Flexible assembly module

Abstract

The invention relates to a flexible assembly module, which comprises a flexible module, a locking module and a force detection module, and is characterized in that the locking module is arranged between the flexible module and the force detection module; the locking module comprises a connecting flange and a self-locking assembly arranged in the connecting flange, the self-locking assembly comprises a cylinder body and a push plate which can move up and down and is arranged in the cylinder body, a locking spring is arranged between the bottom of the inner side of the cylinder body and the push plate, and a plurality of locking ejector pins are arranged on the upper side of the push plate; the upper part of the cylinder is connected with the cylinder flange; an IMU (inertial measurement unit) is arranged in the flexible part, and the attitude angle of the plane of the mounting flange is measured through the IMU, so that the attitude angle of the plane of the mounting flange is detected during operation. The force during assembly is controlled through the force sensor, the posture of the upper computer during assembly is finely adjusted through the IMU and the distance sensor, and meanwhile the problems that the thickness of the locking module is large and the locking ejector pin is possibly clamped during unlocking are effectively solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of mechanical technology, and in particular relates to a flexible assembly module. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of electronic technology, 3C electronic products have been widely used in all aspects of production and life, and the market has higher and higher requirements for the assembly process of electronic products. It is necessary to ensure that the quality of products is controllable, delivery is fast, and production is flexible. At the same time, it requires continuous technological innovation and transparent production of enterprises to adapt to complex production processes. This also puts higher requirements on the production of enterprises. Traditional robots have cumulative errors and assembly errors during operation, which are prone to product defects when the assembly precision requirements are very high.

[0003] Intelligent assembly technology represented by collaborative robots, due to its high efficiency, flexibility and safety, combined with soft floating technology, has become a magic weapon to ensure the accuracy of industrial robot terminal assembly. Soft floating technology introduces flexible connections and intelligent algorithms on the end effector of collaborative robots to achieve real-time perception and dynamic compensation of small deviations in the assembly process. This technology not only breaks the rigid limitations of traditional hardware structures, but also gives robots higher adaptability. During the assembly process, the robot can make fine adjustments according to actual conditions to ensure perfect fit with the workpiece. Whether it is facing assembly parts of different shapes and sizes, or in the assembly of core parts that require high-precision matching, the robot can respond quickly and complete the task accurately, which can not only improve production efficiency, but also significantly improve the accuracy and stability of assembly, and greatly reduce the defective rate.

[0004] As an important carrier of soft floating technology, the flexible assembly module is a new type of highly integrated flexible assembly module with built-in high-precision embedded six-dimensional force data acquisition and calculation system, high-precision mechanical structure components, and high-responsiveness communication modules, which can monitor and compensate the position and posture of assembled products in real time. As an independent module, the flexible assembly module can be used in assembly and other application scenarios with collaborative robots, small-load industrial robots, and some non-standard special machines. It is easy to install and quick to operate, and has excellent stability and reliability in industries such as shaft hole assembly, memory bar assembly, and hard disk assembly. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a design scheme for a flexible assembly module, which can control the force during assembly through a force sensor, and can fine-tune the posture during assembly by a host computer through an IMU and a distance sensor, while effectively solving the problems of large thickness of the locking module and possible jamming of the locking ejector pin during unlocking.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention discloses a flexible assembly module, including a flexible module, a locking module and a force detection module, wherein the locking module is arranged between the flexible module and the force detection module, the force detection module includes an upper force sensor and a lower general mounting flange, and the force sensor is connected to the locking module; The flexible module includes a mounting flange and a flexible component arranged in the mounting flange, the flexible component includes a constant force cylinder body at the top and a cylinder body flange at the bottom, a flexible working part is arranged between the constant force cylinder body and the cylinder body flange, the flexible working part includes a flexible working head at the top and a controllable constant force component at the bottom, and a preload spring is arranged between the flexible working head and the controllable constant force component; The locking module includes a connecting flange and a self-locking assembly arranged in the connecting flange, the self-locking assembly includes a cylinder body, a push plate arranged in the cylinder body and movable up and down, a locking spring is arranged between the bottom of the inner side of the cylinder body and the push plate, and a plurality of locking ejector pins are arranged on the upper side of the push plate; the upper part of the cylinder body is connected to the cylinder body flange; A locking hole for accommodating a locking ejector pin is correspondingly provided on the constant force cylinder body; when high-pressure gas is passed into the cylinder body, the push plate drives the locking ejector pin to move downward, the locking ejector pin is disengaged from the locking hole, and the locking module is unlocked, and the flexible module can perform the assembly task at this time; when the gas is cut off, the gas pressure in the cylinder body is reduced, the locking spring pushes the push plate upward, the upper part of the locking ejector pin passes through the cylinder body flange and enters the locking hole, the constant force cylinder body no longer moves, and the self-locking assembly realizes the reset locking of the flexible module under the action of the locking spring.

[0007] Preferably, the flexible component has a built-in IMU inertial measurement unit, and the IMU inertial measurement unit is used to measure the plane attitude angle of the mounting flange, thereby realizing the detection of the plane attitude angle of the mounting flange during operation.

[0008] Preferably, the locking hole coincides with the upper portion of the locking ejector pin.

[0009] Preferably, the upper portion of the locking ejector pin is convex or has a positioning column.

[0010] Preferably, the locking ejector pins include three evenly arranged ones, and the product is self-locked by three-point fixation.

[0011] Preferably, the locking ejector pin comprises a locking head on the upper side and an auxiliary disengagement device on the lower side, and the height of the auxiliary disengagement device decreases with the increase of external air pressure, thereby shortening the necessary stroke of the push plate and providing additional force to the locking head to help the locking head smoothly disengage from the locking hole.

[0012] Preferably, the auxiliary disengagement device includes a telescopic tube with air holes on the tube wall and an airbag arranged in the telescopic tube. The telescopic tube adopts a two-section structure, including a lower tube and an upper tube that can slide along the lower tube, the lower tube is connected to the push plate, and the upper tube is connected to the bottom of the lock head; when high-pressure gas is passed into the cylinder body, the side wall of the airbag is compressed, driving the telescopic tube to shorten, thereby moving the lock head downward.

[0013] Preferably, the constant force cylinder and the cylinder body share a cylinder flange, which not only serves as a connecting flange for the flexible module and the locking module, but also serves as a structural component of the cylinder body, thereby simplifying the structure.

[0014] Preferably, a distance sensor is installed on the cylinder body, which cooperates with the IMU inertial measurement unit to calculate the module offset angle and distance in real time, and realizes posture adjustment through control software.

[0015] Preferably, the flexible assembly module is configured with at least I / O, Ethernet and modbus communication modes to adapt to a variety of load robots and general equipment.

[0016] The flexible assembly module of the present invention has at least the following advantages: First, the present invention realizes real-time reading and correction of fitting errors during installation by integrating IMU inertial measurement unit, force sensor and distance sensor, and can realize angular and position error compensation during installation in all directions with six degrees of freedom.

[0017] Second, the present invention is equipped with multiple communication modes such as I / O, Ethernet, modbus, etc., can be adapted to a variety of robots and general equipment, and is plug-and-play and easy to use.

[0018] Third, the non-rigid structural design of the present invention can reduce the load of the robot motor and compensate for a certain assembly error value.

[0019] Fourth, the design of the self-locking component and the auxiliary disengagement device of the present invention can increase the force when the lock head disengages from the locking hole, reduce the stroke required for the push plate to lock or unlock the cylinder flange, and make the locking module thinner and the structure more streamlined.

[0020] Fifth, the present invention can be installed at multiple angles, and the compensation sensitivity is adjustable, which is suitable for various application scenarios such as horizontal assembly, vertical assembly and inclined angle assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 This is an appearance diagram of Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 2 is a general structural diagram of Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 3 is a structural diagram of a flexible component in Example 1 of the present invention; Figure 4 is a structural diagram of a self-locking component in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 5 It is a structural diagram of the auxiliary separation device in Example 2 of the present invention.

[0022] The numbers in the figure are: 1. Flexible module, 2. Locking module, 3. Force detection module, 1-1. Mounting flange, 1-2. Flexible component, 1-2.1. Flexible working head, 1-2.2. Controllable constant force component, 1-2.3. Constant force cylinder, 1-2.4. Preload spring, 2-1. Connecting flange, 2-2. Self-locking component, 2-2.1. Locking ejector pin, 2-2.11. Locking head, 2-2.12. Auxiliary disengagement device, 2-2.13. Air hole, 2-2.14. Upper tube, 2-2.15. Lower tube, 2-2.16. Air bag, 2-2.2. Cylinder, 2-2.3. Push plate, 2-2.4. Locking spring, 3-1. Force sensor, 3-2. General mounting flange, A-1. Cylinder flange. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The present invention is further described in detail below through examples so that those skilled in the art can implement the invention with reference to the description.

[0024] It should be understood that the terms such as “having”, “including” and “comprising” used herein do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other elements or combinations thereof.

[0025] Example 1 like Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, a flexible assembly module includes a flexible module 1, a locking module 2 and a force detection module 3. The locking module 2 is arranged between the flexible module 1 and the force detection module 3. The force detection module 3 includes a force sensor 3-1 on the top and a general mounting flange 3-2 on the bottom. The force sensor 3-1 is connected to the locking module 2. When the locking module is started, the flexible module is locked at zero position, which is convenient for teaching and positioning. The flexible module 1 and the locking module 2 are respectively supplied with air by separate air circuits. During the assembly operation, the pneumatic structure of the flexible module is adjusted in real time by calculating the feedback force data obtained from the force detection module 3, thereby realizing active adjustment of the force output by the flexible module, so that the force required for the assembly operation can be accurately controlled to better complete the flexible assembly.

[0026] The flexible module 1 includes a mounting flange 1-1 and a flexible component 1-2 disposed in the mounting flange 1-1. The mounting flange can be used to install tools and fixtures for different working conditions. The flexible component 1-2 can adopt a multi-ball head combination design to achieve the purpose of omnidirectional six-degree-of-freedom limit and error compensation, and by adjusting the size of the controllable air pressure, the assembly force can be adjusted and controlled in real time during use. The constant force cylinder body can realize the centering setting of the flexible component by using the three-point fixing principle. The flexible component 1-2 includes a constant force cylinder 1-2.3 at the top and a cylinder flange A-1 at the bottom, a flexible working part is arranged between the constant force cylinder 1-2.3 and the cylinder flange A-1, the flexible working part includes a flexible working head 1-2.1 at the top and a controllable constant force assembly 1-2.2 at the bottom, a preload spring 1-2.4 is arranged between the flexible working head 1-2.1 and the controllable constant force assembly 1-2.2; the constant force cylinder 1-2.3 outputs a controllable constant force through the flexible working head 1-2.1 and the mounting flange 1-1 to achieve compensation for installation errors during use; the preload spring 1-2.4 has a certain memory retention effect on the position state of the flexible working head 1-2.1.

[0027] The locking module 2 includes a connecting flange 2-1 and a self-locking component 2-2 arranged in the connecting flange 2-1. The connecting flange 2-1 is used to fix the locking module 2 on the force sensor 3-1; the self-locking component 2-2 includes a cylinder body 2-2.2, a push plate 2-2.3 which can move up and down and is arranged in the cylinder body 2-2.2, a locking spring 2-2.4 is arranged between the inner bottom of the cylinder body 2-2.2 and the push plate 2-2.3, and a plurality of locking ejectors 2-2.1 are arranged on the upper side of the push plate 2-2.3. Specifically, the top end of the locking ejector can adopt a double concave surface with steel balls, a conical convex and concave surface matching form, a conical convex and concave surface with positioning columns and other structures, which can be selected for use according to different situations; the upper part of the cylinder body 2-2.2 is connected to the cylinder body flange A-1.

[0028] A locking hole for accommodating the locking ejector pin 2-2.1 is correspondingly provided on the constant force cylinder 1-2.3; when high-pressure gas is passed into the cylinder 2-2.2, the push plate 2-2.3 drives the locking ejector pin 2-2.1 to move downward, the locking ejector pin 2-2.1 disengages from the locking hole, and the locking module 2 is unlocked. At this time, the flexible module 1 can perform the assembly task; when the gas is cut off, the air pressure in the cylinder 2-2.2 decreases, and the locking spring 2-2.4 pushes the push plate 2-2.3 upward, and the upper part of the locking ejector pin 2-2.1 passes through the cylinder flange A-1 and enters the locking hole, and the constant force cylinder 1-2.3 no longer moves, and the self-locking component 2-2 realizes the reset locking of the flexible module 1 under the action of the locking spring 2-2.4.

[0029] The flexible component 1-2 has a built-in IMU inertial measurement unit, and the plane attitude angle of the mounting flange 1-1 is measured by the IMU inertial measurement unit, thereby realizing the detection of the plane attitude angle of the mounting flange 1-1 during operation.

[0030] The locking hole is consistent with the upper part of the locking ejector pin 2-2.1.

[0031] The upper part of the locking ejector pin is a convex surface or is provided with a positioning column.

[0032] The locking ejector pins 2-2.1 include three evenly arranged ones, and utilize three-point fixation to realize product self-locking.

[0033] The constant force cylinder 1 - 2.3 and the cylinder 2 - 2.2 share a cylinder flange A-1, which not only serves as a connecting flange between the flexible module 1 and the locking module 2, but also serves as a structural component of the cylinder 2 - 2.2, thereby simplifying the structure.

[0034] The cylinder 2-2.2 is equipped with a distance sensor, which cooperates with the IMU inertial measurement unit to calculate the module offset angle and distance in real time, and realizes posture adjustment through control software.

[0035] The flexible assembly module can be configured with multiple communication modes such as I / O, Ethernet and modbus to adapt to a variety of load robots and general equipment.

[0036] Example 2 like Figure 5 As shown, it is similar to Example 1, except that the locking pin 2-2.1 includes a lock head 2-2.11 on the upper side and an auxiliary disengagement device 2-2.12 on the lower side, and the auxiliary disengagement device 2-2.12 is used to shorten the necessary stroke of the push plate and provide additional force to the lock head to help the lock head smoothly disengage from the locking hole.

[0037] The auxiliary disengagement device 2-2.12 can adopt a piston structure, a sealing drum with an elastic metal plate on the top, etc.; in order to better expand its own stroke, thereby shortening the necessary stroke for the push plate to disengage from the locking hole, and increase the downward pulling force of the auxiliary disengagement device, the auxiliary disengagement device 2-2.12 adopts a telescopic tube with air holes 2-2.13 on the tube wall and an air bag 2-2.16 arranged in the telescopic tube. The telescopic tube adopts a two-stage structure, including a lower tube 2-2.15 and an upper tube 2-2.14 that can slide along the lower tube, and the lower tube 2-2.15 It is connected to the push plate 2-2.3, and the upper tube 2-2.14 is connected to the bottom of the lock head 2-2.1; when high-pressure gas is passed into the cylinder body 2-2.2, the push plate 2-2.3 moves downward, and the side wall of the airbag 2-2.16 is compressed, driving the telescopic tube to shorten, thereby moving the lock head downward; when the gas is cut off, the air pressure in the cylinder body 2-2.2 decreases, the height of the airbag increases, the push plate 2-2.3 moves upward, the height of the auxiliary disengagement device increases, the lock head enters the locking hole, and the self-locking component 2-2 re-resets and locks the flexible module 1 under the action of the locking spring 2-2.4.

[0038] The design of the auxiliary disengagement device 2-2.12 in combination with the push plate can reduce the stroke required for the push plate 2-2.3 to lock or unlock the cylinder flange A-1, so that the locking module can be made thinner and the remaining structures can be designed to be more streamlined; and, due to processing errors, increased static friction caused by radial pressure and other reasons, when unlocking, some locking ejectors 2-2.1 may occasionally get stuck and be difficult to retract in time. The design of the auxiliary disengagement device 2-2.12, when high-pressure gas is passed into the cylinder 2-2.2, the side walls of the airbag 2-2.16 are compressed and moved toward the middle. At this time, the airbag 2-2.16 tends to become smaller in height, which exerts a greater downward force on the lock head 2-2.11. Combined with the pulling force of the push plate 2-2.3, the lock head 2-2.11 is forced to disengage from the locking hole, which can better avoid the phenomenon that the locking ejector pin cannot be retracted in time.

[0039] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed as above, they are not limited to the applications listed in the specification and the implementation modes. They can be fully applied to various fields suitable for the present invention. For those familiar with the art, additional modifications can be easily implemented. Therefore, without departing from the general concept defined by the claims and the scope of equivalents, the present invention is not limited to the specific details and the embodiments shown and described herein.

Claims

1. A flexible assembly module, characterized in that: The invention comprises a flexible module (1), a locking module (2) and a force detection module (3), wherein the locking module (2) is arranged between the flexible module (1) and the force detection module (3), the force detection module (3) comprises an upper force sensor (3-1) and a lower general mounting flange (3-2), and the force sensor (3-1) is connected to the locking module (2); The flexible module (1) comprises a mounting flange (1-1) and a flexible component (1-2) arranged in the mounting flange (1-1); the flexible component (1-2) comprises an upper constant force cylinder (1-2.3) and a lower cylinder flange (A-1); a flexible working part is arranged between the constant force cylinder (1-2.3) and the cylinder flange (A-1); the flexible working part comprises an upper flexible working head (1-2.1) and a lower controllable constant force component (1-2.2); a pre-compression spring (1-2.4) is arranged between the flexible working head (1-2.1) and the controllable constant force component (1-2.2); The locking module (2) comprises a connecting flange (2-1) and a self-locking component (2-2) disposed in the connecting flange (2-1); the self-locking component (2-2) comprises a cylinder body (2-2.2), a push plate (2-2.3) disposed in the cylinder body (2-2.2) and movable up and down; a locking spring (2-2.4) is disposed between the inner bottom of the cylinder body (2-2.2) and the push plate (2-2.3); and a plurality of locking ejector pins (2-2.1) are disposed on the upper side of the push plate (2-2.3); the upper part of the cylinder body (2-2.2) is connected to the cylinder body flange (A-1); The constant force cylinder (1-2.3) is provided with a corresponding locking hole for accommodating a locking ejector pin (2-2.1); when high pressure gas is passed into the cylinder (2-2.2), the push plate (2-2.3) drives the locking ejector pin (2-2.1) to move downward, the locking ejector pin (2-2.1) is disengaged from the locking hole, and the locking module (2) is unlocked, at which time the flexible module (1) can perform the assembly task; when the gas is cut off, the gas pressure in the cylinder (2-2.2) decreases, the locking spring (2-2.4) pushes the push plate (2-2.3) upward, the upper part of the locking ejector pin (2-2.1) passes through the cylinder flange (A-1) and enters the locking hole, the constant force cylinder (1-2.3) no longer moves, and the self-locking component (2-2) realizes the reset locking of the flexible module (1) under the action of the locking spring (2-2.4).

2. The flexible assembly module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible component (1-2) has a built-in IMU inertial measurement unit, and the plane attitude angle of the mounting flange (1-1) is measured by the IMU inertial measurement unit, thereby realizing the detection of the plane attitude angle of the mounting flange (1-1) during operation.

3. The flexible assembly module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking hole coincides with the upper part of the locking ejector pin (2-2.1).

4. The flexible assembly module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The upper part of the locking ejector pin is a convex surface or is provided with a positioning column.

5. The flexible assembly module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking ejector pins (2-2.1) include three evenly arranged ejector pins, which utilize three-point fixation to achieve product self-locking.

6. The flexible assembly module according to claim 4, characterized in that: The locking ejector pin (2-2.1) comprises a locking head (2-2.11) on the upper side and an auxiliary disengagement device (2-2.12) on the lower side, wherein the height of the auxiliary disengagement device (2-2.12) decreases as the external air pressure increases, thereby shortening the necessary stroke of the push plate and providing additional force to the locking head to help the locking head smoothly disengage from the locking hole.

7. The flexible assembly module according to claim 6, characterized in that: The auxiliary disengagement device (2-2.12) comprises a telescopic tube with air holes (2-2.13) on the tube wall and an air bag (2-2.16) arranged in the telescopic tube. The telescopic tube adopts a two-stage structure, including a lower tube (2-2.15) and an upper tube (2-2.14) that can slide along the lower tube. The lower tube is connected to the push plate (2-2.3), and the upper tube (2-2.14) is connected to the bottom of the lock head (2-2.11). When high-pressure gas is passed into the cylinder body (2-2.2), the side wall of the air bag is compressed, driving the telescopic tube to shorten, thereby moving the lock head downward.

8. The flexible assembly module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The constant force cylinder (1-2.3) and the cylinder (2-2.2) share a cylinder flange (A-1), which not only serves as a connecting flange for the flexible module (1) and the locking module (2), but also serves as a structural component of the cylinder (2-2.2), thereby achieving a simplified structure.

9. The flexible assembly module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cylinder body (2-2.2) is equipped with a distance sensor, which cooperates with an IMU inertial measurement unit to calculate the module offset angle and distance in real time, and realizes posture adjustment through control software.

10. The flexible assembly module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible assembly module is configured with at least I / O, Ethernet and modbus communication modes to adapt to a variety of load robots and general equipment.

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