Double-station flexible clamp for robot glazing production line

Abstract

The utility model discloses a double -station flexible clamp for robot glazing production line, including base, first station clamping mechanism, second station clamping mechanism and jacking cylinder, base is connected to robot end flange, first station clamping mechanism, second station clamping mechanism are arranged in parallel on the base, first station clamping mechanism, second station clamping mechanism structure are same, and all include vacuum chuck and spring guide rail floating mechanism, vacuum chuck top is connected to base through spring guide rail floating mechanism, and spring guide rail floating mechanism makes vacuum chuck can float along its axial direction, jacking cylinder is set up on base and is connected with spring guide rail floating mechanism. This clamp improves efficiency through double -station design, and spring guide rail floating mechanism realizes vacuum chuck axial floating, and jacking cylinder locks the height of glaze dipping, improves glazing precision and stability, reduces the breakage rate of blank.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of electrical porcelain manufacturing technology, and in particular to a dual-station flexible fixture for a robotic glazing production line. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of electrical porcelain manufacturing, fixtures are the core components for automated transfer and precise glazing of blanks during the glazing process. With the application of robotics technology, dual-station flexible fixtures have gradually become a key component of robotic glazing production lines due to their ability to simultaneously handle two blanks and improve production efficiency. These fixtures must meet requirements such as stability in blank gripping, adaptability to height deviations, and consistency in glazing height to ensure the accuracy of subsequent glazing.

[0003] In existing technologies, the fixtures in traditional glazing production lines mostly adopt rigid structures or rely solely on simple mechanical positioning to fix the blanks. For example, some fixtures use rigid clamping or a single suction cup to directly grasp the head of the blank, lacking the ability to adapt to height deviations. When the blank has a height deviation due to processing errors or placement, rigid fixtures are prone to poor contact between the suction cup and the blank head, or damage to the blank due to excessive impact force. Simultaneously, existing fixtures generally lack height locking mechanisms, making it impossible to precisely fix the relative distance between the blank head and the robot end effector after grasping. This results in poor consistency in the depth of glaze immersion during the glazing process, directly affecting the overlap accuracy between the umbrella-shaped glaze and the head-compressed glaze, making it difficult to meet the process requirements for the overlap height of secondary glazing. These structural defects mean that existing fixtures, in practical applications, cannot simultaneously achieve flexible buffering during blank grasping and precise control of glazing height, becoming a key bottleneck restricting the automation level and product quality of robotic glazing production lines. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a dual-station flexible fixture for a robotic glazing production line, in order to solve the problem that existing fixtures cannot simultaneously provide flexible buffering for workpiece gripping and precise control of glazing height.

[0005] This utility model provides a dual-station flexible fixture for a robot glazing production line, including a base, a first-station clamping mechanism, a second-station clamping mechanism, and a lifting cylinder; the base is connected to the robot's end flange, and the first-station clamping mechanism and the second-station clamping mechanism are arranged side by side on the base; the first-station clamping mechanism and the second-station clamping mechanism have the same structure, both including a vacuum suction cup and a spring guide rail floating mechanism; the top of the vacuum suction cup is connected to the base through the spring guide rail floating mechanism, which allows the vacuum suction cup to float along its axial direction; the lifting cylinder is disposed on the base and connected to the spring guide rail floating mechanism.

[0006] Furthermore, the spring guide rail floating mechanism includes guide posts, springs, floating plates, sleeves, and limiting blocks; the four guide posts are distributed in a rectangular shape and their tops are fixed to the base, the limiting blocks are set at the bottom of the guide posts, the sleeves are slidably connected to the guide posts, the floating plates are installed below the base through the sleeves, and the springs are set on the guide posts at the top and bottom of the sleeves, with the two ends of the spring at the top located between the base and the top of the sleeve, and the two ends of the spring at the bottom located between the bottom of the sleeve and the limiting blocks.

[0007] Furthermore, the bottom of the lifting cylinder is fixedly connected to the center of the floating plate.

[0008] Furthermore, it also includes a servo rotary motor that drives the vacuum suction cup to rotate.

[0009] Furthermore, the spring guide floating mechanism allows the vacuum chuck to float ±5mm along the Z-axis.

[0010] This invention has the following advantages: The vacuum suction cup flexibly floats along the Z-axis via a spring-guided floating mechanism, effectively buffering the impact force during blank grasping and preventing poor contact or damage caused by blank height deviation. The lifting cylinder, in conjunction with the floating plate, lifts the blank to its upper mechanical limit after the vacuum suction cup holds it, precisely locking the relative distance between the blank head and the robot end, ensuring consistent glazing height. This solves the problem that traditional rigid clamps cannot simultaneously accommodate height deviation adaptability and glazing accuracy. The dual-station parallel design allows for simultaneous processing of two blanks. Combined with independent floating and locking structures, it improves production efficiency while ensuring the positioning stability of individual blanks, ultimately achieving the process requirement of overlapping height during secondary glazing, reducing blank breakage rate, and improving glazing quality. Attached Figure Description

[0011] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0012] Figure 1 The structural diagram of the dual-station flexible fixture for the robot glazing production line provided by this utility model.

[0013] Illustration: C1 - Vacuum suction cup; C2 - Spring guide rail floating mechanism; C3 - Lifting cylinder; C4 - Servo rotary motor; C5 - Base; C21 - Guide column; C22 - Spring; C23 - Floating plate; C24 - Sleeve; C25 - Limit block; B1 - Robot end flange; P - Blank. Detailed Implementation

[0014] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be pointed out that the following detailed description is illustrative and intended to provide further explanation of the present application. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains.

[0015] Please see Figure 1 This utility model provides a dual-station flexible fixture for a robotic glazing production line, including a base C5, a first-station clamping mechanism, a second-station clamping mechanism, and a lifting cylinder C3. The base C5 is connected to the robot's end flange B1 to achieve a rigid connection between the fixture and the robot, providing stable support for the overall structure. The first-station clamping mechanism and the second-station clamping mechanism are arranged side-by-side on the base C5. This dual-station design allows for simultaneous gripping and glazing of two workpieces, doubling production efficiency compared to a single-station fixture.

[0016] Specifically, the first-station clamping mechanism and the second-station clamping mechanism have the same structure, both including a vacuum suction cup C1 and a spring guide rail floating mechanism C2. The top of the vacuum suction cup C1 is connected to the base via the spring guide rail floating mechanism C2. The vacuum suction cup C1 contacts the bottom surface of the workpiece P head through vacuum adsorption, enabling stable gripping of the workpiece and avoiding damage to its surface. The spring guide rail floating mechanism C2 allows the vacuum suction cup C1 to float along its axial direction.

[0017] Specifically, the spring guide rail floating mechanism C2 includes guide posts C21, springs C22, floating plates C23, sleeves C24, and limiting blocks C25; the four guide posts C21 are arranged in a rectangle and their tops are fixed to the base C5; the limiting blocks C25 are located at the bottom of the guide posts C21 to limit the downward limit position of the sleeves C24 and prevent the springs C22 from being over-compressed; the sleeves C24 are slidably connected to the guide posts C21 to ensure smooth sliding without jamming; the floating plates C23 are installed below the base C5 through the sleeves C24 to support the vacuum suction cup C1 and transmit the floating motion; the springs C22 and C23 are also included. C22 is set on the guide post C21 at the top and bottom of the sleeve C24. The two ends of the spring C22 at the top are located between the base C5 and the top of the sleeve C24, and the two ends of the spring C22 at the bottom are located between the bottom of the sleeve C24 and the limiting block C25. This allows the vacuum chuck C1 to float flexibly within ±5mm along the Z direction. When there is a deviation of ±5mm in the height of the workpiece, the vacuum chuck C1 can adaptively adjust its height through the compression and stretching of the spring C22, ensuring reliable contact with the bottom surface of the workpiece head. The contact force can be controlled to <5N, avoiding rigid impact that could damage the workpiece. The lifting cylinder C3 is mounted on the base C5 and connected to the spring guide rail floating mechanism C2. The bottom of the lifting cylinder C3 is fixedly connected to the center of the floating plate C23. After the vacuum suction cup C1 picks up the blank, the lifting cylinder C3 extends, pushing the floating plate C23 to move the vacuum suction cup C1 upward along the guide post C21 to the upper limit of the mechanism. This locks the distance L0 from the top surface of the blank head to the end flange B1 of the robot, keeping this distance constant and providing a reference for the precise control of the subsequent glazing height of the blank. In addition, the fixture also includes a servo rotary motor C4 that drives the vacuum suction cup C1 to rotate. The rated speed is 3000 rpm. It can drive the vacuum suction cup C1 and the blank to rotate through the transmission mechanism. During the glazing process, the rotation speed can be adjusted according to the process requirements to improve the uniformity of the glaze layer and reduce the flow of glaze slurry.

[0018] The working process of this dual-station flexible fixture is as follows: First, the robot moves the fixture to the workpiece gripping position. At this time, the lifting cylinder C3 is in the retracted state, and the vacuum suction cup C1 is in a free-floating state under the action of the spring guide rail floating mechanism C2. When the vacuum suction cup C1 contacts the bottom surface of the workpiece head, if there is a deviation in the workpiece height, the spring C22 will be compressed or stretched accordingly to achieve flexible buffer contact. Then, the vacuum system is activated, and the vacuum suction cup C1 generates negative pressure to suck up the workpiece. Next, the lifting cylinder C3 extends, driving the floating plate C23 to move upward until the top of the sleeve C24 is in contact with the base. When C5 contacts, the vacuum suction cup C1 is pushed to its mechanical upper limit, and the distance L0 from the top surface of the blank head to the robot's end flange B1 is locked to a fixed value. Thus, the glazing height of the blank P is the height of the end flange B1 above the ground driven by the robot. Afterward, the robot moves the fixture and blank above the glaze tank, and the servo rotary motor C4 drives the blank to rotate at a set speed to perform the glazing operation. After glazing is completed, the lifting cylinder C3 retracts, the vacuum suction cup C1 returns to its floating state, the robot transfers the blank to the drying station, the vacuum suction cup C1 releases the vacuum, and one work cycle is completed.

[0019] This invention, through the aforementioned structural design, effectively solves the problem that traditional fixtures cannot simultaneously accommodate both the adaptability to blank height deviations and the consistency of glaze dipping height. The dual-station design enables the simultaneous gripping of two blanks, significantly improving production efficiency. The ±5mm axial floating function of the spring guide rail floating mechanism C2 ensures good adaptation to blank height deviations, avoiding blank breakage caused by rigid contact. The cooperation between the lifting cylinder C3 and the floating plate C23 precisely locks the relative distance between the blank head and the robot end effector, ensuring the consistency of glaze dipping height. The servo rotary motor C4 provides a guarantee for the precise control of the blank's rotation speed, contributing to improved glaze uniformity. Overall, this fixture achieves flexible blank gripping, precise positioning, and high-efficiency operation, meeting the automation requirements of a robotic precision umbrella-surface glazing production line, reducing manual intervention, and improving product quality and production efficiency.

[0020] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0021] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented, for example, in sequences other than those illustrated or described herein.

[0022] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit the 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 principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A dual station flexible gripper for a robotic enameling line, characterized in that, include: Base (C5), first station clamping mechanism, second station clamping mechanism and lifting cylinder (C3); The base (C5) is connected to the robot end flange (B1). The first station clamping mechanism and the second station clamping mechanism are arranged side by side on the base (C5). The first station clamping mechanism and the second station clamping mechanism have the same structure, both including a vacuum suction cup (C1) and a spring guide rail floating mechanism (C2). The top of the vacuum suction cup (C1) is connected to the base through the spring guide rail floating mechanism (C2), which allows the vacuum suction cup (C1) to float along its axial direction. The lifting cylinder (C3) is arranged on the base (C5) and connected to the spring guide rail floating mechanism (C2).

2. A dual station flexible gripper for a robotic enameling line as defined in claim 1, wherein, The spring guide rail floating mechanism (C2) includes: a guide post (C21), a spring (C22), a floating plate (C23), a sleeve (C24), and a limiting block (C25); Four guide posts (C21) are arranged in a rectangle and their tops are fixed to the base (C5). The limiting block (C25) is located at the bottom of the guide posts (C21). The sleeve (C24) is slidably connected to the guide posts (C21). The floating plate (C23) is installed below the base (C5) through the sleeve (C24). The spring (C22) is located on the guide posts (C21) at the top and bottom of the sleeve (C24). The two ends of the spring (C22) at the top are located between the base (C5) and the top of the sleeve (C24), and the two ends of the spring (C22) at the bottom are located between the bottom of the sleeve (C24) and the limiting block (C25).

3. A dual station flexible gripper for a robotic enameling line as defined in claim 2, wherein, The bottom of the lifting cylinder (C3) is fixedly connected to the center of the floating plate (C23).

4. A dual station flexible gripper for a robotic enameling line as defined in claim 1, wherein, Also includes: A servo rotary motor (C4) drives the vacuum chuck (C1) to rotate.

5. A dual station flexible gripper for a robotic enameling line as defined in claim 1 wherein, The spring guide rail floating mechanism (C2) enables the vacuum suction cup (C1) to float ±5mm in the Z direction.

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