Flexible line automatic cutter placing rack

Abstract

The invention discloses a flexible line automatic cutter placing rack, and relates to machining automation equipment, the flexible line automatic cutter placing rack comprises a vertical rack used for placing a cutter, the vertical rack comprises a front-row clamping support and a rear-row clamping support which are arranged in parallel at intervals, and the two opposite sides of the front-row clamping support and the rear-row clamping support are connected through side plates; the front-row clamping support and the rear-row clamping support are arranged in parallel, a grabbing space allowing a manipulator to enter to grab or place a cutter is formed between the front-row clamping support and the rear-row clamping support, a plurality of clamping and supporting assemblies used for bearing clamping and supporting parts of the cutter are arranged on the front-row clamping support and the rear-row clamping support, each clamping and supporting assembly comprises a clamping and supporting seat, a clamping and supporting block and an anti-warping piece, and the clamping and supporting seats are formed on the clamping supports; the clamping and supporting block is fixedly arranged on the clamping and supporting seat, the anti-tilting piece is arranged on the side portion of the clamping and supporting block and abuts against the lateral notch or the concave portion of the clamping and supporting part so as to limit the cutter to tilt around the bearing structure, and the mechanical arm has the advantages of being stable and accurate in positioning, capable of effectively preventing accidental tilting and optimizing the operation space of the mechanical arm, high in space utilization rate, high in practicability and the like. And modularization and adaptability are high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated machining equipment technology, specifically to a rack for use in automated production lines (flexible manufacturing lines) for the orderly storage, positioning, and automatic picking and placing of cutting tools by robotic arms. Background Technology

[0002] In modern flexible manufacturing systems (FMS), automated tool management is a key aspect of improving production efficiency and reducing manual intervention. Automated tool magazines or tool buffer stations typically require dedicated tool racks to meet the needs of robotic arms (or automated guided vehicles such as AGVs) for the rapid and precise grasping and storage of tools.

[0003] Existing tool holders are often quite simple in structure, using simple slots or brackets to support tools. These structures have the following drawbacks:

[0004] Insufficient positioning accuracy and stability: For tools with standard chucks (such as the slots on HSK and BT tool holders), simple supports are insufficient to accurately restrict their position. They are prone to displacement or shaking under the gripping of robotic arms or external vibrations, affecting the success rate of gripping.

[0005] Lack of anti-detachment or anti-tilting mechanisms: When storing knives, especially when the handle is extended for a long time, the knives may tilt around the fulcrum or even fall off the support due to gravity or accidental collision, posing a safety hazard and potentially causing damage or misalignment of the knives.

[0006] Space utilization and accessibility need to be optimized: traditional single-row or dense arrangement may hinder the entry path of robotic grippers, or sacrifice storage density to avoid obstacles, failing to achieve a good balance between high-density storage and convenient access.

[0007] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a tool holder optimized for automation scenarios that can securely hold the standard tool holder, effectively prevent the tool from tilting, provide sufficient space for robot operation, and achieve high space utilization. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a flexible automated tool rack. This rack can stably and accurately position and store tools with standard clamping parts (such as V-flanges, specific grooves), effectively preventing the tools from tilting or shifting during storage, and has an open gripping space and optimized spatial layout for convenient robotic arm operation.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0010] An automated tool holder for flexible production lines includes a stand for holding tools. The stand includes a front row of clamping brackets and a rear row of clamping brackets arranged in parallel at intervals. The opposite sides of the front and rear rows of clamping brackets are connected by side plates, forming a gripping space between them for a robotic arm to enter and grasp or place tools. Each of the front and rear rows of clamping brackets is provided with multiple clamping assemblies for supporting the tool clamping portion. Each clamping assembly includes a clamping base, a clamping block, and an anti-tilting component. The clamping base is formed on the clamping bracket; the clamping block is fixedly disposed on the clamping base, and its top is provided with a support structure for supporting the tool clamping portion; the anti-tilting component is disposed on the side of the clamping block, and when the tool is placed on the support structure, it abuts against a lateral notch or recess in the clamping portion to prevent the tool from tilting around the support structure.

[0011] Furthermore, the card support has an upward-opening semi-circular groove structure, which facilitates the processing and positioning of the card support block.

[0012] Furthermore, the bottom of the card holder is provided with an upwardly extending positioning post, and the bottom of the card block is correspondingly provided with a positioning hole; and / or, the bottom of the card holder is provided with a mounting hole, and the card block is fixed to the card holder by fasteners. The cooperation between the positioning post and the positioning hole ensures the installation position accuracy of the card block, while the mounting hole and the fastener provide a reliable connection.

[0013] Furthermore, the support structure at the top of the clamping block is a V-groove, U-groove, trapezoidal groove, or arc-shaped groove that matches the shape of the tool clamping part. Different groove shapes can be adapted to chucks or flanges of different standards (such as HSK, BT, CAPTO, etc.) or different sizes of tools, achieving stable support through surface contact or line contact.

[0014] Furthermore, the anti-tilting component is a plate-shaped structure, with its lower end fixed to the retaining block and its upper end having abutting portion protruding towards the supporting structure side of the retaining block, used to abut against the lateral notch of the tool retaining portion. This structure is simple and effective, reliably preventing the tool from tilting upwards due to gravity or vibration.

[0015] Furthermore, the multiple card support components on the front and rear card holders are evenly arrayed, which facilitates the planning of tool storage locations and management.

[0016] Furthermore, the front and rear row holders are arranged in multiple layers along the vertical direction, and the front and rear row holders of adjacent layers are staggered in the vertical direction. This staggered multi-layer layout ensures that each tool has an independent and interference-free gripping space while greatly improving the utilization rate of three-dimensional space.

[0017] Furthermore, the side panels are connected to the opposite sides of the front and rear card holders of each layer, connecting the entire placement rack into a stable overall frame structure.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following significant advantages:

[0019] 1. Stable and precise positioning: Through a specially designed clamping block support structure and anti-tilting components, it forms a three-point or multi-point fit with the standard clamping parts (flange, groove) of the tool, realizing precise radial and circumferential positioning and constraint of the tool, which greatly improves storage stability.

[0020] 2. Effectively prevents accidental tilting: The anti-tilting component acts directly on the notch of the tool holder (such as the drive groove of the HSK tool holder), fundamentally eliminating the possibility of the tool tilting around the fulcrum when stored, thus ensuring storage safety.

[0021] 3. Optimize the robotic arm's operating space: The front and rear rows of gripper brackets are set in parallel intervals, and the "gripping space" formed in the middle provides an unobstructed access and operation channel for the robotic arm's gripper, making it easy to grip from the side or above, thus improving the reliability and efficiency of automated operation.

[0022] 4. High space utilization: The multi-layered, staggered arrangement of tools in the front and back rows ensures that the tools on adjacent upper and lower layers are spaced out, avoiding interference when the robotic arm grasps them, thus maximizing the number of tools that can be stored within a limited floor area.

[0023] 5. Modular and highly adaptable: The clamping assembly adopts a standardized design, and the clamping blocks can be quickly replaced according to different tool holder types (by changing different slot types), making the rack flexible to adapt to various specifications of tools and enhancing the versatility of the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an embodiment of the present invention (with a cutting tool placed thereon).

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the front view structure of one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a top view of one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the left-side view structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a second-view three-dimensional structural diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 6This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the card support block of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the card support block of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the left-side structure of the card support block of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the right-side structure of the card support block of the present invention.

[0033] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0034] 1. Card holder; 2. Side plate; 3. Tool; 4. Card support; 5. Card block; 6. Anti-pry plate. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, so as to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention. It is understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0036] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the present invention provides a flexible automated tool holder, the main body of which is a vertical frame formed by connecting side plates 2. Multiple layers of horizontally extending clamping brackets 1 are arranged vertically within this frame. Each layer of clamping brackets 1 consists of a front row of clamping brackets and a rear row of clamping brackets arranged in parallel at intervals, with sufficient width between them to form a through "gripping space". This space allows the robotic arm gripper to freely extend into and approach and grasp the blade portion of the tool 3 from the side.

[0037] Each card holder 1 has multiple identical card support assemblies machined or mounted on its upper surface along its length. Specifically, each card support assembly includes a card support base 4 integrally formed with (or fixed by welding or bolting) the card holder 1. The card support base 4 is preferably an upward-opening semi-circular groove, the bottom of which is machined with at least one upward-protruding cylindrical positioning post 7 and several threaded mounting holes (not labeled).

[0038] The retaining block 5 is precisely placed within the retaining base 4 through its bottom positioning hole (which mates with the positioning pin 7) and through hole (corresponding to the mounting hole). Fasteners such as hexagonal socket screws are screwed into the mounting hole through the through hole, thus firmly fixing the retaining block 5 to the retaining base 4. The top of the retaining block 5 has a support structure 51 for supporting the retaining portion of the tool 3 (e.g., the inclined surface below the flange end face of an HSK tool holder). In this embodiment, the support structure 51 is shown as a V-groove, which can fit well with the tapered chuck of the tool 3. It can be understood that, depending on the type of tool holder, this support structure 51 can also be a U-groove, an arc groove, or other shapes.

[0039] In this embodiment, the anti-tilting component 6 is an inverted T-shaped steel plate, the lower end of which is vertically fixed to the side of the retaining block 5 by screws or welding. The upper end of the anti-tilting component 6 is bent or machined into a protruding abutment part towards the center of the V-groove of the retaining block 5. When the tool 3 is correctly placed on the V-groove of the retaining block 5, a standard drive notch or groove on its retaining part (such as a flange) contacts and abuts against the side of the abutment part of the anti-tilting component 6 (e.g., ...). Figure 4 (As shown). In this way, the anti-tilting component 6 forms a stop, preventing the tool 3 from tilting counterclockwise (in the direction shown in the figure) when stored.

[0040] To maximize space utilization, the multi-layer card holder 1 is arranged in a staggered manner in the vertical direction. That is, as shown... Figure 1 As shown, the front row of the second layer (counting from top to bottom) is directly opposite the lower part of the rear row of the first layer, and the rear row of the second layer is directly opposite the lower part of the front row of the first layer, and so on. This staggered layout ensures that adjacent tools 3 are offset in spatial projection, completely avoiding interference between the robotic arm and the lower layer tools when picking up or placing the upper layer tools. All the card holders 1 are connected and fixed by the side plates 2 on the left and right sides, forming a rigid and compact whole.

[0041] The working process of this invention is as follows:

[0042] Tool Storage: The robotic arm holds tool 3 and moves it horizontally to the target storage position. The clamping part (flange) of tool 3 is aligned and placed into the supporting structure 51 (such as a V-groove) of the corresponding clamping block 5. During placement, the anti-tilting part 6 naturally enters the lateral notch of the tool clamping part. The weight of tool 3 is borne by the clamping block 5, and its tendency to tilt is limited by the anti-tilting part 6, thus ensuring stable and horizontal storage on the frame.

[0043] Tool Retrieval: The robotic arm extends horizontally into the "grabbing space," the grippers open and hold the overhanging blade portion of tool 3, detaches upward from the retaining block 5, and then moves horizontally outward to smoothly remove tool 3 from the retaining block 5. Throughout the process, the anti-prying component 6 does not obstruct the retrieval and placement actions.

[0044] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible line automated tool holder, comprising a stand for placing tools (3), characterized in that, The support frame includes front and rear rows of card holders (1) arranged in parallel intervals. The opposite sides of the front and rear rows of card holders (1) are connected by side plates (2), and a gripping space is formed therebetween for the robot arm to enter to grab or place the tool (3). The front and rear row card brackets (1) are each provided with multiple card support components for supporting the card support parts of the cutting tool (3); The card support assembly includes: Card support (4) is formed on the card holder (1); The clamping block (5) is fixedly installed on the clamping seat (4), and its top is provided with a support structure for supporting the clamping part of the tool (3); An anti-tilting component (6) is provided on the side of the clamping block (5) and is used to abut against the lateral notch or recess of the clamping part when the tool (3) is placed on the support structure, so as to restrict the tool (3) from tilting around the support structure.

2. The flexible line automated tool holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The card support (4) has an upward-opening semi-circular groove structure.

3. The flexible line automated tool holder according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bottom of the card support (4) is provided with an outwardly extending positioning post (7), and the bottom of the card block (5) is provided with a corresponding positioning hole; and / or, the bottom of the card support (4) is provided with an installation hole, and the card block (5) is fixed to the card support (4) by fasteners.

4. The flexible line automated tool holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The supporting structure at the top of the clamping block (5) is a V-shaped groove, U-shaped groove, trapezoidal groove or arc groove that matches the shape of the clamping part of the tool (3).

5. The flexible line automated tool holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The anti-tilting component (6) is a plate-shaped structure, with its lower end fixed to the clamping block (5) and its upper end having a protruding abutment part that protrudes to the supporting structure side of the clamping block (5) to abut against the lateral notch of the clamping part of the tool (3).

6. The flexible line automation tool holder according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The multiple card support components on the front and rear card brackets (1) are evenly distributed in an array.

7. The flexible line automated tool holder according to claim 6, characterized in that, The front and rear card holders (1) are arranged in multiple layers along the vertical direction, and the front and rear card holders (1) of adjacent layers are staggered in the vertical direction.

8. The flexible line automated tool holder according to claim 7, characterized in that, The side plate (2) is connected to the opposite sides of the front and rear row card brackets (1) of each layer.

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