Workpiece transfer and feeding and discharging logistics system for textile machinery industry

Abstract

The application provides a workpiece transfer and feeding and discharging logistics system in the textile machinery industry, which comprises a robot unit, a gripper unit, a trolley positioning unit, a trolley unit and a control unit. The robot unit pulls the workpiece to be processed from a workpiece area to a feeding area. A distance sensor obtains the distance value of the workpiece to be processed and outputs it to the control unit. The control unit converts the model and the workpiece posture of the workpiece to be processed into the coordinate value of the workpiece to be processed which can be recognized by the robot unit according to the distance value. The robot unit places the workpiece to be processed on a machine tool according to the coordinate value of the workpiece to be processed. The robot unit places the processed workpiece on a tray in a discharging area through the gripper unit and pushes it to a processing completion area. The application assists positioning through a cylinder and accurately positions through a distance sensor. The logistics transfer vehicle and the traditional feeding and discharging logistics on the automatic line are combined, the manual carrying process is reduced, and the production efficiency is greatly improved and the labor intensity is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of engineering components or parts technology, specifically to a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry. Background Technology

[0002] Smart manufacturing factories require efficient transfer of workpieces from raw blanks to finished products. Taking the wall panels used in textile machinery as an example, in order to achieve efficient transfer, it is desirable to use a set of logistics equipment from taking the raw blanks out of the warehouse to the finished products after processing and inspection. This logistics equipment can not only serve as a transfer tool, but also be used by robots as an automated online loading and unloading logistics system to improve transfer efficiency. However, existing conventional logistics transfer vehicles and automated online loading and unloading equipment cannot meet this requirement.

[0003] The typical automation solution involves workers using material carts to retrieve materials from the warehouse, placing the blanks onto the loading equipment on the automated line. A robot then picks up the blanks from the loading equipment and sends them to the machine tool for processing. The finished products are then removed and placed on the unloading equipment. Finally, workers transfer the finished products from the unloading equipment back to the material carts. Because the wall panels are large in size and weight (30-50KG), the transfer process is time-consuming and labor-intensive, severely hindering the efficient operation of the automated line.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention addresses the need for intelligent factories in the textile machinery industry by providing a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system. It utilizes cylinders for assisted positioning and distance sensors for precise positioning, integrating the logistics transfer vehicle with traditional automated loading / unloading lines. This reduces manual handling, significantly improving production efficiency and reducing labor intensity.

[0006] This invention provides a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry, including a robot unit, a gripper unit detachably connected to the robot unit, a material cart positioning unit disposed on one side of the gripper unit, a material cart unit disposed in the material cart positioning unit, and a control unit electrically connected to the robot unit, the gripper unit, and the material cart positioning unit.

[0007] The gripper unit includes a gripper body and a gripper clamping cylinder and a distance measuring sensor mounted on the gripper body;

[0008] The material cart unit is used to hold a pallet that can move back and forth. The workpiece is placed on the upper part of the pallet. After the material cart unit is pushed into the material cart positioning unit and fixed in the designated position, it becomes the loading and unloading area. The loading and unloading area includes a processing area, a loading area, an unloading area, and an unloading area. The robot unit pulls the workpiece to be processed from the processing area to the loading area. The distance sensor obtains the distance value of the workpiece to be processed and outputs it to the control unit. The control unit calculates the model and posture of the workpiece to be processed based on the distance value, and then calculates the positional deviation between the workpiece to be processed and the reference calibration workpiece, and converts it into the coordinate value of the workpiece to be processed that can be recognized by the robot unit. The robot unit uses the gripper unit to grab the workpiece to be processed from the loading area and place it on the processing machine tool according to the coordinate value of the workpiece to be processed. After the processing machine tool completes the processing, the processed workpiece is obtained. The robot unit uses the gripper unit to place the processed workpiece on the pallet in the unloading area and pushes the pallet to the processing completion area.

[0009] The present invention discloses a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry. In a preferred embodiment, the robot unit is rotatable, and a robotic arm hook is provided on one side of the end of the robot unit. The robotic arm hook is located above the gripper unit, and a handle is provided at the front end of the tray. The robotic arm hook is used to detachably connect to the handle and pull the workpiece to be processed from the processing area to the loading area. The robotic arm hook is also used to detachably connect to the handle and push the processed workpiece from the unloading area to the processing completion area.

[0010] The present invention discloses a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry. In a preferred embodiment, the gripper unit further includes a guide rail slider, a guide rail lock, a positioning cylinder, a gripper sensor, and an oiling block disposed on the gripper body. The guide rail lock is disposed on the outside of the guide rail slider, and the gripper clamping cylinder is connected to the guide rail slider.

[0011] The gripper cylinder is used to clamp the workpiece;

[0012] The guide rail lock is used to lock the guide rail slider to lock the workpiece. The guide rail lock is equipped with a function to prevent the workpiece from falling off when the power and gas are cut off.

[0013] The positioning cylinder is used to assist in workpiece positioning. After extending into position, the positioning cylinder outputs a signal to the control unit that the workpiece posture is basically correct in order to assist in workpiece positioning.

[0014] The present invention discloses a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry. In a preferred embodiment, the guide rail lock includes a housing and an air inlet, piston, wedge block, ball, spring and friction block disposed in the housing. The guide rail slider passes through the housing, and the friction block is disposed on the side of the guide rail slider.

[0015] When the guide rail lock locks the guide rail slider, gas enters from the air inlet, pushes the piston to move and generates thrust, which in turn pushes the wedge block to move. When the wedge block moves, it pushes the friction block to move through the roller, so that the friction block presses tightly against the side of the guide rail slider and locks the guide rail slider.

[0016] When the guide rail lock releases the guide rail slider, gas enters from the air inlet, pushing the piston to move and generating thrust. When the wedge block moves, the spring moves to cause the friction block to disengage from the side of the guide rail slider, thus releasing the guide rail slider.

[0017] The present invention discloses a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry. In a preferred embodiment, the ranging sensor includes a ranging sensor housing, a semiconductor laser disposed in the ranging sensor housing, a first lens, a linear CCD array, a second lens, and a signal processor.

[0018] The distance sensor is used to confirm whether there are pallets or workpieces on the material cart unit, and the distance sensor is used to correct the gripping position of the gripper unit.

[0019] The present invention discloses a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry. In a preferred embodiment, the material car positioning unit includes a guide rail, a locking cylinder and a hydraulic buffer connected to both sides of the front end of the guide rail, a hard limit and positioning body located at the end of the guide rail, an electromagnetic valve and a locking mechanism connected to the electromagnetic valve located in the middle of the positioning body, the electromagnetic valve being connected to the locking cylinder, and the electromagnetic valve being electrically connected to the control unit.

[0020] The guide rail serves as a channel for the guide bearing and is used for coarse positioning of the material cart unit. The solenoid valve receives the start signal from the control unit and controls the locking cylinder and hydraulic damper to pull the material cart unit closer to the positioning body and lock the material cart unit using the locking mechanism. The hydraulic damper is used to reduce the impact force between the material cart unit and the hard limit during the locking process.

[0021] The present invention discloses a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry. In a preferred embodiment, the positioning body includes a plate-like structure disposed at the front end of the hard limit and support structures disposed on both sides of the plate-like structure.

[0022] The present invention discloses a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry. In a preferred embodiment, the material cart positioning unit further includes limit posts and positioning sensors on both sides. The positioning sensors are used to send a positioning signal to the control unit after sensing that the material cart unit has reached its position. The control unit is used to send a start signal to the locking cylinder after receiving the positioning signal. The control unit is used to pull the workpiece to be processed from the processing area to the loading area after receiving the positioning signal.

[0023] The present invention discloses a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry. In a preferred embodiment, the material cart unit includes a material cart body, at least two sets of pallet guide bearings stacked on the left and right sides of the material cart body, pallet guide wheels disposed on the upper part of the pallet guide bearings 42, and a pallet slidably disposed on the upper part of the pallet guide wheels. The side of the material cart body away from the robot unit is the processing area and the unloading area, and the side of the material cart body closer to the robot unit is the loading area and the unloading area. A handle is provided at the front end of the pallet, and a positioning sheet metal is provided at the upper end.

[0024] The present invention discloses a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry. In a preferred embodiment, the material cart body includes a material cart bracket, a material cart reinforcing bracket connected above the material cart bracket, a material cart limiting and buffering structure connected to the front of the material cart bracket, a material cart base frame connected to the bottom of the material cart bracket, swivel casters connected to the rear side of the bottom of the material cart base frame, fixed casters connected to the front side of the bottom of the material cart base frame, and a guide bearing connected to the center of the front part of the material cart base frame.

[0025] The number of material cart units is at least 2.

[0026] The workpieces to be processed are textile machinery industry products, especially wall panels in textile manufacturing.

[0027] The core idea of ​​this invention is as follows: The gripper unit is the unit responsible for grasping by the robot. A cylinder extends and retracts, causing the fingers to clamp the workpiece, and it includes a material-free detection function. After the workpiece is securely clamped, the guide rail lock engages to lock the gripper, ensuring stable clamping and providing a function to prevent the workpiece from falling off in the event of power or air failure. The gripper is equipped with a laser rangefinder sensor. During the material retrieval process from the material cart, the rangefinder sensor performs pre-positioning to prevent collision risks caused by positioning errors of the material cart due to human factors.

[0028] The worker pushes a trolley loaded with workpiece blanks to the trolley positioning area. The trolley is positioned at a fixed angle by guide bearings, guide rails, and limit posts in the positioning section. After the worker pushes the trolley to the hard limit, the locking cylinder in the positioning section extends to further limit the trolley. Once the positioning sensor detects the trolley's arrival, the robot uses a hook on its robotic arm to pull the top trolley pallet to the robot's side (the pallet initially sits on the worker's side), and then feeds the blank to the machine tool.

[0029] After a cycle, the robot places the finished product onto the material cart pallet, pushes the pallet back to the worker's side, and then pulls down another layer of pallets. This process is repeated until all the blanks on the material cart pallets have been transformed into finished products. Once the finished products are unloaded, the robot sends a signal to remind the worker to change the material cart.

[0030] The core problem this logistics system aims to solve is to integrate logistics transfer vehicles with traditional automated online material handling, thereby reducing manual handling processes, improving production efficiency, and reducing labor intensity.

[0031] Ordinary logistics transfer vehicles have relatively coarse positioning accuracy, which cannot meet the requirements of robot grasping. If the positioning accuracy and consistency of material carts are improved to meet the requirements of robot grasping, the manufacturing and maintenance costs of automated lines will inevitably increase, making the input and output disproportionate. Furthermore, the reliability of overly precise components is not conducive to large-scale industrial production.

[0032] In light of the above two requirements, the main measures adopted in this project are as follows:

[0033] a. The clamping cylinder on the gripper is mounted on the guide rail, so that the process of the cylinder clamping the workpiece has the effect of adapting to the shape of the workpiece within a certain size range. After clamping, the guide rail lock locks the guide rail slider to ensure that the position of the workpiece does not change during the movement of the robot, thereby realizing the conversion of the workpiece from coarse positioning on the material cart to fine positioning on the machine tool fixture.

[0034] b. Use a distance sensor to sense the specific position of the workpiece and feed back the measured distance values ​​to the system. The system uses special algorithms written in ladder diagrams, Python, etc. to first determine whether the workpiece type and workpiece posture are correct, then calculate the positional deviation between the current workpiece and the reference calibration workpiece, and then convert the deviation value into coordinate values ​​that the robot can recognize, so as to ensure that the robot can successfully grasp the workpiece.

[0035] c. Within an acceptable cost range, improve the positioning accuracy of the material cart as much as possible to ensure its reliability.

[0036] The gripper body, gripper clamping cylinder, guide rail and guide rail lock, distance sensor, material cart body and pallet.

[0037] a. Guide rail lock: Ensures that the workpiece will not fall when power and gas are cut off after the workpiece is gripped;

[0038] Working principle of guide rail lock:

[0039] Using an air source as the power source, gas enters from the air inlet, driving the piston to move and generating thrust, which in turn drives the wedge block to move. When the wedge block moves, it pushes the friction block to move through the rollers, pressing it tightly against the side of the guide rail, generating positive pressure, which in turn generates friction, thus realizing the clamping and automatic functions.

[0040] The wedge block amplifies the force, generating significant positive pressure between the friction block and the guide rail side, thus producing greater friction and better achieving the clamping and braking functions. When gas enters from the outlet, it pushes the piston, and the wedge block returns to its original position under the force of the spring. The friction block disengages from the guide rail side, and the guide rail lock exits the braking state, completing the entire clamping-releasing action.

[0041] b. Distance sensor: responsible for confirming the position of the pallet on the material cart, the presence or absence of the workpiece, and correcting the gripping position, etc., and can avoid the risk of collision when the shape of the blank casting changes greatly;

[0042] Working principle of distance measuring sensor:

[0043] First, a laser diode emits a laser pulse at the target. After being reflected by the target, the laser light scatters in all directions. Some of the scattered light returns to the sensor receiver, where it is received by the optical system and imaged onto an avalanche photodiode. An avalanche photodiode is an optical sensor with internal amplification capabilities, enabling it to detect extremely weak light signals. By recording and processing the time elapsed from the emission of the light pulse to its return and reception, the distance to the target can be determined.

[0044] Working principle of material cart positioning mechanism:

[0045] 1) The guide bearing on the material cart slides in the guide rail to ensure that the left and right positions of the material cart remain approximately unchanged;

[0046] 2) After the material cart is manually pushed to the approximate position, the positioning sensor senses it and sends a signal to the system. The system sends a command to the solenoid valve. After receiving the command, the solenoid valve controls the cylinder to pull the material cart towards the positioning block. After positioning is completed, the system sends a positioning signal to the robot, and the robot comes to pick up and put in the material.

[0047] 3) The hydraulic buffer can reduce the impact force between the material cart and the hard limit during the locking process, effectively improving service life and reducing the need for spare parts replacement.

[0048] The present invention has the following advantages:

[0049] (1) This invention combines the logistics transfer vehicle with the traditional automated online material handling process, reducing manual handling, improving production efficiency and reducing labor intensity.

[0050] (2) Based on the workpiece shape characteristics and processing technology, the present invention installs a waterproof cylinder on the gripper. When the cylinder rod extends, it can play an auxiliary positioning role. In addition, the cylinder has a built-in magnetic switch. After the cylinder rod extends to the position, it can send a signal to the system to inform the robot that the workpiece posture is generally correct, reducing the occurrence of situations where the distance measuring sensor's working time is extended or the alarm is triggered due to excessive workpiece deviation.

[0051] (3) The present invention installs the clamping cylinder on the gripper on the guide rail, so that the process of the cylinder clamping the workpiece has the effect of adapting to the shape of the workpiece within a certain size range. After clamping, the guide rail lock locks the guide rail slider to ensure that the position of the workpiece does not change during the robot's movement, thereby realizing the conversion of the workpiece from the coarse positioning of the material cart to the fine positioning of the machine tool fixture.

[0052] (4) This invention uses a distance sensor to sense the specific position of the workpiece and feeds back the measured different distance values ​​to the system. The system uses a special algorithm written in ladder diagram, Python language, etc. to first determine whether the workpiece type and workpiece posture are correct, then calculate the position deviation between the current workpiece and the reference calibration workpiece, and then convert the deviation value into coordinate values ​​that the robot can recognize, so as to ensure that the robot can successfully grasp the workpiece.

[0053] (5) The present invention ensures the accurate positioning of different material carts, making it possible for multiple material carts to share a loading and unloading station, while reducing the positioning accuracy requirements of each material cart, thereby reducing manufacturing and subsequent maintenance costs. Attached Figure Description

[0054] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a workpiece handling and loading / unloading logistics system in the textile machinery industry, showing how a workpiece is gripped.

[0055] Figure 2 A side view of a gripper unit and a workpiece in a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry.

[0056] Figure 3 A gripper unit and bottom view of a workpiece in a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry;

[0057] Figure 3 A gripper unit and bottom view of a workpiece in a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry;

[0058] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a gripper unit structure in a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry.

[0059] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a distance measuring sensor structure for a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system in the textile machinery industry.

[0060] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning of a material cart unit in a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry.

[0061] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a material cart positioning unit in a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry.

[0062] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a material cart unit structure in a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry.

[0063] Figure label:

[0064] 1. Robot unit; 2. Gripper unit; 21. Gripper body; 22. Gripper clamping cylinder; 23. Distance sensor; 231. Distance sensor housing; 232. Semiconductor laser; 233. First lens; 234. Linear CCD array; 235. Second lens; 236. Signal processor; 24. Guide rail slider; 25. Guide rail lock; 26. Positioning cylinder; 27. Gripper sensor; 28. Oiling block; 3. Material cart positioning unit; 31. Guide rail; 3 2. Locking cylinder; 33. Hydraulic buffer; 34. Hard limit switch; 35. Positioning body; 36. Solenoid valve; 37. Locking mechanism; 38. Limiting post; 4. Cart unit; 41. Cart body; 411. Cart bracket; 412. Cart reinforcing bracket; 413. Cart limiting buffer structure; 414. Cart base frame; 415. Universal casters; 416. Fixed casters; 417. Guide bearing; 42. Pallet guide bearing; 43. Pallet guide wheel; 44. Pallet. Detailed Implementation

[0065] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0066] Example 1

[0067] like Figures 1-8 As shown, a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry includes a robot unit 1, a gripper unit 2 detachably connected to the robot unit 1, a material cart positioning unit 3 located on one side of the gripper unit 2, a material cart unit 4 located in the material cart positioning unit 3, and a control unit 5 electrically connected to the robot unit 1, the gripper unit 2, and the material cart positioning unit 3.

[0068] like Figures 1-4 As shown, the gripper unit 2 includes a gripper body 21, a gripper clamping cylinder 22 and a distance sensor 23 disposed on the gripper body 21, a guide rail slider 24, a guide rail lock 25, a positioning cylinder 26, a gripper sensor 27 and an oiling block 28 disposed on the gripper body 21, the guide rail lock 25 is disposed on the outside of the guide rail slider 24, and the gripper clamping cylinder 22 is disposed on the guide rail slider 24;

[0069] like Figure 6As shown, the material cart unit 4 is used to hold a pallet that can move back and forth. The workpiece is placed on the upper part of the pallet. After the material cart unit 4 is pushed into the material cart positioning unit 3 and fixed in the designated position, it becomes the loading and unloading area. The loading and unloading area includes the processing area, the loading area, the unloading area and the unloading area. The robot unit 1 pulls the workpiece to be processed from the processing area to the loading area. The distance sensor 23 obtains the distance value of the workpiece to be processed and outputs it to the control unit 5. The control unit 5 calculates the model and posture of the workpiece to be processed based on the distance value, calculates the positional deviation between the workpiece to be processed and the reference calibration workpiece, and converts it into the coordinate value of the workpiece to be processed that can be recognized by the robot unit 1. The robot unit 1 uses the gripper unit 2 to grab the workpiece to be processed from the loading area and place it on the processing machine tool according to the coordinate value of the workpiece to be processed. After the processing machine tool completes the processing, the processed workpiece is obtained. The robot unit 1 uses the gripper unit 2 to place the processed workpiece on the pallet in the unloading area and pushes the pallet to the processing completion area.

[0070] Robot unit 1 is rotatable. A robotic arm hook is provided on one side of the end of robot unit 1. The robotic arm hook is located above the gripper unit 2. A handle is provided at the front end of the tray. The robotic arm hook is used to detachably connect the handle and pull the workpiece to be processed from the processing area to the loading area. The robotic arm hook is also used to detachably connect the handle and push the processed workpiece from the unloading area to the processing completion area.

[0071] The gripper clamping cylinder 22 is used to clamp the workpiece, and the gripper clamping cylinder 22 is connected to the guide rail slider 24;

[0072] The guide rail lock 25 is used to lock the guide rail slider 24 to lock the workpiece. The guide rail lock 25 is equipped with a function to prevent the workpiece from falling off when the power or gas is cut off.

[0073] The positioning cylinder 26 is used to assist in workpiece positioning. After extending into position, the positioning cylinder 26 outputs a signal to the control unit 5 that the workpiece posture is basically correct in order to assist in workpiece positioning.

[0074] The guide rail lock 25 includes a housing and an air inlet, piston, wedge block, ball, spring and friction block disposed in the housing. The guide rail slider 24 passes through the housing and the friction block is disposed on the side of the guide rail slider 24.

[0075] When the guide rail lock 25 locks the guide rail slider 24, gas enters from the air inlet, pushes the piston to move and generates thrust, which in turn pushes the wedge block to move. When the wedge block moves, it pushes the friction block to move through the roller, so that the friction block presses tightly against the side of the guide rail slider 24 and locks the guide rail slider 24.

[0076] When the guide rail lock 25 releases the guide rail slider 24, gas enters from the air inlet, pushes the piston to move and generates thrust. When the wedge block moves, the friction block is disengaged from the side of the guide rail slider 24 by the movement of the spring, thus releasing the guide rail slider 24.

[0077] like Figure 5 As shown, the ranging sensor 23 includes a ranging sensor housing 231, a semiconductor laser 232 disposed in the ranging sensor housing 231, a first lens 233, a linear CCD array 234, a second lens 235, and a signal processor 236;

[0078] The distance sensor 23 is used to confirm whether there is a pallet or workpiece on the material cart unit 4, and the distance sensor 23 is used to correct the gripping position of the gripper unit 2.

[0079] like Figure 7 As shown, the material cart positioning unit 3 includes a guide rail 31, a locking cylinder 32 and a hydraulic buffer 33 connected to both sides of the front end of the guide rail 31, a hard limit 34 and a positioning body 35 at the end of the guide rail 31, a solenoid valve 36 and a locking mechanism 37 connected to the solenoid valve 36 in the middle of the positioning body 35, and limit posts 38 and positioning sensors on both sides. The solenoid valve 36 is connected to the locking cylinder 32 and is electrically connected to the control unit 5.

[0080] The guide rail 31 serves as a channel for the guide bearing and is used for coarse positioning of the material cart unit 4. The solenoid valve 36 is used to control the locking cylinder 32 and the hydraulic buffer 33 to pull the material cart unit 4 closer to the positioning body 35 after receiving the start signal from the control unit 5, and to lock the material cart unit 4 using the locking mechanism 37. The hydraulic buffer 33 is used to reduce the impact force between the material cart unit 4 and the hard limit 34 during the locking process.

[0081] The positioning body 35 includes a plate-like structure disposed at the front end of the hard limit 34 and a support structure disposed on both sides of the plate-like structure.

[0082] The positioning sensor is used to send a position signal to the control unit 5 after sensing that the material cart unit 4 has reached the position. The control unit 5 is used to send a start signal to the locking cylinder 32 after receiving the position signal. The control unit 5 is used to pull the workpiece to be processed from the processing area to the loading area after receiving the position signal.

[0083] like Figure 8 As shown, the material cart unit 4 includes a material cart body 41, at least two sets of pallet guide bearings 42 stacked on the left and right sides of the material cart body 41, pallet guide wheels 43 disposed on the upper part of the pallet guide bearings 42, and a pallet 44 slidably disposed on the upper part of the pallet guide wheels 43. The side of the material cart body 41 away from the robot unit 1 is the processing area and the unloading area, and the side of the material cart body 41 close to the robot unit 1 is the loading area and the unloading area. The front end of the pallet 44 is provided with a handle, and the upper end is provided with a positioning sheet metal.

[0084] The material cart body 41 includes a material cart bracket 411, a material cart reinforcing bracket 412 connected above the material cart bracket 411, a material cart limiting buffer structure 413 connected to the front of the material cart bracket 411, a material cart base frame 414 connected to the bottom of the material cart bracket 411, a universal caster 415 connected to the rear side of the bottom of the material cart base frame 414, a fixed caster 416 connected to the front side of the bottom of the material cart base frame 414, and a guide bearing 417 connected to the center of the front of the material cart base frame 414.

[0085] The number of material cart units 4 is at least 2.

[0086] Example 2

[0087] like Figures 1-8 As shown, a workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry;

[0088] like Figures 1-4 As shown, the gripper 2 mainly consists of a gripper body 21, a gripper clamping cylinder 22, a distance sensor 23, a guide rail 24, and a guide rail lock 25. After gripping the workpiece, the guide rail lock 25 is activated. The material cart positioning mechanism 3 mainly consists of a locking cylinder 32 and a guide slide 31. After the material cart 4 is in position, the locking cylinder 32 extends to completely fix the material cart 4.

[0089] The gripper unit 2 is the unit responsible for grasping by robot 1. A cylinder extends and retracts, causing the fingers to clamp the workpiece, and includes a material absence detection function. After the workpiece is securely clamped, the guide rail lock 25 activates to lock the gripper 2, ensuring stable clamping and providing a function to prevent workpiece drop in the event of power or air outages. The gripper 2 is equipped with a laser rangefinder 23. During the material retrieval process from the material cart 4, the rangefinder 23 performs pre-positioning to prevent collision risks caused by positioning errors in the material cart 4 due to human error.

[0090] The worker pushes the trolley 4, filled with workpiece blanks, to the area of ​​the trolley positioning section 3. The trolley 4 is positioned at a fixed angle by the guide bearing 417, the guide rail 31, and the limiting post 38 of the trolley positioning section 3. After the worker pushes the trolley 4 to the hard limit 34, the locking cylinder 32 of the trolley positioning section 3 extends to limit the trolley 4. After the arrival detection sensor detects that the trolley 4 has arrived, the robot 1 uses the hook on its robotic arm to pull the uppermost trolley pallet 44 to the side of the robot 1 (the initial position of the trolley pallet 44 is on the worker's side), and then grabs the blank and feeds it to the machine tool.

[0091] After a cycle, robot 1 places the finished product on material cart pallet 44, pushes pallet 44 back to the worker's side, and then pulls down another layer of pallets 44. This cycle continues until all the blanks on all material cart pallets 44 have become finished products. After the finished products are unloaded, robot 1 sends a signal to remind the worker to change material cart 4.

[0092] The clamping cylinder 23 on the gripper 2 is mounted on the guide rail 24, so that the process of the cylinder clamping the workpiece has the effect of adapting to the shape of the workpiece within a certain size range. After clamping, the guide rail lock 25 locks the slider of the guide rail 24 to ensure that the position of the workpiece does not change during the movement of the robot 1, thereby realizing the conversion of the workpiece from the coarse positioning of the material cart 4 to the fine positioning of the machine tool fixture.

[0093] The distance sensor 23 senses the specific position of the workpiece and feeds back the measured distance values ​​to the control system 5. The control system 5 uses special algorithms written in ladder diagrams, Python language, etc. to first determine whether the workpiece type and workpiece posture are correct, then calculate the position deviation between the current workpiece and the reference calibration workpiece, and then convert the deviation value into coordinate values ​​that the robot 1 can recognize, so as to ensure that the robot 1 can successfully grasp the workpiece.

[0094] The guide rail lock 25 is used to ensure that the workpiece does not fall off in the event of power or gas cut-off after the workpiece has been gripped;

[0095] Working principle of guide rail lock 25:

[0096] Using an air source as the power source, gas enters from the air inlet, drives the piston to move and generates thrust, which in turn drives the wedge block to move. When the wedge block moves, it pushes the friction block to move through the rollers, making it press tightly against the side of the guide rail 24, generating positive pressure, which in turn generates friction, thus realizing the clamping and braking functions.

[0097] The wedge block amplifies the force, generating significant positive pressure between the friction block and the side of the guide rail 24, thus producing greater friction and better achieving the clamping and braking functions. When gas enters from the outlet, it pushes the piston to move, and the wedge block returns to its original position under the force of the spring. The friction block disengages from the side of the guide rail 24, and the guide rail lock 25 exits the braking state, completing the entire clamping-releasing action.

[0098] Distance sensor 23: It is responsible for confirming the position of the pallet on the material cart 4, the presence or absence of the workpiece, and correcting the gripping position, which can avoid the risk of collision when the shape of the blank casting changes greatly.

[0099] Working principle of distance sensor 23:

[0100] like Figure 5 As shown, a laser diode 232 first emits a laser pulse at the target. After being reflected by the target, the laser light is scattered in all directions. Some of the scattered light returns to the sensor receiver and is received by the optical control system, where it is imaged onto the avalanche photodiode. The avalanche photodiode is an optical sensor with internal amplification, so it can detect extremely weak light signals. By recording and processing the time elapsed from the emission of the light pulse to its return and reception, the distance to the target can be determined.

[0101] Based on the workpiece's shape and processing technology, a waterproof cylinder is installed on the gripper 2. When the cylinder rod extends, it can assist in positioning. In addition, the cylinder has a built-in magnetic switch. After the cylinder rod extends to the correct position, it can send a signal to the control system 5 to inform the robot 1 that the workpiece's posture is generally correct, reducing the occurrence of situations where the distance sensor 23's working time is extended or the alarm is triggered due to excessive workpiece deviation.

[0102] like Figures 6-8 As shown, the working principle of the material cart positioning mechanism 3 is as follows:

[0103] 1) The guide bearing 417 on the material cart 4 slides in the guide rail 31 to ensure that the left and right positions of the material cart 4 remain approximately unchanged;

[0104] 2) After the material cart 4 is pushed to the approximate position by the manual, the positioning sensor senses it and sends the signal to the control system 5. The control system 5 sends a command to the solenoid valve 36. After receiving the command, the solenoid valve 36 controls the cylinder to move and pull the material cart 4 towards the positioning block. After the positioning is completed, the control system 5 sends a positioning signal to the robot 1. The robot 1 then picks up and puts in the material.

[0105] 3) The hydraulic buffer 33 is used to reduce the impact force between the material cart 4 and the hard limit during the locking process, effectively improving service life and reducing the need for spare parts replacement.

[0106] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry, characterized in that: It includes a robot unit (1), a gripper unit (2) detachably connected to the robot unit (1), a cart positioning unit (3) disposed on one side of the gripper unit (2), a cart unit (4) disposed in the cart positioning unit (3), and a control unit (5) electrically connected to the robot unit (1), the gripper unit (2), and the cart positioning unit (3); The gripper unit (2) includes a gripper body (21) and a gripper clamping cylinder (22) and a distance sensor (23) disposed on the gripper body (21). The material cart unit (4) is used to hold a pallet that can move back and forth. The workpiece is placed on the upper part of the pallet. After the material cart unit (4) is pushed into the material cart positioning unit (3) and fixed in a designated position, it becomes a loading and unloading area. The loading and unloading area includes a processing area, a loading area, a unloading area and a discharge area. The robot unit (1) pulls the workpiece to be processed from the processing area to the loading area. The distance sensor (23) obtains the distance value of the workpiece to be processed and outputs it to the control unit (5). The control unit (5) calculates the distance value of the workpiece to be processed based on the distance value. After determining the model and posture of the workpiece, the positional deviation between the workpiece to be processed and the reference calibration workpiece is calculated and converted into coordinate values ​​of the workpiece to be processed that can be recognized by the robot unit (1). The robot unit (1) uses the gripper unit (2) to pick up the workpiece to be processed from the loading area and place it on the processing machine tool according to the coordinate values ​​of the workpiece to be processed. After the processing machine tool completes the processing, the processed workpiece is obtained. The robot unit (1) uses the gripper unit (2) to place the processed workpiece on the tray in the unloading area and pushes the tray to the unloading area. The robot unit (1) is rotatable. A robotic arm hook is provided on one side of the end of the robot unit (1). The robotic arm hook is located above the gripper unit (2). A handle is provided at the front end of the tray. The robotic arm hook is used to detachably connect the handle and pull the workpiece to be processed from the processing area to the loading area. The robotic arm hook is also used to detachably connect the handle and push the processed workpiece from the unloading area to the unloading area. The gripper unit (2) also includes a guide rail slider (24), a guide rail lock (25), a positioning cylinder (26), a gripper sensor (27), and an oiling block (28) disposed on the gripper body (21). The guide rail lock (25) is disposed on the outside of the guide rail slider (24), and the gripper clamping cylinder (22) is connected to the guide rail slider (24). The gripper cylinder (22) is used to clamp the workpiece; The guide rail lock (25) is used to lock the guide rail slider (24) to lock the workpiece. The guide rail lock (25) is equipped with a function to prevent the workpiece from falling off when the power and gas are cut off. The positioning cylinder (26) is used to assist in the positioning of the workpiece. After the positioning cylinder (26) extends into position, it outputs a signal to the control unit (5) that the workpiece posture is basically correct in order to assist in the positioning of the workpiece.

2. The workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ranging sensor (23) includes a ranging sensor housing (231), a semiconductor laser (232) disposed in the ranging sensor housing (231), a first lens (233), a linear CCD array (234), a second lens (235), and a signal processor (236). The distance sensor (23) is used to confirm whether there is the tray or the workpiece on the material cart unit (4). The distance sensor (23) is also used to correct the gripping position of the gripper unit (2).

3. The workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material cart positioning unit (3) includes a guide rail (31), a locking cylinder (32) and a hydraulic buffer (33) connected to both sides of the front end of the guide rail (31), a hard limit (34) and a positioning body (35) at the end of the guide rail (31), a solenoid valve (36) and a locking mechanism (37) connected to the solenoid valve (36) in the middle of the positioning body (35), the solenoid valve (36) being connected to the locking cylinder (32), and the solenoid valve (36) being electrically connected to the control unit (5). The guide rail (31) is a channel for the guide bearing. The guide rail (31) is used for coarse positioning of the material cart unit (4). The solenoid valve (36) is used to control the locking cylinder (32) and the hydraulic buffer (33) to pull the material cart unit (4) closer to the positioning body (35) after receiving the start signal from the control unit (5). The locking mechanism (37) is used to lock the material cart unit (4). The hydraulic buffer (33) is used to reduce the impact force between the material cart unit (4) and the hard limit (34) during the locking process.

4. The workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry according to claim 3, characterized in that: The positioning body (35) includes a plate-like structure disposed at the front end of the hard limit (34) and a support structure disposed on both sides of the plate-like structure.

5. A workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry according to claim 3, characterized in that: The material cart positioning unit (3) also includes limit posts (38) and positioning sensors on both sides. The positioning sensors are used to send a positioning signal to the control unit (5) after sensing that the material cart unit (4) has reached its position.

6. The workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material cart unit (4) includes a material cart body (41), at least two sets of pallet guide bearings (42) stacked on the left and right sides of the material cart body (41), pallet guide wheels (43) disposed on the upper part of the pallet guide bearings (42), and a pallet (44) slidably disposed on the upper part of the pallet guide wheels (43). The side of the material cart body (41) away from the robot unit (1) is the processing area and the unloading area, and the side of the material cart body (41) close to the robot unit (1) is the loading area and the unloading area. The pallet (44) is provided with a handle at the front end and a positioning sheet metal at the upper end.

7. A workpiece transfer and loading / unloading logistics system for the textile machinery industry according to claim 6, characterized in that: The material cart body (41) includes a material cart bracket (411), a material cart reinforcing bracket (412) connected above the material cart bracket (411), a material cart limiting buffer structure (413) connected to the front of the material cart bracket (411), a material cart base frame (414) connected to the bottom of the material cart bracket (411), a universal caster (415) connected to the rear side of the bottom of the material cart base frame (414), a fixed caster (416) connected to the front side of the bottom of the material cart base frame (414), and a guide bearing (417) connected to the center of the front of the material cart base frame (414). The number of material cart units (4) is at least 2.

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