Vibratory conveyor for the directed conveying of a workpiece

Abstract

A vibratory conveyor (1) for the directed conveying of a workpiece has a carrier plate (2), which is connected to a vibration generator and is provided with a workpiece support. The workpiece support is formed by support elements (3), which are provided with at least one bearing part (6) on the carrier plate side and are mounted on the carrier plate (2) by means of the bearing part (6). The carrier plate (2) has a bearing holder (7) for the bearing part (6) of the support element(s) (3), which bearing holder forms a hollow body segment (8) and in which the bearing part (6) is guided such that it can be adjusted relative to the carrier plate (2) in different setting positions. In order to variably define the conveying direction of the vibratory conveyor (1), the support elements (3) can be oriented differently in the vertical projection onto a plate main plane (5) of the carrier plate (2) with their ends extending away from the bearing part (6) in the plate main plane (5).

Description

[0001] Vibration conveyor for directed conveying of a workpiece

[0002] The invention relates to a vibration conveyor for the directed conveying of a workpiece, with a carrier plate which is connected to a vibration generator and which has a workpiece support,

[0003] • the support plate vibrates perpendicular to a main plane of the support plate when the vibration generator is in operation,

[0004] • wherein the workpiece support is formed by support elements which are provided with at least one bearing part on the carrier plate side and are mounted on the carrier plate by means of the bearing part and which, starting from the bearing part, protrude on an upper side of the carrier plate opposite the carrier plate transversely to the main plate plane of the carrier plate and are inclined at an acute angle to the main plate plane of the carrier plate for conveying the workpiece,

[0005] • wherein a conveying direction of the vibration conveyor can be variably defined in that the support elements can be differently aligned in the vertical projection onto the main plate plane of the carrier plate with their ends remote from the bearing part in the main plate plane and wherein the support elements can be deflected in the conveying direction against the effect of a restoring force when the carrier plate is vibrating under the effect of the workpiece resting on the support elements.

[0006] A vibratory conveyor of the aforementioned type conveys a workpiece with a conveying motion composed of a plurality of small partial movements of the workpiece in the conveying direction. A vibration generator imparts a vertical vibration motion to a support plate provided with a workpiece support on its upper side. During each of the upward strokes of the support plate generated by the vibration generator against the direction of gravity, the workpiece, supported on the free ends of the support elements of the workpiece support, causes a deflection of the free ends of the support elements in the conveying direction due to its mass inertia.In particular, due to the friction acting between the free ends of the support elements and the workpiece, the support elements, during their deflection movement, advance the workpiece in the conveying direction over a distance that corresponds, to a good approximation, to the magnitude of the component of the deflection movement of the support elements extending in the conveying direction. The downward stroke of the support plate in the direction of gravity, following an upward stroke, is carried out at a speed such that, due to its mass inertia, the workpiece, during the downward stroke of the support plate, remains in the position along the line of action of gravity that it assumed at the end of the preceding upward stroke of the support plate.Due to the associated increase in the distance between the workpiece and the carrier plate, the support elements of the workpiece support return to their position at the beginning of the previous upward stroke of the carrier plate due to a restoring force acting on them counter to the conveying direction, relative to the workpiece remaining in the advanced position and relative to the carrier plate counter to the conveying direction. A renewed upward stroke of the carrier plate causes the workpiece to advance further in the conveying direction. The periodic movement of the carrier plate along the line of action of gravity thus generates a workpiece movement over the desired conveying path in the conveying direction. Generic prior art is known from US 4,944,381 A. This document discloses a vibratory conveyor with a workpiece support formed by workpiece-side longitudinal ends of a plurality of support pins.At their opposite longitudinal ends, the support pins each have a flattened head. With their flattened heads, the support pins are mounted on a flat base plate, which in turn is connected to a vibration generator. Towards their workpiece-side longitudinal ends, the support pins, starting from their heads and each with play in their transverse direction, first pass through openings in a cover attached to the base plate, then through openings in a control grid adjustable in the transverse direction of the support pins, and finally through openings in an alignment grid rigidly connected to a housing of the previously known vibrating conveyor. The cover limits the amount of vertical upward strokes of the support pins relative to the base plate when the base plate is vibrating. By adjusting the control grid in the transverse direction of the support pins, the degree of inclination and the conveying direction of the support pins can be changed.The rigid alignment grid allows changes in the inclination and / or direction of the support pins by means of the adjustment grid.

[0007] Based on the generic prior art, the present invention is based on the object of providing a compact vibration conveyor whose conveying direction can be varied in a functionally reliable manner.

[0008] According to the invention, this object is achieved by the vibration conveyor according to patent claim 1.

[0009] The support elements of the vibratory conveyor according to the invention are guided directly and adjustably on the support plate, which is driven by the vibration generator, via their bearing parts. Additional devices for guiding the bearing parts and the support elements attached to them when adjusting the inclination and / or conveying direction of the support elements are therefore unnecessary.

[0010] Special embodiments of the vibration conveyor according to the invention according to

[0011] Claim 1 is derived from the dependent claims 2 to 14. According to claim 2, the hollow body segments provided as bearing receptacles of the support plate preferably have a geometry due to which they partially overlap the bearing parts on the side of the bearing parts facing the support elements, parallel to the main plate plane of the support plate. This enables the support plate to limit the upward strokes performed by the bearing parts of the support elements relative to the support plate when the support plate is vibrating, or to completely prevent such upward strokes.

[0012] A particularly assembly-friendly variant of the vibratory conveyor according to the invention is characterized, as stated in patent claim 3, in that the carrier plate is divided parallel to the main plate plane of the carrier plate. During assembly of the vibratory conveyor, the bearing parts of the support elements can be easily inserted into the parts of the bearing receptacles provided on the lower plate part of the carrier plate. The upper plate part is then connected to the lower plate part, e.g., detachably screwed. Due to the assembly of the upper plate part, the parts of the bearing receptacles provided on it complete the bearing receptacles of the carrier plate, in which the bearing parts of the support elements are arranged and covered by the upper plate part of the carrier plate and held in a vertical direction when the carrier plate is vibrating.The upper part of the support plate is provided with openings that lead into the bearing receptacles and through which the support elements provided with the bearing parts protrude from the upper side of the support plate.

[0013] In the case of the inventive design according to claim 4, due to the selected geometry of the support plate-side bearing receptacle and the complementary geometry of the bearing parts of the support elements, the inclination of the support elements can be adjusted and / or the conveying direction of the vibratory conveyor can be reversed in a simple manner in a plane running perpendicular to the common cylinder axis of the bearing part and the bearing receptacle.

[0014] Alternatively, the inventive design according to claim 5 allows for all-round adjustment of the inclination of the support elements and / or the conveying direction of the vibratory conveyor. In principle, the inclination of the support elements and / or the conveying direction of the vibratory conveyor according to the invention can be adjusted manually.

[0015] According to the invention, mechanical adjustment by means of a controlled actuator is preferred (patent claim 6).

[0016] According to claim 7, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the actuator comprises an adjusting element connected to the bearing part(s) of the support element, which can be adjusted to different positions by means of an adjusting motor with adjusting movements performed relative to the support plate parallel to the main plate plane of the support plate. For connection to the adjusting element, the bearing parts of the support elements can, for example, have corresponding projections that protrude from the support plate and are connected to the adjusting element in such a way that they can follow the adjustment movements of the adjusting element and convert them into the desired adjustment movements of the bearing parts and the support elements attached to them.

[0017] In the interest of a compact design of the overall arrangement, the actuating element is preferably movably guided on the support plate parallel to the main plate plane of the support plate (patent claim 8) and, in the case of the inventive design according to patent claim 4, biaxially movable and, in the case of the inventive design according to patent claim 5, movable in all directions parallel to the main plate plane of the support plate (patent claims 9 to 11).

[0018] According to claim 12, several, preferably all, bearing parts of the support elements of the vibratory conveyor according to the invention are jointly guided on a support plate for adjustment. An actuator provided for adjusting the inclination of the support elements and / or the conveying direction of the vibratory conveyor is preferably connected to several, preferably all, bearing parts by means of a single actuator (claim 13).

[0019] Claim 14 relates to a particularly practical design of the vibratory conveyor according to the invention. Conventional support bristles with bearing parts designed as bristle holders are provided as support elements, which are adjustably guided on a support plate of the vibratory conveyor in the manner described above.

[0020] The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary schematic representations. They show:

[0021] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vibratory conveyor for directed conveying of sheets in a first functional state of the vibratory conveyor,

[0022] Figure 2 shows the vibration conveyor according to Figure 1 in a schematic side view,

[0023] Figure 3 shows detail D of Figure 2 in an enlarged view,

[0024] Figure 4 shows the vibration conveyor according to Figure 1 in a schematic side view in a second functional state of the vibration conveyor and

[0025] Figure 5 shows the vibratory conveyor according to Figures 1 to 4 in a perspective view of its underside. According to Figure 1, a vibratory conveyor 1 for the directed conveying of metal sheets has a carrier plate 2 with support elements in the form of bristle elements 3 designed as bristle bundles.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the support plate 2 is connected to a vibration generator 4. The vibration generator 4 is of conventional design. When the vibration generator 4 is in operation, the support plate 2 vibrates perpendicular to a main plate plane 5 indicated by a dot-dash line in Figure 2.

[0027] The bristle elements 3 protrude transversely to the main plate plane 5 opposite the carrier plate 2 and, with their free ends, form a workpiece support for the vibratory conveyor 1. As shown enlarged in Figure 3, the bristle elements 3 are each provided with a bearing part in the form of a bristle holder 6 on the carrier plate side. The bristle elements 3 are mounted on the carrier plate 2 by means of the bristle holder 6. For this purpose, the bristle holders 6 are each received in a bearing receptacle 7 of the carrier plate 2. The bearing receptacles 7 form a hollow body segment, in the example shown a hollow spherical segment 8. The bristle holders 6 have a spherical shape that is complementary to the hollow spherical segment 8 of the bearing receptacle 7 and is therefore concentric.

[0028] The carrier plate 2 is divided parallel to the main plate plane 5. As a result, the bearing receptacles 7 for the bristle holders 6 are formed partly on an upper plate part 9 and partly on a lower plate part 10 of the carrier plate 2 (Figure 3). The part of a hollow spherical segment 8 provided on the upper plate part 9 engages over the associated bristle holder 6 on the side facing the bristle element 3, parallel to the main plate plane 5. The parts of the hollow spherical segments 8 provided on the lower plate part 10 engage under the respective bristle holder 6 on its underside. As a result, when the carrier plate 2 vibrates perpendicular to the main plate plane 5, the bristle holder 6 is positively mounted on the carrier plate 2 in a vertical direction and essentially free of play.

[0029] During assembly of the vibratory conveyor 1, the upper plate part 9 and the lower plate part 10 of the support plate 2 are initially separated from one another. The bristle holders 6 provided with the bristle elements 3 are inserted into the upwardly open parts of the bearing receptacles 7 provided on the lower plate part 10. The bristle holders 6 are aligned such that control lugs 11, which are formed integrally with the bristle holders 6, each protrude through a lower opening 12 of the lower plate part 10 and project downward relative to the lower plate part 10. The control lugs 11 thereby penetrate the lower openings 12 on the lower plate part 10, each with lateral play.

[0030] After inserting the bristle holders 6 into the parts of the bearing receptacles 7 provided on the lower plate part 10, the upper plate part 9 is placed onto the lower plate part 10 and connected to the lower plate part 10, in the example shown, screwed together using connecting screws (not shown). The bristle elements 3 pass through upper openings 13 on the upper plate part 9 with lateral play. On the finally assembled vibratory conveyor 1, the bristle holders 6 are connected by means of control lugs 11 to a control plate 14 provided as an adjusting element. The control plate 14 is guided displaceably by sliding guides 15 on the underside of the carrier plate 2 parallel to the main plate plane 5. One of the sliding guides 15 is shown in Figure 3. The connections of the control lugs 11 to the control plate 14 allow all-round pivoting movements of the control lugs 11 relative to the control plate 14.

[0031] The control plate 14 is part of a controlled motorized actuator 16.

[0032] The structure and operation of the actuator 16 are illustrated in detail in Figure 5. The support plate 2 is only vaguely visible in Figure 5. In particular, the vibration generator 4 is not shown in Figure 5 for the sake of clarity.

[0033] The control plate 14 is arranged below the support plate 2 and is movable relative to the support plate 2 in a two-axis motion. The movement axes of the control plate 14 are designated as the x-axis and the y-axis. During its movements in the x- and y-directions, the control plate 14 is guided by the sliding guides 15 connected to the support plate 2, which are also not shown in Figure 5.

[0034] A first actuator 17 is used to move the control plate 14 in the x-direction. A second actuator 18 is provided to move the control plate 14 in the y-direction. In the example shown here, both the first actuator 17 and the second actuator 18 are electric cylinders with a stepper motor.

[0035] The first actuator 17 is coupled to an intermediate frame 19 on its output side. The second actuator 18 is attached to the intermediate frame 19. The second actuator 18 is connected to a coupling piece on its output side.

[0036] 20, which in turn is connected to the control plate 14 through a window 21 of the intermediate frame 19. In the y-direction, the window

[0037] 21 of the intermediate frame 19 is oversized relative to the coupling piece 20. By actuating the first actuator 17, the intermediate frame 19 is displaced in the x-direction together with the second actuator 18 attached thereto. Due to the connection established between the second actuator 18 and the control plate 14 via the coupling piece 20, the control plate 14 is driven along and advanced relative to the carrier plate 2 parallel to the main plate plane 5 in the x-direction.

[0038] To move the control plate 14 relative to the support plate 2 in the y-direction, the second actuator 18 is actuated. Due to its oversize in the y-direction relative to the coupling piece 20, the window 21 of the intermediate frame 19 allows movements of the coupling piece 20 and the control plate 14 connected to it relative to the intermediate frame 19 and relative to the support plate 2 in the y-direction upon actuation of the second actuator 18.

[0039] By simultaneously actuating the first actuator 17 and the second actuator 18, movements of the control plate 14 in the x-direction and in the y-direction can be superimposed on one another to result in movements of the control plate 14.

[0040] During its feed movements, the control plate 14 carries along the control projections 11 of the bristle holders 6, which engage in the control plate 14, in the direction of movement. As a result, the bristle holders 6 perform rotational movements guided by the bearing receptacles 7 of the carrier plate 2, as a result of which the bristle elements 3 attached to the bristle holders 6 change their orientation relative to the carrier plate 2.

[0041] Depending on the direction and the amount of the feed movements carried out by the control plate 14, the bristle elements 3 change their inclination relative to the carrier plate 2 and / or their orientation relative to the carrier plate 2 in the vertical projection into the main plate plane 5. In the latter case, the conveying direction of the bristle elements 3 or the vibrating conveyor 1, defined by the orientation of the vertical projection of the bristle elements 3 into the main plate plane 5, changes. A reversal of the conveying direction of the vibrating conveyor 1 is illustrated by way of example in Figure 3.

[0042] Just like Figures 2 and 4, Figure 3 shows the vibrating conveyor 1 in a representation plane running perpendicular to the main plate plane 5 along the x-axis.

[0043] In Figures 2 and 3, the vibrating conveyor 1 is shown in an initial state, as in Figure 1, in which the bristle elements 3 protrude vertically from the upper side of the carrier plate 2.

[0044] To transfer the vibratory conveyor 1 into a functional state, the actuator 16 is actuated in a controlled manner, in the example shown exclusively its first actuator motor 17. By means of the first actuator motor 17, the control plate 14 of the actuator 16 is advanced to the left in the illustrations from its set position according to Figures 2 and 3. Due to the advance movement performed by the control plate 14, the bristle holders 6 connected to the control plate 14 are adjusted clockwise relative to the carrier plate 2 in the plane of illustration in Figure 3. The bristle holders 6 are guided by the bearing receptacles 7 of the carrier plate 2.

[0045] Due to the adjustment of the bristle holders 6, the bristle elements 3 of the vibrating conveyor 1 pivot clockwise from the vertical by an angle dependent on the amount of feed movement of the control plate 14. This results in the conditions shown in Figure 4. The adjustment angle of the bristle elements 3 can be, for example, 15°.

[0046] In Figure 4, the bristle elements 3 are inclined at an acute angle to the support plate 2, to the right in the illustration. If the vibration generator 4 is now switched on and the support plate 2 consequently oscillates in the vertical direction, the bristle elements 3, due to their inclination, are able to convey a sheet metal deposited as a workpiece on the bristle elements 3 and indicated by a dashed line in Figure 4, in a conveying direction symbolized in Figures 3 and 4 by an arrow 22. Starting from the conditions according to Figures 2 and 3, workpiece conveyance in the opposite direction (dashed arrow 23 in Figure 3) can be enabled by advancing the control plate 14 to the right in Figures 2 and 3 using the first servomotor 17.

[0047] As illustrated in Figure 3 on the left bristle element 3, the conveying direction of the vibratory conveyor 1 is determined by the alignment of the bristle elements 3 in the vertical projection of the bristle elements 3 into the main plate plane 5 of the carrier plate 2, indicated by dashed lines.

[0048] In the described example, the conveying directions 22 and 23 run exclusively in the x-direction. However, due to the degrees of freedom of the bristle elements 3 determined by the spherical shape of the bristle holders 6 and the corresponding shape of the bearing mounts 7, and due to the biaxial range of motion of the control plate 14, which is connected to the bristle holders 6 via the control lugs 11 and can be realized by means of the actuator 16, the conveying direction on the vibratory conveyor 1 can be adjusted as desired in a horizontal plane.

[0049] With a corresponding configuration of the actuator 16 that deviates from the conditions shown, the adjusting plate 14 can also perform rotary movements parallel to the carrier plate 2 and thereby change the orientation of the bristle elements 3.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Vibration conveyor for the directed conveying of a workpiece, with a carrier plate (2) which is connected to a vibration generator (4) and which has a workpiece support, • wherein the support plate (2) oscillates perpendicularly to a main plate plane (5) of the support plate (2) during operation of the vibration generator (4), • wherein the workpiece support is formed by support elements (3) which are provided with at least one bearing part (6) on the carrier plate side and are mounted on the carrier plate (2) by means of the bearing part (6) and which, starting from the bearing part (6), protrude from an upper side of the carrier plate (2) opposite the carrier plate (2) transversely to the main plate plane (5) of the carrier plate (2) and are inclined at an acute angle to the main plate plane (5) of the carrier plate (2) for conveying the workpiece, • wherein a conveying direction of the vibration conveyor can be variably defined by the support elements (3) being able to be differently aligned in the vertical projection onto the main plate plane (5) of the carrier plate (2) with their ends remote from the bearing part (6) in the main plate plane (5) and • wherein the support elements (3) are deflectable in the conveying direction against the action of a restoring force when the carrier plate (2) is oscillating under the action of the workpiece resting on the support elements (3), characterized in that • that the support plate (2) for the bearing part (6) of the support element(s) (3) has a bearing receptacle (7) which forms a hollow body segment (8) and in which the bearing part (6) is guided so as to be adjustable relative to the support plate (2) into different setting positions and • that the support elements (3) in the vertical projection onto the main plate plane (5) of the carrier plate (2) with their ends remote from the bearing part (6) can be aligned differently in the main plate plane (5) and thus the conveying direction of the vibration conveyor can be variably defined by the bearing part (6) being adjustable into different setting positions in the bearing holder (7) of the carrier plate (2).

2. Vibration conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that the hollow body segment formed by the bearing holder (7) of the carrier plate (2) (8) has a geometry due to which the hollow body segment (8) partially overlaps the bearing part (6) on the side of the bearing part (6) facing the support element(s) (3) parallel to the main plate plane (5) of the carrier plate (2).

3. Vibration conveyor according to claim 2, characterized in that the support plate (2) is divided parallel to the main plate plane (5) of the support plate (2) with a plate upper part (9) and with a (9), preferably detachably, connected lower plate part (10), wherein a part of the hollow body segment (8) formed by the bearing receptacle (7) is provided on the upper plate part (9), which part partially overlaps the bearing part (6) of the side of the bearing part (6) facing the support element(s) (3) parallel to the main plate plane (5) of the carrier plate (2), and wherein a part of the hollow body segment (8) formed by the bearing receptacle (7) is provided on the lower plate part (10), which part does not overlap the bearing part (6) on the side of the bearing part (6) facing the support element(s) (3) parallel to the main plate plane (5) of the carrier plate (2).

4. Vibration conveyor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that • that the bearing seat (7) of the carrier plate (2) as a hollow body segment (8) forms a hollow cylinder segment and the bearing part (6) of the support element(s) (3) forms a cylinder segment complementary to the hollow cylinder segment and coaxial with the hollow cylinder segment and • that the bearing part (6) is adjustable relative to the carrier plate (2) about a common cylinder axis of the hollow cylinder segment and the cylinder segment into different setting positions.

5. Vibration conveyor according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that • that the bearing seat (7) of the support plate (2) as a hollow body segment (8) forms a hollow spherical segment and the bearing part (6) of the support element(s) (3) forms a spherical segment complementary to the hollow spherical segment and concentric with the hollow spherical segment and • that the bearing part (6) is adjustable relative to the carrier plate (2) around a common center of the hollow spherical segment and the spherical segment into different setting positions.

6. Vibration conveyor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a controlled actuable actuator (16) is provided, by means of which the bearing part (6) of the support element(s) (3) can be adjusted into different setting positions relative to the carrier plate (2).

7. Vibration conveyor according to claim 6, characterized in that • that the actuator (16) comprises an actuating element (14) connected to the bearing part (6) of the support element(s) (3), which can be moved into different positions by means of an actuating motor (17, 18) with actuating movements carried out relative to the support plate (2) parallel to the main plate plane (5) of the support plate (2) and • that due to the adjusting movements of the adjusting element (14) the bearing part (6) can be adjusted into different adjusting positions relative to the carrier plate (2).

8. Vibration conveyor according to claim 7, characterized in that the adjusting element (14) is movably guided on the support plate (2) parallel to the main plate plane (5) of the support plate (2).

9. Vibration conveyor according to claim 4 and according to one of claims 7, 8, characterized in that the adjusting element (14) can be adjusted into different positions with uniaxial adjusting movements perpendicular to the common cylinder axis of the hollow cylinder segment and the cylinder segment.

10. Vibration conveyor according to claim 5 and according to one of claims 7, 8, characterized in that the adjusting element (14) is parallel to the The main plate plane (5) of the carrier plate (2) can be moved into different positions with two-axis movements.

11. Vibration conveyor according to claim 10, characterized in that the adjusting element (14) can be moved into different positions parallel to the main plate plane (5) of the support plate (2) with rectilinear and / or rotary movements.

12. Vibration conveyor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that • that the support plate (2) for bearing parts (6) of one or more support elements (3) has a plurality of bearing receptacles (7) in which the respective bearing part (6) is adjustable relative to the support plate (2) in different setting positions and • that the support elements (3) in the vertical projection onto the main plate plane (5) of the carrier plate (2) with their ends remote from the bearing parts (6) in the main plate plane (5) can be aligned differently and thus the conveying direction of the vibration conveyor can be variably defined by the bearing parts (6) being adjustable to different setting positions in the bearing receptacles (7) of the carrier plate (2).

13. Vibration conveyor according to claim 12 and at least according to claim 7, characterized in that the adjusting element (14) is connected to several, preferably to all, bearing parts (6).

14. Vibration conveyor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that support bristles are provided as support elements (3) and bristle holders are provided as bearing parts (6).

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