Material loading system

Abstract

A material loading system is helpful to realize capacity expansion under the condition that the workshop site area is fixed. The material loading system comprises a first conveying line conveying material carriers, a lift receiving and lifting the material carriers conveyed by the first conveying line, a second conveying line arranged above the first conveying line and receiving the material carriers lifted by the lift, a material conveying line conveying materials and having a height different from the heights of the first conveying line and the second conveying line, and a mechanical arm carrying the materials at a picking station on the material conveying line into the material carriers at a loading station on the second conveying line or the material carriers at a loading station on the lift.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a material loading system. Background Technology

[0002] In the fields of automated production and logistics warehousing, material loading is a crucial link in the flow of goods. In existing technologies, a typical loading system mainly consists of three parts: a supply and conveying system, a robotic arm, and a loading conveyor line. These parts work together to complete the loading operation. Its overall working principle is based on the continuous operation logic of an automated production line, realizing the automated flow of materials from supply to loading.

[0003] Existing loading methods typically follow a continuous sequence of "material supply—robotic arm gripping—material movement—loading in place." However, in practical applications, these existing technologies have the following shortcomings: First, in existing technologies, material conveying lines, empty box supply lines, and loading stations are typically all arranged on the same horizontal plane, requiring a large amount of space to accommodate the arrangement of each piece of equipment. This arrangement also necessitates that robotic arms perform gripping and transfer within a large working area, occupying significant longitudinal and lateral space. In particular, to ensure the orderly loading of materials, loading stations require sufficient operating surface area, further increasing the space occupancy. Given a fixed workshop area, it is difficult to add new equipment or loading stations, severely limiting capacity expansion.

[0004] Secondly, in existing technologies, the entire process of material gripping, positioning, and loading relies on a vision recognition system mounted on a robotic arm. This system identifies the size, position, and orientation of the materials in real time to transmit precise gripping and movement commands to the robotic arm. This strong dependence on vision recognition systems leads to high equipment costs, difficult maintenance, and susceptibility to environmental factors such as light and vibration, resulting in a high failure rate. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a material loading system that helps to expand production capacity under the condition of fixed workshop area.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a material loading system, comprising: a first conveyor line for conveying material carriers; a lift for receiving and lifting the material carriers conveyed by the first conveyor line; a second conveyor line disposed above the first conveyor line for receiving the material carriers lifted by the lift; a material conveyor line for conveying materials, wherein the height of the material conveyor line is different from the heights of the first and second conveyor lines; and a robot arm for moving materials from a picking station on the material conveyor line into a material carrier at a loading station on the second conveyor line or a material carrier at a loading station on the lift.

[0007] The material loading system based on the above structure, by setting up a first conveyor line, an elevator, a second conveyor line, and material conveyor lines at different heights, and by using the elevator to realize the vertical layer-by-layer conveying of material carriers, allows empty box supply, material supply, and loading operations to operate independently at different height levels. This effectively utilizes vertical space, significantly reduces the floor area occupied, and improves space utilization. Therefore, even with a fixed workshop area, it is possible to add new equipment or loading stations to expand production capacity.

[0008] Preferably, the second conveyor line at least partially overlaps with the first conveyor line in the vertical direction.

[0009] According to the material loading system with the above structure, by making the second conveyor line at least partially overlap with the first conveyor line in the vertical direction, the second conveyor line at least partially utilizes the vertical space directly above the first conveyor line, further reducing the overall planar area occupied by the system and improving space utilization efficiency. Furthermore, when multiple sets of the first conveyor line, elevator, and second conveyor line are arranged side by side, it helps to reduce the working area of ​​the robot arm, thereby reducing the longitudinal and lateral space occupied by the robot arm.

[0010] Preferably, the material conveying line is located between the first conveying line and the second conveying line in the vertical direction.

[0011] According to the material loading system with the above structure, by setting the material conveying line between the first conveying line and the second conveying line, the system forms a three-dimensional layered layout with three-dimensional increments. The upward path of the material carrier and the supply path of the material form a reasonable hierarchical division in the vertical space. Each functional layer does not interfere with each other, and the vertical space is maximized.

[0012] Preferably, the first conveyor line is provided with a guide part and a first limiting part, the guide part guiding the material carrier so that the first limiting part abuts against the material carrier on one side in the width direction of the first conveyor line.

[0013] According to the material loading system with the above structure, by setting a guide part and a first limiting part on the first conveyor line, the material carrier is guided and continuously constrained to fit one side in the width direction during the conveying process, realizing automatic correction, avoiding the left and right deviation and posture skew of the material carrier, ensuring the uniform conveying posture of the material carrier, and providing a stable reference for subsequent positioning.

[0014] Preferably, the conveying direction of the second conveyor line is parallel to the conveying direction of the first conveyor line, and the second conveyor line is provided with a second limiting part, which can protrude to a position on the downstream side of the second conveyor line that abuts against the material carrier at the loading station; or, the elevator is provided with a second limiting part, which can abut against the material carrier at the loading station that is loaded onto the elevator on the downstream side of the conveying direction.

[0015] According to the material loading system with the above structure, by setting a first limiting part on the first conveyor line and a second limiting part on the second conveyor line or elevator, the material carrier at the loading station is positioned in both the conveying direction and the width direction, realizing bidirectional mechanical positioning and locking, so that the position of the material carrier at each loading station is always fixed, providing a precise benchmark for the fixed placement of the robot arm.

[0016] Preferably, the material conveying line is provided with a third limiting part and a fourth limiting part. The third limiting part can be used for material to abut on one side of the material conveying line in the width direction, and the fourth limiting part can protrude to the position where it abuts the material at the picking station on the downstream side of the material conveying line in the conveying direction.

[0017] According to the material loading system with the above structure, by setting the third and fourth limiting parts on the material conveying line, the material at the picking station is fixedly constrained in both the width direction and the conveying direction, realizing bidirectional mechanical positioning, so that the center position of the material is always kept at a fixed coordinate point, providing a precise reference for the robot arm to grasp the material at a fixed point.

[0018] Preferably, the material conveying line is further provided with a pressing part, which can press the material toward one side of the material conveying line in the width direction until it abuts against the third limiting part.

[0019] The material loading system based on the above structure actively pushes the material to abut against the third limiting part by setting a pressing part, which overcomes the slight positional offset and posture deviation that may exist during the material conveying process, forces the material to be corrected and returned to its original position, and further improves the positioning accuracy of the material at the picking station.

[0020] Preferably, the conveying direction of the material conveying line is parallel to the conveying direction of the second conveying line.

[0021] According to the material loading system with the above structure, by making the conveying direction of the material conveyor line parallel to the conveying direction of the second conveyor line, the robot arm can perform translational movements in the same direction between the picking station and the loading station, which shortens the movement path, improves the handling efficiency, and facilitates the compact layout of each conveyor line.

[0022] Preferably, the first conveyor line and the second conveyor line are opposite to the material conveyor line via the elevator.

[0023] According to the material loading system with the above structure, by arranging the first and second conveyor lines opposite to the material conveyor lines across the elevator, the picking and unloading actions of the robot are completed on both sides of the elevator, with clear and non-intersecting motion paths, which helps to improve the work cycle and avoid motion interference.

[0024] Preferably, the robotic arm is a gantry robotic arm.

[0025] The material loading system based on the above structure, by using a truss manipulator, can achieve a wide range of long-stroke movement in the horizontal plane. It has good structural rigidity and strong load-bearing capacity, making it suitable for use in multi-station, large-span loading systems, thus improving the system's applicability and operational stability.

[0026] Preferably, the first conveyor line, the elevator, and the second conveyor line are arranged side by side in multiple groups along the width direction of the first conveyor line.

[0027] The material loading system based on the above structure can realize multi-station synchronous standby loading operations. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a side view schematically illustrating the overall structure of a material loading system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a partial top view schematically illustrating the first conveyor line of a material loading system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a partial top view schematically illustrating the material conveying line of a material loading system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a perspective view schematically showing the overall structure of a material loading system according to a modified embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] (Symbol Explanation)

[0033] 1 First Conveyor Line

[0034] 2. Elevator

[0035] 3 Second Conveyor Line

[0036] 4. Material conveyor line

[0037] 5. Robotic Arm

[0038] 10. Guidance Department

[0039] 11 First limiting part

[0040] 31 Second limiting part

[0041] 41 Third Limiting Part

[0042] 42 Fourth limiting part

[0043] 43 Pressing part

[0044] 51 Trusses

[0045] 52. Crawling Components

[0046] H1 First Height

[0047] H2 Second Height

[0048] H3 Third Height

[0049] W material handling station

[0050] P Loading station

[0051] B Material carrier

[0052] Material M. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0054] like Figure 1 As shown, one embodiment of the present invention provides a material loading system, including a first conveyor line 1, an elevator 2, a second conveyor line 3, a material conveying line 4, and a robotic arm 5. The material loading system may also include, for example, a control unit for controlling the movements.

[0055] The first conveyor line 1 is used to convey the material carrier B. In this embodiment, the first conveyor line 1 is located at a first height H1, serving as the bottom conveying and supply channel for the empty material carrier. The first conveyor line 1 can employ conveying methods commonly used in the art, such as roller conveyors, belt conveyors, or chain conveyors. The material carrier B can be an empty cardboard box, an empty plastic box, an empty pallet, or other carrier used to carry materials, and moves along the first conveyor line 1 in a predetermined conveying direction.

[0056] Elevator 2 receives and lifts the material carrier B conveyed by the first conveyor line 1. Elevator 2 is located near the downstream end of the first conveyor line 1 in the conveying direction, and is used to lift the material carrier B from a first height H1 to a third height H3, which is higher than the first height H1. Elevator 2 can be a pneumatic lifting roller conveyor, a hydraulic lifting platform, a chain elevator, or a screw lifting mechanism, or any other device capable of vertically displacing the material carrier B. In this embodiment, elevator 2 uses a pneumatic lifting roller conveyor, which has a compact structure, short stroke, and fast response, enabling it to accurately lift the material carrier B from the first height H1 to the third height H3.

[0057] The second conveyor line 3 is located above the first conveyor line 1 and receives the material carrier B lifted by the elevator 2. Specifically, the second conveyor line 3 is positioned at a third height H3, serving as a high-level loading operation channel. The second conveyor line 3 has a loading station P (which can also be called a boxing station when the material carrier B is a box, and a palletizing station when the material carrier B is a pallet). The lifted material carrier B is conveyed on the second conveyor line 3 to the preset loading station P to await loading. The loading station P can be near the upstream end of the second conveyor line 3 in the conveying direction, or it can be at other locations. The second conveyor line 3 can also employ conveying methods such as roller conveyors or belt conveyors.

[0058] Through the above structure, the material carrier B is lifted from the bottom of the first height H1 to the high position of the third height H3 via the elevator 2, realizing the vertical layer-by-layer conveying of the material carrier B. Compared with the layout of all equipment laid flat on the same plane in the prior art, the present invention utilizes vertical space to set up the material carrier supply and loading operations in layers, effectively reducing the floor area occupied and improving space utilization.

[0059] Material conveyor line 4 is used to convey material M, and its height differs from that of the first conveyor line 1 and the second conveyor line 3. In this embodiment, material conveyor line 4 is positioned at a second height H2, which differs from the first height H1 and the third height H3. Material M can be finished cartons, cuboids awaiting loading, or other items requiring loading. Material conveyor line 4 has a picking station W, where material M is conveyed to the picking station W and stops, waiting to be picked up by the robotic arm 5. The picking station W can be located near the downstream end of the material conveyor line 4 in the conveying direction, or at other locations. Material conveyor line 4 can also employ conveying methods such as roller conveyors or belt conveyors.

[0060] By setting up a material conveyor line 4 at a different height from both the first conveyor line 1 and the second conveyor line 3, material supply, empty container supply, and loading operations can operate independently at three different height levels without interfering with each other. This multi-height staggered layout allows for full utilization of the vertical space of each functional area within a limited planar space, further improving space utilization.

[0061] Robotic arm 5 moves material M from the picking station W on material conveyor line 4 into the material carrier B at the loading station P on the second conveyor line 3. Robotic arm 5 can be a gantry robot, a six-axis industrial robot, a SCARA robot, or a Cartesian coordinate robot, or other multi-axis robotic arms. The actuator of robotic arm 5 can be equipped with gripping components 52 such as vacuum suction cups, grippers, or electromagnetic chucks. Robotic arm 5 operates according to a preset program, performing gripping, translation, and placement actions between the picking station W and the loading station P, completing the transfer of material M from the picking station W to the loading station P.

[0062] In this embodiment, since the material carrier B and the material M are positioned at fixed positions at different heights, the robot arm 5 can operate according to a preset fixed coordinate program and perform a fixed trajectory transport action between the picking station W and the loading station P. There is no need to identify the position and posture of the material M in real time, so that precise loading operations can be completed without the need for a vision recognition system.

[0063] In a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the second conveyor line 3 at least partially overlaps with the first conveyor line 1 in the vertical direction. That is, when viewed vertically, the second conveyor line 3 and the first conveyor line 1 at least partially coincide. This vertically overlapping arrangement allows the second conveyor line 3 to at least partially utilize the vertical space directly above the first conveyor line 1, further reducing the overall planar area occupied by the system. It can be understood that "at least partially overlap" includes the case where the second conveyor line 3 is completely located directly above the first conveyor line 1, and also includes the case where a part of the second conveyor line 3 overlaps with the first conveyor line 1 in the vertical direction, while the rest does not overlap (for example, the second conveyor line 3 overlaps with the first conveyor line 1 at loading station P, while the rest does not overlap).

[0064] In a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 1As shown, material conveyor line 4 is located vertically between the first conveyor line 1 and the second conveyor line 3. That is, the second height H2 is between the first height H1 and the third height H3. By placing material conveyor line 4 at an intermediate height between the first conveyor line 1 and the second conveyor line 3, the system forms a three-dimensional, progressively increasing layered layout: first height H1 (bottom layer empty box supply), second height H2 (middle layer material supply), and third height H3 (high-level loading operation). This three-level progressively increasing layout ensures a reasonable hierarchical division of the vertical space between the upward path of the material carrier B and the supply path of the material M, preventing interference between functional layers and maximizing the utilization of vertical space.

[0065] In one implementation, such as Figure 2 As shown, the first conveyor line 1 is provided with a guide part 10 and a first limiting part 11. The guide part 10 guides the material carrier B so that one side of the first limiting part 11 abuts against the material carrier B in the width direction (perpendicular to the conveying direction of the first conveyor line 1). The guide part 10 may be a structure such as a guide plate, guide rail, or guide strip with a guide slope formed at the upstream end of the first conveyor line 1 in the conveying direction. The first limiting part 11 may be a structure such as a guide plate, guide rail, or guide strip fixedly installed on one side of the first conveyor line 1, spaced apart from the guide part 10 in the width direction of the first conveyor line 1. When the material carrier B is conveyed on the first conveyor line 1, guided by the guide part 10, one side of the material carrier B is abutted and constrained by the first limiting part 11, forcing the material carrier B to be conveyed along the side where the first limiting part 11 is located, thereby continuously correcting the positional deviation of the material carrier B during the conveying process and preventing the material carrier B from shifting left or right or tilting in the width direction of the first conveyor line 1. The unilateral guidance and correction by the guide part 10 and the first limiting part 11 ensures that all material carriers B have a uniform conveying posture on the first conveyor line 1, providing a stable reference for the subsequent gripping or loading of the robot arm 5 at a fixed position.

[0066] In one implementation, such as Figure 1 As shown, the conveying direction of the second conveyor line 3 is parallel to the conveying direction of the first conveyor line 1. Figure 1 As shown, the second conveyor line 3 is provided with a second limiting part 31.

[0067] The second limiting part 31 protrudes to a position on the downstream side of the second conveyor line 3, abutting against the material carrier B at the loading station P. The second limiting part 31 can be a liftable baffle structure. When the material carrier B is conveyed to the loading station P, the second limiting part 31 rises, rigidly stopping the material carrier B from the downstream side of the conveying direction, restricting its further movement. After the loading operation is completed, the second limiting part 31 descends and retracts, releasing the lock on the material carrier B, allowing the loaded material carrier B to continue output along the second conveyor line 3. It is understood that the second limiting part 31 can also adopt other retractable or flip-up stopping structures.

[0068] By stopping the second limiting part 31 on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the second conveyor line 3 and guiding the first limiting part 11 on the width direction of the first conveyor line 1 (which is consistent with the width direction of the second conveyor line 3), the material carrier B at the loading station P on the second conveyor line 3 achieves bidirectional positioning and locking. That is, the material carrier B is positioned in both the conveying direction and the width direction, so that the position of the material carrier B at each loading station P remains fixed, providing a precise benchmark for the fixed-point placement of the robot arm 5.

[0069] In one implementation, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the material conveying line 4 is provided with a third limiting part 41 and a fourth limiting part 42.

[0070] The third limiting part 41 can provide material M with contact on one side of the material conveying line 4 in the width direction (perpendicular to the conveying direction of the material conveying line 4). The third limiting part 41 can be a guide plate or side baffle fixedly installed on one side of the material conveying line 4, used to provide a reference surface on one side in the width direction when the material M is conveyed on the material conveying line 4.

[0071] The fourth limiting part 42 can protrude to a position where it abuts against the material M at the picking station W on the downstream side of the material conveying line 4 in the conveying direction. The fourth limiting part 42 can be a mechanical dead stop plate fixedly installed at the end of the material conveying line 4 (downstream end in the conveying direction). When the material M is conveyed to the end with the material conveying line 4, the fourth limiting part 42 blocks the material M from continuing to move forward, serving as a rigid limiting reference for the forward direction of the material M.

[0072] By abutting the third limiting part 41 on one side of the width direction and stopping the fourth limiting part 42 on the downstream side of the conveying direction, the material M at the picking station W is positioned bidirectionally. That is, the material M is fixedly constrained in both the conveying direction and the width direction, so that the center position of the material M at each picking station W is always kept at a fixed theoretical coordinate point, providing a precise reference for the fixed-point gripping of the robot arm 5.

[0073] In a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the material conveying line 4 is also equipped with a pressing part 43, which can press the material M towards one side of the material conveying line 4 in the width direction until it abuts against the third limiting part 41. The pressing part 43 can be a push rod cylinder arranged laterally on one side of the material conveying line 4. When the material M arrives at the picking station W, the pressing part 43 (push rod cylinder) extends and pushes the material M laterally, so that it is close to the reference side where the third limiting part 41 is located. Through the active pushing of the pressing part 43, the slight positional offset and posture deviation that may exist in the material M during the conveying process can be overcome, and the material M can be forcibly corrected to a position that is closely attached to the third limiting part 41, further improving the positioning accuracy of the material M at the picking station W.

[0074] It is understood that the pressing part 43 is not limited to the push rod cylinder, but can also be other mechanisms that can extend and retract along the width of the material conveying line 4 and push the material M, such as electric push rod, hydraulic cylinder or cam linkage mechanism, etc.

[0075] In a preferred embodiment, the conveying direction of the material conveyor line 4 is parallel to the conveying direction of the second conveyor line 3. By making the conveying directions of the material conveyor line 4 and the second conveyor line 3 parallel, the translational movement of the robot arm 5 between the picking station W and the loading station P can be performed in the same direction, shortening the movement path of the robot arm 5 and improving handling efficiency. At the same time, the parallel conveying direction layout also facilitates the compact arrangement of each conveyor line, further saving planar space.

[0076] In a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the first conveyor line 1 and the second conveyor line 3 are opposite the material conveyor line 4 across the elevator 2. That is, the first conveyor line 1 and the second conveyor line 3 are located on one side of the elevator 2, and the material conveyor line 4 is located on the other side of the elevator 2. This layout allows the robotic arm 5 to complete its picking and unloading actions on both sides of the elevator 2, with clear and non-intersecting movement paths, which helps to improve the work cycle and avoid movement interference.

[0077] In a preferred embodiment, multiple sets of the first conveyor line 1, the elevator 2, and the second conveyor line 3 are arranged densely side by side along the width of the first conveyor line 1. This enables simultaneous loading operations at multiple workstations.

[0078] In a preferred embodiment, the manipulator 5 is a gantry manipulator. The gantry manipulator includes a gantry 51 spanning the work area and a gripping assembly 52 mounted on the gantry 51. The gantry manipulator is capable of long-range, wide-stroke movement in the horizontal plane and features high structural rigidity and load-bearing capacity, making it suitable for use in multi-station, large-span loading systems. The gripping assembly 52 can be a vacuum suction cup assembly, which stably grips material M through negative pressure adsorption, or it can be other forms of gripping end such as a claw or electromagnetic chuck.

[0079] The following combination Figure 1 The working process of the material loading system in this embodiment is explained as follows: First, the empty material carrier B is placed on the first conveyor line 1 at a first height H1 and conveyed along the conveying direction. During the conveying process, guided by the guide part 10, the first limiting part 11 constrains the material carrier B on one side in the width direction, so that the material carrier B is continuously conveyed in close contact with the single-sided reference edge, realizing automatic correction and avoiding lateral deviation and posture distortion of the material carrier B.

[0080] Subsequently, the corrected material carrier B enters the elevator 2 station along the first conveyor line 1. The elevator 2 operates, lifting the material carrier B from the first height H1 to the third height H3, completing the vertical layer-changing conveying of the material carrier B.

[0081] After the lifting is completed, the material carrier B continues to be conveyed on the second conveyor line 3 at the third height H3, for example, with one side of the width direction of the second conveyor line 3 as a reference. When the material carrier B reaches the preset loading station P, the second limiting part 31 rises and hard-stops and locks the material carrier B from the downstream side of the conveying direction. Combined with the previous guiding and correction by the first limiting part 11 on one side of the width direction of the first conveyor line 1, the material carrier B is accurately positioned in both directions at the loading station P. For example, the empty box is positioned sequentially at the loading stations of multiple second conveyor lines 3 arranged side by side.

[0082] Simultaneously, the material M to be loaded is conveyed from the front-end production line to the material conveyor line 4 at the second height H2. After scanning and identification to complete the material information entry and batch verification, it is sent to the picking station W. When the material M arrives at the picking station W, the fourth limiting part 42 (mechanical dead stop) blocks the material M from moving forward, and the pressing part 43 (push rod cylinder) extends to push the material M laterally against the reference side where the third limiting part 41 is located. Through bidirectional mechanical limiting, the material M is accurately positioned at the fixed coordinate point of the picking station W.

[0083] Subsequently, the robotic arm 5 operates according to the preset fixed coordinate program, moves to the material picking station W at the second height H2, and uses the gripping component 52 to adsorb or clamp the material M to complete the gripping action. The entire process does not require any visual recognition, coordinate calculation, or posture correction.

[0084] Next, the robotic arm 5 moves along a fixed trajectory to the loading station P at the third height H3, and precisely places the material M inside the positioned and locked material carrier B, completing a single loading operation.

[0085] After loading at a single workstation is completed, a loading completion signal is generated. Upon receiving the signal, the second conveyor line 3 controls the second limit unit 31 to descend and unlock. The loaded material carrier B automatically flows out of the loading workstation P along with the second conveyor line 3 and is transported to the rear area. Simultaneously, the conveying of the empty material carrier B, the positioning of the material M, and the loading process of the robotic arm 5 continue to cycle, achieving uninterrupted automated operation.

[0086] Through the above structure and working process, the material loading system of the present invention has at least the following technical effects: (1) By setting up three conveying layers at different heights—the first conveying line, the second conveying line, and the material conveying line—and using an elevator to realize the vertical layer-by-layer conveying of material carriers, the empty box supply, material supply, and loading operations can operate independently at the three height levels. This effectively utilizes vertical space, significantly reduces the floor area occupied, improves space utilization, and allows for the arrangement of more loading stations and equipment within a limited space.

[0087] (2) By setting a guide part and a first limiting part on the first conveyor line, a second limiting part on the second conveyor line, and a third and fourth limiting part and a pressing part on the material conveyor line, a full-process mechanical positioning system is constructed, from material carrier conveying and correction to loading station locking, and from material conveying positioning to picking station correction. This ensures that the positions of the material carrier and the material are always fixed, providing a precise benchmark for the fixed trajectory operation of the robot. Precise loading operations can be completed without the need for a vision recognition system, avoiding production stoppages caused by vision recognition system failures. It also simplifies the structure and reduces costs. Furthermore, it ensures that the robot can still accurately complete the material gripping and placement operations even under conditions with certain positional and posture errors, improving operational stability and fault tolerance, while reducing equipment costs and maintenance difficulty.

[0088] (3) By placing the material conveying line between the first and second conveying lines and making each conveying direction parallel, the system forms a compact three-dimensional layout with a three-level incremental structure. The movement path of the robot is short and efficient, there is no movement interference between the functional areas, and the overall operation rhythm is stable and efficient.

[0089] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0090] For example, in the above embodiment, the robot arm 5 moves the material M from the picking station W on the material conveying line 4 into the material carrier B at the loading station P on the second conveying line 3, but it is not limited to this, such as... Figure 4 As shown, alternatively, the robotic arm 5 can move the material M at the material picking station W on the material conveying line 4 into the material carrier B at the loading station P on the elevator 2.

[0091] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the second conveyor line 3 is provided with a second limiting part 31. The second limiting part 31 can protrude to a position on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the second conveyor line 3 where it abuts against the material carrier B at the loading station P, but it is not limited to this. Figure 4 As shown, the elevator 2 may also have a second limiting part 31, which can abut against the material carrier B at the loading station on the elevator 2 on the downstream side of the conveying direction. Furthermore, the second limiting part 31 may be fixed and not move.

[0092] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the first conveyor line 1 and the second conveyor line 3 are opposite to the material conveyor line 4 across the elevator 2. In other words, the elevator 2 is located in the extending direction of the first conveyor line 1, the second conveyor line 3, and the material conveyor line 4, but it is not limited to this. Figure 4 As shown, the elevator 2 can also be located outside the extension direction of the first conveyor line 1, the second conveyor line 3, and the material conveyor line 4.

Claims

1. A material loading system, characterized in that, include: A first conveyor line that conveys material carriers; An elevator that receives and lifts a material carrier conveyed by the first conveyor line; The second conveyor line is located above the first conveyor line and receives the material carrier lifted by the elevator; A material conveyor line that conveys materials, and the height of the material conveyor line is different from the height of the first conveyor line and the second conveyor line; as well as A robotic arm that moves materials from the picking station on the material conveying line to the material carrier at the loading station on the second conveying line or the material carrier at the loading station on the elevator.

2. The material loading system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The second conveyor line overlaps at least partially with the first conveyor line in the vertical direction.

3. The material loading system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The material conveying line is located between the first conveying line and the second conveying line in the vertical direction.

4. The material loading system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The first conveyor line is provided with a guide section and a first limiting section. The guide portion guides the material carrier so that the first limiting portion abuts against the material carrier on one side in the width direction of the first conveyor line.

5. The material loading system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The conveying direction of the second conveyor line is parallel to the conveying direction of the first conveyor line. The second conveyor line is provided with a second limiting part, which can protrude to a position on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the second conveyor line that abuts against the material carrier at the loading station; or, the elevator is provided with a second limiting part, which can abut against the material carrier at the loading station that is loaded onto the elevator on the downstream side of the conveying direction.

6. The material loading system as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The material conveying line is equipped with a third limiting part and a fourth limiting part. The third limiting part can provide material abutment on one side of the material conveying line in the width direction. The fourth limiting part can protrude to the downstream side of the material conveying line in the conveying direction and come into contact with the material at the picking station.

7. The material loading system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The material conveying line is also provided with a pressing part, which can press the material toward one side of the material conveying line in the width direction until it abuts against the third limiting part.

8. The material loading system as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The conveying direction of the material conveying line is parallel to the conveying direction of the second conveying line.

9. The material loading system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first conveyor line and the second conveyor line are opposite to the material conveyor line via the elevator.

10. The material loading system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The robotic arm is a gantry robotic arm.

11. The material loading system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The first conveyor line, the elevator, and the second conveyor line are arranged side by side in multiple groups along the width direction of the first conveyor line.

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