Automatic lug supplying and hanging device for water heater liner production

Abstract

The application relates to an automatic lug supplying and hoisting device for water heater liner production and relates to the field of automatic lug supplying and hoisting devices. The device comprises a rack, an X-direction track is fixedly installed on the upper end surface of the rack, a movable seat is slidably installed on the X-direction track, an electric cylinder one for driving the movable seat to move leftward and rightward is fixedly installed on the rack, a double-lug magazine is fixedly installed on the front end surface of the movable seat, the head of the double-lug magazine is fixed to the two ends of the movable seat, an auxiliary frame is also fixedly installed on the rack, and a Y-direction track is fixedly installed on the upper end surface of the auxiliary frame. The double-lug magazine is alternately supplied with the structure design, in the process of supplying one group of magazines, an operator can pre-supply another group of empty magazines, the whole supplying process does not need to stop and wait for the supply, the continuity of the water heater liner lug supply is greatly improved, the continuous production rhythm of the welding station can be matched, and the overall production efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of automatic lifting lug supply equipment, and in particular to an automatic lifting lug supply equipment for the production of water heater inner tanks. Background Technology

[0002] In the production of water heater inner tanks, the lifting lugs, as key connecting components, need to be welded to the side of the inner tank. Traditionally, lifting lugs are mostly fed manually or via simple mechanical conveying, resulting in low efficiency and poor positioning accuracy. Early lifting lug feeding relied heavily on manual placement of each lug to the welding positioning station, a method that was not only labor-intensive and costly but also inefficient, failing to meet the demands of large-scale mass production. In recent years, automated welding technology has developed rapidly, but the lug feeding process still relies on manual intervention, especially when the lug body and connecting end are designed at acute angles. The conflict between stacking and storage and the loading posture becomes a bottleneck restricting automated production. The industry commonly uses vibratory feeders or robotic arms for gripping, but neither can resolve the conflict between stacking and storage and horizontal loading requirements for acute-angled lifting lugs.

[0003] Meanwhile, the existing devices have poor magazine positioning for the lifting lugs. The lugs, relying on self-overlapping, are prone to tilting and misalignment when placed inside the magazine. This frequently leads to problems with the suction mechanism failing to pick up the material or picking it up at an angle. An angled lifting lug, placed at the welding station, will have an incorrect posture, causing welding position deviations and resulting in scrap. Although some devices use magnetic suction for material picking, they lack a detection mechanism for the lifting lugs. This means that empty suction failures cannot be detected in time, leading to incomplete welding in subsequent stations, further increasing scrap rates and rework costs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the issues of poor stability and low processing efficiency of existing lifting lug feeding equipment, this application provides an automatic lifting lug feeding device for the production of water heater inner tanks.

[0005] The automatic lifting lug supply device for the production of water heater inner tanks provided in this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] An automatic lifting lug supply device for producing water heater inner tanks includes a frame. An X-axis rail is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the frame. A movable seat is slidably installed on the X-axis rail. An electric cylinder is fixedly installed on the frame to drive the movable seat to move left and right. A double lifting lug magazine is fixedly installed on the front end of the movable seat. The head of the double lifting lug magazine is fixed to both ends of the movable seat. An auxiliary frame is also fixedly installed on the frame. A Y-axis rail is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the auxiliary frame. A dispensing component is slidably installed on the Y-axis rail. An electric cylinder is fixedly installed on the auxiliary frame to drive the dispensing component to move. A suction component is slidably installed on the dispensing component. An electric cylinder is fixedly installed on the dispensing component to drive the suction component to lift and lower. The lower end of the suction component can pass through the auxiliary frame and extend into the double lifting lug magazine to absorb the lifting lugs. A push-out component supporting the lifting and lowering of the lifting lugs is provided below the double lifting lug magazine. The push-out component is slidably connected to the frame. An electric cylinder is fixedly installed on the frame to drive the push-out component to lift and lower.

[0007] By adopting the above technical solution, the horizontal position switching of the double-ear magazine can be realized through the X-axis track and the movement of the movable seat driven by the first electric cylinder. This meets the needs of alternating material supply from the double magazines, eliminating the need for machine stoppage for refueling, ensuring the continuity of the material supply process, and significantly improving overall production efficiency. The double-ear magazine can stack dozens of lifting ears to be supplied at one time, reducing the number of refueling operations and effectively reducing the labor intensity of operators. The Y-axis track and the movement of the delivery component driven by the second electric cylinder can drive the suction component with the lifted ear to move stably to the set delivery position, automatically completing the delivery of the lifting ear. With the lifting and lowering of the suction component driven by the third electric cylinder, the lifting ear is accurately removed from the double-ear magazine. The overall automation level is high, and no manual intervention is required for material handling. The ejection component is lifted and lowered by the fourth electric cylinder, which can lift the stacked lifting ears layer by layer from the bottom of the double-ear magazine, ensuring that the topmost lifting ear is always at a set height that is easy to pick up, facilitating material removal by the suction component.

[0008] Optionally, the frame includes a base frame, an upright frame, and a protective back plate. The upright frame is vertically fixed to the rear end face of the base frame, and the height of the upright frame is greater than the height of the base frame. The protective back plate is fixedly installed on the rear end face of the upright frame. A Z-axis rail for sliding installation of the ejection assembly is vertically installed on the front end face of the protective back plate, and the Z-axis rail is fixedly connected to the protective back plate.

[0009] By adopting the above technical solution, the frame is divided into three parts: the base frame, the upright frame, and the protective back plate. The overall structure adopts a layered layout, which is reasonable in terms of stress and has strong equipment operation stability. The protective back plate not only protects the electrical wiring and drive components behind it, preventing operators from accidentally touching them, but also integrates a Z-axis rail to provide guidance for the lifting and sliding of the ejector components. The structure has a high degree of integration and does not require additional independent guide supports, which effectively simplifies the overall equipment structure and reduces the equipment manufacturing cost.

[0010] Optionally, the movable seat includes a top plate and a slide base shell that is slidably mounted on the X-axis track. The top plate is fixedly mounted on the upper end face of the slide base shell, and the top plate has a positioning screw hole for mounting a double-ear magazine. The double-ear magazine is fixedly connected to the top plate by bolts.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, the movable seat is divided into a top plate and a sliding base shell, which has good sliding stability and strong load-bearing capacity. The top plate is provided with positioning screw holes, which facilitates the positioning, installation, disassembly and maintenance of the double lifting lug magazine. When it is necessary to produce inner liner of different specifications or replace the lifting lug magazine of the corresponding size, the disassembly and assembly are convenient and no modification is required to the main body of the equipment. This greatly improves the adaptability of the equipment and can meet the needs of multi-specification production.

[0012] Optionally, the double-ear magazine includes a base plate and two sets of stacked ear shells. The two sets of stacked ear shells are respectively installed on both sides of the upper surface of the base plate, and the lower end of the stacked ear shell is fixedly connected to the base plate. The head of the stacked ear shell is fixedly connected to the top plate. The base plate is provided with an ejection groove for the ejection assembly to be inserted.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, the double-ear magazine is equipped with two independent stacked ear shells, which are arranged on both sides of the base plate. It can store two sets of lifting ears at the same time, realizing an alternating operation mode of one set of material supply and the other set of material replenishment in advance. The base plate has a top-out slot for each set of stacked ear shells, which makes it convenient for the top-out component to insert and lift the lifting ear from below. The structure has good adaptability and a high degree of matching with the action logic of the top-out component, and no action conflict will occur.

[0014] Optionally, the stacked ear shell includes a first limiting vertical shell and a second vertical shell, which are arranged opposite to each other. The ejection groove is disposed between the first limiting vertical shell and the second vertical shell. A rectangular vertical groove with a limiting lug width is formed on the inner side of the first limiting vertical shell, and an arc vertical groove with a limiting lug narrow portion is formed on the inner side of the second vertical shell.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, the stacked ear shell is composed of a first limiting vertical shell and a second vertical shell corresponding to the wide and narrow parts of the lifting ear, respectively. Rectangular vertical grooves and arc vertical grooves are respectively opened, which can pre-limit the stacked lifting ears in accordance with the shape structure of the water heater lifting ears, avoid large-scale skew and misalignment when the lifting ears are stacked, ensure the stability of the stacked lifting ears, facilitate subsequent ejection and suction operations, and reduce the probability of the lifting ears getting stuck in the stacked ear shell.

[0016] Optionally, the auxiliary frame includes a guide shell, a vertical shell assembly, and a horizontal frame plate. The guide shell is slidably mounted on the upper end face of the base frame, and a horizontal groove is provided on the rear end face of the guide shell for the base plate to be slidably mounted. The vertical shell assembly is vertically fixed on the upper end face of the guide shell, and the horizontal frame plate is fixedly mounted on the head of the vertical shell assembly, and an auxiliary groove is provided on the horizontal frame plate for the suction assembly to pass through.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solution, the guide shell of the auxiliary frame is provided with a horizontal sliding groove, which provides additional guidance and limit for the X-axis movement of the double-ear magazine, further improving the stability of the moving seat and the double-ear magazine movement process, and avoiding swaying during long-distance movement. The horizontal frame plate is provided with an auxiliary groove, which provides clearance and auxiliary guidance for the lifting and absorbing action of the absorbing assembly, further limiting the swing amplitude of the absorbing assembly and ensuring the accuracy of the absorbing position.

[0018] Optionally, the delivery assembly includes a stabilizing slide, an extension plate, a positioning seat, and a longitudinal shell for sliding installation of the suction assembly. The stabilizing slide is slidably installed on a Y-axis track. The extension plate is disposed on the upper surface of the stabilizing slide, and one end of the extension plate is fixedly connected to the stabilizing slide. The positioning seat is vertically fixed to the upper end of the other end of the extension plate, and a safety suspension spring for suspending the suction assembly is also installed on the positioning seat. The longitudinal shell is fixedly installed on one side of the positioning seat.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, the stable slide of the delivery component slides along the Y-axis track, with smooth movement and high positioning accuracy. The safety suspension spring can provide flexible suspension and buffer for the suction component, avoiding hard collisions when the suction component moves downward and contacts the lifting lug, which would damage the lifting lug and equipment components, effectively improving the service life of the equipment. The longitudinal shell provides a stable lifting guide for the suction component, further ensuring the accuracy of the suction position and improving the success rate of the lifting lug suction.

[0020] Optionally, the suction assembly includes a slider seat, a housing, a top electric cylinder, a metal plate, and a proximity switch. The slider seat is slidably mounted in the longitudinal housing, and the top of the slider seat is connected to a safety suspension spring. The housing is fixedly mounted on the lower end face of the slider seat. The top electric cylinder is vertically fixed on the upper end of the housing, and a magnet is fixedly mounted on the output end of the top electric cylinder. The metal plate is fixedly mounted on the lower end of the magnet, and the proximity switch is vertically fixed on the housing.

[0021] By adopting the above technical solution, the top electric cylinder drives the metal plate to rise and fall, which can extend the metal plate to attract iron lifting lugs. The material is picked up by magnetic attraction, which eliminates the need for additional complex clamping structures. The overall structure is simple, the material is picked up quickly, and the surface of the lifting lugs will not be scratched, ensuring the appearance quality of the lifting lugs. The proximity switch can detect in real time whether the lifting lugs have been successfully attracted. When the lifting lugs are detected, they can be transported and transferred. If the lifting lugs are not detected, an alarm can be sent to the control system in time to remind the staff to deal with it, avoiding empty attraction and subsequent welding station problems, effectively improving the production qualification rate and reducing rework costs.

[0022] Optionally, the device housing includes a main housing, a secondary housing, a tapered guide post, and an outer ear plate for mounting a proximity switch. The lower end face of the main housing has an auxiliary bottom groove for a metal plate to pass through. The secondary housing is fixedly mounted on one side of the main housing, and the outer ear plate is fixedly mounted on the outer side of the secondary housing.

[0023] By adopting the above technical solution, the equipment shell integrates a conical guide post. The conical guide post can correct the slightly tilted lifting lug during the lifting process, gradually adjusting the originally tilted lifting lug to a plane that fits the metal plate. This ensures that the lifting lug's posture after lifting meets the positioning requirements of the welding station, avoiding welding misalignment caused by incorrect posture. The outer lug plate facilitates the installation and fixing of the proximity switch without requiring additional modifications to the main housing. Disassembly and maintenance are convenient, and the operation is easy when replacing the proximity switch later.

[0024] Optionally, the ejection assembly includes a sliding plate, a movable frame, a stationary plate, and a transverse pusher plate that mates with the ejection slot. The sliding plate is slidably mounted on the front end face of the Z-axis track, the movable frame is fixedly mounted on the front end face of the sliding plate, the stationary plate is vertically fixed on the front end face of the movable frame, and the transverse pusher plate is embedded and fixed in the head of the stationary plate.

[0025] By adopting the above technical solution, the slide plate of the ejection component slides along the Z-axis track, the lifting and lowering movement is smooth, the ejection accuracy is high, the lateral pusher plate and the ejection groove cooperate with each other, and can extend from the bottom of the stacked ear shell to lift the entire stack of lifting ears. The layer-by-layer lifting accuracy is high, the structure is fully adapted to the layout of the double lifting ear magazine, the movement process will not interfere with other parts of the magazine, the load-bearing capacity is strong, and it can stably lift the entire stack of lifting ears.

[0026] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0027] This invention employs a dual-lever magazine alternating feeding structure, allowing operators to replenish empty magazines in advance while one set of magazines is feeding. The entire feeding process requires no machine downtime for replenishment, significantly improving the continuity of the water heater inner tank lifting lug feeding. This matches the continuous production rhythm of the welding station, increasing overall production efficiency while reducing operator workload. Furthermore, the equipment boasts a high degree of automation; all moving parts are electrically driven, ensuring high control precision and fast response. It easily integrates with existing automated welding production lines for water heater inner tanks, meeting the demands of continuous batch production. The equipment is also easy to maintain and disassemble, allowing for quick replacement of different specifications of lifting lug magazines to suit the production needs of various inner tank sizes, demonstrating strong adaptability.

[0028] This invention, through the pre-limiting shape of the stacked ear shell and the conical guiding structure of the suction component, can perform two posture corrections on the stacked lifting ears, ensuring that the posture accuracy of the lifting ears after suction meets the welding requirements, avoiding welding defects caused by ear skew and misalignment, and significantly improving the qualified rate of lifting ear feeding. At the same time, with the presence or absence detection of the proximity switch, it can promptly detect the empty suction fault, avoid the problem of empty welding from the root, and reduce rework costs and scrap losses.

[0029] The ejection assembly of this invention adopts a retractable and retractable structure design. When the double-lug magazine switches positions in the X direction, the ejection assembly can descend and exit the lower end of the magazine in advance, without interfering with the movement of the magazine. This ensures the smoothness and safety of the position switching, reduces the probability of equipment jamming and collision damage, effectively extends the service life of the equipment, and reduces equipment maintenance costs. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the overall structure in the embodiments of this application.

[0031] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Side view of the device shown.

[0032] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the double-eared magazine, auxiliary frame, delivery component, and suction component in combination according to the embodiments of this application.

[0033] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Side view of the device shown.

[0034] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the frame and ejector assembly in the embodiments of this application.

[0035] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 Front view of the device shown.

[0036] Figure 7This is a perspective view of the double-lug magazine in the embodiments of this application.

[0037] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 Front view of the device shown.

[0038] Figure 9 yes Figure 7 Top view of the device shown.

[0039] Figure 10 This is a perspective view of the dispensing component and the suction component working together in the embodiments of this application.

[0040] Figure 11 yes Figure 10 Side view of the device shown.

[0041] Figure 12 yes Figure 10 Top view of the device shown.

[0042] Figure 13 yes Figure 10 Side view of the device shown.

[0043] Figure 14 This is a perspective view of the Z-axis track and the ejector assembly in the embodiments of this application.

[0044] Figure 15 This is a perspective view of the ejector component in the embodiments of this application.

[0045] Figure 16 This is a perspective view of the suction component in the embodiments of this application.

[0046] Figure 17 yes Figure 16 The device shown is viewed from below.

[0047] Figure 18 yes Figure 16 Front view of the device shown.

[0048] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Frame; 10. X-axis rail; 11. Base frame; 12. Vertical frame; 13. Protective back plate; 130. Z-axis rail; 2. Movable seat; 21. Top plate; 22. Slide base shell; 3. Double-ear magazine; 31. Base plate; 311. Top ejection slot; 32. Stacked ear shell; 321. First limiting vertical shell; 322. Second vertical shell; 4. Auxiliary frame; 40. Y-axis rail; 41. Guide shell; 42. Vertical shell assembly; 43. Horizontal frame plate; 431. Auxiliary 5. Slot; 6. Dispensing assembly; 7. Stabilizing slide; 8. Extension plate; 9. Positioning seat; 10. Safety suspension spring; 11. Longitudinal shell; 12. Suction assembly; 23. Slider seat; 34. Equipment shell; 45. Main shell; 56. Secondary shell; 77. Conical guide post; 88. Outer ear plate; 99. Top electric cylinder; 100. Metal plate; 11. Proximity switch; 12. Ejection assembly; 13. Slide plate; 14. Moving frame; 15. Standing plate; 16. Lateral push ear plate. Detailed Implementation

[0049] The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0050] This application discloses an automatic lifting lug supply device for the production of water heater inner tanks. (Refer to...) Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 14An automatic lifting lug supply device for producing water heater inner tanks includes a frame 1. An X-axis rail 10 is fixedly mounted on the upper surface of the frame 1. A movable seat 2 is slidably mounted on the X-axis rail 10. An electric cylinder is fixedly mounted on the frame 1 to drive the movable seat 2 to move left and right. A double lifting lug magazine 3 is fixedly mounted on the front end of the movable seat 2, with its head fixed to both ends of the movable seat 2. An auxiliary frame 4 is also fixedly mounted on the frame 1. A Y-axis rail 40 is fixedly mounted on the upper surface of the auxiliary frame 4. A sliding lug magazine 3 is mounted on the Y-axis rail 40. The machine is equipped with a dispensing component 5. An electric cylinder 2 that drives the dispensing component 5 to move is fixedly installed on the auxiliary frame 4. A suction component 6 is slidably installed on the dispensing component 5. An electric cylinder 3 that drives the suction component 6 to lift and lower is also fixedly installed on the dispensing component 5. The lower end of the suction component 6 can pass through the auxiliary frame 4 and extend into the double-ear magazine 3 to attract the lifting ears. A push-out component 7 that supports the lifting ears to lift and lower is provided below the double-ear magazine 3. The push-out component 7 is slidably connected to the frame 1. An electric cylinder 4 that drives the push-out component 7 to lift and lower is fixedly installed on the frame 1. The X-axis track 10, in conjunction with the electric cylinder, drives the movable seat 2 to move, enabling the horizontal position switching of the double-ear magazine 3. This meets the need for alternating feeding of the two magazines without requiring machine downtime for refueling, ensuring the continuity of the feeding process and significantly improving overall production efficiency. The double-ear magazine 3 can stack dozens of lifting ears to be supplied at once, reducing the number of refueling operations and effectively reducing the labor intensity of operators. The Y-axis track 40, in conjunction with the electric cylinder, drives the dispensing component 5 to move, which in turn drives the suction component 6, which has already picked up the lifting ear, to the set dispensing position, automatically completing the dispensing of the lifting ear. The three-drive suction component 6 lifts and lowers precisely to retrieve material from the double-ear magazine 3. The overall automation level is high, and no manual intervention is required for material handling. The ejection component 7 is lifted and lowered by a four-wheel drive electric cylinder. It can lift the stacked ear pieces layer by layer from the bottom of the double-ear magazine 3, ensuring that the top ear is always at a set height for easy retrieval. This facilitates material retrieval by the suction component 6. At the same time, when the double-ear magazine 3 needs to switch positions in the X direction, the ejection component 7 can quickly descend and exit the magazine, avoiding movement interference with the magazine and ensuring the safety and smoothness of the workstation switching without any jamming issues. The frame 1 includes a base frame 11, a vertical frame 12, and a protective back plate 13. The vertical frame 12 is vertically fixed to the rear end face of the base frame 11, and the height of the vertical frame 12 is greater than the height of the base frame 11. The protective back plate 13 is fixedly installed on the rear end face of the vertical frame 12. The front end face of the protective back plate 13 is vertically mounted with a Z-axis rail 130 for sliding installation of the ejection assembly 7. The Z-axis rail 130 is fixedly connected to the protective back plate 13.The frame 1 is divided into three parts: the base frame 11, the upright frame 12, and the protective back plate 13. The overall structure adopts a layered layout, which is reasonable in terms of stress and has strong stability in equipment operation. The protective back plate 13 not only protects the electrical wiring and drive components behind it to prevent operators from accidentally touching them, but also integrates the Z-axis rail 130 to provide a guide for the lifting and sliding of the ejector assembly 7. The structure has a high degree of integration and does not require additional independent guide brackets, which effectively simplifies the overall equipment structure and reduces the equipment manufacturing cost.

[0051] Reference Figure 4 The movable base 2 includes a top plate 21 and a sliding base shell 22 slidably mounted on the X-axis track 10. The top plate 21 is fixedly mounted on the upper end face of the sliding base shell 22, and the top plate 21 has positioning screw holes for mounting the double-ear magazine 3. The double-ear magazine 3 is fixedly connected to the top plate 21 by bolts. The movable base 2 consists of a top plate 21 and a sliding base shell 22, which has good sliding stability and strong load-bearing capacity. The positioning screw holes on the top plate 21 facilitate the positioning, installation, disassembly, and maintenance of the double-ear magazine 3. When it is necessary to produce inner liner of different specifications or replace the corresponding size of the lifting magazine, the disassembly and assembly are convenient and no modification to the main body of the equipment is required, which greatly improves the adaptability of the equipment and can meet the needs of multi-specification production.

[0052] Reference Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Figure 9The double-ear magazine 3 includes a base plate 31 and two sets of stacked ear shells 32. The two sets of stacked ear shells 32 are respectively installed on both sides of the upper surface of the base plate 31, and the lower end of the stacked ear shells 32 is fixedly connected to the base plate 31. The head of the stacked ear shells 32 is fixedly connected to the top plate 21. The base plate 31 has an ejection slot 311 for the ejection assembly 7 to be inserted. The double-ear magazine 3 has two independent sets of stacked ear shells 32, which are respectively arranged on both sides of the base plate 31. It can store two sets of ear shells at the same time, realizing an alternating operation mode of one set of material feeding and the other set of material replenishment in advance. The base plate 31 has an ejection slot 311 for each set of stacked ear shells 32, which makes it convenient for the ejection assembly 7 to insert and lift the ear from below. The structure has good adaptability and a high degree of matching with the action logic of the ejection assembly 7, and no action conflict will occur. The stacked ear shell 32 includes a first limiting vertical shell 321 and a second vertical shell 322, which are arranged opposite to each other. A push-out groove 311 is located between the first limiting vertical shell 321 and the second vertical shell 322. A rectangular vertical groove limiting the width of the lifting ear is formed on the inner side of the first limiting vertical shell 321, and an arc-shaped vertical groove limiting the narrow portion of the lifting ear is formed on the inner side of the second vertical shell 322. The stacked ear shell 32, composed of the first limiting vertical shell 321 and the second vertical shell 322 corresponding to the width and narrow portions of the lifting ear respectively, and with rectangular and arc-shaped vertical grooves respectively, can pre-limit the stacked lifting ears according to the shape and structure of the water heater lifting ears, preventing significant skew and misalignment during stacking, ensuring the stability of the stacked lifting ears, facilitating subsequent push-out and suction operations, and reducing the probability of the lifting ears getting stuck in the stacked ear shell 32.

[0053] Reference Figure 3 The auxiliary frame 4 includes a guide shell 41, a vertical shell assembly 42, and a horizontal frame plate 43. The guide shell 41 is slidably mounted on the upper end face of the base frame 11, and a horizontal groove is provided on the rear end face of the guide shell 41 for the base plate 31 to slide on. The vertical shell assembly 42 is vertically fixed to the upper end face of the guide shell 41. The horizontal frame plate 43 is fixedly mounted on the head of the vertical shell assembly 42, and an auxiliary groove 431 is provided on the horizontal frame plate 43 for the suction assembly 6 to pass through. The horizontal groove in the guide shell 41 of the auxiliary frame 4 provides additional guidance and limitation for the X-axis movement of the double-ear magazine 3, further improving the stability of the moving base 2 and the double-ear magazine 3 during movement and preventing swaying during long-distance movement. The auxiliary groove 431 in the horizontal frame plate 43 provides clearance and auxiliary guidance for the lifting and suction action of the suction assembly 6, further limiting the swing amplitude of the suction assembly 6 and ensuring the accuracy of the suction position.

[0054] Reference Figure 10The delivery component 5 includes a stabilizing slide 51, an extension plate 52, a positioning seat 53, and a longitudinal shell 54 for sliding installation of the suction component 6. The stabilizing slide 51 is slidably installed on the Y-axis track 40. The extension plate 52 is located on the upper surface of the stabilizing slide 51, and one end of the extension plate 52 is fixedly connected to the stabilizing slide 51. The positioning seat 53 is vertically fixed to the upper end of the other end of the extension plate 52, and a safety suspension spring 531 for suspending the suction component 6 is also installed on the positioning seat 53. The longitudinal shell 54 is fixedly installed on one side of the positioning seat 53. The stabilizing slide 51 of the delivery component 5 slides smoothly along the Y-axis track 40, with high positioning accuracy. The safety suspension spring 531 provides flexible suspension and buffering for the suction component 6, preventing hard collisions when the suction component 6 moves downward and contacts the lifting lug, thus avoiding damage to the lifting lug and equipment components and effectively extending the service life of the equipment. The longitudinal shell 54 provides stable lifting guidance for the suction component 6, further ensuring the accuracy of the suction position and improving the success rate of the lifting lug.

[0055] Reference Figure 11 , Figure 12 , Figure 13 , Figure 16 , Figure 17 and Figure 18The suction assembly 6 includes a slider seat 61, a housing 62, a top electric cylinder 63, a metal plate 64, and a proximity switch 65. The slider seat 61 is slidably installed in the longitudinal housing 54, and the top of the slider seat 61 is connected to the safety suspension spring 531. The housing 62 is fixedly installed on the lower end face of the slider seat 61. The top electric cylinder 63 is vertically fixed on the upper end of the housing 62, and a magnet is fixedly installed on the output end of the top electric cylinder 63. The metal plate 64 is fixedly installed on the lower end of the magnet. The metal plate 64 is made of a material that can be attracted by the magnet (such as iron, cobalt, nickel). The proximity switch 65 is vertically fixed on the housing 62. The top electric cylinder 63 drives the metal plate 64 to rise and fall, extending the metal plate 64 to attach to the iron lifting lugs. Using magnetic adsorption, the material is picked up without the need for complex clamping structures, resulting in a simple overall structure, quick material handling, and no scratches on the surface of the lifting lugs, ensuring their appearance quality. A proximity switch 65 can detect in real time whether the lifting lug has been successfully attached. When the lug is detected, it can be transported and transferred. If the lug is not detected, an alarm is promptly sent to the control system to remind personnel to handle the situation, preventing empty welding problems in subsequent welding stations, effectively improving the production qualification rate and reducing rework costs. The equipment housing 62 includes a main housing part 621, a secondary housing part 622, a tapered guide post 623, and an outer lug plate 624 for mounting the proximity switch 65. The lower end face of the main housing part 621 has an auxiliary bottom groove for the metal plate 64 to pass through. The secondary housing part 622 is fixedly installed on one side of the main housing part 621, and the outer lug plate 624 is fixedly installed on the outer side of the secondary housing part 622. The equipment housing 62 integrates a tapered guide post 623. The tapered guide post 623 can correct the slightly tilted lifting lug during the lifting process, gradually adjusting the originally tilted lifting lug to a plane that fits the metal plate 64. This ensures that the lifting lug's posture after lifting meets the positioning requirements of the welding station, avoiding welding misalignment caused by incorrect posture. The outer ear plate 624 facilitates the installation and fixation of the proximity switch 65 without additional modification to the main housing. It is convenient for disassembly and maintenance, and easy to operate when replacing the proximity switch 65 later.

[0056] Reference Figure 14 and Figure 15The ejection assembly 7 includes a sliding plate 71, a moving frame 72, a standing plate 73, and a transverse pusher plate 74 that cooperates with the ejection slot 311. The sliding plate 71 is slidably mounted on the front end face of the Z-axis track 130, the moving frame 72 is fixedly mounted on the front end face of the sliding plate 71, the standing plate 73 is vertically fixed on the front end face of the moving frame 72, and the transverse pusher plate 74 is embedded and fixed in the head of the standing plate 73. The sliding plate 71 of the ejection assembly 7 slides along the Z-axis track 130, resulting in smooth lifting and high ejection accuracy. The transverse pusher plate 74 and the ejection slot 311 cooperate with each other to extend from the lower end of the stacked ear shell 32 to lift the entire stack of ear pieces. The layer-by-layer lifting accuracy is high, the structure is fully adapted to the layout of the double-ear magazine 3, and the movement will not interfere with other parts of the magazine. It has a strong load-bearing capacity and can stably lift the entire stack of ear pieces.

[0057] The implementation principle of the automatic lifting lug device for the production of water heater inner tanks in this application embodiment is as follows: In the initial state, one set of stacked lug shells 32 is filled with stacked lifting lugs, while the other set is empty. The ejector assembly 7 rises under the four-stage drive of the electric cylinder, and the transverse pusher plate 74 is inserted into the ejector slot 311 of the corresponding stacked lug shell 32, lifting the stacked lifting lugs layer by layer, so that the uppermost lifting lug is at the set suction height. The suction assembly 6 descends under the three-stage drive of the electric cylinder, and the conical guide post 623 first contacts the lifting lug, straightening the tilted lifting lug. Then, the top electric cylinder 63 drives the metal plate 64 to extend and absorb the lifting lug. The proximity switch 65 detects the suction. After the lifting lugs are lifted, the suction component 6 rises, and the electric cylinder 2 drives the delivery component 5 to move the lifted lugs above the welding station. The lifting lugs are then lowered to complete the delivery. After that, the delivery component 5 returns to the material collection position to wait for the next material collection. When all the lifting lugs in a set of stacked lug shells 32 are used up, the ejection component 7 descends, and the horizontal pusher plate 74 exits the ejection slot 311. The electric cylinder 1 drives the movable seat 2 to move the double lifting lug magazine 3 horizontally, moving another set of stacked lug shells 32 filled with lifting lugs to the suction station. The ejection component 7 rises to lift the lifting lugs and continue feeding. At this time, the operator can replenish the empty stacked lug shells 32 to achieve uninterrupted feeding.

[0058] The above are all preferred embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An automatic lug supply device for producing inner tanks of water heaters, comprising a frame (1), characterized in that: An X-axis rail (10) is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the frame (1). A movable seat (2) is slidably installed on the X-axis rail (10). An electric cylinder is fixedly installed on the frame (1) to drive the movable seat (2) to move left and right. A double-ear magazine (3) is fixedly installed on the front end of the movable seat (2). The head of the double-ear magazine (3) is fixed to both ends of the movable seat (2). An auxiliary frame (4) is also fixedly installed on the frame (1). A Y-axis rail (40) is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the auxiliary frame (4). A delivery component (5) is slidably installed on the Y-axis rail (40). The auxiliary frame (4) is fixedly equipped with an electric cylinder two that drives the delivery component (5) to move. The delivery component (5) is slidably equipped with a suction component (6). The delivery component (5) is also fixedly equipped with an electric cylinder three that drives the suction component (6) to lift and lower. The lower end of the suction component (6) can pass through the auxiliary frame (4) and extend into the double-ear magazine (3) to absorb the lifting ear. The double-ear magazine (3) is provided with an ejection component (7) that supports the lifting and lowering of the lifting ear. The ejection component (7) is slidably connected to the frame (1). The frame (1) is fixedly equipped with an electric cylinder four that drives the ejection component (7) to lift and lower.

2. The automatic lifting lug supply device for producing water heater inner tanks according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frame (1) includes a base frame (11), a vertical frame (12) and a protective back plate (13). The vertical frame (12) is vertically fixed to the rear end face of the base frame (11), and the height of the vertical frame (12) is greater than the height of the base frame (11). The protective back plate (13) is fixedly installed on the rear end face of the vertical frame (12). The front end face of the protective back plate (13) is vertically installed with a Z-axis rail (130) for sliding installation of the ejection assembly (7). The Z-axis rail (130) is fixedly connected to the protective back plate (13).

3. The automatic lifting lug supply device for producing water heater inner tanks according to claim 2, characterized in that: The movable seat (2) includes a top plate (21) and a slide base shell (22) that is slidably mounted on the X-axis track (10). The top plate (21) is fixedly mounted on the upper end face of the slide base shell (22), and the top plate (21) is provided with a positioning screw hole for mounting the double-ear magazine (3). The double-ear magazine (3) is fixedly connected to the top plate (21) by bolts.

4. An automatic lifting lug supply device for producing water heater inner tanks according to claim 3, characterized in that: The double-ear magazine (3) includes a base plate (31) and two sets of stacked ear shells (32). The two sets of stacked ear shells (32) are respectively installed on both sides of the upper surface of the base plate (31), and the lower end of the stacked ear shell (32) is fixedly connected to the base plate (31). The head of the stacked ear shell (32) is fixedly connected to the top plate (21). The base plate (31) is provided with an ejection groove (311) for the ejection assembly (7) to be inserted.

5. An automatic lifting lug supply device for producing water heater inner tanks according to claim 4, characterized in that: The stacked ear shell (32) includes a first limiting vertical shell (321) and a second vertical shell (322), which are arranged opposite to each other. The ejection groove (311) is arranged between the first limiting vertical shell (321) and the second vertical shell (322). A rectangular vertical groove with a limiting lug width is formed on the inner side of the first limiting vertical shell (321), and an arc vertical groove with a limiting lug narrow portion is formed on the inner side of the second vertical shell (322).

6. An automatic lifting lug supply device for producing water heater inner tanks according to claim 5, characterized in that: The auxiliary frame (4) includes a guide shell (41), a vertical shell assembly (42), and a horizontal frame plate (43). The guide shell (41) is slidably installed on the upper end face of the bottom frame base (11), and a horizontal groove for the bottom plate (31) to be slidably installed is provided on the rear end face of the guide shell (41). The vertical shell assembly (42) is vertically fixed on the upper end face of the guide shell (41). The horizontal frame plate (43) is fixedly installed on the head of the vertical shell assembly (42), and an auxiliary groove (431) for the suction assembly (6) to pass through is provided on the horizontal frame plate (43).

7. An automatic lifting lug supply device for producing water heater inner tanks according to claim 6, characterized in that: The delivery assembly (5) includes a stabilizing slide (51), an extension plate (52), a positioning seat (53), and a longitudinal shell (54) for sliding installation of the suction assembly (6). The stabilizing slide (51) is slidably installed on the Y-axis track (40). The extension plate (52) is disposed on the upper surface of the stabilizing slide (51), and one end of the extension plate (52) is fixedly connected to the stabilizing slide (51). The positioning seat (53) is vertically fixed on the upper end of the other end of the extension plate (52), and a safety suspension spring (531) for suspending the suction assembly (6) is also installed on the positioning seat (53). The longitudinal shell (54) is fixedly installed on one side of the positioning seat (53).

8. An automatic lifting lug supply device for producing water heater inner tanks according to claim 7, characterized in that: The suction assembly (6) includes a slider seat (61), a housing (62), a top electric cylinder (63), a metal plate (64), and a proximity switch (65). The slider seat (61) is slidably installed in the longitudinal housing (54), and the top of the slider seat (61) is connected to a safety suspension spring (531). The housing (62) is fixedly installed on the lower end face of the slider seat (61). The top electric cylinder (63) is vertically fixed on the upper end of the housing (62), and a magnet is fixedly installed on the output end of the top electric cylinder (63). The metal plate (64) is fixedly installed on the lower end of the magnet. The proximity switch (65) is vertically fixed on the housing (62).

9. An automatic lifting lug supply device for producing water heater inner tanks according to claim 8, characterized in that: The device housing (62) includes a main housing (621), a secondary housing (622), a tapered guide post (623), and an outer ear plate (624) for mounting a proximity switch (65). The lower end face of the main housing (621) is provided with an auxiliary bottom groove for a metal plate (64) to pass through. The secondary housing (622) is fixedly installed on one side of the main housing (621), and the outer ear plate (624) is fixedly installed on the outer side of the secondary housing (622).

10. An automatic lifting lug supply device for producing water heater inner tanks according to claim 9, characterized in that: The ejection assembly (7) includes a sliding plate (71), a moving frame (72), a standing plate (73), and a transverse pusher plate (74) that cooperates with the ejection groove (311). The sliding plate (71) is slidably mounted on the front end face of the Z-axis track (130). The moving frame (72) is fixedly mounted on the front end face of the sliding plate (71). The standing plate (73) is vertically fixed on the front end face of the moving frame (72). The transverse pusher plate (74) is embedded and fixed in the head of the standing plate (73).

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