Floating mechanism, automatic test equipment and method for counteracting accumulative error of carrier
By combining the floating mechanism with the automatic test equipment, the problem of plugging failure between the female and male terminals caused by the cumulative error of the carrier is solved, and efficient plugging of the automated test equipment is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202410527535.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-04-28
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-28
AI Technical Summary
In the prior art, the accumulated errors of the carrier lead to the failure of the mating between the female terminal and the male terminal, and automated and efficient mating cannot be achieved.
A floating mechanism is adopted, including a base plate and a guide plate. The guide plate can move freely in two directions in the horizontal plane. It works with the limiting groove and the limiting surface to offset the cumulative error of the carrier. The insertion is achieved through the shape acquisition, clamping and execution unit of the automatic testing equipment.
It effectively offsets the cumulative error of the carrier, ensures that the female and male terminals can be plugged in smoothly, and improves the success rate of automated testing equipment.
Smart Images
Figure CN120839451A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of processing equipment, and in particular to a floating mechanism, an automatic testing device, and a method for compensating for the cumulative error of a carrier. Background Technology
[0002] In existing production lines (such as fan production lines, but not limited to this invention), the female terminal is manually inserted into the male terminal by operators before testing at the testing station.
[0003] To save manpower and improve automation levels, it is necessary to have equipment (such as robotic arms) automatically perform the mating of female and male terminals. Each fan can be transported by a carrier, and each carrier can have a common male terminal fixed on it. When different fans are mounted on the carrier, different female terminals are mated with the same male terminal.
[0004] Although each carrier is manufactured from the same blueprint, each carrier has its own manufacturing errors. Furthermore, the male terminals fixed to each carrier also have relative positional errors. Additionally, the terminals gripped by the robotic arm's jaws also have positional errors during mating. The combined effects of these errors accumulate to form a significant error (also known as "cumulative error"), which can lead to mating failure between the female and male terminals.
[0005] Therefore, it is particularly important to eliminate various accumulated errors on the carrier so that each female terminal can be correctly inserted into the corresponding male terminal on the equipment. Summary of the Invention
[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a floating mechanism, an automatic testing device, and a method for offsetting the cumulative errors of the carriers, which can offset the cumulative errors between the carriers (including processing errors and positioning errors, etc.), effectively solving at least one defect of the prior art.
[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a floating mechanism, which is buoyantly mounted on a carrier. The floating mechanism is restricted to be able to move freely in a horizontal plane along a first direction and in the horizontal plane along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The floating mechanism includes: a base plate fixedly mounted on the carrier, and the base plate having a limiting mounting groove; a guide plate buoyantly mounted in the limiting mounting groove, and the guide plate being able to move freely relative to the base plate in the horizontal plane along the first and second directions; and a plurality of first terminals for interlocking with second terminals of a test module disposed on the carrier in a plurality of forms when clamped.
[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, the guide plate can move freely within a distance of ±0.4 mm along the first direction and the second direction, respectively. When the guide plate moves freely within a distance of 0 mm along both the first direction and the second direction, the center position of the guide plate coincides with the center position of the limiting mounting groove.
[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, the limiting mounting groove on the base plate includes: a first limiting surface and a second limiting surface that are opposite to and spaced apart in the first direction to restrict the free movement of the guide plate in the first direction; and a third limiting surface and a fourth limiting surface that are opposite to and spaced apart in the second direction to restrict the free movement of the guide plate in the second direction.
[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the limiting mounting groove on the base plate further includes an opening formed at the bottom of the limiting mounting groove, and a bearing surface is formed around the opening for the bottom of the guide plate to rest against.
[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the guide plate has a plurality of mating holes, and the plurality of first terminals are respectively disposed on the back side of the guide plate corresponding to the plurality of mating holes.
[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, each of the interlocking holes is provided with a corresponding guide slope to assist in guiding the interlocking of the corresponding second terminal and the first terminal.
[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, each of the interlocking holes is provided with a clearance groove to avoid the ribs of the second terminal when the second terminal is interlocked with the first terminal.
[0014] In some embodiments of the invention, the floating mechanism is further restricted to being able to move freely a vertical distance in a vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane.
[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, a portion of the edge of at least one side of the guide plate extends outward to form a limiting portion, the limiting portion being floatably mounted via a limiting groove, the limiting groove restricting the free movement of the guide plate in the vertical direction.
[0016] In some embodiments of the present invention, the limiting groove is formed by a cover plate detachably mounted on the base plate and the base plate together limiting the position.
[0017] In some embodiments of the present invention, the test module is a fan module; and / or, the first terminal is a male terminal and the second terminal is a female terminal.
[0018] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides an automatic testing device, comprising: a floating mechanism as described above; a shape acquisition unit for acquiring the position and shape of the second terminal of the test module before it is clamped; a clamping unit for clamping the second terminal; and an execution unit for interlocking the second terminal with a corresponding first terminal according to the shape of the second terminal when it is clamped, wherein the cumulative error of the carrier can be offset by the free movement of the floating mechanism during interlocking.
[0019] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a method for offsetting the cumulative error of a vehicle, comprising: configuring a floating mechanism as described above; acquiring the position and shape of the second terminal of the test module before it is clamped by a shape acquisition unit; clamping the second terminal by a clamping unit; and inserting the second terminal with a corresponding first terminal by an execution unit according to the shape of the second terminal when it is clamped, wherein the cumulative error of the vehicle can be offset by the free movement of the floating mechanism during insertion.
[0020] Compared to existing manual operation methods, the beneficial effects of this invention are: This invention utilizes a floating mechanism to offset the cumulative errors between various carriers, ensuring successful mating of the female and male terminals. Specifically, this invention can offset cumulative errors arising from, but not limited to, the following four aspects: (1) machining errors generated during the processing of each carrier itself; (2) positioning errors generated during the positioning of each carrier; (3) positional errors generated when the male terminal is fixed on the carrier; and (4) positional errors generated when the female terminal is mated by the clamping unit (e.g., grippers).
[0021] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description
[0022] The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from a detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0023] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the floating mechanism of the present invention mounted on a vehicle;
[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the floating mechanism in the diagram;
[0025] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the base plate of the floating mechanism in the diagram;
[0026] Figure 4A and Figure 4B They are respectively Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the front and back of the guide plate of the floating mechanism in the middle;
[0027] Figure 5 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure on the back of the floating mechanism;
[0028] Figure 6A and Figure 6B They are respectively Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the front and back of the cover plate of the floating mechanism in the middle;
[0029] Figure 7 for Figure 2 A top view of the floating mechanism, showing the distance the guide plate can move freely in the horizontal plane relative to the base plate;
[0030] Figure 8 This is a schematic flowchart of the method for offsetting the cumulative error of a vehicle according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0031] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that the invention will be thorough and complete, and the concept of the exemplary embodiments will be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore their detailed description will be omitted.
[0032] In describing the elements / components / etc. described and / or illustrated herein, the terms “a,” “an,” “the,” “the,” and “at least one” are used to indicate the presence of one or more elements / components / etc. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are used to indicate an open-ended inclusion and to mean that additional elements / components / etc. may exist in addition to those listed. Furthermore, the terms “first,” “second,” etc., in the claims are used only as designations and are not intended to limit the number of objects to which they pertain.
[0033] Figures 1 to 7 The structure of a floating mechanism 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the floating mechanism 100 of the present invention is buoyantly mounted on a carrier 200, and the floating mechanism 100 is restricted to be able to move freely at least in the horizontal plane. In this invention, a test module 300 may also be provided on the carrier 200, for example... Figure 1 The example used here is a fan module, but the invention is not limited thereto.
[0034] Reference Figure 2The floating mechanism 100 of the present invention may include a base plate 10, a guide plate 20, and a plurality of first terminals 30. The base plate 10 is fixedly mounted on the carrier 200 and has a limiting mounting groove 11. The guide plate 20 is buoyantly mounted in the limiting mounting groove 11 and is capable of moving freely relative to the base plate 11 in a horizontal plane along a first direction D1 and a second direction D2, wherein the second direction D2 may, for example, be perpendicular to the first direction D1. The plurality of first terminals are for interlocking with the second terminals 310 of the test module 300 disposed on the carrier 200 in a plurality of forms when clamped.
[0035] In some embodiments, in conjunction with reference Figure 3 The limiting mounting groove 11 on the base plate 10 may include: a first limiting surface 131 and a second limiting surface 132 that are opposite to and spaced apart in the first direction D1, which can be used to restrict the free movement of the guide plate 20 in the first direction D1; and a third limiting surface 133 and a fourth limiting surface 134 that are opposite to and spaced apart in the second direction D2, which can be used to restrict the free movement of the guide plate 20 in the second direction D2. (Refer to reference) Figure 2 The first limiting surface 131 and the second limiting surface 132 on the base plate 10 can form a gap d1 with the installed guide plate 20, and the third limiting surface 133 and the fourth limiting surface 134 on the base plate 10 can form a gap d2 with the installed guide plate 20. The gaps d1 and d2 can respectively limit the distance that the guide plate 20 can move freely along the first direction D1 and the second direction D2.
[0036] In some embodiments, the limiting mounting groove 11 on the base plate 10 may further include an opening 14, which is formed at the bottom of the limiting mounting groove 11, and a bearing surface 12 is formed around the opening 14 for the bottom of the guide plate 20 to rest against.
[0037] In some embodiments, in conjunction with reference Figure 4A and Figure 4B The guide plate 20 has multiple mating holes 21. Preferably, as shown... Figure 4B As shown, a terminal mounting groove 253 may also be provided on the back surface 25 of the guide plate 20, and these mating holes 21 are provided in the terminal mounting groove 253. Furthermore, a plurality of first terminals 30 (such as...) Figure 1 As shown, the plurality of interlocking holes 21 are respectively disposed on the back surface 25 of the guide plate 20 and installed in the terminal mounting slot 253. Figure 5 As shown, the structure of the rear side of the floating mechanism 100 is illustrated, consisting of... Figure 5 It can be seen that the multiple first terminals 30 after installation pass through the opening 14 of the limiting mounting groove on the base plate 10 (see...). Figure 3Preferably, the outer contour of the terminal mounting groove 253 and the opening 14 may match, but this is not intended to limit the invention.
[0038] In some embodiments, in conjunction with reference Figure 2 and Figure 4A Preferably, each pair of sockets 21 may have a corresponding guiding bevel 22, which can be used to assist in guiding the corresponding second terminal 310 (see Figure 1 The second terminal 310 is inserted into the first terminal 30. More preferably, each pair of insertion holes 21 may also have a corresponding relief groove 23, which can be used to avoid the ribs (not shown in the figure) on the two opposite side walls of the second terminal 310 when the second terminal 310 is inserted into the first terminal 30.
[0039] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first terminal 30 may be a male terminal, and the second terminal 310 may be a female terminal. In other embodiments, the first terminal 30 may be a female terminal, and the second terminal 310 may be a male terminal; these are not intended to limit the present invention.
[0040] exist Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the guide plate 20 has four mating holes 21, which may include, for example, a mating hole 21a facing upwards on the left side, a mating hole 21b facing upwards on the reverse side, a mating hole 21c facing upwards on the right side, and a mating hole 21d facing upwards on the front side. These mating holes 21a to 21d can respectively provide second terminals 310 that present different shapes when clamped (see...). Figure 1 The test module 300 is inserted into the corresponding first terminal 30 located in different insertion positions 21a to 21d. For example, when the second terminal 310 of the test module 300 on the carrier 200 is clamped with its left side facing upward, the second terminal 310 is sent to the left-side-facing insertion hole 21a to be inserted with the corresponding first terminal 30 therein. Similarly, when the clamped second terminal 310 is in a reverse-facing position, it is sent to the reverse-facing insertion hole 21b for insertion; when the clamped second terminal 310 is in a right-side-facing position, it is sent to the right-side-facing insertion hole 21c for insertion; and when the clamped second terminal 310 is in a front-facing position, it is sent to the front-facing insertion hole 21d for insertion. Although in Figure 2 The embodiment shown uses four interlocking holes 21 as an example, but it is understood that the number of interlocking holes 21 on the guide plate 20 and the shape of the corresponding first terminal 30 can also be changed according to actual needs or different requirements, and these are not intended to limit the present invention.
[0041] exist Figure 2In the illustrated embodiment, the floating mechanism 100 may be further restricted to be able to move freely in a vertical direction D3 perpendicular to the horizontal plane. (Referring to the reference...) Figure 2 and Figure 4A At least one side edge of the guide plate 20 may extend outward to form a limiting portion 24. The limiting portion 24 may be floatably mounted via a limiting groove 42, which may restrict the free movement of the guide plate 20 in the vertical direction D3.
[0042] Ideally, in conjunction with references Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 6A and Figure 6B The limiting groove 42 can be formed, for example, by a cover plate 40 and a base plate 10 together. The cover plate 40 is detachably mounted on the base plate 10, for example, using a locking fastener such as a tapered nut head through locking holes 44 on the cover plate 40 and corresponding locking holes 16 on the base plate 10. The back of the cover plate 40 has a groove 42a, which, after the cover plate 40 is mounted on the base plate 10, forms the limiting groove 42 together with a portion of the front of the base plate 10. The limiting portion 24 of the guide plate 20 is movably mounted in the limiting groove 42. The limiting groove 42 also prevents the guide plate 20 from jumping off the base plate 10.
[0043] like Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments, the guide plate 20 can move freely within a distance of ±0.4 mm along the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. When the guide plate 20 moves freely within a distance of 0 mm along both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2, the center position of the guide plate 20 coincides with the center position of the limiting mounting groove 14 on the base plate 10. Figure 7 This shows the frontal view of the floating mechanism 100 when they coincide at the center position. Figure 7 Taking the example shown, the rightward movement of the guide plate 20 along the first direction D1 is defined as positive movement, and its movable distance d1 is +0.4mm; the leftward movement of the guide plate 20 along the first direction D1 is defined as negative movement, and its movable distance d1 is -0.4mm; the upward movement of the guide plate 20 along the second direction D2 is defined as positive movement, and its movable distance d2 is +0.4mm; the downward movement of the guide plate 20 along the second direction D2 is defined as negative movement, and its movable distance d2 is -0.4mm. Of course, it is understood that in other embodiments, the free movement range of the guide plate 20 along the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 is not limited to these ranges and can be designed according to different needs. Similarly, the free movement range of the guide plate 20 along the third direction D3 can also be designed according to different needs, and these are not intended to limit the present invention.
[0044] While the above description exemplifies the specific structure of the floating mechanism 100 of the present invention, it is understood that those skilled in the art can make some changes or modifications to parts of the structure of the floating mechanism 100 based on experience, and these are not intended to limit the present invention.
[0045] In some embodiments, the present invention also provides an automated testing device, which may include the floating mechanism 100 as described above.
[0046] Preferably, the automatic testing equipment of the present invention may further include a shape acquisition unit, a gripping unit, and an execution unit.
[0047] The shape acquisition unit can be used to acquire the position and shape of the second terminal 310 of the test module 300 before it is clamped. It may include, for example, a camera module capable of acquiring an image of the second terminal 310 before clamping, and a recognition module capable of identifying the position and shape of the second terminal 310 before clamping based on the acquired image. For example, it may identify the position and shape of the second terminal 310 before clamping as left side up, back side up, right side up, front side up, etc. More specifically, the present invention may, for example, take a picture using a camera before clamping the second terminal 310. After taking the picture, the camera will provide two sets of data: one set is shape data related to the shape of the second terminal 310, and the other set is position data related to the position of the second terminal 310. The shape data is used to determine which first terminal 30 to which the second terminal 310 should be inserted, and the position data is used to guide the clamping unit to the position corresponding to the position data to clamp the second terminal 310.
[0048] The gripping unit can be used to grip the second terminal 310. For example, it can be a robotic arm, whose grippers can grip the second terminal 310. In some embodiments of the invention, the second terminal 310 is in the same shape as it was before being gripped. In other words, the shape of the second terminal 310 before and during gripping does not change.
[0049] The execution unit can be used to insert the second terminal 310 into the corresponding first terminal 30 according to the shape presented when it is clamped, wherein the cumulative error of the carrier 200 (including but not limited to machining error, positioning error, position error, etc.) can be offset by the free movement of the floating mechanism 100 during insertion.
[0050] In some embodiments, as Figure 8 As shown, the present invention also provides a method 800 for offsetting the cumulative error of a vehicle, which mainly includes:
[0051] S801: Configure a floating mechanism, which may be, for example, as described above. Figures 1-7 The structure shown;
[0052] S802: The position and shape of the second terminal of the test module before it is clamped are obtained through the shape acquisition unit;
[0053] S803: The second terminal is gripped by the gripping unit;
[0054] S804: The execution unit inserts the second terminal into the corresponding first terminal according to the shape of the second terminal when it is clamped, wherein the cumulative error of the vehicle can be offset by the free movement of the floating mechanism during insertion.
[0055] Compared to existing manual operation methods, the beneficial effects of this invention are: This invention utilizes a floating mechanism to offset the cumulative errors between various carriers, ensuring successful mating of the female and male terminals. Specifically, this invention can offset cumulative errors arising from, but not limited to, the following four aspects: (1) machining errors generated during the processing of each carrier itself; (2) positioning errors generated during the positioning of each carrier; (3) positional errors generated when the male terminal is fixed on the carrier; and (4) positional errors generated when the female terminal is mated by the clamping unit (e.g., grippers).
[0056] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been specifically illustrated and described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments; rather, the present invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements contained within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A floating mechanism, characterized in that, The floating mechanism is buoyantly mounted on a vehicle, and is constrained to be able to move freely in a first direction within a horizontal plane, and to move freely in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction within the horizontal plane, wherein the floating mechanism includes: A base plate is fixedly installed on the carrier, and the base plate has a limiting installation groove; The guide plate is buoyantly mounted in the limiting mounting groove, and the guide plate is able to move freely relative to the base plate in the horizontal plane along the first direction and the second direction; Multiple first terminals are used to interlock with the second terminals of the test module disposed on the carrier in multiple forms when they are clamped.
2. The floating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide plate can move freely within a range of ±0.4mm along the first direction and the second direction, respectively. When the guide plate moves freely within a distance of 0mm along both the first direction and the second direction, the center position of the guide plate coincides with the center position of the limiting mounting groove.
3. The floating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The limiting mounting groove on the base plate includes: A first limiting surface and a second limiting surface, which are arranged opposite to and spaced apart in the first direction, are used to restrict the free movement of the guide plate in the first direction; and The third and fourth limiting surfaces, which are arranged opposite to and spaced apart in the second direction, are used to restrict the free movement of the guide plate in the second direction.
4. The floating mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The limiting mounting groove on the base plate also includes: An opening is formed at the bottom of the limiting mounting groove, and a bearing surface is formed around the opening for the bottom of the guide plate to rest against.
5. The floating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide plate has multiple mating holes, and the multiple first terminals are respectively disposed on the back side of the guide plate corresponding to the multiple mating holes.
6. The floating mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned interlocking holes has a corresponding guide bevel formed to assist in guiding the interlocking of the corresponding second terminal and the first terminal.
7. The floating mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned insertion holes has a corresponding clearance groove formed to avoid the ribs of the second terminal when the second terminal is inserted into the first terminal.
8. The floating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The floating mechanism is also restricted to being able to move freely a vertical distance in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane.
9. The floating mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that, At least one side of the guide plate extends outward to form a limiting portion, which is floatably mounted via a limiting groove that restricts the free movement of the guide plate in the vertical direction.
10. The floating mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that, The limiting groove is formed by a cover plate detachably installed on the base plate and the base plate together limiting the position.
11. The floating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The test module is a fan module; and / or, The first terminal is a male terminal, and the second terminal is a female terminal.
12. An automatic testing device, characterized in that, include: The floating mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 11; A shape acquisition unit is used to acquire the position and shape of the second terminal of the test module before it is clamped. A gripping unit for gripping the second terminal; An execution unit is used to insert the second terminal into the corresponding first terminal according to the shape presented by the second terminal when it is clamped, wherein the cumulative error of the vehicle can be offset by the free movement of the floating mechanism during insertion.
13. A method for compensating for the cumulative error of a vehicle, characterized in that, include: Configured with the floating mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 11; The position and shape of the second terminal of the test module before it is clamped are obtained through the shape acquisition unit. The second terminal is gripped by the gripping unit; The execution unit inserts the second terminal into the corresponding first terminal according to the shape presented by the second terminal when it is clamped, wherein the cumulative error of the vehicle can be offset by the free movement of the floating mechanism during insertion.