Flexible assembly gripper and method suitable for industrial internet of things manufacturing

Abstract

The application discloses a flexible assembly gripper and method suitable for industrial internet of things manufacturing, comprising a fixed part, a moving part and a grabbing part, characterized in that the fixed part comprises a flange plate (1), the flange plate (1) is connected with a mechanical arm (2), the moving part is connected with the fixed part in a form of guide rail and sliding block cooperation, a slot photoelectric switch baffle (3) is arranged on the moving part, a slot photoelectric switch receiver (4) is arranged on the fixed part, the slot photoelectric switch receiver (4) is used for sensing the relative sliding of the moving part and the fixed part, and the grabbing part is fixed at the bottom of the moving part. The application provides a flexible assembly gripper and method suitable for industrial internet of things manufacturing, and aims to solve the technical problems of poor adaptability, easy damage of workpieces and low installation efficiency of a traditional rigid gripper.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotic arm end effector technology, specifically to a flexible assembly gripper and method suitable for industrial IoT manufacturing. Background Technology

[0002] Robotic arms primarily handle structural, repetitive, and heavy-duty tasks in industrial settings, and are evolving towards higher positioning accuracy, greater flexibility, and higher speed. Dexterous hands, on the other hand, possess more degrees of freedom and precise force control, but their control is also more complex. With the development of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), problems such as poor interactivity, poor adaptability to complex environments, and inflexibility of traditional robotic arms have become apparent. New requirements have been placed on mechanical grippers, leading to widespread attention being paid to flexible mechanical grippers in recent years.

[0003] During the automated assembly process of robots, if there are errors in the fixtures or the assembly parts, the assembly may not be in place. If a mechanical hard connection is used, it may lead to tooling damage, part damage, robot overload alarms, etc. Therefore, using flexible and adjustable tooling can avoid the above situations, thereby improving the utilization rate of the equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a flexible assembly gripper and method suitable for industrial IoT manufacturing, aiming to solve the technical problems of poor adaptability, easy damage to workpieces, and low installation efficiency of traditional rigid grippers.

[0005] To solve the above problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: A flexible assembly gripper suitable for industrial IoT manufacturing includes a fixed part, a moving part, and a gripping part. The fixed part is a flange connected to a robotic arm. The moving part is connected to the fixed part via a guide rail and a slider. A slotted photoelectric switch baffle is provided on the moving part. A slotted photoelectric switch receiver is provided on the fixed part to sense the relative sliding of the moving and fixed parts. The gripping part is fixed to the bottom of the moving part.

[0006] Furthermore, the slotted photoelectric switch baffle and the slotted photoelectric switch receiver constitute a slotted photoelectric switch, which is connected to the robot control system.

[0007] Furthermore, a spring mounting seat is provided at the bottom rear end of the flange, a spring is provided on the spring mounting seat, and guide rails are provided on the left and right sides of the flange, with the spring located between the two guide rails.

[0008] Furthermore, sliders are provided on the top left and right sides of the movable part, and the sliders cooperate with the guide rails on the flange. A stop block is provided at the top front end of the movable part, and the stop block is connected to the other end of the spring and puts the spring in a compressed state. A limit block is provided at the front end of the fixed part, and the limit block contacts the stop block to complete the limit.

[0009] Furthermore, the moving part is also provided with a clamping cylinder, which is vertically arranged and the piston rod of the clamping cylinder acts perpendicular to the gripping part.

[0010] Furthermore, the piston rod end of the clamping cylinder is connected to a pressure block that matches the shape of the object being gripped.

[0011] Furthermore, the gripping part is provided with a storage slot, the size of which matches the shape of the object being gripped.

[0012] Furthermore, limit rods are provided on both the left and right sides of the rear end of the storage slot.

[0013] Furthermore, an optical fiber sensor is embedded in the storage slot.

[0014] A gripping and assembly method for a flexible assembly gripper suitable for industrial IoT manufacturing includes the following steps: S1, Start the robot. The robotic arm drives the flexible gripper to move to the workpiece loading station and clamp the workpiece into the storage slot. S2, the fiber optic sensor determines whether the workpiece is clamped in place. If it is not clamped in place, the flexible gripper moves to the next station to grab it. If it is identified that the workpiece is clamped in place, the clamping cylinder moves downward to clamp the workpiece and completes the workpiece grabbing. S3, after the gripping is completed, the clamped workpiece is moved to the battery cover installation station for installation. The flexible gripper uses a spring in conjunction with a slotted photoelectric switch to determine whether the workpiece is installed in place. If the installation is normal, the slotted photoelectric switch will not be triggered. If the workpiece is not installed in place, the robotic arm pushes the gripper, causing the spring to continue to compress. The receiver of the slotted photoelectric switch is blocked by the slotted photoelectric switch baffle, thus identifying that it is not installed in place. The robotic arm will be controlled to perform a second installation. If the spring is still compressed and the workpiece is still not installed in place, the gripper will be controlled to discard the gripped workpiece and re-grip a new workpiece for installation.

[0015] Based on the above technical solution, the following technical effects can be achieved: This invention provides a flexible assembly gripper and method suitable for industrial IoT manufacturing. Its fixed and moving parts are slidably connected, with a spring propelling the moving part and maintaining it in a stable position. A fiber optic sensor on the gripping part determines whether the gripping was successful. This flexible gripper uses a spring in conjunction with a slotted photoelectric switch to identify whether the workpiece installation is complete. Under normal circumstances, the robot pushes the flexible gripper, causing the gripping part to embed into the installation part, completing the installation. However, if the workpiece is not accurately installed, the robot's push causes the spring to compress. When the slotted photoelectric switch detects the spring compression, it indicates that the battery cover is not installed correctly, and the robot will be controlled to perform a second installation. If the spring remains compressed and the workpiece is still not installed correctly, the gripper will discard the gripped workpiece and re-grip a new workpiece for installation. This invention overcomes the problems of traditional rigid grippers, where when a workpiece is not accurately installed, manual intervention is only possible through sensing and alarm, resulting in low efficiency and potential damage to the workpiece and equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the flexible gripper structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the slot-type photoelectric switch of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the spring installation of the present invention.

[0017] In the diagram: 1-Flange, 2-Robotic arm, 3-Slotted photoelectric switch baffle, 4-Slotted photoelectric switch receiver, 5-Spring mount, 6-Spring, 7-Block, 8-Pressure cylinder, 9-Storage slot, 10-Limit rod, 11-Fiber optic sensor, 12-Battery cover, 13-Limit block. Implementation

[0018] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0019] 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.

[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] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. 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.

[0022] like Figures 1-3 As shown, a flexible assembly gripper suitable for industrial IoT manufacturing includes a fixed part, a moving part, and a gripping part. The fixed part is a flange 1, which is connected to a robotic arm 2. The moving part is connected to the fixed part via a guide rail and a slider. A slotted photoelectric switch baffle 3 is provided on the moving part, and a slotted photoelectric switch receiver 4 is provided on the fixed part to sense the relative sliding of the moving part and the fixed part. The gripping part is fixed to the bottom of the moving part. The fixed part and the moving part are connected via a guide rail and a slider. When relative sliding occurs between the fixed part and the moving part, the slotted photoelectric switch baffle 3 on the moving part will move to block the slotted photoelectric switch receiver 4 on the fixed part, thereby realizing the sensing of the sliding between the moving part and the fixed part.

[0023] As an optional or preferred option, the slotted photoelectric switch baffle 3 and the slotted photoelectric switch receiver 4 constitute a slotted photoelectric switch, which is connected to the robot control system.

[0024] As an optional or preferred option, a spring mounting seat 5 is provided at the bottom rear end of the flange 1, a spring 6 is provided on the spring mounting seat 5, and guide rails are provided on the left and right sides of the flange 1, with the spring 6 located between the two guide rails.

[0025] As an optional or preferred option, sliders are provided on the top left and right sides of the moving part, and the sliders cooperate with the guide rails on the flange 1. A stop block 7 is provided at the top front end of the moving part, and the stop block 7 is connected to the other end of the spring 6 and keeps the spring 6 in a compressed state. A limit block 13 is provided at the front end of the fixed part. The limit block 13 contacts the stop block 7 to complete the limit, so that the moving part and the fixed part can slide relative to each other. However, since the moving part and the fixed part need to remain relatively stationary under normal circumstances, a spring 6 is provided between them. The spring force of the spring 6 pushes the stop block 7 of the moving part to the limit block 13. When the moving part is subjected to external force, it can slide by compressing the spring 6, thereby triggering the slotted photoelectric switch.

[0026] As an optional or preferred option, the moving part is also provided with a clamping cylinder 8, which is vertically arranged and the piston rod of the clamping cylinder 8 acts perpendicular to the gripping part.

[0027] As an optional or preferred option, the piston rod end of the clamping cylinder 8 is connected to a pressure block that matches the shape of the object being gripped. By pressing down the clamping cylinder 8, the workpiece is longitudinally limited.

[0028] As an optional or preferred option, the gripping part is provided with a storage slot 9, the size of which matches the shape of the object being gripped, so that the object can be easily inserted into the storage slot 9.

[0029] As an optional or preferred option, limit rods 10 are provided on both the left and right sides of the rear end of the storage groove 9, and the workpiece is laterally limited in the storage groove 9 by the limit rods 10.

[0030] As an optional or preferred option, an optical fiber sensor 11 is embedded in the storage slot 9. Due to the characteristics of the optical fiber sensor 11, when the workpiece to be picked up is successfully clamped, it will block the optical fiber sensor 11. The optical fiber sensor 11 will give a signal to determine whether the workpiece has been successfully clamped.

[0031] A gripping and assembly method for a flexible assembly gripper suitable for industrial IoT manufacturing includes the following steps: S1, Start the robot, the robotic arm 2 drives the flexible gripper to move to the workpiece loading station and clamp the workpiece into the storage slot 9; S2, the sensing element fiber optic sensor 11 determines whether the workpiece is clamped in place (after the workpiece is installed in place, it will block the fiber optic sensor 11, the fiber optic sensor 11 sends a signal to the robot control system and determines that the workpiece is clamped in place, otherwise the workpiece is not clamped in place). If it is not clamped in place, the flexible gripper moves to the next station to grab it. If it is identified that the workpiece is clamped in place, the clamping cylinder 8 moves downward to clamp the workpiece and completes the workpiece grabbing. S3, after the gripping is completed, the clamped workpiece is moved to the battery cover installation station for installation. The flexible gripper uses spring 6 in conjunction with a slotted photoelectric switch to determine whether the workpiece is installed in place (when installed in place, there will be no relative movement between the moving part and the fixed part, that is, the slotted photoelectric switch receiver 4 will not be blocked by the slotted photoelectric switch baffle 3, and the control system determines that the installation is in place). If the installation is normal, the slotted photoelectric switch will not be triggered. If the workpiece is not installed in place, the robotic arm pushes the gripper's moving part, causing spring 6 to continue to compress. The slotted photoelectric switch receiver 4 is blocked by the slotted photoelectric switch baffle 3, and the slotted photoelectric switch gives a signal, thereby identifying that it is not installed in place. The robotic arm will be controlled to perform a second installation. If spring 6 is still compressed, the slotted photoelectric switch receiver 4 is blocked by the slotted photoelectric switch baffle 3, and the workpiece is still not installed in place, the gripper will be controlled to discard the gripped workpiece and re-grip a new workpiece for installation.

[0032] The working principle of this invention is explained below using the automatic assembly of the battery cover of the gas meter control box as an example: This invention provides a flexible assembly gripper suitable for industrial IoT manufacturing. A flange 1 is fixedly connected to a robotic arm 2. The robotic arm 2 drives the flexible gripper to the battery cover 12 loading station, where the battery cover 12 is snapped into the placement slot 9. A pressing cylinder 8 then presses the battery cover 12 downwards, completing the workpiece gripping. A fiber optic sensor 11 can identify whether the battery cover 12 has been successfully gripped. If not, the robotic arm controls the flexible gripper to move to the next station to grip the battery cover 12. After gripping the battery cover 12, the gripper moves to the battery cover installation station for installation. The flexible gripper uses a spring 6 in conjunction with a slotted photoelectric switch to identify whether the battery cover 12 installation is complete. Under normal circumstances, the robotic arm pushes the flexible gripper, causing the battery cover 12 installation part to embed into the control box side connection part, completing the installation. When the battery cover 12 is not installed accurately, the robotic arm pushes the gripper, causing the spring 6 to continue to compress. The slotted photoelectric switch receiver 4 is blocked by the slotted photoelectric switch baffle 3, thus recognizing that it is not installed in place. The robotic arm will then be controlled to perform a second installation. If the spring 6 is still compressed and the battery cover 12 is still not installed in place, the gripper will be controlled to discard the battery cover 12 it has been gripped, and a new battery cover 12 will be gripped and installed.

[0033] The present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims of this application are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible assembly gripper suitable for industrial IoT manufacturing, comprising a fixed part, a moving part, and a gripping part, characterized in that, The fixed part includes a flange (1), which is connected to the robotic arm (2). The moving part is connected to the fixed part by a guide rail and a slider. A slotted photoelectric switch baffle (3) is provided on the moving part, and a slotted photoelectric switch receiver (4) is provided on the fixed part. The slotted photoelectric switch receiver (4) is used to sense the relative sliding of the moving part and the fixed part. The gripping part is fixed to the bottom of the moving part. A spring mounting seat (5) is provided at the bottom rear end of the flange (1), and a spring (6) is provided on the spring mounting seat (5). Guide rails are provided on the left and right sides of the flange (1), and the spring (6) is located between the two guide rails. The top of the moving part... Slider blocks are provided on the left and right sides, and the sliders cooperate with the guide rails on the flange (1). A stop block (7) is provided at the front end of the top of the moving part. The stop block (7) is connected to the other end of the spring (6) and makes the spring (6) in a compressed state. A limit block (13) is provided at the front end of the fixed part. The limit block (13) contacts the stop block (7) to complete the limit. A pressing cylinder (8) is also provided on the moving part. The pressing cylinder (8) is set vertically, and the piston rod of the pressing cylinder (8) acts perpendicular to the gripping part. A storage groove (9) is provided on the gripping part. The size of the storage groove (9) matches the shape of the object being gripped. An optical fiber sensor (11) is embedded in the storage groove (9).

2. The flexible assembly gripper suitable for industrial IoT manufacturing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The slotted photoelectric switch baffle (3) and the slotted photoelectric switch receiver (4) constitute a slotted photoelectric switch, which is connected to the robot control system.

3. A flexible assembly gripper suitable for industrial IoT manufacturing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The piston rod end of the clamping cylinder (8) is connected to a pressure block that matches the shape of the object being gripped.

4. A flexible assembly gripper suitable for industrial IoT manufacturing according to claim 1, characterized in that, Limiting rods (10) are provided on both the left and right sides of the rear end of the storage slot (9).

5. A gripping and assembly method for a flexible assembly gripper suitable for industrial IoT manufacturing, characterized in that, The gripping method is based on a flexible assembly gripper suitable for industrial IoT manufacturing as described in any one of claims 1-4, and the gripping method includes the following steps: S1, start the robot, the robotic arm (2) drives the flexible assembly gripper to move to the workpiece loading station and clamp the workpiece into the storage slot (9). S2, the fiber optic sensor (11) determines whether the workpiece is clamped in place. If the workpiece is not clamped in place, the flexible assembly gripper moves to the next station to grab it. If the workpiece is clamped in place, the clamping cylinder (8) moves downward to clamp the workpiece and completes the grabbing of the workpiece. S3, after the gripping is completed, the clamped workpiece is moved to the battery cover installation station for installation. The flexible assembly gripper uses a spring (6) in conjunction with a slotted photoelectric switch to determine whether the workpiece is installed in place. If the workpiece is installed in place, the slotted photoelectric switch will not be triggered. If the workpiece is not installed in place, the robotic arm (2) will push the flexible assembly gripper to continue its stroke. After the moving part is subjected to force, it compresses the spring (6) and slides relative to the fixed part. The slotted photoelectric switch receiver (4) is blocked by the slotted photoelectric switch baffle (3), thereby identifying that the workpiece is not installed in place. The robotic arm (2) will be controlled to reinstall. If the spring (6) is still compressed and the workpiece is still not installed in place, the flexible assembly gripper will be controlled to release the workpiece and clamp a new workpiece for installation.

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