Unmanned aerial vehicle shell feeding method and feeding and discharging method

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of unmanned aerial vehicle shell feeding method and feeding and discharging method, comprising the following steps: S110, by the unmanned aerial vehicle shell on the positioning part of conveyer belt moves;S120, control manipulator to transfer unmanned aerial vehicle shell to the clamping part position of chucking device;S130, control the unmanned aerial vehicle shell of the clamping part clamping.The present application is provided on conveyer belt for fixing the positioning part of unmanned aerial vehicle shell, so that unmanned aerial vehicle shell keeps in the same position during transmission and does not deviate, it is convenient for automatic clamping device to grab;Manipulator is operated to unmanned aerial vehicle component to fetch material, while also can improve the stability of grabbing, can guarantee not to damage unmanned aerial vehicle shell;Chuck device can improve the installation efficiency of indicator light while guaranteeing the stability of unmanned aerial vehicle shell placement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of drone manufacturing technology, and in particular to a method for loading and unloading drone shells. Background Technology

[0002] The manufacturing of drone shells typically uses lightweight, high-strength materials. However, high-strength materials are often accompanied by poor toughness and high brittleness, meaning they are prone to fracture and breakage under strong impact due to their poor deformation resistance. In the drone manufacturing process, especially in modern industrial equipment, gripping robots are frequently used. However, most gripping robots currently use durable metal materials for their gripping parts. When gripping drone shells, these robots can easily cause significant compressive stress on fragile, high-strength products, resulting in substantial damage to the drone shells, increasing production costs and affecting production efficiency.

[0003] In addition, parts need to be installed on the drone shell, especially when installing indicator lights. The indicator lights are located at the edge or protruding end of the drone. During the installation of the indicator lights, since they are installed one by one, the drone shell is easily tilted and difficult to position under the influence of the installation force. The installation process is not stable, which affects production efficiency. At the same time, it is also easy to cause the drone shell and indicator lights to fall and break, which increases production costs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for loading and unloading drone shells that facilitates the positioning and clamping of drone shells and the installation of indicator lights.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, one technical solution adopted by the present invention is: to provide a method for loading drone shells into a clamping device during drone shell assembly, comprising the following steps:

[0006] S110. The drone shell is placed on a conveyor belt so that the conveyor belt transports the drone shell to a gripping position for the robotic arm to grasp; wherein, the conveyor belt has positioning parts for positioning the drone shell that are spaced apart along the conveying direction.

[0007] S120. Control the robotic arm to grab the drone shell at the grabbing position and transfer the grabbed drone shell to the clamping part of the clamping device;

[0008] S130, Control the clamping part to clamp the UAV shell.

[0009] Using the above method, a positioning part is set on the conveyor belt to keep the drone shell in the same position without shifting during the conveying process; the control robot grabs the drone shell to the clamping device to facilitate the installation of indicator lights in the next process. At the same time, the delivery position of the clamping device is received by a jig of similar style to the positioning part, eliminating the need to make other jigs and saving costs. The indicator lights are installed at the position of the clamping device and the material is picked up. The structure is simple, practical and easy to operate.

[0010] To facilitate the placement of the drone casing and control of the conveyor belt, preferably, a higher horizontal region is formed at the end of the conveyor belt near the robotic arm, and a positioning part within the horizontal region forms the gripping position. A lower starting position is formed at the end of the conveyor belt away from the robotic arm. Step S110 includes the following sub-steps:

[0011] S111. Place the drone shell on the positioning part at the starting position;

[0012] S112. The PLC controller starts the drive device to drive the conveyor belt to move, and moves the positioning part carrying the drone shell to the horizontal area on the conveyor belt to form the grab position. When the detection unit set in the horizontal area detects that the drone shell has arrived, the drive device stops and the conveyor belt stops moving.

[0013] S113. When the detection unit detects that the drone shell to be grabbed is being grabbed by the robotic arm, the PLC controller controls the drive device to continue, the conveyor belt 1 continues to move, and proceeds to step S112.

[0014] To simplify the structure of the positioning part, preferably, the UAV shell includes a fuselage and several arms spaced apart around the outer periphery of the fuselage. The portion of the outer periphery of the fuselage corresponding to the space between two adjacent arms bends inward to form an inner curved surface. The positioning part includes several positioning blocks that correspond one-to-one with the several inner curved surfaces. A positioning space is formed between the several positioning blocks for positioning the fuselage therein. A positioning opening is formed between each pair of adjacent positioning blocks for the arms to pass outward. The inner curvature of each positioning block is adapted to the corresponding inner curved surface so as to be attached to the outside of the corresponding inner curved surface.

[0015] To facilitate operation and simplify the structure, preferably, the robotic arm includes a support frame placed between the conveyor belt and the clamping device, a robotic arm mounted on the top of the support frame capable of vertically rotating 180 degrees, and a gripping part mounted on the robotic arm. The gripping part repositions between the gripping position and the clamping device as the robotic arm rotates. The gripping part is pivotally connected to the end of the robotic arm away from the support frame, and the gripping part is capable of vertical rotation, maintaining a position perpendicular to the horizontal plane due to its own weight. Step S120 includes the following sub-steps:

[0016] S121. Position the gripping part at the gripping position;

[0017] S122. Control the gripping unit to grip the drone shell;

[0018] S123. Control the robotic arm to rotate 180 degrees so that the gripping part is located at the clamping device;

[0019] S124. Control the robotic arm to rotate 180 degrees, and repeat this motion to grab the drone shell to be grabbed and place it at the clamping device position.

[0020] To simplify the structure and facilitate operation, preferably, the drone shell includes a fuselage and several arms spaced apart around the outer periphery of the fuselage. Each arm of the drone shell has an indicator light mounting hole at one end away from the fuselage. The gripping part includes a pivot horizontally connected to the robotic arm, a rotating arm with its upper end rotatably connected to the pivot and its lower end connected to the gripper. The gripper includes a support frame and gripping fingers on the support frame corresponding to the position of the indicator light. The support frame has support rods in number and position corresponding to the arms. A hollow mounting sleeve extends downward from the support rod corresponding to the position of the indicator light mounting hole. An air storage cylinder is provided inside the hollow mounting sleeve. The air storage cylinder has an air inlet communicating with an air source and an air outlet at its lower end. The gripping fingers include a first inflatable bladder fixed to the lower end of the air storage cylinder and in sealed communication with the air outlet. The shape of the first inflatable bladder is adapted to the indicator light mounting hole.

[0021] In step S121, the gripping part remains in a vertical position during the vertical rotation of the robotic arm until the first inflatable bladder is inserted into the indicator light mounting hole in a corresponding manner.

[0022] In step S122, the first airbag is inflated to support the indicator light mounting hole, thereby preventing the drone shell from detaching.

[0023] In step S123, when the gripping part is located at the clamping position of the clamping device, the first inflatable bladder is controlled to contract so that when the robotic arm returns to its original position in step S124, the first inflatable bladder can freely leave the indicator light mounting hole.

[0024] To facilitate stable clamping of the drone housing on the clamping device, preferably, the clamping part includes a support part for supporting the drone housing and a clamping part disposed on the support part for clamping the outer side wall of the drone housing; step S130 includes the following sub-steps:

[0025] S131. Detect whether the drone shell has fallen into the supporting part;

[0026] S132. If it is detected that the drone shell has fallen into the support part, control the clamping part to clamp the drone shell.

[0027] To facilitate identification of the clamping position, preferably, in step S131, the pressure detection unit provided at the support portion detects whether the drone shell has fallen into the support portion; or the image unit capturing the support portion detects whether the drone shell has fallen into the support portion; or the sensor detection unit provided at the support portion detects whether the drone shell has fallen into the support portion; or the rotation action of the robotic arm and a preset delay time determine whether the drone shell has fallen into the support portion.

[0028] For ease of installation and use, preferably, the drone shell includes a fuselage and several arms spaced apart around the outer periphery of the fuselage. The portion of the outer periphery of the fuselage corresponding to the space between two adjacent arms curves inward to form an inward curved surface. The supporting part includes several support rods corresponding to the number of arms of the drone shell. The inner ends of the support rods are connected to a center point, and the outer ends radiate outward. In a horizontal projection, each support rod is staggered from its corresponding arm. The clamping part includes clamping rods vertically arranged at the outer ends of the support rods. The support rods and clamping rods enclose a clamping space for the fuselage of the drone shell to be placed within. An opening is formed between each pair of adjacent clamping rods for the corresponding arm to pass through. The clamping part also includes a second inflatable bladder sleeved on the clamping rod. The second inflatable bladder has a hollow air groove, and a second air inlet communicating with the air groove is provided on the outer side of the second inflatable bladder.

[0029] In step S132, by controlling the inflation of the second airbag, the inflated second airbag presses inward against the inner curved surface, thereby clamping the drone shell.

[0030] To facilitate material feeding, a preferred method for loading and unloading drone shells includes the following steps:

[0031] S100. The drone shell is automatically fed to the clamping device, which includes a horizontal rotating shaft, a drive mechanism for driving the horizontal rotating shaft to rotate, and a clamping part vertically disposed on the horizontal rotating shaft; wherein, the above-mentioned drone shell feeding method is used to feed the drone shell onto the clamping part of the clamping device.

[0032] S200, Unloading the UAV Casing: After the indicator light of the UAV Casing at the clamping part is assembled, the drive mechanism is controlled to drive the transverse rotating shaft to rotate by a predetermined angle, so that the UAV Casing is disengaged from the clamping part.

[0033] To reduce damage during the feeding process, step S200 preferably includes the following sub-steps:

[0034] S210. Control the horizontal rotating shaft to rotate 180 degrees so that the clamping part is vertically downward;

[0035] S211. Control the second inflatable bladder of the clamping part to contract, so that the contracted second inflatable bladder forms a predetermined gap with the clamping surface of the drone shell, thereby allowing the drone shell to fall freely into the material basket below.

[0036] Beneficial effects: The present invention provides a positioning part on the conveyor belt for fixing the drone shell, so that the drone shell remains in the same position without shifting during the conveying process, which facilitates the automatic gripping device to grasp it; the operation of the robotic arm to pick up drone components can not only ensure that the drone shell is not damaged, but also improve the stability of the gripping; the clamping device can not only ensure the stability of the drone shell placement, but also improve the installation efficiency of the indicator lights. Attached Figure Description

[0037] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operating principle of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating the structure for implementing the present invention.

[0040] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the conveyor belt structure.

[0041] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic gripping device.

[0042] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Top view.

[0043] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the mounting structure of the enclosure.

[0044] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the gripping device.

[0045] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Enlarged view of point A in the image.

[0046] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing the operational status of the automatic gripping device.

[0047] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first embodiment of the clamping device.

[0048] Figure 11 for Figure 10 BB view in the middle.

[0049] Figure 12 for Figure 10 Enlarged view of point C in the image.

[0050] Figure 13 This is a usage state diagram of the first embodiment.

[0051] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the inflatable bladder in the second embodiment.

[0052] The meanings of the labels in the attached diagram are as follows:

[0053] Conveyor belt-1; Positioning block-101; Positioning space-102; Positioning port-103; Positioning part-111; Drive device-112; Drive belt-113; Top cross column-12; First support column-13; Second support column-14; First drive shaft-15; Second drive shaft-16; Third drive shaft-17;

[0054] Support frame-22; Housing-221; Power motor-222; Drive gear-223; Drive shaft-224; Drive gear-225;

[0055] Robotic arm-23; First bearing-231; Rotating shaft-232; Rotating arm-233; Second bearing-234;

[0056] Support frame - 242; Hollow mounting sleeve - 2421; Air tank - 243; Boss - 244; Clip - 245;

[0057] First inflatable bladder - 251; Air inlet - 252; First support - 261; Second support - 262;

[0058] Base frame - 31; Support plate - 311; Lateral pivot - 32; Support rod - 3311; Clamping rod - 3321; Second airbag - 3322; Air groove - 3323; Clamping space - 333;

[0059] Stepper motor - 341; Driving bevel gear - 342; Driven bevel gear - 343;

[0060] Mounting base - 351; Mounting sleeve - 3511; Base - 3512; Floating mounting hole - 3513; Annular boss - 3514; Pressure cap - 3515; Extension section - 35151; Assembly ring groove - 3516; Ball bearing - 3517; Clearance ring groove - 3518; Limiting hole - 3519; Limiting pin - 3520; Floating rod - 352; Floating spring - 353; Washer - 3531; Limiting ring - 354. Detailed Implementation

[0061] Depend on Figures 1 to 2 As shown, a method for loading and unloading drone shells includes two main steps:

[0062] S100, the drone shell is automatically fed to the clamping device;

[0063] S200. After the drone shell is unloaded and the indicator light of the drone shell at the clamping part is assembled, the drive mechanism is controlled to drive the horizontal rotating shaft to rotate by a predetermined angle, so that the drone shell is disengaged from the clamping part.

[0064] Step S100 includes a drone shell loading method for loading the drone shell to the clamping device during drone shell assembly, comprising the following steps:

[0065] S110. The drone shell is placed on the conveyor belt 1 so that the conveyor belt transports the drone shell to the gripping position for the robotic arm to grasp; wherein, the conveyor belt is formed with positioning parts 111 distributed at intervals along the conveying direction for positioning the drone shell.

[0066] S120. Control the robotic arm to grab the drone shell at the grabbing position and transfer the grabbed drone shell to the clamping device position;

[0067] S130, Control the clamping device to clamp the UAV shell.

[0068] During implementation, the system includes a conveyor belt 1 equipped with a positioning part 111, an automatic gripping device, and a clamping device, which are arranged sequentially according to the process sequence.

[0069] Wherein, a higher horizontal region is formed at the end of the conveyor belt near the robotic arm, and a positioning part 111 located within the horizontal region forms the grasping position, while a lower starting position is formed at the end of the conveyor belt away from the robotic arm. Step S110 includes the following sub-steps:

[0070] S111, Place the drone shell onto the positioning part 111 at the starting position;

[0071] S112. The PLC controller starts the drive device 112 to drive the conveyor belt 1 to move, and moves the positioning part 111 carrying the drone shell to the horizontal area on the conveyor belt 1 to form the grab position. When the detection unit set in the horizontal area detects that the drone shell has arrived, the drive device stops and the conveyor belt 1 stops moving.

[0072] S113. When the detection unit detects that the drone shell to be grabbed is being grabbed by the robotic arm, the PLC controller controls the drive device 112 to continue, the conveyor belt 1 continues to move, and the process proceeds to step S112.

[0073] This embodiment uses a quadcopter drone shell as an example for detailed explanation. The drone shell includes a fuselage and four arms spaced apart around the outer periphery of the fuselage. The centerlines of every two adjacent arms are perpendicular to each other, and the portion of the outer periphery of the fuselage corresponding to the space between two adjacent arms curves inward to form four inner curved surfaces. For the drone shell, the positioning part 111 includes four positioning blocks 101, each corresponding to one of the four inner curved surfaces formed by two adjacent arms. The four positioning blocks 101 enclose a positioning space 102 for positioning the fuselage within. A positioning opening 103 is formed between every two adjacent positioning blocks 101 for the arms to pass outward. The inner curvature of each positioning block 101 is adapted to fit the inner curved surface formed by the corresponding two adjacent arms to conform to the outside of the corresponding inner curved surface. It should be understood that for other multi-axis drone shells, the number and position of the positioning blocks 101 can be adjusted according to the drone shell in different embodiments.

[0074] Specifically, a support section is provided on the conveyor belt 1. This support section includes a first support column 13 and a second support column 14, which are connected and fixed by two top cross columns 12. A first drive shaft 15 is provided on the first support column 13. A second drive shaft 16, which is in the same plane as the first drive shaft 15, is provided at the upper end of the second support column 14, and a third drive shaft 17, which is in the same plane as the second drive shaft 16, is provided at the lower end. The first drive shaft 15, the second drive shaft 16, and the two top cross columns 12 together form a rectangular horizontal area. A positioning part 111 located within the horizontal area forms a gripping position for the robotic arm. A position detection unit (not shown) for detecting whether the drone shell is in position is provided in the horizontal area. The position detection unit is electrically connected to the drive device 112. The drive device 112 is located below the horizontal area. A drive wheel is sleeved on the output shaft of the drive device 112. A drive belt 113 is wound between the drive wheel and the third drive shaft 17. When the position detection unit detects that the drone shell has reached the position to be grasped by the robot arm in the horizontal area, the drive device 112 pauses the drive to stop the conveyor belt 1 from moving, so that the drone shell is stationary at the position to be grasped for the robot arm to grasp.

[0075] The automatic gripping device performs step S120, which includes the following sub-steps:

[0076] S121. Position the gripping part at the gripping position;

[0077] S122. Control the gripping unit to grip the drone shell;

[0078] S123. Control the robotic arm to rotate 180 degrees so that the gripping part is located at the clamping device;

[0079] S124. Control the robotic arm to rotate 180 degrees, and repeat this motion to grab the drone shell to be grabbed and place it at the clamping device position.

[0080] The specific implementation structure consists of Figure 2 , Figures 4 to 9As shown, each arm of the drone casing has an indicator light mounting hole at the end furthest from the fuselage; the automatic gripping device includes a base plate for fixing the support frame 22, a housing 221 is provided on the support frame 22, a power motor 222 connected to a PLC controller is fixed on one side inside the housing 221, and the output end of the power motor 222 is provided with a drive gear 223; a drive shaft 224 is provided on the other side inside the housing 221, and one end of the drive shaft 224 is provided with a drive gear 225 that meshes with the drive gear. The other end extends out of the housing 221, and the protruding end of the drive shaft 224 is connected and fixed to the robotic arm 23; a first bearing 231 is embedded in one end of the robotic arm 23, and the connecting frame includes a rotating shaft 232 with one end sleeved on the first bearing 231 and extending horizontally, and a rotating arm 233 is provided at the other end of the rotating shaft 232. A second bearing 234 is embedded in the rotating arm 233 at the position corresponding to the rotating shaft 232, and the protruding end of the rotating shaft 232 is sleeved on the second bearing 234. A bracket assembly is screwed onto the rotating arm 233.

[0081] The support assembly includes a first support 261 and a second support 262. Both supports are provided with "L"-shaped steps. The vertical steps of the two steps are placed close to each other and are screwed together to the rotating arm 233.

[0082] A gripping part is provided on each of the two supports, and the gripping part further includes a support frame 242 provided on each of the supports. Each end of the support frame 242 is provided with a downwardly extending hollow mounting sleeve 2421. An air storage cylinder 243 is provided inside the hollow mounting sleeve 2421. The upper end of the air storage cylinder 243 is provided with an air inlet 252, and the lower end of the air storage cylinder 243 is provided with an air outlet. A boss 244 is provided on one side of the hollow mounting sleeve 2421, and the air outlet of the air storage cylinder 243 is provided inside the boss 244. The ventilation channel is connected, and the outer wall of the boss 244 is fitted with a retainer 245. A retainer 245 is provided on the retainer 245. The opening edge of the first inflatable bag 251 is embedded and fixed in the retainer, and the first inflatable bag 251 is connected to the ventilation channel. In use, the bracket assembly moves the first inflatable bag 251 to the corresponding position of the drone shell. The first inflatable bag 251 is inflated by the air inlet 252. After the first inflatable bag 251 expands, it tightens and fixes the drone shell. Then, the robotic arm 23 drives the bracket assembly to rotate and move the drone shell to the next process for placement.

[0083] In step S121, the gripping part remains in a vertical position during the vertical rotation of the robotic arm 23 until the first inflatable bladder 251 is inserted into the indicator light mounting hole in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0084] In step S122, the first inflatable bladder 251 is inflated to support the indicator light mounting hole, thereby preventing the drone shell from detaching.

[0085] In step S123, when the gripping part is located at the clamping position of the clamping device, the first inflatable bladder 251 is controlled to contract so that when the robotic arm 23 returns to its original position in step S124, the first inflatable bladder 251 can freely leave the indicator light mounting hole.

[0086] The clamping device performs step S130, wherein the clamping part includes a support part for supporting the drone housing and a clamping part disposed on the support part for clamping the outer side wall of the drone housing; step S130 includes the following sub-steps:

[0087] S131. Detect whether the drone shell has fallen into the supporting part;

[0088] S132. If it is detected that the drone shell has fallen into the support part, control the clamping part to clamp the drone shell.

[0089] The specific implementation structure consists of Figure 2 , Figures 10 to 14 As shown, the clamping device includes a base frame 31, a transverse rotating shaft 32 mounted on the base frame 31 and capable of vertical rotation, a drive mechanism mounted on the base frame 31 and connected to the transverse rotating shaft 32 for driving the transverse rotating shaft 32 to rotate around its own axis, and a clamping part mounted on the transverse rotating shaft 32. A support plate 311 is arranged parallel to the base frame 31 at a position below the transverse rotating shaft 32. The drive mechanism is a stepper motor 341 vertically mounted on the support plate 311. The output end of the stepper motor 341 is provided with an active bevel gear 342. A driven bevel gear 343 that meshes with the active bevel gear 342 is sleeved on the transverse rotating shaft 32.

[0090] The clamping part includes a support part for supporting the drone shell and a clamping part disposed on the support part for clamping the outer wall of the drone shell. The support part includes four support rods 3311 corresponding to the number of arms of the drone shell. The inner ends of the four support rods 3311 are connected to a center point, and the outer ends radiate outward. In the horizontal projection, each support rod 3311 is staggered from the corresponding arm. The clamping part includes clamping rods 3321 that are vertically disposed at the outer ends of the support rods 3311. The support rods 3311 and the clamping rods 3321 enclose a clamping space 333 in which the body of the drone shell is placed. An opening is formed between each pair of adjacent clamping rods 3321 for the corresponding arm to pass outward.

[0091] The clamping part also includes a second inflatable bladder 3322 sleeved on the clamping rod 3321. The second inflatable bladder 3322 has a hollow air groove, and the outer side of the second inflatable bladder 3322 is provided with an inflation port communicating with the air groove 3323.

[0092] The clamping part is vertically mounted on the transverse rotating shaft 32 via a floating mounting structure. The floating mounting structure includes a mounting base 351 vertically disposed on the transverse rotating shaft 32, a floating rod 352 with one end movably inserted into the mounting base 351 and the other end connected to the bearing part, a limiting unit disposed in the mounting base 351 to prevent the floating rod 352 from completely detaching from the mounting base 351, and a floating spring 353 encircling the floating rod 352.

[0093] The mounting base 351 includes a mounting sleeve 3511 vertically disposed on the transverse rotating shaft 32 and a base 3512 disposed within the mounting sleeve 3511. The base 3512 has a floating mounting hole 3513 extending along its length. The floating mounting hole 3513 has a small diameter section near the clamping part and a large diameter section away from the clamping part.

[0094] The limiting unit includes a limiting ring 354 fixed around the end of the floating rod 352 away from the clamping part. The outer diameter of the limiting ring is adapted to the large diameter section of the floating mounting hole 3513. The axial length of the limiting ring 354 is less than the axial length of the large diameter section. The limiting ring 354 moves axially along the large diameter section under the drive of the floating rod 352. When the limiting ring 354 abuts against the end face of the small diameter section, it limits the floating rod 352.

[0095] The base 3512 has an annular boss 3514 coaxial with the floating mounting hole 3513 on one end face near the clamping part. A pressure cap 3515 is pressed on the annular boss 3514. The pressure cap 3515 has a through hole coaxial with the floating mounting hole 3513 for the floating rod 352 to pass through. The inner circumferential surfaces of the pressure cap 3515, the annular boss 3514, and the end face of the base 3512 located between the annular boss 3514 and the floating mounting hole 3513 form an assembly ring groove 3516 communicating with the floating mounting hole 3513. A plurality of balls 3517 are rolled in the assembly ring groove 3516, and the balls 3517 roll in contact with the floating rod 352. The outer wall of the annular boss 3514 and the inner wall of the mounting sleeve 3511 together form a clearance annular groove 3518. The edge of the pressure cap 3515 is provided with an extension section 35151, which extends into the clearance annular groove 3518 and is screwed to the outer wall of the annular boss 3514.

[0096] A limiting hole 3519 communicating with the floating mounting hole 3513 is provided laterally at the lower end of the mounting base 351. The two ends of the limiting hole 3519 pass through the two opposite side walls of the base 3512 and the mounting sleeve 3511 respectively. A limiting pin 3520 is inserted into the limiting hole 3519. The limiting pin 3520 is used to limit the base 3512 within the mounting sleeve 3511 and also to limit the floating stroke of the end of the floating rod 352 away from the clamping part.

[0097] In step S131, the drone shell is detected by a pressure detection unit (not shown) located at the support part to determine whether it has fallen into the support part; or by an image detection unit (not shown) capturing images of the support part to determine whether it has fallen into the support part; or by a sensor detection unit (not shown) located at the support part to determine whether it has fallen into the support part; or by the rotation of the robotic arm 23 and a preset delay time to determine whether it has fallen into the support part.

[0098] Finally, step S200 is performed, which involves controlling the drive mechanism to drive the lateral rotating shaft to rotate by a predetermined angle, so that the UAV shell is disengaged from the clamping part.

[0099] Step S200 includes the following sub-steps:

[0100] S210. Control the horizontal rotating shaft 32 to rotate 180 degrees so that the clamping part is vertically downward;

[0101] S211, the second inflatable bladder 3322 of the control clamping part contracts, so that the contracted second inflatable bladder 3322 forms a predetermined gap with the clamping surface of the drone shell, thereby allowing the drone shell to fall freely into the material basket below.

[0102] The working principle of this invention is as follows:

[0103] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the conveyor belt 1 is wound around the outer surfaces of the first drive shaft 15, the second drive shaft 16, and the third drive shaft 17. The third drive shaft 17 is driven to rotate by the drive device 112, thereby driving the conveyor belt 1 to rotate. The outer surface of the conveyor belt 1 is fixed with a positioning part 111 for fixing the drone shell. The drone shell is fixed by the positioning part 111, and the drone shell is conveyed to the horizontal area by the conveyor belt 1.

[0104] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figures 4 to 9As shown, when the drone shell is conveyed to the horizontal area, the position detection unit (not shown) set in the horizontal area causes the drive device to briefly stop driving to facilitate the automatic gripping device to grasp the drone shell for the next process. After the automatic gripping device picks up the drone shell, the drive device 112 resumes operation. Specifically, after the drone shell is conveyed to the horizontal area, the PLC controller (not shown) starts the power motor 222, which drives the transmission gear 225 to rotate via the drive gear 223. This, in turn, drives the mechanical arm 23 to rotate via the transmission shaft 224, causing the support frame 242 to move towards the product. The first inflatable bladder 251 extends into the through hole preset at the corresponding position on the drone shell. At this time, the power motor 222 is turned off, and the air pump (not shown) connected to the PLC controller is started. The air pump inflates the air tank 243 through the air inlet 252. The gas enters the first inflatable bladder 251 through the ventilation groove, and the first inflatable bladder 251 is inflated. After expansion, the air bladder 251 abuts against the wall of the through hole on the product. When the first air bladder 251 expands to a certain extent, the outer walls of the four first air bladders 251 on each support 242 abut against the wall of the corresponding through hole and tighten. Then, the air pump is turned off, and the power motor 222 is started again. At this time, the robotic arm 23 drives the support 242 to rotate and rise, while lifting the product. The robotic arm 23 rotates and moves synchronously with the transmission shaft 24, bringing the support 242 to the target position and putting it down (i.e., rotating 180 degrees to the position of the clamping device). The power motor 222 is turned off again, and the air pump is started to extract the gas in the first air bladder 251 through the air inlet 252. The first air bladder 251 shrinks, and the outer wall separates from the wall of the through hole on the product. Finally, the air pump is turned off, and the power motor 222 is started to drive the robotic arm 23 to rotate back to the standby position. This operation is repeated to achieve the clamping and movement of the product under the condition of no hard contact clamping.

[0105] During the above operation, the pressure detection unit provided at the support part detects whether the drone shell has fallen into the support part; or the image detection unit that captures the image at the support part determines whether the drone shell has fallen into the support part; or the sensor detection unit provided at the support part detects whether the drone shell has fallen into the support part; or the rotation action of the robotic arm 23 and the preset delay time determine whether the drone shell has fallen into the support part.

[0106] It should be noted that, as Figure 5 , Figure 7 and Figure 9As shown, during the entire movement, the support frame 242 is connected to the rotating arm 233, and the rotating arm 233 is connected to the rotating shaft 232. Since the outer ring of the bearing is fixedly installed, coupled with the effect of gravity and the relative rotation between the inner and outer rings (not shown) of the two bearings, the rotating shaft 232 remains stationary while the robotic arm 23 rotates. That is, the support frame 242 always maintains its initial horizontal state. In this way, during the flipping and moving process, it can also prevent the product from generating instantaneous impulse due to angle changes and detaching from the first inflatable bladder 251. At the same time, it can also avoid scratches between the gripping position and the product. Under the condition that the product will not be broken or damaged due to compressive stress caused by rigid contact, it can also ensure the appearance quality of the product.

[0107] In addition, without the support frame 242 flipping, the air inlet 252 can be prevented from getting tangled due to flipping, improving safety and making it easier for the next process or other delivery locations to receive the air using the same type of fixture, eliminating the need to make other fixtures and saving costs.

[0108] Subsequently, the drone shell moves to the position of the clamping device, which includes two embodiments:

[0109] First Embodiment

[0110] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figures 10 to 14 As shown, two bearings are symmetrically embedded on the base frame 31, and the two ends of the transverse rotating shaft 32 are respectively sleeved on the bearings at the corresponding ends to ensure the balance of force and rotation. The drone shell is clamped by the robotic arm 23 and sent to the top of the support rod 3311, and placed horizontally in the clamping space 333 formed by the support rod 3311 and the clamping rod 3321. The position of the horizontally extended robotic arm of the drone shell is staggered with the four support rods 3311, thus limiting the drone shell in the horizontal direction. In addition, during the placement process, the robotic arm 23 first clamps the drone shell and moves it to the support rod 3311, and then presses down on the support rod 3311 and simultaneously squeezes the floating spring 353 to achieve force buffering during placement, effectively protecting the drone shell and avoiding collision damage. In order to achieve better buffering effect, a washer 3531 is provided at one end of the floating spring 353. The washer 3531 abuts against the corresponding position of the lower end face of the four support rods 3311 to reduce the impact of compressive stress caused by the material release.

[0111] Meanwhile, the four clamping rods 3321 remain in contact with the corresponding positions on the outer wall of the drone shell, forming a clamping state. After the robotic arm is removed, the drone shell remains stably positioned under the clamping of the clamping rods 3321. Figure 11 As shown, when an indicator light installed at any protruding end of the drone housing is subjected to a downward installation force, the four clamping rods 3321 hold the outer wall of the drone housing. In the direction of the force, the clamping rods 3321 will resist the outer wall of the drone housing, so that the drone housing will not rotate in the direction of the force, that is, it will not fall off, thus ensuring the stability of the indicator light installation.

[0112] It should be noted that a limiting pin 3520 is inserted into the limiting hole 3519. The limiting pin 3520 is used to limit the base 3512 within the mounting sleeve 3511. At the same time, the limiting pin 3520 passes through the floating mounting hole 3513 in the middle of the base 3512. During the placement of the drone shell, it effectively limits the vertical movement of the floating rod 352, reduces the buffer stroke of the support rod 3311, and ensures the cycle efficiency of production transfer. Meanwhile, the ball bearing 3517 fits against the outer wall of the floating rod 352. Since the ball bearing 3517 is curved, it forms a line-surface fit with the floating rod 352. In addition to ensuring the direction of movement of the floating rod 352, it can also reduce the movement resistance of the floating rod 352 and keep the movement of the floating rod 352 smooth.

[0113] After the indicator lights are installed on the drone shell, the PLC controller (not shown) starts the stepper motor 341 to rotate the active bevel gear 342, which drives the meshing driven bevel gear 343 to rotate synchronously. The driven bevel gear 343 is sleeved on the transverse rotating shaft 32, so the transverse rotating shaft 32 also rotates in the same direction. That is, the support rod 3311 on the transverse rotating shaft 32 rotates with the drone shell. When it rotates to the position, the operator takes out the drone shell and places it in the designated position. The target position should also be protected by the drone shell, which will not be elaborated here. Then, the PLC controller sends a command to reverse the stepper motor 341, so that the support rod 3311 returns to the standby position. This operation is repeated.

[0114] If two or more brackets are installed on the transverse pivot 32 (e.g.) Figure 13 As shown, four clamping parts are evenly arranged along the circumference of the transverse rotating shaft 32. The angle value of each rotation is set on the PLC controller. When the material is transferred to the position, the receiving position always has a bearing part ready, which can improve the efficiency of production turnover. It should be noted that when the support rod 3311 rotates to the lower position, the floating rod 352 will move downward under the action of gravity. At this time, the limiting ring 354 is exactly against the end face of the small diameter section of the floating mounting hole 3513, which limits the floating rod 352 and prevents the floating rod 352 from falling out of the base 3512.

[0115] In addition, such as Figure 11 As shown, four spacers (not shown) are evenly arranged along the circumference of the large-diameter section of the floating mounting hole 3513 to form four groove structures. The limiting ring 354 is composed of four plates that are adapted to the shape of the groove. The four plates extend into the groove structure at the corresponding position. Under the premise of reducing the movement and fitting clearance, it can play a better role in stabilizing and guiding the movement of the floating rod 352.

[0116] Second embodiment:

[0117] Unlike Example 1, as Figure 14 As shown, a second airbag 3322 is fitted onto the clamping rod 3321. When the drone shell is placed in the clamping part, the second airbag 3322 is inflated. The gas in the air groove 3323 causes the second airbag 3322 to expand outward, so that the outer wall of the second airbag 3322 fits and abuts against the corresponding position of the outer wall of the drone shell. On the one hand, the second airbag 3322 and the first airbag 251 are both made of polyurethane material, which is flexible and does not make rigid contact with the outer wall of the drone shell. It can fix the drone shell and is not easy to damage the drone shell. On the other hand, it reduces the gap at the drone shell placement position and reduces the probability of the drone shell surface being scratched.

[0118] It should be noted that, since the inflation port of the second airbag 3322 is connected to an air tube, to avoid interference caused by the air tube rotating with the clamping part, a stepper motor 341 is used to achieve reciprocating rotation at a fixed angle. Only two clamping parts need to be set. Simultaneously, a receiving position is set at each end of the clamping part. In this way, while each side is being transferred to its position, the receiving position always has a clamping part ready, which also improves production turnover efficiency; it can also... Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, a spare clamping position is set, and the second inflatable bag 3322 is fitted onto the clamping rod 3321 of two adjacent clamping positions each time.

[0119] The above-mentioned components connected to the PLC controller have all had their operation and stroke parameters adjusted and set in the PLC controller to achieve automation. These details will not be elaborated further here.

Claims

1. A method for loading drone shells, used to load drone shells to a clamping device during drone shell assembly, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S110. Place the drone shell on the conveyor belt (1) so that the conveyor belt transports the drone shell to the gripping position for the robotic arm to grasp; wherein, the conveyor belt has positioning parts (111) for positioning the drone shell distributed at intervals along the conveying direction. S120. Control the robotic arm to grab the drone shell at the grabbing position and transfer the grabbed drone shell to the clamping part of the clamping device; S130, Control the clamping part to clamp the UAV shell; The drone shell includes a fuselage and several arms spaced around the outer periphery of the fuselage. The portion of the outer periphery of the fuselage corresponding to the space between two adjacent arms bends inward to form an inner curved surface. The positioning part includes several positioning blocks (101) that correspond one-to-one with the several inner curved surfaces. A positioning space (102) is formed between the several positioning blocks (101) for positioning the fuselage therein. A positioning opening (103) is formed between each pair of adjacent positioning blocks (101) for the arms to pass outward. The inner curvature of each positioning block (101) is adapted to the corresponding inner curved surface so as to be attached to the outside of the corresponding inner curved surface. The robotic arm includes a support frame (22) placed between the conveyor belt (1) and the clamping device, a robotic arm located at the top of the support frame (22) capable of vertically rotating 180 degrees, and a gripping part located on the robotic arm (23). The gripping part changes position back and forth between the gripping position and the clamping device under the rotation of the robotic arm. The gripping part is pivotally connected to one end of the robotic arm (23) away from the support frame (22), and the gripping part can rotate vertically, maintaining a state perpendicular to the horizontal plane due to its own weight. Step S120 includes the following sub-steps: S121. Position the gripping part at the gripping position; S122. Control the gripping unit to grip the drone shell; S123. Control the robotic arm to rotate 180 degrees so that the gripping part is located at the clamping device; S124. Control the robotic arm to rotate 180 degrees and repeat this motion to grab the drone shell to be grabbed and place it at the clamping device position. Each of the arms of the drone casing has an indicator light mounting hole at one end away from the fuselage; the gripping part includes a pivot (232) horizontally connected to the robotic arm (23), a rotating arm (233) with its upper end rotatably connected to the pivot (232) and its lower end connected to the gripper, the gripper including a support frame (242) and gripping fingers on the support frame (242) corresponding to the position of the indicator light, the support frame (242) having a number and position of support rods corresponding one-to-one with the robotic arm, the support... A hollow mounting sleeve (2421) extends downward from the position corresponding to the mounting hole of the indicator light on the rod. An air storage cylinder (243) is provided inside the hollow mounting sleeve (2421). The air storage cylinder (243) has an air inlet (252) connected to an air source and an air outlet at its lower end. The gripping finger includes a first inflatable bladder (251) fixed to the lower end of the air storage cylinder (243) and sealed to the air outlet. The shape of the first inflatable bladder (251) is adapted to the mounting hole of the indicator light. In step S121, the gripping part is kept in a vertical position during the vertical rotation of the robotic arm (23) until the first inflatable bag (251) is inserted into the indicator light mounting hole one by one. In step S122, the first inflatable bladder (251) is inflated and expands to support the indicator light mounting hole, thereby preventing the drone shell from detaching. In step S123, when the gripping part is located at the clamping position of the clamping device, the first inflatable bladder (251) is controlled to contract so that when the robotic arm (23) returns to its original position in step S124, the first inflatable bladder (251) can freely leave the indicator light mounting hole.

2. The method for feeding a UAV shell as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A higher horizontal region is formed at the end of the conveyor belt near the robot arm, and the positioning part (111) located in the horizontal region forms the gripping position. A lower starting position is formed at the end of the conveyor belt away from the robot arm. Step S110 includes the following sub-steps: S111, Place the drone shell on the positioning part (111) at the starting position; S112. The PLC controller starts the drive device (112) to drive the conveyor belt (1) to move, and moves the positioning part (111) carrying the drone shell to the horizontal area on the conveyor belt (1) to form the grab position. When the detection unit set in the horizontal area detects that the drone shell has arrived, the drive device stops and the conveyor belt (1) stops moving. S113. When the detection unit detects that the drone shell to be grabbed is grabbed by the robotic arm, the PLC controller controls the drive device (112) to continue, the conveyor belt (1) continues to move, and the process proceeds to step S112.

3. The method for feeding a UAV shell as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The clamping part includes a support part for supporting the drone housing and a clamping part disposed on the support part for clamping the outer side wall of the drone housing; step S130 includes the following sub-steps: S131. Detect whether the drone shell has fallen into the supporting part; S132. If it is detected that the drone shell has fallen into the support part, control the clamping part to clamp the drone shell.

4. The method for feeding a UAV shell as described in claim 3, characterized in that, In step S131, the pressure detection unit provided at the support part detects whether the drone shell has fallen into the support part; or the image detection unit at the support part determines whether the drone shell has fallen into the support part; or the sensor detection unit provided at the support part detects whether the drone shell has fallen into the support part; or the rotation action of the robotic arm (23) and the preset delay time determine whether the drone shell has fallen into the support part.

5. The method for feeding a UAV shell as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The supporting part includes a plurality of support rods (3311) corresponding to the number of arms of the UAV shell. The inner ends of the plurality of support rods (3311) are connected to a central point, and the outer ends radiate outward. In the horizontal projection, each support rod (3311) is staggered from the corresponding arm. The clamping part includes clamping rods (3321) vertically arranged at the outer ends of the support rods (3311). The support rods (3311) and clamping rods (3321) enclose a clamping space (333) in which the body of the UAV shell is placed. An opening is formed between each pair of adjacent clamping rods (3321) for the corresponding arm to pass outward. The clamping part also includes a second inflatable bladder (3322) sleeved on the clamping rods (3321). The second inflatable bladder (3322) has a hollow air groove, and the outer side of the second inflatable bladder (3322) is provided with a second air inlet communicating with the air groove (3323). In step S132, by controlling the inflation of the second airbag (3322), the inflated second airbag (3322) presses inward against the inner curved surface, thereby clamping the drone shell.

6. A method for loading and unloading unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) casings, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S100, the drone shell is automatically fed to the clamping device, the clamping device includes a horizontal rotating shaft (32), a driving mechanism for driving the horizontal rotating shaft (32) to rotate, and a clamping part vertically disposed on the horizontal rotating shaft (32); wherein, the drone shell is fed to the clamping part of the clamping device by the drone shell feeding method described in claim 5. S200, Unloading the UAV Casing: After the indicator light of the UAV Casing at the clamping part is assembled, the drive mechanism is controlled to drive the transverse rotating shaft to rotate by a predetermined angle, so that the UAV Casing is disengaged from the clamping part.

7. The method for loading and unloading UAV shells as described in claim 6, characterized in that, Step S200 includes the following sub-steps: S210, Control the horizontal rotating shaft (32) to rotate 180 degrees so that the clamping part is vertically downward; S211, the second inflatable bladder (3322) of the control clamping part contracts, so that the contracted second inflatable bladder (3322) forms a predetermined gap with the clamping surface of the drone shell, thereby allowing the drone shell to fall freely into the material basket below.

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