Novel air spring suitable for manipulator

Abstract

The novel air spring comprises a metal core, an outer pressing ring, an inner pressing ring, a leather bag and a conical guide head, an air inlet hole used for controlling air inlet and air outlet of the leather bag to form the air spring is machined in the top of the metal core, and the upper end and the lower end of the leather bag are buckled and held on the metal core through the outer pressing ring and the inner pressing ring respectively. A first annular groove is formed in the outer side of the circumference of the end, located on the outer pressing ring, of the metal core in advance, a second annular groove is formed in the outer side of the circumference of the end, located on the inner pressing ring, of the metal core in advance, and frosted lines are arranged on the outer surface of the leather bag. The mechanical arm fingers can achieve flexible grabbing, damage to fragile objects caused by rigid grabbing is effectively avoided, and the damage rate of the objects is reduced.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of automation grabbing, in particular to a new air spring suitable for mechanical hand. BACKGROUND

[0002] In many industries such as automation production and logistics, mechanical grabbing device is an indispensable key equipment, which is widely used in the links of carrying and assembling of objects. However, the traditional mechanical grabbing device mostly adopts rigid structure, such as metal clamping jaw, hard plastic grabbing hand, etc. Such rigid structure has many disadvantages in the grabbing process.

[0003] Due to the lack of elasticity and buffering capacity of rigid parts, when grabbing fragile objects, it is difficult to accurately control the applied pressure according to the actual shape, size and weight of the objects. In the grabbing process, once the pressure distribution is uneven or the impact force is too large, the object is easily damaged. Taking the automatic packaging line of wine products as an example, the shapes of wine bottles are different, such as round and square, and the weight distribution is uneven, and the bottle body is fragile. When the traditional mechanical arm grabs the wine bottle, it often appears that the bottle body is broken or falls off due to improper grabbing force control, which not only causes waste of products and economic loss, but also affects the normal operation of the production line and reduces the production efficiency. Therefore, it has important practical significance to develop a mechanical grabbing air spring which can realize flexible grabbing and adapt to the characteristics of various objects. Therefore, a new air spring suitable for mechanical hand is provided to solve the above problems. SUMMARY

[0004] To solve the problems in the background art, the technical solution adopted by the present application is: a new air spring suitable for mechanical hand, comprising: a metal core, an outer pressure ring, an inner pressure ring, a skin bag and a conical guide head, the top of the metal core is processed with an air inlet hole for controlling the air inlet and air outlet of the skin bag to form an air spring, the upper and lower ends of the skin bag are respectively buckled and tightly held on the metal core through the outer pressure ring and the inner pressure ring, the metal core is provided with a first annular groove on the outer side of one end of the outer pressure ring, the metal core is provided with a second annular groove on the outer side of one end of the inner pressure ring, and the outer surface of the skin bag is provided with a frosted pattern.

[0005] As a preferred technical solution of the present application, the metal core is provided with a middle annular groove on the outer side between the first annular groove and the second annular groove, and the cross section of the middle annular groove is a trapezoidal structure.

[0006] As a preferred technical solution of the present application, the metal core is provided with a through hole on one side in the middle annular groove, the through hole is communicated with the air inlet hole, and the inner diameter of the through hole is the same as the inner diameter of the air inlet hole.

[0007] As a preferred technical scheme of the present application, a threaded connection opening is arranged in the middle of the bottom end of the metal core, and the bottom end of the metal core is inserted into the conical guide head through the threaded connection opening.

[0008] As a preferred technical scheme of the present application, a pressure relief hole is arranged in the inside of one side of the vertical air inlet hole in the upper end of the metal core, an internal thread opening is arranged in one end of the metal core at the pressure relief hole, and a counterbore opening is arranged in one end of the metal core at the internal thread opening.

[0009] As a preferred technical scheme of the present application, a pressure relief assembly is fixedly connected to one side of the counterbore opening of the metal core through the internal thread opening, and a sealing ring is arranged between the internal thread opening and the pressure relief assembly.

[0010] As a preferred technical scheme of the present application, the pressure relief assembly comprises a pressure relief cylinder, a limiting seat, a sliding rod, a sealing plug, and a spring body, one end of the inside of the pressure relief cylinder is fixedly connected with the limiting seat, the limiting seat is slidingly connected with the sliding rod in the middle, one end of the sliding rod is fixedly connected with the sealing plug, and the spring body is sleeved on the sliding rod between the sealing plug and the limiting seat.

[0011] As a preferred technical scheme of the present application, a plug hole is arranged in the inside of one end of the pressure relief cylinder at the sealing plug, the plug hole is communicated with the pressure relief hole, and the plug hole is matched with the sealing plug.

[0012] As a preferred technical scheme of the present application, a hexagonal wrench counterbore is arranged in the inside of one end of the pressure relief cylinder away from the plug hole, the pressure relief cylinder is connected with the inside of the internal thread opening in a matched manner through threads, and the outer diameter of the pressure relief cylinder is smaller than the inner diameter of the counterbore opening.

[0013] As a preferred technical scheme of the present application, an external thread opening is arranged in the outer periphery outside one end above the counterbore opening of the metal core, and the metal core is inserted into the inside of the bottle mouth of the bottle body.

[0014] The present application has the following advantages: the elasticity of the air spring and the design of the flexible outer layer enable the fingers of the mechanical hand to achieve flexible grabbing, effectively avoiding damage to fragile objects caused by rigid grabbing, and reducing the breakage rate of the objects.

[0015] The anti-skid lines on the surface of the flexible skin bag increase the friction with the objects, and the buffering effect of the air spring reduces the vibration and impact in the grabbing process, improving the stability of grabbing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the inflated state of the preferred embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the inflated state of the preferred embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the preferred embodiment of the present application in the airless state; Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the metal core structure of the preferred embodiment of the present application; Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the metal core of the preferred embodiment of the present application; Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the pressure relief cylinder of the preferred embodiment of the present application; Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the outer pressure ring of the preferred embodiment of the present application; Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the inner pressure ring of the preferred embodiment of the present application; Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the metal core with the skin bag extending into the bottle opening in the airless state of the preferred embodiment of the present application; Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the metal core with the skin bag extending into the bottle opening in the airless state of the preferred embodiment of the present application.

[0017] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: 1, metal core; 2, outer pressure ring; 3, skin bag; 4, inner pressure ring; 5, conical guide head; 6, first annular groove; 7, second annular groove; 8, middle annular groove; 9, air inlet hole; 10, through hole; 11, outer threaded opening; 12, pressure relief hole; 13, counterbore opening; 14, inner threaded opening; 15, sealing ring; 16, pressure relief cylinder; 17, limiting seat; 18, sliding rod; 19, sealing plug; 20, spring main body; 21, plug hole; 22, hexagonal wrench counterbore; 23, bottle body; 24, threaded connection opening. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The technical solutions of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings. In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the orientations or positional relationships indicated by the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc. are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as indicating or implying that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third" are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the importance of the opposite.

[0019] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0020] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0021] Please refer to the following: Figures 1-10 This invention discloses a novel air spring suitable for robotic arms, comprising: a metal core 1, an outer pressure ring 2, an inner pressure ring 4, a bladder 3, and a conical guide head 5. The top of the metal core 1 is machined with an air inlet 9 for controlling the air intake and exhaust of the bladder 3 to form an air spring. The upper and lower ends of the bladder 3 are respectively fastened to the metal core 1 by the outer pressure ring 2 and the inner pressure ring 4 to ensure the air spring's sealing. A first annular groove 6 is pre-set on the outer circumference of one end of the metal core 1 near the outer pressure ring 2, and a second annular groove 7 is pre-set on the outer circumference of one end of the metal core 1 near the inner pressure ring 4, thereby increasing the frictional force of the metal pressure rings (outer pressure ring 2 and inner pressure ring 4) fastening and preventing the pressure rings from falling off. The outer surface of the bladder 3 is frosted to increase the frictional force between the bladder 3 and the object being grasped. The metal core 1 has a height of 50mm, the inner diameter of the first annular groove 6, the second annular groove 7, and the middle annular groove 8 is 16mm, the outer diameter of the first annular groove 6 and the second annular groove 7 is 17mm, the maximum diameter at the end of the metal core 1 is 19mm, the inner diameter of the air inlet 9 is 2mm, the length of the bladder 3 is 53mm, and its thickness is 1.8mm; the inner diameter of the outer pressure ring 2 is 21mm, and its outer diameter is 24mm; the inner diameter of the inner pressure ring 4 is 20mm, and its outer diameter is 22mm. Both the outer pressure ring 2 and the inner pressure ring 4 have arc-shaped chamfers at their ends, with a chamfer radius of 0.5mm, which can prevent damage to the bladder 3.

[0022] The metal core 1 has a central annular groove 8 pre-set on the outer circumference between the first annular groove 6 and the second annular groove 7. The central annular groove 8 has a trapezoidal cross-section. A through hole 10 is pre-set on one side of the central annular groove 8 on the metal core 1. The through hole 10 communicates with the air inlet 9, and the inner diameter of the through hole 10 is the same as the inner diameter of the air inlet 9. A threaded connection port 24 is pre-set at the middle of the bottom end of the metal core 1. The bottom end of the metal core 1 is threadedly connected to the conical guide head 5 through the threaded connection port 24. The conical guide head 5 is connected to the threaded connection port 24 of the metal core 1 through the top thread, and is used to properly guide the bottle body 23 when gripping it.

[0023] The metal core 1 has a pressure relief hole 12 pre-set inside one side of the vertical air inlet 9 at its upper end. One end of the metal core 1 at the pressure relief hole 12 has an internal thread 14, and the other end of the metal core 1 at the internal thread 14 has a countersunk hole 13. A pressure relief assembly is threadedly fixed to the metal core 1 at the countersunk hole 13 via the internal thread 14. A sealing ring 15 is provided between the internal thread 14 and the pressure relief assembly. The pressure relief assembly includes a pressure relief cylinder 16, a limiting seat 17, a sliding rod 18, a sealing plug 19, and a spring body 20. One end of the pressure relief cylinder 16 is fixedly connected to the limiting seat 17. The middle part of the limiting seat 17 is slidably connected to the slide rod 18. One end of the slide rod 18 is fixedly connected to the sealing plug 19. The spring body 20 is sleeved on the slide rod 18 and located between the sealing plug 19 and the limiting seat 17. The pressure relief cylinder 16 is located at one end of the sealing plug 19 and has a pre-set plug hole 21 inside. The plug hole 21 is connected to the pressure relief hole 12 and matches the sealing plug 19. The end of the pressure relief cylinder 16 away from the plug hole 21 has a pre-set hexagonal wrench countersunk hole 22 inside. The pressure relief cylinder 16 is connected to the internal thread opening 14 through a thread, and the outer diameter of the pressure relief cylinder 16 is smaller than the inner diameter of the countersunk hole opening 13. The pressure relief hole 12 is internally connected to the air inlet hole 9. When used within the normal pressure range, the elastic force of the spring body 20 is greater than the pushing force of the gas pressure inside the plug hole 21 to push the sealing plug 19 outward. When the inflation pressure approaches the maximum pressure that the bladder 3 can withstand, the gas pressure in the air inlet hole 9 can push the sealing plug 19, thereby releasing pressure outward in time and effectively avoiding damage to the bladder 3.

[0024] The metal core 1 has an external thread 11 pre-set on the outer periphery of one end above the countersunk opening 13, and is inserted into the mouth of the bottle body 23. The external thread 11 on the outer diameter of the metal core 1 is used for connection with the robotic arm. An external sensor system can be added to monitor the shape, size, weight, and gripping force of the object in real time. Through an external controller, the air pressure of the air spring can be automatically adjusted according to this information, so that the outer diameter of the air spring changes, thereby achieving adaptive adjustment of gripping force and finger posture to meet the gripping needs of different objects.

[0025] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered illustrative and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0026] Other parts of this invention that are not detailed herein are all prior art and will not be described further here.

[0027] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A novel air spring suitable for robotic arms, characterized in that, include: The metal core (1), outer pressure ring (2), inner pressure ring (4), bladder (3) and conical guide head (5) are composed of a metal core (1), an outer pressure ring (2), an inner pressure ring (4), a bladder (3) and a conical guide head (5). The top of the metal core (1) is machined with an air inlet (9) for controlling the air intake and desorption of the bladder (3) to form an air spring. The upper and lower ends of the bladder (3) are respectively fastened to the metal core (1) by the outer pressure ring (2) and the inner pressure ring (4). The metal core (1) has a first annular groove (6) on the outer circumference of one end of the outer pressure ring (2) and a second annular groove (7) on the outer circumference of one end of the inner pressure ring (4). The outer surface of the bladder (3) is frosted.

2. The novel air spring for a robotic arm as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The metal core (1) has a central annular groove (8) pre-set on the outer side of the circumference between the first annular groove (6) and the second annular groove (7), and the cross section of the central annular groove (8) is a trapezoidal structure.

3. The novel air spring for a robotic arm as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The metal core (1) has a through hole (10) on one side of the annular groove (8) in the middle. The through hole (10) is connected to the air inlet (9), and the inner diameter of the through hole (10) is the same as the inner diameter of the air inlet (9).

4. A novel air spring for robotic arms as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The metal core (1) has a threaded connection port (24) pre-set at the middle of its bottom end, and the tapered guide head (5) is inserted into the bottom end of the metal core (1) through the threaded connection port (24).

5. A novel air spring for robotic arms as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The metal core (1) has a pressure relief hole (12) pre-set inside one side of the vertical air inlet (9) at the upper end. The metal core (1) has an internal thread (14) pre-set at one end of the pressure relief hole (12). The metal core (1) has a countersunk hole (13) pre-set at one end of the internal thread (14).

6. A novel air spring for use in robotic arms as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The metal core (1) is located on one side of the countersunk hole (13) and is threadedly connected to a pressure relief assembly via an internal thread (14). A sealing ring (15) is provided between the internal thread (14) and the pressure relief assembly.

7. A novel air spring for a robotic arm as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The pressure relief assembly includes a pressure relief cylinder (16), a limiting seat (17), a sliding rod (18), a sealing plug (19), and a spring body (20). The limiting seat (17) is fixedly connected to one end of the pressure relief cylinder (16). The sliding rod (18) is slidably connected to the middle of the limiting seat (17). The sealing plug (19) is fixedly connected to one end of the sliding rod (18). The spring body (20) is sleeved on the sliding rod (18) and located between the sealing plug (19) and the limiting seat (17).

8. A novel air spring for use in robotic arms as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The pressure relief cylinder (16) has a pre-set plug hole (21) inside one end of the sealing plug (19). The plug hole (21) is connected to the pressure relief hole (12), and the plug hole (21) matches the sealing plug (19).

9. A novel air spring for a robotic arm as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The pressure relief cylinder (16) has a hexagonal wrench countersunk hole (22) pre-set at the end away from the plug hole (21). The pressure relief cylinder (16) is connected to the internal threaded opening (14) by a thread, and the outer diameter of the pressure relief cylinder (16) is smaller than the inner diameter of the countersunk hole opening (13).

10. A novel air spring for a robotic arm as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The metal core (1) is located above the countersunk hole (13) and has an external thread (11) on its outer periphery. The metal core (1) is inserted into the mouth of the bottle body (23).

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