Automatic clamping device for flexible cylindrical workpiece and clamping method thereof

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of automatic workpiece clamping equipment, and specifically relates to an automatic clamping device for a flexible cylindrical workpiece and a clamping method thereof. The automatic clamping device is used for clamping a flexible cylindrical workpiece sleeved on a supporting roller, and comprises a base, a positioning sleeve movably arranged on the base, a plurality of suction cup mechanisms arranged on the positioning sleeve along the axial direction of the positioning sleeve, a moving mechanism connected to and driving the positioning sleeve to move back and forth on the base, and a trigger mechanism arranged on the base. The trigger mechanism can move with the moving block during the process of the workpiece being inserted into the positioning sleeve, and reversely move when the workpiece is completely inserted into the positioning sleeve to trigger the plurality of suction cup mechanisms to perform initial positioning and adsorption clamping on the workpiece in the positioning sleeve in sequence. The moving assembly can reversely move the positioning sleeve when the base moves to the installation position to transport and remove the workpiece, thereby realizing the insertion, clamping, removal and installation of the flexible cylindrical workpiece.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of automatic workpiece clamping equipment, and in particular relates to an automatic clamping device for a flexible cylindrical workpiece and a clamping method thereof. Background Art

[0002] At present, when flexible materials such as automotive bladders and rubber cylinders are transported, the clamps are generally clamped through the outer cylindrical surface. For flexible materials, it is easy for them to be deformed due to clamping, and the guidance and support of the materials by the clamps during the clamping process are also unstable, which is easy to affect the subsequent installation process of the materials and needs further improvement. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and to provide an automatic clamping device for a flexible cylindrical workpiece and a clamping method thereof.

[0004] The present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] An automatic clamping device for a flexible cylindrical workpiece, used for clamping a flexible cylindrical workpiece sleeved on a supporting roller, comprises a base, a positioning sleeve, a plurality of suction cup mechanisms, a moving mechanism and a trigger mechanism;

[0006] A positioning sleeve is movably arranged on the base, and has an accommodating cavity formed inside thereof for accommodating a workpiece;

[0007] A plurality of suction cup mechanisms are arranged on the positioning sleeve at intervals along the axial direction of the positioning sleeve to respectively clamp the workpiece in the accommodating cavity, and include a plurality of suction cup assemblies circumferentially distributed on the positioning sleeve, the suction cup assembly including a moving rod movably arranged in the positioning sleeve and extending inwardly along the positioning sleeve, a suction cup arranged at the front end of the moving rod and located in the accommodating cavity, a compression spring sleeved at the front end of the moving rod and located in the accommodating cavity, a pressing block arranged at the rear end of the moving rod and located at the outer periphery of the positioning sleeve, and an air intake pipe arranged on the pressing block, the positioning sleeve forms a moving hole extending inwardly from its outer periphery for the moving rod to move, one end of the compression spring is connected to the front end of the moving rod and the other end is connected to the inner wall of the moving hole, and an air intake cavity connecting the air intake pipe and the suction cup is formed inside the moving rod;

[0008] The moving mechanism is arranged on the base, connected to and drives the positioning sleeve to move back and forth on the base, and includes a moving block movably arranged on the base, a plurality of mounting components arranged at intervals on the moving block to mount the positioning sleeve, and a moving component arranged on the base to connect and drive the moving block to move;

[0009] The trigger mechanism is arranged on the base and can move with the moving block when the workpiece is inserted into the accommodating cavity. When the workpiece is completely inserted into the accommodating cavity, the multiple suction cup mechanisms are triggered to perform initial positioning and adsorption clamping on the workpiece in the accommodating cavity in turn.

[0010] Furthermore, the trigger mechanism comprises a positioning plate supported on the moving block, a plurality of limiting rings respectively sleeved on the outer periphery of the positioning sleeve and connected to the positioning plate, two sliders relatively arranged on both sides of the positioning sleeve and movable, a plurality of connecting blocks spaced apart at both ends of the positioning plate and respectively connected to the two sliders, two limiting ejectors respectively arranged on both sides of the moving block and capable of being retracted inwardly into the moving block, two first limiting blocks respectively arranged on opposite surfaces of the two sliders and the moving block and capable of being retracted inwardly into the relative sliders, two second limiting blocks relatively arranged at the front end of the base and capable of respectively squeezing the first limiting blocks and the limiting ejectors on the same side and recovering them inwardly, and two reset springs relatively arranged at the rear end of the base and respectively connected to the two sliders, and a plurality of suction cup assemblies are respectively located behind the plurality of limiting rings, and a spacing is formed between the limiting rings and the positioning sleeve;

[0011] When the workpiece is inserted into the accommodating cavity, the limiting ejector moves in a direction close to the first limiting block on the same side and continues to move to drive the positioning plate to move together;

[0012] When the workpiece is completely inserted into the accommodating cavity, the first limit block is first squeezed and retracted inward by the second limit block. At this time, the reset spring moves in the opposite direction without external force, and resets and drives the positioning plate to move in the opposite direction, so that the limit ring moves in the opposite direction to contact the relative suction cup assembly and squeeze the suction cup assembly inward to contact the outer peripheral surface of the workpiece, thereby completing the initial positioning of the workpiece; the moving block continues to move so that the limit ejector pin contacts the second limit block and is squeezed inward and recovered. At this time, the suction cup assembly is controlled to work to generate negative pressure to adsorb and fix it on the outer periphery of the workpiece, thereby completing the adsorption and clamping of the workpiece.

[0013] Furthermore, the opposing surfaces of the pressing block and the limiting ring form a first inclined surface inclined downward, and the opposing surfaces of the limiting ring and the pressing block form a second inclined surface matching the first inclined surface. When the reset spring moves in the reverse direction without external force to reset and drive the positioning plate to move in the reverse direction, the limiting ring moves in the reverse direction until the first inclined surface is in contact with the second inclined surface and continues to move downward to press the pressing block, driving the moving rod to move inward so that the suction cup contacts the outer peripheral surface of the workpiece.

[0014] Furthermore, the opposing surfaces of the first limit block and the second limit block form a first guide surface arranged obliquely, the opposing surfaces of the second limit block and the first limit block form a second guide surface cooperating with the first guide surface and a third guide surface arranged obliquely to guide the retraction of the limit ejector pin, the second guide surface and the third guide surface are arranged at an angle, and when the first limit block moves with the slider to contact the second limit block, under the cooperation of the first guide surface and the second guide surface, the first limit block will be squeezed inward and recovered into the relative slider.

[0015] Furthermore, the opposite surface of the second limit block and the limit ejector pin is provided with a first limit switch located on the side of the third guide surface. Under the action of the third guide surface, the limit ejector pin is squeezed inwardly and retracted into the moving block and continues to move until it contacts the first limit switch. At this time, the suction cup assembly is controlled to generate negative pressure to adsorb and fix on the outer periphery of the workpiece, thereby completing the adsorption and clamping of the workpiece.

[0016] Furthermore, the base is formed with two sliding grooves extending backward from its front end for the movement of two sliders respectively. The two return springs are respectively arranged at the rear ends of the two sliding grooves, one end is connected to the inner wall of the sliding groove and the other end is connected to the relative slider. A second limit switch is arranged at the rear end of the sliding groove.

[0017] Furthermore, the movable block is formed with a limiting cavity extending inward from its side surface, and the limiting ejector pin includes a limiting column movably arranged in the limiting cavity and a limiting spring arranged in the limiting cavity and sleeved on the outer periphery of the limiting column, one end of the limiting spring is connected to the inner wall of the limiting cavity, and the other end is connected to the outer periphery of the limiting column.

[0018] Furthermore, the mounting assembly includes a support seat arranged on the moving block, two support surfaces relatively inclinedly arranged on the support seat for supporting a positioning sleeve, a fixed seat arranged on the support seat for fixing the positioning sleeve, and two positioning surfaces relatively inclinedly arranged on opposite surfaces of the fixed seat and the support seat, the positioning sleeve is fixed between the support seat and the fixed seat, and the outer peripheral surface is respectively against the two support surfaces and the two positioning surfaces.

[0019] A method for clamping a flexible cylindrical workpiece, using any of the above-mentioned automatic clamping devices for clamping, specifically comprising the following steps:

[0020] Step 1: Move the base until the positioning sleeve is opposite to the workpiece on the support roller, and continue to move inward so that part of the workpiece is first inserted into the positioning sleeve. After the base is moved into place, the moving assembly controls the moving block to move close to the workpiece so that the remaining part of the workpiece is gradually inserted into the accommodating cavity. In the process of the remaining part of the workpiece being inserted into the accommodating cavity, the positioning block drives the trigger mechanism to move close to the workpiece.

[0021] Step 2: When the workpiece is completely inserted into the accommodating cavity, the trigger mechanism moves in the opposite direction to trigger multiple suction cup mechanisms to perform initial positioning and adsorption clamping on the workpiece in the accommodating cavity in sequence;

[0022] Step three, move the base outward to completely remove the workpiece from the support roller, then move the base holding the workpiece to the installation position, the moving component controls the moving block to move in the opposite direction, and then controls multiple suction cup mechanisms to release the workpiece, and then move the base outward to remove the workpiece from the positioning sleeve and place it at the installation position, completing the insertion, clamping, removal and installation of the workpiece.

[0023] From the above description of the present invention, it can be seen that compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the present application defines the structural composition of the automatic clamping device, and clamps the workpiece inserted into the positioning sleeve through a positioning sleeve and a plurality of suction cup mechanisms arranged at intervals. The moving component can complete the clamping of the workpiece in the suction cup mechanism, so that the positioning sleeve moves in the opposite direction to transport and remove the workpiece, thereby realizing the insertion, clamping, removal and installation procedures of the flexible cylindrical workpiece; wherein, the structure of the suction cup assembly is specifically defined, and the limiting ring is cooperated to sequentially clamp the workpiece after the workpiece is inserted into the positioning sleeve. During initial positioning and adsorption clamping, the suction cup clamps the periphery of the workpiece through its air pressure suction to avoid damage to the workpiece shape caused by the clamping pressure; at the same time, the structure of the trigger mechanism is further limited, and the cooperation of the limiting ejector pin, the first limiting block and the second limiting block and the suction cup assembly ensures the stability of the workpiece clamping and improves the reliability of the device; and the flexible workpiece may be wrapped around the support roller due to its own material characteristics, and the workpiece is adsorbed by the suction cup through the cooperation of multiple suction cup assemblies, so that the workpiece is stretched outward, which facilitates the subsequent workpiece to be removed from the support roller smoothly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 The structure diagram of the automatic clamping device Figure 1 ;

[0025] Figure 2 The structure diagram of the automatic clamping device Figure 2 ;

[0026] Figure 3 It is a partial structural schematic diagram of the automatic clamping device;

[0027] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the state where the positioning sleeve moves to the left;

[0028] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the state of the suction cup assembly when adsorbing and clamping the workpiece;

[0029] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the state where the positioning sleeve moves to the right;

[0030] In the figure, 1, base; 2, positioning sleeve; 3, moving mechanism; 4, suction cup assembly; 5, trigger mechanism; 6, second limit switch; 7, third limit switch; 11, guide rail; 12, sliding groove; 21, accommodating cavity; 22, moving hole; 31, moving block; 311, guide groove; 312, limiting cavity; 32, mounting assembly; 321, supporting seat; 322, supporting surface; 323, fixing seat; 324, positioning surface; 33, moving assembly; 41, moving rod; 411, air intake Cavity; 42, suction cup; 43, compression spring; 44, pressing block; 441, first inclined surface; 45, air inlet pipe; 51, positioning plate; 52, limiting ring; 521, second inclined surface; 53, slider; 54, connecting block; 55, limiting ejector pin; 551, limiting column; 552, limiting spring; 56, first limiting block; 561, first guide surface; 57, second limiting block; 571, second guide surface; 572, third guide surface; 573, first limit switch; 58, reset spring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The present invention is further described below through specific implementation modes.

[0032] Reference Figures 1 to 6 As shown, an automatic clamping device for a flexible cylindrical workpiece is used to clamp the flexible cylindrical workpiece sleeved on a supporting roller to an installation roller at an installation position, comprising a base 1, a positioning sleeve 2, a moving mechanism 3, a plurality of suction cup mechanisms and a trigger mechanism 5, wherein the base 1 can be placed on a moving trolley to facilitate the movement of the automatic clamping device; specifically, the length of the workpiece of the present application is 70 cm, the length of the supporting roller and the installation roller can be the same length as the workpiece or longer than the length of the workpiece, and the length of the positioning sleeve can be the same length as the workpiece or slightly longer than the length of the workpiece; in addition, the length of the workpiece can also be other lengths, and the lengths of the supporting roller, the installation roller and the positioning sleeve can be adjusted according to the length of the workpiece.

[0033] The positioning sleeve 2 is movably disposed on the base 1 and has an accommodating cavity 21 formed therein for accommodating a workpiece.

[0034] A plurality of suction cup mechanisms are arranged on the positioning sleeve 2 at intervals along the axial direction of the positioning sleeve 2 to respectively clamp the workpiece in the accommodating cavity 21. The suction cup mechanism includes a plurality of suction cup assemblies 4 circumferentially distributed on the positioning sleeve 2. The suction cup assembly 4 includes a moving rod 41 movably arranged in the positioning sleeve 2 and extending radially inwardly, a suction cup 42 arranged at the front end of the moving rod 41 and located in the accommodating cavity 21 and capable of adsorbing and clamping the workpiece, a compression spring 43 sleeved at the front end of the moving rod 41 and located in the accommodating cavity 21, a pressing block 44 arranged at the rear end of the moving rod 41 and located on the outer periphery of the positioning sleeve 2, and a pressing spring 43 arranged at the front end of the moving rod 41 and located in the accommodating cavity 21. An air inlet pipe 45 on the block 44, wherein the positioning sleeve 2 is formed with a moving hole 22 extending inward from its outer circumference for the moving rod 41 to move, one end of the compression spring 43 is connected to the front end of the moving rod 41 and the other end is connected to the inner wall of the moving hole 22, an air inlet cavity 411 connecting the air inlet pipe 45 and the suction cup 42 is formed inside the moving rod 41, and one end of the air inlet pipe 45 is externally connected to a vacuum generator; when the suction cup assembly 4 clamps the workpiece, the moving rod 41 moves inward to make the suction cup 42 contact with the outer circumference of the workpiece first, and then controls the vacuum generator to generate negative air pressure in the suction cup 42 to adsorb and clamp the workpiece.

[0035] The moving mechanism 3 is arranged on the base 1, connected to and drives the positioning sleeve 2 to move back and forth on the base 1, and includes a moving block 31 movably arranged on the base 1, a plurality of mounting components 32 for mounting the positioning sleeve 2 on the moving block 31 at intervals, and a moving component 33 arranged on the base 1 and connected to and driving the moving block 31 to move, wherein two guide rails 11 extending along its length direction are relatively arranged on the base 1, and two guide grooves 311 cooperating with the two guide rails 11 are formed on the bottom surface of the moving block 31; specifically, the moving component 33 can adopt a structure of a servo motor and a screw nut pair, the moving block 31 is connected to the nut seat in the screw nut pair, and the screw is driven by the servo motor to rotate forward or reverse to realize the back and forth movement of the moving block 31. The way in which the servo motor cooperates with the screw nut pair to realize the movement of components is a structure commonly used in mechanical equipment, and its specific setting method and working principle will not be further elaborated here.

[0036] The mounting assembly 32 includes a support seat 321 arranged on the moving block 31, two support surfaces 322 relatively inclinedly arranged on the support seat 321 for supporting the positioning sleeve 2, a fixed seat 323 arranged on the support seat 321 for fixing the positioning sleeve 2, and two positioning surfaces 324 relatively arranged on the opposite surfaces of the fixed seat 323 and the support seat 321. The positioning sleeve 2 is fixed between the support seat 321 and the fixed seat 323, and its outer peripheral surface is respectively against the two supporting surfaces 322 and the two positioning surfaces 324; when the positioning sleeve 2 is fixed, it is first supported on the two supporting surfaces 322, and then the fixed seat 323 is fixed on the support seat 321 by a bolt assembly, so that the two positioning surfaces 324 are against the outer periphery of the positioning sleeve 2 to fix the positioning sleeve 2.

[0037] The trigger mechanism 5 is arranged on the base 1, and can move with the moving block 31 when the workpiece is inserted into the accommodating cavity 21, and reversely moves when the workpiece is completely inserted into the accommodating cavity 21 to trigger the multiple suction cup mechanisms to perform initial positioning and adsorption clamping of the workpiece in the accommodating cavity 21 in sequence, including a positioning plate 51 supported on the moving block 31, a plurality of limit rings 52 respectively sleeved on the outer periphery of the positioning sleeve 2 and connected to the positioning plate 51, two sliders 53 relatively arranged on both sides of the positioning sleeve 2 and movable, a plurality of connecting blocks 54 spaced apart at both ends of the positioning plate 51 and connected to the two sliders 53, and a plurality of connecting blocks 54 respectively arranged on both sides of the moving block 31 and retractable inward to the moving end. Two limiting ejector pins 55 in the moving block 31, two first limiting blocks 56 respectively arranged on the opposite surfaces of the two sliders 53 and the moving block 31 and capable of retracting inwards into the relative slider 53, two second limiting blocks 57 relatively arranged at the front end of the base 1 and capable of respectively squeezing the first limiting blocks 56 on the same side and the limiting ejector pins 55 to be recovered inwards, and two return springs 58 relatively arranged at the rear end of the base 1 and respectively connected to the two sliders 53, wherein the positioning plate 51 is only supported on the moving block 31 and has no connection relationship with the moving block 31; a plurality of suction cup mechanisms are respectively located behind a plurality of limiting rings 52, a spacing is formed between the limiting rings 52 and the positioning sleeve 2, and the moving block 31 is In the initial position, a certain distance is formed between the suction cup mechanism and the relative limiting ring 52; the moving block 31 is formed with a limiting cavity 312 extending inward from its side for the limiting ejector pin 55 to retract; specifically, the opposing surfaces of the pressing block 44 and the limiting ring 52 are formed with a first inclined surface 441 inclined downward; the opposing surfaces of the limiting ring 52 and the pressing block 44 are formed with a second inclined surface 521 matching the first inclined surface 441; the opposing surfaces of the first limiting block 56 and the second limiting block 57 are formed with a first inclined guide surface 561; the opposing surfaces of the second limiting block 57 and the first limiting block 56 are formed with a second guide surface matching the first guide surface 561 571 and a third guide surface 572 which is arranged obliquely and relative to the side of the moving block 31 to guide the limiting ejector pin 55 to retract, and the second guide surface 571 and the third guide surface 572 are arranged at an angle, and the first limiting block 56 and the limiting ejector pin 55 can be respectively recovered inwardly to the slider 53 and the moving block 31 under the action of the second guide surface 571 and the third guide surface 572; further, the opposite surface of the second limiting block 57 and the limiting ejector pin 55 is provided with a first limit switch 573 located on the left side of the third guide surface 572, and the limiting ejector pin 55 can be retracted inwardly under the action of the third guide surface 572 and continue to move leftward until it contacts the first limit switch 573.

[0038] The limiting ejector pin 55 includes a limiting column 551 movably arranged in the limiting cavity 312 and a limiting spring 552 arranged in the limiting cavity 312 and sleeved on the outer periphery of the limiting column 551, wherein one end of the limiting spring 552 is connected to the inner wall of the limiting cavity 312, and the other end is connected to the outer periphery of the limiting column 551. The limiting ejector pin 55 is retracted and reset by the setting of the limiting spring 552. Specifically, the first limiting block 56 is also retracted and reset by a spring set in the slider 53. Because its structure is basically the same as the setting method of the limiting ejector pin 55, it will not be further elaborated here.

[0039] In addition, the base 1 is formed with two sliding grooves 12 extending backward from its front end for the two sliders 53 to move respectively, and two return springs 58 are respectively arranged at the rear ends of the two sliding grooves 12, one end is connected to the inner wall of the sliding groove 12 and the other end is connected to the slider 53; specifically, the second limit switch 6 and the third limit switch 7 are arranged at intervals at the rear end of the sliding groove 12, and the second limit switch 6 is arranged on the left side of the third limit switch 7. When the return spring 58 is reset to the original state, the first limit block 56 just contacts with the second limit switch 6; when the moving block 31 moves to the right to the original state, the limit ejector pin 55 just contacts with the third limit switch 7; further, after the suction cup assembly 4 absorbs and clamps the workpiece, the base 1 moves in the opposite direction, that is, moves to the right, thereby driving the workpiece to detach from the support roller, and when the base moves to the installation position After being placed, the positioning sleeve 2 moves to the right under the action of the moving assembly 33 and the reset spring 58. When the reset spring 58 is reset to the initial state, the first limit block 56 just contacts the second limit switch 6. At this time, the vacuum equipment is controlled to inflate the suction cup 42, so that the suction cup assembly 4 releases the workpiece; the moving assembly 33 continues to drive the moving block 31 to move to the right, and the suction cup assembly 4 is out of contact with the limit ring 52, and under the action of the compression spring 43, it moves outward and resets; the limit ejector 55 retracts inward under the action of the first guide surface 561 and then moves to the right side of the first limit block 56. When the limit ejector 55 moves to the right to contact the third limit switch 7, the moving block 31 just moves to the initial position, and the moving assembly 33 controls the moving block 31 to stop working, so as to facilitate the next use of the clamping device.

[0040] When the remaining part of the workpiece is inserted into the accommodating cavity 21, the moving assembly 33 drives the moving block 31 to move in the direction close to the workpiece, that is, to the left. When the limiting ejector pin 55 moves with the moving block 31 to contact the first limiting block 56, it will continue to move due to the obstruction of the first limiting block 56 and drive the positioning plate 51 to move to the left, so that the reset spring 58 is in a stretched state.

[0041] When the workpiece is completely inserted into the accommodating cavity 21, the first guide surface 561 of the first limit block 56 is in contact with the second guide surface 571 of the second limit block 57 and is squeezed inwardly by the second limit block 57 while continuing to move to the left. At this time, the reset spring 58 moves in the reverse direction without external force to reset and drive the positioning plate 51 to move in the reverse direction, so that the limit ring 52 moves in the reverse direction and contacts the relative suction cup assembly 4 and moves inwardly under the action of the first inclined surface 441 and the second inclined surface 521. The movable rod 41 is squeezed to make the suction cup 42 contact with the outer peripheral surface of the workpiece, thereby completing the initial positioning of the workpiece; at the same time, the limit ejector pin 55 will gradually retract inwardly under the action of the third guide surface 572; when the limit ejector pin 55 retracts inwardly and continues to move to the left, the limit ejector pin 55 will contact the first limit switch 573. At this time, according to the signal fed back by the first limit switch 573, the vacuum equipment can be controlled to draw negative pressure, so that the suction cup 42 generates negative pressure to be adsorbed and fixed on the outer periphery of the workpiece, thereby completing the adsorption and clamping of the workpiece.

[0042] A method for clamping a flexible cylindrical workpiece based on the automatic clamping device comprises the following steps:

[0043] Step 1: Move the base 1 until the positioning sleeve 2 is opposite to the workpiece on the support roller, and continue to move the base toward the workpiece so that part of the workpiece is first inserted into the positioning sleeve. After the base is moved into place, the moving assembly 33 controls the moving block 31 to move leftward so that the remaining part of the workpiece is gradually inserted into the accommodating cavity 21. In the process of the remaining part of the workpiece being inserted into the accommodating cavity 21, the limiting ejector pin 55 moves with the moving block 31 until it contacts the first limiting block 56. The limiting ejector pin 55 continues to move due to the obstruction of the first limiting block 56 and drives the positioning plate 51 to move leftward together, so that the reset spring 58 is in a stretched state.

[0044] Step 2: When the moving block 31 drives the positioning plate 51 to move to the left until the first guide surface 561 of the first limiting block 56 is in contact with the second guide surface 571 of the second limiting block 57, the workpiece is completely inserted into the accommodating cavity 21, and the moving block 31 continues to move to the left, so that the first limiting block 56 is squeezed inward by the second limiting block 57 and retracted into the slider 53. At this time, the limiting ejector pin 55 will contact the third guide surface 572, and the reset spring 58 moves in the reverse direction without external force to reset and drive the positioning plate 51 to move in the reverse direction, so that the limiting ring 52 moves in the reverse direction and contacts the relative suction cup assembly 4 and squeezes the moving rod 41 inward under the action of the first inclined surface 441 and the second inclined surface 521, so that the suction cup 42 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the workpiece, completing the initial positioning of the workpiece;

[0045] Step 3: The moving block 31 continues to move to the left, and the limiting ejector pin 55 retracts inwardly into the limiting cavity 312 under the action of the third guide surface 572, and moves with the moving block 31 to contact the first limit switch 573. At this time, the vacuum device starts to draw negative pressure so that the suction cup 42 is adsorbed and fixed on the periphery of the workpiece, completing the adsorption and clamping of the workpiece. At this time, the limiting ring is blocked by the relative limiting assembly, and the return spring is still in a stretched state.

[0046] Step 4, move the base 1 outward to completely remove the workpiece from the support roller, then move the base 1 holding the workpiece to the installation position, the workpiece is opposite to the installation roller at the installation position, and then move the base 1 to a position close to the installation roller, so that the workpiece is completely mounted on the installation roller or its front end exceeds the end of the installation roller. When the base 1 moves into place, control the moving component 33 to drive the moving block 31 to move in the opposite direction, driving the workpiece to move in the opposite direction on the installation roller, and the positioning sleeve 2 moves to the right under the action of the moving component 33 and the reset spring 58. When the reset spring 58 is reset to the initialization state, the first limit block 56 just contacts the second limit switch 6, and the vacuum equipment is controlled to fill the suction cup 42 according to the signal feedback from the second limit switch 6. The air is released so that the suction cup assembly 4 releases the workpiece. At this time, the workpiece is still completely sleeved on the installation roller or its front end part just moves inward until the workpiece is completely sleeved on the installation roller; the moving assembly 33 continues to drive the moving block 31 to move rightward, and the suction cup assembly 4 is out of contact with the limit ring 52, and under the action of the compression spring 43, it moves outward to reset; under the action of the first guide surface 561, the limit ejector pin 55 retracts inward and then moves to the right side of the first limit block 56. When the limit ejector pin 55 moves to the right until it contacts the third limit switch 7, the moving block 31 just moves to the initial position, and the moving assembly 33 controls the moving block 31 to stop working, and moves the base 1 in the opposite direction to make it leave the installation position, thereby completing the insertion, clamping, removal and installation of the workpiece.

[0047] When the automatic clamping device defined in the present application is actually used, the length of the base 1, the specifications of the reset spring 58, the installation of the first limit block 56, the second limit block 57, the limit ejector pin 55, the second limit switch 6 and the third limit switch 7 can be relatively adjusted according to the length of the flexible cylindrical workpiece to be clamped, so that the automatic clamping device can complete the automatic clamping of the corresponding flexible cylindrical workpiece.

[0048] The present application defines the structural composition of the automatic clamping device, and the positioning sleeve 2 cooperates with a plurality of suction cup mechanisms arranged at intervals to clamp the workpiece inserted into the positioning sleeve 2. The moving component 33 can complete the clamping of the workpiece by the suction cup mechanism, so that the positioning sleeve 2 moves in the opposite direction to transport and remove the workpiece, thereby realizing the insertion, clamping, removal and installation procedures of the flexible cylindrical workpiece; wherein, the structure of the suction cup component 4 is specifically defined, and the limit ring 52 is cooperated to perform initial positioning and adsorption clamping on the workpiece in turn after the workpiece is inserted into the positioning sleeve 2. The suction cup 42 clamps the periphery of the workpiece by its air pressure suction to avoid the clamping pressure on the outside of the workpiece shape; at the same time, the structure of the trigger mechanism 5 is further limited, and the cooperation of the limiting ejector pin 55, the first limiting block 56 and the second limiting block 57 and the suction cup assembly 4 ensure the stability of the workpiece clamping and improve the reliability of the device; and the flexible workpiece may be wrapped on the support roller due to its own material characteristics. Through the cooperation of multiple suction cup assemblies 4, the suction cup 42 adsorbs the workpiece, so that the workpiece is stretched outward, which facilitates the subsequent workpiece to be removed from the support roller smoothly; in addition, the main components of the entire device are installed in the vertical direction, that is, the structural area size is designed based on the projected area of ​​the workpiece, and does not occupy much space.

[0049] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and therefore cannot be used to limit the scope of implementation of the present invention. That is, equivalent changes and modifications made according to the application scope of the present invention and the contents of the specification should still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic clamping device for a flexible cylindrical workpiece, used for clamping a flexible cylindrical workpiece sleeved on a support roller, characterized in that: It includes a base, a positioning sleeve, a plurality of suction cup mechanisms, a moving mechanism and a trigger mechanism; A positioning sleeve is movably arranged on the base, and has an accommodating cavity formed inside thereof for accommodating a workpiece; A plurality of suction cup mechanisms are arranged on the positioning sleeve at intervals along the axial direction of the positioning sleeve to respectively clamp the workpiece in the accommodating cavity, and include a plurality of suction cup assemblies circumferentially distributed on the positioning sleeve, the suction cup assembly including a moving rod movably arranged in the positioning sleeve and extending inwardly along the positioning sleeve, a suction cup arranged at the front end of the moving rod and located in the accommodating cavity, a compression spring sleeved at the front end of the moving rod and located in the accommodating cavity, a pressing block arranged at the rear end of the moving rod and located at the outer periphery of the positioning sleeve, and an air intake pipe arranged on the pressing block, the positioning sleeve forms a moving hole extending inwardly from its outer periphery for the moving rod to move, one end of the compression spring is connected to the front end of the moving rod and the other end is connected to the inner wall of the moving hole, and an air intake cavity connecting the air intake pipe and the suction cup is formed inside the moving rod; The moving mechanism is arranged on the base, connected to and drives the positioning sleeve to move back and forth on the base, and includes a moving block movably arranged on the base, a plurality of mounting components arranged at intervals on the moving block to mount the positioning sleeve, and a moving component arranged on the base to connect and drive the moving block to move; The trigger mechanism is arranged on the base and can move with the moving block when the workpiece is inserted into the accommodating cavity, and can trigger multiple suction cup mechanisms to perform initial positioning and adsorption clamping of the workpiece in the accommodating cavity when the workpiece is completely inserted into the accommodating cavity, including a positioning plate supported on the moving block, multiple limiting rings respectively sleeved on the outer periphery of the positioning sleeve and connected to the positioning plate, two sliding blocks relatively arranged on both sides of the positioning sleeve and movable, multiple connecting blocks spaced apart and respectively connected to the two sliding blocks at both ends of the positioning plate, two limiting ejectors respectively arranged on both sides of the moving block and retractable inwardly into the moving block, two first limiting blocks respectively arranged on the opposite surfaces of the two sliding blocks and the moving block and retractable inwardly into the relative sliding blocks, two second limiting blocks relatively arranged at the front end of the base and capable of respectively squeezing the first limiting block and the limiting ejector on the same side to be recovered inwardly, and two reset springs relatively arranged at the rear end of the base and respectively connected to the two sliding blocks, the multiple suction cup assemblies are respectively located behind the multiple limiting rings, and a spacing is formed between the limiting rings and the positioning sleeve.

2. The automatic clamping device for a flexible cylindrical workpiece according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the workpiece is inserted into the accommodating cavity, the limiting ejector moves in a direction close to the first limiting block on the same side and continues to move to drive the positioning plate to move together; When the workpiece is completely inserted into the accommodating cavity, the first limit block is first squeezed and retracted inward by the second limit block. At this time, the reset spring moves in the opposite direction without external force, and resets and drives the positioning plate to move in the opposite direction, so that the limit ring moves in the opposite direction to contact the relative suction cup assembly and squeeze the suction cup assembly inward to contact the outer peripheral surface of the workpiece, thereby completing the initial positioning of the workpiece; the moving block continues to move so that the limit ejector pin contacts the second limit block and is squeezed inward and recovered. At this time, the suction cup assembly is controlled to work to generate negative pressure to adsorb and fix it on the outer periphery of the workpiece, thereby completing the adsorption and clamping of the workpiece.

3. The automatic clamping device for a flexible cylindrical workpiece according to claim 2, characterized in that: The opposing surfaces of the pressing block and the limiting ring form a first inclined surface inclined downward, and the opposing surfaces of the limiting ring and the pressing block form a second inclined surface matching the first inclined surface. When the reset spring moves in the reverse direction without external force and drives the positioning plate to move in the reverse direction, the limiting ring moves in the reverse direction until the first inclined surface is in contact with the second inclined surface and continues to move downward to press the pressing block, driving the moving rod to move inward so that the suction cup contacts the outer peripheral surface of the workpiece.

4. The automatic clamping device for a flexible cylindrical workpiece according to claim 2, characterized in that: The opposing surfaces of the first limit block and the second limit block form a first guide surface arranged obliquely, the opposing surfaces of the second limit block and the first limit block form a second guide surface cooperating with the first guide surface and a third guide surface arranged obliquely to guide the retraction of the limit ejector pin, the second guide surface and the third guide surface are arranged at an angle, when the first limit block moves with the slider to contact the second limit block, under the cooperation of the first guide surface and the second guide surface, the first limit block will be squeezed inward and recovered into the relative slider.

5. The automatic clamping device for a flexible cylindrical workpiece according to claim 4, characterized in that: The opposite surface of the second limit block and the limit ejector pin is provided with a first limit switch located on the side of the third guide surface. Under the action of the third guide surface, the limit ejector pin is squeezed and retracted inwardly into the moving block and continues to move until it contacts the first limit switch. At this time, the suction cup assembly is controlled to generate negative pressure to adsorb and fix on the outer periphery of the workpiece, thereby completing the adsorption and clamping of the workpiece.

6. The automatic clamping device for a flexible cylindrical workpiece according to claim 2, characterized in that: The base is formed with two sliding grooves extending backward from its front end for the two sliders to move respectively. The two return springs are respectively arranged at the rear ends of the two sliding grooves, one end is connected to the inner wall of the sliding groove and the other end is connected to the relative slider. A second limit switch is arranged at the rear end of the sliding groove.

7. The automatic clamping device for a flexible cylindrical workpiece according to claim 2, characterized in that: The moving block is formed with a limiting cavity extending inward from its side surface, and the limiting ejector pin includes a limiting column movably arranged in the limiting cavity and a limiting spring arranged in the limiting cavity and sleeved on the outer periphery of the limiting column, one end of the limiting spring is connected to the inner wall of the limiting cavity, and the other end is connected to the outer periphery of the limiting column.

8. The automatic clamping device for a flexible cylindrical workpiece according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting assembly includes a support seat arranged on the moving block, two support surfaces relatively inclinedly arranged on the support seat for supporting a positioning sleeve, a fixed seat arranged on the support seat for fixing the positioning sleeve, and two positioning surfaces relatively inclinedly arranged on opposite surfaces of the fixed seat and the support seat. The positioning sleeve is fixed between the support seat and the fixed seat, and the outer peripheral surface is respectively against the two support surfaces and the two positioning surfaces.

9. A method for clamping a flexible cylindrical workpiece, characterized in that: The automatic clamping device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is used for clamping, and specifically comprises the following steps: Step 1: Move the base until the positioning sleeve is opposite to the workpiece on the support roller, and continue to move inward so that part of the workpiece is first inserted into the positioning sleeve. After the base is moved into place, the moving assembly controls the moving block to move close to the workpiece so that the remaining part of the workpiece is gradually inserted into the accommodating cavity. In the process of the remaining part of the workpiece being inserted into the accommodating cavity, the positioning block drives the trigger mechanism to move close to the workpiece. Step 2: When the workpiece is completely inserted into the accommodating cavity, the trigger mechanism moves in the opposite direction to trigger multiple suction cup mechanisms to perform initial positioning and adsorption clamping on the workpiece in the accommodating cavity in sequence; Step three, move the base outward to completely remove the workpiece from the support roller, then move the base holding the workpiece to the installation position, the moving component controls the moving block to move in the opposite direction, and then controls multiple suction cup mechanisms to release the workpiece, and then move the base outward to remove the workpiece from the positioning sleeve and place it at the installation position, completing the insertion, clamping, removal and installation of the workpiece.

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