CN109896253B

CN109896253B - Automatic feeding system

Info

Publication number: CN109896253B
Application number: CN201711303093.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 王长军; 张丹丹; 鲁异; 邓颖聪; 胡绿海
Original assignee: Tyco Electronics Shanghai Co Ltd; TE Connectivity Corp
Current assignee: Tyco Electronics Shanghai Co Ltd; TE Connectivity Corp
Priority date: 2017-12-08
Filing date: 2017-12-08
Publication date: 2021-03-26
Anticipated expiration: 2037-12-08
Also published as: CN109896253A

Abstract

An automatic feed system for arranging a plurality of components having different shapes, comprising: a loading device configured to provide a plurality of said components; a dispersing device configured to disperse the agglomerated parts unloaded from the loading device into a plurality of individual parts. The dispersion apparatus further includes: a drop passage provided on a drop path of the parts outside the loading device; the buffer plate is arranged in the falling channel, and a plurality of air outlets are formed in the buffer plate; and a blower provided at a lower portion of the buffer plate to blow air into the falling passage through the air outlet so that the parts are scattered. The parts to be distributed can be dispersed and adjusted in posture, the parts to be distributed can be rapidly arranged, and the parts are regularly placed on the storage device, so that the parts of the electronic equipment to be assembled are prepared in advance, and the automation degree of producing the electronic equipment is improved.

Description

Automatic feeding system

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an automatic feeding system, and more particularly, to an automatic feeding system for arranging a plurality of components having different shapes.

Background

Generally, electronic devices such as electrical connectors, fiber optic connectors, relays, and the like include many components such as housings, conductive terminals, springs, bolts, insulating blocks, and the like. In the production of such electronic devices, it is necessary to prepare these components having different shapes and different functions in advance, then select these components according to a preset program by means of manual or robot operation, and assemble these components into an electronic device on an operation table.

A feeding system has been developed that can recognize parts to be dispensed, pick up the parts according to the recognition result, and regularly place the picked parts on a storage tray, thereby preparing the parts of an electronic apparatus to be assembled in advance. However, such a feeding system still cannot quickly place a large number of components on the storage tray, and the work efficiency is still low.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present invention provide an automatic feeding system that can quickly dispense parts to be dispensed.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic feeding system for arranging a plurality of components having different shapes, comprising:

a loading device configured to provide a plurality of said components;

a dispersing device configured to disperse the agglomerated parts unloaded from the loading device into a plurality of individual parts, the dispersing device including:

a drop passage provided on a drop path of the parts outside the loading device;

the buffer plate is arranged in the falling channel, and a plurality of air outlets are formed in the buffer plate; and

and the air blower is arranged at the lower part of the buffer plate and blows air into the falling channel through the air outlet so that the parts are scattered.

According to the automatic feeding system of one embodiment of the invention, a plurality of blocking rods are further arranged in the falling channel, so that the parts are scattered.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the automatic feeding system, the dispersing device further includes: the first conveying device is arranged at the outlet of the falling channel and is configured to bear the horizontal movement of the parts; and a blocking mechanism mounted above the first conveyor and configured to allow only a portion of the parts to pass between the blocking mechanism and the first conveyor.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the automatic feed system, the blocking mechanism includes: the first motor is arranged above the first conveying device; and a plurality of blades mounted on an output shaft of the first motor to rotate above the first conveyor device under the driving of the first motor.

The automatic feed system according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes an attitude adjusting device configured to adjust the component from the dispersing device to a predetermined attitude; and a storage device configured to store the parts having the predetermined postures.

The automatic feed system according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a recovery device configured to transfer the parts dropped from the dispersing device, the posture adjustment device, and the storage device to the loading device.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the attitude adjusting device includes: the vibration disc is arranged at one end of the storage device close to the dispersion device; and a driving device installed at a lower portion of the vibration plate and configured to drive the vibration plate to generate vibration such that the parts are arranged in a predetermined state on the vibration plate.

According to the automatic feeding system of one embodiment of the invention, the driving device drives the vibrating disk to vibrate in a pulse impact mode.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the automatic feeding system, the vibratory pan includes: a bottom plate disposed to be inclined upward in a direction away from the storage device such that the parts are gradually moved toward the storage device by the vibration of the vibration plate; and a plurality of positioning grooves provided in parallel, formed in a predetermined extending direction on the bottom plate, into which the parts gradually fall while gradually moving toward the storage device under vibration of the vibration tray, so that the parts are arranged in a predetermined state on the vibration tray.

According to the automatic feeding system of one embodiment of the present invention, a strip-shaped partition protrusion having a substantially arc-shaped cross section is provided between adjacent two of the positioning grooves.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, each of the positioning grooves includes: a first portion adjacent to the storage device having a same width; and a second portion extending from the first portion away from the storage device and having a width that gradually increases in a direction away from the storage device.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the automatic feeding system, the loading device includes: the upper part of the side wall of the box body is provided with a notch; and the lifting mechanism can be vertically moved and is arranged in the box body, so that the lifted parts fall out of the box body from the notch.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the automatic feed system, the lifting mechanism includes: a drive mechanism; a moving tray installed in the case and configured to move up and down in the case by the driving mechanism; and a guide mechanism installed in the case to guide movement of the moving tray.

According to the automatic feeding system of an embodiment of the present invention, a lower portion of the sidewall of the case is provided with a recovery opening, and a shutter is provided on the recovery opening, the shutter being configured to be driven to open or close the recovery opening to transfer the recovered parts into the case through the opened recovery opening when the moving tray moves to the lower portion of the case.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the automatic feeding system, the recovery device comprises: and a second conveying device provided at a lower portion of the dispersing device, the posture adjustment device, and the storage device to receive the parts dropped from the dispersing device, the posture adjustment device, and the storage device and to convey the received parts to the loading device.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second conveyor inclines upward from a first end away from the loading device to a second end close to the loading device, and the recycling device further includes: an inclined plate disposed between the second end of the second conveyor and the recovery port of the tank and inclined downward from the second end of the second conveyor to the recovery port of the tank.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second conveyor includes: a plurality of first rotating rollers arranged in parallel; a first conveyor belt mounted on the first rotating roller; the second motor is arranged at the lower part of the conveyor belt; and a driving roller which is driven by the motor to rotate and further drive the conveying belt to move.

The automatic feed system according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a pickup device configured to pick up the parts from the storage device and mount the picked parts to a predetermined position.

According to the automatic feeding system of the various embodiments of the present invention, the entangled parts to be distributed can be quickly dispersed to quickly arrange the parts to be distributed in the subsequent distribution process and regularly place the parts on the storage device, so that the parts of the electronic equipment to be assembled are prepared in advance, and the degree of automation of producing the electronic equipment is improved.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention which refers to the accompanying drawings, and may assist in a comprehensive understanding of the invention.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an automatic feed system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with a side wall not shown;

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the automatic feed system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a loading device and a dispersing device of the automatic feed system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a loading device, a dispersing device and a recovering device of the automatic feeding system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a third conveyor of the automatic feeding system according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a second support frame is not shown;

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a storage device and an engaging device of an automatic feeding system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the combination device of FIG. 6;

fig. 8 is an enlarged schematic view showing a portion a shown in fig. 5;

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a robot according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a top view of a vibratory pan showing one embodiment of the invention; and

fig. 11 is a sectional view taken along line B-B in fig. 10.

Detailed Description

The technical scheme of the invention is further specifically described by the following embodiments and the accompanying drawings. In the specification, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar components. The following description of the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings is intended to explain the general inventive concept of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the invention.

According to the general inventive concept of various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, there is provided an automatic feed system for arranging various components having different shapes, including: a loading device configured to provide a plurality of said components; a dispersing device configured to disperse the agglomerated parts unloaded from the loading device into a plurality of individual parts. The dispersion apparatus further includes: a drop passage provided on a drop path of the parts outside the loading device; the buffer plate is arranged in the falling channel, and a plurality of air outlets are formed in the buffer plate; and a blower provided at a lower portion of the buffer plate to blow air into the falling passage through the air outlet so that the parts are scattered.

Furthermore, in the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the disclosure. It may be evident, however, that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in schematic form in order to simplify the drawing.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an automatic feed system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with a side wall not shown; FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the automatic feed system of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a loading device and a dispersing device of the automatic feed system shown in FIG. 1; fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a loading device, a dispersing device and a recovering device of the automatic feeding system shown in fig. 1.

Referring to fig. 1-4, an automatic feed system 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for arranging a plurality of components (not shown) having different shapes includes: a loading device 1 and a dispersing device 2. The loading device 1 is configured to provide a plurality of said components; the dispersing device 2 is configured to disperse the agglomerated parts unloaded from the loading device 1 into a plurality of individual parts. The dispersing device 2 further includes: a drop passage 24 provided on a drop path of the component outside the loading device 1; the buffer plate 23 is arranged in the falling channel 24, and a plurality of air outlets are formed in the buffer plate; and a blower provided at a lower portion of the buffer plate 23 to blow air into the falling passage through the air outlet so that the parts are scattered. Therefore, the entangled parts can be quickly dispersed, and the subsequent operation on the parts is convenient to perform.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the parts as the operation objects are suitable for assembling electronic devices such as an electrical connector, an optical fiber connector, a relay, and the like in the subsequent operation process, including but not limited to a housing, a conductive terminal, a spring, a bolt, an insulating block, a wire, and the like, which are mixed together. It is understood that these different types of components have different shapes, sizes, flexibility and functions. In the case where the storage device 4 stores parts having a predetermined posture, the parts having the predetermined posture may be picked up and taken away by a pick-up device such as a robot, or the storage device loaded with the predetermined parts may be taken away for a subsequent operation.

In one embodiment, a plurality of bars 26 are also provided in the drop shaft 24 to further spread the components.

The automatic feed system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes an attitude adjusting device 3 configured to adjust the parts from the dispersing device 2 to a predetermined attitude; and a storage device 4 configured to store the parts having the predetermined postures.

Referring to fig. 1-4, in one embodiment, a dispersion apparatus 2 comprises: a first conveying device 21 and a blocking mechanism 22, wherein the first conveying device 21 is arranged at the outlet of the falling channel 24 and is configured to carry the horizontal movement of the parts and convey the parts to the posture adjusting device 3; the blocking mechanism 22 is installed above the first conveyor 21 and is configured to allow only a portion of the parts to pass between the blocking mechanism 22 and the first conveyor 21. Thus, the parts stacked on the first conveyor 21 can be separated.

In one embodiment, the blocking mechanism 22 includes: a first motor 221 installed above the first conveyor; and a plurality of blades 222, the blades 222 being mounted on an output shaft of the first motor 221 to rotate above the first conveyor 21 by the first motor 221. Thus, a part of the components accumulated on the first conveyor 21 is pushed onto the recovery device by the blade 222, and a part thereof is moved to the posture adjustment device 3. The first conveyor 21 may be a belt conveyor.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 1 to 4, the automatic feed system 100 further includes a recovery device 5, and the recovery device 5 is configured to transfer the components dropped from the dispersing device 2, the posture adjustment device 3, and the storage device 4 to the loading device 1 to process the dropped components again. In one embodiment, the loading device 1 comprises: a box body 11, wherein a notch 111 is arranged at the upper part of the side wall of the box body 11, and parts with treatment can be placed into the box body 11 in advance through an opening at the upper part of the box body 11; and the lifting mechanism can be vertically moved and is arranged in the box body 11, so that the lifted parts fall to the outside of the box body 11 from the notch 111 and fall onto the dispersing device 2 when the height of the lifted parts exceeds the notch 111. The height of the housing 11 and the indentations 111 is set higher than the height of the dispersing device and the housing 11 has a square, other polygonal or circular cross-section.

In one embodiment, the lifting mechanism comprises: a drive mechanism 13; a moving tray 12 installed in the case 11 and configured to move up and down in the case 11 by being driven by a driving mechanism 13; and a guide mechanism 14, such as a guide bar installed in the case 11, to guide the up and down movement of the moving tray 12. For example, the driving mechanism may drive the moving tray to move by means of a motor driving a conveyor belt, or a motor driving a worm gear, a worm, and thus, the speed of the moving tray 12 for lifting the parts can be controlled by controlling the driving mechanism.

In one embodiment, the lower portion of the sidewall of the housing 11 is provided with a recovery opening 112, and the recovery opening 112 is provided with a shutter (shutter)113, and the shutter 113 is configured to be driven to open or close the recovery opening 112 to transfer the recovered parts into the housing 11 through the opened recovery opening 112 when the movable tray 12 is moved to the lower portion of the housing 11. For example, the gate 113 may be driven to extend or contract by electromagnetic attraction to close or open the recovery port 112. In this way, the parts which are not picked up by the picking device in one cycle operation can enter the next cycle operation again until being finally picked up.

With continued reference to fig. 1-4, in one embodiment, the reclamation apparatus 5 comprises: and a second conveyor 51, the second conveyor 51 being provided at a lower portion of the dispersing device 2, the posture adjustment device 3, and the storage device 4 to receive the parts dropped from the dispersing device, the posture adjustment device, and the storage device and to convey the received parts to the loading device 1 for reprocessing.

In one embodiment, the second conveyor 51 is inclined upwardly from a first end distal from the loading device 1 to a second end proximal to the loading device 1. In another aspect, the recycling apparatus further comprises: and an inclined plate 52, the inclined plate 52 being disposed between the second end of the second conveyor 51 and the recovery port 112 of the tank 11, and being inclined downward from the second end of the second conveyor 51 to the recovery port 112 of the tank 11. The collected parts move upward on the second conveyor 51, move downward on the inclined plate 52, and slide down on the moving tray 12 in the box 11. With this structure, the length of the second conveyor can be shortened, and the operation of the gate can be facilitated. In an alternative embodiment, the second conveying means may extend to the recovery port.

In an exemplary embodiment, the second conveyor 51 includes: a plurality of first rotating rollers 511 arranged in parallel; a first conveyor belt 512 mounted on the first rotating roller; a second motor 513 installed at a lower portion of the conveyor belt; and a driving roller 514 which rotates by the driving of the motor and further drives the conveyor belt 512 to move.

Fig. 9 shows a perspective view of a robot according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in fig. 1 and 9, the automatic feed system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes a pickup device 6 configured to pick up parts from the storage device 4 and mount the picked parts to a predetermined position, for example, to a production line, for assembly into an electronic device. The pick-up device 6 is a robot and comprises a plurality of grippers 61-63 for picking up parts having different shapes. Examples of robots include, but are not limited to, four-axis, six-axis, or other types of multiple degree of freedom robots. For example, grabber 61 has a larger suction cup for grabbing a conductive terminal, grabber 62 has a smaller suction cup for grabbing a conductive wire, and grabber 63 includes a plurality of arms for grabbing a larger component, such as a housing of an electrical connector. One or more different types of grippers can be mounted on the robot according to actual needs.

As shown in fig. 1, 2 and 9, the automatic feed system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes an identification device configured to identify the type and state of the parts on the storage device 4 and pick up the parts according to the identification result. The recognition device includes: a first support frame 71; and a camera 72 mounted on the support bracket 71 to pick up an image of the parts stored on the storage device 4. Thus, the robot of the pick-up apparatus recognizes the image of the part captured by the camera 72 according to a pre-programmed program, thereby controlling the grippers 61 to 63 to grip the corresponding parts. Because the parts on the storage device 4 have the preset postures, the robot can conveniently grab and operate, and the grabbing mode of the robot is not required to be adjusted according to different postures of the parts before grabbing.

Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a third conveyor of the automatic feeding system according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which a second support frame is not shown; FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a storage device and a combining device of the automatic feed system according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the combination device of FIG. 6; fig. 8 is an enlarged schematic view showing a portion a shown in fig. 5.

Referring to fig. 1, 2, 5-8, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the storage device 4 includes a load storage device 41 loaded with parts and an empty storage device 42 not loaded with parts. It will be appreciated that the storage devices 4 may be interchangeable between loaded and unloaded states, and that the storage devices 4 may be provided as trays, the upper surface of which may be provided with a plurality of recesses for receiving components to locate the components. The automatic feed system 100 further comprises a third conveyor device 8, which third conveyor device 8 is configured to cyclically convey the loaded load storage devices 41 and the empty storage devices 42. During operation, the third conveying device 8 conveys the empty storage device 42 to the loading position (the left position in fig. 5), receives the parts from the attitude adjusting device 3, and thereby converts into the loading storage device 41; on the other hand, the third conveyor 8 conveys the load storage device 41 to a picking position (a position substantially in the middle in fig. 5), which picks up the parts on the load storage device 41, so that the load storage device 41 is converted into an empty storage device 42; thereafter, the third conveyor 8 conveys the empty storage device 42 to the loading position, thus performing a circulating operation.

In one embodiment of the invention, as shown in fig. 1, 2 and 5-8, the third conveyor 8 conveys the loaded storage unit 41 and the unloaded storage unit 42 at different speeds of travel to facilitate loading and unloading operations of the storage units. Specifically, the third conveyor 8 includes: two opposing second support stands 81, a loading conveyor 82 and an unloading conveyor 83. And a load conveyor 82 installed between the second support brackets 81 and configured to convey the empty storage device 42 to a loading position (left position in fig. 5) to receive parts from the posture adjustment device 3, so that the empty storage device 42 is converted into the load storage device 41. An unloading conveyor 83 is mounted between said second support brackets 81 and is configured to receive the loading storage device 41 from the loading position and, after picking up said components with the picking device at the picking position, to convey the empty storage device 42 to the loading position in preparation for the next loading.

In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 1, 2 and 5-8, the load conveyor 82 includes: a second conveyor belt 821; a plurality of second rotating rollers 822 installed on the second support frame 81, the second conveyor belt 821 being driven by the second rotating rollers 822 to move circularly; and a third motor 823 mounted on the second support frame 81 and configured to drive at least one of the second rotating rollers 822 to rotate. The unloading conveyor 83 includes: a third conveyor belt 831; a plurality of third rotating rollers 832 installed on the second supporting frame 81, the third conveyor belt 831 being driven by the third rotating rollers 832 to move circularly; and a fourth motor 833 mounted on the second supporting frame 81 and configured to drive at least one of the third rotating rollers 832 to rotate. The loading conveyor 82 and the unloading conveyor 83 operate independently of each other so that the storage devices can be moved at different speeds.

In one embodiment, the third conveyor further comprises a detection assembly configured to detect a loading status of the storage device on the discharge conveyor. The fourth motor 833 is provided: stopping the rotation to enable the picking device to pick the parts under the condition that the detection assembly detects that the storage device 4 is loaded, so as to facilitate the operation of picking the parts; in a state where the detecting means detects that the storage device 4 is empty, the third conveyor belt 831 is driven to move at a speed higher than the moving speed of the second conveyor belt 821, so that the empty storage device 42 can be quickly moved to the loading position on the loading conveyor 82. The third motor 823 may be set to rotate at a set speed so that the components are uniformly arranged on the storage device 4. In this way, it is possible to continuously pick up the parts having the predetermined postures from the loading storage device 41, reduce the time during which the picking device is idle, and continuously load the parts to the empty storage device 42.

In one embodiment, the fourth motor 833 can comprise a stepper motor. The detection device comprises: a light source 834 installed in the second supporting frame 81 to emit a light beam to the storage device 4; and a light receiver installed above the storage device 4 to determine a loading state of the parts on the storage device 4 according to the light beam received from the storage device 4. For example, the detection assembly may include a light source 834 disposed at a lower portion of the storage device 4, the light source 834 illuminating the storage device 4, and a camera 72 (e.g., a CCD camera) disposed at an upper portion of the storage device 4 serving as a light receiver, and analyzing and comparing the acquired images of the storage device to determine a loading or unloading state of the parts on the storage device 4. In an alternative embodiment, the sensing assembly may include a weight sensor mounted on the third rotating roller located at the upper portion.

In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 1, 2 and 5-8, the second transmission device further comprises: a plurality of coupling means 43 and at least one guide rail 44 (two guide rails 44 are shown). Each coupling device 43 is configured to couple the storage device 4 to the second conveyor belt 821 or the third conveyor belt 831, respectively, such that each coupling device 43 is driven by the second conveyor belt 821 or the third conveyor belt 831 to move endlessly. Two guide rails 44 are respectively installed on the second support frame 81 and are disposed around the second and

third conveyors

821 and 831, and the guide rails 44 are slidably combined with the storage device 4 such that the storage device 4 is held on the guide rails 44 while being circularly moved with the second or

third conveyors

821 or 831. That is, the storing device 4 moves relative to the guide rail 44 to be circulated under the guide of the guide rail 44, but the storing device 4 moves together with the second conveyor 821 or the third conveyor 831 in the case where the storing device 4 is combined on the second conveyor 821 or the third conveyor 831.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 5-8, each bonding device 43 comprises: a base 431, a follower mechanism, and a holding mechanism, the base 431 being configured to be mounted on the storage device 4, for example, by bolts; the follower mechanism is configured to be coupled with the second conveyor belt 821 and/or the third conveyor belt 831 so that the second conveyor belt 821 or the third conveyor belt 831 drives the coupling device 43 to move; the holding mechanism is configured to hold the guide rail 44 on the coupling device 43 so that the storing device 4 is driven by the second conveyor belt 821 or the third conveyor belt 831 to circulate on the guide rail 44.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 5-8, the driven structure comprises a sliding plate 433, and the sliding plate 433 is coupled against the second conveyor belt 821 and/or the third conveyor belt 831 to be driven by the friction between the sliding plate 433 and the second conveyor belt and/or the third conveyor belt. The length of the sliding plate 433 is set to be sufficient to span the gap between the second conveyor belt 821 and the third conveyor belt 831 so that the sliding plate 433 is continuously driven at the junction between the second conveyor belt 821 and the third conveyor belt 831. Both ends of the sliding plate 433 are provided with first rollers 434 so that the sliding plate 433 is smoothly transferred between the second and

third transfer belts

821 and 831. For example, in the transition of the sliding plate 433 from the second conveyor belt 821 to the third conveyor belt 831, the first roller 434 at the end of the sliding plate 433 first contacts the third conveyor belt 831 after being separated from the second conveyor belt 821, so that the sliding plate 433 can be smoothly coupled with the third conveyor belt 831 due to the rolling of the first roller 434. It is understood that in the case where the sliding plate 433 is completely moved to the second or

third conveyor belts

821 or 831, the first roller 434 is no longer in contact with the second or

third conveyor belts

821 or 831, so that the sliding plate 433 is driven by the frictional force between the sliding plate 433 and the second and/or third conveyor belts.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 5-8, the retention mechanism comprises: a mounting bracket 432 installed between the base and the sliding plate; and a guide mechanism installed on the mounting bracket 432 between the base 431 and the sliding plate 433, the guide rail 44 being held between the guide mechanism and the bottom of the base 431 such that the guide rail can guide the moving direction of the sliding plate. Further, the guide mechanism includes: a second roller 435, the second roller 435 being mounted on the mounting bracket 432 and extending from the mounting bracket 432 to an upper portion of the sliding plate 433 in parallel, the guide rail 44 being held between the second roller 435 and a bottom of the base 431. By providing the second roller, the guide rail 44 is prevented from interfering with the guide mechanism and the base 431, affecting the movement of the storage device. In an alternative embodiment, the guide means are provided as smooth slides.

In one embodiment, the holding mechanism further comprises an elastic mechanism disposed between the second roller 435 and the bottom of the storage device 4, the elastic mechanism being configured such that the guide rail 44 is in close contact with the second roller 435 such that no bouncing phenomenon occurs during the movement of the storage device 4. For example, a support shaft of the second roller 435 may be provided as an elastic mechanism, or a compression spring for biasing the second roller 435 toward the base 431 may be provided in the mounting bracket 432.

In one embodiment, the holding mechanism further comprises a pair of third rollers 436 mounted on the mounting frame 432 perpendicularly to the sliding plate 433 and located on either side of the second rollers 435, the third rollers 436 abutting against the inner edges of the guide rails 44 to guide the joining device and the storage device 4 to move cyclically along the guide rails 44.

FIG. 10 is a top view of a vibratory pan showing an embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 10.

Referring to fig. 1-2 and 10-11, the posture adjustment device 3 includes: a vibration plate 31 installed at one end of the storage unit near the dispersing unit; and a driving device 32, the driving device 32 being mounted at a lower portion of the vibration plate 31 and configured to drive the vibration plate 31 to generate vibration such that the parts are arranged on the vibration plate 31 in a predetermined state, for example, in a direction parallel to a moving direction of the storage device 4. In one embodiment, the driving device 32 drives the vibration disk 31 to vibrate in a pulse impact manner. In an exemplary embodiment, the drive device 32 comprises a vibrating head, and an electromagnetic excitation mechanism is disposed within the drive device 32. Under the condition of applying the pulse voltage, the vibration head can be rapidly stretched and hit the lower part of the vibration disk 31 in the stretching state, so that the vibration disk 31 is caused to vibrate, and further the parts placed on the vibration disk 31 are caused to jump in a manner, so that the postures of the parts are changed, such as reversed and rotated, and finally the parts are moved from the vibration disk 31 to the storage device 4 through the inclined conveying mechanism 33 in a predetermined posture, thereby facilitating the recognition of the parts by the recognition device and the picking up of the parts by the picking-up device.

As shown in fig. 10 and 11, in an exemplary embodiment, the vibration disk 31 includes: a bottom plate 311 and a positioning groove 312, the bottom plate 311 being disposed to be inclined upward in a direction away from the storage device 4 such that the parts are gradually moved toward the storage device 4 by the vibration of the vibration plate 31; a plurality of positioning grooves 312 provided in parallel are formed in a predetermined elongated direction on the bottom plate 311, and the parts gradually fall into the positioning grooves 312 while gradually moving toward the storage device 4 under the vibration of the vibration plate 31, so that the parts are arranged in a predetermined state on the vibration plate 31, for example, in a direction parallel or perpendicular to the moving direction of the storage device 4.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 10 and 11, a strip-shaped partition protrusion 313 is provided between two adjacent positioning grooves 312, and the cross section of the partition protrusion 313 has a substantially arc shape, so that the component is gradually dropped into the positioning groove 312 by vibration. Further, each positioning groove 312 includes: a first portion 3121 and a second portion 3122, the first portion 3121 being adjacent to the storage device 4 and having the same width; the second portion 3122 extends from the first portion 3121 away from the storage device 4, and has a width that gradually increases in a direction away from the storage device 4. Thus, the parts are gradually adjusted in direction through a plurality of vibrations, and are arranged in the first portion 3121 of the positioning groove in a predetermined posture, and are moved onto the storage device 4 in such a predetermined posture.

Referring to fig. 1 to 2, the dispersing device 2 and the attitude adjusting device 3 are mounted on at least one of a pair of opposed side walls 9 (one side wall 9 is shown in the drawings) such that the dispersing device 2, the attitude adjusting device 3 and the storage device are accommodated in a space defined by the pair of side walls 9, one end wall 91 and the case 11. The recovery device 5 is provided at the bottom of the space, so that the scattering of parts to the outside of the automatic feed system 100 can be prevented.

It is understood that the automatic feed system 100 further includes a central controller to control the rotational speeds of the first, second, third and fourth motors. Further, the central controller is pre-programmed to coordinate the various parts of the entire automatic feed system to improve work efficiency.

According to the automatic feeding system of the various embodiments of the invention, the entangled parts to be distributed can be quickly dispersed, so that the parts can be quickly arranged in the subsequent distribution process and regularly placed on the storage device, thereby preparing the parts of the electronic equipment to be assembled in advance and improving the automation degree of producing the electronic equipment. In the whole operation process, the damage to parts is avoided to the maximum extent.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above described embodiments are exemplary and can be modified by those skilled in the art, and that the structures described in the various embodiments can be freely combined without any conflict in structure or principle, thereby implementing more various automatic feeding systems based on solving the technical problems of the present invention.

Having described preferred embodiments of the present invention in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims, and the invention is not to be limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. It should be noted that the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the words "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. Furthermore, any reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An automatic feed system for arranging a plurality of components having different shapes, comprising:

a loading device configured to provide a plurality of said components;

a drop passage provided on a drop path of the parts outside the loading device;

the buffer plate is arranged in the falling channel, and a plurality of air outlets are formed in the buffer plate;

a blower provided at a lower portion of the buffer plate to blow air into the drop passage through the air outlet so that the parts are scattered;

the first conveying device is arranged at the outlet of the falling channel and is configured to bear the horizontal movement of the parts; and

a blocking mechanism mounted above the first conveyor and configured to allow only a portion of the parts to pass between the blocking mechanism and the first conveyor.

2. The automatic feed system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of bars are further provided in the drop shaft to scatter the parts.

3. The automatic feed system of claim 1, wherein the blocking mechanism comprises:

the first motor is arranged above the first conveying device; and

a plurality of blades mounted on an output shaft of the first motor to rotate above the first conveyor under the drive of the first motor.

4. The automatic feed system of any of claims 1-3, further comprising an attitude adjustment device configured to adjust the component from the dispensing device to a predetermined attitude; and

and a storage device configured to store the parts having the predetermined postures.

5. The automatic feed system of claim 4, further comprising a recovery device configured to transfer the parts dropped from the dispersing device, the attitude adjusting device, and the storage device to the loading device.

6. The automatic feed system of claim 4, wherein the attitude adjustment device comprises:

the vibration disc is arranged at one end of the storage device close to the dispersion device; and

and a driving device installed at a lower portion of the vibration plate and configured to drive the vibration plate to generate vibration such that the parts are arranged in a predetermined state on the vibration plate.

7. The automatic feed system of claim 6, wherein the drive device drives the vibratory tray to vibrate in a pulsed impact.

8. The automatic feed system of claim 6, wherein the vibratory pan comprises:

a bottom plate disposed to be inclined upward in a direction away from the storage device such that the parts are gradually moved toward the storage device by the vibration of the vibration plate; and

a plurality of positioning grooves provided in parallel, formed in a predetermined extending direction on the bottom plate, the parts being gradually dropped into the positioning grooves while gradually moving toward the storage device under vibration of the vibration tray, so that the parts are arranged in a predetermined state on the vibration tray.

9. The automatic feed system according to claim 8, wherein a strip-shaped partitioning protrusion is provided between adjacent two of the positioning grooves, and a cross section of the partitioning protrusion has a substantially arc shape.

10. The automated feed system of claim 9, wherein each of said positioning slots comprises:

a first portion adjacent to the storage device having a same width; and

a second portion extending from the first portion away from the storage device and having a width that gradually increases in a direction away from the storage device.

11. The automated feed system of claim 5, wherein the loading device comprises:

the upper part of the side wall of the box body is provided with a notch;

and the lifting mechanism can be vertically moved and is arranged in the box body, so that the lifted parts fall to the outside of the box body from the notch.

12. The automated feed system of claim 11, wherein the lift mechanism comprises:

a drive mechanism;

a moving tray installed in the case and configured to move up and down in the case by the driving mechanism; and

a guide mechanism installed in the case to guide movement of the moving tray.

13. The automatic feed system of claim 12, wherein a lower portion of the sidewall of the box is provided with a recovery port provided with a shutter configured to be driven to open or close the recovery port to feed the recovered parts into the box through the opened recovery port when the moving tray moves to the lower portion of the box.

14. The automatic feed system of claim 11, wherein the recovery device comprises: and a second conveying device provided at a lower portion of the dispersing device, the posture adjustment device, and the storage device to receive the parts dropped from the dispersing device, the posture adjustment device, and the storage device and to convey the received parts to the loading device.

15. The automated feed system of claim 14, wherein the second conveyor slopes upward from a first end distal from the loader to a second end proximal to the loader,

the recovery device further comprises: an inclined plate disposed between the second end of the second conveyor and the recovery port of the tank and inclined downward from the second end of the second conveyor to the recovery port of the tank.

16. The automated feed system of claim 15, wherein said second conveyor comprises:

a plurality of first rotating rollers arranged in parallel;

a first conveyor belt mounted on the first rotating roller;

a second motor installed at a lower portion of the first conveyor belt; and

and the driving roller is driven by the second motor to rotate and further drive the first conveyor belt to move.

17. The automatic feed system of claim 4, further comprising a pick device configured to pick the parts from the storage device and mount the picked parts to a predetermined location.