An induction heating device

Abstract

The present invention discloses an induction heating device, which belongs to the technical field of curved plate processing. The present invention provides a double-ring gyroscope to adjust the rotational freedom of the induction coil in the x-axis and y-axis directions, and provides a vertical lifting unit to adjust the movement freedom of the induction coil in the z-axis direction. The structure is simple and the cost is low. In the present invention, one of the functions of the vertical lifting unit is to control the movement freedom of the induction coil in the z-axis. The second function is similar to that of a spring. The clamping force of the vertical lifting unit is used to ensure that the universal wheel at the bottom of the inner ring is always in close contact with the plate. During the mobile induction heating process, the coil posture is adjusted by the contact force between the universal wheel and the plate, ensuring that the spacing between the induction coil and the plate is stable during the heating process. The effect of the contact force is transient. In theory, the coil posture can be adjusted in an instant, so it can adapt to the rapid movement heating process of a plate with a large curvature. The present invention does not require monitoring the shape of the plate, which further reduces costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of curved plate processing, and more specifically, relates to an induction heating device. Background Art

[0002] Thermoforming is a common method for processing complex curved sheet materials. Common heat sources used in thermoforming include oxyacetylene flames, lasers, and electromagnetic induction heating. Electromagnetic induction heating is becoming a preferred thermoforming method due to its high efficiency, clean energy, and ease of control.

[0003] Complex curved sheet materials are composed of surfaces with multiple curvatures. Typical complex curved surfaces include sails, saddles, and twists. Other complex curved shapes can be considered combinations of these three typical shapes. Due to the complexity of the sheet material's shape, it is difficult to maintain a stable spacing between the coil and the sheet during heating, leading to problems such as uneven temperature distribution and low heating accuracy.

[0004] Literature and patent searches reveal that monitoring and active adjustment are generally used to adapt to complex curved surfaces: sensors are first used to monitor the actual shape of the sheet, and then automated control technology is used to actively adjust the spacing between the coil and the sheet to meet processing requirements. Chinese Patents 201410641202.4 and 201810831201.4 both employ this technical approach. However, sensors adapted to magnetothermal conditions are generally expensive. Furthermore, complex automated control systems, such as robotic arms, are required to meet spacing control requirements, which increases equipment costs. Furthermore, for rapidly moving and heating large-curvature sheets, unresponsive monitoring and active adjustment can reduce heating accuracy or even render the process unusable. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In response to the above defects or improvement needs of the prior art, the present invention provides an induction heating device, the purpose of which is to ensure a stable distance between the induction coil and the plate during the heating process while reducing costs.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an induction heating device, comprising: a double-circle gyroscope and a vertical lifting unit;

[0007] The double-coil gyroscope includes an inner coil and an outer coil; the inner coil and the outer coil can rotate relative to each other to jointly adjust the rotational freedom of the induction coil in the x-axis and y-axis directions;

[0008] The vertical lifting unit is used to adjust the freedom of movement of the induction coil in the z-axis direction and provide a pressing force.

[0009] Furthermore, the initial posture of the inner ring is horizontal.

[0010] Furthermore, the vertical lifting unit is a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder.

[0011] Furthermore, the device further comprises a door-shaped mounting plate; the vertical lifting unit is connected to the double-coil gyroscope via the door-shaped mounting plate;

[0012] The inner ring is connected to the door-shaped mounting plate via symmetrically arranged hook springs;

[0013] The outer ring and the door-shaped mounting plate are connected by an axle pin and can rotate relative to each other; the rotational freedom of the inner ring and the outer ring is orthogonal to the rotational freedom of the outer ring and the door-shaped mounting plate.

[0014] Furthermore, an induction coil cable clamp is installed on the upper part of the inner ring; the induction coil cable clamp is connected to the door-shaped mounting plate through symmetrically arranged hook springs; the induction coil cable is fixed on the induction coil cable clamp; the induction coil cable is connected to the induction coil through a pressing block;

[0015] A universal wheel is installed at the lower part of the inner ring. The universal wheel is used to contact the plate and ensure relative movement between the induction heating device and the plate.

[0016] Furthermore, a sensor mounting fixture is also installed on the door-shaped mounting plate.

[0017] Furthermore, a cooling water circuit is provided inside the inner ring.

[0018] Furthermore, a horizontally movable panel and a double-slide mounting plate; the vertical lifting unit is mounted on the double-slide mounting plate through the horizontally movable panel; the horizontally movable panel can move along the y-axis relative to the double-slide mounting plate, thereby adjusting the degree of freedom of the induction heating device along the y-axis.

[0019] In general, the above technical solutions conceived by the present invention can achieve the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art.

[0020] In order to ensure a stable spacing between the induction coil and the plate during the heating process, achieve uniform heating temperature distribution, and improve heating accuracy, the existing technology generally adopts monitoring and active adjustment methods to adapt to complex curved surface shapes. On the one hand, this results in a complex device structure and high cost. On the other hand, because both shape monitoring and active adjustment require response time, this technical solution is not suitable for the mobile induction heating process of a plate with large curvature. The present invention provides a double-loop gyroscope and a vertical lifting unit to give the induction coil a very flexible degree of freedom. Specifically, the double-loop gyroscope is used to adjust the rotational freedom of the induction coil in the x-axis and y-axis directions, and the vertical lifting unit such as a cylinder is used to adjust the movement freedom of the induction coil in the z-axis direction. The structure is simple and the cost is low.

[0021] The present invention adopts a mechanical contact solution. In the present invention, one of the functions of the vertical lifting unit is to control the freedom of movement of the induction coil in the z-axis. The second function is similar to that of a spring. The clamping force of the vertical lifting unit is relied upon to ensure that the universal wheel at the bottom of the inner ring is always in close contact with the plate. During the mobile induction heating process, the coil posture is adjusted by relying on the contact force between the universal wheel and the plate, thereby ensuring the stability of the distance between the induction coil and the plate during the heating process. The effect of the contact force is transient, and theoretically the adjustment of the coil posture can be completed in an instant. Therefore, the present invention can adapt to the rapid moving heating process of large curvature plates; the present invention does not need to monitor the shape of the plate, thereby further reducing costs.

[0022] The vertical lifting unit in the present invention is a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder, and its stiffness can be changed by adjusting the pneumatic pressure or hydraulic pressure to adapt to different processing scene requirements.

[0023] In addition to being used to connect the vertical lifting unit and the double-circle gyroscope, the door-shaped mounting plate of the present invention can also be provided with a mounting fixture for the sensor, thus having good functional scalability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is a schematic front view of the structure of an induction heating device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 A schematic side view of the structure of an induction heating device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a bottom view schematic diagram of the structure of an induction heating device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] 1 is a double-slide mounting plate, 2 is a scale, (3, 5) are hook springs, 4 is a door-type mounting plate, 6 is an outer ring, 7 is an induction coil cable, 8 is a buffer gasket, 9 is a guide column tube, 10 is a guide column, 11 is a water inlet (outlet), 12 is an inner ring, 13 is a cylinder, 14 is a horizontal moving panel, 15 is a sensor mounting fixture, 16 is an induction coil cable fixture, 17 is a pressure block, 18 is an induction coil, and 19 is a universal wheel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely for the purpose of explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below may be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0029] Figure 1-3 FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an induction heating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1-3 As shown, the induction heating device includes: a vertical lifting unit, a horizontal moving panel 14, a double-slot mounting plate 1, a double-circle gyroscope, a door-type mounting plate 4, an inlet (outlet) 11, an induction coil cable clamp 16, a universal wheel 19, an induction coil 18, a pressure block 17, a ruler 2, a hook spring (3, 5), an induction coil cable 7, and a sensor mounting clamp 15.

[0030] like Figure 1-Figure 2 As shown, the vertical lifting unit includes a cylinder 13, a guide post 10, a guide post barrel 9, and a buffering pad 8. The stroke of the cylinder 13 is determined based on the specific machining scenario. The guide post 10 and guide post barrel 9 ensure that the vertical lifting unit moves only along the z-axis, preventing deviation from the moving direction due to uneven force. The buffering pad 8 prevents the guide post 10 and guide post barrel 9 from collision and damage.

[0031] The vertical lifting unit is mounted on the double-slot mounting plate 1 via a horizontally movable panel 14. The horizontally movable panel 14 can move along the y-axis relative to the double-slot mounting plate 1, thereby adjusting the degree of freedom of the induction heating device along the y-axis.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, the dual-coil gyroscope is connected to the vertical lifting unit via a gate-shaped mounting plate 4. The dual-coil gyroscope includes an inner ring 12 and an outer ring 6. The outer ring 6 is connected to the gate-shaped mounting plate via an axle pin and can rotate relative to the y-axis. The inner ring 12 and the outer ring 6 are also connected via an axle pin and can rotate relative to each other around the x-axis. The superposition of two orthogonal rotational degrees of freedom allows the inner ring 12 to rotate in any direction. The inner ring 12 has an internal cooling water circuit and a water inlet (outlet) 11 to prevent damage to the inner ring 12 from high temperatures. Several universal wheels 19 are mounted on the bottom of the inner ring 12; the specific number can be determined based on the usage scenario. The universal wheels 19 allow the induction heating device to move and heat the plate surface in any direction, enhancing flexibility. An induction coil cable clamp 16 is mounted on the top of the inner ring 12 to secure the induction coil cable 7. The induction coil cable 7 is used to power the induction coil 18.

[0033] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the induction coil 18 is connected to the induction coil cable 7 via the pressing block 17. Since the induction coil cable 7 and the inner ring 12 are also connected, the degrees of freedom of the induction coil 18 and the inner ring 12 are bound, that is, the induction coil 18 has the degree of freedom of rotation in any direction.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, the inner ring 12 is connected to the door-shaped mounting plate 4 through the hook spring 5, which is symmetrically arranged. This simple design ensures that the rotation angle of the inner ring 12 around the x-axis is zero when the universal wheel 19 does not contact the plate. Figure 1-Figure 2As shown, the induction coil cable clamp 16 is connected to the door-shaped mounting plate 4 via a hook spring 3, ensuring that the inner ring 12 can rotate about the y-axis at zero angle without the universal wheel 19 contacting the plate. This design avoids safety hazards caused by excessive deflection between the dual-coil gyro and the plate as the induction heating device approaches the plate.

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, a ruler 2 is installed on the induction coil cable clamp 16 to calibrate the distance between the induction coil 18 and the plate.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, the door-shaped mounting plate is also equipped with a sensor mounting fixture 15, which enhances the functional extensibility of the induction heating device. For example, a temperature sensor can be installed on the sensor mounting fixture 15 to output the temperature of the plate surface.

[0037] Taking the processing process in which the plate is not moving and the induction heating device is installed on a three-axis mobile platform as an example, the use process of the induction heating device is explained: first, use the three-axis mobile platform to move the induction heating device to the starting point of the heating path and close to the plate, ensuring that the distance between the bottom surface of the universal wheel 19 of the induction heating device and the plate does not exceed the stroke of the cylinder 13, so as to avoid exceeding the cylinder stroke and causing the induction heating device to fail; the vertical lifting unit is started to press the induction heating device toward the plate, so that at least 3 universal wheels 19 contact the plate and press it tightly; set the cylinder 13 to a constant pressure state; the three-axis mobile platform drives the induction heating device to move along the heating path to achieve large-scale induction heating.

[0038] During processing, under the action of the vertical lifting unit, some or all of the universal wheels 19 at the bottom of the inner ring 12 are constantly in contact with the surface of the plate. The pressure of the cylinder 13 and the contact force between the universal wheels 19 and the plate form a balanced force system. The cylinder 13 acts like a spring, constantly pressing the universal wheels 19 at the bottom of the inner ring 12 toward the plate. When the induction heating device moves, once the surface shape of the plate changes, the universal wheels 19 in contact with the plate can respond instantly under the action of the contact force and the pressure of the cylinder 13, thereby adjusting the posture of the inner ring 12 and the induction coil 18. Because the effect of the force is transient, the induction heating device provided by the present invention can quickly respond to changes in the surface shape of the plate and is suitable for the rapid movement and heating process of large-curvature plates. Due to the use of this mechanical contact induction heating device, there is no need for additional equipment to monitor the shape of the plate.

[0039] It will be easily understood by those skilled in the art that the above description is merely 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 scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An induction heating device, characterized in that: include: Double-coil gyro and vertical lift unit; The double-coil gyroscope includes an inner coil and an outer coil; the inner coil and the outer coil can rotate relative to each other to jointly adjust the rotational freedom of the induction coil in the x-axis and y-axis directions; A vertical lifting unit is used to adjust the freedom of movement of the induction coil in the z-axis direction and provide a pressing force; The initial posture of the inner circle is horizontal; The device also includes a door-shaped mounting plate; the vertical lifting unit is connected to the double-coil gyroscope via the door-shaped mounting plate; A universal wheel is installed at the bottom of the inner ring, which is used to contact the plate and ensure relative movement between the induction heating device and the plate; the inner ring is connected to the door-shaped mounting plate via symmetrically arranged hook springs, ensuring that the rotation angle of the inner ring around the x-axis is zero when the universal wheel does not contact the plate; an induction coil cable clamp is installed at the top of the inner ring; the induction coil cable clamp is connected to the door-shaped mounting plate via symmetrically arranged hook springs, ensuring that the rotation angle of the inner ring around the y-axis is zero when the universal wheel does not contact the plate; the induction coil cable is fixed to the induction coil cable clamp; and the induction coil cable is connected to the induction coil via a pressing block. The outer ring and the door-shaped mounting plate are connected by an axle pin and can rotate relative to each other; the rotational freedom of the inner ring and the outer ring is orthogonal to the rotational freedom of the outer ring and the door-shaped mounting plate.

2. An induction heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vertical lifting unit is a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder.

3. The induction heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sensor mounting fixture is also installed on the door-type mounting plate.

4. An induction heating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: A cooling water circuit is provided inside the inner ring.

5. The induction heating device according to claim 4, characterized in that: A horizontally movable panel and a double-slot mounting plate; a vertical lifting unit is mounted on the double-slot mounting plate through the horizontally movable panel; the horizontally movable panel can move along the y-axis relative to the double-slot mounting plate, thereby adjusting the degree of freedom of the induction heating device along the y-axis.

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