A flexible clamp

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of manipulator technology, and specifically discloses a flexible clamp, including a mounting plate, two groups of clamping assemblies opposite to each other, a pushing assembly for driving each clamping assembly, and a distance adjustment and positioning assembly corresponding to each clamping assembly, wherein the distance adjustment and positioning assembly includes a linear drive mechanism, a distance adjustment slider that is arranged in pairs and assembled on the mounting plate for front and back movement, and a pair of adjustment rods that are assembled on the distance adjustment slider for left and right movement; one end of the adjustment rod is used to push the clamping roller to press the workpiece, and a receiving port for the clamping roller and the workpiece to enter is formed between the paired adjustment rods; the clamping assembly also includes two guide sliders that are assembled on the mounting plate for front and back movement and are distributed front and back, a tensioning rod that is assembled on each guide slider for left and right movement and is fixedly connected to the end of the chain, and an elastic member connected to the guide slider for tightening the chain. The flexible clamp optimizes the position and number of clamping points, and can ensure that the clamping force of the clamp on the workpiece is evenly distributed at multiple points.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotic arm technology, specifically to a flexible gripper for robotic arms. Background Art

[0002] With the improvement of automation and intelligence in manufacturing, robotic arms have been widely used in various processes of production lines. The main functions of robotic arms are to perform tasks such as gripping, handling, assembly, and inspection. Among them, robotic arms used to grip products for turnover and movement need to have grippers that are adapted to the shape of the product and can perform gripping actions. Flexible grippers can adaptively adjust according to the shape and size of the product. Using flexible grippers as grippers for robotic arms can meet the gripping work of products with different shapes and sizes, and have strong compatibility.

[0003] Existing flexible clamps, such as the flexible contouring clamp disclosed in Chinese patent document CN111805564B, have two clamping arms (first clamping arm and second clamping arm) arranged opposite each other. Each clamping arm is equipped with a pair of sliders, a double-row chain, and multiple parallel rollers installed between the double-row chains. The pairs of sliders are mounted on both sides of the clamping arm along the length of the chain. The two ends of the double-row chain are fixed to the sliders, and tension springs for spreading the chain are installed on the sliders. The axial direction of the rollers is consistent with the axial direction of the chain pin. Since the chain can bend freely by moving its chain pieces in the axial direction perpendicular to the chain pin, the multiple rows of rollers are flexible in the extension direction of the chain, which can maintain a basic consistency with the product's shape curve to achieve a contouring effect. At the same time, the rollers can maintain strong rigidity in the axial direction of the chain pin, which can ensure strong stability when the product is lifted and stably clamp the product body. When this flexible contouring clamp clamps a product, the first and second clamping arms move synchronously towards each other, and the rollers on the two clamping arms also move towards each other, pressing tightly against the outer surface of the product. Following the shape of the product's surface, the flexible contouring clamp changes shape until it encircles the product. Simultaneously, the tension springs connected to each slider gradually open under pressure, causing the paired sliders to move towards each other. The chain connecting the paired sliders bends according to the shape of the product, maintaining a certain pressure between the rollers and the product surface. This causes the flexible contouring clamp to move inward under force, completing the product clamping process. Due to the free bending characteristic of the chain, this flexible contouring clamp can clamp products of different shapes and sizes, and the clamping position and clamping force are adaptive, effectively avoiding damage to the product surface.

[0004] However, the aforementioned flexible contour jigs in the prior art only generate clamping force on the workpiece by driving the first and second clamping arms closer together and relying on the elastic force of the tension spring. When clamping rod-shaped or disc-shaped workpieces that are roughly cylindrical, the tightness of the fit between the two ends of the chain and the workpiece is not as tight as that between the middle of the chain and the workpiece due to the restriction of the linear movement of the slider at both ends of the chain. This results in uneven clamping force from the rollers on the workpiece; the clamping force of the flexible rollers closer to the ends of the chain is smaller or even disappears. Therefore, the clamping force distribution of this jig is uneven, which can easily lead to workpiece deformation due to excessive local clamping force, or insufficient clamping force resulting in incomplete clamping. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a flexible clamp to solve the problem of uneven clamping force distribution on the workpiece in related technologies. This is because the workpiece is easily deformed due to excessive local clamping force, and it is also easy to fail to clamp properly due to insufficient clamping force.

[0006] A flexible clamp of the present invention includes a mounting plate, two sets of clamping assemblies facing each other, and a pushing assembly for driving each clamping assembly. Each clamping assembly includes a chain extending forward and backward and multiple clamping rollers. It also includes a distance adjustment and positioning assembly corresponding to each clamping assembly. The distance adjustment and positioning assembly includes a linear drive mechanism, a pair of adjustment sliders mounted on the mounting plate that move forward and backward, and a pair of adjusting rods mounted on the adjustment sliders that move left and right. One end of each adjusting rod is used to push the clamping rollers to press the workpiece, and a receiving opening is formed between the pairs of adjusting rods for the clamping rollers and the workpiece to enter. The linear drive mechanism is used to drive the pairs of adjusting rods. The sliders move closer to or further apart to adjust the width of the receiving opening to suit the size of the workpiece; the clamping assembly also includes two guide sliders that move back and forth on the mounting plate and are distributed back and forth, a tensioning rod that moves left and right on each guide slider and is fixedly connected to the end of the chain, and an elastic element connected to the guide sliders for tightening the chain; the pushing assembly includes a linear drive component, a movable plate that cooperates with the left and right movement of the mounting plate, an adjusting rod and a tensioning rod that are guided back and forth and limited left and right on the movable plate, and the linear drive component is used to drive the movable plate to move left and right to drive the adjusting rod and the tensioning rod to move left and right to push or release the clamping roller. An adjustable positioning component is added to the fixture. According to the size of the workpiece, the receiving opening of the pair of adjusting rods is adjusted by the adjustable positioning component. Then, the two sets of clamping components are driven to move closer to each other along the clamping direction by the pushing component. The adjusting rod pushes the clamping roller to press the workpiece. The clamping components are controlled to adapt to the deformation of the workpiece shape and clamp the workpiece. When the clamping components clamp the workpiece, there are four adjusting rods around each workpiece. The position and number of clamping points are optimized, which can ensure that the clamping force of the fixture on the workpiece is evenly distributed at multiple points, ensuring that the workpiece remains stable during the transfer process and avoiding workpiece deformation.

[0007] Preferably, the mounting plate has a sliding groove extending forward and backward, and the adjusting slider is slidably mounted in the sliding groove. The linear drive mechanism includes a motor mounted on the mounting plate, and the output end of the motor is connected to a screw. The screw has a forward threaded section and a reverse threaded section. The paired adjusting sliders are divided into a first slider and a second slider. The first slider has a forward threaded hole and is threadedly connected to the forward threaded section of the screw. The second slider has a reverse threaded hole and is threadedly connected to the reverse threaded section of the screw. Thus, when the motor drives the screw to rotate, the screw can drive the adjusting sliders at both ends of each workpiece and the adjusting rods on the adjusting sliders to move closer or further apart, so that the receiving openings of the paired adjusting rods can accommodate workpieces of different sizes, thereby ensuring the clamping of the workpiece by the fixture.

[0008] Preferably, multiple pairs of adjusting rods are provided along the length of the chain. This allows the flexible clamp to hold multiple workpieces at once, improving production efficiency and meeting diverse production needs.

[0009] Preferably, the movable plate has a front-to-back extending limiting groove, and the ends of the adjusting rod and the tensioning rod opposite to the clamping roller are slidably installed in the limiting groove. Thus, when the linear drive unit drives the movable plate to move left and right, the movable plate drives the tensioning rod and the adjusting rod to move left and right through the limiting groove, thereby achieving the clamping or releasing of the workpiece by the clamping assembly.

[0010] Preferably, the mounting plate is further provided with a pressing assembly for controlling the rotation of the workpiece. The pressing assembly includes a second linear drive component and a lifting plate movably mounted on the mounting plate in the vertical direction and positioned above the two sets of clamping assemblies. The output end of the second linear drive component is connected to the lifting plate. The clamping roller includes an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder sleeved outside the inner cylinder. The inner cylinder is slidably mounted on a chain in the vertical direction, and the outer cylinder is rotatably connected to the chain. The outer cylinder and the inner cylinder are screw-driven. The lower end face of the lifting plate has a pressing surface for pushing against the upper surface of each inner cylinder. When the second linear drive component drives the lifting plate to descend, the pressing surface of the lifting plate pushes the inner cylinder downward. The inner cylinder drives the outer cylinder to rotate through screw drive, and the outer surface of the outer cylinder drives the workpiece to rotate through friction. This can meet the production requirements of rotating specific workpieces during clamping.

[0011] Preferably, the inner cylinder has a spiral groove, the outer cylinder has a spiral groove, the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are engaged with each other through the spiral grooves, and the spiral grooves of the inner cylinders of the two sets of clamping assemblies rotate in opposite directions.

[0012] Preferably, a return spring is provided between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder to give the inner cylinder a tendency to move upward and return to its original position.

[0013] Preferably, the bottom of the inner cylinder is conical.

[0014] Preferably, the bottom materials of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are both elastic materials.

[0015] Preferably, the chain includes chain links and an assembly platform. The chain links are arranged in two rows, one above the other, in parallel. The assembly platform passes through the two rows of chain links in a vertical direction and is fixedly connected to the chain links in the upper row. The assembly platform has a vertical groove and a protruding ring. The inner cylinder is fitted inside the assembly platform and has a guide portion that is slidably installed in the vertical groove. The outer cylinder is fitted on the bottom outer side of the assembly platform and has an annular groove that rotatably engages with the protruding ring.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention, achieved by adopting the above technical solution, are as follows: By setting an adjustable positioning component and a pressing component, the number of pairs of adjusting rods is determined according to the number of workpieces, and the receiving openings of the pairs of adjusting rods are adjusted according to the size of the workpieces through the adjustable positioning component. Then, by pushing the component, the two sets of clamping components are controlled to move closer to each other, so that the adjusting rods push the clamping rollers to press the workpieces. The clamping components are controlled to adapt to the deformation of the workpiece shape and clamp the workpieces. When the clamping components clamp the workpieces, there are four adjusting rods around each workpiece, which optimizes the position and number of clamping points, ensuring that the clamping force of the fixture on the workpieces is evenly distributed at multiple points, ensuring that the workpieces remain stable during the transfer process and avoiding workpiece deformation. Furthermore, this flexible fixture can clamp multiple workpieces at once, improving production efficiency and meeting diverse production needs. In addition, it can also meet the production needs of rotating and clamping the wheel core during the rubber coating transfer process. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first embodiment of the flexible clamp of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wheel core conveying device using the flexible clamp of the present invention, according to Embodiment 1.

[0019] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the flexible clamp in the open state.

[0020] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the flexible clamp in the clamping state.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the clamping assembly and the lifting plate.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping roller.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the inner cylinder structure.

[0024] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of the wheel core and the injection mold.

[0025] Figure 9 This is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the flexible clamp of the present invention.

[0026] Reference numerals:

[0027] 10. Mounting plate; 110. Slide rail; 120. Robotic arm; 130. Linear drive component three; 20. Clamping assembly; 210. Tensioning rod; 2110. Guide slider; 220. Tension spring; 30. Clamping roller; 310. Inner cylinder; 3110. Guide part; 320. Outer cylinder; 330. Return spring; 40. Chain; 410. Assembly table; 420. Vertical groove; 430. Protruding ring; 440. Chain link; 50. Adjusting rod; 60. Adjustment positioning assembly; 6 10. Motor; 6110. Screw; 620. Adjustable slider; 6210. First slider; 6220. Second slider; 70. Pushing assembly; 710. Linear drive component one; 720. Movable plate; 7210. Limiting groove; 80. Pressing assembly; 810. Linear drive component two; 820. Lifting plate; 90. Workpiece; 910. Conveyor table; 9110. Positioning groove; 920. Glue injection table; 9210. Glue injection mold; 9211. Recess; 9212. Protrusion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0029] Example 1 of a flexible clamp:

[0030] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the wheel core conveying device using the flexible clamp of the present invention includes a conveying table 910 and a robotic arm 120. The conveying table 910 is used to convey multiple rows of workpieces 90 (in this embodiment, the workpiece 90 is a wheel core). The conveying table 910 has multiple positioning grooves 9110 for limiting the horizontal movement of the workpieces 90. The bottom end of the workpiece 90 is placed in the positioning groove 9110. The output end of the conveying table 910 is provided with a mounting frame for mounting the horizontally rotating robotic arm 120. The flexible clamp is mounted on the robotic arm 120 to form a robotic arm for gripping and transferring the workpieces 90. The robotic arm 120 is provided with a linear drive component 130 for controlling the lifting and lowering of the flexible clamp. The linear drive component 130 is an electric push rod. In other embodiments, the linear drive component 130 can also be a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder.

[0031] The flexible fixture includes a mounting plate 10, a clamping assembly 20, an adjustable positioning assembly 60, a pushing assembly 70, and a pressing assembly 80. There are two sets of clamping assemblies 20, adjustable positioning assemblies 60, and pushing assemblies 70, which are symmetrically distributed at the bottom of the mounting plate 10. The pressing assembly 80 is located on the mounting plate 10.

[0032] The bottom surface of the mounting plate 10 has two sliding grooves 110 that extend forward and backward symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides.

[0033] Each clamping assembly 20 includes a pair of guide sliders 2110, a pair of tension bars 210 mounted on the guide sliders 2110, a chain 40, a clamping roller 30, and a tension spring 220.

[0034] A pair of guide sliders 2110 are slidably installed in each groove 110 in the front-back direction. Each tensioning rod 210 is slidably inserted into a hole provided on each guide slider 2110 in the left-right direction, so that the pairs of tensioning rods 210 are relatively distributed at the front and rear ends of the groove 110. The chain 40 extends in the front-back direction, and both ends of the chain 40 are fixed to the tensioning rods 210. There are two tension springs 220, which are respectively connected to the guide sliders 2110. The tension springs 220 are used to apply an elastic force that moves away from each other to the two ends of the chain 40, thereby enabling the chain 40 to be opened. In this embodiment, one end of the tension spring 220 is connected to the guide slider 2110, and the other end of the tension spring 220 is connected to the groove 110. In other embodiments, the other end of the tension spring 220 can also be connected to the mounting plate 10. Multiple clamping rollers 30 are installed side by side between the chain 40.

[0035] like Figures 5 to 7 As shown, the chain 40 includes chain links 440 and an assembly table 410. The chain links 440 have two rows arranged vertically and in parallel. The assembly table 410 passes through the two rows of chain links 440 in the vertical direction and is fixedly connected to the upper row of chain links 440. The assembly table 410 has a vertical groove 420 and a protruding ring 430 for mounting the clamping roller 30.

[0036] The clamping roller 30 includes an inner cylinder 310, an outer cylinder 320 sleeved outside the inner cylinder 310, and a return spring 330 disposed inside the inner cylinder 310. The inner cylinder 310 is sleeved within the assembly table 410 and has a guide portion 3110 slidably mounted within a vertical groove 420 to achieve a vertically limited sliding connection between the inner cylinder 310 and the chain 40. The outer cylinder 320 is sleeved on the bottom outer side of the assembly table 410 and has an annular groove adapted to the protruding ring 430 to achieve a rotatable connection between the outer cylinder 320 and the chain 40. The inner cylinder 310 has a helical groove, and the outer cylinder 320 has a helical groove inside. The inner cylinder 310 and the outer cylinder 320 are engaged by interlocking spiral grooves to achieve spiral drive cooperation. Furthermore, the spiral grooves of the inner cylinder 310 of the two sets of clamping assemblies 20 rotate in opposite directions. A return spring 330 is provided between the inner cylinder 310 and the outer cylinder 320 to make the inner cylinder 310 tend to move upward and return to its original position. The bottom of the inner cylinder 310 is conical. The bottom materials of the inner cylinder 310 and the outer cylinder 320 are elastic materials, such as rubber, silicone, or polyurethane, to make them flexible and deformable.

[0037] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, each pitch adjustment and positioning component 60 includes a linear drive mechanism, a pair of pitch adjustment sliders 620, and a pair of adjustment rods 50 mounted on the pitch adjustment sliders 620.

[0038] The linear drive mechanism in this embodiment is a lead screw and nut mechanism, mainly composed of a rotary power source, a screw 6110, and a threaded hole structure on the adjustable slider 620. More specifically, the linear drive mechanism includes a motor 610 mounted on the mounting plate 10 and a screw 6110 mounted in the slide groove 110. The screw 6110 is fixed to the output end of the motor 610. The adjustable slider 620 is slidably mounted in the slide groove 110. The screw 6110 has a forward threaded section and a reverse threaded section. The paired adjustable sliders 620 are divided into a first slider 6210 and a second slider 6220. The first slider 6210 has a forward threaded hole and is threadedly connected to the forward threaded section of the screw 6110. The second slider 6220 has a reverse threaded hole and is threadedly connected to the reverse threaded section of the screw 6110. In other embodiments, such as... Figure 9As shown, the linear drive mechanism may also include a pair of motors 610 and a pair of screws 6110 with opposite thread directions. The first slider 6210 and the second slider 6220 are each provided with through holes. The screw 6110 with a forward thread is threadedly connected to the forward threaded hole of the first slider 6210 and slides through the through hole of the second slider 6220. The screw 6110 with a reverse thread is threadedly connected to the reverse threaded hole of the second slider 6220 and slides through the through hole of the first slider 6210. The forward and reverse rotation of the pair of motors 610 drives the adjustable sliders 620 to move closer or further apart. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the linear drive mechanism may also be a crank-slider mechanism, a hydraulic or pneumatic drive mechanism, a gear and rack mechanism, a synchronous belt mechanism, or any other mechanism capable of bringing the two sliders closer or further apart.

[0039] Furthermore, since both the guide slider 2110 and the screw 6110 are installed within the slide groove 110, and for ease of installation, both ends of the screw 6110 are rotatably mounted on the groove walls at the front and rear ends of the slide groove 110. Simultaneously, to prevent interference between the screw 6110 and the guide slider 2110, a hole is provided on the guide slider 2110 to allow the screw 6110 to slide through with clearance fitting. In other embodiments, the screw 6110 can also be spaced vertically from the guide slider 2110, eliminating the need for holes in the guide slider 2110. Moreover, in other embodiments, by shortening the vertical length of the motor 610 and screw 6110 in Embodiment 1, the motor 610 and screw 6110 can be positioned between the two guide sliders 2110, thus eliminating the need for an interlocking fit between the screw 6110 and the guide slider 2110.

[0040] Each adjusting rod 50 slides and passes through the holes provided on each adjusting slider 620 in the left and right directions. The adjusting rod 50 is used to push the clamping roller 30 so that the clamping roller 30 presses the surface of the workpiece 90 so as to control the clamping assembly 20 to deform to adapt to the shape of the workpiece 90.

[0041] like Figure 4 As shown, a receiving opening is formed between the pair of adjusting rods 50 for the chain 40 and the workpiece 90 to enter. The width of the receiving opening is adapted to the front-back dimension of the workpiece 90. The width of the receiving opening is ensured by the spacing between the pair of adjusting sliders 620.

[0042] When the width of the receiving opening needs to be adjusted, the motor 610 drives the screw 6110 to rotate in both directions. The screw 6110 can drive the adjusting rods 50 at both ends of each workpiece 90 to move closer or further apart, so that the receiving openings of the paired adjusting rods 50 can adapt to workpieces 90 of different sizes, thereby ensuring that the fixture clamps the workpieces 90. Since the two sets of adjustable positioning components 60 are distributed left and right, four adjusting rods 50 can be distributed around each workpiece 90. The four adjusting rods 50 form receiving openings that are distributed left and right, allowing the chain 40, the clamping roller 30 and the workpiece 90 to enter the receiving openings. This increases the number of clamping points between the clamping roller 30 and the workpiece 90, making the fit between the clamping roller 30 and the workpiece 90 tighter. Moreover, multiple pairs of adjusting rods 50 are evenly distributed along the length of the chain 40, allowing the flexible fixture to clamp multiple workpieces 90 at once, improving production efficiency and meeting diverse production needs.

[0043] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, each actuating component 70 includes a linear drive component 710 and a movable plate 720 that moves left and right in conjunction with the mounting plate 10.

[0044] A linear drive component 710 is mounted on the mounting plate 10. The linear drive component 710 is an electric push rod, and its output end is connected to a movable plate 720. The movable plate 720 has a front-to-back extending limiting groove 7210. The ends of the tension rod 210 and the adjusting rod 50 opposite to the clamping roller 30 are slidably mounted in the limiting groove 7210. In other embodiments, the linear drive component 710 can also be a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder. Thus, when the linear drive component 710 drives the movable plate 720 to move left and right, the movable plate 720 drives the tension rod 210 and the adjusting rod 50 to move left and right through the limiting groove 7210, thereby achieving the clamping or releasing of the workpiece 90 by the clamping assembly 20.

[0045] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the pressing assembly 80 includes a linear drive component 810 and a lifting plate 820 that is movably mounted on the mounting plate 10 in the vertical direction and located above the two sets of clamping assemblies 20.

[0046] Linear drive component 810 is an electric push rod. The output end of linear drive component 810 is connected to lifting plate 820. The lower end face of lifting plate 820 has a pressing surface, which is used to push against the upper surface of the inner cylinder 310 of each clamping roller 30. When linear drive component 810 drives lifting plate 820 to descend, the pressing surface of lifting plate 820 pushes the inner cylinder 310 downward relative to chain 40, such as... Figure 6As shown, the inner cylinder 310 of the clamping roller 30 drives the outer cylinder 320 to rotate through a screw drive, and the outer surface of the outer cylinder 320 drives the workpiece 90 to rotate through friction. Since the spiral grooves of the inner cylinders 310 of the two sets of clamping components 20 rotate in opposite directions, the rotation directions of the outer cylinders 320 of the two sets of clamping components 20 are opposite, so that the friction forces on the left and right sides of the workpiece 90 are opposite, allowing the workpiece 90 to rotate smoothly clockwise or counterclockwise.

[0047] Furthermore, since the bottom materials of both the inner cylinder 310 and the outer cylinder 320 are elastic materials, when the bottom end of the outer cylinder 320 abuts against the plane of the platform where the workpiece 90 is placed, it receives an upward force. Simultaneously, when the inner cylinder 310 moves down until its bottom end pushes against the outer cylinder 320, the outer cylinder 320 receives a downward force. Thus, the interior and exterior of the outer cylinder 320 are subjected to downward and upward axial pressures respectively, causing it to expand. This increases the diameter of the clamping roller 30, making the clamping force of the clamping assembly 20 on the workpiece 90 more secure. This, in turn, increases the frictional force between the clamping assembly 20 and the workpiece 90, facilitating cleaning of the workpiece 90 surface when the outer cylinder 320 rotates. In other embodiments, the linear drive component 810 can also be a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder.

[0048] When using the above-described flexible clamp in Embodiment 1, as follows: Figure 1 and Figure 8 As shown, when applied to the wheel core coating process, the robot arm needs to grip multiple rows of wheel cores on the conveyor table 910 and transfer them to the glue injection mold 9210 on the glue injection table 920. Then, the wheel core is rotated so that the protrusion 9212 on the bottom surface of the wheel core is vertically aligned with the recess 9211 in the glue injection mold 9210, and the protrusion 9212 is inserted into the recess 9211 to achieve interlocking. The working process includes the following steps:

[0049] (1) Determine the number of pairs of adjusting rods 50 based on the number of single-row workpieces 90, and adjust the receiving opening of the pairs of adjusting rods 50 by motor 610 according to the size of workpieces 90.

[0050] (2) The flexible fixture is in the open state, the chain 40 is in a straight line, so that the robotic arm 120 rotates until the flexible fixture is above the conveyor table 910.

[0051] (3) Start the linear drive component 130 and control the flexible fixture to descend until the two sets of clamping components 20 are located on the left and right sides of the single row of workpieces 90.

[0052] (4) Start the linear drive component 710, drive the two movable plates 720 to move closer to each other, so that the two sets of clamping components 20 move closer to each other, the adjusting rod 50 pushes the clamping roller 30 to press the workpiece 90, and controls the clamping component 20 to adapt to the shape deformation of the workpiece 90 and clamp the workpiece 90. The flexible fixture is switched to the clamping state.

[0053] (5) Start the linear drive component 810, drive the lifting plate 820 to descend, so that the outer cylinder 320 rotates to clean the surface of the workpiece 90, so as to avoid the surface dust from affecting the coating quality. The reset spring 330 is compressed and stores elastic potential energy.

[0054] (6) Start the linear drive unit 130 to control the flexible fixture to lift the workpiece 90, and then the robotic arm 120 rotates to move the flexible fixture from above the conveyor table 910 to above the glue dispensing table 920.

[0055] (7) Start the linear drive component 130 and control the flexible fixture to descend until the workpiece 90 is located in the glue injection mold 9210 on the glue injection table 920.

[0056] (8) Start the linear drive component 810, drive the lifting plate 820 to rise, release the elastic potential energy stored in the reset spring 330, move the inner cylinder 310 upward to reset, drive the outer cylinder 320 to rotate, and drive the workpiece 90 to rotate through friction, so that the workpiece 90 is clamped in the glue injection mold 9210.

[0057] (9) Start the linear drive component 710 to drive the two movable plates 720 away from each other, so that the two sets of clamping components 20 move away from each other to release the workpiece 90, and complete the transfer of the single row of workpieces 90. The flexible fixture is reset to the open state.

[0058] Thus, by setting the adjustable positioning component 60 and the pressing component 80, the number of pairs of adjusting rods 50 is determined according to the number of workpieces 90, and the receiving opening of the pairs of adjusting rods 50 is adjusted by the adjustable positioning component 60 according to the size of the workpieces 90. Then, the pushing component 70 controls the two sets of clamping components 20 to move closer to each other, so that the adjusting rods 50 push the clamping rollers 30 to press the workpieces 90. The clamping components 20 are controlled to adapt to the shape deformation of the workpieces 90 and clamp the workpieces 90. When the clamping components 20 clamp the workpieces 90, there are four adjusting rods 50 around each workpiece 90. The position and number of clamping points are optimized, which can ensure that the clamping force of the fixture on the workpieces 90 is evenly distributed at multiple points, ensuring that the workpieces 90 remain stable during the transfer process and avoiding deformation of the workpieces 90. In addition, this flexible fixture can clamp multiple workpieces 90 at one time, which improves production efficiency and can meet diversified production needs. Furthermore, it can also meet the production needs of rotating and clamping the wheel core during the rubber coating transfer process.

[0059] In other embodiments of the flexible fixture of the present invention, if it is only necessary to transfer the workpiece 90 during application, and it is not necessary to rotate the workpiece 90 after transferring it, a simpler clamping roller 30 can be used. The difference between this embodiment of the flexible fixture and the first embodiment is that it does not include the pressing component 80, and the clamping roller 30 is an integrally formed structure connected to the chain 40.

[0060] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like to indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0061] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In the description of the present invention, "plurality" means at least two, such as two or three, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0062] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it will be understood that the above embodiments are illustrative and are not to be construed as limitations on the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible clamp, comprising a mounting plate, two sets of clamping assemblies opposite to each other, and a driving assembly for driving each clamping assembly, each clamping assembly comprising a chain extending forward and backward and a plurality of clamping rollers, characterized in that: It also includes a distance adjustment and positioning assembly corresponding to each clamping assembly, the distance adjustment and positioning assembly includes a linear drive mechanism, a distance adjustment slider that is arranged in pairs and assembled on the mounting plate for forward and backward movement, and a pair of adjustment rods that are assembled on the distance adjustment slider for left and right movement; one end of the adjustment rod is used to push the clamping roller to press the workpiece, and a receiving opening for the clamping roller and the workpiece to enter is formed between the paired adjustment rods; the linear drive mechanism is used to drive the paired distance adjustment sliders to move closer or farther from each other, so as to adjust the width of the receiving opening to adapt to the size of the workpiece; The clamping assembly also includes two guide sliders that are assembled on the mounting plate and are distributed front and back, a tensioning rod that is assembled on each guide slider and is fixedly connected to the chain end, and an elastic member connected to the guide slider for tightening the chain. The pushing assembly includes a linear driving member 1, a movable plate that cooperates with the mounting plate to move left and right, an adjusting rod and a tensioning rod that are guided forward and backward and are movable and assembled on the movable plate in a limited manner left and right, and the linear driving member 1 is used to drive the movable plate to move left and right to drive the adjusting rod and the tensioning rod to move left and right to push or release the clamping roller; The mounting plate has a slide groove extending forward and backward, and the pitch-adjusting slider is slidably installed in the slide groove. The linear drive mechanism includes a motor installed on the mounting plate, and the output end of the motor is connected to a screw rod, and the screw rod has a forward thread segment and a reverse thread segment. The paired pitch-adjusting sliders are divided into a first slider and a second slider. The first slider has a forward threaded hole and is threadedly connected to the forward thread segment of the screw rod, and the second slider has a reverse threaded hole and is threadedly connected to the reverse thread segment of the screw rod.

2. A flexible clamp according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adjusting rods are provided with a plurality of pairs along the length direction of the chain.

3. A flexible clamp according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable plate has a limiting groove extending forward and backward, and the ends of the adjusting rod and the tensioning rod facing away from the clamping roller are slidably installed in the limiting groove forward and backward.

4. A flexible clamp according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The mounting plate is also provided with a pressing assembly for controlling the rotation of the workpiece, and the pressing assembly includes a second linear drive component, a lifting plate movably assembled on the mounting plate along the up and down directions and located above the two groups of clamping assemblies, and the output end of the second linear drive component is connected to the lifting plate; the clamping roller includes an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder sleeved outside the inner cylinder, the inner cylinder is slidably assembled on the chain along the vertical direction, the outer cylinder is rotatably connected to the chain, and the outer cylinder is spirally driven with the inner cylinder; the lower end surface of the lifting plate has a pressing surface for pushing and cooperating with the upper surface of each inner cylinder, and when the second linear drive component drives the lifting plate to descend, the pressing surface of the lifting plate pushes the inner cylinder to move downward, the inner cylinder drives the outer cylinder to rotate through spiral transmission, and the outer surface of the outer cylinder drives the workpiece to rotate through friction.

5. A flexible clamp according to claim 4, characterized in that: The inner cylinder has a spiral groove, and the outer cylinder has a spiral groove. The inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are meshed with each other through the spiral groove. The spiral grooves of the inner cylinders of the two groups of the clamping assemblies rotate in opposite directions.

6. A flexible clamp according to claim 4, characterized in that: A return spring is arranged between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder to make the inner cylinder have a tendency to move upward and return.

7. A flexible clamp according to claim 4, characterized in that: The bottom of the inner cylinder is conical.

8. A flexible clamp according to claim 7, characterized in that: The bottom materials of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are respectively made of elastic materials.

9. A flexible clamp according to claim 4, characterized in that: The chain includes chain plates and an assembly platform, wherein the chain plates have two rows, one upper row and one lower row, and are arranged in parallel, and the assembly platform passes through the two rows of chain plates in the up-down direction and is fixedly connected to the chain plates in the upper row; The assembly platform has a vertical groove and a protruding ring. The inner cylinder is sleeved in the assembly platform. The inner cylinder has a guide portion slidably installed in the vertical groove. The outer cylinder is sleeved on the outside of the bottom of the assembly platform. The outer cylinder has an annular groove that rotatably cooperates with the protruding ring.

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