Axial adaptive flexible flange for industrial robots

Abstract

The invention discloses an axially adaptive flexible flange for an industrial robot, comprising a base, a two-degree-of-freedom flange, a connecting ball and a square key; a hemispherical groove is provided on the base, a connecting ball is provided in the hemispherical groove, a keyway 1 is provided in the hemispherical groove, a keyway 2 is provided at the top of the connecting ball, the keyway 1 and the keyway 2 are perpendicular to each other, a square key is provided between the hemispherical groove and the connecting ball, the upper half of the square key is located in the keyway 1, the lower half of the square key is located in the keyway 2, and the bottom end of the connecting ball is fixedly connected to the two-degree-of-freedom flange. In the invention, the two end faces of the flange can produce a certain degree of relative deflection under the action of an external force, and restore the initial position after the external force disappears, thereby allowing a certain degree of axial error between the end of the industrial robot and the workpiece, so that the fixture can grasp the workpiece more flexibly and effectively, and is easy to use, simple in structure, and low in cost, and has a wide range of promotion significance in the field of industrial automation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of automation technology, and in particular relates to an axially adaptive flexible flange for an industrial robot. Background Art

[0002] Grasping workpieces by industrial robots to achieve operations such as handling and palletizing is an important application topic in the field of automation. When industrial robots grasp workpieces, they usually have high requirements for the placement of the workpieces to ensure effective contact between the industrial robot and the workpiece. Otherwise, it is easy for the industrial robot to grasp the workpiece loosely or over-position the workpiece due to positioning errors.

[0003] At present, there are flange products that use springs, compressed air and other methods to achieve plane floating for the translation position deviation between the end fixture of the industrial robot and the workpiece, but there is still a lack of economical and practical flange products for the axial angle deviation. Usually, the problem can only be solved by maximizing the positioning accuracy of the workpiece. The disadvantage of this method is that the requirements for the positioning device are too high, resulting in high manufacturing costs for the positioning device and lack of adaptability and flexibility. It can be seen that there is still a lack of a low-cost, simple-structured, and highly adaptable axial adaptive flexible flange for industrial robots on the market. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides an axially adaptive flexible flange for an industrial robot. The two end faces of the flange can produce a certain degree of relative deflection under the action of an external force, and return to the initial position after the external force disappears. By connecting the two end faces of the flange to the robot and the end fixture respectively, the industrial robot allows a certain degree of axial error between its end and the workpiece, so that the fixture can grasp the workpiece more flexibly and effectively.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] An axially adaptive flexible flange for an industrial robot comprises a base, a two-degree-of-freedom flange, a connecting ball and a square key; the base is provided with a hemispherical groove, a connecting ball is provided in the hemispherical groove, a key groove 1 is provided in the hemispherical groove, a key groove 2 is provided at the top of the connecting ball, the key groove 1 and the key groove 2 are perpendicular to each other, a square key is provided between the hemispherical groove and the connecting ball, the upper half of the square key is located in the key groove 1, the lower half of the square key is located in the key groove 2, and the bottom end of the connecting ball is fixedly connected to the two-degree-of-freedom flange.

[0007] Preferably, an outer cover is provided on the base, and the outer cover can cover the two-degree-of-freedom flange, the two-degree-of-freedom flange includes a flange plate and a flange shaft, the top end of the flange shaft is fixedly connected to the connecting ball, a plurality of cylinders are provided around the flange shaft, each cylinder is provided with a piston rod, and the front end of the piston rod is in contact with the outer cover.

[0008] Preferably, the flange plate is provided with a plurality of air inlet holes, and the flange shaft is provided with air outlet holes corresponding to each air inlet hole one by one, the corresponding air inlet holes and air outlet holes are connected via air vents, the number of air outlet holes is the same as the number of cylinders and the position of each air outlet hole corresponds to each cylinder, the air outlet holes are connected to the corresponding cylinders, and the air outlet holes can pass compressed air into the corresponding cylinder to push the piston rod in the cylinder to slide along the axial direction of the cylinder.

[0009] Preferably, there are three cylinders in total, and the three cylinders are evenly distributed around the flange shaft.

[0010] Preferably, both the upper end and the lower end of the outer cover are provided with openings, and the openings are used to install positioning screws.

[0011] Preferably, the base is provided with a plurality of threaded holes.

[0012] Preferably, the two-degree-of-freedom flange is provided with a plurality of threaded holes 2.

[0013] Preferably, a connecting thread is provided at the bottom of the connecting ball, and the two-degree-of-freedom flange and the connecting ball are connected via the connecting thread.

[0014] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0015] The present invention can make the industrial robot and the workpiece contact more effectively during the process of the industrial robot grasping the workpiece and removing burrs, reduces the requirements for the positioning device, and is easy to use, simple in structure, and low in cost, and has broad promotion significance in the field of automation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a two-degree-of-freedom flange;

[0018] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the connection ball;

[0019] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the base;

[0020] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the connecting ball and the base;

[0021] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the cylinder and piston rod;

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of flange action.

[0023] List of reference numerals:

[0024] 100-base; 200-outer cover; 300-two-degree-of-freedom flange; 400-square key; 500-connecting ball; 600-cylinder; 700-piston rod; 101-threaded hole one; 102-hemispherical groove; 103-keyway one; 301-flange; 302-flange shaft; 303-air inlet; 304-air outlet; 305-vent; 306-threaded hole two; 501-keyway two; 502-connecting thread. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0026] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, an axially adaptive flexible flange of an industrial robot includes a base 100, a two-degree-of-freedom flange 300, a connecting ball 500 and a square key 400; a hemispherical groove 102 is provided on the base 100, a connecting ball 500 is provided in the hemispherical groove 102, a key groove 1 103 is provided in the hemispherical groove 102, a key groove 2 501 is provided at the top of the connecting ball 500, the key groove 1 103 and the key groove 2 501 are perpendicular to each other, a square key 400 is provided between the hemispherical groove 102 and the connecting ball 500, the upper half of the square key 400 is located in the key groove 1 103, the lower half of the square key 400 is located in the key groove 2 501, and the bottom end of the connecting ball 500 is fixedly connected to the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300. The square key 400 can achieve two-degree-of-freedom sliding in the connecting ball 500 and the base 100 as the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300 swings.

[0027] An outer cover 200 is provided on the base 100, and the outer cover 200 can cover the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300. The two-degree-of-freedom flange 300 includes a flange plate 301 and a flange shaft 302. The top of the flange shaft 302 is fixedly connected to the connecting ball 500. A plurality of cylinders 600 are provided around the flange shaft 302. A piston rod 700 is provided in each cylinder 600, and the front end of the piston rod 700 is in contact with the outer cover 200.

[0028] The flange 301 is provided with a plurality of air inlet holes 303, and the flange shaft 302 is provided with air outlet holes 304 corresponding to each air inlet hole 303. The corresponding air inlet holes 303 and air outlet holes 304 are connected through air vents 305. The number of air outlet holes 304 is the same as the number of cylinders 600, and the position of each air outlet hole 304 corresponds to each cylinder 600. The air outlet holes 304 are connected to the corresponding cylinders 600. The air inlet holes 303 provided on the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300 can be introduced with compressed air, the air vents 305 can be conducted with compressed air, and the air outlet holes 304 can be introduced with compressed air into the corresponding cylinder 600, so as to push the piston rod 700 in the cylinder 600 to slide along the axial direction of the cylinder 600. When the piston rod 700 slides along the axis of the cylinder 600 in the cylinder 600, it pushes the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300 to swing.

[0029] When the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300 is subjected to uneven radial force, one or two piston rods 700 are forced to move axially into the cylinder 600, and the other piston rods 700 move inward away from the outer cover 200, while pushing the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300 to move, and the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300 produces two-degree-of-freedom swing. When the external force is removed or the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300 is subjected to uniform force, the three piston rods 700 are subjected to uneven force, and one or two piston rods 700 move outward along the axial direction of the cylinder 600, while pushing the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300 to move. When the three piston rods 700 move to the initial position, the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300 returns to the initial position. When the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300 is subjected to axial torque, the square key 400 remains stationary in the connecting ball 500, and the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300 does not rotate.

[0030] In this example, there are three cylinders 600, and the three cylinders 600 are evenly distributed around the flange shaft 302. The upper end and the lower end of the outer cover 200 are both provided with openings, and the openings are used to install positioning screws.

[0031] The base 100 is provided with a plurality of threaded holes 101. The base 100 can be fixed to the end of the industrial robot through the threaded holes 101. The two-degree-of-freedom flange 300 is provided with a plurality of threaded holes 2 306. The fixture can be fixed to the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300 through the threaded holes 2 306. The bottom of the connecting ball 500 is provided with a connecting thread 502, and the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300 and the connecting ball 500 are connected through the connecting thread 502.

[0032] The working process of the above device is as follows: the axial adaptive flexible flange of the industrial robot is fixed to the end of the industrial robot through the threaded hole on the base 100, and the fixture is fixed through the threaded hole of the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300. Before use, compressed air is introduced through the air inlet 303 of the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300, and the gas enters the cylinder 600 through the air vent 305 and the air outlet 304, pushing the piston rod 700 to move to the extreme position. At this time, the heads of the three piston rods 700 are in contact with the outer cover 200. When the industrial robot is working and the radial force of the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300 is uneven, the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300 can generate two-degree-of-freedom swings, so that one or two piston rods 700 are compressed, and the piston rod 700 moves inward along the axial direction of the cylinder 600, and the other piston rods 700 are separated from the outer cover 200 and are no longer subjected to force, such as Figure 7 When the external force is removed or the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300 is evenly stressed, the three piston rods 700 are unevenly stressed, and one or two piston rods 700 move outward along the axial direction of the cylinder 600 to the initial position of the three piston rods 700, and the two-degree-of-freedom flange 300 returns to its initial position.

[0033] When the above device is used for clamping workpieces by industrial robots, a certain positioning error of the workpiece is allowed, which reduces the requirements for the workpiece positioning device and saves costs. Moreover, the axial adaptive flexible flange of the industrial robot can return to the initial position after clamping the workpiece. The device is easy to use, simple in structure, and low in cost, and has a wide range of promotion significance in the field of industrial automation.

[0034] The technical means disclosed in the scheme of the present invention are not limited to the technical means disclosed in the above-mentioned implementation mode, but also include technical schemes composed of any combination of the above-mentioned technical features. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications are also regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An axially adaptive flexible flange for an industrial robot, characterized in that: It comprises a base, a two-degree-of-freedom flange, a connecting ball and a square key; the base is provided with a hemispherical groove, a connecting ball is provided in the hemispherical groove, a key groove 1 is provided in the hemispherical groove, a key groove 2 is provided at the top of the connecting ball, the key groove 1 and the key groove 2 are perpendicular to each other, a square key is provided between the hemispherical groove and the connecting ball, the upper half of the square key is located in the key groove 1, the lower half of the square key is located in the key groove 2, and the bottom end of the connecting ball is fixedly connected to the two-degree-of-freedom flange; An outer cover is provided on the base, and the outer cover can cover the two-degree-of-freedom flange, the two-degree-of-freedom flange includes a flange plate and a flange shaft, the top end of the flange shaft is fixedly connected to the connecting ball, a plurality of cylinders are provided around the flange shaft, each cylinder is provided with a piston rod, and the front end of the piston rod is in contact with the outer cover; The base is connected to the end of the industrial robot, and a clamp is connected to the two-degree-of-freedom flange.

2. The industrial robot axially adaptive flexible flange according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flange plate is provided with multiple air inlet holes, and the flange shaft is provided with air outlet holes corresponding to the air inlet holes one by one. The corresponding air inlet holes and air outlet holes are connected through air vents. The number of air outlet holes is the same as the number of cylinders and the position of each air outlet hole corresponds to each cylinder. The air outlet holes are connected to the corresponding cylinders. The air outlet holes can pass compressed air into the corresponding cylinder to push the piston rod in the cylinder to slide along the axial direction of the cylinder.

3. The industrial robot axially adaptive flexible flange according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are three cylinders in total, and the three cylinders are evenly distributed around the flange shaft.

4. The industrial robot axially adaptive flexible flange according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end and the lower end of the outer cover are both provided with openings, and the openings are used for installing positioning screws.

5. The industrial robot axially adaptive flexible flange according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The base is provided with a plurality of threaded holes.

6. The industrial robot axially adaptive flexible flange according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The two-degree-of-freedom flange is provided with a plurality of threaded holes 2.

7. The industrial robot axially adaptive flexible flange according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: A connecting thread is provided at the bottom of the connecting ball, and the two-degree-of-freedom flange and the connecting ball are connected via the connecting thread.

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