Workpiece blanking system and method

Abstract

The present application belongs to the field of workpiece blanking system, and particularly relates to a workpiece blanking system and a blanking method. The system comprises a blanking device, which comprises a blanking platform, an opening and clamping mechanism and a workpiece bearing mechanism. The blanking platform is provided with a blanking port for receiving an inverted tray. The opening and clamping mechanism is used to drive the clamping plate to close, so that the workpiece is separated from the material clamp and falls from the blanking port. The workpiece bearing mechanism is used to receive the falling workpiece below the blanking port and fix the workpiece at a preset position. The tray conveying mechanism is configured to transfer the tray in an inverted state to the blanking platform. The material transfer mechanism is configured to fix the workpiece that has completed positioning from the workpiece bearing mechanism. The present application integrates the blanking device, the tray conveying mechanism and the material transfer mechanism, and through the synergistic cooperation of gravity release blanking, mechanical pushing and positioning and negative pressure picking and transfer, realizes the full-process non-damage and high-precision automatic blanking of the workpiece from the tray to the next station.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of workpiece blanking systems, and specifically relates to a workpiece blanking system and blanking method. Background Technology

[0002] In automated production lines, workpieces that have undergone surface treatments such as spraying, electroplating, or drying need to be unloaded from trays and transferred to the next process. Existing unloading systems typically use independent robotic arms to complete the three stages of tray handling, workpiece unloading, and workpiece transfer. The tray handling robot removes the processed tray from the process station and places it at the unloading station. Then, the unloading robot clamps the outer surface of each workpiece and pulls it off the material clamp. Finally, the transfer robot picks up the workpiece and moves it to the downstream station. The entire unloading process is completed through multiple workpiece handovers between the independent devices. The numerous handover stages result in large cumulative positioning errors, making it difficult to maintain a precise and consistent position for the workpiece during unloading. Furthermore, for material clamps that use elastic support from the inside of the workpiece's annular inner wall, conventional unloading methods require the grippers to clamp the outer wall of the workpiece from the outside and pull it outward. The grippers are in direct contact with the treated workpiece surface, which easily leaves clamp marks or scratches, compromising the surface treatment quality. The independent control of each device's cycle time makes it difficult to achieve close coordination and parallel operation between processes, resulting in large equipment footprints and limited overall material handling efficiency. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a material handling system that highly integrates tray handling, workpiece unloading, and workpiece transfer functions to eliminate the accumulation of errors between processes and achieve high-precision, high-efficiency, and non-destructive material handling. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by this invention is to provide a workpiece unloading system and method. It integrates an unloading device, a tray conveying mechanism, and a material transfer mechanism. Through the coordinated operation of gravity-release unloading, mechanical pushing positioning, and negative pressure pickup and transfer, it achieves a completely damage-free, high-precision automated unloading process from the tray to the next workstation.

[0004] This invention provides a workpiece unloading system for unloading and transferring workpieces from a tray carrying workpieces. The tray is equipped with a material clamp, which includes several retractable or expandable clamping plates. The clamping plates are used to abut against the annular inner wall of the workpiece when expanded. The unloading device includes an unloading platform, a clamping mechanism, and a workpiece carrying mechanism. The unloading platform has a unloading port for receiving the inverted material tray. The clamping mechanism is provided corresponding to the unloading port and is used to drive the clamping plate to close, so that the workpiece is released from the material clamp and falls from the unloading port. The workpiece carrying mechanism is used to receive the falling workpiece below the unloading port and position and fix the workpiece in a preset position. The material tray conveying mechanism is configured to clamp and flip the material tray, transfer the material tray in an inverted state to the unloading platform, and remove and recycle the empty material tray after the workpiece has been unloaded. A material transfer mechanism is configured to secure the positioned workpiece from the workpiece carrying mechanism and transfer the workpiece to the next workstation.

[0005] Furthermore, the workpiece carrying mechanism of the feeding device includes a third moving mechanism and a receiving tray disposed at the output end of the third moving mechanism. The third moving mechanism drives the receiving tray to move at least below the feeding port or to another station. The receiving tray is provided with a receiving groove, which includes a fixed sidewall and a movable sidewall that can move toward the fixed sidewall. The receiving groove is used to receive the workpiece falling from the discharge port, and the movable sidewall pushes the workpiece against the fixed sidewall to position and fix the workpiece in the preset position in the receiving groove.

[0006] Furthermore, the receiving tray is provided in two sets, and both sets of the receiving tray are located at the output end of the third moving mechanism; The third moving mechanism is configured to drive the two sets of receiving trays to move alternately below the discharge port, so that when one set of receiving trays receives the workpiece, the other set of receiving trays is located at another station to remove or wait for the workpiece.

[0007] Furthermore, the third moving mechanism includes: Two sets of guide rails are arranged in parallel, namely the outer guide rail set and the inner guide rail set; An outer gantry frame is slidably mounted on the outer guide rail assembly. The top plate of the outer gantry frame is liftable, and a set of receiving trays is installed on the top plate. An inner gantry frame is slidably mounted on the inner guide rail assembly, and another set of receiving trays is installed on the inner gantry frame; And two ninth linear motion mechanisms that respectively drive the outer gantry and the inner gantry to move along their respective guide rail groups; When the top plate of the outer gantry is at its lowest position, the outer gantry can be moved to below the unloading platform; after the top plate of the outer gantry is raised, the inner gantry can pass through the interior of the outer gantry to realize the alternating operation of the two sets of receiving trays.

[0008] Furthermore, the material tray is provided with a plurality of material clamps arranged in a rectangular array, and the clamping mechanism is configured to drive the clamps of all the material clamps located in the same column to retract simultaneously; The receiving tray is provided with multiple receiving slots corresponding to the material clamps in the same column. The movable sidewalls of the multiple receiving slots in the same column are connected as one unit so that they can move simultaneously under the drive, and synchronously position and fix the multiple workpieces falling into each receiving slot at the preset position.

[0009] Furthermore, the tray conveying mechanism includes a fourth moving mechanism, two clamping drive arms, a rotating mechanism, and grippers; The two clamping drive arms are arranged opposite each other and can be driven to move closer or further apart to clamp or release the tray. Both of the clamping drive arms are located at the output end of the fourth moving mechanism. The fourth moving mechanism is used to drive the two clamping drive arms to move as a whole, so as to transfer the material tray between the material picking position, the material unloading platform and the empty tray recycling position. The two clamping drive arms are respectively provided with the rotating mechanism at their opposite ends, and the gripper is provided at the output end of the rotating mechanism; After the gripper holds the side of the tray, it is driven to flip by the rotating mechanism to flip the tray from the upright state to the inverted state.

[0010] Furthermore, the material transfer mechanism includes a picking component and a transfer drive mechanism for driving the picking component to move; The picking component is configured to fix the workpiece that has been positioned in the workpiece carrying mechanism; The transfer drive mechanism is configured to drive the pickup assembly to move between the workpiece carrying mechanism and the next station to transfer the workpiece to the next station.

[0011] Furthermore, the pickup component is a negative pressure suction component, which fixes the workpiece by negative pressure adsorption; After the workpiece carrying mechanism releases its positioning and fixing of the workpiece, the negative pressure suction assembly sucks up the workpiece from above or the side, and the transfer drive mechanism transfers it to the next work station.

[0012] Furthermore, the material tray includes two main beams arranged opposite each other and several secondary beams connecting the two main beams, and the material clamp is disposed on the secondary beams; The unloading platform is provided with a pressing mechanism, which is used to press and fix the main beam or the secondary beam of the material tray above the unloading port, so that the workpiece held by the material clamp is aligned with the unloading port; The clamping mechanism includes a liftable clamping drive member, which is configured to drive the clamping plate to close after passing through the gap between adjacent sub-beams from top to bottom. The material clamp includes several clamping plates, which tend to expand towards each other due to their own elastic restoring force. The clamping mechanism overcomes the elastic restoring force to close the clamping plates and release the workpiece.

[0013] The present invention also provides a workpiece blanking method, using the above-mentioned workpiece blanking system, characterized by comprising the following steps: S1. The material tray conveying mechanism clamps the material tray and flips it to an inverted state, transferring the material tray to the unloading platform, so that the workpiece held by the material clamp faces the unloading port; S2. The clamping mechanism drives the clamping plate to retract, causing the workpiece to detach from the material clamp and fall from the discharge port. The workpiece bearing mechanism receives the falling workpiece and positions and fixes the workpiece in a preset position. S3. The material transfer mechanism secures the workpiece that has been positioned from the workpiece carrying mechanism and transfers the workpiece to the next workstation.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are that the workpiece unloading system provided by this invention integrates the unloading device, the tray conveying mechanism, and the material transfer mechanism into a coordinated whole. The entire process from unloading the workpiece from the tray to transferring it to the next workstation does not require handover between devices. Positional accuracy is directly transmitted and guaranteed within the system, eliminating the cumulative errors caused by multiple handovers. The devices form a closed loop in function and can operate in parallel. When a group of workpieces is being received and positioned by the unloading device, the tray conveying mechanism can simultaneously recover the empty tray or transport the next tray, and the material transfer mechanism can simultaneously pick up and transfer the previous group of workpieces. The time overlap of each step significantly shortens the overall unloading cycle of the system. The unloading device utilizes the workpiece's own weight when the tray is inverted. The clamping mechanism releases the clamping force, allowing the workpiece to fall freely without actively grabbing or pulling it. There is no frictional contact between the workpiece and the clamping plate. Furthermore, the material transfer mechanism picks up the workpiece from the outer surface of the workpiece end plate. The entire unloading and transfer process does not contact the already processed annular outer wall of the workpiece, effectively protecting the workpiece's surface quality. It is especially suitable for high-volume, high-efficiency unloading of precision workpieces with stringent requirements for surface treatment integrity. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the workpiece feeding system in this invention; Figure 2 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the feeding device in this invention; Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle; Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the receiving tray in this invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping mechanism in this invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure when the material tray is upright in this invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure when the material tray is inverted in this invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the workpiece structure in this invention.

[0016] In the diagram, 15-feeding device; 1501-feeding platform; 15011-feeding port; 15012-pressing mechanism; 1502-clamping mechanism; 15021-clamping drive; 15022-pushing part; 1503-workpiece carrying mechanism; 15031-third moving mechanism; 150311-outer guide rail assembly; 150312-inner guide rail assembly; 150313-outer gantry; 1503131-top plate; 150314-inner gantry; 150315-ninth linear moving mechanism; 15032-receiving tray; 15033-receiving groove; 150331-fixed sidewall; 1503 32-Moving sidewall; 150334-Second elastic element; 150335-Tenth moving mechanism; 16-Panel handling mechanism; 1601-Fourth moving mechanism; 1602-Clamping drive arm; 1603-Rotation mechanism; 1604-Gripper; 17-Material transfer mechanism; 1701-Pick-up assembly; 1702-Transfer drive mechanism; 19-Panel; 1901-Pin mating structure; 1902-Main beam; 1903-Secondary beam; 1904-Material clamp; 19041-Clamping plate; 20-Workpiece; 2001-Annular sidewall; 20011-Annular inner wall; 20012-Annular outer wall; 2002-End plate. Detailed Implementation

[0017] 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.

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

[0019] Furthermore, in this invention, descriptions involving "first," "second," etc., 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. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0020] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixed" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a physical connection, or a wireless communication connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean the internal communication of two elements or the interaction between two elements, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0021] Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other, but only if they are feasible for those skilled in the art. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

[0022] As shown in the attached figures, this invention relates to an automated workpiece handling system, and more particularly to a production line system for high-precision positioning, clamping, surface treatment, and automatic unloading of a workpiece 20 with an annular inner wall 20011. The system mainly consists of two parts working together: a pre-processing loading system and a post-processing unloading system, achieving full automation of the entire process of workpiece 20 from loading onto the material cart 1, high-precision installation onto the material tray 19, process handling, to unloading and recycling.

[0023] The pre-treatment loading system is used to precisely mount the workpiece 20 into the material clamp 1904 on the material tray 19, fixing the workpiece 20 with its annular inner wall 20011 in a clamping manner, so as to facilitate subsequent processing steps such as spraying, electroplating, or drying. The workpiece 20 has an annular sidewall 2001, with the inner surface of the annular sidewall 2001 being the annular inner wall 20011 and the outer surface being the annular outer wall 20012.

[0024] The post-processing unloading system is used to unload the workpieces 20, which have undergone processing and are suspended upside down on the material clamp 1904, from the tray 19, and to precisely position and transfer them. It mainly includes a tray handling mechanism 16, an unloading device 15, and a material transfer mechanism 17. The tray handling mechanism 16 drives the gripper 1604 to clamp the side of the tray 19 via a fourth moving mechanism 1601 and a clamping drive arm 1602. A rotating mechanism 1603 flips the tray 19 to an inverted state and transfers it to the unloading platform 1501. Simultaneously, it is responsible for recovering empty trays 19. The unloading device 15 includes an unloading platform 1501, an opening clamping mechanism 1502, and a workpiece carrying mechanism 1503. The opening clamping drive 15021 of the opening clamping mechanism 1502 passes through the gap above the secondary beam 1903 of the material tray 19, driving the clamping plate 19041 to retract, causing the workpiece 20 to detach and fall from the unloading port 15011 into the receiving tray 15032 below. The receiving groove 15033 in the receiving tray 15032, through the cooperation of the fixed side wall 150331 and the movable side wall 150332, and the coordinated action of the tenth moving mechanism 150335 and the second elastic member 150334, quickly pushes the fallen workpiece 20 to the preset position, achieving precise positioning. The material transfer mechanism 17 drives the picking component 1701 through the transfer drive mechanism 1702, and uses negative pressure suction and other methods to pick up and fix the workpieces 20 that have been precisely positioned in the receiving trough 15033, and transfer them in batches to the downstream process or inspection station.

[0025] The unloading device 15 will now be described in detail. This unloading device 15 is a core component of the post-processing unloading system, used to unload workpieces 20 from the processed material tray 19. During the processing, the material tray 19 is inverted, and the workpiece 20 is elastically supported from the inside by the clamping plates 19041 of the material clamp 1904 against the annular inner wall 20011, suspending the workpiece 20 below the material tray 19. The unloading device 15 receives the material tray 19, which has been flipped to an inverted state by the material tray conveying mechanism 16, and drives the clamping plates 19041 of the material clamp 1904 to retract via the clamping mechanism 1502, causing the workpiece 20 to detach from the material tray 19 and fall into the workpiece carrying mechanism 1503. The workpiece carrying mechanism 1503 pushes and positions the fallen workpiece 20 to a preset position, providing a positional reference for the subsequent precise pickup and transfer by the material transfer mechanism 17.

[0026] In one embodiment, a workpiece unloading device is used to unload workpieces 20 from a tray 19 carrying workpieces 20. The tray 19 is provided with material clamps 1904, each comprising a plurality of collapsible or expandable clamping plates 19041. When expanded, the clamping plates 19041 abut against the annular inner wall 20011 of the workpiece 20. After processing, the tray 19 is inverted, and the workpiece 20 is suspended below the tray 19 by the clamping plates 19041 supporting the annular inner wall 20011 from the inside. Each material clamp 1904 clamps one workpiece 20.

[0027] The unloading device includes an unloading platform 1501, a clamping mechanism 1502, and a workpiece carrying mechanism 1503. The unloading platform 1501 has a unloading port 15011, which receives the inverted tray 19, ensuring that the workpiece 20 held by the material clamps 1904 faces the unloading port 15011. The unloading platform 1501 is a horizontally arranged flat plate or frame structure, and the unloading port 15011 is located in the central area of ​​the unloading platform 1501, with its opening size at least covering the distribution range of the entire row of material clamps 1904 on the tray 19. When the material tray conveying mechanism 16 flips the material tray 19 to an inverted state and transfers it to the unloading platform 1501, the frame of the material tray 19 is supported by the unloading platform 1501. Each material clamp 1904 and the workpiece 20 it clamps are suspended directly above the unloading port 15011, and the annular outer wall 20012 and end plate 2002 of the workpiece 20 face the unloading port 15011.

[0028] The clamping mechanism 1502 is configured corresponding to the discharge port 15011 and is used to drive the clamping plate 19041 located above the discharge port 15011 to retract, so that the workpiece 20 is disengaged from the material clamp 1904 and falls from the discharge port 15011. The clamping mechanism 1502 is installed above the discharge platform 1501, and its actuating component can pass through the frame gap of the material tray 19 from top to bottom, acting on the clamping plate 19041 of each material clamp 1904. When the clamping mechanism 1502 drives the clamping plate 19041 to retract, the outer surface of the clamping plate 19041 radially retracts inward, losing the supporting force on the annular inner wall 20011 of the workpiece 20. Under the action of gravity, the workpiece 20 is disengaged from the material clamp 1904 and falls downward through the discharge port 15011.

[0029] The workpiece carrying mechanism 1503 includes a third moving mechanism 15031 and a receiving tray 15032 disposed at the output end of the third moving mechanism 15031. The third moving mechanism 15031 drives the receiving tray 15032 to move at least below the discharge port 15011 or to another station. The third moving mechanism 15031 is arranged horizontally, and the receiving tray 15032 is mounted on the output end of the third moving mechanism 15031 and is driven by the third moving mechanism 15031 to reciprocate between the receiving position below the discharge port 15011 and the discharge position to the side. The receiving position is located directly below the discharge port 15011 and is used to receive the workpiece 20 falling from the discharge port 15011; the discharge position is located to the side of the discharge port 15011 and is used for the material transfer mechanism 17 to pick up the positioned workpiece 20.

[0030] The receiving tray 15032 is provided with a receiving groove 15033, which includes a fixed sidewall 150331 and a movable sidewall 150332 that can move toward the fixed sidewall 150331. The receiving groove 15033 is used to receive the workpiece 20 falling from the discharge port 15011, and the movable sidewall 150332 pushes the workpiece 20 against the fixed sidewall 150331 to position and fix the workpiece 20 in a preset position within the receiving groove 15033. The top of the receiving groove 15033 has an opening located directly below the discharge port 15011 to receive the falling workpiece 20. After the workpiece 20 falls from the discharge port 15011 into the receiving groove 15033, its initial position may have random deviation. The movable sidewall 150332 moves toward the fixed sidewall 150331 under the action of the drive mechanism, pushing the workpiece 20 toward the fixed sidewall 150331. Finally, the workpiece 20 is pushed to the inner side of the fixed sidewall 150331 and is clamped and positioned by the fixed sidewall 150331 and the movable sidewall 150332. The position of the workpiece 20 in the receiving groove 15033 is precisely fixed in the preset position.

[0031] During the actual operation, the material tray conveying mechanism 16 flips the processed material tray 19 to an inverted state and transfers it to the unloading platform 1501. The frame of the material tray 19 is supported by the unloading platform 1501. Each material clamp 1904 and the clamped workpiece 20 are located above the unloading port 15011, with the workpiece 20 facing the unloading port 15011. The third moving mechanism 15031 drives the receiving tray 15032 to move to the receiving position below the unloading port 15011, with the opening of the receiving groove 15033 aligned with the unloading port 15011. The clamping mechanism 1502 operates, driving the clamping plate 19041 to close from top to bottom. The clamping plate 19041 loses its clamping force on the annular inner wall 20011 of the workpiece 20, and the workpiece 20, under the action of gravity, detaches from the material clamp 1904 and falls into the receiving groove 15033 below through the unloading port 15011. The movable sidewall 150332 moves toward the fixed sidewall 150331, pushing the workpiece 20 that has fallen into the receiving groove 15033 against the fixed sidewall 150331, thus completing the positioning and fixing of the workpiece 20. Subsequently, the third moving mechanism 15031 drives the receiving tray 15032 to move out from below the discharge port 15011 to the discharge position, so that the material transfer mechanism 17 can pick it up and transfer it.

[0032] In this embodiment, the unloading device 15 utilizes the weight of the workpiece 20 when the tray 19 is inverted. The clamping mechanism 1502 drives the clamping plate 19041 to close and release the tension, allowing the workpiece 20 to fall freely. The unloading action is simple and efficient, requiring no additional active gripping or pulling mechanism. The workpiece carrying mechanism 1503 uses a receiving tray 15032 to receive the workpiece 20 at the receiving position. Then, the moving side wall 150332 pushes the workpiece 20 against the fixed side wall 150331 for secondary positioning, precisely adjusting the workpiece 20 from its random falling position to a preset position, providing a unified picking reference for the subsequent material transfer mechanism 17. The entire unloading and positioning process requires no manual intervention, achieving automated unloading and precise positioning of the workpiece 20 from the tray 19 to the receiving groove 15033, suitable for the unloading stage of large-scale continuous production.

[0033] In this embodiment, the inverted gravity feeding method adopted by the feeding device 15 and the fixing method of the material clamp 1904 elastically supporting the annular inner wall 20011 of the workpiece 20 from the inside form a highly synergistic and creative combination. The clamping plate 19041 of the material clamp 1904 elastically supports the workpiece 20 from the inside of the annular inner wall 20011 outward. This fixing method allows the workpiece 20 to be suspended only by the supporting force of the clamping plate 19041 when the tray 19 is inverted. The annular outer wall 20012 of the workpiece 20 is completely exposed without any covering or supporting components. The area below and around the workpiece 20 is an open space. When feeding, the clamping mechanism 1502 drives the clamping plate 19041 to retract, the outer side of the clamping plate 19041 radially retracts inward, the supporting force is released instantly, and the workpiece 20 falls freely in the vertical direction under its own gravity without the need for any active pulling or gripping mechanism intervention. The entire unloading process requires only one active operation: "closing the clamps." The separation and transfer of workpiece 20 are completed naturally by gravity, achieving ultimate simplicity. Compared to the traditional method of fixing workpieces with external clamps and then picking them up one by one by a robotic arm, this solution combines "fixing and releasing" with "transfer power," replacing the complex active unloading mechanism with gravity. This results in high unloading efficiency, a simple structure, and good reliability. Simultaneously, during the closing process, the clamps 19041 only undergo radial separation movement with the annular inner wall 20011 of the workpiece 20, with no relative friction or sliding between them. The inner wall of the workpiece 20 will not be scratched or worn due to the unloading action. After the workpiece 20 falls into the receiving groove 15033, it is then pushed against the fixed side wall 150331 by the moving side wall 150332 for secondary precise positioning, effectively compensating for any positional deviation after the fall. The combination of this feeding method and the inner elastic support and fixing method realizes a highly efficient and non-destructive feeding process for the workpiece 20 from the material tray 19 to the receiving groove 15033, which is "released and separated, dropped and received, pushed and positioned". While ensuring the surface quality of the workpiece 20, it significantly improves the efficiency and reliability of automated feeding.

[0034] In one embodiment, two sets of receiving trays 15032 are provided, both sets being located at the output end of the third moving mechanism 15031. The two sets of receiving trays 15032 are spaced apart horizontally, and each set of receiving trays 15032 has multiple receiving slots 15033. The spacing between each receiving slot 15033 corresponds one-to-one with the spacing between a row of material clamps 1904 on the material tray 19. The third moving mechanism 15031 can simultaneously drive both sets of receiving trays 15032 to move horizontally as a whole, realizing the switching of the two sets of receiving trays 15032 between the receiving position and the discharging position.

[0035] The third moving mechanism 15031 is configured to drive two sets of receiving trays 15032 to move alternately below the discharge port 15011, so that while one set of receiving trays 15032 is receiving workpieces 20, the other set of receiving trays 15032 is located at another station to remove or wait for workpieces 20. Specifically, in the initial state, the first set of receiving trays 15032 is located at the receiving position directly below the discharge port 15011, with the openings of each receiving groove 15033 aligned with the discharge port 15011, for receiving a row of workpieces 20 falling from the discharge port 15011. Simultaneously, the second set of receiving trays 15032 is located at the discharge position to the side of the discharge port 15011, in a standby state or performing a pickup and transfer operation of the previous row of workpieces 20. Once the first set of receiving trays 15032 has received a row of workpieces 20, and the moving sidewalls 150332 in each receiving slot 15033 have pushed and positioned the workpieces 20 against the fixed sidewalls 150331, the third moving mechanism 15031 drives the two sets of receiving trays 15032 to move synchronously. The first set of receiving trays 15032 moves from the receiving position to the discharge position, allowing the material transfer mechanism 17 to pick up each workpiece 20. The second set of receiving trays 15032 moves synchronously from the discharge position to the receiving position, with the openings of each receiving slot 15033 aligned with the discharge port 15011, ready to receive the next row of workpieces 20. This alternating cycle continues, with the two sets of receiving trays 15032 taking turns entering the receiving position to achieve continuous and uninterrupted receiving and discharging.

[0036] In this embodiment, by setting up two sets of receiving trays 15032 and driving them alternately to enter below the discharge port 15011 by a third moving mechanism 15031, the two actions of receiving and discharging are decoupled and executed in parallel on the two sets of receiving trays 15032. When one set of receiving trays 15032 is receiving workpiece 20 below the discharge port 15011, the other set of receiving trays 15032 is simultaneously positioning, picking up and transferring, or preparing for workpiece 20 at the discharge position. The two sets of receiving trays 15032 do not interfere with each other, and the time of each process overlaps, eliminating the waiting time of the "receiving-positioning-discharging-returning" serial operation in the single receiving tray scheme. The third moving mechanism 15031 only needs to move horizontally once to complete the workstation switching of the two sets of receiving trays 15032 simultaneously, which has high driving efficiency and simple control logic. This alternating feeding method parallelizes the picking and transferring process, which is the most time-consuming part of the feeding cycle, with the receiving process. This makes the overall feeding cycle of the feeding device 15 entirely determined by the time of the receiving action and the station switching action, and is no longer constrained by the downstream picking and transferring speed. This significantly improves feeding efficiency and is suitable for feeding scenarios with large-volume, continuous, and high-yield cycles.

[0037] In one embodiment, the third moving mechanism 15031 includes two sets of guide rails arranged in parallel, namely an outer guide rail set 150311 and an inner guide rail set 150312. Both the outer guide rail set 150311 and the inner guide rail set 150312 are arranged in a horizontal direction. The two sets of guide rails are arranged parallel and spaced apart below the unloading platform 1501, with the outer guide rail set 150311 located outside the inner guide rail set 150312. The length direction of both sets of guide rails matches the opening direction of the unloading port 15011.

[0038] An outer gantry frame 150313 is slidably mounted on the outer guide rail assembly 150311. The top plate 1503131 of the outer gantry frame 150313 is liftable, and a set of receiving trays 15032 is installed on the top plate 1503131. The outer gantry frame 150313 has a gantry-type frame structure, with its two side columns slidably mounted on the outer guide rail assemblies 150311 on both sides. The top plate 1503131 spans the top of the two side columns and can be raised and lowered vertically relative to the two side columns via lifting guide rails or lifting cylinders. A set of receiving trays 15032 is fixedly mounted on the upper surface of the top plate 1503131 and moves synchronously with the top plate 1503131 and synchronously with the outer gantry frame 150313.

[0039] An inner gantry frame 150314 is slidably mounted on the inner guide rail assembly 150312, and another set of receiving trays 15032 is installed on the inner gantry frame 150314. The inner gantry frame 150314 also has a gantry-type frame structure, with its two side columns slidably mounted on the inner guide rail assemblies 150312 on both sides. Another set of receiving trays 15032 is fixedly installed on the top crossbeam of the inner gantry frame 150314. The overall width of the inner gantry frame 150314 is smaller than the internal clear width between the two side columns of the outer gantry frame 150313, allowing the inner gantry frame 150314 to be inserted entirely into the internal space of the outer gantry frame 150313 under certain conditions.

[0040] And two ninth linear motion mechanisms 150315, which respectively drive the outer gantry 150313 and the inner gantry 150314 to move along their respective guide rail groups. The two ninth linear motion mechanisms 150315 are independently controlled and are used to drive the outer gantry 150313 to move along the outer guide rail group 150311 and the inner gantry 150314 to move along the inner guide rail group 150312, respectively. The horizontal movements of the two gantry frames do not interfere with each other.

[0041] When the top plate 1503131 of the outer gantry frame 150313 is at its lowest position, the outer gantry frame 150313 can move to below the unloading platform 1501. After the top plate 1503131 of the outer gantry frame 150313 is raised, the inner gantry frame 150314 can pass through the interior of the outer gantry frame 150313 to achieve the alternating operation of the two sets of receiving trays 15032. The specific working process is as follows: when the top plate 1503131 of the outer gantry frame 150313 is at its lowest position, the overall height of the receiving trays 15032 on it is relatively low, and the outer gantry frame 150313 can smoothly move along the outer guide rail group 150311 into the receiving position below the unloading platform 1501, with the receiving trays 15032 located directly below the unloading port 15011. After the outer gantry 150313 completes receiving the material, the ninth linear moving mechanism 150315 drives the outer gantry 150313 to move from below the unloading platform 1501 to the discharge position. The top plate 1503131 then rises, causing the receiving tray 15032 and the workpiece 20 that has been received and positioned therein to rise to the preset discharge height. At this time, after the top plate 1503131 of the outer gantry 150313 rises, the internal clearance height between its two side columns increases, providing a passage for the inner gantry 150314 to pass through its interior. Driven by another ninth linear moving mechanism 150315, the inner gantry 150314 moves along the inner guide rail assembly 150312, passing through the internal space of the outer gantry 150313 and entering the receiving position below the unloading platform 1501. The receiving tray 15032 on it aligns with the unloading port 15011 to receive the next batch of workpieces 20. After receiving the workpieces, the inner gantry 150314 returns to the unloading position along the same path. The top plate 1503131 of the outer gantry 150313 lowers to its lowest position, and the outer gantry 150313 re-enters the receiving position. This alternating cycle achieves seamless switching between the two sets of receiving trays 15032 at the receiving and unloading positions.

[0042] In this embodiment, the third moving mechanism 15031, through the ingenious coordination of inner and outer double-layer guide rails, inner and outer gantry frames, and the lifting of the top plate, enables the alternating shuttle operation of two sets of receiving trays 15032 within a limited horizontal space. The top plate 1503131 of the outer gantry frame 150313 can be raised and lowered. When in a low position, it enters the receiving position to receive materials, and when in a high position, it makes way for the inner gantry frame 150314 to pass through. The two sets of gantry frames share the same receiving position area in a time-sharing manner, without interfering with each other. The structure is compact and the space utilization rate is high. Compared with the solution of using two independent shuttle receiving trays, this solution does not require reserving independent horizontal moving channels and related drive mechanisms for the two sets of receiving trays. The number of drive components is reduced, the equipment layout is more compact, and it is suitable for unloading stations with limited installation space.

[0043] In one embodiment, both of the ninth linear motion mechanisms 150315 are lead screw drive mechanisms. The lead screw drive mechanism includes a lead screw, a lead screw nut fitted onto the lead screw, and a servo motor or stepper motor that drives the lead screw to rotate. The lead screw nut is fixedly connected to the column of the corresponding gantry. When the lead screw rotates, it drives the lead screw nut and the column to move along the lead screw axis, thereby causing the entire gantry to slide along the guide rail assembly. The lead screw drive mechanism has advantages such as high transmission accuracy, smooth movement, and good self-locking, and is suitable for applications requiring precise control of the switching position of the receiving tray 15032.

[0044] One of the lead screw drive mechanisms is connected to a column on one side of the outer gantry 150313 to drive the outer gantry 150313 to move along the outer guide rail assembly 150311. The lead screw of this lead screw drive mechanism is arranged on the outside of the column on one side of the outer gantry 150313 along the direction of the outer guide rail assembly 150311, and the lead screw nut is fixedly connected to the column. When the servo motor drives the lead screw to rotate, the lead screw nut drives the column and the entire outer gantry 150313 to move horizontally along the outer guide rail assembly 150311, realizing the switching of the outer gantry 150313 and its receiving tray 15032 between the receiving position and the discharging position.

[0045] Another lead screw drive mechanism is connected to the column on the other side of the inner gantry 150314 to drive the inner gantry 150314 to move along the inner guide rail assembly 150312. The lead screw of this lead screw drive mechanism is arranged along the direction of the inner guide rail assembly 150312 on the outside of the column on the other side of the inner gantry 150314, and the lead screw nut is fixedly connected to the column on that side. The two lead screw drive mechanisms are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the two sets of gantry frames, that is, the lead screw pair of the outer gantry 150313 is located at one of its columns, and the lead screw pair of the inner gantry 150314 is located at its opposite column. The two sets of lead screw pairs are staggered in the horizontal direction, do not occupy the same side space, and will not interfere when the gantry frames alternate.

[0046] In this embodiment, both ninth linear motion mechanisms 150315 employ screw-driven mechanisms and are respectively connected to one side column of the outer gantry 150313 and the other side column of the inner gantry 150314, achieving independent and precise drive of the two gantry frames. The high-precision characteristics of the screw-driven mechanism ensure that the receiving tray 15032 accurately and repeatedly switches positions between the receiving and discharging positions, guaranteeing the alignment accuracy between the receiving groove 15033 and the discharge port 15011, and preventing jamming or failure to drop due to misalignment of the workpiece 20 with the receiving groove 15033 when it falls. Two lead screw drive mechanisms are staggered at different side columns of the gantry, ensuring that the lead screw drive mechanisms of the two gantry frames are completely spatially offset during alternating operation. The lead screw drive mechanism of the outer gantry frame 150313 is located on one side, and the lead screw drive mechanism of the inner gantry frame 150314 is located on the other side. When the inner gantry frame 150314 passes through the interior of the outer gantry frame 150313, the two lead screw drives are located in mutually independent spaces, ensuring smooth and reliable alternating movement. Compared to the potential obstacles or additional clearance required if the two lead screw drives are placed on the same side, the staggered arrangement makes full use of the available space on both sides of the equipment, resulting in a reasonable structural layout and convenient installation and maintenance.

[0047] In one embodiment, a plurality of material clamps 1904 are arranged in a rectangular array on the material tray 19. The clamping mechanism 1502 is configured to drive the clamping plates 19041 of all the material clamps 1904 located in the same column to retract simultaneously. The material tray 19 has a plurality of material clamps 1904 arranged regularly in multiple rows and columns. Each material clamp 1904 includes several clamping plates 19041 for independently clamping a workpiece 20. The clamping drive member 15021 of the clamping mechanism 1502 extends along the column direction of the material clamps 1904, and the number and spacing of the pushing parts 15022 provided thereon correspond one-to-one with the number and spacing of the material clamps 1904 in a column. When the clamping mechanism 1502 is activated, the clamping drive 15021 passes through the frame gap of the material tray 19 from top to bottom. The pushing parts 15022 on it simultaneously abut against and press against the clamping plates 19041 of each material clamp 1904 in the same row, overcoming the elastic restoring force of each clamping plate 19041, causing all the clamping plates 19041 of the entire row of material clamps 1904 to close synchronously. After their corresponding clamping plates 19041 close, each workpiece 20 in the entire row simultaneously loses its clamping force and, under the action of gravity, synchronously detaches from the material clamp 1904 and falls together through the discharge port 15011.

[0048] The receiving tray 15032 is provided with multiple receiving slots 15033 corresponding to the material clamps 1904 in the same column. The movable sidewalls 150332 of the multiple receiving slots 15033 in the same column are connected as a whole so that they can move simultaneously under the drive, and synchronously position and fix the multiple workpieces 20 falling into each receiving slot 15033 at the preset position. The receiving tray 15032 has multiple receiving slots 15033 arranged at equal intervals along a column direction. The arrangement spacing of each receiving slot 15033 corresponds one-to-one with the arrangement spacing of the material clamps 1904 in a column on the tray 19, so that the opening of each receiving slot 15033 faces the falling path of the workpiece 20 released by the corresponding material clamp 1904 above. The movable sidewalls 150332 of the multiple receiving slots 15033 in the same column are fixedly connected as a whole by connecting rods or connecting plates and are driven by the same driving mechanism. When a row of workpieces 20 falls synchronously, each workpiece 20 falls into its corresponding receiving groove 15033. At this time, the position of each workpiece 20 in the receiving groove 15033 may have random deviation. The drive mechanism drives the entire row of moving sidewalls 150332, which are connected as a whole, to move towards the fixed sidewall 150331. At the same time, it pushes each workpiece 20 in each receiving groove 15033 toward its respective fixed sidewall 150331, and synchronously pushes all the workpieces 20 in the row to their respective preset positions.

[0049] In this embodiment, by configuring the clamping mechanism 1502 to drive the clamping plates 19041 of all material clamps 1904 in a row to retract simultaneously, and by connecting the moving sidewalls 150332 of multiple receiving slots 15033 in the same row on the receiving tray 15032 into a single unit for synchronous movement, the synchronous dropping and positioning of the entire row of workpieces 20 is achieved. A single clamping action can release multiple workpieces 20 in a row, and a single push of the moving sidewall 150332 can accurately position multiple workpieces 20 in a row, significantly increasing the number of workpieces that can be unloaded and positioned in a single operation and shortening the cycle time for batch unloading. The column-to-column layout of the clamping mechanism 1502 and the receiving tray 15032 ensures that the entire path of each workpiece 20 from release and drop to positioning corresponds vertically, resulting in a short drop distance and a straight path, reducing the probability of the workpieces 20 flipping or deviating during the drop process. The integrated design of the movable sidewall 150332 requires only one set of drive mechanisms to achieve synchronous positioning control of multiple receiving slots 15033 in the entire row. The number of drive sources is small, and the positioning action of each receiving slot 15033 is consistent, ensuring the consistency of the positioning position of each workpiece 20 in the entire row, which facilitates the subsequent material transfer mechanism 17 to pick up in batches with unified coordinates.

[0050] In one embodiment, the workpiece bearing mechanism 1503 further includes a second elastic element 150334 and a tenth moving mechanism 150335. The second elastic element 150334 is an elastic element such as a compression spring, disc spring, or spring sheet, and the tenth moving mechanism 150335 can be a cylinder, electromagnetic push rod, or cam drive mechanism, etc. The two work together to realize the normally closed clamping and active release functions of the moving sidewall 150332.

[0051] The second elastic element 150334 is connected to the movable sidewall 150332 and is used to drive the movable sidewall 150332 to move towards the fixed sidewall 150331, so as to push and position the workpiece 20 that has fallen into the receiving groove 15033. One end of the elastic element 150334 abuts against or is fixed to the frame or fixed reference of the workpiece bearing mechanism 1503, and the other end abuts against or is fixed to the side of the movable sidewall 150332 away from the fixed sidewall 150331. In its natural state, the elastic restoring force of the elastic element 150334 pushes the movable sidewall 150332 to always tend to move towards the fixed sidewall 150331, so that the movable sidewall 150332 remains in a clamped state close to the fixed sidewall 150331 under normal conditions. When the workpiece 20 falls into the receiving groove 15033, the movable side wall 150332 automatically moves towards the fixed side wall 150331 under the elastic force of the elastic element 150334, pushing the workpiece 20 against the inner side of the fixed side wall 150331. The elastic element 150334 continuously applies a pushing force to stably position and fix the workpiece 20 in the preset position within the receiving groove 15033.

[0052] The output end of the tenth moving mechanism 150335 cooperates with the moving sidewall 150332 to drive the moving sidewall 150332 away from the fixed sidewall 150331, overcoming the force of the second elastic element 150334, thereby releasing the workpiece 20. The output end of the tenth moving mechanism 150335 abuts against or connects to the moving sidewall 150332, and the direction of movement of the output end is opposite to the direction of the elastic force of the elastic element 150334. When it is necessary to release the workpiece 20 for the material transfer mechanism 17 to pick up, the tenth moving mechanism 150335 is activated, its output end extends or retracts, driving the moving sidewall 150332 to move away from the fixed sidewall 150331, overcoming the elastic force of the elastic element 150334, increasing the distance between the moving sidewall 150332 and the fixed sidewall 150331, and releasing the clamping and positioning of the workpiece 20. At this time, the workpiece 20 is in a free or loosely constrained state, and the picking component 1701 of the material transfer mechanism 17 can pick up or grab the workpiece 20 from the receiving groove 15033 and transfer it. After the material transfer mechanism 17 completes the picking up of the workpiece 20, the tenth moving mechanism 150335 resets, and the moving side wall 150332 moves back to the fixed side wall 150331 under the elastic restoring force of the elastic element 150334, returning to the normally closed clamped state, ready to pick up the next batch of workpieces 20.

[0053] In this embodiment, the workpiece bearing mechanism 1503 employs a combination of a normally closed driven elastic element 150334 and an actively released tenth moving mechanism 150335, achieving reliable positioning and controllable release of the workpiece 20 by the moving sidewall 150332. The elastic element 150334 drives the moving sidewall 150332 to clamp the workpiece 20 using elastic force. The clamping force is precisely determined by the stiffness and compression of the elastic element 150334. This stable clamping force ensures that the workpiece 20 does not loosen or shift within the receiving groove 15033, while also preventing excessive clamping force from damaging the surface of the workpiece 20. The normally closed elastic clamping maintains reliable positioning of the workpiece 20 even in the event of a power outage or gas shortage, ensuring high safety and preventing the workpiece 20 from falling out of the receiving groove 15033 due to accidental power failure. The tenth moving mechanism 150335 only operates briefly when the workpiece 20 needs to be released, consuming no energy under normal conditions, resulting in good energy efficiency. The elastic clamping method of the elastic element 150334 can adapt to the small dimensional deviations of the annular outer wall 20012 of the workpiece 20, with low requirements for the dimensional consistency of the workpiece 20 and strong adaptability.

[0054] In one embodiment, the material tray 19 includes two opposing main beams 1902 and several secondary beams 1903 connecting the two main beams 1902. The material clamp 1904 is disposed on the secondary beams 1903. The two main beams 1902 are parallel and spaced apart, forming the main load-bearing frame on both sides of the material tray 19. The several secondary beams 1903 are arranged at equal intervals along the length of the main beams 1902, and the two ends of each secondary beam 1903 are fixedly connected to the two main beams 1902 respectively, forming a stable frame structure. A gap is left between adjacent secondary beams 1903, which provides a channel for the clamping drive 15021 of the clamping mechanism 1502 to pass through from top to bottom. Material clamps 1904 are fixedly installed on each sub-beam 1903. They move and flip with the material tray 19 as a whole. When the material tray 19 is inverted, the clamping plates 19041 of each material clamp 1904 and the workpiece 20 it holds are suspended below the frame of the material tray 19.

[0055] The unloading platform 1501 is equipped with a pressing mechanism 15012, which is used to press and fix the main beam 1902 or the secondary beam 1903 of the material tray 19 above the unloading port 15011, so that the workpiece 20 held by the material clamp 1904 is aligned with the unloading port 15011. The pressing mechanism 15012 may be multiple sets of rotary pressing cylinders set at both ends of the main beam 1902 or the secondary beam 1903, and its pressing end can press the frame of the material tray 19 from top to bottom during rotation. When the material tray conveying mechanism 16 flips the material tray 19 to an inverted state and transfers it to the unloading platform 1501, the main beam 1902 or the secondary beam 1903 of the material tray 19 rests on the support surface of the unloading platform 1501, and each material clamp 1904 and the workpiece 20 are aligned with the unloading port 15011. The pressing mechanism 15012 then operates, and the pressing end descends to press the upper surface of the main beam 1902 or the secondary beam 1903 of the material tray 19, thus stably fixing the material tray 19 on the unloading platform 1501.

[0056] When the clamping mechanism 1502 performs the clamping action, the clamping drive component 15021 passes through the gap between adjacent sub-beams 1903 from top to bottom, and the pushing part 15022 abuts against and presses the clamping plate 19041 to make it close. During this process, the pressing force applied by the clamping mechanism 1502 to the clamping plate 19041 will generate an upward reaction force. This reaction force is transmitted to the sub-beams 1903 through the material clamps 1904, and then to the entire material tray 19 frame. The pressing mechanism 15012 presses and fixes the frame of the material tray 19 onto the unloading platform 1501, effectively resisting the reaction force during the clamping process, preventing the material tray 19 from tilting or shifting due to force, and ensuring the stability of the clamping action and the alignment accuracy of each material clamp 1904 with the unloading port 15011. At the same time, when the workpiece 20 is released from the material clamp 1904 and falls downwards, it will not deviate from the falling path due to the shaking of the material tray 19, ensuring that the workpiece 20 falls accurately into the corresponding receiving groove 15033.

[0057] In this embodiment, the material tray 19 adopts a frame structure composed of a main beam 1902 and a secondary beam 1903. This structure ensures the structural rigidity required to support multiple material clamps 1904 and workpieces 20, while the gaps between adjacent secondary beams 1903 provide an operating channel for the clamping mechanism 1502 to pass through from above. This allows the clamping drive 15021 to directly act on each clamping plate 19041 of the material clamp 1904 without having to go around the frame of the material tray 19 from the side. The clamping path is short and the action is direct. The pressing mechanism 15012 forms a mechanical balance with the clamping mechanism 1502. The reaction force during the clamping process is canceled out by the pressing mechanism 15012, and the material tray 19 remains stable and fixed, ensuring the reliability of the clamping and dropping actions. The design of the frame gap and the clamping beam allows the clamping mechanism 1502, the material tray 19, and the pressing mechanism 15012 to achieve functional integration and collaborative operation within a limited space. The structure is compact, and the actions do not interfere with each other. Meanwhile, the frame structure also facilitates the grippers 1604 of the material tray handling mechanism 16 to hold the main beams 1902 on both sides of the material tray 19 for flipping and handling, and the material tray 19 has good adaptability to flow between different work stations.

[0058] In one embodiment, the material clamp 1904 includes a plurality of clamping plates 19041, which tend to expand outwards due to their own elastic restoring force. Each clamping plate 19041 is made of elastic metal sheet or engineering plastic, with one end fixedly connected to the sub-beam 1903 and the other end being a free end extending away from the sub-beam 1903. In its free state, the clamping plates 19041 are in an outwardly expanding posture due to the elasticity of the material itself, and the outer surfaces of each clamping plate 19041 together form a supporting profile slightly larger than the annular inner wall 20011 of the workpiece 20. When the workpiece 20 is installed on the material clamp 1904, the clamping plates 19041 are first pulled together by external force. After the workpiece 20 is in place, the external force is released, and the clamping plates 19041 automatically expand outwards under the drive of their own elastic restoring force, with their outer surfaces abutting against the annular inner wall 20011 of the workpiece 20, thus supporting and fixing the workpiece 20 from the inside. This method of unfolding by relying on its own elastic restoring force does not require additional independent elastic elements such as springs and spring sheets in the material clamp 1904. It has fewer structural parts, is easy to assemble, and has high reliability. Moreover, the elastic characteristics are determined by the material, cross-sectional shape and size of the clamp plate 19041 itself, and the magnitude of the clamping force can be precisely controlled through material selection and structural design.

[0059] The clamping mechanism 1502 includes a liftable clamping drive component 15021, on which a pusher portion 15022 is provided corresponding to the number of material clamps 1904 in a row. The clamping drive component 15021 is vertically positioned above the unloading platform 1501 and is driven to move vertically upwards and downwards by a cylinder, electric push rod, or screw lifting mechanism. The main body of the clamping drive component 15021 extends along the column direction of the material clamps 1904, and its length covers the distribution range of the entire column of material clamps 1904. The pusher portions 15022 are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the clamping drive component 15021, and the spacing of each pusher portion 15022 corresponds one-to-one with the spacing of adjacent material clamps 1904 in a row. The width and shape of each pusher portion 15022 match the closing drive part of each clamp plate 19041 of the corresponding material clamp 1904.

[0060] The clamping drive 15021 is configured such that, after passing through the gap between adjacent sub-beams 1903 from top to bottom, the pushing part 15022 abuts against and presses against each of the clamping plates 19041 in the same row, overcoming the elastic restoring force of the clamping plates 19041 themselves, causing each of the clamping plates 19041 to retract simultaneously, thereby releasing the workpiece 20. The specific working process is as follows: when the material tray 19 is fixed to the unloading platform 1501 by the pressing mechanism 15012, and the receiving tray 15032 has moved to the area below the unloading port 15011 and is ready, the clamping drive 15021 descends from its initial high position under the drive of the lifting drive mechanism. During the descent of the clamping drive 15021, its main body and the pushing part 15022 pass vertically from top to bottom through the gap between adjacent secondary beams 1903 on the material tray 19. Each pushing part 15022 is aligned with the outer side of each clamping plate 19041 of each material clamp 1904 in a row. As the clamping drive 15021 continues to descend, each pushing part 15022 simultaneously abuts against and squeezes the outer side or end of the corresponding clamping plate 19041, overcoming the elastic restoring force of each clamping plate 19041 and pushing each clamping plate 19041 to retract inward. After retraction, the outer side of each clamping plate 19041 radially retracts inward, losing the supporting force on the annular inner wall 20011 of the workpiece 20. Under the action of gravity, the workpiece 20 detaches from the material clamp 1904 and falls into the receiving groove 15033 below through the discharge port 15011. After all workpieces 20 have fallen, the clamping drive component 15021 rises and retracts under the drive of the lifting drive mechanism, the pushing part 15022 disengages from the clamping plate 19041, and each clamping plate 19041 automatically unfolds and resets outward under its own elastic restoring force, returning to the freely unfolded state, waiting for the installation of the next batch of workpieces 20.

[0061] In this embodiment, the clamping mechanism 1502 drives the clamping plate 19041 to retract by passing through the gap between adjacent sub-beams 1903 from top to bottom. This fully utilizes the natural channel formed by the frame structure of the material tray 19. The lifting and lowering path of the clamping drive 15021 is coaxial with the falling direction of the workpiece 20, realizing a simple process of "straight downward pressure - clamping plate retraction - workpiece falling - straight upward lifting". The entire clamping action only requires one lifting and lowering of the clamping drive 15021 to complete the synchronous clamping of multiple material clamps 1904 and the synchronous release of the workpiece 20, which is highly efficient and easy to control. The contact between the pushing part 15022 and the clamping plate 19041 is a surface contact or line contact compression method, and the contact stress is evenly distributed. During repeated clamping, the surface of the clamping plate 19041 will not be subjected to concentrated wear or plastic deformation, ensuring the long-term stability of the elastic properties and service life of the clamping plate 19041. The clamping plate 19041 is designed to unfold using its own elastic restoring force, eliminating the need for a separate restoring elastic element. The material clamp 1904 has a simple and compact structure, facilitating high-density array arrangement on the material tray 19. Simultaneously, the restoring force is stable and consistent, and the closing and unfolding actions of each clamping plate 19041 are highly synchronized. Furthermore, after opening, the opening drive component 15021 retracts upwards, not occupying the space above the discharge port 15011, and does not affect the movement of the next material tray 19, resulting in high space utilization of the equipment.

[0062] The present invention also provides a feeding method, using the above-mentioned feeding device, comprising the following steps: S1. The tray 19 carrying the workpiece 20 is placed upside down on the unloading platform 1501, so that the workpiece 20 held by the material clamp 1904 faces the unloading port 15011.

[0063] Specifically, the tray conveying mechanism 16 clamps the side of the tray 19 using grippers 1604, the rotating mechanism 1603 flips the tray 19 from its upright position to an inverted position, and then the fourth moving mechanism 1601 transfers the tray 19 onto the unloading platform 1501. The main beam 1902 or secondary beam 1903 of the tray 19 rests on the support surface of the unloading platform 1501, and each material clamp 1904 and the workpiece 20 suspended by the clamping plate 19041 are located directly above the unloading port 15011. The pressing mechanism 15012 then actuates to press and fix the frame of the tray 19 onto the unloading platform 1501, ensuring that the tray 19 remains stable during subsequent clamping processes.

[0064] S2. The third moving mechanism 15031 drives the receiving tray 15032 to move below the discharge port 15011.

[0065] Specifically, the third moving mechanism 15031 drives the receiving tray 15032 to move horizontally from the discharge position or the standby position to the receiving position directly below the discharge port 15011. The openings of each receiving groove 15033 on the receiving tray 15032 are aligned with the discharge port 15011, ready to receive the workpiece 20 that is about to fall. At this time, the moving side wall 150332 is in a normally closed state, close to the fixed side wall 150331, driven by the elastic force of the second elastic element 150334.

[0066] S3. The clamping mechanism 1502 drives the clamping plate 19041 to retract, so that the workpiece 20 is released from the material clamp 1904 and falls from the discharge port 15011 into the receiving groove 15033.

[0067] Specifically, the clamping drive 15021 of the clamping mechanism 1502, driven by the lifting drive mechanism, passes through the gap between adjacent sub-beams 1903 on the material tray 19 from top to bottom. Simultaneously, each pushing part 15022 abuts against and presses against each clamping plate 19041 of each material clamp 1904 in a row, overcoming the elastic restoring force of the clamping plate 19041 itself and pushing each clamping plate 19041 inward. The outer surface of the clamping plate 19041 radially retracts inward, losing its supporting force on the annular inner wall 20011 of the workpiece 20. Under the action of gravity, the workpiece 20 detaches itself from the material clamp 1904 and falls vertically through the discharge port 15011, landing in the corresponding receiving grooves 15033 on the receiving tray 15032 below. After all workpieces 20 fall off, the clamping drive 15021 rises and retracts, the pushing part 15022 disengages from the clamping plate 19041, and each clamping plate 19041 automatically unfolds and resets under its own elastic restoring force.

[0068] S4. The movable sidewall 150332 moves toward the fixed sidewall 150331, pushing and positioning the workpiece 20 to a preset position within the receiving groove 15033.

[0069] Specifically, after workpiece 20 falls into receiving groove 15033, there may be random positional deviations. Driven by the elastic restoring force of the second elastic element 150334, the movable sidewall 150332 automatically moves towards the fixed sidewall 150331, pushing workpiece 20 towards the inner side of the fixed sidewall 150331, pushing workpiece 20 to a preset position, and the second elastic element 150334 continuously applies a pushing force to stably position and fix workpiece 20. When multiple receiving grooves 15033 are arranged in the same column on the receiving tray 15032, the movable sidewalls 150332 of each receiving groove 15033 in the same column are connected as one unit, driven uniformly by the same drive mechanism, synchronously completing the pushing and positioning of all workpieces 20 in the entire column.

[0070] S5. The third moving mechanism 15031 drives the receiving tray 15032 to move to another station for the next process to pick up the workpiece 20. Specifically, After workpiece 20 is positioned and fixed, the third moving mechanism 15031 drives the receiving tray 15032 to move from the receiving tray below the discharge port 15011 to the discharge position on the side. At the discharge position, the picking component 1701 of the material transfer mechanism 17 moves above the receiving trough 15033, and the tenth moving mechanism 150335 drives the moving side wall 150332 to overcome the force of the second elastic element 150334 and move away from the fixed side wall 150331, releasing the positioning and fixing of workpiece 20. The picking component 1701 picks up workpiece 20 and transfers it to the next station.

[0071] In this embodiment, the unloading method achieves efficient automatic unloading and precise positioning of workpiece 20 from material tray 19 to receiving groove 15033 through a sequence of steps: "inverted loading—pre-positioning of receiving tray—clamping release—dropping and receiving—pushing and positioning—moving out and feeding". In step S1, material tray 19 is loaded in an inverted state, and workpiece 20 is suspended below material clamp 1904 by its own weight, creating conditions for workpiece 20 to fall freely by gravity after clamping in step S3. In step S2, receiving tray 15032 is positioned below unloading port 15011 before clamping, ensuring that workpiece 20 is immediately received after falling, shortening the falling distance and reducing the risk of workpiece 20 flipping or deviating in the air. In step S3, clamping mechanism 1502 drives the clamping plates 19041 to retract from top to bottom, and the entire row of workpieces 20 falls at the same time, and multiple workpieces 20 can be released synchronously in a single clamping. In step S4, the moving sidewall 150332 automatically pushes the randomly dropped workpiece 20 to a uniform preset position using elastic force, providing precise and uniform pick-up coordinates for the subsequent material transfer mechanism 17. The entire process is tightly coordinated. The transfer of workpiece 20 between the material tray 19 and the receiving groove 15033 is entirely gravity-driven, eliminating the need for mechanisms to actively grab or pull workpiece 20. The equipment has a simple structure and high reliability, making it particularly suitable for situations where there may be slight adhesion between the workpiece 20 and the material clamp 1904 after surface treatment, but this can still be overcome by gravity after the clamp 19041 is closed. At the same time, only radial separation occurs between the clamp 19041 and the workpiece 20, without relative friction or sliding. The annular inner wall 20011 of the workpiece 20 will not be scratched or worn due to the unloading action, ensuring the surface quality of the workpiece 20.

[0072] The workpiece unloading system will now be described in detail. This system is an integrated solution within the post-processing unloading system, used to efficiently unload workpieces 20 from trays 19 after processes such as spraying, electroplating, or drying, and then precisely position and transfer the workpieces 20 to the next workstation. The system integrates an unloading device 15, a tray handling mechanism 16, and a material transfer mechanism 17. Through the coordinated operation of these three devices, it achieves fully automated operation of the entire process, including automatic flipping and loading of trays 19, batch release and precise positioning of workpieces 20, and picking and transferring of workpieces 20. The system receives trays 19 carrying workpieces 20 from preceding process stations, outputs precisely positioned and transferred workpieces 20 to downstream workstations, and recovers empty trays 19 after unloading.

[0073] A workpiece unloading system is provided for unloading and transferring workpieces 20 from a tray 19 carrying workpieces 20. The tray 19 is provided with a material clamp 1904, which includes several clamping plates 19041 that can be retracted or extended. The clamping plates 19041 are used to hold the annular inner wall 20011 of the workpiece 20 when extended. After the process is completed, the tray 19 is in an inverted state, and the workpiece 20 is suspended below the tray 19 by the clamping plates 19041 elastically supporting the annular inner wall 20011 from the inside, waiting to enter the unloading system for unloading.

[0074] The workpiece unloading system includes an unloading device 15, a tray conveying mechanism 16, and a material transfer mechanism 17. The unloading device 15, as the core execution unit of the system, is responsible for receiving the inverted tray 19 and releasing and positioning the workpiece 20. The tray conveying mechanism 16, as the system's logistics connection unit, is responsible for flipping and transferring the tray 19 from the process station to the unloading device 15, and for recovering empty trays 19. The material transfer mechanism 17, as the system's discharge connection unit, is responsible for picking up the precisely positioned workpiece 20 from the unloading device 15 and transferring it to the downstream station.

[0075] The unloading device 15 includes an unloading platform 1501, a clamping mechanism 1502, and a workpiece carrying mechanism 1503. The unloading platform 1501 has a unloading port 15011 for receiving the inverted tray 19. The unloading platform 1501 is a horizontally arranged flat plate or frame structure, with the unloading port 15011 located in its central area. The tray 19 is transferred to the unloading platform 1501 after being flipped to an inverted state by the tray transport mechanism 16. The frame of the tray 19 is supported by the unloading platform 1501, and each material clamp 1904 and the workpiece 20 it holds are suspended directly above the unloading port 15011. The clamping mechanism 1502 is provided corresponding to the unloading port 15011 and is used to drive the clamping plate 19041 to retract, so that the workpiece 20 is released from the material clamp 1904 and falls from the unloading port 15011. The clamping mechanism 1502 is installed above the unloading platform 1501. Its actuating component can pass through the frame gap of the material tray 19 from top to bottom and act on the clamping plates 19041 of each material clamp 1904, driving each clamping plate 19041 to close and release the clamping force. Under the action of gravity, the workpiece 20 will automatically detach from the material clamp 1904 and fall through the unloading port 15011. The workpiece bearing mechanism 1503 is used to receive the falling workpiece 20 below the unloading port 15011 and position and fix the workpiece 20 in a preset position. The receiving part of the workpiece bearing mechanism 1503 can move to directly below the unloading port 15011 to receive the falling workpiece 20, and through the pushing positioning mechanism, it can organize the workpiece 20 with random deviations in the falling position to a precise preset position, providing a uniform picking benchmark for the subsequent material transfer mechanism 17.

[0076] The tray transport mechanism 16 is configured to clamp and flip the tray 19, transfer the tray 19 in an inverted state to the unloading platform 1501, and remove and recycle the empty tray 19 after the workpiece 20 has been unloaded. The tray transport mechanism 16 can move between the process station exit, the unloading platform 1501, and the empty tray recycling station to achieve a closed-loop flow of the tray 19. When the tray transport mechanism 16 flips the tray 19 to an inverted state, the clamping plates 19041 of each material clamp 1904 and the workpiece 20 they hold flip downwards along with the tray 19. The workpiece 20 is kept suspended by the clamping force of the clamping plates 19041, preparing for subsequent gravity unloading.

[0077] The material transfer mechanism 17 is configured to secure the positioned workpiece 20 from the workpiece carrying mechanism 1503 and transfer the workpiece 20 to the next station. The material transfer mechanism 17 is set at the discharge position of the workpiece carrying mechanism 1503. After the workpiece carrying mechanism 1503 moves the positioned workpiece 20 from below the discharge port 15011 to the discharge position, the material transfer mechanism 17 moves above the discharge position, picks up each workpiece 20, and transfers it to the downstream inspection, packaging, or other process stations.

[0078] In the specific working process, the tray conveying mechanism 16 picks up the tray 19 carrying the workpiece 20 from the process station exit. The rotating mechanism 1603 drives the gripper 1604 to flip the tray 19 from the forward position to the inverted position. Then, the fourth moving mechanism 1601 transfers the inverted tray 19 to the unloading platform 1501 of the unloading device 15. The frame of the tray 19 is supported by the unloading platform 1501, and each material clamp 1904 and the suspended workpiece 20 are aligned with the unloading port 15011. The pressing mechanism 15012 presses and fixes the frame of the tray 19. The third moving mechanism 15031 of the workpiece carrying mechanism 1503 drives the receiving tray 15032 to move to the receiving position directly below the unloading port 15011. When the clamping mechanism 1502 operates, the clamping drive 15021 passes through the gap in the material tray 19 frame from top to bottom, and the pushing part 15022 simultaneously squeezes a row of clamping plates 19041 to make them close together. Under the action of gravity, the workpiece 20 is released from the material clamp 1904 and falls into the receiving groove 15033 of the receiving tray 15032 through the discharge port 15011. The moving side wall 150332 moves towards the fixed side wall 150331, pushing and positioning the workpiece 20 to a preset position. The third moving mechanism 15031 drives the receiving tray 15032 to move out to the discharge position. The picking component 1701 of the material transfer mechanism 17 moves to the discharge position, and the negative pressure picks up the positioned workpiece 20. The transfer drive mechanism 1702 then transfers the workpiece 20 to the next station. At the same time, the material tray conveying mechanism 16 removes the empty material tray 19 after unloading from the unloading platform 1501 and recycles it to the empty tray recycling position, completing a complete unloading cycle.

[0079] In this embodiment, the workpiece unloading system integrates the unloading device 15, the tray conveying mechanism 16, and the material transfer mechanism 17 into a collaborative whole, realizing fully automated unloading and transfer of workpieces 20 from the processed tray 19 to the downstream station. The devices form a closed loop in function: the tray conveying mechanism 16 is dedicated to the flipping and empty tray recovery of the tray 19; the unloading device 15 is dedicated to the release and precise positioning of workpieces 20; and the material transfer mechanism 17 is dedicated to the picking up and output of workpieces 20. The three stages have clear division of labor and can operate in parallel. When a group of workpieces 20 is being received and positioned by the unloading device 15, the tray conveying mechanism 16 can simultaneously recover empty trays 19 or prepare for the transport of the next tray 19; and the material transfer mechanism 17 can simultaneously pick up and transfer the previously positioned group of workpieces 20. The time overlaps between the stages, resulting in a fast overall unloading cycle, suitable for high-volume, continuous, and high-yield unloading scenarios. Meanwhile, during the entire unloading process, the annular outer wall 20012 and the outer surface of the end plate 2002 of the workpiece 20 are fully exposed. The material transfer mechanism 17 picks up the workpiece 20 from the outer surface of the end plate 2002 without contacting the annular outer wall 20012 of the workpiece 20. The surface quality of the workpiece 20 is effectively protected during the entire unloading and transfer process, which is especially suitable for precision workpieces 20 with strict requirements for surface treatment quality.

[0080] The workpiece unloading system of this embodiment is composed of an unloading device 15, a tray conveying mechanism 16, and a material transfer mechanism 17 working together. The unloading device 15 includes an unloading platform 1501, a clamping mechanism 1502, and a workpiece carrying mechanism 1503. The carrying mechanism 1503 further includes a third moving mechanism 15031, a receiving tray 15032, a receiving groove 15033 and its fixed sidewall 150331, moving sidewall 150332, a second elastic element 150334, and a tenth moving mechanism 150335, etc. The clamping mechanism 1502 includes an clamping drive element 15021 and a pushing part 15022, etc. The specific structure, connection relationship, and working process of each component of the unloading device 15 have been described in detail in the embodiment section of this specification. This embodiment will not repeat the internal structure of the above-mentioned devices, but only describes the coordinated operation mode of the three in the unloading system and the overall unloading method.

[0081] In one embodiment, the tray conveying mechanism 16 includes a fourth moving mechanism 1601, two clamping drive arms 1602, a rotating mechanism 1603, and a gripper 1604. The fourth moving mechanism 1601 provides drive for the macroscopic movement of the tray conveying mechanism 16, and can be a horizontal linear module, a multi-axis robotic arm, or a gantry-type moving platform, etc. Its output end is equipped with a clamping and flipping assembly consisting of the clamping drive arms 1602, the rotating mechanism 1603, and the gripper 1604. The fourth moving mechanism 1601 drives this assembly to move as a whole between the material picking position, the unloading platform 1501, and the empty tray recycling position, realizing the spatial flow of the tray 19 between different workstations.

[0082] Two clamping drive arms 1602 are arranged opposite to each other and can be driven to move closer or further apart to clamp or release the material tray 19. The two clamping drive arms 1602 are arranged horizontally at a distance from each other, with their opposing surfaces facing the two sides of the material tray 19. Each clamping drive arm 1602 is connected to an independent drive mechanism, which can be a cylinder, an electric push rod, or a lead screw, etc., to drive the two clamping drive arms 1602 to move closer or further apart synchronously. When the two clamping drive arms 1602 move closer synchronously, the grippers 1604 at their opposing ends move toward the material tray 19, clamping the sides of the material tray 19 from both sides; when the two clamping drive arms 1602 move further apart synchronously, the grippers 1604 release the material tray 19.

[0083] Both clamping drive arms 1602 are located at the output end of the fourth moving mechanism 1601. The fourth moving mechanism 1601 drives the two clamping drive arms 1602 to move as a whole, transferring the material tray 19 between the picking position, the unloading platform 1501, and the empty tray recovery position. The two clamping drive arms 1602, along with their mounted rotating mechanisms 1603 and grippers 1604, are mounted as a single unit on the output end of the fourth moving mechanism 1601, and the entire unit is driven by the fourth moving mechanism 1601. The picking position is typically located at the exit of the process station, where the material tray 19 is output from the process chamber in a forward-facing, loaded state. The unloading platform 1501 is the station where the workpiece unloading system performs unloading operations. The empty tray recovery position is the location for stacking or buffering empty material trays 19 after unloading. The fourth moving mechanism 1601 drives the entire clamping and flipping assembly to move between these three stations, completing the transfer and connection of the material tray 19.

[0084] The two clamping drive arms 1602 are respectively provided with rotating mechanisms 1603 at their opposite ends, and the grippers 1604 are disposed at the output ends of the rotating mechanisms 1603. The rotating mechanism 1603 may be a rotary cylinder, a servo motor-driven shaft, or a gear and rack rotating mechanism, etc., with its fixed part installed at the opposite ends of the clamping drive arms 1602, and its output end fixedly connected to the grippers 1604. The output end of the rotating mechanism 1603 can rotate around a horizontal axis, driving the grippers 1604 and the clamped tray 19 to rotate synchronously. The grippers 1604 are clamping components that directly contact the tray 19, and the shape of their clamping surface matches the contour of the side of the tray 19. They may adopt structures such as V-grooves, flat clamping plates, or contoured clamping blocks to stably clamp the side of the main beam 1902 of the tray 19.

[0085] After the gripper 1604 clamps the side of the tray 19, it is driven to flip by the rotating mechanism 1603 to flip the tray 19 from an upright state to an inverted state. The specific working process is as follows: When the fourth moving mechanism 1601 drives the gripping and flipping assembly to the material-retrieving position, the two gripping drive arms 1602 are driven to move closer together, and the grippers 1604 on both sides clamp the outer edges of the main beam 1902 of the tray 19 from both sides, stably clamping and fixing the tray 19. Subsequently, the fourth moving mechanism 1601 drives the gripping and flipping assembly, along with the clamped tray 19, to lift upwards, causing the tray 19 to detach from the support surface of the material-retrieving position. The rotating mechanism 1603 then drives the gripper 1604 to rotate 180 degrees around the horizontal axis, causing the gripper 1604 to synchronously flip the tray 19, flipping it from an upright state carrying the workpiece 20 to an inverted state with the workpiece 20 suspended downwards. After the tray is flipped into position, the fourth moving mechanism 1601 drives the clamping and flipping assembly, along with the inverted tray 19, to move above the unloading platform 1501. The two clamping drive arms 1602 move away from each other, and the grippers 1604 release the tray 19, placing the inverted tray 19 onto the unloading platform 1501. After unloading, the two clamping drive arms 1602 move closer together again to clamp the empty tray 19. The fourth moving mechanism 1601 drives the clamping and flipping assembly to move to the empty tray recovery position, and the two clamping drive arms 1602 release, recovering the empty tray 19.

[0086] In this embodiment, the material tray conveying mechanism 16 integrates the clamping drive arm 1602, the rotating mechanism 1603, and the gripper 1604 into the output end of the fourth moving mechanism 1601, realizing the integrated function of clamping, flipping, and spatial transfer of the material tray 19. The clamping and releasing actions of the two clamping drive arms 1602 are independent of the macroscopic movement of the fourth moving mechanism 1601, decoupling the clamping and conveying functions, resulting in clear action logic and simple control. The rotating mechanism 1603 is located at the opposite end of the clamping drive arm 1602, and the gripper 1604 is directly installed at the output end of the rotating mechanism 1603. The flipping action is close to the clamping point of the material tray 19, with a short flipping arm, small flipping torque, and a smooth and reliable flipping process. The fourth moving mechanism 1601 drives the entire clamping and flipping assembly to move between the material picking position, the unloading platform 1501, and the empty tray recycling position, realizing a complete closed loop of material tray 19 flow from one station to another without the need for intermediate transfer devices, thus reducing the number of system devices. The grippers 1604 clamp the outer edges of the main beam 1902 from both sides of the tray 19 and flip it. During the flipping process, the grippers 1604 do not contact the workpiece 20 and will not cause squeezing or damage to the workpiece 20. The workpiece 20 is held in place only by the elastic support force of the clamping plate 19041. Even if the direction of gravity of the workpiece 20 changes dynamically from downward to upward and then back to downward during the flipping process, the elastic support force of the clamping plate 19041 always acts reliably, ensuring the stability of the workpiece 20 during the flipping process.

[0087] In one embodiment, the material transfer mechanism 17 includes a picking component 1701 and a transfer drive mechanism 1702 that drives the picking component 1701 to move. The transfer drive mechanism 1702 may be a single-axis or multi-axis robotic arm, a linear module, or a gantry-type moving platform, etc. The picking component 1701 is fixedly installed at the output end of the transfer drive mechanism 1702 and is driven by the transfer drive mechanism 1702 to reciprocate between the discharge position of the workpiece carrying mechanism 1503 and the next station.

[0088] The pickup component 1701 is configured to fix the workpiece 20, which has been positioned in the workpiece carrying mechanism 1503. The pickup component 1701 is used to pick up the workpiece 20, which has been pushed and positioned to a preset position, from the receiving groove 15033 of the workpiece carrying mechanism 1503. After the receiving tray 15032 is driven by the third moving mechanism 15031 from the receiving position below the discharge port 15011 to the discharge position, the pickup component 1701 moves to above the discharge position under the drive of the transfer driving mechanism 1702, aligning with the workpiece 20, which has been positioned in the receiving groove 15033. The tenth moving mechanism 150335 drives the moving sidewall 150332 to overcome the force of the second elastic member 150334 and move it away from the fixed sidewall 150331, releasing the positioning clamp on the workpiece 20, and the pickup component 1701 then fixes the workpiece 20.

[0089] The transfer drive mechanism 1702 is configured to drive the pickup assembly 1701 to move between the workpiece carrying mechanism 1503 and the next station to transfer the workpiece 20 to the next station. After the pickup assembly 1701 finishes fixing the workpiece 20, the transfer drive mechanism 1702 drives the pickup assembly 1701 and the workpiece 20 fixed on it to move from the discharge position to the next station, placing the workpiece 20 at the designated position of the next station. The next station can be a workpiece inspection station, a packaging station, a sorting station, or a subsequent processing station, etc. After the workpiece 20 is placed in place, the pickup assembly 1701 releases its fixation on the workpiece 20, and the transfer drive mechanism 1702 drives the pickup assembly 1701 back to the discharge position, ready to pick up the next set of workpieces 20.

[0090] In the specific working process, after a set of receiving trays 15032 moves from the receiving position to the discharge position and the workpieces 20 in each receiving slot 15033 are pushed and positioned, the transfer drive mechanism 1702 drives the pickup assembly 1701 to move above the discharge position, and the pickup assembly 1701 aligns with the workpieces 20 in each receiving slot 15033. The tenth moving mechanism 150335 drives the moving side wall 150332 to release the positioning of the workpieces 20, and the pickup assembly 1701 then fixes each workpiece 20. The transfer drive mechanism 1702 drives the pickup assembly 1701 and the workpieces 20 to move to the next station, and the pickup assembly 1701 releases the workpieces 20. Subsequently, the receiving tray 15032 can be moved back to the receiving position with the third moving mechanism 15031 or enter a standby state to prepare for the next cycle.

[0091] In this embodiment, the material transfer mechanism 17, through the cooperation of the pickup component 1701 and the transfer drive mechanism 1702, realizes the automated transfer of the workpiece 20 from the workpiece carrying mechanism 1503 to the next station. The transfer drive mechanism 1702 precisely moves the pickup component 1701 between the discharge position and the next station. The pickup and placement positions can be guaranteed by the positioning accuracy of the transfer drive mechanism 1702, and the positional accuracy of the workpiece 20 after being output from the unloading device 15 is effectively maintained. The pickup action of the pickup component 1701 is coordinated with the action of the tenth moving mechanism 150335 releasing the moving sidewall 150332. The workpiece 20 is first precisely positioned in the receiving groove 15033 by the moving sidewall 150332 and the fixed sidewall 150331, and then fixed by the pickup component 1701. The position of the workpiece 20 is already accurately known at the time of pickup, resulting in a high pickup success rate. Meanwhile, the coordinated operation of the material transfer mechanism 17, the workpiece bearing mechanism 1503, and the unloading device 15 realizes the automation of the workpiece unloading, positioning, and transfer in the production line, which greatly improves production efficiency.

[0092] In one embodiment, the pickup component 1701 is a negative pressure suction component, which fixes the workpiece 20 by negative pressure adsorption. The negative pressure suction component includes one or more negative pressure nozzles, air passages connecting each negative pressure nozzle, and solenoid valves for controlling the on / off of negative pressure. The adsorption working surface of the negative pressure nozzle faces the outer surface of the end plate 2002 of the workpiece 20 or other exposed surfaces of the workpiece 20 that can be adsorbed. When the negative pressure suction component is activated, negative pressure suction is generated at the adsorption working surface of the negative pressure nozzle, firmly adsorbing and fixing the workpiece 20. The negative pressure adsorption method does not require mechanical clamping components to directly contact the workpiece 20, and will not cause clamping marks or wear on the surface of the workpiece 20. It is especially suitable for workpieces 20 that have undergone surface treatment and have strict requirements for surface quality.

[0093] After the workpiece bearing mechanism 1503 releases its positioning and fixing of the workpiece 20, the negative pressure suction assembly picks up the workpiece 20 from above or the side, and the transfer drive mechanism 1702 transfers it to the next station. Specifically, when the receiving tray 15032 moves to the discharge position, the transfer drive mechanism 1702 drives the negative pressure suction assembly to move above or to the side of the receiving groove 15033 at the discharge position, with each negative pressure suction nozzle of the negative pressure suction assembly aligned with the workpiece 20 in each receiving groove 15033. The tenth moving mechanism 150335 drives the moving sidewall 150332 to overcome the force of the second elastic element 150334 and move away from the fixed sidewall 150331, releasing the positioning and clamping of the workpiece 20. At the moment or immediately after the moving sidewall 150332 retracts, the negative pressure suction component immediately descends or moves horizontally to the outer surface of the end plate 2002 of the workpiece 20 or the annular outer wall 20012 of the workpiece 20, and activates the negative pressure to adsorb and fix the workpiece 20. The transfer drive mechanism 1702 then drives the negative pressure suction component and the adsorbed workpiece 20 to rise and disengage from the receiving trough 15033, and then moves horizontally to the next station, deactivates the negative pressure to release the workpiece 20, and completes the transfer.

[0094] In this embodiment, the material transfer mechanism 17 uses a negative pressure suction component as the pickup component 1701 to fix the workpiece 20 by negative pressure adsorption, which complements the mechanical pushing positioning method of the workpiece carrying mechanism 1503. The fixed sidewall 150331 and the movable sidewall 150332 of the workpiece carrying mechanism 1503 precisely position the workpiece 20 by mechanical pushing, ensuring that the position of the workpiece 20 in the receiving groove 15033 is accurate and uniform; the negative pressure suction component picks up the workpiece 20 by non-contact negative pressure adsorption. The pickup process does not apply mechanical clamping force, which will not destroy the accurate positioning state of the workpiece 20, nor will it cause any damage to the surface of the workpiece 20. The action of the tenth moving mechanism 150335 actively releasing the movable sidewall 150332 and the action of the negative pressure suction component activating the negative pressure adsorption can be precisely connected in timing. There is no intermediate loosening state in the transition process of the workpiece 20 from mechanical positioning to negative pressure fixing, and the positional accuracy of the workpiece 20 is maintained throughout the process. In addition, the negative pressure suction component can pick up the workpiece 20 from above or the side, and can flexibly choose the suction direction according to the workstation space layout. When the outer surface of the end plate 2002 of the workpiece 20 is exposed upwards, it can be picked up from above, which has the shortest path. When the space above is limited, it can also pick up the annular outer wall 20012 of the workpiece 20 from the side, which is highly adaptable.

[0095] The present invention also provides a workpiece blanking method, using the above-mentioned workpiece blanking system, comprising the following steps: S1. The material tray conveying mechanism 16 clamps the material tray 19 and flips it to an inverted state, transferring the material tray 19 to the unloading platform 1501, so that the workpiece 20 held by the material clamp 1904 faces the unloading port 15011.

[0096] Specifically, the fourth moving mechanism 1601 of the tray conveying mechanism 16 drives the clamping and flipping assembly to move to the material picking position, and the two clamping driving arms 1602 drive to move closer together. The two side grippers 1604 clamp the outer edges of the main beam 1902 of the tray 19 from both sides. The fourth moving mechanism 1601 drives the clamping and flipping assembly, together with the tray 19, to lift upwards. The rotating mechanism 1603 drives the grippers 1604 to rotate 180 degrees around the horizontal axis, flipping the tray 19 from the forward position to the inverted position. The fourth moving mechanism 1601 drives the inverted tray 19 to move above the unloading platform 1501, and the two clamping driving arms 1602 drive to move away from each other, placing the tray 19 on the unloading platform 1501. The pressing mechanism 15012 presses and fixes the frame of the tray 19, aligning each material clamp 1904 and the suspended workpiece 20 with the unloading port 15011.

[0097] S2. The clamping mechanism 1502 drives the clamping plate 19041 to retract, causing the workpiece 20 to detach from the material clamp 1904 and fall from the discharge port 15011. The workpiece bearing mechanism 1503 receives the falling workpiece 20 and positions and fixes the workpiece 20 in a preset position.

[0098] Specifically, the third moving mechanism 15031 of the workpiece carrying mechanism 1503 drives the receiving tray 15032 to move to the receiving position directly below the discharge port 15011, with the openings of each receiving groove 15033 on the receiving tray 15032 aligned with the discharge port 15011. The opening drive component 15021 of the clamping mechanism 1502 passes through the gap between adjacent sub-beams 1903 on the material tray 19 from top to bottom, and each pushing part 15022 simultaneously abuts against and squeezes each clamping plate 19041 of each material clamp 1904 in a row, overcoming the elastic restoring force of the clamping plate 19041 itself, and pushing each clamping plate 19041 to retract inward. The outer surface of the clamping plate 19041 retracts radially inward, losing its clamping force on the annular inner wall 20011 of the workpiece 20. Under the action of gravity, the entire row of workpieces 20 synchronously detaches from the material clamp 1904 and falls vertically through the discharge port 15011, falling into the corresponding receiving slots 15033 on the receiving tray 15032. After all the workpieces 20 have fallen, the clamping drive 15021 rises and retracts, and each clamping plate 19041 automatically unfolds and resets under its own elastic restoring force. Driven by the elastic restoring force of the second elastic element 150334, the moving side wall 150332 moves towards the fixed side wall 150331, pushing the workpieces 20 that have fallen into the receiving slots 15033 against the fixed side wall 150331, and continuously applying a pushing force to stably position and fix the workpieces 20 in the preset position.

[0099] S3. The material transfer mechanism 17 fixes the workpiece 20, which has been positioned, from the workpiece carrying mechanism 1503 and transfers the workpiece 20 to the next work station.

[0100] Specifically, the third moving mechanism 15031 drives the receiving tray 15032 to move from the receiving position below the discharge port 15011 to the discharge position. The transfer drive mechanism 1702 of the material transfer mechanism 17 drives the picking assembly 1701 to move above the receiving slot 15033 at the discharge position, aligning it with the workpiece 20 that has been positioned in each receiving slot 15033. The tenth moving mechanism 150335 drives the moving side wall 150332 to overcome the force of the second elastic member 150334 and move away from the fixed side wall 150331, releasing the positioning clamp on the workpiece 20. The picking assembly 1701 then fixes the workpiece 20, and the transfer drive mechanism 1702 drives the picking assembly 1701 and the fixed workpiece 20 to move to the next station, where the picking assembly 1701 releases the workpiece 20. At the same time, the material tray conveying mechanism 16 removes the empty material tray 19 after unloading from the unloading platform 1501 and recycles it to the empty tray recycling position, completing a complete unloading cycle.

[0101] In this embodiment, the workpiece unloading method achieves fully automated and efficient unloading of workpieces 20 from the processed tray 19 to the next workstation through the coordinated timing of the tray transport mechanism 16, the unloading device 15, and the material transfer mechanism 17. The three steps can overlap in time and space. When a group of workpieces 20 is dropped and positioned below the unloading port 15011 in step S2, the tray transport mechanism 16 in step S1 can simultaneously recover the empty tray 19 or prepare for the transport of the next tray 19. The material transfer mechanism 17 in step S3 can simultaneously pick up and transfer the previously positioned group of workpieces 20. The overall unloading cycle of the system is fast, making it suitable for large-scale continuous production. In step S2, the clamping mechanism 1502 synchronously drives the clamping plates 19041 to close from top to bottom, and the entire row of workpieces 20 falls simultaneously by gravity. The unloading action only requires one lifting and lowering operation to complete the synchronous release of multiple workpieces, making the action simple and efficient. The entire drop path of workpiece 20 from release from clamping plate 19041 to entry into receiving groove 15033 is a straight line in the vertical direction, with a short path and high speed. In step S2, the moving side wall 150332 pushes the randomly dropped workpiece 20 to a uniform preset position. In step S3, the picking component 1701 accurately picks up workpiece 20 from this known preset position. The position reference between each step is continuously transferred, ensuring the positional accuracy of workpiece 20 throughout the entire unloading and transfer process. At the same time, the annular outer wall 20012 and the outer surface of end plate 2002 of workpiece 20 are fully exposed throughout the unloading process. The picking component 1701 picks up workpiece 20 from the outer surface of end plate 2002 or annular outer wall 20012 without contacting the already processed surface of workpiece 20. The surface quality of workpiece 20 is effectively protected, which is especially suitable for precision workpieces 20 with strict requirements for surface treatment integrity.

[0102] The above description is merely an embodiment and does not constitute any limitation on the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make many possible variations, modifications, or alterations to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention, without departing from the scope of the present invention, should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A workpiece unloading system, characterized in that, For unloading and transferring workpieces (20) from a tray (19) carrying workpieces (20), the tray (19) is provided with a material clamp (1904), the material clamp (1904) including a plurality of collapsible or expandable clamps (19041), the clamps (19041) for abutting against the annular inner wall (20011) of the workpiece (20) when expanded, the workpiece unloading system includes: The unloading device (15) includes an unloading platform (1501), a clamping mechanism (1502), and a workpiece carrying mechanism (1503). The unloading platform (1501) has an unloading port (15011) for receiving the inverted tray (19). The clamping mechanism (1502) is provided corresponding to the unloading port (15011) and is used to drive the clamping plate (19041) to close, so that the workpiece (20) is released from the material clamp (1904) and falls from the unloading port (15011). The workpiece carrying mechanism (1503) is used to receive the falling workpiece (20) below the unloading port (15011) and fix the workpiece (20) in a preset position. The material tray conveying mechanism (16) is configured to clamp and flip the material tray (19), transfer the material tray (19) in an inverted state to the unloading platform (1501), and remove and recycle the empty material tray (19) after the workpiece (20) has been unloaded; The material transfer mechanism (17) is configured to fix the workpiece (20) that has been positioned from the workpiece carrying mechanism (1503) and transfer the workpiece (20) to the next station.

2. The workpiece feeding system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The workpiece carrying mechanism (1503) of the feeding device (15) includes a third moving mechanism (15031) and a receiving tray (15032) disposed at the output end of the third moving mechanism (15031). The third moving mechanism (15031) drives the receiving tray (15032) to move at least to below the feeding port (15011) or to another station. The receiving tray (15032) is provided with a receiving groove (15033), the receiving groove (15033) includes a fixed side wall (150331) and a movable side wall (150332) that can move toward the fixed side wall (150331). The receiving groove (15033) is used to receive the workpiece (20) falling from the discharge port (15011), and the movable side wall (150332) pushes the workpiece (20) against the fixed side wall (150331) to position and fix the workpiece (20) in the preset position in the receiving groove (15033).

3. The workpiece feeding system according to claim 2, characterized in that, Two sets of receiving trays (15032) are provided, and both sets of receiving trays (15032) are located at the output end of the third moving mechanism (15031); The third moving mechanism (15031) is configured to drive the two sets of receiving trays (15032) to move alternately to below the discharge port (15011), such that when one set of receiving trays (15032) is receiving the workpiece (20), the other set of receiving trays (15032) is located at another station to remove or wait for the workpiece (20).

4. The workpiece feeding system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The third moving mechanism (15031) includes: The two sets of guide rails are arranged in parallel, namely the outer guide rail group (150311) and the inner guide rail group (150312). An outer gantry frame (150313) is slidably mounted on the outer guide rail assembly (150311). The top plate (1503131) of the outer gantry frame (150313) can be raised and lowered, and a set of receiving trays (15032) is installed on the top plate (1503131). An inner gantry frame (150314) is slidably mounted on the inner guide rail assembly (150312), and another set of receiving trays (15032) is installed on the inner gantry frame (150314). And two ninth linear motion mechanisms (150315) that respectively drive the outer gantry (150313) and the inner gantry (150314) to move along their respective guide rail groups. When the top plate (1503131) of the outer gantry (150313) is at its lowest position, the outer gantry (150313) can be moved to below the unloading platform (1501); after the top plate (1503131) of the outer gantry (150313) is raised, the inner gantry (150314) can pass through the interior of the outer gantry (150313) to realize the alternating operation of the two sets of receiving trays (15032).

5. The workpiece feeding system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The tray (19) is provided with a plurality of material clamps (1904) arranged in a rectangular array, and the clamping mechanism (1502) is configured to drive the clamping plates (19041) of all the material clamps (1904) located in the same column to retract simultaneously; The receiving tray (15032) is provided with a plurality of receiving slots (15033) corresponding to the material clamps (1904) in the same column. The movable sidewalls (150332) of the plurality of receiving slots (15033) in the same column are connected as one unit so that they can move simultaneously under the drive, and synchronously position and fix the plurality of workpieces (20) falling into each receiving slot (15033) at the preset position.

6. The workpiece blanking system according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The tray conveying mechanism (16) includes a fourth moving mechanism (1601), two clamping drive arms (1602), a rotating mechanism (1603), and a gripper (1604). The two clamping drive arms (1602) are arranged opposite to each other and can be driven to move closer or further apart to clamp or release the tray (19). Both clamping drive arms (1602) are located at the output end of the fourth moving mechanism (1601). The fourth moving mechanism (1601) is used to drive the two clamping drive arms (1602) to move as a whole, so as to transfer the material tray (19) between the material picking position, the material unloading platform (1501) and the empty tray recycling position. The two clamping drive arms (1602) are respectively provided with the rotating mechanism (1603) at their opposite ends, and the gripper (1604) is provided at the output end of the rotating mechanism (1603); After the gripper (1604) clamps the side of the tray (19), it is driven to flip by the rotating mechanism (1603) to flip the tray (19) from the upright state to the inverted state.

7. The workpiece blanking system according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The material transfer mechanism (17) includes a pickup component (1701) and a transfer drive mechanism (1702) for driving the pickup component (1701) to move. The picking component (1701) is configured to fix the workpiece (20) that has been positioned in the workpiece carrying mechanism (1503). The transfer drive mechanism (1702) is configured to drive the pickup assembly (1701) to move between the workpiece carrying mechanism (1503) and the next station to transfer the workpiece (20) to the next station.

8. The workpiece unloading system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The pickup component (1701) is a negative pressure suction component, which fixes the workpiece (20) by negative pressure adsorption. After the workpiece carrying mechanism (1503) releases its positioning and fixing of the workpiece (20), the negative pressure suction assembly sucks up the workpiece (20) from above or the side and transfers it to the next station by the transfer drive mechanism (1702).

9. The workpiece unloading system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The material tray (19) includes two main beams (1902) arranged opposite to each other and several secondary beams (1903) connecting the two main beams (1902), and the material clamp (1904) is arranged on the secondary beams (1903); The unloading platform (1501) is provided with a pressing mechanism (15012), which is used to press and fix the main beam (1902) or the secondary beam (1903) of the material tray (19) above the unloading port (15011), so that the workpiece (20) held by the material clamp (1904) is aligned with the unloading port (15011); The clamping mechanism (1502) includes a liftable clamping drive (15021) configured to drive the clamping plate (19041) to close after passing through the gap between adjacent sub-beams (1903) from top to bottom. The material clamp (1904) includes a plurality of clamping plates (19041), which tend to expand outwards from each other due to their own elastic restoring force. The clamping mechanism (1502) overcomes the elastic restoring force to close the clamping plates (19041) and release the workpiece (20).

10. A workpiece blanking method, using the workpiece blanking system as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The steps include the following: S1. The material tray conveying mechanism (16) clamps the material tray (19) and flips it to an inverted state, transferring the material tray (19) to the unloading platform (1501), so that the workpiece (20) held by the material clamp (1904) faces the unloading port (15011). S2. The clamping mechanism (1502) drives the clamping plate (19041) to close, so that the workpiece (20) is separated from the material clamp (1904) and falls from the discharge port (15011). The workpiece bearing mechanism (1503) receives the falling workpiece (20) and positions and fixes the workpiece (20) in a preset position. S3. The material transfer mechanism (17) fixes the workpiece (20) that has been positioned from the workpiece carrying mechanism (1503) and transfers the workpiece (20) to the next work station.

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