Material handling system and robot

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a material conveying system and a manipulator. The material conveying system comprises a conveyor for conveying materials to a target position; and a manipulator disposed beside the conveyor for picking up and placing materials on the conveyor, wherein the manipulator comprises a rotatable column, a liftable cantilever connected to the rotatable column, and a suction cup gripper connected to the cantilever, wherein the column is rotatable to drive the cantilever to move above the materials to be gripped and above the conveyor, the cantilever is liftable to drive the suction cup gripper to approach or move away from the materials to be gripped and the conveyor, and the suction cup gripper is capable of gripping materials at the materials to be gripped and placing materials at the conveyor. The technical solution of the present disclosure completely liberates personnel from high-intensity and high-risk repetitive labor, and achieves the purposes of reducing labor intensity, saving labor cost, improving operation safety and overall production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of logistics handling technology, and more specifically, to a material conveying system and a robotic arm. Background Technology

[0002] In modern warehousing and logistics systems, stacker cranes are one of the core pieces of equipment, responsible for the storage, retrieval, and handling of materials. When stacker cranes perform storage and retrieval tasks, it is usually necessary to place floor plates (also known as pallets or partitions) on the storage location or carrier to achieve layering and stable stacking of goods.

[0003] Currently, the placement of stacker crane base plates is generally done manually. Specifically, operators need to frequently enter and exit the equipment's operating area to move base plates of different sizes and weights to designated locations and place them manually. According to actual working conditions, the current frequency of plate placement is as high as once every 3 minutes, which is extremely frequent. This traditional manual plate placement method has many significant technical defects and safety hazards.

[0004] First, there are significant occupational health and safety risks. Frequent entry and exit of employees into the operating area of ​​large equipment increases the risk of injury from collisions or being pinched by the equipment. Simultaneously, the labor intensity is extremely high, and the ergonomic experience is poor. Stacker cranes use various sizes and types of base plates, with plate lengths reaching up to 3 meters and weights up to 31 kilograms. Operators are required to repeatedly perform a series of heavy-duty actions such as bending over, picking up, carrying, and precise placement in high-frequency work cycles. This repetitive heavy physical labor directly leads to a high risk of occupational musculoskeletal disorders, posing a serious threat to the physical and mental health of operators.

[0005] Secondly, production efficiency and human resource allocation are low. Because pallet unloading is entirely manual and occurs frequently, this position cannot be automated, hindering the automation and intelligent upgrading of the entire warehousing system. Enterprises need to invest continuously in human resources, and the number of devices and operating hours that a single employee can cover are limited, which is not conducive to achieving intensive production.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field to propose an effective solution that can replace manual labor and efficiently complete the pallet unloading operation of stacker cranes, so as to completely liberate personnel from high-intensity, high-risk repetitive labor, and ultimately achieve the goals of reducing labor intensity, saving labor costs, improving operational safety and overall production efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0007] As mentioned above, in the prior art, the placement of stacker crane base plates generally relies on manual labor, which has problems such as low production efficiency and occupational health and safety hazards. In order to solve at least some of the above-mentioned technical problems, this disclosure proposes a new material conveying system and a robot to realize the automated handling of stacker crane base plates, improve production efficiency, reduce labor costs, and eliminate health and safety hazards.

[0008] Specifically, a first aspect of this disclosure relates to a material conveying system comprising: a conveyor for conveying materials to a target location; and a robotic arm deployed beside the conveyor for picking up and placing materials from the conveyor. The robotic arm includes a rotatable column, a liftable cantilever connected to the rotatable column, and a suction cup gripper connected to the cantilever. The column is rotatable, causing the cantilever to move above the material to be picked up and above the conveyor. The cantilever is liftable, causing the suction cup gripper to move closer to or away from the material to be picked up and the conveyor. The suction cup gripper can pick up the material at the material to be picked up and place the material down at the conveyor.

[0009] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the material is a stacker crane base plate, and the conveyor is used to transport the stacker crane base plate onto the stacker crane.

[0010] In one embodiment according to this disclosure, the cantilever is a telescopic cantilever that extends and retracts according to the length of the material to facilitate material gripping.

[0011] In one embodiment according to this disclosure, the suction cup gripper is a rotatable suction cup gripper that can be rotated to a desired angle to grip or release materials.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the material conveying system further includes a positioning device deployed on the conveyor for positioning materials placed on the conveyor.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the positioning device includes a cylinder and a positioning pusher plate, wherein when the material is placed on the conveyor, the cylinder is subjected to force, and the force applied by the cylinder provides a force to the positioning pusher plate, so that the positioning pusher plate can push the material to the desired position.

[0014] In one embodiment according to this disclosure, the robotic arm includes a four-axis robotic arm, the column is rotatable along a first axis to move the cantilever above the material to be grasped and above the conveyor, the cantilever is movable along a second axis to move the suction cup gripper closer to or away from the material to be grasped and the conveyor, the cantilever is extendable and retractable along a third axis according to the length of the material to facilitate material grasping, and the suction cup gripper is rotatable along a fourth axis to grasp or release the material at a desired angle.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the material conveying system further includes a material carrier deployed next to the conveyor for placing the material to be grasped, so that the robotic arm can grasp the material from the material carrier onto the conveyor.

[0016] Furthermore, a second aspect of this disclosure relates to a robotic arm for picking up and placing materials on a conveyor, the robotic arm comprising: a rotatable column; a liftable cantilever connected to the column; and a suction cup gripper connected to the cantilever, wherein the column is rotatable, driving the cantilever to rotate, the cantilever rotating, driving the suction cup gripper to rotate, and the cantilever being liftable, driving the suction cup gripper to lift.

[0017] In one embodiment according to this disclosure, the cantilever is a telescopic cantilever that extends and retracts according to the length of the material to facilitate material gripping.

[0018] In one embodiment according to this disclosure, the suction cup gripper is a rotatable suction cup gripper.

[0019] In one embodiment according to this disclosure, the robotic arm includes a four-axis robotic arm, the column is rotatable along a first axis to move the cantilever above the material to be grasped and above the conveyor, the cantilever is movable along a second axis to move the suction cup gripper closer to or away from the material to be grasped and the conveyor, the cantilever is extendable and retractable along a third axis according to the length of the material to facilitate material grasping, and the suction cup gripper is rotatable along a fourth axis to grasp or release the material at a desired angle.

[0020] In summary, the technical solution based on this disclosure proposes a novel material handling system and a robotic arm for the automated handling of materials such as stacker crane base plates. This replaces manual labor, efficiently completing material handling operations and completely freeing personnel from high-intensity, high-risk repetitive labor. This achieves the goals of reducing labor intensity, saving labor costs, and improving operational safety and overall production efficiency. Furthermore, the robotic arm's rotatable column, liftable and extendable cantilever, and rotatable suction cup gripper further enhance the ease of operation and accuracy of material handling in practical application scenarios. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The features, advantages, and other aspects of the various embodiments of this disclosure will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. Several embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated herein by way of example and not limitation, in the accompanying drawings:

[0022] Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a material conveying system 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0023] Figure 2 A top view of a material conveying system 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0024] Figure 3 A side view of a material conveying system 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0025] Figure 4 A three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a suction cup gripper 146 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0026] Figure 5 A top view of a suction cup gripper 146 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0027] Figure 6 A side view of a suction cup gripper 146 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0028] Figure 7 A three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a positioning device 160 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0029] Figure 8 A front view of a positioning device 160 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0030] Figure 9 A top view of a positioning device 160 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0031] Figure 10 A left view of a positioning device 160 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0032] Various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that these examples are merely illustrative and should not be considered limiting. While exemplary systems have been described below, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the provided embodiments are not intended to limit the ways in which these systems can be implemented.

[0033] Furthermore, the block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible architecture, functions, and operations of the system according to various embodiments of this disclosure. It should be noted that the functions marked in the boxes may occur in a different order than that shown in the drawings. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams, can be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified functions or operations, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0034] The terms “comprising,” “including,” and similar terms as used in this disclosure are open-ended terms, meaning “including / including but not limited to,” implying that other content may also be included. The term “one embodiment” means “at least one embodiment,” etc.

[0035] As mentioned earlier, the placement of stacker crane base plates currently relies on manual handling. Operators need to frequently enter and exit the equipment area to move heavy base plates, resulting in high labor intensity, occupational health risks, and safety hazards. Furthermore, manual handling is inefficient and costly. Therefore, this disclosure proposes a novel material conveying system and robotic arm to automate the handling of stacker crane base plates. This disclosure uses the placement of stacker crane base plates as an example; however, this material conveying system and robotic arm can also be applied to material handling in other applicable scenarios, and this disclosure does not limit it to these applications.

[0036] like Figure 1-3 As shown, this disclosure presents a schematic diagram of the structure of a material conveying system 100 according to an embodiment. Wherein, Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional view of the material conveying system 100. Figure 2 This is a top view of the material conveying system 100. Figure 3 This is a side view of the material conveying system 100.

[0037] The material handling system 100 includes a conveyor 120 and a robotic arm 140. The conveyor 120 transports materials to a target location, such as a stacker crane. The materials transported by the conveyor 120 can be the stacker crane base plate or other materials. The robotic arm 140 is deployed beside the conveyor 120 and can place materials on the conveyor or remove materials from the conveyor. The robotic arm 140 can be deployed in front of, behind, to the left of, or to the right of the conveyor 120. The robotic arm 140 can face the conveyor 120 directly or at an angle, depending on the specific application scenario to facilitate material handling and transport.

[0038] In some examples, the robotic arm 140 includes a rotatable column 142, a liftable cantilever 144 connected to the rotatable column 142, and a suction cup gripper 146 connected to the cantilever 144. The column 142 is rotatable, causing the cantilever 144 to move above the material to be gripped (not shown) and above the conveyor 120. The cantilever 144 is liftable, causing the suction cup gripper 146 to move closer to or further away from the material to be gripped and the conveyor 120. The suction cup gripper 146 can grip the material at the material to be gripped and release the material at the conveyor 120.

[0039] Specifically, the steps for the robotic arm 140 to grasp materials are as follows: the rotatable column 142 rotates, causing the liftable arm 144 to rotate to the corresponding position above the material to be grasped. The liftable arm 144 descends, allowing the suction cup gripper 146 to generate sufficient suction to successfully grasp the material. Then, the liftable arm 144 rises to the required height, and the rotatable column 142 rotates, causing the liftable arm 144 to rotate to the corresponding position above the conveyor 120. The liftable arm 144 descends to the required position, allowing the suction cup gripper 146 to place the material on the conveyor.

[0040] In some examples, the rotatable column 142 includes a column body 1420, a base 1422, and an X-axis drive module 1424. The column body 1420 and the base 1422 are rotatably coupled via the X-axis drive module 1424, which drives the column body 1420 to rotate relative to the base 1422 along the X-axis. The specific range of rotation angles can be flexibly set according to the actual scenario. In some examples, the rotatable column 142 includes a limiting device to restrict the rotation angle of the column body 1420.

[0041] In some examples, the height-adjustable cantilever 144 includes a cantilever body 1440 and a Z-axis drive module 1442. The cantilever body 1440 is height-coupled to the column body 1420 via the Z-axis drive module 1442, which drives the cantilever body 1440 to rise or fall relative to the column body 1420 along the Z-axis. The specific height-adjustable range can be flexibly set according to the actual scenario. In some examples, the height-adjustable cantilever 144 includes a limiting device to restrict the height-adjustable range of the cantilever body 1440.

[0042] In some examples, the lifting cantilever 144 is a telescopic cantilever, which can also extend or retract according to the length of the material to facilitate material gripping. Specifically, in some examples, the lifting cantilever 144 also includes a Y-axis drive module 1444, which drives the cantilever body to extend or retract along the Y-axis direction, thereby causing the suction cup gripper 146 to move forward or backward along the Y-axis direction to better grip the material according to its length.

[0043] In some examples, the suction cup gripper 146 includes a vacuum generator. The vacuum generator can create a certain degree of vacuum using the flow of compressed air. By controlling the operating state of the vacuum generator, negative pressure can be created inside the suction cup to suck up the base plate, or zero / positive pressure can be created to detach from the base plate. The vacuum generator is a vacuum component that uses a positive pressure air source to generate negative pressure. It has a simple structure, is easy to install, efficient, clean, economical, small in size and light in weight, easy to integrate with supporting components, and has a fast vacuum generation and release speed, making it particularly suitable for this invention.

[0044] In some examples, the suction cup gripper 146 is a rotatable suction cup gripper that can be rotated to a desired angle for gripping or placing materials. Specifically, in some examples, the suction cup gripper 146 also includes an A-axis drive module 1466, and the liftable cantilever 144 is coupled to the suction cup gripper 146 via the A-axis drive module 1466. The A-axis drive module 1466 drives the suction cup gripper 146 to rotate along the A-axis, thereby allowing the angle of the suction cup gripper to be adjusted before gripping materials or before placing materials onto the conveyor at an appropriate angle.

[0045] In some examples, the A-axis drive module 1466 and the Y-axis drive module 1444 can be integrated into a single drive module, which helps reduce product size and weight and facilitates subsequent installation. In other examples, the A-axis drive module 1466 and the Y-axis drive module 1444 can also be independent modules, each performing its own function independently.

[0046] In some examples, the robot 140 includes a four-axis robot, with a column 142 that can rotate along a first axis (X-axis) to move a cantilever 144 above the material to be gripped and above the conveyor 120. The cantilever 144 can be raised and lowered along a second axis (Z-axis) to move a suction cup gripper 146 closer to or further away from the material to be gripped and the conveyor 120. The cantilever 144 can extend and retract along a third axis (Y-axis) according to the length of the material to facilitate gripping. The suction cup gripper 146 can rotate along a fourth axis (A-axis) to grip or release the material at a desired angle.

[0047] In some examples, the material conveying system 100 also includes a positioning device 160, which is deployed on the conveyor 120 to position the material placed on the conveyor 120. The positioning device 160 ensures that the material can be accurately pushed, guided, and fixed to a predetermined position during the conveying process, thereby ensuring the accuracy and stability of subsequent processes such as the conveying process.

[0048] In some examples, the positioning device 160 includes a cylinder and a pusher plate. When material is placed on the conveyor 120, the cylinder is stressed, and the stressed cylinder provides force to the pusher plate, allowing the pusher plate to push the material to a desired position, such as aligning the material with an edge. The positioning device 160, through the coordination of structures such as cylinders, guides, pushers, and detectors, achieves rapid, repeatable, and reliable positioning, significantly improving conveying efficiency and system automation.

[0049] In some examples, the material conveying system 100 may include multiple positioning devices 160, which may be equally spaced on the conveyor 120 to work together to push the material to the desired position after it is placed on the conveyor 120. The number of positioning devices and their deployment on the conveyor can be flexibly set according to the length, weight, etc. of the material.

[0050] In some examples, the material conveying system 100 also includes a material carrier 180, deployed alongside the conveyor 120, for holding materials to be grasped, so that the robotic arm 140 can grasp the materials from the material carrier 180 onto the conveyor 120. In some examples, the material carrier 180 consists of multiple material pads, which are equally spaced to provide support for the materials to be grasped. In some examples, the multiple material pads are of the same height to maintain stable placement of the materials. The number and size of the material pads can be flexibly set according to the size of the materials. In other examples, the material carrier 180 can also be a foldable bracket, trolley, pallet, etc., which can be flexibly set according to the type of materials and application scenario.

[0051] In some examples, the material handling system 100 also includes a control device 190, which is controllably coupled to the robot arm 140 for controlling the robot arm's movements. An operator can locally operate the control device 190 to control the robot arm's movements or control the robot arm's movements via a control device (e.g., a central control room control terminal or a mobile control terminal) communicatively connected to the control device 190.

[0052] refer to Figure 1-3This disclosure provides a schematic diagram of the structure of a robotic arm 140 according to one embodiment. The robotic arm 140 is used to pick up and place materials on a conveyor 120. In some examples, the robotic arm 140 includes a rotatable column 142, a liftable cantilever 144, and a suction cup gripper 146. The liftable cantilever 144 is connected to the column 142, and the suction cup gripper 146 is connected to the cantilever 144. The column 142 can rotate, causing the cantilever 144 to rotate; the rotation of the cantilever 144 causes the suction cup gripper 146 to rotate; the cantilever 144 can be raised and lowered, causing the suction cup gripper 146 to be raised and lowered; the suction cup gripper 146 can pick up or put down materials. Specifically, the column 142 can rotate to move the cantilever 144 above the material to be grabbed and above the conveyor 120. The cantilever 144 can be raised and lowered to move the suction cup gripper 146 closer to or further away from the material to be grabbed and the conveyor 120. The suction cup gripper 146 can grab the material at the material to be grabbed and put the material down at the conveyor 120.

[0053] In some examples, the cantilever 144 is a telescopic cantilever that extends or retracts according to the length of the material to facilitate material gripping. Specifically, in some examples, the height-adjustable cantilever 144 also includes a Y-axis drive module 1444, which drives the cantilever body to extend or retract along the Y-axis direction, thereby causing the suction cup gripper 146 to move forward or backward along the Y-axis direction to better grip the material according to its length.

[0054] In some examples, the suction cup gripper 146 is a rotatable suction cup gripper that can be rotated to a desired angle for gripping or placing materials. Specifically, in some examples, the suction cup gripper 146 also includes an A-axis drive module 1466, and the liftable cantilever 144 is coupled to the suction cup gripper 146 via the A-axis drive module 1466. The A-axis drive module 1466 drives the suction cup gripper 146 to rotate along the A-axis, thereby allowing the angle of the suction cup gripper to be adjusted before gripping materials or before placing materials onto the conveyor at an appropriate angle.

[0055] In some examples, the robotic arm 140 includes a four-axis robotic arm. Specifically, the column 142 is rotatable along a first axis to move the cantilever 144 above the material to be grasped and above the conveyor. The cantilever 144 is height-adjustable along a second axis to move the suction cup gripper 146 closer to or further away from the material to be grasped and the conveyor, and the cantilever 144 is extendable and retractable along a third axis according to the length of the material to facilitate grasping the material. Furthermore, the suction cup gripper 146 is rotatable along a fourth axis to grasp or release the material at a desired angle.

[0056] The embodiments of the robotic arm in this disclosure are similar to the embodiments of the material conveying system described above, and therefore will not be repeated here.

[0057] like Figure 4-6As shown, this disclosure provides a schematic diagram of the structure of a suction cup gripper 146 according to an embodiment. Wherein, Figure 4 A 3D diagram of the suction cup gripper 146. Figure 5 This is a top view of the suction cup gripper 146. Figure 6 This is a side view of the suction cup gripper 146.

[0058] In some examples, the suction cup gripper 146 includes a limit seat 14601. The function of the limit seat 14601 is to constrain and position the range of motion of key components during the operation of the suction cup gripper, preventing excessive displacement or offset of the suction cup or related mechanisms, thereby avoiding structural damage or instability in material gripping; at the same time, it also serves as a reference positioning function, ensuring that the suction cup maintains consistent stroke and positional accuracy during operation, improving the stability and safety of the gripping action.

[0059] In some examples, the suction cup gripper 146 includes a suction cup 14602. The suction cup 14602 is a key actuator in the suction cup gripper that comes into direct contact with the material. Its function is to generate suction force through vacuum negative pressure to firmly hold the material and achieve handling, positioning, or assembly operations. It can adapt to materials of different materials and surfaces, achieving non-destructive gripping. At the same time, it has a simple structure and fast operation, and is the core component that ensures that the gripper has reliable gripping and efficient handling capabilities.

[0060] In some examples, the suction cup gripper 146 includes a vacuum generator 14603. The vacuum generator 14603 is the core component in the suction cup gripper that generates negative pressure. It converts compressed air into a vacuum, providing the suction force required by the suction cup to firmly hold the material and enable its transport or positioning. It is the power source for the entire suction operation. In this example, the vacuum generator 14603 can create negative pressure within the suction cup 14602 to suck up material, or create zero / positive pressure to remove material.

[0061] In some examples, the suction cup gripper 146 includes a pressure sensor 14604. The pressure sensor 14604 can be used to monitor vacuum pressure or contact pressure in real time, ensuring that the negative pressure of the suction cup is sufficient when gripping materials, and can provide feedback on the gripping status to prevent falling due to insufficient adsorption, thereby improving the safety and intelligence of the system.

[0062] In some examples, the suction cup gripper 146 includes a spring-loaded buffer rod 14605. The spring-loaded buffer rod 14605 is located behind the suction cup and provides flexible buffering through elastic deformation. It can absorb impact force when the suction cup comes into contact with the material and adapt to height differences or unevenness on the material surface, thereby improving the stability of the grip and protecting the material and the suction cup.

[0063] In some examples, the suction cup gripper 146 includes a material placement detection element 14606. The function of the material placement detection element 14606 is to detect whether the material is compacted and accurately placed during the gripping or placement process. It can provide real-time feedback on the positioning status of the material, avoiding unstable adsorption, handling failure, or equipment damage caused by failure to place the material, thereby improving the reliability of gripping and the safety and automation level of the entire system operation.

[0064] In some examples, the suction cup gripper 146 includes gripper mounting plates 14607 and 14608. Gripper mounting plates 14607 and 14608 primarily serve a load-bearing and connecting function. As the core mounting reference, they uniformly fix functional components such as the suction cup, vacuum generator, sensors, and brackets together, ensuring the stability and precision of the overall structure. Simultaneously, they facilitate the rapid assembly and disassembly of the gripper with the robot end effector or other actuators, thereby achieving modular design and efficient maintenance of the gripper.

[0065] In some examples, the suction cup gripper 146 includes a suction cup frame 14609 and a suction cup bracket 14610. The suction cup frame 14609 serves as the overall load-bearing structure, connecting and supporting the various components. The suction cup bracket 14610 is specifically designed to securely mount the suction cup, ensuring its positional accuracy.

[0066] In some examples, the suction cup gripper 146 includes a stop block 14611. The stop block 14611 can be used to limit the travel of moving parts to prevent the suction cup or related mechanism from exceeding the predetermined position and causing excessive displacement or collision. It can also serve as a positioning reference to ensure that the gripper maintains a consistent range of motion during operation.

[0067] In some examples, the suction cup gripper 146 includes a vacuum generator bracket 14612. The vacuum generator bracket 14612 is used to securely mount the vacuum generator, ensuring its fixed position in the gripper structure and the reliability of the air path connection, preventing the vacuum efficiency from being affected by vibration or displacement, and facilitating maintenance and replacement.

[0068] In some examples, the suction cup gripper 146 includes a proximity switch bracket 14613. The proximity switch bracket is used to fix and support the proximity switch, ensuring the accuracy and stability of its detection position, thereby enabling reliable detection of material arrival or suction cup operation status, improving automation and system safety.

[0069] In some examples, the suction cup gripper 146 includes a bellows connector bracket 14614. The bellows connector bracket 14614 can be used to secure the pneumatic bellows connector, making the air connection more secure and preventing air leakage or detachment due to pipe vibration, pulling or wear, thereby improving the stability and durability of the air system.

[0070] In some examples, the suction cup gripper 146 includes a detection mounting strip 14615. The detection mounting strip 14615 provides a standardized mounting reference position for various sensors or detection elements, facilitating the arrangement, adjustment, and maintenance of detection components, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the gripper and the modularity of its structure.

[0071] In some examples, the suction cup gripper 146 includes a spring buffer 14616. The spring buffer 14616 can be used to provide cushioning during suction cup gripping and release, reducing the impact on the material and gripper mechanism and preventing damage; it can also compensate for material position differences to a certain extent, enhancing the flexibility and stability of the gripping process.

[0072] like Figure 7-10 As shown, this disclosure provides a schematic diagram of the structure of a positioning device 160 according to an embodiment. Wherein, Figure 7 A perspective view of the positioning device 160. Figure 8 This is a front view of the positioning device 160. Figure 9 This is a top view of the positioning device 160. Figure 10 This is a left view of the positioning device 160.

[0073] In some examples, the positioning device 160 includes a linear bearing 16001. The linear bearing is mainly used to provide low-friction, smooth linear guidance support for the positioning guide rod or moving parts, so that the actuators such as the pusher plate can move smoothly and accurately in a linear reciprocating motion under the push of the cylinder, while improving positioning accuracy and extending the service life of the guide parts.

[0074] In some examples, the positioning device 160 includes a cylinder 16002. The cylinder is the power element of the positioning device, which realizes reciprocating linear motion by being driven by compressed air, providing power to the actuators such as the pusher plate, so that the material can be accurately pushed to the positioning position. It is the core actuator of the entire positioning action.

[0075] In some examples, the positioning device 160 includes a positioning mechanism floor 16003. The positioning mechanism floor serves as a foundation support and installation reference, providing a stable mounting platform for components such as cylinders, guide rods, and bearings, ensuring the stability of the relative positions of each component during operation, thereby ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the overall positioning.

[0076] In some examples, the positioning device 160 includes positioning cylinder mounting plates 16004 and 16005. The positioning cylinder mounting plates are specifically designed to fix and support the cylinder, ensuring that the cylinder is stable in position and has the correct output force direction during operation, avoiding the impact on pushing accuracy due to offset or loosening, and also facilitating the installation and maintenance of the cylinder.

[0077] In some examples, the positioning device 160 includes a positioning guide rod 16006. The positioning guide rod works in conjunction with a linear bearing to provide precise linear motion guidance for moving parts such as the pusher plate, preventing offset, jitter, or tilting during cylinder pushing, thereby improving the smoothness and repeatability of material positioning actions.

[0078] In some examples, the positioning device 160 includes a first positioning pusher plate 16007 and / or a second positioning pusher plate 16008. The positioning pusher plates are actuating components that directly contact the material. Through the pushing action of a cylinder, they accurately push the material to a predetermined positioning position, ensuring that the material maintains the correct posture and position in subsequent processes. In some examples, when the material is placed on the conveyor 120, the cylinder 16002 is stressed. The stressed cylinder 16002 then provides force to the positioning pusher plates 16007 and 16008, allowing the positioning pusher plates to push the material to the desired position, such as aligning the material to the edge.

[0079] In some examples, the positioning device 160 includes a cylinder guard 16009. The cylinder guard provides protection for the cylinder and related moving parts, preventing damage to the cylinder from external dust, debris, or impacts, while also improving operational safety and extending the lifespan of the equipment.

[0080] In some examples, the positioning device 160 includes expansion bolts 160010. Expansion bolts are mainly used to firmly fix the positioning device as a whole or to the floor to the equipment foundation or workbench, ensuring that the entire mechanism does not loosen or shift during operation, thereby improving the overall stability and reliability of the positioning system.

[0081] The above descriptions are merely optional embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments of this disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the embodiments of this disclosure should be included within the protection scope of the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0082] While embodiments of this disclosure have been described with reference to several specific examples, it should be understood that the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed. The embodiments of this disclosure are intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The scope of the claims is to be interpreted in the broadest sense, thereby encompassing all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims

1. A material conveying system, characterized in that, include: Conveyors are used to transport materials to a target location; A robotic arm, deployed beside the conveyor, is used to pick up and place materials from the conveyor. The robotic arm includes a rotatable column, a liftable cantilever connected to the rotatable column, and a suction cup gripper connected to the cantilever. The column can rotate to move the cantilever above the material to be gripped and above the conveyor. The cantilever can lift to move the suction cup gripper closer to or away from the material to be gripped and the conveyor. The suction cup gripper can grip the material at the material to be gripped and put the material down at the conveyor.

2. The material conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material is a stacker crane base plate, and the conveyor is used to transport the stacker crane base plate onto the stacker crane.

3. The material conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cantilever is a telescopic cantilever, which extends and retracts according to the length of the material to facilitate material gripping.

4. The material conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The suction cup gripper is a rotatable suction cup gripper, which can be rotated to the required angle to facilitate gripping or releasing materials.

5. The material conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A positioning device, deployed on the conveyor, is used to position materials placed on the conveyor.

6. The material conveying system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The positioning device includes a cylinder and a positioning pusher plate. When the material is placed on the conveyor, the cylinder is subjected to force, and the force applied by the cylinder provides a force to the positioning pusher plate, so that the positioning pusher plate can push the material to the desired position.

7. The material conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The robotic arm includes a four-axis robotic arm. The column can rotate along the first axis to drive the cantilever to move above the material to be grasped and above the conveyor. The cantilever can rise and fall along the second axis to drive the suction cup gripper to move closer to or away from the material to be grasped and the conveyor. The cantilever can extend and retract along the third axis according to the length of the material to facilitate the grasping of the material. The suction cup gripper can rotate along the fourth axis to grasp or release the material at the required angle.

8. The material conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A material carrier, deployed next to the conveyor, is used to place the material to be grabbed, so that the robotic arm can grab the material from the material carrier and transfer it onto the conveyor.

9. A robotic arm, characterized in that, The robotic arm, used for picking up and placing materials on a conveyor, includes: Rotatable column; A liftable cantilever arm is connected to the column; and The suction cup gripper is connected to the cantilever. The column can rotate to drive the cantilever to rotate, the cantilever rotation can drive the suction cup gripper to rotate, and the cantilever lifting can drive the suction cup gripper to lift.

10. The robotic arm according to claim 9, characterized in that, The cantilever is a telescopic cantilever, which extends and retracts according to the length of the material to facilitate material gripping.

11. The robotic arm according to claim 9, characterized in that, The suction cup gripper is a rotatable suction cup gripper.

12. The robotic arm according to claim 9, characterized in that, The robotic arm includes a four-axis robotic arm. The column can rotate along the first axis to drive the cantilever to move above the material to be grasped and above the conveyor. The cantilever can rise and fall along the second axis to drive the suction cup gripper to approach or move away from the material to be grasped and the conveyor. The cantilever can extend and retract along the third axis according to the length of the material to facilitate the grasping of the material. The suction cup gripper can rotate along the fourth axis to grasp or release the material at the required angle.

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