An automatic pick-and-place mechanism and pick-up device

Abstract

The utility model relates to an automatic taking and placing mechanism and pickup device, its pickup device includes base, is equipped with a plurality of sucking disc on it, is equipped with a plurality of adsorption holes on the sucking disc, the adsorption hole is connected to the vacuum equipment, the top rod subassembly, retractable setting is on the base, including the top rod and first elastic part, in reset position, the telescopic end of top rod is located in the adsorption direction's front end of sucking disc adsorption surface, when adsorption surface contacts work piece, top rod is shrunk back by work piece pressure, and first elastic part energy storage and have the tendency of driving the telescopic end of top rod to move to reset position, the above structure can guarantee work piece to separate smoothly through the telescopic rod after breaking the vacuum state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automatic gripping technology, and in particular to an automatic picking and placing mechanism and picking device suitable for thin, hard and brittle materials such as glass. Background Technology

[0002] To achieve automated production, robotic arms and other equipment are commonly used to automatically pick up and place materials. However, for thin and brittle materials like mobile phone back glass, handling them using conventional grippers requires precise control and is difficult to operate. Existing technologies include vacuum suction cups for material handling, but these still have the following shortcomings: 1. Excessive inertial force when the suction cup adsorbs the workpiece can easily damage the workpiece; 2. Because there is an adhesive force between the suction cup and the glass workpiece, when the workpiece needs to be placed, even if the vacuum adsorption state of the suction cup is broken, the workpiece may still not be able to detach smoothly from the suction cup. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned problems, one objective of this invention is to provide a pickup device, comprising: A base with several suction cups on it, each suction cup having several suction holes connected to a vacuum pumping device. The push rod assembly is telescopically mounted on the base and includes a push rod and a first elastic element. In the reset position, the telescopic end of the push rod is located at the front end of the suction cup adsorption surface in the adsorption direction. When the adsorption surface contacts the workpiece, the push rod retracts under the pressure of the workpiece, and the first elastic element stores energy and has a tendency to drive the telescopic end of the push rod to move to the reset position.

[0004] In the above scheme, a retractable push rod is provided. When adsorbing a workpiece, the push rod contacts the workpiece before the suction cup. The picking device continues to move towards the workpiece. During this process, the extension distance of the push rod is the distance between the front end of the push rod and the adsorption surface. This process causes the push rod to drive the first elastic element to undergo elastic deformation, and the first elastic element stores energy. The pre-press stroke of the push rod satisfies the following conditions: when the suction cup contacts the workpiece, the push rod has already pressed against the workpiece surface, and the elastic force of the first elastic element is less than the vacuum adsorption force of the suction cup. Thus, it can be ensured that the suction cup can reliably adsorb the workpiece when a vacuum is drawn. After the vacuum state of the suction cup is broken, the restoring force of the first elastic element can drive the push rod to move to the reset position, causing the workpiece to separate from the adsorption surface.

[0005] Preferably, the base includes a first base and a second base, and the push rod is telescopically disposed on the first base; the suction cup is disposed on the second base, and the second base is movably connected to the first base. A second elastic element is provided between the first base and the second base, and the second elastic element undergoes elastic change when the first base and the second base slide relative to each other.

[0006] When subjected to impact, the second base can move relative to the first base, and the inertial force of the suction cup is absorbed by the second elastic element between the first and second bases, reducing the impact on the workpiece when it is extracted.

[0007] Preferably, the first base and the second base are connected by a sliding groove. This sliding connection allows for smoother relative movement between the first and second bases and better absorbs inertial forces. Furthermore, the sliding groove provides guidance for movement.

[0008] Preferably, a guide shaft is provided between the first base and the second base, and the guide shaft is arranged along the relative movement direction of the first base and the second base; the second elastic element is a spring, and the second elastic element is sleeved on the outside of the guide shaft. The guide shaft guides the movement between the first base and the second base and restricts the extension and retraction direction of the second elastic element.

[0009] Preferably, the device includes at least two suction cups, with the telescopic end of the push rod located at the center of the at least two suction cups. With this configuration, when extracting a workpiece, at least two trays can be evenly positioned around the center of the workpiece to extract it, preventing tilting due to the workpiece's own weight and improving the stability of the extraction process. The push rod's central location ensures that multiple trays can simultaneously detach from the workpiece when it extends.

[0010] Preferably, the suction cup and the telescopic end of the push rod are made of silicone or rubber. When the silicone or rubber parts come into contact with the hard and brittle workpiece, they undergo elastic deformation, which can prevent damage to the workpiece at the contact point; and after vacuuming, the suction cup can adhere to the surface of the workpiece and uniformly transmit the vacuum negative pressure.

[0011] Preferably, the suction cup has a groove on the side facing the workpiece, and the groove communicates with the adsorption hole. The groove, communicating with the adsorption hole, increases the vacuum cavity between the suction cup's adsorption surface and the workpiece surface, ensuring a negative pressure effect.

[0012] Preferably, the assembly includes a guide sleeve fixed to the base, which has a mounting cavity with through holes at both axial ends. A push rod passes through the mounting cavity, and a limiting edge is provided on its outer periphery. The limiting edge guides and engages with the inner wall of the mounting cavity, and its outer diameter is larger than the diameter of the through holes. A first elastic element is sleeved on the outer periphery of the push rod, with its two ends abutting against the limiting edge and the upper end of the mounting cavity, respectively. The guide sleeve and the limiting edge cooperate to guide the extension and retraction of the push rod, with the limiting edge both preventing it from slipping out and controlling its stroke. The first elastic element is located inside the mounting cavity, making it less prone to jamming compared to an open spring. The guide sleeve can be machined independently of the base, while the push rod and the first elastic element are mounted on the guide sleeve, simplifying machining and installation.

[0013] Preferably, the guide sleeve includes a detachably connected upper guide sleeve and a lower guide sleeve; a limiting step is formed on the outer peripheral wall of the guide sleeve, which is positioned and engaged with the limiting step of the base guide sleeve mounting part. The guide sleeve is divided into two detachable parts, with the upper and lower guide sleeves jointly defining the mounting cavity, facilitating the insertion of the push rod without the need for additional end caps or other structures on the guide sleeve. Furthermore, the positioning and engagement between the guide sleeve and the base via the limiting step facilitates positioning after the parameters of the first elastic element and the extension distance of the push rod's telescopic end are set.

[0014] The second objective of this invention is to provide an automatic pick-and-place mechanism, including a robotic arm and the picking device described in any of the above-mentioned embodiments, with the base of the picking device fixed on the robotic arm. The robotic arm drives the picking device to move between different workstations; the robotic arm is driven by a controller, enabling automatic pick-and-place of workpieces.

[0015] In summary, by adopting the above-mentioned scheme, the push rod contacts the workpiece first with the first elastic element under pre-pressure to offset part of the inertial force; after the suction cup adsorbs the workpiece, the first elastic element is in a compressed state. After the vacuum state of the suction cup is broken, the restoring force of the first elastic element drives the push rod to reset. Since the push rod in the reset state is located at the front end of the suction cup, it can drive the workpiece to separate smoothly from the suction cup. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this application (the push rod is in the reset position); Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this application (the state of the push rod when the suction cup extracts the workpiece); Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram from another angle of this application; Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram from another angle of this application; Figure 5 for Figure 4 Sectional view along the BB direction; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in which the first base and the second base move relative to each other.

[0017] Figure label: First base 11, second base 12 Suction cup 21, suction hole 211, air tube 212, second elastic element 22, guide shaft 23 Top rod 31, limiting edge 311, first elastic element 32, upper guide sleeve 331, lower guide sleeve 332 Connecting shaft 41. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Example 1:

[0019] This embodiment provides a pickup device, such as Figure 1-2 As shown, it includes: a base on which a plurality of suction cups 21 are provided, wherein the suction cups 21 are provided with a plurality of suction holes 211, and the suction holes 211 are connected to a vacuum pumping device; The push rod 31 assembly is telescopically mounted on the base and includes a push rod 31 and a first elastic element 32. In the reset position, the telescopic end of the push rod 31 is located at the front end of the suction surface of the suction cup 21 in the suction direction. When the suction surface contacts the workpiece, the push rod 31 retracts under the pressure of the workpiece, and the first elastic element 32 stores energy and has the tendency to drive the telescopic end of the push rod 31 to move to the reset position.

[0020] In this embodiment, the suction cup 21 is a vacuum suction cup 21, connected to a vacuum pumping device via an air pipe 212. After the suction cup 21 contacts the workpiece, the vacuum pumping device is activated to create a vacuum, forming a negative pressure between the suction cup 21 and the workpiece, allowing the suction cup 21 to firmly adhere to the workpiece surface. At this time, the pickup device can move the suction cup 21. After the vacuum is deactivated, controlling the suction hole 211 to connect to the atmospheric cavity breaks the vacuum state of the suction cup 21, allowing the suction cup 21 to detach from the workpiece surface. Figure 4 The suction cup 21 has an outwardly expanding suction edge on the side facing the workpiece. Under vacuum conditions, this suction edge can deform and adhere to the workpiece surface, increasing the contact area and eliminating air between the suction cup 21 and the workpiece surface, forming a reliable connection. After the vacuum is broken, the suction edge returns to its original shape, reducing the contact area with the workpiece surface and releasing the connection between the suction cup 21 and the workpiece surface. In a specific embodiment, at least two suction cups 21 are provided to increase the contact points between the pickup device and the workpiece, improving the reliability of the connection. Figure 5 As shown, the tray in this embodiment is elliptical in shape to increase the adsorption surface between a single tray and the workpiece. At the same time, when multiple trays are set, interference between adjacent trays or between the tray and the telescopic rod can be avoided.

[0021] like Figure 5 As shown, the vacuum suction cup 21 in this embodiment can adopt an existing modular structure and is connected to the base via a threaded connection. The vacuum suction cup 21 is connected to an external vacuuming device via an air pipe 212.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, the suction cup 21 has a groove on the side facing the workpiece, and the groove communicates with the adsorption hole 211. By creating the groove, the vacuum cavity between the adsorption surface of the suction cup 21 and the workpiece surface is increased through the groove communicating with the adsorption hole 211, ensuring a negative pressure effect.

[0023] Because there is an adhesive force between the suction cup 21 and the glass workpiece, the aforementioned push rod 31 assembly is provided in this embodiment to facilitate the smooth separation of the suction cup 21 and the workpiece. When the picking device is not in contact with the workpiece, since the telescopic end of the push rod 31 is located at the front end of the suction direction of the suction surface of the suction cup 21 in the reset state, that is, the push rod 31 is closer to the workpiece, when the picking device moves toward the workpiece to be picked up, the push rod 31 will contact the workpiece surface before the suction cup 21. As it continues to approach the workpiece until the suction cup 21 adsorbs the workpiece surface, the push rod 31 retracts under the pressure of the workpiece, and the first elastic element 32 stores energy and has the tendency to drive the telescopic end of the push rod 31 to move to the reset position. The pre-press stroke of the push rod 31 satisfies the following conditions: when the suction cup 21 contacts the workpiece, the push rod 31 has pressed against the workpiece surface, and the elastic force of the first elastic element 32 is less than the vacuum suction force of the suction cup 21. With this configuration, after the vacuum adsorption state of the suction cup 21 is released, the elastic force of the first elastic element 32 is greater than the adsorption force of the suction cup 21. The restoring force of the first elastic element 32 drives the push rod 31 to reset, and the telescopic end of the push rod 31 pushes the workpiece to separate from the suction cup 21, thereby successfully separating the suction cup 21 from the workpiece.

[0024] In this embodiment, the extension ends of the suction cup 21 and the push rod 31 are made of silicone or rubber. When the silicone or rubber parts come into contact with the hard and brittle workpiece, they undergo elastic deformation, which can prevent damage to the workpiece at the contact point; and after vacuuming, the suction cup 21 can adhere to the surface of the workpiece and uniformly transmit the vacuum negative pressure.

[0025] like Figure 1-2 As shown, in an embodiment with at least two suction cups 21, the telescopic end of the push rod 31 is located at the center of the at least two suction cups 21. When extracting a workpiece, at least two trays are evenly distributed around the center of the workpiece on its surface, ensuring the workpiece remains balanced during extraction and handling. The push rod 31 is located at the center of multiple workpieces, guaranteeing that multiple trays can simultaneously detach from the workpiece when the push rod 31 extends.

[0026] In this embodiment, such as Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, the base includes a first base 11 and a second base 12. A push rod 31 is telescopically mounted on the first base 11. A suction cup 21 is mounted on the second base 12, which is movably connected to the first base 11. A second elastic element 22 is provided between the first base 11 and the second base 12. When the first base 11 and the second base 12 slide relative to each other, the second elastic element 22 undergoes an elastic change. The relative movement direction of the first base 11 and the second base 12 is the same as the extension and retraction direction of the push rod 31. With the above configuration, the relative movement of the first base 11 and the second base 12 can compress the second elastic element 22, thereby absorbing the inertial impact during the pick-up and drop-off process. Thus, the above improvement can solve the problem in the prior art where the excessive inertial force of the suction cup 21 when adsorbing the workpiece easily damages the workpiece.

[0027] In this embodiment, such as Figure 6 As shown, the first base 11 and the second base 12 are connected by a slide rail and groove, the suction cup 21 is fixed on the second base 12, and the first base 11 is rigidly connected to the robotic arm. Through the slide rail and groove, the resistance between the first base 11 and the second base 12 is small, and the second elastic element 22 can better absorb inertial impact.

[0028] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, a guide shaft 23 is provided between the first base 11 and the second base 12, and the guide shaft 23 is arranged along the relative movement direction of the first base 11 and the second base 12; the second elastic element 22 is a spring, and the second elastic element 22 is sleeved on the outside of the guide shaft 23. One end of the guide shaft 23 is fixed on the first base 11 or the second base 12, and the guide shaft 23 guides the second elastic element 22 to extend and retract.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 5 As shown, the device includes a guide sleeve fixed to a base and having a mounting cavity with through holes at both axial ends. A push rod 31 passes through the mounting cavity, and a limiting edge 311 is provided on its outer periphery. The limiting edge 311 guides and engages with the inner wall of the mounting cavity, and the outer diameter of the limiting edge 311 is larger than the diameter of the through holes. A first elastic element 32 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the push rod 31, with its two ends abutting against the limiting edge 311 and the upper end of the mounting cavity, respectively. In this embodiment, the base has a chamber for inserting the guide sleeve, and a limiting step is formed on the outer peripheral wall of the guide sleeve, which positions and engages with the limiting step in the chamber of the base.

[0030] During assembly, the push rod 31 assembly is first installed in the guide sleeve, and then the guide sleeve and push rod 31 assembly are assembled as a whole onto the base, resulting in a simple assembly structure. In the specific embodiment diagram, the guide sleeve is fixed to the base with screws. In embodiments where the base includes a first base 11 and a second base 12, the guide sleeve is disposed on the first base 11. In a preferred embodiment, as shown... Figure 4 As shown, the guide sleeve includes a detachably connected upper guide sleeve 331 and a lower guide sleeve 332. The upper guide sleeve 331 and the lower guide sleeve 332 together define its mounting cavity. This configuration eliminates the need for an additional structure to reduce the end through hole and limit the extension and retraction of the top rod 31 after it is installed, resulting in a simple structure. In other alternative embodiments, the top rod 31 and the first elastic member 32 can be installed through one end opening of the mounting cavity, which allows the limiting part to pass through. An end cap is then fixed at this opening to reduce the opening of the mounting cavity, thereby enabling it to cooperate with the limiting part to limit the extension and retraction distance of the top rod 31. Example 2:

[0031] This embodiment provides an automatic pick-and-place mechanism, including a robotic arm and a picking device as shown in Embodiment 1. The robotic arm is controlled by a controller, and the picking device is fixed to the picking end of the robotic arm and moved between different workstations by the robotic arm. Figure 1-2 As shown, a connecting shaft 41 is provided on the base, through which the robotic arm is connected.

[0032] The working process of the automatic pick-and-place mechanism is as follows: The robotic arm moves the picking device above the target workpiece. At this time, the top rod 31 assembly and suction cup 21 of the picking device are in the reset position, and the vacuum equipment is not started. The robotic arm controls the picking device to descend until the suction cup 21 and the push rod 31 contact the surface of the target workpiece. Since the second base 12 is movable relative to the first base 11 and the push rod 31 is movable relative to the first base 11, the suction cup 21 continues to press down a certain distance when it contacts the surface of the workpiece to ensure the adsorption effect. After pressing down to the end, the vacuum equipment is started. The robotic arm moves to transport the workpiece to the target position. After it moves into position, it shuts off the vacuum equipment and opens the suction hole 211 to the atmosphere, breaking the vacuum state of the suction cup 21. The push rod 31 is driven by the restoring force of the first elastic element 32 to push the workpiece away from the suction cup 21.

[0033] In summary, the picking device and automatic pick-and-place mechanism of the above embodiments can enable the workpiece to be smoothly detached from the suction cup 21 and can absorb inertial forces.

[0034] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A pickup device, characterized in that, include: A base with several suction cups on it, each suction cup having several suction holes connected to a vacuum pumping device. The push rod assembly is telescopically mounted on the base and includes a push rod and a first elastic element. In the reset position, the telescopic end of the push rod is located at the front end of the suction cup adsorption surface in the adsorption direction. When the adsorption surface contacts the workpiece, the push rod retracts under the pressure of the workpiece, and the first elastic element stores energy and has a tendency to drive the telescopic end of the push rod to move to the reset position.

2. The pickup device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base includes a first base and a second base. A push rod is telescopically mounted on the first base. A suction cup is mounted on the second base. The second base is movably connected to the first base. A second elastic element is provided between the first base and the second base. When the first base and the second base slide relative to each other, the second elastic element undergoes an elastic change.

3. The pickup device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first base and the second base are connected by a sliding rail and groove.

4. The pickup device according to claim 2, characterized in that, A guide shaft is provided between the first base and the second base, and the guide shaft is arranged along the relative movement direction of the first base and the second base; the second elastic element is a spring, and the second elastic element is sleeved on the outside of the guide shaft.

5. A pickup device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, It includes at least two suction cups, and the telescopic end of the push rod is located at the center of the at least two suction cups.

6. A pickup device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The suction cup and the telescopic end of the push rod are made of silicone or rubber.

7. A pickup device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The suction cup has a groove on the side facing the workpiece, and the groove is connected to the suction hole.

8. A pickup device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device includes a guide sleeve fixed to a base and having a mounting cavity with through holes at both ends of the mounting cavity along its axial direction. A push rod passes through the mounting cavity and has a limiting edge on its outer periphery. The limiting edge guides and engages with the inner wall of the mounting cavity, and the outer diameter of the limiting edge is larger than the diameter of the through holes. A first elastic element is sleeved on the outer periphery of the push rod, with its two ends abutting against the limiting edge and the upper end of the mounting cavity, respectively.

9. A pickup device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The guide sleeve includes a detachably connected upper guide sleeve and a lower guide sleeve; a limiting step is formed on the outer peripheral wall of the guide sleeve, which is positioned and cooperates with the limiting step of the base guide sleeve mounting part.

10. An automatic pick-and-place mechanism, characterized in that, It includes a robotic arm and a picking device as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the base of the picking device is fixed on the robotic arm.

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