disposed below the gripper 132, a gripping seat 134 disposed at the distal end of the gripping cylinder 133, and at least two telescopic push rods 135 symmetrically disposed at the upper and lower ends of the gripper 132. In a preferred embodiment of this application, the second positioning 3D camera 113 is fixed to the base plate 131. The first positioning 3D camera 112 and the second positioning 3D camera 113 are wirelessly connected; the preferred models of both the first positioning 3D camera 112 and the second positioning 3D camera 113 are Mech-Eye industrial-grade 3D cameras. The cutting unit 140 includes a first telescopic cylinder 141 with one end disposed on the base plate 131, and a cutting blade 142 disposed at the other end of the first telescopic cylinder 141. The contact surface between the gripper 134 and the cable tie 2 is provided with protruding teeth, and the contact surface between the gripper 132 and the cable tie 2 is provided with corresponding matching concave teeth, so that the gripper 132 can firmly grasp the cable tie 2 and prevent it from falling off during the transfer process.

[0023] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the controller is a PLC controller.

[0024] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the second positioning 3D camera 113 is fixed on the substrate 131.

[0025] Further, preferably, the telescopic push rod 135 includes at least two second telescopic cylinders 1351 connected to the base plate 131 and respectively located at the upper and lower ends of the base plate 131; a flat push rod 1352 connected to the end of the second telescopic cylinders 1351 and located above the gripper 132; and a roller push rod 1353 connected to the end of the second telescopic cylinders 1351 and located below the gripper 132. The roller push rod 1353 is fixed to the end of the second telescopic cylinder 1351 by clamps 1354. Of course, for ease of fixing and to maintain stability, the end of the second telescopic cylinder 1351 may also be fixed with a connecting rod parallel to the roller push rod 1353, with at least two clamps 1354 on the connecting rod, and the clamps 1354 connected to the roller push rod 1353. The roller push rod 1353 includes a rotating shaft located in the middle and a roller sleeved on the rotating shaft. The roller surface is provided with an anti-slip layer, which is made of materials such as rubber, polyurethane, and silicone. The clamp 1354 is fixed to the rotating shaft, thus not affecting the rotation of the roller. Preferably, the roller is a polyurethane-coated roller. With the roller push rod 1353, when extracting the bundled material 1, the roller push rod 1353 located at the bottom will abut against the bottom edge of the material 1. When the roller just contacts the material 1 but has not yet pressed it down, the roller will rotate, thus separating the dividing cardboard at the bottom of the material 1 from the material 1. As the second compression cylinder further presses down, the roller is pressed firmly against the surface of the material 1. Under the combined action of the thrust of the second compression cylinder and the anti-slip layer on the roller surface, the roller remains stationary, thus providing thrust to press the material 1 down while preventing the dividing cardboard from entering the next process.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, the robotic arm 120 is located in the feeding station 3 surrounded by multiple protective railings 121. The feeding station 3 is equipped with a waste bin 4 for placing waste cable ties 2. The robotic arm 120 is used to transfer the bundled materials 1 stacked on the material stack to the feeding end, and cut the cable ties 2 and throw them into the waste bin 4.

[0027] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a pallet 114 is provided below the gantry frame 111, and the material is stacked on the pallet 114. The size of the pallet 114 is adapted to the size of the identifiable area of ​​the first positioning 3D camera 112 so that the material 1 can be identified.

[0028] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the cutting blade 142 is an M-shaped cutting blade 142, the front end of which is M-shaped and the blade is set along the outer contour of the M-shape to facilitate the rapid cutting of the cable tie 2.

[0029] Furthermore, such as Figure 2As shown, there are at least two gripping claws 132. The cutting blade 142 is disposed opposite to one of the gripping claws 132. The gripping claw 132 is provided with a cutting hole 143 that is parallel to the blade direction of the cutting blade 142. When the cutting blade 142 is ready to cut the cable tie 2, the cable tie 2 is located on the side of the gripping claw 132 close to the robot arm 120. During cutting, the cutting blade 142 is pushed out by the first telescopic cylinder 141 and pushed into the cutting hole 143. This allows the M-shaped cutting blade 142 to cut the cable tie 2 and then extend into the cutting hole 143, thereby effectively ensuring that the cable tie 2 is cut quickly without damaging the material 1.

[0030] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 As shown, the bottom of the robotic arm 120 is equipped with a lifting column 122. The bottom of the lifting column 122 can be directly fixed to the ground, or it can be fixed to a base plate 123 with a larger area than the bottom of the lifting column 122. The base plate 123 is then fixed to the ground, thereby enhancing the stability of the lifting column 122. The lifting column 122 is a lifting device such as a lifting cylinder or hydraulic cylinder, so as to adjust the height of the robotic arm 120 according to the height of the material stack, meeting more needs.

[0031] Furthermore, such as Figure 5-7As shown, the automatic unpacking and feeding device 200 also includes a feeding device 200, which includes at least one hopper 210 for storing material 1, a conveying mechanism 220 located at the bottom of the hopper 210, and a discharging mechanism 230 located at the output end of the conveying mechanism 220. The hopper 210 includes a body 211 that runs vertically through the body and has a U-shaped cross-section, a baffle 212 located on the U-shaped opening side of the body 211 and sliding vertically along the body 211, a guide plate 213 located at the bottom of the body 211 and inclined, and a sealing door 214 rotatably located at the bottom of the body 211 for opening and closing the bottom opening. The body 211 has at least one longitudinally arranged partition 215 inside. The hopper 210 is divided into different compartments, and each compartment has a guide plate 213 at the bottom. The guide plate 213 extends towards the center of the compartment to guide the material 1 to the sealing door 214. The conveying mechanism 220 includes a frame 221, a first driving wheel 222 and a first driven wheel 2221 on the frame 221, a drive motor 223 that drives the first driving wheel 222, and a conveyor belt 224 that is sleeved on the first driving wheel 222 and the first driven wheel 2221 and forms a transmission engagement. The conveyor belt 224 is provided with a plurality of positioning elements 225. The positioning element 225 includes a snap-fit ​​seat connected to the conveyor belt 224 and a snap-fit ​​groove 226 provided on the snap-fit ​​seat and adapted to the external shape of the material 1. The opening direction of the slot 226 on the positioning component 225 is consistent with the orientation of the material 1 in the hopper 210, and the positioning component 225 is fixed to the conveyor belt 224 by a nut to ensure that the positioning component 225 provides stable support for the material 1 and prevents the material 1 from moving on the conveyor belt 224.

[0032] Furthermore, such as Figure 7 As shown, the feeding device 200 further includes at least one full-load detection sensor 227 located at the top of the hopper 210, at least one empty-load detection sensor 228 located at the bottom of the hopper 210 and below the sealing door 214, and an empty-load detection sensor 229 located on the side wall of the guide plate 213. In a preferred embodiment, the full-load detection sensor 227, the empty-load detection sensor 228, and the empty-load detection sensor 229 are all photoelectric sensors, preferably SICK GSE6-P1112.

[0033] Furthermore, the baffle 212 achieves its vertical sliding along the body 211 through lifting mechanisms 216 symmetrically arranged on both sides of the body 211. The lifting mechanism 216 includes a second driving wheel 2161 and a second driven wheel 2162 provided on the outer wall of the hopper 210, a servo motor 2163 driving the second driving wheel 2161, a synchronous belt 2164 sleeved on the second driving wheel 2161 and the second driven wheel, and at least one fastener 2165 connecting the synchronous belt 2164 and the baffle 212. The fastener 2165 includes a connecting plate 233 with screw holes at both ends and teeth in the middle that are adapted to the tooth shape of the synchronous belt 2164, and a screw and a locking nut that pass through the screw holes and are fixed to the edge of the baffle 212. The edge of the baffle 212 also has corresponding screw holes adapted to the screw.

[0034] Furthermore, the bottom of the guide plate 213 is provided with a paving plate 217 arranged in a vertical direction. The distance between the lower end of the paving plate 217 and the conveyor belt 224 is less than the minimum diameter of the material 1, so as to block the stacked material 1 on the upper layer when the material 1 is stacked, prevent it from flowing into the downstream side, and push the stacked and upper material 1 into the positioning member 225 located on the rearward side.

[0035] Furthermore, such as Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown, the conveyor belt 224 is provided with an L-shaped guide frame 2241 in the middle to facilitate the lifting of material 1.

[0036] Furthermore, such as Figure 5-7As shown, the discharge mechanism 230 includes a forward / reverse detection sensor 231 mounted on the output end of the conveyor belt 224, a fan-shaped guide plate 232 mounted on the frame 221 and mounted on the output end of the conveyor belt 224, a connecting plate 233 rotatably mounted downstream of the guide plate 232 and inclined, a storage box 234 located below the connecting plate 233, and a discharge port 235 located on the downstream extension line of the connecting plate 233. The guide plate 232 is adjacent to the output end of the conveyor belt 224 and located on the outer edge of the slot 226 to guide the material 1 out of the conveyor belt 224. In a preferred embodiment, there are two guide plates 232, symmetrically arranged on the outer side of the outer edge of the slot 226. The forward / reverse detection sensor 231 is preferably a photoelectric sensor, preferably a SICK diffuse reflection photoelectric sensor GTB6-P1212. The guide plate 232 is fixed to the frame 221 by a rotating shaft. Both the connecting plate 233 and the sealing gate 214 are rotated via a rotating assembly. This rotating assembly includes an ear fixed to the inner wall of the frame 221 or the outer wall of the hopper 210, a rotating cylinder mounted on the ear, a rocker arm hinged to the distal end of the rotating cylinder, a rotating shaft fixed to the other end of the rocker arm, and a bearing seat connected to and fixed to the other end of the rotating shaft on the inner wall of the frame 221 or the hopper 210. One end of both the connecting plate 233 and the sealing gate 214 is fitted onto the rotating shaft and rotates with it. The rotation of the rotating shaft is achieved by controlling the extension and retraction of the rotating cylinder, thereby rotating the connecting plate 233 and the sealing gate 214. In the discharge mechanism 230, the rotating assembly is positioned near the discharge port 235. An NG material door is provided on the side wall of the frame 221 opposite to the storage box 234, which is used to remove the storage box 234 so that the material 1 that was placed upside down can be put back into the hopper 210 or subsequent processes manually.

[0037] Furthermore, the automatic unpacking and feeding device 200 also includes a control cabinet 5, with a controller located inside the control cabinet 5, and a storage module electrically connected to the controller is also provided inside the control cabinet.

[0038] The present invention also provides an automatic unpacking and feeding method, which specifically includes the following steps: The controller receives the position information of a certain bundle of materials 1 that can be taken away from the first positioning 3D camera 112, and then controls the robot arm 120 to move to the position information, that is, directly in front of the bundle of materials 1. The controller receives the position of the cable tie 2 identified by the second positioning 3D camera 113, and controls the robot arm 120 to fine-tune to the position above the cable tie 2. Then, the controller starts the gripper 132 to approach the material 1, starts the robot arm 120 to move downward, starts the gripping cylinder 133, and then makes the gripping seat 134 close to the gripper 132. Finally, the controller starts the telescopic push rod 135 to close the telescopic push rod 135 to the material 1. The robot arm 120 is controlled to transfer material 1 to a preset location in the preset silo 210; the preset location is either manually entered into the storage module or determined by the controller based on the data uploaded by the empty material detection sensor 229. The controller starts the servo motor 2163 to rotate forward or reverse according to the number of bundles of material that have been put into the hopper 210, thereby causing the baffle 212 to rise or fall. The controller activates the first telescopic cylinder 141, which in turn causes the cutting blade 142 to cut the cable ties 2; then the controller activates the first telescopic cylinder 141 to return to its original position. The controller controls the robotic arm 120 to move above the waste bin, activates the gripping cylinder 133 to return to its original position, thereby causing the cable tie 2 to fall into the waste bin 4; the controller then controls the robotic arm 120 to return to its original position. The controller starts the drive motor 223, causing the conveyor belt 224 to rotate; the controller controls the opening and closing of the sealing gate 214 according to the status of the hopper 210; the controller receives real-time detection data sent by the forward and reverse detection sensor 231, and starts the rotating component in the discharge mechanism 230 according to the detection data. If the detection data is positive, it means that the material direction is forward, so the rotating component is closed, allowing material 1 to flow out of the discharge port 235; if the detection data is reverse, it means that material 1 is placed in reverse, so the rotating cylinder of the rotating component is started to extend, causing the connecting plate 233 to rotate, thereby causing material 1 to fall into the collection box 234. The controller then starts the rotating cylinder of the rotating component to retract, causing the connecting plate 233 to return to its original position, waiting for the arrival of the next material 1. The status of the hopper 210 is determined by data uploaded to the controller by the full material detection sensor 227, the empty material detection sensor 228, and the empty material detection sensor 229. If the full material detection sensor 227 uploads full material data, it means that the hopper 210 is full, and the controller can open the sealing door 214 first. If the empty material detection sensor 228 uploads empty material data, it means that the hopper 210 is empty, and the controller controls the sealing door 214 to close. If the empty material detection sensor 229 uploads empty material data, the controller can control the robot arm 120 to transfer the material 1 to the hopper 210.

[0039] The automatic unpacking and feeding device 200 provided by the present invention realizes the unpacking operation of relatively dispersed columnar bundled materials 1 through the unpacking mechanism 100, such as glass glue, sealant, and tile grout. Of course, this device can be used for unpacking and feeding of columnar packaging or materials 1. In the prior art, the packaging of products such as glass glue is very easy to scatter when unpacking bundled bottles before filling, making automated unpacking impossible. However, this application identifies the material 1 on the material stack and determines the position of the cable tie 2 on the packaging of the material 1 through the positioning unit 110. Then, the picking unit 130 at the end of the robot arm 120 grabs the whole bundle of material 1, and pushes the material 1 tightly through the telescopic push rod 135, so that the scattered material 1 gathers together, thereby effectively preventing the material 1 from falling during the transfer process. After the material 1 is transferred to the hopper 210, the cable tie 2 is cut by the cutting unit 140. The clamping claw 132 and the clamping seat 134 continue to clamp the cable tie 2, while the robot arm 120 picks up the cable tie 2, thereby causing the cable tie 2 to fall off and be sent into the waste bin 4 by the robot arm 120. To prevent material 1 from shifting due to friction between the cable tie 2 and material 1 when the cable tie 2 is removed, thus causing material 1 to fall from the hopper 210, a baffle 212 is installed to effectively avoid the risk of material 1 falling. This application uses a feeding device 200 to sequentially feed material 1 into the next process. Specifically, a conveying mechanism 220 sequentially feeds material 1 from the hopper 210 to the discharge port 235, and a positioning element 225 positions material 1 on the conveyor belt 224 to prevent it from falling during transport and to ensure that material 1 is in an orderly state when entering the next process. The forward and reverse detection sensor 231 detects the forward and reverse state of material 1 to maintain the consistency of the product flowing out of the device, which is beneficial to subsequent process operations and improves the overall adaptability of the device. The rotating connecting plate 233 realizes the opening and closing operation of the storage box 234, so that the reversed material 1 flows into the storage box 234. The inclined connecting plate 233 can make the upright material 1 flow quickly to the discharge port 235, effectively preventing the accumulation of material 1.

[0040] This invention automates the entire process from unpacking to transfer to the next step, greatly improving unpacking efficiency. It has advantages such as high automation, fewer staff, low labor intensity, high operational safety, high product standard consistency, and low production cost. It can greatly improve the unpacking efficiency of bundled packaging materials with good dispersion, has high compatibility with downstream production equipment, and has great market potential.

[0041] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art can implement the present invention in various modifications without departing from its scope and spirit. For example, a feature shown or described in one embodiment can be used in another embodiment to obtain yet another embodiment. The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. All equivalent changes made based on the description and drawings of the present invention are included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic unpacking and feeding device, characterized in that, The device includes a controller and an unpacking mechanism. The unpacking mechanism includes a positioning unit for determining the location of materials, a robotic arm for gripping and transferring materials, a picking unit located on top of the robotic arm, and a shearing unit located on the picking unit. The positioning unit includes a gantry frame located above the material stack, a first positioning 3D camera located on the gantry frame, and a second positioning 3D camera located at the end of the robotic arm. The picking unit includes a base plate located at the end of the robotic arm, at least one L-shaped gripper located on the base plate, a gripping cylinder located below the gripper, a gripping seat located at the distal end of the gripping cylinder, and at least two telescopic push rods symmetrically located at the upper and lower ends of the gripper. The shearing unit includes a first telescopic cylinder located on one side of the base plate and a cutting blade located at the other side of the first telescopic cylinder.

2. The automatic unpacking and feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of gripping claws is at least two, and the cutting blade is disposed opposite to one of the gripping claws. The gripping claws are provided with cutting holes that are parallel to the blade direction of the cutting blade.

3. The automatic unpacking and feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the robotic arm is provided with a lifting column; and / or; the telescopic push rod includes at least two second telescopic cylinders connected to the base plate and respectively located at the upper and lower ends of the base plate, a flat push rod connected to the end of the second telescopic cylinder and located above the gripper, and a roller push rod connected to the end of the second telescopic cylinder and located below the gripper.

4. The automatic unpacking and feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a feeding device, which includes at least one hopper for storing materials, a conveying mechanism located at the bottom of the hopper, and a discharging mechanism located at the output end of the conveying mechanism.

5. The automatic unpacking and feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The hopper includes a body that runs vertically through the body and has a U-shaped cross-section, a baffle that is located on the U-shaped opening side of the body and slides vertically along the body, a guide plate that is located at the bottom of the body and is inclined, and a sealing door that is rotatably located at the bottom of the body and is used to open and close the bottom opening.

6. The automatic unpacking and feeding device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The main body has at least one longitudinally arranged partition inside; the partition divides the silo into different compartments, and each compartment has a guide plate at the bottom.

7. The automatic unpacking and feeding device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The bottom of the guide plate is provided with a paving plate that is set in the vertical direction.

8. The automatic unpacking and feeding device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The conveying mechanism includes a frame, a first driving wheel and a first driven wheel mounted on the frame, a drive motor for driving the first driving wheel, and a conveyor belt fitted onto the first driving wheel and the first driven wheel to form a transmission engagement; the conveyor belt is provided with a plurality of positioning elements; the positioning elements include a snap-fit ​​seat connected to the conveyor belt, and a snap-fit ​​groove provided on the snap-fit ​​seat and adapted to the external shape of the material.

9. The automatic unpacking and feeding device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The discharge mechanism includes a forward and reverse detection sensor on the output end of the conveyor belt, a fan-shaped guide plate on the frame and at the output end of the conveyor belt, a connecting plate rotatably located on the downstream side of the guide plate and inclined, a storage box located below the connecting plate, and a discharge port located on the downstream extension line of the connecting plate.

10. An automatic unpacking and feeding method, characterized in that, The automatic unpacking and feeding device according to claim 9 specifically includes the following steps: The controller receives the location information of a certain bundle of materials that can be taken away from the first positioning 3D camera, and then controls the robot arm to move to the location information, that is, directly in front of the bundle of materials; The controller receives the cable tie position identified by the second positioning 3D camera, and controls the robot arm to fine-tune to the position above the cable tie. Then, the controller starts the gripper to approach the material, starts the robot arm to move downward, starts the gripper cylinder to make the gripper seat and gripper clamp together, and starts the telescopic push rod to make the telescopic push rod clamp the material. The controller controls the robotic arm to transfer materials to the preset bin positions in the preset hopper; The controller starts the servo motor to rotate forward or in reverse according to the number of bundles of material already put into the hopper, thereby causing the baffle to rise or fall. The controller activates the first telescopic cylinder, which in turn causes the cutting blade to cut the cable ties, and then activates the first telescopic cylinder to return to its original position. The controller moves the robotic arm above the waste bin, activates the gripping cylinder to return to its original position, causing the cable ties to fall into the waste bin; the controller then controls the robotic arm to return to its original position. The controller starts the drive motor to rotate the conveyor belt; the controller controls the opening and closing of the sealing door according to the hopper status; the controller receives real-time detection data sent by the forward and reverse detection sensors, and starts the rotating component in the discharge mechanism according to the detection data. If the detection data is positive, it means the material is in the correct direction, and the rotating component is closed; if the detection data is negative, it means the material is discharged in reverse, and the rotating component is started to drive the connecting plate to rotate; the hopper status is determined by the data uploaded to the controller by the full material detection sensor, the empty material detection sensor, and the empty material detection sensor. If the full material detection sensor uploads full material data, it means the hopper is full, and the controller can open the sealing door first; if the empty material detection sensor uploads empty material data, it means the hopper is empty, and the controller controls the sealing door to close; if the empty material detection sensor uploads empty material data, the controller can control the robot to transfer the material to the hopper.

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