A flexible thread-returning and wire-clearing device

Abstract

The present invention discloses a flexible thread-returning and wire-cleaning device, which includes a motor, a tool assembly driven by the motor, a mounting bracket for mounting the motor, a flexible assembly and a centering assembly connected between the motor and the tool assembly. The flexible assembly includes an upper universal joint, a lower universal joint, an intermediate rotating shaft group with adjustable length connected between the upper universal joint and the lower universal joint, and a lower rotating shaft connected to the lower universal joint. The mounting bracket includes a lower plate. The centering assembly includes a lower sliding plate slidably engaged with the lower plate and an upper sliding plate slidably engaged with the lower sliding plate. The sliding directions of the lower sliding plate and the upper sliding plate are perpendicular to each other. The lower rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the upper sliding plate, and the tool assembly is connected to the lower rotating shaft. When the flexible thread-returning and wire-cleaning device of the present invention is cleaning the wire, the tool assembly can be automatically adjusted to align with the threaded hole, so that the wire-cleaning work can be carried out reliably and smoothly, ensuring the wire-cleaning quality, and making automatic wire-cleaning possible, which can reduce the labor intensity and improve the wire-cleaning efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wire cleaning device, and particularly to a flexible thread chasing wire cleaning device. Background Art

[0002] During the production process, it is inevitable to drill threaded holes on the surface of some workpieces. After electroplating the threaded holes, fine residues will remain in the threaded holes, and it is necessary to clean the residues by re-thread chasing (i.e., wire cleaning) to ensure the normal use of the threaded holes.

[0003] Currently, the operation of wire cleaning the threaded holes is usually manually completed by workers and cannot be automatically completed by equipment. The reasons are as follows: First, position errors will inevitably occur during the processing of threaded holes. Taking the valve block as an example, the position deviation of the same threaded hole on different valve blocks fluctuates within the range of ±0.5 mm. If automated processing is required, the axis of the cutting tool is likely to deviate from the axis of the hole position and is difficult to align, thus damaging the thread. Second, the threaded holes have no stable features for the camera to take pictures. Currently, even cameras with ultra-high precision (5 million pixels or higher) cannot accurately locate the center position of the threaded holes by taking pictures (the position of the smooth hole without threads can be accurately located). Therefore, it is also difficult to implement the method of first positioning the position of the threaded hole by taking pictures with a camera and then moving to the specified position for wire cleaning by a moving device. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a flexible thread chasing wire cleaning device for the above-mentioned defects in the prior art, which can clean the threaded holes in the case of a certain position deviation, and is beneficial to realizing the automation of wire cleaning.

[0005] To achieve the above invention purpose, the present invention provides a flexible thread chasing wire cleaning device, including a motor, a tool assembly driven by the motor, and a mounting bracket for mounting the motor. The flexible thread chasing wire cleaning device further includes a flexible component and a centering component connected between the motor and the tool assembly. The flexible component includes an upper universal joint, a lower universal joint, an intermediate rotating shaft group with an adjustable length connected between the upper universal joint and the lower universal joint, and a lower rotating shaft connected to the lower universal joint. The mounting bracket includes a lower plate. The centering component includes a lower sliding plate slidably fitted with the lower plate and an upper sliding plate slidably fitted with the lower sliding plate. The sliding directions of the lower sliding plate and the upper sliding plate are perpendicular to each other. The lower rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the upper sliding plate, and the tool assembly is connected to the lower rotating shaft.

[0006] In addition, the present invention also provides the following subsidiary technical solutions:

[0007] The middle rotating shaft group includes an upper middle rotating shaft connected to the upper universal joint and a lower middle rotating shaft connected to the lower universal joint, and the upper middle rotating shaft and the lower middle rotating shaft are slidably mated.

[0008] A first slide rail is connected between the lower slide plate and the lower plate, and a second slide rail is connected between the upper slide plate and the lower slide plate.

[0009] The centering assembly further includes a first limiting assembly for limiting the moving distance of the lower slide plate and a second limiting assembly for limiting the moving distance of the upper slide plate.

[0010] The first limiting assembly includes a first mounting seat connected to the lower plate and a first limiting member screwed to the first mounting seat, and the second limiting member includes a second mounting seat connected to the lower slide plate and a second limiting member screwed to the second mounting seat.

[0011] Both the first limiting member and the second limiting member are elastic plungers.

[0012] The tool assembly includes a floating shaft and a tool connected to the floating shaft, and the floating shaft is slidably mated with the lower rotating shaft.

[0013] The lower rotating shaft is provided with a first limiting long hole, and the floating shaft is provided with a slider mating with the first limiting long hole.

[0014] A first spring is arranged between the lower rotating shaft and the floating shaft, and the first spring presses the floating shaft downward.

[0015] A safety assembly is further connected between the motor and the flexible assembly, and the safety assembly includes an upper coupling, a lower coupling and a torque sensor connected between the upper coupling and the lower coupling.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are as follows:

[0017] 1. By arranging the flexible assembly and the centering assembly, the flexible thread-returning and wire-cleaning device of the present invention enables the tool assembly to move freely in the horizontal direction. During wire cleaning, it can automatically adjust to align with the threaded hole, so that the wire-cleaning work can be carried out reliably and smoothly, ensuring the wire-cleaning quality, and making automatic wire cleaning possible, which can reduce the labor intensity and improve the wire-cleaning efficiency.

[0018] 2. In the flexible thread-returning and wire-cleaning device of the present invention, the tool can float up and down relative to the flexible assembly, the centering assembly, etc., so that during wire cleaning, the lifting speed of the tool can be inconsistent with the lifting speeds of the flexible assembly, the centering assembly, etc. When there is a time difference in the feeding speed, the tool assembly can automatically obtain an adapted lifting speed according to different threads, which is more conducive to ensuring the wire-cleaning quality. Description of the Drawings

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the flexible thread-returning and wire-cleaning device of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the safety component in the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the flexible component in the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 It is a sectional view of the intermediate rotating shaft group in the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of the centering component in the present invention.

[0024] Figure 6 It is a top view of the centering component in the present invention.

[0025] Figure 7 It is a sectional view of the centering component in the present invention.

[0026] Figure 8 It is Figure 7 an enlarged view of part I in

[0027] Figure 9 It is a schematic structural diagram of the tool component in the present invention.

[0028] Figure 10 It is a sectional view of the tool component in the present invention.

[0029] Figure 11 It is Figure 10 an enlarged view of part II in

[0030] Figure 12 It is a schematic structural diagram of the floating shaft in the present invention.

[0031] Figure 13 It is a schematic structural diagram of the chuck in the present invention.

[0032] Figure 14 It is a schematic diagram of the flexible thread-returning and wire-cleaning device of the present invention installed on a three-axis slide table.

[0033] Figure 15 It is a schematic structural diagram of the workpiece in the present invention. Specific Embodiments

[0034] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail and non-limitingly below in conjunction with the preferred embodiments and their accompanying drawings.

[0035] As Figure 1As shown in the figure, a flexible reverse threading and wire cleaning device corresponding to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a motor 1, a safety component 2, a flexible component 3, a centering component 4, and a tool component 5.

[0036] The flexible reverse threading and wire cleaning device further includes a mounting frame 6. The mounting frame 6 includes an upper plate 60, an intermediate plate 61, and a lower plate 62. The upper plate 60 and the intermediate plate 61, as well as the intermediate plate 61 and the lower plate 62, are connected by connecting columns 63.

[0037] The motor 1 preferably adopts a servo motor, which is connected to the safety component 2 through a speed reducer 10. The speed reducer 10 is installed on the upper plate 60. Further reference Figure 2 , the safety component 2 includes an upper coupling 20, a lower coupling 21, and a torque sensor 22 connected between the upper coupling 20 and the lower coupling 21. The speed reducer 10 and the upper coupling 20, the upper coupling 20 and the torque sensor 22, and the torque sensor 22 and the lower coupling 21 are all connected by connecting shafts 23. The torque sensor 22 is used to detect the torque between the upper coupling 20 and the lower coupling 21. When cleaning different threaded holes, different torque upper limits can be set. When the torque exceeds the upper limit, it indicates that an abnormal situation has occurred during the wire cleaning process. At this time, the torque sensor emits an NG signal to prompt the staff to check the abnormal situation.

[0038] As Figure 3 shown, the flexible component 3 includes an upper rotating shaft 30 connected to the lower coupling 21. The upper rotating shaft 30 is rotatably connected to the intermediate plate 61. Specifically, a first bearing pedestal 31 is installed on the intermediate plate 61, and the upper rotating shaft 30 is fitted in the first bearing pedestal 31. The flexible component 3 further includes an upper universal joint 32, a lower universal joint 33, an intermediate rotating shaft group 34 connected between the upper universal joint 32 and the lower universal joint 33, and a lower rotating shaft 35 connected between the lower universal joint 33 and the centering component 4. As Figure 4 shown, the intermediate rotating shaft group 34 includes an upper intermediate rotating shaft 340 connected to the upper universal joint 32 and a lower intermediate rotating shaft 341 connected to the lower universal joint 33. The upper intermediate rotating shaft 340 and the lower intermediate rotating shaft 341 are slidably fitted, so as to compensate for the change in the distance between the upper universal joint 32 and the lower universal joint 33 when they are inclined. Specifically, the lower intermediate rotating shaft 341 is inserted into the upper intermediate rotating shaft 340. Longitudinal through holes 342 are opened on both sides of the upper intermediate rotating shaft 340. A sliding block 343 fitted in the through holes 342 is connected to the lower intermediate rotating shaft 341. The length of the sliding block 343 is less than the length of the through holes 342, so that the lower intermediate rotating shaft 341 can move relative to the upper intermediate rotating shaft 340.

[0039] The double universal joint form of the upper universal joint 32 and the lower universal joint 33 greatly improves the flexibility of the flexible thread cleaning device, so that even if there is a deviation between the axes of the lower rotating shaft 35 and the upper rotating shaft 30, it will not affect the normal operation of the flexible thread cleaning device.

[0040] As Figure 5 shown, the centering assembly 4 includes a lower slide plate 40 slidably engaged with the lower plate 62, an upper slide plate 41 slidably engaged with the lower slide plate 40, a first limiting assembly 42 connected to the lower plate 62, and a second limiting assembly 43 connected to the lower slide plate 40.

[0041] The lower slide plate 40 can move horizontally relative to the lower plate 62, and the upper slide plate 41 can move horizontally relative to the lower slide plate 40, and the directions of their horizontal movements are perpendicular to each other. This enables the tool assembly 5 to move within the horizontal plane. To achieve the effect of horizontal movement, a first slide rail 44 is connected between the lower slide plate 40 and the lower plate 62, and a second slide rail 45 is connected between the upper slide plate 41 and the lower slide plate 40, and the first slide rail 44 and the second slide rail 45 are perpendicular to each other.

[0042] The distances that the lower slide plate 40 and the upper slide plate 41 move in the horizontal direction are respectively limited by the first limiting assembly 42 and the second limiting assembly 43.

[0043] As Figure 6 and Figure 7 shown, there are two sets of the first limiting assemblies 42, which are respectively located on both sides of the sliding direction of the lower slide plate 40. The first limiting assembly 42 includes a first mounting seat 420 and a first limiting member 421 connected to the first mounting seat 420. Since the machining error of the threaded hole is usually ±0.5 mm, plus the cumulative errors such as positioning, for the same hole position of the same kind of workpiece, the position of the threaded hole has an error fluctuation range of about ±1 mm. Therefore, the floating range of the centering assembly 4 is set to ±1 mm. That is to say, when the lower slide plate 40 is at the middle position between the two first limiting members 421, the distances D between its two parallel first side surfaces 40a and the corresponding first limiting members 421 are both 1 mm (see Figure 8 ), preferably, the first limiting member 421 is screwed onto the first mounting seat 420, so that the size of the distance D can be adjusted.

[0044] It can be understood that the floating range of ±1 mm is only an example, and its value can be changed according to specific circumstances.

[0045] The second limiting component 43 has the same structure as the first limiting component 42, and there are also two sets of them, which are respectively located on both sides of the sliding direction of the upper slide plate 41. The second limiting component 43 includes a second mounting seat 430 connected to the lower slide plate 40 and a second limiting member 431 connected to the second mounting seat 430. Similarly, when the upper slide plate 41 is located at the middle position between the two second limiting members 431, the distance between its two second side surfaces 41a and the corresponding second limiting members 431 is also 1 mm.

[0046] As Figure 8 shown, the first limiting member 421 and the second limiting member 431 are preferably elastic plungers. The elastic plunger includes a body portion 422 screwed to the mounting seat and a ball 423 slidably fitted to the head of the body portion 422. A spring is provided between the ball 423 and the body portion 422, and the spring can drive the ball 423 to reset (push outwards). Preferably, the distance between the end of the ball 423 and the end face of the body portion 422 is 1 mm. In this way, when installing, as long as the ball 423 contacts the side surface of the lower slide plate 40 or the upper slide plate 41, the moving distance of the slide plate can be limited within ±1 mm, and under normal circumstances, the spring will drive the lower slide plate 40 and the upper slide plate 41 to move to the middle position.

[0047] As Figure 7 shown, the lower rotating shaft 35 is rotatably connected to the upper slide plate 41. Specifically, a protruding bearing mounting seat 410 is provided on the upper slide plate 41, and a bearing 411 is installed in the bearing mounting seat 410. The lower rotating shaft 35 is arranged in the second pedestal bearing 410 and is mated with the bearing 411, and the lower end of the lower rotating shaft 35 extends out of the lower plate 62. The lower rotating shaft 35 includes a head 350 and a shaft portion 351 connected to each other, and a shoulder 352 provided on the head 350 and the shaft portion 351 is used to position the bearing 411.

[0048] As Figure 9 and Figure 10 shown, the tool assembly 5 includes a floating shaft 50 and a tool 51 detachably connected to the floating shaft 50. The floating shaft 50 is slidably mated with the shaft portion 351 of the lower rotating shaft 35. Specifically, a central hole 353 is provided in the shaft portion 351, and the floating shaft 50 is mated in the central hole 353 and can move along the axis of the central hole 353. First limiting long holes 354 communicating with the central hole 353 are also provided on both sides of the shaft portion 351. A slider 505 mated with the first limiting long holes 354 is connected to the floating shaft 50, and the distance that the slider 505 can move in the first limiting long holes 354 is the distance that the floating shaft 50 can float up and down. A first spring 52 is provided between the top 355 of the floating shaft 50 and the shaft portion 351. Both ends of the first spring 52 abut against the top 355 and the floating shaft 50 respectively, and are used to drive the floating shaft 50 to be located at the lowermost end of the first limiting long holes 354.

[0049] The setting of the floating shaft 50 enables the cutting tool 51 to float up and down relative to the lower rotating shaft 35, so that the cutting tool 51 can move independently of the lower rotating shaft 35. During the wire cleaning process, different feed speeds need to be set for screw teeth with different pitches. If there is an error in the feed speed of the cutting tool 51, the screw teeth are likely to be damaged. The setting of the first spring 52 can compensate for this feed speed error, which is conducive to ensuring the smooth progress of wire cleaning and improving the wire cleaning effect. At the same time, the setting of the first spring 52 can prevent the cutting tool 51 from hitting the workpiece and causing damage to the cutting tool 51 or the workpiece.

[0050] As Figure 10 and Figure 11 shown, the cutting tool 51 includes a chuck 510 and a tap 511 connected to the chuck 510. The floating shaft 50 is in the shape of a hollow tube, and a fixing member 53 is arranged inside the floating shaft 50. The fixing member 53 can be connected to the inner hole 500 of the floating shaft 50 by screwing. The cutting tool 51 further includes a stepped shaft 54 slidably fitted inside the inner hole 500. The stepped shaft 54 includes a first shaft 540 fitted with the inner hole 500, a second shaft 541 connected to the first shaft 540, and a third shaft 542 connected to the second shaft 541. The diameters of the first shaft 540, the second shaft 541, and the third shaft 542 decrease in sequence, and the adjacent two shafts are transitioned through a conical surface. A second spring 55 is further arranged between the fixing member 53 and the first shaft 540. The second spring 55 is used to drive the stepped shaft 54 to move downward and lock the cutting tool 51.

[0051] Two second limiting long holes 501 are formed on both sides of the floating shaft 50, and a sliding member 56 slidably fitted in the two second limiting long holes 501 is arranged on the stepped shaft 54. In this embodiment, the sliding member 56 is a pin shaft. Further referring to Figure 12 and Figure 13, a mating joint 502 is provided at the lower end of the floating shaft 50. The cross-sectional shape of the mating joint 502 is irregular (referring to a non-circular shape). Specifically, in this embodiment, the cross-section of the mating joint 502 is a regular hexagon; a mating hole 512 adapted to the mating joint 502 is formed in the chuck 510. The mating joint 502 is inserted into the mating hole 512. Since the mating joint 502 is non-circular, the mating joint 502 and the chuck 510 will not rotate relative to each other. A first ball hole 504 is formed in the side wall 503 of the mating joint 502, and a second ball hole 514 corresponding to the first ball hole 504 is formed in the hole wall 513 of the mating hole 512. A ball 57 is provided in the first ball hole 504. The diameter of the second ball hole 514 is smaller than that of the first ball hole 504. Therefore, the ball 57 will not completely enter the second ball hole 514 but only partially enter. When the second shaft 541 of the stepped shaft 54 abuts against the ball 57, the ball 57 is partially located in the first ball hole 504. At this time, the floating shaft 50 and the chuck 510 are relatively fixed. When the stepped shaft 54 is moved upward so that the second shaft 541 is disengaged from the ball 57, the floating shaft 50 can be disengaged from the chuck 510. At this time, the tool 51 can be replaced. The distance between the third shaft 542 and the side wall of the mating joint 502 is smaller than the diameter of the ball 57 to prevent the ball 57 from disengaging from the first ball hole 504.

[0052] The operation of moving the stepped shaft 54 upward can be completed by moving the sliding member 56 upward. A tool changing plate 58 is also sleeved outside the floating shaft 50. The tool changing plate 58 is connected to the sliding member 56. By moving the tool changing plate 58, the stepped shaft 54 can be moved to disassemble the tool 51, which is more convenient to use.

[0053] As Figure 14 shown, the flexible thread chasing and cleaning device 8 of the present invention can be installed on the three-axis slide table 7 and can be driven by the three-axis slide table 7 to move in the X, Y, and Z axis directions. A fixture table 70 is provided below the three-axis slide table 7. The workpiece 71 to be cleaned is fixed on the fixture table 70. In this embodiment, as Figure 15 shown, the workpiece 71 is a valve block, and a plurality of threaded holes 72 are formed on its surface. Since the fixing positions of the workpiece 71 are the same, the coordinates of the threaded holes 72 thereon are basically the same, and only position errors caused by processing exist. The system can preset the coordinate positions and control the three-axis slide table 7 to move the tap 511 to the specified position for thread cleaning. By using the flexible thread chasing device of the present invention, even if there are certain position errors in the threaded holes 72 and the axes of the threaded holes 72 do not coincide with the axis of the motor, the tool can automatically adjust and float during processing without affecting the thread cleaning operation of the threaded holes 72.

[0054] Specifically, when performing the threading operation on the threaded hole, first, the three-axis slide table 7 moves the flexible rethreading device 8 to the position above the threaded hole 72 according to the coordinates preset by the system. Due to the machining and positioning errors of the threaded hole 72, the axis of the tool 51 does not coincide with the axis of the threaded hole 72. When the tool 51 is moved downward for threading, due to the presence of the centering component 4 and the flexible component 3, the tool 51 will move horizontally towards the threaded hole 72 until the axis of the tool 51 coincides with the axis of the threaded hole 72, so as to accurately perform the threading operation on the threaded hole 72, and problems such as jamming and sticking will not occur due to the axis deviation between the tool 51 and the threaded hole 72, and the thread will not be damaged. At the same time, even if there is an error in the feed speed during threading, the flexible rethreading device 8 of the present invention is provided with a floating shaft 50, so that the tool 51 can move up and down without synchronously moving with other components, and the lifting speed can be automatically matched according to different threads, avoiding the problem of thread damage caused by the feed speed error.

[0055] The flexible rethreading device of the present invention has at least the following advantages:

[0056] 1. By setting the flexible component and the centering component, the tool component of the flexible rethreading device of the present invention can move freely in the horizontal direction. During threading, it can be automatically adjusted to align with the threaded hole, so that the threading work can be carried out reliably and smoothly, ensuring the threading quality, and making automatic threading possible, which can reduce the labor intensity and improve the threading efficiency;

[0057] 2. In the flexible rethreading device of the present invention, the tool can float up and down relative to the flexible component, the centering component, etc., so that during threading, the lifting speed of the tool can be inconsistent with the lifting speeds of the flexible component, the centering component, etc., so that when there is a time difference in the feed speed, the tool component can automatically obtain an appropriate lifting speed according to different threads, which is more conducive to ensuring the threading quality.

[0058] It should be noted that the above preferred embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical concept and features of the present invention, and their purpose is to enable those who are familiar with this technology to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly, and cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any equivalent changes or modifications made according to the spirit and essence of the present invention should be covered within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible thread-returning and wire-cleaning device, comprising a motor (1), a cutter assembly (5) driven by the motor (1), and a mounting bracket (6) for mounting the motor (1), characterized in that: The flexible thread-returning and wire-cleaning device further includes a flexible component (3) and a centering component (4) connected between the motor (1) and the tool component (5). The flexible component (3) includes an upper universal joint (32), a lower universal joint (33), an intermediate rotating shaft group (34) with adjustable length connected between the upper universal joint (32) and the lower universal joint (33), and a lower rotating shaft (35) connected to the lower universal joint (33). The mounting bracket (6) includes a lower plate (62). The centering component (4) includes a lower sliding plate (40) slidably engaged with the lower plate (62) and an upper sliding plate (41) slidably engaged with the lower sliding plate (40). The sliding directions of the lower sliding plate (40) and the upper sliding plate (41) are perpendicular to each other. The lower rotating shaft (35) is rotatably connected to the upper sliding plate (41), and the tool component (5) is connected to the lower rotating shaft (35). The intermediate rotating shaft group (34) includes an upper intermediate rotating shaft (340) connected to the upper universal joint (32) and a lower intermediate rotating shaft (341) connected to the lower universal joint (33). The upper intermediate rotating shaft (340) and the lower intermediate rotating shaft (341) are slidably engaged. A first slide rail (44) is connected between the lower sliding plate (40) and the lower plate (62), and a second slide rail (45) is connected between the upper sliding plate (41) and the lower sliding plate (40). The centering component (4) further includes a first limit component (42) for limiting the moving distance of the lower sliding plate (40) and a second limit component (43) for limiting the moving distance of the upper sliding plate (41). The first limit component (42) includes a first mounting seat (420) connected to the lower plate (62) and a first limit member (421) screwed to the first mounting seat (420). The second limit component (43) includes a second mounting seat (430) connected to the lower sliding plate (40) and a second limit member (431) screwed to the second mounting seat (430).

2. The flexible reverse threading and wire cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the first limit member (421) and the second limit member (431) are elastic plungers.

3. The flexible thread-returning and wire-cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein: The tool component (5) includes a floating shaft (50) and a tool (51) connected to the floating shaft (50). The floating shaft (50) is slidably engaged with the lower rotating shaft (35).

4. The flexible back-threading and wire cleaning device according to claim 3, wherein: The lower rotating shaft (35) is provided with a first limit long hole (354), and the floating shaft (50) is provided with a slider (505) engaged with the first limit long hole (354).

5. The flexible thread-returning and wire-cleaning device according to claim 4, wherein: A first spring (52) is arranged between the lower rotating shaft (35) and the floating shaft (50), and the first spring (52) presses the floating shaft (50) downward.

6. The flexible back threading and wire cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein: A safety component (2) is further connected between the motor (1) and the flexible component (3). The safety component (2) includes an upper coupling (20), a lower coupling (21), and a torque sensor (22) connected between the upper coupling (20) and the lower coupling (21).

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