Cylindrical connection oriented transport and collection device and automatic assembly system

Abstract

The application provides a kind of directional conveying and collecting device of cylindrical part and automatic assembly system, the directional conveying and collecting device of cylindrical part described above, comprising: conveying carrier, configured to convey cylindrical part along preset conveying path, the bearing surface of conveying carrier is provided with at least one axial guide groove extending along conveying path;Transverse material shifting assembly, including material shifting piece, material shifting piece is configured to reciprocate in the direction perpendicular to conveying path, to shift cylindrical part on bearing surface into axial guide groove;Collecting assembly, including collection guide rod, the axis of collection guide rod is collinear with the extension direction of axial guide groove, and the feed end of collection guide rod is opposite the discharge port of axial guide groove, to receive the cylindrical part output from axial guide groove.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automated assembly of precision parts, and in particular to a directional conveying and collecting device and automated assembly system for cylindrical parts. Background Technology

[0002] In industries such as electronics, medical devices, and precision hardware, the automated sorting and collection of cylindrical parts (such as miniature insulating sleeves, needle sleeves, and precision small tubular components) is a critical step in the production line. Current technology primarily employs vibratory feeder sorting, which works by using high-frequency, low-amplitude vibration to propel workpieces along a spiral track, orienting and sorting them for output. However, vibratory feeder sorting suffers from the following technical problems: First, small cylindrical parts, due to their light weight and tendency to roll, are prone to stacking, jamming, or jumping during vibration, resulting in poor sorting stability and requiring frequent manual intervention. Second, existing transmission equipment has weak axial orientation control over cylindrical parts, leading to poor consistency in the axial direction of output parts, which is insufficient to meet the demands of subsequent high-precision assembly. Furthermore, while manual intervention with simple fixtures can avoid vibration damage, it is extremely inefficient, inconsistent, and poses safety hazards such as parts falling and causing hand injuries, failing to meet the needs of large-scale production.

[0003] In addition, while existing conventional push plate or chain conveying methods can achieve horizontal material movement, they have the following technical problems: First, they lack effective axial orientation, and the axial direction of cylindrical parts is random during the conveying process, making them unsuitable for subsequent needle threading or assembly processes; Second, when transferring the sorted parts to the collection station, due to the guide interruption zone between the sorting and collection structures, the parts, after being freed from the guide constraints, rely on inertia or gravity to cross the transition zone, and are easily deflected due to minor disturbances (such as collisions of previous parts, airflow fluctuations, and equipment vibrations), causing the inner hole of the parts to fail to align with the collection guide rod, resulting in misalignment, falling, or jamming, low collection success rate, and the need for secondary sorting. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a directional conveying and collection device and an automated assembly system for cylindrical parts that achieves non-destructive orientation, stable conveying and precise collection of cylindrical parts.

[0005] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution: A directional conveying and collecting device for cylindrical parts, comprising: A conveying carrier is configured to convey cylindrical parts along a conveying path, wherein the bearing surface of the conveying carrier is provided with at least one axial guide groove extending along the conveying path. A transverse feeding assembly includes a feeding member configured to reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to the conveying path to feed a cylindrical part on the bearing surface into the axial guide groove. A collection assembly includes a collection guide rod whose axis is collinear with the extension direction of the axial guide groove, and whose inlet end faces the outlet of the axial guide groove to receive cylindrical parts output from the axial guide groove.

[0006] In one embodiment, the feeding member has a feeding surface facing the bearing surface, and a clearance gap is provided between the feeding surface and the bearing surface. The height of the clearance gap is greater than the diameter of the cylindrical part and less than the diameter of the cylindrical part.

[0007] In one embodiment, the feeding component is a push plate, which includes multiple parallel vertical plates. The extending direction of the vertical plates is parallel to the extending direction of the axial guide groove. The axial guide groove is provided in multiple ways, and the displacement of the push plate in reciprocating motion is equal to the distance between two adjacent axial guide grooves.

[0008] In one embodiment, the axial guide grooves are provided in multiple parallel positions, and the collecting guide rods are provided in multiple parallel positions, with each collecting guide rod facing the outlet of one of the axial guide grooves.

[0009] In one embodiment, the collection assembly further includes a collector rod and a drive motor. Multiple collection guide rods are threadedly connected to the side wall of the collector rod. The collector rod is driven by the drive motor, which is configured to drive the collector rod to rotate, thereby switching the collection guide rods at different angles to the working position.

[0010] In one embodiment, the conveyor includes a chain and a slide rail, the chain being configured to slide within the slide rail, the length of the slide rail being equal to the center distance between the drive wheels at both ends of the chain.

[0011] In one embodiment, the chain belt is composed of multiple chain links connected in series by pins, and the upper surface of each chain link is provided with the axial guide groove, which is a V-shaped groove; the side of the slide rail is provided with a soft material buffer side, and the length of the buffer side is equal to the length of the slide rail.

[0012] In one embodiment, a dispersing and paving assembly is provided upstream of the transverse feeding assembly. The dispersing and paving assembly includes a paving rod that rotates in the opposite direction. The gap between the paving rod and the bearing surface is greater than the diameter of the cylindrical part.

[0013] In one embodiment, a recycling chute is inclinedly provided below the conveying carrier, with the upper end of the recycling chute located below the collection assembly, and a recycling box connected to the lower end of the recycling chute.

[0014] An automated assembly system for cylindrical parts further includes a directional conveying and collecting device for cylindrical parts as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following advantages: 1. The conveying carrier, as the basic platform for material flow, has a surface that is not planar but integrates an axial guide groove with orientation function. The extension direction of this axial guide groove is consistent with the conveying path, so that once the cylindrical part enters the groove, its axis is forcibly constrained to be parallel to the conveying direction. It should be understood that although the axial guide groove is arranged along a straight conveying path in this embodiment, in other embodiments, if the conveying path includes curved sections, the axial guide groove can also bend and extend accordingly, as long as its guiding direction is consistent with the tangent direction of the local conveying path. This groove constraint mechanism replaces the traditional vibration material handling method, using geometric constraints to achieve passive orientation, fundamentally avoiding the risk of surface damage and deformation caused by high-frequency vibration to thin-walled or soft cylindrical parts. Furthermore, when the feeding component performs reciprocating motion, its side surface sweeps across the bearing surface as the feeding surface, pushing the scattered cylindrical parts laterally to the entrance of the axial guide groove. Due to the lightweight nature of the cylindrical parts, when subjected to lateral thrust and guided by the side wall of the axial guide groove, they will automatically adjust their posture and roll into the groove. By actively dispersing material perpendicular to the conveying direction using cylindrical components, the material stacking can be effectively broken up, improving the efficiency of material entering the tank. Furthermore, the collection assembly is located at the end of the conveying path or at a specific station, its core design being "coaxial docking." The collection guide rod, as the final support for the cylindrical component, has its axis coincident with the extended center line of the axial guide groove, and there is no gap or only a slight transition gap between the inlet and outlet. This means that the cylindrical component, upon leaving the axial guide groove, can directly slide into the collection guide rod along its original trajectory without any intermediate transfer mechanism or secondary positioning. This direct-connection spatial arrangement eliminates the problems of component misalignment, falling, and jamming caused by guide interruption in traditional segmented structures, ensuring the continuity and stability of the collection process. It should be understood that the collection guide rod can be a solid needle rod, a hollow tube, or a steel wire, as long as its outer diameter matches the inner hole of the cylindrical component and can provide axial support.

[0016] 2. The non-destructive orientation and anti-misalignment collection of cylindrical parts are achieved through the conveying carrier, the transverse feeding assembly, and the collection assembly. The transverse feeding assembly replaces vibration and impact with mechanical actuation, protecting the surface quality of the parts; at the same time, the axial guide groove provides a continuous orientation reference for the transportation of cylindrical parts, ensuring the consistency of the parts' posture; furthermore, the coaxial direct connection between the collection guide rod and the guide groove creates a seamless material flow channel, significantly improving the overall operational reliability and collection efficiency of the machine.

[0017] 3. The directional conveying and collecting device for cylindrical parts provided by this invention, through the spatial orthogonal cooperation between the transverse material feeding component and the axial guide groove, replaces vibration material feeding with mechanical feeding, fundamentally eliminating the risk of damage to small thin-walled cylindrical parts caused by high-frequency vibration. At the same time, the channel constraint achieves highly reliable axial orientation. Through the coaxial direct connection between the collecting guide rod and the axial guide groove, a continuous guiding path from material feeding to collection is constructed, completely solving the problems of part misalignment, falling, and jamming caused by guide interruption in traditional segmented structures. Combined with the anti-jamming gap design, full-length slide rail support, and multi-channel parallel architecture, the device significantly improves the material feeding orientation rate, conveying stability, and collection efficiency while ensuring zero damage to parts, meeting the stringent requirements of precision manufacturing for high-speed, flexible, and non-destructive automated processing of small cylindrical parts. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a directional conveying and collecting device for cylindrical parts in one embodiment; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the directional conveying and collecting device for cylindrical parts in another embodiment; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the transmission carrier in one embodiment; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the transverse feeding assembly in one embodiment; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the collection component in one embodiment; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a distributed tiled component in one embodiment; Figure Descriptions: 10. Oriented conveying and collecting device for cylindrical parts; 100. Conveying carrier; 110. Axial guide groove; 120. Chain belt; 1210. Pin shaft; 130. Slide rail; 140. Buffer side rail; 150. Bearing surface; 200. Lateral feeding assembly; 210. Feeding component; 2110. Feeding surface; 300. Collecting assembly; 310. Collecting guide rod; 320. Collector round rod; 330. Drive motor; 340. Recycling chute; 350. Recycling box; 400. Dispersing and spreading assembly; 410. Spreading rod; 500. Anti-backward limiting component. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a more complete description will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings. However, the invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of the invention.

[0021] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" another element, it can be directly attached to the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0022] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the description of the invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0023] Please see Figures 1 to 6 To better understand the directional conveying and collecting device 10 for cylindrical parts of this application, the following further explanation of the directional conveying and collecting device 10 for cylindrical parts is provided: An embodiment of a directional conveying and collecting device 10 for cylindrical parts, characterized in that it comprises: a conveying carrier 100 configured to convey cylindrical parts along a conveying path, wherein the bearing surface 150 of the conveying carrier 100 is provided with at least one axial guide groove 110 extending along the conveying path; a transverse feeding assembly 200 including a feeding member 210 configured to reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to the conveying path to feed the cylindrical parts on the bearing surface 150 into the axial guide groove 110; and a collecting assembly 300 including a collecting guide rod 310, wherein the axis of the collecting guide rod 310 is collinear with the extending direction of the axial guide groove 110, and the inlet end of the collecting guide rod 310 faces the outlet of the axial guide groove 110 to receive the cylindrical parts output from the axial guide groove 110.

[0024] In one embodiment, the conveying carrier 100 is configured to transport cylindrical parts along a preset conveying path. The bearing surface 150 of the conveying carrier 100 is provided with at least one axial guide groove 110 extending along the conveying path. It is understood that the bearing surface 150 of the conveying carrier 100, as a basic platform for material flow, is not planar, but integrates the axial guide groove 110 with orientation function. The extension direction of the axial guide groove 110 is consistent with the conveying path, so that once the cylindrical part enters the groove, its axis is forcibly constrained to be parallel to the conveying direction. It should be understood that although the axial guide groove 110 is arranged along a straight conveying path in this embodiment, in other embodiments, if the conveying path includes curved sections, the axial guide groove 110 can also bend and extend accordingly, as long as its guiding direction is consistent with the tangential direction of the local conveying path. This groove constraint mechanism replaces the traditional vibration material handling method, using geometric constraints to achieve passive orientation, fundamentally avoiding the risk of surface damage and deformation caused by high-frequency vibration to thin-walled or soft cylindrical parts.

[0025] Furthermore, the lateral feeding assembly 200 includes a feeding element 210, which is configured to reciprocate along a direction perpendicular to the conveying path to feed the cylindrical parts on the bearing surface 150 into the axial guide groove 110. Specifically, when the feeding element 210 performs its reciprocating motion, its side surface, serving as the feeding surface 2110, sweeps across the bearing surface 150, laterally pushing the randomly piled cylindrical parts to the entrance of the axial guide groove 110. Due to the lightweight nature of the cylindrical parts, when subjected to lateral thrust and guided by the side wall of the axial guide groove 110, they automatically adjust their posture and roll into the groove. This active feeding method, with the cylindrical parts perpendicular to the conveying direction, effectively breaks up the material pile and improves the efficiency of material entering the groove. It should be noted that the specific form of the feeding element 210 is not limited to a flat plate; it can also be other shapes, as long as it meets the functional requirement of reciprocating along a direction perpendicular to the conveying path.

[0026] The collecting assembly 300 includes a collecting guide rod 310, the axis of which is collinear with the extension direction of the axial guide groove 110, and the inlet end of the collecting guide rod 310 faces the outlet of the axial guide groove 110 to receive cylindrical parts output from the axial guide groove 110. Specifically, the collecting assembly 300 is located at the end of the conveying path or at a specific station, and its core design is "coaxial docking". The collecting guide rod 310, as the final carrier of the cylindrical parts, has its axis coincident with the extension center line of the axial guide groove 110, and there is no gap or only a slight transition gap between the inlet end and the outlet. This means that the cylindrical parts, upon leaving the axial guide groove 110, can slide directly into the collecting guide rod 310 along their original trajectory without any intermediate transfer mechanism or secondary positioning. This direct-connection spatial fit eliminates the problems of part misalignment, falling, and jamming caused by guide interruption in traditional segmented structures, ensuring the continuity and stability of the collecting process. It should be understood that the collecting guide rod 310 can be a solid needle rod, a hollow tube, or a steel wire, as long as its outer diameter is compatible with the inner hole of the cylindrical part and can provide axial support.

[0027] In this embodiment, the present invention achieves non-destructive orientation and anti-misalignment collection of cylindrical parts. The transverse material feeding assembly 200 replaces vibration and impact with mechanical feeding, protecting the surface quality of the parts; at the same time, the axial guide groove 110 provides a continuous orientation reference for the transportation of cylindrical parts, ensuring the consistency of the parts' posture; furthermore, the coaxial direct connection between the collection guide rod 310 and the axial guide groove 110 constructs a seamless material flow channel, significantly improving the overall operational reliability and collection efficiency of the machine.

[0028] Furthermore, the feeding component 210 has a feeding surface 2110 facing the bearing surface 150. A clearance gap is provided between the feeding surface 2110 and the bearing surface 150. The height of the clearance gap is greater than the diameter of the cylindrical part but less than twice the diameter of the cylindrical part. It is understood that the bottom surface of the feeding component 210, serving as the feeding surface 2110, is not tightly fitted to the upper surface of the chain link, but rather has a precisely controlled vertical distance, i.e., a clearance gap. When the height of the clearance gap is strictly greater than the diameter of the cylindrical part, it ensures that a single-layer cylindrical part located on the bearing surface 150 can smoothly enter the pushing area of ​​the feeding surface 2110; simultaneously, since this height is strictly less than twice the diameter of the cylindrical part, it limits the possibility of two or more layers of cylindrical parts passing through in a stacked manner. If the gap height is less than or equal to the diameter of the cylindrical part, the feeding surface 2110 will not be able to effectively contact and push the part, resulting in the failure of the feeding function. Conversely, if the gap height is greater than or equal to twice the diameter, multiple stacked parts may enter the feeding area simultaneously. During the subsequent process of being pushed into the axial guide groove 110, they are prone to extrusion deformation, jamming, or even damage to the equipment. Therefore, it not only ensures the effectiveness of the feeding action, but also plays the role of "single-layer sorting". This allows the feeding component 210 to apply force only to the bottom layer of parts even if there is local accumulation of upstream materials. Excess parts can slide over the gap or be blocked, thus completely overcoming the defect of traditional push plate structures that easily damage thin-walled parts.

[0029] In one embodiment, the feeding component 210 is a push plate, which includes multiple parallel vertical plates. The extending direction of the vertical plates is parallel to the extending direction of the axial guide groove 110. Multiple axial guide grooves 110 are provided, and the displacement of the push plate's reciprocating motion is equal to the distance between two adjacent axial guide grooves 110. It can be understood that the push plate is composed of several independent vertical plates arranged at intervals along a direction perpendicular to the conveying path, and the length direction of each vertical plate maintains a strict parallel relationship with the axial guide groove 110 on the chain link. This parallelism is a key geometric condition to ensure that cylindrical parts can smoothly roll into the groove without being scratched. During operation, the push plate reciprocates along the linear motor slide rail 130 under the drive of a linear motor. Figures and show the two extreme positions of the push plate's left and right movement, respectively. The displacement of its single stroke is precisely set to be equal to the distance between the center lines of two adjacent axial guide grooves 110. As the pusher plate moves from one extreme position to another, each vertical plate precisely pushes the cylindrical part in front of it into the corresponding next axial guide slot 110. This "displacement equals slot spacing" design enables multi-channel synchronous material feeding, meaning that all slot feeding operations can be completed simultaneously in a single reciprocating motion, significantly improving production efficiency. It should be understood that although this embodiment shows a one-to-one correspondence between vertical plates and slots, in other variations, the number of vertical plates can be less than or more than the number of slots, as long as the displacement and slot spacing are integer multiples of each other, periodic synchronous feeding can still be achieved. Furthermore, parameters such as the thickness and end shape (e.g., chamfer, rounded arc) of the vertical plates can be adjusted according to the specific specifications of the cylindrical part to further optimize the smoothness and success rate of slot feeding.

[0030] In one embodiment, multiple parallel axial guide grooves 110 are provided, and multiple parallel collecting guide rods 310 are provided, each collecting guide rod 310 facing the outlet of one of the axial guide grooves 110. It is understood that the multiple collecting guide rods 310 (e.g., steel needles) are arranged at intervals along a direction perpendicular to the conveying path, with their spacing strictly consistent with the spacing of the axial guide grooves 110. This ensures that the axis of each collecting guide rod 310 is collinear with the extension direction of the corresponding axial guide groove 110, and that the feed end is precisely aligned with the groove opening. This "one-to-one" static docking architecture allows cylindrical parts output from the axial guide grooves 110 to seamlessly slide into the collecting guide rods 310, completely eliminating the risk of interference when multiple parts converge and the potential for misalignment in intermediate transfer stages. It should be understood that although the number of collecting guide rods 310 is equal to the number of axial guide grooves 110 in this embodiment, in other embodiments, the number of collecting guide rods 310 can be set to an integer multiple or fractional multiple of the number of grooves according to the production capacity requirements, as long as there is a one-to-one collinear docking relationship on the working station.

[0031] In one embodiment, the collecting assembly 300 further includes a collector rod 320 and a drive motor 330. Multiple collecting guide rods 310 are threadedly connected to the side wall of the collector rod 320. The collector rod 320 is driveably connected to the drive motor 330, which drives the collector rod 320 to rotate, thereby switching the collecting guide rods 310 at different angles to the working position. It is understood that the collector rod 320, as a rotating base, has multiple mounting holes distributed axially or spirally on its circumferential surface. The collecting guide rods 310 are fixed in the mounting holes by threaded engagement. When a set of collecting guide rods 310 in the working position is fully loaded, the drive motor 330 (e.g., a servo motor) drives the collector rod 320 to rotate a specific angle, precisely rotating the next set of unloaded collecting guide rods 310 to a working position collinear with the axial guide groove 110, thereby achieving automatic repositioning without stopping the machine. The diagram illustrates the allowable working angle range of the collector, within which the collecting guide rod 310 can maintain an effective docking posture with the axial guide groove 110. This rotary switching mechanism not only significantly improves the equipment's uptime and avoids cycle time losses caused by downtime for material changes, but also, due to the use of a threaded connection, allows operators to quickly disassemble and replace collecting guide rods 310 of different diameters or lengths according to changes in the specifications of the cylindrical parts (such as changes in inner diameter or length), significantly enhancing the equipment's flexibility in adapting to multi-variety, small-batch production. It should be noted that although this embodiment uses a threaded connection, in other variations, interference fits, magnetic attraction, or quick-change clips can also be used to fix the collecting guide rod 310, as long as the function of detachable replacement and rotary switching can be achieved.

[0032] In one embodiment, the conveyor 100 includes a chain belt 120 and a slide rail 130. The chain belt 120 is configured to slide within the slide rail 130, the length of which is equal to the center distance between the drive wheels at both ends of the chain belt 120. It is understood that the chain belt 120 is composed of multiple chain links connected in series by pins 1210. During operation, it is not in a free-floating state but is constrained within the guide channel formed by the slide rail 130 for translational sliding. Here, the length of the slide rail 130 is strictly set to be equal to the center distance between the drive wheels at both ends of the chain belt 120, meaning that throughout the entire effective conveying stroke, the chain links are always rigidly supported and limited by the slide rail 130. From a mechanical perspective, this full-length support design completely eliminates the sagging effect and vertical swaying caused by weight or tension changes in traditional chain conveying. If the length of the slide rail 130 is shorter than the center distance, an unsupported area will appear in the transition section near the drive wheel, where the chain links are prone to attitude deflection or vibration; if it is longer than the center distance, it may cause mechanical interference with the drive wheel assembly. Therefore, the equal-length design ensures that the spatial position of the axial guide groove 110 remains constant throughout the entire conveying process. This provides an indispensable static reference for the high-precision coaxial docking of the collecting guide rod 310 and the axial guide groove 110 in this embodiment. It should be understood that although this embodiment uses the combination of the chain belt 120 and the slide rail 130, in other variations, equivalent structures such as synchronous belts with guide rails, modular plastic chain plates with wear-resistant strips, etc., can also be used, as long as the functional requirement that the bearing surface is supported and its position remains constant throughout the entire process is met.

[0033] In one embodiment, the chain 120 is composed of multiple chain links connected in series by pins 1210. The upper surface of each chain link is provided with an axial guide groove 110, which is a V-shaped groove. The side of the slide rail 130 is provided with a soft material buffer side rail 140, the length of which is equal to the length of the slide rail 130. It is understood that the axial guide groove 110 on the upper surface of the chain link is specifically designed as a V-shaped cross-section structure. Compared to rectangular or U-shaped grooves, V-shaped grooves have a natural self-centering characteristic: when a cylindrical part is pushed into the groove by the transverse feeding assembly 200, regardless of whether its initial landing point is biased to the left or right, under the combined action of gravity and the V-shaped inclined plane, the part will automatically roll towards the center line of the groove bottom and eventually stabilize in the center. This passive correction mechanism significantly reduces the parallelism error between the part's axis and the groove's extension direction, improving the success rate of subsequent needle threading and collection. Meanwhile, considering that the chain 120 may experience slight lateral movement during high-speed start-stop or load fluctuations, this embodiment features soft-material buffer sidewalls 140 covering the entire inner wall of both sides of the slide rail 130. The length of these buffer sidewalls 140 is consistent with the full length of the slide rail 130, ensuring that when a chain link experiences lateral displacement at any position, it contacts the flexible material instead of directly impacting the metal slide rail 130 wall. The buffer sidewalls 140 can be made of polyurethane, nitrile rubber, silicone, or other polymer materials with appropriate elasticity and wear resistance. They not only effectively absorb the kinetic energy generated by lateral impacts of the chain links, reducing equipment operating noise, but more importantly, they prevent indirect damage to precision chain links and cylindrical parts caused by hard impacts. Especially for easily deformable parts such as thin-walled insulating sleeves, the gentle guidance of the V-groove and the shock absorption protection of the buffer sidewalls 1404 form a double protective barrier, ensuring surface integrity and dimensional accuracy during material flow. It should be noted that although the buffer side 140 in this embodiment is a continuous long strip structure, in other embodiments, segmented buffer blocks or local elastic inserts can also be used, as long as they can provide effective lateral buffering function in the key stress area.

[0034] In one embodiment, a dispersing and paving assembly 400 is provided upstream of the transverse feeding assembly 200. The dispersing and paving assembly 400 includes a paving rod 410 that rotates in the opposite direction. The gap between the paving rod 410 and the bearing surface 150 is larger than the diameter of the cylindrical part. It is understood that the dispersing and paving assembly 400 is positioned after the feeding section and before the transverse feeding assembly 200, and its core function is to organize the accumulated material falling from the hopper into a uniform single layer. The paving rod 410 spans above the conveyor carrier 100 and is driven to rotate by a paving rod 410 motor and driver. It is specifically defined here that the rotation direction of the paving rod 410 is "reverse," meaning that the direction of its bottom linear velocity is opposite to the direction of travel of the conveyor carrier 100. From a mechanical perspective, when the cylindrical part moves forward with the conveyor 100 to below the flattening rod 410, the counter-rotating flattening rod 410 applies a backward tangential frictional force to the contacting part. This torque causes the part to tend to roll backward, effectively preventing the part from being forcibly squeezed into the narrow area between the flattening rod 410 and the bearing surface 150. In contrast, if forward rotation were used, the flattening rod 410 would easily press the part against the bearing surface, causing deformation of thin-walled parts or even jamming the equipment. Simultaneously, the vertical gap between the bottom edge of the flattening rod 410 and the bearing surface 150 (i.e., the upper surface of the chain link) is set to be slightly larger than the diameter of the cylindrical part. This dimensional relationship constitutes a physical screening mechanism: only the bottom layer of single-layer parts can smoothly pass through this gap to enter the subsequent material feeding station, while excess parts stacked on top are blocked by the flattening rod 410 and pushed backward until they are scattered back onto the bearing surface to await the next opportunity to pass. This combined design of "reverse anti-extrusion + gap height limitation" not only avoids damage to parts but also significantly reduces the processing load of the transverse material feeding assembly 200, ensuring that the material feeding component 210 only needs to handle a single layer of material, thereby greatly improving the success rate of material entry into the tank and the stability of the material handling cycle. It should be understood that although the flat rod 410 is shown as a cylindrical smooth rod in this embodiment, in other embodiments, a roller structure with flexible bristles, spiral blades, or cam protrusions can also be used, as long as it can achieve the functions of reverse disturbance and single-layer flow limitation.

[0035] Furthermore, a recovery chute 340 is inclinedly provided below the conveyor 100. The upper end of the recovery chute 340 is located below the collection assembly 300, and the lower end of the recovery chute 340 is connected to a recovery box 350. It can be understood that the recovery chute 340, as a non-powered gravity-driven flow channel, is arranged above or below the side of the return section of the conveyor 100. The high-end opening of the recovery chute 340 is precisely aligned with the area directly below the collection assembly 300. This is because, in actual operation, parts that fail to enter the axial guide groove 110 will slip off the edge of the chain belt 120 during conveying, or, although they have entered the groove, they may not be accurately fitted into the collection guide rod 310 and will fall at the collection station. These abnormal materials will all fall into a specific area below the collection assembly 300. By placing the high end of the recovery chute 340 here, all types of failed materials can be directly captured without the need for additional sensor detection or robotic gripping. The recycling chute 340 is tilted, allowing materials to slide automatically down the chute surface under their own weight into the recycling box 350 at the lower end for temporary storage. This purely gravity-driven recycling mechanism has several advantages: First, it completely eliminates the need for active recycling power sources such as conveyor belts and fans, reducing equipment energy consumption and structural complexity; second, it achieves a physical closed loop for material flow, requiring operators to periodically return parts from the recycling box 350 to the hopper for re-entry into the material handling cycle, greatly reducing material waste and the frequency of manual intervention; third, it promptly removes foreign objects scattered inside the frame, avoiding the risk of them entangled or worn on transmission components. It should be noted that the tilt angle of the recycling chute 340 should be optimized based on the material and friction coefficient of the cylindrical parts, ensuring smooth sliding without stagnation while preventing bounce or damage when parts impact the recycling box 350 due to excessive tilt angle. In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the recycling chute 340 can be U-shaped, V-shaped, or rectangular.

[0036] This application also includes an automated assembly system for cylindrical parts, comprising the directional conveying and collecting device 10 for cylindrical parts as described in any of the above embodiments. In this embodiment, a precise mechanical interface and electrical signal linkage are established between the output end of the collecting component 300 and the subsequent assembly station. Regarding the mechanical interface, the end of the collecting guide rod 310 can extend directly into the working area of ​​the subsequent assembly station, or seamlessly connect with the feed inlet of the assembly station via a high-precision transition guide sleeve. In some preferred embodiments, the collecting guide rod 310 itself can also serve as an assembly mandrel or positioning reference; that is, when the fully loaded collecting guide rod 310 rotates to the working position, the actuator (such as a pressure head or gripper) of the subsequent assembly station directly picks up material or performs in-situ operations along the axial direction of the collecting guide rod 310, thereby completely eliminating the secondary transfer and repositioning process of the parts from the collecting carrier to the assembly fixture. This design greatly reduces the risk of parts collision and positional errors caused by multiple handling operations.

[0037] Furthermore, in terms of electrical signal linkage, the directional conveying and collection device 10 for cylindrical parts communicates and controls with subsequent assembly stations in real time via PLC or industrial bus. For example, when a sensor on the collection assembly 300 detects that a set of collection guide rods 310 is fully loaded, it sends a "ready" signal to the subsequent assembly station. After receiving this signal and being in an idle state, the subsequent assembly station sends a "feeding allowed" command, at which point the drive motor 330 can start rotating to switch or lock the current station. Conversely, when the subsequent assembly station completes the picking or assembly of a batch of parts, it sends a "picking complete" signal, triggering the collection assembly 300 to automatically rotate to the next set of fully loaded collection guide rods 310, or triggering the conveyor 100 to replenish materials. This closed-loop control logic based on state feedback ensures dynamic matching between the feeding rhythm and the assembly rhythm, avoiding parts accumulation and compression due to excessive feeding or idle waiting of the assembly station due to excessive feeding.

[0038] Through the aforementioned system integration architecture, this invention deeply integrates the originally independent material collection process with the subsequent assembly process into an organic whole. Because the directional conveying and collection device 10 for cylindrical parts can continuously output a flow of parts with highly consistent posture and without damage, and directly adapts to the needs of the assembly station through standardized mechanical and electrical interfaces, it eliminates redundant links such as intermediate buffer silos, secondary vibratory feeders, or manual tray placement commonly found in traditional production lines. This not only significantly shortens the physical length and floor space of the entire line, but more importantly, greatly improves the stability of the production cycle, while effectively ensuring the surface quality and dimensional accuracy of precision cylindrical parts throughout the entire process, meeting the stringent requirements of modern manufacturing for high-quality, high-efficiency automated assembly.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, the surface of the collecting guide rod 310 is provided with at least one anti-backward limiting member 500 at axial intervals. Each anti-backward limiting member 500 includes an elastic retaining bead embedded in the surface of the rod. The center of the elastic retaining bead is located inside the rod and is pushed outward by a compression spring, causing the crown portion of the elastic retaining bead to protrude from the outer surface of the rod. Specifically, the elastic retaining beads are arranged at equal intervals along the axial direction of the collecting guide rod 310, with the distance between two adjacent elastic retaining beads greater than the length of the cylindrical part, ensuring that at least one cylindrical part can be accommodated between every two adjacent retaining beads. When the cylindrical part is pushed in along the axial direction of the collecting guide rod 310, the inner edge of the part presses against the protruding crown of the elastic retaining bead, forcing the retaining bead to retract into the rod against the spring force, allowing the part to pass smoothly. After the part has completely passed the elastic retaining bead, the retaining bead pops out again under the action of the spring force, and its protruding crown forms a one-way stop step, preventing the part from sliding off in the opposite direction. When a part is pushed forward, the spherical contour of the retaining bead decomposes the axial thrust into a radial component, causing the retaining bead to automatically retract and make way. When the part attempts to slide backward, the protruding spherical crown of the retaining bead and the end face of the part form a stop force approximately perpendicular to the axis. This stop force does not generate a radial component that would cause the retaining bead to retract, so the retaining bead will not retract, and the part is reliably locked. In actual operation, when the equipment starts or stops, the conveyor 100 reverses direction, or the collector rod 320 rotates, parts on the collecting guide rod 310 may tend to slide backward due to inertia or gravity. Without an anti-backward structure, collected parts may slip off the feed end of the guide rod, causing material loss and potentially jamming into the transmission mechanism, leading to equipment failure. With the flexible retaining bead configured, the axial position of the part on the collecting guide rod 310 is locked step by step, preventing the part from sliding backward even if the equipment stops suddenly or vibrates during repositioning.

[0040] It should be understood that the specific structure of the elastic ball is not limited to the form of a spring top ball. It can also be a structure with one-way stopping function, such as an elastic tongue, barbed plate, or rubber boss, as long as it meets the functional requirements of forward passage and reverse locking.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment, an antistatic microtextured layer is provided on the bearing surface 150. The antistatic microtextured layer includes end faces distributed on the bearing surface 150, and the thickness of the antistatic microtextured layer is 5μm to 30μm. Cylindrical parts (especially insulating sleeves made of plastic or polymer materials) generate and accumulate static charges when accumulating and rubbing in the hopper, sliding on the surface of the conveyor, and contacting the feeding component during feeding. When the static charge accumulates to a certain level, the part will adhere tightly to the bearing surface 150 due to electrostatic attraction. This attraction force may far exceed the weight of the part itself, causing the part not to roll along the bearing surface 150 into the axial guide groove when the feeding component pushes it, but instead to be "pinned" to the bearing surface 150 by the electrostatic attraction force, or to move with the feeding component without falling into the groove. This embodiment solves the electrostatic adhesion problem simultaneously from two dimensions: physical structure and material properties, by providing an antistatic microtextured layer on the bearing surface 150. Since the electrostatic attraction force is proportional to the contact area, a significant reduction in the contact area directly weakens the absolute value of the attraction force. Meanwhile, the material properties of the antistatic micro-textured layer allow it to eliminate static electricity generated on the parts when they are pushed by the feeding component. This further reduces static electricity buildup and jamming caused by electrostatic adsorption, ensuring smooth feeding into the slot. It should be understood that in applications with even higher electrostatic protection requirements, the antistatic micro-textured layer can be used in conjunction with an ion wind static eliminator to further enhance the static elimination effect.

[0042] In one embodiment, the antistatic microtextured layer can be prepared by spraying a polyurethane coating containing conductive filler onto the carrier surface 150 and imprinting microstructures. The conductive filler can be carbon nanotubes, conductive carbon black, or metal oxide powder.

[0043] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following advantages: 1. The conveying carrier 100 serves as the basic platform for material flow. Its bearing surface 150 is not planar, but integrates an axial guide groove 110 with orientation function. The extension direction of the axial guide groove 110 is consistent with the conveying path, so that once the cylindrical part enters the groove, its axis is forcibly constrained to be parallel to the conveying direction. It should be understood that although the axial guide groove 110 is arranged along a straight conveying path in this embodiment, in other embodiments, if the conveying path includes curved sections, the axial guide groove 110 can also bend and extend accordingly, as long as its guiding direction is consistent with the tangent direction of the local conveying path. This groove constraint mechanism replaces the traditional vibration material handling method, using geometric constraints to achieve passive orientation, fundamentally avoiding the risk of surface damage and deformation caused by high-frequency vibration to thin-walled or soft cylindrical parts. Furthermore, when the feeding component 210 performs reciprocating motion, its side surface, as the feeding surface 2110, sweeps across the bearing surface 150, pushing the scattered cylindrical parts laterally to the entrance of the axial guide groove 110. Due to the lightweight nature of the cylindrical part, it automatically adjusts its posture and rolls into the groove when subjected to lateral thrust and guided by the side wall of the axial guide groove 110. The active material-pushing method of the cylindrical part, perpendicular to the conveying direction, effectively breaks up material stacking and improves the efficiency of material entering the groove. It should be noted that the specific form of the material-pushing component 210 is not limited to a flat plate; it can also be other shapes, as long as it can apply lateral thrust and meet the functional requirement of reciprocating motion perpendicular to the conveying path. Furthermore, the collecting assembly 300 is located at the end of the conveying path or at a specific station, and its core design is "coaxial docking." The collecting guide rod 310, as the final carrier of the cylindrical part, has its axis coincident with the extended center line of the axial guide groove 110, and there is no gap or only a slight transition gap between the inlet and outlet. This means that the cylindrical part, upon leaving the axial guide groove 110, can directly slide into the collecting guide rod 310 along its original trajectory without any intermediate transfer mechanism or secondary positioning. This direct-connection spatial arrangement eliminates the problems of component misalignment, falling, and jamming caused by guide interruption in traditional segmented structures, ensuring the continuity and stability of the collection process. It should be understood that the collection guide rod 310 can be a solid needle rod, a hollow tube, or a steel wire, as long as its outer diameter matches the inner hole of the cylindrical component and can provide axial support.

[0044] 2. The conveyor 100, the transverse feeding assembly 200, and the collection assembly 300 achieve non-destructive orientation and anti-misalignment collection of cylindrical parts. The transverse feeding assembly 200 uses mechanical actuation instead of vibration and impact, protecting the surface quality of the parts; at the same time, the axial guide groove 110 provides a continuous orientation reference for the transportation of cylindrical parts, ensuring the consistency of the parts' posture; furthermore, the coaxial direct connection between the collection guide rod 310 and the guide groove constructs a seamless material flow channel, significantly improving the overall operational reliability and collection efficiency of the machine.

[0045] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A directional conveying and collecting device for cylindrical parts, characterized in that, include: A conveying carrier is configured to convey cylindrical parts along a conveying path, wherein the bearing surface of the conveying carrier is provided with at least one axial guide groove extending along the conveying path. A transverse feeding assembly includes a feeding member configured to reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to the conveying path to feed a cylindrical part on the bearing surface into the axial guide groove. A collection assembly includes a collection guide rod whose axis is collinear with the extension direction of the axial guide groove, and whose inlet end faces the outlet of the axial guide groove to receive cylindrical parts output from the axial guide groove.

2. The directional conveying and collecting device for cylindrical parts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding component has a feeding surface facing the bearing surface, and a clearance gap is provided between the feeding surface and the bearing surface. The height of the clearance gap is greater than the diameter of the cylindrical part and less than the diameter of the cylindrical part.

3. The directional conveying and collecting device for cylindrical parts according to claim 2, characterized in that, The feeding component is a push plate, which includes multiple parallel vertical plates. The extending direction of the vertical plates is parallel to the extending direction of the axial guide groove. Multiple axial guide grooves are provided, and the displacement of the push plate in reciprocating motion is equal to the distance between two adjacent axial guide grooves.

4. The directional conveying and collecting device for cylindrical parts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The axial guide grooves are provided in multiple parallel positions, and the collecting guide rods are provided in multiple parallel positions, with each collecting guide rod facing the discharge port of one of the axial guide grooves.

5. The directional conveying and collecting device for cylindrical parts according to claim 4, characterized in that, The collection assembly also includes a collector rod and a drive motor. Multiple collection guide rods are threadedly connected to the side wall of the collector rod. The collector rod is driven by the drive motor, which is configured to drive the collector rod to rotate, thereby switching the collection guide rods at different angles to the working position.

6. The directional conveying and collecting device for cylindrical parts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveyor includes a chain and a slide rail. The chain is configured to slide within the slide rail, and the length of the slide rail is equal to the center distance between the drive wheels at both ends of the chain.

7. The directional conveying and collecting device for cylindrical parts according to claim 6, characterized in that, The chain belt is composed of multiple chain links connected in series by pins. The upper surface of each chain link is provided with an axial guide groove, which is a V-shaped groove. The side of the slide rail is provided with a soft material buffer side, the length of which is equal to the length of the slide rail.

8. The directional conveying and collecting device for cylindrical parts according to claim 1, characterized in that, A dispersing and paving assembly is provided upstream of the transverse feeding assembly. The dispersing and paving assembly includes a paving rod that rotates in the opposite direction. The gap between the paving rod and the bearing surface is greater than the diameter of the cylindrical part.

9. The directional conveying and collecting device for cylindrical parts according to claim 1, characterized in that, A recycling chute is inclined below the conveying carrier, with the upper end of the recycling chute located below the collection assembly, and a recycling box connected to the lower end of the recycling chute.

10. An automated assembly system for cylindrical parts, characterized in that, The device includes a directional conveying and collecting device for cylindrical parts as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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