A pipe bender and a pipe bending method

Abstract

This invention relates to a pipe bending machine and a pipe bending method. The pipe bending machine includes: a frame; a feeding device; a cutting device adapted to cut the pipe material fed to the cutting station by the feeding device; a bending device including a bending head and a bending feeding mechanism; and a robotic arm device for transferring the pipe material cut by the cutting device to the bending feeding mechanism. The robotic arm device includes a robotic arm body, a lifting mechanism for driving the robotic arm body to move up and down, and a traversing mechanism for driving the robotic arm body to move laterally. This invention uses a feeding device for feeding, eliminating the need for reciprocating motion of the cutting device, thus improving production efficiency. Furthermore, the robotic arm device can move both laterally and up and down during the pipe material transfer process. When there is a slight deviation in height between the cutting device and the bending feeding mechanism, the position of the pipe material can be adjusted by the lifting mechanism to achieve precise alignment with the bending feeding mechanism, reducing the processing accuracy requirements of the cutting device and the bending feeding mechanism.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of machining technology, specifically to a pipe bending machine and a pipe bending method. Background Technology

[0002] Multi-function pipe bending machines on the market are mainly divided into dual-head and single-head mechanisms. Dual-head mechanisms are mainly used for bending copper pipes with longer bending lengths, while single-head mechanisms are mainly used for bending copper pipes with shorter bending lengths. In the current single-head pipe bending machine, the pipe cutting head moves back and forth during the feeding process, wasting time and affecting the production cycle, resulting in low production efficiency. Furthermore, the robotic arm of the pipe bending machine can only move horizontally and cannot move vertically when transferring the copper pipe cut by the cutting device to the bending feeding mechanism of the bending device. Therefore, the processing accuracy requirements of the cutting device and the bending feeding mechanism are relatively high. It is necessary to ensure that the position of the copper pipe clamped by the cutting device and the position of the copper pipe clamped by the bending feeding mechanism are on the same horizontal line. If there is a slight deviation in the vertical direction between the cutting device and the bending feeding mechanism, precise docking cannot be achieved, resulting in failure of copper pipe transfer or long transfer time, which affects production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art in the pipe bending machine, such as the pipe cutting head moving back and forth during the feeding process, which wastes time and affects the production cycle, and the fact that the robotic arm can only move laterally and cannot adjust its degree of freedom in other directions when transferring the copper tube cut by the cutting device to the bending feeding mechanism of the bending device, resulting in copper tube transfer failure or long transfer time, and the high processing accuracy requirements of the cutting device and the bending feeding mechanism. Therefore, the present invention provides a pipe bending machine and pipe bending method that can effectively improve production efficiency and reduce the processing accuracy requirements of the cutting device and the bending feeding mechanism.

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a pipe bending machine, comprising: a frame; a feeding device for conveying received pipes to a preset cutting station on the frame; a cutting device fixedly mounted on the frame, adapted to cut the pipes conveyed to the cutting station by the feeding device to a predetermined length; a bending device mounted on the frame and arranged side-by-side with the cutting device, for bending the cut pipes, the bending device including a bending head and a bending feeding mechanism for conveying the cut pipes to the bending head; and a robotic arm mounted on the frame for transferring the pipes cut by the cutting device to a picking station adapted to engage with the bending feeding mechanism, the robotic arm including a robotic arm body, a lifting mechanism for driving the robotic arm body to move up and down, and a traversing mechanism for driving the robotic arm body to move laterally between the cutting station and the picking station.

[0005] Optionally, the lateral movement mechanism is adapted to drive the robot body to move laterally along the width direction of the frame; the robot device further includes a translation mechanism for driving the robot body to move horizontally along the length direction of the frame.

[0006] Optionally, the robotic arm device includes: a robotic arm mounting bracket, fixedly disposed at one end of the frame away from the feeding device, the robotic arm mounting bracket including a support beam spanning above the cutting device and the bending device; the robotic arm body is movably disposed on the support beam along the length direction of the support beam, and the lateral movement mechanism is adapted to drive the robotic arm body to move along the support beam.

[0007] Optionally, the robotic arm body is slidably connected to the support beam via a sliding base, and the lifting mechanism includes: a first driving component, fixedly disposed on the sliding base; a first moving component, connected to the first driving component, adapted to move up and down under the drive of the first driving component; the robotic arm body is disposed on the first moving component, adapted to move up and down in the vertical direction with the first moving component under the drive of the first driving component.

[0008] Optionally, the translation mechanism includes: a second driving component, fixedly mounted on the first moving component; a second moving component connected to the second driving component, adapted to move horizontally along the length direction of the frame under the drive of the second driving component; and a robot body fixedly mounted at one end of the second moving component near the bending and feeding mechanism, adapted to move horizontally along the length direction of the frame along with the second moving component under the drive of the second driving component.

[0009] Optionally, the cutting device includes: a pipe cutting head assembly, adapted to cut but not completely sever the pipe material conveyed to the cutting station; a pre-cutting clamping mechanism, disposed between the pipe cutting head assembly and the feeding device, adapted to clamp and fix the pipe material when the pipe cutting head assembly cuts the pipe material; and a break-forming mechanism, disposed after the pipe cutting head assembly has completed cutting the pipe material, which cooperates with the pre-cutting clamping mechanism to break the pipe material.

[0010] Optionally, the cutting device is located at the output end of the feeding device, and the bending head is disposed on the outer side of the end of the frame near the cutting device, and is arranged side by side with the cutting device along the width direction of the frame; the bending feeding mechanism is disposed above the frame on one side of the feeding device, and corresponds to the position of the bending head, the bending feeding mechanism includes a material picking component movably disposed on the frame along the length direction of the frame and a third driving component for driving the material picking component to reciprocate between the material picking station and the bending station and between the bending station and the unloading station; the material picking component corresponds to the bending shaft of the bending head, and the material picking component is adapted to convey the pipe clamped at the material picking station to a preset bending station located at the bending shaft under the drive of the third driving component for the bending head to perform bending operation.

[0011] Optionally, the pipe bending machine further includes a color mark detection device, disposed between the feeding device and the cutting device, adapted to perform color mark detection on the pipe and determine whether the pipe meets preset requirements.

[0012] Optionally, a linear guide rail suitable for guiding the feeding device to move is provided on the frame along the length direction of the frame. The feeding device includes: a fourth driving component, which is fixedly disposed on the frame; and a feeding clamping assembly, which is slidably disposed on the linear guide rail and is suitable for clamping the pipe for feeding. The fourth driving component is suitable for driving the feeding clamping assembly to reciprocate along the linear guide rail between a preset feeding position and a retraction position.

[0013] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a pipe bending method applied to the aforementioned pipe bending machine, the pipe bending method comprising: activating a feeding device to feed pipe material conveyed to a frame to a preset cutting station; a cutting device cutting the pipe material conveyed to the cutting station by the feeding device to a predetermined length; controlling the bending feeding mechanism of the bending device to advance to a preset picking station; a robotic arm transferring the cut pipe material from the cutting station to the picking station; controlling the bending feeding mechanism to convey the clamped pipe material to the bending station; and controlling the bending feeding mechanism to cooperate with the bending head to perform the pipe bending operation.

[0014] The present invention has the following advantages:

[0015] The pipe bending machine provided in this invention uses a reciprocating feeding device to feed the pipe during unloading, while the cutting device remains stationary. The cutting head assembly of the cutting device does not need to reciprocate, reducing wasted time during feeding, increasing production cycle time, and thus significantly improving production efficiency. Furthermore, the robotic arm can move not only laterally but also vertically during pipe transfer. This allows the robotic arm's lifting mechanism to adjust the vertical position of the pipe when there is a slight deviation between the cutting device and the bending feeding mechanism, ensuring precise alignment between the pipe and the bending feeding mechanism. This improves pipe transfer efficiency and reduces the precision requirements on the cutting device and bending feeding mechanism. Therefore, this invention solves the problem of existing pipe bending machines requiring high precision from the cutting device and bending feeding mechanism, which, when slightly misaligned in the vertical direction, cannot achieve precise alignment, leading to failed copper pipe transfers or prolonged transfer times, thus affecting production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the pipe bending machine in the embodiment is shown;

[0018] Figure 2 Examples are shown Figure 1 Top view;

[0019] Figure 3 The diagram shows the structure of the pipe bending machine after removing the pipe bending device and the straightening and rounding mechanism in the embodiment;

[0020] Figure 4 A partial structural schematic diagram of the feeding device in the embodiment is shown;

[0021] Figure 5 A partial structural schematic diagram of the interception device in the embodiment is shown;

[0022] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the feeding clamping assembly in the embodiment is shown;

[0023] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the robotic arm device at one angle is shown in the embodiment;

[0024] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the robotic arm device from another angle is shown in the embodiment;

[0025] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the color mark detection device in the embodiment is shown.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0027] 10. Frame; 11. Linear guide rail;

[0028] 20. Feeding device; 21. Fourth drive component; 22. Feeding clamping assembly; 221. Drive cylinder; 222. Feeding clamping mold; 223. Fixing base;

[0029] 30. Cutting device; 31. Pipe cutting head assembly; 32. Pre-cutting clamping mechanism; 33. Pull-off forming mechanism; 331. Pull-off clamping mold;

[0030] 40. Bending device; 41. Bending head; 411. Bending shaft; 42. Bending feeding mechanism; 421. Material handling component;

[0031] 50. Robotic arm device;

[0032] 51. Robotic arm body; 511. Sliding base; 512. Robotic arm gripper;

[0033] 52. Lifting mechanism; 53. Lateral movement mechanism; 54. Translation mechanism;

[0034] 55. Robot arm mounting bracket; 551. Support beam;

[0035] 60. Color mark detection device; 61. Fixing bracket; 62. Color mark sensor; 63. Through hole; 64. Guide sleeve;

[0036] 70. Alignment mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0039] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0040] Furthermore, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0041] The traditional pipe bending machine operates as follows: In a traditional structure, the pre-cutting clamping mechanism and the pipe cutting head assembly are located on a linear guide. When the top of the copper pipe reaches the position of the breaking and forming mechanism, the pipe cutting head assembly begins cutting the first copper pipe. Assuming the distance between the copper pipe and the breaking and forming mechanism is 300mm, and the required processing length of the copper pipe is 100mm, since the copper pipe and the pipe cutting head assembly are clamped together after cutting, the forward feeding power is provided by the pre-cutting clamping mechanism and the pipe cutting head assembly. Therefore, the copper pipe needs to be cut... The tube cutting head assembly moves back 300mm together, then separates from the copper tube. The copper tube then moves forward 300mm, and the tube cutting head assembly moves forward 200mm separately before cutting. This process is repeated to feed the copper tube. This feeding method is relatively complex. Furthermore, the equipment stops working after the tube cutting head assembly has cut the tube. Before the power is cut, the cutter head has already cut the copper tube. After the equipment restarts, the cutter head may cut the copper tube again, which may pose a risk of incomplete cuts.

[0042] Example 1

[0043] like Figures 1 to 9As shown, this embodiment provides a pipe bending machine, including: a frame 10, a feeding device 20, and a cutting device 30. The feeding device 20 is disposed at the receiving end of the frame 10 and is used to transport the received pipe to a preset cutting station on the frame 10. The cutting device 30 is fixedly disposed on the frame 10 and is adapted to cut the pipe transported to the cutting station by the feeding device 20 to a set length. The bending device 40 is disposed on the frame 10, and the bending device 40 and the cutting device 30 are arranged side by side on the frame 10. The bending device 40 is used to cut the pipe after cutting. The bending device 40 includes a bending head 41 and a bending feeding mechanism 42 for feeding the cut-off pipe to the bending head 41. The robotic arm device 50 is mounted on the frame 10 and is used to transfer the pipe cut off by the cutting device 30 to a picking station suitable for contacting the bending feeding mechanism 42. The robotic arm device 50 includes a robotic arm body 51, a lifting mechanism 52 for driving the robotic arm body 51 to move up and down, and a traversing mechanism 53 for driving the robotic arm body 51 to move laterally between the cutting station and the picking station.

[0044] The pipe bending machine provided in this embodiment feeds the material through the reciprocating movement of the feeding device 20 during the feeding process, while the cutting device 30 remains stationary. The pipe cutting head assembly 31 of the cutting device 30 does not need to reciprocate, reducing the time wasted during feeding, increasing the production cycle, and thus greatly improving production efficiency.

[0045] Furthermore, the lifting mechanism 52 allows the robotic arm 50 to move both horizontally and vertically during pipe transfer. This allows the robotic arm 50 to adjust the vertical position of the pipe when there is a slight deviation between the cutting device 30 and the bending feeding mechanism 42, ensuring precise alignment between the pipe and the bending feeding mechanism 42. This improves pipe transfer efficiency and reduces the precision requirements on the cutting device 30 and the bending feeding mechanism 42. Therefore, this solves the problem of existing pipe bending machines having high precision requirements for the cutting device 30 and the bending feeding mechanism 42, which prevents precise alignment when there is a slight deviation in the vertical direction, leading to failed copper pipe transfers or prolonged transfer times, thus affecting production efficiency.

[0046] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the pipe is a copper pipe, but is not limited to copper pipes.

[0047] like Figure 1As shown, in this embodiment, the frame 10 includes a top panel with a top for providing support. The feeding device 20, the cutting device 30, the robotic arm device 50, and the bending feeding mechanism 42 are all disposed above the top panel. The bending head 41 is disposed on the outer side of the top panel away from the feeding device 20. The output end of the feeding device 20 is connected to the input end of the cutting device 30. The feeding device 20 and the cutting device 30 are located on one side of the frame panel, and the bending device 40 is located on the other side of the frame panel. The cutting station and the picking station of the bending feeding mechanism 42 are arranged side by side along the width direction of the frame 10. The lateral movement mechanism 53 is adapted to drive the robotic arm body 51 to move laterally along the width direction of the frame 10, so as to move the pipe laterally between the cutting station and the picking station.

[0048] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the robotic arm device 50 also includes a translation mechanism 54 for driving the robotic arm body 51 to move horizontally along the length direction of the frame 10. During the lateral movement of the robotic arm body 51 driven by the translation mechanism 53, the displacement of the pipe in the length direction of the frame 10 can be adjusted by the translation mechanism 54 to avoid other components such as the bending head 41 located at the end of the frame 10. This can effectively prevent interference between the robotic arm device 50 and the pipe and the bending head 41 during the transfer of the pipe.

[0049] Optionally, the robotic arm device 50 includes a robotic arm mounting bracket 55, which is fixedly disposed at the end of the frame 10 away from the feeding device 20. The robotic arm mounting bracket 55 includes a support beam 551 spanning above the cutting device 30 and the bending device 40; the robotic arm body 51 is movably disposed on the support beam 551 along the length direction of the support beam 551, and the lateral movement mechanism 53 is adapted to drive the robotic arm body 51 to move along the support beam 551.

[0050] Furthermore, the transverse movement mechanism 53 includes a transverse movement drive motor disposed at one end of the support beam 551. The output end of the transverse movement drive motor is provided with a lead screw, which extends along the length direction of the support beam 551. A slider is threadedly connected to the lead screw. The robot arm body 51 is connected to the slider. The transverse movement drive motor drives the lead screw to rotate, thereby causing the slider to move along the length direction of the support beam 551, and in turn, causing the robot arm body 51 to move along the length direction of the support beam 551, so as to realize the transfer of the copper tube gripper from the cutting station to the material picking station.

[0051] Optionally, the robotic arm body 51 is slidably connected to the supporting beam 551 via a sliding base 511. The lifting mechanism 52 includes a first driving component and a first moving component. The first driving component is fixedly mounted on the sliding base 511. The first moving component is connected to the first driving component and is adapted to move up and down under the drive of the first driving component. The robotic arm body 51 is mounted on the first moving component and is adapted to move up and down in the vertical direction with the first moving component under the drive of the first driving component. During the process of the robotic arm device 50 transferring the cut pipe to the bending device 40, if there is a deviation in the vertical direction between the cutting device 30 and the bending feeding mechanism 42, the first moving component can be driven by the first driving component to move the robotic arm body 51 up and down, adjusting it to a position that can accurately dock with the bending feeding mechanism 42, thereby improving the transfer success rate and transfer efficiency of the robotic arm device 50.

[0052] Furthermore, the robotic arm body 51 also includes a robotic arm gripper 512, which is adapted to grip or release the tubing.

[0053] Optionally, in this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 52 may be a three-axis cylinder.

[0054] Optionally, the translation mechanism 54 includes a second driving component and a second moving component. The second driving component is fixedly mounted on the first moving component. The second moving component is connected to the second driving component and is adapted to move horizontally along the length direction of the frame 10 under the drive of the second driving component. The robot body 51 is fixedly mounted at one end of the second moving component near the bending and feeding mechanism 42 and is adapted to move horizontally along the length direction of the frame 10 with the second moving component under the drive of the second driving component.

[0055] In the above scheme, the robot body 51 is located on the side of the second moving component close to the bending and feeding mechanism 42. The bending and feeding mechanism 42 is closer to the robot body 51, making it easier for the bending and feeding mechanism 42 to grip the pipe from the gripper of the robot body 51.

[0056] Optionally, such as Figures 1 to 3 as well as Figure 5As shown, the cutting device 30 includes: a pipe cutting head assembly 31, a pre-cutting clamping mechanism 32, and a tear-off forming mechanism 33. The pipe cutting head assembly 31 is adapted to cut but not completely sever the pipe material conveyed to the cutting station, and is adapted to perform preliminary cutting on the pipe material. The pre-cutting clamping mechanism 32 is disposed between the pipe cutting head assembly 31 and the feeding device 20, and is adapted to clamp and fix the pipe material when the pipe cutting head assembly 31 cuts the pipe material. The tear-off forming mechanism 33 is disposed after the pipe cutting head assembly 31 has completed cutting the pipe material, and cooperates with the pre-cutting clamping mechanism 32 to tear off the pipe material.

[0057] In the above scheme, when the feeding device 20 transports the pipe to the preset cutting station, the pre-cutting clamping mechanism 32 clamps the pipe with the clamping mold below driven by a cylinder. The rotary motor of the pipe cutting head assembly 31 drives the blade in the pipe cutting head assembly 31 to rotate through a synchronous belt. The cutting motor drives the blade towards the center of the pipe through a lead screw drive to perform a circular cut on the pipe without cutting it off. The cutting depth of the pipe can be controlled by the cutting motor. The break-forming mechanism 33 includes a break-forming clamping mold 331 and an expanding mold. The expanding mold can expand the shape and size of the pipe as needed. After expanding the pipe, the power source of the break-forming mechanism 33 drives the break-forming clamping mold 331 to move the pipe away from the clamping mold, and break the pipe at the cutting position.

[0058] Optionally, the cutting device 30 is located at the output end of the feeding device 20, and the bending head 41 is disposed on the outer side of the end of the frame 10 near the cutting device 30, and is arranged side by side with the cutting device 30 along the width direction of the frame 10; the bending feeding mechanism 42 is disposed above the frame 10 on one side of the feeding device 20, and corresponds to the position of the bending head 41 in the length direction of the frame 10. The bending feeding mechanism 42 is adapted to convey the pipe gripped by the robotic arm device 50 to the bending head 41 for bending.

[0059] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the bending head 41 is provided with a bending shaft 411, and the bending feeding mechanism 42 is adapted to transport the pipe gripped by the robotic arm device 50 to a preset bending station near the bending shaft 411. The bending feeding mechanism 42 includes a material picking component 421 movably disposed on the frame 10 along the length direction of the frame 10, and a third driving component for driving the material picking component 421 to reciprocate between the material picking station and the bending station, and between the bending station and the unloading station; the material picking component 421 corresponds to the position of the bending shaft 411 of the bending head 41, and the material picking component 421 is adapted to transport the pipe gripped by the material picking station to the preset bending station located at the bending shaft 411 under the drive of the third driving component for the bending head 41 to perform bending operation.

[0060] Optionally, in this embodiment, the material picking component 421 is a sleeve gripper. The center of the sleeve gripper corresponds to the position of the bending shaft 411 of the bending head 41. After picking up the pipe from the robot arm device 50, the material picking component 421 continues to move towards the bending head 41 to the bending station. During the bending process of the bending head 41, the material picking component 421 still maintains the state of clamping and fixing the pipe. After completing the bending operation, the material picking component 421 releases the bent pipe and returns from the bending station to the preset unloading station, waiting to perform the next task.

[0061] Optionally, such as Figure 3 and Figure 9 As shown, the pipe bending machine also includes a color mark detection device 60, which is disposed between the feeding device 20 and the cutting device 30. It is suitable for performing color mark detection on the pipe and determining whether the pipe meets the preset requirements.

[0062] In the above scheme, the color mark detection device 60 is used to detect whether the color of the copper pipe meets the preset requirements. When it is determined that the color of the pipe does not meet the requirements, it feeds back information to the control unit of the pipe bending machine and issues an alarm reminder. Since copper pipes will oxidize and turn black after being left for a long time, the color mark detection device 60 can detect oxidized copper pipes.

[0063] Specifically, such as Figure 3 and Figure 9As shown, the color mark detection device 60 includes a fixed bracket 61 and a color mark sensor 62 mounted on the fixed bracket 61. The fixed bracket 61 includes a bottom support, which is bridge-shaped or can be described as a doorway-shaped support. Two legs of the bottom support are fixedly mounted on the frame 10 and two linear guide rails 11 for guiding the movement of the feeding device 20. A spectrum frame is fixedly mounted above the bottom support, and the color mark sensor 62 is fixedly mounted on the side of the spectrum frame near the feeding device 20. The spectrum frame includes a longitudinal support main plate, which has a through hole 63 for the tube to pass through. A guide sleeve 64 is fixedly mounted on the side of the through hole 63 near the feeding device 20. The guide sleeve 64 is fixedly mounted on the longitudinal support main plate and is suitable for guiding and limiting the tube, so that the tube can be precisely docked with the clamping mold of the pre-cutting clamping mechanism 32 and the tube cutting head assembly 31.

[0064] Optionally, in this embodiment, as Figure 9 As shown, there are two color mark sensors 62, which are located on the side of the longitudinal support main board near the feeding device 20, and the two color mark sensors 62 are respectively located on both sides of the through hole 63. The color mark detection device 60 can detect the entire circumference of the pipe in 360°.

[0065] Optionally, a linear guide rail 11 suitable for guiding the movement of the feeding device 20 is provided on the frame 10 along its length direction. There are two linear guide rails 11, arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart along the length direction of the frame 10. The feeding device 20 includes a fourth driving component 21 and a feeding clamping assembly 22. The fourth driving component 21 is fixedly mounted on the frame 10. The feeding clamping assembly 22 is slidably mounted on the linear guide rail 11, suitable for clamping the pipe for feeding. The fourth driving component 21 is suitable for driving the feeding clamping assembly 22 to reciprocate along the linear guide rail 11 between a preset feeding position and a retraction position.

[0066] Specifically, the feeding clamping assembly 22 includes a drive cylinder 221 and a feeding clamping mold 222, wherein the feeding clamping mold 222 includes an upper clamping mold and a lower clamping mold. The drive cylinder 221 is adapted to drive the upper clamping mold and the lower clamping mold to move closer or further apart to clamp or release the pipe. The fixed base 223 of the drive cylinder 221 is provided with a sliding groove that slides with the linear guide rail 11. A fourth drive component 21 provides power to the feeding clamping assembly 22. The fourth drive component 21 is a lead screw motor, which drives the feeding clamping assembly 22 to move forward along the linear guide rail 11 through the lead screw and slider.

[0067] Optionally, the pipe bending machine further includes a feeding device and a straightening and rounding mechanism 70. The feeding device is used to transport pipes from the pipe storage area to the feeding device 20 on the frame 10. The straightening and rounding mechanism 70 is disposed between the feeding device and the feeding device 20 to straighten and round the pipes transported from the feeding device. A feeding rack assembly is provided between the feeding device and the straightening and rounding mechanism 70.

[0068] Optionally, in this embodiment, the pipe bending machine is a multi-functional pipe bending machine and is a single-head mechanism.

[0069] Existing multi-functional pipe bending machines stop operating after power is cut, even though the cutter head has already cut the copper pipe before the power is cut. Upon restarting, the cutter head may attempt to cut the copper pipe again, resulting in incomplete cuts. Compared to traditional feeding methods, the novel multi-functional pipe bending machine provided in this embodiment solves the problem of wasted production time due to the reciprocating motion of the pipe cutting head; it also effectively avoids incomplete cuts.

[0070] The novel multi-functional pipe bending machine provided in this embodiment has a fast feeding speed when the equipment is bending pipes by setting a feeding mechanism. The pipe cutting head does not need to reciprocate to feed the copper pipe, and at the same time, it can ensure that the pipe cutting head will not produce false cuts when the copper pipe is fed forward.

[0071] The main working process of the pipe bending machine provided in this embodiment is as follows:

[0072] 1) The copper tubes are fed through the feeding rack assembly;

[0073] 2) The straightening and rounding mechanism 70 straightens and rounds the bent copper tube, reducing the cutting error caused by the bending of the copper tube;

[0074] 3) The feeding device 20 feeds the straightened copper tubes;

[0075] 4) The tube cutting head assembly 31 identifies the length of the copper tube fed by the encoder. The cutter head cuts the copper tube. The cutter head does not completely cut the copper tube. At this time, the pre-cutting clamping mechanism 32 clamps the copper tube to prevent the copper tube from shifting.

[0076] 5) The drawing and forming mechanism 33 draws the copper tube off at the cutting position;

[0077] 6) The robotic arm 50 moves the broken copper tube to the bending and feeding mechanism 42 on the left side;

[0078] 7) The material-taking component 421 on the bending feeding mechanism 42 clamps the copper tube and bends it by cooperating with the bending head;

[0079] 8) After bending the desired copper tube by program control, the unloading robot unloads the bent copper tube and takes it out.

[0080] Example 2

[0081] This embodiment provides a pipe bending method applied to the above-mentioned pipe bending machine, the pipe bending method including the following steps:

[0082] The feeding device 20 is activated to feed the pipe material conveyed to the frame 10 to the preset cutting station;

[0083] The cutting device 30 cuts the pipe material that is fed to the cutting station by the feeding device 20 to a set length.

[0084] The bending feeding mechanism 42 of the bending device 40 is controlled to advance to the preset material picking position;

[0085] The robotic arm device 50 transfers the cut pipe from the cutting station to the picking station, and controls the bending and feeding mechanism 42 to transport the clamped pipe to the bending station.

[0086] The bending feeding mechanism 42 is controlled to cooperate with the bending head 41 to perform pipe bending operations.

[0087] The tube cutting head assembly 31 provided in this embodiment does not require reciprocating motion to feed the copper tube. It is fed by the feeding device 20 each time it is cut, thereby ensuring that the tube cutting head will not produce false cuts when the copper tube is fed forward.

[0088] The working process of the pipe bending machine provided by the present invention is as follows: The copper pipe to be bent is clamped by the feeding clamping assembly 22. The clamping power is mainly provided by the cylinder. After clamping, the fourth driving component 21 drives the pipe forward for feeding. During the feeding process, the copper pipe passes through the color mark detection device 60. The device will detect the color mark of the copper pipe to determine whether it meets the requirements. If it does not meet the requirements, the system will alarm. If it meets the requirements, the copper pipe will pass through the pre-cutting clamping mechanism 32 and then through the pipe cutting head assembly 31. The pipe cutting head assembly 31 will cut the copper pipe at the preset cutting position but not cut it completely. After cutting, the pull-out forming mechanism 33 will pull the copper pipe off at the cutting position to obtain the copper pipe of the preset cut length.

[0089] In this embodiment, when the copper tube is initially bent, the top of the copper tube is located at the front end of the drawing and forming mechanism 33. The tube cutting head assembly 31 begins to cut the first copper tube. As the copper tube is continuously fed forward, the required cutting length is simply the distance that the feeding clamping assembly 22 needs to clamp and feed the copper tube forward; the tube cutting head assembly 31 does not need to continuously move back and forth for cutting. In the above scheme, the "required distance" is based on the customer's required copper tube length, and the length of the copper tube is identified by an encoder.

[0090] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely illustrative examples for clear explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations here. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A pipe bender characterized by comprising: include: Rack (10); The feeding device (20) is used to transport the received pipe to the preset cutting station on the frame (10); The cutting device (30) is fixedly installed on the frame (10) and is suitable for cutting the pipe material conveyed by the feeding device (20) to the cutting station to a set length. A bending device (40) is installed on the frame (10) and is arranged side by side with the cutting device (30) for bending the cut pipe. The bending device (40) includes a bending head (41) and a bending feeding mechanism (42) for feeding the cut pipe to the bending head (41). A robotic arm device (50) is mounted on the frame (10) for transferring the pipe cut by the cutting device (30) to a material handling station suitable for contacting the bending and feeding mechanism (42). The robotic arm device (50) includes a robotic arm body (51), a lifting mechanism (52) for driving the robotic arm body (51) to move up and down, and a traversing mechanism (53) for driving the robotic arm body (51) to move laterally between the cutting station and the material handling station. A color mark detection device (60) is disposed between the feeding device (20) and the cutting device (30), and is suitable for performing color mark detection on the pipe and determining whether the pipe meets the preset requirements; The color mark detection device (60) includes a fixed bracket (61) and a color mark sensor (62) disposed on the fixed bracket (61). The fixed bracket (61) includes a bottom support, and a spectral frame is fixedly disposed above the bottom support. The color mark sensor (62) is fixedly installed on the side of the spectrum holder near the feeding device (20). The spectrum holder includes a longitudinal support main board. The longitudinal support main board is provided with a through hole (63) through which the tube can pass. A guide sleeve (64) is fixedly installed on the side of the through hole (63) near the feeding device (20). The guide sleeve (64) is fixedly installed on the longitudinal support main board and is suitable for guiding and limiting the tube.

2. The pipe bender of claim 1, wherein, The lateral movement mechanism (53) is adapted to drive the robot body (51) to move laterally along the width direction of the frame (10); The robotic arm device (50) further includes a translation mechanism (54) for driving the robotic arm body (51) to move horizontally along the length direction of the frame (10).

3. The pipe bender of claim 2, wherein, The robotic arm device (50) includes: A robotic arm mounting bracket (55) is fixedly mounted on one end of the frame (10) away from the feeding device (20). The robotic arm mounting bracket (55) includes a support beam (551) spanning above the cutting device (30) and the bending device (40). The robotic arm body (51) is movably disposed on the support beam (551) along the length direction of the support beam (551), and the lateral movement mechanism (53) is adapted to drive the robotic arm body (51) to move along the support beam (551).

4. The pipe bender of claim 3, wherein, The robotic arm body (51) is slidably connected to the support beam (551) via a sliding base (511), and the lifting mechanism (52) includes: The first driving component is fixedly mounted on the sliding base (511); The first moving component is connected to the first driving component and is adapted to move up and down under the drive of the first driving component; The robotic arm body (51) is mounted on the first moving component and is adapted to move up and down in the vertical direction along with the first moving component under the drive of the first driving component.

5. The pipe bender of claim 4, wherein, The translation mechanism (54) includes: The second driving component is fixedly mounted on the first moving component; The second moving component is connected to the second driving component and is adapted to move horizontally along the length direction of the frame (10) under the drive of the second driving component; The robotic arm body (51) is fixedly disposed at one end of the second moving component near the bending and feeding mechanism (42), and is adapted to move horizontally along the length direction of the frame (10) under the drive of the second driving component.

6. The pipe bender of any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The interception device (30) includes: The pipe cutting head assembly (31) is suitable for cutting but not completely severing the pipe material delivered to the cutting station; A pre-cutting clamping mechanism (32) is disposed between the pipe cutting head assembly (31) and the feeding device (20), and is adapted to clamp and fix the pipe when the pipe cutting head assembly (31) cuts the pipe; The tear-off forming mechanism (33) works in conjunction with the pre-cut clamping mechanism (32) to tear off the pipe after the pipe cutting head assembly (31) has finished cutting the pipe.

7. The pipe bending machine according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The cutting device (30) is located at the output end of the feeding device (20), and the bending head (41) is located on the outer side of the end of the frame (10) near the cutting device (30), and is arranged side by side with the cutting device (30) along the width direction of the frame (10). The bending feeding mechanism (42) is located above the frame (10) on one side of the feeding device (20) and corresponds to the position of the bending head (41). The bending feeding mechanism (42) includes a material picking component (421) movably arranged on the frame (10) along the length direction of the frame (10) and a third driving component for driving the material picking component (421) to reciprocate between the material picking station and the bending station and between the bending station and the unloading station. The material taking component (421) is positioned corresponding to the bending shaft (411) of the bending head (41). The material taking component (421) is adapted to transport the pipe clamped from the material taking station to a pre-set bending station located at the bending shaft (411) under the drive of the third driving component so that the bending head (41) can perform bending operations.

8. The pipe bending machine according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, A linear guide rail (11) suitable for guiding the movement of the feeding device (20) is provided on the frame (10) along the length direction of the frame (10). The feeding device (20) includes: The fourth drive component (21) is fixedly mounted on the frame (10); The feeding clamping assembly (22) is slidably disposed on the linear guide rail (11) and is adapted to clamp the pipe for feeding. The fourth driving component (21) is adapted to drive the feeding clamping assembly (22) to reciprocate along the linear guide rail (11) between a preset feeding position and a retraction position.

9. A pipe bending method applied to the pipe bending machine according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The pipe bending method includes: The feeding device (20) is activated to feed the pipe material that has been conveyed to the frame (10) to the preset cutting station; The cutting device (30) cuts the pipe material that is fed to the cutting station by the feeding device (20) to a set length; The bending feeding mechanism (42) of the bending device (40) is controlled to advance to the preset material picking position; The robotic arm (50) transfers the cut pipe from the cutting station to the picking station, and controls the bending and feeding mechanism (42) to transport the clamped pipe to the bending station. The bending feeding mechanism (42) is controlled to cooperate with the bending head (41) to perform the pipe bending operation.

Images