Screw locking device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9358647-B2
Application number	US-201314079772-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2013
Priority date	Nov 19, 2012
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

A screw locking device includes a feeding mechanism, a conveying mechanism, and a pneumatic screw driver. The conveying mechanism includes a base, a pneumatic driver slidably mounted on the base, a pair of blocking members slidably mounted on the base, a conveying bridge, a flexible tube, and a controller. Each blocking member includes a blocking end positioned below the pneumatic driver. The conveying bridge communicates with the feeding mechanism, and extends to the blocking ends. The flexible tube aligned with a gap between the blocking ends, and communicates with the pneumatic screw driver.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A screw locking device, comprising:
a platform;
a feeding mechanism positioned and mounted on the platform, for receiving a plurality of screws;
a conveying mechanism comprising:
a base mounted on the platform,
a pneumatic driver slidably mounted on the base, and perpendicular to the platform, the pneumatic driver defining an air outlet at an end of the pneumatic driver adjacent to the base,
a pair of blocking members mounted on the base, and positioned below the pneumatic driver, each of the pair of blocking members comprising a blocking end adjacent to the other one of the pair of blocking members, and the blocking end being positioned below the air outlet,
a conveying bridge, an end of the conveying bridge communicating with the feeding mechanism, and an opposite end of the conveying bridge extending to the blocking end, the feeding mechanism configured to feed the plurality of screws to the conveying bridge one by one until reaching to the blocking ends, respectively, and
a flexible tube, an end of the flexible tube aligned with the air outlet, and an opposite end of the flexible tube communicating with the pneumatic screw driver;

a robot arm positioned adjacent to the platform;
a sensor positioned on the robot arm, configured to sense a presence of a workpiece and emit a signal;
a pneumatic screw driver positioned on the robot arm; and
a controller positioned besides the robot arm, and electronically connected to the robot arm, the pneumatic screw driver, the pneumatic driver, and the sensor, respectively, when the controller receiving the signal emitted by the sensor, the controller controlling the pneumatic driver to move towards the platform and discharge air from the air outlet, so that the pneumatic driver pushing the pair of blocking members to move away from each other, and the screw on the blocking ends dropping to the pneumatic screw driver through the flexible tube driven by the air discharged from the air outlet, and then the controller controlling the robot arm to move the pneumatic screw driver to the workpiece, and controlling the pneumatic screw driver to lock the screw to the workpiece.

2. The screw locking device of claim 1 , wherein the feeding mechanism defines a feeding opening, the conveying bridge defines a conveying groove, an end of the conveying bridge away from the feeding mechanism is aligned to the blocking ends, an end of the conveying groove communicates with the feeding opening, and an opposite end of the conveying groove aligned with a gap between the blocking ends.

3. The screw locking device of claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a mounting plate substantially perpendicularly positioned on the platform, the pneumatic driver and the pair of blocking members are mounted on the mounting plate.

4. The screw locking device of claim 3 , wherein the conveying mechanism further comprises a guiding rail, the guiding rail comprises a guiding member and a sliding member engaged with the guiding member, the guiding member is mounted on the mounting plate, and is substantially perpendicular to the platform, the pneumatic driver is positioned on the sliding member, so that the pneumatic driver is capable of sliding along the guiding member together with the sliding member.

5. The screw locking device of claim 3 , wherein the conveying mechanism further comprises a fixing block and a conveying tube, the fixing block is mounted on the mounting plate, the conveying tube is positioned on the fixing block, and defines a through hole, the through hole of the conveying tube is aligned to the air outlet, an end of the flexible tube away from the pneumatic driver communicates with the conveying tube.

6. The screw locking device of claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic screw driver defines a screw inlet and an engaging opening communicating with the screw inlet, the screw inlet communicates with the flexible tube.

7. The screw locking device of claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic driver comprises a pair of resisting portions corresponding to the pair of blocking members, each of the pair of blocking members comprises a movable portion at a side thereof adjacent to the corresponding one of the pair of resisting portions, when the pneumatic driver moves towards the platform, the pair of resisting portions resists the corresponding movable portions, so that the pair of blocking members moves away from each other.

8. The screw locking device of claim 7 , wherein the each of the pair of resisting portions comprises an inclined surface inclined towards the air outlet, each of the movable portions comprises an inclined surface corresponding to the inclined surface of the corresponding resisting portion.

9. The screw locking device of claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic driver is a cylinder.

10. The screw locking device of claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic screw driver is a cylinder.

11. A screw locking device, comprising:
a platform;
a feeding mechanism positioned and mounted on the platform, for receiving a plurality of screws;
a conveying mechanism comprising:
a base mounted on the platform,
a pneumatic driver slidably mounted on the base, and perpendicular to the platform,
a pair of blocking members mounted on the base, and positioned below the pneumatic driver, each of the pair of blocking members comprising a blocking end adjacent to the other one of the pair of blocking members, and the blocking end being positioned below the pneumatic driver,
a conveying bridge, an end of the conveying bridge communicating with the feeding mechanism, and an opposite end of the conveying bridge extending to the blocking ends, the feeding mechanism configured to feed the plurality of screws to the conveying bridge one by one until reaching to the blocking ends, and
a flexible tube, an end of the flexible tube aligned with a gap between the blocking ends, and an opposite end of the flexible tube communicating with the pneumatic screw driver;

a mounting member;
a pneumatic screw driver positioned on the mounting member; and
a controller positioned besides the platform, and electronically connected to the pneumatic screw driver and the pneumatic driver, respectively, the controller is capable of controlling the pneumatic driver to move towards the platform, so that the pneumatic driver pushing the pair of blocking members to move away from each other, and the screw on the blocking ends dropping to the pneumatic screw driver through the flexible tube, and then the controller controlling the pneumatic screw driver to lock the screw to the workpiece.

12. The screw locking device of claim 11 , wherein the feeding mechanism defines a feeding opening, the conveying bridge defines a conveying groove, an end of the conveying bridge away from the feeding mechanism is aligned to the blocking ends, an end of the conveying groove communicates with the feeding opening, and an opposite end of the conveying groove aligned with a gap between the blocking ends.

13. The screw locking device of claim 11 , wherein the base comprises a mounting plate substantially perpendicularly positioned on the platform, the pneumatic driver and the pair of blocking members are mounted on the mounting plate.

14. The screw locking device of claim 13 , wherein the conveying mechanism further comprises a guiding rail, the guiding rail comprises a guiding member and a sliding member engaged with the guiding member, the guiding member is mounted on the mounting plate, and is substantially perpendicular to the platform, the pneumatic driver is positioned on the sliding member, so that the pneumatic driver is capable of sliding along the guiding member togeth

Assignees

• Fu Ding Electronical Technology Jiashan Co Ltd
• Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd
• Fu Ding Electronical Technology Jiashan Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lu jin-hua
• Xu da-zhuang
• Wang xue-bing

Classifications

• Y10S901/41

  Tool · CPC title

• Y10S901/02

  Arm motion controller · CPC title

• B23P19/06 Primary

  Screw or nut setting or loosening machines · CPC title

• B23P19/001

  Article feeders for assembling machines (screws or nuts being carried by a disposable strip or disc B25B23/045) · CPC title