Positioning manipulator for hoisting energy storage module into box

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the field of new energy storage equipment assembly, and particularly relates to a positioning manipulator for hoisting an energy storage module into a box, which comprises a base, a mechanical arm, a mounting seat, an industrial camera, a laser range finder and a control unit, the mechanical arm is fixedly arranged on the base, and the execution end of the mechanical arm is provided with a grabbing mechanism through the mounting seat; the free end of a grabbing claw on the grabbing mechanism is opposite to the mounting base, the shooting direction of the industrial camera faces the free end of the grabbing claw of the grabbing mechanism, the laser emitting direction of the laser range finder is consistent with the shooting direction of the industrial camera, and the control unit is in signal connection with the mechanical arm, the laser range finder, the industrial camera and the grabbing mechanism. According to the invention, the problems of avoiding the collision between the module and the box body and reducing the maintenance difficulty without frequently replacing the tool are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of new energy storage equipment assembly, specifically a robotic arm for hoisting and positioning energy storage modules into boxes. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the hoisting and assembly of energy storage modules into containers mainly relies on manual operation or semi-automated equipment, which has the following drawbacks:

[0003] 1. Insufficient precision: Traditional vacuum suction cups are difficult to adapt to modules of different sizes. When the size of the module is large, the suction cup may not be able to hold the area, resulting in insufficient suction and the object being sucked may fall off. Therefore, it is necessary to change the tooling frequently, which is inefficient.

[0004] 2. Poor safety: Hard contact between the module and the housing may cause collision damage, especially for modules weighing more than 1 ton.

[0005] 3. High complexity: Multi-sensor fusion and redundant design increase system cost and maintenance difficulty. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this application is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies by designing a robotic arm for hoisting and positioning energy storage modules into a container. This arm is equipped with an industrial camera mounted on a mounting base with its shooting direction facing the free end of the gripper and a laser rangefinder with its laser emission direction facing the free end of the gripper. After grasping the energy storage module, the robotic arm can accurately place the energy storage module into the container, thus solving the problems of how to avoid frequent tooling changes, prevent collisions between the module and the container, and reduce maintenance difficulty.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted in this application is:

[0008] A robotic arm for hoisting and positioning energy storage modules into a container includes a base, a robotic arm, a mounting base, an industrial camera, a laser rangefinder, and a control unit. The robotic arm is fixedly mounted on the base. The actuator of the robotic arm is connected to a gripping mechanism via the mounting base. The free end of the gripping claw on the gripping mechanism faces away from the mounting base. The shooting direction of the industrial camera is towards the free end of the gripping claw. The laser emission direction of the laser rangefinder is consistent with the shooting direction of the industrial camera. The control unit is signal-connected to the robotic arm, the laser rangefinder, the industrial camera, and the gripping mechanism.

[0009] Preferably, the industrial camera is mounted on the mounting base.

[0010] Preferably, the gripping mechanism includes a structural frame, one side of which is fixedly connected to the mounting base. Two gripping claws are slidably disposed on the side of the structural frame facing away from the mounting base, and the sliding paths between the two gripping claws are collinear. Two servo electric cylinders are disposed inside the structural frame, and one of the servo electric cylinders drives one of the gripping claws to slide on the structural frame.

[0011] Preferably, the structural frame has a sliding groove on the side wall facing away from the mounting base, and a connecting block is provided at the root of the gripper. The connecting block extends through the sliding groove into the structural frame and is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the servo electric cylinder. The length line of the sliding groove is parallel to the movement path of the gripper.

[0012] Preferably, the structural frame is provided with a slide rail on the side facing away from the mounting base, and the root of the gripping claw is provided with a slider away from the connecting block, and the slider is slidably disposed between the two slide rails.

[0013] Preferably, the laser rangefinder is mounted on the gripper, and the laser rangefinder is mounted on the side wall A away from the gripper, and the side wall A is perpendicular to the plane on the structural frame where the gripper is mounted.

[0014] Preferably, a pressure sensor is provided on the side of one of the grippers facing the other gripper, and the pressure sensor signal is connected to the control unit.

[0015] Preferably, polyurethane anti-slip pads are provided on the opposing surfaces of both gripping claws.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] This application employs an industrial camera mounted on a mounting base with its shooting direction facing the free end of the gripper and a laser rangefinder with its laser emission direction facing the free end of the gripper. It designs a robotic arm for hoisting and positioning energy storage modules into a container. This arm can accurately place the energy storage module into the container after it is grasped. This design reduces the number of sensors and solves the problems of not needing to frequently change tooling, avoiding collisions between the module and the container, and reducing maintenance difficulty. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the grasping mechanism in this application;

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 2 The structural diagram on the right;

[0021] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the structure in this application that uses a spring as a conductive elastic element;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the servo electric cylinder and its actuator.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a state diagram of the energy storage module when the energy storage module is clamped.

[0024] The components are as follows: 1. Base; 2. Robotic arm; 3. Mounting base; 4. Industrial camera; 5. Laser rangefinder; 6. Control unit; 7. Gripper; 8. Structural frame; 9. Servo electric cylinder; 10. Slide rail; 11. Connecting block; 12. Slide rail; 13. Slider; 14. Side wall A; 15. Pressure sensor; 16. Polyurethane anti-slip pad; 17. Energy storage module; 18. Outer cylinder; 19. Base box; 20. Inner cylinder; 21. Outer side wall N; 22. First gear; 23. Second gear; 24. Lead screw. Detailed Implementation

[0025] like Figure 1-6 As shown, a robotic arm for hoisting and positioning energy storage modules into a container includes a base 1, a robotic arm 2, a mounting base 3, an industrial camera 4, a laser rangefinder 5, and a control unit 6. The robotic arm 2 is fixedly mounted on the base 1. The execution end of the robotic arm 2 is equipped with a gripping mechanism via the mounting base 3. The free end of the gripping claw 7 on the gripping mechanism faces away from the mounting base 3. The shooting direction of the industrial camera 4 is towards the free end of the gripping claw 7 of the gripping mechanism. The laser emission direction of the laser rangefinder 5 is consistent with the shooting direction of the industrial camera 4. The control unit 6 is signal-connected to the robotic arm 2, the laser rangefinder 5, the industrial camera 4, and the gripping mechanism.

[0026] In this embodiment, the base 1 is used to fix the robotic arm 2. When mounting the base 3, in order to install the gripping mechanism, before the gripper 7 grips the energy storage module 17, the industrial camera 4 first takes a picture and sends it to the control unit 6. The control unit 6 determines whether it is the energy storage module 17. If it is indeed the energy storage module 17, the control unit 6 then transmits the signal to the laser rangefinder 5 to measure the distance and feeds the signal back to the control unit 6. The control unit 6 drives the robotic arm 2 to extend according to the distance, thereby preventing the gripper 7 from hitting the energy storage module 17. Next, control unit 6 controls robotic arm 2 and gripping mechanism to grasp energy storage module 17. Then, control unit 6 rotates to locate the housing via industrial camera 4. After locating the housing, industrial camera 4 determines the condition inside the housing, i.e., whether it is empty and can accommodate energy storage module 17. Laser rangefinder 5 determines the distance between gripping mechanism and housing, thus facilitating control of the extension distance of robotic arm 2 and preventing the gripping mechanism from colliding with the housing containing energy storage module 17. Finally, robotic arm 2 extends gripping mechanism into housing, and gripper 7 releases energy storage module 17, allowing it to be placed into housing. The entire process requires no human intervention. Control unit 6 is mounted on robotic arm 2.

[0027] As a preferred embodiment, the industrial camera 4 is mounted on the mounting base 3. Since the mounting base 3 is the actuator of the robotic arm 2, the industrial camera 4 needs to locate the energy storage module 17 and the housing at the actuator of the robotic arm 2. Therefore, the industrial camera 4 must be mounted on the mounting base 3.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the gripping mechanism includes a structural frame 8, one side of which is fixedly connected to the mounting base 3. Two gripping claws 7 are slidably disposed on the side of the structural frame 8 facing away from the mounting base 3, with the sliding paths of the two gripping claws 7 being collinear. Two servo cylinders 9 are disposed within the structural frame 8, with one servo cylinder 9 driving one gripping claw 7 to slide on the structural frame 8. This arrangement allows the two gripping claws 7 to move towards each other to clamp the energy storage module 17, and to move away from each other to release the clamping of the energy storage module 17. The collinear sliding paths of the two gripping claws 7 ensure even force distribution when the energy storage module 17 is clamped; otherwise, if the two gripping claws 7 clamp the energy storage module 17 like scissors, the energy storage module 17 would experience uneven force and be prone to instability.

[0029] As a preferred embodiment, the structural frame 8 has a groove 10 on its side wall facing away from the mounting base 3, and a connecting block 11 is provided at the root of the gripper 7. The connecting block 11 extends through the groove 10 into the structural frame 8 and is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the servo cylinder 9. The length line of the groove 10 is parallel to the movement path of the gripper 7. With this configuration, the two grippers 9 can be controlled by the servo cylinder 9 to move away from or closer to each other, adapting to different models of energy storage modules. The groove 10 is provided so that the connecting block 11 can fix the gripper 7 to the output shaft of the servo cylinder 9.

[0030] As a preferred embodiment, the structural frame 8 has a slide rail 12 on the side facing away from the mounting base 3, and a slider 13 is provided at the root of the gripper 7 away from the connecting block 11. The slider 13 is slidably disposed between the two slide rails 12. The gripper 7 is mounted by the slide rails 12 and the slider 13, so that the movement paths of the two grippers 7 are collinear.

[0031] As a preferred embodiment, the laser rangefinder 5 is mounted on the gripper 7, on a side wall A14 away from the gripper 7, with the side wall A14 perpendicular to the plane on the frame 8 where the gripper 7 is mounted. This configuration allows the laser rangefinder 5 to accurately measure the distance between the free end of the gripper 7 and the target object (energy storage module 17).

[0032] As a preferred embodiment, a pressure sensor 15 is provided on the side of one of the gripping claws 7 facing the other gripping claw 7, and the pressure sensor 15 is signal-connected to the control unit 6. By providing the pressure sensor 15, excessive pressure applied to the energy storage module 17 by the two gripping claws 7 can be prevented from damaging the energy storage module 17.

[0033] As a preferred embodiment, polyurethane anti-slip pads 16 are provided on the facing surfaces of both gripping claws 7 to prevent the energy storage module 17 from slipping between the two gripping claws 7 after it has been clamped. The control unit 6 is a PLC chip.

[0034] Preferred, such as Figure 5As shown, the structural frame 8 includes an outer cylinder 18 and a base box 19. The base box 19 is fixedly installed inside the structural frame 8. The inner cylinder 20 is coaxial with the outer cylinder 18. One end of the inner cylinder 20 is outside the outer cylinder 18, and the other end is slidably connected to the inner wall of the outer cylinder 18. The servo electric cylinder 9 is a servo motor, which is fixedly installed on the outer side wall N21 of the base box 19. The output shaft of the servo motor is coaxially fixed with a first gear 22 inside the base box 19. The base box 19 also has a gear 22 that is connected to the first gear 22. The second gear 23 meshes with the gear 22. The second gear 23 is coaxially fixedly connected to one end of the lead screw 24. One end of the lead screw 24 extends coaxially into the inner cylinder 20. The inner cylinder 20 is provided with an internal thread that mates with the lead screw 24. One end of the outer cylinder 18 is fixedly connected to the outer side wall N21. The portion of the lead screw 24 located between the inner cylinder 20 and the second gear 23 is rotatably connected to the outer cylinder 18 via a bearing. The gripping claw 7 is fixedly connected to one end of the inner cylinder 20 located outside the outer cylinder 18. With this design, the servo motor is fixedly mounted inside the structural frame 8 via the base box 19. The output shaft of the servo motor drives the lead screw 24 to rotate via the first gear 22 and the second gear 23. Since the lead screw 24 is connected to the outer cylinder 18 through bearings, it can only rotate and cannot move axially within the outer cylinder 18. Therefore, the second gear 23 is indirectly rotatably mounted inside the base box 19. The rotation of the lead screw 23 causes the inner cylinder 20 to move axially on the outer cylinder 18, thus acting as a telescopic rod. With this configuration, when the inner cylinder 20 moves axially, it drives the gripper 7 to slide on the slide rail 12, thereby achieving the purpose of gripper 7 clamping and releasing the energy storage module 17. The end of the inner cylinder 20 outside the outer cylinder 18 is the actuator of the servo electric cylinder 9.

Claims

1. A robotic arm for hoisting and positioning energy storage modules into a container, characterized in that, The system includes a base (1), a robotic arm (2), a mounting base (3), an industrial camera (4), a laser rangefinder (5), and a control unit (6). The robotic arm (2) is fixedly mounted on the base (1). The execution end of the robotic arm (2) is equipped with a gripping mechanism through the mounting base (3). The free end of the gripping claw (7) on the gripping mechanism faces away from the mounting base (3). The shooting direction of the industrial camera (4) is towards the free end of the gripping claw (7) of the gripping mechanism. The laser emission direction of the laser rangefinder (5) is consistent with the shooting direction of the industrial camera (4). The control unit (6) is connected to the robotic arm (2), the laser rangefinder (5), the industrial camera (4), and the gripping mechanism.

2. The robotic arm for hoisting and positioning energy storage modules into a container according to claim 1, characterized in that, The industrial camera (4) is mounted on the mounting base (3).

3. The robotic arm for hoisting and positioning energy storage modules into a container according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gripping mechanism includes a structural frame (8), one side of which is fixedly connected to the mounting base (3). Two gripping claws (7) are slidably arranged on the side of the structural frame (8) facing away from the mounting base (3). The sliding paths between the two gripping claws (7) are collinear. Two servo electric cylinders (9) are arranged inside the structural frame (8). One servo electric cylinder (9) drives one gripping claw (7) to slide on the structural frame (8).

4. A robotic arm for hoisting and positioning energy storage modules into a container according to claim 3, characterized in that, The structural frame (8) has a sliding groove (10) on the side wall facing away from the mounting base (3). The root of the gripper (7) has a connecting block (11). The connecting block (11) passes through the sliding groove (10) and extends into the structural frame (8) to be fixedly connected to the output shaft of the servo electric cylinder (9). The length line of the sliding groove (10) is parallel to the moving path of the gripper (7).

5. A robotic arm for hoisting and positioning energy storage modules into a container according to claim 4, characterized in that, The structural frame (8) has a slide rail (12) on the side facing away from the mounting base (3), and the root of the gripper (7) has a slider (13) at a distance away from the connecting block (11), and the slider (13) is slidably disposed between the two slide rails (12).

6. A robotic arm for hoisting and positioning energy storage modules into a container according to claim 3, characterized in that, The laser rangefinder (5) is mounted on the gripper (7). The laser rangefinder (5) is located on the side wall A (14) away from the gripper (7). The side wall A (14) is perpendicular to the plane on the structural frame (8) where the gripper (7) is mounted.

7. A robotic arm for hoisting and positioning energy storage modules into a container according to claim 3, characterized in that, A pressure sensor (15) is provided on the side of one of the gripping claws (7) facing the other gripping claw (7), and the pressure sensor (15) is signal-connected to the control unit (6).

8. A robotic arm for hoisting and positioning energy storage modules into a container according to claim 3, characterized in that, Polyurethane anti-slip pads (16) are provided on the opposing surfaces of the two gripping claws (7).

Images