A gripper control device and an overhead crane

Abstract

This utility model discloses a gripper control device and an overhead crane. The device includes a housing, a pulley on one side of the housing, and a guide shaft below the pulley. A receiving portion for housing the guide shaft is located at the lower part of the side of the housing with the pulley. The guide shaft has a guide hole for the rope to pass through, and the guide hole extends through the top and bottom of the guide shaft. A first limiting structure is provided between the receiving portion and the guide shaft, allowing the guide shaft to swing between a first state and a second state. A first detection unit is also provided on the housing, which interacts with the guide shaft to send a first control signal when the guide shaft is in the first or second state. Because the overall detection method adopts a completely different design from existing technologies, only one pulley is needed to reduce the failure rate and improve the convenience of inspection and maintenance, while fully retaining the function of identifying whether the gripper has reached the bottom of the gift compartment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of claw machine accessories, and in particular to a claw control device and an overhead crane. Background Technology

[0002] The claw's movement is controlled by a claw control device mounted on an overhead crane, allowing it to move within the prize compartment of the claw machine. The claw control device manages the lowering and retraction of the claw, thus controlling the entire claw's movement. The claw and the overhead crane are the most crucial components of the claw machine; their operation depends on them. If either the claw or the crane malfunctions, the entire claw machine will cease to function properly, causing significant disruption.

[0003] In the prior art, the gripper control device's gripper lowering and retraction module is usually composed of multiple pulleys. As a result, if the gripper module connected to the gripper malfunctions, all the pulleys in the gripper module need to be disassembled to troubleshoot and repair the fault. At the same time, due to the complex overall structure of the gripper module, its failure rate is relatively high.

[0004] Prior art CN207913194U discloses a hardware trolley structure for a claw machine. Referring to it... Figure 2 As shown (i.e., this application) Figure 1 This patent discloses the structure of a conventional gripper control device in the prior art. It can be seen that it includes three pulleys, two of which are located at the top and are fixed in position. The lower pulley is a movable pulley located at one end of a connecting plate. The other end of the connecting plate is hinged to the device housing. Two microswitches are also provided on this side of the device housing. When the gripper is suspended, the weight of the gripper will cause the movable pulley to move upward, and the left side of the connecting plate will press down, thereby linking with the microswitches on the upper side. When the gripper is lowered to the bottom of the gift compartment, the gripper is supported by the bottom of the gift compartment, and the connecting plate will rotate under the weight of the movable pulley, causing the left side of the connecting plate to rise, which will also link with the microswitches on the upper side, thereby enabling the device to identify whether the gripper has reached the bottom of the gift compartment.

[0005] As can be seen from the above-mentioned prior art, due to the interrelation of the above-mentioned structural components, the existing gripper control device has a very complex retraction module structure, requiring multiple pulleys to complete. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a gripper control device with a simpler structure and easier maintenance. Utility Model Content

[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a gripper control device and an overhead crane. Its take-up and take-down module has a simpler structure, making inspection and maintenance more convenient and reducing the failure rate, while still retaining the function of identifying whether the gripper has reached the bottom of the gift compartment.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a gripper control device is provided, comprising a device housing, a moving module for driving the device housing to move on a guide rail, a rope pulley on one side of the device housing, a rope guide shaft below the rope pulley, and a receiving portion for accommodating the rope guide shaft on the lower part of the side of the device housing where the rope pulley is located.

[0008] The guide shaft is provided with a guide hole for the rope to pass through. The axis of the guide hole is aligned with the axis of the guide shaft, and the guide hole extends through the top and bottom of the guide shaft.

[0009] A first limiting structure is provided between the receiving part and the guide rope shaft, allowing the guide rope shaft to swing between a first state and a second state.

[0010] The device housing is also provided with a first detection unit, which is used to interact with the guide rope shaft to send a first control signal when the guide rope shaft is in a first state or a second state, and to stop sending the first control signal when leaving the corresponding state.

[0011] This utility model's gripper control device incorporates a guide rope shaft capable of swaying. When the guide rope shaft is in either a first or second swaying state, it directly interacts with a first detection unit, generating a first control signal indicating whether the gripper has reached the bottom of the gift compartment. This directly changes the existing method of detecting whether the gripper has reached the bottom of the gift compartment, eliminating the need for connecting plates and pulleys to trigger microswitches. This allows for a single rope reel on the device housing, simplifying the overall gripper control device structure, effectively reducing the failure rate, and improving the convenience of inspection and maintenance. The rope exits from the rope reel, passes through the guide hole of the guide rope shaft, and connects to the gripper. When the gripper is suspended, the guide rope shaft is taut by the take-up and release rope, causing it to swing towards the rope exit position of the pulley. When the gripper reaches the bottom of the gift compartment or is supported by a gift, the take-up and release rope relaxes, and the guide rope shaft, under its own weight or the action of the first detection unit, swings to another state. This results in the guide rope shaft being in two different swing states when the gripper is suspended versus when it is supported, which can be detected by the first detection unit. Because the overall detection method adopts a completely different design from existing technologies, only one pulley is needed to reduce the failure rate and improve the convenience of inspection and maintenance, while fully retaining the function of identifying whether the gripper has reached the bottom of the gift compartment.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first limiting structure includes a first stop and a second stop disposed on the receiving portion on both sides of the guide rope shaft in the deflection direction, wherein the distance between the first stop and the second stop is greater than the diameter of the guide rope shaft in the deflection direction.

[0013] Therefore, with this configuration, the first and second stops can be used to clamp the guide rope shaft, and since the distance between the first and second stops is greater than the diameter of the guide rope shaft in the yaw direction, the guide rope shaft can move to a certain extent, thus enabling it to yaw.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first stop and the second stop are disposed at the bottom of the receiving portion, and the first limiting structure further includes a waist-shaped groove disposed at the top of the receiving portion, with the top of the guide rope shaft disposed within the waist-shaped groove to limit the swing amplitude of the guide rope shaft.

[0015] Therefore, with this configuration, the bottom and top of the receiving part can be used to limit the swing amplitude of the guide rope shaft. The first and second stops are located at the bottom of the receiving part and can be used to limit the maximum swing amplitude of the guide rope shaft. The waist-shaped groove at the top of the receiving part can further limit the swing amplitude range of the guide rope shaft, preventing the swing amplitude of the guide rope shaft from being too large and affecting the detection of the first detection unit.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first detection unit is configured as a first micro switch, and when the guide rope shaft is in the second state, the outer wall of the guide rope shaft abuts against the first micro switch to trigger the first micro switch to issue a first control signal.

[0017] Therefore, this setup allows the use of a microswitch as the first detection unit to detect the swing state of the guide rope shaft. When the guide rope shaft swings, the outer wall of the shaft presses or releases the trigger spring on the microswitch, thereby changing the signal emitted by the microswitch. This enables the system to know the current state of the guide rope shaft and identify whether the gripper has reached the bottom of the gift compartment.

[0018] In some embodiments, a second limiting structure is further provided between the receiving part and the guide rope shaft, so that the guide rope shaft can move between a first height position and a second height position. The device housing is further provided with a second detection unit, which is used to interact with the guide rope shaft to send a second control signal when the guide rope shaft is in the first height position or the second height position, and to stop sending the second control signal when leaving the corresponding position.

[0019] Therefore, this configuration allows for the restriction of the vertical movement of the guide rope shaft using the second limiting structure, and the detection unit uses a second detection unit to detect the position of the guide rope shaft, enabling the detection of whether the gripper has retracted to its highest point. Specifically, before the gripper retracts to its highest point, the guide rope shaft will fall under its own weight. When the gripper retracts to its highest point, the guide rope shaft will be squeezed and lifted to another height position by the gripper, resulting in the guide rope shaft being at two different height positions before and after the gripper retracts to its highest point, which can then be detected by the second detection unit.

[0020] In some embodiments, the second limiting structure includes a first stop and a second stop disposed on the receiving portion on both sides of the guide rope shaft in the deflection direction. The guide rope shaft is provided with an upper limit stop and a lower limit stop. The upper limit stop is disposed above the first stop and the second stop, and the lower limit stop is disposed below the first stop and the second stop. The distance between the upper limit stop and the lower limit stop is greater than the thickness of the first stop and the second stop.

[0021] Therefore, by using this configuration, the upper limit stop and lower limit stop on the guide rope shaft located on the upper and lower sides of the first stop and the second stop can be used to limit the vertical movement of the guide rope shaft, so as to serve as two different height positions of the guide rope shaft for judging whether the gripper has been retracted to the highest point.

[0022] In some embodiments, the second detection unit is configured as a second micro switch, and when the guide rope shaft is at the second height position, the lower limit block abuts against the second micro switch to trigger the second micro switch to issue a second control signal.

[0023] Therefore, this configuration allows the use of a microswitch as a second detection unit to detect the height position of the guide rope shaft. When the height of the guide rope shaft changes, the lower limit stop of the guide rope shaft can press or release the trigger spring on the microswitch, thereby changing the signal emitted by the microswitch. This enables the system to know the current height position of the guide rope shaft and identify whether the gripper has retracted to the highest point.

[0024] In some embodiments, the side of the rope pulley is parallel to the first plane, and the exit position of the take-up and release rope on the rope pulley is located on the side farther away from the guide rope shaft, wherein the first plane is a plane parallel to one side of the housing of the device on which the rope pulley is mounted;

[0025] The guide rope shaft is configured to swing between a first state and a second state on a first plane.

[0026] Therefore, this configuration allows for a larger swing amplitude when the gripper is suspended in the air and the guide rope shaft is driven to swing by the take-up and release ropes. This makes it easier for the first detection unit to detect whether the guide rope shaft is swinging, thus enabling the function of determining whether the gripper has reached the bottom of the gift compartment.

[0027] In some embodiments, a rope winding and unwinding drive motor is provided inside the housing of the device, and the rotation center of the rope wheel is connected to the output shaft of the rope winding and unwinding drive motor.

[0028] Therefore, this configuration allows for a more direct connection between the rope pulley and the rope winding / unwinding drive motor, reducing transmission and structural complexity, thereby improving stability, reducing the failure rate, and making inspection and maintenance more convenient.

[0029] According to another aspect of the present invention, an overhead crane is provided, which is provided with the gripper control device described in the first aspect above.

[0030] The overhead crane of this invention adopts the gripper control device of the first aspect mentioned above, which makes it more stable, has a lower failure rate, and makes inspection and maintenance more convenient. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a gripper control device in the prior art;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the gripper control device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the gripper control device according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the accommodating part of the gripper control device according to an embodiment of the present invention when the guide rope shaft is in the first state.

[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the receiving part of the gripper control device according to an embodiment of the present invention when the guide rope shaft is in the second state.

[0036] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the guide rope shaft and the accommodating part of the gripper control device according to one embodiment of the present invention when the gripper is at its highest point.

[0037] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Device housing; 11. Receiving part; 12. First stop; 13. Second stop; 2. Rope wheel; 3. Rope guide shaft; 31. Guide hole; 32. Shaft body; 33. Upper limit stop; 34. Lower limit stop; 41. First detection unit; 42. Second detection unit. Detailed Implementation

[0038] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other.

[0039] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the use of terms such as "center," "middle," "longitudinal," "transverse," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" to indicate orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings is solely for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Features defined with "first" and "second" are used to distinguish feature names and do not have special meanings. Furthermore, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more.

[0040] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0041] It should also be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising" or "including" include not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element. The terminology used herein is generally that commonly used by those skilled in the art; in case of any discrepancy with commonly used terminology, the terminology used herein shall prevail.

[0042] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0043] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0044] Figure 2 The overall structure of the gripper control device according to one embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown, with reference to... Figure 2 As shown, the gripper control device of this utility model includes a device housing 1. A moving module for driving the device housing 1 to move on a guide rail is provided on the device housing 1. The specific structure and arrangement of the moving module can be referred to relevant descriptions in the prior art. A rope wheel 2 is provided on one side of the device housing 1, and the rope wheel 2 is located in the middle of the device housing 1. A guide rope shaft 3 is provided below the rope wheel 2, and the guide rope shaft 3 is located in the lower part of the device housing 1. A receiving portion 11 for accommodating the guide rope shaft 3 is also provided on the lower part of the side of the device housing 1 where the rope wheel 2 is located.

[0045] The rope pulley 2 is a pulley structure used for winding the take-up and release rope, and the side of the rope pulley 2 is parallel to one side of the housing 1 on which it is mounted. This plane will be referred to as the first plane in the following description. It should be noted that the parallelism between the first plane and the side of the housing 1 on which the guide rope shaft 3 is mounted does not mean absolute parallelism; there can be a certain angular deviation, and it only needs to be approximately parallel. For details, refer to... Figure 2 As shown, only one rope pulley 2 is provided in this embodiment. The rope pulley 2 can be directly connected to the output shaft of the rope winding / unwinding drive motor located inside the device housing 1. This makes inspection and maintenance of the rope pulley 2 and the winding / unwinding rope wound on the rope pulley 2 more convenient, and effectively reduces the failure rate. Of course, multiple rope pulleys 2 can be provided, but the more rope pulleys 2 there are, the more complex the overall structure becomes, thereby increasing the failure rate and reducing the convenience of inspection and maintenance.

[0046] The guide rope shaft 3 includes a shaft body 32, on which a guide hole 31 is provided for the rope to pass through. The axial direction of the guide hole 31 is consistent with the axial direction of the shaft body 32, and the guide hole 31 extends through the top and bottom of the guide rope shaft 3. This allows the take-up and take-out rope exiting the rope wheel 2 to pass through the guide hole 31 and connect with the top of the gripper, realizing the lowering and retraction of the gripper. The shaft body 32 can be cylindrical, square, or polygonal, and the guide hole 31 can also be cylindrical, square, or polygonal, etc. (Refer to...) Figure 2 As shown, in Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, a cylindrical shaft 32 and a cylindrical guide hole 31 are specifically used, so that the overall shaft 32 forms a cylindrical structure. Furthermore, in Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, the two ends of the guide hole 31 can also be provided with rounded corners, so as to avoid the problem of the rope breaking due to friction with the two ends of the guide hole 31.

[0047] A first limiting structure is provided between the receiving part 11 and the guide rope shaft 3, allowing the guide rope shaft 3 to swing between a first state and a second state. Specifically, the guide rope shaft 3 can be configured to swing between a first state and a second state on a first plane under the limitation of the first limiting structure. For example, Figure 4 and Figure 5 The diagram schematically illustrates the overall structure of the guide rope shaft 3 in two different states. Specifically, it shows... Figure 4 The state of the guide rope shaft 3 shown is the first state, with Figure 5 The guide rope shaft 3 shown is an example of the second state. Further detailed explanation of this part of the structure follows. The guide rope shaft 3 is housed in the receiving part 11. For details, please refer to... Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, in Figure 2 and Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the receiving portion 11 is configured as a cuboid receiving space located at the lower part of the device housing 1. The top of the shaft 32 of the guide rope shaft 3 passes through the top of the receiving portion 11, and the bottom of the guide rope shaft 3 passes through the bottom of the receiving portion 11, so that the middle part of the guide rope shaft 3 is disposed in the receiving portion 11. Specifically, during use, the rope is released from either the left or right side of the rope reel 2, preferably from the side farther from the guide rope shaft 3. For example, refer to... Figure 4 As shown, in Figure 4In the embodiment shown, the rope wheel 2 is located on the left side of the device housing 1, and its rope outlet position is also located on the left side of the rope wheel 2. This allows the rope to be tightened under the weight of the gripper when it is suspended in the air, causing the guide rope shaft 3 to swing to the left in the second state under the guidance of the rope outlet position. When the gripper is supported by an object such as the bottom of the gift compartment or a gift, the rope will be relaxed, allowing the guide rope shaft 3 to swing back to the first state under its own weight.

[0048] The first limiting structure can be a structure on the shaft 32, such as a spherical structure on the shaft 32, so that the shaft 32 can rotate and swing within the receiving portion 11. The first limiting structure can also be a structure provided on the receiving portion 11. This invention does not limit the first limiting structure, as long as it allows the guide rope shaft 3 to swing. Specifically, in this embodiment, the first limiting structure may include a first stop 12 and a second stop 13 located on both sides of the swing direction of the guide rope shaft 3 on the receiving portion 11, and the distance between the first stop 12 and the second stop 13 is greater than the diameter of the guide rope shaft 3 in its swing direction. The first stop 12 and the second stop 13 can be configured as a baffle structure or a block structure extending inside the receiving portion 11. It is understood that the distance between the first stop 12 and the second stop 13, as well as the thickness of the first stop 12 and the second stop 13, will affect the swing amplitude of the guide rope shaft 3. Specifically, refer to... Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the first stop 12 and the second stop 13 are the base plates of the receiving portion 11. A U-shaped opening is formed in the center of the base plate of the receiving portion 11. The lower part of the shaft 32 of the guide rope shaft 3 is engaged in the U-shaped opening. The first stop 12 is the base plate of the receiving portion 11 located on the left side of the guide rope shaft 3, and the second stop 13 is the base plate of the receiving portion 11 located on the right side of the guide rope shaft 3. This allows the guide rope shaft 3 to swing within the receiving portion 11 under the limitation of the first limiting structure. Additionally, the first limiting structure may include a waist-shaped groove at the top of the receiving portion 11, so that the top of the guide rope shaft 3 is positioned within the waist-shaped groove, thereby limiting the swing amplitude of the guide rope shaft 3. Specifically, refer to... Figure 2 As shown, in Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, the top of the receiving part 11 is provided with a waist-shaped groove, which is located slightly to the left of its center, thereby limiting the swing of the guide rope shaft 3 and enabling it to swing between a vertical state (first state) and a leftward swing state (second state).

[0049] The outer casing 1 of the device is also provided with a first detection unit 41. The first detection unit 41 is used to interact with the guide rope shaft 3 to send a first control signal when the guide rope shaft 3 is in a first state or a second state, and to stop sending the first control signal when leaving the corresponding state. Specifically, the position of the first detection unit 41 on the outer casing 1 can be arbitrarily set. Since the first detection unit 41 needs to interact with the guide rope shaft 3, it is preferably set in the lower part of the outer casing 1, for example, it can be set in the accommodating part 11 or below or behind the accommodating part 11. The first detection unit 41 can be a sensor unit such as an infrared sensor or a photoelectric sensor, or it can be a switch unit such as a micro switch that requires mechanical triggering. This utility model does not limit this. Specifically, in this embodiment, the first detection unit 41 adopts a micro switch. The micro switch has a trigger spring. When triggered, the trigger spring can provide a certain support force under the elastic force of the switch, so that when interacting with the guide rope shaft 3, it can better distinguish the two swing states of the guide rope shaft 3. In addition, when setting the first detection unit 41, it can be set to trigger the micro switch when the guide rope shaft 3 is in the first state, or it can be set to trigger the micro switch when the guide rope shaft 3 is in the second state. The main difference between the settings is the different positions of the micro switch.

[0050] For example, refer to Figures 3 to 5 As shown, in Figures 3 to 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the first detection unit 41 is located behind the receiving portion 11, i.e., at the center of the lower part of the device housing 1, and is implemented using a micro switch. The trigger spring of the micro switch extends from the rear of the receiving portion 11 into the left side of the guide shaft inside the receiving portion 11. When the overall gripper control device is in use, when the gripper is suspended, the guide rope shaft 3 is subjected to the tension force of the take-up and release ropes and swings to the left to the second state, and presses the trigger spring to make the first detection unit 41 send a first control signal. When the gripper is supported, the guide rope shaft 3 swings back to the first state under the action of its own weight and the supporting force of the trigger spring, and moves away from the first detection unit 41, so as to stop the first detection unit 41 from sending the first control signal, thereby distinguishing the two different states of the gripper.

[0051] In addition, to further determine the state of the gripper and identify its current position, a second limiting structure and a second detection unit 42 can be provided between the receiving part 11 and the guide rope shaft 3 to detect whether the gripper has been retracted to the highest point position. Specifically, the second limiting structure can be used to limit the guide rope shaft 3 to move between a first height position and a second height position. The second detection unit 42 can be configured to interact with the guide rope shaft 3 and issue a second control signal when the guide rope shaft 3 is in the first height position or the second height position, and stop issuing the second control signal when it leaves the corresponding position.

[0052] In some possible implementations, the second limiting structure can be a structure disposed on the receiving portion 11, such as a protrusion extending into the receiving portion 11 to insert into a groove on the side wall of the shaft 32, thereby restricting the movement of the guide rope shaft 3 between the first height position and the second height position. The second limiting structure can also be a structure disposed on the guide rope shaft 3. This invention does not limit the second limiting structure, as long as it allows the guide rope shaft 3 to move between the first height position and the second height position. Specifically, in this embodiment, the second limiting structure may include an upper limit stop 33 and a lower limit stop 34 disposed on the second limiting structure. Combined with the structure of the first stop 12 and the second stop 13 of the receiving part 11, the upper limit stop 33 is disposed above the first stop 12 and the second stop 13, and the lower limit stop 34 is disposed below the first stop 12 and the second stop 13. The distance between the upper limit stop 33 and the lower limit stop 34 is set to be greater than the thickness of the first stop 12 and the second stop 13, so that the guide rope shaft 3 can move between the first height position and the second height position with the cooperation of the upper limit stop 33, the lower limit stop 34, the first stop 12 and the second stop 13.

[0053] For example, refer to Figures 4 to 6 As shown, in Figures 4 to 6 In the illustrated embodiment, the lower part of the guide rope shaft 3 is provided with an upper limit stop 33 and a lower limit stop 34, both of which are configured as disc structures protruding outward from the outer side of the guide rope shaft 3. The upper limit stop 33 is disposed on the upper part of the base plate of the receiving part 11, and the lower limit stop 34 is disposed on the lower part of the base plate of the receiving part 11, thereby allowing the guide rope shaft 3 to move between a first height position and a second height position. Specifically, when the upper limit stop 33 on the guide rope shaft 3 contacts the base plate of the receiving part 11, the guide rope shaft 3 is at the first height position (e.g., when the upper limit stop 33 on the guide rope shaft 3 contacts the base plate of the receiving part 11). Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown), when the lower limit stop 34 of the guide rope shaft 3 contacts the bottom plate of the receiving part 11, the guide rope shaft 3 is in the second height position (as shown). Figure 6 Taking the example shown below, we will continue to explain this part of the structure in detail.

[0054] The second detection unit 42 is similar to the first detection unit 41. The location of the second detection unit 42 on the device housing 1 can be arbitrarily set. Since the second detection unit 42 needs to interact with the guide rope shaft 3, it is preferably located in the lower part of the device housing 1, for example, inside the accommodating part 11 or below or behind the accommodating part 11. The second detection unit 42 can be a sensor unit such as an infrared sensor or a photoelectric sensor, or it can be a switch unit such as a micro switch that requires mechanical triggering. This invention does not impose any limitations on this; specifically, in this embodiment, the second detection unit 42 is a micro switch. Furthermore, when setting the second detection unit 42, it can be configured to trigger the micro switch when the guide rope shaft 3 is at a first height position, or it can be configured to trigger the micro switch when the guide rope shaft 3 is at a second height position. The main difference lies in the different placement of the micro switch and the different contact positions between the guide rope shaft 3 and the micro switch; their operating principles are similar.

[0055] For example, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, in Figure 3 and Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, the second detection unit 42 is located behind the receiving portion 11, at the center of the lower part of the device housing 1, and to one side of the first detection unit 41. It is implemented using a micro switch. The trigger spring of the micro switch extends from below the receiving portion 11. When the overall gripper control device is in use, if the gripper is not retracted to its highest position, the guide rope shaft 3 falls under its own weight, causing the lower limit stop 34 to move away from the second detection unit 42. At this time, the second detection unit 42 does not issue a second control signal. When the gripper is retracted to its highest position, the guide rope shaft 3 is pushed upward under the support of the gripper, causing the lower limit stop 34 to press the trigger spring, thereby causing the second detection unit 42 to issue a second control signal, thus distinguishing the two different states of the gripper.

[0056] When the integrated gripper control device of this utility model is in use, the initial position of the gripper is at its highest point. At this time, both the first detection unit 41 and the second detection unit 42 are triggered. Figure 6 As shown, it can simultaneously receive the first control signal and the second control signal. When the gripper control device is activated to lower the gripper, after the gripper leaves the highest position, during the entire lowering process, the lower limit stop 34 of the guide rope shaft 3 leaves the second detection unit 42, and the gripper is in a suspended state, the winding and unwinding rope is in a taut state, thereby pulling the guide rope shaft 3 to swing to the second state. At this time, the first detection unit 41 is triggered, and the second detection unit 42 stops being triggered, as shown. Figure 5As shown, only the first control signal is received at this time. When the gripper continues to descend to the bottom of the gift compartment, or when the gripper is supported by the gift inside the gift compartment, the release rope is no longer taut, the guide rope shaft 3 returns from the second state to the first state, and the guide rope shaft 3 leaves the first detection unit 41, as shown. Figure 4 As shown, neither the first control signal nor the second control signal can be received at this time. When the gripper retracts, it is also in a suspended state during the upward process. At this time, the first detection unit 41 is triggered, and the second detection unit 42 stops being triggered, as shown. Figure 5 As shown, only the first control signal is received at this time. When the gripper retracts to the highest position, both the first detection unit 41 and the second detection unit 42 are triggered, as shown... Figure 6 As shown, it is thus able to receive both the first control signal and the second control signal simultaneously.

[0057] This utility model's gripper control device incorporates a guide rope shaft 3 capable of swaying. When the guide rope shaft 3 is in either a first or second swaying state, it directly interacts with a first detection unit 41, generating a first control signal indicating whether the gripper has reached the bottom of the gift compartment. This directly changes the existing method of detecting whether the gripper has reached the bottom of the gift compartment, eliminating the need for connecting plates and pulleys to trigger microswitches. This allows for the use of only one rope wheel 2 for winding and unwinding the rope on the device housing 1, simplifying the overall gripper control device structure, effectively reducing the failure rate, and improving the convenience of inspection and maintenance. Because the overall detection method adopts a completely different design from existing technologies, only one rope wheel 2 is needed to reduce the failure rate and improve the convenience of inspection and maintenance, while fully retaining the function of identifying whether the gripper has reached the bottom of the gift compartment.

[0058] This utility model also provides an overhead crane that employs the gripper control device described in any of the preceding embodiments. Specifically, the gripper control device is further equipped with a guide device for driving the gripper to move along the guide rails of the overhead crane. Because this overhead crane uses the aforementioned gripper control device, its gripper retraction and extension function is more stable, has a lower failure rate, and is easier to inspect and maintain. This overhead crane can also be used in any type of claw machine or arcade machine.

[0059] The above descriptions are merely some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the inventive concept of this utility model, and all such modifications and improvements fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A gripper control device, characterized in that: The device includes a housing, on which a moving module is mounted for driving the device to move on a guide rail. A pulley is located on one side of the housing, and a guide shaft is located below the pulley. A receiving portion for mounting the guide shaft is located at the lower part of the side of the housing where the pulley is located. The guide shaft is provided with a guide hole for the rope to pass through. The axis of the guide hole is aligned with the axis of the guide shaft, and the guide hole extends through the top and bottom of the guide shaft. A first limiting structure is provided between the receiving part and the guide rope shaft, allowing the guide rope shaft to swing between a first state and a second state. The device housing is also provided with a first detection unit, which is used to interact with the guide rope shaft to send a first control signal when the guide rope shaft is in a first state or a second state, and to stop sending the first control signal when leaving the corresponding state.

2. The gripper control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first limiting structure includes a first stop and a second stop disposed on the receiving portion on both sides of the guide rope shaft in the deflection direction, wherein the distance between the first stop and the second stop is greater than the diameter of the guide rope shaft in the deflection direction.

3. The gripper control device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first stop and the second stop are disposed at the bottom of the receiving part. The first limiting structure also includes a waist-shaped groove disposed at the top of the receiving part. The top of the guide rope shaft is disposed in the waist-shaped groove to limit the swing amplitude of the guide rope shaft.

4. The gripper control device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first detection unit is configured as a first micro switch. When the guide rope shaft is in the second state, the outer wall of the guide rope shaft abuts against the first micro switch to trigger the first micro switch to send a first control signal.

5. The gripper control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A second limiting structure is also provided between the receiving part and the guide rope shaft, so that the guide rope shaft can move between a first height position and a second height position. A second detection unit is also provided on the device housing. The second detection unit is used to interact with the guide rope shaft to send a second control signal when the guide rope shaft is in the first height position or the second height position, and to stop sending the second control signal when leaving the corresponding position.

6. The gripper control device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second limiting structure includes a first stop and a second stop disposed on the receiving portion on both sides of the guide rope shaft in the deflection direction. The guide rope shaft is provided with an upper limit stop and a lower limit stop. The upper limit stop is disposed on the upper part of the first stop and the second stop, and the lower limit stop is disposed on the lower part of the first stop and the second stop. The distance between the upper limit stop and the lower limit stop is greater than the thickness of the first stop and the second stop.

7. The gripper control device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The second detection unit is configured as a second micro switch. When the guide rope shaft is at the second height position, the lower limit block abuts against the second micro switch to trigger the second micro switch to send a second control signal.

8. The gripper control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The side of the rope wheel is parallel to the first plane, and the exit position of the take-up and release rope on the rope wheel is located on the side farther away from the guide rope shaft. The first plane is a plane parallel to one side of the housing of the device on which the rope wheel is installed. The guide rope shaft is configured to swing between a first state and a second state on a first plane.

9. The gripper control device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The device housing contains a rope winding and releasing drive motor, and the rotation center of the rope wheel is connected to the output shaft of the rope winding and releasing drive motor.

10. An overhead crane, characterized in that: The device is equipped with a gripper control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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