An automatic assembly system for a gas meter main board

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of gas meter mainboard automatic assembly system, it is related to gas meter production technical field.The present application includes clamping mechanism, the clamping mechanism includes positioning part and push part, the positioning part and push part are located at the two sides of base table respectively, the push part is provided with telescopic structure, the push part is pushed from one side base table and is pressed on the positioning part.The clamping mechanism of the present application is provided with positioning part and push part, can be clamped and fixed to various different models of gas meter base table, and positioning part can provide reference coordinates for mechanical arm.Make the mechanical arm can be positioned with the position of part as reference, install mainboard to the specified position of base table.The system does not need to disassemble and replace clamping mechanism when clamping and fixing different models of gas meter, solve the problem that production is stopped due to the need of replacing parts for mainboard installation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of gas meter manufacturing technology, and in particular relates to an automatic assembly system for gas meter mainboards. Background Technology

[0002] The mainboard of a gas meter needs to be installed in a designated location. Current technology primarily uses manual assembly. The assembly method involves using a conveyor to transport the base meter to a worker's station, where the mainboards to be installed are stacked next to the worker. The worker then removes the base meter from the conveyor and installs the mainboard, before returning the base meter to the conveyor for downstream processing. The advantage of manual assembly is its applicability to various gas meter models.

[0003] Automated assembly can overcome the drawbacks of high labor costs and low efficiency. However, automated assembly requires machinery to position and fix the mainboard and the base meter of the gas meter. While manual assembly doesn't need to consider the different shapes of different gas meter models, automated assembly must address the issue of clamping and fixing different gas meter models during production. Even if the clamping mechanism can hold and fix different gas meter models, it cannot properly position the gas meter after clamping, preventing the robotic arm from placing the mainboard. If a separate production line is set up for each gas meter model, the cost of production equipment will increase significantly. Changing the clamping and positioning structure will also cause production line shutdowns, resulting in economic losses due to production stoppages.

[0004] Therefore, there is a problem of poor universality in the automatic assembly technology of gas meter motherboards, making it difficult to uniformly clamp and fix different models of gas meters. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic assembly system for gas meter mainboards, which solves the problem of incompatibility of gas meter clamping structures during gas meter mainboard assembly.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0007] An automated assembly system for gas meter motherboards includes a clamping mechanism comprising a positioning part and a pushing part, located on opposite sides of a base meter. The pushing part has a telescopic structure, allowing it to push the base meter against the positioning part from one side. The positioning part positions the base meter, providing a reference coordinate for the robotic arm when placing the motherboard. The pushing part applies a force to the base meter, clamping it between the positioning and pushing parts, thus securing the base meter. Different gas meter models have different shapes and sizes, resulting in varying pushing distances for the pushing part. Therefore, the cooperation of the positioning and pushing parts enables automated clamping and positioning of various gas meters, allowing the robotic arm to place the motherboard using the positioning part as a reference coordinate.

[0008] Therefore, the positioning unit can play a positioning role, providing reference coordinates for the movement of the robotic arm. The combination of the positioning unit and the pushing unit can clamp and fix the base plate.

[0009] The positioning part also has a telescopic structure with a fixed stroke. The thrust of the telescopic structure of the positioning part is less than the thrust of the telescopic structure of the pushing part. The purpose of the telescopic structure in the positioning part is to enable it to be used on a conveying device. If the positioning part did not have telescopic capability, it would easily obstruct the base table being conveyed by the conveying device, causing misalignment and preventing clamping. Therefore, the telescopic structure solves this problem. The greater thrust of the positioning part during its movement ensures that it moves to the designated position each time, thus achieving the positioning function. The greater thrust of the positioning part than the pushing part ensures the stability of the positioning effect.

[0010] It also includes a conveying mechanism, with the positioning part and the pushing part located on either side of the base watch being conveyed by the conveying mechanism. Positioning the positioning part and the pushing part on either side of the conveying mechanism ensures that the positioning part clamps the base watch being conveyed by the conveying mechanism. After the robotic arm's security mainboard, the clamping mechanism releases the base watch, allowing it to move to the downstream process under the conveying action of the conveying mechanism.

[0011] The robotic arm is used to grip the motherboard and place it on the base watch held by the clamping mechanism. The movement of the robotic arm is controlled by a controller, and the movement of the clamping mechanism must coordinate with the movement of the robotic arm to achieve the gripping of the base watch and the placement of the motherboard. Therefore, both the robotic arm and the clamping mechanism are electrically connected to the controller, which controls the movements of both the robotic arm and the clamping mechanism, and thus controls their coordination.

[0012] When the positioning unit is in motion, the controller can set the end position of the robotic arm based on the position of the positioning unit. This allows the positioning unit to serve as a reference coordinate for the robotic arm's movement.

[0013] The clamping mechanism may introduce errors when holding the base watch. Therefore, the system also includes a vision mechanism to monitor the position of the base watch held by the clamping mechanism. The signal output of the vision mechanism is connected to the controller to transmit the monitoring signal. The vision system captures an image of the base watch held by the clamping mechanism and transmits the image to the controller. The controller compares the captured image with a preset base watch position to determine the actual position of the base watch. When the actual position of the base watch matches the preset position, the robotic arm can place the motherboard onto the designated position on the base watch along a preset path. When the actual position of the base watch differs from the preset position, the controller adjusts the movement path of the robotic arm according to the actual position of the base watch to ensure that the robotic arm can place the motherboard onto the designated position on the base watch.

[0014] During the movement of the robotic arm, the vision system also captures the movements of the robotic arm, allowing the controller to compare the actual movement path of the robotic arm with the set path to achieve real-time adjustment of the robotic arm's movements.

[0015] The vision mechanism can compensate for the lack of precision in the clamping mechanism and the robotic arm, and can also solve problems such as base misalignment.

[0016] The clamping structure and vision mechanism enable precise positioning and fixing of various types of gas meters. This system also includes a positioning fixture with a positioning groove whose shape matches the motherboard shape. The positioning groove is used to position the motherboard grasped by the robotic arm, and the groove opening is provided with a guide surface. The positioning fixture enables precise positioning of the motherboard. After the robotic arm grasps the motherboard from the feeder, there is a certain deviation in the relative position between the robotic arm and the motherboard, resulting in inaccurate positioning between them. This inaccurate positioning can lead to inaccurate motherboard installation.

[0017] After setting up the positioning fixture, the robotic arm places the motherboard in the positioning slot before placing it on the base table. During its descent, the motherboard contacts the guide surface, and even if it's not directly aligned with the positioning slot, it will eventually fall into it under the guidance of the guide surface. The robotic arm then uses the guide fixture as a reference coordinate to grasp the motherboard in the positioning slot. After re-grabbing, the relative position between the robotic arm and the motherboard is more precise, allowing the motherboard to be accurately installed in the designated position on the base table.

[0018] There are multiple positioning slots, and the shapes of these slots match the shapes of various motherboards. Each positioning slot is adapted to a motherboard of a specific shape, enabling the system to position various motherboards using positioning fixtures. The purpose of providing multiple positioning slots is also to increase the system's versatility in motherboard positioning.

[0019] The multiple positioning slots can be set on one positioning fixture or on multiple positioning fixtures respectively.

[0020] The robotic arm is equipped with a vacuum suction cup, which grips the motherboard using vacuum adsorption. The vacuum suction cup is designed to grip motherboards of various shapes. This allows the robotic arm to grip motherboards of diverse shapes, increasing its versatility in motherboard gripping.

[0021] The vision mechanism is mounted on a position adjustment mechanism, which is used to adjust the position of the vision mechanism. When photographing different models of gas meters, the required shooting position also needs to be different. Therefore, the position adjustment mechanism is set up to adjust the vision mechanism so that it can meet the requirements of photographing various models of gas meters.

[0022] The position adjustment mechanism can be a two-axis mechanism or a three-axis mechanism.

[0023] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0024] The clamping mechanism of this invention, by incorporating a positioning part and a pushing part, can clamp and fix various types of gas meter base meters. The positioning part provides reference coordinates for the robotic arm, allowing it to install the mainboard onto the designated position of the base meter with the positioning part as a reference. This system eliminates the need to disassemble and replace the clamping mechanism when clamping and fixing different types of gas meters, thus solving the problem of production downtime caused by component replacements required for mainboard installation. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a top view of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a top view of the clamping mechanism of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a top view of the positioning fixture of the present invention.

[0030] The attached diagram lists the components represented by each number as follows:

[0031] 1. Feeding end; 2. Robotic arm; 3. Two-axis mechanism; 4. Industrial camera; 5. Clamping mechanism; 6. Base plate; 7. Conveying mechanism; 8. Positioning fixture; 9. Vacuum suction cup; 10. Positioning groove; 11. Guide surface; 12. Countersunk hole; 13. Servo gripper; 14. Auxiliary gripper; 15. Gripper body; 16. Servo electric cylinder; 17. Cylinder. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and through specific implementation methods of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0033] Please see Figures 1-4 As shown, this invention is an automatic assembly system for a gas meter mainboard, including a conveying mechanism 7, a robotic arm 2, a positioning fixture 8, and a clamping mechanism 5. The robotic arm 2 picks up the mainboard from the feed end 1, then moves it to the positioning fixture 8 for positioning. After positioning, the robotic arm 2 picks up the mainboard from the positioning fixture 8 and installs it onto the base meter 6 fixed by the clamping mechanism 5. The conveying mechanism 7 is used to convey the gas meter base meter 6, while the clamping mechanism 5 is used to fix and position the base meter 6, facilitating the robotic arm 2 to place the mainboard in the designated position on the base meter 6.

[0034] The positioning fixture 8 is located within the gripping range of the robotic arm 2 and is used to position the motherboard. After the robotic arm 2 grips the motherboard from the feed end 1, it places the motherboard into the positioning fixture 8 for guidance and positioning. The positioning fixture 8 remains fixed throughout the entire workflow, so the relative position between the positioning fixture 8 and the base of the robotic arm 2 does not change. Therefore, the robotic arm 2 can accurately grip the motherboard placed within the positioning fixture 8 using it as a reference.

[0035] The clamping mechanism 5 is used to fix and position the base plate 6 on the conveying mechanism 7. Therefore, the clamping mechanism is provided with a positioning part for positioning and a pushing part for clamping.

[0036] In one embodiment, the positioning part is a servo gripper 13, and the pushing part is an auxiliary gripper 14. The servo gripper 13 and the auxiliary gripper 14 are located on both sides of the conveying mechanism 7. When it is necessary to clamp and fix the base watch 6, both the servo gripper 13 and the auxiliary gripper 14 extend to clamp the base watch 6 on the conveying mechanism 7 from both sides. The clamping mechanism 5 fixes the base watch 6 by clamping from both sides.

[0037] The stroke of the servo gripper 13 is a fixed value, so the clamping mechanism 5 can also achieve positioning through the servo gripper 13. The stroke of the servo gripper 13 is fixed, so when the servo gripper 13 has completed its stroke, it will stop moving and play a positioning role, while the auxiliary gripper 14 will continue to extend until the two ends of the base plate 6 abut against the servo gripper 13 and the auxiliary gripper 14 respectively.

[0038] Both the servo gripper 13 and the auxiliary gripper 14 can extend and retract to clamp and release the gas meter. The thrust of the servo gripper 13 when it extends is greater than the thrust of the auxiliary gripper 14 when it extends, so that the servo gripper 13 can extend to the designated position each time.

[0039] Therefore, in one embodiment, the servo gripper 13 includes a gripper body 15 and a servo electric cylinder 16, which facilitates precise control of the stroke distance of the servo gripper 13. The auxiliary gripper 14 includes a gripper body 15 and a cylinder 17, with the cylinder 17 pushing the gripper body 15 to clamp the base table 6.

[0040] Similarly, in other embodiments, the servo electric cylinder 16 can also be replaced by other structures that can precisely control the stroke distance.

[0041] The purpose of setting up a servo gripper 13 with a specified stroke and an auxiliary gripper 14 with an indefinite stroke is to accommodate various models of gas meters. Different models of gas meters have different sizes, and if a common fixed-stroke fixing mechanism is used, it is difficult to accurately clamp and fix the gas meter. If the stroke of the fixing mechanism is too large, it will squeeze the base meter 6, causing dents and damage to the surface of the base meter 6. If the stroke of the fixing mechanism is insufficient, the base meter 6 will not be clamped and fixed, making it difficult to accurately position the base meter 6.

[0042] Compared to grippers driven by two cylinders 17, the clamping mechanism 5 of the present invention has the advantage of being able to position the gas meter. Grippers driven by cylinders 17 require the two cylinders 17 to be in equilibrium to maintain stability, but the equilibrium point of the cylinders 17 is difficult to determine during use, and they are subject to more interference. Therefore, although grippers driven by cylinders 17 can position various types of gas meters, they make it difficult to accurately position the gas meter, and even more impossible to achieve fully automated installation of the gas meter.

[0043] Obviously, the clamping mechanism 5 of this application overcomes the above-mentioned shortcomings, so that the clamping mechanism 5 can both clamp and fix various types of gas meters and position various types of gas meters.

[0044] In this invention, a vision mechanism is also provided. After the gas meter is fixed by the clamping mechanism 5, the vision mechanism takes a picture to calibrate the position of the gas meter, increasing the accuracy of the robotic arm 2 when installing the motherboard. If an error or other unexpected situation occurs during the clamping process of the clamping mechanism 5, the vision mechanism can transmit the corresponding information. The information transmitted by the vision mechanism can be transmitted via electrical signals, and the vision mechanism transmits the information to the controller, which then processes the corresponding signal.

[0045] For example, in one implementation, the vision mechanism takes a picture of the clamped base meter 6 and transmits the image to the controller. The controller compares the captured image with the set position of the base meter 6 and determines that there is a slight offset in the position of the base meter 6 clamped by the clamping mechanism 5. After obtaining the result, the controller can adjust the movement path of the robotic arm 2 so that the position where the robotic arm 2 puts down the motherboard corresponds to the corresponding position on the actual base meter 6, thereby solving the problem of the base meter 6 position offset.

[0046] In one implementation, the vision system captures images of designated features on the gas meter. The controller then compares the coordinates of two features to determine the actual position of the base meter 6. For example, a positioning pin is positioned at one location on the base meter 6. When comparing images, the controller can use the position of the positioning pin as a reference. The controller compares the coordinates of the positioning pin in the image with the coordinates of the positioning pin in the settings to obtain the precise actual position of the base meter 6. This allows the controller to further issue control commands to the robotic arm 2, enabling the robotic arm 2 to place the mainboard at the designated position on the base meter 6.

[0047] Furthermore, during the comparison, the controller can also compare the relative positions of the servo gripper 13 and the positioning pin of the base meter 6 to determine whether the clamping mechanism 5 is clamping the base meter 6 in the correct position. This solves the problem of the base meter 6 being difficult to identify due to severe misalignment, which causes the positions of the base meter 6 and the clamping mechanism 5 to be confused.

[0048] Furthermore, a positioning structure can be set on robotic arm 2 as a positioning coordinate. When robotic arm 2 is working, the vision system captures the position of robotic arm 2, allowing the controller to compare whether the actual movement position of robotic arm 2 coincides with the set position. If the positioning coordinate on robotic arm 2 does not coincide with the set coordinate, the position of robotic arm 2 can be adjusted in real time based on the comparison of the two coordinates, thus solving the problem of inherent error of robotic arm 2.

[0049] The vision mechanism includes an industrial camera 4 and a position adjustment mechanism. The position adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the position of the industrial camera 4, enabling it to adapt to various models of gas meters. When producing different gas meters, the position adjustment mechanism can move the industrial camera 4 to a suitable shooting position, allowing it to accurately capture images of various gas meter models.

[0050] When producing different models of gas meters, the industrial camera 4 can be set at the position corresponding to that model. This allows the industrial camera 4 to accurately capture the positions of the gas meter base 6 and the robotic arm 2.

[0051] The position adjustment mechanism can be a two-axis mechanism or a three-axis mechanism.

[0052] When it is not necessary to adjust the position of the industrial camera 4 in three-dimensional space, a two-axis mechanism 3 can be used. For example, when it is only necessary to adjust the position of the industrial camera 4 in the horizontal plane, only a two-axis mechanism 3 needs to be set up.

[0053] Similarly, by setting the position adjustment mechanism as a three-axis mechanism, the spatial position of the industrial camera 4 can be adjusted.

[0054] The vision mechanism is located on the upper side of the conveying mechanism 7, which facilitates the imaging of the base table 6.

[0055] In one embodiment, the conveying mechanism 7 is a belt conveyor.

[0056] This system also includes a positioning fixture 8. After the base table 6 of different models can be accurately positioned and fixed, the positioning fixture 8 is set up to accurately position and fix the motherboards of various corresponding shapes, ensuring the accuracy between the motherboard and the robotic arm 2.

[0057] like Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the positioning fixture 8 is a box structure with a positioning groove 10 corresponding to the shape of the motherboard. The top of the positioning groove 10 is chamfered to allow the motherboard to fall smoothly into the positioning groove 10. Once the motherboard is in the positioning groove 10, the positioning of the motherboard is completed. The robotic arm 2 will use the positioning fixture 8 as a positioning reference to grasp the motherboard within the positioning fixture 8, thereby enabling the robotic arm 2 to accurately grasp the designated position on the motherboard and achieve the purpose of accurate motherboard grasping.

[0058] The positioning slots 10 are multiple, and each positioning slot 10 corresponds to a different model of motherboard. Each positioning slot 10 is used to position different models of motherboards. The use of multiple positioning slots 10 solves the problem of poor versatility. There are many models of gas meters, and different models of gas meters also have different models of motherboards. By setting multiple positioning slots 10, various motherboards can be positioned, making the system more versatile.

[0059] In one embodiment, multiple positioning fixtures 8 are provided, each corresponding to a positioning slot 10. This arrangement allows for individual replacement of a damaged positioning slot 10, making it easier to control costs.

[0060] In another embodiment, only one positioning fixture 8 is provided, which has multiple parallel positioning slots 10. The advantage of this arrangement is that when installing the positioning fixture 8, only the position of the positioning fixture 8 needs to be adjusted once to determine the position of all positioning slots 10. In contrast, multiple positioning fixtures 8 require individual adjustment of their positions during fixed installation.

[0061] The purpose of the positioning fixture 8 in positioning multiple motherboards without using the annular step is to avoid interference from the annular step. Interference from the annular step would prevent the motherboard from being accurately placed in the positioning slot 10, rendering the positioning slot 10 ineffective. Therefore, to solve this problem, each motherboard is equipped with a separate positioning fixture 8 for positioning.

[0062] The corners of the positioning groove 10 are all machined with countersunk holes 12. The corners of the positioning groove 10 are located inside the countersunk holes 12. After the countersunk holes 12 are machined out, the corners of the positioning groove 10 are eliminated.

[0063] During processing, the corner points of the positioning groove 10 are used as the center for processing to avoid the corner points of the positioning groove 10 coinciding with the hole wall of the countersunk hole 12, thereby ensuring that the corner points of the positioning groove 10 are eliminated.

[0064] From a top-down view, the positioning groove 10 is a polygonal structure, and each corner of the polygonal structure is located inside a circle, with the center of each circle coinciding with a corner of the polygon.

[0065] After the motherboard is placed in the positioning slot 10, each corner of the motherboard will be located in the countersunk hole 12, and each corner of the motherboard will not contact the wall of the countersunk hole 12, thus avoiding the situation where the motherboard gets stuck due to insufficient machining accuracy of the corners of the positioning slot 10 or poor accuracy of the corners of the motherboard.

[0066] The depth of the countersunk hole 12 is greater than the depth of the positioning groove 10. Even if the edge of the motherboard is stuck in the positioning groove 10, a tool can be inserted into the underside of the motherboard through the countersunk hole 12 to apply upward force from the underside and push the motherboard out of the positioning groove 10. The countersunk hole 12 can solve the problem of the motherboard being stuck in the positioning groove 10 and difficult to remove.

[0067] The bottom of the countersunk hole 12 can also be machined with a screw hole for screws to pass through, so as to fix the positioning fixture 8 on the work station.

[0068] The robotic arm 2 is equipped with a vacuum suction cup 9, which is used to adsorb motherboards. The vacuum suction cup 9 can adsorb and grasp motherboards of various shapes, making the robotic arm 2 more versatile in grasping motherboards.

Claims

1. A gas meter main plate automatic assembly system, characterized in that: Including clamping mechanism (5), the clamping mechanism (5) includes positioning part and pushing part, the positioning part and pushing part are located at both sides of base table (6) respectively, the pushing part is provided with telescopic structure, the pushing part pushes base table (6) from one side and is pressed against the positioning part, further including mechanical arm (2), controller and visual mechanism, the mechanical arm (2) is used to clamp mainboard and places mainboard on the base table (6) clamped by the clamping mechanism (5), the mechanical arm (2) and the clamping mechanism (5) are electrically connected with the controller, the controller is used to control the action of the mechanical arm (2) and the clamping mechanism (5), the visual mechanism is used to monitor the position of the base table (6) clamped by clamping mechanism, the signal output end of the visual mechanism is connected with the controller, for transmitting monitoring signal to the controller, a positioning pin is arranged on one position of base table (6), when the controller compares images, the position of positioning pin is used as reference, the controller compares the coordinates of positioning pin in image with the coordinates of positioning pin in setting, to obtain the accurate actual position of base table (6), the positioning part is a servo jaw (13), the pushing part is an auxiliary jaw (14), when the controller compares, whether the relative position of the coordinates of servo jaw (13) and base table (6) positioning pin is correct is compared, to obtain whether the clamping mechanism (5) clamps base table (6) in normal position, a positioning structure is arranged on the mechanical arm (2) as positioning coordinates, when the mechanical arm (2) works, the visual system photographs the position of the mechanical arm (2), to make the controller compare whether the actual moving position of the mechanical arm (2) coincides with the setting position.

2. The automatic mainboard assembling system of a gas meter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning part is also provided with telescopic structure, the stroke of the telescopic structure of the positioning part is fixed, and the pushing force of the telescopic structure of the pushing part is less than the pushing force of the telescopic structure of the positioning part.

3. The automatic mainboard assembling system of a gas meter according to claim 2, characterized in that: Further comprising a conveying mechanism (7), the positioning part and the pushing part are located at both sides of the base table (6) conveyed by the conveying mechanism (7) respectively.

4. The automatic mainboard assembling system of a gas meter according to claim 1, characterized in that: Further comprising a positioning tool (8), the positioning tool (8) is provided with a positioning groove (10), the shape of the positioning groove (10) matches the shape of the mainboard, the positioning groove (10) is used to position the mainboard grabbed by the mechanical arm (2), and the slot of the positioning groove (10) is provided with a guide surface (11).

5. The automatic mainboard assembling system of a gas meter according to claim 4, characterized in that: The positioning groove (10) has a plurality of shapes, and the shapes of the plurality of positioning grooves (10) match the shapes of a plurality of mainboards.

6. The automatic mainboard assembling system of a gas meter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mechanical arm (2) is provided with a vacuum chuck (9) and grabs the mainboard in a vacuum adsorption mode.

7. The automatic mainboard assembling system of a gas meter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The visual mechanism is arranged on a position adjusting mechanism, and the position adjusting mechanism is used to adjust the position of the visual mechanism.

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