Automatic differential gear transfer mechanism

Abstract

The embodiment of the application relates to a differential gear automatic transfer mechanism, comprising: a horizontal transfer mechanism with a horizontally movable transfer seat; a half shaft gear taking and placing mechanism arranged on the transfer seat, the half shaft gear taking and placing mechanism comprising a half shaft gear clamping unit with lifting and overturning degrees of freedom; and a planetary gear taking and placing mechanism arranged on the transfer seat, the planetary gear taking and placing mechanism comprising a planetary gear clamping unit with lifting and overturning degrees of freedom; wherein the half shaft gear taking and placing mechanism and the planetary gear taking and placing mechanism move with the transfer seat between a material taking station and a material discharging station. In this way, the differential gear detection station and the tray positioning tool do not need to be respectively configured with independent transfer equipment, position deviation caused by multiple manual taking and placing and multiple mechanism handovers can be reduced, and the half shaft gear and the planetary gear are transferred according to the placement posture of the tray positioning tool.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of differential assembly equipment technology, and in particular to an automatic differential gear transfer mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] A differential typically includes axle gears, planetary gears, and mating shims. During differential assembly, to ensure the gear meshing and clearances meet requirements, shim selection and meshing tests are usually performed before formal assembly. During testing, the axle gears, planetary gears, and related shims are placed in their corresponding positions on the testing equipment. After testing, the tested parts are removed from the testing station and placed into the positioning fixture on the production line pallet for subsequent assembly or transfer processes.

[0003] In existing differential gear shim selection and testing equipment, the handling of half-shaft gears and planetary gears largely relies on manual labor. Operators need to sequentially load two half-shaft gears, two planetary gears, and their corresponding shims. After testing, these parts must be removed one by one and placed in their corresponding positions according to the requirements of the pallet positioning fixture. Due to the large number of parts and the fact that different gears have varying orientations and positions in the testing station and pallet positioning fixture, manual operation requires repeated handling, turning, alignment, and placement, resulting in lengthy auxiliary operation time after each test.

[0004] Furthermore, in continuous production processes, manual handling is easily affected by operating habits, the order of handling, and the viewing angle. When half-shaft gears and planetary gears are transferred from the inspection station to the pallet positioning fixture, if there is a deviation in the placement position or posture, subsequent pallet transfer or assembly processes will require readjustment of the part positions. For automated production lines that need to operate at a fixed pace, the above-mentioned manual handling method is difficult to match stably with the inspection pace and is also not conducive to the continuous connection between the inspection equipment and the subsequent pallet conveying station. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One object of this application is to provide an automatic differential gear transfer mechanism, which at least solves the above-mentioned problems.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, some embodiments of this application provide an automatic differential gear transfer mechanism, comprising:

[0007] A horizontal transfer mechanism with a horizontally movable transfer seat;

[0008] A half-shaft gear picking and placing mechanism is provided on the transfer seat. The half-shaft gear picking and placing mechanism includes a half-shaft gear clamping unit, which has lifting and tilting degrees of freedom.

[0009] A planetary gear picking and placing mechanism is disposed on the transfer seat. The planetary gear picking and placing mechanism includes a planetary gear clamping unit, which has a lifting freedom and a tilting freedom.

[0010] The half-shaft gear picking and placing mechanism and the planetary gear picking and placing mechanism move between the picking station and the unloading station along with the transfer seat. The picking station corresponds to the differential gear detection station, and the unloading station corresponds to the pallet positioning fixture.

[0011] Compared with related technologies, in the solution provided by this application, the half-shaft gear picking and placing mechanism and the planetary gear picking and placing mechanism are jointly arranged on the same transfer seat, and both can move between the picking station and the unloading station with the transfer seat. Since both the half-shaft gear clamping unit and the planetary gear clamping unit have lifting and tilting degrees of freedom, the half-shaft gear and planetary gear after inspection can be picked up, adjusted in posture, and unloaded respectively within the same horizontal transfer stroke. In this way, it is not necessary to configure separate transfer equipment between the differential gear inspection station and the pallet positioning fixture, which can reduce the positional deviation caused by multiple manual picking and placing and multiple mechanism handovers, and make the half-shaft gear and planetary gear transfer according to the placement posture of the pallet positioning fixture. Attached Figure Description

[0012] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference numerals in the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the differential gear automatic transfer mechanism provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0014] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the differential gear automatic transfer mechanism provided in an embodiment of this disclosure from another perspective;

[0015] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the half-shaft gear picking and placing mechanism provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0016] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the half-shaft gear picking and placing mechanism provided in an embodiment of this disclosure from another perspective;

[0017] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the half-shaft gear picking and placing mechanism provided in an embodiment of this disclosure from another perspective;

[0018] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the planetary gear picking and placing mechanism provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0019] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the planetary gear picking and placing mechanism provided in an embodiment of this disclosure from another perspective;

[0020] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the planetary gear picking and placing mechanism provided in an embodiment of this disclosure from another perspective.

[0021] Figure label:

[0022] 1: Horizontal transfer mechanism; 11: Transfer seat; 12: Horizontal transfer guide rail; 13: Horizontal drive screw; 14: Horizontal drive servo motor; 15: Screw nut seat;

[0023] 2: Half-shaft gear picking and placing mechanism; 201: Half-shaft gear lifting servo motor; 202: Half-shaft gear lifting electric cylinder; 203: First bracket; 204: First mounting base; 205: First lifting guide; 206: First clamping drive; 207: First clamping component; 208: First rotating shaft; 209: Half-shaft gear tilting cylinder; 210: Second transmission component; 211: First transverse groove; 212: First transmission component; 213: First sliding shaft; 220: Left half-shaft gear clamping assembly; 230: Right half-shaft gear clamping assembly;

[0024] 3: Planetary gear picking and placing mechanism; 301: Planetary gear lifting servo motor; 302: Planetary gear lifting electric cylinder; 303: Second bracket; 304: Second lifting guide; 305: Second lifting seat; 306: Second mounting seat; 307: Second clamping drive; 308: Second clamping component; 309: Second rotating shaft; 310: Planetary gear tilting cylinder; 311: Fourth transmission component; 312: Second transverse groove; 313: Third transmission component; 314: Second sliding shaft; 315: Rotation drive; 320: Left planetary gear clamping assembly; 330: Right planetary gear clamping assembly;

[0025] 100: Half-shaft gear; 200: Planetary gear. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0027] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate for the embodiments of this disclosure described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0028] In this disclosure, the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "middle," "outer," "front," and "rear," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for better description of the embodiments of this disclosure and their implementations, and are not intended to limit the indicated devices, elements, or components to having a specific orientation, or to require them to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Furthermore, some of the aforementioned terms may be used to indicate other meanings besides orientation or positional relationship; for example, the term "upper" may in some cases indicate a dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in the embodiments of this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0029] Furthermore, the terms "set up," "connect," and "fix" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0030] Unless otherwise stated, the term "multiple" means two or more.

[0031] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the character " / " indicates that the objects before and after it are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B means: A or B.

[0032] The term "and / or" describes an association between objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B means: A or B, or A and B.

[0033] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0034] Combination Figures 1 to 8As shown in the embodiment of this disclosure, an automatic differential gear transfer mechanism includes: a horizontal transfer mechanism 1 with a horizontally movable transfer seat 11; a half-shaft gear pick-and-place mechanism 2 disposed on the transfer seat 11, the half-shaft gear pick-and-place mechanism 2 including a half-shaft gear clamping unit having lifting and tilting degrees of freedom; and a planetary gear pick-and-place mechanism 3 disposed on the transfer seat 11, the planetary gear pick-and-place mechanism 3 including a planetary gear clamping unit having lifting and tilting degrees of freedom; wherein, the half-shaft gear pick-and-place mechanism 2 and the planetary gear pick-and-place mechanism 3 move with the transfer seat 11 between a pick-up station and a unload station, the pick-up station corresponding to a differential gear detection station, and the unload station corresponding to a pallet positioning fixture. The half-shaft gear clamping unit is configured to lift relative to the transfer seat and tilt between the pick-up and unload postures; the planetary gear clamping unit is configured to lift relative to the transfer seat and tilt between the pick-up and unload postures.

[0035] The differential gear automatic transfer mechanism provided in this embodiment features a half-shaft gear pick-and-place mechanism 2 and a planetary gear pick-and-place mechanism 3, both mounted on the same transfer seat 11. These mechanisms can move between the pick-up and unload stations along with the transfer seat 11. Since both the half-shaft gear clamping unit and the planetary gear clamping unit have lifting and tilting degrees of freedom, the half-shaft gear and planetary gear, after inspection, can be removed, their attitude adjusted, and unloaded within the same horizontal transfer stroke. This eliminates the need for separate transfer equipment between the differential gear inspection station and the pallet positioning fixture, reducing positional deviations caused by multiple manual pick-and-place operations and multiple mechanism handovers, and ensuring that the half-shaft gear and planetary gear are transferred according to the placement posture of the pallet positioning fixture.

[0036] In some embodiments, the material handling station can be the take-out position of the differential gear inspection station, where the differential gear, after completing the meshing test, includes a half-shaft gear 100 and a planetary gear 200. The unloading station can be a placement position located above the production line pallet, and the pallet positioning fixture has positioning parts for positioning the half-shaft gear and the planetary gear respectively. When the half-shaft gear picking and placing mechanism 2 and the planetary gear picking and placing mechanism 3 move between the material handling station and the unloading station with the transfer seat 11, the half-shaft gear clamping unit and the planetary gear clamping unit respectively hold the corresponding gears. After reaching the unloading station, the gear placement posture is adjusted by lifting and flipping actions.

[0037] It should be noted that the lifting and lowering degree of freedom of the half-shaft gear clamping unit refers to its ability to move towards or away from the half-shaft gear; the tilting degree of freedom of the half-shaft gear clamping unit refers to its ability to rotate between the material-picking posture and the material-unloading posture. The lifting and lowering degrees of freedom and the tilting degree of freedom of the planetary gear clamping unit can be interpreted in the same way. The material-picking posture can be the posture in which the clamping component can easily extend into the inspection station and clamp the gear, and the material-unloading posture can be the posture in which the clamping component can easily place the gear into the pallet positioning fixture.

[0038] Optionally, the horizontal transfer mechanism 1 includes: a horizontal transfer guide rail 12; a horizontal drive screw 13, arranged along the extension direction of the horizontal transfer guide rail 12; a horizontal drive servo motor 14, which is connected to the horizontal drive screw 13; and a screw nut seat 15, which is threadedly engaged with the horizontal drive screw 13. The transfer seat 11 is slidably engaged with the horizontal transfer guide rail 12 and connected to the screw nut seat 15. The transfer seat 11 is driven by the screw nut seat 15 and moves along the horizontal transfer guide rail 12.

[0039] In this embodiment, the rotary drive is converted into linear displacement along the material picking station and the material unloading station. The stopping position of the transfer seat 11 can be controlled by the rotation of the horizontal drive servo motor 14. Compared with simple cylinder horizontal pushing, this structure is more suitable for segmented stopping between multiple unloading positions, making it easier for the half-shaft gear clamping unit and the planetary gear clamping unit to align with the corresponding positions on the pallet positioning fixture.

[0040] In some embodiments, the lead screw nut seat 15 is fixedly disposed on the lower side or side of the transfer seat 11, and the horizontal drive lead screw 13 passes through the lead screw nut seat 15. When the horizontal drive servo motor 14 drives the horizontal drive lead screw 13 to rotate, the lead screw nut seat 15 moves along the horizontal drive lead screw 13, and drives the transfer seat 11 to move along the horizontal transfer guide rail 12. The horizontal transfer guide rail 12 can be configured as one or more; when the horizontal transfer guide rail 12 is configured as two, the two horizontal transfer guide rails 12 can be disposed on both sides of the horizontal drive lead screw 13 to limit the sway of the transfer seat 11 during the movement.

[0041] Optionally, the half-shaft gear picking and placing mechanism 2 includes: a half-shaft gear lifting servo motor 201; a half-shaft gear lifting electric cylinder 202, which is connected to the half-shaft gear lifting servo motor 201 and is mounted on the transfer seat 11 via a first bracket 203; and a first mounting seat 204, which is connected to the lifting output end of the half-shaft gear lifting electric cylinder 202; wherein, the half-shaft gear clamping unit is mounted on the first mounting seat 204.

[0042] In this embodiment, the half-shaft gear lifting servo motor 201 and the half-shaft gear lifting electric cylinder 202 cooperate to drive the first mounting base 204 to move vertically. This allows the half-shaft gear clamping unit mounted on the first mounting base 204 to approach the half-shaft gear during material handling, rise to avoid it during transfer, and descend to the pallet positioning fixture during material unloading. Since the entire half-shaft gear clamping unit is mounted on the first mounting base 204, the lifting action does not directly act on a single clamping component. This maintains the relative positions between the clamping drive component, the first rotating shaft 208, and the clamping components within the clamping unit, reducing the impact of the lifting action on the clamping posture.

[0043] In some embodiments, a first bracket 203 is disposed on a transfer seat 11, a half-shaft gear lifting cylinder 202 is mounted on the first bracket 203, a first lifting guide 205 extends along the extension and retraction direction of the half-shaft gear lifting cylinder 202 and is slidably inserted through the first bracket 203, and one end of the first lifting guide 205 is fixedly connected to a first mounting base 204. Thus, when the half-shaft gear lifting cylinder 202 drives the first mounting base 204 to rise or fall, the first lifting guide 205 can guide the rising and falling movement of the first mounting base 204, reducing the swaying of the first mounting base 204 during the rising and falling process.

[0044] Optionally, the half-shaft gear clamping unit includes at least one half-shaft gear clamping assembly, which includes: a first clamping drive 206; a first clamping member 207 connected to the clamping output end of the first clamping drive 206; and a first rotating shaft 208 rotatably disposed on the first mounting base 204. The first clamping drive 206 is mounted on the first rotating shaft 208 so as to rotate with the first rotating shaft 208 relative to the first mounting base 204, and the first clamping drive 206 drives the first clamping member 207 to clamp or release the half-shaft gear.

[0045] In this embodiment, the half-shaft gear clamping assembly is rotatably mounted on the first mounting base 204 via the first rotating shaft 208. The first clamping drive 206 is mounted on the first rotating shaft 208, and the first clamping member 207 is connected to the clamping output end of the first clamping drive 206. Thus, the first clamping drive 206 can both drive the first clamping member 207 to clamp or release the half-shaft gear and rotate as a whole with the first rotating shaft 208. This structure concentrates the clamping and flipping actions on the same clamping assembly, avoiding the need for a separate intermediate adapter clamp to change the attitude of the half-shaft gear, and reducing the need for clamping or secondary positioning of the half-shaft gear after clamping.

[0046] In some embodiments, the first clamping drive 206 can be a cylinder or an electric cylinder and its pneumatic gripper, pneumatic gripper, or electric gripper. The first clamping member 207 can be a clamping block, a clamping finger, or a clamping head adapted to the outer contour of the half-shaft gear. The first clamping member 207 is connected to the clamping output end of the first clamping drive 206. When the first clamping drive 206 is activated, the first clamping member 207 can approach the half-shaft gear and apply a clamping force to the half-shaft gear, or it can move away from the half-shaft gear to release the half-shaft gear. The first clamping drive 206 is mounted on the first rotating shaft 208, so that the first clamping drive 206, the first clamping member 207, and the clamped half-shaft gear can rotate as a whole with the first rotating shaft 208.

[0047] Optionally, the half-shaft gear pick-and-place mechanism 2 further includes: a half-shaft gear flipping cylinder 209, having a first telescopic output end; a second transmission member 210, connected to the first telescopic output end, to move along the first telescopic direction with the first telescopic output end, the second transmission member 210 having a first transverse groove 211, the extension direction of the first transverse groove 211 intersecting the first telescopic direction; a first transmission member 212, one end connected to the first rotating shaft 208, the other end having a first sliding shaft 213, the first sliding shaft 213 being slidably disposed in the first transverse groove 211; wherein, when the second transmission member 210 moves with the first telescopic output end, the first sliding shaft 213 slides along the first transverse groove 211 and drives the first transmission member 212 to swing, so as to drive the first clamping drive member 206 and the first clamping member 207 to flip through the first rotating shaft 208.

[0048] In this embodiment, when the second transmission member 210 moves along the first telescopic direction, the first sliding shaft 213 slides within the first transverse groove 211, causing the first transmission member 212 to swing. This swings the first clamping drive member 206 and the first clamping member 207 through the first rotating shaft 208. This transmission method does not directly and rigidly push the clamping member with the linear displacement of the tilting cylinder. Instead, it absorbs the difference in motion direction through the relative sliding between the transverse groove and the sliding shaft, stably converting the linear telescopic action into the swinging and tilting of the clamping assembly. This facilitates the conversion of the half-shaft gear from a material-taking posture to a material-feeding posture within a limited installation space.

[0049] In some embodiments, the first transverse groove 211 can be an elongated hole or a long strip groove extending horizontally, and the first sliding shaft 213 is rotatably or slidably inserted into the first transverse groove 211. When the first telescopic output end of the half-shaft gear flipping cylinder 209 extends, the second transmission member 210 moves away from the half-shaft gear flipping cylinder 209, the first sliding shaft 213 slides in the first transverse groove 211 and drives the first transmission member 212 to swing, and the first transmission member 212 drives the half-shaft gear clamping assembly to flip to the unloading posture through the first rotating shaft 208. When the first telescopic output end of the half-shaft gear flipping cylinder 209 retracts, the second transmission member 210 moves towards the half-shaft gear flipping cylinder 209, the first transmission member 212 swings in the opposite direction, and drives the half-shaft gear clamping assembly back to the picking posture through the first rotating shaft 208.

[0050] Optionally, two half-shaft gear clamping assemblies are provided, namely a left half-shaft gear clamping assembly 220 and a right half-shaft gear clamping assembly 230; two first rotating shafts 208 and two first transmission components 212 are provided, with the two first rotating shafts 208 respectively corresponding to the two half-shaft gear clamping assemblies, and the two first transmission components 212 respectively connected to the two first rotating shafts 208; the two ends of the second transmission component 210 are respectively provided with first transverse grooves 211, and the first sliding shafts 213 of the two first transmission components 212 are respectively slidably disposed in the two first transverse grooves 211.

[0051] In this embodiment, the two half-shaft gear clamping assemblies respectively form a left half-shaft gear clamping assembly 220 and a right half-shaft gear clamping assembly 230, and respectively cooperate with the first transverse grooves 211 at both ends of the second transmission member 210 through corresponding first rotating shafts 208 and first transmission members 212. In this way, one half-shaft gear flipping cylinder 209 and one second transmission member 210 can simultaneously drive the two half-shaft gear clamping assemblies to flip, and the two half-shaft gears maintain synchronous posture changes before unloading. This structure enables the two half-shaft gears to clamp and unload separately, while reducing the problem of asynchronous action between two independent flipping drives.

[0052] In some embodiments, the left half-shaft gear clamping assembly 220 and the right half-shaft gear clamping assembly 230 are spaced apart along the moving direction of the transfer seat 11 or perpendicular to the moving direction of the transfer seat 11, respectively corresponding to the two half-shaft gears. The two ends of the second transmission member 210 are respectively provided with first transverse grooves 211, and the two first transmission members 212 are respectively slidably engaged with the corresponding first transverse grooves 211 via first sliding shafts 213. Thus, when the half-shaft gear tilting cylinder 209 drives the second transmission member 210 to move, the two half-shaft gear clamping assemblies can tilt synchronously under the same driving action.

[0053] When the half-shaft gear flipping cylinder is activated, the left half-shaft gear clamping assembly and the right half-shaft gear clamping assembly can be flipped to the unloading posture simultaneously; when the transfer seat stops at the left half-shaft gear unloading position and the right half-shaft gear unloading position in sequence, only the first clamping drive corresponding to the current unloading position is controlled to release, while the other half-shaft gear clamping assembly remains in the clamping state.

[0054] Optionally, the planetary gear picking and placing mechanism 3 includes: a planetary gear lifting servo motor 301; a planetary gear lifting electric cylinder 302, which is mounted on the transfer seat 11 via a second bracket 303 and is connected to the planetary gear lifting servo motor 301 in a transmission manner, and the planetary gear lifting electric cylinder 302 has a lifting output end; a second lifting guide 304, which extends along the extension and retraction direction of the planetary gear lifting electric cylinder 302 and is slidably mounted on the second bracket 303; and a second lifting seat 305, which is connected to the lifting output end of the planetary gear lifting electric cylinder 302 and is connected to one end of the second lifting guide 304; wherein, a second mounting seat 306 is located below the second lifting seat 305, and the planetary gear clamping unit is located on the second mounting seat 306.

[0055] In this embodiment, the planetary gear lifting cylinder 302 is mounted on the transfer seat 11 via the second bracket 303. The second lifting guide 304 passes through the second bracket 303 and connects to the second lifting seat 305. The second mounting seat 306 is located below the second lifting seat 305. The second lifting seat 305 receives the lifting output of the planetary gear lifting cylinder 302, allowing the planetary gear clamping unit to complete lifting and lowering actions along with the second lifting seat 305. The second lifting guide 304 constrains the lifting path of the second lifting seat 305, reducing its swaying during lifting. Since the second mounting seat 306 is located below the second lifting seat 305, a structural position is reserved for arranging a rotary drive 315 between the second lifting seat 305 and the second mounting seat 306, preventing the lifting guide from directly restricting the rotation of the second mounting seat 306.

[0056] In some embodiments, the second bracket 303 is fixedly mounted on the transfer seat 11, and the planetary gear lifting cylinder 302 is mounted on the second bracket 303. A second lifting guide 304 extends along the extension / retraction direction of the planetary gear lifting cylinder 302 and slidably passes through the second bracket 303; one end of the second lifting guide 304 is fixedly connected to the second lifting seat 305. A second mounting seat 306 is disposed below the second lifting seat 305 and is used to support the planetary gear clamping unit. The second lifting seat 305 is used to receive the lifting output of the planetary gear lifting cylinder 302, and the second mounting seat 306 is used to mount structures related to planetary gear clamping and flipping; when a rotary drive 315 is provided between the second lifting seat 305 and the second mounting seat 306, the second lifting seat 305 does not rotate with the second mounting seat 306 about the vertical axis.

[0057] Optionally, the planetary gear clamping unit includes at least one planetary gear clamping assembly, which includes: a second clamping drive 307; a second clamping member 308 connected to the clamping output end of the second clamping drive 307; and a second rotating shaft 309 rotatably disposed on the second mounting base 306. The second clamping drive 307 is mounted on the second rotating shaft 309 so as to rotate with the second rotating shaft 309 relative to the second mounting base 306, and the second clamping drive 307 drives the second clamping member 308 to clamp or release the planetary gear.

[0058] In this embodiment, the planetary gear clamping assembly is rotatably mounted on the second mounting base 306 via the second rotating shaft 309. The second clamping drive 307 is mounted on the second rotating shaft 309, and the second clamping member 308 is connected to the clamping output end of the second clamping drive 307. Thus, the second clamping drive 307 can rotate with the second rotating shaft 309 after clamping the planetary gear, allowing the clamping and attitude change of the planetary gear to be completed by the same clamping assembly. This structure is suitable for scenarios where the planetary gear needs to change its placement attitude between the inspection station and the pallet positioning fixture, reducing the need to transfer the planetary gear from one fixture to another flipping fixture.

[0059] In some embodiments, the second clamping drive 307 can be a cylinder or electric cylinder and its pneumatic gripper, pneumatic gripper, or electric gripper. The second clamping member 308 can be a clamping block, a clamping finger, or a clamping head adapted to the outer contour of the planetary gear. The second clamping drive 307 is mounted on the second rotating shaft 309, and the second clamping member 308 is connected to the clamping output end of the second clamping drive 307. After the second clamping drive 307 clamps the planetary gear, it can rotate together with the second clamping member 308 and the planetary gear along with the second rotating shaft 309.

[0060] Optionally, the planetary gear pick-and-place mechanism 3 further includes: a planetary gear flipping cylinder 310 having a second telescopic output end; a fourth transmission member 311 connected to the second telescopic output end to move along the second telescopic direction with the second telescopic output end, the fourth transmission member 311 having a second transverse groove 312 whose extension direction intersects the second telescopic direction; and a third transmission member 313, one end of which is connected to the second rotating shaft 309, and the other end having a second sliding shaft 314 slidably disposed in the second transverse groove 312; wherein, when the fourth transmission member 311 moves with the second telescopic output end, the second sliding shaft 314 slides along the second transverse groove 312 and drives the third transmission member 313 to swing, so as to drive the second clamping drive member 307 and the second clamping member 308 to flip through the second rotating shaft 309.

[0061] In this embodiment, the planetary gear tilting cylinder 310 drives the second rotating shaft 309 to rotate via the fourth transmission member 311, the second transverse groove 312, the second sliding shaft 314, and the third transmission member 313. When the fourth transmission member 311 moves with the second telescopic output end, the second sliding shaft 314 slides within the second transverse groove 312, and the third transmission member 313 swings accordingly, driving the second clamping drive member 307 and the second clamping member 308 to tilt via the second rotating shaft 309. This structure allows the tilting action of the planetary gear clamping assembly to be converted from the linear telescopic movement of the cylinder, enabling the tilting transmission chain to be arranged within the limited space below the second mounting base 306, and allowing the planetary gear to complete the attitude conversion while in the clamped state.

[0062] In some embodiments, the second transverse groove 312 can be an elongated hole or a long strip groove extending in the horizontal direction, and the second sliding shaft 314 is slidably disposed within the second transverse groove 312. When the second telescopic output end of the planetary gear tilting cylinder 310 extends, the fourth transmission member 311 moves along the second telescopic direction, the second sliding shaft 314 slides within the second transverse groove 312 and drives the third transmission member 313 to swing, and the third transmission member 313 drives the planetary gear clamping assembly to tilt to the unloading posture via the second rotating shaft 309. When the second telescopic output end of the planetary gear tilting cylinder 310 retracts, the fourth transmission member 311 moves in the opposite direction, and the third transmission member 313 drives the planetary gear clamping assembly back to the picking posture via the second rotating shaft 309.

[0063] Optionally, two planetary gear clamping assemblies are provided, namely a left planetary gear clamping assembly 320 and a right planetary gear clamping assembly 330; two second rotating shafts 309 and two third transmission members 313 are provided, with the two second rotating shafts 309 respectively corresponding to the two planetary gear clamping assemblies, and the two third transmission members 313 respectively connected to the two second rotating shafts 309; the two ends of the fourth transmission member 311 are respectively provided with second transverse grooves 312, and the second sliding shafts 314 of the two third transmission members 313 are respectively slidably disposed in the two second transverse grooves 312.

[0064] In this embodiment, the two planetary gear clamping assemblies serve as the left planetary gear clamping assembly 320 and the right planetary gear clamping assembly 330, respectively. Two third transmission members 313 are connected to two second rotating shafts 309, and two second sliding shafts 314 are slidably disposed within the second transverse grooves 312 at both ends of the fourth transmission member 311. Thus, the fourth transmission member 311 can simultaneously drive the two third transmission members 313 to swing, causing the two planetary gear clamping assemblies to rotate synchronously. This structure can balance the independent clamping and synchronous attitude adjustment of the two planetary gears, avoiding differences in unloading posture when the left and right planetary gears rotate separately.

[0065] In some embodiments, the left planetary gear clamping assembly 320 and the right planetary gear clamping assembly 330 are spaced apart and correspond to two planetary gears respectively. The two ends of the fourth transmission member 311 are respectively provided with second transverse grooves 312, and the two third transmission members 313 are respectively slidably engaged with the corresponding second transverse grooves 312 via second sliding shafts 314. Thus, when the planetary gear flipping cylinder 310 drives the fourth transmission member 311 to move, the two planetary gear clamping assemblies can flip synchronously, ensuring that the two planetary gears maintain a consistent placement posture before being placed into the tray positioning fixture.

[0066] When the planetary gear flipping cylinder is activated, the left planetary gear clamping assembly and the right planetary gear clamping assembly can be flipped to the unloading posture simultaneously; when the transfer seat stops at the left planetary gear unloading position and the right planetary gear unloading position in sequence, only the second clamping drive corresponding to the current unloading position is controlled to release, while the other planetary gear clamping assembly remains in the clamping state.

[0067] Optionally, the planetary gear picking and placing mechanism 3 further includes a rotary drive 315, which is disposed between the second lifting seat 305 and the second mounting seat 306. The rotary output end of the rotary drive 315 is connected to the second mounting seat 306 to drive the second mounting seat 306 to rotate around the vertical axis.

[0068] In this embodiment, the rotary drive 315 is disposed between the second lifting seat 305 and the second mounting seat 306, with its rotary output end connected to the second mounting seat 306. Since the second lifting seat 305 undertakes the lifting guidance and lifting load, while the second mounting seat 306 is driven by the rotary drive 315 to rotate around its vertical axis, the lifting guidance and rotation adjustment are placed on different structural levels. In this way, the planetary gear clamping unit can obtain guiding support during lifting, and when it needs to avoid or adjust the feeding direction, it can rotate around its vertical axis with the second mounting seat 306, reducing interference between the guiding structure and the rotational action.

[0069] Optionally, the rotary drive 315 is a rotary cylinder with a first rotary position and a second rotary position, the angle between the first and second rotary positions being 90°. This angle setting allows the planetary gear clamping unit to switch between two defined postures, such as switching between pick-up / placement and avoidance actions. Using two defined rotary positions reduces the control complexity of the rotary stopping position, allowing the planetary gear clamping unit to maintain a repeatable directional state before unloading.

[0070] In some embodiments, a rotary drive 315 is disposed between the second lifting seat 305 and the second mounting seat 306. The fixed end of the rotary drive 315 is connected to the second lifting seat 305, and the rotary output end of the rotary drive 315 is connected to the second mounting seat 306. The rotary drive 315 can be a rotary cylinder. When the rotary cylinder is in the first rotation position, the planetary gear clamping unit can be in the material picking direction; when the rotary cylinder rotates to the second rotation position, the planetary gear clamping unit can rotate 90° to avoid adjacent mechanisms (half-shaft gear picking and placing mechanism 2) or align with the planetary gear unloading position. The second lifting seat 305 undertakes the lifting action, and the second mounting seat 306 undertakes the rotation action, so that the lifting guide structure does not restrict the rotation of the second mounting seat 306.

[0071] In some embodiments, the unloading station includes a left half-shaft gear unloading position, a right half-shaft gear unloading position, a left planetary gear unloading position, and a right planetary gear unloading position arranged sequentially along the moving direction of the transfer seat 11. By arranging the four unloading positions sequentially along the same transfer direction, the transfer seat 11 can be aligned with different unloading positions sequentially through horizontal displacement, eliminating the need for a complex lateral sorting mechanism in the unloading area. This arrangement is suitable for use with the screw-driven horizontal transfer mechanism 1, allowing the half-shaft gears and planetary gears to be unloaded sequentially according to the arrangement order of the pallet positioning fixture.

[0072] In some embodiments, the left and right half-shaft gear unloading positions are located below the movement path of the half-shaft gear clamping unit, and the left and right planetary gear unloading positions are located below the movement path of the planetary gear clamping unit. This allows the clamping unit to complete unloading by lowering and releasing the clamping components after moving to the corresponding unloading position, eliminating the need for additional handling at the unloading position. This relative positional relationship shortens the action chain for horizontal transfer, lifting, and clamping release, reducing lateral gear offset during the unloading process.

[0073] In some embodiments, the left half-shaft gear unloading position, the right half-shaft gear unloading position, the left planetary gear unloading position, and the right planetary gear unloading position can each correspond to one of the four positioning positions on the pallet positioning fixture. When the transfer seat 11 moves along the horizontal transfer guide rail 12, it can sequentially stop at each of the aforementioned unloading positions, causing the half-shaft gear clamping unit and the planetary gear clamping unit to descend and release the gears at their respective positions. The spacing between each unloading position can be determined based on the spacing between the positioning parts in the pallet positioning fixture.

[0074] In some embodiments, a control unit is also included. The control unit is electrically connected to the horizontal transfer mechanism 1, the half-shaft gear pick-and-place mechanism 2, and the planetary gear pick-and-place mechanism 3, respectively. The control unit is configured to control the operation of the horizontal transfer mechanism 1, the half-shaft gear pick-and-place mechanism 2, and the planetary gear pick-and-place mechanism 3 after receiving a detection end signal. Since the starting point of the operation of this mechanism is associated with the detection end signal of the differential gear detection station, the picking and unloading operations are only performed after the detection is completed, which can prevent the clamping unit from entering the detection station prematurely before the detection is completed. The control unit coordinates the horizontal transfer, lifting, clamping, flipping, and rotation operations, so that the half-shaft gear and planetary gear complete the transfer according to the preset action sequence, reducing the need for manual judgment of the detection status and manual switching of the station.

[0075] When the material picking positions of the half-shaft gear and the planetary gear do not coincide in the horizontal direction, the control unit can also control the transfer seat to stop in sections within the material picking station range, so that the half-shaft gear picking and placing mechanism and the planetary gear picking and placing mechanism are respectively aligned with the material picking positions of the corresponding gears.

[0076] In some embodiments, the control unit can communicate with the detection control module of the differential gear detection station. When the control unit receives a detection completion signal, it first controls the half-shaft gear pick-and-place mechanism 2 to descend and clamp the half-shaft gear, then controls the planetary gear pick-and-place mechanism 3 to descend and clamp the planetary gear; subsequently, it controls the horizontal transfer mechanism 1 to move the transfer seat 11 to the unloading station, and controls the corresponding clamping unit to descend, flip, and release according to the unloading station sequence. The control unit can also determine whether the transfer seat 11 has reached the corresponding unloading station based on the position signal of the horizontal drive servo motor 14, to prevent the clamping unit from releasing the gear if it is not aligned with the pallet positioning fixture.

[0077] In one specific scenario, the automatic differential gear transfer mechanism is positioned between the differential gear testing equipment and the production line pallet. After the differential gear testing equipment completes the meshing test, two half-shaft gears and two planetary gears remain at the testing station. The production line pallet is located on one side of the unloading station, and the pallet positioning fixture is equipped with positioning positions for placing the two half-shaft gears and the two planetary gears respectively.

[0078] In the initial state, the transfer seat 11 is located on one side of the material handling station, and the half-shaft gear clamping unit and the planetary gear clamping unit are at the clearance height. After the control unit receives the detection end signal, the half-shaft gear lifting servo motor 201 drives the half-shaft gear lifting electric cylinder 202 to actuate, causing the first mounting seat 204 to descend to the half-shaft gear material handling height. The first clamping drive component 206 drives the first clamping component 207 to clamp the half-shaft gear. After clamping is completed, the half-shaft gear lifting electric cylinder 202 drives the first mounting seat 204 to rise, causing the half-shaft gear to leave the detection station.

[0079] Subsequently, the horizontal drive servo motor 14 drives the horizontal drive screw 13 to rotate, and the screw nut seat 15 drives the transfer seat 11 to move along the horizontal transfer guide rail 12, so that the planetary gear picking and placing mechanism 3 reaches the planetary gear picking position. The planetary gear lifting servo motor 301 drives the planetary gear lifting electric cylinder 302 to operate, and the second lifting seat 305 and the second mounting seat 306 descend to the planetary gear picking height. The second clamping drive component 307 drives the second clamping component 308 to clamp the planetary gear. After clamping is completed, the planetary gear lifting electric cylinder 302 drives the second lifting seat 305 to rise, so that the planetary gear leaves the inspection station.

[0080] After both the half-shaft gear and the planetary gear are clamped, the horizontal transfer mechanism 1 drives the transfer seat 11 to move to the lower material feeding station. When the transfer seat 11 moves to the left half-shaft gear feeding position, the half-shaft gear lifting cylinder 202 drives the first mounting seat 204 to descend, the first telescopic output end of the half-shaft gear flipping cylinder 209 extends, the second transmission component 210 moves with the first telescopic output end, the first sliding shaft 213 slides along the first transverse groove 211 and drives the first transmission component 212 to swing, and the first transmission component 212 drives the corresponding half-shaft gear clamping assembly to flip to the feeding posture through the first rotating shaft 208. The corresponding first clamping drive component 206 drives the first clamping component 207 to release, so that one half-shaft gear falls into the left half-shaft gear positioning position of the pallet positioning fixture. Then the first mounting seat 204 rises, the transfer seat 11 moves to the right half-shaft gear feeding position, and releases the other half-shaft gear in the same way.

[0081] After the half-shaft gear completes unloading, the transfer seat 11 continues to move to the left planetary gear unloading position. If the planetary gear clamping unit needs to avoid adjacent mechanisms or adjust its placement direction, the rotary drive 315 drives the second mounting seat 306 to rotate around the vertical axis, switching the planetary gear clamping unit from the first rotation position to the second rotation position. The planetary gear lifting cylinder 302 drives the second lifting seat 305 to descend, the second telescopic output end of the planetary gear flipping cylinder 310 extends, the fourth transmission component 311 moves with the second telescopic output end, the second sliding shaft 314 slides along the second transverse groove 312 and drives the third transmission component 313 to swing, and the third transmission component 313 drives the corresponding planetary gear clamping assembly to flip to the unloading posture through the second rotating shaft 309. The corresponding second clamping drive 307 drives the second clamping component 308 to release, so that one planetary gear falls into the left planetary gear positioning position of the pallet positioning fixture. Then the transfer seat 11 moves to the right planetary gear unloading position and releases the other planetary gear.

[0082] After the four gears are unloaded, the half-shaft gear tilting cylinder 209 and the planetary gear tilting cylinder 310 retract, causing the corresponding clamping components to return from the unloading posture to the picking posture. The rotary drive 315 drives the second mounting base 306 back to the first rotation position. The half-shaft gear lifting cylinder 202 and the planetary gear lifting cylinder 302 return to their rising origin. The horizontal transfer mechanism 1 drives the transfer seat 11 back to the picking station, waiting for the next inspection completion signal. Through the above actions, the two half-shaft gears and two planetary gears that have completed inspection can be sequentially transferred from the inspection station to the corresponding positioning positions of the pallet positioning fixture.

[0083] The foregoing description and accompanying drawings fully illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments may include structural and other changes. The embodiments represent only possible variations. Individual components and functions are optional unless explicitly required, and the order of operation may vary. Parts and features of some embodiments may be included or substituted for parts and features of other embodiments. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes may be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims, and the foregoing embodiments should be considered exemplary and non-limiting.

Claims

1. A differential gear automatic transfer mechanism, characterized in that, include: A horizontal transfer mechanism with a horizontally movable transfer seat; A half-shaft gear picking and placing mechanism is provided on the transfer seat. The half-shaft gear picking and placing mechanism includes a half-shaft gear clamping unit, which has lifting and tilting degrees of freedom. A planetary gear picking and placing mechanism is disposed on the transfer seat. The planetary gear picking and placing mechanism includes a planetary gear clamping unit, which has a lifting freedom and a tilting freedom. The half-shaft gear picking and placing mechanism and the planetary gear picking and placing mechanism move between the picking station and the unloading station along with the transfer seat.

2. The differential gear automatic transfer mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The horizontal transfer mechanism includes: Horizontal transfer guide rail; A horizontal drive screw is provided along the extension direction of the horizontal transfer guide rail; A horizontal drive servo motor is connected to the horizontal drive lead screw. The lead screw nut seat is threadedly engaged with the horizontal drive lead screw. The transfer seat is slidably engaged with the horizontal transfer guide rail and connected to the lead screw nut seat.

3. The differential gear automatic transfer mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The half-shaft gear picking and placing mechanism includes: Half-shaft gear lifting servo motor; A half-shaft gear lifting electric cylinder is connected to the half-shaft gear lifting servo motor, and the half-shaft gear lifting electric cylinder is mounted on the transfer seat via a first bracket; The first mounting base is connected to the lifting output end of the half-shaft gear lifting electric cylinder; The half-shaft gear clamping unit is disposed on the first mounting base.

4. The differential gear automatic transfer mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The half-shaft gear clamping unit includes at least one half-shaft gear clamping assembly, the half-shaft gear clamping assembly comprising: First clamping drive component; The first clamping member is connected to the clamping output end of the first clamping drive member; The first rotating shaft is rotatably mounted on the first mounting base; The first clamping drive is mounted on the first rotating shaft so that it rotates with the first rotating shaft relative to the first mounting base, and the first clamping drive drives the first clamping member to clamp or release the half shaft gear.

5. The differential gear automatic transfer mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The half-shaft gear picking and placing mechanism also includes: A half-shaft gear reversing cylinder has a first telescopic output end; The second transmission component is connected to the first telescopic output end so as to move along the first telescopic direction with the first telescopic output end. The second transmission component is provided with a first transverse groove, and the extension direction of the first transverse groove intersects with the first telescopic direction. The first transmission component has one end connected to the first rotating shaft and the other end provided with a first sliding shaft, which is slidably disposed in the first transverse groove. When the second transmission component moves with the first telescopic output end, the first sliding shaft slides along the first transverse groove and drives the first transmission component to swing, so as to drive the first clamping drive component and the first clamping component to flip through the first rotating shaft.

6. The differential gear automatic transfer mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The planetary gear loading and unloading mechanism includes: Planetary gear lifting servo motor; A planetary gear lifting electric cylinder is mounted on the transfer seat via a second bracket and is connected to the planetary gear lifting servo motor. The planetary gear lifting electric cylinder has a lifting output end. The second lifting guide extends along the extension and retraction direction of the planetary gear lifting cylinder and is slidably installed in the second bracket. The second lifting seat is connected to the lifting output end of the planetary gear lifting electric cylinder and is connected to one end of the second lifting guide member; The second mounting base is located below the second lifting base; The planetary gear clamping unit is disposed on the second mounting base.

7. The differential gear automatic transfer mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that, The planetary gear clamping unit includes at least one planetary gear clamping assembly, which includes: Second clamping drive component; The second clamping member is connected to the clamping output end of the second clamping drive member; The second rotating shaft is rotatably mounted on the second mounting base; The second clamping drive is mounted on the second rotating shaft to rotate with the second rotating shaft relative to the second mounting base, and the second clamping drive drives the second clamping member to clamp or release the planetary gear.

8. The differential gear automatic transfer mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that, The planetary gear picking and placing mechanism also includes: The planetary gear tilting cylinder has a second telescopic output end; A fourth transmission component is connected to the second telescopic output end to move along the second telescopic direction with the second telescopic output end. The fourth transmission component is provided with a second transverse groove, the extension direction of which intersects the second telescopic direction. The third transmission component has one end connected to the second rotating shaft and the other end provided with a second sliding shaft, which is slidably disposed in the second transverse groove; When the fourth transmission component moves with the second telescopic output end, the second sliding shaft slides along the second transverse groove and drives the third transmission component to swing, so as to drive the second clamping drive component and the second clamping component to flip through the second rotating shaft.

9. The differential gear automatic transfer mechanism according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that, The planetary gear picking and placing mechanism also includes: A rotary drive component is disposed between the second lifting seat and the second mounting seat. The rotary output end of the rotary drive component is connected to the second mounting seat to drive the second mounting seat to rotate around the vertical axis.

10. The differential gear automatic transfer mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that, The rotary drive is a rotary cylinder, which has a first rotary position and a second rotary position, and the angle between the first rotary position and the second rotary position is 90°.

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