Automatic loading and unloading device

Abstract

The application provides an automatic feeding and discharging device, which comprises a cabinet, a mechanical arm and a loading assembly. The cabinet is internally formed with a working cavity and is provided with an opening communicating the working cavity with the external environment, which is used for transferring materials between the inside and the outside machining tool. The mechanical arm is installed in the working cavity of the cabinet, and the movable end thereof can extend out of the opening to the outside, so as to realize the material taking and placing operation between the mechanical arm and the external machining tool. The mechanical arm can complete the material grabbing, moving and placing according to the control instruction. The loading assembly is at least two, and each loading assembly is arranged on different sides of the mechanical arm, so as to fully utilize the space in the working cavity and increase the overall material loading capacity. When the mechanical arm performs the material taking and placing operation on one of the loading assemblies, the other loading assemblies can be simultaneously manually supplemented or the materials are arranged by the operator, so that the situation that the mechanical arm must be temporarily stopped due to the material supplement is avoided, and the working efficiency of the machining process is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the technical field of loading and unloading devices, and more specifically, relates to an automatic loading and unloading device. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of machining, automating the transport of raw materials to machine tools is a crucial means of improving production efficiency and ensuring operational safety. Therefore, automatic loading and unloading devices are widely used in various production scenarios. These devices can automatically load, position, and unload raw materials, effectively reducing manual intervention, lowering labor intensity, and to some extent improving the continuity and stability of the processing.

[0003] However, current mainstream automatic loading and unloading devices still have certain limitations in practical applications, mainly reflected in their relatively small material loading capacity, which can usually only meet the needs of a single batch or a small amount of continuous processing. In the actual production process, once the current batch of blanks has been processed, the equipment often needs to be stopped for manual or semi-automatic replenishment. It can only be restarted and processing can continue after replenishment is completed. This frequent shutdown and restart not only disrupts the continuity of the processing flow but also significantly increases non-productive time, reducing the overall equipment utilization rate and production efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide an automatic loading and unloading device to solve the technical problems of insufficient loading capacity and non-compact working pace in existing automatic loading and unloading devices.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted in this application is as follows: An automatic loading and unloading device is provided, comprising: The cabinet has a working chamber and an opening connecting the working chamber to the outside. A robotic arm is installed inside the working chamber and can extend from the opening to the outside. A loading assembly for loading materials is installed in the working chamber, and there are at least two loading assemblies, each of which is located on a different side of the robotic arm. The robotic arm can either remove material from the corresponding loading assembly and send it out through the opening to the outside, or the robotic arm can send material back from the outside to the corresponding loading assembly.

[0006] As a further improvement to the above technical solution: Optionally, the loading assembly includes a stand and loading seats, the stand is installed inside the working chamber, and a plurality of loading seats are installed on the stand at intervals from each other.

[0007] Optionally, the support frame includes a crossbeam and a column. The column is installed in the working chamber and extends vertically. The crossbeam is connected to the column and extends horizontally. There are multiple crossbeams, and each crossbeam is spaced apart from each other along the extension direction of the column. The loading seat is installed on the crossbeam.

[0008] Optionally, the loading seats installed on the upright are arranged in a rectangular array in the vertical plane.

[0009] Optionally, the cabinet is equipped with multiple openable and closable protective doors, the positions of which correspond to the positions of the loading components.

[0010] Optionally, the protective door is provided with a transparent observation window.

[0011] Optionally, the cabinet includes multiple side facades corresponding to the loading assembly, and indicator lights are installed on the side facades. The indicator lights correspond to the loading seats on the loading assembly on that side and are used to indicate the working status of the corresponding loading seats.

[0012] Optionally, the cabinet is also equipped with control buttons, which are located on at least one of the side facades.

[0013] The advantages of the automatic loading and unloading device provided in this application are as follows: The automatic loading and unloading device provided in this application includes a cabinet, a robotic arm, and a loading assembly. The cabinet, as the outer shell of the entire device, primarily provides necessary physical protection and defines the internal working space. It contains a working cavity with an opening connecting the working cavity to the external environment. This opening is used by the robotic arm to transfer materials between the internal and external machine tools. The robotic arm is installed within the working cavity of the cabinet, and its movable end extends out through the opening to the outside, thereby enabling material handling operations with the external machine tools. The robotic arm possesses precise position control and motion execution capabilities, and can complete the gripping, moving, and placing of materials according to control commands. The material loading components are installed in the working chamber of the cabinet, and there are at least two of them. Each material loading component is arranged on a different side of the robotic arm. This layout can make full use of the space in the working chamber and greatly increase the overall material loading capacity. When the robotic arm is picking up or putting down materials on one of the material loading components, the other material loading components can be manually replenished or the materials sorted by the operator at the same time. This avoids the situation where the robotic arm has to stop working due to replenishment, ensures that the work rhythm of the processing is not affected, and maintains the overall work efficiency.

[0014] In actual operation, the robotic arm can take out the material to be processed from the corresponding loading component according to the processing rhythm, and send the material to the external processing machine tool through the opening, or take back the material processed on the processing machine tool and send it to the corresponding loading component, so as to realize the efficient flow of materials between the processing and storage stages. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the automatic loading and unloading device provided in this application; Figure 2 A rear view structural schematic diagram of the automatic loading and unloading device provided in this application; Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the robotic arm and the loading assembly of the automatic loading and unloading device provided in this application; Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the loading component of the automatic loading and unloading device provided in this application Figure 1 ; Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the loading component of the automatic loading and unloading device provided in this application Figure 2 .

[0017] The following are the labeling elements in the figure: 1. Cabinet; 11. Protective door; 12. Observation window; 13. Indicator light; 14. Control button; 2. Robotic arm; 3. Loading assembly; 31. Stand; 311. Crossbeam; 312. Column; 32. Loading base. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects to be solved by this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0019] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.

[0020] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", and "outer" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, 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 application.

[0021] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0022] To address the issues of insufficient loading capacity in existing automatic loading and unloading devices, leading to inconsistent work pace and frequent shutdowns for refueling, thus impacting production efficiency, such as... Figures 1 to 3 As shown, this application provides an automatic loading and unloading device, which includes a cabinet 1, a robotic arm 2, and a loading assembly 3.

[0023] Cabinet 1 serves as the outer shell structure of the entire device, primarily providing necessary physical protection while defining the internal working space. It contains a working cavity and an opening that connects the working cavity to the external environment. This opening is used by the robotic arm 2 to transfer materials between the internal and external machine tools.

[0024] The robotic arm 2 is installed inside the working cavity of the cabinet 1. Its movable end can extend out of the opening to the outside, thereby realizing material picking and placing operations with external processing machine tools. The robotic arm 2 has precise position control and motion execution capabilities, and can complete the grabbing, moving and placing of materials according to control commands.

[0025] The loading assembly 3 for loading materials is installed in the working cavity of the cabinet 1, and there are at least two of them. Each loading assembly 3 is arranged on a different side of the robotic arm 2. This layout can make full use of the space in the working cavity and greatly increase the overall material loading capacity. When the robotic arm 2 is performing material loading and unloading operations on one of the loading assemblies 3, the other loading assemblies 3 can be manually replenished or the materials sorted by the operator at the same time. This avoids the situation where the robotic arm has to stop working due to replenishment, ensures that the work rhythm of the processing process is not affected, and maintains the overall work efficiency.

[0026] In actual operation, the robotic arm 2 can take out the material to be processed from the corresponding loading component 3 according to the processing rhythm, and send the material to the external processing machine tool through the opening, or take back the material processed on the processing machine tool and send it to the corresponding loading component 3, so as to realize the efficient flow of materials between the processing and storage stages.

[0027] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown in a specific embodiment of this application, the loading assembly 3 includes a frame 31 and loading seats 32. The frame 31 is fixedly installed within the working cavity of the cabinet 1, supporting and fixing multiple loading seats 32. It can withstand a certain weight of material load and provides a reliable mounting foundation for the loading seats 32. Multiple loading seats 32 are mounted on the frame 31, and these loading seats 32 are spaced apart from each other along the height or horizontal direction of the frame 31 to form multiple independent material storage positions. By arranging multiple loading seats 32 in layers or groups on the frame 31, the amount of material stored can be significantly increased within a limited space, thereby improving the loading capacity of the entire loading assembly 3.

[0028] In addition, the spacing between multiple loading seats 32 facilitates the robotic arm 2 to accurately position the target loading seat 32 when picking up and placing materials. It also provides operating space for manual operation to replenish or adjust materials on adjacent loading seats 32, which helps to improve the flexibility and efficiency of the overall operation.

[0029] like Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, in a specific embodiment of this application, the support frame 31 includes a crossbeam 311 and a column 312. The column 312 serves as the vertical support structure of the support frame 31, its bottom fixedly installed within the working cavity of the cabinet 1, extending vertically to bear the weight of the entire support frame 31 and the loading seat 32, and to provide an installation reference for the crossbeam 311. The number of columns 312 can be one or more, depending on actual load-bearing requirements and spatial layout. Their structural design ensures sufficient structural strength and stability to maintain reliable fixation of the overall structure during frequent material handling by the robotic arm 2. The crossbeam 311 serves as the lateral support component for material handling, connected to the column 312 and extending horizontally to directly mount the loading seat 32. Multiple crossbeams 311 are arranged at intervals along the vertical extension direction of the column 312, thus forming a multi-layered structure in the vertical direction to fully utilize the three-dimensional space within the working cavity of the cabinet 1 and increase the number of loading seats 32. Each crossbeam 311 is equipped with at least one loading seat 32. The loading seat 32 can be fixed at a specific position on the crossbeam 311 according to actual usage requirements, so that the robotic arm 2 can accurately grab or place materials within a predetermined trajectory. By arranging multiple crossbeams 311 at intervals along the extension direction of the column 312, the frame 31 of this embodiment realizes the layered storage of materials in the height direction, which not only increases the material loading capacity per unit space, but also facilitates the robotic arm 2 to complete the picking and placing actions sequentially at different horizontal heights, which is beneficial to optimizing the operation path and improving the efficiency of loading and unloading.

[0030] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown in a specific embodiment of this application, the loading seats 32 mounted on the upright 31 are arranged in a rectangular array in the vertical plane. That is, multiple loading seats 32 are arranged according to horizontal and vertical rules, forming a matrix layout with multiple rows and columns. Each loading seat 32 occupies a fixed position on the upright 31, and an appropriate distance is maintained between adjacent loading seats 32 to ensure that the robotic arm 2 has sufficient operating space when picking up and placing materials, while avoiding interference between materials on different loading seats 32 during operation. This rectangular array arrangement makes the loading seats 32 evenly distributed in the horizontal and vertical directions of the upright 31, which is beneficial to improving space utilization and facilitates unified numbering or positioning management of each loading seat 32, thereby improving the positioning accuracy and operating efficiency of the robotic arm 2 during operation. By arranging the loading seats 32 in a rectangular array, the number of loading seats 32 in each row and column can be flexibly adjusted according to actual production needs to adapt to the storage requirements of materials of different sizes and quantities. At the same time, this layout also makes it easier for operators to manually replenish materials in sequence, improving the standardization and efficiency of the replenishment process.

[0031] like Figure 1As shown in a specific embodiment of this application, the cabinet 1 is equipped with multiple openable and closable protective doors 11. These protective doors 11 are positioned corresponding to the loading components 3, providing necessary safety protection and operational convenience while ensuring the normal operation of components within the working chamber. The protective doors 11 are located on the side or front of the cabinet 1, with their specific positions rationally arranged according to the installation position of the loading components 3 and the range of motion of the robotic arm 2. This ensures that each protective door 11 corresponds to one loading component 3, facilitating manual replenishment, material adjustment, or status checks of the corresponding loading seat 32 by operators during equipment operation. The protective doors 11 employ an openable and closable structure, typically including a door body, hinges or guide rails, and a locking mechanism. They can open outwards or slide sideways when needed, providing operators with a direct work entrance. Simultaneously, when closed, they effectively seal the working chamber, preventing the entry of external foreign objects or accidental exposure of internal components, ensuring the safety of the processing environment and the stable operation of the equipment. By aligning the protective door 11 with the loading assembly 3, operators can quickly locate the loading seat 32 to be operated without moving or adjusting other unrelated parts, thus improving the efficiency of manual intervention and reducing the risk of misoperation. In this embodiment, the protective door 11 also integrates with the overall structure of the cabinet 1, maintaining good sealing when closed, which helps maintain the cleanliness of the working chamber and reduces the impact of dust or impurities generated during processing on the robotic arm 2 and the loading assembly 3.

[0032] like Figure 1As shown in a specific embodiment of this application, the protective door 11 is provided with a transparent observation window 12. This observation window 12 is made of a transparent material, such as tempered glass or high-strength transparent plastic. Its installation position corresponds to the loading assembly 3, allowing operators to directly observe the loading status, remaining quantity, and placement of materials on the internal loading seat 32 without opening the protective door 11. The observation window 12 not only provides operators with a convenient visual monitoring method, enabling them to promptly grasp the material supply status and rationally arrange replenishment timing to avoid the robotic arm 2 waiting due to insufficient materials, but also allows for real-time monitoring of the internal operation during equipment operation. This facilitates the timely detection of potential abnormalities, such as material deviation, jamming, or abnormal robotic arm 2 movements, thereby improving the controllability and safety of the production process. Through the observation window 12, operators can quickly determine whether manual intervention is needed for a particular loading assembly 3 without frequently opening the protective door 11. This reduces heat, dust, or processing environment interference caused by opening the door, helps maintain a stable environment inside the working chamber, and further ensures the normal operation of the robotic arm 2 and the loading assembly 3. The size and position of the observation window 12 must ensure that the operator can clearly see the key areas of each loading seat 32, and at the same time coordinate with the opening and closing structure of the protective door 11, so as not to adversely affect the strength and sealing of the protective door 11.

[0033] like Figure 1As shown in a specific embodiment of this application, the cabinet 1 includes multiple side facades corresponding to the loading components 3. Each side facade is equipped with an indicator light 13, which establishes a clear correspondence with the loading seats 32 on the corresponding side loading component 3, and is used to intuitively display the current working status of each loading seat 32. The indicator light 13 distinguishes the different states of the loading seats 32 through different light signals, such as constant light, flashing light, or different colored light, including but not limited to states such as sufficient material, insufficient material, material being picked up or put down, malfunction, or waiting for replenishment. This allows operators or the control system to quickly identify the working status of each loading seat 32, so that during equipment operation, there is no need to frequently open the protective door 11 or closely inspect the loading seats 32. By observing the status of the indicator light 13, key information can be obtained in a timely manner, which helps to improve the management efficiency of the production site and provides a basis for status monitoring and scheduling decisions of the automated control system. The indicator lights 13 are positioned on the side facade of cabinet 1 in a logical correspondence with the corresponding loading seats 32. They are typically set up one-to-one according to the arrangement or position of the loading seats 32, ensuring that operators can quickly locate the status indicator of a specific loading seat 32 for rapid response and handling. By integrating the indicator lights 13 onto the side facade of cabinet 1, this embodiment achieves centralized visual monitoring of the status of multiple loading seats 32. This not only improves the transparency and controllability of equipment operation but also provides operators with convenient operational guidance, enabling them to rationally arrange material replenishment or maintenance work without affecting the normal operation of the equipment.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown in one specific embodiment of this application, control buttons 14 are also installed on the cabinet 1. These control buttons 14 are located on at least one side of the cabinet 1, making it easy for operators to quickly access and use them during daily operation, debugging, or emergency handling of the equipment. The control buttons 14 are electrically connected to the internal control system of the automatic loading and unloading device and are used to receive manually input operation commands, thereby realizing direct control of some functions of the equipment, such as starting, stopping, resetting, or switching working modes. By placing the control buttons 14 on the side of the cabinet 1, operators can manually intervene in key functions from outside the equipment without entering the equipment or relying on a remote control system, improving the convenience and flexibility of equipment operation. The specific location of the control buttons 14 is reasonably arranged according to ergonomic principles and actual operating habits, ensuring that operators can easily reach them while standing or in a normal operating posture, while maintaining an appropriate distance from other components on the cabinet 1, such as indicator lights 13 and protective doors 11, to avoid accidental touches or operational interference. In this embodiment, the control button 14 can be set as a single function button or multiple composite function buttons according to actual functional requirements. Its quantity and type can be adjusted according to the specific device control logic to meet the operation requirements under different application scenarios.

[0035] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An automatic loading and unloading device, characterized in that, include: The cabinet (1) has a working chamber and an opening connecting the working chamber to the outside; A robotic arm (2) is installed inside the working chamber and can extend out of the opening to the outside. A loading assembly (3) for loading materials is installed in the working chamber, and there are at least two loading assemblies (3), each of which is located on a different side of the robotic arm (2). The robotic arm (2) takes material from the corresponding loading assembly (3) and sends it out to the outside through the opening, or the robotic arm (2) sends the material back to the corresponding loading assembly (3) from the outside.

2. The automatic loading and unloading device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The loading assembly (3) includes a stand (31) and a loading seat (32). The stand (31) is installed in the working chamber, and a plurality of loading seats (32) are installed on the stand (31) at intervals from each other.

3. The automatic loading and unloading device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The support frame (31) includes a crossbeam (311) and a column (312). The column (312) is installed in the working cavity and extends vertically. The crossbeam (311) is connected to the column (312) and extends horizontally. There are multiple crossbeams (311), and each crossbeam (311) is spaced apart from each other along the extension direction of the column (312). The loading seat (32) is installed on the crossbeam (311).

4. The automatic loading and unloading device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The loading seats (32) installed on the upright (31) are arranged in a rectangular array on the vertical plane.

5. The automatic loading and unloading device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cabinet (1) is equipped with multiple openable and closable protective doors (11), and the position of the protective doors (11) corresponds to the position of the loading assembly (3).

6. The automatic loading and unloading device as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The protective door (11) is provided with a transparent observation window (12).

7. The automatic loading and unloading device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The cabinet (1) includes multiple side facades corresponding to the loading assembly (3). Indicator lights (13) are installed on the side facades. The indicator lights (13) correspond to the loading seats (32) on the loading assembly (3) on that side and are used to indicate the working status of the corresponding loading seats (32).

8. The automatic loading and unloading device as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The cabinet (1) is also equipped with control buttons (14), which are located on at least one of the side facades.

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