Feeder and method of feeding

Abstract

The application discloses a feeder and a feeding method, and belongs to the field of conveying equipment. The feeder comprises a storage bin, a switching mechanism, a first power assembly and a second power assembly. The switching mechanism comprises a lifting piece and a translation piece. The translation piece comprises a translation rod. Two ends of the translation rod are used for forming a buckle part. A material tray is correspondingly provided with a buckle part. The switching mechanism further comprises the first power assembly used for driving the translation rod to translate. The first power assembly comprises a first rotating piece. The first rotating piece is provided with an eccentric transmission pin. The translation rod is slidably sleeved with a transmission sleeve. The transmission sleeve is provided with a rotating positioning hole used for accommodating the eccentric transmission pin. The switching mechanism comprises the second power assembly. The second power assembly comprises a translation seat slidably connected with the lifting piece. The translation seat is provided with the first translation assembly and the first power assembly. The moving direction of the translation seat is parallel to the moving direction of the translation piece. The application can overcome the three bottlenecks, realize disc changing without shutdown, facilitate the recycling of empty trays and reduce the equipment floor area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of feeders, and particularly to a feeder and feeding method. Background Technology

[0002] Feeders are key pieces of equipment for achieving automated production. Multiple feeders are arranged on the production line to meet the material supply needs of parts during manufacturing.

[0003] Structurally, the feeder includes a liftable material carrier with multiple material trays stacked on it. The material on the top material tray is in a retrievable position. When the material on the top material tray is taken out, the tray is removed, and then the material carrier rises, so that another material tray is in the same position for easy material taking.

[0004] However, existing feeding technologies still have three major bottlenecks: changing discs requires machine downtime, empty discs are difficult to recover, and the equipment occupies a large area. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes a feeder that can overcome the three major bottlenecks mentioned above, enabling tray changes without stopping the machine, facilitating the recovery of empty trays, and reducing the equipment's footprint.

[0006] The present invention also proposes a feeding method for the above-mentioned feeder.

[0007] A feeder according to a first aspect of the present invention includes: The storage bin has several storage positions, which are arranged vertically. The storage positions are used to store material pallets, and the material pallets are used to support materials. The exchange mechanism includes a lifting component and a translating component that moves up and down with the lifting component, wherein one of the translating component and the material tray is provided with a latching part and the other is provided with a locking part; When the lifting component moves up or down, the latching part can move in and out of the latching part in the vertical direction; When the latching part is located inside the bayonet part, the latching part and the bayonet part abut against each other in the horizontal direction, thereby driving the material tray to switch between the storage position and the lifting component; The translation component includes a translation rod, the two ends of which are used to form the latching portion, and the material tray is correspondingly provided with the latching portion; The exchange mechanism further includes a first power component, which is used to drive the translation rod to translate. The first power assembly includes a first rotating component and a first power component that drives the first rotating component to rotate. The first rotating component is provided with an eccentric transmission pin. The translation rod is slidably fitted with a transmission sleeve, and the transmission sleeve is provided with a rotation positioning hole for accommodating the eccentric transmission pin. The exchange mechanism includes a second translation component, which includes a translation seat slidably connected to the lifting member and a second power component that drives the translation seat to translate. The translation seat is provided with a first translation component and a first power component. The first translation component is used to install the translation member. The direction of movement of the translation seat is parallel to the direction of movement of the translation member.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a feeder includes a material tray comprising a tray body, a notch being provided on one side of the tray body, and a locking block being provided on each of the two opposite sides of the notch, the locking block having a locking portion, and the locking portions of the two locking blocks being disposed opposite to each other.

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a feeder further includes a first translation component, the first translation component including two parallel first guide rails, the extension direction of the first guide rails being perpendicular to the extension direction of the translation rod, the first guide rails being provided with a first slider, the first slider being fixedly connected to the translation rod.

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a feeder is provided in which the first rotating member is cantilevered, one end of the first rotating member forms a rotation center, and the other end of the first rotating member is provided with the eccentric transmission pin. The first power assembly also includes a limiting bracket, which is provided with a front limiting pin and a rear limiting pin. The front limiting pin and the rear limiting pin are used to abut against the first rotating member to limit the rotation angle of the first rotating member.

[0011] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a feeder is provided in which the transmission sleeve is located between two first sliders connected to the translation rod, the two first sliders being used to mount the translation rod.

[0012] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a feeder, wherein the second power assembly includes a drive belt fixedly connected to the translation seat, at least two support rollers supporting the drive belt, and a power motor that drives the drive belt to move, wherein the power motor is drively connected to one of the support rollers.

[0013] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a feeder is provided in which the lifting member is provided with two sets of mounting blocks for mounting the support roller. The mounting blocks are provided with side-opening mounting grooves, and the side-opening mounting grooves are provided with second sliders. The second sliders are provided with mounting holes for accommodating the ends of the support rollers. The opening directions of the side-opening mounting grooves of the two sets of mounting blocks are arranged opposite to each other. The mounting blocks are provided with adjusting bolts for connecting the second sliders.

[0014] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a feeder is provided in which the lifting member is provided with an opening for accommodating the transmission belt passing through vertically, and a tensioning wheel assembly for tensioning the transmission belt and a tensioning bracket for mounting the tensioning wheel assembly are provided at the bottom of the opening.

[0015] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a feeder includes an exchange mechanism comprising a lead screw assembly for driving the lifting member to rise and fall, and a drive motor connected to the lead screw assembly via a belt drive, wherein the lifting member is provided with a clearance for accommodating the drive motor.

[0016] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a feeder includes a housing that accommodates the storage bin and the exchange mechanism. The housing is provided with a door located on the side of the storage bin facing away from the exchange mechanism. An inlet / outlet is provided on the top of the housing, and the inlet / outlet is located on the top of the exchange mechanism.

[0017] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a feeder is provided, wherein the material tray includes a tray body, the tray body having a first side and a second side, the first side being provided with the latch portion, and the second side being disposed separately from the first side; The second side is provided with a material tray limiting edge, which can be adjusted to the interior position of the tray body.

[0018] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a feeder has two second sides, and the lifting member is provided with two stepped portions for supporting and limiting the second side.

[0019] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a feeding method is applied to a feeder as described in any one of the claims, the feeder including a translation seat disposed on the lifting member, the translation seat disposing of the translation member, and the moving direction of the translation seat being parallel to the moving direction of the translation member; The feeding method includes: Drive the lifting component to rise or fall, so that the latching part enters the bayonet part; The translation seat is controlled to move, thereby driving the translation component to move, so that the latching part pushes the locking part to transfer the material pallet. Then, the translation component is controlled to move relative to the translation seat, so that the latching part continues to push the locking part to further transfer the material pallet. Alternatively, the translation component can be controlled to move relative to the translation seat, causing the latching part to push the locking part to transfer the material tray. Then, the translation seat can be controlled to move, causing the translation component to move, so that the latching part continues to push the locking part to further transfer the material tray. Alternatively, the translation seat and the translation member can be controlled to move in the same direction, so that the latching part pushes the locking part to transfer the material tray.

[0020] A feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: This invention sets up a storage bin with several storage positions arranged vertically. These storage positions are used to store material pallets, thus enabling the feeder to store more material pallets and thus carry more material to meet the need for continuous feeding. At the same time, the vertical arrangement of the storage positions also helps to reduce the floor space required.

[0021] This invention, by setting up a material tray, enables the material tray to be moved for receiving or feeding materials. Therefore, the feeding method of this feeder is not limited to feeding materials layer by layer from top to bottom. It can also call up the material tray of any storage position for feeding, making the feeding method diverse, meeting diverse needs, and avoiding downtime when changing products.

[0022] In other words, different storage locations can hold different material pallets, or different material pallets in different storage locations can hold different materials. When different materials or products need to be provided, only the corresponding material pallets need to be moved, without having to stop the machine to replace all the material pallets.

[0023] This invention provides an exchange mechanism that includes a lifting component and a translating component. The lifting component can change the height of the translating component, allowing it to correspond to one of the material trays. This facilitates the translating component pulling out the material tray, leaving the top of the corresponding material tray open and preventing the upper material tray from obstructing the view, thus making it easier to pick up and put down materials.

[0024] In addition, the lifting component can also drive the translation component and the material pallet to rise, so that the material pallet at the exchange mechanism can be repeatedly raised to the same height to meet the need for feeding materials at the same location.

[0025] In addition, for empty material pallets, the exchange mechanism can move the material pallets into empty storage locations without requiring additional storage space, making recycling convenient. At the same time, there is no need to increase the floor space for storing empty pallets.

[0026] The present invention also provides a buckle and a latch, so that when the lifting component moves up and down, the buckle can move in and out of the latch in the vertical direction, and the material tray can be pushed and pulled without additional action, reducing waiting time and saving time.

[0027] Meanwhile, the buckle and latch will not obstruct or interfere with the lifting of the lifting component, thus avoiding any impact on the lifting of the lifting component and improving material supply efficiency.

[0028] At the same time, it also helps to simplify the structure of the buckle part, eliminating the need for a complex opening and closing structure, which helps to reduce the space occupied.

[0029] This invention employs a translation rod to change the position and number of the latches, thereby achieving balanced pushing and pulling of the material tray.

[0030] In this invention, when the first rotating component rotates, the eccentric drive pin revolves around the rotation center of the first rotating component, and the eccentric drive pin generates a vertical displacement. One displacement causes the drive sleeve to move along the translation rod, and the other position causes the drive sleeve and translation rod to move along the first guide rail, so as to meet the needs of pushing and pulling the material tray.

[0031] In addition, by setting a translation seat, the present invention can expand the movement range of the translation component to meet the needs of moving material pallets in and out, overcome the problem of mismatch between the stroke of the translation component and the specifications of the material pallet, and at the same time avoid increasing the external dimensions of the lifting component.

[0032] In other words, it overcomes the problem of limited stroke of the translation seat, so that the translation seat and the translation component cooperate to increase the stroke of pushing and pulling materials.

[0033] At the same time, what is even more beneficial is that the top of the lifting components is used to support the material pallet, which helps to save or reduce the space reserved for the translation rod and the first power component in the horizontal direction of the lifting components. Correspondingly, there is no need to increase the size of the lifting space of the lifting components, nor to increase the external size of the chassis, which helps to reduce the space occupied and make the equipment structure compact.

[0034] The present invention also provides a feeding method, which has the above-mentioned beneficial effects.

[0035] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0036] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0037] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the feeder; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the central storage silo; Figure 4 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the material pallet; Figure 5 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the central switching mechanism; Figure 6 for Figure 5 A partial structural diagram of the switching mechanism; Figure 7 for Figure 6 A structural diagram of the switching institution from another perspective; Figure 8 for Figure 7 A partially enlarged schematic diagram of the switching mechanism; Figure 9 For application Figures 1 to 8 The flowchart shows the feeding method of the feeder.

[0038] Reference numerals: Storage bin 100; Storage position 110; Material pallet 120; Exchange mechanism 130; Lifting component 140; Translation component 150; Buckle part 160; Locking part 170; Translation rod 180; Pallet body 190; Notch 200; Locking block 210; First translation assembly 220; First guide rail 230; First slider 240; First power assembly 250; First rotating component 260; Eccentric transmission pin 270; Transmission sleeve 280; Rotary positioning hole 290; Limiting position Support bracket 300; front limit pin 310; rear limit pin 320; second translation assembly 330; translation seat 340; second power assembly 350; transmission belt 360; support roller 370; mounting block 390; side-opening mounting groove 400; second slider 410; adjusting bolt 420; tension wheel assembly 430; lead screw assembly 440; drive motor 450; clearance opening 460; machine box 470; box door 480; inlet / outlet 490; material tray limiting edge 500; step section 510. Detailed Implementation

[0039] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0040] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0041] In the description of this invention, "several" means one or more, "more than" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. If "first" and "second" are mentioned, this is only for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0042] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation, connection, and linkage" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0043] A feeder and feeding method according to an embodiment of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0044] Reference Figures 1 to 8 The present invention aims to provide an embodiment of a feeder that can overcome the three major bottlenecks of the prior art, realize the ability to change the disc without stopping the machine, facilitate the recycling of empty discs, and reduce the equipment footprint.

[0045] At the same time, refer to Figure 9 The present invention also provides a feeding method, which is applied to Figures 1 to 8 The feeder.

[0046] This invention relates to or belongs to the field of surface mount technology (SMT) and industrial automation equipment, specifically to a feeding device, feeder or feeding equipment for supplying materials to pick-and-place machines, insertion machines or other automated assembly lines, and particularly to a feeder that adopts a multi-layer three-dimensional circulation structure and feeds materials in conjunction with a lifting mechanism to achieve uninterrupted material supply.

[0047] In surface mount technology (SMT) systems, feeding devices are equipment that supply materials to pick-and-place machines, insertion machines, or other automated assembly lines. As the component supply end of the production line, the feeding efficiency of the feeding device directly affects the overall production line efficiency. Pallet feeders are widely used due to their suitability for large, easily damaged, or irregularly shaped components.

[0048] For existing pallet feeders, most use pallet feeders, which include a liftable material carrier with multiple layers of material trays stacked on it. The material on the top material tray is in a reachable position. When the material on the top material tray is taken out, the material tray is removed, and then the material carrier rises, so that another material tray is in the same position, making it convenient to continue picking up material.

[0049] However, existing pallet feeders still have three major bottlenecks: changing pallets requires machine downtime, empty pallets are difficult to recycle, and the equipment occupies a large area.

[0050] For changing trays, the machine needs to be stopped. Specifically, when different models or different materials or products need to be supplied, the machine needs to be stopped, the remaining materials and material trays need to be cleared, and then new materials and material trays need to be loaded before feeding can be restarted.

[0051] Empty pallets are difficult to recycle. In detail, once the material in a pallet has been used up, the empty pallet needs to be removed and stacked in another location. Special tools are also required for its transfer, making it inconvenient for recycling.

[0052] Meanwhile, the material trays filled with materials and the empty trays are placed in different areas, which makes the equipment occupy a large area.

[0053] In this regard, refer to Figures 1 to 8 The present invention aims to provide a feeder that can overcome the above three major bottlenecks, realize the change of tray without stopping the machine, facilitate the recycling of empty trays, and reduce the equipment footprint.

[0054] Specifically, the feeder of the present invention mainly includes a storage bin 100 and an exchange mechanism 130.

[0055] The storage bin 100 has several storage positions 110, which are arranged vertically. The storage positions 110 are used to store material pallets 120, and the material pallets 120 are used to carry materials.

[0056] The exchange mechanism 130 includes a lifting member 140 and a translation member 150 that moves up and down with the lifting member 140. One of the translation member 150 and the material tray 120 is provided with a latching part 160 and the other is provided with a locking part 170.

[0057] When in use, when the lifting component 140 is raised or lowered, the latching part 160 can move in and out of the latching part 170 in the vertical direction.

[0058] When the latching part 160 is located within the latching part 170, the latching part 160 and the latching part 170 abut horizontally, thereby driving the material pallet 120 to switch between the storage position 110 and the lifting part 140. See details. Figure 2 and Figure 5 .

[0059] In summary, by setting up a storage bin 100, the present invention provides a plurality of storage positions 110 arranged vertically, which are used to store material trays 120. As a result, the feeder can store more material trays 120, thereby carrying more material and meeting the need for continuous feeding. At the same time, the arrangement of the plurality of storage positions 110 vertically also helps to reduce the footprint.

[0060] By setting up a material tray 120, the present invention can transfer materials for receiving or feeding during use. Therefore, the feeding method of this feeder is not limited to feeding materials layer by layer from top to bottom. It can also call up the material tray 120 of any storage position 110 for feeding, so that the feeding method is diversified, meets diverse needs, and avoids downtime when changing products.

[0061] In other words, different storage locations 110 can store different material pallets 120, or different material pallets 120 in different storage locations 110 can store different materials. When different materials or products need to be provided, only the corresponding material pallets 120 need to be moved, without stopping the machine or replacing all material pallets 120.

[0062] The present invention provides an exchange mechanism 130, which includes a lifting component 140 and a translating component 150. Therefore, the height position of the translating component 150 can be changed by the lifting component 140, so that the translating component 150 corresponds to one of the material trays 120. This makes it convenient for the translating component 150 to pull out the material tray 120, which also makes the top of the corresponding material tray 120 open, avoiding obstruction by the upper material tray 120 and facilitating material retrieval and placement.

[0063] In addition, the lifting component 140 can also drive the translation component 150 and the material tray 120 to rise, so that the material tray 120 located at the exchange mechanism 130 can repeatedly rise to the same height to meet the need for feeding materials at the same position.

[0064] In addition, for material pallets 120 in an empty state, the exchange mechanism 130 can also move the material pallet 120 into an empty storage position 110 without the need for additional storage space, which is convenient for recycling. At the same time, there is no need to increase the floor space for storing empty pallets.

[0065] The present invention also includes a latching part 160 and a locking part 170. Therefore, when the lifting member 140 is raised or lowered, the latching part 160 can move in and out of the locking part 170 in the vertical direction. The material tray 120 can be pushed and pulled without additional action, reducing waiting time and saving time.

[0066] Meanwhile, the latching part 160 and the locking part 170 will not obstruct or interfere with the lifting of the lifting component 140, thus avoiding any impact on the lifting of the lifting component 140 and improving the material supply efficiency.

[0067] Reference Figure 1 In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the feeder may include a housing 470 that houses the storage bin 100 and the exchange mechanism 130. The housing 470 is provided with a door 480 located on the side of the storage bin 100 facing away from the exchange mechanism 130. The top of the housing 470 is provided with an inlet / outlet 490 located on the top of the exchange mechanism 130.

[0068] It is easy to understand that by setting up the chassis 470, the present invention can enclose the storage bin 100 and the exchange mechanism 130, reduce external contact, and ensure the safe and stable operation of the feeder.

[0069] The door 480 is located on the side of the storage bin 100 facing away from the exchange mechanism 130. Therefore, when the door 480 is opened, the storage bin 100 is in a visible and operable position, which makes it convenient to observe the status of the material pallet 120 and to make temporary adjustments to the material pallet 120.

[0070] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, a limiting baffle may be provided on the side of the storage bin 100 near the door 480. The limiting baffle is provided with a staggered opening that is vertically offset from the material tray 120. Therefore, the limiting baffle can prevent the material tray 120 from moving excessively to the side away from the exchange mechanism 130, and the material tray 120 can be picked up and put down through the staggered opening.

[0071] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the bottom of the chassis 470 may be provided with support feet and wheels. The support feet can be raised and lowered to meet the needs of fixed placement, while the wheels can meet the needs of moving the feeder and facilitate adaptation to the site layout.

[0072] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, a control panel can be provided on the top of the chassis 470. The control panel is located on the top of the storage bin 100, thereby satisfying the operation layout requirements without affecting the setting of the inlet / outlet 490, and facilitating the feeding or loading of materials from the top of the exchange mechanism 130.

[0073] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the storage position 110 may have a storage support, the storage support including two side plates, the bottom and top of the two side plates are connected by a connecting rod, and both side plates are provided with a detachable crossbar, the crossbar is located on the side of the two side plates that are close to each other, which can conveniently support the material tray 120, and at the same time allow the material tray 120 to move.

[0074] In some preferred embodiments of the invention, the storage bin 100 may be equipped with a detector to detect the presence and position of the material tray 120 in order to coordinate with the exchange mechanism 130.

[0075] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the detector can be located at the junction of the storage bin 100 and the exchange mechanism 130, thereby facilitating the confirmation of the status of the material tray 120 and facilitating the control of the exchange mechanism 130.

[0076] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, a liftable baffle can be provided at the junction of the storage bin 100 and the exchange mechanism 130, so that the material tray 120 is kept within the storage position 110, preventing the material tray from moving around at will. At the same time, the baffle will not obstruct the translation component 150 and the lifting component 140, and will not affect the rapid operation of the exchange mechanism 130.

[0077] Reference Figure 4 In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the material pallet 120 may include a pallet body 190, a notch 200 is provided on one side of the pallet body 190, and a latching block 210 is provided on both opposite sides of the notch 200. The latching block 210 is provided with a latching portion 170, and the latching portions 170 of the two latching blocks 210 are arranged opposite each other.

[0078] It is easy to understand that by setting a notch 200, the present invention arranges a latch block 210 in the notch 200 and forms two opposing latch portions 170, which also makes the two points bear force evenly when the translation member 150 pushes and pulls the material tray 120, thus avoiding the material tray 120 from tilting and getting stuck, which would affect its movement.

[0079] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the edge of the pallet body 190 may be provided with a flange, which can improve the strength of the material pallet 120, making the material pallet 120 less prone to deformation. At the same time, it is also convenient to limit the material and prevent the material from sliding out of the pallet body 190 due to inertia.

[0080] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the material pallet 120 may include a pallet body 190, the pallet body 190 having a first side and a second side, the first side being provided with a latch portion 170, and the second side being disposed separately from the first side.

[0081] The second side is provided with a material tray limiting edge 500, which can be adjusted to the interior position of the tray body 190.

[0082] It is easy to understand that by setting an adjustable material tray limiting edge 500, the present invention can limit and restrict the material storage area on the material tray 120, making the material position more precise. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the material tray limiting edge 500 can be adjusted to an internal position within the tray body 190, including: the tray body 190 is provided with a plurality of side-by-side waist holes perpendicular to the second side, the material tray limiting edge 500 is provided with screws installed in the waist holes, and the position adjustment of the material tray limiting edge 500 is achieved by tightening and loosening the screws and moving the material limiting edge.

[0083] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the material tray limiting edge 500 may be provided with a recess on the side close to the inside of the tray body 190 to reduce contact with the material and reduce the risk of damage.

[0084] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the tray body 190 may have other waist holes perpendicular to the aforementioned waist holes, which facilitates limiting adjustment in another direction. At the same time, it also helps to reduce the area of ​​the supported material and facilitates the extraction of the material.

[0085] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the exchange mechanism 130 may include a lead screw assembly 440 that drives the lifting member 140 to rise and fall, and a drive motor 450 that is connected to the lead screw assembly 440 via belt drive.

[0086] It is easy to understand that by setting the lead screw assembly 440 and the drive motor 450, the present invention can convert the rotational motion into the up and down movement of the lifting member 140, so that the latching part 160 of the translation member 150 can enter the latching part 170 of the material tray 120 to meet the needs of pushing and pulling the material tray 120.

[0087] The drive motor 450 is connected to the lead screw assembly 440 via belt drive, which can change the position of the drive motor 450 from above and below the lead screw assembly 440 to the horizontal direction of the lead screw assembly 440, thereby reducing the height of the equipment and making the equipment structure more compact.

[0088] Reference Figure 6 In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the lifting member 140 may include a base plate, a vertical plate connecting one side of the base plate, two ribs connecting the vertical plate and the base plate, and a screw sleeve of the lead screw assembly 440 is provided on the side of the side plate facing away from the base plate, which can improve the strength of the lifting member 140 and meet the transmission requirements.

[0089] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the lifting member 140 may be provided with a clearance 460 for accommodating the drive motor 450. Specifically, the clearance 460 is provided on the side of the substrate facing away from the side plate, which further reduces the overall height of the equipment and also makes the position of the inlet and outlet 490 lower, making it suitable for various picking scenarios.

[0090] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, since there are two second sides, the lifting member 140 can be provided with two step portions 510 for supporting and limiting the second side, thereby facilitating the support and limiting of the material pallet 120 and meeting the needs of the lifting member 140 to lift the material pallet 120.

[0091] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the substrate may be provided with a vertical plate, and the top of the vertical plate may be provided with a step portion 510, thereby satisfying the need to provide the step portion 510, while reserving space between the two vertical plates to facilitate the arrangement of other structures of the exchange mechanism 130.

[0092] Reference Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the exchange mechanism 130 may include a second translation component 330. The second translation component 330 includes a translation seat 340 slidably connected to the lifting member 140 and a second power component 350 for driving the translation seat 340 to translate. The translation seat 340 is provided with a first translation component 220 and a first power component 250. The first translation component 220 is used to install the translation member 150, and the first power component 250 is used to drive the translation member 150 to move. The direction of movement of the translation seat 340 is parallel to the direction of movement of the translation member 150.

[0093] It is easy to understand that by setting the translation seat 340, the present invention can expand the movement range of the translation component 150 to meet the needs of moving the material pallet 120 in and out, overcome the problem of the mismatch between the stroke of the translation component 150 and the specifications of the material pallet 120, and at the same time avoid increasing the external dimensions of the lifting component 140.

[0094] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the second power assembly 350 may include a transmission belt 360 fixedly connected to the translation seat 340, at least two support rollers 370 supporting the transmission belt 360, and a power motor that drives the transmission belt 360 to move, wherein the power motor is connected to one of the support rollers 370.

[0095] It is easy to understand that by setting up a transmission belt 360 and fixing the transmission belt 360 to the translation seat 340, the present invention can expand the movement range of the translation seat 340, while not increasing the space occupied by the second power component 350, making the structure of the exchange mechanism 130 more compact and occupying less space.

[0096] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the lifting member 140 may be equipped with a position sensor and the translation seat 340 may be equipped with a sensing plate. When the translation seat 340 moves and the sensing plate passes the position sensor, the power motor can be controlled to stop to avoid excessive movement of the translation seat 340.

[0097] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the moving direction of the translation seat 340 may be limited by a limiting pin or a limiting block to rigidly prevent the translation seat 340 from moving and to prevent the translation seat 340 from touching the support roller 370.

[0098] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the lifting member 140 may be provided with two sets of mounting blocks 390 for mounting the support roller 370. The mounting block 390 is provided with a side-opening mounting groove 400, and a second slider 410 is provided in the side-opening mounting groove 400. The second slider 410 is provided with mounting holes for accommodating the end of the support roller 370. The opening directions of the side-opening mounting grooves 400 of the two sets of mounting blocks 390 are arranged opposite to each other. The mounting block 390 is provided with an adjusting bolt 420 for connecting the second slider 410.

[0099] It is easy to understand that the present invention can change the position of the second slider 410 by adjusting the tightness of the bolt 420, thereby fine-tuning the position and orientation of the support roller 370, reducing the risk of the transmission belt 360 deviating. At the same time, fine-tuning the support roller 370 also reduces the risk of touching the translation seat 340.

[0100] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the lifting member 140 may be provided with an opening for accommodating the transmission belt 360 to pass through vertically, and the bottom of the opening may be provided with a tensioning pulley group 430 for tensioning the transmission belt 360 and a tensioning bracket for mounting the tensioning pulley group 430.

[0101] It is easy to understand that by setting an opening, and by setting a tensioning wheel assembly 430 and a tensioning bracket, the present invention also facilitates the tensioning of the transmission belt 360, thereby improving the transmission accuracy and reliability.

[0102] The bottom of the opening is equipped with a tensioning wheel assembly 430 and a tensioning bracket, which can make full use of the space at the bottom of the substrate, reduce the space occupied in the horizontal direction, and facilitate the arrangement.

[0103] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the tensioning pulley assembly 430 may include two side tensioning pulleys and one middle tensioning pulley. The two side tensioning pulleys support the transmission belt 360 to prevent the transmission belt 360 from contacting the opening. At the same time, the transmission belt 360 hugs the middle tensioning pulley, causing the transmission belt 360 to bend within the effective space, so as to control the tension of the transmission belt 360.

[0104] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, one of the two side tensioning pulleys can be moved closer together, thereby actively adjusting the tension of the transmission belt 360.

[0105] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the power motor can be directly connected to the intermediate tensioning wheel, thereby hiding the power motor at the bottom of the base plate of the lifting member 140 and reducing the space occupied at the top of the base plate.

[0106] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the translation member 150 may include a translation rod 180, the two ends of which are used to form a latching portion 160, and the material tray 120 is correspondingly provided with a latching portion 170.

[0107] It is easy to understand that by using the translation rod 180, the position and number of the buckles can be changed in order to push and pull the material tray 120 in a balanced manner.

[0108] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the switching mechanism 130 may further include a first translation component 220, which includes two parallel first guide rails 230. The extension direction of the first guide rails 230 is perpendicular to the extension direction of the translation rod 180. The first guide rails 230 are provided with a first slider 240, which is fixedly connected to the translation rod 180.

[0109] It is easy to understand that by setting the first guide rail 230 and the first slider 240, the present invention can limit the movement of the translation rod 180 and reduce the movement difference between the two ends of the translation rod 180.

[0110] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the exchange mechanism 130 may further include a first power component 250, which is used to drive the translation rod 180 to translate.

[0111] Specifically, the first power assembly 250 includes a first rotating component 260 and a first power component that drives the first rotating component 260 to rotate. The first rotating component 260 is provided with an eccentric transmission pin 270.

[0112] Correspondingly, the translation rod 180 is fitted with a transmission sleeve 280, and the transmission sleeve 280 is provided with a rotation positioning hole 290 for accommodating the eccentric transmission pin 270.

[0113] Therefore, when the first rotating component 260 rotates, the eccentric transmission pin 270 revolves around the rotation center of the first rotating component 260, and the eccentric transmission pin 270 generates a vertical displacement. One displacement causes the transmission sleeve 280 to move along the translation rod 180, and another position causes the transmission sleeve 280 and the translation rod 180 to move along the first guide rail 230 to meet the needs of pushing and pulling the material tray 120.

[0114] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the first rotating member 260 can be cantilevered, with one end of the first rotating member 260 forming a rotation center and the other end of the first rotating member 260 being provided with an eccentric transmission pin 270.

[0115] It is easy to understand that by setting up a cantilever-shaped first rotating member 260, the present invention can reduce the space occupied, facilitate rotation, and facilitate limiting, so as to control the rotation angle and the movement stroke of the translation member 150.

[0116] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the first power assembly 250 may further include a limiting bracket 300, which is provided with a front limiting pin 310 and a rear limiting pin 320. The front limiting pin 310 and the rear limiting pin 320 are used to abut against the first rotating member 260 to limit the rotation angle of the first rotating member 260, for example, to rotate the first rotating member 260 by 180 degrees, so that the travel of the translation member 150 is greater than or equal to the rotation diameter of the eccentric transmission pin 270.

[0117] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the transmission sleeve 280 can be located between two sliders connecting the translation rod 180. The two sliders are used to install the translation rod 180. The two sliders are the first slider 240. This makes reasonable use of space and meets the needs of the two ends of the translation rod 180 for transmission push and pull. At the same time, it also makes the transmission sleeve 280 less likely to come loose.

[0118] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the translation rod 180 may be provided with a transmission groove that cooperates with the eccentric transmission pin 270, the length direction of the cross section of the transmission groove being perpendicular to the translation direction of the translation rod 180, or the length direction of the cross section of the transmission groove being provided along the extension direction of the translation rod 180.

[0119] Reference Figure 9The present invention also aims to provide a feeding method, applicable to any one of the feeders, the feeder including a translation seat 340 disposed on the lifting member 140, the translation seat 340 being disposed on the translation member 150, the moving direction of the translation seat 340 being parallel to the moving direction of the translation member 150; The material supply methods include: Step 1: Drive the lifting component 140 to rise or fall, so that the latching part 160 enters the bayonet part 170; Step 2: Control the movement of the translation seat 340 to drive the translation component 150 to move, so that the latching part 160 pushes the locking part 170 to transfer the material tray 120. Step 3: Control the translation component 150 to move relative to the translation seat 340, so that the latching part 160 continues to push the locking part 170, further transferring the material pallet 120.

[0120] Steps two and three can be performed simultaneously or sequentially. The order of execution can be either step two first and then step three, or step three first and then step two.

[0121] Specifically, it can be: control the translation seat 340 to move, thereby driving the translation component 150 to move, so that the latching part 160 pushes the locking part 170 to transfer the material tray 120; then, control the translation component 150 to move relative to the translation seat 340, so that the latching part 160 continues to push the locking part 170 to further transfer the material tray 120. Alternatively, the translation component 150 can be controlled to move relative to the translation seat 340, causing the latching part 160 to push the locking part 170 to transfer the material tray 120. Then, the translation seat 340 can be controlled to move, thereby driving the translation component 150 to move, so that the latching part 160 continues to push the locking part 170 to further transfer the material tray 120. Alternatively, the translation seat 340 and the translation component 150 can be controlled to move in the same direction, so that the latching part 160 pushes the locking part 170 to transfer the material tray 120.

[0122] For specific action forms, please refer to Figures 1 to 8 Structural understanding.

[0123] When the material pallet 120 is transferred to the lifting member 140, the feeding method of the present invention further includes: the lifting member 140 rises to raise the material pallet 120 to the inlet / outlet 490, so that the robot can pick up the material.

[0124] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples" are used to indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0125] The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc. (if present) in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms can be used interchangeably where appropriate so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in a sequence other than that illustrated or described herein.

[0126] It should also be noted that in the description of this specification, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations.

[0127] Furthermore, the terms “comprising,” “having,” and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may also include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0128] Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0129] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A feeder, characterized in that, include: The storage bin (100) has a plurality of storage positions (110), which are arranged vertically. The storage positions (110) are used to store material trays (120), and the material trays (120) are used to carry materials. The exchange mechanism (130) includes a lifting member (140) and a translation member (150) that moves up and down with the lifting member (140). One of the translation member (150) and the material tray (120) is provided with a latching part (160) and the other is provided with a locking part (170). When the lifting member (140) is raised or lowered, the latching part (160) can move in and out of the latching part (170) in the vertical direction. When the latching part (160) is located inside the latching part (170), the latching part (160) and the latching part (170) abut in the horizontal direction to drive the material tray (120) to switch between the storage position (110) and the lifting part (140); The translation component (150) includes a translation rod (180), the two ends of which are used to form the latching part (160), and the material tray (120) is correspondingly provided with the latching part (170). The exchange mechanism (130) further includes a first power component (250), which is used to drive the translation rod (180) to translate. The first power assembly (250) includes a first rotating component (260) and a first power component that drives the first rotating component (260) to rotate. The first rotating component (260) is provided with an eccentric transmission pin (270). The translation rod (180) is slidably fitted with a transmission sleeve (280), and the transmission sleeve (280) is provided with a rotation positioning hole (290) for accommodating the eccentric transmission pin (270). The exchange mechanism (130) includes a second translation component (330), which includes a translation seat (340) slidably connected to the lifting member (140) and a second power component (350) for driving the translation seat (340) to translate. The translation seat (340) is provided with a first translation component (220) and a first power component (250). The first translation component (220) is used to install the translation member (150). The direction of movement of the translation seat (340) is parallel to the direction of movement of the translation member (150). The material pallet (120) includes a pallet body (190), a notch (200) is provided on one side of the pallet body (190), and a latch block (210) is provided on each of the two opposite sides of the notch (200). The latch block (210) is provided with a latch portion (170), and the latch portions (170) of the two latch blocks (210) are arranged opposite to each other; and / or, the exchange mechanism (130) further includes a first translation component (220), the first translation component (220) includes two parallel first guide rails (230), the extension direction of the first guide rails (230) is perpendicular to the extension direction of the translation rod (180), the first guide rails (230) are provided with a first slider (240), and the first slider (240) is fixedly connected to the translation rod (180). The material pallet (120) includes a pallet body (190), which has a first side and a second side. The first side is provided with the latch (170), and the second side is disposed separately from the first side. The second side is provided with a material tray limiting edge (500), which can be adjusted to the interior position of the pallet body (190). And / or, there are two second sides, and the lifting member (140) is provided with two step portions (510) for supporting and limiting the second side.

2. The feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first rotating component (260) is cantilevered, with one end of the first rotating component (260) forming a rotation center, and the other end of the first rotating component (260) being provided with the eccentric transmission pin (270). The first power assembly (250) further includes a limiting bracket (300), which is provided with a front limiting pin (310) and a rear limiting pin (320). The front limiting pin (310) and the rear limiting pin (320) are used to abut against the first rotating member (260) to limit the rotation angle of the first rotating member (260). And / or, the transmission sleeve (280) is located between two first sliders (240) that connect the translation rod (180), the two first sliders (240) being used to mount the translation rod (180).

3. A feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second power assembly (350) includes a drive belt (360) fixedly connected to the translation seat (340), at least two support rollers (370) supporting the drive belt (360), and a power motor that drives the drive belt (360) to move. The power motor is connected to one of the support rollers (370). The lifting component (140) is provided with two sets of mounting blocks (390) for mounting the support roller (370). The mounting block (390) is provided with a side-opening mounting groove (400). The side-opening mounting groove (400) is provided with a second slider (410). The second slider (410) is provided with a mounting hole for accommodating the end of the support roller (370). The opening directions of the side-opening mounting grooves (400) of the two sets of mounting blocks (390) are arranged opposite to each other. The mounting block (390) is provided with an adjusting bolt (420) for connecting the second slider (410). And / or, the lifting member (140) is provided with an opening for the transmission belt (360) to pass through vertically, and the bottom of the opening is provided with a tensioning wheel assembly (430) for tensioning the transmission belt (360) and a tensioning bracket for mounting the tensioning wheel assembly (430).

4. A feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The exchange mechanism (130) includes a lead screw assembly (440) that drives the lifting member (140) to rise and fall, and a drive motor (450) connected to the lead screw assembly (440) via belt drive. The lifting member (140) is provided with a clearance opening (460) for accommodating the drive motor (450). And / or, the feeder includes a housing (470) housing the storage bin (100) and the exchange mechanism (130), the housing (470) being provided with a door (480) located on the side of the storage bin (100) facing away from the exchange mechanism (130), and the top of the housing (470) being provided with an inlet / outlet (490) located on the top of the exchange mechanism (130).

5. A feeding method, characterized in that, The feeder is applied to any one of claims 1 to 4, the feeder including a translation seat (340) disposed on the lifting member (140), the translation seat (340) disposing of the translation member (150), the moving direction of the translation seat (340) being parallel to the moving direction of the translation member (150); The feeding method includes: Drive the lifting member (140) to rise or fall, so that the latching part (160) enters the bayonet part (170). The translation seat (340) is controlled to move, thereby driving the translation member (150) to move, so that the latching part (160) pushes the locking part (170) to transfer the material tray (120). Then, the translation member (150) is controlled to move relative to the translation seat (340), so that the latching part (160) continues to push the locking part (170) to further transfer the material tray (120). Alternatively, the translation member (150) can be controlled to move relative to the translation seat (340), causing the latching part (160) to push the locking part (170) to transfer the material tray (120). Then, the translation seat (340) can be controlled to move, thereby driving the translation member (150) to move, so that the latching part (160) continues to push the locking part (170) to further transfer the material tray (120). Alternatively, the translation seat (340) and the translation member (150) can be controlled to move in the same direction, so that the latching part (160) pushes the locking part (170) to transfer the material tray (120).

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