End effector for a torpedo car capping robot and capping method thereof

Abstract

In the field of robot control, an end effector for a torpedo car capping robot and a capping method therefor are provided. The end effector includes a pick and release unit, a buffer unit, an insulating cover distance detection unit, an end effector structure protection unit, and a pneumatic actuator unit. The method includes: using an insulating cover vision system to identify the center of the insulating cover at the current pickup position and feeding this information back to the robot system, and moving the end effector's pickup center directly above the center of the insulating cover; driving the robot system using the value fed back by the insulating cover distance detection unit to descend together with the end effector and pick up the insulating cover; using a tank opening vision system to identify the current position of the tank opening and feeding this information back to the robot system, and guiding the robot system to move it above the tank opening, and then releasing the insulating cover to complete capping. The robot automatically guides itself to accurately cap the tank opening, ensuring the safety of the work equipment and the work object.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technology of robotic end effectors for capping tank openings of torpedo cars in molten iron transport links in the steel industry, and more particularly to an end effector for a torpedo car capping robot and a capping method thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] background In the steel metallurgy process, molten iron is mainly transported by torpedo cars.

[0003] Currently, in the molten iron transport link, the torpedo car finishes pouring molten iron and returns to the blast furnace to wait to receive the molten iron, and this process takes about five hours.

[0004] Due to the fact that there is no cover device on the tank opening of the current torpedo car, the hot air in the tank directly contacts with the surrounding atmosphere, causing pollution emissions, and the temperature drop in the tank is serious, resulting in a waste of energy for the subsequent iron melting process.

[0005] Currently, the insulating cover designed for torpedo cars (shown in Figure 1) is mainly transported manually from the ground to the top of the torpedo car's tank opening using an electric hoist, and then the capping work is carried out.

[0006] Typically, the insulation cover 1 for this type of application mainly consists of two parts: a main structure 2 and insulation cotton 3. A flat iron plate is installed in the center of the main structure 2, and multiple lifting methods can be provided for the work. The insulation cotton 3 is usually a whole-cut circle made of glass fiber cotton, and the main structure 2 and insulation cotton 3 are connected with high-temperature resistant iron wire.

[0007] Because workers have to stand near the torpedo car while working, the extremely high temperatures, dust, and molten steel surrounding the torpedo car pose safety risks, such as burns. At the same time, there is a large difference in height between the workers and the tank opening of the torpedo car, and they are unable to observe the condition of the tank opening or the capping status, which makes the work unreliable in terms of safety and efficiency.

[0008] To complete the capping of torpedo cars more efficiently, industrial robots can be used to replace manual labor, and related robot end effectors are also in urgent need of development.

[0009] A Chinese invention patent application, published on February 8, 2017, and bearing publication number CN106378790A, discloses a robotic suction cup device, which includes a suction cup assembly, a positioning guide sleeve attached to the suction cup assembly, and a suction cup with one end fixed to the suction cup assembly and connected to the positioning guide sleeve; the suction cup assembly includes a gas path joint with a through hole and a shell attached to the positioning guide sleeve; and the gas path joint is connected to the suction cup joint with a screw. This device does not experience radial displacement or deflection during high-speed picking and has good centering performance; the flexible vacuum suction cup is radially restricted, preventing the object from shaking during high-speed handling; and the flexible suction cup uses an elastic buffer, providing good safety performance. However, because this technical solution is designed for high-speed handling and stacking, the suction cup used is made of rubber, which lacks high-temperature protection and cannot meet all application requirements. This device only has one suction cup, and there is a limit to the weight of the object that can be picked up. After structural analysis, it was found that after the suction cup device was installed on the end flange of the robot, it could not provide any further extension of the longitudinal depth movement range, and could only achieve handling close to the range of the robot body.

[0010] A Chinese invention patent with an approval publication date of February 15, 2019 and approval publication number CN106514690B discloses a "robot tool," which includes a clamp support used to provide a tool installation connector and further includes a drive system and three gripping handles arranged around a cylindrical center line; the drive system is installed on the clamp support and connected to the three gripping handles, and drives the three gripping handles to perform folding or unfolding operations to grasp or release a workpiece; and the drive system drives the three gripping handles to move radially around the center line on a plane perpendicular to the center line, so that the three gripping handles can fold or unfold to grasp or release the workpiece, and the gripping surfaces of the gripping handles conform to the surface of the workpiece, and when the workpiece is grasped, the contact between the gripping handles and the workpiece is surface-form contact. When the robot tool grips the workpiece, the gripping surface and the workpiece surface are in surface shape contact, which further improves the reliability of the gripping process.However, the designed handling object is a compressor in an air conditioning system, and the designed clamping jaw structure is only applicable to a cube with a certain volume, so it cannot complete the work task for the work object targeted by this invention (the capping operation of a torpedo car).

[0011] At the same time, the technical solutions of the above two patents do not set up any relevant sensors or devices for locating and detecting the picked-up object. Summary of the Invention

[0012] overview An object of the present invention is to provide an end effector for a torpedo car capping robot and a capping method therefor that can automatically guide the robot to accurately pick up an insulating cover, locate the location of a tank opening on a torpedo car, and then again accurately perform capping work for the tank opening on the torpedo car.

[0013] The technical solution of the present invention is to provide an end effector for a torpedo car capping robot, and the end effector comprises: 1) A pick and release unit configured to pick up and release the insulating cover; the pick and release unit includes: a suction cup for picking up and releasing the insulating cover, a retractable air pipe for supplying compressed gas, and a guide rod for fixing the retractable air pipe; the retractable air pipe is fitted into the guide rod so that the retractable air pipe can move only in the axial direction of the guide rod; 2) A buffer unit configured to connect the suction cup with a component mounting plate on the end effector; the buffer unit includes: a buffer support rod capable of creating a compression stroke between the suction cup and the component mounting plate, and a buffer support rod bushing for increasing the contact stroke between the buffer support rod and the component mounting plate; an L-shaped stopper is fixed above the buffer support rod bushing; the buffer support rod is distributed among four holes on the component mounting plate, and the four holes are arranged in a square or rectangular shape; the diameters of the four holes on the component mounting plate are slightly larger than the diameter of the buffer support rod; and a detection device is arranged on the component mounting plate; 3) an insulating cover distance detection unit configured to detect a relative distance between the insulating cover and the component mounting plate; the insulating cover distance detection unit: includes a laser rangefinder for performing the detection; the component mounting plate has a rectangular hole in a distance monitoring area of ​​the laser rangefinder so that a detection beam of the laser rangefinder can be directed directly below the component mounting plate; 4) An end effector structure protection unit configured to detect the compression amount of the buffer support rod; the end effector structure protection unit: includes a photoelectric sensor for performing detection; the photoelectric sensor group includes two photoelectric sensors, and the two photoelectric sensors are fixedly installed between the fixing bracket and the component mounting plate; the two photoelectric sensors included in one group are arranged above and below and are fixedly installed in the axial direction of the end effector; 5) A pneumatic actuator unit configured to control the flow direction of compressed gas in the suction cup; the pneumatic actuator unit includes: a two-position three-way solenoid valve and a double-headed two-group connector for performing air path control; wherein the compressed gas is connected to the air inlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve, and two air outlets are respectively connected to the double-headed two-group connector, one of the double-headed two-group connectors is connected to the magnetic force generating ports of the four suction cups, and the other double-headed two-group connector is connected to the magnetic force removing ports of the four suction cups, thereby achieving the purpose of controlling the suction cups through the two-position three-way solenoid valve; 6) An end effector protective cover shell unit configured to provide closed protection for components installed inside the end effector; the end effector protective cover shell unit includes: an angle steel frame for reinforcing the frame structure, a sealing plate for enclosing the components at the front end of the end effector, and a suction cup protective cover shell for preventing direct collision with the suction cup during movement; 7) A heat dissipation unit configured to block high-temperature exhaust gas and dust outside the end effector; the heat dissipation unit includes: a gas distribution block for performing gas distribution, and a retractable and foldable air pipe nozzle; the connected air paths are respectively connected to the air pipe nozzles after being distributed by the gas distribution block, and the high-temperature exhaust gas and dust in the working environment are blocked outside the end effector by the compressed gas released by the air pipe nozzle.

[0014] Furthermore, the end effector further includes an insulation cover / tank opening vision system, which is used to identify the center position of the insulation cover / tank opening to be picked up at the pick-up location and provide feedback to the robotic system; the insulation cover / tank opening vision system includes: an insulation cover vision camera and / or a tank opening vision camera.

[0015] In particular, the suction cup can be a permanent magnet pneumatic suction cup or an electromagnetic suction cup.

[0016] Preferably, the buffer support rod and the suction cup are connected and fixed by a ball hinge, which provides a twisting force to the suction cup when the insulating cover is tilted, allowing the picking operation to be completed better.

[0017] Specifically, the buffer support rod bushing is fixedly installed between the component mounting plate and the buffer support rod; and its function is as follows: without increasing the thickness of the component mounting plate, the buffer support rod is fitted into the buffer support rod bushing fixed in the hole of the component mounting plate, thereby increasing the contact area between the buffer support rod and the component mounting plate, reducing the shaking of the buffer support rod due to external forces during operation, and minimizing the weight of the end effector.

[0018] Specifically, in the end effector structure protection unit, the detection device fixed on the component mounting plate is a photoelectric sensor.

[0019] Furthermore, the suction cup protective cover shell in the end effector protective cover shell unit has a lower end portion whose horizontal surface is higher than the horizontal surface of the bottom surface of the suction cup at the extreme pressing position.

[0020] The technical solution of the present invention further provides a capping method for an end effector for a torpedo car capping robot, the capping method including at least the following steps: 1) after the end effector moves to the top of the thermal insulation cover, the thermal insulation cover vision system identifies the center of the thermal insulation cover at the current pick-up position, and feeds this information back to the robot system, and moves the pick-up center of the end effector directly above the center of the thermal insulation cover; 2) using the value fed back by the insulation cover distance detection unit to drive the robot system to descend together with the end effector and pick up the insulation cover. In this process, if the measurement deviation of the value fed back by the insulation cover distance detection unit occurs and causes the descending stroke to become too large, which may endanger the mechanical structure of the end effector, the end effector structure protection unit will constantly monitor the compression amount of the buffer unit, and when the compression amount reaches a critical compression amount, it will send a notification, and the robot system will stop descending and lift up; 3) When the end effector moves to the top of the tank opening of the torpedo car, the tank opening vision system identifies the current position of the tank opening of the torpedo car and feeds back the data to the robot system, and after the robot system is guided to move to the top of the tank opening of the torpedo car, the insulating cover is released, thereby completing the capping operation.

[0021] Furthermore, this capping method specifically includes the following steps: 1) After the end effector moves to the top of the thermal insulation cover, the thermal insulation cover visual camera is activated to take a picture of the thermal insulation cover and identify the center position; and then the thermal insulation cover visual camera feeds back the coordinates of the center position of the thermal insulation cover to the robot system; 2) After the robot system moves the end effector directly above the thermal insulation cover, the suction cup executes a magnetization command; the laser distance meter in the end effector begins to measure the distance between the current end effector and the thermal insulation cover to be picked up; and then the end effector executes a descending command according to the feedback value; During this process, if an error occurs in the feedback value, resulting in an excessive downward stroke, the buffer support rod installed on the suction cup will start to compress, and when the compression amount reaches a preset value, the L-shaped stopper installed on the upper end of the buffer support rod bushing will trigger a photoelectric sensor signal, and a descending stop command will be fed back to the robot system, and the insulating cover picking operation will be completed by default, and the insulating cover will be lifted to the height of the process position; In this case, the laser distance meter measures again; the value fed back by the laser distance meter remains constant after a successful pick, so this value is used to determine whether the end effector has completed the picking operation of the insulating cover; 3) moving the end effector that picked up the insulating cover to a process position above the tank opening of the torpedo car; then, the tank opening vision camera takes a photo of the tank opening of the torpedo car and determines the center position; then, the tank opening vision camera feeds back the coordinates of the center position of the tank opening of the torpedo car to the robot system; after the robot system moves the end effector to a capping process position above the tank opening of the torpedo car, the suction cup executes a demagnetization command, and the insulating cover is released above the tank opening of the torpedo car to complete the capping operation; 4) During the whole working process, the air pipe nozzle connected to the heat dissipation unit releases compressed gas into the end effector, so that the external high-temperature exhaust gas and dust will not enter the end effector through holes or gaps, thereby protecting the components.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are as follows: 1. The technical solution of the present invention can automatically complete the accurate picking and efficient transportation of the insulating cover, and accurately complete the capping work for the tank opening of the torpedo car, thereby improving the efficiency of performing capping for the torpedo car and reducing the risk of manual work; 2. The automatic positioning mode allows the robot to be automatically guided to accurately pick up the insulation cover, and after locating the position of the torpedo car's tank opening, the robot can be guided again to accurately perform the capping work for the torpedo car's tank opening, ensuring accurate positioning and smooth progress of the entire work process, and also ensuring the safety of the work equipment and work objects during the entire work process; 3. By using the end effector of the robot system of the present invention, capping work for torpedo car tank openings can be performed efficiently in a quality manner, and the efficiency of capping can be speeded up and the safety and reliability improved, while manual labor can be replaced and the end effector of the robot system can be beneficially used in the metallurgical industry. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the heat insulating cover. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic overall view of an end effector according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of an end effector according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of performing a picking operation for an insulating cover according to the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the pick-up of the insulating cover according to the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an internal buffer unit after compression according to the present invention. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a capping operation according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] Detailed Description of the Embodiments The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] The present invention provides an end effector for a torpedo car capping robot used to perform operations for insulating covers on tank openings of torpedo cars.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the insulating cover 1 includes: a pick structure 2 and insulating cotton 3 .

[0027] 2 and 3, the end effector 7 provided by the present invention is connected to the end of the robot by a flange mounting surface 23, and the components within the end effector 7 communicate with the robot system via an IO-LINK controller 25.

[0028] 2 and 3, the end effector 7 provided by the present invention comprises: 1) A pick and release execution unit configured to pick up and release the insulating cover 1.

[0029] The pick and release execution unit includes: a permanent magnet pneumatic suction cup 4 for picking up and releasing the insulating cover 1, a retractable air pipe (not shown) for supplying compressed gas, and a guide rod 6 for fixing the retractable air pipe. The retractable air pipe and the guide rod 6 both extend in the X direction shown in FIG. 3. After passing through the retractable air pipe, the compressed gas enters the inside of the end effector 7, preventing external high-temperature exhaust gas and dust from entering the inside of the end effector 7, which helps to protect the components.

[0030] At the same time, the retractable air pipe is fitted into the guide rod 6, and the retractable air pipe can only move in the axial direction of the guide rod 6 (i.e., the X direction shown in FIG. 3). An electromagnetic sensor 5 is attached to the permanent magnetic pneumatic suction cup 4, and the operating status of the permanent magnetic pneumatic suction cup 4 can be monitored in real time. In this application, the type of suction cup used to pick up and release the insulation cover 1 is not particularly limited as long as it is a suction cup that can pick up and release the insulation cover 1, and examples include the permanent magnetic pneumatic suction cup 4 shown in this embodiment or an electromagnetic suction cup.

[0031] Preferably, the retractable air pipe is made of a high temperature resistant material.

[0032] It should be noted that the number of permanent magnet pneumatic suction cups 4 is not limited in the present application, and may be, for example, four as shown in this embodiment of the present application, or may be three.

[0033] The end effector 7 provided by the present invention comprises: 2) A buffer unit configured to connect the permanent magnet pneumatic suction cup 4 and the component mounting plate 8 on the end effector 7.

[0034] The buffer unit includes: a buffer support rod 9 that can provide a compression stroke to the permanent magnet pneumatic suction cup 4 and the component mounting plate 8; and an L-shaped stopper 11 fixed above the buffer support rod 9.

[0035] For example, the buffer support rods 9 are distributed among four holes on the component mounting plate 8, and the four holes are arranged in a square or rectangular shape. The buffer support rods 9 and the permanent magnet pneumatic suction cups 4 are connected and fixed by a ball hinge. In this way, when the insulating cover 1 is tilted, a twist amount is given to the permanent magnet pneumatic suction cups 4, which can more effectively complete the picking operation.

[0036] The buffer unit further includes a buffer support rod bushing 10 for increasing the contact stroke between the buffer support rod 9 and the component mounting plate 8. The buffer support rod bushing 10 is fixedly installed between the component mounting plate 8 and the buffer support rod 9. By fitting the buffer support rod 9 into the buffer support rod bushing 10 fixed in the hole of the component mounting plate 8 without increasing the thickness of the component mounting plate 8, the contact area between the buffer support rod 9 and the component mounting plate 8 is increased, shaking of the buffer support rod 9 due to external forces during operation is reduced, and the weight of the end effector 7 is minimized.

[0037] Illustratively, the diameters of the four holes in the component mounting plate 8 are slightly larger than the diameters of the buffer support rods 9. For example, the diameter of the buffer support rods 9 can be set to 20 mm, and the diameter of the holes can be set to 24 mm, but there is no limitation thereto. The buffer support rod bushings 10 can be set to have a stepped shape that extends along the X direction shown in FIG. 3 and passes through the holes. To fix the buffer support rod bushings 10 to the holes, the diameter of the buffer support rod bushings 10 above the holes is larger than the diameter of the holes, and the diameter of the buffer support rod bushings 10 below the holes is smaller than the diameter of the holes, and the buffer support rod bushings 10 below the holes are connected to the buffer support rods 9.

[0038] It should be noted that the number of holes on the component mounting plate 8 is not limited in the present application, provided that the number of holes on the component mounting plate 8 matches the number of permanent magnet pneumatic suction cups 4, and may be, for example, four as shown in this embodiment of the present application, or three.

[0039] The end effector 7 provided by the present invention comprises: 3) Including an insulation cover distance detection unit configured to detect the relative distance between the insulation cover 1 and the component mounting plate 8 (for example, the distance shown as 12-1 in FIG. 4).

[0040] The insulating cover distance detection unit includes: a laser range finder 12 for performing the detection.

[0041] The laser rangefinder 12 is fixedly mounted between the fixed bracket 26 and the component mounting plate 8 .

[0042] The component mounting plate 8 has a rectangular hole in the distance monitoring area of ​​the laser range finder 12 so that the detection beam of the laser range finder 12 can be directed directly below the component mounting plate 8 .

[0043] The end effector 7 provided by the present invention comprises: 4) An end effector structure protection unit configured to detect the current compression amount of the buffer support rod 9.

[0044] The end effector structure protection unit includes: a photoelectric sensor 13 for performing detection;

[0045] The photoelectric sensors 13 are arranged in groups of two and are fixedly installed between a fixing bracket 26 and the component mounting plate 8. The fixing bracket 26 has an inverted C shape so that a fixed distance can be maintained between the photoelectric sensors 13 and the component mounting plate 8.

[0046] The photoelectric sensors are arranged in groups of two, one above the other, and are installed and fixed in the axial direction of the end effector 7 (i.e., the X direction shown in FIG. 3). When the L-shaped stopper 11 moves upward and triggers the photoelectric sensor 13 located below, the robot gets feedback indicating that the downward stroke is too large at this point. If the L-shaped stopper 11 continues to move upward to trigger the photoelectric sensor 13 located above, the robot will be forced to stop descending to better protect the main structure of the end effector 7 (see FIG. 5).

[0047] The end effector 7 provided by the present invention comprises: 5) A pneumatic actuator configured to control the flow direction of compressed gas within the permanent magnet pneumatic suction cup 4.

[0048] The pneumatic actuator includes: a two-position three-way solenoid valve 14 for gas path control, and a double-ended two-group connector.

[0049] The compressed gas is connected to the air inlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 14, and two air outlets are respectively connected to a double-headed two-group connector (not shown). One of the double-headed two-group connectors is connected to the magnetic force generating ports of the four permanent magnetic pneumatic suction cups 4, and the other double-headed two-group connector is connected to the magnetic force removing ports of the four permanent magnetic pneumatic suction cups 4, thereby achieving the purpose of controlling the permanent magnetic pneumatic suction cups 4 through the two-position three-way solenoid valve 14.

[0050] When the permanent magnetic pneumatic suction cups 4 need to execute a magnetization command, the two-position three-way solenoid valve 14 supplies compressed gas connected to the air inlet to the double-headed double-group connectors connected to the magnetic force generation ports of the four permanent magnetic pneumatic suction cups 4, so that the permanent magnetic pneumatic suction cups 4 are magnetized. When the permanent magnetic pneumatic suction cups 4 need to execute a demagnetization command, the two-position three-way solenoid valve 14 supplies compressed gas connected to the air inlet to the double-headed double-group connectors connected to the magnetic force removal ports of the four permanent magnetic pneumatic suction cups 4, so that the permanent magnetic pneumatic suction cups 4 are demagnetized.

[0051] The end effector 7 provided by the present invention comprises: 6) An end effector protective cover shell unit configured to provide closed protection for components located inside the end effector 7.

[0052] The end effector protective cover shell unit includes an angle steel frame 21 for reinforcing the frame structure, a sealing plate 22 for enclosing the components at the front end of the end effector 7, and a suction cup protective cover shell 24 for preventing direct collision with the permanent magnetic pneumatic suction cup 4 during movement. The horizontal plane of the lower end of the suction cup protective cover shell 24 is higher than the horizontal plane of the bottom of the permanent magnetic pneumatic suction cup 4 in its extreme pressing position. With this design, when the permanent magnetic pneumatic suction cup 4 is in its extreme pressing position, the horizontal plane of the lower end of the suction cup protective cover shell 24 is higher than the position of the permanent magnetic pneumatic suction cup 4 at this time. Therefore, the insulation cover 1 attracted by the permanent magnetic pneumatic suction cup 4 at this time is located below the suction cup protective cover shell 24, effectively preventing deformation of the insulation cover 1.

[0053] The end effector 7 provided by the present invention comprises: 7) A heat dissipation unit configured to insulate hot exhaust gases in the working environment from the outside of the end effector 7.

[0054] The heat dissipation unit includes: a gas distribution block 19 for distributing air paths, and an air pipe nozzle 20 for performing the blowing task.

[0055] The entire air path is divided into two after entering the end effector 7, one is supplied to a pneumatic actuator unit for a two-position three-way solenoid valve 14 to control the permanent magnet pneumatic suction cup 4, and the other is supplied to a heat dissipation unit to block high-temperature exhaust gas in the working environment outside the end effector 7.

[0056] The connected air paths are dispersed by a gas distribution block 19 and then connected to the air pipe nozzles 20. The compressed gas discharged by the air pipe nozzles 20 is used to block high-temperature exhaust gas and dust in the working environment outside the end effector 7. At the same time, the air pipe nozzles 20 are made of flexible material and can be bent and stretched, making it easy to spray high-pressure gas to every corner of the end effector 7.

[0057] The number of air pipe nozzles 20 is not limited in the present application, and may be, for example, four as shown in this embodiment, or may be three.

[0058] The end effector 7 further includes an insulation cover / tank opening vision system for determining the center position of the insulation cover / tank opening at the current pick-up position and providing feedback to the robot system, and includes an insulation cover vision camera 15 and / or a tank opening vision camera 16.

[0059] In practical application, in order to simplify the system structure and the type of spare parts, the same type of vision camera can be used for the thermal insulation cover vision camera 15 and the tank opening vision camera 16. In addition, if the corresponding definition and distinction are made in the control program, the same vision camera can be used for the thermal insulation cover vision camera 15 and the tank opening vision camera 16, thereby achieving the "two-in-one" function reuse of the vision camera.

[0060] The present invention further provides a method for capping an end effector for a torpedo car capping robot, which will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4 to 7 and includes the following steps: 1) Move the end effector 7 to a process position above the insulating cover 1 (referred to as the process position, hereinafter the same), take a photo of the insulating cover 1 with the insulating cover visual camera 15 installed on the end effector 7, identify the center position, feed the coordinates back to the robot system, and have the robot transport the end effector 7 and move it so that it is directly above the insulating cover 1; that is, the center point of the rectangle or square in which the four permanent magnet pneumatic suction cups 4 installed on the component mounting plate 8 are distributed coincides with the center point of the insulating cover 1 in the vertical direction (i.e., the X direction shown in Figure 3). 2) Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the two-position three-way solenoid valve 14 switches the air path supply to the magnetic force generating channel; that is, at this time, the four permanent magnet pneumatic suction cups 4 generate magnetic force; then the laser distance meter 12 measures the current relative distance between the end effector 7 and the insulating cover 1 (see number 12-1 shown in Figure 4), and converts this distance into the relative distance between the suction surface of the permanent magnet pneumatic suction cup 4 and the insulating cover 1; the end effector 7 descends by the measured distance and completes the task of picking up the insulating cover 1. 6, in this process, when there is a deviation in the measurement value of the laser distance meter 12 and the downward stroke becomes excessive, the buffer support rod 9 fixed to the permanent magnet pneumatic suction cup 4 moves upward. If the error value is large and the upward movement of the buffer support rod 9 becomes large, the L-shaped stopper 11 fixed to the buffer support rod bushing 10 also moves together with the buffer support rod 9 during this process. When the upward movement of the L-shaped stopper 11 triggers the photoelectric sensor 13, the robot receives a signal feedback and stops the downward movement of the end effector 7 to protect the main structure of the end effector 7. 3) After the picking operation is completed, the end effector 7 returns to the process position. At this point, the laser distance meter 12 measures again. When the end effector 7 is picking the insulating cover 1, the measurement value of the laser distance meter 12 should be a fixed value. If the numerical feedback result is equal to the fixed value, it is determined that the picking operation of the insulating cover 1 is currently complete. If the numerical feedback result is much greater than the fixed value, it is determined that the insulating cover 1 is lost or that the picking operation has currently failed. 4) Referring to FIG. 7 and FIG. 6, after the end effector 7 moves to the top of the tank opening 17 of the torpedo car, the compressed gas in the entire gas path is supplied to the gas distribution block 19 and then blown out through the air pipe nozzle 20 of the blowing device 18. The blown out compressed gas can block the high-temperature exhaust gas emitted from the top of the tank opening 17 of the torpedo car outside the end effector 7. The tank opening vision camera 16 takes a photo of the tank opening 17 of the torpedo car, identifies its center position, and feeds the coordinates back to the robot system. Then, the end effector 7 moves to be directly above the tank opening 17 of the torpedo car. That is, at this time, the center of the insulating cover 1 faces the center of the tank opening 17 of the torpedo car, ensuring that the insulating cover 1 will not shift or fail to cap, and the two-position three-way solenoid valve 14 switches the supply of the gas path to the magnetic dissipation channel. That is, at this point, the four permanent magnet pneumatic suction cups 4 lose their magnetic force, and the heat insulating cover 1 immediately drops into the tank opening 17 of the torpedo car, and the capping operation is completed.

[0061] In summary, the capping device and capping method of the present invention replace the step of manually lifting the insulating cover from the ground and then performing capping for the torpedo car, and while using the automatic capping device of the present invention to replace the step, sampling efficiency and safety reliability are accelerated. Therefore, the capping device and capping method can be beneficially used in the steel industry.

[0062] In addition, in the technical solution of the present invention, a heat insulating cover distance detection unit is provided on the end effector, which can accurately measure the position and distance of the heat insulating cover in real time, determine the center position of the heat insulating cover, and feed back the coordinates, thereby ensuring safety during the entire operation of the work equipment and the work object. The present invention can be widely used in the fields of design and manufacturing of molten iron transport work devices in the steel industry.

[0063] Those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention. As long as they fall within the essential spirit of the present invention, any changes and modifications to the above embodiments will fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. 1. An end effector for a torpedo car capping robot, the end effector comprising: 1) A pick and release unit configured to pick up and release the insulating cover; the pick and release unit has: a suction cup for picking up and releasing the insulating cover, a retractable air pipe for supplying compressed gas, and a guide rod for fixing the retractable air pipe; the retractable air pipe is fitted into the guide rod so that the retractable air pipe can move only in the axial direction of the guide rod; 2) A buffer unit configured to connect the suction cup with a component mounting plate on the end effector; the buffer unit includes: a buffer support rod capable of creating a compression stroke between the suction cup and the component mounting plate, and a buffer support rod bushing for increasing the contact stroke between the buffer support rod and the component mounting plate; an L-shaped stopper is fixed above the buffer support rod bushing; the buffer support rod is distributed among four holes on the component mounting plate, and the four holes are arranged in a square or rectangular shape; the diameters of the four holes on the component mounting plate are slightly larger than the diameter of the buffer support rod; and a detection device is arranged on the component mounting plate; 3) an insulating cover distance detection unit configured to detect the relative distance between the insulating cover and the component mounting plate; the insulating cover distance detection unit: having a laser rangefinder for performing the detection; the component mounting plate having a rectangular hole in a distance monitoring area of ​​the laser rangefinder so that the detection beam of the laser rangefinder can be directed directly below the component mounting plate; 4) An end effector structure protection unit configured to detect the compression amount of the buffer support rod; the end effector structure protection unit: has a photoelectric sensor for performing detection; a group of photoelectric sensors has two photoelectric sensors, and the two photoelectric sensors are fixedly installed between a fixing bracket and the component mounting plate; the two photoelectric sensors in one group are arranged one above the other and fixedly installed toward the axial direction of the end effector; 5) A pneumatic actuator unit configured to control the flow direction of the compressed gas in the suction cup; the pneumatic actuator unit includes: a two-position three-way solenoid valve and a double-headed two-group connector for performing air path control; an air inlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve is configured to receive the compressed gas, and two air outlets are respectively connected to the double-headed two-group connector, one of the double-headed two-group connectors is connected to the magnetic force generating ports of the four suction cups, and the other double-headed two-group connector is connected to the magnetic force removing ports of the four suction cups, thereby achieving the purpose of controlling the suction cups through the two-position three-way solenoid valve; 6) An end effector protective cover shell unit configured to provide closed protection for components installed inside the end effector; the end effector protective cover shell unit includes: an angle steel frame for reinforcing the frame structure, a sealing plate for enclosing the components at the front end of the end effector, and a suction cup protective cover shell for preventing direct collision with the suction cup during movement; and 7) A heat dissipation unit configured to block high-temperature exhaust gas and dust outside the end effector; the heat dissipation unit includes: a gas distribution block for performing gas distribution; and a retractable and bendable air pipe nozzle, wherein connected air paths are respectively connected to the air pipe nozzle after being dispersed through the gas distribution block, and the compressed gas discharged by the air pipe nozzle blocks the high-temperature exhaust gas and dust in the working environment outside the end effector; The end effector.

2. 2. The end effector for a torpedo car capping robot of claim 1, further comprising an insulation cover / tank opening vision system used to identify the center position of the insulation cover / tank opening at the pick-up location and feed back the center position to the robot system; and the insulation cover / tank opening vision system comprises: an insulation cover vision camera and / or a tank opening vision camera.

3. The end effector for a torpedo car capping robot according to claim 1 , wherein the suction cup is a permanent magnet pneumatic suction cup or an electromagnetic suction cup.

4. 2. The end effector for a torpedo car capping robot according to claim 1, wherein the buffer support rod and the suction cup are connected and fixed by a ball joint.

5. The end effector for a torpedo car capping robot of claim 1 , wherein the buffer support rod bushing is fixedly mounted between the component mounting plate and the buffer support rod.

6. 2. The end effector for a torpedo car capping robot according to claim 1, wherein in the end effector structure protection unit, the detection device fixed on the component mounting plate is a photoelectric sensor.

7. 2. The end effector for a torpedo car capping robot according to claim 1, wherein the suction cup protective cover shell in the end effector protective cover shell unit has a lower end whose horizontal plane is higher than the horizontal plane of the bottom surface of the suction cup at the extreme pressing position.

8. 3. The method for capping an end effector for a torpedo car capping robot according to claim 2, comprising at least the following steps: 1) after the end effector moves to the top of the insulating cover, using an insulating cover vision system to identify the center of the insulating cover at the current pick-up position, and feeding this back to a robot system, and moving the pick-up center of the end effector to directly above the center of the insulating cover; 2) using the value fed back by the heat insulating cover distance detection unit to drive the robot system to descend together with the end effector and pick up the heat insulating cover; and in this process, if the measurement deviation of the value fed back by the heat insulating cover distance detection unit occurs and causes the descending stroke to become too large, thereby endangering the mechanical structure of the end effector, the end effector structure protection unit constantly monitors the compression amount of the buffer unit, and when the compression amount reaches a critical compression amount, sends a notification, and drives the robot system to stop descending and lift up; and 3) when the end effector moves to the top of the tank opening of the torpedo car, a tank opening vision system is used to identify the current position of the tank opening of the torpedo car, and the data is fed back to the robot system, and the robot system is guided to move to the top of the tank opening of the torpedo car, and then the capping operation is completed by releasing the insulating cover. The capping method.

9. The capping method specifically includes the following steps: 1) after the end effector moves to the top of the thermal insulation cover, activating a thermal insulation cover visual camera, taking a picture of the thermal insulation cover, and identifying the center position; and then feeding back the coordinates of the center position of the thermal insulation cover to the robot system by the thermal insulation cover visual camera; 2) after the robot system moves the end effector directly above the thermal insulation cover, the suction cup executes a magnetization command; the laser distance meter on the end effector starts measuring the current distance between the end effector and the thermal insulation cover to be picked up; and then executes a lowering command by the end effector according to the feedback value; During this process, if an error occurs in the feedback value, resulting in an excessive downward stroke, the buffer support rod installed on the suction cup will begin to compress; when the compression amount reaches a preset value, the L-shaped stopper installed at the upper end of the buffer support rod bushing will trigger a photoelectric sensor signal, and a descending stop command will be fed back to the robot system; the picking operation of the insulating cover will be completed by default, and the insulating cover will be lifted to the height of the process position; In this case, the laser distance meter measures again; the value fed back by the laser distance meter remains constant after a successful pick, and this value is used to determine whether the end effector has completed the picking operation of the insulating cover; 3) moving the end effector that picked up the insulating cover to a process position above the tank opening of the torpedo car; then, taking a photo of the tank opening of the torpedo car with a tank opening vision camera and identifying the center position; then, feeding back the coordinates of the center position of the tank opening of the torpedo car with the tank opening vision camera to the robot system; after the robot system moves the end effector to a capping process position above the tank opening of the torpedo car, executing a demagnetization command with the suction cup, and the insulating cover is released above the tank opening of the torpedo car to complete the capping operation; 4) during the whole working process, the compressed gas is discharged into the end effector by the air pipe nozzle connected to the heat dissipation unit, to prevent the external high-temperature exhaust gas and dust from entering the end effector through holes or gaps, thereby protecting the components; 9. The method for capping an end effector for a torpedo car capping robot according to claim 8.

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