Automatic riveting station of vision-assisted robot

Abstract

The invention discloses a vision-assisted robot automatic riveting station, and relates to the technical field of mechanical manufacturing equipment, the vision-assisted robot automatic riveting station comprises a conveyor, the conveyor is provided with a plurality of RGV trolleys used for supporting a frame, and the two sides of the conveyor are respectively provided with a robot used for riveting the frame; a floating mechanism is arranged at the tail end of an arm of the robot and comprises a mounting base, a connecting base and a sliding base. The mounting base is of an H-shaped structure and comprises a horizontal plate and vertical plates arranged on the left side and the right side of the horizontal plate. The connecting base is rotatably arranged on the top face of the horizontal plate, welding plates are arranged on the front side and the rear side of the connecting base correspondingly, and kidney-shaped holes are formed in the welding plates. The sliding seat is arranged on the bottom surface of the horizontal plate in a left-right sliding mode, mounting plates are arranged on the front side and the rear side of the sliding seat correspondingly, and via holes are formed in the mounting plates; floating units are arranged in the kidney-shaped holes and the via holes, and the two ends of each floating unit extend outwards to be connected with the corresponding vertical plates.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of mechanical manufacturing equipment, and in particular to a vision-assisted robot automatic riveting station. Background Art

[0002] Riveting is a non-detachable connection that uses riveting pressure to connect the riveted parts and the workpiece together. It is widely used in building structures and mechanical manufacturing fields.

[0003] When a riveting pliers mounted on a robotic arm currently rivets a workpiece, since the connection between the free end of the robotic arm and the riveting pliers is mostly a rigid connection, the riveting pliers will vibrate during the riveting process. This vibration is transmitted to the precision robotic arm through the connection part, which can easily cause damage to the robotic arm. The maintenance cost of the robotic arm is high, which can easily cause great losses.

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, the Chinese patent document "Floating riveting pliers for robot arms" (patent application number: 202221959800.2) discloses a floating riveting pliers. When the riveting pliers are performing riveting work, vibrations are generated. Under the action of the fixed spring, the riveting pliers slide along the fixed column. The fixed spring absorbs and buffers the vibrations generated, thereby protecting the connecting plate and the robot arm, which is beneficial to extending the service life of the device.

[0005] However, the above solution has the following defects:

[0006] 1. The floating riveting pliers are mainly used for vertical riveting work, and because the riveting pliers are directly connected to the robot arm through a floating mechanism, this structure is not suitable for horizontal and multi-directional riveting.

[0007] 2. The working accuracy of the floating riveting pliers is not high. Summary of the invention

[0008] In view of the defects existing in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a vision-assisted robot automatic riveting station, which adopts fully automatic riveting, does not require manual operation, is suitable for lateral and multi-directional riveting, and has high working precision.

[0009] In order to achieve the above purpose, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a visually assisted robot automatic riveting station, including a conveyor, on which are arranged a number of RGV trolleys for supporting the frame, and robots for riveting the frame are respectively arranged on both sides of the conveyor; a floating mechanism is arranged at the end of the robot's arm, and the floating mechanism includes a mounting seat, a connecting seat and a sliding seat; the mounting seat is in an H-shaped structure, including a horizontal plate and vertical plates arranged on the left and right sides of the horizontal plate; the connecting seat is rotatably arranged on the top surface of the horizontal plate, and welding plates are respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the connecting seat, and the welding plates are provided with waist-shaped holes; the sliding seat is slidably arranged on the bottom surface of the horizontal plate, and mounting plates are respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the sliding seat, and the mounting plates are provided with through holes; floating units are arranged in the waist-shaped holes and the through holes, and the two ends of the floating unit extend outward to be connected with the corresponding vertical plates.

[0010] On the basis of the above technical solution, the robot is a six-axis robot, and ground rails are respectively provided on both sides of the conveyor, and the robot is slidably arranged on the corresponding ground rails.

[0011] On the basis of the above technical solution, the floating unit comprises a shaft, and compression springs are respectively sleeved on both ends of the shaft.

[0012] On the basis of the above technical solution, a spacer sleeve for separating two compression springs is arranged in the middle of the shaft; and an adjustment stopper is arranged at at least one end of the shaft.

[0013] On the basis of the above technical solution, a linear guide rail is arranged on the bottom surface of the horizontal plate, and the sliding seat is slidably connected to the linear guide rail via a sliding block.

[0014] Based on the above technical solution, the connecting seat includes a cylinder and a mounting block, a tapered roller bearing is arranged in the cylinder, the lower end of the mounting block is fixedly connected to the horizontal plate, and the upper end of the mounting block extends into the cylinder and passes through the tapered roller bearing and is locked by a locking nut.

[0015] Based on the above technical solution, the upper edge of the cylinder is bent outward to form a flange surface for connecting to the end of the robot arm.

[0016] On the basis of the above technical solution, it also includes a visual camera, which is connected to the flange surface through a connecting plate.

[0017] On the basis of the above technical solution, the bottom of the sliding seat is connected to the riveting pliers through an adapter block.

[0018] On the basis of the above technical solution, the riveting pliers include a machine base, the top of which is connected to the adapter block, the bottom of which is provided with a working notch, and two side walls of the working notch are respectively provided with positioning pins and a rivet gun.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0020] 1. The present invention adopts fully automatic riveting, without manual operation, RGV transportation replaces manual lifting, saving manpower, material resources and space occupation. It is connected with the upper and lower workstations for production to improve work efficiency.

[0021] 2. In the present invention, compression springs are provided on both sides of the two welding plates of the connecting seat and pass through the shaft. When relative rotation occurs, the springs are squeezed and a reaction force is applied to reset the mechanism, so that the connecting seat and the mounting block can rotate within a limited range. In addition, compression springs are provided on both sides of the through hole and pass through the shaft. When the riveting pliers (hydraulic drive) are working, their reaction force causes the spring on the mechanism to be compressed, and the slider is pushed along the guide rail by the spring reaction force, thereby realizing the robot's fixed-point riveting (lateral or multi-directional). After the riveting is completed, the rivet head retracts, the mechanism automatically resets, and the spring pushes the slider back to its initial position. The lateral and multi-directional riveting of the present invention is realized by the above two groups of floating units cooperating with the connecting seat and the sliding seat.

[0022] 3. In the present invention, a visual camera is installed on the flange surface of the connecting seat to confirm the presence and location of rivets through visual positioning, and to identify whether the hole needs to be riveted (each hole has preset data to ensure position accuracy), thereby improving work accuracy.

[0023] 4. In the present invention, since the connecting seat and the horizontal plate are rotatably connected, and floating units are respectively provided on both sides of the connecting seat, when the riveting clamp is working, if the rivet center is not correctly aligned, the riveting clamp will rotate with the robot arm to prevent damage to the machine, thereby improving the fault tolerance and redundancy capability of the product. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of an automatic riveting station of a vision-assisted robot in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a front view of the automatic riveting station of the vision-assisted robot in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Sectional view along AA direction;

[0027] Figure 4 A top view of the automatic riveting station of the vision-assisted robot in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 A three-dimensional diagram of a floating mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 It is a front view of the floating mechanism in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 It is a side view of the floating mechanism in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 8 A top view of the floating mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Fig. 9 for Figure 6 Cross-sectional view along the BB direction;

[0033] Fig.10 for Fig. 9 A magnified schematic diagram of part C;

[0034] Fig.11 for Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure after removing the rivet clamp.

[0035] Reference numerals:

[0036] 1- conveyor; 11- RGV trolley; 12- frame;

[0037] 2-Robot; 21-Ground Track;

[0038] 3- Floating mechanism;

[0039] 31-mounting seat; 311-horizontal plate; 312-vertical plate; 313-linear guide rail;

[0040] 32-connecting seat; 321-cylinder; 322-flange surface; 323-mounting block; 324-tapered roller bearing; 325-locking nut; 326-welding plate; 327-waist-shaped hole; 328-visual camera; 329-connecting plate;

[0041] 33-sliding seat; 331-sliding block; 332-adapter block; 333-mounting plate; 334-through hole;

[0042] 34-riveting pliers; 341-machine base; 342-working notch; 343-locating pin; 344-riveting gun;

[0043] 35-floating unit; 351-shaft; 352-spacer; 353-compression spring; 354-adjusting block. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions.

[0045] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that directional words, such as the terms "center", "lateral (X)", "longitudinal (Y)", "vertical (Z)", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicating directions and positional relationships are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, which are only for the convenience of narrating the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and cannot be understood as limiting the specific scope of protection of the present invention.

[0046] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features. Therefore, the definition of "first" and "second" features can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, "several" and "a number" mean two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0047] In the present invention, unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms "assemble", "connect", and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can also be a mechanical connection; it can be directly connected, or it can be connected through an intermediate medium, or the two elements can be internally connected. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0048] In the invention, unless otherwise specified and limited, a first feature being “above” or “below” a second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being “above”, “below”, and “above” a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being “above”, “below”, and “below” a second feature includes that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0049] The following is a further description of the specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the drawings of the specification, so that the technical solution and its beneficial effects of the present invention are clearer and more explicit. The following description of the embodiments with reference to the drawings is exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, but cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0050] See also Figure 1 to Figure 4As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a vision-assisted robot automatic riveting station, including a conveyor 1, on which a plurality of RGV trolleys 11 for supporting a frame 12 are arranged, and robots 2 for riveting the frame 12 are arranged on both sides of the conveyor 1; a floating mechanism 3 is arranged at the end of the arm of the robot 2. Specifically, the robot 2 is a six-axis robot, and ground rails 21 are arranged on both sides of the conveyor 1, and the robot 2 is slidably arranged on the corresponding ground rails 21.

[0051] See also Figures 5 to 8 As shown, the floating mechanism 3 includes a mounting seat 31, a connecting seat 32 and a sliding seat 33; the mounting seat 31 is an H-shaped structure, including a horizontal plate 311 and vertical plates 312 arranged on the left and right sides of the horizontal plate 311; the connecting seat 32 is rotatably arranged on the top surface of the horizontal plate 311, and welding plates 326 are respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the connecting seat 32, and the welding plates 326 are provided with waist-shaped holes 327; the sliding seat 33 is slidably arranged on the bottom surface of the horizontal plate 311, and mounting plates 333 are respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the sliding seat 33, and the mounting plates 333 are provided with through holes 334; specifically, a linear guide rail 313 is arranged on the bottom surface of the horizontal plate 311, and the sliding seat 33 is slidably connected to the linear guide rail 313 through a slider 331. A floating unit 35 is arranged in each of the waist-shaped hole 327 and the through hole 334, and both ends of the floating unit 35 extend outward to connect with the corresponding vertical plate 312.

[0052] See also Figure 6 As shown, the floating unit 35 includes a shaft 351, and compression springs 353 are respectively sleeved on both ends of the shaft 351. Specifically, a spacer 352 for separating the two compression springs 353 is provided in the middle of the shaft 351; an adjustment stopper 354 is provided at at least one end of the shaft 351.

[0053] See also Figures 9 to 11 As shown, the connection seat 32 includes a cylinder 321 and a mounting block 323. A tapered roller bearing 324 is arranged in the cylinder 321. The lower end of the mounting block 323 is fixedly connected to the horizontal plate 311. The upper end of the mounting block 323 extends into the cylinder 321 and penetrates the tapered roller bearing 324 and is locked by a locking nut 325. Specifically, the upper edge of the cylinder 321 is bent outward to form a flange surface 322 for connecting the end of the robot arm. A visual camera 328 is also included, and the visual camera 328 is connected to the flange surface 322 through a connecting plate 329.

[0054] See also Figure 6 As shown, the bottom of the sliding seat 33 is connected to the riveting pliers 34 through the adapter block 332. Specifically, the riveting pliers 34 include a machine base 341, the top of the machine base 341 is connected to the adapter block 332, the bottom of the machine base 341 is provided with a working notch 342, and the two side walls of the working notch 342 are respectively provided with positioning pins 343 and rivet guns 344.

[0055] The working principle of the present invention is:

[0056] 1. The frame is placed on the RGV trolley and transported from the previous station to the automatic riveting station by the conveyor.

[0057] 2. The six-axis robot can move along the bottom rail. A floating mechanism is installed at the end of the robotic arm. A hydraulic riveting clamp and a visual camera are installed on the mechanism to automatically rivet the frame based on visual positioning.

[0058] 2.1. The upper end of the connection seat has a flange surface, which is connected to the flange plate at the end of the robot arm. There are waist-shaped holes on the welding plates on both sides of the connection seat, and the two shafts on the upper end pass through the waist-shaped holes on both sides. There is a tapered roller bearing between the connection seat and the mounting block, which can realize the relative rotation of the two blocks in the horizontal plane; there are compression springs on both sides of the two welding plates of the connection seat passing through the shaft. When relative rotation occurs, the springs are squeezed, and a reaction force is applied to reset the mechanism, so that the connection seat and the mounting block can rotate within a limited range.

[0059] 2.2. A visual camera is installed on the flange surface of the connector to confirm the presence and location of rivets through visual positioning, and to identify whether the holes need to be riveted (each hole has preset data to ensure position accuracy).

[0060] 2.3. A linear guide and a slider are installed on the lower side of the mounting seat. There is a mounting plate on the slider. There are through holes on the mounting plate. The two shafts pass through the through holes of the mounting plate. There are compression springs on both sides of the through holes. When the riveting clamp (hydraulic drive) works, its reaction force compresses the spring on the mechanism, and the slider is pushed by the spring reaction force to move along the guide rail to achieve robot fixed-point riveting (horizontal or multi-directional). After riveting is completed, the rivet head retracts, the mechanism automatically resets, and the spring pushes the slider back to the initial position.

[0061] 3. After riveting is completed, the RGV trolley transports the frame to the next station for subsequent processing.

[0062] In the description of the specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "preferably", "example", "specific example" or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention, and the schematic expressions of the above terms in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0063] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. For ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention. The contents not described in detail in this specification belong to the prior art known to professional and technical personnel in this field.

Claims

1. A vision-assisted robot automatic riveting station, comprising a conveyor (1), on which a plurality of RGV trolleys (11) for supporting a vehicle frame (12) are arranged, and robots (2) for riveting the vehicle frame (12) are respectively arranged on both sides of the conveyor (1); characterized in that: A floating mechanism (3) is provided at the end of the arm of the robot (2), and the floating mechanism (3) comprises a mounting seat (31), a connecting seat (32) and a sliding seat (33); the mounting seat (31) is an H-shaped structure, comprising a horizontal plate (311) and vertical plates (312) arranged on the left and right sides of the horizontal plate (311); the connecting seat (32) is rotatably arranged on the top surface of the horizontal plate (311), and welding plates (326) are respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the connecting seat (32). The welding plate (326) is provided with a waist-shaped hole (327); the sliding seat (33) is slidably arranged on the bottom surface of the horizontal plate (311) left and right, and the front and rear sides of the sliding seat (33) are respectively provided with mounting plates (333), and the mounting plates (333) are provided with through holes (334); floating units (35) are arranged in the waist-shaped hole (327) and the through holes (334), and the two ends of the floating unit (35) extend outward to be connected with the corresponding vertical plates (312).

2. The vision-assisted robot automatic riveting station according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robot (2) is a six-axis robot, and ground rails (21) are respectively arranged on both sides of the conveyor (1), and the robot (2) is slidably arranged on the corresponding ground rails (21).

3. The vision-assisted robot automatic riveting station according to claim 1, characterized in that: The floating unit (35) comprises a shaft (351), and compression springs (353) are respectively sleeved on both ends of the shaft (351).

4. The vision-assisted robot automatic riveting station as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: A spacer sleeve (352) for separating two compression springs (353) is provided in the middle of the shaft (351); and an adjustment stopper (354) is provided at at least one end of the shaft (351).

5. The vision-assisted robot automatic riveting station according to claim 1, characterized in that: A linear guide rail (313) is provided on the bottom surface of the horizontal plate (311), and the sliding seat (33) is slidably connected to the linear guide rail (313) via a sliding block (331).

6. The vision-assisted robot automatic riveting station according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting seat (32) comprises a cylinder (321) and a mounting block (323), a tapered roller bearing (324) is arranged in the cylinder (321), the lower end of the mounting block (323) is fixedly connected to the horizontal plate (311), and the upper end of the mounting block (323) extends into the cylinder (321) and penetrates the tapered roller bearing (324) and is then locked by a locking nut (325).

7. The vision-assisted robot automatic riveting station according to claim 6, characterized in that: The upper edge of the cylinder (321) is bent outward to form a flange surface (322) for connecting to the end of the robot arm.

8. The vision-assisted robot automatic riveting station according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes a visual camera (328), which is connected to the flange surface (322) via a connecting plate (329).

9. The vision-assisted robot automatic riveting station according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the sliding seat (33) is connected to the riveting pliers (34) via a transfer block (332).

10. The vision-assisted robot automatic riveting station according to claim 9, characterized in that: The riveting pliers (34) include a machine base (341), the top of the machine base (341) is connected to the adapter block (332), the bottom of the machine base (341) is provided with a working notch (342), and two side walls of the working notch (342) are respectively provided with positioning pins (343) and a riveting gun (344) opposite to each other.

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