Cap screwing manipulator

Abstract

A cap screwing manipulator comprises a mounting seat which comprises a fixed part and a rotating part rotationally connected in the fixed part; a rotation drive unit; the clamping jaw seat is fixed at the lower end of the rotating part; the lifting driving part is fixedly connected to the upper end of the fixing part, a lifting driving link rod is connected to a driving shaft of the lifting driving part, and the lifting driving link rod extends into the clamping jaw seat and is connected with a fixing sleeve; the clamping jaw assembly is located in the clamping jaw seat, and the clamping jaw assembly comprises a plurality of connecting rod assemblies; and a mandrel. The mechanical arm is compact and reasonable in structure and convenient to operate, flexible adjustment of the opening degree of the clamping jaws is achieved through the ingenious design of the connecting rod assembly and the fixing sleeve, the adaptability of the mechanical arm is improved, and the application range of the mechanical arm in a compact production line is widened. Meanwhile, the connecting rod assembly and the air cylinder drive replace a traditional rubber ring, the synchronism of the clamping jaws is improved, the service life of the clamping jaws is prolonged, and the defective rate and the maintenance cost in the production process are reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of mechanical packaging, in particular to a capping manipulator. Background Art

[0002] On an automated production line, the manipulator gripper is a key execution component, and its performance directly affects production efficiency and product quality. Traditional manipulator grippers have several defects in design, resulting in many challenges in their practical applications.

[0003] First of all, the opening and closing degree control of traditional manipulator grippers is not convenient enough. This is mainly reflected in that the opening and closing range of the grippers is fixed and cannot be flexibly adjusted according to actual needs. On a compact production line, this lack of flexibility in design greatly limits the application range of the manipulator because the production line space is limited and there are strict requirements for the size and opening and closing degree of the grippers. Traditional grippers often cannot be used because they cannot adapt to the compact space, thus affecting the layout and efficiency of the production line.

[0004] Secondly, rubber rings are usually used on traditional capping manipulators to ensure the synchronization of multiple grippers, especially the consistency during the loosening of the grippers. However, this design has obvious defects. The rubber rings are prone to aging and may deform or be damaged after long-term use, resulting in a decrease in the synchronization between the grippers. This not only affects the quality of capping but may also cause damage to the packaging bottles, increasing the defective rate during the production process.

[0005] Finally, traditional packaging bottle capping equipment cannot ensure the consistency of the nozzle directions during the capping process. Due to the inconsistency of the nozzle directions, problems such as misalignment of the nozzles and packaging misalignment may occur during subsequent packaging processes, seriously affecting the appearance and usability of the products. This problem is particularly prominent on high-speed automated production lines because the fast production rhythm makes manual intervention and adjustment impractical.

[0006] In summary, traditional manipulator grippers and capping equipment have obvious defects in terms of opening and closing degree control, gripper synchronization, and nozzle direction consistency. These defects not only affect production efficiency and product quality but may also cause unnecessary losses to the production line. Therefore, it is particularly urgent to carry out technological innovation and improvement in response to these problems.

[0007] For this reason, we propose a capping manipulator. Content of the Utility Model

[0008] The applicant of the present utility model aims at the above-mentioned disadvantages in the existing production technology and provides a capping manipulator, which realizes flexible adjustment of the opening and closing degree of the grippers, enhances the adaptability of the manipulator and its application range in compact production lines.

[0009] The technical solution adopted by the present utility model is as follows:

[0010] A cap - screwing manipulator, comprising:

[0011] A mounting base, which includes a fixing part and a rotating part rotatably connected within the fixing part;

[0012] A rotation driving part, which is connected to the upper end of the fixing part, and the driving end of the rotation driving part is connected to the rotating part, for driving the rotating part to achieve subsequent cap - screwing;

[0013] A jaw seat, fixed to the lower end of the rotating part and rotating synchronously with the rotating part;

[0014] A lifting driving part, fixedly connected to the upper end of the fixing part, a lifting driving link rod is connected to the driving shaft of the lifting driving part, and the lifting driving link rod extends into the jaw seat and is connected to a fixed sleeve;

[0015] A jaw assembly, which is located within the jaw seat. The jaw assembly includes multiple groups of link rod assemblies. One end of the link rod assembly is hinged to the fixed sleeve, the other end of the link rod assembly is hinged with a jaw, and the connection node of the link rod assembly and the jaw is simultaneously hinged within a pre - formed through - hole opened on the jaw seat;

[0016] A mandrel, arranged inside the lifting driving link rod, passing through the jaw seat and extending downward, and a nozzle anti - rotation rod is connected to its lower end.

[0017] As a further improvement of the above - mentioned technical solution:

[0018] The fixing part and the rotating part are connected through a bearing to improve stability.

[0019] The rotation driving part includes a rotation driving device. A gear transmission pair is connected to the driving shaft of the rotation driving device. The gear transmission pair includes a main gear and a slave gear. The main gear is connected to the driving shaft of the rotation driving device, and the slave gear is sleeved on the rotating part.

[0020] The lifting driving part includes a telescopic driving device, and a lifting driving link rod is connected to the driving shaft of the telescopic driving device through a rigid connecting sleeve.

[0021] The inside of the lifting driving link rod is hollow. The mandrel only moves axially and does not rotate. The mandrel is connected to a bracket through an anti - rotation shaft, and a strip - shaped groove corresponding to the anti - rotation shaft is opened on the bracket, and the strip - shaped groove is arranged along the axial direction of the mandrel.

[0022] It further includes an origin position sensor, which is used to ensure that when the jaw descends from above the packaging bottle workpiece to clamp the packaging bottle workpiece, it always avoids the nozzle and does not interfere.

[0023] The jaw seat includes a housing, the housing is fixed to the lower end of the rotating part and rotates synchronously with the rotating part, and the lifting driving link rod extends into the housing.

[0024] A clamping rubber is connected to one side of the jaw close to the packaging bottle workpiece.

[0025] The telescopic driving device is a lift-adjustable cylinder. For the change of the outer diameter size of the product, it can be directly adapted by manually adjusting the stroke of the cylinder.

[0026] A limit gasket for controlling the stroke of the fixed sleeve is also arranged in the housing. The swing radius of the jaw assembly can be adjusted through the limit gasket.

[0027] The beneficial effects of the present utility model are as follows:

[0028] The structure of the present utility model is compact and reasonable, and the operation is convenient. The ingenious design of the connecting rod assembly and the fixed sleeve realizes the flexible adjustment of the opening and closing degree of the jaw, enhances the adaptability of the manipulator and the application range in the compact production line. At the same time, by replacing the traditional rubber ring design with the connecting rod assembly and cylinder drive, the synchronism and service life of the jaw are improved, and the defective rate and maintenance cost in the production process are reduced. In addition, the manipulator innovatively introduces the design of the mandrel and the nozzle anti-rotation rod, realizes the precise control of the nozzle direction, ensures the consistency of the nozzle orientation after screwing the cap, facilitates the subsequent sorting and packing processes, and improves the appearance and practicability of the product.

[0029] At the same time, the present utility model also has the following advantages:

[0030] The flexible adjustment of the opening and closing degree of the jaw is realized: The opening and closing degree of the jaws of the traditional manipulator is fixed and cannot adapt to the space limitation of the compact production line. The manipulator in this embodiment realizes the flexible adjustment of the opening and closing degree of the jaw through the ingenious design of the connecting rod assembly and the fixed sleeve. The multi-link structure of the connecting rod assembly enables the jaw to have greater freedom during the opening and closing process and can adapt to packaging bottles of different sizes. At the same time, the spline shaft nested design between the fixed sleeve and the lift drive link rod ensures that the fixed sleeve can rotate while moving axially, further enhancing the adaptability of the jaw. This design not only improves the flexibility of the manipulator but also expands its application range in the compact production line, improving the layout efficiency and production efficiency of the production line.

[0031] Improved jaw synchronism and service life: In traditional capping manipulators, rubber rings are used to ensure jaw synchronism. However, rubber rings are prone to aging and deformation, which affect the synchronism between jaws and the capping quality. In the manipulator of this embodiment, through the design of the connecting rod assembly and cylinder drive, synchronous clamping and loosening of the jaws are achieved. The multi-link structure of the connecting rod assembly enables multiple jaws to act in unison, ensuring the stability of the capping process. At the same time, the cylinder drive replaces the traditional rubber ring design, avoiding the problems of rubber ring aging and deformation, improving the service life of the jaws and the capping quality. This design not only reduces the defective rate during production but also decreases the maintenance cost and time, improving the overall production efficiency and economy.

[0032] Ensured the consistency of nozzle direction: Traditional capping equipment for packaging bottles cannot ensure the consistency of nozzle direction, resulting in problems such as misalignment of nozzles and packaging misalignment during subsequent packaging processes. In the manipulator of this embodiment, through the design of the mandrel and nozzle anti-rotation rod, precise control of the nozzle direction is achieved. The mandrel passes through the housing and extends downward, with an L-shaped nozzle anti-rotation rod connected to its lower end, which contacts the nozzle and restricts its rotation. This design ensures that during the clamping and capping process, the nozzle does not rotate relative to the bottle body, making the orientation of the nozzle consistent with the incoming direction of the bottle body after capping. This not only facilitates subsequent sorting and packing processes but also improves the appearance and usability of the product. On high-speed automated production lines, this design is particularly important as it eliminates the need for manual intervention and adjustment, improving the automation level and production efficiency of the production line. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the present utility model.

[0034] Figure 2 is the front view of the present utility model.

[0035] Figure 3 is Figure 2 the cross-sectional view taken along the A-A section in

[0036] Figure 4 is the structural schematic diagram of the workpiece in the present utility model.

[0037] Wherein: 100, mounting base; 200, lifting drive part; 300, rotation drive part; 400, jaw seat; 500, jaw assembly; 600, packaging bottle workpiece;

[0038] 101, origin sensor; 102, rotating part; 103, bearing; 104, fixing part;

[0039] 201, telescopic drive device; 202, mandrel; 2021, nozzle anti-rotation rod; 203, rigid connection sleeve; 204, lifting drive link; 2041, fixing sleeve;

[0040] 301. Rotary drive device; 302. Gear transmission pair; 401. Housing;

[0041] 501. Link assembly; 502. Jaw; 503. Clamping rubber;

[0042] 601. Bottle cap; 602. Nozzle; 603. Bottle body. Specific embodiments

[0043] The following will describe the specific embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0044] As Figures 1 - 4 shown, in this embodiment, a cap screwing manipulator is disclosed, which includes a mounting base 100, a lifting drive part 200, a rotary drive part 300, a jaw base 400 and a jaw assembly 500, and can realize the automatic processing of the packaging bottle workpiece 600. The packaging bottle workpiece 600 in this embodiment, as Figure 4 shown, specifically includes a bottle body 603 and a bottle cap 601, and a nozzle 602 is also provided on the bottle cap 601. The purpose of this manipulator is to connect the bottle cap 601 to the bottle body 603 by rotation, and at the same time, it is necessary to avoid the change of the position of the nozzle 602 relative to the bottle body 603. Therefore, when all the bottle bodies 603 are of the same type, the orientations of the nozzles 602 on each packaging bottle workpiece 600 are also the same. Through intelligent and mechanized operations, the bottle cap 601 is screwed onto the bottle body 603, thus achieving the effect of automatic cap screwing.

[0045] The following will elaborate on the specific structure in detail:

[0046] The mounting base 100 in this embodiment includes a fixed part 104 and a rotating part 102 rotatably connected within the fixed part 104. The fixed part 104 and the rotating part 102 are connected by a bearing 103 to improve stability. The fixed part 104 is used to connect with other structures. In this embodiment, during actual operation, the fixed part 104 is used to connect with the Z-axis drive part to achieve the Z-axis movement of the robotic arm.

[0047] As Figures 1 - 3 shown, the rotary drive part 300 in this embodiment is connected to the upper end of the fixed part 104 through a bracket and is used to drive the rotating part 102 to rotate. The rotary drive part 300 includes a rotary drive device 301, which is usually a motor, and a servo motor or a stepper motor can be used to improve accuracy. A gear transmission pair 302 is connected to the drive shaft of the rotary drive device 301. The gear transmission pair 302 includes a main gear and a driven gear. The main gear is connected to the drive shaft of the rotary drive device 301, and the driven gear is sleeved on the rotating part 102, thereby driving the rotating part 102 to rotate.

[0048] In this embodiment, the lifting drive unit 200 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the fixed unit 104 through a bracket. The lifting drive unit 200 is used to achieve axial telescoping, and drive the jaws to approach each other to achieve clamping and move away from each other to achieve loosening through the telescoping. Its structure includes a telescoping drive device 201, and the telescoping drive device 201 is usually a cylinder, an electric cylinder or a rod, etc. A lifting drive link rod 204 is connected to the drive shaft of the telescoping drive device 201 through a fixed sleeve 2041. The lifting drive link rod 204 can be fixedly connected to the rotating part 102 and rotate therewith, or can be movably inserted into the rotating part 102 and not rotate therewith. The interior of the lifting drive link rod 204 is hollow, and a core shaft 202 is arranged inside it. The core shaft 202 only moves axially and does not rotate. The core shaft 202 is connected to the bracket through a stop rotating shaft, and a strip-shaped groove corresponding to the stop rotating shaft is provided on the bracket, and the strip-shaped groove is arranged along the axial direction of the core shaft 202.

[0049] At the same time, in this embodiment, a home position sensor 101 is also provided. By using the home position sensor 101, it can be ensured that when the jaws descend from above the packaging bottle workpiece 600 to clamp the packaging bottle workpiece 600, they always avoid the nozzle 602 and do not interfere. At the same time, since the position of the nozzle stop rod 2021 is also fixed, it can also be avoided to touch the nozzle 602 when descending.

[0050] The jaw seat 400 in this embodiment includes a housing 401. The housing 401 is fixed to the lower end of the rotating part 102 and rotates synchronously with the rotating part 102. The lifting drive link rod 204 extends into the housing 401, and a fixed sleeve 2041 is also connected to the side wall of the end of the lifting drive link rod 204 extending into the housing 401. The connection method between the fixed sleeve 2041 and the lifting drive link rod 204 corresponds to the connection relationship between the lifting drive link rod 204 and the rotating part 102. When the lifting drive link rod 204 is fixedly connected to the rotating part 102, at this time, the lifting drive link rod 204 and the telescoping drive device 201 are rotationally connected through a rigid connection sleeve 203, and the lifting drive link rod 204 is fixedly connected to the fixed sleeve 2041. On the contrary, when the lifting drive link rod 204 is rotationally connected to the rotating part 102, at this time, the lifting drive link rod 204 and the telescoping drive device 201 are fixedly connected through a rigid connection sleeve 203, and the lifting drive link rod 204 and the fixed sleeve 2041 are rotationally connected. At the same time, it is also necessary to ensure that the fixed sleeve 2041 moves axially on the lifting drive link rod 204, which can be achieved by nesting a spline shaft between the fixed sleeve 2041 and the lifting drive link rod 204.

[0051] Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the mandrel 202 passes through the housing 401 and extends downward. The lower end of the mandrel 202 is connected with an L-shaped nozzle anti-rotation rod 2021, and the nozzle anti-rotation rod 2021 contacts the nozzle 602 and restricts the nozzle 602 from rotating. This can ensure that the nozzle 602 does not rotate relative to the bottle body 603 during the process of clamping and screwing the cap of the product. The direction of the nozzle 602 can be uniformly processed according to the feeding direction of the front-end bottle body 603. That is, if the position of the bottle body 603 is determined, then the orientation of the nozzle 602 after screwing the cap is also certain. Since the threads between the bottle body 603 and the bottle cap 601 are all standardized, the number of turns of rotation is also fixed. Therefore, fixing the position of the nozzle 602 can effectively control the orientation of the nozzles 602 of the packaged bottles of the finished products to be consistent, which is convenient for subsequent sorting and packing.

[0052] In this embodiment, a limit gasket (not shown in the figure) for controlling the stroke of the fixed sleeve 2041 is further provided in the housing 401. The swing radius of the jaw assembly 500 can be adjusted through the limit gasket. When multiple robotic arms work simultaneously, this can reduce the swing radius and make it applicable to a more compact production line. At the same time, compared with making rubber rings with different radii and tension forces by opening molds, this method has lower costs and a shorter cycle.

[0053] The jaw assembly 500 in this embodiment, as Figure 3 shown, includes multiple sets of link assemblies 501. In this embodiment, the number of link assemblies 501 is 3, but in actual use, the number can also be 2, 4, 5, etc. The link assembly 501 is composed of multiple links connected end to end. The upper ends of the multiple link assemblies 501 are hinged on the same fixed sleeve 2041, and the lower ends of the link assemblies 501 are hinged to the jaws 502. And the connection nodes of the link assembly 501 and the jaws 502 are simultaneously hinged in the prefabricated through holes opened in the housing 401. In this way, through the up and down action of the fixed sleeve 2041, the clamping and loosening of the jaws 502 can be driven by the lever principle of the link assembly 501. A clamping rubber 503 is connected to the side of the jaws 502 close to the packaging bottle workpiece 600.

[0054] In this embodiment, the clamping and unclamping of the jaw assembly 500 are driven by the link assembly 501. This ensures that the closing and opening of the jaws 502 are both driven by the air cylinder. Compared with the traditional method of using a rubber ring to open the jaws 502, this method is more operable. At the same time, the rubber rings in the traditional method need to be replaced regularly, and their toughness will decrease after long-term use, and the requirements for the environment are higher.

[0055] Meanwhile, the telescopic driving device 201 in this embodiment is a lift-adjustable air cylinder. For a change in the outer diameter size of the product of about 4MM, it can be directly adapted by manually adjusting the stroke of the air cylinder. This reduces the need for stroke control of the lower fixed sleeve 2041 and remaking the clamping rubber 503, effectively reducing costs.

[0056] Working principle and beneficial effects:

[0057] During operation, first, the Z-axis drive unit drives the entire manipulator to move to the specified position. Then, the telescopic drive device 201 is activated, driving the lifting drive link rod 204, the mandrel 202, and the fixed sleeve 2041 to move downward. Due to the action of the connecting rod assembly 501, the jaws 502 will approach each other and finally clamp the bottle cap 601. The mandrel 202 drives the nozzle anti-rotation rod 2021 to move downward, thereby restricting the rotation of the nozzle 602. At this time, the rotary drive device 301 is activated, driving the rotary part 102 and the lower jaw assembly 500 to rotate through the gear transmission pair 302, so as to screw the bottle cap 601 onto the bottle body 603. After the capping is completed, the telescopic drive device 201 is activated in the reverse direction, driving the jaws 502 to loosen and return to the original position, waiting for the next action.

[0058] The three-jaw capping manipulator in this embodiment has the following beneficial effects:

[0059] The top is a lift-adjustable cylinder. For a change in the outer diameter size of the product of about 4MM, it can be directly adapted by manually adjusting the cylinder stroke. This reduces the need for stroke control of the lower fixed sleeve 2041 and remaking the clamping rubber 503, effectively reducing costs.

[0060] Internal components such as the anti-rotation mandrel 202, the lifting drive link rod 204, and the connecting rod assembly 501 all adopt high-quality materials and processes, ensuring the stability and consistency of the manipulator. At the same time, the design of these components also takes into account ease of maintenance and durability, which can reduce the costs of long-term use.

[0061] The clamping and unclamping of the lower product are achieved by the use of the connecting rod assembly 501. This ensures that the closing and opening of the jaws 502 are both driven by the cylinder. Compared with the traditional method of using a rubber ring to open the jaws 502, the action is more operable. At the same time, the rubber ring in the traditional method needs to be replaced regularly, and its toughness will decrease after long-term use, and it has higher requirements for the environment. The manipulator in this embodiment avoids these problems.

[0062] By adjusting the thickness of the limit gasket, the turning radius of the jaw assembly 500 can be changed. This is particularly useful when multiple manipulators work simultaneously, as the turning radius can be reduced to adapt to a more compact production line. At the same time, this method also reduces the cost of opening molds to make rubber rings with different radii and tension forces.

[0063] The above description is an explanation of the present utility model, not a limitation thereof. The scope defined by the present utility model can be seen in the claims. Within the protection scope of the present utility model, any form of modification can be made.

Claims

1. A capping robot, characterized in that: include: A mounting seat (100) comprising a fixing portion (104) and a rotating portion (102) rotatably connected within the fixing portion (104); A rotation driving part (300) connected to the upper end of the fixed part (104); a driving end of the rotation driving part (300) is connected to the rotating part (102) and is used to drive the rotating part (102); The clamping claw seat (400) is fixed to the lower end of the rotating part (102) and rotates synchronously with the rotating part (102); A lifting drive unit (200) is fixedly connected to the upper end of the fixing unit (104); a lifting drive link rod (204) is connected to the driving shaft of the lifting drive unit (200); the lifting drive link rod (204) extends into the clamping claw seat (400) and is connected to a fixing sleeve (2041); A clamping jaw assembly (500) is located in the clamping jaw seat (400), the clamping jaw assembly (500) comprising a plurality of connecting rod assemblies (501), one end of the connecting rod assembly (501) is hinged on the fixing sleeve (2041), the other end of the connecting rod assembly (501) is hinged with a clamping jaw (502), and the connection node between the connecting rod assembly (501) and the clamping jaw (502) is simultaneously hinged in a prefabricated through hole opened on the clamping jaw seat (400); The core shaft (202) is arranged inside the lifting drive link rod (204), passes through the clamping claw seat (400) and extends downward, and the lower end of the core shaft is connected to the nozzle stop rod (2021).

2. The capping robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixed part (104) and the rotating part (102) are connected via a bearing (103) to improve stability.

3. The capping robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotary drive unit (300) comprises a rotary drive device (301), a drive shaft of the rotary drive device (301) being connected to a gear transmission pair (302), the gear transmission pair (302) comprising a main gear and a slave gear, the main gear being connected to the drive shaft of the rotary drive device (301), and the slave gear being sleeved on the rotary unit (102).

4. The capping robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting drive unit (200) comprises a telescopic driving device (201), and a lifting driving link rod (204) is connected to the driving shaft of the telescopic driving device (201) via a rigid connecting sleeve (203).

5. The capping robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting drive link rod (204) is hollow inside, the core shaft (202) only moves axially and does not rotate, the core shaft (202) is connected to the bracket via a stop shaft, and a strip groove corresponding to the stop shaft is provided on the bracket, and the strip groove is arranged along the axial direction of the core shaft (202).

6. The capping robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an origin position sensor (101) for ensuring that when the clamping claw descends from above the packaging bottle workpiece (600) to clamp the packaging bottle workpiece (600), it always avoids the nozzle (602) and does not interfere.

7. The capping robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping jaw seat (400) comprises a cover shell (401), which is fixed to the lower end of the rotating part (102) and rotates synchronously with the rotating part (102). The lifting driving link rod (204) extends into the cover shell (401).

8. The capping robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: A clamping rubber (503) is connected to a side of the clamping jaw (502) close to the packaging bottle workpiece (600).

9. The capping robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The telescopic drive device (201) is a lifting and adjustable cylinder, which can adapt to changes in the outer diameter of the product by directly manually adjusting the cylinder stroke.

10. The capping robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: A limit gasket for controlling the travel of the fixing sleeve (2041) is also provided in the housing (401), and the rotation radius of the clamping jaw assembly (500) can be adjusted via the limit gasket.

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