A flexible construction tool head and force-relieving mechanism

Abstract

This invention relates to a flexible construction tool head and a force-relieving mechanism. The flexible bending and grinding tool head provided by this invention includes a force-relieving mechanism, a flange seat, and a bending or grinding head. The force-relieving mechanism is rigidly fixed to the flange seat via a connector, and the bending or grinding head is rigidly connected to the flange seat. This invention significantly reduces the reaction force transmitted to the robotic arm when the hydraulic cylinder bends reinforcing bars by loading the force-relieving mechanism, and can bend ribbed reinforcing bars with a diameter of up to 32mm. The overall structure is ingeniously designed and can handle the bending design of reinforcing bars with complex curvatures and shapes, enabling the construction of pioneering architectural and installation designs based on BIM technology. The robotic arm can also operate normally when the grinding tool head uses a 300mm diameter sanding disc to grind the surfaces of curved woods such as pine, fir, and glued laminated timber, and a 150mm diameter diamond sanding disc to grind aluminum profiles and steel welded joints.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tool heads for bending thick steel bars, etc., in robotic arms and other motion mechanisms. Background Technology

[0002] Rebar bending and surface grinding are crucial and indispensable processes in the construction industry. While existing floor-standing rebar bending machines are quite mature and efficient, few offer solutions for bending complex shapes and curvatures of flexible rebar. Furthermore, avant-garde buildings and installations based on BIM (Building Information Modeling) require more complex rebar frameworks to achieve structural strength, meet high-load-bearing structural mechanics, and resist seismic events. Large-scale surface grinding equipment is currently scarce, primarily consisting of gantry-type CNC machines, which are expensive and require a more economical method. Robotic arms, due to their versatility, lower cost, and production flexibility, can support these processing needs.

[0003] Hydraulic cylinders used for bending thick steel bars are high-pressure hydraulic cylinders with a diameter of Φ60mm or greater, and a theoretical maximum output force of over 20 tons. When a rebar bending tool head based on a robotic arm is used to bend a steel bar, the process characteristics cause it to rotate as a whole. This results in the reaction force from the steel bar acting on the hydraulic cylinder being transmitted through the rigid structure to the motion actuator, such as the robotic arm itself, causing alarms or even damage to the robotic arm. During grinding, due to the roughness and burrs on the workpiece surface, the rapidly rotating end-of-arm grinding disc may encounter surfaces with high resistance, also leading to the aforementioned situation of exceeding the end-of-arm torque.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for an end effector head that can be applied to robotic arms or other motion mechanisms and meets the requirements of structural mechanics for high load-bearing capacity and seismic resistance. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems existing in the prior art and provide a tool head that can instantly relieve stress when bending thick steel bars or for grinding.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0007] A force-relieving mechanism includes an upper flange, a spring fixing seat, a return spring, a connecting rod, a spherical bearing, a lower flange, a positioning cylinder, and a positioning pin. The return spring is disposed between the upper flange and the lower flange via the spring fixing seat. The connecting rod is disposed between the upper flange and the lower flange via the spherical bearing. The positioning cylinder is disposed on the upper flange. The positioning pin is disposed on the cylinder head of the positioning cylinder. The lower flange has a positioning hole, the position and shape of which are adapted to the positioning pin.

[0008] Furthermore, both the upper and lower flanges are provided with standard screw holes for the installation and fixing of other mechanisms.

[0009] Furthermore, there are three or more return springs, evenly distributed between the upper and lower flanges. Even further, each return spring is spaced at equal intervals.

[0010] Furthermore, there are three or more connecting rods, evenly distributed between the upper and lower flanges. Even further, each connecting rod is equally spaced and equally spaced from each return spring.

[0011] Furthermore, the positioning cylinder is a single unit, with the corresponding positioning pin and positioning hole located on the central axis of the upper and lower flanges.

[0012] Furthermore, there are three or more positioning cylinders, which are evenly distributed on the upper flange. The positioning pins and positioning holes corresponding to each positioning cylinder are evenly distributed on the parallel vertical lines between the upper flange and the lower flange.

[0013] A flexible bending tool head includes a force-relieving mechanism, a flange seat, a hydraulic cylinder, a fixed frame, a sensor, a bending fixing head, a center wheel, and a support wheel. The force-relieving mechanism is rigidly fixed to the flange seat via a connector. The fixed frame is rigidly fixedly connected to the flange seat. The hydraulic cylinder is located inside the fixed frame. The bending fixing head is connected to the front end of the fixed frame. The center wheel is located inside the bending fixing head. The support wheel is located on one side of the center wheel and is connected to the hydraulic cylinder rod of the hydraulic cylinder. The sensor is located on the flange seat and is used to monitor and provide feedback on the movement trajectory of the hydraulic cylinder rod.

[0014] Furthermore, the aforementioned flexible bending tool head can also be equipped with a pneumatic quick-change disc on the force-relieving mechanism, which facilitates automatic and rapid tool head replacement by the robotic arm.

[0015] A flexible grinding tool head includes a stress-relieving mechanism, a flange seat, and a grinding head. The stress-relieving mechanism is rigidly fixed to the flange seat via a connector, and the grinding head is rigidly fixedly connected to the flange seat.

[0016] Furthermore, the aforementioned flexible grinding tool head can also be equipped with a pneumatic quick-change disc on the force-relieving mechanism, which facilitates automatic and rapid tool head replacement by the robotic arm.

[0017] Furthermore, the unloading mechanism described herein employs the unloading mechanism provided in this patent, whose reverse resistance is synchronized with the hydraulic cylinder rod of the hydraulic cylinder. When the unloading mechanism provided in this patent is used, the upper flange is rigidly connected to the pneumatic quick-change disc, and the lower flange is rigidly fixed to the flange seat via connecting parts. Even further, the connecting parts are positioning stops and bolts, which fix the flange seat to the bottom of the lower flange.

[0018] Furthermore, the sensor is a pull-wire sensor, including a movable pull wire, a sensor bracket is set on the support wheel, and the pull-out end of the movable pull wire is set on the sensor bracket.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0020] The flexible bending tool head and grinding tool head provided by the present invention are equipped with a force relief mechanism. When the hydraulic mechanism is subjected to the reaction force of bending steel bars or grinding materials, the force relief mechanism plays an immediate force relief role, which greatly reduces the reaction force transmitted to the robotic arm when the hydraulic cylinder bends steel bars or the grinding head grinds materials.

[0021] Based on existing practice, the robotic arm can be used normally when bending ribbed steel bars with a bending diameter of 32mm or less using the tool head provided by this invention, meeting the structural mechanics and seismic resistance requirements for high load-bearing capacity. Simultaneously, the robotic arm can also be used normally when using a 300mm diameter sanding disc to sand curved wood surfaces such as pine, fir, and glued laminated timber, and a 150mm diameter diamond sanding disc to sand aluminum profiles and steel welded joints.

[0022] Furthermore, the flexible bending tool head provided by this invention features a sophisticated overall structural design, enabling its application to robotic arms or other motion mechanisms to handle the bending design of flexible steel bars with complex curvatures and shapes. It is particularly useful for constructing pioneering buildings and installations based on BIM-based construction techniques, including bending of flexible steel bars and other materials, and sanding of wood and metal.

[0023] The following describes specific embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings: Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 A reference diagram showing the overall state of the flexible bending tool head provided by the present invention when applied to a robot arm.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the flexible bending tool head provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional reference diagram of the unloading mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 4 A diagram illustrating the working principle of the unloading mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 5 This is one of the partial isometric views of the unloading mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 6 This is one of the cross-sectional views of the unloading mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 7 This is the second partial isometric view of the unloading mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 8 This is a second sectional axonometric view of the unloading mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the technical solutions of this patent and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosed technical solutions. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the technical solutions of this disclosure, and not the entire structure.

[0033] Before discussing the exemplary embodiments in more detail, it should be mentioned that the structure of the device components and / or modules mentioned in the embodiments, unless otherwise described in detail, is something that can be understood by those skilled in the art based on existing public technologies or is a commercially available product.

[0034] like Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the unloading mechanism of this embodiment includes an upper flange 201, a spring fixing seat 202, a return spring 203, a connecting rod 204, a spherical bearing 205, a lower flange 206, a positioning cylinder 207, and a positioning pin 208. The return spring 203 is disposed between the upper flange 201 and the lower flange 206 via the spring fixing seat 202. The connecting rod 204 is disposed between the upper flange 201 and the lower flange 206 via the spherical bearing 205. The positioning cylinder 207 is disposed on the upper flange 201. The positioning pin 208 is disposed on the cylinder head of the positioning cylinder 207. The lower flange 206 is provided with a positioning hole 209, the position and shape of which are adapted to the positioning pin 208.

[0035] Both the upper flange 201 and the lower flange 206 are provided with standard screw holes for the installation and fixing of other mechanisms.

[0036] In one preferred embodiment, three or more return springs 203 are provided, evenly distributed between the outer peripheries of the upper flange 201 and the lower flange 206. Furthermore, each return spring 203 is spaced at equal intervals.

[0037] In a second preferred embodiment, three or more connecting rods 204 are provided, evenly distributed between the outer peripheries of the upper flange 201 and the lower flange 206. Furthermore, each connecting rod 204 is equally spaced and equally spaced from each return spring 203.

[0038] When the positioning cylinder 207 described in the preferred embodiment 3 is a single cylinder, the corresponding positioning pin 208 and positioning hole 209 are located on the central axis of the upper flange 201 and the lower flange 206.

[0039] refer to Figure 2 The flexible bending tool head provided in this embodiment includes a force-relieving mechanism 2, a flange seat 3, a hydraulic cylinder 4, a fixing frame 5, a sensor 6, a bending fixing head 7, a center wheel 8, and a support wheel 9. The force-relieving mechanism 2 is rigidly fixed to the flange seat 3 through a connecting piece. The fixing frame 5 is rigidly fixedly connected to the flange seat 3. The hydraulic cylinder 4 is located inside the fixing frame 5. The bending fixing head 7 is connected to the front end of the fixing frame 5. The center wheel 8 is located inside the bending fixing head 7. The support wheel 9 is located on one side of the center wheel 8 and is connected to the hydraulic cylinder rod 401 of the hydraulic cylinder 4. The sensor 6 is located on the flange seat 3 and is used to monitor and provide feedback on the movement trajectory of the hydraulic cylinder rod 401.

[0040] Furthermore, the flexible bending tool head can also be equipped with a pneumatic quick-change disc 1 on the unloading mechanism 2, which facilitates the automatic and rapid replacement of the tool head by the robotic arm.

[0041] When the unloading mechanism provided in the above embodiment is used, the upper flange 201 is rigidly connected to the pneumatic quick-change disc 1, and the lower flange 206 is rigidly fixed to the flange seat 3 through a connecting member. Preferably, the connecting member is a positioning stop and bolts, which fix the flange seat 3 to the bottom of the lower flange 206. In this embodiment of the patent, the unloading mechanism 2 has a reverse resistance synchronized with the hydraulic lever 401 of the hydraulic cylinder 4.

[0042] The sensor 6 can be a pull-wire sensor, including a movable pull wire 601 and a sensor bracket 10. The sensor bracket 10 is mounted on the support wheel 9, and the pull-out end of the movable pull wire 601 is mounted on the sensor bracket 10.

[0043] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, when the hydraulic cylinder 4 pushes the cylinder rod 401 outward through hydraulic oil, it drives the support wheel 9 at the end of the cylinder rod. The support wheel 9 bends the steel bar around the central wheel 10, thus bending the steel bar according to the curvature set by the robot's built-in program. At the same time, the movable pull wire 601 of the pull wire sensor 6 extends along with the sensor bracket 10 on the cylinder rod 401, achieving precise control of the extension distance. When one end of the steel bar is fixed in place by another clamp, the material itself forces the hydraulic cylinder 4 and its connected hydraulic cylinder fixing frame 5 and flange seat 3 to follow the curvature change of the steel bar. The hydraulic cylinder 4 and its connected hydraulic cylinder fixing frame 5 will slide in space along the bending direction of the steel bar. This sliding motion, through force transmission, will in turn affect and damage the movement of the robotic arm, that is, there is a deviation problem in the synchronous movement of the robotic arm and the bending tool head. In order to counteract or release the negative impact of this sliding motion, a force relief mechanism 2 is specially set between the robotic arm and the hydraulic cylinder to reduce the impact of excessive counterforce on the robotic arm during construction.

[0044] The working principle of unloading mechanism 2 is as follows: Figure 4 As shown. Because the lower flange 206 is rigidly connected to the hydraulic cylinder actuator assembly, when the lower flange 206 is not under force, point A of the lower flange 206 coincides with the vertical projection of point A of the upper flange 201. When the hydraulic cylinder head bends steel bars or other materials, the lower flange 206 rotates together with the hydraulic cylinder actuator assembly, and point A of the lower flange 206 slides in space to point A* under the force transmission, receiving a torque M1. At this time, the return spring 203 is deformed by the force, bending from point B to point B*, offset by an included angle Δφ. The lower flange 206 is connected to the upper flange 201 through three sets of connecting rods 204 and M39x2 spherical bearings 205 at both ends. The upper flange 201 receives a torque M2 through the force transmission of the connecting rods 204 and spherical bearings. M2 < M1, achieving the purpose of flexible force relief.

[0045] When the hydraulic cylinder stops bending the steel bar or other materials, the return spring 203 quickly resets the lower flange 206, connecting rod 204 and spherical bearing 205, that is, the offset angle Δφ = 0, and point A of the lower flange 206 and point A of the upper flange 201 return to their vertically corresponding positions.

[0046] When the hydraulic cylinder is detached from the reinforcing bar or when the reinforcing bar is not bent, the unloading mechanism 2 is not under force. The positioning cylinder 207 drives the positioning pin 208 to always be inserted into the positioning hole 209 corresponding to the lower flange 206, thus completing the precise movement of the flexible reinforcing bar bending tool head in space.

[0047] In the above embodiments, the unloading mechanism 2 uses only one cylinder. The tool head can still rotate along the cylinder axis during spatial movement. For products with low rebar bending accuracy, a set of cylinder assemblies can be used for positioning. If the rebar bending accuracy is high and the tool head needs more precise movement, it can be used as follows: Figure 7 ,like Figure 8 As shown, three positioning cylinders 207 are installed to significantly improve positioning accuracy. Three sets of positioning cylinders are evenly arranged on the bottom surface of the upper flange 201. The positioning pins 208 and positioning holes 209 corresponding to each positioning cylinder 207 are evenly located on the parallel vertical lines between the upper flange 201 and the lower flange 206. In this way, the tool head's degrees of freedom in space are fully constrained, and the force is evenly distributed, thus achieving more precise positioning.

[0048] refer to Figure 2 By replacing the hydraulic cylinder mounting bracket 5 on the flange seat 3 and connecting it to the grinding head, a flexible grinding tool head is formed.

[0049] The above are illustrative examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described. Those skilled in the art can make various equivalent modifications or substitutions without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such equivalent modifications or substitutions are included within the scope defined by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A force relief mechanism characterized by: The device comprises an upper flange plate (201), a spring fixing seat (202), a reset spring (203), a connecting rod (204), a joint bearing (205), a lower flange plate (206), a positioning cylinder (207) and a positioning pin (208), the reset spring (203) is arranged between the upper flange plate (201) and the lower flange plate (206) through the spring fixing seat (202), the connecting rod (204) is arranged between the upper flange plate (201) and the lower flange plate (206) through the joint bearing (205), the positioning cylinder (207) is arranged on the upper flange plate (201), the positioning pin (208) is arranged on the cylinder head of the positioning cylinder (207), the lower flange plate (206) is provided with a positioning hole (209), the position and shape of the positioning hole (209) are adapted to the positioning pin (208), and the connecting rod (204) is arranged at equal intervals and is arranged at equal intervals with each reset spring (203).

2. The force relief mechanism of claim 1, wherein: The reset spring (203) is arranged at three or more, and is evenly distributed between the upper flange plate (201) and the lower flange plate (206).

3. The force relief mechanism of claim 1, wherein: The connecting rod (204) is arranged at three or more, and is evenly distributed between the upper flange plate (201) and the lower flange plate (206).

4. The force relief mechanism of claim 1, wherein: The positioning cylinder (207) is one, and the corresponding positioning pin (208) and positioning hole (209) are arranged on the central axis of the upper flange plate (201) and the lower flange plate (206).

5. The force relief mechanism of claim 1, wherein: The positioning cylinder (207) is three or more, and is evenly arranged on the upper flange plate (201), and the corresponding positioning pin (208) and positioning hole (209) of each positioning cylinder (207) are evenly arranged on the parallel vertical line between the upper flange plate (201) and the lower flange plate (206).

6. A flexible bending tool head characterized by: The device comprises a force relieving mechanism (2), a flange seat (3), a hydraulic cylinder (4), a fixing frame (5), a sensor (6), a bending fixing head (7), a center wheel (8) and a supporting wheel (9), the force relieving mechanism (2) is rigidly fixed on the flange seat (3) through a connecting piece, the fixing frame (5) is rigidly fixed and connected with the flange seat (3), the hydraulic cylinder (4) is arranged in the fixing frame (5), the bending fixing head (7) is connected with the front end of the fixing frame (5), the center wheel (8) is arranged in the bending fixing head (7), the supporting wheel (9) is arranged on one side of the center wheel (8), the supporting wheel (9) is connected with the hydraulic cylinder rod (401) of the hydraulic cylinder (4), the sensor (6) is arranged on the flange seat (3) and is used for monitoring and feeding back the motion track of the hydraulic cylinder rod (401), and the force relieving mechanism (2) is the force relieving mechanism in any one of claims 1-5.

7. The flexible bending tool head of claim 6, wherein: The sensor (6) is a pull wire sensor and comprises a movable pull wire (601), a sensor support (10) is arranged on the supporting wheel (9), and the pull-out end of the movable pull wire (601) is arranged on the sensor support (10).

8. A flexible sanding tool head characterized by: The force relief mechanism, the flange seat and the polishing construction head according to any one of claims 1-5 are rigidly fixed to the flange seat through the connecting piece, and the polishing construction head is rigidly fixed to the flange seat.

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