Wheel carrying and overturning manipulator and clamping and overturning method

Abstract

The invention discloses a wheel carrying and overturning manipulator and a clamping and overturning method, belongs to the technical field of manipulators, and aims to solve the problems of poor flexibility, low safety and insufficient precision of existing wheel carrying and overturning equipment. The manipulator comprises a gantry type rack, a clamping driving mechanism, an overturning driving mechanism, a wheel clamping gripper and a control module, the clamping driving mechanism adopts a clamping servo motor to drive a ball screw to compress a belleville spring, so that a clamping mode of electric control compression and mechanical retention is formed, and the clamping force can still be maintained after power failure; the control module is provided with safety interlocking logic, a reset button needs to be pressed firstly to enter a ready-to-loosen state, and then a loosen button is pressed to loosen the wheel; the V-shaped clamping wheel supports rapid production changing; the turnover driving mechanism supports a manual mode and an automatic mode, and accurate turnover at any angle or a preset angle can be achieved. The device has the advantages of being flexible in movement, safe in clamping, accurate in overturning and suitable for multiple specifications.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotic arm technology, specifically to a wheel handling and flipping robotic arm and a clamping and flipping method. Background Technology

[0002] In the manufacturing, processing, and assembly of rail transit wheels, it is frequently necessary to handle and rotate various types of wheels at different angles. Currently, common solutions in the industry have the following shortcomings:

[0003] 1. Using gantry robots: Their working area is fixed, the equipment investment is high, the system is complex, and it is difficult to adapt to the operation requirements of mobile or flexible workstations.

[0004] 2. Using simple lifting tools or frame cranes: These can only achieve the function of handling and cannot perform precise angle flipping. The operation process relies on manual assistance, which carries the risk of workpiece slippage and collision, resulting in low safety, high labor intensity, and easy scratches on the precision surfaces of wheels.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a specialized handling and flipping device that is flexible, safe, reliable, precise, and adaptable to various wheel sizes. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the aforementioned deficiencies of the prior art and provide a wheel handling and flipping robot and a clamping and flipping method. This robot aims to achieve the following objectives: it is mobile, flexibly serving different workstations; the clamping mechanism is safe and reliable, with power-off protection to prevent accidental workpiece detachment; the flipping angle is precisely adjustable, meeting the rapid production changeover needs of wheels of different specifications; the entire operation process has safety interlocks to minimize the risk of misoperation.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] In one aspect, the present invention provides a wheel handling and flipping robot, comprising a gantry frame, a clamping drive mechanism, a flipping drive mechanism, a wheel gripper, and a control module; the gantry frame (1) is a rigid frame structure composed of clamping arms (11) on both sides and a crossbeam (12) at the top; the clamping drive mechanism includes a clamping servo motor, a ball screw driven by the motor, a disc spring that generates clamping force by compression of the ball screw, and a sensor for detecting the clamping force; the flipping drive mechanism includes a flipping servo motor, a rotary bearing, and a sprocket for driving the wheel gripper to flip; the wheel gripper includes two opposing U-shaped clamping arms and V-shaped clamping wheels mounted on each U-shaped clamping arm; the control module is electrically connected to the clamping servo motor, the flipping servo motor, and the sensor.

[0009] Furthermore, the control module has a built-in safety interlock logic, which is configured to allow the clamping servo motor to reverse and release the wheel only after receiving a release confirmation signal.

[0010] Furthermore, the control module includes two operation panels, which are equipped with a clamping button, a reset button, and a release button. The activation process of the safety interlock logic is as follows: after clamping is completed, the reset button must be triggered first to put the system into a pre-release state, and then the release button is triggered to generate the release confirmation signal.

[0011] Furthermore, the sensor is an inductive proximity sensor, which, together with the clamping servo motor, ball screw, and disc spring, constitutes a closed-loop control system for clamping force.

[0012] Furthermore, the V-shaped clamping wheel is mounted on the U-shaped clamping arm via a detachable insert plate and shaft to enable quick replacement.

[0013] Furthermore, the bottom of the gantry frame integrates a walking mechanism and a positioning mechanism.

[0014] Furthermore, the disc spring adopts a mating combination method, and its preload design value is 800N~1500N.

[0015] Furthermore, the clamping drive mechanism also includes a mechanical brake device for maintaining the compression state of the disc spring to retain the clamping force when the power is off.

[0016] Furthermore, the flipping drive mechanism supports both manual and automatic control modes; in manual mode, it can flip at any angle, and in automatic mode, it can preset and execute flips of 90°, 180°, or 360°.

[0017] In another aspect, the present invention also provides a clamping and flipping method for a wheel handling and flipping robot, based on the wheel handling and flipping robot described in any of the above claims, the method comprising the following steps:

[0018] Step 1, Positioning and Clamping: Move the wheel-carrying and flipping robot to the target wheel, start the clamping drive mechanism through the control module, control the clamping servo motor to rotate forward to drive the ball screw to move axially, thereby compressing the disc spring and causing the V-shaped clamping wheel to clamp the wheel.

[0019] Step 2, Closed-loop holding: Closed-loop control is formed by the feedback from the inductive proximity sensor. After clamping, the clamping state is continuously maintained by the elastic force of the disc spring.

[0020] Step 3, Angle Flipping: The control module starts the flipping drive mechanism, controls the flipping servo motor to run, and drives the clamped wheel to rotate to the target angle through the sprocket;

[0021] Step 4, Safe Release: When it is necessary to release the wheel, the control module must first be provided with a release confirmation signal according to the safety interlock logic described in claim 2 or 3. Then, the clamping servo motor is controlled to reverse to release the compression of the disc spring, so that the V-shaped clamping wheel releases the wheel.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following significant beneficial effects after disclosure:

[0023] High safety and reliability: It adopts a clamping mode of "electrically controlled compression and mechanical holding". The clamping force is provided by the mechanical elasticity of the disc spring. Even in the event of a sudden power failure, the clamping force still exists. Combined with the mechanical brake device, it achieves inherent safety and completely eliminates the major risk of the workpiece falling due to power failure.

[0024] Intelligent and safe operation: The unique safety interlock logic program requires a two-step operation of "reset → release", which effectively prevents the accidental release of the workpiece due to accidental pressing of the release button and greatly improves the human safety of the operation process.

[0025] Precise and flexible rotation: Driven by a servo motor and sprocket transmission, the rotation angle is precisely controlled, with high repeatability (up to ±1°). It also features manual adjustment of any angle and automatic quick positioning at common angles (90° / 180° / 360°), perfectly adapting to the needs of various processes in wheel processing and inspection.

[0026] High adaptability and efficient production changeover: The V-shaped clamp wheel design, combined with the quick-disassembly insert plate connection method, makes it easy and quick to change the clamps to adapt to different diameter wheels, which significantly improves the equipment's flexibility in dealing with multi-variety, small-batch production.

[0027] Flexible movement and high rigidity: The equipment has an integrated walking mechanism at the bottom, allowing for flexible transfer between different workstations. The gantry frame is welded from high-strength structural steel, providing sufficient rigidity and ensuring stability and accuracy during load flipping.

[0028] This invention integrates mechanics, electrical systems, and control, fundamentally solving the problems of poor safety, low flexibility, and insufficient precision inherent in traditional wheel-based handling and overturning methods. Attached Figure Description

[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a wheel-carrying and flipping robot provided by the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a detailed schematic diagram of the clamping drive unit;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a partial schematic diagram of the quick-change gripper assembly;

[0033] Figure 4 This is a front view of the flipping lifting device body of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 5 This is a rear view of the body of the tilting lifting device of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 6 This is a top view of the body of the flipping lifting device of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 7 This is a bottom view of the body of the tilting lifting device of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 8 This is a left view of the body of the flipping lifting device of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 9 This is a right view of the body of the flipping lifting device of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 10 This is the control module of the tilting lifting device of the present invention;

[0040] In the diagram: 1. Gantry frame; 2. Clamping drive mechanism; 3. Tilting drive mechanism; 4. Wheel clamping gripper; 5. Control module; 11. Clamping arm; 12. Crossbeam; 13. Slide rail; 14. Coupling; 15. Ball screw; 16. Disc spring; 17. Clamping servo motor; 18. Rotary bearing; 19. Sprocket; 20. Tilting servo motor; 21. U-shaped clamping arm; 22. V-shaped clamping wheel; 31. Insert plate; 32. Shaft; 33. V-shaped clamping wheel screw; 41. Return to zero position; 42. Emergency stop; 43. Reset; 44. Automatic tilting; 45. Green light clamping; 46. Manual tilting; 47. Red light releasing. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0042] See Figures 1 to 10 This invention provides a wheel handling and flipping robot and a flipping and clamping method.

[0043] like Figure 1 As shown, the supporting foundation of the robotic arm is a gantry frame 1, which is a rigid portal frame welded together from the clamping arms 11 on both sides and the crossbeam 12 at the top. Preferably, the frame 1 is made of low-alloy high-strength structural steel Q355B, and the key load-bearing welds are Class I welds that have undergone non-destructive testing, ensuring that the overall structure has extremely high rigidity and stability when bearing and flipping heavy objects. At the bottom of the gantry frame 1, a walking and positioning mechanism consisting of traveling wheels and positioning pins is integrated, allowing the entire device to be pushed like a trolley and fixed at the target workstation by positioning pins, realizing a flexible "device-workpiece" operation mode.

[0044] The clamping drive mechanism 2 is the core of this invention for achieving safe and reliable clamping. For example... Figure 2 As shown, it mainly consists of a clamping servo motor 17, a coupling 14, a ball screw 15, disc springs 16, and an inductive proximity sensor. The clamping servo motor 17 drives the screw of the ball screw 15 to rotate through the coupling 14, causing the nut of the ball screw 15 to move axially. The front end of the nut is used to compress a set of mating disc springs 16. When the operator presses the clamping button 45, the control module 5 drives the clamping servo motor 17 to rotate forward, the nut moves forward, and the disc springs 16 are compressed forcefully. The huge elastic force generated by the compressed disc springs 16 is transmitted to the U-shaped clamping arms 21 on both sides, and finally acts on the V-shaped clamping wheel 22, thereby clamping the wheel. An inductive proximity sensor detects the compression displacement of the disc spring in real time (indirectly reflecting the clamping force) and feeds the signal back to the control module 5. The control module 5 adjusts the rotation of the servo motor to form a closed-loop control system for the clamping force, ensuring that the clamping force accurately and stably reaches the preset value (corresponding to a disc spring preload design value of 800N~1500N, adjustable range). The ingenuity of this design lies in the fact that once clamping is complete, the clamping force is no longer maintained by the electric power of the motor, but by the mechanical elasticity of the disc spring 16. Even in the extreme case of a complete power outage, the clamping force will not be lost at all; this is the safety concept of "electrically controlled compression, mechanical holding". To further ensure safety, a power failure braking type mechanical brake device is also installed on the output shaft of the clamping servo motor 17, which immediately locks the motor shaft at the moment of power failure to prevent the lead screw from accidentally reversing due to external force.

[0045] The flipping drive mechanism 3 is responsible for driving the clamped wheel to rotate. For example... Figure 2 and Figure 4-9 As shown, its core components include a tilting servo motor 20, a sprocket 19, and a rotary bearing 18 as a rotational support. The tilting servo motor 20 is mounted under the crossbeam 12 of the frame 1. When tilting is required, the control module 5 drives the tilting servo motor 20, which in turn drives the rotary bearing 18 via the sprocket 19, causing the entire wheel clamping gripper 4 to rotate precisely around the horizontal axis (A-axis). The control module 5 has two preset modes: in "manual" mode, the operator can use button 46 to jog the wheel to tilt it at any angle; in "automatic" mode, the operator can press button 44, and the device will automatically tilt the wheel to a preset 90°, 180°, or 360° and precisely hover it, greatly facilitating repetitive operations.

[0046] The wheel clamping gripper 4 is the part that directly contacts the workpiece. For example... Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, it mainly consists of two symmetrically arranged U-shaped clamping arms 21. Two V-shaped clamping wheels 22 are installed inside the opening of each U-shaped clamping arm 21. The V-shaped clamping wheels 22 are preferably made of copper alloy, with a V-groove angle ≤100°, providing sufficient containment and friction while preventing sharp edges from scratching the finished surface of the wheel. To enable rapid production changeover to accommodate wheels of different diameters, the V-shaped clamping wheels 22 are mounted on the U-shaped clamping arms 21 via a clever detachable structure: by loosening the fastening screws 33, the insert plate 31, along with the shaft 32, can be pulled out of the slots in the U-shaped clamping arms 21, thus replacing the entire V-shaped clamping wheel assembly. The entire process requires no special tools and can be completed within minutes.

[0047] The control module 5 is the brain of the entire device. Its hardware includes a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), servo drivers, circuit breakers, etc., installed in a dustproof control cabinet, as well as an external operation panel. Figure 10As shown, the operation panel clearly displays the various function buttons: Return to Zero 41, Emergency Stop 42, Reset 43, Automatic Tilting 44, Green Light Clamping 45, Manual Tilting 46, Red Light Release 47. The core software innovation of control module 5 lies in its safety interlock logic. Its workflow strictly follows this principle: once the clamping action is completed (green light clamping button 45 is constantly lit), the system is prohibited from directly responding to the release command. If the workpiece needs to be released, the operator must first press the "Reset" button 43. At this time, the clamping button 45 will flash, indicating that the system has entered the "prepared release" safety confirmation stage. Only in this state, pressing the "Release" button 47 will generate a valid "release confirmation signal" and instruct the clamping servo motor 17 to reverse, releasing the disc spring 16, thereby releasing the wheel. This logic enforces safe operating procedures at the program level, which is a key guarantee against human error.

[0048] Brief description of the work process:

[0049] Safety clamping: When the operator presses the "clamp" button 45, the clamping drive mechanism 2 operates according to the above principle until the inductive sensor feedback reaches the set clamping force, and the green light on button 45 remains on.

[0050] Precise rotation: Select "manual" or "automatic" mode according to your needs, operate the corresponding button, and the rotation drive mechanism 3 will drive the wheel to rotate precisely to the required angle.

[0051] Safe release: After flipping into position, the operator first presses the "Reset" button 43. After the clamping light flashes, the operator then presses the "Release" button 47. The grippers will open safely and the wheel will be released.

[0052] Implementation principles and precautions:

[0053] Material selection: The main load-bearing structural components such as the frame 1 should be made of Q355B or higher grade steel; it is recommended that the V-type clamping rollers 22 be made of wear-resistant copper alloy (such as aluminum bronze) or coated with anti-slip and wear-resistant materials such as polyurethane to protect the surface of the workpiece.

[0054] Parameter settings: The specifications, number of combinations, and preload (800N~1500N) of the disc spring 16 need to be calculated and determined based on the maximum wheel weight to be clamped (≤1000Kg) and the safety factor. The clamping speed (5-10 mm / s) and the turning speed (1-4 r / min) should be set to adjustable in the control program to adapt to different working conditions.

[0055] Safety Specifications: The electrical system of the equipment must be properly grounded, and the insulation resistance must meet the standards. The emergency stop button 42 must effectively cut off the power supply under all circumstances. The mechanical brake device must be inspected regularly for its braking performance.

[0056] Precision assurance: To ensure the synchronous accuracy of the flipping (relative angle between the two grippers ≤ ±1°), a high-precision rotary bearing 18 should be selected, and the coaxiality of the transmission sprocket should be ensured.

[0057] Obviously, the embodiments described above are merely some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. The accompanying drawings show preferred embodiments of the present invention, but do not limit the patent scope of the present invention. The present invention can be implemented in many different forms; rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing specific embodiments, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any equivalent structures made using the content of this specification and drawings, directly or indirectly applied to other related technical fields, are similarly within the patent protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A wheel-carrying and flipping robot, characterized in that, It includes a gantry frame (1), a clamping drive mechanism (2), a tilting drive mechanism (3), a wheel clamping gripper (4), and a control module (5); The gantry frame (1) is a rigid frame structure consisting of clamping arms (11) on both sides and a crossbeam (12) at the top; The clamping drive mechanism (2) includes a clamping servo motor (17), a ball screw (15) driven by the motor, a disc spring (16) that generates clamping force by compression of the ball screw (15), and a sensor for detecting the clamping force. The flipping drive mechanism (3) includes a flipping servo motor (20), a rotary bearing (18), and a sprocket (19) for driving the wheel clamping gripper (4) to flip. The wheel clamping gripper (4) includes two opposing U-shaped clamping arms (21) and V-shaped clamping wheels (22) mounted on each U-shaped clamping arm (21). The control module (5) is electrically connected to the clamping servo motor (17), the flipping servo motor (20), and the sensor.

2. The wheel-carrying and flipping robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control module (5) has a built-in safety interlock logic, which is configured to allow the clamping servo motor (17) to reverse and release the wheel only after receiving a release confirmation signal.

3. The wheel handling and flipping robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control module (5) includes two operation panels, which are equipped with a clamping button (45), a reset button (43) and a release button (47). The effective process of the safety interlock logic is as follows: after clamping is completed, the reset button (43) must be triggered first to make the system enter the pre-release state, and then the release button (47) is triggered to generate the release confirmation signal.

4. The wheel-carrying and flipping robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sensor is an inductive proximity sensor, which together with the clamping servo motor (17), ball screw (15) and disc spring (16) constitutes a closed-loop control system for clamping force.

5. The wheel handling and tilting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The V-shaped clamp wheel (22) is mounted on the U-shaped clamp arm (21) via a detachable insert plate (31) and a shaft (32) to enable quick replacement.

6. The wheel-carrying and flipping robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the gantry frame (1) integrates a walking mechanism and a positioning mechanism.

7. The wheel-carrying and flipping robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The disc spring (16) adopts a mating combination method, and its preload design value is 800N~1500N.

8. The wheel handling and flipping robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping drive mechanism (2) also includes a mechanical brake device for maintaining the compression state of the disc spring (16) to maintain the clamping force when the power is off.

9. The wheel-carrying and flipping robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flipping drive mechanism (3) supports both manual and automatic control modes. In manual mode, it can flip at any angle, and in automatic mode, it can preset and execute flips of 90°, 180° or 360°.

10. A clamping and flipping method for a wheel handling and flipping robot, based on the wheel handling and flipping robot according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1, Positioning and clamping: Move the wheel handling and flipping robot to the target wheel, start the clamping drive mechanism (2) through the control module (5), control the clamping servo motor (17) to rotate forward to drive the ball screw (15) to move axially, thereby compressing the disc spring (16) and making the V-shaped clamping wheel (22) clamp the wheel; Step 2, Closed-loop holding: The closed-loop control is formed by the feedback of the inductive proximity sensor. After clamping, the clamping state is continuously maintained by the elastic force of the disc spring (16). Step 3, Angle Flipping: The flipping drive mechanism (3) is started by the control module (5), and the flipping servo motor (20) is controlled to run, and the clamped wheel is rotated to the target angle through the sprocket (19); Step 4, Safe Release: When it is necessary to release the wheel, the control module (5) must first provide a release confirmation signal according to the safety interlock logic described in claim 2 or 3, and then control the clamping servo motor (17) to reverse to release the compression of the disc spring (16), so that the V-shaped clamp wheel (22) releases the wheel.

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