Foam affixing mechanism and clamping assembly thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9266284-B2
Application number	US-201313901702-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2013
Priority date	Aug 31, 2012
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

A foam affixing mechanism employed to affix foam to a workpiece, includes a robot arm, a foam supplying assembly and a clamping assembly. The foam supplying assembly is located adjacent to the robot arm to supply foam pieces. The clamping assembly is mounted on the robot arm. The clamping assembly includes a fixing frame, a driving member, a pair of fixing members, and a pair of clamping subassemblies. The driving member is mounted on the fixing frame, the pair of fixing members are fixed to the fixing frame. The clamping subassembly includes a first linking member rotatably connected to the driving member and a second linking member rotatably connected to the first linking member. The second linking member is rotatably connected to the fixing member by a middle portion thereof, the second linking member includes a clamping portion at an end. The present invention further discloses a clamping assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foam affixing mechanism employed to adhere a foam piece to a workpiece, comprising:
a robot arm;
a foam supplying assembly located adjacent to the robot arm to supply the foam piece; and
a clamping assembly mounted on the robot arm, the clamping assembly comprising:
a fixing frame;
a driving member mounted on the fixing frame;
a pair of fixing members fixed to the fixing frame and located at opposite sides of the driving member; and
a pair of clamping subassemblies, each clamping subassembly comprising:
a first linking member rotatably connected to the driving member, and
a second linking member, wherein a first end of the second linking member is rotatably connected to the first linking member, a middle portion of the second linking member is rotatably connected to the fixing member, a clamping portion is formed at a second end of the second linking member away from the first linking member;

when the driving member drives the first linking members to rotate the second linking members in a first direction, each clamping portion moves toward the corresponding fixing member, thus each clamping portion and the corresponding one of the fixing members cooperatively clamp opposite sides of the foam piece;
when the driving member drives the first linking members to rotate the second linking members in a second direction reverse to the first direction, the clamping portions move away from the fixing members to release the foam piece clamped by one clamping portion and the corresponding one fixing member.

2. The foam affixing mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the driving member comprises a main body fixedly received in the fixing frame, and a driving shaft connected to the main body and extending through the fixing frame; the first linking members are rotatably connected to the driving shaft.

3. The foam affixing mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the clamping assembly further comprises a U shaped connecting member, a first end of the U shaped connecting member is fixed to the driving shaft, each of opposite sides of a second end of the U shaped connecting member defines a first pivotal hole therein; each first linking member comprises a first pivotal portion formed at an end of the first linking member away from the corresponding second linking member, each first pivotal portion is rotatably connected to the U shaped connecting member via the pair of first pivotal holes.

4. The foam affixing mechanism of claim 3 , wherein the second linking member comprises a second pivotal portion positioned opposite to the clamping portion, the second pivotal portion is rotatably connected to the first linking member.

5. The foam affixing mechanism of claim 4 , wherein the pair of fixing members are arranged at opposite sides of the driving shaft, each fixing member comprises a resisting end formed at a distal end of the corresponding fixing member away from the fixing frame; each resisting end and the corresponding clamping portion of the second linking member cooperatively clamp the foam piece.

6. The foam affixing mechanism of claim 1 , wherein each fixing member comprises a base body fixed to the fixing frame and defining an extending hole therein, and a connecting portion extending from an end of the base body away from the fixing frame; the first linking member extends through the extending hole.

7. The foam affixing mechanism of claim 6 , wherein each fixing member further comprises a pair of extending portions extending from an end of the base body adjacent to the connecting portion, the middle portion of the second linking member is rotatably connected to the pair of extending portions.

8. The foam affixing mechanism of claim 7 , wherein each of the pair of extending portions defines a pivotal hole therein, each second linking member defines a pivotal hole at the middle portion thereof; the clamping assembly further comprises a pair of pivotal members, each pivotal member extends through the pair of pivotal holes of the pair of extending portions and the pivotal hole of the corresponding second linking member to rotatably connect the second linking member with the fixing member.

9. The foam affixing mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the clamping assembly further comprises a resisting member located at ends of the pair of fixing members away from the fixing frame, opposite ends of the resisting member are fixedly connected to the pair of fixing members; the resisting member resists the foam piece to tilt upward at opposite sides, thereby generating a gap below each side of the foam piece for the clamping portion extending therethrough.

10. The foam affixing mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the foam supplying assembly further comprises a supporting member, a fixing bracket mounted on the supporting member, a driving member mounted on the fixing bracket, and a pair of transmission members; opposite ends of each transmission member is connected to the fixing bracket, a gap is generated between the pair of transmission members and the supporting member for the foam piece extending therethrough; the driving member is configured to drive the pair of transmission members to rotate, thereby moving the foam piece relative to the supporting member.

11. The foam affixing mechanism of claim 10 , wherein the pair of transmission members are arranged parallel to each other and below the driving member the foam supplying assembly further comprises a first pulley fixed to the driving member, and a second pulley and a third pulley respectively fixed to the pair of transmission members and driven by the first pulley to rotate.

12. A clamping assembly employed to clamp a foam piece, comprising:
a fixing frame;
a driving member mounted on the fixing frame;
a pair of fixing members fixed to the fixing frame and located at opposite sides of the driving member; and
a pair of clamping subassemblies, each clamping subassembly comprising:
a first linking member rotatably connected to the driving member, and
a second linking member, wherein a first end of the second linking member is rotatably connected to the first linking member, a middle portion of the second linking member is rotatably connected to the fixing member, a clamping portion is formed at a second end of the second linking member away from the first linking member;

when the driving member drives the first linking members to rotate the second linking members in a first direction, each clamping portion moves toward the corresponding fixing member, thus each clamping portion and the corresponding fixing member cooperatively clamp opposite sides of the foam piece;
when the driving member drives the first linking members to rotate the second linking members in a second direction reverse to the first direction, the clamping portions move away from the fixing members to release the foam piece clamped by one clamping portion and the corresponding one fixing member.

13. The clamping assembly of claim 12 , wherein the driving member comprises a main body fixedly received in the fixing frame, and a driving shaft connected to the main body and extending through the fixing frame; the first linking members are rotatably connected to the driving shaft.

14. The clamping assembly of claim 13 , further comprising a U shaped connecting member, wherein a bottom of the U shaped connecting member is fixed to the driving shaft, each of opposite sides of the U shaped connecting member defines a first pivotal hole therein each first linking member comprises a first pivotal portion formed at an end of the first linking member away from the corresponding second linking member, each first pivotal portion is rotatably

Assignees

• Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lu Jian-Qiang

Classifications

• B25J15/022

  actuated by articulated links · CPC title

• B29C66/727

  being porous, e.g. foam · CPC title

• B25J15/0052

  multiple gripper units or multiple end effectors · CPC title

• B29C66/863

  Robotised, e.g. mounted on a robot arm · CPC title

• B25J15/0028

  with movable, e.g. pivoting gripping jaw surfaces · CPC title