A fully automated assembly line for gearboxes

Abstract

The application relates to a full-automatic assembling production line of a gear box, which is composed of a feeding device, a first conveying line, a second conveying line, a discharging device, at least two groups of gear assembling devices, a rotating shaft assembling device, a bearing assembling device, an oiling device and a rear cover assembling device, realizes automatic backflow of carriers by adopting double conveying lines, improves assembling efficiency, greatly saves use cost, adopts an auxiliary tool, i.e., a pre-positioning assembly, for gear assembling and rotating shaft assembling in the rotating shaft assembling device, solves the assembling and positioning problem of gears on the base before the rotating shaft is pre-assembled, and greatly supports automatic assembling production of the gear box.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated assembly production technology, and in particular to a fully automated assembly production line for gearboxes. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most gearboxes are still assembled manually because: the size of parts such as gears and shafts is relatively small, making automated assembly difficult; when assembling gears without shafts, it is impossible to pre-position the shaft, so manual assembly is the only option; furthermore, current gear assembly equipment consists of single conveyor lines, resulting in low assembly efficiency and high operating costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a fully automated assembly line for gearboxes, addressing the shortcomings of the prior art.

[0004] This invention provides a fully automated gearbox assembly production line for assembling gearboxes comprising a base, several gears, a shaft, and a rear cover. The production line includes: a loading device for loading the base onto a carrier; a first conveyor line coupled to the loading device for sequentially conveying the carrier with the base to each assembly station; a second conveyor line coupled to the first conveyor line for conveying an empty carrier to the loading device; an unloading device for transporting the assembled gearbox from the end of the first conveyor line; at least two gear assembly devices, each coupled to the first conveyor line, each having at least a gear vibratory feeder and a gear assembly robot, the gear assembly robot being used to grasp gears from the output end of the gear vibratory feeder and transport them to the base on the first conveyor line for positioning and assembly; and a shaft assembly device coupled to the first conveyor line, having at least a shaft vibratory feeder, a shaft assembly robot, and a gear pre-positioning component, the shaft assembly robot being used to retrieve gears from the shaft... The assembly process includes: a gear pre-positioning assembly, a bearing assembly device coupled to the first conveyor line, and a rear cover assembly device coupled to the first conveyor line. The rear cover assembly device consists of a pre-positioning pin and a lock for locking and unlocking the pre-positioning pin. The lock is used to lock the pre-positioning pin during gear assembly, acting as a shaft to pre-position the gear, and to unlock the pre-positioning pin during shaft assembly, thus removing the gear when it is inserted into the shaft. A bearing assembly device coupled to the first conveyor line includes at least a bearing vibratory feeder and a bearing assembly robot. The bearing assembly robot is used to grab a bearing from the output end of the bearing vibratory feeder and transport it to a shaft on the first conveyor line for assembly. An oiling device coupled to the first conveyor line applies lubricating oil to the assembled gear. A rear cover assembly device coupled to the first conveyor line includes at least a rear cover vibratory feeder and a rear cover assembly robot. The rear cover assembly robot is used to grab a rear cover from the output end of the rear cover vibratory feeder and transport it to a base on the first conveyor line for assembly.

[0005] In some embodiments, a capping device is also included for pressing the rear cover from top to bottom after the rear cover is assembled to ensure the assembly effect of the rear cover.

[0006] In some embodiments, a CCD detection device is also included for detecting the amount of oil applied to the gears after they have been treated by the oiling device.

[0007] In some embodiments, an acupoint detection device is also included for performing assembly detection after assembling the gears, the shaft, or the back cover.

[0008] In some embodiments, the gear assembly device also includes a rocking component mounted on the gear assembly robot. The rocking component is used to rotate and rock during the assembly process of the gear grasped by the gear assembly robot as it descends, so as to mesh with the previously assembled gear.

[0009] In some embodiments, the oscillating component includes a rack that meshes with the gripper head of a gear assembly robot, thereby enabling the gripper head to drive the gears to oscillate as the rack moves back and forth.

[0010] In some embodiments, the gripping head is a pin, and the mounting portion of the pin engages with a rack.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first conveyor line includes slide rails located on the left and right sides to support the carrier, and a shifting claw with a rotating structure is provided between the two slide rails, with adjacent shifting claws having a preset spacing.

[0012] In some embodiments, the output end of the gear vibratory feeder is provided with a linear vibration component, and the linear vibration component is provided with a stopper. The stopper is inserted vertically from the end of the linear vibration component onto the linear vibration component to achieve the output of individual gears one by one.

[0013] In some embodiments, a vacuum cleaner is provided at the output end of the gear vibratory feeder to remove foreign matter adhering to the gear.

[0014] Compared to related technologies, the fully automated gearbox assembly production line provided in this invention comprises a feeding device, a first conveyor line, a second conveyor line, a discharging device, at least two sets of gear assembly devices, shaft assembly devices, bearing assembly devices, an oiling device, and a rear cover assembly device, forming a complete gearbox production equipment. The use of dual conveyor lines enables automatic return of the carrier, improving assembly efficiency and significantly reducing operating costs. The shaft assembly device employs auxiliary tools—pre-positioning components—for both gear and shaft assembly, solving the problem of positioning the gears on the base before pre-assembling the shaft, thus providing significant support for the automated assembly and production of gearboxes.

[0015] Details of one or more embodiments of the present invention are set forth in the following drawings and description, so that other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and are used to explain the invention, but do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0017] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of a fully automated assembly line for a gearbox according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a partially enlarged structural diagram of the fully automated assembly line for gearboxes according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] In the diagram, 7 is the feeding device; 8 is the first conveyor line; 9 is the second conveyor line; 10 is the unloading device; 11 is the first gear assembly device; 12 is the second gear assembly device; 13 is the shaft assembly device; 14 is the bearing assembly device; 15 is the oiling device; 16 is the rear cover assembly device; 17 is the capping device; 18 is the CCD detection device; 19 is the cavity detection device; 20 is the carrier; 21 is the belt conveyor; 22 is the feeding platform; 23 is the slide rail; 24 is the shifting claw; 25 is the claw motor; 26 is the transfer device; and 27 is the unloading machinery. 28. Hand; 29. ​​Feeding belt; 30. Gear vibratory feeder; 31. Gear assembly robot; 32. Output shaft; 33. Motor; 34. Swing assembly; 35. Rack; 36. Rotary shaft vibratory feeder; 37. Rotary shaft assembly robot; 38. Pre-positioning pin; 39. Bearing vibratory feeder; 40. Bearing assembly robot; 41. Oiling robot; 42. Oiling head; 43. Rear cover vibratory feeder; 44. Rear cover assembly robot; 45. Capping robot; 46. Straight vibration assembly; 47. Feed stopper; 48. Vacuum cleaner; 49. Carrier handling robot. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be described and illustrated below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments provided by this invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this invention. Furthermore, it is understood that although the efforts made in such a development process may be complex and lengthy, for those skilled in the art related to the content disclosed in this invention, some design, manufacturing, or production modifications based on the technical content disclosed in this invention are merely conventional technical means and should not be construed as insufficient disclosure of the invention.

[0021] In this invention, the reference to "embodiment" means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a mutually exclusive, independent, or alternative embodiment. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described in this invention may be combined with other embodiments without conflict.

[0022] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this invention shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms "a," "an," "an," "the," and similar words used in this invention do not indicate quantity limitation and may indicate singular or plural. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and any variations thereof used in this invention are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or modules (units) is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may also include steps or units not listed, or may include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices. The terms "connected," "linked," "coupled," and similar words used in this invention are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "A plurality" used in this invention means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships may exist; for example, "A and / or B" can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone. The terms "first," "second," and "third" used in this invention are merely to distinguish similar objects and do not represent a specific ordering of the objects.

[0023] like Figure 1-2As shown in the figure, the fully automated gearbox assembly line provided in this embodiment of the invention is used to assemble a gearbox comprising a base, a first gear, a second gear, a shaft, bearings, and a rear cover. It includes a loading device 7, a first conveyor line 8, a second conveyor line 9, a unloading device 10, a first gear assembly device 11, a second gear assembly device 12, a shaft assembly device 13, a bearing assembly device 14, an oiling device 15, a rear cover assembly device 16, a capping device 17, a CCD detection device 18, and a cavity detection device 19. The structure is simple yet highly reliable, with complete assembly functions, and can achieve full automation.

[0024] The loading device 7 in this embodiment is used to load the base onto the carrier 20. The loading device 7 includes a conveyor belt 21 and a loading platform 22. The loading platform 22 is used for employees to assemble the base onto the carrier 20, and then the assembled carrier 20 is placed on the conveyor belt 21. The conveyor belt 21 transports the carrier 20. After rotating to a fixed position, the carrier handling robot 48 grabs the carrier 20 and transports it to the first conveyor line 8.

[0025] In this embodiment, the first conveyor line 8 is coupled to the loading device 7 and is used to sequentially transport the carrier 20 with the loading base to each assembly station. The first conveyor line 8 includes slide rails 23 located on the left and right sides to support the carrier 20. A rotary shifting claw 24 is arranged between the two slide rails 23, and adjacent shifting claws 24 have a preset spacing. The claw motor 25 is a servo motor that drives the wheel of the shifting claw 24 to rotate, thereby driving the shifting claw 24 to move according to a preset stroke, thus realizing simple station conveying.

[0026] In this embodiment, the second conveyor line 9 is coupled to the first conveyor line 8 and is used to transport the empty carrier 20 to the loading device 7. The second conveyor line 9 is a return plate chain for the carrier 20, driven by a motor, to return the empty carrier 20 to the loading platform 22. A transfer device 26 is provided, which includes a pusher rod and a support platform. The shifting claw 24 of the first conveyor line 8 transports the carrier 20 to the support platform. The unloading device 10 removes the finished product from the carrier 20 on the support platform and unloads it. The pusher rod pushes the empty carrier 20 on the support platform onto the second conveyor line 9.

[0027] The unloading device 10 in this embodiment is used to transport the assembled gearbox from the end of the first conveyor line 8. The unloading device 10 includes an unloading robot 27 and an unloading belt 28. The unloading robot 27 transports the finished products that have been assembled and inspected at the end of the first conveyor line 8 onto the unloading belt 28 for easy recycling by employees.

[0028] In this embodiment, both the first gear assembly device 11 and the second gear assembly device 12 are coupled to the first conveyor line 8 and have at least a gear vibrating plate 29 and a gear assembly robot 30. The gear assembly robot 30 is used to pick up the gear from the output end of the gear vibrating plate 29 and transport it to the base on the first conveyor line 8 for positioning and assembly. The base has its own output shaft 31 of the motor 32, so when assembling the first gear, it can be directly fitted onto the output shaft 31. The first gear assembly device 11 directly fits the first gear onto the aforementioned output shaft 31. However, when assembling the second gear, since the base does not have its own rotating shaft, a pre-positioning pin 37 from the gear pre-positioning assembly is inserted into the base from the bottom surface to temporarily act as a rotating shaft to facilitate the assembly of the second gear. The second gear assembly device 12 fits the second gear onto the pre-positioning pin 37 to complete the assembly of the second gear. During assembly, the second gear needs to mesh with the first gear. In manual assembly, the first or second gear is manually rotated to align and mesh. However, to automate the assembly process and ensure smooth meshing of the second gear with the previously assembled first gear, this embodiment includes a swing assembly 33. The swing assembly 33 is mounted on the gear assembly robot 30. It rotates and swings during the descent of the gear gripped by the robot 30 to facilitate meshing with the previously assembled gear. Specifically, the swing assembly 33 includes a rack 34, which meshes with the gripping head of the gear assembly robot 30. The rack 34's back-and-forth movement drives the gripping head to swing the gear. In this embodiment, the gripping head is a pin inserted into a hole in the gear for gripping. The pin's mounting portion has external teeth that mesh with the rack 34. Of course, the order in which the first and second gears are assembled can be adjusted. For example, it is also possible to install the second gear first and then the first gear.

[0029] The shaft assembly device 13 of this embodiment is coupled to the first conveyor line 8 and includes at least a shaft vibratory feeder 35, a shaft assembly robot 36, and a gear pre-positioning assembly. The shaft assembly robot 36 is used to grasp the shaft from the output end of the shaft vibratory feeder 35 and transport it to the gear on the first conveyor line 8 for assembly. The gear pre-positioning assembly includes a pre-positioning pin 37 and a lock for locking and unlocking the positioning state of the pre-positioning pin 37. The lock is used to lock the pre-positioning pin 37 during gear assembly, acting as a shaft to pre-position the gear, and to unlock the pre-positioning pin 37 during shaft assembly, thus removing the gear when the gear is inserted into the shaft. The lock can be a pin, which extends into the hole of the pre-positioning pin to limit the current position of the pre-positioning pin. When the pin is pulled out, the pre-positioning pin can be pushed out by the shaft inserted into the gear, and then the pin extends again into another hole of the pre-positioning pin to limit the current position of the pre-positioning pin. When the shaft in this embodiment is a shaft without gears, the bearing can be assembled after the shaft is assembled. When the rotating shaft in this embodiment is geared, a third gear also needs to be assembled. The third gear is assembled on the base by the third gear assembly device. Then, the rotating shaft assembly robot 36 assembles the rotating shaft with gear into the hole of the second gear. The third gear meshes with the gear part of the rotating shaft with gear. Therefore, the above-mentioned swing component 33 also needs to be set on the third gear assembly device or the rotating shaft assembly robot 36 to achieve meshing assembly.

[0030] The bearing assembly device 14 of this embodiment is coupled to the first conveyor line 8 and has at least a bearing vibratory plate 38 and a bearing assembly robot 39. The bearing assembly robot 39 is used to grab the bearing from the output end of the bearing vibratory plate 38 and transport it to the rotating shaft on the first conveyor line 8 to complete the assembly.

[0031] In this embodiment, the oiling device 15 is coupled to the first conveyor line 8 and is used to apply lubricating oil to the assembled gears. The oiling device 15 includes an oiling robot 40 and an oiling head 41. The oiling robot 40 is used to operate the oiling head 41 to apply oil to the gears.

[0032] The back cover assembly device 16 of this embodiment is coupled to the first conveyor line 8 and includes at least a back cover vibratory feeder 42 and a back cover assembly robot 43. The back cover assembly robot 43 is used to grab the back cover from the output end of the back cover vibratory feeder 42 and transport it to the base on the first conveyor line 8 to complete the assembly. The back cover and the base are fastened together by a snap-fit ​​mechanism.

[0033] The capping device 17 in this embodiment is used to press the rear cover from top to bottom after the rear cover is assembled to ensure the assembly effect of the rear cover. The capping device 17 includes a capping robot 44 and a pressure plate or pressure rod. The capping robot 44 controls the pressure plate or pressure rod to press down on the top surface of the rear cover to ensure that the rear cover and the base are properly engaged to achieve the sealing.

[0034] The CCD inspection device 18 in this embodiment is used to inspect the amount of oil applied to the gears after they have been treated by the oiling device 15 and to inspect their appearance after assembly. The CCD inspection device 18 uses a visual inspection method, which will not be described in detail here.

[0035] The acupoint detection device 19 in this embodiment is used for assembly detection after assembling the gears, the shaft, or the back cover. The acupoint detection device 19 can be a visual detection or infrared detection solution, etc., which will not be described in detail here.

[0036] To achieve the sequential advancement and separation of gears in the gear vibratory feeder 29, a linear vibration assembly 45 is provided at the output end of the gear vibratory feeder 29 in this embodiment. The linear vibration assembly 45 is equipped with a stopper 46, which is inserted vertically from the end of the linear vibration assembly 45 to achieve the sequential output of individual gears. The stopper 46 operates forward and backward according to the advancement stroke of the linear vibration assembly 45. After a single gear is separated, the gear assembly robot 30 can operate the inserter to insert a pin into the gear's hole for transport.

[0037] In order to clean the dust and other foreign objects adhering to the gears before assembly, a vacuum cleaner 47 is provided at the output end of the gear vibrating plate 29. The vacuum cleaner 47 is used to remove the foreign objects adhering to the gears.

[0038] In another embodiment, the gearbox may also include a third gear, a fourth gear, and other gears, all of which can be automatically assembled by adding a gear assembly device, which will not be described in detail here.

[0039] Those skilled in the art should understand that 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 have been 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.

[0040] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, 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. A fully automated assembly line for assembling a gear box consisting of a base, a number of gears, a rotating shaft, bearings and a back cover, characterized in that, The application relates to a gear box assembly device, which comprises the following parts: an upper loading device (7) for loading a base on a carrier (20); a first conveying line (8) coupled with the upper loading device (7) for conveying the carrier (20) loaded with the base to each assembly station in sequence; a second conveying line (9) coupled with the first conveying line (8) for conveying the empty carrier (20) to the upper loading device (7); a lower loading device (10) for conveying the assembled gear box from the end of the first conveying line (8); at least two groups of gear assembly devices, each coupled with the first conveying line (8) and comprising a gear vibration disc (29) and a gear assembly manipulator (30), wherein the gear assembly manipulator (30) is used for grabbing the gear from the output end of the gear vibration disc (29) and conveying the gear to the base on the first conveying line (8) to complete positioning assembly; a rotating shaft assembly device (13) coupled with the first conveying line (8) and comprising a rotating shaft vibration disc (35), a rotating shaft assembly manipulator (36) and a gear pre-positioning component, wherein the rotating shaft assembly manipulator (36) is used for grabbing the rotating shaft from the output end of the rotating shaft vibration disc (35) and conveying the rotating shaft to the gear on the first conveying line (8) to complete assembly, the gear pre-positioning component comprises a pre-positioning needle (37) and a lock for locking and unlocking the positioning state of the pre-positioning needle (37), the lock is used for locking the pre-positioning needle (37) to serve as the rotating shaft for pre-positioning the gear when the gear is assembled and unlocking the pre-positioning needle (37) to exit the gear when the gear is inserted into the rotating shaft when the rotating shaft is assembled; a bearing assembly device (14) coupled with the first conveying line (8) and comprising a bearing vibration disc (38) and a bearing assembly manipulator (39), wherein the bearing assembly manipulator (39) is used for grabbing the bearing from the output end of the bearing vibration disc (38) and conveying the bearing to the rotating shaft on the first conveying line (8) to complete assembly; an oiling device (15) coupled with the first conveying line (8) for applying lubricating oil to the assembled gear; a rear cover assembly device (16) coupled with the first conveying line (8) and comprising a rear cover vibration disc (42) and a rear cover assembly manipulator (43), wherein the rear cover assembly manipulator (43) is used for grabbing the rear cover from the output end of the rear cover vibration disc (42) and conveying the rear cover to the base on the first conveying line (8) to complete assembly.

2. A fully automated assembly line for gearboxes according to claim 1, characterized in that, The application further comprises a pressing device (17) for pressing the rear cover from top to bottom after the assembly of the rear cover to ensure the assembly effect of the rear cover.

3. A fully automated assembly line for assembling a gear box as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The application further comprises a CCD detection device (18) for detecting the oiling amount of the gear after the treatment of the oiling device (15).

4. A fully automated assembly line for assembling a gear box as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The application further comprises an acupoint detection device (19) for assembly detection after the assembly of the gear, the assembly of the rotating shaft and the assembly of the rear cover.

5. A fully automated assembly line for assembling a gear box as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The gear assembling device further has a swing assembly (33) assembled on the gear assembling manipulator (30), which is used for self-rotating swing during the descending assembly of the gear gripped by the gear assembling manipulator (30) so as to mesh with the previously assembled gear.

6. A fully automated assembly line for assembling a gear box as claimed in claim 5, wherein, The swing assembly (33) comprises a rack (34) meshing with the gripping head of the gear assembling manipulator (30), thereby driving the gripping head to drive the gear to swing under the back-and-forth movement of the rack (34).

7. A fully automated assembly line for assembling a gear box as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that, The gripping head is a pin, and the mounting portion of the pin meshes with the rack (34).

8. A fully automated assembly line for assembling a gear box as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The first conveying line (8) comprises slide rails (23) supporting the carriers (20) on the left and right sides, and shift pawls (24) of a wheel rotating structure are arranged between the slide rails (23), and adjacent shift pawls (24) have a preset interval.

9. A fully automated assembly line for assembling a gear box as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The output end of the gear vibration disc (29) is provided with a straight vibration assembly (45), the straight vibration assembly (45) is provided with a material stopper (46), the material stopper (46) is vertically inserted into the straight vibration assembly (45) from the end of the straight vibration assembly (45), so as to realize the one-by-one output of single gears.

10. A fully automated assembly line for assembling a gear box as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The output end of the gear vibration disc (29) is provided with a dust collector (47), which is used for removing foreign matters adhered to the gears.

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