Full-automatic ribbon mounting machine head module and method

Abstract

The invention discloses a full-automatic ribbon mounting machine head module and method, and belongs to the field of wiring harness production automation equipment. The device comprises a ribbon positioning and pushing jig, an upper guide buckling claw, a lower guide buckling claw, a guide seat, a ribbon cutter and a ribbon pulling ratchet wheel which are mounted on a module base body, when the upper guide buckling claw and the lower guide buckling claw are closed, the arc-shaped groove in the inner side and the groove in the top of the guide base can jointly form a guide groove allowing a binding belt to enter. A ribbon cutter and a ribbon pulling ratchet wheel are sequentially arranged below the ribbon leading-in hole, the ribbon cutter can move front and back to cut off the ribbon, and the ribbon pulling ratchet wheel can drive the ribbon to move downwards by rotating around a shaft. The structure is compact, the front portion is narrow, the rear portion is wide, the front working area is compact, and the robot is allowed to enter a narrow space to work; the ribbon is wide in compatibility, or various ribbons can be used by quickly and simply replacing a small number of parts; the tensioning force is convenient and visual to adjust, and the tensioning force is accurate and stable to control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of automated equipment for wire harness production, and particularly relates to a fully automatic tie installation head module and method, which can automatically complete tasks such as tie feeding, bundling, tightening, and cutting, and has a compact structure. Background Art

[0002] In the field of wire harness production such as automotive wire harnesses, household appliance wire harnesses, and construction machinery wire harnesses, two types of ties are used on wire harnesses. One type of tie is used to bundle loose wire harnesses into bundles, that is, the so-called ordinary nylon ties, which have a simple structure and unified specifications; the second type of tie is used to fixedly install the formed wire harness on structural parts. The structure of the tie is more complex and diverse than that of ordinary nylon ties, and a tie head for fixed installation is added to the structure. Currently, in the field of wire harness production, for the first type of tie, there are already good solutions to achieve fully automated installation, including automatic feeding, automatic bundling, tightening, cutting, etc. For the second type of tie, in the wire harness production process, most of them are pre-installed manually, and a semi-automatic tie gun is used to finally tighten and cut. There are also a small number of processes that use so-called semi-automatic tie installation equipment, which can complete tasks such as automatic buckling, tightening, and cutting of ties. However, each work process requires manual pre-placement of the tie in the buckle guide groove, and the equipment only completes subsequent automatic buckling, tightening, and cutting, etc. Moreover, the adaptability of the tie is relatively narrow, and for each change of tie, corresponding parts such as the tie buckle guide groove must be replaced. The operation method has low efficiency and high labor intensity, and there are also several other problems: 1. The existing semi-automatic equipment has a bloated structure and large size, especially the lateral size of the front working area is too large, affecting the application in small space areas (close to the connector or the position of adjacent ties is too close); 2. The adjustment of the tie tightening force is achieved by mechanical structure, with problems such as a small adjustment range, non-intuitive and non-simple adjustment method, poor tightening force accuracy and stability; 3. It is impossible to dock to meet the automatic feeding requirement of ties.

[0003] With the increasing demand for automation in the field of wire harness production, there is an urgent need for an automatic tie installation equipment for the above-mentioned second type of tie, which has the following features: 1. Compact structure, especially the lateral size of the front tie bundling work area; 2. Wide tie adaptability, or the ability to use multiple ties by quickly and simply replacing a small number of parts; 3. Convenient and intuitive adjustment of the tie tightening force, and precise and stable control of the tightening force; 4. Good docking with the tie automatic feeding system in the structural design. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the defects in the prior art and provide a fully automatic tie installation head module and method.

[0005] The specific technical solutions adopted by the present invention are as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a fully automatic cable tie installation head module, including a cable tie positioning and pushing fixture, an upper guiding claw, a lower guiding claw, a guiding seat, a cable tie cutter, and a pulling ratchet installed on a module base body;

[0007] The front end of the cable tie positioning and pushing fixture is provided with a profiling positioning hole that can cooperate and fix with the cable tie head installation part through elastic tension; both the upper guiding claw and the lower guiding claw can respectively rotate along a fulcrum to achieve opening and closing. When the two are closed, the arc-shaped grooves on the inner sides can jointly form a guiding groove for the cable tie tape to enter with the groove on the top of the guiding seat. And the lower guiding claw can continue to rotate inward along the upper guiding claw to guide and buckle the cable tie tape into the cable tie hole of the cable tie; the internal space surrounded by the guiding groove can accommodate the wire harness to be bundled, and the cable tie positioning and pushing fixture can drive the cable tie forward and send the cable tie tape into the guiding groove; the guiding seat is located at the initial section of the guiding groove, and is provided with a cable tie introduction hole below the cable tie hole; below the cable tie introduction hole, a cable tie cutter and a pulling ratchet are arranged in sequence. The cable tie cutter can move back and forth to cut the cable tie tape, and the pulling ratchet can drive the cable tie tape to move downward by rotating around an axis.

[0008] Preferably, the cable tie positioning and pushing fixture is installed on the module base body through a fixture installation base; a pushing fixture drive belt is arranged on the fixture installation base for driving the cable tie positioning and pushing fixture to move back and forth along the length direction of the cable tie.

[0009] Preferably, the front end of the cable tie positioning and pushing fixture is provided with a vertical positioning end face, and the positioning end face can cooperate with the cable tie head installation and positioning surface of the cable tie head to jointly realize the positioning of the cable tie in the length direction; a horizontal profiling positioning hole is opened in the middle of the positioning end face; the profiling positioning hole is a smooth-wall counterbore, and the hole wall size meets the requirement of cooperating with the outer dimension of the one-way locking teeth of the cable tie head and forming sufficient elastic tension to keep the two fixed.

[0010] Preferably, the upper guiding claw is located in front of the movement of the cable tie positioning and pushing fixture, and includes a front clamping claw and a rear connecting rod; the clamping claw is an upwardly convex arc-shaped structure, and an arc-shaped groove for accommodating the cable tie tape is opened on the inner side; an upper guiding claw avoidance cavity for the cable tie head to pass through is arranged on the connecting rod, and the lower end is rotatably connected to the module base body.

[0011] Preferably, the lower guiding claw is a downwardly concave arc-shaped structure, and an arc-shaped groove for accommodating the cable tie tape is opened on the inner side, and the bottom is rotatably connected to the module base body through a rotary fulcrum; the lower guiding claw is connected to an electric control linear actuator through a lower guiding claw transmission mechanism to realize rotational drive.

[0012] Furthermore, the front guiding contour of the arc-shaped groove of the upper guiding claw is concentric with the rotary fulcrum.

[0013] Preferably, a cutting knife cylinder is fixed on the module base body. The output end of the cutting knife cylinder is connected to the cable tie cutting knife through a cutting knife driving arm and a cylinder connecting arm in sequence, and the cable tie cutting knife can be driven to move back and forth by the cutting knife cylinder.

[0014] Preferably, the strap ratchet is coaxially fixed on the ratchet driving shaft. The ratchet driving shaft is connected to a servo motor fixed on the module base body through a strap ratchet driving belt to achieve driving; ratchet teeth consistent with the pitch of the one-way teeth on the cable tie belt are arranged on the circumference of the strap ratchet to tighten the cable tie belt through meshing and drive it to move downward; on the other side of the meshing position between the strap ratchet and the cable tie belt, there is an arc-shaped cable tie guiding and pressing member; the surface of the cable tie guiding and pressing member in contact with the cable tie belt is smooth, and a cable tie pressing spring is arranged on the other side; through the elastic force of the cable tie pressing spring, the cable tie guiding and pressing member can tightly press the cable tie belt against the strap ratchet to the meshing state.

[0015] Preferably, a cable tie waste discharge channel fixed on the module base body is arranged below the strap ratchet. The cable tie waste discharge channel is used to discharge and collect the waste of the cable tie tail after shearing; a waste discharge channel extension member is also arranged at the tail end of the cable tie waste discharge channel.

[0016] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a fully automatic cable tie installation method using the fully automatic cable tie installation head module according to any one of the first aspect, specifically as follows:

[0017] S1. In the initial preparation state, the cable tie positioning and pushing jig is in the rear feeding position; the cable tie is fixed on the cable tie positioning and pushing jig through the cooperation of the cable tie head installation part and the profiling positioning hole, and the length direction of the cable tie is parallel to the moving direction of the cable tie positioning and pushing jig, completing the filling work; the upper guiding claw rotates upward to the open state, the lower guiding claw rotates downward to the lower swing position, and the claw assembly composed of the upper guiding claw and the lower guiding claw is in the open state; the wire harness to be bundled is moved into the opening of the claw assembly and waits for the bundling and installation of the cable tie.

[0018] S2. Rotate the upper guiding claw downward to the closed state, so that the upper guiding claw avoidance cavity is in the vertical state to allow the cable tie head to pass through; rotate the lower guiding claw upward to the closed state with the upper guiding claw through the electric control linear actuator to clamp the wire harness in the clamping area; the clamping degree of the lower guiding claw in this stage depends on the length of the cable tie applied, so that when the cable tie is pushed to the working position in S3, the leading end of the cable tie belt will not enter the cable tie hole position prematurely to cause interference.

[0019] S3. Drive the tie positioning and pushing jig forward through the drive belt, push the tie to the bundling position, and align the end of the guiding groove of the upper guiding claw with the tie hole and the tie introduction hole (101) of the tie vertically; during the pushing process, the tie sequentially follows the groove at the top of the guiding seat, the arc groove inside the lower guiding claw, and the arc groove inside the upper guiding claw, so that the head end is guided to the position above the tie hole;

[0020] S4. The servo motor starts to operate in the torque mode, drives the belt through the pulling belt ratchet to drive the pulling belt ratchet to rotate in the direction that can drive the tie belt to move downward; the set value of the servo motor torque mode is in an equal ratio correspondence with the tightening force required for the pulling belt ratchet to finally tighten the tie; at the same time, the electric control linear actuator drives the lower guiding claw to further rotate inward and close, forcing the head end of the tie belt to sequentially pass through the tie hole and the tie introduction hole and reach the pulling belt ratchet that is already in a rotating state. Under the action of the tie guiding and pressing member and the tie pressing spring, the ratchet teeth of the pulling belt ratchet and the tie one-way teeth are closely attached to the meshing state;

[0021] S5. As the pulling belt ratchet continues to rotate, drive the tie to continue to tighten;

[0022] S6. When the tie is further tightened, the force exerted by the tie on the pulling belt ratchet rises sharply and finally balances with the torque set by the servo motor, and the servo motor and the pulling belt ratchet stop rotating; at this time, the force exerted on the tie has met the preset tightening force, and the tie tightening is completed;

[0023] During this process, monitor the servo motor to judge the working condition: if within the preset time, the rotational speed of the servo motor does not drop to the target rotational speed or the output torque of the servo motor does not rise to the target value, it is determined as an abnormal situation including tie penetration failure or failure to mesh successfully with the pulling belt ratchet after penetration, and give feedback in a timely manner; if within the preset time, the rotational speed of the servo motor drops to the target rotational speed or the output torque of the servo motor rises to the target value, it is determined that the operation is normal, and then drive the tie positioning and pushing jig to return to the initial position and perform the filling work;

[0024] S7. When it is determined that the tie has been tightened in place, the cutter cylinder acts, and drives the tie cutter to complete the action of cutting the tie through the tie cutter driving arm and the cylinder connecting arm; at this time, the servo motor is still in the torque working mode. At the moment when the tie is cut off, the balance force of the pulling belt ratchet is broken, and the tie tail waste is discharged through the tie waste discharge channel during the constant torque acceleration process;

[0025] S8. When the tie cutting is completed, the claw assembly opens, and the upper guiding claw and the lower guiding claw respectively rotate back to the initial state; at this time, the wire harness has completed the automatic bundling work of the tie and retreats from the bundling area together with the installed tie;

[0026] Move the wire harness to be bundled into the opening of the buckle assembly in sequence, and repeat S2 - S8 to achieve the automatic bundling of the wire harness with continuous cable ties.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0028] 1. It has a compact structure with a front - narrow - and - rear - wide dimension. The front working area is compact, allowing it to enter narrow spaces for work.

[0029] 2. It has a wide compatibility with cable ties, or can use multiple types of cable ties by quickly and easily replacing a small number of parts.

[0030] 3. The adjustment of the tightening force is convenient and intuitive, and the control of the tightening force is accurate and stable.

[0031] 4. It has a function of detecting bundling failure and can adapt to automated production.

[0032] 5. It can be docked with an automatic feeding system to achieve fully automated production. Description of the Drawings

[0033] Figure 1 、 Figure 2 are the overall structural schematic diagrams of the device of the present invention from two perspectives;

[0034] Figure 3 is used to describe the front - narrow - and - rear - wide structural characteristics of the device of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 describes the state of the device of the present invention in the initial preparation state;

[0036] Figure 5 is used to describe the basic structure of the second - type cable tie and how the positioning and pushing jig positions using the commonalities of the cable ties;

[0037] Figure 6 is used to describe the state of the device of the present invention when buckling the wire harness;

[0038] Figure 7 is used to describe the state of the device of the present invention in the cable - tie pre - feeding stage;

[0039] Figure 8 is used to describe the state of the device of the present invention in the initial buckling stage of the cable tie;

[0040] Figure 9 is used to describe the state of the device of the present invention in the cable - tie tightening stage;

[0041] Figure 10 is used to describe the state of the device of the present invention in the final tightening stage of the cable tie and the tightening principle;

[0042] Figure 11 For describing the state of the device of the present invention during the cutting stage after the cable tie is tightened;

[0043] Figure 12 For describing the state of the device of the present invention after a cable tie bundling process for a wire harness is completed.

[0044] In the figure, the reference numerals are: wire harness 1, cable tie 2, cable tie head 201, cable tie band 202, cable tie head mounting part 203, cable tie head mounting positioning surface 204, one-way locking teeth 205, cable tie 206 after installation, cable tie tail waste 207, module base body 3, cable tie positioning and pushing jig 4, profiling positioning hole 401, positioning end surface 402, jig mounting base 5, upper guiding claw 6, upper guiding claw avoidance cavity 601, lower guiding claw 7, rotation fulcrum 701, lower guiding claw transmission mechanism 8, electric control linear actuator 9, guiding seat 10, cable tie introduction hole 101, cable tie cutter 11, cutter driving arm 12, cylinder connecting arm 13, cutter cylinder 14, belt pulling ratchet 15, ratchet driving shaft 16, cable tie guiding and pressing member 17, cable tie pressing spring 18, cable tie waste discharge channel 19, waste discharge channel extension member 20, servo motor 21, belt pulling ratchet driving belt 22, pushing jig driving belt 23, front dimension A of the cable tie head module, rear dimension B of the cable tie head module. Specific embodiments

[0045] In order to make the above objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and understandable, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to fully understand the present invention. However, the present invention can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without departing from the connotation of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below. The technical features in each embodiment of the present invention can be combined correspondingly without conflict.

[0046] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that when an element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected, that is, there is an intermediate element. On the contrary, when an element is referred to as being "directly" connected to another element, there is no intermediate element.

[0047] In the present invention, for the sake of convenience of description, the "left", "right", "up" and "down" directions shown in Figure 1 are used as the reference to illustrate the positional relationship of each component in the device of the present invention. For "front" and "rear", they respectively refer to Figure 1 the left side and the right side in

[0048] As shown in Figure 1 and2 As shown in the figure, a fully automatic cable tie installation head module provided by the present invention mainly includes a cable tie positioning and pushing jig 4, an upper guiding claw 6, a lower guiding claw 7, a guiding seat 10, a cable tie cutter 11, and a belt pulling ratchet 15 installed on a module base body 3. Each mechanism cooperates with each other to achieve the function of fully automatic cable tie installation for the wire harness. The cooperation process will be described below.

[0049] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the module base body 3 serves as the base of the entire mechanism, and the remaining functional components are installed thereon. The specific form of the above-mentioned module base body 3 of the present invention can be adjusted according to actual needs, and its main function is to provide the installation positions of each functional mechanism. Considering aesthetics and convenience, the module base body 3 can be set as an L-shaped structure. As Figure 3 shown, the front dimension A of the cable tie head module is smaller than the rear dimension B of the cable tie head module, that is, the module base body 3 has the structural feature of being narrow in the front and wide in the rear. Components such as the upper guiding claw 6, the lower guiding claw 7, the guiding seat 10, the cable tie cutter 11, and the belt pulling ratchet 15 are arranged in front of the module base body 3, and a cable tie pushing mechanism composed of a cable tie positioning and pushing jig 4, a jig installation base 5, a driving belt, etc. is arranged behind the head module.

[0050] In the device of the present invention, as Figure 5 shown, a profiling positioning hole 401 that can be fixed in cooperation with the cable tie head installation part 203 through elastic tension is opened at the front end of the cable tie positioning and pushing jig 4.

[0051] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the front end of the cable tie positioning and pushing jig 4 is provided with a profiling positioning hole 401 and a positioning end face 402. Among them, the positioning end face 402 is vertically arranged and can cooperate with the cable tie head installation and positioning face 204 of the cable tie head 201 to jointly realize the positioning of the cable tie 2 in the length direction. A horizontal profiling positioning hole 401 is opened in the middle of the positioning end face 402, and the positioning end face 402 is perpendicular to the profiling positioning hole 401. The profiling positioning hole 401 is a smooth-wall counterbore, and the cross-sectional shape and size of the hole only need to meet the basic outer shape positioning requirements of the cable tie head installation part (203), without complete profiling, which simplifies the design; the hole wall is required to be smooth, and the hole wall size should meet the cooperation with the outer peripheral size of the one-way locking tooth 205 of the cable tie head 201 and form sufficient elastic tension so that the two are fixed.

[0052] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cable tie positioning and pushing jig 4 is installed on the module base body 3 through a jig installation base 5. A pushing jig driving belt 23 is arranged on the jig installation base 5 for driving the cable tie positioning and pushing jig 4 to move back and forth along the length direction of the cable tie 2.

[0053] In the device of the present invention, both the upper guiding pawl 6 and the lower guiding pawl 7 can rotate respectively along the fulcrum to achieve opening and closing. When the two are closed, the arc-shaped grooves on the inner sides can jointly form a guiding groove for the strap strip 202 to enter with the groove at the top of the guiding seat 10. Moreover, the lower guiding pawl 7 can continue to rotate inward along the upper guiding pawl 6 to guide and buckle the strap strip 202 into the strap hole of the strap 2. The internal space surrounded by the guiding groove can accommodate the wire harness 1 to be bundled. The strap positioning and pushing jig 4 can drive the strap 2 to move forward and send the strap strip 202 into the guiding groove.

[0054] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 1 shown, the main body structure of the upper guiding pawl 6 is the same as that of the guiding pawl of a conventional strap machine, and a guiding groove adapted to the width of the strap is arranged thereon. In this embodiment, the upper guiding pawl 6 is located in front of the moving path of the strap positioning and pushing jig 4, and includes a front clamping jaw and a rear connecting rod. The clamping jaw is an upwardly convex arc-shaped structure, and an arc-shaped groove for accommodating the strap strip 202 is opened on the inner side. An avoidance cavity 601 for the strap head 201 to pass through is provided on the connecting rod, and the lower end is rotatably connected to the module base body 3. In actual use, the upper guiding pawl 6 can move between two positions, called closed and open, as Figure 4 and Figure 6 two states: when closed, so that the strap strip 202 can be guided into the strap hole; when open, so that the strap head 201 can pass through smoothly or the strap head 201 can be disengaged when the bundling is completed. It should be noted that the position where the upper guiding pawl 6 is arranged coincides with the path along which the strap 2 is pushed, and an avoidance cavity 601 for the upper guiding pawl needs to be considered when it is set, so that the strap 2 and the strap positioning and pushing jig 4 can pass through smoothly to the designated position.

[0055] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 1As shown in the figure, the main body structure of the lower guiding pawl 7 is the same as that of the guiding pawl of a conventional cable tie machine, and a guiding groove adapted to the width of the cable tie is also arranged thereon. In this embodiment, the lower guiding pawl 7 is a concave arc structure, and an arc groove for accommodating the cable tie tape 202 is opened on the inner side, and the bottom is rotatably connected to the module base body 3 through a rotary fulcrum 701. The lower guiding pawl 7 is connected to the electric control linear actuator 9 through the lower guiding pawl transmission mechanism 8 to realize rotational drive. That is to say, a rotary fulcrum 701 is also arranged on the lower guiding pawl 7 in this embodiment, so that it can perform a rotary motion around the fulcrum. In cooperation with the state when the upper guiding pawl 6 is closed, a closed guiding loop can be formed by buckling to guide the cable tie tape 202 into the cable tie hole. The upper guiding pawl 6 is arranged so that when it is in the above-mentioned closed state, the front contour thereof, including the guiding groove, the outer contour of the mating part, etc., is concentric with the rotary fulcrum 701 (that is, the front guiding contour of the arc groove of the upper guiding pawl 6 is concentric with the rotary fulcrum 701). In this way, the lower guiding pawl 7 can have an additional continuous buckling stroke when buckling, which can be used for the active buckling of the cable tie or for adapting to different cable tie specifications and lengths.

[0056] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lower guiding pawl transmission mechanism 8 connects the lower guiding pawl 7 and the electric control linear actuator 9, and is used to transmit the power of the electric control linear actuator 9 to the lower guiding pawl 7. Its arrangement has two functions: a. It can change the direction of force transmission, so that the electric control linear actuator 9 can be arranged more flexibly to achieve the purpose of compact structural design; b. The function of transmission speed increase, amplifying the swing amplitude of the lower guiding pawl 7. In this embodiment, the lower guiding pawl 7 and the lower guiding pawl transmission mechanism 8 are meshed and driven through a gear structure (as Figure 1 shown). However, it should be clear that in actual applications, the connecting rod pair transmission and the rack and pinion transmission can both achieve the same transmission effect, and can be specifically selected and arranged according to the actual situation. The electric control linear actuator 9 is the driving mechanism of the lower guiding pawl 7, and it should be a stepping or servo linear driver, such as a stepping screw motor, a stepping linear motor, a servo linear motor, etc. In this way, the lower guiding pawl 7 can perform a buckling motion in a controllable manner.

[0057] In the device of the present invention, the guiding seat 10 is located at the initial section of the guiding groove, and a cable tie introduction hole 101 located below the cable tie hole is opened thereon.

[0058] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the guiding seat 10 is arranged below the working position of buckling the cable tie, and is a guiding and supporting part. Its function is to provide the initial guiding of the head of the cable tie when the cable tie is pushed and the supporting function when the cable tie is finally tightened. A cable tie introduction hole 101 is arranged thereon, which is used to guide the cable tie to the part of the pulling ratchet 15.

[0059] In the device of the present invention, a tie-tape cutting knife 11 and a tie-tape ratchet 15 are successively arranged below the tie-tape insertion hole 101. The tie-tape cutting knife 11 can move back and forth to cut the tie-tape 202, and the tie-tape ratchet 15 can drive the tie-tape 202 to move downward by rotating around the axis.

[0060] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a cutting knife cylinder 14 is fixed on the module base 3. The output end of the cutting knife cylinder 14 is successively connected to the tie-tape cutting knife 11 through a cutting knife driving arm 12 and a cylinder connecting arm 13. The tie-tape cutting knife 11 can be driven to move back and forth by the cutting knife cylinder 14. Specifically, the tie-tape cutting knife 11 is arranged below the guide seat 10 and can cooperate with the tie-tape insertion hole 101 to complete the cutting action of the tie-tape. The cutting knife cylinder 14 drives the tie-tape cutting knife 11 to cut the tie-tape through the cutting knife driving arm 12 and the cylinder connecting arm 13. The arrangements of the cutting knife driving arm 12 and the cylinder connecting arm 13 are to extend the cutting knife cylinder 14 to the bottom position behind the head module, which is beneficial to realizing the compact and narrow-width design of the front part of the head. It should be noted that the arrangement position of the cylinder connecting arm 13 coincides with the discharging direction of the tie-tape tail waste 207, and the structure should consider the setting of the avoidance space.

[0061] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tie-tape ratchet 15 is coaxially fixed on a ratchet driving shaft 16. The ratchet driving shaft 16 is connected to a servo motor 21 fixed on the module base 3 through a tie-tape ratchet driving belt 22 to achieve driving. The tie-tape ratchet 15 is provided with ratchet teeth on its circumference that are consistent with the pitch of the one-way teeth on the tie-tape 202. In this way, the tie-tape ratchet 15 can mesh well with the tie-tape one-way teeth when tightening the tie-tape, avoiding slipping during the tightening of the tie-tape, so as to ensure the accurate and stable tightening force of the final tie-tape. The ratchet driving shaft 16 and the tie-tape ratchet 15 are connected by a key for transmitting torque. One end of the ratchet driving shaft 16 is provided with synchronous wheel teeth. The servo motor 21 arranged behind the head module drives the ratchet driving shaft through the tie-tape ratchet driving belt 22, thereby driving the tie-tape ratchet 15 to rotate.

[0062] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an arc-shaped tie-tape guiding and pressing member 17 is provided on the other side of the meshing position between the tie-tape ratchet 15 and the tie-tape 202. The surface of the tie-tape guiding and pressing member 17 in contact with the tie-tape 202 is smooth, and a tie-tape pressing spring 18 is provided on the other side. Through the elastic force of the tie-tape pressing spring 18, the tie-tape guiding and pressing member 17 can tightly press the tie-tape 202 against the tie-tape ratchet 15 to the meshing state. In actual use, the tie-tape guiding and pressing member 17 can be made of wear-resistant material with a smooth working surface. Its function is to firmly press the tie-tape 202 against the meshing state with the tie-tape ratchet 15 under the action of the pressing spring 18 and provide a certain wrap angle to ensure the number of meshing teeth and further avoid slipping during tightening. At the same time, it can also adapt to the change of the tie-tape thickness to avoid tape jamming.

[0063] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a tie waste discharge channel 19 fixed to the module base 3 is provided below the tie ratchet 15. The tie waste discharge channel 19 is used to discharge and collect the sheared tie tail waste 207. A waste discharge channel extension 20 is further provided at the tail end of the tie waste discharge channel 19. The waste discharge channel extension 20 is used to extend the discharge channel to a favorable position or to connect a discharge extension pipe for collecting waste.

[0064] Based on the above full-automatic tie installation head module, the present invention also provides a full-automatic tie installation method, which is specifically as follows:

[0065] S1, Initial preparation stage:

[0066] As shown in Figure 4 , in the initial preparation state, the tie positioning and pushing jig 4 is in the rear loading position. The tie 2 is fixed to the tie positioning and pushing jig 4 through the cooperation of the tie head mounting portion 203 and the profiling positioning hole 401, and the length direction of the tie 2 is parallel to the moving direction of the tie positioning and pushing jig 4, completing the filling work. The upper guiding claw 6 rotates upward to the open state, the lower guiding claw 7 rotates downward to the lower swing position, and the claw assembly composed of the upper guiding claw 6 and the lower guiding claw 7 is in the open state. The wire harness 1 to be bundled is moved into the opening of the claw assembly, waiting for the bundling and installation of the tie 2.

[0067] S2, Claw closing stage:

[0068] As shown in Figure 6 , rotate the upper guiding claw 6 downward to the closed state, so that the upper guiding claw avoidance cavity 601 is in the vertical state for the tie head 201 to pass through. Rotate the lower guiding claw 7 upward through the electric control linear actuator 9 to be closed with the upper guiding claw 6 to form a closed state, and clamp the wire harness 1 to be bundled in the clamping area.

[0069] The closing degree of the lower guiding claw 7 in this stage depends on the length of the tie applied, so that when the tie is pushed to the working position in the next stage (i.e., S3), the tie head of the tie will not penetrate into the tie hole position prematurely.

[0070] S3, Tie pre-feed stage:

[0071] As shown in Figure 7As shown in the figure, the tie positioning and pushing jig 4 is driven forward by the driving belt 23 to push the tie 2 to the bundling position, so that the end of the guiding groove of the upper guiding claw 6 is aligned with the tie hole and the tie introduction hole (101) of the tie 2 vertically, and is also aligned with the lower tie introduction hole 101. During the pushing process, the tie strip 202 sequentially follows the groove at the top of the guiding seat 10, the arc-shaped groove inside the lower guiding claw 7, and the arc-shaped groove inside the upper guiding claw 6, so that the head end is guided to the position above the tie hole.

[0072] S4, Tie buckling stage:

[0073] As Figure 8 shown in the figure, at the beginning of this stage, the servo motor 21 starts to operate in the torque mode. The driving belt 22 driven by the pulling belt ratchet drives the pulling belt ratchet 15 to rotate in a direction that can drive the tie strip 202 to move downward (in this embodiment, it rotates in the pulling belt direction shown in the figure). The set value of the torque mode of the servo motor 21 is in an equal ratio correspondence with the tightening force required for the pulling belt ratchet 15 to finally tighten the tie 2. At the same time, the electric control linear actuator 9 drives the lower guiding claw 7 to further rotate inward and buckle, forcing the head end of the tie strip 202 to sequentially pass through the tie hole and the tie introduction hole 101 and reach the pulling belt ratchet 15 that is already in a rotating state. Under the action of the tie guiding and pressing member 17 and the tie pressing spring 18, the ratchet teeth of the pulling belt ratchet 15 are closely attached to the tie one-way teeth until they are in a meshing state.

[0074] S5, Tie tightening stage:

[0075] As Figure 9 shown in the figure, as the pulling belt ratchet 15 continues to rotate, it drives the tie 2 to continue to tighten.

[0076] S6, Tightening stage according to the set torque:

[0077] As Figure 10 shown in the figure, when the tie 2 is further tightened, the force exerted by the tie 2 on the pulling belt ratchet 15 rises sharply and finally balances with the torque set by the servo motor 21, and the servo motor 21 and the pulling belt ratchet 15 stop rotating. At this time, the force exerted on the tie 2 has met the preset tightening force, and the tightening of the tie 2 is completed.

[0078] During this process, the servo motor 21 is monitored to judge the working condition: if within a preset time, the rotation speed of the servo motor 21 does not drop to the target speed (theoretically it stops, which is determined by the torque mode characteristics of the servo motor) or the output torque of the servo motor does not rise to the target value, it is determined as an abnormal situation including the failure of the cable tie 2 to penetrate or the failure to successfully engage with the pulling ratchet 15 after penetration, and feedback is given in a timely manner. If within the preset time, the rotation speed of the servo motor 21 drops to the target speed or the output torque of the servo motor 21 does not rise to the target value, it is determined that the operation is normal, and then the cable tie positioning and pushing jig 4 is driven to return to the initial position and the filling work is carried out.

[0079] S7, Cable tie cutting stage:

[0080] As Figure 11 shown, when it is determined that the cable tie 2 has been tightened in place, the cutter cylinder 14 acts, and the cable tie cutter 11 completes the action of cutting the cable tie through the drive of the cutter drive arm 12 and the cylinder connecting arm 13. At this time, the servo motor 21 is still in the torque working mode. At the moment when the cable tie 2 is cut off, the balance force of the pulling ratchet 15 is broken, and the cable tie tail waste 207 is discharged through the cable tie waste discharge channel 19 during the constant torque acceleration process. During this stage, the cable tie positioning and pushing jig 4 at the rear can simultaneously complete the filling of new materials to save the beat time.

[0081] S8, Strapping completion stage:

[0082] As Figure 12 shown, when the cable tie 2 is successfully cut, the buckle assembly opens, and the upper guide buckle 6 and the lower guide buckle 7 rotate back to the initial state respectively. At this time, the wire harness 1 has completed the automatic cable tie strapping work and retreats from the strapping area together with the installed cable tie 206.

[0083] During actual operation, the wire harness 1 to be strapped can be successively moved into the opening of the buckle assembly, repeating S2 - S8, and thus the continuous automatic cable tie strapping work of the wire harness 1 can be realized.

[0084] The innovation points of the device of the present invention are specifically as follows:

[0085] 1. An electric control linear actuator is arranged at the lower guide buckle (or movable guide buckle) to drive the lower guide buckle to move in multiple strokes and multiple positions as required, different from the conventional movable guide buckle which can only move in a single stroke, two positions or at most two strokes and three fixed non - adjustable positions.

[0086] 2. Use a servo motor to drive the drawstring ratchet, and cooperate with the cable tie tightening mechanism to make the drawstring ratchet mesh with the cable tie one-way teeth to avoid slipping, so as to directly use the servo motor's precise and controllable torque output to convert it into the precise pulling force required for the cable tie. This is because the servo motor's torque mode can output stable torque more accurately, and can easily control and change the torque value, and can also intuitively monitor the torque output to judge abnormal situations such as whether the cable tie is successfully inserted and whether it is tightened in place.

[0087] 3. Considering that the second type of cable ties mentioned above have one thing in common, that is, the mounting part of the cable tie head, regardless of its shape, is equipped with a one-way locking tooth structure (such as Figure 5 The one-way locking tooth is similar to the barb structure. When it is used for thin-wall hole installation, it can play a one-way penetration and reverse locking role, which is used in the actual wiring harness installation; when it is used for smooth-walled deep holes, it has a certain elastic force and can be used as a holding force for temporary fixation, but it does not affect the reverse escape from the countersunk hole. Based on the above characteristics, the present invention uses an end face and a smooth-walled countersunk hole arranged on the end face to realize the positioning fixture of the cable tie. The end face is used for axial positioning of the cable tie head mounting surface (204 in Figure 5), and the smooth-walled countersunk hole is used for contour positioning of the cable tie head (no need for complete contouring, only contouring for positioning purposes), and the one-way locking tooth 205 is closely matched with the side wall of the countersunk hole to provide a holding force during fixation. The above positioning fixture can not only serve as a pushing mechanism when installing the cable tie, but also can be well docked with the cable tie automatic feeding system, because transferring the cable tie from the outlet of the cable tie automatic feeding system to the above positioning fixture is a very simple and conventional action that can be achieved, and only the grabbing and inserting actions need to be completed. Different from the conventional cable tie fixing transfer jig, which requires complex profiling grooves for positioning and additional retaining mechanisms to fix the cable ties, the conventional method requires the replacement of many docking parts when applying cable ties of different specifications, while the positioning jig only requires the replacement of a part corresponding to a simple cavity.

[0088] 4. Reconsider the structural layout, try to arrange the mechanism longitudinally, avoid arranging the mechanism horizontally, make the head layout more compact, and have a structural size that is narrow in front and wide in the back (such as Figure 3 As shown in the figure, it is more suitable for integration into other automation equipment, such as robotic arms or production line integration.

[0089] The above-described embodiment is only a preferred solution of the present invention, but it is not intended to limit the present invention. A person skilled in the relevant technical field may make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, any technical solution obtained by equivalent replacement or equivalent transformation falls within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic cable tie installation head module, characterized in that It includes a cable tie positioning and pushing jig (4), an upper guiding claw (6), a lower guiding claw (7), a guiding seat (10), a cable tie cutter (11) and a pulling belt ratchet (15) installed on a module base body (3); The front end of the cable tie positioning and pushing jig (4) is provided with a profiling positioning hole (401) that can be fixed in cooperation with the cable tie head mounting part (203) through elastic tension; both the upper guiding claw (6) and the lower guiding claw (7) can rotate respectively along the fulcrum to realize opening and closing. When the two are closed, the arc-shaped grooves on the inner sides can jointly form a guiding groove for the cable tie belt (202) to enter with the groove on the top of the guiding seat (10). And the lower guiding claw (7) can continue to rotate inward along the upper guiding claw (6) to guide and buckle the cable tie belt (202) into the cable tie hole of the cable tie (2); the internal space surrounded by the guiding groove can accommodate the wire harness (1) to be bundled, and the cable tie positioning and pushing jig (4) can drive the cable tie (2) to move forward and send the cable tie belt (202) into the guiding groove; the guiding seat (10) is located at the initial section of the guiding groove, and is provided with a cable tie introduction hole (101) located below the cable tie hole; below the cable tie introduction hole (101), there are successively arranged a cable tie cutter (11) and a pulling belt ratchet (15). The cable tie cutter (11) can move back and forth to cut off the cable tie belt (202), and the pulling belt ratchet (15) can drive the cable tie belt (202) to move downward by rotating around the axis.

2. The fully automatic cable tie installation head module according to claim 1, wherein, The cable tie positioning and pushing jig (4) is installed on the module base body (3) through a jig mounting base (5); a pushing jig driving belt (23) is arranged on the jig mounting base (5) for driving the cable tie positioning and pushing jig (4) to move back and forth along the length direction of the cable tie (2).

3. The fully automatic cable tie installation head module according to claim 1, wherein, The front end of the cable tie positioning and pushing jig (4) is provided with a vertical positioning end face (402), and the positioning end face (402) can cooperate with the cable tie head mounting and positioning face (204) of the cable tie head (201) to jointly realize the positioning of the cable tie (2) in the length direction; a horizontal profiling positioning hole (401) is opened in the middle of the positioning end face (402); the profiling positioning hole (401) is a smooth wall counterbore, and the hole wall size meets the requirement of matching with the outer dimension of the one-way locking teeth (205) of the cable tie head (201) and forms sufficient elastic tension to keep them fixed.

4. The fully automatic cable tie installation head module according to claim 1, wherein The upper guiding claw (6) is located in front of the movement of the cable tie positioning and pushing jig (4), and includes a front-side clamping claw and a rear-side connecting rod; the clamping claw is an upwardly convex arc-shaped structure, and an arc-shaped groove for accommodating the cable tie belt (202) is opened on the inner side; an upper guiding claw avoidance cavity (601) through which the cable tie head (201) can pass is arranged on the connecting rod, and the lower end is rotationally connected to the module base body (3).

5. A fully automatic cable tie installation head module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower guiding claw (7) is a downwardly concave arc-shaped structure, and an arc-shaped groove for accommodating the cable tie belt (202) is opened on the inner side, and the bottom is rotationally connected to the module base body (3) through a rotary fulcrum (701); the lower guiding claw (7) is connected to an electric control linear actuator (9) through a lower guiding claw transmission mechanism (8) to realize rotational drive.

6. The fully automatic tie mounting head module according to claim 5, characterized in that, The front guiding profile of the arc groove of the upper guiding pawl (6) is concentric with the rotary fulcrum (701).

7. The fully automatic cable tie installation head module according to claim 1, characterized in that, A cutting knife cylinder (14) is fixed on the module base body (3). The output end of the cutting knife cylinder (14) is connected to a cable tie cutting knife (11) through a cutting knife driving arm (12) and a cylinder connecting arm (13) in sequence. The cable tie cutting knife (11) can be driven to move back and forth by the cutting knife cylinder (14).

8. The fully automatic cable tie installation head module according to claim 1, wherein, The strap ratchet wheel (15) is coaxially fixed on a ratchet driving shaft (16). The ratchet driving shaft (16) is connected to a servo motor (21) fixed on the module base body (3) through a strap ratchet driving belt (22) to achieve driving. Ratchet teeth consistent with the pitch of the one-way teeth on the cable tie strap (202) are arranged in a circle on the strap ratchet wheel (15) to tighten the cable tie strap (202) through meshing and drive it to move downward. An arc-shaped cable tie guiding and pressing member (17) is arranged on the other side of the meshing position between the strap ratchet wheel (15) and the cable tie strap (202). The surface of the side of the cable tie guiding and pressing member (17) in contact with the cable tie strap (202) is smooth, and a cable tie pressing spring (18) is arranged on the other side. Through the elastic force of the cable tie pressing spring (18), the cable tie guiding and pressing member (17) can tightly press the cable tie strap (202) against the strap ratchet wheel (15) to the meshing state.

9. The fully automatic cable tie installation head module according to claim 1, characterized in that, A cable tie waste discharge channel (19) fixed on the module base body (3) is arranged below the strap ratchet wheel (15). The cable tie waste discharge channel (19) is used to discharge and collect the sheared cable tie tail waste (207). A waste discharge channel extension member (20) is also arranged at the tail end of the cable tie waste discharge channel (19).

10. A fully automatic cable tie installation method using the fully automatic cable tie installation head module according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, Specifically as follows: S1. In the initial preparation state, the cable tie positioning and pushing jig (4) is in the rear feeding position. The cable tie (2) is fixed on the cable tie positioning and pushing jig (4) through the cooperation of the cable tie head mounting part (203) and the profiling positioning hole (401), and the length direction of the cable tie (2) is parallel to the moving direction of the cable tie positioning and pushing jig (4) to complete the filling work. The upper guiding pawl (6) rotates upward to the open state, the lower guiding pawl (7) rotates downward to the lower swing position, and the pawl assembly composed of the upper guiding pawl (6) and the lower guiding pawl (7) is in the open state. The wire harness (1) to be bundled is moved into the opening of the pawl assembly and waits for the bundling and installation of the cable tie (2). S2. Rotate the upper guiding pawl (6) downward to the closed state so that the upper guiding pawl avoidance cavity (601) is in the vertical state for the cable tie head (201) to pass through. Rotate the lower guiding pawl (7) upward through the electric control linear actuator (9) to be closed with the upper guiding pawl (6) to form a closed state, and clamp the wire harness (1) in the clamping area. The clamping degree of the lower guiding pawl (7) in this stage depends on the length of the applied cable tie (2) so that when the cable tie (2) is pushed to the working position in S3, the head end of the cable tie strap (202) will not prematurely enter the cable tie hole position to cause interference. S3. Drive the tie positioning and pushing jig (4) forward through the drive belt (23) to push the tie (2) to the bundling position, so that the end of the guiding groove of the upper guiding claw (6) is aligned with the tie hole and the tie introduction hole (101) of the tie (2) vertically; during the pushing process, the tie tape (202) sequentially follows the groove on the top of the guiding seat (10), the arc groove inside the lower guiding claw (7), and the arc groove inside the upper guiding claw (6), so that the head end is guided to the position above the tie hole. S4. The servo motor (21) starts to operate in the torque mode. Drive the pulling belt ratchet drive belt (22) to drive the pulling belt ratchet (15) to rotate in the direction that can drive the tie tape (202) to move downward; the set value of the torque mode of the servo motor (21) is in a proportional correspondence with the tightening force required for the pulling belt ratchet (15) to finally tighten the tie (2); at the same time, the electric control linear actuator (9) drives the lower guiding claw (7) to further rotate inward and close, forcing the head end of the tie tape (202) to pass through the tie hole and the tie introduction hole (101) in sequence and reach the pulling belt ratchet (15) that is already in a rotating state. Under the action of the tie guiding and pressing member (17) and the tie pressing spring (18), the ratchet teeth of the pulling belt ratchet (15) are closely attached to the tie one-way teeth until they are in a meshing state. S5. As the pulling belt ratchet (15) continues to rotate, drive the tie (2) to continue to tighten. S6. When the tie (2) is further tightened, the force exerted on the pulling belt ratchet (15) by the tie (2) rises sharply, and finally balances the torque set by the servo motor (21), and the servo motor (21) and the pulling belt ratchet (15) stop rotating; at this time, the force exerted on the tie (2) has met the preset tightening force, and the tie (2) is tightened. During this process, monitor the servo motor (21) to judge the working condition: if within the preset time, the rotational speed of the servo motor (21) does not drop to the target rotational speed or the output torque of the servo motor (21) does not rise to the target value, it is determined as an abnormal situation including the failure of the tie (2) to penetrate or the failure to mesh successfully with the pulling belt ratchet (15) after penetration, and give feedback in time; if within the preset time, the rotational speed of the servo motor (21) drops to the target rotational speed or the output torque of the servo motor (21) rises to the target value, it is determined that the operation is normal, and then drive the tie positioning and pushing jig (4) to return to the initial position and perform the filling work. S7. When it is determined that the tie (2) has been tightened in place, the cutter cylinder (14) acts, and drives the tie cutter (11) to complete the action of cutting the tie through the driving of the cutter driving arm (12) and the cylinder connecting arm (13); at this time, the servo motor (21) is still in the torque working mode. At the moment when the tie (2) is cut off, the balance force of the pulling belt ratchet (15) is broken, and the tie tail waste (207) is discharged through the tie waste discharge channel (19) during the constant torque acceleration process. S8. When the cable tie (2) is cut, the buckle claw assembly opens, and the upper guiding buckle claw (6) and the lower guiding buckle claw (7) rotate back to their initial states respectively; at this time, the wire harness (1) has completed the automatic cable tie bundling work and retreats from the bundling area together with the installed cable tie (206). Move the wire harness (1) to be bundled into the opening of the buckle claw assembly in sequence, and repeat S2 - S8 to achieve the continuous automatic cable tie bundling work of the wire harness (1).

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