Patent Publication Number: US-2023142488-A1

Title: Automatic Picking Fixture Device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an automatic picking fixture device, and more particularly to the automatic picking fixture device which is applied to manufacture insoles. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventionally, insoles are thermoplastic cold molded or thermoplastic hot molded by manufacturing equipment. 
     However, the manufacturing equipment has following defects: 
     1) The insoles cannot be produced successively in 24 hours daily, thus having high labor cost and force. 
     2) The insoles are manufactured by at least thirteen people, for example, the insoles are formed by five people, are cut by five people, and trimmed by three people, thus consuming labor time and force greatly. 
     3) The insoles are produced by skilled workers to increase high training time and cost. 
     4) The workers have to contact with one another to increase high infection risk. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One aspect of the present invention is to provide an automatic picking fixture device which is capable of overcoming the shortcomings of the automatic picking fixture device. 
     To obtain the above aspect, an automatic picking fixture device provided by the present invention contains: a fixture. 
     The fixture is locked with a mechanical arm and includes a coupling orifice defined on a center of the fixture, a motor mounted on a top of the fixture and corresponding to the coupling orifice, and a rotor of the motor rotatably connected in the coupling orifice. A bottom of the rotor is screwed with a gear. 
     The fixture includes four elongated orifices formed on two peripheral sides of the fixture parallelly, two movable holders mounted on two sides of a bottom of the fixture. The two movable holders have four through orifices defined on two inner walls thereof and corresponding to the gear. The fixture further includes four passing orifices formed on two outer walls of the two movable holders, and two toothed sections received in the four through orifices and meshing with and driving the gear. 
     The four passing orifices of the fixture are configured to lock with the four pneumatic cylinders or four servo motors, and the four pneumatic cylinders or the four servo motors are configured to push four jaws outward or inward. The four jaws include four symmetrical clamping grooves defined therein and configured to clamp at least one material. 
     The two movable holders of the fixture include four racks corresponding to the four elongated orifice. The four racks are fixed on the top of the fixture, and a respective rack has two rollers disposed on two sides thereof and rolling along a respective elongated orifice. 
     Thereby, the mechanical arm moves the fixture, the motor drives the gear to actuate the two toothed sections so that the two movable holders are driven by the two toothed sections to adjust the four pneumatic cylinders or four servo motors, and the four pneumatic cylinders or the four servo motors adjust the four symmetrical clamping grooves of the four jaws synchronously to clamp and pick or remove the at least one material. 
     Preferably, a fixing holder has multiple locking orifices defined thereon and configured to lock with the mechanical arm. 
     Preferably, a picking mechanism, two baking mechanisms, two cold forming mechanisms, a collection mechanism, and a control apparatus are arranged around the mechanical arm circularly. 
     Preferably, the mechanical arm, the picking mechanism, the two baking mechanisms, the two cold forming mechanisms, the collection mechanism, and the control apparatus are arranged linearly. 
     Preferably, the baking mechanism and the two cold forming mechanisms are configured to thermoplastic cold mold the at least one material. 
     Preferably, a picking mechanism, two hot forming mechanisms, a collection mechanism, and a control apparatus are arranged around the mechanical arm circularly. 
     Preferably, a picking mechanism, two hot forming mechanisms, a collection mechanism, and a control apparatus are arranged around the mechanical arm linearly. 
     Preferably, the two hot forming mechanisms are configured to thermoplastic mold the at least one material. 
     Accordingly, the automatic picking fixture device has advantages as follows: 
     1) The automatic picking fixture device is applied to manufacture insoles successively in 24 hours daily to maintain stable quality. 
     2) The automatic picking fixture device facilitates labor and time saving greatly. For example, four workers place and collect the at least one material. 
     3) The automatic picking fixture device is operated easily to reduce education and training time and cost (such as placing the at least one material and pressing the button easily). 
     4) The automatic picking fixture device facilitates reduction of staff contact and risk of infection. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view showing an automatic picking fixture device connected with a mechanical arm according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view showing the assembly of the automatic picking fixture device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  3    is another perspective view showing the assembly of the automatic picking fixture device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  4    is a perspective view showing the exploded components of the automatic picking fixture device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  5    is a side plan view showing the assembly of the automatic picking fixture device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  6    is a cross sectional view taken along the line B-B of  FIG.  5   . 
         FIG.  7    is a cross sectional view taken along the line R-R of  FIG.  6   . 
         FIG.  8    is a perspective view showing the application of the automatic picking fixture according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  9    is a side plan view showing the operation of the automatic picking fixture and the mechanical arm according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  10    is a side plan view showing the operation of the automatic picking fixture according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  11    is another side plan view showing the operation of the automatic picking fixture according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  12    is also another side plan view showing the operation of the automatic picking fixture according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  13    is still another side plan view showing the operation of the automatic picking fixture according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  14    is a side plan view showing the operation of four jaws of the automatic picking fixture according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  15    is another side plan view showing the operation of four jaws of the automatic picking fixture according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  16    is a perspective view showing the operation of the automatic picking fixture and the mechanical arm according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  17    is another perspective view showing the operation of the automatic picking fixture and the mechanical arm according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  18    is also perspective view showing the operation of the automatic picking fixture and the mechanical arm according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  19    is still another perspective view showing the operation of the automatic picking fixture and the mechanical arm according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  20    is another perspective view showing the operation of the automatic picking fixture and the mechanical arm according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG.  1    is a perspective view showing an automatic picking fixture device connected with a mechanical arm according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  FIG.  2    is a perspective view showing the assembly of the automatic picking fixture device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  FIG.  3    is another perspective view showing the assembly of the automatic picking fixture device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  FIG.  4    is a perspective view showing the exploded components of the automatic picking fixture device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  FIG.  5    is a side plan view showing the assembly of the automatic picking fixture device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  FIG.  6    is a cross sectional view taken along the line B-B of  FIG.  5   .  FIG.  7    is a cross sectional view taken along the line R-R of  FIG.  6   . 
     The automatic picking fixture device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises: a fixture  10  including a fixing holder  11  on which multiple locking orifices  111  are defined and configured to lock with the mechanical arm  20 ; 
     the fixture  10  further including a coupling orifice  12  defined on a center of the fixture  10 , a motor M mounted on a top of the fixture  10  and corresponding to the coupling orifice  12 , wherein a rotor M 1  of the motor M extends out of the coupling orifice  12  and is rotatably connected in the coupling orifice  12  by using two bearings B, and a bottom of the rotor M 1  is screwed with a gear G by using a screw P; 
     the fixture  10  including four elongated orifices  13  formed on two peripheral sides of the fixture  10  parallelly, two movable holders  14  mounted on two sides of a bottom of the fixture  10 , wherein the two movable holders  14  have four through orifices  141  defined on two inner walls thereof  14  and corresponding to the gear G, four passing orifices  142  formed on two outer walls of the two movable holders  14 , and two toothed sections  143  received in the four through orifices  141 , wherein two first ends of the two toothed sections  143  are engaged with one of the two movable holders  14 , two second ends of the two toothed sections  143  are engaged with the other movable holder  14 , and the two toothed sections  143  mesh with and drive the gear G; 
     the four passing orifices  142  of the fixture  10  being configured to lock with the four pneumatic cylinders  15  or four servo motors, and the four pneumatic cylinders  15  or the four servo motors being configured to push four jaws  16  outward or inward, wherein the four jaws  16  include four symmetrical clamping grooves  161  defined therein and are configured to clamp at least one material  1 ; 
     the two movable holders  14  of the fixture  10  including four T-shaped racks  17  corresponding to the four elongated orifice  13 , wherein the four T-shaped racks  17  are fixed on the top of the fixture  10 , and a respective T-shaped rack  17  has two rollers R disposed on two sides thereof and rolling along a respective elongated orifice  13 . 
     Thereby, the automatic picking fixture device is applicable for a process of manufacturing insoles. 
     Referring to  FIG.  8   , in application, a picking mechanism  30 , two baking mechanisms  40 , two cold forming mechanisms  50 , a collection mechanism  60 , and a control apparatus  70  are arranged around the mechanical arm  20  circularly, wherein 
     the picking mechanism  30  includes a moving pedestal  31  on which the at least one material  1  is stacked, after clamping and picking the at least one material  1 , the moving pedestal  31  lifts automatically (as shown in  FIG.  9   ), when picking the at least one material, the mechanical arm  20  moves the fixture  10  toward the at least one material  1  of the moving pedestal  31  (as illustrated in  FIGS.  10  and  11   ), and the motor M drives the gear G so that the gear G actuates the two toothed sections  143  to move the two movable holders  14  inward, such that the four pneumatic cylinders  15  or the four servo motors are moved by the movable holders  14  (as shown in  FIGS.  12  and  13   ), then the four pneumatic cylinders  15  or the four servo motors synchronously drive the four jaws  16  to move inward so that the four jaws  16  clamp and pick the at least one material  1  by way of the four symmetrical clamping grooves  161  (as shown in  FIG.  14   ), thereafter the mechanical arm  20  moves the fixture  10  toward the two baking mechanisms  40 , and the four pneumatic cylinders  15  or the four servo motors synchronously drive the four jaws  16  to move outward so that the four symmetrical clamping grooves  161  of the four jaws  16  remove the at least one material  1  (as shown in  FIG.  15   ). 
       FIGS.  16  and  17    are a perspective view showing the operation of the two baking mechanisms  40 , wherein the two baking mechanisms  40  are configured to bake the at least one material  1  efficiently so as to reduce a heated time of the at least one material  1 . A respective baking mechanism  40  includes multiple fixing trays  41  configured to accommodate and to move the at least one material  1  into the respective baking mechanism  40 , such that the at least one material  1  is heated and backed to a predetermined temperature, and the multiple fixing trays  41  deliver the at least one material  1  out of the respective baking mechanism  40  so that the mechanical arm  20  moves the fixture  10  by which some materials are moved into one cold forming mechanism  50  from the one baking mechanism  40 . 
     With reference to  FIGS.  18  and  19    are a perspective view showing the operation of the two cold forming mechanisms  50 , wherein the two cold forming mechanisms  50  mate with the two baking mechanisms  40  to cold form the at least one material efficiently so as to avoid a waiting time of cold forming the at least one material  1 . A respective cold forming mechanism  50  includes two first molds  51  and two second molds  52 , such that the mechanical arm  20  moves the fixture  10  toward one cold forming mechanism  50  and to place the at least one material on the two first molds  51 , and the two second molds  50  move to contact with the two second molds  51 , thus cold forming the at least one material  1 . After the two first molds  51  remove from the two second molds  52 , the four jaws  16  clamp and pick at least one semi-finished product  2  molded from the at least one material  1  by using the four symmetrical clamping grooves  161 . 
       FIG.  20    is a perspective view showing the operation of the automatic picking fixture device. The collection mechanism  60  includes an accommodation platform  61  configured to receive the at least one semi-finished product  2 , the mechanical arm  20  moves the fixture  10 , and the four jaws  16  clamp and pick the at least one semi-finished product  2  by using the four symmetrical clamping grooves  161 , then the at least one semi-finished product  2  is placed on the accommodation platform  61  of the collection mechanism  60 , thus manufacturing the insoles completely. 
     The control apparatus  70  includes a computer or a programmable logic and a System on a Chip (SoC), a radiofrequency identification (RFID), and a button which are configured to control the mechanical arm  20 , the picking mechanism  30 , the two baking mechanisms  40 , the two cold forming mechanisms  50 , the collection mechanism  60 , the control apparatus  70  and other apparatus which is arranged on the mechanical arm  20 , the picking mechanism  30 , the two baking mechanisms  40 , and the two cold forming mechanisms  50 . 
     In another embodiment, the mechanical arm  20 , the picking mechanism  30 , the two baking mechanisms  40 , the two cold forming mechanisms  50 , the collection mechanism  60 , and the control apparatus  70  are arranged linearly. In another embodiment, the baking mechanism  40  and the two cold forming mechanisms  50  are configured to thermoplastic cold mold the at least one material. Alternatively, the two cold forming mechanisms  50  are replaced by two hot forming mechanisms and are configured to thermoplastic mold the at least one material. 
     While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.