Self-centering clamp

Abstract

This invention discloses an automatic centering fixture, comprising: a mounting base having an internal mounting channel, wherein the left and right side walls of the mounting channel gradually approach each other from top to bottom, and the left and right side walls of the mounting channel are symmetrical; a main gripper slidably connected to the left side wall of the mounting channel, and a driving component mounted on the mounting base, the driving component driving the main gripper to move in the vertical direction; and a secondary gripper slidably connected to the right side wall of the mounting channel in the vertical direction, and slidably connected to the main gripper in the horizontal direction. This invention aligns the workpiece towards the center of the mounting channel when the main gripper and secondary gripper approach each other. When the main gripper and secondary gripper abut against the two sides of the workpiece, the alignment of the workpiece is completed, and the workpiece is clamped, reducing the need for subsequent workpiece alignment processes and thus improving production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a robotic arm, and more particularly to an automatic centering gripper. Background Technology

[0002] Machining refers to the process of changing the shape, size, or properties of a workpiece using mechanical equipment. The use of fixtures in machining helps to quickly, conveniently, and safely install the workpiece.

[0003] Existing fixtures do not have automatic centering functions during installation. After the fixture clamps the workpiece, workers need to manually or mechanically re-center the workpiece, which is cumbersome. Therefore, current fixtures only have clamping functions, which are relatively simple and make it difficult to improve the efficiency of workpiece clamping and alignment. Summary of the Invention The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic centering fixture to solve one or more technical problems existing in the prior art, and at least provide a beneficial option or create conditions.

[0004] The solution to the technical problem of this invention is: An automatic centering fixture includes: a mounting base having an internal mounting channel, wherein the left and right side walls of the mounting channel gradually approach each other from top to bottom, and the left and right side walls of the mounting channel are symmetrical; a main gripper slidably connected to the left side wall of the mounting channel, and a driving component is provided on the mounting base, the driving component driving the main gripper to move in the vertical direction; and a secondary gripper slidably connected to the right side wall of the mounting channel in the vertical direction, and the secondary gripper slidably connected to the main gripper in the horizontal direction.

[0005] This technical solution has at least the following beneficial effects: The mounting base can be fixed to the external structural components. In use, the entire unit is moved to the workpiece to be clamped. Then, the driving component drives the main gripper to move downward within the mounting channel. As the main gripper moves downward, the secondary gripper, which is also slidably connected to the main gripper, moves downward within the mounting channel simultaneously. As the left and right side walls of the mounting channel gradually approach each other from top to bottom, the main gripper and the secondary gripper also approach each other. Since the left and right side walls of the mounting channel are symmetrical, the horizontal movement of the main gripper and the secondary gripper remains the same. Thus, when the main gripper and the secondary gripper approach each other, the workpiece can be aligned with the center of the mounting channel. When the main gripper and the secondary gripper abut against the two sides of the workpiece, the alignment of the workpiece is completed, and the workpiece is clamped, reducing the need for subsequent workpiece alignment and thus improving production efficiency.

[0006] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the mounting base includes a gantry frame and a bracket located inside the gantry frame. The mounting channel is located in the middle of the gantry frame. The fixed end of the driving component is connected to the top side of the bracket, and the movable end of the driving component is connected to the bottom side of the main gripper. The gantry frame has vertical support structures on its left and right sides, and a crossbeam structure is connected between the top ends of the two vertical support structures. At this time, the mounting channel is located within the crossbeam structure, that is, in the middle of the gantry frame. The driving component for driving the main gripper to slide is located between the two vertical support structures. In this case, the driving component can be installed and fixed in the linear sliding direction of the main gripper, improving the stability of the main gripper's movement.

[0007] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, mounting blocks are connected to both the left and right bottom sides of the gantry frame, and mounting holes are provided on both mounting blocks. When installing and fixing the gantry frame to the external structural components, the two mounting blocks can be pressed against the external structural components, and then connectors can be driven into the mounting holes on the two mounting blocks to install and fix the entire gantry frame. This improves the convenience and stability of gantry frame installation.

[0008] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the left side wall of the mounting channel extends obliquely to the upper left. Since the left side wall and the right side wall of the mounting channel are symmetrical, the right side wall extends obliquely to the right from bottom to top. Thus, the main gripper and the auxiliary gripper reciprocate along a straight line during movement.

[0009] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, a left guide rail is connected to the left side wall of the mounting channel, and a left slider is connected to the left side of the main gripper, the left slider being engaged with the left guide rail. A right guide rail is connected to the right side wall of the mounting channel, and a right slider is connected to the right side of the secondary gripper, the right slider being engaged with the right guide rail. The main gripper is slidably connected to the left side wall of the mounting channel through the interaction of the left slider and the left guide rail; similarly, the secondary gripper is slidably connected to the right side wall of the mounting channel through the interaction of the right slider and the right guide rail.

[0010] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, a limiting block is connected to the outer bottom of the main gripper. When the main gripper slides upward to the end of its stroke, the top side of the limiting block abuts against the gantry. The driving component can drive the main gripper to move upward. When the main gripper moves upward to the end of its stroke, the limiting block abuts against the gantry, which can limit the main gripper from moving further upward, thereby protecting the main gripper's stroke and preventing the sliding connection structure between the main gripper and the auxiliary gripper from disengaging, thus improving the overall structural stability during use.

[0011] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the movable end of the drive component is connected to a connecting seat, and the top side of the connecting seat is connected to a plurality of upwardly extending connecting feet, which are detachably connected to the bottom side of the main gripper. The movable end of the drive component can be easily installed and fixed to the bottom side of the main gripper through the connecting feet on the connecting seat, and the two can be disassembled and reassembled, improving the convenience of installation and maintenance.

[0012] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the driving component is a hydraulic cylinder. The hydraulic cylinder drives the main gripper to reciprocate, making the movement of the main gripper more stable and increasing the clamping force of the main gripper and the right auxiliary gripper when holding the workpiece.

[0013] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, a main clamping block is connected to the top side of the main clamping jaw, and a secondary clamping block is connected to the top side of the secondary clamping jaw. Both the main clamping block and the secondary clamping block protrude upwards from the mounting channel. When the main clamping jaw and the secondary clamping jaw are clamping the workpiece, the top sides of the main clamping jaw and the secondary clamping jaw can abut against the workpiece, forming a positioning concave angle between the main clamping jaw and the main clamping block. Similarly, another positioning concave angle is formed between the secondary clamping jaw and the secondary clamping block. The two positioning concave angles can be used to better position the workpiece. Then, the main clamping block connected to the main clamping jaw abuts against one side of the workpiece, and the secondary clamping block connected to the secondary clamping jaw abuts against the other side of the workpiece, thereby achieving the clamping and fixing of the workpiece. As a further improvement to the above technical solution, a slot is provided on the right side of the main gripper, and a plug is connected to the left side of the secondary gripper, with the plug inserted into the slot. By utilizing the cooperation between the plug and the slot, a sliding connection can be achieved between the main gripper and the secondary gripper, thereby driving the secondary gripper to move up and down simultaneously as the main gripper moves up and down. Attached Figure Description

[0014] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly explained below. Obviously, the described drawings are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Those skilled in the art can obtain other design schemes and drawings based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0015] Figure 1 This is an overall perspective view of the present invention; Figure 2 This is an overall front view of the present invention.

[0016] In the attached diagram: 110-Gantry frame, 111-Installation channel, 120-Bracket, 130-Installation block, 140-Left guide rail, 150-Right guide rail, 200-Main gripper, 210-Main gripper block, 300-Secondary gripper, 310-Secondary gripper block, 320-Insertion block, 400-Driver, 410-Connecting seat, 411-Connecting foot. Detailed Implementation

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0018] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., are 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, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0019] In the description of this invention, "several" means one or more, "more than" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0020] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set up," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0021] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 An automatic centering fixture includes a mounting base, a main gripper 200, and a secondary gripper 300. The mounting base has an internal mounting channel 111. The left and right side walls of the mounting channel 111 gradually approach each other from top to bottom, and the left and right side walls of the mounting channel 111 are symmetrical. The main gripper 200 is slidably connected to the left side wall of the mounting channel 111. A driving component 400 is provided on the mounting base, driving the main gripper 200 and enabling it to move vertically. The secondary gripper 300 is slidably connected to the right side wall of the mounting channel 111 vertically and slidably connected to the main gripper 200 horizontally.

[0022] As described above, the mounting base can be fixed to the structural components of the external device. During use, the entire unit is moved to the workpiece to be clamped. Then, the drive unit 400 drives the main gripper 200 to move downwards within the mounting channel 111. Simultaneously, since the secondary gripper 300 is also slidably connected to the main gripper 200, the secondary gripper 300 will also move downwards within the mounting channel 111. Furthermore, as the left and right side walls of the mounting channel 111 gradually approach each other from top to bottom, the main gripper 200 and the secondary gripper 300 can also... Since the left and right walls of the mounting channel 111 are symmetrical, the horizontal movement of the main gripper 200 and the auxiliary gripper 300 is also the same. Thus, when the main gripper 200 and the auxiliary gripper 300 approach each other, the workpiece can be aligned with the center of the mounting channel 111. When the main gripper 200 and the auxiliary gripper 300 abut against the two sides of the workpiece, the alignment of the workpiece is completed and the workpiece is clamped, reducing the need for subsequent alignment of the workpiece and thus improving production efficiency.

[0023] The driving component 400 includes a fixed end and a movable end that can reciprocate in a straight line within the fixed end. In the above embodiment, the fixed end can be hinged to the mounting base, and the movable end can be hinged to the main gripper 200. When the driving component 400 is on a workpiece, the hinged positions of the fixed end and the mounting base, and the hinged positions of the movable end and the main gripper 200 need to withstand a large load. In order to improve the structural stability of the installation of the driving component 400, in this embodiment, the mounting base includes a gantry frame 110 and a bracket 120 located inside the gantry frame 110. The installation channel 111 is located in the middle of the gantry frame 110. The fixed end of the driving component 400 is connected to the top side of the bracket 120, and the movable end of the driving component 400 is connected to the bottom side of the main gripper 200. The gantry 110 has vertical support structures on both sides, and a crossbeam structure is connected between the top of the two vertical support structures. The installation channel 111 is located inside the crossbeam structure, that is, in the middle of the gantry 110. The drive component 400 for driving the main gripper 200 to slide is located between the two vertical support structures. At this time, the drive component 400 can be installed and fixed in the linear sliding direction of the main gripper 200 to improve the stability of the main gripper 200's movement.

[0024] When the gantry frame 110 is installed onto the external structural components, it can be directly connected and fixed to the vertical support structures on its left and right sides. To improve the convenience of connection, in this embodiment, mounting blocks 130 are connected to both bottom sides of the gantry frame 110, and each mounting block 130 is provided with mounting holes. When installing and fixing the gantry frame 110 onto the external structural components, the two mounting blocks 130 can be pressed against the external structural components, and then connectors can be driven into the mounting holes on the two mounting blocks 130 to install and fix the entire gantry frame 110. This improves the convenience and stability of installing the gantry frame 110.

[0025] In the above embodiment, the left and right side walls of the mounting channel 111 gradually approach each other from top to bottom. This structure can take many forms, such as both side walls being curved surfaces, whereby the left and right side walls of the mounting channel 111 are curved to approach each other; or both side walls of the mounting channel 111 being inclined surfaces. Specifically, the left side wall of the mounting channel 111 extends obliquely upwards to the left. The left side wall of the mounting channel 111 extends obliquely to the left from bottom to top. Since the left side wall and the right side wall of the mounting channel 111 are symmetrical, the right side wall of the mounting channel 111 extends obliquely to the right from bottom to top. Thus, the main gripper 200 and the secondary gripper 300 reciprocate along a straight line during movement.

[0026] To achieve the sliding connection between the main gripper 200 and the secondary gripper 300 on the left and right side walls of the through channel, the main gripper 200 and the secondary gripper 300 can be connected to the left and right side walls of the through channel through the mutual cooperation of the dovetail guide rail and the slide groove. In order to further improve the smoothness of the sliding of the main gripper 200 and the secondary gripper 300, in this embodiment, the left side wall of the mounting channel 111 is connected to the left guide rail 140, the left side of the main gripper 200 is connected to the left slider, and the left slider is engaged with the left guide rail 140. The right side wall of the mounting channel 111 is connected to the right guide rail 150, and the right side of the secondary gripper 300 is connected to the right slider, and the right slider is engaged with the right guide rail 150. The main gripper 200 is slidably connected to the left side wall of the mounting channel 111 through the cooperation of the left slider and the left guide rail 140. Similarly, the secondary gripper 300 is slidably connected to the right side wall of the mounting channel 111 through the cooperation of the right slider and the right guide rail 150. In practical applications, the left guide rail 140 and the right guide rail 150 extend along the length of their respective side walls on the left and right sides of the mounting channel 111. Multiple left sliders and right sliders can be connected to the left guide rail 140 and the right guide rail 150 respectively. In addition, two left guide rails 140 and two right guide rails 150 can be arranged in the front-back direction, which further improves the stability of the connection structure between the main gripper 200 and the secondary gripper 300, thereby improving the stability when gripping the workpiece.

[0027] When the main gripper 200 and the secondary gripper 300 move upward, they move away from each other. At this time, the sliding connection between the main gripper 200 and the secondary gripper 300 is easy to disengage. The movement of the main gripper 200 and the secondary gripper 300 is mainly driven by the drive component 400. In order to better control the movement stroke of the main gripper 200 and the secondary gripper 300 and avoid them from moving too high, a limit block is connected to the bottom outer side of the main gripper 200. When the main gripper 200 slides upward to the end of its stroke, the top side of the limit block can abut against the gantry frame 110, that is, the limit block abuts against the bottom side of the crossbeam structure of the gantry frame 110 to realize the movement restriction of the left gripper. The drive unit 400 can drive the main gripper 200 to move upward. When the main gripper 200 moves upward to the end of its stroke, the limit block abuts against the gantry 110, which can limit the main gripper 200 from moving further upward, thereby protecting the main gripper 200's stroke and preventing the sliding connection structure between the main gripper 200 and the secondary gripper 300 from disengaging and separating, thus improving the overall structural stability during use.

[0028] The movable end of the drive component 400 can be directly connected to the bottom side of the main gripper 200. In this case, a corresponding mounting structure needs to be provided on the bottom side of the main gripper 200 to facilitate the connection between the two. For example, a hole structure is provided on the bottom side of the main gripper 200. In order to further improve the convenience and stability of the connection between the movable end of the drive component 400 and the main gripper 200, the movable end of the drive component 400 is connected to a connecting seat 410. The top side of the connecting seat 410 is connected to a plurality of upwardly extending connecting feet 411. The plurality of connecting feet 411 are detachably connected to the bottom side of the main gripper 200. For example, connecting feet 411 are connected to the four top corners of the connecting seat 410, and hole structures are provided on the bottom side of the main gripper 200 at the positions corresponding to the four connecting feet 411. The movable end of the drive component 400 can be easily installed and fixed to the bottom side of the main gripper 200 via the connecting feet 411 on the connecting seat 410. The force transmitted by the movable end of the drive component 400 connected to the connecting seat 410 can be distributed to the four connecting feet 411, which can improve the stability when applying force to the main gripper 200. Furthermore, the two can be disassembled and reassembled, which improves the convenience of installation and maintenance.

[0029] The drive component 400 is mainly used to provide a drive source for reciprocating movement in a linear direction. It can have various structural forms, such as electric lead screws or cylinders. In this embodiment, the drive component 400 is a hydraulic cylinder. The hydraulic cylinder drives the main gripper 200 to reciprocate, making the movement of the main gripper 200 more stable and increasing the clamping force between the main gripper 200 and the right auxiliary gripper 300 when clamping the workpiece.

[0030] When the main gripper 200 and the auxiliary gripper 300 are clamping a workpiece, the main gripper 200 and the auxiliary gripper 300 can protrude upwards out of the mounting channel 111, or the workpiece can be inserted into the mounting channel 111. The main gripper 200 and the auxiliary gripper 300 themselves abut against the workpiece to perform clamping. In order to further improve the positioning effect of the workpiece, in this embodiment, the top side of the main gripper 200 is connected to a main clamping block 210, and the top side of the auxiliary gripper 300 is connected to an auxiliary clamping block 310. Both the main clamping block 210 and the auxiliary clamping block 310 protrude upwards out of the mounting channel 111. When the main jaw 200 and the secondary jaw 300 are clamping the workpiece, the top sides of the main jaw 200 and the secondary jaw 300 can abut against the workpiece. A positioning concave angle is formed between the main jaw 200 and the main clamping block 210. Similarly, another positioning concave angle is formed between the secondary jaw 300 and the secondary clamping block 310. The two positioning concave angles can be used to better position the workpiece. Then, the main clamping block 210 connected to the main jaw 200 abuts against one side of the workpiece, and the secondary clamping block 310 connected to the secondary jaw 300 abuts against the other side of the workpiece, thereby achieving the clamping and fixing of the workpiece. The main gripper 200 and the secondary gripper 300 are connected to each other via a slide rail and a slide groove. In this embodiment, a slot is provided on the right side of the main gripper 200, and a plug 320 is connected to the left side of the secondary gripper 300. The plug 320 is inserted into the slot. By utilizing the cooperation between the plug 320 and the slot, a sliding connection between the main gripper 200 and the secondary gripper 300 can be achieved, thereby driving the secondary gripper 300 to move up and down simultaneously when the main gripper 200 moves up and down. The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described. Those skilled in the art can make various equivalent modifications or substitutions without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and these equivalent modifications or substitutions are all included within the scope defined by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. An automatic centering fixture, characterized by: include: The mounting base has an internal mounting channel (111). The left and right side walls of the mounting channel (111) gradually approach each other from top to bottom, and the left and right side walls of the mounting channel (111) are symmetrical. The main gripper (200) is slidably connected to the left side wall of the mounting channel (111). A driving component (400) is provided on the mounting base. The driving component (400) drives the main gripper (200) to move in the up and down direction. The secondary gripper (300) is slidably connected to the right side wall of the mounting channel (111) in the vertical direction. The secondary gripper (300) is slidably connected to the main gripper (200) in the horizontal direction. The main gripper (200) is connected to the top side of the main gripper (200), and the secondary gripper (300) is connected to the top side of the secondary gripper (300). Both the main gripper (210) and the secondary gripper (310) protrude upward from the mounting channel (111).

2. The self-aligning clamp of claim 1, wherein: The mounting base includes a gantry (110) and a bracket (120) located inside the gantry (110). The mounting channel (111) is located in the middle of the gantry (110). The fixed end of the driving member (400) is connected to the top side of the bracket (120), and the movable end of the driving member (400) is connected to the bottom side of the main gripper (200).

3. The self-aligning clamp of claim 2, wherein: The gantry frame (110) is connected to mounting blocks (130) on both the left and right bottom sides, and mounting holes are provided on both mounting blocks (130).

4. The self-aligning clamp of claim 2, wherein: The left side wall of the installation channel (111) extends at an angle to the upper left.

5. The self-aligning clamp of claim 2, wherein: The left side wall of the installation channel (111) is connected to a left guide rail (140), the left side of the main gripper (200) is connected to a left slider, and the left slider is fitted onto the left guide rail (140). The right side wall of the installation channel (111) is connected to a right guide rail (150), and the right side of the auxiliary gripper (300) is connected to a right slider, and the right slider is fitted onto the right guide rail (150).

6. The self-aligning clamp of claim 2, wherein: The bottom outer side of the main gripper (200) is connected to a limiting block. When the main gripper (200) slides upward to the end of its stroke, the top side of the limiting block can abut against the gantry frame (110).

7. The self-aligning clamp of claim 2, wherein: The movable end of the drive unit (400) is connected to a connecting seat (410), and the top side of the connecting seat (410) is connected to a plurality of upwardly extending connecting feet (411), which are detachably connected to the bottom side of the main gripper (200).

8. The self-aligning clamp of claim 1, wherein: The drive component (400) is a hydraulic cylinder.

9. The self-aligning clamp of claim 1, wherein: The main gripper (200) has a slot on its right side, and the secondary gripper (300) has a plug (320) connected to its left side, the plug (320) being inserted into the slot.

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