Automatic aluminum alloy plate separating clamp

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of plate clamps, and discloses an automatic aluminum alloy plate separating clamp, which comprises a mounting frame and clamping claws, the clamping claws are arranged at the bottom of the mounting frame and are provided with multiple pairs along the length direction of the plate; each pair of clamping claws is synchronously moved close to or away from each other in the horizontal direction through a horizontal driving unit, and each clamping claw is moved in the vertical direction through an independent vertical driving unit; the clamping claws are integrally arranged in an L shape, and each pair of clamping claws is inverted to each other. The application has the effect of facilitating the dislocation separation of aluminum alloy plates.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of sheet metal clamping technology, and in particular to an automatic sheet metal separating clamp for aluminum alloy sheets. Background Technology

[0002] In automated storage and retrieval systems (AS / RS), large quantities of aluminum alloy sheets are typically stored. These sheets are bundled according to uniform specifications, placed on dedicated pallets, and then stored using shelving. The quantity of sheets in each bundle remains consistent to meet the requirements of standardized warehousing and transportation management. While this storage method improves space utilization and warehousing efficiency, it often presents the practical challenge of retrieving only the required amount of sheets during actual outbound operations.

[0003] Currently, most common material handling equipment uses vacuum suction cups for separating and picking up sheet metal. During operation, the suction cup mechanism uses negative pressure to pick up aluminum alloy sheets one by one or in groups to achieve automated handling. However, due to the high flatness and softness of aluminum alloy surfaces, adjacent sheets are prone to adhesion during stacking and storage due to physical factors such as air pressure, surface adhesion, or microscopic oil film bonding. This phenomenon often causes the suction cup to pick up multiple sheets at once, resulting in a discrepancy between the actual quantity picked up and the demand, seriously affecting the accuracy of outbound processing and the stability of the workflow.

[0004] To address the aforementioned adhesion problem, existing technologies generally employ manual intervention to separate the boards. Operators must use manual tools such as pry bars to forcibly insert into the gaps between the bonded boards, physically breaking the adhesion and separating the boards one by one. This method not only relies on manual experience and skill but also significantly increases labor intensity and processing time, reducing overall outbound efficiency. Furthermore, frequent manual intervention can easily lead to scratches or deformation on the board surface, affecting material quality and posing certain operational safety risks. Utility Model Content

[0005] To facilitate the separation of aluminum alloy sheets by misalignment, this application provides an automatic sheet separation fixture for aluminum alloy sheets.

[0006] The automatic sheet metal separating fixture provided in this application adopts the following technical solution: An automatic sheet metal separating fixture for aluminum alloy plates includes a mounting frame and grippers, wherein: The grippers are located at the bottom of the mounting frame and are provided in multiple pairs along the length of the plate. Each pair of grippers moves synchronously closer or further away from each other in the horizontal direction via a horizontal drive unit, and each gripper moves in the vertical direction via an independent vertical drive unit. The grippers are arranged in an L-shape, with each pair of grippers inverted relative to each other.

[0007] Optionally, the gripper includes a connecting block and a pressing block, wherein: The extrusion block is disposed on the connecting block, and the extrusion block has a plurality of dense protrusions.

[0008] Optionally, the protrusion is cone-shaped.

[0009] Optionally, the overall extrusion surface of the protrusion is inclined, and the extrusion surfaces of each pair of grippers are arranged in parallel.

[0010] Optionally, the side of the extrusion block with the protrusion is inclined, and the inclined surface is parallel to the overall extrusion surface of the protrusion.

[0011] Optionally, the horizontal drive unit includes a guide rail, a sliding plate, a linear drive component, and a synchronous gear, wherein: The guide rail is mounted on the bottom of the mounting bracket; The sliding plate is slidably engaged with the guide rail via a slider; One end of the linear drive is fixedly mounted on the mounting bracket, and the output end of the linear drive is disposed on the sliding plate; The guide rail, the sliding plate, and the guide rail are all adapted to a single gripper; The synchronizing gear is mounted on the mounting bracket; The sliding plate is provided with a rack that meshes with the synchronizing gear.

[0012] Optionally, the vertical drive unit includes a ranging sensor and a lead screw module, wherein: The ranging sensor and the lead screw module are mounted on the sliding plate, and the gripper is located at the bottom of the sliding plate and on the movable plate of the lead screw module.

[0013] Optionally, the bottom of the sliding plate is also provided with a limiting unit.

[0014] Optionally, the limiting unit includes a limiting bar and a limiting drive unit, wherein: The limiting strip is located below the gripper.

[0015] Optionally, the limiting unit is an inverted downward pressing cylinder.

[0016] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: 1. By simultaneously applying horizontal shearing force and micro downward pressure through multiple pairs of inverted L-shaped grippers, the inclined extrusion surface guides the board to produce controllable misalignment, effectively destroying the interlayer adhesion state, achieving precise separation of single boards, avoiding board deformation, scratches or cracks caused by traditional prying or vacuum suction cups, and significantly improving the success rate of board separation and the surface quality of the board. 2. The conical protrusion structure concentrates the clamping force on the micro-dot matrix, significantly increasing local pressure and friction, ensuring that the board does not slip during horizontal pushing and vertical lifting; together with the actively extendable limit strip (pressure bar) to form bottom support, it forms a double protection of lateral clamping and bottom lifting, completely eliminating the risk of the board falling due to vibration or tilting during high-speed handling; Attached Figure Description Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of this application.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the relative positions of the horizontal drive unit and the vertical drive unit in the embodiments of this application.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a pair of inverted grippers in an embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the relative positions of the sliding plate and the synchronizing gear in an embodiment of this application.

[0020] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A schematic diagram of part A.

[0021] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Mounting bracket; 2. Gripper; 21. Connecting block; 22. Pressing block; 221. Protrusion; 3. Horizontal drive unit; 31. Guide rail; 32. Sliding plate; 321. Rack; 33. Linear drive component; 34. Synchronous gear; 4. Vertical drive unit; 41. Distance sensor; 42. Lead screw module; 5. Limiting unit; 51. Limiting bar; 52. Limiting drive unit. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figures 1-5 This application will be described in further detail.

[0023] This application discloses an automatic sheet separation fixture for aluminum alloy sheets.

[0024] An automatic sheet metal separating fixture for aluminum alloy sheets includes a mounting frame 1 and grippers 2. Grippers 2 are located at the bottom of the mounting frame 1, and multiple pairs are arranged along the length of the sheet metal. Each pair of grippers 2 is connected by a horizontal drive unit 3, enabling the pair to move synchronously closer or further apart in the horizontal direction. Each gripper 2 is connected to an independent vertical drive unit 4, allowing each gripper 2 to move independently in the vertical direction. The overall shape of the grippers 2 is L-shaped, and within the same pair, the L-shaped openings of the two grippers 2 are inverted.

[0025] When a pair of grippers 2 approach each other via the horizontal drive unit 3, because the two grippers 2 are in an inverted state, they push the board from both sides, causing the board to misalign in the horizontal direction. This applies a horizontal shearing force to the bonded boards, thus breaking the adhesion between them. After the boards are misaligned, the grippers 2 move upward via the vertical drive unit 4, lifting the board.

[0026] When it is necessary to separate the top layer of material, multiple pairs of grippers 2, driven by their respective horizontal drive units 3, synchronously move towards each other towards the center of the material. Since each pair of grippers 2 is inverted, they cut into the material from both sides along its length during horizontal movement and use the L-shaped structure to push the material, causing it to undergo slight forced displacement in the horizontal plane, thereby separating it from the lower layer of material.

[0027] After horizontal misalignment and adhesion disruption are completed, all vertical drive units 4 operate simultaneously, driving all grippers 2 to move upwards as a whole. At this point, the separated sheet material is supported and smoothly lifted by multiple L-shaped grippers 2, completing the sheet separation and removal operation.

[0028] The gripper 2 consists of a connecting block 21 and a pressing block 22. The pressing block 22 is fixedly mounted on the connecting block 21, specifically located on the side of the connecting block 21 facing the plate clamping surface. Multiple densely distributed protrusions 221 are machined on the surface of the pressing block 22 that contacts the plate. When the gripper 2 performs a clamping action, these protrusions 221 contact the plate surface, significantly increasing local pressure by reducing the actual contact area, thereby improving clamping stability.

[0029] By providing dense protrusions 221 on the surface of the extrusion block 22, the clamping force is concentrated on multiple tiny contact points. These protrusions 221 can effectively embed into the microscopic unevenness of the plate surface or overcome the surface oil film during clamping, generating strong local pressure. This increased local pressure provides friction far exceeding that of planar contact, thereby ensuring that the gripper 2 can firmly hold the plate during horizontal pushing and vertical lifting actions, preventing it from slipping out under force.

[0030] The protrusions 221 on the surface of the extrusion block 22 are cone-shaped, and these cone-shaped protrusions 221 are densely distributed on the contact surface between the extrusion block 22 and the sheet material. Because the tip of the cone has a very small contact area, when the clamping force is applied, the force will be highly concentrated at the tip of the cone, making it easier to overcome the oil film on the surface of the sheet material and produce small local deformations.

[0031] The overall extrusion surface of the protrusion 221 is set as an inclined plane. For each pair of inverted grippers 2, the extrusion surfaces on their extrusion blocks 22 are arranged parallel to each other.

[0032] When a pair of grippers 2 approach each other, their parallel beveled pressing surfaces simultaneously contact the upper and lower edges of the sheet material. This parallel beveled structure effectively converts the horizontal driving force of the grippers 2 into a slight downward pressure component on the sheet material and a thrust that causes horizontal misalignment. This downward pressure helps to further break down the adhesion between the sheet material layers, while the parallel bevels ensure that the sheet material is subjected to balanced and symmetrical forces on both sides, thereby being stably guided to the predetermined misalignment position and preventing the sheet material from tilting or jamming during clamping.

[0033] When a pair of grippers 2 move synchronously towards each other under the action of the horizontal drive unit 3, their parallel inclined pressing surfaces with protrusions 221 simultaneously contact the side of the target plate. As the clamping action proceeds, the parallel inclined surfaces guide the plate, subjecting it to both horizontal thrust and a slight downward pressure. This process ensures that the plate maintains a stable posture and uniform force when horizontal shear force is applied to create misalignment, laying a reliable foundation for subsequent vertical lifting and separation.

[0034] One side of the extrusion block 22 with the protrusion 221 is an inclined surface. This inclined surface is parallel to the overall extrusion surface of the protrusion 221.

[0035] The base surface of the extrusion block 22 is set as an inclined plane, and this inclined plane is parallel to the extrusion surface of the protrusions 221 to be machined. This means that during the manufacturing process, the height and inclination angle of all protrusions 221 are consistent. During machining, the cutting tool can operate along this uniform inclined plane reference, for example, by a one-time milling or forming operation, all protrusions 221 with the same direction and angle can be machined on the inclined plane, which greatly simplifies the production process and ensures the accuracy and consistency of the parts.

[0036] The horizontal drive unit 3 includes a guide rail 31, a sliding plate 32, a linear drive component 33, and a synchronous gear 34. The guide rail 31 is fixedly mounted on the bottom of the mounting frame 1. The sliding plate 32 forms a sliding engagement with the guide rail 31 through a slider, allowing the sliding plate 32 to move horizontally along the guide rail 31. One end of the linear drive component 33 is fixedly connected to the mounting frame 1, and its output end is connected to the sliding plate 32. Each set of guide rail 31, sliding plate 32, and linear drive component 33 is properly matched and drives an independent gripper 2. The synchronous gear 34 is mounted on the mounting frame 1 via a rotating shaft. A rack 321 is fixedly mounted on the sliding plate 32, and the rack 321 maintains a meshing relationship with the synchronous gear 34. The linear drive component 33 is a cylinder.

[0037] When the linear drive 33 pushes one of the sliding plates 32, the rack 321 on that sliding plate 32 drives the synchronous gear 34 to rotate. Since the gear simultaneously meshes with the rack 321 on the other sliding plate 32, the rotation of the gear is converted into an equidistant movement of the other sliding plate 32 in the opposite direction. In this way, the pair of grippers 2 connected to the two sliding plates 32 can always maintain synchronous movement towards or away from each other, ensuring that the force applied to the plate is always symmetrical and avoiding plate displacement or jamming caused by unilateral force.

[0038] The vertical drive unit 4 consists of a distance sensor 41 and a lead screw module 42. Both the distance sensor 41 and the lead screw module 42 are mounted on the sliding plate 32 of the horizontal drive unit 3. The gripper 2 is fixed to the bottom of the sliding plate 32 by a connecting block 21 and is specifically mounted on the movable plate of the lead screw module 42. The distance sensor 41 is an infrared distance sensor with its probe facing the stack of plates below, used to accurately measure the real-time distance between the sensor mounting plane and the top surface of the stack of plates.

[0039] During operation, when the clamp moves above the target stack of sheet metal, the vertical drive unit 4 is activated. First, the infrared ranging sensor 41 starts working, measuring the distance between the bottom surface of the clamp and the surface of the topmost sheet metal. Based on this measurement, the control system calculates the precise descent stroke of the gripper 2. Subsequently, the lead screw module 42 is activated, driving its movable plate and the connected gripper 2 to descend together until the pressing block 22 of the gripper 2 reaches the preset height position for optimal contact with the side of the sheet metal. After completing the gripping and lifting of the sheet metal, the lead screw module 42 then drives the gripper 2 to rise to a safe height.

[0040] A limiting unit 5 is also provided at the bottom of the sliding plate 32. The limiting unit 5 includes a limiting strip 51 and a limiting drive unit 52. The limiting strip 51 moves to the bottom of the gripped plate through the limiting drive unit 52 to support the plate. In the embodiment of this application, the limiting unit 5 is an inverted pressing cylinder, and the pressure rod of the pressing cylinder serves as the limiting strip 51.

[0041] After the gripper 2 successfully grabs and lifts the board, the pressure cylinder is activated, driving the pressure rod to move to a position directly below the board that has been grabbed by the gripper 2, forming a lifting support for the bottom of the board.

[0042] The implementation principle of an automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation fixture according to an embodiment of this application is as follows: After the fixture moves above the sheet stack, the infrared ranging sensor 41 measures the distance between the bottom surface of the fixture and the top sheet. The control system calculates the descent height of the gripper 2 accordingly, and the lead screw module 42 drives the gripper 2 to descend to the optimal contact position. Subsequently, each pair of grippers 2 moves synchronously towards each other under the action of the horizontal drive unit 3. Using the inverted L-shaped structure and the parallel inclined extrusion surface with conical protrusions 221, they cut into the edges of the sheet from both sides, applying horizontal shearing force and a small downward pressure, causing the top sheet and the bottom sheet to misalign and destroy the interlayer adhesion. After the horizontal misalignment is completed, all vertical drive units 4 drive the gripper 2 to lift upward simultaneously, while the downward pressure cylinder moves its pressure rod to the bottom of the sheet to form a bottom support, ensuring that a single sheet is stably gripped and safely lifted, completing the sheet separation and removal operation.

[0043] The above are all preferred embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An automatic sheet metal separating fixture for aluminum alloy plates, characterized in that: Includes mounting brackets and grippers, wherein: The grippers are located at the bottom of the mounting frame and are provided in multiple pairs along the length of the plate. Each pair of grippers moves synchronously closer or further away from each other in the horizontal direction via a horizontal drive unit, and each gripper moves in the vertical direction via an independent vertical drive unit. The grippers are arranged in an L-shape, with each pair of grippers inverted relative to each other.

2. The automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gripper includes a connecting block and a pressing block, wherein: The extrusion block is disposed on the connecting block, and the extrusion block has a plurality of dense protrusions.

3. The automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation fixture according to claim 2, characterized in that: The protrusion is cone-shaped.

4. The automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation fixture according to claim 3, characterized in that: The overall extrusion surface of the protrusion is set at an angle, and the extrusion surfaces of each pair of grippers are set in parallel.

5. The automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation fixture according to claim 4, characterized in that: The extrusion block has a sloping surface on one side with the protrusion, and this sloping surface is parallel to the overall extrusion surface of the protrusion.

6. The automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The horizontal drive unit includes a guide rail, a sliding plate, a linear drive component, and a synchronous gear, wherein: The guide rail is mounted on the bottom of the mounting bracket; The sliding plate is slidably engaged with the guide rail via a slider; One end of the linear drive is fixedly mounted on the mounting bracket, and the output end of the linear drive is disposed on the sliding plate; The guide rail, the sliding plate, and the guide rail are all adapted to a single gripper; The synchronizing gear is mounted on the mounting bracket; The sliding plate is provided with a rack that meshes with the synchronizing gear.

7. An automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation fixture according to claim 6, characterized in that: The vertical drive unit includes a distance sensor and a lead screw module, wherein: The ranging sensor and the lead screw module are mounted on the sliding plate, and the gripper is located at the bottom of the sliding plate and on the movable plate of the lead screw module.

8. An automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation fixture according to claim 7, characterized in that: The bottom of the sliding plate is also provided with a limiting unit.

9. An automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation fixture according to claim 8, characterized in that: The limiting unit includes a limiting bar and a limiting drive unit, wherein: The limiting strip is located below the gripper.

10. An automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation fixture according to claim 8, characterized in that: The limiting unit is an inverted downward-pressing cylinder.

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