Multi-joint robot piston handling device

Abstract

The application discloses a multi-joint manipulator piston carrying device and relates to the technical field of manipulators, which comprises a base, a mechanical arm provided on the base, the mechanical arm having a free end, a mounting seat fixed to the free end, a carrying assembly provided at the bottom of the mounting seat, the carrying assembly comprising a fixing cylinder connected with the mounting seat through an elastic sleeve, a disc body fixedly sleeved on the outside of the fixing cylinder, a plurality of moving arc plates uniformly distributed along the peripheral side of the fixing cylinder and movable along the radial direction of the disc body, and a positioning assembly arranged on the inner side of each moving arc plate. The application provides coarse displacement through the moving arc plates and provides accurate displacement through the positioning assembly, so that the secondary displacement can clamp the piston.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotic arm technology, specifically to a multi-joint robotic arm piston handling device. Background Technology

[0002] Pistons need to be transported and transferred between different processes during manufacturing, which places high demands on the reliability and positioning accuracy of the transport device. With the widespread application of automated production lines, multi-joint robots have become the main actuators for piston transport. They use the coordinated movement of multiple joints to move the free end of the piston to a designated position in space, thereby enabling actions such as picking up, transferring, and placing the piston.

[0003] In existing technologies, multi-joint robotic piston handling devices typically employ a clamping method to grasp the piston. Clamping devices generally use cylinders or hydraulic cylinders to drive the grippers inward to clamp the outer cylindrical surface of the piston. This method has several drawbacks: First, the control precision of the clamping force is low. When the clamping force is too large, it can easily cause damage to the piston surface, affecting the piston's machining accuracy and assembly quality; when the clamping force is too small, there is a risk of the piston accidentally slipping out, especially when there is oil or lubricant on the piston surface, significantly increasing the risk of slippage. Second, traditional clamping devices usually only have a single radial clamping function, lacking the ability to precisely control the axial position of the piston, and cannot achieve multi-degree-of-freedom positioning of the piston. Third, when releasing the piston, traditional devices usually release the clamping parts directly. At this time, there is often a certain gap between the bottom of the piston and the platform. The piston will fall downward due to gravity at the moment of release. This sudden fall may not only damage the piston surface, but more importantly, the piston is easy to deviate from the designated center position on the platform due to shaking after falling, that is, it fails to be concentrically aligned with the piston positioning groove. This will directly affect the processing accuracy and assembly quality of subsequent processes.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a multi-joint robotic piston handling device to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the above problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a multi-joint robotic piston handling device, comprising: A base on which a robotic arm is mounted, the robotic arm having a free end; Mounting base, which is fixed to the free end; A transport assembly, disposed at the bottom of the mounting base, the transport assembly comprising: A fixed sleeve is connected to the mounting base via an elastic sleeve; The disc body is fixedly sleeved on the outside of the fixed cylinder; Multiple movable arc plates are evenly distributed along the outer periphery of the fixed cylinder and can move radially along the disc body. A positioning component is also provided on the inner side of each movable arc plate. The positioning component includes: A connecting seat is fixed to the inner wall of the movable arc plate, and a driver is fixed on the connecting seat, the driver having an output terminal; The mounting slot is located on the side of the connecting seat away from the movable arc plate, and two parallel second hinge rods are hinged between the mounting slot and the connecting seat. The drive arm has one end fixed to the output end and the other end hinged to one of the second hinge rods via a first hinge rod.

[0006] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the side wall of the fixed cylinder is provided with a clearance groove, a drive rod is slidably arranged inside the fixed cylinder along its axial direction, the drive rod is driven by a telescopic device fixed to the fixed cylinder, a slide cylinder is slidably arranged outside the fixed cylinder along its axial direction, the slide cylinder is connected to the drive rod by a connecting rod passing through the clearance groove, and a connecting rod is correspondingly hinged between the slide cylinder and each of the movable arc plates.

[0007] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the disc body is provided with a plurality of guide slots corresponding to the movable arc plate, and each movable arc plate is fixed with a guide roller by a roller seat, the roller seat passing through the guide slot, and the guide roller is rotatably disposed on the upper surface of the disc body.

[0008] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the mounting groove is rotatably provided with a plurality of drive rollers distributed along the axial direction of the movable arc plate, and the drive rollers are connected to a rotation drive source.

[0009] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the surface of the drive roller is provided with an elastic sleeve, and a pressure sensor is provided in the drive roller.

[0010] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, a cushioning pad is fixed to the bottom of the mounting groove.

[0011] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the movable arc plate is also provided with a position sensor, and the conveying assembly is configured to: when clamping the piston, first control the movable arc plates to move closer to each other to approach the piston, then control the mounting grooves to move closer to each other so that the drive roller contacts the piston until the pressure sensor detects that the pressure reaches a preset threshold, and then the drive roller rotates to drive the piston to move upward to the position sensed by the position sensor.

[0012] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the conveying assembly is also configured such that: when the piston is released, the conveying assembly moves into the piston positioning groove, controls the moving arc plates to move away from each other while controlling the mounting grooves to move closer to each other to keep the drive roller always in contact with the piston, until the moving arc plates contact the inner wall of the piston positioning groove. At this time, the elastic sleeve enables the conveying assembly to adaptively center and position itself in the piston positioning groove. Afterward, the drive roller rotates to drive the piston to move down and release the piston.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a multi-joint robotic piston handling device, which has the following beneficial effects: First, when the piston is driven upward by the drive roller in the positioning assembly to the position sensed by the position sensor, there is a certain safe distance between the bottom of the piston and the bottom of the conveying assembly. Even if the piston slides slightly due to an accident, the drive roller can still rotate again to drive the piston upward again, offsetting the problem of accidental downward movement, which significantly improves the safety and reliability of the conveying process.

[0014] Secondly, in the traditional method of releasing the piston, there is often a certain gap between the bottom of the piston and the platform. This can cause the piston to shake and not be concentric with the piston positioning groove at the designated center position on the platform after release, affecting subsequent testing and assembly. The present invention drives the piston to move down by rotating the drive roller in the positioning assembly, so that the piston slowly and steadily contacts the platform, avoiding positional displacement and surface damage caused by sudden drop, thereby ensuring that the piston falls accurately into the piston positioning groove.

[0015] Third, the present invention provides coarse displacement by moving the arc plate and precise displacement by positioning components. The combination of the two achieves secondary displacement to clamp the piston, which ensures both clamping efficiency and clamping accuracy.

[0016] Fourth, by setting an elastic sleeve to connect the fixed cylinder and the mounting base, the present invention enables the conveying component to have a certain elastic floating capability as a whole. When the piston is released, after the moving arc plate contacts the inner wall of the piston positioning groove, the elastic sleeve enables the conveying component to adaptively center itself in the piston positioning groove, realizing the automatic centering function without the need for an additional centering mechanism or manual calibration. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic front view of a multi-joint robotic piston handling device. Figure 2 A three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a multi-joint robotic piston handling device; Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the conveying component; Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the transport component. Figure 5 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the positioning component; In the diagram: 1. Base; 2. Robotic arm; 3. Mounting seat; 4. Handling assembly; 41. Fixed cylinder; 411. Clearance slot; 42. Disc; 421. Guide slot; 43. Moving arc plate; 431. Guide roller; 44. Drive rod; 45. Positioning assembly; 46. Slide cylinder; 47. Connecting rod; 48. Telescopic device; 451. Connecting seat; 452. Driver; 453. Drive arm; 454. First hinge rod; 455. Second hinge rod; 456. Mounting slot; 457. Drive roller; 458. Buffer pad. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms are interchangeable where appropriate; this is merely a way of distinguishing objects with the same attributes in the embodiments of this application. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not explicitly listed or inherent to those processes, methods, products, or apparatuses.

[0019] Example: In this embodiment of the invention, please refer to... Figures 1-5 A multi-joint robotic piston handling device is provided, comprising: a base 1 on which a robotic arm 2 is mounted, the robotic arm 2 having a free end; a mounting base 3 fixed to the free end; and a handling assembly 4 disposed at the bottom of the mounting base 3, the handling assembly 4 comprising: a fixed cylinder 41 connected to the mounting base 3 via an elastic sleeve; a disc 42 fixedly sleeved on the outside of the fixed cylinder 41; and a plurality of movable arc plates 43 evenly distributed along the outer periphery of the fixed cylinder 41 and movable radially along the disc 42, wherein each movable arc plate 43 is further provided with a positioning assembly 45 on its inner side.

[0020] Among them, the elastic sleeve is a connector with a certain elastic deformation capability. It can generate small elastic displacements in the radial and axial directions. The elastic sleeve can be made of rubber material or a structure composed of metal bellows and rubber. The fixed cylinder 41 and the mounting base 3 are connected by the elastic sleeve, so that the conveying component 4 has a certain elastic floating capability relative to the mounting base 3 as a whole. This elastic floating capability will play a role in the subsequent centering and positioning process.

[0021] In addition, the base 1 can be made of cast iron or welded steel structure, with sufficient rigidity and weight to ensure that it will not vibrate or displace due to the movement of the robotic arm 2 during the handling process. The robotic arm 2 can drive its free end to perform multi-degree-of-freedom movement in space, thereby moving the handling component 4 to the required position and posture. The robotic arm 2 can be a multi-joint robotic arm, such as a six-axis industrial robot arm, which has multiple arm segments that are hinged in sequence. The arm segments are connected by joints, and each joint can be driven by a servo motor, thereby realizing the precise positioning and posture adjustment of the free end in three-dimensional space.

[0022] During operation, the robotic arm 2 drives the transport assembly 4 to move to the position of the piston, and then controls each moving arc plate 43 to move inward along the radial direction of the disc 42, so that each moving arc plate 43 approaches the piston evenly from the outer periphery of the piston. At the same time, each moving arc plate 43 is evenly distributed and moves synchronously, so that the piston is automatically positioned at the center of each moving arc plate 43 during the clamping process, achieving preliminary centering and positioning. Afterward, the positioning assembly 45 further operates to precisely position and clamp the piston.

[0023] In this embodiment, the side wall of the fixed cylinder 41 is provided with a clearance groove 411, and a drive rod 44 is slidably arranged inside the fixed cylinder 41 along its axial direction. The drive rod 44 is driven by a telescopic device 48 fixed on the fixed cylinder 41. A slide cylinder 46 is slidably arranged outside the fixed cylinder 41 along its axial direction. The slide cylinder 46 and the drive rod 44 are connected by a connecting rod passing through the clearance groove 411. The slide cylinder 46 and each of the movable arc plates 43 are correspondingly hinged with connecting rods 47.

[0024] When the slide cylinder 46 moves axially, the axial movement of the slide cylinder 46 is converted into the radial movement of the moving arc plate 43 through the transmission of the connecting rod 47. Specifically, when the slide cylinder 46 moves downward, the connecting rod 47 pulls the moving arc plate 43 to move radially inward, so that each moving arc plate 43 closes and clamps; when the slide cylinder 46 moves upward, the connecting rod 47 pushes the moving arc plate 43 to move radially outward, so that each moving arc plate 43 opens.

[0025] In this embodiment, the disc body 42 is provided with a plurality of guide slots 421 corresponding to the movable arc plate 43. Each movable arc plate 43 is fixed with a guide roller 431 by a roller seat. The roller seat passes through the guide slot 421. The guide roller 431 is rotatably disposed on the upper surface of the disc body 42.

[0026] When the moving arc plate 43 moves radially, the roller seat slides in the guide groove 421. The guide groove 421 guides and limits the movement of the roller seat, ensuring that the moving arc plate 43 can only move radially without deflection. At the same time, the guide roller 431 rolls on the upper surface of the disc 42, converting the sliding friction between the moving arc plate 43 and the disc 42 into rolling friction, which greatly reduces the moving resistance and makes the radial movement of the moving arc plate 43 smoother.

[0027] In this embodiment, the positioning component 45 includes: A connecting seat 451 is fixed to the inner wall of the movable arc plate 43, and a driver 452 is fixed on the connecting seat 451. The driver 452 has an output terminal. The mounting groove 456 is located on the side of the connecting seat 451 away from the movable arc plate 43, and two parallel second hinge rods 455 are hinged between the mounting groove 456 and the connecting seat 451. The drive arm 453 has one end fixed to the output end and the other end hinged to one of the second hinge rods 455 via a first hinge rod 454.

[0028] Since the two second hinge rods 455 form a parallelogram mechanism, pushing one of the second hinge rods 455 can move the entire parallelogram mechanism, thereby causing the mounting groove 456 to translate relative to the connecting seat 451. This parallelogram mechanism has the advantages of predictable motion trajectory and stable posture, ensuring that the mounting groove 456 can reliably approach or move away from the piston.

[0029] In this embodiment, a plurality of drive rollers 457 are rotatably disposed in the mounting groove 456 and distributed along the axial direction of the movable arc plate 43. The drive rollers 457 are connected to a rotation drive source. When the drive rollers 457 rotate in one direction, the friction between the drive rollers 457 and the piston surface drives the piston to move upward along the axial direction. When the drive rollers 457 rotate in the opposite direction, the friction drives the piston to move downward along the axial direction.

[0030] In this embodiment, the surface of the drive roller 457 is provided with an elastic sleeve, and a pressure sensor is installed in the drive roller 457. The elastic sleeve can be made of elastic materials such as rubber, silicone, or polyurethane, and is fitted onto the outer circumferential surface of the drive roller 457. The elastic sleeve can provide cushioning protection when the drive roller 457 contacts the piston surface, avoiding damage to the piston surface caused by hard contact. At the same time, the elastic sleeve can adapt to the slight irregularities and machining textures on the piston surface, improving the fit and friction between the drive roller 457 and the piston surface, ensuring that the drive roller 457 can reliably drive the piston to move when it rotates.

[0031] In addition, a pressure sensor is installed in the drive roller 457. The pressure sensor can be embedded in the roller body of the drive roller 457 or installed on the shaft end of the drive roller 457. It is used to detect the contact pressure between the drive roller 457 and the piston surface. The signal output terminal of the pressure sensor is electrically connected to the control system of the conveying device. When the pressure detected by the pressure sensor reaches a preset threshold, the control system controls the positioning component 45 to stop the clamping action, thereby realizing the control of the clamping force. The preset threshold can be set according to the piston's material, size, and load-bearing capacity to ensure that the clamping force can reliably fix the piston without damaging the piston surface.

[0032] In this embodiment, a buffer pad 458 is fixed to the bottom of the mounting groove 456. The buffer pad 458 can be made of elastic materials such as rubber, silicone or polyurethane, and is fixed to the bottom of the mounting groove 456 by means of bonding or screw fastening. The thickness of the buffer pad 458 is set according to actual needs, and is generally set to 2 to 5 mm.

[0033] In this embodiment, a position sensor is also provided on the movable arc plate 43. The conveying assembly 4 is configured to: when clamping the piston, first control the movable arc plates 43 to move closer to each other to approach the piston, then control the mounting grooves 456 to move closer to each other so that the drive roller 457 contacts the piston until the pressure sensor detects that the pressure reaches a preset threshold, and then the drive roller 457 rotates to drive the piston to move upward to the position sensed by the position sensor.

[0034] Specifically, in the first stage, the movable arc plates 43 are controlled to move closer to each other, that is, the telescopic device 48 is controlled to drive the slide cylinder 46 to move, and the connecting rod 47 causes each movable arc plate 43 to move radially inward, so as to uniformly approach the piston from the outer periphery of the piston and achieve coarse positioning.

[0035] In the second stage, the mounting slots 456 are brought closer together, that is, the actuators 452 in each positioning component 45 are controlled to move. The parallelogram mechanism is driven by the drive arm 453 and the first hinge rod 454, so that the mounting slots 456 move relative to the moving arc plate 43 towards the piston. The drive roller 457 gradually contacts the piston surface. When the pressure sensor detects that the pressure between the drive roller 457 and the piston surface reaches a preset threshold, the actuator 452 stops moving and the mounting slots 456 stop moving. At this time, the drive roller 457 clamps the piston surface with appropriate pressure.

[0036] In the third stage, the drive roller 457 rotates, and the piston is driven to move upward along the axis by the friction between the drive roller 457 and the piston surface until the piston moves to the predetermined position sensed by the position sensor, completing the clamping operation. At this time, the piston is reliably clamped in the transport assembly 4, and the robotic arm 2 can drive the transport assembly 4 to transport the piston to the target position.

[0037] In other words, after the piston moves up to the position sensed by the position sensor, there is a certain safe distance between the bottom of the piston and the bottom of the conveying assembly 4. Even if the piston slides down slightly due to an accident, the drive roller 457 can still rotate again to drive the piston up again, thus offsetting the problem of accidental downward movement.

[0038] In this embodiment, the conveying component 4 is further configured to: when the piston is released, the conveying component 4 moves into the piston positioning groove, controls the moving arc plates 43 to move away from each other while controlling the mounting grooves 456 to move closer to each other to keep the driving roller 457 in contact with the piston until the moving arc plates 43 contact the inner wall of the piston positioning groove. At this time, the elastic sleeve enables the conveying component 4 to adaptively center and position itself in the piston positioning groove. Then, the driving roller 457 rotates to drive the piston to move down and release the piston.

[0039] Specifically, the release process is divided into the following stages: First, the robotic arm 2 drives the transport assembly 4 to move to the position of the piston positioning groove, so that the transport assembly 4 is roughly aligned with the piston positioning groove.

[0040] Then, the movable arc plates 43 are controlled to move away from each other, that is, the telescopic device 48 is controlled to drive the slide cylinder 46 to move. Through the connecting rod 47, each movable arc plate 43 moves radially outward to expand the clamping range. At the same time, the mounting slots 456 are controlled to move closer to each other, that is, the actuators 452 in each positioning component 45 are controlled to move, so that the mounting slots 456 move towards the piston, keeping the drive roller 457 in contact with the piston surface. The moving arc plates 43 moving away from each other and the mounting slots 456 moving closer to each other are carried out synchronously. In this way, during the opening process of the movable arc plates 43, the drive roller 457 always maintains the clamping of the piston, ensuring that the piston will not fall off.

[0041] When the moving arc plate 43 contacts the inner wall of the piston positioning groove, the moving arc plate 43 can no longer move outward. At this time, since the fixed cylinder 41 and the mounting base 3 are connected by an elastic sleeve, the conveying component 4 can generate a small radial displacement relative to the mounting base 3 under the elastic deformation of the elastic sleeve, so that the center of the conveying component 4 automatically aligns with the center of the piston positioning groove, achieving adaptive center positioning.

[0042] Finally, the drive roller 457 rotates, and the friction between the drive roller 457 and the piston surface drives the piston to move axially downward, gradually moving the piston into the piston positioning groove. When the piston is fully inside the piston positioning groove, the control mounting grooves 456 move away from each other, and the drive roller 457 disengages from the piston surface, completing the release operation.

[0043] In traditional methods, when releasing the piston, there is often a certain gap between the bottom of the piston and the platform. This can cause the piston to wobble and not align with the piston positioning groove at the designated center position on the platform after release, affecting subsequent inspection and assembly. This invention uses the rotation of the drive roller 457 in the positioning assembly 45 to drive the piston downwards, allowing the piston to slowly and smoothly contact the platform. This avoids positional displacement and surface damage caused by sudden drops, thus ensuring the piston accurately falls into the piston positioning groove.

[0044] By setting an elastic sleeve to connect the fixed cylinder 41 and the mounting base 3, the conveying assembly 4 has a certain degree of elastic floating capability as a whole. When the piston is released, after the moving arc plate 43 contacts the inner wall of the piston positioning groove, the elastic sleeve enables the conveying assembly 4 to adaptively center itself in the piston positioning groove, realizing an automatic centering function without the need for an additional centering mechanism or manual calibration.

[0045] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-joint robotic piston handling device, characterized in that, include: A base (1) on which a robotic arm (2) is provided, the robotic arm (2) having a free end; Mounting base (3), which is fixed to the free end; A transport assembly (4) is disposed at the bottom of the mounting base (3), the transport assembly (4) comprising: A fixed sleeve (41) is connected to the mounting base (3) via an elastic sleeve; The disc body (42) is fixedly sleeved on the outside of the fixed cylinder (41); Multiple movable arc plates (43) are evenly distributed along the outer periphery of the fixed cylinder (41) and can move radially along the disc body (42). Each movable arc plate (43) is also provided with a positioning component (45) on its inner side. The positioning component (45) includes: A connecting seat (451) is fixed to the inner wall of the movable arc plate (43), and a driver (452) is fixed on the connecting seat (451). The driver (452) has an output terminal. The mounting slot (456) is located on the side of the connecting seat (451) away from the movable arc plate (43), and two parallel second hinge rods (455) are hinged between the mounting slot (456) and the connecting seat (451). The drive arm (453) has one end fixed to the output end and the other end hinged to one of the second hinge rods (455) via a first hinge rod (454); A plurality of drive rollers (457) are rotatably disposed in the mounting groove (456) and distributed along the axial direction of the movable arc plate (43). The drive rollers (457) are connected to a rotation drive source. The surface of the drive roller (457) is provided with an elastic sleeve, and a pressure sensor is provided in the drive roller (457); The movable arc plate (43) is also provided with a position sensor. The conveying assembly (4) is configured to: when clamping the piston, first control the movable arc plate (43) to move closer to each other to approach the piston, then control the mounting groove (456) to move closer to each other so that the drive roller (457) contacts the piston until the pressure sensor detects that the pressure reaches a preset threshold, and then the drive roller (457) rotates to drive the piston to move upward to the position sensed by the position sensor; The transport assembly (4) is further configured such that when the piston is released, the transport assembly (4) moves into the piston positioning groove, controls the moving arc plates (43) to move away from each other while controlling the mounting grooves (456) to move closer to each other to keep the drive roller (457) in contact with the piston until the moving arc plates (43) contact the inner wall of the piston positioning groove. At this time, the transport assembly (4) is adaptively centered in the piston positioning groove by the elastic sleeve. Then the drive roller (457) rotates to drive the piston to move down and release the piston.

2. The multi-joint robotic piston handling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The side wall of the fixed cylinder (41) is provided with a clearance groove (411). A drive rod (44) is slidably provided inside the fixed cylinder (41) along its axial direction. The drive rod (44) is driven by a telescopic device (48) fixed on the fixed cylinder (41). A slide cylinder (46) is slidably provided outside the fixed cylinder (41) along its axial direction. The slide cylinder (46) and the drive rod (44) are connected by a connecting rod that passes through the clearance groove (411). The slide cylinder (46) and each of the moving arc plates (43) are correspondingly hinged with connecting rods (47).

3. The multi-joint robotic piston handling device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The disc body (42) has multiple guide slots (421) corresponding to the movable arc plate (43). Each movable arc plate (43) has a guide roller (431) fixed on it by a roller seat. The roller seat passes through the guide slot (421). The guide roller (431) is rotatably disposed on the upper surface of the disc body (42).

4. The multi-joint robotic piston handling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A buffer pad (458) is fixed to the bottom of the mounting groove (456).

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