A variable-pitch material handling device

Abstract

This utility model relates to a variable-pitch material handling device, including a linear guide rail, a first material handling mechanism, and a second material handling mechanism. The first and second material handling mechanisms are slidably disposed on the linear guide rail. The first material handling mechanism includes at least two first gripper assemblies for gripping materials and transferring them to a processing position. The second material handling mechanism includes a variable-pitch component and at least two second gripper assemblies for gripping materials from the processing position. The variable-pitch component is used to adjust the distance between two adjacent second gripper assemblies. This utility model has a compact structure, occupies little space, and can flexibly adjust the material spacing, effectively improving the automation level and flexibility of the production line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of artificial plant production and processing, and more specifically, to a variable distance material handling device. Background Technology

[0002] In the production of artificial Christmas tree branches, metal wire is used as a framework, and a plastic layer (such as PVC or PE) is wrapped around the wire to enhance structural strength and make the appearance more realistic. Traditional metal wire processing equipment usually has separate feeding and unloading mechanisms, resulting in a complex machine structure and large space occupation. In addition, the grippers of existing wire feeding devices are mostly fixed in spacing, making it difficult to adapt to changes in the spacing of different feeding and unloading positions. When changing products or production specifications, the machine needs to be stopped and the grippers readjusted or replaced, which limits production efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this utility model is to provide a variable-pitch material handling device, which has a compact structure, occupies little space, and can flexibly adjust the material spacing, effectively improving the automation level and flexibility of the production line.

[0004] A variable-pitch material handling device includes a linear guide rail, a first material handling mechanism, and a second material handling mechanism. The first and second material handling mechanisms are slidably disposed on the linear guide rail. The first material handling mechanism includes at least two first gripper assemblies for gripping materials and transferring them to a processing position. The second material handling mechanism includes a variable-pitch component and at least two second gripper assemblies for gripping materials from the processing position. The variable-pitch component is used to adjust the distance between two adjacent second gripper assemblies.

[0005] In the above technical solution, by setting a first material handling mechanism and a second material handling mechanism that can slide on the same linear guide rail, a compact and collaborative material handling layout is formed. The first material handling mechanism is responsible for feeding the material into the processing position, while the second material handling mechanism picks up the processed material. The distance between two adjacent sets of materials is adjusted by a pitch-changing component to adapt the spacing to the downstream workstation, realizing the integration of material handling and pitch-changing operation. This makes the function of the entire device highly integrated, effectively reducing the transfer time and space occupation between different workstations, thereby improving the working efficiency and space utilization of the device.

[0006] Furthermore, it also includes a first connecting rod that extends along a first direction, and at least two of the first gripper assemblies are slidably disposed on the first connecting rod.

[0007] In the above technical solution, by setting a first connecting rod extending along the first direction and sliding the first gripper assembly on it, a stable installation base is provided for the first gripper assembly, so that the first gripper assembly can be flexibly adjusted in the first direction as a whole, and the spacing of the first gripper assembly can be adjusted according to the actual working conditions.

[0008] Furthermore, the first gripper assembly includes a second connecting rod and at least two first grippers, the second connecting rod extending along a second direction, and at least two first grippers slidably disposed on the second connecting rod.

[0009] In the above technical solution, the first gripper assembly includes a second connecting rod extending along a second direction. The first gripper is slidably connected to the second connecting rod, allowing the spacing of the first gripper to be independently adjusted on the second connecting rod, thereby adapting to different material handling positions. This structure, in conjunction with the first connecting rod, enables flexible adjustment of the first gripper within the plane formed by the first and second directions, enhancing the device's adaptability to product or process changes and achieving more precise positioning and clamping.

[0010] Furthermore, each of the first grippers is provided with a positioning element below it, and the positioning element has a positioning hole for the material to pass through.

[0011] In the above technical solution, a positioning component with a positioning hole is provided below each first gripper. Before the gripper performs the gripping action, the material is pre-positioned and guided through the positioning hole. This can effectively correct the posture deviation that may occur during the gripping and moving of the material, ensure the positional accuracy of the material when it is finally placed in the processing position, and improve the stability and reliability of the entire processing flow.

[0012] Furthermore, the second gripper assembly includes a third connecting rod and at least two second grippers, the third connecting rod extending along a first direction, and at least two second grippers slidably disposed on the third connecting rod.

[0013] In the above technical solution, the second gripper assembly is provided with a third connecting rod extending along the first direction. The second gripper is slidably mounted on the third connecting rod, so that the positions of the multiple second grippers on the third connecting rod are adjustable, thereby improving the adaptability to different material picking positions.

[0014] Furthermore, the pitch-changing assembly includes a pitch-changing drive and a sliding seat. The output end of the pitch-changing drive is connected to the sliding seat, and the sliding seat is connected to one of the third connecting rods. The pitch-changing drive is used to drive the third connecting rod to move along a second direction.

[0015] In the above technical solution, the sliding seat is directly driven by the variable pitch drive component, which realizes the adjustment of the spacing of the second gripper assembly. The spacing of the second gripper assembly can be changed flexibly and reliably according to the requirements of the next process, thereby meeting the material feeding or placement requirements of different layouts and enhancing the flexibility and versatility of the device.

[0016] Furthermore, the first material handling mechanism also includes a first driving component, which is used to drive the first gripper assembly to move along a first direction and a third direction.

[0017] In the above technical solution, by setting a first drive component for the first material handling mechanism, the first material handling mechanism can complete the material transfer trajectory from the material handling point to the processing position, and then to the lowering position, which simplifies the structure of the overall device and ensures the smoothness and accuracy of the transfer action.

[0018] Furthermore, the second material handling mechanism also includes a second drive component, which is used to drive the second gripper assembly to move along the first water direction and the third water direction.

[0019] In the above technical solution, by setting a second drive component for the second material handling mechanism, the second material handling mechanism has independent horizontal and vertical movement capabilities, enabling the second material handling mechanism to extract the processed material from the processing position and transfer it to the designated position according to the needs of the subsequent process, thereby forming a parallel working layout with the first material handling mechanism, optimizing the working cycle of the device, and improving the overall production efficiency.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: by setting a first material picking mechanism and a second material picking mechanism that can slide on the same linear guide rail, a compact and collaborative material picking layout is formed. The first material picking mechanism is responsible for feeding the material into the processing position, while the second material picking mechanism picks up the processed material. The distance between two adjacent sets of materials is adjusted by the pitch-changing component to adapt the spacing to the downstream work station, realizing the integration of material picking and placing and pitch-changing operation. This makes the function of the whole device highly integrated, effectively reducing the transfer time and space occupation between different work stations, thereby improving the working efficiency and space utilization of the device. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the variable-distance material handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first gripper assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second gripper assembly in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Explanation of icon numbers: Linear guide 1, first material handling mechanism 2, first gripper assembly 21, second connecting rod 211, first gripper 212, first drive assembly 22, first connecting rod 23, positioning component 24, second material handling mechanism 3, second gripper assembly 31, third connecting rod 311, second gripper 312, pitch variable assembly 32, pitch variable drive component 321, sliding seat 322, second drive assembly 33, first direction X, second direction Y, third direction Z. Detailed Implementation

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 In a preferred embodiment, the variable-pitch material handling device of this utility model mainly includes a linear guide rail 1, a first material handling mechanism 2, and a second material handling mechanism 3. The first material handling mechanism 2 and the second material handling mechanism 3 are slidably disposed on the linear guide rail 1. The first material handling mechanism 2 includes at least two first gripper assemblies 21, which are used to grip materials and transfer them to the processing position. The second material handling mechanism 3 includes a variable-pitch assembly 32 and at least two second gripper assemblies 31, which are used to grip materials from the processing position. The variable-pitch assembly 32 is used to adjust the distance between two adjacent second gripper assemblies 31.

[0028] It should be noted that the variable-pitch feeding device in this embodiment is used for feeding and unloading metal wires. The processing position (not shown) is located between the first feeding mechanism 2 and the second feeding mechanism 3. In specific operation, the first feeding mechanism 2 clamps one end of the metal wire and moves the metal wire to the processing position. After the metal wire is inserted into the coating device (not shown) for coating at the processing position, the coated metal wire is taken out by the second feeding mechanism 3 and transferred to the next process.

[0029] By setting up a first material handling mechanism 2 and a second material handling mechanism 3 that can slide on the same linear guide rail 1, a compact and collaborative material handling layout is formed. The first material handling mechanism 2 is responsible for feeding the material into the processing position, while the second material handling mechanism 3 picks up the processed material. The distance between two adjacent sets of materials is adjusted by the pitch-changing component 32 to adapt the spacing to the downstream workstation, realizing the integration of material handling and pitch-changing operation. This makes the function of the entire device highly integrated, effectively reducing the transfer time and space occupation between different workstations, thereby improving the working efficiency and space utilization of the device.

[0030] In this embodiment, the first material handling mechanism 2 further includes a first connecting rod 23, which extends along a first direction X. At least two first gripper assemblies 21 are slidably disposed on the first connecting rod 23. For example, the first connecting rod 23 is provided with a groove extending along its length, and the first gripper assemblies 21 can slide along the groove. By providing the first connecting rod 23 extending along the first direction X and slidably disposing the first gripper assemblies 21 on it, a stable mounting base is provided for the first gripper assemblies 21, allowing the first gripper assemblies 21 to be flexibly adjusted in position along the first direction X as a whole, facilitating adjustment of the spacing between the first gripper assemblies 21 according to actual working conditions.

[0031] Please refer to Figure 2 The first gripper assembly 21 includes a second connecting rod 211 and at least two first grippers 212. The second connecting rod 211 extends along a second direction Y, and the at least two first grippers 212 are slidably disposed on the second connecting rod 211. The second direction Y is perpendicular to the first direction X. The first gripper assembly 21 includes a second connecting rod 211 extending along the second direction Y, and the first grippers 212 are slidably connected to the second connecting rod 211, allowing the spacing of the first grippers 212 to be independently adjusted on the second connecting rod 211, thus adapting to different material handling positions. This structure, in conjunction with the first connecting rod 23, enables flexible adjustment of the first grippers 212 within the plane formed by the first direction X and the second direction Y, enhancing the adaptability of the device to changes in products or processes and achieving more precise positioning and gripping.

[0032] In this embodiment, a positioning element 24 is provided below each first gripper 212, and the positioning element 24 has a positioning hole for material to pass through. When the first material handling mechanism 2 picks up material, the end of the metal wire first passes through the positioning hole, and then the first gripper 212 clamps the end of the metal wire and removes it. By providing a positioning element 24 with a positioning hole below each first gripper 212, the material is pre-positioned and guided by the positioning hole before the gripper performs the gripping action. This can effectively correct the posture deviation that may occur during the gripping and moving process, ensure the positional accuracy of the material when it is finally placed in the processing position, and improve the stability and reliability of the entire processing flow.

[0033] It should be noted that the positioning member 24 can adopt the same fixing structure as the first gripper 212, that is, a first connecting rod 23 and a second connecting rod 211 slidably connected to the first connecting rod 23 are provided. The positioning member 24 is slidably connected to the second connecting rod 211, thereby realizing the flexible adjustment of the position of the positioning member 24 in the plane formed by the first direction X and the second direction Y to match the position of the first gripper 212.

[0034] Please refer to Figure 3 The second gripper assembly 31 includes a third connecting rod 311 and at least two second grippers 312. The third connecting rod 311 extends along a first direction X, and the at least two second grippers 312 are slidably disposed on the third connecting rod 311. The second gripper assembly 31, with its third connecting rod 311 extending along the first direction X and the second grippers 312 slidably mounted on the third connecting rod 311, allows for adjustable positions of the multiple second grippers 312 on the third connecting rod 311, improving adaptability to different material handling positions.

[0035] The pitch-changing assembly 32 includes a pitch-changing drive 321 and a sliding seat 322. The output end of the pitch-changing drive 321 is connected to the sliding seat 322, and the sliding seat 322 is connected to one of the third connecting rods 311. The pitch-changing drive 321 is used to drive the third connecting rod 311 to move along the second direction Y. The pitch-changing drive 321 can be an existing linear drive device, such as a cylinder. By directly driving the sliding seat 322 through the pitch-changing drive 321, the spacing of the second gripper assembly 31 can be adjusted. The spacing of the second gripper assembly 31 can be flexibly and reliably changed according to the requirements of the next process, thereby meeting the material feeding or placement requirements of different layouts and enhancing the flexibility and versatility of the device.

[0036] In this embodiment, the first material handling mechanism 2 further includes a first driving component 22, which drives the first gripper component 21 to move along a first direction X and a third direction Z. The third direction Z (i.e., the vertical direction) is perpendicular to the XY plane. By providing the first driving component 22 to the first material handling mechanism 2, the first material handling mechanism 2 can complete a material transfer trajectory from the material handling point, through horizontal transfer to the processing position, and then downward placement, simplifying the overall structure of the device and ensuring smooth and precise transfer operations.

[0037] The second material handling mechanism 3 also includes a second drive assembly 33, which drives the second gripper assembly 31 to move along the first direction X and the third direction Z. By providing the second drive assembly 33 to the second material handling mechanism 3, the second material handling mechanism 3 has independent horizontal and vertical movement capabilities, enabling it to extract processed materials from the processing station and transfer them to designated locations according to the needs of subsequent processes. This forms a parallel working layout with the first material handling mechanism 2, optimizing the working cycle of the device and improving overall production efficiency.

[0038] It is understandable that the first drive component 22 and the second drive component 33 can be based on existing dual-axis linear motion modules, which will not be elaborated here.

[0039] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that terms such as "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", and "outer" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0040] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0041] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A variable-distance material handling device, characterized in that, The device includes a linear guide rail, a first material handling mechanism, and a second material handling mechanism, which are slidably mounted on the linear guide rail. The first material handling mechanism includes at least two first gripper assemblies for gripping materials and transferring them to a processing station. The second material handling mechanism includes a pitch-adjusting assembly and at least two second gripper assemblies for gripping materials from the processing station. The pitch-adjusting assembly is used to adjust the distance between two adjacent second gripper assemblies.

2. The variable-distance material handling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a first connecting rod that extends along a first direction, and at least two first gripper assemblies are slidably disposed on the first connecting rod.

3. The variable-distance material handling device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first gripper assembly includes a second connecting rod and at least two first grippers, the second connecting rod extending along a second direction, and at least two first grippers slidably disposed on the second connecting rod.

4. The variable-distance material handling device according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each of the first grippers has a positioning element below it, and the positioning element has a positioning hole for the material to pass through.

5. The variable-distance material handling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second gripper assembly includes a third connecting rod and at least two second grippers, the third connecting rod extending along a first direction, and at least two second grippers slidably disposed on the third connecting rod.

6. The variable-pitch material handling device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The pitch-changing assembly includes a pitch-changing drive and a sliding seat. The output end of the pitch-changing drive is connected to the sliding seat, and the sliding seat is connected to one of the third connecting rods. The pitch-changing drive is used to drive the third connecting rod to move along a second direction.

7. The variable-pitch material handling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first material handling mechanism further includes a first driving component, which drives the first gripper component to move along a first direction and a third direction.

8. The variable-distance material handling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second material handling mechanism further includes a second drive component, which drives the second gripper component to move along a first direction and a third direction.

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