Apparatuses and methods for separating, feeding and mounting O-rings

A system, comprising:

• a robot;
• and
• an apparatus operably engaged with said robot to separate and feed O-rings, the apparatus comprising:
• a rotatable body comprising a storage portion and a separating portion;
• and
• a helix groove formed on the rotatable body across the storage portion and the separating portion, wherein a width and a depth of the helix groove are adapted to a wire diameter of an O-ring, and pitch of the helix groove on the separating portion increases along a feeding direction from the storage portion to the separating portion, wherein in response to a rotation of the rotatable body, the helix groove conveys a plurality of O-rings hanged on the storage portion to the separating portion to separate the plurality of O-rings away from each other.

A method, comprising:

• rotating a rotatable body,
• wherein the rotatable body comprises:
• a storage portion and a separating portion,
• wherein the rotatable body having a helix groove formed thereon across the storage portion and the separating portion,
• wherein a width and a depth of the helix groove are adapted to a wire diameter of an O-ring, and a pitch of the helix groove on the separating portion increases along a feeding direction from the storage portion to the separating portion,
• wherein a limiting mechanism is arranged over the separating portion, and a holding mechanism is arranged over the storage portion and comprises a guiding section and a holding section;
• and
• conveying with the helix a plurality of O-rings hanged on the storage portion to the separating portion to separate the plurality of O-rings away from each other;
• wherein the limiting mechanism prevents the plurality of O-rings from being out of the helix groove during the conveying;
• wherein the guiding section extends from an end of the limiting mechanism adjacent to the storage portion and away from the rotatable body in a direction opposite to the feeding direction;
• wherein the holding section extends from an end of the guiding section away from the separating portion and adapted to be received in an operating mechanism of a robot to couple the limiting mechanism to the robot.