A multi-specification microtube compatible robotic arm gripping and replacement device

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of industrial automation clamping technology, and discloses a multi-specification micro-tube adaptable robotic arm clamping and changing device, aiming to solve the problems of existing micro-tube flipping devices being unable to adapt to tube diameter, having complex structures, and being sensitive to industrial environments. Key technical points include: a mounting base set at the drive end of the gripper, the mounting base being equipped with a horizontal rack assembly, a gear assembly, a vertical rack assembly, and a piston rod assembly; the opening and closing movement of the gripper, through the mechanical linkage of the rack and gear, drives the piston rod to move within the base air chamber to a preset stroke reference, so that the twisting stroke can automatically match the outer diameter of the tube according to the clamping distance; the base also integrates a quick-change structure for the gripper fingers achieved through a pneumatic push plate and a ball-loaded locking pin structure. This invention uses pure mechanical adaptive adjustment to replace electronic sensor control, and has the advantages of simple structure, low cost, strong anti-interference ability, and high changing efficiency, making it particularly suitable for industrial marking and flipping scenarios for millimeter-level micro-tubes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of industrial automation clamping technology, specifically to a multi-specification micro-tube adaptable robotic arm clamping and replacement device. Background Technology

[0002] In the processing of micro-tubes, laser marking is often required on the surface of the tubes. Since the tubes are usually long and thin cylindrical, and some application scenarios require markings at multiple locations around the tube or on both sides, the tubes need to be flipped over during the marking process.

[0003] Currently, a common method for flipping micro-tubes is through the overall rotation of the robotic arm's wrist. This involves the robotic arm gripping the tube and then rotating it 180° via its sixth axis or wrist joint before returning it to the marking station. However, this method has significant drawbacks: the overall rotation requires a large safety turning radius, easily causing spatial interference with the marking optical path system or other peripheral equipment; the rotation cycle is also slow, limiting production line efficiency; furthermore, the robotic arm's rotation trajectory and gripping posture often require re-teaching for tubes of different diameters, increasing debugging workload and equipment downtime. To address the spatial interference and cycle time issues caused by the overall rotation, some existing technologies have also developed solutions that achieve tube rotation at the gripper's end, such as:

[0004] In patent application CN103331588A, a microclamp device is described, comprising a base, a first fixed base, a second fixed base, a microclamp, a displacement measuring plate, a capacitive sensor, a force strain gauge, and a piezoelectric ceramic actuator. The displacement measuring plate is bonded to the capacitive sensor, which is mounted on the first fixed base. The force strain gauge is mounted on the outer panel of the second arm (A) of the seventh rigid beam of the microclamp. The second fixed base, the microclamp, and the piezoelectric ceramic actuator are mounted on the base. Its advantage is that traditional microclamps typically have only one degree of freedom, meaning they can only perform clamping operations. To address the specific requirements of fiber optic assembly, this invention's microclamp device has two degrees of freedom, allowing for two...

[0005] The cooperation of the two clamp heads can complete the clamping and rotating operations of the optical fiber, making it more versatile and flexible in terms of functionality.

[0006] Among the existing technologies, including the aforementioned patents, the following technical problems still exist when applied to marking and flipping micro-tubes:

[0007] First, its applicability is limited. The publicly available microclamp devices are mainly designed for micron-sized objects, with a driving stroke ranging from microns to sub-millimeters. However, the required twisting stroke for micro-tubes (such as medical catheters with an outer diameter of 2-5mm) is on the millimeter level, and the stroke and driving force of the microclamp are insufficient to meet the flipping requirements of millimeter-sized tubes.

[0008] Second, the structure and control are complex. The existing technology relies on piezoelectric ceramic actuators and precision flexible hinge structures, which require extremely high manufacturing precision and are expensive. At the same time, piezoelectric ceramics require high-voltage drive power supplies and closed-loop control algorithms, making system integration complex and maintenance difficult. It is not suitable for cost-sensitive industrial automation production line transformation scenarios.

[0009] Third, it cannot automatically adapt to multiple pipe diameters. In this existing technology, the rubbing stroke is determined by the driving voltage of the piezoelectric ceramic and the amplification ratio of the flexible hinge. For different diameter objects, the required rubbing stroke is different, but the device needs to rely on external sensing and control systems for adjustment, which increases the complexity of the system and the difficulty of debugging.

[0010] Fourth, they are not suitable for industrial environments. Piezoelectric ceramics and flexible hinges are more sensitive to industrial factors such as dust, oil mist, and vibration, and their long-term reliability and stability are still somewhat inferior to mechanical structures.

[0011] Therefore, there is a need in the prior art for a flipping clamping device that is suitable for millimeter-level micro-tubes, has a simple structure, low cost, can automatically adapt the twisting stroke according to the tube diameter, and is easy to quickly modify existing marking equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0012] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a clamping device that can automatically adjust the twisting stroke according to the diameter of the clamped microtube, so as to realize the adaptive flipping of microtubes with different diameters.

[0013] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution of the present invention is: a multi-specification micro-tube adaptable robotic arm gripping and changing device, comprising a twisting assembly and a changing structure disposed at one end of the gripper. The gripper is mounted at one end of the robotic arm. The twisting assembly includes two mounting seats disposed at the drive end of the gripper. Horizontal rack one and horizontal rack two are disposed on both sides of the mounting seats. Horizontal rack one and horizontal rack two can form a horizontal rack group. Both racks are fixedly mounted on the mounting seats. Gear groups are disposed on both sides inside the two mounting seats. Each gear group consists of two coaxially arranged gears, namely a small gear and a large gear. Vertical rack one and vertical rack two are disposed on one side of the gear group inside the mounting seats. Two racks are provided, one vertical rack and two vertical racks. Each vertical rack has a mounting strip at its upper end. A piston rod and a piston rod are fixedly mounted on one side of the mounting strip. The upper end of piston rod one, located below the piston head, has an air outlet hole one. The upper end of piston rod one also has an air outlet hole two. Sleeves one and two are respectively fitted around piston rod one and piston rod two. Return springs are fitted around sleeves one and two. An air passage one is fixedly installed inside the lower end of the mounting base, connecting to the lower ends of piston rod one and piston rod two. The lower end of air passage one is connected to an external air pump. A base is fixedly installed at the upper end of sleeves one and sleeve two.

[0014] Preferably, the mounting base is divided into a forward moving part and a backward moving part based on the twisting action. The backward moving part of the mounting base is provided with horizontal racks on both sides. The tooth grooves of the horizontal racks are opened on the side close to the base. The horizontal racks cooperate with the gear set, which can make the gear set rotate clockwise when opening and closing. A vertical rack is provided on one side of the gear set. The vertical rack can be pulled downward by the gear set belonging to the backward moving part. The vertical rack can pull the piston rod downward.

[0015] Preferably, horizontal racks are provided on both sides of the forward-moving part of the mounting base. The tooth grooves of the horizontal racks are opened in the opposite position to those of the horizontal racks. The horizontal racks cooperate with the gear set, which can also make the gear set rotate clockwise. A vertical rack is provided on one side of the gear set. The vertical rack can be pushed upward by the gear set belonging to the forward-moving part, and the vertical rack can push the piston rod upward.

[0016] Preferably, a sleeve is fitted around the piston rod, the upper end of the sleeve is fixedly connected to the base, the lower end of the sleeve is located at the inner top of the mounting base, the sleeve is slidably connected to the mounting base, and the sleeve does not move with the piston rod as it moves downward, but only moves with the base.

[0017] Preferably, a sleeve 2 is fitted around the piston rod 2. The upper end of the sleeve 2 is also fixedly connected to the base. The lower end of the sleeve 2 is located in the middle of the mounting base. The length of the sleeve 2 is twice that of the sleeve 1. A sliding groove is provided in the part of the sleeve 2 inside the base. This sliding groove allows the mounting strip to pass through and connect to the piston rod 2. The sleeve 2 does not move with the upward movement of the piston rod 2, but only moves with the base.

[0018] Preferably, the pinion in the gear set is located outside the mounting base, and the gear is located inside the mounting base. The two gears in the mounting base are connected by a mounting shaft. The pinion in the gear set can mesh with a horizontal rack, and the gear can mesh with a vertical rack. The gear ratio of the gear set is 11:14.

[0019] Preferably, the replacement structure includes a base, the interior of which has a circular groove around the piston rod that can cooperate with it. There are two bases, and the circular grooves inside the bases are of the same length. One piston rod is located at the top of the circular groove, and the other piston rod is located at the bottom of the circular groove. Two pneumatic telescopic rods are fixedly installed in the middle of the base, and a push plate is provided between the pneumatic telescopic rods. The push plate is pushed by the pneumatic telescopic rods, and a clamping finger is provided at the upper end of the push plate.

[0020] Preferably, the clamping fingers are simultaneously sleeved around the base, and the lower ends of the clamping fingers are slidably provided with locking pins on both sides of the push plate. A spring is fixedly provided on one end of the locking pin, and the other end of the spring is fixedly connected to the clamping fingers.

[0021] Preferably, the base is provided with a ball bearing located on one side of the push plate, and a slide is provided on one side of the ball bearing. The slide is fixedly connected to the base and is inclined.

[0022] Preferably, the lower end of the pneumatic telescopic rod is connected to an air passage two, and the connection port of the air passage two is located on one side of the air passage one and is fixedly connected to the mounting base.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages:

[0024] (1) By constructing a pure mechanical linkage chain of “clamp opening and closing displacement, horizontal rack-gear set, vertical rack, and piston rod position”, the present invention enables the piston rod stroke reference in the twisting assembly to be automatically preset according to the real-time clamping distance of the clamps. During the subsequent inflation stage, the twisting stroke of the base is strictly limited to the preset position, thereby achieving automatic linear matching between the twisting stroke and the outer diameter of the tube. This design does not rely on any electronic sensors or closed-loop control algorithms, thus solving the problem of existing technologies requiring re-teaching or adding complex sensing systems for different tube diameters, improving the changeover efficiency and equipment stability during the processing of multi-specification micro-tubes. Furthermore, this invention adopts a gear and rack transmission combined with pneumatic reset drive method, replacing the existing technology's reliance on piezoelectric ceramic actuators and precision flexible hinges. On the one hand, the gear ratio design can accurately amplify or convert the displacement to meet the stroke output required for millimeter-level tube flipping, overcoming the limitation of the piezoelectric micro-clamp's stroke being too small. On the other hand, the pure mechanical transmission and pneumatic structure have extremely high tolerance to dust, oil mist, and vibration in industrial environments, significantly reducing the equipment's manufacturing cost, maintenance threshold, and failure rate. It is particularly suitable for low-cost automation transformation of existing production lines. In addition, the twisting component in this invention only requires two additional air paths for drive, which can control the workload at the debugging level without increasing the operating cost of the device.

[0025] (2) This invention integrates the quick-change finger clamp structure and the adaptive twisting mechanism into the same base. A pneumatic telescopic rod drives the push plate in conjunction with the ball bearings and locking pin structure, achieving mechanical quick-release and self-locking of the finger clamp. During replacement, only a simple insertion and removal action is required, and the variable angle design of the locking pin's inclined surface ensures smooth insertion while preventing accidental finger detachment. This design, without adding additional electrical components, further shortens downtime caused by pipe specification changes or finger clamp wear maintenance, improving the overall operational continuity of the equipment in multi-specification adaptation scenarios. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall three-dimensional structure of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the gripper structure of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the base structure of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the base of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the mounting base of the present invention and a schematic diagram of its upper structure;

[0031] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the mounting base on the left side of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the mounting base on the right side of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the clip-on finger of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the base of the present invention (without the push plate);

[0035] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the piston rod after it has moved according to the present invention;

[0036] Figure 11 For the present invention Figure 4 Enlarged structural diagram at point A in the middle;

[0037] Figure 12 For the present invention Figure 4 Enlarged structural diagram at point B.

[0038] In the diagram: 1. Robotic arm; 2. Gripper; 3. Twisting assembly; 301. Mounting base; 3021. Horizontal rack one; 3022. Horizontal rack two; 303. Gear set; 3041. Vertical rack one; 3042. Vertical rack two; 305. Mounting strip; 3061. Piston rod one; 3062. Piston rod two; 3071. Air outlet one; 3072. Air outlet two; 3081. Sleeve one; 3082. Sleeve two; 309. Return spring; 310. Air passage one; 4. Replacement structure; 401. Base; 402. Pneumatic telescopic rod; 403. Push plate; 404. Gripping finger; 405. Locking pin; 406. Spring; 407. Ball bearing; 408. Slide rail; 409. Air passage two. Detailed Implementation

[0039] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of this disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0040] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms "comprising" or "including," and similar terms used in this disclosure, mean that an element or object preceding the term encompasses the elements or objects listed following the term and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may also include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships; these relative positional relationships may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described objects changes.

[0041] like Figures 1 to 12 As shown, the present invention provides a multi-specification microtube-adaptive robotic arm gripping and replacement device, including a twisting assembly 3 and a replacement structure 4 disposed at one end of a gripper 2. The gripper 2 is mounted at one end of the robotic arm 1. The twisting assembly 3 includes two mounting seats 301 disposed at the driving end of the gripper 2. Horizontal rack 1 3021 and horizontal rack 2 3022 are disposed on both sides of the mounting seats 301. Horizontal rack 1 3021 and horizontal rack 2 3022 can form a horizontal rack group. Both racks are fixedly mounted on the mounting seats 301. Gear sets 303 are disposed on both sides inside the two mounting seats 301. The gear set 303 consists of two coaxially arranged gears, namely a small gear and a large gear. Vertical rack 1 3041 and vertical rack 2 3042 are disposed on one side of the gear set 303 inside the mounting seats 301. Vertical rack 1 3041 and vertical rack 2 3042 are both provided with... There are two racks, vertical rack one 3041 and vertical rack two 3042, each with a mounting strip 305 at its upper end. Piston rod one 3061 and piston rod two 3062 are fixedly mounted on one side of the mounting strip 305. The upper end of piston rod one 3061, located below the piston head, has an air vent one 3071, and the upper end of piston rod one 3061 has an air vent two 3072. Around piston rod one 3061 and piston rod two 3062 are... Sleeve 1 3081 and sleeve 2 3082 are fitted together. Return springs 309 are fitted around both sleeve 1 3081 and sleeve 2 3082. Air passage 1 310 is fixedly installed at the lower end of the mounting base 301. Air passage 1 310 is connected to the lower end of piston rod 1 3061 and piston rod 2 3062. The lower end of air passage 1 310 is connected to an external air pump. Base 401 is fixedly installed at the upper end of sleeve 1 3081 and sleeve 2 3082.

[0042] Based on the twisting action, the mounting base 301 is divided into a forward moving part and a backward moving part. The two sides of the backward moving part of the mounting base 301 are provided with horizontal racks 3021. The tooth grooves of the horizontal racks 3021 are opened on the side near the base 401. The horizontal racks 3021 cooperate with the gear set 303, which can make the gear set 303 rotate clockwise when opening and closing. A vertical rack 3041 is provided on one side of the gear set 303. The vertical rack 3041 can be pulled downward by the gear set 303 belonging to the backward moving part. The vertical rack 3041 can pull the piston rod 3061 downward.

[0043] Horizontal racks 2 3022 are provided on both sides of the forward moving part of the mounting base 301. The tooth grooves of horizontal racks 2 3022 are opened in the opposite position to those of horizontal racks 1 3021. Horizontal racks 2 3022 cooperate with gear set 303, which can also make gear set 303 rotate clockwise. A vertical rack 2 3042 is provided on one side of gear set 303. Vertical rack 2 3042 can be pushed upward by gear set 303 belonging to the forward moving part. Vertical rack 2 3042 can push piston rod 2 3062 upward.

[0044] A sleeve 3081 is fitted around the piston rod 3061. The upper end of the sleeve 3081 is fixedly connected to the base 401, and the lower end of the sleeve 3081 is located at the top of the inner part of the mounting base 301. The sleeve 3081 is slidably connected to the mounting base 301. The sleeve 3081 does not move with the piston rod 3061 as it moves downward, but only moves with the base 401.

[0045] A sleeve 3082 is fitted around the piston rod 3062. The upper end of the sleeve 3082 is also fixedly connected to the base 401. The lower end of the sleeve 3082 is located in the middle of the mounting base 301. The length of the sleeve 3082 is twice that of the sleeve 3081. A groove is provided in the part of the sleeve 3082 inside the base 401. The groove allows the mounting strip 305 to pass through and connect to the piston rod 3062. The sleeve 3082 does not move with the piston rod 3062 as it moves upward, but only moves with the base 401.

[0046] The pinion in gear set 303 is located outside the mounting base 301, and the gear is located inside the mounting base 301. The two gears in the mounting base 301 are connected by a mounting shaft. The pinion in gear set 303 can mesh with a horizontal rack, and the gear can mesh with a vertical rack. The gear ratio of gear set 303 is 11:14.

[0047] In this embodiment, to achieve a half-cycle rotation of the microtube, the tube needs to rotate approximately 180° around its own axis. Let the outer diameter of the tube be D, its circumference C = πD, and the arc length Stotal required for half a cycle rotation = πD / 2. In this invention, the twisting action is achieved by the differential linear motion of the base 401. The reverse movement distance S of each base 401 along the tube's axial direction satisfies 2S = Stotal, meaning the unidirectional twisting stroke of a single gripper is S = πD / 4. Therefore, when the tube diameter D changes, the change in the required twisting stroke is linearly proportional to the change in tube diameter.

[0048] To achieve automatic matching between the twisting stroke and the pipe diameter, the following relationships must be satisfied: Let the clamping distance of the grippers be D (i.e., the outer diameter of the pipe), the horizontal displacement change of the mounting base be X, and the vertical displacement change of the piston rod be Y. For parallel opening and closing grippers, X is proportional to the pipe diameter change D; in this embodiment, X = D. The unidirectional twisting stroke S required for a single gripper is related to the pipe diameter D by S = πD / 4. Therefore, when the pipe diameter changes by D, the required stroke change S = (π / 4)D. To ensure that the piston rod displacement change Y equals the required stroke change S, the gear ratio i = Y / X should be set to π / 4, approximately 0.7854.

[0049] To approximate the transmission ratio with an integer number of teeth, in this embodiment, the transmission ratio i = 11 / 14 ≈ 0.7857, with a relative error of approximately 0.04% compared to π / 4, which meets the accuracy requirements. As an alternative, the number of teeth can also be chosen as a multiple thereof, or an approximate tooth ratio of 7:9 can be used (transmission ratio ≈ 0.7778, error approximately 0.97%).

[0050] The replacement structure 4 includes a base 401. The interior of the base 401 has a circular groove around the piston rod that can cooperate with it. There are two bases 401. The circular grooves inside the base 401 are of the same length. Piston rod 1 3061 is located at the top of the circular groove, and piston rod 2 3062 is located at the bottom of the circular groove. Two pneumatic telescopic rods 402 are fixedly installed in the middle of the base 401. A push plate 403 is installed between the pneumatic telescopic rods 402. The push plate 403 is pushed by the pneumatic telescopic rods 402. A clamping finger 404 is installed at the upper end of the push plate 403.

[0051] The clamping fingers 404 are simultaneously sleeved around the base 401. The lower ends of the clamping fingers 404 are slidably provided with locking pins 405 on both sides of the push plate 403. A spring 406 is fixedly provided on one end of the locking pin 405, and the other end of the spring 406 is fixedly connected to the clamping fingers 404.

[0052] The base 401 is equipped with a ball bearing 407, which is located on one side of the push plate 403. A slide rail 408 is provided on one side of the ball bearing 407, which is fixedly connected to the base 401 and is inclined.

[0053] The lower end of the pneumatic telescopic rod 402 is connected to the second air passage 409. The connection port of the second air passage 409 is located on one side of the first air passage 310 and is fixedly connected to the mounting base 301.

[0054] The working principle and usage process of this invention are as follows: The complete working process can be divided into the stroke preset stage when the tube is not clamped, the twisting execution stage after the tube is clamped, the reset stage after twisting is completed, and the finger replacement stage. The following provides a detailed description of each stage;

[0055] Preset stroke stage when the tube is not clamped:

[0056] The gripper 2 drives the mounting seats 301 on both sides to open outward or close inward, realizing normal opening and closing action; during the movement of the mounting seat 301, the gear set 303 fixed on it is driven to generate displacement; at the same time, the gears in the gear set 303 are engaged with the horizontal rack 1 3021 and the horizontal rack 2 3022 respectively, so while the mounting seat 301 moves, the gear set 303 is driven by the horizontal rack to generate rotation in the corresponding direction.

[0057] Specifically, when the mounting base 301 moves outward, the gear set 303 meshing with the horizontal rack 3021 rotates clockwise, and the gear set 303 meshing with the horizontal rack 3022 also rotates clockwise; wherein, the gear set 303 meshing with the horizontal rack 3021 drives the vertical rack 3041 meshing with it to move downward, and the gear set 303 meshing with the horizontal rack 3022 drives the vertical rack 3042 meshing with it to move upward.

[0058] The movement of vertical rack 1 3041 and vertical rack 2 3042 respectively drives the piston rod 1 3061 and piston rod 2 3062 connected to them to move; specifically, vertical rack 1 3041 drives piston rod 1 3061 to move downward, and vertical rack 2 3042 drives piston rod 2 3062 to move upward; thus, the position of the two piston rods in the air chamber inside the base 401 changes, that is, the height of the upper end face of the piston rod in the air chamber is reset, thereby changing the stroke that the mounting base 301 can move in the subsequent twisting action;

[0059] It should be noted that the internal air chamber of the base 401 is divided into two functional areas by the piston rod: the "air storage chamber" and the "stroke chamber". The "air storage chamber" refers to the space adjacent to the first air outlet 3071 and the second air outlet 3072, through which gas can directly enter the "air storage chamber". The "stroke chamber" refers to the space created after the piston rod moves, i.e., the space away from the air outlet. The gas transported by the first air passage 310 cannot enter the "stroke chamber", and the "stroke chamber" is connected to the external space, so that gas can be discharged from the inside of the "stroke chamber" to the outside, or from the outside to the inside of the "stroke chamber".

[0060] During this stage, the following points are worth noting:

[0061] Firstly, the movement of both piston rods is driven by the gear set 303 and two vertical racks. The rotation of the gear set 303 originates from the horizontal displacement of the mounting base 301. That is, the movement of the mounting base 301 drives the gear set to rotate through the horizontal rack, which in turn drives the vertical rack and piston rod to move. Therefore, the final position of both piston rods is determined by the moving distance of the mounting base 301. When the mounting base 301 stops moving, the two piston rods also remain absolutely stationary and will not move on their own.

[0062] Secondly, the moving distance of the two piston rods is greater than the change in the spacing of the mounting base 301; specifically, this amplification of the moving distance is achieved by pre-setting a specific gear ratio in the gear set 303 to ensure that the displacement adjustment of the piston rod matches the compensation required for the twisting stroke.

[0063] II. Twisting Stage After Tube Clamping

[0064] Once the gripper 2 has finished gripping the microtube, the two piston rods have stopped with the mounting base 301 and will not move.

[0065] At this time, the external air pump is started to fill the air passage 310 with compressed gas; the gas entering the air passage 310 finally enters the "air storage chambers" of the two bases 401 through the air outlet 3071 and the air outlet 3072 respectively; when the air pressure in the "air storage chamber" gradually increases and exceeds the air pressure in the "stroke chamber", the air pressure difference pushes the two bases 401 to move upward and downward respectively; during this process, the volume of the "air storage chamber" increases accordingly, and the volume of the "stroke chamber" decreases accordingly; the movement of the base 401 drives the clamping fingers 404 installed on it to move synchronously, thereby realizing the differential movement of the upper and lower clamping fingers, that is, the "twisting" action, to complete the rotation and flipping of the micro tube around its own axis;

[0066] During this stage, the following two points are worth noting:

[0067] Firstly, the two 404 fingers always move at the same distance and move simultaneously, so the relative spatial position of the microtube will not shift significantly during the twisting process, which is beneficial for the accurate repositioning of the tube after flipping.

[0068] Secondly, the stroke of the twisting action is determined by the position of the piston rod in the air chamber; since the position of the piston rod is fixed when the tube is clamped, the twisting stroke can automatically adapt to micro tubes of different diameters, enabling seamless switching of tube diameters without the need for adjustment.

[0069] III. Reset Stage After Twisting

[0070] After the flipping action is completed, before the microtube is returned to the marking station, the air pressure in air path 310 remains constant to maintain the current position of the gripper finger 404; after the robotic arm returns the microtube to the marking station, the valve of air path 310 is opened to release the compressed gas in the air path, so that the pressure in air path 310 is equal to the external air pressure.

[0071] At this time, the air pressure in the "air storage chamber" drops, and the base 401 returns from the twisting position to the initial position under the elastic restoring force of the return spring 309, completing the reset action and waiting for the next working cycle. After the base 401 is reset, the valve closes again to prevent the base 401 from sliding unnecessarily.

[0072] IV. Finger Replacement Stage

[0073] When it is necessary to replace the gripper 404 with a different specification, the robotic arm first moves the gripper 2 to the predetermined replacement position;

[0074] Disassembling the old clamping finger: An external air pump injects compressed gas into air passage 2 409, and the gas eventually enters the drive chamber of the pneumatic telescopic rod 402, pushing the pneumatic telescopic rod 402 to extend; the pneumatic telescopic rod 402 drives the push plate 403 to move towards the clamping finger 404; during the movement, the push plate 403 pushes the clamping finger 404, causing the clamping finger 404 to generate axial displacement; after the clamping finger 404 is displaced, its tail squeezes the ball 407 inward; after being squeezed, the ball 407 moves along the guide surface of the push plate 403 and the limited trajectory of the slide 408, gradually exiting from the locking groove of the clamping finger 404, thereby releasing the lock on the clamping finger 404; after the clamping finger 404 is completely released, the valve belonging to air passage 2 409 opens, venting the gas in the air passage, reducing the internal air pressure until it is the same as the external air pressure, and all parts return to the state of being ready for replacement;

[0075] Installing a new clip finger: When installing a new clip finger 404, the operator only needs to align the interface at the front end of the base 401 with the tail end of the new clip finger 404 and insert it. During the insertion process, the locking pin 405 and the ball 407 at the tail end of the clip finger 404 will retract inward due to the insertion force. After the clip finger 404 is inserted to the predetermined position, the locking pin 405 and the ball 407 will automatically engage in the corresponding locking groove at the tail end of the clip finger 404, completing the mechanical locking.

[0076] One point worth noting during this stage is that during the insertion and removal of the clamping finger 404, the locking pin 405 will retract inward due to the action of external force. This is because the outer end face of the locking pin 405 has a bevel, but the angle of the bevel is set differently in the insertion direction and the removal direction. Specifically, the bevel resistance that needs to be overcome in the insertion direction is greater than the bevel resistance that needs to be overcome in the removal direction. This ensures reliable locking after insertion and avoids accidental falling.

[0077] The above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the claims. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications or equivalent substitutions to the present invention within its spirit and scope of protection, and such modifications or equivalent substitutions should also be considered to fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-specification micro-tube adapter type robot arm clamping replacement device comprising a gripper (2) installed at the end of a robot arm (1), characterized in that, It also includes mounting seats (301) symmetrically arranged on the two driving ends of the gripper (2); the mounting seat (301) is provided with a twisting assembly (3), the twisting assembly (3) includes: a horizontal rack group composed of horizontal rack one (3021) and horizontal rack two (3022), fixed on the mounting seat (301), and the extension direction of the horizontal rack group is parallel to the opening and closing direction of the gripper (2); a gear group (303), rotatably arranged on the mounting seat (301) and meshing with the horizontal rack group; vertical rack one (3041) and vertical rack two (3042), slidably arranged along the opening and closing direction and meshing with the gear group (303); piston rod one (3061) and piston rod two (3062), which are connected to vertical rack one (3041) and vertical rack two (3042). 2) Fixed connection, and moved vertically under the drive of the first vertical rack (3041) and the second vertical rack (3042); base (401) with air chamber, the piston heads of the first piston rod (3061) and the second piston rod (3062) are housed in the air chamber, and the piston heads separate the air chamber of the base (401); wherein, the opening and closing movement of the gripper (2) is transmitted by the first horizontal rack (3021) and the second horizontal rack (3022), the gear set (303) and the first vertical rack (3041) and the second vertical rack (3042), and is converted into a preset action to drive the first piston rod (3061) and the second piston rod (3062) to move in the air chamber, so as to adaptively adjust the stroke of the base (401) in the inflation and twisting stage according to the opening and closing distance of the gripper (2).

2. The multi-specification micro-tube adaptable robotic arm gripping and changing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gear set (303) is a double gear consisting of a large gear and a small gear connected coaxially. The small gear in the gear set (303) meshes with the horizontal rack one (3021) and the horizontal rack two (3022), and the large gear meshes with the vertical rack one (3041) and the vertical rack two (3042).

3. The multi-specification microtube adaptable robotic arm gripping and changing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The gear ratio of the pinion to the gear in the gear set (303) is configured such that the twisting stroke of the base (401) and the change in the clamping distance of the gripper (2) satisfy a preset linear mapping relationship.

4. The multi-specification microtube adaptable robotic arm gripping and changing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The piston rod one (3061) is connected to the vertical rack one (3041) and is used to limit the limit stroke of the base (401) located on one side of the vertical rack one (3041) in a first direction; the piston rod two (3062) is connected to the vertical rack two (3042) and is used to limit the limit stroke of the base (401) located on one side of the vertical rack two (3042) in a second direction; wherein the first direction and the second direction are opposite to each other.

5. The multi-specification microtube adaptable robotic arm gripping and changing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base (401) is also provided with a replacement structure (4), which includes: a push plate (403) slidably disposed in the base (401); a clamping finger (404) detachably sleeved on the end of the base (401); and a locking pin (405) elastically disposed between the clamping finger (404) and the push plate (403) for locking or releasing the clamping finger (404) when the push plate (403) moves.

6. The multi-specification microtube adaptable robotic arm gripping and changing device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The replacement structure (4) also includes a pneumatic telescopic rod (402) disposed in the base (401), the driving end of the pneumatic telescopic rod (402) being connected to the push plate (403) to drive the push plate (403) to move axially.

7. The multi-specification microtube adaptable robotic arm gripping and changing device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The base (401) is provided with a ball (407) and a slide (408) that cooperate with the push plate (403). The axial movement of the push plate (403) is used to drive the ball (407) to disengage from or engage with the locking groove of the clamping finger (404) in order to release or lock the clamping finger (404).

8. The multi-specification microtube adaptable robotic arm gripping and changing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Sleeves 1 (3081) and 2 (3082) are respectively sleeved on the outside of piston rod 1 (3061) and piston rod 2 (3062). The upper ends of sleeve 1 (3081) and sleeve 2 (3082) are fixedly connected to the base (401), and sleeve 1 (3081) and sleeve 2 (3082) are slidably engaged with the mounting base (301).

9. The multi-specification microtube adaptable robotic arm gripping and changing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting base (301) is provided with an air passage (310). The air passage (310) is connected to the air chamber in the base (401) and an external air source through the air outlets (3071 and 3072) on the piston rod (3061) and piston rod (3062), respectively. It is used to provide driving air pressure to the air chamber in the base (401) when performing the twisting action.

10. The multi-specification microtube adaptable robotic arm gripping and changing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A reset spring (309) is provided between the base (401) and the mounting base (301). The reset spring (309) is used to drive the base (401) to reset to the initial position after the air pressure is released.

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