Discharging mechanism and feeding and discharging equipment

Abstract

The application discloses a discharging mechanism and a feeding and discharging device. A feeding track, a feeding track, a butt joint track, a material taking track and a material supplementing track are connected in a head-tail mode to form a complete closed circulation path. A full load carrier enters the material taking track from the feeding track through the butt joint track to complete material taking, and an empty carrier automatically returns to the feeding end through the material supplementing track to realize automatic, continuous and closed loop flow. The feeding track is designed to have a wide width to facilitate manual or mechanical feeding. The material taking track is designed to have an extension length greater than that of the feeding track and is arranged along a second direction, so that the material taking track can accommodate multiple rows of carriers to realize multi-station continuous material taking. The butt joint track serves as a transfer hub and is adapted to the different lengths of the material taking track and the feeding track to ensure smooth flow. In this way, the horizontal space expansion required by the traditional multi-row parallel structure is avoided, the transmission efficiency is improved while keeping the overall width of the device compact, and the dual requirements of efficient production and space optimization are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automated preparation technology of medical materials, and in particular to a discharge mechanism and loading / unloading equipment. Background Technology

[0002] The automated production of medical materials is a highly specialized and demanding field, involving the manufacturing processes of various products such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and biological products. These processes typically require extremely high levels of precision, cleanliness, and sterility.

[0003] Currently, medical materials need to be transferred through intermediate media such as discharge mechanisms between upstream feeding and downstream picking. For example, CN118145273A and CN105197313B disclose a track for delivering empty carriers and another track for delivering carriers loaded with materials. A picking station and a feeding station are set at the two ends of the two tracks, forming a U-shaped material transfer. Although this design achieves orderly material transfer, it only supports single-row picking operations, which limits the material transfer efficiency and makes it difficult to meet the production needs of high-production lines.

[0004] To improve material handling efficiency, existing technologies such as CN105129337A and CN105149901B optimize material transfer speed by increasing the number of rows for picking and unloading. However, this improvement requires widening the base frame to accommodate multiple rows of carriers, resulting in an increased overall footprint. This not only increases plant space costs but also reduces the flexibility of equipment layout, making it difficult to adapt to production environments with high space utilization requirements.

[0005] Therefore, existing technical solutions present a contradiction between improving transmission efficiency and maintaining structural compactness, and cannot simultaneously meet the dual requirements of efficient production and space optimization. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this application is to provide a material feeding mechanism and loading / unloading equipment that can avoid the lateral space expansion required by traditional multi-column parallel structures, improve transmission efficiency while maintaining the overall compact width of the equipment, and meet the dual needs of high-efficiency production and space optimization.

[0007] The embodiments of this application can be implemented as follows: In the first aspect, this application discloses an implementation of a material discharge mechanism, including a base and a material discharge track, a material feeding track, a docking track, a material picking track and a material replenishing track arranged on the base and connected end to end in sequence. The feeding track and the picking track are arranged at intervals along a first direction, and their length extension directions are both along a second direction. The extension length of the feeding track is less than the extension length of the picking track, and the extension width of the feeding track is greater than the extension width of the picking track. The picking track, the replenishing track, and the feeding track are connected sequentially along the first direction. The first direction and the second direction form an angle. The feeding track and the replenishing track are arranged at intervals along the second direction and both extend along the first direction; the docking track extends along the second direction. The feeding track is used to guide the carrier loaded with material on the discharging track to the docking track; The docking track is used to guide the carrier sent from the feeding track to the material taking track; The feeding track is used to guide the empty vehicle after the material has been taken from the material taking track to the discharging track.

[0008] In the above implementation, the unloading track, feeding track, docking track, retrieving track, and replenishing track are connected end-to-end to form a complete closed-loop path. Fully loaded vehicles enter the retrieving track from the unloading track via the feeding and docking tracks to retrieve materials, while empty vehicles automatically return to the unloading end via the replenishing track, achieving automated, continuous, and closed-loop operation. The wide design of the unloading track facilitates manual or mechanical loading; the retrieving track is designed with an extension longer than the unloading track and arranged along a second direction, allowing it to accommodate multiple rows of vehicles and enabling continuous retrieving from multiple stations. The docking track serves as a transfer hub, adapting to the different lengths of the retrieving and unloading tracks to ensure smooth flow. This avoids the lateral space expansion required by traditional multi-row parallel structures, improving transfer efficiency while maintaining a compact overall equipment width, meeting the dual requirements of high-efficiency production and space optimization.

[0009] In an optional embodiment, the docking track includes a transition station and a docking station arranged side by side extending in the second direction; The transition station, the feeding track, and the unloading track are arranged and connected sequentially in the first direction; The transition station is used to receive a carrier from the feeding track and guide the carrier to the docking station; The docking station and the material handling track are docked in the first direction; The docking station is used to guide the carrier to the material handling track.

[0010] The above implementation method, by arranging the transition station and the docking station side by side in the second direction to form a transfer structure with clearly defined functional zones, changes the trajectory of the carrier flow. The transition station is used to receive carriers fully loaded with materials from the feeding track and guide them orderly to the docking station; the docking station is used to send the carriers into the picking track, improving the timing control accuracy and smoothness of carrier transmission. Moreover, the transition station can serve as a temporary buffer, allowing the feeding track to deliver materials to the next carrier in advance before the picking track has finished picking up materials from the previous carrier, realizing a pre-feeding function, shortening the overall cycle time, and improving the continuous operation efficiency of the material handling mechanism and the production line cycle time matching capability.

[0011] In an optional embodiment, the material discharge mechanism further includes a carrier misalignment component disposed on the base, the carrier misalignment component being used to move the carrier on the transition station to the docking station along the second direction.

[0012] The above-described implementation method precisely transfers the carrier from the transition station to the adjacent docking station by setting up a carrier misalignment component. This active drive method ensures high repeatability and reliability of the transfer process, making it suitable for high-cycle automated production lines. Furthermore, the independent drive of the carrier misalignment component allows it to operate on demand. When the docking station is idle, the system can immediately trigger the misalignment action, shortening the waiting time; when the docking station is occupied, the carrier can be temporarily stored at the transition station, forming a buffer and improving the overall smoothness of the machine's operation.

[0013] In an optional embodiment, the vehicle misalignment assembly includes a misalignment bracket, a misalignment cylinder, a misalignment lever, and a slidingly fitted first linear bearing and a first guide rod. The misaligned bracket is mounted on the base; The first linear bearing and the first guide rod are both axial along the second direction. The two ends of the first guide rod are fixedly connected to the misalignment bracket, and the first linear bearing is fixed to the misalignment plate. The misalignment cylinder is fixed to the misalignment bracket and connected to the misalignment lever. The misalignment cylinder is used to drive the misalignment lever to move along the second direction so that the misalignment lever moves the carrier on the transition station to the docking station.

[0014] In the above embodiment, the misalignment bracket supports the misalignment cylinder, the misalignment plate, the first linear bearing, and the first guide rod, forming the structural frame of the entire vehicle misalignment assembly. Through the sliding cooperation of the first linear bearing and the first guide rod, the misalignment plate can be precisely guided to move linearly in the second direction under the drive of the misalignment cylinder, thereby allowing the vehicle to be moved to the docking position in the second direction without changing the vehicle's angle and attitude.

[0015] In an optional embodiment, the material handling track includes receiving stations, at least two material handling stations, and a carrier delivery station arranged sequentially along the second direction. The receiving station is connected to the docking track in the first direction, and is used to receive the carrier from the docking track and guide the carrier to the delivery station; The delivery station is connected to the replenishment track in the first direction, and is used to guide the empty delivery station that has taken material from the material taking track to the replenishment track.

[0016] The above-described implementation, by setting at least two material handling stations, allows for simultaneous material handling operations of multiple carriers on the same material handling track, significantly improving material output capacity per unit time. This design breaks through the cycle time bottleneck of traditional single-station material handling, meeting the high-speed, continuous operation requirements of high-throughput medical automated production lines and effectively improving overall machine capacity. The receiving station receives fully loaded carriers from the docking track and then sequentially transports them to each material handling station. After material handling is completed, empty carriers are uniformly transported to the delivery station and then enter the replenishment track to return to the unloading end. This achieves orderly, rhythmic, and streamlined material flow, and avoids the need to set up a separate return channel for each material handling station, reducing track branches and switching mechanisms, simplifying the overall structure, and lowering manufacturing costs and maintenance difficulty.

[0017] In an optional embodiment, the material discharge mechanism further includes a carrier pushing assembly disposed on the base, the carrier pushing assembly being used to push the carrier on the receiving station toward the delivery station.

[0018] The above-described implementation method, by setting up a carrier pushing component, precisely transfers the carrier from the receiving station to the adjacent picking station and subsequent carrier delivery station. This active drive method ensures high repeatability and reliability of the transfer process, making it suitable for high-cycle automated production lines. Furthermore, the independent drive of the carrier pushing component allows it to operate on demand. When multiple picking stations are set up on the picking track, the carrier can move sequentially to the carrier delivery station to make room for subsequent carriers, achieving precise scheduling between stations, preventing process interruptions due to jamming or delays, and ensuring stable overall machine cycle time.

[0019] In an optional embodiment, the vehicle pushing assembly includes a vehicle pushing bracket, a vehicle pushing cylinder, a vehicle pushing lever, and a slidingly fitted second linear bearing and a second guide rod. The vehicle push-in bracket is mounted on the base; The axial directions of the second linear bearing and the second guide rod are both along the second direction. The second linear bearing is fixed to the carrier push-in bracket. One end of the second guide rod is connected to the carrier push-in deflector. The carrier pushing cylinder is fixed to the carrier pushing bracket and connected to the carrier pushing plate. The carrier pushing cylinder is used to drive the carrier pushing plate to move along the second direction so that the carrier pushing plate pushes the carrier on the receiving station to the carrier delivery station.

[0020] In the above embodiment, the carrier pushing bracket supports the carrier pushing cylinder, the carrier pushing plate, the second linear bearing, and the second guide rod, forming the structural frame of the entire carrier pushing assembly. Through the sliding cooperation of the second linear bearing and the second guide rod, the carrier pushing plate can be precisely guided to move linearly in the second direction under the drive of the carrier pushing cylinder, thereby allowing the carrier to be pushed towards the carrier delivery station in the second direction without changing the carrier's angle and attitude.

[0021] In an optional embodiment, the unloading track includes a carrier ejection station, an unloading station, and a feeding station arranged sequentially along the second direction; The carrier ejection station is connected to the replenishment track to receive empty carriers from the replenishment track and guide the empty carriers to the feeding station; The feeding station is connected to the feeding track in the first direction, and is used to receive the loaded material carrier from the unloading station and guide the carrier to the feeding track.

[0022] In the above implementation, the carrier ejection station connects with the replenishment track, automatically receiving empty carriers returned from the material handling end and guiding them to the unloading station for material loading. This design achieves a fully automated process of empty carrier retrieval, positioning, and reloading preparation, improving the continuity and efficiency of unloading operations. While the current carrier is loading at the unloading station, the next empty carrier can enter the carrier ejection station in advance to wait, realizing a continuous feeding mode with uninterrupted pre-replenishment, effectively shortening cycle time and improving the overall line operating efficiency. The feeding station connects with the feeding track in the first direction, allowing fully loaded carriers to be fed from the unloading station along the first direction into the subsequent transmission path.

[0023] In an optional embodiment, the discharge mechanism further includes a carrier ejection assembly disposed on the base, the carrier ejection station being used to push the carrier on the carrier ejection station toward the feeding station.

[0024] The above-described implementation method, by setting up a carrier ejection assembly, precisely transfers the carrier from the carrier ejection station to the adjacent unloading station and subsequent feeding station. This active drive method ensures high repeatability and reliability of the transfer process. Moreover, the independent drive of the carrier ejection assembly allows it to operate on demand. While the previous carrier is being loaded, the next empty carrier is pushed into the unloading station, and the corresponding loaded carrier is pushed to the feeding station. This achieves a continuous operation mode where loading and replenishment are carried out simultaneously, effectively shortening the process interval time and increasing the overall machine capacity.

[0025] In an optional embodiment, the carrier ejection assembly includes a plurality of carrier ejection cylinders. In the second direction, each carrier ejection cylinder corresponds one-to-one with an empty carrier at the carrier ejection station, and each carrier ejection cylinder can individually push a corresponding empty carrier to the feeding station.

[0026] In the above implementation method, multiple carrier ejection cylinders are set up one-to-one with multiple empty carriers at the carrier ejection station, and each carrier ejection cylinder can be controlled independently. When the material unloading process cannot fill all the empty carriers at the unloading station due to reasons such as upstream rejection of unqualified materials, only the carriers loaded with materials are pushed to the feeding station individually by the carrier ejection cylinders; while the empty carriers without materials are left in place, forming a row with the empty carriers pushed to the unloading station by the carrier ejection cylinders to re-enter the unloading process, realizing the dual functions of pushing and unloading. On the one hand, it completes the orderly output of the carriers loaded with materials, and on the other hand, it maintains the integrity of the empty carrier sequence. This ensures that each row of carriers conveyed to the picking track is fully loaded, effectively avoiding material gaps during the picking process and ensuring the continuity and integrity of the picking operation.

[0027] In an optional embodiment, the material discharge mechanism further includes a limiting component, which includes a number of limiting cylinders equal to the number of carrier ejection cylinders. The limiting cylinders correspond one-to-one with the carriers on the carrier ejection station in the third direction, and each limiting cylinder can individually press a corresponding carrier against the base to keep it fixed. Wherein, any two of the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction form an angle.

[0028] In the above implementation, the empty carrier can be pressed and fixed on the base after one feeding cycle by a limit cylinder that can be controlled independently. In this way, when the carrier loaded with material is pushed to the feeding station by the carrier push-out cylinder, the empty carrier can avoid moving together with the adjacent carrier due to friction, thus limiting the empty carrier and preventing the empty carrier from being carried to the feeding station by friction.

[0029] Secondly, this application discloses a loading and unloading device, including a feeding mechanism, a picking mechanism, and a discharge mechanism of any of the above embodiments; The feeding mechanism is used to feed materials into an empty container on the feeding track; The material handling mechanism is used to remove materials from the carrier on the material handling track.

[0030] The above-described embodiments, due to the material discharge mechanism described above, also have corresponding beneficial effects, thus enabling uninterrupted operation of the material handling mechanism and the material discharging mechanism, thereby improving production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the specific embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the loading and unloading equipment according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 for Figure 1 Partial structural diagram; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the central discharge mechanism; Figure 4 To be Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the vehicle's misaligned components after they have been hidden. Figure 5 for Figure 3 One of the schematic diagrams of the misalignment components of the vehicle; Figure 6 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the misaligned component of the vehicle (part 2); Figure 7 for Figure 3 and Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the middle limit cylinder and the carrier.

[0033] Icons: 100 - Discharge mechanism; 110 - Base; 111 - Discharge track; 1110 - Carrier ejection station; 1111 - Feeding station; 1112 - Discharge station; 112 - Pick-up track; 1120 - Receiving station; 1121 - Carrier delivery station; 1122 - Pick-up station; 113 - Docking track; 1130 - Transition station; 1131 - Docking station; 120 - Feeding track; 130 - Supplementary track; 140 - Carrier push-in assembly; 141 - Carrier push-in bracket; 142 - Carrier push-in cylinder; 143 - Carrier push-in lever; 144 - Second linear bearing; 145 - Second guide rod; 150 - Carrier misalignment assembly; 151 - Misalignment... Position support; 1510-First plate; 1511-Second plate; 1512-Base plate; 152-Misalignment cylinder; 153-Misalignment lever; 154-First linear bearing; 155-First guide rod; 170-Carrier ejection cylinder; 180-Limit cylinder; 190-Feeding push cylinder; 191-Feeding push rod; 192-Carrier push cylinder; 193-Carrier push rod; 194-Docking conveyor assembly; 200-Discharge mechanism; 210-Discharge base; 220-Discharge support column; 230-Discharge translation electric cylinder; 240-Discharge lifting electric cylinder; 250-Discharge cylinder; 260-Discharge gripper; X-First direction; Y-Second direction; Z-Third direction. Detailed Implementation

[0034] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0035] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0036] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0037] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of this application is in use. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this application. In addition, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0038] Furthermore, terms such as "horizontal," "vertical," and "sag" do not imply that components must be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but rather that they can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal relative to "vertical," and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0039] In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "set up," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; 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; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0040] The following detailed description of some embodiments of this application is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0041] refer to Figures 1 to 3 This application discloses a loading and unloading device, which includes a feeding mechanism 200, a picking mechanism and a discharging mechanism 100; The material discharge mechanism 100 includes a base 110 and a material discharge track 111, a material feeding track 120, a docking track 113, a material picking track 112, and a material replenishing track 130 arranged on the base 110 and connected end to end in sequence. The feeding track 111 and the picking track 112 are arranged at intervals along the first direction X, and their length extension direction is both along the second direction Y. The extension length of the feeding track 111 is less than the extension length of the picking track 112, and the extension width of the feeding track 111 is greater than the extension width of the picking track 112. The picking track 112, the replenishing track 130, and the feeding track 111 are connected sequentially along the first direction X. The first direction X and the second direction Y form an angle. The feeding track 120 and the replenishing track 130 are arranged at intervals along the second direction Y and both extend along the first direction X, while the docking track 113 extends along the second direction Y. The feeding track 120 is used to guide the carrier loaded with materials on the discharging track 111 to dock with the docking track 113; The docking track 113 is used to guide the carrier sent by the feeding track 120 to the picking track 112; The feeding track 130 is used to guide the empty vehicle after the material is taken from the material taking track 112 to the material discharging track 111.

[0042] In this way, the unloading track 111, feeding track 120, docking track 113, picking track 112, and replenishing track 130 are connected end to end, forming a complete closed-loop path. Fully loaded vehicles enter the picking track 112 from the unloading track 111 via the feeding and docking tracks 113 to complete material retrieval, while empty vehicles automatically return to the unloading end via the replenishing track 130, achieving automated, continuous, and closed-loop flow. The wide design of the unloading track 111 facilitates manual or mechanical loading; the picking track 112 is designed with an extension longer than the unloading track 111 and arranged along the second direction Y, allowing it to accommodate multiple rows of vehicles and achieve continuous material retrieval at multiple stations. The docking track 113 serves as a transfer hub, adapting to the different lengths of the picking track 112 and the unloading track 111 to ensure smooth flow. This avoids the lateral space expansion required by traditional multi-row parallel structures, improving transfer efficiency while maintaining a compact overall equipment width, meeting the dual requirements of high-efficiency production and space optimization.

[0043] It should be noted that, in this application, the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z can be the length direction of the base 110, the second direction Y can be the width direction of the base 110, and the third direction Z can be the height direction of the base 110. Therefore, when the material discharge mechanism 100 is used, the first direction X and the second horizontal direction are horizontal, the third direction Z is vertical, and the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z are perpendicular to each other.

[0044] Of course, depending on the design requirements, the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z can also be at acute angles to each other.

[0045] The specific structure of the feeding mechanism 200 is not specifically limited, and can be used as a reference. Figure 1 and Figure 2 For example, the feeding mechanism 200 generally includes a feeding base 210, a feeding support column 220, a feeding translation electric cylinder 230, a feeding lifting electric cylinder 240, a feeding cylinder 250, and a feeding gripper 260.

[0046] The material feeding base 210 is spanned above the entire material feeding mechanism 100 by at least two material feeding pillars 220. The material feeding translation electric cylinder 230 is located on the material feeding base 210, the material feeding lifting electric cylinder 240 is located on the material feeding translation electric cylinder 230, the material feeding cylinder 250 is hoisted on the material feeding lifting electric cylinder 240, and the material feeding gripper 260 is connected to the material feeding cylinder 250.

[0047] Driven by the discharge translation electric cylinder 230, the discharge lifting electric cylinder 240 can move the discharge cylinder 250, the discharge gripper 260 and the material held by the discharge gripper 260 along the second direction Y. Driven by the material feeding and lifting electric cylinder 240, the material feeding cylinder 250 can lift and lower along the third direction Z with the material feeding gripper 260 and the material held by the material feeding gripper 260. Driven by the discharge cylinder 250, the discharge gripper 260 can open or close to clamp or release the material.

[0048] In some embodiments, the structure of the picking mechanism is roughly the same as that of the feeding mechanism 200, except for the arrangement of the grippers. In the feeding mechanism 200, the N feeding grippers 260 are arranged in a straight line along the first direction X, while in the picking mechanism, the N picking grippers are arranged in two or more columns along the second direction Y. That is, the N picking grippers are divided into M columns, and each column has M / N grippers, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and N is not specifically limited, as long as it is a number divisible by 2.

[0049] At this time, the extension width of the feeding track 111 is twice the extension width of the picking track 112, and the number of vehicles in a row on the feeding track 111 is twice the number of vehicles in a row on the picking track 112.

[0050] The material feeding grippers 260, arranged in a straight line, are placed into N empty carriers arranged in a straight line. These N carriers are then divided into two rows and picked up at once by the two rows of grippers of the material picking mechanism on the material picking track 112, ensuring the consistency of the quantity of material picked up and the synchronization of the cycle, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0051] refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 In this embodiment, the docking track 113 includes a transition station 1130 and a docking station 1131 that are arranged side by side extending in the second direction Y. Transition station 1130, feeding track 120 and unloading track 111 are arranged and connected in sequence in the first direction X; The transition station 1130 is used to receive the carrier from the feeding track 120 and guide the carrier to the docking station 1131; The docking station 1131 and the material handling track 112 are docked in the first direction X. The docking station 1131 is used to guide the carrier to the material handling track 112.

[0052] In this way, by arranging the transition station 1130 and the docking station 1131 side by side in the second direction Y to form a transfer structure with clearly defined functional zones, the trajectory of the carrier flow is changed. The transition station 1130 is used to receive carriers fully loaded with materials from the feeding track 120 and guide them orderly to the docking station 1131; the docking station 1131 is used to send the carriers into the picking track 112, improving the timing control accuracy and smoothness of carrier transmission. Moreover, the transition station 1130 can serve as a temporary buffer position, allowing the feeding track 120 to deliver materials to the next carrier in advance before the picking track 112 has finished picking up materials from the previous carrier, realizing the pre-feeding function, shortening the overall cycle time, and improving the continuous operation efficiency of the material discharge mechanism 100 and the production line cycle matching capability.

[0053] Optionally, the material discharge mechanism 100 also includes a carrier misalignment assembly 150 disposed on the base 110, which is used to move the carrier on the transition station 1130 to the docking station 1131 along the second direction Y.

[0054] Thus, by setting up the carrier misalignment component 150, the carrier is precisely transferred from the transition station 1130 to the adjacent docking station 1131. This active drive method ensures high repeatability and reliability of the transfer process, making it suitable for high-cycle automated production lines. Moreover, the independent drive of the carrier misalignment component 150 allows it to operate on demand. When the docking station 1131 is idle, the system can immediately trigger the misalignment action, shortening the waiting time. When the docking station 1131 is occupied, the carrier can be temporarily stored in the transition station 1130, forming a buffer and improving the smoothness of the overall machine operation.

[0055] For details, please refer to the following: Figure 5 and Figure 6 The vehicle misalignment assembly 150 includes a misalignment bracket 151, a misalignment cylinder 152, a misalignment lever 153, and a slidingly fitted first linear bearing 154 and a first guide rod 155. The misaligned bracket 151 is mounted on the base 110; The first linear bearing 154 and the first guide rod 155 are both along the second direction Y. The two ends of the first guide rod 155 are fixedly connected to the misalignment bracket 151, and the first linear bearing 154 is fixed to the misalignment plate 153. The misalignment cylinder 152 is fixed to the misalignment bracket 151 and connected to the misalignment lever 153. The misalignment cylinder 152 is used to drive the misalignment lever 153 to move along the second direction Y, so that the misalignment lever 153 moves the carrier on the transition station 1130 to the docking station 1131.

[0056] Thus, the misalignment bracket 151 supports the misalignment cylinder 152, the misalignment lever 153, the first linear bearing 154, and the first guide rod 155, serving as the structural frame of the entire vehicle misalignment assembly 150. Through the sliding cooperation of the first linear bearing 154 and the first guide rod 155, the misalignment lever 153 can be precisely guided to move linearly along the second direction Y under the drive of the misalignment cylinder 152, thereby allowing the vehicle to be moved to the docking station 1131 along the second direction Y without changing the vehicle's angle and attitude.

[0057] The misaligned bracket 151 includes a first plate 1510, a base plate 1512, and a second plate 1511 connected at an angle in sequence. The first plate 1510, the second plate 1511, and the base plate 1512 form a docking track 113. The base plate 1512 can be shared with the base 110, that is, the base plate 1512 is a part of the base 110. Of course, the base plate 1512 can also be a plate set separately and placed on the base 110, as long as it can receive the carrier from the feeding track 120.

[0058] The first plate 1510 and the second plate 1511 are directly opposite each other in the second direction Y, and the first plate 1510 and the second plate 1511 are connected to the feeding track 120 in the first direction X. The cylinder body of the misalignment cylinder 152 is fixed on the first plate 1510. The two ends of the first guide rod 155 are respectively connected to the first plate 1510 and the second plate 1511. In this way, the misalignment plate 153 can move back and forth linearly between the first plate 1510 and the second plate 1511 along the second direction Y under the drive of the misalignment cylinder 152, thereby moving the carrier from the transition station 1130 to the docking station 1131 along the second direction Y. After being moved into place, it is reset to perform the next moving operation.

[0059] Continue to refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the material handling track 112 includes receiving stations 1120, at least two material handling stations 1122, and a carrier delivery station 1121 arranged sequentially along the second direction Y. The receiving station 1120 is connected to the docking track 113 in the first direction X, and is used to receive the carrier from the docking track 113 and guide the carrier to the carrier station 1121; The delivery station 1121 is connected to the replenishment track 130 in the first direction X, and is used to guide the empty delivery station 112, which has taken all the material from the material taking track 112, to the replenishment track 130.

[0060] By setting at least two picking stations 1122, multiple carriers can be picked up simultaneously on the same picking track 112, significantly improving the material output capacity per unit time. This design breaks through the cycle time bottleneck of traditional single-station picking, meeting the high-throughput medical automated production line's requirements for high-speed, continuous operation and effectively improving the overall machine capacity. The receiving station 1120 is used to receive fully loaded carriers from the docking track 113, and then sequentially transports them to each picking station 1122. After picking up the materials, the empty carriers are uniformly transported to the delivery station 1121, and then enter the replenishment track 130 to return to the unloading end. This realizes the orderly, rhythmic, and assembly-line flow of materials, and avoids setting up a separate return channel for each picking station 1122, reducing track branches and switching mechanisms, simplifying the overall structure, and reducing manufacturing costs and maintenance difficulty.

[0061] Optionally, the material discharge mechanism 100 also includes a carrier pushing assembly 140 disposed on the base 110, which is used to push the carrier on the receiving station 1120 toward the delivery station 1121.

[0062] Thus, by setting up the carrier pushing component 140 to precisely transfer the carrier from the receiving station 1120 to the adjacent picking station 1122 and the subsequent carrier delivery station 1121, this active drive method ensures high repeatability and reliability of the transfer process, making it suitable for high-cycle automated production lines. Furthermore, the independent drive of the carrier pushing component 140 allows it to operate on demand. With multiple picking stations 1122 set up on the picking track 112, the carrier can move sequentially to the carrier delivery station 1121 to free up space for subsequent carriers, achieving precise scheduling between stations, preventing process interruptions due to jams or delays, and ensuring stable overall machine cycle time.

[0063] In detail, the vehicle pushing assembly 140 includes a vehicle pushing bracket 141, a vehicle pushing cylinder 142, a vehicle pushing lever 143, and a slidingly fitted second linear bearing 144 and a second guide rod 145. The vehicle push-in bracket 141 is mounted on the base 110; The axial directions of the second linear bearing 144 and the second guide rod 145 are both along the second direction Y. The second linear bearing 144 is fixed to the carrier push-in bracket 141; one end of the second guide rod 145 is connected to the carrier push-in dial plate 143. The carrier pushing cylinder 142 is fixed to the carrier pushing bracket 141 and connected to the carrier pushing plate 143. The carrier pushing cylinder 142 is used to drive the carrier pushing plate 143 to move along the second direction Y, so that the carrier pushing plate 143 pushes the carrier on the receiving station 1120 to the delivery station 1121.

[0064] In this way, the carrier pushing bracket 141 supports the carrier pushing cylinder 142, the carrier pushing plate 143, the second linear bearing 144, and the second guide rod 145, forming the structural frame of the entire carrier pushing assembly 140. Through the sliding cooperation of the second linear bearing 144 and the second guide rod 145, the carrier pushing plate 143 can be precisely guided to move linearly along the second direction Y under the drive of the carrier pushing cylinder 142. Thus, the carrier can be pushed along the second direction Y to the carrier delivery station 1121 without changing the angle and attitude of the carrier.

[0065] Continue to refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The material feeding track 111 includes a carrier ejection station 1110, a material feeding station 1112 and a material feeding station 1111 arranged sequentially along the second direction Y. The carrier ejection station 1110 is connected to the feeding track 130 to receive empty carriers from the feeding track 130 and guide the empty carriers to the feeding station 1111; The feeding station 1111 is connected to the feeding track 120 in the first direction X, and is used to receive the loaded carrier from the unloading station 1112 and guide the carrier to the feeding track 120.

[0066] Thus, the carrier ejection station 1110 docks with the replenishment track 130, automatically receiving empty carriers returned from the picking end and guiding them to the unloading station 1112 for material loading. This design achieves a fully automated process of empty carrier retrieval, positioning, and reloading preparation, improving the continuity and efficiency of unloading operations. While the current carrier is loading at the unloading station 1112, the next empty carrier can enter the carrier ejection station 1110 in advance to wait, realizing a continuous feeding mode with uninterrupted pre-replenishment, effectively shortening cycle time and improving the overall line operating efficiency. The feeding station 1111 docks with the feeding track 120 in the first direction X, allowing fully loaded carriers to be sent from the unloading station 1112 along the first direction X into the subsequent transmission path.

[0067] Optionally, the discharge mechanism 100 also includes a carrier ejection assembly disposed on the base 110, the carrier ejection station 1110 being used to push the carrier on the carrier ejection station 1110 toward the feeding station 1111.

[0068] By setting up a carrier ejection assembly, the carrier is precisely transferred from the carrier ejection station 1110 to the adjacent unloading station 1112 and the subsequent feeding station 1111. This active drive method ensures high repeatability and reliability of the transfer process. Moreover, the independent drive of the carrier ejection assembly allows it to operate on demand. While the previous carrier is being loaded, the next empty carrier is pushed into the unloading station 1112, and the corresponding loaded carrier is pushed to the feeding station 1111. This achieves a continuous operation mode where loading and replenishment are carried out simultaneously, effectively shortening the process interval time and improving the overall machine capacity.

[0069] In detail, the carrier ejection assembly includes multiple carrier ejection cylinders 170. In the second direction Y, the carrier ejection cylinders 170 correspond one-to-one with the empty carriers on the carrier ejection station 1110. Each carrier ejection cylinder 170 can individually push a corresponding empty carrier to the feeding station 1111.

[0070] In this way, multiple carrier ejection cylinders 170 are set up one-to-one with multiple empty carriers on the carrier ejection station 1110, and each carrier ejection cylinder 170 can be controlled independently. When the material unloading process cannot fill all the empty carriers on the unloading station 1112 due to reasons such as upstream rejection of unqualified materials, only the carriers loaded with materials are pushed to the feeding station 1111 individually by the carrier ejection cylinders 170; while the empty carriers without materials are left in their original positions, forming a row with the empty carriers pushed to the unloading station 1112 by the carrier ejection cylinders 170 to re-enter the unloading process, realizing the dual functions of pushing and unloading. On the one hand, it completes the orderly output of the carriers loaded with materials, and on the other hand, it maintains the integrity of the empty carrier sequence. This ensures that each row of carriers conveyed to the picking track 112 is fully loaded, effectively avoiding material gaps during the picking process and ensuring the continuity and integrity of the picking operation.

[0071] Additionally, refer to Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 7 The material discharge mechanism 100 also includes a limiting component, which includes a number of limiting cylinders 180 equal to the number of carrier ejection cylinders 170. The limiting cylinders 180 correspond one-to-one with the carriers on the carrier ejection station 1110 in the third direction Z. Each limiting cylinder 180 can individually press the corresponding carrier against the base 110 to keep it fixed. Among them, any two of the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z form an angle.

[0072] Thus, the empty carrier after one feeding cycle can be pressed onto the base 110 and kept fixed by the individually controllable limit cylinder 180. In this way, when the carrier loaded with material is pushed to the feeding station 1111 by the carrier push-out cylinder 170, the empty carrier can avoid moving together with the adjacent carrier due to friction, which plays a limiting role for the empty carrier and prevents the empty carrier from being carried to the feeding station 1111 by friction.

[0073] exist Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the embodiment shown, the limiting cylinder 180 corresponds one-to-one with a carrier located at a discharge station 1112 between the feeding station 1111 and the carrier ejection station 1110 in the third direction Z. Understandably, the base 110 is also equipped with a conveyor belt and a push assembly, thereby enabling the vehicle to move in the first direction X.

[0074] For example, a conveyor belt is provided on the base 110 at the middle part of the feeding track 120 and the replenishing track 130 to drive the carrier to translate in the first direction X. A feeding push assembly and a carrier push assembly are also provided on the base 110 at the positions corresponding to the feeding station 1111 and the carrier feeding station 1121, respectively.

[0075] Continue to refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 In detail, the feeding push assembly includes a feeding push cylinder 190 and a feeding push rod 191 connected to the feeding push cylinder 190. The feeding push cylinder 190 is used to drive the feeding push rod 191 to move in the first direction X, so that the feeding push rod 191 pushes a row of carriers on the feeding station 1111 to enter the feeding track 120 along the first direction X, and finally enters the transition station 1130.

[0076] The carrier pushing assembly includes a carrier pushing cylinder 192 and a carrier push rod 193 connected to the carrier pushing cylinder 192. The carrier pushing cylinder 192 is used to drive the carrier push rod 193 to move in the first direction X, so that the carrier push rod 193 pushes a row of empty carriers on the carrier delivery station 1121 into the feeding track 130 and finally into the carrier ejection station 1110.

[0077] In addition, continue to refer to Figure 4 The material discharge mechanism 100 also includes a docking conveyor assembly 194 disposed on the base 110. The docking conveyor assembly 194 is located in the docking track 113 and is used to transport the carrier on the docking station 1131 to the receiving station 1120.

[0078] In this way, by setting the docking conveyor assembly 194 located in the docking track 113 on the base 110 to drive the carrier, the carrier on the docking station 1131 is transported along the first direction X to the receiving station 1120, so as to accurately deliver the carrier to the picking station 1122.

[0079] The docking conveyor assembly 194 can be a belt conveyor, which is convenient and simple to maintain. Of course, chain conveyors, rack and pinion conveyors, or ball screws can also be used to achieve the translational transport of the carrier.

[0080] The feeding mechanism 200 is used to put materials into the empty carrier on the feeding track 111; the picking mechanism is used to pick up the materials from the carrier on the picking track 112.

[0081] In summary, the embodiments of this application disclose a material discharge mechanism 100 and a loading and unloading device, which avoids the lateral space expansion required by the traditional multi-column parallel structure, improves the transfer efficiency while maintaining the overall compact width of the device, and meets the dual requirements of efficient production and space optimization.

[0082] Finally, it should be noted that in this document, the terms “comprising,” “including,” or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0083] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A material discharge mechanism, characterized in that, It includes a base (110) and a feeding track (111), a feeding track (120), a docking track (113), a picking track (112) and a replenishing track (130) arranged on the base (110) and connected end to end in sequence. The feeding track (111) and the picking track (112) are arranged at intervals along a first direction (X), and their length extension directions are both along a second direction (Y). The extension length of the feeding track (111) is less than the extension length of the picking track (112), and the extension width of the feeding track (111) is greater than the extension width of the picking track (112). The picking track (112), the replenishing track (130), and the feeding track (111) are connected sequentially along the first direction (X). The first direction (X) and the second direction (Y) form an angle. The feeding track (120) and the replenishing track (130) are arranged at intervals along the second direction (Y) and both extend along the first direction (X), and the docking track (113) extends along the second direction (Y); The feeding track (120) is used to guide the carrier loaded with material on the discharging track (111) to the docking track (113). The docking track (113) is used to guide the carrier delivered by the feeding track (120) to the picking track (112). The feeding track (130) is used to guide the empty vehicle after the material is taken from the feeding track (112) to the discharging track (111).

2. The material discharge mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The docking track (113) includes a transition station (1130) and a docking station (1131) arranged side by side extending in the second direction (Y). The transition station (1130), the feeding track (120), and the unloading track (111) are arranged and connected in sequence in the first direction (X); The transition station (1130) is used to receive the carrier from the feeding track (120) and guide the carrier to the docking station (1131). The docking station (1131) and the material handling track (112) are docked in the first direction (X); The docking station (1131) is used to guide the carrier to the material handling track (112).

3. The material discharge mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The material discharge mechanism also includes a carrier misalignment component (150) disposed on the base (110), the carrier misalignment component (150) being used to move the carrier on the transition station (1130) along the second direction (Y) to the docking station (1131).

4. The material discharge mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The vehicle misalignment assembly (150) includes a misalignment bracket (151), a misalignment cylinder (152), a misalignment lever (153), and a slidingly fitted first linear bearing (154) and a first guide rod (155). The misaligned bracket (151) is mounted on the base (110); The first linear bearing (154) and the first guide rod (155) are both along the second direction (Y). The two ends of the first guide rod (155) are fixedly connected to the misalignment bracket (151), and the first linear bearing (154) is fixed to the misalignment plate (153). The misalignment cylinder (152) is fixed to the misalignment bracket (151) and connected to the misalignment lever (153). The misalignment cylinder (152) is used to drive the misalignment lever (153) to move along the second direction (Y) so that the misalignment lever (153) moves the carrier on the transition station (1130) to the docking station (1131).

5. The material discharge mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material handling track (112) includes a receiving station (1120), at least two material handling stations (1122), and a carrier delivery station (1121) arranged sequentially along the second direction (Y). The receiving station (1120) is connected to the docking track (113) in the first direction (X) to receive the carrier from the docking track (113) and guide the carrier to the delivery station (1121). The delivery station (1121) is connected to the replenishment track (130) in the first direction (X) to guide the empty delivery station (112) after material collection from the material collection track (112) to the replenishment track (130).

6. The material discharge mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, The material discharge mechanism also includes a carrier pushing assembly (140) disposed on the base (110), the carrier pushing assembly (140) being used to push the carrier on the receiving station (1120) toward the delivery station (1121).

7. The material discharge mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that, The vehicle pushing assembly (140) includes a vehicle pushing bracket (141), a vehicle pushing cylinder (142), a vehicle pushing lever (143), and a slidingly fitted second linear bearing (144) and a second guide rod (145). The vehicle push-in bracket (141) is mounted on the base (110); The axial directions of the second linear bearing (144) and the second guide rod (145) are both along the second direction (Y). The second linear bearing (144) is fixed to the vehicle push-in bracket (141). One end of the second guide rod (145) is connected to the vehicle push-in dial plate (143). The carrier pushing cylinder (142) is fixed to the carrier pushing bracket (141) and connected to the carrier pushing plate (143). The carrier pushing cylinder (142) is used to drive the carrier pushing plate (143) to move along the second direction (Y) so that the carrier pushing plate (143) pushes the carrier on the receiving station (1120) to the carrier delivery station (1121).

8. The material discharge mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The unloading track (111) includes a carrier ejection station (1110), an unloading station (1112) and a feeding station (1111) arranged sequentially along the second direction (Y). The carrier ejection station (1110) is connected to the feeding track (130) to receive empty carriers from the feeding track (130) and guide the empty carriers to the feeding station (1111). The feeding station (1111) is connected to the feeding track (120) in the first direction (X) for receiving the loaded material carrier from the unloading station (1112) and guiding the carrier to the feeding track (120).

9. The material discharge mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that, The material discharge mechanism also includes a carrier ejection assembly disposed on the base (110), and the carrier ejection station (1110) is used to push the carrier on the carrier ejection station (1110) toward the feeding station (1111).

10. The material discharge mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that, The carrier ejection assembly includes multiple carrier ejection cylinders (170). In the second direction (Y), each carrier ejection cylinder (170) corresponds to an empty carrier at the carrier ejection station (1110). Each carrier ejection cylinder (170) can individually push a corresponding empty carrier to the feeding station (1111).

11. The material discharge mechanism according to claim 10, characterized in that, The material discharge mechanism also includes a limiting component disposed on the base (110). The limiting component includes a number of limiting cylinders (180) equal to the number of carrier ejection cylinders (170). The limiting cylinders (180) correspond one-to-one with the carriers on the material discharge station (1112) in the third direction (Z). Each limiting cylinder (180) can individually press a corresponding carrier against the base (110) to keep it fixed. Wherein, any two of the first direction (X), the second direction (Y), and the third direction (Z) form an angle.

12. A loading and unloading device, characterized in that, Includes a feeding mechanism (200), a picking mechanism, and a discharge mechanism as described in any one of claims 1-11; The feeding mechanism (200) is used to feed materials into an empty container on the feeding track (111); The material handling mechanism is used to remove materials from the carrier on the material handling track (112).

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