Automatic loading and unloading manipulator for automobile parts

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of manipulator, in particular to an automatic feeding and discharging manipulator for automobile parts, which comprises a base, a supporting disc, two mechanical arms symmetrically arranged on the two sides of the supporting disc and a picking mechanism arranged on the mechanical arms; the picking mechanism comprises a vertical rod fixedly arranged at the end of the mechanical arm, a movable block driven by a lifting mechanism to move up and down along the vertical rod, a rotating shaft perpendicularly and rotatably connected to the movable block and a rotating disc driven by the rotating shaft to rotate, a plurality of accommodating grooves are uniformly arranged along the circumference of the rotating disc, an electromagnet is arranged in each accommodating groove, the rotating shaft is driven by a rotating mechanism to rotate and the movable block rotates when moving upward and is stationary when moving downward. The application is used as follows: firstly, two mechanical arms are arranged, corresponding picking mechanisms are arranged on the mechanical arms, so that one mechanical arm can feed and the other can discharge at the same time, thereby avoiding the phenomenon of empty running between the feeding and discharging stations and improving the overall efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of robotic arm technology, specifically an automatic loading and unloading robotic arm for automotive parts. Background Technology

[0002] In the modern production of automotive parts, the loading and unloading process is a crucial node connecting various processing stages, and its efficiency directly affects the capacity and cycle time of the entire production line. With the rapid development of the automotive industry, increasingly higher demands are being placed on the processing precision and production efficiency of automotive parts. Traditional manual loading and unloading methods are no longer sufficient to meet the needs of large-scale, high-paced production. Therefore, automated loading and unloading robots are widely used in automotive parts processing production lines to achieve automatic gripping, handling, and loading / unloading of workpieces.

[0003] However, existing automated loading and unloading robots for automotive parts still face significant efficiency bottlenecks in practical applications. Firstly, most current loading and unloading robots employ a single-claw or single-station structure. Their operating mode involves the robot picking up a blank part to be processed from the previous station or material storage and transporting it to the processing equipment. During this process, the robot can only transfer one component at a time, completing the transfer of one workpiece before moving on to the next. This sequential operation results in frequent back-and-forth movements of the robot during the picking and feeding stages, increasing the loading and unloading cycle time for a single workpiece and causing a large amount of ineffective idle movement, thus leading to low efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides an automatic loading and unloading robot for automotive parts, which addresses the shortcomings of existing technologies.

[0005] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution: An automatic loading and unloading robot for automotive parts includes a base, a support plate mounted on the base and driven by a drive mechanism to rotate and remain stationary around its center, robotic arms symmetrically arranged on both sides of the support plate, and a picking mechanism mounted on the robotic arms. The picking mechanism includes a vertical rod fixedly mounted at the end of the robotic arm, a movable block driven by a lifting mechanism to move up and down along the vertical rod, a rotating shaft vertically and rotatably connected to the movable block, and a rotating disk driven by the rotating shaft to rotate. The rotating disk has several receiving slots evenly distributed along its circumference on its outer edge, and electromagnets are installed in the receiving slots. The rotating disk is fitted with a shell on its outer side, with a notch at the bottom of the shell through which the bottom of the rotating disk protrudes. The rotating shaft is driven to rotate by the rotating mechanism and rotates when the movable block moves upward and remains stationary when it moves downward.

[0006] In use, this application allows one loading station to simultaneously unload another, avoiding idle "running around" between loading and unloading stations and thus improving overall efficiency. Specifically, during operation, the rotating disk is moved downwards by a lifting mechanism, causing the corresponding receiving slot to move downwards as well. The workpiece enters the receiving slot and is attracted by an electromagnet. Then, a rotating shaft is moved upwards by the lifting mechanism, causing the rotating disk to move synchronously. Simultaneously, the rotating shaft is driven to rotate a certain angle by a rotating mechanism, causing the rotating disk to rotate by the same angle, thus rotating the other receiving slot to that position. This process repeats until full. Then, a drive mechanism moves the robotic arm to the unloading area, at which point the electromagnet is de-energized, and the rotating disk continues to move up and down, ensuring the workpieces fall sequentially. This allows for the collection of multiple workpieces at once, further improving efficiency.

[0007] Preferably, the rotating mechanism includes a rack parallel to and fixedly mounted on the vertical rod, a gear fixedly sleeved on the rotating shaft and meshing with the rack, and an outer tube coaxially sleeved on the rotating shaft and vertically connected to the center of the rotating disk. The outer tube contains a ratchet fixedly sleeved on the rotating shaft, and a pawl that engages with the ratchet is provided on the inner wall of the outer tube. The rotating shaft and the outer tube are rotatably connected by bearings. When the rotating shaft moves up and down with the lifting mechanism, the gear rotates under the engagement of the rack, and the gear rotation drives the rotating shaft to rotate. Because the ratchet and pawl engage on the rotating shaft, the ratchet idles when the shaft rotates downwards, and when the shaft rotates upwards, the gear and pawl rotate synchronously, driving the outer tube to rotate, and consequently, driving the rotating disk to rotate.

[0008] Preferably, the system also includes a photoelectric switch, a contact switch, and a controller connected in series. The electromagnet is de-energized via the controller. The photoelectric switch includes a signal receiving unit mounted on a base and a signal transmitting unit mounted on a rotating disk. When the robotic arm moves to the unloading area, the signal receiving unit and the signal transmitting unit face each other. The contact switch includes a first contact unit fixedly mounted on a movable block and a second contact unit fixedly mounted directly below the first contact unit. When the movable block moves to its lowest position, the first contact unit engages with the second contact unit. The electromagnet is normally energized. Specifically, when the robotic arm moves to the unloading area, the signal receiving unit and the signal transmitting unit face each other; then, when the movable block moves to its lowest position, the first contact unit engages with the second contact unit, thereby energizing the controller and de-energizing the electromagnet. This ensures that when the workpiece falls, it is close to the contact surface, avoiding damage to the workpiece. Simultaneously, it ensures that any workpieces that do not fall are held in a attracted state within the receiving groove, preventing them from swaying and colliding due to the rotation of the rotating disk.

[0009] Preferably, the base has a groove, and the drive mechanism includes a drive motor, which is fixedly mounted in the groove, with its shaft vertically connected to the center of the support plate. The rotation of the drive motor shaft drives the rotation of the support plate.

[0010] Preferably, the lifting mechanism is an electric telescopic rod, with the movable end of the electric telescopic rod fixedly connected to the movable block, and the fixed end of the electric telescopic rod fixedly installed. The extension of the electric telescopic rod causes the movable block to move downwards, and the retraction of the electric telescopic rod causes the movable block to move upwards.

[0011] Preferably, the vertical rod is vertically connected to the horizontal beam, and the fixed end and rack of the electric telescopic rod are both vertically connected to the horizontal beam.

[0012] Preferably, both the vertical rod and the outer casing are vertically fixed with slide rails, and sliders are slidably fitted within the slide rails. The sliders are fixedly connected to corresponding movable blocks and crossbeams, thus ensuring the stability of vertical movement.

[0013] Preferably, the movable block has a blind hole, and the rotating shaft is inserted into the blind hole and rotated within the blind hole via a bearing.

[0014] Preferably, the receiving groove has a semi-circular structure, and several electromagnetic stickers are evenly distributed along the inner wall of the receiving groove.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: When using this application, two robotic arms are first set up, and corresponding picking mechanisms are set on the robotic arms, so that when one arm is loading, the other arm is unloading, thereby avoiding the phenomenon of empty "running" between the loading and unloading stations, thus improving the overall efficiency. Under the premise of satisfying the above, multiple parts can be picked up at one time through the picking mechanism, further improving the overall efficiency of the equipment, and the up and down movement driven by the lifting mechanism can be used as power to drive the rotation of the rotary table. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the ratchet and pawl working together; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the interaction between the rotating disk and the outer casing; Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of part of I.

[0018] As shown in the figure: 1. Base, 2. Support plate, 3. Robotic arm, 4. Vertical rod, 5. Electric telescopic rod, 6. Movable block, 7. Rotating shaft, 8. Outer shell, 9. Rotary disk, 10. Receiving groove, 11. Electromagnet, 12. Gear, 13. Rack, 14. Ratchet, 15. Pawl, 16. Outer tube, 17. Photoelectric switch, 18. Contact switch, 19. Slide rail. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] An automated loading and unloading robot for automotive parts, such as Figures 1-4 As shown, it includes a base 1, a support plate 2 mounted on the base 1 and driven by a drive mechanism to rotate and remain stationary around its center, robotic arms 3 symmetrically arranged on both sides of the support plate 2, and a picking mechanism mounted on the robotic arms 3. The picking mechanism includes a vertical rod 4 fixedly mounted at the end of the robotic arm 3, a movable block 6 driven by a lifting mechanism to move up and down along the vertical rod 4, a rotating shaft 7 vertically and rotatably connected to the movable block 6, and a rotating disk 9 driven by the rotating shaft 7. The rotating disk 9 has several accommodating slots 10 evenly distributed along its circumference on its outer edge, and an electromagnet 11 is installed in each of the accommodating slots 10. The outer side of the rotating disk is fitted with a housing 8, the lower part of the housing 8 has a notch, and the lower part of the rotating disk 9 passes through the notch. The rotating shaft 7 is driven to rotate by the rotating mechanism, and rotates when the movable block 6 moves upward and remains stationary when it moves downward.

[0021] The receiving groove 10 has a semi-circular structure, and several electromagnetic stickers are evenly distributed along the inner wall of the receiving groove 10.

[0022] This application is applicable to round shaft-type workpieces in automotive manufacturing. In use, while one workpiece is being loaded, the other can be unloading, thus avoiding the phenomenon of "empty runs" between loading and unloading stations and improving overall efficiency. Specifically, when the part-retrieving mechanism is working, the rotating disk 9 is driven downwards by the lifting mechanism, and the corresponding receiving slot 10 moves downwards, allowing the workpiece to enter the receiving slot 10 and be attracted by the electromagnet 11. Then, the rotating shaft 7 is driven upwards by the lifting mechanism, causing the rotating disk 9 to move synchronously. Simultaneously, the rotating shaft 7 is driven to rotate by a certain angle by the rotating mechanism, causing the rotating disk 9 to rotate by the corresponding angle, so that the other receiving slot 10 rotates to that position. This process is repeated until full. Then, the driving mechanism moves the robotic arm 3 to the unloading area, and the electromagnet 11 is de-energized, while the rotating disk 9 continues to move up and down, ensuring that the workpieces fall sequentially. This allows for the collection of multiple workpieces at once, further improving efficiency.

[0023] The rotating mechanism includes a rack 13 parallel and fixedly mounted to the vertical rod 4, a gear 12 fixedly sleeved on the rotating shaft 7 and meshing with the rack 13, and an outer tube 16 coaxially sleeved on the rotating shaft 7 and vertically connected to the center of the rotating disk 9. The outer tube 16 contains a ratchet 14 fixedly sleeved on the rotating shaft 7, and a pawl 15 that engages with the ratchet 14 is provided on the inner wall of the outer tube 16. The rotating shaft 7 and the outer tube 16 are rotatably connected by bearings. When the rotating shaft 7 moves up and down with the lifting mechanism, the gear 12 rotates under the engagement of the rack 13, driving the rotating shaft 7 to rotate. Because the ratchet 14 and pawl 15 engage on the rotating shaft 7, the ratchet 14 idles when the shaft 7 rotates downwards, and when the shaft 7 rotates upwards, the gear 12 and pawl 15 rotate synchronously, driving the outer tube 16 to rotate, and consequently, driving the rotating disk 9 to rotate.

[0024] The system also includes a photoelectric switch 17, a contact switch 18, and a controller connected in series. The electromagnet 11 is de-energized and controlled by the controller. The photoelectric switch 17 includes a signal receiving unit mounted on a base and a signal transmitting unit mounted on a rotating disk 9. When the robotic arm 3 moves to the unloading area, the signal receiving unit and the signal transmitting unit are opposite each other. The contact switch 18 includes a first contact unit fixedly mounted on the movable block 6 and a second contact unit fixedly mounted directly below the first contact unit. When the movable block 6 moves to its lowest position, the first contact unit engages with the second contact unit. The electromagnet 11 is normally energized. Specifically, when the robotic arm 3 moves to the unloading area, the signal receiving unit and the signal transmitting unit are opposite each other; then, when the movable block 6 moves to its lowest position, the first contact unit engages with the second contact unit, thereby energizing the controller and de-energizing the electromagnet 11. This ensures that when the workpiece falls off, it is close to the contact surface, avoiding damage to the workpiece. Simultaneously, it ensures that any workpieces that do not fall off are held in a attracted state within the receiving groove 10, preventing them from swaying and colliding due to the rotation of the rotating disk 9.

[0025] The base 1 has a groove, and the drive mechanism includes a drive motor, which is fixedly installed in the groove and its shaft is vertically connected to the center of the support plate 2. The rotation of the drive motor shaft drives the rotation of the support plate 2.

[0026] The lifting mechanism is an electric telescopic rod 5. The movable end of the electric telescopic rod 5 is fixedly connected to the movable block 6, and the fixed end of the electric telescopic rod 5 is fixedly installed. The extension of the electric telescopic rod 5 causes the movable block 6 to move downward, and the retraction of the electric telescopic rod 5 causes the movable block 6 to move upward.

[0027] The vertical rod 4 is vertically connected to the crossbeam, and the fixed end of the electric telescopic rod 5 and the rack 13 are both vertically connected to the crossbeam.

[0028] Both the vertical rod 4 and the outer casing 8 are vertically fixed with slide rails 19, and sliders are slidably fitted within the slide rails 19. The sliders are fixedly connected to the corresponding movable blocks 6 and crossbeams, thus ensuring the stability of vertical movement.

[0029] The movable block 6 has a blind hole, and the rotating shaft 7 is inserted into the blind hole and rotated within the blind hole via a bearing.

[0030] Among them, several support rods are fixedly installed on the bottom surface of the support plate 2 along its circumference. The bottom surface of the support rods is provided with a ball bearing cavity, and the ball bearing cavity is fitted with a ball bearing that contacts the top surface of the base 1, thereby supporting the support plate 2 and ensuring its rotation.

[0031] The specific usage process of this application is as follows: After the robotic arm 3 located on the loading side moves the vertical rod 4 to the required position, the electric telescopic rod 5 extends and moves the movable block 6 downward. The downward movement of the movable block 6 moves the rotating shaft 7 downward. The downward movement of the rotating shaft 7 moves the gear 12 downward. Then, under the constraint of the rack 13, the gear 12 rotates, which drives the rotating shaft 7 to rotate. With the cooperation of the ratchet 14 and the pawl 15, the ratchet 14 rotates freely. The downward movement of the rotating shaft 7 can make the outer tube 16 move downward, which drives the rotating disk 9 to move downward, so that the workpiece can enter the receiving groove 10 and be attracted by the electromagnet 11. Then, the electric telescopic rod 5 retracts and moves the movable block 6 upward. The upward movement of the gear 12 drives the rotating shaft 7 to rotate in the opposite direction. Thus, the ratchet 14 drives the pawl 15 to rotate synchronously, realizing the rotation of the outer tube 16, which in turn drives the rotation of the rotating disk 9.

[0032] After the left rotating disk 9 finishes picking up the part, the drive motor drives the support disk 2 to rotate, the left robotic arm 3 rotates to the right, and the right robotic arm 3 rotates to the left. When the robotic arm 3 moves to the right, the signal receiving unit and the signal transmitting unit are opposite each other, the photoelectric switch 17 is in the open circuit, and the electric telescopic rod 5 continues to move downward, so that the first contact unit and the second contact unit are connected, the contact switch 18 is open, and thus the controller circuit is open. The controller controls the electromagnet 11 to de-energize, so as to facilitate the falling of the workpiece. When the electric telescopic rod 5 retracts, it continues to drive the rotating disk 9 to rotate, so that the workpieces fall in sequence.

[0033] The application of this invention first sets up two robotic arms 3, each equipped with a corresponding part-picking mechanism. This allows one arm to load while the other unloads, thus avoiding the phenomenon of "empty runs" between loading and unloading stations and improving overall efficiency. Under the premise of satisfying the above, multiple parts can be picked up at once by the part-picking mechanism, further improving the overall efficiency of the equipment. The up-and-down movement driven by the lifting mechanism can also be used as a power source to drive the rotation of the rotary table 9.

[0034] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic loading and unloading manipulator for automobile parts, characterized by: The device includes a base, a support plate mounted on the base and driven by a drive mechanism to rotate and remain stationary around its center, robotic arms symmetrically arranged on both sides of the support plate, and a picking mechanism mounted on the robotic arms. The picking mechanism includes a vertical rod fixedly mounted at the end of the robotic arm, a movable block driven by a lifting mechanism to move up and down along the vertical rod, a rotating shaft vertically and rotatably connected to the movable block, and a rotating disk driven by the rotating shaft to rotate. The rotating disk has several receiving slots evenly distributed along its circumference on its outer edge, and electromagnets are installed in the receiving slots. The rotating disk is fitted with a shell on its outer side, with a notch at the bottom of the shell through which the bottom of the rotating disk protrudes. The rotating shaft is driven to rotate by the rotating mechanism and rotates when the movable block moves upward and remains stationary when it moves downward.

2. The automatic loading and unloading manipulator for automobile accessories according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating mechanism includes a rack that is parallel to and fixedly mounted on the vertical rod, a gear that is fixedly sleeved on the rotating shaft and meshes with the rack, and an outer tube that is coaxially sleeved on the rotating shaft and vertically connected to the center of the rotating disk. The outer tube has a ratchet that is fixedly sleeved on the rotating shaft, and the inner wall of the outer tube has a pawl that cooperates with the ratchet. The rotating shaft and the outer tube are rotatably connected by bearings.

3. The automatic loading and unloading manipulator for automobile accessories according to claim 2, characterized in that: It also includes a photoelectric switch, a contact switch and a controller connected in series. The electromagnet is de-energized and controlled by the controller. The photoelectric switch includes a signal receiving unit set on the base and a signal transmitting unit set on the rotating disk. When the robotic arm moves to the unloading position, the signal receiving unit and the signal transmitting unit are opposite each other. The contact switch includes a first contact unit fixedly set on the movable block and a second contact unit fixedly set directly below the first contact unit. When the movable block moves to the bottom, the first contact unit and the second contact unit dock.

4. The automatic loading and unloading manipulator for automobile accessories according to claim 3, characterized in that: The base has a groove, and the driving mechanism includes a drive motor. The drive motor is fixedly installed in the groove, and the shaft of the drive motor is vertically connected to the center of the support plate.

5. The automatic loading and unloading manipulator for automobile accessories according to claim 4, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism is an electric telescopic rod, with the movable end of the electric telescopic rod fixedly connected to the movable block, and the fixed end of the electric telescopic rod fixedly installed.

6. The automatic loading and unloading manipulator for automobile accessories according to claim 5, characterized in that: The vertical pole is connected to the horizontal beam, and the fixed end and rack of the electric telescopic pole are both connected vertically to the horizontal beam.

7. The automatic loading and unloading robot for automotive parts according to claim 6, characterized in that: Both the vertical rod and the outer casing are vertically fixed with slide rails, and sliders are slidably fitted inside the slide rails. The sliders are fixedly connected to the corresponding movable blocks and crossbeams.

8. The automatic loading and unloading robot for automotive parts according to claim 7, characterized in that: The movable block shown has a blind hole, and the rotating shaft is inserted into the blind hole and rotated within the blind hole via a bearing.

9. The automatic loading and unloading manipulator for automobile parts according to claim 1, characterized in that: The receiving groove has a semi-circular structure, and several electromagnetic stickers are evenly distributed along the inner wall of the receiving groove.

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