Manipulator assembly for automatically replacing bottom line

Abstract

The utility model discloses a manipulator assembly for automatically changing a base line, which comprises a mechanical arm component and a gripper component, the mechanical arm component comprises a mechanical arm swing connecting rod, a mechanical arm sliding rod, a mechanical arm sliding block and a mechanical arm operation guide groove, and the mechanical arm swing connecting rod is connected with a mechanical arm swing shaft. The mechanical arm swing shaft is driven by the mechanical arm driving motor to rotate and drives the mechanical arm swing connecting rod to swing, the mechanical arm sliding block is in sliding connection with the mechanical arm sliding rod and connected with a guide rod, the mechanical arm swing connecting rod is provided with a sliding groove, and the guide rod is in sliding connection with the sliding groove and is in sliding connection with the mechanical arm operation guide groove. The mechanical arm swinging connecting rod drives the mechanical arm sliding block to slide along the mechanical arm sliding rod in the swinging process, meanwhile, the mechanical arm sliding rod rotates, the guide rod slides along the sliding groove and the mechanical arm operation guide groove, and the mechanical arm operation guide groove guides the mechanical arm sliding block to change the height, the front-back position and the relative angle.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the technical field of embroidery equipment, and particularly relates to an automatic bobbin thread changing device. [Background Technology]

[0002] The automatic bobbin thread changing devices currently on the market achieve the purpose of automatically changing the bobbin thread by automatically replacing the bobbin case and bobbin core. Referring to the Chinese invention patent application with publication number CN 110340628 A, a multi-station robotic arm bobbin thread changing device is disclosed, which can be responsible for the bobbin thread changing work of several preset stations, and the disassembled bobbin case and spare bobbin case are placed in the bobbin thread storage tray. Specifically, the device structure includes a horizontal guide mechanism and a bobbin thread changing device, and the bobbin thread changing device includes a bobbin thread gripper, a rectangular coordinate robotic arm, a translation base, a rotary drive mechanism and a bobbin thread storage tray. The rectangular coordinate robotic arm is arranged on the translation base, the bobbin thread gripper is arranged at the end of the rectangular coordinate robotic arm, and the rotary drive mechanism is arranged on one side of the translation base. The rotary drive mechanism is detachably connected to the bobbin thread storage tray, and the rotary drive mechanism drives the bobbin thread storage tray to rotate. Several bobbin thread storage stations are arranged around the bobbin thread storage tray, and the translation base is slidably connected to the horizontal guide rail.

[0003] The rectangular coordinate robot arm includes a lifting drive arm and a horizontal drive arm. The lifting drive arm is arranged on a translation base. The horizontal drive arm is connected to the lifting drive arm. The bobbin case gripper is slidably connected to the horizontal drive arm. The lifting drive arm drives the horizontal drive arm to rise and fall, and the horizontal drive arm drives the bobbin case gripper to move horizontally. The lifting drive arm includes a lifting screw, a lifting slider, a lifting rail, and a lifting drive motor. The lifting rail and lifting screw are vertically arranged on the top of the translation base. The lifting slider is slidably connected to the lifting rail. A first nut is provided in the lifting slider and is sleeved on the lifting screw. The lifting drive motor is provided on the lifting rail, and the lifting drive motor drives the lifting screw to rotate. The horizontal drive arm includes a horizontal screw, a horizontal slider, a horizontal rail, and a horizontal drive motor. The horizontal rail is connected to the lifting slider. The horizontal screw is arranged parallel to the horizontal rail. The two ends of the horizontal screw are respectively connected to the two ends of the horizontal rail. The horizontal slider is slidably connected to the horizontal rail. A second nut is provided in the horizontal slider and is sleeved on the horizontal screw. The horizontal drive motor is provided on the horizontal rail. The horizontal drive motor drives the horizontal screw to rotate. The bobbin case gripper is connected to the horizontal slider. The above-mentioned rectangular coordinate robot arm needs to be equipped with a lifting drive arm and a horizontal drive arm to realize the movement in two directions, and the two usually move in sequence, resulting in low efficiency of the conversion process, complex structure, more parts and high cost.

[0004] In addition, since different manufacturers use different brands of bobbin cases and their specifications and sizes are inconsistent, the bobbin cases cannot be fully matched with the conventional robot bobbin case fixing seat, resulting in the following problems when the robot replaces the bobbin case: the robot easily misplaces the bobbin case, resulting in a low success rate for replacing the bobbin case and a significant reduction in work efficiency. There are also cases of offset and errors when the robot places the bobbin case. In addition, there is a large mechanical impact when the mechanical device for replacing the bobbin case comes into hard contact with the bobbin case, resulting in excessive vibration during the startup process, and the resulting noise, parts damage and mechanical collisions lead to a low success rate for replacing the bobbin case. [Utility Model Content]

[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a robot assembly for automatically changing the bottom thread, which solves the problems of complex robot arm structure, large number of components and low operating efficiency, and avoids the mechanical impact caused by hard contact between the mechanical structure of the bobbin case and the bobbin case when replacing the bobbin case.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: a manipulator assembly for automatically changing the bottom line, comprising a manipulator arm assembly and a gripper assembly, wherein the manipulator arm assembly drives the gripper assembly to switch between a first gripping position and a second gripping position, the manipulator arm assembly comprises a manipulator arm swing connecting rod, a manipulator arm sliding rod, a manipulator arm sliding block, and a manipulator arm running guide groove, the manipulator arm swing connecting rod is connected to the manipulator arm swing shaft, the manipulator arm swing shaft is driven to rotate by the manipulator arm drive motor and drives the manipulator arm swing connecting rod to swing, the manipulator arm sliding rod is hingedly installed, the manipulator arm sliding block is connected to the manipulator arm The sliding rod is slidably connected, the mechanical arm sliding block is connected to the guide rod, the mechanical arm swing link is provided with a slide groove, the guide rod is slidably connected to the slide groove and is slidably connected to the mechanical arm operation guide groove, and the mechanical arm swing link swings during the mechanical arm sliding block. The mechanical arm sliding rod rotates, and the guide rod slides along the slide groove and the mechanical arm operation guide groove. The mechanical arm operation guide groove guides the mechanical arm sliding block to change height, front and back position and relative angle, and when in the first grasping position, the mechanical arm sliding rod is parallel to the horizontal plane, and when in the second grasping position, the mechanical arm sliding rod is perpendicular to the horizontal plane;

[0007] The gripper assembly includes a manipulator support seat, a manipulator adaptive balance seat, and an adaptive balance structure arranged between the manipulator adaptive balance seat and the manipulator support seat. The adaptive balance structure includes a front and rear movable gap, a lateral movable gap, and an upper and lower movable gap arranged between the manipulator adaptive balance seat and the manipulator support seat, and an elastic support component elastically supported between the manipulator adaptive balance seat and the manipulator support seat. The elastic support effect of the elastic support component enables the manipulator adaptive balance seat to move relative to the manipulator support seat when in contact with the bottom line.

[0008] Preferably, the robot arm operation guide groove is provided with an upper horizontal section, a lower vertical section and an oblique section connecting the upper horizontal section and the lower vertical section, and the lower vertical section is lower than the upper horizontal section.

[0009] Preferably, two robot arm sliding rods are arranged side by side, the first ends of the two robot arm sliding rods are connected to the first connecting seat, and the second ends are connected to the second connecting seat, the first connecting seat is hingedly installed by a first pin shaft and is connected to a torsion spring; and / or, the robot arm swing shaft is rotatably supported by the automatic bottom line changing device body, the robot arm operation guide groove is provided on the upper side of the automatic bottom line changing device body, and a storage tray is installed on the lower side of the automatic bottom line changing device body, the upper horizontal section is provided on the rear side of the upper side of the automatic bottom line changing device body, and the lower vertical section is provided on the front side of the upper side of the automatic bottom line changing device body; when the guide rod is located in the upper horizontal section, the robot arm sliding rod is parallel to the horizontal plane, and when the guide rod is located in the lower vertical section, the robot arm sliding rod is perpendicular to the horizontal plane.

[0010] Preferably, the robotic arm assembly further comprises a robotic arm swing arm, a first end of the robotic arm swing arm is fixed to the robotic arm sliding block, and a second end is connected to the gripper assembly.

[0011] Preferably, the manipulator swing arm is an L-shaped structure, including a main body extension section and an installation section, wherein the main body extension section is perpendicular to the manipulator sliding rod and fixed to the manipulator sliding block, and the installation section is connected to the gripper assembly.

[0012] Preferably, the slide groove is a waist-shaped groove; and / or the guide rod is connected to a rolling bearing, and the rolling bearing cooperates with the guide groove of the robotic arm.

[0013] Preferably, a movable groove is provided between the manipulator adaptive balancing seat and the manipulator support seat, and the elastic support component includes upper and lower support springs and a support ball connected to the upper and lower support springs and provided in the movable groove. The movable groove moves simultaneously when the manipulator adaptive balancing seat and the manipulator support seat move relative to each other, and causes the support ball to change position in the movable groove.

[0014] Preferably, the manipulator support seat is provided with a central fixing portion, the manipulator adaptive balancing seat is provided with a movable limiting portion movably connected to the central fixing portion, and a front-to-rear movable gap and a lateral movable gap are provided between the central fixing portion and the movable limiting portion.

[0015] Preferably, the manipulator support seat is provided with an upper limit part and a lower limit part on the upper and lower sides of the central fixed part respectively, the movable limit part is movably arranged on the outside of the central fixed part and is limited by the upper limit part and the lower limit part, and an upper and lower movable gap is provided between the upper limit part and / or the lower limit part and the movable limit part.

[0016] Preferably, an upper limit hole is provided on the upper limit portion, and the upper and lower support springs are arranged in the upper limit hole and the lower ends abut against the support ball; and / or, the movable groove is a V-shaped groove formed between the inner wall of the movable limit portion and the outer wall of the central fixed portion, and the support ball is driven by the upper and lower support springs to make the support ball cooperate with the V-shaped groove, and when the relative width and height between the two side walls of the V-shaped groove change, the support ball moves in the V-shaped groove.

[0017] The utility model adopts the above technical solution and has the following technical effects:

[0018] Only a robot arm drive motor is set as the driving source. In order to realize that one driving source drives the gripper assembly to simultaneously complete the forward and backward movement and the lifting movement, a robot arm swing link, a robot arm sliding block, a robot arm sliding rod, and a robot arm operation guide groove are used for cooperation. The robot arm swing shaft is driven to rotate by the robot arm drive motor and drives the robot arm swing link to swing. During the swinging process of the robot arm swing link, the robot arm sliding block is driven to slide along the robot arm sliding rod. At the same time, the robot arm sliding rod rotates, and the guide rod slides along the slide groove and the robot arm operation guide groove. The robot arm sliding block is guided by the robot arm operation guide groove to change the height, front and back position and relative angle, and the gripper assembly also changes the height, front and back position and relative angle synchronously, so that the gripper assembly is converted between the first gripping position and the second gripping position, which not only improves the efficiency of the conversion process, but also reduces the components. Taking the use of a linear motor as the driving source as an example, a set of linear motors can be reduced, which significantly reduces the cost.

[0019] In addition, in the first grasping position, the robot arm sliding rod is parallel to the horizontal plane, and in the second grasping position, the robot arm sliding rod is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. At the same time, the robot arm operation guide groove is provided with an upper horizontal section, a lower vertical section and an oblique section connecting the upper horizontal section and the lower vertical section, and the lower vertical section is lower than the upper horizontal section. When the guide rod is located in the upper horizontal section, the robot arm sliding rod is parallel to the horizontal plane, and when the guide rod is located in the lower vertical section, the robot arm sliding rod is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. In this way, whether in the first grasping position or the second grasping position, the guide rod is in a relatively stable position, which is convenient for the robot arm swing arm to remain stable, which is beneficial for the gripper assembly to grasp the bottom line.

[0020] An adaptive balancing structure is provided between the manipulator adaptive balancing seat and the manipulator support seat, wherein a front-to-rear movable gap, a lateral movable gap and an upper-lower movable gap are provided between the manipulator adaptive balancing seat and the manipulator support seat, so that the adaptive balancing seat can move in multiple directions relative to the manipulator support seat, and damping is provided by the elastic support component during the movement, so that the manipulator adaptive balancing seat can swing flexibly relative to the manipulator support seat when it contacts the bottom line, so that when the manipulator grabs the bottom line, it can align with the bottom line through the flexible swing of the manipulator adaptive balancing seat, and after releasing the bottom line, the manipulator adaptive balancing seat can also be returned to its position through the elastic support component.

[0021] In addition, when the robot arm contacts the bobbin case, the elastic support component can act as a buffer, which can reduce the noise during contact when replacing the bobbin case and avoid damage to hard contact parts. At the same time, because of the buffer protection, the action can be adjusted faster and more efficiently when replacing the bobbin case and bobbin core.

[0022] Since a movable groove is provided between the manipulator adaptive balancing seat and the manipulator support seat, the elastic support component includes upper and lower support springs and a support ball connected to the upper and lower support springs and provided in the movable groove, the manipulator adaptive balancing seat moves relative to the manipulator support seat when it contacts the bottom line, and the movable groove moves at the same time when the manipulator adaptive balancing seat and the manipulator support seat move relative to each other, and causes the support ball to change its position in the movable groove. In this way, the upper and lower support springs and the support ball can cooperate to simultaneously play the role of elastic damping for the adaptive balancing seat to move in at least two directions relative to the manipulator support seat, and there is no need to set an elastic support component in each direction, thereby simplifying the adaptive balancing structure and reducing components.

[0023] These features and advantages of the present invention will be disclosed in detail in the following specific embodiments and drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] The utility model is further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 This is a partial structural diagram of a multi-station automatic bottom thread changing device;

[0026] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure at the center (the gripper assembly is in the first gripping position);

[0027] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The enlarged structural diagram at B in the middle;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a side view of the multi-station automatic bottom thread changing equipment with the automatic bottom thread changing device located on the side of the storage tray;

[0029] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of the manipulator assembly when the gripper assembly is in the second gripping position;

[0030] Figure 6 It is a structural diagram of the gripper assembly;

[0031] Figure 7 This is an exploded view of the gripper assembly;

[0032] Figure 8 is a top view of the gripper assembly;

[0033] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 Middle AA section view;

[0034] Reference numerals: automatic bottom thread changing device 1, main body 11, material storage tray 12, manipulator assembly 13, manipulator support seat 131, central fixing portion 1311, lower limit portion 1312, upper limit block 1313, upper limit hole 13131, upper limit cover plate 1314, upper and lower support springs 1315, support ball 1316, V-shaped groove 1317, front and rear guide rods 1318, front and rear support springs 1319, manipulator adaptive balancing seat 132, movable limit portion 1321, bobbin case positioning plate 1322, adaptive balancing portion 1323, bobbin core sensing switch 1324, pawl mechanism 133, manipulator pawl 1331, pawl driving rod 1332, second torsion spring 1333, driving portion 1334, driving groove 13341 , pawl drive motor 1335, drive head 13351, robot arm assembly 134, robot arm swing link 1341, robot arm swing shaft 13411, slide 13412, robot arm sliding block 1342, guide rod 13421, robot arm sliding rod 1343, first connecting seat 13431, second connecting seat 13432, first torsion spring 13433, robot arm operation guide groove 1344, upper horizontal section 13441, oblique section 13442, lower vertical section 13443, robot arm swing arm 1345, installation section 13451, main body extension section 13452, transverse guide mechanism 2, transverse guide rail 21, transverse rack 22, shuttle box body 3, rotary hook 31, bobbin core 32, bobbin case 33, bobbin case buckle plate 331. [Specific implementation method]

[0035] The following is an explanation and description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the drawings of the embodiments of the present invention, but the following embodiments are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not exhaustive. Based on the embodiments in the embodiments, other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, unless there is any conflict, the features in the following embodiments and implementations may be combined with each other.

[0037] The terms used in this utility model are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the utility model. For example, the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "X-direction," "Y-direction," and the like, which indicate orientation or positional relationships, are based solely on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended solely to facilitate and simplify the description of the utility model. They do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed or operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the utility model.

[0038] In this utility model, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "fixation," etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integral connection; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; or internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this utility model based on specific circumstances.

[0039] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features being in contact not directly but through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above," "above," and "above" a second feature may include the first feature being directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below," "below," and "below" a second feature may include the first feature being directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0040] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or to implicitly indicate the quantity of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features.

[0041] like Figure 1As shown, the multi-station automatic bobbin changing device includes a transverse guide mechanism 2 and an automatic bobbin changing device 1. For multi-head embroidery machines, multiple machine head and shuttle housing combinations are arranged horizontally. The upper portion is the machine head, and the lower portion corresponds to the shuttle housing 3. The shuttle housing 3 houses a rotary hook 31 and the bobbin thread mounted thereon. The bobbin thread here refers to the bobbin core 32 and bobbin case 33 combination used to hold the bobbin thread. When the bobbin thread runs out, it needs to be replaced, and the automatic bobbin changing device 1 is used to do this. The transverse guide mechanism 2 is positioned below the shuttle housing 3 and extends horizontally, sufficient to cover the entire length of the shuttle housing 3. This ensures that the automatic bobbin changing device 1 can move along the transverse guide mechanism 2 and reach the corresponding position in the shuttle housing 3 to complete the bobbin thread changing process. The number of automatic bobbin changing devices 1 can be one or more. As the number of heads in multi-head embroidery machines increases, multiple automatic bobbin changing devices 1 are typically installed, each responsible for changing the bobbin thread for a corresponding number of machine head and shuttle housing combinations.

[0042] The automatic bobbin thread changing device 1 includes a storage tray 12 for placing multiple bobbin threads and a manipulator assembly 13 for automatically changing the bobbin thread. The storage tray 12 is rotatable and has multiple storage positions for placing bobbin threads along its circumference, with at least one empty position reserved. The manipulator assembly 13 replaces the used bobbin thread on the rotary hook and places it on the empty position on the storage tray 12, and places the unused bobbin thread on the storage tray 12 onto the rotary hook. Of course, if there is no unused bobbin thread on the storage tray, the entire storage tray needs to be replaced.

[0043] Therefore, the method used by the prior art automatic bobbin changing device 1 to change the bobbin thread is as follows: a storage tray is equipped with a bobbin core and a bobbin case with a pre-wound bobbin thread, referred to herein as a bobbin thread, which generally stores 10 pre-wound bobbins, and a space is reserved for the next bobbin thread to be replaced. When the bobbin thread needs to be replaced, the manipulator assembly 13 removes the empty bobbin thread from the shuttle on the embroidery machine and places it in the space reserved in the storage tray. Then, the manipulator assembly 13 is lifted, and the storage tray 12 rotates, rotating the pre-wound bobbin thread to a position where the manipulator assembly 13 can grab it. At this time, the manipulator assembly 13 grabs a pre-wound bobbin thread and places it in the shuttle of the embroidery machine, completing the replacement of the bobbin thread of one head of the embroidery machine. When the bobbin thread corresponding to the next head needs to be replaced, the automatic bobbin thread changing device with the storage tray 12 moves along the transverse guide mechanism 2 to the next head position, and then the manipulator assembly 13 repeats the cycle of the first head bobbin thread replacement action to complete the replacement of the second head bobbin thread, and so on, completing the replacement of the corresponding bobbin threads of the entire embroidery machine head.

[0044] Embroidery machines typically have different numbers of automatic bobbin changers depending on the number of heads. Currently, there's typically one automatic bobbin changer for every ten heads. Once the entire machine's bobbin thread is replaced, all the automatic bobbin changers move along the transverse guide mechanism 2 to one end of the machine, waiting for the worker to replace the empty bobbin storage tray with a fully wound one. Once the replacement is complete, the reset button is manually pressed to reset each automatic bobbin changer to its initial position, ready for the next job. This completes the machine's automatic bobbin change function.

[0045] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, in this embodiment, the manipulator assembly 13 includes a gripper assembly and a manipulator assembly 134, wherein the manipulator assembly 134 drives the gripper assembly to switch between a first gripping position and a second gripping position. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in the first grabbing position, the gripper assembly corresponds to the position of the rotary hook on the shuttle box body, and is used to grab the bottom line from the rotary hook position or place the bottom line at the rotary hook position; Figure 4 As shown, in the second grabbing position, the gripper assembly corresponds to the position of the storage tray, and is used to grab the bottom thread from the storage tray or place the bottom thread on the storage tray.

[0046] Among them, the robotic arm assembly 134 includes a robotic arm swing link 1341, a robotic arm sliding block 1342, a robotic arm sliding rod 1343, and a robotic arm operation guide groove 1344. The robotic arm sliding rod 1343 is hingedly installed, the robotic arm sliding block 1342 is slidingly connected to the robotic arm sliding rod 1343, the robotic arm swing link 1341 is connected to the robotic arm swing shaft 13411, the robotic arm swing link 1341 is provided with a slide groove 13412, the robotic arm sliding block 1342 is connected to a guide rod 13421, the guide rod 13421 is slidingly connected to the slide groove 13412 and to the robotic arm operation guide groove 1344, and the robotic arm swing shaft 13411 is driven to rotate by the robotic arm drive motor, driving the robotic arm swing link 1341 to swing. During the swinging of the robotic arm swing link 1341, the robotic arm sliding block 1342 is driven to slide along the robotic arm sliding rod 1343. Simultaneously, the robotic arm sliding rod 1343 rotates, and the guide rod 13421 slides along the slide groove 13412 and the robotic arm operation guide groove 1344. The robotic arm operation guide groove 1344 guides the robotic arm sliding block 1342 to change its height, front-back position, and relative angle. The robotic arm sliding block 1342 has a first position and a second position, wherein the first position corresponds to the first gripping position of the gripper assembly, and the second position corresponds to the second gripping position of the gripper assembly. Furthermore, in the first position, the robotic arm sliding rod 1343 is parallel to the horizontal plane, and in the second position, the robotic arm sliding rod 1343 is perpendicular to the horizontal plane.

[0047] Specifically, the robotic arm swing shaft 13411 is rotatably supported by the automatic bobbin changing device body 11. The robotic arm operation guide slot 1344 is located on the upper side of the automatic bobbin changing device body. The material storage tray 12 is mounted on the lower side of the automatic bobbin changing device body. The robotic arm operation guide slot 1344 is located on the lateral side of the automatic bobbin changing device body 11, namely on the side where the material storage tray is mounted. Specifically, it comprises an upper horizontal section 13441, a lower vertical section 13443, and an oblique section 13442 connecting the upper and lower vertical sections. The lower vertical section is lower than the upper horizontal section. The upper horizontal section 13441 is positioned rearward, located at the upper rear side of the automatic bobbin changing device body, closer to the rotary hook. The lower vertical section 13443 is positioned forward, located at the upper front side of the automatic bobbin changing device body. The slide slot 13412 is a waist-shaped slot. The guide rod 13421 is connected to a rolling bearing that mates with the robotic arm operation guide slot.

[0048] Furthermore, two robotic arm sliding rods 1343 are arranged side by side, the first ends of the two robotic arm sliding rods are connected to the first connecting seat 13431, and the second ends are connected to the second connecting seat 13432. The first connecting seat is hinged by a pin shaft and is connected to the first torsion spring 13433.

[0049] Furthermore, the robotic arm assembly 134 also includes a robotic arm swing arm 1345, the first end of which is fixed to the robotic arm sliding block 1342 and the second end of which is connected to the gripper assembly. The robotic arm swing arm is an L-shaped structure, including a main body extension section 13452 and a mounting section 13451, wherein the main body extension section is perpendicular to the robotic arm sliding rod and fixed to the robotic arm sliding block, and the mounting section is connected to the gripper assembly.

[0050] Since the robotic arm assembly needs to drive the gripper assembly to move forward and backward and also realize lifting motion during the conversion between the first gripping position and the second gripping position, it is usually necessary to set up a front and rear drive component and a lifting drive component, two drive sources, such as the rectangular coordinate robotic arm in the background technology, which needs to set up a lifting drive arm and a horizontal drive arm to realize the two-directional movement, and the two usually move one after another, resulting in low efficiency of the conversion process, complex structure, more components, and high cost. To this end, in this embodiment, only a robot arm drive motor is provided as a driving source. In order to realize that one driving source drives the gripper assembly to simultaneously complete the forward and backward movement and the lifting movement, a robot arm swing link 1341, a robot arm sliding block 1342, a robot arm sliding rod 1343, and a robot arm operation guide groove 1344 are used to cooperate. In this way, during the swinging process of the robot arm swing link, the guide rod 13421 slides along the slide groove and slides along the robot arm operation guide groove, thereby driving the robot arm sliding rod 1343 to swing, and driving the robot arm sliding block 1342 to change both the height and the front and rear position, and the gripper assembly also changes both the height and the front and rear position synchronously, so that the gripper assembly is switched between the first gripping position and the second gripping position, which not only improves the efficiency of the conversion process, but also reduces the components. Taking the use of a linear motor as a driving source as an example, a set of linear motors can be reduced, which significantly reduces the cost.

[0051] In addition, since the sliding rod of the robot arm is parallel to the axis of the execution end of the gripper assembly (a virtual line that coincides with the axis of the bottom line when grabbing the bottom line), in the first position, before the grabbing action is executed, the axis of the execution end corresponds to the axis of the bottom line on the rotary hook, and in the second position, before the grabbing action is executed, the axis of the execution end corresponds to the axis of the bottom line on the storage tray. In both positions, the execution end is in a position that is conducive to grabbing the bottom line. Figure 4 As shown in the example, the execution end axis coincides with the bottom line axis on the storage tray and the center line passing through the storage tray, forming a coincidence line C.

[0052] Since the robot arm operation guide groove is provided with an upper horizontal section 13441, a lower vertical section 13443 and an oblique section 13442 connecting the upper horizontal section and the lower vertical section, Figure 1 As shown, in the first grasping position, the guide rod 13421 is located in the upper horizontal section 13441, and the robot arm sliding rod 1343 is parallel to the horizontal plane; Figure 4 As shown, in the second grasping position, the guide rod 13421 is located in the lower vertical section 13443, and the robot arm sliding rod 1343 is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. Figure 5As shown, at a position between the first and second positions, the guide rod 13421 is located within the oblique section 13442, and the manipulator sliding rod 1343 is at an angle to the horizontal plane. Whether in the first or second gripping position, the guide rod is in a relatively stable position, which helps the manipulator swing arm maintain stability and facilitates the gripper assembly to grasp the bottom line.

[0053] The arm drive motor drives the arm swing link to swing, drives the arm sliding block to slide along the guide track of the arm running guide groove, and pushes the gripper assembly connected with the arm sliding block to the direction of the embroidery machine shuttle. Finally, the gripper assembly moves to the first position, and waits for the gripper assembly to catch the bobbin case with the bottom thread in the shuttle. Then, the arm drive motor reverses, drives the arm swing link and the arm sliding block to run in the opposite direction along the guide track of the arm running guide groove, takes out the bobbin case with the empty thread, and puts it into the zero position of the storage tray (the vacant position reserved for the bobbin case), and then the gripper releases the bobbin case. Finally, the arm drive motor reverses again for a short distance, lifts the arm assembly to a position where it does not affect the rotation of the storage tray, and the storage tray starts to rotate to a certain angle, so that the bobbin case with the bottom thread is rotated to a position where it can be grasped by the arm assembly.

[0054] The robotic arm assembly drives the gripper assembly to switch between the first gripping position and the second gripping position. After the conversion is completed, the position accuracy cannot be absolutely guaranteed, and a certain position error is inevitable. In addition, due to the different bobbin case brands used by different manufacturers, the specifications and sizes of the bobbin cases are inconsistent, and the bobbin cases cannot be fully matched with the conventional robotic arm bobbin case fixing seat, resulting in the following problems when the robotic arm changes the bobbin case: the robotic arm easily misplaces the bobbin case, resulting in a low success rate for replacing the bobbin case and a significant reduction in work efficiency. There are also cases of offset and errors when the robotic arm places the bobbin case. In addition, there is a large mechanical impact when the mechanical device for replacing the bobbin case is in hard contact with the bobbin case, resulting in excessive vibration during the startup process, resulting in noise, parts damage and mechanical friction, resulting in a low success rate for replacing the bobbin case.

[0055] In order to solve these problems, the gripper assembly is provided with an automatic balancing adjustment mechanism with an automatic balancing adjustment function. The automatic balancing adjustment mechanism includes a manipulator support seat 131, a manipulator adaptive balancing seat 132 and an adaptive balancing structure provided between the manipulator adaptive balancing seat and the manipulator support seat.

[0056] There are front-to-back clearances, lateral clearances, and vertical clearances between the manipulator adaptive balancing seat 132 and the manipulator support seat 131. The adaptive balancing structure includes an elastic support component elastically supported between the manipulator adaptive balancing seat 132 and the manipulator support seat 131.

[0057] In this embodiment, a movable groove is provided between the manipulator adaptive balancing base 132 and the manipulator support base 131. The elastic support component includes a support ball 1316 and upper and lower support springs 1315. The support ball 1316 is typically a steel ball. The support ball 1316 is connected to the upper and lower support springs and is located in the movable groove. The movable groove moves simultaneously when the manipulator adaptive balancing base 132 and the manipulator support base 131 move relative to each other, causing the support ball 1316 to change position within the movable groove.

[0058] The manipulator adaptive balance seat and the manipulator support seat are connected in an active manner, with gaps existing in the front, back, left, right, top and bottom. The manipulator is mainly supported by elastic support components. The manipulator adaptive balance seat 132 can move relative to the manipulator support seat 131, and the elastic support components can provide damping when the manipulator adaptive balance seat 132 moves relative to the manipulator support seat, so that the manipulator adaptive balance seat can swing flexibly relative to the manipulator support seat when it contacts the bottom line. When the manipulator grabs the bottom line, it can align with the bottom line through the flexible swing of the manipulator adaptive balance seat, and after releasing the bottom line, the manipulator adaptive balance seat can be returned to its position through the elastic support components.

[0059] In addition, when the robot arm contacts the bobbin case, the elastic support component can act as a buffer, which can reduce the noise during contact when replacing the bobbin case and avoid damage to hard contact parts. At the same time, because of the buffer protection, the movement can be faster and more efficient when replacing the bobbin case and bobbin core.

[0060] Since a movable groove is provided between the manipulator adaptive balancing seat and the manipulator support seat, the elastic support component includes upper and lower support springs and a support ball connected to the upper and lower support springs and provided in the movable groove, the manipulator adaptive balancing seat moves relative to the manipulator support seat when it contacts the bottom line, and the movable groove moves at the same time when the manipulator adaptive balancing seat and the manipulator support seat move relative to each other, and causes the support ball to change its position in the movable groove. In this way, the upper and lower support springs and the support ball can cooperate to simultaneously play the role of elastic damping for the adaptive balancing seat to move in at least two directions relative to the manipulator support seat, and there is no need to set an elastic support component in each direction, thereby simplifying the adaptive balancing structure and reducing components.

[0061] Specifically, the manipulator support seat 131 is provided with a central fixed portion 1311, and the manipulator adaptive balancing seat 132 is provided with a movable limiting portion 1321 movably connected to the central fixed portion 1311. A front-to-back movable gap and a lateral movable gap are provided between the central fixed portion 1311 and the movable limiting portion 1321. The manipulator support seat 131 is provided with an upper limit portion and a lower limit portion 1312 on the upper and lower sides of the central fixed portion, respectively. The movable limiting portion 1321 is movably provided outside the central fixed portion and is limited by the upper limit portion and the lower limit portion. A vertical movable gap is provided between the upper limit portion and / or the lower limit portion and the movable limiting portion. The upper limit portion is provided with an upper limit hole 13131, and the upper and lower support springs 1315 are provided in the upper limit hole 13131. A V-shaped groove 1317 is formed between the inner sidewall of the movable stop 1321 and the outer sidewall of the central fixing portion 1311. The support ball 1316 is driven by the upper and lower support springs 1315 to engage with the V-shaped groove 1317. The V-shaped groove 1317 is a movable groove that simultaneously moves and deforms when the manipulator adaptive balancing seat and the manipulator support seat move relative to each other. The relative movement of the manipulator adaptive balancing seat and the manipulator support seat includes vertical and lateral movement, resulting in corresponding changes in the relative width and height between the two side walls of the V-shaped groove, while the support ball 1316 moves relative to each other within the V-shaped groove 1317.

[0062] Specifically, the central fixing portion 1311 is a rectangular body, and the movable stop portion 1321 is a rectangular frame. Four sets of support balls and upper and lower support springs are provided, two by two, on either side of the length of the rectangle. A first inclined surface is provided on the top outer edge of the central fixing portion, and a second inclined surface is provided on the top inner edge of the rectangular frame. The first and second inclined surfaces cooperate to form a V-shaped groove 1317, serving as the two side walls of the V-shaped groove 1317. The central fixing portion 1311 protrudes upward, with a stepped surface formed on the outer side of the bottom end, serving as the lower stop portion 1312.

[0063] In addition, the manipulator adaptive balance seat 132 is connected to the bobbin case positioning plate 1322. Of course, the two can also be an integrated structure. The bobbin case positioning plate 1322 is provided with an adaptive balance portion 1323, which contacts the bobbin case.

[0064] The function of the upper and lower support springs 1315 is: when the adaptive surface balance surface of the manipulator adaptive balance seat contacts the bobbin case, if the upper and lower surfaces and the left and right surfaces fail to fit together, the thrust from the adaptive surface balance surface will lift, lower or move the manipulator adaptive balance seat left and right to find its balance point, and then grab the bobbin case and bobbin and take it out. When the force of its contact surface is removed, the pressure from the upper and lower support springs 1315 will press the support ball into the V-groove between the manipulator adaptive balance seat and the manipulator support seat, forcing it to return to its position to facilitate subsequent work.

[0065] In addition, the manipulator support base 131 is provided with an upper limit block 1313 and an upper limit cover plate 1314 above the central fixed portion. The upper limit portion is provided on the upper limit block 1313 to limit the position of the central fixed portion 1311 below. The upper limit cover plate 1314 is fixed to the upper surface of the upper limit block. The elastic support component includes front and rear support springs 1319 and front and rear guide rods 1318 movably connected to the front and rear support springs. One of the manipulator adaptive balance base and the manipulator support base is fixedly connected to the front and rear guide rods, and the other is provided with guide holes 1322. The front and rear guide rods cooperate with the guide holes. The front and rear guide rods 1318 extend forward from the manipulator support base 131, and the manipulator adaptive balance base is provided with corresponding guide holes. When the gripper assembly contacts the bobbin case, the front and rear support springs 1319 act as a buffer, thereby reducing contact noise when replacing the bobbin case and preventing damage to hard contact parts. At the same time, due to the buffering protection, the bobbin case and bobbin core can be replaced faster and more efficiently.

[0066] like Figures 6 to 9 As shown, the gripper assembly further includes a pawl mechanism 133 that cooperates with the bobbin case positioning plate 1321 to grasp the bobbin thread. The pawl mechanism 133 includes a manipulator pawl 1331, a pawl drive rod 1332, and a pawl drive motor 1335. The pawl drive rod 1332 is vertically arranged and connected to the manipulator pawl 1331 at its upper end. The pawl drive rod 1332 is driven by the pawl drive motor 1335 to rotate horizontally, driving the manipulator pawl 1331 to cooperate with the bobbin case positioning plate 1321 to lift the bobbin case catch plate 331. The pawl drive rod has a drive portion 1334 extending horizontally outward at its lower end. The drive portion has a drive slot 13341. The pawl drive motor is a linear motor connected to a horizontally retractable drive head 13351, which is connected to the drive slot 13341. The pawl drive rod 1332 is connected to a second torsion spring 1333. The working method of the gripper assembly is: the adaptive balancing surface of the manipulator's adaptive balancing seat fits the surface of the bobbin case to be grasped, the claw drive motor pushes the claw drive rod, drives the manipulator claw to rotate, picks up the bobbin case buckle plate, and fixes it on the manipulator's adaptive balancing seat.

[0067] In the prior art, when the gripper assembly grabs the bobbin case and bobbin, an induction switch is used to detect the bobbin case. That is, each time the gripper assembly grabs the bobbin case and bobbin, as long as it detects that the bobbin case is grabbed normally, the device control system will default to normal operation. However, if the bobbin in the bobbin case falls off and falls out of the working range, the control system cannot detect it and give feedback to the operator, resulting in the frequent loss of the bobbin!

[0068] To address the problem of lost bobbins, a sensor switch is used to detect the bobbin. A bobbin sensor switch 1324 is located on the bobbin case positioning plate 1322 to sense the bobbin. Each time a bobbin is grasped, as long as the bobbin sensor switch 1324 detects normal bobbin grasping, the device control system automatically assumes normal operation. The difference lies in the device's operating principle: the gripper assembly first pries open the bobbin case, which is secured to the rotating hook or bobbin case station, and then firmly grasps the bobbin case to remove the bobbin. The distance the gripper advances when prying open the bobbin case's clasp allows the corresponding latch to be released, allowing the bobbin to be captured and removed. Alternatively, the latch may not be able to capture the bobbin, but the bobbin case can be firmly captured and removed (allowing both the bobbin and bobbin to be removed, or removing the bobbin without the bobbin). This prevents the bobbin from being removed without the bobbin case. Therefore, when the bobbin sensor switch 1324 only detects the bobbin case, the bobbin may be missed, while detecting the bobbin is more efficient.

[0069] When the bobbin sensor switch 1324 detects the bobbin, the drive head 13351 of the pawl drive motor 1335 extends, pushing the pawl drive rod 1332 to rotate, and driving the manipulator pawl 1331 to lift the bobbin case plate 331, thereby grabbing the bobbin case with the used bobbin thread in the rotary hook. Conversely, the drive head 13351 of the pawl drive motor 1335 retracts, and the pawl drive rod 1332 and the manipulator pawl 1331, under the influence of the torsion spring installed on them, release the bobbin case.

[0070] Before using the automatic bobbin thread changing device, you need to buckle the wound bobbin thread onto the storage tray. The storage tray should not be filled completely. There should be a vacant storage position at the zero point of the storage tray where no bobbin thread is installed. Then install the storage tray onto the automatic bobbin thread changing device.

[0071] After the storage tray is installed, the worker needs to issue the "automatic bobbin thread changing device reset" command through the embroidery machine main control. Each automatic bobbin thread changing device will automatically return to its respective starting point and wait for further bobbin thread changing commands. When the command to change the bottom thread is received again, each automatic bottom thread changing device starts to work and the robot assembly of the automatic bottom thread changing device starts to move. First, the robot arm assembly drives the gripper assembly to move to the first position and pushes the gripper assembly toward the shuttle of the embroidery machine. In the first position, after the bobbin sensor switch 1324 detects the bobbin, the bobbin case with the bottom thread in the shuttle is grabbed by the gripper assembly. Then the robot arm assembly runs in reverse to take out the bobbin case with empty thread and put it into the zero position of the storage tray (the vacant position reserved for the bobbin case). Then the gripper assembly releases the bobbin case. Finally, the robot arm drive motor reverses again for a short distance to lift the robot assembly to a position that does not affect the rotation of the storage tray. The storage tray rotation drive motor drives the storage tray to start rotating to an angle, so that the bobbin case with the bottom thread is rotated to a position where it can be grabbed by the robot assembly.

[0072] Similarly, the robot assembly 13 removes the bobbin case filled with bobbin thread from the storage tray and places it into the hook, completing the bobbin thread changing work of the first head. At this time, the entire automatic bobbin thread changing device 1 moves along the transverse guide mechanism 2 to the next head to change the bobbin thread of the second head. This cycle continues until all the bobbins in the storage tray are replaced. All automatic bobbin thread changing devices 1 will move in the same direction towards the head to find their respective replacement tray position sensors. After each finds the replacement tray position, the worker will remove the storage tray and replace it in preparation for the next work. At this point, the entire automatic bobbin thread changing work is completed.

[0073] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the utility model, but the scope of protection of the utility model is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art will understand that the utility model includes, but is not limited to, the contents described in the drawings and the above specific embodiments. Any modifications that do not deviate from the functional and structural principles of the utility model are intended to be included within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A robot assembly for automatically changing a bottom thread, comprising a robot arm assembly and a gripper assembly, wherein the robot arm assembly drives the gripper assembly to switch between a first gripping position and a second gripping position, characterized in that: The control rod is a pair of arm support rods, and the support rods are connected with the support rod of the control wheel shaft through the support rod and the support wheel shaft respectively. The gripper assembly includes a manipulator support seat, a manipulator adaptive balance seat, and an adaptive balance structure arranged between the manipulator adaptive balance seat and the manipulator support seat. The adaptive balance structure includes a front and rear movable gap, a lateral movable gap, and an upper and lower movable gap arranged between the manipulator adaptive balance seat and the manipulator support seat, and an elastic support component elastically supported between the manipulator adaptive balance seat and the manipulator support seat. The elastic support effect of the elastic support component enables the manipulator adaptive balance seat to move relative to the manipulator support seat when in contact with the bottom line.

2. The manipulator assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robot arm operation guide groove is provided with an upper horizontal section, a lower vertical section and an oblique section connecting the upper horizontal section and the lower vertical section, and the lower vertical section is lower than the upper horizontal section.

3. The manipulator assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: Two robotic arm sliding rods are arranged side by side, the first ends of the two robotic arm sliding rods are connected to the first connecting seat, and the second ends are connected to the second connecting seat, the first connecting seat is hingedly installed by a first pin shaft and is connected to a torsion spring; and / or, the robotic arm swing shaft is rotatably supported by the automatic bottom line changing device body, the robotic arm operation guide groove is provided on the upper side of the automatic bottom line changing device body, and a storage tray is installed on the lower side of the automatic bottom line changing device body, the upper horizontal section is provided on the rear side of the upper side of the automatic bottom line changing device body, and the lower vertical section is provided on the front side of the upper side of the automatic bottom line changing device body; when the guide rod is located in the upper horizontal section, the robotic arm sliding rod is parallel to the horizontal plane, and when the guide rod is located in the lower vertical section, the robotic arm sliding rod is perpendicular to the horizontal plane.

4. The manipulator assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robotic arm assembly also includes a robotic arm swing arm, a first end of which is fixed to the robotic arm sliding block and a second end of which is connected to the gripper assembly.

5. The manipulator assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The manipulator swing arm is an L-shaped structure, including a main body extension section and an installation section, wherein the main body extension section is perpendicular to the manipulator sliding rod and fixed to the manipulator sliding block, and the installation section is connected to the gripper assembly.

6. The manipulator assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The slide groove is a waist-shaped groove; and / or the guide rod is connected to a rolling bearing, and the rolling bearing cooperates with the guide groove of the robot arm.

7. The manipulator assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: A movable groove is provided between the manipulator adaptive balancing seat and the manipulator support seat. The elastic support component includes upper and lower support springs and a support ball connected to the upper and lower support springs and provided in the movable groove. The movable groove moves simultaneously when the manipulator adaptive balancing seat and the manipulator support seat move relative to each other, and causes the support ball to change its position in the movable groove.

8. The manipulator assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: The manipulator support seat is provided with a central fixing portion, and the manipulator adaptive balancing seat is provided with a movable limiting portion movably connected to the central fixing portion. A front-to-back movable gap and a lateral movable gap are provided between the central fixing portion and the movable limiting portion.

9. The manipulator assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: The manipulator support seat is provided with an upper limit part and a lower limit part on the upper and lower sides of the central fixed part respectively. The movable limit part is movably arranged on the outside of the central fixed part and is limited by the upper limit part and the lower limit part. An upper and lower movable gap is provided between the upper limit part and / or the lower limit part and the movable limit part.

10. The manipulator assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that: An upper limit hole is provided on the upper limit portion, and the upper and lower support springs are arranged in the upper limit hole and the lower ends are in contact with the support ball; and / or the movable groove is a V-shaped groove formed between the inner side wall of the movable limit portion and the outer side wall of the central fixed portion, and the support ball is driven by the upper and lower support springs to make the support ball cooperate with the V-shaped groove, and when the relative width and height between the two side walls of the V-shaped groove change, the support ball moves in the V-shaped groove.

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