An up-and-down piece material frame conveying line system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of upper and lower piece material frame conveying line systems, including at least two groups of conveying lines being arranged side by side along first direction, each group of the conveying line includes: a conveying main line extending along second direction, the conveying main line is equipped with at least one conveying station, for conveying material frame along the second direction;Further include the operation station being arranged in one end of the conveying main line, the operation station is configured to be able to along with second direction conveying material frame, to realize material frame direct transfer between the operation station of adjacent conveying line. The utility model breaks through the rigid limit of conveying line unidirectional operation, creates a kind of flexible conveying system that can flexibly switch material flow direction, to greatly improve equipment versatility and site adaptability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of conveyor technology, and in particular to a conveyor system for loading and unloading material frames. Background Technology

[0002] In automated production fields such as automotive welding, workpieces are typically placed in standard material frames and move between various stations on the production line. To achieve this process, conveyor systems based on double-speed chains or rollers are commonly used. Existing technologies can achieve bus control and meet certain requirements for strength, accuracy, and service life. These traditional conveyor systems are usually unidirectional and linear in layout, with a limited number of buffer stations and fixed functions. The entire material flow moves from a fixed "upper end" to a fixed "lower end."

[0003] Traditional conveyor lines are designed with a single-flow mechanical structure and control logic. Their lines, drives, and control systems lack reversible operation capabilities. When production demands change and material flow needs adjustment, the entire line cannot be reused, requiring expensive hardware modifications or reinstallation, resulting in poor adaptability. Because the loading, working, and unloading sections of a conveyor line are typically designed asymmetrically based on a single process, the specifications of components (such as supports, cylinder seats, and sensor supports) vary across different sections, increasing the complexity and cost of design, manufacturing, and spare parts. This non-standardization also makes future expansion or reconfiguration of the production line difficult. Due to layout and cost constraints, traditional conveyor lines have fewer buffer stations. This results in weak buffering capacity against production fluctuations. Even a brief pause at a station can easily cause a complete line blockage or interruption, limiting further improvements in the overall production line's cycle time. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the technical problems existing in the background art, this utility model proposes an upper and lower part material frame conveyor system.

[0005] The welding assembly upper and lower part material frame roller conveyor system proposed in this utility model includes at least two sets of conveyor lines arranged side by side along a first direction, each set of conveyor lines including:

[0006] A main conveyor line extending in a second direction, the main conveyor line having at least one conveying station for conveying a material frame in the second direction;

[0007] A work station is set at one end of the main conveyor line, the work station being configured to convey a material frame along a second direction, so as to enable the direct transfer of the material frame between work stations on adjacent conveyor lines.

[0008] Preferably, the conveying station is a roller conveyor mechanism, wherein the roller is driven by a first motor via a chain or belt, and the first motor is configured to be able to rotate in both directions to realize bidirectional conveying of the material frame on the main conveying line.

[0009] Preferably, the conveying station is also equipped with a material-blocking cylinder for blocking or releasing the material frame.

[0010] Preferably, the work station includes a second motor, which, together with a chain, belt, or lead screw, forms a transmission mechanism to realize the transfer of the material frame along the first direction.

[0011] Preferably, the work station further includes a lifting assembly for raising and lowering the material frame.

[0012] Preferably, the lifting assembly is configured as a lifting cylinder or a cam transmission mechanism driven by a third motor.

[0013] Preferably, positioning cylinders are installed on both sides of the work station along the first direction, and positioning pins for positioning the material frame are installed on the telescopic ends of the positioning cylinders.

[0014] Preferably, the material frame is a rectangular frame structure, and a positioning hole is provided at the bottom of the material frame corresponding to the positioning pin.

[0015] Preferably, a guide bracket extending in a first direction is installed at the other end of the main conveyor line opposite to the work station, and a material cart for loading and unloading is connected to the guide bracket.

[0016] Preferably, the first motor, the second motor, and the third motor are servo motors or stepper motors.

[0017] This utility model achieves the following technical effects:

[0018] 1. It breaks through the rigid limitation of unidirectional operation of conveyor lines and creates a flexible conveying system that can flexibly switch the direction of material flow, thereby greatly improving the equipment's versatility and site adaptability.

[0019] 2. By increasing the number of conveyor stations and optimizing the overall layout, providing sufficient buffer capacity and eliminating cycle time bottlenecks, the system can adapt to higher efficiency production requirements.

[0020] 3. By standardizing and symmetrically designing, the manufacturing, maintenance, and expansion costs of the system can be reduced, while its structural stability and reliability can be improved. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the main body of the upper and lower part material frame conveying line system proposed in this utility model from a certain angle;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a top view of the main body of the upper and lower part conveying frame system proposed in this utility model from a certain angle;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the material conveying frame at the second workstation of this utility model.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the main working station (with the transport plate removed) of this utility model at a certain angle;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the material frame of this utility model.

[0026] The diagram is labeled as follows: 101-Conveying Station 1; 102-Conveying Station 2; 103-Conveying Station 3; 104-Conveying Station 4; 201-Working Station 1; 202-Working Station 2; 301-First Motor 1; 302-First Motor 2; 303-First Motor 3; 304-First Motor 4; 401-Second Motor 1; 402-Second Motor 2; 501-Third Motor 1; 601-Material Blocking Cylinder 1; 602-Material Blocking Cylinder 2; 603-Material Blocking Cylinder 3; 604-Material Blocking Cylinder 4; 605-Material Blocking Cylinder 5; 701-Positioning Cylinder 1; 8-Guide Bracket; 9-Material Cart; 10-Material Frame; 11-Positioning Hole; 12-Transport Plate. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solution of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0028] In one specific embodiment, refer to Figure 1-2 The present invention proposes a material loading and unloading frame conveyor system, comprising two sets of conveyor lines arranged side by side along a first direction, each set of conveyor lines comprising:

[0029] A main conveyor line extending in a second direction, the main conveyor line having two conveying stations for conveying the material frame 10 in the second direction;

[0030] A work station is set at one end of the main conveyor line. The work station is configured to convey the material frame 10 along the second direction, so as to realize the direct transfer of the material frame 10 between work stations of adjacent conveyor lines.

[0031] In this embodiment, "first direction" can be understood as... Figure 2 The vertical direction shown is "second direction". Figure 2 The left and right directions are shown. For ease of description, the first conveyor line above is equipped with conveyor station 101, conveyor station 202, and work station 101 from left to right, and the second conveyor line below is equipped with work station 202, conveyor station 303, and conveyor station 404 from right to left.

[0032] In one specific embodiment, the conveying station is a roller conveyor mechanism, the rollers are driven by a first motor via a chain, and the first motor is configured to be able to rotate in both directions to realize bidirectional conveying of the material frame 10 on the main conveying line.

[0033] In this embodiment, conveying stations one, two, three, and four are respectively equipped with first motors one, two, three, and four. First motor one 301 drives the material frame 10 to move between conveying station one 101 and conveying station two 102. First motor two 302 drives the material frame 10 to move between conveying station two 102 and working station one 201. Similarly, first motor three 303 drives the material frame 10 to move between working station two 202 and conveying station three 103. First motor four 304 drives the material frame 10 to move between conveying station three 103 and conveying station four 104.

[0034] Specifically, the roller conveyor mechanism consists of a line frame, rollers, cylinders, sensors, a motor, and a material frame 10. The overall structure of the roller conveyor mechanism is a standard section interchangeable with other conveying stations. The line frame is made of aluminum alloy profiles to ensure sufficient strength to withstand pallet stacking conditions. The flatness of the roller top surface is ≤0.15mm / m, the height difference between adjacent conveying stations is ≤0.2mm, and the straightness of the entire conveyor line is ≤1mm / m. The chain rollers are made of steel, and the oiling system is independently controlled and has a liquid level alarm function, with adjustable oiling frequency. The overall structure ensures the strength and stability of the system under pallet stacking conditions (full load 700KG). In other embodiments, chain drive can be replaced by belt drive. Since roller conveyor mechanisms already exist in the prior art, this application will not describe their specific structure further.

[0035] Specifically, the roller has a cylindrical structure, is made of wear-resistant material, and has a surface treatment to reduce friction and noise. The roller is driven to rotate by a chain driven by a motor, such as... Figure 2 As shown, under a full load of 700KG, the speed of the roller conveyor line can reach 18m / min.

[0036] In one specific embodiment, the conveying station is equipped with a material-blocking cylinder for blocking or releasing the material frame 10, which can effectively block the movement of the material frame 10. In other alternative embodiments, one or more material-blocking cylinders may be provided. Preferably, to prevent the material frame 10 from shifting position, two material-blocking cylinders are arranged symmetrically about the second direction.

[0037] In this embodiment, two material blocking cylinders 601 are installed at conveying station 101, two material blocking cylinders 602 are installed at conveying station 2, two material blocking cylinders 603 are installed at conveying station 3, and two material blocking cylinders 604 are installed at conveying station 4.

[0038] It should be noted that, in order to transfer the material frame from work station 1 201 to work station 202, work station 2 is equipped with a material blocking cylinder 5 605 to block the movement of the material frame 10.

[0039] In a specific embodiment, such as Figure 3-4 As shown, the working station includes a second motor, which, together with a chain, belt, or lead screw, forms a transmission mechanism to realize the transfer of the material frame 10 along the first direction. In a preferred embodiment, the second motor, together with a chain, forms the transmission mechanism.

[0040] In this embodiment, a second motor 401 is installed at workstation 201, and a second motor 402 is installed at workstation 202. The second motors 401 and 402 cooperate with the chain to form a transmission mechanism. Since the transmission mechanism of the motor and the chain is prior art, it will not be described in detail in this application.

[0041] In one specific embodiment, the first motor and the second motor are servo motors or stepper motors, which drive the roller through a reducer to realize the acceleration, deceleration and stopping of the material frame 10.

[0042] It should be noted that, to prevent interference between the work station and the material frame's transmission in the first direction and the material frame's transmission in the second direction, a transport plate 12 is installed at the work station. Furthermore, the work station also includes a lifting assembly for raising and lowering the material frame 10. Optionally, the lifting assembly can be configured as a lifting cylinder or a cam transmission mechanism driven by a third motor, depending on the nature of the material being transported. This application primarily transports weldments; therefore, in a preferred embodiment, the lifting assembly is configured as a cam transmission mechanism, and the third motor is a servo motor or a stepper motor. Since the cam transmission mechanism is existing technology, those skilled in the art can install it according to requirements, and will not be described in detail here.

[0043] In one specific embodiment, positioning cylinders are respectively installed on both sides of the work station along the first direction. The telescopic end of the positioning cylinder is equipped with a positioning pin for positioning the material frame 10, which is used to realize the extension / retraction action of the positioning pin.

[0044] like Figure 5 As shown, the material frame 10 has a rectangular frame structure with a flat bottom surface in contact with the roller, facilitating stable conveying. The material frame 10 is designed with positioning holes 11, which cooperate with the positioning pins of the positioning cylinder to achieve precise positioning.

[0045] In one specific embodiment, a guide bracket 8 extending in a first direction is installed at the other end of the main conveyor line opposite to the workstation, and a material cart 9 for loading and unloading is connected to the guide bracket 8. Figure 1 As shown, material cart 9 is manually pushed and equipped with rollers and positioning devices, and is compatible with the conveyor line interface.

[0046] To cooperate with actuators such as motors and cylinders, multiple photoelectric sensors and position sensors are installed on the conveyor line. The photoelectric sensors can detect the orientation of the material frame 10, its initial position at workstation 201 before transfer, the presence or absence of products within the material frame 10, and its arrival at workstation 202. The position sensors can detect when the material frame 10 reaches the deceleration position, when it is in position, and when it is lifted to a high position. Since the installation and detection of these sensors are known to those skilled in the art, they will not be described in detail here.

[0047] It should be understood that in this embodiment, the actuators such as motors and cylinders are all controlled by a dedicated controller. The controller receives the sensor signals installed at each workstation, sends instructions to the first motor, the second motor, and the material-blocking cylinder, driving them to perform their respective preset actions and providing feedback on their respective action status. Since the sensor settings and controller program control are existing technologies and not innovative points of this application, those skilled in the art can implement them directly without any doubt, and will not be elaborated here.

[0048] The system's operating timing is based on sensor detection and the coordinated actions of motors and cylinders. In forward mode, the material frame 10 is loaded from the top side, and after being picked up by the robot, it is unloaded from the bottom side. The specific steps are as follows.

[0049] Initial state: Manual loading of parts is completed, and the material cart 9 is full of material frames 10.

[0050] Step 1: Manually drag the material cart 9 into position, and the position sensor detects the material cart 9 on the line.

[0051] Step 2: Manually step on the foot switch to lower the barrier. The first motor 301 of conveyor station 101 starts, driving the roller to rotate, and the material frame 10 enters the production line. The photoelectric sensor detects the orientation of the material frame 10, and the position sensor detects the entry of the material frame 10.

[0052] Step 3: After the material frame enters the conveying station 101, the material blocking cylinder 601 extends, the movable block extends, and the sensor sends a signal after detecting that the material frame 10 has reached the preset position. After receiving the signal, the first motor 301 drives the material frame 10 to decelerate. After the position sensor detects that the material frame 10 is in place, the first motor 301 stops, and the pre-extended movable block fixes the material frame 10.

[0053] Step 4: After the material frame 10 in front moves, the material blocking cylinder 601 retracts, the movable block opens, the first motor 301 starts, and drives the material frame 10 into the conveying station 102.

[0054] Step 5: The first motor 302 of the second conveying station 102 drives the material frame 10 to enter. After receiving the signal that it has entered the second conveying station 102, the material blocking cylinder 602 extends and the movable block extends. Repeat the detection steps (sensor detection, deceleration, and stopping at the end) to fix the material frame 10.

[0055] Step 6: After the front material frame 10 moves, the material blocking cylinder 2 602 retracts, the movable block opens, the first motor 2 302 starts, and drives the material frame 10 into the working station 1 201.

[0056] Step 7: Repeat the detection steps at work station 201. The first motor 302 decelerates. After the detection is complete, the third motor 501 at work station 201 starts, driving the material frame 10 to rise to the high position. After the position sensor detects that the material frame 10 has risen to the high position, the third motor 501 stops.

[0057] Step 8: The positioning cylinder 701 of the work station 201 extends, so that the positioning pin extends and enters the positioning hole 11 of the material frame 10, thereby fixing the material frame 10.

[0058] Step 9: The robot takes the board from the material frame 10 when it reaches its position.

[0059] Step 10: After the robot moves away, the photoelectric sensor at workstation 201 detects that there are no plates in the material frame 10, the positioning cylinder 701 retracts, the positioning pin retracts, and the fixing of the material frame 10 is released.

[0060] Step 11: The material blocking cylinder 5 605 extends, the second motor 401 of the working station 1 201 starts, and the material frame 10 is moved laterally to the working station 2 202, where the pre-extended movable block fixes the material frame 10.

[0061] Step 12: After the position sensor at work station 202 detects that the material frame 10 is in place, the third motor 2 installed at work station 202 starts, lowering the material frame 10 from the high position to the low position, and the material blocking cylinder 5 605 retracts.

[0062] Step 13: After the front material frame 10 moves, the first motor 303 starts and sends the material frame 10 into the conveyor station 3103.

[0063] Step 14: The first motor 303 of the conveying station 3103 drives the material frame 10 to enter, the material blocking cylinder 603 extends, the movable block extends, and the detection steps are repeated.

[0064] Step 15: Repeat the above steps, and the material frame 10 enters the conveying station 4 104 from the conveying station 3 103.

[0065] Step 16: After the sensor of the material cart 9 at the conveying station 4 104 detects that the material cart 9 has arrived, the manual foot switch is pressed to lower the block. The first motor 4 304 of the conveying station 4 104 starts and sends the material frame 10 onto the material cart 9.

[0066] Step 17: Manually pull away the material cart 9 loaded with empty material box 10 to enter the next cycle.

[0067] Based on bus-controlled asynchronous conveying, the coordinated actions of motors and cylinders are fed back in real time by sensors to accelerate, decelerate, and stop the material frame 10, adapting to the needs of different production rhythms. Furthermore, the workstation integrates lifting, lateral movement, and precise positioning, enabling it to collaborate with robots to achieve a fully automated, high-precision picking and placing process.

[0068] After adopting the system of this application, the robot can operate almost continuously at the workstation, and the robot's automatic part picking significantly reduces the waiting time of the process. Moreover, multiple conveyor stations form a "buffer zone", which effectively absorbs production fluctuations and can also effectively improve the parallel processing capability of the production line, increasing the overall throughput of the system by more than 25%, and significantly improving production efficiency and cycle time.

[0069] Since the two sets of transmission lines have the same structure and are arranged side by side, it can be understood that the structures of the two sets of transmission lines are generally symmetrical, including the symmetry of mechanical structures such as the line frame, roller mounting position, and cylinder mounting position, the symmetry of the models and installation methods of actuators such as motors and cylinders, and the consistency of the layout and specifications of sensors used to detect the position and arrival status of the material frame 10.

[0070] Based on this symmetrical architecture and combined with the forward and reverse rotation functions of all drive motors, this system achieves online reversibility of the operating direction. In actual production, no additional hardware modifications are required. By switching the control system program, the original input position (such as conveyor station 101) can be changed into an output position, and the original output position (such as conveyor station 104) can be changed into an input position. The system can achieve flexible and rapid switching of the conveying direction, breaking the constraints of the traditional unidirectional operation of conveyor lines.

[0071] Moreover, the symmetrical force flow design makes the line more evenly stressed, and combined with high-strength aluminum alloy profiles and steel chains, it ensures stable operation under long-term, heavy-load conditions and better precision retention.

[0072] It should be noted that the material-blocking cylinder shown in the figure is installed in the forward mode. Those skilled in the art can... Figure 2 Material-blocking cylinders are installed on the left and right sides of each conveying station and on the top and bottom sides of each working station to accommodate the reversibility of the running direction.

[0073] It should be noted that the guide bracket 8 is installed on the left side of conveyor station 101 and conveyor station 4 104 to facilitate the movement of the material cart 9 along conveyor stations 101 and 4, switching between the upper and lower lines. In other optional embodiments, depending on actual needs, the guide bracket 8 may also be installed only on the side of conveyor station 101 or conveyor station 4 104.

[0074] It should be noted that those skilled in the art can also add or remove multiple sets of conveyor lines, for example, adding a third or more sets of conveyor lines below the second conveyor line, to enable the material frame 10 to load and unload between multiple sets of conveyor lines. Correspondingly, the guide bracket 8 can also be extended according to actual conditions to facilitate the movement of the material cart 9 between the conveying stations of multiple sets of conveyor lines for loading and unloading.

[0075] Because the conveyor stations are designed in a standardized manner, future expansion or reorganization of the production line becomes simple, quick, and cost-effective. Therefore, those skilled in the art can also modify a single conveyor line. For example, the first conveyor line can be equipped with conveyor stations one and two and work station one 201, and the second conveyor line can be equipped with work station two 202 and conveyor station three 103.

[0076] Those skilled in the art can make the above modifications to this application according to actual needs, all of which are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0077] This application has the following beneficial effects:

[0078] 1. Significantly improve production efficiency and cycle time: Through multiple conveying stations for buffering, combined with a precise positioning mechanism, flexible conveying and efficient circulation of the material frame 10 are achieved. The entire structural design ensures reliable operation, low noise and long service life.

[0079] 2. Extremely flexible and highly versatile: The bidirectional operation capability allows one conveyor line to function as two, enabling rapid response to changes in production layout and product type, greatly improving equipment utilization and return on investment.

[0080] 3. Significantly reduced labor and maintenance costs: Increased automation reduces direct manual operations by at least 50%. Symmetrical design reduces the types of spare parts by approximately 40%.

[0081] 4. Stable structure and high reliability: The symmetrical force flow design makes the line more evenly stressed. Combined with high-strength aluminum alloy profiles and steel chains, it ensures stable operation under long-term and heavy-load conditions and better accuracy retention.

[0082] 5. Easy to expand and reconfigure: Standardized symmetrical modules make it simple, fast and cost-effective to expand or reconfigure future production lines.

[0083] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model, but the protection scope of the present utility model is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or changes made by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present utility model, based on the technical solution and the inventive concept of the present utility model, should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A conveyor system for loading and unloading parts, characterized in that, Includes at least two sets of conveyor lines arranged side by side along a first direction, each set of conveyor lines including: A main conveyor line extending along a second direction, the main conveyor line having at least one conveying station for conveying a material frame along the second direction; A work station is set at one end of the main conveyor line, the work station being configured to convey a material frame along a second direction, so as to enable the direct transfer of the material frame between work stations on adjacent conveyor lines.

2. The loading / unloading material frame conveyor system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying station is a roller conveyor mechanism, wherein the roller is driven by a first motor via a chain or belt. The first motor is configured to be able to rotate in both directions to realize bidirectional conveying of the material frame on the main conveyor line.

3. The upper and lower part conveyor system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The conveying station and the working station are also equipped with a material blocking cylinder for blocking or releasing the material frame.

4. The loading / unloading material frame conveyor system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The work station includes a second motor, which, together with a chain, belt, or lead screw, forms a transmission mechanism to realize the transfer of the material frame along the first direction.

5. The loading / unloading material frame conveyor system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The work station also includes a lifting assembly for raising and lowering the material frame.

6. The loading / unloading material frame conveyor system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The lifting assembly is configured as a lifting cylinder or a cam transmission mechanism driven by a third motor.

7. The loading / unloading material frame conveyor system according to claim 4, 5, or 6, characterized in that, The work station is equipped with positioning cylinders on both sides along the first direction, and the telescopic end of the positioning cylinder is equipped with positioning pins for positioning the material frame.

8. The loading / unloading material frame conveyor system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The material frame is a rectangular frame structure, and a positioning hole is opened at the bottom of the material frame corresponding to the positioning pin.

9. The loading / unloading material frame conveyor system according to claim 7, characterized in that, A guide bracket extending in a first direction is installed at the other end of the main conveyor line opposite to the work station, and a material cart for loading and unloading is connected to the guide bracket.

10. The loading / unloading material frame conveyor system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first motor, the second motor, and the third motor are either servo motors or stepper motors.

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