Robot automatic introduction of a part into a device and method

Abstract

The mechanical hand automatic feeding and loading device and method are specially used for the feeding solution of automatic feeding and loading of flat package, accurate identification and positioning of the flat package are realized through visual identification and a grabbing execution mechanism, the flat package is accurately and quickly placed to a specified work, and therefore the adaptability and scalability are improved, and the feeding demand of flat packages with different specifications and shapes is adapted. The horizontal driving assembly controls synchronous operation in the horizontal direction, the vertical driving assembly controls operation of the first grabbing part and the second grabbing part for grabbing the file bag in the vertical direction respectively, the first grabbing part and the second grabbing part include the mechanical hand controlled by the pneumatic control assembly and provided with a negative pressure suction disc at the working end, after the horizontal driving assembly controls the first grabbing part and the second grabbing part to synchronously operate and move to the loading work station and above the bottom scanning device, the vertical driving assembly controls the first grabbing part and the second grabbing part to vertically ascend and descend to grab the flat package.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to an automated loading device and method for flat parcels, which belongs to the field of automated production and logistics warehousing. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the domestic and international logistics and transportation industry, various parcels packaged in standard boxes or bags are now commonly found in existing sorting and logistics inbound / outbound operations.

[0003] Currently, logistics sorting equipment typically mixes flat parcels containing documents, invoices, certificates, cards, or related documents transported in e-commerce and express delivery processes, as well as small packaged goods such as cosmetics and small batches of medicines, with other standard boxed or large items during the express sorting process. While the relevant sorting equipment and control methods are relatively mature, they still suffer from insufficient classification and a lack of targeted solutions, resulting in significant deficiencies in sorting efficiency, maintaining the integrity of parcel surfaces, and ensuring transportation safety.

[0004] The main problems with existing technologies include: when flat parcels are transported together with standard goods, they may become wrinkled, punctured, torn, wet, or soiled, leading to a certain percentage of customer complaints and claims; there is a lack of identification and positioning methods for flat parcels, as the shapes and sizes of flat parcels vary, making accurate identification and positioning difficult and resulting in low subsequent delivery efficiency; there is a lack of stable devices for gripping flat parcels, making it difficult to accurately place them in designated locations without causing damage; and there is poor adaptability, as the types and quantities of parcels in the logistics industry are constantly changing, and existing technologies lack delivery methods suitable for flat parcels of different specifications and shapes.

[0005] In view of the above, this patent application is hereby filed. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The robotic arm automatic loading device and method described in this application aim to solve the problems existing in the prior art by proposing a solution for the automatic loading of flat packaged parts. It aims to achieve accurate identification and positioning of flat packaged parts through visual recognition and gripping actuators, and to place them accurately and quickly into the designated work area, thereby improving adaptability and scalability and meeting the supply needs of flat packaged parts of different specifications and shapes.

[0007] To achieve the above design objectives, the robotic arm automatic loading device includes a first gripping part and a second gripping part, controlled by a horizontal drive component to move synchronously in the horizontal direction and controlled by a vertical drive component to move vertically to grip document bags. The first gripping part and the second gripping part include robotic arms controlled by a pneumatic control component and equipped with negative pressure suction cups at their working ends. The suction cups are connected to the negative pressure pipeline of the pneumatic control component to achieve a negative pressure area on the contact surface. When the horizontal drive component controls the first gripping part and the second gripping part to move synchronously to the loading station and vertically above the bottom sweeping device, the vertical drive component controls the first gripping part and the second gripping part to move vertically to grip flat packaged items.

[0008] Furthermore, the robotic arm automatic loading device includes a gripping frame, on the top of which is a barcode reader for reading and feeding back barcode information, and a binocular 3D camera for reading the shape and size information of the flat part package.

[0009] Furthermore, the horizontal drive assembly is preferably a single-axis manipulator, which includes a translation drive motor and a translation reducer, as well as a translation guide rail extending horizontally. The first gripping part and the second gripping part are each slidably connected to the translation guide rail through a set of translation sliders. The translation drive motor and the translation reducer drive the two sets of translation sliders simultaneously through a set of linear modules.

[0010] Furthermore, the vertical drive assembly has two sets of mechanisms with the same structure that drive and control the first gripping part and the second gripping part respectively. Each set of mechanisms includes a gripping part lifting motor and a gripping part reducer installed on one side of the horizontal drive assembly. The gripping part lifting motor and the gripping part reducer are connected to the manipulator with a negative pressure suction cup at the working end of the gripping part through a linear module.

[0011] Furthermore, the linear module includes a module frame, on which a pair of synchronous pulleys with a closed-loop winding connection to the synchronous belt are mounted. The shaft end of one set of synchronous pulleys is driven and connected to a reducer. The synchronous belt is fixedly connected to a module slider, and the module slider is slidably connected to a set of module guide rails mounted on the module frame.

[0012] Furthermore, a set of ranging detection components, preferably a laser ranging sensor, is provided on the first gripping part.

[0013] Furthermore, a set of gripping re-inspection components is provided on both the first gripping part and the second gripping part, preferably a laser rangefinder gripping re-inspection sensor.

[0014] Based on the structural design of the above-mentioned robotic arm automatic loading device, this application also proposes the following robotic arm automatic loading method: The robotic arm automatic loading device includes a first gripping part and a second gripping part, which are controlled by a horizontal drive component to move synchronously in the horizontal direction and controlled by a vertical drive component to move vertically to grab document bags respectively; the first gripping part and the second gripping part include a robotic arm controlled by a pneumatic control component and equipped with a negative pressure suction cup at the working end; the horizontal distance between the first gripping part and the second gripping part, the horizontal center point distance between the automatic feeding device and the bottom sweeping device, and the horizontal center point distance between the bottom sweeping device and the loading device are all the same; the first gripping part and the second gripping part reciprocate synchronously in the horizontal direction, and while the first gripping part grabs and moves the document bag from the loading station to the bottom sweeping device, the second gripping part grabs and moves another document bag from the bottom sweeping device to the loading device.

[0015] Furthermore, a set of laser rangefinders is installed on the first gripping part. The laser rangefinders monitor and feed back the stack height to the PLC control system in real time, thereby generating the gripping stroke of the suction cup in each vertical lifting and lowering motion. The vertical drive component then controls the lifting and lowering distance of the suction cup at the working end of the first gripping part.

[0016] Furthermore, a set of laser rangefinder sensors is installed on both the first and second gripping sections. These sensors detect whether the suction cup has picked up the document bag; if the pickup fails, the suction cup will return to pick up the document bag again. If the suction cup fails to pick up the document bag three times consecutively, an alarm is sent to the PLC control system, and the equipment is then manually inspected.

[0017] In summary, the robotic arm automatic loading device and method proposed in this application have the following advantages:

[0018] 1. Compared with existing manual sorting or semi-automatic feeding equipment, this application can achieve automatic identification, precise positioning and stable gripping and transfer of flat parcels through visual recognition and gripping stroke control, thereby significantly improving feeding efficiency and ensuring the surface integrity rate of parcels such as document bags.

[0019] 2. This application realizes automated import of parts, which effectively reduces labor costs and dependence on manual labor, thereby improving the overall sorting and conveying efficiency.

[0020] 3. This application has high scalability and compatibility: it can be customized and upgraded according to the actual needs of logistics companies, thereby adapting to the supply needs of packages of different specifications and shapes. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The present application will now be further described in conjunction with the following figures;

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional sorting and importing system using the robotic arm automatic loading device described in this application;

[0023] Figure 2 Is it like this? Figure 1 A top-view diagram of the structure shown;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a side view of the automatic parts feeding device;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the robotic arm automatic loading device proposed in this application;

[0026] Figure 5 and Figure 6 These are schematic diagrams of the robotic arm components from different perspectives;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the linear module.

[0028] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the robotic arm's automatic loading device loading the part between the supply and loading device stations;

[0029] Figure 9 and Figure 10 These are schematic diagrams illustrating the principle of controlling the gripping stroke of the robotic arm; Detailed Implementation

[0030] Example 1, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the robotic arm automatic loading device proposed in this embodiment is applicable to the three-dimensional sorting and loading system for flat packages such as documents and tickets. The three-dimensional sorting and loading system includes an automatic feeding device 3 and a loading device 6. The loading device 6 is used to finally load the flat packages onto the sorting loop.

[0031] Between the automatic feeding device 3 and the importing device 6, there is a robotic arm automatic importing device 5 for grabbing packages and transferring them from the automatic feeding device 3 to the importing device 6, and a bottom scanning device 4 for scanning and identifying cargo information from the bottom of the package. On one side of the importing device 6, there is a return receiving device 11 for receiving unidentified or abnormal items.

[0032] like Figure 3 As shown, the automatic feeding device 3 includes several stations set on the top of the base frame 301, namely a feeding station 31, at least one conveying station 32, and a loading station 33. Each station can hold a stack of flat document bags.

[0033] To improve the automation level of continuous operation of the document bags to be picked up, a set of arrival detection devices is set on one side of each station on the top of the base frame 301, such as the preferred in-situ detection photoelectric 302 in this embodiment; when the stacked document bags are manually placed in the supply station 31, the photoelectric signal of the in-situ detection photoelectric 302 of that station is blocked, and the photoelectric detection result is uploaded to the PLC control system; the working principle of the in-situ detection photoelectric at other stations is the same.

[0034] At the supply station 31, stacked flat document bags are manually placed on top of the base frame 301. A height limit detection device, such as the height limit photoelectric sensor 321 preferred in this embodiment, is installed on one side of the station to detect the height of the placed document bags. When the photoelectric signal of the height limit photoelectric sensor 321 is blocked, it indicates that the number of document bags placed at the supply station 31 exceeds the set value. In order to ensure the smooth implementation of subsequent import operations, it should be handled manually, and the PLC control system will issue an alarm signal accordingly.

[0035] At the loading station 33, a robotic arm automatically guides the loading device 5 to grab a single flat document bag and transfers it to the bottom scanning device 4 to read the relevant barcode information. On one side of this station, a pair of height detection devices are set up for real-time detection of the stack height of the document bags to be grabbed, such as the height detection grating assembly 322 preferred in this embodiment. The height detection grating assembly 322 emits photoelectric signals of different heights between each other. When the document bag to be grabbed passes by and blocks the photoelectric signals, the stack height of the document bag can be calculated based on the number of blocked photoelectric signals. The stack height data is transmitted to the PLC control system and can be used to subsequently set the gripping stroke of the gripping component of the robotic arm automatic loading device 5 in the vertical direction. In addition, the height detection grating assembly 322 dynamically detects the changes in the stack height of the document bags, thereby providing a distance reference for each gripping stroke when the robotic arm automatic loading device 5 grabs each document bag. That is, it can feed back the actual height of the remaining document bags until all document bags are grabbed.

[0036] When the stacked document bags meet the height limit detection conditions, the PLC control system sends an indication signal to the drive assembly 303. The drive assembly 303 moves the fork assembly 305 along the horizontal guide rail 304 to the vertical position below the stacked document bags at the supply station 31. Then, the supply station 31 drives the fork assembly 305 to rise vertically to clamp the document bags from the front and rear positions. Subsequently, the drive assembly 303 reverses its direction, and the fork assembly 305 moves the document bags from the supply station 31 to the adjacent conveying station 32. This process continues until the document bags are moved to the loading station 33, where they await the automatic loading device 5 to pick them up.

[0037] The bottom scanning device 4 is installed on one side of the base frame 301 of the automatic feeding device 3. It includes a frame consisting of a top plate 401 and a support frame. A camera 404 is installed at the bottom of the frame. The top plate 401 is preferably a transparent acrylic plate.

[0038] like Figures 4 to 10 As shown, the robotic arm automatic loading device 5 includes a gripping frame 507, and a first gripping part 501 and a second gripping part 502 are provided on the gripping frame 507. The first gripping part 501 is controlled by a horizontal drive component to move synchronously in the horizontal direction, and the second gripping part 502 is controlled by a vertical drive component to move vertically and lift to grab the document bag respectively.

[0039] A barcode reader 505 and a binocular 3D camera 506 are installed at the top of the grasping frame 507. The barcode reader 505 is used to read the barcode information on the upper surface of the document bag and feed it back to the PLC control system. The binocular 3D camera 506 is used to read the external dimensions of the document bag, including thickness, projected length and width, etc. Given the coordinate information of the document bag, the PLC sends the task content corresponding to the sorting order to the WCS system. When the external dimensions of the document bag read by the binocular 3D camera 506 are abnormal, such as the presence of overlapping parts or warped edges, the document bag grasped to the import device 6 will be returned to the return and collection device 11 for manual intervention.

[0040] The first gripping unit 501 and the second gripping unit 502 include a robotic arm controlled by a pneumatic control component and equipped with a negative pressure suction cup 511 at its working end. The suction cup 511 is connected to the negative pressure pipeline of the pneumatic control component to achieve a negative pressure environment on the contact surface, thereby picking up the document bag through the suction cup 511. At the same time, the suction cup 511 also has a buffer function for the document bag to prevent damage to the document bag. When the horizontal drive component controls the first gripping unit 501 and the second gripping unit 502 to move synchronously to the upper workstation 33 and the bottom sweeping device 4 vertically upward, the vertical drive component controls the first gripping unit 501 and the second gripping unit 502 to rise and fall vertically to pick up the document bag.

[0041] like Figures 5 to 8 As shown, the horizontal drive assembly, preferably a single-axis manipulator 500 in this embodiment, includes a translation drive motor 508 and a translation reducer 508-1 fixedly mounted on the gripping frame 507, and a translation guide rail 509 extending horizontally along the frame. The first gripping part 501 and the second gripping part 502 are each slidably connected to the translation guide rail 509 through a set of translation sliders 510. The translation drive motor 508 and the translation reducer 508-1 drive and connect the two sets of translation sliders 510 simultaneously through a set of linear modules 513.

[0042] The vertical drive assembly has two sets of mechanisms with the same structure that drive and control the robotic arms of the first gripping part 501 and the second gripping part 502 respectively. These include a first gripping part lifting motor 501-1 and a first gripping part reducer 501-2 mounted on one side of the horizontal drive assembly, preferably mounted on the translation slider 510 in this embodiment. The first gripping part lifting motor 501-1 and the first gripping part reducer 501-2 are connected to a first robotic arm 501-3, whose working end of the first gripping part 501 is provided with a negative pressure suction cup 511, via a linear module 513. Additionally, a second gripping part lifting motor 502-1 and a second gripping part reducer 502-2 are mounted on another set of translation sliders 510. The second gripping part lifting motor 502-1 and the second gripping part reducer 502-2 are connected to a second robotic arm 502-3, whose working end of the second gripping part 502 is provided with a negative pressure suction cup 511, via another set of linear modules 513.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment, the linear module 513 includes a module frame 513-6. A pair of synchronous pulleys 513-2, which are connected to the synchronous belt 513-5 in a closed loop, are mounted on the module frame 513-6. The axle 513-1 of one set of synchronous pulleys 513-2 is driven to a reducer, such as the reducer 501-2 of the first gripping part mentioned above. The synchronous belt 513-5 is fixedly connected to a module slider 513-4, which can be connected to the translation slider 510, the first robotic arm 501-3, or the second robotic arm 502-3, thereby driving the first gripping part 501 and the second gripping part 502 to translate horizontally and driving the first robotic arm 501-3 and the second robotic arm 502-3 to rise and fall vertically to grip the document bag. The module slider 513-4 is slidably connected to a set of module guide rails 513-3 mounted on the module frame 513-6.

[0044] Driven by motors and reducers, such as translation drive motor 508 and translation reducer 508-1, the synchronous belt 513-5 runs around the synchronous pulley 513-2 and simultaneously transmits the first gripping part 501 and the second gripping part 502 to the designated work position through the module slider 513-4 and the translation slider 510.

[0045] like Figure 9As shown, the distance between the first gripping part 501 and the second gripping part 502 along the gripping moving guide rail 509 in the horizontal direction, the distance between the horizontal center points of the automatic feeding device 3 and the bottom sweeping device 4, and the distance between the horizontal center points of the bottom sweeping device 4 and the guide device 6 are all the same, as shown by the distance y marked in the figure. Under the drive of the gripping motor 508, the first gripping part 501 and the second gripping part 502 move back and forth synchronously along the gripping moving guide rail 509. While the first gripping part 501 grips and moves the document bag from the upper workstation 33 to the bottom sweeping device 4, the second gripping part 502 grips and moves another document bag from the bottom sweeping device 4 to the guide device 6.

[0046] During the above-mentioned grasping and moving process, after the first grasping unit 501 grasps the document bag on the upper workstation 33 and transfers it to the bottom scanning device 4, the camera 404 takes a picture from the bottom to obtain barcode information.

[0047] When the second gripping unit 502 grips the document bag that has been placed on the bottom scanning device 4 and transfers it to the import device 6, the barcode reader 505 scans the top of the document bag to read the barcode information during this process.

[0048] Since the barcode may be located on the bottom or top of the document bag, the two independently performed scanning processes described above can scan and obtain the barcode information without omission.

[0049] To further improve the gripping accuracy, a set of distance measuring and detection components is provided on the first gripping part 501. In this embodiment, a laser distance measuring sensor 503 is preferred. At the loading station 33, the stack height of each stack of document bags to be gripped is not the same. The laser distance measuring sensor 503 monitors and feeds back the stack height to the PLC control system in real time, thereby generating the gripping stroke of the suction cup 511 in vertical lifting and lowering each time. Then, the vertical drive component controls the lifting and lowering distance of the suction cup 511 at the working end of the first gripping part 501, so as to accurately pick up each document bag.

[0050] Specifically, in the initial state, neither the upper workstation 33 nor the bottom scanning device 4 has any flat parts wrapped around it. The laser range sensor 503 measures the vertical distance between the suction cup 511 at the working end of the first gripping part 501 and the upper surface of the upper workstation 33 as h1, the vertical distance between the suction cup 511 at the working end of the second gripping part 502 and the upper surface of the bottom scanning device 4 as h2, and the vertical distance between the laser range sensor 503 and the upper surface of the upper workstation 33 as ht0.

[0051] When the stacked document bags are transferred to the upper part station 33, the laser range sensor 503 measures the vertical distance ht1 between the document bag and the surface located at the top. The height of the current flat package stack is then calculated as hp1 = ht0 - ht1. Therefore, the distance the suction cup 511 of the first gripping unit 501 moves to grip the first package is x. 11=h1-hp1=h1+ht1-ht0; At this time, there is still no flat part wrapped on the bottom sweeping device 4, so the suction cup 511 of the second gripping part 502 does not need to move, that is, its moving distance x 21 =0;

[0052] After the first gripping unit 501 grips the first flat package and moves it from the upper workstation 33 to the bottom scanning device 4, the laser range sensor 503 measures the vertical distance from the top surface of the flat package at the top of the current stack (the second package in the original stack) as ht2. From this, the current stack height can be calculated to be hp2 = ht0 - ht2. Therefore, the distance that the suction cup 511 at the working end of the second gripping unit 502 moves for the second time is x. 12 =h1-hp2=h1+ht2-ht0; Simultaneously, the thickness of the first flat package can be calculated as p1=hp1-hp2=ht2-ht1, then the moving distance of the suction cup 511 at the working end of the second gripping part 502 gripping the current flat package (the first package in the original stack) already located on the bottom sweeping device 4 is x. 22 =h2-p2=h2-ht2+ht1;

[0053] And so on, the first gripping unit 501 moves the distance x when it grips the flat package for the nth time. 1n =h1+ht n -ht0, the second gripping unit 502 moves the flat package a distance x during its nth gripping motion. 2n =h2-ht n +ht n-1 .

[0054] like Figure 10 As shown, both the first gripping unit 501 and the second gripping unit 502 are equipped with a set of gripping re-inspection components. In this embodiment, a laser ranging gripping re-inspection sensor 512 is preferred. The laser ranging gripping re-inspection sensor 512 is used to detect whether the suction cup 511 has picked up the document bag. If the picking fails, it will return to pick up the document bag again. If the suction cup 511 fails to pick up the document bag three times in a row, it will alarm the PLC control system and the equipment will be inspected manually.

[0055] Specifically, the initial distance between the laser ranging and grasping re-inspection sensor 512 and the suction cup 511 at the working end of the first grasping part 501 and the second grasping part 502 is set to h3;

[0056] During the upward movement of the first gripping unit 501 and the second gripping unit 502 after gripping the flat package, the gripping detection sensor 512 measures whether the distance between the gripping detection sensor and the upper surface of the flat package is not greater than h3.

[0057] If so, then suction cup 511 is considered to have successfully captured the flat package;

[0058] If not, the grasping is considered a failure; then the first grasping unit 501 and the second grasping unit 502 will descend and move again to grasp the package, and the moving distance for grasping flat packages will be increased by 5mm (i.e., X) compared to the previous grasping. 1n +5mm or X 2n +5mm); The purpose of increasing the descent distance is to increase the suction force. Since the suction cup 511 itself has a buffer function, it will not damage the package; and so on, until three consecutive grabbing processes are completed; if the flat package is still not grabbed, an alarm signal is sent to the PLC control system for manual intervention.

[0059] Based on the structural design of the above-mentioned robotic arm automatic loading device, this embodiment proposes the following robotic arm automatic loading method:

[0060] The robotic arm automatic loading device 5 includes a first gripping part 501 and a second gripping part 502, which are controlled by a horizontal drive component to move synchronously in the horizontal direction and by a vertical drive component to move vertically to grab the document bag respectively.

[0061] A barcode reader 505 and a binocular 3D camera 506 are installed at the top of the grasping frame 507. The barcode reader 505 is used to read the barcode information on the upper surface of the document bag and feed it back to the PLC control system. The binocular 3D camera 506 is used to read the external dimensions of the document bag, including thickness, projected length and width, etc. Given the coordinate information of the document bag, the PLC sends the task content corresponding to the sorting order to the WCS system. When the external dimensions of the document bag read by the binocular 3D camera 506 are abnormal, such as the presence of overlapping parts or warped edges, the document bag grasped to the import device 6 will be returned to the return and collection device 11 for manual intervention.

[0062] The first gripping unit 501 and the second gripping unit 502 include a robotic arm controlled by a pneumatic control component and equipped with a negative pressure suction cup 511 at its working end. The suction cup 511 is connected to the negative pressure pipeline of the pneumatic control component to achieve a negative pressure environment on the contact surface, thereby picking up the document bag through the suction cup 511. At the same time, the suction cup 511 also has a buffer function for the document bag to prevent damage to the document bag. When the horizontal drive component controls the first gripping unit 501 and the second gripping unit 502 to move synchronously to the upper workstation 33 and the bottom sweeping device 4 vertically upward, the vertical drive component controls the first gripping unit 501 and the second gripping unit 502 to rise and fall vertically to pick up the document bag.

[0063] The distance between the first gripping unit 501 and the second gripping unit 502 along the gripping moving guide rail 509 in the horizontal direction, the distance between the horizontal center points of the automatic feeding device 3 and the bottom sweeping device 4, and the distance between the horizontal center points of the bottom sweeping device 4 and the guide device 6 are all the same, as shown by the distance y marked in the figure. Under the drive of the gripping motor 508, the first gripping unit 501 and the second gripping unit 502 move back and forth synchronously along the gripping moving guide rail 509. While the first gripping unit 501 grips and moves the document bag from the upper workstation 33 to the bottom sweeping device 4, the second gripping unit 502 grips and moves another document bag from the bottom sweeping device 4 to the guide device 6.

[0064] During the above-mentioned grasping and moving process, after the first grasping unit 501 grasps the document bag on the upper workstation 33 and transfers it to the bottom scanning device 4, the camera 404 takes a picture from the bottom to obtain barcode information.

[0065] When the second gripping unit 502 grips the document bag that has been placed on the bottom scanning device 4 and transfers it to the import device 6, the barcode reader 505 scans the top of the document bag to read the barcode information during this process.

[0066] Since the barcode may be located on the bottom or top of the document bag, the two independently performed scanning processes described above can scan and obtain the barcode information without omission.

[0067] A set of laser rangefinders 503 are set on the first gripping part 501. The laser rangefinders 503 monitor and feed back the stack height to the PLC control system in real time, thereby generating the gripping stroke of the suction cup 511 vertically lifting and lowering each time. The vertical drive component then controls the lifting distance of the suction cup 511 at the working end of the first gripping part 501, so as to accurately pick up each document bag.

[0068] Specifically, in the initial state, neither the upper workstation 33 nor the bottom scanning device 4 has any flat parts wrapped around it. The laser range sensor 503 measures the vertical distance between the suction cup 511 at the working end of the first gripping part 501 and the upper surface of the upper workstation 33 as h1, the vertical distance between the suction cup 511 at the working end of the second gripping part 502 and the upper surface of the bottom scanning device 4 as h2, and the vertical distance between the laser range sensor 503 and the upper surface of the upper workstation 33 as ht0.

[0069] When the stacked document bags are transferred to the upper part station 33, the laser range sensor 503 measures the vertical distance ht1 between the document bag and the surface located at the top. The height of the current flat package stack is then calculated as hp1 = ht0 - ht1. Therefore, the distance the suction cup 511 of the first gripping unit 501 moves to grip the first package is x. 11=h1-hp1=h1+ht1-ht0; At this time, there is still no flat part wrapped on the bottom sweeping device 4, so the suction cup 511 of the second gripping part 502 does not need to move, that is, its moving distance x 21 =0;

[0070] After the first gripping unit 501 grips the first flat package and moves it from the upper workstation 33 to the bottom scanning device 4, the laser range sensor 503 measures the vertical distance from the top surface of the flat package at the top of the current stack (the second package in the original stack) as ht2. From this, the current stack height can be calculated to be hp2 = ht0 - ht2. Therefore, the distance that the suction cup 511 at the working end of the second gripping unit 502 moves for the second time is x. 12 =h1-hp2=h1+ht2-ht0; Simultaneously, the thickness of the first flat package can be calculated as p1=hp1-hp2=ht2-ht1, then the moving distance of the suction cup 511 at the working end of the second gripping part 502 gripping the current flat package (the first package in the original stack) already located on the bottom sweeping device 4 is x. 22 =h2-p2=h2-ht2+ht1;

[0071] And so on, the first gripping unit 501 moves the distance x when it grips the flat package for the nth time. 1n =h1+ht n -ht0, the second gripping unit 502 moves the flat package a distance x during its nth gripping motion. 2n =h2-ht n +ht n-1 .

[0072] Both the first gripping unit 501 and the second gripping unit 502 are equipped with a set of laser rangefinder gripping re-inspection sensors 512. The laser rangefinder gripping re-inspection sensors 512 are used to detect whether the suction cup 511 has picked up the document bag; if the picking fails, it will return to pick up the document bag again. If the suction cup 511 fails to pick up the document bag three times in a row, it will alarm the PLC control system and the equipment will be inspected manually.

[0073] Specifically, the initial distance between the laser ranging and grasping re-inspection sensor 512 and the suction cup 511 at the working end of the first grasping part 501 and the second grasping part 502 is set to h3;

[0074] During the upward movement of the first gripping unit 501 and the second gripping unit 502 after gripping the flat package, the gripping detection sensor 512 measures whether the distance between the gripping detection sensor and the upper surface of the flat package is not greater than h3.

[0075] If so, then suction cup 511 is considered to have successfully captured the flat package;

[0076] If not, the grasping is considered a failure; then the first grasping unit 501 and the second grasping unit 502 will descend and move again to grasp the package, and the moving distance for grasping flat packages will be increased by 5mm (i.e., X) compared to the previous grasping. 1n +5mm or X 2n +5mm); The purpose of increasing the descent distance is to increase the suction force. Since the suction cup 511 itself has a buffer function, it will not damage the package; and so on, until three consecutive grabbing processes are completed; if the flat package is still not grabbed, an alarm signal is sent to the PLC control system for manual intervention.

[0077] As described above, the embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings are merely preferred solutions for achieving the objectives of this invention. Those skilled in the art can draw inspiration from this and directly derive other alternative structures that conform to the design concept of this invention. Other structural features derived therefrom should also fall within the scope of the solutions described in this invention.

Claims

1. A robot automatic introduction method for loading a workpiece, characterized by comprising the steps of: The automatic feeding device comprises a horizontal driving assembly, a vertical driving assembly, a first grabbing part and a second grabbing part. ​ The first grabbing part and the second grabbing part are controlled by the horizontal driving assembly to move along the horizontal direction, and are controlled by the vertical driving assembly to move vertically. The distance between the first grabbing part and the second grabbing part along the horizontal direction, the distance between the automatic feeding device and the horizontal center point of the bottom scanning device, and the distance between the bottom scanning device and the horizontal center point of the feeding device are all the same. When the flat package is transported to the feeding position, the first grabbing part and the second grabbing part are controlled by the horizontal driving assembly to move to the feeding position and above the bottom scanning device, and the first grabbing part and the second grabbing part are controlled by the vertical driving assembly to move vertically to grab the flat package. A group of laser ranging sensors are arranged on the first grabbing part to monitor the change of the height of the flat package on the feeding position. The lifting distance of the working end suction cup of the first grabbing part for the nth time is x 1n = h1 + ht n The lifting distance of the working end suction cup of the second grabbing part for the nth time is x 2n = h2 - ht n + ht n-1 ; wherein, there is no package on the upper part work station and the bottom sweeping device in the initial state, the vertical distance between the working end suction cup of the first grabbing part and the upper surface of the upper part work station is h1, the vertical distance between the working end suction cup of the second grabbing part and the upper surface of the bottom sweeping device is h2, and the vertical distance between the laser ranging sensor and the upper surface of the upper part work station is ht0; ht n is the vertical distance between the working end suction cup of the first grabbing part and the top flat package surface of the flat package stack measured by the laser ranging sensor for the nth time, ht n-1 is the vertical distance between the working end suction cup of the first grabbing part and the top flat package surface of the flat package stack measured by the laser ranging sensor for the (n-1)th time.

2. The robot automatic introduction method according to claim 1, characterized in that: A group of laser ranging and grabbing rechecking sensors are arranged on the first grabbing part and the second grabbing part to detect whether the suction cup has sucked the flat package.

3. A robot automatic loading device for use in a robot automatic loading method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The suction cup is connected to the negative pressure pipeline of the pneumatic control assembly.

4. The robot automatic introduction and loading device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The grabbing frame comprises a horizontal driving assembly, a vertical driving assembly, a first grabbing part and a second grabbing part. A barcode reader and a binocular 3D camera are arranged on the top of the grabbing frame to read and feedback the barcode information and the size information of the flat package.

5. The robot automatic introduction and loading device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The horizontal driving assembly is a single-axis robot, which comprises a translation driving motor, a translation speed reducer, a translation guide rail extending horizontally, and a group of translation sliders.

6. The robot automatic introduction and loading device according to claim 3 or 5, characterized in that: The vertical driving assembly comprises two groups of mechanisms which have the same structure and drive the first grabbing part and the second grabbing part respectively.

7. The robot automatic introduction and loading device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The linear module comprises a module frame body, a pair of synchronous pulleys connected to a closed loop synchronous belt, and a module slider fixedly connected to the synchronous belt. The module slider is slidably connected to a group of module guide rails installed on the module frame body.

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