Integrated pick-and-place apparatus for multi-terminal injection mold

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of pick-and-place device, in particular to an integrated pick-and-place device for multi-terminal injection mold. It comprises a mounting frame and a clamp assembly; the mounting frame comprises a closed structure formed by multiple mounting substrates in different planes; the clamp assembly is arranged in multiple and mounted on different mounting substrates; the clamp assembly comprises a clamping mechanism and a driver: the clamping mechanism comprises a clamping base mounted on the outer wall of the frame, a plurality of clamping jaws arranged around a pick-and-place axis of a vertical mounting substrate are connected on the clamping base, and a push rod arranged parallel to the pick-and-place axis; the driver is arranged in the closed area of the mounting frame perpendicular to the pick-and-place axis, drives the radial movement of the clamping jaw relative to the pick-and-place axis through a transmission mechanism, and acts on the push rod and is mechanically coupled with the axial movement of the parallel pick-and-place axis relative to the radial movement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of pick-and-place devices, and more particularly to an integrated pick-and-place device for multi-terminal injection molds. Background Technology

[0002] In the injection molding process of products such as electronic connectors, multiple metal terminals of different specifications are typically placed as inserts into the cavity of the injection mold before injection molding. To achieve automated production, these terminals need to be picked up and placed into the mold sequentially or simultaneously by a pick-and-place device. Due to the different specifications of the terminals, the pick-and-place device needs to integrate multiple clamping mechanisms, each corresponding to a specific terminal specification.

[0003] However, when multiple clamping mechanisms are mounted on the same mounting frame, the cylinders that drive the opening and closing of the grippers and the movement of the push rods usually need to be arranged vertically along the clamping direction to provide sufficient driving force and stroke. Within the limited frame space, multiple vertically arranged cylinders will interfere with each other, causing the internal space of the frame to be insufficient to meet the installation and stroke requirements of all cylinders. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an integrated pick-and-place device for multi-terminal injection molds to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is: an integrated pick-and-place device for multi-terminal injection molds, including a mounting frame and a clamping assembly; The mounting frame includes a closed structure formed by multiple mounting base plates located on different planes; the clamping assemblies are configured as multiple and mounted on different mounting base plates; The clamping assembly includes a clamping mechanism and a driver: The clamping mechanism includes a clamping base installed on the outer wall of the frame, and a plurality of grippers arranged around a pick-and-place axis perpendicular to a mounting base, and a push rod arranged parallel to the pick-and-place axis. The driver is positioned perpendicular to the pick-and-place axis within the enclosed area of ​​the mounting frame. It drives the gripper to move radially relative to the pick-and-place axis via a transmission mechanism, and to move axially along the parallel pick-and-place axis, which acts on the push rod and is mechanically coupled to the radial movement relative to the pick-and-place axis.

[0006] Preferably, the transmission mechanism includes a transmission base plate fixed to the driver, and a clamping transmission component is connected to the transmission base plate; One end of the clamping transmission component is engaged with the slide groove of the transmission base plate, and the other end passes through the mounting base plate and slides against the gripper. At least one of the adjacent ends of the gripper or the clamping transmission member is provided with a wedge-shaped surface, so that the clamping transmission member can drive the gripper to clamp radially through its own axial movement.

[0007] Preferably, the clamping mechanism includes a reset member, one end of which is fixed to the clamping base, and the other end of which elastically abuts against the end of the jaw away from the clamping transmission member, so that the jaw can maintain contact with the clamping transmission member.

[0008] Preferably, the transmission mechanism includes a push rod transmission component, one end of which is engaged with a sliding groove on a transmission base plate, and the other end is fixed to multiple push rods.

[0009] Preferably, a positioning pin is vertically fixed on the clamping base, and the positioning pin is used to engage with the positioning hole on the mold.

[0010] Preferably, the end of the positioning pin away from the clamping base is tapered; the clamping base and the mounting plate are connected by a floating component; The floating component includes a floating base fixed to the mounting base, and a ball head is provided on the floating base, the ball head elastically abutting against the clamping base.

[0011] Preferably, the driver is inclined relative to the sidewall of the mounting substrate.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are: (1) The actuators of each clamping assembly are set perpendicular to the pick-and-place axis within the enclosed area of ​​the mounting frame. That is, the actuators are arranged at an angle or parallel to the side wall of the mounting substrate, rather than being installed perpendicular to the pick-and-place axis. The actuators move along the side wall inside the frame without protruding and occupying the thickness space of the mounting substrate. Multiple clamping assemblies can be arranged in parallel within the limited frame space without interfering with each other, which solves the problem of conflicting travel spaces of multiple actuators in the traditional vertical arrangement method.

[0013] (2) The transmission mechanism converts the movement of the driver along the side wall of the mounting plate into the radial clamping movement of the gripper and the axial pushing movement of the push rod. The action of one driver simultaneously drives the opening and closing of the gripper and the extension and retraction of the push rod, realizing the linkage between the clamping of the terminal and the pressing into the cavity, without the need to configure separate drivers for the gripper and the push rod.

[0014] (3) The clamping base and the mounting plate are connected by a floating component, which elastically abuts against the clamping base through a ball head. The front end of the positioning pin is set to be conical. When docking with the mold, the conical front end provides guidance. The elastic floating of the floating component allows the clamping base to adaptively adjust its position within a certain range, compensating for the positioning deviation of the robot, reducing the equipment's requirements for robot positioning accuracy, and saving equipment debugging costs. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments: Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of an integrated pick-and-place device for multi-terminal injection molds according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a first-view structural diagram of the clamp assembly described in this invention; Figure 3 This is a second-view structural diagram of the clamp assembly described in this invention; Figure 4 For the present invention Figure 2 A-direction view; Figure 5 For the present invention Figure 4 BB section view; Figure 6 For the present invention Figure 4 CC section view; Figure 7 This is a partial structural diagram of the clamping mechanism and transmission mechanism described in this invention, showing the connection relationship between the push rod and the push rod transmission component; Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of the floating component described in this invention; The components are: 1. Mounting base plate; 2. Clamping assembly; 21. Clamping mechanism; 211. Clamping base; 212. Gripper; 2121. Wedge surface; 213. Push rod; 214. Reset component; 22. Driver; 23. Transmission mechanism; 231. Transmission base plate; 232. Clamping transmission component; 233. Push rod transmission component; 3. Floating component; 31. Floating base; 32. Ball head; 4. Positioning pin. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments: like Figures 1-8 As shown, an integrated pick-and-place device for multi-terminal injection molds mainly includes a mounting frame and multiple clamping assemblies 2 set on the mounting frame.

[0017] The mounting frame includes multiple mounting base plates 1 located on different planes, which together form a hollow frame structure. Each clamping assembly 2 is mounted on a different mounting base plate 1, and each clamping assembly 2 corresponds to a specific type of terminal, including a clamping mechanism 21 and a driver 22. One mounting base plate 1 forming the mounting frame is connected to a robot arm, allowing the multiple clamping assemblies 2 to sequentially or simultaneously place terminals of different specifications into the corresponding cavities of the injection mold under the robot's drive.

[0018] Specifically, such as Figures 2-7As shown, the clamping mechanism 21 includes a clamping base 211 mounted on the outer wall of the frame. Multiple grippers 212 are connected to the clamping base 211 and arranged around a pick-and-place axis perpendicular to a mounting base 1. The multiple grippers 212 are distributed circumferentially around the pick-and-place axis, clamping the terminals by moving radially inward and releasing the terminals by moving radially outward. Figure 3 and Figure 7 As shown, a push rod 213 is also connected to the clamping base 211, which is parallel to the pick-up and put-out axis. The push rod 213 is built into the clamping base 211 and can extend axially after the gripper 212 releases the terminal, pushing the terminal from the clamping mechanism 21 into the cavity of the injection mold.

[0019] The actuator 22 serves as the power source for the clamp assembly 2. The power output direction of the actuator 22 is arranged along the sidewall of the mounting base plate 1, rather than perpendicular to the mounting base plate 1 outwards. The actuator 22 drives the gripper 212 to move radially relative to the pick-and-place axis via the transmission mechanism 23, and the push rod 213, which acts on the push rod 213 and is mechanically coupled to the radial movement of the gripper 212, to move axially. Specifically, the transmission mechanism 23 converts the linear motion of the actuator 22 along the sidewall direction into a transmission mechanism, while simultaneously driving the gripper 212 to perform radial opening and closing movements and the push rod 213 to perform axial extension and retraction movements, thus achieving the linkage between clamping and pushing.

[0020] The transmission mechanism 23 includes a transmission base plate 231 fixed to the driver 22. Driven by the driver 22, the transmission base plate 231 reciprocates linearly along the sidewall of the mounting base plate 1. The transmission base plate 231 has multiple zigzag grooves, some of which are connected to clamping transmission members 232. One end of the clamping transmission member 232 engages with a groove on the transmission base plate 231, and the other end passes through the mounting base plate 1 and slides against a gripper 212. The driver 22 drives the transmission base plate 231 to move parallel to the mounting base plate 1, allowing the clamping transmission member 232 to slide within the groove on the transmission base plate 231. This converts the horizontal movement of the transmission base plate 231 into the movement of the clamping transmission member 232 along its own axis.

[0021] At least one of the adjacent ends of the gripper 212 or the clamping transmission member 232 is provided with a wedge-shaped surface 2121. When the clamping transmission member 232 moves linearly along its own axial direction, the wedge-shaped surface 2121 of the clamping transmission member 232 slides against the side of the gripper 212 away from the clamping end, converting the axial movement of the clamping transmission member 232 into the radial movement of the gripper 212, so that the clamping transmission member 232 can drive the gripper 212 to clamp or open radially through its own axial movement.

[0022] Furthermore, the clamping mechanism 21 includes a reset member 214. One end of the reset member 214 is fixed to the clamping base 211, and the other end elastically abuts against the end of the gripper 212 away from the clamping transmission member 232. When the clamping transmission member 232 moves in the clamping direction, it pushes the gripper 212 to overcome the elastic force of the reset member 214 and clamp it radially inward; when the clamping transmission member 232 retracts, the elastic restoring force of the reset member 214 pushes the gripper 212 to open radially outward, so that the gripper 212 can remain in contact with the clamping transmission member 232. The reset member 214 ensures that the gripper 212 will not fail to reset due to friction or jamming when the clamping transmission member 232 retracts.

[0023] The transmission mechanism 23 also includes a push rod transmission component 233 for transmitting power from the driver 22 to the push rod 213. The push rod transmission component 233 includes a push rod 213 mounting base, which is slidably connected to the clamping base 211 along its parallel pick-and-place axis via a guide post. The bottom end of the push rod 213 mounting base is fixed to the push rod 213, and the top end is fixed with a pulley for engaging with a groove on the transmission base plate 231. When the transmission base plate 231 moves, the push rod transmission component 233 moves accordingly, causing the push rod 213 to extend and retract axially. The push rod transmission component 233 and the clamping transmission component 232 share the same transmission base plate 231 and the same driver 22, achieving mechanical coupling between the push rod 213 and the gripper 212. When the gripper 212 clamps the terminal, the push rod 213 is in a retracted state; when the robot drives the pick-and-place device to bring the terminal to the upper surface of the mold cavity, the driver 22 is activated, causing the transmission mechanism 23 to drive the gripper 212 to open and release the terminal, and then the transmission base plate 231 continues to move, causing the push rod 213 to extend and push the terminal into the mold cavity.

[0024] In addition, such as Figure 1 As shown, a positioning pin 4 is vertically fixed on the clamping base 211. The positioning pin 4 is used to engage with the positioning hole on the mold. When the clamping assembly 2 is docked with the mold, the positioning pin 4 contacts and inserts into the positioning hole on the mold before the gripper 212, so as to achieve precise positioning of the clamping assembly 2 and the mold and ensure that the terminal is accurately placed into the cavity.

[0025] Furthermore, the end of the positioning pin 4 furthest from the clamping base 211 is set in a tapered shape, and combined with... Figure 1 and Figure 8 As shown, the clamping base 211 is connected to the mounting base 1 via a floating member 3. The tapered front end of the positioning pin 4 has a self-guiding function when inserted into the positioning hole, and can cooperate with the floating member 3 to guide the positioning pin 4 to automatically center and enter the hole.

[0026] Specifically, such as Figure 8As shown, the floating component 3 includes a floating base 31 fixed to the mounting base 1. The floating base 31 is configured as a corner structure with two vertical edges, corresponding to the two vertical sidewalls of the clamping base. Each of the two vertical edges of the floating base 31 is provided with a ball head 32, which elastically abuts against the two vertical sidewalls of the clamping base 211. When the positioning pin 4 is inserted into the positioning hole on the mold, if there is a certain deviation in robot positioning, the guiding effect of the tapered front end, combined with the elastic floating of the floating component 3, allows the clamping base 211 to make a slight radial offset on the ball head 32, adaptively compensating for the robot's positioning deviation and reducing the equipment's requirements for robot positioning accuracy.

[0027] In this application, the power output direction of the driver 22 is at a certain angle to the side wall of the mounting base plate 1. The inclined arrangement can further save the space occupied inside the frame, so that the drivers 22 of each clamp assembly 2 are compactly arranged in the closed area and do not interfere with each other.

[0028] The following is a general description of the working process of the integrated pick-and-place device for multi-terminal injection molds in this embodiment, based on the above structure: The robot-driven mounting frame moves to the terminal feeding station, corresponding to the terminal to be clamped. The driver 22 of the corresponding clamping assembly 2 actuates, driving the transmission base plate 231 to move along the side wall of the mounting base plate 1. The transmission base plate 231 drives the clamping transmission component 232 and the push rod transmission component 233 to move together. The clamping transmission component 232 pushes the gripper 212 radially outward through the wedge surface 2121, allowing the terminal to enter between the grippers 212 and be clamped by the grippers 212 driven by the reset component 214 after the transmission base plate 231 is reset.

[0029] The robot-driven mounting frame moves above the injection mold. The tapered front end of the positioning pin 4 is inserted into the positioning hole on the mold, and the ball head 32 of the floating part 3 allows the clamping base 211 to float elastically, adaptively compensating for positioning deviations and completing precise alignment.

[0030] The actuator 22 continues to operate, pushing the transmission base plate 231 to extend again. Through the clamping transmission member 232, the gripper 212 is driven to open radially outward, releasing the terminal. At the same time, the push rod transmission member 233 moves with the transmission base plate 231, driving the push rod 213 to extend axially, pushing the terminal from the clamping mechanism 21 into the cavity of the injection mold.

[0031] The robot-driven installation frame moves away, and the injection mold closes for injection. The pick-and-place equipment continues to move to the next feeding station or standby position, completing one work cycle.

[0032] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0033] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise expressly defined.

[0034] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical concept and features of the present invention, intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the above exemplary embodiments, and that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered exemplary and non-limiting in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and thus all changes falling within the meaning and scope of the equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention.

Claims

1. An integrated pick-and-place device for multi-terminal injection molds, characterized in that, Including mounting frame and fixture assembly (2); The mounting frame includes a closed structure formed by multiple mounting base plates (1) located on different planes; the clamping assembly (2) is configured as multiple and mounted on different mounting base plates (1); The clamping assembly (2) includes a clamping mechanism (21) and a driver (22): The clamping mechanism (21) includes a clamping base (211) installed on the outer wall of the frame. The clamping base (211) is connected to a plurality of grippers (212) arranged around a pick-and-place axis of a vertical mounting base (1) and a push rod (213) arranged parallel to the pick-and-place axis. The driver (22) is set perpendicular to the pick-and-place axis in the closed area of ​​the mounting frame. Through the transmission mechanism (23), it drives the gripper (212) to move radially relative to the pick-and-place axis, and to move axially along the parallel pick-and-place axis that acts on the push rod (213) and is mechanically coupled to the radial movement relative to the pick-and-place axis.

2. The integrated pick-and-place device for multi-terminal injection molds according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission mechanism (23) includes a transmission base plate (231) fixed to the driver (22), and a clamping transmission member (232) is connected to the transmission base plate (231). One end of the clamping transmission component (232) is engaged with the slide groove of the transmission base plate (231), and the other end passes through the mounting base plate (1) and slides against the gripper (212); At least one of the adjacent ends of the gripper (212) or the clamping transmission member (232) is provided with a wedge-shaped surface (2121), so that the clamping transmission member (232) can drive the gripper (212) to clamp radially through its own axial movement.

3. The integrated pick-and-place device for multi-terminal injection molds according to claim 2, characterized in that, The clamping mechanism (21) includes a reset member (214), one end of which is fixed to the clamping base (211), and the other end of which is elastically abutted against the end of the jaw (212) away from the clamping transmission member (232), so that the jaw (212) can keep in contact with the clamping transmission member (232).

4. The integrated pick-and-place device for multi-terminal injection molds according to claim 2, characterized in that, The transmission mechanism (23) includes a push rod transmission component (233), one end of which is engaged with the sliding groove of the transmission base plate (231), and the other end is fixed with multiple push rods (213).

5. The integrated pick-and-place device for multi-terminal injection molds according to claim 1, characterized in that, A positioning pin (4) is vertically fixed on the clamping base (211), and the positioning pin (4) is used to engage with the positioning hole on the mold.

6. The integrated pick-and-place device for multi-terminal injection molds according to claim 5, characterized in that, The end of the positioning pin (4) away from the clamping base (211) is tapered; the clamping base (211) and the mounting base (1) are connected by a floating member (3); The floating component (3) includes a floating base (31) fixed to the mounting base (1), and a ball head (32) is provided on the floating base (31), which elastically abuts against the clamping base (211).

7. The integrated pick-and-place device for multi-terminal injection molds according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driver (22) is inclined relative to the side wall of the mounting base plate (1).

Images