Robotic sewing components
By using the fixing device of the robotic sewing component and the multi-directional manipulation of the servo unit, the problem of difficulty in full-coverage sewing on complex car dashboards in existing technologies has been solved, achieving efficient and precise sewing results.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NTANHUA PROD CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-19
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-02
AI Technical Summary
Existing robotic sewing technology struggles to effectively achieve full-coverage sewing on items with complex geometries, especially in the long, flat sections, curved sections, and air vents of car dashboards.
The robot sewing assembly, which includes a fixing device and a servo unit, achieves multi-axis rotation, lifting and lateral drive of the object through multi-directional manipulation of the servo unit and coordinated operation of the robot arm, combined with unmanned control by a programmable controller.
It enables full-coverage sewing of complex-shaped items, improving sewing efficiency and precision without the need for manual intervention.
Smart Images
Figure CN224313822U_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] Cross-references to related applications
[0002] This application claims the advantages of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 571,770, filed March 29, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field
[0003] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure relate to technologies for robotic sewing components used in sewing processes. Background Technology
[0004] Robotic sewing technology typically involves a sewing head. The sewing head may include an upper arm and a lower arm and can be attached to a robotic arm. The robotic arm positions the sewing head near the item to be sewn. The item can be, but is not necessarily, a car's instrument panel (IP), and is typically held in place by a fixture. The robotic arm orients the sewing head so that a given stitching operation can be performed relative to the item. Utility Model Content
[0005] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a robotic sewing assembly is provided. The robotic sewing assembly includes a fixture for supporting an article to be sewn and a robotic arm. The robotic arm includes a sewing head. The sewing head is configured to apply thread to the article. The robotic arm is configured to manipulate the sewing head in multiple directions relative to the article. The fixture includes a servo unit to which the article is connected, and the servo unit is configured to manipulate the article in multiple directions relative to the sewing head. The robotic arm, sewing head, and servo unit can operate cooperatively.
[0006] According to additional and / or alternative embodiments, the robotic arm includes a first arm rotatable in at least one direction, a second arm rotatably attached to the first arm to be rotatable in at least one direction, and a coupling, wherein a sewing head is rotatably attached to the second arm via the coupling to be rotatable in at least two directions.
[0007] According to additional and / or alternative embodiments, the sewing head includes a sewing needle and a sewing plate.
[0008] According to additional and / or alternative embodiments, the mounting device also includes a chassis to which the servo unit is attached and a vertically oriented screen plate supported on the chassis near the servo unit.
[0009] According to additional and / or alternative embodiments, the servo unit is configured to manipulate the article in multiple directions relative to the sewing head during the sewing process.
[0010] According to additional and / or alternative embodiments, the servo unit is configured to rotate and translate an item around and along multiple axes.
[0011] According to additional and / or alternative embodiments, the servo unit is configured to rotate the article about its longitudinal axis, raise and lower the article, and drive the article laterally in the first and second lateral directions.
[0012] According to additional and / or alternative embodiments, the robotic sewing assembly also includes a programmable controller to control the coordinated operation of the robotic arm, sewing head, and servo unit without operator intervention.
[0013] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a robotic sewing assembly is provided for sewing an instrument panel (IP) including an elongated flat portion and an elongated curved portion defining a vent. The robotic sewing assembly includes a fixture for supporting the IP and a robotic arm. The robotic arm includes a sewing head. The sewing head is configured to apply a stitch to the IP. The robotic arm is configured to manipulate the sewing head in multiple directions relative to the IP. The fixture includes a servo unit to which the IP is connected, the servo unit being configured to manipulate the IP in multiple directions relative to the sewing head. The robotic arm, sewing head, and servo unit can cooperate to perform sewing on the elongated flat portion and the elongated curved portion defining the vent of the IP.
[0014] According to additional and / or alternative embodiments, the robotic arm includes a first arm rotatable in at least one direction, a second arm rotatably attached to the first arm to be rotatable in at least one direction, and a coupling through which a sewing head is rotatably attached to the second arm to be rotatable in at least two directions.
[0015] According to additional and / or alternative embodiments, the sewing head includes a sewing needle and a sewing plate.
[0016] According to additional and / or alternative embodiments, the mounting device also includes a chassis to which the servo unit is attached and a vertically oriented screen plate supported on the chassis near the servo unit.
[0017] According to additional and / or alternative embodiments, the servo unit is configured to manipulate the IP in multiple directions relative to the sewing head during the sewing process.
[0018] According to additional and / or alternative embodiments, the servo unit is configured to rotate and translate the IP around and along multiple axes during the sewing process.
[0019] According to additional and / or alternative embodiments, the servo unit is configured to rotate, raise and lower the IP around the longitudinal axis of the article during sewing, and laterally drive the IP in the first and second lateral directions.
[0020] According to additional and / or alternative embodiments, sewing is performed along multiple outer and bottom surfaces of the IP at one or more locations including elongated flat portions, elongated curved portions, and vents.
[0021] According to additional and / or alternative embodiments, the robotic sewing assembly also includes a programmable controller to control the robotic arm, sewing head, and servo unit to cooperate with each other to perform sewing on elongated flat sections and elongated curved sections, thereby defining the ventilation openings of the IP without operator intervention.
[0022] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided for operating a robotic sewing assembly to sew an article. The method includes providing a robotic arm including a sewing head and a fixing device, attaching a servo unit to the article, and sewing along multiple outer and bottom surfaces of the article. The sewing includes simultaneously controlling the robotic arm to manipulate the sewing head relative to the article, controlling the sewing head to apply sewing to the article, and controlling the servo unit to rotate the article about its longitudinal axis, raise and lower the article, and laterally drive the article in first and second lateral directions.
[0023] According to additional and / or alternative embodiments, the method can be executed by a programmable controller without operator intervention.
[0024] According to additional and / or alternative embodiments, the article is an instrument panel (IP) of a vehicle, including an elongated flat portion, an elongated curved portion, and one or more vents, and sewing is performed along multiple exterior and bottom surfaces of the IP at the elongated flat portion, the elongated curved portion, and one or more vents.
[0025] Additional features and advantages are achieved through the technology of this disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of this disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered part of the claimed technical concept. For a better understanding of this disclosure and its advantages and features, please refer to the specification and drawings. Attached Figure Description
[0026] To gain a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is now made to the following brief description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and detailed description, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts:
[0027] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an item to be sewn according to an embodiment (e.g., a car dashboard (IP));
[0028] Figure 2A and 2B Executed according to the embodiments Figure 1 Perspective and side views of the robotic sewing components for sewing items;
[0029] Figure 3 According to the embodiments Figure 2A and 2B A schematic diagram of the programmable controller for the robot sewing assembly;
[0030] Figure 4 According to the embodiments Figure 2A and 2B A graphical illustration of the operation sequence of the robot sewing components; and
[0031] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a robotic sewing assembly to sew an article (e.g., a car dashboard (IP)) according to an embodiment. Detailed Implementation
[0032] This document describes one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and methods in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of example and not limitation.
[0033] In most cases, the fixing device allows the robotic sewing assembly to access the location of the part or item being sewn where stitches are to be applied. However, some component configurations prevent access to all stitch locations on the part without reaching the limits of the robotic sewing assembly. For example, in designs that restrict such access to the top or bottom, it can be difficult to access locations near the top and bottom of a dashboard (IP).
[0034] Therefore, as described below, a fixing device is provided that can adjust the position and / or orientation of a part or article being sewn relative to a robotic sewing assembly. This allows for the completion of the production of the part or article in a faster and more efficient manner. The part or article is fixed to the fixing device, and the fixing device can control the position and / or orientation of the part or article in real time to allow the sewing head of the robotic sewing assembly to access all sewing positions of the part or article during the sewing process. This allows the sewing head to access locations on parts or articles with particularly complex geometries that are difficult to reach. The fixing device can move the part or article in a variety of ways, including but not limited to rotating the part or article about a given axis and moving the part or article up, down, or laterally.
[0035] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2A and 2B A robotic sewing assembly 201 is provided for sewing articles (e.g., IP101 of a car). (For clarity and brevity, the following description will generally refer to IP101, but it should be understood that the term is interchangeable with "article".) The IP includes an elongated flat portion 110 and an elongated curved portion 120, the elongated curved portion 120 being formed to define one or more vents 121. Stitching of the IP101 involves adding stitches to multiple exterior and bottom surfaces of the IP101 at the edges of the elongated flat portion 110, the elongated curved portion 120, and the one or more vents 121.
[0036] The robotic stitching assembly 201 includes a fixing device 210 to rotatably and movablely support IP101 and a robotic arm 220. The robotic arm 220 includes a sewing head 230. The sewing head 230 is configured to apply stitches to multiple outer and bottom surfaces of IP101 at the edges of an elongated flat portion 110, an elongated curved portion 120, and one or more vents 121. The robotic arm 220 is configured to manipulate the sewing head 230 in multiple directions relative to IP101. The fixing device 210 includes an optional base portion 211 to which the robotic arm 220 can be anchored (but it should be understood that in, for example, robotic gantry systems or other similar cases, anchoring is not required or provided) and a servo unit 212 to which IP101 is connected. The servo unit 212 is configured to manipulate IP101 in multiple directions relative to the sewing head 230. The robotic arm 220, sewing head 230, and servo unit 212 can work together to perform sewing on IP101.
[0037] The servo unit 212 may include a clamping portion 2121 configured to clamp IP101 without interfering with the sewing operation, and a plurality of servo arms 2122 movable and rotatable relative to IP101 and to each other. The clamping portion 2121 includes a gripper 2123 capable of clamping any portion of IP101 and rotatable relative to the proximal arm of the plurality of servo arms 2122. Therefore, the servo unit 212 is capable of moving and / or rotating IP101 in multiple directions and axes. That is, the servo unit 212 can move IP101 up and down, forward and backward, left and right, and / or about any vertical or horizontal axis.
[0038] The sewing head 230 includes a sewing needle 231 and a sewing plate 232. The robotic arm 220 includes the sewing head 230, an optional base 221 anchorable to a base portion 211 of the fixing device 210 (as described above, in the case of, for example, a robotic gantry system or other similar cases, the optional base 221 is absent and not required or provides anchoring), a first arm 222 rotatable in at least one direction, a second arm 223 rotatably attached to the first arm 222 for rotation in at least one direction, and a coupling 224, through which the sewing head 230 is rotatably attached to the second arm 223 for rotation in at least two directions. The mounting device 210 includes an optional base portion 211, a servo unit 212, and a chassis 213, wherein the optional base portion 211 and the servo unit 212 are attached to the chassis 213 at a certain distance from each other, and a vertically oriented screen 214 supported on the chassis 213 and close to the servo unit 212.
[0039] Servo unit 212 is configured to manipulate IP101 in multiple directions relative to sewing head 230 during sewing. More specifically, servo unit 212 is configured to rotate and translate IP101 about and along multiple axes during sewing. That is, servo unit 212 is configured to rotate IP101 about longitudinal axis A1, raise and lower IP101 along vertical axis A2, and laterally drive IP101 in first and second lateral directions A3 and A4 during sewing. Thus, as will be further discussed below, stitching can be performed along multiple outer and bottom surfaces of IP101 at the elongated flat portion 110, the elongated curved portion 120, and one or more vents 121.
[0040] Continue to refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2A and 2B And refer to other sources Figure 3 The robotic sewing assembly 201 may also include a programmable controller 301. The programmable controller 301 may include a processor 310, a storage unit 320, and a servo control unit 330, which communicates with the robotic arm 220, sewing head 230, and servo unit 212. The storage unit 320 stores executable instructions that can be read and executed by the processor 310. When the processor 310 reads and executes the executable instructions, it effectively controls the robotic arm 220, sewing head 230, and servo unit 212 to work together to perform sewing on IP101 without operator intervention.
[0041] Continue to refer to Figure 1-3 And refer to other sources Figure 4 This illustrates a sequence 400 of operations of the robotic arm 220, sewing head 230, and servo unit 212. (See diagram 400.) Figure 4 As shown in images (1) and (2), the robotic arm 220 initially extends the sewing head 230 toward and over IP101 while slightly rotating the sewing head 230. Figure 4 As shown in images (3), (4), and (5), the sewing head 230 continues to rotate, and the servo unit 212 begins to rotate IP101 counterclockwise, so that the lower side of IP101 faces the sewing head 230. Figure 4 As shown in images (4) and (5), the robotic arm 220 then rotates the sewing head 230 downwards along a curved path to IP101, while the servo unit 212 rotates IP101 clockwise, bringing the edge of IP101 at the vent 121 between the sewing needle 231 and the sewing plate 232. At this point, as... Figure 4As shown in images (6), (7), (8), and (9), the robotic arm 220 drives the sewing head 230 laterally, while the servo unit rotates IP101 counterclockwise, enabling the sewing head to apply thread to the edge of IP101 at the vent 121. Figure 4 As shown in images (10) and (11), the robotic arm 220 then rotates the sewing head around IP101 to allow the sewing head to continue sewing the thread onto IP101. Figure 4 As shown in image (12), the process continues until the sewing is complete, at which point the robotic arm 220 begins to pull the sewing head 230 away from IP101.
[0042] refer to Figure 5 A method 500 is provided for operating a robotic sewing assembly to sew articles (e.g., dashboards (IP)), said articles generally as described above. Figure 1-4 The method 500 can be executed by a programmable controller without operator intervention. Figure 5 As shown, method 500 includes optionally anchoring a robotic arm including a sewing head to a base portion of a fixture and / or providing a robotic arm including a sewing head and providing a fixture (block 501), connecting a servo unit of the fixture to the IP (block 502), and sewing along multiple outer and bottom surfaces of the IP (block 503). The sewing in block 503 includes simultaneously controlling the robotic arm to manipulate the sewing head relative to the IP (block 5031), controlling the sewing head to apply stitches to the IP (block 5032), and controlling the servo unit to rotate the IP about its longitudinal axis, raise and lower the IP, and laterally drive the IP in first and second lateral directions (block 5033). Therefore, when the IP includes an elongated flat portion, an elongated curved portion, and one or more vents, the sewing in block 503 can be performed at least at the elongated flat portion, the elongated curved portion, and one or more vents along multiple outer and bottom surfaces of the IP.
[0043] The technical effect and benefit of this disclosure is to provide a clamp for a robotic sewing assembly that can adjust the position and / or orientation of the part or article being sewn relative to the sewing head of the robotic sewing assembly. This will enable the completion production of parts or articles in a faster and more efficient manner.
[0044] The term “about” is intended to include the degree of error associated with the measurement of a specific quantity based on the equipment available at the time of application submission. For example, “about” could include a range of ±8%, 5%, or 2% for a given value.
[0045] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “described” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that when the terms “comprising” and / or “including” are used in this specification, they specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.
[0046] While this disclosure has been described with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes can be made and elements thereof can be substituted with equivalents without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, many modifications can be made to adapt particular situations or materials to the teachings of this disclosure without departing from its essential scope. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed as the best mode for carrying out this disclosure, but rather this disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A robotic sewing assembly, characterized in that, The robotic sewing assembly includes: Fixtures for supporting the sewn items; and A robotic arm includes a sewing head configured to apply thread to the article, and the robotic arm is configured to manipulate the sewing head in multiple directions relative to the article. The fixing device includes a servo unit, the article is connected to the servo unit, and the servo unit is configured to manipulate the article in multiple directions relative to the sewing head. The robotic arm, the sewing head, and the servo unit can operate in coordination.
2. The robot sewing assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The robotic arm includes: The first arm is rotatable in at least one direction; A second arm, rotatably attached to the first arm to be rotatable in at least one direction; and A coupling through which the sewing head is rotatably attached to the second arm so as to be rotatable in at least two directions.
3. The robot sewing assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The sewing head includes a sewing needle and a sewing plate.
4. The robot sewing assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The fixing device also includes: Chassis, the servo unit is attached to the chassis; and A vertically oriented sieve plate is supported on the chassis near the servo unit.
5. The robot sewing assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The servo unit is configured to manipulate the article in multiple directions relative to the sewing head during the sewing process.
6. The robot sewing assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The servo unit is configured to rotate and translate the item around and along multiple axes.
7. The robot sewing assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The servo unit is configured to rotate the item about its longitudinal axis, raise and lower the item, and drive the item laterally in the first and second lateral directions.
8. The robot sewing assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The robotic sewing assembly also includes a programmable controller for controlling the coordinated operation of the robotic arm, the sewing head, and the servo unit without operator intervention.
9. A robotic sewing assembly for sewing a dashboard, the dashboard including an elongated flat portion and an elongated curved portion defining a vent, characterized in that, The robotic sewing assembly includes: Fixtures for supporting the instrument panel; and A robotic arm includes a sewing head configured to apply thread to the dashboard, and the robotic arm is configured to manipulate the sewing head in multiple directions relative to the dashboard. The fixing device includes a servo unit, the dashboard is connected to the servo unit, and the servo unit is configured to manipulate the dashboard in multiple directions relative to the sewing head. The robotic arm, the sewing head, and the servo unit can work together to perform sewing on the elongated flat portion and the elongated curved portion of the vent that defines the dashboard.
10. The robot sewing assembly according to claim 9, wherein, The robotic arm includes: The first arm is rotatable in at least one direction; A second arm, rotatably attached to the first arm to be rotatable in at least one direction; and A coupling through which the sewing head is rotatably connected to the second arm so as to be rotatable in at least two directions.
11. The robot sewing assembly according to claim 9, wherein, The sewing head includes a sewing needle and a sewing plate.
12. The robot sewing assembly according to claim 9, wherein, The fixing device also includes: Chassis, the servo unit is attached to the chassis; and A vertically oriented sieve plate is supported on the chassis near the servo unit.
13. The robot sewing assembly according to claim 9, wherein, The servo unit is configured to manipulate the dashboard in multiple directions relative to the sewing head during the sewing process.
14. The robot sewing assembly according to claim 9, wherein, The servo unit is configured to rotate and translate the dashboard around and along multiple axes during the sewing process.
15. The robot sewing assembly according to claim 9, wherein, The servo unit is configured to rotate the dashboard around the longitudinal axis of the article, raise and lower the dashboard, and drive the dashboard laterally in the first and second lateral directions during the sewing process.
16. The robot sewing assembly according to claim 9, wherein, The sewing is performed along multiple exterior and bottom surfaces of the dashboard at one or more of the elongated flat portion, the elongated curved portion, and the vent.
17. The robot sewing assembly according to claim 9, wherein, The robotic sewing assembly also includes a programmable controller for controlling the robotic arm, the sewing head, and the servo unit to operate in coordination with each other to perform the sewing on the elongated flat portion and the elongated curved portion defining the vent of the dashboard, without operator intervention.