A high-precision self-calibrating miniature electric gripper

Abstract

This application relates to the field of electric grippers, and particularly to a high-precision self-calibrating small electric gripper, comprising a housing, a movable clamping plate at the lower end of the housing, a driving assembly between the clamping plate and the housing, a vacuum suction cup at the lower center of the housing, and a telescopic assembly between the vacuum suction cup and the housing, the telescopic assembly being mounted on the upper end of the housing. The rollers of this invention are rotatably connected to the clamping plate via a rotating shaft, and are aided by damping pads and rubber rings, enabling automatic adjustment and fit according to workpieces of different shapes, effectively avoiding uneven force and ensuring clamping stability. Driven by a driving source, the movement of the clamping plate can be precisely controlled to achieve accurate clamping of the workpiece. Furthermore, an infrared ranging sensor can accurately measure the upper position of the clamped item, further ensuring operational accuracy and enabling it to better adapt to the operational needs of workpieces of various materials and shapes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of electric gripper technology, specifically a high-precision self-calibrating small electric gripper. Background Technology

[0002] Against the backdrop of rapid development in industrial automation, small electric grippers, as core actuators for material gripping, handling and precision assembly, are widely used in fields with stringent requirements for operational precision, such as electronics manufacturing, medical devices and precision instrument assembly. In these scenarios, workpieces are often characterized by small size, complex structure and sensitive materials, which places extremely high demands on the positioning accuracy, clamping stability and adaptability of the grippers.

[0003] In terms of clamping stability, common clamping plate structures are relatively simple and lack flexibility. When in contact with the workpiece, uneven force can easily damage the workpiece surface, especially when handling sensitive materials such as thin and brittle chips and delicate optical lenses. This problem is even more prominent. Moreover, for irregularly shaped workpieces, such as circles and polygons, conventional grippers cannot ensure stable clamping, and the workpiece is prone to slipping or changing its posture. Furthermore, existing grippers mostly use a single drive mode, which is difficult to adapt to mixed production lines with workpieces of multiple materials and shapes. Especially in scenarios such as sudden power outages, pneumatic or electric grippers may lose power and cause the workpiece to fall, leading to safety accidents. Therefore, a new solution is needed to address this problem. Utility Model Content

[0004] The aforementioned background technology addresses the shortcomings and deficiencies of existing technologies, such as their relatively simple structure and lack of flexibility.

[0005] The high-precision self-calibrating miniature electric gripper disclosed in this utility model includes a housing, a movable clamping plate is provided at the lower end of the housing, a driving component is provided between the clamping plate and the housing, a vacuum suction cup is provided at the lower center of the housing, a telescopic component is provided between the vacuum suction cup and the housing, and the telescopic component is installed at the upper end of the housing.

[0006] Furthermore, the telescopic component is configured as a telescopic cylinder, the fixed end of the telescopic cylinder is mounted on the outer shell, the telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder is equipped with a connecting cylinder, one end of the connecting cylinder is connected to the vacuum suction cup, and an external air pipe is provided on the connecting cylinder, which is connected to an external vacuum source.

[0007] Furthermore, rollers are provided on the clamping plate, and the rollers are rotatably connected to the clamping plate via a rotating shaft. At least two rollers are provided on each clamping plate.

[0008] Furthermore, the driving assembly includes a driving disk, which is rotatably mounted on the housing. The driving disk has an inclined driving groove, and a driving rod is slidably disposed in the driving groove. One end of the driving rod is fixedly mounted on the clamping plate. The housing has a sliding groove, and the clamping plate is slidably disposed with the sliding groove.

[0009] Furthermore, the drive assembly also includes a worm gear, which is fixedly mounted on the drive disk. A worm is engaged on one side of the worm gear, and the worm is rotatably mounted on the housing. A drive source is provided at one end of the worm, and the drive source is mounted on the housing.

[0010] Furthermore, an infrared ranging sensor is provided on one side of the vacuum suction cup, and the infrared ranging sensor is installed at the bottom of the housing.

[0011] Furthermore, a damping pad is provided between the rotating shaft and the clamping plate, and a rubber ring is fitted around the outer circumference of the roller.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0013] 1. The roller of this utility model is rotatably connected to the clamping plate via a rotating shaft, and is assisted by damping pads and rubber rings. It can automatically adjust its fit according to different workpiece shapes, effectively avoiding uneven force and ensuring clamping stability. At the same time, the drive assembly adopts a structure with drive disk, drive groove, drive rod, worm gear, worm, etc., driven by a drive source, which can accurately control the movement of the clamping plate and achieve accurate clamping of the workpiece. In addition, the infrared distance sensor can accurately measure the upper position of the clamped item, further ensuring the accuracy of operation and making it better adaptable to the operation needs of workpieces of various materials and shapes.

[0014] 2. This utility model connects to an external vacuum source via a connecting cylinder and an external air pipe. Even in the event of a sudden power outage or other unexpected situation, the vacuum suction cup can still maintain suction by relying on the external vacuum source to prevent the workpiece from falling and avoid safety accidents caused by power loss. Moreover, the gripper integrates multiple functional components such as a movable clamping plate and a vacuum suction cup. It can perform conventional clamping operations using the clamping plate, and can also use the vacuum suction cup to assist in adsorbing and fixing some workpieces with special shapes or smooth surfaces. This enriches the function of the gripper and enables it to play an effective role in different working scenarios, meeting diverse production needs. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0016] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of this utility model;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the interior of the outer shell of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the present invention.

[0020] In the diagram: 1. Outer shell; 2. Clamping plate; 3. Drive assembly 3; 301. Drive disk; 302. Drive groove; 303. Drive rod; 304. Slide groove; 305. Worm gear; 306. Worm; 307. Drive source; 4. Vacuum suction cup; 5. Connecting cylinder; 6. External air pipe; 7. Telescopic assembly; 701. Telescopic cylinder; 8. Roller; 9. Rotating shaft; 10. Infrared ranging sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The following illustrations will reveal several embodiments of the present invention. For clarity, many physical details will be described in the following description. However, it should be understood that these physical details should not be used to limit the present invention. That is, in some embodiments of the present invention, these physical details are not essential. Furthermore, for the sake of simplicity, some conventional structures and components will be shown in a simple schematic manner in the illustrations.

[0022] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 4 The high-precision self-calibrating small electric gripper of this utility model includes a housing 1, a movable clamping plate 2 is provided at the lower end of the housing 1, rollers 8 are provided on the clamping plate 2, the rollers 8 are rotatably connected to the clamping plate 2 through a rotating shaft 9, at least two rollers 8 are provided on each clamping plate 2, and a damping pad is provided between the rotating shaft 9 and the clamping plate 2.

[0023] See Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the outer ring of the roller 8 is fitted with a rubber ring, and a drive assembly 3 is provided between the clamping plate 2 and the outer shell 1. The drive assembly 3 includes a drive disk 301, which is rotatably mounted on the outer shell 1. A drive groove 302 is obliquely provided on the drive disk 301, and a drive rod 303 is slidably provided in the drive groove 302. One end of the drive rod 303 is fixedly mounted on the clamping plate 2, and a sliding groove 304 is provided on the outer shell 1.

[0024] In this embodiment, the clamping plate 2 is slidably disposed with the slide groove 304. The inner wall of the slide groove 304 is coated with polytetrafluoroethylene and is clearance-fitted with the sliding part of the clamping plate 2. This ensures that the clamping plate 2 slides smoothly and avoids shaking caused by excessive clearance, thereby further improving positioning stability. The drive assembly 3 also includes a worm gear 305, which is fixedly mounted on the drive disk 301. A worm 306 is meshed on one side of the worm gear 305, and the worm 306 is rotatably mounted on the outer shell 1.

[0025] In this embodiment, a drive source 307 is provided at one end of the worm gear 306. The drive source 307 is a high-precision servo motor, which has the characteristics of adjustable speed and high positioning accuracy. In conjunction with the reduction transmission of the worm gear 306 and the worm wheel 305, it can realize the micro-movement of the clamping plate 2. It can maintain the position of the clamping plate 2 in the event of a sudden power failure and prevent the workpiece from slipping. The drive source 307 is installed on the outer shell 1. A vacuum suction cup 4 is provided in the middle of the lower part of the outer shell 1. An infrared ranging sensor 10 is provided on one side of the vacuum suction cup 4.

[0026] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the infrared ranging sensor 10 is installed at the bottom of the housing 1. A telescopic component 7 is provided between the vacuum suction cup 4 and the housing 1. The telescopic component 7 is set as a telescopic cylinder 701. The fixed end of the telescopic cylinder 701 is installed on the housing 1, and the telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder 701 is equipped with a connecting cylinder 5.

[0027] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 4 As shown, one end of the connecting cylinder 5 is connected to the vacuum suction cup 4. The vacuum suction cup 4 adopts a detachable structure and is connected to the connecting cylinder 5 by threads, which makes it convenient to replace suction cups of different specifications according to the surface characteristics of the workpiece. An external air pipe 6 is provided on the connecting cylinder 5, which is connected to an external vacuum source. The telescopic component 7 is installed on the upper end of the outer shell 1.

[0028] The implementation principle is as follows: After the equipment is powered on, when the workpiece to be clamped enters the working range of the gripper, the infrared distance sensor 10 accurately measures the distance between the upper end of the workpiece and the bottom of the outer shell 1, and feeds the data back to the control system; based on the measurement results, combined with the workpiece size and shape information, the control system automatically calculates the optimal clamping position of the clamping plate 2 and the extension stroke of the telescopic cylinder 701, so as to achieve high-precision positioning and calibration of the workpiece and ensure the accuracy of the clamping action.

[0029] When the drive source 307 is started, it drives the worm gear 306 to rotate. The worm gear 306 meshes with the worm wheel 305, causing the drive disk 301 fixed on the worm wheel 305 to rotate synchronously. The inclined drive groove 302 on the drive disk 301 slides relative to the drive rod 303 on the clamping plate 2. The drive rod 303 moves along the drive groove 302 and pushes the clamping plate 2 to move in opposite directions along the slide groove 304 of the outer shell 1.

[0030] As the clamping plate 2 approaches the workpiece, the roller 8 on it first contacts the workpiece. Through the rotation of the roller 8 around the rotating shaft 9 and the buffering effect of the rubber ring, it automatically adapts to the surface shape of the workpiece and maintains stable contact under the damping force of the damping pad, thus avoiding damage to the workpiece due to uneven force.

[0031] If the workpiece is smooth or irregular in shape, the control system controls the telescopic cylinder 701 to extend according to the data of the infrared ranging sensor 10, pushing the connecting cylinder 5 and the vacuum suction cup 4 to move downward until the vacuum suction cup 4 is in contact with the surface of the workpiece.

[0032] An external vacuum source evacuates the vacuum suction cup 4 through an external air pipe 6 and a connecting cylinder 5, so that it firmly adsorbs the workpiece and forms a double fixation with the clamping force of the clamping plate 2, further improving stability.

[0033] After clamping is completed, the gripper moves to the target position. In the event of a sudden power failure, the vacuum chuck 4 can maintain the suction force by relying on the continuous air supply from the external vacuum source to prevent the workpiece from falling. After reaching the target position, the external vacuum source stops evacuating the vacuum, and the vacuum chuck 4 releases the workpiece. At the same time, the drive source 307 rotates in reverse, driving the drive disk 301 to rotate in the opposite direction through the worm gear 306 and worm wheel 305, causing the clamping plate 2 to move in opposite directions along the slide groove 304, and the roller 8 to disengage from the workpiece, completing the release action. The telescopic cylinder 701 retracts, driving the vacuum chuck 4 to reset, waiting for the next operation.

[0034] During the clamping process, if the workpiece changes its posture due to slight displacement, the roller 8 can automatically adjust the contact angle with the workpiece by rotating. With the real-time data feedback from the infrared ranging sensor 10, the clamping position can be dynamically self-calibrated. For workpieces of different sizes and shapes, the drive assembly 3 can accurately control the opening and closing range of the clamping plate 2 through the precision transmission of the worm gear 305 and the worm 306, so as to meet the clamping needs of diverse workpieces.

[0035] The above description is merely an embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Various modifications and variations can be made to this utility model by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principle of this utility model should be included within the scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A high-precision self-calibrating small electric clamping jaw comprising a housing (1), characterized in that: A movable clamping plate (2) is provided at the lower end of the outer shell (1). A driving component (3) is provided between the clamping plate (2) and the outer shell (1). A vacuum suction cup (4) is provided at the lower center of the outer shell (1). A telescopic component (7) is provided between the vacuum suction cup (4) and the outer shell (1). The telescopic component (7) is installed at the upper end of the outer shell (1).

2. The high-precision self-calibrating miniature electric gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The telescopic component (7) is configured as a telescopic cylinder (701). The fixed end of the telescopic cylinder (701) is installed on the outer shell (1). The telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder (701) is equipped with a connecting cylinder (5). One end of the connecting cylinder (5) is connected to the vacuum suction cup (4). An external air pipe (6) is provided on the connecting cylinder (5). The external air pipe (6) is connected to an external vacuum source.

3. The high-precision self-calibrating miniature electric gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: Rollers (8) are provided on the clamping plate (2), and the rollers (8) are rotatably connected to the clamping plate (2) through a rotating shaft (9). At least two rollers (8) are provided on each clamping plate (2).

4. The high-precision self-calibrating miniature electric gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive assembly (3) includes a drive disk (301), which is rotatably mounted on the outer shell (1). A drive groove (302) is obliquely provided on the drive disk (301), and a drive rod (303) is slidably provided in the drive groove (302). One end of the drive rod (303) is fixedly mounted on the clamping plate (2). A sliding groove (304) is provided on the outer shell (1), and the clamping plate (2) is slidably disposed with the sliding groove (304).

5. A high-precision self-calibrating miniature electric gripper according to claim 4, characterized in that: The drive assembly (3) further includes a worm gear (305), which is fixedly mounted on the drive disk (301). A worm (306) is meshed on one side of the worm gear (305). The worm (306) is rotatably mounted on the housing (1). A drive source (307) is provided at one end of the worm (306). The drive source (307) is mounted on the housing (1).

6. The high-precision self-calibrating miniature electric gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: An infrared ranging sensor (10) is provided on one side of the vacuum suction cup (4), and the infrared ranging sensor (10) is installed at the bottom of the housing (1).

7. A high-precision self-calibrating miniature electric gripper according to claim 3, characterized in that: A damping pad is provided between the rotating shaft (9) and the clamping plate (2), and a rubber ring is fitted around the outer ring of the roller (8).

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