Clamping device and transport system

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a clamping device and a transport system. The clamping device is used to clamp a magazine having at least one opening through which an item is taken out or placed into the magazine. The clamping device comprises: a mounting structure; a clamping mechanism, which is arranged at the mounting structure and configured to clamp a side wall of the magazine when the magazine reaches a preset position; and a blocking mechanism, which is arranged on the side of the mounting structure close to the opening, wherein when the clamping mechanism clamps the magazine, the blocking mechanism moves to the opening and abuts against the end surface of the magazine having the opening, so as to prevent the item from falling out of the magazine through the opening. Since the magazine has the opening, the item inside the magazine may fall out through the opening when the magazine shakes or vibrates under an external force when the clamping mechanism clamps the magazine. In this solution, the blocking mechanism is arranged on the opening side of the magazine and is in close contact with the magazine structure, which can prevent the item from falling out through the opening, thereby ensuring the safety of storage of the item in the magazine.

Description

Clamping device and transportation system

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 2024112517417, filed on September 9, 2024, and entitled "Clamping device and transportation system", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of object transportation, and in particular to a clamping device and a transportation system. BACKGROUND

[0003] A wafer is a basic raw material for manufacturing semiconductor devices. The wafer is subjected to a series of semiconductor manufacturing processes to form an extremely small circuit structure, and then is cut, packaged, and tested to become an IC chip, which is widely used in various electronic devices.

[0004] In a semiconductor process, an IC chip needs to pass through multiple operation links; to ensure the safety of the IC chip in the operation links, the IC chip is stored in a magazine during storage and transportation, ensuring the stability of the IC chip during transportation and avoiding damage to the IC chip caused by external forces.

[0005] During the transportation of the magazine from one link to the next, a mechanical hand is often used to achieve the grasping. Since the two ends of the magazine have openings for the storage and removal of IC chips, when the mechanical hand grasps the magazine, if the magazine is subjected to external force shock, the center of gravity of the magazine is unstable and the position is offset, which causes the IC chips to fall from the opening of the magazine and be damaged.

[0006] Therefore, how to provide a device that can ensure the safety of IC chip storage is a technical problem that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. SUMMARY

[0007] The present application provides a clamping device and a transportation system to solve the problem of damage caused by the falling of IC chips from the opening of the magazine.

[0008] In a first aspect, a clamping device configured to clamp a box body is provided, the box body having at least one opening through which an object is taken out of or placed into the box body, the clamping device comprising:

[0009] a mounting structure;

[0010] a clamping mechanism arranged on the mounting structure and configured to clamp a side wall of the box body when the box body reaches a predetermined position;

[0011] The blocking mechanism is arranged on one side of the mounting structure close to the opening, and when the clamping mechanism clamps the box body, the blocking mechanism moves to the opening and abuts against the end face of the box body having the opening to prevent the articles from falling out of the box body through the opening.

[0012] The blocking mechanism is arranged on one side of the mounting structure close to the opening, and when the clamping mechanism clamps the box body, the blocking mechanism moves to the opening and abuts against the end face of the box body having the opening to prevent the articles from falling out of the box body through the opening.

[0013] In one or more embodiments of the present application, the blocking mechanism comprises:

[0014] The first driving assembly comprises a first mounting end and a first driving end, the first mounting end is configured to mount the first driving assembly inside the mounting structure, and the first driving end is arranged through the end face of the mounting structure;

[0015] The movable assembly is arranged in the mounting structure, one end of the movable assembly is connected with the first driving end, and the other end of the movable assembly is connected with the abutting assembly, and the movable assembly is configured to move in the direction from the mounting structure to the opening under the driving of the first driving end, so as to move the abutting assembly from the initial position to the opening and abut against the end face of the box body having the opening; wherein the initial position is located on the side of the mounting structure away from the opening of the box body; the abutting assembly is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the movable assembly, and the length of the abutting assembly is not less than the maximum length of the opening.

[0016] The movable assembly can be regarded as a transmission part, which drives the abutting assembly to move to the opening under the driving of the first driving assembly, so that the abutting assembly and the end face of the box body having the opening are perfectly abutted.

[0017] In one or more embodiments of the present application, the clamping device further comprises:

[0018] The main controller;

[0019] The blocking mechanism further comprises:

[0020] The first switch assembly and the second switch assembly are both arranged in the mounting structure and located on both sides of the movable assembly;

[0021] When the blocking mechanism moves to the opening and abuts against the end face of the box body having the opening, the first switch assembly and the movable assembly are in contact, a first trigger signal is generated to the main controller, and the main controller controls the first driving assembly to stop running, so that the movable assembly stops moving;

[0022] When the blocking mechanism moves to the initial position, the second switch assembly and the movable assembly are in contact, a second trigger signal is generated to the main controller, and the main controller controls the first driving assembly to stop running, so that the movable assembly stops moving.

[0023] The first switch assembly is arranged to avoid the blocking mechanism from being extruded and damaged by the box body after abutting against the end face with the opening.

[0024] In one or more embodiments of the present application, the mounting structure comprises:

[0025] The first mounting structure is configured to mount the clamping mechanism.

[0026] The second mounting structure is arranged on one side of the first mounting structure in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the first mounting structure, and is configured to mount the blocking mechanism.

[0027] When the box body has two opposite side openings, the second mounting structure is arranged as two, and is arranged symmetrically on both sides of the first mounting structure in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the first mounting structure, so as to realize symmetric mounting of the blocking mechanism.

[0028] In one or more embodiments of the present application, the clamping device further comprises:

[0029] The first detection mechanism is arranged on the side of the second mounting structure away from the first mounting structure, and is configured to emit a first detection signal in a direction towards the box body.

[0030] The main controller is configured to determine whether the first detection signal and the end face with the opening of the box body are parallel according to the transmission path of the first detection signal.

[0031] If yes, it is determined that the box body reaches the preset position, and the clamping mechanism is controlled to clamp the box body.

[0032] In one or more embodiments of the present application, if the first detection signal and the end face with the opening of the box body are not parallel, it is determined that the box body does not reach the preset position, and the clamping mechanism is kept in a standby state until the box body reaches the preset position and the standby state is released.

[0033] The arrangement of the first detection mechanism ensures that the box body is located at the preset position, facilitating subsequent clamping operation.

[0034] In one or more embodiments of the present application, the clamping device further comprises:

[0035] The second detection mechanism is arranged on the top of the second mounting structure, and is configured to emit a second detection signal in a direction towards the box body, receive a second reflection signal of the second detection signal and transmit the second reflection signal to the main controller; wherein the second reflection signal is formed by reflection of the second detection signal after being incident on the side wall of the box body without opening.

[0036] The main controller is configured to determine, according to the second reflected signal, whether the transmission path of the second detection signal and the plane in which the side wall of the box body without the opening are perpendicular.

[0037] If yes, it is determined that the relative position of the box body and the clamping mechanism meets the preset standard, and the clamping mechanism is controlled to clamp the box body.

[0038] The second detection mechanism ensures that the relative position of the box body and the clamping mechanism meets the preset standard, facilitating subsequent clamping operations.

[0039] In one or more embodiments of the present application, if the transmission path of the second detection signal and the plane in which the side wall of the box body without the opening are not perpendicular, it is determined that the relative position of the box body and the clamping mechanism does not meet the preset standard, and part of the structure of the clamping mechanism is controlled to resist the box body, so that the relative position of the box body and the clamping mechanism meets the preset standard, and then the clamping mechanism is controlled to clamp the box body.

[0040] In one or more embodiments of the present application, the clamping mechanism comprises:

[0041] The extension assembly is arranged at the top of the first mounting structure and extends along the length direction of the first mounting structure;

[0042] The fixing assembly is arranged at one end of the extension assembly away from the first mounting structure in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the extension assembly, and comprises a fixed end;

[0043] The second driving assembly is connected with the main controller, and comprises a second mounting end and a second driving end. The second mounting end is configured to mount the second driving assembly inside the first mounting structure, and the second driving end is arranged opposite to the fixed end. The second driving end is configured to push the box body between the second driving end and the fixed end along the extension direction to clamp the box body, or retract along the opposite direction of the extension direction to release the box body from between the second driving end and the fixed end.

[0044] The extension assembly is arranged to enable the box body to pass below the clamping mechanism. When the box body is located at a preset position and the relative position of the box body and the clamping mechanism meets the preset standard, the second driving end pushes the box body, and the box body and the fixed end abut each other to achieve stable clamping of the box body.

[0045] In a second aspect, a transportation system is provided, comprising:

[0046] A box body loaded with an article to be transported, the box body having at least one opening through which the article is taken out of or put into the box body;

[0047] A conveying device configured to transport the box body;

[0048] The clamping device provided in the first aspect is configured to clamp the box body from the conveying device and move it to a designated position.

[0049] According to the specific embodiments provided in the present application, the following technical effects are disclosed:

[0050] In the technical solutions of the present application, a clamping device and a transportation system are provided, which are configured to clamp a box body. The box body has at least one opening, and an article is taken out or put into the box body through the opening. The clamping device comprises: a mounting structure; a clamping mechanism arranged on the mounting structure and configured to clamp the side wall of the box body when the box body reaches a preset position; and a blocking mechanism arranged on one side of the mounting structure close to the opening. When the clamping mechanism clamps the box body, the blocking mechanism moves to the opening and abuts against the end face of the box body having the opening to block the article from falling out of the box body through the opening. In the scheme, when the clamping mechanism clamps the box body, due to the existence of the opening of the box body, if the box body is disturbed by external force, shaking and oscillation may occur, which may cause the article in the box body to fall out of the opening. The blocking mechanism is arranged on the opening side of the box body and tightly contacts the box body structure, so that the article falling out of the opening is avoided, and the safety of the article storage in the box body is ensured. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0051] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the drawings needed in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can also be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

[0052] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the clamping device provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the clamping device provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0054] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the clamping device provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0055] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the clamping device provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0056] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the bottom of the clamping device provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0057] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the bottom of the clamping device provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0058] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of the top of the clamping device provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0059] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of the top of the clamping device provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0060] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS: 10, box body; 11, opening; 20, mounting structure; 21, first mounting structure; 22, second mounting structure; 30, clamping mechanism; 31, extension assembly; 32, fixing assembly; 33, fixed end; 34, second driving assembly; 35, second driving end; 40, blocking mechanism; 41, first driving end; 42, movable assembly; 43, abutting assembly; 44, first switch assembly; 45, second switch assembly; 46, positioning piece; 47, moving hole; 50, first detection mechanism; 60, second detection mechanism; 210, first cover plate; 220, second cover plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] Some embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments are only used to explain the technical principles of the present application, and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present application.

[0062] As described in the background, in the process of transporting the material box from one link to the next link, the mechanical hand grabbing method is often used. Since the two ends of the material box have openings for storing and taking out IC chips, when the mechanical hand grabs the material box, if the material box is shaken by external force, the position of the material box will be offset due to the unstable center of gravity, which will cause the IC chips to fall out of the opening of the material box and be damaged.

[0063] The present application provides a clamping device and a transportation system, which aims to ensure the storage safety of the articles in the box body.

[0064] Embodiment 1

[0065] Referring to the schematic diagram of the clamping device shown in FIGS. 1-4, the embodiment 1 of the present application provides a clamping device for clamping a box body 10, the box body 10 has at least one opening 11, and articles are taken out or put into the box body 10 through the opening 11. The clamping device comprises: a mounting structure 20; a clamping mechanism 30 provided on the mounting structure 20, used for clamping the side wall of the box body 10 when the box body 10 reaches a predetermined position; and a blocking mechanism 40 provided on one side of the mounting structure 20 close to the opening 11, which moves to the opening 11 and abuts against the end face of the box body 10 having the opening 11 when the clamping mechanism 30 clamps the box body 10, so as to block the articles from falling out of the box body 10 through the opening 11.

[0066] The mounting structure 20 is used not only to mount the clamping mechanism 30 and the blocking mechanism 40, but also to mount the clamping device on the external movable device, so that the movable device drives the clamping device to move. The clamping mechanism 30 is designed as a mechanical hand to perform a grabbing action to firmly clamp the box body 10. The preset position is that the box body 10 is directly below the clamping mechanism 30, so that the clamping mechanism 30 can directly grab. The number of the blocking mechanism 40 can be determined according to the number of the openings 11. If the box body 10 has a single opening 11, one blocking mechanism 40 can be provided. If the box body 10 has symmetrical double openings 11, the blocking mechanisms 40 are symmetrically arranged on the two sides of the mounting structure 20, which can effectively block the two openings 11 of the box body 10, so as to avoid the internal articles from falling through the openings 11 due to external interference during the clamping process, and also avoid the entry of large external impurities into the box body 10 to damage the articles during the clamping process. The abutting action of the blocking mechanism 40 is performed after the clamping action of the clamping mechanism 30 is successfully performed. First, the clamping mechanism 30 firmly clamps the box body 10, and then the blocking mechanism 40 moves from the initial position to the direction close to the clamping mechanism 30 and the box body 10, and abuts against the end face of the box body 10 having the opening 11, so as to prevent the internal articles from falling through the opening 11.

[0067] In some embodiments of the present application, the box body is a cuboid structure, and the opening is located on one side or both sides of the cuboid structure along the length direction. In general cases, the clamping mechanism is first controlled to grab the two sides of the box body without the opening, and then the blocking mechanism is controlled to block the opening. In some special cases, such as different types of clamping mechanisms, the clamping members have a large size, and the box body with the opening is clamped. In this case, the blocking mechanism is first controlled to block the opening to prevent the articles from falling, and then the clamping mechanism is controlled to clamp the end face of the box body having the opening and contact the part of the blocking structure, so as to exert part of the clamping force on the blocking structure and enhance the blocking stability of the blocking structure.

[0068] In some embodiments of the present application, one side of the blocking mechanism and the box body in contact is coated with rubber material, so as to avoid damage to the paint surface of the box body caused by friction between the blocking mechanism and the box body.

[0069] In some embodiments of the present application, the box body is a flower basket, and a plurality of wafers are stored in the flower basket.

[0070] In some embodiments of the present application, the box body is a material box, and a plurality of IC chips are stored in the material box.

[0071] In one or more embodiments of the present application, with reference to the schematic view of the clamping device shown in FIGS. 1-6, the blocking mechanism 40 comprises: a first driving assembly (not shown in the figures) comprising a first mounting end (not shown in the figures) for mounting the first driving assembly inside the mounting structure 20 and a first driving end 41 disposed through the end face of the mounting structure 20; a movable assembly 42 disposed in the mounting structure 20, one end connected to the first driving end 41 and the other end connected to the abutting assembly 43, for moving in the direction from the mounting structure 20 to the opening 11 under the drive of the first driving end 41 to move the abutting assembly 43 from the initial position to the end face of the opening 11 of the box body 10; wherein the initial position is located on the side of the mounting structure 20 away from the opening 11 of the box body 10; the abutting assembly 43 is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the movable assembly 42, and the length of the abutting assembly 43 is not less than the maximum length of the opening 11.

[0072] Wherein the movable assembly 42 is connected by two flat strip-shaped plate members, the included angle between the two flat strip-shaped plate members is maintained between 120° and 135°; the movable assembly 42 is disposed at the bottom of the mounting structure 20 and maintains a certain distance from the bottom to facilitate the connection with the first driving end 41 of the first driving assembly, while also avoiding friction and scratching with the bottom of the mounting structure 20 when moving; the movable assembly 42 and the bottom of the mounting structure 20 are disposed in parallel to enable the movable assembly 42 to move the abutting assembly 43 to the opening 11 of the box body 10 in a stable posture when moving, avoiding the situation that when the two are not parallel, the movable assembly 42 is skewed and deviated, causing the abutting assembly 43 to fail to reach the opening 11 or to reach the opening 11 but the abutting assembly 43 fails to abut perfectly with the end face of the opening 11 of the box body 10, resulting in that the opening 11 still has a gap that is not blocked, and there is a risk of falling of the objects from the gap. The first driving end 41 can rotate to drive the movable assembly 42 to rotate synchronously, since the movable assembly 42 is in the shape of a strip, every point on it can be regarded as a circular motion during the rotation process, and the abutting assembly 43 moves from the initial position to the opening 11 of the box body 10 under the circular motion. The abutting assembly 43 is composed of a rectangular plate member, which is connected perpendicularly to the movable assembly 42, so that, under the premise that the box body 10 reaches the preset position and is placed regularly, when the movable assembly 42 brings the abutting assembly 43 to the opening 11 of the box body 10, the abutting assembly 43 is parallel to the end face of the opening 11 of the box body 10 and the abutting assembly 43 is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the box body 10, i.e., the abutting assembly 43 is parallel to the height of the box body 10; the length of the abutting assembly 43 is greater than the maximum length of the opening 11 to avoid the situation that the length is too short to block the opening 11, resulting in the falling of the objects from the box body 10.

[0073] In some embodiments of the present application, the length of the flat strip-shaped plate and the angle between the two flat strip-shaped plates can be appropriately adjusted so that the abutting assembly reaches the middle position of the opening of the box body.

[0074] In some embodiments of the present application, since the end of the movable assembly is connected to the abutting assembly, the movable assembly needs to bear the force exerted by the abutting assembly during movement, and therefore the connection between the movable assembly and the first driving end can be designed as a rectangular structure to enhance the connection strength between the movable assembly and the first driving end and avoid the problem of disengagement of the movable assembly caused by unstable connection.

[0075] In some embodiments of the present application, the first driving assembly is a motor, the first mounting end is the shell of the motor, which can be fixed in the mounting structure, and the first driving end is the output shaft of the motor, which is connected to the movable assembly to drive it to rotate synchronously.

[0076] In one or more embodiments of the present application, referring to the schematic view of the clamping device shown in FIGS. 1-6, the clamping device further comprises a main controller (not shown in the figure); the blocking mechanism 40 further comprises a first switch assembly 44 and a second switch assembly 45, both of which are arranged on the mounting structure 20 and located on both sides of the movable assembly 42; when the blocking mechanism 40 moves to the position of the opening 11 and abuts against the end face of the box body 10 having the opening 11, the first switch assembly 44 and the movable assembly 42 are in contact, generating a first trigger signal to the main controller, which controls the first driving assembly to stop running so that the movable assembly 42 stops moving; when the blocking mechanism 40 moves to the initial position, the second switch assembly 45 and the movable assembly 42 are in contact, generating a second trigger signal to the main controller, which controls the first driving assembly to stop running so that the movable assembly 42 stops moving.

[0077] The main controller can be arranged inside the mounting structure 20 in a direction away from the box body 10. The arrangement of the first switch assembly 44 makes the abutting assembly 43 stop moving when it reaches the opening 11 of the box body 10, so that the abutting assembly 43 can abut against the end face of the box body 10 with the opening 11 stably, thereby blocking the opening 11, avoiding damage to the box body 10 caused by the abutting assembly 43 continuing to move and pressing the box body 10, and avoiding damage to the first driving end 41 of the first driving assembly caused by the movable assembly 42 continuing to operate when it cannot move forward due to an obstacle.

[0078] In some embodiments of the present application, the first switch assembly and the second switch assembly are both tactile switches.

[0079] Further, on the basis of the foregoing scheme, the specific structure of the mounting structure is provided to achieve symmetrical installation of the blocking mechanism in the case where the box body has two side openings.

[0080] In one or more embodiments of the present application, referring to the schematic diagram of the clamping device shown in FIGS. 1-4, the mounting structure 20 includes: a first mounting structure 21 for mounting the clamping mechanism 30; and a second mounting structure 22 arranged on one side of the first mounting structure 21 in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the first mounting structure 21, for mounting the blocking mechanism 40.

[0081] The first mounting structure 21 and the second mounting structure 22 are both cuboid structures, and the volume of the first mounting structure 21 is greater than that of the second mounting structure 22. The internal space of the first mounting structure 21 is provided with a driving part of the clamping mechanism 30, and one end of the external space is provided with a main part of the clamping mechanism 30 for performing clamping. The box body 10 is usually transported to the front of the main part to be clamped. The second mounting structure 22 symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the first mounting structure 21 is arranged along the direction close to the main part. In this way, the blocking mechanism 40 can move a smaller path to the two side openings 11 of the box body 10, and the end face of the box body 10 with the opening 11 is abutted, preventing the objects in the box body 10 from falling, ensuring the safety of object storage and transportation. At the same time, the symmetric arrangement makes the two side openings 11 of the box body 10 can be blocked, avoiding the problem that only one side opening 11 is blocked and the objects fall from the other side opening 11, improving the reliability of the clamping device for protecting the objects.

[0082] In some embodiments of the present application, since the volume of the two second mounting structures 22 is smaller than that of the first mounting structure 21, there is a certain free space between the second mounting structure 22 and the first mounting structure 21. The abutment assembly 43 is arranged in the free space as an initial position, which can effectively save the installation space of the clamping device and improve the space utilization.

[0083] In one or more embodiments of the present application, referring to the schematic diagram of the clamping device shown in FIGS. 5-6, the blocking mechanism 40 further comprises a positioning member 46 arranged at the bottom of the second mounting structure 22. The movable assembly 42 is provided with a moving hole 47 at the connection close to the first driving end 41 of the first driving assembly. The positioning member 46 is arranged in the moving hole 47 for limiting the moving position of the movable assembly 42.

[0084] In combination with the above embodiments, the first and second switch assemblies 44 and 45 limit the final positions of the movable assembly 42 and the abutting assembly 43, i.e. the abutting position at the opening 11 and the initial position of the abutting assembly 43. In order to further ensure the accuracy and reliability of the movement position of the movable assembly 42, in combination with the bottom view of the clamping device shown in FIG. 5, a brief analysis is made. Through the cooperation of the positioning member 46 and the movement opening 47 of the movable assembly 42, when the movable assembly 42 moves to the initial position, i.e. the position of the upper movable assembly 42 in FIG. 3, the positioning member 46 is clamped at the leftmost end of the movement opening 47 to prevent the movable assembly 42 from continuing to move after reaching the initial position. When the movable assembly moves to the abutting position, as shown in FIG. 6, the upper movable assembly 42 rotates clockwise to the position at the opening 11 of the box body 10, and the positioning member 46 is clamped at the rightmost end of the movement opening 47 to prevent the movable assembly 42 from continuing to move after reaching the abutting position. In this way, the movement of the movable assembly 42 is further limited to avoid damage caused by the continuous movement of the abutting assembly 43. At the same time, it also avoids the control failure caused by the failure of the first and second switch assemblies 44 and 45 in special cases, which prevents the movable assembly 42 from stopping moving, thereby improving the safety of the clamping device.

[0085] In some embodiments of the present application, the positioning member is a screw rod fixed to the bottom of the second mounting structure after being inserted into the movement opening. The shape of the movement opening is a circular strip, and the circular arc shape of the circular motion of the movable assembly is the same as the circular arc shape.

[0086] Further, on the basis of the foregoing scheme, a detection mechanism is provided to detect the position state of the box body, and then perform subsequent clamping and blocking operations.

[0087] In one or more embodiments of the present application, with reference to the schematic view of the clamping device shown in FIGS. 1-8, the clamping device further comprises: a first detection mechanism 50 arranged on the side of the second mounting structure 22 away from the first mounting structure 21, for emitting a first detection signal in the direction towards the box body 10; and a main controller for judging whether the first detection signal and the end face of the box body 10 having the opening 11 are parallel according to the transmission path of the first detection signal; if so, it is determined that the box body 10 has reached the preset position, and the clamping mechanism 30 is controlled to clamp the box body 10.

[0088] In one or more embodiments of the present application, if the first detection signal and the end face of the box body 10 having the opening 11 are not parallel, it is determined that the box body 10 has not reached the preset position, and the clamping mechanism 30 is kept in a standby state until the box body 10 reaches the preset position, and the standby state is released.

[0089] The first detection mechanism 50 is arranged on both sides of the two second mounting structures 22 respectively, and synchronously sends first detection signals. The transmission paths of the two first detection signals are parallel. Only when the two sides of the box body 10 with the opening 11 are respectively parallel to the corresponding first detection signals, that is, the box body 10 is completely located between the two first detection signals and the end face of the box body 10 with the opening 11 maintains a preset distance from the two first detection signals, the main controller determines that the box body 10 is located at the preset position, and then controls the clamping mechanism 30 to clamp the box body 10. When the main controller determines that the box body 10 is not at the preset position, the staff needs to adjust the position of the box body according to the actual situation to make it reach the preset position, and then the main controller determines that the box body 10 has arrived and controls the clamping mechanism 30 to clamp the box body 10.

[0090] In some embodiments of the present application, when the box body is skewed, the end of the box body with the opening and the first detection signal cannot be parallel, and the first detection signal is incident to the box body to generate a first reflection signal. At this time, the main controller determines that the first detection signal and the end face of the box body with the opening are not parallel, that is, the box body is not at the preset position.

[0091] In some embodiments of the present application, as long as the end face of the box body with the opening does not satisfy the condition of being parallel to the first detection signal, it is determined that the box body is not at the preset position.

[0092] In one or more embodiments of the present application, referring to the schematic diagram of the clamping device shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the clamping device further comprises: a second detection mechanism 60 arranged at the top of the second mounting structure 22, for emitting a second detection signal in the direction towards the box body 10, receiving a second reflection signal of the second detection signal and transmitting it to the main controller; wherein the second reflection signal is formed by the reflection of the second detection signal incident to the side wall of the box body 10 without the opening 11; the main controller is used to determine whether the transmission path of the second detection signal and the plane where the side wall of the box body 10 without the opening 11 are perpendicular; if yes, it is determined that the relative position of the box body 10 and the clamping mechanism 30 meets the preset standard, and the clamping mechanism 30 is controlled to clamp the box body 10.

[0093] In one or more embodiments of the present application, if the transmission path of the second detection signal and the plane where the side wall of the box body 10 without the opening 11 are not perpendicular, it is determined that the relative position of the box body 10 and the clamping mechanism 30 does not meet the preset standard, and part of the structure of the clamping mechanism 30 is controlled to resist the box body 10, so that the relative position of the box body 10 and the clamping mechanism 30 meets the preset standard, and then the clamping mechanism 30 is controlled to clamp the box body 10.

[0094] The second detection mechanism 60 is arranged on the top of the two second mounting structures 22 respectively and synchronously sends out the second detection signals. The transmission paths of the two second detection signals are kept parallel. Only when the side wall of the box body 10 is kept perpendicular to the two second detection signals, the main controller determines that the relative position of the box body 10 and the clamping mechanism 30 meets the preset standard. The reason is that the clamping mechanism 30 adopts a design similar to two parallel clamps. When the box body 10 is located between the two clamps, the posture of the box body 10 must be kept stable and parallel to the two clamps. Otherwise, the clamps will cause the box body 10 to fall off due to unstable clamping force when clamping the box body 10, which damages the safety of the internal articles of the box body 10. Therefore, when the main controller determines that the relative position of the box body 10 and the clamping mechanism 30 does not meet the preset standard, one of the clamps of the clamping mechanism 30 is controlled to apply a certain power to the side wall of the box body 10 to push the box body 10 to the correct position. Then, the main controller analyzes that the second detection signal is perpendicular to the side wall of the box body 10, determines that the relative position of the box body 10 and the clamping mechanism 30 meets the preset standard, and controls the clamping mechanism 30 to clamp the box body 10.

[0095] In some embodiments of the present application, the first detection mechanism and the second detection mechanism can be synchronously started. After the main controller performs double determination, the clamping operation is performed. Alternatively, the first detection mechanism is started to determine the position of the box body, then the second detection mechanism is started to determine the relative position of the box body and the clamping mechanism, and then the clamping operation is performed.

[0096] In some embodiments of the present application, the first detection mechanism and the second detection mechanism both adopt laser sensors.

[0097] In some embodiments of the present application, inside the second mounting structure, the second detection mechanism is located above the first driving assembly in the height direction of the second mounting structure.

[0098] In one or more embodiments of the present application, referring to the schematic diagram of the clamping device shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the first mounting structure 21 includes a first cover plate 210 arranged on the top of the first mounting structure 21 for protecting at least part of the clamping mechanism 30 inside; the second mounting structure 22 includes a second cover plate 220 arranged on the top of the second mounting structure 22 and located above the second detection mechanism 60 for protecting the second detection mechanism 60 and the first driving assembly inside the second mounting structure 22.

[0099] In some embodiments of the present application, the side wall of the second mounting structure is also provided with a through hole penetrating therethrough. The second detection signal output by the second detection mechanism is incident to the side wall of the box body through the through hole.

[0100] Further, on the basis of the foregoing scheme, the specific structure of the clamping mechanism is provided.

[0101] In one or more embodiments of the present application, referring to the schematic diagrams of the clamping device shown in FIGS. 1-2 and 5-8, the clamping mechanism 30 comprises: an extension assembly 31 provided on the top of the first mounting structure 21 and extending along the length direction of the first mounting structure 21; a fixed assembly 32 provided at the end of the extension assembly 31 away from the first mounting structure 21 along a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the extension assembly 31, which comprises a fixed end 33; a second driving assembly 34 connected with the main controller, which comprises a second mounting end for mounting the second driving assembly 34 inside the first mounting structure 21 and a second driving end 35 opposite to the fixed end 33, the second driving end 35 being used to push the box body 10 between the second driving end 35 and the fixed end 33 along the extension direction to clamp the box body 10 therebetween, or retract along the opposite direction of the extension direction to release the box body 10 from between the second driving end 35 and the fixed end 33.

[0102] In the present application, the length of the extension assembly 31 exceeds the width of the box body 10, so that the box body 10 can pass below the clamping mechanism 30. The extension assembly 31 and the fixed assembly 32 can both be rectangular plates connected to form an "L" shaped structure. The second mounting end fixes the second driving assembly 34 inside the first mounting structure 21, ensuring the stability of the installation. When the box body 10 is located at the preset position and the relative position between the box body 10 and the clamping mechanism 30 meets the preset standard, the main controller controls the second driving end 35 of the second driving assembly 34 to push the box body 10, so that the box body 10 abuts against the fixed end 33, and the box body 10 is clamped between the second driving end 35 and the fixed end 33. Then the main controller controls the blocking mechanism 40 to move to the opening 11 of the box body 10 and abut against the box body 10 to block the opening 11. Similarly, when the box body 10 needs to be removed, the blocking mechanism 40 is first removed in a safe environment, and then the second driving end 35 is released to release the box body 10 from between the second driving end 35 and the fixed end 33.

[0103] In some embodiments of the present application, the surfaces of the second driving end and the fixed end are both coated with a rubber material to reduce the friction when clamping the box body.

[0104] In some embodiments of the present application, the second driving assembly is a pneumatic cylinder, the second mounting end is the outer shell of the pneumatic cylinder which is fixedly mounted inside the first mounting structure, and the second driving end is the pushing output shaft of the pneumatic cylinder which extends and retracts along the extension direction to clamp or release the box body.

[0105] Embodiment 2

[0106] Embodiment 2 of the present application provides a transportation system, which comprises: a box body loaded with articles to be transported, the box body having at least one opening through which the articles are taken out of or put into the box body; a conveying device for transporting the box body; and the clamping device provided in Embodiment 1 for clamping the box body from the conveying device and moving it to a designated position.

[0107] The conveying device adopts a belt machine to transport the box body to a preset position. The clamping device detects that the box body has reached the preset position through four detection mechanisms, and the relative position of the box body and the clamping mechanism meets the preset standard. Then, the clamping mechanism is controlled to clamp the box body, and the blocking mechanism is controlled to move to the openings on both sides of the box body and abut against the box body to prevent the objects to be transported in the box body from falling. Then, the box body is clamped to a designated position, the blocking mechanism is reset, the clamping mechanism is released, the box body is safely transported, and finally, the clamping device is reset to wait for the next clamping operation.

[0108] In the description of the present specification, the description of the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "an example", "a specific example", or "some examples" and the like means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In the present specification, the illustrative description of the above terms does not necessarily mean the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0109] In addition, the terms "first", "second" are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined with "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality of" is at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically limited.

[0110] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described above, it can be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and cannot be understood as limiting the present application, and those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, replacements and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A clamping device for clamping a box (10) having at least one opening (11) through which an article is removed from or placed into the box (10), characterized in that The clamping device comprises: a mounting structure (20); a clamping mechanism (30) arranged on the mounting structure (20) and used for clamping a side wall of the box body (10) when the box body (10) reaches a preset position; a blocking mechanism (40) arranged on one side of the mounting structure (20) close to the opening (11), and when the clamping mechanism (30) clamps the box body (10), the blocking mechanism (40) moves to the opening (11) and abuts against an end face of the box body (10) having the opening (11) to block the article from falling off the box body (10) through the opening (11); the blocking mechanism (40) comprises: a first driving assembly comprising a first mounting end and a first driving end (41), the first mounting end is used for mounting the first driving assembly inside the mounting structure (20), and the first driving end (41) penetrates through an end face of the mounting structure (20); a movable assembly (42) arranged on the mounting structure (20), one end of which is connected with the first driving end (41) and the other end of which is connected with an abutting assembly (43), and the movable assembly (42) is used for moving in a direction from the mounting structure (20) to the opening (11) under the driving of the first driving end (41) to move the abutting assembly (43) from an initial position to abut against the end face of the box body (10) having the opening (11) at the opening (11); wherein the initial position is located on a side of the mounting structure (20) away from the opening (11) of the box body (10); wherein the abutting assembly (43) is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the movable assembly (42), and a length of the abutting assembly (43) is not less than a maximum length of the opening (11).

2. The clamping device of claim 1, wherein The clamping device further comprises: a main controller; the blocking mechanism (40) further comprises: a first switch assembly (44) and a second switch assembly (45), both of which are arranged on the mounting structure (20) and located on both sides of the movable assembly (42); when the blocking mechanism (40) moves to abut against the end face of the box body (10) having the opening (11) at the opening (11), the first switch assembly (44) and the movable assembly (42) are in contact, a first trigger signal is generated to the main controller, the main controller controls the first driving assembly to stop running, so that the movable assembly (42) stops moving; when the blocking mechanism (40) moves to the initial position, the second switch assembly (45) and the movable assembly (42) are in contact, a second trigger signal is generated to the main controller, the main controller controls the first driving assembly to stop running, so that the movable assembly (42) stops moving.

3. The clamping device of claim 2, wherein The mounting structure (20) comprises: a first mounting structure (21) used for mounting the clamping mechanism (30); a second mounting structure (22) arranged on one side of the first mounting structure (21) in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the first mounting structure (21) and used for mounting the blocking mechanism (40).

4. The clamping device of claim 3, wherein The clamping device further comprises: A first detection mechanism (50) is arranged on the side of the second mounting structure (22) away from the first mounting structure (21), and is configured to emit a first detection signal in a direction towards the box body (10); The main controller is configured to determine, according to the transmission path of the first detection signal, whether the first detection signal and the end face of the box body (10) having the opening (11) are parallel; If yes, it is determined that the box body (10) reaches the preset position, and the clamping mechanism (30) is controlled to clamp the box body (10).

5. The clamping device according to claim 4, wherein If the first detection signal and the end face of the box body (10) having the opening (11) are not parallel, it is determined that the box body (10) does not reach the preset position, and the clamping mechanism (30) is controlled to remain in a standby state until the box body (10) reaches the preset position, and the standby state is released.

6. The clamping device of claim 3, wherein The clamping device further comprises: A second detection mechanism (60) is arranged on the top of the second mounting structure (22), and is configured to emit a second detection signal in a direction towards the box body (10), receive a second reflected signal of the second detection signal, and transmit the second reflected signal to the main controller; wherein the second reflected signal is formed by reflection of the second detection signal after being incident on the side wall of the box body (10) not provided with the opening (11); The main controller is configured to determine, according to the second reflected signal, whether the transmission path of the second detection signal and the plane in which the side wall of the box body (10) not provided with the opening (11) is perpendicular; If yes, it is determined that the relative position of the box body (10) and the clamping mechanism (30) meets a preset standard, and the clamping mechanism (30) is controlled to clamp the box body (10).

7. The clamping device according to claim 6, wherein If the transmission path of the second detection signal and the plane in which the side wall of the box body (10) not provided with the opening (11) are not perpendicular, it is determined that the relative position of the box body (10) and the clamping mechanism (30) does not meet the preset standard, and part of the clamping mechanism (30) is controlled to abut against the box body (10) so that the relative position of the box body (10) and the clamping mechanism (30) meets the preset standard, and then the clamping mechanism (30) is controlled to clamp the box body (10).

8. The clamping device according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that The clamping mechanism (30) comprises: An extension assembly (31) is arranged on the top of the first mounting structure (21) and extends along the length direction of the first mounting structure (21); A fixing assembly (32) is arranged at the end of the extension assembly (31) away from the first mounting structure (21) and perpendicular to the extension direction of the extension assembly (31), and comprises a fixing end (33). A second driving assembly (34) connected with the main controller, comprising a second mounting end for mounting the second driving assembly (34) inside the first mounting structure (21), and a second driving end (35) opposite to the fixed end (33) for pushing along the extension direction to clamp the box body (10) between the second driving end (35) and the fixed end (33), or retracting along the opposite direction of the extension direction to release the box body (10) from the second driving end (35) and the fixed end (33).

9. A transport system characterized in that, The transport system comprises: a box body loaded with articles to be transported, the box body having at least one opening through which the articles are taken out of or put into the box body; a conveying device for transporting the box body; the clamping device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 for clamping the box body from the conveying device and moving to a designated position.

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