Mechanical arm for transferring glass products and using method of mechanical arm

Abstract

The invention relates to a mechanical arm for transferring glass products. The mechanical arm comprises a mechanical arm body. The operation end of the mechanical arm body is in transmission connection with a mounting frame, connecting rods are arranged on the front side and the rear side of the mounting frame, and first suction cups are arranged at the ends, away from the mounting frame, of the connecting rods. The left side and the right side of the mounting frame are each provided with a pair of side lugs, a connecting shaft is arranged between the side lugs on the same side in a penetrating mode, and the connecting shaft is rotationally connected with a U-shaped frame through a bearing. A plurality of connecting structures arranged in the horizontal direction are arranged on the sides, deviating from each other, of the two U-shaped frames correspondingly. According to the mechanical arm for transferring the glass products and the using method thereof, arc-shaped glass can be adapted through angle adjustment of the U-shaped frame, glass of different widths can be adapted through length adjustment of the extension rod, special adsorption assemblies do not need to be customized for the glass products of different specifications and different shapes, and the equipment investment cost is greatly reduced; and the transfer requirements of various glass products in the fields of automobiles, buildings and the like are met, and the equipment universality is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of glass product transfer technology, specifically to a mechanical arm for glass product transfer and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] In the production, processing, and logistics of glass products, the combination of robotic arms and suction cup frames for adsorption and transfer has become the mainstream operating solution due to its high efficiency and stability. Its core principle is to generate negative pressure through multiple suction cups on the suction cup frame, adsorbing the surface of the glass product. The robotic arm then drives the product to perform translation, flipping, and other transfer actions, significantly improving the efficiency of glass product transfer while reducing the risk of breakage caused by manual handling.

[0003] Currently, the suction cup frames used by robotic arms for transferring glass products in the industry generally adopt a "planar suction cup layout," meaning that the adsorption end faces of all suction cups are in the same plane. This design can achieve stable adsorption when transferring regular flat glass products such as flat glass through the full contact between the suction cups and the glass surface. However, it has significant compatibility defects when dealing with curved glass products, such as automotive windshields and curved architectural glass.

[0004] The surface of curved glass is a continuous curve, and suction cups on the same plane cannot simultaneously achieve full adhesion to the curved surface. Only some suction cups can contact the glass and generate adsorption force, resulting in a significant decrease in adsorption stability. This not only easily leads to safety hazards such as loosening and falling off of glass products during transportation, but may also cause scratches and cracks on the glass surface due to excessive local adsorption pressure. Summary of the Invention To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a robotic arm for transferring glass products and its usage method, thus solving the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a robotic arm for transferring glass products, comprising a robotic arm body; The operating end of the robotic arm body is connected to a mounting frame. The mounting frame has connecting rods on both the front and rear sides, and a first suction cup is provided at the end of the connecting rod away from the mounting frame. The mounting bracket is provided with a pair of side ears on both the left and right sides, and a connecting shaft is provided through each of the side ears on the same side. A U-shaped frame is rotatably connected to the connecting shaft through a bearing. Each of the two U-shaped frames has multiple horizontally arranged connecting structures on opposite sides, and each connecting structure has a second suction cup at the end away from the U-shaped frame. The mounting bracket is equipped with a drive assembly for driving the two U-shaped brackets to rotate the second suction cups on them in opposite directions.

[0006] Furthermore, the number of the connection structures is six, and they are arranged in groups of three on the two U-shaped frames respectively.

[0007] Furthermore, one group of the connection structures is arranged in a fan shape.

[0008] Furthermore, the intermediate connection structure includes a sleeve connected to the U-shaped frame, and an extension rod slidably connected to the sleeve; A limiting bolt is threaded to the outer side of the sleeve. Corresponding to the limiting bolt, a plurality of positioning holes are provided along the length of the extension rod on the side facing the limiting bolt, so that one end of the limiting bolt can extend into the interior of the extension rod.

[0009] Furthermore, the second suction cup is mounted on the end of the extension rod away from the sleeve and is located on the lower surface of the extension rod.

[0010] Furthermore, an arc-shaped plate is fixed to the upper surface of the middle extension rod, and a guide rod is provided on the upper surface of the front and rear extension rods, and the guide rod is slidably connected to the arc-shaped plate.

[0011] Furthermore, the inside of the arc-shaped plate is provided with an arc-shaped opening for the guide rod to slide.

[0012] Furthermore, a groove is formed on the front and rear sides of the outer surface of the guide rod, and the front and rear sides of the inner wall of the arc-shaped opening are respectively embedded in the two grooves.

[0013] Furthermore, the drive assembly includes a geared motor mounted on the mounting bracket, and a shaft that is drively connected inside the geared motor; The left and right sides of the inner wall of the mounting bracket are rotatably connected to the drive shafts via bearings. The two ends of the drive shafts are respectively connected to the two drive shafts via shaft connectors. Bevel teeth are fixedly sleeved on the opposite ends of the two drive shafts and on the outer sides of the two connecting shafts, and adjacent bevel teeth mesh with each other.

[0014] A method for transferring glass products using a robotic arm, implemented using the robotic arm described in any one of the above-mentioned methods, includes the following operational steps: S001: Start the geared motor and adjust the included angle between the second suction cups on the left and right sides to match the left and right sides of the glass; for glass of different widths, first loosen the bolt-shaped limit bolt, push the extension rod to drive the second suction cup and the arc plate to move, and use the arc plate and guide rod to achieve synchronous movement of the front and rear extension rods. After adjustment, tighten the limit bolt to lock.

[0015] S002: When transferring flat glass, keep the U-shaped frame horizontal and adjust the extension rod according to the width adaptation process in S001 so that all the adsorption end faces of the second suction cups are coplanar and the adsorption surfaces of the first and second suction cups are flush.

[0016] S003: The main body of the robotic arm drives the mounting frame to move above the glass, and adjusts its posture so that the first suction cup is attached to the front and rear edges of the glass and the second suction cup is attached to the left and right sides of the glass.

[0017] S004: Activate the negative pressure system. The first and second suction cups generate negative pressure, and the four-way adsorption glass forms an enclosed fixation.

[0018] S005: The robotic arm transports the glass to the target position according to the preset path, adjusts its posture to make the glass fit the placement surface, closes the negative pressure to release the glass, and the robotic arm resets.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of this application has the following beneficial effects: 1. This glass product transfer system utilizes a robotic arm and its operating method. By adjusting the angle of the U-shaped frame, it can accommodate curved glass, and by adjusting the length of the extension rod, it can accommodate glass of different widths. There is no need to customize special adsorption components for glass products of different specifications and shapes, which greatly reduces equipment investment costs, meets the transfer needs of various glass products in the automotive, construction and other fields, and improves the versatility of the equipment.

[0020] 2. The glass product transfer utilizes a robotic arm and its operating method. The first and second suction cups form a multi-directional encircling adsorption structure, which, combined with the strong adsorption of the negative pressure system, can effectively resist vibration and shaking during the transfer process, preventing the glass from shifting or falling off. The angle adaptation design for curved glass ensures that the second suction cup fully fits the curved surface of the glass. Compared with traditional flat suction cup frames, this significantly improves the adsorption stability of curved glass and reduces the risk of glass breakage. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a partial structural diagram of the present invention; Figure 3 For the present invention Figure 2 Enlarged schematic diagram of the structure at point A in the middle; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the sleeve of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the guide rod structure of the present invention.

[0022] In the diagram: 1. Main body of the robotic arm; 2. Mounting frame; 3. Side lug; 4. Connecting shaft; 5. U-shaped frame; 6. Connecting structure; 601. Sleeve; 602. Extension rod; 603. Limiting bolt; 604. Arc plate; 605. Guide rod; 7. Second suction cup; 8. Drive assembly; 801. Gear motor; 802. Rotating shaft; 803. Transmission shaft; 804. Bevel gear; 9. Connecting rod; 10. First suction cup. Detailed Implementation

[0023] 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.

[0024] Please see Figure 1-6 This embodiment describes a robotic arm for transferring glass products. Addressing the issue that traditional robotic arm suction cup frames are difficult to adapt to curved glass products, this robotic arm achieves stable transfer of both flat and curved glass products through a coordinated design of an adjustable adsorption structure and a multi-directional suction cup layout. It is suitable for various glass product production and logistics transfer scenarios, such as automotive windshields, curved architectural glass, and flat glass, ensuring safety and stability during the transfer process.

[0025] Specifically, the main body 1 of the robotic arm has multi-degree-of-freedom motion capabilities, which can drive the end effector to achieve translation, lifting, and flipping actions, and accurately align with the pick-up and put-down positions of glass products. The operating end of the main body 1 of the robotic arm is connected to the mounting frame 2. The mounting frame 2 has connecting rods 9 on both the front and rear sides. The end of the connecting rod 9 away from the mounting frame 2 is provided with a first suction cup 10. The first suction cup 10 is used to adsorb the front and rear edge areas of the glass product to form a preliminary fixation. The mounting frame 2 has a pair of side ears 3 on both the left and right sides. A connecting shaft 4 is provided between the side ears 3 on the same side. A U-shaped frame 5 is rotatably connected to the connecting shaft 4 through a bearing. The U-shaped frame 5 can rotate around the connecting shaft 4 to realize the adjustment of the adsorption angle.

[0026] Furthermore, six connecting structures 6 are provided on the opposite side of the two U-shaped frames 5, distributed in groups of three. One group of connecting structures 6 is distributed in a fan shape. Each connecting structure 6 is provided with a second suction cup 7 at the end away from the U-shaped frame 5. The second suction cup 7 is installed at the end of the extension rod 602 away from the sleeve 601 and located on the lower surface of the extension rod 602, and is used to adsorb the left and right side areas of the glass product.

[0027] In detail, in the connecting structure 6, the middle connecting structure 6 includes a sleeve 601 connected to the U-shaped frame 5, and an extension rod 602 slidably connected inside the sleeve 601; the outer side of the sleeve 601 is threadedly connected to a limit bolt 603, which is bolt-shaped; the extension rod 602 has multiple positioning holes along its length on the side facing the limit bolt 603; one end of the limit bolt 603 can extend into the positioning hole of the extension rod 602 to fix the extension length.

[0028] Furthermore, in order to facilitate the synchronous movement of the extension rods 602 on both the front and rear sides, an arc-shaped plate 604 is fixed on the upper surface of the middle extension rod 602 in this embodiment, and guide rods 605 are provided on the upper surfaces of the front and rear extension rods 602. The guide rods 605 are slidably connected to the arc-shaped plate 604. An arc-shaped opening for the guide rods 605 to slide is provided inside the arc-shaped plate 604. Grooves are provided on the front and rear sides of the outer surface of the guide rods 605. The front and rear sides of the inner wall of the arc-shaped opening are embedded in the grooves to ensure stable sliding.

[0029] More specifically, a drive assembly 8 is provided inside the mounting bracket 2 to drive the two U-shaped brackets 5 to rotate the second suction cup 7 in opposite directions.

[0030] The drive assembly 8 includes a geared motor 801 mounted on the mounting frame 2 and a rotating shaft 802 connected inside the geared motor 801. The left and right sides of the inner wall of the mounting frame 2 are rotatably connected to the drive shafts 803 via bearings. The two ends of the rotating shaft 802 are respectively connected to the two drive shafts 803 via shaft connectors. The opposite ends of the two drive shafts 803 and the outer sides of the two connecting shafts 4 are fixedly fitted with bevel teeth 804. The two adjacent bevel teeth 804 mesh with each other to realize power transmission.

[0031] A method for transferring glass products using a robotic arm, implemented using the robotic arm described in any one of the above-mentioned methods, includes the following operational steps: S001: Start the geared motor 801 and adjust the included angle between the second suction cups 7 on the left and right sides to adapt to the left and right sides of the glass; for glass of different widths, first loosen the bolt-shaped limit bolt 603, push the extension rod 602 to drive the second suction cup 7 and the arc plate 604 to move, and use the arc plate 604 and the guide rod 605 to realize the synchronous movement of the front and rear extension rods 602. After adjustment, tighten the limit bolt 603 to lock.

[0032] S002: When transferring flat glass, keep the U-shaped frame 5 horizontal, and adjust the extension rod 602 according to the width adaptation process in S001 so that the adsorption end faces of all the second suction cups 7 are coplanar, and the adsorption surfaces of the first suction cup 10 and the second suction cups 7 are flush.

[0033] S003: The main body 1 of the robotic arm drives the mounting frame 2 to move above the glass, and adjusts the posture so that the first suction cup 10 is attached to the front and rear edges of the glass and the second suction cup 7 is attached to the left and right sides of the glass.

[0034] S004: Activate the negative pressure system. The first suction cup 10 and the second suction cup 7 generate negative pressure, and the four-way adsorption glass forms an enclosed fixation.

[0035] S005: The robotic arm transports the glass to the target position according to the preset path, adjusts its posture to make the glass fit the placement surface, closes the negative pressure to release the glass, and the robotic arm resets.

[0036] In practical applications, when the glass product being adsorbed is arc-shaped, the geared motor 801 is activated, which drives the internal rotating shaft 802 to rotate. The rotating shaft 802 drives the transmission shaft 803 connected to it to rotate synchronously through the shaft connector. The bevel teeth 804 at the opposite end of the transmission shaft 803 mesh with the bevel teeth 804 on the outside of the connecting shaft 4, thereby driving the two connecting shafts 4 to rotate. The connecting shafts 4 drive the U-shaped frames 5, connecting structures 6 and the second suction cups 7 on the left and right sides to rotate in opposite directions, adjusting the included angle between the connecting structures 6 on the left and right sides until the second suction cups 7 on both sides can adhere to the left and right sides of the outer surface of the glass product. At the same time, the first suction cups 10 on the two connecting rods 9 are respectively aligned with the front and rear sides of the outer surface of the glass product to ensure that they can form an enclosed fixation during subsequent adsorption.

[0037] For glass products of different widths, first loosen the bolt-shaped limiting bolt 603 on the outside of the sleeve 601 to release the lock on the extension rod 602, allowing the extension rod 602 inside the middle sleeve 601 to be freely pulled out or pushed in. When the extension rod 602 is pushed, it drives the second suction cup 7 at one end to move synchronously, and the arc plate 604 on the upper surface of the extension rod 602 moves along with it. The arc-shaped opening inside the arc plate 604 cooperates with the guide rods 605 of the front and rear extension rods 602. The guide rods 605 slide along the arc-shaped opening, driving the front and rear extension rods 602 to move synchronously, ensuring that the three second suction cups 7 always maintain a distribution state that matches the width of the glass. When the second suction cups 7 move to the position that matches the width of the glass, tighten the bolt-shaped limiting bolt 603 again, so that one end of the limiting bolt 603 extends into the corresponding positioning hole of the extension rod 602, completing the locking and fixing of the extension rod 602.

[0038] When transferring flat glass, keep the U-shaped frame 5 horizontal and adjust the length of the extension rod 602 according to the width adaptation process described above, so that the adsorption end faces of all the second suction cups 7 are on the same plane. At the same time, ensure that the adsorption surfaces of the first suction cup 10 and the second suction cup 7 are flush to meet the requirements of planar adsorption. The main body 1 of the robotic arm drives the mounting frame 2 to move above the glass product and adjusts the posture so that the first suction cup 10 is precisely attached to the front and rear edges of the glass and the second suction cup 7 is tightly attached to the left and right sides of the glass. The negative pressure system is activated, and the first suction cup 10 and the second suction cup 7 generate negative pressure at the same time, firmly adsorbing the surface of the glass product from the front, back, left and right directions to form a multi-directional enclosure and fixation, so as to prevent the glass from shifting or shaking during the transfer process.

[0039] After the glass product is firmly adsorbed, the robotic arm 1 drives the mounting frame 2 to move along a preset path. It can flexibly perform lifting, translation, and flipping actions according to production needs, and accurately align with the target placement position. After reaching the destination, the robotic arm posture is adjusted to make the glass product fit smoothly against the placement surface. The negative pressure system is turned off, the first suction cup 10 and the second suction cup 7 release the glass, and the robotic arm 1 drives the mounting frame 2 to reset, completing one transfer process. If it is necessary to transfer glass products of different specifications or shapes, the operation of the adaptation and adjustment stage can be repeated to quickly switch without replacing the entire adsorption assembly.

[0040] 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 a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0041] 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 robotic arm for transferring glass products, characterized in that: Includes the main body of the robotic arm (1); The operating end of the robotic arm body (1) is connected to a mounting frame (2). The mounting frame (2) has connecting rods (9) on both the front and rear sides. The end of the connecting rod (9) away from the mounting frame (2) is provided with a first suction cup (10). The mounting bracket (2) has a pair of side ears (3) on both the left and right sides. A connecting shaft (4) is provided between each of the side ears (3) on the same side. A U-shaped frame (5) is rotatably connected to the connecting shaft (4) through a bearing. On the opposite sides of the two U-shaped frames (5), there are multiple connecting structures (6) arranged in the horizontal direction, and a second suction cup (7) is provided at the end of each connecting structure (6) away from the U-shaped frame (5). The mounting bracket (2) is equipped with a drive assembly (8) for driving the two U-shaped brackets (5) to rotate the second suction cups (7) on them in opposite directions.

2. The robotic arm for transferring glass products according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the connecting structures (6) is six, and they are arranged in groups of three on the two U-shaped frames (5).

3. The robotic arm for transferring glass products according to claim 1, characterized in that: One group of the connection structures (6) is arranged in a fan shape.

4. The robotic arm for transferring glass products according to claim 1, characterized in that: The intermediate connecting structure (6) includes a sleeve (601) connected to the U-shaped frame (5) and an extension rod (602) slidably connected to the sleeve (601). A limiting bolt (603) is threaded to the outer side of the sleeve (601). Corresponding to the limiting bolt (603), a plurality of positioning holes are provided along the length direction on the side of the extension rod (602) facing the limiting bolt (603) so that one end of the limiting bolt (603) extends into the interior of the extension rod (602).

5. A robotic arm for transferring glass products according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second suction cup (7) is mounted on the end of the extension rod (602) away from the sleeve (601) and is located on the lower surface of the extension rod (602).

6. A robotic arm for transferring glass products according to claim 4, characterized in that: An arc-shaped plate (604) is fixed on the upper surface of the middle extension rod (602), and a guide rod (605) is provided on the upper surface of the front and rear sides of the extension rod (602), and the guide rod (605) is slidably connected to the arc-shaped plate (604).

7. A robotic arm for transferring glass products according to claim 6, characterized in that: The arc-shaped plate (604) has an arc-shaped opening inside for the guide rod (605) to slide.

8. A robotic arm for transferring glass products according to claim 6, characterized in that: The guide rod (605) has a groove on the front and back sides of its outer surface, and the front and back sides of the inner wall of the arc-shaped opening are respectively embedded in the two grooves.

9. A robotic arm for transferring glass products according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive assembly (8) includes a geared motor (801) mounted on the mounting bracket (2) and a rotating shaft (802) connected to the inside of the geared motor (801). The left and right sides of the inner wall of the mounting bracket (2) are rotatably connected to the drive shaft (803) by bearings. The two ends of the shaft (802) are respectively connected to the two drive shafts (803) by shaft connectors. Bevel teeth (804) are fixedly sleeved on the opposite ends of the two drive shafts (803) and on the outside of the two connecting shafts (4). The two adjacent bevel teeth (804) mesh with each other.

10. A method for transferring glass products using a robotic arm, implemented by the robotic arm according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: It includes the following operating steps: S001: Start the geared motor (801) and adjust the included angle between the second suction cups (7) on the left and right sides to match the left and right sides of the glass; for glass of different widths, first loosen the bolt-shaped limit bolt (603), push the extension rod (602) to drive the second suction cup (7) and the arc plate (604) to move, and use the arc plate (604) and the guide rod (605) to realize the synchronous movement of the front and rear extension rods (602), and tighten the limit bolt (603) to lock after adjustment. S002: When transferring flat glass, keep the U-shaped frame (5) horizontal and adjust the extension rod (602) according to the width adaptation process of S001 so that the adsorption end faces of all the second suction cups (7) are coplanar and the adsorption surfaces of the first suction cup (10) and the second suction cups (7) are flush. S003: The main body of the robotic arm (1) drives the mounting bracket (2) to move above the glass, and adjusts the posture so that the first suction cup (10) fits the front and rear edges of the glass and the second suction cup (7) fits the left and right sides of the glass. S004: Start the negative pressure system. The first suction cup (10) and the second suction cup (7) generate negative pressure, and the four-way adsorption glass forms an enclosed fixation. S005: The robotic arm transports the glass to the target position according to the preset path, adjusts its posture to make the glass fit the placement surface, closes the negative pressure to release the glass, and the robotic arm resets.

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