Bolt feeding device and method and automatic bolt assembling system and method

Abstract

The invention provides a bolt feeding device and method and an automatic bolt assembling system and method, and belongs to the field of battery assembling. The bolt feeding device comprises a bolt feeding box, a movable platform and a material disc. The bolt feeding box comprises a discharging opening used for outputting bolts. The material disc comprises a plurality of groove positions used for containing bolts, the moving platform is detachably connected with the material disc, and the material disc is driven by the moving platform to enable the groove positions to move to the position aligned with the discharging port so as to receive the bolts output from the discharging port. The movable platform is arranged to drive the material disc to move so that the material disc can be sequentially filled with the multiple groove positions used for containing the bolts in the material disc, the material disc can be transferred to the assembly station for assembly after the groove positions of the material disc are filled, in this way, low-cost automatic feeding can be achieved, cross-station feeding is better facilitated, and the feeding efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of battery assembly, and particularly to a bolt feeding device and method, a bolt automatic assembly system and method. Background Art

[0002] Energy conservation and emission reduction are the keys to the sustainable development of the automotive industry. Electric vehicles have become an important part of the sustainable development of the automotive industry due to their advantages of energy conservation and environmental protection. For electric vehicles, battery technology is an important factor related to their development.

[0003] When assembling power batteries, there are many high- and low-voltage components. In the manufacturing process, bolts are usually tightened for assembly. Currently, this type of working condition is basically completed by manually tightening each bolt one by one. Such a feeding and assembly method not only takes time and has low efficiency, but also increases production costs as labor costs continue to increase. Moreover, there are potential failure risks such as missed tightening of bolts in manual assembly, which urgently needs to be improved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the background art. For this reason, an object of the present application is to provide a bolt feeding device and method, a bolt automatic assembly system and method to improve the efficiency of bolt feeding and assembly.

[0005] An embodiment of the first aspect of the present application provides a bolt feeding device, which includes a bolt feeding box, a moving platform, and a tray. The bolt feeding box includes a discharge port for outputting bolts; the tray includes a plurality of slots for accommodating bolts. The moving platform is detachably connected to the tray, and the tray can be driven by the moving platform to move the slots to a position aligned with the discharge port to receive the bolts output from the discharge port.

[0006] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, by setting the moving platform to drive the tray to move and then sequentially fill the plurality of slots on the tray for accommodating bolts, after the slots of the tray are filled, it can be transferred to the assembly station for assembly. In this way, low-cost automatic feeding can be realized, and it is more conducive to cross-station feeding, improving the feeding efficiency.

[0007] In some embodiments, the moving platform includes a tray mounting frame and a driving mechanism. The tray mounting frame is detachably connected to the tray; the driving mechanism is fixedly connected to the tray mounting frame and is used to drive the tray mounting frame to move. By setting the tray mounting frame driven by the driving mechanism, the movement and replacement of the tray can be realized more simply, improving the feeding efficiency.

[0008] In some embodiments, the bolt feeding device further includes a detection sensor, which is used to detect one or more of the position of the slot, whether the slot is filled, and whether the posture of the bolt in the slot is abnormal. By setting the detection sensor, the feeding process can be detected, and accurate feeding control instructions can be issued based on the detection results, improving the accuracy and efficiency of feeding.

[0009] In some embodiments, the detection sensor is a ranging sensor. Using a ranging sensor can achieve more comprehensive detection, meet diverse detection needs, and thus improve the accuracy of detection.

[0010] In some embodiments, the driving mechanism includes a first driving module and a second driving module. The first driving module is used to drive the tray mounting rack to move in a first direction, and the second driving module is used to drive the tray mounting rack to move in a second direction intersecting the first direction. Here, both the first direction and the second direction are horizontal directions. By setting the first driving module and the second driving module, the tray mounting rack can be driven to move in two different directions, which can more accurately adjust the position of the slots on the tray and improve the feeding efficiency.

[0011] In some embodiments, the multiple slots on the tray are configured to be arranged in an array in the first direction and the second direction. The multiple slots on the tray being arranged in an array in the first direction and the second direction can better match the movable platform, which is conducive to the movable platform adjusting the position of the slots by moving the tray, thereby enabling automatic feeding of multiple slots and improving the feeding efficiency.

[0012] In some embodiments, the tray mounting rack includes a first limiting group and a second limiting group. The first limiting group includes two first limiting clamping plates oppositely arranged in a third direction, and the second limiting group includes two second limiting clamping plates oppositely arranged in a fourth direction intersecting the third direction. The first limiting group and the second limiting group cooperate to clamp the tray together. Here, both the third direction and the fourth direction are horizontal directions. By setting two groups of limiting groups in different directions, the tray can be clamped more reliably, improving the stability of the tray movement.

[0013] In some embodiments, the two first limiting clamping plates are inclined so that the horizontal distance between their two opposite surfaces is larger at the top and smaller at the bottom. In some embodiments, the two second limiting clamping plates are inclined so that the horizontal distance between their two opposite surfaces is larger at the top and smaller at the bottom. This can adapt to trays of different size specifications, increase the applicable range, and can maintain the clamping force on the tray through the inclined surfaces, improving the stability of the tray during movement.

[0014] In some embodiments, the bolt feeding device further includes a transfer device. The tray is provided with a transfer connection part, and the transfer connection part is located on the surface where the slot is located. The transfer device is connected to the transfer connection part to transfer the tray. Setting the transfer connection part on the tray facilitates the automatic transfer of the tray, thereby improving the automation degree and operation efficiency of feeding.

[0015] In some embodiments, the transfer connection part is a convex magnetic attraction part, and the transfer connection part is connected to the transfer device in a magnetic attraction manner. The magnetic attraction manner can easily realize the connection and separation between the transfer connection part and the transfer device, improve the transfer efficiency, and thus improve the feeding efficiency.

[0016] An embodiment of the second aspect of the present application provides a bolt automatic assembly system, which includes the bolt feeding device in any of the above embodiments and an assembly device for assembling the bolts in the tray to a specified position. By setting the assembly device, the full-automatic completion of the discharging, feeding, and assembly of the bolts can be realized, improving the feeding and assembly efficiency of the bolts, and thus being beneficial to improving the production efficiency.

[0017] An embodiment of the third aspect of the present application provides a bolt feeding method, which includes: providing a tray including a plurality of slots; sequentially moving the plurality of slots of the tray to positions aligned with the discharging port of the bolt feeding box, and controlling the bolt feeding box to output bolts from the discharging port until the plurality of slots of the tray are filled with bolts; transferring the tray to a specified position. By setting a tray with a plurality of slots to receive the bolts output by the bolt feeding box and transferring the tray to a specified position, the automatic feeding of the bolts can be realized, improving the feeding efficiency on the premise of controlling costs.

[0018] In some embodiments, sequentially moving the plurality of slots of the tray to positions aligned with the discharging port of the bolt feeding box and controlling the bolt feeding box to output bolts from the discharging port until the slots of the tray are filled with bolts includes: moving one slot of the tray to a first preset position; detecting the slot to obtain slot information of the slot; and controlling the bolt feeding box to discharge according to the slot information. By detecting the slot information of the slot before feeding and controlling the corresponding discharging of the bolt feeding box according to the slot information, more accurate feeding can be realized, improving the feeding efficiency.

[0019] In some embodiments, the slot information includes the slot hole diameter, and controlling the bolt feeding box to discharge according to the slot information includes: controlling the bolt feeding box to discharge bolts adapted to the slot hole diameter according to the slot hole diameter. By detecting the slot hole diameter and then providing corresponding bolts of corresponding specifications, the automatic synchronous feeding of bolts of multiple specifications can be applied, thus meeting the diversified feeding requirements of the same assembly station and improving the feeding and assembly efficiency.

[0020] In some embodiments, the slot information includes the depth of the slot hole, and wherein, according to the slot information, controlling the discharge of bolts from the bolt feeding box includes: in response to the depth of the slot hole being greater than or equal to a preset depth, moving the slot to a second preset position aligned with the discharge port, and controlling the bolt feeding box to output bolts from the bolt discharge port for loading into the slot. By detecting the depth of the slot hole, it can be determined whether the slot needs to be loaded with bolts, which can ensure that the subsequent discharged bolts can fall into the slot intact, so as to avoid feeding errors caused by repeated loading and improve the accuracy and efficiency of bolt feeding.

[0021] In some embodiments, after moving the slot to a second preset position aligned with the discharge port in response to the depth of the slot hole meeting the preset requirements and controlling the bolt feeding box to output bolts from the discharge port for loading into the slot, it further includes: detecting whether the posture of the bolts loaded in the slot is correct, and in response to the detection result being no, sending out an alarm signal. By detecting the depth of the slot hole, it can be determined whether the slot needs to be loaded with bolts, which can ensure that the subsequent discharged bolts can fall into the slot intact, so as to avoid feeding errors caused by repeated loading and improve the accuracy and efficiency of bolt feeding.

[0022] An embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present application provides a bolt automatic assembly method, which includes: feeding bolts onto a tray by using the bolt feeding method described in any of the above embodiments; driving an assembly device to assemble the bolts in the tray to a specified position and tighten them.

[0023] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present application. In order to be able to understand the technical means of the present application more clearly, it can be implemented according to the content of the specification. And in order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and understandable, the following specifically illustrates the specific embodiments of the present application. Description of the Drawings

[0024] In the drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals throughout the multiple drawings represent the same or similar components or elements. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. It should be understood that these drawings only depict some embodiments disclosed according to the present application and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the present application.

[0025] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional structure diagram of a bolt feeding device provided by some embodiments of the present application;

[0026] Figure 2 It is a front view of a bolt feeding device provided by some embodiments of the present application;

[0027] Figure 3 It is a top view of a bolt feeding device provided by some embodiments of the present application;

[0028] Figure 4Left view of the bolt feeding device provided by some embodiments of the present application;

[0029] Figure 5 Three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the bolt automatic assembly system provided by some embodiments of the present application;

[0030] Figure 6 Flowchart of the bolt feeding method provided by some embodiments of the present application;

[0031] Figure 7 Partial flowchart of the bolt feeding method provided by some embodiments of the present application;

[0032] Figure 8 Flowchart of the bolt automatic assembly method provided by some embodiments of the present application.

[0033] Explanation of reference numerals:

[0034] Bolt automatic assembly system 1000;

[0035] Bolt feeding device 100, assembly device 200;

[0036] Bolt feeding box 110, discharge port 111, conveying pipe 112, box body 113;

[0037] Moving platform 120, tray mounting rack 121, drive mechanism 122, base 123, support 124, first drive module 1211, second drive module 121, first limit clamping plate 1221, second limit clamping plate 1222;

[0038] Tray 130, slot 131, transfer connection part 132;

[0039] Detection sensor 140. Detailed implementation manners

[0040] Hereinafter, embodiments of the technical solutions of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application more clearly, and thus are only examples and cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present application.

[0041] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the technical field to which the present application belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application; the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of the present application and the above accompanying drawing descriptions are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0042] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, technical terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish different objects, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity, specific order, or primary-secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "plurality" is more than two, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0043] Reference to "embodiments" in this context means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments can be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The phrase appears in various places in the specification and does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0044] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this context generally indicates an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after.

[0045] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "plurality" refers to more than two (including two). Similarly, "multiple groups" refers to more than two groups (including two groups), and "multiple pieces" refers to more than two pieces (including two pieces).

[0046] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by technical terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the indicated device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0047] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installation", "connection", "coupling", "fixation", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0048] At present, from the perspective of the development of the market situation, the application of power batteries is becoming more and more extensive. Power batteries are not only used in energy storage power systems such as hydraulic, thermal, wind, and solar power stations, but also widely used in electric transportation tools such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and electric vehicles, as well as in many fields such as military equipment and aerospace. With the continuous expansion of the application fields of power batteries, the market demand is also continuously increasing.

[0049] During the battery assembly process, a large number of bolts are required for fastening connections. The method of manual feeding and assembly fastening takes a lot of time, resulting in low production efficiency. Moreover, there are risks of missing installation and incorrect installation in manual assembly, which may affect the production quality of the battery.

[0050] In related technologies, an automatic conveying device similar to a conveyor line is also used to achieve automatic feeding. However, this requires the construction of a long conveyor line. Especially when the bolt feeding position may involve different workstations, such cross-station feeding will further increase the conveying cost of the conveyor line.

[0051] To solve the above problems, the present application proposes a bolt feeding device, which includes a bolt feeding box, a moving platform, and a tray. The bolt feeding box includes a discharge port for outputting bolts; the tray includes a plurality of slots for accommodating bolts, and the moving platform is detachably connected to the tray so that the tray can move the slots to a position aligned with the discharge port under the drive of the moving platform to receive the bolts output from the discharge port. By setting the moving platform to drive the tray to move and then sequentially fill the plurality of slots on the tray for accommodating bolts, after the slots on the tray are filled, it can be transferred to the assembly station for assembly. In this way, low-cost automatic feeding can be achieved, and it is more conducive to cross-station feeding.

[0052] The bolt feeding device disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be but is not limited to being used in the bolt assembly process of batteries, vehicles, or other devices to achieve automatic feeding and automatic assembly of bolts.

[0053] Please refer to Figures 1-4 , Figure 1 which is a three-dimensional structure diagram of the bolt feeding device provided by some embodiments of the present application. Figure 2 which is a front view of the bolt feeding device provided by some embodiments of the present application, Figure 3 which is a top view of the bolt feeding device provided by some embodiments of the present application, Figure 4 which is a left view of the bolt feeding device provided by some embodiments of the present application.

[0054] An embodiment of the present application provides a bolt feeding device 100, which includes a bolt feeding box 110, a moving platform 120, and a tray 130. The bolt feeding box 110 includes a discharge port 111 for outputting bolts; the tray 130 includes a plurality of slots 131 for accommodating bolts. The moving platform 120 is detachably connected to the tray 130. The tray 130 can move the slots 131 to a position aligned with the discharge port 111 under the drive of the moving platform 120 to receive the bolts output from the discharge port 111.

[0055] The bolt feeding box 110 can be an automatic feeding device. For example, bolts can be output one by one from the discharge port by means of blowing nails. The bolt feeding box 110 includes a box body 113 and a conveying pipe 112 connected to the box body 113. The discharge port 111 is located at one end of the conveying pipe 112 away from the box body 113. The bolts can be bolts of any type and specification. For example, they can be hexagon head bolts, flat head bolts, countersunk head bolts, etc. In some embodiments, the bolt feeding box 110 can simultaneously place bolts of multiple different specifications or types, separate bolts of different specifications through a vibration sorting device, and convey corresponding bolts according to a control instruction.

[0056] The tray 130 is a disc-shaped structure, such as a cuboid. The tray 130 and the moving platform 120 can be connected in a detachable manner, such as threaded connection, snap connection, etc.

[0057] A plurality of slots 131 are provided on one side surface (such as the upper surface) of the tray 130. The slots 131 can be groove-shaped or hole-shaped structures adapted to the type of bolts carried to limit the bolts loaded in. In some embodiments, the tray 130 is driven to move by the moving platform 120, so that the slots 131 of the tray 130 are located at a position aligned with the discharge port 111. The bolts are blown out and fall from the discharge port 111 and enter the slots 131, thereby completing the loading of bolts in a single slot. The position aligned with the discharge port 111 refers to a position that coincides with the discharge trajectory of the bolts output from the discharge port 111. For example, if the opening of the discharge port 111 faces directly downward, the slot 131 is moved directly below the discharge port 111 to receive the bolts output from the discharge port 111. In other embodiments, the opening of the discharge port 111 can also be inclined downward, and the slot 131 is moved to a corresponding position that coincides with the discharge trajectory of the bolts output from the discharge port 111.

[0058] By setting a moving platform to drive the tray to move and then sequentially load a plurality of slots on the tray for accommodating bolts, after the slots of the tray are loaded, they can be transferred to an assembly station for assembly. In this way, low-cost automatic feeding can be achieved, and it is more conducive to cross-station feeding, improving the feeding efficiency.

[0059] According to some embodiments of the present application, the mobile platform 120 includes a tray mounting bracket 121 and a driving mechanism 122. The tray mounting bracket 121 is detachably connected to the tray 130; the driving mechanism 122 is fixedly connected to the tray mounting bracket 121 and is used to drive the tray mounting bracket 121 to move.

[0060] The bolt feeding device 100 may further include a base 123, and the base 123 is fixed on a surface such as the ground or a pedestal. The driving mechanism 122 is fixedly installed on the base 123, and the tray mounting bracket 121 is fixedly installed on the driving mechanism 122. In some embodiments, a bracket 124 is provided on the base 123, and the discharge port 111 of the conveying pipe 112 may be fixed on the bracket 124 and the outlet is arranged downward. In some embodiments, the mobile platform 120 can move in multiple directions, such as a two-dimensional mobile platform that moves in two different horizontal directions, or a three-dimensional mobile platform that moves in three different directions.

[0061] By setting a driving mechanism to drive the tray mounting bracket carrying the tray, the movement and replacement of the tray can be realized more simply, and the feeding efficiency can be improved.

[0062] According to some embodiments of the present application, the bolt feeding device 100 further includes a detection sensor 140, and the detection sensor 140 is used to detect one or more of the position of the slot 131, whether the slot 131 is filled, and whether the posture of the bolts in the slot 131 is abnormal.

[0063] Since the tray 130 is located below the discharge port 111 and has a certain interval in height from the discharge port 111 during feeding. The accuracy of the position of the slot 131 directly affects whether the bolts can smoothly fall into the slot 131. The detection sensor 140 can judge the position of the slot 131 by detecting the depth of the slot 131, because the depth detected by the detection sensor 140 is directly related to the position of the slot 131. For example, when the slot 131 is directly below the detection sensor 140, the detected depth is the full depth of the slot 131. When the position of the slot 131 is incorrect, the angle between it and the detection sensor 140 changes, which will cause the detected depth to change. Similarly, whether the slot 131 is filled and whether the posture of the loaded bolts is abnormal can also be reflected from the detected depth information. It can be understood that the detection sensor 140 can also detect other parameters to realize the determination of the above detection targets, which is not specifically limited here.

[0064] In some embodiments, the detection sensor 140 can be fixed on the bracket 124 and is spaced from the discharge port 111. It should be noted that the detection sensor 140 being fixed above the tray limiting device 122 is not necessarily directly above the tray limiting device 122. As long as the detection sensor 140 is located in the upper part of the tray limiting device 122 in the vertical direction, the lower tray 130 can move the slot to a preset position under the drive of the moving platform 120 for detection by the detection sensor 140.

[0065] By setting the detection sensor, the feeding process can be detected, and accurate feeding control instructions can be issued based on the detection results, improving the accuracy and efficiency of feeding.

[0066] According to some embodiments of the present application, the detection sensor 140 is a distance measuring sensor.

[0067] In some embodiments, the detection sensor 140 is a distance measuring sensor. A distance measuring sensor is a sensor used to measure the distance between it and the target object. The distance sensor can be an ultrasonic distance measuring sensor, a laser distance measuring sensor, or an infrared distance measuring sensor. In some embodiments, the detection sensor 140 is a time-of-flight sensor.

[0068] Since whether the position of the slot 131 is correct, whether the slot 131 is filled, and whether the posture of the bolt in the slot 131 is correct can all be determined by detecting the depth of the position where the slot is located, more comprehensive detection can be achieved, meeting diverse detection needs.

[0069] In some embodiments, the detection sensor 140 can detect the slot directly below the discharge port 111, or can also detect slots at other positions.

[0070] Using a distance measuring sensor can achieve more comprehensive detection, meet diverse detection needs, and thus improve the accuracy of detection.

[0071] According to some embodiments of the present application, the drive mechanism 121 includes a first drive module 1211 and a second drive module 1212. The first drive module 1211 is used to drive the tray mounting rack 122 to move along the first direction X, and the second drive module 1212 is used to drive the tray mounting rack 122 to move along the second direction Y intersecting the first direction X, where the first direction X and the second direction Y are both horizontal directions.

[0072] The first drive module 1211 and the second drive module 1212 can be linear drive modules, so that they can respectively drive the tray mounting rack 122 to reciprocate along the first direction X and the second direction Y.

[0073] Both the first direction X and the second direction Y are along the horizontal direction, where the horizontal direction refers to the direction perpendicular to the height direction. In some embodiments, the first direction X and the second direction Y may be perpendicular to each other.

[0074] By providing the first driving module 1211 and the second driving module 1212, the driving of the tray mounting rack 122 can be realized to move in two different directions, so that the position adjustment of the slots 131 on the tray 130 can be realized more accurately, improving the feeding efficiency.

[0075] According to some embodiments of the present application, a plurality of slots 131 on the tray 130 are configured to be arranged in an array along the first direction X and the second direction Y.

[0076] As Figure 3 shown, after the tray 130 is fixed to the tray mounting rack 122, a plurality of slots 131 are arranged in an array along the first direction X and the second direction Y. In some embodiments, the specifications of a plurality of slots 131 on the tray 130 are exactly the same, that is, the shape, cross-sectional area and depth are the same, and the distance between adjacent two slots 131 is also equal.

[0077] The arrangement of a plurality of slots 131 on the tray 130 in an array along the first direction X and the second direction Y can better adapt to the moving platform 120, which is conducive to the moving platform 120 adjusting the position of the slots 131 by moving the tray 130 along the first direction X and the second direction Y, so as to realize the automatic feeding of a plurality of slots 131 and improve the feeding efficiency.

[0078] According to some embodiments of the present application, the tray mounting rack 122 includes a first limiting group and a second limiting group. The first limiting group 1221 includes two first limiting clamping plates 1221 arranged oppositely along the third direction, and the second limiting group includes two second limiting clamping plates 1222 arranged oppositely along the fourth direction intersecting with the third direction; the first limiting group and the second limiting group cooperate to clamp the tray together; wherein, both the third direction and the fourth direction are horizontal directions.

[0079] In some embodiments, the third direction may be parallel to the first direction X, and the fourth direction may be parallel to the second direction Y. The two first limiting clamping plates 1221 are arranged at intervals along the third direction, and the two second limiting clamping plates 1222 are arranged at intervals along the fourth direction. The two first limiting clamping plates 1221 and the two second limiting clamping plates 1222 respectively clamp the tray 130 from different directions, so that the tray 130 can move along with the tray mounting rack in the driving of the driving mechanism 121.

[0080] By arranging two groups of limiting groups in different directions, more reliable clamping of the tray 130 can be realized, improving the stability of the movement of the tray 130.

[0081] According to some embodiments of the present application, the two first limiting clamping plates 1221 are inclined so that the horizontal distance between the two opposite surfaces thereof is larger at the top and smaller at the bottom.

[0082] According to some embodiments of the present application, the two second limiting clamping plates 1222 are inclined so that the horizontal distance between the two opposite surfaces thereof is larger at the top and smaller at the bottom.

[0083] The first limiting clamping plate 1221 is in a plate-like structure. The two first limiting clamping plates 1221 are inclined relative to each other, such that the two opposite surfaces form a larger opening at the top and a smaller opening at the bottom, that is, the horizontal distance between the two planes gradually decreases along the height direction from top to bottom. The structure of the two second limiting clamping plates 1222 is similar to that of the two first limiting clamping plates 1221. Specifically, the inclination degree of the two second limiting clamping plates 1222 can be the same as or different from that of the two first limiting clamping plates 1221.

[0084] By arranging the first limiting clamping plate 1221 and / or the second limiting clamping plate 1222 in an inclined and spaced manner, different sizes and specifications of trays can be adapted, the applicable range can be increased, and the clamping force on the tray 130 can be maintained through the inclined surface, thereby improving the stability when the tray 130 moves.

[0085] According to some embodiments of the present application, the bolt feeding device 100 further includes a transfer device (not shown in the figure). Among them, the tray 130 is provided with a transfer connection portion 132, and the transfer connection portion 132 is located on the surface of the side where the slot 131 is located. The transfer device is connected to the transfer connection portion 132 to transfer the tray 130.

[0086] The transfer device can be any movable handling device, such as a self-moving robot or a manipulator. The transfer device can be detachably connected to the transfer connection portion 132. When transfer is required, for example, after the tray 130 is loaded, the transfer device is fixedly connected to the transfer connection portion 132, and the transfer connection portion 132 is taken out from the tray mounting rack 122 and transferred to a designated position, such as an assembly station. The empty tray 130 can also be placed into the tray mounting rack 122 through the transfer device for subsequent feeding.

[0087] Providing the transfer connection portion 132 on the tray 130 can facilitate the automatic transfer of the tray 130, thereby improving the automation degree and operation efficiency of feeding.

[0088] According to some embodiments of the present application, the transfer connection portion 132 is a convex magnetic attraction portion, and the transfer connection portion 132 is connected to the transfer device in a magnetic attraction manner.

[0089] The transfer connection part 132 can protrude upward from the surface of the tray 130 provided with the slot 131, and the protruding height can be greater than the height of the bolt exposed when it is in the slot 131. The transfer connection part 132 and the transfer device are connected by a magnetic attraction method. For example, at least one of them is provided with a magnet.

[0090] The magnetic attraction method can easily realize the connection and separation between the transfer connection part 132 and the transfer device, improve the transfer efficiency, and thus improve the feeding efficiency.

[0091] Please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 which is a three-dimensional structure schematic diagram of the bolt automatic assembly system provided by some embodiments of the present application.

[0092] Some embodiments of the present application provide a bolt automatic assembly system 1000, which includes the bolt feeding device 100 in any of the above embodiments, and an assembly device 200. The assembly device 200 is used to assemble the bolts in the tray 130 to the designated position.

[0093] The assembly device 200 can be an automatic robotic arm, and the automatic robotic arm can grab the bolts on the tray 130 to the designated position and tighten them. The assembly device 200 can be one or multiple. Multiple assembly devices 200 can be controlled separately to perform assembly operations respectively, or can be uniformly controlled by the same control system.

[0094] By setting the assembly device, the full-automatic completion of the discharging, feeding, and assembly of bolts can be realized, which improves the efficiency of bolt feeding and assembly, and thus is beneficial to improving the production efficiency.

[0095] Please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 which is a flowchart of the bolt feeding method provided by some embodiments of the present application.

[0096] Some embodiments of the present application provide a bolt feeding method, which includes:

[0097] S310: Provide a tray, and the tray includes a plurality of slots;

[0098] S320: Move the plurality of slots of the tray to the position aligned with the discharge port of the bolt feeding box in sequence, and control the bolt feeding box to output the bolts from the discharge port until the plurality of slots of the tray are filled with bolts;

[0099] S330: Transfer the tray to the designated position.

[0100] The material tray may be the material tray 130 in the above-mentioned embodiment; the bolt feeding box may be the bolt feeding box 110 in the above-mentioned embodiment. The material tray may be clamped into the material tray mounting bracket 122 of the above-mentioned mobile platform 120 and moved by the mobile platform 120. In some embodiments, the driving device 120 may determine a preset movement path based on the positions of multiple slots in the material tray. This movement path can sequentially move the multiple slots to a position aligned with the discharge port to complete the loading and feeding of the bolts.

[0101] In step S320, the discharge port can be positioned with its opening facing downward, and the slots can be located directly below the discharge port. In some embodiments, the slots can be located so that the discharge trajectory of the bolts output from the discharge port overlaps, rather than simply being located directly below the discharge port. Once all the slots in the tray are filled with bolts, the transfer device can be controlled to remove the tray from the tray mounting frame and move it to another designated location, such as an assembly station.

[0102] By setting up a tray with multiple slots to receive the bolts output by the bolt feeding box and transferring the tray to the designated position, automatic loading of bolts can be achieved, thereby improving loading efficiency while controlling costs.

[0103] See also Figure 7 , Figure 7 A partial flow chart of a bolt loading method provided in some embodiments of the present application.

[0104] According to some embodiments of the present application, step S320 includes:

[0105] S321: moving a slot of the tray to a first preset position;

[0106] S322: Detect the slot to obtain slot information of the slot;

[0107] S323: Control the discharge of the bolt feeding box according to the slot information.

[0108] In step S321, a movement command may be issued to the mobile platform 120 to move a slot on the tray 130 to a first preset position for inspection. In some embodiments, the positions of all slots 131 on the tray 130 may be first obtained, and a movement path may be determined based on the positions of the slots 131. The movement path sequentially moves each slot 131 to the first preset position for inspection and to the loading position for bolt loading.

[0109] The first preset position can be located directly below the detection sensor 140. The detection sensor 140 can be a time-of-flight sensor. The detection sensor 140 can detect the slot information of the slot 131. The loading strategy can be determined based on the slot information. The loading strategy can include whether the slot 131 needs to be loaded, the specifications of the loading bolts, etc., and the bolt feeding box 110 is controlled to discharge the material according to the loading strategy.

[0110] By detecting the slot information of the slot before loading, and controlling the corresponding discharge of the bolt feeding box according to the slot information, more accurate loading can be achieved and the loading efficiency can be improved.

[0111] According to some embodiments of the present application, the slot information includes the slot aperture, and wherein step S323 includes: according to the slot aperture, controlling the bolt feeding box to output bolts that are adapted to the slot aperture.

[0112] The slot aperture refers to the diameter of the hole in the slot used to load the bolt. The detection sensor 140 can be a visual sensor, such as a charge coupled device (CCD), or a linear array ranging sensor, to detect the hole diameter. The control system can pre-set a correspondence between the slot aperture and the corresponding bolt specification. Once the slot aperture is determined, the control system can control the bolt feed box to output bolts that match the slot aperture according to the preset correspondence.

[0113] By detecting the slot aperture and providing bolts of corresponding specifications in a targeted manner, it is possible to automatically and synchronously load bolts of various specifications, thereby meeting the diverse loading needs of the same assembly station and improving loading and assembly efficiency.

[0114] According to some embodiments of the present application, the slot information includes slot hole depth, and step S323 includes:

[0115] In response to the slot hole depth being greater than or equal to the preset depth, the slot is moved to a second preset position aligned with the discharge port, and the bolt feeding box is controlled to output the bolts from the discharge port to be loaded into the slot.

[0116] The depth of the slot hole refers to the depth of the hole in the slot for accommodating the bolt. The detection sensor can be a ranging sensor, such as a time-of-flight sensor. The preset depth can be determined according to the specifications of the bolt (such as length). Only when the detected depth of the slot hole is greater than or equal to the preset depth, it will be considered that it can be used for loading the bolt, and the slot will be moved to the second preset position for bolt loading. The second preset position can be a position directly below the discharge port. When the depth of the slot hole is less than the preset depth, it indicates that there are other items filled in the slot, or bolts have been filled. At this time, the tray can be controlled to continue moving, and another adjacent slot can be moved to the first preset position for detection, that is, the next slot is detected and loaded.

[0117] By detecting the depth of the slot hole, it can be determined whether the slot needs to be loaded with bolts, which can ensure that the subsequent discharged bolts can fall into the slot intact, so as to avoid feeding errors caused by repeated loading and improve the accuracy and efficiency of bolt feeding.

[0118] According to some embodiments of the present application, after step S320, it further includes;

[0119] Detect whether the posture of the bolt loaded in the slot is correct, and in response to the detection result being no, send an alarm signal.

[0120] In this embodiment, the detection sensor can be used to detect whether the posture of the bolt loaded in the slot is correct. It can be understood that when the bolt comes out of the discharge port and falls into the lower slot, the correct posture is that the stud or screw is downward and enters the hole in the slot, and the bolt head is upward and contacts the edge around the opening of the slot. Although the position of the slot can be controlled by the moving platform, there is still a possibility that the bolt deviates during the falling process and does not fall completely, for example, it falls obliquely at the opening of the slot. The detection sensor can detect the position where the slot is located, and then can judge whether the bolt posture is correct. In some embodiments, the detection sensor can be a vision sensor, and the vision detection is used to judge whether the bolt posture is correct. In other embodiments, the detection sensor can be a ranging sensor, and the distance around the opening of the slot is detected to judge whether the bolt posture is correct. The detection sensor here can be reused from the detection sensor used for detection before loading, that is, the same detection sensor is used for detection before and after loading, or an additional sensor can be used for detection. In one example, the slot of the tray is moved to the first preset position directly below the first detection sensor, the slot is detected by the first detection sensor to obtain slot information, and then according to the slot information, the tray is controlled to move to move the slot to the second preset position aligned with the discharge port, and feeding and filling are performed at the second preset position. After completion, the tray is moved to the third preset position where the slot is located below the second detection sensor, and the second detection sensor detects the bolt posture in the slot.

[0121] The alarm signal can be emitted through an alarm device, such as a buzzer, or it can be the display of an alarm message on a display screen.

[0122] By detecting the posture of the bolts, the accuracy of bolt feeding can be ensured, reducing feeding errors or omissions and improving the feeding efficiency.

[0123] Please refer to Figure 8 , Figure 8 which is a flowchart of the bolt automatic assembly method provided by some embodiments of this application.

[0124] Embodiments of this application provide a bolt automatic assembly method, which includes:

[0125] S410: Feed bolts to the tray using the bolt feeding method described in any of the above embodiments;

[0126] S420: Drive the assembly device to assemble the bolts in the tray to a specified position and tighten them.

[0127] The assembly device can be the assembly device 200 described in the above embodiments. The assembly device can be a robotic arm, which can grab the bolts in the slots of the tray and move them to a specified assembly position for installation and tightening to complete automatic assembly.

[0128] This embodiment can achieve the full automation of bolt feeding and assembly, which is beneficial to improving the bolt assembly efficiency and thus the production efficiency.

[0129] Next, a specific embodiment is used to describe the bolt feeding device and feeding method of this application, as Figures 1-8 shown.

[0130] The bolt feeding device 100 includes a bolt feeding box 110, a moving platform 120, a tray 130, and a detection sensor.

[0131] The bolt feeding box 110 includes a box body 113, a discharge pipe 112, and a discharge port 111 at one end of the discharge pipe 112 for outputting bolts; the bolt feeding box 110 can output bolts in a blow - nail manner.

[0132] The moving platform 120 includes a tray mounting frame 121 and a driving mechanism 122. The driving mechanism 122 is used to drive the tray mounting frame 121 to move; the driving mechanism 121 includes a first driving module 1211 and a second driving module 1212. The first driving module 1211 is used to drive the tray mounting frame 122 to move along the first direction X, and the second driving module 1212 is used to drive the tray mounting frame 122 to move along a second direction Y perpendicular to the first direction X. Here, both the first direction X and the second direction Y are horizontal directions. The first driving module 1211 and the second driving module 1212 can be linear driving modules.

[0133] The tray mounting bracket 122 includes a first limiting group and a second limiting group. The first limiting group includes two first limiting clamping plates 1221 oppositely arranged along the first direction X, and the second limiting group includes two second limiting clamping plates 1222 oppositely arranged along the second direction Y. The two first limiting clamping plates 1221 are inclined so that the horizontal distance between their two opposite surfaces is larger at the top and smaller at the bottom. The two second limiting clamping plates 1222 are inclined so that the horizontal distance between their two opposite surfaces is larger at the top and smaller at the bottom.

[0134] The tray 130 includes a plurality of slots 131 and a transfer connection portion 132. The tray 130 is fixedly connected to the tray limiting device 121 in a detachable manner. The tray 130 is driven by the moving platform 120 so that the slots 131 are located below the discharge port 111 to receive the bolts output from the discharge port 111. The plurality of slots 131 are configured to be arranged in an array along the first direction X and the second direction Y. The transfer connection portion 132 is a protruding magnetic attraction portion, and the transfer connection portion 132 is connected to the transfer device in a magnetic attraction manner.

[0135] The bolt feeding method includes:

[0136] S310: Provide a tray, the tray includes a plurality of slots;

[0137] S320: Move the plurality of slots of the tray to positions aligned with the discharge port of the bolt feeding box in sequence, and control the bolt feeding box to output bolts from the discharge port until the plurality of slots of the tray are filled with bolts. It includes:

[0138] S321: Move a slot of the tray to the first preset position;

[0139] S322: Detect the slot to obtain the slot information of the slot. The slot information includes the slot aperture and / or the slot depth;

[0140] S323: Control the discharge of the bolt feeding box according to the slot information. Specifically, it includes: controlling the bolt feeding box to discharge bolts adapted to the slot aperture according to the slot aperture; and / or in response to the slot depth being greater than or equal to the preset depth, moving the slot to the second preset position aligned with the discharge port, and controlling the bolt feeding box to output bolts from the discharge port to be loaded into the slot.

[0141] S330: Transfer the tray to the designated position.

[0142] In some embodiments, after step S320, it may further include: detecting whether the posture of the bolts loaded in the slots is correct, and in response to the detection result being no, sending out an alarm signal.

[0143] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements on some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and they should all be covered by the scope of the claims and the specification of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the technical features mentioned in each embodiment can be combined in any way. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed in the text, but includes all technical solutions that fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A bolt feeding device, characterized in that, Comprising: A bolt feeding box, including a discharge port for outputting bolts; A tray, including a plurality of slots for accommodating bolts; A moving platform, detachably connected to the tray, and the tray can be driven by the moving platform to move the slots to a position aligned with the discharge port to receive the bolts output from the discharge port.

2. The bolt feeding device according to claim 1, wherein The moving platform includes: A tray mounting frame, detachably connected to the tray; A driving mechanism, fixedly connected to the tray mounting frame, for driving the tray mounting frame to move.

3. The bolt feeding device according to claim 1, wherein, It further includes: A detection sensor, for detecting one or more of the position of the slot, whether the slot is filled, and whether the posture of the bolts in the slot is abnormal.

4. The bolt feeding device according to claim 3, wherein The detection sensor is a ranging sensor.

5. The bolt feeding device according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The driving mechanism includes a first driving module and a second driving module. The first driving module is used to drive the tray mounting frame to move along a first direction, and the second driving module is used to drive the tray mounting frame to move along a second direction intersecting with the first direction; Wherein, both the first direction and the second direction are horizontal directions.

6. The bolt feeding device according to claim 5, wherein, The plurality of slots on the tray are configured to be arranged in an array along the first direction and the second direction on the tray.

7. The bolt feeding device according to any one of claims 2-6, characterized in that, The tray mounting frame includes a first limiting group and a second limiting group. The first limiting group includes two first limiting clamping plates oppositely arranged along a third direction, and the second limiting group includes two second limiting clamping plates oppositely arranged along a fourth direction intersecting with the third direction; the first limiting group and the second limiting group cooperate to clamp the tray together; Wherein, both the third direction and the fourth direction are horizontal directions.

8. The bolt feeding device according to claim 7, wherein, The two first limiting clamping plates are inclined so that the horizontal distance between their opposite surfaces is larger at the top and smaller at the bottom, and / or the two second limiting clamping plates are inclined so that the horizontal distance between their opposite surfaces is larger at the top and smaller at the bottom.

9. The bolt feeding device according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, It further includes A transfer device; Wherein, the tray is provided with a transfer connection part, and the transfer connection part is located on one surface where the slot holes are located. The transfer device is connected to the transfer connection part to transfer the tray.

10. The bolt feeding device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The transfer connection part is a protruding magnetic attraction part, and the transfer connection part is connected to the transfer device in a magnetic attraction manner.

11. An automatic bolt assembly system, characterized in that, Comprising: The bolt feeding device according to any one of claims 1-10; and An assembly device, for assembling the bolts in the tray to a specified position.

12. A method for feeding bolts, characterized in that, Comprising: Providing a tray, the tray including a plurality of slots; Sequentially moving the plurality of slots of the tray to a position aligned with the discharge port of the bolt feeding box, and controlling the bolt feeding box to output bolts from the discharge port until the slots of the tray are filled with bolts; 13. The bolt feeding method according to claim 12, wherein, Transferring the tray to a specified position. The step of sequentially moving the plurality of slots of the tray to a position aligned with the discharge port of the bolt feeding box and controlling the bolt feeding box to output bolts from the discharge port until the slots of the tray are filled with bolts includes: Moving one slot of the tray to a first preset position; Detecting the slot to obtain slot information of the slot; Controlling the bolt feeding box to discharge according to the slot information.

14. The bolt feeding method according to claim 13, wherein the slot information includes the slot hole diameter; and wherein controlling the discharge of the bolt feeding box according to the slot information includes: controlling the discharge of the bolt feeding box to output bolts adapted to the slot hole diameter according to the slot hole diameter.

15. The bolt feeding method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the slot information includes the slot hole depth; and wherein controlling the discharge of the bolt feeding box according to the slot information includes: in response to the slot hole depth being greater than or equal to a preset depth, moving the slot to a second preset position aligned with the discharge port, and controlling the bolt feeding box to output bolts from the discharge port to be loaded into the slot.

16. The bolt feeding method according to claim 15, characterized in that, After moving the slot to the second preset position aligned with the discharge port and controlling the bolt feeding box to output bolts from the discharge port to be loaded into the slot in response to the slot hole depth meeting the preset requirements, further included is: detecting whether the posture of the bolts loaded in the slot is correct; in response to the detection result being negative, sending out an alarm signal.

17. An automatic bolt assembly method, characterized in that, Including: completing bolt feeding by using the bolt feeding method according to any one of claims 12-16; driving the assembly device to assemble the bolts in the tray to a specified position and tighten them.

Images