A turnover conveying mechanism and an automatic conveying unit

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of non-standard automation equipment, and provides a turnover conveying mechanism and an automatic conveying unit, the turnover conveying mechanism comprising: a fixed seat, a moving seat, a driven assembly and an elastic member; the fixed seat is provided with a first track groove and a second track groove, the driven assembly is movably connected to the moving seat and cooperates with the two track grooves, and the elastic member connects the fixed seat and the driven assembly; when the moving seat moves, the first track groove drives the driven assembly to produce vertical displacement, and the second track groove drives the driven assembly to rotate under the pulling force of the elastic member, so that translation, lifting and turnover are synchronously completed. The present application does not need a multi-axis platform and independent turnover driving, effectively reduces the size of the mechanism and the cost, is stable and reliable in action, and is suitable for automatic turnover conveying of materials.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of non-standard automated equipment technology, specifically relating to a flipping conveying mechanism and an automatic conveying unit. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of non-standard automated equipment, material flipping and conveying are common process requirements. Currently, the widely used flipping and conveying mechanisms typically employ a combination structure of a two-axis or three-axis moving platform with a flipping cylinder or flipping motor to achieve the flipping and conveying functions.

[0003] Such mechanisms rely on multi-axis moving platforms to complete linear conveying, and then use independent cylinders or motors to drive the material to flip. The overall structure requires separate configuration of moving drive units and flipping drive units, resulting in a large overall size of the flipping conveying mechanism and occupying a lot of equipment installation space. At the same time, the configuration of multi-axis platforms, dedicated drive cylinders and motors increases the number of parts and the complexity of the control system, resulting in high production costs and making it difficult to meet the design requirements of non-standard automated equipment for compactness and low cost.

[0004] Therefore, developing a compact, compact conveying mechanism that can simultaneously transport and flip without requiring an independent multi-axis platform and additional flipping drive has become a pressing technical problem in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a flipping conveying mechanism and an automatic conveying unit in view of the current state of the prior art.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows: a flipping and conveying mechanism is proposed, comprising: a fixed base, on which a first track groove and a second track groove are provided; A movable base, which is movably mounted on the fixed base; A driven component is movably connected to the movable seat, the driven component including a first driven part that engages with the first track groove and a second driven part that engages with the second track groove; An elastic element, the first end of which is connected to the fixed base, and the second end of which is connected to the driven assembly; wherein... The first track groove is used to constrain the first driven part so that when the moving seat moves, the driven part generates a displacement perpendicular to the moving direction of the moving seat; The second track groove is used to constrain the second driven part under the tension of the elastic member, so that the driven component will flip when the moving seat moves.

[0007] In one of the aforementioned flipping and conveying mechanisms, the first track groove includes a first straight segment and two inclined segments respectively connected to both ends of the first straight segment; the extending direction of the first straight segment is parallel to the moving direction of the moving seat.

[0008] In the aforementioned flipping and conveying mechanism, the driven component includes a moving block forming the first driven part. One end of the moving block is provided with a first rolling element, which is movably disposed in the first track groove. When the first rolling element moves from the inclined section to the first straight section, or from the first straight section to the inclined section, it drives the driven component to generate a displacement perpendicular to the moving direction of the moving seat.

[0009] In one of the aforementioned flipping and conveying mechanisms, the width of the first track groove is adapted to the diameter of the first rolling element, thereby preventing the driven component from vibrating or shaking when the first rolling element moves within the first track groove.

[0010] In the aforementioned flipping and conveying mechanism, the second track groove includes a flipping track segment and second straight segments located at both ends of the flipping track segment, the extension directions of the two second straight segments being parallel to the movement direction of the moving seat.

[0011] In the aforementioned flipping and conveying mechanism, the driven component includes a base, a movable block forming the first driven portion, and a connecting rod forming the second driven portion. The movable block is movably disposed within the movable base and is movably engaged with the base, so as to drive the base to move when the movable block moves relative to the movable base. The first end of the connecting rod is fixed to the base, and the second end of the connecting rod is provided with a second rolling element connected to the second track groove, so as to start driving the driven component to flip when the second end of the connecting rod enters the flipping track segment from any of the second straight segments.

[0012] In the aforementioned flipping and conveying mechanism, an annular groove is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the base, and a ball head is provided on the moving block, with the ball head inserted into the annular groove.

[0013] In one of the aforementioned flipping and conveying mechanisms, the flipping trajectory segment includes an arc-shaped surface and a protruding segment opposite to the arc-shaped surface; wherein, When the second driven part of the driven component enters the flipping trajectory segment from the second straight segment, before the second driven part enters the lowest position of the arc-shaped surface, the protruding segment moves against the second driven part to cause the driven component to start flipping in a predetermined direction, and the elastic element begins to contract; When the second driven part of the driven component moves from the lowest point of the flipping trajectory segment to the second straight segment, the protruding segment moves against the second driven part to prevent the second driven part from moving in the opposite direction, and the elastic element begins to stretch.

[0014] The aforementioned flipping and conveying mechanism further includes a linear drive and a guide rail. The output end of the linear drive is connected to the movable seat to drive the movable seat to move linearly. The movable seat is connected to the guide rail via a slider to provide guidance for the movement of the movable seat.

[0015] The present invention also provides an automated transport unit to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, comprising: The above-mentioned overturning conveyor mechanism; A clamping mechanism is connected to the driven component and moves synchronously with the driven component.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] (1) By integrating the first and second track slots on a single fixed seat and using elastic elements to provide continuous tension, when the moving seat performs linear translation in a single direction, the "inclined segment-straight segment" structure of the first track slot mechanically couples the translational motion into the vertical lifting motion of the driven component. At the same time, the "flipping track segment" of the second track slot, under the tension of the elastic elements, mechanically couples the translational motion into the rotational flipping motion of the driven component. This achieves the simultaneous completion of the composite motion of translation, lifting, and flipping with only one linear drive source. Compared with the traditional solution that requires at least two such as XY platforms + flipping cylinders or three independent drive sources, this invention greatly simplifies the mechanical structure and electrical control system, significantly reduces the space occupied by the equipment, reduces manufacturing costs and maintenance difficulty, and achieves higher motion stability and repeatability due to mechanical rigid linkage.

[0018] (2) The clamping mechanism is directly installed on the driven component of the flipping conveyor, so that the clamping mechanism and the workpiece it clamps can completely execute the "translation-lifting-flipping" composite motion trajectory generated by the flipping conveyor; thus forming a complete automated material handling execution unit, which can seamlessly connect the entire process of "grabbing-lifting-conveying-flipping-placing", without the need for material handover between different workstations, thereby greatly shortening the production cycle and improving the efficiency and integration of the overall automated production line.

[0019] (3) By setting the first trajectory groove as a combination of the first straight segment and the inclined segments at both ends, the driven component can smoothly achieve vertical lifting and lowering during the movement, the movement path is precise and controllable, and the lifting action is avoided from jamming or deviating, thus improving the stability of the mechanism operation.

[0020] (4) By setting a flipping trajectory segment and two second straight segments at both ends in the second trajectory slot, and cooperating with the elastic element to constrain the driven component to flip, the flipping action is reliable and the angle is accurate. Stable flipping can be achieved without an independent drive source, further simplifying the structure and reducing energy consumption. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the initial state of a flipping conveying mechanism according to the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial sectional view.

[0023] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A 3D view showing the structure of the hidden mounting base.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the connecting rod moving to the flipping trajectory segment in a flipping conveying mechanism of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the driven component of the flipping conveying mechanism of the present invention after it has been flipped.

[0026] Figure 6 It is a 3D diagram of the fixed base.

[0027] Figure 7 This is a partial sectional view of the movable seat and the driven component connected.

[0028] In the figure, 100 is a fixed seat; 110 is a first track groove; 111 is a first straight segment; 112 is an inclined segment; 120 is a second track groove; 121 is a flip track segment; 121a is an arc-shaped surface; 121b is a protruding segment; 122 is a second straight segment; 200 is a movable seat; 300 is a driven component; 310 is a movable block; 311 is a ball head; 320 is a first rolling element; 330 is a seat body; 331 is an annular groove; 340 is a connecting rod; 350 is a second rolling element; 400 is an elastic element; 500 is a linear drive element; 600 is a guide rail; 700 is a clamping mechanism; and 800 is a workpiece. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The following are specific embodiments of the present invention, which are described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0030] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention 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 indication will also change accordingly.

[0031] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, a flipping and conveying mechanism includes: a fixed seat 100, a movable seat 200, a driven component 300, and an elastic element 400.

[0032] Specifically, the fixed base 100 is provided with a first track groove 110 and a second track groove 120; a guide rail 600 is fixedly installed on the fixed base 100 along its length direction, and the movable base 200 is slidably installed on the guide rail 600 by a slider, so that it can perform linear reciprocating motion relative to the fixed base 100.

[0033] The driven component 300 is movably connected to the movable seat 200. The driven component 300 includes a first driven part that cooperates with the first track groove 110 and a second driven part that cooperates with the second track groove 120.

[0034] The first end of the elastic element 400 is preferably fixed to a preset position on the upper surface of the fixed base 100 near the second track groove 120 by a hook, and the second end of the elastic element 400 is connected to the connecting rod 340 of the driven component 300 to provide a continuous flipping force for the connecting rod 340 to move along the second track groove 120.

[0035] The first track groove 110 is used to constrain the first driven part, so that the driven component 300 produces a displacement perpendicular to the moving direction of the moving seat 200 when the moving seat 200 moves; the second track groove 120 is used to constrain the second driven part under the tension of the elastic member 400, so that the driven component 300 flips when the moving seat 200 moves.

[0036] The first track groove 110 includes a first straight segment 111 and two inclined segments 112 respectively connected to the two ends of the first straight segment 111. The extension direction of the first straight segment 111 is parallel to the movement direction of the moving seat 200.

[0037] The driven component 300 includes a movable block 310 forming a first driven part. The movable block 310 is block-shaped and can be slidably connected to the movable seat 200 in the vertical direction. In one embodiment, the movable block 310 is movably inserted into the movable seat 200. In order to provide guidance for the movement of the movable block 310, the movable seat 200 is provided with a guide groove (not shown in the figure) that matches the shape of the movable block 310. When the movable block 310 moves, the outer wall of the movable block 310 moves against the inner wall of the guide groove.

[0038] The movable block 310 is provided with a first rolling element 320 at one end near the fixed base 100. The first rolling element 320 is movably disposed in the first track groove 110. When the first rolling element 320 moves from the inclined section 112 to the first straight section 111, or from the first straight section 111 to the inclined section 112, it drives the driven component 300 to produce a displacement perpendicular to the moving direction of the movable base 200.

[0039] The width of the first track groove 110 is adapted to the diameter of the first rolling element 320, and is used to prevent the driven component 300 from vibrating or shaking when the first rolling element 320 moves in the first track groove 110, so as to ensure smooth and reliable movement.

[0040] The first rolling element 320 can also convert the sliding friction of the first driven part on the driven component 300 when it moves in the first track groove 110 into rolling friction, thereby making the driven component 300 move more smoothly.

[0041] The second track groove 120 includes a flip track segment 121 and two second straight segments 122 located at both ends of the flip track segment 121. The extension directions of the two second straight segments 122 are parallel to the movement direction of the moving seat 200.

[0042] In one embodiment, the fixing base includes a first main body segment and a second main body segment connected to each other. A first track groove 110 is disposed on the first main body segment, and a second track groove 120 is disposed on the second main body segment. The two can be integrally formed or spliced ​​by threaded connection, welding or adhesive bonding.

[0043] Referring to the diagram, the fixed base shown in the drawings of this solution has an L-shaped shape, that is, the first main body segment and the second main body segment are set perpendicularly. However, in another embodiment, the first main body segment and the second main body segment may not be perpendicular. They may form an acute angle or an obtuse angle, as long as the first track groove and the second track groove can be set separately and the same effect can be achieved.

[0044] The driven component 300 includes a columnar base 330, a movable block 310 forming a first driven part, and a straight rod-shaped connecting rod 340 forming a second driven part.

[0045] One end of the seat 330 along the axial direction is connected to the connecting rod 340, and the other end of the seat 330 along the axial direction is used to connect to the clamping mechanism 700 such as a cylinder gripper or a negative pressure pipe. Under the cooperation between the first driven part and the first track groove 110, and the cooperation between the second driven part and the second track groove 120, the seat 330 drives the clamping mechanism 700 to move left and right, up and down and flip relative to the fixed seat 100, thereby completing the corresponding flipping and transporting process of the workpiece 800 clamped by the clamping mechanism 700.

[0046] The movable block 310 is slidably connected to the movable seat 200 along the direction of movement perpendicular to the movable seat 200, and is movably engaged with the seat body 330, so as to drive the seat body 330 to rise and fall synchronously when the movable block 310 moves relative to the movable seat 200.

[0047] The first end of the connecting rod 340 is fixed to the base 330 by thread fastening, welding or integral molding. The second end of the connecting rod 340 is provided with a second rolling element 350 and is movably fitted to the second track groove 120. When the second end of the connecting rod 340 enters the flip track segment 121 from any second straight segment 122, it starts to drive the driven component 300 to flip, thereby realizing the flipping action.

[0048] Preferably, in this solution, an annular groove 331 is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the seat 330, and a ball head 311 is provided on the moving block 310. The ball head 311 is inserted into the annular groove 331 to keep the moving block 310 stationary when the moving block 310 can drive the driven component 300 to move up and down as a whole, and to decouple the lifting and turning actions when the driven component 300 is flipped, thereby avoiding motion interference.

[0049] The flipping trajectory segment 121 includes an arc-shaped surface 121a and a protruding segment 121b opposite to the arc-shaped surface 121a. When the second driven part (i.e., the connecting rod 340) of the driven assembly 300 enters the flipping trajectory segment 121 from the second straight segment 122, before the second driven part enters the lowest position of the arc-shaped surface 121a, the protruding segment 121b moves against the second rolling member 350 to make the driven assembly 300 start to flip in a predetermined direction, and the elastic member 400 starts to contract and store energy. When the second driven part of the driven assembly 300 moves from the lowest point of the flipping trajectory segment 121 to the second straight segment 122, the protruding segment 121b moves against the second rolling member 350 to prevent the second driven part from moving in the opposite direction, ensuring the stability of the flipping direction, and the elastic member 400 starts to stretch and release energy to assist in completing the flipping and resetting.

[0050] The flipping and conveying mechanism of this solution also includes a linear drive 500, the output end of which is connected to the movable seat 200 and is used to drive the movable seat 200 to move linearly along the guide rail 600.

[0051] The linear drive 500 is not limited to a structure using a servo motor and a ball screw; it can also be a linear motor, cylinder, or synchronous belt, or other conventional linear drive devices in the art.

[0052] The elastic element 400 is not limited to tension springs; it can also be replaced with torsion springs, gas springs, or an equivalent continuous tension structure achieved through counterweights and pulley blocks, depending on the installation space and force requirements.

[0053] The first rolling element 320 and the second rolling element 350 can be either rollers or bearings.

[0054] The overall motion process of this scheme is as follows: In the initial state, the first rolling element 320 connected to the first driven part (i.e., the moving block 310) is located in one of the inclined segments 112, and the second rolling element 350 on the second driven part (i.e., the connecting rod 340) is located in one of the second straight segments 122 adjacent to the inclined segment 112.

[0055] When the linear drive 500 drives the movable seat 200 to move linearly along the guide rail 600, the driven component 300 is pushed by the inclined section 112 to drive the clamping mechanism 700 and the workpiece 800 to move in an inclined manner, moving the workpiece 800 away from the initial position. When the first rolling component 320 moves into the first straight section 111, the driven component 300 no longer moves in an inclined manner, but moves in a straight line along the extension direction of the first straight section 111.

[0056] When the driven component 300 moves to the second rolling element 350 and enters the flipping trajectory segment 121, under the combined action of the limiting force of the protruding segment 121b and the pulling force of the elastic element 400, the driven component 300 flips around its own axis around the seat body 330, thereby realizing the flipping of materials.

[0057] When the second rolling element 350 leaves the flipping trajectory segment 121 and enters another second straight line segment 122, the flipping action stops, and the driven component 300 maintains its current posture and continues to move along the extension direction of the first straight line segment 111.

[0058] After the first rolling element 320 moves to another inclined section 112, driven by the inclined section 112, the driven component 300 moves with the clamping mechanism 700 and the workpiece 800 in an inclined motion until the end of the first rolling element 320 and the other inclined section 112 come into contact, completing the entire transport and flipping process of the workpiece 800.

[0059] Throughout the movement, the first track groove 110 and the second track groove 120 cooperate with each other, and the elastic element 400 provides continuous tension, enabling the driven component 300 to complete lifting and flipping while translating, without the need for additional drive cylinders or motors, resulting in a compact structure and lower cost.

[0060] This solution also proposes an automatic conveying unit, including the aforementioned flipping conveying mechanism and a clamping mechanism 700. The clamping mechanism 700 adopts a pneumatic finger, gripper or magnetic clamping structure, and is fixedly installed on the seat 330 of the driven component 300 by bolt connection or snap-fit. It synchronously realizes translation, lifting and flipping movements with the driven component 300, and is used to stably clamp the workpiece 800 during the conveying process to complete the automated transfer and flipping of materials.

[0061] It should be noted that in this invention, the use of terms such as "first," "second," and "a" 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. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. The terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixed" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean the internal communication of two elements or the interaction between two elements, unless otherwise explicitly specified. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0062] Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other, but only if they are feasible for those skilled in the art. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

[0063] The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the spirit of the invention. Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains may make various modifications or additions to the described specific embodiments or use similar methods to substitute them, without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A flipping and conveying mechanism, characterized in that, include: A fixed base, on which a first track groove and a second track groove are provided; A movable base, which is movably mounted on the fixed base; A driven component is movably connected to the movable seat, the driven component including a first driven part that engages with the first track groove and a second driven part that engages with the second track groove; An elastic element, the first end of which is connected to the fixed base, and the second end of which is connected to the driven assembly; wherein... The first track groove is used to constrain the first driven part so that when the moving seat moves, the driven part generates a displacement perpendicular to the moving direction of the moving seat; The second track groove is used to constrain the second driven part under the tension of the elastic member, so that the driven component will flip when the moving seat moves; The first track groove includes a first straight segment and two inclined segments respectively connected to both ends of the first straight segment; the extension direction of the first straight segment is parallel to the movement direction of the moving seat; The second track groove includes a flip track segment and two second straight segments located at both ends of the flip track segment, the extension directions of the two second straight segments being parallel to the movement direction of the moving seat; The driven component includes a base, a movable block forming the first driven part, and a connecting rod forming the second driven part. The movable block is movably disposed in the movable base and is movably engaged with the base, so as to drive the base to move when the movable block moves relative to the movable base. The first end of the connecting rod is fixed to the base, and the second end of the connecting rod is provided with a second rolling element connected to the second track groove, so as to start driving the driven component to flip when the second end of the connecting rod enters the flipping track segment from any of the second straight segments. An annular groove is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the base, and a ball head is provided on the movable block, the ball head being inserted into the annular groove.

2. The flipping and conveying mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The driven component includes a movable block forming the first driven part. One end of the movable block is provided with a first rolling element. The first rolling element is movably disposed in the first track groove to drive the driven component to generate a displacement perpendicular to the moving direction of the movable seat when the first rolling element moves from the inclined section to the first straight section, or from the first straight section to the inclined section.

3. A flipping and conveying mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The width of the first track groove is adapted to the diameter of the first rolling element, and is used to prevent the driven component from vibrating or shaking when the first rolling element moves in the first track groove.

4. A flipping and conveying mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The flipping trajectory segment includes an arc-shaped surface and a protruding segment opposite to the arc-shaped surface; wherein, When the second driven part of the driven component enters the flipping trajectory segment from the second straight segment, before the second driven part enters the lowest position of the arc-shaped surface, the protruding segment moves against the second driven part to cause the driven component to start flipping in a predetermined direction, and the elastic element begins to contract; When the second driven part of the driven component moves from the lowest point of the flipping trajectory segment to the second straight segment, the protruding segment moves against the second driven part to prevent the second driven part from moving in the opposite direction, and the elastic element begins to stretch.

5. A flipping and conveying mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a linear drive and a guide rail. The output end of the linear drive is connected to the movable seat to drive the movable seat to move linearly. The movable seat is connected to the guide rail via a slider to provide guidance for the movement of the movable seat.

6. An automated conveying unit, characterized in that, include: The flipping conveyor mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 5; A clamping mechanism is connected to the driven component and moves synchronously with the driven component.

Images