An adjustable transfer platform and robot

Abstract

The present application relates to material conveying technical field, specifically disclose a kind of adjustable transfer platform and robot, the adjustable transfer platform includes: receiving mechanism, for receiving and / or sending out material;Translation positioner, connected to the receiving mechanism, for driving the receiving mechanism translation movement along the first direction and second direction;Rotary positioner, between the receiving mechanism and the translation positioner, for driving the receiving mechanism relative to the translation positioner rotation around vertical axis.The present application provides adjustable transfer platform and robot, can effectively solve the problem that existing transfer platform cannot be accurately aligned with conveying line, resulting in low production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of material conveying technology, and in particular to an adjustable transfer platform and robot. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, smart warehousing technology has become increasingly widespread, with a large number of robots being used for the transfer and storage of various materials. This is especially true in the new energy vehicle industry, where battery production technology is becoming increasingly mature. During the assembly of battery packs and the production and transportation of battery modules, the battery packs need to be transported back and forth between various processes.

[0003] Currently, transporting battery packs requires a conveyor line to transfer them to a transfer platform, which necessitates that the transfer platform be directly aligned with the conveyor line's outlet. However, in actual production, the transfer platform often deviates from its preset position after docking, preventing the conveyor line from accurately placing the battery packs onto the platform and ultimately reducing production efficiency.

[0004] Therefore, existing transfer platforms need to be improved to solve the problem of low production efficiency caused by their inability to accurately align with the conveyor line.

[0005] The information disclosed in this background section is included only to enhance the understanding of the context of this disclosure, and therefore may contain information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] One objective of this invention is to provide an adjustable transfer platform and robot that can effectively solve the problem of low production efficiency caused by the inability of existing transfer platforms to accurately align with the conveyor line.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an adjustable transfer platform, comprising:

[0008] A material receiving and / or feeding mechanism, used to receive and / or deliver materials;

[0009] A translation adjustment mechanism is connected to the feeding mechanism and is used to drive the feeding mechanism to translate along a first direction and a second direction, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction;

[0010] A rotary adjustment mechanism is located between the feeding mechanism and the translational adjustment mechanism, and is used to drive the feeding mechanism to rotate relative to the translational adjustment mechanism about a vertical axis.

[0011] Optionally, the feeding mechanism includes:

[0012] A rotating plate, one end of which is rotatably connected to the translation and adjustment mechanism about a vertical axis;

[0013] A first conveying mechanism is mounted on the rotating plate and is used to convey materials.

[0014] Optionally, the first conveying mechanism includes a pusher plate, a pusher linear drive mechanism that drives the pusher plate to reciprocate linearly in a first direction, and a feeding roller group that feeds material along the driving direction of the pusher linear drive mechanism.

[0015] Optionally, the feeding mechanism may further include a plurality of second conveying mechanisms whose feeding direction is perpendicular to the feeding direction of the first conveying mechanism;

[0016] The second conveying mechanism includes:

[0017] A lifting plate, which is located below the first conveying mechanism;

[0018] At least two feeding units are spaced apart, each feeding unit is rotatably mounted on the lifting plate, and the first conveying mechanism is located in the space between each feeding unit.

[0019] Optionally, the feeding mechanism further includes a centering positioning mechanism for clamping and positioning the material on the first conveying mechanism.

[0020] The centering and positioning mechanism includes:

[0021] Two opposing limiting plates are arranged relative to the first conveying mechanism;

[0022] A centering linear drive mechanism is connected to the two limiting plates for driving the two limiting plates to move closer to or further away from the first conveying mechanism at the same time.

[0023] Optionally, the translation adjustment mechanism includes a translation base plate, an outer translation slide frame located above the translation base plate, an outer translation linear drive mechanism mounted on the translation base plate and driving the outer translation slide frame to slide relative to the translation base plate in a second direction, an inner translation slide frame located within the outer translation slide frame, and an inner translation linear drive mechanism mounted on the outer translation slide frame and driving the inner translation slide frame to slide relative to the outer translation slide frame in a first direction.

[0024] Optionally, the inner translation slide frame is provided with rollers that are tactilely connected to the outer translation slide frame on its side, and / or the inner translation slide frame is provided with balls that are tactilely connected to the bottom surface of the rotating plate on its top surface.

[0025] Optionally, the rotary adjustment mechanism includes:

[0026] A vertical rotating shaft, one end of which is fixed to the top surface of one end of the inner translational sliding frame, and the other end of which passes through the rotating plate and is rotatably connected to the rotating plate;

[0027] A rotary positioning linear drive mechanism, one end of which is hinged to the bottom surface of the rotating plate and the other end of which is hinged to the inner translational slide frame.

[0028] On the other hand, a robot is provided, comprising:

[0029] A storage rack, comprising a pick-and-place space and a storage space located on the side of the pick-and-place space; wherein the storage space comprises several layers of storage rollers arranged from top to bottom;

[0030] Any of the adjustable transfer platforms described herein, wherein the adjustable transfer platform is located in the pick-and-place space;

[0031] A lifting linear drive mechanism is located below the adjustable transfer platform, which drives the adjustable transfer platform to move up and down.

[0032] Optionally, the number of storage spaces is at least two, and the retrieval space is located between the two storage spaces.

[0033] The beneficial effects of this invention are that it provides an adjustable transfer platform and robot. After the adjustable transfer platform is parked near the outlet of the conveyor line, the rotation adjustment mechanism drives the receiving and feeding mechanism to rotate, so that the feeding direction of the receiving and feeding mechanism is parallel to the feeding direction of the conveyor line. Then, the translation adjustment mechanism drives the receiving and feeding mechanism to adjust its position in the front, back, left and right directions along the first and second directions, so that the inlet of the receiving and feeding mechanism can be aligned with the outlet of the conveyor line. This ensures that the conveyor line can accurately transport materials to the adjustable transfer platform.

[0034] Therefore, the adjustable transfer platform and robot provided by the present invention can effectively solve the problem of low production efficiency caused by the inability of existing transfer platforms to be accurately aligned with the conveyor line. Attached Figure Description

[0035] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0036] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the adjustable transfer platform provided in the embodiment;

[0037] Figure 2 A bottom view of the adjustable transfer platform provided in the embodiment, with the translation base plate hidden;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the inner translation sliding frame provided in the embodiment;

[0039] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the robot provided in an embodiment.

[0040] In the picture:

[0041] 100. Storage rack; 100a. Storage space; 100b. Picking and placing space; 100c. Storage roller; 200. Adjustable transfer platform; 300. Lifting linear drive mechanism;

[0042] 1. Material receiving and feeding mechanism;

[0043] 101. Rotating plate;

[0044] 102. First conveying mechanism; 1021. Pusher plate; 1022. Pusher linear drive mechanism; 1023. Feeding roller group;

[0045] 103. Second conveying mechanism; 1031. Lifting plate; 1032. Feeding unit;

[0046] 104. Centering positioning mechanism; 1041. Limiting plate; 1042. Centering linear drive mechanism;

[0047] 2. Translation and positioning mechanism; 201. Translation base plate; 202. Outer translation slide frame; 2021. Guide groove; 203. Outer translation linear drive mechanism; 204. Inner translation slide frame; 205. Inner translation linear drive mechanism; 206. Roller; 207. Ball bearing;

[0048] 301. Vertical rotating shaft; 302. Rotary adjustment linear drive mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0049] To make the objectives, features, and advantages of this invention more apparent and understandable, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described below are only some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0050] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that when a component is considered to be "connected" to another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intermediate component present simultaneously. When a component is considered to be "set" on another component, it can be directly set on the other component or there may be an intermediate component present simultaneously.

[0051] Furthermore, terms such as “long,” “short,” “inner,” and “outer” indicate orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the purpose of describing the present invention and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have this specific orientation or operate in a specific orientational configuration. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations of the present invention.

[0052] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, these embodiments do not limit the present invention, and any structural, methodological, or functional modifications made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments are included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0053] This invention provides an adjustable transfer platform and a robot having the adjustable transfer platform. It should be noted that the robot described in this invention can be used to store battery packs or other materials; this invention does not limit its use.

[0054] The following describes various embodiments of the adjustable transfer platform and robot of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0055] Example 1

[0056] This embodiment provides an adjustable transfer platform suitable for application scenarios involving material transfer operations at the inlet and outlet of a conveyor line.

[0057] See Figure 1 The adjustable transfer platform 200 includes a feeding mechanism 1 for receiving and / or sending materials, a translation adjustment mechanism 2 located below the feeding mechanism 1, and a rotation adjustment mechanism located between the feeding mechanism 1 and the translation adjustment mechanism 2. The translation adjustment mechanism 2 is used to drive the feeding mechanism 1 to translate along a first direction (parallel to the X-axis) and a second direction (parallel to the Y-axis), wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction; the rotation adjustment mechanism is used to drive the feeding mechanism 1 to rotate relative to the translation adjustment mechanism 2 about a vertical axis (parallel to the Z-axis).

[0058] The adjustable transfer platform 200 provided in this embodiment, after being parked near the outlet of the conveyor line, is rotated and adjusted so that the feeding direction of the feeding mechanism 1 is parallel to the feeding direction of the conveyor line. Then, the translation adjustment mechanism 2 drives the feeding mechanism 1 to adjust its position in the first and second directions, so that the inlet of the feeding mechanism 1 can be aligned with the outlet of the conveyor line. This ensures that the conveyor line can accurately transport materials to the adjustable transfer platform 200.

[0059] Therefore, the adjustable transfer platform 200 provided by the present invention can effectively solve the problem of low production efficiency caused by the inability of existing transfer platforms to be accurately aligned with the conveyor line.

[0060] In this embodiment, the feeding mechanism 1 includes a rotating plate 101, a first conveying mechanism 102, a plurality of second conveying mechanisms 103 whose feeding direction is perpendicular to the feeding direction of the first conveying mechanism 102, and a centering positioning mechanism 104 for clamping and positioning the material on the first conveying mechanism 102.

[0061] One end of the rotating plate 101 is rotatably connected to the translation and adjustment mechanism 2 around a vertical axis; the first conveying mechanism 102 is installed on the rotating plate 101 and is used to convey materials.

[0062] In this embodiment, the first conveying mechanism 102 includes a pusher plate 1021, a pusher linear drive mechanism 1022 that drives the pusher plate 1021 to reciprocate linearly along a first direction, and a feeding roller group 1023 that feeds material along the driving direction of the pusher linear drive mechanism 1022. Optionally, the pusher plate 1021 is an L-shaped plate.

[0063] Optionally, there are two sets of feeding roller groups 1023, with the pusher plate 1021 and the pusher linear drive mechanism 1022 located between the two sets of feeding roller groups 1023.

[0064] In some other embodiments, the first conveying mechanism 102 may also be a conveyor belt; or, in some other embodiments, the linear pusher mechanism 1022 may be omitted and the feeding roller group 1023 may be set as an electric rotary roller.

[0065] The second conveying mechanism 103 includes a lifting plate 1031 and at least two spaced-apart feeding units 1032. The lifting plate 1031 is located below the first conveying mechanism 102; each of the feeding units 1032 is rotatably mounted on the lifting plate 1031, and the first conveying mechanism 102 is located in the space between the feeding units 1032. Optionally, the feeding unit 1032 can be an electric roller or a small conveyor belt, etc., which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0066] The centering positioning mechanism 104 includes two opposing limiting plates 1041 and a centering linear drive mechanism 1042. The two limiting plates 1041 are positioned opposite each other with respect to the first conveying mechanism 102. The centering linear drive mechanism 1042 is drively connected to the two limiting plates 1041, and is used to drive the two limiting plates 1041 to simultaneously move closer to or further away from the first conveying mechanism 102. Optionally, the centering linear drive mechanism 1042 can be a set of motor screw assemblies, with the threaded connection directions of the two limiting plates 1041 and the motor screw assembly opposite. Therefore, when the centering linear drive mechanism 1042 is working, the two limiting plates 1041 can move synchronously closer to or further away from each other. In some other embodiments, the centering linear drive mechanism 1042 may also include two linear drive mechanisms connected one-to-one with the two limiting plates 1041. The two linear drive mechanisms operate synchronously, thus driving the two limiting plates 1041 to move synchronously closer to or further away from each other.

[0067] Specifically, initially, the lifting plate 1031 is in a lower position, and each feeding unit 1032 is lower than the feeding roller group 1023. The working process of the feeding mechanism 1 is as follows:

[0068] S101: When it is necessary to receive materials from the conveyor line:

[0069] S1011: The conveyor line feeds the material from the end away from the pusher plate 1021 onto the feeding roller group 1023 until the material is blocked by the pusher plate 1021;

[0070] S1012: The centering linear drive mechanism 1042 drives the two oppositely arranged limiting plates 1041 to move closer to each other and make the material in the center of the first conveying mechanism 102.

[0071] S102: When it is necessary to transport the materials received by the conveyor to an external location:

[0072] S1021: The linear drive mechanism 1022 drives the pusher plate 1021 to move forward, thereby pushing the material to the corresponding second conveying mechanism 103.

[0073] S1022: The lifting plate 1031 rises upward, so that the feeding unit 1032 is higher than the feeding roller group 1023, and lifts the material upward until it leaves the feeding roller group 1023;

[0074] S1023: The electric roller moves to deliver the material out of the adjustable transfer platform 200.

[0075] Of course, in some other embodiments, the second conveying mechanism 103 can be omitted. When it is necessary to convey the received material outward, the linear pusher mechanism 1022 drives the pusher plate 1021 to move forward until the material is pushed out of the feeding roller group 1023.

[0076] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 In this embodiment, the translation adjustment mechanism 2 includes a translation base plate 201, an outer translation slide frame 202 located above the translation base plate 201, an outer translation linear drive mechanism 203 mounted on the translation base plate 201 and driving the outer translation slide frame 202 to slide relative to the translation base plate 201 in a second direction, an inner translation slide frame 204 located inside the outer translation slide frame 202, and an inner translation linear drive mechanism 205 mounted on the outer translation slide frame 202 and driving the inner translation slide frame 204 to slide relative to the outer translation slide frame 202 in a first direction.

[0077] The outer translation linear drive mechanism 203 and the inner translation linear drive mechanism 205 work together to allow the rotating plate 101 located above the inner translation slide frame 204 to be translated and adjusted in all directions, thereby aligning the feed inlet of the feeding roller assembly 1023 with the outlet of the conveyor line. Optionally, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 3 The inner translation slide frame 204 has a roller 206 on its side that is tactilely connected to the outer translation slide frame 202. The outer translation slide frame 202 has a guide groove 2021 on its inner side to accommodate the roller 206. The roller 206 rolls in the guide groove 2021 to reduce the frictional resistance encountered by the inner translation slide frame 204 during translation and improve the smoothness of translation and sliding.

[0078] In this embodiment, the rotation adjustment mechanism includes a vertical rotating shaft 301 and a rotation adjustment linear drive mechanism 302. One end of the vertical rotating shaft 301 is fixed to the top surface of one end of the inner translation slide frame 204, and the other end passes through the rotating plate 101 and is rotatably connected to the rotating plate 101. One end of the rotation adjustment linear drive mechanism 302 is hinged to the bottom surface of the rotating plate 101, and the other end is hinged to the inner translation slide frame 204.

[0079] When the rotary adjustment linear drive mechanism 302 performs telescopic movement, it can drive the rotating plate 101 to rotate relative to the inner translation slide frame 204 around the vertical rotating shaft 301, thereby making the feeding direction of the feeding roller group 1023 parallel to the feeding direction of the conveyor line.

[0080] Optionally, the top surface of the inner translation slide frame 204 is provided with ball bearings 207 that are rolledly connected to the bottom surface of the rotating plate 101, so as to reduce the frictional resistance between the inner translation slide frame 204 and the rotating plate 101 and improve the smoothness of the rotation of the rotating plate 101.

[0081] In summary, the adjustable transfer platform 200 provided in this embodiment has the following advantages:

[0082] ① By coordinating the translation adjustment mechanism 2 and the rotation adjustment mechanism, the feeding direction of the receiving and feeding mechanism 1 can be made parallel to the feeding direction of the conveyor line, and the inlet of the receiving and feeding mechanism 1 can be aligned with the outlet of the conveyor line, thereby ensuring that the conveyor line can accurately transport materials to the adjustable transfer platform 200, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0083] ②The centering positioning mechanism 104 can perform clamping and centering positioning operations on the material to prevent the material position from shifting;

[0084] ③ The feeding directions of the first conveying mechanism 102 and the second conveying mechanism 103 are perpendicular to each other, which helps to make full use of the space in the four directions of front, back, left and right of the adjustable transfer platform 200 and improve the space utilization rate.

[0085] ④ The first conveying mechanism 102 is located in the space between each of the feeding units 1032, which helps to reduce the volume of the adjustable transfer platform 200 and improve the structural compactness.

[0086] Example 2

[0087] This embodiment provides a robot suitable for applications involving the transfer and storage of materials. It can accurately align and connect with the conveyor line, thereby completing the material transfer operation between the conveyor line and the storage rack 100.

[0088] See Figure 4 The robot provided in this embodiment includes a storage rack 100, an adjustable transfer platform 200 provided in embodiment 1, and a lifting linear drive mechanism 300.

[0089] The storage rack 100 includes a pick-and-place space 100b and a storage space 100a located on the side of the pick-and-place space 100b; wherein, the storage space 100a includes several layers of storage rollers 100c arranged from top to bottom. The adjustable transfer platform 200 is located in the pick-and-place space 100b. The lifting linear drive mechanism 300 is located below the adjustable transfer platform 200, driving the adjustable transfer platform 200 to move up and down.

[0090] In practical use, the robot is moved to a position close to the conveyor line, and the adjustable transfer platform 200 is roughly aligned with the conveyor line. Then, the adjustable transfer platform 200 automatically performs translation and rotation adjustment to accurately complete the alignment operation with the conveyor line. After the conveyor line feeds the material into the adjustable transfer platform 200, the lifting linear drive mechanism 300 drives the adjustable transfer platform 200 to move up and down to the appropriate storage roller 100c. Finally, the adjustable transfer platform 200 feeds the material into the corresponding storage roller 100c, thereby completing the material storage operation.

[0091] Optionally, the number of storage spaces 100a is at least two (a plurality of storage spaces 100a are arranged side by side on both sides of the retrieval space 100b), and the retrieval space 100b is located between the two storage spaces 100a. The two storage spaces 100a can be stored using one adjustable transfer platform 200, which is beneficial to improving the utilization rate of the adjustable transfer platform 200.

[0092] It should be noted that the linear drive mechanisms described in this invention can be power units with linear drive functions, such as motor lead screw assemblies, cylinders, or electric cylinders, and this invention does not limit them.

[0093] In summary, the robot provided in this embodiment, in addition to possessing the functions and beneficial effects of the adjustable transfer platform 200 provided in Embodiment 1, also has the following beneficial effects:

[0094] ① It can automatically align with the conveyor line and store the materials delivered by the conveyor line;

[0095] ② Using one adjustable transfer platform 200 can perform material storage operations on two storage spaces 100a, which helps to improve the utilization rate of the adjustable transfer platform 200.

[0096] It should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This way of describing the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0097] The detailed descriptions listed above are merely specific descriptions of feasible embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent embodiments or modifications made without departing from the spirit of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A robot, characterized in that, include: A storage rack (100) includes a pick-and-place space (100b) and a storage space (100a) located on the side of the pick-and-place space (100b); wherein the storage space (100a) includes several layers of storage rollers (100c) arranged from top to bottom. An adjustable transfer platform (200) is located in the pick-and-place space (100b); A lifting linear drive mechanism (300) is located below the adjustable transfer platform (200) and drives the adjustable transfer platform (200) to move up and down. The adjustable transfer platform includes: A material receiving and / or material delivery mechanism (1) is used to receive and / or deliver materials. Translation and positioning mechanism (2) is connected to the receiving and feeding mechanism (1) and is used to drive the receiving and feeding mechanism (1) to translate along the first direction and the second direction; A rotary adjustment mechanism is located between the feeding mechanism (1) and the translation adjustment mechanism (2) for driving the feeding mechanism (1) to rotate relative to the translation adjustment mechanism (2) around the vertical axis. in, The material receiving and feeding mechanism (1) includes: A rotating plate (101), one end of which is rotatably connected to the translation adjustment mechanism (2) around a vertical axis; A first conveying mechanism (102) is mounted on the rotating plate (101) and is used to convey materials; The feeding mechanism (1) further includes a plurality of second conveying mechanisms (103) whose feeding direction is perpendicular to the feeding direction of the first conveying mechanism (102). The translation adjustment mechanism (2) includes a translation base plate (201), an outer translation slide frame (202) located above the translation base plate (201), an outer translation linear drive mechanism (203) mounted on the translation base plate (201) and driving the outer translation slide frame (202) to slide relative to the translation base plate (201) in a second direction, an inner translation slide frame (204) located inside the outer translation slide frame (202), and an inner translation linear drive mechanism (205) mounted on the outer translation slide frame (202) and driving the inner translation slide frame (204) to slide relative to the outer translation slide frame (202) in a first direction; The rotary adjustment mechanism includes: A vertical rotating shaft (301) is fixed at one end to the top surface of one end of the inner translational sliding frame (204), and the other end passes through the rotating plate (101) and is rotatably connected to the rotating plate (101). A rotary positioning linear drive mechanism (302) is provided, with one end of the rotary positioning linear drive mechanism (302) hinged to the bottom surface of the rotary plate (101) and the other end hinged to the inner translation slide frame (204).

2. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first conveying mechanism (102) includes a pusher plate (1021), a pusher linear drive mechanism (1022) that drives the pusher plate (1021) to make linear reciprocating motion in a first direction, and a feeding roller group (1023) that feeds material in the driving direction of the pusher linear drive mechanism (1022).

3. The robot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The second conveying mechanism (103) includes: A lifting plate (1031) is located below the first conveying mechanism (102); At least two feeding units (1032) are spaced apart, each feeding unit (1032) is rotatably mounted on the lifting plate (1031), and the first conveying mechanism (102) is located in the space between each feeding unit (1032).

4. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding mechanism (1) further includes a centering positioning mechanism (104) for clamping and positioning the material on the first conveying mechanism (102). The centering positioning mechanism (104) includes: Two opposing limiting plates (1041) are arranged relative to the first conveying mechanism (102); A centering linear drive mechanism (1042) is connected to the two limiting plates (1041) for driving the two limiting plates (1041) to move closer to or further away from the first conveying mechanism (102) at the same time.

5. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner translation slide (204) is provided with a roller (206) that is tactilely connected to the outer translation slide (202) on its side, and / or, the inner translation slide (204) is provided with a ball (207) that is tactilely connected to the bottom surface of the rotating plate (101) on its top surface.

6. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of storage spaces (100a) is at least two, and the retrieval space (100b) is located between the two storage spaces (100a).

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