Material turning device and material turning method

Abstract

The present invention provides a material turning device, including a bracket and two turning mechanisms; the bracket is provided with a support arm horizontally arranged relative to the ground; the two turning mechanisms are arranged side by side on the support arm, the turning mechanism includes a fixed column, two connecting arms, a clamp, a rotating shaft and a turning drive device, the fixed column can be arranged on the support arm horizontally; the two connecting arms are arranged on the fixed column relatively, the two ends of the rotating shaft can be axially rotatable at the lower part of the two connecting arms, the clamp is arranged on the rotating shaft, and the turning drive device is used to drive the rotating shaft to rotate so as to turn the clamp; the present invention also provides a material turning method using the above-mentioned material turning device. A material turning device of the present invention turns the material several times by setting two turning mechanisms, so that the material can be placed with different sides facing up.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automatic material transport devices, and in particular to a material turning device and a material turning method. Background Art

[0002] AGV is a kind of equipment used in unmanned transportation assembly production lines. When working, AGV needs to load materials and transport the materials to the corresponding workstations along the set route for material processing operations. In actual production, some workstations need to flip the materials 180° before continuing the processing operations. Heavier materials obviously cannot be flipped by manual methods. Therefore, some AGVs flip the materials placed on their upper end faces by adding flipping mechanisms. However, this setting will increase the overall total amount of AGVs, increase the load of AGVs, and shorten the battery life of AGVs. The flipping mechanism flips the materials on the AGV, which will affect the stability of the AGV when moving. In addition, due to the limitation of the equipment load capacity of the flip arm, the flip arm cannot accurately flip heavier materials. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and to provide a material turning device which turns the material several times by setting two turning mechanisms so that the material can be placed with different sides facing upwards.

[0004] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention adopts the following technical scheme: a material turning device, including a bracket and two turning mechanisms; the bracket is provided with a support arm horizontally arranged relative to the ground, and the space below the support arm forms a working area; two turning mechanisms are arranged in parallel on the support arm, and the turning mechanism includes a fixed column, two connecting arms, a clamp, a rotating shaft and a turning drive device, and the fixed column can be horizontally movably arranged on the support arm; the two connecting arms are located in the working area, and the two connecting arms are relatively arranged on the fixed column, and the two ends of the rotating shaft are axially rotatable at the lower part of the two connecting arms, and the clamp is arranged on the rotating shaft, and the clamp is used to clamp the material, and the turning drive device is used to drive the rotating shaft to rotate so as to turn the clamp.

[0005] Compared with the prior art, the material turning device of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0006] (1) The present invention is a device arranged outside the AGV. Compared with the arrangement of turning materials by setting a turning arm on the AGV, on the one hand, it avoids the increase of the total amount of AGVs, reduces the load of the AGV, and thus prolongs the endurance of the AGV. On the other hand, the material turning device can be connected to multiple AGVs, and the materials on the multiple AGVs can be turned in turn, thereby saving production costs.

[0007] (2) The present invention uses a bracket with a support arm to build a cantilever beam structure, so that the space below the support arm forms a working area, thereby preventing the material turning device from occupying the AGV's operating channel and improving space utilization. At the same time, the material can be turned over without affecting the movement of the AGV, thereby reducing the time used by the AGV to enter and leave the working area and improving production efficiency;

[0008] (3) The present invention is provided with two flipping mechanisms. One flipping mechanism performs an initial flipping on the material after acquiring the material, and transfers the material to the other flipping mechanism. The other flipping mechanism performs a secondary flipping on the material after acquiring the material. The superposition of the two flipping movements can enable the material to be flipped at different angles, so that the material can be placed with different sides facing upward. In addition, by controlling the flipping angle after the flipping movements on both sides of the two flipping mechanisms are superimposed, the flipping angle of the material and the smoothness when flipping the material can be accurately controlled. The operation is simple and the reliability is strong, ensuring that the material can enter the corresponding workstation with the working surface to be processed facing outward, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the unmanned transport assembly production line.

[0009] Preferably, the clamp comprises two clamp arms, which are arranged at right angles; one side of the two clamp arms opposite to each other is a working surface, and the connecting parts of the two clamp arms away from the working surface are connected to the rotating shaft.

[0010] The above configuration has the following beneficial effects:

[0011] (1) In the above-mentioned setting, the two clamp arms are arranged at right angles, and the rotation center of the two clamp arms is the intersection of the straight lines of the two clamp arms, so that the turning center of the material is located outside the material. On the one hand, the clamp has an open working plane, which reduces the difficulty of operation when the clamp clamps the material. On the other hand, it is convenient for the clamp to clamp materials of different specifications and turn over materials of different heights, thereby improving the versatility of the clamp, increasing the scope of application of the present invention, and reducing production costs.

[0012] (2) The two clamping arms are arranged at right angles, and the two clamping arms respectively clamp two mutually perpendicular side surfaces of the material. When the flipping angle of the clamp is not greater than 90°, the pressure exerted by the material on the clamp is always kept vertically downward, thereby ensuring that the material is close to the working surfaces of the two clamping arms and improving the stability when flipping the material, so that the material can be fixed with a smaller clamping force (or no clamping is required), so that materials of different materials, especially materials with high surface requirements, can be flipped. At the same time, the two mutually perpendicular side surfaces of the material are restricted in their movement range, which can prevent the material from slipping during the flipping process, thereby improving the reliability of the present invention. In addition, this setting method can simplify the internal structure of the clamp and reduce the difficulty of processing parts.

[0013] Preferably, the clamp arm is provided with a first limit switch and a trigger member, the trigger member is flippably arranged on the working surface of the clamp arm, the first limit switch is arranged on the side of the clamp arm opposite to its working surface, and the contacts of the first limit switch are linked to the trigger member.

[0014] The above configuration has the following beneficial effects:

[0015] (1) By providing a first limit switch and a trigger member on the clamp arm, it can be ensured that when the clamp acquires the material, the outer side of the material can be tightly pressed against the clamp arm, thereby ensuring the clamping effect of the clamp on the material;

[0016] (2) By providing a trigger member for use with the first limit switch, the effective contact area between the first limit switch and the material is increased, the response speed of the first limit switch is improved, and the speed at which the clamp holds the material is increased;

[0017] (3) The two clamping arms on the clamp are each provided with a first limit switch and a trigger member, and the two clamping arms are arranged at a right angle. When the two side surfaces of the material perpendicular to each other are tightly against the trigger members on the working surfaces of the two clamping arms, the two first limit switches can be triggered simultaneously, thereby achieving precise positioning of the material and limiting the relative position between the material and the clamp, thereby preventing the material from shifting during the flipping process and affecting the flipping effect. In addition, when the trigger member flips to the position of the signal that triggers the first limit switch, it indicates that the material is already at the specified position on the clamp. The flipping mechanism stops moving in the working area according to the signals of the two first limit switches and starts the flipping operation, thereby improving the safety of the material flipping device.

[0018] Preferably, the clamp arm is provided with an adsorption structure, and the adsorption structure adsorbs the material through negative pressure or magnetic force; by arranging an adsorption mechanism for adsorbing the material on the clamp, it is ensured that the clamp firmly clamps the material, the stability when the material is flipped is improved, and the flipping effect of the material of the present invention is improved.

[0019] Preferably, a horizontal movement mechanism is provided between the fixed column and the support arm, and the horizontal movement mechanism includes a horizontal driving device, a first guide member arranged on the support arm, and a first connecting member arranged on the fixed column, the first guide member extends along the length direction of the support arm, the first connecting member is slidably connected to the first guide member, and the horizontal driving device is used to drive the first connecting member to move along the extension direction of the first guide member.

[0020] By arranging a horizontal motion mechanism between the fixed column and the support arm, the fixed column can move horizontally relative to the support arm, so that the flipping mechanism can flexibly adjust its own position according to the position of the material on the AGV in the working area, so as to stably obtain the material on the AGV, and avoid the flipping mechanism being unable to obtain the material or even damaging the material due to the low degree of coordination between the above two positions. In addition, the flipping mechanism can avoid according to the position of the AGV in the working area to avoid affecting the AGV entering and leaving the working area; the horizontal motion mechanism has a simple structure, easy-to-obtain parts and components, and low cost.

[0021] Preferably, a vertical movement mechanism is provided between the connecting arm and the fixed column, and the connecting arm moves vertically relative to the fixed column through the vertical movement mechanism, and the vertical movement mechanism includes a vertical driving device, a mounting frame, a second guide member and a second connecting member; the mounting frame is arranged on the fixed column, the second guide member is vertically arranged on the mounting frame, the second connecting member is arranged on the connecting arm, the second connecting member is slidably connected to the second guide member, and the vertical driving device is used to drive the second connecting member to move along the extension direction of the second guide member.

[0022] A vertical movement mechanism is provided between the connecting arm and the fixed column, so that the connecting arm can move vertically in the working area, thereby realizing the movement of the connecting arm in both horizontal and vertical directions in the working area. The superposition of the horizontal and vertical movements of the connecting arm can enable the clamp to accurately approach the AGV and accurately clamp the materials on the AGV, further improving the positioning and flipping effects of the material of the present invention. In addition, the connecting arm can move in both horizontal and vertical directions, and the connecting arms of the two flipping mechanisms can adjust their relative positions according to actual production needs, so that the flipping mechanism holding the material is in an upper position relative to the unloaded flipping mechanism, which is convenient for the transfer of materials between the two flipping mechanisms, thereby shortening the time required for material flipping.

[0023] Preferably, the vertical drive device is arranged on the fixed column, and the vertical drive device includes a lifting motor, a linkage shaft and two corner lifting members, the telescopic ends of the two corner lifting members are respectively connected to the two connecting arms, the linkage shaft is respectively connected to the two corner lifting members, and the lifting motor is used to drive the linkage shaft to rotate forward or reverse, so that the telescopic end of the corner lifting member can be extended and retracted and drive the connecting arm to move vertically; the vertical drive device adopts the above-mentioned setting method to ensure that the two connecting arms arranged on the same fixed column have synchronization during vertical movement, so that the two ends of the clamp rise or fall synchronously, thereby improving the stability of the flipping mechanism and avoiding the material from falling during the vertical movement of the connecting arm.

[0024] The present invention also provides a material turning method using the material turning device, comprising the following steps:

[0025] (1) The AGV loaded with materials enters the work area, and one of the flipping mechanisms moves to the side of the AGV. The clamp of the flipping mechanism clamps the material on the AGV, and the flipping drive device drives the rotating shaft to rotate to flip the clamp;

[0026] (2) The two turning mechanisms move relative to each other so that the turning mechanism holding the material is in an upper position relative to the unloaded turning mechanism;

[0027] (3) The turning mechanism holding the material moves to transfer the material to the unloaded turning mechanism, or the unloaded turning mechanism moves to hold the material on another turning mechanism;

[0028] (4) a turning drive device of the turning mechanism holding the material drives its rotating shaft to rotate so as to turn the fixture over;

[0029] (5) The flipping mechanism holding the material moves to the side of the AGV and places the material onto the AGV.

[0030] Compared with the prior art, the material turning method of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0031] (1) The method of the present invention uses a material turning device to automatically clamp and turn the material twice, so that the material can be turned axially at multiple angles. It has the characteristics of high automation, fast turning speed, good positioning accuracy and large load bearing capacity, thereby reducing the operation risks caused by human factors and reducing the labor intensity of workers.

[0032] (2) The method of the present invention can be applied to a production line that transports materials from one AGV to another AGV, thereby realizing the flipping of materials while transferring them, effectively improving the operating efficiency of the unmanned transport assembly production line and reducing production costs.

[0033] Preferably, in step (1), after the flipping mechanism moves to the side of the AGV, the flipping mechanism moves so that the clamping arm on the vertical horizontal plane of the clamp contacts the side of the material; the flipping mechanism continues to move so that the clamping arm on the parallel horizontal plane of the clamp contacts the bottom of the material, so as to complete the flipping mechanism's clamping of the material on the AGV.

[0034] In the above step (1), the two clamping arms on the clamp contact the material in turn to limit the movement range of the material, thereby achieving precise positioning of the material. In addition, when flipping the material, since the movement range of the material is limited, it can prevent the material from rolling or shifting, resulting in deviations in the flipping angle and relative position. Moreover, since the clamp applies force to the two non-coplanar positions of the material, the stability of the flipping mechanism in flipping the material can be improved. In this step, it is set that the clamping arms on the vertical horizontal plane contact the material first, and then the clamping arms on the parallel horizontal plane contact the material first. This can prevent the material from being located at a position far away from the clamping arms on the vertical horizontal plane when the clamp is clamping the material on the AGV, resulting in the clamp being unable to stably clamp the material.

[0035] Preferably, in step (3), any one of the flipping mechanisms moves so that the clamping arms on the vertical horizontal plane of the clamp of the unloaded flipping mechanism abut against the side of the material, and any one of the flipping mechanisms moves so that the clamping arms on the parallel horizontal plane of the clamp of the unloaded flipping mechanism abut against the bottom of the material, so as to complete the transfer of the material between the two flipping mechanisms.

[0036] In the above step (3), any one of the flipping mechanisms holding the material and the flipping mechanism without any load moves relative to the other flipping mechanism. The principle is to use one of the flipping mechanisms as the target position, make it in a static position relative to the other flipping mechanism, and drive the other flipping mechanism to move closer to the target position. This setting method can reduce the difficulty of material transfer and at the same time, can improve the accuracy of the position of the material after the transfer, thereby improving the accuracy of the position of the material during subsequent material transfer or placement. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view from a top view angle of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of area A;

[0039] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A local enlarged view of area B;

[0040] Figure 4 It is a cross-sectional view of the present invention from the right side angle;

[0041] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A local enlarged view of the C region;

[0042] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention from a front angle;

[0043] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A local enlarged view of the D region;

[0044] Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional view of an AGV suitable for a material turning device;

[0045] Fig. 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the AGV after loading the material for the material turning device;

[0046] Fig.10 This is a schematic diagram of the AGV entering the work area after loading materials;

[0047] Fig.11 This is a schematic diagram of one of the flipping mechanisms gripping materials from the AGV;

[0048] Fig.12 It is a schematic diagram of the turning mechanism turning over the material;

[0049] Fig.13 It is a schematic diagram of material transfer between two turning mechanisms;

[0050] Fig.14 It is a schematic diagram of another turning mechanism turning over the material;

[0051] Fig.15 It is a schematic diagram of the flipping mechanism placing the material on the AGV;

[0052] Fig.16 This is a schematic diagram of the AGV leaving the work area;

[0053] Fig.17 It is a schematic diagram of the flip mechanism being reset to the initial position.

[0054] Description of labels:

[0055] 1 material turning device, 11 bracket, 12 support arm, 13 second limit switch, 14 third limit switch, 15 support foot, 16 fixed seat, 17 working area, 2 turning mechanism, 21 fixed column, 22 connecting arm, 23 clamp, 231 clamp arm, 24 working surface, 25 first limit switch, 26 trigger, 27 obstacle avoidance sensor, 28 electromagnet, 3 rotating shaft, 31 turning motor, 32 angle sensor, 33 bearing, 41 horizontal driving device, 42 horizontal driving motor, 43 rack, 44 gear, 45 first guide member, 46 first connecting member, 51 vertical driving device, 52 lifting motor, 53 linkage shaft, 54 corner lifting member, 55 mounting frame, 56 second guide member, 57 second connecting member, 6AGV, 7 material, 8 supporting assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] The following describes the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

[0057] Embodiment 1

[0058] See also Figures 1 to 7The material turning device 1 of this embodiment includes a bracket 11 and two turning mechanisms 2; the bracket 11 is provided with a support arm 12 horizontally arranged relative to the ground, and the lower space of the support arm 12 forms a working area 17; the two turning mechanisms 2 are arranged in parallel on the support arm 12, and the turning mechanism 2 includes a fixed column 21, two connecting arms 22, a clamp 23, a rotating shaft 3 and a turning drive device, and the fixed column 21 can be horizontally movably arranged on the support arm 12; the two connecting arms 22 are located in the working area 17, and the two connecting arms 22 are relatively arranged on the front and rear sides of the fixed column 21, and the two ends of the rotating shaft 3 are axially rotatable at the lower part of the two connecting arms 22, and the clamp 23 is arranged on the rotating shaft 3, and the clamp 23 is used to clamp the material, and the turning drive device is used to drive the rotating shaft 3 to rotate so that the clamp 23 turns over.

[0059] Specifically, the support 11 includes a support leg 15 and a fixing seat 16 . The support leg 15 is disposed on the ground through the fixing seat 16 , and the support arm 12 is disposed on the upper end of the support leg 15 .

[0060] In order to improve the stability of the flip mechanism 2 during horizontal movement and to improve the connection strength between the flip mechanism 2 and the bracket 11, the bracket 11 is provided with two arms 12, which are arranged side by side on the bracket 11, and the two ends of the fixing column 21 are respectively connected to the two arms 12.

[0061] Specifically, the flipping drive device is a flipping motor 31, which is fixedly connected to the connecting arm 22, and the flipping motor 31 is linked to the rotating shaft 3. The rotating shaft 3 is provided with an angle sensor 32, which is used to detect the rotation angle of the rotating shaft 3. The flipping motor 31 can drive the rotating shaft 3 to rotate according to the angle detection data of the angle sensor 32, thereby improving the accuracy of the flipping mechanism 2 flipping the material. In addition, by setting the flipping angular velocity of the flipping motor 31, the smoothness of the material when flipping can be ensured. A bearing 33 is provided between the rotating shaft 3 and the connecting arm 22, thereby improving the smoothness when the flipping motor 31 drives the rotating shaft 3 to rotate. In order to avoid contact between the rotating shaft 3 and the connecting arm 22, resulting in damage to both due to friction when the rotating shaft 3 rotates relative to the connecting arm 22, a gap is left between the rotating shaft 3 and the connecting arm 22.

[0062] The clamp 23 includes two clamp arms 231, which are arranged at right angles; the opposite side of the two clamp arms 231 is a working surface 24, and the connecting parts of the two clamp arms 231 away from the working surface 24 are connected to the rotating shaft 3. The connecting part of the two clamp arms 231 is the position where the two clamp arms 231 are connected to each other.

[0063] In order to avoid interference between the two clamps 23 during flipping, affecting the smoothness of flipping materials by any flipping mechanism 2, and causing damage to the flipping mechanism 2, the clamps 23 on the two flipping mechanisms 2 are staggered. The above-mentioned "staggered setting" means that the planes on which the two clamps 23 are located (the planes formed by the two clamp arms 231) are parallel to each other and do not overlap.

[0064] In order to improve the clamping effect of the flipping mechanism 2 on the material and increase the contact points between the flipping mechanism 2 and the material, two clamps 23 are provided on the rotating shaft 3, and the two clamps 23 are arranged in sequence along the length direction of the rotating shaft 3. This arrangement enables the flipping mechanism 2 to fix multiple positions on the same end surface of the material.

[0065] The above configuration has the following beneficial effects:

[0066] (1) In the above-mentioned setting, the two clamping arms 231 are arranged at right angles, and the rotation center of the two clamping arms 231 is the intersection of the straight lines of the two clamping arms 231, so that the turning center of the material is located outside the material. On the one hand, the clamp 23 has an open working plane, which reduces the difficulty of operation when the clamp 23 clamps the material. On the other hand, it is convenient for the clamp 23 to clamp materials of different specifications and turn over materials of different heights, thereby improving the versatility of the clamp 23, increasing the scope of application of the present invention, and reducing production costs.

[0067] (2) The two clamping arms 231 are arranged at right angles, and the two clamping arms 231 respectively clamp two mutually perpendicular side surfaces of the material. When the flipping angle of the clamp 23 is not greater than 90°, the pressure exerted by the material on the clamp 23 is always kept vertically downward, thereby ensuring that the material is close to the working surfaces 24 of the two clamping arms 231, and improving the stability when flipping the material, so that the material can be fixed with a smaller clamping force (or without clamping), so that materials of different materials, especially materials with high surface requirements, can be flipped. At the same time, the two mutually perpendicular side surfaces of the material are limited in their movement range, which can prevent the material from slipping during the flipping process, thereby improving the reliability of the present invention. In addition, this setting method can simplify the internal structure of the clamp 23 and reduce the difficulty of processing parts.

[0068] The clamp arm 231 is provided with a first limit switch 25 and a trigger member 26. The trigger member 26 is flippably arranged on the working surface 24 of the clamp arm 231. The first limit switch 25 is arranged on a side of the clamp arm 231 opposite to its working surface 24. The contact of the first limit switch 25 is linked to the trigger member 26.

[0069] Specifically, the trigger member 26 is a sheet-like structure, one end of which is hinged to the clamp arm 231 .

[0070] The above configuration has the following beneficial effects:

[0071] (1) By providing the first limit switch 25 and the trigger member 26 on the clamp arm 231, it can be ensured that when the clamp 23 obtains the material, the outer side of the material can be tightly against the clamp arm 231, thereby ensuring the clamping effect of the clamp 23 on the material;

[0072] (2) By providing a trigger member 26 for use with the first limit switch 25, the effective contact area between the first limit switch 25 and the material is increased, the response speed of the first limit switch 25 is increased, and the speed of the clamp 23 clamping the material is increased;

[0073] (3) The two clamping arms 231 on the clamp 23 are both provided with a first limit switch 25 and a trigger member 26, and the two clamping arms 231 are arranged at right angles. When the two side surfaces of the material perpendicular to each other are tightly against the trigger members 26 on the working surfaces 24 of the two clamping arms 231, the two first limit switches 25 can be triggered at the same time, thereby achieving precise positioning of the material and limiting the relative position between the material and the clamp 23, thereby preventing the material from shifting during the flipping process and affecting the flipping effect. In addition, when the trigger member 26 flips to the position of the signal that triggers the first limit switch 25, it indicates that the material is already at the specified position on the clamp 23. The flipping mechanism 2 stops moving in the working area 17 according to the signals of the two first limit switches 25 and starts the flipping operation, thereby improving the safety of the material flipping device 1.

[0074] Specifically, an obstacle avoidance sensor 27 is provided at the outer end of the clamp arm 231 (the end of the clamp arm 231 relatively far away from the connection between the two clamp arms 231); when the clamp arm 231 relatively parallel to the ground moves to the side of the AGV, the obstacle avoidance sensor 27 on the clamp arm 231 is used to detect whether there is an obstacle in front of the end of the clamp arm 231, so that the clamp arm 231 avoids the body of the AGV and clamps the material, avoiding the clamp arm 231 from scratching the AGV and causing damage to both; after the clamp 23 obtains and flips the material from the AGV, the obstacle avoidance sensor 27 on the clamp arm 231 relatively parallel to the ground is used to detect whether there is an obstacle in front of the end of the clamp arm 231, so that the clamp arm 231 avoids the other flipping mechanism 2 and avoids the two flipping mechanisms 2 from scratching and causing damage to both.

[0075] The clamp arm 231 is provided with an adsorption structure, and the adsorption structure adsorbs materials through negative pressure or magnetic force; by providing an adsorption mechanism for adsorbing materials on the clamp 23, it is ensured that the clamp 23 firmly clamps the material, improves the stability when the material is turned over, and improves the turning effect of the present invention on the material.

[0076] The adsorption structure can be a pneumatic adsorption structure or a magnetic adsorption structure; wherein the pneumatic adsorption structure is composed of a suction cup and a vacuum pump device, the suction cup is arranged on the fixture 23, the suction cup is connected to the air port of the vacuum pump device, when the vacuum pump device is working, the suction cup surface generates suction, thereby adsorbing the material; the magnetic adsorption structure is composed of an electromagnet 28, the electromagnet 28 is arranged on the fixture 23 (the electromagnet 28 can be arranged on the surface of the working surface 24 of the clamp arm 231, or on the side of the working surface 24 of the clamp arm 231 that is opposite to the material), the electromagnet is connected to the circuit unit of the flip mechanism (not shown in the figure), the circuit unit can control the on and off of the circuit of the electromagnet 28 and the current flowing through the electromagnet 28, when the circuit unit is working, the electromagnet 28 generates magnetic attraction, thereby adsorbing the material. The above two adsorption structures can be selected according to actual needs, and the adsorption structure in this embodiment is a magnetic adsorption structure.

[0077] A horizontal movement mechanism is provided between the fixed column 21 and the support arm 12, and the horizontal movement mechanism includes a horizontal driving device 41, a first guide member 45 arranged on the support arm 12, and a first connecting member 46 arranged on the fixed column 21, the first guide member 45 extends along the length direction of the support arm 12, the first connecting member 46 is slidably connected to the first guide member 45, and the horizontal driving device 41 is used to drive the first connecting member 46 to move along the extension direction of the first guide member 45.

[0078] In order to improve the connection strength between the support arm 12 and the fixing column 21 , a plurality of first guide members 45 may be provided, and the plurality of first guide members 45 are respectively arranged on the upper part or the side of the support arm 12 , and the first connecting member 46 is arranged corresponding to the first guide member 45 .

[0079] In this embodiment, the horizontal driving device 41 includes a horizontal driving motor 42, a rack 43 and a gear 44. The horizontal driving motor 42 is arranged on the fixed column 21, and the gear 44 is arranged on the output end of the horizontal driving motor 42. The rack 43 is arranged on the support arm 12 along the length direction of the support arm 12. The gear 44 is meshed with the rack 43. The horizontal driving motor 42 drives the gear 44 to perform forward and reverse motions, thereby causing the fixed column 21 to move forward and backward along the extension direction of the rack 43.

[0080] This embodiment also provides another arrangement of the horizontal drive device, the horizontal drive device includes a horizontal drive motor and a screw rod, the screw rod is arranged on the support arm along the length direction of the support arm, the slider on the screw rod is fixedly connected to the fixed column, and the horizontal drive motor is used to drive the screw rod to make forward and reverse movements, so that the fixed column moves forward and backward along the extension direction of the screw rod. Although the drawings of this arrangement are not shown in the drawings of this embodiment, this arrangement scheme still belongs to the protection scope of the present invention.

[0081] Specifically, a plurality of second limit switches 13 are provided on the support arm 12, and the second limit switches 13 are staggered with the preset parking position of the AGV. When the flipping mechanism 2 moves to the corresponding position of the second limit switch 13 on the support arm 12, the flipping mechanism 2 stops moving. In this embodiment, after the flipping mechanism 2 unloads the material, the flipping mechanism 2 moves to the corresponding position of the second limit switch 13, thereby avoiding interference with the flipping mechanism 2 and the AGV that clamp the material; in addition, when both materials have completed the material flipping process and placed the materials on the AGV, the two flipping mechanisms 2 move to the corresponding positions of different second limit switches 13 respectively, thereby avoiding affecting the AGV from leaving the working area 17.

[0082] By arranging a horizontal motion mechanism between the fixed column 21 and the support arm 12, the fixed column 21 can move horizontally relative to the support arm 12, so that the flipping mechanism 2 can flexibly adjust its own position according to the position of the material on the AGV in the working area 17, so as to stably obtain the material on the AGV and avoid the flipping mechanism 2 being unable to obtain the material or even damaging the material due to the low degree of coordination between the above two positions. In addition, the flipping mechanism 2 can avoid according to the position of the AGV in the working area 17 to avoid affecting the AGV entering and leaving the working area 17; the horizontal motion mechanism has a simple structure, easy-to-obtain parts and components, and low cost.

[0083] A vertical movement mechanism is provided between the connecting arm 22 and the fixed column 21, and the connecting arm 22 moves vertically relative to the fixed column 21 through the vertical movement mechanism. The vertical movement mechanism includes a vertical driving device 51, a mounting frame 55, a second guide member 56 and a second connecting member 57; the mounting frame 55 is arranged on the fixed column 21, the second guide member 56 is vertically arranged on the mounting frame 55, the second connecting member 57 is arranged on the connecting arm 22, the second connecting member 57 is slidably connected to the second guide member 56, and the vertical driving device 51 is used to drive the second connecting member 57 to move along the extension direction of the second guide member 56.

[0084] Specifically, the mounting bracket 55 can be disposed on the upper part or the lower part of the fixing column 21 . In order to improve the stability of the connecting arm 22 during the vertical movement, the mounting bracket 55 is disposed on the lower part of the fixing column 21 .

[0085] Specifically, a third limit switch 14 is provided on the support arm 12, and the third limit switch 14 is set corresponding to the preset parking position of the AGV. When the flipping mechanism 2 moves on the support arm 12 to the corresponding position of the third limit switch 14, the flipping mechanism 2 stops moving in the horizontal direction; in this embodiment, the flipping mechanism 2 holding the material moves to the corresponding position of the third limit switch 14 and then moves in the vertical direction to place the material on the AGV.

[0086] A vertical movement mechanism is provided between the connecting arm 22 and the fixed column 21, so that the connecting arm 22 can move vertically in the working area 17, thereby realizing the movement of the connecting arm 22 in both horizontal and vertical directions in the working area. The superposition of the horizontal and vertical movements of the connecting arm 22 can enable the clamp 23 to accurately approach the AGV and accurately clamp the materials on the AGV, further improving the positioning and flipping effects of the material of the present invention. In addition, the connecting arm 22 can move in both horizontal and vertical directions, and the connecting arms 22 of the two flipping mechanisms 2 can adjust their relative positions according to actual production needs, so that the flipping mechanism 2 holding the material is in an upper position relative to the unloaded flipping mechanism 2, which is convenient for the transfer of materials between the two flipping mechanisms 2, thereby shortening the time required for material flipping.

[0087] The vertical drive device 51 is arranged on the fixed column 21, and the vertical drive device 51 includes a lifting motor 52, a linkage shaft 53 and two corner lifting members 54. The telescopic ends of the two corner lifting members 54 are respectively connected to the two connecting arms 22, and the linkage shaft 53 is respectively connected to the two corner lifting members 54. The lifting motor 52 is used to drive the linkage shaft 53 to rotate forward or reverse, so that the telescopic end of the corner lifting member 54 can be extended and retracted and drive the connecting arm 22 to move vertically; the vertical drive device 51 adopts the above-mentioned setting method to ensure that the two connecting arms 22 arranged on the same fixed column 21 have synchronization during vertical movement, so that the two ends of the clamp 23 rise or fall synchronously, thereby improving the stability of the flipping mechanism 2 and avoiding the material from falling during the vertical movement of the connecting arm 22.

[0088] In this embodiment, the corner lifting member 54 is a spiral lift.

[0089] Compared with the prior art, the material turning device 1 of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0090] (1) The present invention is a device arranged outside the AGV. Compared with the arrangement of turning materials by setting a turning arm on the AGV, on the one hand, it avoids the increase of the total amount of AGVs, reduces the load of the AGV, and thus prolongs the endurance of the AGV. On the other hand, the material turning device 1 can be connected to multiple AGVs, and the materials on the multiple AGVs are turned in turn, thereby saving production costs.

[0091] (2) The present invention constructs a cantilever beam structure by using a bracket 11 provided with a support arm 12, so that the space below the support arm 12 forms a working area 17, thereby preventing the material turning device 1 from occupying the running channel of the AGV, thereby improving space utilization. At the same time, the material can be turned over without affecting the movement of the AGV, thereby reducing the time used by the AGV to enter and leave the working area 17, thereby improving production efficiency;

[0092] (3) The present invention is provided with two flipping mechanisms 2. After one flipping mechanism 2 obtains the material, it performs the initial flipping on the material and transfers the material to the other flipping mechanism 2. After the other flipping mechanism 2 obtains the material, it performs the secondary flipping on the material. The superposition of the two flipping movements can enable the material to be flipped at different angles, so that the material can be placed with different sides facing upward. In addition, by controlling the flipping angle after the flipping movements on both sides of the two flipping mechanisms 2 are superimposed, the flipping angle of the material and the smoothness when flipping the material can be accurately controlled. The operation is simple and the reliability is strong, ensuring that the material can enter the corresponding workstation with the working surface 24 to be processed facing outward, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the unmanned transport assembly production line.

[0093] Embodiment 2

[0094] See also Figures 8 to 17 The present invention also provides a material turning method using the material turning device 1, comprising the following steps:

[0095] (1) The AGV 6 loaded with material 7 enters the work area 17, and one of the flipping mechanisms 2 moves to the side of the AGV 6. The clamp 23 of the flipping mechanism 2 clamps the material 7 on the AGV 6, and the flipping drive device drives the rotating shaft 3 to rotate to flip the clamp 23;

[0096] (2) The two turning mechanisms 2 move relative to each other, so that the turning mechanism 2 holding the material 7 is in an upper position relative to the unloaded turning mechanism 2;

[0097] (3) The turning mechanism 2 holding the material 7 moves to transfer the material 7 to the unloaded turning mechanism 2, or the unloaded turning mechanism 2 moves to hold the material 7 on another turning mechanism 2;

[0098] (4) The turning drive device of the turning mechanism 2 holding the material 7 drives its rotating shaft 3 to rotate, so that the clamp 23 turns over;

[0099] (5) The turning mechanism 2 holding the material 7 moves to the side of the AGV 6 and places the material 7 onto the AGV 6 .

[0100] The AGV 6 in this embodiment is provided with a support assembly 8. When the AGV 6 is loaded with material 7, the material 7 is placed on the support assembly 8. A gap is left between the support assembly 8 and the lower end surface of the material 7 for the clamp 23 of the flipping mechanism 2 to enter. The support assembly 8 is a commonly used mechanism on the AGV 6 equipment, belongs to the existing equipment, and does not belong to the main invention point of the present invention. This embodiment will not describe it in detail.

[0101] In step (1), after the flipping mechanism 2 moves to the side of the AGV 6, the flipping mechanism 2 moves so that the clamping arm 231 on the vertical horizontal plane of the clamp 23 contacts the side of the material 7; the flipping mechanism 2 continues to move so that the clamping arm 231 on the parallel horizontal plane of the clamp 23 contacts the bottom of the material 7, so that the flipping mechanism 2 completes the clamping of the material 7 on the AGV 6.

[0102] In addition, in step (1), when the clamp arm 231 on the vertical horizontal plane of the clamp 23 abuts against the side of the material 7, the contact piece on the working surface 24 of the clamp arm 231 contacts the material 7, triggering the first limit switch on the clamp arm 231, and the flipping mechanism 2 stops moving in the horizontal direction; when the clamp arm 231 on the parallel horizontal plane of the clamp 23 abuts against the lower part of the material 7, the contact piece on the working surface 24 of the clamp arm 231 contacts the material 7, triggering the first limit switch on the clamp arm 231, and the flipping mechanism 2 stops moving in the vertical direction.

[0103] In the above step (1), the two clamping arms 231 on the clamp 23 successively contact the material 7 to limit the movement range of the material 7, thereby achieving accurate positioning of the material 7. In addition, when the material 7 is turned over, since the movement range of the material 7 is limited, it can prevent the material 7 from rolling or shifting, resulting in deviations in the turning angle and relative position, and since the clamp 23 applies force to two non-coplanar positions of the material 7, the stability of the turning mechanism 2 in turning the material 7 can be improved. In this step, it is set that the clamping arms 231 of the vertical horizontal plane first contact the material 7, and then the clamping arms 231 of the parallel horizontal plane contact the material 7 first, which can prevent the material 7 from being located at a position away from the clamping arms 231 of the vertical horizontal plane when the clamp 23 is clamping the material 7 on the AGV 6, resulting in the clamp 23 being unable to stably clamp the material 7.

[0104] In step (3), any flipping mechanism 2 moves so that the clamp arm 231 on the vertical horizontal plane of the clamp 23 of the unloaded flipping mechanism 2 contacts the side of the material 7, and any flipping mechanism 2 moves so that the clamp arm 231 on the parallel horizontal plane of the clamp 23 of the unloaded flipping mechanism 2 contacts the bottom of the material 7, so as to complete the transfer of the material 7 between the two flipping mechanisms 2.

[0105] In addition, in step (3), when the clamp arm 231 of the vertical horizontal plane on the clamp 23 of the unloaded flipping mechanism 2 abuts against the side of the material 7, the contact piece on the working surface 24 of the clamp arm 231 contacts the material 7, triggering the first limit switch 25 on the clamp arm 231, and the two flipping mechanisms 2 stop moving in the horizontal direction; when the clamp arm 231 of the parallel horizontal plane on the clamp 23 of the unloaded flipping mechanism 2 abuts against the lower part of the material 7, the contact piece on the working surface 24 of the clamp arm 231 contacts the material 7, triggering the first limit switch 25 on the clamp arm 231, and the two flipping mechanisms 2 stop moving in the vertical direction.

[0106] In the above step (3), any one of the flipping mechanism 2 holding the material 7 and the unloaded flipping mechanism 2 moves relative to the other flipping mechanism 2. The principle is to use one of the flipping mechanisms 2 as the target position, make it in a static position relative to the other flipping mechanism 2, and drive the other flipping mechanism 2 to move closer to the target position. This setting method can reduce the difficulty of transferring the material 7. At the same time, it can improve the accuracy of the position of the material 7 after the transfer, thereby improving the accuracy of the position of the material 7 when the material 7 is subsequently transferred or placed.

[0107] In step (4), the flipping mechanism 2 that originally clamped the material 7 unloads the material 7 (empty) and moves to a position away from the flipping mechanism 2 that clamped the material 7 and the AGV 6, thereby preventing the empty flipping mechanism 2 from interfering with the normal operation of the flipping mechanism 2 that clamped the material 7 and the AGV 6.

[0108] In step (1) and step (4), the flipping angle of the clamp 23 is N, where N∈[1°, 90°]; the angle sensor 32 detects the rotation angle of the rotating shaft 3. When the clamp 23 flips close to the angle N, the rotation speed of the flipping drive device decreases to reduce the angular acceleration of the clamp 23, so that when the clamp 23 flips into place, the material 7 can stop more smoothly, avoiding the accident of the material 7 tipping over due to inertia.

[0109] In step (5), the turning mechanism 2 holding the material 7 places the material 7 on the AGV 6, including the following steps:

[0110] (a) The flipping mechanism 2 moves horizontally to the corresponding position of the third limit switch and then stops;

[0111] (b) the turning mechanism 2 moves in the vertical direction so that the material 7 is placed on the supporting assembly 8;

[0112] (c) the turning mechanism 2 continues to move in the vertical direction, so that the clamp arm 231 parallel to the horizontal plane of the clamp 23 is separated from the lower end of the material 7;

[0113] (d) The turning mechanism 2 moves in the horizontal direction, so that the clamping arm 231 of the vertical horizontal plane of the clamp 23 is separated from the side of the material 7.

[0114] In step (5), the AGV 6 mentioned above may be the AGV 6 loaded with the material 7 and entering the working area 17 in step (1), or may be an unloaded AGV 6 newly entering the working area 17.

[0115] The method further includes step (6), wherein after the flipping mechanism 2 flips the material 7 and places it on the AGV 6, the two flipping mechanisms 2 move to a position away from the AGV 6 (the corresponding position of the second limit switch), and after the AGV 6 leaves the working area 17, the flipping mechanism 2 is reset to the initial position.

[0116] Specifically, in the above steps (1) to (5), the movement of the flipping mechanism 2 includes movement in the horizontal direction or movement in the vertical direction or a combined movement in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction.

[0117] Compared with the prior art, the material turning method of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0118] (1) The method of the present invention uses the material turning device 1 to automatically clamp and turn over the material 7 twice, so that the material 7 can complete multi-angle axial turning, and has the characteristics of high degree of automation, fast turning speed, good positioning accuracy and large load bearing capacity, thereby reducing the operation risk caused by human factors and reducing the labor intensity of workers;

[0119] (2) The method of the present invention can be applied to a production line that transports material 7 from one AGV 6 to another AGV 6, thereby realizing flipping of material 7 while transferring it, effectively improving the operating efficiency of the unmanned transport assembly production line and reducing production costs.

[0120] According to the disclosure and teaching of the above description, those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs may also make changes and modifications to the above embodiments. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and described above, and some modifications and changes to the present invention should also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention. In addition, although some specific terms are used in this specification, these terms are only for the convenience of description and do not constitute any limitation to the present invention.

Claims

1. Material turning device, characterized by: It includes a stand and two flipping mechanisms; The bracket is provided with a support arm arranged horizontally relative to the ground, and the space below the support arm forms a working area; Two flipping mechanisms are arranged in parallel on the support arm, and the flipping mechanism includes a fixed column, two connecting arms, a clamp, a rotating shaft and a flipping driving device, and the fixed column can be arranged on the support arm in a horizontally movable manner; The two connecting arms are located in the working area, the two connecting arms are relatively arranged on the fixed column, the two ends of the rotating shaft are axially rotatably arranged at the lower part of the two connecting arms, the clamp is arranged on the rotating shaft, the clamp is used to clamp the material, and the flip driving device is used to drive the rotating shaft to rotate so as to flip the clamp; The clamp comprises two clamp arms, which are arranged at right angles; the opposite sides of the two clamp arms are working surfaces, and the connecting parts of the two clamp arms away from the working surfaces are connected to the rotating shaft; A horizontal movement mechanism is provided between the fixed column and the support arm, the horizontal movement mechanism comprising a horizontal driving device, a first guide member provided on the support arm, and a first connecting member provided on the fixed column, the first guiding member extending along the length direction of the support arm, the first connecting member being slidably connected to the first guiding member, and the horizontal driving device being used to drive the first connecting member to move along the extension direction of the first guiding member; A vertical movement mechanism is provided between the connecting arm and the fixing column, and the connecting arm moves vertically relative to the fixing column through the vertical movement mechanism; The vertical motion mechanism comprises a vertical driving device, a mounting frame, a second guide member and a second connecting member; The mounting frame is arranged on the fixing column, the second guide member is vertically arranged on the mounting frame, the second connecting member is arranged on the connecting arm, the second connecting member is slidably connected with the second guide member, and the vertical driving device is used to drive the second connecting member to move along the extension direction of the second guide member; When the material turning device is working, it includes the following working process: (1) The AGV loaded with materials enters the work area, and one of the flipping mechanisms moves to the side of the AGV. The clamp of the flipping mechanism clamps the material on the AGV, and the flipping drive device drives the rotating shaft to rotate to flip the clamp; (2) The two turning mechanisms move relative to each other so that the turning mechanism holding the material is in an upper position relative to the unloaded turning mechanism; (3) The turning mechanism holding the material moves to transfer the material to the unloaded turning mechanism, or the unloaded turning mechanism moves to hold the material on another turning mechanism; (4) a turning drive device of the turning mechanism holding the material drives its rotating shaft to rotate so as to turn the fixture over; (5) The flipping mechanism holding the material moves to the side of the AGV and places the material onto the AGV.

2. The material turning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamp arm is provided with a first limit switch and a trigger member, the trigger member is flippably arranged on the working surface of the clamp arm, the first limit switch is arranged on a side of the clamp arm opposite to its working surface, and the contact of the first limit switch is linked to the trigger member.

3. The material turning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamp arm is provided with an adsorption structure, and the adsorption structure adsorbs materials through negative pressure or magnetic force.

4. The material turning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vertical drive device is arranged on the fixed column, and the vertical drive device includes a lifting motor, a linkage shaft and two corner lifting members, the telescopic ends of the two corner lifting members are respectively connected to the two connecting arms, the linkage shaft is respectively connected to the two corner lifting members, and the lifting motor is used to drive the linkage shaft to rotate forward or reverse, so that the telescopic end of the corner lifting member can be extended and retracted and drive the connecting arm to move vertically.

5. A material turning method using the material turning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising the following steps: (1) The AGV loaded with materials enters the work area, and one of the flipping mechanisms moves to the side of the AGV. The clamp of the flipping mechanism clamps the material on the AGV, and the flipping drive device drives the rotating shaft to rotate to flip the clamp; (2) The two turning mechanisms move relative to each other so that the turning mechanism holding the material is in an upper position relative to the unloaded turning mechanism; (3) The turning mechanism holding the material moves to transfer the material to the unloaded turning mechanism, or the unloaded turning mechanism moves to hold the material on another turning mechanism; (4) a turning drive device of the turning mechanism holding the material drives its rotating shaft to rotate so as to turn the fixture over; (5) The flipping mechanism holding the material moves to the side of the AGV and places the material onto the AGV.

6. The material turning method according to claim 5, characterized in that: In step (1), after the flipping mechanism moves to the side of the AGV, the flipping mechanism moves so that the clamping arm on the vertical horizontal plane of the clamp contacts the side of the material; the flipping mechanism continues to move so that the clamping arm on the parallel horizontal plane of the clamp contacts the bottom of the material, so that the flipping mechanism completes the clamping of the material on the AGV.

7. The material turning method according to claim 5, characterized in that: In step (3), any one of the flipping mechanisms moves so that the clamping arms on the vertical horizontal plane of the clamp of the unloaded flipping mechanism contacts the side of the material, and any one of the flipping mechanisms moves so that the clamping arms on the parallel horizontal plane of the clamp of the unloaded flipping mechanism contacts the bottom of the material, so as to complete the transfer of the material between the two flipping mechanisms.

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