Abstract:
A handling device and method utilizes a clamping arm that is screwed on a guide rod. The axial direction of the guide rod is in the vertical direction, and the rotating direction of the guide rod is in the horizontal direction. Makes the clamping arm rotate in the horizontal direction when the clamping arm is not restricted, and makes the clamping arm move in the vertical direction when the clamping arm is restricted. By such arrangements, the clamping arm can perform handling in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation of part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/746,637, which claims the benefit of the earlier filing date of May 9, 2007. Claim  1  of this application is revised from the previous claim 1, claims  2 ,  3 ,  10  of this application correspond to the previous claims 2, 3 and 4 of the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/746,637, respectively, and claims  4 - 9  of this application are new. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a handling device, and more particularly to a handling device that utilizes a clamping arm to move horizontally and vertically to perform handling operation. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0005]    In the automatic flow, handling is the most basic operation step and is used most widely. With the development of science and the micromation of technique, handling step is used more and more widely in many fields. For example, in the replication and production of optical discs, a disc handling device is a necessary mechanism for moving between different machines. However, a conventional disc handling device has to use complex connecting rod structure and control system to move discs in the horizontal direction or vertical direction. It is obvious that the more complicated structure of the conventional handling device is, the higher the failure rate brings, and maintenance fee consequently increases. Therefore a simple structure that can achieve the objective of handling goods is needed to improve the automatic technique. 
         [0006]    Hence, many efforts have been made by the author of the application to further improve the existing technology, such as the “power source driven stand-up urinal” disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,320, which is directed to aids for disabled persons and includes a guide rod on which are mounted two cylinders extending along the axial direction of the guide rod, and each of the cylinders has horizontal slots and a vertically extending gap. A nut provided with a swing arm is screwed on the guide rod, and the swing arm is able to extend out of the horizontal slots. When the vertical gaps of the two cylinders are aligned with each other, the guide rod can drive the swing arm to move within the vertical gaps. When the vertical gaps are misaligned, the guide rod drives the swing arm to move within the horizontal slots of the two cylinders. Such structure is able to drive the swing arm to move vertically or horizontally, so that disabled person can stand up by placing a hand on the swing arm for support. It is believed to play a certain role if this structure is applied to the handling technology. 
         [0007]    After further analysis, however, we found that the displacement of the swing arm in radial direction is still restricted by the horizontal slots of the two cylinders, and the swing arm is consequently unable to rotate 360 degree. Furthermore, the positions of the vertical gaps of the two cylinders cannot be adjusted, hence, the axial displacement of the swing arm is restricted. Such a technology which is restricted both in radial and axial directions is inapplicable to handling device. 
         [0008]    The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a handling device that utilizes a clamping arm to be screwed on a guide rod, and a C-shaped housing and a locking mechanism control the clamping arm to move in the horizontal direction and vertical direction, therefore achieving the objective of handling goods. 
         [0010]    In order to achieve the abovementioned objectives, the handling device in accordance with the present invention comprises a guide rod, a clamping arm, a C-shaped housing and a locking mechanism. The guide rod is provided on its surface with an outer thread. The axial direction and the rotation direction of the guide rod are vertical to and intersect each other. The axial direction of the guide rod is in the vertical direction, and the rotating direction of the guide rod is in the horizontal direction. The clamping arm is screwed on the guide rod. The C-shaped housing is formed with a longitudinal gap for a mounting the clamping arm, and movably restricts the clamping arm in the meantime. The locking mechanism comprises a power source and at least one positioning block which is driven to swing by the power source, each positioning block being used to press against the C-shaped housing to stop it from rotation. 
         [0011]    The clamping arm and the C-shaped housing moves in a horizontal direction synchronously along with the rotation of the guide rod under the condition that the horizontal movement of the clamping arm is not restricted, and the clamping arm moves in a vertical direction synchronously along with the rotation of the guide rod under the condition that the positioning block locks and stops the C-shaped housing and the horizontal movement of the clamping arm is restricted, thus handling the goods clamped by the clamping arm. 
         [0012]    Furthermore, the positioning block of the locking mechanism can be connected to a driven member, the power source employs a transmission member to drive the driven member which then drives the positioning block to swing. The power source can be a motor, the transmission member can be a worm, and the driven member can be a driven gear which is eccentrically connected with the positioning block. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a goods handling device in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein the goods handling device has three positioning blocks located in the C-shaped housing; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention showing that the three positioning blocks move away from the C-shaped housing and the clamping arm moves horizontally; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention showing that the three positioning blocks press against the C-shaped housing; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is an illustrative view in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention showing that the three positioning blocks press against the C-shaped housing and the clamping arm moves vertically; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing a goods handling device in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the goods handling device has two positioning blocks, one of which is located in the C-shaped housing, and the other is located outside the C-shaped housing; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention showing that the two positioning blocks move away from the C-shaped housing and the clamping arm moves horizontally; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention showing that the two positioning blocks press against the C-shaped housing; 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is an illustrative view in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention showing that the two positioning blocks press against the C-shaped housing and the clamping arm moves vertically. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0021]    The present invention will be clearer from the following description when viewed together with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , a handling device in accordance with the present invention comprises a guide rod  10 , a clamping arm  20 , a C-shaped housing  30 , and a locking mechanism  40 . 
         [0023]    The axial direction of the guide rod  10  is in the vertical direction, and the rotating direction of the guide rod  10  is in the horizontal direction. 
         [0024]    The clamping arm  20  is provided with a nut  21  that has an outer side and an inner side. The outer side of the nut  21  is fixed to the clamping arm  20 , and the inner side of the nut  21  is provided with threads and is directly screwed on the guide rod  10 . 
         [0025]    The C-shaped housing  30  is tubular-shaped and surrounds the guide rod  10  in the horizontal direction, and the axial length of the C-shaped housing  30  corresponds to the length of the guide rod  10 . The C-shaped housing  30  movably clamps the clamping arm  20  in the meantime. 
         [0026]    The locking mechanism  40  comprises a power source  41 , a plurality of middle gears  42 , a main gear  43  and three driven members  44 . In this embodiment, the power source  41  is a motor, a shaft  411  of the power source  41  is provided with a transmission member  412  which is a worm wheel. Each of the middle gears  42  includes a big toothed wheel  421  and a small toothed wheel  422  which are concentrically assembled together. The middle gears  42  are connected in such a manner that the big toothed wheel  421  of one middle gear  42  is engaged with the small toothed wheel  422  of another middle gear  42 , and a big toothed wheel  421  of one of the middle gears  42  is engaged with the transmission member  412  of the power source  41 . The main gear  43  and the guide rod  10  are coaxially and movably disposed. A small toothed wheel  422  of one of the middle gears  42  is engaged with the main gear  43 . In this embodiment, the transmission member  412  is engaged with the big toothed wheel  421  of a first middle gear  42 , and then the small toothed wheel  422  of this first middle gear  42  is engaged with the big toothed wheel  421  of a second middle gear  42 , and the small toothed wheel  422  of this second middle gear  42  is engaged with the big toothed wheel  421  of a third middle gear  42 , the middle gears  42  are repeatedly engaged in this way, and finally the small toothed wheel  422  of the last middle gear  42  is engaged with the main gear  43 . The three driven members  44  are driven gears which are engaged with the main gear  43 , respectively, and meanwhile, each of the driven members  44  is eccentrically connected with a positioning block  441  which is located in the C-shaped housing  30 . 
         [0027]    The handling device in accordance with the present invention can achieve an objective of handling goods through the abovementioned structures. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the locking mechanism  40  employs the power source  41  to rotate the middle gears  42 , the main gear  43  and the driven members  44 , making the driven members  44  drive the positioning blocks  441  to move away from the C-shaped housing  30 . Rotating the guide rod  10  can cause the rotation of the C-shaped housing  30  and horizontal displacement of the clamping arm  20 . 
         [0028]    Referring then to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the power source  41  drives the driven members  44  to rotate, and the driven members  44  drive the positioning blocks  441  to swing outward from the inner side of the C-shaped housing  30 . When the positioning blocks  441  press against the C-shaped housing  30 , the C-shaped housing  30  cannot rotate and will stop the horizontal movement of the clamping arm  20 , so that the clamping arm  20  cannot rotate. Since the movement in the horizontal direction is restricted, the clamping arm  20  will move up and down in the vertical direction along with the rotation of the guide rod. 
         [0029]    When the clamping arm  20  carries goods, the goods can be moved to the destination through the horizontal and the vertical movement of the clamping arm  20 ; and then goods handling operation is finished by releasing the goods. 
         [0030]    The above embodiment is to stop the rotation of the C-shaped housing  30  by pressing the inner surface of the C-shaped housing  30  with the locking mechanism  40 . Besides that, another embodiment of the locking mechanism  40  can also press against the inner and outer surfaces of the C-shaped housing  30  simultaneously to stop the rotation of the C-shaped housing  30 , as shown in  FIGS. 5-8 , the locking mechanism  40  comprises a power source  41 , a plurality of middle gears  42  and two driven members  44 . 
         [0031]    In this embodiment, the power source  41  is a motor, and a shaft  411  of the power source  41  is provided with a transmission member  412  which is a worm wheel. Each of the middle gears  42  includes a big toothed wheel  421  and a small toothed wheel  422  which are concentrically assembled together. The middle gears  42  are connected in such a manner that the big toothed wheel  421  of one middle gear  42  is engaged with the small toothed wheel  422  of another middle gear  42 , and a big toothed wheel  421  of one of the middle gears  42  is engaged with the transmission member  412  of the power source  41 . The two driven members  44  are driven gears driven by one of the middle gears  42  to rotate. In this embodiment, the transmission member  412  is engaged with the big toothed wheel  421  of a first middle gear  42 , and then the small toothed wheel  422  of this first middle gear  42  is engaged with the big toothed wheel  421  of a second middle gear  42 , and the small toothed wheel  422  of this second middle gear  42  is engaged with one of the driven members  44 . The two driven members  44  are engaged with each other. Each of the driven members  44  is eccentrically connected with a positioning block  441 , one of the positioning blocks  441  is located in the C-shaped housing  30 , and the other positioning block  441  is located outside the C-shaped housing  30 . 
         [0032]    The locking mechanism  40  can employ the power source  41  to rotate the middle gears  42  and the driven members  44 , making the driven members  44  drive the positioning blocks  441  to swing away from the C-shaped housing  30 , so that the clamping arm  20  is allowed to move horizontally. Or, the power source  41  can drive the positioning blocks  441  to simultaneously clamp against the inner and outer side of the C-shaped housing  30 . When the positioning blocks  441  press against the C-shaped housing  30 , the C-shaped housing  30  cannot rotate and will stop the horizontal movement of the clamping arm  20 , so that the clamping arm  20  cannot rotate. Since the movement in the horizontal direction is restricted, the clamping arm  20  will move up and down in the vertical direction along with the rotation of the guide rod. 
         [0033]    While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it is clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.