Mechanical arm tail end tool butt joint device and butt joint method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of electric robots, in particular to a mechanical arm tail end tool butt joint device and method, the device comprises a mechanical arm tail end, a quick connection male head and a quick connection female head, one of the quick connection male head and the quick connection female head is arranged on the mechanical arm tail end, and the other one is arranged on a tool; the quick-connection female head comprises a first wrapping part, a second wrapping part and a locking assembly, the first wrapping part and the second wrapping part rotate relatively to wrap the quick-connection male head in a covering mode, or the first wrapping part and the second wrapping part do relative linear motion to wrap the quick-connection male head in a clamping mode, and the locking assembly is connected with the first wrapping part and the second wrapping part. The adjusting device is used for adjusting the opening and closing states of the first covering part and the second covering part. Firm butt joint of the quick-connection male head and the quick-connection female head is achieved in an automatic mode, and convenient operation is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electric robot technology, and in particular to a docking device and method for docking end effectors of a robotic arm. Background Technology

[0002] The rapid development of the national economy has placed higher demands on the reliability of power supply. However, power capacity expansion, equipment maintenance, and fault repair often necessitate power outages, severely impacting residents' lives and industrial and agricultural production. Therefore, power grid companies have an increasingly urgent need for live-line work (non-stop work). However, manual live-line work requires multiple people working together, is labor-intensive, physically demanding, and involves direct or indirect contact between the human body and live conductors, easily leading to safety accidents. Furthermore, the quality of manual connections is inconsistent, potentially causing line faults during subsequent operation. Therefore, developing fully automated robots capable of performing live-line work in place of manual labor is an excellent solution.

[0003] Fully automated robots use a robotic arm end effector to carry tools and implements tasks. Live-line work involves multiple steps, requiring the changing of different tools. The robotic arm is manipulated to pick up and place these tools. The tool docking device at the robotic arm end effector supports tool changing and typically includes a male and a female quick-connect connector. One of these connectors is located on the robotic arm end effector, and the other is attached to the tool. Achieving a secure and automated connection between these quick-connect connectors is a challenge that the industry needs to address. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a docking device and method for end effector of a robotic arm, which can realize a firm docking of quick-connect male and quick-connect female connectors.

[0005] This invention discloses a tool docking device for the end effector of a robotic arm, comprising: a quick-connect male connector and a quick-connect female connector separately disposed therefrom, wherein one of the quick-connect male connector and the quick-connect female connector is disposed on the end effector of the robotic arm, and the other of the quick-connect male connector and the quick-connect female connector is disposed on the tool. The quick-connect female connector includes a first covering, a second covering, and a locking assembly. The first covering and the second covering are movably connected and form an openable and closable positioning chamber by relative rotation. The positioning chamber covers the quick-connect male connector in a closing manner. Alternatively, the first covering and the second covering are movably connected and form an openable and closable positioning chamber by relative linear movement. The positioning chamber covers the quick-connect male connector in a clamping manner. The locking component connects the first cover and the second cover, and is used to adjust the opening and closing states of the first cover and the second cover.

[0006] Optionally, the quick-connect female is fixed to the bottom end of the tool, and the second covering can rotate relative to the first covering. The quick-connect male has a drum-shaped structure with a central diameter larger than the diameters at both ends. The first covering and the second covering cover the quick-connect male in a covering manner and form an arc-shaped clamp that mates with the end of the robotic arm. The first covering is provided with a first locking ear on each of its opposite sides, and the second covering is provided with a second locking ear on each of its opposite sides. The first locking ear and the second locking ear on the corresponding side are in a fitted state after the second covering is rotated and closed. The locking assembly includes a screw, a first screw head disposed at one end of the screw, and a clamping plate disposed at the other end of the screw. The second locking lug is provided with a threaded hole, and the shank of the screw is screwed into the threaded hole. The top end of the first locking lug is provided with an assembly groove, and when the second cover is rotated to close, the end of the screw connected to the clamping plate is fitted into the assembly groove.

[0007] Optionally, the quick-connect female connector is provided with a fixed base for fixing tools, the fixed base has an adapter groove, a rotating rod is rotatably connected in the adapter groove, the second covering is provided with an adapter arm, the adapter arm is fixedly connected to the rotating rod, a torsion spring is provided on the rotating rod, one end of the torsion spring is connected to the fixed base, and the other end of the torsion spring is connected to the adapter arm; and / or, A spring is provided on the outer side of the second covering, one end of the spring is connected to the fixed base, and the other end of the spring is connected to the second covering, so that the second covering can rotate and separate under the action of the torsion spring and / or the spring.

[0008] Optionally, a pressure plate is formed at the bottom of the second cover, so that the quick-connect male connector contacts the pressure plate after being inserted into the positioning chamber, and drives the second cover to rotate and close. A photocoupler sensor is provided at the bottom of the fixed base, and a guide hole is provided on the fixed base at the position of the photocoupler sensor. An elastic rod is provided in the guide hole, and a first contact block is provided at the top of the elastic rod. An extension rod is provided on the bottom surface of the lower pressure plate, and a second contact block is provided at the bottom end of the extension rod. After the second covering is rotated and closed, the lower pressure plate presses down on the elastic rod to move it to the light source of the photocoupler sensor to block it.

[0009] Optionally, the outer wall of the quick-connect male connector is provided with a first guide pin and a second guide pin that are radially protruding from the surface at equal intervals along the circumferential direction, and the ends of the first guide pin and the second guide pin are both bullet-shaped. The first covering is provided with a first limiting vertical hole corresponding to the first guide pin, and the second covering is provided with a second limiting vertical hole corresponding to the second guide pin.

[0010] Optionally, the quick-connect female connector is fixed to the end of the robotic arm, and the second covering member can move linearly relative to the first covering member, with the first covering member and the second covering member clamping the quick-connect male connector. The quick-connect female is provided with a positioning base for fixing the end of the robotic arm. A limiting groove is provided on the positioning base, and a guide rod is provided in the limiting groove. The first covering and the second covering are slidably disposed on the guide rod so that the first covering and the second covering can move relatively linearly along the guide rod. The locking assembly includes a lead screw and a second rotating head. The lead screw is located within the limiting groove, and both ends of the lead screw are rotatably connected to the positioning base. The second rotating head is located outside the positioning base and connected to the end of the lead screw. The lead screw is divided into a forward thread section and a reverse thread section along its length, and an isolation member is provided on the lead screw between the forward thread section and the reverse thread section. The first covering member is sleeved on the forward thread section through a lead screw drive pair, and the second covering member is sleeved on the reverse thread section through a lead screw drive pair.

[0011] Optionally, the quick-connect male connector has an internal cavity, and the cavity has an opening at the top of the quick-connect male connector; The opening has positioning grooves on both sides. The positioning grooves extend from the opening to the bottom of the quick-connect male connector and the groove width gradually decreases. The groove width at the bottom of the positioning groove matches the outer diameter of the lead screw.

[0012] The present invention also discloses a docking method based on the above-mentioned robotic arm end-effector docking device, comprising: A male connector label is affixed to the quick-connect male connector, and a female connector label is affixed to the quick-connect female connector. The docking method includes: A binocular camera is used to identify the position coordinates of the male connector label and the female connector label, and the relative pose information of the quick-connect male connector and the quick-connect female connector is calculated based on the identified position coordinates; Based on the acquired relative pose information, the quick-connect male connector is inserted into the positioning cavity opened by the first cover and the second cover; When the identified relative pose information includes the quick-connect male and quick-connect female fully aligned, an auxiliary robotic arm is used to screw the locking assembly to lock the first and second covering components in a closed state.

[0013] Optionally, the first covering and the second covering rotate relative to each other to cover the quick-connect male connector in a closed manner, the quick-connect female connector is fixed to the bottom end of the tool, and the second covering can rotate relative to the first covering; The first covering is provided with a first locking ear on each of its opposite sides, and the second covering is provided with a second locking ear on each of its opposite sides. The first locking ear and the second locking ear on the corresponding side are in a fitted state after the second covering is rotated and closed. The locking assembly includes a screw, a first rotating head disposed at one end of the screw, and a clamping plate disposed at the other end of the screw; The second locking lug is provided with a threaded hole, and the rod of the screw is screwed into the threaded hole. The top of the first locking lug is provided with an assembly groove. The docking method includes: After the second cover is rotated and closed, the first screw head is turned by an auxiliary robotic arm until the clamping plate presses the first locking ear tightly between the clamping plate and the second locking ear; The number of turns the auxiliary robotic arm makes to rotate the first rotating head is compared with a preset threshold number of turns. Based on the comparison result, it is determined whether the clamping plate has clamped the first locking ear.

[0014] Optionally, the first covering and the second covering move linearly relative to each other to clamp and cover the quick-connect male connector; The locking assembly includes a lead screw and second screw heads located at both ends of the lead screw. The lead screw is divided into a forward thread section and a reverse thread section along its length. The first covering is sleeved on the forward thread section through a lead screw drive pair, and the second covering is sleeved on the reverse thread section through a lead screw drive pair. The mother-head identification label includes sub-labels respectively affixed to the surfaces of the first cover and the second cover; The docking method includes: An auxiliary robotic arm is used to rotate the second rotating head, and the first covering component and the second covering component move in opposite directions to open or close the positioning chamber; During the process of closing the positioning chamber, the binocular camera is used to identify the two sub-tags, calculate the relative distance between the first covering and the second covering, and determine whether the auxiliary robotic arm tightens the second rotating head based on the calculated relative distance.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the robotic arm end-effector docking device and docking method provided in this embodiment of the invention are as follows: By placing one of the quick-connect male and female connectors on the end of a robotic arm, and the other on a tool, the relative positions of the quick-connect male and female connectors are adjusted by moving the end of the robotic arm. After the quick-connect male connector enters the positioning chamber of the quick-connect female connector in an open state and is adjusted into position, the first and second covering components cover the quick-connect male connector in a covering or clamping manner. The locking component can adjust the opening and closing states of the first and second covering components for locking and unlocking the first and second covering components. The device has a simple composition and supports automated docking of the quick-connect male and female connectors, achieving convenient operation. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the ready-to-connect state of the quick-connect female and quick-connect male connectors in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the state of the quick-connect male connector being inserted into the quick-connect female connector in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the quick-connect female connector in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the quick-connect male connector in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the layout of the female and male identification labels in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the ready-to-connect state of the quick-connect female and quick-connect male connectors in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the state of the quick-connect male connector being inserted into the quick-connect female connector in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the quick-connect female connector in Embodiment 2 of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the quick-connect male connector in Embodiment 2 of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram showing the state of the quick-connect female and quick-connect male connectors after they are connected in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0017] The markings in the attached diagram are as follows: 1. Robotic arm end effector; 2. Quick-connect male connector; 21. First guide pin; 22. Opening; 221. Positioning groove; 3. Quick-connect female connector; 31. First cover; 311. First limiting vertical hole; 312. First locking lug; 313. Assembly groove; 32. Second cover; 321. Adapter arm; 322. Second locking lug; 323. Lower pressure plate; 324. Extension rod; 3241. Second contact block; 33. Locking assembly; 331. Screw; 332. First screw... 333. Head; 334. Clamping plate; 335. Lead screw; 336. Second rotating head; 337. Forward thread section; 338. Reverse thread section; 34. Isolator; 35. Fixed base; 36. Rotating rod; 37. Torsion spring; 38. Optical coupler sensor; 39. Elastic rod; 30. First contact block; 31. Positioning base; 32. Guide rod; 33. Arc-shaped clamp; 34. Square clamp; 35. Female head identification label; 36. Male head identification label; 37. Tool. Detailed Implementation

[0018] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] This invention discloses a docking device and method for docking end effectors of a robotic arm. Figure 1 and Figure 4 Two embodiments of the robotic arm end effector docking device are given respectively. Among them, Figure 1 Tool 8 is not displayed. Figure 5 The image shows 8 tools and equipment.

[0020] I. Example 1 Figures 1-5 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, the end effector docking device of the robotic arm includes: a quick-connect male connector 2 and a quick-connect female connector 3, which are separately arranged. One of the quick-connect male connector 2 and the quick-connect female connector 3 is disposed on the end effector 1 of the robotic arm, and the other of the quick-connect male connector 2 and the quick-connect female connector 3 is disposed on the tool 8.

[0022] In this embodiment, tool 8 is a wire gripper or a wire stripper and wire connection module integrated head.

[0023] In this embodiment, the end effector 1 of the robotic arm is an insulating rod, used to maintain a safe distance between the robot and the live cable.

[0024] In this embodiment, the end effector 1 of the robotic arm is mounted on a multi-degree-of-freedom, high-load robotic arm. The end effector tool docking device is used to realize the automatic tool changing 8 of the end effector of the multi-degree-of-freedom, high-load robotic arm. During the process, an auxiliary robotic arm is used to assist in the operation to support fully automated operation.

[0025] The quick-connect female connector 3 includes a first cover 31, a second cover 32, and a locking component 33.

[0026] The locking component 33 is connected to the first covering component 31 and the second covering component 32, and is used to adjust the opening and closing state of the first covering component 31 and the second covering component 32.

[0027] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 In this embodiment, the first covering part 31 and the second covering part 32 are movably connected and form a positioning chamber that can be opened and closed by relative rotation. The positioning chamber covers the quick connector male 2 in a closing manner.

[0028] Through the implementation of the above embodiment of the robotic arm end-effector docking device, a quick-connect male connector 2 and a quick-connect female connector 3 are separately set, one of which is set on the robotic arm end-effector 1 and the other is set on the tool 8. The appropriate assembly method can be selected according to the specific structure of the quick-connect male connector 2 and the quick-connect female connector 3, providing more options for docking between the robotic arm end-effector 1 and the tool 8, facilitating the optimized layout of the docking structure, and laying the foundation for subsequent clamping and locking operations.

[0029] In this embodiment, the first covering member 31 and the second covering member 32 are connected to achieve relative rotation and dynamically form an openable and closable positioning chamber. The positioning chamber covers the quick connector male 2 in an all-round manner in a closed manner.

[0030] In this embodiment, the first covering member 31 and the second covering member 32 fully cover the quick-connect male connector 2 to ensure the limiting effect and ensure a stable connection between the quick-connect male connector 2 and the quick-connect female connector 3 after docking.

[0031] As described above, the first covering 31 and the second covering 32 are locked by the locking component 33. In this embodiment, the locking component 33 is adjusted mechanically and does not include an electric drive module such as a motor, which helps to minimize the size of the design and avoid the power supply harness getting tangled in the end of the robotic arm 1, thus affecting the operation.

[0032] In this embodiment, the quick-connect female connector 3 is fixed to the bottom end of the tool 8, and the second cover 32 can rotate relative to the first cover 31.

[0033] See Figure 3 In this embodiment, the quick-connect female connector 3 is provided with a fixed base 34 for fixing the tool 8, which provides a stable bearing foundation.

[0034] A transition groove is provided on the fixed base 34, and a rotating rod 341 is rotatably connected in the transition groove. A transition arm 321 is provided on the second covering part 32, and the transition arm 321 is fixedly connected to the rotating rod 341.

[0035] In this embodiment, a torsion spring 342 is provided on the rotating rod 341. One end of the torsion spring 342 is connected to the fixed base 34, and the other end of the torsion spring 342 is connected to the adapter arm 321.

[0036] The torsion spring 342 ensures that when the locking assembly 33 releases the locking of the first cover 31 and the second cover 32, the second cover 32 can quickly and automatically rotate to separate and open the positioning chamber, thus improving operational efficiency.

[0037] In other embodiments, a spring is provided on the outer side of the second covering member 32, one end of the spring is connected to the fixed base 34, and the other end of the spring is connected to the second covering member 32, so that the second covering member 32 can rotate and separate under the action of the spring elastic force.

[0038] See Figure 1 and Figure 3 In this embodiment, the quick-connect male connector 2 has a drum-shaped structure with a central diameter larger than the diameters at both ends. The first covering member 31 and the second covering member 32 cover the quick-connect male connector 2 in a covering manner, and form an arc-shaped clamp 4 that cooperates with the end of the robotic arm 1.

[0039] After docking, the drum-shaped structure helps to align the quick-connect male connector 2 along the axial direction of the robotic arm end cap 1 (see [link]). Figure 2 Limiting is performed on the dotted lines C1-C2 in the diagram. The arc-shaped clamp 4 ensures that it fits snugly against the columnar outer wall of the end effector 1 of the robotic arm.

[0040] See Figure 3 In this embodiment, the first covering member 31 is provided with first locking ears 312 on opposite sides, and the second covering member 32 is provided with second locking ears 322 on opposite sides. The first locking ears 312 and the corresponding second locking ears 322 are in a fitted state after the second covering member 32 is rotated and closed.

[0041] In this embodiment, the locking component 33 includes a screw 331, a first screw head 332 disposed at one end of the screw 331, and a clamping plate 333 disposed at the other end of the screw 331. The second locking lug 322 is provided with a threaded hole, and the rod body of the screw 331 is screwed into the threaded hole. The top end of the first locking lug 312 is provided with an assembly groove 313, and when the second covering 32 rotates to close, the end of the screw 331 connected to the clamping plate 333 is fitted into the assembly groove 313.

[0042] The first locking lug 312 and the corresponding second locking lug 322 are in a fitted state after the second covering 32 is rotated and closed, providing a stable and reliable force application basis for the locking assembly 33.

[0043] In this embodiment, the first rotating head 332 is adapted to assist the robotic arm in performing a rotating operation to lock the locking component 33.

[0044] See Figures 1-3 When the first covering part 31 and the second covering part 32 are closed, the screw 331 on the second covering part 32 is inserted into the mounting groove 313 of the first locking ear 312 on the first covering part 31. When locking is required, the first rotating head 332 drives the screw 331 to rotate until the end clamping piece 333 rotates and presses against the outer surface of the first locking ear 312, so that the first locking ear 312 and the second locking ear 322 are tightly pressed together, thereby achieving rigid locking of the first covering part 31 and the second covering part 32 in the closed state. This locking method has a simple structure, large locking force and reliable self-locking.

[0045] In this embodiment, a lower pressure plate 323 is formed at the bottom of the second covering member 32, so that the quick-connect male connector 2 contacts the lower pressure plate 323 after being inserted into the positioning chamber, and drives the second covering member 32 to rotate and close.

[0046] By setting the lower pressure plate 323, the second covering 32 automatically closes after the quick-connect male connector 2 is adjusted into position in the positioning chamber during the docking process. Specifically, after the quick-connect male connector 2 moves forward in the positioning chamber until it abuts the lower pressure plate 323, it then moves downward toward the inner wall of the first covering 31 so that the columnar outer wall of the robotic arm end 1 fits against the arc-shaped clamp 4. During the downward movement of the quick-connect male connector 2, because it is pressed tightly against the lower pressure plate 323, it drives the lower pressure plate 323 to move downward toward the inner wall of the first covering 31 to overcome the elastic force of the torsion spring 342, thereby causing the second covering 32 to close automatically.

[0047] See Figure 3 In this embodiment, an optocoupler sensor 343 is provided at the bottom of the fixed base 34, and a guide hole is provided on the fixed base 34 at the position of the optocoupler sensor 343. An elastic rod 344 is provided in the guide hole, and a first contact block 3441 is provided at the top of the elastic rod 344. An extension rod 324 is provided on the bottom surface of the lower pressure plate 323, and a second contact block 3241 is provided at the bottom of the extension rod 324. After the second covering 32 rotates and closes, the extension rod 324 presses down on the elastic rod 344, and the elastic rod 344 moves to the optocoupler sensor 343 to block it, so as to know that the second covering 32 is in the closed state.

[0048] In this embodiment, the elastic rod 344 includes a base rod and a spring disposed in the guide hole. After the lower pressure plate 323 moves away from the top of the elastic rod 344, the elastic rod 344 can automatically move upward to reset.

[0049] See Figure 4 In this embodiment, the outer wall of the quick-connect male connector 2 is provided with a first guide pin 21 and a second guide pin (not shown in the figure) that are radially protruding from the surface at equal intervals along the circumferential direction, and the ends of the first guide pin 21 and the second guide pin are both bullet-shaped.

[0050] See Figure 3 In this embodiment, the first covering 31 is provided with a first limiting vertical hole 311 corresponding to the first guide pin 21, and the second covering 32 is provided with a second limiting vertical hole (not shown in the figure) corresponding to the second guide pin.

[0051] In this example, the first limiting vertical hole 311 is elongated. After docking, the long side of the first limiting vertical hole 311 extends parallel to the axis of the robotic arm end 1.

[0052] During the docking adjustment process, the first guide pin 21 is used for coarse positioning of the quick-connect male connector 2. When the first guide pin 21 enters the first limiting vertical hole 311, the first limiting vertical hole 311 limits the circumferential deflection of the quick-connect male connector 2. The quick-connect male connector 2 can only move in small steps along the long side of the first limiting vertical hole 311, providing some redundancy for the second covering part 32 to close and for the second guide pin to insert into the second limiting vertical hole. After the second covering part 32 is fully closed, the second guide pin is fully inserted into the second limiting vertical hole, and the first guide pin 21 is fully inserted into the first limiting vertical hole 311. The drum-shaped structure of the quick-connect male connector 2 limits its axial movement, thus limiting the quick-connect male connector 2 in both the axial and circumferential directions.

[0053] In this embodiment, one of the quick-connect male connector 2 and quick-connect female connector 3 is mounted on the end effector 1 of the robotic arm, while the other is mounted on the tool 8. The robotic arm end effector 1 is used to adjust the relative positions of the quick-connect male connector 2 and quick-connect female connector 3, allowing the quick-connect male connector 2 to enter the positioning chamber of the quick-connect female connector 3 in its open state and be properly positioned. Then, the first covering member 31 and the second covering member 32 cover the quick-connect male connector 2 in a covering or clamping manner. The locking component 33 can adjust the opening and closing states of the first covering member 31 and the second covering member 32, used for locking and unlocking the first covering member 31 and the second covering member 32. The device has a simple composition and supports automated docking of the quick-connect male connector 2 and quick-connect female connector 3, achieving convenient operation.

[0054] In this embodiment, the tool 8 is a wire gripper or an integrated wire stripping and splicing module head, which is relatively heavy. During the splicing process, the tool 8 can only be moved after ensuring that the quick-connect male connector 2 and quick-connect female connector 3 are securely connected. Otherwise, the safety risk caused by the tool 8 falling is too great. In this embodiment, the end effector 1 of the moving robotic arm adjusts the quick-connect male connector 2 into position in the positioning chamber. By screwing the locking component 33 with the auxiliary robotic arm, the first covering component 31 and the second covering component 32 are locked, thereby fixing the connection between the quick-connect male connector 2 and the quick-connect female connector 3. The tool 8 does not need to be moved during the entire process, thus effectively avoiding the risk of the tool 8 falling.

[0055] II. Example 2 Figures 6-10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0056] See Figure 6 and Figure 7 Unlike the previous embodiment, in this embodiment, the first covering member 31 and the second covering member 32 are movably connected and form an opening and closing positioning chamber by means of relative linear movement. The positioning chamber covers the quick connector male 2 in a clamping manner.

[0057] In this embodiment, the first covering member 31 and the second covering member 32 achieve relative linear movement through a movable connection, dynamically forming an openable and closable positioning chamber, which then tightly covers the quick connector male 2 in a clamping manner.

[0058] See Figure 6 and Figure 7 In this embodiment, the quick-connect female connector 3 is fixed to the end of the robotic arm 1, and the quick-connect male connector 2 is fixed to the end of the tool 8.

[0059] See Figure 9 In this embodiment, the quick-connect male connector 2 is square in shape, and the edges of the square are processed into rounded surfaces. A cavity is formed inside the quick-connect male connector 2, and an opening 22 is formed at the top of the cavity. Positioning grooves 221 are formed on opposite sides of the opening 22. The positioning grooves 221 extend from the opening 22 to the bottom of the quick-connect male connector 2 and the groove width gradually decreases.

[0060] See Figure 8 and Figure 10 In this embodiment, the first covering member 31 and the second covering member 32 cover the quick connector male 2 in a clamping manner, and form a square clamp 5 that matches the quick connector male 2.

[0061] See Figure 8In this embodiment, the quick-connect female connector 3 is provided with a positioning base 35 for fixing the end of the robotic arm 1. The positioning base 35 is provided with a limiting groove, and a guide rod 351 is provided in the limiting groove. The first covering member 31 and the second covering member 32 are slidably disposed on the guide rod 351 so that the first covering member 31 and the second covering member 32 can move relatively linearly along the guide rod 351.

[0062] See Figure 8 In this embodiment, the locking component 33 includes a lead screw 334 and a second rotating head 335. The lead screw 334 is located in the limiting groove, and both ends of the lead screw 334 are rotatably connected to the positioning base 35. The second rotating head 335 is located on the outside of the positioning base 35 and connected to the end of the lead screw 334. The lead screw 334 is divided into a forward thread section 336 and a reverse thread section 337 along its length direction. An isolation member 338 is provided on the lead screw 334 between the forward thread section 336 and the reverse thread section 337. The first covering member 31 is sleeved on the forward thread section 336 through the lead screw transmission pair, and the second covering member 32 is sleeved on the reverse thread section 337 through the lead screw transmission pair.

[0063] In this embodiment, two second rotating heads 335 are symmetrically arranged on the outer walls of opposite sides of the positioning base 35, which are suitable for assisting the robotic arm in turning to lock the locking component 33. Since the number of second rotating heads 335 is greater than the number of first rotating heads 332 in Embodiment 1, there are more working points for assisting the robotic arm in adjusting its posture to perform the turning operation.

[0064] In this embodiment, the width of the bottom of the positioning groove 221 matches the outer diameter of the lead screw 334. The openings of the positioning grooves 221 on both sides of the opening 22 of the quick connector male 2 are relatively large, providing a certain amount of space redundancy for the lead screw to be adjusted into the positioning groove 221.

[0065] III. Connection Method The present invention also discloses a docking method based on the above-mentioned robotic arm end-effector docking device, comprising: A male connector label 7 is affixed to the quick-connect male connector 2, and a female connector label 6 is affixed to the quick-connect female connector 3.

[0066] A binocular camera is used to identify the position coordinates of the male connector label 7 and the female connector label 6, and the relative pose information of the quick-connect male connector 2 and quick-connect female connector 3 is calculated based on the identified position coordinates. Based on the acquired relative pose information, the quick-connect male connector 2 is inserted into the positioning cavity opened by the first cover 31 and the second cover 32; When the identified relative pose information includes the quick-connect male connector 2 and quick-connect female connector 3 being fully connected, the locking component 33 is screwed on by an auxiliary robotic arm to lock the closed state of the first cover 31 and the second cover 32.

[0067] See Figure 5 In Embodiment 1, the female head identification label 6 includes sub-labels 61 respectively attached to the outer surface of the second locking ears 322 on both sides of the second cover 32, and the male head identification label 7 is attached to the end of the robotic arm.

[0068] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 In Embodiment 1, when the identified relative pose information includes the quick-connect male connector 2 being inserted into the positioning chamber, an auxiliary robotic arm is used to screw the first screw head 332 until the clamping plate 333 presses the first locking ear 312 tightly between the clamping plate 333 and the second locking ear 322.

[0069] In the first embodiment, the number of turns of the auxiliary robotic arm turning the first rotating head 332 is compared with a preset number of turns threshold, and the clamping plate 333 is used to determine whether the first locking ear 312 is clamped based on the comparison result.

[0070] See Figure 6 and Figure 7 In Embodiment 2, the arranged female header identification label 6 includes sub-labels 61 respectively attached to the surfaces of the first cover 31 and the second cover 32.

[0071] In Example 2, when the identified relative pose information includes the insertion of the quick-connect male connector 2 into the positioning chamber, an auxiliary robotic arm is used to screw the second rotating head 335, and a binocular camera is used to identify the position coordinates of the two sub-labels 61.

[0072] In Example 2, the average pose of the two sub-labels 61 is calculated by identifying their position coordinates in order to determine the pose of the quick connector 3, which helps to reduce errors and improve recognition accuracy.

[0073] See Figure 7 In the second embodiment, the relative distance between the first covering part 31 and the second covering part 32 is calculated based on the position coordinates of the two sub-labels 61, and the auxiliary robotic arm is used to determine whether the second rotating head 335 is tightened based on the calculated relative distance.

[0074] In Example 2, the recognition of relative pose information is based on coordinate system matrix transformation, which takes the following form:

[0075] Wherein, base and target are two coordinate systems used to describe the assumption of relative pose relationship, namely the base coordinate system and the target coordinate system; This represents the rotation matrix, used to describe the orientation of the target coordinate system relative to the base coordinate system. This represents the translation vector, used to describe the coordinates of the origin of the target coordinate system in the base coordinate system. This represents the general transformation matrix.

[0076] The pose of each label is identified using a binocular camera:

[0077]

[0078]

[0079] in: The superscript cam indicates the camera coordinate system. In the technical solution of this invention, a stereo camera is used. The origin of the camera coordinate system is located at the optical center of the left camera of the stereo camera. The X-axis of the camera coordinate system is horizontal from left to right along the imaging plane, the Y-axis is vertical from top to bottom along the imaging plane, and the Z-axis is along the optical axis pointing in front of the stereo camera. The left camera of the stereo camera is the camera facing left when viewed from the back of the stereo camera to the front.

[0080] "tool" refers to the coordinate system of the markings on the end effector, specifically the coordinate system corresponding to the male marking label 7 on the quick-connect male connector 2 in Embodiment 2. The origin of this coordinate system is at the center of the male marking label 7. The X-axis runs horizontally from left to right along the male marking label 7, the Y-axis runs vertically from top to bottom along the male marking label 7, and the Z-axis runs perpendicular to the plane of the male marking label 7 and forward. The left side of the male marking label 7 is the side facing left when viewed from the top of the end effector towards the end of the end effector, and the right side is the side facing right when viewed from the top of the end effector towards the end of the end effector.

[0081] The transformation matrix represents the coordinate system of the marking on the end effector relative to the camera coordinate system. In embodiment two, it is the transformation matrix of the coordinate system of the male connector marking label 7 on the quick-connect male connector 2 relative to the camera coordinate system. The subscript tool_org indicates the origin of the coordinate system on the end effector, which in Embodiment 2 is the center of the male head label 7; `left_ir` represents the coordinate system corresponding to the left sub-label 61 of the insulating rod. Looking from the end of the insulating rod towards its initial end, the left sub-label 61 is positioned to the left compared to the right sub-label 61. The origin and axis directions of the coordinate system corresponding to the left sub-label 61 are defined the same as those of the coordinate system on the end tool. The subscript left_ir_org indicates the origin of the identification coordinate system corresponding to the sub-label 61 on the left side of the insulating rod; The subscript `right_ir` indicates the coordinate system corresponding to the right sub-label 61 on the insulating rod. The right sub-label 61 on the insulating rod refers to the sub-label 61 located slightly to the right of the initial end of the insulating rod when viewed from the end of the insulating rod. The origin and coordinate axis directions of the coordinate system corresponding to the right sub-label 61 are defined in the same way as those of the coordinate system on the end tool. The subscript right_ir_org indicates the origin of the identification coordinate system corresponding to the sub-label 61 on the right side of the insulating rod; This represents the transformation matrix of the coordinate system of one of the sub-labels 61 of the quick connector 3 relative to the camera coordinate system; This represents the transformation matrix of the coordinate system of another sub-label 61 of the quick connector 3 relative to the camera coordinate system.

[0082] To reduce recognition and pasting errors, the poses of the two sub-labels 61 on the quick-connect female connector 3 were averaged (the position is the average of the centers of the two sub-labels 61), resulting in the transformation matrix of the coordinate system of the female connector label 6 on the quick-connect female connector 3 relative to the camera coordinate system. In this context, the subscript ir represents the average coordinate system of the two sub-labels 61 on the quick connector 3. The origin of the average coordinate system is the average of the origin of the identification coordinate system corresponding to the left sub-label 61 of the insulating rod and the origin of the identification coordinate system corresponding to the right sub-label 61 of the insulating rod. The coordinate axes are calculated based on the attitude algorithm.

[0083] For subsequent fine-tuning, the transformation matrix of the coordinate system of male connector label 7 on quick-connect male connector 2 relative to the coordinate system of female connector label 6 on quick-connect female connector 3 was also calculated. The calculation formula is:

[0084] in, It is a column vector composed of relative positions x, y, and z.

[0085] It should be understood that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit them. Those skilled in the art can modify the technical solutions described in the above embodiments, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features; and all such modifications and substitutions should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A robot end effector docking device, characterized by, The utility model relates to a quick connector, which comprises: a quick male connector (2) and a quick female connector (3) arranged separately, one of the quick male connector (2) and the quick female connector (3) is arranged on the end of a mechanical arm (1), and the other of the quick male connector (2) and the quick female connector (3) is arranged on a tool; the quick female connector (3) comprises a first cover (31), a second cover (32), and a locking assembly (33), the first cover (31) and the second cover (32) are movably connected and form a positioning cavity capable of being opened and closed through relative rotation, the positioning cavity forms a cover for the quick male connector (2) in a covering manner, or the first cover (31) and the second cover (32) are movably connected and form a positioning cavity capable of being opened and closed through relative linear motion, the positioning cavity forms a cover for the quick male connector (2) in a clamping manner; the locking assembly (33) is connected to the first cover (31) and the second cover (32) and is used for adjusting the opening and closing state of the first cover (31) and the second cover (32).

2. The robotic arm end effector docking device of claim 1, wherein: The quick female connector (3) is fixedly arranged at the bottom end of the tool, the second cover (32) can rotate relative to the first cover (31), the quick male connector (2) has a drum-shaped structure with a larger diameter in the middle than at both ends, the first cover (31) and the second cover (32) cover the quick male connector (2) in a covering manner and form an arc-shaped clamping opening (6) matched with the end of the mechanical arm (1); the first cover (31) is provided with first locking ears (312) on opposite sides, the second cover (32) is provided with second locking ears (322) on opposite sides, and the first locking ear (312) and the second locking ear (322) on the corresponding side are in a close state after the second cover (32) is rotated and closed; the locking assembly (33) comprises a screw rod (331), a first rotating head (332) arranged at one end of the screw rod (331), and a pressing piece (333) arranged at the other end of the screw rod (331), the second locking ear (322) is provided with a threaded hole, the rod body of the screw rod (331) is screwed with the threaded hole, the top end of the first locking ear (312) is provided with an assembly groove (313), and when the second cover (32) is rotated and closed, the end portion of the pressing piece (333) connected with the screw rod (331) is matched and arranged in the assembly groove (313).

3. The robotic arm end effector docking device of claim 2, wherein: The quick female head (3) is provided with a fixing base (34) for fixing a tool, the fixing base (34) is provided with an adapter slot, a rotating rod (341) is rotatably connected in the adapter slot, the second cover (32) is provided with an adapter arm (321), the adapter arm (321) is fixedly connected with the rotating rod (341), the rotating rod (341) is provided with a torsional spring (342), one end of the torsional spring (342) is connected with the fixing base (34), and the other end of the torsional spring (342) is connected with the adapter arm (321); and / or, The outer side of the second cover (32) is provided with a spring, one end of the spring is connected with the fixing base (34), and the other end of the spring is connected with the second cover (32), so that the second cover (32) is rotated and separated under the action of the torsional spring (342) and / or the spring.

4. The robotic arm end effector docking device of claim 3, wherein: The bottom of the second cover (32) is formed with a pressing plate (323), so that the quick male head (2) contacts the pressing plate (323) after being inserted into the positioning cavity, and drives the second cover (32) to rotate and cover; The bottom of the fixing base (34) is provided with a photoelectric sensor (343), and the fixing base (34) is provided with a guide hole at the position of the photoelectric sensor (343), and the guide hole is provided with an elastic rod (344), the top end of the elastic rod (344) is provided with a first contact block, the bottom surface of the pressing plate (323) is provided with an extension rod (324), and the bottom end of the extension rod (324) is provided with a second contact block, so that the pressing plate (323) presses the elastic rod (344) to move to the light source of the photoelectric sensor (343) to block after the second cover (32) is rotated and covered.

5. The robotic arm end effector docking device of claim 2, wherein: The outer wall of the quick male head (2) is provided with first guide pins (21) and second guide pins which protrude radially from the surface at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and the ends of the first guide pins (21) and the second guide pins are in bullet head structure; The first cover (31) is provided with a first limiting vertical hole (311) corresponding to the first guide pin (21), and the second cover (32) is provided with a second limiting vertical hole corresponding to the second guide pin.

6. The robotic arm end effector docking device of claim 1, wherein: The quick female head (3) is fixed to the mechanical arm end (1), and the second cover (32) can move linearly relative to the first cover (31), and the first cover (31) and the second cover (32) cover the quick male head (2) in a clamping manner. The quick female head (3) is provided with a positioning base (35) for fixing the mechanical arm end (1), the positioning base (35) is provided with a limiting groove, a guide rod (351) is arranged in the limiting groove, and the first cover (31) and the second cover (32) are slidably arranged on the guide rod (351), so that the first cover (31) and the second cover (32) move linearly along the guide rod (351); The locking assembly (33) includes a lead screw (334) and a second rotary head (335), the lead screw (334) is located in the limiting groove, and the two ends of the lead screw (334) are rotatably connected with the positioning base (35), the second rotary head (335) is located outside the positioning base (35) and connected with the end of the lead screw (334), the lead screw (334) is divided into a forward threaded section (336) and a reverse threaded section (337) along the length direction, and a separation piece (338) is arranged on the lead screw (334) between the forward threaded section (336) and the reverse threaded section (337), the first cover (31) is sleeved on the forward threaded section (336) through a lead screw transmission pair, and the second cover (32) is sleeved on the reverse threaded section (337) through a lead screw transmission pair.

7. The robotic arm end effector docking device of claim 6, wherein: The quick male head (2) is internally formed with a cavity, and the cavity is formed with an open mouth (22) at the top of the quick male head (2); The open mouth (22) is provided with a positioning groove (221) on the opposite sides, the positioning groove (221) extends from the open mouth (22) to the bottom of the quick male head (2) and gradually reduces in groove width, and the groove width at the bottom of the positioning groove (221) matches the outer diameter of the lead screw (334).

8. A docking method of the mechanical arm end tool docking device according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, A male head identification label (7) is attached to the quick male head (2), and a female head identification label (6) is attached to the quick female head (3); The docking method comprises: A binocular camera is used to identify the position coordinates of the male head identification label (7) and the female head identification label (6), and the relative pose information of the quick male head (2) and the quick female head (3) is calculated according to the identified position coordinates; According to the obtained relative pose information, the quick male head (2) is inserted into the positioning cavity with the first cover (31) and the second cover (32) opened; When the identified relative pose information includes that the quick male head (2) and the quick female head (3) are completely docked, an auxiliary mechanical arm is used to screw the locking assembly (33) to lock the closed state of the first cover (31) and the second cover (32).

9. The docking method of claim 8, wherein, The first cover (31) and the second cover (32) are relatively rotated to cover the quick male head (2) in a cover closing manner, the quick female head (3) is fixed to the bottom end of the tool, and the second cover (32) is relatively rotatable with the first cover (31); The first cover (31) is provided with a first locking lug (312) on each opposite side, the second cover (32) is provided with a second locking lug (322) on each opposite side, and the first locking lug (312) and the second locking lug (322) on the corresponding side are in a fit state after the second cover (32) is rotated and closed; The locking assembly (33) comprises a screw rod (331), a first rotating head (332) provided at one end of the screw rod (331), and a pressing piece (333) provided at the other end of the screw rod (331); The second locking lug (322) is provided with a threaded hole, and the rod body of the screw rod (331) is screwed with the threaded hole, and the top end of the first locking lug (312) is provided with an assembly groove (313); The method comprises: After the second cover (32) is rotated and closed, the first rotating head (332) is screwed by an auxiliary mechanical arm until the pressing piece (333) tightly presses the first locking lug (312) between the pressing piece (333) and the second locking lug (322); The number of turns of the first rotating head (332) screwed by the auxiliary mechanical arm is compared with a preset number of turns threshold, and whether the pressing piece (333) tightly presses the first locking lug (312) is determined according to the comparison result.

10. The docking method of claim 8, wherein, The first cover (31) and the second cover (32) are relatively linearly moved to cover the quick male head (2) in a clamping manner; The locking assembly (33) comprises a lead screw (334) and a second rotating head (335) located at both ends of the lead screw, the lead screw (334) is divided into a forward threaded segment (336) and a reverse threaded segment (337) along its length direction, the first cover (31) is sleeved on the forward threaded segment (336) through a lead screw transmission pair, and the second cover (32) is sleeved on the reverse threaded segment (337) through a lead screw transmission pair; The female head identification label (6) comprises sub-labels attached to the surfaces of the first cover (31) and the second cover (32) respectively; The method comprises: The second rotating head (335) is screwed by an auxiliary mechanical arm, and the first cover (31) and the second cover (32) are moved in opposite directions to open or close the positioning chamber; During the process of closing the positioning chamber, the two sub-labels are identified by the binocular camera, the relative distance between the first cover (31) and the second cover (32) is calculated, and whether the second rotating head (335) is tightened by the auxiliary mechanical arm is determined according to the calculated relative distance.

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