Summary of the invention
For this reason, it may be necessary to a kind of double automatic code marking device of filter be provided, to solve the stamp of filter in the prior art
Mode inefficiency, problem with high costs.
To achieve the above object, a kind of double automatic code marking device of filter is inventor provided, including what is set gradually
Feeding device, material-pulling device, stamp device and blanking device;
The feeding device includes transport mechanism, and the transport mechanism is at conveying work pieces to material-pulling device;
The material-pulling device includes pusher and two discharge ports, and the pusher includes push plate and the first driving machine
Structure, first driving mechanism are connect with push plate, for driving push plate that workpiece is alternately pushed into two dischargings of feeding device
Outside mouthful;
There are two the stamp devices, and two stamp devices are set to two discharge outlets of material-pulling device one by one;It is described
Stamp device includes Ban Liao mechanism, positioning mechanism, code printing mechanism;The Ban Liao mechanism includes the second driving mechanism and movable claw,
Second driving mechanism is connect with movable claw, for driving movable claw to move along the discharging direction of stamp device;The activity
Pawl includes corpus unguis and third driving mechanism, and the third driving mechanism is connect with corpus unguis, for driving corpus unguis to move up and down, so that
Corpus unguis discharges or sticks workpiece;The positioning mechanism is oppositely arranged with code printing mechanism, for the firm workpiece in stamp state.
Further, the feeding device further includes feeding distribution mechanism, and the feeding distribution mechanism is used to discharge the first workpiece simultaneously
The workpiece of barrier thereafter;
The feeding distribution mechanism includes the 4th driving mechanism, the first inserted link, connecting rod and the second inserted link;It cuts with scissors at the middle part of the connecting rod
It is connected to the discharge outlet of transport mechanism;First inserted link and the second inserted link are hingedly connected at the both ends of connecting rod, and first inserts
Bar is adapted with the spacing of the second inserted link with the width of workpiece;4th driving mechanism is connect with the first inserted link, for pushing
First inserted link inserts between the first workpiece and workpiece thereafter, and the second inserted link is moved to the first work before the first workpiece
Part lateral position.
Further, there are two the movable claws, two movable claws are arranged side by side along the discharging direction of stamp device, and two
Spacing, the spacing of the feeding inlet of code printing mechanism and stamp device of a movable claw are consistent;Second driving mechanism with two
Movable claw is all connected with, for driving two movable claws simultaneously along the discharging direction back and forth movement of stamp device.
Further, the stamp device further includes barcode scanning mechanism, and the barcode scanning mechanism is for scanning and storing workpiece
Identification code, the barcode scanning mechanism and code printing mechanism are set gradually along the discharging direction of stamp device, and barcode scanning mechanism and stamp
Mechanism is located at the same side;The spacing of code printing mechanism and barcode scanning mechanism, the spacing of two movable claws, code printing mechanism and stamp device
The spacing of feeding inlet is consistent.
Further, the Ban Liao mechanism further includes Ban Liao mechanism supporting plate, and Ban Liao mechanism supporting plate is along stamp device
Discharging direction setting;The movable claw further includes movable claw supporting plate, the movable claw supporting plate can along discharging direction slidably with remove
Expect the connection of mechanism supporting plate;The movable claw is set at movable claw supporting plate;Second driving mechanism is set to Ban Liao mechanism branch
Plate, and the output shaft of the second driving mechanism is connect with movable claw supporting plate.
Further, Ban Liao mechanism supporting plate is provided with sliding rail, the length direction of the sliding slot and going out for stamp device
Expect that direction is consistent;The movable claw supporting plate is provided with sliding slot compatible with sliding rail;The movable claw supporting plate passes through sliding slot and cunning
Rail is slidably connected with Ban Liao mechanism supporting plate.
Further, the pusher further includes slide bar, two discharge port faces setting of the material-pulling device, described
Slide bar is set between two discharge ports;The push plate is movably connected with slide bar, and the push plate is in the first driving mechanism
It is moved under driving along slide bar.
Further, the blanking device includes the blanking channel surrounded by guide plate, and the width of the blanking channel is under
The feeding inlet in material channel is reduced to the width of single workpiece to the discharge port of blanking channel.
Further, first driving mechanism, the second driving mechanism, third driving mechanism and positioning mechanism can be gas
Cylinder, oil cylinder or linear motor.
Further, the code printing mechanism is Laser Jet device.
It is different from the prior art, the double automatic code marking device of filter described in above-mentioned technical proposal, including sets gradually
Feeding device, material-pulling device, stamp device and blanking device;Feeding device includes transport mechanism, and transport mechanism is for transmitting
At workpiece to material-pulling device;Material-pulling device includes pusher and two discharge ports, and pusher includes push plate and the first driving
Mechanism, the first driving mechanism are connect with push plate, for driving push plate that workpiece is alternately pushed into two discharge ports of feeding device
Outside;There are two stamp devices, and two stamp devices are set to two discharge outlets of material-pulling device one by one;Stamp device includes removing
Expect mechanism, positioning mechanism, code printing mechanism;Ban Liao mechanism includes the second driving mechanism and movable claw, the second driving mechanism and activity
Pawl connection, for driving movable claw to move along the discharging direction of stamp device;Movable claw includes corpus unguis and third driving mechanism, and
Three driving mechanisms are connect with corpus unguis, for driving corpus unguis to move up and down, so that corpus unguis discharges or stick workpiece;It positioning mechanism and beats
Ink recorder structure is oppositely arranged, for the firm workpiece in stamp state.Such setting allows filter to first pass through pan feeding
Device is successively transferred at pusher, realizes automatic feeding;Then filter realizes automatic code-printing by stamp device;
By the way that two stamp devices are arranged, the efficiency of stamp can be improved;Due to there are two the settings of stamp device, setting pusher is filled
It sets, filter can be pushed to two code printing mechanisms respectively by material-pulling device, so that needing stamp at two code printing mechanisms
Filter;Last filter realizes discharging by blanking device.Therefore the double automatic code marking device of filter can be real
Existing automatic code-printing and discharging, not only reduce manpower and material resources, also improve stamp efficiency.
Specific embodiment
Technology contents, construction feature, the objects and the effects for detailed description technical solution, below in conjunction with specific reality
It applies example and attached drawing is cooperated to be explained in detail.
Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 is please referred to, the present invention provides a kind of double automatic code marking devices of filter, for mechanization are
Filter stamp.
In the particular embodiment, the double automatic code marking device of the filter includes the feeding device 1 set gradually, pushes away
Expect device 2, stamp device 3 and blanking device 4.The feeding device 1 is used for feeding, is specifically used for filter (i.e. hereafter
The workpiece 5) it is transmitted to material-pulling device 2, the feeding inlet of feeding device 1 can connect with the discharge port of the equipment of production filter
It connects, such setting then no longer needs to be placed in one by one at feeding device 1 by manually producing complete filter, mentions significantly
The high efficiency of pan feeding.The stamp device 3 is used for the surface automatic code-printing in filter, and the code beaten can be bar code, two
Tie up code or other identification codes;The material-pulling device 2 is used for the filtering outside the discharge port of feeding device 1 (i.e. in material-pulling device 2)
Device is pushed at the feeding inlet of stamp device 3;The blanking device 4 for successively transporting out of the filter for completing stamp one by one
The double automatic code marking device 3 of filter.
In the particular embodiment, the feeding device 1 includes transport mechanism 10, the direction of transfer of the transport mechanism 10
For feeding mechanism discharge port from feeding inlet to feeding device 1, it is such setting allow transport mechanism 10 by workpiece 5 (i.e.
Filter) it is sent at material-pulling device 2.The transport mechanism 10 includes conveyer belt, two driving wheels, two brackets and electric rotating
Machine;The conveyer belt joins end to end, and two driving wheels are set in conveyer belt and support transmission belt straight;Two brackets are opposite to be set
It sets, described two driving wheels can be set to rotation between two brackets, and rotating electric machine and driving wheel are sequentially connected, for driving
Driving wheel rotation.Conveyer belt and driving wheel are respectively provided with teeth, the tooth of driving wheel and the tooth engagement of conveyer belt, driving wheel and conveyer belt
Linkage is engaged by tooth and tooth;Being also possible to conveyer belt is belt, and driving wheel is belt pulley, is relied between belt and belt pulley
Frictional force linkage.After such setting is so that driving wheel rotates under the driving of rotating electric machine, the driving wheel of rotation can be driven
Conveyer belt is mobile, to realize conveying work pieces 5.
In order to improve the efficiency of stamp, in the particular embodiment, there are two the stamp devices 3, two stamp devices 3
Carry out stamp can be worked at the same time, the efficiency of stamp can be greatly improved.
In the particular embodiment, the stamp device 3 includes stamp workbench, Ban Liao mechanism, positioning mechanism 36, stamp
Mechanism 37, wherein the code printing mechanism 37 is Laser Jet device.Workpiece 5 is stood on stamp workbench, the stamp workbench
Width is the width of a workpiece 5, i.e. workpiece 5 is in turn stood on stamp workbench one by one.The Ban Liao mechanism is used for
Workpiece 5 is removed from the feeding inlet of stamp device 3 to from code printing mechanism 37, is also used to fill workpiece 5 from code printing mechanism 37 to stamp
The discharge outlet for setting 3 is carried.The positioning mechanism 36 is just locating the workpiece 5 of stamp state for consolidating at code printing mechanism 37,
Can prevent workpiece 5 in stamp skew and influence stamp, be also used to that the surface of workpiece 5 is enable to bear against code printing mechanism 37,
Code printing mechanism 37 is successfully beaten code at the surface in workpiece 5.The code printing mechanism 37 is used for 5 stamp of workpiece.
The Ban Liao mechanism is set to the top of stamp workbench, including the second driving mechanism 30 and movable claw, and described
Two driving mechanisms 30 are connect with movable claw, and second driving mechanism 30 can be done for cylinder, oil cylinder or linear motor etc.
The mechanism of straight line back and forth movement, for driving movable claw to move along the discharging direction of stamp device 3.Such setting is so that activity
Pawl can be moved along the discharging direction of stamp device 3, allow movable claw by workpiece 5 from the feeding inlet of stamp device 3
It removes to code printing mechanism 37, then removes from code printing mechanism 37 to the discharge outlet of stamp device 3, so that the workpiece 5 carried
The workpiece 5 of previous carrying can be squeezed out to outside the discharge port of stamp device 3.
The movable claw includes corpus unguis 31 and third driving mechanism 32, and the movable claw can be for two semi-ring compositions not
The annulus of closure, or the annulus of a closure, the diameter of the annulus are not less than the diameter of workpiece, and such setting makes
Workpiece can be covered by obtaining movable claw, and will not stick workpiece.Since movable claw is for covering workpiece, form movable claw
The place face of annulus is arranged in parallel with stamp workbench, i.e. the place face of the annulus of composition movable claw perpendicular to workpiece setting, this
After the setting of sample is so that movable claw moves downward, annulus can cover workpiece, and after movable claw moves upwards, annulus may exit off work
Part.
The third driving mechanism 32 is connect with corpus unguis 31, and third driving mechanism 32 can be cylinder, oil cylinder or straight-line electric
Machine etc. can do the mechanism of straight line back and forth movement, for driving corpus unguis 31 to move up and down, so that corpus unguis 31 discharges or stick workpiece.
When workpiece is located at the underface of movable claw, third driving mechanism 32 drives movable claw to move downward, until movable claw covers work
Part, then the second driving mechanism 30 drives movable claw mobile to the discharging direction of stamp device 3, and porter then may be implemented in this way
Part.Second driving mechanism 30 driving movable claw is moved at code printing mechanism 37, and workpiece is located at code printing mechanism 37 at this time, and then the
Three driving mechanisms 32 driving movable claw moves upwards, until movable claw is detached from workpiece, then will not influence the stamp of workpiece in this way, to
After code printing mechanism 37 has beaten code to workpiece, third driving mechanism 32 drives movable claw to move downward, until movable claw covers workpiece,
Then it is mobile to the discharge port of stamp device 3 to drive movable claw for the second driving mechanism 30, until removing workpiece to code printing mechanism 37
Discharge outlet, then the second driving mechanism 30 drives movable claw to be back at the feeding inlet of stamp device 3 again, next to carry
Workpiece.
The positioning mechanism 36 is oppositely disposed at the two sides of stamp workbench with code printing mechanism 37.The positioning mechanism
36 for the firm workpiece in stamp state, positioning mechanism 36 be can be that cylinder, oil cylinder or linear motor etc. can be done directly
The mechanism of line back and forth movement, for preferably firm workpiece, the shaft end of the output shaft of cylinder, oil cylinder or linear motor be can be set
There is silica-gel antiskid pad.When Ban Liao mechanism by workpiece handling between code printing mechanism 37 and positioning mechanism 36 when, positioning mechanism 36
Elongate axis is exported, until workpiece can be stuck between positioning mechanism 36 and code printing mechanism 37;To code printing mechanism 37 to workpiece
After code is stamped on surface, the output shaft of positioning mechanism 36 shortens, and workpiece is released, and carrying mechanism can will then be equipped with the workpiece of code
It moves away from code printing mechanism 37.
In the particular embodiment, the material-pulling device 2 includes material-pulling device workbench, pusher, the pusher dress
Setting workbench setting, there are two discharge port (i.e. two discharge ports of material-pulling device).The pusher is set to material-pulling device work
Make the side of platform, including push plate 20 and the first driving mechanism, first driving mechanism is connect with push plate 20, the first driving mechanism
The mechanism that straight line back and forth movement can be done for cylinder, oil cylinder or linear motor etc., for driving push plate 20 to replace workpiece
Ground is pushed into outside two discharge ports of feeding device 1.Therefore, two stamp devices 3 are set to two dischargings of material-pulling device 2 one by one
At mouthful, such setting allows material-pulling device 2 to distribute the workpiece for needing stamp respectively to two stamp devices 3.
For the ease of pusher, in a further embodiment, the pusher further includes slide bar 21, the material-pulling device
2 two discharge port faces setting, the slide bar 21 are set between two discharge ports;The push plate 20 and slide bar 21 are movable
Ground connection, the push plate 20 are moved under the driving of the first driving mechanism along slide bar 21.It is the of cylinder, oil cylinder or linear motor
The output shaft of one driving mechanism is connect with push plate 20, under the elongating or shortening of output shaft, push plate 20 can be driven to fill in pusher
It sets and is moved back and forth between 2 two discharge ports, workpiece is alternately pushed at the feeding inlet of two stamp devices 3.
Since pusher workpiece needs singly successively push away workpiece, by a work on material-pulling device platform
Before part is pushed at the feeding inlet of stamp device 3, cannot again to 2 conveying workpieces of material-pulling device, so, in further embodiment
In, as soon as the transport mechanism 10 can stop working after transferring a workpiece to material-pulling device 2, pusher to be transferred into
After the workpiece of device 2 is pushed at the feeding inlet of stamp device 3, then it can continue starting and transmit a workpiece again to material-pulling device
In 2.
To achieve the goals above, in a preferred embodiment, it can also be that the feeding device 1 further includes depiler
Structure, the feeding distribution mechanism are used to discharge the first workpiece and the workpiece of barrier thereafter.The first workpiece being released can be transferred into
In material-pulling device 2, then it is pushed under the action of pusher at the feeding inlet of stamp device 3, before this, workpiece thereafter
It can be blocked, will not be transferred at material-pulling device 2.After at the feeding inlet that the first workpiece is pushed to stamp device 3, thereafter
Workpiece become the first workpiece and be released, workpiece later continues to be blocked.
Referring to Fig. 4, in a further embodiment, the feeding distribution mechanism includes the 4th driving mechanism 11, the first inserted link
12, connecting rod 13 and the second inserted link 14;At the side for the discharge port that the middle part of the connecting rod 13 is articulated with transport mechanism 10;Described
One inserted link 12 and the second inserted link 14 are hingedly connected at the both ends of connecting rod 13, and the spacing of the first inserted link 12 and the second inserted link 14 with
The width of workpiece is adapted;4th driving mechanism 11 is connect with the first inserted link 12, the 4th driving mechanism 11 can for cylinder,
Oil cylinder or linear motor etc. can do the mechanism of straight line back and forth movement, and the output shaft of the 4th driving mechanism 11 and the first inserted link 12 connect
It connects, for pushing the first inserted link 12 to insert between the first workpiece and workpiece thereafter, and the second inserted link 14 is from the first workpiece
Before be moved at the first side surface of workpiece.
When needing to discharge the first workpiece and obstructing workpiece thereafter, the output elongate axis of the 4th driving mechanism 11, the
Between workpiece of one inserted link 12 in the workpiece for inserting in first place under the driving of output shaft and thereafter, at the same time, connecting rod 13 is first
Under the driving of inserted link 12, connecting rod 13 is rotated relative to the hinge joint of connecting rod 13 and transport mechanism 10, and the connecting rod 13 of rotation drives the
Two inserted links 14 are mobile to the side of transport mechanism 10, so that the second inserted link 14 is not blocked in the front of the first workpiece, passing
Under the driving for sending mechanism 10, the first workpiece moves in pusher with transport mechanism 10.At this point, workpiece thereafter becomes
The first workpiece, then the output shaft of the 4th driving mechanism 11 shortens, and the first inserted link 12 is moved to transmission under the driving of output shaft
At the side of mechanism 10, so that the first inserted link 12 does not block the first workpiece at this time, at the same time, connecting rod 13 is first
Under the driving of inserted link 12, connecting rod 13 is rotated relative to connecting rod 13 and the hinge joint of transport mechanism 10, and the connecting rod 13 of rotation drives second
To the forward of the first workpiece at this time, the first workpiece at this time moves to inserted link 14 under the driving of transport mechanism 10
At second inserted link 14, just block by the second inserted link 14.If desired the first workpiece at this time is discharged again, then repeatedly above step
?.
In order to further increase stamp efficiency, in a further embodiment, each stamp device 3 respectively sets two activities
Two movable claws of pawl, each stamp device 3 are arranged side by side along the discharging direction of stamp device 3, and the spacing of two movable claws,
Code printing mechanism 37 is consistent with the spacing of the feeding inlet of stamp device 3;Second driving mechanism 30 connects with two movable claws
It connects, for driving two movable claws simultaneously along the discharging direction back and forth movement of stamp device 3.Such setting can remove simultaneously
Two workpiece are transported, it can be while by the discharge outlet of the workpiece handling of stamp to stamp device 3, also by the workpiece of not coding
It is carried at code printing mechanism 37, detailed process is as follows:
When having a workpiece at the feeding inlet of stamp device 3, firstly, the second driving mechanism 30 drive two movable claws to
The feeding inlet of stamp device 3 moves, until the movable claw close to the discharge port of stamp device 3 is located above the workpiece;Then, should
The third driving mechanism 32 of movable claw drives corpus unguis 31 to move downward, until 31 sets of corpus unguis the workpiece;Then, the second driving machine
Structure 30 drives two movable claws to move to the discharge port of stamp device 3, until workpiece is moved at code printing mechanism 37;Then, should
The third driving mechanism 32 of movable claw drives corpus unguis 31 to move upwards, until corpus unguis 31 is detached from workpiece, at this point, close to stamp device
Top of the movable claw of 3 discharge port between code printing mechanism 37 and positioning mechanism 36, another movable claw are located at stamp dress
Set the surface of 3 feeding inlet;Then, positioning mechanism 36, which will be removed, is stuck in positioning mechanism 36 to the workpiece at code printing mechanism 37 and beats
Between ink recorder structure 37, code printing mechanism 37 carries out stamp to the workpiece;At the same time, another workpiece is just pushed by material-pulling device 2
At the feeding inlet of stamp device 3 (i.e. the underface of another movable claw);After code printing mechanism 37 completes stamp, two movable claws
Third driving mechanism 32 drive respective corpus unguis 31 to move downward simultaneously, be disposed below until two corpus unguis 31 are respectively stuck
Workpiece;Then, the second driving mechanism 30 drives two movable claws to move to the discharge port of stamp device 3, until close to stamp
The movable claw of the discharge port of device 3 is located at the top of the discharge port of stamp device 3, at this point, be located at the discharge port of stamp device 3
The workpiece that the movable claw of top is stuck is located at the discharge outlet of stamp device 3, and the workpiece that another movable claw is stuck is located at
At code printing mechanism 37;Then, the third driving mechanism 32 of two movable claws drives movable claw to move upwards, until corpus unguis 31 is de-
From workpiece;Then, the second driving mechanism 30 drives two movable claws to move to the feeding inlet of stamp device 3, until close to stamp
The movable claw of the discharge port of device 3 is located at i.e. will be above the workpiece of stamp, another corpus unguis 31 is located at the pan feeding of stamp device 3
At mouthful;Then, repetitive cycling it is above-mentioned " positioning mechanism 36 will be removed to the workpiece at code printing mechanism 37 to be stuck in and positioning mechanism 36 and be beaten
Between ink recorder structure 37 " and later the step of.
In order to after stamp can by the data input of beaten identification code and preservation, in a further embodiment,
The stamp device 3 further includes barcode scanning mechanism 38, and the barcode scanning mechanism 38 is used to scan and store the identification code of workpiece.It is described to sweep
Ink recorder structure 38 is set gradually with code printing mechanism 37 along the discharging direction of stamp device 3, such to be arranged so that barcode scanning mechanism 38
At the only way which must be passed of stamp workpiece, workpiece can be carried out barcode scanning with regard to barcode scanning mechanism 38 after completing stamp.And barcode scanning
Mechanism 38 and code printing mechanism 37 are located at the same side, such setting so that the identification code of the workpiece of stamp with barcode scanning mechanism 38 just
Right, barcode scanning mechanism 38 can sweep to identification code.
When the setting of each stamp device 3 is there are two movable claw, in order to improve the efficiency of stamp and barcode scanning, further
In embodiment, spacing, code printing mechanism 37 and the stamp device 3 of the spacing of code printing mechanism 37 and barcode scanning mechanism 38, two movable claws
Feeding inlet spacing it is consistent.Such setting, which allows, two movable claws while to be blocked respectively positioned at stamp device 3
Then the workpiece of discharge outlet, the workpiece at code printing mechanism 37 are respectively moved at code printing mechanism 37, barcode scanning mechanism simultaneously
At 38;Two movable claws can also block the workpiece at code printing mechanism 37, the work at barcode scanning mechanism 38 respectively simultaneously
Then part is respectively moved at barcode scanning mechanism 38, the discharge outlet of stamp device 3 simultaneously.
In order to realize that the second driving mechanism 30 can be stably driven with movable claw back and forth movement, in further embodiment
In, the Ban Liao mechanism further includes Ban Liao mechanism supporting plate 33, and Ban Liao mechanism supporting plate 33 is set along the discharging direction of stamp device 3
It sets;The movable claw further includes movable claw supporting plate 35, the movable claw supporting plate 35 can along discharging direction slidably with Ban Liao mechanism
Supporting plate 33 connects;The movable claw is set at movable claw supporting plate 35;Second driving mechanism 30 is set to Ban Liao mechanism branch
Plate 33, and the output shaft of the second driving mechanism 30 is connect with movable claw supporting plate 35.Such setting allows movable claw the
It is steadily moved back and forth along the discharging direction of stamp device 3 under the driving of two driving mechanisms 30.
In order to realize that movable claw supporting plate 35 can slidably be connect with Ban Liao mechanism supporting plate 33 along discharging direction, further
In embodiment, Ban Liao mechanism supporting plate 33 is provided with sliding rail 34, the length direction of the sliding slot and the discharging side of stamp device 3
To consistent;The movable claw supporting plate 35 is provided with sliding slot compatible with sliding rail 34;The movable claw supporting plate 35 by sliding slot and
Sliding rail 34 and Ban Liao mechanism supporting plate 33 is slidably connected.It is such setting so that movable claw supporting plate 35 can along discharging direction slidably with
Ban Liao mechanism supporting plate 33 connects, and can also reduce the frictional force of opposite sliding therebetween, also can guarantee that movable claw supporting plate 35 is sliding
Dynamic direction fixation is the opposite direction of the discharging direction of stamp device 3 or the discharging direction of stamp device 3.
In order to after two stamp devices 3 discharge to blanking device 4, blanking device 4 can single workpiece discharging, into one
In the embodiment of step, the blanking device 4 includes the blanking channel surrounded by guide plate 40, and the width of the blanking channel is by blanking
The feeding inlet in channel is reduced to the width of single workpiece to the discharge port of blanking channel.It is such setting so that plurality of rows of workpiece into
After entering blanking device 4, single workpiece can be gradually become, convenient for the collection and consolidation of workpiece after blanking.
It should be noted that being not intended to limit although the various embodiments described above have been described herein
Scope of patent protection of the invention.Therefore, it based on innovative idea of the invention, change that embodiment described herein is carried out and is repaired
Change, or using equivalent structure or equivalent flow shift made by description of the invention and accompanying drawing content, it directly or indirectly will be with
Upper technical solution is used in other related technical areas, is included within scope of patent protection of the invention.