TW202417090A - Automatic ball material aligning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An automatic ball material aligning apparatus includes a material discharge device, a conveying device, and a transferring device. The material discharge device includes a material discharge head and a guiding component. The material discharge head is configured to provide a plurality of pellets of a ball material along a discharge path. The guiding component is configured to guide the pellets to move along the discharge path. The conveying device is configured to convey the pellets to an alignment area sequentially along a conveyance path in connection with the discharge path, and the pellets are arranged in a row along the alignment area. The transferring device is configured to transfer the pellets arranged in a row to a carrier tray. Therefore, the automatic ball material aligning apparatus is advantageous for the automatic production of golf balls.

Description

Automatic ball material arranging equipment

The present invention relates to an automated device, in particular to an automated ball material arranging device, which can be applied to the automated production of golf balls.

With the improvement of people's living standards and the emphasis on outdoor leisure life, more and more people are falling in love with golf. These people may be men or women from all walks of life or all ages. In other words, golf allows people from different walks of life, different ages and different genders to compete and communicate on the same field, which is the charm of this sport.

The manufacturing process of golf balls generally involves first using a tray to deliver multiple raw material blocks (such as rubber blocks) of specific shapes and sizes to a hot press molding machine, and then hot press molding each raw material block into a ball core by closing the upper and lower molds. The multiple completed ball cores are then placed together in the mold of an injection molding machine, and the shell material (such as resin material) is coated on the surface of each ball core by injection molding to form a ball shell.

However, some golf ball manufacturers still rely on on-site workers to manually arrange the raw material blocks on the tray. This is not only very time-consuming and not conducive to automated manufacturing, but may also lead to cost waste or poor product quality due to human error.

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an automated golf ball material arranging device which can improve the production efficiency of golf balls in view of the shortcomings of the prior art.

In order to solve the above technical problems, one of the technical solutions adopted by the present invention is to provide an automated ball material arranging device, which includes a discharging device, a conveying device and a transfer device. The discharging device includes a discharging head and a guiding component, the discharging head is configured to provide a plurality of ball material blanks along a discharging path, and the guiding component is arranged on the discharging path to guide the plurality of ball material blanks to move along the discharging path. The conveying device is configured to sequentially convey the plurality of ball material blanks to an arranging area along a conveying path connected to the discharging path, wherein the plurality of ball material blanks are arranged in a row along the conveying path. The transfer device includes a pushing mechanism and a flipping mechanism. The pushing mechanism is configured to push a plurality of the ball material embryos arranged in a row in the entire column area from a first position on the conveying device to a second position outside the conveying device. The flipping mechanism is configured to flip the plurality of the ball material embryos arranged in a row at the second position from the second position to a third position above a loading tray so as to be placed in a plurality of positioning grooves of the loading tray respectively.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the transfer device further includes a guide mechanism, and the guide mechanism is configured to move back and forth between the third position and the carrier along a direction perpendicular to the carrier, so that a plurality of the ball material embryos arranged in a row at the third position are respectively placed in a plurality of the positioning grooves of the carrier in an upright posture.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the guide component includes a guide idler wheel.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the discharging device further comprises a cutting mechanism, which is arranged on the discharging path and located between the discharging head and the guiding component to cut a ball material strip extruded from the discharging head into a plurality of the ball material embryos.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the conveying device includes a belt conveyor, which defines the conveying path and includes a plurality of partitions arranged successively along the conveying path to separate a plurality of the ball material embryos from each other by a distance.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a V-shaped groove is provided between two adjacent spacing portions to hold the corresponding ball material blank therein.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the conveying device further includes a distance sensor, which is arranged on one side of the belt conveyor and adjacent to the junction of the conveying path and the discharging path to sense the distance status of the plurality of the ball material embryos moving along the discharging path.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the automated ball material arranging equipment further comprises a linear moving device, and the linear moving device is configured to drive the carrier to move back and forth between the arranging area and a first waiting area and a second waiting area.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the automated ball material arranging equipment further comprises a first moving device, and the first moving device is configured to move the tray that does not carry a plurality of the ball material blanks from a vehicle to the first waiting area.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the automated ball material arranging equipment further comprises a second moving device, and the second moving device is configured to move the tray carrying a plurality of the ball material blanks from the second waiting area to another vehicle.

One of the beneficial effects of the present invention is that the automatic ball material arranging equipment of the present invention, by virtue of "the discharging device includes a discharging head and a guiding component, the discharging head is configured to provide a plurality of ball material embryos along a discharging path, the guiding component is arranged on the discharging path to guide the plurality of ball material embryos to move along the discharging path" and "the transfer device includes a pushing mechanism and a turning mechanism, the pushing mechanism is configured to push the plurality of ball material embryos arranged in a row from the discharging path to the feeding path. The invention relates to a method for pushing a plurality of ball material blanks from a first position on a conveying device to a second position outside the conveying device, and the flipping mechanism is configured to flip a plurality of the ball material blanks arranged in a row from the second position to a third position above a loading tray, so as to be respectively placed into a plurality of positioning grooves of the loading tray. The method can arrange a large number of ball material blanks on the loading tray quickly, orderly and neatly for easy loading and unloading, and the whole process can be fully automated without manual operation, which is conducive to realizing the automated production of golf balls.

To further understand the features and technical contents of the present invention, please refer to the following detailed description and drawings of the present invention. However, the drawings provided are only used for reference and description and are not used to limit the present invention.

The following is a specific embodiment to illustrate the implementation of the "automatic ball material arranging equipment" disclosed in the present invention. Technical personnel in this field can understand the advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this manual. The present invention can be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this manual can also be modified and changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the concept of the present invention. In addition, the drawings of the present invention are only simple schematic illustrations and are not depicted according to actual sizes. Please note in advance. The following implementation will further explain the relevant technical content of the present invention in detail, but the disclosed content is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. In addition, the term "or" used herein may include any one or more combinations of the associated listed items as appropriate.

Unless otherwise defined, the terms used herein have the same meanings as those generally understood by those skilled in the art. Materials involved in each embodiment are commercially available or prepared according to prior art unless otherwise specified. Operations or instruments involved in each embodiment are conventional operations or instruments in the art unless otherwise specified.

Please refer to FIG1 . The embodiment of the present invention provides an automated ball material arranging device Z, which can shape a ball material (such as rubber material) into a plurality of ball material blanks of specific shapes and arrange them in an orderly and neat manner on one or more carriers, so as to facilitate the transfer of the ball material blanks, that is, to facilitate the transfer of the ball material blanks to the next processing area (such as the ball core forming processing area) to form the desired spherical structure (such as the golf ball core). As shown in FIG1 , the automated ball material arranging device Z of the present invention mainly includes a discharging device 1, a conveying device 2, and a transfer device 3.

Please refer to Figures 2 to 6. When the automatic ball material arranging device Z of the present invention is in normal operation, the discharging device 1 can provide a plurality of ball material blanks B along a discharging path P1, the conveying device 2 can sequentially convey the plurality of ball material blanks B to a arranging area A1 along a conveying path P2 connected to the discharging path P1 and arrange them in a row, and the transfer device 3 can transfer the plurality of ball material blanks B arranged in a row to a carrier C; by repeating the operation in this way, the predetermined position of the carrier C can be filled with ball material blanks B very quickly. It is worth mentioning that the operation of the discharging device 1, the conveying device 2 and the transfer device 3 can be automated, without manual participation, so that the dependence on operators can be reduced and cost waste or poor product quality caused by human error can be avoided. The structure and operation mode of each device will be further described below.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , the discharging device 1 may include a discharging head 11 and a guiding component 12. The discharging head 11 may continuously extrude the ball material (rubber material) to form a plurality of ball material embryos B. The guiding component 12 may be disposed on the discharging path P1 to guide the plurality of ball material embryos B to move along the discharging path P1. In other words, the guiding component 12 includes a guide idler wheel, which may generate a friction force on the moving ball material embryo B (apply a directional friction force to the ball material embryo B), thereby constraining the forward direction of the ball material embryo B, so that the ball material embryo B moves more accurately along the planned discharging path P1.

In practical application, the automatic ball material arranging device Z of the present invention may further include a cutting mechanism 13 and a first conveyor 14. The first conveyor 14 may include a belt conveyor and a motor (not shown in the figure) for driving the belt conveyor to operate, and the first conveyor 14 may be arranged to be parallel or substantially parallel to the ground to define a discharge path P1. In some embodiments, the first conveyor 14 may also be arranged at an angle. The cutting mechanism 13 may be arranged on the discharge path P1 and between the discharge head 11 and the guide member 12 to cut the ball material (rubber material) extruded from the discharge head 11 into a plurality of ball material blanks B. In further details, the discharge head 11 can extrude the ball material (rubber material) into a continuous cylindrical material strip, and the cutter mechanism 13 includes a cutter, which can repeatedly cut the material strip from top to bottom, so that a plurality of ball material blanks B can be formed successively. There is no particular limitation on the interval time for forming a plurality of ball material blanks B, which may vary depending on the size of the ball material blanks B, for example, between 0.4 seconds and 1 second. The above description is only a feasible implementation method, and is not intended to limit the present invention.

Each ball material blank B provided by the discharging device 1 may be a cylindrical rubber block having a length ranging from 1.50 inches to 1.96 inches and a diameter ranging from 0.9 inches to 1.16 inches, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , the conveying device 2 may include a second conveyor 21 to receive a plurality of ball material blanks B from the discharge path P1 and convey them to the entire row area A1 along the conveying path P2; during the conveying process, the plurality of ball material blanks B are arranged in a row along the conveying path P2 in a manner parallel to each other but not facing each other head to tail. The second conveyor 21 may include a belt conveyor and a motor (not shown in the figure) for driving the belt conveyor, and the second conveyor 21 may be arranged to be in or almost in the same plane with the first conveyor 14 to define the conveying path P2, wherein the conveying path P2 is perpendicular to the discharge path P1 and connected to the discharge path P1.

It is worth mentioning that the second conveyor 21 may include a plurality of partitions 211 arranged successively along the conveying path P2 to separate a plurality of ball material blanks B from each other by a certain distance, and any ball material blank B is held by two partitions 211 on the left and right. Preferably, a V-shaped groove 212 is provided between two adjacent partitions to hold the corresponding ball material blank B therein, thereby increasing the stability of conveying the ball material blank B.

In order to receive a plurality of preformed pellets B one at a time from the discharge path P1, the conveying device 2 may further include a distance sensor 22, which may be disposed on one side of the second conveyor 21 (belt conveyor) and adjacent to the junction of the conveying path P2 and the discharge path P1. Accordingly, in the process of a ball material embryo B moving from the discharge path P1 to the conveying path P2, the distance sensor 22 can sense the distance state of the ball material embryo B, such as the approaching state, and report it to the controller (not shown in the figure), so that the controller can control the operation of the second conveyor 21 when the ball material embryo B is close enough to the distance sensor 22 (that is, the ball material embryo B is completely moved to the second conveyor 21 and the distance between it and the distance sensor 22 is small enough), so that the second conveyor 21 drives the ball material embryo B to move a certain distance in the direction close to the entire column area A1 and continue to receive the next ball material embryo B.

In a preferred embodiment, each ball material blank B advancing along the discharge path P1 can accurately enter one of the V-shaped grooves 212 and be brought to the entire array area A1 by the second conveyor 21, and then an empty V-shaped groove 212 will be immediately replenished to receive the next ball material blank B advancing along the discharge path P1. In this article, the term "approaching state" means that the distance sensor 22 senses that the distance to the ball material blank B in front is less than a predetermined threshold, and at this time, the ball material blank B has completely entered the empty V-shaped groove 212 closest to the distance sensor 22.

As shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, the transfer device 3 may include a pusher mechanism 31 and a flip mechanism 32. The pusher mechanism 31 may be configured to push a plurality of preformed ball materials B arranged in a row in the entire array area A1 from a first position on the second conveyor 21 to a second position outside the second conveyor 21. The flip mechanism 32 may be configured to further flip the preformed ball materials B arranged in a row at the second position to a third position above a tray C, so as to be placed in a plurality of positioning grooves CS of the tray C respectively.

In further detail, the pusher mechanism 31 may include a plurality of retractable pusher components 311, wherein each pusher component 311 may have a structure similar to a push rod, and may be independently driven by a motor (not shown) to push the corresponding ball material blank B outward in the horizontal direction. The flipping mechanism 32 may include a flipping component 321 and a plurality of first position limiting structures 322, wherein the flipping component 321 may have a structure similar to a hinge seat, and the plurality of first position limiting structures 322 may be connected to the flipping component 321 in a side-by-side arrangement. The first position limiting structures 322 may be configured to match the outer contour of the ball material blank B, for example, may be configured as a cylindrical structure, and the number of the first position limiting structures 322 may be the same as the number of the pusher components 311, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In actual application, the pushing mechanism 31 can push a certain number of ball material blanks B (e.g., 10 ball material blanks B arranged in a row) each time, and the multiple first limiting structures 322 of the flipping mechanism 32 can be in a flat state to receive these ball material blanks B, and the flipping component 321 can be driven by a motor (not shown in the figure) to flip the multiple first limiting structures 322 from the flat state to the upright state, so that these ball material blanks B are respectively placed in the positioning grooves CS in the same row in an upright posture. Then, the carrier C can continue to move in the planned direction, so that the positioning grooves CS in the rear row move forward in sequence, so as to prepare for each subsequent placement operation of the ball material blanks B.

It is worth mentioning that the transfer device 3 may further include a guide mechanism 33, which may be configured to reciprocate between the third position and the carrier plate C in a direction perpendicular to the carrier plate C to ensure that the placement direction of the ball blank B does not deviate, that is, the posture of the ball blank B can always remain upright before contacting the carrier plate C. Therefore, even if the ball blank B has a longer length, it can be accurately and stably placed in the positioning groove CS of the carrier plate C.

Specifically, the guide mechanism 33 may include a lifting member 331 and a plurality of second position-limiting structures 332. The lifting member 331 may have a structure similar to that of a lifting seat, and may be driven by a motor (not shown) to rise or fall in a direction perpendicular to the carrier C. The plurality of second position-limiting structures 332 may be connected to the lifting member 331 in a side-by-side arrangement to receive the ball material blanks B transferred by the plurality of first position-limiting structures 322. The second position-limiting structures 332 may also be arranged to match the outer contour of the ball material blanks B, for example, to be arranged as a cylindrical structure, and the number of the second position-limiting structures 332 may be the same as the number of the first position-limiting structures 322, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

As shown in FIG2 , in order to achieve automated operation, the automated ball material arranging device Z of the present invention may further include a linear moving device 4, which is responsible for driving the carrier C to move back and forth between the arranging area A1 and a first waiting area A2 and a second waiting area A3, wherein the arranging area A1 is located between the first waiting area A2 and the second waiting area A3. The linear moving device 4 may first move the empty carrier C from the first waiting area A2 to the arranging area A1, and then move the carrier C filled with ball material blanks B from the arranging area A1 to the second waiting area A3, and repeat the above operation. The structure of the linear moving device 4 is not particularly limited, for example, it may include a linear slide rail, a slide seat and a drive motor, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In a preferred embodiment, the automatic ball material arranging device Z of the present invention may further include a first transfer device 5 and a second transfer device 6. The first transfer device 5 may be configured to transfer an empty tray C from a vehicle V1 to a first waiting area A2, and the second transfer device 6 may be configured to transfer a tray C filled with ball material blanks B from a second waiting area A3 to another vehicle V2. Multiple trays C stacked one above the other may be placed on each vehicle V1 and V2. The first transfer device 5 or the second transfer device 6 may include a clamping mechanism 51, 61 and a motor (not shown in the figure) for driving the clamping mechanism 51, 61 to move left and right or up and down within an effective moving range, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Please refer to FIG. 7 , the automatic ball material arranging device Z according to the embodiment of the present invention can perform the following operation steps: step S100, a plurality of ball material blanks are provided along a discharging path by a discharging device; step S102, a plurality of ball material blanks are sequentially transported to an arranging area along a conveying path connected to the discharging path by a conveying device and arranged in a row; and step S104, a plurality of ball material blanks arranged in a row in the arranging area are transferred to a tray by a transfer device. The cycle from step S100 to step S104 can be repeated multiple times to fill the predetermined position of the tray with the ball material blanks.

[Beneficial Effects of Embodiments]

One of the beneficial effects of the present invention is that the automatic ball material arranging equipment of the present invention, by virtue of "the discharging device includes a discharging head and a guiding component, the discharging head is configured to provide a plurality of ball material embryos along a discharging path, the guiding component is arranged on the discharging path to guide the plurality of ball material embryos to move along the discharging path" and "the transfer device includes a pushing mechanism and a turning mechanism, the pushing mechanism is configured to push the plurality of ball material embryos arranged in a row from the discharging path to the feeding path. The transfer device can push a plurality of ball material blanks from a first position on a conveying device to a second position outside the conveying device, and the flipping mechanism is configured to flip a plurality of the ball material blanks arranged in a row from the second position to a third position above a carrier, so as to be respectively placed in a plurality of positioning grooves of the carrier. The technical means can arrange a large number of ball material blanks on the carrier quickly, orderly and neatly for easy transfer, and the whole process can be fully automated without manual operation, which is conducive to the realization of automated production of golf balls. In addition, the transfer device can also include a guide mechanism, which can be configured to reciprocate between the third position and the carrier in a direction perpendicular to the carrier to ensure that the placement direction of the ball material blanks will not deviate, that is, the posture of the ball material blanks can always remain upright before contacting the carrier. Therefore, even if the ball blank has a long length, it can be accurately and stably placed in the positioning groove of the loading plate.

Furthermore, in the automated ball material arrangement equipment of the present invention, the operation of the discharging device, the conveying device and the transfer device can be automated without the need for human intervention, thereby reducing dependence on operators and avoiding cost waste or poor product quality caused by human error.

The above disclosed contents are only the preferred feasible embodiments of the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the patent application of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent technical changes made by using the contents of the description and drawings of the present invention are included in the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

Z: Automated ball material alignment equipment 1: Discharge device 11: Discharge head 12: Guide component 13: Cutter mechanism 14: First conveyor 2: Conveyor device 21: Second conveyor 211: Spacing part 212: V-shaped groove 22: Distance sensor 3: Transfer device 31: Pushing mechanism 311: Pushing component 32: Flipping mechanism 321: Flipping component 322: First limit structure 33: Guide mechanism 331: Lifting component 332: Second limit structure 4: Linear moving device 5: First transfer device 51: Clamping mechanism 6: Second transfer device 61: Clamping mechanism A1: Alignment area A2: First waiting area A3: Second waiting area B: Ball material blank C: Carrier CS: Positioning slot P1: Discharge path P2: Conveyor path V1, V2: Trolley

FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an implementation of the automated ball material arranging equipment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the automated ball material arranging equipment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial three-dimensional schematic diagram of the automated ball material arranging equipment of the present invention, showing one of the operating steps.

FIG. 4 is a partial three-dimensional schematic diagram of the automated ball material arranging equipment of the present invention, showing another operation step.

FIG5 is a partial three-dimensional schematic diagram of the automated ball material arranging equipment of the present invention, showing yet another operating step.

FIG6 is a partial three-dimensional schematic diagram of the automated ball material arranging equipment of the present invention, showing yet another operating step.

FIG. 7 is an operation flow chart of the automated ball material arranging equipment of the present invention.

Z: Automated ball material arranging equipment

1: Discharging device

2: Transport device

3: Transfer device

31: Pushing mechanism

32: Flipping mechanism

33: Guidance mechanism

5: First moving device

6: Second transfer device

P1: Discharge path

P2: Transport path

V1, V2: Trolley

Claims (10)

An automated ball material arranging device, comprising: a discharging device, comprising a discharging head and a guiding component, wherein the discharging head is configured to provide a plurality of ball material blanks along a discharging path, and the guiding component is disposed on the discharging path to guide the plurality of ball material blanks to move along the discharging path; a conveying device, configured to sequentially convey the plurality of ball material blanks to an arranging area along a conveying path connected to the discharging path, wherein the plurality of ball material blanks are arranged in a row along the conveying path; and a transfer device, comprising: a pushing mechanism, configured to push the plurality of ball material blanks arranged in a row in the arranging area from a first position on the conveying device to a second position outside the conveying device; and A flipping mechanism is configured to flip the plurality of the ball material embryos arranged in a row at the second position to a third position above a loading plate, so as to be placed in the plurality of positioning grooves of the loading plate respectively. An automated ball material arranging device as described in claim 1, wherein the transfer device further comprises a guide mechanism, and the guide mechanism is configured to reciprocate between the third position and the carrier along a direction perpendicular to the carrier, so that a plurality of the ball material blanks arranged in a row at the third position are respectively placed in a plurality of the positioning grooves of the carrier in an upright posture. An automated ball arranging device as described in claim 1, wherein the guide component includes a guide idler wheel. An automated ball material arranging device as described in claim 1, wherein the discharging device further comprises a cutting mechanism, wherein the cutting mechanism is arranged on the discharging path and located between the discharging head and the guiding component to cut a ball material strip extruded from the discharging head into a plurality of the ball material embryos. An automated ball material arranging device as described in claim 1, wherein the conveying device includes a belt conveyor, which defines the conveying path and includes a plurality of partitions arranged successively along the conveying path to separate a plurality of the ball material blanks from each other by a distance. As described in claim 5, the automated ball material arranging equipment comprises a V-shaped groove between two adjacent spacing portions to hold the corresponding ball material blank therein. The automated ball material arranging equipment as described in claim 5, wherein the conveying device further comprises a distance sensor, which is arranged on one side of the belt conveyor and adjacent to the junction of the conveying path and the discharging path to sense the distance status of the plurality of ball material blanks moving along the discharging path. The automated ball material arranging equipment as described in claim 1 also includes a linear moving device, and the linear moving device is configured to drive the carrier to move back and forth between the arranging area and a first waiting area and a second waiting area. The automated ball material arranging equipment as described in claim 8 also includes a first moving device, and the first moving device is configured to move the tray that does not carry a plurality of the ball material blanks from a vehicle to the first waiting area. The automated ball material arranging equipment as described in claim 8 also includes a second moving device, and the second moving device is configured to move the tray carrying a plurality of the ball material blanks from the second waiting area to another vehicle.

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