Multi-vision guided worm and gear speed reducer and its assembly production line

Abstract

The application discloses a multi-vision guided worm and gear speed reducer and an assembling production line thereof, and belongs to the technical field of worm and gear speed reducers. The speed reducer comprises a shell, a worm shaft and a worm wheel shaft, the worm shaft and the worm wheel shaft are respectively provided with axial through holes penetrating through both ends along an axis, and both ends of each axial through hole is respectively provided with a detachable sealing plug. During detection, the sealing plugs are removed, a light source module and a light receiving plate module are respectively installed at both ends of the through hole, a light spot is formed on the light receiving plate after the light beam of the light source passes through the through hole, and the bending degree of the shaft can be determined by calculating the light spot offset through image processing. The assembling production line comprises a conveying line, an assembling station, a shaft positioning station and a plug body installing station, the shaft positioning station rotates each shaft to a unified angle and locks, and the plug body installing station automatically completes the installation of the sealing plug according to a fixed path. The application can realize the bending detection of the shaft in the closed shell without disassembling the shaft system, has high detection efficiency, and realizes standardized batch detection and automatic assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of worm gear reducers, specifically relating to a multi-vision guided worm gear reducer and its assembly line. Background Technology

[0002] Worm gear reducers are widely used in key transmission equipment in industrial robots, automated production lines, and the automotive industry. In these applications, the worm shaft and worm wheel shaft are prone to bending deformation due to long-term exposure to complex alternating loads, directly affecting transmission accuracy and equipment lifespan. Therefore, regular shaft bending inspection is necessary.

[0003] However, the shaft system of existing reducers is completely enclosed within the housing. Except for the protruding part at the shaft end, the main body of the shaft cannot be directly contacted or observed from the outside, which leads to the following difficulties in inspection:

[0004] Firstly, the inspection requires disassembling the shaft system, which is a complicated process. Currently, mainstream methods such as the dial indicator method and the V-block method require the shaft to be completely removed from the reducer for separate measurement. This involves multiple steps, including hoisting, disassembling the bearings, removing the worm gear meshing parts, and reassembling, which can take several hours to several days. Furthermore, frequent disassembly will accelerate the wear of the bearings and seals.

[0005] Secondly, there is a lack of online inspection methods. Laser reflection and machine vision methods require the shaft surface to be exposed for marking or photography, which cannot be applied to shaft systems inside enclosed housings. Existing technologies, such as "a high-precision shaft inspection device for worm gear reducers" (CN216954274U), still require the parts to be removed from the equipment for inspection, failing to solve the problem of convenient inspection of shaft systems inside enclosed housings.

[0006] Third, the testing equipment lacks a quick-connect structure. Existing testing solutions lack a standardized interface with the reducer, requiring equipment rearrangement and optical path adjustments before each test, making standardized, batch maintenance difficult.

[0007] To address the aforementioned issues, this invention provides a multi-vision guided worm gear reducer and its assembly line. By opening an axial through hole inside the shaft for the detection beam to pass through and configuring a removable sealing plug structure, a convenient optical channel and standardized interface are provided for shaft bending detection while ensuring the normal operation and sealing of the reducer. Rapid detection can be completed without disassembling the shaft system. Summary of the Invention

[0008] This invention provides a multi-vision guided worm gear reducer and its assembly line, which can realize the bending detection of the shaft inside the closed housing without disassembling the shaft system, with high detection efficiency, and realize standardized batch detection and automated assembly, so as to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a multi-vision guided worm gear reducer, comprising a reducer housing, a worm shaft, a worm wheel shaft, a worm, and a worm wheel. The worm is fixedly mounted on the worm shaft, and the worm wheel is fixedly mounted on the worm wheel shaft. The worm and the worm wheel mesh with each other for transmission. The two ends of the worm shaft and the two ends of the worm wheel shaft are respectively rotatably supported on the reducer housing by bearings.

[0010] The worm shaft has a first axial through hole extending through both ends along its axial direction, and the worm wheel shaft has a second axial through hole extending through both ends along its axial direction. The first axial through hole and the second axial through hole are respectively provided with removable sealing plugs at both ends to seal the end openings of the corresponding through holes.

[0011] As a further option, the diameters of the first axial through hole and the second axial through hole are one-eighth to one-fifth of the corresponding shaft outer diameter, respectively.

[0012] As a further option, the first axial through hole is provided with a first internal thread segment and a second internal thread segment at both ends, and the second axial through hole is provided with a third internal thread segment and a fourth internal thread segment at both ends; the outer peripheral wall of each sealing plug is provided with an external thread that matches the corresponding internal thread segment, and each sealing plug is installed at the end of the corresponding through hole through the external thread and the internal thread segment threadedly engaged.

[0013] As a further option, each of the sealing plugs includes a plug body and an O-ring. The plug body has an annular sealing groove near its outer end, and the O-ring is embedded in the annular sealing groove. The O-ring and the inner wall of the corresponding internal thread section form an interference fit. The plug body has a force-applying groove on its outer end face. The force-applying groove is a slotted groove or an internal hexagonal groove.

[0014] As a further option, a shaft bending detection device is also included, the shaft bending detection device comprising:

[0015] The light source module is configured to be detachably mounted at one end port of the first axial through hole or the second axial through hole, for emitting a detection beam passing through the corresponding through hole;

[0016] A light-receiving plate module is configured to be detachably mounted at the other end of the corresponding through-hole for receiving the detection beam passing through the through-hole and forming an optical image; and

[0017] An image processing module, which is signal-connected to the light-receiving plate module, is used to acquire and process the optical image to obtain information reflecting the bending state of the corresponding axis.

[0018] As a further option, the light source module includes a light source housing, an LED light source, and a focusing lens. The exterior of the light source housing is provided with threads that mate with corresponding internal thread segments. The outer wall of the light source housing is provided with a first positioning step, which is used to abut against the end face of the corresponding shaft to achieve axial positioning. The light receiving plate module includes a light receiving plate housing, a semi-transparent light receiving plate, and an industrial camera. The exterior of the light receiving plate housing is provided with threads that mate with corresponding internal thread segments. The outer wall of the light receiving plate housing is provided with a second positioning step, which is used to abut against the end face of the corresponding shaft to achieve axial positioning. The industrial camera is mounted at the rear end of the light receiving plate housing, and its lens optical axis is perpendicular to the surface of the semi-transparent light receiving plate.

[0019] A method for detecting shaft bending in a multi-vision guided worm gear reducer based on any one of the above-mentioned methods includes the following steps:

[0020] Remove the sealing plugs at both ends of the corresponding shaft and clean the inner wall of the corresponding axial through hole;

[0021] Install the light source module at one end of the corresponding through hole, and install the light receiving plate module at the other end of the corresponding through hole;

[0022] The light source module emits a detection beam that passes through the through hole, and the light receiving plate module receives the beam after it passes through the through hole and forms a light spot image.

[0023] The image processing module acquires the image of the light spot and calculates the offset of the center of the light spot relative to a pre-calibrated reference position;

[0024] The degree of bending of the shaft is determined based on the offset.

[0025] A multi-vision guided worm gear reducer assembly line for assembling any of the worm gear reducers described above, comprising:

[0026] Conveyor line, used to carry and transport speed reducers to be assembled;

[0027] An assembly station is set on the conveyor line to complete the assembly of the main structure of the reducer, so that the ends of the first axial through hole and the second axial through hole are in an open state;

[0028] A shaft positioning station, located downstream of the assembly station, is used to rotate the worm shaft and the worm wheel shaft to a preset angle and lock them; and

[0029] The plug installation station is located downstream of the shaft positioning station and is used to automatically install each of the sealing plugs at both ends of the corresponding through hole.

[0030] As a further option, the shaft positioning station includes a first rotary clamping mechanism and a second rotary clamping mechanism. The first rotary clamping mechanism is used to clamp the end of the worm shaft and drive it to rotate, and the second rotary clamping mechanism is used to clamp the end of the worm wheel shaft and drive it to rotate. Each of the rotary clamping mechanisms includes a gripper, a servo rotary drive motor, and a brake.

[0031] As a further option, the plug installation station includes an industrial robot and a plug supply table. The end of the industrial robot is equipped with a clamping and rotating mechanism, which includes a clamping jaw and a torque sensor. The end of the clamping jaw is equipped with a positioning part that matches the force groove of the plug. The plug supply table is equipped with a feeding position. The orientation of the force groove of the plug at each feeding position is consistent with the starting phase of the external thread. The industrial robot picks up the plug from the feeding position according to a preset fixed path and moves it directly to the corresponding shaft end face position for assembly.

[0032] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0033] 1. This invention provides a reusable optical inspection channel for the shaft system inside the sealed housing by opening axial through holes in the worm shaft and worm wheel shaft and using a detachable sealing plug structure, without changing the normal sealing performance of the reducer. Shaft bending detection can be completed without disassembling the shaft system, which greatly shortens the inspection time and avoids wear on bearings and seals caused by frequent disassembly and assembly.

[0034] 2. By setting a light source module and a light receiving plate module that cooperate with the internal thread section of the axial through hole, the present invention realizes standardized and rapid docking between the detection equipment and the reducer. The installation and positioning are accurate and reliable, and there is no need for on-site debugging of the optical path, which facilitates standardized and batch maintenance operations.

[0035] 3. The shaft bending detection method of the present invention uses the center-of-gravity offset of the light spot to accurately reflect the degree of bending of the shaft. Combined with the pre-calibrated mapping relationship curve, it can realize quantitative detection and graded judgment, with high detection accuracy. It is suitable for various scenarios such as online detection at the end of the production line and offline periodic detection.

[0036] 4. The assembly line of the present invention unifies the circumferential angle of all shafts through the shaft positioning station, so that the subsequent plug installation station can use a completely fixed teaching path to complete the automatic picking and screwing of the sealing plug, without the need for visual guidance or force feedback for phase adjustment, which simplifies the equipment structure and control logic and improves assembly efficiency and reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0037] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0038] In the attached diagram:

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall front structure of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall side view structure of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the worm shaft according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 4 This is a side view of the sealing plug structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the light source module and light-collecting plate module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the semi-transparent light-receiving plate and the cross-shaped reference scale line structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the image processing module structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the shaft bending detection method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a speed reducer assembly production line according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] In the diagram: 1. Reducer housing; 2. Worm shaft; 3. Worm wheel shaft; 5. Movable light source module; 6. Movable light-receiving plate module; 7. Image processing module; 23. First axial through hole; 33. Second axial through hole; 41. First sealing plug; 42. Second sealing plug; 51. Light source housing; 52. LED light source; 53. Condensing lens; 54. First positioning step; 61. Light-receiving plate housing; 62. Semi-transparent light-receiving plate; 63. Second positioning step; 64. Small industrial camera; 71. Computer; 72. Image processing software; 100. Conveyor line; 200. Conventional assembly tool. Position; 231, First internal thread section; 232, Second internal thread section; 300, Shaft positioning station; 411, Plug body; 412, O-ring seal; 413, Force groove; 414, External thread; 415, Annular sealing groove; 621, Cross reference scale line; 641, Connecting frame; 3010, First rotary clamping mechanism; 3020, Second rotary clamping mechanism; 400, Plug body installation station; 4010, Six-axis industrial robot; 4011, Clamping claw; 4012, Torque sensor; 4020, Sealing plug supply table; 500, Unloading station; 600, Control system. Detailed Implementation

[0049] 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.

[0050] Example 1, as Figures 1-3 As shown, this embodiment provides a multi-vision guided worm gear reducer, including a reducer housing 1, a worm shaft 2, a worm wheel shaft 3, a worm, and a worm wheel. The worm is fixedly mounted on the worm shaft 2 (preferably both are integrally formed), and the worm wheel is fixedly mounted on the worm wheel shaft 3 (preferably both are keyed together). The worm and worm wheel mesh with each other for transmission. Both ends of the worm shaft 2 are rotatably supported on the reducer housing 1 by bearings, and both ends of the worm wheel shaft 3 are rotatably supported on the reducer housing 1 by bearings.

[0051] The worm shaft 2 is a cylindrical shaft part made of alloy steel (preferably 40Cr or 42CrMo), which has undergone quenching and tempering and surface hardening treatment. The worm shaft 2 has a first axial through hole 23 extending through both ends along its axial direction. The first axial through hole 23 is a circular hole with a diameter of 1 / 8 to 1 / 5 of the outer diameter of the worm shaft 2. The inner wall surface of the first axial through hole 23 is honed smooth to reduce light scattering.

[0052] The structure of the worm shaft 3 is the same as that of the worm shaft 2, and the diameter of its second axial through hole 33 is selected to be 1 / 8 to 1 / 5 of the outer diameter of the worm shaft 3.

[0053] The worm shaft 2 is provided with a first internal thread section 231 and a second internal thread section 232 at both ends of the first axial through hole 23. The thread root diameter of the internal thread section is larger than the diameter of the middle smooth hole section of the first axial through hole 23. The second axial through hole 33 is provided with a third internal thread section and a fourth internal thread section at both ends. The structure is the same as that of the internal thread section of the first axial through hole 23, and is not shown in the figure.

[0054] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, a first sealing plug 41 and a second sealing plug 42 are respectively installed on both sides of the first axial through hole 23. A third sealing plug and a fourth sealing plug are respectively installed on both sides of the second axial through hole 33, and the four sealing plugs have the same structure.

[0055] The first sealing plug 41 is described in detail as an example: The first sealing plug 41 includes a plug body 411 and an O-ring 412. The plug body 411 has a cylindrical structure and is made of stainless steel (preferably 304 stainless steel). Its outer wall is provided with an external thread 414, which matches the internal thread of the first internal thread section 231. An annular sealing groove 415 is formed near the outer end of the plug body 411, and the O-ring 412 is embedded in the annular sealing groove 415. The O-ring 412 is made of oil-resistant rubber (preferably fluororubber). After the first sealing plug 41 is screwed into the first internal thread section 231, an interference fit is formed between the O-ring 412 and the inner wall of the first internal thread section 231, achieving a reliable seal at the end and preventing lubricating oil from entering the through hole during operation. The end face of the plug body 411 facing outward is provided with a force-applying groove 413, which is a slotted groove or an internal hexagonal groove, used to cooperate with pneumatic screwdrivers or manual wrenches on automated assembly lines for tightening operations.

[0056] Example 2: The reducer also includes a shaft bending offline detection device, serving as the hardware foundation for multi-vision guidance, such as... Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown, this is a portable detection device that can be docked with a speed reducer when needed. The device includes a portable light source module 5, a portable light-receiving plate module 6, and an image processing module 7.

[0057] The movable light source module 5 includes a light source housing 51, an LED light source 52, a condenser lens 53, and a first positioning step 54. The light source housing 51 has a cylindrical structure with external threads that engage with the internal thread section. The LED light source 52, a high-brightness monochromatic LED, is installed at the rear end inside the light source housing 51. The condenser lens 53 is installed at the front end inside the light source housing 51 to converge the divergent light emitted by the LED light source 52 into a nearly parallel beam before it is emitted. The diameter of the emitted beam should be larger than the diameter of the first axial through hole 23 to ensure sufficient light. The first positioning step 54 is integrally formed on the outer wall of the light source housing 51 and has a ring-shaped structure. When the light source housing 51 is screwed in, the end face of the first positioning step 54 abuts against the end face of the worm shaft 2, achieving axial positioning and installation of the movable light source module 5.

[0058] The movable light-receiving plate module 6 includes a light-receiving plate housing 61, a semi-transparent light-receiving plate 62, a second positioning step 63, and a small industrial camera 64. The light-receiving plate housing 61 has a cylindrical structure with external threads. The semi-transparent light-receiving plate 62 is fixedly installed inside the front end of the housing 61. It is made of frosted glass or semi-transparent polycarbonate with a frosted surface, possessing moderate surface roughness and containing light-diffusing particles. This effectively suppresses lateral scattering while uniformly diffusing incident light, resulting in a clear and sharp edge for the emitted light spot. Cross-shaped reference scale lines 621 are engraved at the center of both sides of the semi-transparent light-receiving plate 62. The second positioning step 63 is fixedly mounted on the outer wall of the housing 61. When the housing 61 is inserted into the other end, the end face of the second positioning step 63 facing the through hole abuts against the other end face of the worm shaft 2, achieving axial positioning and ensuring the movable light-receiving plate module 6 is properly installed. A small industrial camera 64 is fixedly mounted to the rear end of the light-collecting plate housing 61 via a connecting bracket 641. Its lens optical axis is perpendicular to the surface of the translucent light-collecting plate 62, and a narrow-band filter is mounted at the front end of the lens, with its center wavelength matching the wavelength of the LED light source 52. The small industrial camera 64 is connected to the image processing module 7 via a data cable. The image processing module 7 includes a computer 71 and image processing software 72.

[0059] Example 3: Shaft Bending Detection Method

[0060] like Figure 8 As shown, this embodiment provides a shaft bending detection method for a multi-vision guided worm gear reducer based on Embodiment 1 or 2. This method can be used for online detection at the end of the production line or for independent offline detection scenarios, and includes the following steps:

[0061] Step S1: Pre-treatment and through-hole cleaning.

[0062] If the reducer is in normal operating condition and sealing plugs are installed at both ends of each axial through-hole, first use tools (performed by a robot on the production line, and manually when offline) to remove the sealing plugs of the corresponding shafts and place them properly. Clean the inner wall of the first axial through-hole 23 or the second axial through-hole 33 with compressed air or a special cleaning brush to ensure that the inner wall of the through-hole is free of oil, dust, and impurity particles, and to avoid impurities causing scattering interference to the beam propagation. After cleaning, visually inspect the smoothness of the inner wall of the through-hole, and use an endoscope for auxiliary inspection if necessary.

[0063] Step S2: Install the detection module.

[0064] Remove the movable light source module 5 from its storage position and align the front end of its light source housing 51 with the corresponding internal thread section at one end of the shaft (if the worm shaft 2 is being tested, screw the light source housing 51 into the first internal thread section 231; if the worm wheel shaft 3 is being tested, screw the light source housing 51 into the third internal thread section). Rotate the light source housing 51 to gradually screw it in along the thread until the end face of the first positioning step 54 is in close contact with the end face of the shaft, thus completing the axial positioning and installation of the movable light source module 5.

[0065] Remove the movable light-receiving plate module 6 from its storage position and align the front end of its light-receiving plate housing 61 with the corresponding internal thread section at the other end of the shaft (if the worm shaft 2 is being tested, screw the light-receiving plate housing 61 into the second internal thread section 232; if the worm wheel shaft 3 is being tested, screw the light-receiving plate housing 61 into the fourth internal thread section). Rotate the light-receiving plate housing 61 to gradually screw it in along the thread until the end face of the second positioning step 63 is in close contact with the other end face of the shaft, thus completing the axial positioning installation of the movable light-receiving plate module 6.

[0066] Step S3: Baseline image acquisition and calibration.

[0067] This process is performed after the initial assembly of the reducer is completed and the shaft is straightened to ensure it is in a naturally straight state. Connect the power cord of the LED light source 52 to the controllable power module, and connect the data cable of the small industrial camera 64 to the computer 71 of the image processing module 7. Turn on the LED light source 52 and adjust the drive current to ensure the illuminance on the translucent light-receiving plate 62 is within the camera's optimal response range. The small industrial camera 64 captures images of the light spot on the translucent light-receiving plate 62, continuously acquiring multiple frames, and selecting the frame with the highest clarity as the reference image I0.

[0068] Image processing software 72 performs median filtering on the reference image I0 (filter window size is 3×3 pixels) to eliminate noise during image acquisition. The Canny operator (preferably low threshold 50, high threshold 150) is used to extract the edge contour of the light spot, obtaining a sub-pixel level edge point set of the light spot boundary. The least squares circle fitting method is used to fit the edge point set to obtain a reference fitted circle, and the center coordinates (x0, y0) of the reference fitted circle are calculated. A Cartesian coordinate system (X-axis positive to the right, Y-axis positive upwards) is established with the intersection of the crosshair reference scale lines 621 on the semi-transparent light-receiving plate 62 as the origin O, and the center coordinates (x0, y0) of the reference circle are recorded.

[0069] To improve calibration robustness, the detection module was repeatedly disassembled and reassembled multiple times. After each reassembly, a reference image was acquired and the center coordinates were calculated. The arithmetic mean of the multiple measurements was taken as the final reference center coordinates (x0, y0), and the calibration data was stored in the storage unit of computer 71 and associated with the axis number.

[0070] Step S4: Image acquisition detection.

[0071] When the reducer needs to be bent after a certain operating cycle, repeat steps S1 and S2 to complete the through-hole cleaning and inspection module installation. Ensure that the driving current (i.e., light source power) of the LED light source 52 and the exposure time, gain, and other parameters of the small industrial camera 64 are completely consistent with those calibrated in step S3, ensuring that the inspection conditions are the same as the calibration conditions. After the LED light source 52 is lit and working stably, the small industrial camera 64 acquires a spot image of the current state, continuously acquiring multiple frames, and selecting the frame with the highest clarity as the inspection image I1.

[0072] Step S5: Image processing and centroid calculation.

[0073] Image processing software 72 performs Gaussian filtering on the detected image I1 for noise reduction (preferably with a Gaussian kernel size of 5×5 pixels and a standard deviation σ=1.5), effectively suppressing Gaussian noise in the image. The Otsu adaptive threshold binarization algorithm is used to segment the spot region from the background region, automatically calculating the optimal segmentation threshold T, and classifying pixels with gray values ​​greater than T as spot regions. All pixels (totaling N) within the spot region are extracted, and the centroid coordinates (x1, y1) of the spot are calculated using the gray-level centroid method. The calculation formula is as follows:

[0074] x1=(∑ᵢGᵢ·xᵢ) / (∑ᵢGᵢ), y1=(∑ᵢGᵢ·yᵢ) / (∑ᵢGᵢ)

[0075] Where (xᵢ, yᵢ) are the coordinates of the i-th pixel within the spot area, Gᵢ is the gray value of the pixel (0-255), and N is the total number of pixels within the spot area.

[0076] Simultaneously, the spot area ratio Sr = S1 / S0 is calculated, where S1 is the total number of pixels in the spot area of ​​the detected image, and S0 is the total number of pixels in the spot area of ​​the reference image. Preferably, if Sr < 0.7, it indicates a significant reduction in spot area (possibly due to contamination of the inner wall of the via or aging of the light source), and the system issues a warning and prompts the via to be cleaned again or the light source to be checked before resuming detection.

[0077] Step S6: Deviation calculation and bending determination.

[0078] Calculate the offset of the detection spot's centroid relative to the reference circle's center:

[0079] Δx=x1-x0

[0080] Δy=y1-y0

[0081] Total offset Δ=

[0082] For each type of shaft, a mapping relationship curve δ=f(Δ) between the total offset of the center of gravity of the light spot Δ and the shaft bending amount δ is established in advance through calibration experiments. The calibration experiment method is as follows: take a standard shaft of the same type, apply known bending amounts δ1, δ2, δ3... respectively on a special bending calibration table, measure the corresponding offset of the center of gravity of the light spot Δ1, Δ2, Δ3..., and use cubic spline interpolation to fit and obtain the mapping curve.

[0083] In actual testing, the measured Δ is substituted into the mapping curve to obtain the shaft bending amount δ. A preset threshold is used based on the shaft diameter D as a preferred embodiment.

[0084] When δ < 0.001 × D, the shaft is considered to be in a normal state.

[0085] When 0.001×D≤δ<0.003×D, the shaft is determined to have slight bending, and it is recommended to arrange for maintenance.

[0086] When δ≥0.003×D, the shaft is determined to be severely bent, and the machine must be stopped immediately for replacement or straightening.

[0087] Step S7: Output the test report.

[0088] Image processing software 72 automatically generates an inspection report, which includes: inspection time, axis number (either manually entered or read via barcode scanning), reference circle center coordinates (x0, y0), inspection spot centroid coordinates (x1, y1), centroid offset (Δx, Δy), total offset Δ, bending amount δ, and bending level determination result (normal / mild bending / severe bending). The inspection report is displayed in real time on the display unit of computer 71 and stored on the local hard drive or uploaded to a cloud database. It also supports exporting as a PDF file for printing and archiving.

[0089] Example 4: Multi-vision guided worm gear reducer assembly line

[0090] This embodiment provides an assembly production line based on the multi-vision guided worm gear reducer described in Embodiment 1 or 2.

[0091] like Figure 9 As shown, the production line has a linear layout, including a conveyor line 100, a conventional assembly station 200, a shaft positioning station 300, a plug installation station 400, and a material unloading station 500 arranged sequentially along the material conveying direction. The reducer body moves between each station via roller conveyors and positioning trays. The production line also includes a control system 600, which is signal-connected to the actuators at each station to achieve coordinated control of the entire line.

[0092] Conveyor line 100 is a roller conveyor that runs through each workstation along the production line direction. Conveyor line 100 is equipped with several positioning trays, each with positioning pins that match the positioning holes at the bottom of the reducer housing 1, enabling precise positioning and stable load-bearing of the reducer between workstations. Each workstation is equipped with a stopper and a lifting positioning device. When a positioning tray reaches its corresponding workstation, the stopper intercepts the tray, and the lifting positioning device lifts the tray to the working height and clamps it in place.

[0093] 200 standard assembly stations

[0094] The conventional assembly station 200 completes the assembly of the main structure of the reducer using conventional assembly methods, including a worm shaft assembly press-fit unit, a worm wheel shaft assembly press-fit unit, an automatic glue application unit, and an automatic bolt tightening unit. The worm shaft 2 assembly and the worm wheel shaft 3 assembly are assembled with the housing 1 through servo press-fitting, automatic glue application, and bolt tightening processes. After this station, the first internal thread section 231 and the second internal thread section 232 at both ends of the worm shaft 2, and the third internal thread section and the fourth internal thread section at both ends of the worm wheel shaft 3 are all in an open state, exposing the first axial through hole 23 and the second axial through hole 33, respectively.

[0095] In the conventional assembly station 200, the axial positions of the worm shaft 2 and worm wheel shaft 3 within the housing are defined by the bearings and end caps, but their circumferential angles (rotational orientations around their own axes) are not constrained during assembly. Therefore, when different reducers arrive at subsequent stations, the circumferential angles of each shaft are random.

[0096] The shaft positioning station 300 is located downstream of the conventional assembly station 200 and is used to rotate the worm shaft 2 and the worm wheel shaft 3 to a uniform preset angle and lock them.

[0097] The workstation includes a first rotary clamping mechanism 3010 and a second rotary clamping mechanism 3020, which are used to clamp the ends of the worm shaft 2 and the worm wheel shaft 3, respectively. Each rotary clamping mechanism includes a pneumatic gripper (with a V-shaped positioning block), a servo rotary drive motor, and a mechanical brake. The gripper is mounted on a rotating shaft and is driven by the servo motor to rotate around the shaft.

[0098] The location process is as follows:

[0099] (1) Clamping: When the positioning tray carrying the assembled reducer arrives at the shaft positioning station 300 and is lifted and fixed, the control system 600 controls the first rotary clamping mechanism 3010 and the second rotary clamping mechanism 3020 to operate simultaneously. The clamping claws clamp the outer circle of the end of the corresponding shaft with a preset clamping force to achieve radial clamping.

[0100] (2) Rotation to the set position: The control system 600 sends a start command to the servo rotary drive motor. The drive motor rotates at a preset speed. The number of revolutions is set according to the initial position of the keyway or engraving (or an indicator mark is set in advance on the shaft end). The initial position is determined by the pre-set position sensor. The rotation of the motor directly drives the gripper and the clamped shaft to rotate synchronously through mechanical transmission until the angle set by the motor's built-in angle sensor is reached and then stops. This position ensures that the keyways (or end face engravings) on the worm shaft 2 and worm wheel shaft 3 are rotated to a preset position with uniform space.

[0101] (3) Locking: After the shaft is in place, the mechanical brake immediately locks the rotating shaft, while the gripper remains in a clamping state to ensure that the shaft cannot rotate around its own axis during the subsequent plug installation process. Since the positions of the positioning tray and the housing are fixed, the circumferential angles of the worm shaft 2 and worm wheel shaft 3 of all reducers passing through this station are completely consistent in space.

[0102] The plug installation station 400 is located downstream of the shaft positioning station 300. It automatically picks up the sealing plugs according to a completely fixed teaching path and screws them into the threaded holes at the ends of each shaft. This station includes a six-axis industrial robot 4010 and a sealing plug supply table 4020.

[0103] The end effector of the six-axis industrial robot 4010 integrates a quick-change gripping and rotating mechanism, including a rotary drive motor, a reducer, a gripper 4011, and a torque sensor 4012. The rotary drive motor is a servo motor, and its output is connected to the gripper 4011 via the reducer. The end of the gripper 4011 is provided with a positioning part, which is a straight or hexagonal protrusion, and its outer dimensions match the force groove 413 of the sealing plug.

[0104] The sealing plug supply table 4020 is equipped with feeding positions for sealing plugs that have been pre-fitted with O-rings 412. Each feeding position is equipped with a high-precision positioning fixture to ensure that the orientation of the force groove 413 and the starting phase of the external thread 414 of each sealing plug are absolutely uniform in space before it is picked up.

[0105] Assembly process at this workstation:

[0106] (1) Material picking: The six-axis industrial robot 4010 moves to the corresponding feeding position of the sealing plug feeding table 4020 according to the preset fixed material picking path. The positioning part of the gripper 4011 is inserted into the force groove 413 of the sealing plug in a fixed spatial posture and grips it to remove the sealing plug. At this time, the posture of the sealing plug in the gripper (including the starting phase of the external thread) is a fixed value.

[0107] (2) Movement and Assembly: The six-axis industrial robot 4010 maintains the current posture of the end effector and moves the sealing plug directly to the front of the corresponding axis end face along the preset fixed travel path. Since the axis positioning station 300 has unified the angle of all axes and the position of the threaded hole in space is fixed, no phase adjustment or secondary positioning is required here. Then the robot pushes the sealing plug along the axis, starts the rotary drive motor to drive the sealing plug to rotate in the preset direction, and maintains a constant axial thrust to complete the thread engagement and screwing.

[0108] (3) Position determination: The torque sensor 4012 monitors the rotational torque value in real time. When the sealing plug is screwed in until the positioning step abuts against the shaft end face, the O-ring 412 is compressed, causing the rotational resistance to increase sharply. When the torque value exceeds the preset threshold, the control system 600 determines that it is screwed in in place and controls the rotation drive motor to stop rotating.

[0109] (4) Cyclic operation: The six-axis industrial robot 4010 completes the assembly of the remaining three sealing plugs in sequence according to the same fixed material picking path, fixed movement path and fixed tightening program. After all four sealing plugs are assembled, the control system 600 sends a release signal to the axis positioning station 300. The first rotary clamping mechanism 3010 and the second rotary clamping mechanism 3020 simultaneously release the brake and release the grippers, and the worm shaft 2 and worm wheel shaft 3 return to the free state.

[0110] After all the sealing plugs are assembled at the plug installation station 400, the positioning tray carries the fully assembled reducer and moves it along the conveyor line 100 to the unloading station 500 for regular conveying and unloading.

[0111] The control system 600 includes an industrial computer, a PLC controller, and an industrial Ethernet communication module. The industrial computer is responsible for production data traceability and parameter management. The PLC controller is responsible for the action logic control of each workstation, conveyor line start / stop, and safety interlocks. The industrial Ethernet communication module enables real-time data exchange between the devices at each workstation.

[0112] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A multi-vision guided worm gear reducer, comprising a reducer housing (1), a worm shaft (2), a worm wheel shaft (3), a worm, and a worm wheel, wherein the worm is fixedly mounted on the worm shaft (2), the worm wheel is fixedly mounted on the worm wheel shaft (3), the worm and the worm wheel mesh with each other for transmission, and both ends of the worm shaft (2) and both ends of the worm wheel shaft (3) are respectively rotatably supported on the reducer housing (1) by bearings, characterized in that: The worm shaft (2) has a first axial through hole (23) extending through both ends along its axial direction, and the worm wheel shaft (3) has a second axial through hole (33) extending through both ends along its axial direction. The first axial through hole (23) and the second axial through hole (33) are respectively provided with detachable sealing plugs at both ends to seal the end openings of the corresponding through holes.

2. The worm gear reducer with multi-vision guidance according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diameters of the first axial through hole (23) and the second axial through hole (33) are 1 / 8 to 1 / 5 of the corresponding shaft outer diameter, respectively.

3. The worm gear reducer with multi-vision guidance according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first axial through hole (23) has a first internal thread section (231) and a second internal thread section (232) at both ends, and the second axial through hole (33) has a third internal thread section and a fourth internal thread section at both ends; each of the sealing plugs has an external thread (414) that matches the corresponding internal thread section on its outer peripheral wall, and each of the sealing plugs is installed at the end of the corresponding through hole through the external thread (414) and the internal thread section threadedly engaged.

4. A multi-vision guided worm gear reducer according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each of the sealing plugs includes a plug body (411) and an O-ring (412). The plug body (411) has an annular sealing groove (415) near its outer end. The O-ring (412) is fitted into the annular sealing groove (415). The O-ring (412) forms an interference fit with the inner wall of the corresponding internal thread section. The plug body (411) has a force-applying groove (413) on its outer end face. The force-applying groove (413) is a slotted groove or an internal hexagonal groove.

5. A multi-vision guided worm gear reducer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, It also includes a shaft bending detection device, which comprises: The light source module (5) is configured to be detachably mounted at one end port of the first axial through hole (23) or the second axial through hole (33) for emitting a detection beam through the corresponding through hole; A light-receiving plate module (6) is configured to be detachably mounted at the other end of the corresponding through-hole for receiving the detection beam passing through the through-hole and forming an optical image; and The image processing module (7) is connected to the light receiving plate module (6) by signal and is used to acquire and process the optical image to obtain information reflecting the bending state of the corresponding axis.

6. A multi-vision guided worm gear reducer according to claim 5, characterized in that, The light source module (5) includes a light source housing (51), an LED light source (52), and a condenser lens (53). The outer side of the light source housing (51) is provided with a thread that mates with the corresponding internal thread segment. The outer wall of the light source housing (51) is provided with a first positioning step (54), which is used to abut against the end face of the corresponding shaft to achieve axial positioning. The light receiving plate module (6) includes a light receiving plate housing (61), a semi-transparent light receiving plate (62), and an industrial camera (64). The outer side of the light receiving plate housing (61) is provided with a thread that mates with the corresponding internal thread segment. The outer wall of the light receiving plate housing (61) is provided with a second positioning step (63), which is used to abut against the end face of the corresponding shaft to achieve axial positioning. The industrial camera (64) is installed at the rear end of the light receiving plate housing (61), and its lens optical axis is perpendicular to the surface of the semi-transparent light receiving plate (62).

7. A method for detecting shaft bending in a multi-vision guided worm gear reducer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Remove the sealing plugs at both ends of the corresponding shaft and clean the inner wall of the corresponding axial through hole; Install the light source module (5) at one end of the corresponding through hole and install the light receiving plate module (6) at the other end of the corresponding through hole; The light source module (5) emits a detection beam that passes through the through hole, and the light receiving plate module (6) receives the beam after it passes through the through hole and forms a light spot image; The image processing module (7) acquires the image of the light spot and calculates the offset of the center of the light spot relative to the pre-calibrated reference position; The degree of bending of the shaft is determined based on the offset.

8. A multi-vision guided worm gear reducer assembly line for assembling the worm gear reducer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, include: Conveyor line (100) for carrying and conveying the speed reducer to be assembled; An assembly station (200) is set on the conveyor line (100) to complete the assembly of the main structure of the reducer, so that the ends of the first axial through hole (23) and the second axial through hole (33) are in an open state; A shaft positioning station (300) is located downstream of the assembly station (200) and is used to rotate the worm shaft (2) and the worm wheel shaft (3) to a preset angle and lock them respectively. as well as The plug installation station (400) is located downstream of the shaft positioning station (300) and is used to automatically install each of the sealing plugs at both ends of the corresponding through hole.

9. The multi-vision guided worm gear reducer assembly production line according to claim 8, characterized in that, The shaft positioning station (300) includes a first rotary clamping mechanism (3010) and a second rotary clamping mechanism (3020). The first rotary clamping mechanism (3010) is used to clamp the end of the worm shaft (2) and drive it to rotate. The second rotary clamping mechanism (3020) is used to clamp the end of the worm wheel shaft (3) and drive it to rotate. Each of the aforementioned rotary clamping mechanisms includes a gripper, a servo rotary drive motor, and a brake.

10. A multi-vision guided worm gear reducer assembly production line according to claim 8, characterized in that, The plug installation station (400) includes an industrial robot (4010) and a sealing plug supply table (4020). The end of the industrial robot (4010) is provided with a clamping and rotating mechanism, which includes a clamping claw (4011) and a torque sensor (4012). The end of the clamping claw (4011) is provided with a positioning part that matches the force groove (413) of the sealing plug. The sealing plug supply table (4020) is provided with a feeding position. The orientation of the force groove (413) of the sealing plug at each feeding position is consistent with the starting phase of the external thread (414). The industrial robot (4010) picks up the sealing plug from the feeding position according to a preset fixed path and moves it directly to the corresponding shaft end face position for assembly.

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