Automatic industrial robot based on single flexible track

Abstract

The present invention discloses an automatic industrial robot based on a single flexible track in the field of mechanical processing equipment, comprising a flexible track, an X-axis module that can run along the flexible track, a Y-axis module located on the X-axis module, and an actuator module installed on the Y-axis module, the left and right sides of the Y-axis module exceed the flexible track, and a fixed support wheel and a floating support wheel are respectively provided on the left and right sides, the fixed support wheel is fixedly connected to the Y-axis module, and the floating support wheel is connected to the Y-axis module through a telescopic mechanism, and the telescopic mechanism is equipped with an automatic locking mechanism. The fixed support wheel is used for rigid support, and the floating support of the floating support wheel is used to adapt to the changes in the curved surface during operation, ensuring the smooth operation of the equipment. At the same time, the floating support can be locked when performing processing, becoming a rigid support, ensuring the torque balance during the processing, thereby realizing the stability of the operation and work of the industrial robot under the single-track operation mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of mechanical processing equipment, and in particular to an automatic industrial robot based on a single flexible track. Background Art

[0002] In the assembly process of large-sized products such as aircraft and ships, industrial robots are often required to perform automated hole making and welding operations. The specific method is mainly to lay one or more flexible tracks on the surface of the fuselage, and then place the industrial robot on the flexible track, so that the industrial robot moves along the flexible track and completes the corresponding hole making or welding operations.

[0003] Since general industrial robots are large in size and heavy in weight, in order to ensure their smooth operation and working, most of them adopt a double-track or triple-track structure. The purpose is to increase the contact area between the industrial robot and the equipment to be processed through multiple tracks, so as to achieve torque balance and improve the stability of equipment operation. However, for products with many curved surfaces such as aircraft, setting up multiple tracks is costly on the one hand, and on the other hand, it is impossible to ensure the parallelism of each track, resulting in fluctuations in the operation of the industrial robot and failure to meet the precision requirements of subsequent processing. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to overcome the above-mentioned deficiencies in the operation and working stability of the existing industrial robots, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a more stable and reliable automatic industrial robot based on a single flexible track.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problem is:

[0006] An automatic industrial robot based on a single flexible track comprises a flexible track, an X-axis module that can run along the flexible track, a Y-axis module located on the X-axis module, and an actuator module installed on the Y-axis module. The left and right sides of the Y-axis module extend beyond the flexible track, and a fixed support wheel and a floating support wheel are respectively provided on the left and right sides. The fixed support wheel is fixedly connected to the Y-axis module, and the floating support wheel is connected to the Y-axis module via a telescopic mechanism, and the telescopic mechanism is provided with an automatic locking mechanism.

[0007] Furthermore, the height of the fixed support wheel matches the height of the flexible track and the X-axis module. When the Y-axis module is placed on the flexible track through the X-axis module, the bottom of the fixed support wheel is flush with the bottom of the flexible track.

[0008] Furthermore, the fixed support wheel is connected to the Y-axis module via an adjustable hydraulic lifting rod.

[0009] Furthermore, the telescopic mechanism for connecting the floating support wheel and the Y-axis module is a floating hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder or a spring telescopic rod, whose main body is fixedly connected to the Y-axis module, and the telescopic rod is connected to the floating support wheel, and the automatic locking mechanism is an electric clamping device that clamps the telescopic rod on the Y-axis module.

[0010] Furthermore, the telescopic mechanism for connecting the floating support wheel and the Y-axis module is a floating electric hydraulic cylinder or an electric pneumatic cylinder, and the automatic locking mechanism is a solenoid valve lock provided by the electric hydraulic cylinder or the electric pneumatic cylinder.

[0011] Furthermore, an A-axis module is provided on the Y-axis module, a horizontal Y-axis slide rail is provided on the front of the Y-axis module, the A-axis module is slidably connected to the Y-axis slide rail through a Y-axis slider, and a Y-axis motor and a Y-axis screw nut mechanism are provided on the Y-axis module to drive the A-axis module to slide along the Y-axis slide rail.

[0012] Furthermore, the A-axis module includes a fixed plate and a rotating plate, the back of the fixed plate is connected to the Y-axis slider, an A-axis arc track is provided on the upper front, and an A-axis motor and an A-axis driving gear are provided on the lower side, and an A-axis slider and an A-axis arc gear track are provided on the rotating plate, the A-axis slider is slidably connected to the A-axis arc track, and the A-axis arc gear track cooperates with the A-axis driving gear.

[0013] Furthermore, the actuator module includes a B-axis module and a hole-making module, and the B-axis module includes a fixing frame and a mounting frame. The fixing frame is installed on the rotating plate of the A-axis module. A B-axis arc track is provided on the upper side of the fixing frame, and a B-axis motor and a B-axis driving gear are provided below. A B-axis slider and a B-axis arc gear are provided on the mounting frame. The B-axis slider is slidably connected to the B-axis arc track, and the B-axis arc gear cooperates with the B-axis driving gear. The hole-making module is installed on the mounting frame.

[0014] Furthermore, the mounting frame is provided with a Z-axis slide rail, a Z-axis motor and a Z-axis screw nut mechanism in the vertical direction to drive the hole-making module to move up and down along the Z-axis slide rail. The hole-making module is provided with a spindle motor, a hole-making spindle, a pressure angle normal phase sensor and a visual camera from top to bottom.

[0015] Furthermore, the Y-axis module and the X-axis module as well as the Y-axis module and the actuator module are connected via cam positioning pins, and the circuit and the gas circuit between the Y-axis module and the actuator module are also connected via an integrated quick-plug interface.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: by respectively arranging fixed support wheels and floating support wheels on the left and right sides of the industrial robot, using the fixed support wheels for rigid support and cooperating with the floating support of the floating support wheels, it is possible to adapt to changes in the curved surface during operation and ensure smooth operation of the equipment; at the same time, the floating support can be locked during processing to become a rigid support to ensure torque balance during processing, thereby achieving stability in the operation and work of the industrial robot under monorail operation mode, reducing the cost and difficulty of laying flexible tracks, and improving the flexibility and universality of the overall equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the Y-axis module structure of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the actuator module of the present invention.

[0020] Marked in the figure, 1- flexible track, 2- X-axis module, 3- Y-axis module, 4- actuator module, 5- A-axis module, 6- B-axis module, 7- Z-axis module, 31- fixed support wheel, 32- floating support wheel, 33- Y-axis slide rail, 34- Y-axis motor, 35- Y-axis screw nut mechanism, 51- Y-axis slider, 52- fixed plate, 53- rotating plate, 54- A-axis arc track, 55-A-axis motor, 56- A-axis drive gear, 57- A-axis slider, 58- A-axis arc gear rail, 61- fixed frame, 62- mounting frame, 63-B-axis arc track, 64- B-axis motor, 65- B-axis drive gear, 66- B-axis slider, 67- B-axis arc gear rail, 71- Z-axis slide rail, 72- Z-axis motor, 73- Z-axis screw nut mechanism, 74- spindle motor, 75- Hole making spindle, 76- Pressure angle phase sensor, 77- Vision camera. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The present invention is further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Firstly, it is stated that the orientations mentioned in this application, such as the front and side positioning references, are based on the direction in which the automatic industrial robot faces and moves forward along the flexible track as the front, and the positioning of all modules is based on this reference.

[0022] like Figure 1-3As shown, the automatic industrial robot based on a single flexible track of the present invention comprises a flexible track 1, an X-axis module 2 that can run along the flexible track 1, a Y-axis module 3 located on the X-axis module 2, and an actuator module 4 installed on the Y-axis module 3, the left and right sides of the Y-axis module 3 extend beyond the flexible track 1, and are respectively provided with a fixed support wheel 31 and a floating support wheel 32 on the left and right sides, the fixed support wheel 31 is fixedly connected to the Y-axis module 3, and the floating support wheel 32 is connected to the Y-axis module 3 via a telescopic mechanism, and the telescopic mechanism is provided with an automatic locking mechanism.

[0023] After installation, the center of gravity of the entire industrial robot is located on the flexible track 1, and the fixed support wheels 31 and floating support wheels 32 on both sides are auxiliary support, wherein the fixed support wheel 31 contacts the surface of the product to be processed and provides rigid support for the industrial robot, and the floating support wheel 32 does not play a supporting role during the operation of the industrial robot, but is always in contact with the surface of the product to be processed under the action of the telescopic mechanism, so it can adapt to the changes in the curved surface during operation and ensure the smooth operation of the equipment. When the actuator module 4 is required to perform operations such as drilling, the floating support wheel 32 is fixed by an automatic locking mechanism so that it becomes a rigid support while in contact with the surface of the product to be processed, thereby increasing the fixed foundation of the entire equipment, increasing torsional rigidity, offsetting the reaction force generated by hole making, etc., and reducing the possibility of deflection at the end of hole making due to the reaction force, thereby affecting the verticality of the normal hole. Therefore, compared with the existing dual-track industrial robot, the present application realizes the stability of the operation and work of the industrial robot under the single-track operation mode, reduces the cost and the difficulty of laying flexible tracks, and improves the flexibility and universality of the overall equipment.

[0024] Due to the adoption of a single track, the actuator module 4 is an offset structure, that is, the processing position of the actuator module 4 is located on one side of the flexible track 1. Therefore, in order to ensure stable support during operation and processing, it is best to set the fixed support wheel 31 on the same side as the processing position of the actuator module 4, and the floating support wheel 32 is set on the other side of the track to provide reverse support.

[0025] When setting the fixed support wheel 31, generally, since the fixed support wheel 31 is close to the flexible track 1, the change of the curved surface can be ignored, so the height of the fixed support wheel 31 can be set to match the height of the flexible track 1 and the X-axis module 2, that is, when the Y-axis module 3 is placed on the flexible track 1 through the X-axis module 2, the bottom of the fixed support wheel 31 is flush with the bottom of the flexible track 1. In some special cases, there may also be a height difference between the fixed support wheel 31 and the surface of the product to be processed, so the fixed support wheel 31 can be connected to the Y-axis module 3 through an adjustable hydraulic lifting rod. The adjustable hydraulic lifting rod 3 is similar to a jack, and the height of the fixed support wheel 31 can be slightly adjusted manually.

[0026] For the telescopic mechanism for connecting the floating support wheel 32 and the Y-axis module 3, the present application provides two solutions.

[0027] The first solution is that the telescopic mechanism is a floating hydraulic cylinder, pneumatic cylinder or spring telescopic rod, the body of which is fixedly connected to the Y-axis module 3, the telescopic rod is connected to the floating support wheel 32, and the automatic locking mechanism is an electric clamping device that clamps the telescopic rod on the Y-axis module 3. During operation, the floating support wheel 32 can always keep in contact with the surface of the product to be processed under the action of air pressure, hydraulic pressure or elastic force. When it needs to be fixed, the telescopic rod is clamped and fixed by the electric clamping device so that it can no longer move up and down, thereby realizing the locking function. The electric clamping device can adopt a structure similar to an electromagnetic brake.

[0028] The second solution is that the telescopic mechanism is a floating electric hydraulic cylinder or electric pneumatic cylinder, and the automatic locking mechanism is a solenoid valve lock provided by the electric hydraulic cylinder or electric pneumatic cylinder. This structure is simpler, and also uses hydraulic pressure or air pressure to make the floating support wheel 32 contact with the surface of the product to be processed during operation. When locking is required, the solenoid valve is used to control the oil circuit or air circuit to fix the position of the telescopic rod.

[0029] In addition to the instability of existing industrial robots used for flexible tracks during operation and work, there are also certain deficiencies in processing freedom. Currently, dual-track industrial robots are mainly used, which can only achieve X-axis and A-axis movement, that is, running along the flexible track and rotating around the flexible X-axis. This application adopts a single-track structure, which can achieve five-axis movement, specifically:

[0030] X-axis movement, that is, movement along the flexible track 1, is implemented by the following structure: the X-axis module 2 includes a roller assembly and a drive assembly. The roller assembly is clamped on both sides of the flexible track through multiple rollers. The drive assembly includes two sets of motors and drive gears. The drive gears cooperate with the racks on the flexible track to achieve drive. The use of two sets of motors can eliminate reverse clearance and improve operating accuracy.

[0031] The Y-axis movement, i.e., the movement in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the flexible track 1, is realized by the following structure: the Y-axis module 3 is provided with an A-axis module 5, the front of the Y-axis module 3 is provided with a horizontal Y-axis slide rail 33, the A-axis module 5 is slidably connected with the Y-axis slide rail 33 through a Y-axis slider 51, and the Y-axis module 3 is provided with a Y-axis motor 34 and a Y-axis screw nut mechanism 35 to drive the A-axis module 5 to slide along the Y-axis slide rail 33. The Y-axis motor 34 is preferably equipped with a grating ruler secondary feedback to improve the running accuracy.

[0032] The A-axis movement, i.e. the actuator module 4 rotates around the X-axis, is realized by the following structure: the A-axis module 5 includes a fixed plate 52 and a rotating plate 53, the back of the fixed plate 52 is connected to the Y-axis slider 51, the upper front is provided with an A-axis arc track 54, the lower side is provided with an A-axis motor 55 and an A-axis driving gear 56, the rotating plate 53 is provided with an A-axis slider 57 and an A-axis arc rack 58, the A-axis slider 57 is slidably connected with the A-axis arc track 54, and the A-axis arc rack 58 cooperates with the A-axis driving gear 56. The A-axis arc track 54 and the A-axis arc rack 58 have the same curvature, when the A-axis motor 55 drives the A-axis arc rack 58 to operate through the A-axis driving gear 56, the A-axis slider 57 cooperates with the A-axis arc track 54 to make the rotating plate 53 rotate a certain angle within a certain range. The A-axis motor 55 is preferably also equipped with a grating scale secondary feedback to improve the operation accuracy.

[0033] The B-axis movement, that is, the actuator module 4 rotates around the Y-axis, and the implementation structure is: the actuator module 4 includes a B-axis module 6 and a hole-making module 7, the B-axis module 6 includes a fixed frame 61 and a mounting frame 62, the fixed frame 61 is installed on the rotating plate 53 of the A-axis module 5, a B-axis arc track 63 is provided above the side of the fixed frame 61, and a B-axis motor 64 and a B-axis driving gear 65 are provided below, a B-axis slider 66 and a B-axis arc rack 67 are provided on the mounting frame 62, the B-axis slider 66 is slidably connected to the B-axis arc track 63, the B-axis arc rack 67 cooperates with the B-axis driving gear 65, and the hole-making module 7 is installed on the mounting frame 62. The overall structure is similar to the A-axis module 5. The arc of the B-axis arc track 63 is the same as that of the B-axis arc gear track 67. When the B-axis motor 64 drives the B-axis arc gear track 67 to operate through the B-axis driving gear 65, the mounting frame 62 can rotate a certain angle within a certain range under the cooperation of the B-axis slider 66 and the B-axis arc track 63. The B-axis motor 64 is preferably also equipped with a grating ruler secondary feedback to improve the operation accuracy.

[0034] Z-axis movement, that is, the actuator module 4 moves perpendicular to the surface of the product to be processed, and the implementation structure is as follows: the mounting frame 62 is provided with a Z-axis slide rail 71, a Z-axis motor 72 and a Z-axis screw nut mechanism 73 in the vertical direction to drive the hole-making module 7 to move up and down along the Z-axis slide rail 71, and the hole-making module 7 is provided with a spindle motor 74, a hole-making spindle 75, a pressure angle normal phase sensor 76 and a visual camera 77 from top to bottom, wherein the spindle motor 74 is used to drive the hole-making spindle 75 to make holes, and the pressure angle normal phase sensor 76 and the visual camera 77 comprehensively control the Z-axis movement, the A-axis movement and the B-axis movement by feeding information back to the control system, so as to ensure that the hole-making spindle is perpendicular to the surface of the product to be processed, and at the same time, a double telecentric lens is used to simultaneously realize alignment and countersink diameter measurement. Similarly, the Z-axis motor 72 is also equipped with a grating ruler secondary feedback to improve the operation accuracy.

[0035] In addition to the limited freedom of operation, the existing dual-track industrial robots also have many shortcomings in terms of convenience of use, mainly because the overall device is an integrated structure, which is large in size, heavy in weight, and inconvenient to install and transport. Therefore, in order to achieve modularization and lightweight, this application divides the entire industrial robot structure into four independent parts, namely, a flexible track 1, an X-axis module 2, a Y-axis module 3 with an A-axis module 5, and an actuator module 4 with a B-axis module 6 and a Z-axis module 7. The Y-axis module 3 and the X-axis module 2, as well as the Y-axis module 3 and the actuator module 4 are quickly connected through cam positioning pins, and the Y-axis module 3 and the actuator module 4 are also connected to the circuit and the gas path through an integrated quick-plug interface. The unit weight of the three modules generally does not exceed 20 kilograms, and can be carried and installed by one person, which is convenient and quick to use.

Claims

1. An automatic industrial robot based on a single flexible track, characterized by: The invention comprises a flexible track (1), an X-axis module (2) capable of running along the flexible track (1), a Y-axis module (3) located on the X-axis module (2), and an actuator module (4) installed on the Y-axis module (3), wherein the left and right sides of the Y-axis module (3) extend beyond the flexible track (1), and are respectively provided with a fixed support wheel (31) and a floating support wheel (32), wherein the fixed support wheel (31) is fixedly connected to the Y-axis module (3), and the floating support wheel (32) is connected to the Y-axis module (3) via a telescopic mechanism, and the telescopic mechanism is provided with an automatic locking mechanism; The height of the fixed support wheel (31) matches the height of the flexible track (1) and the X-axis module (2), and when the Y-axis module (3) is placed on the flexible track (1) through the X-axis module (2), the bottom of the fixed support wheel (31) is flush with the bottom of the flexible track (1); The telescopic mechanism for connecting the floating support wheel (32) and the Y-axis module (3) is a floating hydraulic cylinder, an electric hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, an electric pneumatic cylinder or a spring telescopic rod, the body of which is fixedly connected to the Y-axis module (3), and the telescopic rod is connected to the floating support wheel (32), and the automatic locking mechanism is an electric clamping device for clamping the telescopic rod on the Y-axis module (3) or a solenoid valve lock provided by the electric hydraulic cylinder or the electric pneumatic cylinder.

2. The automatic industrial robot based on a single flexible track as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The fixed support wheel (31) is connected to the Y-axis module (3) via an adjustable hydraulic lifting rod.

3. The automatic industrial robot based on a single flexible track as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The Y-axis module (3) is provided with an A-axis module (5), the front face of the Y-axis module (3) is provided with a Y-axis slide rail (33) in a horizontal direction, the A-axis module (5) is slidably connected to the Y-axis slide rail (33) via a Y-axis slider (51), and the Y-axis module (3) is provided with a Y-axis motor (34) and a Y-axis screw nut mechanism (35) to drive the A-axis module (5) to slide along the Y-axis slide rail (33).

4. The automatic industrial robot based on a single flexible track as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The A-axis module (5) comprises a fixed plate (52) and a rotating plate (53); the back of the fixed plate (52) is connected to the Y-axis slider (51); an A-axis arc track (54) is provided above the front; an A-axis motor (55) and an A-axis driving gear (56) are provided below the front; an A-axis slider (57) and an A-axis arc gear track (58) are provided on the rotating plate (53); the A-axis slider (57) is slidably connected to the A-axis arc track (54); and the A-axis arc gear track (58) is matched with the A-axis driving gear (56).

5. The automatic industrial robot based on a single flexible track as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The actuator module (4) comprises a B-axis module (6) and a hole-making module (7). The B-axis module (6) comprises a fixing frame (61) and a mounting frame (62). The fixing frame (61) is mounted on a rotating plate (53) of the A-axis module (5). A B-axis arc track (63) is provided above the side of the fixing frame (61), and a B-axis motor (64) and a B-axis driving gear (65) are provided below the fixing frame (61). A B-axis slider (66) and a B-axis arc rack (67) are provided on the mounting frame (62). The B-axis slider (66) is slidably connected to the B-axis arc track (63), and the B-axis arc rack (67) cooperates with the B-axis driving gear (65). The hole-making module (7) is mounted on the mounting frame (62).

6. The automatic industrial robot based on a single flexible track as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that: The mounting frame (62) is provided with a Z-axis slide rail (71), a Z-axis motor (72) and a Z-axis screw nut mechanism (73) in the vertical direction to drive the hole-making module (7) to move up and down along the Z-axis slide rail (71); the hole-making module (7) is provided with a spindle motor (74), a hole-making spindle (75), a pressure angle normal phase sensor (76) and a visual camera (77) in sequence from top to bottom.

7. The automatic industrial robot based on a single flexible track as claimed in claim 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that: The Y-axis module (3) and the X-axis module (2) as well as the Y-axis module (3) and the actuator module (4) are connected via cam positioning pins, and the Y-axis module (3) and the actuator module (4) are also connected via an integrated quick-plug interface for electrical circuits and gas circuits.

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