ACOUSTIC SEPARATING APPARATUS

Abstract

An apparatus for separating parts during a manufacturing process comprises a sound generating apparatus (19) for generating sound waves and a support (12) constituting a separating surface (14) and mechanically decoupled from the sound generating apparatus, said support being arranged and configured such that the sound waves emitted by the sound generating apparatus (19) move at least a portion of the separating surface (14) such that parts (16) resting thereon are excited such that they move. A corresponding method is also provided.

Claims

1. An apparatus for separating parts during a manufacturing process, comprising: a sound generating apparatus for generating sound waves; and a support mechanically decoupled from said sound generating apparatus and constituting a separating surface, which is arranged and configured such that the sound waves emitted by said sound generating apparatus move at least a portion of said separating surface so that said parts resting thereon are excited such that they move.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support is held by a frame or clamped therein, wherein the separating surface is movable independently of the frame.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sound generating apparatus is arranged below the support, wherein an acoustic diaphragm of the sound generating apparatus is arranged essentially in parallel to the separating surface.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support is a plate which is movably mounted relative to the frame.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the frame comprises a flexible and elastic rest for the plate.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the support is a flexible disk or film.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a marginal area of the support is connected with the frame.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least in a marginal area of the support a blowing apparatus is arranged such that a gas surge generated by said blowing apparatus moves parts from the marginal area of said support towards the center of the separating surface.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least two supports are arranged such that they are adapted to be transported from a separating position above the acoustic diaphragm into an unloading position.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the acoustic membrane is arranged such that it is adjustable in height.

11. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein below the support the frame is provided with a circumferential wall which amplifies the sound waves.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the area of the separating surface the support is provided with receiving means for the parts.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the frequency and/or the amplitude of the generated sound waves are variably adjustable.

14. A method for separating parts during a manufacturing process, wherein said parts rest on a separating surface constituted by a support and a sound generating apparatus for generating sound waves and mechanically decoupled from the support is provided, wherein said parts are moved by a sound wave emitted by said sound generating apparatus exciting at least a portion of said separating surface such that it moves.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein a plurality of supports are respectively displaced from a separating position above an acoustic diaphragm into an unloading position for removing the separated parts from said support.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the acoustic diaphragm is vertically displaced towards the support to improve the sound transmission from said acoustic diaphragm to said support.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the parts to be separated are moved by gas pressure surges of a blowing apparatus from a marginal area of the support towards the center of the separating surface.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein loading and separating of the parts are carried out in a time-shifted manner relative to removing of said parts from the support.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the parts are each separated into a receiving means in the support in an area of the separating surface.

Description

[0022] Hereunder exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in detail with reference to the figures in which

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a first exemplary embodiment,

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a top view from the direction of arrow II in FIG. 1 in a first working position,

[0025] FIG. 3 shows the top view of FIG. 2 in a second working position,

[0026] FIG. 4 shows the top view of FIG. 2 in a third working position,

[0027] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the first exemplary embodiment,

[0028] FIG. 6 shows a sectional view along line VI-VI in FIG. 5,

[0029] FIG. 7 shows the detail of VII in FIG. 6,

[0030] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the second exemplary embodiment,

[0031] FIG. 9 shows a longitudinal section of the second exemplary embodiment of FIG. 8, and

[0032] FIG. 10 shows the longitudinal section of FIG. 9 in another working position.

[0033] A support 12 constitutes at its upper side the separating surface 14 for the parts 16 to be separated. The parts 16 available as bulk goods are fed to the separating surface 14.

[0034] The support 12 is held by a frame 18 without being fixedly connected therewith. Rather, the support 12 is vertically movable relative to the frame 18, wherein the support 12 is laterally confined by the frame 18. A rest 20 made of a flexible rubber material absorbs motions of the support 12 to prevent vibrations of the support 12 from being transmitted to the frame 18. Alternatively, a variant is conceivable where the support 12 is fixedly clamped.

[0035] In the exemplary embodiments, the support 12 is configured as a round disk which, in its marginal area, is provided with a circumferential collar 21 which confines the parts 16 to be separated towards the outside.

[0036] A blowing apparatus 22 is configured to generate an air flow across the collar 21, which air flow is directed from the outermost marginal area of the support 12 radially inwards towards its center to radially move the parts 16 on the separating surface 14 from the outside inwards. The blowing apparatus 22 is constituted by a blowing air duct 23 completely surrounding the support 12 and an annular gap 25 through which the blowing air flows from the duct 23 to the surface of the support 12.

[0037] Below the support 12 the frame 18 is provided with a cylindrical circumferential wall 24 for amplifying the sound waves below the support 12.

[0038] The sound waves are generated by an acoustic diaphragm 26 below the support 12. The acoustic diaphragm 26 forms part of a sound generating apparatus 19 in the form of a conventional speaker. By application of an electric voltage the acoustic diaphragm 26 is set in oscillation for the purpose of generating the sound waves. The sound waves propagate towards the support 12 and excite it such that it vibrates, which causes the parts 16 resting thereon to jump.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a top view of the separating apparatus according to the first exemplary embodiment (single system) before the separation of the parts. FIG. 3 shows the same top view after the separation caused by the support 12 having been excited by the sound waves. FIG. 4 shows the same top view after the separation of FIG. 3 and after the parts 16 having been radially moved from the outside inwards towards the center of the support 12 with the aid of the blowing apparatus 22. The first exemplary embodiment is a single system having only one support 12 which is configured such that it is not displaceable relative to the frame 18.

[0040] According to the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 8-10 two supports 12 are provided (double system). Each support 12 is arranged on a carriage 27, 28. The two carriages 27, 28 are respectively horizontally displaceable on rails 30 from an unloading position into a separating and loading position above the acoustic diaphragm 26. The carriages 27, 28 alternately move such that the one carriage automatically reaches the separating position above the acoustic diaphragm 26 when the other carriage 28 reaches the unloading position for unloading the separated parts 16.

[0041] The sound generating apparatus 19 with the acoustic diaphragm 26 is configured to be adjustable in height at reciprocating pistons 32 to approach from below the respective carriage 27, 28 in the separating position.

[0042] It is conceivable that the acoustic diaphragm 26 generally forms part of a lower housing section 34 which, together with an upper housing section 36 holding the support 12, forms a resonating body. The lower housing section 34 may be adjusted in height from below towards the upper housing section 36 in the direction of the arrow of FIG. 9. FIG. 9 shows the lower housing section 34 and the sound generating apparatus 19 in their lower position. FIG. 10 shows the lower housing section 34 and the sound generating apparatus 19 in their upper position. In this position the walls 24 of the two housing sections 34, 36 together with the support 12 and the acoustic diaphragm 26 form a resonating body.

[0043] However, the acoustic diaphragm need not be airtightly connected with the resonant cavity or the support 12. But it is conceivable that the resonant cavity between the acoustic diaphragm 26 and the support 12 is filled with a specific sound transmitting medium. The latter may be air, ionized air, a specific gas, oil or any other sound transmitting medium.

[0044] Receiving means of the support 12 not shown in the figures may collect and receive the parts 16 to be separated. The receiving means may be configured as holes or bores in the surface of the support 12. The receiving means should have a shape which is complementary to at least a portion of a part 16.