Double-station feeding device

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of feeding equipment, and particularly discloses a double-station feeding device which comprises a lifting type feeding module, a feeding module, a feeding module, a discharging module, a feeding module, a discharging module, a discharging module, a discharging module and a discharging module, and the lifting type feeding module is used for providing trays loaded with workpieces and recycling unloaded trays; the circulating feeding module comprises a runway type track, at least two carrier assemblies used for containing the workpieces and a power unit used for driving the carrier assemblies to move along the runway type track. And the transfer manipulator is used for transferring the workpieces in the material tray into the carrier assembly. The double-station feeding device can effectively solve the problem that in the prior art, the waiting time needed for taking out workpieces from a tray is too long, and consequently the feeding efficiency of the workpieces is low.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of feeding equipment, in particular to a double-station feeding device. Background Art

[0002] In the automated production of e-cigarettes, one of the steps involves batching multiple e-cigarette components (such as oil tanks) from a tray to downstream assembly equipment. Currently, a robotic arm transfers components directly from the tray to the downstream assembly equipment via a robotic arm. However, the downstream assembly equipment requires a long assembly time, while the robotic arm has a short retrieving time. Consequently, after the robotic arm retrieves the component, it often has to wait until the assembly equipment receives it, severely impacting the efficiency of feeding the e-cigarette components.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to develop a feeding mechanism to solve the problem of low feeding efficiency of electronic cigarette workpieces in the automated production process of electronic cigarettes.

[0004] The above information disclosed in this Background section is included only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the disclosure and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is currently known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Utility Model Content

[0005] One purpose of the present invention is to provide a double-station feeding device that can effectively solve the problem in the prior art that the waiting time required to remove a workpiece from a material tray is too long, resulting in low workpiece feeding efficiency.

[0006] In order to achieve the above purpose, the utility model provides a double-station feeding device, comprising:

[0007] A lifting feeding module, which is used to provide trays loaded with workpieces and recover empty trays;

[0008] A circulating feeding module, the circulating feeding module comprising a racetrack, at least two carrier assemblies for placing the workpieces, and a power unit for driving each of the carrier assemblies to move along the racetrack;

[0009] A transfer robot is used to transfer the workpieces in the tray to the carrier assembly.

[0010] Optionally, the runway-type track includes a first straight track arranged close to the transfer robot, a second straight track located on the side of the first straight track away from the transfer robot and parallel to the first straight track, a first semicircular track connecting one end of the two straight tracks, and a second semicircular track connecting the other end of the two straight tracks.

[0011] Optionally, the lifting feeding module includes:

[0012] Two parallel transverse movement mechanisms;

[0013] A feed linear drive mechanism, located between the two transverse movement mechanisms, for driving a plurality of stacked fully loaded trays to move up and down;

[0014] The lateral clamping mechanism is located on the outside of the transverse movement mechanism and is used to clamp and fix the second material tray from bottom to top from the side so that the feed linear drive mechanism can place the bottommost material tray on the transverse movement mechanism.

[0015] Optionally, the lifting feeding module further includes:

[0016] Two parallel lower conveyor belts;

[0017] The closing tray linear drive mechanism is located between the two lower conveyor belts and is used to drive several stacked empty trays to move up and down so that each tray is placed downward on the lower conveyor belt.

[0018] Optionally, the transverse movement mechanism includes a sliding support and an upper conveyor belt that drives the sliding support to slide back and forth in a horizontal direction.

[0019] Optionally, the carrier assembly includes a carrier base that moves along the runway-shaped track, and a carrier body that is detachably mounted on the carrier base;

[0020] Wherein, the carrier body is provided with a plurality of placement slots for placing workpieces.

[0021] Optionally, a plurality of rollers rollingly connected to the runway-type track are mounted on the carrier base.

[0022] Optionally, the carrier assembly further includes:

[0023] A positioning wheel, the positioning wheel being installed on the side of the carrier base;

[0024] A lifting card plate, the lifting card plate is fixedly arranged relative to the runway-shaped track, and a card slot matching the positioning wheel is provided on the top of the lifting card plate;

[0025] A card plate linear drive mechanism, wherein a driving end of the card plate linear drive mechanism is connected to the lifting card plate, and is used to drive the lifting card plate to move up and down so that the positioning wheel is clamped into the clamping slot.

[0026] Optionally, the power unit includes a chain and a rotation drive mechanism for driving the chain to rotate;

[0027] Wherein, each of the carrier components is connected to the chain.

[0028] Optionally, there are two lifting feeding modules, and the transfer robot is located between the two lifting feeding modules.

[0029] The beneficial effect of the present invention is that it provides a double-station feeding device. At the beginning, the workshop worker or the loading equipment places the tray loaded with workpieces into the lifting feeding module, and the transfer robot takes the workpieces out of the tray and places them into the carrier assembly near the transfer robot. Then, the power unit drives each carrier assembly to move along the runway-type track, so that the carrier assembly that has just been loaded with the workpiece moves to a position close to the assembly equipment so that the assembly equipment can pick it up. At the same time, the empty carrier assembly moves to a position close to the transfer robot so that the transfer robot can put the workpiece in again. Through the double-station feeding setting, the left and right sides can take turns grabbing, saving tray changing time, and the double station can store more materials at the same time, reducing the frequency of manual loading.

[0030] In the above process, when the assembly equipment picks up the workpiece from the carrier assembly close to the assembly equipment, the transfer robot can directly transfer the workpiece from the material tray into the carrier assembly close to the transfer robot without waiting for the assembly equipment to perform the assembly operation, thereby improving the feeding efficiency of the workpiece. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a dual-station feeding device provided in an embodiment;

[0033] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a lifting feeding module provided in an embodiment;

[0034] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of a circulating feeding die provided in an embodiment.

[0035] In the picture:

[0036] 1. Lifting feeding module;

[0037] 101, transverse movement mechanism; 1011, sliding support member; 1012, upper conveyor belt; 102, feeding linear drive mechanism; 103, lateral clamping mechanism; 104, lower conveyor belt; 105, closing linear drive mechanism;

[0038] 2. Circulation feeding mold;

[0039] 201, runway track; 2011, first straight track; 2012, second straight track; 2013, first semicircular track; 2014, second semicircular track;

[0040] 202, carrier assembly; 2021, carrier base; 2022, carrier body; 2023, roller; 2024, positioning wheel; 2025, lifting pallet; 2026, pallet linear drive mechanism;

[0041] 203. Power unit; 2031. Chain; 2032. Rotation drive mechanism;

[0042] 3. Transfer the robot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] References to "embodiments" in this utility model mean that the specific features, structures, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the utility model. The appearance of the term "embodiment" in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it specifically limit its independence or relevance to other embodiments. In principle, in this utility model, as long as there are no technical contradictions or conflicts, the various technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any manner to form a corresponding implementable technical solution.

[0044] Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms used herein have the same meanings as those generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. The use of relevant terms herein is only for describing specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention.

[0045] In the description of this utility model, the term "and / or" is used to describe a logical relationship between objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B means: A exists, B exists, and both A and B exist. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the objects before and after are in a logical "or" relationship.

[0046] In the present invention, terms such as "first" and "second" are merely used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship of quantity, priority or sequence between these entities or operations.

[0047] Without further restrictions, in the present invention, the words "include", "comprise", "have" or other similar expressions used in sentences are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. These expressions do not exclude the presence of additional elements in the process, method or product including the elements, so that the process, method or product including a series of elements may include not only those limited elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also include elements inherent to such process, method or product.

[0048] Consistent with the understanding in the Examination Guidelines, in this utility model, expressions such as "greater than," "less than," and "exceed" are understood to exclude the number itself; expressions such as "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the number itself. Furthermore, in the description of the embodiments of this utility model, "multiple" means two or more (including two), and similar expressions related to "multiple," such as "multiple groups" and "multiple times," are also understood in this manner, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0049] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, the space-related expressions used, such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "vertical", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicate the orientation or position relationship based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the specific embodiments or drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the specific embodiments of the present invention or facilitating the reader's understanding, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific position, a specific orientation, or be constructed or operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present invention.

[0050] Unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, in the description of the embodiments of the present invention, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed", "set", etc. used should be understood in a broad sense. For example, the "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrated setting; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those skilled in the technical field of the present invention, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0051] The utility model provides a double-station feeding device, which is suitable for taking workpieces out of a material tray in batches so that they can be taken by downstream assembly equipment. It can effectively solve the problem in the prior art that the waiting time required for taking workpieces out of the material tray is too long, resulting in low feeding efficiency of the workpieces.

[0052] See also Figures 1 to 3 In this embodiment, the double-station feeding device includes a lifting feeding module 1, a circulating feeding module 2, and a transfer robot 3.

[0053] The lifting feeding module 1 is used to provide a tray loaded with workpieces and to recover an empty tray; the circulating feeding module 2 group includes a runway-type track 201, at least two carrier assemblies 202 for placing the workpieces, and a power unit 203 for driving each of the carrier assemblies 202 to move along the runway-type track 201; the transfer robot 3 is used to transfer the workpieces in the tray to the carrier assembly 202.

[0054] The dual-station feeding device provided in this embodiment, at the beginning, the workshop worker or the loading equipment puts the tray loaded with workpieces into the lifting feeding module 1, and the transfer robot 3 takes the workpieces from the tray and puts them into the carrier assembly 202 close to the transfer robot 3; then, the power unit 203 drives each carrier assembly 202 to move along the runway-shaped track 201, so that the carrier assembly 202 that has just been loaded with the workpiece moves to a position close to the assembly equipment so that the assembly equipment can pick it up, and synchronously, the empty carrier assembly 202 moves to a position close to the transfer robot 3 so that the transfer robot 3 can put the workpiece in again.

[0055] In the above process, when the assembly equipment picks up the workpiece from the carrier assembly 202 close to the assembly equipment, the transfer robot 3 can directly transfer the workpiece from the material tray into the carrier assembly 202 close to the transfer robot 3 without waiting for the assembly equipment to perform the assembly operation, thereby improving the feeding efficiency of the workpiece.

[0056] In this embodiment, the lifting feeding module 1 includes two parallel transverse movement mechanisms 101 , a feeding linear drive mechanism 102 , a lateral clamping mechanism 103 , two parallel lower conveyor belts 104 , and a closing linear drive mechanism 105 .

[0057] Optionally, the transverse movement mechanism 101 includes a sliding support 1011 and an upper conveyor belt 1012 that drives the sliding support 1011 to slide back and forth in the horizontal direction. The feed linear drive mechanism 102 is located between the two transverse movement mechanisms 101 and is used to drive a plurality of stacked fully loaded trays to move up and down. The lateral clamping mechanism 103 is located on the outside of the transverse movement mechanism 101 and is used to clamp and fix the second tray from the bottom to the top from the side so that the feed linear drive mechanism 102 places the bottommost tray on the transverse movement mechanism 101. The closing tray linear drive mechanism 105 is located between the two lower conveyor belts 104 and is used to drive a plurality of stacked empty trays to move up and down so that each tray is placed downward on the lower conveyor belt 104.

[0058] The following is a detailed explanation of the working process of the lifting feeding module 1:

[0059] ① The workshop worker or loading equipment stacks the fully loaded trays on top of the feed linear drive mechanism 102;

[0060] ② The lateral clamping mechanism 103 is activated to fix the second tray (sorted from bottom to top) from the side to prevent the second tray and the trays above from pressing down on the bottom tray;

[0061] ③ The feed linear drive mechanism 102 is started, driving the bottommost tray to move downward so as to place the bottommost tray on the sliding support 1011;

[0062] ④ The upper conveyor belt 1012 drives the sliding support 1011 to slide horizontally, thereby sending the bottommost tray horizontally to the top of the closing tray linear drive mechanism 105. The closing tray linear drive mechanism 105 slightly lifts the tray upward, so that the tray is separated from the sliding support 1011; then, the transfer robot 3 can pick up the workpiece from the sent tray and place the picked up workpiece into the corresponding carrier assembly 202;

[0063] ⑤ After all the workpieces in the tray are taken out, the upper conveyor belt 1012 drives the sliding support 1011 to return to the feeding linear drive mechanism 102. Simultaneously, the closing linear drive mechanism 105 moves downward, so that the top tray is slightly lower than the sliding support 1011, so that the sliding support 1011 can move the next fully loaded tray to the top of the closing linear drive mechanism 105.

[0064] ⑥ When the number of trays stacked above the closing linear drive mechanism 105 is sufficient, the closing linear drive mechanism 105 continues to move downward, placing the entire stack of trays on the lower conveyor belt 104, and the lower conveyor belt 104 sends out all the empty trays at once.

[0065] Optionally, there are two lifting feed modules 1. The two lifting feed modules 1 feed the transfer robot 3 synchronously, further improving the workpiece feeding efficiency. Furthermore, the transfer robot 3 is located between the two lifting feed modules 1, which helps minimize the material retrieving stroke of the transfer robot 3 and maximize the material retrieving speed.

[0066] In this embodiment, the runway-shaped track 201 includes a first straight track 2011 arranged close to the transfer robot 3, a second straight track 2012 located on the side of the first straight track 2011 away from the transfer robot 3 and parallel to the first straight track 2011, a first semicircular track 2013 connecting one end of the two straight tracks, and a second semicircular track 2014 connecting the other end of the two straight tracks.

[0067] The straight design of the first straight track 2011 and the second straight track 2012 is to improve the smoothness of the movement of the carrier assembly 202 on the runway-shaped track 201 and reduce the risk of the carrier assembly 202 being stuck due to the reversal of movement.

[0068] Furthermore, the straight design of the first straight track 2011 and the second straight track 2012 is also conducive to keeping the carrier assembly 202 located on the first straight track 2011 and the second straight track 2012 in a horizontal and vertical state, so that the transfer robot 3 and downstream assembly equipment can accurately pick up and place materials.

[0069] The carrier assembly 202 includes a carrier base 2021 that moves along the runway-shaped track 201 , and a carrier body 2022 that is detachably mounted on the carrier base 2021 ; wherein the carrier body 2022 is provided with a plurality of placement slots for placing workpieces.

[0070] Optionally, a plurality of rollers 2023 are mounted on the carrier base 2021 and are in rolling connection with the runway-shaped track 201 , so as to reduce the friction resistance between the carrier base 2021 and the runway-shaped track 201 and improve the smoothness of the movement of the carrier assembly 202 .

[0071] Optionally, the carrier assembly 202 further includes a positioning wheel 2024, a lifting plate 2025, and a plate linear drive mechanism 2026. The positioning wheel 2024 is mounted on the side of the carrier base 2021; the lifting plate 2025 is fixed relative to the runway-shaped track 201, and a slot is provided on the top of the lifting plate 2025 that matches the positioning wheel 2024; the driving end of the plate linear drive mechanism 2026 is connected to the lifting plate 2025, and is used to drive the lifting plate 2025 to move up and down so that the positioning wheel 2024 is engaged with the slot.

[0072] When the power unit 203 drives each carrier assembly 202 to move to the appropriate position, the card plate linear drive mechanism 2026 drives the lifting card plate 2025 to move upward, so that the positioning wheel 2024 is locked into the slot, thereby achieving reliable positioning of the carrier assembly 202, so that the transfer robot 3 and downstream assembly equipment can pick up and place workpieces.

[0073] The power unit 203 includes a chain 2031 and a rotation drive mechanism 2032 for driving the chain 2031 to rotate, wherein each carrier assembly 202 is connected to the chain 2031. When the rotation drive mechanism 2032 drives the chain 2031 to rotate, it can drive each carrier assembly 202 to rotate synchronously.

[0074] In summary, the dual-station feeding device provided in this embodiment has at least the following advantages:

[0075] ① Improve feeding efficiency: By adopting the lifting feeding module 1 and the circulating feeding module 2, continuous feeding of workpieces is achieved, which reduces the pause time caused by waiting for assembly equipment, thereby significantly improving the feeding efficiency of workpieces.

[0076] ②Dual-station design: Two lifting feeding modules 1 can feed materials synchronously, further improving the throughput of the feeding system and adapting to high production capacity requirements.

[0077] ③ Accurate material handling: The straight design of the runway-type track 201 ensures the stability of the carrier assembly 202 during movement, enabling the transfer robot 3 and downstream assembly equipment to perform accurate material handling operations.

[0078] ④High degree of automation: The entire feeding process is highly automated, which reduces manual operation, reduces labor intensity, and improves the automation level of the production line.

[0079] ⑤ Flexibility and adaptability: The design of the carrier assembly 202 allows for the placement of workpieces of different shapes and sizes, so that the feeding device can adapt to the production needs of a variety of workpieces.

[0080] Through the above advantages, the dual-station feeding device provided in this embodiment can not only improve production efficiency, but also reduce production costs and improve product quality. It is an efficient and reliable feeding solution suitable for automated production lines.

[0081] It should be noted that the linear drive mechanism mentioned in the present invention may be a pneumatic cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, an electric cylinder, or a motor-screw linear module, and the rotary drive mechanism mentioned in the present invention may be a brushed motor, a brushless motor, or a rotary cylinder. The present invention does not limit the specific structural forms of the linear drive mechanism and the rotary drive mechanism.

[0082] Finally, it should be noted that although the above embodiments have been described in the specification and drawings of this application, this does not limit the scope of patent protection of this application. All technical solutions generated by replacing or modifying equivalent structures or equivalent processes based on the essential concepts of this application using the contents recorded in the specification and drawings of this application, as well as directly or indirectly implementing the technical solutions of the above embodiments in other related technical fields, are included in the scope of patent protection of this application.

Claims

1. A double-station feeding device, characterized in that: include: A lifting feeding module, which is used to provide trays loaded with workpieces and recover empty trays; A circulating feeding module, the circulating feeding module comprising a racetrack, at least two carrier assemblies for placing the workpieces, and a power unit for driving each of the carrier assemblies to move along the racetrack; A transfer robot is used to transfer the workpieces in the tray to the carrier assembly.

2. The double-station feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The runway-shaped track includes a first straight track arranged close to the transfer robot, a second straight track located on the side of the first straight track away from the transfer robot and parallel to the first straight track, a first semicircular track connecting one end of the two straight tracks, and a second semicircular track connecting the other end of the two straight tracks.

3. The double-station feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting feeding module comprises: Two parallel transverse movement mechanisms; A feed linear drive mechanism, located between the two transverse movement mechanisms, for driving a plurality of stacked fully loaded trays to move up and down; The lateral clamping mechanism is located on the outside of the transverse movement mechanism and is used to clamp and fix the second material tray from bottom to top from the side so that the feed linear drive mechanism can place the bottommost material tray on the transverse movement mechanism.

4. The double-station feeding device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lifting feeding module also includes: Two parallel lower conveyor belts; The closing tray linear drive mechanism is located between the two lower conveyor belts and is used to drive several stacked empty trays to move up and down so that each tray is placed downward on the lower conveyor belt.

5. The double-station feeding device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The transverse movement mechanism includes a sliding support member and an upper conveyor belt driving the sliding support member to slide back and forth in a horizontal direction.

6. The double-station feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The carrier assembly includes a carrier base that moves along the runway-shaped track, and a carrier body that is detachably mounted on the carrier base; Wherein, the carrier body is provided with a plurality of placement slots for placing workpieces.

7. The double-station feeding device according to claim 6, characterized in that: A plurality of rollers which are in rolling connection with the runway-shaped track are installed on the carrier base.

8. The double-station feeding device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The carrier assembly further includes: A positioning wheel, the positioning wheel being installed on the side of the carrier base; A lifting card plate, the lifting card plate is fixedly arranged relative to the runway-shaped track, and a card slot matching the positioning wheel is provided on the top of the lifting card plate; A card plate linear drive mechanism, wherein a driving end of the card plate linear drive mechanism is connected to the lifting card plate, and is used to drive the lifting card plate to move up and down so that the positioning wheel is clamped into the clamping slot.

9. The double-station feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power unit includes a chain and a rotation drive mechanism for driving the chain to rotate; Wherein, each of the carrier components is connected to the chain.

10. The double-station feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are two lifting feeding modules, and the transfer robot is located between the two lifting feeding modules.

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