Movable intelligent welding mechanical arm

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of welding mechanical arms and discloses a movable intelligent welding mechanical arm which comprises a base, a main shaft is arranged above the base, an auxiliary shaft is arranged at the end of the main shaft, a C-shaped frame is arranged at the end of the auxiliary shaft, a rotating head is arranged in the C-shaped frame, a core wire is arranged at the bottom end of the rotating head, and a visual sensor is arranged below the C-shaped frame. The visual sensor is used for collecting images around the core wire, a protective cover is arranged on the outer wall of the rotating head, a plurality of fan-shaped pieces are arranged on the outer wall of the protective cover, and a self-adaptive protective assembly for pushing the corresponding fan-shaped pieces to extend outwards according to the deflection angle of the core wire is arranged below the C-shaped frame; a cleaning assembly for scraping metal slag adhered to the inner wall of the protective cover is arranged in the protective cover; according to the mechanical arm, the protection range can be dynamically adjusted according to the actual welding situation, the defect that the protection range of a traditional static protection mode is fixed is overcome, high-temperature welding slag and spark splashing are effectively prevented, and damage to peripheral workpiece coatings is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of welding robotic arm technology, specifically a mobile intelligent welding robotic arm. Background Technology

[0002] During welding operations, high-temperature weld slag and sparks can damage the coating of surrounding workpieces, posing quality and safety hazards. Existing technologies primarily employ passive, fixed physical isolation methods to address this issue. For example, common practices include laying fireproof cloth or installing fixed baffles around the welding area. Further, some technical solutions attempt to integrate protective structures with the equipment itself, such as the one disclosed in patent document CN215588236U, "A Welding Apparatus for Stainless Steel Composite Plate Production that Prevents Spatter," which involves installing a fixed protective cover on the welding apparatus to block spatter. However, these methods are essentially static protections; their protective range, angle, and position remain fixed after installation.

[0003] Because the trajectory and main distribution area of ​​welding spatter are highly dependent on the real-time angle of the welding torch, fixed protective covers or baffles can only provide protection in a preset direction and are mostly enclosed. The above-mentioned static protection methods reveal fundamental flaws in actual welding processes, especially automated welding requiring multi-angle and variable-position welding: 1. They severely hinder observation. To achieve an ideal protective environment, the cover must be sealed or have only a very small observation window, severely impeding the operator or visual sensors from observing the molten pool and weld formation. 2. Due to the bulky structure of the protective cover, spark spatter may adhere to its inner wall, thus accelerating the aging of the cover.

[0004] Therefore, this invention proposes a mobile intelligent welding robotic arm. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a mobile intelligent welding robotic arm to solve the problems mentioned in the background art. To achieve the above objective, this invention provides the following technical solution: A mobile intelligent welding robotic arm includes a base, a main shaft above the base, a secondary shaft at the end of the main shaft, a C-shaped frame at the end of the secondary shaft, a rotating head inside the C-shaped frame, a welding core at the bottom of the rotating head, a vision sensor below the C-shaped frame for acquiring images of the area around the welding core, a protective cover on the outer wall of the rotating head, multiple fan-shaped plates on the outer wall of the protective cover, and an adaptive protection component below the C-shaped frame that pushes the corresponding fan-shaped plates outward according to the deflection angle of the welding core; the interior of the protective cover includes a cleaning component for scraping off the molten metal slag adhering to its inner wall.

[0006] Preferably, the adaptive protection component includes an inertial measurement sensor located below the C-shaped frame. The inertial measurement sensor is used to measure the pitch and yaw angles of the welding core in three-dimensional space in real time. A fixing rod is provided on the side of the fan-shaped plate. A connecting pipe is provided on the outer wall of the fixing rod. An annular shell is provided at the end of the connecting pipe. The annular shell is located on the outer wall of the rotating head and is fixedly connected to it. The interior of the annular shell is a cavity with four chambers. Each chamber is under negative pressure with the corresponding fixing rod. An air inflation chamber is provided above the annular shell and is connected to it. The air inflation chamber is located on the outer wall of the rotating head. An air pump is provided above the C-shaped frame. The air inflation chamber is connected to the air pump.

[0007] Preferably, the annular shell includes a connecting part located between the annular shell and the inflation chamber. The outer wall of the connecting part is provided with a miniature air valve, which is used to block and open the gas flow between the connecting parts.

[0008] Preferably, there are four sets of miniature air valves and connecting parts, and each miniature air valve is independent of the others. The miniature air valves, air pumps and inertial measurement sensors are all electrically connected to the control center.

[0009] Preferably, the cleaning component includes a scraper located on the inner side of the fan-shaped blade, the fan-shaped blade including a sliding part, the sliding part being fixedly connected to the outer wall of the scraper, and the outer wall of the scraper being in contact with the inner wall of the protective cover.

[0010] Preferably, the scraper blade is arc-shaped as a whole, and the end of the scraper blade is shaped into a slanted, sharp point.

[0011] Preferably, the bottom of the protective cover is provided with an arc-shaped cover to receive molten metal slag, and the inner wall area of ​​the arc-shaped cover has an upward-curved edge.

[0012] Preferably, the protective cover has a through hole in its wall, through which the protective cover and the fan-shaped plate pass. An absorption cover is provided on the side of the through hole. A collection box is provided inside the C-shaped frame. The absorption cover is connected to the collection box through an absorption pipe. An absorption pump that provides suction to the absorption cover is provided inside the collection box.

[0013] Preferably, a high-speed vision acquisition device is provided at the bottom of the secondary shaft. The high-speed vision acquisition device is used to capture the trajectory and spatial distribution pattern of the brighter high-temperature splash sparks and transmit the detection data to the control center.

[0014] This invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0015] In this invention, by setting a C-shaped frame, a rotating head, and a welding core at the end of the secondary shaft, and equipping it with a vision sensor for image acquisition, the robotic arm can perform welding operations more precisely. The adaptive protection component, with an inertial measurement sensor measuring the welding core angle in real time, pushes the corresponding fan-shaped plate outward based on the welding core deflection angle. This dynamically adjusts the protection range according to the actual welding situation, avoiding the fixed protection range of traditional static protection methods. It effectively blocks high-temperature welding slag and sparks from splashing, reducing damage to the coating of surrounding workpieces and lowering quality and safety hazards.

[0016] The cleaning component can scrape off the molten metal slag adhering to the inner wall of the protective cover, preventing excessive slag buildup that could accelerate the aging of the cover and ensuring its normal use and protective effect. Meanwhile, the combination of multiple fan-shaped plates on the outer wall of the protective cover and the adaptive protection component achieves the protective function without severely obstructing observation like traditional static protection methods. Operators or visual sensors can more clearly observe the molten pool and weld formation. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the various structures at the bottom of the C-shaped frame in this invention;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the protective cover and fan-shaped plate structure in this invention;

[0020] Figure 4 For the present invention Figure 3 Enlarged view of the structure of region A in the middle;

[0021] Figure 5 For the present invention Figure 3 Enlarged view of the structure of region B in the middle;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a top view of the fan-shaped sheet structure in this invention;

[0023] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the annular shell structure in this invention;

[0024] Figure 8 This is a structural separation diagram of the fan-shaped plate and the protective cover in this invention;

[0025] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the overall system flow structure of the present invention.

[0026] In the diagram: 1-Base; 2-Main shaft; 3-Secondary shaft; 4-C-shaped frame; 5-Rotating head; 6-Welding core; 7-Vision sensor; 8-Protective cover; 9-Fan-shaped plate; 10-Inertial measurement sensor; 11-Fixing rod; 12-Connecting pipe; 13-Annular shell; 14-Inflation chamber; 15-Air pump; 16-Connecting part; 17-Miniature air valve; 18-Scraper; 19-Sliding part; 20-Arc-shaped cover; 21-Through hole; 22-Absorption cover; 23-Collection box; 24-High-speed vision acquisition device. Detailed Implementation

[0027] 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. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] Please see Figure 1-9 This invention provides a technical solution: a mobile intelligent welding robotic arm, comprising:

[0029] Example 1

[0030] The base 1 has a main shaft 2 on top of it. The base 1 can rotate on the moving platform. The end of the main shaft 2 has a secondary shaft 3. The end of the secondary shaft 3 has a C-shaped frame 4 and is fixedly connected to it. The C-shaped frame 4 has a rotating head 5 inside and is rotatably connected to it. The bottom end of the rotating head 5 has a welding core 6 and is fixedly connected to it. The main shaft 2, secondary shaft 3 and rotating head 5 are all driven independently by servo motors that are adapted to them. They can freely change the rotation angle according to the needs of the welding scenario to perform intelligent welding. This is existing technology and will not be described in detail.

[0031] In this design, a vision sensor 7 is fixedly connected to and positioned below the C-shaped frame 4. This vision sensor 7, model RVC-M2600, is used to acquire images around the welding core 6 and scan the model information of the weldment. In this design, the vision sensor 7 is located diagonally above the welding core 6, allowing for precise acquisition of the bottom image of the welding core 6 even when it is raised, without any image obstruction. A protective cover 8 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the rotating head 5. The outer wall of the protective cover 8 has multiple fan-shaped plates 9, with the inner walls of the fan-shaped plates 9 contacting the outer wall of the protective cover 8. Below the C-shaped frame 4, an adaptive protection component is installed that pushes the corresponding fan-shaped plates 9 outward according to the deflection angle of the welding core 6. Using this adaptive protection component, the area of ​​spark spatter can be predicted in advance during welding based on the rotation angle of the welding core 6, allowing for the deployment of corresponding fan-shaped plates for targeted protection.

[0032] The adaptive protection assembly includes an inertial measurement sensor 10 located below the C-frame 4 and fixedly mounted above the C-frame 4. This inertial measurement sensor 10, which can be an IMU sensor, is used to measure the precise pitch and yaw angles of the welding core 6 in three-dimensional space in real time and transmits the data to the control center. A high-speed vision acquisition device 24 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the sub-shaft 3. This high-speed vision acquisition device 24, which can be a Keyence CV-X series device, is used to capture the trajectory and spatial distribution patterns of brighter, high-temperature spatter and transmit the detection data to the control center. After integrating data from multiple sensors, the control center can predict the spatter range of the next welding operation before welding occurs, thereby driving the adaptive protection assembly to initiate targeted protection.

[0033] Furthermore, a fixing rod 11 is provided on the side of the fan-shaped plate 9 and fixedly connected thereto. A connecting tube 12 is provided on the outer wall of the fixing rod 11 and slidably connected thereto. An annular shell 13 is provided at the end of the connecting tube 12 and fixedly connected thereto. The annular shell 13 is located on the outer wall of the rotating head 5 and fixedly connected thereto. The interior of the annular shell 13 is a cavity with four chambers. Each chamber corresponds to a fan-shaped plate 9. Each chamber and the corresponding fixing rod 11 are in a negative pressure state. The air pressure inside each individual chamber can be controlled to push the fan-shaped plate 9 to slide outward or retract backward.

[0034] An inflation chamber 14 is located above and connected to the annular shell 13. The inflation chamber 14 is located on the outer wall of the rotating head 5 and is fixedly connected to it. An air pump 15 is located above and fixedly connected to the C-shaped frame 4. The inflation chamber 14 and the air pump 15 are connected to each other. The air pump 15 can be a D50L model. The annular shell 13 includes a connecting part 16, which is located between the annular shell 13 and the inflation chamber 14. The outer wall of the connecting part 16 is provided with a miniature air valve 17. The signal of the miniature air valve 17 can be AGD21R-A. The miniature air valve 17 is used to block and open the gas flow between the connecting parts 16. The opening and closing of each miniature air valve 17 can be controlled by the control center by sending a signal. There are four sets of miniature air valves 17 and connecting parts 16, and each miniature air valve 17 is independent of each other. The miniature air valves 17, the air pump 15, and the inertial measurement sensor 10 are all electrically connected to the control center.

[0035] The protective cover 8 is equipped with a cleaning component inside to scrape off molten metal slag adhering to its inner wall. The cleaning component includes a scraper 18 located on the inner side of a fan-shaped plate 9. The fan-shaped plate 9 includes a sliding part 19. The wall of the protective cover has a groove for the sliding part 19 to slide through. The sliding part 19 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the scraper 18, and the outer wall of the scraper 18 fits against the inner wall of the protective cover 8. The scraper 18 is generally arc-shaped, and its end is shaped into a slanted, sharp point. As different fan-shaped plates 9 slide outwards and then retract, the sliding part 19 drives the scraper 18 to slide up and down along the inner wall of the protective cover 8. The sharp point of the scraper 18 effectively removes the molten slag adhering to the inner wall of the protective cover 8 as it slides downwards, preventing molten slag from adhering for a long time and accelerating the aging of the protective cover 8, thus avoiding adverse effects on welding.

[0036] Working principle:

[0037] Before the welding operation begins, the control center will make a preliminary prediction of the range of sparks to be emitted during the welding process based on the images around the welding core 6 collected by the vision sensor 7 and the model information of the weldment, combined with the trajectory and spatial distribution pattern of the high-temperature spatter captured by the high-speed vision acquisition device 24. At the same time, the inertial measurement sensor 10 measures the precise angle data of the pitch and yaw angles of the welding core 6 in three-dimensional space in real time and transmits this data to the control center.

[0038] When the main spindle 2, secondary spindle 3, and rotary head 5 rotate according to the needs of the welding scenario, changing the angle of the welding core 6, the inertial measurement sensor 10 quickly captures the change in the angle of the welding core 6 and transmits the new angle data to the control center. Based on this data, the control center accurately calculates the area where sparks may splatter.

[0039] Subsequently, the control center issues a command to the adaptive protection assembly. Air pump 15 starts operating, inflating the inflation chamber 14. Based on calculations, the control center controls the corresponding micro-valve 17 to open, allowing gas flow through the connection 16 between the inflation chamber 14 and the corresponding chamber. Since each chamber of the annular shell 13 was originally under negative pressure with respect to its corresponding fixed rod 11, the increased pressure inside the chamber pushes the fixed rod 11 outward. The movement of the fixed rod 11 causes the fan-shaped plate 9 to extend outward along the outer wall of the protective cover 8, protecting the predicted spark splash area.

[0040] During the welding process, the high-speed vision acquisition unit 24 continuously captures the trajectory and spatial distribution patterns of high-temperature sparks and feeds the real-time data back to the control center. Based on this feedback data, the control center continuously adjusts the operation of the adaptive protection components to ensure that the fan-shaped plate 9 is always in the optimal protective position.

[0041] Simultaneously, the cleaning components are also working. As the fan-shaped blade 9 extends and retracts, the sliding part 19 drives the scraper 18 to slide up and down along the inner wall of the protective cover 8. The sharp, inclined shape of the scraper 18 can effectively scrape off the molten metal slag adhering to the inner wall of the protective cover 8 during the downward sliding process, reducing the damage of spark slag to the protective cover 8.

[0042] After the welding operation is completed, the control center stops the air pump 15 and opens all the micro air valves 17, connecting each chamber of the annular shell 13 to the inflation chamber 14, restoring the air pressure balance within the chambers. At this time, under the action of negative pressure, the fan-shaped plate 9 retracts along the outer wall of the protective cover 8, returning to its initial position, awaiting the start of the next welding operation. Throughout the entire operation, this mobile intelligent welding robotic arm can adaptively protect and clean itself based on the real-time angle of the welding core 6 and the actual situation of spark sputtering, effectively solving the problems of static protection methods in existing technologies and improving the safety and efficiency of welding operations.

[0043] Example 2

[0044] The bottom of the protective cover 8 is provided with an arc-shaped cover 20 to receive molten metal slag. The upper part of the arc-shaped cover 20 is fixedly connected to the protective cover 8. The inner wall area of ​​the arc-shaped cover 20 has an upward-curved edge. The wall of the protective cover 8 is provided with a through hole 21, which passes through the protective cover 8 and the fan-shaped plate 9. An absorption cover 22 is provided on the side of the through hole 21. A collection box 23 is provided inside the C-shaped frame 4. The collection box 23 is fixedly connected to the C-shaped frame 4 by bolts. The absorption cover 22 is connected to the collection box 23 through an absorption pipe. An absorption pump that provides suction to the absorption cover 22 is configured inside the collection box 23.

[0045] Working principle:

[0046] When the scraper 18 cleans the molten slag, some of the slag falls into the arc-shaped cover 20. The upward-curved edge prevents the slag from sliding off the edge of the arc-shaped cover 20 and drives the rotating head 5 to rotate slightly upward, causing the slag accumulated inside the arc-shaped cover 20 to slide down to the through hole 21 and accumulate there. At the same time, the absorption pump starts working, creating suction at the absorption cover 22. Since the wall of the protective cover 8 has through holes 21 that pass through the protective cover 8 and the fan-shaped blade 9, the absorption cover 22 sucks in the molten slag splashed inside the protective cover 8 through these through holes 21. The slag then enters the collection box 23 through the absorption pipe. In this way, on the one hand, the arc-shaped cover 20 catches some of the slag, reducing the slag from splashing everywhere; on the other hand, the absorption cover 22 sucks away the slag inside the protective cover 8, further keeping the inside of the protective cover 8 clean and preventing excessive slag accumulation inside the protective cover 8, which would affect the welding operation and the service life of the protective cover 8. Throughout the process, the arc-shaped cover 20 works in conjunction with the absorption device to provide a more complete slag treatment method for welding operations, improve the cleanliness of the welding environment and the working stability of the welding robot arm, and ensure the reliability of welding quality.

[0047] It is worth noting that the components in this solution require regular inspection and maintenance during long-term use. For the servo motor, check its operation for abnormal noise or vibration, and add lubricant regularly to ensure smooth rotation. For optical devices such as the vision sensor 7 and the high-speed vision acquisition unit 24, keep their lenses clean to prevent dust and stains from affecting the accuracy of image acquisition and data detection. Check the inertial measurement sensor 10 for secure installation and stable data transmission. For components such as the air pump 15 and the miniature air valve 17, check their sealing to prevent gas leakage from affecting the normal operation of the adaptive protection components. For air passage structures such as the annular shell 13 and the inflation chamber 14, check for blockages to ensure normal gas flow. When the scraper 18 wears to a certain extent, it needs to be replaced promptly to ensure its effectiveness in scraping slag from the inner wall of the protective cover 8. For sliding parts 19 such as the fan-shaped plate 9, the fixing rod 11, and the connecting pipe 12, check their smooth sliding to prevent jamming that could affect the protection and cleaning functions.

[0048] Meanwhile, the control center's software system should be updated and maintained regularly to ensure it can accurately process data from sensors and issue control commands promptly and accurately. During maintenance, the equipment's maintenance manual must be strictly followed to ensure the standardization and effectiveness of the maintenance work, thereby extending the service life of the mobile intelligent welding robotic arm and improving its operational stability and reliability.

[0049] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0050] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A mobile intelligent welding robotic arm, comprising a base (1), a main shaft (2) above the base (1), and a secondary shaft (3) at the end of the main shaft (2), characterized in that: The end of the sub-shaft (3) is provided with a C-shaped frame (4), the inside of the C-shaped frame (4) is provided with a rotating head (5), the bottom end of the rotating head (5) is provided with a welding core (6), the bottom of the C-shaped frame (4) is provided with a vision sensor (7), the vision sensor (7) is used to collect images around the welding core (6), the outer wall of the rotating head (5) is provided with a protective cover (8), the outer wall of the protective cover (8) is provided with multiple fan-shaped plates (9), the bottom of the C-shaped frame (4) is provided with an adaptive protection component that pushes the corresponding fan-shaped plates (9) outward according to the deflection angle of the welding core (6); the inside of the protective cover (8) is provided with a cleaning component that scrapes off the metal slag adhering to its inner wall.

2. The mobile intelligent welding robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adaptive protection component includes an inertial measurement sensor (10) located below the C-shaped frame (4). The inertial measurement sensor (10) is used to measure the pitch and yaw angles of the welding core (6) in three-dimensional space in real time. A fixing rod (11) is provided on the side of the fan-shaped plate (9). A connecting pipe (12) is provided on the outer wall of the fixing rod (11). An annular shell (13) is provided at the end of the connecting pipe (12). The annular shell (13) is located on the outer wall of the rotating head (5) and is fixedly connected to it. The annular shell (13) is hollow inside and has four chambers. Each chamber is under negative pressure with the corresponding fixing rod (11). An air chamber (14) is provided above the annular shell (13) and is connected to it. The air chamber (14) is located on the outer wall of the rotating head (5). An air pump (15) is provided above the C-shaped frame (4). The air chamber (14) and the air pump (15) are connected to each other.

3. The mobile intelligent welding robotic arm according to claim 2, characterized in that: The annular shell (13) includes a connecting part (16), which is located between the annular shell (13) and the air chamber (14). The outer wall of the connecting part (16) is provided with a miniature air valve (17), which is used to block and open the gas flow between the connecting part (16).

4. The mobile intelligent welding robotic arm according to claim 3, characterized in that: There are four sets of miniature air valves (17) and connecting parts (16), and each miniature air valve (17) is independent of each other. The miniature air valves (17), air pumps (15) and inertial measurement sensors (10) are all electrically connected to the control center.

5. The mobile intelligent welding robotic arm according to claim 4, characterized in that: The cleaning component includes a scraper (18) located on the inner side of the fan-shaped plate (9). The fan-shaped plate (9) includes a sliding part (19), which is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the scraper (18). The outer wall of the scraper (18) is in contact with the inner wall of the protective cover (8).

6. The mobile intelligent welding robotic arm according to claim 5, characterized in that: The scraper (18) is arc-shaped, and the end of the scraper (18) is shaped as a slanted sharp point.

7. The mobile intelligent welding robotic arm according to claim 6, characterized in that: The bottom of the protective cover (8) is provided with an arc-shaped cover (20) for receiving molten metal slag, and the inner wall area of ​​the arc-shaped cover (20) has an upward-turned folded edge.

8. The mobile intelligent welding robotic arm according to claim 7, characterized in that: The protective cover (8) has a through hole (21) in its wall. The through hole (21) passes through the protective cover (8) and the fan-shaped plate (9). An absorption cover (22) is provided on the side of the through hole (21). A collection box (23) is provided inside the C-shaped frame (4). The absorption cover (22) is connected to the collection box (23) through an absorption pipe. An absorption pump that provides suction to the absorption cover (22) is provided inside the collection box (23).

9. The mobile intelligent welding robotic arm according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom of the sub-shaft (3) is equipped with a high-speed vision acquisition device (24). The high-speed vision acquisition device (24) is used to capture the trajectory and spatial distribution pattern of high-temperature splash sparks with higher brightness and transmit the detection data to the control center.

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