Automatic detection device and method for torque of shield cutter

Abstract

This invention discloses an automatic detection device for the torque of a tunnel boring machine (TBM) cutterhead. The device includes a tray assembly for supporting and rotating the cutterhead shaft, a drive mechanism for rotating the tray assembly, and a torque measuring instrument for measuring the rotational torque of the cutterhead shaft between the drive mechanism and the tray assembly. A clamping mechanism is also provided on the side of the TBM cutterhead to press and fix its cutter ring, preventing the ring from rotating. The invention also discloses a detection method, including placing the TBM cutterhead shaft and pressing the cutter ring, then activating the drive mechanism to rotate the cutterhead shaft and measuring the starting torque. This invention has advantages such as high automation, high detection efficiency, low labor intensity, high detection accuracy, and good versatility.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of tunnel boring machine cutter detection technology, and particularly relates to an automatic detection device and method for the torque of tunnel boring machine cutters. Background Technology

[0002] The torque of the tunnel boring machine (TBM) cutterhead directly affects its performance. Excessive starting torque can lead to uneven wear, while insufficient starting torque can cause the cutterhead bearings to disintegrate. Therefore, testing the starting torque of the TBM cutterhead before shipment is crucial. Currently, the starting torque of TBM cutterheads is primarily tested using simple tooling and torque wrenches, with manual operation of the wrench. For example, patent document CN201844899U discloses a TBM cutterhead torque testing device. This device involves fixing the cutter shaft and using a dial-type manual torque wrench to rotate the nut, thereby measuring the torque. This method suffers from low automation, slow production efficiency, high labor intensity for employees, and significant human influence on the test results.

[0003] Patent document CN106052765A discloses a dynamic detection device for tunnel boring machine cutterheads. This device detects the cutterhead torque by rotating the cutterhead ring through a transmission groove. Essentially, it replaces the detection fixture and torque wrench with a motor that drives a drive wheel to rotate the cutterhead ring for torque detection, based on manual detection. Although this method replaces some manual operation with a motor, the improvement in production efficiency and the labor intensity of employees is not significant. The degree of automation is not high, and manual adjustment, movement, and tightening of the moving platform are still required. These human factors, such as whether the drive wheel groove and the cutterhead ring are fully matched and whether the platform is firmly fixed, will affect the detection results to varying degrees, thus directly affecting the detection accuracy. Furthermore, the method of using the friction of the drive wheel to drive the cutter ring to rotate has several drawbacks. First, it is very difficult to select the appropriate friction force. If the friction force is too low, the cutter ring will not rotate, and if it is too high, it will affect the accuracy of the starting torque detection results. Second, the shape and friction force of the drive wheel must be matched with the shield cutter ring. However, there are many types of cutter ring shapes and structures for shield cutters, which makes the device not very versatile. The drive wheel needs to be frequently replaced according to the different cutter rings, which is inconvenient to use and results in low production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide an automatic detection device and method for automatically detecting the torque of the tunnel boring machine cutter. By automating the detection process, the detection efficiency of the product is improved, the labor intensity of employees is reduced, the interference of human factors on the detection results is reduced, and the accuracy of the detection is improved.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution proposed by this invention is as follows:

[0006] An automatic detection device for the torque of a tunnel boring machine cutterhead includes a tray assembly for supporting and rotating a cutter shaft that holds the cutterhead cutterhead. A drive mechanism for rotating the tray assembly is connected to the tray assembly. A torque measuring instrument for measuring the rotational torque of the cutter shaft is provided between the drive mechanism and the tray assembly. A clamping mechanism for pressing and fixing the cutterhead cutterhead ring to prevent the ring from rotating is also provided on the side of the cutterhead cutter.

[0007] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic detection device, the tray assembly includes a tray base and a detection tray. The tray base is connected to the drive mechanism via the torque measuring instrument. The detection tray is detachably and fixedly mounted on the tray base. The detection tray has a groove for accommodating the cutter shaft, and the groove matches the shape of the cutter shaft.

[0008] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic detection device, a positioning structure is provided between the tray base and the detection tray. The positioning structure includes a positioning block and a positioning groove that cooperate with each other. One of the positioning block and the positioning groove is disposed on the tray base, and the other is disposed on the detection tray.

[0009] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic detection device, the positioning block is a hexagonal prism-shaped boss structure, and the positioning groove is a hexagonal prism-shaped groove structure that matches the hexagonal prism-shaped boss structure. The positioning block is disposed on the detection tray, and the positioning groove is disposed on the tray base.

[0010] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic detection device, the driving mechanism includes a drive motor and a helical bevel gear reduction mechanism. One end of the helical bevel gear reduction mechanism is connected to the drive motor, and the other end of the helical bevel gear reduction mechanism is connected to a coupling. A drive shaft is also connected to the coupling, and the drive shaft is connected to the torque measuring instrument through a connecting flange.

[0011] Preferably, the automatic detection device further includes a support, which includes a base plate and two side plates. The drive mechanism is fixedly mounted on the base plate, and the two side plates are respectively fixedly mounted on both sides of the base plate. An intermediate support plate is fixedly mounted between the two side plates. The intermediate support plate has a through hole for the drive shaft to pass through, and a bearing that cooperates with the drive shaft is installed in the through hole.

[0012] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic detection device, the bracket is provided with a support frame for supporting the clamping mechanism, and the support frame is connected to the bracket through a height adjustment mechanism.

[0013] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic detection device, the clamping mechanism includes a clamping block and a cylinder for driving the clamping block to extend and retract to clamp the blade ring. The contact surface between the clamping block and the blade ring is an arc shape that matches the blade ring, and the other side of the clamping block is fixedly connected to the piston rod of the cylinder.

[0014] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic detection device, multiple anti-slip grooves are formed on the contact surface between the clamping block and the blade ring.

[0015] As a general technical concept, the present invention also provides a method for detecting the torque of the tunnel boring machine cutterhead using the aforementioned automatic detection device, comprising the following steps:

[0016] S1. Place the cutter shaft of the tunnel boring machine cutter on the tray assembly, and then press the cutter ring of the tunnel boring machine cutter through the clamping mechanism to fix the tunnel boring machine cutter.

[0017] S2. The drive mechanism is activated to transmit rotational power to the cutter shaft through the tray assembly. When the cutter shaft starts to rotate, the torque measuring instrument measures the starting torque of the tunnel boring machine cutter.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are:

[0019] The automatic detection device and method for shield tunnel cutter torque of the present invention places the cutter shaft on a tray assembly and clamps and fixes the cutter ring by a clamping mechanism. The tray assembly is driven to rotate by a drive mechanism, which in turn drives the cutter shaft to rotate. During this process, the rotational torque at the start of the cutter shaft rotation is measured and recorded by a torque measuring instrument, thereby realizing the automatic detection of shield tunnel cutter torque. The detection process does not require manual operation. The rotation of the cutter shaft is realized by the drive mechanism and the torque measuring instrument automatically measures the torque. The entire detection process has a high degree of automation and high production efficiency, which greatly reduces the labor intensity of employees, eliminates the influence of human factors on the detection results, is suitable for mass production processes, and can effectively reduce production costs.

[0020] In existing technologies, the starting torque of tunnel boring machine (TBM) cutterheads is detected by rotating the cutter ring. This method has poor versatility, and the friction force driving the cutter ring rotation needs to consider various factors, making the selection of the friction force difficult. This invention, however, uses the cutter shaft of the TBM cutterhead as the detection object, detecting the torque by rotating the shaft. This avoids the adverse effects of friction rotation, such as difficulty in adjusting friction and impact on detection accuracy. Furthermore, it has advantages such as good versatility and wide applicability. For the same type of TBM cutterhead, the shape of the cutter shaft remains unchanged, essentially a standard part, while the shape and structure of the cutter ring need to change depending on the geological formation. By rotating the cutter shaft, regardless of the change in the cutter ring, this invention only requires a clamping mechanism to clamp and fix the annular cutter ring. Changes in the cutter ring shape do not affect the clamping mechanism, eliminating the need to recalculate and adjust the friction force. Therefore, it has extremely high versatility and production efficiency. In addition, the detection device of this invention has a high degree of automation, reducing the labor intensity of manual operation and minimizing the impact of human operation on the detection results. It also has advantages such as small size, simple and compact structure, and high detection accuracy. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a front view of the automatic detection device for the cutterhead torque of the tunnel boring machine in this embodiment.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a top view of the automatic detection device for the cutterhead torque of the tunnel boring machine in this embodiment.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the automatic detection device for the cutterhead torque of the tunnel boring machine in this embodiment.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping block in this embodiment.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the automatic detection device for the cutterhead torque of the tunnel boring machine in this embodiment after disassembly.

[0026] Legend:

[0027] 1. Pallet assembly; 11. Pallet base; 12. Inspection pallet; 13. Positioning block; 14. Positioning groove; 2. Drive mechanism; 21. Drive motor; 22. Spiral bevel gear reduction mechanism; 23. Coupling; 24. Drive shaft; 25. Connecting flange; 3. Torque measuring instrument; 4. Clamping mechanism; 41. Clamping block; 411. Anti-slip groove; 42. Cylinder; 5. Shield cutter head; 51. Cutter shaft; 52. Cutter ring; 6. Bracket; 61. Base plate; 62. Side plate; 63. Intermediate support plate; 64. Bearing; 65. Support frame. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be described more fully and in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the following specific embodiments.

[0029] Example 1:

[0030] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the automatic detection device for the torque of the shield cutterhead in this embodiment includes a tray assembly 1 for supporting and placing the cutter shaft 51 of the shield cutterhead 5 and driving the cutter shaft 51 to rotate. A drive mechanism 2 for driving the tray assembly 1 to rotate is connected to the tray assembly 1. A torque measuring instrument 3 for measuring the rotation torque of the cutter shaft 51 is provided between the drive mechanism 2 and the tray assembly 1. A clamping mechanism 4 for pressing and fixing the cutter ring 52 of the shield cutterhead 5 to prevent the cutter ring 52 from rotating is also provided on the side of the shield cutterhead 5.

[0031] In this embodiment, the pallet assembly 1 includes a pallet base 11 and a detection pallet 12. The pallet base 11 is connected to the drive mechanism 2 via a torque measuring instrument 3. The detection pallet 12 is detachably fixed on the pallet base 11. The detection pallet 12 has a groove for placing the cutter shaft 51, and the groove matches the shape of the cutter shaft 51. Since the pallet base 11 and the detection pallet 12 adopt a separable structure and a detachable fixing method, the corresponding detection pallet 12 can be replaced according to the different shield cutter shafts 5, improving the adaptability of the detection device and making it suitable for the detection process of shield cutter shafts 5 with various cutter shaft 51 shapes.

[0032] like Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, a positioning structure is provided between the tray base 11 and the detection tray 12. The positioning structure includes a positioning block 13 and a positioning groove 14 that cooperate with each other. The positioning block 13 is a hexagonal prism-shaped boss structure, and the positioning groove 14 is a hexagonal prism-shaped groove structure that matches the hexagonal prism-shaped boss structure. The positioning block 13 is located on the detection tray 12, and the positioning groove 14 is located on the tray base 11. Specifically, the tray base 11 and the detection tray 12 are connected by a hexagonal concave-convex structure and bolts. The hexagonal concave-convex structure is used for positioning and connection between the detection tray 12 and the tray base 11 to ensure the accurate position of the detection tray 12 and the cutter shaft 51 relative to the drive mechanism 2 and the torque measuring instrument 3. It also allows for more timely and accurate torque transmission, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the detection results.

[0033] In this embodiment, the drive mechanism 2 includes a drive motor 21 and a helical bevel gear reducer 22. One end of the helical bevel gear reducer 22 is connected to the drive motor 21, and the other end is connected to a coupling 23. A drive shaft 24 is also connected to the coupling 23, and the drive shaft 24 is connected to a torque measuring instrument 3 via a connecting flange 25. Specifically, the drive motor 21 is sequentially connected to the helical bevel gear reducer 22, the coupling 23, the drive shaft 24, the connecting flange 25, and the torque measuring instrument 3. The helical bevel gear reducer 22, the coupling 23, and the drive shaft 24 are connected by a key, and the connecting flange 25 is connected to the drive shaft 24 by a key. The helical bevel gear reducer 22 changes the direction of power transmission by vertically meshing gears, converting the driving force provided by the horizontally placed drive motor 21 into a vertically rotating driving force, thereby achieving vertical power output. This helps to reduce the size of the automatic detection device and improve the structural compactness.

[0034] In this embodiment, the automatic detection device further includes a support 6, which includes a base plate 61 and two side plates 62. The drive mechanism 2 is fixedly mounted on the base plate 61, and the two side plates 62 are respectively fixedly mounted on both sides of the base plate 61. A middle support plate 63 is fixedly mounted between the two side plates 62. The middle support plate 63 has a through hole for the transmission shaft 24 to pass through, and a bearing 64 that mates with the transmission shaft 24 is installed in the through hole. Specifically, the support 6 also includes a top plate. The base plate 61 is placed on the bottom surface, and the two side plates 62 are vertically mounted on both sides of the base plate 61. The top plate is parallel to the base plate 61 and connects to the two side plates 62. The base plate 61, the two side plates 62, and the top plate form a rectangular support 6 structure. The two ends of the middle support plate 63 are connected to the two side plates 62 of the support 6 by bolts. The outer ring of the bearing 64 is mounted on the middle support plate 63, and the inner ring of the bearing 64 is mounted on the transmission shaft 24. The intermediate support plate 63 serves to support and limit the transmission shaft 24, ensuring the accurate transmission of rotational driving force and thus ensuring the accuracy of the measurement results.

[0035] In this embodiment, the bracket 6 is provided with a support frame 65 for supporting the clamping mechanism 4, and the support frame 65 is fixedly mounted on the bracket 6. Specifically, the support frame 65 is an L-shaped support plate, one side of which is fixedly connected to the bracket 6, and the clamping mechanism 4 is fixedly mounted on the other side. The support frame 65 facilitates the installation of the clamping mechanism 4 to stably clamp the cutter ring 52 of the shield tunnel cutter head 5.

[0036] In this embodiment, the clamping mechanism 4 includes a clamping block 41 and a cylinder 42 for driving the clamping block 41 to extend and retract to clamp the cutter ring 52. The contact surface between the clamping block 41 and the cutter ring 52 is arc-shaped and matches the cutter ring 52. The other side of the clamping block 41 is fixedly connected to the piston rod of the cylinder 42. Specifically, the cylinder 42 is fixedly connected to the support frame 65 by bolts, and the clamping block 41 is fixed to the free end of the cylinder 42 by bolts. The clamping block 41 is made of plastic. During operation, the cylinder 42 drives the clamping block 41 to extend and retract to clamp or release the cutter ring 52, achieving automated clamping or releasing. This eliminates the need for personnel to fix the shield cutter 5, further improving the degree of automation, increasing production efficiency, reducing labor intensity, and eliminating the influence of personnel on the test results. Setting the contact surface of the clamping block 41 to an arc shape to match the cutter ring 52 ensures that the cutter ring 52 is firmly clamped, preventing it from rotating during testing and affecting the test results.

[0037] In this embodiment, there are two clamping mechanisms 4, which are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the tray assembly 1 and the shield cutter head 5. Correspondingly, there are also two support frames 65, symmetrically arranged on both sides of the bracket 6, to mount and fix the clamping mechanisms 4. The symmetrically arranged clamping mechanisms 4 cooperate to firmly clamp the cutter head 52, preventing it from rotating during testing and affecting the test results.

[0038] like Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, multiple anti-slip grooves 411 are formed on the contact surface between the clamping block 41 and the blade ring 52. Specifically, the multiple anti-slip grooves 411 are arranged parallel to each other and at equal intervals. The anti-slip grooves 411, together with the arc-shaped contact surface structure, can increase the contact area between the clamping block 41 and the blade ring 52, increase friction, and further ensure that the blade ring 52 is firmly fixed during torque testing.

[0039] The detection method for detecting the cutterhead torque of a tunnel boring machine using the automatic detection device of this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0040] S1. The shield tunnel cutter 5 to be inspected is clamped by staff or robot, and the cutter shaft 51 is correctly placed in the groove of the inspection tray 12. The switch is turned on to start the cylinder 42. Under the action of the cylinder 42, the clamping block 41 extends and the inner side of the clamping block 41 contacts the cutter ring 52, pressing the cutter ring 52 from both sides, thereby fixing the shield tunnel cutter 5.

[0041] S2. Start the detection switch, and drive motor 21 starts to move. The rotational power is converted from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction through spiral bevel gear reduction mechanism 22. Then, the power is transmitted to coupling 23, transmission shaft 24, torque measuring instrument 3, pallet base 11 and detection pallet 12 in sequence. Finally, the power is transmitted to cutter shaft 51 of shield cutter 5 through detection pallet 12. When cutter shaft 51 starts to rotate, torque measuring instrument 3 measures and records the torque at this time, thereby measuring the starting torque of shield cutter 5.

[0042] S3. Turn off the detection switch to stop the drive motor 21 from outputting power. Adjust the cylinder 42 to drive the clamping block 41 to retract to the initial position, release the clamping state of the shield cutter 5, and have the shield cutter 5 removed from the detection tray 12 by the staff or robot. The entire detection process is over.

[0043] The automatic detection device and method of this embodiment are used to detect the torque of the shield tunnel cutter head 5. The detection process can be completed automatically by mechanical devices without manual operation. The cutter shaft 51 is driven by the drive motor 21, and the cutter ring 52 is clamped by the clamping block 41 and the cylinder 42. The torque is automatically measured by the torque measuring instrument 3. The entire detection process has a high degree of automation and high production efficiency, which greatly reduces the labor intensity of employees, eliminates the influence of human factors on the detection results, is suitable for mass production processes, and can effectively reduce production costs.

[0044] Example 2:

[0045] This embodiment is basically the same as Embodiment 1, with the main difference being that in this embodiment, the support frame 65 is connected to the bracket 6 via a height adjustment mechanism. Specifically, the height adjustment mechanism is an electric screw mechanism, which can adjust the height of the clamping mechanism 4 up and down, allowing the clamping block 41 to cooperate with shield cutterheads 5 of various shapes, thus improving the applicability of the automatic detection device and enabling it to be used in the testing process of various types of shield cutterheads 5.

[0046] While the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the invention. Any person skilled in the art can make many possible variations and modifications to the technical solutions of the present invention, or modify them into equivalent embodiments, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention, without departing from the scope of the present invention, should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic detection device for the torque of tunnel boring machine cutters, characterized in that: The automatic detection device includes a tray assembly (1) for supporting and placing the cutter shaft (51) of the shield cutter (5) and driving the cutter shaft (51) to rotate. A drive mechanism (2) for driving the tray assembly (1) to rotate is connected to the tray assembly (1). A torque measuring instrument (3) for measuring the rotation torque of the cutter shaft (51) is provided between the drive mechanism (2) and the tray assembly (1). A clamping mechanism (4) for pressing and fixing the cutter ring (52) of the shield cutter (5) to prevent the cutter ring (52) from rotating is also provided on the side of the shield cutter (5). The tray assembly (1) includes a tray base (11) and a test tray (12). The tray base (11) is connected to the drive mechanism (2) through the torque measuring instrument (3). The test tray (12) is detachably fixed on the tray base (11). The test tray (12) is provided with a groove for placing the cutter shaft (51). The groove matches the shape of the cutter shaft (51). The drive mechanism (2) includes a drive motor (21) and a spiral bevel gear reduction mechanism (22). One end of the spiral bevel gear reduction mechanism (22) is connected to the drive motor (21), and the other end of the spiral bevel gear reduction mechanism (22) is connected to a coupling (23). A drive shaft (24) is also connected to the coupling (23), and the drive shaft (24) is connected to the torque measuring instrument (3) through a connecting flange (25). The clamping mechanism (4) includes a clamping block (41) and a cylinder (42) for driving the clamping block (41) to extend and retract to clamp the blade ring (52). The contact surface between the clamping block (41) and the blade ring (52) is an arc shape that matches the blade ring (52). The other side of the clamping block (41) is fixedly connected to the piston rod of the cylinder (42).

2. The automatic detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A positioning structure is provided between the tray base (11) and the detection tray (12). The positioning structure includes a positioning block (13) and a positioning groove (14) that cooperate with each other. One of the positioning block (13) and the positioning groove (14) is set on the tray base (11), and the other is set on the detection tray (12).

3. The automatic detection device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The positioning block (13) is a hexagonal prism boss structure, and the positioning groove (14) is a hexagonal prism groove structure that matches the hexagonal prism boss structure. The positioning block (13) is located on the detection tray (12), and the positioning groove (14) is located on the tray base (11).

4. The automatic detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The automatic detection device also includes a bracket (6), which includes a base plate (61) and two side plates (62). The drive mechanism (2) is fixedly mounted on the base plate (61). The two side plates (62) are respectively fixedly mounted on both sides of the base plate (61). An intermediate support plate (63) is fixedly mounted between the two side plates (62). The intermediate support plate (63) is provided with a through hole for the transmission shaft (24) to pass through. A bearing (64) that cooperates with the transmission shaft (24) is installed in the through hole.

5. The automatic detection device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The bracket (6) is provided with a support frame (65) for supporting the clamping mechanism (4), and the support frame (65) is connected to the bracket (6) through a height adjustment mechanism.

6. The automatic detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: Multiple anti-slip grooves (411) are provided on the contact surface between the clamping block (41) and the blade ring (52).

7. A method for detecting the cutterhead torque of a tunnel boring machine using an automatic detection device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1. Place the cutter shaft (51) of the shield cutter (5) on the tray assembly (1), and then press the cutter ring (52) of the shield cutter (5) by the clamping mechanism (4) to fix the shield cutter (5); S2. The drive mechanism (2) is activated to transmit the rotational power to the cutter shaft (51) through the tray assembly (1). When the cutter shaft (51) starts to rotate, the torque measuring instrument (3) measures the starting torque of the shield cutter (5).

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