Air claw type self-adaptive clamping device with floating centering function and reset method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of air claw type self-adaptive clamping device with floating centering function and its reset method, belong to machine tool and metal processing equipment technical field.The device includes support, drive unit, mounting bracket and the self-adaptive clamping mechanism of setting on mounting bracket.The self-adaptive clamping mechanism includes thin air claw, clamping executor, sliding assembly and reset component.Thin air claw is installed on the bottom of mounting bracket by sliding assembly, with the displacement compensation ability of horizontal sliding.V-shaped reset slot and wedge-shaped matching structure of floating push block inclined surface are used in reset component, and thin air claw can be forced to reset to initial horizontal position after work is completed.The application can automatically compensate workpiece horizontal placement deviation, and realize accurate reset after work is completed, so as to ensure the position consistency and processing precision of batch operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of machine tools and metal processing equipment, specifically relating to a pneumatic clamping device for use in automated processing equipment, and more particularly to a pneumatic gripper type adaptive clamping device with floating centering function and its reset method. Background Technology

[0002] like Figure 1 The contactor workpiece shown is cylindrical in shape. During the surface processing, the workpiece is usually placed on a fixture by hand or robot, and then the actuator of the clamping device performs contact operation on the workpiece surface.

[0003] In actual mass production, there are tolerances in jig machining, and it is difficult to guarantee that the position will be completely consistent every time by robotic arms or manual placement. The horizontal position of the workpiece on the jig will deviate, resulting in the horizontal distance between the workpiece's contact surface and the actuator being either too close or too far. The position of the actuator is fixed, but when the workpiece is misaligned, the horizontal distance between the actuator and the workpiece surface changes. If the distance is too small, the actuator will exert too much pressure on the workpiece, easily damaging the surface; if the distance is too large, the actuator will not exert enough pressure, resulting in poor work performance and making it difficult to guarantee the work quality of the same batch of products.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, our company has developed a pneumatic gripper adaptive clamping device with floating centering function. This device solves the problem of inaccurate spacing between the actuator and the workpiece caused by deviations in the horizontal placement of the workpiece in existing devices. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems in the prior art, this invention provides a pneumatic gripper adaptive clamping device with floating centering function and its reset method, aiming to solve the problem that the contact position between the pneumatic gripper's clamping execution end and the workpiece surface is inaccurate due to workpiece horizontal placement deviation, and that it cannot be accurately reset after contact is completed.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0007] A pneumatic gripper-type adaptive clamping device with floating centering function includes a bracket, a drive unit, and a mounting bracket. An adaptive clamping mechanism is mounted on the mounting bracket. The adaptive clamping mechanism includes a thin pneumatic gripper, a clamping actuator, a sliding assembly, and a reset assembly.

[0008] The thin-walled pneumatic gripper has two opposing and openable clamping ends, each with a clamping actuator fixed thereon. The thin-walled pneumatic gripper drives the two clamping ends to bring the clamping actuators towards each other and closer to the surface of the workpiece to be contacted, thereby completing the predetermined operation through clamping.

[0009] The sliding assembly includes a slider and a linear guide rail that slide against each other. The slider is fixed to the top of the thin pneumatic gripper, and the linear guide rail is fixed to the bottom of the mounting frame. The slider is embedded in and slides against the linear guide rail, allowing the thin pneumatic gripper to slide horizontally along the bottom surface of the mounting frame.

[0010] The reset assembly includes a guide rod, a reset spring, a floating push block, and a reset base. The reset base is fixed to the top of the thin-walled pneumatic gripper, and its upper surface has a V-shaped reset groove with a V-shaped cross-section and symmetrically inclined sides. The guide rod is vertically fixed to the mounting bracket and located directly above the reset base. The reset spring and the floating push block are both movably sleeved on the guide rod. The floating push block is located between the reset base and the reset spring and can slide up and down along the guide rod. The two ends of the reset spring elastically abut against the top surface of the floating push block and the bottom surface of the mounting bracket, respectively, always applying a downward elastic thrust to the floating push block. The bottom end of the floating push block has inclined surfaces on both sides that match the V-shaped reset groove, and the included angle between the two inclined surfaces is the same as the included angle between the two sides of the V-shaped reset groove.

[0011] In the initial state, the inclined surfaces on both sides of the bottom of the floating push block symmetrically abut against the walls of the V-shaped reset groove, and the thin-walled gripper is in a centrally located initial horizontal position relative to the mounting bracket. When the thin-walled gripper moves horizontally under the lateral force of the workpiece, the reset base moves horizontally along with the thin-walled gripper, and the wall of the V-shaped reset groove slides upward along the inclined surface of the floating push block, lifting the floating push block upward and compressing the reset spring. When the lateral force is released, the reset spring pushes the floating push block downward, and a wedge force is generated between the inclined surface of the floating push block and the wall of the V-shaped reset groove, pushing the thin-walled gripper back to the initial horizontal position.

[0012] Preferably, the mounting bracket includes a side plate and a transverse end plate. The side plate is connected to the output end of the drive unit, and the transverse end plate is located at the bottom of the side plate and extends laterally. At least two thin-type pneumatic grippers are provided along the length direction of the transverse end plate. Each thin-type pneumatic gripper is spaced apart and installed below the transverse end plate. Each thin-type pneumatic gripper is provided with a set of sliding components and a set of reset components, so that each thin-type pneumatic gripper can float and reset independently.

[0013] Preferably, a limiting plate is fixed to the top of the thin-walled pneumatic gripper, and a through-slot is formed on the limiting plate. The length direction of the limiting slot is consistent with the sliding direction of the thin-walled pneumatic gripper. A limiting block is symmetrically fixed at the bottom of the transverse end plate within the limiting slot. The limiting block abuts against the wall of the limiting slot to limit the maximum displacement stroke of the thin-walled pneumatic gripper in the horizontal direction.

[0014] Preferably, the device further includes a pressing mechanism. The pressing mechanism is installed on the side of the mounting frame and includes a pressing plate and a pressing assembly. The pressing assembly includes a movable rod and a clamping spring. The movable rod is vertically movably inserted through the mounting frame, with its bottom end fixed to the pressing plate. The clamping spring is sleeved on the movable rod, and its two ends elastically abut against the mounting frame and the pressing plate, respectively. When the drive unit drives the mounting frame downwards, the lower end face of the pressing plate is lower than the lowest contact position of the clamping actuator, causing the pressing plate to contact the workpiece surface before the clamping actuator and press the workpiece firmly and securely.

[0015] The present invention also provides a reset method for a pneumatic gripper adaptive clamping device with floating centering function, comprising the following steps:

[0016] S1. Place the workpiece on the fixture so that the surface of the workpiece to be contacted corresponds to the position of the clamping actuator;

[0017] S2. The thin-type pneumatic gripper drives two clamping actuators to move the clamping actuators toward the workpiece. When there is a placement deviation in the horizontal direction of the workpiece, the clamping actuators are subjected to a lateral force when they come into contact with the workpiece. The thin-type pneumatic gripper is passively slid along the linear guide rail in the horizontal direction through the slider. At the same time, the reset base fixed to the top of the thin-type pneumatic gripper moves horizontally with the thin-type pneumatic gripper. The groove wall of the V-shaped reset groove on the reset base slides upward along the inclined surface at the bottom of the floating push block, lifting the floating push block upward and compressing the reset spring, so that the clamping actuators adjust their position according to the horizontal offset of the workpiece.

[0018] S3. The thin-type pneumatic gripper continues to drive the two clamping actuators to move towards each other, so that the two clamping actuators are clamped on the surface of the workpiece to complete the predetermined operation.

[0019] S4. When the lateral force is released, the return spring pushes the floating push block downwards. The inclined surface of the floating push block cooperates with the groove wall of the V-shaped return groove to generate a wedge force, pushing the thin pneumatic gripper and clamping actuator back to the initial horizontal position.

[0020] Through the above steps, in the adaptive alignment step, the horizontal sliding capability of the sliding component and the V-groove and inclined surface cooperation structure of the reset component are used to convert the horizontal offset of the workpiece into the compression of the reset spring, so as to realize the adaptive compensation of the clamping actuator for the horizontal deviation of the workpiece; in the reset step, the wedge action of the V-shaped reset groove and the inclined surface is used to realize the forced precise centering and reset of the clamping actuator, so as to ensure the positional consistency of batch operations.

[0021] In summary, the present invention has the following beneficial technical effects:

[0022] This invention utilizes a thin pneumatic gripper and a sliding assembly to passively slide horizontally, automatically compensating for workpiece placement deviations and ensuring optimal contact between the gripping actuator and the workpiece surface. This avoids quality problems caused by excessive or insufficient pressure. After the operation is completed, the gripping actuator is forcibly pushed back to its unique initial centered position by the wedge-shaped engagement of the V-shaped reset groove and the inclined surface of the floating pusher, thereby ensuring positional consistency and machining accuracy in batch operations. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in the prior art where a workpiece is placed on a fixture.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the pressing mechanism, the thin air gripper, the reset assembly, and the mounting frame in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 This is an exploded structural diagram of the thin pneumatic gripper and the mounting bracket in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the thin pneumatic gripper and the reset assembly in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the reset method in this invention.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Bracket; 11. Column; 2. Drive unit; 3. Mounting bracket; 31. Side plate; 32. Horizontal end plate; 4. Pressing mechanism; 41. Pressing plate; 42. Movable rod; 43. Compression spring; 44. Stop block; 5. Adaptive clamping mechanism; 51. Thin pneumatic gripper; 52. Clamping actuator; 53. Slider; 54. Linear guide rail; 6. Reset assembly; 61. Guide rod; 62. Reset spring; 63. Floating push block; 64. Reset base; 641. V-shaped reset groove; 7. Limit plate; 71. Limit groove; 72. Limit stop block. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 2-6 The present invention will be described in further detail below.

[0031] Example 1

[0032] Reference Figure 2 The clamping device in this embodiment includes a bracket 1, a drive unit 2, a mounting bracket 3, and a pressing mechanism 4.

[0033] The bracket 1 consists of a column 11 and a base fixed to the bottom of the column 11. The drive unit 2 is mounted on the column 11; in this embodiment, a servo linear guide slide is used. A vertical guide rail is provided on the side of the column 11. The mounting bracket 3 consists of a side plate 31 and a transverse end plate 32. The side plate 31 is fixed to the output end of the drive unit 2 and is mounted on the vertical guide rail on the side of the column 11 via a slider, and is driven to slide up and down by the drive unit 2. The transverse end plate 32 is fixed to the bottom of the side plate 31 and extends horizontally to one side, forming an inverted L-shape.

[0034] See Figure 3 and Figure 4 A linear guide rail 54 is mounted on the bottom surface of the transverse end plate 32. An adaptive clamping mechanism 5 is mounted below the transverse end plate 32. In this embodiment, the adaptive clamping mechanism 5 is equipped with two thin-walled pneumatic grippers 51 along the length of the transverse end plate 32. The two thin-walled pneumatic grippers 51 are arranged at intervals, and each thin-walled pneumatic gripper 51 is equipped with a set of sliding components and a set of reset components 6, enabling each thin-walled pneumatic gripper 51 to float and reset independently. It should be noted that the number of thin-walled pneumatic grippers 51 is not limited to two; it can be adjusted according to the number of workstations in actual use.

[0035] The thin-walled pneumatic gripper 51 has two opposing clamping ends, and two clamping actuators 52 are respectively fixed on the two clamping ends. The thin-walled pneumatic gripper 51 drives the two clamping ends to move the clamping actuators 52 toward each other, clamping the workpiece. A slider 53 is fixed to the top of the thin-walled pneumatic gripper 51. The slider 53 is mounted on a linear guide rail 54 and can slide along the guide rail, allowing the thin-walled pneumatic gripper 51 to passively move relative to the transverse end plate 32 in the horizontal direction.

[0036] See Figures 3 to 5The reset assembly 6 is installed between the transverse end plate 32 and the thin gripper 51. The reset assembly 6 consists of a guide rod 61, a reset spring 62, a floating push block 63, and a reset base 64. The reset base 64 is fixed to the top of the thin gripper 51 with screws. A V-shaped reset groove 641 is opened on the upper surface of the reset base 64. The groove runs horizontally through the upper surface of the reset base 64, and its cross-section is V-shaped with symmetrically inclined sides. The guide rod 61 is vertically fixed on the bottom surface of the transverse end plate 32, located directly above the reset base 64, and its axis passes through the center of the V-shaped reset groove 641. The reset spring 62 and the floating push block 63 are both sleeved on the guide rod 61. The floating push block 63 can slide up and down along the guide rod 61. The two ends of the reset spring 62 abut against the floating push block 63 and the transverse end plate 32 respectively, always pressing the floating push block 63 downward. The inclined surfaces on both sides of the bottom end of the floating pusher 63 are in contact with the two side walls of the V-shaped reset groove 641, and the included angle between the two inclined surfaces is the same as the included angle between the two side walls of the V-shaped reset groove 641.

[0037] In the initial state, the inclined surfaces on both sides of the bottom end of the floating pusher 63 are symmetrically attached to the groove walls on both sides of the V-shaped reset groove 641, and the thin pneumatic gripper 51 is in the center position.

[0038] When the thin gripper 51 moves horizontally under lateral force, the reset base 64 moves along with it. The wall of the V-shaped reset groove 641 slides upward along the inclined surface of the floating push block 63, lifting it up and compressing the reset spring 62. After the lateral force disappears, the reset spring 62 pushes the floating push block 63 downward, generating a wedge-shaped force between the inclined surface of the floating push block 63 and the wall of the V-shaped reset groove 641. The horizontal component of this force pushes the thin gripper 51 back to its central position. Regardless of whether the thin gripper 51 shifts to the left or right, it is ultimately forced back to the same position.

[0039] See Figure 2 and Figure 4 The thin gripper 51 is also fixed to a limiting plate 7 at its top. The limiting plate 7 has an elongated limiting groove 71, the length of which is aligned with the sliding direction of the thin gripper 51. Two limiting blocks 72 are fixed to the bottom of the transverse end plate 32 within the limiting groove 71, spaced apart along the length of the limiting groove 71. When the thin gripper 51 slides, it reaches its limit position when the limiting block 72 abuts against the end wall of the limiting groove 71, preventing the thin gripper 51 from sliding off the guide rail.

[0040] See Figure 3The pressure mechanism 4 is mounted on the side of the mounting frame 3 and consists of a pressure plate 41 and two sets of pressure components, which are respectively located at both ends of the pressure plate 41. Each pressure component includes a movable rod 42 and a clamping spring 43. The movable rod 42 is vertically inserted through the mounting frame 3 and can slide up and down, with its lower end fixed to the pressure plate 41. The clamping spring 43 is sleeved on the movable rod 42, with its two ends abutting against the bottom surface of the mounting frame 3 and the top surface of the pressure plate 41, respectively, always pressing the pressure plate 41 downward. A stop block 44 is fixed to the upper end of the movable rod 42 to prevent the movable rod 42 from falling off the mounting frame 3, and also to limit the lowest position of the pressure plate 41 in its natural state. When the mounting frame 3 moves downward, the lower end of the pressure plate 41 is lower than the lowest point of the clamping actuator 52, so the pressure plate 41 contacts the workpiece first and clamps it.

[0041] The work process is as follows:

[0042] Drive unit 2 drives mounting bracket 3 downwards, and pressing mechanism 4 follows suit. Pressing plate 41 first contacts the workpiece surface and presses the workpiece down. Then, thin gripper 51 drives two clamping actuators to move clamping actuator 52 closer to the workpiece. If the workpiece deviates horizontally, clamping actuator 52 is subjected to lateral force when it contacts the workpiece. This force is transmitted to thin gripper 51, which passively slides along linear guide rail 54 via slider 53. Reset base 64 moves accordingly, and V-shaped reset groove 641 slides relative to the inclined surface of floating push block 63, pushing floating push block 63 upwards and compressing reset spring 62. In this way, clamping actuator 52 automatically adjusts its position in the direction of workpiece offset, ensuring that clamping actuator 52 maintains correct contact with the workpiece surface. After clamping is completed, the drive unit 2 drives the mounting bracket 3 to lift, the clamping actuator 52 leaves the workpiece, the lateral force disappears, the return spring 62 releases its elastic force and pushes the floating push block 63 downward. The inclined surface of the floating push block 63 cooperates with the groove wall of the V-shaped return groove 641 to generate a wedge force, pushing the thin pneumatic gripper 51 back to the center position. During the sliding process of the thin pneumatic gripper 51, the limiting groove 71 on the limiting plate 7 cooperates with the limiting stop 72 to prevent the thin pneumatic gripper 51 from sliding off the guide rail.

[0043] Example 2

[0044] This embodiment provides a reset method using the above-described clamping device. See [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 6 This includes the following steps:

[0045] S1. Loading: Place the workpiece on the fixture and align the workpiece's contact position with the clamping actuator 52.

[0046] S2. Adaptive Alignment: The thin-walled pneumatic gripper 51 drives the two clamping actuators 52 to move closer to the workpiece. If the workpiece deviates in the horizontal direction, the clamping actuator 52 is subjected to a lateral force when it contacts the workpiece. The thin-walled pneumatic gripper 51 slides horizontally along the linear guide rail 54 via the slider 53, and the reset base 64 moves accordingly. The groove wall of the V-shaped reset groove 641 slides upward along the inclined surface of the floating push block 63, lifting the floating push block 63 and compressing the reset spring 62. The position of the clamping actuator 52 is automatically adjusted as the workpiece deviates.

[0047] S3, Clamping execution: The thin pneumatic gripper 51 continues to drive the two clamping execution ends to move towards each other, so that the two clamping execution parts 52 clamp the workpiece.

[0048] S4. Reset: After clamping is completed, the drive unit 2 drives the mounting bracket 3 to lift up, the clamping actuator 52 is released from the workpiece, and the lateral force disappears. The reset spring 62 pushes the floating push block 63 downward. The inclined surface of the floating push block 63 cooperates with the groove wall of the V-shaped reset groove 641 to generate a wedge force, pushing the thin pneumatic gripper 51 and the clamping actuator 52 back to the center position.

[0049] In the above steps, a pressing step can be added between S1 and S2: the mounting frame 3 moves downward, the pressing plate 41 contacts the workpiece surface before the clamping actuator 52, and the clamping spring 43 presses the workpiece firmly. After S4, a unloading step is added: the mounting frame 3 is raised, the pressing plate 41 leaves the workpiece surface, and the workpiece is removed.

[0050] When the device is equipped with multiple thin-walled pneumatic grippers 51, each thin-walled pneumatic gripper 51 can independently slide horizontally and reset, adapting to different offset directions and offset amounts of the workpiece at each workstation.

[0051] The above are all preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A pneumatic gripper-type adaptive clamping device with floating centering function, comprising a support, a drive unit, and a mounting bracket, characterized in that: The mounting frame is equipped with an adaptive clamping mechanism, which includes a thin-type pneumatic gripper, a clamping actuator, a sliding assembly, and a reset assembly. The mounting frame includes a side plate and a transverse end plate. The side plate is connected to the drive unit, and the transverse end plate is located at the bottom of the side plate and extends laterally. At least two thin-type pneumatic grippers are provided along the length of the transverse end plate, and each thin-type pneumatic gripper corresponds to a set of the sliding assembly and a set of the reset assembly. The thin pneumatic gripper has two opposing gripping actuation ends, and gripping actuation components are fixed on the two gripping actuation ends respectively; The sliding assembly includes a slider and a linear guide rail. The thin pneumatic gripper is mounted on the bottom of the mounting frame through the sliding engagement of the slider and the linear guide rail, and can slide in the horizontal direction. The reset assembly includes a guide rod, a reset spring, a floating push block, and a reset base. The reset base is fixed to the top of the thin pneumatic gripper and has a V-shaped reset groove. The guide rod is fixed to the mounting bracket. The reset spring and the floating push block are both sleeved on the guide rod. The two ends of the reset spring elastically abut against the floating push block and the mounting bracket, respectively. The floating push block is located between the reset base and the reset spring, and the bottom end of the floating push block has an inclined surface that mates with the V-shaped reset groove. When the thin gripper slides horizontally, the wall of the V-shaped reset groove slides along the inclined surface and lifts the floating push block upward; when the thin gripper resets, the reset spring pushes the floating push block, and the inclined surface cooperates with the V-shaped reset groove to push the thin gripper back to its initial position. It also includes a pressing mechanism, which is located on the side of the mounting frame and includes a pressing plate and a pressing assembly. The pressing assembly includes a movable rod and a clamping spring. The movable rod passes through the mounting frame and its bottom end is fixed to the pressing plate. The clamping spring is sleeved on the movable rod and its two ends elastically abut against the mounting frame and the pressing plate, respectively. When the mounting frame moves downward, the lower end face of the pressing plate is lower than the lowest position of the clamping actuator.

2. The pneumatic gripper adaptive clamping device with floating centering function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bracket includes a column and a fixed base located at the bottom of the column. The column is provided with a vertical guide rail, and the mounting bracket slides along the vertical guide rail.

3. The pneumatic gripper adaptive clamping device with floating centering function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thin pneumatic gripper is fixed to the top of a limiting plate, and a limiting groove is formed on the limiting plate. A limiting block extending into the limiting groove is fixed to the bottom of the mounting frame.

4. The pneumatic gripper adaptive clamping device with floating centering function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The initial position is the position where the thin pneumatic gripper is centered relative to the mounting frame when the inclined surfaces on both sides of the bottom end of the floating pusher block symmetrically abut against the groove walls on both sides of the V-shaped reset groove.

5. A reset method using a pneumatic gripper adaptive clamping device with floating centering function as described in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Loading: Place the workpiece on the fixture so that the surface of the workpiece to be contacted corresponds to the position of the clamping actuator; S2. Adaptive Alignment: The thin-walled gripper drives two clamping actuators to move towards each other and approach the surface of the workpiece to be contacted. When there is a placement deviation in the horizontal direction of the workpiece, the clamping actuators are subjected to a lateral force when they contact the workpiece. The thin-walled gripper is passively slid along the linear guide rail in the horizontal direction through the slider. At the same time, the reset base fixed to the top of the thin-walled gripper moves horizontally with the thin-walled gripper. The wall of the V-shaped reset groove on the reset base slides upward along the inclined surface at the bottom of the floating push block, lifting the floating push block upward and compressing the reset spring, so that the clamping actuators adjust their position according to the horizontal offset of the workpiece. S3. Operation execution: The thin pneumatic gripper drives the two clamping actuators to continue moving towards each other, so that the two clamping actuators clamp the workpiece surface and complete the predetermined operation. S4. Reset: When the lateral force is released, the reset spring pushes the floating push block downwards. The inclined surface of the floating push block cooperates with the groove wall of the V-shaped reset groove to generate a wedge force, pushing the thin pneumatic gripper and clamping actuator back to the initial horizontal position.

6. The reset method according to claim 5, characterized in that: After the S1 loading step and before the S2 adaptive alignment step, a pressing step is also included: the drive unit drives the mounting frame to descend vertically along the bracket, and the pressing plate touches the workpiece surface before the clamping actuator and presses and fixes the workpiece under the action of the clamping spring; after the S4 reset step, a unloading step is also included: the pressing plate is lifted up with the mounting frame and detaches from the workpiece surface, and the workpiece that has completed the operation is removed.

7. The reset method according to claim 5, characterized in that: When the clamping device is equipped with multiple thin air grippers, in the S2 adaptive alignment step, each thin air gripper independently achieves horizontal sliding and resetting through its corresponding sliding component and reset component, so as to adapt to the horizontal placement deviation of the workpiece at each station.

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