Joint-driven load handling robot end effector and robot

Abstract

This invention discloses an end effector and robot for a joint-driven loading and unloading robot, comprising: a conveying mechanism connected to a robotic arm via a connector, having an internal slide rail and a settling trough, the slide rail and the settling trough being interconnected; a parallel link assembly slidably connected to the slide rail; a joint drive assembly rotatably connected to the parallel link assembly, used to adjust the lifting and lowering of the parallel link assembly; and a vacuum adsorption mechanism, one end detachably connected to the parallel link assembly and the other end slidably connected to the conveying mechanism. When the parallel link assembly is lowered by the rotation of the joint drive assembly, it settles in the settling trough, used to adjust the lifting and lowering of the parallel link assembly and the angle of the vacuum adsorption mechanism, so that the parallel link assembly can settle in the settling trough. The width of the vacuum adsorption mechanism is not limited by the width of the slide rail, and can approach the width of the inner wall of the end effector to the maximum extent. When adsorbing small-volume goods on the left and right inner walls of containers, the adsorption range is larger and the adsorption is stronger, greatly improving the adsorption efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotics, and in particular to a joint-driven end effector and robot for loading and unloading. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, warehousing automation and intelligent technologies have developed rapidly. In production work, it is often necessary to transport goods from one place to another. Due to the pain points faced by major logistics companies, such as the reduction in the number of loading and unloading personnel, low loading and unloading efficiency, and low safety of manual loading and unloading, automated loading and unloading has become a logistics technology of global concern.

[0003] Currently, most existing adsorption devices, both domestically and internationally, employ a sliding component that slides back and forth on a guide rail inside a slideway. The path of the guide rail controls the adsorption device's descent into the settling tank. The width of the adsorption device is also limited by the width of the sliding component when it sinks into the settling tank. Therefore, when adsorbing smaller goods on the left and right inner walls of a container, the stability and reliability of the adsorption are relatively low. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an end effector for a joint-driven loading and unloading robot, in order to solve the problem mentioned in the background art of low stability and reliability of the adsorption of small goods on the left and right inner walls of a container.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an end effector for a joint-driven loading and unloading robot, comprising: a conveying mechanism spaced apart along the width direction and connected to a robotic arm; a slide rail is formed between the two conveying mechanisms and a settling groove is provided on the slide rail;

[0006] A parallel linkage assembly is movable within the slide rail along its length;

[0007] A joint drive assembly, which is rotatably connected to the parallel link assembly and is used to adjust the lifting and lowering of the parallel link assembly;

[0008] A vacuum adsorption mechanism is connected to the parallel linkage assembly, which is folded by the rotation of the joint drive assembly to settle the vacuum adsorption mechanism into the settling tank.

[0009] Optionally, the width of the vacuum adsorption mechanism is greater than the width of the parallel link assembly.

[0010] Optionally, the conveying mechanism includes:

[0011] The slide is formed by two partitions arranged on both sides along the width direction, and the partitions on both sides are arranged in parallel. The partitions are provided with grooves.

[0012] Multiple conveyor belt assemblies are spaced apart along the length direction and located outside the partition, and the space between adjacent conveyor belt assemblies and the groove form the settling trough.

[0013] Optionally, the conveying mechanism further includes:

[0014] An actuator housing having an inner cavity, wherein the conveying mechanisms spaced apart along the width direction are located within the inner cavity;

[0015] The adjacent conveyor belt assemblies are connected by a drive chain located outside the actuator housing.

[0016] Optionally, the parallel link assembly includes: a parallelogram link mechanism formed by sequentially hinged first transmission member, second transmission member, third transmission member, and fourth transmission member;

[0017] The joint drive assembly includes a motor assembly, which is fixedly connected to the fourth transmission member. The output end of the motor assembly is fixedly connected to the first transmission member. The angle between the first transmission member and the fourth transmission member is adjusted by rotating the output end of the motor assembly, thereby adjusting the folding of the parallel link assembly.

[0018] Optionally, the joint-driven end effector of the loading and unloading robot further includes:

[0019] A transmission track, which is fixedly connected inside the slide rail and extends along its length.

[0020] A slider is slidably connected to the transmission rail, and the third transmission component is fixedly connected to the slider;

[0021] The first conveyor belt is fixedly connected to the third transmission component via a connecting plate, and is connected to the first motor via a drive wheel and a driven wheel;

[0022] Rollers are positioned below the settling trough and are rotatably connected to the first conveyor belt, so that the first conveyor belt is located below the settling trough.

[0023] Optionally, the motor assembly includes:

[0024] A connecting disc, which is connected to the first transmission component;

[0025] The encoder is fixedly connected to the connecting disk;

[0026] A brake retainer, which is fixedly connected to the end of the encoder opposite to the connecting disc;

[0027] A torque motor, with one end of its output shaft fixedly connected to the brake retainer;

[0028] The motor housing is fixedly connected to the end of the shooter torque motor that is not connected to the brake retainer;

[0029] The speed reducer is fixedly connected between the torque motor and the motor housing, and its output end is fixedly connected to the brake retainer.

[0030] A torque sensor is fitted onto the output end of the reducer.

[0031] Optional, also includes:

[0032] Two limiting plates are fixedly connected to both sides of the conveyor belt;

[0033] The belt pressure roller is rotatably connected to the conveyor belt, and its two ends are movably connected to the limiting plate.

[0034] An adjusting component is movably connected to the limiting plate and the pressure roller, respectively, and is used to adjust the pressure roller to deviate from the outside of the conveyor belt or move closer to the inside of the conveyor belt.

[0035] Optionally, the vacuum adsorption mechanism includes:

[0036] The suction cup is fixedly connected to the end of the first transmission member that is away from the fourth transmission member (504) via a suction cup connector;

[0037] The air inlet end is fixedly mounted on the fourth transmission component and communicates with the suction cup.

[0038] The air tube has one end connected to the air inlet and the other end connected to the air compression device;

[0039] The solenoid valve is connected between the air inlet and the air compression device via the air pipe.

[0040] Another embodiment of the present invention includes a robot body and any of the above-mentioned joint-driven loading and unloading robot end effectors, wherein a robotic arm is provided on the robot body and the joint-driven loading and unloading robot end effector is connected to the robotic arm.

[0041] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: In the present invention, the parallel linkage assembly is slidably connected to the slide rail and can slide back and forth along the slide rail to drive the vacuum adsorption mechanism to adsorb goods; the joint drive assembly is rotatably connected to the parallel linkage assembly and is used to adjust the lifting and lowering of the parallel linkage assembly and the angle of the vacuum adsorption mechanism; so that the parallel linkage assembly can sink into the sinking groove, and the width of the vacuum adsorption mechanism is not limited by the width of the slide rail, and can approach the width of the inner wall of the end effector to the maximum extent. When adsorbing goods with small volume on the left and right inner walls of the container, the adsorption range is larger and the adsorption is stronger, which greatly improves the adsorption efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0042] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 2 This is a top view of the structure of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention viewed from below.

[0045] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the transmission structure of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the parallel link assembly structure of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 6 This is a schematic rear view of the parallel link assembly of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of the joint drive component of the present invention.

[0049] In the diagram: 1. Actuator housing; 2. Conveyor belt; 3. Drive chain; 4. Suction cup; 401. Air inlet; 5. Parallel linkage assembly; 501. First transmission component; 502. Second transmission component; 503. Third transmission component; 504. Fourth transmission component; 505. Fixed plate; 506. Connecting ring; 507. Suction cup connector; 508. Connecting plate; 509. Slider; 6. Joint drive assembly; 601. Connecting plate; 602. Encoder; 603. Brake retainer; 604. Torque motor; 605. Torque sensor; 606. 1. Reducer; 607. Motor housing; 7. First transmission belt; 701. First transmission wheel; 8. Transmission guide rail; 9. Roller; 10. Partition plate; 11. Connecting component; 12. First sensor; 13. Second sensor; 14. Tensioning mechanism; 1401. Limiting plate; 1402. Pressure roller; 1403. Adjusting component; 15. First motor; 1501. Driving wheel; 1502. Driven wheel; 16. Second motor; 1601. Second transmission wheel; 1602. Second transmission belt; 1603. Roller drive shaft; 17. Solenoid valve. Detailed Implementation

[0050] The present invention will now be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0051] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate for the embodiments of this application described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0052] In this application, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "middle," "vertical," "horizontal," "lateral," and "longitudinal" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for the purpose of better describing this application and its embodiments, and are not intended to limit the indicated device, element, or component to having a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0053] Furthermore, in addition to indicating location or positional relationship, some of the aforementioned terms may also have other meanings. For example, the term "above" may also be used in some cases to indicate a certain dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0054] Furthermore, the terms "installation," "setup," "equipped with," "connection," "linking," and "socketing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0055] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. This application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0056] Please refer to Figures 1-7 This invention discloses an end effector for a joint-driven loading and unloading robot, comprising: a conveying mechanism spaced apart along its width and connected to a robotic arm, with a slide rail formed between the two conveying mechanisms, and a settling groove provided on the slide rail; a parallel linkage assembly 5 movably disposed within the slide rail along its length and capable of reciprocating along the slide rail to drive a vacuum adsorption mechanism to adsorb goods; a joint drive assembly 6 rotatably connected to the parallel linkage assembly 5 and used to adjust the lifting and lowering of the parallel linkage assembly 5; and a vacuum adsorption mechanism connected to the parallel linkage assembly 5, wherein the parallel linkage assembly 5 is folded by the rotation of the joint drive assembly 6 to settle the vacuum adsorption mechanism in the settling groove. The width of the vacuum adsorption mechanism is not limited by the width of the slide rail and can approach the width of the inner wall of the end effector to the maximum extent. When adsorbing small-volume goods on the left and right inner walls of a container, the adsorption range is larger and the adsorption is more secure, greatly improving the adsorption efficiency.

[0057] In another embodiment of the present invention, the parallel linkage assembly 5 is located inside the slide rail, and the width of the vacuum adsorption mechanism is greater than the width of the parallel linkage assembly 5 and less than the width of the conveying mechanism. When adsorbing goods, the vacuum adsorption mechanism is not limited by the width of the parallel linkage assembly 5, and can more conveniently adsorb goods with smaller volume on the left and right inner sidewalls of the container.

[0058] In another embodiment of the present invention, the conveying mechanism includes: an actuator housing 1, shaped like a shovel, with partitions 10 arranged on both the left and right sides along a line of symmetry inside the actuator housing 1. The partitions 10 are arranged in parallel to form a slide, and grooves are formed on the partitions 10 to form a settling groove. When the vacuum adsorption device sinks, it falls into the settling groove. At the same time, the parallel linkage assembly also falls into the slide. The vacuum adsorption device is not limited by the width of the parallel linkage assembly, nor by the width of the partitions 10, and can approach the width of the inner wall of the conveying mechanism as close as possible. When adsorbing goods from the inner wall of a container... It can achieve more stable adsorption; multiple conveyor belts 2 are symmetrically distributed inside the actuator housing 1 and located outside the slide and the settling trough. The conveyor belt 2 is provided with a tensioning mechanism 14, which is fixedly connected to the actuator housing 1; the second motor 16 is connected to the multiple conveyor belts 2 through the second transmission wheel 1601, the second transmission belt 1602, the roller transmission shaft 1603, the roller, and the transmission chain 3. By setting the tensioning mechanism, the conveyor belt can transport goods more stably. Adjusting different tension levels for goods of different weights can also improve the service life of the conveyor belt.

[0059] In another embodiment of the present invention, the parallel linkage assembly 5 includes: a first transmission member 501, a second transmission member 502, a third transmission member 503, and a fourth transmission member 504, which are sequentially hinged and enclosed to form a parallelogram linkage. When the position of the vacuum adsorption device is adjusted by the parallel linkage assembly, it can always be parallel to the conveying mechanism, and at this time it can be vertically adsorbed onto the outer surface of the goods, resulting in more stable adsorption; a transmission track 8 is fixedly connected inside the slide rail and is slidably connected to the third transmission member 503 through a slider 509; a first conveyor belt 7 is fixedly connected to the third transmission member 503 through a connecting plate 508 and is driven by a drive wheel 1501 and a driven wheel 1502; a roller 9 is disposed below the settling trough and is rotatably connected to the first conveyor belt 7, so that the first conveyor belt 7 is located below the settling trough. In this arrangement, the transmission structure is disposed inside the slide rail and communicates with the slide rail through the settling trough, so that the width of the vacuum adsorption device is not limited by the width of the parallel linkage assembly 5, resulting in a wider adsorption range.

[0060] In another embodiment of the present invention, the joint drive assembly 6 includes: a connecting plate 601, fixedly connected to the first transmission member 501; and a motor assembly, fixedly connected to the fourth transmission member 504, with its output end fixedly connected to the connecting plate 601. By rotating the connecting plate 601 relative to the motor assembly, the angle between the first transmission member 501 and the fourth transmission member 504 can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the lifting and lowering of the parallel linkage assembly 5. Through a combination of a sliding structure and a lifting structure, dynamic motion planning is performed on the entire adsorption and placement process, and the adsorption rhythm is adjusted to adapt to the adsorption of goods with different quality characteristics.

[0061] In another embodiment of the present invention, the motor assembly includes: an encoder 602, fixedly connected to the connecting disk 601, which uses a digital integral interpolation algorithm to transmit control signals to the motor, thereby realizing the predetermined position, lifting, and forward / backward movement of the vacuum adsorption device. The digital integral interpolation algorithm used in this application can realize interpolation of first-order, second-order, and even higher-order curves, and can also realize multi-axis linkage control; a brake retainer 603, fixedly connected to the end of the encoder 602 opposite to the connecting disk 601; and a torque motor 604, one end of which is connected to the brake retainer 601. 3. Fixed connection; motor housing 607 is fixedly connected to the end of the shooter torque motor 604 that is not connected to the brake retainer 603; reducer 606 is fixedly connected between the torque motor 604 and the motor housing 607, and its output end is fixedly connected to the brake retainer 603; torque sensor 605 is sleeved on the output end of the reducer 606. Through the relative rotation of the connecting plate 601 and the motor housing 607, the angle and lifting of the parallel connecting rod assembly 5 can be adjusted as needed, so that the vacuum adsorption device can adsorb goods more flexibly and greatly improve the adsorption efficiency.

[0062] In another embodiment of the present invention, the tensioning mechanism includes: two limiting plates 1401, fixedly connected to the actuator housing 1 and located on both sides of the conveyor belt 2; a pressure roller 1402, rotatably connected to the conveyor belt 2, and movably connected at both ends to the limiting plates 1401; and an adjusting member 1403, movably connected to the limiting plates 1401 and the pressure roller 1402 respectively, for adjusting the pressure roller to deviate from the outside of the conveyor belt or move closer to the inside of the conveyor belt. When adjusting the tension of the conveyor belt, only the adjusting member needs to be slightly rotated, which is very convenient. Moreover, the tension can be adjusted as needed for goods of different weights.

[0063] In another embodiment of the present invention, the vacuum adsorption mechanism includes: a suction cup 4, which is fixedly connected to one end of the first transmission member 501 away from the fourth transmission member 504 via a suction cup connector 507; an air inlet 401, which is fixedly disposed on the fourth transmission member 504 and communicates with the suction cup 4; an air pipe, one end of which is communicated with the air inlet 401 and the other end of which is communicated with an air compression device; and a solenoid valve 17, which is connected between the air inlet 401 and the air compression device via the air pipe. By generating negative pressure or interrupting negative pressure through the solenoid valve 17, the suction cup 4 can adsorb or place goods, greatly improving the efficiency of use.

[0064] Another embodiment of the present invention further includes: a first sensor 12 and a second sensor 13, both of which are photoelectric sensors, respectively disposed at the front and rear ends of the slide. When goods are detected passing at the front and rear ends of the slide, commands can be sent to cause the first motor 15, the second motor 16, the joint drive assembly 6, and the solenoid valve 17 to operate automatically according to preset commands; and a laser sensor, fixedly connected to the front end of the conveying mechanism, for detecting the distance between the suction cup 4 and the adsorbed goods.

[0065] In another embodiment of the present invention, a robot is provided, comprising the joint-driven loading and unloading robot end effector of any of the above-mentioned methods.

[0066] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent modifications made based on the content of the present invention specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An end effector for a joint-driven loading and unloading robot, characterized in that, include: A conveying mechanism is spaced apart along the width direction and connected to a robotic arm. A slide is formed between the two conveying mechanisms on both sides, and a settling trough is provided on the slide. Parallel link assembly (5) is movable in the slide along the length direction; the parallel link assembly (5) includes: a parallelogram link mechanism formed by the sequential hinge of a first transmission member (501), a second transmission member (502), a third transmission member (503), and a fourth transmission member (504). A joint drive assembly (6) is rotatably connected to the parallel link assembly (5) and is used to adjust the lifting and lowering of the parallel link assembly (5) and the angle of the vacuum adsorption mechanism. A vacuum adsorption mechanism is connected to the parallel linkage assembly (5), which is folded by the rotation of the joint drive assembly (6) to settle the vacuum adsorption mechanism into the settling tank; the width of the vacuum adsorption mechanism is greater than the width of the parallel linkage assembly (5); when the parallel linkage assembly adjusts the position of the vacuum adsorption mechanism, it is always parallel to the conveying mechanism and at this time adsorbs perpendicularly to the outer surface of the goods. A transmission track is fixedly connected inside the slide rail and extends along its length. A slider (509) is slidably connected to the transmission rail, and a third transmission component (503) is fixedly connected to the slider (509). The first conveyor belt is fixedly connected to the third transmission component (503) via a connecting plate (508), and is connected to the first motor (15) via a drive wheel (1501) and a driven wheel (1502); Roller (9) is disposed below the settling trough and is rotatably connected to the first conveyor belt so that the first conveyor belt is located below the settling trough.

2. The joint-driven end effector for loading and unloading robots according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying mechanism includes: The partitions (10) are arranged on both sides along the width direction, and the partitions (10) on both sides are arranged in parallel to form the slide. The partitions (10) are provided with grooves. Multiple conveyor belt (2) assemblies are spaced apart along the length direction and located outside the partition (10), and the space between adjacent conveyor belt (2) assemblies and the groove form the settling trough.

3. The joint-driven end effector for loading and unloading robots according to claim 2, characterized in that, The conveying mechanism further includes: The actuator housing (1) has an inner cavity, and the conveying mechanisms spaced apart along the width direction are located in the inner cavity; The adjacent conveyor belt (2) assemblies are connected by a transmission chain (3) located on the outside of the actuator housing (1).

4. The joint-driven end effector for loading and unloading robots according to claim 1, characterized in that, The joint drive assembly (6) includes a motor assembly, which is fixedly connected to the fourth transmission member (504). The output end of the motor assembly is fixedly connected to the first transmission member (501). The angle between the first transmission member (501) and the fourth transmission member (504) is adjusted by rotating the output end of the motor assembly, so as to adjust the folding of the parallel link assembly (5).

5. The joint-driven end effector for loading and unloading robots according to claim 4, characterized in that, The motor assembly includes: A connecting disc (601) is connected to the first transmission member (501); An encoder (602) is fixedly connected to the connecting disk (601); Brake retainer (603), which is fixedly connected to the end of the encoder (602) away from the connecting disc (601); A torque motor (604) has one end of its output shaft fixedly connected to the brake retainer (603); The motor housing (607) is fixedly connected to the end of the shooter torque motor (604) that is not connected to the brake retainer (603); The speed reducer (606) is fixedly connected between the torque motor (604) and the motor housing (607), and its output end is fixedly connected to the brake retainer (603); A torque sensor (605) is mounted on the output end of the reducer (606).

6. The joint-driven end effector for loading and unloading robots according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: Two limiting plates (1401) are fixedly connected to both sides of the conveyor belt (2); The pressure roller (1402) is rotatably connected to the conveyor belt (2), and its two ends are movably connected to the limiting plate (1401); Adjusting member (1403) is movably connected to the limiting plate (1401) and the pressure roller (1402) respectively, and is used to adjust the pressure roller (1402) to deviate from the outside of the conveyor belt (2) or move closer to the inside of the conveyor belt (2).

7. The joint-driven end effector for loading and unloading robots according to claim 4, characterized in that, The vacuum adsorption mechanism includes: The suction cup (4) is fixedly connected to the end of the first transmission member (501) away from the fourth transmission member (504) via the suction cup (4) connector (11); The air inlet (401) is fixedly mounted on the fourth transmission component (504) and communicates with the suction cup (4); The air pipe has one end connected to the air inlet (401) and the other end connected to the air compression device; The solenoid valve is connected between the air inlet (401) and the air compression device via the air pipe.

8. A robot, characterized in that, The robot includes a robot body and an end effector for loading and unloading robots as described in any one of claims 1-7, wherein a robotic arm is provided on the robot body and the end effector for loading and unloading robots is connected to the robotic arm.

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