Microgravity position correcting device of Z-shaped contact piece and assembling device of Z-shaped contact piece

Abstract

The invention discloses a microgravity position correcting device of a Z-shaped contact piece and an assembling device of the Z-shaped contact piece, and belongs to the field of micro rectangular connectors. The position correcting device comprises a material correcting swing mechanism, the material correcting swing mechanism comprises a material correcting swing seat and a material correcting clamping assembly, and the material correcting clamping assembly is used for placing and clamping the Z-shaped contact piece; the material correcting swing seat is connected with the rotating mechanism to realize rotary swing in a vertical plane; the device further comprises a material correcting and positioning mechanism, the material correcting and positioning mechanism comprises a material correcting clamping jaw and a material stopping block, and the material correcting clamping jaw is used for clamping a contact piece tail bend of the Z-shaped contact piece. The device comprises a linear vibrator and a workbench, the workbench is arranged at the top of the linear vibrator, and a material correcting swing seat and a material correcting positioning mechanism are arranged on the workbench; the assembling device comprises a pin taking unit, a pin installing unit and a Z-type contact piece microgravity position correcting device. The posture of the Z-shaped contact piece is automatically and accurately corrected through the microgravity position correcting device, the requirement for automatic assembly is met, and automatic assembly of the Z-shaped contact piece is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of micro rectangular connectors, specifically relating to a micro gravity alignment device for Z-type contacts and its assembly device. Background Technology

[0002] Straight-type bent-pin connectors are an important branch of the micro-rectangular connector series. Their contacts are Z-shaped. Currently, these connectors are all assembled manually, and there are no successful cases of automated equipment assembly. This is because Z-shaped contacts are more complex in structure than L-shaped and I-shaped contacts, with a centrally located center of gravity and an irregular shape. Conventional vibratory feeders cannot rely on the center of gravity to adjust the contact posture to be consistent, nor can they arrange the contacts in an orderly manner, ensuring the contact heads are all in the same position for unloading. This makes automated assembly of Z-shaped contacts impossible. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a microgravity alignment device for Z-type contact components and its assembly device. The microgravity alignment device accurately corrects the posture of the Z-type contact components to meet the needs of automated assembly and realize the automatic assembly of Z-type contact components.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the first technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a microgravity alignment device for a Z-shaped contact, comprising an alignment swing mechanism, wherein the alignment swing mechanism includes an alignment swing seat and an alignment clamping assembly, the alignment clamping assembly being connected to the alignment swing seat and used to place and clamp the Z-shaped contact; the alignment swing seat is connected to a rotating mechanism, the rotating mechanism driving the alignment swing seat to rotate and swing in a vertical plane, so as to realize the alignment of the Z-shaped contact from a horizontal state to a vertical state; A material positioning mechanism includes a material positioning jaw and a material stop block. The material positioning jaw is located between the material stop block and the material positioning clamping assembly and is used to clamp the tail bend of the Z-shaped contact member that extends out of the material positioning clamping assembly. The material stop block is used to ensure that only the tail bend of the Z-shaped contact member extends out of the material positioning clamping assembly. It also includes a linear vibrator and a worktable, with the worktable positioned on top of the linear vibrator. The material-aligning swing seat and the material-aligning positioning mechanism are mounted on the worktable, and the vibration direction of the linear vibrator is from the material-aligning clamping assembly toward the material-blocking block.

[0005] Its beneficial effects are as follows: This device utilizes the fact that the tail bend of the Z-shaped contact is not on the same axis as the main body of the contact, and that the tail bend is relatively lightweight. Combined with the vibration of a linear vibrator, the tail bend of the Z-shaped contact extends out of the material-clamping assembly and then droops down, thus allowing the direction of the tail bend to be identified. This enables precise posture correction of the Z-shaped contact after the material-clamping assembly holds the tail bend. This device cleverly utilizes the shape and gravity distribution characteristics of the Z-shaped contact to achieve automatic posture adjustment, providing favorable conditions for the subsequent automatic assembly of the contact.

[0006] Furthermore, the material clamping assembly includes a fixed block and a movable block that move relatively linearly. The fixed block is fixed on the material clamping swing seat. A sliding rod is slidably inserted inside the fixed block. One end of the sliding rod is connected to the movable block, and the other end of the sliding rod is the force-applying end. Under the action of external force, the sliding rod drives the movable block to move linearly. The upper part of both the fixed block and the movable block is provided with inclined surfaces. The two inclined surfaces are arranged opposite each other to form a V-shaped groove for placing the Z-shaped contact. The bottom of the V-shaped groove is provided with a clamping part for clamping the Z-shaped contact.

[0007] Its beneficial effects are: it provides the structure of the material clamping assembly, in which the upper and lower spaces of the V-groove are large and convenient for placing the Z-type contact, and the clamping part at the bottom of the groove can better clamp the Z-type contact, avoiding the instability of using inclined clamping.

[0008] Furthermore, the sliding rod is equipped with a spring and an adjusting nut that can adjust the spring preload, with the two ends of the spring pressing against the fixed block and the adjusting nut, respectively.

[0009] Its beneficial effects are: the combination of spring and adjusting nut can adjust the clamping force, and the gold-plated surface of the Z-type contact can prevent damage to the Z-type contact caused by excessive clamping force by using spring to provide pre-tightening force.

[0010] Furthermore, the sliding rod is a variable cross-section rod, including a large diameter section and a small diameter section. The large diameter section slides through the fixed block, and the small diameter section is fitted with the spring and the adjusting nut. A retaining ring is also fitted on the sliding rod, and the two ends of the spring rest against the adjusting nut and the retaining ring, respectively.

[0011] Its beneficial effect is that the retaining ring can prevent the spring from entering the sliding hole of the fixing block.

[0012] Furthermore, a linear telescopic mechanism is provided on one side of the material-clamping assembly. The telescopic end of the linear telescopic mechanism acts on the force-applying end of the sliding rod, pushing the sliding rod to move the movable block away from the fixed block. The linear telescopic mechanism is connected to the material-clamping swing seat.

[0013] Its beneficial effect is that the linear telescopic mechanism, by acting on the sliding rod, achieves the clamping of the Z-type contact by the moving block and the fixed block. This indirect control can avoid damage to the Z-type contact caused by excessive clamping force.

[0014] Furthermore, the linear telescopic mechanism is a finger cylinder or an electric push rod, and the material-guiding swing seat is provided with a fixed frame, on which the linear telescopic mechanism is fixed.

[0015] Its beneficial effect is that it provides an achievable implementation method for the linear telescopic mechanism.

[0016] Furthermore, at least one side of the clamping part is provided with a positioning groove with an arc-shaped cross-section.

[0017] Its beneficial effects are: the arc-shaped positioning groove can fit with the surface of the Z-type contact, providing a more stable clamping of the Z-type contact.

[0018] Furthermore, the material positioning mechanism also includes a gripper cylinder for controlling the opening and closing of the material gripper, and the material stop block is fixed on the gripper cylinder.

[0019] Its beneficial effect is that the setting of the gripper cylinder can better control the opening and closing of the material gripper.

[0020] Furthermore, the bottom of the gripper cylinder is connected to the worktable via a slide cylinder, and the slide cylinder controls the gripper cylinder to move horizontally, adjusting the distance between the material stop block and the material clamping assembly.

[0021] Its beneficial effects are: on the one hand, it can adapt to the contact tail bend length of different Z-type contact parts, ensuring that the contact tail bend can fully extend out of the material clamping assembly; on the other hand, after the Z-type contact part is aligned, it can provide space for the material clamping assembly to rotate through the material oscillation mechanism.

[0022] Furthermore, a vertical plate is provided on the workbench, and the rotating mechanism is mounted on the vertical plate.

[0023] Furthermore, the rotating mechanism is a material-guiding rotary cylinder.

[0024] The present invention proposes a second technical solution: an assembly device for Z-type contacts, comprising a pin picking unit, a pin loading unit, and a microgravity alignment device for Z-type contacts as described in any one of the above; the pin picking unit is used to provide the Z-type contacts to be assembled to the microgravity alignment device for Z-type contacts; the pin loading unit is used to load the Z-type contacts that have completed attitude correction on the microgravity alignment device for Z-type contacts into a suitable connector housing.

[0025] Its beneficial effects are: through the cooperation of the pin picking unit, the pin loading unit and the micro-gravity alignment device for Z-type contacts, the feeding, posture correction and assembly of Z-type contacts can be automated, which greatly improves the assembly efficiency of connectors.

[0026] Furthermore, the needle-retrieving unit includes a needle-retrieving robot, a CCD camera, a needle-retrieving nozzle, and a feeder; the rotation range of the needle-retrieving robot covers the microgravity alignment device for the Z-shaped contact; the CCD camera and the needle-retrieving nozzle are mounted on the needle-retrieving robot; the feeder is positioned below the needle-retrieving nozzle at the initial position of the needle-retrieving robot and is used to provide the Z-shaped contact; the CCD camera is used to identify the head and tail ends of the Z-shaped contact on the feeder to guide the needle-retrieving robot to pick up the Z-shaped contact on the feeder using the needle-retrieving nozzle.

[0027] Its beneficial effect is that it further clarifies the structure of the needle extraction unit.

[0028] Furthermore, the feeder includes a vibrating feeding plate and a flexible vibrating plate, with the outlet of the vibrating feeding plate connected to the flexible vibrating plate.

[0029] Its beneficial effects are: the coarse positioning of Z-shaped contact parts can be achieved by the cooperation of the vibrating feeding tray and the flexible vibrating plate, and multiple Z-shaped contact parts can be dispersed on the flexible vibrating plate, so that the needle picking robot can use the needle picking nozzle to pick up the contact head of the Z-shaped contact part under the visual guidance of the CCD camera.

[0030] Furthermore, the needle loading unit includes a needle loading robot, a needle loading manipulator, and a connector carrier; the rotation range of the needle loading robot covers the microgravity alignment device for the Z-type contact; the needle loading manipulator is mounted on the needle loading robot and is used to pick up the corrected Z-type contact from the microgravity alignment device for the Z-type contact; the connector carrier is located below the needle loading manipulator at the initial position of the needle loading robot and is used to fix the connector housing to be assembled.

[0031] Its beneficial effect is that it further clarifies the structure of the needle loading unit.

[0032] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: Under visual guidance, the Z-shaped contact is first roughly positioned, and the orientation of its head and tail ends is distinguished. Then, using vacuum suction, the Z-shaped contact is placed into the material clamping assembly of the microgravity alignment device. Under linear vibration in one direction, the gravity difference between the head and tail ends of the Z-shaped contact is used to precisely correct its posture, and the assembly robot completes the material handling and assembly. This invention can effectively improve the automation level and assembly efficiency of Z-shaped contact assembly on connector housings, and improve assembly quality. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the microgravity alignment device for the Z-type contact described in Example 1; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the material clamping block and finger cylinder in Example 1; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the material-clamping jaws and jaw cylinder in Example 1; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the microgravity alignment device for the Z-shaped contact. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly device for the Z-type contact element described in Example 2; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the feeder in Example 2; Figure 7 This is a partial schematic diagram of the Z-shaped contact element described in Example 2 inside the flexible vibratory disk, viewed from above. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the needle feeding mechanism described in Example 2; Figure 9 This is a top view of the connector carrier described in Example 2; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the needle-loading manipulator on the needle-loading robot described in Example 2; Markings in the diagram: 1-Material oscillating seat, 2-Material oscillating clamping assembly, 201-Fixed block, 202-Modible block, 203-V-groove, 204-Positioning groove, 205-Adjusting nut, 206-Sliding rod, 207-Retaining ring, 208-Fasting bolt, 3-Fixed frame, 4-Spring, 5-Finger cylinder, 6-Material oscillating gripper, 7-Gripper cylinder, 8-Slide table cylinder, 9-Material oscillating rotary cylinder, 10-Blocking block, 11-Workbench, 1101, Vertical plate, 12 - Linear vibrator, 13-Z-type contact, 1301-Contact tail bend, 1302-Contact head, 14-Pin picking robot, 15-CCD camera, 16-Pin picking nozzle, 17-Feeder, 1701-Vibrating feeding tray, 1702-Flexible vibratory plate, 18-Pin loading robot, 19-Pin loading manipulator, 20-Connector carrier, 21-Connector housing; 100-Microgravity alignment device, 200-Pin picking unit, 300-Pin loading unit. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, but this should not be construed as limiting the invention in any way.

[0035] Example 1 See attached document Figure 1-3As shown, the microgravity alignment device for the Z-type contact element of the present invention includes a linear vibrator 12, a worktable 11, a material alignment swing mechanism, and a material alignment positioning mechanism.

[0036] The workbench 11 is fixed on the top of the linear vibrator 12, and the material-correcting swing mechanism and the material-correcting positioning mechanism are disposed on the workbench 11.

[0037] The material-aligning swing mechanism includes a material-aligning swing base 1, a material-aligning clamping assembly 2, a fixing frame 3, a spring 4, and a finger cylinder 5. The material-aligning swing base 1 is rotatably supported on the upright plate 1101 of the workbench 11 and is connected to a material-aligning rotary cylinder 9 mounted on the upright plate 1101, which drives the material-aligning swing base 1 to rotate. The material-aligning swing base 1 is equipped with the material-aligning clamping assembly 2 and the fixing frame 3. The material-aligning clamping assembly 2 is used to place and clamp the Z-shaped contact piece. The spring 4 is mounted on the material-aligning clamping assembly 2 to provide clamping force to clamp the Z-shaped contact piece. The fixing frame 3 is used to mount the finger cylinder 5. After the finger cylinder 5 extends, it controls the opening of the material-aligning clamping assembly 2. After the finger cylinder 5 retracts, the material-aligning clamping assembly 2 resets under the action of the spring 4. In other embodiments, other cylinder types or linear telescopic mechanisms, such as electric push rods, can be used instead of the finger cylinder 5.

[0038] The structure of the material clamping assembly 2 is as follows: Figure 2As shown, the device includes a fixed block 201 and a movable block 202 that move in a relatively linear manner. The fixed block 201 is fixed to the material-guiding swing seat 1. The fixed block 201 has a protrusion at its lower part, and the movable block 202 has a recess at its lower part that mates with the protrusion. Both the fixed block 201 and the movable block 202 have inclined surfaces at their upper parts. The two inclined surfaces are arranged opposite each other to form a V-groove 203 for placing the Z-shaped contact element. The bottom of the V-groove 203 has a clamping part for holding the Z-shaped contact element. At least one side of the clamping part has a positioning groove 204 with an arc-shaped cross-section. In this embodiment, the positioning groove 204 is provided on the movable block 202, and the fixed block 201 is provided with a plane at the position opposite to the positioning groove 204. In other embodiments, the positioning groove 204 can also be provided on the fixed block 201, or both the fixed block 201 and the movable block 202 can have positioning grooves 204. The fixed block 201 is provided with a sliding hole, which extends along the movement direction of the movable block 202 and passes through the fixed block 201. The movable block 202 is provided with a fixing hole, which is aligned with and coaxially arranged with the sliding hole, and a fastening bolt 208 is installed in the fixing hole. A sliding rod 206 is slidably disposed in the sliding hole. The end of the sliding rod 206 facing the movable block 202 is machined with an internal thread hole for threaded connection with the fastening bolt 208. The end of the sliding rod 206 away from the movable block 202 is threadedly connected to an adjusting nut 205. The spring 4 is sleeved on the sliding rod 206, with one end of the spring 4 abutting against the fixed block 201 and the other end abutting against the adjusting nut 205. The preload of the spring 4 is adjusted by the adjusting nut 205. The installation height of the sliding rod 206 is the same as the height of the finger cylinder 5, so that when the finger cylinder 5 is extended, it can act on the end of the sliding rod 206 where the adjusting nut 205 is installed.

[0039] Furthermore, the sliding rod 206 is a variable cross-section rod, including a large-diameter section and a small-diameter section. The large-diameter section is slidably disposed in the sliding hole of the fixed block 201, and the small-diameter section is fitted with the spring 4 and the adjusting nut 205. Since the diameter of the small-diameter section is smaller than the diameter of the sliding hole, a retaining ring 207 is also fitted on the sliding rod 206 to prevent the spring 4 from entering the sliding hole. The outer diameter of the retaining ring 207 is larger than the diameter of the sliding hole, and the two ends of the spring 4 rest against the adjusting nut 205 and the retaining ring 207, respectively.

[0040] The following describes the process of the material clamping assembly 2 clamping the Z-shaped contact: The front end of the finger cylinder 5 extends and pushes the sliding rod 206, which compresses the spring 4 and moves to the right. Figure 2(In the direction shown), the movable block 202 is moved to the right by the fastening bolt 208, away from the fixed block 201. At this time, the material clamping assembly 2 is in the open state. After the Z-shaped contact completes the position correction between the fixed block 201 and the movable block 202, the finger cylinder 5 is retracted, the spring 4 is reset, and the sliding rod 206 is pushed to the left, which drives the movable block 202 to move towards the fixed block 201, thereby clamping the Z-shaped contact between the two. The positioning groove 204 can fit and contact the Z-shaped contact to ensure the stability of the clamping and facilitate the subsequent clamping by the needle loading robot.

[0041] For example Figure 1 As shown, the material positioning mechanism includes a material-aligning gripper 6, a gripper cylinder 7, and a stop block 10. The gripper cylinder 7 controls the opening and closing of the material-aligning gripper 6. The material-aligning gripper 6 has two vertical clamping surfaces. The stop block 10 is fixed to the gripper cylinder 7 by a mounting plate. The end of the stop block 10 faces the V-groove 203, and the stop block 10 is located behind the material-aligning gripper 6 to avoid affecting its opening and closing. After the Z-type contact member 13 is vibrated and aligned by the linear vibrator 12, the tail bend 1301 of the contact member extends out of the V-groove 203 (e.g., ...). Figure 4 As shown in the figure, the contact tail bend 1301 may not be in an absolutely vertical downward state at this time, resulting in the Z-type contact 13 having an inaccurate posture. At this time, the contact tail bend 1301 is clamped by the clamping surface of the material guide claw 6, which can achieve accurate posture correction of the Z-type contact 13.

[0042] It should be noted that the linear vibrator 12 needs to vibrate to make the Z-shaped contact 13 in the V-groove 203 move toward the stop block 10. Therefore, the linear vibrator 12 needs to vibrate toward the stop block 10.

[0043] Furthermore, the bottom of the gripper cylinder 7 is connected to the worktable 11 via a slide cylinder 8. The slide cylinder 8 controls the translation of the gripper cylinder 7, adjusting the distance between the stop block 10 and the V-groove 203 to accommodate Z-shaped contact parts 13 of different lengths. Additionally, the slide cylinder 8 moves the gripper cylinder 7 away from the material-clamping assembly 2, providing space for the rotation of the material-clamping swing mechanism.

[0044] The following is combined with Figure 4 The working principle of the microgravity alignment device described in this invention will be explained. For ease of explanation, Figure 4 right Figure 1 The structure has been simplified. From Figure 4It can be seen that the tail of the Z-shaped contact 13 described in this invention is not on the same axis as its main body. Therefore, the tail forms a contact tail bend 1301, and the weight of the contact tail bend 1301 is slightly lighter than the weight of the contact head 1302. When using this device, the Z-shaped contact 13 is placed with the contact tail bend 1301 facing the stop block 10. Figure 4 (As shown in the diagram, facing left) Within the V-groove 203 of the material clamping assembly 2, under the vibration of the linear vibrator 12, the Z-shaped contact 13 will move to the left. When the end of the contact tail bend 1301 reaches the stop block 10, the entire contact tail bend 1301 is located at the gap between the V-groove 203 and the stop block 10 (i.e., the location of the material clamping claw 6). At this time, the contact head 1302 of the Z-shaped contact 13 is supported by the bottom of the V-groove 203, and the contact tail bend 1301 is in a suspended state. Taking advantage of the fact that the weight of the contact tail bend 1301 is slightly lighter than that of the contact head 1302, under the continued vibration of the linear vibrator 12, the contact tail bend 1301 will inevitably droop, thereby accurately identifying the direction of the contact tail bend 1301 of the Z-shaped contact 13. With the clamping action of the material clamping claw 6, the precise posture correction of the Z-shaped contact 13 is further realized.

[0045] Therefore, the working process of the microgravity alignment device for the Z-type contact element described in this invention includes the following steps: S1, the front end of the finger cylinder 5 extends out and pushes the sliding rod 206 to compress the spring 4. The sliding rod 206 drives the movable block 202 to move, so that the V-groove 203 of the material clamping assembly 2 opens and the Z-shaped contact 13 is placed in the V-groove 203 with the contact tail bend 1301 facing the material blocking block 10. S2, the Z-type contact 13 moves toward the stop block 10 under the vibration of the linear vibrator 12 until the tail bend 1301 of the contact extends out of the V-groove 203 and presses against the stop block 10. S3, the gripper cylinder 7 controls the material-correcting gripper 6 to clamp the contact part tail bend 1301, and the Z-type contact part 13 is corrected to the correct position. S4, the linear vibrator 12 stops vibrating, the finger cylinder 5 retracts, the spring 4 returns to its original position, and the sliding rod 206 drives the movable block 202 to move toward the fixed block 201, clamping the Z-type contact 13. S5, the gripper cylinder 7 controls the material-correcting gripper 6 to release the contact tail bend 1301, and the slide cylinder 8 drives the gripper cylinder 7 to move a certain distance away from the material-correcting clamping assembly 2; then the material-correcting rotary cylinder 9 drives the material-correcting swing seat 1 and the material-correcting clamping assembly 2 to rotate 90° as a whole, so that the Z-shaped contact 13 is in a vertical state and the contact tail bend 1301 is vertically upward, which is convenient for the subsequent gripping by the robot arm.

[0046] Example 2 An assembly device for Z-type contacts is provided. The device is used to automatically assemble Z-type contacts into a suitable connector housing. During assembly, the microgravity alignment device described in Example 1 is used to correct the posture of each Z-type contact to be installed, so as to ensure that the contact tail bends of the installed Z-type contacts have the same orientation.

[0047] like Figure 5 As shown, the Z-type contact assembly device includes a pin picking unit 200, a pin loading unit 300, and a microgravity alignment device 100 as described in Embodiment 1. The microgravity alignment device 100 is disposed between the pin picking unit 200 and the pin loading unit 300. The pin picking unit 200, guided by a vision system, distinguishes the orientation of the beginning and end of the roughly positioned Z-type contact and picks up the Z-type contact, placing it on the microgravity alignment device 100 for further attitude correction. The pin loading unit 300 is used to install the Z-type contact, after precise attitude correction, into a suitable connector housing.

[0048] Specifically, such as Figure 5 , Figure 8 As shown, the needle retrieval unit 200 includes a needle retrieval robot 14, a CCD camera 15, a needle retrieval nozzle 16, and a feeder 17. The CCD camera 15 and the needle retrieval nozzle 16 are mounted on the needle retrieval robot 14, and the feeder 17 is located below the needle retrieval nozzle 16 at the initial position of the needle retrieval robot 14.

[0049] like Figure 6 As shown, the feeder 17 includes a vibrating feeding plate 1701 and a flexible vibrating plate 1702, with the outlet of the vibrating feeding plate 1701 connected to the flexible vibrating plate 1702. The Z-shaped contact pieces 13 to be installed are vibrated by the vibrating feeding plate 1701 and enter the flexible vibrating plate 1702. Under the small up-and-down vibration of the flexible vibrating plate 1702, they are roughly positioned, and the multiple Z-shaped contact pieces 13 are dispersed to facilitate recognition by the CCD camera 15. Figure 7 As shown.

[0050] The CCD camera 15 is used to identify the beginning and end of the Z-shaped contact 13 in the flexible vibrating disk 1702. The needle-picking nozzle 16 is used to pick up the Z-shaped contact 13 under the visual recognition guidance of the CCD camera 15. Then, the needle-picking robot 14 moves the needle-picking nozzle 16 to the microgravity correction device 100 and places it in the V-groove 203, with the tail bend 1301 of the contact facing the stop block 10, so as to perform the next posture correction.

[0051] For example Figure 5As shown, the pin loading unit 300 includes a pin loading robot 18, a pin loading manipulator 19, and a connector carrier 20. The pin loading manipulator 19 is mounted on the pin loading robot 18 and is used to grip the attitude-corrected Z-shaped contact 13 from the microgravity alignment device 100. The gripping position is at the contact tail bend 1301 of the Z-shaped contact 13. The connector carrier 20 is positioned below the pin loading manipulator 19 at the initial position of the pin loading robot 18. The connector carrier 20 is used to fix the connector housing 21 to be assembled, and the pin loading manipulator 19 inserts the gripped Z-shaped contact 13 into the connector housing 21.

[0052] Since both the needle-picking robot 14 and the needle-loading robot 18 need to move from their respective initial positions to the microgravity alignment device 100, the microgravity alignment device 100 needs to be set on the working path of the needle-picking robot 14 and the needle-loading robot 18 so that the needle-picking robot 14 and the needle-loading robot 18 can rotate from their initial positions to above the microgravity alignment device 100 during the rotation process.

[0053] The needle-retrieving robot 14 is also equipped with a lifting mechanism to control the up-and-down movement of the needle-retrieving nozzle 16, so as to realize the picking up and placement of the Z-shaped contact 13. The needle-loading robot 18 is also equipped with a lifting mechanism to control the up-and-down movement of the needle-loading manipulator 19, so as to realize the gripping and assembly of the Z-shaped contact 13. The lifting mechanism can adopt common lifting structures such as lifting cylinders and electric lifting machines.

[0054] The connector carrier 20 uses a pressure plate or screws to fix the connector housing 21.

[0055] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the specific implementation of the present invention with reference to the above embodiments. Any modifications or equivalent substitutions that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention are within the protection scope of the pending claims.

Claims

1. A microgravity alignment device for a Z-shaped contact element, characterized in that: The device includes a material-aligning swing mechanism, which includes a material-aligning swing seat (1) and a material-aligning clamping assembly (2). The material-aligning clamping assembly (2) is connected to the material-aligning swing seat (1) and is used to place and clamp the Z-shaped contact (13). The material-aligning swing seat (1) is connected to a rotating mechanism, which drives the material-aligning swing seat (1) to rotate and swing in the vertical plane so as to realize that the Z-shaped contact (13) after alignment switches from the horizontal state to the vertical state. The material positioning mechanism includes a material positioning gripper (6) and a stop block (10). The material positioning gripper (6) is located between the stop block (10) and the material positioning clamping assembly (2) and is used to clamp the contact tail bend (1301) of the Z-shaped contact (13) that extends out of the material positioning clamping assembly (2). The stop block (10) is used to ensure that only the contact tail bend (1301) of the Z-shaped contact (13) extends out of the material positioning clamping assembly (2). It also includes a linear vibrator (12) and a worktable (11). The worktable (11) is set on top of the linear vibrator (12). The material-aligning swing seat (1) and the material-aligning positioning mechanism are set on the worktable (11). The vibration direction of the linear vibrator (12) is from the material-aligning clamping assembly (2) toward the material-blocking block (10).

2. The microgravity alignment device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material clamping assembly (2) includes a fixed block (201) and a movable block (202) that move in a relatively linear manner. The fixed block (201) is fixed on the material oscillating seat (1). A sliding rod (206) is slidably inserted in the fixed block (201). One end of the sliding rod (206) is connected to the movable block (202), and the other end of the sliding rod (206) is the force-applying end. Under the action of external force, the sliding rod (206) drives the movable block (202) to move linearly. The upper part of both the fixed block (201) and the movable block (202) is provided with inclined surfaces. The two inclined surfaces are arranged opposite each other to form a V-groove (203) for placing the Z-type contact (13). The bottom of the V-groove (203) is provided with a clamping part for clamping the Z-type contact (13).

3. The microgravity alignment device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The sliding rod (206) is provided with a spring (4) and an adjusting nut (205) that can adjust the spring preload. The two ends of the spring (4) are respectively pressed against the fixed block (201) and the adjusting nut (205).

4. The microgravity alignment device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The sliding rod (206) is a variable cross-section rod, including a large diameter section and a small diameter section. The large diameter section slides through the fixed block (201), and the small diameter section is fitted with the spring (4) and the adjusting nut (205). A retaining ring (207) is also fitted on the sliding rod (206), and the two ends of the spring (4) abut against the adjusting nut (205) and the retaining ring (207) respectively.

5. The microgravity alignment device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The material clamping assembly is also provided with a linear telescopic mechanism on one side. The telescopic end of the linear telescopic mechanism acts on the force-applying end of the sliding rod (206), pushing the sliding rod (206) to drive the movable block (202) away from the fixed block (201). The linear telescopic mechanism is connected to the material clamping swing seat (1).

6. The microgravity alignment device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The linear telescopic mechanism is a finger cylinder (5) or an electric push rod, and a fixed frame (3) is provided on the material swing seat (1), and the linear telescopic mechanism is fixed on the fixed frame (3).

7. The microgravity alignment device according to claim 2, characterized in that: At least one side of the clamping part is provided with a positioning groove (204) with an arc-shaped cross section.

8. The microgravity alignment device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material positioning mechanism also includes a gripper cylinder (7) for controlling the opening and closing of the material gripper (6), and the material stop block (10) is fixed on the gripper cylinder (7).

9. The microgravity alignment device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The bottom of the gripper cylinder (7) is connected to the worktable (11) via the slide cylinder (8). The slide cylinder (8) controls the gripper cylinder (7) to move horizontally and adjust the distance between the material stop block (10) and the material clamping assembly (2).

10. The microgravity correction device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The workbench (11) is provided with a vertical plate (1101), and the rotating mechanism is installed on the vertical plate (1101).

11. The microgravity alignment device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The rotating mechanism is a material-correcting rotary cylinder (9).

12. An assembly device for a Z-type contact, characterized in that: It includes a needle picking unit (200), a needle loading unit (300), and a microgravity alignment device (100) as described in any one of claims 1-11; the needle picking unit (200) is used to provide the microgravity alignment device (100) with a Z-type contact (13) to be assembled; the needle loading unit (300) is used to load the Z-type contact (13) with the completed attitude correction on the microgravity alignment device (100) into a matching connector housing (21).

13. The assembly apparatus for the Z-type contact element according to claim 12, characterized in that: The needle picking unit (200) includes a needle picking robot (14), a CCD camera (15), a needle picking nozzle (16), and a feeder (17); the rotation range of the needle picking robot (14) covers the microgravity alignment device (100); the CCD camera (15) and the needle picking nozzle (16) are mounted on the needle picking robot (14); the feeder (17) is located below the needle picking nozzle (16) when the needle picking robot (14) is in its initial position, and is used to provide Z-shaped contact parts (13); the CCD camera (15) is used to identify the head and tail ends of the Z-shaped contact parts (13) on the feeder (17) to guide the needle picking robot (14) to pick up the Z-shaped contact parts (13) on the feeder (17) using the needle picking nozzle (16).

14. The assembly apparatus for the Z-type contact element according to claim 13, characterized in that: The feeder (17) includes a vibrating feed plate (1701) and a flexible vibrating plate (1702), and the outlet of the vibrating feed plate (1701) is connected to the flexible vibrating plate (1702).

15. The assembly apparatus for the Z-type contact element according to claim 12, characterized in that: The needle loading unit (300) includes a needle loading robot (18), a needle loading manipulator (19), and a connector carrier (20); the rotation range of the needle loading robot (18) covers the microgravity alignment device (100), the needle loading manipulator (19) is mounted on the needle loading robot (18) and is used to pick up the corrected Z-shaped contact (13) from the microgravity alignment device (100); the connector carrier (20) is located below the needle loading manipulator (19) when the needle loading robot (18) is in the initial position, and the connector carrier (20) is used to fix the connector housing (21) to be assembled.

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