A full-automatic automobile steering column centering and marking device and a centering and marking method

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of automobile assembly, in particular to a full-automatic automobile steering column centering and marking device and a centering and marking method. The device comprises a mounting base, a robot, a connecting mechanism, a centering tool, a marking mechanism and an industrial camera. The middle part of the mounting base is provided with the robot, one side of the robot is provided with the connecting mechanism, the other end of the connecting mechanism is provided with the centering tool, the upper part of the centering tool is provided with the marking mechanism, and the front end of the centering tool is provided with the industrial camera. The mounting base is used for fixing the whole device, the robot is used for automatically operating the centering tool, the industrial camera is used for visually guiding the robot to enable the centering tool to be accurately fitted on the steering column, the centering tool is used for driving the steering column to rotate left and right and then return to the center point after being hit, and the marking mechanism is used for marking a reference line on the steering column which has been centered. The device can automatically adjust the steering column of the centered automobile and mark a reference line on the steering column without manual operation of the equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive assembly technology, specifically to a fully automatic automotive steering column centering and marking device and method. Background Technology

[0002] During vehicle manufacturing and assembly, some errors are unavoidable, especially when assembling the steering wheel on the production line. If the steering wheel is not properly assembled, it can cause the vehicle to pull to one side, leading to after-sales complaints or safety hazards. Therefore, assembly reference lines 101 need to be marked on the steering column 100 for reference during the subsequent assembly of the steering wheel 200 (see [reference]). Figure 1 Because the steering column has more than eighty teeth, the centering and marking work on the steering column in the automotive industry is currently mainly done manually. This not only fails to guarantee the consistency and accuracy of the marking position, but also results in wasted time waiting for the work to be completed.

[0003] In view of the above problems, the inventors of this invention have finally obtained this invention after a long period of research and practice. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a fully automatic automotive steering column centering and marking device and method, which can realize a fully automatic process without manual operation.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows:

[0006] On the one hand, a fully automatic automotive steering column centering and marking device is provided, including a robot, a connecting mechanism, a centering tool, a marking mechanism, and an industrial camera; the working end of the robot is connected to the centering tool and the industrial camera through the connecting mechanism, and the marking mechanism is installed on the centering tool;

[0007] When the robot starts working, it moves the centering tool from its initial position to the steering wheel position in the vehicle's cockpit according to a preset trajectory. The industrial camera takes a picture of the position of the vehicle's steering column and calculates the coordinate position of the steering column end face, which is then sent to the robot. The robot makes a second movement based on the received coordinate position to make the centering tool accurately engage with the steering column.

[0008] Furthermore, the centering tool includes a rotatable multi-toothed sleeve that can engage with the steering column to drive the steering column to rotate; the marking mechanism includes a marking needle located inside the multi-toothed sleeve to impact and mark a reference line on the end face of the steering column.

[0009] Furthermore, the relative position between the engraving needle of the engraving mechanism and the centering tool is fixed, and the position of the engraving needle remains unchanged when the multi-tooth sleeve rotates.

[0010] Furthermore, the fully automatic automotive steering column centering and marking device also includes a control calculation module for calculating the rotation angle of the multi-tooth sleeve and controlling the movement of the multi-tooth sleeve and the marking needle.

[0011] Furthermore, the industrial camera is located at the front end of the centering tool.

[0012] Furthermore, the industrial camera is a 3D vision camera.

[0013] Furthermore, the robot is fixedly mounted on the ground on one side of the car assembly line via a mounting base.

[0014] On the other hand, a fully automatic automotive steering column centering and marking method is provided, employing the aforementioned fully automatic automotive steering column centering and marking device. This method includes the following steps:

[0015] After the centering tool accurately engages with the steering column, the centering tool drives the steering column to turn fully to the right to its right limit position. Then, the centering tool drives the steering column to turn fully to the left to its left limit position. The control calculation module calculates the total angle of the steering column rotating from the right limit position to the left limit position. Then, the centering tool drives the steering column to rotate half of the total angle from the left limit position to the right. At this time, the engraving needle of the engraving mechanism impacts and engraves the reference line on the end face of the steering column.

[0016] Furthermore, the method also includes: after the reference line is engraved, the robot drives the centering tool to disengage from the steering column, moves out of the vehicle's cockpit and returns to the initial position.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0018] The fully automatic automotive steering column centering and marking device and method of the present invention can realize a fully automatic process without the need for manual operation of the equipment, thus avoiding the problem that manual operation cannot guarantee consistency. At the same time, it can improve the automation rate, optimize production line personnel, reduce production costs, and meet the needs of industrial automation. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the steering wheel assembly is shown;

[0021] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the operation of the automotive steering column centering and marking device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0022] Figure 3(a) shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the automotive steering column centering and marking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3(b) shows the E-direction view of Figure 3(a). Detailed Implementation

[0024] The above-mentioned and other technical features and advantages of the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and are not intended to 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 invention.

[0026] like Figure 2 As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), in this embodiment, the fully automatic automotive steering column centering and marking device of the present invention includes a mounting base 1, a robot 2, a connecting mechanism 3, a centering tool 4, a marking mechanism 5, and an industrial camera 6. The robot 2 is mounted in the middle of the mounting base 1, the connecting mechanism 3 is mounted on one side of the robot 2, the centering tool 4 is mounted at the other end of the connecting mechanism 3, the marking mechanism 5 is mounted on the centering tool 4, and the industrial camera 4 is mounted at the front end of the centering tool 4. The mounting base 1 is used to fix the overall device, the robot 2 is used to automatically operate the centering tool 4, the industrial camera 5 is used to visually guide the robot 2 so that the centering tool 4 can be accurately fitted onto the steering column, the centering tool is used to drive the steering column to rotate, and the marking mechanism is used to mark reference lines on the already centered steering column.

[0027] Specifically, mounting base 1 is fixed to the ground with chemical bolts to ensure a fixed position. Robot 2, a standard six-axis industrial robot, is bolted to the upper part of the mounting base. Connecting mechanism 3 is bolted to one side of the robot; this mechanism can be made of stainless steel or other materials with sufficient strength, such as aluminum alloy. Centering tool 4 is bolted to connecting mechanism 3. Centering tool 4 has a multi-toothed sleeve 41 that engages with the steering column to drive its rotation. The rotation of the multi-toothed sleeve 41 is driven by a motor, reducer, and rotating mechanism. Engraving mechanism 5 is bolted and integrated into centering tool 4. Engraving mechanism 5 consists of an impact motor and an engraving needle (not shown in the figure). The engraving needle is located inside the multi-toothed sleeve 41 of centering tool 4. When the multi-toothed sleeve of centering tool rotates, the position of the engraving needle relative to the vehicle remains fixed and does not change with the rotation of the multi-toothed sleeve. The industrial camera 6 is fixed to the connecting mechanism 3 by bolts. The industrial camera is located at the front of the centering tool 4. The industrial camera 6 is a 3D vision camera. The industrial camera 6 can locate the actual position coordinates of the steering column end face of the corresponding vehicle by taking pictures. Through calculation, it guides the robot to put the multi-tooth sleeve at the front of the centering tool onto the steering column.

[0028] Understandably, the fully automatic automotive steering column centering and marking device also has a control calculation module (not shown in the figure) for calculating the rotation angle of the multi-tooth sleeve and controlling the movements of the centering tool 4 and the marking mechanism 5. The control calculation module is connected to the controller of the robot 2.

[0029] The fully automatic automotive steering column centering and marking device of the present invention is located on one side of the vehicle assembly line. During operation, the vehicle first runs to the designated work area of ​​the production line. If necessary, the vehicle body is clamped by a lifting clamping device to fix the vehicle body position. If the lifting device or other conveying mechanism can ensure that the vehicle stops at a relatively accurate position, the clamping device may not be used.

[0030] After the vehicle comes to a stop, the controller of robot 2 receives the vehicle arrival signal. Robot 2 then moves the centering tool 4 from its initial position to the steering wheel position in the vehicle's driver's cab according to a preset trajectory. The industrial camera 6 takes a picture of the steering column's position and calculates the coordinates of the steering column end face, sending this information to the robot's controller. Based on the received coordinates, the robot performs a secondary movement to ensure accurate engagement between the multi-toothed sleeve 41 of the centering tool 4 and the steering column. It should be noted that the calculation of the steering column end face's coordinates can be performed in the industrial camera's calculation module and then sent to the robot, or the captured image can be sent to the robot's controller, where its calculation module will calculate the coordinates of the steering column end face. Subsequently, centering tool 4 drives the steering column to its rightmost position, then drives it to its leftmost position. The control calculation module calculates the total angle of the steering column's rotation from the rightmost to the leftmost position. Then, the centering tool drives the steering column to rotate half of this total angle from the leftmost position to the right, completing the steering column centering process. At this point, the marking needle of the marking mechanism impacts and marks a reference line on the steering column end face. After the entire process is complete, the robot detaches the centering tool from the steering column, moves out of the vehicle's cockpit, returns to its initial position, and notifies the production line to release the vehicle for the next operation.

[0031] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are illustrative rather than restrictive. The structure and connection methods of the various components in the present invention can be varied, and any equivalent transformations and improvements made based on the technical solution of the present invention should not be excluded from the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fully automatic automotive steering column centering and marking device, characterized in that, It includes a robot, a connecting mechanism, a centering tool, a marking mechanism, and an industrial camera; the working end of the robot is connected to the centering tool and the industrial camera through the connecting mechanism, and the centering tool is equipped with a marking mechanism. When the robot starts working, it moves the centering tool from its initial position to the steering wheel position in the vehicle's cockpit according to a preset trajectory. The industrial camera takes a picture of the position of the vehicle's steering column and calculates the coordinate position of the steering column end face, which is then sent to the robot. The robot makes a second movement based on the received coordinate position to make the centering tool accurately engage with the steering column.

2. The fully automatic automotive steering column centering and marking device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The centering tool includes a rotatable multi-toothed sleeve that can engage with the steering column to drive the steering column to rotate; the marking mechanism includes a marking needle located inside the multi-toothed sleeve to impact and mark a reference line on the end face of the steering column.

3. The fully automatic automotive steering column centering and marking device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The relative position between the engraving needle of the engraving mechanism and the centering tool is fixed, and the position of the engraving needle remains unchanged when the multi-tooth sleeve rotates.

4. The fully automatic automotive steering column centering and marking device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes a control calculation module for calculating the rotation angle of the multi-tooth sleeve and controlling the movement of the multi-tooth sleeve and the engraving needle.

5. The fully automatic automotive steering column centering and marking device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The industrial camera is located at the front end of the centering tool.

6. The fully automatic automotive steering column centering and marking device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The industrial camera is a 3D vision camera.

7. The fully automatic automotive steering column centering and marking device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The robot is fixedly mounted on the ground on one side of the car assembly line using a mounting base.

8. A fully automatic method for centering and marking automotive steering columns, characterized in that, The fully automatic automotive steering column centering and marking device as described in claim 4 includes the following steps: After the centering tool accurately engages with the steering column, the centering tool drives the steering column to turn fully to the right to its right limit position. Then, the centering tool drives the steering column to turn fully to the left to its left limit position. The control calculation module calculates the total angle of the steering column rotating from the right limit position to the left limit position. Then, the centering tool drives the steering column to rotate half of the total angle from the left limit position to the right. At this time, the engraving needle of the engraving mechanism impacts and engraves the reference line on the end face of the steering column.

9. The fully automatic automotive steering column centering and marking method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: after the reference line is engraved, the robot drives the centering tool to disengage from the steering column, moves out of the vehicle's cockpit and returns to the initial position.

Images