A power strip clamping device based on machine vision

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of automation equipment technology and discloses a machine-perspective-based cable clamping device. It includes a main control chassis, a tray, an infeed conveyor mechanism, a discharge spring clip hopper, and auxiliary mechanisms. The auxiliary mechanisms include a cable-opening and closing vision robot, a cable-insertion vision robot, a vacuum suction cup, and a servo moving device. The cable is placed in the discharge spring clip hopper, and moved to the loading position by the vacuum suction cup and servo moving device. The cable-opening and closing vision robot and its workpiece fixture open and retrieve the cable. Then, the cable-insertion vision robot and its workpiece fixture insert the cable onto the circuit board to complete the installation. Finally, the cable-opening and closing vision robot closes the cover to complete the processing. This invention eliminates the need for secondary movement or positioning of the circuit board during processing, improving processing efficiency and solving the problem of repeated clamping and cross-station cumulative errors causing misalignment and affecting product quality in existing equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ribbon cable processing equipment technology, and in particular to a ribbon cable clamping device based on machine perspective. Background Technology

[0002] Power strip products typically consist of a circuit board (PCB), power terminals, multi-strand ribbon cables, and upper and lower cover housings. One end of the ribbon cable is pre-pressed with metal terminals and then connects to the pin headers and sockets on the PCB, while the other end leads to the socket or switch position. The automated assembly process for this type of product generally includes five steps in sequence: loading, PCB opening, ribbon cable retrieval, ribbon cable insertion, and cover closing. The loading station feeds the power strip or PCB assembly to be assembled; the opening station lifts and removes the top cover or shielding plate of the PCB to expose the pin header and socket mating area; the ribbon cable retrieval station uses a robotic arm or gripper to retrieve the pre-placed ribbon cable from the ribbon cable feeding station or temporary storage station; the ribbon cable insertion station aligns the ribbon cable terminals with the PCB pin headers and sockets and pushes it into place; the cover closing station reinstalls the top cover or presses the shielding plate to complete the locking process. The overall line cycle time and yield rate mainly depend on the alignment accuracy of the "retrieve-insert" step and whether the mating area exposed on the PCB after opening can be reliably identified.

[0003] Existing power strip clamping equipment mostly adopts a split processing layout: the opening mechanism, the cable picking robot, the power strip clamping mechanism, and the closing mechanism are arranged as independent modules along the conveyor line or turntable. Each station is connected by a conveyor belt, indexing plate, or transfer robot. The cable and power strip housing must undergo a repetitive clamping process of "releasing clamping - transferring - re-clamping" during cross-station flow. For example, in existing automatic power strip assembly lines, the opening station and the power strip station are often set up as two independent machines. After the opening is completed, the transfer claw moves the semi-finished product to the insertion table. The picking of the cable and the insertion of the power strip are also often performed in segments by different claws. Similarly, although some integrated insertion equipment integrates the picking and insertion of the cable into the same cantilever, the opening posture, the cable feeding posture, and the insertion alignment still rely on their respective mechanical limits and fixing fixtures, lacking a unified process perception across stations.

[0004] This processing mode has the following problems: repeated clamping and cumulative errors across stations lead to misalignment. The ribbon cable is soft and the terminals are fine. After opening the cover, the PCB pin area has a slight ± drift due to the tolerance of the previous loading. The ribbon cable picking station and the ribbon cable insertion station are arranged separately. When picking up the cable, the clamp is aligned with its own coordinate system, and when inserting, it is aligned with the insertion stage coordinate system. There is no unified calibration bridge between the two coordinate systems. The posture error of the ribbon cable terminal relative to the PCB pin is amplified by the two clamping, which easily leads to misalignment, terminal flipping, and poor insertion. When closing the cover, the top cover pressing on the misaligned terminal will also cause secondary damage, affecting product quality. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a connector cable clamping device based on a machine perspective, which solves the problem that repeated clamping and cumulative errors across workstations during the processing of existing equipment lead to misalignment and affect product quality.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a connector cable clamping device based on a machine perspective; including a main control chassis, a material conveying mechanism for conveying pallets is provided on the front side of the main control chassis, a material discharge spring clip bin is provided on the side away from the material conveying mechanism, and also includes an auxiliary mechanism; The auxiliary mechanism includes a cover-opening and closing cable-retrieving vision robot, a cable-connecting vision robot, a vacuum suction cup, and a servo moving device. The cover-opening and closing cable-retrieving vision robot is suspended below the frame on the front side of the main control chassis, and a cover-opening and closing cable-retrieving fixture is installed on its working head. The cable-connecting vision robot is installed on the front side of the main control chassis, and a cable-connecting fixture is installed on its working head. The material conveying mechanism is set on its front side. The vacuum suction cup is set on the slider of the servo moving device, and the servo moving device is set on the upper side of the main control chassis. The main control chassis houses an industrial computer, which is electrically connected to the material conveying mechanism, the cable opening and closing vision robot, the cable insertion vision robot, and the servo moving device.

[0007] The material conveying mechanism includes a material conveyor and a positioning device. The material conveyor is electrically connected to the main control chassis and is installed on the front side of the main control chassis and located in front of the power strip vision robot. The positioning device is mounted on the material conveyor.

[0008] The positioning device includes a pallet positioning cylinder, a side positioning plate, and a product pressing assembly. The pallet positioning cylinder is mounted on the frame of the incoming material conveyor, and the side positioning plate is fixed to its output end. The product pressing assembly is located on the upper side of the conveyor belt of the incoming material conveyor.

[0009] The product pressing assembly includes a fixed bracket and a pressure plate component. The fixed bracket is detachably connected to the frame of the incoming material conveyor. The pressure plate component is disposed on the fixed bracket.

[0010] The servo moving device includes a linear guide rail assembly and a mating assembly. The linear guide rail assembly is located on the top left side of the main control chassis, and its linear slider is connected to the left end of the moving crossbeam. The mating assembly is located on one side of the moving crossbeam.

[0011] The cooperating components include front and rear servo modules and left and right servo modules. The front and rear servo modules are installed on the right side of the main control chassis, and their sliders are connected to the right end of the moving crossbeam. The left and right servo modules are installed on the moving crossbeam, and their sliders are connected to the vacuum suction cups.

[0012] The discharge magazine includes a support base and a limiting rod, wherein the support base is detachably connected to the main control chassis; and a plurality of the limiting rods are disposed on the support base.

[0013] This invention discloses a machine-perspective-based cable clamping device. During processing, the cable is first placed in a feeding spring-loaded hopper. Then, a vacuum suction cup and a servo-driven moving device move the cable to the loading position. Further, a cable-retrieving vision robot with a working head and its cable-retrieving fixture performs opening and retrieving of the cable. The cable is then inserted onto the circuit board using the cable-retrieving vision robot and its working head's cable-retrieving fixture. Finally, the cable is closed to complete the process. This invention automates the continuous processing of feeding, opening, retrieving, insertion, and closing, without requiring secondary movement or positioning of the circuit board. This improves processing efficiency and solves the problem of repeated clamping and cross-station cumulative errors causing insertion misalignment and affecting product quality in existing equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0014] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below.

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the power strip clamping device based on machine perspective of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the discharge spring clip bin of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the material conveying mechanism of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the opening and closing cover for taking out the cable tray of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the product pressing component of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the workflow of the cable clamping device based on machine perspective of the present invention for clamping cables.

[0021] Figure 7This is a flowchart illustrating the closing process of the power strip clamping device based on a machine perspective according to the present invention.

[0022] In the diagram: 101-Main control chassis, 102-Tray, 103-Opening and closing cover for cable retrieval vision robot, 104-Opening and closing cover for cable retrieval fixture, 105-Connect cable vision robot, 106-Connect cable fixture, 107-Vacuum suction cup, 108-Incoming material conveyor, 109-Tray positioning cylinder, 110-Side positioning plate, 111-Fixed bracket, 112-Pressure plate component, 113-Linear guide rail assembly, 114-Front and rear servo modules, 115-Left and right servo modules, 116-Limit rod, 117-Support base, 118-Cable, 119-Moving crossbar, 120-Photoelectric switch. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, but should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0024] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, the present invention provides a power strip clamping device based on machine perspective: including a main control chassis 101, a tray 102, an incoming material conveying mechanism, a discharge clip hopper, and an auxiliary mechanism. The auxiliary mechanism includes a cover-opening and closing vision robot 103 for picking up power strips, a cover-opening and closing fixture for picking up power strips 104, a power strip vision robot 105, a power strip fixture 106, a vacuum suction cup 107, and a servo moving device. The incoming material conveying mechanism includes an incoming material conveyor 108 and a positioning device. The positioning device includes a tray positioning cylinder 109, a side positioning plate 110, and a product pressing assembly. The product pressing assembly includes a fixed bracket 111 and a pressure plate component 112. The servo moving device includes a linear guide rail assembly 113 and a mating assembly. The mating assembly includes a front and rear servo module 114 and a left and right servo module 115. The discharge clip hopper includes a support base 117 and a limiting rod 116. The aforementioned solution addresses the inconvenience of installing or dismantling exhibition racks under existing technologies, as well as the problem that multiple advertising racks cannot be simultaneously relaxed and fixed. It is understood that the aforementioned solution facilitates the convenient installation and dismantling of multiple mounting frames.

[0025] In this embodiment, a material conveying mechanism for a conveying tray 102 is provided on the front side of the main control chassis 101, and a discharge clip hopper is provided on the side away from the material conveying mechanism. The main control chassis 101 is used to realize the overall operation control of the equipment. In addition, all standard parts used in this application can be purchased from the market, and can be customized according to the description and drawings. The specific connection methods of each part adopt conventional methods such as bolts, rivets, and welding that are mature in the prior art. When corresponding components need to be sealed during installation, sealing gaskets or sealant can be used. Finally, the control method of this application is automatic control through a controller. The control circuit of the controller can be implemented by simple programming by those skilled in the art and is common knowledge in the art. Therefore, this application will not explain the control method and circuit connection in detail.

[0026] Preferably, the cable opening and closing vision robot 103 is suspended below the frame on the front side of the main control chassis 101, and its working head is equipped with a cable opening and closing fixture 104. The cable insertion vision robot 105 is installed on the front side of the main control chassis 101, and its working head is equipped with a cable insertion fixture 106. The material conveying mechanism is provided on its front side. The vacuum suction cup 107 is set on the slider of the servo moving device, and the servo moving device is set on the upper side of the main control chassis 101. The fixed base of the cable opening and closing vision robot 103 is fixed by positioning pins and bolts. The cable opening and closing fixture 104 on its working head is used to flip the cable protection cover on the circuit board to realize the opening or closing operation. The fixed base of the cable insertion vision robot 105 is directly fixed to the top of the main control chassis 101 by positioning pins and bolts. The cable insertion fixture 106 on its working head is used to insert the cable 118 into the circuit board after the cover is opened. The servo-moving device is used to drive the vacuum suction cup 107 to move back, forth, left, and right, facilitating the picking up of the cable 118 and moving the cable 118 to the picking point of the opening and closing cover cable picking vision robot 103. During operation, the cables are first grouped and stacked in the discharge clip hopper. Then, the servo-moving device drives the vacuum suction cups 107 (two in number, one adsorbing the two ends of the cable 118 respectively) to the corresponding positions for picking up and feeding. The vacuum suction cups 107 are driven downwards by a servo electric cylinder on a slider fixed to the moving crossbeam 119, achieving vertical lifting and ensuring good suction of the stacked cables. The vacuum generator and corresponding gas pipelines of the vacuum suction cups 107 are all located within the mounting cavity of the main control chassis 101.

[0027] The main control chassis 101 houses an industrial computer, which is electrically connected to the material conveying mechanism, the cable-retrieving vision robot 103, the cable-inserting vision robot 105, and the servo moving device. The industrial computer includes conventional electronic control components such as a PLC and a servo driver.

[0028] Preferably, the incoming material conveyor 108 is electrically connected to the main control chassis 101 and is installed on the front side of the main control chassis 101, and located in front of the power strip vision robot 105; the positioning device is disposed on the incoming material conveyor 108. The conveyor belt of the incoming material conveyor 108 adopts toothed synchronous belt drive. The drive motor mounted on its frame drives the toothed synchronous pulley on the motor output shaft to rotate, thereby causing the toothed synchronous belt to drive the toothed synchronous pulley on the mounting roller to rotate, thereby realizing the rotation of the conveyor belt and realizing the conveying of the pallet 102. The pallet 102 is used to place circuit boards, and the positioning device is used for positioning the pallet 102 and the circuit boards.

[0029] Preferably, the pallet positioning cylinder 109 is mounted on the frame of the incoming material conveyor 108, and the side positioning plate 110 is fixed to its output end; the product pressing assembly is disposed on the upper side of the conveyor belt of the incoming material conveyor 108. The pallet positioning cylinder 109 is fixed by bolts and can be symmetrically arranged (only one position is shown in the figure). A photoelectric switch 120 is provided on the frame of the incoming material conveyor 108. When the photoelectric switch 120 senses the input signal of the pallet 102, the pallet positioning cylinder 109 pushes the side positioning plate 110 close to the pallet 102 and abuts against its edge to clamp the pallet 102. Then, the product pressing assembly clamps the circuit board.

[0030] Preferably, the fixed bracket 111 is detachably connected to the frame of the material conveyor 108; the pressure plate component 112 is disposed on the fixed bracket 111. The fixed bracket 111 is fixed by bolts, and the pressure plate component 112 includes a connecting frame, a micro cylinder, and a pressure block. The connecting frame is installed on the top of the fixed bracket 111, the micro cylinder is fixed on the connecting frame, and the output end is connected to the pressure block. A rubber layer is provided on the bottom end face of the pressure block for protection when the circuit board is pressed.

[0031] Preferably, the linear guide rail assembly 113 is located on the top left side of the main control chassis 101, and the top of its linear slider is connected to the left end of the movable crossbar 119; the mating assembly is located on one side of the movable crossbar 119. The linear guide rail of the linear guide rail assembly 113 is fixed by countersunk bolts, and the right end of the movable crossbar 119 is fixed to the linear slider by locating pins and bolts.

[0032] Preferably, the front and rear servo modules 114 are mounted on the right side of the main control chassis 101, and their sliders are connected to the right end of the moving crossbeam 119; the left and right servo modules 115 are mounted on the moving crossbeam 119, and their sliders are connected to the vacuum suction cup 107. Both the front and rear servo modules 114 and the left and right servo modules 115 are driven by servo motors with encoders and brake mechanisms, and can directly use existing integrated modules, such as the linear module disclosed in prior art CN223419161U. The vacuum suction cup 107 is fixed to the output end of the servo electric cylinder on the slider of the left and right servo modules 115.

[0033] Preferably, the support base 117 is detachably connected to the main control chassis 101; a plurality of limiting rods 116 are disposed on the support base 117. The support base 117 facilitates the placement and support of the ribbon cables 118, and the plurality of limiting rods 116 facilitate the grouping and isolation of multiple groups of ribbon cables 118 when stacked.

[0034] When using this invention to solve the problem of misalignment caused by repeated clamping and cumulative errors across workstations during existing equipment processing, which affects product quality, the process first involves placing the cable 118 in the discharge spring clip hopper. Then, the cable 118 is moved to the loading position by the vacuum suction cup 107 and the servo moving device. Further, the cable 118 can be opened and retrieved by the opening and closing cover-retrieving vision robot 103 and its working head's opening and closing cover-retrieving fixture 104. Finally, the cable insertion vision robot 105... The cable 118 is inserted into the circuit board by the cable insertion fixture 106 on its working head to complete the installation. Finally, the cable opening and closing visual robot 103 and the cable opening and closing fixture 104 on its working head cooperate to close the cover and complete the processing. This application can automatically perform continuous processing of feeding, opening, picking, insertion and closing processes, and the circuit board does not need to be moved or positioned twice during processing. This improves processing efficiency and solves the problem of repeated clamping and cross-station cumulative error causing insertion deviation and affecting product quality in existing equipment.

[0035] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the above embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and represent schematic diagrams, not actual physical images. They should not be construed as limiting the present invention. To better illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, some components in the figures may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced, and do not represent the actual product dimensions. It is understandable to those skilled in the art that some well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the figures. All technologies, shapes, and structural parts not described in detail in this invention are well-known technologies.

[0036] The above-disclosed embodiments are merely one or more preferred embodiments of this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. Those skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the processes for implementing the above embodiments and equivalent changes made in accordance with the claims of this application still fall within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A machine-view-based connector clamping device, comprising a main control chassis, wherein a material conveying mechanism for conveying pallets is provided on the front side of the main control chassis, and a material discharge clip bin is provided on the side away from the material conveying mechanism; Its features are, It also includes auxiliary mechanisms; The auxiliary mechanism includes a cover-opening and closing cable-retrieving vision robot, a cable-connecting vision robot, a vacuum suction cup, and a servo moving device. The cover-opening and closing cable-retrieving vision robot is suspended below the frame on the front side of the main control chassis, and a cover-opening and closing cable-retrieving fixture is installed on its working head. The cable-connecting vision robot is installed on the front side of the main control chassis, and a cable-connecting fixture is installed on its working head. The material conveying mechanism is set on its front side. The vacuum suction cup is set on the slider of the servo moving device, and the servo moving device is set on the upper side of the main control chassis. The main control chassis houses an industrial computer, which is electrically connected to the material conveying mechanism, the cable opening and closing vision robot, the cable insertion vision robot, and the servo moving device.

2. The power strip clamping device based on machine perspective as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The material conveying mechanism includes a material conveyor and a positioning device. The material conveyor is electrically connected to the main control chassis and is installed on the front side of the main control chassis and located in front of the power strip vision robot. The positioning device is mounted on the material conveyor.

3. The power strip clamping device based on machine perspective as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The positioning device includes a pallet positioning cylinder, a side positioning plate, and a product pressing assembly. The pallet positioning cylinder is mounted on the frame of the incoming material conveyor, and the side positioning plate is fixed to its output end. The product pressing assembly is located on the upper side of the conveyor belt of the incoming material conveyor.

4. The power strip clamping device based on machine perspective as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The product pressing assembly includes a fixed bracket and a pressure plate component. The fixed bracket is detachably connected to the frame of the incoming material conveyor. The pressure plate component is disposed on the fixed bracket.

5. The power strip clamping device based on machine perspective as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The servo moving device includes a linear guide rail assembly and a mating assembly. The linear guide rail assembly is located on the top left side of the main control chassis, and the top of its linear slider is connected to the left end of the moving crossbeam. The mating assembly is located on one side of the moving crossbeam.

6. The power strip clamping device based on machine perspective as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The cooperating components include front and rear servo modules and left and right servo modules. The front and rear servo modules are installed on the right side of the main control chassis, and their sliders are connected to the right end of the moving crossbeam. The left and right servo modules are installed on the moving crossbeam, and their sliders are connected to the vacuum suction cups.

7. The power strip clamping device based on machine perspective as described in claim 1, characterized in that... The discharge magazine includes a support base and a limiting rod. The support base is detachably connected to the main control chassis. Multiple limiting rods are arranged on the support base.

Images