A robot quick change interface
By using the pin-guided docking of the male and female heads and the rotating locking disc for locking, the high cost and cumbersome operation of quick interface replacement for existing robots are solved, achieving a reliable mechanical and electrical connection and avoiding damage to the spring pins.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHENYANG INST OF AUTOMATION - CHINESE ACAD OF SCI
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-02
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-02
AI Technical Summary
Existing methods for quickly changing interfaces on robots suffer from high costs or cumbersome operations. In particular, fully automatic interfaces require a power or air supply, while manual interfaces offer effective mechanical connections but require additional plugging and unplugging for electrical connections, and the spring pins are prone to damage.
It adopts a male and female head design, with pin shaft guiding the connection and mechanical locking achieved by rotating the locking disc, while simultaneously achieving electrical conduction. The cooperation between the locking disc and the spring pin prevents the spring pin from contacting the electrical contacts during the connection process.
It achieves a reliable connection between mechanical and electrical systems, avoids damage to the spring pin, simplifies the operation process, and reduces costs.
Smart Images
Figure CN122136669A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of quick-change tool connector technology, specifically a quick-change interface for robots. Background Technology
[0002] Frequent replacement and disassembly operations are required between robot end effectors and end tools, or between parts that have mechanical and electrical connections but require frequent disassembly and assembly, causing significant inconvenience. Therefore, it is crucial to achieve rapid and reliable precise docking and locking of mechanical interfaces and reliable contact of electrical interfaces. Current quick-change interfaces are either fully automatic, requiring a power or air supply and incurring high costs, or manual, which only achieves mechanical connection and locking, requiring additional plugging and unplugging for electrical connections. Alternatively, spring-pin structures are prone to damage due to repeated contact and sliding between the spring pin and the contact point during mechanical docking and adjustment. Furthermore, these manual quick-change connectors suffer from large connector size and cumbersome replacement. Summary of the Invention
[0003] To address the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a quick-change interface for robots. During the docking phase, the male and female connectors of this quick-change interface are guided by a pin on the male connector. During the locking phase, a rotating locking disc achieves both mechanical locking and electrical connection.
[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:
[0005] This invention provides a quick-change interface for a robot, including a male head, a female head, and a handle. The male head and the female head are connected, and the handle is set on the female head. When the female head is rotated by the handle, the male head and the female head are mechanically locked together, and electrical connection is achieved at the same time.
[0006] The male connector includes a male connector body, pins, electrical contacts, and wire I. The inner end face of the male connector body has two or more pins and electrical contacts located in the center, which are evenly distributed circumferentially. The pins are used for positioning and connecting with the female connector. The outer end face of the male connector body is provided with wire I, and the electrical contacts are connected to wire I in a one-to-one correspondence.
[0007] The end of the pin is pointed, which guides the male and female connectors during mating. The pin has grooves for locking the male and female connectors after they are properly mated.
[0008] The female connector includes a female connector body, a locking plate, a fixing plate, a guide cylinder, a spring pin, a spring, a needle seat, and a wire II. The female connector body, locking plate, and fixing plate are connected sequentially from bottom to top, and the locking plate is rotatable relative to the female connector body and the fixing plate. The locking plate has multiple locking groove structures along its circumference. The pin passes through the locking groove structure and is positioned and connected to the female connector body. The handle is set on the locking plate. The guide cylinder is placed on the fixing plate. The spring and needle seat are housed in the guide cylinder. The lower end of the needle seat contacts the inclined surface of the locking plate. The spring is fitted on the needle seat, and its two ends abut against the top of the guide cylinder and the needle seat, respectively. The wire II is set inside the needle seat, and the spring pin is set on the outer end face of the needle seat and is connected to the wire II in a one-to-one correspondence.
[0009] The locking groove structure on the locking disc includes interconnected through holes and locking holes. When the locking disc rotates, the pin moves from the through hole into the locking hole, achieving a mechanical locking function.
[0010] The locking disc has a boss with an inclined upper surface in the middle, and the pin seat has an inclined lower surface. When the boss of the locking disc and the inclined surface of the pin seat are fully engaged, the spring pin of the pin seat is at its lowest position. When the inclination directions of the boss of the locking disc and the inclined surface of the pin seat are not the same, the pin seat drives the spring pin to rise, so that the spring pin gradually approaches the electrical contact of the male connector until it is fully engaged and the spring pin has a compression amount.
[0011] The male end presses against the guide cylinder, and the spring is located between the guide cylinder and the needle seat, and is always in a compressed state, providing the needle seat with an elastic force away from the electrical contact.
[0012] The advantages and positive effects of this invention are as follows:
[0013] 1. In the quick-change interface of the present invention, the male and female connectors are guided by the pin on the male connector during the docking stage, and the locking disc is rotated during the locking stage to achieve both mechanical locking and electrical conduction.
[0014] 2. During the docking phase, the male and female connectors of the quick-change interface of the present invention can ensure that the spring pins do not come into contact with the contacts, thus preventing damage to the spring pins and contacts.
[0015] 3. This invention adopts a manual mechanical connection method, and at the same time as the mechanical connection is locked, reliable contact and conduction of the electrical spring pin are achieved. Attached Figure Description
[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a robot with a quick-change interface according to the present invention;
[0017] Figure 2 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the male head in this invention;
[0018] Figure 3 This is the second schematic diagram of the male head structure in this invention;
[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the female head in this invention;
[0020] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the female head in this invention;
[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the locking disc in this invention.
[0022] Wherein: 1 is male head, 2 is female head, 3 is handle, 101 is male head body, 102 is pin, 103 is electrical contact, 104 is wire I, 201 is female head body, 202 is locking disc, 203 is fixing disc, 204 is guide cylinder, 205 is spring pin, 206 is spring, 207 is pin seat, 208 is wire II, 2021 is through hole, and 2022 is locking hole. Detailed Implementation
[0023] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.
[0024] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a robot quick-change interface, including a male head 1, a female head 2 and a handle 3, wherein the male head 1 and the female head 2 are connected, and the handle 3 is disposed on the female head 2. When the female head 2 is rotated by the handle 3, the male head 1 and the female head 2 are mechanically locked together and electrically connected at the same time.
[0025] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the male connector 1 includes a male connector body 101, pins 102, electrical contacts 103, and wires 104. Two or more pins 102 and electrical contacts 103 located at the center are evenly distributed circumferentially on the inner end face of the male connector body 101. The pins 102 are used for positioning and connecting with the female connector 2. The outer end face of the male connector body 101 is provided with wires I 104. The electrical contacts 103 and wires I 104 are connected in a one-to-one correspondence.
[0026] Furthermore, the end of the pin 102 is pointed, which is used to guide the male head 1 and the female head 2 when they are connected; the pin 102 has grooves, which are used to lock the male head 1 and the female head 2 after they are connected.
[0027] like Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the female connector 2 includes a female connector body 201, a locking disc 202, a fixing disc 203, a guide cylinder 204, a spring pin 205, a spring 206, a pin seat 207, and a wire 208. The female connector body 201, the locking disc 202, and the fixing disc 203 are connected sequentially from bottom to top, and the locking disc 202 is rotatable relative to the female connector body 201 and the fixing disc 203. The locking disc 202 has multiple locking groove structures along its circumferential direction, and the pin 102 passes through the locking groove structure and is positioned and connected to the female connector body 201. The handle 3 is mounted on the locking disc 202; the guide cylinder 204 is placed on the fixing disc 203; the spring 206 and the needle seat 207 are housed in the guide cylinder 204; the lower end of the needle seat 207 contacts the inclined surface of the locking disc 202; the spring 206 is fitted on the needle seat 207, and its two ends abut against the top of the guide cylinder 204 and the needle seat 207 respectively; the wire II 208 is mounted on the inner side of the needle seat 207; and the spring needle 205 is mounted on the outer end face of the needle seat 207 and is connected to the wire II 208 in a one-to-one correspondence.
[0028] like Figure 6 As shown, the locking groove structure on the locking disc 202 includes a through hole 2021 and a locking hole 2022 that are interconnected. When the locking disc 202 rotates counterclockwise, viewed from the male end, the grooved portion on the pin 102 rotates from the through hole 2021 into the locking hole 2022, achieving a mechanical locking function. The fixed disc 203 has multiple oblong holes along its circumference for the pin 102 to pass through.
[0029] Furthermore, the locking disc 202 has a boss in the middle with an inclined upper surface, and the lower surface of the needle seat 207 is also inclined. When the two are inclined in the same direction and match, the upper surface of the needle seat 207 is at the lowest position, and the spring needle 205 is also at the lowest position. When the two are inclined in different directions, the needle seat 207 drives the spring needle 205 to rise, so that the spring needle 205 and the electrical contact 103 of the male head 1 continuously approach each other until they are in complete contact and the spring needle 205 has a certain amount of compression.
[0030] Specifically, the male head 1 is pressed on the guide cylinder 204, and the spring 206 is located between the guide cylinder 204 and the needle seat 207, and is always in a compressed state, providing elastic force to the needle seat 207 in a direction away from the electrical contact 103.
[0031] This invention provides a quick-change interface for robots. During the docking phase, the male connector 1 and female connector 2 are guided by a pin 102 on the male connector 1. During the locking phase, the locking disc 202 is rotated by the handle 3, achieving both mechanical locking and electrical connection. During the docking phase, the spring pin 205 and the electrical contact 103 are kept separate, preventing damage to either.
[0032] In this invention, the male and female connectors are positioned and locked by a pin, and the locking of the male and female connectors is achieved by the rotation of the locking disc on the female connector, simultaneously ensuring reliable contact between the electrical contacts on the male connector and the spring pin on the female connector. A handle is connected to the cylindrical surface of the locking disc on the female connector, assisting in the rotation of the locking disc, and the handle can be detached and stored separately. The male and female connectors of this invention are respectively fixed to two components. The mechanical connection and locking of the two components are achieved through the mating and locking of the male and female connectors, while simultaneously connecting the electrical contacts and the spring pin, thus achieving a reliable mechanical and electrical connection.
[0033] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, extensions, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention are included within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A robot with a quick-change interface, characterized in that, It includes a male connector (1), a female connector (2) and a handle (3), wherein the male connector (1) and the female connector (2) are connected, and the handle (3) is set on the female connector (2). When the female connector (2) is rotated by the handle (3), the mechanical locking of the male connector (1) and the female connector (2) is achieved, and the electrical connection is achieved at the same time.
2. The robot quick-change interface according to claim 1, characterized in that, The male connector (1) includes a male connector body (101), pins (102), electrical contacts (103), and wire I (104). The inner end face of the male connector body (101) has two or more pins (102) and electrical contacts (103) located in the center, which are evenly distributed circumferentially. The pins (102) are used for positioning and connecting with the female connector (2). The outer end face of the male connector body (101) is provided with wire I (104), and the electrical contacts (103) are connected to wire I (104) in a one-to-one correspondence.
3. The robot quick-change interface according to claim 2, characterized in that, The end of the pin (102) is pointed, and the pointed shape is used to guide the male head (1) and the female head (2) when they are connected. The pin (102) has a groove, which is used to lock the male head (1) and the female head (2) after they are connected.
4. The robot quick-change interface according to claim 2, characterized in that, The female connector (2) includes a female connector body (201), a locking plate (202), a fixing plate (203), a guide cylinder (204), a spring pin (205), a spring (206), a pin seat (207), and a wire II (208). The female connector body (201), the locking plate (202), and the fixing plate (203) are connected sequentially from bottom to top. The locking plate (202) can rotate relative to the female connector body (201) and the fixing plate (203). The locking plate (202) has multiple locking groove structures along its circumferential direction. The pin (102) passes through the locking groove structure and is positioned and connected to the female connector body (201). The handle (3) is set on the locking plate (202); the guide cylinder (204) is placed on the fixed plate (203); the spring (206) and the needle seat (207) are housed in the guide cylinder (204); the lower end of the needle seat (207) is in contact with the inclined surface of the locking plate (202); the spring (206) is fitted on the needle seat (207) and its two ends are respectively in contact with the top of the guide cylinder (204) and the needle seat (207); the wire II (208) is set on the inner side of the needle seat (207); the spring needle (205) is set on the outer end face of the needle seat (207) and is connected to the wire II (208) one by one.
5. A robot quick-change interface according to claim 4, characterized in that, The locking groove structure on the locking disc (202) includes a through hole (2021) and a locking hole (2022) that are interconnected. When the locking disc (202) rotates, the pin (102) moves from the through hole (2021) into the locking hole (2022) to achieve the mechanical locking function.
6. A robot quick-change interface according to claim 4, characterized in that, The locking disc (202) has a boss with an inclined upper surface in the middle, and the pin seat (207) has an inclined lower surface. When the boss of the locking disc (202) and the inclined surface of the pin seat (207) are fully engaged, the spring pin (205) of the pin seat (207) is at its lowest position. When the inclined directions of the boss of the locking disc (202) and the inclined surface of the pin seat (207) are not consistent, the pin seat (207) drives the spring pin (205) to rise, so that the spring pin (205) gradually approaches the electrical contact (103) of the male connector (1) until it is fully engaged and the spring pin (205) has a compression amount.
7. A robot quick-change interface according to claim 4, characterized in that, The male head (1) is pressed on the guide cylinder (204), and the spring (206) is located between the guide cylinder (204) and the needle seat (207), and is always in a compressed state, providing the needle seat (207) with an elastic force away from the electrical contact (103).