Automatic grinding system

Abstract

An automatic grinding system comprises an unmanned carrier, a bearing frame, a grinding mechanism and at least one limiting piece. The bearing frame is fixedly arranged on the unmanned carrier. The grinding mechanism is arranged on the bearing frame. The at least one limiting piece is arranged on the bearing frame and extends outwards. The unmanned carrier is suitable for moving to a fixed point and aligning a target material, the at least one limiting piece is used for clamping a door plate, and the grinding mechanism extends out of the bearing frame to grind the target material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automatic grinding, and particularly to an automatic grinding system. Background Art

[0002] Existing grinders are suitable for grinding or polishing various workpieces such as steel, cemented carbide, glass, and stone. Grinding is used to improve the dimensional accuracy of the workpiece, and polishing is used to reduce the surface roughness of the workpiece.

[0003] Existing grinders need to be manually operated for the grinding and polishing processes of workpieces. During the grinding and polishing processes, a large amount of dust is generated and accompanied by extremely loud noise. Being in a working environment with a large amount of dust and high-decibel noise for a long time is harmful to human health.

[0004] In addition, manual operation of grinders has the drawbacks of low efficiency and high labor intensity, resulting in a gradual increase in labor costs. Therefore, the development of a fully automatic grinder to replace manual labor has become an important development goal. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides an automatic grinding system that can move to a designated location by itself and start grinding operations on the corresponding target material, thereby replacing manual grinding operations.

[0006] An automatic grinding system of the present invention includes an unmanned vehicle, a carrier, a grinding mechanism, and at least one limiting member. The carrier is fixedly arranged on the unmanned vehicle. The grinding mechanism is arranged on the carrier. At least one limiting member is arranged on the carrier and extends outward. The unmanned vehicle is adapted to move to a fixed point and align with a target material. At least one limiting member is used to engage a door panel, and the grinding mechanism extends out of the carrier to grind the target material.

[0007] In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned unmanned vehicle has a vehicle body, a navigation component, and a plurality of wheels. The navigation component is arranged on the vehicle body, and the plurality of wheels are arranged around the vehicle body.

[0008] In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned unmanned vehicle has a connecting plate, a plurality of guide wheels, a communication sensor, an electrical connector, and a plurality of electromagnetic locks. The connecting plate is fixedly arranged at a front end of the vehicle body. The plurality of guide wheels are arranged at a center of the connecting plate. The communication sensor is arranged between the plurality of guide wheels and is coupled to the navigation component. The electrical connector is adjacent to the communication sensor and is coupled to the grinding mechanism.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned grinding mechanism has a platform, a robotic arm, a machine base, and a rotating part. The platform is arranged on the carrier in a liftable manner. The robotic arm is arranged on a top surface of the platform relative to the unmanned vehicle. The machine base is arranged at an end of the robotic arm. The rotating part is detachably connected to the machine base.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned carrier has a lifting shaft and a chain module. The lifting shaft extends vertically, the platform is movably sleeved on the lifting shaft, and the chain module is connected to the platform.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned grinding mechanism has a force sensor and a vision camera. The force sensor is disposed between the machine base and the rotating part, and the vision camera is disposed on an outer surface of the machine base.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present invention, it further includes a consumable mechanism, which is disposed on the platform and has an adjacent first supply area, a second supply area, and a third supply area.

[0013] In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned consumable mechanism has a first storage area, a second storage area, and a sensing area, which are respectively aligned with the first supply area, the second supply area, and the third supply area.

[0014] In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned at least one limiting member has two clamping portions, and the two clamping portions together form a limiting groove.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present invention, it further includes a vacuum cleaner, which is disposed on the carrier.

[0016] Based on the above, the automated grinding system of the present invention combines an unmanned vehicle and a grinding mechanism. The unmanned vehicle can move to a fixed point by itself according to the built-in schedule or receive an external instruction and align with the target material to be ground. And at least one limiting member is used to clamp the door panel at the fixed point, thereby preventing the door panel from shifting during the grinding process and affecting the grinding quality of the target material. Then, the grinding mechanism automatically extends out of the carrier to grind the target material. After the target material is ground, the unmanned vehicle moves back to the original position or moves to the next fixed point to perform the grinding operation of the next target material.

[0017] In short, the automated grinding system of the present invention does not require personnel to operate beside during the grinding process and can replace the existing manual grinding operation. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional schematic view of the storage state of the automated grinding system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a three-dimensional schematic view of the grinding state of the automated grinding system.

[0020] Figure 3 is Figure 2 a three-dimensional schematic view of some components of the automated grinding system.

[0021] Figure 4 is Figure 1Schematic enlarged view of some components of an automated grinding system.

[0022] Figure 5 is Figure 2 Schematic enlarged view of some components of an automated grinding system.

[0023] Figure 6 is Figure 1 Schematic side view of the target being ground by an automated grinding system.

[0024] Figure 7 is Figure 6 Schematic enlarged view of some components moving in an automated grinding system.

[0025] Figure 8 is Figure 1 Grinding flow chart of an automated grinding system.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals:

[0027] 100: Automated grinding system

[0028] 110: Unmanned vehicle

[0029] 111: Vehicle body

[0030] 112: Wheels

[0031] 113: Navigation component

[0032] 114: Connecting plate

[0033] 115: Guide wheels

[0034] 116: Communication sensor

[0035] 117: Electrical connector

[0036] 118: Electromagnetic lock

[0037] 120: Carrier frame

[0038] 121: Lifting shaft

[0039] 122: Chain module

[0040] 123: Hanging plate

[0041] 130: Grinding mechanism

[0042] 131: Platform

[0043] 132: Robot arm

[0044] 133: Machine base

[0045] 134, 134a: Rotating parts

[0046] 135: Force sensor

[0047] 136: Vision camera

[0048] 140: Limiting member

[0049] 141: Clamping part

[0050] 150: Consumable mechanism

[0051] 160: Vacuum cleaner

[0052] 200: Target material

[0053] 300: Door panel

[0054] 400: Dock

[0055] 410: Electric cable

[0056] 420: Air supply pipe

[0057] 430: Positioning plate

[0058] A1: First storage area

[0059] A2: Second storage area

[0060] A3: Sensing area

[0061] B1: Grinding wheel disc

[0062] B2: Dust-free cloth

[0063] B3: Alcohol

[0064] FE: Front end

[0065] LG: Limiting groove

[0066] L1: First supply area

[0067] L2: Second supply area

[0068] L3: Third supply area

[0069] OS: Outer surface

[0070] S1 - S13: Steps Detailed implementation manners

[0071] Reference Figure 1 , the automated grinding system 100 of the present invention is applicable to clean rooms, processing plant warehouses or other similar internal spaces. The automated grinding system 100 can move to a certain point by itself according to the built-in schedule or receive external instructions to perform the grinding processing procedure, so as to replace the existing manual grinding.

[0072] ReferenceFigure 1 and Figure 2 , the automated grinding system 100 of the present invention includes an unmanned vehicle 110, a carrier 120, a grinding mechanism 130, and at least one limiting member 140. The unmanned vehicle 110 can automatically travel according to a built-in program. The carrier 120 is fixedly arranged on the unmanned vehicle 110. The grinding mechanism 130 is arranged on the carrier 120 and can automatically grind according to a built-in program. At least one limiting member 140 is arranged on the carrier 120 and extends outward.

[0073] Reference Figure 6 , the unmanned vehicle 110 is adapted to move to a fixed point and align the grinding mechanism 130 with a target 200. At least one limiting member 140 is used to engage with a door panel 300 to ensure the stability of the unmanned vehicle 110 during the grinding process, and the grinding mechanism 130 extends out of the carrier 120 after being started to grind the target 200. Further, at least one limiting member 140 has two clamping portions 141, and the two clamping portions 141 together form a limiting groove LG. Reference Figure 3 , the number of at least one limiting member 140 is three. In practical applications, the door panel 300 is received in a plurality of limiting grooves LG to be clamped and limited by a plurality of clamping portions 141.

[0074] Reference Figures 1 to 3 , the unmanned vehicle 110 has a vehicle body 111, a plurality of wheels 112, and a navigation component 113. The plurality of wheels 112 are arranged around the vehicle body 111, and the navigation component 113 is arranged on the vehicle body 111 and controls the plurality of wheels 112. Briefly speaking, the navigation component 113 is used to control the traveling speed and direction of the plurality of wheels 112.

[0075] With reference to Figure 6 and Figure 7 , the unmanned vehicle 110 has a connecting plate 114, a plurality of guide wheels 115, a communication sensor 116, an electrical connector 117, and a plurality of electromagnetic locks 118.

[0076] The connecting plate 114 is fixedly arranged at a front end FE of the vehicle body 111. A plurality of guide wheels 115 are arranged at a center of the connecting plate 114 and are spaced from each other. The guide wheels 115 are used to guide the unmanned vehicle 110 to a dock 400. The communication sensor 116 is arranged between the plurality of guide wheels 115 and is coupled to the navigation component 113. The communication sensor 116 is used to detect whether the unmanned vehicle 110 travels to the dock 400. The communication sensor 116 adopts, for example, an optical sensor or an ultrasonic sensor. The electrical connector 117 is adjacent to the communication sensor 116 and is coupled to the grinding mechanism 130. The electrical connector 117 is adapted to connect an external wire cable 410 and a gas supply pipe 420 at the dock 400 to supply power and gas to the grinding mechanism 130. A plurality of electromagnetic locks 118 are arranged at opposite ends of the connecting plate 114. After the unmanned vehicle 110 travels to the dock 400, the plurality of electromagnetic locks 118 respectively magnetically attract a plurality of positioning plates 430 to fix the unmanned vehicle 110.

[0077] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the grinding mechanism 130 has a platform 131, a robotic arm 132, a machine base 133, a rotating part 134, a force sensor 135 and a vision camera 136.

[0078] The platform 131 is arranged on the carrier 120 in a liftable manner. Specifically, the carrier 120 has a lift shaft 121 and a chain module 122. The lift shaft 121 extends vertically. The platform 131 is movably sleeved on the lift shaft 121. The chain module 122 is connected to the platform 131. The chain module 122 is adapted to drive the platform 131 to rise and fall along the lift shaft 121, thereby adjusting the height of the grinding mechanism 130 relative to the carrier 120.

[0079] The robotic arm 132 is arranged on a top surface TS of the platform 131 relative to the unmanned vehicle 110. The robotic arm 132 has multiple degrees of freedom to facilitate fine-tuning its orientation. The machine base 133 is arranged at an end of the robotic arm 132. The rotating part 134 is detachably connected to the machine base 133 and the machine base 133 supplies power and gas to the rotating part 134. The rotating part 134 has a rotating function. The rotating part 134 is adapted to switch to different rotation speeds to grind the target 200, which is adjusted correspondingly according to the material of the target or the grinding requirements.

[0080] With reference to Figure 6, a force sensor 135 is disposed between the base 133 and the rotating part 134. The force sensor 135 discriminates the height difference on the surface of the target 200 according to the force feedback generated by the surface contact of the rotating part 134 with the target 200, so that the robotic arm 132 adjusts the rotating part 134 to an appropriate tilt angle according to the shape of the target, enabling the rotating part 134 to grind the concave or convex portions on the surface of the target 200.

[0081] For reference Figure 6 , a vision camera 136 is disposed on an outer surface OS of the base 133. When the rotating part 134 contacts the target 200 on its surface, the vision camera 136 faces the target 200. During the grinding process, the vision camera 136 also synchronously records the surface image of the ground target 200 and performs image recognition. If there are defects in the recognition result, the grinding mechanism 130 will re-grind the defective area of the target 200 in the image until the defective area of the target 200 passes the preset defect judgment criteria.

[0082] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the automatic grinding system 100 includes a consumable mechanism 150, which is disposed on the platform 131 and has an adjacent first supply area L1, a second supply area L2, and a third supply area L3. The consumable mechanism 150 has a first storage area A1, a second storage area A2, and a sensing area A3, which are respectively aligned with the first supply area L1, the second supply area L2, and the third supply area L3.

[0083] Specifically, the first supply area L1, the second supply area L2, and the third supply area L3 supply a grinding wheel B1, a lint-free cloth B2, and alcohol B3 respectively. The grinding wheel B1 is used to grind the target 200, and the lint-free cloth B2 and alcohol B3 are used to wipe the ground target 200. The first storage area A1 and the second storage area A2 respectively store the used grinding wheel B1 and lint-free cloth B2. The sensing area A3 is used to discriminate whether the rotating part 134 is carrying the grinding wheel B1 or the lint-free cloth B2, and according to the sensing result, the robotic arm 132 is moved to the first storage area A1 or the second storage area A2 to place the carried grinding wheel B1 or lint-free cloth B2 therein.

[0084] Furthermore, the carrier 120 has a hanging plate 123 for placing another rotating part 134a. When the base 133 is connected to the rotating part 134, the rotating part 134 is suitable for installing the grinding wheel B1 and used for grinding operations. When the base 133 is connected to another rotating part 134a, the rotating part 134a is suitable for installing the lint-free cloth B2 and used for wiping operations.

[0085] Reference Figure 3, the automated grinding system 100 includes a dust collector 160 disposed on the carrier 120. When the grinding mechanism 130 grinds the target 200, the dust collector 160 is synchronously activated to absorb the dust generated by the grinding of the target 200, thereby reducing the drawback of dust accumulation on the automated grinding system 100.

[0086] For reference Figures 6 to 8 , the following describes the grinding process of the automated grinding system 100 of the present invention.

[0087] Step S1, the master control terminal issues a target grinding command, and the master control terminal opens the door panel 300 covering the target 200 to expose the target 200.

[0088] Step S2, the automated grinding system 100 receives the target grinding command, so it starts the unmanned vehicle 110. The unmanned vehicle 110 moves to the dock 400 through the guide wheels 115 and clamps the door panel 300 with a plurality of limit members 140. Then, the electrical connector 117 connects the wire cable 410 and the gas supply pipe 420 of the dock 400. Step S3 supplies power and gas to the grinding mechanism 130. At the same time, a plurality of electromagnetic locks 118 respectively magnetically attract a plurality of positioning plates 430 to fix the unmanned vehicle 110.

[0089] Step S4, after the communication sensor 116 detects that the unmanned vehicle 110 has traveled to the dock 400 (see Figure 6 and Figure 7 ), the dust collector 160 is started.

[0090] Step S5, for reference Figure 3 , the robotic arm 132 drives the machine base 133 to replace the rotating part 134 and moves to the first supply area L1 to grasp the grinding wheel B1. Step S6, for reference Figure 4 and Figure 6 , the robotic arm 132 drives the rotating part 134 and the grinding wheel B1 to the target 200 for grinding. At the same time, the platform 131 will lift and lower according to the grinding position of the target 200, thereby adjusting the heights of the robotic arm 132 and the rotating part 134.

[0091] Step S7, after the grinding is completed, the robotic arm 132 drives the machine base 133 to replace another rotating part 134a and moves to the second supply area L2 to grasp the non-woven fabric B2. Step S8, then the robotic arm 132 drives the non-woven fabric B2 to move to the third supply area L3 to soak in the alcohol B3 and moves to the target 200 for wiping. At the same time, the platform 131 will lift and lower according to the wiping position of the target 200, thereby adjusting the heights of the robotic arm 132 and the rotating part 134.

[0092] Step S9, after the grinding and wiping operations are completed, the rotating part 134 stops rotating. Then, the robotic arm 132 drives the vision camera 136 to take a picture of the target 200 and perform identification. Step S10, according to the identification result, the grinding mechanism 130 performs secondary grinding and wiping on the defective part of the target 200, that is, steps S5 to S8 are repeated.

[0093] Step S11, after the secondary grinding and wiping, the vision camera 136 performs secondary identification on the defective part of the target to determine whether the grinding operation is completed. If the determination is no, steps S10 are repeated until the identification result meets the grinding standard. If the determination is yes, step S12 is started, and multiple electromagnetic locks 118 of the unmanned vehicle 110 are turned off, so that the unmanned vehicle 110 is unlocked from the multiple positioning plates 430 of the dock 400, and the electrical connector 117 disconnects the wire cable 410 and the gas supply pipe 420. Step S13, the unmanned vehicle 110 moves to the next dock 400 to perform the grinding operation on another target 200 or returns to its original position after the grinding operation is completed.

[0094] In summary, the automated grinding system of the present invention combines an unmanned vehicle and a grinding mechanism. The unmanned vehicle can move to a fixed point by itself according to the built-in schedule or receive external instructions and align with the target to be ground, and at least one limiting member is used to clamp the door panel at the fixed point, thereby preventing the door panel from shifting during the grinding process and affecting the grinding quality of the target. Then, the grinding mechanism automatically extends the carrier to grind the target. After the target is ground, the unmanned vehicle moves back to its original position or moves to the next fixed point to perform the grinding operation on the next target.

[0095] In short, the automated grinding system of the present invention does not require personnel to operate beside during the grinding process and can replace the existing manual grinding operation.

Claims

1. An automated grinding system, comprising:

1. Unmanned vehicle; A carrier frame, fixedly mounted on the unmanned vehicle; A grinding mechanism, disposed on the carrier; as well as At least one stopper is disposed on the support frame and extends outward. The unmanned vehicle is suitable for moving to a certain point and aligning a target material, the at least one position-limiting member is used to engage a door panel, and the grinding mechanism extends out of the carrier to grind the target material.

2. The automated grinding system as described in claim 1, wherein the unmanned vehicle has a vehicle body, a plurality of wheels and a navigation component, the wheels are arranged around the vehicle body, and the navigation component is arranged on the vehicle body and controls the wheels.

3. An automated grinding system as described in claim 2, wherein the unmanned vehicle has a connecting plate, a plurality of guide wheels, a communication sensor, an electrical connector and a plurality of electromagnetic locks, the connecting plate being fixedly mounted at a front end of the vehicle body, the guide wheels being arranged at a center of the connecting plate, the communication sensor being arranged between the guide wheels and coupled to a navigation component, the electrical connector being adjacent to the communication sensor and coupled to a grinding mechanism, and the electromagnetic locks being arranged at opposite ends of the connecting plate.

4. The automated grinding system as described in claim 1, wherein the grinding mechanism comprises a platform, a robotic arm, a machine base and a rotating part, the platform can be raised and lowered on the carrier, the robotic arm is arranged on a top surface of the platform relative to the unmanned vehicle, the machine base is arranged at an end of the robotic arm, and the rotating part is detachably connected to the machine base.

5. The automated grinding system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the carrier has a lifting shaft and a chain module, the lifting shaft extends vertically, the platform is movably mounted on the lifting shaft, and the chain module is connected to the platform.

6. The automated grinding system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the grinding mechanism has a force sensor and a visual camera, the force sensor is disposed between the base and the rotating part, and the visual camera is disposed on an outer surface of the base.

7. The automated polishing system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a consumables mechanism disposed on the platform and having a first supply area, a second supply area and a third supply area adjacent to each other.

8. The automated polishing system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the consumables mechanism comprises a first storage area, a second storage area and a sensing area, which are respectively aligned with the first supply area, the second supply area and the third supply area. 9 . The automated grinding system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one limiting member has two clamping portions, and the two clamping portions together form a limiting groove.

10. The automated polishing system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a vacuum cleaner disposed on the carrier.

Images