Follow-up tray for a rail robot

Abstract

The application provides a follow-up tray of a track robot and belongs to the technical field of robots. The follow-up tray solves the problem of low production efficiency of shaft workpieces. The follow-up tray of the track robot, the track robot comprising a trolley slidingly connected to a track and a mechanical hand fixed to the trolley, the follow-up tray comprising a support linked to the trolley and located at one side of the mechanical hand, the support being fixedly connected with a material placing seat and a positioning seat, the material placing seat having a material placing hole penetrating through a top surface of the material placing seat, the positioning seat being located above the material placing seat, a front side of the positioning seat being provided with a positioning recess, the positioning seat having a plurality of positioning portions, each of the positioning portions being elastic, each of the positioning portions being located in the positioning recess and protruding from an inner wall of the positioning recess, or each of the positioning portions being located outside the positioning recess and a projection of each of the positioning portions in the positioning recess protruding from the inner wall of the positioning recess. The follow-up tray has the advantages of high production efficiency of shaft workpieces, high use reliability and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of robotics technology and relates to a follower tray for a track-mounted robot. Background Technology

[0002] Machine tools are devices used to process workpieces. To reduce labor intensity and improve processing efficiency, overhead robots are often installed between machine tools to achieve automatic loading and unloading and automatic material handling between machine tools. For example, a Chinese patent discloses an aerial walking mechanism for an articulated robot [Application No.: CN202022333475.6; Publication No.: CN213412015U], which includes a horizontally arranged beam and a vertically arranged support column. A pallet is slidably connected to the beam, and the base of the articulated robot is fixed to the pallet. During operation, the articulated robot picks up a workpiece from the material rack and then moves along the beam to transport the workpiece to various machine tools for processing. However, the articulated robot can generally only pick up one workpiece at a time. If a workpiece needs to be buffered during transport, it often needs to be returned to the material rack for buffering. When the buffered workpiece needs to be processed again, it must be retrieved from the material rack, which increases transport time and reduces production efficiency.

[0003] In addition, a Chinese patent also discloses a top rail device for a tool magazine [Application No.: CN202210885535.6; Publication No.: CN115139281A], which includes a top rail frame, a traveling mechanism that travels along the axis of the top rail frame, a picking robot at one end of the traveling mechanism, and a stopping mechanism at the other end of the traveling mechanism; the traveling mechanism includes a mounting plate slidably connected to a guide rail on the top rail frame, the picking robot and the stopping mechanism are both mounted on the mounting plate, an extension rod is provided on the mounting plate, one end of the extension rod is fixedly connected to the mounting plate, and the other end of the extension rod extends out of the mounting plate and is fixedly connected to a stopping frame, the stopping mechanism includes a stopping plate that is suspended, the stopping plate is fixedly mounted on the stopping frame, the stopping plate has five stopping holes arranged in a straight line, the stopping holes can cooperate with the lower frustum surface of the tool to achieve automatic centering and stopping. The stop mechanism allows for the temporary retrieval of cutting tools through several stop holes. During tool changes, tools can be retrieved from the tool magazine and placed onto the stop plate. This eliminates the need for each machine to retrieve tools from the magazine, significantly improving tool handling efficiency. However, this stop mechanism is only suitable for mid-course tool buffering and not for buffering shaft-type workpieces. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to address the aforementioned problems in the existing technology by proposing a follower pallet for a track-type robot, which solves the problem of low production efficiency for shaft-type workpieces.

[0005] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0006] A follower tray for a track-mounted robot, the track-mounted robot including a carriage slidably connected to a track and a robotic arm fixed to the carriage, the follower tray including a bracket linked to the carriage and located on one side of the robotic arm, characterized in that the bracket is fixedly connected to a feeding seat and a positioning seat, the feeding seat having a feeding hole penetrating its top surface, the positioning seat being located above the feeding seat, the front side of the positioning seat having a positioning recess, the positioning seat having a plurality of positioning parts, each positioning part being elastic, each positioning part being located inside the positioning recess and protruding from the inner wall of the positioning recess, or each positioning part being located outside the positioning recess and its projection inside the positioning recess protruding from the inner wall of the positioning recess.

[0007] When the track-mounted robot is working, the carriage slides along the track, allowing the robotic arm fixed on it to move to the designated position. The support is linked to the carriage and moves together with it. When it is necessary to buffer shaft-type workpieces, the robotic arm fixed on the carriage inserts one end of the shaft-type workpiece into the feeding hole of the feeding seat, and directly clamps the shaft-type workpiece into the positioning recess from the front. Since the positioning seat has several positioning parts, each of which is elastic, each positioning part is located inside the positioning recess and protrudes from the inner wall of the positioning recess, or each positioning part is located outside the positioning recess and its projection inside the positioning recess protrudes from the inner wall of the positioning recess. When the shaft-type workpiece is clamped into the positioning recess, it will compress and deform the positioning parts. The positioning parts will then press against the outer wall of the shaft-type workpiece to reset. In this way, the positioning parts will form a clamping force on the shaft-type workpiece and clamp it.

[0008] By using the feeding hole and positioning recess, shaft-type workpieces can be buffered on the follower tray, thereby improving the production efficiency of shaft-type workpieces. Moreover, since the positioning recess extends through the front of the positioning seat, it makes the removal and placement of shaft-type workpieces very convenient. At the same time, with one end of the shaft-type workpiece inserted into the feeding hole and partially locked in the positioning recess, the elastic positioning part forms a clamping force on the shaft-type workpiece, ensuring that the shaft-type workpiece buffered on the follower tray can be firmly positioned. This ensures that the shaft-type workpiece will not shake or tilt and shift during the movement of the follower tray with the carriage, thus providing excellent reliability.

[0009] In the aforementioned follower tray of the track-type robot, the positioning part has a contact surface, which is a convex spherical surface.

[0010] The contact surface is used to contact the outer wall of shaft-type workpieces. Setting the contact surface to a convex spherical shape reduces the resistance when the shaft-type workpiece is inserted into the positioning recess, making it easier for the workpiece to be cushioned. At the same time, this shape also reduces damage to the outer wall of the shaft-type workpiece.

[0011] In the aforementioned follower tray of the track-type robot, the positioning seat is provided with a mounting hole that penetrates the inner wall of the positioning recess. A mounting sleeve is fixedly connected inside the mounting hole. The positioning part includes a spring and a plunger both located inside the mounting sleeve. The two ends of the spring act on the inner wall of the mounting sleeve and one end of the plunger, respectively, and the contact surface is located at the other end of the plunger.

[0012] Under normal conditions, the plungers partially extend into the locating recess under the action of the spring. When a shaft-like workpiece is inserted into the locating recess, the outer wall of the workpiece will press against the plungers, overcoming the spring's action and moving them into the mounting sleeve. After the shaft-like workpiece is inserted into the locating recess, each plunger presses against the outer wall of the workpiece, creating a clamping force, thereby ensuring that the shaft-like workpiece can be stably positioned when buffered on the follower tray.

[0013] In the aforementioned track-mounted robot's follower tray, the plunger is made of nylon. Using nylon prevents scratching the workpiece. Furthermore, nylon is more wear-resistant, making it more suitable for applications involving frequent handling of shaft-type workpieces.

[0014] In the aforementioned follower tray of the track-type robot, the positioning seat includes a seat body fixed to a bracket by fasteners and several nylon blocks fixed to the seat body. The positioning notch is located on the front side of the seat body, each nylon block is located on the top of the seat body, and the mounting hole is provided on the nylon block.

[0015] With the above configuration, each positioning part is located outside the positioning recess, and the projection of the positioning part within the positioning recess protrudes beyond the inner wall of the positioning recess. This allows the positioning parts to exert a clamping force when the shaft-type workpiece is inserted into the positioning recess, ensuring its stable positioning. Furthermore, the nylon blocks provide shock absorption, reducing the impact of vibrations generated when the follower tray moves with the carriage on the shaft-type workpiece, thus ensuring its stable positioning on the follower tray.

[0016] In the aforementioned push tray of the track-type robot, as another option, the positioning seat is block-shaped and made of plastic, and the positioning part is granular and integrally fixed to the inner wall of the positioning recess.

[0017] With the above configuration, each positioning part is located inside the positioning recess and protrudes from the inner wall of the positioning recess, so that when the shaft workpiece is inserted into the positioning recess, each positioning part can form a clamping force to hold it in place and stably position it.

[0018] In the aforementioned follower tray of the track-type robot, the feeding seat is made of nylon and a supporting sheet metal is fixed on the bracket. The feeding seat is fixed on the top of the supporting sheet metal, and the top of the supporting sheet metal is also provided with a clearance hole, the diameter of which is larger than the diameter of the feeding hole.

[0019] During actual buffering, one end of the shaft-type workpiece passes through the feeding hole and is inserted into the supporting sheet metal. The feeding seat is made of nylon, which can reduce the impact of vibration generated when the follower tray moves with the bracket on the shaft-type workpiece, further improving the positioning stability of the shaft-type workpiece when buffered on the follower tray.

[0020] In the aforementioned track-mounted robot's follow-up tray, the centerline of the discharge hole is inclined backward.

[0021] The centerline of the feed hole is tilted backward, meaning the feed hole is angled backward. This ensures that the shaft-like workpiece is also tilted when positioned, making it less prone to wobbling compared to a vertical orientation (due to the rear support point). Furthermore, this design reduces waste liquid adhering to the shaft-like workpiece, ensuring a clean and tidy subsequent machining process.

[0022] In the aforementioned follower tray of the track-type robot, the support includes a base plate and a vertical plate. The lower end of the vertical plate is fixedly connected to the rear end of the base plate. The feeding seat is fixedly connected to the upper side of the base plate and the positioning seat is fixedly connected to the front side of the vertical plate. The front end of the base plate is inclined upward relative to the rear end, and a drain valve is fixedly connected to the bottom of the base plate at the rear end position.

[0023] The front end of the base plate is inclined upward relative to the rear end, so that the waste liquid falling from the shaft workpiece onto the base plate can automatically collect towards the rear end of the base plate by means of the inclination of the base plate, and be discharged by opening the drain valve.

[0024] In the aforementioned follower tray of the track-type robot, the support also includes a front baffle and two side baffles. One side baffle is fixed between the left end of the base plate and the left end of the vertical plate, and the other side baffle is fixed between the right end of the base plate and the right end of the vertical plate. The front baffle is fixed between the front ends of the two side baffles and the front end of the base plate.

[0025] The base plate, vertical plate, side baffles, and front baffle form a trough-like shape, which prevents the accumulated waste liquid from spilling around as the follow-up pallet moves with the trailer, ensuring the cleanliness of the processing site.

[0026] Compared with existing technologies, the follower tray of this track-mounted robot has the following advantages:

[0027] 1. By setting up the feeding hole and positioning notch, the shaft workpieces can be buffered on the follower tray, thereby improving the production efficiency of shaft workpieces;

[0028] 2. With one end of the shaft workpiece inserted into the feeding hole and the other end locked in the positioning recess, the shaft workpiece is clamped by the elastic positioning part protruding from the groove wall of the positioning recess. This ensures that the shaft workpiece buffered on the follower tray can be firmly positioned, and that the shaft workpiece will not shake or tilt during the movement of the follower tray with the carriage. Therefore, it has good reliability in use. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an orbital robot.

[0030] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle.

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the front connection between the follow-up pallet and the carriage.

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the rear connection between the follow-up pallet and the carriage.

[0033] Figure 5 This is a 3D schematic diagram of the follow-up tray.

[0034] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the positioning base.

[0035] Figure 7 This is the front view when shaft-type workpieces are cached on the follower tray.

[0036] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 Sectional view along the AA direction.

[0037] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 A magnified view of the central positioning seat.

[0038] In the diagram, 1. Track; 2. Tractor; 3. Robotic arm; 4. Support; 4a. Base plate; 4b. Vertical plate; 4c. Front baffle; 4d. Side baffle; 5. Feeding seat; 5a. Feeding hole; 6. Positioning seat; 6a. Positioning notch; 6b. Positioning part; 6b1. Piston; 6b11. Contact surface; 6b2. Spring; 6c. Seat body; 6d. Nylon block; 6d1. Mounting hole; 7. Mounting sleeve; 8. Support sheet metal; 8a. Clearance hole; 9. Drain valve; 10. Pad; 11. Slider; 12. Shaft-type workpiece. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The following are specific embodiments of the present invention, which are described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0040] Example 1

[0041] like Figures 1-4 As shown, the track-mounted robot includes a follower tray. The track-mounted robot comprises a carriage 2 slidably connected to a track 1 and a robotic arm 3 fixed to the carriage 2. The follower tray includes a bracket 4 that is linked to the carriage 2 and located on one side of the robotic arm 3. In this embodiment, the robotic arm 3 is located on the front of the carriage 2, and the bracket 4 is located on the right side of the carriage 2. The bracket 4 is fixedly connected to the carriage 2. A slider 11 that can cooperate with the track 1 is fixedly connected to the back of the bracket 4. The slider 11 is set so that when the bracket 4 is linked with the carriage 2, the bracket 4 also slides on the track 1, which makes the overall structure more stable and the force more balanced.

[0042] like Figures 5-9 As shown, the bracket 4 is fixedly connected to the feeding seat 5 and the positioning seat 6. The feeding seat 5 has a feeding hole 5a. The positioning seat 6 is located above the feeding seat 5 and has a positioning recess 6a on its front side. The positioning seat 6 has a plurality of positioning parts 6b. Each positioning part 6b is located outside the positioning recess 6a and its projection in the positioning recess 6a protrudes from the inner wall of the positioning recess 6a. Each positioning part 6b is elastic and can deform in the opposite direction of its protrusion when squeezed. The positioning part 6b has a contact surface 6b11, which is spherical. The positioning seat 6 has a mounting hole 6d1 that penetrates the inner wall of the positioning recess 6a. A mounting sleeve 7 is fixedly connected inside the mounting hole 6d1. The positioning part 6b includes a spring 6b2 and a plunger 6b1 both located inside the mounting sleeve 7. The two ends of the spring 6b2 act on the inner wall of the mounting sleeve 7 and one end of the plunger 6b1, respectively. The contact surface 6b11 is located at the other end of the plunger 6b1. Under the action of the spring 6b2, the plunger 6b1 partially extends out of the mounting sleeve 7. In practice, the plunger 6b1 is made of nylon. One end of the mounting sleeve 7 has a blocking part on its inner side, and the side of the plunger 6b1 has a backing part. The backing part can cooperate with the blocking part to prevent the plunger 6b1 from falling out of the mounting sleeve 7. Furthermore, the positioning seat 6 includes a seat body 6c fixed to the bracket 4 by fasteners and several nylon blocks 6d fixed to the seat body 6c. The positioning recess 6a is located on the front side of the seat body 6c, and each nylon block 6d is located on the top of the seat body 6c. The mounting hole 6d1 is provided on the nylon block 6d. Specifically, there are three nylon blocks 6d distributed around the positioning recess 6a. The feeding seat 5 is a nylon part. A supporting sheet metal 8 is also fixed on the bracket 4. The feeding seat 5 is fixed to the top of the supporting sheet metal 8 by fasteners (not shown in the figure). The top of the supporting sheet metal 8 is also provided with a clearance hole, the diameter of which is larger than the diameter of the feeding hole 5a. In this embodiment, there are two positioning seats 6 and two feeding seats 5. Both feeding seats 5 are fixed to the supporting sheet metal 8 at the same time, and there are two clearance holes.

[0043] like Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, the centerline of the discharge hole 5a is inclined backward. The bracket 4 includes a base plate 4a and a vertical plate 4b. The lower end of the vertical plate 4b is fixedly connected to the rear end of the base plate 4a. The positioning seat 6 is fixedly connected to the front side of the vertical plate 4b, and the slider 11 is fixedly connected to the rear side of the vertical plate 4b. The supporting sheet metal 8 is fixedly connected to the upper side of the base plate 4a. The front end of the base plate 4a is inclined upward relative to the rear end. A drain valve 9 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the base plate 4a at its rear end. A pad 10 is also fixedly connected to the upper side of the base plate 4a. The pad 10 is located inside the supporting sheet metal 8 and below the clearance hole. The pad 10 is used to abut one end of the shaft workpiece 12 during buffering. Furthermore, the bracket 4 also includes a front baffle 4c and two side baffles 4d. One side baffle 4d is fixed between the left end of the base plate 4a and the left end of the vertical plate 4b, and the other side baffle 4d is fixed between the right end of the base plate 4a and the right end of the vertical plate 4b. The front baffle 4c is fixed between the front end of the two side baffles 4d and the front end of the base plate 4a. The left side baffle 4d is fixedly connected to the right side wall of the trailer 2 by fasteners, thereby realizing the linkage between the bracket 4 and the trailer 2.

[0044] When the track-mounted robot is working, the carriage 2 slides along the track 1, allowing the robotic arm 3 fixed thereon to move to a designated position. The support 4 is linked to the carriage 2 and moves together with it. When it is necessary to buffer the shaft-type workpiece 12, the robotic arm 3 fixed on the carriage 2 clamps the shaft-type workpiece 12 and inserts one end into the discharge hole 5a of the discharge seat 5 (this end of the shaft-type workpiece 12 abuts against the pad 10), while the other end of the shaft-type workpiece 12 is directly inserted into the positioning recess 6a from the front. The state of the shaft-type workpiece 12 after being buffered on the follower tray is as follows. Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown. The setting of the feeding hole 5a and the positioning notch 6a enables the shaft workpiece 12 to be buffered on the follower tray, thereby improving the production efficiency of the shaft workpiece 12; and because the positioning notch 6a penetrates the front side of the positioning seat 6, it makes it very convenient for the robot arm 3 to perform the picking and placing actions of the shaft workpiece 12 without having to make a large-scale attitude adjustment.

[0045] Furthermore, since the positioning seat 6 has several positioning parts 6b, each positioning part 6b is elastic. Each positioning part 6b is located outside the positioning recess 6a, and its projection inside the positioning recess 6a protrudes from the inner wall of the positioning recess 6a. When the shaft workpiece 12 is inserted into the positioning recess 6a, the shaft workpiece 12 will contact each positioning part 6b and compress it to deform. When each positioning part 6b wants to reset, it will press against the outer wall of the shaft workpiece 12. In this way, each positioning part 6b will form a clamping force on the shaft workpiece 12 and clamp the shaft workpiece 12. This allows the shaft workpiece 12 cached on the follower tray to be firmly positioned, ensuring that the shaft workpiece 12 will not shake or tilt and shift during the movement of the follower tray along with the carriage 2. Therefore, it has good reliability in use.

[0046] Example 2

[0047] This embodiment is basically the same as the first embodiment in terms of structure and principle, except that in this embodiment, each positioning part 6b is located inside the positioning recess 6a and protrudes from the inner wall of the positioning recess 6a. Specifically, the positioning seat 6 is block-shaped and made of plastic, and the positioning part 6b is granular and integrally fixed to the inner wall of the positioning recess 6a.

[0048] The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the spirit of the invention. Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains may make various modifications or additions to the described specific embodiments or use similar methods to substitute them, without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A follower tray for a track-mounted robot, the track-mounted robot comprising a carriage (2) slidably connected to a track (1) and a robotic arm (3) fixed to the carriage (2), the follower tray comprising a bracket (4) linked to the carriage (2) and located on one side of the robotic arm (3), characterized in that, The bracket (4) is fixedly connected to the feeding seat (5) and the positioning seat (6). The positioning seat (6) is located above the feeding seat (5). The feeding seat (5) is at the lower part of the bracket (4). The positioning seat (6) is at the upper part of the bracket (4). The front side of the positioning seat (6) is provided with a positioning recess (6a). The positioning seat (6) has a plurality of positioning parts (6b). Each positioning part (6b) is located inside the positioning recess (6a) and protrudes from the inner wall of the positioning recess (6a). Alternatively, each positioning part (6b) is located outside the positioning recess (6a) and its projection inside the positioning recess (6a) protrudes from the inner wall of the positioning recess (6a). Each positioning part (6b) is elastic and can deform in the opposite direction of its protrusion when squeezed.

2. The follower tray of the track-mounted robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning part (6b) has a contact surface (6b11), which is a convex spherical surface.

3. The follower tray of the track-mounted robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The positioning seat (6) is provided with a mounting hole (6d1), which penetrates the inner wall of the positioning recess (6a). A mounting sleeve (7) is fixedly connected inside the mounting hole (6d1). The positioning part (6b) includes a spring (6b2) and a plunger (6b1) both located inside the mounting sleeve (7). The two ends of the spring (6b2) act on the inner wall of the mounting sleeve (7) and one end of the plunger (6b1), respectively. The contact surface (6b11) is located at the other end of the plunger (6b1).

4. The follower tray of the track-type robot according to claim 3, characterized in that, The plunger (6b1) is made of nylon.

5. The follower tray of the track-mounted robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The positioning seat (6) includes a seat body (6c) fixed to the bracket (4) by fasteners and a number of nylon blocks (6d) fixed to the seat body (6c). The positioning notch (6a) is located on the front side of the seat body (6c), each nylon block (6d) is located on the top of the seat body (6c), and the mounting hole (6d1) is provided on the nylon block (6d).

6. The follower tray of the track-mounted robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The positioning seat (6) is in the shape of a block and is made of plastic. The positioning part (6b) is in the shape of granules and is integrally fixed to the inner wall of the positioning recess (6a).

7. The follower tray of the track-mounted robot according to claim 3 or 6, characterized in that, The feeding seat (5) is a nylon part and has a feeding hole (5a). A support sheet metal (8) is fixed on the bracket (4). The feeding seat (5) is fixed on the top of the support sheet metal (8). The top of the support sheet metal (8) is also provided with a clearance hole. The diameter of the clearance hole is larger than the diameter of the feeding hole (5a).

8. The follower tray of the track-mounted robot according to claim 7, characterized in that, The centerline of the discharge hole (5a) is inclined backward.

9. The follower tray of the track-mounted robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bracket (4) includes a base plate (4a) and a vertical plate (4b). The lower end of the vertical plate (4b) is fixedly connected to the rear end of the base plate (4a). The feeding seat (5) is fixedly connected to the upper side of the base plate (4a) and the positioning seat (6) is fixedly connected to the front side of the vertical plate (4b). The front end of the base plate (4a) is inclined upward relative to the rear end. A drain valve (9) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the base plate (4a) at the rear end position.

10. The follower tray of the track-mounted robot according to claim 9, characterized in that, The bracket (4) further includes a front baffle (4c) and two side baffles (4d). One side baffle (4d) is fixed between the left end of the base plate (4a) and the left end of the vertical plate (4b), and the other side baffle (4d) is fixed between the right end of the base plate (4a) and the right end of the vertical plate (4b). The front baffle (4c) is fixed between the front end of the two side baffles (4d) and the front end of the base plate (4a).

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