Automatic connector device and automatic connector method

Abstract

This invention relates to an automatic splicing device and method, which is compatible with mixed packaging of the same product from different series, filling a technological gap in the market. The automatic splicing device includes a feeding mechanism, a compatible loading mechanism, and a splicing mechanism. The feeding mechanism has a longitudinally extending feeding path. The compatible loading mechanism includes a compatible limiting block, a compatible driver, and a loading assembly. The compatible limiting block has first and second limiting surfaces for limiting first and second screw-type terminals respectively, the distance between the first and second limiting surfaces being equal to the length difference between the first and second screw-type terminals. The compatible limiting block moves laterally under the drive of the compatible driver to align the first and second limiting surfaces with the feeding path; the loading assembly is disposed on the limiting side of the compatible limiting block; the splicing mechanism is used to splice the first and second screw-type terminals fed by the compatible loading mechanism to form a mixed-package splice terminal assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automation technology, and in particular to an automatic connection device and an automatic connection method. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor industry, PCBs are an indispensable component, typically housing numerous electrical components and terminals. Each individual component may require some degree of combination to adapt to specific product requirements. Existing screw-type terminal block styles generally include, for example... Figure 1A The 2-PIN terminal shown and as Figure 1B The 3-PIN terminal shown, and in order to meet the needs of different products, different types of terminals usually need to be connected together by the male and female dovetail slots on the left and right sides. However, this connection operation not only brings a large demand for manpower, but also the precise and repetitive actions are easy to cause fatigue injury to employees. Therefore, in order to promote industrial production, optimizing the inefficient manual production into fast and convenient automated production has become the focus of current technology research and development.

[0003] However, existing automatic assembly machines are all developed for assembling single terminals. For example, Chinese invention patent application number 202111374638.8 discloses an automatic assembly mechanism for frame screw terminals, which automatically clamps the pins of the frame screw terminals onto the U-shaped slot to improve assembly efficiency. However, it is only suitable for assembling frame screw terminals of the same series onto the U-shaped slot, and cannot be compatible with the assembly of frame screw terminals of different series, let alone for mixed insertion of 2-PIN terminals and 3-PIN terminals. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One advantage of this invention is that it provides an automatic splicing device and method that can accommodate mixed assembly of the same product from different series, thus filling a technological gap in the market.

[0005] Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides an automatic mating device and an automatic mating method, wherein, in one embodiment of the present invention, the automatic mating device is capable of mixed mating of 2-PIN terminals and 3-PIN terminals of different sizes, so as to improve product compatibility.

[0006] Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides an automatic splicing device and an automatic splicing method, wherein, in one embodiment of the present invention, the automatic splicing device can control the movement of a compatibility limit block by a cylinder to achieve compatibility of products of different sizes.

[0007] Another advantage of this invention is that it provides an automatic mating device and method, wherein, to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, expensive materials or complex structures are not required. Therefore, this invention successfully and effectively provides a solution that not only offers a simple automatic mating device and method, but also increases the practicality and reliability of said automatic mating device and method.

[0008] To achieve at least one of the above-mentioned advantages or other benefits and objectives of the present invention, the present invention provides an automatic connection device for connecting a first screw-type terminal block and a second screw-type terminal block with different lengths, the automatic connection device comprising:

[0009] A feeding mechanism having a longitudinally extending feeding path for conveying the first screw terminal and the second screw terminal along the feeding path respectively;

[0010] A compatible feeding mechanism includes a compatible limiting block, a compatible driver drivably connected to the compatible limiting block, and a feeding assembly. The compatible limiting block has a first limiting surface for limiting a first screw-type terminal and a second limiting surface for limiting a second screw-type terminal, the distance between the first limiting surface and the second limiting surface being equal to the length difference between the first screw-type terminal and the second screw-type terminal. The compatible limiting block moves laterally under the drive of the compatible driver to align the first limiting surface and the second limiting surface with the feeding path of the feeding mechanism, respectively. The feeding assembly is disposed on the limiting side of the compatible limiting block and is used to feed the first screw-type terminal limited by the first limiting surface and the second screw-type terminal limited by the second limiting surface to the connector station, respectively.

[0011] A connector mechanism is provided at the connector station for connecting the first screw-type terminal block and the second screw-type terminal block fed by the compatible feeding mechanism to form a mixed-assembly connector terminal block group.

[0012] According to one embodiment of this application, the compatible driver is a pen-shaped cylinder that is floatingly connected to the compatible limiting block; the feeding assembly includes a feeding driver and a feeding block that is driven and connected to the feeding driver, and the feeding block is used by the feeding driver to push the first screw terminal and the second screw terminal along the first limiting surface and the second limiting surface to the insertion station, respectively.

[0013] According to one embodiment of this application, the connector mechanism includes a receiving component, a pressing component, and a clamping component. The receiving component is disposed below the pressing component and is used to receive the first screw-type terminal block or the second screw-type terminal block fed by the compatible feeding mechanism. The pressing component is used to press the first screw-type terminal block or the second screw-type terminal block received by the receiving component to a pre-pressed position and a connector position, respectively. The clamping component is disposed in front of the receiving component and is used to clamp the first screw-type terminal block or the second screw-type terminal block to move closer to or further away from the receiving component.

[0014] According to one embodiment of this application, the receiving assembly includes a base plate, a receiving block having a receiving groove, an elastic member disposed between the receiving block and the base plate, and an electromagnetic member for generating a magnetic attraction between the receiving block and the base plate; the receiving block is vertically movably disposed on the base plate to receive the first screw terminal or the second screw terminal fed via the compatible feeding mechanism through the receiving groove.

[0015] According to one embodiment of this application, the electromagnetic component is an electromagnet fixed to the receiving block; the receiving base plate is made of a magnetic material; the receiving assembly further includes a receiving slide rail extending upward from the receiving base plate, and the receiving block is slidably disposed on the receiving slide rail.

[0016] According to one embodiment of this application, the material clamping assembly includes a longitudinal driver, a transverse driver disposed on the longitudinal driver, and a material clamping rod drivenly connected to the transverse driver. The longitudinal driver is used to drive the transverse driver to move longitudinally, so as to drive the material clamping rod to move closer to or away from the receiving assembly. The transverse driver is used to drive the material clamping rod to move laterally, so as to releasably clamp the first screw terminal or the second screw terminal.

[0017] According to one embodiment of this application, the longitudinal actuator includes an electric cylinder mounted on the connector base plate and an electric cylinder push block mounted on the electric cylinder; the transverse actuator includes a lateral cylinder mounted on the electric cylinder push block and a lateral cylinder mounting block slidably mounted on the connector base plate, the lateral cylinder being mounted on the lateral cylinder mounting block, and the clamping rod being threadedly connected to the lateral cylinder; the longitudinal actuator further includes an intermediate transition block and a spring guide rod, the intermediate transition block being pinned to the lateral cylinder mounting block, one end of the spring guide rod being fixed to the intermediate transition block, and the other end of the spring guide rod being clamped to the electric cylinder push block.

[0018] According to one embodiment of this application, the feeding mechanism includes a pair of vibratory feeders for supplying the first screw terminal and the second screw terminal, a buffer disposed on the feeding path, a pair of feed drivers located on the left and right sides of the buffer, a pair of feed blocks drivably connected to the feed drivers, and a feed driver for feeding along the feeding path; the feed blocks reciprocate between the buffer and the corresponding vibratory feeder under the drive of the feed drivers, for conveying the first screw terminal or the second screw terminal from the corresponding vibratory feeder to the feeding path, so as to adjust the position of the feed blocks by the buffer.

[0019] According to one embodiment of this application, the automatic connector further includes a receiving mechanism, which includes a rodless cylinder mounted on the connector base plate, a lever cylinder fixed to the rodless cylinder, a feeding lever fitted onto the output shaft of the lever cylinder, and a receiving box for collecting the mixed connector terminal blocks fed out by the feeding lever.

[0020] According to another aspect of this application, this application further provides an automatic insertion method, comprising the steps of:

[0021] First screw-type terminals and second screw-type terminals of different lengths are conveyed longitudinally respectively;

[0022] The compatible driver moves the compatible limiting block laterally to limit the positions of the first screw terminal and the second screw terminal respectively through the first limiting surface and the second limiting surface of the compatible limiting block, wherein the distance between the first limiting surface and the second limiting surface is equal to the length difference between the first screw terminal and the second screw terminal.

[0023] The feeding assembly feeds the first screw-type terminal, which is limited by the first limiting surface, and the second screw-type terminal, which is limited by the second limiting surface, into the connector mechanism, respectively; and

[0024] The first screw-type terminal and the second screw-type terminal are connected through the connector mechanism to form a mixed-assembly terminal block.

[0025] According to one embodiment of this application, the step of connecting the first screw-type terminal block and the second screw-type terminal block through the connector mechanism to form a mixed-assembly connector terminal block group includes the following steps:

[0026] The receiving block of the receiving assembly receives the first screw-type terminal or the second screw-type terminal fed by the feeding assembly.

[0027] The first screw terminal or the second screw terminal received via the receiving block is pre-pressed by the pressing component.

[0028] The first screw terminal or the second screw terminal held by the clamping assembly is moved backward so that the rear end face of the clamped first screw terminal or the second screw terminal is in contact with the front end face of the pre-pressed first screw terminal or the second screw terminal.

[0029] The pressing component is used to press down the pre-pressed first screw terminal or the second screw terminal to achieve connection;

[0030] By energizing the electromagnetic component of the receiving assembly, the receiving block is attracted and fixed in the insertion position, so that the pressing assembly is lifted and disengaged from the first screw terminal or the second screw terminal after the insertion is completed.

[0031] The clamping assembly holds the first or second screw-type terminal block, which has been fully engaged, and moves it forward away from the receiving block; and

[0032] By de-energizing the electromagnetic component, the receiving block is released, allowing it to automatically move upwards to the waiting position under the action of the elastic component.

[0033] In summary, the automatic connector and automatic connector method described in this application can freely combine and connect screw-type terminals of different lengths, such as 2-PIN terminals and 3-PIN terminals, achieving compatibility between different series of the same product and filling a technological gap in the market. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1A An example of the first screw-type terminal block of this application is shown;

[0035] Figure 1B An example of the second screw-type terminal block of this application is shown;

[0036] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an automatic insertion device according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0037] Figure 3 As shown Figure 2 The diagram shows an enlarged view of part A of the automatic connector during the feeding of the first screw-type terminal block;

[0038] Figure 4 As shown Figure 2 The diagram shows an enlarged view of part A of the automatic connector during the feeding of the second screw-type terminal block;

[0039] Figure 5 A schematic diagram is shown of the receiving block of the insertion mechanism in the waiting position in the automatic insertion device according to the above embodiments of this application;

[0040] Figure 6 A schematic diagram is shown of the state in which the receiving block of the insertion mechanism in the automatic insertion device according to the above embodiment of this application is in the pre-pressed position;

[0041] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing the state in which the receiving block of the insertion mechanism in the automatic insertion device according to the above embodiments of this application is in the insertion position is shown.

[0042] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating an automatic insertion method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 9 A flowchart illustrating the insertion step in the automatic insertion method according to the above embodiments of this application is shown.

[0044] Key component symbols: 10. Feeding mechanism; 100. Feeding path; 11. Vibratory feeder; 12. Buffer; 13. Feed driver; 14. Feeding block; 15. Feed driver; 20. Compatible loading mechanism; 21. Compatible limit block; 211. First limit surface; 212. Second limit surface; 22. Compatible driver; 23. Loading assembly; 231. Loading driver; 232. Loading block; 30. Connecting mechanism; 31. Receiving assembly; 311. Connecting base plate; 312. Receiving block; 313. Elastic element; 314. Electromagnetic element; 315. Receiving slide rail; 32. Pressing assembly; 321 321. Pressing cylinder; 332. Pressing block; 333. Material clamping assembly; 331. Longitudinal driver; 3311. Electric cylinder; 3312. Electric cylinder push block; 3313. Intermediate transition block; 3314. Spring guide rod; 332. Lateral driver; 3321. Side cylinder; 3322. Side cylinder mounting block; 333. Material clamping rod; 40. Material receiving mechanism; 41. Rodless cylinder; 42. Pulley cylinder; 43. Pulley rod; 44. Material receiving box; 45. Material receiving trough; 50. Base frame; 51. Frame body; 52. Upper base plate; 53. Lower base plate; 1. First screw-type terminal block; 2. Second screw-type terminal block.

[0045] The above description of the main component symbols, together with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, provides a further detailed explanation of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The following description is intended to disclose the present invention and enable those skilled in the art to implement it. The preferred embodiments described below are merely examples, and other obvious variations will occur to those skilled in the art. The basic principles of the invention defined in the following description can be applied to other embodiments, modifications, improvements, equivalents, and other technical solutions that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0047] Those skilled in the art should understand that, in the disclosure of this invention, the terms "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and 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, the above terms should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0048] In this invention, the term "a" in the claims and specification should be understood as "one or more," that is, in one embodiment, the number of an element can be one, while in another embodiment, the number of the element can be multiple. Unless explicitly indicated in the disclosure of this invention that the number of the element is only one, the term "a" should not be construed as unique or single, and the term "a" should not be construed as a limitation on the quantity.

[0049] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, terms such as "connected" or "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, it can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through a medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0050] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0051] While existing automated assembly devices can assemble frame-type screw terminals of the same series onto U-shaped slots, they cannot accommodate the assembly of frame-type screw terminals from different series, nor can they perform mixed assembly of screw terminals with different lengths, such as 2-PIN and 3-PIN terminals. Therefore, this application provides an automated mating device and method that can solve the problem of accommodating mixed assembly of similar products from different series, thus filling a technological gap in the market.

[0052] Specifically, refer to the accompanying drawings in the specification of this application. Figures 2 to 7 According to one embodiment of this application, an automatic connector is provided for connecting a first screw-type terminal block 1 and a second screw-type terminal block 2 having different lengths. It is understood that the first screw-type terminal block 1 mentioned in this application can, but is not limited to, be implemented as follows: Figure 1A The 2-PIN terminal is shown; correspondingly, the second screw-type terminal 2 can, but is not limited to, be implemented as shown in the figure. Figure 1B The 3-pin terminals shown typically require mixed-fit connections to meet the different needs of the PCB board.

[0053] More specifically, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 as well as Figure 4As shown, the automatic connector may include a feeding mechanism 10, a compatible loading mechanism 20, and a connector 30. The feeding mechanism 10 has a longitudinally extending feeding path 100 for conveying the first screw-type terminal block 1 and the second screw-type terminal block 2 along the feeding path 100. The compatible loading mechanism 20 includes a compatible limiting block 21, a compatible driver 22 drivably connected to the compatible limiting block 21, and a loading assembly 23. The compatible limiting block 21 has a first limiting surface 211 for limiting the first screw-type terminal block 1 and a second limiting surface 212 for limiting the second screw-type terminal block 2. The distance between the first limiting surface 211 and the second limiting surface 212 is equal to the distance between the first screw-type terminal block 1 and the second screw-type terminal block 2. The length difference between the two components; the compatible limiting block 21 moves laterally under the drive of the compatible driver 22 so that the first limiting surface 211 and the second limiting surface 212 are respectively aligned with the feeding path 100 of the feeding mechanism 10; the feeding assembly 23 is disposed on the limiting side of the compatible limiting block 21, and is used to feed the first screw terminal 1 limited by the first limiting surface 211 and the second screw terminal 2 limited by the second limiting surface 212 to the insertion station respectively. The insertion mechanism 30 is disposed at the insertion station, and is used to insert the first screw terminal 1 and the second screw terminal 2 fed by the compatible feeding mechanism 20 to form a mixed-assembly terminal block group.

[0054] It is worth noting that, such as Figure 3 As shown, when the feeding mechanism 10 conveys the first screw-type terminal block 1 to the compatible loading mechanism 20, the compatible driver 22 drives the compatible limiting block 21 to move laterally so that the first limiting surface 211 aligns with the feeding path 100, thereby limiting the position of the first screw-type terminal block 1 on the feeding path 100 through the first limiting surface 211, so that the first screw-type terminal block 1 can be aligned with the loading station for subsequent loading and splicing processes; and as Figure 4As shown, when the feeding mechanism 10 delivers the second screw terminal 2 to the compatible feeding mechanism 20, the compatible driver 22 drives the compatible limiting block 21 to move laterally so that the second limiting surface 212 is aligned with the feeding path 100, so as to limit the position of the second screw terminal 2 on the feeding path 100 by the second limiting surface 212, so that the second screw terminal 2 can be aligned with the feeding station for subsequent feeding and splicing processes. In other words, because the distance between the first limiting surface 211 and the second limiting surface 212 is equal to the distance between the first screw terminal 1 and the second screw terminal 2 to form a compatible stepped surface, and the compatible limiting block 21 can move laterally, the rear end face of the first screw terminal 1 limited by the first limiting surface 211 and the rear end face of the second screw terminal 2 limited by the second limiting surface 212 remain flush, so that the first screw terminal 1 and the second screw terminal 2 of different lengths can be compatiblely fed and subsequently mixed and connected by the same feeding component 23.

[0055] For example, such as Figure 2 As shown, the feeding mechanism 10 may include a pair of vibratory feeders 11 for supplying the first screw terminal 1 and the second screw terminal 2 respectively, a buffer 12 disposed on the feeding path 100, a pair of feed drivers 13 located on the left and right sides of the buffer 12 respectively, a pair of feed blocks 14 drivably connected to the feed drivers 13, and a feed driver 15 for feeding along the feeding path 100. Driven by the feed driver 13, the feed block 14 reciprocates between the buffer 12 and the corresponding vibratory feeder 11 to transport the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2 from the corresponding vibratory feeder 11 to the feeding path 100. The buffer 12 adjusts the position of the feed block 14 so that the first screw terminal 1 and the second screw terminal 2 fed by the feed block 14 are accurately positioned in the feeding path 100. Then, the feed driver 15 pushes the first screw terminal 1 and the second screw terminal 2 along the feeding path 100 to the compatible feeding mechanism 20.

[0056] Optionally, the vibratory feeder 11 can be composed of a circular vibratory feeding module and a linear vibratory feeding module; the buffer 12 can be, but is not limited to, implemented as a hydraulic buffer, which adjusts the position of the feed block 14 through hydraulic control to ensure that the feed block 14 accurately delivers the first screw terminal 1 and the second screw terminal 2 to the feeding path 100; the feed driver 13 and the feeding driver 15 are respectively implemented as a feed cylinder and a feeding cylinder; one end of the feed block 14 is connected to the feed driver 13, and the other end of the feed block 14 is provided with a feed hole for accommodating the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2, so that the feed block 14 carries the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2 to the feeding path 100 under the driving action of the feed driver 13.

[0057] Optionally, the feeding path 100 of the feeding mechanism 10 is implemented as a longitudinally extending feeding trough for guiding the first screw terminal 1 and the second screw terminal 2 to slide from the feeding mechanism 10 to the compatible feeding mechanism 20. Thus, when the feed block 14 is driven by the feed driver 13 to carry the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2 to one end of the feeding trough, the feed block 14 is adjusted into position by the buffer 12 so that the feed hole of the feed block 14 aligns with the end opening of the feeding trough, so that the feed driver 15 pushes the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2 to slide along the feeding trough, and then pushes it out from the other end opening of the feeding trough and is limited by the corresponding limiting surface on the compatible limiting block 21. It is understood that since the distance between the first limiting surface 211 and the second limiting surface 212 is equal to the distance between the first screw terminal 1 and the second screw terminal 2, the first screw terminal 1 and the second screw terminal 2, although different in length, can both be pushed out of the feeding groove to prevent structural interference during feeding. In other words, the feeding mechanism 10 and the compatible feeding mechanism 20 of this application cooperate with each other to compatiblely feed screw terminals of different lengths, which facilitates subsequent mixed assembly and insertion.

[0058] Optionally, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the compatible driver 22 is implemented as a pen-shaped cylinder floatingly connected to the compatible limiting block 21. The feeding assembly 23 may include a feeding driver 231 and a feeding block 232 driven by the feeding driver 231. Under the drive of the feeding driver 231, the feeding block 232 pushes the first screw terminal 1 and the second screw terminal 2 along the first limiting surface 211 and the second limiting surface 212 to the insertion station, respectively, so as to realize the compatible feeding process.

[0059] According to the above embodiments of this application, as Figure 5 , Figure 6 as well as Figure 7 As shown, the connector mechanism 30 may include a receiving component 31, a pressing component 32, and a clamping component 33. The receiving component 31 is disposed below the pressing component 32, and the clamping component 33 is disposed in front of the receiving component 31. The receiving component 31 is used to receive the first screw-type terminal block 1 or the second screw-type terminal block 2 fed by the compatible feeding mechanism 20; the pressing component 32 is used to press the first screw-type terminal block 1 or the second screw-type terminal block 2 received by the receiving component 31 down to the pre-pressed position and the connector position; the clamping component 33 is used to clamp the first screw-type terminal block 1 or the second screw-type terminal block 2 to move closer to or further away from the receiving component 31. When the pressing component 32 presses the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2 to the pre-pressed position, the clamping component 33 clamps the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2 close to the receiving component 31, so that the rear end face of the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2 clamped by the clamping component 33 fits against the front end face of the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2 in the pre-pressed position, ensuring that the male and female grooves of the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2 are aligned with each other; then, the pressing component 32 further presses the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2 from the pre-pressed position to the insertion position to complete the insertion action; finally, the clamping component 33 clamps the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2 away from the receiving component 31, so that the receiving component 31 can receive the next screw terminal.

[0060] It is worth noting that, because the clamping assembly 33 can hold the first screw-type terminal 1 or the second screw-type terminal 2 away from or near the receiving assembly 31, regardless of whether the screw-type terminal lengths are the same, the clamping assembly 33 can hold the first screw-type terminal 1 or the second screw-type terminal 2 close to the receiving assembly 31, so that the front and rear end faces of the terminal are in contact with each other, ensuring that the male and female grooves are aligned, so that they can be pressed down again to achieve insertion. In other words, the insertion mechanism 30 of this application can also be compatible with screw-type terminal blocks of different lengths to achieve mixed insertion between 2-PIN terminals and 3-PIN terminals.

[0061] Optionally, such as Figure 5 and Figure 7As shown, the receiving assembly 31 may include a connector base plate 311, a receiving block 312 with a receiving groove, an elastic member 313 disposed between the receiving block 312 and the connector base plate 311, and an electromagnetic member 314 for generating magnetic attraction between the receiving block 312 and the connector base plate 311; the receiving block 312 is vertically movable on the connector base plate 311 to receive the first screw-type terminal 1 or the second screw-type terminal 2 fed by the compatible feeding mechanism 20 through the receiving groove.

[0062] Thus, as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, when the compatible feeding mechanism 20 feeds the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2 into the receiving slot of the receiving block 312, the pressing component 32 presses down the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2 to move the receiving block 312 from the waiting position to the pre-pressing position. At this time, the elastic element 313 accumulates elastic potential energy; Figure 7 As shown, when the pressing component 32 further presses down the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2 to move the receiving block 312 from the pre-pressed position to the insertion position to complete the insertion, the electromagnetic component 314 is energized to generate a magnetic attraction between the receiving block 312 and the insertion base plate 311, thereby counteracting the elastic force of the elastic component 313, so that the receiving block 312 remains in the insertion position. At this time, the pressing component 32 is raised to move away from the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2, so that the clamping component 33 can hold the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2 away from the receiving component 31. Afterwards, the electromagnetic component 314 is de-energized to remove the magnetic attraction and release the receiving block 312. Then, the receiving block 312 automatically moves up to the waiting position under the elastic action of the elastic component 313 to receive the next screw terminal.

[0063] It is worth noting that, during the pressing process of the pressing component 32 of this application, the elastic element 313 not only accumulates elastic potential energy to allow the receiving block 312 to automatically return to the waiting position, but also acts as an elastic buffer to cushion the pressing force applied by the pressing component 32 to the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2, thus preventing damage to the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2. Simultaneously, during the pressing process of the pressing component 32 moving the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2 to the pre-pressed position, the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2 can be shaped in the receiving groove of the receiving block 312, facilitating the fit between the rear end face of the terminal held by the clamping component 33 and the front end face of the terminal received by the receiving component 31.

[0064] Optionally, the electromagnetic component 314 can be implemented as an electromagnet fixed to the receiving block 312; the connector base plate 311 is made of a magnetic material. Thus, when the electromagnet is energized, it generates a magnetic attraction with the connector base plate 311, attracting and fixing the receiving block 312 to the base plate 311. This allows the clamping assembly 33 to hold the first screw-type terminal 1 or the second screw-type terminal 2, preventing it from moving upwards under the action of the elastic component 313 and colliding with the first screw-type terminal 1 or the second screw-type terminal 2.

[0065] Optionally, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the receiving assembly 31 may further include a receiving slide rail 315 extending upward from the receiving base plate 311. The receiving block 312 is slidably disposed on the receiving slide rail 315, so that the receiving block 312 moves downward along the receiving slide rail 315 under the action of the pressing assembly 32; and after the pressing assembly 32 is lifted to remove the force on the receiving block 312, the receiving block 312 moves upward along the receiving slide rail 315 under the action of the elastic member 313 to return to the waiting position. It is understood that the receiving slide rail 315 of this application may be installed on the receiving base plate 311 in a positioning manner by means of a slide rail fixing block, and the slide rail fixing block may be detachably fixed to the receiving base plate 311 by means of a pin.

[0066] Optionally, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the pressing assembly 32 may include a pressing cylinder 321 and a pressing block 322 drivably connected to the pressing cylinder 321. The pressing block 322 moves downward under the drive of the pressing cylinder 321, pressing down on the first screw-type terminal 1 or the second screw-type terminal 2 carried by the receiving block 312, so that the receiving block 312 first moves down from the waiting position to the pre-pressing position, and then moves down from the pre-pressing position to the insertion position. Of course, after the receiving block 312 is attracted and fixed to the insertion base plate 311 by the electromagnetic component 314, the pressing block 322 moves upward under the drive of the pressing cylinder 321 to disengage from the first screw-type terminal 1 or the second screw-type terminal 2 carried by the receiving block 312, so that the material clamping assembly 33 can remove the first screw-type terminal 1 or the second screw-type terminal 2 from the receiving groove of the receiving block 312.

[0067] Optionally, such as Figure 5 As shown, the material receiving assembly 33 may include a longitudinal driver 331, a transverse driver 332 disposed on the longitudinal driver 331, and a material receiving rod 333 drivenly connected to the transverse driver 332. The longitudinal driver 331 is used to drive the transverse driver 332 to move longitudinally (in the front-back direction as shown in FIG1), so as to drive the material receiving rod 333 to move closer to or away from the receiving assembly 31 through the transverse driver 332; the transverse driver 332 is used to drive the material receiving rod 333 to move laterally (in the left-right direction as shown in FIG1), so as to releasably hold the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2 through the material receiving rod 333.

[0068] In other words, when the receiving block 312 of the receiving assembly 31 is in the insertion position, the transverse driver 332 first drives the clamping rod 333 to retract, and then the longitudinal driver 331 drives the transverse driver 332 to move backward so that the clamping rod 333 moves to the position aligned with the receiving block 312; then, the transverse driver 332 drives the clamping rod 333 to extend to clamp the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2 carried by the receiving block 312; after that, the longitudinal driver 331 drives the transverse driver 332 to move forward so that the clamping rod 333 carries the first screw terminal 1 or the second screw terminal 2 out of the receiving slot of the receiving block 312, so that the receiving block 312 moves upward to the waiting position to receive the next screw terminal; this cycle continues until a mixed-assembly terminal block of the required length is formed.

[0069] Optionally, such as Figure 5As shown, the longitudinal drive 331 may include an electric cylinder 3311 mounted on the connector base plate 311 and an electric cylinder push block 3312 mounted on the electric cylinder 3311; the transverse drive 332 includes a lateral cylinder 3321 mounted on the electric cylinder push block 3312; and the clamping rod 333 is threadedly connected to the lateral cylinder 3321.

[0070] Preferably, such as Figure 5 As shown, the transverse actuator 332 further includes a lateral cylinder mounting block 3322 slidably mounted on the connector base plate 311. The lateral cylinder 3321 is directly mounted on the lateral cylinder mounting block 3322 via threads. The longitudinal actuator 331 further includes an intermediate transition block 3313 and a spring guide rod 3314. The intermediate transition block 3313 is pinned to the lateral cylinder mounting block 3322. One end of the spring guide rod 3314 is fixed to the intermediate transition block 3313 by screws, and the other end of the spring guide rod 3314 is secured to the electric cylinder push block 3312 by structural limiting, so that an elastic gap is formed between the electric cylinder push block 3312 and the intermediate transition block 3313 to reduce the difficulty of material jamming and facilitate the improvement of material jamming efficiency. It is understood that the spring guide rod 3314 mentioned in this application may, but is not limited to, be implemented as a guide rod fitted with a spring; in addition, the movement of the electric cylinder 3311 can precisely adjust the position of the side cylinder, and the ejection of the cylinder can well control and fix the product so as to achieve the precision requirements required for the connection.

[0071] According to the above embodiments of this application, as Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the automatic splicing device may further include a receiving mechanism 40, which is used to collect the mixed splice terminal groups spliced ​​by the splicing mechanism 30 so that the splicing mechanism 30 can perform the splicing operation of the next mixed splice terminal group, thereby realizing fully automated terminal splicing operation, freeing up manual labor and improving production efficiency.

[0072] Optionally, such as Figure 5 As shown, the receiving mechanism 40 may include a rodless cylinder 41 mounted on the connector base plate 311, a lever cylinder 42 fixed to the rodless cylinder 41, a material-pushing rod 43 fitted onto the output shaft of the lever cylinder 42, and a receiving box 44 for collecting the mixed connector terminal sets pushed out by the material-pushing rod 43. Thus, when the mixed connector terminal sets are completed, the lever cylinder 42 drives the material-pushing rod 43 to extend and abut against the mixed connector terminal sets, and the rodless cylinder 41 drives the lever cylinder 42 to move longitudinally, pushing the mixed connector terminal sets into the receiving box 44 for collection.

[0073] Optionally, such as Figure 2 and Figure 5As shown, the receiving mechanism 40 may further include a receiving groove 45 disposed on the connector base plate 311, the receiving groove 45 extending from the receiving assembly 31 to the receiving box 44. Thus, when the receiving block 312 is in the insertion position, the receiving groove 45 mates with the receiving groove of the receiving block 312, causing the clamping assembly 33 to clamp the first screw-type terminal 1 or the second screw-type terminal 2 located in the receiving groove to push it into the receiving groove 45; and after the insertion is completed, the mixed connector terminal group is pushed out of the receiving groove 45 by the push rod 43 to fall into the receiving box 44 for collection.

[0074] According to the above embodiments of this application, as Figure 2 As shown, the automatic splicing device may further include a base frame 50, and the feeding mechanism 10, the compatible loading mechanism 20, the splicing mechanism 30 and the receiving mechanism 40 are respectively disposed on the base frame 50 so as to transport the automatic splicing device as a whole and adapt to different application scenarios.

[0075] Optionally, such as Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the base frame 50 may include a frame body 51, an upper base plate 52 fixed to the frame body 51, and a lower base plate 53 fixed to the frame body 51, with the lower base plate 53 located below the upper base plate 52. The compatible feeding mechanism 20 is disposed on the upper base plate 52, and the receiving component 31 and the clamping component 33 of the insertion mechanism 30 are disposed on the lower base plate 53; the pressing component 32 of the insertion mechanism 30 is disposed on the upper base plate 52. The receiving box 44 of the receiving mechanism 40 is disposed below the lower base plate 53.

[0076] It is worth mentioning that, according to another aspect of this application, such as Figure 8 As shown, one embodiment of this application further provides an automatic plugging method, including the steps of:

[0077] S100: Conveys first screw-type terminals and second screw-type terminals of different lengths longitudinally respectively;

[0078] S200: The compatible limit block is moved laterally by the compatible driver to limit the positions of the first screw terminal and the second screw terminal respectively by the first limit surface and the second limit surface of the compatible limit block, wherein the distance between the first limit surface and the second limit surface is equal to the length difference between the first screw terminal and the second screw terminal.

[0079] S300: The feeding assembly feeds the first screw-type terminal block, which is limited by the first limiting surface, and the second screw-type terminal block, which is limited by the second limiting surface, into the connector mechanism, respectively; and

[0080] S400: The first screw-type terminal block and the second screw-type terminal block are connected by the plugging mechanism to form a mixed plugging terminal block group.

[0081] It is worth noting that, according to one embodiment of this application, such as Figure 9 As shown, step S400 of the automatic connection method includes the following steps:

[0082] S410: Receives a first screw-type terminal or a second screw-type terminal fed by the feeding assembly via the receiving block of the receiving assembly;

[0083] S420: Pre-press the first screw terminal or the second screw terminal received via the receiving block by means of the pressing component;

[0084] S430: The first screw terminal or the second screw terminal held by the clamping assembly is moved backward so that the rear end face of the clamped first screw terminal or the second screw terminal is in contact with the front end face of the pre-pressed first screw terminal or the second screw terminal.

[0085] S440: By means of the pressing component, the pre-pressed first screw terminal or the second screw terminal is pressed down to achieve the connection;

[0086] S450: By energizing the electromagnetic component of the receiving assembly, the receiving block is attracted and fixed in the insertion position, so that the pressing assembly is lifted and disengaged from the first screw terminal or the second screw terminal after the insertion is completed.

[0087] S460: The clamping assembly holds the first or second screw-type terminal block, which has been fully engaged, and moves it forward away from the receiving block; and

[0088] S470: By de-energizing the electromagnetic component, the receiving block is released, so that the receiving block automatically moves upward to the waiting position under the action of the elastic component.

[0089] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0090] The above embodiments merely illustrate several implementation methods of the present invention, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An automatic connector for connecting a first screw-type terminal block and a second screw-type terminal block with different lengths, characterized in that, The automatic connector includes: A feeding mechanism having a longitudinally extending feeding path for conveying the first screw terminal and the second screw terminal along the feeding path respectively; A compatible feeding mechanism includes a compatible limiting block, a compatible driver drivably connected to the compatible limiting block, and a feeding assembly. The compatible limiting block has a first limiting surface for limiting a first screw-type terminal and a second limiting surface for limiting a second screw-type terminal, the distance between the first limiting surface and the second limiting surface being equal to the length difference between the first screw-type terminal and the second screw-type terminal. The compatible limiting block moves laterally under the drive of the compatible driver to align the first limiting surface and the second limiting surface with the feeding path of the feeding mechanism, respectively. The feeding assembly is disposed on the limiting side of the compatible limiting block and is used to feed the first screw-type terminal limited by the first limiting surface and the second screw-type terminal limited by the second limiting surface to the connector station, respectively. A connector mechanism is provided at the connector station for connecting the first screw-type terminal block and the second screw-type terminal block fed by the compatible feeding mechanism to form a mixed-assembly connector terminal block group. The connector mechanism includes a receiving component, a pressing component, and a clamping component. The receiving component is located below the pressing component and is used to receive the first screw-type terminal block or the second screw-type terminal block fed by the compatible feeding mechanism. The pressing component is used to press the first screw-type terminal block or the second screw-type terminal block received by the receiving component down to a pre-pressed position and a connector position, respectively. The clamping component is located in front of the receiving component and is used to clamp the first screw-type terminal block or the second screw-type terminal block to move closer to or further away from the receiving component.

2. The automatic insertion device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The compatible driver is a pen-shaped cylinder that is floatingly connected to the compatible limiting block; the feeding assembly includes a feeding driver and a feeding block that is driven and connected to the feeding driver. The feeding block is used by the feeding driver to push the first screw terminal and the second screw terminal along the first limiting surface and the second limiting surface to the insertion station, respectively.

3. The automatic insertion device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The receiving assembly includes a base plate, a receiving block with a receiving groove, an elastic element disposed between the receiving block and the base plate, and an electromagnetic element for generating magnetic attraction between the receiving block and the base plate; the receiving block is vertically movable on the base plate to receive the first screw terminal or the second screw terminal fed by the compatible feeding mechanism via the receiving groove.

4. The automatic insertion device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The electromagnetic component is an electromagnet fixed to the receiving block; the receiving base plate is made of magnetic material; the receiving assembly further includes a receiving slide rail extending upward from the receiving base plate, and the receiving block is slidably disposed on the receiving slide rail.

5. The automatic insertion device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The material clamping assembly includes a longitudinal driver, a transverse driver disposed on the longitudinal driver, and a material clamping rod driven and connected to the transverse driver. The longitudinal driver is used to drive the transverse driver to move longitudinally, so as to drive the material clamping rod to move closer to or away from the receiving assembly. The transverse driver is used to drive the material clamping rod to move laterally, so as to releasably clamp the first screw terminal or the second screw terminal.

6. The automatic insertion device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The longitudinal actuator includes an electric cylinder mounted on the connector base plate and an electric cylinder push block mounted on the electric cylinder; the transverse actuator includes a lateral cylinder mounted on the electric cylinder push block and a lateral cylinder mounting block slidably mounted on the connector base plate, the lateral cylinder being mounted on the lateral cylinder mounting block, and the clamping rod being threadedly connected to the lateral cylinder; the longitudinal actuator further includes an intermediate transition block and a spring guide rod, the intermediate transition block being pinned to the lateral cylinder mounting block, one end of the spring guide rod being fixed to the intermediate transition block, and the other end of the spring guide rod being clamped to the electric cylinder push block.

7. The automatic insertion device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The feeding mechanism includes a pair of vibratory feeders for supplying the first screw terminal and the second screw terminal, a buffer disposed on the feeding path, a pair of feed drivers located on the left and right sides of the buffer, a pair of feed blocks drivably connected to the feed drivers, and a feed driver for feeding along the feeding path; the feed blocks reciprocate between the buffer and the corresponding vibratory feeder under the drive of the feed drivers, for conveying the first screw terminal or the second screw terminal from the corresponding vibratory feeder to the feeding path, so as to adjust the position of the feed blocks by the buffer.

8. The automatic insertion device according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that, The automatic connector further includes a receiving mechanism, which includes a rodless cylinder mounted on the connector base plate, a lever cylinder fixed to the rodless cylinder, a material-pushing rod fitted onto the output shaft of the lever cylinder, and a receiving box for collecting the mixed connector terminal blocks pulled out by the material-pushing rod.

9. An automatic connection method, characterized in that, An automatic insertion device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising the steps of: First screw-type terminals and second screw-type terminals of different lengths are respectively conveyed longitudinally; The compatible driver moves the compatible limiting block laterally to limit the positions of the first screw terminal and the second screw terminal respectively through the first limiting surface and the second limiting surface of the compatible limiting block, wherein the distance between the first limiting surface and the second limiting surface is equal to the length difference between the first screw terminal and the second screw terminal. The feeding assembly feeds the first screw-type terminal, which is limited by the first limiting surface, and the second screw-type terminal, which is limited by the second limiting surface, into the connector mechanism, respectively; and The first screw-type terminal and the second screw-type terminal are connected through the connector mechanism to form a mixed-assembly connector group.

10. The automatic insertion method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The step of connecting the first screw-type terminal and the second screw-type terminal through the connector mechanism to form a mixed-assembly terminal block includes the following steps: The receiving block of the receiving assembly receives the first screw-type terminal or the second screw-type terminal fed by the feeding assembly. The first screw terminal or the second screw terminal received via the receiving block is pre-pressed by the pressing component. The first screw terminal or the second screw terminal held by the clamping assembly is moved backward so that the rear end face of the clamped first screw terminal or the second screw terminal is in contact with the front end face of the pre-pressed first screw terminal or the second screw terminal. The pressing component is used to press down the pre-pressed first screw terminal or the second screw terminal to achieve connection; By energizing the electromagnetic component of the receiving assembly, the receiving block is attracted and fixed in the insertion position, so that the pressing assembly is lifted and disengaged from the first screw terminal or the second screw terminal after the insertion is completed. The clamping assembly holds the first or second screw-type terminal block, which has been fully engaged, and moves it forward away from the receiving block; and By de-energizing the electromagnetic component, the receiving block is released, allowing it to automatically move upwards to the waiting position under the action of the elastic component.

Images