A flexible gripper for grabbing a car body side assembly from the exterior surface

Abstract

The present application relates to a flexible gripper for grasping a vehicle body side panel assembly from the exterior surface, comprising: a support frame, to which is fixedly connected a quick-change plate for connecting to a robotic arm; a B-pillar outer panel gripper, fixed to the support frame and including an outer locating pin assembly for positioning and grasping the B-pillar outer panel from the exterior surface of the B-pillar; and a B-pillar inner panel gripper, fixed to the support frame and including an inner locating pin assembly, and a flipping mechanism for driving the inner locating pin assembly from the exterior surface of the B-pillar through a door opening to position and grasp the B-pillar inner panel. The present application provides a B-pillar outer panel gripper and a B-pillar inner panel gripper on the support frame. The B-pillar outer panel gripper and the B-pillar inner panel gripper are positioned on the exterior surface of the vehicle body side panel assembly to grasp the vehicle body side panel assembly, without obstructing or interfering with the interior of the vehicle body side panel assembly, and are capable of stably positioning and grasping the vehicle body side panel assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of a vehicle body side panel assembly handling robot, and in particular to a flexible gripper for grasping a vehicle body side panel assembly from the exterior surface direction. Background Art

[0002] The side panel subassembly is a crucial component in the body-in-white (BIW) manufacturing process. Its components primarily consist of the side panel outer panel, inner panel reinforcement, and rear wheel arch assembly. After the side panel assembly is welded, a robotic gripper is typically used to grasp the inner side of the front and rear door frames of the side panel assembly. Positioning the assembly using the locating holes in the inner panel reinforcement is then performed, allowing the assembly to be carried to the next process. Because the inner panel reinforcement has numerous locating holes, a high structural strength, no cosmetic requirements, and no risk of deformation, the robotic gripper is easy to design and offers excellent stability.

[0003] However, under certain special working conditions (such as mid-air repair welding, workpiece export, and hanging from an EMS cart), the robot gripper cannot grasp the outside of the side panel assembly due to spatial layout, process flow, or equipment structure, and can only grasp the part from the inside. This causes the robot gripper to interfere with the mid-air repair welding process when positioning through the positioning holes on the inner panel reinforcement.

[0004] In addition, due to the thinness of the side panel outer panel and the small number of positioning holes, the gripper does not have the conditions to grasp and position the side panel assembly from the exterior surface of the side panel assembly, resulting in unstable grip, and then leading to quality defects such as workpiece dislocation, appearance deformation, and weld point offset. In severe cases, it may even cause serious line stoppage failures such as gripper deformation and workpiece falling. Summary of the Invention

[0005] An embodiment of the present application provides a flexible gripper for grasping the vehicle body side panel assembly from the exterior surface direction, so as to solve the problem in the related art that when the robot gripper positions the positioning holes on the inner panel reinforcement from the inner side of the side panel assembly, the robot gripper interferes with the aerial repair welding process of the side panel assembly.

[0006] The embodiment of the present application provides a flexible gripper for grasping a vehicle body side panel assembly from the exterior surface direction, comprising:

[0007] A support frame, to which a quick-change disc for connecting to a robot arm is fixedly connected;

[0008] A B-pillar outer panel gripper, the B-pillar outer panel gripper being fixed to the support frame, the B-pillar outer panel gripper comprising an outer locating pin assembly for locating and grabbing the B-pillar outer panel from the exterior surface of the B-pillar;

[0009] The B-pillar inner panel grabber is fixed on the support frame. The B-pillar inner panel grabber includes an inner positioning pin assembly and a flipping mechanism that drives the inner positioning pin assembly to position and grab the B-pillar inner panel after passing through the door opening from the exterior surface of the B-pillar.

[0010] In some embodiments: the outer locating pin assembly includes a connecting plate fixed to the supporting frame, and a first locating pin is installed on the connecting plate to locate and grasp the B-pillar outer panel through a through hole on the B-pillar outer panel;

[0011] And a first flip cylinder fixed on the support frame, wherein the flip arm of the first flip cylinder is connected to a second positioning pin which is positioned and grasped through a through hole on the B-pillar outer panel.

[0012] In some embodiments: a proximity sensor is provided on one side of each of the first positioning pin and the second positioning pin, and the proximity sensor is electrically connected to the flip mechanism;

[0013] When any of the proximity sensors detects that the first positioning pin or the second positioning pin penetrates into the through hole, the flip mechanism drives the inner positioning pin assembly to position and grab the B-pillar inner panel.

[0014] In some embodiments: a limit block that supports and locks the flip arm is fixedly connected to the support frame, a positioning groove for positioning the flip arm is opened on the top of the limit block, and a buckle that locks the flip arm is inside the positioning groove.

[0015] In some embodiments: the flip mechanism includes an upper mounting bracket and a lower mounting bracket fixed to the support frame, the upper mounting bracket is mounted with a second flip cylinder, and the lower mounting bracket is mounted with a third flip cylinder;

[0016] The inner positioning pin assembly includes a third positioning pin connected to the second flip cylinder through an upper crank arm, and a fourth positioning pin connected to the third flip cylinder through a lower crank arm, and the fourth positioning pin is located below the third positioning pin.

[0017] In some embodiments: further comprising a side panel door frame flanging clamping mechanism fixed to the support frame for clamping and positioning the vehicle body side panel assembly, the side panel door frame flanging clamping mechanism comprising a lower panel flanging clamping mechanism and an upper panel flanging clamping mechanism;

[0018] The upper door frame flange clamping mechanism and the lower door frame flange clamping mechanism are each provided with two groups, the two groups of upper door frame flange clamping mechanisms are respectively located on both sides of the top of the B-pillar outer panel grip, and the two groups of lower door frame flange clamping mechanisms are respectively located on both sides of the bottom of the B-pillar outer panel grip.

[0019] In some embodiments: the upper door frame flange clamping mechanism includes an upper mounting plate fixed to the support frame, the upper mounting plate is connected to a fourth flip cylinder, and the fourth flip cylinder is connected to an upper movable clamping block for clamping the upper door frame flange;

[0020] An upper fixed clamping block adapted to the upper movable clamping block is fixedly provided on the upper mounting plate, and an upper supporting top block vertically supporting the upper door frame flange is fixedly provided on one side of the upper movable clamping block.

[0021] In some embodiments: the lower door frame flange clamping mechanism includes a lower mounting frame fixed to the support frame, the lower mounting frame is connected to a fifth flip cylinder, and the fifth flip cylinder is connected to a lower movable clamping block for clamping the lower door frame flange;

[0022] A lower fixed clamping block adapted to the lower movable clamping block is fixedly provided on the lower mounting frame, and a lower pressing block for vertically pressing the lower door frame flange is fixedly provided on one side of the lower movable clamping block.

[0023] In some embodiments: a guide support mechanism for vertically supporting the vehicle body side assembly is provided at the bottom of the support frame, and the guide support mechanism includes a plurality of cantilever plates arranged at intervals, and a guide slope is provided at the cantilever end of the cantilever plate.

[0024] In some embodiments: the support frame is connected to a valve island for controlling the action of the flip mechanism.

[0025] The beneficial effects of the technical solution provided by this application include:

[0026] An embodiment of the present application provides a flexible gripper for grabbing a vehicle body side panel assembly from the direction of the exterior surface. Since the flexible gripper for grabbing a vehicle body side panel assembly from the direction of the exterior surface of the present application is provided with a support frame, a quick-change disc for connecting a robot arm is fixedly connected to the support frame; a B-pillar outer panel gripper, which is fixed on the support frame, and the B-pillar outer panel gripper includes an outer positioning pin assembly for positioning and grabbing the B-pillar outer panel from the exterior surface of the B-pillar; a B-pillar inner panel gripper, which is fixed on the support frame, and the B-pillar inner panel gripper includes an inner positioning pin assembly, and a flipping mechanism for driving the inner positioning pin assembly to position and grab the B-pillar inner panel after passing through the door opening from the exterior surface of the B-pillar.

[0027] Therefore, the flexible gripper of the present application for grabbing the body side assembly from the exterior surface direction is provided with a B-pillar outer panel gripper and a B-pillar inner panel gripper on the support frame. When the flexible gripper is grabbing and positioning the body side assembly, the flexible gripper is located in the exterior surface direction of the body side assembly, and the B-pillar outer panel gripper uses the outer locating pin assembly to grab and position the B-pillar outer panel from the exterior surface of the B-pillar. When the outer locating pin assembly penetrates into the through hole of the B-pillar outer panel, the B-pillar inner panel gripper uses the flipping mechanism to drive the inner locating pin assembly from the exterior surface of the B-pillar through the door opening to flip and position the B-pillar inner panel, thus completing the grabbing and positioning of the body side assembly. The flexible gripper of the present application is located as a whole on the exterior surface side, without blocking or interfering with the inner side of the body side assembly, and can stably position and grab the body side assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of the flexible gripper according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible gripping vehicle body side assembly according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of the B-pillar outer panel gripper according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of the B-pillar inner panel gripper according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the B-pillar inner panel gripper grabbing the B-pillar inner panel in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 6 This is a structural schematic diagram of the lower door frame flange clamping mechanism of the embodiment of the present application clamping the lower door frame of the front door opening;

[0035] Figure 7 This is a structural schematic diagram of the upper door frame flange clamping mechanism of an embodiment of the present application clamping the upper door frame of the rear door opening.

[0036] Reference numerals:

[0037] 1. Support frame; 2. Quick-change plate; 3. Valve island; 4. B-pillar outer panel gripper; 5. B-pillar inner panel gripper; 6. Front upper door frame flange clamping mechanism; 7. Front lower door frame flange clamping mechanism; 8. Rear upper door frame flange clamping mechanism; 9. Rear lower door frame flange clamping mechanism; 10. Guide support mechanism;

[0038] 401, second positioning pin; 402, turning arm; 403, limit block; 404, first turning cylinder; 405, first positioning pin; 406, connecting plate; 407, proximity sensor; 501, fourth positioning pin; 502, lower turning arm; 503, third turning cylinder; 504, lower mounting bracket; 505, third positioning pin; 506, upper turning arm; 507, second turning cylinder; 508, upper mounting bracket;

[0039] 701, lower fixed clamping block; 702, lower pressing block; 703, fifth turning cylinder; 704, lower movable clamping block; 705, lower mounting frame; 801, upper movable clamping block; 802, upper supporting top block; 803, fourth turning cylinder; 804, upper mounting plate; 805, upper fixed clamping block. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0041] An embodiment of the present application provides a flexible gripper for grasping the vehicle body side panel assembly from the exterior surface direction, which can solve the problem of the robot gripper interfering with the aerial repair welding process of the side panel assembly when positioning the positioning holes on the inner panel reinforcement from the inner side of the side panel assembly.

[0042] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a flexible gripper for grasping a vehicle body side panel assembly from the exterior surface direction, comprising:

[0043] The support frame 1, a rectangular structure formed by welding together profiles of predetermined cross-sections, is a rigid framework that provides a foundation for mounting and positioning the B-pillar outer and inner panel grippers 4. A quick-change plate 2, used for connecting to the robot arm, is fixedly attached to the support frame 1. Once connected to the robot arm, the robot transfers the body side assembly grasped by the flexible gripper to a designated workstation.

[0044] The B-pillar outer panel gripper 4 is fixed to the support frame 1 and includes an outer locating pin assembly for locating and gripping the B-pillar outer panel from the exterior surface of the B-pillar. The outer locating pin assembly is adapted to fit into a wiring harness through-hole or door hinge mounting hole provided in the B-pillar outer panel. Once inserted into the wiring harness through-hole or door hinge mounting hole, the outer locating pin assembly can be positioned in the Z and X directions.

[0045] The B-pillar inner panel gripper 5 is fixed to the support frame 1 and includes an inner locating pin assembly and a flipping mechanism that drives the inner locating pin assembly from the exterior surface of the B-pillar through the door opening to position and grasp the B-pillar inner panel. The inner locating pin assembly is used to adapt to the seatbelt mounting hole defined in the B-pillar inner panel. Once inserted into the seatbelt mounting hole, the inner locating pin assembly can position the side panel assembly in the Z and X directions. The outer and inner locating pin assemblies jointly clamp the B-pillar to position the side panel assembly in the Y direction.

[0046] The flexible gripper for gripping the body side assembly from the exterior surface of the present application comprises a B-pillar outer panel gripper 4 and a B-pillar inner panel gripper 5 on the support frame 1. When gripping and positioning the body side assembly, the flexible gripper is positioned from the exterior surface of the body side assembly, and the B-pillar outer panel gripper 4 uses the outer locating pin assembly to grip and position the B-pillar outer panel from the exterior surface of the B-pillar.

[0047] When the outer locating pin assembly penetrates the through-hole of the B-pillar outer panel, the B-pillar inner panel gripper 5 uses a flipping mechanism to drive the inner locating pin assembly from the exterior surface of the B-pillar through the door opening, flipping it over and positioning it to grab the B-pillar inner panel, thus completing the gripping and positioning of the body side panel assembly. The flexible gripper of the present application is entirely located on the exterior surface of the body side panel assembly, without obstructing or interfering with the inner side of the body side panel assembly, and can stably position and grip the body side panel assembly.

[0048] In some alternative embodiments: See Figure 3 As shown, an embodiment of the application provides a flexible gripper for grasping the vehicle body side panel assembly from the exterior surface direction, and the outer positioning pin assembly of the flexible gripper includes a connecting plate 406 fixed on the support frame 1, and a first positioning pin 405 is installed on the connecting plate 406 for positioning and grasping the B-pillar outer panel through a through hole on the B-pillar outer panel.

[0049] A first tilting cylinder 404 is fixed to the support frame 1. A second locating pin 401 is connected to the tilting arm 402 of the first tilting cylinder 404, which is positioned and gripped through a through-hole in the B-pillar outer panel. The first locating pin 405 and the second locating pin 401 are located at different positions in the Z-axis and X-axis directions.

[0050] A proximity sensor 407 is installed on one side of each of the first and second locating pins 405, 401. This proximity sensor 407 is electrically connected to the flip mechanism via the valve island 3 mounted on the support frame 1. When either proximity sensor 407 detects that the first or second locating pin 405, 401 has penetrated a through-hole in the B-pillar outer panel, the flip mechanism activates the inner locating pin assembly to position and capture the B-pillar inner panel.

[0051] The first locating pin 405 and the second locating pin 401 enable positioning of the body side assemblies of two different vehicle models, A and B. The first locating pin 405, which positions and captures the body side assembly of vehicle model B, is a fixed structure and is mounted on the support frame 1 via a connecting plate 406. The second locating pin 401, which positions and captures the body side assembly of vehicle model A, is mounted on a flip arm 402 and is activated by a first flip cylinder 404 to achieve overall flipping.

[0052] When producing the body side assembly of Model B, the first tilting cylinder 404 is in the open position, moving the second locating pin 401 away from the first locating pin 405. The entire B-pillar outer panel gripper 4 uses the first locating pin 405 to position the B-pillar outer panel. When producing the body side assembly of Model A, the first tilting cylinder 404 drives the second locating pin 401 to flip to the working position, and the second locating pin 401 is used to position the B-pillar outer panel, enabling flexible production of body side assemblies for both models.

[0053] In some alternative embodiments: See Figure 3 As shown, the embodiment of the application provides a flexible gripper for grasping the vehicle body side panel assembly from the exterior surface. A stopper 403 is fixedly connected to the support frame 1 of the flexible gripper, which supports and locks the flip arm 402. A positioning slot for positioning the flip arm 402 is defined at the top of the stopper 403, and a buckle for locking the flip arm 402 is provided in the positioning slot.

[0054] One end of the flip arm 402 of the embodiment of the present application is fixed on the first flip cylinder 404, and the other end of the flip arm 402 is fixed to the second positioning pin 401. When the second positioning pin 401 is used to grab and position the B-pillar outer panel, the second positioning pin 401 needs to bear part of the weight of the vehicle body side assembly, and it is difficult to reliably position and support the second positioning pin 401 by relying on the first flip cylinder 404.

[0055] In order to improve the load-bearing and positioning capacity of the second positioning pin 401, a limit block 403 is provided at the bottom of the flip arm 402 to vertically support the flip arm 402. The clip provided in the positioning groove of the limit block 403 is used to lock the flip arm 402 on the limit block 403 to prevent the flip arm 402 from disengaging and loosening. The clip can be designed as a matching mechanism of a protrusion and a slot.

[0056] In some alternative embodiments: See Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the embodiment of the application provides a flexible gripper for grasping a vehicle body side panel assembly from the exterior surface. The flip mechanism of the flexible gripper includes an upper mounting bracket 508 and a lower mounting bracket 504 fixed to a support frame 1. A second flip cylinder 507 is mounted on the upper mounting bracket 508, and a third flip cylinder 503 is mounted on the lower mounting bracket 504.

[0057] The inner locating pin assembly includes a third locating pin 505 connected to the second tilting cylinder 507 via an upper crank arm 506, and a fourth locating pin 501 connected to the third tilting cylinder 503 via a lower crank arm 502. The fourth locating pin 501 is located below the third locating pin 505. The third and fourth locating pins 505 and 501 are also used to locate the body side assemblies of two different models, A and B.

[0058] When producing the body side assembly for a Model B vehicle, the second tilting cylinder 507 is in the open position, positioning the third locating pin 505 away from the fourth locating pin 501 and positioned on the exterior surface of the body side assembly. The third tilting cylinder 503, via the lower crank arm 502, drives the fourth locating pin 501 into the door opening and then tilts it until it aligns with the seatbelt mounting hole on the B-pillar inner panel. The entire B-pillar inner panel gripper 5 uses the fourth locating pin 501 to position the B-pillar inner panel.

[0059] When producing the body side assembly of Model A, the third tilting cylinder 503 is in the open position, positioning the fourth locating pin 501 away from the third locating pin 505 and positioned on the exterior surface of the body side assembly. The second tilting cylinder 507, via the upper crank arm 506, drives the third locating pin 505 into the door opening and then tilts it until it aligns with the seatbelt mounting hole on the B-pillar inner panel. The entire B-pillar inner panel gripper 5 uses the third locating pin 505 to position the B-pillar inner panel, enabling flexible production of body side assemblies for both models.

[0060] In some alternative embodiments: See Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, an embodiment of the application provides a flexible gripper for grasping the vehicle body side panel assembly from the exterior surface direction, and the flexible gripper also includes a side panel door frame flange clamping mechanism fixed on the support frame 1 for clamping and positioning the vehicle body side panel assembly, and the side panel door frame flange clamping mechanism includes a lower door frame flange clamping mechanism and an upper door frame flange clamping mechanism.

[0061] There are two groups of upper door frame flange clamping mechanisms and lower door frame flange clamping mechanisms. The two groups of upper door frame flange clamping mechanisms are respectively located on both sides of the top of the B-pillar outer panel grip 4, and the two groups of lower door frame flange clamping mechanisms are respectively located on both sides of the bottom of the B-pillar outer panel grip 4.

[0062] The two sets of upper door frame flange clamping mechanisms are respectively a front upper door frame flange clamping mechanism 6 and a rear upper door frame flange clamping mechanism 8. The front upper door frame flange clamping mechanism 6 is used to position and clamp the upper door frame flange of the front door opening, and the rear upper door frame flange clamping mechanism 8 is used to position and clamp the upper door frame flange of the rear door opening.

[0063] The two sets of lower door frame flange clamping mechanisms are respectively a front lower door frame flange clamping mechanism 7 and a rear lower door frame flange clamping mechanism 9. The front lower door frame flange clamping mechanism 7 is used to position and clamp the lower door frame flange of the front door opening, and the rear lower door frame flange clamping mechanism 9 is used to position and clamp the lower door frame flange of the rear door opening.

[0064] Two sets of front upper door frame flange clamping mechanisms 6 and rear upper door frame flange clamping mechanisms 8 are each provided. The two sets of front upper door frame flange clamping mechanisms 6 are fixed to the support frame 1 in an elevated arrangement, while the two sets of rear upper door frame flange clamping mechanisms 8 are fixed to the support frame 1 in an elevated arrangement. The two sets of front upper door frame flange clamping mechanisms 6 and the two sets of rear upper door frame flange clamping mechanisms 8 are used to clamp and position the body side assemblies of two different vehicle models, A and B, enabling flexible production of the body side assemblies of the two vehicle models.

[0065] In some alternative embodiments: See Figure 7 As shown, an embodiment of the application provides a flexible gripper for grasping the vehicle body side panel assembly from the exterior surface direction, and the front upper door frame flange clamping mechanism 6 and the rear upper door frame flange clamping mechanism 8 of the upper door frame flange clamping mechanism of the flexible gripper have the same structure. The embodiment of the application is explained using the structure of the rear upper door frame flange clamping mechanism 8 as an example.

[0066] The rear upper door frame flange clamping mechanism 8 includes an upper mounting plate 804 fixed to the support frame 1. A fourth tilting cylinder 803 is connected to the upper mounting plate 804. An upper movable clamping block 801, which clamps the upper door frame flange, is connected to the fourth tilting cylinder 803. An upper fixed clamping block 805, which mates with the upper movable clamping block 801, is fixed to the upper mounting plate 804. An upper supporting top block 802, which vertically supports the upper door frame flange, is fixed to one side of the upper movable clamping block 801.

[0067] In this embodiment of the present application, the upper movable clamping block 801 and the upper fixed clamping block 805 cooperate to clamp the upper door frame flange, achieving Y-axis positioning of the body side assembly. The upper supporting top block 802, located on one side of the upper movable clamping block 801 and used to vertically support the upper door frame flange, also serves to position the body side assembly in the Z axis. This allows the flexible gripper to firmly support the side door frame, preventing the body side assembly from rotating on the flexible gripper and improving positioning stability.

[0068] In some alternative embodiments: See Figure 7As shown, an embodiment of the application provides a flexible gripper for grasping the vehicle body side panel assembly from the exterior surface direction. The front lower door frame flange clamping mechanism 7 and the rear lower door frame flange clamping mechanism 9 of the lower door frame flange clamping mechanism of the flexible gripper have the same structure. For the convenience of description, the embodiment of the application is explained using the front lower door frame flange clamping mechanism 7 as an example.

[0069] The front lower door frame flange clamping mechanism 7 includes a lower mounting frame 705 fixed to the support frame 1. A fifth tilting cylinder 703 is connected to the lower mounting frame 705. A lower movable clamping block 704, which clamps the lower door frame flange, is connected to the fifth tilting cylinder 703. A lower fixed clamping block 701, which mates with the lower movable clamping block 704, is fixed to the lower mounting frame 705. A lower pressing block 702, which vertically compresses the lower door frame flange, is fixed to one side of the lower movable clamping block 704.

[0070] In this embodiment of the present application, the lower movable clamping block 704 cooperates with the lower fixed clamping block 701 to clamp the lower door frame flange, achieving Y-axis positioning of the body side assembly. A lower pressing block 702, located on one side of the lower movable clamping block 704 and used to vertically compress the lower door frame flange, is also utilized to position the body side assembly in the Z axis. This allows the flexible gripper to firmly support the side door frame, preventing the body side assembly from rotating on the flexible gripper and improving positioning stability.

[0071] In some alternative embodiments: See Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, an embodiment of the application provides a flexible gripper for grasping a body side assembly from the exterior surface. A guide support mechanism 10 is provided at the bottom of the flexible gripper support frame to vertically support the body side assembly. This guide support mechanism 10 comprises a plurality of spaced-apart cantilever plates, each end of which is provided with a guide slope. The top surface of the cantilever plate is used to vertically support the body side assembly, and the guide slope of the cantilever plate is used to slide the body side assembly onto the cantilever plate.

[0072] How it works

[0073] An embodiment of the present application provides a flexible gripper for grabbing a vehicle body side panel assembly from the direction of the exterior surface. The flexible gripper for grabbing a vehicle body side panel assembly from the direction of the exterior surface of the present application is provided with a support frame 1, on which a quick-change disc 2 for connecting a robot arm is fixedly connected; a B-pillar outer panel gripper 4, which is fixed on the support frame 1, and the B-pillar outer panel gripper includes an outer positioning pin assembly for positioning and grabbing the B-pillar outer panel from the exterior surface of the B-pillar; a B-pillar inner panel gripper 5, which is fixed on the support frame 1, and the B-pillar inner panel gripper 5 includes an inner positioning pin assembly, and a flipping mechanism for driving the inner positioning pin assembly to position and grab the B-pillar inner panel after passing through the door opening from the exterior surface of the B-pillar.

[0074] Therefore, the flexible gripper for grasping the body side assembly from the exterior surface of the present application is provided with a B-pillar outer panel gripper 4 and a B-pillar inner panel gripper 5 on the support frame 1. When the flexible gripper is grasping and positioning the body side assembly, the flexible gripper is located in the exterior surface direction of the body side assembly. The B-pillar outer panel gripper 4 utilizes the outer locating pin assembly to grasp and position the B-pillar outer panel from the exterior surface of the B-pillar. When the outer locating pin assembly penetrates the through hole of the B-pillar outer panel, the B-pillar inner panel gripper 5 utilizes a flipping mechanism to drive the inner locating pin assembly from the exterior surface of the B-pillar through the door opening, flipping and grasping the B-pillar inner panel, thus completing the grasping and positioning of the body side assembly.

[0075] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper" and "lower" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and 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, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application. Unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be internal communication between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0076] It should be noted that, in this application, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the sentence "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device comprising the element.

[0077] The foregoing is merely a list of specific embodiments of the present application, intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand or implement the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is intended to conform to the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel features of the present application.

Claims

1. A flexible gripper for grabbing a vehicle body side panel assembly from the exterior surface, characterized in that: include: A support frame (1), wherein a quick-change disc (2) for connecting to a robot arm is fixedly connected to the support frame (1); A B-pillar outer panel gripper (4), the B-pillar outer panel gripper (4) being fixed to the support frame (1), the B-pillar outer panel gripper (4) comprising an outer locating pin assembly for locating and grabbing the B-pillar outer panel from the exterior surface of the B-pillar; A B-pillar inner panel gripper (5), the B-pillar inner panel gripper (5) being fixed to the support frame (1), the B-pillar inner panel gripper (5) comprising an inner positioning pin assembly, and a flip mechanism for driving the inner positioning pin assembly to pass through the door opening from the exterior surface of the B-pillar to position and grip the B-pillar inner panel; The outer locating pin assembly comprises a connecting plate (406) fixed to the supporting frame (1), and a first locating pin (405) is mounted on the connecting plate (406) for locating and grabbing the B-pillar outer plate through a through hole on the B-pillar outer plate; and a first flip cylinder (404) fixed to the support frame (1), wherein the flip arm (402) of the first flip cylinder (404) is connected to a second positioning pin (401) for positioning and grasping the B-pillar outer panel through a through hole on the B-pillar outer panel; A proximity sensor (407) is provided on one side of each of the first positioning pin (405) and the second positioning pin (401), and the proximity sensor (407) is electrically connected to the flip mechanism; When any of the proximity sensors (407) detects that the first positioning pin (405) or the second positioning pin (401) penetrates into the through hole, the flipping mechanism drives the inner positioning pin assembly to position and grasp the B-pillar inner plate.

2. The flexible gripper for grasping a vehicle body side panel assembly from the exterior surface as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: A limit block (403) supporting and locking the flip arm (402) is fixedly connected to the support frame (1); a positioning groove for positioning the flip arm (402) is provided on the top of the limit block (403); a buckle for locking the flip arm (402) is located in the positioning groove.

3. The flexible gripper for grasping a vehicle body side panel assembly from the exterior surface as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The turning mechanism comprises an upper mounting bracket (508) and a lower mounting bracket (504) fixed on the support frame (1); a second turning cylinder (507) is mounted on the upper mounting bracket (508); and a third turning cylinder (503) is mounted on the lower mounting bracket (504); The inner positioning pin assembly comprises a third positioning pin (505) connected to the second flip cylinder (507) via an upper crank arm (506), and a fourth positioning pin (501) connected to the third flip cylinder (503) via a lower crank arm (502), wherein the fourth positioning pin (501) is located below the third positioning pin (505).

4. The flexible gripper for grasping a vehicle body side panel assembly from the exterior surface as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a side door frame flanging clamping mechanism fixed on the support frame (1) for clamping and positioning the vehicle body side assembly, the side door frame flanging clamping mechanism including a lower door frame flanging clamping mechanism and an upper door frame flanging clamping mechanism; The upper door frame flanging clamping mechanism and the lower door frame flanging clamping mechanism are each provided with two groups, the two groups of the upper door frame flanging clamping mechanism being respectively located on both sides of the top of the B-pillar outer panel grip (4), and the two groups of the lower door frame flanging clamping mechanism being respectively located on both sides of the bottom of the B-pillar outer panel grip (4).

5. The flexible gripper for grasping a vehicle body side panel assembly from the exterior surface as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The upper door frame flange clamping mechanism comprises an upper mounting plate (804) fixed to the support frame (1), the upper mounting plate (804) being connected to a fourth turning cylinder (803), and the fourth turning cylinder (803) being connected to an upper movable clamping block (801) for clamping the upper door frame flange; An upper fixed clamping block (805) adapted to the upper movable clamping block (801) is fixedly provided on the upper mounting plate (804), and an upper supporting top block (802) vertically supporting the upper door frame flange is fixedly provided on one side of the upper movable clamping block (801).

6. The flexible gripper for grasping a vehicle body side panel assembly from the exterior surface as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The lower door frame flange clamping mechanism comprises a lower mounting frame (705) fixed to the support frame (1), the lower mounting frame (705) being connected to a fifth turning cylinder (703), and the fifth turning cylinder (703) being connected to a lower movable clamping block (704) for clamping the lower door frame flange; A lower fixed clamping block (701) adapted to the lower movable clamping block (704) is fixedly provided on the lower mounting frame (705), and a lower pressing block (702) for vertically pressing the lower door frame flange is fixedly provided on one side of the lower movable clamping block (704).

7. The flexible gripper for grasping a vehicle body side panel assembly from the exterior surface as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: A guide support mechanism (10) for vertically supporting the vehicle body side assembly is provided at the bottom of the support frame (1); the guide support mechanism (10) comprises a plurality of cantilever plates arranged at intervals, and a guide slope is provided at the cantilever end of the cantilever plate.

8. The flexible gripper for grasping a vehicle body side panel assembly from the exterior surface as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The support frame (1) is connected to a valve island (3) for controlling the action of the turnover mechanism.

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