An automatic assembling device and assembling method applied to a water pipe joint

Abstract

The application discloses an automatic assembling equipment and assembling method applied to a water pipe joint, and the equipment comprises a workbench and a control device, a rotating disc driven by a rotating disc motor and a fixed disc above the workbench are arranged on the workbench. The rotating disc is provided with a multi-station suspended tooling clamp, and a sleeve, an inner support, an inner joint barrel, a joint cover feeding and assembling mechanism and a whole assembling pre-adjusting, whole assembling and sorting and discharging mechanism are arranged around the rotating disc; three groups of visual detection devices are arranged on the fixed disc and are used for detecting empty clamps, inner support assembling positions and whole assembling quality respectively, and the inner joint barrel section of the tooling clamp is provided with a positioning groove and an inner triangular chuck. Batch feeding is realized through a vibrating disc, assembling of each part, pre-adjusting and whole assembling are sequentially completed, qualified products and substandard products are automatically sorted after visual detection, and full-process closed-loop operation is realized. The application has high automation degree, multi-dimensional detection guarantees assembling precision, the tooling is suitable for multi-specification products, and production efficiency and product qualification rate are greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of water pipe joint production equipment technology, specifically an automated assembly equipment and assembly method for water pipe joints. Background Technology

[0002] Pipe fittings are core components in piping systems used for connection, turning, and diversion, and are widely used in various fields such as garden water supply, building water supply and drainage, municipal pipe networks, and domestic water supply. With the acceleration of urbanization and the intelligent upgrading of water supply systems, the market demand for pipe fittings has increased significantly, while higher requirements have been placed on their assembly precision, production efficiency, and product consistency. Currently, there are two main modes of water pipe fitting assembly: one is traditional manual assembly, where workers need to manually assemble components such as outer sleeve, inner support, inner connector sleeve, and connector cover in sequence. This is not only labor-intensive and inefficient, but also prone to problems such as insufficient assembly accuracy and component damage due to human error, making it difficult to meet the needs of large-scale production; the other is semi-automated assembly equipment. Although some links are mechanically assisted, manual participation is still required in key steps such as feeding, positioning, and testing. The degree of automation is limited, and the adaptability is poor, making it difficult to meet the assembly needs of water pipe fittings of different specifications and types. Some automated equipment related to pipe fittings already exists in the existing technology. Among them, the utility model patent with authorization announcement number CN217433604U (Prior Technology 1) discloses an automatic detection and assembly mechanism for tee pipes. This mechanism includes a machine base, a rotating disk, a tee pipe feeding mechanism, a vision inspection mechanism, a thread inspection mechanism, a sealing ring assembly mechanism, a cap assembly mechanism, and a sorting mechanism, which can realize the automatic detection and assembly of tee pipes and improve the detection and assembly efficiency of tee pipes. However, this technology is mainly designed for the specific structure of tee pipes, focusing on thread detection and simple accessory assembly. It cannot adapt to the multi-part collaborative assembly requirements of water pipe fitting outer sleeve, inner support, inner fitting cylinder, and fitting cover. Moreover, its tooling fixture structure is simple and the positioning accuracy is insufficient, making it difficult to meet the high precision requirements of water pipe fitting assembly. At the same time, it does not have a multi-model adaptation structure, resulting in poor versatility. Another invention patent, CN103753208A (Prior Art 2), discloses a multi-model pipe fitting assembly machine. This equipment uses an intermittent turntable to drive the fixture to rotate, realizing the sequential assembly of the pipe fitting body, sealing ring, safety ring, and locking spring. It is equipped with an airtightness testing device and can be adapted to the assembly of various pipe fitting models. However, this technology mainly focuses on the assembly of the sealing and locking components of the pipe fitting, and does not involve the assembly structure of the internal support, internal fitting cylinder, and fitting cover unique to water pipe fittings. Moreover, its testing mechanism only uses height detection, lacking the accuracy of visual inspection. In addition, the tooling fixture does not adopt a suspended design and multi-positioning structure, which easily leads to component misalignment during the assembly process, affecting the assembly quality. Therefore, it cannot be directly applied to the automated assembly scenario of water pipe fittings. In addition, existing automated assembly equipment has the following drawbacks: First, the tooling fixtures are not accurately positioned, and the water pipe connector parts are prone to shifting during assembly, resulting in insufficient assembly accuracy. Second, there is a lack of multi-dimensional detection mechanisms, making it impossible to comprehensively inspect the position of parts and the assembly quality during the assembly process, which can easily lead to unqualified products flowing into subsequent processes. Third, the equipment has poor adaptability and is difficult to assemble water pipe connectors of different specifications. Changing product models requires significant adjustments to the equipment structure, making the operation cumbersome. Fourth, the automated process is not seamless, with insufficient coordination between the loading, assembly, inspection, and unloading stages, affecting production efficiency. Therefore, developing an automated assembly equipment for water pipe joints with a high degree of automation, high assembly precision, strong adaptability, and a smooth process to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention aims to at least partially solve one of the technical problems in the related art. Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to propose an automated assembly equipment and method for water pipe fittings, to solve the technical problems in the prior art such as low automation level, insufficient assembly accuracy, poor adaptability, and discontinuous processes in water pipe fitting assembly, thereby achieving fully automated and precise assembly of all components of the water pipe fitting, improving production efficiency and product consistency.

[0004] The technical solution of the present invention to solve its technical problem is: an automated assembly equipment for water pipe joints, including a workbench and a control device for the automated assembly equipment for water pipe joints, wherein the workbench is provided with a rotating disc driven by a turntable motor and a fixed disc. The rotating disc has several workstations, each of which is equipped with a tooling fixture that is compatible with the water pipe connector. The rotating disc is surrounded by an outer sleeve feeding mechanism, an inner support feeding assembly mechanism, an inner connector cylinder feeding assembly mechanism, a connector cover feeding assembly mechanism, a pre-assembly debugging mechanism, an assembly mechanism, and a sorting and unloading mechanism in sequence according to the process. The fixed disc is located above the rotating disc. The fixed disc is equipped with a first clamp visual inspection device, a second clamp visual inspection device, and a third clamp visual inspection device along the horizontal direction. The first clamp visual inspection device is located between the sorting and unloading mechanism and the outer sleeve loading mechanism. The second clamp visual inspection device faces the inner support feeding and assembly mechanism. The third clamp visual inspection device faces the assembly mechanism. A support rod is provided on the fixed disc along the vertical direction, and a lighting lamp is provided on the support rod. The tooling fixture includes a tooling base plate, an outer sleeve tooling fixture, and an inner connector sleeve tooling fixture. The inner end of the tooling base plate is fixed to a rotating disk, and the outer end of the tooling base plate extends beyond the rotating disk, so that the outer end of the tooling base plate is suspended above the worktable. The outer sleeve tooling fixture and the inner connector sleeve tooling fixture are both located at the outer end of the tooling base plate. The inner connector sleeve tooling fixture is divided into an inner triangular chuck section and a cylindrical section from top to bottom, and the side wall of the cylindrical section has several positioning grooves.

[0005] Furthermore, the outer sleeve feeding mechanism includes an outer sleeve vibrating feed plate, an outer sleeve automatic feeding channel connected to the outer sleeve vibrating feed plate, an outer sleeve forward and reverse detection mechanism, an outer sleeve forward and reverse correction mechanism, and an outer sleeve picking and placing assembly device. The outer sleeve forward and reverse detection mechanism is positioned directly above the automatic feeding channel of the outer sleeve, so as to face the outer sleeve moving in the automatic feeding channel of the outer sleeve; The outer sleeve forward and reverse correction mechanism includes a flipping motor, a flipping fixture with a flipping chamber, and a conveyor belt pulley device configured between the flipping motor and the flipping fixture. The flipping fixture is connected to the automatic feeding channel of the outer sleeve. The outer sleeve loading and unloading assembly device includes a first horizontal driving cylinder, a first vertical driving cylinder driven by the first horizontal driving cylinder, and a first tightening pneumatic finger driven by the first vertical driving cylinder. The first tightening pneumatic finger is equipped with an outer sleeve conforming clamp.

[0006] Furthermore, the inner support feeding and assembly mechanism includes an inner support vibrating feed plate, an inner support automatic feeding channel connected to the inner support vibrating feed plate, an inner support transfer tooling, and an inner support picking and placing assembly device. The inner support transfer fixture is located between the inner support automatic feeding channel and the rotating disc, and the inner support transfer fixture includes a transfer fixture seat driven by the second rotating cylinder and the transfer fixture seat has an inner support contour cavity, and the inner wall of the inner support contour cavity is provided with a number of inner support positioning ribs. The inner support mounting and dismounting device includes a second horizontal drive cylinder, a second vertical drive cylinder driven by the second horizontal drive cylinder, a shaping plate driven by the second vertical drive cylinder, a second tightening pneumatic finger, and a second spreading pneumatic finger. The second tightening pneumatic finger is equipped with an inner support contouring clamp. The shaping plate has an inner support contouring hole. The second spreading pneumatic finger extends at least partially into the inner support contouring hole.

[0007] Furthermore, the inner connector cylinder feeding and assembly mechanism includes an inner connector cylinder vibrating feed plate, an inner connector cylinder automatic feeding channel connected to the inner connector cylinder vibrating feed plate, an inner connector cylinder visual inspection mechanism, and an inner connector cylinder picking and placing assembly device. The automatic feeding channel for the inner connector cylinder has a detection window on its side, and the visual inspection mechanism for the inner connector cylinder is located on the side close to the detection window. The inner connector cylinder picking and placing assembly device includes a third horizontal driving cylinder, a third vertical driving cylinder driven by the third horizontal driving cylinder, a third rotating cylinder driven by the third vertical driving cylinder, and a third tightening pneumatic finger driven by the third rotating cylinder. The third tightening pneumatic finger is equipped with an inner connector cylinder conforming clamp.

[0008] Furthermore, the connector cover feeding and assembly mechanism includes a connector cover vibrating feed plate, a connector cover automatic feeding channel connected to the connector cover vibrating feed plate, a connector cover lifting device, and a connector cover picking and placing assembly device. The end of the automatic feed channel for the connector cover is provided with a bottom groove. The upper lifting device for the connector cover includes a fourth upgrading cylinder and an upper lifting block driven by the fourth upgrading cylinder. The upper lifting block can pass through the bottom groove and extend into the automatic feed channel for the connector cover. The connector cover picking and placing assembly device includes a fourth horizontal drive cylinder, a fourth vertical drive cylinder driven by the fourth horizontal drive cylinder, a fourth motor driven by the fourth vertical drive cylinder, and a connector cover conforming sleeve driven by the fourth motor. The aforementioned upper block can lift the connector cover in the automatic feed channel upwards into the connector cover conformal sleeve.

[0009] Furthermore, the pre-assembly debugging mechanism includes a fifth vertical drive cylinder, and an outer sleeve debugging device and an inner connector sleeve debugging device driven by the fifth vertical drive cylinder. The outer sleeve adjustment device includes a micro drive motor, a rotating base driven by the micro drive motor, and several positioning columns set at the lower end of the rotating base. The inner connector cylinder adjustment device includes a fifth support rod and an inner connector cylinder pressing block fixed at the lower end of the fifth support rod. The inner connector cylinder pressing block can press the inner connector cylinder and the inner support together to form an inner connector assembly.

[0010] Furthermore, the assembly mechanism includes a sixth horizontal drive cylinder, a sixth vertical drive cylinder driven by the sixth horizontal drive cylinder, a sixth tightening pneumatic finger driven by the sixth vertical drive cylinder, and an overall clamping device. The overall pressing device includes a sixth support rod and an integral cylinder pressing block fixed to the lower end of the sixth support rod. The integral cylinder pressing block can press the inner connector assembly and the outer sleeve together.

[0011] Furthermore, the sorting and unloading mechanism includes a seventh horizontal drive cylinder, a seventh vertical drive cylinder driven by the seventh horizontal drive cylinder, qualified product tightening pneumatic fingers and defective product tightening pneumatic fingers driven by the seventh vertical drive cylinder, a qualified product unloading channel adapted to the qualified product tightening pneumatic fingers, and a defective product unloading channel adapted to the defective product tightening pneumatic fingers.

[0012] Furthermore, the fixed disc is provided with several positioning mechanisms, the positioning mechanism including a positioning cylinder and a positioning block driven by the positioning cylinder. The inner triangular clamp section has a positioning groove, and the positioning cylinder is activated to push out the positioning block so that the positioning block can be inserted into the positioning groove.

[0013] The assembly method of this invention includes the following steps: S1. The staff put the outer sleeve, inner support, inner connector sleeve, and connector cover to be assembled into the corresponding outer sleeve vibrating feed plate, inner support vibrating feed plate, inner connector sleeve vibrating feed plate, and connector cover vibrating feed plate in batches, start the equipment control device, complete the initialization and debugging of each mechanism of the equipment, and ensure that each mechanism is in the ready-to-work state. S2. The first fixture visual inspection device is started to perform visual inspection on the first empty fixture to ensure that the empty fixture does not have any parts; then the turntable motor is started to drive the rotating disc to rotate, so that the first empty fixture rotates to the corresponding station of the outer sleeve feeding mechanism. S3. The outer sleeve feeding mechanism starts working. The outer sleeve vibrating feed plate transports the outer sleeves in an orderly manner to the outer sleeve automatic feeding channel. The outer sleeve forward and reverse detection mechanism detects the forward and reverse orientation of the outer sleeves in the feeding channel. If a reverse outer sleeve is detected, the outer sleeve forward and reverse correction mechanism drives the flipping fixture to flip through the flipping motor to correct the orientation of the outer sleeve. After correction, the first horizontal drive cylinder and the first vertical drive cylinder of the outer sleeve picking and placing assembly device are activated, driving the first tightening pneumatic finger to move to the end of the outer sleeve automatic feeding channel. The outer sleeve is picked up by the outer sleeve conforming clamping block, transferred and assembled onto the outer sleeve tooling fixture of the tooling fixture, completing the outer sleeve feeding and assembly. S4. The rotating disc drives the tooling fixture with the outer sleeve to rotate to the corresponding station of the inner bracket feeding and assembly mechanism; the inner bracket vibrating feeding disc transports the inner bracket to the inner bracket automatic feeding channel. The second horizontal drive cylinder and the second vertical drive cylinder of the inner bracket picking and placing assembly device are activated, and the second tightening pneumatic finger picks up the inner bracket and transfers it to the inner bracket contour cavity of the inner bracket transfer tooling. After being positioned by the transfer tooling seat, the second spreading pneumatic finger extends into the inner bracket contour hole of the shaping plate to spread the inner bracket and pick up the shaped inner bracket. It is then transferred and assembled into the cylindrical section of the inner connector cylinder tooling fixture, and the inner bracket is at least partially inserted into the positioning groove of the cylindrical section, completing the inner bracket assembly; at this time, the second fixture vision inspection device is activated to visually inspect the position of the assembled inner bracket to ensure that the assembly is in place. S5. The rotating disc drives the tooling fixture to rotate to the corresponding position of the inner connector cylinder feeding assembly mechanism. The positioning cylinder pushes the positioning block to insert into the positioning groove of the inner triangular chuck section of the tooling fixture, thereby fixing the tooling fixture equipped with the inner support. The inner connector cylinder vibrating feeding disc transports the inner connector cylinder to the inner connector cylinder automatic feeding channel. The inner connector cylinder vision inspection mechanism detects its orientation through the inspection window. After the inspection, the third horizontal drive cylinder and the third vertical drive cylinder of the inner connector cylinder picking and placing assembly device are activated. The third rotating cylinder adjusts the angle of the inner connector cylinder based on the detection result of the inner connector cylinder vision inspection mechanism. The inner connector cylinder is picked up by the third tightening pneumatic finger, transferred and assembled onto the inner triangular chuck section of the tooling fixture, thus completing the inner connector cylinder assembly. S6. The positioning mechanism is reset. The rotating disc drives the tooling fixture to rotate to the corresponding position of the connector cover feeding assembly mechanism. The positioning mechanism fixes the tooling fixture. The connector cover vibrating feeding disc transports the connector cover to the end of the connector cover automatic feeding channel. The fourth upgrading cylinder of the connector cover upper lifting device drives the upper lifting block through the bottom groove and lifts the connector cover upward into the connector cover conforming sleeve. The fourth horizontal driving cylinder and the fourth vertical driving cylinder of the connector cover picking and placing assembly device are activated. The connector cover conforming sleeve transfers the connector cover and assembles it to the upper end of the inner connector cylinder. The fourth motor is started to drive the connector cover to rotate relative to the inner connector cylinder, thereby enabling the connector cover and the inner connector cylinder to achieve a threaded connection. S7. The positioning mechanism resets, and the rotating disc drives the tooling fixture to rotate to the corresponding position of the pre-assembly debugging mechanism. The fifth vertical drive cylinder of the pre-assembly debugging mechanism is activated, driving the outer sleeve debugging device and the inner connector sleeve debugging device to descend. The micro drive motor of the outer sleeve debugging device drives the rotating base to rotate. The outer sleeve is adjusted in position by the positioning column. The inner connector sleeve pressing block of the inner connector sleeve debugging device presses the inner connector sleeve and the inner support together to form the inner connector assembly, completing the pre-assembly debugging. S8. The rotating disc drives the tooling fixture to rotate to the corresponding position of the assembly mechanism, and the positioning mechanism fixes the tooling fixture; the sixth horizontal drive cylinder and the sixth vertical drive cylinder of the assembly mechanism are activated, and the sixth tightening pneumatic finger assists in fixing the outer sleeve. The integral cylinder pressure block of the integral clamping device tightly presses the inner connector assembly and the outer sleeve together, completing the overall assembly of the water pipe connector; at this time, the third fixture visual inspection device is activated to visually inspect the overall assembly quality and determine whether the assembly is qualified. S9. The rotating disc drives the tooling fixture to rotate to the corresponding station of the sorting and unloading mechanism, and the positioning mechanism fixes the tooling fixture; the seventh horizontal drive cylinder and the seventh vertical drive cylinder of the sorting and unloading mechanism are activated. According to the detection result of S8, if the assembly is qualified, the qualified product tightening pneumatic finger will pick up the finished water pipe connector and put it into the qualified product unloading channel; if the assembly is unqualified, the defective product tightening pneumatic finger will pick up the defective product and put it into the defective product unloading channel, thus completing the sorting and unloading. S10. The rotating disc continues to rotate, rotating the empty tooling fixture to the corresponding station of the outer sleeve feeding mechanism. During the rotation, it passes through the first fixture vision inspection device. The first fixture vision inspection device performs cleanliness and position detection on the empty tooling fixture to ensure that there is no residue and the position is accurate. Then, the next round of automated assembly cycle of water pipe joints begins.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: I. High degree of automation, realizing closed-loop operation of the whole process: The present invention coordinates the actions of various mechanisms through the control device, from the automatic feeding, positioning and assembly of the outer sleeve, inner support, inner connector sleeve and connector cover, to the pre-process debugging, overall assembly and multi-dimensional detection, and then to the automatic sorting and unloading of qualified and unqualified products, realizing the full automation of water pipe connector assembly without manual intervention, greatly reducing the labor intensity of workers, improving production efficiency and meeting the needs of large-scale production.

[0015] II. High assembly precision and good product consistency: This invention is equipped with multiple sets of visual inspection devices to accurately inspect the empty tooling fixture, the assembly position of the inner support, and the overall assembly quality, ensuring that there are no deviations in the assembly process; the tooling fixture adopts a suspended design to avoid interference with the workbench, while the inner connector cylinder tooling fixture is equipped with an inner triangular chuck section and a cylindrical section with positioning grooves, which, together with the positioning mechanism, achieves precise positioning of parts and effectively prevents parts from shifting during assembly; each pick-and-place assembly device is equipped with a contoured clamping block that conforms to the shape of the parts to avoid damage during handling, further improving assembly precision and product consistency.

[0016] 3. Strong adaptability and good versatility: The feeding mechanisms of this invention adopt a vibrating feeding plate in combination with a contouring structure, which can be adapted to different specifications of outer sleeves, inner supports, inner connector sleeves and connector covers; the contouring design and positioning groove structure of the tooling fixture can be compatible with the assembly requirements of various types of water pipe connectors. When changing product models, there is no need to make major adjustments to the equipment structure, only the corresponding contouring clamps and positioning components need to be replaced, which makes the operation simple and reduces the equipment debugging cost.

[0017] IV. Seamless Process and Comprehensive Inspection: This invention rationally arranges each mechanism according to the water pipe connector assembly process. The rotating disc drives the tooling fixtures to move in an orderly manner, and the connection between each link is smooth with no redundant movements. Multiple inspection mechanisms are set up, such as forward and reverse detection and correction of the outer sleeve, visual inspection of the inner connector sleeve, and visual inspection of multiple sets of fixtures. These mechanisms can promptly detect non-conformities in the assembly process, prevent non-conforming products from flowing into subsequent processes, and improve the product qualification rate.

[0018] V. Significant Advantages Compared to Existing Technologies: Compared to Existing Technology 1 (CN217433604U), this invention designs a dedicated tooling fixture and a multi-mechanism collaborative assembly structure to address the multi-component assembly requirements of water pipe joints. This overcomes the shortcomings of existing technologies, which are only applicable to tee pipes and cannot adapt to the multi-component assembly of water pipe joints. Furthermore, the multi-dimensional visual inspection and precise positioning structure improves assembly accuracy. Compared to Existing Technology 2 (CN103753208A), this invention optimizes the tooling fixture structure, adds dedicated assembly mechanisms for the inner support and joint cover, and improves the inspection system. This solves the problems of its inability to adapt to the unique structure of water pipe joints and insufficient inspection accuracy. At the same time, the process is more streamlined and the adaptability is stronger. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments: Figure 1 This is a side view of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a top view of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3This is a diagram showing the disassembly of a water pipe connector.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the outer sleeve and the inner connector assembly.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the tooling fixture in this invention.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the outer sleeve feeding mechanism in this invention.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the internal support feeding and assembly mechanism in this invention.

[0026] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of the shaping plate and the second openable pneumatic finger.

[0027] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the internal connector cylinder feeding assembly mechanism in this invention.

[0028] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the joint cover feeding assembly mechanism in this invention.

[0029] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the pre-assembly debugging mechanism in this invention.

[0030] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly mechanism in this invention.

[0031] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the sorting and unloading mechanism in this invention.

[0032] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram showing the cooperation between the positioning mechanism and the tooling fixture.

[0033] In the diagram: 1. Workbench; 2. Control device; 4. Rotating disc; 5. Fixed disc; 6. Tooling fixture; 7. Outer sleeve feeding mechanism; 8. Inner support feeding assembly mechanism; 9. Inner connector sleeve feeding assembly mechanism; 10. Connector cover feeding assembly mechanism; 11. Pre-assembly debugging mechanism; 12. Assembly mechanism; 13. Sorting and unloading mechanism; 14. First fixture visual inspection device; 15. Second fixture visual inspection device; 16. Third fixture visual inspection device; 17. Support rod; 18. Lighting lamp; 19. Tooling base plate; 20. Outer sleeve tooling fixture; 21. Inner connector sleeve tooling fixture; 22. Inner triangular chuck section; 23. Cylindrical section; 24. Positioning groove; 25. Outer sleeve vibrating feed plate; 26. Outer sleeve 27. Automatic feeding channel for outer sleeve; 28. Forward and reverse detection mechanism for outer sleeve; 29. ​​Forward and reverse correction mechanism for outer sleeve; 30. Outer sleeve pick-up and placement assembly device; 31. Tilting motor; 32. Tilting fixture; 33. Conveyor pulley device; 34. First horizontal drive cylinder; 35. First vertical drive cylinder; 36. First tightening pneumatic finger; 37. Outer sleeve contouring clamp; 38. Inner support vibrating feed plate; 39. Automatic feeding channel for inner support; 40. Inner support transfer fixture; 41. Inner support pick-up and placement assembly device; 42. Second rotating cylinder; 43. Transfer fixture seat; 44. Inner support contouring cavity; 45. Inner support positioning rib; 46. Second horizontal drive cylinder; 47. Second vertical drive cylinder; 48. Shaping plate; 49. Second tightening... 49. Second type of pneumatic finger; 50. Inner support contouring clamp; 51. Inner support contouring hole; 52. Inner connector cylinder vibrating feed plate; 53. Inner connector cylinder automatic feed channel; 54. Inner connector cylinder visual inspection mechanism; 55. Inner connector cylinder picking and placing assembly device; 56. Inspection window; 57. Third horizontal drive cylinder; 58. Third vertical drive cylinder; 59. Third rotation cylinder; 60. Third tightening type pneumatic finger; 61. Inner connector cylinder contouring clamp; 62. Connector cover vibrating feed plate; 63. Connector cover automatic feed channel; 64. Connector cover lifting device; 65. Connector cover picking and placing assembly device; 67. Fourth upgrading cylinder; 68. Top block; 69. Fourth horizontal drive cylinder; 70. Fourth vertical drive cylinder 71. Fourth motor; 72. Connector cover conformal sleeve; 73. Fifth vertical drive cylinder; 74. Outer sleeve adjustment device; 75. Inner connector cylinder adjustment device; 76. Micro drive motor; 77. Rotating base; 78. Positioning column; 79. Fifth support rod; 80. Inner connector cylinder pressure block; 81. Sixth horizontal drive cylinder; 82. Sixth vertical drive cylinder; 83. Sixth tightening pneumatic finger; 84. Overall clamping device; 85. Sixth support rod; 86. Overall cylinder pressure block; 87. Seventh horizontal drive cylinder; 88. Seventh vertical drive cylinder; 89. Qualified product tightening pneumatic finger; 90. Defective product tightening pneumatic finger; 91. Qualified product unloading channel; 92. Defective product unloading channel; 93. Positioning mechanism;94. Positioning cylinder; 95. Positioning block; 96. Positioning clamping groove; 97. Fifth upper cylinder; 98. Support rod; 99. Support hole; a. Outer sleeve; b. Inner support; c. Inner connector sleeve; d. Connector cover; e. Inner connector assembly; f. Water pipe connector; Detailed Implementation

[0034] 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, and 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.

[0035] like Figures 2 to 3 As shown, the water pipe connector consists of four parts: an outer sleeve a, an inner support b, an inner connector sleeve c, and a connector cover d. The inner support b, the inner connector sleeve c, and the connector cover d are combined to form an inner connector assembly e. The inner connector assembly e is assembled with the outer sleeve a to form a complete water pipe connector f.

[0036] like Figures 1 to 14 As shown, an automated assembly equipment for water pipe joints includes a workbench 1 and a control device 2 for the automatic assembly of water pipe joints. The control device 2 adopts a PLC controller to coordinate the action sequence and operating status of each mechanism to ensure a smooth and orderly assembly process. The workbench 1 is equipped with a rotating disc 4 and a fixed disc 5 driven by a turntable motor. The turntable motor is preferably a stepper motor, which can accurately control the rotation angle and speed of the rotating disc 4 to ensure the accuracy of workstation switching.

[0037] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 The rotating disc 4 has several workstations, preferably eight in this embodiment (some vacant workstations can also be interspersed among the eight workstations to adjust the production rhythm of the products), which are evenly distributed around the rotating disc 4. Each workstation is equipped with a tooling fixture 6 that is compatible with the water pipe connector. The tooling fixture 6 is used to position and fix the various components of the water pipe connector to ensure that the components do not shift during the assembly process. The rotating disc 4 is surrounded by an outer sleeve feeding mechanism 7, an inner support feeding assembly mechanism 8, an inner connector cylinder feeding assembly mechanism 9, a connector cover feeding assembly mechanism 10, a pre-assembly debugging mechanism 11, an assembly mechanism 12, and a sorting and unloading mechanism 13 in sequence according to the process. Each mechanism is reasonably arranged along the circumference of the rotating disc 4 to realize the sequential assembly and subsequent processing of the various components of the water pipe connector.

[0038] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2The fixed disc 5 is located above the rotating disc 4 and fixed on the worktable 1. A first fixture visual inspection device 14, a second fixture visual inspection device 15, and a third fixture visual inspection device 16 are horizontally arranged on the fixed disc 5. These three visual inspection devices preferably employ industrial cameras, in conjunction with an image processing module, to achieve precise inspection of the assembly process. The first fixture visual inspection device 14 is located between the sorting and unloading mechanism 13 and the outer sleeve loading mechanism 7, and is used to inspect the cleanliness and positional accuracy of the empty tooling fixture 6, ensuring no parts remain and accurate positioning. The second fixture visual inspection device 15 faces the inner support feeding and assembly mechanism 8, and is used to inspect whether the inner support is in the correct assembly position. The third fixture visual inspection device 16 faces the assembly mechanism 12, and is used to inspect the overall assembly quality of the water pipe joint. A support rod 17 is vertically arranged on the fixed disc 5, and a lighting lamp 18 is installed on the support rod 17. The lighting lamp 18 provides sufficient light for the three visual inspection devices, ensuring inspection accuracy.

[0039] Reference Figure 5 The tooling fixture 6 includes a tooling base plate 19, an outer sleeve tooling fixture 20, and an inner connector sleeve tooling fixture 21. The inner end of the tooling base plate 19 can be fixed to the rotating disc 4 with bolts or other accessories, ensuring a secure connection and facilitating disassembly and replacement. The outer end of the tooling base plate 19 extends beyond the rotating disc 4, allowing it to suspend above the worktable 1, preventing the worktable 1 from interfering with the assembly process and facilitating the operation of various assembly devices. Both the outer sleeve tooling fixture 20 and the inner connector sleeve tooling fixture 21 are located on the tooling base plate. At the outer end of plate 19, outer sleeve fixture 20 is used to position the outer sleeve, and inner connector sleeve fixture 21 is used to position the inner support and inner connector sleeve. The inner connector sleeve fixture 21 is divided into an inner triangular chuck section 22 and a cylindrical section 23 from top to bottom. The inner triangular chuck section 22 is used to clamp the inner connector sleeve, and the cylindrical section 23 is used to place the inner support. The side wall of the cylindrical section 23 is distributed with several positioning grooves 24. The positioning grooves 24 are adapted to the protruding structure of the inner support to further improve the positioning accuracy of the inner support and prevent rotation or displacement during assembly.

[0040] Reference Figure 6The outer sleeve feeding mechanism 7 includes an outer sleeve vibrating feed plate 25, an automatic outer sleeve feeding channel 26 connected to the outer sleeve vibrating feed plate 25, an outer sleeve forward and reverse detection mechanism 27, an outer sleeve forward and reverse correction mechanism 28, and an outer sleeve picking and placing assembly device 29. The outer sleeve vibrating feed plate 25 is used for batch storage and orderly conveying of outer sleeves, arranging the outer sleeves neatly through vibration and feeding them into the automatic outer sleeve feeding channel 26. The outer sleeve forward and reverse detection mechanism 27 is arranged directly above the automatic outer sleeve feeding channel 26, and can be, for example, a photoelectric sensor, to detect whether the orientation of the outer sleeve is correct as it moves toward the outer sleeve moving in the automatic outer sleeve feeding channel 26. The outer sleeve forward and reverse correction mechanism 28 includes a flipping motor 30, a flipping fixture 31 with a flipping chamber, and a conveyor belt pulley device 32 arranged between the flipping motor 30 and the flipping fixture 31. The flipping fixture 31 is connected to the outer sleeve automatic outer sleeve feeding channel 26. In the moving feed channel 26, when the outer sleeve forward and reverse detection mechanism 27 detects a reversed outer sleeve, the flipping motor 30 drives the flipping fixture 31 to flip through the conveyor belt wheel device 32, correcting the orientation of the outer sleeve and ensuring that the outer sleeve enters the subsequent assembly process in the correct posture. The outer sleeve picking and placing assembly device 29 includes a first horizontal driving cylinder 33, a first vertical driving cylinder 34 driven by the first horizontal driving cylinder 33, and a first tightening pneumatic finger 35 driven by the first vertical driving cylinder 34. The first tightening pneumatic finger 35 is equipped with an outer sleeve conforming clamp 36, which conforms to the shape of the outer sleeve to avoid damage to the outer sleeve during clamping. The first horizontal driving cylinder 33 and the first vertical driving cylinder 34 work together to drive the first tightening pneumatic finger 35 to move, clamping the outer sleeve from the outer sleeve automatic feed channel 26 and assembling it onto the outer sleeve fixture 20 of the fixture 6.

[0041] Reference Figure 7 , Figure 8The inner support feeding and assembly mechanism 8 includes an inner support vibrating feeding plate 37, an inner support automatic feeding channel 38 connected to the inner support vibrating feeding plate 37, an inner support transfer fixture 39, and an inner support picking and placing assembly device 40. The inner support vibrating feeding plate 37 is used for batch storage and orderly conveying of inner supports, feeding the inner supports into the inner support automatic feeding channel 38. The inner support transfer fixture 39 is located between the inner support automatic feeding channel 38 and the rotating disc 4, and is used for the transfer and positioning of the inner supports. The inner support transfer fixture 39 includes a second rotating cylinder 41 and a transfer fixture seat 42 driven by the second rotating cylinder 41. The transfer fixture seat 42 has an inner support contour cavity 43, which is adapted to the shape of the inner support. The inner wall of the inner support contour cavity 43 is provided with several inner support positioning ribs 44 for precise positioning of the inner support and to prevent displacement during the transfer process. The inner support picking and placing assembly device 40 includes a second horizontal driving cylinder 4. 5. A second vertical drive cylinder 46 driven by a second horizontal drive cylinder 45, a shaping plate 47 driven by the second vertical drive cylinder 46, a second tightening pneumatic finger 48, and a second spreading pneumatic finger 49. The second tightening pneumatic finger 48 is equipped with an inner support contouring clamp 50. The shaping plate 47 has an inner support contouring hole 51. The second spreading pneumatic finger 49 extends at least partially into the inner support contouring hole 51. During operation, the second tightening... The tightening pneumatic finger 48 grips the inner bracket in the automatic feeding channel 38 of the inner bracket and transfers it to the inner bracket contour cavity 43 of the inner bracket transfer tooling 39 for positioning. Then, the second spreading pneumatic finger 49 extends into the inner bracket contour hole 51, spreads the inner bracket and shapes it. Then, the second tightening pneumatic finger 48 grips the shaped inner bracket, transfers it and assembles it into the cylindrical section 23 of the inner connector cylinder tooling fixture 21. The protruding structure of the inner bracket is embedded in the positioning groove 24, completing the inner bracket assembly.

[0042] Reference Figure 9The inner connector cylinder feeding and assembly mechanism 9 includes an inner connector cylinder vibrating feed plate 52, an inner connector cylinder automatic feeding channel 53 connected to the inner connector cylinder vibrating feed plate 52, an inner connector cylinder visual inspection mechanism 54, and an inner connector cylinder pick-and-place assembly device 55. The inner connector cylinder vibrating feed plate 52 is used for batch storage and orderly conveying of inner connector cylinders, feeding the inner connector cylinders into the inner connector cylinder automatic feeding channel 53. The inner connector cylinder automatic feeding channel 53 has a detection window 56 on its side. The inner connector cylinder visual inspection mechanism 54 is located on the side near the detection window 56 and uses an industrial camera to detect whether the orientation of the inner connector cylinder is correct through the detection window 56. The inner connector cylinder pick-and-place assembly device 55 includes a third horizontal drive cylinder 57, a receiving... The third horizontal drive cylinder 57 drives the third vertical drive cylinder 58, the third rotary cylinder 59 driven by the third vertical drive cylinder 58, and the third tightening pneumatic finger 60 driven by the third rotary cylinder 59. The third tightening pneumatic finger 60 is equipped with an inner connector tube conforming clamp 61. During operation, the inner connector tube visual inspection mechanism 54 detects the orientation of the inner connector tube. The third rotary cylinder 59 adjusts the angle of the inner connector tube according to the detection result to ensure the correct orientation. Then, the third horizontal drive cylinder 57 and the third vertical drive cylinder 58 work together to drive the third tightening pneumatic finger 60 to clamp the inner connector tube, transfer it and assemble it onto the inner triangular chuck section 22 of the inner connector tube tooling fixture 21 to complete the inner connector tube assembly.

[0043] Reference Figure 10The connector cover feeding and assembly mechanism 10 includes a connector cover vibrating feed plate 62, a connector cover automatic feeding channel 63 connected to the connector cover vibrating feed plate 62, a connector cover lifting device 64, and a connector cover picking and placing assembly device 65. The connector cover vibrating feed plate 62 is used for batch storage and orderly conveying of connector covers, feeding the connector covers into the connector cover automatic feeding channel 63. The end of the connector cover automatic feeding channel 63 is provided with a bottom groove. The connector cover lifting device 64 includes a fourth upgrading cylinder 67 and an upper lifting block 68 driven by the fourth upgrading cylinder 67. The upper lifting block 68 can pass through the bottom groove and extend into the connector cover automatic feeding channel 63 to lift the connector cover at the end of the connector cover automatic feeding channel 63 upwards for easy clamping. The connector cover picking and placing assembly device 65 includes a fourth horizontal drive cylinder 69, a fourth vertical drive cylinder 70 driven by the fourth horizontal drive cylinder 69, a fourth motor 71 driven by the fourth vertical drive cylinder 70, and a connector cover conforming sleeve 72 driven by the fourth motor 71. During operation, the upper top block 68 lifts the connector cover in the connector cover automatic feeding channel 63 upward into the connector cover conforming sleeve 72. The fourth horizontal drive cylinder 69 and the fourth vertical drive cylinder 70 work together to move the connector cover conforming sleeve 72, transferring the connector cover to the upper end of the inner connector cylinder. The fourth motor 71 starts, driving the connector cover conforming sleeve 72 to rotate the connector cover, so that the connector cover and the inner connector cylinder are threadedly connected, completing the connector cover assembly.

[0044] Reference Figure 11The pre-assembly debugging mechanism 11 includes a fifth vertical drive cylinder 73, an outer sleeve debugging device 74 driven by the fifth vertical drive cylinder 73, and an inner connector sleeve debugging device 75. The outer sleeve debugging device 74 includes a micro drive motor 76, a rotating base 77 driven by the micro drive motor 76, and several positioning pins 78 disposed at the lower end of the rotating base 77. The micro drive motor 76 drives the rotating base 77 to rotate, and the positioning pins 78 are inserted into the positioning holes of the outer sleeve to finely adjust the position of the outer sleeve and ensure that the outer sleeve and the inner connector assembly are aligned. Axial alignment; The inner connector cylinder adjustment device 75 includes a fifth support rod 79 and an inner connector cylinder pressing block 80 fixed at the lower end of the fifth support rod 79. The inner connector cylinder pressing block 80 can press the inner connector cylinder and the inner support together to form an inner connector assembly, ensuring that the inner support and the inner connector cylinder are firmly connected, preparing for subsequent overall assembly; During operation, the fifth vertical drive cylinder 73 drives the outer sleeve adjustment device 74 and the inner connector cylinder adjustment device 75 to descend. After completing the outer sleeve position adjustment and the pressing of the inner connector assembly, the fifth vertical drive cylinder 73 drives the two devices to rise and reset. More preferably, the pre-assembly debugging mechanism 11 also includes a support mechanism, which includes a fifth upper cylinder 97 and a support rod 98 driven by the fifth upper cylinder 97. The support mechanism is located directly below the inner connector cylinder tooling fixture 21. The inner connector cylinder tooling fixture 21 has a support hole 99. The fifth upper cylinder 97 drives the support rod 98 to lift it up. After the support rod 98 passes through the support hole 99, it presses against the inner support in the inner connector cylinder tooling fixture 21 to provide support force when the inner connector cylinder pressing block 80 is pressed, preventing the inner support from shifting downward.

[0045] Reference Figure 12 The assembly mechanism 12 includes a sixth horizontal drive cylinder 81, a sixth vertical drive cylinder 82 driven by the sixth horizontal drive cylinder 81, a sixth tightening pneumatic finger 83 driven by the sixth vertical drive cylinder 82, and an overall pressing device 84. The overall pressing device 84 includes a sixth support rod 85 and an overall cylinder pressing block 86 fixed to the lower end of the sixth support rod 85. The overall cylinder pressing block 86 can press the inner connector assembly and the outer sleeve together to realize the overall assembly of the water pipe connector. During operation, the sixth horizontal drive cylinder 81 and the sixth vertical drive cylinder 82 work together, the sixth tightening pneumatic finger 83 clamps the outer sleeve to prevent the outer sleeve from shifting during the assembly process, and the overall cylinder pressing block 86 presses down on the inner connector assembly to tightly press the inner connector assembly and the outer sleeve together to complete the overall assembly. At this time, the third clamp visual inspection device 16 is activated to visually inspect the overall assembly quality, determine whether the assembly is qualified, and feed the inspection results back to the control device 2.

[0046] Reference Figure 13The sorting and unloading mechanism 13 includes a seventh horizontal drive cylinder 87, a seventh vertical drive cylinder 88 driven by the seventh horizontal drive cylinder 87, a qualified product tightening pneumatic finger 89 and a defective product tightening pneumatic finger 90 driven by the seventh vertical drive cylinder 88, a qualified product unloading channel 91 adapted to the qualified product tightening pneumatic finger 89, and a defective product unloading channel 92 adapted to the defective product tightening pneumatic finger 90. During operation, the seventh horizontal drive cylinder 87 and the seventh vertical drive cylinder 88 work together. According to the detection result of the third clamp vision inspection device 16, if the assembly is qualified, the qualified product tightening pneumatic finger 89 picks up the finished water pipe connector and puts it into the qualified product unloading channel 91, which flows into the subsequent packaging process. If the assembly is unqualified, the defective product tightening pneumatic finger 90 picks up the unqualified product and puts it into the defective product unloading channel 92 for subsequent recycling and processing, thereby realizing automatic sorting of qualified and unqualified products.

[0047] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 14 The fixed disc 5 is provided with several positioning mechanisms 93, each corresponding to a workstation on the rotating disc 4. Each positioning mechanism 93 includes a positioning cylinder 94 and a positioning block 95 driven by the positioning cylinder 94. The inner triangular chuck section 22 has a positioning groove 96. When the rotating disc 4 drives the tooling fixture 6 to rotate to the corresponding workstation, the positioning cylinder 94 is activated to push out the positioning block 95, so that the positioning block 95 is inserted into the positioning groove 96, thereby fixing the tooling fixture 6 and preventing it from rotating during assembly, thus further improving assembly accuracy. After assembly, the positioning cylinder 94 drives the positioning block 95 to reset, and the rotating disc 4 continues to drive the tooling fixture 6 to the next workstation.

[0048] like Figures 1 to 14 As shown, the workflow of this invention is as follows: S1. Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 The staff put the outer sleeve, inner support, inner connector sleeve, and connector cover to be assembled into the corresponding outer sleeve vibrating feed plate 25, inner support vibrating feed plate 37, inner connector sleeve vibrating feed plate 52, and connector cover vibrating feed plate 62 in batches, and start the control device 2 to complete the initialization and debugging of each mechanism of the equipment, ensuring that each mechanism is in a ready-to-work state. S2. The first fixture visual inspection device 14 is started to perform visual inspection on the first empty fixture 6 to ensure that the empty fixture 6 has no parts, meets the cleanliness standard, and is in the correct position; then the turntable motor is started to drive the rotating disc 4 to rotate, so that the first empty fixture 6 rotates to the corresponding position of the outer sleeve feeding mechanism 7. S3. Reference Figure 6The outer sleeve feeding mechanism 7 starts working, and the outer sleeve vibrating feed plate 25 transports the outer sleeves in an orderly manner to the outer sleeve automatic feeding channel 26. The outer sleeve forward and reverse detection mechanism 27 detects the forward and reverse orientation of the outer sleeves in the feeding channel. If a reverse outer sleeve is detected, the outer sleeve forward and reverse correction mechanism 28 drives the flipping fixture 31 to flip through the flipping motor 30 to correct the orientation of the outer sleeve. After the correction is completed, the first horizontal drive cylinder 33 and the first vertical drive cylinder 34 of the outer sleeve picking and placing assembly device 29 are activated, driving the first tightening pneumatic finger 35 to move to the end of the outer sleeve automatic feeding channel 26. The outer sleeve is picked up by the outer sleeve conforming clamp 36, transferred and assembled onto the outer sleeve tooling fixture 20 of the tooling fixture 6, and the outer sleeve feeding and assembly is completed. S4, Reference Figure 7 , Figure 8 The rotating disc 4 drives the tooling fixture 6, which is equipped with the outer sleeve, to rotate to the corresponding position of the inner bracket feeding and assembly mechanism 8; the inner bracket vibrating feed disc 37 transports the inner bracket to the inner bracket automatic feeding channel 38. The second horizontal drive cylinder 45 and the second vertical drive cylinder 46 of the inner bracket picking and placing assembly device 40 are activated, and the second tightening pneumatic finger 48 clamps the inner bracket and transfers it to the inner bracket contour cavity 43 of the inner bracket transfer tooling 39. After being positioned by the transfer tooling seat 42, the second spreading pneumatic finger 49 extends... The inner bracket is opened and clamped in the conforming hole 51 of the inner bracket of the shaping plate 47 (which can limit the second opening pneumatic finger 49 when it is outwardly opened to prevent excessive opening and damage to the product). The inner bracket is then transferred and assembled into the cylindrical section 23 of the inner connector cylinder tooling fixture 21, and the inner bracket is at least partially inserted into the positioning groove 24 of the cylindrical section 23 to complete the inner bracket assembly. At this time, the second fixture vision inspection device 15 is activated to visually inspect the position of the assembled inner bracket to ensure that the assembly is in place. S5. Reference Figure 9 , Figure 14 The rotating disc 4 drives the tooling fixture 6 to rotate to the corresponding position of the inner connector tube feeding assembly mechanism 9. The positioning cylinder 94 pushes the positioning block 95 to insert into the positioning groove 96 of the inner triangular chuck section 22 of the tooling fixture 6, thereby fixing the tooling fixture 6 equipped with the inner support. The inner connector tube vibrating feeding disc 52 transports the inner connector tube to the inner connector tube automatic feeding channel 53. The inner connector tube visual inspection mechanism 54 detects its orientation through the inspection window 56. After the inspection, the third horizontal driving cylinder 57 and the third vertical driving cylinder 58 of the inner connector tube picking and placing assembly device 55 are activated. The third rotating cylinder 59 adjusts the angle of the inner connector tube based on the detection result of the inner connector tube visual inspection mechanism 54. The inner connector tube is picked up by the third tightening pneumatic finger 60, transferred and assembled onto the inner triangular chuck section 22 of the inner connector tube tooling fixture 21 of the tooling fixture 6, thus completing the inner connector tube assembly. S6, Reference Figure 10Positioning mechanism 93 resets, rotating disc 4 drives tooling fixture 6 to rotate to the corresponding position of connector cover feeding assembly mechanism 10, positioning mechanism 93 fixes tooling fixture 6; connector cover vibrating feeding disc 62 transports connector cover to the end of connector cover automatic feeding channel 63, fourth upgrading cylinder 67 of connector cover lifting device 64 drives upper lifting block 68 through bottom groove, lifts connector cover upward into connector cover conformal sleeve 72, fourth horizontal driving cylinder 69 and fourth vertical driving cylinder 70 of connector cover picking and placing assembly device 65 act, connector cover conformal sleeve 72 transfers connector cover and assembles it to the upper end of inner connector cylinder, fourth motor 71 starts to drive connector cover to rotate relative to inner connector cylinder, thereby making connector cover and inner connector cylinder achieve threaded connection; S7, Reference Figure 11 The positioning mechanism 93 is reset, and the rotating disc 4 drives the tooling fixture 6 to rotate to the corresponding position of the pre-assembly debugging mechanism 11. The fifth vertical drive cylinder 73 of the pre-assembly debugging mechanism 11 is activated, which drives the outer sleeve debugging device 74 and the inner connector sleeve debugging device 75 to descend. The micro drive motor 76 of the outer sleeve debugging device 74 drives the rotating base 77 to rotate. The position of the outer sleeve is adjusted by the positioning column 78. The inner connector sleeve pressing block 80 of the inner connector sleeve debugging device 75 presses the inner connector sleeve and the inner support together to form the inner connector assembly, thus completing the pre-assembly debugging. S8. Reference Figure 12 The rotating disc 4 drives the tooling fixture 6 to rotate to the corresponding position of the assembly mechanism 12, and the positioning mechanism 93 fixes the tooling fixture 6; the sixth horizontal drive cylinder 81 and the sixth vertical drive cylinder 82 of the assembly mechanism 12 are activated, and the sixth tightening pneumatic finger 83 assists in fixing the outer sleeve. The integral cylinder pressure block 86 of the integral clamping device 84 tightly presses the inner connector assembly and the outer sleeve together, completing the overall assembly of the water pipe connector; at this time, the third fixture visual inspection device 16 is activated to visually inspect the overall assembly quality and determine whether the assembly is qualified. S9, Reference Figure 13 The rotating disc 4 drives the tooling fixture 6 to rotate to the corresponding position of the sorting and unloading mechanism 13, and the positioning mechanism 93 fixes the tooling fixture 6. The seventh horizontal drive cylinder 87 and the seventh vertical drive cylinder 88 of the sorting and unloading mechanism 13 are activated. According to the detection result of S8, if the assembly is qualified, the qualified product tightening pneumatic finger 89 picks up the finished water pipe connector and puts it into the qualified product unloading channel 91; if the assembly is unqualified, the defective product tightening pneumatic finger 90 picks up the defective product and puts it into the defective product unloading channel 92, thus completing the sorting and unloading. S10, reference Figure 6The rotating disc 4 continues to rotate, rotating the empty tooling fixture 6 to the corresponding station of the outer sleeve feeding mechanism 7. During the rotation, it passes through the first fixture vision inspection device 14. The first fixture vision inspection device 14 performs cleanliness and position detection on the empty tooling fixture 6 to ensure that there is no residue and the position is accurate. Then, the next round of automated assembly cycle of water pipe joints begins.

[0049] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not constitute any limitation on the present invention. Any simple modifications, alterations, or equivalent structural changes made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the invention shall still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated assembly equipment for water pipe fittings, comprising: The system includes a control device for an automatic assembly equipment for water pipe joints and a workbench, the workbench being equipped with a rotating disc and a fixed disc driven by a turntable motor. The rotating disc has several workstations, each of which is equipped with a tooling fixture that is compatible with the water pipe connector. The rotating disc is surrounded by an outer sleeve feeding mechanism, an inner support feeding assembly mechanism, an inner connector cylinder feeding assembly mechanism, a connector cover feeding assembly mechanism, a pre-assembly debugging mechanism, an assembly mechanism, and a sorting and unloading mechanism in sequence according to the process. The fixed disc is located above the rotating disc. The fixed disc is equipped with a first clamp visual inspection device, a second clamp visual inspection device, and a third clamp visual inspection device along the horizontal direction. The first clamp visual inspection device is located between the sorting and unloading mechanism and the outer sleeve loading mechanism. The second clamp visual inspection device faces the inner support feeding and assembly mechanism. The third clamp visual inspection device faces the assembly mechanism. A support rod is provided on the fixed disc along the vertical direction, and a lighting lamp is provided on the support rod. The tooling fixture includes a tooling base plate, an outer sleeve tooling fixture, and an inner connector sleeve tooling fixture. The inner end of the tooling base plate is fixed to a rotating disk, and the outer end of the tooling bottom extends beyond the rotating disk, so that the outer end of the tooling bottom is suspended above the worktable. The outer sleeve tooling fixture and the inner connector sleeve tooling fixture are both located at the outer end of the tooling bottom. The inner connector sleeve tooling fixture is divided into an inner triangular chuck section and a cylindrical section from top to bottom, and the side wall of the cylindrical section has several positioning grooves.

2. The automated assembly equipment for water pipe joints according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer sleeve feeding mechanism includes an outer sleeve vibrating feed plate, an outer sleeve automatic feeding channel connected to the outer sleeve vibrating feed plate, an outer sleeve forward and reverse detection mechanism, an outer sleeve forward and reverse correction mechanism, and an outer sleeve picking and placing assembly device; The outer sleeve forward and reverse detection mechanism is positioned directly above the automatic feeding channel of the outer sleeve, so as to face the outer sleeve moving in the automatic feeding channel of the outer sleeve; The outer sleeve forward and reverse correction mechanism includes a flipping motor, a flipping fixture with a flipping chamber, and a conveyor belt pulley device configured between the flipping motor and the flipping fixture. The flipping fixture is connected to the automatic feeding channel of the outer sleeve. The outer sleeve loading and unloading assembly device includes a first horizontal driving cylinder, a first vertical driving cylinder driven by the first horizontal driving cylinder, and a first tightening pneumatic finger driven by the first vertical driving cylinder. The first tightening pneumatic finger is equipped with an outer sleeve conforming clamp.

3. The automated assembly equipment for water pipe joints according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner support feeding and assembly mechanism includes an outer sleeve vibrating feed plate, an inner support automatic feeding channel connected to the inner support vibrating feed plate, an inner support transfer tooling, and an inner support picking and placing assembly device. The inner support transfer fixture is located between the inner support automatic feeding channel and the rotating disc, and the inner support transfer fixture includes a transfer fixture seat consisting of a second rotating cylinder and a section of the second rotating cylinder. The transfer fixture seat has an inner support contour cavity, and the inner wall of the inner support contour cavity is provided with a number of inner support positioning ribs. The inner support mounting and dismounting device includes a second horizontal drive cylinder, a second vertical drive cylinder driven by the second horizontal drive cylinder, a shaping plate driven by the second vertical drive cylinder, a second tightening pneumatic finger, and a second spreading pneumatic finger. The second tightening pneumatic finger is equipped with an inner support contouring clamp. The shaping plate has an inner support contouring hole. The second spreading pneumatic finger extends at least partially into the inner support contouring hole.

4. The automated assembly equipment for water pipe joints according to claim 3, characterized in that: The inner connector cylinder feeding and assembly mechanism includes an inner connector cylinder vibrating feed plate, an inner connector cylinder automatic feeding channel connected to the inner connector cylinder vibrating feed plate, an inner connector cylinder visual inspection mechanism, and an inner connector cylinder picking and placing assembly device. The automatic feeding channel for the inner connector cylinder has a detection window on its side, and the visual inspection mechanism for the inner connector cylinder is located on the side close to the detection window. The inner connector cylinder picking and placing assembly device includes a third horizontal driving cylinder, a third vertical driving cylinder driven by the third horizontal driving cylinder, a third rotating cylinder driven by the third vertical driving cylinder, and a third tightening pneumatic finger driven by the third rotating cylinder. The third tightening pneumatic finger is equipped with an inner connector cylinder conforming clamp.

5. The automated assembly equipment for water pipe joints according to claim 4, characterized in that: The connector cover feeding and assembly mechanism includes a connector cover vibrating feed plate, a connector cover automatic feeding channel connected to the connector cover vibrating feed plate, a connector cover top-mounting device, and a connector cover picking and placing assembly device. The end of the automatic feed channel for the connector cover is provided with a bottom groove. The upper lifting device for the connector cover includes a fourth lifting cylinder and an upper lifting block driven by the fourth lifting cylinder. The upper lifting block can pass through the bottom groove and extend into the automatic feed channel for the connector cover. The connector cover feeding assembly mechanism includes a fourth horizontal drive cylinder, a fourth vertical drive cylinder driven by the fourth horizontal drive cylinder, a fourth motor driven by the fourth vertical drive cylinder, and a connector cover conforming sleeve driven by the fourth motor. The aforementioned upper block can lift the connector cover in the automatic feed channel upwards into the connector cover conformal sleeve.

6. The automated assembly equipment for water pipe joints according to claim 5, characterized in that: The pre-assembly debugging mechanism includes a fifth vertical drive cylinder, and an outer sleeve debugging device and an inner connector sleeve debugging device driven by the fifth vertical drive cylinder. The outer sleeve adjustment device includes a micro drive motor, a rotating base driven by the micro drive motor, and several positioning columns set at the lower end of the rotating base. The inner connector cylinder adjustment device includes a fifth support rod and an inner connector cylinder pressing block fixed at the lower end of the fifth support rod. The inner connector cylinder pressing block can press the inner connector cylinder and the inner support together to form an inner connector assembly.

7. The automated assembly equipment for water pipe joints according to claim 6, characterized in that: The assembly mechanism includes a sixth horizontal drive cylinder, a sixth vertical drive cylinder driven by the sixth horizontal drive cylinder, a sixth tightening pneumatic finger driven by the fourth vertical drive cylinder, and an overall clamping device. The overall pressing device includes a sixth support rod and an integral cylinder pressing block fixed to the lower end of the sixth support rod. The integral cylinder pressing block can press the inner connector assembly and the outer sleeve together.

8. The automated assembly equipment for water pipe joints according to claim 7, characterized in that: The sorting and unloading mechanism includes a seventh horizontal drive cylinder, a seventh vertical drive cylinder driven by a sixth horizontal drive cylinder, qualified product tightening pneumatic fingers and defective product tightening pneumatic fingers driven by the seventh vertical drive cylinder, a qualified product unloading channel adapted to the qualified product tightening pneumatic fingers, and a defective product unloading channel adapted to the defective product tightening pneumatic fingers.

9. The automated assembly equipment for water pipe joints according to claim 8, characterized in that: The fixed disc is provided with several positioning mechanisms, and the positioning mechanism includes a positioning cylinder and a positioning block driven by the positioning cylinder. The inner triangular clamp section has a positioning groove, and the positioning cylinder is activated to push out the positioning block so that the positioning block can be inserted into the positioning groove.

10. A method for assembling a water pipe connector, characterized in that: The automated assembly equipment for water pipe fittings as described in claim 9 includes the following steps: S1. The staff put the outer sleeve, inner support, inner connector sleeve, and connector cover to be assembled into the corresponding outer sleeve vibrating feed plate, inner support vibrating feed plate, inner connector sleeve vibrating feed plate, and connector cover vibrating feed plate in batches, start the equipment control device, complete the initialization and debugging of each mechanism of the equipment, and ensure that each mechanism is in the ready-to-work state. S2. The first fixture visual inspection device is started to perform visual inspection on the first empty fixture to ensure that the empty fixture does not have any parts; then the turntable motor is started to drive the rotating disc to rotate, so that the first empty fixture rotates to the corresponding station of the outer sleeve feeding mechanism. S3. The outer sleeve feeding mechanism starts working. The outer sleeve vibrating feed plate transports the outer sleeves in an orderly manner to the outer sleeve automatic feeding channel. The outer sleeve forward and reverse detection mechanism detects the forward and reverse orientation of the outer sleeves in the feeding channel. If a reverse outer sleeve is detected, the outer sleeve forward and reverse correction mechanism drives the flipping fixture to flip through the flipping motor to correct the orientation of the outer sleeve. After correction, the first horizontal drive cylinder and the first vertical drive cylinder of the outer sleeve picking and placing assembly device are activated, driving the first tightening pneumatic finger to move to the end of the outer sleeve automatic feeding channel. The outer sleeve is picked up by the outer sleeve conforming clamping block, transferred and assembled onto the outer sleeve tooling fixture of the tooling fixture, completing the outer sleeve feeding and assembly. S4. The rotating disc drives the tooling fixture with the outer sleeve to rotate to the corresponding station of the inner bracket feeding and assembly mechanism; the inner bracket vibrating feeding disc transports the inner bracket to the inner bracket automatic feeding channel. The second horizontal drive cylinder and the second vertical drive cylinder of the inner bracket picking and placing assembly device are activated, and the second tightening pneumatic finger picks up the inner bracket and transfers it to the inner bracket contour cavity of the inner bracket transfer tooling. After being positioned by the transfer tooling seat, the second spreading pneumatic finger extends into the inner bracket contour hole of the shaping plate to spread the inner bracket and pick up the shaped inner bracket. It is then transferred and assembled into the cylindrical section of the inner connector cylinder tooling fixture, and the inner bracket is at least partially inserted into the positioning groove of the cylindrical section, completing the inner bracket assembly; at this time, the second fixture vision inspection device is activated to visually inspect the position of the assembled inner bracket to ensure that the assembly is in place. S5. The rotating disc drives the tooling fixture to rotate to the corresponding position of the inner connector cylinder feeding assembly mechanism. The positioning cylinder pushes the positioning block to insert into the positioning groove of the inner triangular chuck section of the tooling fixture, thereby fixing the tooling fixture equipped with the inner support. The inner connector cylinder vibrating feeding disc transports the inner connector cylinder to the inner connector cylinder automatic feeding channel. The inner connector cylinder vision inspection mechanism detects its orientation through the inspection window. After the inspection, the third horizontal drive cylinder and the third vertical drive cylinder of the inner connector cylinder picking and placing assembly device are activated. The third rotating cylinder adjusts the angle of the inner connector cylinder based on the detection result of the inner connector cylinder vision inspection mechanism. The inner connector cylinder is picked up by the third tightening pneumatic finger, transferred and assembled onto the inner triangular chuck section of the tooling fixture, thus completing the inner connector cylinder assembly. S6. The positioning mechanism is reset. The rotating disc drives the tooling fixture to rotate to the corresponding position of the connector cover feeding assembly mechanism. The positioning mechanism fixes the tooling fixture. The connector cover vibrating feeding disc transports the connector cover to the end of the connector cover automatic feeding channel. The fourth lifting cylinder of the connector cover upper lifting device drives the upper lifting block through the bottom groove and lifts the connector cover upward into the connector cover conforming sleeve. The fourth horizontal driving cylinder and the fourth vertical driving cylinder of the connector cover picking and placing assembly device are activated. The connector cover conforming sleeve transfers the connector cover and assembles it to the upper end of the inner connector cylinder. The fourth motor is started to drive the connector cover to rotate relative to the inner connector cylinder, thereby enabling the connector cover and the inner connector cylinder to achieve a threaded connection. S7. The positioning mechanism resets, and the rotating disc drives the tooling fixture to rotate to the corresponding position of the pre-assembly debugging mechanism. The fifth vertical drive cylinder of the pre-assembly debugging mechanism is activated, driving the outer sleeve debugging device and the inner connector sleeve debugging device to descend. The micro drive motor of the outer sleeve debugging device drives the rotating base to rotate. The outer sleeve is adjusted in position by the positioning column. The inner connector sleeve pressing block of the inner connector sleeve debugging device presses the inner connector sleeve and the inner support together to form the inner connector assembly, completing the pre-assembly debugging. S8. The rotating disc drives the tooling fixture to rotate to the corresponding position of the assembly mechanism, and the positioning mechanism fixes the tooling fixture; the sixth horizontal drive cylinder and the sixth vertical drive cylinder of the assembly mechanism are activated, and the sixth tightening pneumatic finger assists in fixing the outer sleeve. The integral cylinder pressure block of the integral clamping device tightly presses the inner connector assembly and the outer sleeve together, completing the overall assembly of the water pipe connector; at this time, the third fixture visual inspection device is activated to visually inspect the overall assembly quality and determine whether the assembly is qualified. S9. The rotating disc drives the tooling fixture to rotate to the corresponding station of the sorting and unloading mechanism, and the positioning mechanism fixes the tooling fixture; the seventh horizontal drive cylinder and the seventh vertical drive cylinder of the sorting and unloading mechanism are activated. According to the detection result of S8, if the assembly is qualified, the qualified product tightening pneumatic finger will pick up the finished water pipe connector and put it into the qualified product unloading channel; if the assembly is unqualified, the defective product tightening pneumatic finger will pick up the defective product and put it into the defective product unloading channel, thus completing the sorting and unloading. S10. The rotating disc continues to rotate, rotating the empty tooling fixture to the corresponding station of the outer sleeve feeding mechanism. During the rotation, it passes through the first fixture vision inspection device. The first fixture vision inspection device performs cleanliness and position detection on the empty tooling fixture to ensure that there is no residue and the position is accurate. Then, the next round of automated assembly cycle of water pipe joints begins.

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