Manipulator labeling clamp

Abstract

The manipulator labeling clamp is characterized in that a cylinder and a guide device are arranged on a displacement compensation device and are used for displacement compensation; the displacement compensation device is connected with the vacuum adsorption assembly, the vacuum adsorption assembly is connected with the vacuum partition plate and the adsorption plate, and vacuum is formed in a cavity between the vacuum partition plate and the adsorption plate through the effect of the vacuum generation device and used for achieving adsorption and release of labels. The swinging roller devices are installed on the two sides of the top end of the displacement compensation device and used for trowelling the arc face of a label pasted on a paper roll body. Negative pressure is generated in the cavity between the vacuum partition plate and the adsorption plate through the vacuum generation device, so that labels can be stably adsorbed, and the problem that the labels are uneven due to uneven adsorption is solved; the displacement compensation device realizes the functions of accurate displacement compensation and pressure control when the manipulator drives the clamp to be close to the labeling position through the cylinder and the guide assembly, and solves the problems of uneven stress and more fault points caused by simultaneous working of a plurality of vacuum chucks with springs in the prior art.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an automated packaging system based on a robot, in particular to a manipulator labeling fixture used in the automated packaging system. Background Art

[0002] Robots have been widely used in the fields of automated production and automated packaging, replacing manual labor to complete many tedious and repetitive tasks. Among them, the robot automatic labeling system uses the robot as a driver to complete the movement and action of multiple degrees of freedom, and customizes the matching fixture mechanism according to different products and labeling requirements, and cooperates with the robot to complete the labeling work.

[0003] In automated production and packaging lines, labeling requires a high rhythm and often requires 24-hour uninterrupted work. If manual operation is used, it will not only fail to meet the efficiency requirements, but also be detrimental to the physical and mental health of workers. In addition, when workers are tired, the error rate of work will also increase. Therefore, it is very necessary and feasible to use robots to complete this work.

[0004] At present, many industries have applied robot labeling to actual production. In the finished paper roll packaging line of the paper mill studied in this study, the robot labeling system has also been used as a necessary equipment for automated and intelligent factories to complete the label pasting work on the paper roll body, end face, etc. Among them, the label pasted on the body is usually A4 size, and the diameter of the finished paper roll is mostly in the range of 800mm to 1500mm. Therefore, to paste an A4-sized label on the paper roll body, not only does the robot need to push the label to the paper roll body, but also needs to complete the arc smoothing action of the label on the paper roll body to ensure that the entire label is intact and flatly pasted on the paper roll body. This requires a set of suitable fixtures to cooperate with the action of the robot to complete.

[0005] Most of the labeling fixtures currently in use are suction cup type (see Figure 1), pasting an A4 size label is usually completed by connecting 6 vacuum suction cups to an adsorption plate. Several small holes are opened at the connection position of each vacuum suction cup and the adsorption plate. A vacuum generating device is used to connect the vacuum suction cup. When the manipulator reaches the label taking position, the vacuum generator generates vacuum negative pressure, and the suction cup adsorbs the label on the adsorption plate. When the manipulator moves to the labeling position set on the paper roll body, the label is pressed onto the paper roll body, and the vacuum generator stops working, and then the label is pasted on the paper roll body. During this period, a spring is installed on the vacuum suction cup, and the labeling fixture presses the label onto the paper roll body with a certain pressure. Next, the label needs to be smoothed. The fixture presses the label onto the body with a certain pressure as the manipulator moves. The smoothing in the arc direction is completed by the adsorption plate, and the displacement compensation in the arc direction is realized by the spring on the vacuum suction cup. During the labeling process of the manipulator, the downward displacement is generally monitored by a proximity switch, and an alarm is triggered in abnormal circumstances.

[0006] There are some problems in the application of the above-mentioned robot labeling fixture: 1. The selection of the vacuum suction cup with a spring is difficult, and the selection of parameters such as the spring length, deformation, and spring constant needs to be fully calculated and determined through experiments; 2. Suction cups with springs are often expensive and have a limited lifespan; 3. The suction cup and the adsorption plate are usually connected by glue, which has the risk of falling off and is not reliable enough; 4. The six suction cups work together, and the consistency of the action is required to be high. If one of the suction cups fails, the labeling action will fail; 5. The adsorption holes on the adsorption plate are arranged according to the position of the suction cup, and are concentrated in the six suction cup areas, which will cause the label to be uneven when the label is adsorbed; 6. The action of smoothing the label on the paper roll is caused by the contact between the adsorption plate and the label, which has high requirements on the material and surface treatment of the adsorption plate. If it is not handled properly, the label is easily damaged when it is wiped.

[0007] The above problems require a lot of time and effort to calculate and design, and must be tested and corrected through a large number of experiments, and the manufacturing and component costs are high.

[0008] A detailed study was conducted on the many problems existing in the practical applications of the commonly used suction cup clamps. The newly designed and invented manipulator labeling clamp tries to avoid the current problems by optimizing the structural design as much as possible while meeting the requirements of use. Summary of the invention

[0009] The present invention is to provide a robot labeling fixture, which no longer uses a vacuum suction cup, but instead makes a cavity between a vacuum partition and an adsorption plate. The cavity is made to generate negative pressure or positive pressure through a vacuum generating system, thereby realizing the adsorption and release and pasting functions of the label. In addition, the label smoothing action is completed by a swinging roller mechanism and the adsorption plate, and the displacement compensation during labeling of the paper roll body is realized by the cylinder and swinging roller mechanism installed on the fixture.

[0010] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution of the present invention is: a manipulator labeling fixture, including a mounting flange, a displacement compensation device, a vacuum adsorption assembly, and a swing roller assembly. The displacement compensation device is equipped with a cylinder and a guide device for displacement compensation; the top of the displacement compensation device is connected to the vacuum adsorption assembly, and the vacuum adsorption assembly is connected to the cavity between the vacuum partition and the adsorption plate through a vacuum generating device to realize the adsorption and release of the label; swing roller devices are installed on both sides of the top of the displacement compensation device for smoothing the arc surface of the label pasted on the paper roll body.

[0011] Furthermore, the mounting flange serves as a transition mounting plate between the manipulator and the manipulator labeling fixture, with one side mounted on the manipulator and the other side mounted on the displacement compensation device.

[0012] Furthermore, the vacuum adsorption assembly consists of a vacuum partition, an adsorption plate and a sealing ring. One side of the vacuum partition is connected to the connecting pressure plate of the displacement compensation device, and the other side is provided with a hollow layer, which is connected to the adsorption plate to form a cavity. Multiple air holes are opened on the hollow layer of the vacuum partition, and an air pipe is installed to connect with the vacuum generating device.

[0013] Furthermore, the adsorption plate is larger than the label to be attached, and has evenly distributed pores in the corresponding area of ​​the hollow layer, which is used to adsorb the label when the hollow layer is evacuated, and the label is adsorbed evenly; the adsorption plate is made of an integrated material of stainless steel and rubber, and the rubber side is in contact with the label.

[0014] Furthermore, a sealing ring is installed in the connection area between the vacuum partition and the adsorption plate.

[0015] Furthermore, the displacement compensation device consists of a connecting mounting frame, a guide assembly, a connecting pressure plate, and a limit assembly, wherein the connecting mounting frame is L-shaped as a whole, one end of which is connected to the mounting flange, a cylinder is installed on the inside, and the cylinder piston head is connected to the connecting pressure plate.

[0016] Furthermore, the guide assembly is installed on a connecting mounting frame by a C-shaped connecting frame, and a guide shaft, a fixed sleeve, a guide spring and a spring clamping ring are respectively installed on both sides, wherein the fixed sleeve is sleeved on the guide shaft, passes through the C-shaped connecting frame and is connected and fixed thereto, and the guide spring is sleeved on the guide shaft, with one end resting on the fixed sleeve and the other end being adjusted and fixed by the spring clamping ring.

[0017] Furthermore, when the cylinder is pushed out, the guide spring plays the role of balancing the displacement and force on the side. One side of the pressure plate is connected to the cylinder piston head and a guide shaft, and the other side is connected to the vacuum adsorption assembly. A limit assembly is installed under the cylinder piston head, and a mechanical limit and proximity switch limit are installed on it. When the limit is abnormal, it can protect the equipment and alarm.

[0018] Furthermore, the swing roller assembly consists of a mounting block, a swing arm, a connecting rod, a roller, a rebound shaft and a fixed limit, wherein the two mounting blocks are connected to the connecting pressure plate of the displacement compensation device and the vacuum partition of the vacuum adsorption assembly, and two swing arms are installed on both sides respectively. The swing arms and the connecting rod form a roller bracket, and the roller is installed in the roller bracket. The rebound shaft and the fixed limit are installed on both sides of the connecting rod respectively.

[0019] Furthermore, the rebound shaft is composed of a step bolt, a limit spring and a blocking gasket, wherein one end of the step bolt is fastened to the connecting pressure plate of the displacement compensation device, the limit spring is sleeved on the step bolt, and there is a certain gap between the limit spring and the blocking gasket.

[0020] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0021] The vacuum adsorption component of the robot labeling fixture designed by the present invention generates negative pressure in the cavity between the vacuum partition and the adsorption plate through a vacuum generating device to adsorb the label. The pores on the adsorption plate are evenly distributed, which can stably adsorb the label. Compared with the previous vacuum suction cup device, it is more stable and solves the problem of uneven label caused by uneven adsorption; the displacement compensation device realizes the precise displacement compensation and pressure control function when the robot drives the fixture to approach the labeling position through the cylinder and the guide component, which solves the problem of uneven force and many failure points caused by the simultaneous operation of multiple vacuum suction cups with springs in the past; the swing roller component cooperates with the adsorption plate to flexibly adjust the label attached to the paper roll body Compared with the previous method of smoothing with only the adsorption plate, it avoids damage to the label and greatly reduces work failures; the manufacturing cost of the parts used in this set of robot labeling fixture is controllable, and the only purchased part is 1 cylinder. Compared with the previous 6 vacuum suction cups with springs, the cost is lower. In addition, it avoids the problem of loose fixation between the suction cup and the adsorption plate through glue, and also avoids the problem of limited life of the suction cup with springs. The overall stability and reliability are higher; because the displacement compensation device can automatically compensate for the positioning of the robot and adjust the pressure, the swing roller assembly also has an elastic device that can flexibly adjust the downward pressure and automatically reset, which can greatly reduce the workload of accurate theoretical calculations and equipment debugging, and reduce the workload of equipment maintenance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of an existing suction cup type manipulator labeling fixture;

[0023] Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the structure of the robot labeling fixture of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the mounting flange structure;

[0025] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a displacement compensation device;

[0026] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the guide assembly;

[0027] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the vacuum adsorption assembly;

[0028] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a vacuum partition;

[0029] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an adsorption plate;

[0030] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of an oscillating roller assembly;

[0031] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of the rebound shaft;

[0032] Fig.11 It is a system application diagram of the robot labeling fixture;

[0033] In the figure: 100. manipulator, 101. mounting flange, 102. displacement compensation device, 103. vacuum adsorption component, 104. swing roller device, 201. connecting mounting frame, 202. guide component, 203. connecting pressure plate, 204. limit component, 205. cylinder, 301. C-shaped connecting frame, 302. guide shaft, 303. fixed sleeve, 304. guide spring, 305. spring clamping ring, 401. C-shaped connecting frame, 402. guide shaft, 403. fixed sleeve, 501. mounting block, 502. swing arm, 503. connecting rod, 504. roller, 505. rebound shaft, 506. fixed limit, 601. step bolt, 602. limit spring, 603. blocking gasket. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0035] The design concept of the present invention: The innovative design of the robot labeling fixture is based on three focus points: (1) how to generate the vacuum negative pressure when the fixture adsorbs the label at the label removal station, and how to release the label in time when labeling; (2) when the robot drives the fixture with the adsorbed label to the labeling position and starts to label along the paper roll, how to control the downward displacement and downward pressure of the fixture; (3) when the label is pasted to the paper roll, how to smooth the label on the arc surface.

[0036] In view of the above entry points, the robot labeling fixture of the present invention directly manufactures a cavity between two plates. When it reaches the label removal position, a vacuum generating device is connected to the cavity to evacuate and realize adsorption. When labeling, the vacuum generating device stops working and the label can be released. When the robot completes label removal, it will calculate the labeling position to be reached according to the known paper roll diameter and slowly drive the fixture close to the paper roll body. In order to control the displacement and downward pressure of the curved surface fixture, a cylinder is installed on the fixture and is in an ejection state. Through the control of the sensor on the cylinder, the displacement and pressure can be accurately controlled in real time. Since the adsorption plate of the fixture is a plane and the paper roll body is a curved surface, there is a line contact between the two. When the robot smoothes and pastes the label on the paper roll body, it needs to drive the fixture to move on the curved surface. This action requires high accuracy of displacement control. In order to adapt to paper rolls of different diameters, a set of swinging roller devices is installed on the fixture to realize the smoothing action of the label on the curved surface.

[0037] like Figures 2 to 10 As shown, the robot labeling fixture of the present invention mainly includes: a mounting flange 101 as a transition mounting plate between the robot and the labeling fixture, one side of which is mounted on the robot 100, and the other side of which is mounted on a displacement compensation device 102 of the fixture, the displacement compensation device 102 is equipped with a cylinder and a guide device for displacement compensation, the top of the displacement compensation device 102 is connected to a vacuum adsorption component 103, a vacuum generating device acts on it, and is used to achieve the adsorption and release of the label, and swing roller devices 104 are installed on both sides of the top of the displacement compensation device 102, which are used to smooth the arc surface of the label pasted on the paper roll body.

[0038] like Figure 3 As shown, the mounting flange 101 serves as a transition between the manipulator 100 and the labeling fixture, and not only serves the function of connection and installation, but also protects the mounting surface and mounting holes on the manipulator. In actual use and maintenance, the labeling fixture may be disassembled. If the fixture is directly installed on the manipulator 100, the mounting surface and connection holes of the manipulator 100 will wear or even slip. By fixing the mounting flange 101 to the manipulator 100 and installing the fixture on the mounting flange 101, wear on the manipulator 100 can be avoided.

[0039] like Figure 45, the displacement compensation device 102 is composed of a connecting mounting frame 201, a guide assembly 202, a connecting pressure plate 203, and a limit assembly 204. The connecting mounting frame 201 is L-shaped as a whole, one end of which is connected to the mounting flange 101, and a cylinder 205 is installed inside. The piston head of the cylinder is connected to the connecting pressure plate 203. Since the force-bearing surface of the connecting pressure plate is wider than the piston head, in order to ensure the synchronization of the cylinder stroke displacement and force, even if the cylinder originally has its own guide, a guide assembly 202 is also required here. The guide assembly 202 is installed on the connecting mounting frame 201 by a C-shaped connecting frame 301, and a guide shaft 302, a fixed sleeve 303, and a guide spring 30 are installed on both sides. 4 and spring clamping ring 305, wherein the fixed sleeve 303 is sleeved on the guide shaft 302, passes through the C-shaped connecting frame 301 and is connected and fixed thereto, the guide spring 304 is sleeved on the guide shaft 302, one end of which is pressed on the fixed sleeve 303, and the other end is adjusted and fixed by the spring clamping ring 305. When the cylinder is pushed out, the guide spring 304 plays a role in balancing the displacement and force on the two sides. One side of the connecting plate 203 is connected to the cylinder piston head and the two guide shafts 302, and one side is connected to the vacuum adsorption component 103. The limit component 204 is installed below the cylinder piston head, and the mechanical limit and proximity switch limit are installed thereon. When the limit is abnormal, the equipment can be protected and an alarm can be given.

[0040] like Figure 6 As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the vacuum adsorption component 103 consists of a vacuum partition 401, an adsorption plate 402 and a sealing ring 403. The vacuum partition 401 is connected to the connecting pressure plate 203 of the displacement compensation device 102 on one side, and is made into a hollow layer on the other side, which is connected to the adsorption plate 402 to form a cavity between the two. Two air holes are opened on the hollow layer of the vacuum partition, and an air pipe is installed to connect with the vacuum generating device. The adsorption plate 402 is made to be slightly larger than the label to be pasted, and evenly distributed air holes are opened in the area corresponding to the hollow layer to adsorb the label when the hollow layer is evacuated, and the label is evenly adsorbed. The adsorption plate is made of stainless steel and rubber, and one side of the rubber is in contact with the label. In order to maintain the airtightness of the hollow layer, a sealing ring 403 is installed in the connection area between the vacuum partition 401 and the adsorption plate 402.

[0041] like Fig. 9As shown in FIG. 10 , the swing roller assembly 104 is composed of two mounting blocks 501, two swing arms 502, a connecting rod 503, a roller 504, two sets of rebound shafts 505 and two sets of fixed limiters 506. Among them, the two mounting blocks 501 are connected to the connecting pressure plate 203 of the displacement compensation device 102 and the vacuum partition 401 of the vacuum adsorption assembly 103, and two swing arms 502 are respectively installed on both sides. The swing arms 502 and the connecting rod 503 form a roller bracket, and the roller 504 is installed therein. The rebound shaft 505 and the fixed limiter 506 are respectively installed on both sides of the connecting rod 503. The rebound shaft is composed of a step bolt 601, a limit spring 602 and a blocking gasket 603, and one end of the step bolt 601 is fastened to the connecting rod 203 of the displacement compensation device 102. On the pressure plate 203, the limit spring 602 is sleeved on the step bolt 601, and there is a certain gap between the limit spring 602 and the blocking gasket 603. When the entire labeling system smoothes the label on the paper roll, the roller presses down, and the amount of pressure can be flexibly adjusted by the limit spring 602. When the action is completed, it can also be reset by the limit spring 602. During the process of the roller 504 pressing down and rebounding, it can be limited by the fixed limit 506 for protection. In order to ensure that the label is not damaged during labeling, the roller 504 adopts surface rubber coating.

[0042] Fig.11 A complete set of robot labeling system applied by the robot labeling fixture designed by the present invention is demonstrated.

[0043] This system has been applied in 3 sets in the finishing workshop of a paper mill and has been running stably for more than 2 years, successfully verifying the feasibility, stability and advancement of the design of the invention.

[0044] When the system receives a work instruction, the label printer prints the label, and the robot drives the labeling fixture to pick up the label at the printer's paper receiving tray and accurately adsorbs the label to the adsorption plate of the fixture; the robot then adsorbs the label and moves it to the water spray position, and the sprayed water mist wets the back of the label, dissolving the hydrosol on the label; the robot continues to move the label to the labeling position, pushes the label to the labeling position of the paper roll, accurately sticks the label to the paper roll, and then smoothes the arc surface of the label on the paper roll, and finally sticks the label on the paper roll evenly to complete the workflow.

[0045] After sufficient experimental verification, the manipulator labeling fixture of the present invention was applied to actual project production, verifying the feasibility and advancement of the present invention.

Claims

1. A robot labeling fixture, characterized in that: It includes a mounting flange, a displacement compensation device, a vacuum adsorption component, and a swing roller component. The displacement compensation device is equipped with a cylinder and a guide device for displacement compensation. The top of the displacement compensation device is connected to the vacuum adsorption component. The vacuum adsorption component is connected to the cavity between the vacuum partition and the adsorption plate through a vacuum generating device to achieve the adsorption and release of the label. Swing roller devices are installed on both sides of the top of the displacement compensation device to smooth the arc surface of the label pasted on the paper roll body.

2. The robot labeling fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting flange serves as a transition mounting plate between the manipulator and the manipulator labeling fixture, with one side mounted on the manipulator and the other side mounted with a displacement compensation device.

3. The robot labeling fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vacuum adsorption assembly consists of a vacuum partition, an adsorption plate and a sealing ring. One side of the vacuum partition is connected to the connecting pressure plate of the displacement compensation device, and the other side is provided with a hollow layer, which is connected to the adsorption plate to form a cavity. Multiple air holes are opened on the hollow layer of the vacuum partition, and an air pipe is installed to connect it to the vacuum generating device.

4. According to the robot labeling fixture according to claim 3, it is characterized in that: The adsorption plate is larger than the label to be pasted, and has evenly distributed pores in the corresponding area of ​​the hollow layer, which is used to adsorb the label when the hollow layer is vacuumed, and the label is adsorbed evenly; the adsorption plate is made of stainless steel and rubber, and the rubber side is in contact with the label.

5. According to the robot labeling fixture according to claim 3, it is characterized in that: A sealing ring is installed in the connection area between the vacuum partition and the adsorption plate.

6. The robot labeling fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The displacement compensation device consists of a connecting mounting frame, a guide assembly, a connecting pressure plate, and a limit assembly. The connecting mounting frame is L-shaped as a whole, one end of which is connected to the mounting flange, a cylinder is installed on the inside, and the cylinder piston head is connected to the connecting pressure plate.

7. The robot labeling fixture according to claim 6, characterized in that: The guide assembly is installed on a connecting mounting frame by a C-shaped connecting frame, and a guide shaft, a fixed shaft sleeve, a guide spring and a spring clamping ring are installed on both sides respectively. The fixed shaft sleeve is sleeved on the guide shaft, passes through the C-shaped connecting frame and is connected and fixed thereto. The guide spring is sleeved on the guide shaft, with one end resting on the fixed shaft sleeve and the other end being adjusted and fixed by the spring clamping ring.

8. The robot labeling fixture according to claim 7, characterized in that: When the cylinder is pushed out, the guide spring balances the displacement and force on both sides. One side of the pressure plate is connected to the cylinder piston head and two guide shafts, and the other side is connected to the vacuum adsorption component. A limit assembly is installed under the cylinder piston head, and a mechanical limit and proximity switch limit are installed on it. When the limit is abnormal, it can protect the equipment and alarm.

9. The robot labeling fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The swing roller assembly consists of a mounting block, a swing arm, a connecting rod, a roller, a rebound shaft and a fixed limit, wherein the two mounting blocks are connected to the connecting pressure plate of the displacement compensation device and the vacuum partition of the vacuum adsorption assembly, two swing arms are installed on both sides respectively, the swing arms and the connecting rod form a roller bracket, the roller is installed in the roller bracket, and the rebound shaft and the fixed limit are installed on both sides of the connecting rod respectively.

10. The robot labeling fixture according to claim 9, characterized in that: The rebound shaft consists of a step bolt, a limit spring and a blocking gasket, wherein one end of the step bolt is fastened to the connecting pressure plate of the displacement compensation device, the limit spring is sleeved on the step bolt, and there is a certain gap between the limit spring and the blocking gasket.

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