Linking device for connecting a tool car to an overhead loop conveyor
By combining horizontal and vertical moving modules with hook-based docking devices, the problems of low cost, small footprint, and poor stability in the automated docking of tooling vehicles and overhead circular conveyor chains have been solved, achieving automated, stable, and efficient conveyor docking.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- GREE ELECTRIC APPLIANCE INC OF ZHUHAI
- Filing Date
- 2020-12-29
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-24
AI Technical Summary
Existing solutions for connecting tooling vehicles with overhead loop conveyors suffer from low automation, high cost, large footprint, and poor stability.
The device employs a hook-and-connection mechanism that combines horizontal and vertical moving modules. Through the cooperation of slide rails and sliders, it enables automatic docking of the tooling car with the overhead circular conveyor chain. The extension and retraction of the hooks are driven by cylinders and motors, and the operation of the moving modules is controlled by an electronic control module.
It achieves low-cost, space-saving, and highly stable automated connection, avoiding manual operation and improving the stability and efficiency of the connection process.
Smart Images
Figure CN112850083B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of tooling vehicle transportation technology, and more particularly to a tooling vehicle and an overhead loop conveyor connection device. Background Technology
[0002] The KIVA robot lifts the tooling cart and docks it with the overhead conveyor belt. However, due to interference between the KIVA robot and the conveyor belt, automatic docking is not possible. Existing docking solutions have various shortcomings, as detailed below: Manually pushed onto the conveyor chain: The tooling trolley is manually pushed onto the conveyor chain, which then lifts and transports the trolley. This method is currently in mature use; however, its disadvantage is that it requires manual operation and cannot be automated. The conveyor chain is buried underground: The bottom of the conveyor chain has an X-telescopic structure (hidden underground). The tooling car is directly attached to the conveyor chain (hidden underground) by the KIVA robot. After the KIVA robot withdraws, the conveyor chain is lifted up for transmission. The disadvantage is that the X-telescopic structure has a large stroke and low stability. At the same time, a pit with a depth of >1000mm needs to be dug in the ground. Gantry type: The KIVA robot delivers the tool cart to the gantry and then exits. The gantry picks up the tool cart and sends it to the conveyor belt. The disadvantage is that the gantry takes up a lot of space and has a high investment cost. Summary of the Invention
[0003] To address the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a tooling vehicle and an overhead loop conveyor connection device that offers a low-cost, space-saving solution that requires no manual operation.
[0004] The present invention provides a tooling vehicle and an overhead circular conveyor connection device, characterized in that it includes a lateral movement module, a longitudinal movement module and a hook; the hook is used to engage the tooling vehicle, the hook is disposed on the longitudinal movement module, and the longitudinal movement module is used to drive the hook to move back and forth along a first direction; the longitudinal movement module is disposed on the lateral movement module, and the lateral movement module is used to drive the longitudinal movement module to move back and forth along a second direction; the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.
[0005] Preferably, the longitudinal movement module includes: A base plate; a slide rail and a slider, the slide rail being disposed on the base plate and extending along the first direction, the slider being disposed on the slide rail and capable of moving along the slide rail; and a longitudinal drive mechanism disposed on the base plate; the slider being provided with the hook, the longitudinal drive mechanism being used to drive the hook to move back and forth along the slide rail. Preferably, the longitudinal drive mechanism is a cylinder, the cylinder body is disposed on the base plate, and the piston rod of the cylinder is connected to the hook and drives the hook to move back and forth along the slide rail.
[0006] Preferably, there are two slide rails, which are parallel to each other, and the horizontal drive mechanism is disposed between the two slide rails.
[0007] Preferably, the lateral movement module includes: A base plate; a slide rail and a slider, the slide rail being disposed on the base plate and extending along the second direction, the slider being disposed on the slide rail and capable of moving along the slide rail; and a lateral drive mechanism disposed on the base plate; the slider being provided with the longitudinal movement module, the lateral drive mechanism being used to drive the longitudinal movement module to move back and forth along the slide rail.
[0008] Preferably, the lateral drive mechanism includes a motor and a lead screw connected to each other. The lead screw is disposed on the base plate and extends along the second direction. The lead screw is threadedly connected to the longitudinal movement module. The motor drives the lead screw to rotate and drives the longitudinal movement module to move back and forth in a straight line along the axis of the lead screw.
[0009] Preferably, the slide rails are provided in two parallel sections, and the longitudinal drive mechanism is disposed between the two slide rails.
[0010] Preferably, the hook includes a fixed part and a snap-fit part connected together. The fixed part is connected to and fixed on the longitudinal moving module, and the snap-fit part has a latch for snapping onto the tooling carriage.
[0011] Preferably, the connecting device further includes multiple support legs, which are disposed at the bottom of the lateral movement module and threadedly connected to the lateral movement module. The multiple support legs are used to support the lateral movement module and adjust the height of the lateral movement module.
[0012] Preferably, the connecting device further includes an electrical control module, which is used to control the operation of the longitudinal movement module and the lateral movement module.
[0013] Compared with existing technologies, the tooling vehicle and overhead loop conveyor connection device provided by this invention has low investment cost, small footprint, high stability, and requires no manual operation. The lateral and longitudinal movement modules use a sliding rail and slider mechanism for movement, which improves the stability of the connection device operation.
[0014] The above-mentioned technical features can be combined in various suitable ways or replaced by equivalent technical features, as long as the purpose of the present invention can be achieved. Attached Figure Description
[0015] The invention will now be described in more detail based on embodiments that are merely non-limiting and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the tooling vehicle and the overhead loop conveyor connecting device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the hook and longitudinal movement module provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a lateral movement module provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the tooling vehicle and the overhead loop conveyor connecting device provided in another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating the use of the docking device of the present invention for docking tooling vehicles with overhead loop transport. Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Hook; 2. Longitudinal movement module; 3. Lateral movement module; 4. Support leg; 5. Photoelectric sensor; 6. Photoelectric sensor sheet; 11. Fixing part; 12. Snap-fit part; 13. Bayonet; 21. Longitudinal base plate; 22. Longitudinal slide rail; 23. Longitudinal slider; 24. Cylinder; 31. Horizontal base plate; 32. Horizontal slide rail; 33. Horizontal slider; 34. Motor; 35. Lead screw; 36. Coupling; 37. Support base; 100. KIVA robot; 200. Tooling cart; 300. Connecting device; 400. Electrical control cabinet. Detailed Implementation
[0016] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below. Based on the specific embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.
[0017] like Figure 1 As shown, the tooling cart 200 and the overhead loop conveyor connection device 300 (hereinafter referred to as the connection device 300) provided by the present invention includes a transverse movement module 3, a longitudinal movement module 2, and a hook 1. The hook 1 is used to engage the tooling cart 200. The hook 1 is set on the longitudinal movement module 2, which drives the hook 1 to move back and forth along a first direction. The longitudinal movement module 2 is set on the transverse movement module 3, which drives the longitudinal movement module 2 to move back and forth along a second direction. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. During connection, the lifting AGV delivers the tooling cart 200 to the front of the conveyor chain and exits. The two connection devices 300 on the side extend the hook 1 to engage the tooling cart 200, pulling the tooling cart 200 directly to the upper part of the conveyor chain. The hook 1 is then retracted, and the tooling cart 200 is unhooked, thus completing the connection. The conveyor chain is then raised to lift and transport the tooling cart 200. The connection device 300 has low investment cost, high stability, small footprint, and a simple connection operation process.
[0018] like Figure 1 As shown, the hook 1 is a plate-shaped structure, which includes a fixed part 11 and a snap-fit part 12 connected to each other. The fixed part 11 is connected and fixed to the longitudinal moving module 2, and the snap-fit part 12 has a snap-fit slot 13 for snapping the tooling carriage 200.
[0019] The longitudinal moving module 2 includes a base plate, a slide rail, a slider, and a drive mechanism. For ease of description, the base plate, slide rail, slider, and drive mechanism in the longitudinal moving module 2 are respectively referred to as the longitudinal base plate 21, the longitudinal slide rail 22, the longitudinal slider 23, and the longitudinal drive mechanism. The longitudinal base plate 21 is used to mount the longitudinal moving module 2 onto the transverse moving module 3; the longitudinal slide rail 22 is disposed on the longitudinal base plate 21 and extends along a first direction; the longitudinal slider 23 is disposed on the longitudinal slide rail 22 and can move along the longitudinal slide rail 22; the fixing part 11 of the hook 1 is mounted on the longitudinal slider 23, and the longitudinal slider 23 moves along the longitudinal slide rail 22 while simultaneously driving the hook 1 to move along the longitudinal slide rail 22; the longitudinal drive mechanism is disposed on the longitudinal base plate 21 and is used to drive the hook 1 to reciprocate along the longitudinal slide rail 22. Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the longitudinal drive mechanism is a cylinder 24. The cylinder body of the cylinder 24 is fixed on the longitudinal base plate 21. The piston rod of the cylinder 24 is connected to the hook 1. When the cylinder 24 is running, the extension and retraction of the piston rod drives the hook 1 to move back and forth along the longitudinal slide rail 22, realizing the extension and retraction of the hook 1. In other embodiments, the longitudinal drive mechanism can also be composed of a motor and a lead screw. The extension direction of the lead screw is consistent with that of the longitudinal slide rail 22, both extending in the first direction. The lead screw is threadedly connected to the hook 1. The motor drives the lead screw to rotate, thereby driving the hook 1 to move along the axis of the lead screw, that is, to move in the first direction. By rotating the motor forward and backward, the hook 1 can move back and forth along the longitudinal slide rail 22, realizing the extension and retraction of the hook 1. In order to improve the stability of the operation of the longitudinal movement module 2, it is preferable to provide two longitudinal slide rails 22, which are parallel to each other, and the longitudinal drive mechanism is located between the two longitudinal slide rails 22.
[0020] The lateral movement module 3 includes a base plate, a slide rail, a slider, and a drive mechanism. For ease of description, the base plate, slide rail, slider, and drive mechanism in the lateral movement module 3 are respectively referred to as the lateral base plate 31, the lateral slide rail 32, the lateral slider 33, and the lateral drive mechanism. The lateral slide rail 32 is mounted on the lateral base plate 31 and extends along a second direction; the lateral slider 33 is mounted on the lateral slide rail 32 and can move along it. The longitudinal base plate 21 of the longitudinal movement module 2 is mounted on the lateral slider 33. The lateral slider 33 moves along the lateral slide rail 32, simultaneously driving the longitudinal movement module 2 to move along the lateral slide rail 32; the lateral drive mechanism is mounted on the lateral base plate 31 and is used to drive the longitudinal movement module 2 to move back and forth along the lateral slide rail 32. Figure 1 , Figure 3As shown, the horizontal drive mechanism includes a motor 34 and a lead screw 35 connected to each other. The extension direction of the lead screw 35 is consistent with that of the horizontal slide rail 32, both extending in the second direction. The lead screw 35 is rotatably mounted on the horizontal base plate 31 through a support seat 37. The lead screw 35 is threadedly connected to the vertical base plate 21. The motor 34 is connected to the lead screw 35 through a coupling 36. The motor 34 drives the lead screw 35 to rotate, thereby driving the longitudinal moving module 2 to move along the axis of the lead screw 35, that is, to move in the second direction. By rotating the motor 34 forward and reverse, the hook 1 can move back and forth along the horizontal slide rail 32. In other embodiments, the horizontal drive mechanism can also be a belt conveyor. To improve the stability of the operation of the horizontal moving module 3, it is preferable to have two horizontal slide rails 32, which are parallel to each other, and the horizontal drive mechanism is located between the two horizontal slide rails 32. To make the height of the connecting device 300 adjustable, multiple support legs 4 can be added below the horizontal moving module 3. The multiple support legs 4 are located at the bottom of the horizontal base plate 31 and threadedly connected to the horizontal base plate 31.
[0021] In another implementation, such as Figure 4 As shown, an electrical control module is added to the connecting device 300. This module controls the operation of the longitudinal moving module 2 and the lateral moving module 3. Specifically, the electrical control module includes an electrical control cabinet 400, which controls the power supply to the longitudinal moving module 2 and the lateral moving module 3, as well as the direction of the current. The connecting device 300 also includes a positioning component to determine the position of the longitudinal moving module 2 on the lateral moving module 3. This positioning component consists of a photoelectric sensor 5 and a photoelectric sensing element 6. The photoelectric sensor 5 is located at both ends of the lateral moving module, and the photoelectric sensing element 6 is located on the longitudinal moving module 2.
[0022] To prevent the slider from slipping off the slide rail, a limit block is installed at the end of each slide rail.
[0023] The docking device 300 provided by this invention can be used to dock the tooling cart 200 with the overhead loop conveyor. During docking, the KIVA robot 100 delivers the tooling cart 200 to the front of the conveyor chain and exits. The two docking devices 300 on the side extend hooks 1 to hold the tooling cart 200, pulling the tooling cart 200 directly to the upper part of the conveyor chain. The conveyor chain is raised to lift the tooling cart 200 for transmission.
[0024] The following is combined Figure 5 Explain the connection process: (1) Entering the conveyor chain The lifting AGV transports the workpiece 200 to the designated docking point—the docking device 300 extends hook 1 to hook the bottom of the workpiece 200—the docking device 300 transports the workpiece 200 to the designated position—hook 1 retracts—the conveyor chain starts and the workpiece 200 reaches the elevator car. Specifically, after the KIVA robot 100 delivers the tooling cart 200 to the front end of the connecting device 300 at the front end of the conveyor chain, the KIVA robot 100's lifting device falls down and exits from the tooling cart 200. The cylinder 24 on the longitudinal movement module 2 pushes the hook 1 to lock the tooling car 200; The motor 34 on the lateral movement module 3 starts, and the longitudinal movement module 2 moves to the rear end of the connecting device 300 through the rotation of the lead screw, and simultaneously drives the tooling car 200 to move to the rear end of the connecting device 300. The longitudinal movement module 2 moves the tooling car 200 to the waiting position above the conveyor chain. The cylinder 24 on the longitudinal movement module 2 drives the hook 1 to retract, and the conveyor chain starts to transport the tooling car 200 to the hoist car.
[0025] (2) Drive out of the conveyor chain The tool cart 200 flows out of the hoist car to the conveyor chain—the upper connecting device 300 extends hook 1 to hook the bottom of the tool cart 200—the connecting device 300 transports the tool cart 200 to the designated position—hook 1 is retracted—the KIVA robot 100 crawls into the bottom of the tool cart 200 to deliver the tool cart 200 to the designated position.
[0026] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments and examples are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments and examples, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or examples, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments or examples of the present invention.
Claims
1. A tooling vehicle and an overhead circular conveyor connecting device, characterized in that, It includes a lateral movement module, a longitudinal movement module, and a hook; the hook is used to engage a tooling vehicle, the hook is disposed on the longitudinal movement module, and the longitudinal movement module is used to drive the hook to move back and forth along a first direction; the longitudinal movement module is disposed on the lateral movement module, and the lateral movement module is used to drive the longitudinal movement module to move back and forth along a second direction; the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction; The hook includes a fixed part and a snap-fit part connected to each other. The fixed part is connected to and fixed on the longitudinal moving module. The snap-fit part has a latch for snapping onto the tooling carriage. The longitudinal movement module includes: Base plate; A slide rail and a slider, the slide rail being disposed on the base plate and extending along the first direction, the slider being disposed on the slide rail and movable along the slide rail; and A longitudinal drive mechanism is mounted on the base plate; The slider is provided with the hook, and the longitudinal drive mechanism is used to drive the hook to move back and forth along the slide rail; The lateral movement module includes: Base plate; A slide rail and a slider, the slide rail being disposed on the base plate and extending along the second direction, the slider being disposed on the slide rail and movable along the slide rail; and A transverse drive mechanism is mounted on the base plate; The slider is equipped with the longitudinal movement module, and the horizontal drive mechanism is used to drive the longitudinal movement module to move back and forth along the slide rail.
2. The tooling car and overhead loop conveyor connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The longitudinal drive mechanism is a cylinder, the cylinder body is mounted on the base plate, and the piston rod of the cylinder is connected to the hook and drives the hook to move back and forth along the slide rail.
3. The tooling car and overhead loop conveyor connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The slide rails are provided in two parallel sections, and the horizontal drive mechanism is located between the two slide rails.
4. The tooling car and overhead loop conveyor connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The horizontal drive mechanism includes a motor and a lead screw connected to each other. The lead screw is disposed on the base plate and extends along the second direction. The lead screw is threadedly connected to the longitudinal movement module. The motor drives the lead screw to rotate and drives the longitudinal movement module to move back and forth in a straight line along the axis of the lead screw.
5. The tooling car and overhead loop conveyor connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The slide rail is provided with two parallel rails, and the longitudinal drive mechanism is located between the two slide rails.
6. The tooling car and overhead loop conveyor connection device according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The connecting device also includes multiple legs, which are disposed at the bottom of the lateral movement module and threadedly connected to the lateral movement module. The multiple legs are used to support the lateral movement module and adjust the height of the lateral movement module.
7. The tooling car and overhead loop conveyor connection device according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The connecting device also includes an electrical control module, which is used to control the operation of the longitudinal movement module and the lateral movement module.