Cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device
The conical feeding device, which uses a non-vibrational mechanical structure and sensor monitoring, solves the problems of high noise, large space occupation, and blockage of vibratory feeders, and achieves low-noise, compact, and reliable quantitative feeding.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202522661333.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-11-03
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-12-16
AI Technical Summary
Existing vibratory feeder devices are noisy, occupy a lot of space, have poor versatility and high maintenance costs. Furthermore, simple gravity slide feeding is prone to clogging and cannot guarantee the uniformity of part posture.
It adopts a non-vibration mechanical structure, including a conical feeding chamber, a stirring mechanism, a pushing mechanism, and sensors. Through an asymmetrical stirring method in which the stirring blades deviate from the center line of the discharge hole, combined with the receiving part and the stop mechanism of the pushing part, it ensures the vertical posture of the parts and continuous feeding, and monitors the material status through sensors.
It achieves low-noise, compact quantitative feeding, avoids noise pollution from vibratory feeders, reduces equipment space occupation, ensures uniform part posture and reliable material supply, and reduces maintenance costs.
Smart Images

Figure CN224929771U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automated feeding equipment technology, specifically to a cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device. Background Technology
[0002] Small cylindrical parts, such as cylindrical pins, are widely used in industries such as mechanical assembly and electronics manufacturing. Automated feeding of these parts is a key process in the assembly process. Currently, the industry mainly relies on vibratory feeders for automated feeding of these parts.
[0003] The working principle of vibratory feeder loading is to use the high-frequency vibration generated by an electromagnet to move parts along a spiral track in a certain direction. After being sorted and arranged by a directional mechanism, the parts are finally conveyed to a designated workstation in a specific posture. Although this technology is relatively mature, it has the following significant drawbacks in practical applications: Severe noise pollution: The continuous high-frequency vibration of the vibratory feeder generates a great deal of mechanical noise. Working in a noisy environment for a long time is detrimental to the health of operators and does not meet the requirements of a modern green factory for the sound environment.
[0004] Large space occupation: In order to store enough materials and ensure stable conveying, the vibratory feeder body is usually large in size and needs to be used with auxiliary equipment such as linear vibrators, which occupy valuable space resources of the production line.
[0005] Poor versatility and high maintenance costs: Different vibratory feeder hoppers, tracks, and orientation mechanisms need to be customized for parts of different sizes and shapes. When changing products, it is often necessary to replace the entire vibratory feeder or its main components, which is complex, time-consuming, and costly.
[0006] The continuous collision and friction of parts within the vibratory feeder may cause scratches or wear to precision parts that require high surface finish.
[0007] Furthermore, while simple gravity-feed systems are structurally simple and noiseless, the cylindrical pins at the bottom outlet of the hopper are prone to bridging or blockage due to mutual compression and jamming, leading to feeding interruptions and low reliability. Additionally, such systems struggle to ensure that the pins enter the next process in a uniform vertical position (i.e., with the axis vertical), and inconsistent positioning directly results in subsequent gripping and assembly failures.
[0008] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a quantitative feeding device that can overcome the above-mentioned defects, especially one that can effectively prevent clogging, ensure that parts are in a stable position, and achieve low noise and compactness. Utility Model Content
[0009] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing a circular pin quantitative feeding device. This device employs a non-vibrational mechanical structure, aiming to solve the problems of high noise and large space occupation associated with vibratory feeders.
[0010] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model is achieved through the following technical solution: A cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device includes: The feeding chamber has a conical bottom surface, and a discharge hole is opened at the lowest point of the bottom surface; A stirring mechanism is provided in the feeding chamber, including a stirring motor and stirring blades driven by the stirring motor, wherein the rotation axis of the stirring blades is offset from the center line of the feeding hole; The receiving hopper is located below the loading chamber; A feed tube, the upper end of which is connected to the feed hole, and the lower end of which is the outlet end; and, A feeding mechanism is connected between the outlet end of the material pipe and the receiving bin; The pushing mechanism includes a pushing seat, a pushing component, and a pushing drive. The pushing seat is provided with a feeding channel communicating with the outlet end of the material pipe and a discharging channel communicating with the receiving bin. The pushing component is movably disposed on the pushing seat and is driven by the pushing drive to move between the receiving position and the unloading position. The pusher is provided with a receiving portion for accommodating a single cylindrical pin; when the pusher moves to the receiving position, the receiving portion aligns with the feeding channel to receive the cylindrical pin; when the pusher moves to the unloading position, the receiving portion aligns with the discharge channel to unload the cylindrical pin into the receiving bin.
[0011] In the aforementioned cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device, the angle between the generatrix of the conical base and the horizontal plane is 15° to 30°.
[0012] In the above-mentioned cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device, a stop mechanism is provided between the feeding hole and the material tube. The stop mechanism includes a stop driving member and a stop valve driven by the stop driving member, which is used to prevent the cylindrical pin from continuing to enter the material tube.
[0013] In the above-mentioned cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device, the pusher seat is provided with a horizontally extending groove, and the pusher is slidably disposed in the groove; the feeding channel is vertically arranged and extends from the top surface of the pusher seat to the groove, the discharging channel is vertically arranged and extends from the groove to the bottom surface of the pusher seat, and the axis of the feeding channel and the axis of the discharging channel are offset in the vertical direction; the receiving part is a through hole that vertically penetrates the pusher.
[0014] In the above-mentioned cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device, the pushing drive is a horizontally arranged cylinder or electric linear module, and the output end of the pushing drive is fixedly connected to the pushing component.
[0015] In the above-mentioned cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device, a first sensor is provided at one end of the material tube near the feeding chamber to detect whether the material tube is full of cylindrical pins.
[0016] In the above-mentioned cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device, a second sensor is provided at the outlet end of the material tube or on the pushing mechanism to sense whether there are still cylindrical pins inside the material tube.
[0017] In the above-mentioned cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device, the second sensor is disposed on the pusher seat and is used to sense whether a cylindrical pin enters the receiving part when the pusher is in the receiving position.
[0018] In the above-mentioned cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device, the pusher seat is provided with a sensing hole. When the pusher is in the receiving position, the sensing hole penetrates the pusher seat and the receiving part. The second sensor is a through-beam photoelectric sensor, with the transmitting end and receiving end of the through-beam photoelectric sensor located on opposite sides of the sensing aperture.
[0019] In the above-mentioned cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device, the inlet section of the feeding hole is shaped like a flared mouth, which is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom.
[0020] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this utility model are: By offsetting the rotation axis of the stirring blades from the center line of the discharge hole, an asymmetrical stirring method is formed, effectively breaking the "arch bridge" or blockage formed by the mutual compression and interlocking of the pins at the lowest point of the conical bottom of the discharge hole. This ensures the continuity and reliability of the material supply and overcomes the clogging defects of simple gravity slides. The conical bottom effectively guides the cylindrical pins in the feeding chamber to converge towards the discharge hole, allowing them to slide naturally into the discharge hole. Furthermore, the cylindrical pins are kept vertically aligned and orderly within the material tube before entering the pushing mechanism. Through the cooperation of the feeding chamber and the stirring mechanism, the vibratory feeder structure, which relies on high-frequency vibration for sorting and conveying, is completely eliminated, fundamentally removing the significant noise pollution generated by the vibratory feeder. At the same time, this integrated structure is more compact than the combination of a "vibratory feeder + direct vibrator," significantly saving equipment space.
[0021] Furthermore, the angle between the generatrix of the conical base and the horizontal plane is 15° to 30°. Ensuring an angle of at least 15° provides a sufficiently large gravitational component for the cylindrical pin, enabling it to overcome the frictional resistance with the conical surface. This allows it to reliably and automatically slide and accumulate towards the lowest point of the feed hole. If the angle is too small, the pin may stall and accumulate on the conical slope, leading to interruption of material supply and loss of automatic feeding function. Ensuring an angle of at least 30° effectively limits the pin's downward acceleration and end speed. If the angle is too large, the pin will impact the feed hole at excessive speed, easily causing multiple pins to collide, bounce, and jam laterally at the hole opening, resulting in blockage and making it difficult to ensure a stable, vertical entry into the feed tube.
[0022] Furthermore, a shut-off mechanism is provided between the feed hole and the feed tube. The shut-off mechanism includes a shut-off drive and a shut-off valve driven by the shut-off drive, used to prevent the cylindrical pins from continuing to enter the feed tube. When the shut-off valve is closed, it completely isolates the upper feed chamber from the lower feed tube, which allows the operator to empty and clean the feed chamber and add a new batch of cylindrical pins without interrupting the downstream supply.
[0023] Furthermore, the pusher seat is provided with a horizontally extending groove, and the pusher component is slidably disposed within the groove; the feed channel is vertically arranged and extends from the top surface of the pusher seat through the groove, and the discharge channel is vertically arranged and extends from the groove through the bottom surface of the pusher seat, with the axes of the feed channel and the discharge channel offset vertically; the receiving part is a through hole vertically penetrating the pusher component. When the pusher component slides, its solid part naturally becomes a valve. In the receiving position, the pusher component solidly closes the discharge channel; in the unloading position, the pusher component solidly closes the feed channel, which physically isolates the feeding end and the unloading end. Moreover, the pin remains upright throughout the vertical receiving part, feed channel, and discharge channel, completely avoiding jamming or errors caused by changes in posture during transfer.
[0024] Furthermore, the pushing drive is a horizontally positioned cylinder or electric linear module, and its output end is fixedly connected to the pushing component. The direct connection between the drive's output end and the pushing component minimizes the power transmission path, eliminating the inherent gaps, elastic deformations, and frictional losses in motion conversion mechanisms. This results in extremely rigid pushing action with exceptionally rapid response, enabling it to adapt to high-speed production cycles.
[0025] Furthermore, a first sensor is installed at one end of the feed tube near the feeding chamber to detect whether the feed tube is full of cylindrical pins. When the first sensor detects that the feed tube is full, it immediately sends a signal to allow the control system to stop feeding, preventing overload and blockage of the feed tube or material crushing.
[0026] Furthermore, a second sensor is installed at the outlet end of the feed tube or on the pushing mechanism to detect whether there are still cylindrical pins inside the feed tube. Without this sensor, if the feed tube is accidentally emptied, the pushing mechanism will still perform its actions according to the predetermined rhythm, resulting in ineffective empty pushing. This not only wastes cycle time and reduces efficiency, but may also cause the pushing component to collide or rub against the cavity, accelerating wear. The second sensor, by detecting the absence of material, can promptly interrupt or pause the pushing cycle, fundamentally eliminating ineffective and harmful empty movements.
[0027] Furthermore, the second sensor is mounted on the pusher seat to detect whether a cylindrical pin has entered the receiving portion when the pusher is in the receiving position. The sensor is fixed to the pusher seat, and the spatial relationship between the detection point and the receiving portion in the receiving position is pre-calibrated and fixed. This eliminates the alignment error risk associated with mounting the sensor on a potentially vibrating feed tube, ensuring consistent long-term detection.
[0028] Furthermore, the pusher seat is provided with a sensing hole. When the pusher is in the receiving position, the sensing hole penetrates the pusher seat and the receiving part. The second sensor is a through-beam photoelectric sensor, with the transmitting end and receiving end of the through-beam photoelectric sensor located on opposite sides of the sensing hole. When the light path is formed, if there is no material in the receiving part, the light is unobstructed, and the sensor outputs an "empty" signal; if there is material in the receiving part, the pin will inevitably block the light path, and the sensor outputs a "full" signal. It has extremely strong resistance to electrical noise interference, and the judgment result is highly reliable.
[0029] Furthermore, the inlet section of the discharge hole is shaped like a flared mouth, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. Compared to straight or right-angle inlets, the smooth sidewalls of the flared shape eliminate the stagnation zone and hooking points caused by sudden changes in material direction at the edge of the hole. The pin slides along the conical surface to this point, smoothly changing its direction of movement along the sidewalls of the flared mouth and steadily guiding the material into the vertical channel, greatly reducing the probability of mechanical blockage at the hole due to mutual compression and arching. Attached Figure Description
[0030] Figure 1 This utility model provides a three-dimensional cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device. Figure 1 ; Figure 2 This utility model provides a three-dimensional cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device. Figure 2 ; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of a cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device according to the present invention; Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the pusher and pusher drive components of this utility model; Figure 5This is a perspective view of the pusher seat and receiving bin in this utility model; Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the pusher component in the receiving position in this utility model; Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the pusher component in the unloading position according to this utility model. The attached figures are labeled as follows: 100 racks; Loading chamber 200, bottom surface 210, discharge hole 220; 310 stirring motor, 320 stirring blades; Material receiving hopper 400; 500mm feed tube; The components include a pusher mechanism 600, a pusher base 610, a sensing hole 611, a pusher component 620, a receiving part 621, a pusher drive component 630, a feeding channel 640, a discharging channel 650, and a chute 660. Cylindrical pin 700; Stop mechanism 800, stop drive component 810, stop valve 820; First sensor 910, second sensor 920. Detailed Implementation
[0031] A cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device includes: The loading chamber 200 has a conical bottom surface 210, and a discharge hole 220 is provided at the lowest point of the bottom surface 210. A stirring mechanism is provided in the feeding chamber 200, including a stirring motor 310 and a stirring blade 320 driven by the stirring motor 310. The rotation axis of the stirring blade 320 is offset from the center line of the discharge hole 220. The receiving hopper 400 is located below the loading chamber 200; The feed tube 500 has its upper end connected to the feed hole 220, and its lower end is the outlet end; and, A feeding mechanism 600 is connected between the outlet end of the material pipe 500 and the receiving bin 400; The pushing mechanism 600 includes a pushing seat 610, a pushing component 620, and a pushing drive component 630. The pushing seat 610 is provided with a feeding channel 640 communicating with the outlet end of the material tube 500 and a discharging channel 650 communicating with the receiving bin 400. The pushing component 620 is movably disposed on the pushing seat 610 and is driven by the pushing drive component 630 to move between the receiving position and the unloading position. The pusher 620 is provided with a receiving portion 621 for accommodating a single cylindrical pin 700; when the pusher 620 moves to the receiving position, the receiving portion 621 is aligned with the feeding channel 640 to receive the cylindrical pin 700; when the pusher 620 moves to the unloading position, the receiving portion 621 is aligned with the discharge channel 650 to unload the cylindrical pin 700 into the receiving bin 400.
[0032] By offsetting the rotation axis of the stirring blades 320 from the center line of the discharge hole 220, an asymmetrical stirring method is formed, effectively breaking the "arch bridge" or blockage formed by the mutual compression and interlocking of the pins at the lowest point of the conical bottom surface 210 discharge hole 220. This ensures the continuity and reliability of the material supply and overcomes the defect of easy clogging of simple gravity slides. The conical bottom surface 210 can effectively guide the cylindrical pins 700 in the feeding chamber 200 to converge towards the discharge hole 220, naturally sliding into the discharge hole 220. Furthermore, the cylindrical pins 700 can be kept vertical and orderly arranged in the material tube 500 before entering the pushing mechanism 600. Through the cooperation of the feeding chamber 200 and the stirring mechanism, the vibratory feeder structure that relies on high-frequency vibration for sorting and conveying is completely eliminated, fundamentally eliminating the huge noise pollution generated by the vibratory feeder during operation. At the same time, this integrated structure is more compact than the combination of "vibratory feeder + direct vibrator", significantly saving equipment space.
[0033] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.
[0034] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "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 only for the convenience of describing this utility model 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 utility model.
[0035] 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 indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0036] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.
[0037] See Figures 1 to 7 This invention relates to an embodiment of a cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device. The device includes a frame 100, with a feeding chamber 200 fixed to the upper part of the frame 100. The feeding chamber 200 is used to accommodate a batch of cylindrical pins 700. The bottom surface 210 of the feeding chamber 200 is conical, allowing all the cylindrical pins 700 to converge towards the center of the bottom surface 210. In this embodiment, the center of the bottom surface 210 is also its lowest point. A discharge hole 220 is provided at the lowest point of the bottom surface 210. The diameter of the discharge hole 220 is smaller than the length of the cylindrical pins 700 and slightly larger than the diameter of the cylindrical pins 700. The cylindrical pins 700 will leave the feeding chamber 200 one by one from the discharge hole 220 in a vertical position.
[0038] To ensure that the cylindrical pin 700 will not get stuck in the discharge hole 220 and can pass through the discharge hole 220 smoothly, a stirring mechanism is also provided in the loading chamber 200. The stirring mechanism includes a stirring motor 310 and stirring blades 320 driven by the stirring motor 310. The rotation axis of the stirring motor 310 is vertically set and the output axis of the stirring motor 310 extends downward. The stirring blades 320 are fixed on the output shaft and suspended on the bottom surface 210 of the loading chamber 200. The distance between the stirring blades 320 and the bottom surface 210 is less than the diameter of the cylindrical pin 700. This avoids friction between the stirring blades 320 and the bottom surface 210 of the loading chamber 200 and can better stir the cylindrical pin 700. In addition, the rotation axis of the stirring blade 320 is deviated from the center line of the discharge hole 220. The stirring blade 320 no longer rotates around the center of the hole, but like a broom, it performs asymmetrical and cyclic stirring and combing on one side or around the hole. This force is lateral and shearing, which can continuously destroy the static mechanical arch bridge formed by the pins supporting each other at the discharge hole 220, and break up the possible blockage structure in the bud.
[0039] Ideally, the inlet section of the feed hole 220 should be flared, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. Compared to straight or right-angle inlets, the smooth sidewalls of the flared shape eliminate the stagnation zone and hooking points caused by sudden changes in material direction at the edge of the hole. The cylindrical pin 700, sliding along the conical surface, can smoothly change its direction of movement along the sidewalls of the flared opening and be smoothly guided into the vertical channel, greatly reducing the probability of mechanical blockage at the hole due to mutual compression and arching. Furthermore, the larger opening at the top of the flared opening effectively expands the capture range of the feed tube 500 inlet, making it easier for cylindrical pins 700 sliding from different directions to enter the feed channel, thus improving feeding efficiency and reliability.
[0040] Below the discharge hole 220, a material pipe 500, a pushing mechanism 600, and a receiving bin 400 are connected in sequence. The upper end of the material pipe 500 is connected to the discharge hole 220, and the lower end of the material pipe 500 is the outlet end connected to the pushing mechanism 600. The material pipe 500 serves as a channel connecting the loading chamber 200 and the pushing mechanism 600, and also allows the cylindrical pins 700 to have sufficient length to stably arrange in a vertical row, facilitating the orderly pushing of materials by the pushing mechanism 600.
[0041] The feeding mechanism 600 is mainly used to quantitatively feed material into the receiving bin 400. In this embodiment, the feeding mechanism 600 pushes a cylindrical pin 700 into the receiving bin 400 with each movement. The feeding mechanism 600 includes a feeding seat 610, a feeding component 620, and a feeding drive component 630. The feeding seat 610 is provided with a feeding channel 640 connected to the outlet end of the material pipe 500 and a discharging channel 650 connected to the receiving bin 400. The feeding component 620 is movably disposed on the feeding seat 610 and is driven by the feeding drive component 630 to move between the receiving position and the unloading position. The pusher 620 is provided with a receiving portion 621 for accommodating a single cylindrical pin 700. When the pusher 620 moves to the receiving position, the receiving portion 621 aligns with the feeding channel 640 to receive the cylindrical pin 700. When the pusher 620 moves to the unloading position, the receiving portion 621 aligns with the discharge channel 650 to unload the cylindrical pin 700 into the receiving bin 400. By using the receiving portion 621 on the pusher 620, which can only accommodate a single pin, the physical structure strictly ensures that only one workpiece is transferred per operation, resulting in accurate and reliable measurement and fundamentally avoiding overfeeding or underfeeding.
[0042] Furthermore, the angle between the generatrix of the conical base 210 and the horizontal plane is between 15° and 30°. The specific angle needs to be determined based on the friction between the base 210 and the cylindrical pin 700, ensuring that the cylindrical pin 700 can slide towards the lowest point of the base 210 under its own weight. An angle of not less than 15° provides a sufficiently large gravitational component for the cylindrical pin 700, enabling it to overcome the frictional resistance between itself and the conical surface, thus reliably and automatically sliding and accumulating towards the lowest point of the feed hole 220. If the angle is too small, the pin may stagnate and accumulate on the conical slope, leading to interruption of material supply and loss of automatic feeding function. An angle of not more than 30° effectively limits the downward acceleration and end speed of the pin. If the angle is too large, the pin will impact the feed hole 220 at too high a speed, which can easily cause multiple pins to collide, bounce, and get stuck laterally at the hole opening, causing blockage and making it difficult to ensure that they enter the feed tube 500 in a stable vertical position.
[0043] Additionally, a shut-off mechanism 800 can be added between the discharge port 220 and the feed tube 500. The shut-off mechanism 800 includes a shut-off drive 810 and a shut-off valve 820 driven by the shut-off drive 810, which is used to prevent the cylindrical pins 700 from continuing to enter the feed tube 500. The shut-off mechanism 800 is mainly activated when an unexpected situation occurs downstream of the feed tube 500 to prevent the cylindrical pins 700 from continuing to enter the feed tube 500, making it easier for downstream components to troubleshoot. Of course, the shut-off mechanism 800 can also play a role when changing different batches of materials, making the feed tube 500 a storage component. After all the cylindrical pins 700 of a batch have entered the feed tube 500, the inlet end of the feed tube 500 is closed, and the pusher mechanism 600 below can still operate normally. At the same time, the next batch of cylindrical pins 700 can be added to the upper material chamber 200 until all the previous batch of cylindrical pins 700 have been removed, and then the shut-off valve 820 is opened. The above solution allows operators to empty and clean the loading chamber 200 and add a brand new batch of cylindrical pins 700 without interrupting the downstream material supply, thus avoiding the mixing of two different batches of cylindrical pins 700 and meeting the strict requirements for batch traceability of key components.
[0044] Based on the above embodiments, the specific structure of the pusher mechanism 600 includes: a horizontally extending groove 660 on the pusher seat 610, and a pusher 620 slidably disposed within the groove 660. The groove 660 restricts the movement trajectory of the pusher 620, ensuring the stability of its movement. A feed channel 640 is vertically arranged and extends from the top surface of the pusher seat 610 to the groove 660. A discharge channel 650 is vertically arranged and extends from the groove 660 to the bottom surface 210 of the pusher seat 610. The axes of the feed channel 640 and the discharge channel 650 are vertically offset. The receiving portion 621 is a through hole vertically penetrating the pusher 620. Through the horizontal displacement of the receiving portion 621, the pin is transported from below the feed channel 640 to above the discharge channel 650. When the pusher 620 slides, its solid portion naturally becomes a valve. When in the receiving position, the pusher 620 physically seals the discharge channel 650; when in the unloading position, the pusher 620 physically seals the feed channel 640. This physically isolates the feeding end and the unloading end, preventing material interference or airflow effects, and eliminates the need for additional valves and controls.
[0045] Furthermore, the pusher drive 630 is a horizontally positioned cylinder or electric linear module. Whether cylinder or electric, it can achieve high repeatability in positioning the "material receiving position" and "material unloading position" of the pusher 620. The stop drive 810 can also use the same type of drive component as the pusher drive 630. The output end of the pusher drive 630 is fixedly connected to the pusher 620, resulting in the shortest and most direct power transmission path. This eliminates the inherent backlash, elastic deformation, and frictional losses in the motion conversion mechanism, making the pushing action extremely rigid and responsive, capable of adapting to high-speed production cycles.
[0046] Based on the above embodiments, some sensors can be added to improve the overall feeding efficiency.
[0047] A first sensor 910 can be installed at one end of the material pipe 500 near the feeding chamber 200 to detect whether the material pipe 500 is full of cylindrical pins 700. The first sensor 910 can be set below the shut-off mechanism 800 and cooperate with the shut-off mechanism 800. When the first sensor 910 detects that the number of cylindrical pins 700 in the material pipe 500 is almost full, it can send a signal to the control system. The control system then controls the shut-off mechanism 800 to close the inlet of the material pipe 500, automatically and timely cutting off the material flow from the feeding chamber 200 to prevent the material pipe 500 from being overloaded and blocked or the material from being crushed.
[0048] A second sensor 920 can also be installed at the outlet end of the feed tube 500 or on the pushing mechanism 600 to detect whether there are still cylindrical pins 700 inside the feed tube 500. Without this sensor, if the feed tube 500 is accidentally emptied, the pushing mechanism 600 will still perform its actions according to the predetermined rhythm, resulting in invalid empty pushing. This not only wastes cycle time and reduces efficiency, but may also cause the pushing component 620 to collide or rub against the cavity, accelerating wear. The second sensor 920, by detecting the absence of material, can promptly interrupt or pause the pushing cycle, eliminating invalid and harmful empty actions at the source. It can also provide a release signal for changing different batches of cylindrical pins 700. That is, after the second sensor 920 detects that there are no more cylindrical pins 700 from the previous batch in the feed tube 500, it sends a signal to the control system. The control system then opens the inlet of the feed tube 500 through the control shut-off mechanism 800, allowing the new batch of cylindrical pins 700 to enter the feed tube 500. Automatic activation of the stop mechanism 800 was achieved.
[0049] In this embodiment, the second sensor 920 is disposed on the pusher seat 610 to sense whether a cylindrical pin 700 has entered the receiving portion 621 when the pusher 620 is in the receiving position. The sensor is fixed to the pusher seat 610, and the spatial relationship between the detection point and the receiving portion 621 in the receiving position is pre-calibrated and fixed. This eliminates the alignment error risk associated with mounting the sensor on the potentially vibrating feed tube 500, ensuring consistent long-term detection. Furthermore, in the receiving position, the receiving portion 621 is aligned with the feed channel 640, and the cylindrical pin 700 is or should be stationary. Detection at this stable moment avoids signal jitter or misjudgment caused by material movement or shaking, resulting in the most stable and reliable detection results.
[0050] Furthermore, a sensing hole 611 is provided on the pusher base 610. When the pusher 620 is in the receiving position, the sensing hole 611 penetrates the pusher base 610 and the receiving part 621. The second sensor 920 is a through-beam photoelectric sensor, with the transmitting end and receiving end of the through-beam photoelectric sensor located on opposite sides of the sensing hole 611. The optical path can only be formed at the receiving position. If the pusher 620 is not accurately in place, the sensing hole 611 and the receiving part 621 are misaligned, and the optical path is constantly blocked by the pusher 620. The sensor optical path cannot be formed, and a reset signal cannot be obtained. If the normal reset time is exceeded, an error signal is output, indicating that the pusher 620 has not returned to the correct receiving position. This forces the system to perform detection at the correct position, avoiding the possibility of invalid or erroneous detection at inappropriate times. When the optical path is formed, if the receiving part 621 is empty, the light is unobstructed and the sensor outputs an "empty" signal; if the receiving part 621 is filled with material, the pin will block the optical path and the sensor outputs a "full" signal. It has extremely strong resistance to electrical noise interference and the judgment result is highly reliable.
[0051] In the initial state, the pusher 620 is in the receiving position, the shut-off valve 820 is also in the open state, and the receiving bin 400 is equipped with a bin door, which can prevent the cylindrical pin 700 in the receiving bin 400 from sliding out naturally. In use, a batch of cylindrical pins 700 are poured into the feeding chamber 200. As the stirring blades 320 continuously stir, the cylindrical pins 700 will enter the material pipe 500 in a vertical state. When the bottom cylindrical pin 700 falls into the receiving part 621 of the pusher 620, the second sensor 920 is blocked and sends a signal. The control system controls the pusher drive 630 to start, pushing the pusher 620 to the unloading position. The cylindrical pins 700 in the receiving part 621 slide from the discharge channel 650 to the receiving bin 400. The pusher drive 630 drives the pusher 620 back to the receiving position, continuously reciprocating between the receiving position and the unloading position, conveying the cylindrical pins 700 one by one into the receiving bin 400. According to the system settings, after a certain amount of cylindrical pins 700 are conveyed, the pusher drive 630 stops moving, allowing time for the operator to remove the cylindrical pins 700 from the receiving bin 400 before repeating the next movement. If the first sensor 910 detects too many cylindrical pins 700 in the feed tube 500 during the above process, it can also send a signal to the control system. The control system controls the shut-off mechanism 800 to move, blocking the feed tube 500 to prevent more cylindrical pins 700 from entering. Once the number of cylindrical pins 700 in the feed tube 500 decreases, the inlet of the feed tube 500 is reopened. If the current batch of cylindrical pins 700 is about to run out, after all the cylindrical pins 700 have entered the feed tube 500, the shut-off mechanism 800 can be controlled to cut off the feed tube 500. The cylindrical pins 700 in the feed tube 500 continue to be fed into the receiving bin 400, while the operator can add a new batch of cylindrical pins 700 into the upper feed chamber 200, until the second sensor 920 detects that there are no cylindrical pins 700 from the previous batch in the receiving part 621 of the pusher 620, and sends a signal to the control system. The control system then controls the shut-off valve 820 to open, and a new batch of cylindrical pins 700 is started to be fed.
[0052] The present invention fundamentally solves the problems of blockage and posture guidance of cylindrical pins 700 by using a conical bottom surface 210 in conjunction with an asymmetric stirring mechanism, thus achieving quiet and reliable continuous feeding. It also innovatively adopts a reciprocating pushing mechanism 600 with a receiving part 621, which achieves accurate single-piece quantitative transfer with extremely simple mechanical movements. The entire device achieves automatic material management and batch control through intelligent linkage between sensors and a shut-off mechanism 800, ultimately forming a complete feeding system that is compact, low-noise, quantitatively accurate, highly automated, and easy to maintain. This effectively overcomes the inherent defects of vibratory feeders, such as high noise, large footprint, poor versatility, and easy damage to materials.
[0053] The above description is only a specific embodiment of the present utility model, but the technical features of the present utility model are not limited thereto. Any changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present utility model are covered by the patent scope of the present utility model.
Claims
1. A cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device, characterized in that, include: The feeding chamber has a conical bottom surface, and a discharge hole is opened at the lowest point of the bottom surface; A stirring mechanism is provided in the feeding chamber, including a stirring motor and stirring blades driven by the stirring motor, wherein the rotation axis of the stirring blades is offset from the center line of the feeding hole; The receiving hopper is located below the loading chamber; A feed tube, the upper end of which is connected to the feed hole, and the lower end of which is the outlet end; and, A feeding mechanism is connected between the outlet end of the material pipe and the receiving bin; The pushing mechanism includes a pushing seat, a pushing component, and a pushing drive. The pushing seat is provided with a feeding channel communicating with the outlet end of the material pipe and a discharging channel communicating with the receiving bin. The pushing component is movably disposed on the pushing seat and is driven by the pushing drive to move between the receiving position and the unloading position. The pusher is provided with a receiving portion for accommodating a single cylindrical pin; when the pusher moves to the receiving position, the receiving portion aligns with the feeding channel to receive the cylindrical pin; when the pusher moves to the unloading position, the receiving portion aligns with the discharge channel to unload the cylindrical pin into the receiving bin.
2. The cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The angle between the generatrix of the base of the cone and the horizontal plane is 15° to 30°.
3. The cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A shut-off mechanism is provided between the feed hole and the feed tube. The shut-off mechanism includes a shut-off drive and a shut-off valve driven by the shut-off drive, which is used to prevent the cylindrical pin from continuing to enter the feed tube.
4. The cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pusher seat is provided with a horizontally extending groove, and the pusher is slidably disposed in the groove; the feed channel is vertically arranged and extends from the top surface of the pusher seat to the groove, and the discharge channel is vertically arranged and extends from the groove to the bottom surface of the pusher seat, and the axis of the feed channel and the axis of the discharge channel are offset in the vertical direction; the receiving part is a through hole that vertically penetrates the pusher.
5. A cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The pushing drive is a horizontally arranged cylinder or electric linear module, and the output end of the pushing drive is fixedly connected to the pushing component.
6. A cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, A first sensor is installed at one end of the material tube near the feeding chamber to detect whether the material tube is full of cylindrical pins.
7. The cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A second sensor is provided at the outlet end of the material tube or on the pushing mechanism to detect whether there are still cylindrical pins inside the material tube.
8. A cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second sensor is mounted on the pusher seat and is used to sense whether a cylindrical pin has entered the receiving part when the pusher is in the receiving position.
9. A cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The pusher seat is provided with a sensing hole. When the pusher is in the receiving position, the sensing hole passes through the pusher seat and the receiving part. The second sensor is a through-beam photoelectric sensor, with the transmitting end and receiving end of the through-beam photoelectric sensor located on opposite sides of the sensing aperture.
10. A cylindrical pin quantitative feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inlet section of the feeding hole is shaped like a trumpet, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom.
