A double-headed robotic arm and loading and unloading method thereof

Abstract

The present invention discloses a double-headed robotic arm and a method for loading and unloading materials therefor, belonging to the field of robotic arm technology. The dual-headed robotic arm comprises a base, a rotating assembly, and two sets of sliding arm assemblies. The rotating assembly is rotatably connected to the top of the base, and a plurality of first guide rails are horizontally arranged on the top surface of the rotating assembly. The two sets of sliding arm assemblies are mounted on the first guide rails and reciprocate linearly along the first guide rails. The two sets of sliding arm assemblies are symmetrically arranged about the rotation axis of the rotating assembly. At least one clamping position is provided on any one set of sliding arm assemblies. After one set of sliding arm assemblies clamps the prepared workpiece at the upper station, it rotates to a set angle under the drive of the rotating assembly to reach the lower station and places the workpiece into the lower station. At the same time, the other set of sliding arm assemblies clamps the prepared workpiece at the upper station. The technical solution provided by the present invention adopts a method of simultaneous material collection and loading, which can effectively improve the working efficiency of material collection and loading and reduce production costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of manipulators, and in particular relates to a double-headed manipulator arm and a loading and unloading method thereof. Background Art

[0002] The manipulator used in the forging station is one of the forging auxiliary equipment. Currently, most forging manipulators are single-arm manipulators with slow loading and unloading speeds. Furthermore, most manipulator arms can only grip one workpiece at a time, making them inadequate for applications requiring high-volume, fast, and efficient work. Between the loading and unloading tables and the various forging stations in a continuous forging process, when production is consistent, it is often possible to simultaneously perform the loading and unloading operations. Traditional manipulators cannot meet these requirements, and they are also unable to effectively grip multiple workpieces simultaneously.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to set up a double-headed robotic arm between the loading and unloading platform and each forging station to improve work efficiency and reduce production costs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a double-headed robotic arm and a loading and unloading method thereof, which is used between the loading and unloading platform and each forging station, and can simultaneously perform the actions of taking materials at the upper station and loading materials at the lower station, and can clamp multiple workpieces at one time, thereby improving the work efficiency of taking materials and loading materials and reducing production costs.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] The present invention provides a double-headed robotic arm, comprising a base, a rotating assembly and two groups of sliding arm assemblies; the rotating assembly is rotatably connected to the top of the base, and a plurality of first guide rails are horizontally arranged on the top surface of the rotating assembly. The two groups of sliding arm assemblies are installed on the first guide rails and reciprocate linearly along the first guide rails. The two groups of sliding arm assemblies are symmetrically arranged around the center of the rotation axis of the rotating assembly, and at least one clamping position is provided on any group of sliding arm assemblies; after one group of sliding arm assemblies clamps the prepared workpiece at the upper station, it rotates by a set angle driven by the rotating assembly to reach the lower station, and places the workpiece into the lower station, while the other group of sliding arm assemblies clamps the prepared workpiece at the upper station.

[0007] Furthermore, the rotating assembly includes a turntable and a rotating drive mechanism; the turntable is arranged on the top surface of the base, and is driven to rotate by the rotating drive mechanism arranged at the bottom of the turntable, and four first guide rails are arranged on the top surface of the turntable, and the first guide rails are arranged side by side in a group of two below the sliding arm assembly.

[0008] Furthermore, the rotary drive mechanism includes a bearing seat, a bearing, an inner ring gear, a reduction motor and a driving gear. The bearing is connected to the top of the base through the bearing seat. The inner ring gear is arranged in the middle position of the bottom of the turntable. The outer cylindrical surface of the inner ring gear is connected to the inner ring of the bearing. The reduction motor is installed on the base. The driving gear connected to the working end of the reduction motor is meshed with the inner ring gear.

[0009] Furthermore, the sliding arm assembly includes a long slide, a slide cover, a guide post, a slide, a second guide rail, a sliding block, a long arm and a driving device;

[0010] The long slide is slidably connected to the two first guide rails, and a driving device is provided on the long slide, and the driving device drives the long slide to perform linear reciprocating motion along the first guide rails;

[0011] The slider cover is arranged on the upper side of one end of the inner side of the long slider, and a group of guide pillars are arranged inside the slider cover. The slider is slidably connected to the guide pillars. The slider is L-shaped and is driven by a lifting device to move up and down along the guide pillars.

[0012] The second guide rail is provided on the upper surface of the L-shaped long side of the slider, and the second guide rail is slidably connected to a group of sliding blocks. The sliding blocks are outwardly connected to a pair of long arms. A plurality of clamping positions are provided on the long arms, and the clamping positions are specifically designed to be notch-shaped. A clamping device is provided between two sliding blocks, and the clamping device drives the long arms to clamp or release.

[0013] Furthermore, the driving device specifically adopts a linear motor structure or a servo motor driven gear rack structure to drive the long slide to perform linear motion; the lifting device includes a first cylinder arranged on the top of the slider cover, and the working end of the first cylinder passes through the slider cover and is connected to the upper surface of the slider; the clamping device includes a second cylinder, the bottom of the second cylinder is installed on the inner side surface of one of the sliding blocks, and the working end is installed on the inner side surface of another sliding block located on the same side.

[0014] Furthermore, a pair of clamping components are provided on the opposite surfaces of the long arms, and the clamping components include a plurality of clamping blocks, a guide connecting block and a tightening mechanism; the plurality of clamping blocks are correspondingly arranged at the workpiece clamping recesses of the long arms, the guide connecting blocks are arranged on both sides of the clamping blocks, and the working end of the tightening mechanism abuts against the bottom of the clamping block.

[0015] Furthermore, the tightening mechanism includes a pin shaft, a short push rod, a middle push rod, a long push rod, a third cylinder, a fourth cylinder and a fifth cylinder; the short push rod, the middle push rod and the long push rod all rotate with the pin shaft as a fulcrum, and are respectively driven by the third cylinder, the fourth cylinder and the fifth cylinder to tighten or loosen the three clamping blocks.

[0016] A corresponding embodiment of the present invention also provides a method for loading and unloading materials using a double-headed robotic arm, comprising: utilizing any of the double-headed robotic arms described above to perform loading and unloading operations, wherein the double-headed robotic arm rotates 180 degrees or 90 degrees and then alternately performs material picking and loading actions.

[0017] Furthermore, when the double-headed robotic arm is arranged between the upper station and the lower station, the specific operation includes the following steps:

[0018] Step 1: Pick up the material. The sliding arm assembly of the double-headed robotic arm facing the upper workstation extends along the first guide rail toward the workpieces prepared at the upper workstation. The front arm portion of the sliding arm assembly clamps the workpiece at the clamping position, lifts the workpiece, and returns it.

[0019] Step 2: Rotate. The rotating assembly rotates the sliding arm assembly 180 degrees, and the sliding arm assembly holding the material faces the lower station.

[0020] Step 3: Unloading the material. The sliding arm assembly holding the material extends to the material placement table at the lower workstation, descends, releases the workpiece, and returns.

[0021] Moreover, while the sliding arm assembly completes the process of placing the workpiece, another set of sliding arm assemblies simultaneously completes the work of picking up the material at the upper work station.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial technical effects:

[0023] The dual-headed robotic arm and its loading and unloading method utilize two sets of sliding arm assemblies symmetrically arranged along the axis of rotation of the rotating assembly to simultaneously perform material removal and loading actions. A cylinder-driven push rod structure installed within the long arm ensures that each workpiece can be clamped individually, effectively reducing the possibility of clamping errors. The solution provided by the present invention can effectively improve the efficiency of material removal and loading and reduce production costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a front view of the double-headed robotic arm of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a top view of the double-headed robotic arm of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 for Figure 1 sectional view of

[0028] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A partial cross-sectional enlarged view of position I.

[0029] Explanation of the accompanying drawings: 1. Base; 1a. Bearing seat; 2. Electric control cabinet; 3. Bearing; 4. Turntable; 4a. Inner ring gear; 5. First guide rail; 6. Long slide; 7. Slider cover; 8. Guide column; 9. Slider; 10. Second guide rail; 11. Sliding block; 12. Long arm; 12a. Clamping block; 12b. Guide connecting block; 13. Reducer motor; 14. Drive device; 15. First cylinder; 16. Second cylinder; 17. Pin; 18. Short push rod; 19. Middle push rod; 20. Long push rod; 21. Third cylinder; 22. Fourth cylinder; 23. Fifth cylinder. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] First, a double-headed robotic arm and a loading and unloading method thereof provided by an embodiment of the present invention are introduced: Figures 1 to 3 As shown, a double-headed robotic arm includes a base 1, a rotating assembly and two groups of sliding arm assemblies; the rotating assembly is rotatably connected to the top of the base 1, and a plurality of first guide rails 5 are arranged horizontally along the top surface of the rotating assembly. The two groups of sliding arm assemblies are installed on the first guide rails 5 and reciprocate horizontally along the first guide rails 5. The two groups of sliding arm assemblies are symmetrically arranged around the center of the rotation axis of the rotating assembly, that is, the sliding arm assemblies completely overlap with the original state after rotating 180 degrees; at least one clamping position is provided on any group of sliding arm assemblies, that is, one or more workpieces can be grasped at a time; after one group of sliding arm assemblies clamps the prepared workpiece at the upper station, it rotates a set angle driven by the rotating assembly to reach the lower station, and places the workpiece in the lower station, while the other group of sliding arm assemblies clamps the prepared workpiece at the upper station.

[0031] The rotating assembly includes a turntable 4 and a rotation drive mechanism. The turntable 4 is mounted on the top surface of the base 1 and is driven by the rotation drive mechanism located at its bottom. Four first guide rails 5 are located on the top surface of the turntable 4. These rails are arranged in groups of two, side by side, below the sliding arm assembly. Furthermore, an infrared sensor is installed at this rotational position to detect the rotational position of the turntable 4.

[0032] The rotary drive mechanism includes a bearing seat 1a, a bearing 3, an inner ring gear 4a, a reduction motor 13 and a driving gear. The bearing 3 is connected to the top of the base 1 through the bearing seat 1a. The inner ring gear 4a is arranged in the middle position of the bottom of the turntable 4. The outer cylindrical surface of the inner ring gear 4a is connected to the inner ring of the bearing 3. The reduction motor 13 is installed on the base 1. The driving gear connected to the working end of the reduction motor 13 is engaged with the inner ring gear 4a.

[0033] like Figure 2 and 3 As shown, the sliding arm assembly includes a long slide 6, a slide cover 7, a guide post 8, a slide 9, a second guide rail 10, a sliding block 11, a long arm 12, and a drive device 14. The long slide 6 is slidably connected to the two first guide rails 5. The long slide 6 is provided with a drive device 14, which drives the long slide 6 to perform linear reciprocating motion along the first guide rails 5. The drive device 14 specifically uses a linear motor structure or a servo motor-driven gear rack structure to drive the long slide 6 to perform linear motion. Infrared sensors are also provided at the two extreme positions of the long slide 6's linear reciprocating motion.

[0034] like Figure 3 As shown, the slider cover 7 is arranged on the upper side of one end of the inner side of the long slider 6, and a group of guide pillars 8 are arranged inside the slider cover 7. The slider 9 is slidably connected to the guide pillars 8. The slider 9 is L-shaped. The slider 9 is driven by a lifting device to move up and down along the guide pillars 8; the lifting device includes a first cylinder 15 arranged on the top of the slider cover 7, and the working end of the first cylinder 15 passes through the slider cover 7 and is connected to the upper surface of the slider 9.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, a second guide rail 10 is provided on the upper surface of the L-shaped long side of the slider 9. The second guide rail 10 is slidably connected to a set of sliding blocks 11. The sliding blocks 11 are externally connected to a pair of long arms 12. The long arms 12 are provided with a number of clamping positions, which are specifically designed as notches. A clamping device is provided between the two sliding blocks 11. The clamping device drives the long arms 12 to clamp or release. The clamping device includes a second cylinder 16. The bottom of the second cylinder 16 is mounted on the inner side of one sliding block 11, and the working end is mounted on the inner side of the other sliding block 11 on the same side.

[0036] like Figure 4As shown, a pair of long arms 12 are provided with a plurality of clamping assemblies on opposing surfaces. The clamping assemblies include a plurality of clamping blocks 12a, a guide connecting block 12b, and a jacking mechanism. The plurality of clamping blocks 12a are positioned correspondingly at the workpiece clamping recesses of the long arms 12, and the guide connecting blocks 12b are positioned on either side of the clamping blocks 12a. The working end of the jacking mechanism abuts against the bottom of the clamping blocks 12a. The jacking mechanism includes a pin 17, a short push rod 18, a middle push rod 19, a long push rod 20, a third cylinder 21, a fourth cylinder 22, and a fifth cylinder 23. The short push rod 18, the middle push rod 19, and the long push rod 20 all rotate about the pin 17 as a fulcrum and are driven by the third cylinder 21, the fourth cylinder 22, and the fifth cylinder 23, respectively, to tighten or loosen the three clamping blocks 12a. This ensures that each workpiece can be effectively clamped, avoiding the problem of individual workpiece differences causing individual workpieces to be unable to be clamped when using a simple long arm. Although not specifically listed in this embodiment, it can be inferred by analogy that the clamping blocks 12a, the guide connecting blocks 12b and the corresponding push rod tightening mechanisms with one or more groups of workpiece clamping recesses provided on the long arm 12 all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the electric control cabinet 2 is arranged on the bottom plate inside the base 1, and controls the actions of various mechanisms including the rotary drive mechanism, the drive device 14, the first cylinder 15, the second cylinder 16, the third cylinder 21, the fourth cylinder 22 and the fifth cylinder 23; the main controller in the electric control cabinet 2 uses PLC, and the specific model is Xinjie XDM-60T-E, and the PLC is responsible for communicating with the host computer of the forging production line.

[0038] Based on the above-mentioned dual-headed robotic arm, the present invention further provides a dual-headed robotic arm loading and unloading method, comprising: utilizing the dual-headed robotic arm of the above-mentioned embodiment to perform loading and unloading operations; when conveying materials between two workstations, the dual-headed robotic arm rotates 180 degrees and alternately performs material removal and loading operations; when conveying materials between four workstations, the dual-headed robotic arm is positioned between the four workstations; the dual-headed robotic arm rotates 90 degrees at intervals and alternately performs material removal and loading operations.

[0039] The working process of a double-headed robotic arm of the present invention is described as follows: Taking the double-headed robotic arm located between the loading platform and the first forging station as an example, first, three billets are prepared on the loading platform. The long arm 12 group on one side of the double-headed robotic arm, under the action of the second cylinder 16, releases the billets. The long slide 6 on the same side, driven by the driving device 14, slides toward the upper loading platform and stops after reaching the position. The long arm 12 group clamps the billets under the action of the second cylinder 16. At the same time, the third cylinder 21, the fourth cylinder 22, and the fifth cylinder 23 drive the corresponding push rods to press the three clamping blocks 12a to ensure that each billet is clamped. The slide 9 of the long arm 12 group is lifted to a certain height by the first cylinder 15 and separated from the loading platform. The long slide 6 of the long arm 12 group is retracted under the drive of the driving device 14. In this way, the long arm 12 group completes the work of clamping the billets.

[0040] Then, the turntable 4 rotates 180 degrees under the drive of the reduction motor 13, and the long arm 12 group faces the forging press of the first forging station. The long slide 6 of the long arm 12 group is driven by the drive device 14 to slide above the forging die of the first forging station. The slide 9 of the long arm 12 group is lowered a certain distance by the action of the first cylinder 15, placing the three billets above the forging die. The long arm 12 group is released by the action of the second cylinder 16, and the third cylinder 21, the fourth cylinder 22, and the fifth cylinder 23 drive the corresponding push rods to release the three clamping blocks 12a. The long slide 6 of the long arm 12 group is driven by the drive device 14 to retract. In this way, the long arm 12 group completes the work of placing the billets.

[0041] Moreover, while the long arms 12 are placing the blank, the other long arms 12 can pick up the blank. This reciprocating cycle allows the double-headed robotic arm and its loading and unloading method to efficiently transfer materials between the loading and unloading platform and each forging station, ensuring production efficiency and reducing production costs.

[0042] The embodiments described above are merely descriptions of preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Without departing from the spirit of the present invention, various modifications and improvements made to the technical solutions of the present invention by persons skilled in the art shall fall within the scope of protection defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A double-headed robotic arm, characterized by: The invention comprises a base (1), a rotating assembly and two groups of sliding arm assemblies; the rotating assembly is rotatably connected to the top of the base (1); a plurality of first guide rails (5) are arranged horizontally on the top surface of the rotating assembly; two groups of sliding arm assemblies are mounted on the first guide rails (5) and reciprocate horizontally along the first guide rails (5); the two groups of sliding arm assemblies are symmetrically arranged about the rotation axis of the rotating assembly; at least one clamping position is arranged on any group of sliding arm assemblies; after one group of sliding arm assemblies clamps the workpiece prepared at the upper station, it rotates to a set angle under the drive of the rotating assembly and reaches the lower station, and places the workpiece in the lower station, while the other group of sliding arm assemblies clamps the workpiece prepared at the upper station; The sliding arm assembly includes a long slide (6), a slider cover (7), a guide post (8), a slider (9), a second guide rail (10), a sliding block (11), a long arm (12) and a driving device (14); the long slide (6) is slidably connected to the two first guide rails (5), and a driving device (14) is provided on the long slide (6), and the driving device (14) drives the long slide (6) to perform linear reciprocating motion along the first guide rail (5); the slider cover (7) is provided on the upper side of one end of the inner side of the long slide (6), and a group of guide posts (8) are provided inside the slider cover (7), and the slider (9) is slidably connected to the guide posts (8), and the slider (9) is L-shaped. The slider (9) is driven by a lifting device to move up and down along the guide posts (8); The second guide rail (10) is provided on the upper surface of the L-shaped long side of the slider (9), and the second guide rail (10) is slidably connected to a group of sliding blocks (11), and the sliding blocks (11) are outwardly connected to a pair of long arms (12), and a plurality of clamping positions are provided on the long arms (12), and the clamping positions are specifically designed to be notched. A clamping device is provided between the two sliding blocks (11), and the clamping device drives the long arms (12) to perform a clamping or releasing action; A plurality of clamping assemblies are provided on opposite surfaces of a pair of the long arms (12), and the clamping assemblies include a plurality of clamping blocks (12a), a guide connecting block (12b) and a tightening mechanism; the plurality of clamping blocks (12a) are correspondingly provided at the workpiece clamping recesses of the long arms (12), the guide connecting block (12b) is provided on both sides of the clamping block (12a), and the working end of the tightening mechanism abuts against the bottom of the clamping block (12a); The tightening mechanism comprises a pin shaft (17), a short push rod (18), a middle push rod (19), a long push rod (20), a third air cylinder (21), a fourth air cylinder (22) and a fifth air cylinder (23); the short push rod (18), the middle push rod (19) and the long push rod (20) all rotate with the pin shaft (17) as a fulcrum, and are driven by the third air cylinder (21), the fourth air cylinder (22) and the fifth air cylinder (23) to tighten or loosen the three clamping blocks (12a) respectively; The rotating assembly comprises a turntable (4) and a rotating drive mechanism; the turntable (4) is arranged on the top surface of the base (1), and is driven to rotate by the rotating drive mechanism arranged at the bottom of the turntable (4); four first guide rails (5) are arranged on the top surface of the turntable (4), and the first guide rails (5) are arranged side by side in a group of two below the sliding arm assembly.

2. The dual-head robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotary drive mechanism comprises a bearing seat (1a), a bearing (3), an inner gear ring (4a), a reduction motor (13) and a driving gear, wherein the bearing (3) is connected to the top of the base (1) through the bearing seat (1a), the inner gear ring (4a) is arranged at the bottom middle position of the turntable (4), the outer cylindrical surface of the inner gear ring (4a) is connected to the inner ring of the bearing (3), the reduction motor (13) is installed on the base (1), and the driving gear connected to the working end of the reduction motor (13) is meshed with the inner gear ring (4a).

3. The dual-head robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving device (14) specifically adopts a linear motor structure or a servo motor driven gear rack structure to drive the long slide (6) to perform linear motion; the pulling device includes a first cylinder (15) arranged on the top of the slider cover (7), and the working end of the first cylinder (15) passes through the slider cover (7) and is connected to the upper surface of the slider (9); the clamping device includes a second cylinder (16), the bottom of the second cylinder (16) is installed on the inner side surface of one of the sliding blocks (11), and the working end is installed on the inner side surface of another sliding block (11) located on the same side.

4. A method for loading and unloading materials using a double-headed robotic arm, characterized in that: The double-headed robotic arm according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is used to perform loading and unloading operations, wherein the double-headed robotic arm rotates 180 degrees or 90 degrees to alternately perform material taking and loading actions.

5. The method for loading and unloading a double-headed robotic arm according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the double-headed robotic arm is set between the upper and lower workstations, the specific operation includes the following steps: Step 1: picking up materials. The sliding arm assembly of the double-headed robotic arm facing the upper workstation extends along the first guide rail (5) toward the workpieces prepared at the upper workstation. The front arm portion of the sliding arm assembly clamps the workpiece at the clamping position, lifts the workpiece, and returns it. Step 2: Rotate. The rotating assembly rotates the sliding arm assembly 180 degrees, and the sliding arm assembly holding the material faces the lower station. Step 3: Unloading the material. The sliding arm assembly holding the material extends to the material placement table at the lower workstation, descends, releases the workpiece, and returns. Moreover, while the sliding arm assembly completes the process of placing the workpiece, another set of sliding arm assemblies simultaneously completes the work of picking up the material at the upper work station.

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