Double-layer isolated bolt continuous feeding combined weighing and discharging mechanism

Abstract

This invention discloses a double-layer isolated bolt continuous feeding combined weighing and unloading mechanism. The mechanism includes a feeding and distribution mechanism, multiple weighing and unloading units, and a controller. Each weighing and unloading unit has an upper and lower temporary storage chamber connected by a connecting port, and an isolation unloading assembly consisting of a receiving isolation plate and a linked discharge gate. In the receiving weighing position, the receiving isolation plate opens the connecting port, and the discharge gate closes the discharge port, allowing bolts to fall into the lower temporary storage chamber for cumulative weighing. In the isolated unloading position, the receiving isolation plate closes the connecting port, and the discharge gate opens the discharge port, allowing weighed bolts to be discharged while subsequent incoming material is blocked in the upper temporary storage chamber. The double-layer chamber extends the material flow path and has an extremely short switching time. During the switching instant, there is no direct path for material to flow through, ensuring structural consistency between the discharged quantity and the weighing result without stopping the feeding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of bolt quantitative packaging equipment technology, and in particular to a double-layer isolated bolt continuous feeding combined weighing and unloading mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] Small hardware parts such as bolts and nuts typically need to be packaged in fixed quantities. Existing packaging equipment uses a single weighing hopper, switching sequentially between feeding, weighing, and discharging, making it difficult to prepare multiple batches of material simultaneously, resulting in a low batching cycle time. Another type of combined weighing equipment uses multiple weighing hoppers to accumulate and weigh material separately, then selects a combination to improve batching efficiency. For example, CN108791980A discloses an automatic screw packaging machine that uses a multi-weighing hopper combination structure. Each weighing hopper receives material and weighs it independently. The control system selects a combination of several weighing hoppers so that the total quantity equals the target packaging quantity, and then discharges the material from the selected weighing hoppers together.

[0003] However, the aforementioned multi-weighing hopper combination method has the following drawbacks when applied to continuous bolt feeding scenarios: When a weighing hopper has been selected as part of the combination and its discharge port needs to be opened for material discharge, the feeding distribution mechanism may still feed new bolts into the feed port of that weighing hopper. If the newly arrived bolts can pass through the opened discharge port along the original feed path, or enter the space where the previously weighed material is located and then be discharged, the actual discharged quantity will be inconsistent with the weighed quantity when the hopper was selected, resulting in a deviation in the final packaging quantity. Simply relying on stopping the feeding, avoiding the feeding time, or software prediction will reduce the equipment's operating cycle time and cannot structurally eliminate the material cross-contamination path during the switching process. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a double-layer isolated bolt continuous feeding combined weighing and unloading mechanism to solve the technical problem that, under continuous feeding conditions, subsequent incoming materials may be mixed with weighed materials during unloading, resulting in a discrepancy between the actual unloaded quantity and the calculated combined quantity.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a double-layer isolated bolt continuous feeding combined weighing and unloading mechanism, including a feeding and distribution mechanism, multiple weighing and unloading units, and a controller. During operation, the feeding and distribution mechanism continuously distributes bolts to the multiple weighing and unloading units. Each weighing and unloading unit includes a chamber with an inlet and an outlet, as well as a weighing sensor.

[0006] The core improvement of this invention lies in the following: the internal structure of the silo is provided with an upper temporary storage chamber and a lower temporary storage chamber from top to bottom, with a connecting opening at the bottom of the upper temporary storage chamber to connect the two chambers. The weighing and unloading unit also includes an isolating unloading component and a driving component. The isolating unloading component is composed of a receiving isolation plate and a discharge gate. The driving component drives the isolating unloading component to reciprocate between the receiving weighing position and the isolating unloading position.

[0007] At the receiving and weighing position, the receiving isolation plate retracts from the connecting port, keeping it open. Bolts entering from the feed inlet pass sequentially through the upper temporary storage chamber and the connecting port into the lower temporary storage chamber, where they accumulate and are weighed by the weighing sensor. At this time, the discharge gate closes the discharge port, preventing bolts from being discharged. At the isolated discharge position, the receiving isolation plate moves to the connecting port and closes it, isolating the interior of the silo into two separate upper and lower temporary storage chambers. Simultaneously, the discharge gate moves away from the discharge port, opening it, and the weighed bolts in the lower temporary storage chamber are discharged. If subsequent bolts enter from the feed inlet at this time, they are blocked by the closed connecting port and temporarily stored in the upper temporary storage chamber, preventing them from mixing into the lower temporary storage chamber where material is being discharged.

[0008] Because the bolts must pass through two independent chambers, the upper and lower temporary storage chambers, from the inlet to the outlet, resulting in a relatively long flow path, and because the receiving isolation plate and the discharge gate switch synchronously with an extremely short switching time, there is no direct material flow path from the inlet to the outlet at the moment of switching. Therefore, no additional timing control mechanism is needed to structurally prevent incoming material from mixing in. The controller is configured to control the movement of the drive components, causing the selected weighing and unloading unit to switch between the receiving weighing position and the isolated unloading position.

[0009] Furthermore, the bottom surface of the upper temporary storage chamber is a downward sloping surface facing the discharge port, and a connecting opening is provided at the lowest point of the sloping surface; the bottom surface of the lower temporary storage chamber is a downward sloping surface facing the discharge port, so that the bolts can slide automatically along the sloping surface under the action of gravity.

[0010] Furthermore, the receiving isolation plate is slidably installed along the radial or horizontal direction of the silo body, and the discharge gate is fixedly connected to the end of the receiving isolation plate facing the discharge port. The fixed end of the drive component is installed on the side of the silo body opposite to the discharge port, and the output end of the drive component pushes the isolation and unloading assembly towards the discharge port. The drive component can be a linear drive mechanism such as a cylinder, electric push rod, or linear motor.

[0011] Furthermore, the silo body is supported by a load cell, and the isolation feeding assembly and drive unit are both installed in the silo body, so that the weight obtained by the load cell truly reflects the actual weight of the bolts in the lower temporary storage chamber, and the action of the isolation feeding assembly will not change the structural reference of the weighed silo body.

[0012] Furthermore, the controller pre-stores the empty bin reference weight, bolt reference unit weight, and count tolerance corresponding to the current bolt specification. The controller is configured to: when the weighing signal meets a preset stability condition, and there exists a unique integer such that the difference between the current filtered weight and the empty bin reference weight, and the difference between this integer multiple of the bolt reference unit weight, is not greater than the count tolerance, determine this unique integer as the number of bolts in the corresponding weighing and unloading unit. The preset stability condition can be, for example, that the fluctuation amplitude of the weighing signal is less than a preset threshold within multiple consecutive sampling periods. This scheme does not rely solely on rounding as the sole criterion for judgment, reducing misjudgments in quantity caused by bolt weight dispersion, residual vibration, and zero-point drift.

[0013] Furthermore, the material feeding and distribution mechanism is equipped with position detection components. The controller calculates the expected feeding time window for each weighing and feeding unit based on the position detection signals. At the beginning of the expected feeding time window, the controller disables the existing weighing ready state of the corresponding weighing and feeding unit. After the expected feeding time window ends and a preset settling time has elapsed, the controller re-acquires the weighing signal and establishes a new weighing ready state when the signal meets preset stability conditions. This mechanism ensures that even if the bolts do not actually fall into the bolts during the expected feeding, the quantity will be confirmed by re-weighing, avoiding the use of potentially outdated data.

[0014] Furthermore, the controller also determines whether the expected incoming material quantity exceeds the capacity of the upper temporary storage chamber based on the estimated duration of the isolation feeding component from entering the isolation feeding position to returning to the receiving and weighing position, and the current feeding speed. If the expected incoming material quantity exceeds the capacity of the upper temporary storage chamber, the controller prohibits that weighing and feeding unit from participating in the current round of combined feeding. This control is only used to prevent the upper temporary storage chamber from being overloaded and to optimize the operating cycle time, and does not replace the physical isolation formed by the closure of the connecting port.

[0015] Furthermore, a material collection section is provided below the multiple weighing and feeding units to collect the bolts discharged from each weighing and feeding unit.

[0016] Furthermore, the feeding and distributing mechanism adopts a rotary distribution structure, including a rotary drive device, a vibrating feeder, a rotary distribution guide rail, and a rotary hopper. The vibrating feeder vibrates and conveys the bolts to the rotary hopper. The discharge end of the rotary hopper is located directly above the rotary distribution guide rail. The rotary hopper is fixedly connected to the rotary distribution guide rail. A crossbeam is fixed inside the rotary hopper, and a rotating shaft is coaxially fixed on the crossbeam. The rotating shaft is driven to rotate by the rotary drive device. The rotary distribution guide rail has a guide surface for receiving bolts and a discharge end for downward discharge. Multiple weighing and distributing units are distributed around the center of the rotating shaft. The discharge end of the rotary distribution guide rail passes sequentially above the inlet of each weighing and distributing unit, distributing the bolts to each weighing and distributing unit in small batches.

[0017] Furthermore, the vibrating feeder includes a vibrating feed trough, the output end of which is provided with a height limiting plate. The height limiting plate and the bottom of the vibrating feed trough form a height limiting opening for bolts to pass through, thereby limiting the number of bolts conveyed in the height direction and preventing the bolts from being conveyed too densely, thus controlling the amount of bolts conveyed.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the double-layer isolated bolt continuous feeding combined weighing and unloading mechanism provided by the present invention has the following beneficial effects: Firstly, by setting up upper and lower temporary storage chambers inside the silo and sealing the connection opening with a receiving isolation plate during material discharge, the silo is structurally divided into an upper temporary storage chamber and a lower temporary storage chamber that are not connected to each other. This ensures that even if the material distribution mechanism continues to feed material to the selected unit during material discharge, the subsequent bolts can only stay in the upper temporary storage chamber and cannot enter the lower temporary storage chamber where material is being discharged, thus ensuring that the quantity of discharged material strictly corresponds to the weighing result before material discharge. Secondly, since the bolts need to pass through two independent chambers, the upper temporary storage chamber and the lower temporary storage chamber, from the feed inlet to the discharge outlet, the material flow path is significantly extended by the double-layer chambers. The receiving isolation plate and the discharge gate switch synchronously and the switching time is extremely short. Therefore, there is no material flow path from the feed inlet to the discharge outlet at the moment of switching. No additional timing control mechanism is required, which structurally ensures the reliability of the quantity under continuous feeding conditions. Third, the material feeding and distribution mechanism can maintain continuous operation, and the unselected weighing and feeding units can still receive and weigh materials normally. The selection of multiple unit combinations no longer requires the entire machine to be stopped, thus taking into account both the response speed and metering reliability of combined feeding. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the double-layer isolated bolt continuous feeding combined weighing and unloading mechanism according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a side view of the double-layer isolated bolt continuous feeding combination weighing and unloading mechanism according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Sectional view along line AA; Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle; Figure 5 This is a top view of the double-layer isolated bolt continuous feeding combined weighing and unloading mechanism according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the weighing and feeding unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0020] The component names corresponding to each mark in the attached diagram are as follows: 1-Material feeding and distribution mechanism; 11-Rotary drive device; 12-Vibrating feeding component; 121-Vibrating feeding trough; 122-Height limit plate; 123-Height limit opening; 13-Rotary distribution guide rail; 131-Guiding surface; 132-Discharge end; 14-Rotating hopper; 141-Crossbeam; 142-Rotating shaft; 2-Weighing and unloading unit; 21-Hopper body; 211-Inlet; 212-Outlet; 213-Upper temporary storage chamber; 214-Lower temporary storage chamber; 215-Connecting port; 216-Mounting frame; 22-Weighing sensor; 23-Isolation unloading assembly; 231-Receiving isolation plate; 232-Discharge gate; 2321-Comb-shaped trough; 233-Connecting plate; 24-Drive component; 3-Controller; 4-Material collection section; 5-Frame. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Example 1: This example provides a double-layer isolated continuous feeding and weighing mechanism for bolts, used for quantitative packaging of hexagonal bolts of the same specification. Applicable bolts include hexagonal bolts with nominal diameters from M12 to M20; in actual operation, bolts of the same specification and with the same unit weight calibration parameters are selected for the same batch.

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown, the double-layer isolated bolt continuous feeding combined weighing and unloading mechanism of this embodiment includes a feeding and distributing mechanism 1, multiple weighing and unloading units 2, a material collection unit 4, a controller 3, and a frame 5. There are thirty weighing and unloading units 2, arranged at equal intervals around the rotation center of the feeding and distributing mechanism 1. The gap between adjacent weighing and unloading units 2 is smaller than the minimum radial dimension of the bolt, so that the bolt cannot enter the gap, avoiding jamming or leakage. The material collection unit 4 is located below all the weighing and unloading units 2 and is used to collect the bolts discharged from each weighing and unloading unit 2. The material collection unit 4 is fixedly installed on the frame 5; each weighing and unloading unit 2 is floatingly supported on the frame 5 by a weighing sensor 22, and is not directly fixed to the frame 5. The controller 3 is electrically or signal-connected to the feeding and distributing mechanism 1 and each weighing and unloading unit 2.

[0023] The feeding and distributing mechanism 1 includes a rotary drive device 11, a vibrating feeder 12, a rotary distribution guide rail 13, and a rotary hopper 14. Both the rotary drive device 11 and the vibrating feeder 12 are fixedly mounted on the frame 5. In this embodiment, the vibrating feeder 12 is a linear vibrating feeder, including a vibrating feed trough 121. A height-limiting plate 122 is provided at the output end of the vibrating feed trough 121. A height-limiting opening 123 for bolts to pass through is formed between the height-limiting plate 122 and the bottom of the vibrating feed trough 121. The height-limiting opening 123 limits the number of bolt layers conveyed along the height direction, preventing excessively dense bolt conveying. The vibrating feeder 12 is used to vibrately convey the bolts to the rotary hopper 14. In other embodiments, the vibrating feeder 12 can also be a vibrating disc.

[0024] The discharge end of the rotating hopper 14 is located directly above the rotating distribution guide rail 13. The rotating hopper 14 and the rotating distribution guide rail 13 are fixedly connected and rotate synchronously under the drive of the rotating drive device 11. A crossbeam 141 is fixed inside the rotating hopper 14, and a rotating shaft 142 is coaxially fixed on the crossbeam 141. The rotating shaft 142 is rotatably mounted on the frame 5 through bearings, and the frame 5 supports the rotating shaft 142. The upper end of the rotating shaft 142 is connected to the output end of the rotating drive device 11 through a coupling. The rotating distribution guide rail 13 has a guide surface 131 for receiving bolts falling from the rotating hopper 14 and a discharge end 132 for downward material discharge. In this embodiment, the rotating drive device 11 uses a servo motor. The position signal of the servo motor's built-in encoder serves as the signal source for the position detection device, used to detect the real-time angular position of the rotating shaft 142. In other embodiments, the rotating drive device 11 can also use a stepper motor. As the rotating distribution guide rail 13 rotates, the discharge end 132 passes over the inlet 211 of each weighing and unloading unit 2 in sequence, continuously distributing the bolts to each weighing and unloading unit 2 in small batches.

[0025] In other embodiments, the feeding and distributing mechanism 1 may also be a swing-type distributing trough, a circulating conveying distributor, or a guiding mechanism with multiple controllable discharge positions.

[0026] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, each weighing and unloading unit 2 includes a bin 21, a weighing sensor 22, an isolation unloading assembly 23, and a drive component 24. The weighing sensor 22 is fixedly mounted on the frame 5, and the bin 21 is mounted on the force-bearing end of the weighing sensor 22. The isolation unloading assembly 23 and the drive component 24 are both mounted on the bin 21, so that the weighing sensor 22 bears the entire weight of the bin 21 and its components. The weight obtained by the weighing sensor 22 reflects the actual weight of the bolts in the lower temporary storage chamber 214.

[0027] The upper part of the silo 21 is provided with a feed inlet 211, and the side facing the center of the circumference is provided with a discharge outlet 212. The gap between adjacent silos 21 is 1mm, and the upper end of the silo 21 is chamfered to facilitate the entry of bolts and prevent bolts from getting stuck at the top of the silo 21 or between two adjacent silos 21. The interior of the silo 21 is provided with an upper temporary storage chamber 213 and a lower temporary storage chamber 214 from top to bottom. The upper temporary storage chamber 213 is connected to the feed inlet 211, and its bottom surface is a downward sloping surface facing the discharge outlet 212, with a connecting opening 215 at the lowest point of the bottom surface. The lower temporary storage chamber 214 is connected to the upper temporary storage chamber 213 through the connecting opening 215, and its bottom surface is also a downward sloping surface facing the discharge outlet 212, with the lowest point of the bottom surface leading to the discharge outlet 212. After the bolt enters the silo 21, it can slide down the bottom surface of the upper temporary storage chamber 213 under the action of gravity, pass through the connecting port 215 and fall into the lower temporary storage chamber 214, and then slide down the bottom surface of the lower temporary storage chamber 214 to the discharge port 212.

[0028] The isolation feeding assembly 23 includes a receiving isolation plate 231 and a discharge gate 232. The receiving isolation plate 231 is a plate-shaped component that is slidably arranged along the radial direction of the bin body 21 (i.e., towards the discharge port 212) and is used to open and close the connecting port 215. The discharge gate 232 is fixedly connected to the end of the receiving isolation plate 231 facing the discharge port 212 via a connecting plate 233 and moves synchronously with the receiving isolation plate 231. The width of the connecting plate 233 is smaller than the bolt diameter, and the upper part of the connecting plate 233 is chamfered to prevent the bolt from getting stuck on the connecting plate 233. Asymmetrical comb-shaped grooves 2321 are provided on both sides of the discharge gate 232. The comb-shaped grooves 2321 of the discharge gates 232 of adjacent weighing feeding units 2 match each other, so that adjacent discharge gates 232 do not interfere with each other when moving inward to the bin body 21. The size of the comb-shaped grooves 2321 is smaller than the bolt diameter to prevent the screw from coming loose.

[0029] The driving component 24 includes a fixed end and an output end. A mounting bracket 216 is fixed to the side of the hopper 21 facing away from the discharge port 212. The fixed end of the driving component 24 is fixedly mounted to the mounting bracket 216, and the output end is connected to the end of the receiving isolation plate 231 away from the discharge port 212. In this embodiment, the driving component 24 is a cylinder, with the fixed end being the cylinder body and the output end being the cylinder piston rod. The driving component 24 is connected to an external power source via a flexible air pipe, with a slack allowance in the wiring path to avoid affecting the weighing result of the weighing sensor 22 due to pipeline tension. In other embodiments, the driving component 24 can also be an electric push rod or a linear motor. The driving component 24 is connected to an external power source via a flexible cable, with a slack allowance in the wiring path to avoid affecting the weighing result of the weighing sensor 22 due to pipeline tension.

[0030] The isolation feeding assembly 23 has two working positions: a receiving and weighing position and an isolation feeding position, driven by the drive component 24.

[0031] like Figure 2 As shown, at the receiving and weighing position, the output end of the drive unit 24 is in a retracted state. At this time, the receiving isolation plate 231 retracts from the connecting port 215, keeping it open. Bolts entering from the feed port 211 pass sequentially through the inclined surface of the upper temporary storage chamber 213 and the connecting port 215 into the lower temporary storage chamber 214, where they accumulate. The discharge gate 232 abuts against the outside of the discharge port 212 and closes it, preventing the bolts in the lower temporary storage chamber 214 from being discharged, and they are continuously weighed by the weighing sensor 22.

[0032] like Figure 3As shown, at the isolation feeding position, the output end of the drive unit 24 is extended, pushing the entire isolation feeding assembly 23 towards the discharge port 212. The receiving isolation plate 231 moves to the connecting port 215 and closes it, isolating the interior of the silo 21 into two non-communicating upper temporary storage chambers 213 and lower temporary storage chambers 214. At the same time, the discharge gate 232 moves forward with the receiving isolation plate 231 and leaves the discharge port 212, opening the discharge port 212. The weighed bolts in the lower temporary storage chamber 214 are discharged along the inclined surface through the discharge port 212 to the material collection section 4 under the action of gravity. If the discharge end 132 of the rotary distribution guide rail 13 happens to feed material into the weighing and feeding unit 2 at this time, after the subsequent bolts enter the upper temporary storage chamber 213, they can only stay in the upper temporary storage chamber 213 because the connecting port 215 has been closed by the receiving isolation plate 231, and will not enter the lower temporary storage chamber 214 or the discharge port 212.

[0033] The receiving isolation plate 231 and the discharge gate 232 are linked and move synchronously. Therefore, when switching between the receiving weighing position and the isolation discharge position, the opening and closing of the connecting port 215 and the opening and closing of the discharge port 212 are completed synchronously in a very short time. At the same time, the bolts must pass through two independent chambers, the upper temporary storage chamber 213 and the lower temporary storage chamber 214, from the inlet 211 to the discharge port 212, and the flow path is significantly extended by the double-layer chambers. These two factors work together to ensure that there is no material flow path from the inlet 211 directly to the discharge port 212 at the moment of switching, and the discharge quantity can be guaranteed to be consistent with the weighing result without the need for a step-by-step timing control mechanism.

[0034] In this embodiment, the weighing and unloading unit 2 is arranged circumferentially, and the receiving isolation plate 231 slides radially along the bin body 21. When the output end of the driving member 24 extends, it pushes the isolation unloading assembly 23 towards the center of the circumference. In other embodiments, the weighing and unloading unit 2 may also be arranged along a straight line, an arc, or other paths, with the receiving isolation plate 231 sliding horizontally and the output end of the driving member 24 horizontally pushing the isolation unloading assembly 23.

[0035] The working process of this embodiment is described below.

[0036] During equipment operation, the rotary drive device 11 drives the rotary shaft 142 to rotate, causing the rotary hopper 14 and the rotary distribution guide rail 13 to rotate synchronously. The vibrating feeder 12 vibrates and conveys the bolts to the rotary hopper 14. The bolts fall from the discharge end of the rotary hopper 14 onto the guide surface 131 of the rotary distribution guide rail 13, and move with the rotary distribution guide rail 13 to the discharge end 132 and fall into the inlet 211 of the weighing and discharging unit 2. Each weighing and discharging unit 2 is initially in the receiving and weighing position. The bolts enter the lower temporary storage chamber 214 through the upper temporary storage chamber 213 and the connecting port 215. The weighing sensor 22 continuously acquires the weight of the bolts in the lower temporary storage chamber 214.

[0037] Controller 3 pre-stores the empty bin reference weight, bolt reference unit weight, and count tolerance corresponding to the current bolt specification. When the weighing signal of a certain weighing and unloading unit 2 meets the preset stability condition, controller 3 determines whether there exists a unique integer n that satisfies the condition: the absolute value of the difference between the current filtered weight and the empty bin reference weight, and the difference between n times the bolt reference unit weight, is not greater than the count tolerance. If a unique integer n exists, controller 3 determines this integer n as the number of bolts in the weighing and unloading unit 2 and marks it as weighing ready. If no unique integer exists, the weighing and unloading unit 2 remains in a non-ready state.

[0038] Taking a package of fourteen bolts as an example, the controller 3 selects several units from the weighing and unloading units 2 that are in the weighing-ready state, where the total number of bolts is fourteen. It then controls the drive unit 24 of the selected unit to move, causing the isolation unloading component 23 of the selected unit to switch from the receiving and weighing position to the isolation unloading position. At this time, the receiving isolation plate 231 closes the connecting port 215, isolating the interior of the silo 21 into two separate upper and lower temporary storage chambers 213 and 214. The discharge gate 232 moves synchronously with the receiving isolation plate 231, opening the discharge port 212, and the fourteen bolts weighed in the lower temporary storage chamber 214 are discharged to the material collection section 4. If the material supply and distribution mechanism 1 continues to feed material to the selected unit during this period, subsequent bolts will remain in the upper temporary storage chamber 213 and will not be mixed into the discharge.

[0039] After the material is discharged, the drive unit 24 retracts, the discharge gate 232 closes the discharge port 212, the connecting port 215 reopens, the bolts in the upper temporary storage chamber 213 fall into the lower temporary storage chamber 214, and the weighing and unloading unit 2 resumes the receiving and weighing state.

[0040] After the controller 3 confirms that all selected units have completed material discharge, the batch of bolts collected in the material collection section 4 is discharged directly as a package batch.

[0041] Example 2: This example adds the functions of refreshing the weighing ready status and controlling the capacity of the upper temporary storage chamber 213 based on Example 1.

[0042] The controller 3 calculates the expected feeding time window for each weighing and feeding unit 2 based on the signal from the position detection device (the encoder built into the servo motor), the pre-stored angular positions of each weighing and feeding unit 2, and the rotational speed of the rotational distribution guide rail 13. When the expected feeding time window for a unit begins, the controller 3 immediately cancels the unit's current weighing ready state. After the time window ends, the controller 3 waits for a preset settling time (0.3 to 1 second in this embodiment) and collects multiple weighing signals. If the range of consecutive sampled values ​​is less than a stable threshold, the number of bolts is determined using the filtered weight value according to the aforementioned unique integer determination method, and a new weighing ready state is established. If no unique integer exists, the unit remains in a non-ready state and waits for the next refresh. This mechanism ensures that even if bolts are not actually fed during the expected feeding, the quantity is confirmed by re-weighing, avoiding the use of potentially outdated data.

[0043] Before selecting the weighing and feeding unit 2 to participate in the assembly, the controller 3 also calculates the total estimated duration from the extension of the unit to its retraction from the drive member 24, as well as the number of times the discharge end 132 of the rotary distribution guide 13 may pass through the unit's feed inlet 211 during this duration and the estimated amount of material received each time. If the estimated amount of material received exceeds the capacity of the upper temporary storage chamber 213, the controller 3 prohibits the unit from participating in this round of assembly feeding, even if it has an effective number of bolts; the unit is only allowed to participate in the assembly when the capacity of the upper temporary storage chamber 213 is sufficient. This control is only used to prevent the upper temporary storage chamber 213 from being overloaded and to optimize the operating cycle time, and does not replace the physical isolation formed by the connection port 215 being closed by the receiving isolation plate 231.

[0044] This invention is not limited to bolts. In other embodiments, it can also be used for nuts, washers, or other small hardware parts with regular shapes that can be converted into quantities by weighing. It is only necessary to set the reference unit weight, allowable deviation, upper temporary storage chamber 213 capacity, and feeding intensity accordingly.

Claims

1. A double-layer isolated bolt continuous feeding combined weighing and unloading mechanism, comprising a feeding and distributing mechanism (1), a plurality of weighing and unloading units (2), and a controller (3), wherein the feeding and distributing mechanism (1) is configured to continuously distribute bolts to the plurality of weighing and unloading units (2), each of the weighing and unloading units (2) comprising a chamber (21) having an inlet (211) and an outlet (212) and a weighing sensor (22), characterized in that, The storage chamber (21) includes an upper temporary storage chamber (213) and a lower temporary storage chamber (214) located below the upper temporary storage chamber (213). The bottom of the upper temporary storage chamber (213) is provided with a communication port (215) that communicates with the lower temporary storage chamber (214). The weighing and feeding unit (2) further includes an isolation feeding component (23) and a driving component (24) for reciprocating movement of the isolation feeding component (23). The isolation feeding component (23) includes a receiving isolation plate (231) and a discharge gate (232) linked with the receiving isolation plate (231). The isolation feeding assembly (23) has a receiving and weighing position and an isolation feeding position. At the receiving and weighing position, the receiving isolation plate (231) opens the connecting port (215) and the discharge gate (232) closes the discharge port (212). At the isolation feeding position, the receiving isolation plate (231) closes the connecting port (215) and the discharge gate (232) opens the discharge port (212). The controller (3) is configured to control the operation of the drive (24).

2. The double-layer isolated bolt continuous feeding combined weighing and unloading mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom surface of the upper temporary storage chamber (213) is a downward sloping surface facing the discharge port (212), and the communication port (215) is provided at the lowest point of the sloping surface; the bottom surface of the lower temporary storage chamber (214) is a downward sloping surface facing the discharge port (212).

3. The double-layer isolated bolt continuous feeding combined weighing and unloading mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The receiving isolation plate (231) is slidably arranged in the radial or horizontal direction along the bin body (21), and the discharge gate (232) is fixedly connected to one end of the receiving isolation plate (231) facing the discharge port (212); the fixed end of the driving member (24) is installed on the side of the bin body (21) away from the discharge port (212), and the output end of the driving member (24) pushes the isolation feeding assembly (23) towards the discharge port (212).

4. The double-layer isolated bolt continuous feeding combined weighing and unloading mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bin (21) is supported by the weighing sensor (22), and the isolation unloading assembly (23) and the drive unit (24) are both installed on the bin (21) so that the weight obtained by weighing includes the weight of the bolts in the lower temporary storage chamber (214).

5. The double-layer isolated bolt continuous feeding combined weighing and unloading mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller (3) stores the empty bin reference weight, bolt reference unit weight and count allowable deviation corresponding to the current bolt specification; when the weighing signal meets the preset stability conditions, the controller (3) determines a unique integer that satisfies the difference between the weight difference and an integer multiple of the bolt reference unit weight not greater than the count allowable deviation, and uses this unique integer as the number of bolts in the corresponding weighing and unloading unit (2).

6. The double-layer isolated bolt continuous feeding combined weighing and unloading mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, The feeding and distribution mechanism (1) is equipped with a position detection element (15). The controller (3) determines the expected feeding time window of each weighing and feeding unit (2) according to the signal of the position detection element (15). At the beginning of the expected feeding time window, the controller (3) invalidates the current weighing ready state of the corresponding weighing and feeding unit (2), and after the expected feeding time window ends and a preset resting time has elapsed, it re-acquires the weighing signal that meets the preset stability condition to establish a new weighing ready state.

7. The double-layer isolated bolt continuous feeding combined weighing and unloading mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that, Before selecting a weighing and unloading unit (2), the controller (3) determines whether the expected amount of incoming material exceeds the capacity of the upper temporary storage chamber (213) based on the expected duration from when the selected weighing and unloading unit (2) enters the isolated unloading position to when it returns to the receiving and weighing position. If the expected amount of incoming material exceeds the capacity of the upper temporary storage chamber (213), the controller (3) prohibits the weighing and unloading unit (2) from participating in this combined unloading.

8. The double-layer isolated bolt continuous feeding combined weighing and unloading mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a material collection section (4) located below the plurality of weighing and feeding units (2) for collecting the bolts discharged by each of the weighing and feeding units (2).

9. The double-layer isolated bolt continuous feeding combined weighing and unloading mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding and distributing mechanism (1) includes a rotary drive device (11), a vibrating feeder (12), a rotary distribution guide rail (13), and a rotary hopper (14). The vibrating feeder (12) is used to vibrate and convey bolts to the rotary hopper (14). The discharge end of the rotary hopper (14) is located directly above the rotary distribution guide rail (13). The rotary hopper (14) is fixedly connected to the rotary distribution guide rail (13). A crossbeam (141) is fixed inside the rotary hopper (14). A rotating shaft (142) is coaxially fixed on the crossbeam (141). The rotating shaft (142) is driven to rotate by the rotary drive device (11). The rotary distribution guide rail (13) has a guide surface (131) for receiving bolts and a discharge end (132) for downward material discharge. The plurality of weighing and discharging units (2) are distributed around the center of the rotating shaft (142).

10. The double-layer isolated bolt continuous feeding combined weighing and unloading mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that, The vibrating feeder (12) includes a vibrating feed trough (121). The output end of the vibrating feed trough (121) is provided with a height limiting plate (122). A height limiting opening (123) for bolts to pass through is formed between the height limiting plate (122) and the bottom of the vibrating feed trough (121) to limit the number of bolts conveyed in the height direction and avoid the bolts being conveyed too densely.

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