Automatic ball forming system

Abstract

The utility model discloses an automatic ball forming system. The automatic ball forming system comprises a mechanical arm, a ball jacking device and a ball forming machine, wherein the ball jacking device and the ball forming machine are arranged in the moving range of the mechanical arm. The ball material jacking device comprises a working platform, an ejector pin mechanism and a servo driver, the working platform can be used for placing a carrying disc, the ejector pin mechanism is arranged below the working platform, and the servo driver is in driving connection with the ejector pin mechanism to control lifting of an ejector pin. Therefore, the ball material jacking device can jack up the multiple ball material primary blanks arranged on the carrying disc by a preset height, and the mechanical arm is configured to clamp the multiple ball material primary blanks jacked up and send the multiple ball material primary blanks to the ball forming machine for forming operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a sphere forming system, in particular to an automatic sphere forming system, which is used for respectively forming a plurality of ball material embryos arranged on a carrier plate into a plurality of spheres, such as golf ball cores. Background Art

[0002] As people's living standards improve and they pay more attention to outdoor leisure life, more and more people are fond of golf, and these people may be men or women from all walks of life or all ages. In other words, golf allows people from different industries, different ages and different genders to compete and communicate on the same field, and this is the charm of this sport.

[0003] In the production process of golf balls, many steps need to be completed manually. For example, multiple ball blanks (such as rubber blocks) are arranged on a tray by workers and sent to a molding machine by a cart to form multiple ball cores. However, the above method is not only time-consuming and not conducive to automated manufacturing, but also leads to increased costs. It may also lead to cost waste or poor product quality due to human error.

[0004] Therefore, how to overcome the above-mentioned defects through improvement of structural design has become one of the important issues to be solved in this field. Utility Model Content

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to provide an automatic sphere forming system for the deficiencies of the prior art, which can save manual feeding and loading processes, is conducive to automatic production, and improves production efficiency and yield.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, one of the technical solutions adopted by the utility model is to provide an automated sphere forming system for forming a plurality of ball material embryos arranged on a carrier into a plurality of spheres, wherein the plurality of ball material embryos are respectively accommodated in a plurality of arranged slots of the carrier. The automated sphere forming system comprises a robotic arm, a ball material lifting device and a sphere forming machine arranged within the range of motion of the robotic arm, and the ball material lifting device comprises a working platform, an ejector mechanism and a servo drive. The working platform can be used for placing the carrier, and the working platform has a plurality of matching holes that pass through the thickness direction, and the plurality of matching holes are spatially connected with the plurality of arranged slots respectively. The ejector mechanism is arranged below the working platform, and the ejector mechanism comprises a base and a plurality of ejectors mounted on the base, and the plurality of ejectors correspond to the positions of the plurality of matching holes. The servo drive is connected to the base to control the lifting and lowering of the base. In the utility model, the servo driver is configured to control the rising distance of the base according to the lengths of the plurality of ball material embryos, so that the plurality of ejectors are respectively inserted into the plurality of the row slots of the carrier through the plurality of matching holes and with a predetermined length, so that the ball material embryos accommodated in each row slot are lifted up to a predetermined height by the corresponding ejectors; the robotic arm is configured to clamp the plurality of ball material embryos lifted up and send them to the sphere forming machine for a forming operation.

[0007] In an embodiment of the utility model, the automated sphere forming system further includes a moving device, the robotic arm is cooperatively connected to the moving device so as to reciprocate along a linear moving path driven by the moving device, and the ball material lifting device and the sphere forming machine are respectively arranged on both sides of the linear moving path.

[0008] In an embodiment of the present invention, the servo driver is disposed below the base and includes a driving member connected to the base.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present invention, the free end of the driving member is connected to the center position of the base.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present invention, the ball material lifting device further comprises a device body, and the device body is configured to integrate the working platform, the ejector mechanism and the servo drive into one.

[0011] In an embodiment of the utility model, the device body includes a first fixing seat and a second fixing seat, the second fixing seat is arranged below the working platform and is integrally connected with the first fixing seat. In addition, the working platform is fixed on the first fixing seat, the servo drive is fixed on the second fixing seat, and the ejector mechanism is arranged to be reciprocatingly movable between the first fixing seat and the second fixing seat.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present invention, the device body includes two balance guide columns disposed between the first fixing seat and the second fixing seat, and the base is cooperatively connected to the balance guide columns to move along the balance guide columns with the plurality of ejectors.

[0013] In an embodiment of the utility model, the two balance guide columns pass through the base and are slidably matched with the base, and the two balance guide columns are symmetrically arranged with the driving member as the center.

[0014] In an embodiment of the utility model, the ball material lifting device further includes a material cleaner disposed on the working platform for performing a ball material clearing operation.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present invention, the working platform has a material drop opening, which is located close to the plurality of matching holes, and the material cleaner is configured to bring the ball material embryos remaining on the carrier to the material drop opening during the ball material cleaning operation.

[0016] In an embodiment of the utility model, the material cleaner includes a material pushing portion and two movable portions, the material pushing portion is integrally connected between the two movable portions, and the two movable portions are arranged to reciprocate on opposite sides of the working platform and along the length direction of the working platform.

[0017] In general, the automated sphere forming system provided by the utility model can realize continuous conveying and fast, accurate and reliable transfer of ball blanks by virtue of "the ball material lifting device and the ball forming machine are arranged within the range of movement of the robot arm", "the working platform of the ball material lifting device can be used for placing a carrier plate, and has a plurality of matching holes that penetrate the thickness direction and are respectively connected to the plurality of rows of slots on the carrier plate", "the ejector mechanism of the ball material lifting device is arranged below the working platform, and includes a base and a plurality of ejectors installed on the base and corresponding to the positions of the plurality of matching holes", and "the servo driver of the ball material lifting device is connected to the base drive to control the rising distance of the base according to the length of the ball blank, so that the plurality of ejectors respectively pass through the plurality of matching holes and are respectively inserted into the plurality of rows of slots on the carrier plate with a predetermined length", and can effectively solve the technical problem of failure of the robot arm to clamp the ball blanks due to sticking or improper placement.

[0018] In order to further understand the features and technical contents of the present invention, please refer to the following detailed description and drawings of the present invention. However, the drawings provided are only for reference and description and are not intended to limit the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the automatic sphere forming system of the utility model.

[0020] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of one of the usage states of the ball lifting device of the automatic ball forming system of the utility model.

[0021] Figure 3 This is another schematic diagram of the ball lifting device of the automatic ball forming system of the utility model in use state.

[0022] Figure 4 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of one ball lifting operation of the ball lifting device of the automatic ball forming system of the utility model.

[0023] Figure 5 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of another ball lifting operation of the ball lifting device of the automatic ball forming system of the utility model.

[0024] Figure 6 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of one ball lifting operation of the ball lifting device of the automatic ball forming system of the utility model.

[0025] Figure 7 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of another ball lifting operation of the ball lifting device of the automatic ball forming system of the utility model.

[0026] Figure 8 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of one of the ball material removal operations of the ball material lifting device of the automatic ball forming system of the utility model.

[0027] Fig. 9 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of another ball material removal operation of the ball material lifting device of the automatic ball forming system of the utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following is a specific embodiment to illustrate the implementation of the "automatic sphere forming system" disclosed in the utility model. Those skilled in the art can understand the advantages and effects of the utility model from the content disclosed in this specification. The utility model can be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified and changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the concept of the utility model. In addition, the drawings of the utility model are only simple schematic illustrations and are not depicted according to actual dimensions. It is stated in advance. The following implementation methods will further explain the relevant technical content of the utility model in detail, but the disclosed content is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the utility model.

[0029] Unless otherwise defined, the terms used herein have the same meanings as those generally understood by those skilled in the art. The materials involved in each embodiment are commercially available or prepared according to the prior art unless otherwise specified. The operations or instruments involved in each embodiment are conventional operations or instruments in the art unless otherwise specified.

[0030] See also Figure 1 , showing the specific configuration of the automated sphere forming system according to an embodiment of the utility model. The automated sphere forming system mainly includes a robotic arm A, a ball lifting device Z and a sphere forming machine M. The robotic arm A can be a multi-axis robotic arm equipped with a plurality of clamping accessories, and the ball lifting device Z and the sphere forming machine M are arranged within the range of motion of the robotic arm A.

[0031] Cooperate Figures 4 to 7 As shown, the automated sphere forming system of the utility model can be applied to the automated forming process of golf ball cores. During the process, the ball material lifting device Z can lift up a plurality of ball material embryos B arranged on a carrier plate T, such as rubber embryos with a desired shape, to a predetermined height so that they can be clamped by a robot arm A and transferred to a sphere forming machine M, thereby forming a plurality of spheres such as golf ball cores at one time.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the automated ball forming system of the present invention may further include a moving device D, such as but not limited to a conveyor type moving device. The robot arm A is connected with the moving device D to reciprocate between two end positions along a linear moving path driven by the moving device D, and the ball lifting device Z and the ball forming machine M are respectively arranged on both sides of the linear moving path to make full use of the plant space.

[0033] In actual application, the carrier T has a plurality of alignment slots S, and a plurality of ball material embryos B can first be respectively accommodated in the plurality of alignment slots S of the carrier T through an automated ball material alignment device, and then the carrier T carrying the ball material embryos B is sent to the ball material lifting device Z through a conveying system for ball material lifting operation. In addition, the conveying system may include a temperature-controllable temporary storage device such as a temporary storage oven, which is used to temporarily store the carrier T carrying the ball material embryos B to avoid volume changes of the ball material embryos B caused by changes in ambient temperature, and then sent to the ball material lifting device Z after the sphere forming machine M completes the forming operation of the previous batch of ball material embryos B. For details of the automated ball material alignment device, reference may be made to Patent No. TWM648055 owned by the applicant, which will not be described in detail here.

[0034] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , showing the structure of the ball material lifting device Z used in the automatic ball forming system of the utility model. The ball material lifting device Z comprises a working platform 1, an ejector mechanism 2 and a servo driver 3. The working platform 1 can be used to place a carrier T, the ejector mechanism 2 is arranged under the working platform 1, and the servo driver 3 is connected to the ejector mechanism 2 to control the lifting and lowering of the ejector.

[0035] Cooperate Figures 4 to 7 As shown, in this embodiment, the working platform 1 has a plurality of mating holes 101 that penetrate in the thickness direction, and the number and arrangement of the plurality of mating holes 101 correspond to the number and arrangement of the plurality of aligned slots S on the carrier plate T. Accordingly, when the carrier plate T is placed on the working platform 1, the plurality of mating holes 101 can form spatial communication with the plurality of aligned slots S respectively.

[0036] The ejector mechanism 2 includes a base 21 and a plurality of ejectors 22. The base 21 is configured to be able to be raised and lowered relative to the working platform 1. The plurality of ejectors 22 are fixedly mounted on the base 21 to move synchronously with the base 21 and to move to a raised position or a lowered position with the base 21. In actual application, the plurality of ejectors 22 can be configured as a columnar structure, and the plurality of ejectors 22 correspond to the positions of the plurality of matching holes 101 on the working platform 1, wherein each matching hole 101 can be passed through by an ejector 22. Accordingly, when the plurality of ejectors 22 are in a raised position, they can respectively pass through the plurality of matching holes 101 and protrude from the table 100 (top surface) of the working platform 1, so as to be respectively inserted into the plurality of aligned slots S of the carrier T. Therefore, each ball material embryo B accommodated in each row of slots S can be lifted upward by the ejector pin 22, so that more of the ball material embryo B is exposed outside the carrier T, and the exposed part is within the range that the robot arm A can grasp; even if the ball material embryo B is not placed properly or sticks to the carrier T, it can still be grasped by the robot arm A smoothly.

[0037] The servo driver 3 is disposed below the base 21, and the servo driver 3 includes a retractable driving member 31 connected to the base 21. Preferably, the free end (driving end) of the driving member 31 is connected to the center of the base 21, so that the base 21 can be smoothly raised and lowered under the drive of the driving member 31. It is worth noting that the servo driver 3 can drive the base 21 with multiple ejectors 22 to rise a certain distance or height through the driving member 31 according to the set driving parameters such as driving direction and driving displacement, so as to achieve a more accurate ball material lifting operation, that is, to eject the ball material embryo B from the entire row of slots S of the carrier T.

[0038] Further, when the required length of the ball material blank B is shorter, the servo driver 3 can adjust the driving parameters, such as increasing the upward driving displacement, so that the base 21 can be driven by the driving member 31 to move to a higher position, so that the height of the ejector 22 protruding from the table 100 of the working platform 1 increases, that is, the part of the ejector 22 exposed on the table 100 of the working platform 1 increases; when the length of the ball material blank B is longer, the servo driver 3 can adjust the driving parameters, such as reducing the upward driving displacement, so that the base 21 can be driven by the driving member 31 to move to a lower position, so that the height of the ejector 22 protruding from the table 100 of the working platform 1 decreases, that is, the part of the ejector 22 exposed on the table 100 of the working platform 1 decreases. In other words, the servo driver 3 can control the rising distance or height of the base 21 according to the length of the ball material blank B, so that the ball material blank B is lifted upward by the ejector 22 and has a sufficient length to be clamped outside the carrier T. Therefore, the shape and size of the ball material blank B can be unrestricted.

[0039] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the ball material lifting device Z of the utility model includes a device body 4, and the device body 4 is configured to integrate the working platform 1, the ejector mechanism 2 and the servo drive 3 into one. In this embodiment, the device body 4 may include a first fixed seat 41 and a second fixed seat 42, wherein the second fixed seat 42 is arranged below the working platform 1 and is integrally connected to the first fixed seat 41; the first fixed seat 41 and the second fixed seat 42 may be detachably or inseparablely connected together. In addition, the working platform 1 is fixed on the first fixed seat 41, the servo drive 3 is fixed on the second fixed seat 42, and the ejector mechanism 2 is configured to be reciprocating between the first fixed seat 41 and the second fixed seat 42.

[0040] In practical application, the device body 4 may further include two balance guide posts 43 disposed between the first fixing seat 41 and the second fixing seat 42, and the base 21 of the ejector mechanism 2 is connected with the two balance guide posts 43 to move the plurality of ejectors 22 along the balance guide posts 43. Specifically, the two balance guide posts 43 pass through the base 21 and are slidably matched with the base 21, and the two balance guide posts 43 are symmetrically disposed with the driving member 31 of the servo driver 3 as the center.

[0041] Please cooperate again Figure 8 and Fig. 9 As shown, if necessary, the ball material lifting device Z of the utility model may also include a material remover 5 to remove the ball material embryo B that is not clamped by the robot arm A and remains on the carrier T. Further, the working platform 1 may have a material drop opening 102, which is located close to the multiple matching holes 101, for example, on one side of the multiple matching holes 101. In addition, the material remover 5 may be arranged on the working platform 1, and the material remover 5 may include a material pusher 51 and two movable parts 52, wherein the material pusher 51 is integrally connected between the two movable parts 52, and the two movable parts 52 are arranged to reciprocate on opposite sides of the working platform 1 and along the length direction of the working platform 1, so that the material pusher 51 can bring the ball material embryo B remaining on the carrier T to the material drop opening 102 for discharge. The pushing portion 51 may be a pushing plate, and the movable portion 52 may be an L-shaped connecting arm, but the utility model is not limited thereto. In an embodiment not shown, the movable portion 52 may be connected to a transmission member that can move linearly and is driven by a driving source (not shown in the figure).

[0042] In actual application, a collection box (not shown in the figure) may be placed below the material drop opening 102 to collect the ball material embryos B dropped from the material drop opening 102 .

[0043] Advantageous Effects of Embodiments

[0044] The automated sphere forming system provided by the utility model can realize continuous conveying and fast, accurate and reliable transfer of the ball blanks by virtue of "the ball material lifting device and the ball forming machine are arranged within the activity range of the robot arm", "the working platform of the ball material lifting device can be placed on the carrier plate, and has a plurality of matching holes which penetrate the thickness direction and are respectively connected with the plurality of rows of slots on the carrier plate", "the ejector mechanism of the ball material lifting device is arranged below the working platform, and comprises a base and a plurality of ejectors which are mounted on the base and correspond to the positions of the plurality of matching holes", and "the servo driver of the ball material lifting device is connected to the base drive to control the rising distance of the base according to the length of the ball blanks, so that the plurality of ejectors respectively pass through the plurality of matching holes and are respectively inserted into the plurality of rows of slots on the carrier plate with a predetermined length", and can effectively solve the technical problem of failure of the robot arm to clamp the ball blanks due to sticking or improper placement.

[0045] The contents disclosed above are only preferred feasible embodiments of the present utility model, and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the claims of the present utility model. Therefore, all equivalent technical changes made using the contents of the present utility model specification and drawings are included in the protection scope of the claims of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An automated sphere forming system for forming a plurality of spheres from a plurality of sphere blanks arranged on a carrier, wherein the plurality of sphere blanks are respectively accommodated in a plurality of arranged slots on the carrier, characterized in that: The automated ball forming system comprises a mechanical arm, a ball lifting device and a ball forming machine arranged within the range of motion of the mechanical arm; Wherein, the ball material lifting device comprises: A working platform for placing the carrier plate, the working platform having a plurality of matching holes extending through the thickness direction, and the plurality of matching holes are spatially connected with the plurality of the arrayed slots respectively; an ejector mechanism, disposed below the working platform, the ejector mechanism comprising a base and a plurality of ejectors mounted on the base, and the plurality of ejectors correspond to the positions of the plurality of matching holes; and a servo driver, drivingly connected to the base to control the lifting of the base, wherein the servo driver is configured to control the lifting distance of the base according to the lengths of the plurality of preformed ball materials, so that the plurality of ejector pins respectively pass through the plurality of matching holes and are respectively inserted into the plurality of aligned grooves of the carrier with a predetermined length, so that the preformed ball materials accommodated in each aligned groove are lifted upward to a predetermined height by the corresponding ejector pin; The robot arm is configured to clamp the plurality of the ball material embryos that are lifted upward and send them to the sphere forming machine for a forming operation.

2. The automated sphere forming system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The automated sphere forming system further includes a moving device, the robotic arm is cooperatively connected to the moving device so as to reciprocate along a linear moving path driven by the moving device, and the ball material lifting device and the sphere forming machine are respectively arranged on both sides of the linear moving path.

3. The automated sphere forming system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The servo driver is arranged below the base and comprises a driving member connected to the base.

4. The automated sphere forming system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The free end of the driving member is connected to the center position of the base.

5. The automated sphere forming system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The ball material lifting device includes a device body, and the device body is configured to integrate the working platform, the ejector mechanism and the servo drive into one.

6. The automated sphere forming system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The device body includes a first fixed seat and a second fixed seat, the second fixed seat is arranged below the working platform and is integrally connected to the first fixed seat; wherein the working platform is fixed on the first fixed seat, the servo drive is fixed on the second fixed seat, and the ejector mechanism is configured to be able to reciprocate between the first fixed seat and the second fixed seat.

7. The automated sphere forming system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The device body includes two balance guide columns arranged between the first fixing seat and the second fixing seat, and the base is cooperatively connected with the two balance guide columns to move along the two balance guide columns with the plurality of ejectors.

8. The automated sphere forming system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The two balance guide columns pass through the base and are slidably matched with the base, and the two balance guide columns are symmetrically arranged with the driving member as the center.

9. The automated sphere forming system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ejector mechanism further includes a material remover disposed on the working platform for performing a ball material removing operation.

10. The automated sphere forming system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The working platform has a material drop opening, which is located close to the plurality of matching holes, and the material remover is configured to bring the ball material embryos remaining on the carrier to the material drop opening during the ball material removal operation.

11. The automated sphere forming system according to claim 10, characterized in that: The material clearer comprises a material pushing part and two movable parts, wherein the material pushing part is integrally connected between the two movable parts, and the two movable parts are arranged to reciprocate along the length direction of the working platform at opposite sides of the working platform.

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