An automated pick-and-place apparatus

Abstract

The utility model discloses an automatic material taking and collecting equipment applied to injection molding machine, including taking and placing material mechanism, material root removing mechanism, shifting and placing mechanism and stacking and collecting mechanism, taking and placing material mechanism is used to take out injection molding product from injection molding machine and places it into material root removing mechanism, and material root removing mechanism is used to position injection molding product from taking and placing material mechanism and separates the material root of injection molding product, and shifting and placing mechanism is used to suck the injection molding product of completing material root removing and places into stacking and collecting mechanism, through the arrangement matching and linkage cooperation between multiple mechanisms, the utility model can complete the whole process automation processing from taking material, material root removing, placing to collecting, and the manual input is greatly reduced, and production efficiency is improved, and production cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automated production technology, and in particular to an automated material handling and receiving device. Background Technology

[0002] In today's injection molding production, especially for pure plastic products, small in size, with a large number of cavities and material residue between each group of products, the industry generally still uses a semi-automated production method. This involves a three-axis robot taking the parts from the injection molding machine, conveying them on an assembly line, removing the material residue with ultrasonic equipment, and finally having the materials manually placed on trays for collection.

[0003] Because these products are small and lightweight, they are highly susceptible to static electricity during handling and transfer, causing them to adhere or shift. Existing equipment struggles to achieve stable and precise automated processing, hindering the overall automation of the process. Therefore, most manufacturers still rely on manual material handling for final traying and arrangement. However, this method significantly reduces production efficiency and requires substantial manual labor in the final processing steps, leading to a substantial increase in production costs. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of this utility model is to provide an automated material handling and receiving device that can realize an integrated automatic processing flow from material handling and material removal to tray collection.

[0005] This utility model provides an automated material handling and receiving device for use in injection molding machines, including a material handling and feeding mechanism, a material removal mechanism, a transfer and tray mechanism, and a stacking and receiving mechanism. The material handling and feeding mechanism is used to take out injection molded products from the injection molding machine and place them into the material removal mechanism. The material removal mechanism is used to position the injection molded products from the material handling and feeding mechanism and separate the material roots of the injection molded products. The transfer and tray mechanism is used to pick up the injection molded products after the material roots have been removed and place them into the stacking and receiving mechanism. The material handling mechanism includes a clamping device capable of gripping multiple injection molded products at once. The clamping device includes multiple clamping components with adjustable spacing, which can switch between a first arrangement state and a second arrangement state. The material removal mechanism includes multiple positioning clamps with adjustable spacing, which can switch between a third arrangement state and a fourth arrangement state. The first arrangement state matches the cavity layout of the injection molding machine, the second arrangement state matches the third arrangement state, and the fourth arrangement state matches the material handling layout of the transfer tray mechanism.

[0006] In one embodiment, the clamping device further includes a first pitch-changing cylinder, a first connecting plate, and a pitch-changing plate. The first pitch-changing cylinder is operatively connected to the pitch-changing plate, and the pitch-changing plate is movably connected to the first connecting plate. The plurality of clamping components are respectively disposed on the first connecting plate and the pitch-changing plate. Driven by the first pitch-changing cylinder, the pitch-changing plate can move relative to the first connecting plate along a first direction, thereby causing the clamping components disposed on the pitch-changing plate to move closer to or further away from the clamping components disposed on the first connecting plate along the first direction, so that the arrangement spacing between the plurality of clamping components switches between a first arrangement state and a second arrangement state.

[0007] In one embodiment, the material handling mechanism further includes a first driving member and a plurality of positioning guide posts. The first driving member is connected to the clamping device in a transmission manner. The clamping device can reciprocate between the injection molding machine and the material removal mechanism under the drive of the first driving member. The plurality of positioning guide posts are symmetrically arranged on the first connecting plate and are used to insert into the positioning holes of the injection molding machine mold when the material handling mechanism picks up the injection molded product.

[0008] In one embodiment, the gripping assembly includes a gripper cylinder and a support plate. The gripper cylinder has two gripping ends that can move closer to or further away from each other. The support plate has a clearance hole in the middle that allows the two gripping ends to be exposed. The outer edge of the support plate has a support area for supporting injection molded products.

[0009] In one embodiment, the material removal mechanism includes a pitch-changing component, which includes a sliding cylinder, a clamp base plate, a second pitch-changing cylinder, and the plurality of positioning clamps. The sliding cylinder is drivenly connected to the clamp base plate. The plurality of positioning clamps are arranged close to each other on the clamp base plate and are connected to each other by a linkage plate. The second pitch-changing cylinder is arranged on the clamp base plate and is drivenly connected to the outermost positioning clamp. The outermost positioning clamp can move relative to the clamp base plate in a second direction under the drive of the second pitch-changing cylinder, and drive the other positioning clamps to move closer or further apart through the linkage plate, so that the arrangement spacing between the plurality of positioning clamps switches between a third arrangement state and a fourth arrangement state.

[0010] In one embodiment, the variable pitch assembly further includes a lifting cylinder and a lifting plate that is throttle-connected to the lifting cylinder. The lifting plate is located between the fixture base plate and the plurality of positioning fixtures. The lifting plate is connected to the plurality of positioning fixtures. Driven by the lifting cylinder, the lifting plate can move relative to the fixture base plate in a third direction, while simultaneously moving the plurality of positioning fixtures in a third direction to receive the injection-molded product.

[0011] In one embodiment, the material removal mechanism further includes an ultrasonic frame, a material removal cylinder, an ultrasonic clamp, and an ultrasonic cutting head. The variable pitch component is disposed on the ultrasonic frame. The material removal cylinder is drivenly connected to the ultrasonic clamp. The ultrasonic cutting head is disposed around the ultrasonic clamp. The ultrasonic clamp can move relative to the plurality of positioning clamps in a third direction under the drive of the material removal cylinder, pressing against the injection molded products in the plurality of positioning clamps, and simultaneously driving the ultrasonic cutting head to remove material from the injection molded products in the plurality of positioning clamps.

[0012] In one embodiment, the material removal mechanism further includes an ultrasonic positioning frame, which is disposed above the variable pitch assembly. The ultrasonic positioning frame has multiple positioning areas for positioning the material roots of the injection molded product. Each positioning area has guide grooves on both sides for the multiple positioning fixtures to enter. The position of each guide groove matches the third arrangement of the multiple positioning fixtures, so that the multiple positioning fixtures can be aligned with each guide groove on the ultrasonic positioning frame when the multiple positioning fixtures are in the third arrangement.

[0013] In one embodiment, the transfer and tray mechanism includes a second driving member, a second connecting plate, a suction cup base plate, multiple suction cups, a suction cup bracket, and a push-pull cylinder. The suction cup base plate is connected to the second driving member through the second connecting plate. The multiple suction cups are movably mounted on the suction cup base plate, with one end movably mounted on the suction cup base plate and the other end fixed on the suction cup bracket. The multiple suction cups are connected to the push-pull cylinder via the suction cup bracket. Under the drive of the second driving member, the suction cup base plate can drive the multiple suction cups to move back and forth between the material removal mechanism and the stacking and receiving mechanism. Under the drive of the push-pull cylinder, the suction cups can move relative to the suction cup base plate in a third direction to adsorb the injection molded products in the material removal mechanism.

[0014] In one embodiment, the stacking and receiving mechanism includes a tray conveyor line, a loading tray assembly, a receiving tray assembly, and a tray positioning assembly. The loading tray assembly and the receiving tray assembly are respectively disposed at both ends of the tray conveyor line, and the tray positioning assembly is disposed in the middle of the tray conveyor line. The loading tray assembly is used to place empty trays onto the tray conveyor line, and the tray positioning assembly is used to position empty trays and release the positioning after the empty trays are filled, so that the full trays are continued to be conveyed by the tray conveyor line to the receiving tray assembly. The receiving tray assembly is used to collect full trays and stack them.

[0015] This utility model provides an automated material handling and receiving device. By incorporating an adjustable clamping device in the material handling mechanism, the device can simultaneously clamp multi-cavity injection molded products from an injection molding machine. It can switch between a first and second arrangement state as needed, matching both the cavity layout of the injection molding machine and connecting with multiple positioning fixtures in the subsequent material removal mechanism. The material removal mechanism is equipped with multiple positioning fixtures that can switch between a third and fourth arrangement state, matching both the product arrangement from the material handling mechanism and the material handling arrangement of the transfer and stacking mechanism after material removal. This arrangement variation ensures smooth connection between multiple mechanisms, reduces the need for reorganizing injection molded products between mechanisms, and improves the overall process flow efficiency. The transfer and stacking mechanism places the injection molded products after material removal onto the stacking and receiving mechanism, achieving an automated and array-based stacking process, reducing manual intervention and improving stacking accuracy and efficiency. The stacking tray receiving mechanism can carry, transport, and collect stacked injection molded products, enabling continuous and cyclical receiving operations and fully automating the entire receiving process. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this utility model and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1a A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the automated material handling and receiving equipment provided in a preferred embodiment of this utility model.

[0018] Figure 1b This is a top view of the automated material handling and receiving equipment provided in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2a for Figure 1a A schematic diagram of the structure of a 32-cavity injection molded product with material root output from an injection molding machine.

[0020] Figure 2b for Figure 2a A schematic diagram of the structure of a single injection molded product.

[0021] Figure 2c for Figure 2b A schematic diagram of the structure of a single injection-molded product after the material root has been removed.

[0022] Figure 3 for Figure 1a A schematic diagram of the material feeding mechanism.

[0023] Figure 4a for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the clamping device.

[0024] Figure 4b for Figure 4a A schematic diagram of the clamping device in its first arrangement.

[0025] Figure 4c for Figure 4a A schematic diagram of the clamping device in the second arrangement.

[0026] Figure 5 for Figures 4a-4c A schematic diagram of the clamping component.

[0027] Figure 6 for Figure 1a A schematic diagram of the material removal mechanism.

[0028] Figure 7a for Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the intermediate pitch component.

[0029] Figure 7b for Figure 7a A magnified view of region A in the middle.

[0030] Figure 7c for Figure 7a A schematic diagram of the multiple positioning fixtures of the material removal mechanism in the third row.

[0031] Figure 7d for Figure 7a A schematic diagram of the multiple positioning fixtures of the material removal mechanism in the fourth row.

[0032] Figure 8a for Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the ultrasonic positioning frame.

[0033] Figure 8b for Figure 8a A magnified view of region B in the middle.

[0034] Figure 9a for Figure 1a A schematic diagram of the transfer plate mechanism.

[0035] Figure 9b for Figure 9a A magnified view of region C in the middle.

[0036] Figure 10 for Figure 1a A schematic diagram of the middle stacking tray receiving mechanism.

[0037] Figure label: 10. Material handling mechanism; 20. Material removal mechanism; 30. Transfer and tray mechanism; 40. Stacking and receiving mechanism; 50. Injection molding machine; 60. Injection molded product; 61. Material root; 11. First driving component; 12. Clamping device; 121. First pitch-changing cylinder; 122. First connecting plate; 123. Pitch-changing plate; 124. Clamping assembly; 125. Positioning guide post; 1241. Grip cylinder; 1242. Clamping end; 1243. Bearing plate; 1244. Bearing area; 1245. Clearance hole; 21. Pitch-changing assembly; 22. Ultrasonic frame; 23. Material removal cylinder; 24. Ultrasonic fixture; 25. 26. Ultrasonic cutting head; 27. Ultrasonic positioning frame; 28. Antistatic foam; 211. Slide cylinder; 212. Fixture base plate; 213. Positioning fixture; 214. Linkage plate; 215. Second pitch cylinder; 216. Lifting cylinder; 217. Lifting plate; 261. Positioning area; 262. Guide groove; 31. Drive base; 32. Second drive component; 33. Second connecting plate; 34. Suction cup base plate; 35. Suction cup; 36. Suction cup bracket; 37. Push-pull cylinder; 41. Stacking tray frame; 42. Material tray conveyor line; 43. Loading tray assembly; 44. Receiving tray assembly; 45. Material tray positioning assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The specific embodiments of this utility model will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. Based on the description of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0039] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," and "connect," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms according to the specific circumstances.

[0040] The terms “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” and “outer,” etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product is in use. They are used only for the convenience of description and simplification, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0041] The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., are used merely to distinguish elements with similar attributes, not to indicate or imply relative importance or a specific order.

[0042] The terms “include,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, which includes not only the elements listed but also other elements not expressly listed.

[0043] Please refer to Figures 1a to 1b This utility model provides an automated material handling and collection device for automatically handling, removing sprue, tray placement, and stacking sprue collection of injection-molded products 60 formed in an injection molding machine 50. The device includes a material handling mechanism 10, a sprue removal mechanism 20, a tray transfer and placement mechanism 30, and a stacking and collection mechanism 40. In this embodiment, the injection molding machine 50 is a mold with 32 cavities, such as... Figures 2a-2c As shown, the mold (not shown) has positioning holes (not shown). After one molding process, the mold can simultaneously output 32-cavity injection molded products 60, all of which are pure plastic parts. The 32-cavity injection molded products 60 are arranged in 8 groups, each group including 4-cavity injection molded products 60. The 4-cavity injection molded products 60 in each group are connected by material roots 61, which need to be separated in the material root removal mechanism 20.

[0044] The material handling mechanism 10 is used to take out the injection molded product 60 from the mold of the injection molding machine 50 and put it into the material removal mechanism 20. The material removal mechanism 20 is used to position the injection molded product 60 from the material handling mechanism 10 and separate the material root 61 of the injection molded product 60. The transfer and tray-mounting mechanism 30 is used to pick up the injection molded product 60 after the material root removal is completed and place it into the stacking tray receiving mechanism 40. The stacking tray receiving mechanism 40 is used to carry, transport and collect the placed injection molded product 60.

[0045] like Figure 3 As shown, the material handling mechanism 10 includes a gripping device 12 capable of gripping multiple injection molded products 60 at once. The gripping device 12 includes multiple gripping components 124 with adjustable spacing, which can switch between a first arrangement state P1 and a second arrangement state P2. Figures 4b-4c As shown, during material handling, the multiple gripping components 124 are in the first arrangement state P1, corresponding to the cavity arrangement within the mold of the injection molding machine 50, to facilitate the gripping of the multiple injection molded products 60 from the injection molding machine 50. After gripping, the multiple gripping components 124 switch to the second arrangement state P2, adjusting to a suitable arrangement for placing the multiple injection molded products 60 into the material removal mechanism 20. In this embodiment, eight gripping components 124 are provided, each gripping component 124 is used to grip one group of injection molded products 60, thereby enabling the simultaneous gripping of eight groups of injection molded products (i.e., 32-cavity injection molded products 60 formed in one injection molding process).

[0046] like Figures 7c-7d As shown, the material removal mechanism 20 includes multiple positioning clamps 213 with adjustable spacing, which can switch between a third arrangement state P3 and a fourth arrangement state P4. When the material handling mechanism 10 places the multiple injection molded products 60 into the material removal mechanism 20, the multiple positioning clamps 213 are in the third arrangement state P3, which matches the second arrangement state P2, so that the multiple injection molded products 60 can accurately fall into the material removal mechanism 20. After the material root 61 of the injection molded product 60 is separated, the multiple positioning clamps 213 switch to the fourth arrangement state P4, so that the transfer tray mechanism 30 can directly pick up the injection molded product 60 after the material root 61 is separated.

[0047] like Figure 4a As shown, in this embodiment, the clamping device 12 further includes a first pitch-changing cylinder 121, a first connecting plate 122, and a pitch-changing plate 123. The first pitch-changing cylinder 121 is drivenly connected to the pitch-changing plate 123, and the pitch-changing plate 123 is movably connected to the first connecting plate 122. The eight clamping components 124 are divided into two groups, respectively disposed on the first connecting plate 122 and the pitch-changing plate 123, with each group containing four clamping components 124. The pitch-changing plate 123 can move relative to the first connecting plate 122 along the first direction D1 under the drive of the first pitch-changing cylinder 121.

[0048] During material handling, the first variable pitch cylinder 121 drives the variable pitch plate 123 to move, which in turn moves the four gripping components 124 on the variable pitch plate 123 away from the four gripping components 124 on the first connecting plate 122 along the first direction D1, so that the arrangement spacing between the eight gripping components 124 is switched to the first arrangement state P1 to adapt to the cavity arrangement in the mold of the injection molding machine 50. Then, the eight gripping components 124 respectively grab the material root 61 between the eight groups of injection molded products 60 to complete the material handling. After the material is picked up, the first variable pitch cylinder 121 drives the variable pitch plate 123 to move again, which drives the four clamping components 124 set on the variable pitch plate 123 to move closer to the four clamping components 124 set on the first connecting plate 122 along the first direction D1, so that the arrangement spacing between the eight clamping components 124 is switched to the second arrangement state P2 to match the arrangement state of the multiple positioning fixtures 213 on the material removal mechanism 20, so that the injection molded product 60 can be accurately positioned when it is fed into the material removal mechanism 20.

[0049] Furthermore, the material handling mechanism 10 also includes a first driving member 11 and a plurality of positioning guide posts 125. The first driving member 11 is connected to the clamping device 12 for transmission. Under the drive of the first driving member 11, the clamping device 12 can move back and forth between the injection molding machine 50 and the material removal mechanism 20. The plurality of positioning guide posts 125 are symmetrically arranged on the first connecting plate 122 for inserting into the mold positioning hole of the injection molding machine 50 when the material handling mechanism 10 picks up the injection molded product 60.

[0050] In this embodiment, the first driving component 11 is a six-axis manipulator. The end of the six-axis manipulator is connected to the first connecting plate 122 of the gripping device 12 via a transmission connection. Through multi-degree-of-freedom linkage control, the gripping device 12 achieves precise movement in space. For example, the six-axis manipulator can drive the gripping device 12 to move back and forth between the injection molding machine 50 and the material removal mechanism 20 according to a preset path. When approaching the mold or positioning structure, it can flip and fine-tune its posture, ensuring that the gripping device 12 maintains a stable posture and positional accuracy during material handling. Driven by the six-axis manipulator, the gripping device 12 can not only move in a straight line but also perform angle adjustments and posture compensation according to the mold layout, thereby improving the accuracy of material handling and alignment.

[0051] Specifically, after the injection molding machine 50 opens the mold, the clamping device 12 moves towards the mold of the injection molding machine 50 under the drive of the six-axis robot. When the clamping device 12 approaches the mold surface, multiple positioning guide pins 125 gradually insert into the positioning holes on the mold. Through the cooperation between the positioning guide pins 125 and the mold positioning holes, the eight clamping components 124 of the clamping device 12 can be precisely aligned with the material roots 61 between the eight groups of injection molded products 60, ensuring that the clamping components 124 can reliably clamp the material root 61 position of each group of injection molded products 60. During the process of the positioning guide pins 125 entering the mold positioning holes, the six-axis robot continuously pushes the clamping device 12 until the clamping components 124 clamp the material root 61 of the injection molded product 60, achieving stable material removal.

[0052] like Figure 5As shown, the gripping assembly 124 includes a gripper cylinder 1241 and a support plate 1243. The gripper cylinder 1241 is mounted on the first connecting plate 122 or the variable-pitch plate 123. The gripper cylinder 1241 has two gripping ends 1242 that can move closer to or further away from each other. The gripping ends 1242 are used to grip the root 61 of the injection molded product 60 by opening and closing. The support plate 1243 is fixed above the gripper cylinder 1241 and has a through clearance hole 1245 in its middle. This hole provides movement space for the two gripping ends 1242 when the gripper cylinder 1241 is activated, allowing the gripping ends 1242 to pass through the support plate 1243 and contact the root 61 of the injection molded product 60 during gripping. The outer edge of the support plate 1243 is provided with a support area 1244. The support area 1244 is a planar or support area with a limiting structure. It is used to provide support for the body of the injection molded product 60 when clamping the root 61 part of the injection molded product 60, so as to avoid shaking or tipping due to the clamping force being concentrated at the root 61 part.

[0053] like Figures 6-7b As shown, the material removal mechanism 20 includes a pitch-changing component 21, which includes a slide cylinder 211, a fixture base plate 212, a second pitch-changing cylinder 215, and the aforementioned multiple positioning fixtures 213. In this embodiment, eight positioning fixtures 213 are provided, each capable of carrying four injection-molded products 60 after material removal 61 separation, corresponding to 32-cavity injection-molded products 60. The slide cylinder 211 is connected to the fixture base plate 212 via a transmission connection. The eight positioning fixtures 213 are arranged symmetrically in two groups on the fixture base plate 212, with four positioning fixtures 213 in each group positioned close to each other. The four positioning fixtures 213 in each group are connected by a linkage plate 214. The linkage plate 214 is used to maintain the synchronous relationship between the four positioning fixtures 213 in each group when the outermost positioning fixture 213 moves, so that the spacing of the four positioning fixtures 213 in each group can be adjusted as a whole. The second pitch-changing cylinder 215 is mounted on the fixture base plate 212 and is connected to the outermost positioning fixture 213 via a transmission connection. When activated, the second pitch-changing cylinder 215 pushes the outermost positioning fixture 213 to move relative to the fixture base plate 212 along the second direction D2. Driven by the linkage plate 214, the other positioning fixtures 213 simultaneously move closer to or further away in the same direction, achieving an overall change in the spacing between the eight positioning fixtures 213. This allows the arrangement of the eight positioning fixtures 213 to switch between the third arrangement state P3 and the fourth arrangement state P4 (see [reference]). Figures 7c-7d ).

[0054] In this embodiment, the pitch-changing assembly 21 further includes a lifting cylinder 216 and a lifting plate 217 that is pulsatorically connected to the lifting cylinder 216. The lifting plate 217 is located between the fixture base plate 212 and the eight positioning fixtures 213, and the lifting plate 217 is fixedly connected to the eight positioning fixtures 213. In actual operation, when the material handling mechanism 10 delivers the injection-molded product 60 above the material removal mechanism 20, the second pitch-changing cylinder 215 and the linkage plate 214 drive the eight positioning fixtures 213 to form a third arrangement state P3 adapted to receive the material, so that the eight positioning fixtures 213 correspond to the second arrangement state P2 of the material handling mechanism 10. At the same time, the lifting cylinder 216 moves, driving the lifting plate 217 and the eight positioning fixtures 213 to rise as a whole, so that the upper end face of the positioning fixtures 213 enters the receiving position.

[0055] After the material removal operation is completed, the lifting cylinder 216 retracts, causing the lifting plate 217 and the eight positioning clamps 213 to descend along the third direction D3, bringing the injection-molded product 60 back to a suitable height for the transfer and tilting mechanism 30 to pick up the material. At the same time, the second pitch-changing cylinder 215 actuates again, driving the outermost positioning clamp 213 to move along the second direction D2, and through the linkage plate 214, it drives the remaining positioning clamps 213 to change their arrangement spacing, so that the eight positioning clamps 213 switch from the third arrangement state P3 to the fourth arrangement state P4, creating conditions for the transfer and tilting mechanism 30 to directly pick up the material.

[0056] The material removal mechanism 20 also includes an ultrasonic frame 22, a material removal cylinder 23, an ultrasonic clamp 24, and an ultrasonic cutting head 25. The variable pitch assembly 21 is mounted on the ultrasonic frame 22. The material removal cylinder 23 is connected to the ultrasonic clamp 24. The ultrasonic cutting head 25 is located around the ultrasonic clamp 24 and is arranged around the clamping position for contacting the injection molded product 60. This allows the ultrasonic clamp 24 to apply clamping force to the material roots 61 of 8 injection molded products 60 simultaneously when it moves downwards, and to keep the ultrasonic cutting head 25 close to each material root 61 position. Then, the ultrasonic cutting head 25 is activated and applies ultrasonic energy to the material root 61 area of ​​the injection molded product 60, causing the material root 61 to separate from the body of the injection molded product 60, thus completing the synchronous material removal operation of multiple injection molded products 60.

[0057] Since the injection-molded product 60 output by the injection molding machine 50 is a pure plastic part, its main body and the material roots 61 between each group are all made of plastic material. In order to achieve fast and stable separation of the material roots 61, this embodiment uses ultrasonic cutting (i.e., ultrasonic cutting head 25) for processing. That is, during the operation, the ultrasonic cutting head 25 is in contact with the material root 61 position, and the plastic structure in the material root 61 area is softened and cut off instantly by high-frequency vibration, thereby realizing the separation of the main body of the injection-molded product 60 from the material roots 61.

[0058] like Figure 6 and Figures 8a-8bAs shown, the material removal mechanism 20 also includes an ultrasonic positioning frame 26, which is disposed above the variable pitch assembly 21. The ultrasonic positioning frame 26 has multiple positioning areas 261 for positioning the material roots 61 of the injection molded product 60. Each positioning area 261 has guide grooves 262 on both sides for the positioning fixtures 213 to enter. In this embodiment, two ultrasonic positioning frames 26 are provided. Each ultrasonic positioning frame 26 has two positioning areas 261 and four guide grooves 262. The two ultrasonic positioning frames 26 have a total of eight guide grooves 262. Each guide groove 262 corresponds to one positioning fixture 213. The positions of the eight guide grooves 262 match the third arrangement state P3 of the eight positioning fixtures 213 on the material removal mechanism 20. When the eight positioning fixtures 213 are in the third arrangement state P3, they can be aligned with the eight guide grooves 262 on the two ultrasonic positioning frames 26 respectively, so that the injection molded product 60 maintains an accurate positioning relationship during the material removal stage.

[0059] Specifically, when the material handling mechanism 10 conveys the injection molded product 60 above the material removal mechanism 20, the slide cylinder 211 first drives the fixture base plate 212 to move along the second direction D2, causing the eight positioning fixtures 213 on the fixture base plate 212 to enter the bottom position of the ultrasonic positioning frame 26 (i.e., at this time, the eight positioning fixtures 213 are located within the two ultrasonic positioning frames 26). Under the drive of the second pitch cylinder 215, the eight positioning fixtures 213 switch to the third arrangement state P3, which matches the second arrangement state P2. Subsequently, the lifting cylinder 216 actuates, driving the eight positioning fixtures 213 to rise and enter the eight guide slots 262 of the ultrasonic positioning frame 26, so that the eight positioning fixtures 213 are in the receiving position, ready to receive the 32-cavity injection molded product released by the material handling mechanism 10. After the injection molded product 60 is released, the main body of the injection molded product 60 is stably supported by eight positioning clamps 213, while the material root 61 between each group of injection molded products 60 falls into the positioning area 261 of the ultrasonic positioning frame 26, so that the main body of the injection molded product 60 and the material root 61 are reliably supported, providing a stable working condition for the material root removal operation.

[0060] After the material removal operation is completed, the lifting cylinder 216 is activated, driving the eight positioning clamps 213 to descend and exit from the eight guide slots 262. Driven by the second pitch cylinder 215, the eight positioning clamps 213 switch from the third arrangement state P3 to the fourth arrangement state P4 that matches the material picking arrangement of the transfer plate mechanism 30. The sliding cylinder 211 drives the clamp base plate 212 to move along the second direction D2, so that the eight positioning clamps 213 carrying the injection molded product after the material removal 61 is removed from the bottom area of ​​the ultrasonic positioning frame 26 (that is, at this time the eight positioning clamps 213 are located outside the two ultrasonic positioning frames 26), freeing up the working space, so that the transfer plate mechanism 30 can pick up and transfer the injection molded product 60 after the material removal 61.

[0061] The ultrasonic clamp 24 is made of anti-static nylon material to reduce the risk of product adhesion or displacement caused by static electricity generated during the material removal process. To further enhance the anti-static performance, the outer area of ​​the ultrasonic clamp 24 is also covered with anti-static foam 27. The anti-static foam 27 acts as a buffer and discharge agent when the ultrasonic clamp 24 comes into contact with the injection molded product 60, helping to maintain the stable posture of the injection molded product 60 in the positioning clamp 213 and preventing electrostatic damage.

[0062] like Figures 9a-9b As shown, the transfer and tray-stacking mechanism 30 includes a drive base 31, a second drive member 32, a second connecting plate 33, a suction cup base plate 34, multiple suction cups 35, a suction cup bracket 36, and a push-pull cylinder 37. The second drive member 32 is mounted on the drive base 31 and is connected to the suction cup base plate 34 via the second connecting plate 33, enabling the suction cup base plate 34 to move in space under the drive of the second drive member 32. In this embodiment, the second drive member 32 is a four-axis manipulator. The multi-degree-of-freedom motion capability of the four-axis manipulator allows the suction cup base plate 34 to swing back and forth and adjust its posture between the material removal mechanism 20 and the tray stacking and receiving mechanism 40 to adapt to different tray positions and picking / placing actions.

[0063] Multiple suction cups 35 are movably mounted at one end on the suction cup base plate 34, and at the other end fixed to the suction cup bracket 36. In this embodiment, the number of suction cups 35 is set to 32, corresponding to the 32-cavity injection molded products 60 output by the injection molding machine in one molding process. The 32 suction cups are arranged symmetrically in two groups on both sides of the suction cup bracket 36, with 16 suction cups in each group. Each group of 16 suction cups 35 corresponds to each group of 4 positioning clamps 213 arranged in the material handling direction, so that each suction cup 35 can match a single injection molded product 60 in the corresponding positioning clamp 213, thereby realizing the synchronous suction and movement of the 32 injection molded products 60.

[0064] All 32 suction cups 35 are connected to the push-pull cylinder 37 via the suction cup bracket 36. The extension and retraction of the push-pull cylinder 37 allows the 32 suction cups 35 to move up and down relative to the suction cup base plate 34 along the third direction D3. During the material handling stage, they extend downwards to approach the injection-molded product 60 and retract upwards after adsorption to remove the product 60. When the 32 suction cups 35 move above the material removal mechanism 20 under the drive of the suction cup base plate 34, the push-pull cylinder 37 moves downwards, causing the 32 suction cups 35 to descend and adhere to the corresponding positioning fixtures 213, completing the adsorption. Subsequently, the push-pull cylinder 37 retracts, and the suction cups 35 simultaneously lift the 32-cavity injection-molded product 60. When the suction cup base plate 34 moves above the stacking tray receiving mechanism 40 under the action of the four-axis robot, the push-pull cylinder 37 drives downwards again, causing the suction cups 35 to accurately place the injection-molded product 60 into the corresponding position in the tray.

[0065] like Figure 10 As shown, the stacking and receiving mechanism 40 includes a stacking frame 41, a tray conveyor line 42, a loading tray assembly 43, a receiving tray assembly 44, and a tray positioning assembly 45. The tray conveyor line 42 is mounted on the stacking frame 41 and extends horizontally to form a conveying channel for transporting trays. The loading tray assembly 43 and the receiving tray assembly 44 are respectively located at both ends of the tray conveyor line 42, constituting the input and output ends of the trays. The tray positioning assembly 45 is located in the middle of the tray conveyor line 42 and is used to accurately limit the position of the trays during the tray placement process, enabling the transfer and placement mechanism 30 to precisely place the injection-molded product 60 in the corresponding position within the tray.

[0066] The loading tray assembly 43 provides empty trays to the tray conveyor line 42. When the tray conveyor line 42 is in a ready state, the loading tray assembly 43 pushes or places the empty trays onto the tray conveyor line 42. After the trays enter the middle section, they are positioned by the tray positioning assembly 45 to fix their position on the tray conveyor line 42. After the transfer and tray-sanding mechanism 30 completes the tray-sanding at all stations, the tray positioning assembly 45 releases its positioning, allowing the full trays to move along the tray conveyor line 42 towards the receiving tray assembly 44. The receiving tray assembly 44 is located at the end of the conveyor line and is used to receive full trays output from the conveyor line and stack them in a stacked manner to facilitate subsequent handling or packaging processes.

[0067] The workflow of the automated material handling equipment provided in this embodiment is as follows: After the injection molding machine 50 completes injection molding, the eight clamping components 124 on the material handling mechanism 10 switch to the first arrangement state P1 and move to the mold opening position of the injection molding machine 50. The clamping device 12 then clamps the 32-cavity injection molded product 60 formed in one go. Subsequently, the eight clamping components 124 on the material handling mechanism 10 switch to the second arrangement state P2 and transfer the clamped injection molded product 60 to the top of the material removal mechanism 20. At this time, the slide cylinder 211 of the material removal mechanism 20 drives the eight positioning clamps 213 to the bottom position of the ultrasonic positioning frame 26. Simultaneously, the eight positioning clamps 213 on the material removal mechanism 20 switch to the third arrangement state P3, matching the second arrangement state P2, and enter the eight guide grooves 262 to receive the injection molded product 60 through a lifting action. After positioning is completed, the ultrasonic cutting head 2 of the material removal mechanism 20... 5. Upon startup, the material roots 61 of each injection molded product 60 are simultaneously separated. After the material roots are removed, the eight positioning clamps 213 on the material root removal mechanism 20 switch to the fourth arrangement state P4 that matches the transfer and tray mechanism 30. The slide cylinder 211 removes the eight positioning clamps 213 from the bottom area of ​​the ultrasonic positioning frame 26, so that the eight positioning clamps 213 are outside the ultrasonic positioning frame 26 to free up the working space. The transfer and tray mechanism 30 moves above the eight positioning clamps 213 and picks up the injection molded product 60 after the material roots 61 are separated by the suction cup 35, and places it on the material tray of the stacking and receiving mechanism 40 according to the preset array. After the tray is placed, the stacking and receiving mechanism 40 transports the full material tray to the receiving tray assembly 44 for stacking. At the same time, the loading tray assembly 43 provides a new empty material tray to realize a continuous and uninterrupted automated material receiving process.

[0068] It should be noted that although this utility model takes the injection molding machine 50 to form a 32-cavity injection molded product 60 in one step as an example, it is not limited to this. It can be understood that the injection molding machine 50 can form any multi-cavity injection molded product 60 in one step. Correspondingly, the number of clamping components 124, positioning fixtures 213, guide grooves 262, etc. is not limited to the above embodiment. They only need to be matched with the multi-cavity injection molded product 60 of the injection molding machine 50.

[0069] It should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0070] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this utility model, but the protection scope of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An automated material handling and receiving device, applied to an injection molding machine (50), characterized in that, The system includes a material handling mechanism (10), a material removal mechanism (20), a transfer and tray-mounting mechanism (30), and a stacking and receiving mechanism (40). The material handling mechanism (10) is used to take out the injection molded product (60) from the injection molding machine (50) and place it into the material removal mechanism (20). The material removal mechanism (20) is used to position the injection molded product (60) from the material handling mechanism (10) and separate the material root (61) of the injection molded product (60). The transfer and tray-mounting mechanism (30) is used to pick up the injection molded product (60) after removing the material root (61) and place it into the stacking and receiving mechanism (40). The material handling mechanism (10) includes a clamping device (12) capable of clamping multiple injection molded products (60) at one time. The clamping device (12) includes multiple clamping components (124) with adjustable spacing. The multiple clamping components (124) can switch between a first arrangement state (P1) and a second arrangement state (P2). The material removal mechanism (20) includes multiple positioning clamps (213) with adjustable spacing. The multiple positioning clamps (213) can switch between a third arrangement state (P3) and a fourth arrangement state (P4). The first arrangement state (P1) matches the cavity arrangement of the injection molding machine (50), the second arrangement state (P2) matches the third arrangement state (P3), and the fourth arrangement state (P4) matches the material handling arrangement of the transfer tray mechanism (30).

2. The automated material handling and receiving equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping device (12) further includes a first pitch cylinder (121), a first connecting plate (122), and a pitch plate (123). The first pitch cylinder (121) is connected to the pitch plate (123) in a transmission manner. The pitch plate (123) is movably connected to the first connecting plate (122). The plurality of clamping components (124) are respectively disposed on the first connecting plate (122) and the pitch plate (123). Under the drive of the first pitch cylinder (121), the pitch plate (123) can move relative to the first connecting plate (122) along the first direction (D1), and at the same time drive the clamping components (124) disposed on the pitch plate (123) to move closer to or further away from the clamping components (124) disposed on the first connecting plate (122) along the first direction (D1), so that the arrangement spacing between the plurality of clamping components (124) switches between the first arrangement state (P1) and the second arrangement state (P2).

3. The automated material handling and receiving equipment as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The material handling mechanism (10) further includes a first driving member (11) and a plurality of positioning guide posts (125). The first driving member (11) is connected to the clamping device (12) in a transmission manner. The clamping device (12) can move back and forth between the injection molding machine (50) and the material removal mechanism (20) under the drive of the first driving member (11). The plurality of positioning guide posts (125) are symmetrically arranged on the first connecting plate (122) for inserting into the positioning hole of the injection molding machine (50) mold when the material handling mechanism (10) picks up the injection molded product (60).

4. The automated material handling and receiving equipment as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The gripping assembly (124) includes a gripper cylinder (1241) and a support plate (1243). The gripper cylinder (1241) is provided with two gripping ends (1242) that can move closer to or further away from each other. The support plate (1243) is provided with a clearance hole (1245) in the middle, which allows the two gripping ends (1242) to be exposed. The outer edge of the support plate (1243) is provided with a support area (1244) for supporting the injection molded product (60).

5. The automated material handling and receiving equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The material removal mechanism (20) includes a pitch-changing assembly (21), which includes a slide cylinder (211), a clamp base plate (212), a second pitch-changing cylinder (215), and the plurality of positioning clamps (213). The slide cylinder (211) is connected to the clamp base plate (212) in a transmission manner. The plurality of positioning clamps (213) are arranged close to each other on the clamp base plate (212) and are connected to each other through a linkage plate (214). The second pitch-changing cylinder (215) is arranged on the clamp base plate (212). On the fixture base plate (212), the second pitch cylinder (215) is connected to the outermost positioning fixture (213) in a transmission connection. The outermost positioning fixture (213) can move relative to the fixture base plate (212) in the second direction (D2) under the drive of the second pitch cylinder (215), and drive the other positioning fixtures (213) to move closer or further away from each other through the linkage plate (214), so that the arrangement spacing between the multiple positioning fixtures (213) switches between the third arrangement state (P3) and the fourth arrangement state (P4).

6. The automated material handling and receiving equipment as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The pitch-changing assembly (21) further includes a lifting cylinder (216) and a lifting plate (217) that is pulsatorically connected to the lifting cylinder (216). The lifting plate (217) is located between the fixture base plate (212) and the plurality of positioning fixtures (213). The lifting plate (217) is connected to the plurality of positioning fixtures (213). Under the drive of the lifting cylinder (216), the lifting plate (217) can move relative to the fixture base plate (212) along a third direction (D3), while simultaneously driving the plurality of positioning fixtures (213) to move along a third direction (D3) to receive the injection molded product (60).

7. The automated material handling and receiving equipment as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The material removal mechanism (20) further includes an ultrasonic frame (22), a material removal cylinder (23), an ultrasonic clamp (24), and an ultrasonic cutting head (25). The variable pitch component (21) is mounted on the ultrasonic frame (22). The material removal cylinder (23) is connected to the ultrasonic clamp (24) via a transmission. The ultrasonic cutting head (25) is located around the ultrasonic clamp (24). Under the drive of the material removal cylinder (23), the ultrasonic clamp (24) can move relative to the plurality of positioning clamps (213) along a third direction (D3) to press against the injection molded product (60) in the plurality of positioning clamps (213), while driving the ultrasonic cutting head (25) to remove the material from the injection molded product (60) in the plurality of positioning clamps (213).

8. The automated material handling and receiving equipment as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The material removal mechanism (20) further includes an ultrasonic positioning frame (26), which is located above the variable pitch assembly (21). The ultrasonic positioning frame (26) has multiple positioning areas (261) for positioning the material roots (61) of the injection molded product (60). Each positioning area (261) has guide grooves (262) on both sides for the multiple positioning fixtures (213) to enter. The position of each guide groove (262) matches the third arrangement state (P3) of the multiple positioning fixtures (213), so that the multiple positioning fixtures (213) can be aligned with each guide groove (262) on the ultrasonic positioning frame (26) when the multiple positioning fixtures (213) are in the third arrangement state (P3).

9. The automated material handling and receiving equipment as described in any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The transfer and placement mechanism (30) includes a second driving member (32), a second connecting plate (33), a suction cup base plate (34), multiple suction cups (35), a suction cup bracket (36), and a push-pull cylinder (37). The suction cup base plate (34) is connected to the second driving member (32) through the second connecting plate (33). The multiple suction cups (35) are movably mounted on the suction cup base plate (34). One end of each suction cup (35) is movably mounted on the suction cup base plate (34), and the other end is fixed to the suction cup bracket (36). On 36), the plurality of suction cups (35) are connected to the push-pull cylinder (37) via the suction cup bracket (36). The suction cup base plate (34) can drive the plurality of suction cups (35) to move back and forth between the material removal mechanism (20) and the stacking tray receiving mechanism (40) under the drive of the second driving member (32). The suction cups (35) can move relative to the suction cup base plate (34) along a third direction (D3) under the drive of the push-pull cylinder (37) to adsorb the injection molded product (60) in the material removal mechanism (20).

10. The automated material handling and receiving equipment as described in any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The stacking and receiving mechanism (40) includes a tray conveyor line (42), a tray loading assembly (43), a receiving tray assembly (44), and a tray positioning assembly (45). The tray loading assembly (43) and the receiving tray assembly (44) are respectively located at both ends of the tray conveyor line (42). The tray positioning assembly (45) is located in the middle of the tray conveyor line (42). The tray loading assembly (43) is used to place empty trays on the tray conveyor line (42). The tray positioning assembly (45) is used to position empty trays and releases the positioning after the empty tray is filled with material, so that the full trays are continued to be conveyed by the tray conveyor line (42) to the receiving tray assembly (44). The receiving tray assembly (44) is used to collect full trays and stack them.

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