A reheat zone gripping device for a glue management system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of for glue management system's back temperature area grabbing device, including base frame, storage position array, grabbing manipulator and drive mechanism.The storage position array is fixed on base frame, and it includes multiple profiled acupoints compatible with the outer contour of glue pipe;The grabbing manipulator is configured to clamp single glue pipe in fixed posture;The drive mechanism is used to drive the grabbing manipulator to move above the storage position array, to perform the operation of grabbing or placing glue pipe from profiled acupoint.The utility model is combined by profiled acupoint design and fixed posture grabbing, effectively solve the positioning inaccuracy and clamping instability problem of glue pipe in the process of automatic grabbing, significantly improve the stability and reliability of back temperature area material operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automated warehousing technology, and in particular to a device for automatically gripping and transferring a single glue tube within the warming zone of a glue management system. Background Technology

[0002] In precision manufacturing fields such as biopharmaceuticals and electronic assembly, syringe-packaged adhesives are widely used. These adhesives typically require storage at low temperatures to maintain their chemical activity and then need to be warmed to room temperature before use. In existing adhesive management systems, the automated storage and retrieval of materials in the warming zone faces the following main technical challenges: Firstly, regarding material positioning, existing automated systems mostly use simple slots or platform structures of uniform size for storage locations, lacking specialized positioning designs for the shape characteristics of glue tubes. This generic storage structure cannot effectively constrain and accurately position slender tubular glue tubes, resulting in an unstable initial state of the material within the storage location. This creates inherent difficulties for the subsequent repeated and accurate grasping by automated gripping devices, easily leading to grasping failures or material tipping.

[0003] Secondly, in terms of system architecture, existing automated components used in the reheating zone are often independent of each other. For example, the storage array, gripping robot, and drive mechanism are simply functional stacks, failing to form a dedicated integrated device with high coordination in spatial layout and functional linkage. This loose structural layout limits the collaborative efficiency between components, resulting in low space utilization and operational efficiency of the entire gripping unit, and making it difficult to optimally guarantee system stability and reliability.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for a dedicated gripping device that is fundamentally optimized at the structural integration level. It should have a dedicated storage design to solve the material positioning problem, and integrate the storage, gripping and drive modules into a compact and efficient whole through a base frame to systematically improve the accuracy and reliability of material handling in the reheating zone. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a reheat zone gripping device that is accurate in positioning, compact in structure, and stable in operation.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A temperature recovery zone gripping device for an adhesive management system includes a base frame, a storage array, at least one gripping robot, and a drive mechanism. The storage array is fixedly mounted on the base frame and includes multiple contoured acupoints for accommodating single adhesive tubes, the shapes of which are adapted to a portion of the outer contour of the adhesive tube. The gripping robot is configured to grip a single adhesive tube in a fixed posture. The drive mechanism is connected to the gripping robot and drives the gripping robot to move above the storage array.

[0007] This basic solution achieves precise positioning of the glue tube through contoured acupoint design, and ensures the stability of the gripping process by combining a fixed posture gripping method, effectively solving the technical problems of poor adaptability and unstable gripping of general gripping devices for slender tubular materials.

[0008] Furthermore, the contoured acupoints in the storage array are configured with at least two specifications to accommodate glue tubes of different outer diameters, enabling the classified storage of glue tubes of different specifications, avoiding mixed storage of materials, and providing a foundation for automated and precise retrieval and placement.

[0009] Furthermore, the at least two specifications of the shaped acupoints are distinguished by the distance between the tube walls of adjacent acupoints. The precise spacing design achieves physical error prevention and prevents incorrect storage of materials of different specifications.

[0010] Furthermore, the gripping robot includes a fixed mounting plate and a pair of gripping fingers that can rotate around a pivot. The pair of gripping fingers are driven by a drive unit to achieve rotational movements in opposite directions. By adjusting the distance between the pair of gripping fingers, it can adapt to and grip glue tubes of different specifications. This structure allows a set of grippers to stably grip glue tubes of various specifications by adjusting the distance between the gripping fingers, thus improving the adaptability and economy of the device while ensuring gripping stability.

[0011] Furthermore, the driving mechanism includes a lateral movement module for driving the gripping manipulator to move along a first horizontal direction, and a lifting module for driving the gripping manipulator to move along a vertical direction, thus realizing the basic motion architecture for precise positioning of the manipulator in two-dimensional space.

[0012] Furthermore, the drive mechanism also includes a longitudinal translation module for driving the gripping manipulator to move along a second horizontal direction, which is orthogonal to the first horizontal direction. This further improves the motion mechanism, enabling the manipulator to move in full coverage in three-dimensional space and enhancing the operational flexibility of the device.

[0013] Furthermore, it also includes a barcode scanner, which is mounted on the base frame and its scanning area covers at least one predetermined position on the moving path of the gripping robot, realizing automatic information identification of materials during the transfer process and providing technical support for material traceability.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes a condensate collection mechanism located below the storage array to collect and drain the condensate generated during the reheating process, effectively solving the condensate problem unique to the reheating zone and protecting the equipment from the effects of a humid environment.

[0015] Furthermore, the reheat zone gripping device is communicatively connected to a control system, which is configured to receive external commands and control the drive mechanism and the gripping robot to execute corresponding gripping and placement operation sequences, enabling the device to have intelligent operation capabilities and to respond to external commands to achieve automated operation.

[0016] Furthermore, the control system is also configured to verify the information of the glue tube by a barcode scanner before, during, or after the gripping robot performs the operation, and to feed back the verification result and operation status information to the external management system, thereby realizing closed-loop monitoring and information feedback of the operation process and improving the intelligent management level of the system.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: By combining a specialized contour-following storage array with a fixed-posture gripping mechanism, the positioning and stability issues of glue tubes during automated storage and retrieval are fundamentally solved. Through integrated motion control, information recognition, and environmental management modules, a complete and reliable specialized gripping system is constructed. Ultimately, the automation, precision, and intelligence of glue tube management in the reheating zone are achieved, significantly improving the efficiency and reliability of material management. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the overall structure of the reheat zone gripping device of this utility model.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a partial top view of the storage array.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the combined structure of the gripping robot and the drive mechanism.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the combined structure of the transverse and longitudinal movement modules.

[0022] The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, will further illustrate this utility model.

[0023] Explanation of the labels in the diagram: 10. Base frame; 20. Storage array; 21. Daguan acupoint; 22. Xiaoguan acupoint; 30. Grasping robotic arm; 31. Fixed mounting plate; 32. Pinching fingers; 33. Driving components; 40. Lateral movement module; 45. Longitudinal translation module; 50. Lifting module; 60. Barcode scanner; 70. Condensate collection mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0024] Example: Analysis of the current state of technology: Prior to this invention, the automated gripping operation of glue tubes in the reheating zone faced two main technical bottlenecks. First, regarding material positioning, existing storage designs used uniform cylindrical or square slots, resulting in a large gap between the inner wall and the outer contour of the glue tube, making precise positioning impossible. This structural defect caused the glue tube to be in a free state within the storage space, making it prone to tilting or even tipping over when subjected to external vibrations or equipment start-up and shutdown impacts. Second, in terms of system integration, the storage array 20, the gripping robot 30, and the drive mechanism were typically procured and assembled as independent modules. The lack of a unified structural benchmark and collaborative design between these modules resulted in a loose overall system structure, large space occupation, and difficulty in ensuring long-term operational stability.

[0025] The process of discovering technical problems: During equipment debugging and maintenance, the inventors of this patent discovered through analysis of a large amount of operational data that the main reason for glue tube grasping failure in existing systems was insufficient initial positioning accuracy of the material within the storage location. Further research revealed that the mismatch between the universal storage location structure and the shape of the glue tube was the root cause of positioning errors. Simultaneously, the inventors noted that the independent design of each functional module led to reference drift after long-term operation, requiring frequent position calibration and severely impacting equipment efficiency.

[0026] The solution of this utility model: To address the aforementioned technical problems, this utility model adopts a systematic structural innovation solution. First, regarding the material positioning problem, a contour-following cavity adapted to the outer contour of the glue tube is innovatively designed. By improving the shape matching degree between the storage structure and the material, precise positioning of the glue tube is achieved. Second, to solve the problem of insufficient system integration, a base frame 10 is used as a unified structural platform, integrating the storage array 20, the gripping robot 30, and the drive mechanism into a compact integrated device. This integrated design not only improves the structural rigidity of the system but also ensures the long-term collaborative accuracy of each functional module through a unified benchmark.

[0027] Therefore, as Figure 1 As shown, this utility model proposes a reheat zone gripping device for an adhesive management system, including a base frame 10, a storage array 20, at least one gripping robot 30, and a drive mechanism. The storage array 20 is fixedly installed on the base frame 10, and the storage array 20 includes a plurality of contoured acupoints for accommodating single adhesive tubes, the shape of which is adapted to a portion of the outer contour of the adhesive tube; the gripping robot 30 is configured to grip a single adhesive tube in a fixed posture; the drive mechanism is connected to the gripping robot 30 and is used to drive the gripping robot 30 to move above the storage array 20.

[0028] Specifically, the contoured acupoints precisely replicate the outline features of key parts of the glue tube, achieving multi-point constraint on the material and effectively preventing displacement and rotation of the material within the storage space. The base frame 10 adopts an integral structural design, providing a stable installation benchmark for the storage array 20 and a precise guide rail mounting surface for the drive mechanism. The gripping robot 30 adopts a fixed posture design, ensuring the repeatability accuracy of the gripping trajectory through a rigid connection with the drive mechanism.

[0029] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the contoured acupoints in the storage array 20 are configured in at least two sizes to accommodate glue tubes with different outer diameters. The at least two sizes of contoured acupoints are distinguished by the distance between the tube walls of adjacent acupoints. The precise spacing design achieves physical error prevention and prevents incorrect storage of materials of different sizes.

[0030] In the existing technology, the existing storage locations cannot distinguish between different specifications of glue tubes, resulting in chaotic storage and easy interference when retrieving them.

[0031] The solution in this application is that the contoured slots in the storage array 20 are configured with two specifications. For example, the adjacent wall spacing of the large tube slot 21 is 40mm, and the adjacent wall spacing of the small tube slot 22 is 50mm. Through precise design of the tube wall spacing, physical partitioning of glue tubes of different specifications is achieved. During operation, 30cc large tubes can only be placed in large tube slot 21, and 5cc / 10cc small tubes can only be placed in small tube slot 22, effectively preventing material mixing and interference during handling.

[0032] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the gripping robot 30 includes a fixed mounting plate 31 and a pair of gripping fingers 32 that can rotate around a pivot. The pair of gripping fingers 32 are driven by a drive element 33 (such as a servo motor or rotary cylinder) to achieve rotational movement. By adjusting the distance between the pair of gripping fingers 32, it can adapt to and grip glue tubes of different specifications. This structure allows a set of grippers to stably grip glue tubes of various specifications by adjusting the distance between the gripping fingers 32, which improves the adaptability and economy of the device while ensuring gripping stability.

[0033] In the existing technology, the universal gripper has a parallel opening and closing structure, and its clamping surface is difficult to adapt to slender tubular materials of different diameters at the same time. It either cannot clamp small tubes tightly or cannot clamp large tubes, requiring the gripper to be replaced, which is not flexible.

[0034] The solution proposed in this application employs a biomimetic "bird's beak"-shaped rotating gripper structure. The driving component 33 drives two gripping fingers 32 to rotate synchronously around their respective pivots, thereby changing the distance between the fingertips. When gripping glue tubes of different specifications, the control system can control the driving component 33 to rotate to different preset angles, allowing the fingertips to adapt to the tube diameter with optimal opening and stably clamp the glue tube from both sides. This "adaptive spacing adjustment under fixed posture" mechanism enables a single gripping mechanism to stably and accurately grip various materials.

[0035] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3-4 As shown, the driving mechanism includes a lateral movement module 40 for driving the gripping robot 30 to move along a first horizontal direction, and a lifting module 50 for driving the gripping robot 30 to move along a vertical direction.

[0036] In existing technologies, general-purpose gripping devices have insufficient degrees of freedom of motion and limited positioning accuracy.

[0037] The solution in this application is that the driving mechanism includes a lateral movement module 40 and a lifting module 50. The lateral movement module 40 drives the gripping robot 30 to move along the X-axis, and the lifting module 50 drives it to move along the Z-axis. This basic motion architecture enables the gripping robot 30 to be accurately positioned in two-dimensional space, providing a basic guarantee for stable pick-and-place operations.

[0038] In some embodiments, the drive mechanism further includes a longitudinal translation module 45 for driving the gripping manipulator 30 to move along a second horizontal direction, the second horizontal direction being orthogonal to the first horizontal direction, which further improves the motion mechanism, realizes full-coverage movement of the manipulator in three-dimensional space, and enhances the operational flexibility of the device.

[0039] In existing technologies, two-dimensional motion systems cannot cover large-area storage arrays 20, thus limiting their operating range.

[0040] The solution proposed in this application is to add a longitudinal module 45 to the horizontal movement module 40 and the lifting module 50, which drives the gripping robot 30 to move along the Y-axis. Through the combination of the horizontal movement module 40, the longitudinal movement module 45 and the lifting module 50, the gripping robot 30 can achieve full coverage movement in three-dimensional space, which can effectively meet the operation requirements of large-area, high-density storage array 20.

[0041] In some embodiments, a barcode scanner 60 is also included, which is disposed on the base frame 10 and whose scanning area covers at least one predetermined position on the movement path of the gripping robot 30.

[0042] In existing technologies, information traceability is difficult during the material flow process, making precise control impossible.

[0043] The solution proposed in this application is to install a barcode scanner 60 on the base frame 10. The scanning area of ​​the barcode scanner 60 covers the path of the gripping robot 30 moving from the storage position to the discharge port. When the gripping robot 30 passes the barcode scanner 60 while holding the glue tube, it automatically triggers the barcode scanning, thereby realizing the real-time collection and verification of material information and providing technical support for accurate traceability.

[0044] In some embodiments, a condensate collection mechanism 70 is further included, disposed below the storage array 20, for collecting and draining condensate generated during the warming process.

[0045] In existing technologies, condensation accumulates in the reheat zone, affecting equipment lifespan and the operating environment.

[0046] The solution proposed in this application is to install a condensate collection mechanism 70 below the storage array 20, which includes a water collection tank and a guide hose. The condensate is collected along the water collection tank and then discharged through the hose, keeping the inside of the equipment dry and effectively solving the condensate problem unique to the reheating zone.

[0047] In some embodiments, the reheat zone gripping device is communicatively connected to a control system. The control system is configured to receive external instructions and control the drive mechanism and the gripping robot 30 to execute corresponding gripping and placement operation sequences. The control system is also configured to verify the information of the glue tube through a barcode scanner 60 before, during, or after the gripping robot 30 performs the operation, and to feed back the verification result and operation status information to an external management system.

[0048] In existing technologies, independent gripping devices cannot respond to production instructions, and the operation process lacks information management.

[0049] The solution proposed in this application involves a communication connection between the reheat zone gripping device and the control system. The control system is configured to receive instructions from the MES system and control the device to execute the corresponding work sequence. The control system parses the work order requirements, generates the optimal work path, and controls the gripping robot 30 to complete the specified operation. Simultaneously, the material information is verified through the barcode scanner 60, and the work results are fed back to the MES system in real time, achieving full traceability and controllability of material flow.

[0050] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of this utility model, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A gripping device for the reheat zone of an adhesive management system, characterized in that, include: Base frame; A storage array is fixedly installed on the base frame. The storage array includes multiple contoured acupoints for accommodating a single glue tube. The shape of the contoured acupoints is adapted to a portion of the outer contour of the glue tube to position the glue tube. At least one gripping robot arm, the gripping robot arm being configured to grip a single glue tube in a fixed posture; A drive mechanism, connected to the grasping manipulator, is used to drive the grasping manipulator to move above the storage array to perform operations of grasping or placing a single glue tube from or into the simulated acupoint.

2. The temperature recovery zone gripping device for an adhesive management system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The shaped acupoints in the storage array are configured in at least two sizes to accommodate glue tubes with different outer diameters.

3. The temperature recovery zone gripping device for an adhesive management system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The at least two specifications of the shaped acupoints are distinguished by the distance between the tube walls of adjacent acupoints.

4. The temperature recovery zone gripping device for an adhesive management system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The gripping robot includes a fixed mounting plate and a pair of gripping fingers that can rotate around a pivot. The pair of gripping fingers are driven by a drive unit to achieve rotational movement. The spacing between the pair of gripping fingers can be adjusted to accommodate and grip glue tubes of different specifications.

5. The temperature recovery zone gripping device for an adhesive management system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The driving mechanism includes a lateral movement module for driving the gripping robot to move along a first horizontal direction, and a lifting module for driving the gripping robot to move along a vertical direction.

6. The temperature recovery zone gripping device for an adhesive management system as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The drive mechanism further includes a longitudinal translation module for driving the gripping manipulator to move along a second horizontal direction, which is orthogonal to the first horizontal direction.

7. The temperature recovery zone gripping device for an adhesive management system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a barcode scanner, which is disposed on the base frame and its scanning area covers at least one predetermined position on the movement path of the gripping robot, for identifying information about the glue tube held by the gripping robot.

8. The temperature recovery zone gripping device for an adhesive management system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a condensate collection mechanism, located below the storage array, for collecting and draining the condensate generated during the reheating process.

9. The temperature recovery zone gripping device for an adhesive management system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The reheat zone gripping device is communicatively connected to a control system, which is configured to receive external commands and control the drive mechanism and the gripping robot to execute corresponding gripping and placement operation sequences.

10. The temperature recovery zone gripping device for an adhesive management system as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The control system is also configured to: before, during, or after the gripping robot performs an operation, verify the information of the glue tube using a barcode scanner, and feed back the verification result and operation status information to an external management system.

Images