Gas cylinder safe carrying automation system

Abstract

The invention discloses a gas cylinder safe carrying automation system, and relates to the technical field of gas cylinder carrying, the gas cylinder safe carrying automation system comprises a support, a sucker module, a mechanical clamping module, a first telescopic cylinder and a transfer unit, the support is connected with the transfer unit, and the sucker module and the mechanical clamping module are vertically distributed on the support; the suction cup module is connected with the support through a first telescopic cylinder, and the first telescopic cylinder is horizontally arranged on the support. When facing densely arranged gas cylinders, the suction cup module is pushed out through the first telescopic cylinder, the suction cup module is used for sucking the gas cylinders out of a cylinder pile by a certain distance, then the first telescopic cylinder is controlled to retract, the suction cup module drives the gas cylinders to move to the position of the mechanical clamping module, and at the moment, the mechanical clamping module is used for clamping the gas cylinders; according to the device, through the mode of the composite suction cup module and the mechanical clamping module, carrying of the densely-arranged gas cylinders can be achieved, the gas cylinders are carried through combination of the suction cup module and the mechanical clamping module, and the carrying stability can be effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of gas cylinder transportation, and in particular to an automated system for safe transportation of gas cylinders. Background Art

[0002] In the field of industrial gas cylinder (such as oxygen cylinder, liquefied gas cylinder) handling technology, the conventional handling method is to use an electromagnetic suction cup or a vacuum suction cup to suck the gas cylinder to achieve handling, or to clamp the gas cylinder with a mechanical clamp to complete the handling.

[0003] However, gas cylinders need to be stacked. In order to increase the storage capacity and stacking stability, they are often stacked in a dense arrangement. The dense arrangement will reduce the gap between gas cylinders and cannot accommodate the entry of mechanical clamps. In other words, traditional mechanical clamps cannot complete the transportation of densely arranged industrial gas cylinders. When electromagnetic suction cups or vacuum suction cups are used to suck up gas cylinders for transportation, the gas cylinders are prone to falling due to insufficient suction, and the falling of gas cylinders will pose a risk of explosion.

[0004] Therefore, people are in urgent need of an automated gas cylinder safe handling system that is suitable for handling densely arranged gas cylinders and has high handling stability. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an automated system for safe handling of gas cylinders to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art, and to utilize the cooperation of a suction cup module and a mechanical clamping module to realize the handling of densely arranged gas cylinders and effectively improve the handling stability.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides the following solution: The present invention provides an automated system for safe handling of gas cylinders, comprising a bracket, a suction cup module, a mechanical clamping module, a first telescopic cylinder and a transfer unit for driving the bracket to move, the bracket being connected to the transfer unit, the suction cup module and the mechanical clamping module being vertically distributed on the bracket, the suction cup module being connected to the bracket via the first telescopic cylinder, and the first telescopic cylinder being horizontally arranged on the bracket.

[0007] Preferably, the mechanical clamping module comprises a finger cylinder and a clamping plate, wherein the clamping plates are provided on both clamping arms of the finger cylinder, and the clamping surface of the clamping plate matches the outer peripheral wall surface of the gas cylinder to be transported.

[0008] Preferably, a sensor for detecting clamping force is provided on the clamping surface of the clamping plate.

[0009] Preferably, the mechanical clamping module is arranged on the bracket via a second telescopic cylinder, and the second telescopic cylinder is vertically arranged on the bracket.

[0010] Preferably, the bracket is provided with a vertical guide rail, and the mechanical clamping module is slidably arranged on the vertical guide rail.

[0011] Preferably, a rotating motor for driving the suction cup module to rotate is provided on the bracket.

[0012] Preferably, the suction cup module includes at least one vacuum suction cup, which is connected to the first telescopic cylinder via a mounting seat, and the vacuum suction cup is connected to a vacuum generator. When a plurality of the vacuum suction cups are provided, a suction surface formed by the suction ends of the plurality of vacuum suction cups matches the outer wall surface of the gas cylinder to be transported.

[0013] Preferably, the suction cup module includes at least one electromagnetic suction cup or an electro-permanent magnetic suction cup, and the electromagnetic suction cup or the electro-permanent magnetic suction cup is connected to the first telescopic cylinder via a mounting seat.

[0014] Preferably, a first adapter plate is arranged between the bracket and the mounting seat, the first adapter plate is connected to the first telescopic cylinder, a plurality of linear bearings are arranged on the first adapter plate, a supporting optical axis is arranged on the mounting seat corresponding to the linear bearings, the supporting optical axis is slidably arranged in the linear bearings, a compression spring is arranged on the supporting optical axis, one end of the compression spring is connected to the first adapter plate, and the other end is connected to the mounting seat.

[0015] Preferably, the transfer unit is a robot.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention mainly achieves the following technical effects: When faced with densely arranged gas cylinders, the suction cup module is first pushed out by the first telescopic cylinder, and the suction cup module is used to suck the gas cylinder out of the bottle pile for a certain distance. The first telescopic cylinder is then controlled to retract, and the suction cup module drives the gas cylinder to the position of the mechanical clamping module. At this time, the mechanical clamping module is used to clamp the gas cylinder. That is, the device can realize the transportation of densely arranged gas cylinders by means of a composite suction cup module and a mechanical clamping module, and the composite transportation of the two can effectively improve the transportation stability.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, other solutions of the present invention have achieved the following technical effects: The second telescopic cylinder can actively adjust the horizontal height of the mechanical clamping module, while the horizontal height of the suction cup module remains unchanged, thereby adapting to gas cylinders of different lengths and improving the applicability of the device.

[0018] The setting of the compression spring can provide a buffer after the suction cup contacts the gas cylinder, thereby achieving flexible contact between the suction cup and the gas cylinder and ensuring safety when sucking the gas cylinder. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] 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 embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the automated system for safe handling of gas cylinders in an embodiment of the present invention; Among them, 1. bracket; 2. mounting seat; 3. inclined plate; 4. vacuum suction cup; 5. electric permanent magnetic suction cup; 6. finger cylinder; 7. vertical guide rail; 8. splint; 9. purge pipeline; 10. telescopic rod. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an automated system for safe handling of gas cylinders to solve the problems existing in the prior art, and to utilize the cooperation of a suction cup module and a mechanical clamping module to realize the handling of densely arranged gas cylinders and effectively improve the handling stability.

[0023] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0024] Please refer to Figure 1 As shown, a gas cylinder safe handling automation system is provided, comprising a bracket 1, a suction cup module, a mechanical clamping module, a first telescopic cylinder and a transfer unit for driving the bracket 1 to move. The transfer unit can be a manipulator, a rail vehicle moving on a set track, or a cart pushed manually. The bracket 1 is connected to the transfer unit, and the suction cup module and the mechanical clamping module are vertically distributed and arranged on the bracket 1. The suction cup module is connected to the bracket 1 through a first telescopic cylinder, and the first telescopic cylinder is horizontally arranged on the bracket 1. When facing densely arranged gas cylinders, the suction cup module is first pushed out through the first telescopic cylinder, and the suction cup module is used to suck the gas cylinder out of the bottle pile for a certain distance, and then the first telescopic cylinder is controlled to retract, and the suction cup module drives the gas cylinder to move to the position of the mechanical clamping module. At this time, the mechanical clamping module is used to clamp the gas cylinder, that is, the device can realize the transportation of densely arranged gas cylinders by combining the suction cup module and the mechanical clamping module, and the two are combined to transport the gas cylinder, which can effectively improve the transportation stability.

[0025] In this embodiment, the mechanical clamping module includes a finger cylinder 6 and a clamping plate 8. The two clamping arms of the finger cylinder 6 are each provided with a clamping plate 8. The clamping surface of the clamping plate 8 matches the outer peripheral wall surface of the gas cylinder to be transported. The mechanical clamping of the gas cylinder is achieved by the opening or closing action of the finger cylinder 6. Compared with a mechanical clamp with articulated clamping arms, the finger cylinder 6 occupies less lateral space when opened and is suitable for narrow spaces.

[0026] A sensor for detecting the clamping force is arranged on the clamping surface of the clamping plate 8. The sensor may be a pressure sensor, which detects the pressure in real time. When the pressure reaches a certain level, the finger cylinder 6 is controlled to stop moving to prevent the gas cylinder from being damaged by excessive clamping force.

[0027] The first telescopic cylinder can directly push the suction cup module to move, or the suction cup module is slidably set on the bracket 1 through the guide rod, and the first telescopic cylinder is set on the side of the guide rod. The first telescopic cylinder is fixedly connected to the guide rod through a connecting piece to drive the guide rod and the suction cup module to move.

[0028] Since the heights of different gas cylinders are not uniform, the mechanical clamping module is set on the bracket 1 through the second telescopic cylinder. The second telescopic cylinder is vertically set on the bracket 1. The horizontal height of the mechanical clamping module can be adjusted by the second telescopic cylinder, and the horizontal height of the suction cup module remains unchanged, thereby adapting to gas cylinders of different heights and improving the applicability of the device.

[0029] In order to improve the movement stability of the mechanical clamping module, a vertical guide rail 7 is provided on the bracket 1 , and the mechanical clamping module is slidably arranged on the vertical guide rail 7 .

[0030] A rotating motor for driving the suction cup module to rotate is provided on the bracket 1, and the selected rotational motion is outputted through direct drive, belt drive or gear drive. The specific connection method between the rotating equipment and the suction cup module can be adjusted according to the structure of the first telescopic cylinder driving the suction cup module to move. For example, when the first telescopic cylinder directly drives the suction cup module to move, the rotating motor can be arranged to be connected to the first telescopic cylinder through a coupling, belt drive or gear drive. When the suction cup module is slidably set on the bracket 1 through a guide rod, the first telescopic cylinder is arranged on the radial side of the guide rod, and the first telescopic cylinder is fixedly connected to the guide rod through a connecting piece to drive the guide rod to move, the rotating motor can be arranged between the guide rod and the suction cup module to directly drive the suction cup module to rotate.

[0031] The suction cup module includes at least one vacuum suction cup 4, which is connected to the first telescopic cylinder through the mounting base 2, and the vacuum suction cup 4 is connected to the vacuum generator. The vacuum generator can be set on the bracket 1 through the mounting plate. When multiple vacuum suction cups 4 are set, multiple vacuum suction cups 4 are connected to the vacuum generator through the air distribution row, and the suction surface composed of the suction ends of the multiple vacuum suction cups 4 matches the outer peripheral wall surface of the gas cylinder to be transported. Specifically, four vacuum suction cups 4 are arranged in this embodiment, and the four corners of the mounting base 2 are provided with outwardly inclined inclined plates 3. The vacuum suction cup 4 is arranged on the inclined plate 3 and is in an inwardly inclined state. The suction surface composed of the suction ends of the four vacuum suction cups 4 is an arc shape that matches the cylindrical gas cylinder.

[0032] The inclined plate 3 can be arranged to be rotatably arranged on the mounting seat 2 by means of an electrically or hydraulically driven telescopic rod 10 to adjust the angle between the inclined plate 3 and the mounting seat 2, thereby adjusting the orientation of the vacuum suction cup 4 to adapt to gas cylinders of different sizes. Specifically, the inclined plate 3 can be hinged on the mounting seat 2, and the two ends of the telescopic rod 10 are respectively hinged to the mounting seat 2 and the inclined plate 3, and the angle of the inclined plate 3 is controlled by the extension and retraction of the telescopic rod 10.

[0033] Sliding seats can also be set in parallel on both sides of the mounting seat 2. The distance between the sliding seat and the mounting seat 2 can be adjusted by an electrically or hydraulically driven telescopic rod. The inclined plate 3 is set on the sliding seat. By adjusting the position of the sliding seat, the distance between the vacuum suction cups 4 on both sides can be adjusted, and the application range of the device can also be improved. When the sliding seat is set, the inclined plate 3 can be connected to the sliding seat through the telescopic rod to adjust the angle.

[0034] A purge pipeline 9 is also provided on the bracket 1. The air outlet of the purge pipeline 9 corresponds to the setting of the gas cylinder. The dust on the gas cylinder is purged to improve the suction effect of the suction cup module. A solenoid valve is provided on the purge pipeline 9 to control the opening and closing of the pipeline; the compressed gas of the purge pipeline 9 and the compressed gas of the vacuum generator are both derived from the compressor installed in the factory.

[0035] Since different gas cylinders are made of different materials, some gas cylinders can be attracted by magnetic force, so the suction cup module also includes at least one electric permanent magnetic suction cup 5 or an electromagnetic suction cup. In this embodiment, the electric permanent magnetic suction cup 5 is selected, and the electric permanent magnetic suction cup 5 is connected to the first telescopic cylinder through the mounting seat 2. The electric permanent magnetic suction cup 5 or the vacuum suction cup 4 can be selected to work as needed, or the electric permanent magnetic suction cup 5 and the vacuum suction cup 4 can work at the same time; the electric permanent magnetic suction cup 5 and the vacuum suction cup 4 can exist separately or at the same time; the electric permanent magnetic suction cup 5 and the vacuum suction cup 4 can interchange positions, and the electric permanent magnetic suction cup 5 and the vacuum suction cup 4 can be set on the bracket.

[0036] The surface of the electric permanent magnetic chuck 5 close to the gas cylinder can be designed to be V-shaped or an arc shape that matches the surface of the gas cylinder to improve the magnetic attraction effect.

[0037] A first adapter plate is provided between the bracket 1 and the mounting base 2. The mounting base 2 is connected to the first telescopic cylinder through the first adapter plate. A plurality of linear bearings are provided on the first adapter plate, and support optical axes are provided on the mounting base 2 corresponding to the linear bearings. The support optical axes are slidably arranged in the linear bearings. A compression spring is provided on the support optical axes. One end of the compression spring is connected to the first adapter plate, and the other end is connected to the mounting base 2. The setting of the compression spring can provide a buffer after the suction cup contacts the gas cylinder, realizing the flexible contact between the suction cup and the gas cylinder, and ensuring the safety when sucking the gas cylinder.

[0038] When the transfer unit is a manipulator, the bracket 1 can be directly connected to the manipulator. The manipulator has multiple degrees of freedom and can drive the bracket 1 to move up and down and rotate around the vertical axis (Z-axis); when the transfer unit is a rail car or a trolley, a column can be provided on the rail car or the trolley. The top of the bracket 1 is connected to the column through a rotary motor, and the rotary motor can control the rotation of the bracket 1 to achieve multi-angle operation. At the same time, the loading platform of the rail car or the trolley is designed as a lifting platform to drive the column and the bracket 1 to move up and down; or without setting a column, the bottom of the bracket 1 is directly set on the lifting platform of the rail car or the trolley through a rotary motor, aiming to provide the lifting movement and the rotation movement around the vertical axis (Z-axis) for the bracket 1.

[0039] During the actual use process, the transfer unit drives the bracket 1 to move to the densely arranged gas cylinders, opens the purging pipeline 9 to purge and dust the surface of the gas cylinders, and then starts the first telescopic cylinder. The first telescopic cylinder drives the mounting base 2, the vacuum suction cup 4 and the electro-permanent magnetic suction cup 5 to move towards the gas cylinders. When the vacuum suction cup 4 and / or the electro-permanent magnetic suction cup 5 contact the gas cylinders, the vacuum suction cup 4 and / or the electro-permanent magnetic suction cup 5 are opened to suck the gas cylinders; at this time, the transfer unit drives the bracket 1 to perform a lifting action, and the first telescopic cylinder drives the gas cylinder towards the finger cylinder 6 through the suction cup. When the gas cylinder reaches the finger cylinder 6, the two clamping arms of the finger cylinder 6 move towards each other to clamp the gas cylinder. At this time, the positioning of the gas cylinder is completed, and the transfer unit can be used for handling work; after the handling work is completed, the finger cylinder 6 releases the gas cylinder, and the movement of the first telescopic cylinder and the transfer unit drive the bracket 1 to perform a lowering movement to complete the placement of the gas cylinder.

[0040] This device is also applicable to the handling work of other cylindrical items.

[0041] Adaptations made according to actual needs are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0042] It should be noted that it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be regarded as exemplary and non-restrictive from any point of view, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the above description, and it is intended that all changes falling within the meaning and scope of the equivalent elements of the claims are included in the present invention. Any reference numerals in the claims should not be regarded as limiting the claims involved.

[0043] The present invention uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The above examples are only used to help understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the ideas of the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. A gas cylinder safe handling automation system, characterized in that: It includes a bracket, a suction cup module, a mechanical clamping module, a first telescopic cylinder and a transfer unit for driving the bracket to move, the bracket is connected to the transfer unit, the suction cup module and the mechanical clamping module are vertically distributed on the bracket, the suction cup module is connected to the bracket through the first telescopic cylinder, and the first telescopic cylinder is horizontally arranged on the bracket.

2. The gas cylinder safe handling automation system according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The mechanical clamping module comprises a finger cylinder and a clamping plate. The clamping plates are arranged on two clamping arms of the finger cylinder, and the clamping surface of the clamping plate matches the outer peripheral wall surface of the gas cylinder to be transported.

3. The gas cylinder safe handling automation system according to claim 2 is characterized in that: A sensor for detecting the clamping force is arranged on the clamping surface of the clamping plate.

4. The gas cylinder safe handling automation system according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The mechanical clamping module is arranged on the bracket via a second telescopic cylinder, and the second telescopic cylinder is vertically arranged on the bracket.

5. The gas cylinder safe handling automation system according to claim 4 is characterized in that: The bracket is provided with a vertical guide rail, and the mechanical clamping module is slidably arranged on the vertical guide rail.

6. The gas cylinder safe handling automation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bracket is provided with a rotating motor for driving the suction cup module to rotate.

7. The gas cylinder safe handling automation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The suction cup module includes at least one vacuum suction cup, which is connected to the first telescopic cylinder through a mounting seat, and the vacuum suction cup is connected to a vacuum generator. When a plurality of the vacuum suction cups are provided, a suction surface formed by the suction ends of the plurality of vacuum suction cups matches the outer peripheral wall surface of the gas cylinder to be transported.

8. The gas cylinder safe handling automation system according to claim 1 or 7, characterized in that: The suction cup module includes at least one electromagnetic suction cup or an electro-permanent magnetic suction cup, and the electromagnetic suction cup or the electro-permanent magnetic suction cup is connected to the first telescopic cylinder through a mounting seat.

9. The gas cylinder safe handling automation system according to claim 7, characterized in that: A first adapter plate is arranged between the bracket and the mounting seat, the first adapter plate is connected to the first telescopic cylinder, a plurality of linear bearings are arranged on the first adapter plate, a supporting optical axis is arranged on the mounting seat corresponding to the linear bearing, the supporting optical axis is slidably arranged in the linear bearing, a compression spring is arranged on the supporting optical axis, one end of the compression spring is connected to the first adapter plate, and the other end is connected to the mounting seat.

10. The gas cylinder safe handling automation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transfer unit is a robot.

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