Low pressure injection molding material loading station

Abstract

The application relates to a low-pressure injection molding feeding workstation, belonging to the technical field of automobile interior production, which comprises a rack, a material taking table, a lifting assembly, a material grabbing frame, a material taking assembly, a driving assembly and a material conveying assembly are installed on the rack; the rack is located on one side of an injection molding manipulator; a material taking cavity for stacking and placing an interior cover is formed in the top of the material taking table; the lifting assembly is used for controlling the lifting of the stacked interior cover; the material grabbing frame is located above the material taking cavity; the material taking assembly is connected with the rack and the material grabbing frame and is used for controlling the grabbing and placing of the interior cover by the material grabbing frame; the driving assembly is connected with the material grabbing frame and is used for driving the material grabbing frame to approach or move away from the material taking cavity; the material conveying assembly is connected with the material grabbing frame and is used for driving the material grabbing frame to move to the injection molding manipulator; during the whole process, the staff do not approach the equipment except for stacking the interior cover before the equipment is started, so that the frequency of man-machine cross operation is reduced, and the personal safety of the staff is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of automotive interior manufacturing, and in particular to a low-pressure injection molding feeding workstation. Background Technology

[0002] As the automotive industry matures, consumers are demanding higher levels of functionality and quality from their vehicles. To address environmental concerns and reduce manufacturing costs, some automakers are employing low-pressure injection molding to create a single, one-piece interior covering of plastic components and artificial leather or fabric. This revolutionizes the traditional injection molding and covering production model, significantly reducing manufacturing costs and minimizing the use of adhesives, making it more environmentally friendly.

[0003] In low-pressure injection molding, interior trim covers are typically manually attached to the injection molding robot arm, which then feeds them into the machine. This process involves overlapping human and machine work, posing significant safety hazards. Furthermore, the large amounts of heat and odor generated during injection molding can cause considerable discomfort to workers nearby who are loading artificial leather or fabrics. Utility Model Content

[0004] In order to reduce the number of times human-machine interaction occurs and to ensure the personal safety of workers, this application provides a low-pressure injection molding material feeding workstation.

[0005] This application provides a technical solution using the following approach: A low-pressure injection molding loading workstation includes a frame, on which a material handling platform, a lifting assembly, a gripping frame, a material handling component, a drive assembly, and a material transfer assembly are mounted. The frame is located on one side of the injection molding robot. The top of the picking platform has a picking cavity for stacking interior trim covers. The lifting component is used to control the lifting and lowering of the stacked interior trim covers. The gripping frame is located above the picking cavity. The picking component connects the frame and the gripping frame and is used to control the gripping frame to pick up and put down the interior trim covers. The driving component is connected to the gripping frame and is used to drive the gripping frame closer to or away from the picking cavity. The material transfer component is connected to the gripping frame and is used to drive the gripping frame to move to the injection molding robot.

[0006] By adopting the above technical solution, workers pre-arrange and stack a batch of interior trim covers in the material picking chamber. The drive component drives the gripper to rotate forward until the material picking component contacts the top layer of interior trim covers and picks them up. Then, the drive component drives the gripper to rotate in the reverse direction to the initial position. The transfer component moves the gripper to the injection molding robot so that the robot can pick up the interior trim covers. The lifting component then lifts the remaining stacked interior trim covers so that the subsequent material picking component can pick them up. Throughout the entire process, except for the time before the equipment starts and workers stack the interior trim covers, workers do not approach the equipment, thereby reducing the number of times human-machine cross-operations occur and ensuring the personal safety of workers.

[0007] Optionally, the lifting assembly includes a lifting slide, a guide slide, and a lifting cylinder; the lifting slide is vertically slidably installed on the wall of the material receiving chamber, the interior sleeve is stacked on the lifting slide, the guide slide is vertically installed on the frame, the lifting slide has a guide hole that is coaxially slidably fitted onto the guide slide, the lifting cylinder is installed on the frame, and the output rod of the lifting cylinder is vertically arranged and connected to the lifting slide.

[0008] Optionally, the frame is provided with multiple positioning rods, which are located in the material picking chamber and are circumferentially spaced. The lifting slide is vertically provided with positioning holes that are coaxially slidably fitted onto the positioning rods, and the stacked interior trim sleeves are all fitted onto the positioning rods.

[0009] Optionally, the material handling assembly includes several material handling columns spaced apart on the material handling frame. The material handling columns are located on the side of the material handling frame facing the material handling chamber and are arranged perpendicular to the material handling frame. A negative pressure chamber for connecting an external negative pressure device is opened at the end of the material handling column facing the material handling frame. Several first negative pressure air passages communicating with the negative pressure chamber are opened at the end of the material handling column facing the material handling chamber.

[0010] Optionally, several of the material picking columns and positioning rods are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence, and the material picking columns are coaxially provided with positioning pin holes for the positioning rods to be coaxially inserted.

[0011] Optionally, the material feeding column is coaxially provided with a second negative pressure air channel that communicates with the first negative pressure air channel. The second negative pressure air channel is annular and sleeved in the positioning pin hole.

[0012] Optionally, the drive assembly includes a turntable, a rotating support, and a tilting motor; the rotating support is installed on the material handling platform and located between the material handling chamber and the injection molding robot; the material gripper is installed on the turntable; a rotating rod is provided on one side of the turntable and is rotatably connected to the rotating support in the direction of approaching or the material handling chamber; the tilting motor is installed on the rotating support and its output shaft is coaxially connected to the rotating rod.

[0013] Optionally, the material transfer assembly includes a material transfer support, a material transfer shaft, and a rotary motor; the material transfer support is mounted on the turntable, one end of the material transfer shaft is rotatably mounted on the material transfer support along its own axis and is arranged perpendicular to the turntable, the other end of the material transfer shaft is connected to a material gripper, and the rotary motor is mounted on the turntable and its output shaft is coaxially connected to the material transfer shaft.

[0014] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: 1. By pre-arranging and stacking the interior trim in the material picking chamber, the material picking component contacts the top layer of interior trim and grabs it. The material transfer component moves the material picking frame to the injection molding robot so that the robot can grab the interior trim. The lifting component then lifts the remaining stacked interior trim so that the subsequent material picking component can grab the interior trim. During the entire process, except for the time before the equipment starts and the staff stacks the interior trim, the staff does not approach the equipment, thereby reducing the number of times the staff and machine work together and ensuring the personal safety of the staff. 2. Since the interior cover is made of artificial leather or fabric, it is soft and its shape is not easy to fix. In order to facilitate subsequent gripping, the shape of the interior cover needs to be shaped, so multiple positioning rods are set. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a low-pressure injection molding feeding workstation according to this application.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the positions of the lifting assembly and the interior trim in an embodiment of this application.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the driving component and the material transfer component in an embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the internal structure of the material-receiving column in an embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the internal structure of the material-receiving column in an embodiment of this application.

[0020] In the diagram: 100, Injection Molding Robot; 200, Interior Cover; 1, Frame; 2, Picking Platform; 21, Picking Chamber; 3, Lifting Assembly; 31, Lifting Slide; 311, Guide Hole; 32, Guide Slide Rod; 33, Lifting Cylinder; 4, Gripping Frame; 5, Picking Assembly; 51, Picking Column; 52, Negative Pressure Chamber; 53, First Negative Pressure Air Channel; 54, Positioning Pin Hole; 55, Second Negative Pressure Air Channel; 6, Drive Assembly; 61, Turntable; 62, Rotating Support; 63, Tilting Motor; 64, Rotating Rod; 7, Material Transfer Assembly; 71, Material Transfer Support; 72, Material Transfer Shaft; 73, Rotary Motor; 8, Positioning Rod. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-5 This application will be described in further detail.

[0022] This application discloses a low-pressure injection molding material feeding workstation. (Refer to...) Figure 1 and Figure 2 It includes a frame 1, on which a material handling platform 2, a lifting assembly 3, a material gripping frame 4, a material handling assembly 5, a drive assembly 6, and a material transfer assembly 7 are installed.

[0023] The frame 1 is located on one side of the injection molding robot 100. The top of the picking platform 2 has a picking cavity 21 for stacking interior trim sleeves 200. The lifting component 3 controls the lifting and lowering of the stacked interior trim sleeves 200. The gripper 4 is located above the picking cavity 21. The picking component 5 connects the frame 1 and the gripper 4 and controls the gripper 4 to pick up and put down the interior trim sleeves 200. The drive component 6 is connected to the gripper 4 to drive the gripper 4 closer to or away from the picking cavity 21. The transfer component 7 is connected to the gripper 4 to drive the gripper 4 to move to the injection molding robot 100.

[0024] Before the equipment of this application starts working, further preparation work is required. The staff will arrange and stack a batch of interior trim covers 200 in advance in the material picking chamber 21. The drive component 6 drives the gripper 4 to rotate forward until the material picking component 5 contacts the top layer of interior trim covers 200 and picks up the interior trim covers 200. Then the drive component 6 drives the gripper 4 to rotate in the reverse direction to the initial position. The material transfer component 7 drives the gripper 4 to move to the injection molding robot 100 so that the robot can pick up the interior trim covers 200. The lifting component 3 then drives the remaining stacked interior trim covers 200 to rise so that the subsequent material picking component 5 can pick up the interior trim covers 200. During the entire process, except for the staff stacking the interior trim covers 200 before the equipment starts, the staff will not approach the equipment at other times, thereby reducing the number of times the staff and the machine work together and ensuring the personal safety of the staff.

[0025] like Figure 1 The injection molding robot 100 shown is a simplified schematic diagram to illustrate its approximate location. Figure 2 In the view shown, the injection molding robot 100 is located directly behind the gripper 4. The material transfer component 7 can drive the gripper 4 to rotate to the position where the material pick-up component 5 is directly opposite the injection molding robot 100, that is, the gripper 4 rotates horizontally by 180 degrees. In this way, the injection molding robot 100 can remove the interior cover 200 from the material pick-up component 5.

[0026] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The lifting assembly 3 includes a lifting slide 31, a guide slide 32, and a lifting cylinder 33.

[0027] The lifting slide 31 is vertically slidably installed on the wall of the material receiving chamber 21. The interior sleeve 200 is stacked on the lifting slide 31. The guide rod 32 is vertically installed on the frame 1. The lifting slide 31 has a guide hole 311 that is coaxially slidably fitted onto the guide rod 32 to limit the sliding direction of the lifting slide 31. The lifting cylinder 33 is installed on the frame 1. The output rod of the lifting cylinder 33 is vertically arranged and connected to the lifting slide 31. The lifting slide 31 rises and falls together with the output rod of the lifting cylinder 33.

[0028] Additionally, since the interior cover 200 is made of artificial leather or fabric, it is inherently soft and its shape is not easily fixed. Therefore, to facilitate subsequent handling, the shape of the interior cover 200 needs to be shaped, referring to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The frame 1 is equipped with multiple positioning rods 8, which are located within the material handling chamber 21 and spaced circumferentially. Preferably, four positioning rods 8 are arranged at the four corners to shape the four corners of the interior trim 200. The lifting slide 31 has vertically formed positioning holes for coaxial sliding of the positioning rods 8, ensuring that stacked interior trim 200s are all fitted onto the positioning rods 8. Furthermore, the positioning rods 8 do not rise or fall with the lifting slide 31 to minimize the impact on the material handling component 5 when gripping the interior trim 200.

[0029] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 4 The material handling assembly 5 includes several material handling columns 51 spaced apart and mounted on the material handling frame 4. The material handling columns 51 are located on the side of the material handling frame 4 facing the material handling chamber 21 and are arranged perpendicularly to the material handling frame 4. When the material handling frame 4 is rotated to a horizontal position, the material handling columns 51 extend vertically into the material handling chamber 21. A negative pressure chamber 52 for connecting to an external negative pressure device is provided at the end of the material handling column 51 facing the material handling frame 4, and several first negative pressure air passages 53 communicating with the negative pressure chamber 52 are provided at the end of the material handling column 51 facing the material handling chamber 21.

[0030] When the material picking column 51 is located in the material picking chamber 21, the external negative pressure device is started, and the air around the interior cover 200 is drawn out through the first negative pressure air passage 53, so that the interior cover 200 is adsorbed on the material picking column 51, thus completing the gripping of the interior cover 200.

[0031] To minimize deformation of the interior cover 200 during handling and to ensure even force distribution around the interior cover 200, as follows: Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, the material-grabbing column 51 and the positioning rod 8 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence. The material-grabbing column 51 is coaxially provided with a positioning pin hole 54 for the positioning rod 8 to be coaxially inserted. The positioning pin hole 54 limits the position of the material-grabbing column 51 in grasping the interior cover 200, and at the same time reduces the shaking of the material-grabbing column 51 when grasping the interior cover 200, thereby reducing the probability of deformation of the interior cover 200.

[0032] To further ensure more even force distribution and reduce deformation at the gripping point during the gripping process of the interior trim cover 200, the gripping area of ​​the interior trim cover 200 is increased, such as... Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, a second negative pressure air passage 55 is coaxially opened on the material picking column 51 and communicates with the first negative pressure air passage 53. The second negative pressure air passage 55 is annular and sleeved in the positioning pin hole 54.

[0033] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 3 The drive assembly 6 includes a turntable 61, a rotating support 62, and a tilting motor 63.

[0034] A rotating support 62 is installed on the material handling platform 2 and located between the material handling chamber 21 and the injection molding robot. A material gripper 4 is installed on the turntable 61. A rotating rod 64 is provided on one side of the turntable 61 and is rotatably connected to the rotating support 62 in the direction close to or from the material handling chamber 21. A tilting motor 63 is installed on the rotating support 62 and its output shaft is coaxially connected to the rotating rod 64.

[0035] The rotating rod 64 is driven by the flip motor 63 to rotate along its own axis, so as to drive the gripper 4 to rotate in the direction of approaching or away from the material picking chamber 21. After the material picking column 51 grabs the interior cover 200, the flip motor 63 drives the gripper 4 to reverse to the vertical state, so that it can be transferred to the injection molding robot 100 on one side of the frame 1 through the material transfer component 7.

[0036] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 3 The material transfer assembly 7 includes a material transfer support 71, a material transfer shaft 72, and a rotary motor 73.

[0037] A material transfer support 71 is mounted on a turntable 61. One end of a material transfer shaft 72 is rotatably mounted on the material transfer support 71 along its own axis and is arranged perpendicular to the turntable 61. The other end of the material transfer shaft 72 is connected to a material gripper 4. A rotary motor 73 is mounted on the turntable 61 and its output shaft is coaxially connected to the material transfer shaft 72.

[0038] After the material gripper 4 drives the interior sleeve 200 to a vertical position, the rotary motor 73 drives the entire material gripper 4 to reverse through the material transfer shaft 72 until the interior sleeve 200 is facing the injection molding robot 100. The injection molding robot 100 also achieves gripping and positioning through the positioning pin hole 54. The suction cup originally configured on the injection molding robot 100 removes the interior sleeve 200 from the material picking column 51, thus completing the process of transferring the interior sleeve 200 to the injection molding robot 100.

[0039] The implementation principle of a low-pressure injection molding loading workstation in this application embodiment is as follows: Before the loading workstation starts, the staff arranges and stacks a batch of interior trim 200 in advance in the material picking chamber 21. The drive component 6 drives the gripping frame 4 to rotate forward until the material picking component 5 contacts the top layer of interior trim 200 and picks up the interior trim 200. Then, the drive component 6 drives the gripping frame 4 to rotate in the reverse direction to the initial position. The material transfer component 7 drives the gripping frame 4 to move to the injection molding robot 100 so that the robot can pick up the interior trim 200. The lifting component 3 then drives the remaining stacked interior trim 200 to rise so that the subsequent material picking component 5 can pick up the interior trim 200. During the entire process, except for the staff stacking the interior trim 200 before the equipment starts, the staff does not approach the equipment at other times, thereby reducing the number of times the staff and the machine work together and ensuring the personal safety of the staff.

[0040] The above are all preferred embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A low-pressure injection molding material feeding workstation, characterized in that, Includes a frame (1), on which a material handling platform (2), a lifting assembly (3), a material gripping frame (4), a material handling assembly (5), a drive assembly (6), and a material transfer assembly (7) are installed; The frame (1) is located on one side of the injection molding robot (100). The top of the picking platform (2) is provided with a picking cavity (21) for stacking interior trim (200). The lifting component (3) is used to control the lifting of the stacked interior trim (200). The gripping frame (4) is located above the picking cavity (21). The picking component (5) is connected to the frame (1) and the gripping frame (4) and is used to control the gripping frame (4) to pick up and put down the interior trim (200). The driving component (6) is connected to the gripping frame (4) and is used to drive the gripping frame (4) to move closer to or away from the picking cavity (21). The material transfer component (7) is connected to the gripping frame (4) and is used to drive the gripping frame (4) to move to the injection molding robot (100).

2. The low-pressure injection molding feeding workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting assembly (3) includes a lifting slide (31), a guide slide (32), and a lifting cylinder (33). The lifting slide (31) is vertically slidably installed on the cavity wall of the material picking chamber (21). The interior sleeve (200) is stacked on the lifting slide (31). The guide slide (32) is vertically installed on the frame (1). The lifting slide (31) has a guide hole (311) that is coaxially slidably sleeved on the guide slide (32). The lifting cylinder (33) is installed on the frame (1). The output rod of the lifting cylinder (33) is vertically arranged and connected to the lifting slide (31).

3. The low-pressure injection molding feeding workstation according to claim 2, characterized in that: The frame (1) is provided with multiple positioning rods (8), which are located in the material picking chamber (21) and are arranged circumferentially. The lifting slide (31) is vertically provided with positioning holes that are coaxially slidably sleeved on the positioning rods (8), and the stacked interior sleeves (200) are all sleeved on the positioning rods (8).

4. The low-pressure injection molding feeding workstation according to claim 3, characterized in that: The material handling assembly (5) includes several material handling columns (51) spaced apart on the material handling frame (4). The material handling columns (51) are located on the side of the material handling frame (4) facing the material handling chamber (21) and are arranged perpendicular to the material handling frame (4). The end of the material handling column (51) facing the material handling frame (4) is provided with a negative pressure chamber (52) for connecting an external negative pressure device. The end of the material handling column (51) facing the material handling chamber (21) is provided with several first negative pressure air passages (53) that communicate with the negative pressure chamber (52).

5. A low-pressure injection molding feeding workstation according to claim 4, characterized in that: Several of the material picking columns (51) are arranged one-to-one with the positioning rods (8), and the material picking columns (51) are coaxially provided with positioning pin holes (54) for the positioning rods (8) to be coaxially inserted.

6. A low-pressure injection molding feeding workstation according to claim 5, characterized in that: The material feeding column (51) is coaxially provided with a second negative pressure air channel (55) that communicates with the first negative pressure air channel (53). The second negative pressure air channel (55) is annular and sleeved in the positioning pin hole (54).

7. A low-pressure injection molding feeding workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive assembly (6) includes a turntable (61), a rotating support (62), and a tilting motor (63). The rotating support (62) is installed on the material handling platform (2) and located between the material handling chamber (21) and the injection molding robot (100). The material gripper (4) is installed on the turntable (61). A rotating rod (64) is provided on one side of the turntable (61) and is rotatably connected to the rotating support (62) in the direction close to or towards the material handling chamber (21). The flipping motor (63) is installed on the rotating support (62) and its output shaft is coaxially connected to the rotating rod (64).

8. A low-pressure injection molding feeding workstation according to claim 7, characterized in that: The material transfer assembly (7) includes a material transfer support (71), a material transfer shaft (72), and a rotary motor (73). The material transfer support (71) is installed on the turntable (61). One end of the material transfer shaft (72) is rotatably installed on the material transfer support (71) along its own axis and is arranged perpendicular to the turntable (61). The other end of the material transfer shaft (72) is connected to the material gripper (4). The rotary motor (73) is installed on the turntable (61) and its output shaft is coaxially connected to the material transfer shaft (72).

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