Material feeding apparatus and material feeding method

Abstract

A material feeding apparatus includes a rolling shaft, a sensor, and a control unit. A material roll is disposed on the rolling shaft, and the material feeding apparatus is configured to rotate the rolling shaft to convey a material belt in the material roll. The sensor is configured to sense material roll information and send the material roll information to the control unit. The control unit is configured to control a rotation status of the rolling shaft based on the material roll information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A material feeding apparatus, comprising: a rolling shaft, a sensor, and a control unit, wherein:
 a material roll is disposed on the rolling shaft, and the material feeding apparatus is configured to rotate the rolling shaft to convey a material belt in the material roll;   the sensor is configured to sense material roll information and send the material roll information to the control unit; and   the control unit is configured to control a rotation status of the rolling shaft based on the material roll information.   
     
     
         2 . The material feeding apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the sensor is disposed at an unwinding position of the material belt, and the sensor is configured to sense first information and send the first information to the control unit, wherein the first information is used to indicate that the transportation of material is interrupted at the unwinding position of the material belt; and   the control unit is configured to control the rolling shaft to stop rotating based on the first information.   
     
     
         3 . The material feeding apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a material clamp, wherein the material clamp moves away from the rolling shaft relative to the sensor along a conveying direction of the material belt;   wherein the control unit is further configured to:
 control, based on the first information, the material clamp to clamp the material belt tightly to prevent an end of the material belt from sliding out of the material clamp. 
   
     
     
         4 . The material feeding apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a surplus material measurement unit, wherein the surplus material measurement unit is configured to measure length information of surplus material in the material roll and send the length information of surplus material in the material roll to the control unit;   wherein the control unit is further configured to:
 control the rolling shaft to decelerate based on the length information of surplus material before controlling the rolling shaft to stop rotating based on the first information. 
   
     
     
         5 . The material feeding apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the surplus material measurement unit comprises a first surplus material measurement unit and a second surplus material measurement unit;   the first surplus material measurement unit moves away from the rolling shaft relative to the sensor along the conveying direction of the material belt, and the first surplus material measurement unit is configured to measure a conveyed length of the material roll and send the conveyed length of the material roll to the control unit; and   the second surplus material measurement unit is configured to measure a current distance between the second surplus material measurement unit and the material roll, and send the current distance to the control unit.   
     
     
         6 . The material feeding apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
 calculate a first surplus material length based on the conveyed length of the material roll;   calculate a second surplus material length based on the current distance;   control the rolling shaft to decelerate to a first speed in a case that the smaller of the first surplus material length and the second surplus material length has reached a first threshold; and   control the rolling shaft to decelerate to a second speed in a case that the larger of the first surplus material length and the second surplus material length has reached the first threshold, wherein the second speed is smaller than the first speed.   
     
     
         7 . The material feeding apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the first speed is 50% of a predetermined speed of the rolling shaft, and the second speed is 25% of the predetermined speed of the rolling shaft. 
     
     
         8 . The material feeding apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a material replacing unit;   wherein the control unit is configured to:
 control the material replacing unit to replace the material roll based on the first information after controlling the rolling shaft to stop rotating based on the first information. 
   
     
     
         9 . The material feeding apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 the material replacing unit comprises an automated guided vehicle; and   the control unit is further configured to:
 based on the first information, control the automated guided vehicle to take out the rolling shaft and install a new material roll to the rolling shaft. 
   
     
     
         10 . The material feeding apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 the material replacing unit comprises a cylinder and an automated guided vehicle, wherein the cylinder is connected to the rolling shaft; and   the control unit is further configured to:
 based on the first information, control the cylinder to push out the rolling shaft and control the automated guided vehicle to install a new material roll to the rolling shaft. 
   
     
     
         11 . The material feeding apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a photoelectric sensor. 
     
     
         12 . A material feeding method, applied to a material feeding apparatus comprising a rolling shaft and a material roll disposed on the rolling shaft, and configured to rotate the rolling shaft to convey a material belt in the material roll, the material feeding method comprising:
 obtaining material roll information; and   controlling a rotation status of the rolling shaft based on the material roll information.   
     
     
         13 . The material feeding method according to  claim 12 , wherein obtaining the material roll information comprises:
 obtaining first information, wherein the first information is used to indicate that the transportation of material is interrupted at an unwinding position of the material belt; and   the controlling a rotation status of the rolling shaft based on the material roll information comprises:   controlling the rolling shaft to stop rotating based on the first information.   
     
     
         14 . The material feeding method according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the material feeding apparatus further comprises a material clamp, wherein the material clamp moves away from the rolling shaft relative to the sensor along a conveying direction of the material belt;   the method further comprising:
 controlling, based on the first information, the material clamp to clamp the material belt tightly to prevent an end of the material belt from sliding out of the material clamp. 
   
     
     
         15 . The material feeding method according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the material feeding apparatus further comprises a surplus material measurement unit, wherein the surplus material measurement unit is configured to measure length information of surplus material in the material roll;   the method further comprising, before controlling the rolling shaft to stop rotating based on the first information:
 obtaining the length information of surplus material in the material roll; and 
 controlling the rolling shaft to decelerate based on the length information of surplus material. 
   
     
     
         16 . The material feeding method according to  claim 15 , wherein the surplus material measurement unit comprises a first surplus material measurement unit and a second surplus material measurement unit, wherein the first surplus material measurement unit moves away from the rolling shaft relative to the sensor along the conveying direction of the material belt, the first surplus material measurement unit is configured to measure a conveyed length of the material roll, and the second surplus material measurement unit is configured to measure a current distance between the second surplus material measurement unit and the material roll. 
     
     
         17 . The material feeding method according to  claim 16 , wherein:
 obtaining the length information of the surplus material in the material roll comprises:
 calculating a first surplus material length based on the conveyed length of the material roll; and 
 calculating a second surplus material length based on the current distance; and 
   controlling the rolling shaft to decelerate based on the length information of surplus material comprises:
 controlling the rolling shaft to decelerate to a first speed in a case that the smaller of the first surplus material length and the second surplus material length has reached a first threshold; and 
 controlling the rolling shaft to decelerate to a second speed in a case that the larger of the first surplus material length and the second surplus material length has reached the first threshold, wherein the second speed is smaller than the first speed. 
   
     
     
         18 . The material feeding method according to  claim 17 , wherein the first speed is 50% of a predetermined speed of the rolling shaft, and the second speed is 25% of the predetermined speed of the rolling shaft. 
     
     
         19 . The material feeding method according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the material feeding apparatus further comprises a material replacing unit;   the method further comprising, after controlling the rolling shaft to stop rotating based on the first information:   controlling the material replacing unit to replace the material roll based on the first information.   
     
     
         20 . The material feeding method according to  claim 19 , wherein:
 the material replacing unit comprises an automated guided vehicle; and   controlling the material replacing unit to replace the material roll based on the first information comprises:
 based on the first information, controlling the automated guided vehicle to take out the rolling shaft and installing a new material roll to the rolling shaft.