Feeding method, feeding system, and feeding device

Abstract

A feeding method, a feeding system, and a feeding device, relating to the technical field of battery production. The feeding method comprises: detecting the state of a material box at a discharging station (110) of a feeding device; and in response to the state of the material box at the discharging station (110), controlling a material grabbing operation of the feeding device and a material box conveying operation of the discharging station (110), wherein the feeding device is provided with a first loading channel (121) and a second loading channel (122), and a material box (130) is conveyed to the discharging station (110) by means of the first loading channel (121) and / or the second loading channel (122). The feeding method can improve the feeding efficiency in a battery production process.

Description

Feeding method, feeding system and feeding equipment

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application entitled “A feeding method, feeding system and feeding equipment” filed on August 9, 2023 (application number: 2023109962754), the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the technical field of battery production, and in particular to a feeding method, a feeding system and a feeding device. Background Art

[0004] Currently, material loading is a common step in the battery production process. For example, to enhance cell protection, cells can be placed in aluminum casings before undergoing processes such as top cover welding. Typically, current material feeding methods involve manually pushing a material-carrying basket to a loading position via a trolley. A robot then grabs the material from the loading position and retrieves the empty basket from the unloading position using an empty trolley. This method requires frequent manual loading and unloading, resulting in low feeding efficiency.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a feeding method, a feeding system, a feeding device, an electronic device and a computer-readable storage medium to improve the feeding efficiency in the battery production process.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present application provides a feeding method, comprising:

[0008] Detect the status of the material frame at the unloading station of the feeding equipment;

[0009] In response to the state of the material frame of the unloading station, controlling the material grabbing operation of the feeding device and the material frame conveying operation of the unloading station;

[0010] Wherein, the feeding equipment is provided with a first feeding channel and a second feeding channel, and the material frame is conveyed to the unloading station through the first feeding channel and / or the second feeding channel.

[0011] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the material frame on the unloading station in the feeding equipment can be transported and provided through the first loading channel and the second loading channel to perform unloading processing of the material grabbing operation; thus, by adopting two loading channels, after the material frame of one loading channel is transported to the unloading station, the material frame of the other loading channel can be ready for transportation at any time; compared with a single loading channel, the two loading channels increase the transportation frequency, thereby improving the feeding efficiency in the battery production process.

[0012] In some embodiments, the controlling of the material grabbing operation of the feeding device and the material frame conveying operation of the unloading station in response to the material frame state of the unloading station includes:

[0013] If it is detected that the material frame of the unloading station is loaded with material, the material grabbing device is controlled to move to the unloading station to grab the material;

[0014] If it is detected that the material frame of the unloading station is empty, the empty material frame is transported to the unloading channel corresponding to the unloading station;

[0015] If it is detected that there is no material frame at the unloading station, the material frame loaded with materials on the first loading channel or the second loading channel is transported to the unloading station.

[0016] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the material frame status of the unloading station is processed accordingly; when the material frame of the unloading station is empty, the empty material frame is transported to the unloading channel, and when there is no material frame at the unloading station, the material frame loaded with material can be transported by the first loading channel or the second loading channel, which can improve the feeding efficiency in the battery production process.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first loading channel includes a first loading station and a first loading buffer station, and the method further includes:

[0018] If it is detected that there is a material frame loaded with materials at the first loading station and the first loading buffer station is empty, the material frame loaded with materials is transported to the first loading buffer station.

[0019] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, a loading station is provided on the loading channel, and a buffer station is provided, so that the material frame to be unloaded can be placed through the buffer station, further improving the loading operation efficiency and thus improving the feeding efficiency.

[0020] In some embodiments, the unloading channel includes a unloading station and a unloading buffer station, and the method further includes:

[0021] If the unloading station is empty, unloading is performed by transporting the empty material frame on the unloading buffer station to the first unloading station; the empty material frame on the unloading buffer station is obtained by transmission from the unloading station.

[0022] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, a unloading station is provided on the unloading channel, and a buffer station is provided, so that the material frame that has completed unloading can be placed through the buffer station, further improving the unloading operation efficiency and thus improving the feeding efficiency.

[0023] In some embodiments, the material frame is supported by a bottom shell; a limited position structure is provided between the first loading and caching station and the unloading and caching station;

[0024] After the material frame is conveyed to the unloading station, the limiting structure switches from the first state to the second state, so as to be able to control the bottom shell to move from the first loading and caching station to the unloading and caching station;

[0025] After detecting that the bottom shell moves from the first loading cache station to the unloading cache station, the limiting structure switches from the second state to the first state to prevent the bottom shell from sliding between the first loading cache station and the unloading cache station.

[0026] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the probability of the bottom shell sliding accidentally is reduced by a limiting structure.

[0027] In some embodiments, the unloading station includes an unloading station body, a lifting module, and a positioning module. The positioning module includes a first positioning mechanism provided on a material frame carrying the material, and a second positioning mechanism provided on the unloading station body. The first positioning mechanism cooperates with the second positioning mechanism. The method of transporting the material frame loaded with the material on the first loading channel or the second loading channel to the unloading station includes:

[0028] The material frame is lifted from the first loading channel or the second loading channel to the unloading station by the lifting module, and the material frame is fixed by the cooperation of the first positioning mechanism and the second positioning mechanism, so that the material grabbing device can grab the material;

[0029] The method of transporting the empty material frame to the unloading channel corresponding to the unloading station includes:

[0030] The cooperation relationship between the first positioning mechanism and the second positioning mechanism is released, and the empty material frame is transported from the unloading station to the unloading channel through the lifting module.

[0031] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the material frame loaded with materials is lifted by the lifting module, and the material frame is fixed by the first positioning mechanism and the second positioning mechanism, so that the material grabbing device can grab the materials.

[0032] In a second aspect, the present application provides a feeding system, comprising:

[0033] The material frame detection module is used to detect the status of the material frame of the unloading station of the feeding equipment;

[0034] A feeding module, configured to control the material grabbing operation of the feeding device and the material frame conveying operation of the unloading station in response to the state of the material frame of the unloading station;

[0035] Wherein, the feeding equipment is provided with a first feeding channel and a second feeding channel, and the material frame is conveyed to the unloading station through the first feeding channel and / or the second feeding channel.

[0036] In a third aspect, the present application provides a feeding device, including a feeding mechanism, a material grabbing device, and a feeding device;

[0037] The feeding device is used to perform the feeding method as described in any one of the first aspects;

[0038] The feeding mechanism includes a unloading station, a first loading channel and a second loading channel. The material grabbing device is used to grab the material on the unloading station of the feeding mechanism and transport the grabbed material to a preset process station. The material on the unloading station is provided by the first loading channel and / or the second loading channel.

[0039] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, a plurality of sub-feeding mechanisms are provided, and a material grabbing device is used to grab the materials delivered from the first loading station and the second loading station to the unloading station, thereby improving the feeding efficiency.

[0040] In some embodiments, the feeding device further includes a unloading mechanism; the unloading mechanism is used to grab an empty material frame from a unloading station of the feeding mechanism.

[0041] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the empty material frame is grabbed by the unloading mechanism, which improves the unloading efficiency of the material compared to manual unloading.

[0042] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides an electronic device comprising: a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein when the processor executes the computer program, the feeding method as described in any one of the first aspects is implemented.

[0043] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon. When the instructions are executed on a computer, the computer executes the feeding method as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0044] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, which, when running on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method in the first aspect, any optional implementation method in the first aspect, or the fourth aspect, any optional implementation method in the fourth aspect.

[0045] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present application. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present application, it can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are listed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiment below. The accompanying drawings are for illustration purposes only and are not to be considered as limiting the present application. The same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to represent the same components. In the drawings:

[0047] Figure 1; Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a feeding device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG2 is a schematic flow chart of a feeding method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of another feeding device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG4 is a plan view of a workstation of a feeding device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] FIG5 is a schematic flow chart of a feeding method at one of the loading stations in the feeding equipment provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG6 is a structural block diagram of a feeding system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] FIG7 is a structural block diagram of a feeding device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] FIG8 is a structural block diagram of another feeding device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] FIG9 is a structural block diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0056] Icons: feeding mechanism 100; unloading station 110; unloading channel 111; unloading buffer station 1111; unloading station 1112; first loading channel 121; first loading station 1211; first loading buffer station 1212; second loading channel 122; second loading station 1221; second loading buffer station 1222; material frame 130; material grabbing device 200; feeding device 300; material frame detection module 301; feeding module 302; unloading mechanism 400; processor 510; communication interface 520; memory 530; communication bus 540. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] The following embodiments of the technical solution of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present application and are therefore only examples and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

[0058] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned figure descriptions are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0059] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the quantity, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is more than two, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0060] References herein to "embodiments" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it constitute an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0061] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is simply a description of the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent the following three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0062] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "multiple" refers to more than two (including two). Similarly, "multiple groups" refers to more than two groups (including two groups), and "multiple pieces" refers to more than two pieces (including two pieces).

[0063] With the continuous development of society and the advancement of science and technology, mechanized, automated, and standardized production has gradually become a development trend and has gradually replaced traditional manual labor. Battery production has also transformed and upgraded. In the production and assembly process, material loading is a common step in the process flow. For example, the battery cell needs to be inserted into the aluminum shell. In order to better realize the mechanical automation of battery production, the aluminum shell needs to be automatically loaded.

[0064] During the lithium-ion battery production process, the battery cells need to be placed into aluminum shells before the top cover is welded, completing the assembly process. Currently, empty aluminum shells are typically loaded onto three loading carts, each loaded with blister trays. These carts are located at one station, with station two being full, and station three being empty. A robot grabs the aluminum shells from each station for assembly, while a three-axis coordinate system removes the blister trays from one station and places them in station three, repeating this process. With traditional loading mechanisms, the equipment loads three carts at a time: two filled with material and one empty. When the material runs out, the equipment shuts down, and a manual cart is removed for a reload. After the empty cart is replaced with a full one, manual positioning is performed. Once positioning is complete, the equipment restarts and production resumes. Each reload takes approximately five minutes, resulting in low feeding efficiency.

[0065] In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, an embodiment of the present application provides a feeding method, in which the material frame on the unloading station in the feeding equipment can be transported and provided through the first loading channel and the second loading channel to perform unloading processing of the material grabbing operation; thus, by adopting two loading channels, after the material frame of one loading channel is transported to the unloading station, the material frame of the other loading channel can be ready for transportation at any time; compared with a single loading channel, the two loading channels increase the transportation frequency, thereby improving the feeding efficiency in the battery production process.

[0066] In addition to being used for feeding aluminum shells, the embodiments of the present application can also be used for feeding other materials in the battery production process, such as top covers, etc.

[0067] The feeding method, feeding system, feeding equipment, electronic device, and computer-readable storage medium disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to a controller to implement the feeding of aluminum shells. The controller includes a server, which can be a standalone server or a server cluster consisting of multiple servers. It can also be a cloud server that provides basic cloud computing services such as cloud services, cloud databases, cloud computing, cloud functions, cloud storage, network services, cloud communications, middleware services, domain name services, security services, CDN, and big data and artificial intelligence sampling point devices.

[0068] According to some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic structural diagram of a feeding device provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the feeding device includes a feeding mechanism 100, which includes a feeding station 110, a first feeding channel 121, and a second feeding channel 122; wherein the first feeding channel 121 includes a first feeding station 1211, and the second feeding channel 122 includes a second feeding station 1221;

[0069] The first loading channel 121 and the second loading channel 122 are both used to transport the material frame 130 loaded with materials. The first loading channel 121 transports the material frame 130 to the unloading station 110, and the second loading channel 122 can also transport the material frame 130 to the unloading station 110. The material grabbing device is set at the unloading station 110 and grabs the material on the unloading station 110;

[0070] The unloading channel 111 corresponding to the unloading station 110 is used to transport the empty material frame from the unloading station 110; for example, when the material grabbing device completes grabbing the material on the unloading station 110, the unloading channel 111 transports the empty material frame on the unloading station 110 to unload the empty material frame from the feeding equipment.

[0071] Please refer to FIG2 , which is a schematic flow chart of a feeding method provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG2 , the feeding method can be applied to the feeding equipment provided in the above embodiment, and the method includes:

[0072] S100: Detecting the status of the material frame of the unloading station of the feeding equipment;

[0073] S200: In response to the material frame status of the unloading station, control the material grabbing operation of the feeding equipment and the material frame conveying operation of the unloading station; wherein, the feeding equipment is provided with a first feeding channel and a second feeding channel, and the material frame is conveyed to the unloading station through the first feeding channel and / or the second feeding channel.

[0074] For example, a material frame loaded with materials can be placed in the first loading channel through its loading port, and the first loading channel is controlled to convey the material frame to the unloading station. The first loading channel can be in the form of a conveyor belt, or a plurality of rotating rollers arranged at intervals, with the axes of each rotating roller arranged orthogonal to the feeding direction. The plurality of rotating rollers are arranged horizontally and driven by a drive motor to rotate, thereby driving the material frame to move to the unloading station.

[0075] For example, a material frame loaded with material can be placed in the second loading channel through its loading port, and the first loading channel can be controlled to convey the material frame to the unloading station. The second loading channel can be in the form of a conveyor belt, or it can be a plurality of rotating rollers arranged at intervals, with the axes of each rotating roller arranged orthogonal to the feeding direction. The plurality of rotating rollers are arranged horizontally and driven by a drive motor to rotate, thereby driving the material frame to move to the unloading station.

[0076] Optionally, the feeding equipment detects the status of the material frame at the unloading station, and the detection method includes but is not limited to: it can be obtained by collecting images on the material frame, and processing and identifying the collected images; it can also be determined through an internal program. Specifically, the material frame is loaded with a preset number of materials, and the number of materials that the material grabbing device can grab each time is also pre-set. The feeding equipment can determine whether there is still material in the material frame based on the number of grabbing times of the material grabbing device.

[0077] In some embodiments, in response to the state of the material frame of the unloading station, controlling the material grabbing operation of the feeding device and the material frame conveying operation of the unloading station includes:

[0078] If it is detected that the material frame of the unloading station is loaded with material, the material grabbing device is controlled to move to the unloading station to grab the material;

[0079] If it is detected that the material frame of the unloading station is empty, the empty material frame will be transported to the unloading channel corresponding to the unloading station;

[0080] If it is detected that there is no material frame at the unloading station, the material frame loaded with materials on the first loading channel or the second loading channel is transported to the unloading station.

[0081] Exemplarily, the status of the material frame of the unloading station includes but is not limited to: the material frame is loaded with material, the material frame is empty, there is no material frame, etc.; for example, optionally, the status of the material frame of the unloading station may also include a damaged material frame, an incorrect material frame position, etc.; in some embodiments, when the status of the material frame of the unloading station is a damaged material frame or an incorrect material frame position, the feeding device will issue an error prompt.

[0082] When it is detected that the material frame of the unloading station is loaded with material, the material grabbing device is controlled to move to the unloading station to grab the material, thereby grabbing the material in the material frame to the next process station;

[0083] After the material grabbing device grabs all the materials in the material frame, it detects that the material frame of the unloading station is empty. At this time, the feeding equipment transports the empty material frame on the unloading station to the unloading channel corresponding to the unloading station;

[0084] After the empty material frame on the unloading station is transported to the unloading channel corresponding to the unloading station, the feeding device can detect that there is no material frame at the unloading station, and then the material frame loaded with material on the first loading channel or the second loading channel is transported to the unloading station; optionally, when the feeding device can detect that there is no material frame at the unloading station, the material frame transportation to the unloading station is as follows:

[0085] ① If there is a material frame loaded with materials on the first loading channel and no material frame loaded with materials on the second loading channel, the material frame loaded with materials on the first loading channel will be transported to the unloading station; during this period, other material frames loaded with materials will be transported from the corresponding loading ports to the second loading channel;

[0086] ② If there is a material frame loaded with materials on the second loading channel and there is no material frame loaded with materials on the first loading channel, the material frame loaded with materials on the second loading channel will be transported to the unloading station; during this period, other material frames loaded with materials will be transported from the corresponding loading ports to the first loading channel;

[0087] ③ If there is a material frame loaded with materials on either the first or second loading channel, select one of the first or second loading channel to transport the loaded material frame to the unloading station;

[0088] ④ If there is no material frame loaded with materials on the first feeding channel or the second feeding channel, the material frame loaded with materials will be transported from the corresponding feeding port to the first feeding channel or the second feeding channel;

[0089] For example, the material frame on the unloading station of the feeding equipment in the above embodiment can be transported and provided through the first loading channel and the second loading channel to perform unloading processing of the material grabbing operation; thus, by adopting two loading channels, after the material frame of one loading channel is transported to the unloading station, the material frame of the other loading channel can be ready for transportation at any time; compared with a single loading channel, the two loading channels increase the transportation frequency, thereby improving the feeding efficiency in the battery production process.

[0090] In some embodiments, the first loading channel includes a first loading station and a first loading buffer station, and the method further includes:

[0091] If it is detected that there is a material frame loaded with materials at the first loading station and the first loading buffer station is empty, the material frame loaded with materials is transported to the first loading buffer station.

[0092] In the specific implementation process, the first loading station refers to the station on the first loading channel that is closest to the loading port, and is used to temporarily store the material frame loaded with materials transported from the loading port; the first loading cache station refers to the station on the first loading channel that is adjacent to the first loading station and is farther away from the loading port, and is used to temporarily store the material frame loaded with materials. It is understandable that the number of first loading cache stations can be one or more. The more the number of first loading cache stations, the larger the space occupied by the first loading channel, the more the number of material frames temporarily stored with materials, and the more the number of material frames that can be loaded in one loading operation; the fewer the number of first loading cache stations, the smaller the space occupied by the first loading channel, the fewer the number of material frames temporarily stored with materials, and the fewer the number of material frames that can be loaded in one loading operation. Therefore, the number of first loading cache stations can be set according to actual conditions.

[0093] In the case where there is only one first loading and caching station, the feeding equipment can transport the material frame on the first loading station to the first loading and caching station when it detects that there is a material frame loaded with material on the first loading station and there is no material frame on the first loading and caching station.

[0094] In the case of multiple first loading and caching stations, if the feeding device detects that there is a material frame loaded with materials at a first loading station and there is no material frame at a first loading and caching station adjacent to the first loading station, the feeding device can transport the material frame at the first loading station to the first loading and caching station. In the case of two adjacent first loading and caching stations, if there is a material frame loaded with materials at the first loading and caching station closer to the first loading station and the other first loading and caching station is empty, the feeding device can transport the material frame to the first loading and caching station farther away from the first loading station.

[0095] It should be noted that the second loading channel may include a second loading station and a second loading buffer station. The work flow thereof can be referred to the first loading channel and will not be repeated here.

[0096] For example, the above embodiment provides a loading station and a buffer station on the loading channel, so that the material frame to be unloaded can be placed at the buffer station, thereby further improving the loading operation efficiency and thus improving the feeding efficiency.

[0097] In some embodiments, the unloading channel includes a unloading station and a unloading buffer station, and the method further includes:

[0098] If the unloading station is empty, unloading is performed by transporting the empty material frame on the unloading buffer station to the first unloading station; the empty material frame on the unloading buffer station is obtained by transmission from the unloading station.

[0099] In the specific implementation process, the unloading station refers to the station on the unloading channel that is closest to the unloading port, which is used to temporarily store the empty material frames transported from the unloading cache station, so that they can be transported away manually or by robots; the unloading cache station refers to the station on the unloading channel that is adjacent to the unloading station and farther away from the unloading port, which is used to temporarily store the empty material frames. It is understandable that the number of unloading cache stations can be one or more. The more unloading cache stations there are, the larger the space occupied by the unloading channel, the more empty material frames can be temporarily stored, and the more material frames can be unloaded in one unloading operation; the fewer unloading cache stations there are, the smaller the space occupied by the unloading channel, the fewer empty material frames can be temporarily stored, and the fewer material frames can be loaded in one unloading operation. Therefore, the number of unloading cache stations can be set according to actual conditions.

[0100] If there is only one unloading buffer station, the empty material frame at the unloading buffer station is transferred from the unloading station. If the feeding device detects that there is no material frame at the unloading station and there is a material frame at the unloading buffer station, it can transfer the material frame from the unloading buffer station to the unloading station.

[0101] In the case of multiple loading and caching stations, if the feeding device detects that there is no material frame at the unloading station and there is a material frame at the unloading and caching station adjacent to the unloading station, the material frame at the unloading and caching station can be transported to the unloading station. It is understood that for two adjacent unloading and caching stations, if the unloading and caching station closer to the unloading station is empty and there is an empty material frame at the other unloading and caching station, the feeding device can transport the empty material frame to the unloading and caching station closer to the unloading station.

[0102] For example, the above embodiment is provided with a unloading station and a buffer station on the unloading channel, so that the material frame that has completed unloading can be placed through the buffer station, further improving the unloading operation efficiency and thus improving the feeding efficiency.

[0103] According to some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of another feeding device provided in the embodiments of the present application. As shown in Figure 3, the feeding device includes a feeding mechanism 100, which includes a feeding station 110, a first loading channel 121, and a second loading channel 122; wherein the first loading channel 121 includes a first loading station 1211 and a first loading buffer station 1212, and the second loading channel 122 includes a second loading station 1221 and a second loading buffer station 1222; the unloading channel 111 is provided with a unloading buffer station 1111 and a unloading station 1112;

[0104] The number of stations of the unloading cache station 1111 can be one or more; similarly, the number of stations of the first loading cache station 1212 can be one or more, and the number of stations of the second loading cache station 1222 can be one or more; it should be noted that the feeding method can be referred to the above embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0105] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a plan view of the workstations of a feeding equipment provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 4, the first loading station 1211 is represented as A, and the first loading cache station 1212 includes two cache stations B1 and B; the second loading station 1221 is represented as a, and the second loading cache station 1222 includes two cache stations b1 and b; the unloading station 110 is represented as C; the unloading cache station 1111 is represented as D1, and the unloading station is represented as D.

[0106] Please refer to FIG5 , which is a schematic diagram of a feeding method flow chart of one of the loading stations in the feeding equipment provided in an embodiment of the present application, as shown in FIG5 :

[0107] During the loading process, if the feeding device detects that the first loading station A is empty, it will transport the material frame loaded with materials to the first loading station A;

[0108] If the feeding device detects that the first loading and caching station B1 is empty and there is a material frame loaded with material on the first loading station A, the material frame is transported to the first loading and caching station B1;

[0109] If the first loading and caching station B is empty, the material frame on the first loading and caching station B1 can be transported to the first loading and caching station B;

[0110] When the unloading station C is empty, the material frame on the first loading buffer station B can be transported to the first unloading station C; wherein, when there is a material frame loaded with material at the unloading station C, the feeding device can control the material grabbing device to grab the material;

[0111] When the feeding equipment detects that the material has been grabbed and the unloading buffer station D1 is empty, it can transport the empty material frame from the unloading station C to the unloading buffer station D1;

[0112] When the feeding equipment detects that the unloading station D is empty, it can transport the empty material frame on the unloading buffer station D1 to the unloading station D.

[0113] It should be noted that the feeding method of another loading station (the second loading station) is consistent with the above embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0114] The embodiment of the present application performs material loading through multiple loading stations, thereby improving the loading efficiency. Thus, when the material grabbing device has a high efficiency in grabbing materials, the material grabbing device can work continuously, reducing the time the material grabbing device waits for materials.

[0115] In some embodiments, the material frame is supported by the bottom shell; a limited position structure is provided between the first loading buffer station and the unloading buffer station;

[0116] After the material frame is conveyed to the unloading station, the limiting structure switches from the first state to the second state, so as to be able to control the bottom shell to move from the first loading buffer station to the unloading buffer station;

[0117] After detecting that the bottom shell moves from the first loading cache station to the unloading cache station, the limiting structure switches from the second state to the first state to prevent the bottom shell from sliding between the first loading cache station and the unloading cache station.

[0118] In the specific implementation process, the bottom shell is used to support the material frame. After the feeding equipment transports and positions the material frame containing the bottom shell on the unloading station, the feeding equipment can lower the bottom shell back to the first loading cache station. The first loading cache station is adjacent to the unloading cache station, and a limiting structure is set between the first loading cache station and the unloading cache station. The limiting structure is used to prevent stupidity, that is, to prevent the bottom shell from sliding between the first loading cache station and the unloading cache station under inappropriate circumstances.

[0119] After the feeding device transports the bottom shell from the unloading station to the first loading cache station, the limiting structure can be controlled to switch from the first state to the second state. It can be understood that when the limiting structure is in the first state, the bottom shell cannot slide from the first loading cache station to the unloading cache station; when the limiting structure is in the second state, the bottom shell can slide from the first loading cache station to the unloading cache station. For example, the limiting structure can be a baffle disposed between the first loading cache station and the unloading cache station, the first state refers to a state in which the baffle is raised, and the second state refers to a state in which the baffle is lowered to the same height as the first loading cache station and the unloading cache station, or lower than the height of the first loading cache station and the unloading cache station.

[0120] The feeding device slides the bottom shell to the unloading buffer station to prepare for loading the empty material frame. After detecting that the material grabbing device has completed grabbing the material, the feeding device slides the empty material frame to the corresponding position of the unloading buffer station and controls the bottom shell to rise so that the empty material frame can fall into the bottom shell. After the bottom shell receives the empty material frame, the feeding device transports the bottom shell and material frame to the unloading buffer station for unloading.

[0121] It is understandable that after the feeding device slides the bottom shell from the first loading buffer station to the unloading buffer station, it can control the limiting structure to switch from the second state back to the first state.

[0122] The embodiment of the present application reduces the probability of the bottom shell sliding accidentally through the limiting structure.

[0123] In some embodiments, the feeding equipment can grab the empty material frame through the unloading structure to complete the unloading, which improves the unloading efficiency compared to manual unloading.

[0124] In some embodiments, the unloading station includes an unloading station body, a lifting module, and a positioning module. The positioning module includes a first positioning mechanism provided on a material frame carrying the material, and a second positioning mechanism provided on the unloading station body. The first positioning mechanism cooperates with the second positioning mechanism. The material frame loaded with the material on the first loading channel or the second loading channel is transported to the unloading station, including:

[0125] The material frame is lifted from the first loading channel or the second loading channel to the unloading station by the lifting module, and the material frame is fixed by the cooperation of the first positioning mechanism and the second positioning mechanism so that the material grabbing device can grab the material;

[0126] Transport the empty material frame to the unloading channel corresponding to the unloading station, including:

[0127] The cooperation relationship between the first positioning mechanism and the second positioning mechanism is released, and the empty material frame is transported from the unloading station to the unloading channel through the lifting module.

[0128] In the specific implementation process, referring to Figures 1 and 3, it can be seen that the unloading station is located higher than the first loading channel, the second loading channel, and the unloading channel. Therefore, the material frame loaded with materials on the first loading channel needs to be lifted to the unloading station body corresponding to the unloading station by the lifting module.

[0129] For ease of description, the following description uses the first loading channel as an example. The second loading channel is the same as the first loading channel. The unloading station body refers to the location used to support the material frame and for the material grabbing device to grab the material from the material frame at that location. The lifting module is used to lift the material frame, for example: lifting the material frame loaded with material on the first loading channel to the unloading station body, and lowering the empty material frame from the unloading station body to the first unloading channel. The lifting module can be a gear rack driven elevator, or a simple elevator driven by a wire rope.

[0130] The positioning module is used to removably secure the material frame to the blanking station body. It includes a first positioning mechanism provided on the material frame and a second positioning mechanism provided on the blanking station body. The first and second positioning mechanisms cooperate to secure the material frame to the blanking station body. For example, the first positioning mechanism can be a positioning hole, and the second positioning mechanism can be a positioning pin. The material frame is positioned by inserting the positioning pin into the positioning hole.

[0131] When the feeding device detects that the material grabbing device has finished grabbing the material from the material frame, it releases the coordination between the first and second positioning mechanisms, allowing the empty material frame to be lowered to the discharge channel via the lifting module. For example, the positioning pins can be removed from the positioning holes. It should be noted that the first and second positioning mechanisms can also take other forms, such as using magnetic force to secure the material frame to the discharge station body.

[0132] In the embodiment of the present application, a material frame loaded with materials is lifted by a lifting module, and the material frame is fixed by a first positioning mechanism and a second positioning mechanism, so that a material grabbing device can grab the materials.

[0133] Please refer to Figure 6, which is a structural block diagram of a feeding system provided in an embodiment of the present application. The feeding system can be a module, program segment, or code on an electronic device. It should be understood that the feeding system corresponds to the method embodiment shown in Figure 2 above and can perform each step involved in the method embodiment of Figure 2. The specific functions of the device can be found in the description above. To avoid repetition, detailed description is appropriately omitted here. The device includes:

[0134] The material frame detection module 301 is used to detect the state of the material frame of the unloading station of the feeding equipment;

[0135] The feeding module 302 is used to control the material grabbing operation of the feeding device and the material frame conveying operation of the unloading station in response to the state of the material frame of the unloading station;

[0136] The feeding equipment is provided with a first feeding channel and a second feeding channel, and the material frame is conveyed to the unloading station through the first feeding channel and / or the second feeding channel.

[0137] In some embodiments, the feeding module 302 is further configured to:

[0138] If it is detected that the material frame of the unloading station is loaded with material, the material grabbing device is controlled to move to the unloading station to grab the material;

[0139] If it is detected that the material frame of the unloading station is empty, the empty material frame will be transported to the unloading channel corresponding to the unloading station;

[0140] If it is detected that there is no material frame at the unloading station, the material frame loaded with materials on the first loading channel or the second loading channel is transported to the unloading station.

[0141] In some embodiments, the first loading channel includes a first loading station and a first loading cache station, and the feeding module 302 is also used to: if it is detected that there is a material frame loaded with material at the first loading station and the first loading cache station is empty, the material frame loaded with material will be transported to the first loading cache station.

[0142] In some embodiments, the unloading channel includes an unloading station and an unloading buffer station, and the feeding module 302 is also used for: if the unloading station is empty, unloading is carried out by transporting the empty material frame on the unloading buffer station to the first unloading station; the empty material frame on the unloading buffer station is obtained by transmission from the unloading station.

[0143] In some embodiments, the material frame is supported by the bottom shell; a limited position structure is provided between the first loading buffer station and the unloading buffer station; the feeding module 302 is further used for:

[0144] After the material frame is conveyed to the unloading station, the limiting structure switches from the first state to the second state, so as to be able to control the bottom shell to move from the first loading buffer station to the unloading buffer station;

[0145] After detecting that the bottom shell moves from the first loading cache station to the unloading cache station, the limiting structure switches from the second state to the first state to prevent the bottom shell from sliding between the first loading cache station and the unloading cache station.

[0146] In some embodiments, the unloading station includes a unloading station body, a lifting module and a positioning module. The positioning module includes a first positioning mechanism arranged on a material frame carrying the material, and a second positioning mechanism arranged on the unloading station body. The first positioning mechanism cooperates with the second positioning mechanism; the feeding module 302 is also used to: lift the material frame from the first loading channel or the second loading channel to the unloading station through the lifting module, and fix the material frame through the cooperation of the first positioning mechanism and the second positioning mechanism for the material grabbing device to grab the material; and: release the cooperation relationship between the first positioning mechanism and the second positioning mechanism, and transport the empty material frame from the unloading station to the unloading channel through the lifting module.

[0147] Please refer to FIG7 , which is a structural block diagram of a feeding device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The feeding device includes a feeding mechanism 100 , a material grabbing device 200 , and a feeding device 300 ;

[0148] The feeding device 300 is used to perform the steps of the feeding method shown in FIG2 ;

[0149] The feeding mechanism 100 includes a unloading station, a first loading channel and a second loading channel. The material grabbing device 200 is used to grab the material on the unloading station of the feeding mechanism and transport the grabbed material to the preset process station. The material on the unloading station is provided by the first loading channel and / or the second loading channel.

[0150] Please refer to Figure 8, which is a structural block diagram of another feeding device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The feeding device also includes a unloading mechanism 400; the unloading mechanism is used to grab an empty material frame from the unloading station of the feeding mechanism 100.

[0151] The present application also provides an electronic device. Please refer to Figure 9, which is a structural block diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The electronic device may include a processor 510, a communication interface 520, a memory 530, and at least one communication bus 540. Among them, the communication bus 540 is used to realize direct connection and communication between these components. Among them, the communication interface 520 of the electronic device in the embodiment of the present application is used to communicate signaling or data with other node devices. The processor 510 can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities.

[0152] The processor 510 can be a general-purpose processor, including a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), etc.; it can also be a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, or a discrete hardware component. It can implement or execute the various methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, or the processor 510 can also be any conventional processor.

[0153] The memory 530 may be, but is not limited to, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), etc. The memory 530 stores computer-readable instructions. When the processor 510 executes the computer-readable instructions, the electronic device may perform the steps of the method embodiment of FIG. 2 .

[0154] Optionally, the electronic device may further include a storage controller and an input / output unit.

[0155] The memory 530, storage controller, processor 510, peripheral interface, and input / output units are electrically connected to each other directly or indirectly to enable data transmission or interaction. For example, these components can be electrically connected to each other via one or more communication buses 540. The processor 510 is used to execute executable modules stored in the memory 530, such as software function modules or computer programs included in the electronic device.

[0156] The input and output unit is used to provide users with the ability to create tasks and to create optional time periods or preset execution times for the tasks to enable interaction between the user and the server. The input and output unit can be, but is not limited to, a mouse and a keyboard.

[0157] It is understood that the structure shown in Figure 9 is merely illustrative, and the electronic device may include more or fewer components than shown in Figure 9, or have a configuration different from that shown in Figure 9. Each component shown in Figure 9 may be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination thereof.

[0158] An embodiment of the present application further provides a storage medium having instructions stored thereon. When the instructions are run on a computer, the computer program is executed by a processor to implement the method described in the method embodiment. To avoid repetition, details are not given here.

[0159] The present application also provides a computer program product, which, when running on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method described in the method embodiment.

[0160] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can also be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings show the possible architectures, functions and operations of the devices, methods and computer program products according to the multiple embodiments of the present application. In this regard, each box in the flowchart or block diagram can represent a module, a program segment or a part of the code, and the module, program segment or a part of the code contains one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical functions. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the box can also occur in an order different from that marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two consecutive boxes can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the opposite order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each box in the block diagram and / or flowchart, and the combination of boxes in the block diagram and / or flowchart, can be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or action, or can be implemented using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0161] In addition, the functional modules in each embodiment of the present application can be integrated together to form an independent part, or each module can exist independently, or two or more modules can be integrated to form an independent part.

[0162] If the functions are implemented in the form of software function modules and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0163] The foregoing is merely an embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Various modifications and variations are possible for those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included within the scope of protection of the present application. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following figures. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined or explained in subsequent figures.

[0164] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

[0165] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as first and second, etc., are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply the existence of any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article, or device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or device. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or device comprising the element.

Claims

1. A feeding method, characterized in that: include: Detect the status of the material frame at the unloading station of the feeding equipment; In response to the state of the material frame of the unloading station, controlling the material grabbing operation of the feeding device and the material frame conveying operation of the unloading station; Wherein, the feeding equipment is provided with a first feeding channel and a second feeding channel, and the material frame is conveyed to the unloading station through the first feeding channel and / or the second feeding channel.

2. The feeding method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method of controlling the material grabbing operation of the feeding device and the material frame conveying operation of the unloading station in response to the material frame state of the unloading station includes: If it is detected that the material frame of the unloading station is loaded with materials, the material grabbing device is controlled to move to the unloading station to grab the materials; If it is detected that the material frame of the unloading station is empty, the empty material frame is transported to the unloading channel corresponding to the unloading station; If it is detected that there is no material frame at the unloading station, the material frame loaded with materials on the first loading channel or the second loading channel is transported to the unloading station.

3. The feeding method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first loading channel includes a first loading station and a first loading buffer station, and the method further includes: If it is detected that there is a material frame loaded with materials at the first loading station and the first loading buffer station is empty, the material frame loaded with materials is transported to the first loading buffer station.

4. The feeding method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The unloading channel includes a unloading station and a unloading buffer station, and the method further includes: If the unloading station is empty, unloading is performed by transporting the empty material frame on the unloading buffer station to the first unloading station; the empty material frame on the unloading buffer station is obtained by transmission from the unloading station.

5. The feeding method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The material frame is supported by the bottom shell; a limited position structure is provided between the first loading and caching station and the unloading and caching station; After the material frame is conveyed to the unloading station, the limiting structure is switched from the first state to the second state, so as to control the bottom shell to move from the first loading buffer station to the unloading buffer station; After detecting that the bottom shell moves from the first loading cache station to the unloading cache station, the limiting structure switches from the second state to the first state to prevent the bottom shell from sliding between the first loading cache station and the unloading cache station.

6. The feeding method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The unloading station includes an unloading station body, a lifting module and a positioning module, the positioning module includes a first positioning mechanism arranged on a material frame carrying materials, and a second positioning mechanism arranged on the unloading station body, the first positioning mechanism cooperates with the second positioning mechanism; the material frame loaded with materials on the first loading channel or the second loading channel is transported to the unloading station, including: The material frame is lifted from the first loading channel or the second loading channel to the unloading station by the lifting module, and the material frame is fixed by the cooperation of the first positioning mechanism and the second positioning mechanism, so that the material grabbing device grabs the material; The method of transporting the empty material frame to the unloading channel corresponding to the unloading station includes: The cooperation relationship between the first positioning mechanism and the second positioning mechanism is released, and the empty material frame is transported from the unloading station to the unloading channel through the lifting module.

7. A feeding system, characterized in that: include: A material frame detection module is used to detect the state of the material frame of the unloading station of the feeding equipment; A feeding module, used for controlling the material grabbing operation of the feeding device and the material frame conveying operation of the unloading station in response to the state of the material frame of the unloading station; Wherein, the feeding equipment is provided with a first feeding channel and a second feeding channel, and the material frame is conveyed to the unloading station through the first feeding channel and / or the second feeding channel.

8. A feeding device, characterized in that: It includes a feeding mechanism, a material grabbing device and a feeding device; The feeding device is used to perform the feeding method according to any one of claims 1 to 6; The feeding mechanism comprises a material unloading station, a first material loading channel and a second material loading channel. The material grabbing device is used to grab the material on the material unloading station of the feeding mechanism and transport the grabbed material to a preset process station. The material is provided by the first feeding channel and / or the second feeding channel.

9. The feeding device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The feeding device also includes a discharge mechanism; the discharge mechanism is used to grab an empty material frame from a discharge station of the feeding mechanism.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: A memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor implements the feeding method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 when executing the computer program.

11. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute the feeding method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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