A self-calibration docking tool and docking method for rectangular thin-walled cylinders

Abstract

A self-calibration docking tool and docking method for rectangular thin-walled cylinders, belonging to the field of auxiliary tooling for docking thin-walled rectangular parts. The present invention solves the problem that the supporting fixture tooling mechanism currently used in the splicing of thin-walled rectangular cylinder segments is complex, and the thin-walled rectangular cylinder segments are easily deformed during docking, which affects the docking efficiency. The present invention includes support angles, a magnetic mechanism, a folding hinge and an expansion airbag. The four support angles form a rectangular frame placed at the connection of two thin-walled rectangular cylinders. The adjacent support angles are connected by a magnetic mechanism, and the two ends of the adjacent support angles are connected by a folding hinge. The expansion airbag is arranged in the rectangular frame, and the expansion airbag is connected to the folding hinge. The docking tool of the present invention solves the problem of easy deformation of thin-walled rectangular cylinders during docking, thereby improving the efficiency of docking thin-walled rectangular cylinders.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of auxiliary tooling for butt jointing thin-walled rectangular parts, in particular to a self-calibration butt jointing tooling for rectangular thin-walled cylinders and a butt jointing method. Background Art

[0002] As the concept of green environmental protection becomes more and more popular, the concept of lightweighting has gradually become one of the necessary design concepts for products. Whether considering saving transportation costs, material costs, processing costs, or energy conservation and consumption reduction, lightweight design of product structures is an inevitable trend. The traditional product design concept of focusing on function as the sole purpose has been eliminated. Compared with emerging composite materials and non-metallic materials, metal structures have difficulty gaining an advantage in lightweighting. With the development of industry demand, adding reinforcement structures to thin-walled metal structures has become a common way to reduce weight, such as common thin-walled cylindrical parts. However, such thin-walled structures bring certain difficulties to subsequent processing.

[0003] A thin-walled rectangular cylinder on a certain product (such as the attached Figure 9 As shown in the figure, the total length of the part exceeds 4 meters, the inner cavity size is 600mm square, and the wall thickness is 2mm. In addition to being formed by cold drawing in one step, this type of thin-walled rectangular cylinder can generally be processed by sheet metal bending and then welding. Since the length exceeds the sheet metal specifications, it needs to be aligned in sections and then welded into a whole;

[0004] The cold drawing one-step forming process is generally used for processing large-sized aluminum cylinders. The mold cost is high, and the cold drawing deformation of thin-walled parts easily leads to low precision of the finished product. Therefore, it can only form thin-walled cylinders with small sizes. This method is not suitable for the attached parts. Figure 9 The thin-walled tube shown cannot be formed and can only be formed by bending the sheet metal and then splicing it. Figure 9 The wall thickness of thin-walled cylinders is very thin, only 2mm, and the radial rigidity is very low. During the splicing process, they are easily affected by factors such as clamping force and are easily deformed, affecting the splicing quality.

[0005] The existing splicing method is to butt-join the two thin-walled cylinders, then use an external clamp to limit and fix them while using internal screws for multi-point support to ensure that the butt joint surface is flat and without misalignment, and then perform circumferential seam splicing to ensure the shape and position tolerance accuracy of the thin-walled cylinder. This splicing solution uses an external clamp to limit and fix them with internal screws for multi-point support, resulting in a complex tooling structure; separate internal and external adjustments lead to poor coordination; the overall rigidity of the thin-walled cylinder is poor, and deformation is easily generated during adjustment, affecting the width of the joint; the adjustment position is mainly concentrated on the flat side, and deviations are prone to occur at the four corners, affecting the overall appearance. In addition, the butt joint efficiency is low, making it unsuitable for mass production. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of developing the present invention is to solve the problem that the supporting fixture tooling used in the splicing of thin-walled rectangular cylinders is complex and poorly coordinated, and the thin-walled rectangular cylinders are easily deformed when adjusting the docking, which affects the docking efficiency. The present invention proposes a self-calibrating expansion fixture based on four-corner supports, which can adjust the docking once to ensure the consistency of the docking between the thin-walled cylinder and the inner wall. A brief overview of the present invention is given below to provide a basic understanding of certain aspects of the present invention. It should be understood that this overview is not an exhaustive overview of the present invention. It is not intended to determine the key or important parts of the present invention, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0007] The technical solution of the present invention:

[0008] Solution 1: A self-calibration docking tooling for rectangular thin-walled cylinders, including support angles, a magnetic mechanism, a folding hinge and an expansion airbag. The four support angles form a rectangular frame and are placed at the connection between two thin-walled rectangular cylinders. Adjacent support angles are connected by a magnetic mechanism, and the two ends of adjacent support angles are connected by a folding hinge. The expansion airbag is arranged in the rectangular frame, and the expansion airbag is connected to the folding hinge.

[0009] Furthermore, the folding hinge includes a first connecting rod and a second connecting rod, the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are hinged to each other via a pin, and the other ends of the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are hinged to two adjacent supporting angles via pins respectively.

[0010] Furthermore, a connecting seat is provided on the expansion airbag, and the folding hinge and the connecting seat are connected via a connecting ring.

[0011] Furthermore, the magnetic mechanism is a magnetic fixing block, and multiple magnetic fixing blocks are evenly distributed on the supporting corners. A frame groove is provided between two adjacent magnetic fixing blocks. The magnetic fixing blocks between two adjacent supporting corners are arranged crosswise, and the magnetic fixing blocks are arranged in the frame grooves of adjacent supporting corners.

[0012] Solution 2: A self-calibration docking method for rectangular thin-walled cylinders based on Solution 1, comprising the following steps:

[0013] Step 1: Clean the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders to be joined, remove burrs, flash and oil stains on the thin-walled rectangular cylinders, and ensure that the surface condition meets the requirements of the joining process. Process the thin-walled rectangular cylinders according to the joining method.

[0014] Step 2: Release the remaining gas in the inflatable airbag, fold the folding hinge to a contracted state, and install the contracted rectangular frame into the center of the inner cavity of the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders to be connected;

[0015] Step 3: Inflate the inflatable airbag with compressed gas, gradually expanding the cylindrical surface of the inflatable airbag until the outer wall of the lower left or lower right support angle contacts the inner wall of the thin-walled rectangular cylinder, preventing the support angle from moving. The remaining three support angles continue to move outward as the inflatable airbag expands until the edges of the four support angles are completely aligned with the inner wall of the thin-walled rectangular cylinder. Stop filling the inflatable airbag with compressed gas.

[0016] Step 4: Press the joints of the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders to be joined together with external force to align the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders to meet the joining requirements, and then join the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders together;

[0017] Step 5: After the two thin-walled cylinders are docked, the gas in the expansion airbag is discharged, the expansion airbag gradually shrinks, the folding hinge connected to the connecting seat of the expansion airbag gradually shrinks, and the angle between the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod gradually shrinks from the expanded state of 180° to the contracted state of 60°. The rectangular frame is pulled out of the thin-walled rectangular cylinder to complete the docking of the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders.

[0018] Furthermore, the specific method of step one is: the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders to be butted are butted together by welding, and the outer sides of the joint of the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders are beveled.

[0019] Furthermore, the specific method of step one is: the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders to be connected are connected by bonding, and a release agent is applied to the surfaces of the four supporting corners and the magnetic attraction mechanism.

[0020] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0021] 1. The self-aligning docking fixture for rectangular thin-walled cylinders of the present invention adopts a fixture structure with folding hinges and open support angles for self-aligning docking of thin-walled rectangular cylinders. This solves the problem of easy deformation of thin-walled rectangular cylinders during expansion and tightening. During the docking process, the flatness and dimensional accuracy of the docking surface of the inner wall of such thin-walled rectangular cylinders are ensured, thereby improving the docking efficiency of thin-walled rectangular cylinders and being suitable for batch docking production of thin-walled rectangular cylinders.

[0022] 2. The self-aligning docking fixture for rectangular thin-walled cylinders of the present invention has a simple structure and is easy to use. The folding hinge is easy to retract and replace. The folding hinge automatically limits when it is opened to 180 degrees, avoiding deformation caused by excessive pressure on the inner wall of the cylinder. The magnetic fixing block of the magnetic attraction mechanism adsorbs the cylinder wall to facilitate smooth docking of the cylinders.

[0023] 3. The rectangular thin-walled cylinder self-calibration docking tool of the present invention adopts a cylindrical expansion airbag. When inflated, the folding hinge is stretched to complete the expansion. When deflated, the folding hinge is pulled back through the connection, which is conducive to the contraction and removal of the tool. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a rectangular thin-walled cylinder self-calibration docking fixture in the contracted state;

[0025] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the coordination relationship between the folding hinge and the support angle;

[0026] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a rectangular thin-walled cylinder self-calibration docking fixture in the expanded state;

[0027] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 The main view;

[0028] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A top view of

[0029] Figure 6 yes Figure 3 The main view;

[0030] Figure 7 yes Figure 3 A top view of

[0031] Figure 8 yes Figure 1 A partial schematic diagram of

[0032] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram of the splicing of thin-walled rectangular cylinders.

[0033] In the figure, 1-support angle, 2-magnetic mechanism, 3-folding hinge, 4-expansion airbag, 5-pin, 6-first connecting rod, 7-second connecting rod, 8-connecting ring, 9-connecting seat, 10-magnetic fixing block, 11-frame slot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention more clearly apparent, the present invention is described below using specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In addition, in the following description, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted to avoid unnecessary confusion of the concepts of the present invention.

[0035] The connections mentioned in the present invention are divided into fixed connections and detachable connections. The fixed connections (i.e., non-detachable connections) include but are not limited to conventional fixed connection methods such as hemming, rivet connection, bonding connection, and welding connection. The detachable connections include but are not limited to conventional detachable methods such as threaded connection, snap connection, pin connection, and hinge connection. When the specific connection method is not clearly specified, it is assumed that at least one connection method can always be found among the existing connection methods to achieve the function. Those skilled in the art can choose according to their needs. For example: a welded connection is selected for a fixed connection, and a hinge connection is selected for a detachable connection.

[0036] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connect," "fixed," etc. should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0037] Example 1, combined Figures 1-8 Describe this embodiment, this embodiment is a rectangular thin-walled cylinder self-calibration docking tool, the tool includes a support angle 1, a magnetic attraction mechanism 2, a folding hinge 3, an expansion airbag 4 and a pin 5, four support angles 1 form a rectangular frame, adjacent support angles 1 are connected by a magnetic attraction mechanism 2, the magnetic attraction mechanism 2 is flush with the outer surface of the support angle 1, a folding hinge 3 is connected between two adjacent support angles 1, the folding hinge 3 is hinged to the support angle 1 through the pin 5, the expansion angle of the folding hinge 3 is in the range of 0° to 180°, the expansion airbag 4 is arranged in the rectangular frame, and the expansion airbag 4 is respectively established with each folding hinge 3 The rectangular frame formed by the support angles 1 is placed at the junction of the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders to be connected, and compressed air is filled into the expansion airbag 4. When the expansion airbag 4 expands, the opening angle of the folding hinge 3 is gradually increased, so that the distance between adjacent support angles 1 is lengthened. When the opening angle of the folding hinge 3 reaches 180°, the four support angles 1 are respectively in contact with the four corners of the thin-walled rectangular cylinder. When the tooling reaches the expanded state, the side wall of the thin-walled cylinder is adsorbed on the magnetic attraction mechanism 2, further enhancing the smooth alignment effect of the thin-walled rectangular cylinder joint and avoiding the influence of the thin-walled rectangular cylinder's own deformation on the docking effect.

[0038] Example 2, combined with Figures 1-8Describe this embodiment. This embodiment is a rectangular thin-walled cylinder self-calibration docking tooling, which includes a support angle 1, a magnetic attraction mechanism 2, a folding hinge 3, an expansion airbag 4 and a pin 5. The four support angles 1 constitute a rectangular frame. The adjacent support angles 1 are connected by the magnetic attraction mechanism 2. The magnetic attraction mechanism 2 is a magnetic fixing block 10. There are multiple magnetic fixing blocks 10 evenly arrayed on both sides of each support angle 1. There is a frame groove 11 between two adjacent magnetic fixing blocks 10. The magnetic fixing blocks 10 of the support angle 1 are inserted into the frame groove 11 of the adjacent support angle 1. The magnetic fixing blocks 10 between the two adjacent support angles 1 are cross-arranged. The magnetic fixing blocks 10 use permanent magnets or electromagnets. The permanent magnets are fixed magnetic type or mechanical rotation demagnetization type. The magnetic fixing blocks 10 are flush with the outer surface of the support angle 1. A folding hinge 3 is connected between the two adjacent support angles 1. The folding hinge 3 includes a first connecting rod 6 and a second connecting rod 7. The first connecting rod 6 and the second connecting rod 7 are connected. The first link 6 is hinged to the support angle 1 through the pin 5, and the second link 7 is hinged to the adjacent support angle 1 through the pin 5. The angle between the first link 6 and the second link 7 is in the range of 0° to 180°. The expansion airbag 4 is arranged in a rectangular frame. A plurality of connecting seats 9 are installed on the expansion airbag 4. Each connecting seat 9 is connected to the hinge of the first link 6 and the second link 7 through a connecting ring 8. The expansion airbag 4 is inflated to gradually increase the angle between the first link 6 and the second link 7 to 180°. After the rectangular thin-walled cylinder is docked, the expansion airbag 4 is deflated and gradually shrinks. During the shrinkage process, the connecting seat 9 drives the first link 6 and the second link 7 to gradually shrink through the connecting ring 8. When the angle between the first link 6 and the second link 7 is 60°, in order to improve the efficiency of disassembly and assembly of the tooling from the rectangular thin-walled cylinder, the tooling can be directly taken out and the docking operation of the next part can be carried out to improve the docking efficiency.

[0039] Example 3, combined with Figures 1-8 This embodiment describes a self-calibration docking method for rectangular thin-walled cylinders, which is characterized by comprising the following steps:

[0040] Step 1: Clean the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders to be joined, remove burrs, flash and oil stains on the thin-walled rectangular cylinders, and ensure that the surface condition meets the requirements of the joining process. Process the thin-walled rectangular cylinders according to the joining method.

[0041] Step 2: Release the residual gas in the inflatable airbag 4, fold the folding hinge 3 to the contracted state, and the angle between the first connecting rod 6 and the second connecting rod 7 of the folding hinge 3 is between 30° and 45°. Install the contracted rectangular frame into the center position of the inner cavity of the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders to be connected;

[0042] Step 3: Fill the expansion bag 4 with compressed gas of appropriate pressure to gradually expand the cylindrical surface of the expansion bag 4, so that the outer wall of the support angle 1 on the lower left or lower right side contacts the inner wall of the thin-walled rectangular cylinder, so that the support angle 1 no longer moves. The other three support angles 1 continue to move outward with the expansion of the expansion bag 4 until the edges of the four support angles 1 are completely aligned with the inner wall of the thin-walled rectangular cylinder. Then stop filling the expansion bag 4 with compressed gas.

[0043] Step 4: Press the joints of the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders to be joined together with external force to align the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders to meet the joining requirements. The magnetic fixing block 10 between the two adjacent support angles 1 absorbs the inner wall of the thin-walled rectangular cylinder to join the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders.

[0044] Step 5: After the two thin-walled cylinders are docked, the gas in the expansion airbag 4 is discharged, the expansion airbag gradually shrinks, and the folding hinge 3 connected to the connecting seat 9 of the expansion airbag 4 gradually shrinks. The angle between the first connecting rod 6 and the second connecting rod 7 gradually shrinks from the expanded state of 180° to the contracted state of 60°. At this time, the rectangular frame can be pulled out from the thin-walled rectangular cylinder without waiting for the expansion airbag 4 to completely shrink. When the angle between the first connecting rod 6 and the second connecting rod 7 shrinks to 60°, the gap between the support angle 1 and the inner wall of the thin-walled cylinder meets the disassembly and assembly requirements, and the tooling can be pulled out from the thin-walled rectangular cylinder to complete the docking of the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders, and the docking operation of the next part can be carried out, thereby improving the docking efficiency by more than 1 times.

[0045] Specifically, in step 1, if the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders are butt-welded, the outer sides of the joint of the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders are beveled;

[0046] Specifically, in step 1, if the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders are butted together by bonding, a release agent is applied to the surfaces of the four support angles 1 and the magnetic attraction mechanism 2 .

[0047] This embodiment is only an illustrative description of this patent and does not limit its scope of protection. Those skilled in the art may also make partial changes to it. As long as they do not exceed the spirit of this patent, they are within the scope of protection of this patent.

Claims

1. A self-calibration docking tool for rectangular thin-walled cylinders, characterized by: The invention comprises support angles (1), a magnetic attraction mechanism (2), a folding hinge (3) and an expansion airbag (4); the four support angles (1) form a rectangular frame and are placed at the connection of two thin-walled rectangular tubes; adjacent support angles (1) are connected by the magnetic attraction mechanism (2); the two ends of adjacent support angles (1) are connected by the folding hinge (3); the expansion airbag (4) is arranged in the rectangular frame, and the expansion airbag (4) is connected to the folding hinge (3); The expansion airbag (4) is provided with a connecting seat (9), and the folding hinge (3) and the connecting seat (9) are connected via a connecting ring (8); The magnetic attraction mechanism (2) is a magnetic attraction fixing block (10), a plurality of magnetic attraction fixing blocks (10) are evenly distributed on the support angle (1), a frame groove (11) is provided between two adjacent magnetic attraction fixing blocks (10), the magnetic attraction fixing blocks (10) between two adjacent support angles (1) are arranged crosswise, and the magnetic attraction fixing blocks (10) are arranged in the frame grooves (11) of the adjacent support angles (1).

2. The self-calibration docking fixture for rectangular thin-walled cylinders according to claim 1, characterized in that: The folding hinge (3) comprises a first connecting rod (6) and a second connecting rod (7), the first connecting rod (6) and the second connecting rod (7) are hinged via a pin (5), and the other ends of the first connecting rod (6) and the second connecting rod (7) are hinged to two adjacent supporting angles (1) via the pin (5).

3. A method for self-calibration docking of rectangular thin-walled cylinders, the method being implemented based on the self-calibration docking tool for rectangular thin-walled cylinders according to claim 2, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step 1: Clean the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders to be joined, remove burrs, flash and oil stains on the thin-walled rectangular cylinders, and ensure that the surface condition meets the requirements of the joining process. Process the thin-walled rectangular cylinders according to the joining method. Step 2: Release the residual gas in the expansion airbag (4) to fold the folding hinge (3) to a contracted state, with the angle between the first connecting rod (6) and the second connecting rod (7) of the folding hinge (3) ranging from 30° to 45°, and install the contracted rectangular frame into the center position of the inner cavity of the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders to be connected; Step 3: Fill the expansion airbag (4) with compressed gas to gradually expand the cylindrical surface of the expansion airbag (4), and bring the outer wall of the support angle (1) on the lower left or lower right side into contact with the inner wall of the thin-walled rectangular cylinder, so that the support angle (1) no longer moves, and the other three support angles (1) continue to move outward with the expansion of the expansion airbag (4) until the edges of the four support angles (1) are completely aligned with the inner wall of the thin-walled rectangular cylinder, and then stop filling the expansion airbag (4) with compressed gas; Step 4: Press the joints of the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders to be joined together with external force to align the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders to meet the joining requirements, and then join the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders together; Step 5: After the two thin-walled cylinders are docked, the gas in the expansion airbag (4) is discharged, the expansion airbag gradually shrinks, the folding hinge (3) connected to the connecting seat (9) of the expansion airbag (4) gradually shrinks, and the angle between the first connecting rod (6) and the second connecting rod (7) gradually shrinks from the expanded state of 180° to the contracted state of 60°, and the rectangular frame is pulled out from the thin-walled rectangular cylinder to complete the docking of the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders.

4. A self-calibration docking method for rectangular thin-walled cylinders according to claim 3, characterized in that: The specific method of step 1 is: two thin-walled rectangular cylinders to be butted are butted together by welding, and outer sides of the joint of the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders are beveled.

5. The self-calibration docking method for rectangular thin-walled cylinders according to claim 3, characterized in that: The specific method of step one is: the two thin-walled rectangular cylinders to be connected are connected by bonding, and a release agent is applied to the surfaces of the four supporting corners (1) and the magnetic attraction mechanism (2).

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