Suction cup positioning structure and dispensing device thereof

Abstract

The utility model relates to automatic technology field especially, and it is a kind of sucking disc positioning structure and its point gum device. Sucking disc positioning structure includes sucking disc and support body, sucking disc hollow setting, and sucking disc is set to elastic material;Support body is located in sucking disc and is connected with sucking disc, and air passage is structured in support body, air passage penetrates the axial both ends of support body, and is communicated with outside gas source, and support body is set to rigid material;Along the axial direction of sucking disc, the end face of sucking disc forms adsorption plane, and the end face of support body towards adsorption plane is spaced apart and is set to adsorption plane, and sucking disc, support body and adsorption plane construct adsorption cavity, and air passage is communicated with adsorption cavity. Its advantage lies in, by adopting the core structure that rigid metal support body is combined with elastic rubber sucking disc, and setting positioning boss, the workpiece deviation problem caused by rubber deformation when traditional sucking disc bears lateral force is solved, and accurate positioning in the carrying, overturning and rotating process of small size, high density workpiece is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automation technology, and in particular to a suction cup positioning structure and its dispensing device. Background Technology

[0002] In the end-efficiency part of automation, when transporting planar materials, suction cups are usually used to adsorb the planar materials to fix them and then transport them. The suction cups are vacuumed through the air passage and the materials are adsorbed by negative pressure.

[0003] However, during the transportation of planar materials, if there is an angle change and the suction cup needs to rotate or flip, the suction cup is prone to deformation due to its poor ability to withstand lateral forces. This is especially true in precision dispensing operations, where the planar material (such as chips or crystals) needs to be dispensed at a preset position. If the suction cup deforms, the planar material will shift, resulting in inaccurate dispensing. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this utility model provides a suction cup positioning structure that uses a support member to distribute the lateral force on the suction cup, ensuring accurate positioning of the material.

[0005] A suction cup positioning structure includes: a suction cup, hollow in shape and made of an elastic material; a support body, located inside the suction cup and connected to it, wherein an air passage is constructed in the support body, the air passage extends through both axial ends of the support body and is connected to an external air source, and the support body is made of a rigid material; wherein, along the axial direction of the suction cup, an adsorption plane is formed on the end face of the suction cup, and the end face of the support body facing the adsorption plane is spaced apart from the adsorption plane, the suction cup, the support body, and the adsorption plane constitute an adsorption cavity, and the air passage is connected to the adsorption cavity.

[0006] With this configuration, the suction cup, as an elastic material, first contacts the material to be adsorbed. The air passage is connected to an external air source to create a vacuum. After the internal negative pressure is established, the suction cup can adhere more closely to the material, ensuring strong adsorption and preventing the material from falling off. After the suction cup deforms and adsorbs, the support body stably contacts the material. The rigid support body bears the main lateral forces and bending moments generated during handling and flipping operations, thus greatly reducing workpiece position displacement caused by the deformation of the suction cup's elastic material. This allows the adsorbed workpiece (especially small, high-density products) to maintain a precise relative position with the suction cup during precision dispensing or assembly, effectively solving the problem of inaccurate positioning of existing suction cup structures under lateral forces. The end face of the support body facing the adsorption plane is spaced apart from the adsorption plane, meaning the suction cup is still closer to the material to be adsorbed than the support body. The suction cup contacts the material before the support body, completing the initial positioning.

[0007] In one embodiment, the inner wall of the suction cup is provided with a first connecting portion, and the outer wall of the support is provided with a second connecting portion, wherein the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are detachably connected.

[0008] In one embodiment, the inner wall of the suction cup has a protrusion, which is the first connecting part, and the outer wall of the support body has a groove, which is the second connecting part, and the protrusion is engaged in the groove.

[0009] In one embodiment, the groove surrounds the outer wall of the support, and the protrusion surrounds the inner wall of the suction cup, with the protrusion and the groove forming a circumferential engagement.

[0010] In one embodiment, the support body has a positioning boss protruding on one side facing the adsorption plane. The positioning boss is used to abut against the material to be adsorbed. An adsorption groove is formed inside the positioning boss. A communication port is opened at the bottom of the adsorption groove and the communication port is connected to the air passage.

[0011] In one embodiment, the suction cup is made of rubber and the support is made of metal.

[0012] In one embodiment, at least a portion of the suction cup is configured as a rectangular frame structure, and at least a portion of the support is configured as a rectangular structure.

[0013] This utility model also provides a dispensing device, including a base assembly, a rotating assembly, and a suction cup positioning structure as described above. The base assembly and the rotating assembly are connected, the rotating assembly is connected to the support body, and the rotating assembly can rotate relative to the base assembly and drive the support body to rotate synchronously.

[0014] In one embodiment, the rotating assembly includes a rotating base and a movable shaft. The rotating base is responsive to a drive from the base assembly. One end of the movable shaft is connected to the rotating base, and the other end is connected to the support. The movable shaft is axially movable relative to the rotating base.

[0015] In one embodiment, an elastic element and a retaining ring are sleeved on the outer periphery of the movable shaft. The retaining ring abuts against the support body, one end of the elastic element abuts against the retaining ring, and the other end abuts against the rotating seat. The support body, the retaining ring, and the movable shaft are capable of moving toward the rotating seat in response to an external force, and the elastic element is capable of being compressed in response to the movement of the retaining ring.

[0016] Compared to existing technologies, this device, through its core structure combining a rigid metal support with an elastic rubber suction cup and the addition of a positioning boss, solves the problem of workpiece displacement caused by rubber deformation when subjected to lateral forces in traditional suction cups. This enables precise positioning of small, high-density workpieces during handling, flipping, and rotation. Simultaneously, its integration into a dispensing device with floating buffer and servo rotation functions allows the workpiece to undergo multi-angle orientation adjustments while bearing controllable and smooth pressure changes. Ultimately, this achieves efficient, non-destructive, and highly accessible multi-faceted dispensing operations for precision workpieces such as crystals. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 A perspective view of one embodiment of the suction cup positioning structure provided by this utility model;

[0018] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the suction cup positioning structure provided by this utility model;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the dispensing device provided by this utility model.

[0020] The symbols in the diagram represent the following meanings:

[0021] 100. Suction cup positioning structure; 10. Suction cup; 11. Protrusion; 20. Support body; 21. Air passage; 22. Connecting port; 23. Groove; 24. Positioning boss; 25. Adsorption groove; 200. Dispensing device; 210. Rotating assembly; 2101. Rotating seat; 2102. Movable shaft; 2103. Elastic element; 2104. Retaining ring; 220. Base assembly; 230. Material to be adsorbed. Detailed Implementation

[0022] 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.

[0023] It should be noted that when a mechanism is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another mechanism, it can be directly on the other mechanism or there may be an intervening mechanism. When a mechanism is considered to be "connected to" another mechanism, it can be directly connected to the other mechanism or there may be an intervening mechanism. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application's specification are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0024] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used 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 as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0025] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature and the second feature are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0026] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "and / or" as used in this application includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0027] This utility model provides a suction cup positioning structure 100, which uses a rigid material support body 20 to provide support and positioning for the material to be adsorbed 230, preventing the position of the material to be adsorbed 230 from shifting due to the deformation of the elastic material suction cup 10.

[0028] Please see Figures 1-2The suction cup positioning structure 100 includes a suction cup 10 and a support body 20. The suction cup 10 is hollow and made of an elastic material. The support body 20 is located inside the suction cup 10 and connected to the suction cup 10. An air passage 21 is constructed in the support body 20, which passes through both ends of the support body 20 along the axial direction and is connected to an external air source. The support body 20 is made of a rigid material. Along the axial direction of the suction cup 10, an adsorption plane is formed on the end face of the suction cup 10. The end face of the support body 20 facing the adsorption plane is spaced apart from the adsorption plane. The suction cup 10, the support body 20, and the adsorption plane constitute an adsorption cavity, and the air passage 21 is connected to the adsorption cavity.

[0029] Thus, the suction cup 10, being an elastic material, first contacts the material to be adsorbed 230. The air passage 21 connects to an external air source, creating a vacuum. With this negative internal pressure, the suction cup 10 can better adhere to the material 230, ensuring adsorption strength and preventing the material 230 from falling off. After the suction cup 10 deforms and adsorbs, the support 20 stably contacts the material 230. The rigid support 20 bears the main lateral forces and bending moments generated during handling and flipping operations, thereby greatly reducing workpiece position displacement caused by the deformation of the elastic material of the suction cup 10. This allows the adsorbed workpiece (especially small-sized, high-density products) to maintain a precise relative position with the suction cup 10 during precision dispensing or assembly, effectively solving the problem of inaccurate positioning of existing suction cup 10 structures under lateral forces. The end face of the support 20 facing the adsorption plane is spaced apart from the adsorption plane, that is, the suction cup 10 is still closer to the material to be adsorbed 230 than the support 20. The suction cup 10 comes into contact with the material to be adsorbed 230 before the support 20, and completes the initial positioning.

[0030] Furthermore, to improve the connection strength between the suction cup 10 and the support 20, the inner wall of the suction cup 10 has a first connecting part, and the outer wall of the support 20 has a second connecting part. The first and second connecting parts are detachably connected. Thus, by providing detachable first and second connecting parts, the suction cup 10 and the support 20 can be processed separately and then assembled, and the detachable connection method simplifies assembly. This facilitates quick replacement and maintenance of the suction cup 10 after long-term wear and tear, and also allows for flexible selection of different types of suction cups 10 according to the shape and size of different materials 230 to be adsorbed, improving the versatility and service life of the entire suction cup positioning structure 100 and reducing maintenance costs.

[0031] Furthermore, the inner wall of the suction cup 10 has a protrusion 11, which serves as the first connecting part. The outer wall of the support body 20 has a groove 23, which serves as the second connecting part. The protrusion 11 is engaged in the groove 23. In this way, the suction cup 10 and the support body 20 can be quickly aligned and fixed, ensuring the stability of the connection between the two and preventing loosening during vacuum adsorption or movement. At the same time, the processing technology is mature and the manufacturing cost is controllable.

[0032] Understandably, in other embodiments, the groove 23 can also be formed on the inner wall of the suction cup 10, and a protrusion 11 is provided on the outer periphery of the support body 20, so that quick assembly can still be achieved by the snap-fit ​​between the protrusion 11 and the groove 23.

[0033] Furthermore, the groove 23 surrounds the outer wall of the support 20, and the protrusion 11 surrounds the inner wall of the suction cup 10, forming a circumferential engagement between the protrusion 11 and the groove 23. This circumferential engagement ensures uniform locking force between the suction cup 10 and the support 20 at all angles in the circumferential direction. This effectively prevents the suction cup 10 from rotating circumferentially or tilting partially relative to the support 20, further enhancing the stability of the connection and the reliability of the seal, ensuring the airtightness of the adsorption chamber under complex working conditions.

[0034] Understandably, in other embodiments, the protrusions 11 and grooves 23 may not be arranged circumferentially, but rather spaced apart circumferentially. For example, multiple grooves 23 are provided on the outer periphery of the support 20, preferably evenly spaced, and multiple protrusions 11 are also provided corresponding to the grooves 23, with each protrusion 11 engaging in one groove 23. Therefore, there are multiple abutment points between the support 20 and the suction cup 10, further improving the connection strength. Furthermore, circumferential rotation and displacement are less likely to occur between the support 20 and the suction cup 10.

[0035] A positioning boss 24 protrudes from the side of the support body 20 facing the adsorption plane. The positioning boss 24 is used to abut against the material to be adsorbed 230. An adsorption groove 25 is formed inside the positioning boss 24. A connecting port 22 is opened at the bottom of the adsorption groove 25, which is connected to the air passage 21. Thus, the positioning boss 24 is the key to achieving precise positioning. Its technical effect is that when the suction cup 10 adsorbs the workpiece, the positioning boss 24 contacts the surface of the workpiece, thereby physically restricting the horizontal movement of the workpiece before, during, and after vacuuming, achieving mechanical pre-positioning. This not only improves the positioning accuracy, but the adsorption groove 25 inside can also form a more concentrated negative pressure area with the surface of the workpiece, which helps to quickly establish a vacuum and improve adsorption efficiency and stability. Moreover, because the positioning boss 24 has an adsorption groove 25 in the middle, that is, the positioning boss 24 forms a circumferential protrusion 11 type boss structure, its contact area with the material to be adsorbed 230 is large, and the contact effect is more stable.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, at least a portion of the suction cup 10 is configured as a rectangular frame structure, and at least a portion of the support 20 is configured as a rectangular structure. This allows for better matching of square or rectangular workpieces such as crystals and chips. The rectangular structure provides a larger edge contact area and a more defined positioning direction, effectively preventing the workpiece from rotating after adsorption, making it particularly suitable for precision dispensing and assembly scenarios requiring directional alignment.

[0037] Understandably, in other embodiments, the suction cup 10 may also be configured as a hollow ring structure, and the support 20 may also be configured as a cylindrical structure. The circular structure is easier to process and more convenient to assemble.

[0038] For example, in this embodiment, the suction cup 10 is made of rubber, and the support body 20 is made of metal. Specifically defining the suction cup 10 as rubber fully utilizes the excellent elasticity, sealing properties, and adaptability to the workpiece surface of rubber, effectively forming a vacuum seal and preventing scratches on the workpiece surface. Specifically defining the support body 20 as metal fully utilizes the high rigidity, high strength, and high wear resistance of metal, ensuring that the support body 20 can reliably resist deformation and maintain positioning accuracy during long-term use. This combination is a preferred solution for achieving high performance and long service life of the device.

[0039] Please see Figure 3This utility model also provides a dispensing device 200, including a base assembly 220, a rotating assembly 210, and a suction cup positioning structure 100 as described above. The base assembly 220 and the rotating assembly 210 are connected, and the rotating assembly 210 is connected to the support body 20. The rotating assembly 210 can rotate relative to the base assembly 220, driving the support body 20 to rotate synchronously. Thus, the base assembly 220 supports the rotating assembly 210 and the suction cup positioning structure 100. The rotating assembly 210, through its connection with the support body 20, drives the support body 20 and the suction cup 10 to rotate, thereby causing the material adsorbed by the suction cup 10 to rotate. This, in conjunction with the dispensing head in the dispensing device 200, allows the dispensing head to easily reach multiple sides of the workpiece for dispensing operations. This enables multi-sided dispensing to be completed in a single clamping, greatly improving the flexibility and production efficiency of the dispensing process.

[0040] Taking this embodiment as an example, the rectangular suction cup positioning structure 100 is connected to a rectangular crystal. All four sides of the crystal require dispensing. By rotating the rotating assembly 210 90° each time, the four sides of the crystal are delivered to the dispensing head's dispensing position in four separate steps, thus completing the dispensing action. After dispensing the four sides, the entire rotating assembly 210 and the base assembly 220 rotate together 90° to dispensing the back side of the surface adhered to by the suction cup positioning structure 100, completing the dispensing work on all five sides.

[0041] The rotating assembly 210 includes a rotating base 2101 and a movable shaft 2102. The rotating base 2101 can rotate in response to the drive of the base assembly 220. One end of the movable shaft 2102 is connected to the rotating base 2101, and the other end is connected to the support body 20. The movable shaft 2102 can move axially relative to the rotating base 2101. Thus, by providing a movable shaft 2102 that can move axially relative to the rotating base 2101, the movable shaft 2102 enables the suction cup positioning structure 100 to "float" in the axial direction. This allows the movable shaft 2102 to adaptively adjust its height, avoiding hard impacts on the workpiece due to positional errors, thus buffering and protecting the precision workpiece, while ensuring reliable contact between the positioning boss 24 and the workpiece surface.

[0042] Specifically, an elastic element 2103 and a retaining ring 2104 are sleeved on the outer periphery of the movable shaft 2102. The retaining ring 2104 abuts against the support body 20, one end of the elastic element 2103 abuts against the retaining ring 2104, and the other end abuts against the rotating seat 2101. The support body 20, the retaining ring 2104, and the movable shaft 2102 can move toward the rotating seat 2101 in response to external force, and the elastic element 2103 can be compressed in response to the movement of the retaining ring 2104.

[0043] Thus, the elastic buffer mechanism composed of a compression spring and retaining ring 2104 achieves "compliant" control of the gripping action. The downward pressure when gripping the workpiece is precisely limited to the spring force, rather than the weight or driving force of the entire device, thereby enabling precise control of the contact force and effectively preventing crushing or damage to brittle small workpieces. This passive structure is simple and reliable, requires no complex force sensors and control systems, is inexpensive, and responds quickly.

[0044] Compared to existing technologies, this device, through its core structure combining a rigid metal support 20 with an elastic rubber suction cup 10 and featuring a positioning boss 24, solves the problem of workpiece displacement caused by rubber deformation when the traditional suction cup 10 is subjected to lateral force. This enables precise positioning of small-sized, high-density workpieces during handling, flipping, and rotation. Simultaneously, integrated into a dispensing device 200 with floating buffer and servo rotation functions, it allows the workpiece to undergo multi-angle orientation adjustment while being subjected to controllable and smoothly changing pressure. Ultimately, this achieves efficient, non-destructive, and highly accessible multi-faceted dispensing operations for precision workpieces such as crystals.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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 the 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 suction cup positioning structure, characterized in that, include: The suction cup (10) is hollow and is made of an elastic material; The support body (20) is located inside the suction cup (10) and connected to the suction cup (10). An air passage (21) is constructed in the support body (20). The air passage (21) passes through both ends of the support body (20) along the axis and is connected to an external air source. The support body (20) is made of rigid material. Along the axial direction of the suction cup (10), an adsorption plane is formed on the end face of the suction cup (10). The end face of the support body (20) facing the adsorption plane is spaced apart from the adsorption plane. The suction cup (10), the support body (20) and the adsorption plane form an adsorption cavity. The air passage (21) is connected to the adsorption cavity.

2. The suction cup positioning structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the suction cup (10) has a first connecting part, and the outer wall of the support (20) has a second connecting part. The first connecting part and the second connecting part are detachably connected.

3. The suction cup positioning structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner wall of the suction cup (10) is provided with a protrusion (11), which is the first connecting part. The outer wall of the support (20) is provided with a groove (23), which is the second connecting part. The protrusion (11) is engaged in the groove (23).

4. The suction cup positioning structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The groove (23) surrounds the outer wall of the support (20), and the protrusion (11) surrounds the inner wall of the suction cup (10). The protrusion (11) and the groove (23) form a circumferential engagement.

5. The suction cup positioning structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support (20) has a positioning boss (24) protruding on one side facing the adsorption plane. The positioning boss (24) is used to abut against the material to be adsorbed (230). An adsorption groove (25) is formed inside the positioning boss (24). A connecting port (22) is opened at the bottom of the adsorption groove (25). The connecting port (22) is connected to the air passage (21).

6. The suction cup positioning structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The suction cup (10) is made of rubber, and the support (20) is made of metal.

7. The suction cup positioning structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The suction cup (10) is at least partially configured as a rectangular frame structure, and the support (20) is at least partially configured as a rectangular structure.

8. A dispensing device, characterized in that, It includes a base assembly (220), a rotating assembly (210), and a suction cup positioning structure (100) as described in any one of claims 1-7. The base assembly (220) and the rotating assembly (210) are connected. The rotating assembly (210) is connected to the support body (20), and the rotating assembly (210) is capable of rotating relative to the base assembly (220) and driving the support body (20) to rotate synchronously.

9. The dispensing device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The rotating assembly (210) includes a rotating seat (2101) and a movable shaft (2102). The rotating seat (2101) is responsive to the drive of the base assembly (220). One end of the movable shaft (2102) is connected to the rotating seat (2101), and the other end is connected to the support body (20). The movable shaft (2102) is axially movable relative to the rotating seat (2101).

10. The dispensing device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The outer periphery of the movable shaft (2102) is fitted with an elastic element (2103) and a retaining ring (2104). The retaining ring (2104) abuts against the support body (20). One end of the elastic element (2103) abuts against the retaining ring (2104), and the other end abuts against the rotating seat (2101). The support (20), the retaining ring (2104) and the movable shaft (2102) are able to move toward the rotating seat (2101) in response to an external force, and the elastic element (2103) is able to be compressed in response to the movement of the retaining ring (2104).

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