A vehicle body painting robot with pipeline cleaning function

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of vehicle body painting, in particular to a vehicle body painting robot with pipeline cleaning function, comprising a servo mechanical arm, a conveying assembly and a liquid flow pipe group, the servo mechanical arm is provided with a painting head at the end, each joint node is provided with a node box, the conveying assembly and the liquid flow pipe group are fixed on the surface of the node box and are connected to form a continuous liquid supply system. The conveying assembly comprises a pump box, an axial flow rotary disc and a driving motor, a multi-channel flow path for switching between paint and cleaning liquid is arranged in the pump box, and an anti-adhesion coating is arranged. The liquid flow pipe group comprises a flexible auger spiral blade, which is driven to rotate by a worm drive to realize kinetic energy compensation and fluid disturbance conveying of the paint. The node box is integrated with pressure and flow sensors, the painting head is provided with a spraying quality identification module, and an intelligent closed-loop control system for spraying operation is formed. The present application has the advantages of compact structure, automatic switching between spraying and cleaning, stable fluid conveying, strong path adaptability and controllable spraying quality, and is suitable for efficient painting operation under complex conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle body painting technology, specifically to a vehicle body painting robot with pipeline cleaning function. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the automotive manufacturing industry, body painting, as a key process in vehicle manufacturing, has placed higher demands on painting quality, consistency, environmental friendliness, and operational efficiency. Currently, widely used body painting robots are typically equipped with independent paint delivery and cleaning systems, and use time-sharing or switching devices to achieve the switching between painting and cleaning functions.

[0003] However, the following problems and shortcomings still exist in the existing technology: Most traditional painting robots require shutdown, manual valve switching, or pipeline reconnection during the switching process between paint and cleaning fluid, which not only affects the painting cycle but also increases equipment wear and energy consumption.

[0004] Currently, the commonly used coating delivery methods mainly rely on pump pressure or negative pressure suction, which makes it difficult to maintain a stable flow rate in long-distance or complex pipelines. This can easily lead to problems such as uneven flow, blockage, or residual liquid, affecting the continuity of spraying.

[0005] Most existing robotic spraying systems rely solely on preset programs for operation, lacking real-time perception and judgment of the actual spraying effect. This makes it impossible to dynamically adjust the coating thickness and uniformity, resulting in unstable coating quality.

[0006] Traditional systems have complex structures, and paint tends to accumulate on the inner walls of pipes and conveying units, resulting in low cleaning efficiency, high maintenance costs, and easy color difference pollution and downtime for cleaning.

[0007] In summary, existing car body painting robots still face significant technical bottlenecks in terms of integrated painting / cleaning efficiency, continuous fluid delivery capability, intelligent painting monitoring capability, and pipeline cleaning effect. There is an urgent need for a new type of painting robot system with higher structural integration, stronger delivery stability, more thorough cleaning, and intelligent control capabilities to meet the needs of modern, efficient, and automated painting operations. Summary of the Invention

[0008] This invention relates to an intelligent coating technology, and more particularly to a car body coating robot with pipeline cleaning function. It aims to solve the problems of difficult cleaning of residual paint in pipelines and complex maintenance in existing robots during coating operations, and to provide a coating robot system that is compact, efficient in conveying, thorough in cleaning, and highly intelligent.

[0009] A car body painting robot with pipeline cleaning function includes a servo robotic arm, a conveying assembly, and a liquid flow pipe assembly. The servo robotic arm has a painting head at its end effector, and each joint surface has a node box. Each conveying assembly is fixed to the surface of the node box and communicates with the end of the liquid flow pipe assembly through its output end. The conveying assembly includes a pump box, axial flow discs, and a drive motor. The pump box has a pump chamber, and multiple axial flow discs are rotatably mounted in the pump chamber and connected to the drive motor. The pump box also has a liquid flow channel and a cleaning flow channel communicating with the pump chamber, for the flow of painting liquid and cleaning liquid, respectively. This structure achieves directional liquid delivery and path independence of the cleaning fluid, effectively improving the system integration capability of robot painting and cleaning.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment: the inner surface of the pump chamber and the fluid flow pipe assembly is provided with an anti-adhesion coating, which is polytetrafluoroethylene or other low surface energy anti-stick material.

[0011] In the above technical solution, the anti-adhesion coating significantly reduces the residual deposition of paint inside the system, improves system cleanliness, and extends equipment service life.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment: the number of axial flow disks is several, and multiple disks are combined into a conical structure to enhance the axial flow guidance effect of the fluid.

[0013] In the above technical solution, the conical combination forms a strong vortex guiding structure, which helps to improve the conveying efficiency and prevent fluid stagnation.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment: each axial flow disc includes a cap, a guide plate, and axial flow blades, with the guide plate and axial flow blades fixed inside the cap.

[0015] In the above technical solution, the combination of multi-layer components enhances the structural strength and flow guiding efficiency of the swirl disk, forming a stable and efficient swirl system.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment: the fluid flow assembly includes a pipe, an auger vane, and a rotary drum. A worm drive is provided on the surface of the pump box, and a worm gear ring is provided on the surface of the rotary drum. The output end of the worm drive meshes with the worm gear ring for transmission. The auger vane is rotatably installed inside the pipe, and one end is fixedly connected to the rotary drum. The pump chamber is connected to the inner cavity of the pipe through the rotary drum.

[0017] In the above technical solution, the auger mechanism is used to assist in pushing the liquid, so that it can still flow smoothly in curved or long-distance pipelines, thus ensuring the stability of spraying.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment: the auger blade is helical and flexible to adapt to the shape of the pipe and generate turbulent flow during transportation, and the blade is made of corrosion-resistant low-carbon steel.

[0019] In the above technical solution, the auger structure enhances disturbance, which helps to remove residual liquid and promote uniform liquid propulsion, and the material selection ensures structural stability and chemical resistance.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment: a pressure sensor and a flow sensor are embedded in the node box and connected to the central control module to realize automatic early warning and closed-loop control.

[0021] In the above technical solution, the system's flow status is monitored in real time and intelligent adjustments are made to improve the robot's autonomous operation capability and safety.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment: the end of the coating head connected to the liquid flow pipe assembly is provided with a coating quality recognition module, including a color recognition camera and a thickness sensor.

[0023] The above technical solution enables real-time detection and feedback of the spraying effect, thereby improving the consistency of the surface quality of the finished product.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment: the pump box is equipped with a multi-channel switching valve that connects the liquid flow channel and the cleaning flow channel, and is automatically switched by the central control module.

[0025] In the above technical solution, the automated switching system for spraying and cleaning processes simplifies the operation process and improves the overall intelligence level of the machine.

[0026] The beneficial effects achieved by this invention are as follows: 1. In this invention, a multi-channel switching flow path is set up in the pump chamber, and the same set of liquid flow pipes is used to complete the switching and delivery of coating liquid and cleaning liquid, realizing rapid switching between spraying and cleaning functions without stopping the machine, significantly shortening the process changeover time and improving work efficiency. 2. In this invention, a dual fluid drive method of "axial flow disc + auger blade" is adopted. On the one hand, the axial flow rotation forms an adsorption and propulsion effect, and on the other hand, the flexible auger structure actively pushes the fluid, which effectively improves the conveying efficiency and pipeline adaptability, and is especially suitable for long-distance or complex curved pipeline conveying scenarios.

[0027] 3. In this invention, pressure and flow sensors are integrated into the node box to collect the system operating status in real time. Combined with the spraying quality recognition module (color recognition + thickness sensing) at the coating head, a closed-loop control system for spraying operations is constructed to realize real-time monitoring and adaptive control of coating quality, ensuring coating uniformity and consistency. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the conveying assembly and fluid flow tube assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the conveying assembly and fluid flow pipe assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a conveying component according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a fluid flow tube assembly structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an axial flow rotating disk structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is an exploded view of the axial flow disk according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the auger blade and impeller structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure label: 100. Servo robotic arm; 110. Painting head; 120. Node box; 200. Conveying assembly; 210. Pump housing; 220. Axial flow vane; 230. Drive motor; 211. Liquid flow channel; 212. Pump chamber; 213. Cleaning flow channel; 221. Cap; 222. Guide plate; 223. Axial flow vane; 300. Fluid flow tube assembly; 310. Pipeline; 320. Screwdriver blade; 330. Rotary drum; 340. Worm drive; 331. Worm gear ring. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described herein can be combined with each other.

[0031] It should be understood that these descriptions are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0032] The following describes, with reference to the accompanying drawings, some embodiments of the present invention, providing a vehicle body painting robot with pipeline cleaning function.

[0033] Combination Figures 1 to 8 As shown, the present invention provides a car body painting robot with pipeline cleaning function, including a servo robotic arm 100, a conveying assembly 200, and a fluid flow pipe assembly 300. The end of the servo robotic arm 100 is provided with a painting head 110, and node boxes 120 are provided at each joint node for mounting and supporting the conveying assembly 200.

[0034] Multiple conveying components 200 are fixedly installed on the outer surface of the node box 120 and connected to the liquid flow pipe assembly 300 to form a continuous liquid supply system. The output end of the conveying component 200 is connected to the input end of the liquid flow pipe assembly 300 to realize the continuous conveying of paint or cleaning fluid.

[0035] The conveying assembly 200 includes a pump box 210, axial flow discs 220, and a drive motor 230. The pump box 210 has a pump chamber 212 inside, with liquid flow channels 211 for coating and cleaning, and cleaning flow channels 213. Several axial flow discs 220 are arranged axially within the pump chamber 212, forming a conical combination structure to enhance the axial flow guidance capability of the fluid. Each axial flow disc 220 consists of a cap 221, a guide plate 222, and axial flow blades 223, with the guide plate 222 and axial flow blades 223 fixedly installed inside the cap 221. The drive motor 230 is fixed to one end of the pump box 210, and its output shaft is connected to each axial flow disc 220, driving rotation to form a vortex propulsion.

[0036] To enhance the cleaning effect, the inner surface of the pump chamber 212 is coated with a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coating, which effectively prevents the adhesion and deposition of high-viscosity paint liquid.

[0037] The liquid flow assembly 300 includes a pipe 310, an auger vane 320, and a rotary drum 330. The auger vane 320 has a spiral structure, which is sleeved inside the pipe 310, and one end of it is fixedly connected to the rotary drum 330. The auger vane 320 is flexible and is made of low-carbon steel. Its outer edge slides in contact with the inner wall of the pipe 310, generating adaptive disturbance during liquid flow to improve the paint pushing and residual liquid cleaning effect. The rotary drum 330 indirectly drives the auger to rotate by meshing with the worm drive 340 outside the pump box 210 through the worm gear ring 331.

[0038] To achieve intelligent fluid switching control, the pump box 210 is equipped with a multi-channel switching valve. The valve body connects the liquid flow channel 211 and the cleaning flow channel 213 and is connected to the central control module. It can automatically switch the spraying / cleaning path according to the current task status, reducing manual intervention.

[0039] Pressure and flow sensors are installed in each node box 120 to monitor the liquid flow status in the pipeline in real time. After the data is transmitted to the central control module, blockage warning and closed-loop system regulation can be realized. In addition, a coating quality recognition module is installed at the coating head 110, including a color recognition camera and a thickness sensor, which can identify the quality of the coating after spraying and output the results to the control system, realizing online quality detection and self-adjustment of spraying parameters.

[0040] In operation, the central control system activates the conveying assembly 200, which drives the motor 230 to rotate the axial flow disc 220, creating negative pressure to draw in the liquid. Simultaneously, the rotating drum 330 drives the auger blades 320 to rotate, pushing the paint liquid to the coating head 110 for spraying. After the spraying cycle is completed, the control system automatically switches the flow path to the cleaning mode. The cleaning fluid passes through the same pipe 310, via the pump chamber 212 and the liquid flow pipe assembly 300, to complete internal self-cleaning.

[0041] The invention can also use other flexible composite materials such as TPE and polyurethane steel wire to replace the low-carbon steel auger; the structure of the axial flow swivel disk 220 can also adopt a double-layer guide or adjustable guide angle form; the spraying detection module can be expanded to multi-channel optical recognition to achieve higher precision spraying feedback control.

[0042] Working principle and usage process of this invention: The present invention provides a car body painting robot with pipeline cleaning function. It has a compact structure and high integration, and can realize rapid switching between spraying and cleaning, self-driven cleaning inside the pipeline, and closed-loop feedback control of spraying quality.

[0043] The core principle of this invention is to continuously push the coating liquid or cleaning fluid through the conveying component 200 and the liquid flow tube group 300 set at the node of the servo robotic arm 100, and generate fluid disturbance and directional conveying by means of internal rotating elements to achieve efficient coating or cleaning.

[0044] 1. Spraying process Initialization: The control system starts, the servo robotic arm 100 completes positioning, and the sensors in the node box 120 begin to monitor the system pressure and flow in real time.

[0045] Coating mode switching: The central control module controls the multi-channel switching valve to switch the channel to the liquid flow channel 211, so that the paint enters the pump chamber 212.

[0046] Spraying process advancement: Drive motor 230 drives multiple conical combined axial flow discs 220 to rotate at high speed, forming an axial suction flow; After the coating enters the pipe 310, the screw conveyor blade 320 in the liquid flow pipe assembly 300 is driven to rotate by the worm gear driver 340, providing kinetic energy compensation and pushing force for the coating, ensuring that the fluid maintains a stable flow rate when flowing through the complex pipeline structure; The coating effect is detected by an identification module at the output end of the coating head 110, and the spraying speed and flow rate can be adjusted in real time.

[0047] Quality inspection: Color recognition cameras and thickness sensors simultaneously monitor the spraying quality, and the data is fed back to the central module for fine-tuning of spraying parameters.

[0048] The conveying component 200 drives the axial flow rotary disk 220 through the drive motor 230 to form a swirling liquid suction, which improves the coating conveying efficiency and prevents fluid accumulation; the screw conveyor blade 320 in the liquid flow pipe group 300 further propels the liquid in the fluid pipe 310, realizing efficient conveying of coatings in long-distance, multi-bend flow channels.

[0049] 2. Cleaning process Switching to cleaning mode: After the spraying is completed, the central control module controls the multi-channel switching valve to switch to the cleaning channel 213 to introduce the cleaning fluid into the system.

[0050] The cleaning fluid is driven through the system: the axial flow disc 220 continues to rotate, forming a negative pressure suction to introduce the cleaning fluid. At the same time, the screw conveyor blade 320 in the liquid flow tube assembly 300 rotates synchronously, fully pushing the cleaning fluid to the end of the system and agitating and stirring the attached residue.

[0051] Residual liquid discharge and recovery: After cleaning, the control system discharges or introduces the residual liquid into the recovery pipeline through backflushing or negative pressure to achieve closed-loop use.

[0052] In the description of this specification, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "specific embodiment," etc., refer to a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example, which is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0053] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A car body painting robot with pipeline cleaning function, characterized in that, include: The servo robotic arm (100), conveying assembly (200), and fluid pipe assembly (300) are provided. The execution end of the servo robotic arm (100) is provided with a coating head (110), and each joint surface of the servo robotic arm (100) is provided with a node box (120). The number of conveying assembly (200) and fluid pipe assembly (300) is several sets, and each conveying assembly (200) is fixed to the surface of the node box (120). The output end of the conveying assembly (200) is connected to the end of the fluid pipe assembly (300). The conveying assembly (200) includes a pump box (210), an axial flow disc (220), and a drive motor (230) fixed to one end of the pump box (210). The pump box (210) has a pump chamber (212) on its inner side. Several axial flow discs (220) are rotatably mounted on the inner side of the pump chamber (212) and connected to the output end of the drive motor (230). The pump box (210) also has a liquid flow channel (211) and a cleaning flow channel (213) communicating with the pump chamber (212). The liquid flow channel (211) and the cleaning flow channel (213) are used for the flow of coating paint and cleaning water, respectively. The number of axial flow disks (220) is several, and multiple axial flow disks (220) are combined with each other to form a conical structure to enhance the axial flow guidance effect of fluid propulsion; Each axial flow disc (220) includes a cap (221), a guide plate (222), and axial flow blades (223) fixed to the surface of the guide plate (222). The guide plate (222) and the axial flow blades (223) are both fixedly installed on the inner side of the cap (221). The node box (120) is internally equipped with a pressure sensor and a flow sensor for detecting the flow state of the coating, and the output ends of the pressure sensor and the flow sensor are electrically connected to the central control module of the coating robot to realize automatic early warning and flow closed-loop control. The pump box (210) is equipped with a multi-channel switching valve for controlling the switching between coating paint liquid and cleaning water liquid. The switching valve is connected to the liquid flow channel (211) and the cleaning flow channel (213) and is automatically driven by the central control module of the coating robot.

2. The car body painting robot with pipeline cleaning function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pump chamber (212) and the liquid flow pipe assembly (300) are provided with an anti-adhesion coating on their inner surfaces. The anti-adhesion coating is a polytetrafluoroethylene coating or other anti-sticking material with low surface energy.

3. The car body painting robot with pipeline cleaning function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fluid flow assembly (300) includes a pipe (310), an auger vane (320), and a rotary drum (330) rotatably mounted on one end of a pump box (210). A worm drive (340) is fixedly mounted on the surface of the pump box (210), and a worm gear ring (331) is fixedly sleeved on the surface of the rotary drum (330). The output end of the worm drive (340) meshes with the worm gear ring (331) for transmission. The auger vane (320) is rotatably mounted on the inside of the pipe (310) and one end is fixedly connected to the surface of the rotary drum (330). The end of the pump chamber (212) is connected to the inner cavity of the pipe (310) through the rotary drum (330).

4. A car body painting robot with pipeline cleaning function according to claim 3, characterized in that, The auger blade (320) has a spiral structure and is flexible to adapt to the curved shape of the pipe (310) and generate adaptive turbulent flow during the conveying process, thereby improving the conveying and cleaning efficiency. The outer periphery of the auger blade (320) slides against the inner wall of the pipe (310). The auger blade (320) is a low-carbon steel component with corrosion resistance.

5. A car body painting robot with pipeline cleaning function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The coating head (110) is connected to the liquid flow tube assembly (300) by a coating quality identification module, which includes a color recognition camera and a thickness sensor to detect the uniformity and adhesion of the coating.

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