Transport device and position determination method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a carrying device and a position determining method thereof, and relates to the field of automatic production carrying devices.The carrying device comprises a linear moving mechanism, a first guide rail part and a second guide rail part, the moving unit and the first guide rail part are installed in a matched mode, and the moving unit is driven by a fourth driving unit to move; one end of the mechanical arm is connected with the moving unit through a first driving unit and can rotate around a first rotating shaft; the moving joint is connected with the other end of the mechanical arm through a second driving unit and can move in the second direction; the grabbing mechanism is connected to the movable joint; the control unit is used for acquiring a coordinate value of a target position of the carried object; and the like. According to the conveying device, the problem of how to achieve cooperative control over the linear moving mechanism and the mechanical arm to enable the grabbing mechanism to move to the target position to grab the conveyed object on the premise that the conveying distance of the conveying device is prolonged can be solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automated production handling devices, and in particular to a handling device and a method for determining a position thereof. Background Art

[0002] Industrial robots are multi-jointed manipulators or multi-degree-of-freedom robots designed for industrial applications. They are automated machines that rely on their own power and control capabilities to perform various functions. They can operate under human command or according to pre-programmed programs. Modern industrial robots can also act according to principles developed using artificial intelligence technology. The SCARA (Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm) is a special type of cylindrical coordinate industrial robot. SCARA robots exhibit compliance in the X and Y directions and good rigidity in the Z axis, making them particularly suitable for assembly and sorting tasks.

[0003] For conventional SCARA robots, their working space in the X and Y directions is determined by the lengths of their two rotating arms. If an object needs to be transported over a long distance in either X or Y direction, existing SCARA robots require a large sum of the lengths of their two rotating arms to achieve this requirement. However, using such SCARA robots is clearly uneconomical. Therefore, a low-cost transport device that can achieve this goal and provide the corresponding control is urgently needed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, the technical problem to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a conveying device and a position determination method thereof, which can solve the problem of how to achieve coordinated control of the linear moving mechanism and the robotic arm so that the grasping mechanism moves to the target position to grasp the conveyed object while extending the conveying distance of the conveying device.

[0005] The specific technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention is:

[0006] A transport device, comprising:

[0007] The linear motion mechanism comprises: a base unit having a first guide rail portion extending along a first direction; a moving unit, the moving unit being mounted in cooperation with the first guide rail portion and being driven by a fourth driving unit to move within the first guide rail portion;

[0008] a robotic arm, one end of which is connected to the moving unit via a first driving unit and is rotatable about a first rotation axis;

[0009] a movable joint, the movable joint being connected to the other end of the robotic arm via a second driving unit and being movable along a second direction;

[0010] A gripping mechanism connected to the movable joint for gripping the transported object;

[0011] A control unit, the control unit is used to obtain the coordinate value of the target position of the transported object; perform coordinate conversion based on the coordinate value of the target position of the transported object to obtain the coordinate of the mobile unit in the first direction and the angle of the robotic arm relative to the first rotation axis; control the fourth drive unit based on the coordinate of the mobile unit in the first direction, and control the first drive unit based on the angle of the robotic arm relative to the first rotation axis.

[0012] Preferably, in performing coordinate conversion according to the coordinate value of the target position of the transported object to obtain the coordinate of the mobile unit in the first direction and the angle of the robot arm relative to the first rotation axis,

[0013] The coordinate values ​​of the target position of the transported object are X-axis and Y-axis coordinates respectively;

[0014] Angle JT2 of the robotic arm relative to the first rotation axis = acos(X / L2);

[0015] The coordinate of the mobile unit in the first direction JT1=Y-L2×sin(JT2);

[0016] Wherein, L2 represents the distance from the first rotation axis to the moving joint.

[0017] Preferably, the gripping mechanism can rotate around the movable joint through a third driving unit; the control unit is used to perform coordinate conversion according to the coordinate value of the target position of the transported object to obtain the angle of the gripping mechanism relative to the movable joint; and the third driving unit is controlled according to the angle of the gripping mechanism relative to the movable joint.

[0018] Preferably, the rotation angle in the coordinate value of the target position of the transported object is θ;

[0019] The angle JT3 of the grasping mechanism relative to the moving joint is JT3 = θ - JT2.

[0020] Preferably, the control unit is used to perform coordinate conversion according to the coordinate value of the target position of the transported object so as to obtain the relative position of the movable joint in the second direction; the coordinate value of the target position of the transported object is Z axis;

[0021] The relative position JT4 of the moving joint in the second direction is JT4 =Z.

[0022] Preferably, when controlling the fourth drive unit according to the coordinates of the mobile unit in the first direction and controlling the first drive unit according to the angle of the robotic arm relative to the first rotation axis, the fourth drive unit and the first drive unit are controlled by synchronous interpolation motion so that the fourth drive unit and the first drive unit start and stop at the same time, and the transported object is moved from the starting position to the target position.

[0023] Preferably, the fourth drive unit is controlled according to the coordinates of the mobile unit in the first direction, and the first drive unit is controlled according to the angle of the robotic arm relative to the first rotation axis, and the fourth drive unit and the first drive unit are controlled by linear interpolation motion so that the transported object is moved from the starting position to the target position along a straight line.

[0024] Preferably, the transported object has a starting position and a target position, and the transported object is transported from the starting position to the target position by the transport device;

[0025] The starting position and the target position are both located on the same side of the base unit.

[0026] Preferably, the transport device has a first working position and a second working position. When in the first working position, the gripping mechanism can grip the transported object at the starting position; when in the second working position, the gripping mechanism can put down the transported object so that it is located at the target position.

[0027] In the first working position and the second working position, the position of the moving unit on the first guide rail portion in the first direction is between the starting position and the target position.

[0028] A method for determining the position of the transport device described above, the method comprising:

[0029] Obtaining the starting position and target position of the transported object;

[0030] A first working position at which the gripping mechanism can grip the object at the starting position and a second working position at which the gripping mechanism can lower the object to the target position are obtained based on the starting position and target position of the object to be conveyed, an assumed horizontal distance A between the first guide rail portion and the starting position of the object to be conveyed, and a horizontal distance A+B between the first guide rail portion and the target position of the object to be conveyed, wherein B represents the known horizontal distance between the starting position and the target position of the object to be conveyed;

[0031] Acquire a moving distance of the mobile unit on the first guide rail portion and a rotation angle of the robotic arm around the first rotation axis according to the first working position and the second working position;

[0032] According to the moving distance of the mobile unit on the first guide rail part and the angle of rotation of the robot arm around the first rotation axis, the value of the horizontal distance A between the first guide rail part and the starting position of the transported object is obtained with the principle of minimizing the time required for both to complete the action, thereby determining the placement position of the transport device.

[0033] Preferably, in the step of obtaining the value of the horizontal distance A between the first guide rail portion and the starting position of the transported object based on the moving distance of the mobile unit on the first guide rail portion and the angle of rotation of the robot arm around the first rotation axis in the shortest time required for both to complete the action,

[0034] Obtaining the time T1 required for the mobile unit to complete the action according to the moving distance of the mobile unit on the first guide rail portion and the average moving speed of the mobile unit;

[0035] Obtaining the time T2 required for the robotic arm to complete the action according to the angle of rotation of the robotic arm around the first rotation axis and the average rotation speed of the robotic arm around the first rotation axis;

[0036] The value of the horizontal distance A between the first guide rail portion and the starting position of the transported object is obtained under the condition that the time T1 required for the moving unit to complete the action is equal to the time T2 required for the robot arm to complete the action.

[0037] Preferably, the starting position of the transported object is located on the first conveyor belt, and the target position of the transported object is located on the second conveyor belt;

[0038] The first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt are substantially parallel. The first guide rail portion extending along the first direction is perpendicular to the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt, and the first guide rail portion is located between the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt.

[0039] Preferably, in step 1, a first working position at which the gripping mechanism can grip the object at the starting position and a second working position at which the gripping mechanism can put down the object so that it is located at the target position are obtained based on the starting position and target position of the object to be conveyed, an assumed horizontal distance A between the first guide rail portion and the starting position of the object to be conveyed, and a horizontal distance A+B between the first guide rail portion and the target position of the object to be conveyed, wherein B represents the known horizontal distance between the starting position and the target position of the object to be conveyed.

[0040] The starting position of the transported object is represented as (A, Y1), and the target position of the transported object is represented as (A+B, Y2);

[0041] When the gripping mechanism is in the first working position capable of gripping the transported object at the starting position, the angle JT21 of the robotic arm relative to the first rotation axis and the coordinate JT11 of the mobile unit in the first direction are: JT11=Y1-L2sin(JT21); where L2 represents the distance from the first rotation axis to the moving joint;

[0042] When the gripping mechanism is capable of placing the object to be transported so that it is located at the second working position of the target position, the angle JT22 of the robotic arm relative to the first rotation axis and the coordinate JT12 of the mobile unit in the first direction are: JT12=Y2-L2sin(JT22).

[0043] Preferably, in the step of obtaining the moving distance of the mobile unit on the first guide rail portion and the angle of rotation of the robot arm around the first rotation axis according to the first working position and the second working position,

[0044] The moving distance of the mobile unit on the first guide rail portion is:

[0045]

[0046] The angle of rotation of the robotic arm around the first rotation axis is:

[0047] Preferably, in the step of determining the placement position of the transport device, a value of a horizontal distance A between the first guide rail portion and the starting position of the transported object is obtained based on the moving distance of the mobile unit on the first guide rail portion and the angle of rotation of the robot arm around the first rotation axis, with the shortest time for both to complete the action as the principle,

[0048] pass

[0049] Calculate the horizontal distance A between the first guide rail portion and the starting position of the conveyed object;

[0050] Wherein, M represents the average rotation speed of the robot arm around the first rotation axis, and N represents the average movement speed of the mobile unit.

[0051] The technical solution of the present invention has the following significant beneficial effects:

[0052] 1. Since the moving unit of the transport device in the present application can move along the first direction in the first guide rail portion through the fourth driving unit, the transport device can perform long-distance transport operations in the first direction, and the transport speed can be further improved.

[0053] 2. After obtaining the coordinate value of the target position of the transported object, the control unit can convert it into the coordinates of each axis of JT1 and JT2 through coordinate transformation, so that the control unit controls each driving unit to move the mobile unit to the corresponding position in the first direction, and the robotic arm rotates to the corresponding angle relative to the first rotation axis, so that the grasping mechanism can move to the target position to grasp the transported object.

[0054] 3. In the present application, the horizontal distance A between the first guide rail portion and the starting position of the transported object is reasonably adjusted according to the starting position and the target position of the transported object, so that the mobile unit and the robotic arm can reach the position corresponding to the target position at almost the same time when the rated power of their corresponding drive units has been determined or the maximum output power has been determined. This avoids waste of time and can also give full play to the performance of the corresponding drive units of the mobile unit and the robotic arm, thereby increasing the transport speed of the transport device and improving production efficiency.

[0055] With reference to the following description and drawings, specific embodiments of the present invention are disclosed in detail, indicating how the principles of the present invention can be employed. It should be understood that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited in scope thereby. Features described and / or illustrated for one embodiment may be used in the same or similar manner in one or more other embodiments, combined with features in other embodiments, or substituted for features in other embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way. In addition, the shapes and proportional dimensions of the various components in the drawings are merely illustrative and are used to help understand the present invention, and are not intended to specifically limit the shapes and proportional dimensions of the various components of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can select various possible shapes and proportional dimensions to implement the present invention according to specific circumstances under the guidance of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a transport device in an embodiment of the present invention under one implementation manner.

[0058] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the principle of a transport device in an embodiment of the present invention using XYZθ as a coordinate system under one implementation manner.

[0059] Figure 3 1 is a schematic diagram showing the principle of a transport device in an embodiment of the present invention using JT1 to JT4 as a coordinate system in one implementation manner.

[0060] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the linear motion mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the principle of determining the position of the transport device in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] Reference numerals in the above drawings:

[0063] 1. Linear motion mechanism; 11. Stator; 12. Rotor; 13. Base unit; 14. Moving unit; 15. End plate; 16. Buffer; 17. Drag chain; 2. Robotic arm; 3. Moving joint; 4. Grasping mechanism; 5. First rotating axis; 6. Second rotating axis; 7. First conveyor belt; 8. Second conveyor belt. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] The details of the present invention can be more clearly understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the description of the specific embodiments of the present invention. However, the specific embodiments of the present invention described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention in any way. Based on the teachings of the present invention, skilled artisans can conceive of any possible variations based on the present invention, all of which should be considered within the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there can be an intermediate element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there can be an intermediate element. The terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to mechanical or electrical connections, internal communication between two elements, direct connection, or indirect connection through an intermediary. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms based on the specific circumstances. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only embodiments.

[0065] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application pertains. The terms used herein in the specification of this application are intended only to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0066] In order to solve the problem of how to achieve coordinated control of the linear motion mechanism 1 and the robotic arm 2 so that the gripping mechanism 4 moves to the target position to grip the object being transported while extending the transport distance of the transport device, a transport device is proposed in this application. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a transport device in an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the principle of the transport device in one embodiment of the present invention using XYZθ as the coordinate system. Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a principle of a transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention, using JT1 to JT4 as a coordinate system. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, Figure 1 As shown, the transport device includes: a linear moving mechanism 1, a robotic arm 2, a moving joint 3, a gripping mechanism 4 and a control unit.

[0067] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the linear motion mechanism 1 may include: a base unit 13 having a first guide rail portion extending in a first direction; and a moving unit 14, which is mounted in conjunction with the first guide rail portion and is driven by a fourth drive unit to move within the first guide rail portion. Preferably, the fourth drive unit may be a linear motor unit. Of course, in other feasible embodiments, the fourth drive unit may also be a pneumatic cylinder unit, a hydraulic cylinder unit, a gear and rack structure, or a conveyor belt, and the present application does not impose any limitations thereon.

[0068] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, one end of the robotic arm 2 is connected to the moving unit 14 via a first drive unit and is capable of rotating about a first rotation axis 5. The robotic arm 2 is driven by the first drive unit to rotate about the first rotation axis 5. For example, the first drive unit may include a servo motor and a mechanical module that performs a transmission function, and the mechanical module may be a speed reduction mechanism.

[0069] like Figures 1 to 3As shown, the mobile joint 3 is connected to the other end of the robot arm 2 through the second drive unit and can move along the second direction. The component of the second direction only needs to satisfy the plane formed by the first direction and the robot arm 2. For example, the second direction can be parallel to the first rotation axis 5, or it can be perpendicular to the first direction or the plane of rotation of the robot arm 2. In a specific embodiment, when the plane of rotation of the robot arm 2 is a horizontal plane, the second direction can be a height direction. The second drive unit may include a servo motor and a mechanical module that plays a transmission role. The mechanical module may include a reduction mechanism, a pulley, a ball spline, etc. Of course, the mechanical module may also adopt other existing modules that can drive the mobile joint 3 to move along the second direction, and this application does not impose any restrictions on it.

[0070] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the gripping mechanism 4 is used to grip the object being transported, and the gripping mechanism 4 is connected to the movable joint 3. The gripping mechanism 4 can adopt a mechanical gripping structure or a magnetic gripping structure, as long as it can grip the object being transported. It can adopt any structure in the prior art and is not limited in this application.

[0071] As feasible, Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the principle of determining the position of the transport device in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 As shown, the transported object may have a starting position and a target position, and the transported object is transported from the starting position to the target position by the transport device. The moving unit 14 moves on the first guide rail portion and the robot arm 2 rotates so that the moving joint 3 reaches the starting position of the transported object within the rotation plane of the robot arm 2, and then the second drive unit drives the moving joint 3 to move along the second direction so that the grasping mechanism 4 reaches the transported object in the second direction, and then the grasping mechanism 4 is used to grasp the transported object. After this, the second drive unit can drive the moving joint 3 to move along the second direction so that the grasping mechanism 4 that grasps the transported object moves upward, or this operation may not be performed. After the transported object is grasped, the moving unit 14 moves on the first guide rail portion and the robot arm 2 rotates so that the moving joint 3 reaches the target position of the transported object within the rotation plane of the robot arm 2, and then the grasping mechanism 4 releases the transported object and places it at the target position. If the transported object needs to be lowered, the second driving unit can be used to drive the movable joint 3 to move in the second direction to move the transported object down to the target position, and then the gripping mechanism 4 releases the transported object and places it at the target position.

[0072] As feasible, Figures 1 to 3As shown, the mobile joint 3 can rotate around the second rotation axis 6 through the third drive unit, and the second rotation axis 6 is parallel to the first rotation axis 5. When the grasping mechanism 4 grasps and places the conveyed object and needs to control the circumferential angle of the conveyed object, it is necessary to control the third drive unit to drive the mobile joint 3 to rotate around the second rotation axis 6, so as to achieve the angle when the grasping mechanism 4 grasps and places the conveyed object. For example, the third drive unit may include a servo motor and a mechanical module that plays a transmission role, and the mechanical module may be a speed reduction mechanism. The mechanical module may also include a helical rotating ball spline, which can rotate horizontally in conjunction with the second drive unit to control the angle when the grasping mechanism 4 grasps and places the conveyed object.

[0073] The position of the gripping mechanism 4 can be located at the same position as the second rotation axis 6 of the mobile joint 3 in the horizontal direction. In other feasible embodiments, the position of the gripping mechanism 4 can have a preset distance from the mobile joint 3 in the horizontal direction. The position of the gripping mechanism 4 can specifically refer to the gripping point where the gripping mechanism 4 grips the transported object, that is, there is a preset distance between the gripping point where the gripping mechanism 4 grips the transported object and the second rotation axis 6 of the mobile joint 3. For example, there can be two gripping mechanisms 4 connected to the mobile joint 3 for gripping the transported object, and the positions of the two gripping mechanisms 4 are both at a preset distance from the mobile joint 3 in the horizontal direction.

[0074] As feasible, Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of a linear motion mechanism 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 As shown, the linear motor unit may include a stator 11 and a rotor 12, wherein the stator 11 is mounted on the first guide rail portion of the base unit 13, and the rotor 12 is mounted on the mobile unit 14. The stator 11 of the linear motor unit can be formed by splicing, and the number of stators 11 of the linear motor unit to be spliced ​​can be changed at any time according to the required length of the first guide rail portion. When the length of the first guide rail portion needs to be extended, only a certain number of stators 11 need to be spliced. This has the advantages of low cost and convenient implementation. In other feasible embodiments, the rotor 12 can also be mounted on the first guide rail portion of the base unit 13, and the stator 11 can be mounted on the mobile unit 14. End plates 15 can be respectively provided at both ends of the first guide rail portion of the base unit 13 to prevent the mobile unit 14 from sliding out of the first guide rail portion. Buffers 16 that act as buffers for the mobile unit 14 can be provided on opposite sides of the two end plates 15. The mobile unit 14 and the base unit 13 can be electrically connected through a drag chain 17 to transmit control signals and power.

[0075] When the fourth drive unit utilizes a linear motor unit, the transport device of the present application can rapidly move the moving unit 14 in the first direction within the first guide rail portion via the linear motor unit. Therefore, the transport device can perform long-distance transport operations in the first direction, and the transport speed can be further increased. Furthermore, the linear motor unit does not require an intermediate conversion mechanism to generate linear motion, which greatly simplifies the structure, reduces the moment of inertia, and significantly improves dynamic response performance and positioning accuracy. This also improves reliability, saves costs, and simplifies manufacturing and maintenance. Furthermore, a significant advantage over other screw, synchronous belt, and rack-and-pinion drives is that the linear motor unit has high acceleration and high positioning accuracy. This significantly improves the transport efficiency of the transport device and the accuracy of positioning the gripping mechanism 4. Finally, compared to traditional SCARA robots, although the present application utilizes a linear motion mechanism 1, it can eliminate a rotating robotic arm and the corresponding drive unit and servo drive, which, to a certain extent, can still save costs and space.

[0076] In order to further improve the speed at which the transport device transports the transported objects from the starting position and the target position, as feasible, Figure 5 As shown, the starting position and the target position are both located on the same side of the base unit 13. In this way, when the object to be transported is transported between the starting position and the target position, by reasonably setting the layout position of the transporting device, the amplitude of the rotation of the robot arm 2 around the first rotation axis 5 can be effectively reduced, thereby increasing the speed of the transporting device in transporting the object to be transported. As a feasible method, the transporting device can have a first working position and a second working position. When in the first working position, the gripping mechanism 4 can grip the object to be transported at the starting position; when in the second working position, the gripping mechanism 4 can put down the object to be transported so that it is located at the target position. In the first working position and the second working position, the position of the moving unit 14 on the first guide rail portion in the first direction is between the starting position and the target position. In the above manner, when the transporting device transports the object to be transported between the starting position and the target position, the distance moved by the moving unit 14 in the first guide rail portion can be coordinated with the degree of rotation of the robot arm 2 around the first rotation axis 5, and both are relatively small. That is to say, when the conveying device conveys the conveyed object between the starting position and the target position, the time taken for the mobile unit 14 to complete the movement in the first guide rail portion is roughly the same as or as close as possible to the time taken for the robotic arm 2 to rotate around the first rotation axis 5. This can effectively improve the conveying speed of the conveying device and avoid the situation where, after one of the mobile unit 14 or the robotic arm 2 completes the action, it still takes a lot of time to wait for the other to complete the action before the grasping mechanism 4 can perform the grasping action. This undoubtedly wastes some time and will lead to a reduction in the conveying speed.

[0077] The control unit can be electrically connected to the first drive unit, the second drive unit, and the fourth drive unit to control the linear motion mechanism 1, the robotic arm 2, and the mobile joint 3. Furthermore, the control unit is also electrically connected to the third drive unit to control the rotation of the mobile joint 3 around the second rotation axis 6.

[0078] The control unit can be used to obtain the coordinate value of the target position of the transported object; perform coordinate conversion based on the coordinate value of the target position of the transported object to obtain the coordinate of the mobile unit 14 in the first direction and the angle of the robotic arm 2 relative to the first rotating axis 5; control the fourth drive unit based on the coordinate of the mobile unit 14 in the first direction, and control the first drive unit based on the angle of the robotic arm 2 relative to the first rotating axis 5.

[0079] Specifically, if Figure 2 As shown, the coordinate values ​​of the target position of the transported object may include X-axis and Y-axis coordinates. The X-axis and Y-axis coordinates may represent coordinates in a horizontal plane. For example, the Y-axis may be a first direction, and the X-axis may be a direction perpendicular to the first direction in a horizontal plane. In performing coordinate conversion based on the coordinate values ​​of the target position of the transported object to obtain the coordinates of the mobile unit 14 in the first direction and the angle of the robotic arm 2 relative to the first rotation axis 5, the X-axis and Y-axis coordinates in the coordinate values ​​of the target position of the transported object are X and Y respectively. The angle of the robotic arm 2 relative to the first rotation axis 5 and the coordinates of the mobile unit 14 in the first direction are obtained by converting the coordinate values ​​of the target position of the transported object. As Figure 3 As shown, the specific parameters are as follows: the angle JT2 of the robotic arm 2 relative to the first rotation axis 5 = acos(X / L2); the coordinate JT1 of the mobile unit 14 in the first direction = Y-L2×sin(JT2). Among them, L2 represents the distance from the first rotation axis 5 to the mobile joint 3. After obtaining the coordinates of the mobile unit 14 in the first direction and the angle of the robotic arm 2 relative to the first rotation axis 5, the fourth drive unit can be directly controlled according to the coordinates of the mobile unit 14 in the first direction, and the first drive unit can be controlled according to the angle of the robotic arm 2 relative to the first rotation axis 5, so that the mobile unit 14 moves to the corresponding position, the robotic arm 2 rotates to the corresponding position, and finally the grasping mechanism 4 reaches the target position of the transported object in the X-axis and Y-axis coordinate systems.

[0080] When the angle of the object in the circumferential direction needs to be considered during the transportation of the object, the coordinate value of the target position of the object may include the rotation angle, such as Figure 2As shown, the rotation angle can be expressed as θ. The control unit is used to perform coordinate conversion according to the coordinate value of the target position of the transported object to obtain the angle of the gripping mechanism 4 relative to the moving joint 3; and control the third driving unit according to the angle of the gripping mechanism 4 relative to the moving joint 3. Figure 3 As shown, the angle of the gripping mechanism 4 relative to the movable joint 3 can be expressed as JT3, and after conversion, JT3 = θ - JT2. When the transported object needs to be rotated, the third drive unit can be controlled to adjust the angle of the gripping mechanism 4 relative to the movable joint 3 to the corresponding angle.

[0081] When the vertical height of the transported object needs to be considered during the transport process, the coordinate value of the target position of the transported object can also include the Z-axis coordinate. The Z-axis coordinate represents the vertical height. Figure 2 and Figure 3 is a direction perpendicular to the paper, for example, the second direction of movement of the mobile joint 3. The control unit is configured to perform coordinate conversion based on the coordinate values ​​of the target position of the transported object to obtain the relative position of the mobile joint 3 in the second direction. The Z-axis in the coordinate values ​​of the target position of the transported object can be represented as Z. The relative position of the mobile joint 3 in the second direction can be represented as JT4, where JT4 = Z.

[0082] Through the above process, after knowing the coordinate value of the target position of the transported object, it can be converted into the coordinates of each axis JT1, JT2, JT3, and JT4 through coordinate transformation, so that the control unit controls each driving unit to make the mobile unit 14 move to the corresponding position in the first direction, the robot arm 2 rotates to the corresponding angle relative to the first rotation axis 5, the grasping mechanism 4 rotates to the corresponding angle relative to the said mobile joint 3, and the mobile joint 3 moves to the corresponding position in the second direction.

[0083] In order to further improve the speed and efficiency of the transport device in transporting the object between the starting position and the target position, in controlling the fourth drive unit according to the coordinates of the mobile unit 14 in the first direction and controlling the first drive unit according to the angle of the robot arm 2 relative to the first rotation axis 5, it is feasible to control the fourth drive unit and the first drive unit in a synchronous interpolation motion mode so that the fourth drive unit and the first drive unit start and stop at the same time, thereby moving the object from the starting position to the target position. In a specific feasible embodiment, based on the starting position and the target position, based on the acceleration of the mobile unit 14 at the maximum available power of the fourth drive unit, the actual movement speed after stabilization, the deceleration of the mobile unit 14 when it is about to stop, and other factors, a first time for the mobile unit 14 to move to the desired position corresponding to the target position is obtained. Similarly, based on the acceleration of the robot arm 2 at the maximum available power of the first drive unit, the actual movement speed after stabilization, the deceleration of the robot arm 2 when it is about to stop, and other factors, a second time for the robot arm 2 to move to the angle corresponding to the target position is obtained, and the first time and the second time are compared. If the first time is greater than the second time, the first time can be used as the length of time for simultaneous stopping, and the first drive unit can control its own actual output power according to the first time. The actual output power is less than the maximum feasible power at least part of the time, so that the robot arm 2 can be simultaneously rotated to the angle corresponding to the target position at the first time. Through the above method, it can be avoided that one of the components reaches the position or angle corresponding to the target position too early, and still needs to waste time waiting for another component to reach the position or angle corresponding to the target position. In this way, the output power of the drive unit corresponding to the component that reaches the position or angle corresponding to the target position too early can be reduced accordingly, thereby extending the service life. Furthermore, through the above method, the output power of the drive unit corresponding to one of the components can be fully utilized, so that the handling device can achieve the fastest handling speed at the starting position and the target position, and the output power of the drive unit corresponding to the other component can be avoided from being too large, resulting in waste or shortening of life, and ultimately ensuring economy.

[0084] As a feasible method, when controlling the fourth drive unit according to the coordinates of the mobile unit 14 in the first direction and controlling the first drive unit according to the angle of the robot arm 2 relative to the first rotation axis 5, the fourth drive unit and the first drive unit can be controlled by linear interpolation motion so that the transported object is moved from the starting position to the target position along a straight line. In this way, the transported object can be transported with the shortest distance between the starting position and the target position, thereby meeting some special needs, such as the shortest trajectory and the smallest range of the transported object to avoid colliding with other surrounding objects, or the space required for the transported object during the transportation process can be minimized. In a specific feasible embodiment, a virtual XYZθ coordinate system can be established, and the starting position and the target position can be represented by the XYZθ coordinate system respectively, and linear interpolation is performed in the XYZθ coordinate system. When performing linear interpolation in the XYZθ coordinate system, the linear position points in the XYZθ coordinate system obtained during each scan cycle are converted to coordinates JT1 to JT4. The converted coordinates JT1 to JT4 are used as the target coordinates for each scan cycle to control the fourth drive unit, the first drive unit, the third drive unit, and the fourth drive unit to achieve synchronized motion of the mobile unit 14, the robotic arm 2, the gripping mechanism 4, and the mobile joint 3. Of course, the effects and limitations of the maximum speed, maximum acceleration, and maximum feasible power also need to be considered in the above process.

[0085] The present application also provides a method for determining the position of the transport device described above. This method is particularly suitable for situations where the starting position and the target position are both located on the same side of the base unit 13. In this situation, the transport device can transport the object at a relatively high speed at both the starting position and the target position. The linear motion mechanism 1 and the robotic arm 2 can fully cooperate to achieve high speed, thus avoiding a reduction in the speed of the entire transport process due to a large movement amplitude and a long time spent on one component.

[0086] The position determination method may include the following steps:

[0087] S101: Acquire the starting position and target position of the transported object.

[0088] In this step, the starting position and target position of the transported object can be represented by a virtual XYZθ coordinate system. In all the following steps, the position of the transport device can be determined by only considering the XY axes in the XYZθ coordinate system, and the rest can be ignored.

[0089] S102: Based on the starting position and target position of the object being transported, the assumed horizontal distance A between the first guide rail portion and the starting position of the object being transported, and the horizontal distance A+B between the first guide rail portion and the target position of the object being transported, a first operating position of the gripping mechanism 4 at which the gripping mechanism 4 can grip the object at the starting position and a second operating position of the gripping mechanism 4 at which the gripping mechanism 4 can lower the object to the target position are obtained. Where B represents the known horizontal distance between the starting position and the target position of the object being transported.

[0090] In this step, the horizontal distance can be understood as the distance on the X axis. The first direction in which the first guide rail portion extends is the Y axis direction. Figure 5 As shown, the starting position of the transported object is represented as (A, Y1), and the target position of the transported object is represented as (A+B, Y2).

[0091] When the gripping mechanism 4 is in the first working position capable of gripping the transported object at the starting position, after conversion, the angle JT21 of the robotic arm 2 relative to the first rotation axis 5 and the coordinate JT11 of the mobile unit 14 in the first direction are: JT11 = Y1 - L2 sin (JT21). L2 represents the distance from the first rotation axis 5 to the mobile joint 3. It should be noted that the angle of the robotic arm 2 relative to the first rotation axis 5 is represented by a negative angle below the horizontal line, and the angle of the robotic arm 2 relative to the first rotation axis 5 is represented by a positive angle above the horizontal line. Similarly, when the gripping mechanism 4 is able to lower the transported object to the second working position at the target location, the angle JT22 of the robotic arm 2 relative to the first rotation axis 5 and the coordinate JT12 of the mobile unit 14 in the first direction are: JT12=Y2-L2sin(JT22).

[0092] S103 : Acquire a moving distance of the moving unit 14 on the first guide rail portion and a rotation angle of the robot arm 2 around the first rotation axis 5 according to the first working position and the second working position.

[0093] In this step, the moving distance of the moving unit 14 on the first guide rail portion is: The angle at which the robotic arm 2 rotates around the first rotation axis 5 is:

[0094] S104: According to the movement distance of the mobile unit 14 on the first guide rail part and the rotation angle of the robot arm 2 around the first rotation axis 5, the value of the horizontal distance A between the first guide rail part and the starting position of the transported object is obtained based on the principle of the shortest time for both to complete the action, so as to determine the placement position of the transport device.

[0095] In this step, the following steps may be specifically included:

[0096] S201: The time T1 required for the mobile unit 14 to complete the movement is calculated based on the distance the mobile unit 14 moves on the first guide rail and the average movement speed of the mobile unit 14. In this step, the average movement speed of the mobile unit 14 is an average speed generally obtained after the acceleration process, the stable movement process, and the deceleration process of the mobile unit 14. Since the length of the stable movement process is unknown and uncertain, this average movement speed is not a precise value but only an estimate.

[0097] S202: The time T2 required for the robot arm 2 to complete the movement is calculated based on the rotation angle of the robot arm 2 about the first rotation axis 5 and the average rotation speed of the robot arm 2 about the first rotation axis 5. Similarly, the average rotation speed of the robot arm 2 is the average rotation speed obtained after the acceleration process, the stable rotation process, and the deceleration process of the first rotation axis 5. Since the length of the stable rotation process is unknown and uncertain, this average rotation speed is not a precise value and is only an estimate.

[0098] S203: Under the condition that the time T1 required for the mobile unit 14 to complete the action is equal to the time T2 required for the robot arm 2 to complete the action, a value of a horizontal distance A between the first guide rail portion and the starting position of the transported object is obtained.

[0099] In this step, specifically, Calculate the horizontal distance A between the first guide rail portion and the starting position of the transported object. Here, M represents the average rotational speed of the robot arm 2 about the first rotation axis 5, and N represents the average movement speed of the mobile unit 14. Since the difference between the starting and target positions of the transported object in the Y-axis direction is known, the above process can be used to determine the exact value of horizontal distance A. Once horizontal distance A is determined, the position of the transport device is also determined.

[0100] The above-mentioned position determination method in this application can be applied to the following actual production conditions: Figure 5As shown, the starting position of the transported object is located on the first conveyor belt 7, and the target position of the transported object is located on the second conveyor belt 8. The first conveyor belt 7 is substantially parallel to the second conveyor belt 8. The first guide rail portion extending in the first direction is perpendicular to the first conveyor belt 7 and the second conveyor belt 8, and the first guide rail portion is located between the first conveyor belt 7 and the second conveyor belt 8. The transport device can transport the transported objects continuously transported from the first conveyor belt 7 to the second conveyor belt 8, and then transport them away by the second conveyor belt 8. For example, when the transported objects continuously transported from the first conveyor belt 7 reach the starting position, they are grabbed by the gripping mechanism 4 of the transport device, and then transported to the target position of the second conveyor belt 8 by the cooperation of the linear motion mechanism 1 and the robot arm 2, and then transported away by the second conveyor belt 8. The transport device can continuously repeat the above process, and the transport speed of the transport device determines the maximum density of the transported objects continuously transported from the first conveyor belt 7. Under the above-mentioned actual production conditions, the coordinated arrangement of the transport device and the first conveyor belt 7 and the second conveyor belt 8 can also relatively increase the transport speed of the transport device, and reduce the moving range of its linear moving mechanism 1 and the rotation range of the robotic arm 2 as much as possible.

[0101] Because the rated power of the fourth drive unit and the first drive unit in the transport device is inherently determined, the average moving speed of the mobile unit 14 and the average rotational speed of the robotic arm 2 are also generally determined. In other words, the maximum average moving speed of the mobile unit 14 and the maximum average rotational speed of the robotic arm 2 are also generally determined. However, the starting position and target position of the transported object are determined based on actual conditions. Therefore, the movement amplitude of one of the mobile unit 14 and the robotic arm 2 in the transport device may be much larger than the other. This may result in the other corresponding drive unit taking an excessively long time to reach the position corresponding to the target position, even if it is operating at maximum output power. In this case, one of the mobile unit 14 and the robotic arm 2 will need to wait at the position corresponding to the target position, resulting in wasted time and a lower transport speed for the entire transport device. In the present application, the horizontal distance A between the first guide rail portion and the starting position of the transported object is reasonably adjusted according to the starting position and the target position of the transported object, so that the mobile unit 14 and the robot arm 2 can reach the corresponding position of the target position at almost the same time when the rated power of their corresponding drive units has been determined or the maximum output power has been determined. This avoids waste of time and can also give full play to the performance of the corresponding drive units of the mobile unit 14 and the robot arm 2, thereby improving the transport speed of the transport device and improving production efficiency.

[0102] All articles and references disclosed, including patent applications and publications, are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. The term "essentially consisting of..." describing a combination should include the identified elements, ingredients, parts or steps and other elements, ingredients, parts or steps that do not substantially affect the basic novel features of the combination. The use of the terms "comprising" or "including" to describe the combination of elements, ingredients, parts or steps herein also contemplates an embodiment that is essentially composed of these elements, ingredients, parts or steps. By using the term "may", it is intended to illustrate that any attribute described that "may" include is optional. Multiple elements, ingredients, parts or steps can be provided by a single integrated element, ingredient, part or step. Alternatively, a single integrated element, ingredient, part or step can be divided into separate multiple elements, ingredients, parts or steps. The disclosure "one" or "an" used to describe an element, ingredient, part or step is not intended to exclude other elements, ingredients, parts or steps.

[0103] Each embodiment in this specification is described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other. The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the present invention. Their purpose is to enable people familiar with this technology to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly, and they cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any equivalent changes or modifications made according to the spirit of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A transport device, characterized in that: The transport device comprises: The linear motion mechanism comprises: a base unit having a first guide rail portion extending along a first direction; a moving unit, the moving unit being mounted in cooperation with the first guide rail portion and being driven by a fourth driving unit to move within the first guide rail portion; a robotic arm, one end of which is connected to the moving unit via a first driving unit and is rotatable about a first rotation axis; a movable joint, the movable joint being connected to the other end of the robotic arm via a second driving unit and being movable along a second direction; A gripping mechanism connected to the movable joint for gripping the transported object; A control unit, the control unit is used to obtain the coordinate value of the target position of the transported object; perform coordinate conversion based on the coordinate value of the target position of the transported object to obtain the coordinate of the mobile unit in the first direction and the angle of the robotic arm relative to the first rotation axis; control the fourth drive unit based on the coordinate of the mobile unit in the first direction, and control the first drive unit based on the angle of the robotic arm relative to the first rotation axis.

2. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein: In performing coordinate conversion according to the coordinate value of the target position of the transported object to obtain the coordinate of the mobile unit in the first direction and the angle of the robot arm relative to the first rotation axis, The coordinate values ​​of the target position of the transported object are X-axis and Y-axis coordinates respectively; Angle JT2 of the robotic arm relative to the first rotation axis = acos(X / L2); The coordinate of the mobile unit in the first direction JT1=Y-L2×sin(JT2); Wherein, L2 represents the distance from the first rotation axis to the moving joint.

3. The transport device according to claim 2, wherein: The gripping mechanism can rotate around the movable joint through a third driving unit; the control unit is used to perform coordinate conversion according to the coordinate value of the target position of the transported object to obtain the angle of the gripping mechanism relative to the movable joint; and the third driving unit is controlled according to the angle of the gripping mechanism relative to the movable joint.

4. The transport device according to claim 3, wherein: The rotation angle in the coordinate value of the target position of the transported object is θ; The angle JT3 of the grasping mechanism relative to the moving joint is JT3 = θ - JT2.

5. The transport device according to claim 3, wherein: The control unit is used to perform coordinate conversion according to the coordinate value of the target position of the transported object to obtain the relative position of the movable joint in the second direction; the coordinate value of the target position of the transported object is Z axis; The relative position JT4 of the moving joint in the second direction is JT4 =Z.

6. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein: In controlling the fourth drive unit according to the coordinates of the mobile unit in the first direction and controlling the first drive unit according to the angle of the robot arm relative to the first rotation axis, the fourth drive unit and the first drive unit are controlled by synchronous interpolation motion so that the fourth drive unit and the first drive unit start and stop at the same time, and the transported object is moved from the starting position to the target position.

7. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein: The fourth drive unit is controlled according to the coordinates of the mobile unit in the first direction, and the first drive unit is controlled according to the angle of the robot arm relative to the first rotation axis. The fourth drive unit and the first drive unit are controlled by linear interpolation motion so that the transported object is moved from a starting position to a target position along a straight line.

8. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein: The transported object has a starting position and a target position, and the transported object is transported from the starting position to the target position by the transport device; The starting position and the target position are both located on the same side of the base unit.

9. The transport device according to claim 8, characterized in that The transport device has a first working position and a second working position. When in the first working position, the gripping mechanism can grip the transported object at the starting position; when in the second working position, the gripping mechanism can put down the transported object so that it is located at the target position. In the first working position and the second working position, the position of the moving unit on the first guide rail portion in the first direction is between the starting position and the target position.

10. A method for determining the position of the transport device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The position determination method comprises: Obtaining the starting position and target position of the transported object; A first working position at which the gripping mechanism can grip the object at the starting position and a second working position at which the gripping mechanism can lower the object to the target position are obtained based on the starting position and target position of the object to be conveyed, an assumed horizontal distance A between the first guide rail portion and the starting position of the object to be conveyed, and a horizontal distance A+B between the first guide rail portion and the target position of the object to be conveyed, wherein B represents the known horizontal distance between the starting position and the target position of the object to be conveyed; Acquire a moving distance of the mobile unit on the first guide rail portion and a rotation angle of the robotic arm around the first rotation axis according to the first working position and the second working position; According to the moving distance of the mobile unit on the first guide rail part and the angle of rotation of the robot arm around the first rotation axis, the value of the horizontal distance A between the first guide rail part and the starting position of the transported object is obtained with the principle of minimizing the time required for both to complete the action, thereby determining the placement position of the transport device.

11. The method for determining a position according to claim 10, wherein: In the step of obtaining the value of the horizontal distance A between the first guide rail portion and the starting position of the transported object based on the moving distance of the mobile unit on the first guide rail portion and the angle of rotation of the robot arm around the first rotation axis in the shortest time required for both to complete the action, Obtaining the time T1 required for the mobile unit to complete the action according to the moving distance of the mobile unit on the first guide rail portion and the average moving speed of the mobile unit; Obtaining the time T2 required for the robotic arm to complete the action according to the angle of rotation of the robotic arm around the first rotation axis and the average rotation speed of the robotic arm around the first rotation axis; The value of the horizontal distance A between the first guide rail portion and the starting position of the transported object is obtained under the condition that the time T1 required for the moving unit to complete the action is equal to the time T2 required for the robot arm to complete the action.

12. The method for determining a position according to claim 10, wherein: The starting position of the transported object is located on the first conveyor belt, and the target position of the transported object is located on the second conveyor belt; The first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt are substantially parallel. The first guide rail portion extending along the first direction is perpendicular to the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt, and the first guide rail portion is located between the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt.

13. The position determination method according to claim 10, characterized in that: In step 1, a first working position at which the gripping mechanism can grip the object at the starting position and a second working position at which the gripping mechanism can place the object at the target position are obtained based on the starting position and target position of the object to be conveyed, an assumed horizontal distance A between the first guide rail portion and the starting position of the object to be conveyed, and a horizontal distance A+B between the first guide rail portion and the target position of the object to be conveyed, wherein B represents the known horizontal distance between the starting position and the target position of the object to be conveyed. The starting position of the transported object is represented as (A, Y1), and the target position of the transported object is represented as (A+B, Y2); When the gripping mechanism is in the first working position capable of gripping the transported object at the starting position, the angle JT21 of the robotic arm relative to the first rotation axis and the coordinate JT11 of the mobile unit in the first direction are: JT11=Y1-L2sin(JT21); where L2 represents the distance from the first rotation axis to the moving joint; When the gripping mechanism is capable of placing the object to be transported so that it is located at the second working position of the target position, the angle JT22 of the robotic arm relative to the first rotation axis and the coordinate JT12 of the mobile unit in the first direction are: JT12=Y2-L2sin(JT22).

14. The method for determining a position according to claim 13, wherein: In the step of obtaining the moving distance of the mobile unit on the first guide rail portion and the angle of rotation of the robot arm around the first rotation axis according to the first working position and the second working position, The moving distance of the mobile unit on the first guide rail portion is: The angle of rotation of the robotic arm around the first rotation axis is:

15. The position determination method according to claim 14, characterized in that: In the step of determining the placement position of the transport device, a value of a horizontal distance A between the first guide rail portion and the starting position of the transported object is obtained based on the moving distance of the mobile unit on the first guide rail portion and the angle of rotation of the robot arm around the first rotation axis, with the shortest time for both to complete the action as the principle. pass Calculate the horizontal distance A between the first guide rail portion and the starting position of the conveyed object; Wherein, M represents the average rotation speed of the robot arm around the first rotation axis, and N represents the average movement speed of the mobile unit.

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