Alignment Drop Part Feeder

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sorting drop type part feeder that mechanically agitates parts contained within a hopper, guides them to an alignment slot, and then sequentially loads them onto a plurality of loading rails using a gravity-based free-fall method to supply them at high speed to a robot's pickup position. The sorting drop type part feeder according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a hopper for receiving parts; a hopper cover hinged to the hopper to open and close the hopper; an agitation unit coupled to the bottom surface of the hopper cover, positioned inside the hopper when the hopper cover is closed, and reciprocating inside the hopper to physically agulate the parts; an alignment slot provided on the lower side of the hopper to allow parts aligned in a set direction among the aggregated parts to pass downward by gravity; a supply frame positioned on the lower side of the alignment slot, on which the parts falling through the alignment slot are placed and loaded; and a transparent cover including a first pickup port and a second pickup port formed to seal the front of the supply frame to prevent parts from escaping and to allow a robot to pick up the parts.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a part supply device used in a manufacturing automation system, and more specifically, to an alignment drop type part feeder that mechanically agitates parts contained inside a hopper to guide them to an alignment slot, and then sequentially loads them onto a plurality of loading rails using a gravity-based free-fall method to supply them at high speed to a robot's pickup position. Background Technology

[0003] Conventional part feeding devices primarily utilized vibration feeders that transport parts using vibration; however, these devices had limitations in meeting the cycle times of increasingly high-speed automated lines due to high noise levels and slow transport speeds.

[0005] To address this, prior art has been disclosed in which a supply device using an air injection method or a device combining a separable body and vibration is proposed.

[0007] Korean Registered Patent No. 1044672 comprises a base (11), a support frame (12) vertically installed from the base (11), an insert body (10) configured vertically on the upper part of the support frame (12) and having a detection sensor (13) configured on the lower front surface, a front plate (14) coupled to the front surface of the insert body (10), a first receiving part (20) located on the upper part of the insert body (10) with a space formed on the front surface and a first air supply port (21) provided on both sides, a second receiving part (30) located below the first receiving part (20) with a space formed on the front surface, an alignment transfer groove (22) configured between the first receiving part (20) and the second receiving part (30) to allow a nut received in the first receiving part (20) to be aligned and transferred to the second receiving part (30), and the The nut insert device is characterized by comprising: a transfer groove (32) extending from the lower side of the second receiving portion (30) and communicating with the second receiving portion (30); a nut discharge port (40) located at the end of the transfer groove (32) for discharging a nut; and an air cylinder (50) fixed to the support frame (12) on the rear side of the insert body (10), positioned to correspond to the nut discharge port (40), and discharging the nut placed in the nut discharge port (40) to the front to insert it into the injection molded product.

[0009] The air method of the aforementioned Korean registered patent No. 1044672 has the problem that the pressure is insufficient to move heavy parts and it is difficult to resolve the jamming phenomenon between parts.

[0011] Another prior art, Korean Registered Patent No. 1107289, describes a nut insert device that automatically supplies a nut (N) to a robot arm of an injection machine to produce a mobile phone case with a nut embedded in one side of an injection machine configured as an automated facility. The device comprises a main body (A) having at least an upper accumulating space (A1) capable of accumulating a certain number of nuts (N), a plurality of alignment grooves (A2) capable of aligning the nuts in one direction below the accumulating space, and a discharge space (A3) capable of transferring the aligned nuts to a nut discharge port (A4) below the alignment grooves. In this case, the upper main body (A') and the lower main body (A") are separated by cutting between the lower end of the alignment groove (A2) and the upper end of the discharge space (A3). The separated upper and lower main bodies (A', A") are connected by a cushioning member (Y) to have a certain gap, and a vibrator (J) is installed on one side of the upper main body (A'). A nut insert device is characterized by being configured with a vibration device mounted thereon, a supplementary container (1) mounted on the upper part of the upper body (A') and communicating with a storage space (A1), and a supplementary device such that a nut (N) of the supplementary container (1) is supplied to the upper body (A').

[0013] The aforementioned Korean Registered Patent No. 1107289 has the disadvantage that the structure is complex and maintenance costs increase due to the vibration method. Prior art literature

[0015] Republic of Korea Registered Patent No. 1044672 Republic of Korea Registered Patent No. 1107289 The problem to be solved

[0016] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a drop-type alignment part feeder capable of increasing alignment efficiency by stably stirring heavy or irregularly shaped parts that are difficult to align.

[0018] In addition, the present invention aims to provide an alignment drop type part feeder capable of highly precisely correcting the alignment state of parts and improving the robot's pickup capability through high-speed dropping and sequential loading using gravity.

[0020] In addition, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an aligned drop-type part feeder that can optimize the robot's movement path and shorten the production cycle of the entire manufacturing line by positioning the part pickup location of the robot to be identical to the part location inside the cavity. means of solving the problem

[0022] The alignment drop type part feeder according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a hopper for receiving parts; a hopper cover hinged to the hopper to open and close the hopper; a stirring unit coupled to the bottom surface of the hopper cover, disposed inside the hopper when the hopper cover is closed, and moving back and forth inside the hopper to physically stir the parts; an alignment slot provided on the lower side of the hopper to allow parts aligned in a set direction among the stirred parts to pass downward by gravity; a supply frame disposed on the lower side of the alignment slot, on which the parts falling through the alignment slot are placed and loaded; and a transparent cover including a first pickup port and a second pickup port formed to seal the front of the supply frame to prevent parts from escaping and to allow a robot to pick up the parts. Effects of the invention

[0024] The present invention has the effect of improving the probability of entry into the alignment slot by agitating heavy or irregularly shaped parts that are difficult to align using a direct contact method, thereby imparting strong fluidity to the parts inside the hopper.

[0026] In addition, the present invention utilizes gravity for high-speed dropping and sequential loading, and is configured so that parts filling the upper loading space overflow and move downward, thereby improving the robot's ability to pick up parts.

[0028] In addition, the present invention has the effect of optimizing the robot's movement path and shortening the production cycle of the entire manufacturing line by positioning the robot's part pickup location to be identical to the part location inside the cavity. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0030] FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view illustrating the overall configuration of an alignment drop-type component feeder according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a cross-section of a hopper cover, a hopper, a stirring unit, and an alignment slot according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the combined relationship between a hopper cover and a stirring unit according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a hopper, a cross-section of an alignment slot, and a part of a stirring finger according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration and operation of an alignment slot according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the overall configuration of a supply frame according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the component supply flow of a supply frame according to the present invention. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a transparent cover and a supply frame according to the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0031] The specific details for solving the problem according to the present invention are described in detail below, together with the attached drawings. However, the attached drawings may be exaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated for the convenience of explaining the essential parts, and terms and names used in the description may be implicitly determined by the shape, function, or role of the components rather than their dictionary meanings. Descriptions regarding direction are determined based on the direction first presented in the first drawing, and descriptions regarding position are determined as inside or outside based on the center of each component or the center of a circle. Furthermore, specific descriptions regarding prior art and ordinary technology are omitted or replaced with simple symbols or names, as they may obscure the essence.

[0033] In addition, specific structures, shapes, forms, arrangements, sizes, etc. of the configuration that can be identified through the drawings, and the operation of the configuration and the resulting effects that can be inferred through the drawings may obscure the main point and may be omitted from detailed descriptions, and bolts, welded parts, holes, etc. applied for joining between the configurations may obscure the main point and may be omitted from the drawings, and the front, back, left, right directions and inner, outer directions presented below refer to the directions exemplified in FIG. 3.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view illustrating the overall configuration of an alignment drop-type component feeder according to the present invention.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 1, the alignment drop-type component feeder according to the present invention is;

[0037] A hopper (200) for receiving parts (700);

[0038] A hopper cover (100) hinged to the hopper (200) to open and close the hopper (200);

[0039] A stirring unit (300) coupled to the bottom surface of the hopper cover (100) and positioned inside the hopper (200) when the hopper cover (100) is closed, and which moves back and forth inside the hopper (200) to physically stir the component (700);

[0040] An alignment slot (400) provided on the lower side of the above-mentioned hopper (200) for passing parts (700) aligned in a set direction among the stirred parts (700) downward by gravity;

[0041] A supply frame (500) positioned below the alignment slot (400) and on which the component (700) falling through the alignment slot (400) is placed and loaded;

[0042] It includes a transparent cover (600) comprising a first pickup port (610) and a second pickup port (620) formed to seal the front of the supply frame (500) to prevent the part (700) from escaping, and at the same time, allow a robot to pick up the part (700).

[0044] In the alignment drop type part feeder according to the present invention, when a part (700) supplied to a hopper (200) is aligned in a set direction among the parts stirred inside the hopper (200) by a stirring unit (300), the part (700) falls by gravity and passes through an alignment slot (400) and is loaded onto a supply frame (500), a robot picks up the part at once from the first pickup port (610) and the second pickup port (620) and inserts the part into a mold cavity, thereby optimizing the movement path of the robot and shortening the production cycle of the entire manufacturing line.

[0046] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a cross-section of a hopper cover, a hopper, a stirring unit, and an alignment slot according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the combined relationship between a hopper cover and a stirring unit according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the hopper cover, hopper, and stirring unit according to the present invention will be examined.

[0048] The hopper cover (100) according to the present invention is hinge-coupled to the hopper (200);

[0049] A cover handle (110) is configured on the upper surface to open and close the hopper cover (100);

[0050] In the central part, a coupling opening (120) is formed through in the vertical direction for mounting a stirring unit (300).

[0052] The hopper (200) according to the present invention is positioned at the bottom of the hopper cover (100) and is configured in the shape of a housing that accommodates a large amount of parts (700), with the top being wide and the bottom being narrow.

[0054] The stirring unit (300) according to the present invention is mounted on the bottom surface of the hopper cover (100);

[0055] A sliding block (320) that moves back and forth along a guide rail (330);

[0056] A connecting bracket (310) for fixing the above sliding block (320) to the hopper cover (100);

[0057] It consists of an elastic stirring finger (340) that is coupled to the bottom of the above sliding block (320) and directly stirs the parts.

[0059] The above hopper (200) is formed with a wide upper section and a narrow lower section to utilize gravity to induce the parts (700) to concentrate into the lower alignment slot, and accommodates a large volume of parts (700) to ensure process continuity.

[0061] The above hopper cover (100) blocks foreign substances from entering the hopper (200) and supports the stirring unit (300). Additionally, when opened, the stirring unit (300) is removed from the inside of the hopper (200) to facilitate replenishment of parts, and the stirring unit (300) is coupled to the hopper cover (100) to improve the maintainability of the stirring unit (300) and prevent interference with the stirring unit (300) when supplying parts (700).

[0063] The above stirring unit (300) physically strikes a cluster of parts (700) with a stirring finger (340) as the sliding block (320) reciprocates, thereby resolving the phenomenon of parts getting tangled or clumping together.

[0065] The stirring unit (300) provides strong fluidity to heavy parts that are difficult to align using an air injection method, prevents damage to the surface of the parts through the stirring finger (340) made of an elastic material, and significantly improves the probability of entry into the lower alignment slot (400) by providing fluidity to the parts.

[0067] FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a cross-section of a hopper, an alignment slot, and a part of a stirring finger according to the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration and operation of an alignment slot according to the present invention.

[0069] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the alignment slot (400) according to the present invention has a plurality of slots (S) formed through it in the upward and downward directions to regulate the orientation of a part and discharge it;

[0070] A rear slot block (410) positioned in the rear direction;

[0071] It is composed of a front slot block (420) positioned in the front direction;

[0072] The above slot (S) comprises a rear entry slope surface (411) and a rear vertical guide surface (412) formed on the rear side;

[0073] It includes a front first entry slope surface (421), a front second alignment guide surface (422), and a front vertical guide surface (423) formed on the front.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 4, the stirring finger (340) according to the present invention is positioned at a predetermined distance behind the center of the slot (S) and reciprocates left and right, so it does not merely stir the parts (700) in the hopper (200) but pushes and presses them in the front direction (420 direction).

[0077] The angles of the rear entry slope (411) and the front first entry slope (421) are configured to be the same as the angle of the lower part of the hopper (200), the front second alignment guide surface (422) is configured at an angle closer to vertical than the front first entry slope surface (421), and the rear vertical guide surface (412) and the front vertical guide surface (423) are configured at a vertical angle.

[0079] The part (700) pushed forward by the stirring finger (340) is guided to the slot (S) entrance by riding along the front first entry slope (421) and the rear entry slope (411), and the part (700) pushed forward by the stirring finger (340) is guided to the slot (S) entrance by riding along the front first entry slope (421) and the rear entry slope (411).

[0081] As described above, when the part (700) guided to the slot (S) entrance reaches the front secondary alignment guide surface (422), the position of the part is forcibly corrected to be close to vertical by an angle steeper than the front primary entry slope surface (421), and thereafter, only the part with a perfectly aligned position passes through the narrow space between the front vertical guide surface (412) and the rear vertical guide surface (423) and falls by gravity. The front secondary alignment guide surface (422) acts as a buffer to finally stabilize the position just before the part (700) falls vertically, thereby improving the success rate of the fall.

[0083] Additionally, the alignment slot (400) is configured separately into a rear slot block (410) and a front slot block (420). Compared to the machining operation of vertically penetrating the slot (S) when configuring a monoblock, the rear slot block (410) and the front slot block (420) are machined separately and then combined, thereby improving machining precision and reducing machining costs.

[0085] FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the overall configuration of a supply frame according to the present invention, FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the component supply flow of a supply frame according to the present invention, and FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a transparent cover and a supply frame according to the present invention. The supply frame and the transparent cover according to the present invention will be examined with reference to FIG. 6 to FIG. 8.

[0087] The supply frame (500) according to the present invention is;

[0088] A first supply track (510) positioned on the upper front of the supply frame (500) to supply the dropped parts (700) to the rear of the first pickup port (610) of the transparent cover (600) and simultaneously distribute the overflowing parts (700) to the second supply track (520), and

[0089] It includes a second supply track (520) positioned at the front lower part of the supply frame (500) to supply the dropped part (700) to the rear of the second pickup port (620) of the transparent cover (600).

[0091] The above first supply track (510) includes an upper distribution guide (511) that guides a part (700) that has passed through the alignment slot (400) to the first loading rail (512);

[0092] A first loading rail (512) positioned on both outer sides of the upper distribution guide (511) and configured to vertically load some of the parts (700) that have fallen through the alignment slot (400) and the parts (700) guided by the upper distribution guide (511);

[0093] It includes a first internal partition (513) formed as the outer wall surface of the first loading rail (512), and formed as the boundary of the overflow where the parts (700) overflow when the first loading rail (512) is full.

[0095] The second supply track (520) includes a lower guide (521) that guides some of the parts (700) that have fallen through the overflowed parts (700) and alignment slot (400) to the second loading rail (522);

[0096] A second loading rail (522) positioned on both outer sides of the lower guide (521) and configured to vertically load some of the parts (700) that have fallen through the alignment slot (400) and the parts (700) guided by the lower guide (521);

[0097] It includes a second outer bulkhead (530) composed of a wall surface that guides the outermost part of the movement path of a part that has fallen through the alignment slot (400).

[0099] The transparent cover (600) according to the present invention is formed of a transparent material so that the movement and loading status of the parts (700) can be visually checked from the outside;

[0100] The first pickup port (610) is formed at a position corresponding to the bottom of the first loading rail (512);

[0101] The second pickup port (620) is formed at a position corresponding to the bottom of the second loading rail (522);

[0102] The positions of the first pickup port (610) and the second pickup port (620) are configured with the same spacing and arrangement as the placement positions of the parts (700) inside the mold cavity.

[0104] The supply frame (500) according to the present invention is configured as a non-powered sequential loading structure in which, when the first supply track (510) is fully charged, a subsequently falling part (700) overflows to the outside of the first supply track (510) and is automatically guided to the second supply track (520) for loading.

[0106] The upper distribution guide (511) positioned in the center of the first loading rail (512) on both sides is configured in an arc shape with a high center and low outer sides on both sides to guide falling parts (700) to the first loading rail (512), and the inner side of the upper part of the first inner bulkhead (513) is configured in an arc shape to naturally overflow the parts (700) toward the outer direction of the first inner bulkhead (513) when the first loading rail (512) is cushioned.

[0108] As illustrated in FIG. 7, among the slots (S) of the alignment slot (400), the part (700) that passes through the slot (S) positioned above the first loading rail (512) is loaded onto the first loading rail (512) and supplied to the first pickup port (610). When the first loading rail (512) is full, the part overflows through the first inner bulkhead (513) and overflows into the outer channel, and the overflowed part (700) travels along the lower guide (521) to the second loading rail (522) and is loaded onto the second pickup port (620). Through this, sequential multi-stage loading of parts becomes possible without a separate power device.

[0110] The lower guide (521) is also positioned between the two second loading rails (522), and the lower guide (521) is configured in an arc shape with a high center and low outer sides to guide the dropped or overflowed parts (700) to the second loading rails (522).

[0114] Additionally, when the robot extracts the part (700) at the bottom of the first loading rail (512) and the second loading rail (522) through the first pickup port (610) and the second pickup port (620), the next-ranked part (700) waiting at the top immediately falls due to gravity, and automatic feeding is performed by the weight of the part (700).

[0116] The first pickup port (610) and the second pickup port (620) are configured with the same spacing and arrangement as the part insertion position inside the cavity mold, so that after the robot picks up the part (700), it can directly insert it into the mold without separate posture control or spacing adjustment, thereby simplifying the robot's work and improving productivity.

[0118] The present invention is described above by illustrating the configuration of the invention and the specific components included therein to facilitate understanding of the principles of the configuration sought by the invention, and by providing an explanation based on such drawings. The structure, form, shape, arrangement, direction, and quantity of the configuration and specific components included in the invention are determined in consideration of the principles sought, and these may be modified in various ways as necessary. The configuration and specific components presented in this invention serve as examples for those skilled in the art to understand the effects sought in this invention and the principles that are most desirable to apply to obtain better effects. Accordingly, while it is most desirable to complete the invention by including all the configurations described above, some of the configurations described above may be selected or excluded depending on cost reduction, ease of manufacturing, environmental conditions, or necessity, or one or more configurations may be separated and combined with other configurations to complete the invention. Furthermore, each configuration described above may be independently applied to technical fields other than this technical field, taking into account principles, uses, functions, roles, operations, and effects. Based on this, the scope of rights of the present invention may be specified as follows to encompass as much as possible the claims of the present invention, and claims may be made in order of broadest scope. Explanation of the symbols

[0120] 100: Hopper cover 110: Cover handle 120: Connection opening 200: Hopper 300: Stirring unit 310: Connecting bracket 320: Sliding block 330: Guide rail 340: Stirring finger 400: Alignment slot 410: Rear slot block 411: Rear entry slope 412: Rear vertical guide surface 420: Front slot block 421: Front 1st entry slope 422: Front 2nd alignment guide surface 423: Front vertical guide surface 500: Supply frame 510: 1st Supply Track 511: Upper Distribution Guide 512: 1st loading rail 513: 1st internal bulkhead 520: Second supply track 521: Lower guidance guide 522: Second loading rail 530: Second outer bulkhead 600: Transparent cover 610: 1st pickup port 620: Second pickup port 700: Part S: Slot

Claims

Claim 1 A hopper (200) for receiving parts (700); a hopper cover (100) hinged to the hopper (200) to open and close the hopper (200); a stirring unit (300) coupled to the bottom surface of the hopper cover (100) and positioned inside the hopper (200) when the hopper cover (100) is closed, and which moves back and forth inside the hopper (200) to physically stir the parts (700); and an alignment slot (400) provided on the lower side of the hopper (200) to allow parts (700) aligned in a set direction among the stirred parts (700) to pass downward by gravity; A supply frame (500) positioned below the alignment slot (400) and on which the part (700) falling through the alignment slot (400) is placed and loaded; and a transparent cover (600) including a first pickup port (610) and a second pickup port (620) formed to seal the front of the supply frame (500) to prevent the part (700) from escaping, and at the same time, allow a robot to pick up the part (700); wherein the alignment slot (400) has a plurality of slots (S) formed through it in the upper and lower directions to regulate the posture of the part and discharge it; and is composed of a rear slot block (410) positioned in the rear direction and a front slot block (420) positioned in the front direction; The above slot (S) includes a rear entry slope surface (411) and a rear vertical guide surface (412) formed on the rear side; a front first entry slope surface (421), a front second alignment guide surface (422), and a front vertical guide surface (423) formed on the front side; wherein the angle of the rear entry slope surface (411) and the front first entry slope surface (421) is configured to be the same as the angle of the lower part of the hopper (200); the front second alignment guide surface (422) is configured at an angle closer to vertical than the front first entry slope surface (421), so that the posture of the part (700) is forcibly corrected to be closer to vertical by the angle steeper than the front first entry slope surface (421), and the rear vertical guide surface (412) and the front vertical guide surface (423) are configured at a vertical angle, characterized by an alignment drop type part feeder. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 The alignment drop-type component feeder according to claim 1; wherein the supply frame (500) comprises: a first supply track (510) positioned at the upper front of the supply frame (500) to supply a dropped component (700) to the rear of a first pickup port (610) of a transparent cover (600); and a second supply track (520) positioned at the lower front of the supply frame (500) to supply a dropped component (700) to the rear of a second pickup port (620) of a transparent cover (600); and wherein when the first supply track (510) is fully charged, a subsequently dropped component (700) overflows to the outside of the first supply track (510) and is automatically guided to the second supply track (520) for loading.

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