Separation mechanism and feeding device for material tray

• US 10,640,307 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: World Precision Manufacturing (Dongguan) Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: World Precision Manufacturing (Dongguan) Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Sun, Jinsuo, Shen, Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwenning, Lynn E
• Application Number:
  US16/116,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20180362271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 4147954, 294203, 294 94, 2941102, 294114, 294116
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0226 actuated by cams
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/022 Flat
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/08 Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/917 control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 59/02 De-stacking from the top of the stack
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 59/107 by means of rotary devices or endless elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 61/00 Use of pick-up or transfer devices or of manipulators for stacking or de-stacking articles not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A separation mechanism includes a body frame, a clamping mechanism, a lifting assembly, and a material frame. The clamping mechanism includes a driving motor mounted on the body frame, two rotating shafts driven by the driving motor, and at least one clamping assembly. A separation area is formed between the two rotating shafts. The clamping assembly includes a main cam mounted on the respective rotating shaft and a main clamping block following the main cam. The main cams being configured that when the rotating shafts rotate to an initial station, the main cams drive the main clamping blocks to withdraw to release the material tray, and when the rotating shafts rotate to a clamping station, the main cams drive the main clamping blocks to stretch to clamp the material tray. A feeding device is also provided, which is simple in structure, small in size, and convenient to control.

Claims

1. A separation mechanism, for separating stacked material trays, comprising:

a first frame structure;

a second frame structure with a material area for holding stacked material trays;

a clamping mechanism, comprising a driving motor mounted on the first frame structure, two rotating shafts driven by the driving motor, and a clamping assembly arranged on the rotating shafts, a separation area being formed between the two rotating shafts and located above the material area, the clamping assembly comprising two main clamping portions located on left and right sides of the separation area, each of the main clamping portions comprising a main cam mounted on the respective rotating shaft and a main clamping block following the main cam, the two main cams respectively driving the two main clamping blocks to extend into and withdraw from the separation area, the rotating shafts rotating between an initial station and a clamping station, and the main cams being configured that when the rotating shafts rotate to the initial station, the main cams drive the main clamping blocks to withdraw to release the material tray, and when the rotating shafts rotate to the clamping station, the main cams drive the main clamping blocks to extend to clamp the material tray;

a lifting assembly controlling relative movement of the clamping mechanism and the second frame structure; and

each of the main clamping portions further comprising a guiding element fixed to the first frame structure, and each of the main clamping blocks being movably engaged with the guiding element and moved under the limitation of the guiding element.

2. The separation mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the clamping mechanism further comprises a holding assembly, which comprises two holding portions arranged respectively on the two rotating shafts and located on left and right sides of the separation area, each of the holding portions comprises a holding cam and a holding block following the holding cam, the two holding cams respectively drive the two holding blocks to extend into and withdraw from the separation area, the rotating shafts rotate between four stations, the holding cams are configured that when the rotating shafts rotate between the initial station and a holding station, the holding cams drive the holding blocks to extend to hold the material tray at the holding station, when the rotating shafts rotate between the holding station and an unloading station, the holding cams drive the holding blocks to withdraw to release the material tray at the unloading station, and when the rotating shafts rotate between the holding station and the clamping station, the main cams drive the main clamping blocks to extend to clamp the material tray before the holding blocks withdraw completely.

3. The separation mechanism according to claim 2, wherein when the rotating shafts rotate from the unloading station to the initial station, the lifting assembly controls the second frame structure to approach the clamping mechanism, and moves the material tray on the top of the material area to the separation area at the initial station;

when the rotating shafts rotate from the holding station to the clamping station, the lifting assembly controls the second frame structure to be away from the clamping mechanism, and the material tray at the top of the material area is separated from the second frame structure at the clamping station.

4. The separation mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the clamping mechanism further comprises a subordinate clamping assembly, the subordinate clamping assembly comprises a front clamping portion located on the front side of the separation area and a rear clamping portion located on the rear side of the separation area;

the front clamping portion comprises a front cam and a front clamping block, the rear clamping portion comprises a rear cam and a rear clamping block;

the front cam drives the front clamping block to extend out or withdraw from the front edge of the separation area, and the rear cam drives the rear clamping block to extend out or withdraw from the rear edge of the separation area; and

the rotating shafts rotate between four stations, the front cam and the rear cam are configured that when the rotating shafts rotate to the initial station, the front cam and the rear cam respectively drive the front clamping block and the rear clamping block to withdraw to release the material tray, when the rotating shafts rotate between the initial station and the holding station, the front cam drives the front clamping block to extend to the front edge of the separation area, when the rotating shafts rotate between the holding station and the clamping station, the rear cam drives the rear clamping block to extend to the rear edge of the separation area to clamp the material tray, and when the rotating shafts rotate between the clamping station and the unloading station, the front cam and the rear cam drive the front clamping block and the rear clamping block to withdraw to release the material tray.

5. The separation mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the guiding element is a first guide rail horizontally disposed, and the main clamping block is slidably engaged with the first guide rail.

6. The separation mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a sliding groove is defined on the main clamping block for the material tray sliding, and the sliding grooves of the two main clamping blocks form a sliding rail for the material tray sliding.

7. A feeding device, comprising a feeding box, a transfer mechanism, and a separation mechanism according to claim 1, the separation mechanism being installed in the feeding box, the separation area being located at an upper opening of the feeding box, the lifting assembly being connected with the second frame structure and controlling the second frame structure to lift and drive the second frame structure and the clamping mechanism to move relative to each other, a sliding groove is defined on the main clamping block for the material tray sliding, and the sliding grooves of the two main clamping blocks are opposite to form a sliding rail for the material tray sliding.

8. The feeding device according to claim 7, further comprising a stacking assembly comprising a stacking table, a lifting mechanism, and a second guide rail communicating with the sliding rail on the stacking table, the transfer mechanism driving the material tray to move along the sliding rail to the stacking table, and the lifting mechanism lifting the material tray on the stacking table.