A multi-functional attitude adjustment conveyor line

Abstract

This utility model relates to the field of conveyor technology and discloses a multi-functional posture adjustment conveyor line, including a single-piece separation conveyor mechanism for separating multiple adjacent materials into single materials and outputting them sequentially; a first flipping conveyor mechanism, i.e., flipping conveyor one, located downstream of the single-piece separation conveyor mechanism, for flipping the conveyed material from a standing posture to a lying posture by 90°; and a second flipping conveyor mechanism, i.e., flipping conveyor two, located downstream of the flipping conveyor one. In this utility model, two-stage flipping mechanisms are connected in series with a bypass, and a programmable second-stage mechanism processes materials from the main path or bypass and executes the final posture decision. This solution solves the problem of traditional conveyor lines having limited functionality and being unable to accommodate multiple postures for material feeding and discharging, enabling a single device to flexibly handle various work processes through program control, thus improving the adaptability and automation level of the production line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of conveyor technology, and in particular to a multifunctional attitude adjustment conveyor line. Background Technology

[0002] In automated production and logistics systems, conveyor lines are fundamental equipment for transferring materials between different workstations. During material transfer, it is often necessary to adjust the posture of material boxes or workpieces according to the requirements of subsequent processes, such as flipping them 90 or 180 degrees or rotating them in a plane. This posture adjustment is a prerequisite for realizing automated operations such as robot gripping, automatic box opening, labeling, coding, and palletizing. Therefore, conveyor lines capable of performing posture adjustment functions are a key component of automated production systems.

[0003] In existing technologies, material posture adjustment is typically achieved using a single, fixed-function mechanical device. For example, a torsion chute with a fixed angle is used, relying on the material's own weight to flip it as it slides down; or a cylinder-driven pusher is installed on one side of the conveyor belt to push the material over to achieve a 90-degree flip; or intermittent rotating mechanisms such as star wheels or dials are used to index and redirect the material. The common feature of these mechanisms is that once their mechanical structure is determined, the posture adjustment function they can perform is unique and immutable. For example, a pusher mechanism designed to achieve flipping from upright to horizontal cannot, without mechanical modification, perform flipping from horizontal to upright or allow the material to pass through while maintaining its posture.

[0004] However, these fixed-function attitude adjustment devices exhibit significant limitations when applied to production lines that handle multiple workflows. In actual production, the same production line may need to process incoming materials with different initial attitudes based on orders or product types, and adjust them to different target attitudes for output. Using existing technologies, a dedicated conveyor and adjustment line must be configured for each combination of attitudes, or the equipment must be shut down and time-consuming mechanical parts replaced when switching workflows. Both of these methods lead to increased equipment footprint and investment costs, or reduced overall production line uptime and output due to frequent downtime and reconfiguration. Therefore, a multi-functional attitude adjustment conveyor line is proposed to solve these problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] To overcome the above shortcomings, this utility model provides a multi-functional attitude adjustment conveyor line, aiming to improve the defects of existing attitude adjustment devices that have fixed functions and are difficult to adapt to multi-process production. Production lines often need to handle different infeed and outfeed attitudes. Existing technologies require dedicated lines or downtime for replacement, resulting in increased land occupation and costs, and causing problems with equipment uptime and output.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a multi-functional attitude adjustment conveyor line, comprising: a single-piece separation conveyor mechanism, used to separate multiple adjacent materials into single materials and output them sequentially;

[0007] The first flipping conveyor mechanism, namely the flipping conveyor one, is located downstream of the single-piece separation conveyor mechanism and is used to flip the conveyed material from a standing position to a lying position by 90°.

[0008] And a second flipping conveyor mechanism, namely flipping conveyor 2, is located downstream of flipping conveyor 1. The flipping conveyor 2 includes a flipping device driven by a servo motor. The flipping conveyor 2 can selectively flip the material in the lying position by 90° to restore it to the standing position according to the external control signal, or directly convey the material without flipping it.

[0009] As a further description of the above technical solution:

[0010] It also includes a bypass conveying mechanism for conveying materials in a lying position. The outlet of the bypass conveying mechanism is connected to the inlet of the second tilt conveyor so that the lying materials bypass the first tilt conveyor and are directly fed into the second tilt conveyor.

[0011] As a further description of the above technical solution:

[0012] The bypass conveying mechanism includes a posture adjustment conveyor, which is equipped with lifting rollers that can be raised and lowered by a lifting cylinder. When the lifting rollers are raised, the conveyed material is turned 90° due to impact with the lifting rollers.

[0013] As a further description of the above technical solution:

[0014] The single-piece separation conveyor mechanism is a two-powered belt conveyor or a three-powered belt conveyor, which includes at least two conveyor belt sections driven by independent motors with different linear speeds, and the material spacing is widened by the differential speed movement of the front and rear sections.

[0015] As a further description of the above technical solution:

[0016] The flipping devices of the first and second flipping conveyors are cross structures driven by servo motors to rotate 90°.

[0017] As a further description of the above technical solution:

[0018] Upstream of the single-piece separation conveyor, there is a rotary conveyor, which includes a conveying section that can be driven by a motor to achieve an overall 90° rotation, for unifying the initial orientation of the materials.

[0019] As a further description of the above technical solution:

[0020] Between the single-piece separation conveying mechanism and the first flipping conveyor, a lifting and translation conveyor is also provided, which includes a first conveying roller group driven by a lifting cylinder to lift and lower as a whole, and a second conveying roller group located below, whose conveying direction forms a 90° angle with the first conveying roller. Through the coordination of lifting and lowering actions, a 90° change in the material conveying direction is achieved.

[0021] As a further description of the above technical solution:

[0022] Between the lifting and translating conveyor and the first tilting conveyor, a buffer conveyor is provided, which includes at least three conveying sections that can be started and stopped independently; downstream of the second tilting conveyor, a centering conveyor is provided.

[0023] This utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0024] 1. In this utility model, continuous posture changes are achieved by sequentially passing through a first tilting conveyor and a second tilting conveyor. Simultaneously, the second tilting conveyor can selectively execute tilting actions according to instructions, thus enabling direct output from upright to sideways. For materials initially in a flat position, a bypass conveyor mechanism can bypass the first-stage tilting and directly enter the second tilting conveyor, which then decides whether to output directly to maintain the flat position or to perform a tilting action to become upright. This solves the problem of traditional conveyor lines having limited functionality and being unable to accommodate multiple infeed / outfeed postures, allowing a single device to flexibly handle at least four different operating processes through program control, thus improving the adaptability and automation level of the production line.

[0025] 2. In this utility model, by setting up two-powered or three-powered belt conveyors, the differential speed principle of the belts effectively separates batches of incoming materials into individual material flows, laying the foundation for subsequent precise operations. The rotary conveyor, lifting and translating conveyor, and attitude adjustment conveyor in the middle of the conveyor line achieve 90° adjustment of the material's orientation relative to the conveying direction through overall rotation, lifting and translating, and lifting roller impact, respectively. Furthermore, the buffer conveyor effectively balances the rhythm differences between each workstation, preventing material blockage, while the centering conveyor at the end ensures the consistency of the final output material's position. This solves the problems of material congestion, inconsistent postures, and inaccurate positioning that may occur during multi-process connections, improving the overall operating efficiency and reliability of the line. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a multifunctional attitude adjustment conveyor line proposed in this utility model;

[0027] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the centering conveyor section of a multifunctional attitude adjustment conveyor line proposed in this utility model;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the buffer conveyor section of a multifunctional attitude adjustment conveyor line proposed in this utility model.

[0029] Legend:

[0030] 1. Rotary conveyor; 2. Two-powered belt conveyor; 3. Lifting and shifting conveyor; 4. Buffer conveyor; 5. Tilting conveyor one; 6. Tilting conveyor two; 7. Centering conveyor; 8. Three-powered belt conveyor; 9. Attitude adjustment conveyor. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0032] Reference Figure 1 - Figure 3 The present invention provides an embodiment of a multi-functional attitude adjustment conveyor line, comprising: a single-piece separation conveyor mechanism, which provides a material flow basis for the precise positioning and operation of subsequent workstations by separating batches or adjacent materials into single material flows with a set spacing and outputting them sequentially;

[0033] The first overturning conveyor mechanism, namely overturning conveyor 5, is located downstream of the single-piece separation conveyor mechanism. Its function is to perform a fixed, non-selective 90° overturning operation to change the material conveyed along the main path from a standing position to a lying position.

[0034] The system also includes a second tilting conveyor mechanism, namely tilting conveyor 2 6, which is located downstream of tilting conveyor 1 5. Internally, it contains a tilting device driven by a servo motor. By receiving commands from an external control system, tilting conveyor 2 6 can selectively execute actions: either tilting the material already in a lying position by 90° to restore it to a standing position, or not performing the tilting action, allowing the material to pass directly in a lying position. It also includes a bypass conveyor mechanism, which provides an independent conveying path for materials initially in a lying position. The outlet of the bypass conveyor mechanism is connected to the inlet of tilting conveyor 2 6, thus allowing the lying material to bypass tilting conveyor 1 5 and be directly fed into tilting conveyor 2 6, which can make the final posture selection. Specifically, the bypass conveyor mechanism includes a posture adjustment conveyor 9, which is equipped with lifting rollers that can be driven to rise and fall vertically by a lifting cylinder. When the lifting rollers rise according to a command, the material being conveyed changes its conveying direction by 90° due to physical impact with them, thereby achieving material steering control in the plane.

[0035] Specifically, by setting up a main conveyor path and a bypass conveyor mechanism, two parallel material handling flow paths are constructed to handle two different initial material postures: standing and lying down. The two flow paths ultimately converge at a programmable control tilting conveyor 6, which serves as the final decision point for posture adjustment. Based on a preset work flow, it performs the final tilting or non-tilting operation on materials from different paths. This structure, through the combination of path selection and selective actuators, enables a single conveyor line to handle at least four posture combinations, solving the problems of fixed functions and inability to switch processes online in traditional equipment. This improves the equipment's adaptability to diverse material handling tasks without requiring mechanical changes.

[0036] Reference Figure 1 - Figure 3The single-piece separation conveyor mechanism is specifically a two-powered belt conveyor 2 or a three-powered belt conveyor 8. Its structure includes at least two conveyor belt sections driven by independent motors and with different set linear speeds. By allowing the material to pass through these sections with different speeds in sequence, the distance between the materials is actively increased by utilizing the difference in linear speed between the preceding and following sections. The flipping device of the flipping conveyor 1 5 and the flipping conveyor 2 6 is specifically a cross structure driven by a servo motor and capable of performing precise angle control. This structure rotates 90° under the drive of the servo motor to move and flip the material. Upstream of the single-piece separation conveyor mechanism, a rotary conveyor 1 is provided. The rotary conveyor 1 includes a conveyor section that can be driven by a motor to achieve an overall 90° rotation. Its function is to unify the initial orientation of the material before it enters the separation process. Between the single-piece separation conveyor and the first tilting conveyor 5, a lifting and shifting conveyor 3 is also provided. This conveyor includes a first conveying roller group driven by a lifting cylinder to perform overall lifting and lowering actions, and a second conveying roller group fixedly set below, whose conveying direction forms a 90° angle with the first conveying roller. Through the coordination of the lifting, conveying, and lowering actions, a 90° change in the material conveying path is achieved. Between the lifting and shifting conveyor 3 and the first tilting conveyor 5, a buffer conveyor 4 is provided. The buffer conveyor 4 consists of at least three independently startable and stopable conveying sections, used for temporary storage and flow regulation of materials between different workstations. Downstream of the second tilting conveyor 6, a centering conveyor 7 is provided. Its function is to correct the position of the material after the attitude adjustment is completed, so that it is output along the center line of the conveyor belt.

[0037] Specifically, through the series combination of the aforementioned functional modules, a complete material handling system for complex processes is formed. The differential speed motion principle of the two-powered belt conveyor 2 or the three-powered belt conveyor 8 solves the problem of material accumulation that may occur when receiving batches of materials, providing a prerequisite for subsequent single-piece and precise operations. Mechanisms such as the rotary conveyor 1 and the lifting and translating conveyor 3, through different mechanical motion methods such as overall rotation or lifting and translating, solve the need to adjust the material's conveying direction and orientation within a plane. The buffer conveyor 4 solves the problem of material blockage or waiting that may occur due to inconsistent processing rhythms between multiple processes, while the centering conveyor 7 at the end solves the problem of potential positional deviations of materials after multiple processing steps.

[0038] Working Principle: When processing materials initially in an upright position, the materials first enter the main conveyor path. If the initial orientation of the materials is inconsistent, the rotary conveyor 1 will first perform a 90° rotation to correct their orientation. Subsequently, the materials enter a single-piece separation conveyor mechanism composed of two powered belt conveyors 2. This mechanism uses the difference in linear speed between the front and rear belts to separate adjacent materials one by one. The separated individual materials are conveyed to the lifting and translating conveyor 3. This conveyor changes the conveying direction of the materials by 90° through the lifting and lowering action of the roller assembly driven by cylinders. After the buffer conveyor 4 buffers and adjusts the flow rate and cycle time, the materials enter the first tilting conveyor 5. Its cross structure performs a fixed 90° tilt, changing the material from an upright position to a side-lying position. Then, the side-lying materials enter the second-stage tilting conveyor 6. According to the control command, the second tilting conveyor 6 can selectively perform the following actions: if the target is side-lying output, the tilting is not performed; if the target is box-lying output, its servo motor drives the cross structure to perform another 90° tilt, changing the material from a side-lying position to a box-lying position.

[0039] Secondly, when processing materials initially in a lying box position, the materials enter the bypass conveyor mechanism. The materials are first separated into individual pieces by the three-powered belt conveyor 8, and then enter the attitude adjustment conveyor 9. If the material conveying direction needs to be changed, the lifting rollers of this conveyor rise, and the material turns 90° due to impact as it passes; otherwise, the rollers descend, and the material passes directly. This bypass path bypasses the first tilting conveyor 5, directly feeding the lying box material into the inlet of the second tilting conveyor 6. According to control commands, the second tilting conveyor 6 also performs selective actions: if the target is lying box output, no tilting is performed; if the target is upright output, a 90° tilt is performed, changing the material from a lying box position to an upright position.

[0040] Finally, after the material along all paths has completed its posture adjustment, it will pass through the centering conveyor 7 for position alignment to ensure that it is stably output from the center of the conveyor belt. Through the combination and programmed control of the above mechanisms, this conveyor line can flexibly realize various operating processes such as upright feeding, side-lying or horizontal box discharge, and horizontal box feeding, horizontal box or upright discharge.

[0041] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Although the present utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., 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 multi-functional posture adjustment conveyor line, characterized by, include: A single-piece separation conveyor is used to separate multiple adjacent materials into individual materials and output them sequentially. The first flipping conveyor mechanism, namely the flipping conveyor one (5), is located downstream of the single-piece separation conveyor mechanism and is used to flip the conveyed material from a standing posture to a lying posture by 90°. And a second flipping conveyor mechanism, namely flipping conveyor two (6), is located downstream of the flipping conveyor one (5). The flipping conveyor two (6) includes a flipping device driven by a servo motor. The flipping conveyor two (6) can selectively flip the material in the lying position by 90° to restore it to the standing position according to the external control signal, or directly convey the material without flipping it.

2. The multi-functional posture-adjustable conveying line according to claim 1, wherein: It also includes a bypass conveying mechanism for conveying materials in a lying position. The outlet of the bypass conveying mechanism is connected to the inlet of the second (6) of the overturning conveyor so as to bypass the first (5) of the overturning conveyor and directly feed the lying materials into the second (6) of the overturning conveyor.

3. The multi-functional posture-adjustable conveying line according to claim 2, wherein: The bypass conveying mechanism includes a posture adjustment conveyor (9), which is equipped with lifting rollers that can be driven to rise and fall by a lifting cylinder. When the lifting rollers are raised, the conveyed material is turned 90° due to impact with the lifting rollers.

4. The multi-functional posture-adjustable conveyor line according to claim 1, wherein: The single-piece separation conveyor is a two-powered belt conveyor (2) or a three-powered belt conveyor (8), which includes at least two conveyor belt sections driven by independent motors with different linear speeds, and the material spacing is widened by the differential motion of the front and rear sections.

5. The multi-functional posture adjustment conveyor line according to claim 1, wherein: The flipping devices of the first flipping conveyor (5) and the second flipping conveyor (6) are cross structures driven by servo motors to rotate 90°.

6. The multi-functional posture adjustment conveyor line according to claim 1, wherein: Upstream of the single-piece separation conveyor, there is a rotary conveyor (1), which includes a conveying section that can be driven by a motor to achieve an overall 90° rotation, for unifying the initial orientation of the material.

7. The multi-functional posture adjustment conveyor line according to claim 1, wherein: Between the single-piece separation conveying mechanism and the flipping conveyor (5), a lifting and translation conveyor (3) is also provided, which includes a first conveying roller group driven by a lifting cylinder to lift and lower as a whole, and a second conveying roller group located below, whose conveying direction forms 90° with the first conveying roller. Through the coordination of lifting and lowering actions, the material conveying direction is changed by 90°.

8. The multi-functional posture-adjustable conveyor line according to claim 7, wherein: Between the lifting and translating conveyor (3) and the first flipping conveyor (5), a buffer conveyor (4) is provided, which includes at least three conveying sections that can be started and stopped independently; downstream of the second flipping conveyor (6), a centering conveyor (7) is provided.

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