Flexible swivel mechanism and its control method

Abstract

This invention discloses a flexible tray-stacking mechanism and its control method, relating to the field of mechanical equipment technology. In the flexible tray-stacking mechanism, a vibratory feeder is located at the feeding station, and a detection component is located at the detection station. The detection component includes a moving stage and at least one vision detection device. The moving stage is movably mounted on a mounting base and has multiple receiving slots. During the moving stage's stroke, at least one receiving slot corresponds to the vision detection device. A storage platform is located at the replenishment station for receiving materials that have passed the detection component's inspection. A hopper is located at the receiving station. A first transport unit drives material turnover, enabling simultaneous detection and screening. A second transport unit drives material replenishment or storage actions. The mechanism allows for the synchronous placement of entire rows or columns of trays in the hopper using only horizontal displacement. Utilizing time-sharing and rounding tray-stacking control logic, each process maintains continuous operation, improving the tray-stacking output efficiency per unit time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of mechanical equipment technology, and in particular to a flexible swivel mechanism and a control method for the flexible swivel mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] In the electronics manufacturing process, post-processing involves the sorting and collection of materials, typically involving multiple steps. These steps are closely linked and constrained in terms of production takt time, operation time, and material flow speed. Changes in the takt time of any step can directly affect the smooth operation of the preceding and following steps. Therefore, how to structurally layout materials to effectively coordinate the rhythm of each step and thus accelerate the overall production takt time remains an important topic of continuous research, exploration, and practice within the manufacturing industry. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main objective of this invention is to propose a flexible tray mechanism and a control method for the flexible tray mechanism, which is beneficial to the coordinated operation of each process step, and can promote the acceleration of production cycle and the improvement of overall efficiency.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes a flexible tray-stacking mechanism, comprising: Mounting base, wherein the mounting base has a feeding station, a testing station, a replenishing station and a storage station arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction; The vibratory feeder assembly, located at the feeding station, is used to adjust the material into a storage position through vibration. An inspection component is located at an inspection station. The inspection component includes a moving stage and at least one vision inspection device. The vision inspection device is fixed to the mounting base. The moving stage is movably mounted on the mounting base in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction. The moving stage is provided with a plurality of receiving slots arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction. During the movement stroke of the moving stage, at least one of the receiving slots can correspond to the vision inspection device. A storage platform is located at the replenishment station. The storage platform is equipped with multiple replenishment slots, each of which is used to hold materials that have passed the detection component. A hopper, located at the storage station, is used to hold multiple stacked trays. The conveying device includes a first conveying unit and a second conveying unit for picking up materials. The first conveying unit is movable between the loading station and the detection station, and the second conveying unit is movable between the detection station, the replenishment station, and the storage station. The control device is electrically connected to the vibratory feeder assembly, the detection assembly, the hopper, and the conveying device.

[0005] In one embodiment, each of the receiving slots is partially hollowed out to form a detection window, and during the travel of the moving stage, the detection window of at least one of the receiving slots can correspond to the visual inspection device.

[0006] In one embodiment, the mobile stage includes a base and a movable seat. The base is movably mounted on the mounting base in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction. The movable seat is rotatably mounted on the base along an axis extending in a horizontal direction. The movable seat is provided with a plurality of receiving slots. The visual inspection device is located below the movable seat or on one side of the movable seat along the horizontal direction.

[0007] In one embodiment, the inner wall of the receiving tank is provided with a reflective part, the reflective surface of the reflective part corresponding to the detection window, for reflecting the light passing through the detection window onto the surface of the material in the receiving tank.

[0008] In one embodiment, the hopper includes: The bracket has a first channel and a second channel spaced apart in a horizontal direction, the dimensions of the first channel and / or the second channel being adjustable in the horizontal direction; Two trays are respectively movably installed in the first channel and the second channel in the vertical direction, and the trays are used to carry material trays; The positioning component includes two positioning parts respectively disposed on the two trays, each positioning part being movable in the horizontal direction to press the edge of the corresponding tray onto the corresponding tray; The transfer assembly includes a material-grabbing part disposed at the upper end of the support, the material-grabbing part being movable between the first channel and the second channel, the material-grabbing part being used to transfer the full material tray on the upper side of the first channel into the second channel; The second conveying unit is used to place materials into an empty tray located in the first channel.

[0009] In one embodiment, the transfer assembly further includes a pressure roller, wherein: The pressure roller is mounted on the material-taking section via an elastic arm, and the pressure roller is used to partially abut against the material tray when the material-taking section contacts the material tray; and / or, The transfer assembly also includes a sensor disposed on the material taking part. The sensor is used to detect the relative position of the pressure roller and the material tray. The control device is electrically connected to the sensor and is used to adjust the contact position between the material taking part and the material tray according to the detection result of the sensor, thereby adjusting the contact position between the pressure roller and the material tray.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first conveying unit includes a plurality of first suction nozzles, wherein: each first suction nozzle is rotatable along an axis extending in a vertical direction, and / or, the number of the plurality of first suction nozzles is the same as the number of the plurality of receiving slots; and / or, The second conveying unit includes a plurality of second suction nozzles, wherein the number of the plurality of second suction nozzles is the same as the number of acupoints in a single row on the material tray, and / or the number of the plurality of feeding troughs is an integer multiple of the number of the plurality of second suction nozzles.

[0011] This invention also proposes a control method for a flexible swivel mechanism. Based on the aforementioned flexible swivel mechanism, the control method includes the following steps: When the number of materials in the storage posture in the vibratory feeder assembly meets the preset value, the target materials are identified according to the distribution, and the first conveying unit is controlled to work to transfer multiple target materials into multiple receiving slots. The mobile stage is controlled to move so that the plurality of receiving slots correspond sequentially to the vision inspection device, and the inspection results of the plurality of target materials in the plurality of receiving slots are obtained, wherein the inspection results include qualified products and defective products; If the test result of at least one of the multiple target materials is a defective product, control the second conveying unit to work, discharge the defective product after inspection, and move the qualified product after inspection to the replenishment station and enter the replenishment mode. When the second handling unit is fully loaded, multiple qualified products are transferred to the trays in the silo.

[0012] In one embodiment, the step of controlling the second conveying unit to operate and transfer the inspected target materials to the replenishment station and enter the replenishment mode if the detection result of at least one of the plurality of target materials is a defective product includes: In the replenishment mode, material information on the storage platform and the second conveying unit is obtained. The material information includes the quantity and position of the material on the storage platform and the quantity and position of defective products on the second conveying unit. Based on the material information, the one with the shortest operation time among multiple preset replenishment schemes is selected as the target replenishment scheme; Control the second transport unit to operate according to the target material replenishment plan.

[0013] In one embodiment, the control method of the flexible swivel mechanism includes the following steps: The surface image of the material is acquired by a visual inspection device, and defects are determined on the surface image to construct a dataset containing qualified product samples and defective product samples. A learning model for detection judgment at the detection station is constructed based on the dataset, and the learning model is autonomously optimized based on feedback data from manual re-inspection.

[0014] The technical solution of this invention involves a vibratory feeding assembly that drives the material to vibrate, causing the material to adjust its posture. A first transport unit moves a certain quantity of material in a receiving posture to the receiving slot at the inspection station. By controlling the movement of the support platform to achieve relative displacement with the visual inspection device, multiple materials can be sequentially inspected for appearance. Simultaneously, the vibratory feeding assembly can resume vibration screening. The first transport unit can stand by at the feeding station, while the second transport unit transfers the inspected and qualified materials from the inspection station. Based on the total number of materials and the maximum transport capacity of the second transport unit, the materials can be directly transferred to a storage silo. Alternatively, materials can be replenished or temporarily stored at the storage station, ensuring that the materials delivered to the silo by the second handling unit each time are the maximum handling quantity of the second handling unit. By designing the maximum handling quantity of the second handling unit to match the number of single rows or columns of material trays, it is possible to meet the requirement of placing entire rows or columns simultaneously at the silo without frequently adjusting the second handling unit to adapt to the material placement position. This can be achieved simply by horizontal displacement, which can both speed up the tray placement speed and reduce the waste of production cycle time. By using the control logic of time-sharing operation and rounding tray placement, each process can always maintain continuous operation, thereby improving the tray placement output efficiency per unit time. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a structure of an embodiment of the flexible plate-stacking mechanism provided by the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A top view of the flexible tilting mechanism; Figure 3 for Figure 1 A front view of a flexible tilting mechanism; Figure 4 middle Figure 1 A partial schematic diagram of a flexible tilting mechanism; Figure 5 for Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the transshipment component; Figure 6 for Figure 4 Cross-sectional schematic diagram of the middle receiving tank; Figure 7 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the intermediate silo; Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the control method for the flexible swivel mechanism provided by the present invention.

[0017] Explanation of icon numbers: 100. Flexible tray mechanism; 1. Mounting base; 11. Feeding station; 12. Inspection station; 13. Replenishment station; 14. Storage station; 2. Vibratory feeder assembly; 3. Inspection assembly; 31. Moving table; 310. Receiving trough; 32. Vision inspection device; 33. Inspection window; 34. Reflector; 4. Storage platform; 41. Replenishment trough; 5. Hopper; 51. Support; 511. First channel; 512. Second channel; 52. Tray; 53. Positioning assembly; 54. Transfer assembly; 541. Picking part; 55. Pressure roller; 56. Elastic arm; 6. First handling part; 61. First suction nozzle; 7. Second handling part; 71. Second suction nozzle.

[0018] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indication, the directional indication is only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0021] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are 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 with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0022] In the electronics manufacturing process, post-processing involves the sorting and collection of materials, typically involving multiple steps. These steps are closely linked and constrained in terms of production takt time, operation time, and material flow speed. Changes in the takt time of any step can directly affect the smooth operation of the preceding and following steps. Therefore, how to structurally layout materials to effectively coordinate the rhythm of each step and thus accelerate the overall production takt time remains an important topic of continuous research, exploration, and practice within the manufacturing industry.

[0023] In view of this, the present invention provides a flexible tray-stacking mechanism, which is conducive to the coordinated cooperation of various process links, and can promote the acceleration of production cycle and the improvement of overall efficiency.

[0024] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 The flexible tray mechanism 100 includes a mounting base 1, a vibratory feeder assembly 2, a detection assembly 3, a storage platform 4, a hopper 5, a conveying device, and a control device. The mounting base 1 has horizontally spaced feeding stations 11, detection stations 12, replenishment stations 13, and storage stations 14. The vibratory feeder assembly 2 is located at the feeding station 11 and is used to adjust the material to a storage position through vibration. The detection assembly 3 is located at the detection station 12 and includes a moving platform 31 and at least one visual inspection device 32. The visual inspection device 32 is fixed to the mounting base 1. The moving platform 31 is movably mounted on the mounting base 1 in both the horizontal and vertical directions. The moving platform 31 has multiple horizontally spaced receiving slots 310. During the movement of the moving platform 31, at least one receiving slot 310 can correspond to the vision inspection device 32; the storage platform 4 is located at the replenishment station 13, and the storage platform 4 is provided with multiple replenishment slots 41, each replenishment slot 41 is used to accommodate materials that have passed the inspection of the inspection component 3; the hopper 5 is located at the receiving station 14, and the hopper 5 is used to place multiple stacked trays; the conveying device includes a first conveying part 6 and a second conveying part 7 for picking up materials, the first conveying part 6 can move between the loading station 11 and the inspection station 12, and the second conveying part 7 can move between the inspection station 12, the replenishment station 13 and the receiving station 14; the control device is electrically connected to the vibratory feeder loading component 2, the inspection component 3, the hopper 5 and the conveying device.

[0025] In the technical solution of this invention, the vibratory feeder assembly 2 drives the material to vibrate, causing the material to adjust its posture. The first conveying unit 6 transfers a certain quantity of material in a receiving posture to the receiving tank 310 of the inspection station 12. By controlling the movement of the support platform, relative displacement with the visual inspection device 32 can occur, thereby enabling the sequential appearance inspection of multiple materials. At the same time, the vibratory feeder assembly 2 can resume vibration screening operation. The first conveying unit 6 can stand by at the feeding station 11. The second conveying unit 7 transfers the qualified materials from the inspection station 12. Based on the total number of materials and the maximum conveying capacity of the second conveying unit 7, it can be selected to directly transfer the materials to the receiving tank 310. Material can be stored in warehouse 5, or it can be replenished or temporarily stored at storage platform 4. This ensures that the material delivered to warehouse 5 by the second transport unit 7 is always the maximum transport quantity of the second transport unit 7. By designing the maximum transport quantity of the second transport unit 7 to match the number of single rows or columns of material trays, it is possible to meet the requirement of placing entire rows or columns of material in warehouse 5 without frequently adjusting the second transport unit 7 to adapt to the material placement position. This can be achieved simply by horizontal displacement, which can speed up the tray placement speed and reduce the waste of production cycle time. By using the control logic of time-sharing operation and rounding tray placement, each process can always maintain continuous operation, thereby improving the tray placement output efficiency per unit time.

[0026] The vibratory feeder assembly 2 performs the material posture shaping process. It typically consists of a vibratory feeder body, a feeding tray, and a camera. The feeding tray transports the material into the vibratory feeder body, where vibration filters and shapes the material, changing its posture to provide an orderly feeding basis for subsequent handling and inspection. The camera is positioned above the vibratory feeder body to capture and identify the material's posture after the body vibrates at a certain frequency. The storage posture is pre-set based on the product's shape, appearance requirements, and other design information. When the number of materials on the vibratory feeder body that meet the storage posture matches the single-pass quantity of the first handling unit 6, a flexible vibration feeding cycle is completed.

[0027] In conventional post-processing, only visual guidance is usually set up. After the robot handles the material that meets the posture, the visual inspection is achieved by the active rotation and movement of the robot. This process arrangement will cause the material posture handling process to enter a waiting period after meeting the screening requirements, resulting in wasted cycle time. The technical solution of this application adds a moving stage 31, which separates the handling and inspection by different displacement mechanisms.

[0028] The visual inspection device 32 is reasonably set according to the inspection requirements and inspection angle, and can be a lower vision, upper vision, side vision, etc. According to actual needs, multiple visual inspection devices 32 can be set. Multiple visual inspection devices 32 can be placed in different positions to perform inspection of different parts of the same material. In this case, the moving stage 31 needs to pass through multiple visual inspection devices 32 in sequence. Alternatively, multiple visual inspection devices 32 can be placed in adjacent positions to perform inspection of the same position of different materials. In this case, the movement path of the moving stage 31 is shorter.

[0029] The first transport unit 6 and the second transport unit 7 can move horizontally and vertically based on the same set of track structures. By reasonably setting the arrangement of multiple workstations, interference between the two can be avoided. In this embodiment, the first transport unit 6 and the second transport unit 7 are based on two independent tracks and two independent multi-axis drive mechanisms. When in standby mode, they are located on both sides of the mounting base 1.

[0030] The structures of the first transport section 6 and the second transport section 7 can be the same or different. For example, both can use suction nozzles or grippers to grab materials. The maximum transport quantity of the first transport section 6 and the second transport section 7 should be the same. This can ensure that the material screening and material warehousing processes are continuous and that the quantity of materials during the turnover process can be basically balanced.

[0031] It should be understood that the location for discharging defective products confirmed by inspection station 12 is not limited. In one embodiment, a waste discharge station is set up to the side of inspection station 12. The waste discharge action can be performed by the second transport unit 7, or by adding a separate robotic arm. In this case, the material detected as defective in the receiving tank 310 is directly removed and discharged, and the remaining material is taken away by the second transport unit 7. After the second transport unit 7 reaches the storage platform 4, it is replenished. In another embodiment, the second transport unit 7 removes the material from multiple receiving tanks 310 at the same time, and the waste discharge and replenishment operations are performed simultaneously at the replenishment station 13. A separate waste discharge station can be added to the side of the replenishment station 13, or a waste discharge channel can be set up on the storage platform 4.

[0032] The moving stage 31 employs a servo motor and lead screw transmission system to achieve precise displacement control, ensuring that the receiving slot 310 can quickly and accurately stop at the optimal shooting position of the vision inspection device 32. A positioning pin can be installed at the bottom of the receiving slot 310, which cooperates with the corresponding positioning hole on the material, forming a double positioning structure with the shape features of the receiving slot 310, effectively preventing material displacement during the inspection process.

[0033] The system can simulate the testing process for a single type of product to form a preset trajectory. The mobile station 31 moves according to the preset trajectory each time. Alternatively, sensors can be added to transmit signals, thereby controlling the timing and distance of the movement of the mobile station 31.

[0034] The shape of the receiving tank 310 should be adapted to the material to ensure a stable positioning effect for the material. The material can be of a regular shape or an irregular shape; in this case, the shape of the receiving tank 310 should be appropriately matched.

[0035] The arrangement of the multiple receiving slots 310 should match the configuration of the first conveying unit 6. When the first conveying unit 6 is composed of multiple suction nozzles arranged in a straight line, the multiple receiving slots 310 should be arranged in the same straight line. When the first conveying unit 6 is composed of multiple rows of suction nozzles, the multiple receiving slots 310 should be arranged in multiple rows.

[0036] To prevent the structure of the receiving slots 310 from obstructing the vision inspection device 32, each receiving slot 310 is partially hollowed out to form an inspection window 33. During the travel of the moving stage 31, the inspection window 33 of at least one receiving slot 310 can correspond to the vision inspection device 32. The location of the inspection window 33 is not limited; it can be the bottom or side of the receiving slot 310. Multiple hollowed-out locations can be set at different positions in the receiving slot 310 to jointly form the inspection window 33. The portion of the material exposed in multiple inspection windows 33 can be identified in a single shot, or it can be identified separately after the moving stage is adapted.

[0037] For further details, please refer to Figure 6 The inner wall of the receiving tank 310 is provided with a reflective part 34, the reflective surface of which corresponds to the detection window 33, and is used to reflect the light passing through the detection window 33 onto the surface of the material in the receiving tank 310. Due to structural differences, some parts of the material are not easy to observe and are easily blocked. By adding the reflective part 34, when the material in the receiving tank 310 enters the imaging range of the visual inspection device 32, the light from the supplementary light of the visual inspection device 32 can pass through the detection window 33 and enter the reflective surface of the reflective part 34. After being reflected by the reflective surface, it illuminates the areas of the material that are not easily covered by the detection, thereby supplementing the illumination of the area of ​​the material to be identified and improving the comprehensiveness of the image captured by the visual inspection device 32.

[0038] The reflector 34 can be configured as an inclined reflector plate, which is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the receiving groove 310. The reflective surface of the reflector plate faces the inside of the receiving groove 310 and forms a preset angle with the incident light, guiding the light to the side or bottom where the material is blocked. Alternatively, mirror polishing or coating treatment can be directly performed on the area of ​​the inner wall of the receiving groove 310 corresponding to the detection window 33, thereby directly processing the inner wall of the receiving groove 310 into a reflective surface without the need for additional fixed installation of reflective components, simplifying the processing steps of the storage platform 4.

[0039] Furthermore, the mobile stage 31 includes a base and a movable seat. The base is movably mounted on the mounting base 1 in both the horizontal and vertical directions. The movable seat is rotatably mounted on the base along a horizontally extending axis. The movable seat has multiple receiving slots 310. The vision inspection device 32 is located below the movable seat or on one side of the movable seat in the horizontal direction. The rotatable configuration of the movable seat allows the component to adapt to more inspection angles of the material. The movable seat can employ a servo motor-driven worm gear transmission system to achieve high-precision angle positioning, ensuring that each receiving slot 310 can accurately stop within the acquisition range of the vision inspection device 32. In a single inspection process, the movable seat may need to rotate multiple times at different angles to complete the visual imaging coverage of all materials at specific angles.

[0040] The specific structure of hopper 5 is not limited. In some embodiments, please refer to the figure. 5 and Figure 7. The hopper 5 includes a support 51, two trays 52, a positioning component 53, and a transfer component 54. The support 51 has a first channel 511 and a second channel 512 spaced apart in the horizontal direction. The dimensions of the first channel 511 and / or the second channel 512 in the horizontal direction are adjustable. The two trays 52 are respectively movably installed in the first channel 511 and the second channel 512 in the vertical direction. The trays 52 are used to carry the material trays. The positioning component 53 includes two positioning parts respectively provided on the two trays 52. Each positioning part can move in the horizontal direction to press the edge of the corresponding material tray onto the corresponding tray 52. ​​The transfer component 54 includes a material picking part 541 provided at the upper end of the support 51. The material picking part 541 can move between the first channel 511 and the second channel 512. The material picking part 541 is used to transfer the full material tray on the upper side of the first channel 511 into the second channel 512. Initially, the tray 52 in the first channel 511 carries multiple stacked empty trays, while the tray 52 in the second channel 512 is empty. The height of the tray 52 in the first channel 511 is adjusted so that one of the empty trays is visible in the upper open area of ​​the first channel 511. The second conveying unit 7 places the material into the empty tray in the upper part of the first channel 511 until the tray is full. Then, the tray 52 in the second channel 512 moves to the upper end of the second channel 512. At the same time, the material handling unit 541 works to transfer the full tray to the tray 52 in the second channel 512. The process of stacking and transferring the trays is repeated continuously. When the total height of the multiple full trays in the second channel 512 reaches a preset value, or when the number of multiple full trays in the second channel 512 reaches a preset value, the multiple full trays are removed from the open area on the side of the second channel 512 by manual or mechanical means. Having two independent channels allows the transfer of full material trays and the placement of new materials to proceed independently without affecting each other, thus ensuring overall smooth operation.

[0041] The function of the positioning component 53 is to keep the corresponding tray fixed relative to the pallet 52 during the placement of materials in the first channel 511, and to keep the existing tray fixed when placing a tray in the second channel 512, thereby achieving a precise stacking effect. The structure of the positioning part is not limited; it can be a lever or a plate. The positioning part should at least contact the end face of the tray. When the positioning part is set in an L-shape, it can contact both the end face and the side face of the tray simultaneously.

[0042] The 541 material handling units are designed according to different specific structural types and forms, and usually cooperate or contact with specific local areas in the material tray. Since the material tray itself is made of flexible material, the deformation response of the material under localized stress exhibits significant unevenness: when the force is mainly concentrated in a small area, the overall structure of the material tray is prone to an unbalanced stress distribution, leading to undesirable deformation in other unsupported or stressed areas; simultaneously, if the force is concentrated at the edge of the material tray, the central area is prone to warping or bulging due to insufficient support, thus affecting the accuracy and stability of material handling. Therefore, in some embodiments, please refer to... Figure 5 The transfer assembly 54 also includes a pressure roller 55, which is mounted on the feeding section 541 via an elastic arm 56. The pressure roller 55 is used to partially abut against the material tray when the feeding section 541 contacts the material tray. When the feeding section 541 partially engages with the material tray, the pressure roller 55, under the action of the elastic arm 56, can abut against the material tray and exert a downward force on the material tray. This not only helps to ensure uniform force on the material tray in conjunction with the feeding section 541, but also prevents the material tray from warping upwards in some areas.

[0043] The specific structure of the material handling section 541 is not limited and can be flexibly selected according to actual production needs. For example, a suction-type structure such as a suction nozzle can be used, or a mechanical clamping method such as an actuating gripper can be used. In some embodiments, the transfer assembly 54 includes a mounting frame with four elongated holes. Four suction nozzles are fixed in the four elongated holes by screws, thus forming the material handling section 541. Depending on the size of the material tray, the four suction nozzles can be simultaneously attached to the material tray, or at least two suction nozzles can be attached to the material tray. When the four suction nozzles are attached to the four corners of the material tray, the pressure roller 55 abuts against the central area of ​​the material tray. When two suction nozzles are attached to two opposite sides of the material tray, the pressure roller 55 abuts against the position of the material tray near the remaining side, thus achieving triangular support with the two suction nozzles.

[0044] It should be understood that it is necessary to ensure that the pressure roller 55 is in contact with the tray, but not with the material inside the tray. Therefore, the position of the pressure roller 55 can be adjusted in advance to ensure that it always maintains a good fit with the tray of the current model.

[0045] In other embodiments, the transfer assembly 54 further includes a sensor (not shown) disposed on the material handling section 541. The sensor is used to detect the relative position of the pressure roller 55 and the material tray. The control device is electrically connected to the sensor and is used to adjust the contact position between the material handling section 541 and the material tray based on the sensor's detection result, thereby adjusting the contact position between the pressure roller 55 and the material tray. This dynamically adjusts the contact position between the material handling section 541 and the material tray based on the sensor's detection result, thereby changing the mating position between the pressure roller 55 and the material tray to ensure that the pressure roller 55 does not contact the material in the material tray. This form of dynamic adjustment via signal transmission can be used in conjunction with the elastic arm 56.

[0046] For further details, please refer to Figure 3 The first conveying unit 6 includes a plurality of first suction nozzles 61. Based on this, the number of the plurality of first suction nozzles 61 is the same as the number of the plurality of receiving slots 310, thereby ensuring that the amount of material conveyed by the first conveying unit 6 in a single transaction can be matched.

[0047] Furthermore, each first suction nozzle 61 can rotate along an axis extending vertically. This is to take into account that the vibratory feeding assembly may have posture deviations when screening materials. Through visual guidance and the rotation of the first suction nozzle 61, the posture of the material can be adjusted, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of subsequent feeding.

[0048] The second conveying unit 7 includes a plurality of second suction nozzles 71, wherein the number of the plurality of second suction nozzles 71 is the same as the number of acupoints in a single row on the material tray, so that the second conveying unit 7 can correspond to the entire row of the material tray when fully loaded, which facilitates positioning.

[0049] The number of feeding troughs 41 can be reasonably planned according to the number of second suction nozzles 71. The number of feeding troughs 41 should be at least equal to the number of multiple second suction nozzles 71. Specifically, the number of multiple feeding troughs 41 is an integer multiple of the number of multiple second suction nozzles 71. In this embodiment, the number of feeding troughs 41 is twice the number of multiple suction nozzles, and two rows are arranged.

[0050] In use, the second transport unit 7 transports multiple qualified products to the replenishment station 13. Since there are defective products in the previous process, the second transport unit 7 is not fully loaded. Based on the number of qualified products on the second transport unit 7, combined with the material tilt in the first row of replenishment troughs 41 and the second row of replenishment troughs 41, the corresponding number of materials can be taken out from one or both rows of replenishment troughs 41 at once, or all qualified products on the second transport unit 7 can be placed in one row of replenishment troughs 41.

[0051] The control device can be an industrial computer, including a processing unit (such as a central processing unit, graphics processing unit, etc.), which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to programs stored in read-only memory (ROM) or programs loaded from storage devices into random access memory (RAM). RAM also stores various programs and data required for the operation of the control device. The processing unit, ROM, and RAM are interconnected via a bus. Input / output (I / O) interfaces are also connected to the bus. Typically, the following systems can be connected to the I / O interface: input devices including, for example, touchscreens, touchpads, keyboards, mice, image sensors, microphones, accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc.; output devices including, for example, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), speakers, vibrators, etc.; storage devices including, for example, magnetic tape, hard disks, etc.; and communication devices. Communication devices allow the control device to communicate wirelessly or wiredly with other devices to exchange data.

[0052] Based on the above structure, this invention also proposes a control method for a flexible swivel mechanism, please refer to... Figure 8 The control method for the flexible swivel mechanism includes the following steps: Step S10: When it is detected that the number of materials in the storage posture in the vibratory feeder assembly 2 meets the preset value, the target materials are confirmed according to the distribution, and the first conveying unit 6 is controlled to work to transfer multiple target materials into multiple receiving tanks 310. For example, if the first conveying unit 6 can convey N1 materials, and the parameters of the vibrating feeding assembly are adjusted, it operates at a certain frequency. After a single vibration, if the number of target materials n that meet the storage posture in the vibrating feeding assembly is less than N1, the vibrating feeding assembly needs to be controlled to continue vibrating until the number of target materials n in the vibrating feeding assembly is greater than or equal to N1. Then, the first conveying unit 6 is controlled to pick up N1 of these materials. The remaining number of target materials n-N1 in the vibrating feeding assembly is detected. If n-N1 is less than N1, the vibrating feeding assembly needs to be controlled to continue vibrating. If n-N1 is greater than or equal to N1, the vibrating feeding assembly maintains its state and waits for the first conveying unit 6 to return to the feeding station 11 to perform the conveying action.

[0053] The picking path of the first transport unit 6 can be planned based on the initial position of the first transport unit 6 and the distribution of multiple target materials, following the principles of proximity and shortest path.

[0054] Step S20: Control the moving stage 31 to move so that the multiple receiving slots 310 correspond to the vision inspection device 32 in sequence, and obtain the detection results of multiple target materials in the multiple receiving slots 310. Specifically, after the first transport unit 6 places N1 target materials into N1 receiving slots 310, the first transport unit 6 returns to the loading station 11.

[0055] The inspection results include qualified products and defective products. When it is detected that there are materials in multiple receiving slots 310 on the moving stage 31, the moving stage 31 is controlled to move according to a preset moving path and dwell frequency. The vision inspection device 32 acquires images of multiple target materials and uploads the images. The processor of the control device analyzes the images and marks the inspection results of the materials in each receiving slot 310. When the target material in a certain receiving slot 310 is determined to be a qualified product or a defective product, the position information of the receiving slot 310 where the target material is located is recorded simultaneously.

[0056] Step S30: If the test result of at least one of the multiple target materials is a defective product, control the second handling unit 7 to work, discharge the defective product after inspection, and move the qualified product after inspection to the replenishment station 13 and enter the replenishment mode. For example, the amount of material that the second transport unit 7 can transport is equal to the amount of material that the first transport unit 6 can transport, both being N1. Based on the detection results of step S20, if at least one of the detection results is a defective product, the second transport unit 7 is controlled to first remove the defective product and place it in a designated location for waste disposal. Then, the second transport unit 7 is controlled to remove the remaining qualified products. At this time, due to the waste disposal process, the total number of qualified products on the second transport unit 7 is less than N1. If they are placed directly in the silo 5, they cannot match the number of holes in the entire row or column of the silo 5. Therefore, a replenishment operation is required, that is, the replenishment station 13 is first reached to execute the replenishment mode, so that the second transport unit 7 reaches a full load state.

[0057] For example, if the amount of material that the second conveying unit 7 can handle is less than the amount of material that the first conveying unit 6 can handle, which is N2, based on the detection results of step S20, if at least one of the detection results is a defective product, the second conveying unit 7 is controlled to first remove the defective product once or multiple times and place it in a designated location for waste disposal. Then, the second conveying unit 7 is controlled to remove the remaining qualified products once or multiple times. At this time, the number of single-row or single-column slots in the material tray of the silo 5 is N2. This quantity matching is designed based on the yield rate of the material in the actual production process, and it can also accommodate the randomness and uncertainty of material screening by the vibrating feeding component.

[0058] In step S40, when the second conveying unit 7 is fully loaded, multiple qualified products are transferred to the material tray of the silo 5.

[0059] Based on the detection results of step S20, if multiple target materials are all qualified products, the second handling unit 7 has reached full load after taking multiple qualified products. Therefore, the second handling unit 7 can be directly controlled to store multiple qualified products directly in the corresponding material trays in the silo 5.

[0060] After step S30, the second transport unit 7 reaches full load again through the replenishment operation, and can then control the second transport unit 7 to directly store multiple qualified products in the corresponding trays in the silo 5.

[0061] The replenishment trough 41 is located on the storage platform 4. The replenishment trough 41 stores pre-prepared qualified materials. When entering the replenishment mode, the second transport unit 7 has two states: First, the material quantity at the replenishment station 13 is sufficient, and the second transport unit 7 can return to full load through the replenishment operation. In this case, the second transport unit 7 can be controlled to directly store multiple qualified products in the corresponding trays within the hopper 5. Second, the material quantity at the replenishment station 13 is insufficient, and the second transport unit 7 needs to place all qualified products on the storage platform 4. In this case, the second transport unit 7 is controlled to return to the inspection station 12.

[0062] The above steps S10-S40, through automated feeding, inspection, waste removal and replenishment and tray loading processes, eliminate the need for manual intervention to sort defective materials and manual tray placement. This not only improves tray placement efficiency but also ensures that all materials stored in the feeding trays are qualified products and that the corresponding positions of the trays are always fully loaded, thus meeting the needs of automated production.

[0063] Step S30 includes: Step S31: In the replenishment mode, obtain the material information on the storage platform 4 and the second transport unit 7. The material information includes the quantity and location of the material on the storage platform 4 and the quantity and location of the defective products on the second transport unit 7. Specifically, in the replenishment mode, by confirming the actual quantity O1 of qualified products on the second transport section 7 and the location of the qualified products, the location and quantity X of the second transport section 7 to be replenished can be confirmed; the multiple replenishment slots 41 on the storage platform 4 contain pre-placed qualified products, and the location O2 of the qualified products in the multiple replenishment slots 41 and the distribution of the qualified products can be confirmed.

[0064] This is to take into account that the replenishment mechanism will become more complicated when N1>1. Taking N1=3 as an example, if the second transport unit 7 needs to replenish two adjacent positions, there are two paths depending on the distribution of qualified products on the storage platform 4. Path 1: control the second transport unit 7 to locate and perform replenishment actions on the two replenishment positions respectively according to the proximity principle. Path 2: find the situation on the storage platform 4 that meets the condition of two qualified products being adjacent, and control the second transport unit 7 to locate and perform replenishment actions on the two replenishment positions simultaneously.

[0065] Step S32: Based on the material information, select the shortest operation time among multiple preset replenishment schemes as the target replenishment scheme; As shown above, based on the values ​​of N1, X, and O2, and the distribution of qualified products, there are multiple possible replenishment schemes. The path length and number of operations of the second conveying unit 7 are different in different replenishment schemes. Therefore, among the multiple possible preset replenishment schemes, the time spent on each replenishment scheme is calculated according to the equipment parameters, and the one with the shortest time is selected as the target replenishment scheme.

[0066] Taking N1=8 as an example, the eight positions of the second conveying unit 7 are defined as positions 1-8 according to numbers, and the following possible replenishment logic exists: The technical solution of this application establishes two logical benchmarks: Benchmark 1: The headquarters of the location to be replenished does not exceed half of the material quantity when the second handling section 7 is fully loaded, i.e., X≤N1 / 2; At this time, when the number of qualified products O2≥X is identified on the storage platform 4, the feasible solutions are analyzed based on the location and quantity of missing materials on the second handling section 7, whether they can be picked up simultaneously, and whether the number of items picked up simultaneously at one time exceeds 2, etc. Based on the actual distribution of qualified products on the storage platform 4, the executable solutions are confirmed, and the shortest time is selected as the target replenishment solution after simulating the time of all executable solutions.

[0067] For example, for a single replenishment location: any vacancy among positions 1-8, the second transport unit 7 can pick up any qualified product from the storage platform 4. In this case, the position closest to the second transport unit 7 takes the shortest time to retrieve the material, so it can be used as the target replenishment solution.

[0068] For example, if there are 3 missing material positions (positions 1, 4, and 5), the following material replenishment logic applies: Logic 1: Simultaneous material replenishment for positions 1 and 4, and separate material replenishment for position 5: Logic 2: Simultaneous material replenishment for adjacent positions 4 and 5, and separate material replenishment for position 1: Logic 3: The logic for simultaneously picking up and replenishing materials at positions 1 and 5, and replenishing materials separately at position 4: Logic 4: Simultaneously pick up and replenish materials at positions 1, 4, and 5. Taking Logic 1 as an example, there are two sub-path schemes: Option 1: Based on the principle of proximity, replenish the material at position 1, and then locate the two adjacent materials on the storage platform 4 to simultaneously pick up and replenish the material at positions 4 and 5. Option 2: Based on the principle of proximity, locate two adjacent materials on storage platform 4, and simultaneously pick up and replenish materials at positions 4 and 5. Then, based on the principle of proximity, replenish material at position 1. Therefore, based on the total number of multiple schemes under multiple logics, the processor simulates the execution time of the corresponding scheme according to the device parameters to determine the final target replenishment scheme.

[0069] The reason for this design is that the distribution of qualified products on the storage platform 4 is uncertain each time the second transport unit 7 arrives at the storage platform 4.

[0070] Based on the second baseline, the headquarters of the location awaiting replenishment does not exceed half the quantity of materials when the second handling section 7 is fully loaded, i.e., X > N1 / 2; at this time, when the number of qualified products O2 ≥ X is detected on the storage platform 4, the location and arrangement of the vacancy are not considered, and only the following two logics are executed: Logic 1: Based on the principle of proximity, determine the first location to perform material replenishment among multiple vacant locations and the target material replenishment slot 41 on the storage platform 4, and then confirm the subsequent path based on the principle of proximity. Logic 2: Identify the vacancy status of the replenishment troughs 41 located in the same row among the multiple replenishment troughs 41, and place all or part of the qualified products in the vacant replenishment troughs 41 of the second transport unit 7, so that some adjacent replenishment troughs 41 are filled, forming a convenient synchronous picking unit. When the number of units is consistent with the current vacancy number of the second transport unit 7, control the second transport unit 7 to perform synchronous replenishment.

[0071] Take Logical 2 as an example: For example, N1=8, X=6, O1=2. The two qualified products on the second transport unit 7 are spaced apart. The two qualified products on the second transport unit 7 are placed in empty replenishment troughs 41, forming eight consecutive replenishment troughs 41 containing qualified products. The second transport unit 7 is initially unloaded, and then simultaneously picks up the eight qualified products.

[0072] For example, N1=8, X=5, O1=3. Of the three qualified products in the second transport unit 7, one is set separately, and the other two are set adjacent to each other and located at the edge. The separately set qualified product on the second transport unit 7 is placed in the empty replenishment trough 41, so that there are qualified products in all six consecutive replenishment troughs 41. The second transport unit 7 is controlled to simultaneously replenish the six qualified products.

[0073] Step S33: Control the second transport unit 7 to work according to the target material replenishment plan.

[0074] By selecting the target replenishment scheme with the shortest time, the production cycle can be reduced to the maximum extent.

[0075] Furthermore, the control method for the flexible tilting mechanism includes the following steps: The visual inspection device 32 acquires surface images of the material and performs defect judgment on the surface images to construct a dataset containing qualified product samples and defective product samples. A learning model for detection judgment at inspection station 12 is constructed based on the dataset, and the learning model is autonomously optimized based on feedback data from manual re-inspection.

[0076] By continuously collecting inspection data and manual re-inspection results during the production process, regularly updating the dataset, and iteratively optimizing the learning model, the accuracy and efficiency of inspection are dynamically improved. This makes the automatic inspection process of inspection station 12 more fault-tolerant and adaptable, able to adapt to the characteristic changes of materials in different production batches, and reduce the probability of missed or misjudged defective products.

[0077] In particular, according to the embodiments disclosed in this application, the processes described above with reference to the flowcharts can also be implemented as computer software programs. For example, embodiments disclosed in this application include a computer program product comprising a computer program carried on a computer-readable medium, the computer program containing program code for performing the methods shown in the flowcharts. In such embodiments, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from a network via a communication device, or installed from a storage device, or installed from a ROM. When the computer program is executed by a processing device, it performs the functions defined in the methods of the embodiments disclosed in this application.

[0078] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the scope of the patent. Any equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the specification and drawings of the present invention under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the scope of patent protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible swivel mechanism, characterized in that, include: Mounting base, wherein the mounting base has a feeding station, a testing station, a replenishing station and a storage station arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction; The vibratory feeder assembly, located at the feeding station, is used to adjust the material into a storage position through vibration. An inspection component is located at an inspection station. The inspection component includes a moving stage and at least one vision inspection device. The vision inspection device is fixed to the mounting base. The moving stage is movably mounted on the mounting base in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction. The moving stage is provided with a plurality of receiving slots arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction. During the movement stroke of the moving stage, at least one of the receiving slots can correspond to the vision inspection device. A storage platform is located at the replenishment station. The storage platform is equipped with multiple replenishment slots, each of which is used to hold materials that have passed the detection component. A hopper, located at the receiving station, is used to hold multiple stacked material trays. The conveying device includes a first conveying unit and a second conveying unit for picking up materials. The first conveying unit is movable between the loading station and the detection station, and the second conveying unit is movable between the detection station, the replenishment station and the storage station. The control device is electrically connected to the vibratory feeder assembly, the detection assembly, the hopper, and the conveying device.

2. The flexible tilting mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the receiving slots is partially hollowed out to form a detection window, and during the movement of the moving stage, the detection window of at least one of the receiving slots can correspond to the visual inspection device.

3. The flexible swivel mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The mobile platform includes a base and a movable seat. The base is movably mounted on the mounting base in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction. The movable seat is rotatably mounted on the base along an axis extending in a horizontal direction. The movable seat is provided with a plurality of receiving slots. The visual inspection device is located below the movable seat or on one side of the movable seat along the horizontal direction.

4. The flexible tray-stacking mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The inner wall of the receiving tank is provided with a reflective part, the reflective surface of which corresponds to the detection window and is used to reflect the light passing through the detection window onto the surface of the material in the receiving tank.

5. The flexible swivel mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The silo includes: The bracket has a first channel and a second channel spaced apart in a horizontal direction, the dimensions of the first channel and / or the second channel being adjustable in the horizontal direction; Two trays are respectively movably installed in the first channel and the second channel in the vertical direction, and the trays are used to carry material trays; The positioning component includes two positioning parts respectively disposed on the two trays, each positioning part being movable in the horizontal direction to press the edge of the corresponding tray onto the corresponding tray; The transfer assembly includes a material-grabbing part disposed at the upper end of the support, the material-grabbing part being movable between the first channel and the second channel, the material-grabbing part being used to transfer the full material tray on the upper side of the first channel into the second channel; The second conveying unit is used to place materials into an empty tray located in the first channel.

6. The flexible tray-stacking mechanism as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The transfer assembly also includes a pressure roller, wherein: The pressure roller is mounted on the material-taking section via an elastic arm, and the pressure roller is used to partially abut against the material tray when the material-taking section contacts the material tray; and / or, The transfer assembly also includes a sensor disposed on the material taking part. The sensor is used to detect the relative position of the pressure roller and the material tray. The control device is electrically connected to the sensor and is used to adjust the contact position between the material taking part and the material tray according to the detection result of the sensor, thereby adjusting the contact position between the pressure roller and the material tray.

7. The flexible tilting mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first conveying unit includes a plurality of first suction nozzles, wherein: each first suction nozzle is rotatable along an axis extending in the vertical direction, and / or, the number of the plurality of first suction nozzles is the same as the number of the plurality of receiving slots; and / or, The second conveying unit includes a plurality of second suction nozzles, wherein the number of the plurality of second suction nozzles is the same as the number of acupoints in a single row on the material tray, and / or the number of the plurality of feeding troughs is an integer multiple of the number of the plurality of second suction nozzles.

8. A control method for a flexible swivel mechanism, characterized in that, Based on the flexible plate-spinning mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, the control method of the flexible plate-spinning mechanism includes the following steps: When the number of materials in the storage posture in the vibratory feeder assembly meets the preset value, the target materials are identified according to the distribution, and the first conveying unit is controlled to work to transfer multiple target materials into multiple receiving slots. The mobile stage is controlled to move so that the plurality of receiving slots correspond sequentially to the vision inspection device, and the inspection results of the plurality of target materials in the plurality of receiving slots are obtained, wherein the inspection results include qualified products and defective products; If the test result of at least one of the multiple target materials is a defective product, control the second conveying unit to work, discharge the defective product after inspection, and move the qualified product after inspection to the replenishment station and enter the replenishment mode. When the second handling unit is fully loaded, multiple qualified products are transferred to the trays in the silo.

9. The control method for the flexible swivel mechanism as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The step of controlling the second conveying unit to transfer the inspected target materials to the replenishment station and enter the replenishment mode if the inspection result of at least one of the target materials is defective includes: In the replenishment mode, material information on the storage platform and the second conveying unit is obtained. The material information includes the quantity and position of the material on the storage platform and the quantity and position of defective products on the second conveying unit. Based on the material information, the one with the shortest operation time among multiple preset replenishment schemes is selected as the target replenishment scheme; Control the second transport unit to operate according to the target material replenishment plan.

10. The control method for the flexible tilting mechanism as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The control method for the flexible swivel mechanism includes the following steps: The surface image of the material is acquired by a visual inspection device, and defects are determined on the surface image to construct a dataset containing qualified product samples and defective product samples. A learning model for detection judgment at the detection station is constructed based on the dataset, and the learning model is autonomously optimized based on feedback data from manual re-inspection.

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