A horizontal full-automatic AI laser welding device for towel racks

Abstract

A towel rack horizontal full-automatic AI laser welding equipment, including frame, the frame is equipped with a conveyor belt, the frame is fixedly connected with a mounting bracket, the mounting bracket is connected with a hydraulic cylinder, the output shaft of the hydraulic cylinder is connected with a lifting plate, the first electric seat is slidably arranged on the lifting plate, the second electric seat is slidably arranged at the bottom of the electric seat, and the laser welding head is connected to the second electric seat; the frame is connected with a clamping assembly. The present application gives the laser welding head three-dimensional activity freedom, and the first clamping plate and the second clamping plate are used for positioning and clamping the towel rack, and the lifting plate is used for lifting control linkage to drive the second clamping plate to move the towel rack sideways, so that the welding position is placed in the welding area each time, the plate brush on the second clamping plate can forcibly clean the conveyor belt after welding, and the lifting of the lifting plate also linkage controls the on-off of the power transmission channel of the motor to the conveyor belt.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of towel rack welding, and specifically to a horizontal fully automatic AI laser welding equipment for towel racks. Background Technology

[0002] As consumption upgrades drive the trend towards high-end products, the mid-to-high-end home furnishing market is placing higher demands on the quality and design of towel racks. Laser welding can create a seamless appearance and durability, and its application prospects in towel rack manufacturing are quite broad, especially in improving product quality, design flexibility, and production efficiency.

[0003] While laser welding holds significant potential in towel rack manufacturing, its practical application still faces several technical challenges that require process optimization and equipment improvement. For example, the welding points on towel racks are the junctions between vertical and horizontal bars. Since towel racks typically consist of at least one vertical tube and multiple horizontal tubes connected to it, the welding positions are discontinuous. This necessitates continuous adjustment of the welding machine and / or the towel rack's position during welding, along with precise identification of the welding location. Furthermore, the weld seam exhibits a spatial curve in three-dimensional space, increasing the welding difficulty and requiring real-time monitoring of the welding status. The development of AI technology provides the technological foundation for real-time monitoring and guidance of the welding process.

[0004] Based on the structural features of towel racks, this invention provides a horizontal fully automatic AI laser welding device for towel racks, which can precisely move and position the towel rack segment by segment, and complete the welding of the towel racks sequentially by visually calibrating the position of the laser welding machine. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In response to the problems raised in the background art, the present invention provides a horizontal fully automatic AI laser welding device for towel racks to solve these problems. The present invention will be further described below.

[0006] A horizontal fully automatic AI laser welding equipment for towel racks includes a frame with a conveyor belt, a mounting frame fixedly connected to the frame, a hydraulic cylinder connected to the mounting frame, a lifting plate connected to the output shaft of the hydraulic cylinder, a first electric seat slidably mounted on the lifting plate, a second electric seat slidably mounted at the bottom of the electric seat, and a laser welding head connected to the second electric seat. A clamping assembly is connected to the frame, including guide side plates and a support connected to both sides of the frame. A first guide rod is slidably mounted on the guide side plate, a first clamping plate is connected to the end of the first guide rod, and a first spring is sleeved on the first guide rod, with both ends of the first spring contacting the guide side plate and the first clamping plate respectively. A cantilever frame is connected to the support, a baffle is connected to the end of the cantilever frame, a second guide rod is connected to the support, a rack is mounted above the second guide rod, one end of the rack passes through the support and connects to the second clamping plate, and the other end is connected to an end cap, the end cap slidably mounted on the second guide rod, and a second spring is sleeved on the second guide rod, with both ends of the second spring abutting against the support and the end cap respectively. The rack is controlled to move towards or away from the first clamping plate.

[0007] Furthermore, the cantilever frames are rotatably connected by a rotating shaft, on which a gear and a ratchet are keyed. The gear and ratchet are connected as a rotating unit. The gear meshes with a rack, and a torsion spring sleeved on the outside of the rotating shaft connects the gear and the cantilever frame. The lifting plate is connected to a second rack via a connecting rod, and the second rack meshes with the ratchet. By controlling the lifting of the lifting plate, the lateral movement of the towel rack can be controlled. The welding operation on both sides of the horizontal tube on the towel rack can be completed in one lifting cycle. The rack, gear, ratchet, and second rack form a single-tooth system. The second rack only needs to rise a certain distance without disengaging from the ratchet, and the stroke of the rack can meet the lateral movement distance requirements of the towel rack.

[0008] Furthermore, a brush is connected to the bottom of the second clamping plate, and the brush contacts the conveyor belt. The function of the brush is to forcibly clean up the spatter that falls during the welding process, and at the same time, it can increase the reset resistance, offset some of the elastic force generated by the first spring, the second spring, and the torsion spring, and slow down the reset speed of the towel rack.

[0009] Furthermore, the input shaft of the conveyor belt is connected to a driven disc, a motor is connected to the frame, and the output shaft of the motor is keyed to a driven disc. The driven disc has an inner cavity, and the output shaft of the motor is keyed to the inner cavity, which contains a third spring. A guide beam is connected to the frame, and an extension arm is connected to the lifting plate. A column is slidably mounted on the extension arm, and the column is slidably engaged with the guide beam. A clutch is connected to the bottom of the column, and a limit cap is connected to the top. The limit cap is connected to the extension arm via a fourth spring. The clutch includes a limit pawl and a clutch pawl, which are located between the driven disc and the driven disc. The limit pawl is adapted to the input shaft. The lifting and lowering linkage of the lifting plate controls the on / off of the power transmission channel from the motor to the conveyor belt. During welding, the conveyor belt is stationary. After welding is completed, power transmission is resumed, and the conveyor belt pushes the welding horizontal tube under the towel rack forward to the welding area.

[0010] Beneficial effects: Compared with the prior art, the present invention gives the laser welding head three-dimensional freedom of movement. At the same time, the towel rack is positioned and clamped by the first clamping plate and the second clamping plate. The lifting control of the lifting plate is linked to the second clamping plate to push the towel rack to the side, placing the welding position in the welding area each time. After welding, the brush on the second clamping plate can force clean the conveyor belt. The lifting control of the lifting plate controls the on and off of the power transmission channel from the motor to the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt is stationary during welding. After welding is completed, the power transmission is restored, and the conveyor belt pushes the next welding horizontal tube of the towel rack forward to the welding area. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 : A schematic diagram of the structure of the horizontal fully automatic laser welding equipment for towel racks of the present invention;

[0012] Figure 2 : Schematic diagram of the laser welding head being installed on the mounting bracket;

[0013] Figure 3 : A schematic diagram of the clamping assembly;

[0014] Figure 4 : Schematic diagram of the connection between the clamping assembly and the lifting plate;

[0015] Figure 5 : Figure 4 Enlarged schematic diagram of the structure at point A in the middle;

[0016] Figure 6 : Schematic diagram of the connection structure of the rack, the second clamping plate and the brush;

[0017] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the dynamic blocking assembly;

[0018] Figure 8 : Figure 7 Enlarged schematic diagram of the structure at point B;

[0019] Figure 9 : Structural cross-sectional view of the driven disk and the driving disk;

[0020] In the diagram: 1. Frame; 2. Conveyor belt; 3. Mounting frame; 4. Laser welding head; 5. Hydraulic cylinder; 6. Lifting plate; 7. First electric seat; 8. Second electric seat; 9. Guide side plate; 10. Bracket; 11. First guide rod; 12. First clamping plate; 13. First spring; 14. Cantilever frame; 15. Baffle; 16. Second guide rod; 17. Rack; 18. Second clamping plate; 19. End cap; 20. Second spring; 21. Gear; 22. Ratchet; 23. Torsion spring; 24. Connecting rod; 25. Second rack; 26. Brush; 27. Input shaft; 28. Driven disc; 29. ​​Motor; 30. Driven disc; 30. Inner cavity; 31. Third spring; 32. Guide beam; 33. Extension arm; 34. Column; 35. Clutch; 351. Limiting claw; 352. Clutch claw; 36. Limiting cap; 37. Fourth spring. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Next, we will combine the appendix Figures 1-9 A specific embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0022] Reference Appendix Figure 1 A horizontal fully automatic AI laser welding equipment for towel racks includes a frame 1, a conveyor belt 2 on the frame 1, a towel rack to be laser welded is placed on the conveyor belt 2 and moves with it, a mounting frame 3 is fixedly connected to the frame 1, and a laser welding head 4 is connected to the mounting frame 3. The laser welding head 4 has degrees of freedom of movement in three-dimensional directions (x, y, z).

[0023] Reference Appendix Figure 2 Specifically, a hydraulic cylinder 5 is connected to the mounting bracket 3, and a lifting plate 6 is connected to the output shaft of the hydraulic cylinder 5. The lifting plate 6 is raised under the action of the hydraulic cylinder 5. A first electric seat 7 is slidably mounted on the lifting plate 6. The electric seat 7 can slide on the lifting plate 6. A second electric seat 8 is slidably mounted at the bottom of the electric seat 7. The second electric seat 8 can slide at the bottom of the first electric seat 7. The laser welding head 4 is connected to the second electric seat 8. The laser welding head 4 has a degree of freedom of movement in the y-axis direction under the action of the second electric seat 8, a degree of freedom of movement in the x-axis direction under the action of the first electric seat 7, and a degree of freedom of movement in the z-axis direction under the action of the hydraulic cylinder 5, thereby giving the laser welding head 4 a degree of freedom of movement in three dimensions.

[0024] Reference Appendix Figure 1 and Figures 2-4The frame 1 is equipped with a clamping assembly for clamping and positioning a towel rack during laser welding. The assembly includes guide side plates 9 and a bracket 10 connected to both sides of the frame 1. A first guide rod 11 is slidably mounted on the guide side plate 9, with a first clamping plate 12 connected to the end of the first guide rod 11. A first spring 13 is sleeved on the first guide rod 11, with both ends of the first spring 13 contacting the guide side plate 9 and the first clamping plate 12, respectively. A cantilever frame 14 is connected to the bracket 10, with a baffle 15 connected to the end of the cantilever frame 14. A second guide rod 16 is connected to the bracket 10, with a rack 17 positioned above the second guide rod 16. One end of the rack 17 passes through the bracket 10 and connects to a second clamping plate 18, while the other end connects to an end cap 19. The end cap 19 is slidably mounted on the second guide rod 16, with a second spring 20 sleeved on the second guide rod 16. Both ends of the second spring 20 abut against the bracket 10 and the end cap 19, respectively. The rack 17 is controlled to move towards or away from the first clamping plate.

[0025] In the initial state, the second clamping plate 18 is pressed tightly against the baffle 15 under the elastic force of the second spring 20. The first guide rod 11 is retracted in a controlled manner, and the first spring 13 is in a compressed state, so that the first clamping plate 12 and the second clamping plate 18 are in a state of distance. The towel rack to be welded moves with the conveyor belt 2 to the space between the first clamping plate 12 and the second clamping plate 18. Then the first guide rod 11 is released, and the first clamping plate 12 clamps the towel rack between itself and the second clamping plate 18 under the reset action of the first spring 13, thereby achieving the positioning of the towel rack. Laser welding can then be performed.

[0026] During welding, the first part to be welded is the welding position on the towel rack near the first clamping plate 12. At this time, the laser welding head 4 is roughly in the center of the conveyor belt, and the machine vision can acquire the image of the laser welding head 4 welding. Most towel racks are symmetrical structures, and the welding positions are generally two symmetrical locations (the connection between the horizontal tube and the two vertical tubes on both sides). After welding one location, the rack 17 is controlled to move towards the first clamping plate 12. The first clamping plate 12 and the second clamping plate 18 clamp the towel rack and move it to the side, moving the welding position away from the first clamping plate 12 to a position close to the center of the conveyor belt, within the field of view of the machine vision. Depending on the size of different towel racks, this solution aims to reduce the adjustment range of the laser welding head 4 and keep the welding operation position as central as possible on the conveyor belt, within the field of view of the machine vision.

[0027] Reference Appendix Figures 4-5The rack 17 is controlled to move toward or away from the first clamping plate. In this embodiment, the following technical solution is used to achieve control: a rotating shaft is rotatably connected between the cantilever frames 14. A gear 21 and a ratchet 22 are keyed on the rotating shaft. The gear 21 and the ratchet 22 are connected by a pin to form a rotating whole. The gear 21 meshes with the rack 17. A torsion spring 23 sleeved on the outside of the rotating shaft is connected between the gear 21 and the cantilever frame 14. The lifting plate 6 is connected to a second rack 25 through a connecting rod 24. The second rack 25 meshes with the ratchet 22.

[0028] Once the towel rack is clamped and positioned, the hydraulic cylinder 5 drives the laser welding head 4 and the second rack 25 to descend. Due to the unidirectional rotation of the ratchet 22, there is no meshing transmission between the second rack 25 and the ratchet 22. After the laser welding head 4 descends from its initial height to the welding height, the welding of the first joint between the horizontal and vertical pipes begins. After welding is completed, the hydraulic cylinder 5 drives the laser welding head 4 and the second rack 25 to rise. At this time, the second rack 25 drives the ratchet 22 to rotate, which in turn drives the gear 21 to rotate, causing the rack 17 to extend forward. The first clamping plate 12 and the second clamping plate 18 clamp the towel rack and move it away from the support 10 for one distance before coming to a stop. Then, the laser welding head 4 continues to descend to the welding height to perform laser welding on the other joint.

[0029] It should be noted that the rack 17, gear 21, ratchet 22 and the second rack 25 constitute a single-tooth system. By designing the number of teeth, when the second rack 25 descends a short distance, the forward extension distance of the rack 17 can be increased. Thus, during the welding of the same horizontal tube and its two sides, the second rack 25 only needs to rise a short distance without disengaging from the ratchet, and the stroke of the rack 17 can also meet the distance requirements for the lateral movement of the towel rack.

[0030] After welding is completed at both ends of the same horizontal tube, the towel rack needs to be released from its clamp and allowed to move forward with the conveyor belt for a distance, typically the interval between adjacent horizontal tubes. At this point, the towel rack needs to be reset. In this embodiment, after welding is completed at both ends of the same horizontal tube, the hydraulic cylinder 5 drives the laser welding head 4 to rise to the initial height. It should be noted that during the welding process, the ratchet 22 and the second rack 25 are always engaged. After welding is completed, the second rack 25 is raised in a controlled manner. During the rise, the ratchet is driven to continue rotating, and the towel rack is moved away from the support 10 for a distance until the ratchet 22 and the second rack 25 disengage. After disengagement, the towel rack will be reset under the elastic force of the first spring 13, the second spring 20, and the torsion spring 23 until the second clamp 18 abuts against the cantilever frame 14. After the ratchet 22 and the second rack 25 disengage, the second rack 25 will continue to rise to the initial height.

[0031] In the laser welding scenario of towel racks, the weld seam at the junction of the horizontal and vertical tubes presents a spatial curve. Real-time monitoring and feedback control of the weld area are required during the welding process. This embodiment introduces AI technology, acquiring workpiece point cloud data through 3D visual scanning using machine vision, and automatically generating a collision-free welding path using a generative adversarial network (GAN) to guide the laser welding head. The deployed machine vision system acquires images of the molten pool, and a convolutional neural network (CNN) identifies abnormal fluctuations. Real-time comparison with a standard molten pool feature library triggers alarms or adaptive compensation to detect the stability of the molten pool and prevent the formation of porosity and cracks.

[0032] Reference Appendix Figure 6 Laser welding typically does not produce significant weld slag during towel rack manufacturing, but exceptions exist. For example, material contamination, coating carbonization, or parameter malfunction may generate trace amounts of spatter, which are easily handled. In this embodiment, a brush 26 is connected to the bottom of the second clamping plate 18, and the brush 26 contacts the conveyor belt. The spatter is essentially molten or semi-molten metal particles, typically at a temperature close to or slightly below the melting point of the base material, which will adhere to the surface of the conveyor belt. The function of the brush 26 is to forcibly clean the spatter that falls during the welding process.

[0033] During the welding process, as mentioned above, when welding the same horizontal pipe, after the first side is welded, the second clamping plate 18 will push the towel rack to move laterally. At this time, the brush 26 will approach the welding area. After the second welding is completed, the towel rack will reset. During the reset process, the second rack 25 will drive the ratchet to continue rotating during the controlled upward movement, and the towel rack will continue to move away from the bracket 10 for a distance. At this time, the brush 26 will sweep across the welding area. When the ratchet 22 and the second rack 25 disengage, the second clamping plate 18 will reset and retract, and the brush 26 will sweep across the welding area again, completing the forced cleaning of the welding area.

[0034] It is particularly important to note that the brush 26 is in close contact with the surface of the conveyor belt 2. Its function is to forcibly clean the welding area on the surface of the conveyor belt and to increase the reset resistance. During the reset and retraction of the second clamping plate 18, the resistance offsets part of the elastic force generated by the first spring 13, the second spring 20 and the torsion spring 23, thus slowing down the reset speed of the towel rack.

[0035] During the welding process, it is preferable that the conveyor belt 2 is stationary. According to common sense, the conveyor belt moves slowly to avoid the towel rack sliding relative to the conveyor belt during the conveying process. Based on this, in this embodiment, the power source of the conveyor belt is cut off by a power blocking component to avoid frequent motor starts.

[0036] Reference Appendix Figures 7-9Specifically, the power blocking assembly includes a driven disk 28 connected to the input shaft 27 of the conveyor belt 2, a motor 29 connected to the frame 1, an output shaft of the motor 29 key-connected to an active disk 30, an active disk 30 having an inner cavity 301, the output shaft of the motor 29 key-connected to the inner cavity 301, and a third spring 31 provided in the inner cavity 301; a guide beam 32 connected to the frame 1, and an extension arm 33 connected to the lifting plate 6, a column rod 34 slidably provided on the extension arm 33, the column rod 34 slidingly engaging with the guide beam 32, a clutch 35 connected to the bottom of the column rod 34, and a limit cap 36 connected to the top of the column rod 34, the limit cap 36 being connected to the extension arm 33 via a fourth spring 37; the clutch 35 includes a limit pawl 351 and a clutch pawl 352, the clutch pawl 352 being located between the driven disk 28 and the active disk 30, and the limit pawl 351 being adapted to the input shaft 27.

[0037] During the welding process of a horizontal tube, that is, during the operation of the lifting plate 6 at the initial height and at any height below the initial height, the extension arm 33 slides on the column rod 34 and stretches the fourth spring 37. The limiting claw 351 presses tightly on the input shaft 27, and the clutch claw 352 pushes apart the driven plate 28 and the driving plate 30, so that the rotational power of the continuously rotating driving plate 30 cannot be transmitted to the conveyor belt, and the third spring 31 is in a compressed state. After welding is completed, the first guide rod 11 is pulled back to release the towel rack. The lifting plate 6 returns to its initial height and then continues to rise to the power height. During the rise, the extension arm 33 rises accordingly, pushing the limit cap 36 upward via the fourth spring, which in turn causes the column rod 34 to move upward. The clutch pawl 352 disengages from the pressing surface between the driven plate 28 and the driving plate 30. Under the action of the third spring 31, the driving plate 30 tightly adheres to the driven plate 28, driving the driven plate 28 to rotate through friction. This causes the conveyor belt 2 to move slowly, pushing the next welding horizontal tube of the towel rack forward to the welding area for the next welding operation.

[0038] This invention provides the laser welding head with three-dimensional freedom of movement. Simultaneously, the first and second clamping plates position and hold the towel rack. The lifting control of the lifting plate, in conjunction with the second clamping plate, pushes the towel rack laterally, placing each welding position within the welding area. After welding, the brush on the second clamping plate can forcibly clean the conveyor belt. The lifting control of the lifting plate also controls the on / off of the power transmission channel from the motor to the conveyor belt. During welding, the conveyor belt remains stationary; after welding, power transmission resumes, and the conveyor belt pushes the next welding tube of the towel rack forward into the welding area.

[0039] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A horizontal fully automatic AI laser welding equipment for towel racks, comprising a frame (1), a conveyor belt (2) on the frame (1), a mounting frame (3) fixedly connected to the frame (1), a hydraulic cylinder (5) connected to the mounting frame (3), a lifting plate (6) connected to the output shaft of the hydraulic cylinder (5), a first electric seat (7) slidably disposed on the lifting plate (6), a second electric seat (8) slidably disposed at the bottom of the electric seat (7), and a laser welding head (4) connected to the second electric seat (8); characterized in that: A clamping assembly is connected to the frame (1), including guide side plates (9) and a bracket (10) connected to both sides of the frame (1). A first guide rod (11) is slidably provided on the guide side plate (9). A first clamping plate (12) is connected to the end of the first guide rod (11). A first spring (13) is sleeved on the first guide rod (11). The two ends of the first spring (13) contact the guide side plate (9) and the first clamping plate (12) respectively. A cantilever frame (14) is connected to the bracket (10). A baffle (15) is connected to the end of the cantilever frame (14). A second guide rod (16) is connected to the bracket (10), and a rack (17) is provided above the second guide rod (16). One end of the rack (17) passes through the bracket (10) and is connected to a second clamping plate (18). The other end is connected to an end cap (19). The end cap (19) is slidably disposed on the second guide rod (16). A second spring (20) is sleeved on the second guide rod (16). The two ends of the second spring (20) abut against the bracket (10) and the end cap (19) respectively. The rack (17) moves in a controlled direction toward or away from the first clamping plate. The cantilever (14) is rotatably connected by a rotating shaft, on which a gear (21) and a ratchet (22) are keyed. The gear (21) and the ratchet (22) are connected to form a rotating whole. The gear (21) meshes with a rack (17). A torsion spring (23) sleeved on the outside of the rotating shaft connects the gear (21) and the cantilever (14). The lifting plate (6) is connected to a second rack (25) through a connecting rod (24). The second rack (25) meshes with the ratchet (22).

2. The horizontal fully automatic AI laser welding equipment for towel racks according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the second clamping plate (18) is connected to a brush (26), which is in contact with the conveyor belt.

3. The horizontal fully automatic AI laser welding equipment for towel racks according to claim 2, characterized in that: The input shaft (27) of the conveyor belt (2) is connected to the driven disk (28), and the frame (1) is connected to the motor (29). The output shaft of the motor (29) is keyed to the driving disk (30). The driving disk (30) has an inner cavity (301). The output shaft of the motor (29) is keyed to the inner cavity (301). A third spring (31) is provided in the inner cavity (301). The frame (1) is connected to the guide beam (32), and the lifting plate (6) is also connected to the extension arm (33). The extension arm (33) is... A sliding column (34) is provided, which is slidably engaged with the guide beam (32). A clutch (35) is connected to the bottom of the column (34), and a limit cap (36) is connected to the top. The limit cap (36) is connected to the extension arm (33) through a fourth spring (37). The clutch (35) includes a limit pawl (351) and a clutch pawl (352). The clutch pawl (352) is located between the driven disc (28) and the driving disc (30), and the limit pawl (351) is adapted to the input shaft (27).

Images