Automatic assembly equipment for steel ball cage machining

Abstract

This application discloses an automated steel ball assembly equipment for ball cage processing, including a worktable, multiple pushing components, a traction component, a position adjustment mechanism, and a clamping device group. A through hole is provided in the center of the worktable. Multiple pushing components are arranged at equal intervals along the circumference of the through hole to form a clamping area. The traction component is installed on the position adjustment mechanism and is used to drive the pushing components to move radially along the through hole, realizing the contraction or expansion of the clamping area. During assembly, the cage is first loaded into the expanded clamping area. The position adjustment mechanism adjusts the pushing components to align with the cage and contracts them for clamping. Then, the drive shaft with a star-shaped sleeve is loaded onto the cage and aligned. Next, each pushing component synchronously pushes the steel ball into the inner raceway of the star-shaped sleeve. Finally, the bell-shaped shell is loaded from below the through hole, completing the assembly. This application achieves fully automated synchronous assembly of steel balls for the ball cage, improving assembly efficiency and consistency, and avoiding part damage and safety issues caused by manual operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automotive parts processing technology, and in particular to an automated steel ball assembly equipment for ball cage processing. Background Technology

[0002] The constant velocity joint (CV joint), commonly known as a "ball cage," is a key component in modern automotive transmission systems. Its main function is to transmit torque while allowing angular and axial displacement between the drive wheels and the gearbox. The core working element of the CV joint consists of several precision steel balls. These balls are installed within windows in the cage and roll along the raceways of the star-shaped sleeve and the bell-shaped housing, thereby achieving large-angle, high-efficiency universal joint transmission.

[0003] In the assembly process of the ball cage, the precise installation of steel balls is a core process that determines the product's performance and lifespan. The steel balls need to be accurately installed into the closed chamber formed by the cage and inner and outer raceways in sequence and at specific angles. Under current technological conditions, this assembly step is generally carried out manually; operators must manually fill the cage windows one by one with the steel balls and push them into the predetermined raceway positions with the help of auxiliary clamps or tapping. This process requires a high level of skill, concentration, and physical strength from the operator. However, the manual assembly method has significant technical bottlenecks and drawbacks:

[0004] (1) Low level of automation and limited production efficiency: manual assembly is slow and it is difficult to form a continuous flow production with upstream and downstream automated equipment (such as pretreatment cleaning line, grease injection machine, assembly test line), which becomes the "efficiency bottleneck" of the ball cage assembly line.

[0005] (2) Poor assembly quality consistency: The placement, sequence and applied thrust of the steel balls are entirely dependent on human experience, which can easily lead to defects such as missing, misaligned or incomplete installation of steel balls, resulting in abnormal noise, jamming or even premature failure when the ball cage is in operation.

[0006] (3) Damage to parts: When the steel ball is forcibly pushed in manually with the help of tools, the force and angle are uncontrollable, which can easily scratch the inner wall of the retainer window hole or the surface of the raceway, damage the surface hardness and smoothness of the parts, and reduce the product qualification rate.

[0007] (4) High labor intensity and safety hazards: Under high-speed production, repeated manual assembly of steel balls will cause finger fatigue and joint damage to the operator; at the same time, the steel balls may fly out during the squeezing process, causing personal injury.

[0008] Therefore, developing a device and method that can replace manual labor and achieve stable, efficient, and non-destructive automatic assembly of steel balls in automotive CV joints is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0009] One objective of this application is to provide an automated steel ball assembly device for ball cage processing that can solve at least one of the defects in the aforementioned background art.

[0010] To achieve at least one of the above objectives, the technical solution adopted in this application is as follows: an automated steel ball assembly equipment for ball cage processing, comprising a worktable, multiple pushing components, a traction component, a position adjustment mechanism, and a clamping device group; a through hole is provided in the middle of the worktable, and the position adjustment mechanism is installed on the worktable; multiple pushing components are installed on the position adjustment mechanism for feeding steel balls; the multiple pushing components are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the through hole, thereby forming a clamping area corresponding to the through hole; the traction component is installed on the position adjustment mechanism to drive the pushing components to move radially along the through hole, thereby contracting or expanding the clamping area; the clamping device group is respectively used for feeding the cage, bell-shaped shell, and drive shaft with star-shaped sleeve; during assembly, the package... The process includes a first process, a second process, a third process, and a fourth process performed sequentially. The first process involves: loading the cage into the unfolded clamping area; based on the positional relationship between the cage and the pushing assembly, the position adjustment mechanism adjusts the circumferential position of the pushing assembly so that each pushing assembly is aligned with the cage, and then clamping the cage by contracting the clamping area. The second process involves: loading the drive shaft above the cage so that the star-shaped sleeve extends into the cage and is aligned. The third process involves: each pushing assembly simultaneously loading the steel ball into the inner raceway of the star-shaped sleeve. The fourth process involves: loading the bell-shaped shell upwards from below the through hole so that the bell-shaped shell engages with the cage and the star-shaped sleeve after the steel ball assembly is completed.

[0011] Preferably, the pushing assembly includes a positioning plate, a blocking assembly, and a feeding device; the positioning plate is slidably mounted on the position adjustment mechanism along the radial direction of the through hole, and the positioning plate is provided with a feeding groove parallel to the sliding direction; a placement groove for placing steel balls is provided on one side of the middle part of the feeding groove, and the bottom of the placement groove is inclined so that the steel balls roll into the feeding groove under the action of gravity; the blocking assembly is provided on the other side of the feeding groove opposite to the placement groove, and the blocking assembly is adapted to limit the steel balls entering the feeding groove so that the steel balls are positioned in the feeding groove; the feeding device is mounted on the positioning plate and is used to push the steel balls limited by the blocking assembly along the feeding groove into the inner raceway of the star-shaped sleeve during the execution of the third process.

[0012] Preferably, the feeding trough is provided with a sliding groove on the other side of the placement trough; the material blocking assembly includes a pressure block and a spring; the pressure block is slidably installed on the outside of the sliding groove and partially extends into the feeding trough; the spring is installed on the inside of the sliding groove, and the two ends of the spring abut against the pressure block and the bottom of the sliding groove, respectively; when the steel ball in the placement trough rolls into the feeding trough, the pressure block abuts against the steel ball under the elastic force of the spring, so that the steel ball is partially located in the placement trough and abuts against the next steel ball; when the third process is performed, the feeding device is adapted to drive the pressure block to slide inward along the sliding groove, so that the steel ball squeezed by the pressure block is completely located in the feeding trough.

[0013] Preferably, the feeding device includes a push block and a first rotating device; the push block is slidably installed on the feeding groove, and a wedge-shaped surface is provided on one side of the front end of the push block for pressing and engaging with the pressure block; the first rotating device is fixedly installed on the positioning plate and connected to the push block through a crank-connecting rod mechanism, so that the push block reciprocates along the feeding groove under the drive of the first rotating device, thereby feeding the steel balls.

[0014] Preferably, each of the pushing components is surrounded by the front end of the positioning plate to form the clamping area, and a clearance groove is provided on the lower side of the front end of the positioning plate; when the positioning plate closes to the clamping area to clamp the cage, each of the positioning plates forms a clearance area for the bell-shaped shell port to extend into through the clearance groove, and the cage portion is located within the clearance area; when the fourth process is performed, when the bell-shaped shell extends into the clearance area through the port, the cage, the star-shaped sleeve, and the assembled steel ball portion are located within the bell-shaped shell.

[0015] Preferably, the traction assembly includes a gear ring and a second rotating device; the gear ring is rotatably mounted on the position adjustment mechanism, and the gear ring is concentric with the through hole; the gear ring and the positioning plates corresponding to each of the pushing assemblies are engaged through a traction structure; the second rotating device is fixedly arranged and meshes with the gear ring through a first gear installed at its output end; during the execution of the first process, the gear ring rotates under the drive of the second rotating device, and then synchronously drives each of the positioning plates to slide radially along the through hole through the traction structure, so that the clamping area contracts to clamp the retainer.

[0016] Preferably, the traction assembly further includes multiple traction plates, and the positioning plate corresponding to each of the pushing assemblies is hinged to the gear ring through the traction plate to form the traction structure; when the gear ring rotates, the traction plate is adapted to pull the positioning plate to slide along the radial direction of the through hole.

[0017] Preferably, the positioning plate is elastically slidably installed with the position adjustment mechanism, and the positioning plate is provided with a mating part; the inner side of the gear ring is provided with a plurality of arc-shaped protrusions along the circumferential direction, and the gear ring engages with the mating parts on each of the positioning plates through the protrusions to form the traction structure.

[0018] Preferably, the position adjustment mechanism includes a placement tray and an adjustment device; the placement tray is rotatably mounted on the worktable, and a central hole penetrating the through hole is provided at the center of the placement tray; the pushing assembly and the traction assembly are both mounted on the placement tray; the adjustment device is mounted on the worktable and is used to drive the placement tray to rotate; when the first process is executed, based on the relative positional relationship between the retainer and the pushing assembly obtained by vision, the adjustment device drives the placement tray to rotate by a corresponding angle.

[0019] Preferably, the outer side of the placement tray is provided with gear teeth; the adjustment device adopts a third rotating device, which meshes with the gear teeth of the placement tray through a second gear installed at the output end, thereby driving the placement tray to rotate.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows:

[0021] (1) This application automatically completes the sequential feeding of the cage, drive shaft (including star sleeve) and bell shell through the clamping device group, and pushes the steel balls synchronously with the pusher component, replacing the traditional manual filling of steel balls one by one. It can be seamlessly connected with upstream and downstream equipment and effectively improve the assembly efficiency of the ball cage.

[0022] (2) This application uses a position adjustment mechanism to adjust the circumferential position of the pusher assembly so that each pusher assembly is precisely aligned with the cage. Then, the traction assembly drives all pusher assemblies to move radially synchronously, so as to push the steel balls at equal angles, with equal thrust, and synchronously. This fundamentally avoids defects such as omissions, misalignments, or incomplete loading that are easy to occur in manual operation, and significantly improves the circumferential uniformity of steel ball distribution and assembly consistency.

[0023] (3) This application adopts a pushing method in which the steel ball is smoothly pushed into the inner raceway of the star-shaped sleeve by the pushing component along the feeding groove, which replaces the manual method of forcibly pushing it in with the help of tools. The angle, force and stroke of the steel ball are precisely controlled by the mechanical structure, which avoids scratching the cage window hole or raceway surface, effectively protects the surface hardness and smoothness of the parts, and improves the product qualification rate.

[0024] (4) The entire assembly process of this application is completed automatically by the equipment, without the need for operators to manually fill and strike the steel balls, which completely eliminates problems such as finger fatigue and joint damage caused by repetitive manual operations, while avoiding the safety risk of the steel balls accidentally flying out during the extrusion process, and improving the production working environment. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this application.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperation structure between the feeding mechanism and the position adjustment mechanism in this application.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the pusher assembly in this application. Figure 1 .

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the pusher assembly in this application. Figure 2 .

[0029] Figure 5 This is a partial structural diagram of the pressure block in this application for squeezing and limiting the steel ball.

[0030] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding assembly in this application in a spread-out state on the placement tray.

[0031] Figure 7 This is a partial structural diagram of the cage placed in the clamping area formed by the pusher assembly in this application.

[0032] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the pusher assembly clamps the cage in this application.

[0033] Figure 9 This is a partial structural diagram of the drive shaft in this application, showing the star-shaped sleeve extending into the cage.

[0034] Figure 10 This is a partial structural diagram of the feeding assembly of this application, in which steel balls are fed into the star-shaped sleeve.

[0035] In the diagram: drive shaft 01, bell-shaped housing 02, star-shaped sleeve 03, cage 04, steel ball 05, first clamping device 101, second clamping device 102, third clamping device 103, worktable 200, feeding mechanism 3, clamping area 300, pushing assembly 31, positioning plate 311, feeding groove 3110, placement groove 3111, pressure block 3112, spring 3113, clearance groove 3114, first rotating device 312, pushing block 313, traction assembly 32, second rotating device 321, first gear 3211, gear ring 322, traction plate 323, position adjustment mechanism 4, through hole 400, placement plate 41, gear tooth 411, slide rail 412, third rotating device 42, second gear 421. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The present application will now be further described in conjunction with specific embodiments. It should be noted that, in the description of this specification, the use of terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicates that the specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms should not be construed as necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification.

[0037] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center", "lateral", "longitudinal", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., which indicate the orientation and positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and should not be construed as limiting the specific protection scope of this application.

[0038] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0039] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0040] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0041] The terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification and claims of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, for example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such process, method, product, or device.

[0042] One preferred embodiment of this application, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, an automated steel ball assembly equipment for steel ball cage processing includes a worktable 200, a feeding mechanism 3, a position adjustment mechanism 4, and a group of clamping devices. The worktable 200 serves as the base of the entire equipment, with a through-hole 400 in its center, providing a vertical channel for the assembly of various components. The position adjustment mechanism 4 is mounted on the worktable 200 to compensate for circumferential positional errors in the incoming material. The feeding mechanism 3 includes multiple pushing components 31 and a traction component 32. The pushing components 31 are mounted on the position adjustment mechanism 4 for feeding steel balls 05. The multiple pushing components 31 are arranged at equal intervals along the circumference of the through-hole 400, so that the front ends of the multiple pushing components 31 can close together to form a clamping area 300 corresponding to the through-hole 400. The traction component 32 is mounted on the position adjustment mechanism 4 to drive the pushing components 31 to move radially along the through-hole 400, thereby contracting or expanding the clamping area 300. A group of clamping devices is installed on the side of the worktable 200, including a first clamping device 101, a second clamping device 102, and a third clamping device 103. The first clamping device 101 is used to feed the drive shaft 01, on which the star-shaped sleeve 03 is mounted, to the top of the through hole 400; the second clamping device 102 is used to feed the bell-shaped shell 02 to the bottom of the through hole 400; and the third clamping device 103 is used to feed the retainer 04 into the clamping area 300. The specific structure and working principle of the first clamping device 101, the second clamping device 102, and the third clamping device 103 are well known to those skilled in the art, and therefore will not be described in detail here.

[0043] When the automated steel ball assembly equipment of this application is used for assembly, it includes a first process, a second process, a third process and a fourth process performed in sequence, which will be described in detail below.

[0044] The first process involves centering and clamping the retainer 04: the third clamping device 103 first loads the retainer 04 into the clamping area 300, which is in the unfolded state. At this time, due to the positioning error of the upstream process, there may be an angular deviation in the circumferential direction between the window of the retainer 04 and each pusher assembly 31. The relative positional relationship between the retainer 04 and the pusher assembly 31 can be collected by a vision system (such as a CCD camera). The position adjustment mechanism 4 drives all the pusher assemblies 31 to rotate as a whole by a correction angle according to the feedback signal, so that each pusher assembly 31 is precisely aligned with the corresponding window of the retainer 04. Subsequently, the traction assembly 32 drives the clamping area 300 to retract, and the front end of each pusher assembly 31 clamps the retainer 04 evenly from the outer periphery, completing the centering and fixing.

[0045] The second process is used to align the star-shaped sleeve 03: the first clamping device 101 vertically feeds the drive shaft 01, on which the star-shaped sleeve 03 is mounted, from above, so that the lower end of the star-shaped sleeve 03 extends into the fixed cage 04; if there is a circumferential angular deviation between the outer raceway of the star-shaped sleeve 03 and the window hole of the cage 04, the position can also be acquired by the vision system, and then the position adjustment mechanism 4 drives the pusher assembly 31 and the fixed cage 04 to rotate synchronously by a correction angle to complete the circumferential alignment, ensuring that the outer raceway of the star-shaped sleeve 03 and the window hole of the cage 04 correspond radially.

[0046] The third process involves the synchronous pushing of the steel balls 05: After all pre-positioning is completed, each pushing component 31 operates synchronously, pushing the steel balls 05 pre-stored inside them radially along the through hole 400 into the receiving cavity between the outer raceway of the star-shaped sleeve 03 and the window hole of the cage 04. Since all pushing components 31 use the same drive source and transmission path, the depth, speed, and thrust of each steel ball 05 are completely consistent, thus ensuring the uniformity of the steel ball 05 assembly.

[0047] The fourth process, for the final assembly of the bell-shaped shell 02: The second clamping device 102 feeds the bell-shaped shell 02 from below the through hole 400 upwards. The port of the bell-shaped shell 02 is inserted upwards into the outside of the already assembled steel ball 05 retainer 04 and star-shaped sleeve 03, finally completing the assembly of the entire ball cage assembly. The bottom feeding method avoids structural interference between the bell-shaped shell 02 and the upper pushing assembly 31.

[0048] Understandably, compared to the traditional manual method, this application automatically completes the sequential feeding of the cage 04, drive shaft 01 (including star sleeve 03) and bell shell 02 through a group of clamping devices, and simultaneously pushes the steel balls 05 with the pusher assembly 31, replacing the traditional manual method of filling the steel balls 05 one by one. It can be seamlessly connected with upstream and downstream equipment and effectively improve the assembly efficiency of the ball cage.

[0049] At the same time, the position adjustment mechanism 4 is used to adjust the circumferential position of the pushing component 31 so that each pushing component 31 is precisely aligned with the retainer 04. Then, the traction component 32 drives all pushing components 31 to move radially synchronously, so as to push the steel ball 05 at the same angle, with the same thrust, and synchronously. This fundamentally avoids defects such as omission, misalignment or incomplete installation that are easy to occur in manual operation, and significantly improves the circumferential uniformity of the steel ball 05 distribution and the assembly consistency.

[0050] Meanwhile, the pusher assembly 31 smoothly pushes the steel ball 05 into the inner raceway of the star-shaped sleeve 03 along the feeding groove 3110, replacing the manual method of forcibly pushing it in with tools. The angle, force and stroke of the steel ball 05 are precisely controlled by the mechanical structure, avoiding scratches on the window hole of the cage 04 or the surface of the raceway, effectively protecting the surface hardness and smoothness of the parts, and improving the product qualification rate.

[0051] The entire assembly process is completed automatically by the equipment, eliminating the need for operators to manually fill and strike the steel balls 05. This completely eliminates problems such as finger fatigue and joint damage caused by repetitive manual operations, while also avoiding the safety risk of the steel balls 05 accidentally flying out during the extrusion process, thus improving the production working environment.

[0052] There are various specific structures for the position adjustment mechanism 4 that can achieve the above functions. In one specific embodiment, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the position adjustment mechanism 4 includes a placement tray 41 and an adjustment device. The placement tray 41 is rotatably mounted on the worktable 200 via bearings, and its center is also provided with a central hole aligned with the through hole 400 of the worktable 200 to ensure unobstructed vertical passage. All the pushing components 31 and traction components 32 are integrally mounted on the placement tray 41, meaning they can rotate together with the placement tray 41. The adjustment device is fixedly mounted on the worktable 200 and is used to drive the placement tray 41 to rotate.

[0053] It is understandable that there are various specific structures for the adjusting device that can drive the placement plate 41 to rotate. For ease of understanding, a specific example will be explained in detail below. Specifically, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the outer side of the placement disk 41 is provided with gear teeth 411; the adjustment device adopts a third rotating device 42, which meshes with the gear teeth 411 of the placement disk 41 through a second gear 421 installed at its output end, thereby driving the placement disk 41 to rotate. The specific structure and working principle of the third rotating device 42 are common knowledge to those skilled in the art. Common third rotating devices 42 include motors, rotary cylinders, and rotary hydraulic cylinders.

[0054] Based on the specific structure of the aforementioned position adjustment mechanism 4, during the first process, after the retainer 04 is conveyed into the clamping area 300, the vision system (such as an industrial camera located above the through hole 400) acquires an image of the window position of the retainer 04 and compares it with the preset reference position of the pusher assembly 31 to calculate the circumferential deviation angle. The control system issues a command based on this deviation, driving the third rotating device 42 to rotate. Through the second gear 421, the placement disk 41 (and all the pusher assemblies 31 and traction assemblies 32 on it) rotates through the corresponding angle until the front end of each pusher assembly 31 is precisely aligned with each window of the retainer 04. The position adjustment mechanism 4 can adaptively compensate for circumferential errors caused by upstream processes or incoming material positioning, reducing the positioning accuracy requirements of the preceding workstations and improving the overall assembly's fault tolerance.

[0055] There are various specific structures for the pusher assembly 31 that can achieve the above functions. In one specific embodiment, such as... Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the feeding assembly 31 includes a positioning plate 311, a baffle assembly, and a feeding device. The positioning plate 311 is slidably mounted on a slide rail 412 on a placement plate 41 along the radial direction of the through hole 400. The positioning plate 311 has a feeding groove 3110 parallel to its sliding direction, and the width of the groove is slightly larger than the diameter of the steel ball 05. A placement groove 3111 for temporarily storing multiple steel balls 05 is provided on one side of the middle of the feeding groove 3110 (perpendicular to the extending direction of the feeding groove 3110). The bottom of the placement groove 3111 is designed to slope downward toward the feeding groove 3110, so that the steel balls 05 automatically roll toward the feeding groove 3110 under the action of gravity. The baffle assembly is located on the other side of the feeding trough 3110 opposite to the placement trough 3111. The baffle assembly can limit the steel ball 05 entering the feeding trough 3110, so that the steel ball 05 is positioned inside the feeding trough 3110. The feeding device is installed on the positioning plate 311 and is used to push the steel ball 05, which is limited by the baffle assembly, along the feeding trough 3110 into the inner raceway of the star sleeve 03 during the execution of the third process.

[0056] There are various specific structures for the material stop assembly that can achieve the above functions. In a specific example, such as Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the feeding trough 3110 has a chute on the other side of the placement trough 3111; the material blocking assembly includes a pressure block 3112 and a spring 3113; the pressure block 3112 is slidably installed on the outside of the chute, and its front end (the end facing the steel ball) has an arc surface or a slope; the pressure block 3112 extends into the feeding trough 3110. The spring 3113 is installed on the inside of the chute, and both ends of the spring 3113 abut against the pressure block 3112 and the bottom of the chute respectively; that is, one end of the spring 3113 abuts against the rear end of the pressure block 3112, and the other end abuts against the bottom of the chute, always providing the pressure block 3112 with a preload towards the feeding trough 3110.

[0057] Specifically, when the foremost steel ball 05 in the placement groove 3111 rolls into the feeding groove 3110 under gravity, it comes into contact with the pressure block 3112. Under the elastic force of the spring 3113, the pressure block 3112 squeezes about 1 / 5 to 1 / 3 of the diameter of the steel ball 05 out of the feeding groove 3110, leaving part of it still at the outlet of the placement groove 3111. This prevents the steel ball 05 from falling completely and ensures it is reliably stopped by the pressure block 3112. Simultaneously, the second steel ball 05 behind it is blocked and cannot continue forward, thus achieving the separation and waiting of a single steel ball. When the third process is performed, the feeding device can push the pressure block 3112 to overcome the elastic force of the spring 3113 and slide it into the chute. After the pressure block 3112 retracts, its radial squeezing effect on the steel ball 05 disappears, and the steel ball 05 falls completely into the feeding groove 3110, becoming pushable.

[0058] It should be noted that the steel balls 05 can be fed by an external automatic feeding system. The external automatic feeding system may include a holding bin for holding a large number of steel balls 05. At the same time, the holding bin can be divided into multiple flexible feeding pipes that are connected and aligned with the placement slots 3111 on each positioning plate 31. Thus, after the steel balls 05 in the placement slots 3111 are unloaded, the steel balls 05 in the holding bin can roll down into the placement slots 3111 through the feeding pipes to replenish them.

[0059] There are various specific structures for feeding devices that can achieve the above functions. In a specific example, such as Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the feeding device includes a pusher block 313 and a first rotating device 312. The pusher block 313 is slidably installed in the feeding groove 3110. A wedge-shaped surface is provided on one side of the front end of the pusher block 313 (the end facing the center of the through hole 400), which forms a wedge-shaped pressing fit with the side wall of the pressure block 3112. The first rotating device 312 is fixedly installed on the positioning plate 311, and its output end is connected to the pusher block 313 through a crank-connecting rod mechanism to form a crank-slider mechanism. When the first rotating device 312 rotates, the crank-connecting rod mechanism drives the pusher block 313 to reciprocate linearly along the feeding groove 3110, thereby feeding the steel ball 05.

[0060] Specifically, when the first rotating device 312 drives the pusher block 313 to move forward (in the centripetal direction), the wedge-shaped surface at the front end of the pusher block 313 first contacts and presses against the side wall of the pressure block 3112, forcing the pressure block 3112 to slide inward along the groove (i.e., retract), releasing the steel ball 05 that it has pressed. Then, the front end face of the pusher block 313 contacts the steel ball 05 and continues to push the steel ball 05 forward, causing it to roll along the feeding groove 3110, and finally be pushed out of the front end of the positioning plate 311, passing through the window of the retainer 04 and falling into the outer raceway of the star-shaped sleeve 03. After the feeding is completed, the first rotating device 312 reverses and drives the pusher block 313 to move backward and reset. The pressure block 3112 extends back to its initial position under the elastic force of the spring 3113. At the same time, the next steel ball 05 in the placement groove 3111 rolls into place under the action of gravity and is again limited by the pressure block 3112, completing the next feeding cycle.

[0061] It should be noted that the specific structure and working principle of the first rotating device 312 are common knowledge to those skilled in the art; of course, the drive of the feeding device to the push block 313 can also be achieved directly by a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder; however, considering that cylinders and hydraulic cylinders require an external pressure source, the first rotating device 312 is used in this embodiment, and a motor can be selected.

[0062] It should be understood that the final assembly of the ball cage assembly requires the bell-shaped shell 02 to be fitted over the cage 04 and star-shaped sleeve 03, which already contain the steel balls 05. In the technical solution of this application, during the final assembly of the ball cage, the steel balls 05 are pushed into the raceway of the star-shaped sleeve 03 by the pusher assembly 31 before the bell-shaped shell 02 is loaded. At this time, the front end of the positioning plate 311 is still clamping the cage 04. Generally, the positioning plate 311 fully clamps the cage 04 axially, making the lower end face of the cage 04 basically flush with the lower end face of the positioning plate 311. This means that when assembling the bell-shaped shell 02, the positioning plate 311 needs to be released first, that is, the clamping area 300 needs to be unfolded first. This may cause the cage 04 and the steel balls 05 to shift and fall directly, resulting in assembly failure. Therefore, in this embodiment, the positioning plate 311 needs to be structurally improved to ensure stable assembly.

[0063] In a specific embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, each pusher assembly 31 is surrounded by the front end of the positioning plate 311 to form a clamping area 300. The lower side of the front end of the positioning plate 311 is provided with a recessed clearance groove 3114. When the positioning plate 311 closes to the clamping area 300 to clamp the retainer 04, each positioning plate 311 forms a clearance area through the clearance groove 3114 for the bell-shaped shell 02 port to extend into; at this time, part of the retainer 04 is located within the clearance area.

[0064] During the fourth process, the positioning plate 311 maintains clamping on the cage 04, while the pusher assembly 31 also remains in a pushing state, ensuring that the steel ball 05 is stably positioned within the raceway of the star-shaped sleeve 03. At this time, the port of the bell-shaped shell 02 extends upwards into the clearance area, allowing the cage 04, star-shaped sleeve 03, and assembled steel ball 05 to be partially aligned and accommodated within the internal cavity of the bell-shaped shell 02. Subsequently, when the positioning plate 311 is released, the cage 04, star-shaped sleeve 03, and assembled steel ball 05 can smoothly and completely enter the bell-shaped shell 02, ensuring the smooth progress of the assembly process.

[0065] It should be noted that when the clearance groove 3114 is opened, the bottom front end of the feeding groove 3110 will be open. In order to ensure the smooth feeding of the steel ball 05, the width of the opening needs to be smaller than the diameter of the steel ball 05.

[0066] There are various specific structures for the traction component 32 that can achieve the above functions. In one specific embodiment, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the traction assembly 32 includes a gear ring 322, multiple traction plates 323, and a second rotating device 321. The gear ring 322 is rotatably mounted on the placement disk 41 of the position adjustment mechanism 4, and the gear ring 322 is concentric with the through hole 400. Each positioning plate 311 is hinged to the gear ring 322 via a traction plate 323; that is, one end of the traction plate 323 is hinged to a hinge seat provided on the side of the positioning plate 311 near the gear ring 322, and the other end is hinged to a hinge seat provided on the inner side of the gear ring 322. The second rotating device 321 is fixedly installed and meshes with the gear ring 322 via a first gear 3211 installed at its output end. During the execution of the first process, the second rotating device 321 drives the first gear 3211 to rotate, thereby causing the gear ring 322 to rotate. The rotational motion of the gear ring 322 is converted into radial linear motion of the positioning plate 311 by the traction plates 323. When the gear ring 322 rotates clockwise, the traction plate 323 pulls all the positioning plates 311 to move synchronously towards the center to achieve the contraction of the clamping area 300; when it rotates counterclockwise, it pulls all the positioning plates 311 to move synchronously towards the centrifugal center to achieve the expansion of the clamping area 300.

[0067] In another specific embodiment, the traction assembly 32 includes a gear ring 322 and a second rotating device 321. The gear ring 322 is rotatably mounted on the placement disk 41 of the position adjustment mechanism 4, and the gear ring 322 is concentric with the through hole 400; the inner side of the gear ring 322 is evenly provided with a plurality of arc-shaped protrusions (i.e., cam profiles) along the circumferential direction. Each positioning plate 311 is elastically slidably mounted to the placement disk 41 by a spring, and each positioning plate 311 has an arc-shaped protrusion mating part on the side near the gear ring 322. The second rotating device 321 is fixedly mounted and meshes with the gear ring 322 through a first gear 3211 mounted at the output end. During the execution of the first process, the second rotating device 321 drives the first gear 3211 to rotate, thereby driving the gear ring 322 to rotate. When the gear ring 322 rotates, these protrusions engage with the mating parts on each positioning plate 311 via cams; thus, when the protrusions rotate to the mating parts at their larger radial heights, they push all the positioning plates 311 to move synchronously towards the center to achieve the contraction of the clamping area 300; when the protrusions rotate to the mating parts at their smaller radial heights, all the positioning plates 311 move synchronously towards the centrifugal under the action of spring force to achieve the expansion of the clamping area 300.

[0068] It is understood that the specific structure and working principle of the second rotating device 321 are common knowledge to those skilled in the art. Common second rotating devices 321 include motors, rotary cylinders, and rotary hydraulic cylinders.

[0069] It should be noted that the second rotating device 321 can be fixedly installed on the placement tray 41 or on the worktable 200. When the second rotating device 321 is installed on the worktable 200, when the third rotating device 421 corresponding to the position adjustment mechanism 4 drives the placement tray 41 to rotate, in order to ensure that the clamping area 300 is in the unfolded position, the second rotating device 321 needs to drive the gear ring 322 to rotate in the same direction.

[0070] For ease of understanding, the specific working process of the technical solution of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0071] Initially, such as Figure 6 As shown, at this time, the radial distance between each positioning plate 311 and the through hole 400 is the largest, so that the clamping area 300 is in the unfolded state. The placement groove 3111 of each pushing component 31 has been pre-filled with steel balls 05 by the vibrating plate or automatic feeding system, and the steel ball 05 at the front end is limited to the waiting position by the pressure block 3112.

[0072] When executing the first process, such as Figure 7As shown, the third clamping device 103 clamps the retainer 04 from the inside into the unfolded clamping area 300. At this time, the vision system can acquire an image, obtaining an angle α between the circumferential angle between the window of the retainer 04 and the loading slot 3110 on the nearest positioning plate 311. Then, the system can control the third rotating device 42 to drive the placement tray 41 to rotate by an angle α, so that the window of the retainer 04 is aligned with the corresponding loading slot 3110 on the positioning plate 311. Subsequently, as... Figure 8 As shown, the second rotating device 321 drives the gear ring 322 to rotate through the first gear 3211, and then the gear ring 322 drives the positioning plate 311 to move centripetally through the traction plate 323, so as to clamp the cage 04.

[0073] When performing the second process, such as Figure 9 As shown, the first clamping device 101 lowers the drive shaft 01 with the star-shaped sleeve 03 vertically, so that the star-shaped sleeve 03 extends into the cage 04 and completes circumferential alignment (the alignment method is the same as the first process).

[0074] When performing the third process, such as Figure 10 As shown, the first rotating device 312 of each pushing assembly 31 starts synchronously, driving the pusher block 313 to move forward. The pusher block 313 first pushes the pressure block 3112 through the wedge surface to release the steel ball 05, and then pushes the steel ball 05 through the window hole of the retainer 04 along the feeding groove 3110 into the outer raceway of the star sleeve 03, so that all the steel balls 05 are in place synchronously.

[0075] During the fourth process, the pushing assembly 31 remains in the pushing state. At this time, the second clamping device 102 pushes the bell-shaped shell 02 upward from below the worktable 200 through the through hole 400. The port of the bell-shaped shell 02 passes through the clearance area formed by the clearance groove 3114 on the lower side of the positioning plate 311, and is assembled with the retainer 04 and star-shaped sleeve 03, which are already equipped with steel balls 05. Subsequently, the pushing assembly 31 retracts, and the positioning plate 311 also moves centrifugally in sync. The bell-shaped shell 02 continues to move upward and / or the drive shaft 01 moves downward until the final assembly is completed.

[0076] The basic principles, main features, and advantages of this application have been described above. Those skilled in the art should understand that this application is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely the principles of this application. Various changes and modifications can be made to this application without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claims. The scope of protection claimed by this application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An automated steel ball assembly equipment for ball cage processing, characterized in that, include: Workbench; A through hole is provided in the middle of the workbench; Position adjustment mechanism; the position adjustment mechanism is mounted on the worktable; Multiple feeding components; the multiple feeding components are installed on the position adjustment mechanism for feeding steel balls; the multiple feeding components are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the through hole, thereby forming a clamping area corresponding to the through hole; A traction assembly; the traction assembly is mounted on the position adjustment mechanism to drive the pusher assembly to move radially along the through hole, thereby contracting or expanding the clamping area; and A group of clamping devices; the group of clamping devices is used to feed the cage, the bell-shaped shell and the drive shaft with the star-shaped sleeve installed; The assembly process includes a first process, a second process, a third process, and a fourth process performed sequentially. The first process is as follows: the retainer is loaded into the unfolded clamping area, and based on the positional relationship between the retainer and the pushing component, the position adjustment mechanism adjusts the circumferential position of the pushing component so that each pushing component is aligned with the position of the retainer, and then the retainer is clamped by the contraction of the clamping area. The second process is as follows: the drive shaft is loaded onto the top of the cage, so that the star-shaped sleeve extends into the cage and is aligned; The third process is as follows: each of the aforementioned pushing components simultaneously feeds the steel balls into the inner raceway of the star-shaped sleeve; The fourth process is as follows: the bell-shaped shell is fed upward from below the through hole, so that the bell-shaped shell cooperates with the cage and the star-shaped sleeve after the steel ball assembly is completed.

2. The automated steel ball assembly equipment for ball cage processing as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding assembly includes: Positioning plate; the positioning plate is slidably mounted on the position adjustment mechanism along the radial direction of the through hole, and the positioning plate is provided with a feeding groove parallel to the sliding direction; a placement groove for placing steel balls is provided on one side of the middle part of the feeding groove, and the bottom of the placement groove is inclined so that the steel balls roll into the feeding groove under the action of gravity. A material-stopping assembly; the material-stopping assembly is disposed on the opposite side of the feeding trough relative to the placement trough, the material-stopping assembly being adapted to limit the steel ball entering the feeding trough, thereby positioning the steel ball within the feeding trough; and A feeding device; the feeding device is installed on the positioning plate and is used to push the steel ball that is limited by the material blocking assembly along the feeding groove into the inner raceway of the star-shaped sleeve during the execution of the third process.

3. The automated steel ball assembly equipment for ball cage processing as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The feeding trough is provided with a sliding groove on the other side relative to the placement trough; the material blocking assembly includes: A pressure block; the pressure block is slidably mounted on the outside of the chute and partially extends into the feeding chute; and A spring; the spring is installed inside the slide groove, and the two ends of the spring abut against the pressure block and the bottom of the slide groove, respectively; when the steel ball in the placement groove rolls into the feeding groove, the pressure block abuts against the steel ball under the elastic force of the spring, so that part of the steel ball is located in the placement groove and abuts against the next steel ball; When the third process is performed, the feeding device is adapted to drive the pressure block to slide inward along the chute, so that the steel ball squeezed by the pressure block is completely located in the feeding chute.

4. The automated steel ball assembly equipment for ball cage processing as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The feeding device includes: Push block; the push block is slidably mounted on the feeding trough, and one side of the front end of the push block is provided with a wedge-shaped surface for pressing and engaging with the pressure block; and The first rotating device is fixedly installed on the positioning plate and connected to the push block through a crank-connecting rod mechanism. The push block slides back and forth along the feeding groove under the drive of the first rotating device, thereby feeding the steel balls.

5. The automated steel ball assembly equipment for ball cage processing as described in claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the pushing components is enclosed by the front end of the positioning plate to form the clamping area, and an avoidance groove is provided on the lower side of the front end of the positioning plate; When the positioning plates close to the clamping area to clamp the cage, each positioning plate forms a clearance area through the clearance groove for the bell-shaped shell port to extend into, and the cage portion is located within the clearance area; During the fourth process, when the bell-shaped shell extends through the port into the clearance area, the cage, the star-shaped sleeve, and the assembled steel ball portion are located inside the bell-shaped shell.

6. The automated steel ball assembly equipment for ball cage processing as described in any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that, The traction assembly includes: Gear ring; the gear ring is rotatably mounted on the position adjustment mechanism, and the gear ring is concentric with the through hole; the gear ring and each of the pushing components cooperate through a traction structure; The second rotating device is fixedly installed and meshes with the gear ring through a first gear installed at its output end. During the first process, the gear ring rotates under the drive of the second rotating device, and then the traction structure synchronously drives each of the positioning plates to slide radially along the through hole, so that the clamping area contracts to clamp the retainer.

7. The automated steel ball assembly equipment for ball cage processing as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The traction assembly further includes multiple traction plates, and the positioning plate corresponding to each of the pushing assemblies is hinged to the gear ring through the traction plate to form the traction structure; when the gear ring rotates, the traction plate is adapted to pull the positioning plate to slide along the radial direction of the through hole.

8. The automated steel ball assembly equipment for ball cage processing as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The positioning plate is elastically slidably installed with the position adjustment mechanism, and the positioning plate is provided with a mating part; the inner side of the gear ring is provided with a plurality of arc-shaped protrusions along the circumferential direction, and the gear ring engages with the mating parts on each of the positioning plates through the protrusions to form the traction structure.

9. The automated steel ball assembly equipment for ball cage processing as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The position adjustment mechanism includes: A placement tray; the placement tray is rotatably mounted on the worktable, and a central hole penetrating the through hole is provided at the center of the placement tray; both the pushing assembly and the traction assembly are mounted on the placement tray; and Adjustment device; the adjustment device is installed on the worktable and is used to drive the placement tray to rotate; When the first process is executed, based on the relative positional relationship between the holder and the pusher assembly obtained by vision, the adjustment device drives the placement tray to rotate at a corresponding angle.

10. The automated steel ball assembly equipment for ball cage processing as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The outer side of the placement tray is provided with gear teeth; the adjustment device adopts a third rotating device, which meshes with the gear teeth of the placement tray through a second gear installed at the output end, thereby driving the placement tray to rotate.

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