An automatic assembly device for water meter pointer

Abstract

This utility model relates to the field of water meter manufacturing equipment and discloses an automatic assembly device for water meter pointers. It includes a controller and an electrically connected pointer turntable mechanism, first and second pointer feeding mechanisms, an indicator wheel feeding mechanism, a feeding and transfer mechanism, and a discharging and transfer mechanism. The pointer turntable mechanism includes an intermittently rotating pointer disc and multiple pointer fixtures circumferentially spaced on the pointer turntable. Each pointer fixture has an indicator wheel positioning slot and multiple pointer positioning slots. The first and second pointer feeding mechanisms place the pointers into their corresponding pointer positioning slots, the indicator wheel feeding mechanism places the indicator wheels into their indicator wheel positioning slots, and the feeding and transfer mechanism transfers the product to the pointer fixture already equipped with the pointers and indicator wheels to complete the assembly. The discharging and transfer mechanism removes the assembled product. This utility model achieves automatic feeding, positioning, assembly, and discharging of the pointers and indicator wheels, improving assembly cycle time and overall production efficiency, and ensuring accurate correspondence between the pointers and the zero mark on the dial.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of water meter manufacturing equipment, and more specifically, to an automatic assembly device for water meter pointers. Background Technology

[0002] The water meter's upper clamp has multiple dials spaced apart, each with a gear. These gears form a gear train, creating a transmission mechanism that drives the water meter reading. Correspondingly, each dial has a pointer that rotates synchronously with the gear to indicate the reading on that dial. The pointer and gear are located on opposite sides of the upper clamp, with the pointer fitted onto the gear shaft and tightly pressed against it. Additionally, a water flow indicator wheel is rotatably mounted on the side of the upper clamp where the gears are installed. When water flows through the water meter, it drives an impeller connected to the water flow indicator wheel, which in turn drives the water flow indicator wheel. Users can visually determine whether water is flowing through the water meter by observing whether the water flow indicator wheel is rotating. The installation of the existing pointer and water flow indicator wheel is done manually. Workers are prone to visual fatigue from repetitive operations over long periods of time, and the high labor intensity can easily lead to a reduction in the assembly cycle. In addition, the pointer needs to be zeroed after installation (so that the pointer points to the 0 mark on the dial). Manual adjustment is mainly done by visual observation, which can result in a large error and affect the factory accuracy of the water meter dial reading. Utility Model Content

[0003] To address at least one of the aforementioned problems, this utility model provides an automatic assembly device for water meter pointers, comprising a controller, a pointer turntable mechanism electrically connected to the controller, a first pointer feeding mechanism, a second pointer feeding mechanism, an indicator wheel feeding mechanism, a feeding transfer mechanism, and a discharging transfer mechanism; the pointer turntable mechanism includes a pointer rotating disk, pointer fixtures mounted on the pointer rotating disk, and a drive motor that drives the pointer rotating disk to rotate the pointer fixtures intermittently in a circumferential direction; multiple pointer fixtures are circumferentially spaced on the pointer rotating disk, and each pointer fixture is provided with an indicator for the indicator wheel to be inserted. The device includes a wheel positioning slot and a pointer positioning slot for pointer positioning insertion, with multiple pointer positioning slots spaced apart; a first pointer feeding mechanism and a second pointer feeding mechanism are adapted to drive the pointer to be positioned in the corresponding pointer positioning slot; a pointer wheel feeding mechanism is adapted to place the pointer wheel in the pointer wheel positioning slot; a feeding and transfer mechanism is adapted to transfer the pointer-type counting mechanism to the pointer fixture equipped with the pointer and the pointer wheel, so that the pointer and the pointer wheel are assembled into the pointer-type counting mechanism; and a discharging and transfer mechanism is adapted to pick up and remove the pointer-type counting mechanism equipped with the pointer and the pointer wheel from the pointer fixture.

[0004] Optionally, the automatic assembly device for water meter pointers further includes a pressing mechanism located between the feeding and unloading transfer mechanisms. The pressing mechanism includes a pressing drive cylinder and a pressing plate. The pressing drive cylinder is connected to the pressing plate to drive the pressing plate to press the pointer-type counting mechanism onto the pointer fixture equipped with a pointer and an indicator wheel, so that the pointer and indicator wheel are assembled on the pointer-type counting mechanism.

[0005] Optionally, the first pointer feeding mechanism includes a first pointer feeding vibratory plate, a first pointer feeding track, and a first pointer transfer robot. One end of the first pointer feeding track is connected to the first pointer feeding vibratory plate, and the other end extends toward the pointer rotating plate. The first pointer transfer robot is provided with at least two first pointer suction nozzles. Each first pointer suction nozzle is adapted to pick up a pointer on the first pointer feeding track and place the pointer into the corresponding pointer positioning slot.

[0006] Optionally, the second pointer feeding mechanism includes a second pointer feeding vibratory plate, a second pointer feeding track, and a second pointer transfer robot. One end of the second pointer feeding track is connected to the second pointer feeding vibratory plate, and the other end extends toward the pointer rotating plate. The second pointer transfer robot is provided with at least two second pointer suction nozzles. Each second pointer suction nozzle is adapted to pick up a pointer on the second pointer feeding track and place the pointer into the corresponding pointer positioning slot.

[0007] Optionally, the indicator wheel feeding mechanism includes an indicator wheel feeding vibratory feeder, an indicator wheel feeding track, and an indicator wheel transfer robot. One end of the indicator wheel feeding track is connected to the indicator wheel feeding vibratory feeder, and the other end extends toward the pointer rotating disk. The indicator wheel transfer robot is adapted to move the indicator wheel located on the indicator wheel feeding track into the indicator wheel positioning groove.

[0008] Optionally, the feeding and transfer mechanism includes a feeding conveyor belt and a feeding and transfer robot. The feeding conveyor belt is adapted to transport the assembled pointer counting mechanism, and the feeding and transfer robot is adapted to transfer the pointer counting mechanism on the feeding conveyor belt and position it on the pointer fixture.

[0009] Optionally, the unloading and transfer mechanism includes an unloading conveyor belt and an unloading and transfer robot. The unloading and transfer robot is adapted to take out the pointer-type counting mechanism after it has been pressed down by the pressing mechanism from the pointer fixture and place it on the unloading conveyor belt for transport.

[0010] Optionally, the automatic assembly device for the water meter pointer further includes a lifting cylinder located below the pointer rotating disk; a push rod is slidably inserted into the indicator wheel positioning groove and the plurality of pointer positioning grooves, and the bottom ends of the plurality of push rods extend through the pointer fixture and out below the pointer rotating disk; after the unloading and transfer mechanism transfers the pointer-type counting mechanism on the pointer fixture, the lifting cylinder is adapted to drive the plurality of push rods upward to push out the pointer or indicator wheel not assembled in the pointer-type counting mechanism from the pointer positioning groove or the indicator wheel positioning groove.

[0011] Optionally, the pointer fixture includes a base flange and a pointer positioning plate. The pointer positioning plate is bolted to the top of the base flange. The pointer rotating plate has a mounting through hole at its top, which penetrates the pointer rotating plate. The base flange is inserted into the mounting through hole and connected to the pointer rotating plate by bolts. The bottom end of the base flange is located below the pointer rotating plate. Multiple push rods are slidably inserted into the base flange, and the bottom ends of the multiple push rods protrude from the bottom end of the base flange and are located below the base flange.

[0012] Optionally, the base flange has through holes at its top end, the same number as the number of top rods, and the top rods are slidably inserted into the through holes; a section of the stop post is fixedly installed on the outer peripheral wall of the middle part of the top rod and is slidably inserted into the through hole; a bottom cover is bolted to the bottom of the base flange, and the bottom cover has a through hole communicating with the through hole for the bottom end of the top rod to pass through; the bottom end of the top rod passes through the through hole and is located below the bottom cover; the diameter of the through hole is smaller than the outer diameter of the stop post.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial technical effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0014] 1. It realizes the automatic feeding, positioning, assembly and unloading of pointers and indicator wheels, replacing the traditional repetitive manual operations, improving the assembly cycle and overall production efficiency. In addition, the pointer fixture is equipped with multiple pointer positioning slots for precise pointer positioning. The pointer feeding mechanism puts the pointer directly into the corresponding positioning slot, and then the pointer counting mechanism is pressed into place by the feeding and transfer mechanism, avoiding the errors caused by manual alignment and zeroing, ensuring the accurate correspondence between the pointer and the zero mark of the dial, thereby improving the factory accuracy of the water meter dial reading.

[0015] 2. The pointer fixture is provided with multiple pointer positioning slots at intervals, and is equipped with a first pointer feeding mechanism and a second pointer feeding mechanism with multiple suction nozzles. This mechanism can accurately place multiple pointers into their respective pointer positioning slots in sequence, so that multiple pointers correspond to multiple dial gears on the clamp plate of the water meter. This realizes the automated batch assembly of complex gear sets corresponding to pointers, reduces workstation occupation, and improves the integration and efficiency of assembly.

[0016] 3. By using a downward-pressing drive cylinder to drive the lower platen, the pointer-type counting mechanism is smoothly pressed onto the pointer fixture that already has pointers and indicator wheels. This ensures that the interference fit between the pointer and the gear shaft, and between the indicator wheel and its mounting position, is tight and in place. This avoids loosening or damage caused by uneven manual pressing force, and improves the stability and yield of product assembly. At the same time, it can position and assemble the indicator wheel and multiple pointers onto the pointer-type counting mechanism at one time, further improving the assembly cycle and overall production efficiency.

[0017] 4. A lifting cylinder is provided below the pointer rotary disk, and a push rod is slidably inserted into the indicator wheel positioning groove and the pointer positioning groove in the pointer tooling. After the material unloading and transfer mechanism transfers the pointer counting mechanism away, the lifting cylinder can drive the push rod to move upward, automatically pushing out the remaining pointer or indicator wheel that has not been removed from the positioning groove, preventing subsequent assembly failures caused by material jamming, and ensuring the reliability of the automated continuous operation of the device. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 The structure of the automatic water meter pointer assembly device in this utility model embodiment. Figure 1 ;

[0019] Figure 2 The structure of the automatic water meter pointer assembly device in this utility model embodiment. Figure 2 ;

[0020] Figure 3 The structure of the pointer dial mechanism in this utility model embodiment Figure 1 ;

[0021] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the pointer fixture in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 5 The structure of the pointer dial mechanism in this utility model embodiment Figure 2 ;

[0023] Figure 6 The structure of the automatic water meter pointer assembly device in this utility model embodiment. Figure 3 ;

[0024] Figure 7 This is a structural diagram of the pointer dial mechanism and the pressing mechanism in the embodiments of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 8 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of part A in the middle.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Pointer turntable mechanism; 11. Pointer rotating disk; 12. Pointer tooling; 13. Drive motor; 14. Base flange; 15. Pointer positioning disk; 151. Pointer positioning groove; 152. Indicator wheel positioning groove; 16. Top rod; 17. Bottom cover; 2. First pointer feeding mechanism; 21. First pointer feeding vibratory feeder; 22. First pointer feeding track; 23. First pointer transfer robot; 24. Miniature cylinder; 25. First pointer suction nozzle; 3. Second pointer feeding mechanism; 31. Second pointer feeding vibratory feeder; 32. ... 33. Second pointer feeding track; 34. Second pointer transfer robot; 4. Indicator wheel feeding mechanism; 41. Indicator wheel feeding vibratory feeder; 42. Indicator wheel feeding track; 43. Indicator wheel transfer robot; 5. Feeding and transferring mechanism; 51. Feeding conveyor belt; 52. Feeding and transferring robot; 6. Unloading and transferring mechanism; 61. Unloading conveyor belt; 62. Unloading and transferring robot; 7. Pressing mechanism; 71. Pressing bracket; 72. Pressing drive cylinder; 73. Pressing plate; 74. Top cylinder; 8. Lifting cylinder; 81. Lifting plate. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, the following description is provided in conjunction with the appendix. Figure 1-8 This application will be described in further detail.

[0028] This utility model provides an automatic assembly device for water meter pointers, referring to... Figure 1 and Figure 2The automatic water meter pointer assembly device includes a controller, a pointer turntable mechanism 1 electrically connected to the controller and mounted on a base, a first pointer feeding mechanism 2, a second pointer feeding mechanism 3, an indicator wheel feeding mechanism 4, a feeding and transfer mechanism 5, a discharging and transfer mechanism 6, and a pressing mechanism 7. The first pointer feeding mechanism 2, the second pointer feeding mechanism 3, the indicator wheel feeding mechanism 4, the feeding and transfer mechanism 5, the discharging and transfer mechanism 6, and the pressing mechanism 7 are arranged circumferentially around the pointer turntable mechanism 1 at intervals. The pointer turntable mechanism 1 rotates intermittently circumferentially under the control of the controller. The first pointer feeding mechanism 2 and the second feeding mechanism sequentially position multiple pointers on the pointer turntable mechanism 1; the indicator wheel feeding mechanism 4 positions the indicator wheel at the corresponding position on the pointer turntable mechanism 1. The loading and transfer mechanism 5 positions the pre-assembled pointer-type counting mechanism on the pointer turntable mechanism 1, aligning the positioned pointers and indicator wheels with their corresponding installation positions on the pointer-type counting mechanism. Then, it rotates to the position of the pressing mechanism 7, which presses down on the pointer-type counting mechanism to assemble the indicator wheels and multiple pointers onto it. Finally, it rotates to the position of the unloading and transfer mechanism 6, which picks up and removes the pointer-type counting mechanism containing the pointers and indicator wheels. This achieves automatic loading, positioning, assembly, and unloading of the pointers and indicator wheels, replacing traditional repetitive manual operations and improving assembly cycle time and overall production efficiency.

[0029] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 The pointer rotating disk mechanism 1 includes a pointer rotating disk 11, pointer fixtures 12, and a drive motor 13. The drive motor 13 is bolted to a base, with its motor shaft facing upwards. The pointer rotating disk 11 is connected to the motor shaft of the drive motor 13 and rotates synchronously. Multiple pointer fixtures 12 are bolted to the top of the pointer rotating disk 11 and are evenly spaced circumferentially around the pointer rotating disk 11. Under the control of a controller, the drive motor 13 drives the pointer rotating disk 11 to intermittently rotate the multiple pointer fixtures 12 synchronously. When one pointer fixture 12 is located at the first pointer feeding mechanism 2, there is also one pointer fixture 12 at the second pointer feeding mechanism 3, the indicator wheel feeding mechanism 4, the feeding transfer mechanism 5, the unloading transfer mechanism 6, and the pressing mechanism 7. This allows multiple mechanisms to operate synchronously, improving assembly efficiency. Since the multiple pointer fixtures 12 have identical structures, the following description uses the structure and installation of a single pointer fixture 12 as an example.

[0030] Reference Figures 2 to 4The pointer fixture 12 includes a base flange 14 and a pointer positioning plate 15. The pointer positioning plate 15 is bolted to the top of the base flange 14. The top of the pointer positioning plate 15 has a positioning groove for positioning the pointer-type counting mechanism. The bottom of the positioning groove has multiple pointer positioning slots 151 for pointer insertion and one indicator wheel positioning slot 152 for indicator wheel insertion. The indicator wheel positioning slot 152 and the multiple pointer positioning slots 151 correspond one-to-one with the installation positions of the indicator wheel and multiple pointers on the pointer-type counting mechanism, thus achieving positioning and assembly. The base flange 14 is bolted to the pointer rotating disk 11. When producing different models of water meters, the corresponding pointer fixture 12 can be replaced. The first pointer feeding mechanism 2 and the second pointer feeding mechanism 3 are adapted to drive the pointers to be positioned in the corresponding pointer positioning slots 151; the indicator wheel feeding mechanism 4 is adapted to place the indicator wheel in the indicator wheel positioning slot 152. This ensures accurate correspondence between the pointer and the zero mark of the dial, thereby improving the factory accuracy of the water meter dial reading.

[0031] The pointer rotating disk 11 has a mounting through hole at its top, which penetrates the pointer rotating disk 11. The base flange 14 is inserted into the mounting through hole and connected to the pointer rotating disk 11 by bolts. The bottom end of the base flange 14 is located below the pointer rotating disk 11. Push rods 16 are slidably inserted into the indicator wheel positioning groove 152 and multiple pointer positioning grooves 151. Multiple push rods 16 are slidably inserted into the base flange 14, and the bottom ends of multiple push rods 16 protrude from the bottom end of the base flange 14, located below the base flange 14. The top of the base flange 14 has through holes, the same number as the push rods 16, which are slidably inserted into the through holes. A section of the stop post is fixedly installed on the outer peripheral wall of the middle part of the push rod 16 and is slidably inserted into the through hole. The bottom of the base flange 14 is bolted to the bottom cover 17. The bottom cover 17 has a through hole that communicates with the through hole so that the bottom end of the push rod 16 can pass through. The bottom end of the push rod 16 passes through the through hole and is located below the bottom cover 17. The diameter of the through hole is smaller than the outer diameter of the stop post, so that the push rod 16 cannot fall off the base flange 14 under the action of gravity.

[0032] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 5A lifting cylinder 8 is installed on the base, located between the first pointer feeding mechanism 2 and the unloading and transfer mechanism 6. The telescopic rod of the lifting cylinder 8 faces upward, and a lifting plate 81 is bolted to the telescopic rod of the lifting cylinder 8. After the unloading and transfer mechanism 6 transfers the pointer counting mechanism on the pointer positioning disk 15, and the pointer rotating disk 11 drives the corresponding pointer fixture 12 to move to the position of the lifting cylinder 8 and pauses rotation, the lifting cylinder 8 can drive the lifting plate 81 to move upward, thereby driving multiple push rods 16 to move upward synchronously, so as to push out the pointer or indicator wheel that is not assembled in the pointer counting mechanism from the pointer positioning groove 151 or the indicator wheel positioning groove 152, preventing subsequent assembly failures caused by material jamming and ensuring the reliability of the automated continuous operation of the device.

[0033] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 6 The first pointer feeding mechanism 2 includes a first pointer feeding vibratory feeder 21, a first pointer feeding track 22, and a first pointer transfer robot 23. The first pointer feeding vibratory feeder 21 contains a large number of pointers and is mounted on the top of a base. One end of the first pointer feeding track 22 is connected to the first pointer feeding vibratory feeder 21, and the other end extends towards the pointer rotating disk 11. A first stop frame is bolted to the base, blocking the end of the first pointer feeding track 22 near the pointer rotating disk 11. The first stop frame also has a sensor to detect whether there are pointers at the outlet of the first pointer feeding track 22. The first pointer feeding vibratory feeder 21 drives the pointers into the first pointer feeding track 22 through its own vibration, and under the action of the placement structure, the pointers are neatly arranged in a set direction and orientation on the first pointer feeding track 22. The first pointer transfer robot 23 is located on one side of the first pointer loading track 22. The sensor sends a command to the controller that there is a pointer at the exit of the first pointer loading track 22. The controller controls the first pointer transfer robot 23 to attract the pointer and move it into the pointer positioning slot 151. In this embodiment, the first pointer transfer robot 23 is preferably a four-axis robot (existing technology, capable of multi-directional movement and the actuator can be raised, lowered and rotated).

[0034] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 6 and Figure 8 The first pointer transfer robot 23 has at least two miniature cylinders 24 installed at intervals on its execution end. The telescopic rod of each miniature cylinder 24 faces downward, and a first pointer suction nozzle 25 is threaded onto the telescopic rod of each miniature cylinder 24. The outer wall of the first pointer suction nozzle 25 is connected to an air pipe connected to a vacuum pump. When the robot operates, the inside of the first pointer suction nozzle 25 is under negative pressure, allowing the bottom of the first pointer suction nozzle 25 to attract the pointer and place it into the corresponding pointer positioning slot 151. In this way, two pointers can be installed at once.

[0035] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 6 The second pointer feeding mechanism 3 is located on the side of the first pointer feeding mechanism 2 near the indicator wheel feeding mechanism 4. The second pointer feeding mechanism 3 includes a second pointer feeding vibratory feeder 31, a second pointer feeding track 32, and a second pointer transfer robot 33. The second pointer feeding vibratory feeder 31 contains a large number of pointers and is mounted on the top of the base. One end of the second pointer feeding track 32 is connected to the second pointer feeding vibratory feeder 31, and the other end extends towards the pointer rotating disk 11. A second stop frame is bolted to the base, blocking the end of the second pointer feeding track 32 near the pointer rotating disk 11. The second stop frame also has a sensor to detect whether there are pointers at the outlet of the second pointer feeding track 32. The second pointer feeding vibratory feeder 31 drives the pointers into the second pointer feeding track 32 through its own vibration, and under the action of the placement structure, the pointers are neatly arranged in the second pointer feeding track 32 according to a set direction and orientation. The second pointer transfer robot 33 is located on one side of the second pointer loading track 32. The sensor sends a command to the controller that there is a pointer at the exit of the second pointer loading track 32. The controller controls the second pointer transfer robot 33 to attract the pointer and move it into the pointer positioning slot 151. In this embodiment, the second pointer transfer robot 33 is preferably a four-axis robot (existing technology, capable of multi-directional movement and the actuator can be raised, lowered and rotated).

[0036] The second pointer transfer robot 33 has at least two micro cylinders 24 installed at intervals on its actuator end. The telescopic rod of each micro cylinder 24 faces downward, and a second pointer suction nozzle 34 is threaded onto the telescopic rod of each micro cylinder 24. An air pipe connected to an air pump is attached to the outer wall of the second pointer suction nozzle 34. Upon operation, this creates a negative pressure inside the second pointer suction nozzle 34, allowing the bottom of the nozzle to attract the pointer and place it into the corresponding pointer positioning slot 151. This allows for the simultaneous installation of two pointers.

[0037] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 6The indicator wheel feeding mechanism 4 includes an indicator wheel feeding vibratory feeder 41, an indicator wheel feeding track 42, and an indicator wheel transfer robot 43. The indicator wheel feeding vibratory feeder 41 contains a large number of indicator wheels and is mounted on the top of a base. One end of the indicator wheel feeding track 42 is connected to the indicator wheel feeding vibratory feeder 41, and the other end extends towards the pointer rotating disk 11. A third stop is bolted to the base, blocking the end of the indicator wheel feeding track 42 near the pointer rotating disk 11. The third stop is also equipped with a sensor to detect whether there is a pointer at the outlet of the indicator wheel feeding track 42. The indicator wheel feeding vibratory feeder 41 drives the indicator wheels into the indicator wheel feeding track 42 through its own vibration, and under the action of the placement structure, the indicator wheels are neatly arranged in the indicator wheel feeding track 42 according to a set direction and orientation. The indicator wheel transfer robot 43 is located on one side of the indicator wheel feeding track 42. The sensor sends a command to the controller that there is an indicator wheel at the exit of the indicator wheel feeding track 42. The controller controls the indicator wheel transfer robot 43 to attract and move the indicator wheel at the exit end of the indicator wheel feeding track 42 into the indicator wheel positioning groove 152. In this embodiment, the indicator wheel transfer robot 43 is preferably a four-axis robot (existing technology, capable of multi-directional movement and with the actuator capable of lifting and rotating).

[0038] The actuator of the indicator wheel transfer robot 43 is equipped with an indicator wheel suction nozzle. An air pipe connected to an air pump is connected to the outer wall of the indicator wheel suction nozzle. When the robot is in operation, the inside of the indicator wheel suction nozzle is under negative pressure, which allows the bottom of the indicator wheel suction nozzle to pick up the indicator wheel and place it into the corresponding indicator wheel positioning groove 152.

[0039] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The feeding and transfer mechanism 5 includes a feeding conveyor belt 51 and a feeding and transfer robot 52. The output end of the feeding conveyor belt 51 is mounted on a base via a support frame. The pointer-type counting mechanism assembled in the previous process is placed at the input end of the feeding conveyor belt 51 and then transported to the output end of the feeding conveyor belt 51. The feeding and transfer robot 52 is located on one side of the feeding conveyor belt 51 and is mounted on the base. The feeding and transfer robot 52 is a four-axis robot (existing technology, capable of multi-directional movement and with the actuator capable of lifting and rotating). The actuator of the feeding and transfer robot 52 is equipped with a feeding gripper cylinder. The feeding gripper cylinder clamps the pointer-type counting mechanism located at the output end of the feeding conveyor belt 51 and places it on the pointer fixture 12 equipped with a pointer and an indicator wheel, so that the pointer and indicator wheel are assembled into the pointer-type counting mechanism.

[0040] The output end of the feeding conveyor belt 51 is equipped with a first baffle to prevent materials from falling during transport. An industrial camera is installed at the end of the support frame at the output end of the feeding conveyor belt 51 near the pointer rotary disk 11. The industrial camera is located below the top surface of the feeding conveyor belt 51. Since the pointer counting mechanism has a rectangular or oblong display window on the side where the pointer is installed (referring to the bottom surface during assembly), the feeding and transfer robot 52 will first move the pointer counting mechanism above the industrial camera to obtain image information after clamping it. Then, it will determine whether the angle is off by checking the angle of the display window. Then, the controller will control the feeding and transfer robot 52 to drive the pointer counting mechanism to rotate the corresponding angle according to the preset information to make the angle correct. At the same time, it will move the pointer counting mechanism above the corresponding pointer fixture 12 and place it into the pointer fixture 12.

[0041] Combination Figure 1 Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 The pressing mechanism 7 is located between the loading and unloading transfer mechanisms 5 and 6. The pressing mechanism 7 includes a pressing bracket 71, a pressing drive cylinder 72, and a pressing plate 73. The pressing bracket 71 is bolted to the base, and the pressing drive cylinder 72 is located above the pointer rotating disk 11 and bolted to the pressing bracket 71. The telescopic rod of the pressing drive cylinder 72 faces downwards, and the pressing plate 73 is bolted to the telescopic rod of the pressing drive cylinder 72. The pressing drive cylinder 72 drives the pressing plate 73 downwards, pressing the pointer-type counting mechanism onto the pointer fixture 12 equipped with a pointer and an indicator wheel, thus assembling the pointer and indicator wheel onto the pointer-type counting mechanism.

[0042] Preferably, an upper-pressing cylinder 74 is also bolted to the lower-pressing bracket 71. The upper-pressing cylinder 74 is located below the pointer rotating disk 11 and directly below the lower-pressing drive cylinder 72. The telescopic rod of the upper-pressing cylinder 74 faces upward, and an upper-top plate is bolted to the telescopic rod of the upper-pressing cylinder 74. While the lower-pressing cylinder drives the lower-pressing plate 73 to press down the pointer-type counting mechanism, the upper-pressing cylinder 74 drives the upper-top plate to push up multiple push rods 16 on the corresponding pointer fixture 12, so that the push rods 16 push the corresponding pointer or indicator wheel upward, ensuring that the pointer and indicator wheel can be installed on the pointer-type counting mechanism.

[0043] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2The unloading and transfer mechanism 6 includes an unloading conveyor belt 61 and an unloading and transfer robot 62. The input end of the unloading conveyor belt 61 is mounted on a base via a support frame. The unloading and transfer robot 62 is located on one side of the unloading conveyor belt 61 and is mounted on the base. The unloading and transfer robot 62 is a four-axis robot. The execution end of the unloading and transfer robot 62 is equipped with an unloading gripper cylinder. The unloading gripper cylinder picks up the pointer-type counting mechanism, which has been pressed down by the pressing mechanism 7, from the corresponding pointer fixture 12 and places it at the input end of the unloading conveyor belt 61. The unloading conveyor belt 61 then transports the pointer-type counting mechanism, equipped with a pointer and an indicator wheel, into a material box for unified collection.

[0044] The implementation principle of the automatic assembly device for water meter pointers in this application embodiment is as follows: The pointer rotating disk 11 rotates intermittently circumferentially, driving multiple pointer fixtures 12, evenly distributed circumferentially, to sequentially cycle through various functional stations. Each station operates synchronously and in parallel. Multiple pointers from the first pointer feeding mechanism 2 and the second pointer feeding mechanism 3 are sequentially and precisely placed into the pointer positioning slots 151 corresponding to the pointer fixtures 12. Simultaneously, the indicator wheel feeding mechanism 4 places the indicator wheel into the indicator wheel positioning slot 152. The feeding and transfer mechanism 5 picks up the pre-assembled pointer-type counting mechanism from the feeding conveyor belt 51, automatically corrects its orientation after the angle of the display window is identified by an industrial camera, and then places it above the fixture already equipped with pointers and indicator wheels, ensuring that the installation positions of each component correspond one-to-one. Subsequently, the fixture rotates to the pressing mechanism 7 station. The pressing drive cylinder 72 drives the pressing plate 73 to press down the counting mechanism, while the upper lifting cylinder 74 below lifts the push rod 16 inside the fixture, pushing the pointer and indicator wheel smoothly into the corresponding installation position of the counting mechanism from the positioning slot, completing the pressing process. Afterwards, the finished product is transferred to the unloading and transfer mechanism 6 along with the tooling, where it is picked up by the unloading and transfer robot 62 and placed on the unloading conveyor belt 61 for delivery. Finally, when the empty tooling passes the position of the lifting cylinder 8, the lifting plate 81 moves upward to push all the push rods 16, pushing any remaining unassembled pointers or indicator wheels out of the positioning slots to prevent jamming. Then the tooling continues to cycle.

[0045] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. In this disclosure, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, "above," "over," and "on top" of a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0046] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this disclosure, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed. However, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the inventive concept of this disclosure, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the protection scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. An automatic assembly device for water meter pointers, characterized in that: The system includes a controller, a pointer turntable mechanism (1) electrically connected to the controller, a first pointer feeding mechanism (2), a second pointer feeding mechanism (3), an indicator wheel feeding mechanism (4), a feeding and transfer mechanism (5), and a discharging and transfer mechanism (6). The pointer turntable mechanism (1) includes a pointer rotating disk (11), a pointer fixture (12) mounted on the pointer rotating disk (11), and a drive motor (13) that drives the pointer rotating disk (11) to drive the pointer fixture (12) to rotate intermittently in the circumferential direction. The pointer fixture (12) is provided with multiple pointers spaced circumferentially on the pointer rotating disk (11). The pointer fixture (12) is provided with an indicator wheel positioning groove (152) for the indicator wheel to be inserted and a pointer positioning groove (152) for the pointer to be positioned. The pointer positioning slots (151) are provided at intervals; the first pointer feeding mechanism (2) and the second pointer feeding mechanism (3) are adapted to drive the pointer to be positioned in the corresponding pointer positioning slots (151); the indicator wheel feeding mechanism (4) is adapted to place the indicator wheel in the indicator wheel positioning slot (152); the feeding and transfer mechanism (5) is adapted to transfer the pointer counting mechanism to the pointer fixture (12) equipped with the pointer and the indicator wheel, so that the pointer and the indicator wheel are assembled in the pointer counting mechanism; the unloading and transfer mechanism (6) is adapted to pick up the pointer counting mechanism equipped with the pointer and the indicator wheel from the pointer fixture (12) and remove it.

2. The automatic water meter pointer assembly device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a pressing mechanism (7) located between the loading and unloading transfer mechanism (5) and the unloading transfer mechanism (6). The pressing mechanism (7) includes a pressing drive cylinder (72) and a pressing plate (73). The pressing drive cylinder (72) is connected to the pressing plate (73) to drive the pressing plate (73) to press the pointer counting mechanism onto the pointer fixture (12) equipped with a pointer and an indicator wheel, so that the pointer and indicator wheel are assembled on the pointer counting mechanism.

3. The automatic water meter pointer assembly device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first pointer feeding mechanism (2) includes a first pointer feeding vibratory plate (21), a first pointer feeding track (22) and a first pointer transfer robot (23). One end of the first pointer feeding track (22) is connected to the first pointer feeding vibratory plate (21), and the other end extends toward the pointer rotating plate (11). The first pointer transfer robot (23) is provided with at least two first pointer suction nozzles (25). Each first pointer suction nozzle (25) is adapted to adsorb a pointer on the first pointer feeding track (22) and place the pointer into the corresponding pointer positioning slot (151).

4. The automatic water meter pointer assembly device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second pointer feeding mechanism (3) includes a second pointer feeding vibratory plate (31), a second pointer feeding track (32), and a second pointer transfer robot (33). One end of the second pointer feeding track (32) is connected to the second pointer feeding vibratory plate (31), and the other end extends toward the pointer rotating plate (11). The second pointer transfer robot (33) is provided with at least two second pointer suction nozzles (34). Each second pointer suction nozzle (34) is adapted to pick up a pointer on the second pointer feeding track (32) and place the pointer into the corresponding pointer positioning slot (151).

5. The automatic water meter pointer assembly device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The indicator wheel feeding mechanism (4) includes an indicator wheel feeding vibratory plate (41), an indicator wheel feeding track (42), and an indicator wheel transfer robot (43). One end of the indicator wheel feeding track (42) is connected to the indicator wheel feeding vibratory plate (41), and the other end extends toward the pointer rotating plate (11). The indicator wheel transfer robot (43) is adapted to move the indicator wheel located on the indicator wheel feeding track (42) into the indicator wheel positioning groove (152).

6. The automatic water meter pointer assembly device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding and transfer mechanism (5) includes a feeding conveyor belt (51) and a feeding and transfer robot (52). The feeding conveyor belt (51) is adapted to transport the assembled pointer counting mechanism, and the feeding and transfer robot (52) is adapted to transfer the pointer counting mechanism on the feeding conveyor belt (51) and position it on the pointer fixture (12).

7. The automatic water meter pointer assembly device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The unloading and transfer mechanism (6) includes an unloading conveyor belt (61) and an unloading and transfer robot (62). The unloading and transfer robot (62) is adapted to take out the pointer-type counting mechanism after it has been pressed down by the pressing mechanism (7) from the pointer fixture (12) and place it on the unloading conveyor belt (61) for transport.

8. The automatic water meter pointer assembly device according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that: It also includes a lifting cylinder (8) located below the pointer rotating disk (11); a push rod (16) is slidably inserted into the indicator wheel positioning groove (152) and the plurality of pointer positioning grooves (151), and the bottom ends of the plurality of push rods (16) extend through the pointer fixture (12) and out below the pointer rotating disk (11); after the unloading and transfer mechanism (6) transfers the pointer counting mechanism on the pointer fixture (12), the lifting cylinder (8) is adapted to drive the plurality of push rods (16) to move upward, so as to push out the pointer or indicator wheel not assembled in the pointer counting mechanism from the pointer positioning groove (151) or the indicator wheel positioning groove (152).

9. The automatic water meter pointer assembly device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The pointer fixture (12) includes a base flange (14) and a pointer positioning plate (15). The pointer positioning plate (15) is bolted to the top of the base flange (14). The pointer rotating plate (11) has a mounting through hole at the top, which penetrates the pointer rotating plate (11). The base flange (14) is inserted into the mounting through hole and connected to the pointer rotating plate (11) by bolts. The bottom end of the base flange (14) is located below the pointer rotating plate (11). Multiple push rods (16) are slidably inserted into the base flange (14), and the bottom ends of the multiple push rods (16) protrude from the bottom end of the base flange (14) and are located below the base flange (14).

10. The automatic water meter pointer assembly device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The base flange (14) has through holes at its top end, which are the same number as the number of top rods (16) and correspond one-to-one. The top rods (16) are slidably inserted into the through holes. A section of the abutment column is fixedly provided on the outer peripheral wall of the middle part of the top rod (16) and is slidably inserted into the through hole. The bottom of the base flange (14) is bolted with a bottom cover (17). The bottom cover (17) has a through hole that communicates with the through hole so that the bottom end of the top rod (16) can pass through. The bottom end of the top rod (16) passes through the through hole and is located below the bottom cover (17). The diameter of the through hole is smaller than the outer diameter of the abutment column.

Images