Welding robot

Abstract

The invention relates to a welding robot, and relates to the field of welding equipment, the welding robot comprises a mechanical arm, a mounting seat and an end effector, the end effector comprises a sleeve assembly and a welding assembly, the sleeve assembly comprises a first sleeve, a second sleeve and a rotary connecting piece, one end of the first sleeve is connected to the mounting seat, and the other end of the first sleeve is connected to the welding assembly; the second sleeve is connected to the other end of the first sleeve through a rotary connecting piece; and the welding assembly is fixedly arranged on the second sleeve, the rotating connecting piece is in transmission connection with a driving assembly, and the driving assembly is used for adjusting the angle between the rotating connecting piece and the first sleeve. The second sleeve can be driven to rotate by rotating the connecting piece, the included angle between a welding piece and a welding seam is adjusted, the mechanical arm and the first sleeve do not need to be moved, the probability of interference with a workpiece is reduced, and the welding robot can adjust the angle of the welding piece in a narrow operation space to conduct welding operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of welding equipment, and in particular to a welding robot. Background Art

[0002] A welding robot is an industrial robot engaged in welding. According to the definition of an industrial robot belonging to a standard welding robot by the International Organization for Standardization, an industrial robot is a multi-purpose, reprogrammable automatic control manipulator with three or more programmable axes, used in the field of industrial automation; in the welding process of existing welding robots, in order to reduce the probability of interference between the robotic arm and the workpiece, the welding torch is usually set relatively long and is set as a bent structure with an angle.

[0003] Currently, a Chinese patent application with publication number CN 118342190 A and publication date of July 16, 2024, proposes a pin welding robot, which includes a welding robot main body. The welding robot main body includes a base, a rotating seat, a first driving arm, a transmission seat, and a second driving arm; an adjustment assembly is provided on the second driving arm; an installation seat is provided below the front end of the second driving arm, and the welding torch is arranged on the installation seat.

[0004] During use, the welding torch on the installation seat is moved through the rotating seat, the first driving arm, the transmission seat, the second driving arm, and control.

[0005] In view of the above related technologies, when welding a weld seam, it is necessary to jointly cooperate with the rotating seat, the first driving arm, the transmission seat, and the second driving arm to control the angle and direction of the welding torch. During this process, the welding torch and the installation seat need to continuously rotate to adjust the welding angle. When the weld seam is between two or more workpieces, the moving space around the weld seam is small, and interference may occur between the welding torch and the workpiece when adjusting the position of the welding torch, resulting in the inability to weld the weld seam in a narrow space. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to enable the welding robot to weld the weld seam in a narrow space and enable the welding robot to adapt to more complex welding environments, the present invention provides a welding robot.

[0007] The present invention provides a welding robot, adopting the following technical solutions: A welding robot, comprising a robotic arm, a mounting seat and an end effector, wherein the mounting seat is arranged at the end of the robotic arm, the end effector is arranged on the mounting seat, and the end effector comprises a sleeve assembly and a welding assembly; the sleeve assembly comprises a first sleeve, a second sleeve and a rotating connecting piece, one end of the first sleeve is connected to the mounting seat, and the second sleeve is connected to the other end of the first sleeve through the rotating connecting piece; the welding assembly comprises a welding piece and a wire feeding conduit, the wire feeding conduit is arranged in a flexible manner, the wire feeding conduit is arranged inside the first sleeve, the rotating connecting piece and the second sleeve, and the welding piece is arranged at the end of the second sleeve away from the first sleeve; a driving assembly is drivingly connected to the rotating connecting piece, and the driving assembly is used for adjusting the angle between the rotating connecting piece and the first sleeve.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, the robotic arm and the mounting seat can drive the end effector to move within a large range. When the robotic arm and the mounting seat move the end effector to a position near the weld seam, the driving assembly drives the rotating connecting piece in the end effector to rotate, so that the second sleeve rotates relative to the first sleeve, and the included angle between the second sleeve and the first sleeve is adjusted. The welding assembly is arranged on the second sleeve. When the included angle between the second sleeve and the first sleeve rotates relatively, the second sleeve drives the welding piece to rotate, and the wire feeding conduit is arranged in the sleeve assembly to convey the welding wire to the position of the welding piece for welding.

[0009] In this way, when the welding robot is performing welding operations, the second sleeve can be driven to rotate by the rotating connecting piece to adjust the included angle between the welding piece and the weld seam. Especially when adjusting the included angle of the welding piece in a narrow space, there is no need to move the robotic arm and the first sleeve, which can effectively reduce the probability of interference between the first sleeve and the workpiece, enabling the welding robot to adjust the angle of the welding piece for welding operations in a narrow working space; at the same time, when adjusting the angle of the welding piece, only the rotating connecting piece and the second sleeve are moved to drive the welding piece to move, reducing the mass of the components that need to be moved, thereby reducing the influence of inertia on the movement accuracy of the welding piece and enabling the welding piece to adjust the angle more precisely when moving.

[0010] Optionally, the driving assembly comprises a winch, a cable, a guiding structure arranged outside the first sleeve, and a pulling ring fixedly arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating connecting piece. The guiding structure and the pulling ring are arranged corresponding to each other. The cable is slidably arranged in the guiding structure. One end of the cable is fixedly arranged on the pulling ring, and the other end of the cable is connected to the winch; two sets of driving assemblies are arranged, and the two pulling rings are arranged oppositely on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating connecting piece; the two winches are cooperatively arranged to drive the rotating connecting piece to rotate, and the cable is used for transmission.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, when the winch rotates forward, the cable will be retracted and wound around the winch, causing the cable to contract. When the winch rotates in reverse, the cable on the winch will be released, causing the cable to extend. When one of the two relatively arranged winches rotates forward, the other winch will rotate in reverse. Correspondingly, one of the cables will extend and the other cable will shorten. One end of the cable is fixed to the pull ring of the connecting piece. When one of the cables contracts, the rotating connecting piece will rotate in the direction of the contracting cable, and the cable on the other side will be released correspondingly. In this way, by adjusting the rotation of the winches in the two sets of drive components, the different lengths of the cable extending can be controlled, and thus the rotation angle of the rotating connecting piece can be controlled, enabling the rotating connecting piece to drive the welding piece to adjust the welding angle. At the same time, the guiding structure provided on the outer side of the first conduit can also change the transmission direction of the cable, making the installation position of the winch more flexible. There is no need to install the winch close to the welding piece, which can further reduce the structures installed near the welding piece and enable the welding piece to adapt to a smaller welding operation space.

[0012] Optionally, an adjusting component is further provided on the mounting seat. The adjusting component includes a lead screw nut, a limiting ring and an adjusting sleeve. The lead screw nut is rotatably arranged on the mounting seat, and the adjusting sleeve is sleeved in the lead screw nut and the limiting ring. Threaded grooves and sliding grooves are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the adjusting sleeve. The adjusting sleeve is threadedly connected to the lead screw nut through the threaded grooves. The sliding groove is arranged along the axial direction of the adjusting sleeve. A sliding block is arranged on the inner peripheral surface of the limiting ring to cooperate with the sliding groove. The sliding block and the sliding groove are used to circumferentially limit the adjusting sleeve. The lead screw nut is connected with a driving member. The lead screw nut rotates and the limiting ring is fixed to drive the adjusting sleeve to expand and contract. The first sleeve is fixedly arranged on the adjusting sleeve.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, when the limiting ring is fixed and the lead screw nut rotates, the cooperation between the lead screw nut and the adjusting sleeve can drive the adjusting sleeve to drive the sleeve assembly and the welding part to axially expand and contract along the adjusting sleeve, so that the welding robot can control the axial movement of the welding part along the adjusting sleeve without moving the robotic arm and the mounting base; when welding a straight weld, it is only necessary to control the robotic arm and the mounting base to set the axis of the adjusting sleeve parallel to the weld, and adjust the driving component to adjust the angle between the welding part and the weld. Subsequently, fix the angles of the welding part, the robotic arm and the mounting base, and finally control the expansion and contraction of the adjusting sleeve to weld the straight weld. In this way, the welding part can be driven to move in a straight line by the adjusting sleeve during welding, simplifying the complex combined movement process of the robotic arm during welding. Especially when welding a vertical weld in a narrow space, it is only necessary to set the adjusting sleeve in the vertical direction, adjust the angle of the welding part, and then control the adjusting sleeve to drive the welding part to move vertically upward to weld the vertical weld, without the need for the robotic arm and the mounting base to move in cooperation. On the one hand, it can simplify the movement algorithm of the robotic arm during welding, and on the other hand, since the robotic arm does not need to move during welding, it can also reduce the risk of interference between the robotic arm and the workpiece or other surrounding structures, making it suitable for use in an environment with a small welding operation scene.

[0014] Optionally, the limiting ring is rotatably arranged on the mounting base, and the limiting ring is connected with a driving member; the lead screw nut and the limiting ring rotate synchronously to drive the adjusting sleeve to rotate.

[0015] During the operation of the welding robot, since the welding torch needs to form a certain angle with the weld, when adjusting the angle of the welding torch, it is necessary to change the angle of the welding torch by adjusting the direction of the robotic arm or the mounting base. However, in a small space of the welding operation environment, rotating the robotic arm or the mounting base is likely to interfere with other structures of the workpiece, making it impossible for the welding robot to adjust the angle of the welding torch to perform operations in a narrow welding environment. By adopting the above technical solution, after the welding part adjusts the angle with the first sleeve, the adjusting sleeve can also be driven to rotate by the limiting ring, so that the adjusting sleeve can drive the second sleeve and the welding part to rotate.

[0016] In an environment with a narrow operation space, first insert the welding part into the narrow welding space along with the first sleeve. Secondly, drive the second sleeve and the welding part to rotate through the adjusting sleeve, so that the second sleeve can drive the welding part to rotate towards or away from the weld. Finally, adjust the angles of the second sleeve and the welding part through the cable in the driving component to align the welding part with the weld for welding.

[0017] In this way, by driving the rotating connecting member through the driving assembly, the included angle between the welded part and the first sleeve can be adjusted. By driving the adjusting sleeve to rotate through the limiting ring, the welded part can be driven to rotate circumferentially through the first sleeve, so that the driving assembly and the limiting ring can drive the welded part to rotate in all directions, enabling the welded part to rotate arbitrarily in a narrow welding operation space, so that the welded part can be aligned with weld seams in all directions for welding, and enabling the welding robot to adapt to more welding working conditions. Moreover, during the process of adjusting the welding angle and direction of the welded part, there is no need for the robotic arm and the mounting base to move, reducing the probability of interference with the workpiece.

[0018] Optionally, a turntable is also rotatably provided on the mounting base; the turntable is in transmission connection with the limiting ring; or the turntable is integrally provided with the limiting ring; the turntable is used to rotate synchronously with the adjusting sleeve, and the winch is mounted on the turntable.

[0019] Since the rotating connecting member is driven by a cable, and the cable is a flexible structure, during the rotation of the adjusting sleeve and the rotating connecting member, the cable is prone to jitter, affecting the rotation accuracy. Moreover, during the rotation of the adjusting sleeve and the cable, the distance between the winch and the pulling ring will change at any time, resulting in the need for the winch to adjust the tension of the cable accordingly, making the driving algorithm of the winch relatively complex. By adopting the above technical solution, the winch is fixedly arranged on the turntable, and the turntable rotates synchronously with the adjusting sleeve, so that the winch is only driven when the angle of the rotating connecting member needs to be adjusted, or the winch is synchronously controlled to drive the cable to stretch when the adjusting sleeve stretches under the drive of the screw nut, maintaining the tension of the cable and fixing the angle of the welded part relative to the second sleeve. In this way, setting the winch on the turntable enables the winch and the cable to rotate with the adjusting sleeve. On the one hand, it can simplify the winch driving algorithm and optimize the driving program of the driving assembly. On the other hand, it can also reduce the probability of the cable jittering or the adjusting sleeve winding around the cable during rotation.

[0020] Optionally, the adjusting sleeve is sleeved outside the first sleeve, and the guiding structure is fixedly arranged at the end of the adjusting sleeve close to the second sleeve; a slideway is arranged on the guiding structure, one end of the slideway is opened on the end face of the adjusting sleeve facing the second sleeve, the slideway is correspondingly arranged with the pulling ring, the cable is slidably arranged in the slideway, and the slideway is used for radially limiting the cable; there are two slideways, and the two slideways are respectively correspondingly arranged with two groups of driving assemblies.

[0021] By adopting the above technical solution, the adjusting sleeve is sleeved outside the first sleeve, and a slideway is arranged on the guiding structure arranged outside the first sleeve, and the position of the slideway corresponds to that of the pull ring. The cable is threaded through the slideway to slide, so that the cable can be restricted inside the slideway when sliding, effectively increasing the stability of the cable and reducing the probability of interference between the cable and the workpiece, and improving the rotation accuracy of the rotating connector.

[0022] Optionally, an angular displacement sensor is further arranged on the rotating connector, and the angular displacement sensor is used to measure the included angle between the first sleeve and the rotating connector.

[0023] By adopting the above technical solution, when the rotating connector rotates, the angular displacement sensor can measure in real time the included angle between the first sleeve and the rotating connector. The adjusting sleeve is sleeved outside the first sleeve, so that the axis of the adjusting sleeve coincides with that of the first sleeve. The welding part is arranged in the second sleeve fixedly arranged with the rotating connector, so that the included angle between the first sleeve and the rotating connector is the included angle between the welding part and the adjusting sleeve. When adjusting the angle of the welding part, only the coordinate data of the adjusting sleeve needs to be adjusted through the robotic arm and the mounting seat, and the coordinate data of the adjusting sleeve can be converted according to the angle sensed by the angular displacement sensor to obtain the coordinate data of the welding part. In this way, by arranging the angular displacement sensor, the included angle between the welding part and the adjusting sleeve can be measured. When adjusting the angle of the welding part, the coordinate data of the adjusting sleeve can be directly obtained by converting according to the data of the angular displacement sensor, and the angle of the welding part can be adjusted in turn, making the angle adjustment of the welding part data-based and visual, and improving the accuracy of the angle adjustment of the welding part.

[0024] Optionally, an angle locking mechanism is further arranged on the rotating connector, and the angle locking mechanism is used to lock the rotation angle of the rotating connector.

[0025] In this application, the rotating connecting piece is driven by the cooperation of a winch and a cable. When adjusting the angle of the rotating connecting piece through the winch and the cable, the robotic arm and the mounting seat of the welding robot are both in a static state. Therefore, when the winch drives the rotating connecting piece to rotate through the cable, the state of the cable is relatively stable, and the rotation angle of the rotating connecting piece can be accurately adjusted, so that the welded part can be adjusted to an appropriate angle with the weld seam. However, when the robotic arm or the mounting seat moves, the vibration generated during the rotation of the motor or the vibration generated during the movement process will cause the cable to shake, affecting the accuracy of the rotating connecting piece, and further affecting the accuracy of the welded part during welding. By adopting the above technical solution, after the winch and the cable cooperate to adjust the rotating connecting piece to an appropriate angle, the angle locking mechanism will lock the angle of the rotating connecting piece, so that the included angle between the welded part and the adjusting sleeve is locked. After the angle locking mechanism locks the angle of the rotating connecting piece in this way, the angle of the welded part is fixed at the current position, which can effectively reduce the influence of the swing of the flexible cable on the angle of the welded part when the robotic arm and the mounting seat move or when the motor vibrates, and improve the welding accuracy.

[0026] Optionally, the angle locking mechanism is a non-powered oil cylinder. The cylinder body of the non-powered oil cylinder is rotatably connected to the first sleeve, and the piston rod of the non-powered oil cylinder is rotatably connected to the second sleeve or the rotating connecting piece. A solenoid valve is arranged on the oil pipe of the non-powered oil cylinder, and the solenoid valve is used to control the on-off of the oil circuit.

[0027] By adopting the above technical solution, when the winch and the cable cooperate to drive the rotating connecting piece to rotate, the solenoid valve controls the oil circuit to be connected, and the non-powered oil cylinder rotates and expands and contracts as the rotating connecting piece and the first sleeve rotate. After the winch and the cable cooperate to rotate the rotating connecting piece to the set angle, the solenoid valve controls the oil circuit to be interrupted, and the non-powered oil cylinder is locked in the current position. At this time, the length of the non-powered oil cylinder is fixed, and together with the first sleeve and the rotating connecting piece, it forms a stable triangular mechanism, locking the angle between the rotating connecting piece and the first sleeve, that is, locking the angle between the welded part and the adjusting sleeve, and realizing the function of angle locking. In this way, the angle locking of the rotating connecting piece can be realized by the cooperation of the non-powered oil cylinder and the solenoid valve. At the same time, since the oil circuit can be transmitted through a flexible pipe, during installation, only the non-powered oil cylinder needs to be installed on the first sleeve and the rotating connecting piece, and the solenoid valve can be fixedly installed on the robotic arm through the oil circuit guide. The volume of the non-powered oil cylinder can be customized to be relatively small, reducing the space occupied by the end effector, enabling the welding robot to perform welding operations in a narrow space; at the same time, when the non-powered oil cylinder locks the rotating connecting piece, the non-powered oil cylinder, the first sleeve and the rotating connecting piece together form a triangular support structure, which can stably lock the welded part at the current angle, reduce the influence of motor vibration and robotic arm movement on the welded part, and improve the welding accuracy of the welding robot.

[0028] In summary, the present invention includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: The end effector of the welding robot is set to a rotatable structure. When the welding robot performs welding operations in a narrow welding space, it can adjust the welding angle of the welded part by adjusting the end effector, without adjusting the robotic arm and the mounting base of the welding robot, reducing the efficiency of interference between the moving robotic arm and the surrounding workpieces, enabling the welding robot to perform welding operations in a narrower space.

[0029] An adjustment component is provided on the mounting base to control the rotation of the end effector. When adjusting the welding angle through the end effector, the rotation of the end effector can be adjusted through the adjustment component, and thus the welding angle of the end effector can be adjusted in any direction. The welding robot can perform welding operations in any direction in a narrow space. During the process of adjusting the welding direction and welding angle, there is no need for the robotic arm and the mounting base to move, reducing the probability of interference between the welding robot and the surrounding workpieces, and further expanding the application scenarios of the welding robot in narrow-space welding operations.

[0030] The adjustment component is set to a structure that can control the telescoping of the end effector. When welding a linear weld, the end effector is adjusted to a suitable direction and angle through the adjustment component and the rotating connecting piece, and then the movement of the end effector is controlled by the telescoping of the adjustment component, enabling welding operations on the linear weld without the need for the robotic arm and the mounting base to move, reducing the probability of interference with the workpiece, which is beneficial for the welding robot to perform welding operations in a narrow space.

[0031] The welding angle of the end effector is driven by a cable, and an angle locking mechanism is provided to lock the welding angle of the end effector. The flexibly arranged cable can arbitrarily change the transmission path of the driving part, enabling the driving part for adjusting the angle of the end effector to be installed at a position far from the end effector, reducing the occupied space of the end effector, enabling the welding robot to perform welding operations in a narrower space, while the angle locking mechanism can lock the angle of the end effector, reducing the swing of the end effector angle during the welding process and improving the welding precision. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the end effector of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the adjustment component of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sleeve component of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Explanation of the reference numerals: 100, robotic arm; 200, mounting seat; 300, end effector; 400, sleeve assembly; 410, first sleeve; 420, second sleeve; 430, rotating connector; 440, angular displacement sensor; 500, welding assembly; 510, welding part; 520, wire guide tube; 600, driving assembly; 610, capstan; 620, cable; 630, guide structure; 640, pull ring; 700, adjustment assembly; 710, screw nut; 720, limit ring; 721, slider; 730, adjustment sleeve; 731, threaded groove; 732, slide groove; 733, slideway; 740, turntable; 800, angle locking mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Most of the welding robots currently used in production are six-axis welding robots. In order to take into account both welding accuracy and universality, enable the welding robot to operate in a variety of welding environments, and ensure welding quality, the welding gun is usually fixed on the mounting seat at the end of the robotic arm, and the welding end is set as a curved structure so that the nozzle of the welding gun has a certain angle. In subsequent welding operations, the angle of the welding gun nozzle is adjusted by adjusting the angle of the robotic arm and the mounting seat.

[0035] Due to the limited angle of the welding gun nozzle, when the angle of the welding gun nozzle is adjusted by the robotic arm and the mounting base, the section connecting the welding gun and the mounting base will swing with the robotic arm, which is easy to interfere with the workpiece, making it difficult for the welding robot to perform welding operations in a small space. In particular, when the structure and welding depth inside the welding cavity are large and there are vertical welds with obstructions nearby, adjusting the welding angle by adjusting the robotic arm to drive the welding gun to move will greatly increase the probability of interference between the welding gun and the workpiece, making it impossible for the welding robot to perform welding operations in a small space.

[0036] The following combination Figure 1 The present invention is described in further detail.

[0037] The embodiment of the present invention discloses a welding robot. Figure 1, A welding robot mainly includes a robotic arm 100, a mounting base 200 provided on the robotic arm 100, and an end effector 300 provided on the mounting base 200. The end effector 300 includes a sleeve assembly 400 for fixing and a welding assembly 500 for performing welding. The welding assembly 500 is fixed on the sleeve assembly 400, and a driving assembly 600 and an adjusting assembly 700 for adjusting the position and angle of the sleeve assembly 400 are also provided on the mounting base 200. When the welding robot performs welding operations, the robotic arm 100 and the mounting base 200 cooperate to move the end effector 300 near the welding operation position. Subsequently, the driving assembly 600 and the adjusting assembly 700 adjust the sleeve assembly 400 in the end effector 300 according to the position and angle of the weld seam, so that the welding assembly 500 mounted on the sleeve assembly 400 can align with the weld seam and continue welding.

[0038] Thus, when performing welding operations, the robotic arm 100 and the mounting base 200 cooperate to move the end effector 300 near the weld seam, or directly control the cooperation of the robotic arm 100 and the mounting base 200 to move when the space around the weld seam is relatively open, and control the welding assembly 500 to weld the weld seam. When the weld seam is in a narrow working space, the robotic arm 100 and the mounting base 200 cooperate to move the end effector 300 to a position near the weld seam. Subsequently, the driving assembly 600 and the adjusting assembly 700 cooperate to adjust the direction and angle of the welding assembly 500, so that the welding robot can perform welding operations in a narrow space.

[0039] Refer to Figure 1 , the robotic arm 100 in this embodiment is a six-axis robotic arm 100 commonly used in welding robots. The mounting base 200 is a connecting rod provided at the end of the welding robot. The mounting base 200 is driven to rotate by a stepping motor provided on the robotic arm 100. The end effector 300 is provided at one end of the mounting base 200 away from the robotic arm 100. When the mounting base 200 rotates, it can drive the end effector 300 to rotate around the robotic arm 100.

[0040] Refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3An adjustment assembly 700 is provided between the mounting seat 200 and the end effector 300. The end effector 300 is mounted on the mounting seat 200 through the adjustment assembly 700. Specifically, the adjustment assembly 700 includes a screw nut 710, a limiting ring 720 and an adjustment sleeve 730. A round hole is provided at one end of the mounting seat 200 away from the robot arm 100. The screw nut 710 and the limiting ring 720 are both rotatably arranged in the round hole of the robot arm 100 through a bearing. The adjustment sleeve 730 is inserted into the screw nut. In the mother 710 and the limiting ring 720, the inner circumference of the screw nut 710 is provided with a threaded protrusion, the inner circumference of the limiting ring 720 is provided with a slider 721 arranged along the axial direction of the limiting ring 720, and the outer circumference of the adjusting sleeve 730 is provided with a threaded groove 731 and a slide groove 732, the threaded groove 731 is matched with the threaded protrusion on the inner circumference of the screw nut 710, the slide groove 732 is arranged along the axial direction of the screw sleeve, and the slide groove 732 is matched with the slider 721 arranged on the inner circumference of the limiting ring 720.

[0041] In this embodiment, two stepper motors are also provided on the mounting base 200, and bevel gears are fixedly provided on the lead screw nut 710 and the limit ring 720. Bevel gears are also provided on the two stepper motors. The lead screw nut 710 and the limit ring 720 are respectively connected to the two stepper motors through the bevel gears; when the limit ring 720 is fixed and does not rotate and the lead screw nut 710 rotates, the limit ring 720 limits the rotation of the adjusting sleeve 730, and the adjusting sleeve 730 can be extended and retracted along the axis of the adjusting sleeve 730 under the threaded drive of the lead screw nut 710; the angle and distance between the slider 721 and the threaded protrusion are fixed, and when the limit ring 720 and the lead screw nut 710 rotate synchronously, the adjusting sleeve 730 can be driven to rotate when the telescopic position is fixed.

[0042] Reference Figure 4 The end effector 300 includes a sleeve assembly 400 and a welding assembly 500, wherein the sleeve assembly 400 includes a first sleeve 410, a second sleeve 420 and a rotating connector 430, wherein the first sleeve 410 is fixedly inserted into the adjusting sleeve 730, and the setting of the first sleeve 410 can extend the welding distance of the welding assembly 500, and the rotating connector 430 is connected to the end of the first sleeve 410 away from the sleeve assembly 400 through a rotating shaft, and the rotating connector 430 can rotate around the rotating shaft, and the second sleeve 420 is fixedly set on the rotating connector 430, so that when the rotating connector 430 rotates around the rotating shaft, the angle between the second sleeve 420 and the first sleeve 410 changes.

[0043] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4, the welding assembly 500 includes a welding piece 510 and a wire feeding conduit 520. The adjusting sleeve 730, the first sleeve 410, the rotating connecting piece 430, and the second sleeve 420 are all hollow inside. The end of the wire feeding conduit 520 sequentially passes through the adjusting sleeve 730, the first sleeve 410, and the rotating connecting piece 430 and is fixedly arranged inside the second sleeve. The welding piece 510 is fixedly arranged at the end of the second sleeve 420 away from the rotating connecting piece 430. The welding wire is conveyed to the welding piece 510 through the wire feeding conduit 520. When the included angle between the second sleeve 420 and the first sleeve 410 changes, the welding angle of the welding piece 510 changes accordingly.

[0044] In this embodiment, two opposite rotating shafts are arranged at the end of the first sleeve 410 away from the adjusting sleeve 730. The rotating connecting piece 430 is provided with an extended connecting plate at the position corresponding to the rotating shaft, and a bearing seat is arranged on the connecting plate. The rotating shaft and the bearing seat are connected by a bearing so that the first sleeve 410 and the rotating connecting piece 430 can rotate. In this embodiment, the welding piece 510 refers to a nozzle and a contact tip arranged at the end of a welding torch or other structures for heating the welding wire and emitting the welding wire to a specific position.

[0045] Referring to Figures 2 to 4 , the rotating connecting piece 430 is adjusted by a driving assembly 600. The driving assembly 600 includes a winch 610, a cable 620, a guiding structure 630, and a pull ring 640. The limiting ring 720 is arranged at one end of the mounting seat 200 close to the end effector 300, and a turntable 740 is fixedly arranged on the limiting ring 720. The turntable 740 is integrally formed with the limiting ring 720 and is rotatably arranged on the mounting seat 200 through a bearing seat. The winch 610 is fixedly arranged on the turntable 740, so that the winch 610 can rotate synchronously with the limiting ring 720. The cable 620 is wound around the winch 610. The end of the cable 620 passes through the guiding structure 630 and is connected to the pull ring 640. The guiding structure 630 is an annular tube sleeved on the end of the adjusting sleeve 730 close to the second sleeve 420. The annular tube has a certain thickness. A through hole is formed on the tube wall of the annular tube to form a slideway 733. The through hole formed on the tube wall of the annular tube is inclined, so that one end of the slideway 733 communicates with the outer wall of the annular tube, and the other end communicates with the end of the annular tube close to the rotating connecting piece 430. The pull ring 640 is fixedly arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating connecting piece 430, and the position of the pull ring 640 corresponds to the position of the slideway 733. When the winch 610 rotates forward, the cable 620 is wound around the winch 610. At this time, the end of the cable 620 fixedly arranged at one end of the pull ring 640 pulls the pull ring 640 in the direction close to the slideway 733, so that the rotating connecting piece 430 rotates in the direction of the winch 610. When the winch 610 rotates reversely, the cable 620 wound around the winch 610 is relaxed.

[0046] In order to enable the driving assembly 600 to drive the rotating connecting piece 430 to rotate to both sides, two sets of driving assemblies 600 are provided in this application. The corresponding two sets of driving assemblies 600 are oppositely arranged on both sides of the adjusting sleeve 730. Specifically, there are also two slideways 733, which are respectively arranged on the opposite sides of the adjusting sleeve 730. The pull rings 640 correspond to the slideways 733. The two pull rings 640 are oppositely arranged on both sides of the outer wall of the rotating connecting piece 430. When the winch 610 on one side rotates forward, the winch 610 on the other side rotates in the reverse direction, so that the cable 620 on one side pulls the pull ring 640 to pull a certain length in the direction close to the winch 610, and drives the rotating connecting piece 430 to rotate towards the winch 610 that rotates forward. The cable 620 on the other side is correspondingly loosened by a certain length. When the cables 620 in the two sets of driving assemblies 600 are all tightened, the rotating connecting piece 430 can be controlled to rotate a corresponding angle, that is, the angle of the welded part 510 is adjusted.

[0047] In this embodiment, the cable 620 adopts a wire rope lock with low elasticity to reduce the deformation amount and jitter during the movement of the cable 620. The slideway 733 is provided with smooth rounded corners at both ends to reduce bumping. When two cables 620 are used to drive the rotating connecting piece 430, the direction in which the two pull rings 640 are oppositely arranged is the same as the rotating direction of the rotating connecting piece 430. At the same time, the driving assembly 600 can also adopt a driving method in which a motor is combined with a transmission belt or a lead screw or a gear to drive the rotating connecting piece 430 to rotate. This embodiment is a preferred solution, which can reduce the structure arranged near the welded part 510, and thus reduce the volume of the second sleeve 420. The welding robot can operate in a smaller welding space.

[0048] Refer to Figure 4 , since vibrations will be generated when the robotic arm 100 and the motor move, the cable 620 will jitter under the vibration, which will affect the accuracy of the rotation angle of the rotating connecting piece 430. In order to reduce the influence of the vibration on the accuracy of the rotation angle, an angle locking mechanism 800 is also provided on the rotating connecting piece 430. In this embodiment, the angle locking mechanism 800 adopts a non-powered oil cylinder. The cylinder body of the non-powered oil cylinder is rotatably connected to the first sleeve 410, and the piston rod of the non-powered oil cylinder is rotatably connected to the rotating connecting piece 430. A solenoid valve is provided on the oil pipe of the non-powered oil cylinder. When the winch 610 and the cable 620 cooperate to drive the rotating connecting piece 430 to rotate, the solenoid valve controls the oil circuit to be connected, and the non-powered oil cylinder rotates and expands and contracts passively as the rotating connecting piece 430 rotates. After the winch 610 and the cable 620 cooperate to rotate the rotating connecting piece 430 to the set angle, the solenoid valve controls the oil circuit to be interrupted, and the non-powered oil cylinder is locked in the current position. At this time, the length of the non-powered oil cylinder is fixed, and together with the first sleeve 410 and the second sleeve 420, it forms a stable triangular mechanism to lock the angle of the rotating connecting piece 430.

[0049] Reference Figure 4 Figure 4 In order to accurately measure the included angle between the rotating connecting member 430 and the first sleeve 410, an angular displacement sensor 440 is further provided on the rotating connecting member 430. In this embodiment, the rotating shaft of the angular sensor is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft of the first sleeve 410 and the rotating connecting member 430, and the body of the angular displacement sensor 440 is fixedly arranged on the bearing seat of the rotating connecting member 430. When the rotating connecting member 430 rotates relative to the first sleeve 410, the angular displacement sensor 440 can detect the angle change in real time, and then can perform coordinate conversion on the coordinate data of the adjusting sleeve 730 according to the angle sensed by the angular displacement sensor to obtain the coordinate data of the welded part 510 in real time and detect the welding angle of the welded part 510.

[0050] The implementation principle of a welding robot according to an embodiment of the present invention is as follows: When performing welding operations, first control the robotic arm 100 and the mounting base 200 to cooperate to move the end effector 300 near the weld seam. Secondly, extend the welding assembly 500 to a position close to the weld seam through the adjusting assembly 700. During this process, the winch 610 in the driving assembly 600 cooperates to loosen the cable 620 to release the moving space. Thirdly, the angle locking mechanism 800 releases the angle lock, and the winches 610 in the two driving assemblies 600 cooperate to rotate to adjust the rotation angle of the rotating connecting member 430. During the process of the rotating connecting member 430 adjusting the rotation angle, the angular displacement sensor 440 will detect in real time and calculate the welding angle of the welded part 510. Finally, the angle locking mechanism 800 controls the rotation angle of the rotating connecting member 430 to be locked, so that the welding angle of the welded part 510 is fixed, and controls the cooperation of the robot, the mounting base 200 and the adjusting assembly 700 to move, so that the welded part 510 is welded along the weld seam. When the working space of the welding machine is small, the welding angle, welding direction and the extension length of the adjusting sleeve 730 can also be adjusted in real time, and there is no need to control the movement of the robotic arm 100 and the mounting base 200 to weld along the weld seam.

[0051] In summary, the end effector 300 is configured to be rotatable, so that when the welding robot performs welding operations in a narrow welding space, the welding angle of the welded part 510 can be adjusted by adjusting the end effector 300; the adjustment assembly 700 is provided on the mounting base 200 to control the rotation of the end effector 300 and cooperate with the angle adjustment of the end effector 300, so that the welding angle of the end effector 300 can be adjusted in any direction. When operating in a narrow welding space, there is no need for the robotic arm 100 and the mounting base 200 to move, reducing the probability of interference between the welding robot and the surrounding workpieces; the welding angle of the end effector 300 is driven by setting the cable 620, and the angle locking mechanism 800 is provided to lock the welding angle of the end effector 300. The flexibly arranged cable 620 can arbitrarily change the transmission path of the driving part, so that the driving part for adjusting the angle of the end effector 300 can be installed at a position far from the end effector 300, reducing the occupied space of the end effector 300, enabling the welding robot to perform welding operations in a smaller space, and the angle locking mechanism 800 can lock the angle of the end effector 300, reducing the swing of the welding angle of the end effector 300 during the welding process and improving the welding accuracy.

[0052] The above are all the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereby. Therefore, all equivalent changes made according to the structure, shape, and principle of the present invention should be covered within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A welding robot, comprising a mechanical arm (100), a mounting seat (200) and an end effector (300), wherein the mounting seat (200) is arranged at an end of the mechanical arm (100), and the end effector (300) is arranged on the mounting seat (200), characterized in that: The end effector (300) comprises a sleeve assembly (400) and a welding assembly (500); The sleeve assembly (400) comprises a first sleeve (410), a second sleeve (420) and a rotating connection member (430); one end of the first sleeve (410) is connected to the mounting seat (200), and the second sleeve (420) is connected to the other end of the first sleeve (410) via the rotating connection member (430); The welding assembly (500) comprises a welding piece (510) and a wire feeding duct (520); the wire feeding duct (520) is flexibly arranged, the wire feeding duct (520) is inserted into the first sleeve (410), the rotating connecting piece (430) and the second sleeve (420); the welding piece (510) is arranged at an end of the second sleeve (420) away from the first sleeve (410); The rotating connection member (430) is transmission-connected with a driving assembly (600), and the driving assembly (600) is used to adjust the angle between the rotating connection member (430) and the first sleeve (410).

2. A welding robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving assembly (600) comprises a winch (610), a cable (620), a guide structure (630) arranged outside the first sleeve (410), and a pull ring (640) fixedly arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating connecting member (430), the guide structure (630) and the pull ring (640) being arranged correspondingly, the cable (620) being slidably arranged in the guide structure (630), one end of the cable (620) being fixedly arranged on the pull ring (640), and the other end of the cable (620) being connected to the winch (610); The driving assembly (600) is provided in two groups, and the two pull rings (640) are arranged opposite to each other on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating connecting member (430); The two winches (610) are cooperatively arranged to drive the rotating connection member (430) to rotate, and the cable (620) is used for transmission.

3. A welding robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The mounting seat (200) is also provided with an adjustment component (700), the adjustment component (700) comprising a screw nut (710), a limiting ring (720) and an adjustment sleeve (730), the screw nut (710) being rotatably arranged on the mounting seat (200), and the adjustment sleeve (730) being inserted into the screw nut (710) and the limiting ring (720); The outer circumferential surface of the adjusting sleeve (730) is provided with a thread groove (731) and a slide groove (732), and the adjusting sleeve (730) is threadedly connected to the screw nut (710) via the thread groove (731); The slide groove (732) is arranged along the axial direction of the adjusting sleeve (730); the inner circumferential surface of the limiting ring (720) is provided with a slider (721) in cooperation with the slide groove (732); the slider (721) and the slide groove (732) cooperate to limit the circumferential position of the adjusting sleeve (730); The screw nut (710) is connected to a driving member, and the screw nut (710) rotates and the limiting ring (720) is fixed to drive the adjusting sleeve (730) to extend and retract; The first sleeve (410) is fixedly arranged on the adjustment sleeve (730).

4. A welding robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The limiting ring (720) is rotatably arranged on the mounting seat (200), and the limiting ring (720) is connected to a driving member; the screw nut (710) and the limiting ring (720) rotate synchronously to drive the adjusting sleeve (730) to rotate.

5. A welding robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: A turntable (740) is also rotatably disposed on the mounting seat (200); The rotating disk (740) is drivingly connected to the limiting ring (720); Or the rotating disk (740) and the limiting ring (720) are integrally arranged; The rotating disk (740) is used to rotate synchronously with the adjusting sleeve (730), and the capstan (610) is mounted on the rotating disk (740).

6. A welding robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The adjusting sleeve (730) is sleeved on the outside of the first sleeve (410), and the guiding structure (630) is fixedly arranged at the end of the adjusting sleeve (730) close to the second sleeve (420); The guide structure (630) is provided with a slideway (733), one end of the slideway (733) is opened on the end surface of the adjustment sleeve (730) facing the second sleeve (420), the slideway (733) is arranged corresponding to the pull ring (640), the cable (620) is slidably arranged in the slideway (733), and the slideway (733) is used to limit the radial position of the cable (620); Two slideways (733) are provided, and the two slideways (733) are respectively provided corresponding to the two groups of drive assemblies (600).

7. A welding robot according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The rotating connection member (430) is also provided with an angular displacement sensor (440), and the angular displacement sensor (440) is used to measure the angle between the first sleeve (410) and the rotating connection member (430).

8. A welding robot according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that: The rotating connection member (430) is also provided with an angle locking mechanism (800), and the angle locking mechanism (800) is used to lock the rotation angle of the rotating connection member (430).

9. A welding robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The angle locking mechanism (800) is a non-powered oil cylinder, the cylinder body of the non-powered oil cylinder is rotatably connected to the first sleeve (410), the piston rod of the non-powered oil cylinder is rotatably connected to the second sleeve (420) or the rotatable connecting member (430), and an electromagnetic valve is provided on the oil pipe of the non-powered oil cylinder, and the electromagnetic valve is used to control the on-off of the oil circuit.

Images