A flexible gripper device and operating method for pre-embedding micro parts in injection molding

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of processing and manufacturing, and provides a flexible gripper device and operating method for pre-embedding micro parts in injection molding. It includes: a tooling plate; a feeding mechanism disposed on the tooling plate, the feeding mechanism having a transfer area and a detection area; a transfer plate movably disposed in the transfer area, the transfer plate being used to arrange several micro parts symmetrically at intervals, and the transfer plate being pushed to the detection area by the feeding mechanism; the detection area being used to detect the position of the several micro parts to be pre-embedded in injection molding. Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this invention are that the flexible gripper better adapts to parts of different sizes and shapes, has higher compatibility and a longer service life, reduces the risk of parts being damaged by clamping, is less susceptible to magnetic interference, allows the pre-embedded parts to be placed more stably in the mold, and enables the pre-embedding of a large number of micro parts in one go, saving overall work cycle time and improving production flexibility and efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of processing and manufacturing, and specifically relates to a flexible gripper device and operating method for pre-embedding in injection molding of micro parts. Background Technology

[0002] In current injection molding processes for micro-parts, the precise placement of embedded parts is a common challenge. This is especially true when dealing with very small components, where the limitations of traditional methods using metal elastic components as embedding fixtures become particularly apparent. On one hand, due to the inherent physical properties of metal elastic components, they often cannot provide sufficient holding force, leading to misalignment or incomplete positioning of the embedded part when placed into the mold. On the other hand, metal elastic components are prone to wear after prolonged use, shortening their lifespan and requiring frequent replacement, which undoubtedly increases maintenance costs and reduces production efficiency.

[0003] In addition, metal fixtures are susceptible to environmental magnetic fields, especially in magnetic production environments, which can cause embedded parts to be incorrectly attracted or fall off. In such cases, not only may the embedded parts fail to be placed correctly, but they may even become stuck inside the mold, causing even greater problems. Furthermore, metal fixtures are typically designed to be relatively simple and cannot accommodate small parts of different types and shapes. This necessitates changing the fixture when changing product types, increasing the workload. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings of the existing technology, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to propose a flexible gripper device and operation method for injection molding of micro parts.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problem is to propose a flexible gripper device for injection molding pre-embedding of micro parts, including: a tooling plate;

[0006] A feeding mechanism is provided on the tooling plate. The feeding mechanism is provided with a transfer area and a detection area. A transfer plate is movably arranged in the transfer area. The transfer plate is used to arrange several micro parts symmetrically at intervals. The feeding mechanism pushes the transfer plate to the detection area. The detection area is used to detect the position of several micro parts to be pre-embedded in injection molding.

[0007] A robotic arm is mounted on the tooling plate and located on one side of the feeding mechanism. The movable end of the robotic arm is connected to a rotating frame. One side of the rotating frame is connected to several flexible grippers, each of which corresponds to a number of tiny parts on the transfer plate. At least two gripping components are installed on the other side of the rotating frame. These gripping components are used to grab the workpieces that have been processed in the injection molding machine and transfer them to the outside of the tooling plate.

[0008] When the transfer plate moves several of the micro parts toward the inspection area, the movable end of the robot arm is used to drive the rotating frame to move and press against the transfer plate, so that several of the flexible grippers grasp several of the micro parts one by one.

[0009] After the detection area has been completed, the robot arm can simultaneously transfer the micro-parts in the flexible grippers to the injection molding machine for pre-embedding and injection molding. After the injection molding is completed, the workpiece can be taken out by the gripper.

[0010] In the aforementioned flexible gripper device for injection molding of micro parts, each flexible gripper is provided with a plurality of gripping blocks arranged in a ring at intervals. Each gripping block is provided with a locking arc surface and a buffer slope. The locking arc surface is arranged parallel to the axial direction of the flexible gripper and close to the gripping end of the flexible gripper. The buffer slope is disposed inside the flexible gripper, with one end of the buffer slope connected to the locking arc surface and the other end close to the axis of the flexible gripper.

[0011] In the aforementioned flexible gripper device for pre-embedding micro-parts in injection molding, the material transfer area includes:

[0012] An installation platform is set on the tooling plate, and fixed seats are installed at both ends of the installation platform;

[0013] A lead screw and a movable block are provided. One end of the lead screw is connected to a drive motor, and the other end is movably connected to the fixed base. The movable block is movably sleeved on the lead screw and is connected to the transfer plate, so that when the drive motor is turned on, it can drive the transfer plate to reciprocate along the length of the lead screw.

[0014] The guide post is located on both sides of the lead screw and connected to the fixed base. The movable block has a guide hole, which is movably fitted onto the guide post.

[0015] In the above-mentioned flexible gripper device for injection molding of micro parts, a mounting plate is provided on the rotating frame, and a number of assembly blocks are detachably connected to the mounting plate. The assembly blocks are evenly distributed and perpendicular to the mounting plate, so that the flexible grippers can be installed on the assembly blocks one by one.

[0016] In the above-mentioned flexible gripper device for injection molding of micro parts, the mounting plate is also symmetrically provided with fixing blocks, and the fixing blocks are connected with locators. The transfer plate is symmetrically provided with positioning grooves and positioning bosses. The locators are movably inserted into the positioning grooves, so that a number of flexible grippers can grasp a number of micro parts placed on the positioning bosses one by one.

[0017] In the aforementioned flexible gripper device for pre-embedding micro-parts in injection molding, the material inspection area includes:

[0018] A fixed bracket arranged in a triangular shape is connected to the side wall of the mounting bracket near the robot arm;

[0019] The testing platform is set on the fixed support. Several testing components are spaced apart and symmetrically distributed on the testing platform. The positions of the testing components correspond to the positions of several micro-parts pre-embedded in the workpiece.

[0020] In the above-mentioned flexible gripper device for pre-embedding micro parts in injection molding, each gripper includes a gripping cylinder and a first gripper and a second gripper disposed at the drive end of the gripping cylinder. The opposite ends of the first gripper and the second gripper are detachably connected to a clamping block. The clamping block can grip the workpiece in the injection molding machine when the first gripper and the second gripper approach each other.

[0021] In the aforementioned flexible gripper device for pre-embedding micro-parts in injection molding, the feeding mechanism further includes:

[0022] A position sensor is disposed on the mounting platform, and the position sensor is used to transmit a signal that the transfer plate is located at the end of the lead screw near the inspection area.

[0023] A laser marking machine and a scanner are mounted on the tooling plate. The laser marking machine is used to mark and distinguish the workpieces after injection molding, and the scanner is used to scan and detect the codes.

[0024] In the aforementioned flexible gripper device for pre-embedding injection-molded micro parts, the tooling plate is also provided with a conveyor belt and several cooling fans. The cooling fans are mounted on the conveyor belt and together with the conveyor belt form a cooling chamber, so that when the conveyor belt transports the injection-molded workpiece, the workpiece can be cooled by the cooling fans.

[0025] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problem is to also propose an operating method, which includes the following steps:

[0026] S1. Place several small parts that need to be pre-embedded in injection molding onto the transfer plate, and move the transfer plate closer to the robot arm as the movable block moves linearly on the lead screw.

[0027] S2. The moving end of the robot arm brings the rotating frame close to the transfer plate, so that one side of the rotating frame with several flexible grippers is parallel to the transfer plate. With the cooperation of the positioner and the positioning slot, the several flexible grippers can respectively grasp several small parts.

[0028] S3. The moving end of the robot continues to drive the rotating frame to move above the inspection platform, and through several inspection pieces, it inspects the position of several tiny parts that are about to be pre-embedded in the injection molding process.

[0029] S4. The robotic arm transfers several small parts that have been inspected to the injection molding machine and injection molds them together with the workpiece. The first and second grippers on the rotating frame then grip the processed workpiece.

[0030] S5. After the workpiece is marked by a laser marking machine, it is transferred to the conveyor belt by a robot. During the conveyor belt transmission, the cooler can simultaneously cool the workpiece.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0032] (1) The present invention provides a flexible gripper device and operating method for pre-embedding micro parts in injection molding. The flexible gripper better adapts to parts of different sizes and shapes, and has higher compatibility and longer service life. At the same time, the design of the flexible gripper reduces the risk of parts being pinched and damaged, and due to the properties of the material itself, they are not easily affected by magnetic interference, so that the pre-embedded parts can be placed more stably in the mold. In addition, when the flexible gripper is used in conjunction with a robot, a large number of micro parts can be pre-embedded in one go, saving the overall work cycle time and greatly improving the flexibility and efficiency of production.

[0033] (2) The locking arc surface allows the flexible gripper to fit tightly against the outer wall of the micro part, ensuring the stability of the flexible gripper when gripping the micro part. At the same time, the buffer slope provides a buffering effect when the flexible gripper grips the micro part, and it is also more effective in adapting to the pre-embedded injection molding process of parts of different sizes.

[0034] (3) The movable end of the robot is connected by a rotating frame, and the flexible gripper and the gripper are installed on opposite sides of the rotating frame. This integrated design greatly saves space occupied by parts and can effectively improve the overall work efficiency in the operation mode of a single robot. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of this application;

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the feeding mechanism;

[0037] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the area between the rotating frame and the transfer plate;

[0038] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the flexible gripper structure.

[0039] In the diagram, 1 is the tooling plate; 10 is the conveyor belt; 11 is the air cooler; and 110 is the cooling chamber.

[0040] 2. Feeding mechanism; 20. Transfer area; 200. Transfer plate; 201. Mounting platform; 202. Fixed base; 203. Lead screw; 204. Movable block; 205. Guide hole; 206. Guide column; 207. Positioning groove; 208. Positioning boss; 21. Inspection area; 210. Fixed bracket; 211. Inspection platform; 212. Inspection piece; 22. Position sensor; 23. Laser marking machine; 24. Scanner;

[0041] 3. Robotic arm;

[0042] 4. Rotating frame; 40. Flexible gripper; 400. Gripping block; 401. Locking arc surface; 402. Buffer slope; 41. Gripping component; 410. Gripping cylinder; 411. First gripper; 412. Second gripper; 413. Holding block; 42. Mounting plate; 43. Assembly block; 44. Fixing block; 440. Positioner. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The following are specific embodiments of the present invention, which are described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0044] like Figures 1 to 4As shown in the figure, this embodiment discloses a flexible gripper 40 device for pre-embedding micro parts in injection molding, comprising: a tooling plate 1; a feeding mechanism 2, disposed on the tooling plate 1, the feeding mechanism 2 having a transfer area 20 and a detection area 21, a transfer plate 200 movably disposed in the transfer area 20, the transfer plate 200 being used to arrange several micro parts symmetrically at intervals, and the feeding mechanism 2 pushing the transfer plate 200 towards the detection area 21; the detection area 21 being used to detect the position of several micro parts to be pre-embedded in injection molding; and a robotic arm 3, disposed on the tooling plate 1 and located on one side of the feeding mechanism 2, the movable end of the robotic arm 3 being connected to a rotating frame 4, and a plurality of flexible grippers 40 being connected to one side of the rotating frame 4. Each of the several tiny parts on the transfer plate 200 is set up one-to-one; at least two grippers 41 are installed on the other side of the rotating frame 4. The grippers 41 are used to grab the workpieces after processing in the injection molding machine and transfer them to the outside of the tooling plate 1; when the transfer plate 200 moves several tiny parts closer to the inspection area 21, the movable end of the robot arm 3 is used to drive the rotating frame 4 to move and press against the transfer plate 200, so that several flexible grippers 40 grab several tiny parts one-to-one; after the several tiny parts on the rotating frame 4 have been inspected in the inspection area, the robot arm 3 can simultaneously transfer the tiny parts in several flexible grippers 40 to the injection molding machine for pre-embedded injection, and after the injection molding is completed, the workpiece is taken out by the grippers 41.

[0045] This solution primarily enables a flexible gripper 40 to embed multiple pre-embedded parts (i.e., tiny components) into the workpiece in a single injection molding process. Specifically, for example... Figures 1 to 4 As shown, when the worker places several small parts at intervals on the transfer plate 200, the feeding mechanism 2 can then drive the transfer plate 200 from... Figure 2 The material is transferred to the far right end of the transfer zone 20. Figure 2 The current position shown (i.e., close to the inspection area 21) allows the robot arm 3 to drive the rotating frame 4 to move quickly and smoothly above the transfer plate 200. Driven by the moving end of the robot arm 3 (a six-axis robot arm 3 is used in this solution), several flexible grippers 40 on the rotating frame 4 are perpendicular to the transfer plate 200 and are placed one by one with several small parts on the transfer plate 200. Therefore, as the rotating frame 4 moves closer to the transfer plate 200, a large number of small parts can be picked up at once by the flexible grippers 40. This saves the overall work cycle time and also utilizes the characteristic that the flexible grippers 40 are not easily affected by magnetic interference to effectively ensure that the embedded parts can be placed more stably in the injection molding machine and integrally injection molded with the workpiece. After the workpiece is injection molded, the robot arm 3 can drive the rotating frame 4 to approach the injection molding machine again. At this time, the workpiece can be unloaded by using the clamping part 41 on the other side of the rotating frame 4. This device integrates loading and unloading on the rotating frame 4, saving space occupied by the overall parts, and also improving the flexibility and efficiency of production.

[0046] Each flexible gripper 40 is provided with a plurality of gripping blocks 400 arranged in a ring at intervals. Each gripping block 400 is provided with a locking arc surface 401 and a buffer slope 402. The locking arc surface 401 is arranged parallel to the axial direction of the flexible gripper 40 and close to the gripping end of the flexible gripper 40. The buffer slope 402 is disposed inside the flexible gripper 40, with one end of the buffer slope 402 connected to the locking arc surface 401 and the other end close to the axis of the flexible gripper 40.

[0047] like Figures 3 to 4 As shown, in this embodiment, three gripping blocks 400 are distributed on the flexible gripper 40. The three gripping blocks 400 are arranged in a ring with intervals, and each gripping block 400 has a locking arc surface 401 and a buffer slope 402. Specifically, when the rotating frame 4 drives the flexible gripper 40 to move towards the transfer plate 200, the locking arc surface 401 can effectively adhere to the outer wall of the micro part, ensuring the stability of the flexible gripper 40 when gripping the micro part. It is worth noting that during the gripping process, the rotating frame 4 needs to maintain an absolutely constant value with the transfer plate 200 to ensure that each flexible gripper 40 All of them can stably grasp the corresponding small parts. When pre-embedded injection molding of parts of different sizes, as the rotating frame 4-way transfer plate 200 gradually approaches, the buffer slope 402 can be used to buffer the flexible gripper 40 in grasping the small parts. In other words, the buffer slope 402 can adapt to parts of different sizes and shapes, and at the same time provide a buffer space for the gripper block 400 to grasp the small parts, effectively avoiding damage to the parts caused by rigid gripping between the gripper block 400 and the small parts, thus meeting the needs of pre-embedded injection molding process of parts of different sizes and improving production flexibility.

[0048] The rotating frame 4 is provided with a mounting plate 42, and a number of assembly blocks 43 are detachably connected to the mounting plate 42. The assembly blocks 43 are evenly distributed and perpendicular to the mounting plate 42, so that a number of flexible grippers 40 can be installed on the assembly blocks 43 one by one.

[0049] like Figure 3As shown, when the robotic arm 3 drives the rotating frame 4 to approach the transfer plate 200, the mounting plate 42 and the transfer plate 200 are in a parallel position, thus ensuring that several flexible grippers 40 grip several micro parts one by one. It should be noted that in this embodiment, several flexible grippers 40 are integrated on the mounting plate 42 via the assembly block 43. On the one hand, the mounting plate 42 can achieve one-time pre-embedded injection molding of a large number of micro parts by rotating with the rotating frame 4. On the other hand, it provides convenience for the installation and removal of several flexible grippers 40. That is, when the flexible grippers 40 are worn or damaged, the corresponding flexible grippers 40 can be quickly removed from the assembly block 43 and replaced. Preferably, the flexible grippers 40 and the assembly block 43 in this solution can be installed and fixed by an interference fit.

[0050] The mounting plate 42 is also symmetrically provided with fixing blocks 44, and the fixing blocks 44 are connected with locators 440. The transfer plate 200 is symmetrically provided with positioning grooves 207 and positioning bosses 208. The locators 440 are movably inserted into the positioning grooves 207, so that several flexible grippers 40 can grasp several small parts placed on the positioning bosses 208 one by one.

[0051] Further reference Figure 3 Since the rotating frame 4 needs to maintain an absolutely constant value with the transfer plate 200, a locator 440 is provided in the fixing block 44 on the mounting plate 42. When the rotating frame 4 drives the mounting plate 42 and the transfer plate 200 to be placed in a parallel posture, as the mounting plate 42 and the transfer plate 200 move closer to each other, the locator 440 can be movably inserted into the positioning groove 207. For this reason, this structure provides a guarantee for the flexible gripper 40 to stably grip small parts in a one-to-one correspondence with the positioning boss 208, ensuring that the flexible gripper 40 has enough space and distance to cooperate with the locking arc surface 401 and the buffer slope 402 to achieve compatibility of multiple parts.

[0052] The material transfer area 20 includes: a mounting platform 201, which is set on the tooling plate 1, and fixed seats 202 are installed at both ends of the mounting platform 201; a lead screw 203 and a movable block 204, one end of the lead screw 203 is connected to a drive motor, and the other end is movably connected to the fixed seat 202; the movable block 204 is movably sleeved on the lead screw 203, and the movable block 204 is connected to the material transfer plate 200, so that when the drive motor is turned on, it can drive the material transfer plate 200 to move back and forth in the length direction of the lead screw 203; and guide posts 206, which are located on both sides of the lead screw 203 and connected to the fixed seat 202, and guide holes 205 are opened in the movable block 204, and the guide holes 205 are movably sleeved on the guide posts 206.

[0053] like Figures 1 to 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the worker can stand... Figure 2The rightmost end of the mounting platform 201 is used to load several small parts. After the loading is completed, when the drive motor (not shown in the figure) drives the lead screw 203 to rotate, it can drive the movable block 204 and the transfer plate 200 to move linearly back and forth along the length of the lead screw 203. The overall structure is simple and effectively ensures the accuracy of the movement position of the transfer plate 200. During this process, the guide hole 205 in the movable block 204 is movably inserted into the guide post 206. Since the guide hole 205 and the guide post 206 are distributed on both sides of the movable block 204, they can guide the reciprocating movement of the movable block 204 and effectively prevent the transfer plate 200 from jamming due to tilting of the movable block 204 during movement.

[0054] Preferably, in this embodiment, a control switch can also be provided at the rightmost end of the installation platform 201. This control switch can control the opening and closing of the material transfer plate 200 in real time, thus ensuring the stability of the entire feeding process.

[0055] The inspection area 21 includes: a fixed bracket 210 arranged in a triangular shape, connected to the side wall of the mounting bracket near the robot arm 3; and an inspection platform 211, which is set on the fixed bracket 210. Several inspection pieces 212 are spaced apart and symmetrically distributed on the inspection platform 211. The positions of the inspection pieces 212 correspond to the positions of several micro parts pre-embedded in the workpiece.

[0056] Continue to refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The fixed bracket 210 is triangular in shape. Utilizing the inherent characteristics of the triangle, the overall structural strength of the inspection area 21 is enhanced. Notably, several inspection pieces 212 on the inspection platform 211 correspond to the pre-embedded injection positions of micro-parts within the workpiece. Therefore, when several flexible grippers 40 grip the corresponding micro-parts one by one, the robotic arm 3 needs to move the rotating frame 4 above the inspection platform 211 again. Similarly, when the mounting frame and the inspection platform 211 are placed in a parallel position, several inspection pieces 212 can accurately detect the position of the micro-parts within the corresponding flexible grippers 40. If the micro-parts are misaligned or the flexible grippers 40 exhibit empty gripping, rework is required through manual or secondary gripping operations to ensure the micro-parts are in the required pre-embedded injection positions, thereby ensuring that the quality of the integrally injection-molded workpiece meets the customer's usage requirements.

[0057] Each gripper 41 includes a gripping cylinder 410 and a first gripper 411 and a second gripper 412 disposed at the drive end of the gripping cylinder 410. A gripping block 413 is detachably connected to the opposite ends of the first gripper 411 and the second gripper 412. The gripping block 413 can grip the workpiece in the injection molding machine when the first gripper 411 and the second gripper 412 approach each other.

[0058] like Figure 3 As shown, each gripping component 41 in this embodiment consists of a gripping cylinder 410, a first gripper 411, and a second gripper 412. A certain gap exists between the gripping cylinder 410 and the mounting plate 42, effectively preventing jamming when they perform different functions and ensuring smoothness and stability throughout the operation. Furthermore, this embodiment employs two gripping cylinders 410 respectively mounted on both sides of the rotating frame 4. This allows for rapid unloading of multiple workpieces and ensures the stability of the first gripper 411 and the second gripper 412 when gripping workpieces, thanks to the cooperation of the two gripping cylinders 410. Preferably, a clamping block 413 is detachably connected to the clamping end of both the first clamping jaw 411 and the second clamping jaw 412. The clamping block 413 replaces the clamping jaw in contact with the workpiece after injection molding, effectively preventing the workpiece from being scratched due to excessive contact between the clamping jaw and the workpiece. In case of damage to the clamping block 413, the clamping block 413 can be quickly replaced by disassembling screws and other connecting parts, thereby ensuring the stability of the workpiece during unloading.

[0059] Preferably, such as Figure 1 As shown, the feeding mechanism 2 in this embodiment further includes a position sensor 22 disposed on the mounting platform 201. The position sensor 22 is used to transmit a signal indicating that the transfer plate 200 is located at the end of the lead screw 203 near the inspection area 21, so that the transfer plate 200 reaches the inspection area 21. Figure 2 At the leftmost position, the robotic arm 3 can drive the rotating frame 4 to grasp the tiny parts through the flexible gripper 40 in the first instant, effectively saving the overall work cycle time; after the one-piece injection molded workpiece is grasped by the gripping cylinder 410, it can be quickly moved to the laser marking machine 23 on the tooling plate 1 to complete the automatic marking and differentiation of the workpiece. After the scanner 24 scans and detects that there are no errors, the subsequent unloading operation can be carried out. This structure does not require manual intervention and greatly improves production efficiency.

[0060] Preferably, such as Figure 1As shown, in this embodiment, the tooling plate 1 is also provided with a conveyor belt 10 and several air coolers 11. The air coolers 11 are all set on the conveyor belt 10 and together with the conveyor belt 10 form a cooling chamber 110. When the workpiece that has been scanned correctly by the scanner 24 is sent to the conveyor belt 10 by the robot arm 3, the workpiece can be cooled by the air coolers 11 during the process of the conveyor belt 10 transferring the workpiece, so as to avoid deformation of the workpiece.

[0061] Based on the above structure, this solution also provides an operation method, including the following steps:

[0062] S1. Place several small parts that need to be pre-embedded in injection molding onto the transfer plate 200, and move the transfer plate 200 toward the robot arm 3 by moving the movable block 204 on the lead screw 203.

[0063] S2. The movable end of the robot arm 3 brings the rotating frame 4 close to the transfer plate 200, so that one side of the rotating frame 4 with several flexible grippers 40 is parallel to the transfer plate 200. With the cooperation of the positioner 440 and the positioning groove 207, the several flexible grippers 40 can respectively grasp several small parts.

[0064] S3, the movable end of the robotic arm 3 continues to drive the rotating frame 4 to move above the detection platform 211, and through several detection components 212, the position of several tiny parts that are about to be pre-embedded in injection molding is detected;

[0065] S4. The robot arm 3 transfers several small parts after inspection to the injection molding machine and injects them into the workpiece together. The first gripper 411 and the second gripper 412 on the rotating frame 4 grip the processed workpiece.

[0066] S5. After the workpiece is marked by the laser marking machine 23, the workpiece is transferred to the conveyor belt 10 by the robot arm 3. During the transmission of the conveyor belt 10, the cooler 11 can simultaneously complete the cooling process of the workpiece.

[0067] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0068] Furthermore, in this invention, descriptions involving terms such as "first," "second," and "a" are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0069] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixed" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0070] Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other, but only if they are feasible for those skilled in the art. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible gripper device for pre-embedding in injection molding of micro parts, characterized in that, include: Tooling plate; A feeding mechanism is provided on the tooling plate. The feeding mechanism is provided with a transfer area and a detection area. A transfer plate is movably arranged in the transfer area. The transfer plate is used to arrange several micro parts symmetrically at intervals. The feeding mechanism pushes the transfer plate to the detection area. The detection area is used to detect the position of several micro parts to be pre-embedded in injection molding. A robotic arm is mounted on the tooling plate and located on one side of the feeding mechanism. The movable end of the robotic arm is connected to a rotating frame. One side of the rotating frame is connected to several flexible grippers, each of which corresponds to a number of tiny parts on the transfer plate. At least two gripping components are installed on the other side of the rotating frame. These gripping components are used to grab the workpieces that have been processed in the injection molding machine and transfer them to the outside of the tooling plate. Each of the flexible grippers is provided with a plurality of gripping blocks arranged in a ring at intervals. Each gripping block is provided with a locking arc surface and a buffer slope. The locking arc surface is arranged parallel to the axis of the flexible gripper and close to the gripping end of the flexible gripper. The buffer slope is disposed inside the flexible gripper, with one end of the buffer slope connected to the locking arc surface and the other end close to the axis of the flexible gripper. When the transfer plate moves several of the micro parts toward the inspection area, the movable end of the robot arm is used to drive the rotating frame to move and press against the transfer plate, so that several of the flexible grippers grasp several of the micro parts one by one. After the micro parts on the rotating frame have been inspected in the inspection area, the robot can simultaneously transfer the micro parts in the flexible grippers to the injection molding machine for pre-embedding and injection molding, and after the injection molding is completed, the workpiece can be taken out by the gripper.

2. The flexible gripper device for pre-embedding in injection molding of micro parts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material transfer area includes: An installation platform is set on the tooling plate, and fixed seats are installed at both ends of the installation platform; A lead screw and a movable block are provided. One end of the lead screw is connected to a drive motor, and the other end is movably connected to the fixed base. The movable block is movably sleeved on the lead screw and is connected to the transfer plate, so that when the drive motor is turned on, it can drive the transfer plate to reciprocate along the length of the lead screw. The guide post is located on both sides of the lead screw and connected to the fixed base. The movable block has a guide hole, which is movably fitted onto the guide post.

3. A flexible gripper device for pre-embedding in injection molding of micro parts according to claim 2, characterized in that, The rotating frame is provided with a mounting plate, and a number of assembly blocks are detachably connected to the mounting plate. The assembly blocks are evenly distributed and perpendicular to the mounting plate, so that the flexible grippers can be installed on the assembly blocks one by one.

4. A flexible gripper device for pre-embedding in injection molding of micro parts according to claim 3, characterized in that, The mounting plate is also symmetrically provided with fixing blocks, and a locator is connected to the fixing block. The transfer plate is symmetrically provided with positioning grooves and positioning bosses. The locator is movably inserted into the positioning groove, so that several flexible grippers can grasp several small parts placed on the positioning bosses one by one.

5. A flexible gripper device for pre-embedding in injection molding of micro parts according to claim 4, characterized in that, The material inspection area includes: A fixed bracket arranged in a triangular shape is connected to the side wall of the mounting platform near the robot arm; The testing platform is set on the fixed support. Several testing components are spaced apart and symmetrically distributed on the testing platform. The positions of the testing components correspond to the positions of several micro-parts pre-embedded in the workpiece.

6. A flexible gripper device for pre-embedding in injection molding of micro parts according to claim 5, characterized in that, Each of the clamping components includes a clamping cylinder and a first jaw and a second jaw disposed at the drive end of the clamping cylinder. The opposite ends of the first jaw and the second jaw are detachably connected to a clamping block, which can grip the workpiece in the injection molding machine when the first jaw and the second jaw approach each other.

7. A flexible gripper device for pre-embedding in injection molding of micro parts according to claim 6, characterized in that, The feeding mechanism also includes: A position sensor is disposed on the mounting platform, and the position sensor is used to transmit a signal that the transfer plate is located at the end of the lead screw near the inspection area. A laser marking machine and a scanner are mounted on the tooling plate. The laser marking machine is used to mark and distinguish the workpieces after injection molding, and the scanner is used to scan and detect the codes.

8. A flexible gripper device for pre-embedding in injection molding of micro parts according to claim 7, characterized in that, The tooling plate is also equipped with a conveyor belt and several air coolers. The air coolers are mounted on the conveyor belt and together with the conveyor belt form a cooling chamber, so that when the conveyor belt transports the injection-molded workpiece, the workpiece can be cooled by the air coolers.

9. A method of operation, employing the flexible gripper device for injection molding pre-embedding of micro parts as described in claim 8, further comprising the following steps: S1. Place several small parts that need to be pre-embedded in injection molding onto the transfer plate, and move the transfer plate closer to the robot arm as the movable block moves linearly on the lead screw. S2. The moving end of the robot arm brings the rotating frame close to the transfer plate, so that one side of the rotating frame with several flexible grippers is parallel to the transfer plate. With the cooperation of the positioner and the positioning slot, the several flexible grippers can respectively grasp several small parts. S3. The moving end of the robot continues to drive the rotating frame to move above the inspection platform, and through several inspection pieces, it inspects the position of several tiny parts that are about to be pre-embedded in the injection molding process. S4. The robotic arm transfers several small parts that have been inspected to the injection molding machine and injection molds them together with the workpiece. The first and second grippers on the rotating frame then grip the processed workpiece. S5. After the workpiece is marked by a laser marking machine, it is transferred to the conveyor belt by a robot. During the conveyor belt transmission, the cooler can simultaneously cool the workpiece.

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