Sucker assembly, manipulator and processing equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of semiconductors or photovoltaics, in particular to a suction cup assembly, a mechanical arm and machining equipment, and aims to solve the problem that a suction cup is poor in universality. In the suction cup assembly, the corner area of the suction cup is provided with one or more notches, the notches penetrate through the suction cup in the direction perpendicular to the suction face, the notches can expose the position, used for forming the mark pattern, of the sheet-shaped material, and compared with the position, used for forming the mark pattern, of the sheet-shaped material exposed through a through hole, according to the suction cup assembly, the exposed area of the sheet-shaped material is increased, so that when the position and the size of the mark pattern are changed, the position used for forming the mark pattern can be exposed in the notch, the suction cup assembly can be suitable for various types of sheet-shaped materials, and the universality of the suction cup assembly is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor or photovoltaic technology, and in particular, to a suction cup assembly, a mechanical hand and a processing device. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the technical field of semiconductor and photovoltaic technology, due to the fact that traditional mechanical clamping may cause sheet materials to be scratched or broken, suction cups are usually used to adsorb sheet materials to transport and process the sheet materials. A mark pattern is usually arranged at a corner position of an upper surface of the sheet material, so that a detection device above the sheet material detects the position or direction of the sheet material during transportation or processing of the sheet material.

[0003] With the development of technology, the types of sheet materials are more and more various, and the sizes and positions of the mark patterns are also different, which may cover the mark patterns when the suction cup adsorbs the sheet materials. In the related art, in order to expose the mark patterns, a special suction cup is designed for the accurate position of the mark pattern, which causes the suction cup to be able to adsorb only one type of sheet material, and the universality is poor. CONTENT OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Therefore, an embodiment of the present application provides a suction cup assembly, a mechanical hand and a processing device to solve the problem of poor universality of the suction cup.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a suction cup assembly, comprising: a suction cup, the suction cup having an adsorption surface, the adsorption surface being used to adsorb a sheet material; wherein an edge corner region of the suction cup has one or more notches, the notches penetrating the suction cup in a direction perpendicular to the adsorption surface, and the notches being formed from a side wall of the suction cup to a center thereof; and the notches being used to expose a position of the sheet material for forming a mark pattern.

[0006] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementation manners of the first aspect, a normal projection of the notches on the adsorption surface comprises a curve, and a convex side of the curve faces a center axis of the suction cup.

[0007] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementation manners of the first aspect, a normal projection of the notches on the adsorption surface comprises a first straight line, a curve and a second straight line connected in sequence, the first straight line intersects a first side of the adsorption surface, the second straight line intersects a second side of the adsorption surface, and the first side is adjacent to the second side.

[0008] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementation manners of the first aspect, a shape of the adsorption surface comprises a polygon, and the notches are located at corner points of the polygon.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the suction cup has: a first air channel, a first end of which is connected to an air source, and a second end of which extends to an adsorption surface, wherein gas supplied by the air source flows through the first air channel and exits from the second end of the first air channel to adsorb sheet material onto the adsorption surface; and a second air channel, a first end of which is connected to an air source, and a second end of which extends to the adsorption surface, wherein gas supplied by the air source flows through the second air channel and exits from the second end of the second air channel, wherein the gas flow rate at the second end of the second air channel is less than the gas flow rate at the second end of the first air channel to release sheet material adsorbed onto the adsorption surface.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the suction cup assembly further includes: a connecting component having a first through hole; a rotating shaft rotatably connected to the connecting component, one end of the rotating shaft passing through the first through hole and connected to the suction cup, the rotating shaft having a shoulder located above the first through hole and abutting against a plane of the connecting component parallel to the upper end of the first through hole.

[0011] Secondly, one embodiment of this application provides a robotic arm, including: a swing arm, horizontally arranged, the swing arm having a first connecting portion, a second connecting portion and a third connecting portion connected in sequence, the extension directions of the first connecting portion and the extension directions of the third connecting portion being set at an angle; a drive assembly, connected to the second connecting portion and configured to drive the swing arm to rotate horizontally about a rotation axis; and two or more suction cup assemblies mentioned in any one of the first aspects, respectively connected to the first connecting portion and the third connecting portion.

[0012] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the suction cup assembly further includes: a connecting component having a first through hole and connected to a first connecting portion or a third connecting portion; a rotating shaft rotatably connected to the connecting component, one end of the rotating shaft passing through the first through hole and connected to the suction cup of the suction cup assembly, the rotating shaft having a shoulder located above the first through hole and abutting against a plane of the connecting component parallel to the upper end of the first through hole; wherein, the robotic arm further includes: one or more first synchronous wheels sleeved on the rotating shaft included in the suction cup assembly mounted on the first connecting portion; one or more second synchronous wheels, The suction cup assembly mounted on the third connecting part includes a rotating shaft; a support shaft, the axis of which coincides with the axis of rotation; a third synchronous pulley, mounted on the support shaft, located on the same horizontal plane as the first synchronous pulley, and having the same outer diameter as the first synchronous pulley; a fourth synchronous pulley, mounted on the support shaft, located below the third synchronous pulley, located on the same horizontal plane as the second synchronous pulley, and having the same outer diameter as the second synchronous pulley; and two synchronous belts, one synchronous belt mounted on one or more first and third synchronous pulleys, and the other synchronous belt mounted on one or more second and fourth synchronous pulleys.

[0013] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the robotic arm further includes: two first connectors, one of which is detachably connected to a first connecting portion and detachably connected to one or more connecting components, and the other of which is detachably connected to a third connecting portion and detachably connected to one or more connecting components.

[0014] Thirdly, one embodiment of this application provides a processing device, comprising: a robotic arm as mentioned in any of the second aspects; a feeding conveyor for conveying one or more sheet materials to be processed; a discharging conveyor for conveying one or more processed sheet materials; a processing table for carrying the sheet materials to be processed and / or the processed sheet materials, wherein the feeding conveyor, the processing table, and the discharging conveyor are arranged sequentially along the circumference of the robotic arm; and a processing device located above the processing table, configured to process one or more sheet materials to be processed on the processing table into one or more processed sheet materials; wherein a suction cup assembly connected to a first connecting portion of the robotic arm is used to transport one or more sheet materials to be processed from the feeding conveyor to the processing table, and a suction cup assembly connected to a third connecting portion of the robotic arm is used to transport one or more processed sheet materials from the processing table to the discharging conveyor.

[0015] The suction cup assembly provided in this application embodiment has one or more notches in the corner area of ​​the suction cup. The notches penetrate the suction cup in a direction perpendicular to the adsorption surface. The notches can expose the position of the sheet material used to form the marking pattern. Since the marking pattern of the sheet material is usually set at the corner, but the distance between the position of the marking pattern and the edge of the sheet material is not the same, by setting the notches, when the distance between the position used to form the marking pattern and the edge of the sheet material changes, the position used to form the marking pattern can also be exposed by the notches, so that the suction cup assembly can be applied to various types of sheet materials, increasing the versatility of the suction cup assembly.

[0016] In some applications, the sheet material has not yet been marked with a pattern. Because the area of ​​the sheet material exposed by the notch is relatively large, there is less obstruction to the area near the location where the marking pattern will be formed. The suction cup assembly can adhere to the sheet material to process the marking pattern, which improves the convenience of marking pattern processing and expands the application scenarios of the suction cup assembly. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this application will become more apparent from the more detailed description of the embodiments of this application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are provided to further illustrate the embodiments of this application and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of this application to explain this application and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings, the same reference numerals generally represent the same components or steps.

[0018] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a suction cup assembly provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure 2 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the suction cup assembly and sheet material provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0020] Figure 3 The image shown is a front view of a suction cup assembly provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 4 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a suction cup assembly and sheet material provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 5 The image shown is an embodiment provided by this application. Figure 2 The suction cup assembly shown is a cross-sectional view along line AA.

[0023] Figure 6 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a robotic arm provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 7 The image shown is a top view of a robotic arm provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0025] Figure 8 The image shown is a front view of a robotic arm provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure 9 The image shown is an embodiment provided by this application. Figure 7 The image shows a cross-sectional view of the robotic arm along line BB.

[0027] Figure 10 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a suction cup assembly and a first synchronous wheel provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0028] Figure 11 The image shown is an embodiment provided by this application. Figure 10 The suction cup assembly and the first synchronizing wheel shown are in cross-sectional view along the CC line.

[0029] Figure 12 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a synchronous belt tensioning assembly provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0030] Figure 13 The image shown is a front view of a synchronous belt tensioning assembly provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0031] Figure 14 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the first connector provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0032] Figure 15The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a processing device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0033] Figure label:

[0034] 1. Processing equipment; 10. Suction cup assembly; 11. Suction cup; 110. Notch; 1101. Curve; 1102. First straight line; 1103. Second straight line; 111. Adsorption surface; 1110. First side; 1111. Second side; 112. First air passage; 1120. First end of the first air passage; 1121. Second end of the first air passage; 113. Second air passage; 1130. First end of the second air passage; 1131. Second end of the second air passage; 12. Connecting assembly; 120. First through hole; 121. Second connector; 122. Bearing; 123. Bearing seat; 13. Rotating shaft; 130. Shoulder; 20. Sheet material; 21. Marking pattern; 30. Robotic arm; 31. Swing arm; 310. First connecting part ; 311, Second connecting part; 312, Third connecting part; 32, Drive assembly; 320, Servo motor; 321, Reducer; 33, First synchronous pulley; 34, Second synchronous pulley; 35, Support shaft; 36, Third synchronous pulley; 37, Fourth synchronous pulley; 38, Synchronous belt; 39, Base; 40, Synchronous belt tensioning assembly; 400, First tensioning block; 401, Second tensioning block; 402, Clamping assembly; 403, Gear; 41, Expansion coupling sleeve; 42, First connecting piece; 50, Feeding conveyor; 51, Sheet picking position; 60, Unloading conveyor; 61, Sheet placement position; 62, Detection position; 70, Processing table; 71, Sheet picking and placement position; 72, Processing position; X1, Feeding conveying direction; X2, Unloading conveying direction. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0036] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a suction cup assembly provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the suction cup assembly and sheet material provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 The image shown is a front view of a suction cup assembly provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0037] like Figures 1 to 3As shown, the suction cup assembly 10 includes a suction cup 11. The suction cup 11 has an adsorption surface 111. The adsorption surface 111 is used to adsorb sheet material 20. The corner areas of the suction cup 11 have one or more notches 110. The notches 110 penetrate the suction cup 11 in a direction perpendicular to the adsorption surface 111. The notches 110 are formed from the sidewall of the suction cup 11 towards the center of the suction cup 11. The notches 110 are used to expose the positions of the sheet material 20 for forming the marking pattern 21.

[0038] For example, the suction cup 11 can be a vacuum suction cup or a Bernoulli suction cup. Specifically, the adsorption surface 111 is the side of the suction cup 11 used to adsorb the sheet material 20. For example, when the suction cup 11 adsorbs the sheet material 20, the adsorption surface 111 may or may not be in contact with the sheet material 20.

[0039] The corner area of ​​the suction cup 11 can include the area near the edge and the area near the corner of the suction cup 11. The marking pattern 21 is typically located in the edge or corner area of ​​the sheet material 20. Therefore, the notch 110 can be provided in the area near the edge or the corner of the suction cup 11. Exemplarily, the notch 110 can be a notch in the suction cup 11 recessed from the edge or corner toward the center area of ​​the suction cup 11. The center area can be the area near the center of the suction cup 11.

[0040] Exemplarily, the sheet material 20 may include silicon wafers, silicon wafers, solar cells, and glass sheets, etc. The sheet material 20 may be a raw material or semi-finished product used to form a photovoltaic module. Exemplarily, the marking pattern 21 may be a solid circle, a hollow circle, a spiral, etc. Exemplarily, the shape of the sheet material 20 may be circular, the shape of the adsorption surface 111 may also be circular, and the area near the edge of the suction cup 11 has a notch 110.

[0041] For example, such as Figure 2 As shown, the sheet material 20 has a plurality of locations for forming a marking pattern 21. Exemplarily, the number of notches 110 may be the same as the number of locations of the sheet material 20 for forming the marking pattern 21. Exemplarily, one notch 110 may expose one location for forming the marking pattern 21.

[0042] The suction cup assembly 10 provided in this embodiment has one or more notches 110 in the corner area of ​​the suction cup 11. The notches 110 penetrate the suction cup 11 in a direction perpendicular to the adsorption surface 111. The notches 110 can expose the position of the sheet material 20 for forming the marking pattern 21. Since the marking pattern 21 of the sheet material 20 is usually set at the corner, but the distance between the position of the marking pattern 21 and the edge of the sheet material 20 is not the same, by setting the notches 110, when the distance between the position for forming the marking pattern 21 and the edge of the sheet material 20 changes, the position for forming the marking pattern 21 can also be exposed by the notches 110, so that the suction cup assembly 10 can be applied to various types of sheet materials 20, increasing the versatility of the suction cup assembly 10.

[0043] In some application scenarios, the sheet material 20 has not yet been processed with the marking pattern 21. Since the area of ​​the sheet material 20 exposed by the notch 110 is relatively large, it causes less obstruction to the area near the position where the marking pattern 21 is to be formed. The suction cup assembly 10 can adsorb the sheet material 20 to process the marking pattern 21, which improves the convenience of processing the marking pattern 21 and expands the application scenarios of the suction cup assembly 10.

[0044] Figure 4 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a suction cup assembly and sheet material provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0045] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the orthographic projection of the side of the notch 110 facing the central axis of the suction cup 11 onto the suction surface 111 includes curve 1101, with the convex side of curve 1101 facing the central axis of the suction cup 11. That is, the concave side of curve 1101 is away from the central axis of the suction cup 11.

[0046] Since the positions of the sheet material 20 used to form the marking pattern 21 are often set on the line connecting the center and the edge of the sheet material 20, the orthogonal projection of the side of the notch 110 facing the central axis of the suction cup 11 on the adsorption surface 111 includes a curve 1101, rather than just a straight line, and the bending direction of the curve 1101 is away from the central axis of the suction cup 11, so that the notch 110 has an arc surface concave to the central axis of the suction cup 11, rather than just a plane parallel to the central axis. This arrangement not only exposes more possible positions of the sheet material 20 used to form the marking pattern 21, but also increases the adsorption area of ​​the suction cup assembly 10 on the sheet material 20, so that the sheet material 20 is adsorbed smoothly.

[0047] For example, curve 1101 can be a circular arc, an elliptical arc, a parabola, or an irregular curve.

[0048] In some embodiments, the orthographic projection of the side of the notch 110 facing the central axis of the suction cup 11 onto the adsorption surface 111 includes multiple curves 1101. The multiple curves 1101 may be interconnected, and straight lines may also be provided between the multiple curves 1101.

[0049] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the orthographic projection of the notch 110 onto the adsorption surface 111 includes a first straight line 1102, a curve 1101, and a second straight line 1103 connected in sequence. The first straight line 1102 intersects the first side 1110 of the adsorption surface 111, and the second straight line 1103 intersects the second side 1111 of the adsorption surface 111. The first side 1110 and the second side 1111 are adjacent to each other.

[0050] This configuration ensures that curve 1101 does not extend to the first side 1110 and the second side 1111, but instead connects to the first side 1110 via the first straight line 1102 and to the second side 1111 via the second straight line 1103. The first straight line 1102 intersects with the first side 1110 to form an angle, and the second straight line 1103 intersects with the second side 1111 to form another angle. These two angles correspond to the two protrusions on the suction cup 11 used to form the notch 110, which helps to increase the adsorption area of ​​the suction cup assembly 10 near the notch 110, allowing the edges and corners of the sheet material 20 to be adsorbed smoothly.

[0051] In some application scenarios, such as Figure 2 As shown, the notch 110 is located in the area near the corner of the suction cup 11. With the above arrangement, the suction cup 11 can better adsorb the area near the corner of the sheet material 20, preventing the corner of the sheet material 20 from drooping.

[0052] For example, such as Figure 2 As shown, the first straight line 1102 can be located inside the curve 1101, and the second straight line 1103 can also be located inside the curve 1101. The curve 1101 can be composed of arcs with continuously changing radii, and the inside of the curve 1101 can be the side where the center of the corresponding continuously changing circle is located.

[0053] Exemplarily, the notch 110 can be located in the area near the edge of the suction cup 11. Exemplarily, the extending direction of the first side 1110 and the extending direction of the second side 1111 can be parallel or coincident. The first straight line 1102 can be perpendicular to the first side 1110, and the second straight line 1103 can also be perpendicular to the second side 1111. Exemplarily, the extending directions of the first side 1110 and the second side 1111 can also intersect. Exemplarily, the extending direction of the first side 1110 can be perpendicular to the extending direction of the second side 1111. The angle between the first straight line 1102 and the first side 1110 can be 45°, and the angle between the second straight line 1103 and the second side 1111 can also be 45°.

[0054] For example, such as Figure 2 As shown, in the orthographic projection of the suction cup 11 onto the adsorption surface 111, the first straight line 1102 and the first side 1110 can be connected by a curve, and the second straight line 1103 and the second side 1111 can also be connected by a curve, which can avoid forming sharp corners at the notch 110 and scratching the sheet material 20.

[0055] In some embodiments, reference Figure 2 The shape of the adsorption surface 111 includes a polygon, and the notch 110 is located at the corner of the polygon. The corner can be a region near a corner. The sheet material 20 is typically polygonal, and the position for marking the pattern 21 is typically located at the corner of the sheet material 20. This arrangement allows the shape of the adsorption surface 111 to more closely match the shape of the sheet material 20, so that the suction cup assembly 10 can better adsorb the sheet material 20.

[0056] For example, such as Figure 2 As shown, the adsorption surface 111 has a rectangular shape, and the notches 110 are located at the four corners of the rectangle.

[0057] Figure 5 The image shown is an embodiment provided by this application. Figure 2 The suction cup assembly shown is a cross-sectional view along line AA.

[0058] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the suction cup 11 has a first air passage 112 and a second air passage 113.

[0059] The first end 1120 of the first air passage is connected to a gas source (not shown in the figure), and the second end 1121 of the first air passage extends to the adsorption surface 111. The gas supplied by the gas source flows through the first air passage 112 and exits from the second end 1121 of the first air passage to adsorb the sheet material 20 onto the adsorption surface 111. The first end 1130 of the second air passage is connected to a gas source, and the second end 1131 of the second air passage extends to the adsorption surface 111. The gas supplied by the gas source flows through the second air passage 113 and exits from the second end 1131 of the second air passage. The gas flow rate at the second end 1131 of the second air passage is less than the gas flow rate at the second end 1121 of the first air passage to release the sheet material 20 adsorbed on the adsorption surface 111.

[0060] Specifically, the first airway 112 is used to create a Bernoulli effect to adsorb the sheet material 20.

[0061] The suction cup 11 provided in this embodiment has a first air channel 112 and a second air channel 113. The air source can be connected to the first end 1120 of the first air channel and the first end 1130 of the second air channel through two air pipes, respectively. This avoids having too many air pipes connected to the suction cup 11, which could obstruct the position used to form the marking pattern 21 during transportation or processing. In addition, by providing the second air channel 113, the release of the sheet material 20 adsorbed on the adsorption surface 111 can be accelerated. This eliminates the need to provide a through hole on the suction cup 11. The sheet material 20 is released by air flowing through the through hole to the adsorption surface, which helps to increase the adsorption area of ​​the suction cup 11.

[0062] For example, the second end 1131 of the second airway can be located in the central region of the adsorption surface 111. The second end 1121 of the first airway can be located around the second end 1131 of the second airway. In this embodiment, the shape and position of the first airway 112 and the second airway 113 can be set according to actual needs, and this embodiment does not impose specific limitations.

[0063] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the suction cup assembly 10 also includes a connecting assembly 12 and a rotating shaft 13.

[0064] The connecting assembly 12 has a first through hole 120. The rotating shaft 13 is rotatably connected to the connecting assembly 12. One end of the rotating shaft 13 passes through the first through hole 120 and is connected to the suction cup 11. The rotating shaft 13 has a shoulder 130, which is located above the first through hole 120 and abuts against a plane of the connecting assembly 12 that is parallel to the upper end of the first through hole 120.

[0065] The suction cup assembly 10 provided in this embodiment is applicable to a wider range of applications. Since the rotating shaft 13 has a shoulder 130 located above the first through hole 120 and abutting against the plane of the connecting assembly 12 parallel to the upper end of the first through hole 120, the connecting assembly 12 can provide support for the rotating shaft 13. The rotating shaft 13 and the connecting assembly 12 are rotatably connected; driving the rotating shaft 13 to rotate will cause the suction cup 11 to rotate, thereby changing the orientation of the sheet material 20, facilitating the transportation and processing of the sheet material 20. The connecting assembly 12 can be used to connect with other devices, such as a robotic arm. The suction cup assembly 10 can be mounted on a robotic arm to form a robotic arm, allowing the robotic arm to adsorb the sheet material 20. Furthermore, the suction cup assembly 10 can be detached from the robotic arm as a whole, facilitating its maintenance and repair.

[0066] For example, the central axis of the rotating shaft 13 coincides with the central axis of the suction cup 11.

[0067] For example, the connecting assembly 12 may include a second connector 121, a bearing 122, and a bearing housing 123. The bearing 122 has a first through hole 120, which can be a bearing bore of the bearing 122, and the bearing 122 may be disposed in the bearing housing 123. The bearing housing 123 may be disposed in the second connector 121.

[0068] For example, the shoulder 130 of the shaft 13 abuts against the end face of the bearing 122. The bearing 122 is capable of bearing axial loads. For example, the bearing 122 may include angular contact bearings and thrust bearings, etc.

[0069] The embodiments of the suction cup assembly 10 of this application have been described in detail above. The embodiments of the robotic arm of this application are described in detail below. It should be understood that the description of the embodiments of the suction cup assembly 10 corresponds to the description of the embodiments of the robotic arm. Therefore, any parts not described in detail can be referred to the previous embodiments of the suction cup assembly 10.

[0070] Figure 6 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a robotic arm provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 7 The image shown is a top view of a robotic arm provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 8 The image shown is a front view of a robotic arm provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 9 The image shown is an embodiment provided by this application. Figure 7 The image shows a cross-sectional view of the robotic arm along line BB.

[0071] like Figures 6 to 9 As shown, the robotic arm 30 includes: a swing arm 31, a drive assembly 32, and two or more suction cup assemblies 10 mentioned in any of the above embodiments.

[0072] The swing arm 31 is horizontally positioned. The swing arm 31 has a first connecting portion 310, a second connecting portion 311, and a third connecting portion 312 connected sequentially. The extending directions of the first connecting portion 310 and the third connecting portion 312 are angled. A drive assembly 32 is connected to the second connecting portion 311 and configured to drive the swing arm 31 to rotate horizontally about a rotation axis. Two or more suction cup assemblies 10 are respectively connected to the first connecting portion 310 and the third connecting portion 312.

[0073] Exemplarily, the first connecting portion 310 can connect to one or more suction cup assemblies 10. The third connecting portion 312 can also connect to one or more suction cup assemblies 10. Exemplarily, the number of suction cup assemblies 10 connected to the first connecting portion 310 is equal to the number of suction cup assemblies 10 connected to the third connecting portion 312. Exemplarily, the angle between the extending direction of the first connecting portion 310 and the extending direction of the third connecting portion 312 can be greater than 0° and less than 180°. Exemplarily, the angle between the extending direction of the first connecting portion 310 and the extending direction of the third connecting portion 312 can be 90° or 120°. Exemplarily, the swing arm 31 is L-shaped.

[0074] Exemplarily, the drive assembly 32 may include one or more combinations of the following drive forms: gear sets, sprockets and chains, cylinders, and motors. Exemplarily, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the drive assembly 32 may include a servo motor 320 and a reducer 321. Exemplarily, the drive assembly 32 may also include a rotary cylinder.

[0075] For example, the suction cup assembly 10 connected to the first connecting part 310 is used to transport one or more sheet materials to be processed from the feeding conveying device to the processing table, and the suction cup assembly 10 connected to the third connecting part 312 is used to transport one or more processed sheet materials from the processing table to the unloading conveying device.

[0076] The robotic arm 30 provided in this embodiment can be used to transport sheet material 20. Driven by the drive assembly 32, the swing arm 31 rotates. The suction cup assembly 10 connected to the first connecting part 310 and the suction cup assembly 10 connected to the third connecting part 312 can simultaneously transport sheet material from two locations to two other locations. The corner area of ​​the suction cup 11 has one or more notches 110. The notches 110 penetrate the suction cup 11 in a direction perpendicular to the suction surface 111. The notches 110 can expose the position of the sheet material 20 used to form the marking pattern 21. Since the marking pattern 21 of the sheet material 20 is usually set at the corner, but the distance between the position of the marking pattern 21 and the edge of the sheet material 20 is not always the same, by setting the notches 110, when the distance between the position used to form the marking pattern 21 and the edge of the sheet material 20 changes, the position used to form the marking pattern 21 can also be exposed by the notches 110. This makes the robotic arm 30 applicable to various types of sheet material 20, increasing the versatility of the robotic arm 30.

[0077] In some application scenarios, the sheet material 20 has not yet been processed with the marking pattern 21. Since the area of ​​the sheet material 20 exposed by the notch 110 is relatively large, it does not obstruct the area near the position used to form the marking pattern 21. The suction cup assembly 10 can adsorb the sheet material 20 to process the marking pattern 21, which improves the convenience of processing the marking pattern 21 and expands the application scenarios of the robot arm 30.

[0078] Figure 10 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a suction cup assembly and a first synchronous wheel provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 11 The image shown is an embodiment provided by this application. Figure 10 The suction cup assembly and the first synchronizing wheel shown are in cross-sectional view along the CC line.

[0079] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 11 As shown, the suction cup assembly 10 further includes a connecting assembly 12 and a rotating shaft 13. The connecting assembly 12 has a first through hole 120 and is connected to a first connecting portion 310 or a third connecting portion 312. The rotating shaft 13 is rotatably connected to the connecting assembly 12. One end of the rotating shaft 13 passes through the first through hole 120 and is connected to the suction cup 11 of the suction cup assembly 10. The rotating shaft 13 has a shoulder 130, which is located above the first through hole 120 and abuts against a plane of the connecting assembly 12 that is parallel to the upper end of the first through hole 120.

[0080] The robotic arm 30 also includes: one or more first synchronous pulleys 33, one or more second synchronous pulleys 34, a support shaft 35, a third synchronous pulley 36, a fourth synchronous pulley 37, and two synchronous belts 38.

[0081] The first synchronous pulley 33 is sleeved on the rotating shaft 13 of the suction cup assembly 10 installed in the first connecting part 310. The second synchronous pulley 34 is sleeved on the rotating shaft 13 of the suction cup assembly 10 installed in the third connecting part 312.

[0082] The axis of the support shaft 35 coincides with the axis of rotation. The third synchronous pulley 36 is fitted onto the support shaft 35, located on the same horizontal plane as the first synchronous pulley 33, and has the same outer diameter as the first synchronous pulley 33. The fourth synchronous pulley 37 is fitted onto the support shaft 35, located below the third synchronous pulley 36, on the same horizontal plane as the second synchronous pulley 34, and has the same outer diameter as the second synchronous pulley 34. A synchronous belt 38 is fitted onto the third synchronous pulley 36 and one or more first synchronous pulleys 33, and another synchronous belt 38 is fitted onto one or more second synchronous pulleys 34 and the fourth synchronous pulley 37.

[0083] Specifically, both the first connecting part 310 and the third connecting part 312 are connected to one or more suction cup assemblies 10 via the connecting assembly 12. The outer diameter of the third synchronous wheel 36 is equal to that of the first synchronous wheel 33, so that the rotation angle of the third synchronous wheel 36 can be consistent with that of the first synchronous wheel 33. The outer diameter of the fourth synchronous wheel 37 is equal to that of the second synchronous wheel 34, so that the rotation angle of the fourth synchronous wheel 37 can be consistent with that of the second synchronous wheel 34. Specifically, the central axis of the rotating shaft 13 is parallel to the rotation axis. Specifically, each suction cup assembly 10 can be detached from the swing arm 31 for easy maintenance and repair of the suction cup assembly 10.

[0084] When the drive assembly 32 drives the swing arm 31 to rotate, for example, by 90° clockwise, the suction cup assembly 10 connected to the first connecting part 310 and the third connecting part 312 will also rotate synchronously and in the same direction around the rotation axis, for example, by 90° clockwise, driven by the swing arm 31. Since the third synchronous pulley 36 and the fourth synchronous pulley 37 are mounted on the support shaft 35, the support shaft 35 does not rotate relative to the ground. Furthermore, one synchronous belt 38 is mounted on the first synchronous pulley 33 and the third synchronous pulley 36, and another synchronous belt 38 is mounted on the second synchronous pulley 34 and the fourth synchronous pulley 37. This allows the suction cup 11 to rotate synchronously in the opposite direction to the swing arm 31 during the rotation of the swing arm 31. For example, it can rotate 90° counterclockwise relative to the swing arm 31. The suction cup 11 does not rotate relative to the ground, thus ensuring that the sheet material 20 adsorbed by each suction cup 11 does not change direction during the handling process by the robot arm 30. This achieves the non-directional transmission of the sheet material 20, making the robot arm 30 suitable for application scenarios where the sheet material 20 must maintain its direction during processing and transportation.

[0085] For example, such as Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 11 As shown, the length of the rotating shaft 13 included in the suction cup assembly 10 installed in the first connecting part 310 can be greater than the length of the rotating shaft 13 included in the suction cup assembly 10 installed in the third connecting part 312.

[0086] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, the first synchronous pulley 33 and the second synchronous pulley 34 can be fitted onto the rotating shaft 13 through the expansion coupling sleeve 41, so that the first synchronous pulley 33 is adjusted to be on the same horizontal plane as the third synchronous pulley 36, and the second synchronous pulley 34 is adjusted to be on the same horizontal plane as the fourth synchronous pulley 37, so that the handling process of the robot arm 30 is more stable.

[0087] For example, the first connecting portion 310 is connected to a plurality of suction cup assemblies 10, and the arrangement direction of the plurality of suction cup assemblies 10 connected to the first connecting portion 310 is perpendicular to the extension direction of the first connecting portion 310. For example, the third connecting portion 312 is connected to a plurality of suction cup assemblies 10, and the arrangement direction of the plurality of suction cup assemblies 10 connected to the third connecting portion 312 is perpendicular to the extension direction of the third connecting portion 312.

[0088] The robotic arm 30 provided in this embodiment is applicable to application scenarios where the sheet material 20 is required to maintain a constant direction during processing and transportation. Furthermore, it uses the third synchronous wheel 36 and the fourth synchronous wheel 37 arranged vertically as the steering structure, rather than two gears meshing as the steering structure. This avoids the problem of powder contamination of the sheet material caused by the friction of two gears meshing, as well as the problem of gear gaps causing tooth skipping, which leads to unstable handling of the sheet material 20. This improves the reliability of the robotic arm 30.

[0089] In some embodiments, such as Figure 9 As shown, the robotic arm 30 also includes a base 39. A support shaft 35 is disposed on the base 39. Exemplarily, one end of the support shaft 35 is connected to the base 39, and the other end of the support shaft 35 is rotatably connected to the second connecting portion 311. This arrangement ensures that the support shaft 35 is well supported by the base 39 and the second connecting portion 311, preventing the support shaft 35 from vibrating radially.

[0090] Figure 12 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a synchronous belt tensioning assembly provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 13 The image shown is a front view of a synchronous belt tensioning assembly provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0091] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 , Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, the robotic arm 30 also includes a timing belt tensioning assembly 40. The timing belt tensioning assembly 40 is disposed on the timing belt 38 and is used to tension the timing belt 38.

[0092] Exemplarily, the timing belt tensioning assembly 40 includes: a first tensioning block 400, a second tensioning block 401, and one or more clamping assemblies 402. The first tensioning block 400 and the second tensioning block 401 are disposed opposite to each other, with the two open ends of the timing belt 38 positioned between them. The clamping assembly 402 is connected to the first tensioning block 400 and the second tensioning block 401 to clamp the first tensioning block 400 and the second tensioning block 401, thereby tensioning the timing belt 38.

[0093] Exemplarily, the toothed surfaces of the first tensioning block 400 and the second tensioning block 401 facing the timing belt 38 have a plurality of teeth 403 that engage with the toothed surfaces to make the timing belt 38 more stable and durablely tensioned. Exemplarily, the clamping assembly 402 may include bolts and nuts.

[0094] For example, the robot arm 30 may include a plurality of timing belt tensioning assemblies 40, which together fix the two open ends of the timing belt 38, thereby tensioning the timing belt 38.

[0095] Figure 14 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the first connector provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0096] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 and Figure 14 As shown, the robotic arm 30 also includes two first connectors 42. One first connector 42 is detachably connected to the first connecting portion 310 and detachably connected to one or more connecting assemblies 12. The other first connector 42 is detachably connected to the third connecting portion 312 and detachably connected to one or more connecting assemblies 12.

[0097] Exemplarily, the first connector 42 is detachably connected to two connecting assemblies 12, and the cross-sectional shape of the first connector 42 may include a Y-shape. Exemplarily, the first connector 42 has multiple through slots to reduce the weight of the first connector 42.

[0098] The robotic arm 30 provided in this embodiment may need to be removed from the suction cup assembly 10 during maintenance or repair. By setting two first connecting parts 42, the swing arm 31 can be prevented from being directly connected to the suction cup assembly 10, thereby avoiding damage to the first connecting part 310 and the third connecting part 312 when the suction cup assembly 10 is disassembled and assembled, thus extending the life of the swing arm 31. When the first connecting part 42 is damaged, it can be removed and replaced. The operation is simple and the maintenance efficiency is improved.

[0099] The embodiments of the robot arm 30 of this application have been described in detail above. The embodiments of the processing equipment of this application are described in detail below. It should be understood that the description of the embodiments of the robot arm 30 corresponds to the description of the embodiments of the processing equipment. Therefore, any parts not described in detail can be referred to the foregoing embodiments of the robot arm 30.

[0100] Figure 15 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a processing device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0101] like Figure 15 As shown, the processing equipment 1 includes: the robotic arm 30, the feeding conveyor 50, the unloading conveyor 60, the processing table 70, and the processing device (not shown in the figure) mentioned in any of the above embodiments.

[0102] The feeding conveyor 50 is used to convey one or more sheet materials to be processed. The unloading conveyor 60 is used to convey one or more processed sheet materials. The processing table 70 can be used to simultaneously hold both sheet materials to be processed and processed sheet materials, or it can hold both sheet materials to be processed and processed sheet materials formed after processing. The processing device is located above the processing table 70 and is configured to process one or more sheet materials to be processed on the processing table 70 into one or more processed sheet materials.

[0103] The loading conveyor 50, processing table 70, and unloading conveyor 60 are arranged sequentially along the circumference of the robot arm 30. The robot arm 30 and the suction cup assembly 10 connected to the first connecting part 310 of the robot arm 30 are used to transport one or more sheet materials to be processed from the loading conveyor 50 to the processing table 70. The robot arm 30 and the suction cup assembly 10 connected to the third connecting part 312 of the robot arm 30 are used to transport one or more processed sheet materials from the processing table 70 to the unloading conveyor 60.

[0104] Specifically, the processing equipment 1 can be any processing equipment that requires the robotic arm 30 to handle the sheet material 20. For example, the processing apparatus may include a laser processing apparatus. For instance, the processing apparatus can be used to laser-groove the sheet material 20.

[0105] For example, such as Figure 15 As shown, the feeding conveyor 50 has one or more pick-up positions 51 along the feeding conveying direction X1. The pick-up positions 51 are located below the moving track of the suction cup 11. The unloading conveyor 60 has one or more placement positions 61 along the unloading conveying direction X2. The placement positions 61 are located below the moving track of the suction cup 11. One or more pick-up and placement positions 71 are arranged along the direction from the feeding conveyor 50 to the unloading conveyor 60. One or more processing positions 72 are provided on the side of the pick-up and placement positions 71 away from the robot arm 30. The processing positions 72 can be arranged along the direction from the feeding conveyor 50 to the unloading conveyor 60. The pick-up and placement positions 71 and the processing positions 72 are located above the processing table 70, and the pick-up and placement positions 71 are located below the moving track of the suction cup 11. The processing table 70 is rotatable, and the pick-and-place position 71 and the processing position 72 are symmetrically distributed about the rotation axis of the processing table 70, so that the processed sheet material on the processing position 72 is rotated to the pick-and-place position 71, and the sheet material to be processed on the pick-and-place position 71 is rotated to the processing position 72. The processing device is located above the processing position 72.

[0106] In some application scenarios, the suction cup assembly 10 connected to the first connecting part 310 picks up the sheet material to be processed on the pick-up position 51, and the suction cup assembly 10 connected to the third connecting part 312 picks up the processed sheet material on the pick-up and place position 71. The swing arm 31 of the robot arm 30 rotates, and the processing table 70 rotates. The suction cup assembly 10 connected to the first connecting part 310 releases the sheet material to be processed to the pick-up and place position 71, and the suction cup assembly 10 connected to the third connecting part 312 releases the processed sheet material to the place position 61. After the sheet material to be processed is released to the pick-up and place position 71, the processing table 70 rotates, rotating the sheet material to be processed from the pick-up and place position 71 to the processing position 72 for processing.

[0107] In some embodiments, the processing equipment 1 further includes a detection device. The detection device is used to detect the orientation and position of the sheet material 20 or to detect whether the sheet material 20 is qualified. Exemplarily, the detection device may include a detection camera, an ultrasonic sensor, or a photoelectric sensor, etc. Exemplarily, along the feeding conveying direction X2, the side of the sheet placement position 61 away from the processing table 70 also has a detection position 62.

[0108] The processing device 1 provided in this embodiment has one or more notches 110 in the corner area of ​​the suction cup 11. The notches 110 penetrate the suction cup 11 in a direction perpendicular to the adsorption surface 111. The notches 110 can expose the position of the sheet material 20 for forming the marking pattern 21. Since the marking pattern 21 of the sheet material 20 is usually set at the corner, but the distance between the position of the marking pattern 21 and the edge of the sheet material 20 is not the same, by setting the notches 110, when the distance between the position for forming the marking pattern 21 and the edge of the sheet material 20 changes, the position for forming the marking pattern 21 can also be exposed by the notches 110, so that the processing device 1 can be applied to various types of sheet materials 20, increasing the versatility of the processing device 1.

[0109] In some application scenarios, the sheet material 20 has not yet been processed with the marking pattern 21. Since the area of ​​the sheet material 20 exposed by the notch 110 is large, it causes less obstruction to the area near the position where the marking pattern 21 is formed. The suction cup assembly 10 can adsorb the sheet material 20 to process the marking pattern 21, which improves the convenience of processing the marking pattern 21 and expands the application scenarios of the processing equipment 1.

[0110] The basic principles of this application have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, and effects mentioned in this application are merely examples and not limitations, and should not be considered as essential features of each embodiment of this application. Furthermore, the specific details disclosed above are for illustrative and facilitative purposes only, and are not limitations. These details do not limit the application to the necessity of employing the aforementioned specific details for implementation.

[0111] The block diagrams of devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems involved in this application are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, or configured in the manner shown in the block diagrams. As those skilled in the art will recognize, these devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems can be connected, arranged, and configured in any manner. Words such as “comprising,” “including,” “having,” etc., are open-ended terms meaning “including but not limited to,” and are used interchangeably with them. The terms “or” and “and” as used herein refer to the terms “and / or,” and are used interchangeably with them unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “such as” as used herein refers to the phrase “such as but not limited to,” and is used interchangeably with it.

[0112] It should also be noted that in the apparatus, equipment, and methods of this application, the components or steps can be disassembled and / or recombined. These disassemblies and / or recombinations should be considered as equivalent solutions of this application.

[0113] The above description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use this application. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but rather to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0114] The above description has been given for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, this description is not intended to limit the embodiments of this application to the forms disclosed herein. Although numerous exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, alterations, additions, and sub-combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A suction cup assembly, characterized in that, include: A suction cup having an adsorption surface for adsorbing sheet-like materials; The suction cup has one or more notches in its corner area, the notches extending through the suction cup in a direction perpendicular to the adsorption surface, and the notches opening from the side wall of the suction cup toward its center; the notches are used to expose the positions of the sheet material used to form marking patterns.

2. The suction cup assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The orthographic projection of the side of the notch facing the central axis of the suction cup onto the suction surface includes a curve, the convex side of which faces the central axis of the suction cup.

3. The suction cup assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The orthographic projection of the notch on the adsorption surface includes a first straight line, the curve, and a second straight line connected in sequence. The first straight line intersects a first side of the adsorption surface, and the second straight line intersects a second side of the adsorption surface. The first side and the second side are adjacent to each other.

4. The suction cup assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shape of the adsorption surface includes a polygon, and the notch is located at the corner of the polygon.

5. The suction cup assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The suction cup has: A first air passage, a first end of which is connected to a gas source, and a second end of which extends to the adsorption surface. Gas supplied by the gas source flows through the first air passage and exits from the second end of the first air passage to adsorb the sheet material onto the adsorption surface. A second air passage is provided, with a first end connected to the gas source and a second end extending to the adsorption surface. Gas supplied by the gas source flows through the second air passage and exits from the second end of the second air passage. The gas flow rate at the second end of the second air passage is less than the gas flow rate at the second end of the first air passage, so as to release the sheet material adsorbed on the adsorption surface.

6. The suction cup assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, Also includes: The connecting component has a first through hole; A rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the connecting assembly. One end of the rotating shaft passes through the first through hole and is connected to the suction cup. The rotating shaft has a shoulder located above the first through hole and abuts against the plane of the connecting assembly that is parallel to the upper end of the first through hole.

7. A robotic arm, characterized in that, include: A horizontally positioned swing arm has a first connecting part, a second connecting part, and a third connecting part connected in sequence, wherein the extension directions of the first connecting part and the extension directions of the third connecting part are set at an angle. A drive assembly, connected to the second connecting part, is configured to drive the swing arm to rotate horizontally about the rotation axis; Two or more suction cup assemblies according to any one of claims 1 to 6 are respectively connected to the first connecting part and the third connecting part.

8. The robotic arm according to claim 7, characterized in that, The suction cup assembly also includes: A connecting component having a first through hole and being connected to the first connecting portion or the third connecting portion; A rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the connecting assembly. One end of the rotating shaft passes through the first through hole and is connected to the suction cup of the suction cup assembly. The rotating shaft has a shoulder located above the first through hole and abuts against the plane of the connecting assembly that is parallel to the upper end of the first through hole. The robotic arm also includes: One or more first synchronous pulleys are sleeved on the rotating shaft included in the suction cup assembly installed at the first connecting part; One or more second synchronous pulleys are fitted onto the rotating shaft included in the suction cup assembly installed on the third connecting part; A support shaft, the axis of which coincides with the axis of rotation; The third synchronous pulley is sleeved on the support shaft, located on the same horizontal plane as the first synchronous pulley, and has the same outer diameter as the first synchronous pulley; The fourth synchronous pulley is sleeved on the support shaft, located below the third synchronous pulley, on the same horizontal plane as the second synchronous pulley, and has the same outer diameter as the second synchronous pulley; Two synchronous belts, one of which is fitted onto one or more first and third synchronous pulleys, and the other of which is fitted onto one or more second and fourth synchronous pulleys.

9. The robotic arm according to claim 8, characterized in that, Also includes: Two first connectors, one of which is detachably connected to the first connecting portion and detachably connected to one or more of the connecting components, and the other of which is detachably connected to the third connecting portion and detachably connected to one or more of the connecting components.

10. A processing device, characterized in that, include: The robotic arm according to any one of claims 7 to 9; A feeding and conveying device is used to convey one or more sheet-shaped materials to be processed. A feeding conveyor for conveying one or more processed sheet materials; A processing table is used to hold the sheet material to be processed and / or the processed sheet material. The feeding conveyor, the processing table and the unloading conveyor are arranged sequentially along the circumference of the robot arm. A processing device, located above the processing table, is configured to process one or more sheet materials to be processed on the processing table into one or more processed sheet materials. The suction cup assembly connected to the first connecting part of the robotic arm is used to transport one or more pieces of the sheet material to be processed from the feeding conveying device to the processing table, and the suction cup assembly connected to the third connecting part of the robotic arm is used to transport one or more pieces of the processed sheet material from the processing table to the unloading conveying device.

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