Tray loading mechanism

Abstract

The utility model discloses a tray feeding mechanism that can reduce the width of equipment and reduce cost, which comprises a feeding jacking unit, a receiving unit, a feeding lifting unit and a tray recycling unit. The feeding jacking unit comprises a first supporting structure, a first lifting structure for driving the first supporting structure to lift, a first through hole and a first socket on the first supporting structure. The receiving unit is located on the side of the first socket and comprises a second supporting structure, a first horizontal driving member for driving the second supporting structure to move closer to or further away from the first supporting structure. The second supporting structure can be inserted into the first through hole through the first socket. The feeding lifting unit comprises a third supporting structure above the second supporting structure, a second lifting structure for driving the third supporting structure to lift, a second through hole on the third supporting structure and a second socket for the second supporting structure to be inserted into. The tray recycling unit comprises a fourth supporting structure above the first supporting structure and a third lifting structure for driving the fourth supporting structure to lift.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automated pallet loading and unloading technology, and in particular to a pallet loading mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] Trays, also known as wafer trays, are primarily used in the semiconductor industry to hold chips. During chip processing or testing, trays typically occupy multiple workstations, necessitating their transport. Currently, the industry mainly employs a dual-channel feeding method for trays, where one channel feeds while another outputs, ensuring feeding efficiency. However, this method significantly increases the width of the equipment, resulting in a larger footprint in the workshop. Since user workshops often have limited space, this increases the difficulty of equipment placement. Furthermore, the dual-channel design keeps equipment costs high, hindering its market competitiveness. Utility Model Content

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a tray loading mechanism that can reduce the width of the equipment and lower the cost to address the above-mentioned shortcomings.

[0004] A tray loading mechanism includes at least a loading / unloading unit, wherein the loading / unloading unit includes: The feeding lifting unit includes a first support structure for supporting a full material tray and a first lifting structure for driving the first support structure to rise and fall. The first support structure has a first through hole that penetrates its upper and lower surfaces. The first through hole penetrates one side of the first support structure and forms a first insertion port. The receiving unit, located on the side of the first insertion port, includes a second support structure for transferring a full tray from the first support structure, and a first horizontal drive member for driving the second support structure to move closer to or away from the first support structure; the second support structure can be inserted into the first through hole through the first insertion port, and supports the full tray when the first support structure descends to be flush with or lower than the second support structure. The feeding and lifting unit includes a third support structure located above the second support structure and used to transfer a full material tray from the second support structure, and a second lifting structure used to drive the third support structure to rise and fall. The third support structure has a second through hole that penetrates its upper and lower surfaces. The second through hole penetrates the side of the third support structure facing the first insertion port and forms a second insertion port into which the second support structure can be inserted. The empty disk recovery unit includes a fourth support structure located above the first support structure for receiving empty disks, and a third lifting structure for driving the fourth support structure to rise and fall.

[0005] In one embodiment, the first support structure includes a first crossbar, two first support plates disposed on one side of the first crossbar and fixedly connected to the first crossbar, the two first support plates being arranged in parallel and spaced apart, and the extension direction of the first support plates being perpendicular to the extension direction of the first crossbar, the first crossbar and the two first support plates together forming the first through hole, and the first insertion port being formed between the ends of the two first support plates. The second support structure includes a second crossbar and a second support plate located on the side of the second crossbar adjacent to the first crossbar and fixedly connected to the second crossbar; The third support structure includes a third crossbar and two third support plates located on the side of the third crossbar adjacent to the first crossbar and arranged in parallel and spaced apart. The third support plates are fixedly connected to the third crossbar. The third crossbar and the two third support plates together form the second through hole. The second insertion port is formed between the ends of the two third support plates. The distance between the inner sides of the two third support plates is greater than the width of the second support plate, and the distance from the inner side of the third crossbar to the first crossbar is greater than the distance from the inner side of the second crossbar to the first crossbar. The fourth support structure includes a fourth crossbar and a fourth support plate located on the fourth crossbar adjacent to the third crossbar and fixedly connected to the fourth crossbar.

[0006] In one embodiment, the first support structure further includes two baffles arranged in parallel and fixedly connected to the upper surface of the first crossbar, forming a feeding area between the two baffles, and the two first support plates are fixed to the inner sides of the two baffles in a one-to-one correspondence; the upper surface of the baffle is higher than the upper surface of the first support plate, so that the inner side of the baffle forms a baffle wall above the first support plate. The first support plate has a plurality of openings spaced apart along its extension direction. Below each opening is a roller rotatably connected to the baffle. A portion of the roller passes through the opening and extends from the upper surface of the first support plate to form a rolling receiving portion. A first limiting baffle is fixed to one end of the upper surface of the first support plate near the first insertion port.

[0007] In one embodiment, the first lifting structure includes a first cylinder located below the first crossbar and drivenly connected to the first crossbar, the piston rod of the first cylinder being fixedly connected to the first crossbar; or the first lifting structure includes two second cylinders correspondingly disposed below two baffles, the piston rod of each second cylinder being fixedly connected to a baffle.

[0008] In one embodiment, the first support structure further includes at least one first reinforcing plate located between two first support plates and fixedly connected to the first crossbar. The first reinforcing plate is parallel to the first support plate, and a first insertion channel is formed between adjacent first reinforcing plates or between the first reinforcing plate and the first support plate. The second support plate has at least one first clearance notch, and the second crossbar has at least one second clearance notch that corresponds to and connects to each of the first clearance notches. The first clearance notch penetrates one side of the second support plate facing the first crossbar. The first clearance notch divides the second support plate into multiple plates. Each first clearance notch and its corresponding second clearance notch together form a second insertion channel. When the second support structure is close to the first support structure, one of the plates is inserted into each first insertion channel, and one of the first reinforcing plates is inserted into each first clearance notch. Each plate has a second limiting baffle on its upper end surface.

[0009] In one embodiment, the first horizontal drive component is a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder; or the first horizontal drive component is a linear module arranged along the length direction of the first support plate, and the second crossbar is driven to the output end of the linear module.

[0010] In one embodiment, the third support structure further includes at least one second reinforcing plate located between the two third support plates and fixedly connected to the third crossbar. The second reinforcing plate is parallel to the second support plate, and a third insertion channel is formed between adjacent second reinforcing plates or between the second reinforcing plate and the third support plate. The upper surface of the end of the third support structure and the upper surface of the end of the second reinforcing plate are both provided with third limiting baffles. When the third support structure descends, the second reinforcing plate passes through the second insertion channel and descends below the plate. Two fourth support plates are spaced apart on the fourth crossbar, and a fourth limiting baffle is provided on the upper surface of the end of the fourth support plate; Weight reduction holes are provided on the third support plate, the second reinforcing plate, and the fourth support plate.

[0011] In one embodiment, the loading and unloading unit further includes a frame, on which a first guide rail extending vertically is provided near a third support structure, and a second guide rail extending vertically is provided near a fourth support structure. The third support structure is slidably engaged with the first guide rail, and the fourth support structure is slidably engaged with the second guide rail. Both the second lifting structure and the third lifting structure are linear modules fixed on the frame.

[0012] In one embodiment, the tray loading mechanism further includes: The equipment cabinet has a loading space inside. A feeding port communicating with the loading space is opened on the side of the equipment cabinet, and a discharging port communicating with the loading space is opened on the upper surface of the equipment cabinet. The feeding lifting unit, receiving unit, feeding lifting unit and empty tray recycling unit are all housed in the loading space, and the feeding lifting unit is located adjacent to the feeding port. The feeding lifting unit and the empty tray recycling unit are both located corresponding to the discharging port. A feeding mechanism is installed on the top of the equipment cabinet, and the output end of the feeding mechanism is used to connect to external processing equipment; A robotic arm is mounted on the upper surface of the equipment cabinet and is used to place materials from the feeding tray of the third support structure into the feeding mechanism. An empty tray transfer unit is installed on the upper surface of the equipment cabinet and corresponds to the material handling port. It is used to grab empty trays from the third support structure and place them on the fourth support structure.

[0013] In one embodiment, the empty tray transfer unit includes two mounting brackets fixed to the upper surface of the equipment cabinet and disposed opposite to each other on both sides of the material inlet; two third guide rails fixed one-to-one with the top of the two mounting brackets; a crossbar spanning between the two third guide rails and slidingly engaging with the two third guide rails; a suction cup fixed to the lower part of the crossbar and connected to an external air pressure device; and a second horizontal drive component that drives the crossbar and the suction cup to move between the third support structure and the fourth support structure.

[0014] The Tray feeding mechanism of this utility model has an empty tray recovery unit positioned above the feeding lifting unit, a receiving unit positioned beside the feeding lifting unit, and a feeding lifting unit positioned above the receiving unit. After feeding from the feeding lifting unit, the tray is received by the receiving unit and lifted to a preset height by the feeding lifting unit for feeding. The empty tray recovery unit receives the empty tray and descends, and can discharge from the same position where the feeding lifting unit fed the tray. The feeding and discharging of the tray are integrated into a single material channel. The reduction of material channels reduces the overall width of the Tray feeding mechanism, which is beneficial for compressing the equipment size and reducing the space occupied and layout difficulty in the workshop. At the same time, the single material channel simplifies the equipment structure, which helps to reduce equipment costs and improve the market competitiveness of the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the loading and unloading unit in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the loading and unloading unit when it is fully loaded in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the material receiving unit of the loading and unloading unit taking material from the feeding lifting unit in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the feeding and lifting unit of the loading and unloading unit after it takes the material tray from the receiving unit in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the Tray loading mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0016] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a full understanding of this utility model. However, this utility model can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this utility model. Therefore, this utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0017] Please combine Figure 1-4This utility model discloses a tray loading mechanism that can reduce equipment width and lower costs. The tray loading mechanism includes at least a loading and unloading unit, which comprises a feeding and lifting unit 100, a receiving unit 200, a feeding and lifting unit 300, and an empty tray recycling unit 400. These four components form a highly integrated, compact unit capable of loading and unloading trays. Specifically, the feeding and lifting unit 100 includes a first supporting structure 110 for supporting a full tray (i.e., a tray filled with material) and a first lifting structure 120 for driving the first supporting structure 110 to move up and down. In this embodiment, the full trays are stacked for loading, allowing for batch loading of multiple trays at once. During tray loading, the height of the first supporting structure 110 can be adjusted via the first lifting structure 120 to accommodate the height of the stacked trays and the tray loading height. The first support structure 110 has a first through hole 111 penetrating its upper and lower surfaces. The first through hole 111 penetrates one side of the first support structure 110 and forms a first insertion port 112. The receiving unit 200 is located on the side where the first insertion port 112 is located. The receiving unit 200 includes a second support structure 210 for transferring a full tray from the first support structure 110 and a first horizontal drive member 220 for driving the second support structure 210 closer to or away from the first support structure 110. The second support structure 210 can be inserted into the first through hole 111 through the first insertion port 112 and supports the full tray when the first support structure 110 descends to be flush with or lower than the second support structure 210. In this embodiment, the first insertion port 112 is provided so that the second support structure 210 can enter the first through hole 111 under the drive of the first horizontal drive member 220, so that the second support structure 210 and the first support structure 110 have a certain overlapping area in the horizontal plane, that is, so that the second support structure 210 and the material tray on the first support structure 110 have a certain overlapping area in the horizontal plane, providing conditions for the second support structure 210 to receive the material tray. The feeding lifting unit 300 includes a third support structure 310 located above the second support structure 210 and used to transfer the full material tray from the second support structure 210, and a second lifting structure 320 used to drive the third support structure 310 to rise and fall. The third support structure 310 has a second through hole 311 that penetrates its upper and lower surfaces. The second through hole 311 penetrates the side of the third support structure 310 facing the first insertion port 112 and forms a second insertion port 312 for the second support structure 210 to be inserted.The second port 312 allows the third support structure 310 to move under the drive of the second lifting structure 320 to the area below the second support structure 210. After the second support structure 210 carries the material tray away from the first support structure 110, it can retract to the area where the third support structure 310 is located. Thus, during the process of the third support structure 310 rising under the drive of the second lifting structure 320, it can carry the material tray away from the second support structure 210, realizing the transfer of the material tray from the second support structure 210 to the third support structure 310, thereby supplying material for the processing operation. The empty tray recycling unit 400 includes a fourth support structure 410 located above the first support structure 110 for receiving empty trays, and a third lifting structure 420 for driving the fourth support structure 410 to rise and fall. The third lifting structure 420 descends when the fourth support structure 410 receives an empty tray, so that the empty trays can be stacked on the fourth support structure 410, and ensure that the empty trays are unloaded from the same position and placed on the fourth support structure 410, thereby realizing the batch unloading of empty trays.

[0018] During one loading / unloading cycle of the tray, the first lifting structure 120 controls the first support structure 110 to descend, preparing it at a lower loading position. The stacked full trays are then placed on the first support structure 110, completing the loading of the trays within the loading / unloading unit. Subsequently, the first lifting structure 120 drives the first support structure 110 and the stacked full trays to rise. The rising height of the first support structure 110 must satisfy the condition that the lower surface of the bottom tray on the first support structure 110 is higher than the upper surface of the second support structure 210, to avoid interference from the trays entering the area where the second support structure 210 is located. After the first support structure 110 rises, the first horizontal drive component 220 moves the second support structure 210 closer to the first support structure 110 until the second support structure 210 is below the tray. The first lifting structure 120 then moves the first support structure 110 downwards until its upper surface is lower than the upper surface of the second support structure 210. Thus, the stacked trays are blocked and retained on the second support structure 210, achieving the transfer of the trays from the first support structure 110 to the second support structure 210. Simultaneously, the second lifting structure 320 moves the third support structure 310 downwards until its upper surface is lower than the upper surface of the second support structure 210. The first horizontal drive component 220 then moves the second support structure 210 and the trays back to their initial positions. Subsequently, the second lifting structure 320 drives the third supporting structure 310 to rise. During the rise, the third supporting structure 310 lifts and removes the stacked trays on the second supporting structure 210, thus transferring the trays from the second supporting structure 210 to the third supporting structure 310. When the second lifting structure 320 drives the third supporting structure 310 to a preset height, the second lifting structure 320 pauses its operation, allowing the trays on the third supporting structure 310 to be removed at the preset height. After a full tray of material is removed from the third supporting structure 310 and the empty tray is taken away, the second lifting structure 320 drives the third supporting structure 310 to rise a certain distance, ensuring that the feeding lifting unit 300 always feeds material at the same height. The removed empty trays are placed on the fourth support structure 410. Each time an empty tray is stacked on the fourth support structure 410, the third lifting structure 420 lowers the fourth support structure 410 by a certain distance to ensure that the empty tray recycling unit 400 always discharges materials at the same height. When the height of the empty trays stacked on the fourth support structure 410 reaches the preset value, the empty trays on the fourth support structure 410 are removed from the fourth support structure 410, thus completing the unloading of the trays in the loading and unloading unit.

[0019] In one embodiment, the first support structure 110 includes a first crossbar 113 and two first support plates 114 disposed on one side of the first crossbar 113 and fixedly connected to the first crossbar 113. The side of the first crossbar 113 facing away from the first support plates 114 is the tray loading side. The two first support plates 114 are arranged in parallel and spaced apart, and the extension direction of the first support plates 114 is perpendicular to the extension direction of the first crossbar 113. The first crossbar 113 and the two first support plates 114 together form a first through hole 111, and a first insertion port 112 is formed between the ends of the two first support plates 114. The second support structure 210 includes a second crossbar 211 and a second support plate 212 located on the side of the second crossbar 211 adjacent to the first crossbar 113 and fixedly connected to the second crossbar 211. In other words, the second support plate 212 can be inserted entirely into the first through hole 111 through the first insertion port 112 to avoid interference between the first support plate 114 and the second support plate 212 in the horizontal direction. The second support plate 212 can be a single plate that can be inserted into the first through hole 111, or it can be multiple plates spaced apart. The third support structure 310 includes a third crossbar 313 and two third support plates 314 located on the third crossbar 313 adjacent to the first crossbar 113 and arranged in parallel at intervals. The third support plates 314 are fixedly connected to the third crossbar 313. The third crossbar 313 and the two third support plates 314 together form a second through hole 311. A second insertion port 312 is formed between the ends of the two third support plates 314. The distance between the inner sides of the two third support plates 314 (i.e., the side of the third support plate located in the second through hole) is greater than the width of the second support plate 212. The distance from the inner side of the third crossbar 313 (i.e., the side of the third crossbar facing the fourth support structure) to the first crossbar 113 is greater than the distance from the inner side of the second crossbar 211 (i.e., the side of the second crossbar facing the first crossbar) to the first crossbar 113. That is, the third support structure can be located outside the second support structure and partially surround the second support structure. This ensures that the third support structure 310 will not interfere with the second support structure 210 during lifting, allowing the tray to be transferred smoothly between the second and third support structures 210. The fourth support structure 410 includes a fourth crossbar 411 and a fourth support plate 412 located on the fourth crossbar 411 adjacent to the third crossbar 313 and fixedly connected to the fourth crossbar 411. The fourth support plate 412 is positioned on the fourth crossbar 411 facing the third crossbar 313, and the second support plate 212 is positioned on the second crossbar 211 facing the first crossbar 113. This restricts the loading and unloading operations of the tray to the area enclosed by the first lifting structure 120, the second lifting structure 320, and the third lifting structure 420, which helps control the width of the loading and unloading unit and thus achieves the purpose of controlling the overall size of the tray loading mechanism.

[0020] The first support structure 110 also includes two baffles 115 arranged in parallel and fixedly connected to the upper surface of the first crossbar 113. A feeding area is formed between the two baffles 115. Two first support plates 114 are fixed one-to-one to the inner sides of the two baffles 115 (the inner side of the baffle 115 is the side of the baffle 115 located in the feeding area). The upper surface of the baffle 115 is higher than the upper surface of the first support plate 114, so that the inner side of the baffle 115 forms a baffle wall above the first support plate 114. By setting the baffles 115, lateral displacement of the tray after it is placed on the first support plate 114 can be avoided. At the same time, the two baffles 115 and the two first support plates 114 together form a feeding channel, which can guide the tray during feeding and reduce the difficulty of feeding the tray. Furthermore, the first support plate 114 has multiple openings 116 spaced apart along its extension direction. Below each opening 116 is a roller 117 rotatably connected to the baffle 115. A portion of the roller 117 passes through the opening 116 and extends from the upper surface of the first support plate 114 to form a rolling receiving portion. A first limiting baffle 118 is fixed to one end of the upper surface of the first support plate 114 near the first insertion port 112. Preferably, the lower part of the baffle 115 has multiple fixed shafts spaced apart. The fixed shafts are fixedly connected to the inner surface of the baffle 115, and a roller 117 is rotatably sleeved on each fixed shaft to achieve a rotatable connection between the roller 117 and the baffle 115. Thus, during the feeding process of the material tray, when the edge of the material tray contacts the roller 117 on the first support plate 114 near the first crossbar 113, the material tray can be pushed into the feeding area by pushing it, reducing the resistance of the material tray entering the feeding area and further reducing the difficulty of feeding the material tray. By providing a first limiting baffle 118 at the end of the first support plate 114, the position of the tray on the first support plate 114 can be limited, so that the second support structure 210 picks up the tray at the same position on the first support plate 114 each time.

[0021] In one embodiment, the first lifting structure 120 includes a first cylinder located below the first crossbar 113 and drivenly connected to the first crossbar 113, with the piston rod of the first cylinder fixedly connected to the first crossbar 113. In another embodiment, the first lifting structure 120 includes two second cylinders correspondingly disposed below two baffles 115, with the piston rod of each second cylinder fixedly connected to a baffle 115. Preferably, the first support structure 110 is driven by the two second cylinders located below the baffles 115 to avoid excessive load on a single cylinder, thereby extending the service life of the cylinder and ensuring the smoothness of the lifting of the first support structure 110. The first horizontal drive component 220 is a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder; or the first horizontal drive component 220 is a linear module arranged along the length direction of the first support plate 114, with the second crossbar 211 drivenly connected to the output end of the linear module. When the first horizontal drive component 220 is a linear module, it includes a hollow slide rail, a lead screw rotatably passing through the slide rail, a servo motor fixed to the slide rail and driven by the lead screw, and a slider sleeved on the lead screw and threadedly engaged with it. The slider extends out of the slide rail's inner cavity and slides within it, while also being limited by the slide rail in a vertical plane to prevent it from falling off and to avoid rotation during lead screw rotation. The second crossbar 211 is fixedly connected to the slider. Thus, when the servo motor drives the lead screw to rotate, the slider, while threadedly engaged with the lead screw, is restricted by the slide rail and can only move along the axial direction of the lead screw, thereby moving the second crossbar 211 to adjust the horizontal position of the second support structure 210. Of course, in actual production, the first horizontal drive component 220 can also use other commercially available linear drive structures, which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0022] In addition, the first support structure 110 also includes at least one first reinforcing plate 119 located between the two first support plates 114 and fixedly connected to the first crossbar 113. The first reinforcing plate 119 is parallel to the first support plate 114, and a first insertion channel is formed between adjacent first reinforcing plates 119 or between the first reinforcing plate 119 and the first support plate 114. By setting the first reinforcing plate 119, the weight of the tray on the first support structure 110 is jointly borne by the first support plate 114 and the first reinforcing plate 119, which can prevent the first support plate 114 from breaking due to overload, while increasing the support area of ​​the tray and improving the stability of the tray support. The second support plate 212 has at least one first clearance notch 213, and the second crossbar 211 has at least one second clearance notch 214 corresponding to and connecting each of the first clearance notches 213. The first clearance notch 213 penetrates the side of the second support plate 212 facing the first crossbar 113, and the first clearance notch 213 divides the second support plate 212 into multiple plates. Each first clearance notch 213 and its corresponding second clearance notch 214 together form a second insertion channel. When the second support structure 210 is close to the first support structure 110, a plate is inserted into each first insertion channel, a first reinforcing plate 119 is inserted into each first clearance notch 213, and a second limiting baffle 215 is provided on the upper surface of the end of each plate. In this way, while reducing the load on the first support plate 114 and improving the stability of the tray support, it can ensure that the second support structure 210 can be smoothly inserted into the first through hole 111, avoiding interference between the second support structure 210 and the first support structure 110. In addition, the setting of the first clearance notch 213 and the second clearance notch 214 can reduce the weight of the second support structure 210 and the second crossbar 211. The second limiting baffle 215 is used to position the tray transferred to the second support structure 210 to prevent the tray from shifting during the movement of the second support structure 210.

[0023] The third support structure 310 also includes at least one second reinforcing plate 315 located between the two third support plates 314 and fixedly connected to the third crossbar 313. The second reinforcing plate 315 is parallel to the second support plate 212, and a third insertion channel is formed between adjacent second reinforcing plates 315 or between a second reinforcing plate 315 and a third support plate 314. A third limiting baffle 316 is provided on the upper surface of the end of the third support structure 310 and the upper surface of the end of the second reinforcing plate 315. When the third support structure 310 descends, the second reinforcing plate 315 passes through the second insertion channel and descends below the plate. By providing the second reinforcing plate 315 on the third crossbar 313, while ensuring that the third support structure 310 can rise and fall relative to the second support structure 210 and avoid interference, the support area of ​​the third support structure 310 on the pallet is increased, which is beneficial to improving the stability of the third support structure 310 in supporting the pallet. The third limiting baffle 316 is used to position the tray transferred to the third support structure 310 to prevent the tray from shifting during the lifting and lowering process of the third support structure 310. Two fourth support plates 412 are spaced apart on the fourth crossbar 411 to increase the support area for empty trays and improve the stability of the support. A fourth limiting baffle 413 is provided on the upper surface of the end of the fourth support plate 412 to position the empty tray placed on the fourth support plate 412 and prevent the empty tray from shifting during the lifting and lowering process of the fourth support structure 410. Weight-reducing holes 414 are provided on the third support plate 314, the second reinforcing plate 315, and the fourth support plate 412 to reduce their weight, thereby reducing the load on the second lifting structure 320 and the third lifting structure 420.

[0024] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the loading and unloading unit also includes a frame 500. A first guide rail 510 extending vertically is provided on the frame 500 near the third support structure 310, and a second guide rail 520 extending vertically is provided on the frame 500 near the fourth support structure 410. The third support structure 310 is slidably engaged with the first guide rail 510, and the fourth support structure 410 is slidably engaged with the second guide rail 520. Both the second lifting structure 320 and the third lifting structure 420 are linear modules fixed to the frame 500. Specifically, the third crossbar 313 is slidably engaged with the first guide rail 510 via a first slider 530, and the fourth crossbar 411 is slidably engaged with the second guide rail 520 via a second slider 540, thereby guiding the lifting process of the third support structure 310 and the fourth support structure 410 and preventing them from swaying during lifting. Of course, the second lifting structure 320 and the third lifting structure 420 can also be a slide cylinder and a hydraulic cylinder fixed on the frame 500, or other common drive mechanisms that can achieve linear motion. The selection of the second lifting structure 320 and the third lifting structure 420 is based on the fact that the second lifting structure 320 and the third lifting structure 420 can meet the lifting requirements of the third support structure 310 and the fourth support structure 410, which will not be elaborated here.

[0025] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 5In one embodiment, the tray loading mechanism further includes an equipment cabinet 600, a feeding mechanism 700, a robotic arm 800, and an empty tray transfer unit 900. The equipment cabinet 600 forms a loading space, and a feed inlet 610 communicating with this loading space is located on the side of the equipment cabinet 600. A retrieval inlet 620 communicating with this loading space is located on the upper surface of the equipment cabinet 600. The feeding lifting unit 100, the receiving unit, the feeding lifting unit 300, and the empty tray recycling unit 400 are all housed within the loading space; that is, the loading and unloading units are housed within the loading space of the equipment cabinet 600. The feeding lifting unit 100 is positioned adjacent to the feed inlet 610, and the feeding lifting unit 300 and the empty tray recycling unit 400 correspond to the retrieval inlet 620. Thus, the tray loading mechanism can load and unload trays at the feed inlet 610, and can achieve loading and unloading of trays through only one material channel, which is beneficial for controlling the overall size of the equipment. A feeding mechanism 700 is located on top of the equipment cabinet 600. The output end of the feeding mechanism 700 is used to connect to external processing equipment. This feeding mechanism 700 can be a belt conveyor mechanism for connecting to external processing equipment, or it can be other automated transport mechanisms. A robot arm 800 is mounted on the upper surface of the equipment cabinet 600 and is used to put the material in the feeding tray of the third support structure 310 into the feeding mechanism 700, so as to provide the material to be processed to the external processing equipment. The robot arm 800 can be a commercially available six-axis robot arm or a four-axis robot arm; its specific structure will not be described in detail here. The empty tray transfer unit 900 is set on the upper surface of the equipment cabinet 600 and corresponds to the material picking port 620. It is used to pick up the empty tray from the third support structure 310 and place it on the fourth support structure 410. Of course, in the actual processing process, when the processing time of a single piece of material is long and the cycle of the robot arm 800 picking up the material from the tray is long, the empty tray transfer unit 900 can be cancelled and the operator can manually place the empty tray from the third support structure 310 to the fourth support structure 410.

[0026] Furthermore, the empty tray transfer unit 900 includes two mounting brackets 910 fixed to the upper surface of the equipment cabinet 600 and disposed opposite to each other on both sides of the material handling port 620; two third guide rails 920 fixed one-to-one with the top of the two mounting brackets 910; a crossbeam 930 spanning between the two third guide rails 920 and slidingly engaging with them; a suction cup 940 fixed to the lower part of the crossbeam 930 and connected to an external pneumatic device; and a second horizontal drive member 950 driving the crossbeam 930 and the suction cup 940 to move between the third support structure 310 and the fourth support structure 410. The extending direction of the third guide rail 920 is the same as the moving direction of the second support structure 210, and the second horizontal drive member 950 can be a slide cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or a linear module. Thus, after all the material in the tray at the top of the third support structure 310 is removed, the second horizontal drive 950 drives the crossbeam 930 and the suction cup 940 to approach the third support structure 310. After the suction cup 940 is connected to the external air pressure device, a negative pressure is formed at the suction cup 940. The empty tray is then adsorbed onto the suction cup 940 under the action of the negative pressure. Subsequently, the second horizontal drive 950 drives the crossbeam 930, the suction cup 940, and the empty tray back to the top of the fourth support structure 410. The suction cup 940 disconnects from the external air pressure device, the negative pressure is released, and the empty tray falls onto the fourth support structure 410 under its own gravity, or falls onto the empty tray on the fourth support structure 410. In practical applications, a fourth lifting structure 960 can be installed on the crossbeam 930, and the suction cup 940 can be fixed to the lifting end of the fourth lifting structure 960. In this way, when the crossbeam 930 moves above the third support structure 310 or the fourth support structure 410, the suction cup 940 can be driven to rise and fall through the fourth lifting structure 960, so that the suction cup 940 can adsorb the empty plate when it is close to the empty plate, or lower the empty plate when it is close to the fourth support structure 410, so as to avoid displacement or impact of the empty plate during the picking and putting process.

[0027] The Tray feeding mechanism of this utility model has an empty tray recovery unit 400 positioned above the feeding lifting unit 100, a receiving unit 200 positioned beside the feeding lifting unit 100, and a feeding lifting unit 300 positioned above the receiving unit 200. After feeding from the feeding lifting unit 100, the tray is received by the receiving unit 200 and lifted to a preset height by the feeding lifting unit 300 for feeding. The empty tray recovery unit 400 receives the empty tray and descends, and can discharge from the same position where the feeding lifting unit 100 fed. The feeding and discharging of the tray are integrated into a single material channel. The reduction of the material channel reduces the overall width of the Tray feeding mechanism, which is beneficial for compressing the equipment size and reducing the space occupied and layout difficulty in the workshop. At the same time, the single material channel simplifies the equipment structure, which is beneficial for reducing equipment costs and improving the market competitiveness of the equipment.

[0028] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0029] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of this utility model, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A tray loading mechanism, characterized in that, It includes at least a loading and unloading unit, the loading and unloading unit comprising: The feeding lifting unit includes a first support structure for supporting a full material tray and a first lifting structure for driving the first support structure to rise and fall. The first support structure has a first through hole that penetrates its upper and lower surfaces. The first through hole penetrates one side of the first support structure and forms a first insertion port. The receiving unit, located on the side of the first insertion port, includes a second support structure for transferring a full tray from the first support structure, and a first horizontal drive member for driving the second support structure to move closer to or away from the first support structure; the second support structure can be inserted into the first through hole through the first insertion port, and supports the full tray when the first support structure descends to be flush with or lower than the second support structure. The feeding and lifting unit includes a third support structure located above the second support structure and used to transfer a full material tray from the second support structure, and a second lifting structure used to drive the third support structure to rise and fall. The third support structure has a second through hole that penetrates its upper and lower surfaces. The second through hole penetrates the side of the third support structure facing the first insertion port and forms a second insertion port into which the second support structure can be inserted. The empty disk recovery unit includes a fourth support structure located above the first support structure for receiving empty disks, and a third lifting structure for driving the fourth support structure to rise and fall.

2. The tray feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first support structure includes a first crossbar, two first support plates disposed on one side of the first crossbar and fixedly connected to the first crossbar, the two first support plates are arranged in parallel and spaced apart, and the extension direction of the first support plates is perpendicular to the extension direction of the first crossbar. The first crossbar and the two first support plates together form the first through hole, and the first insertion port is formed between the ends of the two first support plates. The second support structure includes a second crossbar and a second support plate located on the side of the second crossbar adjacent to the first crossbar and fixedly connected to the second crossbar; The third support structure includes a third crossbar and two third support plates located on the side of the third crossbar adjacent to the first crossbar and arranged in parallel and spaced apart. The third support plates are fixedly connected to the third crossbar. The third crossbar and the two third support plates together form the second through hole. The second insertion port is formed between the ends of the two third support plates. The distance between the inner sides of the two third support plates is greater than the width of the second support plate, and the distance from the inner side of the third crossbar to the first crossbar is greater than the distance from the inner side of the second crossbar to the first crossbar. The fourth support structure includes a fourth crossbar and a fourth support plate located on the fourth crossbar adjacent to the third crossbar and fixedly connected to the fourth crossbar.

3. The tray feeding mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first support structure also includes two baffles arranged in parallel and fixedly connected to the upper surface of the first crossbar. A feeding area is formed between the two baffles. The two first support plates are fixed to the inner sides of the two baffles in a one-to-one correspondence. The upper surface of the baffle is higher than the upper surface of the first support plate, so that the inner side of the baffle forms a baffle wall above the first support plate. The first support plate has a plurality of openings spaced apart along its extension direction. Below each opening is a roller rotatably connected to the baffle. A portion of the roller passes through the opening and extends from the upper surface of the first support plate to form a rolling receiving portion. A first limiting baffle is fixed to one end of the upper surface of the first support plate near the first insertion port.

4. The tray feeding mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first lifting structure includes a first cylinder located below the first crossbar and drivenly connected to the first crossbar, wherein the piston rod of the first cylinder is fixedly connected to the first crossbar; or the first lifting structure includes two second cylinders arranged in a one-to-one correspondence below two baffles, wherein the piston rod of each second cylinder is fixedly connected to a baffle.

5. The tray feeding mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first support structure further includes at least one first reinforcing plate located between the two first support plates and fixedly connected to the first crossbar. The first reinforcing plate is parallel to the first support plate, and a first insertion channel is formed between adjacent first reinforcing plates or between the first reinforcing plate and the first support plate. The second support plate has at least one first clearance notch, and the second crossbar has at least one second clearance notch that corresponds to and connects to each of the first clearance notches. The first clearance notch penetrates one side of the second support plate facing the first crossbar. The first clearance notch divides the second support plate into multiple plates. Each first clearance notch and its corresponding second clearance notch together form a second insertion channel. When the second support structure is close to the first support structure, one of the plates is inserted into each first insertion channel, and one of the first reinforcing plates is inserted into each first clearance notch. Each plate has a second limiting baffle on its upper end surface.

6. The tray feeding mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first horizontal drive component is a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder; or the first horizontal drive component is a linear module arranged along the length direction of the first support plate, and the second crossbar is driven to the output end of the linear module.

7. The tray feeding mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, The third support structure further includes at least one second reinforcing plate located between the two third support plates and fixedly connected to the third crossbar. The second reinforcing plate is parallel to the second support plate, and a third insertion channel is formed between adjacent second reinforcing plates or between the second reinforcing plate and the third support plate. The upper surface of the end of the third support structure and the upper surface of the end of the second reinforcing plate are both provided with third limiting baffles. When the third support structure descends, the second reinforcing plate passes through the second insertion channel and descends to below the plate. Two fourth support plates are spaced apart on the fourth crossbar, and a fourth limiting baffle is provided on the upper surface of the end of the fourth support plate; Weight reduction holes are provided on the third support plate, the second reinforcing plate, and the fourth support plate.

8. The tray feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The loading and unloading unit also includes a frame. A first guide rail extending vertically is provided on the frame near the third support structure, and a second guide rail extending vertically is provided on the frame near the fourth support structure. The third support structure is slidably engaged with the first guide rail, and the fourth support structure is slidably engaged with the second guide rail. Both the second lifting structure and the third lifting structure are linear modules fixed on the frame.

9. The tray loading mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The Tray loading mechanism also includes: The equipment cabinet has a loading space inside. A feeding port communicating with the loading space is opened on the side of the equipment cabinet, and a discharging port communicating with the loading space is opened on the upper surface of the equipment cabinet. The feeding lifting unit, receiving unit, feeding lifting unit and empty tray recycling unit are all housed in the loading space, and the feeding lifting unit is located adjacent to the feeding port. The feeding lifting unit and the empty tray recycling unit are both located corresponding to the discharging port. A feeding mechanism is installed on the top of the equipment cabinet, and the output end of the feeding mechanism is used to connect to external processing equipment; A robotic arm is mounted on the upper surface of the equipment cabinet and is used to place materials from the feeding tray of the third support structure into the feeding mechanism. An empty tray transfer unit is installed on the upper surface of the equipment cabinet and corresponds to the material handling port. It is used to grab empty trays from the third support structure and place them on the fourth support structure.

10. The tray feeding mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that, The empty tray transfer unit includes two mounting brackets fixed on the upper surface of the equipment cabinet and arranged opposite each other on both sides of the material inlet; two third guide rails fixed one-to-one on the top of the two mounting brackets; a crossbar straddling the two third guide rails and slidingly engaging with them; a suction cup fixed to the lower part of the crossbar and connected to an external air pressure device; and a second horizontal drive component that drives the crossbar and suction cup to move between the third support structure and the fourth support structure.

Images