Hydrogen fuel cell robotic palletizing gripper and palletizing method

Abstract

The application provides a hydrogen fuel cell robot automatic stacking gripper and a stacking method thereof, which comprises a gripper body and an automatic adjusting device; a middle part of the gripper body is provided with a grabbing groove, a plurality of vacuum suction cups are fixedly arranged in the grabbing groove, the lower edge and the right edge of the grabbing groove are positioning edges, and a positioning suction cup is further arranged on the positioning edge; a guide hole is arranged on the gripper body; the automatic adjusting device comprises an adjusting device body, and a guide pin corresponding to the position of the guide hole is arranged on the adjusting device body. The position of the grabbed target object is automatically adjusted, the precision meets the needs of the stack stacking, and the reliability of the fuel cell stack performance is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotic arms, specifically to an automated stacking gripper for hydrogen fuel cell robots and a stacking method thereof. Background Technology

[0002] With increasing environmental awareness, hydrogen fuel cells, as a clean energy source, are attracting more and more attention. However, the production process of hydrogen fuel cells requires assembling multiple individual cells into a stack, a process that typically requires a large amount of manual labor, resulting in low production efficiency and potential safety hazards. Therefore, developing a gripper capable of automating the stacking of hydrogen fuel cells has become a crucial need.

[0003] A hydrogen fuel cell stack consists of power generation components such as bipolar plates and membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs), as well as endplate assemblies and fastening components. The bipolar plates and MEAs are alternately stacked to form a single cell. When using robots to stack bipolar plates and MEAs, precise positioning of the bipolar plates and MEAs is required. The conventional method is to use machine vision solutions; however, the accuracy of machine vision positioning is affected by various factors, including camera resolution, lens quality, lighting conditions, and image processing algorithms. In practical applications, accuracy may be affected by these limitations. To achieve the high precision required for hydrogen fuel cell stack stacking, high-cost industrial cameras are needed. However, these types of industrial cameras typically have poor resistance to environmental changes and a high failure rate in practical use. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide an automated stacking gripper for hydrogen fuel cells and a stacking method thereof.

[0005] According to the present invention, an automated stacking gripper for hydrogen fuel cells is provided, comprising: a gripper body and an automatic adjustment device;

[0006] The gripper body has a gripping groove in the middle, and multiple vacuum suction cups are fixedly installed in the gripping groove. The lower and right sides of the gripping groove are positioning sides, and positioning suction cups are also installed on the positioning sides. The gripper body has guide holes.

[0007] The automatic adjustment device includes an adjustment device body, on which a guide pin is provided corresponding to the position of the guide hole.

[0008] Preferably, the gripping groove has a depth of 1.5 mm.

[0009] Preferably, eight vacuum suction cups are fixedly installed in the gripping groove, each suction cup having a diameter of 30mm.

[0010] Preferably, the surface roughness of the positioning edge is 1.6 and the positioning accuracy is 0.01mm.

[0011] Preferably, the gripper body is made of aluminum alloy.

[0012] Preferably, the automatic adjustment device further includes a fixed rod and a damper, and the main body of the adjustment device is connected to the fixed rod through the damper.

[0013] Preferably, the body of the adjustment device is made of 304 stainless steel.

[0014] A stacking method for a hydrogen fuel cell robot automated stacking gripper provided by the present invention includes:

[0015] Step S1: The gripper body moves to a position above the bipolar plate or membrane electrode, the suction cup opens, and the part is picked up into the gripping slot in the gripper body;

[0016] Step S2: The robot gripper automatically moves to the position of the automatic adjustment device according to the program settings. The guide pin on the automatic adjustment device is inserted into the guide hole on the gripper body, so that the gripper body and the automatic adjustment device are in place.

[0017] Step S3: The vacuum suction cup on the gripper body is turned off. The robot controls the gripper body to rotate 45° together with the automatic adjustment device. The object being gripped slides to the positioning edge, and the positioning suction cup starts to work, adsorbing the gripped part to the positioning edge.

[0018] Step S4: After the object being grabbed is adjusted into position, the positioning suction cup on the positioning edge closes, the vacuum suction cup opens, the gripper body leaves the automatic adjustment device, and automatic stacking is performed according to the program settings.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0020] 1. This invention provides an automatic stacking gripper for hydrogen fuel cell robots. By automatically adjusting the position of the target object being gripped, the accuracy meets the requirements for stacking, thus ensuring the reliability of fuel cell stack performance.

[0021] 2. The automatic stacking gripper of the present invention can significantly improve production efficiency, reduce production costs, reduce human error, and improve production safety.

[0022] 3. When using an industrial camera with ordinary precision, the gripping position of the bipolar plate and the membrane electrode can be precisely adjusted to ensure the consistency of the stacking position. The structure is simple and the investment cost is low. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0024] Figure 1 This is an overall diagram of the automatic stacking gripper disclosed in this invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a front view of the gripper body disclosed in this invention;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a front view of the automatic adjustment device disclosed in this invention.

[0027] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0028] gripper body 1, guide hole 104

[0029] Automatic adjustment device 2 Adjustment device body 201

[0030] Gripping slot 101 Fixing rod 202

[0031] Vacuum suction cup 102 Damper 203

[0032] Positioning edge 103, guide pin 204 Detailed Implementation

[0033] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but do not limit the invention in any way. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several changes and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention. These all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0034] This invention discloses an automated stacking gripper for hydrogen fuel cells, comprising a gripper body 1 and an automatic adjustment device 2, as shown in the figure. Figure 1 As shown.

[0035] Reference Figure 2 As shown, the specially designed robot gripper body 1 is made of aluminum alloy. A gripping groove 101 with a depth of 1.5mm is provided in the middle part of the gripper body 1, suitable for gripping both metal bipolar plates and membrane electrodes. Eight vacuum suction cups 102, each with a diameter of Ф30mm and providing 20N of suction force, are fixed in the gripping groove 101. The lower and right sides of the gripping groove 101 are machined into high-precision positioning edges 103 with a surface roughness of 1.6, achieving a positioning accuracy of 0.01mm. Guide holes 104 are machined at the lower left and upper right corners of the gripper for easy alignment with the adjustment device. Positioning suction cups are also provided on the positioning edges 103 to attract the metal bipolar plates and membrane electrodes towards the positioning edges 103.

[0036] Reference Figure 3 As shown, the automatic adjustment device 2 consists of an adjustment device body 201, a fixing rod 202, and a damper 203. The adjustment device body 201 is made of 304 stainless steel and is fixed to the ground by the steel structure fixing rod 202. The body and the fixing rod 202 are connected by the damper 203. Guide pins 204 are machined at the lower left and upper right corners of the adjustment device body 201.

[0037] At the start of the operation, guided by a standard-precision industrial camera, the robotic gripper performs an initial grasp of the bipolar plate and membrane electrode. The gripper body 1 moves to a position 0.25mm above the bipolar plate or membrane electrode, the suction cup opens, and the part is sucked into the gripping slot 101 in the gripper body 1. After the initial grasp, the robotic gripper automatically moves to the position of the automatic adjustment device 2 according to the program settings. The guide pin 204 on the automatic adjustment device 2 inserts into the guide hole 104 on the gripper body 1, achieving a combined positioning of the gripper body 1 and the automatic adjustment device 2. After positioning, the vacuum suction cup 102 on the gripper body 1 closes, leaving the gripped part in a free state. The robot controls the gripper body 1 to rotate 45° together with the automatic adjustment device 2. Under the action of gravity, the gripped object slides onto the positioning edge 103. At this time, the positioning suction cup on the positioning edge 103 starts working, and airflow adsorbs the gripped part onto the positioning edge 103, playing a role in auxiliary positioning. Once the object being gripped is positioned, the positioning suction cup on the positioning edge 103 closes, the vacuum suction cup 102 opens, and the gripped part returns to its restrained state. The gripper body 1 disengages from the automatic adjustment device 2 and automatically stacks the parts according to the programmed settings. Under the action of the damper 203, the adjustment device body 2012 automatically returns to its initial position, preparing for the next gripping operation.

[0038] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", 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 this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0039] Specific 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 those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essence of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

Claims

1. A stacking method for a hydrogen fuel cell robot automated stacking gripper, characterized in that, include: Step S1: The gripper body moves to a position above the bipolar plate or membrane electrode, the suction cup opens, and the part is picked up into the gripping slot in the gripper body; Step S2: The robot gripper automatically moves to the position of the automatic adjustment device according to the program settings. The guide pin on the automatic adjustment device is inserted into the guide hole on the gripper body, so that the gripper body and the automatic adjustment device are in place. Step S3: The vacuum suction cup on the gripper body is turned off. The robot controls the gripper body to rotate 45° together with the automatic adjustment device. The gripped part slides to the positioning edge, and the positioning suction cup starts to work, adsorbing the gripped part to the positioning edge. Step S4: After the gripped parts are adjusted into place, the positioning suction cup on the positioning edge closes, the vacuum suction cup opens, the gripper body leaves the automatic adjustment device, and automatic stacking is performed according to the program settings. The automated stacking gripper for the hydrogen fuel cell robot includes: a gripper body and an automatic adjustment device; The gripper body has a gripping groove in the middle, and multiple vacuum suction cups are fixedly installed in the gripping groove. The lower and right sides of the gripping groove are positioning sides, and positioning suction cups are also installed on the positioning sides. The gripper body has guide holes. The automatic adjustment device includes an adjustment device body, on which a guide pin is provided corresponding to the position of the guide hole.

2. The stacking method of the hydrogen fuel cell robot automated stacking gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gripping groove has a depth of 1.5 mm.

3. The stacking method of the hydrogen fuel cell robot automated stacking gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gripping slot is fixedly equipped with 8 vacuum suction cups, each with a diameter of 30mm.

4. The stacking method of the hydrogen fuel cell robot automated stacking gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The surface roughness of the positioning edge is 1.6, and the positioning accuracy is 0.01mm.

5. The stacking method of the hydrogen fuel cell robot automated stacking gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gripper body is made of aluminum alloy.

6. The stacking method of the hydrogen fuel cell robot automated stacking gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The automatic adjustment device also includes a fixed rod and a damper, and the main body of the adjustment device is connected to the fixed rod through the damper.

7. The stacking method of the hydrogen fuel cell robot automated stacking gripper according to claim 6, characterized in that, The body of the adjustment device is made of 304 stainless steel.

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