Automatic sorting and feeding device for toothbrushes

Abstract

The utility model relates to a toothbrush automatic sorting feeding device, include: control module, 3D camera, and control module connection, sorting module, including and control module connection's horizontal multi -joint robot and first quick -change connector that arranges in horizontal multi -joint robot free end, jig module, arranges in one side of sorting module, jig module includes jig frame and a plurality of jigs that arranges in jig frame, at least one material basket, arranges in one side of sorting module, wherein, 3D camera gathers the coordinate and appearance information of object in material basket and feedback to control module, and control module controls horizontal multi -joint robot according to the information received and selects jig to grasp or suck object in material basket. The utility model realizes the function that toothbrush is in disorder state under automatic sorting feeding, thereby improves the sorting efficiency of toothbrush, improves the capacity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of toothbrush production technology, and in particular to an automatic toothbrush sorting and feeding device. Background Technology

[0002] In the toothbrush manufacturing process, the head and handle of the toothbrush typically have complex shapes, including curved or irregular contours. Furthermore, toothbrushes come in a wide range of sizes, and different batches may exhibit significant differences in shape and size. This inconsistency in shape and size presents a significant challenge to the automated feeding of toothbrushes.

[0003] In traditional production processes, toothbrushes are typically placed manually into baskets. However, due to the inconsistent shape and size of toothbrushes, they often become misaligned or overlapped during manual placement, resulting in an irregular arrangement. This irregular arrangement not only increases the difficulty for automated gripping equipment but can also lead to gripping failures or damage to the toothbrushes, thereby reducing production efficiency and increasing production costs. Furthermore, the manual toothbrush loading process itself is inefficient and difficult to meet the needs of large-scale production.

[0004] Moreover, existing 2D vision has a series of problems, such as the inability to acquire depth information, sensitivity to stacking, occlusion, and pose changes, making it difficult to accurately acquire the spatial pose of the toothbrush, especially the orientation of the brush head and the gripping point. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, this utility model discloses an automatic toothbrush sorting and feeding device.

[0006] The technical solution adopted in this utility model is as follows: An automatic toothbrush sorting and feeding device includes: Control module; A 3D camera is connected to the control module; The sorting module includes a horizontal multi-joint robot connected to the control module and a first quick-change connector located at the free end of the horizontal multi-joint robot. A fixture module is located on one side of the sorting module; the fixture module includes a fixture frame and a plurality of fixtures located on the fixture frame; At least one material basket is located on one side of the sorting module; The 3D camera collects the coordinates and appearance information of the objects in the basket and feeds it back to the control module; the control module controls the horizontal multi-joint robot to select the jig to grasp or pick up the objects in the basket based on the received information.

[0007] In one embodiment of this utility model, there are six fixtures, namely a first fixture, a second fixture, a third fixture, a fourth fixture, a fifth fixture, and a sixth fixture; the first fixture, the second fixture, and the third fixture are configured to clamp objects in the basket; the fourth fixture, the fifth fixture, and the sixth fixture are configured to suck up objects from the basket.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first fixture includes a second quick-change connector that mates with the first quick-change connector, a first pneumatic finger connected to the second quick-change connector, and a first clamp connected to the actuating end of the first pneumatic finger.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the second fixture includes a third quick-change connector that mates with the first quick-change connector, a second pneumatic finger connected to the third quick-change connector, and a second clamp connected to the actuating end of the second pneumatic finger.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the third fixture includes a fourth quick-change connector that mates with the first quick-change connector, a third pneumatic finger connected to the fourth quick-change connector, and a third clamp connected to the working end of the third pneumatic finger.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the fourth fixture includes a fifth quick-change connector that mates with the first quick-change connector and at least one suction nozzle disposed on the fifth quick-change connector.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the fifth fixture includes a sixth quick-change connector that mates with the first quick-change connector and a first suction cup connected to the sixth quick-change connector.

[0013] In one embodiment of this utility model, the sixth fixture includes a seventh quick-change connector that mates with the first quick-change connector, a second suction cup connected to the seventh quick-change connector, and a sponge layer disposed on the second suction cup; the sponge layer faces the material basket.

[0014] In one embodiment of this utility model, the fixture frame includes a horizontally arranged crossbeam and vertical plates arranged on both sides of the crossbeam; the crossbeam has multiple slots for placing the fixture.

[0015] In one embodiment of this utility model, a frame is also included; the 3D camera, the sorting module, and the fixture module are installed within the frame.

[0016] The above-mentioned technical solution of this utility model has the following advantages compared with the prior art: The automatic toothbrush sorting and feeding device of this invention is equipped with a high-precision vision sensor or 3D camera, which can quickly identify the shape, size and orientation of toothbrushes, and can automatically classify and position toothbrushes of different shapes and sizes.

[0017] The automatic toothbrush sorting and feeding device described in this utility model adopts a multi-degree-of-freedom horizontal multi-joint robot, equipped with a variety of adjustable fixtures, which can adapt to toothbrushes of different shapes and sizes.

[0018] The present invention reduces manual intervention, improves the neatness of toothbrushes in the material basket, and facilitates subsequent automated grasping and processing. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To make the content of this utility model easier to understand, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic toothbrush sorting and feeding device of this utility model.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the combination of the 3D camera and the material basket in this utility model.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the horizontal multi-joint robot and the material basket in this utility model.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of the fixture and fixture frame in this utility model.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the control module, 3D camera, and horizontal multi-joint robot in this utility model.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the working process of the fifth fixture in this utility model.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the instruction manual: 10. Frame; 20. 3D camera; 30. Sorting module; 31. Horizontal multi-joint robot; 32. First quick-change connector; 33. First material basket; 34. Second material basket; 40. Fixture module; 41. First fixture; 411. Second quick-change connector; 412. First pneumatic finger; 413. First gripper; 42. Second fixture; 421. Third quick-change connector; 422. Second pneumatic finger; 423. Second gripper; 43. Third fixture ; 431, Fourth quick-change connector; 432, Third pneumatic finger; 433, Third clamp; 44, Fourth fixture; 441, Fifth quick-change connector; 442, Suction nozzle; 45, Fifth fixture; 451, Sixth quick-change connector; 452, First suction cup; 46, Sixth fixture; 461, Seventh quick-change connector; 462, Connecting plate; 463, Elastic element; 464, Second suction cup; 47, Fixture frame; 471, Crossbeam; 472, Vertical plate. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can better understand and implement the present invention. However, the embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0028] The foregoing and other technical contents, features, and effects of this utility model will be clearly presented in the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. The directional terms mentioned in the following embodiments, such as up, down, left, right, front, or back, are only for reference to the directions in the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are for illustrative purposes and not for limiting the present utility model. Furthermore, in all embodiments, the same reference numerals denote the same elements.

[0029] Reference Figures 1 to 3 As shown, an automatic toothbrush sorting and feeding device includes a control module, a frame 10, a 3D camera 20, a sorting module 30, a fixture module 40, a first material basket 33, and a second material basket 34. The 3D camera 20, the sorting module 30, and the fixture module 40 are installed inside the frame 10.

[0030] Among them, combined Figure 5 The control module uses an ARM Cortex-A8-based microprocessor. The 3D camera 20 is connected to the control module. The sorting module 30 includes a horizontal multi-joint robot 31 connected to the control module and a first quick-connect head 32 located at the free end of the horizontal multi-joint robot 31. A fixture module 40 is located on one side of the sorting module 30. The fixture module 40 includes a fixture frame 47 and multiple fixtures located on the fixture frame 47.

[0031] The 3D camera 20 acquires the coordinates and appearance information of objects in the first basket 33 and the second basket 34 and feeds it back to the control module. Based on the received information, the control module controls the horizontal multi-joint robot 31 to select a fixture to grip or pick up objects from the first basket 33 and the second basket 34. The 3D camera uses a motor-driven scanning light-cutting detection principle. It eliminates the need for time-consuming adjustments to lighting and lens focus, and requires no auxiliary equipment such as a stage or encoder, allowing for immediate use. The focus is blurred, eliminating errors caused by the drive mechanism, and enabling high-precision detection even with a mixture of multiple objects. A single 3D camera 20 can detect XYZ dimensions such as width, position, height, area, volume, and angle. 3D detection is less affected by background or color differences and can stably detect subtle bumps and depressions within the same color. Simultaneous capture of 3D and grayscale images provides advantages such as stable detection of assembly defects like warping and OCR. Compared to traditional 2D cameras, 3D cameras can measure width, height, area, and volume, and the measurement results are less affected by focusing results and background patterns. They can also reliably detect depressions of the same color. This provides more accurate guidance information for horizontal multi-joint robots.

[0032] The horizontal joint robot 31 can be flexibly switched, not limited to a four-axis robot, but can also be a collaborative robot or a six-axis robot. The horizontal joint robot 31 has a faster running speed in the plane and higher repeatability, which can improve sorting efficiency. At the same time, the free end of the horizontal joint robot 31 can flexibly switch fixtures through the first quick-change connector 32. The horizontal joint robot 31 sorts the first material basket 33 and the second material basket 34 to the subsequent toothbrush production equipment.

[0033] It should be noted that this embodiment includes two material baskets: a first material basket 33 and a second material basket 34, which are manually fed. Different shapes and colors of toothbrushes are placed in both baskets. With two baskets, the mechanical structure and control system of the automatic toothbrush sorting and feeding device are relatively simple. If the number of baskets is too large, the horizontal multi-joint robot 31 may require more complex robotic arm motion path planning. For a gripping device with two baskets, the motion range and action sequence of the horizontal multi-joint robot 31 can be simpler. It only needs to reciprocate between the two baskets, with a relatively fixed motion trajectory, reducing the risk of mechanical wear and failure that may result from complex motion paths. The two baskets can be well coordinated with the production cycle of the equipment. Furthermore, the horizontal multi-joint robot 31 can grip and process materials in one basket while simultaneously replenishing materials or collecting finished products in the other. This setup ensures a continuous supply of materials and output of finished products during production, avoiding material chaos or equipment waiting situations that may occur due to too many baskets.

[0034] like Figure 4As shown, this embodiment includes six fixtures: a first fixture 41, a second fixture 42, a third fixture 43, a fourth fixture 44, a fifth fixture 45, and a sixth fixture 46. The first fixture 41, second fixture 42, and third fixture 43 are configured to grip objects within the material basket. The fourth fixture 44, fifth fixture 45, and sixth fixture 46 are configured to suck up objects from the material basket. The combination of these fixtures corresponds to different types of toothbrushes and different working conditions.

[0035] Specifically, the first fixture 41 includes a second quick-change connector 411 that mates with the first quick-change connector 32, a first pneumatic finger 412 connected to the second quick-change connector 411, and a first chuck 413 connected to the working end of the first pneumatic finger 412.

[0036] The second fixture 42 includes a third quick-change connector 421 that mates with the first quick-change connector 32, a second pneumatic finger 422 connected to the third quick-change connector 421, and a second chuck 423 connected to the working end of the second pneumatic finger 422.

[0037] The third fixture 43 includes a fourth quick-change connector 431 that mates with the first quick-change connector 32, a third pneumatic finger 432 connected to the fourth quick-change connector 431, and a third chuck 433 connected to the working end of the third pneumatic finger 432.

[0038] The fourth fixture 44 includes a fifth quick-change connector 441 that mates with the first quick-change connector 32 and at least one suction nozzle 442 disposed on the fifth quick-change connector 441.

[0039] The fifth fixture 45 includes a sixth quick-change connector 451 that mates with the first quick-change connector 32, and a first suction cup 452 connected to the sixth quick-change connector 451. The first suction cup 452 is flexible; when the piston rod connected to the first suction cup 452 retracts, the first suction cup 452 flips inward. At this time, a recess is formed on the outer surface of the first suction cup 452, surrounding and clamping the object. Figure 6 As shown, the working process of the fifth fixture 45 is as follows: the extended first suction cup 452 moves to the object to be grasped, and the shape-adaptive first suction cup 452 is pressed onto the object to be grasped until a depression is formed on the outer side of the surface of the first suction cup 452, and the object to be grasped is surrounded in the first suction cup 452 and thus clamped.

[0040] The sixth fixture 46 includes a seventh quick-change connector 461 that mates with the first quick-change connector 32, a second suction cup 464 connected to the seventh quick-change connector 461, and a sponge layer disposed on the second suction cup 464. The sponge layer faces the material basket. When compressed air passes rapidly through the hole of the second suction cup 464, a large amount of air will be carried away from the hole of the second suction cup 464. The sponge layer acts as a seal, thereby creating a vacuum negative pressure in the hole, allowing the object to move through the hole. Furthermore, the sixth fixture 46 also includes a connecting plate 462 and an elastic element 463. One end of the elastic element 463 abuts against the connecting plate 462, and the other end abuts against the second suction cup 464. The elastic element 463 may be a compression spring. When the second suction cup 464 contacts the object, the spring can absorb part of the impact force, reducing the direct impact on the object's surface and protecting the object's surface from damage.

[0041] It should be noted that the difference between the first fixture 41, the second fixture 42 and the third fixture 43 is that the size and shape of the clamps are different, which can quickly clamp toothbrushes of different sizes and models.

[0042] The difference between the fourth fixture 44, the fifth fixture 45, and the sixth fixture 46 is that the suction nozzle 442 of the fourth fixture 44 can handle situations with special shapes and a large number of toothbrushes stacked together. The fifth fixture 45 and the sixth fixture 46 are two different types of sponge suction cups that can pick up toothbrushes located on the edges and in special positions.

[0043] The fixture frame 47 includes a horizontally arranged crossbeam 471 and vertical plates 472 arranged on both sides of the crossbeam 471. The crossbeam 471 has multiple slots for placing fixtures. It can be understood that in this embodiment, the crossbeam 471 has six slots for placing fixtures.

[0044] The working principle of this utility model is as follows: The first and second baskets 33 and 34, containing toothbrushes, are placed within the scanning range of the 3D camera 20 for information acquisition. The 3D camera 20 acquires the coordinates and appearance information of the objects in the first and second baskets 33 and 34 and feeds it back to the control module. Based on the received information, the control module controls the horizontal joint robot 31 to select a jig to grasp or pick up the objects in the first and second baskets 33 and 34.

[0045] The horizontal multi-joint robot 31 can change fixtures using quick-change connectors according to production needs, making it more flexible and convenient, saving time and improving efficiency.

[0046] In the description of the embodiments of this utility model, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set" and "connection" 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 utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0047] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely illustrative examples for clear explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations here. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. An automatic toothbrush sorting and feeding device, characterized in that, include: Control module; A 3D camera (20) is connected to the control module; The sorting module (30) includes a horizontal multi-joint robot (31) connected to the control module and a first quick-connect connector (32) located at the free end of the horizontal multi-joint robot (31). A fixture module (40) is located on one side of the sorting module (30); the fixture module (40) includes a fixture frame (47) and a plurality of fixtures located on the fixture frame (47); At least one material basket is located on one side of the sorting module (30); The 3D camera (20) collects the coordinates and appearance information of the object in the basket and feeds it back to the control module; the control module controls the horizontal multi-joint robot (31) to select the jig to grab or pick up the object in the basket according to the received information.

2. The automatic toothbrush sorting and feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixtures are six in number: a first fixture (41), a second fixture (42), a third fixture (43), a fourth fixture (44), a fifth fixture (45), and a sixth fixture (46). The first fixture (41), the second fixture (42), and the third fixture (43) are configured to grip the objects in the basket. The fourth fixture (44), the fifth fixture (45), and the sixth fixture (46) are configured to suck up the objects in the basket.

3. The automatic toothbrush sorting and feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first fixture (41) includes a second quick-change connector (411) that mates with the first quick-change connector (32), a first pneumatic finger (412) connected to the second quick-change connector (411), and a first chuck (413) connected to the working end of the first pneumatic finger (412).

4. The automatic toothbrush sorting and feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second fixture (42) includes a third quick-change connector (421) that mates with the first quick-change connector (32), a second pneumatic finger (422) connected to the third quick-change connector (421), and a second chuck (423) connected to the working end of the second pneumatic finger (422).

5. The automatic toothbrush sorting and feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The third fixture (43) includes a fourth quick-change connector (431) that mates with the first quick-change connector (32), a third pneumatic finger (432) connected to the fourth quick-change connector (431), and a third chuck (433) connected to the working end of the third pneumatic finger (432).

6. The automatic toothbrush sorting and feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fourth fixture (44) includes a fifth quick-change connector (441) that mates with the first quick-change connector (32) and at least one suction nozzle (442) disposed on the fifth quick-change connector (441).

7. The automatic toothbrush sorting and feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fifth fixture (45) includes a sixth quick-change connector (451) that mates with the first quick-change connector (32) and a first suction cup (452) connected to the sixth quick-change connector (451).

8. The automatic toothbrush sorting and feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The sixth fixture (46) includes a seventh quick-change connector (461) that mates with the first quick-change connector (32), a second suction cup (464) connected to the seventh quick-change connector (461), and a sponge layer disposed on the second suction cup (464); the sponge layer faces the basket.

9. The automatic toothbrush sorting and feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixture frame (47) includes a horizontally arranged crossbeam (471) and vertical plates (472) arranged on both sides of the crossbeam (471); the crossbeam (471) has multiple slots for placing the fixture.

10. The automatic toothbrush sorting and feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a frame (10); the 3D camera (20), the sorting module (30) and the fixture module (40) are installed in the frame (10).

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