Automatic assembly device for steel balls of ball screw

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of automatic assembly device for steel ball of ball screw, including feeding mechanism and pushing mechanism, feeding mechanism includes fixed frame, multiple storage columns and two groups of material blocking parts are arranged on fixed frame, each group of material blocking parts includes multiple material blocking units, storage column is set one by one with the material blocking unit in each group of material blocking parts, wherein one group of material blocking parts can be moved up and down along the height direction of fixed frame;Material blocking unit includes stop pin and stop pin driver;Pushing mechanism includes nozzle assembly, support frame, push rod assembly and material receiving assembly are arranged on the top surface of support frame, support frame can move back and forth relative to fixed frame, push rod assembly is slidably connected with support frame, material receiving assembly includes material gun and fixed seat arranged at one end of support frame, fixed seat is fixedly connected with the top surface of support frame, material gun is rotatably connected with fixed seat, material gun has material groove for accommodating multiple steel balls, nozzle assembly is located at one end of material gun, one end of nut is connected with one end of nozzle assembly.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of ball screw assembly, and particularly relates to an automatic steel ball assembly device for a ball screw. BACKGROUND

[0002] Ball screws are the most commonly used transmission elements in tooling machinery and precision machinery, and their main function is to convert rotary motion into linear motion or convert torque into axial reciprocating force, while also having high precision, reversibility and high efficiency. Due to their very small frictional resistance, ball screws are widely used in various industrial equipment and precision instruments.

[0003] Specifically, a ball screw includes a screw rod, a nut and steel balls. When assembling, the nut with the steel balls needs to be connected with the screw rod. However, in the prior art, the steel balls need to be manually installed into the nut, and during the manual installation process, sorting errors often occur during the sorting of the steel balls, which will result in low assembly efficiency and uneven assembly quality. SUMMARY

[0004] Therefore, in order to overcome the defects of the prior art, the purpose of the present application is to provide an automatic steel ball assembly device for a ball screw, which can automatically sort steel balls and assemble the sorted steel balls into the nut.

[0005] In order to achieve the above purpose, the present application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] An automatic steel ball assembly device for a ball screw includes a feeding mechanism and a pushing mechanism. The feeding mechanism is located above the pushing mechanism, and is used to convey steel balls to the pushing mechanism. The pushing mechanism is used to push the steel balls to a position close to the nut of the ball screw and install the steel balls into the nut.

[0007] The feeding mechanism includes a fixed frame, a plurality of storage columns arranged on the fixed frame, and two groups of material blocking parts. Each group of material blocking parts includes a plurality of material blocking units. The storage columns are one-to-one corresponding to the material blocking units in each group of material blocking parts. One group of material blocking parts can move up and down along the height direction of the fixed frame. The storage columns are used to store steel balls. The material blocking units include a blocking pin and a blocking pin driver used to drive the blocking pin to stretch and retract in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the storage column.

[0008] The pushing mechanism comprises a nozzle assembly, a support frame, a push rod assembly arranged on the top surface of the support frame, and a material receiving assembly, the support frame is movable relative to the fixed frame, the push rod assembly is in sliding connection with the support frame, the material receiving assembly comprises a material gun arranged at one end of the support frame and a fixed seat, the fixed seat is in fixed connection with the top surface of the support frame, the material gun is in rotational connection with the fixed seat, the material gun is provided with a material groove for accommodating a plurality of steel balls, the nozzle assembly is located at one end of the material gun, one end of the nut is in butt joint with one end of the nozzle assembly, and the push rod assembly is used for pushing the steel balls in the material groove from the end away from the nozzle assembly to the end close to the nozzle assembly and assembling the steel balls into the nut through the nozzle assembly.

[0009] According to some preferred embodiments of the present application, the feeding mechanism further comprises a first side plate fixedly arranged on one side of the fixed frame close to the pushing mechanism, a second side plate, a third side plate and a fourth side plate are sequentially fixedly arranged on the side of the first side plate close to the pushing mechanism from top to bottom, and a fifth side plate and a sixth side plate are sequentially fixedly arranged on the side of the first side plate away from the pushing mechanism from top to bottom; the length direction of the storage column is parallel to the height direction of the fixed frame, a plurality of storage columns are uniformly arranged along the length direction of the second side plate, each storage column comprises a first column part and a second column part, and the axis of the first column part coincides with the axis of the second column part.

[0010] According to some preferred embodiments of the present application, the first column part penetrates the height direction of the second side plate, the bottom end of the first column part is fixedly connected with the top edge of the third side plate, the top end of the second column part is fixedly connected with the bottom edge of the third side plate, and the bottom end of the second column part is fixedly connected with the top edge of the fourth side plate; a plurality of first material channels are arranged on the third side plate corresponding to the storage columns, a plurality of second material channels are arranged on the fourth side plate corresponding to the storage columns, the two ends of the first material channel are connected and communicated with one end of the first column part and one end of the second column part respectively, the top end of the second material channel is connected and communicated with the bottom end of the second column part, and the length direction of the first material channel is parallel to the height direction of the fixed frame, and the second material channel is arranged in an arc shape. The storage column is divided into the corresponding first column part and the second column part, so as to arrange the first material channel between the first column part and the second column part, so that the blocking needle of the blocking unit can be extended into and / or withdrawn from the first material channel under the driving action of the blocking needle driver, so as to block the falling of the steel balls and / or release the falling of the steel balls.

[0011] According to some preferred embodiments of the present application, the fifth side plate is slidingly connected to the side of the first side plate away from the pushing mechanism, and the pushing mechanism further comprises a first driver configured to drive the fifth side plate to move up and down along the height direction of the fixed frame; two groups of the blocking parts are arranged on the fifth side plate and the sixth side plate respectively, and the blocking part arranged on the sixth side plate is located between the bottom end of the second column part and the top end of the second channel; and a plurality of the blocking units are arranged uniformly and spaced apart along the length direction of the fifth side plate and / or the sixth side plate.

[0012] The needle blocking driver is connected to the fifth side plate and / or the sixth side plate, one end of the needle is fixedly connected to one end of the telescopic shaft of the needle blocking driver, and a group of first through hole units is arranged on the first side plate corresponding to the top of the first channel and the top of the second channel respectively, each group of the first through hole units comprises a plurality of first through holes, and the first through hole in one group of the first through hole units and the needle in one group of the blocking parts are arranged one by one correspondingly, and the first through hole is configured to allow the needle to pass through. Through the driving action of the needle blocking driver, the needle can be extended to abut against the steel ball to prevent the steel ball from falling; when the needle is retracted, the steel ball can fall into the trough of the pushing mechanism.

[0013] According to some preferred embodiments of the present application, the pushing mechanism further comprises a first connecting plate fixedly connected to one side of the fixed frame, the first connecting plate is slidingly connected to the support frame, and the sliding direction of the push rod assembly on the support frame is parallel to the sliding direction of the support frame on the first connecting plate; the push rod assembly comprises a push rod, a pressure sensor, a position sensor, a first fixed plate, a second fixed plate, a third fixed plate, a first fixed block, a second fixed block and a second connecting plate, the first fixed plate is slidingly connected to the support frame, the first fixed block and the second fixed block are fixedly arranged on the two sides of the top surface of the first fixed plate respectively, the second fixed plate and the third fixed plate are fixedly connected to the two ends of the second fixed block respectively, the second connecting plate is slidingly connected to the second fixed block, the pressure sensor is fixedly connected to the second connecting plate, the push rod is fixedly connected to the pressure sensor, the position sensor is connected to the second fixed plate, the push rod is parallel to the length direction of the support frame, and the length of the push rod is greater than the length of the trough in the material gun. The pressure sensor and the position sensor are arranged to detect whether the steel ball is blocked in the trough of the material gun, so as to timely find the blocking condition and avoid affecting the assembly of the steel ball. When the steel ball is blocked in the trough, the pushing force of the push rod for pushing the steel ball in the trough changes, correspondingly, the value on the pressure sensor also changes, and whether the steel ball is blocked can be detected according to the value change of the pressure sensor.

[0014] According to some preferred embodiments of the present application, the pushing mechanism further comprises a second driver configured to drive the support frame to move back and forth along the length direction of the first connecting plate; the push rod assembly further comprises a push rod driver and a third connecting plate, one end of the third connecting plate is fixedly connected with the first fixed block, the other end of the third connecting plate is connected with the push rod driver, and the push rod driver is configured to drive the push rod to move back and forth along the length direction of the support frame; the second connecting plate is located between the second fixed plate and the third fixed plate, and an elastic member is arranged between one end of the second connecting plate and one end of the second fixed plate, one end of the elastic member is fixedly connected with one end of the second connecting plate, and the other end of the elastic member is fixedly connected with one end of the second fixed plate. In some embodiments of the present application, a fixed rod is arranged between the second connecting plate and the second fixed plate, the elastic member is sleeved on the outer periphery of the fixed rod, and one end of the fixed rod close to the position sensor penetrates through the thickness direction of the second fixed plate and is in contact with the sensing end of the position sensor. Under normal circumstances, when there is no steel ball blocking in the chute, the support frame and the push rod assembly located on the support frame move as a whole to the direction close to and / or away from the nut under the driving action of the second driver, at this time, the elastic member located between the second connecting plate and the second fixed plate always maintains a natural state and will not be compressed; when there is a steel ball blocking in the chute, the push rod can no longer continue to push the steel ball to move forward, that is, the push rod and the second connecting plate connected with the push rod no longer move, when the push rod driver continues to drive the push rod to move to the direction close to the nut, the second fixed plate moves to the direction close to the second connecting plate to compress the elastic member, when the elastic member is compressed, the interaction force between the sensing end of the position sensor and the fixed rod changes, thereby reflecting the change on the value of the position sensor.

[0015] According to some preferred embodiments of the present application, the material receiving assembly further comprises a third driver, one end of the housing of the third driver is rotatably connected with the bottom of the support frame, one end of the telescopic shaft of the third driver is fixedly connected with the bottom of the material gun, the material gun has a first state and a second state, and the third driver is configured to drive the material gun to rotate to the first state and / or the second state, when the material gun is in the first state, the material gun is arranged to be inclined downward from the top surface of the support frame; when the material gun is in the second state, the length direction of the material gun is parallel to the length direction of the support frame, and at this time, the axis of the chute in the material gun coincides with the axis of the push rod. In the present application, the material gun is provided with two states of the first state and the second state, and when in the first state, the material gun is arranged to be inclined downward from the top surface of the support frame, which can minimize the space occupied by the material gun when the material gun is in a non-working state, and avoid the situation that the material gun is outwardly extended when not in use and may interfere with or be accidentally touched by other mechanisms.

[0016] According to some preferred embodiments of the present application, the fixed seat is provided with a receiving groove at one end close to the material gun, the material gun is located in the receiving groove, the fixed seat is located below the second material channels, the top surface of the receiving groove is coincident with the extension line formed by the connection of the center line of the length direction of the top surface of the receiving groove and the center of the bottom end of the second material channels, and the width of the top surface of the receiving groove is greater than the width of the bottom end of the second material channels; such arrangement can ensure that when the material gun is driven by the second driver to move towards the second material channels and is located directly below one part of the second material channels, the steel balls in the storage column can fall from the second material channels and enter the receiving groove from the top surface of the receiving groove, and then fall into the material groove of the material gun, thereby avoiding the scattering of the steel balls on the ground.

[0017] The fixed seat is provided with a insertion hole at one end away from the material gun for inserting the push rod, the insertion hole is communicated with the receiving groove, and the insertion hole is communicated with the material groove of the material gun when the material gun is in the second state.

[0018] According to some preferred embodiments of the present application, the nozzle assembly comprises a nozzle, a push rod, a fourth driver and an adapter plate, one end of the push rod is fixedly connected with the telescopic shaft of the fourth driver, the shell of the fourth driver is fixedly connected with the top surface of one end of the material gun away from the fixed seat, the fourth driver is used to drive the push rod to move up and down, the material gun is provided with a through groove at the top surface thereof downward for the push rod to pass through, the through groove is communicated with the material groove, the push rod is located above the material groove, and the length direction of the push rod is perpendicular to the length direction of the material groove. In the present application, when the steel balls are not assembled into the nut, the fourth driver drives the push rod to move downward to block the movement of the steel ball closest to the nozzle assembly, thereby blocking the movement of the subsequent one or more steel balls, so as to avoid the misassembly during the feeding of the steel balls, and when the current steel ball is assembled into the installation groove of the nut, the push rod is extended to block the movement of the remaining steel balls.

[0019] According to some preferred embodiments of the present application, the nozzle comprises a nozzle body and a protruding part connected with each other, the protruding part is located at one end of the nozzle body away from the material gun, the outer diameter of the nozzle body is greater than the outer diameter of the protruding part, one side of the adapter plate is fixedly connected with one end of the material gun away from the fixed seat, the other side of the adapter plate is fixedly connected with one end of the nozzle body away from the protruding part, and the nut is sleeved on the protruding part and one end of the nut is in abutment with one end of the nozzle body close to the protruding part.

[0020] The adapter plate is provided with a plurality of second through holes, the nozzle body is provided with a channel, one of the plurality of second through holes is communicated with one end of the trough and one end of the channel respectively, and the second through hole and the channel are used for moving the steel balls from the trough to the nut. When the nut is sleeved on the protruding part, the end of the channel away from the second through hole is communicated with a corresponding mounting groove on the nut, so that the steel balls flowing out of the channel can smoothly enter the corresponding mounting groove on the nut.

[0021] According to some preferred embodiments of the present application, a control system is further included, which is used for controlling the number and specifications of the falling steel balls in the feeding mechanism according to the specifications and models of the target nut, so as to ensure that the number and specifications of the steel balls provided in the feeding mechanism are matched with the nut to be assembled.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the advantages that: the steel ball automatic assembly device for the ball screw of the present application can realize automatic sorting and automatic assembly of the sorted steel balls into the corresponding nut of the ball screw by setting the feeding mechanism and the pushing mechanism, and the two mechanisms cooperate with each other, without manual assembly, which not only can effectively improve the work efficiency and greatly save the labor cost, but also can effectively avoid the problem of sorting error of the steel balls in manual assembly, thereby being beneficial to improving the qualified rate of product assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed in the embodiment description will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

[0024] Figure 1 Fig. 4 is a perspective structural schematic view of the steel ball automatic assembly device in the preferred embodiment of the present application (the material gun is in the second state) with the part structure of the push rod assembly hidden;

[0025] Figure 2 Fig. 5 is a top view structural schematic view of the feeding mechanism in the preferred embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 3 Fig. 6 is a perspective structural schematic view of the feeding mechanism in the preferred embodiment of the present application with the part structure hidden;

[0027] Figure 4 Fig. 7 is a perspective structural schematic view of the pushing mechanism in the preferred embodiment of the present application with the part structure hidden when the material gun is in the first state;

[0028] Figure 5The schematic diagram of the perspective structure of the push rod assembly in the preferred embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 6 The schematic diagram of the perspective structure of the push rod assembly in the preferred embodiment of the present application; Figure 5

[0030] Figure 7 The schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the material gun and nozzle assembly in the preferred embodiment of the present application;

[0031] In the drawings, the reference signs are as follows:

[0032] The feeding mechanism-10,

[0033] The fixed frame-11, the first side plate-12, the second side plate-13, the third side plate-14, the first material channel-D1, the fourth side plate-15, the second material channel-D2, the fifth side plate-16, the sixth side plate-17, the first driver-18, the first sliding block-191, the first sliding rail-192, the first column-21, the second column-22, the needle stopper-31, the needle stopper driver-32;

[0034] The pushing mechanism-20,

[0035] The support frame-41, the first connecting plate-42, the second sliding rail-43, the second driver-44, the push rod-51, the pressure sensor-521, the position sensor-522, the first fixed plate-531, the second fixed plate-532, the third fixed plate-533, the first fixed block-541, the second fixed block-542, the second connecting plate-551, the third connecting plate-552, the push rod driver-56, the elastic member-571, the fixed rod-572, the third sliding block-581, the third sliding rail-582, the fourth sliding block-591, the fourth sliding rail-592, the material gun-61, the material groove-C1, the fixed seat-62, the accommodating groove-C2, the insertion hole-621, the third driver-63, the nozzle body-711, the passage-D3, the protruding part-712, the insertion rod-72, the fourth driver-73, the adapter plate-74, the second through hole-K1;

[0036] The steel ball-30. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In order for those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor should be within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0038] As Figures 1 to 7 ​As shown, the automatic steel ball assembling device for ball screw is used for automatically assembling steel balls 30 into the mounting groove of the nut, which comprises a feeding mechanism 10, a pushing mechanism 20 and a control system. The feeding mechanism 10 is located above the pushing mechanism 20, and is used for conveying steel balls 30 of target size and quantity into the pushing mechanism 20. The pushing mechanism 20 is used for pushing the steel balls 30 to the position close to the nut of the ball screw and assembling the steel balls 30 into the mounting groove of the nut. The control system is used for controlling the quantity and size of the falling steel balls 30 in the feeding mechanism 10 according to the specifications and models of the target nut, so as to ensure that the quantity and size of the steel balls 30 provided in the feeding mechanism 10 are matched with the nut to be assembled.

[0039] Further, as shown, Figures 1 to 3 The feeding mechanism 10 comprises a fixed frame 11, a plurality of storage columns arranged on the fixed frame 11 and two groups of material blocking parts. The storage columns are used for storing steel balls 30, and the length direction of the storage columns is parallel to the height direction of the fixed frame 11. The two groups of material blocking parts are arranged in the height direction of the fixed frame 11. Each group of material blocking parts comprises a plurality of material blocking units, and the storage columns and the material blocking units in each group of material blocking parts are arranged one by one. One group of material blocking parts is located in the middle of the fixed frame 11 and can move up and down in the height direction of the fixed frame 11, and the other group of material blocking parts is located at the lower end of the fixed frame 11 and keeps the height position unchanged on the fixed frame 11.

[0040] Specifically, the feeding mechanism 10 further comprises a first side plate 12 fixedly arranged on the fixed frame 11 at the side close to the pushing mechanism 20, the side of the first side plate 12 close to the pushing mechanism 20 is sequentially fixedly provided with a second side plate 13, a third side plate 14 and a fourth side plate 15 from top to bottom, and the side of the first side plate 12 away from the pushing mechanism 20 is sequentially fixedly provided with a fifth side plate 16 and a sixth side plate 17 from top to bottom. A plurality of storage columns are arranged uniformly and spaced apart along the length direction of the second side plate 13, each of the storage columns comprises a first column part 21 and a second column part 22, the axis of the first column part 21 and the axis of the second column part 22 of each of the storage columns coincide, and the first column part 21 is located above the second column part 22; the outer diameter of the first column part 21 is equal to the outer diameter of the second column part 22, and the inner diameter of the first column part 21 is equal to the inner diameter of the second column part 22. The third side plate 14 is located between the first column part 21 and the second column part 22, the first column part 21 penetrates the height direction of the second side plate 13, the bottom end of the first column part 21 is fixedly connected with the top edge of the third side plate 14, the top end of the second column part 22 is fixedly connected with the bottom edge of the third side plate 14, and the bottom end of the second column part 22 is fixedly connected with the top edge of the fourth side plate 15. A plurality of first material channels D1 are formed in the third side plate 14 corresponding to the plurality of storage columns, and a plurality of second material channels D2 are formed in the fourth side plate 15 corresponding to the plurality of storage columns, the two ends of the first material channel D1 are connected and communicated with one end of the first column part 21 and one end of the second column part 22 respectively, and the top end of the second material channel D2 is connected and communicated with the bottom end of the second column part 22, wherein the length direction of the first material channel D1 is parallel to the height direction of the fixed frame 11; the second material channel D2 is arranged in an arc shape.

[0041] In addition, the side of the first side plate 12 away from the pushing mechanism 20 is fixedly provided with a first sliding rail 192, and the side of the fifth side plate 16 close to the first side plate 12 is fixedly provided with a first sliding block 191, the first sliding block 191 is slidingly connected with the first sliding rail 192, and the length of the first sliding rail 192 is greater than the length of the first material channel D1. The feeding mechanism 10 further comprises a first driver 18, the housing of the first driver 18 is fixedly connected with the top of the first side plate 12, and the telescopic shaft of the first driver 18 is fixedly connected with the fifth side plate 16, the first driver 18 is used to drive the fifth side plate 16 to move up and down along the height direction of the fixed frame 11 through the interaction of the first sliding block 191 and the first sliding rail 192. Further, a group of material blocking parts are arranged on the fifth side plate 16, and another group of material blocking parts are arranged on the sixth side plate 17, and the group of material blocking parts arranged on the sixth side plate 17 are located between the bottom end of the second column part 22 and the top end of the second material channel D2 and have a constant height position. In the embodiment, a plurality of material blocking units in the group of material blocking parts arranged on the fifth side plate 16 are arranged uniformly and spaced apart along the length direction of the fifth side plate 16, and a plurality of material blocking units in the group of material blocking parts arranged on the sixth side plate 17 are arranged uniformly and spaced apart along the length direction of the sixth side plate 17.

[0042] AsFigure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in the figure (in this embodiment, part of the storage column and the blocking unit are hidden in order to clearly show the structure of the feeding mechanism 10), each blocking unit includes a blocking needle 31 and a blocking needle driver 32 for driving the blocking needle 31 to extend and retract in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the storage column, the housing of the blocking needle driver 32 is fixedly connected with the fifth side plate 16 and / or the sixth side plate 17, and one end of the extension and retraction shaft of the blocking needle driver 32 is fixedly connected with one end of the blocking needle 31. A through opening is formed on the first side plate 12 corresponding to the position of the third side plate 14, and the area where the plurality of first channels D1 on the third side plate 14 is located is within the area range of the through opening. And the first side plate 12 is provided with a set of first through hole units corresponding to the top of the first channel D1 and the top of the second channel D2, each set of first through hole units includes a plurality of first through holes, and the first through holes in a set of first through hole units and the blocking needles 31 in a set of blocking units are one-to-one correspondingly arranged, the first through holes are used for the blocking needles 31 to pass through, and the blocking needles 31 arranged in the blocking part on the fifth side plate 16 can be extended to the direction close to the steel balls 30 by the driving action of the blocking needle driver 32, and then inserted into the corresponding first channel D1 through the first through hole, so as to abut against a steel ball 30 of a corresponding height, thereby preventing the steel ball 30 from falling; when the blocking needle 31 is retracted, the steel ball 30 can fall. Such arrangement can make the blocking part, under the action of the control system, driven by the first driver 18 to ascend or descend the fifth side plate 16 to drive a set of blocking parts to ascend or descend to a target position, and then driven by the blocking needle driver 32 to extend the blocking needle 31 to block the steel balls 30 from falling, so that the number of steel balls 30 that need to fall can be controlled according to the position of the fifth side plate 16 ascending or descending and combined with the number of the blocking needles 31 extending. And a set of blocking parts arranged on the sixth side plate 17 can selectively drive the blocking needles 31 to extend or retract according to the number of steel balls 30 that can be accommodated in the pushing mechanism 20, so as to ensure that the steel balls 30 will not continue to fall from the second channel D2 when the number of steel balls 30 that can be accommodated in the pushing mechanism 20 is saturated, avoiding the steel balls 30 from spilling.

[0043] Further, as shown in the figure Figure 1 , Figures 4 to 7As shown, the pushing mechanism 20 comprises a support frame 41, a nozzle assembly, a push rod assembly arranged on the top surface of the support frame 41, a receiving assembly, and a second driver 44. The fixed frame 11 is fixedly provided with a first connecting plate 42 on the side close to the pushing mechanism 20. The first connecting plate 42 is fixedly provided with two second sliding rails 43 on one side. The support frame 41 is fixedly provided with a second sliding block on the side close to the first connecting plate 42. The second sliding rails 43 are in sliding connection with the second sliding block. The second driver 44 is configured to drive the support frame 41 to move back and forth along the length direction of the first connecting plate 42 through the interaction between the second sliding block and the second sliding rails 43. The sliding direction of the support frame 41 along the second sliding rails 43 is perpendicular to the length direction of the storage column. Through the movement of the support frame 41, the push rod assembly, the receiving assembly, and the nozzle assembly on the support frame 41 can be driven to move back and forth along the length direction of the first connecting plate 42 to approach and / or move away from the nut.

[0044] Specifically, the push rod assembly comprises a push rod 51, a push rod driver 56, a pressure sensor 521, a position sensor 522, a first fixed plate 531, a second fixed plate 532, a third fixed plate 533, a first fixed block 541, a second fixed block 542, a second connecting plate 551, and a third connecting plate 552. The push rod 51 is parallel to the length direction of the support frame 41. The bottom surface of the first fixed plate 531 is fixedly provided with a third sliding block 581. The top surface of the support frame 41 is fixedly provided with two third sliding rails 582. The third sliding rails 582 are in sliding connection with the third sliding block 581. The length direction of the third sliding block 581 is parallel to the length direction of the support frame 41. The first fixed block 541 and the second fixed block 542 are fixedly arranged on the two sides of the top surface of the first fixed plate 531, respectively. The second fixed plate 532 and the third fixed plate 533 are fixedly connected with the two ends of the second fixed block 542, respectively. The second fixed plate 532 and the third fixed plate 533 are both perpendicular to the second fixed block 542. The second fixed block 542 is fixedly provided with a fourth sliding rail 592 on one side. The second connecting plate 551 is fixedly provided with a fourth sliding block 591 on the side close to the second fixed block 542. The fourth sliding block 591 is in sliding connection with the fourth sliding rail 592. One end of the third connecting plate 552 is fixedly connected with the first fixed block 541. The other end of the third connecting plate 552 is connected with the push rod driver 56. The push rod driver 56 is configured to drive the third connecting plate 552 to move back and forth along the length direction of the third sliding rail 582, thereby driving the entire push rod assembly to move back and forth along the length direction of the third sliding rail 582 to approach and / or move away from the nut. In this embodiment, the sliding direction of the push rod assembly on the support frame 41 is parallel to the sliding direction of the support frame 41 on the first connecting plate 42.

[0045] Further, the pressure sensor 521 is fixedly connected with the second connecting plate 551, and one end of the push rod 51 is fixedly connected with the pressure sensor 521; the position sensor 522 is fixedly connected with the second fixed plate 532 away from the third fixed plate 533, and the second connecting plate 551 is located between the second fixed plate 532 and the third fixed plate 533, a fixed rod 572 is arranged between the second connecting plate 551 and the second fixed plate 532, the outer periphery of the fixed rod 572 is sleeved with an elastic element 571, one end of the elastic element 571 is fixedly connected with one end of the second connecting plate 551, and the other end of the elastic element 571 is fixedly connected with one end of the second fixed plate 532. One end of the fixed rod 572 close to the position sensor 522 penetrates through the thickness direction of the second fixed plate 532 to contact the sensing end of the position sensor 522. The pressure sensor 521 and the position sensor 522 are arranged for monitoring whether the steel column is blocked in the material receiving assembly, so as to find the blocking condition in time, thereby avoiding affecting the assembly of the steel ball 30.

[0046] When the steel ball 30 is blocked in the material receiving assembly, the pushing force of the push rod 51 for pushing the steel ball 30 in the material receiving assembly to move changes, and accordingly the value on the pressure sensor 521 also changes, and whether the steel ball 30 is blocked can be detected according to the value change of the pressure sensor 521. Under normal circumstances, when the steel ball 30 is not blocked in the material receiving assembly, the support frame 41 and the push rod assembly located on the support frame 41 move as a whole to the direction close to and / or away from the nut under the driving action of the second driver 44, at this time, the elastic element 571 located between the second connecting plate 551 and the second fixed plate 532 always maintains a natural state and will not be compressed; when the steel ball 30 is blocked in the material receiving assembly, the push rod 51 can no longer continue to push the steel ball 30 to move forward, that is, the push rod 51 and the second connecting plate 551 connected with the push rod 51 no longer move, when the push rod driver 56 continues to drive the push rod 51 to move to the direction close to the nut, the second fixed plate 532 is driven to move to the direction close to the second connecting plate 551 to compress the elastic element 571, when the elastic element 571 is compressed, the interaction force between the sensing end of the position sensor 522 and the fixed rod 572 changes, so that the change is reflected on the value of the position sensor 522. The elastic element 571 in the embodiment is preferably a spring.

[0047] Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the push rod 51 is provided with a push rod driver 56, and the push rod driver 56 is fixedly connected with the second driver 44. Figure 1 and Figure 4As shown, the material receiving assembly comprises a material gun 61 and a fixing base 62 provided at one end of the support frame 41, a third driver 63, the fixing base 62 is fixedly connected with the top surface of the support frame 41, one end of the material gun 61 is rotatably connected with the fixing base 62, one end of the housing of the third driver 63 is rotatably connected with the bottom of the support frame 41, and one end of the telescopic shaft of the third driver 63 is fixedly connected with the bottom of the material gun 61. The material gun 61 has a material groove C1 for accommodating a plurality of steel balls 30, and the length of the material groove C1 in the material gun 61 is less than the length of the push rod 51. The material gun 61 of the embodiment has a first state and a second state, and the third driver 63 is used to drive the material gun 61 to rotate to the first state and / or the second state. When the material gun 61 is in the first state, the material gun 61 is inclined downward from the top surface of the support frame 41, which can minimize the space occupied by the material gun 61 when it is in a non-working state, avoiding the situation that it extends outward when not in use and may interfere with other mechanisms or be accidentally touched. When the material gun 61 is in the second state, the length direction of the material gun 61 is parallel to the length direction of the support frame 41, and the axis of the material groove C1 in the material gun 61 at this time coincides with the axis of the push rod 51.

[0048] The fixing base 62 is located below the plurality of second material channels D2, and the fixing base 62 is provided with an accommodating groove C2 at the end close to the material gun 61, one end of the material gun 61 is located in the accommodating groove C2, the top surface of the accommodating groove C2 coincides with the extension line formed by the connection of the center line along the length direction of the top surface of the accommodating groove C2 and the center of the bottom end of the plurality of second material channels D2, and the width of the top surface of the accommodating groove C2 is greater than the width of the bottom end of the second material channel D2. Such arrangement can ensure that the material gun 61 moves to the direction close to the second material channel D2 under the driving action of the second driver 44 to be located directly below a part of the second material channel D2, so that when the steel balls 30 in the storage column fall from the second material channel D2, they can enter the accommodating groove C2 from the top surface of the accommodating groove C2 and further fall into the material groove C1 of the material gun 61, avoiding the steel balls 30 from scattering on the ground. In addition, the end of the fixing base 62 away from the material gun 61 is provided with a insertion hole 621 for the insertion of the push rod 51, and the insertion hole 621 is in communication with the accommodating groove C2, and when the material gun 61 is in the second state, the insertion hole 621 is also in communication with the material groove C1 of the material gun 61, so that the push rod 51 can enter the material groove C1 from the insertion hole 621 to move the steel balls 30 located therein to the direction close to the nut.

[0049] Further, as shown in FIG. 1, Figure 4 and Figure 7As shown, the nozzle assembly is located at the end of the material gun 61 away from the fixed base 62, and the nozzle assembly comprises a nozzle, a plug rod 72, a fourth driver 73 and an adapter plate 74. The plug rod 72 is located above the material groove C1, and the length direction of the plug rod 72 is perpendicular to the length direction of the material groove C1. The material gun 61 is provided with a through groove for the plug rod 72 to pass through, and the through groove is communicated with the material groove C1. One end of the plug rod 72 is fixedly connected with the telescopic shaft of the fourth driver 73, and the shell of the fourth driver 73 is fixedly connected with the top surface of the end of the material gun 61 away from the fixed base 62. The fourth driver 73 is used to drive the plug rod 72 to move up and down to approach and / or move away from the material groove C1. In the embodiment, the plug rod 72 is provided to prevent the misassembly of the steel balls 30 during the feeding process of the steel balls 30. When the current steel ball 30 is being assembled into the installation groove of the nut, the plug rod 72 will be extended to prevent the remaining steel balls 30 from moving towards the nut at the same time.

[0050] The nozzle comprises a nozzle body 711 and a protruding part 712 connected with each other. The protruding part 712 is located at the end of the nozzle body 711 away from the material gun 61, and the outer diameter of the nozzle body 711 is greater than that of the protruding part 712. One side of the adapter plate 74 is fixedly connected with the end of the material gun 61 away from the fixed base 62, and the other side of the adapter plate 74 is fixedly connected with the end of the nozzle body 711 away from the protruding part 712. The protruding part 712 is used for the nut to be assembled to be sleeved on the outer periphery thereof, and one end of the nut is in abutment with the end of the nozzle body 711 close to the protruding part 712. Specifically, a plurality of second through holes K1 are formed in the adapter plate 74, and a channel D3 is formed in the inside of the nozzle body 711. Two ends of one of the second through holes K1 are respectively communicated with one end of the material groove C1 and one end of the channel D3. The second through hole K1 and the channel D3 are used for the steel ball 30 to move from the material groove C1 to the installation groove of the nut. When the nut is sleeved on the protruding part 712, the end of the channel D3 away from the second through hole K1 is communicated with the corresponding installation groove of the nut, so as to ensure that the steel ball 30 flowing out of the channel D3 can smoothly enter the corresponding installation groove of the nut to complete the assembly of the current steel ball 30. In addition, in some other embodiments of the present application, the adapter plate 74 can be replaced according to different specifications and models of the nut, so as to ensure that the second through hole K1 of the adapter plate 74 can pass through the steel ball 30 of the corresponding size.

[0051] When the feeding mechanism 10 does not feed the pushing mechanism 20, the material gun 61 is in the first state, the support frame 41 is located at the end of the second slide rail 43 far away from the nut, and the push rod assembly is located at the end of the third slide rail 582 far away from the material gun 61, so that the end of the push rod 51 close to the fixed seat 62 is away from the end of the material groove C1 close to the fixed seat 62, so as to avoid the breakage of the push rod 51 due to the failure to insert into the material groove C1 in the first state. When the steel ball 30 in the feeding mechanism 10 is ready to fall into the material groove C1 in the material gun 61, the third driver 63 drives the material gun 61 to rotate to the second state, and drives the material gun 61 on the support frame 41 to move along the length direction of the second slide rail 43 to gradually approach the nut under the driving action of the second driver 44, in the moving process, the material groove C1 of the material gun 61 will collect the falling steel ball 30, and in the process, the plug rod 72 extends downward under the action of the fourth driver 73 to block the steel ball 30 in the material groove C1 from passing through the adapter plate 74. When the material groove C1 is filled with the target number of steel balls 30, the support frame 41 no longer moves, but drives the push rod 51 to gradually approach the steel balls 30 in the material groove C1 under the driving action of the push rod driver 56, and pushes the steel balls 30 from the material groove C1 to the mounting groove of the nut through the adapter plate 74 and the nozzle, completing the automatic assembly of the steel balls 30.

[0052] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and characteristics of the present application, and the purpose is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present application and implement it, and cannot limit the protection scope of the present application, any equivalent changes or modifications made according to the spirit and essence of the present application should be covered within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A device for automatic assembly of steel balls for ball screws, characterized in that: The feeding mechanism is located above the pushing mechanism, and the feeding mechanism is used for conveying steel balls to the pushing mechanism, and the pushing mechanism is used for pushing the steel balls to the position close to the nut of the ball screw and installing the steel balls into the nut; The feeding mechanism includes a fixed frame, a plurality of storage columns arranged on the fixed frame, and two groups of material blocking parts, each group of material blocking parts includes a plurality of material blocking units, the storage columns are arranged one-to-one with the material blocking units in each group of material blocking parts, one group of material blocking parts can move up and down along the height direction of the fixed frame, and the storage columns are used for storing steel balls; the material blocking unit includes a blocking needle and a blocking needle driver used for driving the blocking needle to stretch and retract in the length direction perpendicular to the storage column; The pushing mechanism includes a nozzle assembly, a support frame, a push rod assembly arranged on the top surface of the support frame, and a material receiving assembly, the support frame can move back and forth relative to the fixed frame, the push rod assembly is in sliding connection with the support frame, the material receiving assembly includes a material gun arranged at one end of the support frame and a fixed seat, the fixed seat is fixedly connected with the top surface of the support frame, the material gun is in rotational connection with the fixed seat, the material gun has a material groove in the material gun for accommodating a plurality of steel balls, the nozzle assembly is located at one end of the material gun, one end of the nut is in butt joint with one end of the nozzle assembly, and the push rod assembly is used for pushing the steel balls in the material groove from the end away from the nozzle assembly to the end close to the nozzle assembly and assembling the steel balls into the nut through the nozzle assembly; The feeding mechanism further includes a first side plate fixedly arranged on the fixed frame close to one side of the pushing mechanism, a second side plate, a third side plate and a fourth side plate are sequentially and fixedly arranged on the side of the first side plate close to the pushing mechanism from top to bottom, and a fifth side plate and a sixth side plate are sequentially and fixedly arranged on the side of the first side plate away from the pushing mechanism from top to bottom; the length direction of the storage column is parallel to the height direction of the fixed frame, a plurality of storage columns are arranged in the length direction of the second side plate at uniform intervals, each storage column includes a first column part and a second column part, the axis of the first column part coincides with the axis of the second column part, and the first column part is located above the second column part; the first column part penetrates the height direction of the second side plate, the bottom end of the first column part is fixedly connected with the top edge of the third side plate, the top end of the second column part is fixedly connected with the bottom edge of the third side plate, and the bottom end of the second column part is fixedly connected with the top edge of the fourth side plate; a plurality of first material channels are formed in the third side plate corresponding to the storage columns, a plurality of second material channels are formed in the fourth side plate corresponding to the storage columns, the two ends of the first material channel are connected and communicated with one end of the first column part and one end of the second column part, the top end of the second material channel is connected and communicated with the bottom end of the second column part, and the length direction of the first material channel is parallel to the height direction of the fixed frame.

2. The automatic steel ball assembling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fifth side plate is slidably connected to the side of the first side plate away from the pushing mechanism, and the feeding mechanism further comprises a first driver configured to drive the fifth side plate to move up and down along the height direction of the fixed frame; two groups of the material blocking portions are arranged on the fifth side plate and the sixth side plate respectively, and the material blocking portion arranged on the sixth side plate is located between the bottom end of the second column portion and the top end of the second material channel, and a plurality of the material blocking units are arranged uniformly and spaced apart along the length direction of the fifth side plate and / or the sixth side plate; The needle blocking driver is connected to the fifth side plate and / or the sixth side plate, one end of the needle blocking portion is fixedly connected to one end of the telescopic shaft of the needle blocking driver, and a group of first through hole units is arranged on the first side plate corresponding to the top of the first material channel and the top of the second material channel respectively, each group of the first through hole units comprises a plurality of first through holes, and the first through hole in one group of the first through hole units and the needle blocking portion in one group of the material blocking portions are arranged one by one in correspondence, and the first through hole is configured to allow the needle blocking portion to pass through.

3. The automatic steel ball assembling device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The pushing mechanism further comprises a first connecting plate fixedly connected to one side of the fixed frame, and the pushing rod assembly is slidably connected to the support frame, and the sliding direction of the pushing rod assembly on the support frame is parallel to the sliding direction of the support frame on the first connecting plate; the pushing rod assembly comprises a pushing rod, a pressure sensor, a position sensor, a first fixed plate, a second fixed plate, a third fixed plate, a first fixed block, a second fixed block and a second connecting plate, the first fixed plate is slidably connected to the support frame, the first fixed block and the second fixed block are fixedly arranged on the two sides of the top surface of the first fixed plate respectively, the second fixed plate and the third fixed plate are fixedly connected to the two ends of the second fixed block respectively, the second connecting plate is slidably connected to the second fixed block, the pressure sensor is fixedly connected to the second connecting plate, the pushing rod is fixedly connected to the pressure sensor, the position sensor is connected to the second fixed plate, the pushing rod is parallel to the length direction of the support frame, and the length of the pushing rod is greater than the length of the material groove in the material gun.

4. The automatic steel ball assembling device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The pushing mechanism further comprises a second driver configured to drive the support frame to move back and forth along the length direction of the first connecting plate; the pushing rod assembly further comprises a pushing rod driver and a third connecting plate, one end of the third connecting plate is fixedly connected to the first fixed block, the other end of the third connecting plate is connected to the pushing rod driver, and the pushing rod driver is configured to drive the pushing rod to move back and forth along the length direction of the support frame; the second connecting plate is located between the second fixed plate and the third fixed plate, and an elastic member is arranged between one end of the second connecting plate and one end of the second fixed plate, one end of the elastic member is fixedly connected to one end of the second connecting plate, and the other end of the elastic member is fixedly connected to one end of the second fixed plate.

5. The automatic steel ball assembling device according to claim 3, wherein: The material receiving assembly further comprises a third driver, one end of a housing of the third driver is rotatably connected to the bottom of the support frame, one end of an extension shaft of the third driver is fixedly connected to the bottom of the material gun, the material gun has a first state and a second state, the third driver is used to drive the material gun to rotate to the first state and / or the second state, when the material gun is in the first state, the material gun is arranged downwardly and obliquely from the top surface of the support frame; when the material gun is in the second state, the length direction of the material gun is parallel to the length direction of the support frame, and the axis of the material groove in the material gun coincides with the axis of the push rod at this time.

6. The automatic steel ball assembling device according to claim 5, wherein: The fixed seat is provided with a receiving groove at one end close to the material gun, one end of the material gun is located in the receiving groove, the fixed seat is located below the plurality of second material channels, the top surface of the receiving groove coincides with an extension line formed by connecting the center of the bottom end of the plurality of second material channels along the center line of the length direction of the top surface of the receiving groove, and the width of the top surface of the receiving groove is greater than the width of the bottom end of the second material channel. The fixed seat is provided with a plug hole at one end away from the material gun, the plug hole is in communication with the receiving groove, and the plug hole is in communication with the material groove of the material gun when the material gun is in the second state.

7. The automatic steel ball assembling device according to claim 6, wherein: The nozzle assembly comprises a nozzle, a plug rod, a fourth driver and an adapter plate, one end of the plug rod is fixedly connected to the extension shaft of the fourth driver, the housing of the fourth driver is fixedly connected to the top surface of one end of the material gun away from the fixed seat, the fourth driver is used to drive the plug rod to move up and down, the material gun is provided with a through groove for the plug rod to pass through downwardly from the top surface thereof, the through groove is in communication with the material groove, the plug rod is located above the material groove, and the length direction of the plug rod is perpendicular to the length direction of the material groove.

8. The automatic steel ball assembling device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The nozzle comprises a nozzle body and a protruding portion connected to each other, the protruding portion is located at one end of the nozzle body away from the material gun, the outer diameter of the nozzle body is greater than the outer diameter of the protruding portion, one side of the adapter plate is fixedly connected to one end of the material gun away from the fixed seat, the other side of the adapter plate is fixedly connected to one end of the nozzle body away from the protruding portion, the nut is sleeved on the protruding portion, and one end of the nut is attached to one end of the nozzle body close to the protruding portion; The adapter plate is provided with a plurality of second through holes, the inside of the nozzle body is provided with a channel, two ends of one of the plurality of second through holes are respectively in communication with one end of the material groove and one end of the channel, and the second through hole and the channel are used to move the steel ball from the material groove to the nut.

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