Automatic metal rubber part assembling equipment for universal joint shaft sleeve

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of assembly equipment, in particular to automatic assembly equipment for metal rubber parts for universal joint shaft sleeves, which comprises a rack, a storage hopper is mounted at the top end of the rack, a bearing table capable of sliding up and down is mounted at the corresponding position of the lowest point of an inclined guide surface, and a discharge port is formed in the side wall of the storage hopper. An assembling table is installed on the top face of the rack, a vertically-arranged lifting air cylinder is installed on the top face of the rack, a steering cylinder is connected to the telescopic end of the lifting air cylinder, a positioning clamp is rotationally connected to the interior of the steering cylinder, and the inner side contour of the positioning clamp is matched with the outer surface of a metal shaft sleeve. The bottom face of an inner cavity of the storage hopper is arranged to be an inclined material guiding face, a conveying belt is installed in the inner cavity of the storage hopper and penetrates through the inner side of the material bearing table, and the metal shaft sleeve sorting device aims at solving the problems that in traditional assembly, metal shaft sleeves are often fed through a vibration disc or manual work, the posture is disordered, and the sorting efficiency is low.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of assembly equipment, in particular to automatic assembly equipment for metal rubber parts of universal joint shaft sleeves. Background Art

[0002] In the field of mechanical transmission, cross universal joints are key components for achieving variable-angle power transmission and are widely used in automobiles, engineering machinery and other fields. Universal joint sleeves, as their important components, often need to be assembled with metal rubber parts. The cross-axis universal joint is an articulated mechanical device that can transmit torque and rotational motion from one shaft to another when the angle remains unchanged or changes, forming a universal joint steering device or transmission device. The universal joint sleeve is usually composed of a metal sleeve body, such as a steel inner ring, and a rubber shock absorber, such as an annular rubber bushing, and the two need to be assembled with an interference fit.

[0003] In traditional mechanical assembly processes, the loading of metal sleeves generally relies on directional feeding using a vibration plate or manual operation. Due to the physical properties of the vibration plate, the sleeves often experience problems such as axial posture disorder and difficulty in ensuring directional efficiency during transportation through the material channel. In manual sorting scenarios, operators need to visually judge and adjust the sleeve posture one by one. Affected by physiological fatigue and experience differences, the sorting efficiency is far lower than that of automated equipment, and there are disadvantages such as frequent misoperation. In mass production, this type of traditional loading mode not only leads to an imbalance in the production line rhythm, but also causes significant waste of work time due to frequent posture correction processes, becoming a key bottleneck restricting the improvement of assembly automation rate. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic assembly device for metal rubber parts for universal joint sleeves, so as to solve the problems of chaotic posture and low sorting efficiency in traditional assembly, in which metal sleeves are often loaded through a vibration plate or manually.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] A kind of automatic assembly equipment of metal rubber parts for universal joint shaft sleeves includes a frame, a storage hopper is installed on the top of the frame, a material receiving platform that can slide up and down is installed at the position corresponding to the lowest point of the inclined material guide surface, the side wall of the storage hopper is provided with a discharge port, an assembly table is installed on the top surface of the frame, and a vertically arranged lifting cylinder is installed on the top surface of the frame, the telescopic end of the lifting cylinder is connected to the steering cylinder, and the internal rotation of the steering cylinder is connected to a positioning clamp, and the inner contour of the positioning clamp matches the outer surface of the metal shaft sleeve.

[0007] Preferably, the bottom surface of the inner cavity of the storage hopper is configured as an inclined material guiding surface.

[0008] Preferably, a conveyor belt is installed in the inner cavity of the storage hopper, and the conveyor belt passes through the inner side of the receiving platform.

[0009] Preferably, a push cylinder is provided on the surface of the storage hopper, and a visual inspection camera is installed on the inner wall of the storage hopper.

[0010] Preferably, a feed port is provided on the left side of the steering cylinder, a press-fitting port is provided on the top end of the steering cylinder, and a blanking port is provided on the bottom end of the steering cylinder.

[0011] Preferably, a position sensor is installed on the right inner wall of the steering cylinder.

[0012] Preferably, a support base is installed on the top of the frame, a press-fit device is installed on the top of the support base, and a press-fitting rod is installed on the output end of the press-fitting device.

[0013] Preferably, a rubber ring silo is installed on the top of the frame, and a universal robotic arm is mounted on the side of the support seat, and its end effector is a flexible silicone suction cup.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0015] 1. The inclined guide surface of the storage hopper cooperates with the liftable receiving platform to use gravity to realize the automatic sliding of the metal sleeve and the material receiving. After the receiving platform rises, it forms a physical isolation with the inclined guide surface, preventing the sleeve waiting for material from interfering with the conveyor belt and improving the orderliness of material feeding.

[0016] 2. After the metal sleeve enters the steering cylinder horizontally from the discharge port, the positioning clamp automatically rotates according to the detection results of the position sensor, adjusting the sleeve from a horizontally lying position to a vertical position with the installation end facing upward, and then falls through the drop port to the assembly table. This process does not require manual intervention and provides a standard posture for subsequent rubber ring assembly;

[0017] 3. The upper visual inspection unit captures the pin hole and keyway features on the sleeve end face, generates spatial coordinate compensation values, and corrects assembly position deviations. The lower visual positioning module scans the inner hole reference point of the rubber part and calculates the position offset in real time to ensure that the rubber ring is aligned with the sleeve positioning groove. The six-dimensional force sensor at the end of the press rod monitors the axial pressure and radial offset during the press fitting process. The PID closed-loop control dynamically adjusts the feed angle to avoid part deformation or improper press fitting caused by overpressure, ensuring that the rubber ring is accurately embedded in the assembly groove, thereby improving the product qualification rate.

[0018] 4. From sleeve storage, posture detection, direction adjustment to rubber ring grabbing and press-fitting, the entire process does not require manual intervention, reducing labor costs, improving production efficiency, and avoiding consistency fluctuations caused by manual operation, ensuring product quality stability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the present invention as a whole;

[0020] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the connection of some structures of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of the cross-section of the storage hopper and the steering cylinder of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 For the present invention Figure 3 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0023] Figure 5 It is a front view of the material storage hopper, material receiving platform and lifting cylinder of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6 For the present invention Figure 5 Enlarged view of point B in the middle;

[0025] Figure 7 It is an urgent side view of the frame and storage hopper of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 8 For the present invention Figure 7 Enlarged view of point C in the middle.

[0027] In the figure: 1. Frame; 2. Storage hopper; 3. Inclined material guide surface; 4. Material receiving platform; 5. Nut seat; 6. Lifting screw; 7. First motor; 8. Conveyor belt; 9. Push cylinder; 10. Discharge port; 11. Steering cylinder; 12. Press-fitting port; 13. Blanking port; 14. Positioning clamp; 15. Second motor; 16. Lifting cylinder; 17. Assembly table; 18. Rubber ring silo; 19. Universal robotic arm; 20. Support seat; 21. Press-fitter; 22. Feed port; 23. Press-fitting rod. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] See also Figures 1 to 8 , the present invention provides a technical solution.

[0030] An automatic assembly device for metal rubber parts for universal joint shaft sleeves includes a frame 1, a storage hopper 2 is installed on the top of the frame 1, the bottom surface of the inner cavity of the storage hopper 2 is set as an inclined material guide surface 3, and a material receiving platform 4 that can slide up and down is installed at the corresponding position of the lowest point of the inclined material guide surface 3. The metal shaft sleeve placed in the storage hopper 2 automatically slides to the material receiving platform 4 by gravity. A conveyor belt 8 is installed in the inner cavity of the storage hopper 2, and the conveyor belt 8 passes through the inner side of the material receiving platform 4. The side wall of the storage hopper 2 is provided with a discharge port 10, which only allows a single metal shaft sleeve to be loaded horizontally. Move out to a lying posture. When the metal sleeve slides to the top surface of the receiving platform 4, if it is in a horizontal lying state, it will be transported one by one to the discharge port 10 by the conveyor belt 8. There is a pushing cylinder 9 on the surface of the storage hopper 2. A visual detection camera is installed on the inner wall of the storage hopper 2. If the sleeve is not in a horizontal lying posture, the visual detection camera will recognize this state and transmit the signal to the control system to link the pushing cylinder 9. The telescopic end of the pushing cylinder 9 penetrates the inner wall of the storage hopper 2 to push the non-lying sleeve away from the receiving platform 4, ensuring that only the lying sleeves can be discharged in an orderly manner through the conveyor belt 8.

[0031] A nut seat 5 is fixedly installed at the bottom end of the material receiving platform 4, and a first motor 7 is installed on the surface of the frame 1. The output end of the first motor 7 is coaxially fixedly connected to a lifting screw 6, which passes through the nut seat 5 and is threadedly engaged with it. When the first motor 7 is started, the lifting screw 6 rotates to drive the nut seat 5 to move along the axial direction of the screw, driving the material receiving platform 4 to achieve a lifting action. If the material receiving platform 4 has no sleeve, the material receiving platform 4 will drop below the lowest point of the inclined material guide surface 3. The metal sleeve in the storage hopper 2 will slide along the inclined material guide surface 3 to the top surface of the material receiving platform 4 due to gravity. After the material receiving platform 4 receives the material, the first motor 7 drives the lifting screw 6 in reverse to raise the material receiving platform 4 to the same height as the discharge port 10. At this time, the material receiving platform 4 rises above the inclined material guide surface 3 to form a physical isolation to prevent the sleeve to be fed in the storage hopper 2 from interfering with the sleeve conveying process on the conveyor belt 8.

[0032] The top surface of the frame 1 is installed with an assembly table 17, and the top surface of the frame 1 is installed with a vertically arranged lifting cylinder 16. The telescopic end of the lifting cylinder 16 is connected to the steering cylinder 11. The steering cylinder 11 is located above the assembly table 17. A feed port 22 is provided on the left side of the steering cylinder 11. The feed port 22 faces the discharge port 10. A press-fitting port 12 is provided on the top of the steering cylinder 11. A blanking port 13 is provided at the bottom of the steering cylinder 11. The blanking port 13 and the feed port 22 are both for the axial entry and exit of the metal sleeve. The press-fitting port 12 is for the press-fitting rod 23 to enter and exit. When the metal sleeve is out of the discharge port, the press-fitting port 12 is provided for the press-fitting rod 23 to enter and exit. After the material port 10 is moved out, it moves from the material feed port 22 into the steering cylinder 11. The interior of the steering cylinder 11 is rotatably connected to a positioning clamp 14. The inner contour of the positioning clamp 14 matches the outer surface of the metal sleeve. In the initial state, the clamping groove of the positioning clamp 14 is axially aligned with the material feed port 22 and the material discharge port 10. When the metal sleeve is output laterally from the material discharge port 10 and pushed to the material feed port 22, it slides axially into the steering cylinder 11 and embeds into the clamping groove of the positioning clamp 14. At this time, the rotation drives the positioning clamp 14 to rotate around the axis of the steering cylinder 11 to achieve posture adjustment of the metal sleeve.

[0033] The lifting cylinder 16 drives the steering cylinder 11 to move in the vertical direction, and synchronously drives the metal sleeve in the cylinder to rise and fall. An avoidance gap is provided on the outer periphery of the top end of the steering cylinder 11, and its opening width matches the outer dimensions of the adjacent metal sleeves. When the steering cylinder 11 moves downward, the avoidance gap provides space for the adjacent sleeves to avoid mechanical interference between the two. Through the lifting action of the steering cylinder 11, the sleeve in the cylinder and the adjacent sleeve are misaligned in the vertical direction, creating an unobstructed movement space for the positioning clamp 14 to drive the sleeve to rotate and adjust its posture.

[0034] A position sensor is installed on the right inner wall of the steering cylinder 11 to detect the orientation of the mounting end of the metal sleeve when it moves horizontally into the steering cylinder 11. If it is at the right end, the sensor sends a signal to the control system to drive the positioning clamp 14 to rotate counterclockwise, so that the mounting end turns to the upward direction. When the mounting end is at the left end, the sensor triggers the positioning clamp 14 to rotate clockwise, and also adjusts the mounting end to an upward posture. When the sleeve rotates to a vertical state, it falls freely from the blanking port 13 to the assembly table 17 under the action of gravity. At this time, the lifting cylinder 16 drives the steering cylinder 11 to move upward and reset, making room for the feeding process of the next sleeve.

[0035] A second motor 15 is mounted on the surface of the steering cylinder 11 . The output end of the second motor 15 is coaxially fixedly connected to the positioning clamp 14 . The positioning clamp 14 is driven to rotate by starting the second motor 15 .

[0036] A rubber ring silo 18 is installed on the top of the frame 1. The rubber ring silo 18 is used to transport and store rubber rings. A support base 20 is installed on the top of the support base 20. A press loader 21 is installed on the top of the press loader 21. A press rod 23 is installed on the output end of the press loader 21. A universal robotic arm 19 is mounted on the side of the support base 20. Its end actuator is a flexible silicone suction cup. When the metal sleeve falls onto the assembly table 17, the universal robotic arm 19 controls the end suction cup through the servo drive system to absorb a single rubber ring from the rubber ring silo 18. The universal robotic arm 19 moves according to a preset trajectory to accurately transfer the rubber ring to just above the metal sleeve. The suction cup is released, and the rubber ring falls into the positioning groove on the upper surface of the sleeve. After receiving the positioning completion signal, the press loader 21 drives the press rod 23 to move downward in the axial direction to press the rubber ring into the assembly groove of the sleeve.

[0037] The side of the press 21 is integrated with an upper visual inspection unit, which is equipped with a high-resolution industrial camera for collecting the characteristic images of the pin hole and keyway on the end face of the metal sleeve, and generating the spatial coordinate compensation value through the visual algorithm; the end of the universal robotic arm 19 is installed with a lower visual positioning module, whose built-in camera scans the reference mark point of the inner hole of the rubber part and calculates the position deviation data in real time. The end of the press rod 23 is embedded with a six-dimensional force sensor, which can synchronously monitor the axial pressure curve and radial offset during the press process. The control system dynamically adjusts the feed angle of the press rod 23 through the PID closed-loop control algorithm based on the real-time data of the sensor.

[0038] The specific solution is as follows: the metal sleeves to be assembled are put into the storage hopper 2 at the top of the frame 1 in batches, and the sleeves automatically slide to the lowest point of the guide surface under the action of gravity by using the inclined material guide surface 3 in the inner cavity of the storage hopper 2. At this time, the material receiving platform 4 is in a low position, and the sleeves will slide into the top surface of the material receiving platform 4 along the inclined material guide surface 3. The first motor 7 drives the lifting screw 6 to rotate, and raises the material receiving platform 4 to the same height as the discharge port 10. The sleeves in a horizontally lying state are conveyed to the discharge port 10 one by one by the conveyor belt 8. The visual inspection camera on the inner wall of the storage hopper 2 monitors the posture of the sleeves on the material receiving platform 4 in real time. If a non-lying sleeve is detected, such as upright or overturned, the signal is immediately transmitted to the control system, and the push cylinder 9 is linked to push the non-lying sleeve to make it leave the material receiving platform 4 and slide back into the storage hopper 2, ensuring that only lying sleeves enter the conveying process.

[0039] After the flat sleeve is output horizontally from the discharge port 10, it is pushed to the feed port 22 of the steering cylinder 11, and is axially embedded in the clamping groove of the positioning clamp 14. The lifting cylinder 16 drives the steering cylinder 11 to move downward in the vertical direction, so that the sleeve in the cylinder is misaligned with the adjacent sleeve in the vertical direction, creating an interference-free movement space for the positioning clamp 14 to rotate and adjust its posture.

[0040] The position sensor on the right inner wall of the steering cylinder 11 detects the direction of the sleeve installation end. If the installation end is at the right end, the sensor signal drives the second motor 15 to drive the positioning clamp 14 to rotate counterclockwise; if it is at the left end,

[0041] Then rotate clockwise and finally adjust the mounting end to an upward vertical state. After the adjustment is completed, the sleeve falls from the blanking port 13 to the assembly table 17 under the action of gravity, and then the lifting cylinder 16 drives the steering cylinder 11 to move upward and reset, ready to receive the next sleeve.

[0042] The rubber ring silo 18 continuously stores the rubber rings to be assembled. The flexible silicone suction cup at the end of the universal robot arm 19 sucks a single rubber ring from the silo under the control of the servo drive system. The lower visual positioning module at the end of the universal robot arm 19 scans the reference mark point of the inner hole of the rubber ring and calculates the position deviation data in real time. The upper visual detection unit on the side of the press assembler 21 collects the characteristic images of the pin hole and keyway on the end face of the metal sleeve and generates a spatial coordinate compensation value. Both data are synchronously transmitted to the control system to provide a precise positioning basis for subsequent press assembly. The universal robot arm 19 moves according to the preset trajectory and accurately transfers the rubber ring to the top of the metal sleeve on the assembly table 17. The suction cup is released and the rubber ring falls into the positioning groove on the upper surface of the sleeve. After receiving the positioning completion signal, the press assembler 21 drives the press rod 23 to move downward in the axial direction. The six-dimensional force sensor at the end of the press rod 23 monitors the axial pressure curve and radial offset in real time. Based on the sensor data, the control system dynamically adjusts the feed angle of the press rod 23 through the PID closed-loop control algorithm to ensure that the rubber ring is accurately press-fitted into the sleeve assembly groove, completing the automatic assembly of the metal rubber parts.

[0043] After the above process is completed, the various parts of the equipment are automatically reset, and a robot can be designed to remove the assembled sleeve.

[0044] While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, and that the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An automatic assembly device for metal rubber parts for universal joint shaft sleeves, comprising a frame (1), characterized in that: A material storage hopper (2) is installed on the top of the frame (1); a material receiving platform (4) that can slide up and down is installed at a position corresponding to the lowest point of the inclined material guide surface (3); a material discharge port (10) is opened on the side wall of the material storage hopper (2); an assembly table (17) is installed on the top surface of the frame (1); a vertically arranged lifting cylinder (16) is installed on the top surface of the frame (1); the telescopic end of the lifting cylinder (16) is connected to a steering cylinder (11); a positioning clamp (14) is rotatably connected to the inside of the steering cylinder (11); the inner contour of the positioning clamp (14) matches the outer surface of the metal sleeve.

2. The automatic assembly equipment for metal rubber parts for universal joint sleeves according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom surface of the inner cavity of the storage hopper (2) is configured as an inclined material guiding surface (3).

3. The automatic assembly equipment for metal rubber parts for universal joint sleeves according to claim 1, characterized in that: A conveyor belt (8) is installed in the inner cavity of the storage hopper (2), and the conveyor belt (8) passes through the inner side of the material receiving platform (4).

4. The automatic assembly equipment for metal rubber parts for universal joint sleeves according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the storage hopper (2) is provided with a push cylinder (9), and the inner wall of the storage hopper (2) is provided with a visual detection camera.

5. The automatic assembly equipment for metal rubber parts for universal joint sleeves according to claim 1, characterized in that: The left side of the steering cylinder (11) is provided with a feed port (22), the top end of the steering cylinder (11) is provided with a press-fitting port (12), and the bottom end of the steering cylinder (11) is provided with a blanking port (13).

6. The automatic assembly equipment for metal rubber parts for universal joint sleeves according to claim 1, characterized in that: A position sensor is installed on the right inner wall of the steering cylinder (11).

7. The automatic assembly equipment for metal rubber parts for universal joint sleeves according to claim 1, characterized in that: A support base (20) is installed on the top of the frame (1), a press-fit device (21) is installed on the top of the support base (20), and a press-fitting rod (23) is installed at the output end of the press-fitting device (21).

8. The automatic assembly equipment for metal rubber parts for universal joint sleeves according to claim 1, characterized in that: A rubber ring silo (18) is installed on the top of the frame (1), and a universal mechanical arm (19) is mounted on the side of the support seat (20), and its end actuator is a flexible silicone suction cup.

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