End effector and handling apparatus

Abstract

This application provides an end effector and a handling device. The end effector includes: a main body; a first suction assembly mounted on the main body, the first suction assembly including a plurality of first suction elements, the first suction assembly being slidable relative to the main body; an adjustment assembly mounted on the main body, the adjustment assembly being connected to the first suction assembly, the adjustment assembly being configured to drive the first suction assembly to slide relative to the main body; and a second suction assembly mounted on the main body, the second suction assembly including a lifting mechanism and a plurality of second suction elements connected to the lifting mechanism; wherein the distance between two adjacent second suction elements is less than the distance between two adjacent first suction elements, and the lifting mechanism is capable of driving the second suction elements higher than or lower than the first suction elements. When the end effector picks up small parts, it can extend into the material frame enclosure for stacking, and can improve the utilization rate of the material frame for stacking small parts.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automation equipment technology, and in particular to an end effector and a handling device. Background Technology

[0002] End effectors are typically installed at the end of industrial robots or sorting / palletizing equipment for the automated gripping and handling of steel plate parts. They are widely used in steel plate loading and unloading lines and sorting / palletizing lines in engineering machinery, shipbuilding, and automobile manufacturing processes. The working principle of an end effector is generally that it adheres to the workpiece surface using a vacuum or electro-permanent magnet chuck, and the workpiece is then moved by a highly flexible special fixture. Through proximity sensors, programmable logic controllers, and other components, an automated end effector and transport system for the workpiece is formed.

[0003] When parts are stored in the crate, small parts are prone to tilting or tipping over during transport due to their small size. Therefore, the crate for small parts is surrounded by a fence. When placing small parts, it is inconvenient for the end effector to reach under the fence, or the end effector is too large for the small parts. Even if it does reach under the fence, the size difference will result in a large distance between stacks of parts, reducing the utilization rate of the crate. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides an end effector and a handling device. When the end effector picks up small parts, it can extend into the material frame fence for stacking, and can improve the utilization rate of the material frame for stacking small parts.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide an end effector, including:

[0006] Main body;

[0007] A first suction assembly is mounted on the main body. The first suction assembly includes a plurality of first suction components and is capable of sliding relative to the main body.

[0008] An adjustment component is mounted on the main body and is connected to the first suction component. The adjustment component is configured to drive the first suction component to slide relative to the main body.

[0009] The second suction assembly is installed on the main body. The second suction assembly includes a lifting mechanism and a plurality of second suction components connected to the lifting mechanism.

[0010] The distance between two adjacent second suction members is less than the distance between two adjacent first suction members. The lifting mechanism can drive the second suction members to rise above the first suction members and drive the second suction members to fall below the first suction members.

[0011] In one embodiment, the second suction assembly further includes a support member and a support unit. The support member is mounted on the main body, the lifting mechanism is mounted on the support member and connected to the support unit, and a plurality of second suction members are respectively mounted on the support unit.

[0012] In one embodiment, the second suction assembly further includes a first guide rod, the bottom end of which is fixed to the support unit, and the top end of which passes through the support member and is slidably connected to the support member.

[0013] In one embodiment, the support unit includes a first support plate and a second support plate located below the first support plate. The second suction component also includes a plurality of second guide rods, each of which passes through the first support plate. The bottom end of the second guide rod is fixed to the second support plate, and the top end of the second guide rod is provided with a limiting part. The second suction component is installed on the bottom of the second support plate.

[0014] In one embodiment, the second suction component further includes a first elastic element connected between the first support plate and the second support plate, the first elastic element being configured to move the second support plate away from the first support plate.

[0015] In one embodiment, a positioning sensor is mounted on the first support plate, and the positioning sensor is configured to acquire the position of the limiting part.

[0016] In one embodiment, the second suction component further includes a second elastic member connected between the limiting portion and the first support plate, and the second elastic member is configured to drive the limiting portion away from the first support plate.

[0017] In one embodiment, a detection sensor is mounted on the second support plate, with the detection end of the sensor facing downwards.

[0018] In one embodiment, the end effector further includes a vision system comprising a bracket and a camera, one end of the bracket being connected to the main body and the camera being connected to the other end of the bracket.

[0019] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a handling device, including the aforementioned end effector.

[0020] The end effector and handling equipment provided in this application include a main body, a first suction component, an adjustment component, and a second suction component. The first suction component is mounted on the main body, and the adjustment component mounted on the main body can drive the first suction component to slide relative to the main body. The second suction component is mounted on the main body, and its lifting mechanism can drive multiple second suction components of the second suction component to rise and fall. The distance between two adjacent second suction components of the second suction component is smaller than the distance between two adjacent first suction components of the first suction component. In this way, the end effector can pick up large parts through the multiple first suction components of the first suction component and pick up small parts through the multiple second suction components of the second suction component. When picking up small parts, the lifting mechanism of the second suction component allows multiple second suction components to extend into the material frame enclosure for stacking, thereby improving the utilization rate of the material frame for stacking small parts. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments or exemplary embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or exemplary embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the incoming steel plates;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the end effector provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second suction component provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle;

[0026] Figure 5 A diagram illustrating the placement of small parts in an end-effector of a related technology. Figure 1 ;

[0027] Figure 6 A diagram illustrating the placement of small parts in an end-effector of a related technology. Figure 2 ;

[0028] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the placement of small parts in the end effector provided in this application embodiment. Figure 1 ;

[0029] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the placement of small parts in the end effector provided in this application embodiment. Figure 2 .

[0030] Figure label:

[0031] 100. Main body;

[0032] 200. First suction assembly; 210. First suction component;

[0033] 300. Adjustment components;

[0034] 400, Second suction assembly; 410, Lifting mechanism; 420, Second suction element; 430, Support element; 440, Support unit; 441, First support plate; 442, Second support plate; 450, First guide rod; 460, Second guide rod; 461, Limiting part; 471, First elastic element; 472, Second elastic element; 481, Position sensor; 482, Detection sensor;

[0035] 500. Vision system; 510. Support; 520. Camera. Detailed Implementation

[0036] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0037] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do 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.

[0038] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0039] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, after the steel plate is processed by laser cutting and plasma cutting machines, it becomes parts, frames, and scrap. These parts and scrap need to be sorted from the platform and placed in different storage bins according to regulations. The end effector is equipped with a vision system that uses a camera to take pictures and calculates the position of the end effector's magnetic points. The vision system guides the adjustment of the magnetic point spacing to accommodate different parts. Then, the end effector at the end of an industrial robot or sorting / palletizing equipment picks up the parts and places them into the storage bins.

[0041] When parts are stored in the crate, small parts are prone to tilting or tipping over during transport due to their small size. Therefore, the crate for small parts is surrounded by a fence. End effectors, designed to flexibly grip parts within a certain size range, are typically much larger than the smallest part. This makes it inconvenient to insert the end effector under the crate fence when placing small parts. Alternatively, if the end effector is too large for the small parts, even if it is inserted under the fence, the size difference can cause significant distances between stacks of parts, reducing the utilization rate of the crate.

[0042] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides an end effector and a handling device. The end effector includes a main body, a first suction component, an adjustment component, and a second suction component. The first suction component is mounted on the main body, and the adjustment component mounted on the main body allows the first suction component to slide relative to the main body. The second suction component is mounted on the main body, and its lifting mechanism can raise and lower multiple second suction components. The distance between two adjacent second suction components of the second suction component is smaller than the distance between two adjacent first suction components of the first suction component. Thus, the end effector can pick up large parts through the multiple first suction components of the first suction component and small parts through the multiple second suction components of the second suction component. When picking up small parts, the lifting mechanism of the second suction component allows multiple second suction components to extend into the material frame enclosure for stacking, improving the utilization rate of the material frame for stacking small parts.

[0043] The specific structure of the end effector and handling equipment provided in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0044] Reference Figures 2-4 As shown, this application embodiment provides an end effector, including a main body 100, a first suction component 200, an adjustment component 300, and a second suction component 400. The main body 100 includes a connecting plate and a crossbeam located below the connecting plate. The connecting plate is fixedly connected to the crossbeam and is used for connecting a handling device (such as an industrial robot or sorting / palletizing equipment) and the end effector, and is installed at the end of the handling device.

[0045] The first suction assembly 200 is mounted on the main body 100 and includes a plurality of first suction elements 210. Schematably, the first suction assembly 200 is slidably connected to the crossbeam of the main body 100 and can slide relative to the crossbeam along its longitudinal direction under the action of an external force, thereby causing the first suction elements 210 located on it to slide synchronously relative to the main body 100. Optionally, a slide rail can be mounted on the crossbeam, and the first suction assembly 200 can be slidably connected to the slide rail via a slider. Figure 2 As shown, two first suction components 200 can be installed on the main body 100, and the two first suction components 200 can slide relative to the main body 100 respectively. In this embodiment, the specific number of first suction members 210 of the first suction components 200 is not limited, and those skilled in the art can set it according to actual needs.

[0046] An adjustment component 300 is mounted on the main body 100 and connected to the first suction component 200. The adjustment component 300 is configured to drive the first suction component 200 to slide relative to the main body 100. For example, the adjustment component 300 may include a motor, a gear, and a rack. The motor is mounted on the main body 100, and its output shaft is connected to the gear. The rack is mounted on the first suction component 200 and meshes with the gear. When the motor drives the gear to rotate, the engagement between the gear and the rack allows the first suction component 200 to slide relative to the main body 100.

[0047] The second suction assembly 400 is mounted on the main body 100. The second suction assembly 400 includes a lifting mechanism 410 and a plurality of second suction members 420 connected to the lifting mechanism 410. Optionally, a lifting cylinder can be used as the lifting mechanism 410. When the lifting mechanism 410 lowers the plurality of second suction members 420, it ensures that the plurality of second suction members 420 can extend into the material frame enclosure. Figure 2As shown, when two first suction components 200 are installed on the main body 100, the second suction component 400 can be fixedly installed between the two first suction components 200. It is understood that the lifting mechanism 410 of the second suction component 400 can drive multiple second suction members 420 to rise or fall. This embodiment does not limit the specific number of second suction members 420 in the second suction component 400; those skilled in the art can set it according to actual needs.

[0048] The distance between two adjacent second suction members 420 is less than the distance between two adjacent first suction members 210. The lifting mechanism 410 can drive the second suction member 420 to rise above the first suction member 210 and drive the second suction member 420 to fall below the first suction member 210.

[0049] Specifically, the distance between two adjacent first suction members 210 and the distance between two adjacent second suction members 420 are not limited, and those skilled in the art can set them according to actual needs. The first suction member 210 and the second suction member 420 can be electro-permanent magnets, and the suction and placement of parts of different thicknesses can be achieved by controlling the magnitude and direction of the current passed through the electro-permanent magnets.

[0050] When the end effector uses the first suction assembly 200 to pick up large parts, the lifting mechanism 410 of the second suction assembly 400 can drive multiple second suction members 420 to rise above the multiple first suction members 210, avoiding interference between the second suction assembly 400 and the parts. The second suction assembly 400 does not affect the end effector's ability to pick up large parts through the first suction assembly 200. When the end effector uses the second suction assembly 400 to pick up small parts, the lifting mechanism 410 of the second suction assembly 400 can drive multiple second suction members 420 to fall below the multiple first suction members 210, facilitating the picking up of small parts. Alternatively, when the end effector uses the second suction assembly 400 to pick up small parts, the adjusting assembly 300 can move the first suction assembly 200 away from the second suction assembly 400.

[0051] When storing parts, the lifting mechanism 410 of the second suction assembly 400 can drive multiple second suction members 420 to extend into the material frame fence for stacking. Since the distance between two adjacent second suction members 420 is small, the utilization rate of the material frame is high when using the second suction assembly 400 to stack parts.

[0052] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in related technologies, the end effector results in a significant distance between stacks of small parts when placing them into a hopper. For example... Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown in the figure, the end effector provided in this embodiment keeps the distance between stacks of parts in the bin relatively short when placing small parts into the bin. The end effector provided in this embodiment can more conveniently stack small parts and greatly improve the utilization rate of the bin.

[0053] In related technologies, when the end effector cannot reach into the material frame but the goal is to improve the frame's utilization rate, the end effector moves directly above the frame and drops small parts directly into it from mid-air, resulting in significant noise. The end effector provided in this embodiment has multiple second suction components 420 of its second suction assembly 400 that can extend into the frame to stack small parts, improving the comfort of the on-site working environment and reducing on-site noise by 50 decibels.

[0054] The end effector provided in this embodiment has a smaller second suction component 400, which facilitates equipment control and obstacle avoidance calculation when placing parts; the end effector places small parts into the material frame through the second suction component 400, increasing the material frame utilization rate by more than 2 times; the end effector design is more flexible and can accommodate more parts of various sizes, meeting the relevant placement requirements for direct insertion into the frame.

[0055] In one embodiment, such as Figures 2-4 As shown, the second suction assembly 400 also includes a support member 430 and a support unit 440. The support member 430 is mounted on the main body 100, and the lifting mechanism 410 is mounted on the support member 430 and connected to the support unit 440. A plurality of second suction members 420 are respectively mounted on the support unit 440.

[0056] Schematic illustration: The support member 430 is used for the connection between the lifting mechanism 410 and the main body 100. The support member 430 can be a frame-like structure, and its top end can be fixed to the main body 100 by welding or fasteners. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the upper part of the lifting mechanism 410 is located inside the frame-shaped support member 430. The top end of the lifting mechanism 410 is connected to the inner top wall of the support member 430, and the bottom end of the lifting mechanism 410 extends out of the support member 430 and is connected to the support unit 440. A plurality of second suction members 420 are located below the support unit 440 and are connected to the support unit 440.

[0057] In this structure, the lifting mechanism 410 of the second suction component 400 can drive multiple second suction components 420 to lift synchronously through the support unit 440. The support unit 430 can provide a certain degree of protection for the lifting mechanism 410, which is beneficial to improving the service life of the end effector.

[0058] In a specific embodiment, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the second suction assembly 400 also includes a first guide rod 450. The bottom end of the first guide rod 450 is fixed to the support unit 440, and the top end of the first guide rod 450 passes through the support member 430 and is slidably connected to the support member 430.

[0059] The first guide rod 450 extends parallel to the lifting direction of the lifting mechanism 410. There can be two first guide rods 450, located on opposite sides of the lifting mechanism 410. Optionally, the bottom end of the first guide rod 450 can be fixed to the support unit 440 by welding or threaded connection, and the top end of the first guide rod 450 can be slidably connected to the support member 430 via a bearing.

[0060] In this embodiment, the first guide rod 450 can guide the support unit 440 to ensure that the second suction member 420 is perpendicular to the part, which facilitates the gripping and placement of the part.

[0061] In a specific embodiment, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the support unit 440 includes a first support plate 441 and a second support plate 442 located below the first support plate 441. The second suction assembly 400 also includes a plurality of second guide rods 460. Each second guide rod 460 passes through the first support plate 441 and is fixed at its bottom end to the second support plate 442. A limiting part 461 is provided at the top end of the second guide rod 460. The second suction member 420 is installed at the bottom of the second support plate 442.

[0062] The first support plate 441 and the second support plate 442 are arranged parallel to each other, and the bottom end of the lifting mechanism 410 is connected to the first support plate 441. There can be four second guide rods 460, located at the four corners of the second support plate 442. The first support plate 441 has through holes for the second guide rods 460 to pass through, and the second guide rods 460 slide through the through holes and are slidably connected to the first support plate 441. A limiting part 461 protrudes from the second guide rod 460 along its radial direction, limiting the second guide rod 460 and preventing it from detaching from the first support plate 441.

[0063] In this embodiment, after the lifting mechanism 410 drives the support unit 440 to make the second suction member 420 connected to the support unit 440 contact the part to be suctioned, the lifting mechanism 410 can drive the first support plate 441 of the support unit 440 to continue to descend. As the first support plate 441 descends, the second guide rod 460 slides upward relative to the first support plate 441. The gravity of the second support plate 442, the second guide rod 460, and the second suction member 420 can ensure that the second suction member 420 reliably contacts the part to be suctioned, thereby improving the reliability of the second suction member 420 in suctioning the part.

[0064] In a more specific embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, the second suction assembly 400 also includes a first elastic element 471. The first elastic element 471 is connected between the first support plate 441 and the second support plate 442, and the first elastic element 471 is configured to drive the second support plate 442 away from the first support plate 441.

[0065] For example, the number of first elastic elements 471 can be the same as the number of second guide rods 460, with multiple first elastic elements 471 correspondingly sleeved on multiple second guide rods 460. The top end of the first elastic element 471 abuts against the first support plate 441, and the bottom end of the first elastic element 471 abuts against the second support plate 442. The compression stroke of the first elastic element 471 can be selected according to the maximum thickness of the part to compensate for the height difference of the upper surface of the part.

[0066] When the lifting mechanism 410 drives the support unit 440 to make the second suction member 420 connected to the support unit 440 contact the part to be suctioned, as the lifting mechanism 410 drives the first support plate 441 to continue to descend, the first support plate 441 of the support unit 440 approaches the second support plate 442. At this time, the first elastic member 471 between the first support plate 441 and the second support plate 442 is compressed. Under the elastic force of the first elastic member 471, the reliability of the contact between the second suction member 420 and the part is further improved.

[0067] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, a position sensor 481 is installed on the first support plate 441, and the position sensor 481 is configured to obtain the position of the limiting part 461.

[0068] For example, the positioning sensor 481 can be mounted above the first support plate 441 via a connecting bracket, with the detection end of the positioning sensor 481 facing the second guide rod 460. This embodiment does not limit the specific structure of the positioning sensor 481; those skilled in the art can select a suitable positioning sensor 481 as needed, or choose a commercially available positioning sensor 481.

[0069] With the above settings, after the second suction member 420 comes into contact with the part, when the lifting mechanism 410 drives the first support plate 441 to descend, causing the second guide rod 460 to slide upward relative to the first support plate 441, the first elastic member 471 between the first support plate 441 and the second support plate 442 is gradually compressed. When the limiting part 461 moves to the position directly opposite the positioning sensor 481, the positioning sensor 481 generates a detection signal, indicating that the compression of the first elastic member 471 has been completed. Under the elastic force of the first elastic member 471, the second suction member 420 is reliably in contact with the part.

[0070] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the second suction assembly 400 also includes a second elastic member 472. The second elastic member 472 is connected between the limiting portion 461 and the first support plate 441, and the second elastic member 472 is configured to drive the limiting portion 461 away from the first support plate 441.

[0071] The number of second elastic elements 472 can be the same as the number of second guide rods 460. Multiple second elastic elements 472 are fitted one-to-one on multiple second guide rods 460. The top end of each second elastic element 472 abuts against the limiting part 461, and the bottom end of each second elastic element 472 abuts against the first support plate 441.

[0072] With the above configuration, the second elastic element 472 between the limiting part 461 and the first support plate 441 can play a buffering role, avoiding hard contact between the limiting part 461 on the second guide rod and the first support plate 441, which is beneficial to improving the service life of the end effector.

[0073] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 4 As shown, a detection sensor 482 is installed on the second support plate 442, with the detection end of the detection sensor 482 facing downwards.

[0074] For example, the detection sensor 482 can be mounted below the second support plate 442 via a connecting bracket. When the distance between the part and the detection sensor 482 is less than a preset distance, the detection sensor 482 can generate a detection signal. Those skilled in the art can select a suitable detection sensor 482 as needed, or they can choose a commercially available detection sensor 482.

[0075] When the handling equipment moves the end effector downwards and approaches the part, a detection signal is generated when the detection sensor 482 approaches the part, indicating that the end effector has approached the part. At this time, the speed at which the handling equipment drives the end effector to descend can be slowed down to avoid the end effector descending too fast and colliding with the part.

[0076] When the end effector picks up a part through the second suction assembly 400, if the detection signal generated by the detection sensor 482 remains unchanged, it indicates that the part has been successfully picked up; if the detection signal generated by the detection sensor 482 changes, it indicates that the part has fallen. This setting allows for the determination of whether a part has been successfully picked up.

[0077] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, the end effector also includes a vision system 500, which includes a bracket 510 and a camera 520. One end of the bracket 510 is connected to the main body 100, and the camera 520 is connected to the other end of the bracket 510.

[0078] The camera 520 is located on one side of the main body 100, and the two ends of the bracket 510 can be fixed to the main body 100 and the camera 520 respectively by fasteners or welding. The vision system 500 can take pictures of the parts through the camera 520 and determine the pick-up points of the parts based on the pictures.

[0079] In this embodiment, the vision system 500 can identify the parameters, position, and orientation of each part by taking pictures with the camera 520. The vision system 500 can calculate the pick-up point of the part and control the movement of the gantry equipment or industrial robot. Using the vision system 500 to coordinate the movement of the equipment and the grasping and placing of the end effector increases the stability and reliability of the handling equipment.

[0080] The following is a brief description of the working process of the end effector picking up small parts, so that those skilled in the art can better understand the technical solution of this embodiment.

[0081] Step 1: The upstream information system provides the steel plate cutting drawings to be sorted to the vision system 500 of the end effector. Based on the parsed part size, outline shape, and position in the drawing, the vision system 500, combined with the magnetic point size, arrangement, and structure of the part to be picked up, uses the drawing parsing algorithm and magnetic activation algorithm of the vision system 500 to calculate the most reasonable picking method for each part, including whether a second picking component 400 is needed, picking coordinates, picking strategy, and other relevant information to guide subsequent picking operations.

[0082] Step 2: The conveyor delivers the incoming steel plate to the sorting station. The vision system 500 controls the truss electrical system and uses a camera 520 to photograph the steel plate. After the camera 520 takes the picture, the vision algorithm identifies the position and angle of each part. Simultaneously, combining the information from the vision system 500 and Step 1, the parts in the incoming steel plate drawing are analyzed. Based on the dimensions of the pick-up parts, the distribution of magnetic points, and the adjustment stroke of the adjustment component 300, the pick-up method for the parts is assigned: small parts are picked up by the second pick-up component 400, and other parts are picked up by the first pick-up component 200. The magnetic activation point of each part is calculated, and the pick-up sequence is planned.

[0083] Step 3: According to the picking sequence and part position planned by the vision system 500, the handling equipment moves the end effector above the part to be picked up; the lifting mechanism 410 of the second picking assembly 400 drives the second picking component 420 to descend into place.

[0084] Step 4: The transport equipment moves the end effector downwards towards the part. When the detection sensor 482 of the second suction assembly 400 approaches the part, a signal is generated, indicating that the end effector has approached the part. The transport equipment continues to move the end effector downwards. At this time, the first elastic member 471 between the first support plate 441 and the second support plate 442 is compressed until the positioning sensor 481 detects the position of the limiting part 461, indicating that the compression of the first elastic member 471 has been completed. Under the elastic force of the first elastic member 471, the second suction member 420 makes reliable contact with the part.

[0085] Step 5: After the positioning sensor 481 generates a signal, the second suction component 420 begins to be magnetized. After successful magnetization, the handling equipment moves the end pick-up device upward to pick up the part and place it in the line edge material frame.

[0086] This application also provides a handling device, including the end effector described above.

[0087] The handling equipment can be industrial robots or sorting / palletizing equipment, etc., and is not limited to one specific type.

[0088] The handling equipment provided in this embodiment, by adopting the aforementioned end effector, can extend into the material frame enclosure for stacking when picking up small parts, and can improve the utilization rate of the material frame for stacking small parts.

[0089] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0090] The above embodiments merely illustrate several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An end effector, characterized in that, include: Main body; A first suction component is mounted on the main body. The first suction component includes a plurality of first suction elements and is slidable relative to the main body. An adjustment component is mounted on the main body and connected to the first suction component. The adjustment component is configured to drive the first suction component to slide relative to the main body. A second suction assembly is installed on the main body. The second suction assembly includes a lifting mechanism and a plurality of second suction components connected to the lifting mechanism. Wherein, the distance between two adjacent second suction members is less than the distance between two adjacent first suction members, and the lifting mechanism can drive the second suction member to rise above the first suction member and drive the second suction member to fall below the first suction member.

2. The end effector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second suction assembly further includes a support member and a support unit. The support member is mounted on the main body, the lifting mechanism is mounted on the support member and connected to the support unit, and a plurality of second suction members are respectively mounted on the support unit.

3. The end effector according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second suction assembly further includes a first guide rod, the bottom end of which is fixed to the support unit, and the top end of which passes through the support member and is slidably connected to the support member.

4. The end effector according to claim 2, characterized in that, The support unit includes a first support plate and a second support plate located below the first support plate. The second suction component also includes a plurality of second guide rods, each of which passes through the first support plate. The bottom end of the second guide rod is fixed to the second support plate, and the top end of the second guide rod is provided with a limiting part. The second suction component is installed on the bottom of the second support plate.

5. The end effector according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second suction component further includes a first elastic element connected between the first support plate and the second support plate, the first elastic element being configured to move the second support plate away from the first support plate.

6. The end effector according to claim 5, characterized in that, A positioning sensor is installed on the first support plate, and the positioning sensor is configured to obtain the position of the limiting part.

7. The end effector according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second suction component further includes a second elastic element connected between the limiting portion and the first support plate, and the second elastic element is configured to move the limiting portion away from the first support plate.

8. The end effector according to claim 4, characterized in that, A detection sensor is mounted on the second support plate, with the detection end of the detection sensor facing downwards.

9. The end effector according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The end effector also includes a vision system, which includes a bracket and a camera. One end of the bracket is connected to the main body, and the camera is connected to the other end of the bracket.

10. A handling device, characterized in that, The end effector includes any one of claims 1-9.

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