A telescopic support mechanism for an automatic multi-layer silo and an automatic multi-layer silo

Abstract

The application discloses a telescopic supporting mechanism for an automatic multi-layer stock bin and the automatic multi-layer stock bin, and the telescopic supporting mechanism comprises a tray supporting block arranged on the inner side of the stock bin and used for supporting a tray located in the stock bin; one end of the tray supporting block close to the inner side wall of the stock bin is connected with a telescopic adjusting assembly arranged on the side of the stock bin, and the telescopic adjusting assembly is used for enabling the tray supporting block to telescopically move along a through hole arranged on the inner side plate of the stock bin, so that the tray supporting block avoids blocking the linear movement of the tray in the stock bin. The automatic multi-layer stock bin of the application applies the telescopic supporting mechanism and is suitable for material transfer operation between an automatic AGV trolley or a manual trolley and automatic processing equipment. The application can make the transfer and placement process of the tray move smoothly and accurately, can improve the production efficiency of a processing workshop, and can reduce the labor input, and is especially suitable for processing requirements of an unmanned production workshop.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automation equipment technology, and in particular to a telescopic support mechanism for an automatic multi-layer silo and an automatic multi-layer silo. Background Technology

[0002] A hopper is an auxiliary device in a machining production line, used to hold workpieces to be processed and finished workpieces, assisting robotic arms in transferring workpieces. For example, the intelligent hopper described in the applicant's patent CN202210075908.3 uses a prior art technique where multiple trays are placed parallel to each other from top to bottom within the hopper. After all trays are filled, a corresponding drive mechanism on the hopper sequentially transfers the trays, thereby improving processing efficiency. However, in actual production, before being placed in the silo, the material trays are usually stacked on transfer trolleys or automated AGVs for transport within the workshop. Although the use of the aforementioned silo improves production efficiency to some extent, it still requires manual handling to move the material trays one by one from the transfer trolleys or AGVs and place them on the support bars of the silo. After all the workpieces on the material trays have been processed, it is also necessary to manually stack the material trays in the silo one by one back onto the transfer trolleys or AGVs. These operations undoubtedly still require a large amount of manpower. The automation level of the existing silo devices still needs to be improved to adapt to the production needs of automated workshops. Therefore, a telescopic support mechanism for an automatic multi-layer silo and an automatic multi-layer silo are developed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a telescopic support mechanism for an automated multi-layer silo and an automated multi-layer silo, thereby solving the technical problems mentioned in the background section.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: The present invention discloses a telescopic support mechanism for an automatic multi-layer silo, comprising a tray support block disposed on the inner side of the silo, the tray support block being used to support the tray located inside the silo; one end of the tray support block near the inner wall of the silo is connected to a telescopic adjustment component disposed on the side of the silo, the telescopic adjustment component being used to allow the tray support block to telescopically move along a through hole opened on the inner side plate of the silo to avoid the tray support block obstructing the linear movement of the tray inside the silo.

[0005] Furthermore, the telescopic adjustment assembly includes a mounting base fixedly disposed inside the side plate of the hopper and a spring frame disposed on the mounting base. One end of the mounting base is fixedly connected to the side plate of the hopper. The tray support block passes through a through hole in the side plate of the hopper. The tray support block includes an integrally disposed support part and a connecting part. The bottom of the support part gradually contracts away from the connecting part. The connecting part is hinged to the mounting base through a hinge frame. A spring is disposed between the back side of the connecting part and the spring frame.

[0006] Furthermore, the support portion is configured as a semi-frustum-shaped structure with a flat upper surface, and the front and rear sides and bottom surface of the support portion are inclined and gradually taper towards their free end; or the support portion is configured as a hemispherical structure with a flat upper surface, and the bottom of the support portion gradually tapers towards its free end; or the support portion is configured as a semi-frustum-shaped structure with a flat upper surface, and the bottom of the support portion gradually tapers towards its free end.

[0007] Furthermore, the telescopic adjustment assembly includes an active drive device fixedly mounted on the side plate of the hopper for driving the linear movement of the material tray support block. The active drive device is a cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, an electric cylinder, or a motor.

[0008] In addition, this invention also discloses an automatic multi-layer silo, which utilizes the aforementioned telescopic support mechanism and is suitable for material transfer operations between automated AGV trolleys or manual trolleys and automated processing equipment. It includes a silo body, one end of which is an open inlet / outlet end, and the other end is a working end; two sets of evenly spaced through holes are symmetrically opened on the two inner sidewalls of the silo body, each through hole containing a tray support block; telescopic adjustment components are arranged on the sidewalls of the silo body at positions corresponding to each tray support block; two support bars are symmetrically fixed on the inner sidewalls of the silo body below the two sets of tray support blocks at the lowest point; several trays are arranged inside the silo body from top to bottom, each tray supported by two support bars and trays located on the same horizontal plane. The hopper is supported by a support block; a positioning support assembly for positioning and supporting the material tray is provided at the upper two inner ends of the working end of the hopper; a lifting frame is slidably provided in the middle of the positioning support assembly at the working end of the hopper, and a lifting drive mechanism for driving the lifting frame to move linearly is provided between the hopper and the lifting frame; a moving platform is slidably provided on the upper part of the lifting frame, and a translation drive mechanism for driving the moving platform to move horizontally is also provided on the lifting frame; two support arms for driving the material tray to move linearly are symmetrically fixed at both ends of the moving platform.

[0009] Furthermore, each of the material trays is fixedly provided with a connecting pin at the upper part near the four corners, and each of the material trays has a connecting hole at the bottom corresponding to the connecting pin.

[0010] Furthermore, each of the two support bars is provided with a first contact switch for sensing whether a tray is placed.

[0011] Furthermore, the positioning support assembly includes two first positioning support platforms and two second positioning support platforms symmetrically arranged on the two inner ends of the upper part of the working end of the silo body. Support positioning pins adapted to the insertion holes are fixedly provided on the two first positioning support platforms and the two second positioning support platforms respectively.

[0012] Furthermore, each of the two first positioning support platforms is equipped with a second contact switch for sensing whether the material tray is placed.

[0013] Furthermore, each of the material trays has symmetrical clearance notches on both sides that are adapted to the contour of the first positioning support platform.

[0014] Furthermore, each of the two support bars is provided with a positioning block, the lower contour of which is adapted to the contour of the clearance notch, and the overall outer contour of the positioning block gradually slopes inward from bottom to top.

[0015] Furthermore, the interior of the hopper is provided with avoidance drive devices at positions corresponding to the two first positioning support platforms for driving the corresponding first positioning support platforms to move horizontally in a straight line. The avoidance drive devices are configured as cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, electric cylinders, or motors.

[0016] Furthermore, the lifting frame includes a support platform horizontally disposed inside the hopper body and two symmetrical upright plates fixedly disposed at the bottom of the support platform; the lifting drive mechanism includes a first motor fixedly disposed inside one of the upright plates and two vertical transmission racks symmetrically fixedly disposed on the two side plates of the hopper body, the drive shaft of the first motor passing through the corresponding upright plate and having a drive gear fixedly disposed at its end that is adapted to the transmission rack on the corresponding side; a transmission shaft is rotatably disposed between the two upright plates, and transmission gears that mesh with the transmission racks on the corresponding sides are respectively disposed at both ends of the transmission shaft; two vertical first slide rails are fixedly disposed symmetrically along the two transmission racks on the two side plates of the hopper body, and first sliders that slide in cooperation with the first slide rails on the corresponding sides are fixedly disposed on the outer sides of the two upright plates.

[0017] Furthermore, the translation drive mechanism includes two drive pulleys rotatably mounted at the front and rear ends of the upper part of the support platform, with a drive belt wound between the two drive pulleys. A second motor for driving one of the drive pulleys to rotate is fixedly mounted on the lower part of the support platform. A second slide rail is fixedly mounted on the upper part of the support platform outside the drive belt, and a second slider is slidably mounted on the second slide rail. The side end of the second slider is fixedly connected to the outer part of the drive belt, and the bottom of the moving platform is fixedly connected to the upper part of the second slider. Two third slide rails are symmetrically fixedly mounted on the upper part of the support platform, and third sliders adapted to the third slide rails are fixedly mounted on the bottom of the two support arms near the moving platform.

[0018] Furthermore, each of the material trays has two symmetrical support positioning holes, and the ends of the two support arms away from the upper part of the moving platform are respectively fixed with support positioning pins that are adapted to the two support positioning holes on the material trays.

[0019] Furthermore, each of the two support arms is provided with a third contact switch near the support positioning pin for sensing whether the tray is supported; the upper part of the support platform is provided with a fourth contact switch near the outer side of one of the support arms for sensing whether the tray has been moved into position.

[0020] Furthermore, each of the material trays has a mating groove at the bottom corresponding to the two support positioning holes. The two sides of the mating groove, near the end of the support positioning hole, gradually slope inward and the end position corresponds to the support positioning hole.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial technical effects of the present invention are as follows: The telescopic support mechanism and automatic multi-layer hopper disclosed in this invention are applicable to material transfer operations between automated AGV carts or manual carts and automated processing equipment. They can automatically complete a series of steps: initial placement of pallets stacked on automated AGV carts or manual carts in the multi-layer hopper; secondary spacing placement of pallets in the multi-layer hopper; automatic transfer of pallets to the work end; automatic stacking of pallets after processing; and removal of the processed pallets from the multi-layer hopper. Furthermore, the telescopic support mechanism in the hopper can automatically extend and retract during the above-mentioned operations, avoiding obstruction or interference to the forward, backward, and upward movement of the pallets. The transfer and placement of the pallets are smooth and accurately positioned, improving the production efficiency of the processing workshop and reducing manpower input, making it particularly suitable for the processing needs of unmanned production workshops. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the telescopic support mechanism disclosed in this invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the material tray support block structure in a specific embodiment of the telescopic support mechanism disclosed in this invention; Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the automated multi-layer silo disclosed in this invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the main view structure of the automated multi-layer silo disclosed in this invention; Figure 5 This is a top-view structural diagram of the automated multi-layer silo disclosed in this invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting drive mechanism of the automatic multi-layer silo disclosed in this invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the translation drive mechanism of the automatic multi-layer silo disclosed in this invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning support component structure of the automatic multi-layer silo disclosed in this invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the material tray in the automatic multi-layer hopper disclosed in this invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the support bar structure in the automated multi-layer silo disclosed in this invention; Figure 11 for Figure 8 Enlarged structural diagram at point A; Figure 12 for Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the structural method at point B; Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Material tray support block; 1-1. Support part; 1-2. Connecting part; 2. Material tray; 3. Through hole; 4. Mounting base; 5. Spring frame; 6. Hinge frame; 7. Spring; 8. Spring limiting post; 9. First rubber pad; 10. Bin body; 11. Inlet / outlet end; 12. Working end; 13. Support foot; 14. Caster wheel; 15. Support bar; 16. Insert pin; 17. Insert hole; 18. First positioning support platform; 19. Second positioning support platform; 20. Support positioning pin; 21. Bearing platform; 22. Vertical plate; 23. First motor; 24. Transmission rack; 25. Drive gear; 26. Transmission shaft; 27. Transmission gear; 28. 29. First slide rail; 30. First slider; 31. Moving stage; 32. Transmission pulley; 33. Transmission belt; 34. Second motor; 35. Second slide rail; 36. Second slider; 37. Protective cover; 38. Slide groove; 39. Connecting slider; 40. Third slide rail; 41. Support arm; 42. Third slider; 43. Support positioning hole; 44. Support positioning pin; 45. Second rubber pad; 46. Clearance notch; 47. Positioning block; 48. First contact switch; 49. Second contact switch; 50. Third contact switch; 51. Fourth contact switch; 52. Mating groove; 53. Third rubber pad; 54. Controller; 55. Robotic arm; 56. Protective pad. Detailed Implementation

[0024] like Figures 1-2 As shown, a telescopic support mechanism for an automatic multi-layer hopper includes a tray support block 1 disposed inside the hopper, which supports a tray 2 located inside the hopper. One end of the tray support block 1 near the inner wall of the hopper is connected to a telescopic adjustment assembly disposed on the side of the hopper. The telescopic adjustment assembly allows the tray support block 1 to telescopically move along a through hole 3 opened on the inner side plate of the hopper to prevent the tray support block 1 from obstructing the linear movement of the tray 2 within the hopper.

[0025] like Figure 1As shown, in a specific embodiment of the telescopic adjustment assembly of the present invention, the telescopic adjustment assembly includes a mounting base 4 fixedly installed inside the side plate of the hopper and a spring frame 5 fixedly installed on the mounting base 4. One end of the mounting base 4 is fixedly connected to the side plate of the hopper. The tray support block 1 passes through a through hole 3 opened in the side plate of the hopper. The tray support block 1 includes an integrally formed support part 1-1 and a connecting part 1-2. The bottom of the support part 1-1 gradually tapers away from the connecting part 1-2. The connecting part 1-2 is hinged to the mounting base 4 through a hinge frame 6. A spring 7 is provided between the back side of the connecting part 1-2 and the spring frame 5. A spring limiting post 8 is provided on the side of the spring frame 5 facing the connecting part 1-2. The spring 7 is fitted outside the spring limiting post 8 and one end of the spring 7 abuts against the back side of the connecting part 1-2.

[0026] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 As shown, the support part 1-1 can be configured as a semi-truncated pyramidal structure with a flat upper surface, and the front and rear sides and bottom surface of the support part 1-1 are inclined and gradually taper towards their free ends.

[0027] The working principle of the tray support block and telescopic adjustment component in this embodiment is as follows: When the tray moves vertically upward, or when the hopper moves horizontally back and forth, the tray or the workpiece on the tray will exert a squeezing effect on the tray support block 1. Since the front and rear sides and bottom surface of the support part of the tray support block are inclined and gradually narrow towards their free end, when the tray support block is subjected to upward squeezing or back and forth squeezing force, it will cause the tray support block to move inward towards the side plate of the tray and compress the spring, thereby causing the tray support block to automatically retract and avoid obstructing or interfering with the movement of the tray. When the tray support block is not subjected to front, rear or lower compression, it will automatically return to its initial state under the elastic force of the spring. At this time, the overlapping part of the connecting part 1-2 and the support part 1-1 is flush with the bottom end face of the through hole, so that the upper surface of the support part 1-1 is in a horizontal state. Thus, when the tray is placed on the upper part of the tray support block, the two sets of support parts 1-1 located on the two side plates of the hopper can provide good horizontal support for the tray.

[0028] Alternatively, the support portion 1-1 can be configured as a hemispherical structure with a flat upper surface, and the bottom of the support portion gradually tapers towards its free end. Or, the support portion 1-1 can be configured as a semi-frustum-shaped structure with a flat upper surface, and the bottom of the support portion gradually tapers towards its free end.

[0029] In addition, a first rubber pad 9 is fixedly provided on the upper part of the support part 1-1. The first rubber pad 9 can play a certain buffering role on the contact part between the material tray support block 1 and the material tray 2.

[0030] In another embodiment of the telescopic adjustment assembly of the present invention, the telescopic adjustment assembly includes an active driving device fixedly installed on the side plate of the hopper for driving the linear movement of the material tray support block 1. The active driving device is a cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, an electric cylinder, a servo motor, a stepper motor, or a linear motor. When the active driving device is a cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, an electric cylinder, or a linear motor, its driving end can be directly connected to the material tray support block, thereby directly driving the material tray support block to perform linear movement, causing it to extend or retract into the through hole on the side plate of the hopper. When the active driving device is a stepper motor or a servo motor, the driving end of the motor is fixedly connected to the material tray support block through a corresponding transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism can be configured as a gear and rack transmission mechanism or a crank-slider mechanism, that is, the rotational motion of the motor is converted into the linear motion of the material tray support block through the transmission mechanism. It should be noted that the above-mentioned transmission mechanism is a mature and conventional transmission setting in the mechanical field. Those skilled in the art can effectively implement the above-mentioned technical means based on their technical knowledge. This specification and the accompanying drawings will not elaborate further on it.

[0031] In addition, the present invention also discloses an automatic multi-layer silo that uses the above-mentioned telescopic support mechanism and is suitable for material transfer operations between automated AGV trolleys or manual trolleys and automated processing equipment.

[0032] like Figures 1 to 12 As shown, the automatic multi-layer hopper disclosed in this invention includes a hopper body 10. One end of the hopper body 10 is an open-structure inlet / outlet end 11, which is used for automated AGV trolleys or manual trolleys to put in or unload material trays. The other end of the hopper body is a working end 12, which is used for robotic arms or other processing equipment to process workpieces on the material trays. Support feet 13 are installed at the bottom of the hopper body 10 near the four corners. The upper end of each support foot 13 is threaded to the bottom of the hopper body 10, so that the bottom height can be adjusted by rotating the support foot 13. In addition, casters 14 are installed at the bottom of the hopper body 10 near each support foot 13.

[0033] Two sets of evenly spaced through holes 3 are symmetrically formed on the two inner sidewalls of the hopper body 10, and a material tray support block 1 is installed at a position corresponding to each of the through holes. The telescopic adjustment assembly is provided on the sidewall of the hopper body 10 at a position corresponding to each of the material tray support blocks 1. The specific working methods of the telescopic adjustment assembly and the material tray support blocks have been described in detail in the telescopic support mechanism disclosed in this invention, and will not be specifically described here.

[0034] On the inner wall of the silo body 10, two support bars 15 are symmetrically fixed below the two sets of material tray support blocks 1 at the bottom. The two support bars 15 can support the bottom material tray 2 after stacking and during stacking.

[0035] like Figure 3 and Figure 10 As shown, the interior of the hopper 10 contains several trays 2 arranged from top to bottom. Each tray 2 is supported by two support bars 15 and multiple tray support blocks 1 located on the same horizontal plane. Vertical insertion pins 16 are fixedly installed at the four corners of the upper part of each tray 2, and insertion holes 17, corresponding to the insertion pins 16, are respectively opened at the bottom of each tray 2.

[0036] The upper two inner ends of the working end 12 of the hopper body 10 are provided with positioning support components for positioning and supporting the material tray. Specifically: as shown in the figure... Figure 8 As shown, the positioning support assembly includes two first positioning support platforms 18 and two second positioning support platforms 19 symmetrically installed on the two inner ends of the working end 12 of the chamber body 10. Support positioning pins 20 adapted to the insertion hole 17 are fixedly installed on the two first positioning support platforms 18 and the two second positioning support platforms 19 respectively.

[0037] The working end 12 of the hopper 10 is slidably mounted with a lifting frame in the middle of the positioning support assembly along the vertical direction, and a lifting drive mechanism for driving the lifting frame to move linearly is provided between the hopper 10 and the lifting frame. In this embodiment, as... Figure 6As shown, the lifting frame includes a support platform 21 horizontally disposed inside the hopper 10 and two symmetrical upright plates 22 fixedly disposed at the bottom of the support platform 21. The lifting drive mechanism includes a first motor 23 fixedly installed inside one of the upright plates 22 and two vertical transmission racks 24 fixedly installed symmetrically on the two side plates of the hopper 10. The drive shaft of the first motor 23 passes through the corresponding upright plate 22 and has a drive gear 25 fixedly installed at its end, which is adapted to the transmission rack 24 on the corresponding side. A transmission shaft 26 is rotatably mounted between the two upright plates 22, and transmission gears 27 that mesh with the transmission racks 24 on the corresponding side are respectively installed at both ends of the transmission shaft 26. Two vertical first slide rails 28 are fixedly fixedly installed symmetrically along the two transmission racks 24 on the two side plates of the hopper 10, and first sliders 29 that slide in cooperation with the first slide rails 28 on the corresponding side are fixedly installed on the outer sides of the two upright plates 22. When the first motor 23 drives the drive gear 25 to rotate, the meshing transmission action between the drive gear 25 and the transmission rack 24 causes the entire lifting frame to move linearly in the vertical direction along the transmission rack 24. In addition, the transmission gears 27 at both ends of the transmission shaft 26 also maintain a meshing relationship with the two transmission racks 24, thereby ensuring the stability of the vertical movement of the lifting frame.

[0038] A movable platform 30 is horizontally slidably mounted on the upper part of the lifting frame, and a translation drive mechanism for driving the movable platform 30 to move horizontally is also installed on the lifting frame. Figure 7 As shown, the translation drive mechanism includes two drive pulleys 31 rotatably mounted at the front and rear ends of the upper part of the support platform 21. A drive belt 32 is wound between the two drive pulleys 31. A second motor 33 for driving one of the drive pulleys 31 to rotate is fixedly mounted on the lower part of the support platform 21. A second slide rail 34 is fixedly mounted on the upper part of the support platform 21 outside the drive belt 21. A second slider 35 is slidably disposed on the second slide rail 34. The side end of the second slider 35 is fixedly connected to the outer part of the drive belt 32. The bottom of the moving platform 30 is fixedly connected to the upper part of the second slider 35. In addition, a protective cover 36 is fixedly mounted on the upper part of the support platform 21, covering the two drive pulleys 31 and the drive belt 32. A groove 37 is formed on the top plate of the protective cover 36. A connecting slider 38 that slidably engages with the groove 37 is fixedly mounted on the upper part of the second slider 35. The connecting slider 38 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the moving platform 30. When the second motor 33 drives the corresponding transmission pulley 31 to rotate, the transmission belt 32 will drive the second slider 35 to move linearly along the second slide rail 34 during operation, thereby causing the moving table 30 to move linearly under the action of the connecting slider 38.

[0039] Two support arms 40 are symmetrically fixedly installed on both sides of the moving platform 30 to drive the material trays 2 in a linear motion. Two third slide rails 39 are symmetrically fixedly installed on the upper part of the support platform 21. A third slider 41 adapted to the third slide rail 39 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the two support arms 40 near the moving platform 21. Two support positioning holes 42 are symmetrically opened on each material tray 2. Support positioning pins 43 adapted to the two support positioning holes 42 on the material tray 2 are fixedly installed at the ends of the two support arms 40 away from the upper part of the moving platform 21. In addition, a second rubber pad 44 is fixedly installed on the support arm 40 near the two support positioning pins 43 to buffer the impact and reduce noise when in contact with the material tray 2.

[0040] In this embodiment, to prevent the two first positioning support platforms 18 from obstructing or interfering with the material tray 2 when the support arm 40 drives the material tray downward at the working end 12 of the bin 10, each of the material trays 2 has symmetrical clearance notches 45 on both sides that are adapted to the contours of the first positioning support platforms 18. After the support arm 40 is connected and engaged with the material tray 2 on the working end 12, it can move upward a certain distance, causing the material tray 2 to disengage from the support positioning pins on the first and second positioning support platforms. Then, the support arm 40 drives the material tray 2 to move horizontally, so that the two clearance notches 45 on the material tray are aligned with the two first positioning support platforms 18, and the two support arms 40 can then drive the material tray downward and smoothly pass through the positioning support assembly of the working end 12.

[0041] In addition, to avoid the two first positioning support platforms 18 obstructing and interfering with the material tray 2 when the supporting arm 40 drives the material tray downward at the working end 12 of the hopper 10, the interior of the hopper 1 may be provided with avoidance driving devices for driving the corresponding first positioning support platforms 18 to move horizontally and linearly at positions corresponding to the two first positioning support platforms 18. The avoidance driving device may be a cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, an electric cylinder, a servo motor, a stepper motor, or a linear motor. When the avoidance driving device is a cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, an electric cylinder, or a linear motor, its driving end can be directly connected to the corresponding first positioning support platform, thereby directly driving the first positioning support platform to move linearly, causing it to extend or retract into the through hole on the side plate of the hopper. When the avoidance driving device is a stepper motor or a servo motor, the driving end of the motor is fixedly connected to the material tray support block through a corresponding transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism may be a gear and rack transmission mechanism, a crank-slider mechanism, etc., that is, the rotational motion of the motor is converted into the linear motion of the first positioning support block through the transmission mechanism. It should be noted that the above-mentioned transmission mechanism is a mature and conventional transmission setting in the mechanical field. Those skilled in the art can effectively implement the above-mentioned technical means based on their technical knowledge. This specification and the accompanying drawings will not describe it in detail.

[0042] When the two sides of the material tray are symmetrically provided with clearance notches, such as Figure 9 As shown, positioning blocks 46 are respectively installed on the two support bars 15. The lower contour of the positioning block 46 is adapted to the contour of the clearance notch 45. The overall outer contour of the positioning block 46 gradually slopes inward from bottom to top, so that when the tray 2 is placed on the support bar 15, the positioning block 46 and the clearance notch 45 on the tray are positioned and matched to ensure the accuracy of the tray 2's position on the support bar 15. In addition, two sets of third rubber pads 52 are symmetrically arranged on each support bar 15. The third rubber pads 52 serve to buffer the collision and reduce noise when the support bar 15 contacts the tray 2.

[0043] In this example, two support bars 15 are each equipped with a first contact switch 47 for sensing whether the tray 2 is placed, and two first positioning support platforms 18 are each equipped with a second contact switch 48 for sensing whether the tray 2 is placed. Two support arms 40 are each equipped with a third contact switch 49 for sensing whether the tray 2 is supported, located near the support positioning pin 43. The upper part of the support platform 21 is equipped with a fourth contact switch 50 for sensing whether the tray 2 has been moved into position, located near the outer side of one of the support arms 40.

[0044] Each of the material trays 2 has a protective pad 55 fixedly installed at the bottom of the tray at a position corresponding to the two support positioning holes 42. The protective pad has a mating groove 51 at a position corresponding to the support positioning hole 42. The two sides of the mating groove 51, near the support positioning hole 42, gradually slope inwards, and the end position corresponds to the support positioning hole. When the support positioning pin 43 of the support arm 40 is inserted into the support positioning hole 42 at the bottom of the material tray, the support positioning pin 43 of the two support arms 40 can first be moved by the translation drive mechanism to the corresponding mating groove 51 away from the support positioning hole 42. Afterwards, the lifting drive mechanism moves the two supporting positioning pins 43 upwards until they contact the top surface of the mating groove 51. Then, the translation drive mechanism drives the supporting positioning pins 43 of the two supporting arms 40 to move inside the mating groove 51 towards the supporting positioning hole 42. As the mating groove 51 gradually narrows inwards on both sides near the supporting positioning hole 42, the supporting positioning pins 43 can effectively travel to the position of the supporting positioning hole 42. Afterwards, the lifting drive mechanism raises the two supporting arms again, so that the positioning supporting pins 43 can effectively engage with the corresponding supporting positioning holes 42. The setting of the mating groove 51 in this embodiment can ensure that the supporting positioning pins 43 of the supporting arms 40 reliably hook and engage with the supporting positioning holes 42 on the bottom of the material tray, thereby ensuring the stability of the self-contained hopper when transferring the material tray.

[0045] In addition, a controller 53 is fixedly installed on the upper part of the inlet / outlet end 11 of the hopper 10 of the present invention, and each of the aforementioned contact switches and each of the electrical drive components are electrically connected to the controller 53. The controller 53 can be specifically configured as a programmable logic controller, which automatically controls each of the electrical drive components through a preset program. This automatic control system and principle are mature and conventional existing technologies in the field of electromechanical automation, and will not be described in detail in this application.

[0046] The specific working principle of the automatic multi-layer silo disclosed in this invention is as follows: Initial placement of palletized trays in the multi-layer silo: An AGV or manual trolley transports multiple pallets 2 containing workpieces to be processed to the inlet / outlet end 12 of the silo body 10. The interlocking pins 16 and interlocking holes 17 between adjacent pallets on the AGV or manual trolley are positioned and engaged. The upper platform of the AGV or manual trolley is raised to a certain height, ensuring that the ground level of the lowest pallet 2 is higher than the height of the two support bars 15 on the side wall of the silo body. Then, the trolley carries multiple pallets into the inlet / outlet end of the silo body. As the trolley and the multiple pallets 2 on it move into the silo body, multiple sets of pallet support blocks 1 on the side wall of the silo body 1, corresponding to the multiple pallets 2, automatically retract into the side plate of the silo body 1, thus preventing obstruction of the pallets entering the silo body. When the trolley carrying the material trays 2 enters the silo, the height of the trolley's platform is lower than the height of the two support bars 15, so that the multiple material trays 2 on the trolley are automatically placed on the two support bars 15, realizing the initial feeding and placement of multiple material trays in the multi-layer silo. Furthermore, the clearance notch 45 of the material tray 2 at the bottom cooperates with the positioning block 46 on the support bar 15 to ensure accurate positioning of the material tray 2.

[0047] The material trays are arranged in a secondary manner in the multi-layer silo: The first motor 23 drives the drive gear 25 to rotate, and through the meshing transmission relationship of the drive gear 25, two transmission gears 27 and two transmission racks 24, the lifting frame moves downward until the height of the two support positioning pins 43 of the two support arms 40 is lower than the bottom surface of the uppermost material tray 2, and the lifting frame stops descending. The second motor 33 drives the corresponding transmission pulley 31 to rotate, and under the action of the belt transmission mechanism composed of the two transmission pulleys 31 and the transmission belt 32, the moving platform 30 and the two support arms 40 move towards the inlet / outlet end 11 of the silo body 10 until the support positioning pins 43 on the two support arms 40 are aligned with the two support positioning holes 42 on the uppermost material tray 2. Then, the first motor 23 drives the drive gear 25 to rotate in the opposite direction, causing the lifting frame to move upward vertically. During this process, the support positioning pins 43 on the two support arms 40 engage with the support positioning holes 42 on the uppermost tray 2, causing the two support arms 40 to automatically lift the tray 2 upward until the tray 2 passes the uppermost set of tray support blocks 1. The uppermost set of tray support blocks 1 then automatically extends, and the first motor 23 drives the drive gear 25 to rotate in the forward direction, causing the two support arms 40 to place the uppermost tray 2 on the uppermost set of tray support blocks 1. The second motor 33 rotates in the opposite direction, causing the moving table 30 and the two support arms 40 to move and reset to the working end 12 of the silo 10. The first motor 23 drives the drive gear 25 to rotate in the forward direction again, repeating the above action process, placing each tray 2 sequentially on each set of tray support blocks 1 inside the silo 10 from top to bottom, thereby completing the secondary arrangement of the trays in the multi-layer silo before workpiece processing. It should be noted that, in this invention, the distance between the bottom of the lowest set of tray support blocks 1 and the upper surface of the support bar 15, and the distance between two adjacent sets of tray support blocks 1, are both greater than the overall height of the tray 2 containing the workpiece.

[0048] The automatic transfer of material trays to the working end and the automatic stacking of material trays after processing: After each material tray is placed on the respective set of material tray support blocks 1 on the silo body, the transfer operation is first performed on the bottommost material tray 2. The second motor drives the transmission gear to rotate, and the first motor 23 drives the drive gear 25 to rotate. Through the meshing transmission relationship of the drive gear 25, two transmission gears 27 and two transmission racks 24, the lifting frame moves downward until the height of the two support positioning pins 43 of the two support arms 40 is lower than the bottom surface of the bottommost material tray 2, and the lifting frame stops descending. The second motor 33 drives the corresponding transmission pulley 31 to rotate. Under the action of the belt transmission mechanism composed of the two transmission pulleys 31 and the transmission belt 32, the moving table 30 and the two support arms 40 move towards the inlet / outlet end 11 of the silo body 10 until the support positioning pins 43 on the two support arms 40 are aligned with the two support positioning holes 42 on the bottommost material tray 2. Then, the first motor 23 drives the drive gear 25 to rotate in the opposite direction, causing the lifting frame to move upward a certain distance in the vertical direction until the support positioning pins 43 on the two support arms 40 are positioned and inserted into the support positioning holes 42 on the lowest material tray 2. At the same time, the two third contact switches 49 on the two support arms 40 contact the bottom surface of the lowest material tray 2 to trigger the induction signal. The second motor 33 rotates in the opposite direction, causing the two support arms 40 to carry the material tray 2 towards the working end 12 of the silo body. When the end of the material tray 2 contacts the fourth contact switch 50 on the support platform 21, the moving platform 30 stops moving horizontally. At this time, the position of the clearance notch 45 of the material tray 2 corresponds to the position of the two first positioning support platforms 18 of the working end 12 of the silo body. The first motor 23 rotates in the opposite direction, causing the two support arms 40 to carry the material tray 2 upward until the bottom surface of the material tray 2 is higher than the height of the upper end of the support positioning pins 20 of the two first positioning support platforms 18, and then stops rising. Then the second motor 33 rotates in the opposite direction again, causing the two support arms 40 to move the tray 2 in a straight line until the two insertion holes 17 near the front end of the tray 2 correspond to the positions of the two support positioning pins 20 on the two first support positioning platforms 18, and the two insertion holes 17 near the end of the tray 2 correspond to the positions of the two positioning support pins 20 on the two second positioning support platforms 19. The first motor 23 rotates in the forward direction, causing the rotating frame to move downward. As the tray 2 moves downward with the two support arms 40, it is stopped by the two first support positioning platforms 18 and the two second support positioning platforms 19. The four insertion holes 17 at the bottom of the tray 2 are respectively positioned and inserted into the four support positioning pins 20. The second contact switches 48 on the two first positioning support platforms 18 trigger the sensing signal, thereby positioning the tray 2 at the working end of the hopper 10 to ensure the stability of the tray during processing. Then, the robotic arm 54 and other automatic processing equipment can automatically process the workpieces on the tray 2 located at the working end 12.

[0049] After all workpieces on the tray 2 of the working end 12 have been processed, the first motor 23 drives the drive gear 25 to rotate in the reverse direction, causing the support platform 21 to move the two support arms 40 vertically upward. During the upward movement of the support arms 40, the two support positioning pins 43 engage with the support positioning holes 42 on the tray 2, and the two third contact switches 49 on the support arms 40 trigger induction signals. The two support arms 40 lift the tray 2 upward until the bottom of the tray 2 is higher than the upper end of the support positioning pins 20 of the two first positioning support platforms 18, and then stop rising. The second motor 33 rotates in the forward direction, causing the two support arms 40 to move the tray 2 with the clearance notch 45 of the tray to correspond to the position of the two first positioning support platforms 18. Then the first motor 23 rotates in the forward direction, causing the lifting frame and the two support arms 40 to move the tray 2 downward until it is close to the lower end of the inlet / outlet end 11 of the hopper 10 and higher than the two support bars 15, and then stops. The second motor 33 rotates forward, causing the two support arms 40 to move horizontally and linearly with the material tray 2 below the two support bars 15. Finally, the first motor 23 continues to rotate forward, causing the two support arms 40 and the material tray 2 to move downward and place the material tray 2 on the two support bars 15. This completes the automatic transfer of the bottommost material tray to the working end and the automatic return of the material tray to its original position after processing.

[0050] Then, the above operation is repeated to automatically transfer each material tray to the working end from bottom to top and automatically return the material trays to their original positions after processing. During the placement of each material tray, the insertion hole 17 at the bottom of the N+1 (N≥1) material tray from bottom to top is inserted and engaged with the insertion pin 16 at the top of the Nth material tray from bottom to top, so that the multiple material trays after the workpiece is processed are neatly stacked at the inlet and outlet ends of the hopper 10 from bottom to top.

[0051] After processing, the trays are removed from the multi-layer silo: After the AGV or manual trolley moves to below the inlet / outlet end of the silo 10, the upper platform of the AGV or manual trolley is raised to a certain height, and the multiple trays inside the silo 10 are lifted upwards, so that the bottom tray is separated from the two support bars 15 inside the silo 10. Then the AGV or manual trolley moves outwards to remove the multiple trays after the workpiece processing is completed from the silo.

[0052] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A telescopic support mechanism for an automated multi-layer silo, characterized in that: The device includes a tray support block disposed inside the hopper, which supports the tray located inside the hopper. One end of the tray support block near the inner wall of the hopper is connected to a telescopic adjustment component disposed on the side of the hopper. The telescopic adjustment component is used to allow the tray support block to telescopically move along a through hole opened on the inner side plate of the hopper to avoid the tray support block obstructing the linear movement of the tray inside the hopper.

2. The telescopic support mechanism for an automated multi-layer silo according to claim 1, characterized in that: The telescopic adjustment assembly includes a mounting base fixedly installed inside the side plate of the hopper and a spring frame installed on the mounting base. One end of the mounting base is fixedly connected to the side plate of the hopper. The tray support block passes through a through hole in the side plate of the hopper. The tray support block includes an integrally formed support part and a connecting part. The bottom of the support part gradually contracts away from the connecting part. The connecting part is hinged to the mounting base via a hinge frame. A spring is provided between the back side of the connecting part and the spring frame.

3. The telescopic support mechanism for an automated multi-layer silo according to claim 2, characterized in that: The support part is configured as a semi-truncated pyramidal structure with a flat upper surface, and the front and rear sides and bottom surface of the support part are inclined and gradually taper towards their free ends. Alternatively, the support portion may be configured as a hemispherical structure with a flat upper surface, and the bottom of the support portion gradually tapers towards its free end; Alternatively, the support portion may be configured as a semi-frustum-shaped structure with a flat upper surface, and the bottom of the support portion gradually tapers towards its free end.

4. The telescopic support mechanism for an automated multi-layer silo according to claim 1, characterized in that: The telescopic adjustment assembly includes an active drive device fixedly mounted on the side plate of the hopper for driving the linear movement of the material tray support block. The active drive device is a cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, an electric cylinder, or a motor.

5. An automated multi-layer silo, employing the telescopic support mechanism described in any one of claims 1-4, and suitable for material transfer operations between automated AGV trolleys or manual trolleys and automated processing equipment; characterized in that: The container includes a storage body, one end of which is an open inlet / outlet, and the other end is a working end. Two sets of evenly spaced through holes are symmetrically arranged on the two inner sidewalls of the storage body, each through hole containing a tray support block. Telescopic adjustment components are located on the sidewalls of the storage body at positions corresponding to the tray support blocks. Two support bars are symmetrically fixed on the inner sidewalls of the storage body below the two lowest sets of tray support blocks. Several trays are arranged inside the storage body from top to bottom, each tray supported by two support bars and a tray on the same horizontal plane. The hopper is supported by a support block; a positioning support assembly for positioning and supporting the material tray is provided at the upper two inner ends of the working end of the hopper; a lifting frame is slidably provided in the middle of the positioning support assembly at the working end of the hopper, and a lifting drive mechanism for driving the lifting frame to move linearly is provided between the hopper and the lifting frame; a moving platform is slidably provided on the upper part of the lifting frame, and a translation drive mechanism for driving the moving platform to move horizontally is also provided on the lifting frame; two support arms for driving the material tray to move linearly are symmetrically fixed at both ends of the moving platform.

6. The automatic multi-layer silo according to claim 5, characterized in that: Each of the material trays has a fixed insertion pin at the upper part near the four corners, and each of the material trays has an insertion hole at the bottom corresponding to the insertion pin.

7. The automatic multi-layer silo according to claim 5, characterized in that: Each of the two support bars is equipped with a first contact switch for sensing whether a material tray is placed.

8. The automatic multi-layer silo according to claim 6, characterized in that: The positioning support assembly includes two first positioning support platforms and two second positioning support platforms symmetrically arranged on the two inner ends of the upper part of the working end of the chamber. Support positioning pins adapted to the insertion holes are fixedly provided on the two first positioning support platforms and the two second positioning support platforms respectively.

9. The automatic multi-layer silo according to claim 8, characterized in that: Each of the two first positioning support platforms is equipped with a second contact switch for sensing whether the material tray is placed.

10. The automatic multi-layer silo according to claim 8, characterized in that: Each of the material trays has symmetrical clearance notches on both sides that are adapted to the contour of the first positioning support platform.

11. The automatic multi-layer silo according to claim 10, characterized in that: Each of the two support bars is provided with a positioning block. The lower contour of the positioning block is adapted to the contour of the clearance notch. The overall outer contour of the positioning block gradually slopes inward from bottom to top.

12. The automatic multi-layer silo according to claim 8, characterized in that: Inside the chamber, at positions corresponding to the two first positioning support platforms, there are respectively provided avoidance drive devices for driving the corresponding first positioning support platforms to move horizontally in a straight line. The avoidance drive devices are configured as cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, electric cylinders, or motors.

13. The automatic multi-layer silo according to claim 5, characterized in that: The lifting frame includes a horizontally mounted support platform inside the hopper and two symmetrically mounted uprights fixed to the bottom of the support platform. The lifting drive mechanism includes a first motor fixedly mounted inside one of the uprights and two vertically mounted symmetrically mounted transmission racks on the two side plates of the hopper. The drive shaft of the first motor passes through the corresponding upright and has a drive gear fixedly mounted at its end that matches the transmission rack on the corresponding side. A transmission shaft is rotatably mounted between the two uprights, and transmission gears that mesh with the transmission racks on the corresponding sides are respectively mounted at both ends of the transmission shaft. Two vertical first slide rails are fixedly mounted symmetrically along the two transmission racks on the two side plates of the hopper, and first sliders that slide and engage with the first slide rails on the corresponding sides are fixedly mounted on the outer sides of the two uprights.

14. The automatic multi-layer silo according to claim 13, characterized in that: The translation drive mechanism includes two drive pulleys rotatably mounted at the front and rear ends of the upper part of the support platform, with a drive belt wound between the two drive pulleys. A second motor for driving one of the drive pulleys to rotate is fixedly mounted on the lower part of the support platform. A second slide rail is fixedly mounted on the upper part of the support platform outside the drive belt, and a second slider is slidably mounted on the second slide rail. The side end of the second slider is fixedly connected to the outer part of the drive belt, and the bottom of the moving platform is fixedly connected to the upper part of the second slider. Two third slide rails are symmetrically fixedly mounted on the upper part of the support platform, and a third slider adapted to the third slide rail is fixedly mounted on the bottom of the two support arms near the moving platform.

15. The automatic multi-layer silo according to claim 5, characterized in that: Each of the material trays has two symmetrical support and positioning holes, and the ends of the two support arms away from the upper part of the moving platform are respectively fixed with support and positioning pins that are adapted to the two support and positioning holes on the material trays.

16. The automatic multi-layer silo according to claim 15, characterized in that: Each of the two support arms is provided with a third contact switch near the support positioning pin for sensing whether the tray is supported; the upper part of the support platform is provided with a fourth contact switch near the outer side of one of the support arms for sensing whether the tray has been moved into position.

17. The automatic multi-layer silo according to claim 15, characterized in that: Each of the material trays has a mating groove at the bottom corresponding to the two support positioning holes. The two sides of the mating groove, near the end of the support positioning hole, gradually slope inward and the end position corresponds to the support positioning hole.

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