An automatic switch wire terminal welding machine and a control method thereof

Abstract

The application relates to a switch wire joint automatic welding machine and a control method thereof, and relates to the technical field of welding machines. The welding machine comprises a circulating conveying track, a plurality of conveying seats are slidably arranged on the conveying track and abut against each other, and the conveying seat is provided with a clamping groove for clamping a wire. One side of the conveying track is provided with, in sequence along the processing conveying direction of the conveying track, a feeding mechanism, a wiring mechanism for mounting a wire, which has been pre-processed by stripping and bending the end, into the clamping groove of the conveying seat, a pressing mechanism for pushing the exposed end of the clamped wire into a contact hole and pressing the exposed end on a contact, a welding mechanism, a detection mechanism and a discharging mechanism for classifying and feeding and collecting switches with different qualified rates. The application has the effects of reducing personnel cost and improving production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of welding machines, and in particular to an automated welding machine for switch wire connectors and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] Switches, as a core component of electrical control systems, are widely used in various scenarios such as household appliances, industrial equipment, and building electrical systems. The welding of switch wire connections is a critical process in switch manufacturing; its quality not only affects the switch's conductivity and heat dissipation performance but also directly impacts its lifespan.

[0003] In the switch manufacturing industry, the welding of switch wire connectors is typically done manually. Existing switches have two contacts on either side of the top, serving as positive and negative terminals. During production, a wire needs to be welded to each contact, passing through a hole in the contact plate for pre-fixation. Due to the unique structure of switches, welding the wire connectors involves multiple steps, including wire stripping, wire end trimming and soldering, wire insertion and welding into the switch, and cooling and testing. Each step requires a specialized workstation staffed with professional operators.

[0004] Because the welding steps are independent and cannot be completed by a single person at the same time, companies need to hire multiple workers with the corresponding operating skills to work in different positions and cooperate to complete the entire welding process. This results in high personnel costs and low production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To reduce labor costs and improve production efficiency, this invention provides an automated welding machine for switch wire connectors and its control method.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides an automated welding machine for switch wire connectors, which adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] An automated welding machine for switch wire connectors includes a circulating conveyor track. Several conveyor seats for mounting switches to be welded are slidably installed on the conveyor track and abut against each other. Each conveyor seat has a slot for inserting a power supply wire. Along the processing and conveying direction of the conveyor track, the following are sequentially arranged on one side of the conveyor track:

[0008] A feeding mechanism is used to place the switch to be welded onto the conveyor seat;

[0009] A wiring mechanism for installing wires that have been pre-stripped and bent at the ends into a slot in the delivery seat, with the exposed end of the wire pointing toward the contact hole of the switch.

[0010] The wire clamping mechanism is used to push the exposed end of the completed wire into the contact hole and press it firmly onto the contact.

[0011] A welding mechanism is used to weld the exposed ends of wires to the contacts of a switch.

[0012] Testing facilities, including CCD industrial cameras, are used to inspect the pass rate of welds;

[0013] The discharging mechanism is used to classify and collect switches with different pass rates.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, when the switch to be processed is installed on the conveyor seat of the conveyor rail, the switch can move along the conveyor rail. During the movement, the equipment on one side of the conveyor rail can sequentially perform operations such as wiring, pressing, welding, testing and unloading of the switch. The above-mentioned automated production line equipment can complete the entire process of welding wires on the switch with at most one operator, which greatly reduces labor costs. Moreover, the above-mentioned automated production line does not require manual intervention and has high production efficiency.

[0015] Optionally, the pressing mechanism includes a lifting assembly for vertical lifting drive, a horizontal displacement assembly installed at the output end of the lifting assembly for horizontal drive, a flat pushing component, and a pressing assembly;

[0016] The clamping assembly includes an extension plate connected to the output end of the lifting assembly, a clamping rod fixedly mounted on the extension plate, a slidably mounted inclined push rod on the extension plate, and a driving component that drives the inclined push rod to move.

[0017] The extension plate has sliding holes parallel to the switch contacts and for arranging the inclined push rod;

[0018] The lifting assembly drives the extension plate to descend so as to press the switch with the clamping rod; the horizontal displacement assembly drives the flat pusher to move so as to pass the exposed end of the wire through the contact hole of the switch; the driving member drives the inclined pusher to bend the exposed end of the wire that has passed through the contact hole and press it against the contact surface.

[0019] Optionally, the wire pressing mechanism further includes a connector installed at the output end of the lifting assembly and an abutment rod installed on the connector; when the pressing rod presses against the switch on the conveyor seat, the abutment rod presses down a second time on the exposed end of the wire that has been bent and pressed on the adjacent conveyor seat to press the exposed end of the wire down to the root of the contact piece.

[0020] Optionally, the wire pressing mechanism is provided in two sets and arranged sequentially along the processing and conveying direction of the conveying track. The two sets of wire pressing mechanisms respectively process the wires on both sides of the switch and bend and press the exposed ends of the wires into the inside of the contact piece.

[0021] Secondly, the present invention provides a control method for an automated welding machine for switch wire connectors, employing the following technical solution:

[0022] A control method for an automated welding machine for switch wire connectors includes:

[0023] Collect status images of wires that have been bent and folded, and identify the bending points and end points of the wires from the status images;

[0024] Based on the bending point and end point of the wire, and combined with the preset slot position and contact hole position, the clamping point position on the wire is determined by fitting.

[0025] In response to the delivery seat arrival signal, the clamping point of the wire is clamped and installed into the slot position, and the exposed end of the wire is pre-fixed to the contact plate of the switch using a preset through-hole wire pressing method.

[0026] The exposed end of the wire is welded to the contact piece using a preset welding method, and images of the welding point are captured.

[0027] The welding point image is compared and analyzed with the preset reference welding point features to determine the qualified type;

[0028] Switches that have completed wire welding are classified and distributed based on different qualification types.

[0029] By adopting the above technical solutions and setting up assembly line production equipment, the steps of wire pretreatment, wire installation, switch welding, and switch testing are executed sequentially through the production equipment. Mechanical automation replaces manual production, reducing the personnel costs of setting up multi-station production and greatly improving production efficiency.

[0030] Optional perforation and crimping methods include:

[0031] The preset pusher is controlled to push the wire horizontally so that the end of the wire is inserted into the contact hole of the switch;

[0032] The preset inclined push rod bends and moves along the width of the contact piece to press the exposed end of the wire against the surface of the contact piece;

[0033] The preset contact rod is vertically downward to press the exposed end of the wire on the contact surface against the root of the contact.

[0034] Optional, also includes:

[0035] After inserting the exposed end of the wire into the contact hole of the switch, an image of the switch contact position is captured;

[0036] Identify whether there are wire core bifurcation features at the exposed end of the wire from the switch contact position image, and identify the direction path of the wire core bifurcation features;

[0037] Determine whether the wire core bifurcation feature passes through the contact hole based on the overlap between the routing path and the contact hole position;

[0038] When the wire core bifurcation feature passes through the contact hole, the initial oblique push path of the oblique push rod is generated according to the direction path of the wire core bifurcation feature.

[0039] The exposed end features passing through the contact hole are identified from the switch contact position image, and the secondary oblique push path of the oblique push rod is generated based on the exposed end features.

[0040] The initial oblique push path controls the oblique push rod to press the wire core bifurcation feature onto the contact plate, and then the secondary oblique push path presses the exposed end of the wire onto the contact plate and holds the wire core bifurcation feature in place.

[0041] Optional, also includes:

[0042] Acquire images of the exposed end of the angled push rod after the angled push is completed;

[0043] Identify and determine the interlacing type of bare end features and core bifurcation features from the bare end image;

[0044] The target location is determined by interlaced type matching.

[0045] The control abutment rod presses down on the abutment target position to simultaneously press the exposed end feature and the wire core bifurcation feature onto the root of the contact piece.

[0046] Optionally, methods for handling the case where the wire core fork feature does not pass through the contact hole include:

[0047] Identify the starting point of the wire core bifurcation feature and the number of wire core bifurcations from the switch contact position image;

[0048] The squeezing force should be matched according to the number of wire core branches;

[0049] Control the flat pusher to slide along the wire from the preset flat push position to the lifting point position, and horizontally press the wire at the lifting point position onto the contact piece.

[0050] The squeezing force is controlled to apply pressure to the starting point of the pusher to break the bifurcation feature of the wire core.

[0051] Optional welding methods include:

[0052] The preheating position in the middle is determined based on the two preset contact positions;

[0053] At the preset first welding station, the welding head is controlled to preheat the contact points on both sides at the preset welding temperature in the middle preheating position;

[0054] After the preset preheating time, the wire core bifurcation feature is pre-welded or the wire core bifurcation feature is entered into the preset second welding station, depending on the presence of the bifurcation feature.

[0055] At the second welding station, the welding head, controlled by the welding temperature, is used to weld and fix the wires at the contact points on both sides.

[0056] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0057] The assembly line production equipment is set up to perform the steps of wire pretreatment, wire installation, switch welding, and switch testing in sequence. The mechanical automation operation replaces manual production, which reduces the personnel cost of setting up multi-station production and greatly improves production efficiency.

[0058] By performing image recognition detection on the wire core bifurcation, the system adopts methods such as re-merging or breaking for different types of wire core bifurcation, so that the wire core bifurcation will not affect the quality of the welding point and improve the pass rate of the switch.

[0059] By setting up multiple wiring mechanisms, wire pressing mechanisms, and welding mechanisms, the contact pieces on both sides of the switch can be processed individually, thereby improving the production efficiency of the switch. Attached Figure Description

[0060] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an automated welding machine for switch wire connectors according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0061] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the conveying track according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0062] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the switch on the delivery seat according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0063] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0064] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the wire pressing mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0065] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the welding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0066] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the detection mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0067] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the material discharge mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0068] Figure 9This is a flowchart of a control method for an automated welding machine for switch wire connectors according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] The parts referred to by the numbers in the above attached diagrams are as follows: 1. Conveyor track; 11. Conveyor seat; 111. Slot; 12. Lifting mechanism; 13. Pushing mechanism; 2. Feeding mechanism; 21. Feeding tray; 22. Clamping mechanism; 3. Wiring mechanism; 4. Wire pressing mechanism; 41. Lifting assembly; 42. Horizontal displacement assembly; 43. Flat pusher; 44. Pressing assembly; 441. Extension plate; 442. Inclined push rod; 443. Pressing rod; 444. Drive component; 45. Connecting component; 46. Abutment rod; 5. Welding mechanism; 51. Welding head; 52. Displacement control assembly; 6. Detection mechanism; 61. CCD industrial camera; 62. Lighting device; 63. Control terminal; 7. Discharge mechanism; 71. Discharge clamping structure; 72. Discharge cylinder; 73. Fixed discharge plate; 74. Moving discharge plate. Detailed Implementation

[0070] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0071] This application discloses an automated welding machine for switch wire connectors.

[0072] Reference Figure 1 An automated welding machine for switch wire connectors includes a conveying track 1 and a feeding mechanism 2, a wiring mechanism 3, a wire pressing mechanism 4, a welding mechanism 5, a testing mechanism 6, and a discharging mechanism 7 arranged along the conveying direction of the conveying track 1.

[0073] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 The conveyor track 1 is provided with conveyor seats 11 spaced apart, and each conveyor seat 11 is abutted against the other, allowing it to move on the conveyor track 1. The conveyor seats 11 are used to mount the switches to be welded. In this embodiment, the conveyor track 1 includes upper and lower layers. The upper track is used for the conveyor seats 11 and the switches to be welded to move along the welding process direction, while the lower track is used to retrieve the completed conveyor seats 11. Therefore, the movement directions of the upper and lower tracks are opposite, and the two together form a cyclically arranged conveyor track 1.

[0074] The delivery seat 11 has a slot 111 for inserting the power supply line, and there are contact pieces on both sides of the top of the switch, with contact piece holes through which the power supply line passes.

[0075] Lifting mechanisms 12 and pushing mechanisms 13 are provided on both sides of the conveyor track 1. The lifting mechanism 12 is used to raise and lower the conveyor seat 11 between the upper and lower conveyor tracks 1, and the pushing mechanism 13 is used to push the conveyor seat 11 into the conveyor track 1. Both the lifting mechanism 12 and the pushing mechanism 13 are driven by cylinders. The power source for the conveyor track 1 is provided by the pushing mechanism 13, which pushes the conveyor seat 11 into the conveyor track 1 and simultaneously moves all the conveyor seats 11 on the conveyor track 1 a distance of one station. There is a lifting station at each end of the conveyor track 1 for the switch to enter and exit the conveyor track 1.

[0076] Reference Figure 4 The loading mechanism 2 is used to load the switch to be welded and install it onto the conveyor base 11. The loading mechanism 2 includes a loading tray 21 and a clamping mechanism 22 that clamps the switch from the loading tray 21 onto the conveyor base 11. The clamping mechanism 22 consists of a general-purpose clamping cylinder and a lifting and sliding bracket. The lifting and sliding bracket can drive the clamping cylinder to move up and down and horizontally. Both the clamping cylinder and the lifting and sliding bracket are existing technologies and will not be described in detail here.

[0077] In use, the switch at the outlet of the loading tray 21 is gripped by the clamping cylinder, and then the clamping cylinder is moved in space by the lifting and sliding bracket, so that the switch to be welded is placed on the conveyor seat 11.

[0078] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 3 The wiring mechanism 3 is used to mount pre-stripped and bent wires onto the conveyor seat 11. The structure of the wiring mechanism 3 is similar to that of the clamping mechanism 22, and includes clamping cylinders and a lifting and sliding bracket. Multiple clamping cylinders are used to clamp the wires at multiple positions. The lifting and sliding bracket consists of a linear module and cylinders, which drive the clamping cylinders to move up and down and horizontally.

[0079] One end of the wiring mechanism 3 is a wire stripper and a terminal crimping machine, used for pre-stripping and crimping the wires. When the wiring mechanism 3 picks up the wire, the wire has already been pre-treated, with one end exposed and bent, and the core of the exposed end has been twisted together by molten solder. The other end of the wiring mechanism 3 corresponds to the wiring station on the conveyor track 1.

[0080] When the wiring mechanism 3 clamps the wire, it positions the wire at a preset position in the slot 111, with the exposed end of the wire pointing towards the contact hole of the switch.

[0081] In this embodiment, the wiring mechanism 3 is provided in two sets, which respectively clamp the wires on both sides of the switch and install them at different wiring stations.

[0082] Reference Figure 5 The wire clamping mechanism 4 is used to pre-fix the wire to the switch before the wire and switch are soldered. The wire clamping mechanism 4 includes a lifting assembly 41, a horizontal displacement assembly 42, a flat pushing member 43, and a clamping assembly 44.

[0083] The lifting assembly 41 is fixed to one side of the conveying track 1, and the horizontal displacement assembly 42 is fixed to the output end of the lifting assembly 41. The lifting assembly 41 is capable of lifting adjustment control, and the horizontal displacement assembly 42 is capable of horizontal adjustment control. In this embodiment, both the lifting assembly 41 and the horizontal displacement assembly 42 are cylinder-driven structures; in other embodiments, they can be any structure capable of generating displacement.

[0084] The pusher 43 is mounted on the output end of the horizontal displacement assembly 42 by a screw structure, so that the pusher 43 can move in space in the horizontal direction driven by the horizontal displacement assembly 42.

[0085] The clamping assembly 44 includes an extension plate 441, a slanted push rod 442, a clamping rod 443, and a drive member 444.

[0086] The extension plate 441 is fixedly connected to the output end of the lifting assembly 41 and extends horizontally above the pressing station of the conveying track 1. The extension plate 441 has sliding holes running through it from top to bottom, and the opening direction of the sliding holes is consistent with the inherent extension direction of the contact piece on the switch.

[0087] The drive component 444 is fixedly mounted on the extension plate 441. The drive component 444 has a cylinder structure, and the extension and retraction direction of the push rod of the drive component 444 is consistent with the direction of the sliding hole. The inclined push rod 442 is slidably mounted in the sliding hole and is vertically arranged. The upper end of the inclined push rod 442 is fixedly connected to the push rod of the drive component 444, and the inclined push rod 442 can move horizontally by being driven by the drive component 444.

[0088] The clamping rod 443 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the extension plate 441.

[0089] During the wire clamping operation, the lifting assembly 41 is first lowered to bring the lower end of the clamping rod 443 against the top of the switch, thus pre-fixing the switch. Then, the horizontal displacement assembly 42 drives the flat pusher 43 to move, which abuts against the wire and pushes the exposed end of the wire into the contact hole of the contact piece. Finally, the driving assembly 444 drives the inclined pusher 442 to move along the extension direction of the contact piece, thereby bending and clamping the exposed end of the wire passing through the contact hole onto the contact surface.

[0090] In this embodiment, the wire pressing mechanism 4 also has an adjustment structure for vertical fine adjustment of the flat pusher 43 and the inclined pusher 442 when the pressing rod 443 is pressed, so as to adjust the height of the flat pusher 43 and the inclined pusher 442 in the vertical direction, thereby facilitating the pre-fixation of the wire.

[0091] The pressing mechanism 4 also includes a connector 45 and an abutment rod 46. The connector 45 is fixedly installed at the output end of the lifting assembly 41 and extends horizontally to the next adjacent pressing station. The abutment rod 46 is adjustablely installed on the connector 45 and is vertically positioned. The connector 45 has a fine-tuning structure for fine-tuning the horizontal displacement of the abutment rod 46.

[0092] When the lifting assembly 41 presses the clamping rod 443 against the top of the switch at the wire pressing station, the lifting assembly 41 simultaneously drives the abutment rod 46 to move downward and performs secondary clamping on the exposed end of the wire that has already been bent and pressed at the adjacent station. The abutment rod 46 can press on the top of the exposed end of the wire and press the exposed end of the wire down to the root of the contact piece.

[0093] In this embodiment, two sets of wire pressing mechanisms 4 are provided and arranged sequentially along the conveyor track 1. After one of the wire pressing mechanisms 4 has completed the pre-fixing of the wire on one side of the switch, the switch moves with the conveyor seat 11 to the next station, that is, below the second wire pressing mechanism 4. At this time, the second wire pressing mechanism 4 pre-fixes the wire on the other side of the switch.

[0094] Reference Figure 6 The welding mechanism 5 is used to weld the switch. The welding mechanism 5 includes a welding head 51 and a displacement control component 52 that drives the welding head 51 to move spatially. The displacement control component 52 is a cylinder structure, but it can also be other drive structures capable of generating displacement. When the switch with the wire pre-fixed is moved to the welding station, the welding head 51, driven by the displacement control component 52, approaches the exposed end of the wire and welds the exposed end of the wire to the switch contacts.

[0095] In this embodiment, the welding mechanism 5 is provided in two sets. The two sets of welding mechanisms 5 can be used to weld the wires on both sides of the switch respectively, or they can be preheated by the first welding head 51 and welded on both sides by the second welding head 51.

[0096] Furthermore, there is an air blowing station between the welding mechanism 5 and the wire pressing mechanism 4. When the switch with the wire pre-fixed is moved to the air blowing station, the air blowing head on the air blowing station can blow air onto the top of the switch, thereby blowing away impurities from the exposed end of the wire and avoiding affecting the subsequent welding process.

[0097] Reference Figure 7The inspection unit 6 is used to inspect the pass rate of the welded switches. The inspection unit 6 includes a CCD industrial camera 61, an illumination device 62, and a control terminal 63. When the switch is welded and moved to the inspection station, the CCD industrial camera 61 can capture images of the weld points on the top of the switch through the illumination device 62. The captured results can be transmitted to the control terminal 63 for analysis and displayed on the display screen of the control terminal 63.

[0098] Reference Figure 8 The discharge mechanism 7 is located at the end of the conveyor track 1 and is used to classify and discharge the processed switches. The discharge structure includes a discharge clamping structure 71, a discharge cylinder 72, a fixed discharge plate 73, and a movable discharge plate 74. The discharge clamping structure 71 has the same structure as the clamping mechanism 22, including a clamping cylinder and a lifting and sliding bracket. The discharge clamping structure 71 is used to clamp the processed switches from the conveyor seat 11.

[0099] A fixed discharge plate 73 is fixedly installed at the end of the conveyor track 1, and is inclined. Below the fixed discharge plate 73 is a recycling basket for receiving defective products. A discharge cylinder 72 is fixedly installed on one side of the conveyor track 1, and its push rod is connected to a movable discharge plate 74, which is located above the fixed discharge plate 73 and is inclined. One side of the recycling basket has a discharge basket for receiving qualified products.

[0100] When the switch is detected as a qualified product, the discharge cylinder 72 is in the retracted state. At this time, the movable discharge plate 74 is positioned above the fixed discharge plate 73 and covers the fixed discharge plate 73. The discharge clamping structure 71 clamps the switch and places it on the movable discharge plate 74, allowing the switch to slide down the movable discharge plate 74 into the discharge basket.

[0101] When a switch is detected as defective, the discharge cylinder 72 drives the movable discharge plate 74 to move horizontally, at which point the movable discharge plate 74 is misaligned with the fixed discharge plate 73. The discharge clamping structure 71 clamps the switch and places it on the fixed discharge plate 73, allowing the switch to slide down the fixed discharge plate 73 into the recycling basket.

[0102] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of the present invention provide a control method for an automated welding machine for switch wire connectors.

[0103] Reference Figure 9 A control method for an automated welding machine for switch wire connectors includes the following steps:

[0104] Step S1: Acquire a status image of the wire that has been bent at the end, and identify the bending point and the end point of the wire from the status image.

[0105] In this embodiment, the wires need to undergo pretreatment, including end stripping, molten solder immersion, end bending and termination. After the above pretreatment steps are completed, the wires will be collected in a collection basket.

[0106] A status image refers to an image showing the placement of pre-processed wires within a basket. These status images are captured by cameras positioned on the assembly line.

[0107] In this embodiment, the pre-treated wire is L-shaped, including an unstripped portion and a stripped portion that is bent. The bend point refers to the junction between the unstripped portion and the stripped portion, i.e., the corner. The end point refers to the end of the stripped portion.

[0108] Both the bending point and the end point of the wire can be obtained from the status image through feature recognition.

[0109] Step S2: Based on the bending point and end point of the wire, and combined with the preset slot position and contact hole position, the clamping point position on the wire is determined by fitting.

[0110] The slot position refers to the location of the slot 111 on the conveyor base 11 where the unstripped portion of the power supply cable is inserted. The contact hole position refers to the position of the contact hole on the switch relative to the slot 111 when the switch is installed on the conveyor base 11. Both the slot position and the contact hole position are inherent locations and will not be described in detail here.

[0111] The clamping point position refers to the position where the clamping cylinder on the wiring mechanism 3 clamps the wire. Since there are multiple clamping cylinders, the clamping point between one of the clamping cylinders and the wire is designated as the clamping point position.

[0112] In this embodiment, the distance between the clamping cylinder and the slot is fixed when the wire is installed on the conveyor seat 11. In order to ensure that the exposed end of the wire can be directly inserted into the contact hole when the wire is pushed by the flat pusher 43, the distance between the clamping point and the bending point of the wire needs to be controlled within a fixed distance range when the clamping cylinder clamps the wire.

[0113] The bending point, end point, slot, and contact hole of the wire are extracted and simulated in a planar diagram. The slot is taken as the bending point of the wire when it is pushed by the pusher 43. When the wire is bent and the end point can pass through the contact hole, the relative position of the slot and the bending point of the wire in the unbent state is determined, thereby determining the clamping point position.

[0114] Step S3: In response to the delivery seat arrival signal, clamp the wire at the clamping point and install it into the slot position, and pre-fix the exposed end of the wire to the switch contact plate using a preset through-hole wire pressing method.

[0115] The conveyor seat arrival signal refers to the signal received by the system when the conveyor seat 11 moves to the wiring station on the conveyor track 1. A photoelectric sensor is installed on one side of the conveyor track 1, and the sensor can send a signal when a new conveyor seat 11 arrives at the wiring station.

[0116] After the conveyor seat 11 is in place, the system controls the wiring mechanism 3 to clamp the wire and install it on the conveyor seat 11. The conveyor seat 11 then moves to the next wire pressing station, where the system uses the wire pressing mechanism 4 to pre-fix the exposed end of the wire. The pre-fixation of the exposed end of the wire is performed using a through-hole pressing method, which will not be described in detail here but will be explained in detail in subsequent embodiments.

[0117] Step S4: Solder the exposed end of the wire to the contact piece using the preset soldering method, and capture an image of the soldering point.

[0118] After the wire is pre-fixed, the conveyor seat 11 continues to move to the welding station. At the welding station, the system controls the welding mechanism 5 to weld the exposed end of the wire, thereby welding the exposed end of the wire to the contact piece. The welding method will not be described in detail here, but will be described in detail in subsequent embodiments.

[0119] The weld point image refers to the image obtained by the inspection mechanism 6 installed at the inspection station, which captures the location of the weld point on the switch. The shape of the weld point can be identified and analyzed from the weld point image. The inspection mechanism 6 includes a CCD industrial camera 61.

[0120] Step S5: Compare and analyze the welding point image with the preset reference welding point features to determine the qualified type.

[0121] The baseline solder joint features are comparative feature images of standard qualified solder joints stored in the database. These images were collected and saved in advance by technicians and will not be described in detail here.

[0122] The acceptance / acceptance categories include "acceptable" and "unacceptable." The weld point image is compared with a preset benchmark weld point feature. If the two differ significantly (i.e., are inconsistent), the weld point is considered unacceptable, and the switch is classified as a defective product. Conversely, if the two are in agreement, the weld point is considered acceptable, and the switch is considered to have passed processing.

[0123] Step S6: Classify and distribute the switches that have completed wire welding based on different qualification types.

[0124] In this embodiment, the system uses different disposal methods for qualified and unqualified switches. That is, the two different types of switches are classified into different baskets. Qualified switches fall into the discharge basket to complete the discharge, while unqualified switches fall into the recycling basket for recycling and reprocessing.

[0125] The perforation and crimping method includes the following steps:

[0126] This embodiment describes the pre-fixation step of the wire pressing mechanism 4 when the conveyor seat 11 is located at the wire pressing station. The wire is mainly processed by the flat pusher 43, the inclined pusher 442, and the abutment rod 46 in sequence.

[0127] Step S300: Control the preset flat pusher 43 to flat push the wire to insert the end of the wire into the contact hole of the switch.

[0128] When the wire is installed in the slot 111 of the conveyor seat 11, the exposed end of the wire does not pass through the contact hole. At this time, the wire is pushed horizontally by the pusher 43 so that the exposed end of the wire is inserted into the contact hole. When the exposed end of the wire is inserted into the contact hole, the pusher 43 does not reset, so that the exposed end of the wire is kept in the inserted position.

[0129] Since the bending process of the wire under pressure has been simulated when the wire is installed at the wiring station to ensure that the exposed end of the wire can pass through the contact hole, the flat pusher 43 can abut against any position of the wire to push it during the pushing process. The reference starting pushing position is set here, which is preset by the technician and will not be described in detail here.

[0130] The specific control method for the pusher component 43 will not be elaborated here, but will be introduced in subsequent embodiments.

[0131] Step S301: Control the preset inclined push rod 442 to bend and move along the width direction of the contact piece to press the exposed end of the wire onto the surface of the contact piece.

[0132] When the exposed end of the wire passes through the contact hole, the exposed end has no contact with the contact or the contact area is very small, which is not conducive to subsequent soldering operations. Therefore, by pushing the inclined push rod 442 along the width direction of the contact, the exposed end of the wire can be further bent from approximately 90° to approximately 180°, thereby pressing the exposed end of the wire onto the contact, thereby increasing the contact area between the two.

[0133] Furthermore, since the contacts on the switch are arranged at an angle, pushing them at an angle along the width of the contacts can better apply force to the angled push rod 442.

[0134] The specific control method of the inclined push rod 442 will not be described in detail here, but will be introduced in subsequent embodiments.

[0135] Step S302: Control the preset abutment rod 46 to press the exposed end of the wire on the contact surface against the root of the contact.

[0136] After the inclined push rod 442 completes the bending action on the exposed end of the wire, there may be a certain distance between the exposed end of the wire and the root of the contact piece. During subsequent soldering, the solder may flow downwards, preventing the formation of a qualified solder joint between the exposed end of the wire and the contact piece. Therefore, the abutment rod 46 applies a secondary downward pressure to tighten the exposed end of the wire, pressing it firmly against the root of the contact piece. The specific control method of the abutment rod 46 will not be described in detail here, but will be introduced in subsequent embodiments.

[0137] The perforation and crimping method also includes the following steps:

[0138] In this embodiment, the pressing process of the pressing mechanism 4 is explained in detail, and the special case of wire core bifurcation is handled.

[0139] Step S310: After inserting the exposed end of the wire into the contact hole of the switch, acquire an image of the switch contact position.

[0140] A switch contact position image refers to an image captured by a camera after the exposed end of the wire is inserted into the contact hole. The image can identify features such as the exposed end of the wire and the contact.

[0141] Step S311: Identify and determine whether there is a wire core bifurcation feature at the exposed end of the wire from the switch contact position image, and identify the direction path of the wire core bifurcation feature.

[0142] The characteristic of wire core bifurcation refers to the fact that when the wire ends are stripped and twisted together, the untwisted wire cores will bifurcate when wetted with molten solder. The characteristic of wire core bifurcation affects the welding effect between the wire and the contact piece and needs to be treated.

[0143] If a wire core bifurcation feature exists, it can be identified from the switch contact position image through feature recognition.

[0144] The path of a wire core bifurcation refers to the path presented by the specific shape of the bifurcation feature. When a wire core bifurcation feature exists, the path of the bifurcation can be obtained by analyzing the shape of the bifurcation feature.

[0145] Step S312: Determine whether the wire core bifurcation feature passes through the contact hole based on the overlap between the routing path and the contact hole position.

[0146] The path of the wire core bifurcation feature is compared with the position of the contact hole. If they coincide, it means that the wire core bifurcation feature also passed through the contact hole simultaneously when the exposed end of the wire passed through it. If they do not coincide, it means that the wire core bifurcation feature and the exposed end of the wire are located on opposite sides of the contact. The system will use different processing methods to handle the wire core bifurcation feature in these two cases.

[0147] Step S3120: When the wire core bifurcation feature passes through the contact hole, the initial oblique push path of the oblique push rod 442 is generated according to the direction path of the wire core bifurcation feature.

[0148] In this embodiment, when the wire core fork feature passes through the contact hole at the same time, the wire core fork feature can be reused by re-bonding the wire core fork feature to the exposed end of the wire.

[0149] The initial oblique push path refers to the movement path of the oblique push rod 442 during the process of pushing the wire core bifurcation feature to press it onto the contact piece. By analyzing the wire core bifurcation feature, the end position of the wire core bifurcation feature can be determined, thereby setting the initial push position of the oblique push rod 442. Furthermore, based on the direction path of the wire core bifurcation feature and the position of the exposed end of the wire, the height difference between the two can be determined, thereby setting the height of the oblique push rod 442. Combining the initial push position and the height, the initial oblique push path of the oblique push rod 442 can be determined.

[0150] Step S3121: Identify the exposed end features passing through the contact hole from the switch contact position image, and generate the secondary oblique push path of the oblique push rod 442 based on the exposed end features.

[0151] The secondary oblique push path refers to the movement path of the oblique push rod 442 when it pushes the exposed end feature. By identifying the exposed end feature from the switch contact position image, the end position of the exposed end feature can be determined. Based on the end position, the starting point of the oblique push rod 442 is set, and the height of the oblique push rod 442 is determined to be at contact with the top of the switch. Based on these two conditions, the secondary oblique push path is determined.

[0152] Step S3122: According to the initial oblique push path, control the oblique push rod 442 to press the wire core bifurcation feature onto the contact plate, and then according to the secondary oblique push path, press the exposed end of the wire onto the contact plate and press the wire core bifurcation feature.

[0153] In this embodiment, the system first controls the inclined push rod 442 to bend the wire core bifurcation feature through an initial inclined push path, so that the wire core bifurcation feature is pressed firmly onto the contact piece. The initial inclined push path avoids the exposed end feature and processes the wire core bifurcation feature first. After the wire core bifurcation feature is processed, the system then bends the exposed end feature through a conventional secondary inclined push path. At this time, the exposed end feature can be pressed onto the wire core bifurcation feature and pressed firmly onto the contact piece. The above method can prevent the wire core bifurcation feature from lifting again.

[0154] The perforation and crimping method also includes the following steps:

[0155] Step S320: Acquire an image of the exposed end of the inclined push rod 442 after the inclined push is completed.

[0156] An exposed end image refers to an image captured by a camera at the position of the exposed end of the wire after it has been pressed against the contact plate. Exposed end images can identify the features of the exposed end and the branching characteristics of the wire core.

[0157] Step S321: Identify and determine the interlacing type of bare end features and core bifurcation features from the bare end image.

[0158] When the exposed end feature presses the wire branch feature onto the contact plate, the exposed end feature may not completely cover the wire branch feature. The interlacing type refers to the type where the exposed end feature presses onto the wire branch feature, including cases where the end of the wire branch feature protrudes above the exposed end feature and cases where the end of the wire branch feature protrudes below the exposed end feature. The interlacing type can be obtained by feature recognition of the exposed end feature and the wire branch feature from the exposed end image.

[0159] Step S322: Match the target location based on the staggered type.

[0160] The abutment target position refers to the position where the abutment rod 46 abuts. In order to press both the exposed end feature and the wire core branch feature to the root of the contact piece, one of them needs to be selected as the object to be pressed down by the abutment rod 46 according to the interlacing type, and the end position of this object is the abutment target position.

[0161] Step S323: Control the abutment rod 46 to press down on the abutment target position to simultaneously press the exposed end feature and the wire core bifurcation feature onto the root of the contact piece.

[0162] When the end of the crossover type, the wire core bifurcation feature, protrudes and is higher than the exposed end feature, the abutment target position is the end of the wire core bifurcation feature. The abutment rod 46 presses down on the end of the wire core bifurcation feature, first pressing the wire core bifurcation feature down to the horizontal position of the exposed end feature, and then pressing both down simultaneously to the root position of the contact piece.

[0163] When the end of the crossover type, which is a wire core bifurcation feature, protrudes and is lower than the exposed end feature, the abutment target position is the end of the exposed end feature. The abutment rod 46 directly presses down on the exposed end feature, while pressing the exposed end feature and the wire core bifurcation feature against the root of the contact piece.

[0164] The method for handling the issue where the wire core fork does not pass through the contact hole includes the following steps:

[0165] Step S3130: Identify the starting point position and the number of wire core forks from the switch contact position image.

[0166] The starting point of the curve refers to the location where the wire core forking feature begins to curve on the wire. The number of wire core forks refers to the number of wire core forking features that cause the forking. Both the starting point of the curve and the number of wire core forks can be obtained from the switch contact position image through feature recognition.

[0167] Step S3131: Match the squeezing force according to the number of wire core branches.

[0168] The compressive force refers to the magnitude of the force required to break the bifurcated feature of the wire core using the flat pusher 43. The compressive force is directly proportional to the number of wire core bifurcations; the more bifurcations, the greater the compressive force. In this embodiment, a maximum value is set for the number of wire core bifurcations. When the number of wire core bifurcations exceeds the set maximum value, the wire is directly recycled without processing the bifurcated feature.

[0169] Step S3132: Control the flat pusher 43 to slide along the wire from the preset flat push position to the lifting point position, and horizontally press the wire at the lifting point position onto the contact piece.

[0170] In this embodiment, in order to prevent the wire from rebounding and making it impossible to locate the starting point, the system controls the flat pusher 43 to move along the wire to the starting point, and then uses the starting point as the flat push position to press the wire onto the contact piece.

[0171] Step S3133: Apply pressure to the starting point position with the pressing force of the flat pusher 43 to break the forked feature of the wire core.

[0172] When the flat pusher 43 presses the starting point of the wire core bifurcation feature onto the contact piece, the wire cannot move. Then, the system controls the flat pusher 43 to press the wire core bifurcation feature with a squeezing force, causing the wire core bifurcation feature to fall off from the exposed end of the wire.

[0173] The welding method includes the following steps:

[0174] Step S40: Determine the center preheating position based on the two preset contact positions.

[0175] The middle preheating position refers to the position point between the two contacts on the switch. Both contacts are fixed positions of the switch. The middle preheating position can be determined based on the positions of the two contacts. Then, based on the fixed position of the switch on the conveyor seat 11, the actual position of the middle preheating position in the welding station can be determined.

[0176] Step S41: At the preset first welding station, control the welding head 51 to preheat the contact points on both sides at the preset welding temperature in the middle preheating position.

[0177] In this embodiment, the production line has two welding stations, namely the first welding station and the second welding station, which are arranged adjacent to each other. When the welding head 51 of the welding mechanism 5 moves to the first welding station via a pre-fixed switch, the system controls the welding head 51 to descend to the middle preheating position and controls the temperature of the welding head 51 at the welding temperature. The welding temperature is the temperature of the welding head 51 set by the technician according to the actual welding standard requirements. Here, by making the welding head 51 heat up in the middle preheating position, the contact points on both sides are preheated.

[0178] Step S42: After the preset preheating time, determine whether to pre-weld the wire core fork feature or proceed to the preset second welding station based on the presence of the wire core fork feature.

[0179] The preheating time is the time set by the technician for the welding head 51 to be in the middle preheating position, which will not be elaborated here.

[0180] After the preheating time, the welding head 51 at the first welding station stops the preheating process and determines the subsequent operation steps by judging whether there is a wire bifurcation feature on the switch at the current station. When there is no wire bifurcation feature, the system controls the welding head 51 at the first welding station to reset, so that the current switch can enter the adjacent second welding station. When there is a wire bifurcation feature, the system controls the welding head 51 at the first welding station to move to the wire bifurcation feature and perform a pre-welding process on the wire bifurcation feature, so that the wire bifurcation feature is pre-welded to the exposed end feature. After completing the above steps, the welding head 51 is reset.

[0181] Step S43: At the second welding station, the welding head 51, controlled by the welding temperature, is used to weld and fix the wires at the contact points on both sides.

[0182] When the switch enters the second welding station, the welding head 51 of the second welding station sequentially welds the exposed ends of the wires and the contact pieces on both sides of the switch.

[0183] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. All technical solutions falling within the scope of the present invention's concept are within the scope of protection of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, any improvements and modifications made without departing from the principles of the present invention should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated welding machine for switch wire connectors, comprising a cyclically arranged conveyor track (1), characterized in that, A plurality of conveyor seats (11) for mounting switches to be welded are slidably installed on the conveyor rail (1), and the conveyor seats (11) are provided with slots (111) for inserting power supply wires; along the processing and conveying direction of the conveyor rail (1), the following are arranged sequentially on one side of the conveyor rail (1): The feeding mechanism (2) is used to place the switch to be welded onto the conveyor seat (11); Wiring mechanism (3) for installing wires that have been pre-stripped and bent at the ends into the slot (111) of the conveyor seat (11) with the exposed end of the wire pointing toward the contact hole of the switch; The wire pressing mechanism (4) is used to push the exposed end of the completed wire into the contact hole and press it onto the contact. Welding mechanism (5) is used to weld the exposed end of the wire to the contact piece of the switch; The testing organization (6) includes a CCD industrial camera (61) for testing the pass rate of welds; The discharge mechanism (7) is used to classify and collect switches with different pass rates; The pressing mechanism (4) includes a lifting assembly (41) for vertical lifting drive, a horizontal displacement assembly (42) installed at the output end of the lifting assembly (41) for horizontal drive, a flat pusher (43) and a pressing assembly (44). The clamping assembly (44) includes an extension plate (441) connected to the output end of the lifting assembly (41), a clamping rod (443) fixedly mounted on the extension plate (441), a slidable push rod (442) mounted on the extension plate (441), and a driving member (444) for driving the slidable push rod (442) to move. The extension plate (441) has a sliding hole parallel to the contact of the switch and for the inclined push rod (442) to be arranged; The lifting assembly (41) drives the extension plate (441) to descend so as to press the switch by the clamping rod (443), the horizontal displacement assembly (42) drives the flat pusher (43) to move so as to pass the exposed end of the wire through the contact hole of the switch, and the drive member (444) drives the inclined pusher (442) to bend the exposed end of the wire that has passed through the contact hole and press it against the contact surface.

2. The automated welding machine for switch wire connectors according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wire pressing mechanism (4) also includes a connector (45) installed at the output end of the lifting assembly (41) and an abutment rod (46) installed on the connector (45); when the pressing rod (443) presses against the switch on the conveyor seat (11), the abutment rod (46) presses down a second time on the exposed end of the wire that has been bent and pressed on the adjacent conveyor seat (11) to press the exposed end of the wire down to the root of the contact piece.

3. The automated welding machine for switch wire connectors according to claim 2, characterized in that, The wire pressing mechanism (4) is provided in two sets and is arranged sequentially along the processing and conveying direction of the conveying track (1). The two sets of wire pressing mechanisms (4) respectively process the wires on both sides of the switch and bend and press the exposed ends of the wires into the inside of the contact piece.

4. A control method for an automated welding machine for switch wire connectors, applied to the automated welding machine for switch wire connectors as described in claim 3, characterized in that, include: Collect status images of wires that have been bent and folded, and identify the bending points and end points of the wires from the status images; Based on the bending point and end point of the wire, and combined with the preset slot position and contact hole position, the clamping point position on the wire is determined by fitting. In response to the delivery seat arrival signal, the clamping point of the wire is clamped and installed into the slot position, and the exposed end of the wire is pre-fixed to the contact plate of the switch using a preset through-hole wire pressing method. The exposed end of the wire is welded to the contact piece using a preset welding method, and images of the welding point are captured. The welding point image is compared and analyzed with the preset reference welding point features to determine the qualified type; Switches that have completed wire welding are classified and distributed based on different qualification types.

5. The control method for an automated welding machine for switch wire connectors according to claim 4, characterized in that, The methods of perforation and wire pressing include: The preset pusher (43) pushes the wire to insert the end of the wire into the contact hole of the switch; The preset inclined push rod (442) bends and moves along the width direction of the contact piece to press the exposed end of the wire against the surface of the contact piece; The preset contact rod (46) is vertically downward to press the exposed end of the wire on the contact surface against the root of the contact.

6. The control method for an automated welding machine for switch wire connectors according to claim 5, characterized in that, Also includes: After inserting the exposed end of the wire into the contact hole of the switch, an image of the switch contact position is captured; Identify whether there are wire core bifurcation features at the exposed end of the wire from the switch contact position image, and identify the direction path of the wire core bifurcation features; Determine whether the wire core bifurcation feature passes through the contact hole based on the overlap between the routing path and the contact hole position; When the wire core bifurcation feature passes through the contact hole, the initial oblique push path of the oblique push rod (442) is generated according to the direction path of the wire core bifurcation feature. The exposed end features passing through the contact hole are identified from the switch contact position image, and the secondary oblique push path of the oblique push rod (442) is generated based on the exposed end features. According to the initial oblique push path, the oblique push rod (442) presses the wire core bifurcation feature onto the contact plate, and then according to the secondary oblique push path, the exposed end of the wire is pressed onto the contact plate and the wire core bifurcation feature is pressed down.

7. The control method for an automated welding machine for switch wire connectors according to claim 6, characterized in that, Also includes: Acquire images of the exposed end of the inclined push rod (442) after the inclined push is completed; Identify and determine the interlacing type of bare end features and core bifurcation features from the bare end image; The target location is determined by interlaced type matching. The control abutment rod (46) presses down on the abutment target position to simultaneously press the exposed end feature and the wire core bifurcation feature onto the root of the contact piece.

8. The control method for an automated welding machine for switch wire connectors according to claim 6, characterized in that, Methods for handling wire core forking features that do not pass through the contact hole include: Identify the starting point of the wire core bifurcation feature and the number of wire core bifurcations from the switch contact position image; The squeezing force should be matched according to the number of wire core branches; Control the flat pusher (43) to slide along the wire from the preset flat push position to the starting point position, and horizontally press the wire at the starting point position onto the contact piece. The pressing force is controlled by the flat pusher (43) to apply pressure to the starting point position to break the bifurcation feature of the wire core.

9. The control method for an automated welding machine for switch wire connectors according to claim 4, characterized in that, Welding methods include: The preheating position in the middle is determined based on the two preset contact positions; At the preset first welding station, the welding head (51) is controlled to preheat the contact points on both sides at the preset welding temperature in the middle preheating position; After the preset preheating time, the wire core bifurcation feature is pre-welded or the wire core bifurcation feature is entered into the preset second welding station, depending on the presence of the bifurcation feature. At the second welding station, the welding head (51) controlled by the welding temperature is used to weld and fix the wires at the contact points on both sides.

Images