Floating finger structure and gripper device thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a floating finger structure which comprises a mounting sleeve fixedly mounted on a finger mounting plate, an inner hole formed in the lower portion of the mounting sleeve in the axial direction, and a first groove formed in a part of the inner hole; the upper portion of the finger joint is located in the inner hole in a sliding mode, an insertion hole is formed in the radial direction of the finger joint, an elastic element is installed on the lower portion of the finger joint and compressed by the installation sleeve, and a metal wire is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the finger joint; when the elastic element is compressed, the limiting piece is inserted into the first groove and the inserting hole so as to connect the mounting sleeve and the finger joint, and the elastic element is configured to be further compressed in response to the situation that the metal wire is about to generate upward bending deformation so as to enable the finger joint and the mounting sleeve to float along the first groove. The finger structure has the floatable characteristic, the functionality of the finger structure is met, the positioning precision and stability of the finger structure are guaranteed, and the risk that axial stress deformation caused by interference or collision is uncontrollable is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and more particularly, relates to a floating finger structure and a gripping device thereof. Background Art

[0002] Gripper devices play a vital role in photovoltaic automation production equipment, especially in CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) automation equipment. The finger structures of these grippers are in direct contact with the cells, and play a decisive role in the positioning, loading and transportation of the cells. Therefore, the stability of the finger structures has become a key issue for these devices.

[0003] In traditional gripper designs, the finger structure is usually made of carbon steel welded wire and processed by machining and other processes. However, this design has significant limitations. Due to its strong overall structural rigidity, the wire at the end of the finger structure is easily deformed when it interferes or collides with other structures during operation. These deformations may sometimes be very slight and difficult to detect with the naked eye, but they can seriously affect the normal operation of the equipment and may even cause failures.

[0004] More importantly, once the finger structure is deformed, it is difficult to recover and requires a lot of time and effort to repair. This not only increases the downtime of the equipment and reduces production efficiency, but may also have a negative impact on the positioning accuracy of the battery cell, resulting in an increase in the rate of battery cell fragmentation, further increasing production costs.

[0005] In view of this, there is an urgent need to design a finger structure that can overcome the above-mentioned defects. Summary of the invention

[0006] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a new type of floating finger structure. The floating finger structure of the present invention has the characteristic of being able to float, which not only meets its functionality, ensures the positioning accuracy and stability of the finger, but also solves the risks of uncontrollable stress deformation, etc.

[0007] In order to solve the above technical problems or achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a floating finger structure, comprising:

[0009] A mounting sleeve, the mounting sleeve is fixedly mounted on the finger mounting plate, the lower portion of the mounting sleeve is provided with an inner hole in the axial direction, a portion of the inner hole is provided with a first groove;

[0010] The finger joint, the upper part of which is slidably located in the inner hole and is provided with a plug hole in the radial direction, the lower part of which is provided with an elastic element, which is compressed by the mounting sleeve, and the bottom end of which is fixedly connected with a metal wire;

[0011] A stopper, which is inserted into the first groove and the insertion hole when the elastic element is compressed to connect the mounting sleeve with the finger joint,

[0012] The elastic element is configured to be further compressed in response to the metal wire being about to bend upward so as to cause floating between the finger joint and the mounting sleeve along the first groove.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, a mounting hole is provided in the finger mounting plate and a second groove is provided at the bottom, the second groove is provided as a waist-shaped groove, and flattened processing surfaces are provided on both sides of the maximum diameter of the mounting sleeve in the radial direction, the two processing surfaces are fitted with the inner plane of the waist-shaped groove, and the cylindrical surface of the mounting sleeve is assembled with the mounting hole.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the upper portion of the mounting sleeve is threadedly fixedly connected to the finger mounting plate via a nut.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first groove is configured as a waist-shaped groove, and the insertion hole is configured as a through hole with two sides communicating with each other.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first groove is configured as a guide groove, and the insertion hole is configured as a receiving hole with one side open.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the elastic element comprises a spring, and the spring comprises a compression spring and a disc spring.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the limiting member includes a cotter pin, an R-type pin, an elastic pin, a single-ball quick-release pin and a plunger.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the metal wire includes a steel wire, a nickel-titanium alloy wire, a copper-zinc alloy wire, and a copper-aluminum alloy wire.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, the metal wire is about to bend upwardly under the action of the collision force and / or the interference force.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present invention, a gripper device is provided, on which the floating finger structure as described above is installed.

[0022] The technical solution provided by the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0023] The present invention uses a segmented structure combined with an elastic element to make the finger structure have a floating characteristic, which not only meets its functionality, ensures the positioning accuracy and stability of the finger structure, but also solves the risk of uncontrollable axial stress deformation caused by interference or collision. At the same time, the segmented structure of the present invention is more convenient to restore and replace, can reduce the battery cell fragmentation rate, save costs, and extend the service life of the finger structure, which plays a decisive role in the stable operation of the gripper device.

[0024] The finger structure of the present invention is floatable, which can prevent the metal wire from being deformed and reduce the maintenance cost caused by damage and replacement; the finger structure of the present invention can be quickly disassembled and installed; the present invention can also fully position the finger structure in six degrees of freedom (translation and rotation in the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions); the present invention can easily recover after the metal wire is deformed, avoiding downtime of the production line; the finger structure of the present invention is simple, easy to process and low cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art are briefly introduced below. Obviously, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of a floating finger structure provided in one embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0028] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the floating finger structure at AA;

[0029] Figure 3 Shows Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure observed from direction B;

[0030] Figure 4 shows an overall structural schematic diagram of a floating finger structure provided in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 Shows Figure 4 A side view of the floating finger structure;

[0032] Figure 6 Shows Figure 4 Cross-sectional view of the floating finger structure at AA.

[0033] Among them, 1. mounting sleeve; 2. finger joint; 3. limit piece; 4. finger mounting plate; 5. nut; 6. elastic element; 7. metal wire; 8. inner hole; 9. first waist-shaped groove; 10. through hole; 11. second waist-shaped groove; 12. processing surface; 13. mounting hole; 14. cylindrical surface; 15. receiving hole; 16. guide groove. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In order to more clearly understand the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention, the embodiments of the present invention will be further described below. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0035] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention, but the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein; it is obvious that the embodiments in the specification are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments.

[0036] like Figure 1-6 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a floating finger structure, including:

[0037] A mounting sleeve 1, which is fixedly mounted on the finger mounting plate 4, an inner hole 8 is axially arranged at the lower part of the mounting sleeve 1, and a first groove (for example, a first waist groove 9 or a guide groove 16) is opened at a part of the inner hole 8;

[0038] The finger joint 2, the upper part of which is slidably located in the inner hole 8 and is provided with an insertion hole (for example, a through hole 10 or a receiving hole 15) in the radial direction, the lower part of which is provided with an elastic element 6, which is compressed by the mounting sleeve 1, and the bottom end of the finger joint 2 is fixedly connected with a metal wire 7;

[0039] The limiting member 3 is inserted into the first groove and the insertion hole when the elastic element 6 is compressed to connect the mounting sleeve 1 with the finger joint 2.

[0040] The elastic element 6 is configured to be further compressed in response to the metal wire 7 being about to bend upwardly to allow the finger joint 2 and the mounting sleeve 1 to float along the first groove.

[0041] The present invention uses a segmented structure combined with an elastic element to make the finger structure have a floating characteristic, which not only meets its functionality, ensures the positioning accuracy and stability of the finger structure, but also solves the risk of uncontrollable axial stress deformation caused by interference or collision. At the same time, the segmented structure of the present invention is more convenient to restore and replace, which can reduce the fragmentation rate of battery cells, save costs, and extend the service life of the finger structure, playing a decisive role in the stable operation of the gripper device. In addition, the finger structure of the present invention is floatable, which can avoid deformation of the metal wire and reduce the maintenance costs caused by damage and replacement; the finger structure of the present invention can be quickly disassembled and installed; the present invention can also fully position the finger structure in six degrees of freedom (translation and rotation in the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions); the present invention can easily restore the metal wire after deformation to avoid downtime of the production line; the finger structure of the present invention is simple, easy to process and low cost.

[0042] In the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention, Figure 2 and 6 As shown, a mounting hole 13 is opened in the finger mounting plate 4 and a second groove is arranged at the bottom, the second groove is arranged as a second waist-shaped groove 11, and flattened processing surfaces 12 are arranged on both sides of the maximum diameter of the mounting sleeve 1 in the radial direction, the two processing surfaces 12 are fitted with the inner plane of the second waist-shaped groove 11, and the cylindrical surface 14 of the mounting sleeve 1 is assembled with the mounting hole 13.

[0043] In the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention, Figure 1-2 As shown in FIG. 4-6 , the upper portion of the mounting sleeve 1 is threadedly fixedly connected to the finger mounting plate 4 via a nut 5 .

[0044] In the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention, Figure 2 As shown, the first groove is configured as a first waist-shaped groove 9, and the insertion hole is configured as a through hole 10 communicating with each other on both sides.

[0045] In the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention, Figure 6 As shown, the first groove is configured as a guide groove 16, and the insertion hole is configured as a receiving hole 15 with one side open.

[0046] In the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention, Figure 1-2 As shown in Figures 4-6, the elastic element 6 includes a spring, and the spring includes a compression spring and a disc spring, preferably a compression spring.

[0047] In the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention, Figure 2 and 6 As shown, the limiting member 3 includes a cotter pin, an R-type pin, an elastic pin, a single-ball quick-release pin and a plunger.

[0048] In the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention, Figure 1-6As shown, the metal wire 7 includes steel wire, nickel-titanium alloy wire, copper-zinc alloy wire and copper-aluminum alloy wire, preferably steel wire.

[0049] In the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention, Figure 2 and 6 As shown, the metal wire 7 is about to bend upward under the action of the collision force or interference force.

[0050] In addition, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a gripper device, on which the floating finger structure as described above is installed.

[0051] The above structure of the present invention is described and explained in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0052] Example 1

[0053] like Figure 1-3 FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the floating finger structure provided by the present invention. In this embodiment, the floating finger structure mainly includes a mounting sleeve 1, a finger joint 2, a stopper 3, a finger mounting plate 4, a nut 5, an elastic element 6 and a metal wire 7.

[0054] The lower part of the mounting sleeve 1 is provided with an inner hole 8 in the axial direction, a part of the inner hole 8 is provided with a first waist-shaped groove 9, a mounting hole 13 is provided in the finger mounting plate 4 and a second waist-shaped groove 11 is provided at the bottom, and flattened processing surfaces 12 are respectively provided on both sides of the maximum diameter of the mounting sleeve 1 in the radial direction, and the two processing surfaces 12 are fitted with the inner plane of the second waist-shaped groove 11 to limit the axial rotation of the mounting sleeve 1, and the cylindrical surface 14 of the mounting sleeve 1 is assembled with the mounting hole 13 to limit the radial displacement of the mounting sleeve 1, and the upper part of the mounting sleeve 1 extends upward from the mounting hole 13 and is threadedly fixedly connected to the finger mounting plate 4 by the nut 5 to limit the axial displacement and radial rotation of the mounting sleeve 1. Thus, the mounting sleeve 1 is fixedly connected to the finger mounting plate 4.

[0055] The upper part of the finger joint 2 can be slidably located in the inner hole 8, that is, the finger joint 2 can slide in the inner hole 8 of the mounting sleeve 1. The upper part of the finger joint 2 is provided with a through hole 10 in the radial direction. The lower part of the finger joint 2 is installed with an elastic element 6, that is, a compression spring. The elastic element 6 is compressed by the mounting sleeve 1, and the bottom end of the finger joint 2 is fixedly connected with a metal wire 7, that is, a steel wire.

[0056] The mounting sleeve 1 compresses the elastic element 6, aligns the through hole 10 of the finger joint 2 with the first waist-shaped groove 9 of the mounting sleeve 1, and the limiting member 3, i.e., the cotter pin, passes through the first waist-shaped groove 9 and the through hole 10 to connect the mounting sleeve 1 with the finger joint 2, thereby limiting the axial rotation, radial rotation and radial displacement of the finger joint 2 through the limiting member 3 and the mounting sleeve 1.

[0057] The elastic element 6 is in a compressed state, and the elastic force generated by the compression of the elastic element 6 can limit the upward displacement of the finger joint 2, and the limiter 3 and the mounting sleeve 1 can limit the downward displacement of the finger joint 2. The structure of the mounting sleeve 1, the limiter 3, and the elastic element 6 can limit the axial displacement of the finger joint 2. Therefore, the elastic force of the elastic element 6 presses the connection between the mounting sleeve 1, the finger joint 2, and the limiter 3, so that the relative positions of the mounting sleeve 1, the finger joint 2, and the limiter 3 are fixed. In other words, in a normal state (the metal wire 7 does not bend and deform), the mounting sleeve 1, the finger joint 2, and the limiter 3 remain stably fixed in the compressed state of the elastic element 6.

[0058] When the metal wire 7 is about to bend upward due to collision, interference and other forces, the elastic element 6 will be further compressed, and the mounting sleeve 1 and the finger joint 2 will float along the first waist groove 9 in the axial displacement, thereby preventing the metal wire 7 from bending.

[0059] In this embodiment 1, the finger structure uses a segmented structure combined with a compression spring to enable the finger structure to have a floating characteristic, which not only meets its functionality and ensures the positioning accuracy and stability of the finger structure, but also solves the risks of uncontrollable stress deformation. That is, the finger structure uses the "segmented + spring" combination of the two structural forms to avoid the upward bending deformation of the carbon steel wire after being subjected to force.

[0060] Example 2

[0061] like Figure 4-6 FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the floating finger structure provided by the present invention. In this embodiment, similar to the embodiment 1, the floating finger structure mainly includes a mounting sleeve 1, a finger joint 2, a stopper 3, a finger mounting plate 4, a nut 5, an elastic element 6 and a metal wire 7.

[0062] The lower part of the mounting sleeve 1 is provided with an inner hole 8 in the axial direction, and a part of the inner hole 8 is provided with a guide groove 16 on one side. The finger mounting plate 4 is provided with a mounting hole 13 and a second waist-shaped groove 11 is provided at the bottom. The maximum diameter of the mounting sleeve 1 is provided with flattened processing surfaces 12 on both sides in the radial direction. The two processing surfaces 12 fit with the inner plane of the second waist-shaped groove 11 to limit the axial rotation of the mounting sleeve 1, and the cylindrical surface 14 of the mounting sleeve 1 is assembled with the mounting hole 13 to limit the radial displacement of the mounting sleeve 1. The upper part of the mounting sleeve 1 extends upward from the mounting hole 13 and is threadedly fixedly connected to the finger mounting plate 4 by the nut 5 to limit the axial displacement and radial rotation of the mounting sleeve 1. Thus, the mounting sleeve 1 is fixedly connected to the finger mounting plate 4.

[0063] The upper part of the finger joint 2 is slidably located in the inner hole 8, that is, the finger joint 2 can slide in the inner hole 8 of the mounting sleeve 1, and the upper part of the finger joint 2 is radially provided with a receiving hole 15 with one side open, and the lower part of the finger joint 2 is installed with an elastic element 6, that is, a compression spring, which is compressed by the mounting sleeve 1, and the bottom end of the finger joint 2 is fixedly connected with a metal wire 7, that is, a steel wire.

[0064] The mounting sleeve 1 compresses the elastic element 6, aligns the receiving hole 15 of the finger joint 2 with the guide groove 16 of the mounting sleeve 1, and the limiting member 3, i.e. the elastic pin, passes through the guide groove 16 and the receiving hole 15 to connect the mounting sleeve 1 with the finger joint 2, thereby limiting the axial rotation and radial rotation of the finger joint 2 through the limiting member 3 and the mounting sleeve 1.

[0065] The elastic element 6 is in a compressed state, and the elastic force of the elastic element 6 compresses the connection between the mounting sleeve 1, the finger joint 2 and the stopper 3, so that the relative positions of the mounting sleeve 1, the finger joint 2 and the stopper 3 are fixed. That is to say, in a normal state (the metal wire 7 does not bend or deform), the mounting sleeve 1, the finger joint 2 and the stopper 3 are stably fixed in the compressed state of the elastic element 6.

[0066] When the metal wire 7 is about to bend upward due to collision, interference or other forces, the elastic element 6 will be further compressed, and the installation sleeve 1 and the finger joint 2 can float along the guide groove 16 in the axial displacement, thereby preventing the metal wire 7 from bending. This structural design is conducive to the rapid disassembly and installation of the finger structure.

[0067] In this embodiment 2, the finger structure uses a segmented structure combined with a compression spring to enable the finger structure to have a floating characteristic, which not only meets its functionality and ensures the positioning accuracy and stability of the finger structure, but also solves the risks of uncontrollable stress deformation. That is, the finger structure uses the "segmented + spring" combination of the two structural forms to avoid the upward bending deformation of the carbon steel wire after being subjected to force.

[0068] In addition, the finger structure described in the embodiment of the present invention can be used for the finger structure of the gripper device, and can also be used in similar floatable structures or other structures that need to float in any direction. The limiter 3 in the finger structure of the present invention may include but is not limited to cotter pins, R-type pins, elastic pins, single-ball quick-release pins, plungers and other limiters; the elastic element 6 in the finger structure of the present invention includes but is not limited to elastic elements such as compression springs and disc springs. The present invention can achieve quick release and quick replacement of the finger structure by replacing the finger joint 2 alone. Moreover, the material of the metal wire 7 in the finger structure of the present invention can be replaced by other materials with superelasticity, memory properties or similar properties, such as titanium alloy wire, copper-zinc alloy wire and copper-aluminum alloy wire, to restore the axial, radial, torsional and other deformations of the metal wire 7, and reduce the number of maintenance times by the recoverable properties after deformation. Finally, the finger structure of the present invention can be used for the gripper device of the photovoltaic automation production line, but it is not limited to use in photovoltaic automation production equipment, nor is it limited to use in new energy industry equipment, and is not limited to use in other automation equipment.

[0069] In summary, the finger structure of the present invention has the characteristic of being able to float, which not only meets its functionality and ensures the positioning accuracy and stability of the finger structure, but also solves the risks of uncontrollable axial stress deformation caused by interference or collision. At the same time, the structure of the present invention is more convenient to restore and replace, which can reduce the fragmentation rate of battery cells, save costs, and extend the service life of the finger structure, playing a decisive role in the stable operation of the gripper device. In addition, the finger structure of the present invention is floatable, which can prevent the metal wire from being deformed and reduce the maintenance costs caused by damage and replacement; the finger structure of the present invention can be quickly disassembled and installed; the present invention can easily restore the metal wire after deformation to avoid downtime of the production line; and the finger structure of the present invention is simple, easy to process, and low in cost.

[0070] It should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to the process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "including a..." do not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the elements.

[0071] The foregoing is merely an embodiment of the present invention, which enables those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present invention. Various modifications to the described embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention will not be limited to the embodiments described herein, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A floating finger structure, characterized in that: include: A mounting sleeve, the mounting sleeve is fixedly mounted on the finger mounting plate, the lower portion of the mounting sleeve is provided with an inner hole in the axial direction, a portion of the inner hole is provided with a first groove; A finger joint, wherein the upper part of the finger joint is slidably located in the inner hole and is provided with an insertion hole in the radial direction, an elastic element is installed at the lower part of the finger joint, the elastic element is compressed by the mounting sleeve, and a metal wire is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the finger joint; a limiting member, wherein the limiting member is inserted into the first groove and the insertion hole when the elastic element is compressed to connect the mounting sleeve with the finger joint, The elastic element is configured to be further compressed in response to the metal wire being about to bend upwardly to allow the finger joint and the mounting sleeve to float along the first groove.

2. The floating finger structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: A mounting hole is provided in the finger mounting plate and a second groove is provided at the bottom, the second groove is provided as a waist-shaped groove, and flattened processing surfaces are provided on both sides of the maximum diameter of the mounting sleeve in the radial direction, the two processing surfaces are fitted with the inner plane of the waist-shaped groove, and the cylindrical surface of the mounting sleeve is assembled with the mounting hole.

3. The floating finger structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper portion of the mounting sleeve is fixedly connected to the finger mounting plate via a nut thread.

4. The floating finger structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first groove is configured as a waist-shaped groove, and the insertion hole is configured as a through hole with two sides communicating with each other.

5. The floating finger structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first groove is configured as a guide groove, and the insertion hole is configured as a receiving hole with one side open.

6. The floating finger structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic element includes a spring, and the spring includes a compression spring and a disc spring.

7. The floating finger structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting component includes a cotter pin, an R-type pin, an elastic pin, a single-ball quick-release pin and a plunger.

8. The floating finger structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The metal wires include steel wires, nickel-titanium alloy wires, copper-zinc alloy wires and copper-aluminum alloy wires.

9. The floating finger structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The metal wire is about to bend upwards under the action of collision force and / or interference force.

10. A gripper device, characterized in that: The gripper device is equipped with a floating finger structure as described in any one of claims 1-9.

Images