Processing device and method for processing a workpiece carrier

Abstract

The present invention relates to a processing device and a method for processing a workpiece carrier, the processing device (1) comprising a workpiece carrier (2), a manipulator structural component (3) and a holding frame (4), wherein the workpiece carrier (2) has a centered centering system (7) and a first group of clamping components (10) surrounding the centering system (7), the manipulator structural component has a centering system (5) on the manipulator side that is configured to cooperate with the centering system (7) on the workpiece carrier side and has a second group of clamping components (11), the second group of clamping components is configured to cooperate with the first group of clamping components (10), the workpiece carrier (2) has at least one holding contour (14) on the periphery, and the holding frame (4) has a single inner guide device (18) that is configured to be accommodated in the holding contour (14).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a processing device comprising a workpiece carrier, the processing device being arranged for use in a manufacturing facility. The invention also relates to a method for processing a workpiece carrier. Background Art

[0002] From the documents DE 10 2006 018 590 A1 and DE 10 2007 050 905 B4 different handling devices are known which can be used for the handling of parts within a production facility.

[0003] EP 2 363 234 B1 discloses a machining machine having a workpiece carrier which has a drive shaft and can be connected to a clamping device or a lathe chuck.

[0004] A processing station for workpieces arranged on a workpiece carrier is known from DE 41 09 828 C1. Here, the workpiece carrier can be transported via a transport device and can stay in the area of ​​the processing station. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to enable a particularly simple and process-reliable handling of workpieces to be held on workpiece carriers within a production facility, which can also be automated.

[0006] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a processing device having the features of claim 1. This object is also achieved by a method for processing a workpiece carrier according to claim 8. The embodiments and advantages of the invention explained below in conjunction with the processing method also apply accordingly to the processing device and vice versa.

[0007] The processing device comprises a workpiece carrier, a manipulator structural assembly and a holding frame, wherein:

[0008] - the workpiece carrier has a central centering system and a first set of clamping parts surrounding the centering system,

[0009] the manipulator assembly has a manipulator-side centering system which is designed to cooperate with the workpiece carrier-side centering system and has a second set of clamping elements which is designed to cooperate with the first set of clamping elements,

[0010] - the workpiece carrier has at least one retaining contour on the circumference,

[0011] The holding frame has a single guide on the inside which is provided for reception in the holding contour.

[0012] Such a holding frame is usually itself a workpiece carrier. In particular, the holding frame has a translational degree of freedom in the horizontal direction, ie at 90° relative to the docking movement of the manipulator assembly.

[0013] The manipulator assembly is particularly suitable for mounting on a robot arm. Preferably, a centering pin is provided as a centering system on the manipulator assembly side, which can be centered in the workpiece carrier. During the centering process, the angular position of the workpiece carrier about the common center axis of the workpiece carrier and the manipulator assembly is not yet clear. In the simplest case, the centering system on the workpiece carrier side is a central opening in the essentially plate-shaped workpiece carrier.

[0014] According to an advantageous development, the central opening of the workpiece carrier assigned to the centering system is surrounded by a plurality of centering rollers, for example three or four rollers, which facilitates the centering process and enables rolling or sliding support.

[0015] A first variant of the manipulator-side centering system provides that the centering pin is fed by means of centering rollers to a centering opening arranged within the workpiece carrier and is ultimately held in the provided centered position solely by means of the centering opening.

[0016] An alternative variant provides that the centering pin, even in its final positioning, is in contact only with the centering rollers of the centering system on the workpiece carrier side, ie not with the immovable parts of the workpiece carrier.

[0017] Regardless of the design of the centering system, the clamping parts of the workpiece carrier and the clamping parts of the manipulator assembly are arranged, for example, in a polygonal pattern, in particular in a rectangular pattern, particularly preferably in a square pattern. The first group of clamping parts, that is to say the clamping parts arranged on the workpiece carrier, are preferably designed as clamping bolts. In contrast, the clamping parts assigned to the manipulator assembly are preferably clamping heads that respectively accommodate clamping bolts.

[0018] All clamping parts are arranged at the edge of the workpiece carrier or the manipulator component, in particular at the corners. Even if the workpiece carrier and the manipulator component have a non-rectangular basic shape, the clamping parts are preferably arranged as far away as possible from the common center axis of the workpiece carrier and the manipulator component.

[0019] A single holding contour on the periphery of the workpiece carrier is sufficient for the processing device to function properly. Preferably, a total of an even number n≥4 holding contours are evenly distributed on the periphery of the workpiece carrier. The outer contour of the workpiece carrier is here depicted by an equilateral n-gon. In the case of n=4, this makes it possible to selectively position the workpieces held on the workpiece carrier in one of four angular arrangements that are each rotated 90 degrees relative to one another.

[0020] The guide means of the holding frame is preferably a single roller, the axis of which is oriented perpendicularly to the plane of the holding frame and the workpiece carrier to be inserted into the holding frame. The roller can be supported either by means of a rolling bearing or by means of a sliding bearing.

[0021] In general, the treatment approach includes the following features:

[0022] - providing a workpiece carrier having a carrier plate with a central centering opening which is surrounded by centering rollers, the axes of which are located in the carrier plate, and having a first set of clamping elements and a holding contour formed on the periphery of the carrier plate,

[0023] - providing a manipulator structural assembly having a centering pin and a second set of clamping assemblies,

[0024] - providing a U-shaped holding frame, on the middle section of which a guide device corresponding to the holding contour is arranged,

[0025] - insert the centering pin into the centering opening and fix the manipulator assembly to the workpiece carrier by means of the clamping element,

[0026] The system comprising the manipulator assembly and the workpiece carrier is introduced into a holding frame, wherein the workpiece carrier is moved within a plane defined by the holding frame and is guided by means of guide devices and holding contours.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, the workpiece carrier is spaced apart from the two lateral sides of the overall U-shaped, typically upwardly open holding frame during insertion into the holding frame. The risk of the workpiece carrier tilting in the holding frame is thus eliminated. In particular, the holding frame has a translational degree of freedom in the horizontal direction at 90° to the docking movement of the manipulator assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In which, they are respectively in the form of schematic diagrams:

[0029] Figures 1 to 3 The different stages of placing the manipulator structural assembly into the workpiece carrier are shown;

[0030] Figure 4 A workpiece carrier inserted into a U-shaped holding frame is shown as part of the handling device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The handling device, which is generally designated by reference numeral 1, comprises a workpiece carrier 2, a manipulator assembly 3 and a U-shaped holding frame 4. Workpieces (not shown), such as components of a vehicle, in particular an electric vehicle, are fastened to the workpiece carrier 2. The manipulator assembly 3 can be fastened, for example, to the arm of an industrial robot. The holding frame 4 can be arranged in a fixed or adjustable manner in the production facility.

[0032] Figures 1 to 3 The combination of the manipulator component 3 and the workpiece carrier 2 is clearly shown. A centering system 5 formed by a centering pin is present on the manipulator component 3. A conical shoulder 6 can be seen at the tip of the centering pin 5. The centering system 5 assigned to the manipulator component 3 is designed to cooperate with a centering system 7 on the workpiece carrier side.

[0033] The workpiece carrier-side centering system 7, which is designed to be more complex than the manipulator-side centering system 5, comprises in the exemplary embodiment four centering rollers 8 of identical size, whose geometric axes are located on the carrier plate 9 of the workpiece carrier 2. The workpiece carrier-side centering system 7, which is formed by all four centering rollers 8, is designed so that the centering pins 5 inserted into the centering system 7 only contact the centering rollers 8 and not the carrier plate 9.

[0034] The direct interaction of the centering rollers 8 with the centering pins 5 with the conical shoulders 6 makes it possible to achieve centering even when there is an initial axial offset between the workpiece carrier 2 and the manipulator assembly 3 and when there are angular errors between the components 2, 3. The individual centering rollers 8 extend into a central opening 12 in the carrier plate 9 which is square in the example shown.

[0035] In addition to the centering systems 7, 5, the workpiece carrier 2 and the manipulator assembly 3 have various clamping elements 10, 11 for a secure connection between the workpiece carrier 2 and the manipulator assembly 3. A first group of clamping elements 10, which are clamping bolts, is arranged on the carrier plate 9 of the workpiece carrier 2. The clamping bolts 10 can be inserted into clamping heads 11, which form a second group of clamping elements assigned to the manipulator assembly 3. Figures 1 to 3 It can be seen that the head 13 of the clamping bolt 10 is rounded to facilitate insertion into the clamping head 11. For the sake of clarity, the mechanism for fixing the head 13 in the clamping head 11 is not shown.

[0036] A total of four clamping elements 10 are arranged at the corners of the carrier plate 9, which is square in the exemplary embodiment. This applies correspondingly to the arrangement of the clamping elements 11 on the manipulator assembly 3, which also has a square basic shape, but which, in contrast to the exemplary embodiment shown, can also have a cross-sectional shape that deviates from the basic shape of the carrier plate 9, for example occupying a larger area than the carrier plate 9.

[0037] from Figure 4 It is found that the carrier plate 9 has rounded recesses on its four sides, which serve as retaining contours 14. Figure 4 The workpiece carrier 2 is placed from above into the holding frame 4. The U-shaped holding frame 4 has a Figure 4 In the arrangement of the carrier plate 9, there is a horizontal middle section 15 and two U-shaped sides 16, 17 adjoining the middle section and parallel to each other. The clear distance between the U-shaped sides 16, 17 is greater than the width of the carrier plate 9. Therefore, when the carrier plate 9 is placed in the holding frame 4, gaps 20, 21 remain on both sides of the carrier plate 9 between the carrier plate 9 and the inner contours of the U-shaped sides 16, 17.

[0038] Only after the workpiece carrier 2 has been almost completely lowered into the U-shaped holding frame 4 is the guide device 18, which is associated with the holding frame 4, used. In the exemplary embodiment, the guide device 18 comprises a single roller 19, the geometric axis of which is normal to the plane of the holding frame 4, which is extended and in which the carrier plate 9 is arranged. After the carrier plate 9 has been oriented by means of the guide device 18, the workpiece carrier 2 is placed on the middle section 15 of the holding frame 4. In this positioning, the workpiece carrier 2 can be finally fixed to the holding frame 4 by means of fastening means (not shown). Due to a total of four holding contours on the periphery of the carrier plate 9, the workpiece carrier 2 can be selectively placed in the holding frame 4 in four different angular positions, each offset by 90 degrees from one another.

[0039] Reference numerals list

[0040] 1 Processing device

[0041] 2 Workpiece carrier

[0042] 3 Manipulator structure components

[0043] 4. Keep the frame

[0044] 5 Centering system, centering pin on the manipulator side

[0045] 6 Tapered shoulders

[0046] 7 Centering system on the workpiece carrier side

[0047] 8 Centering roller

[0048] 9 Carrier plate

[0049] 10 First clamping part, clamping pin

[0050] 11 Second clamping assembly, chuck

[0051] 12 Opening

[0052] 13 Head

[0053] 14. Keep the outline

[0054] 15 Middle section

[0055] 16 U-shaped side

[0056] 17 U-shaped side

[0057] 18 Guidance Device

[0058] 19 Roller

[0059] 20 Gap

[0060] 21 Gap

Claims

1. A processing device (1) comprising a workpiece carrier (2), a manipulator assembly (3) and a holding frame (4), wherein: the workpiece carrier (2) has a centrally located first centering system (7) and a first set of clamping elements (10) surrounding the first centering system (7), the manipulator assembly (3) having a second centering system (5) on the manipulator side, which is configured to cooperate with the first centering system (7) on the workpiece carrier side, and having a second set of clamping elements (11), which is configured to cooperate with the first set of clamping elements (10), The workpiece carrier (2) has at least one retaining contour (14) for the workpiece carrier on its circumference, The holding frame (4) has a single guide device (18) on the inside, which is provided for reception in the holding contour (14).

2. The processing device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The second centering system (5) on the manipulator side is designed as a centering pin which cooperates with a central opening (12) of the workpiece carrier (2) and with a plurality of centering rollers (8) which together with the central opening (12) form the first centering system (7) on the workpiece carrier side.

3. The processing device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first group of clamping components (10) of the workpiece carrier (2) and the second group of clamping components (11) of the manipulator structural assembly (3) are respectively arranged in a polygonal pattern.

4. The processing device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first set of clamping parts (10) is configured as clamping bolts, and the second set of clamping parts (11) is configured as clamping heads.

5. The processing device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that The first group of clamping components (10) and the second group of clamping components (11) are both arranged at the edge of the workpiece carrier (2) or the manipulator structural component (3).

6. The processing device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that A total of an even number n≥4 holding contours (14) are evenly distributed around the circumference of the workpiece carrier (2).

7. The processing device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that The guide device (18) of the holding frame (4) has a single roller (19), the axis of which is oriented perpendicularly to the plane of the holding frame (4) and the workpiece carrier (2) to be inserted into the holding frame.

8. The processing device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that The first group of clamping components (10) of the workpiece carrier (2) and the second group of clamping components (11) of the manipulator structural assembly (3) are respectively arranged in a rectangular pattern.

9. The processing device (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that The first group of clamping components (10) and the second group of clamping components (11) are both arranged at the corners of the workpiece carrier (2) or the manipulator structural component (3).

10. A method for processing a workpiece carrier (2), characterized in that: - providing a workpiece carrier (2) having a carrier plate (9) with a central opening (12) which is surrounded by a centering roller (8), the axis of which is located in the carrier plate (9), and having a first set of clamping elements (10) and at least one holding contour (14) for the workpiece carrier formed on the periphery of the carrier plate (9), - providing a manipulator structural component (3) having a centering pin and a second set of clamping parts (11), - providing a U-shaped holding frame (4), on the middle section (15) of which a guide device (18) corresponding to the holding contour (14) is arranged, - moving the centering pin into the opening (12) and fixing the manipulator assembly (3) on the workpiece carrier (2) by means of a first set of clamping parts (10) and a second set of clamping parts (11), - placing the system comprising the manipulator assembly (3) and the workpiece carrier (2) into the holding frame (4), wherein: The workpiece carrier (2) is moved within a plane defined by the holding frame (4) and is guided by means of the guide device (18) and the holding contour (14).

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that During insertion of the workpiece carrier (2) into the holding frame (4), the workpiece carrier (2) is kept at a distance from the two U-shaped legs (16, 17) of the holding frame (4).

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