Counting and packaging device of steel ball sorting equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to a counting and packaging device of steel ball sorting equipment, which comprises a rotating disc assembly, a rotating disc driving mechanism and collecting boxes, the rotating disc driving mechanism is used for driving the rotating disc to rotate, and the collecting boxes are sequentially arranged on the rotating disc in the circumferential direction of the rotating disc; the conveying frame is used for receiving the detected steel balls and conveying the steel balls into the collecting box of the rotating disc assembly, and a first sensor used for detecting the number of the passing steel balls is arranged on the conveying frame; and the controller is electrically connected with the first sensor and the turntable driving mechanism, and the controller controls the turntable driving mechanism to start and stop according to whether the obtained steel ball quantity signal transmitted by the first sensor meets the packaging requirement or not. The device has the advantages of effectively improving the overall efficiency and automation degree of the production line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of steel ball sorting equipment, in particular to a counting and packaging device for steel ball sorting equipment. Background Art

[0002] Steel balls are mechanical components with a smooth, mirror-like surface. They are often used as rolling elements in various bearings. The degree of defects in these balls directly affects the bearing's accuracy, dynamic performance, and service life. As a key indicator of bearing quality, steel ball surface quality requires rigorous testing.

[0003] For example, the Chinese invention patent application with application number CN202310090688.6 (application publication number: CN116124795A) discloses a fully automatic steel ball appearance inspection device, which has a goal area, a waiting area, a detection area and a sorting area in sequence along the forward direction of the steel ball. The goal area is provided with a feeding channel, the waiting area is provided with a waiting channel, the detection area is provided with a detection channel, and the sorting area is provided with a sorting channel. The feeding channel, the waiting channel, the detection channel and the sorting channel are connected in sequence. The position corresponding to the detection area is also provided with an expansion device for expanding the steel ball in the detection channel and a visual detection device for obtaining image information of the steel ball in the detection channel during the expansion process. The device is provided with a sorting device at a position corresponding to the sorting area for sorting and unqualified steel balls entering the material distribution channel; the sorting device includes a baffle plate provided at the entrance of the first material distribution channel and the entrance of the second material distribution channel, and the baffle plate can be driven by a turntable drive mechanism to selectively open the entrance of the first material distribution channel and the entrance of the second material distribution channel. The turntable drive mechanism and the visual inspection device are both electrically connected to the controller of the fully automatic steel ball appearance inspection equipment, and the controller can control the turntable drive mechanism to operate according to the steel ball detection information obtained by the visual inspection device to allow the corresponding steel balls that have completed the detection to enter the first material distribution channel or the second material distribution channel.

[0004] The fully automatic steel ball appearance inspection equipment in the above-mentioned patent application still has certain shortcomings. The steel ball appearance inspection equipment in the above-mentioned application only sorts qualified steel balls and unqualified steel balls, but does not count and package qualified steel balls. That is, the qualified steel balls after inspection and sorting are also concentrated in the collection box, and manual counting and packaging are still required, which affects the overall efficiency and degree of automation of the production line to a certain extent. Utility Model Content

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to provide a counting and packaging device for steel ball sorting equipment that can effectively improve the overall efficiency and automation level of the production line in view of the current status of the existing technology.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the utility model to solve the above technical problems is: a counting and packaging device for steel ball sorting equipment, comprising:

[0007] The turntable assembly includes a rotating disk, a turntable driving mechanism for driving the rotating disk to rotate, and collecting boxes sequentially arranged on the rotating disk along the circumference of the rotating disk;

[0008] A conveying rack, used to receive the steel balls that have been tested and convey them to the collection box of the turntable assembly, wherein the conveying rack is provided with a first sensor for detecting the number of steel balls that have passed through;

[0009] The controller is electrically connected to the first sensor and the turntable drive mechanism. The controller controls the start and stop of the turntable drive mechanism according to whether the steel ball quantity signal transmitted by the first sensor meets the packaging requirements.

[0010] Taking into account that it takes a certain amount of time for the rotating disk to switch the position of the collection box, after the counting of the set number of steel balls is completed, it is necessary to block the other steel balls coming from upstream, and in order to accurately intercept the set number of steel balls, for this purpose, it also includes a blocking assembly provided on the conveying rack and a second sensor for detecting whether there is a ball at the current position on the conveying rack. The blocking assembly has two groups arranged in sequence along the extension direction of the conveying rack, and the two groups of blocking assemblies are respectively a first blocking assembly and a second blocking assembly. Along the forward direction of the steel balls on the conveying rack, the first blocking assembly is located in front of the second blocking assembly, the first sensor is located in front of the first blocking assembly, and the second sensor is located behind the second blocking assembly. Both groups of blocking assemblies include:

[0011] Material blocking rod;

[0012] A material blocking drive mechanism, wherein a power output end of the material blocking drive mechanism is connected to the material blocking rod, thereby being able to drive the material blocking rod to reciprocate between a material blocking position for blocking the steel balls from moving along the conveyor frame and a material discharge position for releasing the blocking of the steel balls;

[0013] The material blocking driving mechanism is electrically connected to the controller, and the controller controls the material blocking driving mechanisms of the two groups of material blocking components to operate in sequence according to the signal of whether there is a steel ball transmitted by the second sensor.

[0014] The “current position” in the above-mentioned “current position on the conveying rack” refers to the position of the second sensor on the conveying rack.

[0015] At the beginning, the blocking rod of the first blocking assembly moves down to block the balls, and the blocking rod of the second blocking assembly moves up to release the balls. The steel balls will be filled in sequence from the position of the blocking rod of the first blocking assembly to the back. When it is full to the position of the sensing area of ​​the second sensor, the second sensor recognizes this. At this time, a section between the first blocking assembly and the second blocking assembly is also full of balls, and is a set number of steel balls (the number of steel balls is a common divisor of the number of collection boxes, such as a box of 300 steel balls, and the number of balls of the two blocking assemblies is 25). Then, the blocking rod of the first blocking assembly moves up to release the balls, and the blocking rod of the second blocking assembly moves down to block the balls, and timing starts at the same time. After the set time passes (the set time can ensure that all the steel balls between the two blocking assemblies roll out), the blocking rod of the first blocking assembly moves down again to block the balls, and the blocking rod of the second blocking assembly moves up again to release the balls.

[0016] As an improvement, the material blocking drive mechanism includes a second pneumatic push rod, the telescopic rod of the second pneumatic push rod is telescopic, and the material blocking rod is arranged at the bottom end of the second pneumatic push rod. It is conceivable that the material blocking drive mechanism can also adopt other linear drive mechanisms such as electric push rods.

[0017] In order to make full use of the space on the top of the turntable to place the collection box, the collection box is a fan-shaped box or a trapezoidal box with a large outer end and a small inner end.

[0018] In order to facilitate the smooth rolling of the steel balls along the conveying rack and the application of anti-rust oil to the steel balls during the conveying process, the conveying rack includes a first conveying rack and a second conveying rack which are connected in sequence along the conveying direction of the steel balls and have a height difference at the connection point. The second conveying rack is provided with an oil spraying component for spraying anti-rust oil on the passing steel balls.

[0019] In order to automatically separate other steel balls smaller than the set size during the conveying process, a ball drop port is also provided at the bottom of the conveying rack for steel balls smaller than the set diameter to fall, and the ball drop port is a strip-shaped port extending along the conveying rack.

[0020] In order to realize the automatic forward transmission of the steel balls under their own gravity, the transmission frame is gradually tilted downward along the forward direction of the steel balls.

[0021] In order to drive the rotating disk to rotate, a workbench is also included. The rotating disk is rotatably arranged on the workbench. The turntable driving mechanism includes a turntable driving motor. The turntable driving motor is arranged at the bottom of the workbench. The output shaft of the turntable driving motor extends upward and is connected to the middle part of the rotating disk.

[0022] Compared with the existing technology, the advantages of the present invention are as follows: a first sensor for detecting the number of steel balls passing through is provided on the conveyor frame of the steel ball sorting equipment, a plurality of collection boxes are arranged circumferentially on the rotating disk of the turntable assembly, and the rotating disk can rotate under the drive of the turntable drive mechanism to switch the position of the collection box, wherein the first sensor and the turntable drive mechanism are electrically connected to a controller, and the controller controls the start and shut down of the turntable drive mechanism according to whether the steel ball quantity signal transmitted by the first sensor meets the packaging requirements, that is, after the previous collection box receives the set number of steel balls, the controller controls the turntable drive mechanism to start, drive the rotating disk to rotate, move the adjacent next collection box to the set position, and start the counting and packaging of the next collection box. This counting and packaging device of the steel ball sorting equipment can realize automatic counting and packaging of the steel balls that have been inspected, without the need for manual counting, thereby improving the production efficiency of the entire steel ball sorting line. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the fully automatic steel ball sorting equipment according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the fully automatic steel ball sorting equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention from another angle;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the fully automatic steel ball sorting equipment according to the embodiment of the utility model after omitting components such as the outer cover;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a right side view of the fully automatic steel ball sorting equipment without the counting and packaging unit according to the embodiment of the utility model;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a vertical cross-sectional view (cut along the conveying direction of the steel balls) of the fully automatic steel ball sorting equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention after omitting the counting and packaging unit;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the cleaning and feeding device according to an embodiment of the utility model;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a vertical cross-sectional view of the cleaning and feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention (cut along the conveying direction of the steel balls);

[0030] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the sorting and screening device according to an embodiment of the utility model;

[0031] Figure 9 This is a vertical cross-sectional view of the sorting and screening device according to an embodiment of the present invention, taken along the conveying direction of the steel balls (the lifting platform is in the first position);

[0032] Figure 10 This is a vertical cross-sectional view of the inspection and screening device according to an embodiment of the present invention, taken along the conveying direction of the steel balls (the lifting platform is in the second position, and the qualified steel balls roll out of the inspection channel and enter the first discharging rack);

[0033] Figure 11 This is a vertical sectional view of the inspection and screening device according to an embodiment of the present invention, taken along the conveying direction of the steel balls (the lifting platform is in the second position, and the unqualified steel balls roll out of the inspection channel and enter the second discharge rack);

[0034] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the appearance inspection unit according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0035] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the appearance inspection unit according to an embodiment of the present invention from another angle;

[0036] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the steel ball feeding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0037] Figure 15 A vertical cross-sectional view of the appearance inspection unit according to an embodiment of the present invention cut along the axial direction of the drum;

[0038] Figure 16 This is a front view of an appearance inspection unit according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0039] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the counting and packaging device according to an embodiment of the utility model;

[0040] Figure 18 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the turntable assembly according to an embodiment of the present utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0042] In the specification and claims of the present invention, directional terms such as "front," "back," "up," "down," "left," "right," "side," "top," and "bottom" are used to describe various exemplary structural parts and components of the present invention. However, these terms are used herein for convenience of description only and are based on the exemplary orientations shown in the accompanying drawings. Since the embodiments disclosed in the present invention can be arranged in different orientations, these directional terms are intended for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting. For example, "up" and "down" are not necessarily limited to directions opposite to or consistent with the direction of gravity.

[0043] Figures 1-18A preferred embodiment of the fully automatic steel ball sorting equipment of the present invention is shown. The fully automatic steel ball sorting equipment includes a cleaning and feeding device, a sorting and screening device, and a counting and packaging device. The sorting and screening device includes a steel ball loading mechanism 42, an appearance inspection unit, and a discharge rack. Specifically, a ball storage area for inspection, an inspection area, and a sorting and packaging area are sequentially arranged along the direction of the steel balls' travel.

[0044] See also Figure 1-Figure 3 The cleaning and feeding device is located in the aforementioned ball storage area for inspection. The sorting and screening device is located in the inspection area and is used to inspect the appearance of the steel balls and sort and screen qualified and unqualified steel balls after the inspection. The counting and packaging device is located in the aforementioned sorting and packaging area and is used to count and package the qualified steel balls.

[0045] See also Figure 5-Figure 7 The cleaning and feeding device includes a ball storage hopper 20, a cleaning box 30, and a spray arm 33 provided on the cleaning box 30. The ball storage hopper 20 is used to place the steel balls to be tested, and its bottom wall is inclined. The side of the ball storage hopper 20 is provided with a discharge port 21 for the steel balls to roll out, and the discharge port 21 corresponds to the lowest position of the bottom wall of the ball storage hopper 20. The cleaning box 30 is provided with a first opening 31 on a side wall adjacent to the ball storage hopper 20, which can be connected with the discharge port 21, and a second opening 32 on a side wall away from the ball storage hopper 20, for the steel balls in the cleaning box 30 to roll out. The bottom wall of the above-mentioned cleaning box 30 is also inclined, so that the steel balls can roll from the first opening 31 to the second opening 32 under the action of their own gravity. The second opening 32 is a strip-shaped opening extending along the width direction of the cleaning box 30, wherein the width direction of the cleaning box 30 is perpendicular to the rolling or forward direction of the steel balls in the cleaning box 30. The spray assembly includes a spray arm 33, which is arranged above the cleaning box 30 and is provided with spray holes 331. The spray arm 33 is long and extends along the width direction of the cleaning box 30. The spray arm 33 has a water storage chamber 330 with a top opening, and each spray hole 331 is provided on the bottom wall of the water storage chamber 330. The top opening of the water storage chamber 330 is also provided with a water supply connector 332 for connecting to an external water pipe.

[0046] The first opening 31 of the cleaning box 30 is provided with a baffle plate 22 extending upward from the bottom wall of the cleaning box 30. After the baffle plate 22 is provided at the first opening 31, the steel balls in the ball storage hopper 20 can be rolled into the cleaning box 30 from top to bottom, thereby preventing the cleaning effect from being affected by an excessive number of steel balls in the cleaning box 30.

[0047] The cleaning and feeding device of this embodiment is provided with a cleaning box 30 on one side of the ball storage hopper 20, wherein the cleaning box 30 is provided with a spray assembly, so that the steel balls can be cleaned in time after rolling out of the ball storage hopper 20. After the steel balls are cleaned, they are sent downstream for appearance inspection, thereby effectively reducing the occurrence of false detection caused by surface contamination of the steel balls and improving the efficiency of steel ball sorting.

[0048] See also Figure 6 The ball storage area for inspection is also provided with a feeding rack 40. One end of the feeding rack 40 is connected to the second opening 32 of the cleaning box 30 for receiving the cleaned steel balls rolled out of the cleaning box 30. The other end extends to the inspection area and is connected to the steel ball feeding mechanism 42 of the inspection area. The feeding rack 40 is provided with a channel 41 for inspection that is consistent with the extension direction of the feeding rack 40. There are at least two channels 41 for inspection that are arranged side by side in a transverse order, such as Figure 6 There are eight inspection channels 41. Each inspection channel 41 is gradually tilted downward along the forward direction of the steel ball, so that the steel ball moved into the inspection channel 41 can also move forward to the position of the steel ball feeding mechanism 42 under the action of its own gravity.

[0049] See also Figures 8-16 The appearance inspection unit of the sorting and screening device includes an expansion device 5, a visual inspection device 7 and a discharge rack. The steel ball feeding mechanism 42 is located on the side of the expansion device 5 facing the feeding rack 40, and the discharge rack is located on the side away from the discharge rack. The expansion device 5 includes a roller 51, a roller shaft 52, a first drive mechanism 61, a second drive mechanism 62 and a third drive mechanism 63. The outer periphery of the sorting and screening device is also covered with an outer cover 55 for protection, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown.

[0050] The top of the frame 10 is provided with two vertical plates 11 arranged opposite to each other on the left and right sides, and the roller 51 extends horizontally and is rotatably arranged on the two vertical plates 11. Figure 16 As shown, both ends of the roller 51 are rotatably supported in corresponding axial holes on the two vertical plates 11 via bearings 514. The first drive mechanism 61 includes a first motor, which is mounted on the frame 10. One end of the roller 51 extends through the axial hole of the vertical plate 11 and is connected to the output shaft of the first motor. Driven by the first motor, the roller 51 can rotate around its own axis. The axial hollow of the roller 51 forms a mounting channel 511. The roller 51 has a mounting opening 512 at the end away from the first motor, which is connected to the mounting channel 511. The roller shaft 52 can be rotated into the mounting channel of the roller 51 through the mounting opening 512. The roller 51 is also provided with a detection channel 513 that extends radially from the outside to the inside to the mounting channel 511. The inner diameter of the detection channel 513 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the steel ball to be tested.

[0051] The roller shaft 52 is rotatably arranged in the mounting channel 511 of the drum 51, and the extension direction of the roller shaft 52 is consistent with the extension direction of the drum 51. The outer diameter of the main body of the roller shaft 52 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the mounting hole of the drum 51, so that the roller shaft 52 can rotate freely in the mounting hole of the drum 51. During the rotation of the roller shaft 52, it can contact the steel ball installed in the detection hole 513 of the drum 51, thereby driving the steel ball to rotate in the detection hole 513. The two ends of the roller shaft 52 respectively have a first rotating shaft 521 and a second rotating shaft 522 extending axially outward, wherein the first rotating shaft 521 is rotatably connected to the end of the drum 51 away from the mounting port 512, and the second rotating shaft 522 extends out of the mounting port 512 of the drum 51 and is rotatably connected to the corresponding vertical plate 11. As shown Figure 16 As shown, a first sleeve 523 is provided at the end of the roller 51 away from the mounting opening 512. The first rotating shaft 521 of the roller shaft 52 is rotatably mounted in this first sleeve 523 and can slide axially within the first sleeve 523. A second sleeve 524 is provided on the vertical plate 11 opposite the mounting opening 512 of the roller 51. The second rotating shaft 522 of the roller shaft 52 is rotatably mounted in the second sleeve 524 and can slide axially within the second sleeve 524. The second rotating shaft 522 of the roller shaft 52 passes through the vertical plate 11 and extends outward for a distance. The second drive mechanism 62 includes a second motor, the output shaft of which is connected to the second rotating shaft 522 of the roller shaft 52, thereby driving the roller shaft 52 to rotate. To enable axial reciprocating motion while the roller shaft 52 rotates, the frame 10 is further provided with a slide 12 capable of linear motion relative to the frame 10. Specifically, the bottom of the slide 12 is connected to the frame 10 via a slide rail assembly 13, and the sliding direction of the slide 12 relative to the frame 10 is parallel to the axial direction of the roller 51. A second motor is mounted on the slide 12 and is capable of moving with the slide 12. The third drive mechanism 63 includes a third motor fixed to the frame 10. The third motor is connected to the slide 12 via a transmission mechanism, thereby driving the slide 12 to slide. Generally speaking, the transmission mechanism can adopt various transmission structures that can cooperate with the drive motor to achieve linear reciprocating motion, such as a connecting rod 142 mechanism or a crank slider mechanism. In a preferred embodiment, the transmission mechanism includes a cam 141 mounted on the output shaft of the third motor and a connecting rod 142 connected to the cam 141. The first end of the connecting rod 142 is rotatably connected to a position away from the rotation center of the cam 141, and the second end is rotatably connected to the slide 12. When the third motor is in operation, the cam 141 cooperates with the connecting rod 142 to drive the slide 12 to move back and forth along the slide rail assembly 13 .

[0052] While the second motor drives the roller shaft 52 to rotate, the third motor also operates at the same time, driving the slide 12 and the roller shaft 52 to move back and forth in a straight line along the axial direction. In this way, the roller shaft 52 can drive the steel balls in the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 to fully expand, so that the visual inspection device 7 can inspect the appearance of the steel balls in the detection channel 513.

[0053] See also Figures 9-11The inspection channel 513 of the drum 51 has at least a feeding state, a testing state, and a discharging state as the drum 51 rotates. The opening direction of the inspection channel 513 of the drum 51 in each of the feeding, testing, and discharging states is different. In the feeding state, the inspection channel 513 of the drum 51 opens toward the inspection channel 41. In the testing state, the inspection channel 513 of the drum 51 opens toward the visual inspection device 7. In the discharging state, the inspection channel 513 of the drum 51 opens toward the discharging rack. To ensure timely sorting of qualified and unqualified steel balls after the appearance inspection is completed, the inspection channel 513 of the drum 51 has a first discharging state and a second discharging state as the drum 51 rotates. The opening direction of the inspection channel 513 in the first discharging state is different from the opening direction of the inspection channel 513 in the second discharging state, respectively allowing qualified and unqualified steel balls to roll out of the inspection channel 513. The detection channel 513 of the drum 51 has an inner port 5132 connected to the mounting channel 511 and an outer port 5131 away from the mounting channel 511. In the loading state, the detection channel 513 of the drum 51 gradually extends downward from its outer port 5131 to the inner port 5132. In this way, when a steel ball is placed at the outer port 5131 of the detection channel 513, it can automatically roll to the inner port 5132 under the action of its own gravity and will not easily escape from the detection channel 513. In the detection state, the opening direction of the detection channel 513 of the drum 51 is upward, opposite to the visual inspection device 7 located above the frame 10, and is used to obtain image information of the steel ball during the expansion process in the detection channel 513, and analyze the image information of the steel ball to determine whether there are any defects in the appearance of the steel ball. The visual inspection device 7 can adopt various detection devices in the prior art that can achieve the above-mentioned functions, which generally include a visual sensor, a camera, and an image processing system. The visual sensor captures slight changes in the reflected light on the surface of the sphere and transmits them to the image processing system. For example, the Chinese invention patent application with application number CN201610457209.X (application publication number: CN105911064A) discloses such a visual inspection device 7. In the discharging state, the detection channel 513 of the drum 51 gradually extends downward from its inner port 5132 to the outer port 5131, thereby facilitating the automatic outward rolling of the steel balls in the detection channel 513. The discharging rack includes a first discharging rack 541 and a second discharging rack 542, wherein the first discharging rack 541 is used to receive the steel balls rolled out of the detection channel 513 of the drum 51 in the first discharging state, and the second discharging rack 542 is used to receive the steel balls rolled out of the detection channel 513 of the drum 51 in the second discharging state.The first discharging rack 541 and the second discharging rack 542 are arranged in sequence from top to bottom, and the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the first discharging state and the second discharging state gradually extends downward from its inner port 5132 to the outer port 5131, wherein the angle formed between the extension direction of the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the second discharging state and the horizontal direction is recorded as the second angle, and the angle formed between the extension direction of the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the first discharging state and the horizontal direction is recorded as the first angle. In order to avoid interference between the roller 51 and the corresponding first discharging rack 541 and the second discharging rack 542 during rotation, the second angle is greater than the first angle. Specifically, the first angle is recorded as α, and the value range of α is: 0°<α<15°. The second angle is recorded as β, and the value range of β is: 90°<β<105°.

[0054] Combine Figure 10 and Figure 11 The ball-blocking assembly 53 includes a ball-blocking member 531 that can be driven by a fourth drive mechanism 532 to move between a ball-blocking position and a ball-releasing position. When the ball-blocking member 531 is in the ball-blocking position, the outer end 5131 of the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the first discharging state is blocked by the ball-blocking member 531. When the ball-blocking member 531 is in the ball-releasing position, the ball-blocking member 531 is away from the outer end 5131 of the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the first discharging state, allowing the steel ball in the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 to roll out. The fourth drive mechanism 532 includes a first pneumatic push rod. The ball-blocking member 531 is connected to the end of the telescopic rod of the first pneumatic push rod. When the first pneumatic push rod is extended and retracted, the ball-blocking member 531 can extend to the outer end 5131 of the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the first discharging state and retract away from the outer end 5131 of the detection channel 513. The ball blocking member 531 can be a rod or plate structure. The steel ball sorting device also includes a controller, wherein the first drive mechanism 61, the fourth drive mechanism 532 and the visual inspection device 7 are all electrically connected to the controller, and the controller can control the first drive mechanism 61 and the fourth drive mechanism 532 to operate according to the steel ball detection information obtained from the visual inspection device 7 so that the qualified steel balls and unqualified steel balls that have completed the inspection roll out of the inspection channel 513 when the roller 51 rotates to the corresponding first discharging state position and the second discharging state position respectively. Specifically, when the visual inspection device 7 detects that there is no defect in the appearance of the steel ball in the corresponding inspection channel 513, the steel ball is determined to be qualified. After the roller 51 is further rotated by the first drive mechanism 61, the inspection channel 513 where the qualified steel ball is placed is in the first discharging state. At the same time, the ball blocking member 531 of the ball blocking assembly 53 opens the outer port 5131 of the inspection channel 513, and the steel balls can automatically roll out and fall onto the first discharging rack 541. Figure 10As shown. When the visual inspection device 7 detects that there are defects in the appearance of the steel ball in the corresponding inspection channel 513, it is determined that the steel ball is unqualified. After the roller 51 is further rotated by the first driving mechanism 61, the inspection channel 513 where the unqualified steel ball is placed is in the first discharging state, but the ball blocking member 531 of the ball blocking assembly 53 is in the ball blocking position, that is, the outer port 5131 of the inspection channel 513 is blocked, and the steel ball will not roll out. When the roller 51 rotates further, the inspection channel 513 where the unqualified steel ball is placed is in the second discharging state. At this time, the outer port 5131 of the inspection channel 513 is away from the ball blocking member 531, and the steel ball can automatically roll out and fall onto the second discharging rack 542. Figure 9 and Figure 11 shown.

[0055] After the steel ball appearance inspection is completed, the rotation of the drum 51 allows for timely sorting of qualified and unqualified steel balls in situ (i.e., within the inspection area). This further reduces the size of the steel ball appearance inspection equipment and saves space. In particular, the first and second discharging racks 541, 542 are arranged in layers, adapting to inspection channels 513 at different inclination angles, further utilizing the upper and lower spaces and reducing floor space.

[0056] Generally speaking, one detection channel 513 can be provided on the roller 51, so that the loading process of the next steel ball can be carried out after each steel ball completes the loading, detection and unloading processes in sequence. However, the detection efficiency of this method is relatively low. In order to effectively improve the detection efficiency of steel balls, in a preferred embodiment, there are four detection channels 513 arranged at intervals along the circumference of the roller 51, and each detection channel 513 passes through the above-mentioned feeding state, detection state, first discharging state and second discharging state in sequence as the roller 51 rotates. Furthermore, the four detection channels 513 arranged at intervals along the circumference of the roller 51 are recorded as a detection hole group, and the detection hole group has at least two detection holes arranged in sequence along the axial direction of the roller 51, and the extension directions of the two detection holes 513 opposite to each other in the axial direction of the roller 51 in any two adjacent detection hole groups are consistent, and the ball blocking assemblies 53 have at least two corresponding to the number of the above-mentioned detection hole groups. As Figure 16 As shown, corresponding to the eight channels 41 to be inspected, there are eight groups of inspection hole groups, and there are also eight corresponding groups of ball blocking assemblies 53.

[0057] The first discharging rack 541 and the second discharging rack 542 of this embodiment are gradually tilted downward from the end close to the roller 51 to the end away from the roller 51. In this way, after the steel ball falls from the roller in the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 to the corresponding discharging rack, it can continue to roll forward under the action of its own gravity.

[0058] See also Figure 2The steel ball sorting equipment of this embodiment also includes a return rack 18 and a cleaning tank 17. The first end of the return rack 18 is connected to the second discharge rack 542 to receive unqualified steel balls from the second discharge rack 542, and the second end extends to the location of the cleaning tank 17. The return rack 18 is also tilted as a whole, so that the steel balls can roll along the return rack 18 and fall into the cleaning tank 17 under the action of their own gravity. After being cleaned in the cleaning tank 17, the unqualified steel balls can be put back into the ball storage hopper 20 for a new round of inspection and sorting.

[0059] See also Figure 12-14 The steel ball feeding mechanism 42 is arranged at the end position of the inspection channel 41, between the roller 51 of the unfolding device 5 and the feeding rack 40, and can be specifically installed as a modular component on two opposite vertical plates 11 on the frame 10. The steel ball feeding mechanism 42 is used to separate the steel balls a coming from the inspection channel 41 and transfer them to the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the feeding state. The steel ball feeding mechanism 42 includes a fixed platform 421, a lifting platform 422 and a lifting drive mechanism 423. The lifting drive mechanism 423 includes a lifting cylinder, which is fixed on the second bracket 162. The second bracket 162 is a horizontal cross frame, which is arranged on the two vertical plate 11 brackets mentioned above. The fixed platform 421 is connected to the bottom of the cross frame by two vertically extending connecting rods. The lifting platform 422 is also located below the cross frame, between the fixed platform 421 and the end of the inspection channel 41, and is connected to the end of the telescopic rod of the lifting cylinder. The top of the lifting platform 422 also has upward-extending guide rods on both sides, and the cross frame is equipped with corresponding guide sleeves that match the guide rods. A first rolling trough 4211 is provided on the top of the fixed platform 421. This first rolling trough 4211 gradually slopes downward along the forward direction of the steel ball. When the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 is in the loading state, the end port of the first rolling trough 4211 connects with the outer port 5131 of the detection channel 513. In this way, the steel ball moved into the first rolling trough 4211 of the fixed platform 421 automatically rolls into the detection channel 513 of the roller 51.

[0060] The lifting platform 422 can move between a first position and a second position driven by a lifting cylinder. A second rolling trough 4221 is provided on the top of the lifting platform 422, and the second rolling trough 4221 gradually tilts downward along the forward direction of the steel ball. When the lifting platform 422 is in the first position, the second rolling trough 4221 of the lifting platform 422 is lower than the first rolling trough 4211 of the fixed platform 421, and is connected to or lower than the end port of the inspection channel 41, so that the steel ball in the inspection channel 41 can roll and stay in the second rolling trough 4221 of the lifting platform 422. The extension size of the second rolling trough 4221 of the lifting platform 422 is greater than the outer diameter of one steel ball to be inspected, but less than the sum of the outer diameters of two steel balls to be inspected, thereby allowing only one steel ball to enter the second rolling trough 4221 of the lifting platform 422. When the lifting platform 422 is in the above-mentioned second position state, the lifting platform 422 moves upward until the second rolling groove 4221 of the lifting platform 422 is higher than the first rolling groove 4211 of the fixed platform 421 or is connected to the first rolling groove 4211 of the fixed platform 421, so that the steel balls staying in the second rolling groove 4221 can roll into the first rolling groove 4211 of the fixed platform 421. At the same time, the second rolling groove 4221 of the lifting platform 422 is also higher than the end position of the inspection channel 41 of the feeding rack 40 to prevent subsequent steel balls in the inspection channel 41 from entering the above-mentioned second rolling groove 4221.

[0061] See also Figure 17 and Figure 18 After being sorted by the steel ball sorting and screening structure, qualified steel balls are transported forward via the first discharge rack 541 to the counting and packaging device in the counting and packaging area for automatic counting and packaging. The steel ball sorting equipment includes a conveyor rack, a first sensor 831, a second sensor 832, a first stopper assembly 85a, a second stopper assembly 85b, and a turntable assembly 8.

[0062] The turntable assembly 8 includes a rotating disk 81, a turntable drive mechanism 82 for driving the rotating disk 81 in rotation, and collection boxes 811 arranged sequentially on the rotating disk 81 along the circumference of the rotating disk 81. The rotating disk 81 is arranged horizontally and is rotatably mounted on the workbench 15 along a vertically extending rotating shaft. The turntable drive mechanism 82 includes a turntable drive motor located at the bottom of the workbench 15. The output shaft of the turntable drive motor extends upward and is transmission-connected to the middle portion of the rotating disk 81, driving the rotating disk 81 in rotation. Each collection box 811 on the rotating disk 81 is a fan-shaped or trapezoidal box with a large outer end and a small inner end. This allows the space at the top of the turntable to be utilized as much as possible to accommodate the collection boxes 811. When collecting steel balls, an open packaging bag can be placed in the collection box 811 to receive the steel balls. After counting and packaging is completed, the packaging bag can be replaced with a new one to receive the steel balls.

[0063] One end of the conveyor rack is connected to the first discharge rack 541 for receiving the steel balls that have been tested, and the other end extends to the position of the rotating disk 81 for conveying the steel balls to the collection box 811. The conveyor rack of this embodiment includes a first conveyor rack 841 and a second conveyor rack 842 that are connected in sequence along the conveying direction of the steel balls and have a height difference at the connection point. The first conveyor rack 841 and the second conveyor rack 842 are gradually tilted downward along the forward direction of the steel balls, and the steel balls are automatically conveyed forward under their own gravity. The height of the feeding end of the second conveyor rack 842 is lower than the height of the end of the first conveyor rack 841, and the second conveyor rack 842 is provided with an oil spraying component 843 for spraying anti-rust oil on the passing steel balls. The oil spraying component 843 can be set at the feeding end of the second conveyor rack 842.

[0064] Taking into account that steel balls of other specifications and sizes, especially small-sized steel balls, may be mixed in the ball storage hopper 20, in order to automatically separate the small-sized steel balls, a ball drop port 8410 is also provided at the bottom of the first conveying rack 841. The ball drop port 8410 is a strip-shaped port extending along the conveying rack. The width of the ball drop port 8410 is smaller than the outer diameter of the steel ball to be inspected, but larger than the outer diameter of other small-sized steel balls. In this way, during the steel ball conveying process, steel balls smaller than the set diameter can be automatically separated.

[0065] The second conveyor frame 842 is equipped with a first sensor 831 for detecting the number of steel balls passing through, and a second sensor 832 for detecting whether there are steel balls at the current position on the second transmission frame 842. The first sensor 831 is located in front of the second sensor 832 along the forward direction of the steel balls on the second conveyor frame 842. Both the first sensor 831 and the second sensor 832 can be infrared sensors. The first sensor 831 and the turntable drive mechanism 82 are electrically connected to a controller. The controller activates and deactivates the turntable drive mechanism 82 based on whether the steel ball count signal transmitted by the first sensor 831 meets the packaging requirements. For example, when the first sensor 831 detects that the number of steel balls transmitted has reached a set number, the turntable drive mechanism 82 activates, rotating the rotating disk 81 through a set angle and then stops, causing the adjacent empty collection box 811 on the rotating disk 81 to move to a position corresponding to the end of the second conveyor frame 842. The first sensor 831 then restarts the count.

[0066] Furthermore, given that the rotation of the rotating disk 81 requires a certain amount of time to switch the position of the collection box 811, after the set number of steel balls is counted, it is necessary to block additional steel balls from upstream. To this end, a first stopper assembly 85a and a second stopper assembly 85b are provided on the conveyor frame. Specifically, the first stopper assembly 85a and the second stopper assembly 85b are both provided on the second conveyor frame 842. Along the forward direction of the steel balls on the second conveyor frame 842, the first stopper assembly 85a is located in front of the second stopper assembly 85b, the first sensor 831 is located in front of the first stopper assembly 85a, and the second sensor 832 is located behind the second stopper assembly 85b. The distance between the first stopper assembly 85a and the second stopper assembly 85b is selected based on the size of the steel balls. That is, through the coordination of the blocking and unloading actions of the first stopper assembly 85a and the second stopper assembly 85b, the area on the second conveyor frame 842 between the first stopper assembly 85a and the second stopper assembly 85b can retain the set number of steel balls. The first and second stopper assemblies 85a and 85b have the same structure, each including a stopper rod 851 and a stopper drive mechanism 852. The second conveyor frame 842 has an upwardly extending third bracket on its side, and the stopper drive mechanism 852 is a second pneumatic push rod, located on the third bracket. The telescopic rod of the second pneumatic push rod can extend downward and retract upward. The stopper rod 851 is connected to the bottom of the telescopic rod of the second pneumatic push rod and is driven by the second pneumatic push rod to reciprocate between a stopper position, where it blocks the steel balls from moving along the conveyor frame, and a discharge position, where the steel balls are released from the blockage. The stopper drive mechanisms 852 and second sensor 832 of the first and second stopper assemblies 85a and 85b are both electrically connected to a controller. The controller activates and deactivates the stopper drive mechanisms 852 of the two stopper assemblies based on a signal from the second sensor 832 indicating whether a steel ball is present at the current position.The specific action process is as follows: at the beginning, the blocking rod 851 of the first blocking component 85a moves down to block the balls, and the blocking rod 851 of the second blocking component 85b moves up to release the balls, then the steel balls will be filled in sequence from the position of the blocking rod 851 of the first blocking component 85a to the back. When it is full to the position of the sensing area of ​​the second sensor 832, the second sensor 832 recognizes it. At this time, the section between the first blocking component 85a and the second blocking component 85b is also full of balls, and there are a set number of steel balls (the number of steel balls is a common divisor of the number of boxes in a collection box, such as a box of 300 steel balls, and the number of balls of the two blocking components is 25). Then After that, the blocking rod 851 of the first blocking assembly 85a moves up to release the balls, and the blocking rod 851 of the second blocking assembly 85b moves down to block the balls, and timing starts at the same time. After the set time (the set time can ensure that all the steel balls between the two blocking assemblies are rolled out), the blocking rod of the first blocking assembly 85a moves down again to block the balls, and the blocking rod of the second blocking assembly 85b moves up again to release the balls. After repeatedly reaching the number of steel balls required by a collection box 811, the controller controls the turntable drive mechanism 82 to drive the rotating disk 81 to rotate one grid, that is, the next adjacent collection box 811 moves to the set position, and then the count is reset. In some cases, due to anomalies, sometimes the number is insufficient, such as 24, and the number will be supplemented, and the balls will not be released when the rotating disk rotates.

[0067] The working process of the fully automatic steel ball sorting equipment of this embodiment is as follows:

[0068] The steel balls to be sorted and screened are placed in the ball storage hopper 20. Since the ball storage hopper 20 is tilted, it will automatically enter the cleaning box 30. The spray assembly on the cleaning box 30 will clean the steel balls. After cleaning, the steel balls will automatically roll out and move to the feeding rack 40 connected to the cleaning box 30. The feeding rack 40 is provided with a plurality of inspection channels 41 arranged side by side, which transport the steel balls at the same time. The feeding rack 40 is also tilted, and the steel balls in the inspection channels 41 automatically roll forward to the steel ball feeding mechanism 42. The steel ball feeding mechanism 42 can separate the steel balls transported to the end of the inspection channel 41 and transfer them to the detection channel 513 of the unfolding device 5. Specifically, the lifting platform 422 can move between the first position and the second position under the drive of the lifting cylinder. When the lifting platform 422 is in the first position, the second rolling trough 4221 of the lifting platform 422 is lower than the first rolling trough 4211 of the fixed platform 421 and is connected to or lower than the end port of the channel 41 to be inspected. In this way, the last steel ball in the channel 41 to be inspected can roll and stay in the second rolling trough 4221 of the lifting platform 422. When loading is required, the lifting platform 422 moves up to the second position. At this time, the second rolling trough 4221 of the lifting platform 422 is higher than the first rolling trough 4211 of the fixed platform 421 or is connected to the first rolling trough 4211 of the fixed platform 421. The steel ball staying in the second rolling trough 4221 can automatically roll into the first rolling trough 4211 of the fixed platform 421. At the same time, the second rolling trough 4221 of the lifting platform 422 is also higher than the end position of the channel 41 to be inspected of the feeding rack 40, so as to prevent subsequent steel balls in the channel 41 to be inspected from entering the second rolling trough 4221. The drum 51 of the unfolding device 5 has four detection holes 513 arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. The four detection holes 513 have a feeding state, a detection state, a first discharging state and a second discharging state in sequence as the rotation position of the drum 51 changes. Figures 9-11The openings of the detection channels 513 of the roller 51 in the above-mentioned feeding state, detection state, first discharging state, and second discharging state are oriented in different directions. When one of the detection channels 513 is in the feeding state, the other detection channels 513 are in the detection state, first discharging state, and second discharging state, respectively. The opening of the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the above-mentioned feeding state faces the inspection channel 41 (that is, toward the fixed platform 421 of the steel ball feeding mechanism 42), and the steel balls in the first rolling trough 4211 of the fixed platform 421 automatically roll into the detection channel 513. The opening of the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the detection state faces upward, that is, toward the visual inspection device 7 above. The opening of the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the first discharging state faces the first discharging rack 541, and the qualified steel balls in the detection channel 513 automatically roll out and fall onto the first discharging rack 541. The opening of the detection channel 513 of the drum 51 in the second discharging state faces the second discharging rack 542 , and the unqualified steel balls in the detection channel 513 automatically roll out and fall onto the second discharging rack 542 .

[0069] When the steel ball entering the detection channel 513 rotates with the roller 51 to the detection state, the second motor drives the rolling shaft 52 to rotate, and the third motor also operates at the same time, driving the slide 12 and the rolling shaft 52 to move back and forth in a straight line along the axial direction. In this way, the rolling shaft 52 can drive the steel ball located in the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 to fully expand, so that the visual inspection device 7 can inspect the appearance of the steel ball in the detection channel 513.

[0070] When the visual inspection device 7 detects that there is no defect in the appearance of the steel ball in the corresponding inspection channel 513, the steel ball is determined to be qualified. After the roller 51 is further rotated by the first driving mechanism 61, the inspection channel 513 where the qualified steel ball is placed is in the first discharging state. At the same time, the ball blocking member 531 of the ball blocking assembly 53 opens the outer port 5131 of the inspection channel 513, and the steel ball can automatically roll out and fall onto the first discharging rack 541. Figure 10 As shown. When the visual inspection device 7 detects that there is a defect in the appearance of the steel ball in the corresponding inspection channel 513, the steel ball is determined to be unqualified. After the roller 51 is further rotated by the first driving mechanism 61, the inspection channel 513 where the unqualified steel ball is placed is in the first discharging state, but the ball blocking member 531 of the ball blocking assembly 53 is in the ball blocking position, that is, the outer port 5131 of the inspection channel 513 is blocked, and the steel ball will not roll out. When the roller 51 rotates further, the inspection channel 513 where the unqualified steel ball is placed is in the second discharging state. At this time, the outer port 5131 of the inspection channel 513 is away from the ball blocking member 531, and the steel ball can automatically roll out and fall onto the second discharging rack 542.

[0071] After the unqualified steel balls fall onto the second discharging rack 542, they roll along the second discharging rack 542 to the return rack 18, and are sent to the corresponding cleaning tank 17 by the return rack 18. After being cleaned in the cleaning tank 17, they can be put back into the ball storage hopper 20 for a new round of inspection and sorting.

[0072] After passing inspection, steel balls fall onto the first discharge rack 541 and roll along it to the counting and packaging area, where they are automatically counted and packaged by the counting and packaging unit. The counting and packaging unit's first conveyor rack 841 is connected to the first discharge rack 541. As the steel balls are conveyed along the first conveyor rack 841, steel balls smaller than a set diameter fall through the ball drop opening 8410, achieving automatic separation. The counting and packaging unit's second conveyor rack 842 is connected to the first conveyor rack 841 and is equipped with an oil spraying assembly 843 for spraying anti-rust oil on the passing steel balls. The second conveyor rack 842 is equipped with a first sensor 831, a second sensor 832, a first material stop assembly 85a, and a second material stop assembly 85b. At the beginning, the blocking rod 851 of the first blocking assembly 85a moves down to block the balls, and the blocking rod 851 of the second blocking assembly 85b moves up to release the balls, then the steel balls will be filled in sequence from the position of the blocking rod 851 of the first blocking assembly 85a to the back. When it is full to the position of the sensing area of ​​the second sensor 832, at this time, the section between the first blocking assembly 85a and the second blocking assembly 85b is also full of balls, and there are a set number of steel balls (the number of steel balls is a common divisor of the number of boxes in a collection box, such as a box of 300 steel balls, and the number of balls in the two blocking assemblies is 25). Then, the first blocking assembly 85a The blocking rod 851 of the first blocking assembly 85 moves up to release the balls, and the blocking rod 851 of the second blocking assembly 85b moves down to block the balls, and the timing starts at the same time. After the set time (the set time can ensure that all the steel balls between the two blocking assemblies roll out), the blocking rod of the first blocking assembly 85a moves down again to block the balls, and the blocking rod of the second blocking assembly 85b moves up again to release the balls. After repeatedly reaching the number of steel balls required by a collection box 811, the controller controls the turntable drive mechanism 82 to drive the rotating disk 81 to rotate one grid, that is, the next adjacent collection box 811 moves to the set position, and then the count is reset.

Claims

1. A counting and packaging device for steel ball sorting equipment, characterized in that include, A turntable assembly (8) comprises a rotating disk (81), a turntable driving mechanism (82) for driving the rotating disk (81) to rotate, and collection boxes (811) sequentially arranged on the rotating disk (81) along the circumference of the rotating disk (81); a conveying rack for receiving the steel balls after detection and conveying the steel balls to the collecting box (811) of the turntable assembly (8); the conveying rack is provided with a first sensor (831) for detecting the number of steel balls passing through; The controller is electrically connected to the first sensor (831) and the turntable drive mechanism (82). The controller controls the start and stop of the turntable drive mechanism (82) according to whether the steel ball quantity signal transmitted by the first sensor (831) meets the packaging requirements.

2. The counting and packaging device for steel ball sorting equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conveyor further comprises a stopper assembly provided on the conveyor frame and a second sensor for detecting whether there is a ball at a current position on the conveyor frame. The stopper assembly comprises two groups arranged in sequence along the extension direction of the conveyor frame. The two groups of stopper assemblies are respectively a first stopper assembly and a second stopper assembly. Along the forward direction of the steel ball on the conveyor frame, the first stopper assembly is located in front of the second stopper assembly, the first sensor is located in front of the first stopper assembly, and the second sensor is located behind the second stopper assembly. Both groups of stopper assemblies comprise: Material blocking rod (851); A material blocking drive mechanism (852), whose power output end is connected to the material blocking rod (851), thereby being able to drive the material blocking rod (851) to move back and forth between a material blocking position for blocking the steel balls from moving along the conveyor frame and a material discharge position for releasing the blocking of the steel balls; The material blocking drive mechanism (852) is electrically connected to the controller, and the controller controls the material blocking drive mechanisms (852) of the two groups of material blocking components to operate in sequence according to the signal of whether there is a steel ball transmitted by the second sensor (832).

3. The counting and packaging device for steel ball sorting equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The material blocking driving mechanism (852) comprises a second pneumatic push rod, the telescopic rod of the second pneumatic push rod is telescopic up and down, and the material blocking rod (851) is arranged at the bottom end of the second pneumatic push rod.

4. The counting and packaging device of the steel ball sorting equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The collecting box (811) is a fan-shaped box or a trapezoidal box with a large outer end and a small inner end.

5. The counting and packaging device of the steel ball sorting equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The conveying rack comprises a first conveying rack (841) and a second conveying rack (842) which are connected in sequence along the conveying direction of the steel balls and have a height difference at the connection point. The second conveying rack (842) is provided with an oil spraying component (843) for spraying rust-proof oil on the passing steel balls.

6. The counting and packaging device of the steel ball sorting equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The bottom of the conveying frame is also provided with a ball drop opening (8410) for steel balls smaller than a set diameter to fall down. The ball drop opening (8410) is a strip-shaped opening extending along the conveying frame.

7. The counting and packaging device of the steel ball sorting equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The conveying frame is gradually inclined downward along the forward direction of the steel balls.

8. The counting and packaging device of the steel ball sorting equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The invention also includes a workbench (15), wherein the rotating disk (81) is rotatably arranged on the workbench (15), and the turntable driving mechanism (82) includes a turntable driving motor, which is arranged at the bottom of the workbench (15), and the output shaft of the turntable driving motor extends upward and is transmission-connected to the middle part of the rotating disk (81).

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