Claw mechanism of a robot arm and bricklaying robot comprising same

Abstract

The application provides a brick laying robot comprising a gripper mechanism of a machine arm, which comprises a support frame, an electric telescopic rod, a vacuum chuck module, a rotating connecting piece, a grabbing rod, a steering device and a clamping device. The middle part of the lower end of the support frame is provided with the electric telescopic rod. The lower end of the electric telescopic rod is provided with the vacuum chuck module. Two pairs of rotating connecting pieces are mounted on the lower surface of the support frame. The grabbing rod is nested downward in the rotating connecting pieces. The rotating directions of each pair of rotating connecting pieces are opposite, so that the grabbing rod is clamped or opened. The steering device is mounted at the end of the grabbing rod. The steering device is fixedly connected with the clamping device. The application has the traditional large-weight object grabbing capacity and can adapt to the complex brick shape grabbing. Meanwhile, the application has good adaptability to the limited space and the complex environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of construction robot technology, and in particular to a gripper mechanism for a robotic arm and a bricklaying robot incorporating the same. Background Technology

[0002] A large coke oven requires approximately 30,000 tons of refractory material, with nearly 700 different specifications and models. The heaviest single refractory brick weighs nearly 70 kg, making the labor intensity for furnace construction workers extremely high. Developing a large coke oven bricklaying robot can not only save a significant amount of manpower and improve energy efficiency and environmental friendliness during operation, but also greatly shorten the construction period, allowing for earlier production and generating substantial economic benefits. The key core equipment for using the bricklaying robot is the automatic refractory brick gripper mechanism, which needs to be capable of gripping and laying refractory bricks of various specifications within the coke oven.

[0003] However, traditional robotic arm gripper mechanisms have the following problems:

[0004] (1) Negative pressure adsorption devices are mainly used on smooth surfaces, such as cardboard boxes, wooden boards and glass. A single adsorption device cannot safely and stably adsorb and pick up heavy and irregularly shaped bricks.

[0005] (2) The gripping device rotates from the outside to the gripping device to attach and grip the object to be gripped. This is typically used for gripping and transporting large materials. Because there is not enough gripping space, it cannot handle the scenario of placing heavy, irregularly shaped bricks in a brick box.

[0006] (3) The gripping device can reach down and grab in a restricted environment, but it cannot grab heavy, irregularly shaped bricks when they are closely arranged.

[0007] For example, the gripper device disclosed in the invention patent application with publication number CN 115042211 A still needs to extend into a space of a certain width to grasp and place the object to be gripped, and cannot adapt to the situation of tightly arranged irregular bricks. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Due to the aforementioned deficiencies in existing technologies, this invention provides a gripper mechanism for a robotic arm and a brick-laying robot incorporating it. The aim is to overcome the shortcomings of existing suction gripping technologies in handling scenarios where heavy, irregularly shaped bricks are tightly packed in a brick box. By combining the principles of vacuum adsorption and confined space grasping, a brick-picking device is designed to adapt to scenarios where heavy, irregularly shaped bricks are tightly packed in a brick box. This device possesses the traditional ability to grasp heavy objects and adapt to grasping complex brick shapes, while also exhibiting good adaptability to confined spaces and complex environments, thereby solving the problems existing in the prior art.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a gripper mechanism for a robotic arm, characterized in that it includes a support frame, an electric telescopic rod, a vacuum suction cup module, a rotating connector, a gripping rod, a steering device, and a clamping device; the electric telescopic rod is disposed at the lower middle part of the support frame; the vacuum suction cup module is disposed at the lower end of the electric telescopic rod; two pairs of rotating connectors are installed on both sides of the lower surface of the support frame, and the gripping rod is nested downwards in the rotating connectors; two pairs of motors are installed on the lower surface of the support frame, each motor is connected to a reducer, and the reducer is connected to the gripping rod by the rotating connector; the rotating connector can maintain structural fixation during operation, and can also reverse the rotation direction of each pair of rotating connectors by adjusting the rotation angle of the reducer, thereby driving the gripping rod to clamp or open during operation; the steering device is installed at the end of the gripping rod; the steering device is fixedly connected to the clamping device; the clamping device includes three shafts and matching bearings, synchronous pulleys, and belts; the synchronous pulley is installed on each shaft; the three synchronous pulleys are distributed in a triangle, and the belt is fitted on the outer side.

[0010] When the gripper mechanism performs gripping, the electric telescopic rod drives the vacuum suction cup module to descend, enabling the vacuum suction cup module to reach down, adhere to, and lift the object to be gripped in complex and confined spaces, ensuring successful gripping of bricks in such conditions. Subsequently, the motor and its reducer drive the rotating connecting parts to rotate, thereby causing the gripping rod to clamp the object. The swinging steering mechanism, combined with the oscillating direction of the steering device, causes the belt of the gripping device to adhere to the object on its side. The synchronous pulley of the gripping device allows the belt to rotate in contact with the brick surface, adapting to the gripping requirements of heavy and irregularly shaped bricks.

[0011] Furthermore, the end rotation angle of the reducer is 10° to 90°.

[0012] Furthermore, the rotation angle of the rotating connector is 0° to 360°.

[0013] Furthermore, the rotation angle of the steering device is 0° to 270°.

[0014] Furthermore, the bearing of the clamping device is a one-way bearing, which restricts the belt to drive the clamped object to move only upwards.

[0015] Furthermore, the vacuum suction cup module is a sponge vacuum suction cup module, including a sponge vacuum suction cup, a vacuum pump, and a vacuum valve. The sponge part of the vacuum suction cup can adapt to the unevenness of the surface of the object to be clamped, thereby increasing the suction vacuum. Thus, the suction cup module can suction and hold the rough surface of the object to be clamped by pumping air.

[0016] Furthermore, the size of the sponge vacuum suction cup is 300mm×400mm to accommodate the surface size of mainstream bricks.

[0017] Furthermore, the belt of the clamping device is made of rubber, and the outer surface is provided with anti-slip texture to achieve the function of clamping and preventing slippage.

[0018] On the other hand, the present invention provides a bricklaying robot, characterized in that it includes a robotic arm connector, a robotic arm, a robot base, and a gripper mechanism for the robotic arm.

[0019] The robotic arm connector is connected to the top of the support frame and installed at the end of the robotic arm, which is fixed to the robot base.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the above invention has the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0021] (1) The present invention uses a vacuum suction cup to adsorb the upper surface of the object to be clamped, which can adsorb and lift the closely arranged objects to be clamped, ensuring that the objects to be clamped can be successfully grasped in complex environments and confined spaces.

[0022] (2) The present invention utilizes the rotation of the end of the reducer, the rotation of the rotating connector, and the swing of the steering device to adapt to the gripping requirements of heavy and differently shaped objects.

[0023] (3) The transmission belt device installed on the clamping device of the present invention is made of rubber and has anti-slip texture and a one-way bearing rotation direction that can limit the belt to only drive the object to be clamped to move upward and not slide downward, which can ensure safety during gripping. At the same time, under the premise of ensuring stability, it will not damage the object to be clamped during gripping.

[0024] (4) The bricklaying robot of the present invention has the ability to grasp heavy objects in the traditional way and can adapt to grasping complex brick shapes, while also having good adaptability to confined spaces and complex environments. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The invention, its features, shape, and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals denote like parts throughout the drawings. The drawings are not drawn to scale; the focus is on illustrating the spirit of the invention.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the gripper mechanism when gripping a brick in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the gripping device of the gripper mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the gripper mechanism gripping an irregularly shaped brick in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a bottom view of the gripper mechanism gripping an irregularly shaped brick in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a bricklaying robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] The components include: 1. Support frame; 2. Electric telescopic rod; 3. Vacuum suction cup module; 4. Motor; 5. Reducer; 6. Rotating connector; 7. Gripping rod; 8. Steering device; 9. Clamping device; 9-1. Shaft; 9-2. Bearing; 9-3. Synchronous pulley; 9-4. Belt; 10. Robotic arm connector; 11. Robotic arm; 12. Robot base; 13. Brick; 14. Irregularly shaped brick. Detailed Implementation

[0032] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that all of these exemplary embodiments described are merely some embodiments and examples of the present invention, and not all of them. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that those skilled in the art can more thoroughly understand the present disclosure and to more completely convey the technical content of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0033] In the description of this application, the terms "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and do not require the present invention to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0034] The electric telescopic rod, vacuum suction cup module, shaft, bearing, etc. involved in the following effect embodiments and examples are all commercially available, and the control methods used are existing technologies that can be found. The specific connection methods of each part all adopt conventional methods such as bolts, rivets, and welding that are mature in the prior art, and the structure and principle of the components known to those skilled in the art can be learned by those skilled in the art through technical manuals or conventional experimental methods.

[0035] It should also be noted that the device structure and accompanying drawings of this invention mainly describe the principle of this invention. In terms of the technical aspects of this design principle, the settings of the device's power mechanism, power supply system, and control system are not fully described. However, those skilled in the art who understand the above-mentioned inventive principle can clearly understand the details of its power mechanism, power supply system, and control system. The control method of the inventive principle can be automatically controlled by a controller. The control circuit of the controller can be implemented by those skilled in the art through simple programming.

[0036] Example 1

[0037] See Figure 1 This embodiment provides a gripper mechanism for a robotic arm, serving as a brick-grabbing device for scenarios where heavy, irregularly shaped bricks are tightly packed in a brick box. Of course, it is understood that the object to be gripped can be any other hard object with a certain weight, in addition to bricks. The gripper mechanism includes a support frame 1, an electric telescopic rod 2, a vacuum suction cup module 3, a rotating connector 6, a gripping rod 7, a steering device 8, and a clamping device 9. The electric telescopic rod 2 is located at the lower center of the support frame 1; the vacuum suction cup module 3 is located at the lower end of the electric telescopic rod 2; two pairs of rotating connectors 6 are installed on both sides of the lower surface of the support frame 1, and the gripping rod 7 is nested downwards within the rotating connectors 6. Two pairs of motors 4 are mounted on the lower surface of the support frame 1. Each motor 4 is connected to a reducer 5. The reducer 5 is connected to the gripping rod 7 via a rotating connector 6. The rotating connector 6 can maintain structural stability during operation and can also reverse the rotation direction of each pair of rotating connectors 6 by adjusting the rotation angle of the reducer 5, thereby driving the gripping rod 7 to clamp or open during operation. A steering device 8 is installed at the end of the gripping rod 7. The steering device 8 is fixedly connected to a clamping device 9. See also Figure 2 The clamping device 9 includes three shafts 9-1 and matching bearings 9-2, synchronous pulleys 9-3 and belts 9-4; each shaft 9-1 is equipped with a synchronous pulley 9-3; the three synchronous pulleys 9-3 are arranged in a triangle, and the belts 9-4 are fitted on the outer side.

[0038] When the gripper mechanism clamps the target brick 13, the gripping rod 7 is in the open state. The electric telescopic rod 2 drives the vacuum suction cup module 3 to descend, allowing the vacuum suction cup module 3 to reach down and adhere to the target brick 13 in a complex and confined space. After the vacuum suction cup module 3 adheres to the upper surface of the brick 13, the electric telescopic rod 2 drives the vacuum suction cup module 3 to rise, lifting the target brick 13 from the closely arranged brick box. At this time, the motor 4 and its reducer 5 drive the rotating connecting part 6 to rotate, thereby driving the gripping rod 7 to bring the belt 9-4 of the clamping device 9 close to the brick side against the target brick 13. The synchronous pulley 9-3 of the clamping device 9 allows the belt 9-4 to rotate in contact with the brick surface until the gripper of the heavy brick reaches the appropriate position with the brick, at which point the electric telescopic rod 2 stops moving.

[0039] See Figure 3 and Figure 4 When there is a certain angular difference between the surface of the heavy, irregularly shaped brick 14 and the belt 9-4 on the clamping device 9 in a certain swing direction, the belt 9-4 can swing to a position and angle that matches the surface of the target brick by the rotation of the end of the reducer 5, the rotation of the rotating connector 6 and the swing of the steering device 8, so that the belt 9-4 can smoothly fit the surface of the heavy, irregularly shaped brick.

[0040] In a specific example, the rotation angle of the steering device 8 is 0° to 270°. The end rotation angle of the reducer 5 is 10° to 90°. The rotation angle of the rotating connector 6 is 0° to 360°. These angle settings well meet the coordination between the rotation of the reducer end, the rotation of the rotating connector, and the swing of the steering device, in order to adapt to the gripping requirements of heavy and irregularly shaped objects.

[0041] As a preferred technical solution, the bearing 9-2 of the gripping device 9 is a one-way bearing, restricting the belt 9-4 to move the gripped object only upwards. The belt 9-4 of the gripping device 9 is made of rubber, and its outer surface has anti-slip texture to prevent slippage during gripping. The transmission belt device installed on the gripping device is made of rubber, has anti-slip texture, and the one-way bearing's rotation direction restricts the belt to move the refractory brick only upwards, preventing it from sliding downwards. This ensures safety during gripping and, while maintaining stability, prevents damage to the target brick during gripping.

[0042] As a preferred technical solution, specifically, the vacuum suction cup module 3 is a sponge vacuum suction cup module, including a sponge vacuum suction cup, a vacuum pump, and a vacuum valve. The sponge part of the vacuum suction cup can adapt to the unevenness of the surface of the object to be clamped, thereby increasing the suction vacuum. Thus, the suction cup module can suction the rough surface of the object to be clamped by pumping air.

[0043] Furthermore, the size of the sponge vacuum suction cup is 300mm×400mm to accommodate the surface size of mainstream bricks.

[0044] Example 2

[0045] See Figure 5 The present invention provides a bricklaying robot, including a robotic arm connector 10, a robotic arm 11, a robot base 12, and a gripper mechanism for the robotic arm; the robotic arm connector 10 is connected to the top of the support frame 1 and installed at the end of the robotic arm 11, and the robotic arm 11 is fixed on the robot base 12.

[0046] When the bricklaying robot is about to clamp the target brick, the robotic arm 11 drives the gripper mechanism to transport it to the target position. The gripper mechanism clamps the brick using the process described in Embodiment 1. After clamping, the robotic arm 11 drives the brick to the required bricklaying position and performs subsequent bricklaying operations.

[0047] It is understandable that the execution order of actions, steps, etc. in the apparatus and methods shown in the specification and drawings can be implemented in any order, as long as there is no special explicit restriction on the order and the output of the previous processing is not used in the subsequent processing.

[0048] In summary, this application provides a gripper mechanism for a robotic arm and a brick-laying robot including the same, comprising a support frame, an electric telescopic rod, a vacuum suction cup module, rotating connectors, a gripping rod, a steering device, and a clamping device. The electric telescopic rod is located at the lower center of the support frame; the vacuum suction cup module is located at the lower end of the electric telescopic rod; two pairs of rotating connectors are installed on both sides of the lower surface of the support frame, with the gripping rod nested downwards within each rotating connector; each pair of rotating connectors rotates in opposite directions, enabling the gripping rod to clamp or open; the steering device is installed at the end of the gripping rod; and the clamping device is fixedly connected to the steering device. This invention, while possessing the traditional ability to grip heavy objects and adapt to gripping complex brick shapes, also exhibits good adaptability to confined spaces and complex environments.

[0049] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and the devices and structures not described in detail should be understood as being implemented in a conventional manner in the art. Any person skilled in the art can make many possible variations and modifications to the technical solutions of the present invention using the methods and techniques disclosed above, or modify them into equivalent embodiments with equivalent changes, without departing from the scope of the present invention. This does not affect the essential content of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the present invention's technical solutions still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gripper mechanism for a robotic arm, characterized in that: Includes support frame (1), electric telescopic rod (2), vacuum suction cup module (3), rotating connector (6), gripping rod (7), steering device (8), and clamping device (9); An electric telescopic rod (2) is provided at the lower middle of the support frame (1); a vacuum suction cup module (3) is provided at the lower end of the electric telescopic rod (2); two pairs of rotating connectors (6) are installed on both sides of the lower surface of the support frame (1), and a gripping rod (7) is nested downward in the rotating connectors (6); two pairs of motors (4) are installed on the lower surface of the support frame (1), and each motor (4) is connected to a reducer (5); the reducer (5) and the gripping rod (7) are connected by rotating connectors (6); the rotating connectors (6) can keep the structure fixed during operation, and can also make the rotation direction of each pair of rotating connectors (6) opposite by adjusting the rotation angle of the reducer (5), so as to drive the gripping rod (7) to clamp or open during operation; The gripping rod (7) is equipped with the steering device (8) at its end; the steering device (8) is fixedly connected to the clamping device (9); the clamping device (9) includes three shafts (9-1) and matching bearings (9-2), synchronous pulleys (9-3) and belts (9-4); each shaft (9-1) is equipped with a synchronous pulley (9-3); the three synchronous pulleys (9-3) are arranged in a triangle, and the belts (9-4) are fitted on their outer sides.

2. The gripper mechanism of a robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bearing (9-2) of the clamping device (9) is a one-way bearing, which restricts the belt (9-4) from driving the clamped object to move only upward.

3. The gripper mechanism of a robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end rotation angle of the reducer (5) is 10°~90°.

4. The gripper mechanism of a robotic arm according to claim 3, characterized in that, The rotation angle of the rotating connector (6) is 0°~360°.

5. A gripper mechanism for a robotic arm according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The rotation angle of the steering device (8) is 0°~270°.

6. The gripper mechanism of a robotic arm according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The vacuum suction cup module (3) is a sponge vacuum suction cup module, including a sponge vacuum suction cup, a vacuum pump, and a vacuum valve.

7. The gripper mechanism of a robotic arm according to claim 6, characterized in that, The dimensions of the sponge vacuum suction cup are 300mm × 400mm.

8. The gripper mechanism of a robotic arm according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The belt (9-4) of the clamping device (9) is made of rubber and has anti-slip texture on its outer surface.

9. A bricklaying robot, characterized in that, Includes a robotic arm connector (10), a robotic arm (11), a robot base (12), and a gripper mechanism for the robotic arm as described in any one of claims 1 to 8; The robotic arm connector (10) is connected to the top of the support frame (1) and installed at the end of the robotic arm (11), which is fixed on the robot base (12).

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