Clamping device for a self-service vending machine for mobile phone cases

Abstract

The utility model relates to a kind of clamping device for mobile phone shell self-service vending machine, including first drive assembly, connecting plate and clamp, the clamp includes second drive assembly, front clamping plate, rear clamping plate and bottom plate, the front clamping plate is fixedly arranged on the bottom plate, the front end of the front clamping plate is equipped with front lower flanging, the front lower flanging is equipped with front plug post, the front plug post extends towards the center direction of the front clamping plate;The rear clamping plate is located below the front clamping plate and is slidably connected with the bottom plate, the front end of the rear clamping plate is equipped with rear plug post, the rear plug post extends towards the center direction of the front clamping plate;Carrier clamping space for clamping external carrier is formed between the front plug post and the rear plug post;Through the embedded cooperation of plug post and carrier spout, rigid interlocking mechanism is formed, eliminate the hidden danger that carrier slips in the process of high-speed moving because of insufficient friction force, significantly improve the stability of automatic grabbing operation and the reliability of system operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a clamping device for a mobile phone case vending machine. Background Technology

[0002] In existing mobile phone case vending machines or automated material storage and retrieval equipment, simple linkage grippers or single-drive telescopic mechanisms are usually used when grabbing carriers or goods.

[0003] However, such traditional devices often have functional limitations: a single drive method cannot simultaneously achieve both "deep access with a large stroke" and "precise clamping with a small stroke", resulting in limited operating space when the equipment is facing dense storage racks. In addition, existing clamping methods mostly rely on friction on both sides or simple buckles, lacking a rigid interlocking mechanism for the carrier and a fine-tuning function for the spacing. During high-speed transfer or docking with the printer, the carrier is prone to slippage or tilting due to unstable clamping force or vibration, which seriously affects the stability and safety of the automated vending process. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a gripping device for mobile phone case vending machines that simultaneously meets the requirements of deep access and precise clamping, has good stability during high-speed transfer, and prevents the carrier from slipping.

[0005] The purpose of this utility model is achieved as follows: A clamping device for a mobile phone case vending machine includes a first driving assembly, a connecting plate, and a clamp. The clamp includes a second driving assembly, a front clamping plate, a rear clamping plate, and a base plate. The front clamping plate is fixedly mounted on the base plate. The front clamping plate has a front downward flange at its front end and a front insertion post at its front downward flange, extending toward the center of the front clamping plate. The rear clamping plate is located below the front clamping plate and is slidably connected to the base plate. The rear clamping plate has a rear insertion post at its front end, extending toward the center of the front clamping plate. A clamping space for holding an external carrier is formed between the front insertion post and the rear insertion post. The base plate is slidably disposed on the connecting plate, and the first driving component is disposed on the connecting plate and connected to the base plate, for driving the base plate to slide along the length direction of the connecting plate, thereby driving the clamp to move; The second drive assembly is disposed on the base plate and connected to the rear clamping plate, and is used to drive the rear clamping plate to slide relative to the base plate, thereby adjusting the distance between the rear insertion post and the front insertion post to change the size of the vehicle clamping space.

[0006] The first drive assembly drives the clamp to slide along the connecting plate, enabling rapid approach and large-stroke entry and exit of the vehicle placement position; the second drive assembly drives the rear clamp to slide relative to the base plate, enabling independent fine adjustment of the clamping distance between the front and rear inserts, thereby flexibly changing the size of the vehicle clamping space to complete clamping or releasing actions.

[0007] The embedded engagement between the insert and the carrier socket forms a rigid interlocking mechanism, eliminating the risk of the carrier slipping due to insufficient friction during high-speed transfer, and significantly improving the stability of automated grasping operations and the reliability of system operation.

[0008] The objective of this utility model can also be achieved by the following technical measures: Furthermore, the connecting plate is provided with a first slide rail along its length direction, and the base plate is provided with a first slider that cooperates with the first slide rail; the first driving assembly includes a driving wheel, a driven wheel, a belt, and a first motor, the first motor, the driving wheel, and the driven wheel are all provided on the connecting plate, the belt is sleeved on the driving wheel and the driven wheel, the driving wheel is connected to the output shaft of the first motor, the base plate is provided with a clamping plate for clamping the belt, the first motor drives the belt to rotate through the driving wheel, and the belt drives the base plate to slide back and forth along the length direction of the first slide rail through the clamping plate.

[0009] The first drive assembly employs a belt drive mechanism combined with a slide rail guide design. Leveraging the high speed, smooth operation, and easily customizable stroke of belt drives, it enables the base plate and clamps to perform rapid and long-distance telescopic movements in the Z-axis direction. This structure ensures that the clamping device can reach deep into the cabinet shelves for storage and retrieval operations, improving the utilization rate of the vending machine's internal depth. Furthermore, the structure is simple, compact, low-cost, and easy to maintain, effectively lowering the manufacturing threshold for the entire machine.

[0010] Furthermore, the second drive assembly includes a second motor, a gear, a rack, a second slider, and a second slide rail. The base plate is provided with the second slide rail, the second slider slides in slidable engagement with the second slide rail, and the rear clamping plate is fixed to the second slider. The rack is located on the side wall of the rear clamping plate, the second motor is located on the base plate, the gear is connected to the output shaft of the second motor, and the gear meshes with the rack. The second motor drives the rear clamping plate to slide along the length direction of the second slide rail through the gear and the rack.

[0011] The gear and rack transmission has the characteristics of large transmission force, precise displacement control and no slippage. This structure can drive the rear clamp to make high-precision micro-adjustment within a limited space, thereby ensuring that the rear insert can be accurately and forcefully inserted into the carrier socket and kept locked. This rigid transmission effectively prevents the risk of the carrier loosening due to insufficient clamping force when the carrier is heavily loaded or the transfer speed is fast.

[0012] Furthermore, the first drive component is used to drive the clamp to move along the Z-axis direction, and the second drive component is used to drive the rear clamping plate to move relative to the front clamping plate along the Z-axis direction, thereby changing the size of the clamping space of the carrier and realizing the clamping or releasing action.

[0013] Both the first and second drive components move along the Z-axis. Through the coordination of coaxial "large stroke extension and contraction" and "small stroke relative displacement", they cleverly solve the problem of being unable to perform lateral opening and clamping in narrow cargo space.

[0014] This design allows the gripping device to operate without requiring additional lateral space, enabling a denser arrangement of containers within the cabinet and significantly improving the overall storage density and space utilization of the vending machine.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: In this invention, the first drive assembly drives the clamp to slide along the connecting plate, enabling rapid approach and large-stroke entry and exit of the vehicle placement position; the second drive assembly drives the rear clamping plate to slide relative to the base plate, enabling independent fine adjustment of the clamping distance between the front and rear inserts, thereby flexibly changing the size of the vehicle clamping space to complete the clamping or releasing action.

[0016] This invention forms a rigid interlocking mechanism through the embedded cooperation between the insert and the carrier socket, eliminating the risk of the carrier slipping due to insufficient friction during high-speed transfer, and significantly improving the stability of automated grasping operations and the reliability of system operation. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a diagram of a DIY phone case vending machine.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a DIY phone case vending machine (excluding the cabinet door, the gripping device is in the initial position).

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the combination of the transfer device, the clamping device, and the shelf (the clamping device is in the initial position).

[0020] Figure 4This is a diagram of a DIY phone case vending machine (excluding the cabinet door, the gripping device extends into the dispensing channel to grip the carrier).

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the combination of the transfer device, the clamping device, and the shelf (the clamping device extends into the loading channel to clamp the carrier).

[0022] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a DIY phone case vending machine (excluding the cabinet door, the gripping device places the carrier on the printing platform).

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the combination of the transfer device, the gripping device, and the shelf (the gripping device places the carrier on the printing platform).

[0024] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the cabinet door.

[0025] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping device.

[0026] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping device from another angle.

[0027] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping device from another angle.

[0028] Figure 12 This is a cross-sectional view of the clamping device.

[0029] Figure 13 This is a cross-sectional view of the clamping device from another angle.

[0030] Figure 14 This is a diagram showing multiple vehicles stacked and placed on a shelf.

[0031] Figure 15 A bottom view of multiple vehicles stacked and placed on shelves.

[0032] Figure 16 This is an assembly drawing for multiple vehicles and shelves.

[0033] Figure 17 Another angle assembly drawing of multiple vehicles and shelves.

[0034] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the vehicle.

[0035] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the vehicle from another angle. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments: Implementation examples, in conjunction with Figures 1 to 19As shown, a DIY mobile phone case vending machine includes a cabinet 1, a carrier 2 for carrying mobile phone cases, a transfer device 4, a clamping device 3, and a control panel 61.

[0037] The cabinet 1 serves as the supporting frame for the entire machine, and its internal space is rationally divided into a storage area, a work area, and a recycling area. The storage area is equipped with shelves 5, which consist of multiple shelves 51 arranged parallel to each other from top to bottom. To improve space utilization, each shelf 51 has multiple carrier placement positions 52 spaced along its length, each position for placing one or stacking multiple carriers 2 containing phone cases for sale. The work area houses a printer 13, which is equipped with a printing platform 131 located within the working range of the transfer device 4. This platform receives the carriers 2 and prints personalized designs on the phone cases on the carriers 2. The surface of the cabinet 1 has a carrier recycling station 11 and a retrieval port 63. The carrier recycling station 11 is located inside the cabinet door 6, and the surface of the cabinet door 6 has a recycling inlet 62 communicating with the recycling station, facilitating the return of empty carriers 2 by the user. The retrieval port 63 is also located on the surface of the cabinet door 6, and the corresponding printing platform 131 is located inside the cabinet body 1. Preferably, the loading channel 12 is suspended or connected to the shelf 51 near the retrieval port 63, and the loading channel 12 is provided with a carrier placement position 52 to increase the storage capacity of the carrier 2.

[0038] The transfer device 4 can push the completed mobile phone case along with the carrier 2 into the retrieval port 63. In addition, the control panel 61 is installed on the surface of the cabinet door 6 and is connected to the internal electrical components (transfer device 4, clamping device 3 and printer 13), serving as the user interaction terminal and the control center of the whole machine.

[0039] The carrier 2 is a flat, box-shaped or plate-shaped structure. A cavity 21 is formed on the top surface of the carrier 2, the shape of which matches the contour of the phone case. To prevent displacement of the phone case during transmission or printing vibrations, a limiting strip 26 is provided inside the cavity 21. A slot 27 is formed between the limiting strip 26 and the inner wall of the cavity 21 to hold the edge of the phone case in place. Simultaneously, a protrusion 28 is provided on the inner wall of the cavity 21 or on the side of the limiting strip 26 facing the slot 27, using elastic force to press firmly against the phone case. To facilitate the gripping of the clamping device 3, a front insertion port 22 is spaced apart on the front end face of the carrier 2, and a rear insertion port 23 is spaced apart on the rear end face of the carrier 2. These two insertion ports are the force application points of the clamping device 3. To ensure that the carrier 2 is placed stably and accurately on the shelf 51, the bottom wall of the carrier 2 is provided with positioning posts 24, and corresponding positioning holes 25 are provided on the surface of the carrier placement position 52 on the shelf 51 and on the top surface of the carrier 2. When the carrier 2 is placed in place, the positioning posts 24 are inserted into the positioning holes 25 to provide positioning and anti-slip functions, and to support the vertical stacking of the carrier 2.

[0040] The transfer device 4 is installed inside the cabinet 1, typically located behind or in front of the shelf 5. The transfer device 4 drives the gripping device 3 to move horizontally along the X and Y axes, thereby enabling the gripping device 3 to precisely align with any carrier placement position 52 or printing platform 131.

[0041] The clamping device 3 is mounted on the transfer device 4, and its structural design employs a dual Z-axis drive logic combining overall entry / exit and relative clamping. Specifically, the clamping device 3 includes a first drive assembly 7, a connecting plate 10, and a clamp 8. The clamp 8 includes a base plate 84, a front clamping plate 82, a rear clamping plate 83, and a second drive assembly 81. The connecting plate 10 is fixedly connected to the transfer device 4, serving as the base of the clamping device 3. The connecting plate 10 is provided with a first slide rail 101 along the Z-axis direction (i.e., the entry / exit direction perpendicular to the XY plane). The base plate 84 is slidably mounted on the first slide rail 101 via a first slider 842, allowing the base plate 84 to extend and retract relative to the connecting plate 10. The first drive assembly 7 is mounted on the connecting plate 10. In this embodiment, a motor and belt 73 transmission structure is adopted. That is, the first motor 74 is fixed on the connecting plate 10, and the shaft of the first motor 74 is connected to the drive wheel 71. The belt 73 is driven to rotate through the drive wheel 71 and the driven wheel 72. The base plate 84 is provided with a clamping plate 841 to clamp the belt 73. Therefore, the operation of the first motor 74 can drive the clamp 8 to slide back and forth along the Z-axis.

[0042] The front clamping plate 82 is fixedly installed at the front end of the base plate 84 and moves synchronously with the base plate 84. Its front end is bent downward to form a front lower flange 821 and has a front insertion post 8211 extending towards the center. The rear clamping plate 83 is located below the front clamping plate 82. Unlike the front clamping plate 82, the rear clamping plate 83 is not fixed, but is slidably installed on the base plate 84 via the second slide rail 815 and the second slider 814, and the sliding direction is also in the Z-axis direction. The front end of the rear clamping plate 83 has a rear insertion post 831 extending towards the center. The front insertion post 8211 and the rear insertion post 831 face each other in the Z-axis direction, and the space between them constitutes the vehicle clamping space 85 for accommodating the vehicle 2. The second drive assembly 81 is installed on the base plate 84 and moves with the base plate 84 to drive the rear clamping plate 83 to make micro-movements in the Z-axis direction relative to the base plate 84 and the front clamping plate 82. In this embodiment, the second drive assembly 81 adopts a transmission structure of motor and gear 812 and rack 813. The rack 813 is fixed to the side wall of the rear clamping plate 83, and the second motor 811 is fixed on the base plate 84. Its output shaft is connected to the gear 812 and meshes with the rack 813. Therefore, the operation of the second motor 811 can drive the rear clamping plate 83 to slide back and forth on the base plate 84, thereby changing the distance between the rear insertion post 831 and the front insertion post 8211 in the Z-axis direction.

[0043] The specific working principle is as follows: After the user performs an operation on the control panel 61 (such as entering the mobile phone model, selecting a pattern, or uploading a pattern to the control panel 61 via mobile phone) and initiates the order, the system enters automatic operation mode.

[0044] First, control the transfer device 4 to move the clamping device 3 to the coordinate position corresponding to the designated vehicle placement position 52.

[0045] After positioning is completed, the first motor 74 is started, driving the base plate 84 to extend the front clamping plate 82 forward along the Z-axis and enter the vehicle placement position 52 area (at this time, the front insertion column 8211 is located above the vehicle 2).

[0046] Next, the control transfer device 4 drives the clamping device 3 to make a slight downward adjustment along the Y-axis, so that the height of the front insertion post 8211 is aligned with the front insertion port 22. Subsequently, the control first motor 74 drives the base plate 84 to move the front clamping plate 82 in the opposite direction along the Z-axis (i.e., move it away from the shelf 5), so that the front insertion post 8211 is accurately inserted into the front insertion port 22 of the carrier 2, completing the front section attachment.

[0047] Next, the second motor 811 is started, driving the rear clamping plate 83 to move relative to the front clamping plate 82 along the Z-axis, thereby shortening the distance between the rear insertion post 831 and the front insertion post 8211 until the rear insertion post 831 is inserted into the rear insertion port 23 of the carrier 2.

[0048] At this time, the front insertion post 8211 and the rear insertion post 831 hook onto the front insertion port 22 and the rear insertion port 23 respectively, using the rigidity of the mechanical structure to lock the carrier 2. After confirming the clamping, the control transfer device 4 drives the clamping device 3, together with the carrier 2, to make a slight upward adjustment along the Y-axis, so that the positioning post 24 at the bottom of the carrier 2 disengages from the positioning hole 25 on the surface of the carrier 2 or the shelf 51 below.

[0049] Next, the first motor 74 is reversed, driving the base plate 84 to retract the carrier 2 significantly along the Z-axis, completely pulling the carrier 2 out of the carrier placement position 52.

[0050] Subsequently, the transfer device 4 transports the carrier 2 to the printer 13. Upon arrival, the first motor 74 drives the base plate 84 to extend, sending the carrier 2 onto the printing platform 131. Then, the second motor 811 reverses its action to increase the distance between the front insertion post 8211 and the rear insertion post 831 to release the carrier 2. The first motor 74 retracts, and the printer 13 begins to work.

[0051] After printing is complete, the gripping device 3 repeats the aforementioned sequence of extending, clamping, and retracting actions to remove the carrier 2 from the printing platform 131, and the transfer device 4 transports it to the pickup port 63. Then, the first motor 74 actuates again, pushing the carrier 2 to the pickup port 63 for the user to retrieve. The user removes the carrier 2 along with the phone case from the pickup port 63. After removing the phone case, the empty carrier 2 is placed into the carrier recycling station 11 through the recycling inlet 62 on the surface of the cabinet door 6, thus completing the closed loop of self-service shopping and carrier 2 recycling.

[0052] Through the above structure and control logic, this utility model uses the first drive component 7 to realize the large-stroke Z-axis entry and exit storage, and uses the second drive component 81 to realize the small-stroke Z-axis relative displacement to adjust the clamping force. With the fine-tuning action of the transfer device 4, it not only ensures the accuracy of the picking action, but also ensures the stability of the clamping, and realizes fully automated and reliable operation.

Claims

1. A gripping device for a mobile phone case vending machine, characterized in that: The device includes a first drive assembly (7), a connecting plate (10), and a clamp (8). The clamp (8) includes a second drive assembly (81), a front clamp (82), a rear clamp (83), and a base plate (84). The front clamp (82) is fixedly mounted on the base plate (84). The front clamp (82) has a front downward flange (821) at its front end, and the front downward flange (821) has a front insertion post (8211). The front insertion post (8211) faces the... The front clamping plate (82) extends in the central direction; the rear clamping plate (83) is located below the front clamping plate (82) and is slidably connected to the bottom plate (84). The front end of the rear clamping plate (83) is provided with a rear insertion post (831), and the rear insertion post (831) extends toward the central direction of the front clamping plate (82); a vehicle clamping space (85) for clamping an external vehicle (2) is formed between the front insertion post (8211) and the rear insertion post (831). The base plate (84) is slidably disposed on the connecting plate (10), and the first driving component (7) is disposed on the connecting plate (10) and connected to the base plate (84) for driving the base plate (84) to slide along the length direction of the connecting plate (10), thereby driving the clamp (8) to move. The second drive assembly (81) is disposed on the base plate (84) and connected to the rear clamping plate (83), and is used to drive the rear clamping plate (83) to slide relative to the base plate (84), thereby adjusting the distance between the rear insertion post (831) and the front insertion post (8211) to change the size of the vehicle clamping space (85).

2. The gripping device for a mobile phone case vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting plate (10) is provided with a first slide rail (101) along its length direction, and the base plate (84) is provided with a first slider (842) that cooperates with the first slide rail (101); the first driving assembly (7) includes a driving wheel (71), a driven wheel (72), a belt (73) and a first motor (74), the first motor (74), the driving wheel (71) and the driven wheel (72) are all provided on the connecting plate (10), the belt (73) is sleeved on the driving wheel (71) and the driven wheel (72), the driving wheel (71) is connected to the output shaft of the first motor (74), the base plate (84) is provided with a clamping plate (841) for clamping the belt (73), the first motor (74) drives the belt (73) to rotate through the driving wheel (71), and the belt (73) drives the base plate (84) to slide back and forth along the length direction of the first slide rail (101) through the clamping plate (841).

3. The gripping device for a mobile phone case vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second drive assembly (81) includes a second motor (811), a gear (812), a rack (813), a second slider (814), and a second slide rail (815). The base plate (84) is provided with the second slide rail (815). The second slider (814) is slidably engaged with the second slide rail (815). The rear clamping plate (83) is fixed to the second slider (814). The rack (813) is disposed on the side wall of the rear clamping plate (83), the second motor (811) is disposed on the base plate (84), the gear (812) is connected to the output shaft of the second motor (811), and the gear (812) meshes with the rack (813). The second motor (811) drives the rear clamping plate (83) to slide along the length direction of the second slide rail (815) through the gear (812) and the rack (813).

4. The gripping device for a mobile phone case vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first drive assembly (7) is used to drive the clamp (8) to move along the Z-axis direction, and the second drive assembly (81) is used to drive the rear clamp (83) to move relative to the front clamp (82) along the Z-axis direction, thereby changing the size of the clamping space (85) of the carrier and realizing the clamping or releasing action.

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