Ring cover feeding positioning system and method and water meter assembly line

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field related to water meter assembly, and discloses a ring cover feeding and positioning system and method and a water meter assembly line.The ring cover feeding and positioning system comprises a storage module, a ring cover positioning module and a ring cover positioning and feeding module, and the ring cover positioning module comprises a rotary positioning mechanism and an in-place detection mechanism; the rotary positioning mechanism comprises a rotary table and a clamping mechanism, the in-place detection mechanism comprises a detection lifting drive and a detection assembly, and the detection assembly comprises a negative pressure assembly and a sensor assembly. By arranging the detection assembly and cooperating with the rotary positioning mechanism, the ring cover can be quickly positioned to a set angle, positioning is more accurate compared with manual operation, the ring cover subjected to accurate positioning is beneficial to correct assembly of subsequent products, and by arranging the negative pressure assembly, when positioning of the ring cover fails, the ring cover can be quickly positioned to a set angle. And the relative position between the ring cover and the clamping mechanism is adjusted, so that positioning is conveniently completed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field related to water meter assembly, and in particular to a ring cover feeding and positioning system and method and a water meter assembly line. Background Art

[0002] During the assembly process of the water meter, the press-fitting of the ring cover and the meter body is an important step. Traditionally, the ring cover loading process in this step is generally completed manually, which is inefficient. In addition, since there is a specific angle between the ring cover and the meter body, the ring cover needs to be adjusted to the set angle before assembly can be carried out. Manual assembly is prone to angle adjustment errors, resulting in product quality problems. The existing water meter automatic assembly equipment does not have a targeted solution to this problem. In view of the above problems, this application is proposed. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a ring cover feeding and positioning system and method and a water meter assembly line, so as to overcome the problems of low efficiency of traditional ring cover feeding and positioning and low accuracy of manual angle adjustment.

[0004] The present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions.

[0005] The present invention discloses a ring cover feeding and positioning system, comprising a material storage module, a ring cover positioning module and a ring cover positioning feeding module, wherein the material storage module is used to store materials, the material storage module can adopt a box body, and a ring cover support for stably placing the ring cover is provided in the material storage module, and the ring cover support can be formed by plastic so that the ring cover can be stably placed in the material storage module; the ring cover positioning feeding module comprises a material picking displacement drive component and a material picking mechanism, the material picking mechanism is used to grab the materials in the material storage module, the grabbing method is a clamping claw or a negative pressure suction method, the material picking displacement drive component is used to drive the material picking mechanism to transfer the materials, and the ring cover positioning module comprises a rotating positioning The invention relates to a positioning mechanism and an in-place detection mechanism, the rotation positioning mechanism includes a turntable and a clamping mechanism, the clamping mechanism is installed on the turntable, the clamping mechanism is used to clamp the material, the clamping mechanism is arranged as an outward-expanding three-claw structure, and the three clamping claws are provided with a flat plate structure for placing the ring cover outside, the in-place detection mechanism includes a detection lifting drive and a detection component, the detection component includes a negative pressure component and a sensor component, the sensor component can detect whether the ring cover is rotated to a set angle, the negative pressure component can be connected to the material so that the clamping mechanism can rotate alone, the sensor component is used to detect the material angle, and the sensor component is electrically connected to the turntable.

[0006] Furthermore, the material picking mechanism includes a material picking rotating body and a material picking arm, the material picking arm is connected to the material picking rotating body, and the material picking arm is provided with two mutually perpendicular material picking claws that can grab two ring covers to improve the feeding efficiency.

[0007] Furthermore, the material picking displacement drive assembly includes an X-axis translation mechanism, a Y-axis translation mechanism and a Z-axis translation mechanism.

[0008] Furthermore, at least two groups of the ring cover positioning modules are provided to further improve efficiency.

[0009] Furthermore, the detection component also includes an air blowing component. Impurities may exist in the positioning groove of the ring cover, affecting the positioning, and the air blowing component can blow away the impurities.

[0010] Furthermore, the sensor assembly includes one or more of an infrared sensor, a photoelectric sensor, an ultrasonic sensor or an image sensor.

[0011] Furthermore, the detection component also includes a column, and the negative pressure component, the blowing component and the sensor component are all installed on the column. The column has a non-smooth surface, and the column can extend into the positioning groove to remove impurities, burrs and other structures on its surface.

[0012] Furthermore, the ring cover loading and positioning system also includes a ring cover assembly loading module, which is used to grab the positioned ring cover and transfer it. The ring cover assembly loading module is preferably a robot.

[0013] A ring cover feeding and positioning method, based on the above-mentioned ring cover feeding and positioning system, comprises the following steps:

[0014] Material picking step: using the material picking displacement drive assembly to drive the material picking mechanism to grab the material in the material storage module, and transfer the material to the clamping mechanism of the ring cover positioning module;

[0015] Positioning steps: Use the turntable to drive the clamping mechanism to rotate, so that the material rotates, and use the sensor component to detect whether the material reaches the set angle. When the material rotates to the set angle, the sensor component sends an in-position command and the turntable stops rotating. If the material is still not positioned after one rotation, the detection lifting drive is used to make the negative pressure component contact with the material. After the clamping mechanism rotates the set angle alone, the negative pressure component separates from the material, and the turntable drives the material to rotate for repositioning.

[0016] A water meter assembly line comprises the above-mentioned ring cover loading and positioning system.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: by setting a detection component and cooperating with a rotating positioning mechanism, the ring cover can be quickly positioned to a set angle, and the positioning is more accurate than manual positioning. The accurately positioned ring cover is conducive to the correct assembly of subsequent products. By setting a negative pressure component, when the positioning of the ring cover fails, the relative position between the ring cover and the clamping mechanism can be adjusted to facilitate positioning.

[0018] By setting up a ring cover positioning and loading module, the ring cover can be automatically grabbed, and the effect of loading two ring covers at a time can be achieved by setting up two picking claws. In conjunction with two sets of ring cover positioning modules, the effects of efficient loading and efficient positioning are achieved, providing a basis for improving the subsequent assembly efficiency of the ring covers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0020] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0021] Figure 1 It is the overall structural schematic diagram of the ring cover feeding and positioning system;

[0022] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the ring cover positioning module;

[0023] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the ring cover positioning and loading module;

[0024] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ring cover;

[0025] Figure 5 is a top view of the cylinder;

[0026] In the figure: material storage module-1, ring cover support-11, ring cover positioning module-2, rotation positioning mechanism-21, turntable-211, clamping mechanism-212, driving mechanism-213, in-place detection mechanism-22, detection bracket-221, support arm-222, detection component-223, column-2231, negative pressure component-2232, blowing component-2233, sensor component-2234, detection lifting drive-224, ring cover positioning and feeding module-3, X-axis translation mechanism-31, Y-axis translation mechanism-32, Z-axis translation mechanism-33, material picking mechanism-34, material picking rotating body-341, material picking arm-342, material picking claw-343, ring cover assembly feeding module-4, ring cover-5, positioning groove-51. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Combine the following Figure 1-Figure 5 The present invention is described in detail.

[0028] Embodiment 1:

[0029] A ring cover feeding and positioning system of the present invention, such as Figure 1, including a material storage module 1, a ring cover positioning module 2 and a ring cover positioning loading module 3.

[0030] The material storage module 1 is used for storing materials. The material storage module 1 can adopt a box body. The material storage module 1 is provided with a ring cover support 11 for stably placing the ring cover 5. The ring cover support 11 can be formed of plastic so that the ring cover 5 can be stably placed in the material storage module 1, and the placed ring covers 5 are arranged horizontally and vertically.

[0031] like Figure 3 The ring cover positioning and loading module 3 includes a material picking displacement drive component and a material picking mechanism 34. The material picking mechanism 34 is used to grab the material in the storage module 1. The grabbing method is a clamping claw or a negative pressure suction method. The material picking displacement drive component is used to drive the material picking mechanism 34 to transfer the material. The material picking displacement drive component includes an X-axis translation mechanism 31, a Y-axis translation mechanism 32 and a Z-axis translation mechanism 33. The material picking mechanism 34 includes a material picking rotating body 341 and a material picking arm 342. The material picking arm 342 is connected to the material picking rotating body 341. Two mutually perpendicular material picking claws 343 are arranged on the material picking arm 342, which can grab two ring covers 5 to improve the loading efficiency.

[0032] The material picking rotating body 341 can be driven by a motor or pneumatically. When grabbing, the lower side material picking claw 343 is first used to descend and grab. After moving, the other side material picking claw 343 rotates to grab. The grabbing process of the other side material picking claw 343 can be carried out synchronously when moving toward the ring cover positioning module 2, thereby improving efficiency.

[0033] like Figure 2 Two groups of ring cover positioning modules 2 are set to receive two materials transferred by the ring cover positioning and loading modules 3 to further improve efficiency. The ring cover loading and positioning system also includes a ring cover assembly loading module 4. The ring cover assembly loading module 4 is used to grab the positioned ring cover and transfer it. The ring cover assembly loading module 4 is preferably a robot. The ring cover assembly loading module 4 grabs the ring cover 5 that has been positioned in the ring cover positioning module 2 and transfers it to the subsequent workstation.

[0034] The ring cover positioning module 2 comprises a rotation positioning mechanism 21 and an in-position detection mechanism 22 .

[0035] The rotation positioning mechanism 21 includes a turntable 211, a clamping mechanism 212 and a driving mechanism 213. The driving mechanism 213 includes a rotation drive for driving the turntable 211 and a clamping drive for driving the clamping mechanism 212 to move the clamping jaws. The rotation drive can be driven by a motor, and the clamping jaw drive can be driven by a motor or a pneumatic drive. The clamping mechanism 212 is installed on the turntable 211. The clamping mechanism 212 is used to clamp the material. The clamping mechanism 212 is configured as an outward-expanding three-claw structure. The outside of the three clamping claws are provided with a flat plate structure for placing the ring cover 5. The clamping claws are in contact with the inner wall of the ring cover to achieve centering and fixation.

[0036] The in-place detection mechanism 22 includes a detection lifting drive 224 and a detection component 223, both of which are installed on a detection bracket 221. The detection lifting drive 224 is connected to the detection component 223 through a support arm 222. The detection lifting drive 224 can use a pneumatic cylinder or an electric cylinder.

[0037] The detection component 223 includes a negative pressure component 2232 and a sensor component 2234. The detection component 223 is connected to the detection lifting drive 224. The detection lifting drive 224 is used to drive the detection component 223 to move up and down. The sensor component 2234 can detect whether the ring cover 5 is rotated to the set angle. The sensor component 2234 can be selected as one or more of an infrared sensor, a photoelectric sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor. An image sensor can also be used. The positioning groove 51 of the ring cover 5 is identified by the sensor component 2234 to determine whether the ring cover 5 is adjusted to the set angle. After the ring cover 5 is adjusted to the set angle, the sensor component sends an in-position instruction to the control module, and the control module sends a stop rotation instruction to the turntable 211.

[0038] Since the ring cover 5 is placed at a random angle on the clamping mechanism 212, its positioning groove 51 is blocked by the clamping claw. At this time, the detection lifting drive 224 drives the negative pressure component 2232 to contact the bottom surface of the ring cover 5, and generates negative pressure to absorb the ring cover 5, so that the clamping mechanism 212 can rotate alone, and the clamping claw of the clamping mechanism 212 shrinks. The platform of the shrunken clamping claw still supports the ring cover 5, and the turntable 211 rotates a certain angle, generally 10-20°, so that the positioning groove 51 and the clamping claw can be staggered, which is convenient for subsequent re-positioning.

[0039] Embodiment 2:

[0040] On the basis of Example 1, in this embodiment, the detection component 223 also includes a blowing component 2233. Impurities may exist in the positioning groove 51 of the ring cover 5, such as foam particles during transportation, which affect the positioning. The blowing component 2233 can blow away the impurities.

[0041] Optionally, the negative pressure suction of the negative pressure component 2232 can also be used for cleaning.

[0042] Embodiment 3:

[0043] On the basis of Example 2, Figure 5 , the detection component 223 also includes a column 2231, Figure 5It is a schematic diagram of the top surface structure of the column 2231, the negative pressure component 2232, the blowing component 2233 and the sensor component 2234 are all installed on the column 2231, and an image sensor is preferably arranged, wherein the negative pressure component 2232 includes a plurality of suction cup structures arranged in the outer circle, the blowing component 2233 and the sensor component 2234 are arranged in the middle position, and the column 2231 has a non-smooth surface. When there are burrs or impurities that are difficult to blow away in the positioning groove 51, the detection lifting drive 224 drives the column 2231 to extend into the positioning groove 51 to scrape off the impurities, burrs and other structures on its surface.

[0044] Embodiment 4:

[0045] On the basis of Example 1 or 2, the detection component 223 also includes a column 2231, at least the middle part of the column 2231 matches the contour of the positioning groove 51, and the head end has a smaller diameter, which can be easily inserted into the positioning groove 51. After the sensor component 2234 detects that the ring cover 5 is in place, the column 2231 can be inserted into the positioning groove 51, so that the ring cover 5 can be rotated and fine-tuned to achieve further positioning.

[0046] A ring cover feeding and positioning method, based on the ring cover feeding and positioning system in any of the above embodiments, comprises the following steps:

[0047] Material picking steps: Use the material picking displacement drive component to drive the material picking mechanism 34 to grab the material in the storage module 1, and transfer the material to the clamping mechanism 212 of the ring cover positioning module 2. When grabbing, first use the lower side material picking claw 343 to descend and grab. After moving, the other side material picking claw 343 rotates to grab. The grabbing process of the other side material picking claw 343 can be carried out synchronously while moving in the direction of the ring cover positioning module 2 to improve efficiency.

[0048] Positioning steps: Use the turntable 211 to drive the clamping mechanism 212 to rotate, so that the material rotates, and use the sensor component 2234 to detect whether the material has reached the set angle. When the material rotates to the set angle, the sensor component 2234 sends an in-position command, and the turntable 211 stops rotating; when the material is still not positioned after rotating one circle, use the detection lifting drive 224 to make the negative pressure component 2232 contact with the material. After the clamping mechanism 212 rotates the set angle alone, the negative pressure component 2232 separates from the material, and the turntable 211 drives the material to rotate for repositioning.

[0049] Loading step: The positioned ring cover is grabbed by the ring cover assembly loading module 4 and transferred to the subsequent assembly station.

[0050] A water meter assembly line comprises the above-mentioned ring cover loading and positioning system.

[0051] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the present invention, and their purpose is to enable people familiar with the technology in this field to understand the content of the present invention and implement it, and they cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any equivalent changes or modifications made according to the spirit of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A ring cover feeding and positioning system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a material storage module (1), a ring cover positioning module (2) and a ring cover positioning loading module (3), wherein the material storage module (1) is used to store materials, the ring cover positioning loading module (3) comprises a material picking displacement drive component and a material picking mechanism (34), the material picking mechanism (34) is used to grab materials in the material storage module (1), the material picking displacement drive component is used to drive the material picking mechanism (34) to transfer the materials, the ring cover positioning module (2) comprises a rotation positioning mechanism (21) and an in-position detection mechanism (22), the rotation positioning mechanism (21) comprises a turntable (211 ) and a clamping mechanism (212), the clamping mechanism (212) being mounted on a turntable (211), the clamping mechanism (212) being used to clamp a material, the in-place detection mechanism (22) comprising a detection lifting drive (224) and a detection component (223), the detection component (223) comprising a negative pressure component (2232) and a sensor component (2234), the negative pressure component being capable of connecting to the material so that the clamping mechanism (212) can rotate independently, the sensor component being used to detect an angle of the material, and the sensor component being electrically connected to the turntable (211).

2. The ring cover loading and positioning system according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The material picking mechanism (34) comprises a material picking rotating body (341) and a material picking arm (342); the material picking arm (342) is connected to the material picking rotating body (341); and two material picking claws (343) perpendicular to each other are arranged on the material picking arm (342).

3. The ring cover loading and positioning system according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The material taking displacement drive assembly comprises an X-axis translation mechanism (31), a Y-axis translation mechanism (32) and a Z-axis translation mechanism (33).

4. The ring cover loading and positioning system according to claim 3 is characterized in that: At least two groups of the ring cover positioning modules (2) are provided.

5. The ring cover loading and positioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The detection component (223) further includes an air blowing component (2233).

6. The ring cover loading and positioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The sensor component (2234) includes one or more of an infrared sensor, a photoelectric sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor.

7. The ring cover loading and positioning system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The detection component (223) further comprises a column (2231), and the negative pressure component (2232), the air blowing component (2233), and the sensor component (2234) are all mounted on the column (2231), and the column (2231) has a non-smooth surface.

8. The ring cover loading and positioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The ring cover loading and positioning system further comprises a ring cover assembly loading module (4), wherein the ring cover assembly loading module (4) is used to grab and transfer the positioned ring cover.

9. A ring cover loading and positioning method, based on the ring cover loading and positioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Material picking step: using the material picking displacement drive assembly to drive the material picking mechanism (34) to grab the material in the material storage module (1), and transfer the material to the clamping mechanism (212) of the ring cover positioning module (2); Positioning step: using the turntable (211) to drive the clamping mechanism (212) to rotate, so that the material rotates, using the sensor component (2234) to detect whether the material reaches a set angle, when the material rotates to the set angle, the sensor component (2234) issues an in-position instruction, and the turntable (211) stops rotating; when the material is still not positioned after rotating for a set number of times, using the detection lifting drive (224) to make the negative pressure component (2232) contact the material, after the clamping mechanism (212) rotates alone to the set angle, the negative pressure component (2232) is separated from the material, and the turntable (211) drives the material to rotate to re-position.

10. A water meter assembly line, characterized in that: The invention comprises the ring cover loading and positioning system as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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