Automatic feeding device and automatic diamond setting system

Abstract

This invention discloses an automatic feeding device, including a base and a vibratory feeder disposed on the top surface of the base. A material tray is disposed on one side of the vibratory feeder, and the material tray is connected to the discharge port of the vibratory feeder. A picking mechanism is disposed on one side of the material tray, including a rotatable robotic arm and a diamond picking head disposed at one end of the robotic arm. A support mechanism is disposed on the side of the picking mechanism opposite to the material tray, including a support seat for receiving the diamond picked up by the picking mechanism. A vision inspection component is located on one side of the support mechanism, used to measure the outline of the diamond located on the support seat and output measurement data. In addition, an automatic diamond setting system is also disclosed, which obtains the outline data of the diamond by acquiring images of the diamond from multiple perspectives through a vision inspection system, and uses this data to control the processing device to open setting holes on a substrate such as a ring that fit the outline of the diamond, thereby improving the precision of diamond setting and optimizing the mechanical strength and optical performance of the finished jewelry.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of diamond setting equipment, and in particular to an automatic feeding device and an automatic diamond setting system. Background Technology

[0002] In traditional diamond setting techniques, especially in the production of jewelry such as rings, the process still heavily relies on manual labor, resulting in significant problems such as low efficiency and insufficient precision. Specifically, the production process typically involves two core stages: First, setting grooves or holes are pre-machined into the base material (such as a metal ring setting blank). Then, operators manually pick up diamonds and insert them one by one into their corresponding grooves. Because diamonds vary in geometry and size, the machining of the setting grooves must precisely match the contour data of each diamond. Manual operation inevitably leads to groove deviations due to measurement errors or tool wear. During the setting stage, operators must repeatedly adjust the angle and position of the ring setting using a magnifying glass or microscope to ensure the alignment accuracy between the diamond and the groove. This process is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also susceptible to the operator's experience and fatigue, causing problems such as loose settings, misalignment, or even diamond damage. This manual operation not only restricts production efficiency but also leads to fluctuations in product yield due to human factors, increasing the manufacturing cost and the difficulty of quality control in jewelry production. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main purpose of this application is to provide an automatic feeding device and an automatic diamond setting system, which aims to improve the accuracy of diamond setting and thus enhance the quality of the produced jewelry.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides an automatic feeding device, comprising: Base; The vibratory feeder is located on the top surface of the machine base; A material tray is disposed on one side of the vibratory feeder and is connected to the discharge port of the vibratory feeder; The picking mechanism is located on one side of the material tray and includes a rotatable robotic arm and a diamond picking head located at one end of the robotic arm. A support mechanism is provided on the side of the picking mechanism opposite to the tray, and includes a support base for receiving the diamond picked up by the picking mechanism; A visual inspection component, located on one side of the support mechanism, is used to measure the outline of the diamond located on the support and output measurement data.

[0005] In some embodiments, the support mechanism includes a base connected to the support seat, the base being provided with a rotating member for driving the support seat to rotate.

[0006] In some embodiments, the support base is hollow and has a vacuum adsorption component inside, which is used to adsorb diamonds located on the support base.

[0007] In some embodiments, the support mechanism further includes a support rod and a rotating rod, wherein at least one end of the support rod is provided with the support seat, and the rotating rod is laterally disposed in the middle of the support rod for driving the support rod to rotate.

[0008] In some embodiments, the tray is located in the middle of the top surface of the machine base, and a clearance groove for the support rod to rotate is also provided on one side of the top surface of the machine base.

[0009] In some embodiments, a diamond conveying device is also included, which is horizontally arranged, with one end connected to the base and the other end protruding from the base. The diamond conveying device includes a plurality of loading plates for placing diamonds released from the support.

[0010] In another aspect, this application also proposes an automatic diamond setting system, including a processing device and the aforementioned automatic feeding device. The processing device includes a processing mechanism and a control mechanism. The control mechanism is electrically connected to the vision detection component and is used to control the processing mechanism to process the substrate according to the diamond outline data output by the vision detection component.

[0011] In some embodiments, the processing mechanism includes a jig assembly for clamping a substrate and a processing seat. The jig assembly is disposed on one side of the diamond conveying device, and the processing seat is disposed above the jig assembly. The processing seat includes a take-up head for taking material from the diamond conveying device, a cutting head for grooving the substrate, and a pressing head for pressing the diamond onto the substrate.

[0012] In some embodiments, the processing mechanism further includes a mounting frame, a stroke module, and a first lifting platform. The stroke module is disposed on the top of the mounting frame, the first lifting platform is movably mounted on the stroke module, and the processing seat is movably mounted on the first lifting platform.

[0013] In some embodiments, a second lifting platform is also provided on the mounting frame. The second lifting platform is located on the side of the stroke module away from the diamond conveying device. The bottom of the second lifting platform is rotatably provided with a rotary disk for placing and switching the pick-up head, the cutter head and the pressure head. The processing seat moves along the stroke module toward or away from the rotary disk.

[0014] This application discloses an automatic feeding device and an automatic diamond setting system. By setting up a vision inspection system to acquire multi-view images of diamonds to obtain diamond outline data, and using this data to control the processing device to open setting holes on substrates such as rings that fit the diamond outline, the accuracy of diamond setting is improved, thereby optimizing the mechanical strength and optical performance of the finished jewelry. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic diamond setting system in one embodiment of this application; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic diamond setting system from another perspective in another embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic feeding device in another embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the processing apparatus in another embodiment of this application.

[0016] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: Automatic feeding device 100; base 110; vibratory feeder 111; material tray 112; picking mechanism 120; robotic arm 121; diamond picking head 122; support mechanism 130; support seat 131; base 132; support rod 133; rotating rod 134; vision inspection component 140; clearance groove 150; diamond conveying device 160; conveyor belt 161; material carrier plate 162; processing mechanism 200; jig assembly 210; processing seat 220; material picking head 221; cutting head 222; pressing head 223; mounting frame 230; stroke module 240; first lifting platform 250; second lifting platform 260; rotary disk 270; fixture 271. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments in this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0018] It should be noted that all directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicator will also change accordingly.

[0019] It should also be noted that when a component is described as "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intervening component present. When a component is described as "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intervening component present.

[0020] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" in this application is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only on the basis of being achievable by those skilled in the art. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, such a combination of technical solutions should be considered non-existent and not within the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0021] Please see Figures 1 to 2 This application discloses an automatic feeding device 100, comprising: Base 110; Vibratory feeder 111 is mounted on the top surface of machine base 110; Material tray 112 is located on one side of vibratory feeder 111 and is connected to the discharge port of vibratory feeder 111. Picking mechanism 120 is located on one side of material tray 112 and includes a rotatable robotic arm 121 and a diamond picking head 122 located at one end of the robotic arm 121. The support mechanism 130 is located on the side of the pickup mechanism 120 facing away from the tray 112, and includes a support seat 131 for receiving the diamonds picked up by the pickup mechanism 120. The visual inspection component 140, located on one side of the support mechanism 130, is used to measure the outline of the diamond located on the support 131 and output measurement data.

[0022] In this embodiment, the automatic feeding device 100 includes a base 110, a vibratory feeder 111, a picking mechanism 120, a support mechanism 130, and a vision inspection component 140. Specifically, as Figure 3 As shown, the top surface of the base 110 is the mounting surface. The vibratory feeder 111 is mounted in the middle right position of the top surface of the base 110. The material tray 112 is rotatably mounted in the upper left position of the top surface of the base 110, and the material tray 112 is connected to the discharge port of the vibratory feeder 111. The support mechanism 130 is located below the material tray 112, the pickup mechanism 120 is located between the material tray 112 and the support mechanism 130, and the vision inspection component 140 is located to the right of the support mechanism 130.

[0023] The picking mechanism 120 includes a robotic arm 121 and a diamond picking head 122 disposed at at least one end of the robotic arm 121. The supporting structure includes a support base 131. The diamond picking head 122 can be a gripper; by controlling the gripper to close or open, it picks up and releases diamonds. In actual use, the operator first puts the diamond raw material into the vibratory feeder 111. After being sorted by vibration, the diamonds fall onto the surface of the feed tray 112 through the discharge port. The diamond picking head 122 reciprocates between the feed tray 112 and the support base 131 as the robotic arm 121 rotates. The rotation of the feed tray 112 ensures that the diamonds are evenly spread out, avoiding stacking, and facilitating the transfer of the diamonds spread out on the feed tray 112 to the support base 131 by the diamond picking head 122.

[0024] It is understood that in other embodiments, diamond pickup heads 122 can be provided at both ends of the robotic arm 121. In this way, as the robotic arm 121 rotates between the tray 112 and the support mechanism 130, when one diamond pickup head 122 moves above the tray 112 to pick up a diamond, the other diamond pickup head 122 moves above the support base 131 to release the diamond. Compared to the solution of providing diamond pickup heads 122 only at one end of the robotic arm 121, more diamonds can be processed per unit time, improving diamond transportation efficiency.

[0025] To further optimize the reliability and stability of diamond picking, a limit bar is also set at the discharge port of the vibratory feeder 111 to limit the amount of diamonds passing through and prevent excessive accumulation of diamonds on the feed tray 112, which would affect the picking operation.

[0026] Here, the vision inspection component 140 includes an industrial camera whose lens is positioned directly opposite the support 131. This camera is used to acquire images of the diamond on the support 131 and obtain measurement data based on the images, which includes the diamond's outline and shape. This data is then transmitted to a control mechanism to guide the processing mechanism 200 in creating corresponding setting holes on a substrate (such as a ring). This ensures that the setting holes match the shape of the diamond, improving the setting precision and thus enhancing the quality of the finished jewelry.

[0027] Please see Figure 4 In some embodiments, the support mechanism 130 includes a base 132 connected to the support seat 131, and the base 132 is provided with a rotating member for driving the support seat 131 to rotate.

[0028] In this embodiment, the bottom of the support 131 is connected to the top of the base 132, and a rotating component is provided at the connection between the base 132 and the support 131. Specifically, the rotating component can be a motor, with the motor body installed inside the base 132. The motor's rotation shaft extends from the base 132 and connects to the support 131 to drive the support 131 to rotate on the base 132. When a diamond is placed on the support 131, the support 131 will drive the diamond to rotate synchronously, allowing an industrial camera to capture multi-view images around the diamond, thereby determining the diamond's three-dimensional shape. The setting hole is then created based on the diamond's three-dimensional shape, improving the matching accuracy between the setting hole and the diamond's shape, thus enhancing the quality of the diamond setting process.

[0029] In some embodiments, the support base 131 is hollow and has a vacuum adsorption component inside, which is used to adsorb the diamond located on the support base 131.

[0030] In this embodiment, the vacuum adsorption assembly includes an air pump and a suction cup. When it is necessary to fix the diamond to the support base 131, the air pump is turned on to generate negative pressure, causing the suction cup to adsorb the diamond onto the support base 131, preventing the diamond from moving around on the support base 131 and affecting the image acquisition effect. When it is necessary to remove the diamond, simply turn off the air pump to release the negative pressure, and the diamond can be removed from the support base 131. Furthermore, the suction cup is made of flexible silicone to prevent scratches on the diamond during contact, improving operational safety.

[0031] Please see Figure 4 In some embodiments, the support mechanism 130 further includes a support rod 133 and a rotating rod 134. At least one end of the support rod 133 is provided with a support seat 131, and the rotating rod 134 is laterally disposed in the middle of the support rod 133 for driving the support rod 133 to rotate.

[0032] In this embodiment, the rotating rod 134 is laterally hinged to the middle of the support rod 133, allowing the support rod 133 to rotate around the axis of the rotating rod 134. At least one end of the support rod 133 is provided with a base 132, and a support seat 131 is mounted on the base 132. Specifically, the robotic arm 121 is horizontally mounted above the material tray 112 and can rotate parallel to the upper surface of the material tray 112; the support rod 133 is located below the material tray 112 and can rotate perpendicular to the upper surface of the material tray 112. The robotic arm 121 transports the diamond in the planar direction, while the support rod 133 is responsible for transporting the diamond in the vertical direction.

[0033] In other embodiments, bases 132 and support seats 131 can be provided at both ends of the support rod 133, thereby improving the transportation efficiency of the support seat 131 and reducing waiting time.

[0034] Please see Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the tray 112 is located in the middle of the top surface of the base 110, and a clearance groove 150 for the support rod 133 to rotate is also provided on one side of the top surface of the base 110.

[0035] In this embodiment, a clearance groove 150 is provided on the top surface of the base 110 to prevent the movement of the support rod 133 from being interfered with by the top surface of the base 110, and to provide the necessary space for the rotational movement of the support rod 133.

[0036] In some embodiments, a diamond conveying device 160 is also included. The diamond conveying device 160 is horizontally arranged, with one end connected to the base 110 and the other end protruding from the base 110. The diamond conveying device 160 includes a plurality of material carrier plates 162 for placing diamonds released from the support 131.

[0037] The diamond conveying device 160 includes a conveyor belt 161 and a carrier plate 162 disposed on the conveyor belt 161, wherein the conveyor belt 161 is located directly below the clearance groove 150. The starting end of the conveyor belt 161 is located directly below the support base 131 for receiving diamonds released from the support base 131, and the other end protrudes from the machine base 110 and extends towards the processing device to transport diamonds from the tray 112 to the processing area. The upper surface of the carrier plate 162 is provided with a receiving groove, which serves to limit the diamonds and prevent them from shifting as the conveyor belt 161 moves, ensuring that the diamonds always maintain a preset orientation for easy handling.

[0038] In actual operation, the diamond pick-up head 122 on the robotic arm 121 first picks up a diamond from the tray 112. Then, the diamond pick-up head 122 rotates with the robotic arm 121 to transport the diamond to the position of the support base 131, and the vacuum adsorption component is activated to fix the diamond on the support base 131. Next, the support base 131 rotates the diamond, and the vision inspection component 140 performs multi-view image acquisition on the diamond on the support base 131 to obtain data such as the diamond's volume, size, and shape for subsequent processing. After the vision inspection is completed, the support rod 133 rotates the support base 131 to above the conveyor belt 161, and the vacuum adsorption component is turned off, releasing the diamond into the receiving slot of the loading plate 162. The conveyor belt 161 then starts, transporting the loading plate 162 loaded with diamonds towards the processing device, while simultaneously moving the next empty loading plate 162 to stand by under the support base 131, thus achieving continuous transport.

[0039] This application also proposes an automatic diamond setting system, including a processing device and the aforementioned automatic feeding device 100. The specific structure of the automatic feeding device 100 is as described in the above embodiments. Since the automatic diamond setting system adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the technical effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, and will not be described in detail here. The processing device includes a processing mechanism 200 and a control mechanism. The control mechanism is electrically connected to the vision detection component 140 and is used to control the processing mechanism 200 to process the substrate according to the diamond outline data output by the vision detection component 140.

[0040] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 5 The automated diamond setting system includes a processing device and an automated feeding device 100. The processing device is located at the end of the conveyor belt 161 away from the support base 131, and includes a processing mechanism 200 and a control mechanism. The control mechanism is electrically connected to the vision inspection component 140 of the automated feeding device 100. The vision inspection component 140 performs a three-dimensional scan of the diamond on the support base 131 to obtain diamond contour data such as volume, size, and shape, and transmits this diamond contour data to the control mechanism. Based on the diamond contour data, the control mechanism drives the processing device to process a setting hole on the substrate that matches the shape of the diamond, and then embeds the diamond into the setting hole, thereby realizing the automated diamond setting process.

[0041] This design allows the setting holes on the substrate to better match the facets and edges of the diamond, improving the precision of the diamond setting and thus optimizing the mechanical strength and optical performance of the finished jewelry.

[0042] Please see Figure 3 and Figure 5 In some embodiments, the processing mechanism 200 includes a jig assembly 210 for holding a substrate and a processing seat 220. The jig assembly 210 is disposed on one side of the diamond conveying device 160, and the processing seat 220 is disposed above the jig assembly 210. The processing seat 220 includes a take-up head 221 for taking material from the diamond conveying device 160, a cutter head 222 for grooving the substrate, and a pressing head 223 for pressing the diamond onto the substrate.

[0043] In this embodiment, the processing mechanism 200 includes a jig assembly 210 and a processing seat 220. The jig assembly 210 is located at the end of the conveyor belt 161 away from the support seat 131, and is used to fix the substrate such as a ring that needs to be set with diamonds. It can also drive the substrate to rotate at multiple angles to switch different processing surfaces for the processing seat 220 to operate. The processing seat 220 is located above the jig assembly 210, and is equipped with a take-up head 221, a cutter head 222, or a pressing head 223, which are used to take out diamonds from the diamond conveying device 160, open setting grooves on the substrate, and press and fix the diamonds, respectively.

[0044] Please see Figure 5 In some embodiments, the processing mechanism 200 further includes a mounting frame 230, a stroke module 240, and a first lifting platform 250. The stroke module 240 is disposed on the top of the mounting frame 230, the first lifting platform 250 is movably mounted on the stroke module 240, and the processing seat 220 is movably mounted on the first lifting platform 250.

[0045] In some embodiments, a second lifting platform 260 is also provided on the mounting bracket 230. The second lifting platform 260 is located on the side of the stroke module 240 away from the diamond conveying device 160. A rotary disk 270 for placing and switching the pick-up head 221, the cutter head 222 and the pressure head 223 is rotatably provided at the bottom of the second lifting platform 260. The processing seat 220 moves along the stroke module 240 toward or away from the rotary disk 270.

[0046] In this embodiment, the mounting bracket 230 is used to support the processing seat 220. A stroke module 240 is provided on the top of the mounting bracket 230. The first lifting platform 250 can move left and right along the stroke module 240. The processing seat 220 moves up and down together with the first lifting platform 250 to ensure that the processing seat 220 can always be aligned with the substrate on the fixture assembly 210, so that the processing can be carried out smoothly.

[0047] Here, the second lifting platform 260 is fixed on the mounting frame 230 and located on the side of the stroke module 240 away from the conveyor belt 161. A rotary table 270 is provided at the bottom of the second lifting platform 260, and multiple clamps 271 are provided on the rotary table 270 for holding the material pick-up head 221, the cutting head 222, and the pressing head 223. When the processing seat 220 moves along the stroke module 240 to the area where the rotary table 270 is located, the second lifting platform 260 can adjust the height of the rotary table 270 to keep it horizontally aligned with the processing seat 220. Simultaneously, by rotating the rotary table 270, the material pick-up head 221, the cutting head 222, or the pressing head 223 to be assembled is aligned with the assembly end of the processing seat 220, thereby achieving the function of automatically changing multiple tools.

[0048] It is important to note that there are multiple cutting heads 222 used to create setting slots on the substrate, and these cutting heads 222 have different specifications. Specifically, during actual operation, the control component drives the processing seat 220 to select the corresponding cutting head 222 based on the diamond contour data provided by the vision inspection component 140. The diameter and processing depth of the cutting head 222 match the actual diamond, thereby improving the fit between the created setting hole and the diamond. After the setting slot is created, the processing seat 220 first moves to the rotary table 270 to switch the pick-up head 221, then moves above the conveyor belt 161 to remove the diamond from the loading trough, and then returns to the fixture assembly 210 to place the diamond into the setting slot of the substrate. Next, the processing seat 220 moves to the rotary table 270 to switch the pressure head 223, and finally moves above the fixture assembly 210 to press and fix the diamond in the setting slot of the substrate, thus completing the automatic diamond setting process.

[0049] In summary, this application discloses an automatic feeding device 100 and an automatic diamond setting system. By setting a vision inspection system to acquire multi-view images of the diamond to obtain the diamond's outline data, and using this data to control the processing device to open setting holes on substrates such as rings that fit the diamond's outline, the accuracy of diamond setting is improved, thereby optimizing the mechanical strength and optical performance of the finished jewelry.

[0050] The above description is only a part or preferred embodiment of this application. Neither the text nor the drawings should limit the scope of protection of this application. All equivalent structural transformations made using the content of this application's specification and drawings under the overall concept of this application, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An automatic feeding device, characterized in that, include: Base; The vibratory feeder is located on the top surface of the machine base; A material tray is disposed on one side of the vibratory feeder and is connected to the discharge port of the vibratory feeder; The picking mechanism is located on one side of the material tray and includes a rotatable robotic arm and a diamond picking head located at one end of the robotic arm. A support mechanism is provided on the side of the picking mechanism opposite to the tray, and includes a support base for receiving the diamond picked up by the picking mechanism; A visual inspection component, located on one side of the support mechanism, is used to measure the outline of the diamond located on the support and output measurement data.

2. The automatic feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support mechanism includes a base connected to the support seat, and the base is provided with a rotating component, which is used to drive the support seat to rotate.

3. The automatic feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The support base is hollow and has a vacuum adsorption component inside, which is used to adsorb the diamond located on the support base.

4. The automatic feeding device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The support mechanism further includes a support rod and a rotating rod. At least one end of the support rod is provided with the support seat, and the rotating rod is arranged laterally in the middle of the support rod for driving the support rod to rotate.

5. The automatic feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The material tray is located in the middle of the top surface of the machine base, and a clearance groove is also provided on one side of the top surface of the machine base for the support rod to rotate.

6. The automatic feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, It also includes a diamond conveying device, which is horizontally arranged, with one end connected to the base and the other end protruding from the base. The diamond conveying device includes multiple material plates for placing diamonds released from the support.

7. An automatic diamond setting system, characterized in that, The device includes a processing apparatus and an automatic feeding device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6. The processing apparatus includes a processing mechanism and a control mechanism. The control mechanism is electrically connected to the vision detection component and is used to control the processing mechanism to process the substrate according to the diamond outline data output by the vision detection component.

8. The automatic diamond setting system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The processing mechanism includes a jig assembly for clamping the substrate and a processing seat. The jig assembly is disposed on one side of the diamond conveying device, and the processing seat is disposed above the jig assembly. The processing seat includes a take-up head for taking material from the diamond conveying device, a cutting head for grooving the substrate, and a pressing head for pressing the diamond onto the substrate.

9. The automatic diamond setting system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The processing mechanism further includes a mounting frame, a stroke module, and a first lifting platform. The stroke module is disposed on the top of the mounting frame, the first lifting platform is movably mounted on the stroke module, and the processing seat is movably mounted on the first lifting platform.

10. The automatic diamond setting system according to claim 9, characterized in that, It also includes a second lifting platform mounted on the mounting frame. The second lifting platform is located on the side of the stroke module away from the diamond conveying device. The bottom of the second lifting platform is rotatably equipped with a rotary disk for placing and switching the take-up head, the cutter head and the pressure head. The processing seat moves along the stroke module toward or away from the rotary disk.

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