Automatic detection and replacement device and method for bad bricks

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of brick production equipment, and discloses a bad brick automatic detection and replacement device and method, which comprises a brick conveyor, a visual detection mechanism, a brick replacement manipulator, a first jacking mechanism and a second jacking mechanism; the visual detection mechanism, the first jacking mechanism and the second jacking mechanism are sequentially arranged on the brick conveyor along the conveying direction, the visual detection mechanism is located above the brick conveyor, and a brick conveying channel is formed between the visual detection mechanism and the brick conveyor; the two sides of the brick conveyor are each provided with the first jacking mechanism and the second jacking mechanism, and the brick replacement manipulator is arranged outside the first jacking mechanism and the second jacking mechanism on any one side. The present application has the advantage that automatic detection and replacement of bad bricks can be realized during the conveying of bricks by the brick conveyor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of brick production equipment technology, specifically to an automatic brick detection and replacement device and method for replacing damaged bricks. Background Technology

[0002] After curing, the bricks need to be transported to a stacking line to automatically stack them into piles, facilitating subsequent transportation and storage. For example, a brick stacking line is disclosed in Chinese invention patent application CN202610508750.2, filed on April 17, 2026. However, in actual production, some bricks may become damaged. To avoid affecting their subsequent use, damaged bricks need to be promptly removed. Currently, bricks on pallets are usually inspected manually, and damaged bricks are manually replaced. However, manual inspection requires a large investment of manpower, has high production costs, and workers are prone to missing damaged bricks due to visual fatigue. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an automatic brick detection and replacement device and method for bricks, which can automatically detect and replace bricks during the brick conveying process. This solves the problems of existing manual inspection, which requires a large amount of manpower, has high production costs, and is prone to missing bricks due to visual fatigue.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: In one aspect, an automatic brick detection and replacement device for damaged bricks includes a brick conveyor, a vision inspection mechanism, a brick replacement robot, a first lifting mechanism, and a second lifting mechanism. The visual inspection mechanism, the first lifting mechanism, and the second lifting mechanism are sequentially arranged on the brick conveyor along the conveying direction. The visual inspection mechanism is located above the brick conveyor, and a brick feeding channel is formed between the visual inspection mechanism and the brick conveyor. The first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism are provided on both sides of the brick conveyor, and the brick-changing robot is located outside the first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism on either side. The spare brick slab is lifted to the top of the brick conveyor by either the first lifting mechanism or the second lifting mechanism. When the visual inspection mechanism detects a bad brick, it controls the other of the first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism to lift the slab of bricks containing the bad brick to the top of the brick conveyor, and controls the brick-changing robot to replace the bad brick.

[0005] Furthermore, both the first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism include a support structure, a movable body, a pallet support component, and a lifting drive assembly; The support structure is located on the outside of the brick conveyor. The movable body is movably mounted on the support structure. The lifting drive component is connected to the movable body and drives the movable body to move up and down. The pallet support is connected to the movable body and is located on the side closer to the brick conveyor. An active space is formed between the support structure and the brick conveyor for the pallet support to descend to a position lower than the pallet. The two first lifting mechanisms or the two second lifting mechanisms share a single lifting drive assembly.

[0006] Furthermore, the lifting drive assembly includes a drive motor, a transmission shaft, a transmission belt, a first pulley, a second pulley, a first connecting rod, and a second connecting rod; The transmission shaft is rotatably mounted at the lower part of the brick conveyor, the drive motor is fixed at the lower part of the brick conveyor, the first pulley is connected to the output end of the drive motor, the second pulley is located in the middle of the transmission shaft, and the transmission belt is connected between the first pulley and the second pulley; one end of the first connecting rod is fixedly connected to the transmission shaft, the other end of the first connecting rod is rotatably connected to one end of the second connecting rod, and the other end of the second connecting rod is rotatably connected to the bottom of the movable body.

[0007] Furthermore, at least two first lifting limit rollers are rotatably provided on both ends of the active body, and a lifting limit groove is formed on the support structure at the position corresponding to the first lifting limit roller along the vertical direction, and the first lifting limit roller is rotatably assembled in the lifting limit groove.

[0008] Furthermore, the active body is provided with at least two second lifting limit rollers at both ends on the side opposite to the support plate, and each second lifting limit roller is in rolling contact with the support structure.

[0009] Furthermore, both the first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism are provided with a positioning mechanism for positioning the raised pallet at the upper middle part of their opposite ends. The positioning mechanism includes a positioning support on the support structure, a first positioning component on the positioning support for positioning the end wall of the pallet, and a second positioning component on the positioning support for positioning the side wall of the pallet; the first positioning component includes a plurality of first positioning rollers that gradually approach the first lifting mechanism or the second lifting mechanism from bottom to top; the second positioning component includes a plurality of second positioning rollers that gradually approach the middle position of the brick conveyor from bottom to top.

[0010] Furthermore, at least one blocking mechanism is provided on the brick conveyor at the discharge end position corresponding to the first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism. The blocking mechanism includes a fixed support, an adjustable support, an adjusting component, and a blocking cylinder; the fixed support is fixed on the brick conveyor, the adjustable support is connected to the fixed support through the adjusting component, the blocking cylinder is set on the adjustable support, and the movable end of the blocking cylinder is set upward; the position of the blocking cylinder is adjusted by the adjusting component.

[0011] Furthermore, the brick conveyor includes a first conveyor and a second conveyor arranged sequentially along the conveying direction, a visual inspection mechanism is located above the first conveyor, and a first lifting mechanism and a second lifting mechanism are provided on both sides of the second conveyor; The second conveyor includes a frame, belt drive assemblies located on both sides of the frame, and a belt drive assembly that drives the belt drive assemblies.

[0012] Furthermore, the two first lifting mechanisms lift the entire slab of spare bricks above the brick conveyor. When the visual inspection mechanism detects a defective brick, it controls the two second lifting mechanisms to lift the entire slab of bricks containing the defective brick above the brick conveyor.

[0013] Secondly, a brick-replacing method for an automatic brick detection and replacement device for damaged bricks, the method comprising the following steps: The spare brick slab is pre-lifted above the brick conveyor by either the first lifting mechanism or the second lifting mechanism. The brick conveyor transports the slabs of bricks to be stacked to the visual inspection mechanism for visual inspection. When no bad bricks are detected on the pallet, the brick conveyor is controlled to transport the slabs of bricks directly to the stacking production line. When a defective brick is detected on the pallet, the vision inspection mechanism identifies its location and transmits this information to the brick-replacing robot. Simultaneously, the brick conveyor transports the slab of bricks containing the defective brick to one of the first and second lifting mechanisms, and controls the other lifting mechanism to raise the slab to a position level with the spare brick. Based on the defective brick's location, the brick-replacing robot first removes the defective brick, then grabs the spare brick and places it in the location of the removed defective brick. After the defective brick is replaced, the other lifting mechanism lowers the replaced slab of bricks, and the brick conveyor transports it to the palletizing line.

[0014] By adopting the above-described technical solution of the present invention, at least the following beneficial effects are achieved: 1. It can automatically detect and replace bad bricks during the process of transporting bricks using a brick conveyor, which can effectively solve the problems of existing manual inspection, which requires a large amount of manpower, has high production costs, and is prone to missing bad bricks due to visual fatigue.

[0015] 2. By rotating and setting multiple first lifting limit rollers on both ends of the main body, and setting lifting limit grooves on the support structure to cooperate with the first lifting limit rollers; at the same time, multiple second lifting limit rollers are rotated and set on both ends of the outer side of the main body, and the second lifting limit rollers are made to roll in contact with the support structure; by adopting the above structural design, the lifting and lowering movement of the main body can be reliably limited, thereby ensuring the stability of the main body when it drives the bricks to rise and fall.

[0016] 3. By installing blocking mechanisms at the discharge ends of both the first and second lifting mechanisms on the brick conveyor, when the first or second lifting mechanism needs to lift a whole slab of bricks to the required height, the blocking mechanism can stop the pallet supporting the bricks accurately at the required position, thus ensuring that the first or second lifting mechanism can accurately lift the whole slab of bricks. At the same time, positioning mechanisms are installed in the upper middle part of the opposite ends of the first and second lifting mechanisms, so that the positioning mechanism can accurately position the pallet during the lifting of the whole slab of bricks, thus ensuring that the brick changing robot can more reliably replace defective bricks. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is an overall structural diagram of an automatic brick detection and replacement device for damaged bricks according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is one of the assembly structure diagrams (with a support plate) of the first lifting mechanism, the second lifting mechanism, and the second conveyor of the present invention. Figure 3 This is the second assembly structure diagram of the first lifting mechanism, the second lifting mechanism, and the second conveyor of the present invention (excluding the pallet). Figure 4 for Figure 3 A magnified view of part A in the middle; Figure 5 The following are detailed structural diagrams of the first and second lifting mechanisms of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the blocking mechanism of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a structural diagram of the brick-changing robot of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of the visual inspection mechanism of the present invention.

[0018] Figure label: pallet 100; Brick conveyor 1, first conveyor 11, second conveyor 12, frame 121, belt drive assembly 122, belt drive assembly 123; Visual inspection mechanism 2, brick feeding channel 21, outer cover 22, support frame 23, camera module 24, supplementary light 25; 3. Brick changing robot arm; 31. Base; 32. Rotating component; 33. Mechanical auxiliary arm; 34. Brick suction cup; 35. Mechanical main arm; 36. Rotating head. First lifting mechanism 4; Second lifting mechanism 5; Support structure 61, lifting and limiting slide 611, movable body 62, pallet support 63, lifting drive assembly 64, drive motor 641, transmission shaft 642, transmission belt 643, first pulley 644, second pulley 645, first connecting rod 646, second connecting rod 647, first lifting and limiting roller 65, second lifting and limiting roller 66; Blocking mechanism 7, fixed support 71, bolt support 711, adjusting clearance slot 712, adjusting support 72, long strip adjusting slot 721, adjusting component 73, tightening bolt 731, locking bolt 732, blocking cylinder 74. Positioning mechanism 8, positioning support 81, first positioning component 82, first positioning roller 821, second positioning component 83, second positioning roller 831. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions in 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 some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Example 1

[0020] Please see the appendix Figures 1 to 8 As shown, the present invention provides an automatic brick replacement device for detecting and replacing defective bricks, including a brick conveyor 1, a vision inspection mechanism 2, a brick replacement robot 3, a first lifting mechanism 4, and a second lifting mechanism 5; wherein: the brick conveyor 1 is used to convey a pallet 100 and the bricks on the pallet 100 forward together; the vision inspection mechanism 2 is used to visually inspect the bricks on the pallet 100 to determine whether there are defective bricks on the pallet 100; the brick replacement robot 3 is used to replace the defective bricks on the pallet 100; one of the first lifting mechanism 4 and the second lifting mechanism 5 is used to lift the entire slab of spare bricks to the required height, and the other is used to lift the entire slab of bricks with defective bricks to the required height position, so that the brick replacement robot 3 can replace the defective bricks.

[0021] The visual inspection mechanism 2, the first lifting mechanism 4, and the second lifting mechanism 5 are sequentially arranged on the brick conveyor 1 along the conveying direction. The visual inspection mechanism 2 is located above the brick conveyor 1, forming a brick feeding channel 21 between the visual inspection mechanism 2 and the brick conveyor 1, allowing the pallet 100 supporting bricks to pass through the brick feeding channel 21, and enabling the visual inspection mechanism 2 to visually inspect the bricks on the pallet 100. The first lifting mechanism 4 and the second lifting mechanism 5 are provided on both sides of the brick conveyor 1, and the brick changing robot 3 is arranged on either side of the first lifting mechanism 4 and the second lifting mechanism 5. The outer side of mechanism 5 ensures that the brick-changing robot 3 does not affect the operation of the first lifting mechanism 4 and the second lifting mechanism 5. During operation, either the first lifting mechanism 4 or the second lifting mechanism 5 lifts the entire slab of spare bricks above the brick conveyor 1. The spare bricks are used to replace the bad bricks when they are detected. When the visual inspection mechanism 2 detects a bad brick, it controls the other of the first lifting mechanism 4 and the second lifting mechanism 5 to lift the entire slab of bricks with the bad bricks above the brick conveyor 1 and controls the brick-changing robot 3 to replace the bad bricks.

[0022] This invention, by sequentially arranging a visual inspection mechanism 2, a first lifting mechanism 4, and a second lifting mechanism 5 along the conveying direction on a brick conveyor 1, and simultaneously arranging a brick-changing robot 3 on the outer side of either the first lifting mechanism 4 or the second lifting mechanism 5, allows for the use of either the first lifting mechanism 4 or the second lifting mechanism 5 to lift the entire slab of spare bricks to the required height. Furthermore, when the visual inspection mechanism 2 detects a defective brick, the other lifting mechanism 4 or the second lifting mechanism 5 can be used to lift the entire slab containing the defective brick to the required height, and the brick-changing robot 3 can be controlled to replace the defective brick with a spare brick. Therefore, by adopting the above-mentioned technical solution of this invention, automatic detection and replacement of defective bricks can be achieved during the brick conveyor 1's brick transport process. This effectively solves the problems of existing manual inspection methods, which require a large amount of manpower, have high production costs, and are prone to missing defective bricks due to visual fatigue.

[0023] In the specific operation of the automatic defective brick detection and replacement device of the present invention, after the spare bricks have been used up, either the first lifting mechanism 4 or the second lifting mechanism 5 can be used to lower the pallet 100 onto the brick conveyor 1, so that the brick conveyor 1 can automatically transport the pallet 100 to the required position. At the same time, either the first lifting mechanism 4 or the second lifting mechanism 5 can be used to lift the whole slab of bricks without defective bricks on the brick conveyor 1 as spare bricks to the required height. When the other of the first lifting mechanism 4 and the second lifting mechanism 5 is controlled to lift the whole slab of bricks with defective bricks above the brick conveyor 1, if there are no defective bricks on the subsequently transported pallet 100, the brick conveyor 1 is controlled to continue transporting the whole slab of bricks without defective bricks without waiting, thereby helping to improve production efficiency.

[0024] In some embodiments of the present invention, please refer to the following: Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in order to facilitate the lifting of the entire slab of bricks conveyed by the brick conveyor 1 to the required height during use, or to place the lifted slab of bricks and pallet 100 onto the brick conveyor 1, the first lifting mechanism 4 and the second lifting mechanism 5 both include a support structure 61, a movable body 62, a pallet support 63 and a lifting drive assembly 64. The support structure 61 is located on the outside of the brick conveyor 1. The movable body 62 is movably mounted on the support structure 61. The lifting drive assembly 64 is connected to the movable body 62 and drives the movable body 62 to move up and down, so that the first lifting mechanism 4 and the second lifting mechanism 5 can lift the bricks to the required height. The pallet support 63 is connected to the movable body 62 and is located on the side close to the brick conveyor 1. An active space is formed between the support structure 61 and the brick conveyor 1, allowing the pallet support 63 to descend to a position lower than the pallet 100, so that the pallet support 63 can lift the pallet 100 upward when needed.

[0025] In the specific operation of the first lifting mechanism 4 and the second lifting mechanism 5 of the present invention, when it is necessary to use the first lifting mechanism 4 or the second lifting mechanism 5 to lift the pallet 100 supporting bricks upward, the moving body 62 is first driven by the lifting drive assembly 64 to lower the pallet support member 63 to a position below the pallet 100. After the brick conveyor 1 transports the pallet 100 supporting bricks above the pallet support member 63, the moving body 62 is driven by the lifting drive assembly 64 to raise the pallet support member 63, so that the pallet support member 63 can lift the pallet 100 supporting bricks to the required position. Similarly, when it is necessary to lower the pallet 100 supporting bricks or the pallet 100 to the brick conveyor 1, the moving body 62 is driven by the lifting drive assembly 64 to lower the pallet support member 63 to the lowest position, so that the pallet 100 can be supported on the brick conveyor 1, and no longer supported on the pallet support member 63.

[0026] In some embodiments of the present invention, the two first lifting mechanisms 4 or the two second lifting mechanisms 5 share a lifting drive assembly 64. Specifically, the two first lifting mechanisms 4 and the two second lifting mechanisms 5 can share a lifting drive assembly 64. This can ensure the synchronization of the two first lifting mechanisms 4 and the two second lifting mechanisms 5 during operation, thereby improving the stability of the bricks during the lifting process. It also helps to reduce the complexity of the entire lifting mechanism and reduce the implementation cost.

[0027] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, the lifting drive assembly 64 includes a drive motor 641, a transmission shaft 642, a transmission belt 643, a first pulley 644, a second pulley 645, a first connecting rod 646, and a second connecting rod 647. The transmission shaft 642 is rotatably mounted on the lower part of the brick conveyor 1, the drive motor 641 is fixed on the lower part of the brick conveyor 1, the first pulley 644 is connected to the output end of the drive motor 641, the second pulley 645 is located in the middle of the transmission shaft 642, and the transmission belt 643 is connected between the first pulley 644 and the second pulley 645; one end of the first connecting rod 646 is fixedly connected to the transmission shaft 642, the other end of the first connecting rod 646 is rotatably connected to one end of the second connecting rod 647, and the other end of the second connecting rod 647 is rotatably connected to the bottom of the movable body 62. When the lifting drive assembly 64 is working, the drive motor 641 outputs power to drive the first pulley 644 to rotate. During the rotation of the first pulley 644, the transmission belt 643 drives the second pulley 645 and the transmission shaft 642 to rotate together. When the transmission shaft 642 rotates, it drives the first connecting rod 646 to move together. The first connecting rod 646 is connected to the bottom of the movable body 62 through the second connecting rod 647. Therefore, when the first connecting rod 646 moves, it can drive the movable body 62 to move up and down.

[0028] In some embodiments of the present invention, at least two first lifting limit rollers 65 are rotatably provided on both end faces of the movable body 62, and lifting limit grooves 611 are formed on the support structure 61 along the vertical direction at the positions corresponding to the first lifting limit rollers 65, with the first lifting limit rollers 65 rotatably assembled within the lifting limit grooves 611. As a specific embodiment of the present invention, one first lifting limit roller 65 can be rotatably provided on the upper and lower parts of each end face of the movable body 62.

[0029] Furthermore, at least two second lifting limit rollers 66 are rotatably provided at both ends of the movable body 62 on the side facing away from the tray support member 63, and each second lifting limit roller 66 is in rolling contact with the support structure 61. As a specific embodiment of the present invention, one second lifting limit roller 66 can be rotatably provided at the upper and lower parts of each end of the movable body 62 on the side facing away from the tray support member 63.

[0030] This invention features multiple first lifting and limiting rollers 65 rotatably mounted on both ends of the movable body 62, and lifting and limiting grooves 611 on the support structure 61 for cooperating with the first lifting and limiting rollers 65. Simultaneously, multiple second lifting and limiting rollers 66 are rotatably mounted on both ends of the outer side of the movable body 62, and the second lifting and limiting rollers 66 are in rolling contact with the support structure 61. By adopting the above structural design, reliable limiting of the lifting and lowering movement of the movable body 62 can be effectively achieved, thereby ensuring the stability of the movable body 62 when driving the bricks to rise and fall.

[0031] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, in order to better support the pallet 100, the pallet support member 63 is an L-shaped plate.

[0032] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first lifting mechanism 4 and the second lifting mechanism 5 are each provided with a positioning mechanism 8 for positioning the raised pallet 100 at the upper middle part of one end that is far apart from the other. The positioning mechanism 8 includes a positioning support 81 disposed on the support structure 61, a first positioning component 82 disposed on the positioning support 81 for positioning the end wall of the pallet 100, and a second positioning component 83 disposed on the positioning support 81 for positioning the side wall of the pallet 100. In specific implementation of the present invention, the length of the pallet support 63 needs to be less than the length of the pallet 100 to ensure that during the process of the first lifting mechanism 4 and the second lifting mechanism 5 driving the pallet 100 to rise, the end of the pallet 100 can contact the first positioning component 82 and the second positioning component 83 to achieve positioning, while the pallet support 63 will not contact the positioning mechanism 8 at all. The first positioning component 82 includes a plurality of first positioning rollers 821 that gradually approach the first lifting mechanism 4 or the second lifting mechanism 5 from bottom to top, and the first positioning rollers 821 are arranged close to each other, that is, the two first positioning components 82 located on the same side of the brick conveyor 1 can form a structure that is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. Specifically, the first positioning component 82 can be designed to include three first positioning rollers 821; the second positioning component 83 includes a plurality of second positioning rollers 831 that gradually approach the middle position of the brick conveyor 1 from bottom to top, and the second positioning rollers 831 are arranged close to each other, that is, the two second positioning components 83 located at the rear end of the first lifting mechanism 4 along the conveying direction and the middle position of the brick conveyor 1. The two second positioning components 83 located at the front end of the second lifting mechanism 5 also form a structure that is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. Specifically, the second positioning component 83 can be designed to include three second positioning rollers 831. As a specific embodiment of the present invention, the first positioning roller 821 and the second positioning roller 831 can both be bearings, and the inner ring of the bearing is fixedly connected to the positioning support 81. When the first lifting mechanism 4 or the second lifting mechanism 5 lifts the pallet 100 upward, the outer ring of the bearing can roll in contact with the pallet 100. Of course, the bearing is only one specific embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this. In specific implementation, other roller structures can also be used according to actual needs. By adopting the specific structural design of the positioning mechanism 8 of the present invention, during the process of lifting the pallet 100 supporting the bricks upward using the first lifting mechanism 4 or the second lifting mechanism 5, the rear end of the pallet 100 can be positioned using the two first positioning components 82 corresponding to the two rear ends of the first lifting mechanism 4, and the two second positioning components 83 corresponding to the two rear ends of the first lifting mechanism 4 can be positioned using the two sides of the pallet 100. Similarly, the rear end of the pallet 100 can be positioned using the two first positioning components 82 corresponding to the two front ends of the second lifting mechanism 5, and the two sides of the pallet 100 can be positioned using the two second positioning components 83 corresponding to the two front ends of the second lifting mechanism 5. This achieves precise positioning of the pallet 100, ensuring that the brick-changing robot 3 can reliably replace the damaged bricks based on their position information.

[0033] In some embodiments of the present invention, at least one blocking mechanism 7 is provided on the brick conveyor 1 at the discharge end position corresponding to the first lifting mechanism 4 and the second lifting mechanism 5. The blocking mechanism 7 is used to block the pallet 100 (bricks are supported on the pallet 100) conveyed by the brick conveyor 1, so that the pallet 100 can be reliably stopped at the required position. In specific implementation of the present invention, two blocking mechanisms 7 can be provided at the middle of the discharge end position corresponding to the first lifting mechanism 4 and the second lifting mechanism 5 on the brick conveyor 1 to ensure that the pallet 100 can be stopped at the required position more stably during use.

[0034] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, the blocking mechanism 7 includes a fixed support 71, an adjusting support 72, an adjusting component 73, and a blocking cylinder 74. The fixed support 71 is fixed to the brick conveyor 1, the adjusting support 72 is connected to the fixed support 71 through the adjusting component 73, and the blocking cylinder 74 is disposed on the adjusting support 72 with its movable end facing upward. The position of the blocking cylinder 74 is adjusted by the adjusting component 73. During operation, when the movable end of the blocking cylinder 74 extends upward, it can block the pallet 100 conveyed by the brick conveyor 1; when the movable end of the blocking cylinder 74 retracts downward, it cannot block the pallet 100 conveyed by the brick conveyor 1. It should be noted that the blocking cylinder 74, also known as a stop cylinder or a stroke-determining cylinder, is a very common type of cylinder in the prior art. In the specific implementation of the present invention, the required blocking cylinder 74 can be directly selected from the prior art. Of course, the above is only one specific embodiment of the blocking mechanism 7 of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In specific implementation, other blocking mechanisms can be used according to actual needs, as long as they can block the pallet 100 conveyed by the brick conveyor 1 when needed.

[0035] In a specific implementation of the present invention, the adjusting component 73 specifically includes a tightening bolt 731 and a locking bolt 732. Both sides of the adjusting support 72 are provided with elongated adjusting grooves 721, each elongated adjusting groove 721 is equipped with a locking bolt 732, and the locking bolt 732 passes through the elongated adjusting groove 721 and locks the adjusting support 72 and the fixed support 71 together. The front end of the fixed support 71 is provided with a bolt support 711, and one end of the tightening bolt 731 passes through the bolt support 711 and abuts against the end wall of the adjusting support 72. Simultaneously, the fixed support 71 has an adjusting clearance slot 712 at the position corresponding to the blocking cylinder 74, so that the blocking cylinder 74 can move together with the adjusting support 72 during adjustment. When it is necessary to fine-tune the position of the blocking cylinder 74 along the conveying direction of the pallet 100, simply loosen the locking bolt 732, then rotate the tightening bolt 731, and move the adjusting support 72 and the blocking cylinder 74 together to the desired position. Finally, tighten the locking bolt 732 and rotate the tightening bolt 731 so that one end of the tightening bolt 731 abuts against the end wall of the adjusting support 72.

[0036] This invention provides blocking mechanisms 7 at the discharge ends of the brick conveyor 1 corresponding to the first lifting mechanism 4 and the second lifting mechanism 5. During actual use, when the first lifting mechanism 4 or the second lifting mechanism 5 needs to lift a whole slab of bricks to the required height, the blocking mechanisms 7 act as a barrier, ensuring that the pallet 100 supporting the bricks stops accurately at the desired position. This ensures that the first lifting mechanism 4 or the second lifting mechanism 5 can accurately lift the entire slab of bricks upwards. Simultaneously, positioning mechanisms 8 are provided at the upper middle part of the ends of the first lifting mechanism 4 and the second lifting mechanism 5 that are far apart from each other. This allows the positioning mechanisms 8 to accurately position the pallet 100 during the lifting process, ensuring that the brick-changing robot 3 can more reliably replace damaged bricks.

[0037] In some embodiments of the present invention, the brick conveyor 1 includes a first conveyor 11 and a second conveyor 12 arranged sequentially along the conveying direction, and the output end of the first conveyor 11 is connected to the input end of the second conveyor 12 to ensure that the first conveyor 11 can convey the pallet 100 supporting the bricks to the second conveyor 12; the visual inspection mechanism 2 is located above the first conveyor 11, and the second conveyor 12 is provided with a first lifting mechanism 4 and a second lifting mechanism 5 on both sides; The second conveyor 12 includes a frame 121, belt drive assemblies 122 disposed on both sides of the frame 121, and belt drive assembly 123 that drives the belt drive assemblies 122. The belt drive assemblies 122 and 123 are commonly used components in the art, and their specific structures and working principles are well known to those skilled in the art, so they will not be described in detail here. By adopting the specific structural design of the second conveyor 12, it is possible to convey the pallet 100 supporting bricks, and it is also convenient to set a blocking mechanism 7 between the two belt drive assemblies 122 so that the blocking mechanism 7 can block the pallet 100 when needed.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the two first lifting mechanisms 4 lift the entire slab of spare bricks to the top of the brick conveyor 1. When the visual inspection mechanism 2 detects a bad brick, it controls the two second lifting mechanisms 5 to lift the entire slab of bricks with the bad bricks to the top of the brick conveyor 1. In a specific implementation of the present invention, the two second lifting mechanisms 5 can be controlled to lift the entire slab of bricks with the bad bricks to a position level with the spare bricks, so that the brick-changing robot arm 3 can perform the brick-changing operation.

[0039] As one specific embodiment of the present invention, please refer to the following: Figure 8As shown, the visual inspection mechanism 2 includes an outer cover 22 disposed above the brick conveyor 1 along the width direction of the brick conveyor 1, and a support frame 23 disposed on both sides of the brick conveyor 1 and connected to the outer cover 22. The bottom of the outer cover 22 is open, and a camera module 24 is disposed on the inner top wall of the outer cover 22. A supplementary light 25 is disposed on the inner side wall of the outer cover 22. In specific implementation, one or more camera modules 24 and supplementary lights 25 can be set according to actual needs. During operation, the camera module 24 takes pictures of the bricks passing through the brick feeding channel 21 and detects bad bricks, and the supplementary light 25 is used to provide supplementary lighting.

[0040] As one specific embodiment of the present invention, please refer to the following: Figure 7 As shown, the brick-changing robot 3 includes a base 31, a rotating assembly 32, a mechanical auxiliary arm 33, a brick suction cup 34, a mechanical main arm 35, and a rotating head 36. The mechanical auxiliary arm 33 is connected to the base 31 through the mechanical main arm 35 and the rotating assembly 32. The brick suction cup 34 is connected to the free end of the mechanical auxiliary arm 33 through the rotating head 36. Among them, the rotating assembly 32, the mechanical auxiliary arm 33, the brick suction cup 34, the mechanical main arm 35, and the rotating head 36 are all commonly used mechanisms in the field, and their specific structures and working principles are well known to those skilled in the art. Therefore, they will not be described in detail here. In actual operation, the brick-changing robot 3 can use the mechanical auxiliary arm 33 to drive the rotating head 36 and the brick suction cup 34 to pick up and place bricks. The rotating head 36 can drive the brick suction cup 34 to rotate. At the same time, the rotating component 32 can drive the main mechanical arm 35, the mechanical auxiliary arm 33, the rotating head 36 and the brick suction cup 34 to rotate together to the required position. For example, after the brick suction cup 34 picks up a bad brick, the rotating component 32 can drive the main mechanical arm 35, the mechanical auxiliary arm 33, the rotating head 36 and the brick suction cup 34 to rotate to the required angle, so that the mechanical auxiliary arm 33 can drive the rotating head 36 and the brick suction cup 34 to place the bad brick in the designated position. Example 2

[0041] Please see the appendix Figures 1 to 8 As shown, the present invention discloses a brick-replacing method using an automatic brick-detecting and brick-replacing device for damaged bricks. The specific structure and technical effects of the automatic brick-detecting and brick-replacing device for damaged bricks are exactly the same as in Embodiment 1. Please refer to the detailed description of Embodiment 1 for further details, which will not be repeated here. The method includes the following steps: The spare brick slab is pre-lifted above the brick conveyor 1 by either the first lifting mechanism 4 or the second lifting mechanism 5, so that the subsequent brick replacement robot arm 3 can grab the spare brick to replace the bad brick. The brick conveyor 1 transports the whole slab of bricks to be stacked to the visual inspection mechanism 2 for visual inspection to determine whether there are bad bricks on the pallet 100. When it is detected that there are no bad bricks on the pallet 100, the brick conveyor 1 controls the brick conveyor 1 to transport the whole slab of bricks directly to the stacking production line for stacking. When a defective brick is detected on pallet 100, the vision inspection mechanism 2 identifies the location of the defective brick and transmits the location information to the brick-changing robot 3. Simultaneously, the brick conveyor 1 transports the slab of bricks containing the defective brick to one of the first lifting mechanism 4 and the second lifting mechanism 5, and controls the other lifting mechanism 4 and the other lifting mechanism 5 to lift the slab of bricks containing the defective brick to a position level with the spare brick. Based on the location information of the defective brick, the brick-changing robot 3 is first controlled to remove the defective brick. Specifically, the brick-changing robot 3 can be used to place the defective brick in a designated position, and then the brick-changing robot 3 is controlled to grab the spare brick and place it in the position where the removed defective brick was located. After the defective brick is replaced, the other lifting mechanism 4 and the other lifting mechanism 5 are controlled to lower the replaced slab of bricks, and the brick conveyor 1 transports the replaced slab of bricks to the palletizing line.

[0042] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, the first lifting mechanism 4 lifts the entire slab of spare bricks above the brick conveyor 1. When the visual inspection mechanism 2 detects a defective brick on the pallet 100, the brick conveyor 1 transports the entire slab of bricks containing the defective brick to the second lifting mechanism 5, which then lifts the entire slab of bricks containing the defective brick to a position level with the spare bricks, so that the brick-changing robot 3 can replace the defective brick. After the spare bricks are used up, the first lifting mechanism 4 lowers the pallet 100 onto the brick conveyor 1, which then automatically transports the pallet 100 to the required position. The first lifting mechanism 4 then lifts the entire slab of bricks without defective bricks on the brick conveyor 1 as spare bricks to the required height. When the second lifting mechanism 5 lifts the slab of bricks containing defective bricks above the brick conveyor 1, if there are no defective bricks on the subsequent pallet 100, the brick conveyor 1 continues to transport the slab of bricks without defective bricks to the stacking line; if there are defective bricks, the slab of bricks is placed below the spare bricks to wait. Simultaneously, when the first lifting mechanism 4 or the second lifting mechanism 5 needs to lift the pallet 100 containing bricks, the blocking mechanism 7 first blocks the pallet 100 to be lifted, ensuring it stops precisely at the required position. During the lifting process, the positioning mechanism 8 positions the ends and sides of the pallet 100, fixing its position after lifting, thus facilitating the precise replacement of defective bricks by the brick-changing robot 3 based on their location information.

[0043] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An automatic brick detection and replacement device for damaged bricks, characterized in that, Includes a brick conveyor, a vision inspection mechanism, a brick-changing robot, a first lifting mechanism, and a second lifting mechanism; The visual inspection mechanism, the first lifting mechanism, and the second lifting mechanism are sequentially arranged on the brick conveyor along the conveying direction. The visual inspection mechanism is located above the brick conveyor, and a brick feeding channel is formed between the visual inspection mechanism and the brick conveyor. The first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism are provided on both sides of the brick conveyor, and the brick-changing robot is located outside the first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism on either side. The spare brick slab is lifted to the top of the brick conveyor by either the first lifting mechanism or the second lifting mechanism. When the visual inspection mechanism detects a bad brick, it controls the other of the first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism to lift the slab of bricks containing the bad brick to the top of the brick conveyor, and controls the brick-changing robot to replace the bad brick.

2. The automatic brick detection and replacement device for damaged bricks according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the first and second lifting mechanisms include a support structure, a movable body, a pallet support, and a lifting drive assembly; The support structure is located on the outside of the brick conveyor. The movable body is movably mounted on the support structure. The lifting drive component is connected to the movable body and drives the movable body to move up and down. The pallet support is connected to the movable body and is located on the side closer to the brick conveyor. An active space is formed between the support structure and the brick conveyor for the pallet support to descend to a position lower than the pallet. The two first lifting mechanisms or the two second lifting mechanisms share a single lifting drive assembly.

3. The automatic brick detection and replacement device for damaged bricks according to claim 2, characterized in that, The lifting drive assembly includes a drive motor, a transmission shaft, a transmission belt, a first pulley, a second pulley, a first connecting rod, and a second connecting rod; The transmission shaft is rotatably mounted at the lower part of the brick conveyor, the drive motor is fixed at the lower part of the brick conveyor, the first pulley is connected to the output end of the drive motor, the second pulley is located in the middle of the transmission shaft, and the transmission belt is connected between the first pulley and the second pulley; one end of the first connecting rod is fixedly connected to the transmission shaft, the other end of the first connecting rod is rotatably connected to one end of the second connecting rod, and the other end of the second connecting rod is rotatably connected to the bottom of the movable body.

4. The automatic brick detection and replacement device according to claim 2, characterized in that, At least two first lifting limit rollers are rotatably provided on both ends of the active body. The support structure has a lifting limit groove formed along the vertical direction at the position corresponding to the first lifting limit roller. The first lifting limit roller is rolled and assembled in the lifting limit groove.

5. The automatic brick detection and replacement device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The active body is equipped with at least two second lifting limit rollers at both ends on the side opposite to the support plate, and each second lifting limit roller is in rolling contact with the support structure.

6. The automatic brick detection and replacement device according to claim 2, characterized in that, Both the first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism are provided with a positioning mechanism for positioning the raised pallet at the upper middle part of their opposite ends. The positioning mechanism includes a positioning support on the support structure, a first positioning component on the positioning support for positioning the end wall of the pallet, and a second positioning component on the positioning support for positioning the side wall of the pallet; the first positioning component includes a plurality of first positioning rollers that gradually approach the first lifting mechanism or the second lifting mechanism from bottom to top; the second positioning component includes a plurality of second positioning rollers that gradually approach the middle position of the brick conveyor from bottom to top.

7. The automatic brick detection and replacement device for damaged bricks according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least one blocking mechanism is provided on the brick conveyor at the discharge end position corresponding to the first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism. The blocking mechanism includes a fixed support, an adjustable support, an adjusting component, and a blocking cylinder; the fixed support is fixed on the brick conveyor, the adjustable support is connected to the fixed support through the adjusting component, the blocking cylinder is set on the adjustable support, and the movable end of the blocking cylinder is set upward; the position of the blocking cylinder is adjusted by the adjusting component.

8. The automatic brick detection and replacement device for damaged bricks according to claim 1, characterized in that, The brick conveyor includes a first conveyor and a second conveyor arranged sequentially along the conveying direction. A visual inspection mechanism is located above the first conveyor, and a first lifting mechanism and a second lifting mechanism are provided on both sides of the second conveyor. The second conveyor includes a frame, belt drive assemblies located on both sides of the frame, and a belt drive assembly that drives the belt drive assemblies.

9. The automatic brick detection and replacement device for damaged bricks according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spare brick slab is lifted to the top of the brick conveyor by the two first lifting mechanisms. When the visual inspection mechanism detects a bad brick, the two second lifting mechanisms are controlled to lift the slab of bricks containing the bad brick to the top of the brick conveyor.

10. A brick-replacing method based on the automatic brick detection and replacement device for damaged bricks according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps: The spare brick slab is pre-lifted above the brick conveyor by either the first lifting mechanism or the second lifting mechanism. The brick conveyor transports the slabs of bricks to be stacked to the visual inspection mechanism for visual inspection. When no bad bricks are detected on the pallet, the brick conveyor is controlled to transport the slabs of bricks directly to the stacking production line. When a defective brick is detected on the pallet, the vision inspection mechanism identifies its location and transmits this information to the brick-replacing robot. Simultaneously, the brick conveyor transports the slab of bricks containing the defective brick to one of the first and second lifting mechanisms, and controls the other lifting mechanism to raise the slab to a position level with the spare brick. Based on the defective brick's location, the brick-replacing robot first removes the defective brick, then grabs the spare brick and places it in the location of the removed defective brick. After the defective brick is replaced, the other lifting mechanism lowers the replaced slab of bricks, and the brick conveyor transports it to the palletizing line.

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