Carbon fiber weaving device and system

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of building construction technology, and specifically discloses a carbon fiber weaving device, including a mechanical arm, a weaving frame and a creel, wherein an end effector is installed on the mechanical arm, the weaving frame is fixed by an aluminum alloy frame bracket, a weaving anchor point is provided on the weaving frame, and a carbon fiber precursor bracket and a resin bathtub are installed on the creel. The carbon fiber weaving device can conveniently realize the weaving of carbon fiber finished products of any shape by changing the shape of the weaving frame and the orientation of the creel, combined with the weaving program. Due to the operation of the mechanical arm, the construction quality is guaranteed, the construction efficiency is improved, and rare complex customized carbon fiber products are produced. It is possible to realize the weaving of carbon fiber with complex curved surface shapes to form building load-bearing components or building decorative components, and the carbon fiber finished product has the characteristics of light structure, high strength, and convenient installation and transportation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of building construction, and in particular to a carbon fiber weaving device and system. Background Art

[0002] As a new type of high-strength material, carbon fiber is widely used in aerospace, shipbuilding and other industries. It is a perfect material for achieving complex shapes and providing ultra-high structural resistance. Although carbon fiber has such good performance, it is rarely used in the construction field, especially in the molding of complex building parts.

[0003] At present, carbon fiber is mostly used in the construction field during structural construction. When the reinforced concrete frame structure does not meet the expected strength after formation, the carbon fiber prepreg process is used to reinforce the bottom beam in a layered manner. Relying on the characteristics of carbon fiber prepreg that can fit any shape, no matter what shape the bottom beam is, it can be perfectly applied and reinforced.

[0004] Unfortunately, this process wastes the super plasticity of carbon fiber itself. Carbon fiber itself should be more suitable for the molding of complex shapes, and further, after molding, carbon fiber can provide strong support and load transfer capabilities for itself and other components.

[0005] Due to the high cost of carbon fiber mold production and the high heat generation during the curing process, the idea of ​​using carbon fiber as a building structure or decorative component has not been realized. Summary of the invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a carbon fiber weaving device and system to solve the problems raised in the above background technology.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0008] A carbon fiber weaving device comprises a mechanical arm, a weaving frame and a creel, wherein an end effector is installed on the mechanical arm to pull the carbon fiber filaments and wind them onto the weaving frame; the weaving frame is a frame for realizing the target carbon fiber construction form, which is fixed by an aluminum alloy frame bracket, and a weaving anchor point is provided on the weaving frame, which is removed after the carbon fiber is solidified and formed, depending on the design requirements of the building or device; a carbon fiber precursor bracket and a resin bathtub are installed on the creel, wherein the carbon fiber precursor bracket is used to place the carbon fiber precursor, and the resin bathtub is used to add an appropriate amount of resin to the dry carbon fiber precursor;

[0009] A carbon fiber thread positioning ring is installed on the creel to facilitate controlling the path of the carbon fiber thread;

[0010] The carbon fiber weaving device also includes an oven, which consists of an oven frame and an electric heating lamp, and is used to heat the carbon fiber to accelerate the curing process and improve the curing and molding strength of the carbon fiber; the oven frame is installed with an extruded polystyrene insulation board and an angle iron frame; the extruded polystyrene insulation board is used to enclose the oven to provide a stable temperature inside, the angle iron frame is used to support the oven structure, and the electric heating lamp serves as a heating part to provide a heat source for the oven.

[0011] As a further solution of the present invention: the end effector includes a connecting part and a braided component, the connecting part is connected to the braided component, the connecting part is used to connect to the robotic arm, and the braided component includes a catheter bracket and a braided catheter, which is used to pull the carbon fiber filaments and wind them onto the braided frame.

[0012] As a further solution of the present invention: the braided anchor point includes a support screw and an anchor point assembly, the anchor point assembly is arranged at the upper end of the support screw, the anchor point assembly includes a nut, a gasket, a clevis nut and a metal sleeve, and the metal sleeve is sleeved on the support screw.

[0013] As a further solution of the present invention: the carbon fiber precursor support is composed of a stainless steel support, a roller, a 3D printed bearing seat and a reducer. The stainless steel support is fixed to the creel by a T-screw, and the position of the entire carbon fiber precursor roll can be quickly adjusted and replaced; the roller is made into a spring support roller, which can be quickly installed and disassembled. The 3D printed roller is used to fill the gap between the roller and the carbon fiber precursor and provide a rolling axis for the carbon fiber precursor. The reducer is installed on the aluminum profile creel next to the 3D printed bearing seat to provide a deceleration effect for the roller to prevent the carbon fiber precursor from continuing to roll too much without friction when the pulling force of the carbon fiber filament suddenly disappears.

[0014] As a further solution of the present invention: the resin bathtub includes a resin bathtub bracket, a resin container and a filter; the resin bathtub bracket is a stainless steel metal part, and the lock design on it can achieve quick installation and disassembly, and it is simple and convenient to clean; the resin bathtub bracket serves to hang the resin container and is also a filter bracket, and the resin container and the filter are both installed on the resin bathtub bracket.

[0015] As a further solution of the present invention: the filter is composed of a filter roller and a filter pressure rod. The filter roller plays the role of a fixed pulley, changes the conveying direction of the carbon fiber filaments, and shares the tension generated by the pulling of the braided conduit.

[0016] A weaving system based on the carbon fiber weaving device, the weaving system also includes a control system for controlling a mechanical arm to complete carbon fiber weaving construction.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] The carbon fiber weaving device can easily realize the weaving of carbon fiber finished products of any shape by changing the shape of the weaving frame and the orientation of the creel, combined with the weaving program. Due to the operation of the mechanical arm, the construction quality is guaranteed, the construction efficiency is improved, and rare complex customized carbon fiber products are produced. It can realize the weaving of carbon fiber with complex curved surface shapes to form building load-bearing components or building decorative components, and the carbon fiber finished products have the characteristics of light structure, high strength, and easy installation and transportation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the creel in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the resin bathtub in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the end effector in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of the braiding frame in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 6 The figure is a flowchart of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] In the figure: 1-robotic arm; 2-end effector; 3-aluminum alloy frame bracket; 4-braiding anchor point; 5-braiding frame; 6-resin bathtub; 7-carbon fiber raw yarn bracket; 8-yarn rack; 9-carbon fiber yarn positioning ring; 11-3D printed bearing seat; 12-roller; 13-resin bathtub bracket; 14-resin container; 15-filter; 16-catheter bracket; 17-braided catheter; 18-connecting part; 19-support screw; 20-metal sleeve; 21-anchor point assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0028] Example 1

[0029] See also Figures 1 to 5 In an embodiment of the present invention, a carbon fiber weaving device includes a robot arm 1, a weaving frame 5 and a creel 8, wherein the robot arm 1 is provided with an end effector 2 for pulling the carbon fiber filaments and winding them onto the weaving frame 5; the weaving frame 5 is a frame for realizing the target carbon fiber construction form, which is fixed by an aluminum alloy frame bracket 3, and a weaving anchor point 4 is provided on the weaving frame 5, which is removed after the carbon fiber is solidified and formed, depending on the design requirements of the building or device; a carbon fiber precursor bracket 7 and a resin bathtub 6 are installed on the creel 8, wherein the carbon fiber precursor bracket 7 is used to place the carbon fiber precursor, and the resin bathtub 6 is used to add an appropriate amount of resin to the dry carbon fiber precursor.

[0030] Furthermore, the end effector 2 includes a connection portion 18 and a braided component, the connection portion 18 is connected to the braided component, the connection portion 18 is used to connect the robot arm 1, and the braided component includes a catheter support 16 and a braided catheter 17, which are used to pull the carbon fiber filaments and wind them onto the braided frame 5. Figure 4 shown.

[0031] Specifically, the connecting portion 18 is used to be installed and connected with the robot arm 1, and the connection method can be various, such as snap-on, detachable connection, or screw connection, etc. Of course, if the robot arm 1 and the construction device provided by the present invention are supporting equipment, welding and other connection methods can also be used.

[0032] In one embodiment of the present invention, the main body of the braided component is two sections of aluminum profiles, and the two sections of aluminum profiles are connected by a 135° inclination connecting plate. Connecting plates with other inclinations can be used to achieve braiding requirements for different shapes. The braided conduit 17 in the braided component is an aluminum tube, and its main function is to pull and wind the carbon fiber filaments onto the braiding anchor point 4. It is relatively hard, durable and easy to clean. The braided conduit 17 is connected to the aluminum profile through a conduit bracket 16. It has a certain hardness but will undergo elastic deformation when encountering excessive external force. This is to protect other components. Ceramic rings are embedded inside the two ends of the braided conduit 17 to provide smooth chamfers for the carbon fiber filaments passing through the conduit so that they will not be cut by the sharp cutting edge of the aluminum tube.

[0033] As an optimization solution, the aluminum profile body of the woven component can be replaced with a carbon steel square tube. Combined with the angle-adjustable mechanical design, the woven component can have a variety of inclination angles that can be changed according to requirements.

[0034] As a further optimization of this optimization scheme, the braided component can use a customized carbon steel square tube combined with an adjustable inclination mechanical design, combined with a ring screw installation, to replace the braided conduit 17. This can greatly reduce the unit area pressure of the carbon fiber when it passes through the end effector 2. Because the diameter of the ring screw is larger, the contact area of ​​the carbon fiber precursor is larger when it passes over the ring. Under the ideal conditions of the same braiding inclination, the same side pressure, and the same surface friction coefficient, the ring screw generates less friction than the aluminum tube plus ceramic ring solution.

[0035] In the present invention, the braiding frame 5 is the part with the greatest degree of freedom in the present invention, and will change and change according to the target shape. For example, in this embodiment, the target shape is a triangle as a whole, so the braiding frame 5 will be a triangle with accurate size. If the target shape is a cuboid, there will be three pairs of identical rectangular faces, so the braiding frame 5 in this example will be three rectangular faces of different shapes, and a total of 6 identical rectangular faces can be woven.

[0036] In the present invention, the aluminum profile frame of the triangular woven frame 5 has three layers. The three layers of aluminum profiles are connected by customized stainless steel plates, and the gaps between each layer of the aluminum profile frame use customized aluminum profile supports to help stabilize the entire aluminum profile frame and resist overall deformation of the aluminum profile.

[0037] In this embodiment, the braided frame 5 is fixed on the aluminum alloy frame bracket 3 by a customized stainless steel bent plate connector, with U-shaped screws and T-shaped nuts. The U-shaped screws are used to fix the connector and the aluminum alloy frame bracket 3 because their interface is circular; the T-shaped nuts are used to fix the connector and the aluminum profile braided frame 5.

[0038] As an optimization solution for this embodiment, the stainless steel folding plate connector can be made into a quick-replacement part, which makes it more convenient to replace the weaving frame. More than two sets of weaving frames 5 can greatly improve the production efficiency. When one of the unit frames is completed and the carbon fiber is not dry, the next piece is replaced and installed on the aluminum alloy frame bracket 3.

[0039] As an optimization solution of this embodiment, a wire loop can be selectively added to the top of the aluminum alloy frame bracket 3. The wire loop is a round screw, which is fixed on an aluminum profile and located at the highest point of the entire device. Its function is to better prevent the wet carbon fiber filaments from touching the robot arm 1 to reach the end effector 2. Then, the carbon fiber creel 8 can be placed behind the braiding frame 5, bypassing the braiding frame 5 from the highest point on the top to reach the end effector 2 for the braiding task.

[0040] In this embodiment, the braiding anchor 4 is installed on the braiding frame 5. Figure 5As shown, since the surface formed by the aluminum profile braided frame 5 is a plane, and the target braided shape is a three-dimensional triangular cavity, the braiding anchor point 4 on the three-circle aluminum profile braided frame 5 will be raised to three different heights relative to the surface plane based on the frame surface plane. The braiding anchor point 4 includes a support screw 19 and an anchor point assembly 21, which is arranged at the upper end of the support screw 19. The anchor point assembly 21 includes a nut, a gasket, a ram nut and a metal sleeve 20, and the metal sleeve 20 is sleeved on the support screw 19. This effect can be achieved by the cooperation of the support screw 19 and the metal sleeve 20.

[0041] In this embodiment, the three-ring aluminum profile braided frame 5 is at three different heights relative to the frame surface plane. The outer ring is the shortest ring, so the shortest support screw 19 and metal sleeve 20 are used, and the height of the braided anchor point 4 is almost not raised. Therefore, it can be understood that the outermost braided surface is almost close to the aluminum profile frame surface plane; the middle ring is at an intermediate height; and the outer ring is raised to the highest.

[0042] In this embodiment, if Figure 5 As shown, the support screw 19 is a long screw, which is sleeved in the metal sleeve 20. The support screw 19 passes through the aluminum profile horizontally. The nut of the support screw 19 is located at Figure 5 The other side is shown. This design is to enable the end effector 2 to pull the carbon fiber wire to the vicinity of the anchor point and make a wrapping motion. The carbon fiber wire is hung under the horn nut and remains on the anchor point. Among them, the metal sleeve 20 is tightly combined with the carbon fiber wire on the anchor point woven layer by layer, and is retained on the top during the final disassembly, becoming a part of the node. At the same time, the metal sleeve 20 also serves as a connecting component between different woven surfaces.

[0043] In this embodiment, after weaving is completed and the carbon fiber is solidified, it is necessary to loosen the nut on the top of the support screw 19 to release the long screw below, and then pull out the long screw from the other end of the aluminum profile. All the anchor point components 21 originally fixed on the screw will fall off, leaving only the short metal sleeve 20 wrapped with carbon fiber filaments on the top.

[0044] In this embodiment, the metal sleeve 20 is integrated with the braided and wound carbon fiber filaments to serve as a connection with other components. Therefore, the metal sleeve positions on the same side of the two braided surfaces correspond to each other and form a 90° angle. A customized 90° metal connector is used for connection.

[0045] As an optimization solution for this embodiment, the ram's horn nut on the anchor point can be changed to a single-sided metal handle, which is similar to a single ram's horn nut. Such optimization can reduce unnecessary stacking of carbon fiber filaments and their accumulation on the anchor point.

[0046] In the present invention, the main structure of the creel 8 is an aluminum profile frame, and a plurality of carbon fiber precursor brackets 7 are installed on the creel 8 to support the carbon fiber precursor; the carbon fiber precursor is placed in a rolling manner without interfering with each other, and the carbon fiber will not touch each other or other carbon fiber precursor rolls during transportation to the resin bathtub 6. The carbon fiber precursor is the raw material for the carbon fiber weaving product, each roll is 3600 meters long and weighs 6kg. A 1cm wide carbon fiber ribbon is composed of 24,000 carbon fiber filaments.

[0047] In the present invention, the carbon fiber precursor support 7 is composed of a customized stainless steel support, a roller 12, a 3D printed bearing seat 11 and a reducer. The stainless steel support is fixed to the yarn frame 8 by a T-screw, and the position of the entire carbon fiber precursor roll can be quickly adjusted and replaced; the roller 12 is made into a spring support roll, which can be quickly installed and disassembled. The 3D printed roller 12 is used to fill the gap between the roller and the carbon fiber precursor, providing a rolling axis for the carbon fiber precursor. The reducer is installed on the aluminum profile yarn frame 8 on the side of the 3D printed bearing seat 11 to provide a deceleration effect for the roller, so as to prevent the carbon fiber precursor from continuing to roll too much without friction when the pulling force of the carbon fiber suddenly disappears.

[0048] In this embodiment, the reducer uses an elastic pressure rod, and its pressure can be controlled by the internal hexagon socket.

[0049] As an optimization solution of this embodiment, a platform spanning the yarn frame 8 can be specially configured for the reducer, so that the reducer can be fixed more stably and the position acting on the 3D printing component can be more easily controlled.

[0050] In the present invention, Figure 3 As shown, the resin bathtub 6 includes a resin bathtub bracket 13, a resin container 14 and a filter 15; the resin bathtub bracket 13 is a customized stainless steel metal part, and the lock design on it can realize quick installation and disassembly, and it is simple and convenient to clean; the resin bathtub bracket 13 is used to hang the resin container 14, and is also a bracket for the filter 15, and the resin container 14 and the filter 15 are both installed on the resin bathtub bracket 13; a wire ceramic ring is configured inside, and the function is to collect multiple bundles of carbon fiber filaments coming from various directions into one bundle behind the bracket, and then enter the resin container 14; the resin bathtub bracket 13 also has a long arm, and a ceramic ring is fixed at the end of the long arm. The filter 15 consists of two parts, namely a filter roller and a filter pressure rod. The filter roller plays the role of a fixed pulley, changes the conveying direction of the carbon fiber filaments, and shares the tension caused by the traction of the braided catheter 17. The filter pressure rod is composed of two finger-shaped rods, which are obtained by combining pre-embedded mother-and-child screws and a 3D printed mold and casting silicone. Therefore, the filter pressure rod is like a finger, with "bones" inside and "flesh" outside.

[0051] Furthermore, a carbon fiber yarn positioning ring 9 is installed on the creel 8 to facilitate controlling the path of the carbon fiber yarn.

[0052] The carbon fiber weaving device also includes an oven (not shown in the figure), which is composed of an oven frame and an electric heating lamp, and is used to heat the carbon fiber to accelerate the curing process and improve the curing molding strength of the carbon fiber; the oven frame is installed with extruded polystyrene insulation board and angle iron frame; the extruded polystyrene insulation board is used to enclose the oven to provide a stable temperature inside, the angle iron frame is used to support the oven structure, and the electric heating lamp serves as a heating part to provide a heat source for the oven.

[0053] The working principle of the embodiment of the present invention is:

[0054] The dry carbon fiber precursor is pulled by the end effector 2 of the robot arm 1, and is extracted from the precursor roll, passes through the convergence ceramic ring on the resin bathtub bracket 13, and passes downward through the ceramic ring on the bracket long arm soaked in the resin, so that the dry carbon fiber precursor is fully and excessively adhered to the resin. The ceramic ring is immersed in the resin container 14 together with the long arm for a long time. At the same time, this ceramic ring is also the only way for the dry carbon fiber precursor, so the dry carbon fiber precursor will inevitably enter the resin liquid in the resin container 14. Due to the continuous winding of the end effector 2 of the robot arm 1 on the braiding frame 5, the carbon fiber precursor continuously and unidirectionally undergoes this process;

[0055] Because the filter roller is above the long arm, the wet carbon fiber filaments with excessive resin are transported upward. When passing through the filter roller, the support force provided by the roller causes the carbon fiber precursor to be spread out briefly, and the attached resin is spread out evenly, fully wetting the gaps inside the carbon fiber filaments; then, when passing through the filter pressure rod, the carbon fiber is squeezed by the silica gel, and the excessive resin is filtered out, dripped, and returned to the resin container 14, and the wet carbon fiber filaments are directly transported to the end effector 2 of the robot arm 1, and are hung on the anchor point of the braiding frame 5 through the end effector 2. The end effector 2 of the robot arm 1 moves back and forth between the braiding anchor points 4, and the wet carbon fiber filaments are continuously hung on the next anchor point, generating a pulling force on the carbon fiber precursor on the creel 8;

[0056] After the mechanical arm 1 completes the weaving operation, the weaving frame 5 is removed, and after the carbon fiber is solidified, the carbon fiber is removed from the weaving frame 5 to obtain a carbon fiber molded product.

[0057] In this embodiment, the carbon fiber weaving device cooperates with the six-axis robotic arm, and uses anchor point weaving to complete large and complex carbon fiber weaving products, thereby improving weaving accuracy, reducing manual operations, and improving engineering quality.

[0058] The present invention provides a carbon fiber weaving device, which can conveniently realize the weaving of carbon fiber finished products of any shape by changing the shape of the weaving frame 5 and the orientation of the creel 8, combined with the weaving program. Due to the operation of the mechanical arm 1, the construction quality is guaranteed, the construction efficiency is improved, and rare complex customized carbon fiber products are produced. It can realize the weaving of carbon fiber with complex curved surface shapes to form building load-bearing components or building decorative components, and the carbon fiber finished products have the characteristics of light structure, high strength, and convenient installation and transportation.

[0059] Example 2

[0060] See also Figure 6 In an embodiment of the present invention, a weaving system based on the carbon fiber weaving device described in Example 1 is provided, and the weaving system also includes a control system for controlling the robot arm 1 to complete the carbon fiber weaving construction.

[0061] The electrical components mentioned in this article are all connected to an external main controller and 220V mains electricity, and the main controller can be a conventional known device for controlling a computer or the like.

[0062] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0063] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A carbon fiber weaving device, comprising a mechanical arm (1), a weaving frame (5) and a creel (8), characterized in that: The mechanical arm (1) is equipped with an end effector (2), the braiding frame (5) is fixed by an aluminum alloy frame bracket (3), the braiding frame (5) is provided with a braiding anchor point (4), and the creel (8) is equipped with a carbon fiber precursor bracket (7) and a resin bathtub (6); A carbon fiber thread positioning ring (9) is installed on the creel (8); The carbon fiber braiding device also includes an oven, the oven includes an oven frame and an electric heating lamp, the oven frame is formed by installing an extruded polystyrene insulation board and an angle iron frame, the end effector (2) includes a connecting portion (18) and a braiding component, the connecting portion (18) is connected to the braiding component, the connecting portion (18) is used to connect the mechanical arm (1), the braiding component includes a catheter support (16) and a braided catheter (17), both ends of the braided catheter (17) are embedded with ceramic rings, the braiding anchor point (4) includes a support screw (19) and an anchor point assembly (21), and the anchor point assembly (21) is arranged at the upper end of the support screw (19); The anchor point assembly (21) comprises a nut, a gasket, a horn nut and a metal sleeve (20), the metal sleeve (20) being sleeved on the support screw (19), the carbon fiber precursor support (7) being composed of a stainless steel support, a roller (12), a 3D printed bearing seat (11) and a reducer, the stainless steel support being fixed to a yarn frame (8) by a T-screw, the reducer being mounted on an aluminum profile yarn frame (8) on the side of the 3D printed bearing seat (11), a carbon fiber yarn positioning ring (9) being mounted on the yarn frame (8), and the resin bathtub (6) comprising a resin bathtub support (13), a resin container (14) and a filter (15); The resin bathtub support (13) is a stainless steel metal part, and the resin container (14) and the filter (15) are both mounted on the resin bathtub support (13).

2. The carbon fiber weaving device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The filter (15) consists of a filter roller and a filter pressure rod.

3. A weaving system based on the carbon fiber weaving device according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that: The weaving system also includes a control system for controlling the mechanical arm (1) to complete the carbon fiber weaving construction.

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