Patent Publication Number: US-2015078865-A1

Title: Positioning apparatus and positioning method for objects

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a positioning apparatus for objects. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Electronic devices, such as mobile phones, include a shell. In assembling each mobile phone, the shell is manually positioned to a predetermined position of a supporting bracket, which is inconvenient and the positioning may be inaccurate. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following 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 embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, all the views are schematic, and like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric, exploded view of an embodiment of a positioning apparatus and an object. 
         FIG. 2  is a side plan view of the positioning apparatus of  FIG. 1  and a feeding apparatus, but shows the positioning apparatus in use. 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of the positioning apparatus of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a flow chart of an embodiment of a positioning method of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The disclosure, including the accompanying drawings, is illustrated by way of examples and not by way of limitation. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
       FIG. 1  shows an exemplary embodiment of a positioning apparatus  100 . The positioning apparatus  100  is used to position an object  300 . The positioning apparatus  100  includes a bracket  20 , a positioning block  30 , a row of light transmitters  50 , a row of light sensors  60 , four positioning suction nozzles  70 , a positioning sensor  80 , and a controller  90  electrically coupled to the positioning sensor  80  and the light sensors  60 . In the embodiment, the object  300  is a mobile phone shell, and a bottom of the object  300  defines a receiving space  302 . 
     The bracket  20  includes a substantially rectangular bottom plate  22 , two end plates  23  perpendicularly extending up from two opposite ends of the bottom plate  22 , and a horizontal supporting plate  25  supported on tops of the end plates  23 . The positioning block  30  is similar with the receiving space  302  of the object  300  in shape. The positioning block  30  is detachably mounted on a middle of the supporting plate  25 . A middle of the positioning block  30  defines a through hole  32  extending through the supporting plate  25 . The positioning block  30  defines four installing holes  33  surrounding the through hole  32 . The positioning block  30  defines a slanting guiding surface  36  around four sides of a top of the positioning block  30 . The row of light transmitters  50  is mounted on a first side of the supporting plate  25 , and the light sensors  60  are mounted on a second side of the supporting plate  25  opposite to the row of light transmitter  50 . The number of the light transmitter  50  is equal to the number of the light sensors  60 , and the light transmitters  50  are opposite to the light sensors  60  one-to-one. The positioning block  30  is located between the light transmitters  50  and the light sensors  60 . The positioning sensor  80  is installed in the through hole  32  of the positioning block  30 . The positioning suction nozzles  70  are installed in the installing holes  33  of the positioning block  30 . 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  show the positioning apparatus  100  in use, a feeding apparatus  500  is located at a side of the positioning apparatus  100 . The feeding apparatus  500  includes a supporting bracket  502 , two opposite wheels  503  rotatably installed on the supporting bracket  502 , a transport belt  505  slidably fitted about the wheels  503 , and a discharge member  506  installed to the supporting bracket  502  and adjacent to the positioning block  30 . A plurality of objects  300  is supported on the transport belt  505  in turn. The wheels  503  rotate to slide the transport belt  505 . One of the objects  300  slides to the supporting plate  25  through the discharge member  506 . The positioning block  30  is received in the receiving space  302  of the object  300  along the guiding surface  36 , and the wheels  503  stops rotating. The positioning sensor  80  outputs a signal to the controller  90 , to allow the controller  90  to control the positioning suction nozzles  70  to suck the object  300 . The light transmitters  50  and the light sensors  60  are used for testing whether the object  300  is positioned or not. The light transmitters  50  emit light. If the light sensors  60  can receive the light, it means the object  300  is properly positioned. If any one of the light sensors  60  cannot receive the light, it means at least one of the positioning suction nozzles  70  does not stick to the object  300 , so the object  300  is not positioned horizontally. The light sensors  60  output a signal to the controller  90 , the controller  90  controls the positioning suction nozzles  70  to disengage the object  300 , until all the light sensors  60  can receive the light. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a positioning method of the present disclosure. The positioning method includes steps shown below. 
     In step S 1 , a positioning apparatus  100  is provided, wherein the positioning apparatus  100  includes a supporting plate  25 . A row of light transmitters  50  and a row of light sensors  60  mounted on two opposite sides of the supporting plate  25 , a positioning block  30  mounted on the supporting plate  25  between the light transmitters  50  and the light sensors  60 . A plurality of positioning suction nozzles  70  installed on the positioning block  30 , a positioning sensor  80  installed to the positioning block  30 , and a controller  90  electrically coupled to the positioning sensor  80  and the light sensors  60 . 
     In step S 2 , a feeding apparatus  500  is provided for feeding an object  30  to be positioned to the positioning apparatus  100 . Wherein the feeding apparatus  500  is located adjacent to the positioning apparatus  100 , and includes a discharge member  506  aligning with the positioning block  30 , and a transport belt  505 . 
     In step S 3 , the transport belt  505  transports the object  300  to the supporting plate  25  through the discharge member  506 , to allow the positioning block  30  to be received in a receiving space  302  defined in a bottom of the object  300 . 
     In step S 4 , the positioning sensor  80  outputs a signal to the controller, to allow the controller  90  to control the positioning suction nozzles  70  to suck the object  300 . 
     In step S 5 , the light transmitters  50  emit light. 
     In step S 6 , a determination is made whether all the light sensors  60  can receive the light of the light transmitters  50 . If all the light sensors  60  can receive the light, step S 7  is implemented. If any one of the light sensors  60  cannot receive the light, step S 8  is implemented. 
     In step S 7 , the object  300  is determined to be positioned properly. 
     In step S 8 , the object  300  is determined to be positioned improperly, and the light sensors  60  output a signal to the controller  90 , to allow the controller  90  to control the positioning suction nozzles  70  to disengage the object  300  and, the process returns to the step S 4 . 
     It is to be understood, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the embodiment have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the embodiment, 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 present disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.