Feeding equipment capable of automatically taking and placing trays

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of automation equipment, and discloses feeding equipment capable of automatically taking and placing material trays. The feeding equipment capable of automatically taking and placing the trays comprises a rack, a tray conveying line, a feeding mechanism, a Z-axis linear module and a tray recycling line. A working table is arranged on the rack; the tray conveying line is erected on the working table, and a moving frame is arranged on the tray conveying line; a tray discharging mechanism is arranged at one end of the tray conveying line; the feeding mechanism is erected above the tray conveying line; the Z-axis linear module is arranged at the end, away from the tray discharging mechanism, of the tray conveying line. A tray is mounted at the moving end of the Z-axis linear module; the charging tray recycling line is arranged on the working table and is positioned below the charging tray conveying line; the end, located below the tray discharging mechanism, of the tray recycling line is provided with a tray collecting mechanism. The feeding equipment capable of automatically taking and placing the trays is more compact in integrated structure and smaller in occupied area, connection and installation of other machining equipment are facilitated, and on the other hand, the feeding efficiency of the feeding equipment is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automation equipment technology, specifically to a feeding device that automatically picks up and places material trays. Background Technology

[0002] The application of automatic feeding equipment in production lines mainly manifests in improving production efficiency, reducing labor costs, reducing operational errors, improving safety, and increasing production flexibility. It is the most important part of realizing industrial automation production. At present, more and more factories are beginning to introduce automatic feeding equipment to achieve the goals of high-efficiency production and processing and saving labor costs.

[0003] However, existing automated feeding equipment is limited in function, typically consisting of a single transport module that moves materials back and forth, while the material trays still require manual handling for individual loading, unloading, or replacement. With increasing industrial automation, existing automated feeding equipment not only cannot meet the demands of high-efficiency production in terms of loading speed, but the manual handling of individual trays also reduces the overall product loading efficiency of the production line. While some automated feeding systems achieve automatic tray unloading and collection by installing a tray unloading device and a tray collection device at each end of the production line, this structure results in a very large footprint due to its length, making it difficult to integrate with other processing equipment and unsuitable for smaller processing environments.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an automatic material loading and unloading device to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] Based on the above, the purpose of this utility model is to provide an automatic material feeding device for picking up and placing material trays, so as to solve the problems of low material feeding efficiency caused by manual picking up, placing or replacing material trays in the prior art, and the problems of excessively long production lines in existing automatic feeding devices, resulting in large area occupation and poor adaptability.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] This utility model provides an automatic tray loading device comprising: a frame with a worktable on the frame; a tray conveyor line mounted on the worktable, with a movable frame for transporting trays on the conveyor line; a tray unloading mechanism at one end of the conveyor line for lowering a fully loaded tray onto the conveyor line; and a loading mechanism mounted above the conveyor line for transporting materials from the trays on the conveyor line.

[0008] A Z-axis linear module is installed at the end of the material tray conveyor line away from the material tray unloading mechanism, with its bottom extending into the frame; a tray is installed at the moving end of the Z-axis linear module.

[0009] A tray recycling line is provided on the workbench and located below the tray conveyor line; a tray collection mechanism for stacking empty trays is installed at one end of the tray recycling line located below the tray unloading mechanism.

[0010] The Z-axis linear module drives the tray to move up and down to lower the empty tray on the tray conveyor line to the tray recycling line.

[0011] As an optional technical solution for an automatic material tray loading device, the material tray unloading mechanism includes a Z-axis cylinder installed on both sides of the material tray conveyor line and a Y-axis cylinder installed at the output end of the Z-axis cylinder. The output end of the Y-axis cylinder is equipped with a limiting block for supporting the material tray.

[0012] As an optional technical solution for an automatic material loading device, the loading mechanism includes a multi-axis manipulator mounted on the worktable, and the free end of the manipulator is equipped with at least one suction nozzle or gripper.

[0013] As an optional technical solution for an automatic material loading device, the Z-axis linear module includes a longitudinal base plate, a longitudinal slide plate, a drive block, a lead screw, and a Z-axis drive motor; a top plate is connected between the top ends of the longitudinal base plate and the longitudinal slide plate, and the drive block is slidably mounted on the longitudinal slide plate; one end of the lead screw is rotatably connected to the top plate, and the other end is rotatably passed through the drive plate and connected to the output end of the Z-axis drive motor.

[0014] As an optional technical solution for an automatic material tray loading device, the material tray collection mechanism includes a lifting cylinder installed below the material tray recycling line, and a lifting plate is installed at the output end of the lifting cylinder; at least two upwardly rotating limiting members are installed on both sides of the material tray recycling line, and the limiting members are used to support the material tray.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0016] This utility model provides an automatic pallet loading device. Manually or via an external robotic arm, a number of pallets carrying materials are stacked on the limiting blocks in the pallet unloading mechanism. The unloading mechanism then lowers the lowest pallet from the limiting blocks one by one onto the moving frame of the pallet conveyor line. The moving frame transfers the material-laden pallets to below the loading mechanism. Once the loading mechanism has completely removed all the material from the pallets below, the Z-axis linear module drives the pallet to rise and pass through the moving frame to lift the empty pallet. At this point, the moving frame returns to continue transporting material-laden pallets. The empty pallets are then lowered to the pallet recycling line via the Z-axis linear module and conveyed to the other end of the pallet recycling line. The empty pallets are then lifted onto the limiting components for stacking and collection via the lifting cylinder and lifting plate in the pallet collection mechanism.

[0017] Therefore, with the tray conveyor line and tray recycling line arranged vertically, the empty trays on the tray conveyor line are transferred to the tray recycling line by the Z-axis linear module. This makes the integrated structure of the automatic tray loading equipment more compact and occupies less space, which is convenient for the connection and installation of other processing equipment. On the other hand, the automatic lowering and collection of trays by the tray unloading mechanism and tray collecting mechanism improves the loading efficiency of the automatic tray loading equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the automatic material loading device for picking up and placing material trays in this embodiment of the present utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the material tray conveyor line and the material tray unloading mechanism in the embodiments of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the Z-axis linear module in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the material tray recycling line and material tray collection mechanism in the embodiments of this utility model.

[0022] In the picture:

[0023] 1. Frame; 10. Worktable; 11. Material tray;

[0024] 2. Material tray conveyor line; 20. Moving frame; 21. Material tray unloading mechanism; 210. Z-axis cylinder; 211. Y-axis cylinder; 212. Limit block; 22. Pneumatic screw; 23. Guide plate;

[0025] 3. Feeding mechanism; 30. Multi-axis robot; 31. Suction nozzle;

[0026] 4. Z-axis linear module; 40. Tray; 41. Longitudinal base plate; 42. Longitudinal slide plate; 43. Drive block; 44. Lead screw; 45. Z-axis drive motor; 46. Top plate;

[0027] 5. Tray recovery line; 50. Tray collection mechanism; 501. Lifting cylinder; 502. Lifting plate; 503. Limiting component. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the present invention, not the entire structure.

[0029] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0030] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0031] In the description of this embodiment, terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of description and simplification of operation, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0032] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used merely for descriptive distinction and have no specific meaning.

[0033] like Figure 1-4 As shown, this utility model provides an automatic tray loading device, which includes: a frame 1 with a worktable 10 on it; a tray conveyor line 2 mounted on the worktable 10, with a movable frame 20 for transporting trays on the conveyor line 2; a tray unloading mechanism 21 at one end of the conveyor line 2 for lowering a fully loaded tray onto the conveyor line 2; and a loading mechanism 3 mounted above the conveyor line 2 for loading materials from the trays on the conveyor line 2. The Z-axis linear module 4 is installed at one end of the tray conveyor line 2 away from the tray unloading mechanism 21, and its bottom extends into the frame 1; a tray 40 is installed at the moving end of the Z-axis linear module 4; a tray recycling line 5 is located on the workbench 10 and below the tray conveyor line 2; a tray collection mechanism 50 for stacking empty trays is installed at one end of the tray recycling line 5 below the tray unloading mechanism 21; wherein, the Z-axis linear module 4 drives the tray 40 to move up and down to lower the empty trays on the tray conveyor line 2 to the tray recycling line 5.

[0034] The present invention provides an automatic pallet loading device. A number of pallets carrying materials are stacked on the limiting blocks 212 in the pallet unloading mechanism 21 by manual labor or an external robotic arm. The pallet unloading mechanism 21 then lowers the lowest pallet on the limiting blocks 212 one by one onto the moving frame 20 of the pallet conveyor line 2. The moving frame 20 then transfers the pallets carrying materials to the area below the loading mechanism 3. When the loading mechanism 3 has completely removed all the materials from the pallets below, the Z-axis linear module 4 drives the tray 40 to rise and pass through the moving frame 20 to lift the empty pallet. At this time, the moving frame 20 returns to continue transporting pallets carrying materials. The empty pallets are then lowered to the pallet recycling line 5 by the Z-axis linear module 4 and conveyed to the other end of the pallet recycling line 5. The empty pallets are then lifted onto the limiting member 503 for stacking and collection by the lifting cylinder 501 and lifting plate 502 in the pallet collection mechanism 50.

[0035] Therefore, with the tray conveyor line 2 and tray recycling line 5 arranged vertically, the empty trays on the tray conveyor line 2 are transferred to the tray recycling line 5 by the Z-axis linear module 4. This makes the integrated structure of the automatic tray loading equipment more compact and occupies less space, which is convenient for the connection and installation of other processing equipment. On the other hand, the automatic lowering and automatic collection of the trays by the tray unloading mechanism 21 and the tray collecting mechanism 50 improves the loading efficiency of the automatic tray loading equipment.

[0036] In this embodiment, as Figure 1As shown, the material tray conveyor 2 is mounted on the workbench 10 via two support columns installed on its two sides, making the material tray conveyor 2 more stable on the workbench 10. The material tray recycling line 5 is installed on the workbench 10 directly below the material tray conveyor 2. The material tray unloading mechanism 21 and the material tray collecting mechanism 50 are respectively installed at the same end of the material tray conveyor 2 and the material tray recycling line 5. The upper end of the Z-axis linear module 4 is connected to the other end of the material tray conveyor 2 away from the material tray unloading mechanism 21, and its bottom end extends into the interior of the frame 1. In this structure, the material tray fully loaded with material is fed through the material tray unloading mechanism 21. 1. Materials are conveyed one by one to the material tray conveyor line 2, and then transported to the material loading mechanism 3 for material handling. Empty material trays are then transported to the material tray recycling line 5 by the Z-axis linear module 4 via the tray 40. The material tray recycling line 5 then transports the material to the other end away from the Z-axis linear module 4, and finally collects it in layers by the material tray collection mechanism 50. This forms an automatic production line from material unloading to empty material tray collection. The two-layer configuration of this production line reduces the area occupied by the equipment, making it easier to connect and install other processing or production equipment, and increasing its adaptability.

[0037] Furthermore, the feeding mechanism 3 is preferably a multi-axis robot 30. When handling materials of different shapes or specifications according to the operation requirements, the free end of the multi-axis robot 30 is equipped with at least one suction nozzle 31 or gripper to pick up or grip the materials. It should be noted that the feeding mechanism 3 can also use a multi-level linear module mechanism to replace the multi-axis robot 30 for material handling. Guide plates 23 are respectively installed on the crossbeams on both sides of the tray recovery line 5. The top of the guide plate 23 extends to the inner side of the crossbeams on both sides of the tray conveying line 2, and its top end is inclined at 45 degrees (not shown in the figure). When the Z-axis linear module 4 drives the tray 40 carrying the empty tray to move down, the guide plate 23 can prevent the tray from shifting, so that the empty tray can move down to the tray recovery line 5 more accurately and stably.

[0038] Specifically, such as Figure 2As shown, the material tray unloading mechanism 21 includes a Z-axis cylinder 210 installed on both sides of the material tray conveyor line 2 and a Y-axis cylinder 211 installed at the output end of the Z-axis cylinder 210. The output end of the Y-axis cylinder 211 is equipped with a limiting block 212 for supporting the material tray. During operation, the material trays containing materials are first placed on the limiting block 212 by manual labor or an external robot. Then, the limiting block 212 is driven to move down by the Z-axis cylinder 210 to lower the bottom material tray onto the moving frame 20 on the material tray conveyor line 2. The Y-axis cylinder 211 drives the limiting blocks 212 on both sides of the material tray to separate from the material tray. Then, the Z-axis cylinder 210 drives the limiting blocks 212 to rise one material tray height. Driven by the Y-axis cylinder 211, the limiting blocks 212 on both sides of the material tray are inserted into the bottom of the second to last material tray. Finally, the Z-axis cylinder 210 drives the multiple material trays on the limiting blocks 212 to move up to a state of separation from the lowest material tray. The moving frame 20 transports the material tray to the bottom of the feeding mechanism 3, thus completing the unloading operation of the material tray.

[0039] Furthermore, slide rails are installed on the inner sides of the crossbeams on both sides of the material tray conveyor line 2, and sliders are provided on the slide rails. The moving frame 20 is connected to the sliders on both sides. A pneumatic screw 22 is also installed on the crossbeam at the bottom of one of the slide rails. The moving frame 20 is driven and connected to the pneumatic screw 22. That is to say, the moving frame 20 realizes the left and right movement on the material tray conveyor line 2 through the pneumatic screw 22, so as to realize the reciprocating transport of the material tray.

[0040] In this embodiment, as Figure 3 As shown, the Z-axis linear module 4 includes a longitudinal base plate 41 mounted on a longitudinal beam at one end of the material tray conveyor line 2. A top plate 46 is connected to the top of the longitudinal base plate 41. A longitudinal slide plate 42 parallel to the longitudinal base plate 41 is mounted through the top plate 46. Two drive blocks 43 are slidably mounted on the longitudinal slide plate 42 at intervals. One end of the tray 40 is horizontally connected to one of the drive blocks 43. A Z-axis drive motor 45 is mounted at the bottom of the longitudinal base plate 41. A lead screw 44 is connected to the output end of the Z-axis drive motor 45. The other end of the lead screw 44 away from the Z-axis drive motor 45 is sequentially connected to the lead screw 44. Two drive plates are rotatably inserted and rotatably connected to the top plate 46. It should be noted that the structure of the moving frame 20 and the structure of the tray 40 are mutually staggered fork-shaped structures, which allows the material tray on the moving frame 20 to be transferred to the tray 40 more effectively. In other words, the Z-axis linear module 4 can drive the tray 40 to pass through the moving frame 20 and lift the material tray on the moving frame 20. When the moving frame 20 moves back to transport the next material tray, it provides clearance for the material tray to move down, so that the Z-axis linear module 4 can move the material tray down to the material tray recycling line 5.

[0041] In this embodiment, as Figure 4As shown, the material tray recycling line 5 is preferably a drive mechanism driven by a motor-driven conveyor belt. The material tray collection mechanism 50 includes a lifting cylinder 501 installed below the material tray conveyor line 2. A horizontal lifting plate 502 is installed at the output end of the lifting cylinder 501, and the width of the lifting plate 502 is smaller than the width between the two conveyor belts on both sides of the material tray recycling line 5. The lifting plate 502 can shuttle between the two conveyor belts by the extension and retraction of the lifting cylinder 501. Two upwardly rotating limiting members 503 are respectively installed on the crossbeams on both sides of the material tray recycling line 5. In this structure, when the material tray recycling line 5 transports the empty material tray to the top of the lifting plate 502, the lifting cylinder 501 drives the lifting plate 502 to move upward and abut against the material tray, pushing the material tray into the four limiting members 503 for stacked collection, thereby completing the automatic collection operation of the empty material tray.

[0042] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model in any way. Although the present utility model has been disclosed above with reference to a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any person skilled in the art can make some changes or modifications to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the present utility model. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the present utility model without departing from the scope of the present utility model shall fall within the scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An automatic material loading and unloading apparatus for loading and unloading a material tray, characterized by comprising: include: A frame, on which a worktable is provided; A material tray conveyor line is installed on the workbench. The material tray conveyor line is equipped with a movable frame for transporting material trays. One end of the material tray conveyor line is equipped with a material tray unloading mechanism for lowering a fully loaded material tray onto the material tray conveyor line. The feeding mechanism is mounted above the material tray conveyor line and is used to transport materials in the material trays on the material tray conveyor line. A Z-axis linear module is installed at the end of the material tray conveyor line away from the material tray unloading mechanism, with its bottom extending into the frame; a tray is installed at the moving end of the Z-axis linear module. A tray recycling line is provided on the workbench and located below the tray conveyor line; a tray collection mechanism for stacking empty trays is installed at one end of the tray recycling line located below the tray unloading mechanism. The Z-axis linear module drives the tray to move up and down to lower the empty tray on the tray conveyor line to the tray recycling line.

2. The automatic loading equipment of the taking and placing tray according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material tray unloading mechanism includes a Z-axis cylinder installed on both sides of the material tray conveyor line and a Y-axis cylinder installed at the output end of the Z-axis cylinder. The output end of the Y-axis cylinder is equipped with a limiting block for supporting the material tray.

3. The loading apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The feeding mechanism includes a multi-axis robot arm mounted on the worktable, and at least one suction nozzle or gripper is mounted on the free end of the robot arm.

4. The loading apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The Z-axis linear module includes a longitudinal base plate, a longitudinal slide plate, a drive block, a lead screw, and a Z-axis drive motor; a top plate is connected between the top ends of the longitudinal base plate and the longitudinal slide plate, and the drive block is slidably mounted on the longitudinal slide plate; one end of the lead screw is rotatably connected to the top plate, and the other end is rotatably passed through the drive block and connected to the output end of the Z-axis drive motor.

5. The automatic loading equipment of the taking and placing tray according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material tray collection mechanism includes a lifting cylinder installed below the material tray recycling line, and a lifting plate is installed at the output end of the lifting cylinder; at least two upwardly rotating limiting members are installed on both sides of the material tray recycling line, and the limiting members are used to support the material tray.

Images