Multi-position adaptive bevel sponge suction cup gripper

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of workpiece hoisting, and particularly relates to a multi-position adaptive bevel sponge suction cup gripper. The present application comprises a fixed plate, a mounting flange and a vacuum generator mounted on the fixed plate, and a plurality of upper and lower floating assemblies mounted below the fixed plate; the end of the upper and lower floating assemblies away from the fixed plate is rotatably connected with a vacuum sponge suction cup through a floating joint; a centering spring is sleeved outside the floating joint, and a vacuum air pipe assembly is arranged between the fixed plate and the vacuum sponge suction cup. The present application realizes adaptive adjustment of different heights and angles through a plurality of air knife mounting plates and floating joints, can satisfy the suction of objects with large bevels or inconsistent bevel angles without worrying about the falling or inability to be sucked of the objects due to poor fitting, and a one-way check valve is further mounted in the present application to avoid the situation that the object to be gripped cannot be sucked due to air leakage of a single vacuum sponge suction cup when a broken hole exists in the object to be sucked.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application belongs to the technical field of workpiece hoisting, and particularly relates to a multi-position adaptive inclined surface sponge suction cup gripper. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the field of industrial automation, mechanical auxiliary carrying and running are widely applied, and there are mainly two ways of suction and clamping for taking objects of different materials and different sizes, wherein the suction way mainly uses a vacuum sponge suction cup, the vacuum sponge suction cup is installed on a mechanical hand or other carriers to realize hoisting or carrying of objects, and the existing sponge suction cup gripper generally has only one sponge suction cup. When the current single vacuum sponge suction cup with a floating head encounters a large continuous inclined surface of the object to be sucked and clamped, a small suction surface or a broken hole of the object to be sucked and clamped, there are risks such as falling of the object during the suction process or failure to suck the object, and the use condition of extreme cases cannot be met.

[0003] Moreover, when the surface of the object to be sucked has debris and other small impurities, the vacuum suction is easy to block the vacuum generator, manual cleaning is required at irregular times, the workload of workers is increased, and the production efficiency and the service life of the vacuum system are affected. SUMMARY

[0004] The purpose of the application is to overcome the defects that the existing technology cannot suck the object to be clamped with a large continuous inclined surface or a small suction surface or a suction surface with a hole, and to provide a multi-position adaptive inclined surface sponge suction cup gripper capable of meeting extreme use conditions.

[0005] The technical scheme adopted by the application to solve the technical problem is:

[0006] A multi-position adaptive inclined surface sponge suction cup gripper, comprising a fixed plate, a mounting flange and a vacuum generator mounted on the fixed plate, and a plurality of upper and lower floating assemblies mounted below the fixed plate, wherein one end of the upper and lower floating assembly away from the fixed plate is rotatably connected with a vacuum sponge suction cup through a floating joint, a centering spring is sleeved outside the floating joint, and a vacuum air pipe assembly is arranged between the fixed plate and the vacuum sponge suction cup.

[0007] The vacuum air pipe assembly comprises a busbar mounted on the fixed plate, a one-way check valve, a first air pipe joint, a rotary air pipe and a second air pipe joint arranged in sequence between the busbar and the vacuum sponge suction cup, the second air pipe joint is mounted on the vacuum sponge suction cup, and the vacuum generator, the busbar, the rotary air pipe and the second air pipe joint are connected in communication.

[0008] Further, the upper and lower floating assemblies are 4 groups.

[0009] Further, the up-and-down floating assembly comprises a guide light shaft fixed at one end of the floating joint and connected to the fixed plate through a linear bearing at the other end, and an up-and-down floating spring sleeved on the guide light shaft; a light shaft fixing ring is installed at one end of the guide light shaft penetrating through the fixed plate.

[0010] Further, a limiting device is installed on the fixed plate near the light shaft fixing ring.

[0011] Further, a wind knife blowing assembly for blowing away impurities on the surface of the sucked object is installed on the fixed plate; the wind knife blowing assembly comprises a wind knife mounting plate fixedly installed on the fixed plate, a wind knife installed on the wind knife mounting plate, and a bellows in communication with the wind knife through an air pipe; the bellows is installed on the fixed plate through a connecting plate.

[0012] Further, a reflective switch for detecting the clamped object is installed on the wind knife.

[0013] Further, a vacuum filter for filtering impurities is installed between the first air pipe joint and the rotary air pipe.

[0014] Still further, an air pressure detection switch is installed on the bus plate.

[0015] The multi-position adaptive inclined plane sponge suction cup gripper has the following advantages:

[0016] 1. The sponge suction cup gripper realizes adaptive adjustment of different heights and angles through a plurality of up-and-down floating assemblies and floating joints, and can satisfy the suction of objects with large inclined planes or inconsistent inclined angles without worrying about the falling or unsuction of the objects due to poor adhesion, and is very convenient to use and has strong versatility.

[0017] 2. A one-way check valve is installed between the vacuum sponge suction cup and the bus plate, which can avoid the situation that the single vacuum sponge suction cup cannot be sucked due to air leakage when the adsorbed object to be clamped has a broken hole.

[0018] 3. The wind knife blowing assembly is added, when the sponge suction cup gripper moves above the sucked object, blowing starts to blow away small impurities such as surface debris; a transparent vacuum filter is installed between the vacuum sponge suction cup and the vacuum generator. As much as possible to reduce the impurities sucked during vacuum suction, and prolong the service life of the vacuum system; even if the transparent vacuum filter is blocked, only the filter element in the transparent vacuum filter needs to be replaced, which can quickly recover production and greatly reduce downtime. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] The application will be further described in detail below in combination with the drawings and specific embodiments.

[0020] The application will be further described in detail below in combination with the drawings and specific embodiments.Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 2 is a front sectional view of an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 3 is a left sectional view of an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 4 is a detail view of a floating joint of an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 5 is a structural schematic view of an up-and-down floating assembly of an embodiment of the present application.

[0025] In the figure: 1, fixed plate, 2, mounting flange, 3, vacuum generator, 4, air knife blowing assembly, 41, air knife mounting plate, 42, air knife, 43, corrugated pipe, 44, connecting plate, 5, floating joint, 6, up-and-down floating assembly, 61, linear bearing, 62, guide optical shaft, 63, up-and-down floating spring, 64, optical shaft fixing ring, 65, limiting device, 651, limiting frame, 652, proximity switch, 7, vacuum sponge suction cup, 8, centering spring, 9, vacuum air pipe assembly, 91, busbar, 92, one-way check valve, 93, first air pipe joint, 94, rotary air pipe, 95, second air pipe joint, 96, vacuum filter, 10, air pressure detection switch, 11, reflection switch. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The present application will now be further described in greater detail in connection with the enclosed drawings. These drawings are very simplified and only show the basic structure of the present application in a schematic way, and therefore only show the components relevant to the present application.

[0027] As Figures 1-5The specific embodiment of the multi-position adaptive inclined plane sponge suction cup gripper of the application shown comprises a fixed plate 1, a mounting flange 2 and a vacuum generator 3 mounted on the fixed plate 1, and a plurality of sets of up-and-down floating assemblies 6 mounted below the fixed plate 1; the end of the up-and-down floating assembly 6 away from the fixed plate 1 is rotationally connected with a vacuum sponge suction cup 7 through a floating joint 5; a centering spring 8 is sleeved outside the floating joint 5; a vacuum air pipe assembly 9 is arranged between the fixed plate 1 and the vacuum sponge suction cup 7; the vacuum air pipe assembly 9 comprises a bus plate 91 mounted on the fixed plate 1, a one-way check valve 92, a first air pipe joint 93, a rotary air pipe 94 and a second air pipe joint 95 arranged in sequence between the bus plate 91 and the vacuum sponge suction cup 7; the second air pipe joint 95 is mounted on the vacuum sponge suction cup 7; the vacuum generator 3, the bus plate 91, the rotary air pipe 94 and the second air pipe joint 95 are all in communication. The up-and-down floating assembly 6 of the embodiment of the application is 4 sets, and the sponge suction cup gripper realizes adaptive adjustment of different heights and different angles through the 4 sets of up-and-down floating assemblies 6 and the floating joint 5. It can satisfy the suction of objects with large inclined planes or inconsistent inclined plane angles without worrying about the falling or failure to be sucked due to poor fitting, and is very convenient to use and has strong versatility. The one-way check valve 92 is mounted between the vacuum sponge suction cup 7 and the bus plate 91, which can avoid the situation that the object cannot be sucked due to air leakage of a single vacuum sponge suction cup 7 when the absorbed object to be clamped has a broken hole.

[0028] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 5 The up-and-down floating assembly 6 comprises a guide light shaft 62 fixed at one end on the floating joint 5 and connected at the other end with the fixed plate 1 through a linear bearing 61, and an up-and-down floating spring 63 sleeved on the guide light shaft 62; the end of the guide light shaft 62 penetrating out of the fixed plate 1 is mounted with a light shaft fixing ring 64; a limiting device 65 is mounted on the fixed plate 1 at a position close to the light shaft fixing ring 64, and the limiting device 65 comprises a limiting frame 651 mounted on the fixed plate 1 and a proximity switch 652 mounted on the limiting frame 651; when the vacuum sponge suction cup 7 contacts the object to be sucked and continues to be pressed down, the up-and-down floating spring 63 will be compressed, and the guide light shaft 62 will move upward relative to the fixed plate 1, close to the proximity switch 652, output a signal, indicating that the vacuum sponge suction cup 7 has contacted the object to be clamped and is over-pressed, for ensuring the reliable suction of the vacuum sponge suction cup 7 to the object to be sucked.

[0029] The fixed plate 1 is provided with a wind knife blowing assembly 4 for blowing away impurities on the surface of the object to be sucked; the wind knife blowing assembly 4 comprises a wind knife mounting plate 41 fixedly mounted on the fixed plate 1, a wind knife 42 mounted on the wind knife mounting plate 41, and a corrugated pipe 43 in communication with the wind knife 42 through a gas pipe; the corrugated pipe 43 is mounted on the fixed plate 1 through a connecting plate 44. In the embodiment, a vacuum filter 96 for filtering impurities is mounted between the first gas pipe joint 93 and the rotary gas pipe 94. The wind knife blowing assembly 4 is added in the application, when the vacuum sponge suction cup 7 moves above the object to be sucked, the blowing starts, and the surface debris and other small impurities are blown away; the transparent vacuum filter 96 is mounted between the vacuum sponge suction cup 7 and the vacuum generator 3, so as to reduce the impurities sucked during the vacuum suction as much as possible, and prolong the service life of the vacuum system; even if the vacuum filter 96 is blocked, only the inner filter element of the transparent vacuum filter 96 needs to be replaced, so that the production can be quickly recovered, and the downtime is greatly reduced.

[0030] The wind knife 42 is provided with a reflection switch 11 for detecting the object. The reflection switch 11 detects whether there is an object within a certain distance through diffuse reflection, and the principle is that infrared light is emitted to the surface of the object and then returned, and a signal is output when the light is received. In the embodiment, the reflection switch 11 has two functions. Firstly, when the vacuum sponge suction cup 7 approaches the object to be clamped, a signal is output to inform the system that the object to be clamped has been approached. Secondly, the reflection switch 11 is used to detect whether the object to be sucked is clamped by the vacuum sponge suction cup 7. If the object falls during the conveying process, the reflection switch 11 can detect it and send an alarm signal, so as to improve the work efficiency and reduce the occurrence of safety accidents.

[0031] The bus bar 91 is provided with a gas pressure detection switch 10. The gas pressure detection switch 10 is a prior art, and its function is to detect the vacuum pressure value. When the vacuum generator 3 is in operation and the vacuum sponge suction cup 7 does not completely adsorb the object to be clamped, there is a vacuum leakage, and the vacuum pressure value in the gas circuit is less than the preset value. Then, the gas pressure detection switch 10 sends a signal to the PLC or other processing elements for alarm.

[0032] When the sponge sucker gripper is not approaching the object to be gripped, it can move quickly. When the reflective switch 11 detects the object to be gripped, it outputs a signal, the sponge sucker gripper slows down to approach the object to be gripped, and the air knife 42 of the air knife blowing assembly 4 blows to clean the surface of the object to be gripped. When the N groups (N=4 in the embodiment of the application) of vacuum sponge suckers 7 contact the object to be gripped and are further pressed down, the compression spring of the air knife mounting plate 41 starts to compress. During the pressing process, the floating joint 5 will be automatically turned over according to the angle of the inclined surface of the object to be gripped. The return spring 8 sleeved outside the floating joint 5 can restore the floating joint 5 to the original state. The guide optical axis 62 will move upward relative to the fixed plate 1, and the proximity switch 652 will output a signal, indicating that at least one group of vacuum sponge suckers 7 has contacted the object to be gripped and is over-pressured. At this time, the vacuum generator 3 starts to work to generate negative pressure, and the air pressure detection switch 10 detects the air pressure of the air path system. If the detected value has negative pressure, the object will be transported. Since the gripper is configured with N groups of independent vacuum sponge suckers 7, each group of vacuum sponge suckers 7 is installed with a one-way check valve 92, so that even if there is vacuum leakage, reliable suction can be achieved. During the transportation process, if the air pressure detection switch 10 detects that the value is lower than the preset value or the reflective switch 11 detects that the object is invalid, it indicates that the object is dropped during the transportation process, and an alarm is given. Through the structure, the vacuum sponge sucker 7 is fully attached to the object to be gripped, and the sensor forms a detection closed loop, so that the object can be fully and reliably transported.

[0033] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described above are only used to explain the present application, and are not used to limit the present application. The obvious changes or modifications derived from the spirit of the present application are still within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A sponge suction cup gripper with a multi-position adaptive inclined plane, characterized in that: It includes a fixed plate (1), a mounting flange (2) and a vacuum generator (3) mounted on the fixed plate (1), and multiple sets of upper and lower floating components (6) mounted below the fixed plate (1); the upper and lower floating components (6) are rotatably connected to a vacuum sponge suction cup (7) via a floating joint (5) at one end away from the fixed plate (1); a return spring (8) is sleeved on the outside of the floating joint (5); and a vacuum air pipe assembly (9) is provided between the fixed plate (1) and the vacuum sponge suction cup (7). The vacuum pipe assembly (9) includes a manifold (91) mounted on the fixed plate (1), a one-way check valve (92) sequentially arranged between the manifold (91) and the vacuum sponge suction cup (7), a first air pipe connector (93), a rotary air pipe (94), and a second air pipe connector (95); the second air pipe connector (95) is mounted on the vacuum sponge suction cup (7); the vacuum generator (3), the manifold (91), the rotary air pipe (94), and the second air pipe connector (95) are all connected. The upper and lower floating assembly (6) includes a guide optical shaft (62) with one end fixed to the floating joint (5) and the other end connected to the fixed plate (1) via a linear bearing (61), and an upper and lower floating spring (63) sleeved on the guide optical shaft (62); an optical shaft fixing ring (64) is installed at one end of the guide optical shaft (62) that protrudes from the fixed plate (1). A limiting device (65) is installed on the fixing plate (1) near the optical axis fixing ring (64); The limiting device (65) includes a limiting frame (651) mounted on the fixed plate (1) and a proximity switch (652) mounted on the limiting frame (651). When the vacuum sponge suction cup (7) contacts the object to be sucked and continues to press down, the upper and lower floating springs (63) will be compressed, and the guide optical shaft (62) will move upward relative to the fixed plate (1), approach the proximity switch (652), and output a signal indicating that the vacuum sponge suction cup (7) has contacted the object to be clamped and over-pressed. The vacuum sponge suction cup (7) moves quickly before it gets close to the object to be picked up. During the pressing process, the floating joint (5) rotates adaptively with the angle of the inclined surface of the object to be picked up. The return spring (8) sleeved on the outside of the floating joint (5) restores the floating joint (5) to its original state.

2. The sponge suction cup gripper with a multi-position adaptive inclined plane according to claim 1, characterized in that: The floating components (6) consist of 4 groups.

3. The sponge suction cup gripper with a multi-position adaptive inclined plane according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixed plate (1) is equipped with an air knife blowing assembly (4) for blowing away impurities on the surface of an object; the air knife blowing assembly (4) includes an air knife mounting plate (41) fixedly mounted on the fixed plate (1), an air knife (42) mounted on the air knife mounting plate (41), and a corrugated pipe (43) connected to the air knife (42) through an air pipe; the corrugated pipe (43) is mounted on the fixed plate (1) through a connecting plate (44).

4. The sponge suction cup gripper with a multi-position adaptive inclined plane according to claim 3, characterized in that: The air knife (42) is equipped with a reflective switch (11) for detecting the object being gripped.

5. A sponge suction cup gripper with a multi-position adaptive inclined plane according to claim 1, characterized in that: A vacuum filter (96) for filtering impurities is installed between the first air pipe connector (93) and the swirl air pipe (94).

6. A sponge suction cup gripper with a multi-position adaptive inclined plane according to claim 5, characterized in that: A pressure detection switch (10) is installed on the manifold (91).

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