Flattening device, conveying apparatus and processing system

Disclosed is a flattening device, comprising: a rack; a material-pressing component, which is provided on the rack and has a material-pressing part; a material-guiding component, which is provided on the rack and has a material-guiding part corresponding to the material-pressing part, the material-pressing part and the material-guiding part being configured to be able to bear against two sides of a sheet material respectively, so as to form a flattening channel between the material-guiding part and the material-pressing part; and an adjusting component, which drives at least one of the material-pressing component and the material-guiding component to move, so as to adjust the distance between the material-pressing part and the material-guiding part. Further disclosed are a material-conveying apparatus including the flattening device and a sheet material processing system comprising the material-conveying apparatus.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a National Phase of PCT Application No. PCT/CN2019/090399 filed on Jun. 6, 2019, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201810599465.1, filed on Jun. 12, 2018 and titled “FLATTENING DEVICE, CONVEYING APPARATUS AND PROCESSING SYSTEM”, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to a technical field of devices for processing materials, and particularly relates to a flattening device, a conveying apparatus and a processing system.

BACKGROUND

A production line for processing a sheet material (such as a steel strap, and a plate) needs to maintain continuous conveying of the sheet material. Meanwhile, it is necessary to convey the sheet material to the production line in a timely and rapid manner so that the sheet material enters the next processing procedure. At present, the existing high-speed production lines with sheet feeding function on the market usually actively feeds the sheet material in a manual traction manner, so as to complete the feeding procedure of the production line. In such manner, the feeding of the material is slow, and the feeding operation is complicated and difficult, a waste of manpower and material resources are brought to some extent and thus the production efficiency of the entire production line is reduced. In view of this, the existing sheet material feeding equipment cannot meet the technical needs of the modern high-speed production line any more.

SUMMARY

The embodiments of the present application provide a flattening device for sheet material, which can feed material to the production line continuously and rapidly, can adapt to the high-speed production line and meet the material feeding requirements of the high-speed production line. The flattening device of the embodiments feeds material accurately and rapidly, and the feeding process is simple to operate, which saves manpower and material resources, and improves the production efficiency of the entire production line.

One aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a flattening device for sheet material, including: a machine framing; a material pressing component, disposed on the machine framing and including a material pressing portion; a material guiding component, disposed on the machine framing and including a material guiding portion corresponding to the material pressing portion, the material pressing portion and the material guiding portion being arranged to be able to abut against two sides of the sheet material respectively and form a flattening channel between the material guiding portion and the material pressing portion; and an adjustment component, adapted to drive at least one of the material pressing component and the material guiding component to move, so as to adjust a distance between the material guiding portion and the material pressing portion.

According to one aspect of the embodiments of the present application, wherein the material guiding portion and the material pressing portion are formed into arc surfaces with shapes adapted to each other.

According to one aspect of the embodiments of the present application, wherein two ends of the material guiding portion in an extending direction of the flattening channel are formed to have flat surfaces.

According to one aspect of the embodiments of the present application, wherein at least one of the material guiding portion and the material pressing portion includes a plurality of rotating components arranged in an extending direction of the flattening channel.

According to one aspect of the embodiments of the present application, wherein each of the plurality of rotating components is formed in a cylindrical shape, and rotation axes of the plurality of rotating components are parallel to each other.

According to one aspect of the embodiments of the present application, wherein the adjustment component includes a guiding member, and the material pressing component is movably disposed on the machine framing via the guiding member so that the material pressing portion is able to vertically move close to or away from the material guiding portion.

According to one aspect of the embodiments of the present application, the flattening device further includes a moving component adapted to drive the material guiding component to move so that the material guiding portion and the material pressing portion are transversally aligned or staggered.

According to one aspect of the embodiments of the present application, wherein the material guiding component includes a cutting end extending toward an entrance of the flattening channel, and the cutting end extends beyond an end of the material pressing component located at the entrance of the flattening channel.

According to one aspect of the embodiments of the present application, wherein the material guiding component includes a guiding end extending toward an exit of the flattening channel, and the guiding end extends beyond an end of the material pressing component located at the exit of the flattening channel.

According to one aspect of the embodiments of the present application, wherein the flattening device includes two material pressing components vertically disposed on two sides of the material guiding component.

Another aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a conveying apparatus for conveying sheet material, including: the flattening device according to the above embodiments; and a material guiding device, disposed downstream of the flattening device so that the sheet material enters the material guiding device by means of the flattening channel of the flattening device.

According to another aspect of the embodiments of the present application, wherein the machine framing of the flattening device is integrally formed or detachably connected with the material guiding device.

According to another aspect of the embodiments of the present application, the conveying apparatus further includes a first guide rail, the material guiding device is movably disposed on the first guide rail, and is able to move in a first horizontal direction on the first guide rail so as to move the flattening device close to or away from the sheet material.

According to another aspect of the embodiments of the present application, the conveying apparatus further includes a second guide rail movably disposed on the first guide rail, and the material guiding device is movably connected to the second guide rail, and is able to move in a second horizontal direction on the second guide rail, wherein the first horizontal direction is perpendicular to the second horizontal direction.

A further aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a processing system for processing sheet material, wherein the processing system includes the conveying apparatus according to above embodiments.

The accompanying drawings are not drawn to actual scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The implementations of the present application are further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. The following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawings are used to exemplarily illustrate the principle of the present application, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present application, that is, the present application is not limited to the described embodiments.

In the description of the present application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, “several” means more than one; “multiple” means two or more; the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms “upper”, “lower”, “inner”, “outer”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, etc., are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have the specific orientation or be constructed and operated in the specific orientation, and thus cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application. In addition, the terms “first”, “second”, etc. are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. In the description of the present application, it should further be noted that, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms “install” and “connect” should be understood in a broad sense, and for the person skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific conditions.

The flattening device provided by the embodiments of the present application can guide a sheet material98(for example, a steel strip or a steel plate) into the next processing procedure, and can reshape the sheet material98. After the sheet material98is feed into the flattening device, the sheet material98will move toward the next processing procedure under the guidance of the flattening device. The flattening device of the present embodiment can feed material to the production line rapidly and continuously, and thus can adapt to a high-speed production line and meet the feeding requirements of the high-speed production line. The flattening device of the present embodiment feeds the material accurately and rapidly, the feeding process is simple to operate, which saves manpower and material resources and also improves the production efficiency of the entire production line.

FIG. 1schematically shows an embodiment of the flattening device in a use state. As shown inFIG. 1, the flattening device of the embodiment of the present application is adapted to guide and reshape the sheet material98, and includes a machine framing1, a material pressing component2, a material guiding component3, and an adjustment component. The material pressing component2is disposed on the machine framing1and includes a material pressing portion21. The material guiding component3is disposed on the machine framing1and includes a material guiding portion31corresponding to the material pressing portion21. The material pressing portion21and the material guiding portion31are arranged to be able to abut against two sides of the sheet material98respectively and form a flattening channel99between the material guiding portion31and the material pressing portion21. The adjustment component is adapted to drive at least one of the material pressing component2and the material guiding component3to move so as to adjust a distance between the material guiding portion31and the material pressing portion21, thereby adjusting the width of the flattening channel99.

The flattening device of the present embodiment is connected and fixed to an installation platform (for example, ground or other device) by means of the machine framing1. The machine framing1supports the overall weight of the flattening device. The flattening channel99formed by the material pressing portion21and the material guiding portion31is a channel for guiding the sheet material98to move directionally and limiting the sheet material98in position. After the sheet material98enters the flattening channel99, the sheet material98can move in an extending direction of the flattening channel99under an action of an external force to accurately arrive at a processing station of the next procedure. The material pressing portion21and the material guiding portion31are adapted to restrict and limit the sheet material98entering the flattening channel99in position. Under the action of the adjustment component, the distance between the material pressing portion21and the material guiding portion31can be adjusted, so as to adjust the size of the flattening channel99and thus change the width of the flattening channel99. As such, on the one hand, the flattening device can be adapted to guide sheet materials98of different thicknesses, and thus the adaptability of the flattening device is improved. On the other hand, when the size of the flattening channel99is adjusted to be greater, the sheet material98can be inserted into the flattening channel99easily, and after the sheet material98abuts on the material pressing portion21and is restricted by the material pressing portion21, the distance between the material pressing portion21and the material guiding portion31can be adjusted again to adjust the size of the flattening channel99to an appropriate value and form an effective restriction on the sheet material98; thus, the convenience of loading the sheet material98into the flattening device is improved, the difficulty of loading the sheet material98is lowered, and the operating efficiently of loading the sheet material98is improved.

In a preferred embodiment, the adjustment component drives the material pressing component2to move, so as to move the material pressing portion21of the material pressing component2close to or away from the material guiding portion31of the material guiding component3, and thus adjust the distance between the material pressing portion21and the material guiding portion31. As such, after a position calibration of the material guiding component3is completed, only the position of the material pressing component2needs to be adjusted in the following procedures, and there is no need to adjust the position of the material guiding component3, thereby avoiding the position of the material guiding component3from deviating from a predetermined position and affecting the accuracy of the material guiding component3for feeding material.

The flattening device of the present application guides the sheet material98to move in the extending direction of the flattening channel99. The flattening device may reshape the sheet material98, so that the sheet material98passing through the flattening channel99will be approximately kept in a horizontal position and thus can rapidly and accurately enter a predetermined processing position of the next procedure, thereby ensuring the operating continuity of the production line and thus improving the production efficiency of the production line. During the production, the operator only needs to pull the sheet material98into the flattening channel99, and then a pushing force is applied to the sheet material98(for example, an uncoiler actively applies a pushing force to the sheet material98) to drive the sheet material98to move in the flattening channel99, thereby reducing the labor intensity and danger of the loading operation of the sheet material98. The material pressing portion21and the material guiding portion31can restrict and limit the sheet material98in position, avoid the sheet material98from being jammed due to the position deviation of the sheet material98during movement in the flattening channel99, and thus can ensure the smoothness and stability of the movement of the sheet material98.

The material guiding portion31and the material pressing portion21of the present embodiment are formed into arc surfaces with shapes adapted to each other. The flattening channel99formed by the material guiding portion31and the material pressing portion21is arc-shaped. The arc-shaped flattening channel99can perform a pre-stress relief treatment on the sheet material98to eliminate possible bending stress in the sheet material98itself, so that the sheet material98finally passing through an exit of the flattening channel99can be maintained in the horizontal position more easily, and will not be bent under the action of the bending stress in itself, thereby advantageously ensuring that the sheet material98passing through the exit of the flattening channel99can enter the processing station of the next procedure more accurately. The arc-shaped flattening channel99can change the moving direction of the sheet material98. The sheet material98can enter the inside of the arc-shaped flattening channel99through an entrance of the arc-shaped flattening channel99from different directions, while the sheet materials98that pass through the exit of the flattening channel99are substantially kept in one direction, and the moving direction of the sheet material98after passing through the flattening channel99is different from the moving direction of the sheet material98before entering the flattening channel99, which can improve the adaptability of the flattening device. When the sheet material98is coiled, the uncoiled sheet material98itself is curved. The arc-shaped flattening channel99can adapt to the curved sheet material98, and thus the curved sheet material98can be inserted into the are-shaped flattening channel99conveniently and effortlessly, without the need of flattening the curved sheet material98in advance, which reduces the processing procedures and improves the efficiency of the feeding operation. In addition, the uncoiled sheet material98will abut on the material pressing portion21under the action of an elastic force in itself, and the end of the sheet material98will be restricted and positioned by the material pressing portion21, which facilitates the loading of the sheet material98into the flattening channel99.

Two ends of the material guiding portion31in the extending direction of the flattening channel99of the present embodiment are formed to have flat surfaces, that is, the surface of the end of the material guiding portion31located at the entrance of the flattening channel99and facing the end of the material pressing component2is flat, and the surface of the end of the material guiding portion31located at the exit of the flattening channel99and facing the material pressing component2is also flat. In one embodiment, an intermediate surface between the two ends of the material guiding portion31may be an arc surface or a flat surface. In the case that the intermediate surface of the material guiding portion31is an arc surface, the flat surfaces at the two ends of the material guiding portion31are tangent to the arc surface, so that the material guiding portion31is transitioned smoothly, ensuring that the end of the sheet material98will not be jammed easily when moving immediately adjacent the material guiding portion31, and improving the smoothness and stability of the movement of the sheet material98. In the case that the intermediate surface of the material guiding portion31is a flat surface, the angles between this flat surface and the flat surfaces at the two ends of the material guiding portion31are equal and obtuse, to facilitate the movement of the sheet material98in the flattening channel99.

As shown inFIG. 2,FIG. 3, orFIG. 4, at least one of the material guiding portion31and the material pressing portion21of the present embodiment includes a plurality of rotating components4. The plurality of rotating components4are arranged in the extending direction of the flattening channel99. When the sheet material98moves in the flattening channel99, the rotating components4will be driven to rotate in the moving direction of the sheet material98. Thus, the resistance on the sheet material98during the movement can be reduced by the rotating components4arranged on the material guiding portion31and/or the material pressing portion21, thereby ensuring the smoothness and stability of the movement of the sheet material98, and meanwhile, the pushing force applied to the sheet material98also can be reduced, thereby reducing the energy consumption. In one embodiment, the material pressing portion21is provided with a plurality of rotating components4. The material pressing component2includes two supporting plates arranged in parallel. Each supporting plate is provided with a plurality of mounting holes arranged in the extending direction of the flattening channel99on a side facing the material guiding component3. The rotating component4is installed in the mounting hole with a rotating shaft coincident with a center line of the mounting hole. Further, the material pressing component2includes a cover plate. The cover plate is connected with the two parallel supporting plates to cover the gap between the two supporting plates while with an opening left on the side of the material pressing component2facing the material guiding component3. The cover plate and the two parallel support plates form a box with an opening after being connected, and the rotating component4is disposed in the opening, with a portion located within the box and another portion extending out of the opening. The material pressing component2consisting of the cover plate and the supporting plates can prevent dust or other sundries from falling on the rotating component4and affecting the normal rotation of the rotating component4. In a preferred embodiment, each of the material guiding portion31and the material pressing portion21is provided with a plurality of rotating components4, to effectively reduce the resistance on the sheet material98during the movement thereof. In this case, the plurality of rotating components4provided on the material guiding portion31and the material pressing portion21are arranged to form an arc-shaped flattening channel99.

Further, each of the plurality of rotating components4is formed in a cylindrical shape and rotation axes of the plurality of rotating components4are parallel to each other. The plurality of rotating components4are arranged in sequence in the extending direction of the flattening channel99. In the case that the end of the sheet material98is formed in an irregular shape, the cylindrical rotating components4also can adapt to such sheet material98, and thus the end of the sheet material98can be avoided from being caught between adjacent rotating components4. The rotation axes of the plurality of rotating components4parallel to each other can ensure the consistency of the rotation direction and force direction of the rotating components4, and effectively reduce the resistance on the sheet material98during movement thereof. The rotating components4of the present embodiment are formed as rollers or roller wheels.

The adjustment component of the present embodiment includes a guiding member. The material pressing component2is movably disposed on the machine framing1through the guiding member. When the material pressing component2moves on the machine framing1, the material pressing portion21is made vertically close to or away from the material guiding portion31so as to adjust the distance between the material pressing portion21and the material guiding portion31conveniently. After the sheet material98is loaded into the flattening channel99, the position of the material pressing component2is adjusted so that the material pressing portion21moves close to the sheet material98and finally abuts against the sheet material98; as a result, the material pressing portion21and the material guiding portion31abut against two sides of the sheet material98respectively, and the movement space of the sheet material98in the flattening channel99is reduced to limit and restrict the sheet material98in position, which is beneficial for the sheet material98to move toward the exit of the flattening channel99and ensures the moving stability of the sheet material98. The movable material pressing component2makes the loading operation of the sheet material98easier and more labor-saving, and improves the efficiency of the loading operation of the sheet material98. In one embodiment, the guiding member includes a linear guide rail5disposed on the machine framing1and a linear dovetail groove (not shown in the figure) disposed on the material pressing component2. The linear guide rail5extends vertically, and can guide the material pressing component2to move vertically, so that the material pressing portion21moves close to or away from the material guiding portion31. Further, the adjustment component of the present embodiment includes a driving mechanism (not shown in the figure) adapted to drive the material pressing component2to move, such as a hydraulic cylinder or an electric cylinder.

The flattening device of the present embodiment further includes a moving component. The moving component is adapted to drive the material guiding component3to move, so that the material guiding portion31and the pressing portion21can be aligned or staggered transversally. “Transversally” here refers to a direction perpendicular to the above-mentioned vertical direction. When the sheet material needs to be loaded, the moving component drives the material guiding portion31to move transversally, to stagger the material guiding portion31and the material pressing portion21and give a way to the sheet material98, thereby avoiding the movement interference and facilitating the end of the sheet material98to abut on the material pressing portion21. After the end of the sheet material98abuts on the material pressing portion21, the moving component drives the material guiding portion31to move transversally, to align the material guiding portion31and the material pressing portion21and form the flattening channel99. In this case, the sheet material98is located in the flattening channel99. Then, a pushing force is applied to the sheet material98(for example, an uncoiler actively applies a pushing force to the sheet material98) to move it in the extending direction of the flattening channel99. The flattening device provided with the moving component makes the loading of the sheet material98simpler and easier to operate, which improves the loading efficiency of the sheet material98, and also prevents the end of the sheet material98from hitting the material guiding component3and thus damaging the material guiding component3. In one embodiment, as shown inFIG. 3, the moving component includes a slide rail6connected with the machine framing1, a dovetail groove disposed on the material guiding component3and slidably matched with the slide rail6, and a driving mechanism (not shown in the figure). The driving mechanism is adapted to drive the material guiding component3to move in an extending direction of the slide rail6so that the material guiding component3and the material pressing component2can be transversally aligned or staggered. The driving mechanism of the present embodiment may be a hydraulic cylinder or an electric cylinder.

As shown inFIG. 1andFIG. 2, the material guiding component3of the present embodiment includes a cutting end32extending toward the entrance of the flattening channel99. The cutting end32is adapted to cut the material. The cutting end32extends beyond the end of the material pressing component2at the entrance of the flattening channel99, so that the cutting end32is closer to the material to be cut, thereby avoiding the positional interference between the end of the material pressing component2and the cutting end32, which will cause the cutting end32not be able to touch the material to be cut. For example, when the sheet material98is in a coiled shape, the end of the sheet material98is in a welded state. When it is necessary to uncoil the coiled sheet material98, the cutting end32of the material guiding component3can cut the welded joint of the end of the sheet material98conveniently and quickly, to release the end of the sheet material98. The material guiding component3provided with the cutting end32improves the automation degree of the flattening device, and does not need manpower to uncoil the coiled sheet material98using auxiliary tools, and thus can improve the operating efficiency of the entire production line. The cutting end32of the present embodiment is formed in a shape of long strip with a sharp edge and extending in the transverse direction.

The material guiding component3of the present embodiment further includes a guiding end33extending toward the exit of the flattening channel99. The guiding end33extends beyond the end of the material pressing component2at the exit of the flattening channel99. The surface of the guiding end33facing the material pressing portion21is a flat surface. In such manner, the guiding end33can guide the sheet material98passing through the exit of the flattening channel99, so that the sheet material98passing through the exit of the flattening channel99is maintained approximately in the horizontal position, which is beneficial to improve the positional accuracy of the sheet material98entering the processing station of the next procedure. The guiding end33and the cutting end32of the present embodiment are disposed opposite to each other, and are respectively disposed at two ends of the material guiding portion31. In one embodiment, as shown inFIG. 3, the machine framing1is provided with a slot11, the guiding end33can move into or out of the slot11, and the guiding end33extends through the slot.

In one embodiment, as shown inFIG. 1, the flattening device includes two material pressing components2, and the two material pressing components2are disposed on two sides of the material guiding component3in the vertical direction. Each of the two material pressing components2forms a flattening channel99with the material guiding component3. The two flattening channels99are disposed at intervals in the vertical direction. In such manner, it is convenient for the sheet material98to be loaded into one of the two flattening channels99according to the incoming direction of the sheet material98during the actual production. As shown inFIG. 8, in the case that the sheet material98comes from an upper position, the sheet material98is loaded into the upper flattening channel99, and is restricted and limited in position by the upper material pressing component2and the material guiding component3. As shown inFIG. 10, in the case that the sheet material98comes from a lower position, the sheet material98is loaded into the lower flattening channel99, and is restricted and limited in position by the lower material pressing component2and the material guiding component3. The flattening device provided with two material pressing components2can receive the sheet materials98with different incoming directions, and reshape and guide the sheet materials98by corresponding flattening channels99, which can improve the adaptability and operating efficiency of the flattening device itself. The material guiding component3of the present embodiment includes a guiding end33and two cutting ends32. The two cutting ends32are spaced apart in the vertical direction. The guiding end33is disposed opposite to the two cutting ends32, and is approximately located at a middle position between the two cutting ends32, so that the connection lines between the position of the guiding end33and the positions of the two cutting ends32substantially form a triangle.

In the flattening device of the embodiments of the present application, the sheet material98is reshaped and guided through the flattening channel99formed between the material pressing component2and the material guiding component3. The operator can load the sheet material98into the flattening channel99conveniently, labor-saving and fast. After the sheet material98is loaded into the flattening channel99, the material pressing portion2and the material guiding component3can cooperate to guide the sheet material98, so that the sheet material98can enter the processing station of the next procedure stably, rapidly and accurately. The flattening device of the embodiment of the present application improves the operating efficiency of the feeding of the sheet material98, and reduces the difficulty of the feeding of the sheet material98.

As shown inFIGS. 5 to 11, the embodiment of the present application also relates to a conveying apparatus for conveying the sheet material98. The conveying apparatus of the present embodiment includes a material guiding device7and the above-mentioned flattening device. The material guiding device7is disposed downstream of the flattening device, so that the sheet material98enters the material guiding device7after passing through the flattening channel99of the flattening device. The material guiding device7can convey the sheet material98to the processing station of the next procedure. The material guiding device7of the present embodiment includes a conveying channel100extending in the horizontal direction. The exit of the flattening channel99is substantially aligned with an entrance of the conveying channel100so that the flattening channel99is communicated with the conveying channel100. The sheet material98passes through the exit of the flattening channel99and moves in the horizontal direction to enter the conveying channel100through the entrance of the conveying channel100.

As shown inFIG. 5, the material guiding device7of the present embodiment includes a housing71and two rows of guide rollers72disposed within the housing71. The two rows of guide rollers72are spaced apart in the vertical direction to form the conveying channel100. The material guiding device7of the present embodiment can be installed and fixed to a working platform (for example, the ground or a surface of a device) through the housing71. The guide roller72is configured as a driving roller and is driven to rotate by a driving mechanism. After the sheet material98enters the conveying channel100, the two rows of guide rollers72respectively press against two sides of the sheet material98and actively apply traction forces to the sheet material98, so that the sheet material98moves in an extending direction of the conveying channel100and finally passes through the conveying channel100. The guide rollers72of the present embodiment are cylindrical, and the rotation axes of the guide rollers72in each row are parallel to each other. In one embodiment, the guiding end33of the material guiding component3extends into the conveying channel100. The guiding end33of the material guiding component3is disposed close to the guiding rollers72near the entrance of the conveying channel100among all the guiding rollers72, to shorten the distance between the guiding end33and the guiding rollers7, ensure an earlier contact of the sheet material98with the guide rollers72, and also avoid the situation that the end of the sheet material98sags under its own gravity, hits the guide roller72and thus cannot normally enter the gap between the two rows of guide rollers72, which is beneficial to improve the smoothness and stability of the sheet material98during movement.

In one embodiment, the machine framing1of the flattening device and the material guiding device7are integrally formed or detachably connected. As shown inFIG. 6, in the case that the machine framing1of the flattening device and the material guiding device7are integrally formed, the machine framing1and the housing71of the material guiding device7are integrally formed. In this case, the material pressing component2is movably disposed on an outer wall of the housing71via a guiding member. The guiding member of the present embodiment includes a linear guide rail5disposed on the outer wall of the housing71and a linear dovetail groove disposed on the material pressing component2. The linear guide rail5extends vertically, and the material pressing component2can move vertically. Further, the conveying apparatus includes a driving mechanism (not shown in the figure) adapted to drive the material pressing component2to move, such as a hydraulic cylinder and an electric cylinder. The moving component of the present embodiment is connected to the housing71. As shown inFIG. 5, in the case that the machine framing1of the flattening device and the material guiding device7are detachably connected, the machine framing1can be fixedly connected to the housing71by screws or bolts. When the flattening device needs to be maintained or repaired, the machine framing1can be easily and quickly removed from the housing71, and the flattening device can be removed entirely for maintenance or repair.

In an embodiment, as shown inFIGS. 5 to 11, the conveying apparatus further includes a first guide rail8. The material guiding device7is movably disposed on the first guide rail8. The material guiding device7is supported on a working platform (for example, the ground or a surface of a device) through the first guide rail8. The material guiding device7can move in a first horizontal direction on the first guide rail8so that the flattening device connected with the material guiding device7moves close to or away from the sheet material98. When the sheet material98is located in a different position, the material guiding device7can be adjusted in position in the first horizontal direction to facilitate the loading of the sheet material98into the flattening channel99, which improves the flexibility and adaptability of the conveying apparatus.

In an embodiment, as shown inFIGS. 5 to 11, the conveying apparatus further includes a second guide rail9. The second guide rail9is movably disposed on the above-mentioned first guide rail8. The material guiding device7is movably connected to the second guide rail9. The material guiding device7can move in a second horizontal direction on the second guide rail9, wherein the second horizontal direction is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. The second guide rail9increase a degree of freedom of movement for the material guiding device7. The material guiding device7can enter or exit from the production line by means of movement on the second guide rail9. Thus, it is convenient to rapidly adjust the position of the material guiding device7according to the requirements of the production line to process products, the operational flexibility and adaptability of the conveying apparatus are further improved, and thus the flexibility, processing capacity and adaptability of the entire production line are improved.

In order to further explain the conveying apparatus of the present embodiment, the conveying apparatus of the present embodiment will be described combined withFIGS. 7 to 10. The present embodiment lies in the process of conveying the coiled sheet material98by use of the conveying apparatus according to the embodiments of the present application, wherein the flattening device includes two material pressing components2. The machine framing1of the flattening device and the material guiding device7are integrally formed.

The present embodiment does not define the protection scope of the present application, and is described as below.

The conveying apparatus of the present embodiment is adapted to convey a coiled sheet material98. The conveying apparatus of the present embodiment includes a first guide rail8, a second guide rail9, a material guiding device7, and a material pressing component2and a material guiding component3disposed on the material guiding device7.

As shown inFIGS. 7 and 8, after the coiled sheet material98is uncoiled, the end of the sheet material98enters the conveying apparatus in an upper feeding manner. For feeding of the sheet material98in the upper feeding manner, the operating process of the conveying apparatus includes the following operations:

keeping the coiled sheet material98in a coiled state, and driving the material guiding component3to move transversally to stagger the material guiding portion31of the material guiding component3and the material pressing portion21of the material pressing component2;

moving the material guiding device7to a suitable position along the first guide rail8and the second guide rail9, and then uncoiling the coiled sheet material98, wherein the end of the sheet material98is subjected to the elastic stress in itself and will abut on the material pressing portion21of the upper material pressing component2;

driving the material guiding component3to move transversally, to align the material guiding portion31of the material guiding component3and the material pressing portion21of the material pressing component2;

driving the material pressing component2to move vertically so that the material pressing portion21of the material pressing component2is continuously close to the sheet material98and finally abuts against two sides of the sheet material98together with the material guiding portion31to sandwich the sheet material98between the material pressing portion21and the material guiding portion31;

starting the guide rollers72of the material guiding device7, and then starting the uncoiler. When the uncoiler rotates, the uncoiler drives the sheet material98to move in the extending direction of the flattening channel99. The sheet material98that has been reshaped and guided by the material guiding portion31and the material pressing portion21passes through the flattening channel99and enters the conveying channel100, then passes through the exit of the conveying channel100under the traction of the guide rollers72, and finally enters the subsequent production line; and

stopping the conveying apparatus when one coil of sheet material98is completely conveyed, reloading one coil of sheet material98onto the uncoiler, and repeating the above-mentioned operating process.

As shown inFIGS. 9 and 10, after the coiled sheet material98is uncoiled, the end of the sheet material98enters the conveying apparatus in a lower feeding manner. For feeding of the sheet material98in the lower feeding manner, the same portion of the operating process of the conveying apparatus as that of the conveying apparatus under the upper feeding manner, will not be repeated here. The difference lies in that the sheet material98after uncoiled abuts on the material pressing portion21of the lower material pressing component2, and the lower material pressing component2moves vertically and cooperates with the material guiding component3to reshape and guide the sheet material98.

The conveying apparatus of the embodiments of the present application can guide, reshape, and convey the sheet material98sequentially through the flattening device and the material guiding device7, so as to ensure the continuity and efficiency of the supply of the sheet material98on the production line, and also reduce the difficulty of the operating process from feeding to conveying of the sheet material98; thus, the automation degree of the production line is improved, manpower and material resources are saved, and the production efficiency is advantageously improved.

The embodiment of the present application further relates to a processing system for processing the sheet material98, wherein the processing system includes the above-mentioned conveying apparatus. The conveying apparatus included in the processing system can substantially maintain a continuous supply of the sheet material98, with a high efficiency of loading the sheet material98, and thus the overall production efficiency of the processing system is high, and the processing cost is reduced.

Although the present application has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, various improvements can be made to the present application and the components therein can be replaced with equivalents, without departing from the scope of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any manner. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed in the context, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.