Feeding work station

Abstract

The utility model provides a feeding workstation, and relates to the technical field of material processing equipment. The number of feeding modules in the feeding work station is larger than or equal to 1 and smaller than or equal to 4, and the feeding modules are arranged on at least one side of the feeding work station. Each feeding module comprises a feeding unit and a vibrating unit provided with a first vibrator and a charging tray, one end of the feeding unit extends to one side of the feeding work station to form a feeding port, the other end of the feeding unit is located above the vibrating unit, and materials received by different feeding modules are the same or different; the material disc is arranged at the top of the vibration unit, and the first vibrator is arranged at the bottom of the material disc and used for vibrating materials in the material disc to be in a grabbable state; the material grabbing module is used for grabbing the materials in the material disc so as to move the materials to the next position. According to the embodiment of the invention, the material state can be changed through the vibration disc, the cost is low, the occupied area is small, the application range of mechanical feeding and the number of feeding stations are effectively expanded, the feeding speed is increased, and the feeding types are expanded.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of material processing equipment, and in particular, to a loading workstation. Background Art

[0002] Industrial automation is the trend of widely using automatic control and automatic adjustment devices in industrial production to replace manual operation of machines and machine systems for processing and production.

[0003] The processing of intensive products requires significant human involvement and is labor-intensive, making industrial automation an inevitable trend for future development. With industrial automation, all production processes, including loading, unloading, and handling, no longer require direct human intervention. Instead, machines continuously and repeatedly produce one or more products automatically.

[0004] In the prior art, mechanical loading is used to complete the loading. However, the mechanical loading method requires manual placement of the materials in a specific state and the use of a conveyor belt to transport the materials, which occupies a large area. The loading method is costly and has a limited scope of application. Utility Model Content

[0005] An embodiment of the present application provides a loading workstation that can solve the problem that the existing robot loading method requires the material to be in a specific state and has a limited scope of application.

[0006] To achieve this goal, the embodiments of the present application provide the following solutions.

[0007] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a loading workstation is provided, comprising a gripping module and a loading module, wherein the number of the loading modules is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 4, and the loading modules are arranged on at least one side of the loading workstation;

[0008] The feeding module includes a feeding unit and a vibration unit provided with a first vibrator and a feeding tray. One end of the feeding unit extends to one side of the feeding workstation to form a feeding port, and the other end is located above the vibration unit, for receiving materials and transferring the materials to the feeding tray. Different feeding modules receive the same or different materials.

[0009] The material tray is arranged on the top of the vibration unit, and is used to carry the material from the feeding unit. The first vibrator is arranged at the bottom of the material tray, and is used to vibrate the material in the material tray into a graspable state;

[0010] The material grabbing module is used to grab the material in the material tray to move the material to the next position.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the feeding unit includes a silo hopper and a horizontal silo, the top of the silo hopper is exposed from the loading workstation to form the feeding port, and the bottom of the silo hopper is opposite to the horizontal silo;

[0012] The horizontal silo includes a material transmission channel, one end of which is connected to the bottom of the silo funnel, and the other end extends to the upper part of the silo.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the feeding unit further includes a second vibrator, which is disposed at the bottom of the material transmission channel and is configured to drive the material transmission channel to vibrate so that the material moves along the material transmission channel.

[0014] In one possible implementation, one side of the loading workstation is recessed to form a groove, the vibration unit and the grabbing module are fixed in the groove, the grabbing module delivers the material along the opening of the groove, and the feeding port extends along the vertical side of the groove or the side away from the opening.

[0015] In a possible implementation, a lighting module provided with at least one light source is further included, wherein the lighting module is installed on the top side of the groove, and the light source is arranged above the material tray and corresponds one-to-one with the material tray.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the device further includes an image acquisition module having at least one first camera, wherein the first camera is installed on a side of the lighting module away from the material tray, the first camera corresponds to the material tray one-to-one, and a through hole opposite to the first camera is provided in the middle of the lighting module for the first camera to capture an image of the material in the material tray.

[0017] In one possible implementation, a control module is further included. The control module is installed inside the loading workstation and is located on the side of the loading module away from the lighting module. The control module is respectively connected to the loading module, the grabbing module, the lighting module, and the image acquisition module.

[0018] In a possible implementation, it further includes an input module provided with a keyboard and control buttons, the control module is connected to the keyboard and the control buttons respectively, and the keyboard and the control buttons are arranged on a side of the loading workstation away from the groove opening.

[0019] In a possible implementation, the material grabbing module includes a robot unit and a secondary positioning unit, wherein the robot unit is fixed to one side of the material tray and is used to grab the material in the material tray;

[0020] The secondary positioning unit includes a second camera, which is arranged on one side of the robot unit and is used to capture images of materials grasped by the robot unit.

[0021] The beneficial effects of the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application are:

[0022] The control circuit in the loading workstation provided by the present application includes a loading module and a grabbing module. The number of the loading modules is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 4. The loading modules are arranged on at least one side of the loading workstation; the loading module includes a feeding unit and a vibration unit provided with a first vibrator and a material tray. One end of the feeding unit extends to one side of the loading workstation to form a feeding port, and the other end is located above the vibration unit, which is used to receive materials and transfer materials to the material tray. Different loading modules receive the same or different materials; the material tray is arranged on the top of the vibration unit, which is used to carry materials from the feeding unit, and the first vibrator is arranged at the bottom of the material tray, which is used to drive the material in the material tray to vibrate; the grabbing module is used to grab the material in the material tray to move the material to the next position. The embodiment of the present application can realize the change of material state through the vibration tray, with low cost and small occupied area, effectively expand the scope of application of mechanical feeding and the number of feeding stations, improve feeding speed and expand feeding types. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for describing the embodiments of the present application.

[0024] Figure 1 A structural diagram of a loading workstation provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the position of the lighting module in the loading workstation provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 3 A rear view of a loading workstation is provided for an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the image acquisition module in the loading workstation provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the loading module provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals: 1, housing; 11, top plate; 12, image acquisition hole; 13, protective door panel;

[0030] 2. Loading module; 21. Vibration unit; 211. Material tray; 22. Feeding unit; 221. Silo hopper; 222. First support; 223. Base; 224. Material transmission channel; 225. Vertical plate;

[0031] 3. Material grabbing module; 31. Robot unit; 32. Secondary positioning unit;

[0032] 41. Display screen; 421. First status indicator light; 422. Second status indicator light;

[0033] 5. Lighting module;

[0034] 61. Snap-fit ​​slot; 62. Control button; 63. Keyboard; 64. Openable bracket;

[0035] 71. Horizontal bar; 72. Vertical bar; 73. Fixed bar; 74. First camera. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The following describes the embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the embodiments described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings are exemplary descriptions for explaining the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

[0037] Those skilled in the art will understand that, unless otherwise stated, the singular forms "a", "an", "said", and "the" used herein may also include plural forms. It should be further understood that the terms "including" and "comprising" used in the embodiments of the present application mean that the corresponding features can be implemented as the presented features, information, data, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude implementation as other features, information, data, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof supported by the present technical field. It should be understood that when we say that an element is "connected" or "coupled" to another element, the element can be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or it can refer to the element and the other element establishing a connection relationship through an intermediate element. In addition, the "connection" or "coupling" used here can include wireless connection or wireless coupling. The term "and / or" used here indicates at least one of the items defined by the term, for example, "A and / or B" indicates implementation as "A", or implementation as "A", or implementation as "A and B".

[0038] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clear, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] The following describes several exemplary embodiments to illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention and the technical effects produced by the technical solutions of the present invention. It should be noted that the following embodiments can refer to, draw on, or combine with each other, and the same terms, similar features, and similar implementation steps in different embodiments will not be repeated.

[0040] The loading workstation provided in this application is intended to solve at least one technical problem existing in the prior art.

[0041] In the embodiment of the present application, a loading workstation is provided, such as Figure 1-Figure 5 As shown, the loading workstation includes a grabbing module 3 and a loading module 2. The number of loading modules is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 4. The loading module 2 is arranged on at least one side of the loading workstation; the loading module 2 includes a feeding unit 22 and a vibration unit 21 provided with a first vibrator and a material tray 211. One end of the feeding unit 22 extends to one side of the loading workstation to form a feeding port, and the other end is located above the vibration unit 21, which is used to receive materials and transfer materials to the material tray 211. The materials received by different loading modules 2 are the same or different; the material tray 211 is set at the top of the vibration unit 21, which is used to carry materials from the feeding unit 22, and the first vibrator is set at the bottom of the material tray 211, which is used to vibrate the material in the material tray 211 into a grabbable state; the grabbing module 3 is used to grab the material in the material tray 211 to move the material to the next position.

[0042] Optionally, the material tray 211 may be rectangular, and a baffle is provided on the side of the material tray 211 to prevent the material from jumping out of the material tray 211 .

[0043] Optionally, to facilitate the capture of a clear image of the material in the tray 211 by the material grabbing module 3, the bottom of the tray 211 may be made of a translucent material (e.g., translucent plastic). Furthermore, the vibration unit 21 may further include a light-emitting structure (e.g., an LED light) disposed at the bottom of the tray 211. The light-emitting structure emits light that passes through the bottom of the tray 211 and illuminates the material in the tray 211.

[0044] In one embodiment, there can be four loading modules 2, thereby providing four loading stations. The gripping module 3 is disposed between the four loading modules 2. The materials carried by different loading modules 2 can be the same or different, and one or more materials can be placed on the same tray 211. Using this loading module 2, four or more types of materials can be loaded.

[0045] Optionally, the feeding unit 22 includes a hopper 221 and a horizontal hopper. The top of the hopper 221 is exposed to the loading station, forming a feeding port, and the bottom of the hopper 221 is opposite to the horizontal hopper. The horizontal hopper includes a material transfer channel 224, one end of which is connected to the bottom of the hopper 221 and the other end extends to the top of the material tray 211. Material entering the hopper 221 slides along the hopper 221 into the material transfer channel 224.

[0046] Optionally, the loading workstation includes a shell 1, one side of the shell 1 is recessed to form a groove, the vibration unit 21 and the grabbing module 3 are fixed in the groove, the grabbing module 3 delivers the material along the opening of the groove, and the feeding port extends along the vertical side of the groove or the side away from the port.

[0047] Optionally, in order to protect the safety of operators and ensure normal loading, a shielding structure is provided on the side of the groove where the silo funnel 221 is provided. The shielding structure can be a protective door panel 13 and other structures. The feeding port of the silo funnel 221 passes through the shielding structure and protrudes from the side of the loading workstation.

[0048] In one embodiment, the protective door panels 13 are arranged on the opposite side of the loading workstation, and a feeding port is fixed on each protective door panel 13 .

[0049] Optionally, a fixed plate can be installed at the bottom of the groove. The hopper 221 includes a feeding hopper and a first support 222. The bottom of the feeding hopper has an opening that faces one end of the material transfer channel 224. The first support 222 is positioned on either side of the feeding area, with the top fixedly connected to the feeding hopper. The bottom of the first support 222 can be fixed to the fixed plate. The material gripping module 3 and the vibration unit 21 can be fixed to the fixed plate.

[0050] In one embodiment, the material transfer channel 224 may include a trough and a cover plate, wherein the bottom of the hopper extends into the trough. An end of the trough extending above the hopper is provided with an inclined surface, and the cover plate is mounted on the inclined surface.

[0051] Optionally, the feeding unit 22 further includes a second vibrator, which is disposed at the bottom of the material transmission channel 224 and is configured to drive the material transmission channel 224 to vibrate so that the material moves along the material transmission channel 224 .

[0052] Optionally, the first vibrator and the second vibrator may be linear vibrators or other devices capable of vibrating the material channel and the material tray 211 .

[0053] Optionally, the feeding unit 22 may further include a base 223, on which a second vibrator is disposed, with an output end of the second vibrator connected to the bottom of the material transfer channel 224. To prevent the material vibrator from deviating from the predetermined vibration direction, a first vertical plate 225 is further provided on the top of the base 223. The first vertical plates 225 are disposed on both sides of the material transfer channel 224 and are spaced apart from the material transfer channel 224.

[0054] Optionally, to facilitate the acquisition of images of the material in the tray 211, the loading workstation further includes a lighting module 5 having at least one light source, the lighting module 5 being mounted on the top side of the groove, the light source being disposed above the tray 211 and corresponding one-to-one with the tray 211. The light source may include an LED lamp that emits light for illumination.

[0055] Optionally, the lighting module 5 may include a light-transmitting plate, the shape of which may correspond to the shape of the tray 211 , and the light-transmitting plate may be arranged directly above the tray 211 . The light source is arranged on a side of the light-transmitting plate away from the tray 211 .

[0056] Optionally, the light-transmitting plate may be made of a light-scattering material, and the light emitted by the light source may be scattered by the light-scattering material to improve the lighting effect.

[0057] Optionally, the loading workstation also includes an image acquisition module provided with at least one first camera 74, the first camera 74 is installed on the side of the lighting module 5 away from the material tray 211, the first camera 74 corresponds one-to-one with the material tray 211, and an image acquisition hole 12 opposite to the first camera 74 is provided in the middle of the lighting module 5 for the first camera 74 to capture the image of the material in the material tray 211.

[0058] In one embodiment, the number of the first cameras 74 and the number of the light-transmitting plates are both 4, and an image acquisition hole 12 for capturing images is provided in the middle of each light-transmitting plate, and the image acquisition side of the first camera 74 is opposite to the image acquisition hole 12.

[0059] Optionally, a top plate 11 and a second vertical plate 225 are provided on the top side of the groove, the lighting module 5 is provided on the side of the top plate 11 close to the material tray 211, and the image acquisition module is provided on the side of the top plate 11 away from the material tray 211. The second vertical plate 225 is connected to the edge of the top plate 11 and extends in a direction from the top plate 11 away from the material grabbing module 3.

[0060] Optionally, the image acquisition module may include a horizontal bar 71, a vertical bar 72, and a fixed bar 73. The ends of the horizontal bar 71 are fixed to different second vertical plates 225. The vertical bar 72 is perpendicular to the horizontal bar 71 and its ends are fixed to different horizontal bars 71. One end of the fixed bar 73 is connected to the horizontal bar 71, and the first camera 74 is fixed to the fixed bar 73. The fixed bar 73 allows the first camera 74 to be suspended above the top plate 11.

[0061] Optionally, the loading station further includes a control module, which is installed inside the loading station and located on the side of the loading module 2 away from the lighting module 5. The control module is connected to the loading module 2, the gripping module 3, the lighting module 5, and the image acquisition module. The control module can control the on and off of the lighting module 5 and the operation of the loading module 2, the gripping module 3, and the image acquisition module.

[0062] Optionally, the control module can be installed at the bottom of the loading station. Furthermore, the loading station can include a main power switch and a pressure-regulating filter, with the control module connected to the main power switch. The main power switch can be used to control the power on and off of the loading station, while the pressure-regulating filter can be connected to the material grabbing module 3 to filter impurities from the air and regulate the compressed air pressure, thereby providing power for the material grabbing action of the material grabbing module 3.

[0063] Optionally, the loading workstation may further include an input module having a keyboard 63 and control buttons 62. The control module is connected to the keyboard 63 and the control buttons 62 respectively. The keyboard 63 and the control buttons 62 are arranged on a side of the loading workstation away from the groove opening.

[0064] Optionally, to protect the keyboard 63, a retractable bracket 64 is provided at the location where the keyboard 63 is positioned. One side of the retractable bracket 64 is rotatably connected to the housing 1 of the loading station, and the housing 1 is provided with a snap-fitting slot 61 that matches the shape of the retractable bracket 64. The keyboard 63 is placed on the retractable bracket 64, and the rotation of the retractable bracket 64 snaps the keyboard 63 into the snap-fitting slot 61 to protect the keyboard 63.

[0065] In one embodiment, the keyboard 63 and the control button 62 are arranged on the same side of the housing 1 , and two feeding ports may be provided on the same side, with the control button 62 being arranged between the two feeding ports.

[0066] Optionally, the loading station further includes a display module having a display screen 41. Display screen 41 is connected to the control module and is located on a side of the loading station facing away from the groove opening. The control module displays the operating status of the loading module 2 and the gripping module 3, images captured by the image acquisition module, and other information related to the working content of the loading station through display screen 41.

[0067] Optionally, the display module may further include a first status indicator light 421 and a second status indicator light 422. The first status indicator light 421 may be used to display information indicating whether the feeding unit 22 is short of material. The first status indicator light 421 may be connected to the loading module 2 or the control module and display information transmitted by the loading module 2 or the control module indicating whether the corresponding feeding unit 22 is short of material. The first status indicator light 421 may be provided in a one-to-one correspondence with each feeding unit 22.

[0068] The second status indicator light 422 can be used to display the working status of the loading workstation (such as closed, normal operation, fault, etc.). The second status indicator light 422 is connected to the control module, and the second status indicator light 422 works accordingly according to the information of the control module.

[0069] In one embodiment, the first status indicator light 421 can be provided on one side of the feeding port, with one first status indicator light 421 corresponding to each feeding port. When the feeding unit 22 is not short of material, the first status indicator light 421 is green; when the feeding unit 22 is short of material, the first status indicator light 421 turns yellow.

[0070] Optionally, the material grabbing module 3 includes a robot unit 31 and a secondary positioning unit 32. The robot unit 31 is fixed on one side of the material tray 211 and is used to grab the material in the material tray 211; the secondary positioning unit 32 includes a second camera. The position of the second camera corresponds to the movement path of the material grabbed by the robot. It can be set on one side of the robot unit 31. The second camera is used to collect images of the material grabbed by the robot unit 31.

[0071] In one embodiment, there may be four material trays 211, and the robot unit 31 is disposed between the four material trays 211. The robot unit 31 is provided with a rotatable and elevating robotic arm, which is connected to a control module and controls the rotation and elevation of the robotic arm according to instructions from the control module to grip the material in the material tray 211.

[0072] Optionally, a second camera is arranged on one side of the robot unit 31, and the image acquisition side of the second camera faces the image acquisition module. After the robot unit 31 clamps the material, the material is moved above the second camera. The second camera captures the image of the clamped material and transmits the image to the control module. The control module instructs the robot unit 31 to adjust the posture of the material according to the image, so that the clamped material can be placed at the next processing position in a specific posture.

[0073] The control circuit in the loading workstation of the embodiment of the present application includes a loading module and a grabbing module. The number of the loading modules is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 4. The loading modules are arranged on at least one side of the loading workstation; the loading module includes a feeding unit and a vibration unit provided with a first vibrator and a material tray. One end of the feeding unit extends to one side of the loading workstation to form a feeding port, and the other end is located above the vibration unit, which is used to receive materials and transfer materials to the material tray. Different loading modules receive the same or different materials; the material tray is arranged on the top of the vibration unit, which is used to carry materials from the feeding unit, and the first vibrator is arranged at the bottom of the material tray, which is used to drive the material in the material tray to vibrate; the grabbing module is used to grab the material in the material tray to move the material to the next position. The embodiment of the present application can realize the change of material state through the vibration tray, with low cost and small occupied area, effectively expand the scope of application of mechanical feeding and the number of feeding stations, improve feeding speed and expand feeding types.

[0074] The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," "1," "2," and the like (if any) in the specification and claims of this application and the accompanying drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a particular order or sequential sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this manner are interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the application described herein can be implemented in an order other than that shown or described in the drawings.

[0075] It should be understood that, although each operation step is indicated by arrows in the flowchart of the embodiment of the present application, the order of implementation of these steps is not limited to the order indicated by the arrows. Unless otherwise clearly stated herein, in some implementation scenarios of the embodiment of the present application, the implementation steps in each flowchart can be performed in other orders according to demand. In addition, some or all of the steps in each flowchart can include multiple sub-steps or multiple stages based on actual implementation scenarios. Some or all of these sub-steps or stages can be executed at the same time, and each sub-step or stage in these sub-steps or stages can also be executed at different times respectively. Under different scenarios at the execution time, the execution order of these sub-steps or stages can be flexibly configured according to demand, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0076] The above description is only an optional implementation method for some implementation scenarios of this application. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, without departing from the technical concept of the solution of this application, the use of other similar implementation methods based on the technical ideas of this application also falls within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A loading workstation, characterized in that: It includes a grabbing module and a loading module, the number of the loading modules is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 4, and the loading module is arranged on at least one side of the loading workstation; The feeding module includes a feeding unit and a vibration unit provided with a first vibrator and a feeding tray. One end of the feeding unit extends to one side of the feeding workstation to form a feeding port, and the other end is located above the vibration unit, for receiving materials and transferring the materials to the feeding tray. Different feeding modules receive the same or different materials. The material tray is arranged on the top of the vibration unit, and is used to carry the material from the feeding unit. The first vibrator is arranged at the bottom of the material tray, and is used to vibrate the material in the material tray into a graspable state; The material grabbing module is used to grab the material in the material tray to move the material to the next position.

2. The loading workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding unit includes a silo hopper and a horizontal silo, the top of the silo hopper is exposed from the loading workstation to form the feeding port, and the bottom of the silo hopper is opposite to the horizontal silo; The horizontal silo includes a material transmission channel, one end of which is connected to the bottom of the silo funnel, and the other end extends to the upper part of the silo.

3. The loading workstation according to claim 2, characterized in that: The feeding unit further includes a second vibrator, which is disposed at the bottom of the material transmission channel and is used to drive the material transmission channel to vibrate so that the material moves along the material transmission channel.

4. The loading workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that: One side of the loading workstation is recessed to form a groove, the vibration unit and the grabbing module are fixed in the groove, the grabbing module delivers the material along the opening of the groove, and the feeding port extends along the vertical side of the groove or the side away from the opening.

5. The loading workstation according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a lighting module provided with at least one light source, the lighting module is installed on the top side of the groove, and the light source is arranged above the material tray and corresponds to the material tray one by one.

6. The loading workstation according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes an image acquisition module provided with at least one first camera, the first camera is installed on the side of the lighting module away from the material tray, the first camera corresponds to the material tray one by one, and a through hole opposite to the first camera is provided in the middle of the lighting module for the first camera to capture the image of the material in the material tray.

7. The loading workstation according to claim 6, characterized in that: It also includes a control module, which is installed inside the loading workstation and located on the side of the loading module away from the lighting module. The control module is respectively connected to the loading module, the grabbing module, the lighting module, and the image acquisition module.

8. The loading workstation according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes an input module with a keyboard and control buttons. The control module is connected to the keyboard and the control buttons respectively. The keyboard and the control buttons are arranged on a side of the loading workstation away from the groove opening.

9. The loading workstation according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes a display module provided with a display screen, the display screen is connected to the control module, and the display screen is arranged on a side of the loading workstation away from the groove opening.

10. The loading workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material grabbing module includes a robot unit and a secondary positioning unit. The robot unit is fixed to one side of the material tray and is used to grab the material in the material tray. The secondary positioning unit includes a second camera, which is arranged on one side of the robot unit and is used to capture images of materials grasped by the robot unit.

Images