Automatic feeding mechanism for trays

Abstract

The application provides a tray automatic feeding mechanism, which comprises a base, a limiting assembly arranged on the base and used for limiting a tray group, the tray group comprising a plurality of trays arranged in sequence along a preset direction, a chuck assembly used for supporting the tray group, a tray moving assembly used for placing and conveying the tray to a designated station, and a jacking assembly which is lifted relative to the base in the preset direction to abut against the tray group from below in a first position, separate the lowermost tray from the tray group in a second position, and place the lowermost tray on the tray moving assembly in a third position, wherein the chuck assembly is separated from the tray group when the jacking assembly moves to the first position, the chuck assembly supports the tray which is not separated from the tray group when the jacking assembly moves to the second position, and the first position, the second position and the third position are arranged in sequence from top to bottom.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automated production equipment technology, and in particular to an automatic tray feeding mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] In automated production, tray feeding is a common material supply process. Traditional tray feeding mechanisms generally suffer from poor safety and low efficiency when manually loading, and have low compatibility with trays of different sizes and thicknesses, making changeover and adjustment cumbersome. Furthermore, some mechanisms rely on air supply, which makes it difficult to stably support the tray in the event of an air outage. This can also lead to issues such as failure to provide timely alerts when material is low, and vibration and deformation of the tray during transport. All of these factors negatively impact production efficiency and feeding stability. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of this, it is necessary to propose an automatic material feeding mechanism for material trays that is structurally reasonable, stable in operation, highly compatible, and safe and reliable.

[0004] This application provides an automatic tray feeding mechanism, which includes: a base; a limiting component disposed on the base for limiting a tray group, the tray group including a plurality of trays stacked sequentially along a preset direction; a chuck assembly for supporting the tray group; a tray transfer assembly for placing and conveying the trays to a designated workstation; and a lifting assembly that moves up and down relative to the base in a preset direction to hold the tray group from below at a first position, separate the bottom tray from the tray group at a second position, and place the bottom tray on the tray transfer assembly at a third position. When the lifting assembly moves to the first position, the chuck assembly separates from the tray group; when the lifting assembly moves to the second position, the chuck assembly supports the tray that has not been separated from the tray group. The first, second, and third positions are sequentially arranged from top to bottom.

[0005] Optionally, the height difference between the first position and the second position is the height of a tray.

[0006] Optionally, the transfer assembly includes two conveyor belts spaced apart on the base, with a third position located below the two conveyor belts.

[0007] Optionally, the lifting assembly includes a drive unit and a lifting plate, the drive unit being used to drive the lifting plate to rise and fall relative to the base.

[0008] Optionally, the drive device includes a lead screw, a motor, and a mounting mechanism. The motor is fixed to the base via the mounting mechanism, which includes a fixed plate. One end of the lead screw is connected to the motor, and the other end is connected to the fixed plate. The fixed plate and the lifting plate are connected by two support shafts. One end of each support shaft is fixed to the motor, and the other end passes through the fixed plate and is connected to the lifting plate. The motor drives the lead screw to rotate, thereby raising and lowering the two support shafts, which in turn raises and lowers the lifting plate. The lifting assembly supports the material tray assembly or separates from the material tray assembly via the lifting plate.

[0009] Optionally, the lifting assembly also includes a protective plate, which is fixed to the side of the lifting plate away from the fixed plate. The base is provided with a slot, and when the lifting assembly moves to the third position, the protective plate covers the slot.

[0010] Optionally, the chuck assembly includes two symmetrically arranged chuck structures. When the lifting assembly is in the second position, the two chuck structures jointly support the material tray assembly; when the lifting assembly is in the second position, the two chuck structures separate from the material tray assembly.

[0011] Optionally, each chuck structure includes a clamping member, a cylinder that drives the clamping member to reciprocate, and an elastic member. The elastic member is located between the clamping member and the cylinder and applies a spring force to the clamping member away from the cylinder. The clamping member extends or retracts under the drive of the cylinder. When the lifting assembly is in the second position, the clamping member extends and supports the material tray assembly. When the lifting assembly is in the first position, the clamping member retracts and separates from the material tray assembly.

[0012] Optionally, the chuck assembly also includes a sensor for detecting the tray; when the sensor does not detect the tray, it outputs an alarm message.

[0013] Optionally, the limiting component includes two first limiting components and two second limiting components. The two first limiting components and two second limiting components stand in a quadrilateral shape on the base to form a feeding area. The material tray assembly and the lifting assembly are located in the feeding area, and the lifting assembly is located below the material tray assembly.

[0014] The aforementioned automatic tray feeding mechanism, through a lifting assembly and the coordinated control of a motor and lead screw, achieves precise movement of the lifting plate between the first, second, and third positions. Working in conjunction with the chuck assembly, it efficiently separates trays of different sizes and thicknesses. The sorting process is smooth, effectively preventing tray vibration and deformation, ensuring optimal tray condition upon entering the machine, and significantly improving the sorting success rate. Furthermore, the corner guards on the limit assembly and the protective plate on the lifting assembly effectively protect operators from scratches and pinches. The combined use of a material shortage sensor and a three-color alarm light allows for more flexible feeding timing, eliminating the need for constant manual monitoring and greatly improving the safety of human-machine interaction. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the automatic feeding mechanism for the material tray provided in the application embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the limiting component structure of the automatic feeding mechanism for the material tray provided in the application embodiment.

[0018] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the chuck assembly structure of the automatic feeding mechanism for the material tray provided in the application embodiment.

[0019] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the lifting component structure of the automatic feeding mechanism for the material tray provided in the application embodiment.

[0020] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the tray transfer component structure of the automatic tray feeding mechanism provided in the application embodiment.

[0021] Component designations

[0022] Automatic feeding mechanism for material trays - 100 nut - 331

[0023] Limiting component-1 Lead screw-332

[0024] Feeding area-11 Motor-333

[0025] Long limit bar-12 Installation mechanism-334

[0026] Short limit bar-13 Fixing plate-3341

[0027] Material tray stop-14 Support shaft-3342

[0028] Corner protection structure-15 Disk transfer assembly-4

[0029] Mistake-proof structure-16 Conveyor belt-40

[0030] Chuck assembly-2 First conveyor belt-40a

[0031] Chuck structure-20 Second conveyor belt-40b

[0032] Card holder - 21 Channel - 41

[0033] Cylinder-22 Transmission Mechanism-42

[0034] Cylinder mounting base-23 First transmission mechanism-42a

[0035] Elastic component-24 Second transmission mechanism-42b

[0036] Grounding wire-25 Base-5

[0037] Lifting Components-3, Longitudinal Beams-51

[0038] Protective plate-31, slotted-52

[0039] Lifting plate - 32 Horizontal bar - 53

[0040] Drive unit-33

[0041] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0042] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the accompanying drawings, and 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 of this application.

[0043] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0044] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0045] To provide a clearer and more accurate understanding of the contents of this application, a detailed description will now be provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings illustrate examples of embodiments of this application, wherein the same reference numerals denote the same elements. It is to be understood that the scale shown in the accompanying drawings is not the actual scale of this application, and is for illustrative purposes only, and is not a drawing based on the original dimensions.

[0046] Please refer to the following: Figures 1-5 This application provides an automatic tray feeding mechanism 100. The automatic tray feeding mechanism 100 includes a base 5, a limiting component 1, a chuck component 2, a lifting component 3, and a tray shifting component 4. In this embodiment, the limiting component 1, the chuck component 2, and the lifting component 3 are all mounted on the base 5, and the limiting component 1 is provided with a feeding area 11, in which the tray assembly is placed.

[0047] The tray assembly comprises several trays stacked sequentially along a preset direction (vertical direction). Several chuck assemblies 2 and lifting assemblies 3 are located in the feeding area 11 and work together to separate each tray in the tray assembly and place them one by one onto the transfer assembly 4. The transfer assembly 4 is used to gradually transfer the trays one by one to a preset position, i.e., loading. The chuck assembly 2 is used to support the tray assembly. The lifting assembly 3 moves up and down relative to the base 5 in a preset direction to support the tray assembly from below at a first position, separate the bottom tray from the tray assembly at a second position, and place the bottom tray onto the transfer assembly 4 at a third position. Specifically, when the lifting assembly 3 moves to the first position, the chuck assembly 2 separates from the tray assembly; when the lifting assembly 3 moves to the second position, the chuck assembly 2 supports the tray that has not been separated from the tray assembly. The first, second, and third positions are set sequentially from top to bottom. In this embodiment, the second position is the initial position. The height difference between the first and second positions is the height of one tray. The third position is located below the transfer assembly 4.

[0048] Specifically, the base 5 is a roughly rectangular frame. The base 5 includes two opposing longitudinal beams 51, a slot 52 located between the two longitudinal beams 51, and a plurality of crossbars 53 fixed between the two longitudinal beams 51, with the plurality of crossbars 53 located in the slot 52.

[0049] Please refer to Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the limiting component 1 provided in an embodiment of the utility model. The limiting component 1 includes two first limiting members and two second limiting members, which stand in a quadrilateral shape on the base 5 to form a feeding area 11. It also includes two oppositely arranged long limiting strips 12, two oppositely arranged short limiting strips 13, and four material tray stop seats 14. The two long limiting strips 12 and two short limiting strips 13 are respectively set on the longitudinal beam 51 through the stop seats, with one long limiting strip 12 and one short limiting strip 13 located on the same side. Thus, the two long limiting strips 12 and two short limiting strips 13 form a rectangular feeding area 11. The inner dimension of the feeding area 11 is slightly larger than the outer shape of the material tray to facilitate the placement of the material tray assembly. Simultaneously, the two long limiting strips 12 and two short limiting strips 13 can precisely guide and limit the material tray, preventing the material tray from tilting. The material tray stop 14 is located at the bottom of the long limit bar 12 and the short limit bar 13, and can also support the long limit bar 12 and the short limit bar 13.

[0050] The limiting component 1 is also equipped with a corner protection structure 15, which tightly wraps around the edge of the top end face of the short limiting strip 13 at the material discharge port, effectively preventing workers from being scratched by the metal edges of the long limiting strip 12 and the short limiting strip 13 when placing the material tray. In addition, the corner protection structure 15 is made of wear-resistant plastic.

[0051] Furthermore, the limiting component 1 is equipped with a foolproof structure 16, which is installed above the material tray stop 14 at the feeding end. Through the precise matching of the shape of the material tray and the limiting space, the foolproof structure 16 can effectively prevent the material tray of the wrong direction or type from entering, thereby ensuring the accuracy of material tray feeding and significantly reducing operator errors.

[0052] Please refer to Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of the chuck assembly 2 provided in an embodiment of the utility model. The chuck assembly 2 includes two chuck structures 20 arranged opposite each other. Each chuck structure 20 includes a holding member 21, a cylinder 22 that drives the holding member 21 to reciprocate, and an elastic member 24. The elastic member 24 is located between the holding member 21 and the cylinder 22, and applies a spring force to the holding member 21 away from the cylinder 22. The holding member 21 extends or retracts under the drive of the cylinder 22. Specifically, the holding member 21 is a locking block. One end of the elastic member 24 is fixed to the holding member, and the other end is fixed to the cylinder 22. In the initial state, the elastic member 24 is in a stretched state, thereby generating the spring force. In this embodiment, the elastic member 24 is a spring. When the lifting assembly 3 is in the second position, the holding member 21 extends and supports the tray assembly; when the lifting assembly 3 is in the first position, the holding member 21 retracts and separates from the tray assembly. In this embodiment, the clamping member 21 achieves the function of supporting and separating the material tray group by telescopic means. In some feasible embodiments, the clamping member 21 can also achieve the function of supporting and separating the material tray group by rotation. In this embodiment, the clamping member 21 is fixedly installed on the axially movable main shaft (not shown in the figure), and the main shaft is connected to the cylinder shaft of the cylinder 22 (not shown in the figure), so that the cylinder 22 can precisely drive the clamping member 21 to move forward and backward.

[0053] Since the elastic element 24 is in a stretched state in the initial state, when the automatic feeding mechanism 100 of the material tray is de-energized, the elastic element 24 pushes the main shaft and the clamping element 21 to extend towards the material tray, so that the front end of the clamping element 21 can support the edge of the material tray from below, realizing mechanical self-locking support.

[0054] Furthermore, one end of the grounding wire 25 of the chuck assembly 2 is connected to the cylinder mounting base 23, and the other end is connected to the equipment grounding grid to conduct away static electricity that may be generated by the friction of the chuck and protect confidential electronic components.

[0055] The chuck assembly 2 is also equipped with a sensor (not shown in the figure). The sensor is used to detect the tray; when the sensor does not detect a tray (material shortage), it outputs an alarm message. The alarm message is emitted via a three-color alarm light to remind the operator to add material in a timely manner. In this embodiment, the sensor monitors the tray level in real time. When the number of trays falls below the minimum tray setting, it triggers the three-color alarm light (not shown in the figure) to remind the operator to add a tray. The sensor is configured to detect whether a tray is present in the unloading area 11; any sensing module capable of this detection function is suitable for this solution.

[0056] Please refer to Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the lifting assembly 3 provided in an embodiment of the utility model. The lifting assembly 3 includes a driving device 33, a lifting plate 32, and a protective plate 31. The driving device 33 is used to drive the lifting plate 32 to rise and fall relative to the base 5. The protective plate 31 is shaped to fit the lifting plate 32, is fixed to it, and moves together with the lifting plate 32. At the same time, the lifting assembly 3 contacts the tray assembly or the tray assembly through the protective plate 31.

[0057] The drive unit 33 includes a lead screw 332, a motor 333, and a mounting mechanism 334. The motor 333 is fixed to the base 5 via the mounting mechanism 334 and is also connected to the lifting plate 32.

[0058] The mounting mechanism 334 includes a fixed plate 3341 and two support shafts 3342. The fixed plate 3341 is positioned opposite the lifting plate 32 and away from the protective plate 31. One end of each support shaft 3342 is fixed to a motor 333, and the other end passes through the fixed plate 3341 and connects to the lifting plate 32. The two support shafts 3342 are movably connected to the fixed plate 3341. Specifically, one end of a lead screw 332 is connected to the motor 333, and the other end is connected to the fixed plate 3341. A nut 331 is mounted on the end of the lead screw 332 facing the fixed plate 3341. The nut 331 and the lead screw 332 work together to generate an upward force when the lead screw rotates, thereby raising and lowering the two support shafts 3342.

[0059] When the lifting assembly 3 is working, the motor 333 drives the lead screw to rotate, thereby raising and lowering the two support shafts 3342, which in turn raises and lowers the lifting plate 32. Specifically, the lifting assembly 3 controls the motor 333 to position the lifting plate 32 in three positions: a first position, a second position, and a third position. This allows the lifting assembly 3 to support the material tray assembly, separate the material trays, and place the separated trays onto the transfer assembly 4 in these positions. Furthermore, when the lifting assembly 3 moves to the third position, the protective plate 31 covers the slot 52, effectively preventing the lifting plate 32 from pinching and injuring workers.

[0060] Please refer to Figure 5This document provides a schematic diagram of the structure of a tray transfer assembly 4 according to a utility model embodiment. The tray transfer assembly 4 includes a conveyor belt 40 and a transmission mechanism 42 for driving the conveyor belt 40. The transmission mechanism 42 is fixed to two longitudinal beams 51. The conveyor belt 40 includes a first conveyor belt 40a and a second conveyor belt 40b. The transmission mechanism 42 includes a first transmission mechanism 42a and a second transmission mechanism 42b. The first transmission mechanism 42 and the second transmission mechanism 42b are respectively mounted on the two longitudinal beams 51. The first conveyor belt 40a and the second conveyor belt 40b are respectively mounted on the first transmission mechanism 42a and the second transmission mechanism 42b to move under the action of the first transmission mechanism 42a and the second transmission mechanism 42b. A channel 41 is formed between the first conveyor belt 40a and the second conveyor belt 40b. The width of the channel 41 should be less than the width of the tray and greater than the width of the lifting plate 32 to ensure that the tray can be safely placed between the first conveyor belt 40a and the second conveyor belt 40b, preventing it from falling between them. In addition, the channel 41 also provides the lifting plate 32 with the necessary space for vertical lifting without interference. This design is key to achieving effective separation of the tray from the lifting assembly 3 and smooth arrival at the tray transfer assembly 4.

[0061] The working process of the automatic feeding mechanism 100 is as follows:

[0062] The limiting component 1 and the tray chuck component 2 form a tray storage mechanism. Under the constraints of the long limiting bar 12 and the short limiting bar 13, the operator places the tray onto the holding component 21. The holding component 21, under the action of the elastic component 24, maintains an inward extension tendency, supporting the bottom tray.

[0063] When a tray needs to be fed, the automatic tray feeding mechanism 100 is activated, and the motor 333 of the lifting assembly 3 drives the lead screw to rotate. The lead screw nut 331 rises, causing the two support shafts 3342 to rise together. The lifting plate 32 rises and lifts the entire stack of trays upwards, separating the trays from the clamping member 21. After the trays and clamping member 21 have separated to a certain height, the cylinder 22 drives the clamping member 21 to retract. The motor 333 then drives the lead screw 332 to reverse, and the lifting plate 32 drives the tray assembly to descend. When the bottom tray reaches the second position, the lead screw 332 stops rotating, and the cylinder 22 drives the clamping member 21 to extend and insert between the bottom tray and the tray above it, completing one tray separation. The lifting plate 32 continues to descend, and the separated bottom tray falls onto the conveyor belt 40 of the tray transfer assembly. At the same time, the lifting plate 32 and the trays separate, and the lifting plate 32 returns to the standby position. Next, the motor 333 of the transfer assembly 4 starts, and drives the transmission belt 40 to move through the synchronous belt, smoothly transporting the single material tray to the material picking station inside the machine, waiting for the robot to pick it up.

[0064] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

[0065] The above-listed embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. Therefore, any equivalent variations made in accordance with the claims of this application shall still fall within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. An automatic tray feeding mechanism, characterized in that, The automatic tray feeding mechanism includes: Base; A limiting component is provided on the base, the limiting component is used to limit the material tray group, the material tray group includes a plurality of material trays stacked sequentially along a preset direction; A chuck assembly for supporting the tray group; The tray transfer assembly is used to place and transport the trays to the designated workstation; A lifting assembly moves up and down relative to the base along a preset direction to hold the tray group from below at a first position, separate the bottom tray from the tray group at a second position, and place the bottom tray on the transfer assembly at a third position. When the lifting assembly moves to the first position, the chuck assembly separates from the tray group; when the lifting assembly moves to the second position, the chuck assembly supports the tray that has not been separated from the tray group. The first, second, and third positions are sequentially arranged from top to bottom.

2. The automatic feeding mechanism for a material tray as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The height difference between the first position and the second position is the height of one tray.

3. The automatic tray feeding mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The transfer assembly includes two conveyor belts spaced apart from the base, and the third position is located below the two conveyor belts.

4. The automatic tray feeding mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting assembly includes a drive device and a lifting plate, wherein the drive device is used to drive the lifting plate to rise and fall relative to the base.

5. The automatic tray feeding mechanism as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The driving device includes a lead screw, a motor, and a mounting mechanism. The motor is fixed to the base via the mounting mechanism, which includes a fixing plate. One end of the lead screw is connected to the motor, and the other end is connected to the fixing plate. The fixing plate and the lifting plate are connected by two support shafts. One end of each support shaft is fixed to the motor, and the other end passes through the fixing plate and connects to the lifting plate. The motor drives the lead screw to rotate, thereby raising and lowering the two support shafts to raise and lower the lifting plate. The lifting assembly either holds the material tray group against the lifting plate or separates from the material tray group.

6. The automatic feeding mechanism for a material tray as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The lifting assembly also includes a protective plate, which is fixed to the side of the lifting plate away from the fixed plate. The base is provided with a slot, and when the lifting assembly moves to the third position, the protective plate covers the slot.

7. The automatic tray feeding mechanism as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The chuck assembly includes two symmetrically arranged chuck structures. When the lifting assembly is in the second position, the two chuck structures jointly support the material tray group; when the lifting assembly is in the second position, the two chuck structures separate from the material tray group.

8. The automatic tray feeding mechanism as described in claim 7, characterized in that, Each chuck structure includes a clamping member, a cylinder that drives the clamping member to reciprocate, and an elastic member. The elastic member is located between the clamping member and the cylinder and applies a spring force to the clamping member away from the cylinder. The clamping member extends or retracts under the drive of the cylinder. When the lifting assembly is in the second position, the clamping member extends and supports the tray assembly. When the lifting assembly is in the first position, the clamping member retracts and separates from the tray assembly.

9. The automatic tray feeding mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The chuck assembly also includes a sensor for detecting the tray; when the sensor does not detect the tray, it outputs an alarm message.

10. The automatic tray feeding mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The limiting component includes two first limiting members and two second limiting members. The two first limiting members and the two second limiting members stand in a quadrilateral shape on the base to form a feeding area. The material tray group and the lifting component are located in the feeding area, and the lifting component is located below the material tray group.

Images