Abstract:
A sensor detects a workpiece ready for transportation by means of an outwardly hanging contact arm which, when the workpiece is dropped or placed on a carrying frame, is pushed back into a groove in the body of the sensor and in that location gives a contact signal to start the transport, avoiding damage to the hanging arm or to its mechanism otherwise caused by the continuing weight or impact of the dropped or placed workpiece.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to sensors, and particularly to a sensor used for a transporting device and the transporting device including the sensor. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     An intelligent transporting device includes a driving member, a catcher frame, a sensor, and a controller. The catcher frame is connected to and driven by the driving member. The sensor is mounted on the catcher frame. The controller is electrically connected to the sensor and the driving member. The sensor includes a mounting seat and an electrode mounted on the mounting seat. When a workpiece is placed or dropped on the catcher frame, the electrode contacts the workpiece, and a detecting signal is transmitted to the controller by the sensor, such that the workpiece is transported by the driving member, which is controlled by the controller. However, the electrode is easily damaged by the workpiece, and the sensor thereby stops working. Thus, transport efficiency is adversely affected. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout several views. 
         FIG. 1  is an assembled, isometric view of a transporting device of one embodiment, including a sensor. 
         FIG. 2  is an assembled, isometric view of the sensor in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded, isometric view of the sensor in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  shows a working state of the transporting device of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of a transporting device  100 .  FIG. 4  shows a working state of the transporting device  100  for transporting one or more workpiece  200  to a predetermined position. The transporting device  100  includes a mounting seat  10 , a first vertically driving member  20 , a second vertically driving member  30 , two horizontally driving members  60 , a catcher frame  40 , a sensor  50 , a controller  80 , and two sliding seats  70  slidably mounted on the mounting seat  10 . The first, second vertically driving members  20 ,  30  are mounted on the two sliding seats  70 , respectively, and are connected to the two horizontally driving members  60 , respectively. The two horizontally driving members  60  are mounted on the mounting seat  10 , for driving the two sliding seats  70  to a predetermined location. The catcher frame  40  is connected to the first, second vertically driving members  20 ,  30 . The sensor  50  is mounted on the catcher frame  40  and detects the workpiece  200 . The controller  80  is electrically connected to the first vertically driving member  20 , the second vertically driving member  30 , the sensor  50 , and the two horizontally driving members  60 . When the controller  80  receives a signal transmitted by the sensor  50 , the first vertically driving member  20 , the second vertically driving member  30 , and the two horizontally driving members  60  start moving, to transport the workpiece  200 . 
     The mounting seat  10  is substantially rectangular and frame-like. The mounting seat  10  includes two sliding rods  11  located opposite to each other. 
     Each sliding seat  70  is substantially L-shaped, and is slidably mounted on one sliding rod  11 . Each horizontally driving member  60  is mounted on one sliding rod  11 , and is connected to one sliding seat  70 , for driving the sliding seat  70  to slide along the sliding rod  11 . Each of the first vertically driving member  20  and the second vertically driving member  30  are mounted on one sliding seat  70 , respectively. In an illustrated embodiment, the first vertically driving member  20 , the second vertically driving member  30 , and the two horizontally driving members  60  are cylinders. 
     The catcher frame  40  is substantially rectangular and frame-like. The catcher frame  40  includes two opposite support bars  41  and two opposite connection bars  43 . The two support bars  41  and the two connection bars  43  are connected to each other in an end-to-end configuration, and cooperatively define a support space  413  to support, capture, or catch the workpiece  200 . The two connection bars  43  are connected to the first vertically driving member  20  and the second vertically driving member  30 , to vertically drive the catcher frame  40 . 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  show the sensor  50  in detail. The sensor  50  is mounted on one of the two connection bars  43  below the first vertically driving member  20 . The sensor  50  includes a mounting body  51 , two electrodes  53 , and two connection members  55 . The two electrodes  53  are movably mounted on the mounting body  51  by the connection members  55 , respectively. The mounting body  51  includes a main portion  511  and two mounting portions  513  formed on opposite ends of the main portion  511 . A connection portion  515  is formed on a side of the main body  511  and the mounting portion  513 . The connection portion  515 , the main body  511  and the mounting portion  513  cooperatively form a stepped structure for mounting the connection bar  43 . A mounting groove  5131  is defined in an adjoining portion between each mounting portion  513  and the main body  511 . The mounting groove  5131  is substantially L-shaped, and includes a first groove  5132  extending toward the connection portion  515  and a second groove  5133  substantially perpendicularly communicating with one end of the first groove  5132  away from the connection portion  515 . A connection hole  5112  is defined in a corner of each side surface of the main portion  511  communicating with the first groove  5132 . A mounting hole  5135  is defined in each mounting portion  513  communicating with the first groove  5132 . The mounting hole  5135  and the connection hole  5112  are coaxial, and opposite to each other. The two electrodes  53  are mounted on the mounting body  51 . Each electrode  53  includes a hinge portion  532  and a contacting portion  534  extending from the hinge portion  532 . The hinge portion  532  is block-like, and is movably mounted in the first groove  5132 . A hinge hole  5321  is defined in a corner of the hinge portion  532  adjacent to the contacting portion  534 . The contacting portion  534  is bar-like, and is mounted in the second groove  5133 . Each connection member  55  passes through the mounting hole  5135  and the hinge hole  5321 , and then is fixed in the connection hole  5112 , such that each electrode  53  is rotatably connected to the mounting body  51 . A center of gravity of the hinge portion  532  is positioned on a side thereof away from the hinge hole  5321  and the contacting portion  534 , such that the contacting portion  534  protrudes from the second groove  5133 . 
     In assembly, first, each electrode  53  is rotatably connected to the mounting body  51  by one connection member  55 . Second, the connection portion  515  is fixed to one connection bar  43 , such that the sensor  50  is fixed to the catcher frame  40 . Third, the catcher frame  40  with the sensor  50  is mounted on the mounting seat  10 , the sliding seats  70  are slidably mounted on the sliding rods  11 , and the two horizontally driving members  60  are mounted on the two sliding rods  11  and connected to the two sliding seats  70 . Fourth, the first vertically driving member  20  and the second vertically driving member  30  are mounted on the two sliding seats  70  and connected to the two connection bars  43 , and the first vertically driving member  20  being positioned above the sensor  50 . Finally, the controller  80  is electrically connected to the first vertically driving member  20  and the sensor  50 . 
     In use, the workpiece  200  is dropped or placed in the catching space  413 , and makes contact with the contacting portion  534 , the contacting portion  534  rotates relative to the mounting body  51  into the second groove  5133 , so that a signal is transmitted by the sensor  50 , and the first vertically driving member  20 , the second vertically driving member  30 , and the two horizontally driving members  60  are started or actuated by the controller  80 . The horizontally driving members  60  drive the sliding seats  70  to slide along the sliding rods  11 , and the first vertically driving member  20  and the second vertically driving member  30  drive the catcher frame  40  to move vertically, such that the workpiece  200  can be moved by the transporting device  100  horizontally and vertically. 
     Because a center of gravity of the hinge portion  532  is positioned on the side thereof away from the hinge hole  5321  and the contacting portion  534 , and the contacting portion  534  protrudes out from the second groove  5133 , the workpiece  200  must make contact with the contacting portion  534 , and the contacting portion  534  is thus pushed back, into the second groove  5133 . Thus, such of the contacting portion  534  is not easily damaged in use, as the weight or impact of a heavy or forcefully moving workpiece  200  is quickly taken or confronted by the mounting body  51  instead of by the contacting portion  534 . Working efficiency is thus improved. 
     In other embodiments, a quantity or total number of the electrodes  53  can be changed, such as one or more than two, and a quantity or total number of the mounting portions  513  are changed accordingly. The second vertically driving member  30  can also be omitted, and only the first vertically driving member  20  drives the catcher frame  40  vertically. The first vertically driving member  20  and the second vertically driving member  30  can be lead screws. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even through numerous characteristics and advantages of the disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the embodiments to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.