Plastic shell assembling and feeding mechanism for electronic components

Abstract

The utility model discloses a plastic shell assembling and feeding mechanism for electronic components, which belongs to the technical field of plastic product processing and comprises a conveying belt and a vertical material bin arranged on the side face of the feeding end of the conveying belt. A material bin pushing device used for pushing plastic shells in the vertical material bin to the conveying belt is arranged on the side, away from the conveying belt, of the vertical material bin, the vertical material bin comprises a support used for limiting the feeding position, and the support comprises a profiling support used for limiting the shape of placed materials. The end face contour of the profiling support is matched with the outer contour of the plastic shell. A first sensor used for monitoring whether plastic shells exist on the conveying belt or not is arranged on the side face of the discharging end of the conveying belt, and the first sensor is connected with the material bin pushing device through a PLC. According to the utility model, the technical problems of inaccurate material positioning, mixed loading of left and right mirror image shells and discontinuous feeding caused by a manual feeding mode on a circuit breaker shell assembly production line are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of plastic product processing technology, and in particular relates to a plastic housing assembly and feeding mechanism for electronic components. Background Technology

[0002] Circuit breakers are indispensable and crucial equipment in power systems. They are devices that automatically disconnect circuits in case of abnormal conditions, such as overload or short circuit, thereby protecting wires and electrical equipment from damage. The circuit breaker housing is one of the key components of the entire circuit breaker and is typically made of engineering plastics with excellent insulation properties. The circuit breaker housing is a mirror-like product and requires the installation of clips and magnetic blocks after injection molding.

[0003] Currently, on automated assembly lines for circuit breaker housings, operators need to manually place the unassembled housings onto a conveyor belt for transfer and assembly before assembly. This manual placement method is currently the main technical means to solve the material feeding problem.

[0004] However, this manual delivery method has the following technical problems:

[0005] 1. Material positioning accuracy problem: When materials are manually placed onto the conveyor belt, the accuracy of placement cannot be guaranteed, which often causes the assembly equipment to jam.

[0006] II. Material identification problem: Since the shell is a mirror image and is a product made by injection molding, there is a possibility of material mixing during the assembly process. The fastening equipment cannot identify the differences in the shell, resulting in mixed products after assembly.

[0007] 3. Material supply continuity issues: Due to the limited assembly line cycle time, operators need to assign a dedicated person to deliver materials according to the cycle time, resulting in discontinuous process connections.

[0008] In response, this utility model provides a plastic housing feeding mechanism that includes a dual-hopper design and an automatic pushing mechanism. Utility Model Content

[0009] The purpose of this utility model is to provide a plastic housing assembly and feeding mechanism for electronic components, so as to solve the technical problems mentioned in the background art, such as inaccurate material positioning, mixed left and right mirror housings, and discontinuous material supply caused by manual feeding in the circuit breaker housing assembly production line.

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:

[0011] A feeding mechanism for assembling plastic housings of electronic components includes a conveyor belt and further includes:

[0012] A vertical material bin is arranged on the side of the feeding end of the conveyor belt.

[0013] On the side of the vertical material bin far from the conveyor belt, there is a material bin pushing device for pushing the plastic shells in the vertical material bin onto the conveyor belt. Among them,

[0014] The vertical material bin includes a bracket for defining the feeding position. The bracket includes a profiling bracket for defining the shape of the placed material. The end face contour of the profiling bracket coincides with the outer contour of the plastic shell. On the side of the discharging end of the conveyor belt, there is a first sensor for monitoring whether there is a plastic shell on the conveyor belt. The first sensor is connected to the material bin pushing device through a PLC.

[0015] Preferably, the top of the vertical material bin is the feeding port, and the bottom is the discharging port.

[0016] Preferably, the discharging port of the vertical material bin is provided with an opening for the plastic shell to be pushed out. The height of the opening is h, and the thickness of the plastic shell is H, where H < h < 2H. Ensure that the opening height is appropriate, which can not only allow a single plastic shell to pass smoothly but also prevent multiple shells from passing through simultaneously, ensuring single-piece transportation.

[0017] Preferably, n columns of partition plates for dividing the vertical material bin are arranged in the vertical material bin, dividing the vertical material bin into n + 1 compartments. One profiling bracket is arranged in each compartment, and n is a natural number greater than 0.

[0018] Preferably, n = 1; the two compartments store plastic shells that are left and right mirror images of each other to prevent material mixing.

[0019] Preferably, the vertical material bin is connected to a telescopic cylinder. A slide rail for realizing the translational sliding of the vertical material bin is arranged at the bottom of the vertical material bin. The discharging port is provided with a second sensor for monitoring the distance of the shell at the discharging port. The second sensor is connected to the telescopic cylinder through a PLC; it is used to realize the automatic control of switching the material bin.

[0020] Preferably, it further includes a material transfer plate for receiving the plastic shells pushed out from the discharging port of the vertical material bin and a transfer pushing device for pushing the plastic shells on the material transfer plate onto the conveyor belt. The material transfer plate serves as a temporary stagnation area for the material, avoiding the problem of inaccurate positioning that may occur when directly pushing onto the moving conveyor belt.

[0021] Preferably, the material transfer plate is arranged above the feeding end of the conveyor belt on one side of the discharging port of the vertical material bin. The horizontal position of the material transfer plate is aligned with the pushing position of the material bin pushing device; ensure that the material can be accurately positioned and smoothly transferred.

[0022] Preferably, the first sensor is also connected to the transfer and pushing device via a PLC to ensure that the transfer and pushing device and the material silo pushing device can move in a coordinated manner.

[0023] Preferably, the first and second sensors are of model OMRON E3ZG-D61.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0025] This invention provides a feeding mechanism for assembling plastic housings of electronic components, effectively solving the technical problems of inaccurate material positioning, mixed loading of left and right mirror-shaped housings, and discontinuous feeding caused by manual feeding on circuit breaker housing assembly lines. This invention utilizes a structural design with partitions in the vertical material bin to form multiple compartments, allowing operators to concentrate time to batch-load housings to fixed workstations, thus solving the problem of wasted time caused by continuous manual feeding. By setting a contour-following structure on the support that matches the outer contour of the plastic housing, the problem of mixed loading of left and right mirror-shaped housings can be effectively prevented. By setting an opening at a specific height at the discharge port (h value between the housing thickness H and 2H), it ensures that only one housing can pass through at a time, avoiding overlapping pushing. Through the cooperation of the material bin pushing device and the transfer pushing device, precise positioning and stable conveying of materials are achieved, solving the problem of equipment jamming caused by inaccurate positioning during manual feeding. Through the cooperation of photoelectric sensors and a PLC control system, automation and continuity of material supply are achieved.

[0026] This invention, through the combination of mechanical structure design and automated control, not only achieves semi-automatic feeding in the assembly process of circuit breaker plastic housings, improving production efficiency, but also significantly improves product quality, reduces labor costs and error rates, and enhances the stability and reliability of the production line through precise mechanical positioning and error-proof design. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a top view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 3 This is a top view of the vertical material silo in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] In the diagram: 1. Conveyor belt; 2. Vertical material bin; 3. Material bin pushing device; 4. Slide rail; 5. Contouring bracket; 6. Divider plate; 7. Material transfer plate. Detailed Implementation

[0031] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present utility model. Based on the embodiments in the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0032] As Figures 1-3 shown:

[0033] A plastic housing assembly feeding mechanism for electronic components,

[0034] including a conveyor belt 1, which is a part of the assembly production line and is used to transport plastic housings to subsequent assembly stations to achieve continuous material flow and assembly;

[0035] It further includes a vertical material bin 2 arranged on the side of the feeding end of the conveyor belt 1. The vertical material bin 2 includes a bracket for defining the feeding position. The bracket includes a profiling bracket 5 for defining the shape of the placed material, and the end face contour of the profiling bracket 5 coincides with the outer contour of the plastic housing. The top of the vertical material bin 2 is the feeding port, and the bottom is the discharging port; in the vertical material bin 2, there are n rows of partition plates 6 for dividing the vertical material bin 2, dividing the vertical material bin 2 into n + 1 compartments, and there is 1 profiling bracket 5 in each compartment, where n is a natural number greater than 0; in this embodiment, since the circuit breaker housing is a mirror-image product, so n = 1, and there are 2 compartments in total, storing left and right mirror-image plastic housings respectively to prevent material mixing. The discharging port of the vertical material bin 2 is provided with an opening for pushing out the plastic housing. The height of the opening is h, and the thickness of the plastic housing is H, where H < h < 2H; ensuring that the opening height is appropriate, which can not only allow a single plastic housing to pass smoothly but also prevent multiple housings from passing simultaneously to ensure single-piece transportation. The vertical material bin 2 is connected to a telescopic cylinder, and a slide rail 4 for realizing the translational sliding of the vertical material bin 2 is arranged at the bottom of the vertical material bin 2; a second sensor for monitoring the distance of the housing at the discharging port is arranged at the discharging port; the second sensor is connected to the telescopic cylinder through a PLC. When the second sensor detects a change in the current distance of the housing at the discharging port, the second sensor sends a signal to the telescopic cylinder through the PLC to adjust the position of the vertical material bin 2.

[0036] It also includes a material hopper pushing device 3 located on the side of the vertical material hopper 2 away from the conveyor belt 1, for pushing the plastic shells inside the vertical material hopper 2 onto the conveyor belt. A material transfer plate 7 is positioned on the discharge side of the vertical material hopper 2, above the feed end of the conveyor belt 1, and the horizontal position of the material transfer plate 7 is aligned with the discharge position of the material hopper pushing device 3. The first sensor is also connected to the transfer pushing device via a PLC. A first sensor is installed on the side of the discharge end of the conveyor belt to monitor whether there are plastic shells on the conveyor belt; this first sensor is connected to the material hopper pushing device 3 via a PLC.

[0037] Sensor 1 detects in real time whether there is a plastic shell on the conveyor belt. If there is, no signal is sent. Otherwise, the material hopper pushing device 3 is driven by PCL to push the plastic shell out of the vertical material hopper 2 along the opening at the bottom of the hopper and drop it onto the conveyor belt 1.

[0038] After the plastic shell of one compartment in vertical material bin 2 has been pushed out, sensor number two detects the change in the position of the plastic shell and transmits this signal to the PLC control system. The PLC then sends an action command to the telescopic cylinder, controlling vertical material bin 2 to move horizontally along slide rail 4, aligning the other compartment of vertical material bin 2 with the material bin pushing device 3. During the switching process, the sensor continuously monitors the material status. If it detects that both bins are empty, the PLC will issue a stop signal, pausing the subsequent pushing action until the bins are refilled. This automatic switching mechanism, through the cooperation of PLC, photoelectric sensors, and telescopic cylinders, achieves automatic switching of material bins, avoiding manual intervention, improving production efficiency, and ensuring the continuity and stability of the production process.

[0039] In the above technical solution, materials are directly pushed from the vertical material bin 2 onto the moving conveyor belt 1. However, in actual use, the location of the falling material may be uncertain, affecting the accuracy of subsequent assembly processes. To address this, a material transfer plate 7 can be installed above the feed end of the conveyor belt 1 as a temporary stopping area to improve working accuracy.

[0040] That is, it also includes a material transfer plate 7 for receiving the plastic shells pushed out from the discharge port of the vertical material bin 2, and a transfer pushing device for pushing the plastic shells on the material transfer plate 7 onto the conveyor belt 1; the material transfer plate 7 serves as a temporary stagnant area for the material, avoiding the positioning inaccuracy problem that may be caused by directly pushing it onto the moving conveyor belt 1. The material transfer plate 7 is set on the side of the discharge port of the vertical material bin 2, above the feed end of the conveyor belt 1, and the horizontal position of the material transfer plate 7 is aligned with the push position of the material bin pushing device 3; ensuring that the material can be accurately positioned and smoothly transferred. The first sensor is also connected to the transfer pushing device via a PLC.

[0041] By setting a material transfer plate 7 above the feed end of conveyor belt 1 as a temporary stopping area, the material can be positioned while stationary before being precisely pushed onto conveyor belt 1 by the transfer and pushing device. The alignment design of the material transfer plate 7 with the material hopper pushing device 3 allows them to move synchronously. This linkage mechanism ensures that the material conveying path remains accurately aligned when switching between different hoppers. Through the cooperation of telescopic cylinders, pushing components, and proximity switches, the entire pushing process can be precisely controlled and automated, greatly improving the accuracy and stability of material feeding and effectively solving the problem of inaccurate positioning during manual feeding, which causes equipment jamming.

[0042] In this embodiment, the material silo pushing device 3 and the transfer pushing device each include a material pushing plate and a telescopic cylinder. A first sensor is connected to the telescopic cylinders of both pushing devices via a PLC to control their operation. The operating rhythm of both the material silo pushing device 3 and the transfer pushing device is implemented by programming in the PLC. The first and second sensors are OMRON E3ZG-D61 models.

[0043] Working principle:

[0044] Feeding Stage: With the power to the feeding mechanism off, in the initial stage of this process, the operator feeds the plastic shells into the designated shape through the feed inlet at the top of the vertical material bin (2). The vertical material bin (2) contains a row of partitions (6) that divide it into two compartments for storing left and right mirror-image plastic shells. This design ensures that different types of shells are placed in an orderly manner and avoids confusion.

[0045] Shell detection and pushing stage: Each compartment has an opening at the bottom discharge port, and the opening height h is just enough to ensure that a single shell can pass through smoothly, while avoiding the release of multiple shells at the same time.

[0046] The material pusher (3) is located on one side of the vertical material bin. If sensor 1 does not detect a plastic shell on conveyor belt 1, the telescopic cylinder of the pusher (3) is triggered by the PLC system. The telescopic cylinder pushes the material pusher plate, moving the shell from the discharge port toward the material transfer plate (7). The material transfer plate (7) is located above the feed end of conveyor belt (1), providing a temporary stagnation area to ensure accurate positioning of each shell. The transfer plate function is achieved through alignment with the pusher (3).

[0047] Once the plastic housing is on the material transfer plate, the telescopic cylinder of the transfer pushing device is activated. After the PLC confirms the accuracy based on sensor number one, it executes the action to precisely push the housing from the stationary transfer plate to the moving conveyor belt (1). This design effectively prevents slippage and positioning misalignment that may occur due to direct placement on the moving conveyor belt, thereby ensuring the accuracy of subsequent assembly steps.

[0048] As materials are consumed, when the plastic shell of a compartment is fully pushed, the path sensor detects a change in the position of the discharge port. Sensor 2 captures this change and sends a signal to the PLC. After analysis, the logic control unit (PLC) commands the telescopic cylinder connected to the vertical material bin (2) to activate, thereby realizing the lateral switching of each compartment in the material bin along the slide rail (4) to ensure that the next compartment is aligned with the pushing device (3).

[0049] During continuous operation and pauses between compartments, sensors continuously monitor the discharge port position. If both compartments are found to be empty, the PLC system sends a stop signal to halt all pushing actions until a notification for material replenishment is received. This pause avoids delays to other parts of the production line caused by material shortages.

[0050] Finally, the entire process is completed when all the plastic casings from the various compartments are propelled onto the conveyor belt and smoothly transported to the downstream assembly station via this automated system. Through precise sensing and control coordination, efficient, continuous, and accurate material handling is achieved, significantly improving production efficiency and ensuring the accuracy and continuity of subsequent assembly operations.

[0051] Feeding Phase: Initially, the power to the feeding mechanism is turned off, and the operator places the plastic casing into the inlet of the vertical material bin 2. Based on the left-right mirror design of the circuit breaker casing, the material bin is divided into two compartments, separated by two partitions 6. This prevents casings of the same or different shapes from being mixed together. Each compartment has a dedicated contour-following bracket 5 to ensure that each casing is correctly positioned, with its end face matching the outer contour of the casing, providing precise positioning and making the feeding operation both fast and accurate.

[0052] The stage of pushing the shell onto conveyor belt 1: The material hopper pushing device 3, located on one side of the vertical material hopper 2, is driven by a telescopic cylinder. Sensor 1 determines whether there is a plastic shell on conveyor belt 1 by real-time detection. If there is, no signal is emitted; otherwise, the material hopper pushing device 3 is driven by the PCL to push the plastic shell out of the vertical material hopper 2 along the opening at the bottom of the hopper and drop it onto conveyor belt 1.

[0053] Shell transfer control and switching stage: After the plastic shell of one compartment of the vertical material bin 2 has been pushed out, sensor 2 detects the change in the position of the plastic shell and transmits this signal to the PLC control system. The PLC then sends an action command to the telescopic cylinder, controlling the vertical material bin 2 to move horizontally along the slide rail 4, aligning the other compartment of the vertical material bin 2 with the material bin pushing device 3. During the switching process, the sensor continuously monitors the material status. If it detects that there is no material in either compartment, the PLC will issue a stop signal, pausing the subsequent pushing action until the bin is refilled with material. Automatic control via PLC reduces human intervention and ensures production continuity and automation.

[0054] Transfer Zone Pushing Stage: Since directly pushing the plastic shells onto the moving conveyor belt 1 could cause positioning inaccuracies, a material transfer plate 7 is installed above the feed end of conveyor belt 1 as a temporary stopping area to improve accuracy. After the material bin pushing device 3 pushes the plastic shells out of the vertical material bin 2, the plastic shells fall directly onto the material transfer plate 7. The shells on the material transfer plate 7 are then pushed onto conveyor belt 1 by the transfer pushing device. With the cooperation of the material transfer plate 7, all pushed shells can accurately enter the conveyor belt 1 in the conveying state, ensuring no jamming or deviation. This process not only improves the accuracy of conveying but also solves the problem of equipment jamming caused by inaccurate positioning. This design effectively ensures efficient and high-quality production in subsequent assembly steps, further improving the efficiency and accuracy of the entire production line.

[0055] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A feeding mechanism for assembling plastic housings of electronic components, comprising a conveyor belt (1), characterized in that, Also includes: A vertical material bin (2) is set on the side of the feed end of the conveyor belt (1). A material hopper pushing device (3) is provided on the side of the vertical material hopper (2) away from the conveyor belt (1) for pushing the plastic shell inside the vertical material hopper (2) onto the conveyor belt, wherein, The vertical material bin (2) includes a support for defining the feeding position, the support includes a contouring support (5) for defining the shape of the material to be placed, the end face contour of the contouring support (5) matches the outer contour of the plastic shell; the side of the discharge end of the conveyor belt is provided with a first sensor for monitoring whether there is a plastic shell on the conveyor belt, the first sensor is connected to the material bin pushing device (3) through a PLC.

2. The electronic component plastic housing assembly and feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the vertical material bin (2) is the inlet, and the bottom is the outlet.

3. The electronic component plastic housing assembly and feeding mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The vertical material bin (2) has an outlet for ejecting a plastic shell, the height of which is h, and the thickness of the plastic shell is H. <h<2H。 4. The electronic component plastic housing assembly and feeding mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, Inside the vertical material storage (2), there are n columns of partition plates (6) for dividing the vertical material storage (2), dividing the vertical material storage (2) into n+1 compartments. Each compartment is equipped with a contour support (5), where n is a natural number greater than 0.

5. The electronic component plastic housing assembly and feeding mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, n＝1。 6. The electronic component plastic housing assembly and feeding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The vertical material bin (2) is connected to a telescopic cylinder, and a slide rail (4) is provided at the bottom of the vertical material bin (2) to realize the horizontal sliding of the vertical material bin (2); a second sensor is provided at the discharge port to monitor the distance of the discharge port housing; the second sensor is connected to the telescopic cylinder through a PLC.

7. The electronic component plastic housing assembly and feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a material transfer plate (7) for receiving plastic shells pushed out of the discharge port of the vertical material bin (2) and a transfer pushing device for pushing the plastic shells on the material transfer plate (7) onto the conveyor belt (1).

8. The electronic component plastic housing assembly and feeding mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that, The material transfer plate (7) is located on the side of the discharge port of the vertical material bin (2) and above the feed end of the conveyor belt (1). The horizontal position of the material transfer plate (7) is aligned with the push-out position of the material bin pushing device (3).

9. The electronic component plastic housing assembly and feeding mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first sensor is also connected to a relay push device via a PLC.

10. The electronic component plastic housing assembly and feeding mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that, The model of the first and second sensors is OMRON E3ZG-D61.

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