Sheet material transport system and sheet material transport method

Abstract

The present application provides a kind of sheet material transport system and sheet material transport method, sheet material transport system includes magazine, magazine is used to load multiple sheet materials;Handling unit, handling unit is used to carry multiple sheet materials to magazine;Rack, magazine can enter and exit rack, rack includes fixed rack, mobile rack is movably arranged relative to fixed rack, magazine can enter fixed rack from mobile rack and move to mobile rack from fixed rack.The present application provides the sheet material transport system and sheet material transport method, handling unit can automatically carry multiple sheet materials to magazine, and magazine can be loaded into mobile rack, be taken to production workshop by mobile rack, then, sheet material on mobile rack can be transferred to fixed rack for production personnel to use, so, it can reduce the labor intensity of operator when transporting sheet material, improve the transport efficiency of sheet material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigeration equipment manufacturing technology, specifically to a sheet metal transport system and a sheet metal transport method. Background Technology

[0002] During the manufacturing of refrigeration equipment, sheet-like materials (referred to as sheets) need to be installed in the equipment's compartments. These sheets, typically made of glass, serve as shelves within the compartments. Large-scale manufacturing of refrigeration equipment requires a large quantity of sheets in various sizes. In the current production process, production workers transport the sheets by loading them onto a transfer cart, then transporting the cart to the workstation, where shelves are placed on the workstation racks. This process is largely manual, labor-intensive, and technically challenging. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a sheet material transportation system and method that can reduce the labor intensity of production personnel and improve the efficiency of sheet material transportation.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a sheet metal transport system, comprising:

[0005] A hopper, used to load multiple sheets of material;

[0006] A conveying unit, wherein the conveying unit is used to convey multiple sheets of material to a material box;

[0007] The shelf includes a fixed shelf and a movable shelf movably disposed relative to the fixed shelf. The material box can enter and leave the shelf.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, the handling unit includes a first handling device, a sheet material arrangement device, and a second handling device;

[0009] The first conveying device is used to convey the sheet material to the sheet material arranging device multiple times. The sheet material arranging device is used to receive the sheet material multiple times and arrange multiple sheet materials into a sheet material group according to a predetermined pattern. The second conveying device is used to convey the sheet material group to the material box.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, the sheet metal arrangement device includes a base, a first movable frame movably arranged along the length direction of the base, and a second movable frame movably arranged along the height direction of the base. The first movable frame is provided with a plurality of slots for inserting sheet metal, and the plurality of slots are arranged along the length direction of the base. The second movable frame is used to receive and release the sheet metal.

[0011] The sheet metal arrangement device is configured such that the first movable frame and the second movable frame cooperate to sequentially insert multiple sheets into multiple slots to form the sheet metal group.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, the shelf includes a shelf body for loading a cassette, the two sides of the shelf body in the length direction are a first side and a second side, respectively, and the shelf also includes a first stop mechanism disposed on the first side and a second stop mechanism disposed on the second side. The first stop mechanism is used to restrict the cassette from leaving the shelf body from the first side, and the second stop mechanism is used to restrict the cassette from leaving the shelf body from the second side.

[0013] The first stop mechanism includes a closed state that restricts the material tray from leaving the shelf from the first side, and an open state that does not restrict the material tray from leaving the shelf body from the first side. The shelf also includes an unlocking member disposed on the second side. The sheet metal transport system is configured such that when the unlocking member on one shelf contacts the first stop mechanism on another shelf, the first stop mechanism changes from a closed state to an open state.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, the first stop mechanism includes a first slider movably connected to the shelf body along the width direction of the shelf body. The first slider includes a first position where it blocks the material box from leaving the shelf from the first side, and a second position where it does not block the material box from leaving the shelf from the first side after moving from the first position in a direction away from the middle of the shelf. When the first slider is in the first position, the first stop mechanism is in a closed state, and when the first slider is in the second position, the first stop mechanism is in an open state.

[0015] The first stop mechanism further includes a drive structure connected to the first slider. One drive structure on the shelf and an unlocking component on the other shelf are configured to drive the first slider to switch between a first position and a second position.

[0016] As a further improvement of the present invention, the driving structure includes a second slider movably connected to the shelf body along the length direction of the shelf body, a conversion structure disposed between the first slider and the second slider, and an elastic member disposed between the second slider and the shelf body;

[0017] The unlocking member is used to push the second slider to move toward the second side along the length direction of the shelf body. The elastic member is provided on the side of the second slider facing the second side, and its two ends in the elastic extension direction respectively abut against the second slider and the shelf body.

[0018] The switching structure is used to make the distance the second slider moves toward the second side proportional to the distance the first slider moves away from the center of the shelf, so that the second slider can drive the first slider to switch between the first position and the second position.

[0019] As a further improvement of the present invention, the second stop mechanism includes a rotating block, which is rotatably connected to the shelf body and can rotate between a third position and a fourth position. When the rotating block is in the third position, the material box cannot leave the shelf body from the second side. When the rotating block is in the fourth position, the material box can leave the shelf body from the second side.

[0020] As a further improvement of the present invention, the first conveying device includes a suction cup assembly for picking up sheet metal and a first driving device for driving the suction cup assembly to move.

[0021] As a further improvement of the present invention, the second handling device includes a gripping component and a second driving device for driving the gripping component to move. The gripping component includes a connecting seat connected to the second driving device and two clamping plates connected to the connecting seat. The two clamping plates are arranged opposite to each other and are movably connected to the connecting seat to move closer to each other and further away from each other. The connecting seat is also provided with a plurality of limiting grooves for inserting sheet material, and the plurality of limiting grooves are located between the two clamping plates.

[0022] The present invention also provides a sheet metal transportation method, which uses the sheet metal transportation system described above and includes the following steps:

[0023] S1. Two mobile shelves loaded with boards are provided on the front and back sides of the fixed shelf that is not loaded with boards.

[0024] S2. Transfer the sheet material on the mobile shelf behind the fixed shelf to the fixed shelf;

[0025] S3. After the board material on the mobile shelf in front of the fixed shelf is removed, the mobile shelf is moved to another position, and the mobile shelf behind the fixed shelf is moved to the front of the fixed shelf.

[0026] S4. Transfer the sheet material on the fixed shelf to the mobile shelf in front of it;

[0027] S5. Move the mobile shelf containing the sheet metal to the rear of the fixed shelf;

[0028] S6. Repeat steps S2-S5.

[0029] Beneficial effects:

[0030] In the sheet material transportation system and method provided by the present invention, the handling unit can automatically transport multiple sheets to a material box, and the material box can be loaded into a mobile shelf and carried to the production workshop by the mobile shelf. After that, the sheets on the mobile shelf can be transferred to a fixed shelf for use by production personnel. In this way, the labor intensity of operators when transporting sheets can be reduced and the transportation efficiency of sheets can be improved. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a top view of a sheet metal transport system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of some of the structures in the diagram;

[0033] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the material box and the sheet metal in a sheet metal transportation system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Side view of the sheet metal arrangement equipment in the middle;

[0035] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A magnified diagram of point A in the middle;

[0036] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A front view of the sheet metal arrangement equipment in the middle;

[0037] Figure 7 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the sheet metal arrangement equipment in the diagram;

[0038] Figure 8 for Figure 6 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the second movable frame in the diagram;

[0039] Figure 9 for Figure 8 A three-dimensional structural diagram of part of the second movable frame in the diagram;

[0040] Figure 10 for Figure 6 A front view of the second movable frame in the middle;

[0041] Figure 11 for Figure 6 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the first movable frame in the diagram;

[0042] Figure 12 A side view of a fixed shelf and a movable shelf in a sheet metal transport system provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 13A three-dimensional structural diagram of the first side of a shelf in a sheet metal transport system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 14 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the second side of a shelf in a sheet metal transport system provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of the structure of rollers, a hopper, and a sheet metal in a sheet metal transport system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 16 This is a top view of the shelving section structure in a sheet metal transport system provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 17 for Figure 16 A top view of the first stop mechanism in the middle;

[0048] Figure 18 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the shelf structure in a sheet metal transport system provided in an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the rotating block is in the third position;

[0049] Figure 19 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the shelf structure in a sheet metal transport system provided in an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the rotating block is in the fourth position;

[0050] Figure 20 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the transfer station and shelves in the system;

[0051] Figure 21 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the first handling equipment and the storage rack;

[0052] Figure 22 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the second handling equipment in the middle;

[0053] Figure 23 for Figure 22 A schematic diagram of part of the structure of the second handling equipment in the diagram;

[0054] Figure 24 for Figure 23 A magnified diagram of point B in the middle;

[0055] Figure 25 This is a schematic diagram of a sheet metal transportation method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0056] Figure 26 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a portion of the sheet metal transport system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] In the picture:

[0058] 1000. Sheet metal conveying system;

[0059] 100. Transport unit;

[0060] 10. First conveying device; 11. Suction cup assembly; 12. First driving device;

[0061] 20. Sheet metal arranging equipment;

[0062] 21. Base; 211. Base plate; 212. First column; 213. Second column;

[0063] 22. First movable frame; 221. Slot; 222. Connecting part; 223. Storage part;

[0064] 23. Second movable frame; 231. Lifting plate; 2311. Socket; 232. Clamping block; 232a. First clamping block; 232b. Second clamping block; 2321. First clamping groove; 2322. Second clamping groove; 233. Limiting block;

[0065] 24. First drive assembly; 241. First lead screw; 242. Second lead screw; 243. First lead screw nut; 244. Second lead screw nut; 245. First connecting block; 246. Second connecting block; 247. First drive component;

[0066] 25. Pad;

[0067] 26. Second drive assembly; 261. Third lead screw; 262. Third lead screw nut; 263. Second drive component;

[0068] 27. Third drive component; 271. First linear drive component; 272. Second linear drive component;

[0069] 30. Second handling equipment; 31. Gripping assembly; 311. Connecting seat; 3111. Limiting groove; 312. Clamping plate; 312a. First clamping plate; 312b. Second clamping plate; 313. First protrusion; 314. Second protrusion; 315. Fourth drive assembly; 32. Second drive device;

[0070] 40. Material box;

[0071] 50. Shelves; 510. Fixed shelves; 520. Mobile shelves;

[0072] 51. Shelf body;

[0073] 52. First stop mechanism; 521. First slider; 522. Drive structure; 5221. Second slider; 5222. Elastic element; 5223. Conversion structure; 52231. Track groove; 52232. Contact block;

[0074] 53. Second stop mechanism; 531. Rotating block;

[0075] 54. Unlocking parts;

[0076] 55. Roller; 55a. First roller; 55b. Second roller;

[0077] 60. Transfer station; 60a. First transfer station; 60b. Second transfer station;

[0078] 70. Material rack;

[0079] 80. Guide component; 810. Guide surface;

[0080] 200, sheet metal; 210, sheet metal group. Detailed Implementation

[0081] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, these embodiments do not limit the present invention, and any modifications to the mechanism, method, or function made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments are included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0082] The terms used herein, such as "up," "down," "left," "right," "front," and "back," indicating spatial relative position, are for illustrative purposes to describe the relationship of one feature relative to another, as shown in the accompanying drawings. It is understood that, depending on the product's placement, these terms may be intended to include different orientations besides those shown in the figures, and should not be construed as limiting the claims. Furthermore, the descriptive term "horizontal" used herein is not entirely equivalent to being perpendicular to the direction of gravity, and allows for a certain angle of inclination.

[0083] like Figure 1-3 As shown in Figures 1 and 12, the present invention provides a sheet metal transport system 1000, which can be used in the manufacturing process of refrigeration equipment to transport sheet metal 200 used as shelves, thereby reducing the labor intensity of production personnel and improving the transport efficiency of sheet metal 200. In this embodiment, the sheet metal 200 is made of glass material.

[0084] The sheet metal transport system 1000 includes a hopper 40, a handling unit 100, and a shelf 50. The hopper 40 is used to load multiple sheets 200, and the handling unit 100 is used to move the multiple sheets 200 into the hopper 40. The hopper 40 can enter and leave the shelf 50, and the shelf 50 includes two types: a fixed shelf 510 and a movable shelf 520. The fixed shelf 510 is generally fixed and stationary, while the movable shelf 520 is movable relative to the fixed shelf 510. In this embodiment, the fixed shelf 510 and the movable shelf 520 have basically the same structure, the difference being that the movable shelf 520 is equipped with casters at its bottom to facilitate its movement.

[0085] The material tray 40 can be transferred between the fixed shelf 510 and the mobile shelf 520, that is, the material tray 40 can move from the mobile shelf 520 to the fixed shelf 510, and can also move from the mobile shelf 520 to the fixed shelf 510.

[0086] When the sheet metal transport system 1000 is in use, the handling unit 100 is located in one position, such as a warehouse, the fixed shelf 510 is located in another position, such as a production workshop, and the mobile shelf 520 can move back and forth between the warehouse and the production workshop. After the handling unit 100 moves multiple sheets of material 200 into the material box 40 in the warehouse, the material box 40 can be loaded into the mobile shelf 520. Then, the mobile shelf 520, carrying the material box 40 containing the sheet metal 200, moves to the production workshop. Afterward, the material box 40 on the mobile shelf 520 can be transferred to the fixed shelf 510. During production, production personnel can take the sheet metal 200 from the fixed shelf 510 for use. The specific workflow of the sheet metal transport system 1000 will be described in detail below when describing the sheet metal 200 transport method.

[0087] The sheet metal transport system 1000 provided by the present invention can reduce the labor intensity of operators when transporting sheet metal 200 and improve the transport efficiency of sheet metal 200.

[0088] The handling unit 100 includes a first handling device 10, a sheet material arranging device 20, and a second handling device 30. The first handling device 10 is used to repeatedly transport the sheet material 200 to the sheet material arranging device 20. The sheet material arranging device 20 is used to repeatedly receive the sheet material 200 and arrange the received sheet material 200 into a sheet material group 210 according to a predetermined pattern. The second handling device 30 is used to transport the sheet material group 210 to the material box 40.

[0089] When the handling unit 100 is operating, the first handling device 10 transports multiple sheets 200 one by one to the sheet arrangement device 20. The sheet arrangement device 20 receives the multiple sheets 200 and arranges them regularly into a sheet group 210. Then, the second handling device 30 grabs the sheet group 210 containing multiple sheets 200 at once and transports the sheet group 210 into the material bin 40. The sheet arrangement device 20 can regularly arrange multiple sheets 200 so that they are suitable for being loaded into the material bin 40.

[0090] The handling unit 100 can handle different types of sheet metal 200. The material box 40 can be provided with at least two separate storage areas, each of which is used to store sheet metal 200 of the same type.

[0091] Continue to combine Figure 4-11 As shown, the sheet metal arranging device 20 includes a base 21, a first movable frame 22 movably disposed along the length of the base 21, and a second movable frame 23 movably disposed along the height of the base 21. The first movable frame 22 has multiple slots 221 for inserting sheet metal 200, and the multiple slots 221 are arranged along the length of the base 21. The second movable frame 23 is used to receive and release the sheet metal 200. The sheet metal arranging device 20 is configured such that the first movable frame 22 and the second movable frame 23 cooperate to sequentially insert multiple sheet metal 200s into the multiple slots 221 to form the aforementioned sheet metal group 210.

[0092] It should be noted that, in this article, the length direction of base 21 is the direction in which base 21 is located. Figure 4 The left and right directions of the base 21 in the state shown are as follows: the height direction of the base 21 is as follows: Figure 4 In the vertical direction of the aforementioned state, the width direction of the base 21 is such that the base 21 is in the position described above. Figure 6 The left and right directions in the state shown.

[0093] The first movable frame 22 is located below the second movable frame 23. When the sheet metal arranging device 20 is working, the first conveying device 10 transports the sheet metal 200 to the second movable frame 23. The second movable frame 23 receives the sheet metal 200 and moves downward so that the sheet metal 200 on it is inserted into the slot 221 of the first movable frame 22. Then, the second movable frame 23 releases the sheet metal 200 and moves upward. The above actions are repeated. After a sheet metal 200 is inserted into the slot 221, the first movable frame 22 is moved a predetermined distance along the length of the base 21 so that each time the second movable frame 23 carrying the sheet metal 200 moves downward, the sheet metal 200 on the second movable frame 23 can be inserted into a new slot 221. In this way, multiple sheets metal 200 can be inserted into multiple slots 221 in sequence.

[0094] As can be seen, the sheet metal arrangement device 20 can receive sheet metal 200 multiple times and insert the received sheet metal 200 into multiple slots 221 respectively. The insertion of multiple sheet metal 200 into slots 221 forms the aforementioned sheet metal group 210. Since the multiple slots 221 are arranged in a linear direction, the multiple sheet metal 200 of the sheet metal group 210 are also arranged in a linear direction.

[0095] In the top-to-bottom direction, the width of the slot 221 (i.e., the dimension of the slot 221 in the length direction of the base 21) gradually decreases, which facilitates the insertion of the board 200 into the slot 221 from top to bottom.

[0096] In this embodiment, the second movable frame 23 includes a lifting plate 231 movably disposed along the height direction of the base 21, two clamping blocks 232 movably connected to the lifting plate 231 along the width direction of the base 21, and a first drive assembly 24 for driving the two clamping blocks 232 to move closer and further apart. The two clamping blocks 232 are used to clamp and release the sheet material 200. When the first conveying device 10 transports the sheet material 200 to the second movable frame 23, the first drive assembly 24 drives the two clamping blocks 232 to move closer, thereby clamping the sheet material 200. Then, when the second movable frame 23 moves downward to insert the sheet material 200 into the slot 221, the first drive assembly 24 drives the two clamping blocks 232 to move further apart, thereby releasing the sheet material 200, so that the sheet material 200 can remain on the first movable frame 22.

[0097] Specifically, the two clamping blocks 232 are the first clamping block 232a and the second clamping block 232b, respectively. The first drive assembly 24 includes a first lead screw 241 and a second lead screw 242 rotatably connected to the lifting plate 231, a first lead screw nut 243 and a second lead screw nut 244 respectively cooperating with the first lead screw 241 and the second lead screw 242, a first connecting block 245 connecting the first lead screw nut 243 and the first clamping block 232a, a second connecting block 246 connecting the second lead screw nut 244 and the second clamping block 232b, and a first drive member 247 for driving the first lead screw 241 and the second lead screw 242 to rotate.

[0098] The first lead screw 241 and the second lead screw 242 extend along the width direction of the base 21, and the direction of the thread on the first lead screw 241 is opposite to the direction of the thread on the second lead screw 242. Thus, when the first drive member 247 drives the first lead screw 241 and the second lead screw 242 to rotate synchronously, the first lead screw nut 243 and the second lead screw nut 244 will move in a direction that is closer or farther away from each other, thereby driving the first clamping block 232a and the second clamping block 232b to move in a direction that is closer or farther away from each other.

[0099] In this embodiment, the first lead screw 241 and the second lead screw 242 are coaxially arranged, and the first driving member 247 is connected to the first lead screw 241 and the second lead screw 242 and is located in the middle of the first lead screw 241 and the second lead screw 242. The first driving member 247 can drive the first lead screw 241 and the second lead screw 242 to rotate.

[0100] In this embodiment, the first lead screw 241 and the second lead screw 242 are two separate lead screws. In other embodiments, the first lead screw 241 and the second lead screw 242 can be directly connected together. The first lead screw 241 and the second lead screw 242 connected together include two sections of threads with opposite directions of rotation.

[0101] A first clamping groove 2321 is formed on the side of the first clamping block 232a facing the second clamping block 232b, and a second clamping groove 2322 is formed on the side of the second clamping block 232b facing the first clamping block 232a. Since the first movable frame 22 is located below the second movable frame 23, the first clamping groove 2321 extends at least to the lower end of the first clamping block 232a, and the second clamping groove 2322 extends at least to the lower end of the second clamping block 232b. The first clamping groove 2321 and the second clamping groove 2322 cooperate to clamp and position the sheet metal 200. When the sheet metal 200 is clamped by the first clamping groove 2321 and the second clamping groove 2322, it extends at least beyond the lower ends of the first clamping groove 2321 and the second clamping groove 2322.

[0102] In this embodiment, the first clamping groove 2321 passes through the upper and lower ends of the first clamping block 232a, and the second clamping groove 2322 passes through the upper and lower ends of the second clamping block 232b. When the first clamping groove 2321 and the second clamping groove 2322 clamp the plate material 200, they specifically clamp the middle part of the plate material 200.

[0103] The first movable frame 22 includes a connecting part 222 that is slidably connected to the base 21 along the length direction of the base 21, a storage part 223 located above the connecting part 222, a plurality of slots 221 opened in the storage part 223, and an insertion port 2311 for the storage part 223 to enter on the lower side of the lifting plate 231.

[0104] The second movable frame 23 also includes a limiting block 233 connected to one side of the lifting plate 231 in the thickness direction. In the width direction of the base 21, the limiting block 233 is located on one side of the insertion port 2311, and the two clamping blocks 232 and the limiting block 233 are located on the same side in the thickness direction of the lifting plate 231. When the first clamping block 232a and the second clamping block 232b clamp the plate 200, the limiting block 233 can hold the lower end of the plate 200, thereby preventing the plate 200 from falling downward.

[0105] The dimension of the insertion port 2311 in the width direction of the base 21 is greater than the dimension of the storage part 223 in the width direction of the base 21, and the dimension of the sheet metal 200 in the width direction of the base 21 is also greater than the dimension of the storage part 223 in the width direction of the base 21. With the above arrangement, after the lifting plate 231 moves downward, it will not interfere with the storage part 223, so that the sheet metal 200 can be inserted into the slot 221.

[0106] In this embodiment, two limiting blocks 233 are provided. In the width direction of the base 21, the two limiting blocks 233 are located on both sides of the socket 2311.

[0107] The second movable frame 23 also includes a pad 25 disposed on one side of the lifting plate 231 in the thickness direction. The two clamping blocks 232 and the pad 25 are located on the same side of the lifting plate 231 in the thickness direction. The pad 25 may be made of a flexible material. When the first conveying device 10 transfers the sheet material 200 to the second movable frame 23, the sheet material 200 contacts the pad 25, and the pad 25 protects the sheet material 200. In this embodiment, multiple pads 25 may be provided, and the multiple pads 25 are distributed at different positions of the lifting plate 231.

[0108] The sheet metal arrangement device 20 also includes a second drive assembly 26, which connects the first moving frame 22 and the base 21 and drives the first moving frame 22 to move along the length of the base 21.

[0109] Specifically, the first movable frame 22 is slidably connected to the base 21 along its length. The second drive assembly 26 includes a third lead screw 261 rotatably connected to the base 21, a third lead screw nut 262 cooperating with and connected to the first movable frame 22, and a second drive member 263 connecting the base 21 and the third lead screw 261 and driving the third lead screw 261 to rotate. The third lead screw 261 extends along the length of the base 21. When the second drive member 263 drives the third lead screw 261 to rotate, the third lead screw nut 262 will drive the first movable frame 22 to move along the length of the base 21. The second drive member 263 can be a servo motor; controlling the rotation of the second drive member 263 will allow the first movable frame 22 to move the desired distance.

[0110] The sheet metal arrangement equipment 20 also includes a third drive assembly 27, which connects the second moving frame 23 and the base 21 and is used to drive the second moving frame 23 to move along the height direction of the base 21.

[0111] Specifically, the base 21 includes a base plate 211, a first column 212 and a second column 213 erected on the base plate 211, with the first column 212 and the second column 213 spaced apart in the width direction of the base 21. A second movable frame 23 is slidably connected to the first column 212 and the second column 213 along the height direction of the base 21. The third drive assembly 27 includes a first linear drive member 271 and a second linear drive member 272. The first linear drive member 271 is connected to the first column 212, and its output end is connected to the second movable frame 23. The second linear drive member 272 is connected to the second column 213, and its output end is also connected to the second movable frame 23. The first linear drive member 271 and the second linear drive member 272 can jointly drive the second movable frame 23 to move in the height direction of the base 21. Specifically, the first linear drive member 271 and the second linear drive member 272 can be rodless cylinders.

[0112] Continue to combine Figure 12-14 As shown, the shelf 50 includes a shelf body 51 for loading the cassette 40, with the two sides along the length of the shelf body 51 being a first side and a second side, respectively. The shelf 50 also includes a first stop mechanism 52 on the first side and a second stop mechanism 53 on the second side. The first stop mechanism 52 is used to restrict the cassette 40 from leaving the shelf body 51 from the first side, and the second stop mechanism 53 is used to restrict the cassette 40 from leaving the shelf body 51 from the second side. The first stop mechanism 52 and the second stop mechanism 53 cooperate to prevent the cassette 40 from detaching from the shelf body 51.

[0113] As described above, the shelf 50 includes a fixed shelf 510 and a movable shelf 520. Therefore, it should be understood from the above description that both the fixed shelf 510 and the movable shelf 520 include a shelf body 51, a first stop mechanism 52 and a second stop mechanism 53.

[0114] The first stop mechanism 52 includes an open state and a closed state. When the first stop mechanism 52 is in the open state, the material tray 40 can detach from the shelf body 51 from the first side. When the first stop mechanism 52 is in the closed state, the material tray 40 cannot detach from the shelf body 51 from the first side. The shelf 50 also includes an unlocking member 54 located on the second side. The sheet metal transport system 1000 is configured such that when the unlocking member 54 on one shelf 50 contacts the first stop mechanism 52 on another shelf 50, the first stop mechanism 52 changes from the closed state to the open state.

[0115] For ease of explanation, let one side of the shelf body 51 along its length be the front side, and the other side be the rear side. The first side is the front side of the shelf 50, and the second side is the rear side of the shelf 50. When the movable shelf 520 is moved behind the fixed shelf 510, the unlocking member 54 on the second side of the fixed shelf 510 can contact the first stop mechanism 52 on the first side of the movable shelf 520, causing the first stop mechanism 52 to switch from a closed state to an open state, thereby allowing the material box 40 on the movable shelf 520 to be transferred to the fixed shelf 510. When the movable shelf 520 is moved in front of the fixed shelf 510, the unlocking member 54 on the second side of the movable shelf 520 can contact the first stop mechanism 52 on the first side of the fixed shelf 510, causing the first stop mechanism 52 to switch from a closed state to an open state, thereby allowing the material box 40 on the fixed shelf 510 to be transferred to the movable shelf 520.

[0116] like Figure 15 As shown, to facilitate the transfer of the material box 40 between different shelves 50, the shelf 50 also includes multiple rollers 55 rotatably connected to the shelf body 51. The rotation axis of the multiple rollers 55 is parallel to the width direction of the shelf body 51 and is located on both sides of the width direction of the shelf 50. The material box 40 rolls on the multiple rollers 55, which facilitates the transfer from the fixed shelf 510 to the mobile shelf 520, or from the mobile shelf 520 to the fixed shelf 510.

[0117] Of the multiple rollers 55, the one located on the first side of the shelf body 51 in the width direction is the first roller 55a, and the one located on the second side of the shelf body 51 in the width direction is the second roller 55b. The diameter of the end of the first roller 55a near the second roller 55b is smaller than the diameter of the end of the first roller 55a away from the second roller 55b; that is, the diameter of the end of the first roller 55a near the second roller 55b is smaller, while the diameter of the end away from the second roller 55b is larger. Similarly, the diameter of the end of the second roller 55b near the first roller 55a is smaller than the diameter of the end of the second roller 55b away from the first roller 55a; that is, the diameter of the end of the second roller 55b near the first roller 55a is smaller, while the diameter of the end away from the first roller 55a is larger. With the above arrangement, when the hopper 40 moves on the multiple first rollers 55a and multiple second rollers 55b, the first rollers 55a and second rollers 55b also limit the position of the hopper 40 in the width direction of the shelf 50.

[0118] The first stop mechanism 52 includes a first slider 521 movably connected to the shelf body 51 along its width direction. The first slider 521 can move to a first position and a second position along the width direction of the shelf body 51. When the first slider 521 is in the first position, it is located in front of the material box 40, and the material box 40 cannot leave the shelf body 51 from the first side. When the first slider 521 is in the second position, it moves away from the front of the material box 40, and the material box 40 can leave the shelf body 51 from the first side. When the first slider 521 is in the first position, the first stop mechanism 52 is in a closed state, and when the first slider 521 is in the second position, the first stop mechanism 52 is in an open state.

[0119] Continue to combine Figure 16-19 As shown, the first stop mechanism 52 also includes a drive structure 522 connected to the first slider 521. The drive structure 522 on one shelf 50 and the unlocking part 54 on another shelf 50 are configured to cooperate to drive the first slider 521 to switch between a first position and a second position, so that the first stop mechanism 52 can switch between an open state and a closed state.

[0120] Specifically, the drive structure 522 includes a second slider 5221 movably connected to the shelf body 51 along the length direction of the shelf body 51, a conversion structure 5223 disposed between the first slider 521 and the second slider 5221, and an elastic member 5222 disposed between the second slider 5221 and the shelf body 51.

[0121] The unlocking member 54 is used to push the second slider 5221 to move toward the second side along the length direction of the shelf body 51. The elastic member 5222 is provided on the side of the second slider 5221 facing the second side, and its two ends in the elastic extension direction respectively abut against the second slider 5221 and the shelf body 51.

[0122] The switching structure 5223 is used to make the distance by which the second slider 5221 moves toward the second side proportional to the distance by which the first slider 521 moves away from the middle of the shelf 50, so that the second slider 5221 can drive the first slider 521 to switch between the first position and the second position.

[0123] Under the action of the elastic element 5222, the first stop mechanism 52 is normally in the closed state, and the first slider 521 is normally in the first position. When the unlocking element 54 contacts the second slider 5221 and causes the second slider 5221 to move towards the second side, under the action of the conversion structure 5223, the first slider 521 will move in a direction away from the center of the shelf 50, thereby moving from the first position to the second position, so that the first stop mechanism 52 can be converted from the closed state to the open state. When the second slider 5221 moves towards the second side, the elastic element 5222 contracts under the action of the second slider 5221. Therefore, when the unlocking element 54 disengages from the second slider 5221, the second slider 5221 will move in a direction away from the second side under the action of the elastic element 5222. Under the action of the conversion structure 5223, the second slider 5221 moves in a direction away from the second side, and the first slider 521 moves in a direction closer to the center of the shelf 50, thereby moving from the second position to the first position, so that the first stop mechanism 52 can return from the open state to the closed state.

[0124] The conversion structure 5223 includes a track groove 52231 provided on the second slider 5221 and a contact block 52232 connected to the first slider 521 and cooperating with the track groove 52231. In the direction from the first side to the second side, the track groove 52231 extends obliquely toward the middle of the width direction of the shelf body 51. Thus, the conversion structure 5223 enables the second slider 5221 to move a distance toward the second side that is proportional to the distance the first slider 521 moves away from the middle of the shelf 50.

[0125] In this embodiment, there are two first sliders 521 and two rotating structures. The two first sliders 521 can move closer or further apart. When the two first sliders 521 are close together, the first stop mechanism 52 is in the closed state. When the two first sliders 521 are far apart, the first stop mechanism 52 is in the open state.

[0126] It is conceivable that the above-described transformation structure 5223 can also take other forms, and is not limited to the scheme described above.

[0127] In this embodiment, the second stop mechanism 53 includes a rotating block 531, which is rotatably connected to the shelf body 51 and can rotate between a third position and a fourth position. When the rotating block 531 is in the third position (e.g., Figure 18 As shown), the shelf body 51 abuts against the rotating block 531, preventing the material box 40 from leaving the shelf body 51 from the second side. When the material box 40 enters the shelf body 51 from the second side, the rotating block 531 rotates from the third position to the fourth position (as shown). Figure 19As shown, the rotating block 531 is configured such that the material box 40 can only enter the shelf body 51 from the second side, but cannot leave the shelf body 51 from the second side.

[0128] like Figure 1 , 20 As shown, each shelf 50 can hold more than one material box 40. The shelf 50 has multiple loading spaces for loading material boxes 40 along the vertical direction. Each loading space has a first stop mechanism 52 and a second stop mechanism 53 on its front and rear sides, respectively. In addition, each loading space is equipped with the aforementioned first roller 55a and second roller 55b.

[0129] The sheet metal transport system 1000 may also include a transfer station 60, which is located on one side of the second handling equipment 30. When the mobile rack 520 needs to load sheet metal 200, the mobile rack 520 first moves to the side of the transfer station 60. Then, the operator transfers the material box 40 on the mobile rack 520 to the transfer station 60. After that, the second handling equipment 30 transports a group of sheet metal 210 from the sheet metal arrangement equipment 20 to the material box 40 located on the transfer station 60. Then, the operator transfers the material box 40 on the transfer station 60 to the mobile rack 520.

[0130] In this embodiment, the shelf 50 has two loading spaces, namely a first loading space and a second loading space. The transfer platform 60 includes a first transfer platform 60a and a second transfer platform 60b. The height of the first transfer platform 60a matches the height of the first loading space, and the height of the second transfer platform 60b matches the height of the second loading space. The arrangement of the first transfer platform 60a and the second transfer platform 60b facilitates the entry of the hopper 40 into the first and second loading spaces at different heights. Specifically, the transfer platform 60 can be a roller conveyor line, allowing operators to easily transfer the hopper 40 from the transfer platform 60 to the loading space.

[0131] like Figure 21 As shown, the first handling device 10 includes a suction cup assembly 11 for picking up the sheet metal 200 and a first driving device 12 for driving the suction cup assembly 11 to move. Under the action of the first driving device 12, the suction cup assembly 11 can pick up the sheet metal 200 and transport the sheet metal 200 to the sheet metal arrangement device 20. In this embodiment, the first driving device 12 is a robotic arm.

[0132] The handling unit 100 also includes a material rack 70 disposed on the side of the first handling device 10. Multiple sheets 200 can be stacked on the material rack 70. When the first handling device 10 is working, it picks up the sheets 200 from the material rack 70 and transports the picked-up sheets 200 to the sheet arrangement device 20.

[0133] like Figure 22-23As shown, the second handling device 30 includes a gripping assembly 31 and a second drive device 32 for driving the gripping assembly 31 to move. The gripping assembly 31 includes a connecting seat 311 connected to the second drive device 32 and two clamping plates 312 connected to the connecting seat 311. The two clamping plates 312 are arranged opposite to each other and can be connected to the connecting seat 311 by moving closer to each other and further away from each other. The connecting seat 311 is also provided with a plurality of limiting grooves 3111 for inserting the sheet material 200. The plurality of limiting grooves 3111 are located between the two clamping plates 312. The second handling device may also include a fourth drive assembly 315 for driving the two clamping plates 312 to move closer to each other and further away from each other.

[0134] Under the action of the second drive device 32, the gripping component 31 can grip a sheet group 210 consisting of multiple sheets 200 formed on the sheet arrangement device 20 and transport the sheet group 210 into the material box 40. When the gripping component 31 grips the sheet group 210, two clamping plates 312 clamp the sheet group 210 from both sides, and the multiple sheets 200 of the sheet group 210 are respectively inserted into multiple limiting grooves 3111 for positioning. The multiple limiting grooves 3111 are arranged linearly. In this embodiment, the second drive device 32 is a robotic arm.

[0135] The two clamping plates 312 are a first clamping plate 312a and a second clamping plate 312b, respectively. The gripping component 31 also includes a first protrusion 313 protruding from the first clamping plate 312a toward the second clamping plate 312b and a second protrusion 314 protruding from the second clamping plate 312b toward the first clamping plate 312a. The first protrusion 313 and the second cam 314 can abut against the sheet material 200 to prevent the sheet material from falling off the gripping component 31.

[0136] The present invention also provides a method for transporting sheet metal 200, which uses the sheet metal transport system 1000 described above and includes the following steps:

[0137] S1, such as Figure 25 As shown in the first row, two mobile shelves 520 containing sheet metal 200 are respectively provided on the front and rear sides of the fixed shelf 510 that does not contain sheet metal 200. The fixed shelf 510 can be specifically installed in the production workshop.

[0138] S2, such as Figure 25 As shown in the second line, the sheet material 200 on the movable shelf 520 behind the fixed shelf 510 is transferred to the fixed shelf 510. At this time, the movable shelf 520 in front of the fixed shelf 510 and the fixed shelf 510 are loaded with sheet material 200, while the movable shelf 520 behind the fixed shelf 510 is not loaded with sheet material 200. In some cases, after the sheet material 200 is transferred to the fixed shelf 510, the movable shelf 520 behind the fixed shelf 510 can be moved to other positions.

[0139] S3, such as Figure 25 As shown in the third line, after the sheet material 200 on the mobile shelf 520 in front of the fixed shelf 510 is removed, the mobile shelf 520 is moved to another position, and the mobile shelf 520 behind the fixed shelf 510 is moved to the front of the fixed shelf 510.

[0140] S4, such as Figure 25 As shown in the fourth line, the sheet material 200 on the fixed shelf 510 is transferred to the mobile shelf 520 in front of it. At this time, the mobile shelf 520 in front of the fixed shelf 510 is loaded with sheet material 200, while the fixed shelf 510 is not loaded with sheet material 200. The production personnel take the sheet material 200 from the mobile shelf 520 in front of the fixed shelf 510 for use.

[0141] S5. Move a mobile shelf 520 containing sheet material 200 to the rear of the fixed shelf 510. At this time, the fixed shelf 510 is not loaded with sheet material 200, while the mobile shelves 520 on both sides of the fixed shelf 510 are loaded with sheet material 200, which is equivalent to returning to the state in step S1.

[0142] The handling unit 100 is located in the warehouse and can continuously move the sheet metal 200 to the mobile shelf 520. In step S3, "moving the mobile shelf 520 to another location" refers to the warehouse. After "moving the mobile shelf 520 to another location" in step S3, the sheet metal 200 can be loaded into the mobile shelf 520 again. In step S5, "moving the mobile shelf 520 containing the sheet metal 200 to the rear of the fixed shelf 510" also refers to the mobile shelf 520 coming from the warehouse. That is, after the operator pushes a mobile shelf 520 without sheet metal 200 to the warehouse, a mobile shelf 520 containing sheet metal 200 in the warehouse is directly pushed out to the production workshop.

[0143] There can be more than one mobile shelf 520. The mobile shelf 520 referred to in step S3, "moving the mobile shelf 520 to another location", and the mobile shelf 520 referred to in step S5, "moving the mobile shelf 520 containing the sheet material 200 to the back of the fixed shelf 510", can be two different mobile shelves 520. In this way, when the operator pushes a mobile shelf 520 without the sheet material 200 into the warehouse, there will already be a mobile shelf 520 containing the sheet material 200 in the warehouse. The operator can then push it directly into the production workshop.

[0144] In some cases, the mobile shelf 520 referred to in step S3, "moving the mobile shelf 520 to another location," and the mobile shelf 520 referred to in step S5, "moving the mobile shelf 520 containing the sheet 200 to the rear of the fixed shelf 510," can be the same mobile shelf 520. In this case, when the operator pushes a mobile shelf 520 without the sheet 200 into the warehouse, after the sheet 200 is loaded into the mobile shelf 520, the mobile shelf 520 is then pushed into the production workshop.

[0145] S6. Repeat steps S2-S5. Since after step S5, the fixed shelf 510 is not loaded with sheet metal 200, while the movable shelves 520 on the front and rear sides of the fixed shelf 510 are loaded with sheet metal 200, it is equivalent to returning to the state in step S1. Therefore, steps S2-S5 can be repeated.

[0146] The sheet material 200 transportation method provided by the present invention can continuously transport sheet materials 200 in the warehouse to the production workshop for use by operators.

[0147] In the above steps, if shelf 50 is loaded with sheet material 200, it should be understood that the material box 40 on shelf 50 is loaded with sheet material 200. If shelf 50 is not loaded with sheet material 200, it should be understood that the material box 40 on shelf 50 is not loaded with sheet material 200. Figure 25 In the diagram, the shaded box represents the shelf 50 containing the sheet material 200, and the unshaded box represents the shelf 50 without the sheet material 200.

[0148] In the above steps, the mobile shelf 520 needs to be frequently connected to the front and rear sides of the fixed shelf 510. For this reason, if... Figure 26 As shown, the sheet metal transport system 1000 also includes guide members 80 located on the front and rear sides of the fixed shelf 510. The guide members 80 are provided with guide surfaces 810 that extend in an inclined or arc shape. The guide surfaces 810 facilitate the operator to connect the mobile shelf 520 to the front and rear sides of the fixed shelf 510.

[0149] It should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This way of describing the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0150] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this application.

Claims

1. A sheet metal conveying system (1000), characterized in that, include: A hopper (40) for loading multiple sheet metals (200); A conveying unit (100) is used to convey multiple sheets (200) to a material box (40); The shelf (50) includes a fixed shelf (510) and a movable shelf (520) movably disposed relative to the fixed shelf (510). The hopper (40) is capable of entering and leaving the shelf (50).

2. The sheet metal transport system (1000) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The handling unit (100) includes a first handling device (10), a sheet material arrangement device (20), and a second handling device (30); The first conveying device (10) is used to convey the sheet material (200) to the sheet material arranging device (20) multiple times. The sheet material arranging device (20) is used to receive the sheet material (200) multiple times and arrange multiple sheet materials (200) into a sheet material group (210) according to a predetermined pattern. The second conveying device (30) is used to convey the sheet material group (210) to the material box (40).

3. The sheet metal transport system (1000) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The sheet metal arrangement device (20) includes a base (21), a first movable frame (22) movably arranged along the length direction of the base (21), and a second movable frame (23) movably arranged along the height direction of the base (21). The first movable frame (22) has a plurality of slots (221) for inserting sheet metal (200), and the plurality of slots (221) are arranged along the length direction of the base (21). The second movable frame (23) is used to receive and release the sheet metal (200). The sheet metal arrangement device (20) is configured such that the first movable frame (22) and the second movable frame (23) cooperate to sequentially insert multiple sheets (200) into multiple slots (221) to form the sheet metal group (210).

4. The sheet metal transport system (1000) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shelf (50) includes a shelf body (51) for loading a cassette (40), the two sides of the shelf body (51) in the length direction are a first side and a second side, respectively. The shelf (50) also includes a first stop mechanism (52) disposed on the first side and a second stop mechanism (53) disposed on the second side. The first stop mechanism (52) is used to restrict the cassette (40) from leaving the shelf body (51) from the first side, and the second stop mechanism (53) is used to restrict the cassette (40) from leaving the shelf body (51) from the second side. The first stop mechanism (52) includes a closed state that restricts the material tray (40) from detaching from the shelf (50) from the first side, and an open state that does not restrict the material tray (40) from detaching from the shelf body (51) from the first side. The shelf (50) also includes an unlocking member (54) disposed on the second side. The sheet metal transport system (1000) is configured such that when the unlocking member (54) on one shelf (50) contacts the first stop mechanism (52) on another shelf (50), the first stop mechanism (52) changes from a closed state to an open state.

5. The sheet metal transport system (1000) according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first stop mechanism (52) includes a first slider (521) movably connected to the shelf body (51) along the width direction of the shelf body (51). The first slider (521) includes a first position that blocks the material box (40) from leaving the shelf (50) from the first side, and a second position that does not block the material box (40) from leaving the shelf (50) from the first side after moving from the first position in a direction away from the middle of the shelf (50). When the first slider (521) is in the first position, the first stop mechanism (52) is in a closed state, and when the first slider (521) is in the second position, the first stop mechanism (52) is in an open state. The first stop mechanism (52) further includes a drive structure (522) connected to the first slider (521). The drive structure (522) on one shelf (50) and the unlocking member (54) on the other shelf (50) are configured to drive the first slider (521) to switch between a first position and a second position.

6. The sheet metal transport system (1000) according to claim 5, characterized in that, The drive structure (522) includes a second slider (5221) movably connected to the shelf body (51) along the length direction of the shelf body (51), a conversion structure (5223) disposed between the first slider (521) and the second slider (5221), and an elastic member (5222) disposed between the second slider (5221) and the shelf body (51); The unlocking member (54) is used to push the second slider (5221) to move toward the second side along the length direction of the shelf (50) body. The elastic member (5222) is provided on the side of the second slider (5221) facing the second side, and its two ends in the elastic extension direction respectively abut against the second slider (5221) and the shelf body (51). The switching structure (5223) is used to make the distance by which the second slider (5221) moves toward the second side proportional to the distance by which the first slider (521) moves away from the center of the shelf (50), so that the second slider (5221) can drive the first slider (521) to switch between the first position and the second position.

7. The sheet metal transport system (1000) according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second stop mechanism (53) includes a rotating block (531), which is rotatably connected to the shelf body (51) and can rotate between a third position and a fourth position. When the rotating block (531) is in the third position, the material box (40) cannot leave the shelf body (51) from the second side. When the rotating block (531) is in the fourth position, the material box (40) can leave the shelf body (51) from the second side.

8. The sheet metal transport system (1000) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first handling device (10) includes a suction cup assembly (11) for picking up the sheet metal (200) and a first driving device (12) for driving the suction cup assembly (11) to move.

9. The sheet metal transport system (1000) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second handling device (30) includes a gripping component (31) and a second driving device (32) for driving the gripping component (31) to move. The gripping component (31) includes a connecting seat (311) connected to the second driving device (32) and two clamping plates (312) connected to the connecting seat (311). The two clamping plates (312) are arranged opposite to each other and are movably connected to the connecting seat (311) to move closer to each other and further away from each other. The connecting seat (311) is also provided with a plurality of insertion limiting grooves (3111) for feeding sheet material (200). The plurality of limiting grooves (3111) are located between the two clamping plates (312).

10. A method for transporting sheet metal (200), characterized in that, The sheet metal (200) transport method uses the sheet metal transport system (1000) according to any one of claims 1-9, and includes the following steps: S1. Two mobile shelves (520) containing sheet metal (200) are provided on the front and rear sides of the fixed shelf (510) that is not loaded with sheet metal (200); S2. Transfer the sheet material (200) on the mobile shelf (520) behind the fixed shelf (510) to the fixed shelf (510); S3. After the sheet material (200) on the mobile shelf (520) in front of the fixed shelf (510) is taken out, the mobile shelf (520) is moved to another position, and the mobile shelf (520) behind the fixed shelf (510) is moved to the front of the fixed shelf (510). S4. Transfer the sheet material (200) on the fixed shelf (510) to the mobile shelf (520) in front of it; S5. Move the mobile shelf (520) containing the sheet metal (200) to the rear of the fixed shelf (510); S6. Repeat steps S2-S5.

Images