IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,254,522
Granted Patent B2
US 11,254,522 · App. 16/512,808 · Granted Feb 22, 2022

System and method for feeding diaphragm

Inventors: Yingcong Deng (Shanghai, CN); Ziqing Liao (Shanghai, CN); Ke Ning (Shanghai, CN); Dandan Zhang (Shanghai, CN); Lvhai Hu (Shanghai, CN); Kok Wai Wong (Shanghai, CN)
Assignees: Tyco Electronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.; Measurement Specialties (China) Ltd.; Innogetic Technology Co., Ltd.
B65G61/00B07C5/10B07C5/36B65G59/02B65H3/00B65H7/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,254,522
App. No.
16/512,808
Granted
Feb 22, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for feeding a diaphragm includes a diaphragm separating device adapted to separate a diaphragm from a stack of diaphragms, a first visual device adapted to identify the diaphragm separated from the stack of diaphragms and a position of the diaphragm, a robot adapted to pick up the diaphragm separated from the stack of diaphragms under guidance of the first visual device, and a second visual device adapted to check whether the diaphragm picked up by the robot is a single diaphragm.

Claims (40)

1. A system for feeding a diaphragm, comprising:

a diaphragm separating device adapted to separate a diaphragm from a stack of diaphragms, including:

a diaphragm bin adapted for loading the stack of diaphragms; and

a diaphragm sweeping mechanism adapted to sweep a top of the stack of diaphragms to separate the diaphragm from the top of the stack;

a first visual device adapted to identify the diaphragm separated from the stack of diaphragms and a position of the diaphragm;

a robot adapted to pick up the diaphragm separated from the stack of diaphragms under guidance of the first visual device; and

a second visual device adapted to check whether the diaphragm picked up by the robot is a single diaphragm.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein, if the robot picks up a plurality of overlapped diaphragms, the robot drops the plurality of overlapped diaphragms back to the diaphragm bin.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a third visual device configured to check whether the diaphragm picked up by the robot has a right orientation and a qualified shape.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a diaphragm kitting tray having a plurality if diaphragm positioning depressions, the diaphragm is positioned in one of the diaphragm positioning depressions.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the robot puts the diaphragm in one of the diaphragm positioning depressions if the diaphragm has the right orientation and the qualified shape.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising a diaphragm flip-over mechanism adapted to flip over the diaphragm.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the robot puts the diaphragm on the diaphragm flip-over mechanism when the diaphragm has the qualified shape but does not have the right orientation, the flip-over mechanism flips the diaphragm to the right orientation.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm sweeping mechanism includes a support frame adapted to move reciprocally in a straight line and a sweeping brush mounted on the support frame and adapted to move reciprocally along with the support frame.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein, when the sweeping brush moves reciprocally along with the support frame, the sweeping brush sweeps the top of the stack of diaphragms.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the diaphragm sweeping mechanism includes a pair of sliding rails each extending in a straight line and disposed at a pair of sides of the diaphragm bin.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the support frame is slidably installed on the pair of sliding rails and moves reciprocally along the pair of sliding rails.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the support frame includes a pair of support vertical arms, a pair of lower portions of the pair of support vertical arms are slidably installed on the pair of sliding rails.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the support frame includes a support transverse arm having a pair of ends connected to a pair of upper portions of the pair of support vertical arms, the sweeping brush is mounted on the support transverse arm.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the support frame has an adjustable height and the sweeping brush installed on the support frame has an adjustable height to match a height of the diaphragm to be separated.

15. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a linear actuator adapted to drive the diaphragm sweeping mechanism to move reciprocally in a straight line.

16. A method for feeding a diaphragm, comprising:

providing a system including a diaphragm separating device, a first visual device, a robot, and a second visual device;

turning on the diaphragm separating device to separate a diaphragm from a stack of diaphragms;

identifying the diaphragm separated from stack of diaphragms and a position of the diaphragm with the first visual device;

picking up the diaphragm separated from the stack of diaphragms with the robot under guidance of the first visual device;

checking whether the diaphragm picked up by the robot is a single diaphragm with the second visual device;

if the diaphragm picked up by the robot is the single diaphragm, checking with a third visual device whether the single diaphragm has a right orientation and a qualified shape;

if the single diaphragm does not have the qualified shape, discarding the single diaphragm;

if the single diaphragm has the qualified shape but does not have the right orientation, flipping over the single diaphragm to the right orientation with a diaphragm flip-over mechanism; and

if the single diaphragm has the right orientation and the qualified shape, putting the single diaphragm in a diaphragm positioning depression of a diaphragm kitting tray.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein, if the robot picks up a plurality of overlapped diaphragms, putting the plurality of overlapped diaphragms back to the diaphragm separating device.

18. A system for feeding a diaphragm, comprising:

a diaphragm separating device adapted to separate a diaphragm from a stack of diaphragms and including:

a diaphragm bin adapted for loading the stack of diaphragms; and

a diaphragm sweeping mechanism including a sweeping brush adapted to sweep a top of the stack of diaphragms to separate the diaphragm from the top of the stack; and

a robot adapted to pick up the diaphragm separated from the stack of diaphragms.

19. The system of claim 18 , further comprising a diaphragm kitting tray having a plurality of diaphragm positioning depressions, the diaphragm is positioned in one of the diaphragm positioning depressions.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the diaphragm sweeping mechanism includes a support frame adapted to move reciprocally in a straight line, the sweeping brush mounted on the support frame and adapted to move reciprocally along with the support frame.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the diaphragm sweeping mechanism further includes a pair of sliding rails each extending in a straight line and disposed at a pair of sides of the diaphragm bin, the support frame is slidably installed on the pair of sliding rails and moves reciprocally along the pair of sliding rails.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 24, 2019
From: DENG, YINGCONG; WONG, KOK WAI; ZHANG, DANDAN; HU, LVHAI; LIAO, ZIQING; NING, KE
To: TYCO ELECTRONICS (SHANGHAI) CO. LTD.; MEASUREMENT SPECIALTIES (CHINA) LTD.; INNOGETIC TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
Reel/Frame 049854/0634 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 201710033888.2 · Jan 16, 2017 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTIB2018050239 · Jan 15, 2018
Related Publication 20190337738A1 · Nov 7, 2019
Cited By (1)
US 12,528,196