An automatic feeding device

Abstract

The application relates to the field of workpiece detection auxiliary equipment, in particular to an automatic feeding equipment which comprises a material preparation tank body, a first conveying belt and a second conveying belt arranged between the material preparation tank body and a detection mechanism and used for conveying workpieces, and a material blocking brush arranged on the material preparation tank body and used for cooperating with the first conveying belt, wherein a feeding end of the first conveying belt is arranged adjacent to a discharging port position of the material preparation tank body, the material blocking brush is rotationally connected between a side wall of the material preparation tank body and a position close to the first conveying belt, and a servo motor for driving the material blocking brush is arranged on an outer wall of the material preparation tank body; and the second conveying belt is arranged between the first conveying belt and the detection mechanism. The application has the effects of improving the low efficiency of manual feeding and the defect that the workpieces are easily damaged in vibration disc feeding, and improving the feeding efficiency of the workpieces and the surface quality of the workpieces.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of auxiliary equipment for workpiece inspection, and in particular to an automatic feeding device. Background Technology

[0002] There is a type of small workpiece, such as hexagonal metal washers used with nuts. After production, it needs to undergo strict dimensional inspection to screen out unqualified products with hole diameter deviations, excessive edge distances, etc., to ensure the assembly quality and performance of the final product. Therefore, it is necessary to transport a large number of stacked washer workpieces one by one and smoothly to the working position of the vision inspection mechanism.

[0003] In related technologies, the loading of such small workpieces is usually done manually or via vibratory feeder. Manual loading involves operators manually grabbing the workpieces from the preparation tank and placing them on the conveyor belt or inspection station; this method is primitive and relies on manpower. Vibratory feeder loading, on the other hand, uses the electromagnetic vibration principle of the vibratory feeder to orient and sort the disorganized workpieces and output them one by one to the subsequent processes.

[0004] Regarding the aforementioned technologies, manual feeding is inefficient, labor-intensive, and prone to errors due to fatigue, making it difficult to meet the cycle time requirements of modern automated production lines. While vibratory feeder feeding can achieve automation, it is prone to causing wear and scratches on the workpiece surface during operation. In addition, vibratory feeders require internal track replacement for different workpiece specifications, resulting in long debugging cycles and insufficient flexibility. Utility Model Content

[0005] In order to improve the low efficiency of manual feeding and the easy damage to workpieces caused by vibratory feeder feeding, and to improve the feeding efficiency and surface quality of workpieces, this application provides an automatic feeding device.

[0006] The automatic feeding device provided in this application adopts the following technical solution: An automatic feeding device includes a material preparation tank, a first conveyor belt and a second conveyor belt disposed between the material preparation tank and a detection mechanism for conveying workpieces, and a material blocking roller brush disposed in the material preparation tank for cooperating with the first conveyor belt. The inlet end of the first conveyor belt is arranged adjacent to the outlet position of the material preparation tank. The material blocking roller brush is disposed in the material preparation tank near the first conveyor belt and is rotatably connected to the side wall of the material preparation tank. The material preparation tank has a servo motor on its outer wall for driving the material blocking roller brush. The second conveyor belt is located between the first conveyor belt and the detection mechanism.

[0007] By adopting the above technical solution, the servo motor controls the intermittent rotation of the guide roller brush, achieving efficient and stable automatic feeding. The guide roller brush rotates at intervals of one angle, conveying a specific number of workpieces to the first conveyor belt. The pulse feeding method is matched with the rhythm of the subsequent inspection mechanism. The intermittent, flexible feeding, combined with the stable load-bearing of the conveyor belt, reduces collision and friction between workpieces, effectively protecting the surface quality of the workpieces. Intermittent feeding prevents excessive workpiece overflow at the outlet, preventing accumulation, overlap, or jamming, ensuring that workpieces are stably and dispersedly transported sequentially to the inspection station via the first and second conveyor belts.

[0008] Furthermore, the second conveyor belt is located at the discharge end of the first conveyor belt and is arranged perpendicular to the first conveyor belt, with the discharge end of the second conveyor belt extending to an adjacent position to the detection mechanism.

[0009] By adopting the above technical solution, the second conveyor belt is arranged perpendicularly to the first conveyor belt, forming a right-angle turning conveyor module. This layout can make full use of the equipment installation space, making the overall structure of the equipment more compact. The workpiece is smoothly turned 90 degrees from the conveying direction of the first conveyor belt to the conveying direction of the second conveyor belt, ensuring that the workpiece enters the inspection mechanism in a uniform and standardized manner.

[0010] Furthermore, the first conveyor belt has a workpiece guide plate and a fixing frame for mounting the workpiece guide plate on its upper side. The fixing frame is located at the end of the first conveyor belt near the second conveyor belt and is arranged along the width direction of the first conveyor belt. One end of the fixing frame is fixedly connected to the frame of the first conveyor belt, and the end of the fixing frame away from the first conveyor belt is used for fixed connection with the workpiece guide plate.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, the workpiece guide plate is stably installed above the first conveyor belt through the fixing frame, which plays a guiding and organizing role. It effectively gathers the workpieces that may be scattered from the material blocking roller brush into the predetermined conveying path, preventing the workpieces from deviating or falling from the side of the belt during the conveying process, ensuring the consistency and stability of the workpiece flow, and providing a basis for subsequent accurate sorting and inspection.

[0012] Furthermore, the workpiece guide plate includes an integrally connected guide part and a limiting part. The guide part is inclinedly arranged from the end of the material blocking roller away from the servo motor to the end connected to the fixed frame. The arrangement direction of the limiting part is parallel to the conveying direction of the first conveyor belt. A limiting channel is left between the limiting part and the edge of the first conveyor belt for the workpiece to pass through in a single row.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, the inclined guide part can smoothly guide the workpiece from the baffle roller, so that the workpiece can smoothly transition to the side of the limiting part during the conveying process. The limiting part and the edge of the first conveyor belt form a limiting channel, forcing the workpiece to pass through in a single column, eliminating the possibility of workpieces being conveyed side by side. The integrated structure realizes the whole process control of workpieces from disordered scattering to orderly single-column conveying, improving the orderliness and reliability of feeding.

[0014] Furthermore, a third conveyor belt is arranged adjacent to the first conveyor belt on the side away from the detection mechanism. The conveying direction of the third conveyor belt is opposite to that of the first conveyor belt. The third conveyor belt is provided with a return guide plate for guiding the workpiece back to the first conveyor belt.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, the third conveyor belt is arranged in the opposite direction to the first conveyor belt and cooperates with the return guide plate to form a workpiece circulation system. The workpieces that have left the first conveyor belt are automatically sent back to the starting end of the first conveyor belt to rejoin the process, realizing the automatic recycling and resupply of workpieces, reducing manual intervention, and improving the automation level and continuous operation capability of the entire feeding system.

[0016] Furthermore, the workpiece guide plate is provided with air needles at adjacent positions of the guide portion and the limiting portion, and a limiting gap is left between the air needles and the top side of the first conveyor belt, the height of the limiting gap being equal to the thickness of a single workpiece.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solution, the limiting gap between the bottom of the air needle and the surface of the first conveyor belt, which is equal to the thickness of a single workpiece, constitutes a physical screening barrier. When a single layer of workpiece passes through unimpeded, once stacking occurs (i.e., two or more workpieces are stacked together), the total thickness is greater than the limiting gap, and the stacked workpieces will be blown away by the air needle to the third conveyor belt, thereby ensuring that only a single layer of workpieces can enter the subsequent station and eliminating the interference of stacking on the accuracy of detection.

[0018] Furthermore, the workpiece guide plate has a needle hole for the end of the needle to pass through, and the needle is mounted on the fixing frame.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, the air needle is installed on a stable fixed frame, and the end is accurately positioned through the air needle hole on the workpiece guide plate, ensuring the installation rigidity and positional accuracy of the air needle in the working vibration environment, preventing the accuracy of the limit gap from being affected by loosening, and the installation method facilitates the debugging, maintenance or replacement of the air needle, thus improving the maintainability of the equipment.

[0020] Furthermore, the second conveyor belt is provided with a feeding guide plate on its upper side for guiding the workpiece to the inspection mechanism, and the feeding guide plate is located at one end of the second conveyor belt away from the first conveyor belt.

[0021] By adopting the above technical solution, a feeding guide plate is set at the end of the second conveyor belt to guide the workpiece conveyed by the second conveyor belt smoothly and accurately to the designated station of the testing mechanism (such as the testing turntable), ensuring that the workpiece enters the testing area in a controlled posture and position, preventing the workpiece from shifting or falling in the final stage, and ensuring the feeding accuracy of the testing station.

[0022] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: 1. The intermittent stop roller brush driven by servo motor replaces the traditional vibratory feeder. Through precise control of pulse feeding, it can not only efficiently match the detection cycle and improve the feeding efficiency, but also replace strong vibration with a soft flicking method, fundamentally avoiding surface scratches and wear of workpieces caused by collision and friction at the beginning of the conveying stage. It is suitable for precision workpieces with high requirements for surface quality. 2. By setting up first and second conveyor belts that are perpendicular to each other, as well as workpiece guide plates with inclined guides and parallel limiting parts, a conveyor system for sorting and guiding is formed. This system forces the messy workpieces into a stable single column and completes a 90-degree turn, preventing workpieces from overlapping, shifting or getting stuck. This ensures that the workpieces arrive at the inspection station smoothly in a uniform and standardized posture, improving the accuracy and reliability of subsequent visual inspection. 3. By adding a closed-loop control system consisting of an air needle (including a limiting gap) and a third conveyor belt (including a return guide plate), the automatic identification and handling of the non-conforming state of "stacked material" is realized. The stacked material is blown away and returned to the starting end of the first conveyor belt to rejoin the process without manual intervention, eliminating the interference of stacked material on the test results, realizing the internal circulation of the workpiece, and ensuring the continuous and stable operation of the equipment for a long time. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an automatic feeding device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the outer cabinet of an automatic feeding device for removing the detection mechanism, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0025] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Enlarged schematic diagram of the structure of the workpiece guide plate, air needle and air needle hole in part A.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the removal detection mechanism of an automatic feeding device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0027] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Enlarged schematic diagram of the return guide plate and infrared detection probe in section B.

[0028] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Mounting base; 2. Material preparation trough; 3. First conveyor belt; 31. Workpiece guide plate; 311. Guide part; 312. Limiting part; 313. Limiting channel; 314. Air needle hole; 32. Fixing frame; 33. Air needle; 331. Limiting gap; 4. Second conveyor belt; 41. Unloading guide plate; 5. Third conveyor belt; 51. Return guide plate; 52. Infrared detection probe; 6. Material blocking roller brush; 61. Servo motor; 7. Detection mechanism; 8. Workpiece. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To make the purpose, technical solution, and advantages of this application clearer, the following description is provided in conjunction with the appendix. Figure 1-5 The present application will be further described in detail with reference to the embodiments.

[0030] This application discloses an automatic feeding device. (Refer to...) Figure 1 and Figure 2 The automatic feeding equipment includes a mounting base 1, a material preparation trough 2, a first conveyor belt 3, a second conveyor belt 4, a third conveyor belt 5, and a material-blocking roller brush 6. The mounting base 1 provides the mounting foundation for each component. The material preparation trough 2 is used to place a number of workpieces to be inspected in batches. The first conveyor belt 3 and the second conveyor belt 4 are arranged perpendicularly to each other and between the material preparation trough 2 and the inspection mechanism 7. The third conveyor belt 5 is located adjacent to the first conveyor belt 3 and is used to receive workpieces falling from the first conveyor belt 3. The material-blocking roller brush 6 is located in the material preparation trough 2 and is used to feed workpieces onto the first conveyor belt 3.

[0031] The inlet of the first conveyor belt 3 is arranged adjacent to the outlet of the material preparation trough 2. A retaining roller brush 6 is positioned on the material preparation trough 2 near the first conveyor belt 3 and is rotatably connected to the side wall of the material preparation trough 2. A servo motor 61 is installed on the outer wall of the material preparation trough 2 to drive the retaining roller brush 6. The servo motor 61 controls the intermittent rotation of the retaining roller brush 6, achieving efficient and stable automatic feeding. The retaining roller brush 6 rotates at intervals, conveying a specific number of workpieces to the first conveyor belt 3. Through pulse feeding matching the rhythm of the subsequent inspection mechanism 7, the intermittent, flexible feeding combined with the stable load-bearing of the conveyor belt reduces collision and friction between workpieces, effectively protecting the surface quality of the workpieces. Intermittent feeding prevents excessive overflow of workpieces at the outlet, preventing accumulation, overlap, or jamming, ensuring that workpieces are stably and dispersedly conveyed sequentially to the inspection station via the first and second conveyor belts 4.

[0032] The second conveyor belt 4 is located at the discharge end of the first conveyor belt 3 and is arranged perpendicular to the first conveyor belt 3. The discharge end of the second conveyor belt 4 extends to the adjacent position of the detection mechanism 7. The second conveyor belt 4 is provided with a discharge guide plate 41 on its upper side for guiding the workpiece to the detection mechanism 7. The discharge guide plate 41 is located at the end of the second conveyor belt 4 away from the first conveyor belt 3.

[0033] The first conveyor belt 3 has a workpiece guide plate 31 and a fixing frame 32 for mounting the workpiece guide plate 31 arranged on its upper side. The fixing frame 32 is located at the end of the first conveyor belt 3 near the second conveyor belt 4 and is arranged along the width direction of the first conveyor belt 3. One end of the fixing frame 32 is fixedly connected to the frame of the first conveyor belt 3, and the end of the fixing frame 32 away from the first conveyor belt 3 is used for fixed connection with the workpiece guide plate 31.

[0034] Combination Figure 3 The workpiece guide plate 31 includes an integrally connected guide part 311 and a limiting part 312. The guide part 311 is inclined from the end of the baffle roller brush 6 away from the servo motor 61 to the end connected to the fixed frame 32. The limiting part 312 is arranged parallel to the conveying direction of the first conveyor belt 3, and a limiting channel 313 is left between the limiting part 312 and the edge of the first conveyor belt 3 for the workpiece to pass through in a single row. The inclined guide part 311 can smoothly guide the workpiece from the baffle roller brush 6, so that the workpiece smoothly transitions to one side of the limiting part 312 during the conveying process. The limiting part 312 and the edge of the first conveyor belt 3 form a limiting channel 313, forcing the workpiece to pass through in a single column, eliminating the possibility of the workpiece being conveyed side by side. The integrated structure realizes the whole process control of the workpiece from disordered scattering to orderly single-column conveying, improving the orderliness and reliability of the feeding.

[0035] The workpiece guide plate 31 has air needles 33 at adjacent positions of the guide portion 311 and the limiting portion 312. The air needles 33 are mounted on the fixing frame 32. The workpiece guide plate 31 has air needle holes 314 through which the ends of the air needles 33 pass. A limiting gap 331 is left between the air needles 33 and the top side of the first conveyor belt 3. The height of the limiting gap 331 is equal to the thickness of a single workpiece.

[0036] Reference Figure 5 The third conveyor belt 5 is arranged adjacent to the first conveyor belt 3 on the side away from the detection mechanism 7, and the conveying direction of the third conveyor belt 5 is opposite to that of the first conveyor belt 3. The third conveyor belt 5 is provided with a return guide plate 51 for guiding the workpiece back to the first conveyor belt 3. The return guide plate 51 is provided with an infrared detection probe 52 near the first conveyor belt 3. The infrared detection probe 52 is used to cooperate with the servo motor 61. When it is detected that no workpiece is passing through the first conveyor belt 3, the servo motor 61 drives the baffle roller 6 to rotate at a preset angle and releases a quantitative amount of workpiece to the first conveyor belt 3.

[0037] A limiting gap 331, equal to the thickness of a single workpiece, is set between the bottom of the air needle 33 and the surface of the first conveyor belt 3, forming a physical screening barrier. When a single workpiece passes through unimpeded, it does so. However, if stacking occurs (i.e., two or more workpieces are stacked together), and the total thickness exceeds the limiting gap 331, the stacked workpieces will be blown away by the air needle 33 to the third conveyor belt 5. The third conveyor belt 5 is arranged in the opposite direction to the first conveyor belt 3 and works in conjunction with the return guide plate 51 to form a workpiece circulation and return system. This system automatically returns workpieces that have detached from the first conveyor belt 3 to the starting end of the first conveyor belt 3 to rejoin the process, achieving automatic workpiece recovery and resupply, reducing manual intervention, and improving the automation level and continuous operation capability of the entire feeding system.

[0038] The implementation principle of an automatic feeding device according to an embodiment of this application is as follows: When the infrared detection probe 52 detects that no workpiece is passing through the first conveyor belt 3, the system controls the servo motor 61 to drive the baffle roller 6 to rotate at a preset angle, gently feeding a fixed amount of workpieces from the preparation trough 2 to the first conveyor belt 3. The pulse feeding precisely matches the working rhythm of the subsequent detection mechanism 7, ensuring continuous feeding while avoiding accumulation, overlap, or jamming at the outlet due to excessive workpiece outflow. After entering the first conveyor belt 3, the workpiece first passes through the inclined guide part 311 of the workpiece guide plate 31, achieving a smooth transition and initial alignment. The workpiece is guided into the limiting channel 313 formed by the limiting part 312 and the edge of the conveyor belt, physically constraining the workpieces to advance in a single column, eliminating the possibility of parallel conveying. The height of the limiting gap 331 between the air needle 33 and the surface of the first conveyor belt 3 is precisely set to the thickness of a single workpiece. If stacking occurs, its total thickness will be greater than the limiting gap 331, and the stacked material will be blown away by the air needle 33 to the third conveyor belt 5. The third conveyor belt 5 runs in reverse and, in conjunction with the return guide plate 51, sends the rejected workpieces back to the starting end of the first conveyor belt 3. Finally, the workpieces are received by the second conveyor belt 4 after a right-angle turn and are precisely guided to the detection mechanism 7 by the unloading guide plate 41 at the end, completing the orderly and stable conveying process.

[0039] 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. An automatic feeding device, characterized in that: The system includes a material preparation tank (2), a first conveyor belt (3) and a second conveyor belt (4) disposed between the material preparation tank (2) and the detection mechanism (7) for conveying workpieces, and a material blocking roller brush (6) disposed in the material preparation tank (2) for cooperating with the first conveyor belt (3). The feed end of the first conveyor belt (3) is arranged adjacent to the discharge port of the material preparation tank (2). The material blocking roller brush (6) is disposed in the material preparation tank (2) near the first conveyor belt (3) and is rotatably connected to the side wall of the material preparation tank (2). The material preparation tank (2) has a servo motor (61) on its outer wall for driving the material blocking roller brush (6). The second conveyor belt (4) is located between the first conveyor belt (3) and the detection mechanism (7).

2. The automatic feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second conveyor belt (4) is located at the discharge end of the first conveyor belt (3) and is arranged perpendicular to the first conveyor belt (3). The discharge end of the second conveyor belt (4) extends to the adjacent position of the detection mechanism (7).

3. The automatic feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first conveyor belt (3) has a workpiece guide plate (31) and a fixing frame (32) for mounting the workpiece guide plate (31) arranged on its upper side. The fixing frame (32) is located at the end of the first conveyor belt (3) near the second conveyor belt (4) and is arranged along the width direction of the first conveyor belt (3). One end of the fixing frame (32) is fixedly connected to the frame of the first conveyor belt (3), and the end of the fixing frame (32) away from the first conveyor belt (3) is used for fixed connection with the workpiece guide plate (31).

4. An automatic feeding device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The workpiece guide plate (31) includes an integrally connected guide part (311) and a limiting part (312). The guide part (311) is inclined from the end of the baffle roller brush (6) away from the servo motor (61) to the end connected to the fixed frame (32). The limiting part (312) is arranged in a direction parallel to the conveying direction of the first conveyor belt (3). A limiting channel (313) is left between the limiting part (312) and the edge of the first conveyor belt (3) for the workpiece to pass through in a single row.

5. An automatic feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first conveyor belt (3) is adjacent to the third conveyor belt (5) on the side away from the detection mechanism (7). The conveying direction of the third conveyor belt (5) is opposite to that of the first conveyor belt (3). The third conveyor belt (5) is provided with a return guide plate (51) for guiding the workpiece back to the first conveyor belt (3).

6. An automatic feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The workpiece guide plate (31) is provided with air needles (33) at adjacent positions of the guide part (311) and the limiting part (312). A limiting gap (331) is left between the air needles (33) and the top side of the first conveyor belt (3). The height of the limiting gap (331) is equal to the thickness of a single workpiece.

7. An automatic feeding device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The workpiece guide plate (31) has a needle hole (314) through which the end of the needle (33) passes, and the needle (33) is mounted on the fixing frame (32).

8. An automatic feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second conveyor belt (4) is provided with a feeding guide plate (41) on its upper side for guiding the workpiece to the inspection mechanism (7). The feeding guide plate (41) is located at one end of the second conveyor belt (4) away from the first conveyor belt (3).

9. An automatic feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first conveyor belt (3) is provided with an infrared detection probe (52) on the side away from the detection mechanism (7) for cooperating with the material blocking roller brush (6) and the servo motor (61).

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