System for supplying components
A system ( 1 ) for supplying components, particularly for transporting small components includes a vibrating device ( 2 ) provided with a plate ( 3 ) forming a surface for enabling the components to be grasped by a robot and a vibrating element ( 12 ) arranged to be capable of vibrating the plate ( 3 ) in one of the three directions in space and to be capable of vibrating the plate ( 3 ) in directions corresponding to any combination whatsoever of the three directions x, y and z. For this purpose, the vibrating element includes vibrating actuators ( 12 ) respectively including a vibrating element arranged to move with at least five degrees of freedom.
1. A system for supplying components comprising a vibrating device provided with a plate forming a surface for enabling the components to be grasped by a robot and vibrating means arranged to be capable of vibrating said plate in one of the three directions x, y, z, and to be capable of vibrating said plate in directions corresponding to any combination of these three directions x, y and z, wherein said vibrating means comprise vibrating actuators respectively comprising a vibrating element arranged to move with at least five degrees of freedom.
2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said vibrating means are arranged to make said plate vibrate at a frequency between 5 Hz and 500 Hz, preferably between 50 Hz and 300 Hz.
3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the vibrating device also comprises a frame, a vibrating support supporting the plate, the vibrating support being maintained by the vibrating actuators respectively connected on the one hand to said vibrating support and on the other hand to said frame.
4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the vibrating support is parallelepiped, and wherein the vibrating means is made up of at least three vibrators actuators respectively positioned in the directions x, y, and z, on the faces of said vibrating support, with the exception of the face supporting the plate.
5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein each of the vibrating actuators comprises a stationary element mounted on the frame, the vibrating element being movably mounted relative to the stationary element and connected to the vibrating support, a guide in the form of a bellows connecting the stationary element and the vibrating element and arranged to allow the vibrating element to move with three degrees of freedom in translation and at least two degrees of freedom in rotation, and a vibration generator arranged to move the vibrating element and make it vibrate relative to the stationary element following a translational movement, in directions x, y and z, respectively.
6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the vibration generator is of the piezoelectric, electromagnetic, pneumatic or hydraulic type.
7. The system according to claim 3 , wherein each of the vibrating actuators comprises a stationary element mounted on the frame, the vibrating element being movably mounted relative to the stationary element and connected to the vibrating support, a guide in the form of a bellows connecting the stationary element and the vibrating element and arranged to allow the vibrating element to move with three degrees of freedom in translation and at least two degrees of freedom in rotation, and a vibration generator arranged to move the vibrating element and make it vibrate relative to the stationary element following a translational movement, in directions x, y and z, respectively.
8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the vibration generator is of the piezoelectric, electromagnetic, pneumatic or hydraulic type.
9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each vibrating actuator is controlled independently in terms of frequency, amplitude and phase, and is able to produce arbitrary waves.
10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system also comprises a conveyor arranged to convey components on the plate of the vibrating device.
11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the conveyor is a linear conveyor set in motion by a linear vibrator.
12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the system also comprises means for driving the conveyor arranged to impart a circular translational movement to said conveyor between an upper position, in which said conveyor is positioned above the vibrating device, and a lower position, in which said conveyor is positioned below the vibrating device.
13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein said driving means of the conveyor comprises a conveyor support plate comprising four feet respectively mounted articulated at one end of four legs driven in rotation by their other end, so as to form two deformable parallelograms, and a mechanism for driving said legs in rotation.
14. The system according to claim 12 , wherein said conveyor has, at an end thereof, on a side of the vibrating device, a transverse rim, and wherein the plate of the vibrating device comprising a shoulder arranged to receive the transverse rim of the conveyor when said conveyor is in the lower position.
15. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the conveyor is mounted removably so that said conveyor can be disassembled and serve as a storage reservoir.
16. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system also comprises a viewing system arranged to identify the position of the components on the plate of the vibrating device and actuate the vibrating device and the robot as a function of the distribution and orientation of the components.
17. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the entire vibrating element is configured to move with at least five degrees of freedom.