Workpiece attitude detection system and workpiece transfer system

Abstract

A workpiece attitude detection system includes a workpiece support portion defining a workpiece receiving side for receiving a workpiece, a gas supply aperture disposed in the workpiece support portion for supplying a blow gas toward the workpiece receiving side of the workpiece support portion, and a gas gap sensor fluidly connected to the gas supply aperture for indicating a spacing between the gas supply aperture and the workpiece received at the workpiece receiving side of the workpiece support portion so as to reflect a skew of the workpiece.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of workpiece posture detection and workpiece transfer, and relates to workpiece posture detection systems and workpiece transfer systems. Background Technology

[0002] On a factory production line, workpieces that have undergone one processing step may need to be transferred to the next. During this transfer, the workpieces may be temporarily stored in intermediate locations to facilitate receiving, picking, and moving them. However, the movement of equipment used on the production line is typically cyclical and predetermined. If a workpiece is not received in the appropriate posture to interact with the equipment used for picking and moving, the equipment may collide with the workpiece, resulting in undesirable downtime and maintenance costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, the purpose of this application is to provide a workpiece posture detection system and a workpiece transfer system that can reliably and / or efficiently detect the posture of a workpiece, avoid operating on workpieces with inappropriate postures, and avoid overburdening the production line.

[0004] According to this application, a workpiece posture detection system is provided, comprising: a workpiece support portion defining a workpiece receiving side for receiving a workpiece; a gas supply hole disposed in the workpiece support portion for supplying blown gas toward the workpiece receiving side of the workpiece support portion; and an air gap sensor fluidly connected to the gas supply hole for indicating the distance between the gas supply hole and the workpiece received at the workpiece receiving side of the workpiece support portion, so as to reflect the skewness of the workpiece. The use of the air gap sensor necessitates a change in the workpiece support portion by setting the gas supply hole, which is easily implemented. Before adding air gap detection, if the workpiece posture is inappropriate, it may adversely collide with approaching and / or acting equipment. After adding air gap detection, workpiece deviation can trigger an air gap detection alarm, preventing equipment actuation. When a large gap is detected, it can be assumed that the workpiece is not properly attached to the workpiece receiving side, i.e., reflecting an inappropriate posture, such as workpiece skewness in the machine direction and / or lateral direction, thereby allowing the controller or air gap sensor to generate a posture alarm signal. In some embodiments, the workpiece posture detection system further includes a controller having a communication connection between the controller and the air gap sensor for posture alarm based on the gap.

[0005] In some embodiments, the gas supply port includes an opening on the surface of the workpiece receiving side of the workpiece support, the opening being positioned at the edge of a region on the surface for planar contact with the workpiece. By positioning the opening at the edge relative to the planar contact region, enhanced sensitivity of the air gap sensor can be provided.

[0006] In some embodiments, the air gap sensor is also fluidly connected to a gas source. Detection by the air gap sensor is typically based on pressure and / or flow rate through the air gap sensor; the fluid connection between the gas source and the gas supply orifice can facilitate pressure compensation during measurement, improving the accuracy of the measurement results.

[0007] In some embodiments, the workpiece support includes a locating pin located on the workpiece receiving side for guiding the receiving of the workpiece. By providing a locating pin to guide the workpiece, initial posture deviations of the workpiece can be guided and reset, reducing the frequency of inappropriate postures.

[0008] In some embodiments, the workpiece support includes spaced-apart support beams and blocks located on the support beams, the blocks being used to house the gas supply holes and / or the locating pins. By incorporating the blocks, the configuration for workpiece positioning guidance and air gap detection can be modularized, thereby enhancing the system's versatility.

[0009] In some embodiments, the workpiece support is located downstream of the walking beam to receive the workpiece transferred via the walking beam. A walking beam is a device for material handling that achieves step-by-step transport through the periodic "rise-forward-fall-backward" movement of a moving beam. By incorporating and using this device into a system, the risks associated with workpiece posture deviations can be effectively managed, as workpieces are prone to vibration and slippage due to the periodic movement of the walking beam.

[0010] In some embodiments, the workpiece support forms part of the honing machine's outlet to receive the workpiece output from the honing machine. The honing machine can be used for surface finishing, and the workpiece output to the outlet can be picked up, lifted, and transferred, for example, by a gantry. Therefore, the system is at least partially integrated with equipment on the production line as needed.

[0011] According to this application, a workpiece transfer system is provided, comprising: a workpiece posture detection system according to this application; and a workpiece manipulator, the workpiece manipulator being operable to move toward and away from the workpiece support portion of the workpiece posture detection system in a first direction to pick up a workpiece, and to move toward and away from the workpiece support portion of the workpiece posture detection system in a second direction intersecting the first direction to move the workpiece. Given the continuity of the production line, the workpiece support portion can be part of upstream equipment, such as part of the discharge port of the honing machine described above, or it can be a separate structure. The workpiece manipulator can be a gantry or other type, the first direction can be vertical, and the second direction can be horizontal. When a posture alarm occurs, the workpiece manipulator's movement to pick up at least the workpiece will be restricted or blocked, i.e., no workpiece will be picked up, thereby achieving linkage between posture detection and workpiece transfer, reducing the possibility of collisions and the resulting downtime and maintenance costs. In some embodiments, the workpiece transfer system further includes a controller for a workpiece manipulator, with a communication connection between the controller and the workpiece manipulator for at least a motion limit for the workpiece manipulator to pick up a workpiece based on the posture alarm, wherein the controller of the workpiece manipulator is the same as or has another communication connection with the controller of the workpiece posture detection system.

[0012] In some embodiments, the workpiece manipulator includes a latching member for engaging the workpiece, the latching member being pivotable between a release configuration and a latching configuration. By pivotally latching the workpiece, the robustness of the workpiece manipulator can be improved because the pivoting movement can avoid the position of the workpiece for at least a portion of the path, further reducing the possibility of collision.

[0013] In some embodiments, the snap-fit ​​member is configured as an arcuate disk with hooks, which snaps onto the workpiece by pivoting the arcuate disk downwards. By providing a specific type of snap-fit ​​member, the design and manufacture of the structure can be simplified, and it helps to increase the interactive spacing between the workpiece manipulator and the workpiece, further reducing the possibility of collision.

[0014] This application proposes a method for detecting workpiece posture by adding an air gap sensor, which can efficiently and / or reliably mitigate or even avoid collisions between the equipment and the workpiece. The system described in this application will not cause excessive changes to the production line layout, nor will it excessively affect the production cycle time. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the influence of the workpiece's posture on production line equipment according to some embodiments of this application.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a workpiece posture detection system according to some embodiments of this application.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a top view schematic diagram of a workpiece support portion according to some embodiments of this application.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a workpiece transfer system according to some embodiments of this application.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of components of a workpiece manipulator according to some embodiments of this application.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the production line layout at the discharge port of a honing machine according to some embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments depicted and described herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. It will also be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein may be combined in any manner and / or in any combination to provide many other embodiments.

[0022] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this disclosure have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used in the foregoing description is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0023] Now for reference Figure 1 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of the effect of the orientation of a workpiece 1 according to some embodiments of this application on production line equipment (e.g., a pickup 5). The pickup 5 typically has limited degrees of freedom, while the workpiece 1 typically has orientation variability. Here, orientation variability can at least cover different tilts of the workpiece 1 along an axis belonging to the horizontal plane. For example, when the motion setup moves or operates the pickup 5 relative to a predetermined and periodic orientation toward or picks up a workpiece 1 that is not in the appropriate orientation with which it interacts, a collision is likely to occur between the two. Here, a collision can at least cover undesired contact between the pickup 5 and the workpiece 1, which may belong to the workpiece manipulator, but does not include contact during normal picking. When such an adverse situation occurs, especially when the workpiece 1 and the pickup 5 involve heavy structures, one or both of them may be damaged, resulting in the current workpiece 1 being scrapped or requiring reprocessing, the workpiece manipulator 40 incurring costs for replacement of spare parts, and also causing production line downtime. Such downtime may last for several hours, resulting in production losses in addition to spare parts costs.

[0024] This application proposes a workpiece posture detection system and a workpiece transfer system, which can be deployed at various types of sites involving workpiece receiving, picking and transferring, such as, but not limited to, the discharge port of a honing machine. The system can reliably and / or efficiently detect the posture of the workpiece, avoiding operation on workpieces with inappropriate postures without overburdening the workpiece handling process.

[0025] Now for reference Figure 2 The diagram illustrates a workpiece posture detection system 2 according to some embodiments of this application. The workpiece posture detection system 2 includes a workpiece support 20. The workpiece support 20 defines a workpiece receiving side 201 for receiving a workpiece 1. For example, the workpiece receiving side 201 may include at least a portion of the upper surface of the workpiece support 20. The workpiece posture detection system 2 includes a gas supply hole 21. The gas supply hole 21 is disposed in the workpiece support 20 for supplying gas toward the workpiece receiving side 201 of the workpiece support 20. Figure 2 An exemplary illustration shows gas being blown from a gas supply port 21. The workpiece posture detection system 2 includes an air gap sensor 22. The air gap sensor 22 is fluidly connected to the gas supply port 21 and is used to indicate the distance between the gas supply port 21 and the workpiece 1 received at the workpiece receiving side 201 of the workpiece support 20. In other words, the air gap sensor 22 can measure the air gap between the workpiece 1 and the gas supply port 21 by means of air passage. Advantageously, the range of this air gap can be as low as a few tenths of a millimeter, in contrast to the tens of millimeters of conventional proximity sensors. The workpiece posture detection system 2 may include a controller 25. A communication connection for distance-based posture alarm is provided between the controller 25 and the air gap sensor 22. Figure 2 As shown, the controller 25 and the air gap sensor 22 can be communicatively connected via I / O module 24; in embodiments not shown, the controller 25 and the air gap sensor 22 can be directly communicatively connected. The workpiece posture detection system 2 may also include a user interface 26, such as an operation panel and a display device, with a communication connection between the controller 25 and the user interface 26 for user interaction. The communication connection is indicated by dotted dashed lines. In other embodiments, the workpiece posture detection system 2 may also employ an external controller.

[0026] As used herein, a communication connection can be any form of communication channel. In some embodiments, a communication connection can involve a wired channel, such as a cable, fiber optic cable, network cable, etc. In some embodiments, a communication connection can involve a wireless channel, such as a wireless communication connection based on WLAN or Bluetooth technology. Furthermore, these communication connections can be direct communication connections or indirect communication connections via intermediate devices. It should be understood that the information interaction methods performed within different communication connections can be implemented as any information interaction method known in the prior art. The so-called information interaction methods can include, but are not limited to, the transmission, processing, etc., of different types of signals.

[0027] During operation, when the workpiece receiving side 201 of the workpiece support 20 receives a workpiece 1, the air gap sensor 22 can determine the gap between the gas supply hole 21 and the adjacent portion of the workpiece 1 above it. A threshold value for the gap can be predetermined, such as 0.7 mm or 0.72 mm, etc. When the threshold value is exceeded, an attitude alarm is generated by the air gap sensor 22 and / or the controller 25. Such an attitude alarm indicates an inappropriate attitude and can be used to command the actuation or restriction of production line equipment (e.g., pickup 5).

[0028] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the gas supply hole 21 includes an opening 211 located on the surface of the workpiece receiving side 201 of the workpiece support 20. The opening 211 is positioned at the edge of the area of ​​the surface for planar contact with the workpiece 1. Planar contact means that the surface area and the workpiece 1 will substantially conform to each other in shape over a certain extension range. The edge of the area means the peripheral portion relative to the central portion of the area.

[0029] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the air gap sensor 22 is also fluidly connected to a gas source 23. The gas source 23 may include a compressor or a gas tank, etc. A pneumatic triplet (e.g., a filter, pressure reducing valve, and lubricator assembly) may be provided between the air gap sensor 22 and the gas source 23.

[0030] In some embodiments, the gas supply port 21 is connected to the air gap sensor 22 via a conduit. The length of the conduit can be set as needed. Similarly, a conduit of adjustable length is also provided between the air gap sensor 22 and the gas source 23, with an optional pneumatic triplet connected in series in the conduit.

[0031] Now for reference Figure 3The diagram shows a top view of a workpiece support 20 according to some embodiments of this application, drawn with the workpiece receiving side 201 facing out of the drawing. In some embodiments, the workpiece support 20 includes a locating pin 202 (only one locating pin is labeled for clarity) located on the workpiece receiving side 201 for guiding the receiving of the workpiece 1. Accordingly, the side of the workpiece 1 facing the workpiece support 20 (e.g., the bottom) may be provided with a corresponding recess or hole. When the workpiece support 20 is receiving the workpiece 1, the interaction between the locating pin 202 and the workpiece 1 can facilitate the orientation alignment of the workpiece 1. However, a particular orientation of the workpiece 1 may still cause one or more locating pins 202 to not extend into the corresponding recess or hole, but instead contact the surrounding portion, resulting in the workpiece 1 being lifted. This, in turn, highlights the orientation of the workpiece 1, which is beneficial for the air gap sensor 22 to indicate the gap.

[0032] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the workpiece support 20 includes spaced-apart support beams 203 and blocks 204 located on the support beams 203 (only the two blocks are labeled with reference numerals for clarity). The blocks 204 are used to provide gas supply holes 21 and / or locating pins 202. More specifically, the workpiece support 20 includes two spaced-apart support beams 203, namely a first support beam and a second support beam, which extend parallel to each other. Each support beam 203 is provided with two blocks 204 spaced apart along the support beam 203, namely a first block and a second block. The first block 204 of the first support beam 203 may be provided with two locating pins 202, which are spaced apart transversely to the extension direction of the beam. The second block 204 of the first support beam 203 may be provided with a gas supply hole 21, which is located on the cantilever portion of the second block 204 between the beams, particularly at the edge of the block surface area for surface contact with the workpiece 1; the gas supply hole 21 may be a through hole vertically penetrating the second block 204 of the first support beam 203, thereby forming Figure 2 An alternative to the structure shown is that each block 204 of the second support beam 203 may be provided with a single locating pin 202.

[0033] In some embodiments, the workpiece support 20 is disposed downstream of the walking beam to receive the workpiece 1 transmitted via the walking beam. The walking beam can transmit the workpiece 1 from upstream to the workpiece receiving side 201 of the workpiece support 20, particularly to the block 204 of the support beam 203, in a direction parallel to the beam's extension direction. For example, the walking beam can be a device used by a honing machine to discharge the workpiece 1.

[0034] In some embodiments, the workpiece support 20 forms part of the honing machine's outlet to receive the workpiece 1 output from the honing machine. For example, the workpiece support 20 may form the workpiece support of the production line arrangement 6 at the honing machine's outlet as described below.

[0035] Now for reference Figure 4 This diagram illustrates a workpiece transfer system 4 according to some embodiments of this application. The workpiece posture detection system 2 described above can be integrated into the workpiece transfer system 4, for example, as a component therein. In other words, the workpiece transfer system 4 includes the workpiece posture detection system 2. Therefore, the workpiece support portion of the workpiece transfer system 4 includes one or more features described above for the workpiece support portion 20 of the workpiece posture detection system 2. The workpiece transfer system 4 includes a workpiece manipulator 40. The workpiece manipulator 40 can be driven by an electric motor. The workpiece manipulator 40 is operable to move toward and away from the workpiece support portion 20 in a first direction (e.g., vertical) to pick up the workpiece 1, thus also functioning as a picker 5. For example, when the workpiece support portion 20 receives the workpiece 1, the workpiece manipulator 40 can move from the top of the workpiece 1 toward the workpiece to a suitable position, engage the workpiece 1, and then lift the workpiece 1. The workpiece manipulator 40 is operable to move toward and away from the workpiece support portion 20 in a second direction (e.g., horizontal) intersecting (e.g., orthogonal) to the first direction to move the workpiece 1. For this purpose, the workpiece transfer system 4 may include a guide rail 41 for guiding the workpiece manipulator 40 to move in a second direction. For example, when the workpiece manipulator 40 is engaged with workpiece 1, the workpiece manipulator 40 can move workpiece 1 away from the workpiece support 20 to a subsequent processing area. The workpiece transfer system 4 may include a controller for the workpiece manipulator 40. A communication connection is provided between the controller of the workpiece manipulator 40 and the workpiece manipulator 40 for at least limiting the movement of the workpiece manipulator 40 in picking up workpiece 1 based on attitude alarm. The controller and the workpiece manipulator 40 may communicate via an I / O module (e.g., I / O module 24 or another I / O module) or directly. In other embodiments, the workpiece transfer system 4 may also employ an external controller. Figure 4 As shown, the controller of the workpiece manipulator 40 and the controller 25 of the workpiece posture detection system 2 can be the same; in embodiments not shown, the controller of the workpiece manipulator 40 and the controller 25 of the workpiece posture detection system 2 can be different, and there is another communication connection between the controller of the workpiece manipulator 40 and the controller 25 of the workpiece posture detection system 2. The communication connection is represented by dotted dashed lines.

[0036] Therefore, the workpiece transfer system 4 is part of the equipment that performs fixed-path hoisting on the production line with limited degrees of freedom; by combining or integrating the workpiece posture detection system 2, production conditions can be improved and service life can be extended without the excessive burden of adjusting and managing the production line.

[0037] Now for reference Figure 5 This illustrates a schematic diagram of components of a workpiece manipulator 40 according to some embodiments of this application. In some embodiments, the workpiece manipulator 40 includes a snap-fit ​​member 401 for engaging with a workpiece 1. The snap-fit ​​member 401 is used for pivoting between a release configuration and a snap-fit ​​configuration. Figure 5 As shown, the snap-fit ​​member 401 is configured as an arc-shaped disk 4010 (e.g., a semi-circular arc) with a hook 4011. It can engage the hook 4011 with the workpiece 1 by pivoting the arc-shaped disk 4010 downwards, for example, by positioning it on the lower sidewall of the top edge of the workpiece 1. The snap-fit ​​member 401 may also include a protective cover 4012 positioned above the arc-shaped disk 4010.

[0038] The workpiece transfer system 4 can be applied to the production line arrangement 6 at the outlet of the honing machine, as described below. Therefore, the production line arrangement 6 includes one or more features described above for the workpiece transfer system 4.

[0039] Now for reference Figure 6 This diagram illustrates a production line arrangement 6 at the outlet of a honing machine according to some embodiments of this application. The production line arrangement 6 may include an outlet station 60, within which a workpiece support 20 may be provided. The workpiece support 20 can be used to receive and support workpieces 1, for example, generally cubic in shape, output from the honing machine. Workpiece 1 can be conveyed to the outlet station 60, for example, via a known walking beam. For simplicity, structures such as protrusions, concave shapes, curved surfaces, and holes within the workpiece 1 are not shown. The production line arrangement 6 may include an alarm light 61 associated with the operation of the outlet station 60. The alarm light 61 may be provided, for example, on the outer wall of the outlet station 60 for operator observation. The production line arrangement 6 may include a workpiece manipulator 40 and a guide rail 41 along which the workpiece manipulator 40 moves. In addition to moving along guide rail 41 (e.g., horizontally), the workpiece manipulator 40 is also capable of moving toward and away from workpiece 1 (e.g., vertically) at a predetermined position aligned with exit station 60 for picking up workpiece 1, lifting workpiece 1, and moving workpiece 1 along guide rail 41. Optionally, the production line arrangement 6 may include a guardrail 62 for protecting the lifted workpiece 1, for example in the form of a baffle or barrier, so as to at least partially shield the workpiece 1. For example, under the applicant's typical honing machine operating conditions, approximately 100 workpieces can be processed per hour. Therefore, losses due to collision-induced shutdowns are undesirable.

[0040] As a non-limiting example, the following describes the operations in a relevant scenario. It should be noted that the following operations are applicable to various other sites where the system of this application is deployed.

[0041] After a given workpiece 1 has completed its processing in a honing machine, it is output, for example, via a walking beam to the workpiece support 20 in the outlet station 60 at the discharge port.

[0042] Because of the system of this application, the air gap sensor 22 can provide an indication of the receiving posture of the workpiece 1 on the workpiece receiving side 201 of the workpiece support 20, as described above, relating to the distance between the workpiece 1 and the gas supply port 21. This process can be performed before or during the actuation of the workpiece manipulator 40, as long as the posture alarm is issued before the workpiece manipulator 40 gets too close to the workpiece 1.

[0043] If the distance exceeds a predetermined threshold, an alarm is triggered via alarm light 61 to prompt operator intervention, instead of continuing to actuate the workpiece manipulator 40. If the distance does not exceed the predetermined threshold, the workpiece manipulator 40 is actuated normally to complete the pickup and transfer.

[0044] The above operations are repeated cyclically.

[0045] The above description is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. While exemplary embodiments of the invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily understand that many modifications may be made to the exemplary embodiments without substantially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the invention. Therefore, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. The invention is defined by the appended claims, including their equivalents.

Claims

1. A workpiece pose detection system, characterized by, include: A workpiece support portion, wherein the workpiece support portion defines a workpiece receiving side for receiving a workpiece; A gas supply hole is provided in the workpiece support portion for supplying blown gas toward the workpiece receiving side of the workpiece support portion; An air gap sensor, fluidly connected to the gas supply port, is used to indicate the distance between the gas supply port and the workpiece received on the workpiece receiving side of the workpiece support, so as to reflect the skewness of the workpiece.

2. The workpiece pose detection system of claim 1, wherein, The gas supply hole includes an opening on the surface of the workpiece receiving side of the workpiece support, the opening being positioned at the edge of the area of ​​the surface for planar contact with the workpiece.

3. The workpiece pose detection system of claim 1, wherein, The air gap sensor is also fluidly connected to a gas source.

4. The workpiece pose detection system of claim 1, wherein, The workpiece support includes a positioning pin located on the workpiece receiving side for guiding the receiving of the workpiece.

5. The workpiece pose detection system of claim 4, wherein, The workpiece support includes spaced-apart support beams and blocks located on the support beams, the blocks being used to provide the gas supply holes and / or the positioning pins.

6. The workpiece posture detection system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The workpiece support is located downstream of the walking beam to receive the workpiece transmitted via the walking beam.

7. The workpiece posture detection system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The workpiece support portion forms part of the honing machine's discharge port to receive the workpiece output from the honing machine.

8. The workpiece posture detection system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The workpiece posture detection system also includes a controller, and there is a communication connection between the controller and the air gap sensor for posture alarm based on the gap.

9. A workpiece transfer system, characterized in that, include: The workpiece posture detection system according to any one of the preceding claims; A workpiece manipulator is operable to move a workpiece support toward and away from the workpiece posture detection system in a first direction to pick up a workpiece, and to move the workpiece support toward and away from the workpiece posture detection system in a second direction intersecting the first direction to move the workpiece.

10. The workpiece transfer system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The workpiece manipulator includes a snap-fit ​​member for engaging with the workpiece, the snap-fit ​​member being pivotable between a release configuration and a snap-fit ​​configuration.

11. The workpiece transfer system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The snap-fit ​​component is configured as an arc-shaped disc with a snap hook, which snaps the snap hook onto the workpiece by pivoting the arc-shaped disc downward.

12. The workpiece transfer system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The workpiece transfer system further includes a controller for a workpiece manipulator, and there is a communication connection between the controller and the workpiece manipulator for at least a motion limit for the workpiece manipulator to pick up the workpiece based on an attitude alarm. The controller of the workpiece manipulator is the same as or has another communication connection with the controller of the workpiece attitude detection system.

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