Clamping mechanism and tube expansion equipment

Abstract

This invention relates to a clamping mechanism and a tube expansion device. The clamping mechanism includes a support frame, a positioning component, and a pressing component. The positioning component is disposed on the support frame and has a positioning surface formed thereon. The pressing component is movably disposed on the support frame and has a clamping space formed thereon. The pressing component can move toward or away from the support frame in a first direction, so that the positioning surface is located within the clamping space. The first direction intersects with the positioning surface. The pressing component can also perform clamping movement relative to the support frame in a second direction, which intersects with the first direction. The pressing component moves in the first direction to position the workpiece to be processed within the clamping space. The pressing component moves in the second direction to abut against the workpiece to be processed, thus clamping the workpiece. The clamping mechanism has a high degree of automation and requires no manual operation, thereby improving the overall safety and reliability of the tube expansion device, reducing labor costs, and increasing production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of production line equipment technology, and in particular to clamping mechanisms and tube expansion equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, the demand for air conditioners has been increasing, and the demand for evaporators and condensers, as two important components of air conditioners, is also growing. However, most existing evaporator and condenser tube expander equipment is still semi-automated, requiring manual handling, assembly, clamping, and tube expansion operations. After the tube expansion operation is completed, the evaporators and condensers need to be manually transported to the next processing location, which is labor-intensive and resource-intensive. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a clamping mechanism and tube expansion device with a high degree of automation to address the above problems.

[0004] A clamping mechanism for a tube expansion device includes a support frame, a positioning component, and a pressing component. The positioning component is disposed on the support frame and has a positioning surface formed thereon. The pressing component is movably disposed on the support frame and has a clamping space formed thereon. The pressing component is movable toward or away from the support frame along a first direction, such that the positioning surface is located within the clamping space. The first direction intersects the positioning surface. The pressing component is capable of clamping relative to the support frame in a second direction, which intersects the first direction.

[0005] The aforementioned clamping mechanism has a positioning component mounted on a support frame, with a positioning surface formed on the positioning component. Simultaneously, the clamping component can move on the support frame, creating a clamping space. When the clamping component moves along a first direction so that the positioning surface is within the clamping space, the workpiece to be processed is positioned within the clamping space and abuts against the positioning surface. At this point, the clamping component moves along a second direction, reducing the clamping space and allowing the clamping component to abut against the workpiece, thus achieving clamping of the workpiece. The clamping mechanism is highly automated, requiring no manual operation. The large contact area between the positioning surface and the workpiece ensures the stability of the clamping, thereby improving the overall safety and reliability of the tube expansion equipment, reducing labor costs, and increasing production efficiency.

[0006] In one embodiment, the clamping assembly includes a first driving member, a second driving member, a first clamping member, and a second clamping member. The first clamping member and the second clamping member are movably mounted on the support frame. The first clamping member and the second clamping member are spaced apart relative to each other to form the clamping space, and the second direction is the direction in which the first clamping member faces or moves away from the second clamping member. The first driving member and the second driving member are both mounted on the support frame. The first driving member is used to drive the first clamping member and / or the second clamping member to move relative to the support frame along the first direction. The second driving member is capable of driving the first clamping member and / or the second clamping member to move towards or away from each other along the second direction.

[0007] In one embodiment, the clamping assembly further includes a linkage member, which is movably disposed on the support frame and is connected to the second driving member. Both the first clamping member and the second clamping member are connected to the linkage member. The second driving member can drive the linkage member to move and cause the first clamping member and the second clamping member to move simultaneously toward or away from each other along the second direction.

[0008] In one embodiment, there are two first driving members, and the two first driving members respectively drive the first clamping member and the second clamping member to move relative to the support frame along the first direction.

[0009] In one embodiment, the first clamping member includes a first mounting portion and a pushing portion. The first mounting portion is movably disposed on the support frame and is connected to the second driving member. The second driving member is capable of driving the first mounting portion to move along the second direction. The pushing portion is movably disposed on the first mounting portion. In one embodiment, the first driving member is disposed on the first mounting portion and is used to drive the pushing portion to move relative to the first mounting portion along the first direction.

[0010] In one embodiment, the clamping assembly further includes a third driving member disposed on the first mounting portion and throttle connected to the pushing portion. The third driving member is capable of driving the pushing portion to move relative to the first mounting portion in the second direction, so that the pushing portion is used to mount the workpiece onto the expansion tube assembly.

[0011] In one embodiment, the positioning component is located between the first clamping member and the second clamping member, the positioning component is movably mounted on the support frame, and the moving direction of the positioning component is consistent with the second direction.

[0012] In one embodiment, the number of positioning components is at least two, each of the positioning components being movably disposed on the support frame and located between the first clamping member and the second clamping member, with adjacent two positioning components spaced apart along the second direction.

[0013] In one embodiment, the positioning component includes a positioning member, a fourth driving member, a first clamping member, and a second clamping member. The positioning member is movably disposed on the support frame along the second direction, and the positioning surface is formed on the positioning member. The first clamping member and the second clamping member are movably disposed on the positioning member at a distance from each other. The fourth driving member is disposed on the positioning member and connected to the first clamping member and the second clamping member. The fourth driving member is capable of driving the first clamping member and / or the second clamping member to move relative to the positioning surface along a third direction. The third direction is parallel to the positioning surface and intersects the second direction.

[0014] In one embodiment, the positioning member is a strip-shaped positioning plate, the length direction of the positioning plate is consistent with the third direction, the first clamping member has a first guide groove, the second clamping member has a second guide groove communicating with the first guide groove, the two ends of the positioning plate are respectively inserted into the first guide groove and the second guide groove, the positioning plate can move relative to the first clamping member in the first guide groove, and the positioning plate can move relative to the second clamping member in the second guide groove.

[0015] A tube expansion device includes a clamping mechanism, a robotic arm, and a tube expansion assembly as described above, with a support frame mounted on the robotic arm; the tube expansion assembly is located on one side of the robotic arm, and the positioning surface of the positioning assembly is movable toward or away from the tube expansion assembly.

[0016] In the aforementioned tube expansion equipment, after the clamping mechanism holds the workpiece, a robotic arm transports the workpiece to the tube expansion assembly, further improving the automation level of the processing. The clamping mechanism, by contacting the tube expansion assembly, ensures the stability of the workpiece during assembly and processing, guaranteeing the safety and reliability of the production process, reducing labor costs, and improving production efficiency.

[0017] In one embodiment, the tube expanding device further includes a rotating component and a flaring component, the flaring component and the tube expanding component being respectively disposed on different sides of the rotating component, the positioning surface of the positioning component being able to position the work-in-process on the rotating component, the rotating component being able to rotate relative to the flaring component, so that the work-in-process on the rotating component is positioned opposite the flaring component or the tube expanding component. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the invention.

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping mechanism in one embodiment;

[0021] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A front view of the clamping mechanism in the embodiment;

[0022] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Side view of the clamping mechanism in the embodiment;

[0023] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the clamping assembly in the embodiment;

[0024] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A front view of the clamping assembly in the embodiment;

[0025] Figure 6 for Figure 4 Side view of the clamping assembly in the embodiment;

[0026] Figure 7 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the positioning component in the embodiment;

[0027] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Top view of the positioning component in the embodiment;

[0028] Figure 9 for Figure 7 A front view of the positioning component in the embodiment.

[0029] The components in the diagram are labeled as follows:

[0030] 10. Clamping mechanism; 100. Support frame; 200. Positioning assembly; 210. Positioning surface; 220. Positioning element; 230. Fourth driving element; 240. First clamping element; 250. Second clamping element; 260. Guide rod; 300. Pressing assembly; 310. Clamping space; 320. First driving element; 330. Second driving element; 340. First pressing element; 341. First mounting part; 342. Pushing part; 350. Second pressing element; 351. Second mounting part; 352. Abutting part; 360. Third driving element. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be practiced in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0032] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 One embodiment of the tube expansion device includes a clamping mechanism 10, a robotic arm, and a tube expansion assembly. The clamping mechanism 10 includes a support frame 100, a positioning component 200, and a pressing component 300. The positioning component 200 is disposed on the support frame 100 and has a positioning surface 210 formed thereon. The pressing component 300 is movably disposed on the support frame 100 and has a clamping space 310 formed thereon. The pressing component 300 can move toward or away from the support frame 100 along a first direction A, so that the positioning surface 210 can be located within the clamping space 310. The first direction A intersects with the positioning surface 210. The pressing component 300 can perform clamping movement relative to the support frame 100 in a second direction B, which intersects with the first direction A. The support frame 100 is disposed on the robotic arm; the tube expansion assembly is disposed on one side of the robotic arm, and the positioning surface 210 of the positioning component 200 can move toward or away from the tube expansion assembly.

[0033] The positioning component 200 is mounted on the support frame 100, and a positioning surface 210 is formed on the positioning component 200. Simultaneously, the clamping component 300 can move on the support frame 100, forming a clamping space 310. When the clamping component 300 moves along the first direction A so that the positioning surface 210 is located within the clamping space 310, the workpiece to be processed can be located within the clamping space 310 and abut against the positioning surface 210. At this time, the clamping component 300 moves along the second direction B, which can reduce the clamping space 310, allowing the clamping component 300 to abut against the workpiece to be processed, thus achieving clamping of the workpiece. The clamping mechanism 10 has a high degree of automation, requiring no manual operation. The large contact area between the positioning surface 210 and the workpiece to be processed also ensures the clamping stability of the workpiece, thereby improving the overall safety and reliability of the tube expansion equipment, reducing labor costs, and increasing production efficiency.

[0034] After clamping the workpiece, the clamping mechanism 10 transports it to the tube expansion assembly via a robotic arm, further enhancing the automation level of the processing. The clamping mechanism 10, by contacting the tube expansion assembly, ensures the stability of the workpiece during assembly and processing, guaranteeing the safety and reliability of the production process, reducing labor costs, and improving production efficiency.

[0035] In one embodiment, the tube expansion device further includes a rotating assembly and a flaring assembly, which are respectively disposed on different sides of the rotating assembly. The positioning surface 210 of the positioning assembly 200 can position the workpiece to be processed on the rotating assembly. The rotating assembly can rotate relative to the flaring assembly so that the workpiece to be processed on the rotating assembly is aligned with either the flaring assembly or the tube expansion assembly. In actual production, the robotic arm fixes the workpiece to be processed on the rotating assembly through the positioning assembly 200, and then the tube expansion assembly processes the workpiece first. After processing, the rotating assembly drives the workpiece to be processed to the flaring assembly for further processing. This allows the robotic arm to perform two different processing steps on the workpiece in a single gripping operation, further improving the production efficiency of the tube expansion device and reducing labor costs.

[0036] See Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 5In one embodiment, the clamping assembly 300 includes a first driving member 320, a second driving member 330, a first clamping member 340, and a second clamping member 350. The first clamping member 340 and the second clamping member 350 are movably mounted on the support frame 100. The first clamping member 340 and the second clamping member 350 are arranged at a distance from each other to form a clamping space 310, and the second direction B is the direction in which the first clamping member 340 faces or moves away from the second clamping member 350. The first driving member 320 and the second driving member 330 are both mounted on the support frame 100. The first driving member 320 is used to drive the first clamping member 340 and / or the second clamping member 350 to move relative to the support frame 100 along the first direction A. The second driving member 330 is able to drive the first clamping member 340 and / or the second clamping member 350 to move towards or away from each other along the second direction B.

[0037] See Figures 4 to 6 The gap between the first clamping member 340 and the second clamping member 350 forms a clamping space 310. The first driving member 320 pushes the first clamping member 340 and the second clamping member 350 to move along the first direction A, so that the positioning surface 210 is located within the clamping space 310, that is, the positioning surface 210 is located between the first clamping member 340 and the second clamping member 350. Then, after the workpiece to be processed comes into contact with the positioning surface 210, the second driving member 330 drives the first clamping member 340 and the second clamping member 350 to move towards each other along the second direction B, so that the first clamping member 340 and the second clamping member 350 respectively come into contact with the opposite ends of the workpiece to be processed, thereby achieving clamping of the workpiece to be processed. The second driving member 330 drives the first clamping member 340 and the second clamping member 350 to move away from each other along the second direction B, so that the clamping mechanism 10 can release the workpiece to be processed. The first drive component 320 and the second drive component 330 further enhance the automation level of the clamping mechanism 10, while also ensuring the stability and reliability of clamping. This, in turn, improves the overall safety and reliability of the tube expansion equipment, reduces labor costs, and increases production efficiency.

[0038] In one embodiment, the clamping assembly 300 further includes a linkage member, which is movably mounted on the support frame 100 and is connected to the second drive member 330. Both the first clamping member 340 and the second clamping member 350 are connected to the linkage member. The second drive member 330 can drive the linkage member to move and cause the first clamping member 340 and the second clamping member 350 to move simultaneously towards or away from each other along the second direction B. Thus, the linkage member ensures that the first clamping member 340 and the second clamping member 350 can move simultaneously along the second direction B, guaranteeing the clamping effect of the clamping mechanism 10 and its reliability.

[0039] See Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 6In one embodiment, there are two first driving members 320, which respectively drive the first clamping member 340 and the second clamping member 350 to move relative to the support frame 100 along a first direction A. This two driving members further increase the operational freedom of the clamping mechanism 10, thereby improving its practicality and convenience.

[0040] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 In one embodiment, the first clamping member 340 includes a first mounting portion 341 and a pushing portion 342. The first mounting portion 341 is movably mounted on the support frame 100 and is connected to the second driving member 330. The second driving member 330 can drive the first mounting portion 341 to move along a second direction B. The pushing portion 342 is movably mounted on the first mounting portion 341. A first driving member 320 is mounted on the first mounting portion 341 and is used to drive the pushing portion 342 to move relative to the first mounting portion 341 along a first direction A. When the second driving member 330 drives the first mounting portion 341 to move, it can also drive the first driving member 320 to move. The first driving member 320 can further drive the pushing portion 342 to move along the first direction A, and the pushing portion 342 can abut against the workpiece to be processed. This further expands the range of motion of the pushing portion 342 and also further broadens the applicability of the clamping mechanism 10.

[0041] See Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 6 In one embodiment, the second clamping member 350 includes a second mounting portion 351 and an abutment portion 352. The second mounting portion 351 is movably mounted on the support frame 100 and is connected to the second driving member 330. The second driving member 330 can drive the second mounting portion 351 to move along a second direction B. The abutment portion 352 is movably mounted on the second mounting portion 351. Another first driving member 320 is mounted on the second mounting portion 351 and is used to drive the abutment portion 352 to move relative to the second mounting portion 351 along a first direction A. The second driving member 330 drives the second mounting portion 351 and the first mounting portion 341 to move simultaneously along the second direction B. The abutment portion 352 and the pushing portion 342 can simultaneously abut against the opposite ends of the workpiece to be processed, thereby clamping the workpiece to be processed.

[0042] See Figures 1 to 3In one embodiment, the clamping assembly 300 further includes a third drive member 360, which is disposed on the first mounting portion 341 and is throttle-connected to the push portion 342. The third drive member 360 is capable of driving the push portion 342 to move relative to the first mounting portion 341 in a second direction B, so that the push portion 342 is used to mount the workpiece to be processed onto the expansion tube assembly.

[0043] In actual production, the expansion tube assembly is equipped with a mounting base, on which the workpiece to be processed can be mounted. In this embodiment, when the robotic arm presses the workpiece against the rotating assembly via the positioning surface 210 on the positioning assembly 200, the first clamping member 340, the workpiece to be processed, the second clamping member 350, and the mounting base are sequentially positioned in the second direction B. The second clamping member 350 moves along the first direction A away from the rotating assembly via the first driving member 320, so that the workpiece to be processed can be opposite the mounting base. At this time, the third driving member 360 drives the pushing part 342 to move along the second direction B, so that the pushing part 342 pushes the workpiece to be processed along the second direction B toward the mounting base, ultimately mounting the workpiece to be processed on the mounting base.

[0044] Then, the first clamping member 340 moves away from the rotating assembly along the first direction A via the first driving member 320. The end of the workpiece away from the mounting base aligns with the tube expansion assembly, which then processes the workpiece. Throughout the entire process, no manual positioning or assembly is required, resulting in a high degree of automation and reduced labor costs. This ensures the convenience and practicality of the tube expansion equipment.

[0045] See Figures 1 to 3 In one embodiment, the positioning component 200 is located between the first clamping member 340 and the second clamping member 350. The positioning component 200 is movably mounted on the support frame 100, and the direction of movement of the positioning component 200 is consistent with the second direction B. The positioning component 200 is adjustable on the support frame 100, so that the positioning surface 210 can also be adjusted. This allows the clamping mechanism 10 to be adapted to different sizes and types of workpieces.

[0046] See Figures 1 to 3 In one embodiment, the number of positioning components 200 is at least two. Each positioning component 200 is movably disposed on the support frame 100 and located between the first clamping member 340 and the second clamping member 350. Adjacent positioning components 200 are spaced apart along the second direction B. At least two positioning components 200 can increase the area of ​​the positioning surface 210, improve the contact area with the workpiece to be processed, ensure the clamping stability of the clamping mechanism 10, and ensure the stability of the workpiece against the rotating component.

[0047] See Figure 1 , Figure 7and Figure 8 In one embodiment, the positioning component 200 includes a positioning member 220, a fourth driving member 230, a first clamping member 240, and a second clamping member 250. The positioning member 220 is movably disposed on the support frame 100 along a second direction B. A positioning surface 210 is formed on the positioning member 220. The first clamping member 240 and the second clamping member 250 are movably disposed on the positioning member 220 at a relative interval. The fourth driving member 230 is disposed on the positioning member 220 and connected to the first clamping member 240 and the second clamping member 250. The fourth driving member 230 can drive the first clamping member 240 and / or the second clamping member 250 to move relative to the positioning surface 210 along a third direction C. The third direction C is parallel to the positioning surface 210 and intersects the second direction B. When the workpiece to be processed abuts against the positioning surface 210, the fourth driving member 230 drives the first clamping member 240 and the second clamping member 250 to move towards each other along the third direction C, thereby clamping the first clamping member 240 and the second clamping member 250 onto the opposite ends of the workpiece to be processed, respectively. The fourth driving member 230 also drives the first clamping member 240 and the second clamping member 250 to move away from each other along the third direction C, allowing the workpiece to be lowered. Simultaneously, the first clamping member 240 and the second clamping member 250, in conjunction with the first pressing member 340 and the second pressing member 350, clamp the workpiece from all sides, further ensuring the clamping stability and reliability of the clamping mechanism 10.

[0048] See Figures 7 to 9 In one embodiment, the positioning member 220 is a strip-shaped positioning plate, with its length direction aligned with the third direction C. A first guide groove is formed on the first clamping member 240, and a second guide groove is formed on the second clamping member 250, communicating with the first guide groove. The two ends of the positioning plate pass through the first and second guide grooves respectively. The positioning plate can move relative to the first clamping member 240 within the first guide groove, and can move relative to the second clamping member 250 within the second guide groove. One side of the positioning plate is a positioning surface 210. The positioning plate increases the contact area with the workpiece. The relative movement of the positioning plate within the first and second guide grooves also ensures the stability of the movement of the first clamping member 240 and the second clamping member 250.

[0049] See Figure 7 and Figure 8In one embodiment, the positioning assembly 200 further includes a guide rod 260, which is disposed on the side of the positioning member 220 facing away from the positioning surface 210. The length direction of the guide rod 260 is consistent with the third direction C. The first clamping member 240 and the second clamping member 250 are respectively provided with a first guide hole and a second guide hole. The guide rod 260 passes through the first guide hole and the second guide hole, and the first clamping member 240 and the second clamping member 250 can move along the third direction C on the guide rod 260. The guide rod 260 can ensure that the fourth driving member 230 can drive the first clamping member 240 and the second clamping member 250 to move smoothly along the length direction of the guide rod 260 during operation. Further, there are two fourth driving members 230, and the two fourth driving members 230 respectively drive the first clamping member 240 and the second clamping member 250 to move along the third direction C on the guide rod 260.

[0050] In one embodiment, the fourth driving member 230 includes a lead screw and a driving source. The driving source is disposed on the positioning member 220, and the lead screw is disposed on the side of the positioning member 220 facing away from the positioning surface 210 and connected to the driving source. The first clamping member 240 and the second clamping member 250 are both connected to the lead screw. The driving source can drive the lead screw to move the first clamping member 240 and the second clamping member 250 relative to the positioning member 220 along a third direction C, either towards or away from each other. Driving the first clamping member 240 and the second clamping member 250 along a third direction C via the lead screw ensures that the movement of the first clamping member 240 and the second clamping member 250 is smooth and reliable.

[0051] In one embodiment, the production line includes a tube expansion device and a production line. The tube expansion assembly and the production line are located on both sides of a robotic arm. The robotic arm grabs the work-to-be-processed item from the production line and transports it to the tube expansion assembly via a clamping assembly 300. The robotic arm can position the work-to-be-processed item on the tube expansion assembly via a positioning assembly 200.

[0052] The workpieces to be processed are transported to the robotic arm via the assembly line. The robotic arm clamps the workpieces using a clamping mechanism 10 and transports them to the tube expansion assembly. The robotic arm, through the clamping mechanism 10, holds the workpieces against the tube expansion assembly, facilitating processing. The entire production line requires no manual operation, greatly improving the automation level, reducing labor costs, and increasing production efficiency.

[0053] In one embodiment, the production line also includes a placement platform where items to be processed on the assembly line can be transported. A robotic arm then grasps the items on the placement platform using a clamping assembly 300. The items being processed are stationary on the placement platform, making it easier for the robotic arm to grasp them, thus ensuring a higher success rate for the robotic arm's grasping.

[0054] In one embodiment, there are two production lines, and the number of robotic arms corresponds to the number of production lines. Each robotic arm is equipped with a clamping mechanism 10, and each robotic arm corresponds to one production line. The tube expansion assembly and the flaring assembly are each associated with a robotic arm. One production line transports the workpiece to be processed toward the corresponding robotic arm. One robotic arm picks up the workpiece and transports it to the tube expansion assembly. After processing the workpiece, the tube expansion assembly rotates to position the workpiece at the flaring assembly, where it undergoes further processing. The other robotic arm picks up the processed workpiece from the flaring assembly and transports it to another production line. This other production line transports the processed workpiece away from the corresponding robotic arm. This achieves fully automated loading and unloading on the production line. Simultaneously, when the workpiece rotates to the flaring assembly, the robotic arm corresponding to the tube expansion assembly can pick up another workpiece and transport it to the tube expansion assembly, allowing the tube expansion equipment to perform tube expansion and flaring simultaneously. This further improves the production line's efficiency.

[0055] In other embodiments, the number of production lines can be set according to actual production needs and is not limited to the number specified in this embodiment. The number of robotic arms can also be set according to actual production conditions and does not need to correspond to the number of production lines. The number of flaring and expanding assemblies can be set according to the rotation angle of the rotating assembly. In this embodiment, the rotation angle of the rotating assembly is 180°, so the flaring and expanding assemblies are arranged on opposite sides of the rotating assembly. In other embodiments, if the rotation angle of the rotating assembly is 90°, the number of flaring assemblies can be two, and the number of expanding assemblies can be two. The two expanding assemblies and two flaring assemblies are arranged alternately on the four sides of the rotating assembly, that is, expanding assemblies are arranged on opposite sides of the rotating assembly, and flaring assemblies are arranged on the other two opposite sides. In this case, the rotating assembly can simultaneously accommodate four items to be processed. The number of robotic arms can be at least four.

[0056] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0057] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0058] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0059] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0060] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0061] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0062] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A clamping mechanism of a tube expander, characterized by, The clamping mechanism comprises: a support frame; a positioning assembly arranged on the support frame and having a positioning surface formed thereon; and a pressing assembly movably arranged on the support frame and having a clamping space formed thereon, the pressing assembly being movable toward or away from the support frame in a first direction intersecting the positioning surface so that the positioning surface is located in the clamping space, and the pressing assembly being capable of clamping movement relative to the support frame in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The pressing assembly comprises a first driving member, a second driving member, a first pressing member and a second pressing member, the first and second pressing members being movably arranged on the support frame and oppositely spaced apart to form the clamping space, and the second direction being a direction in which the first pressing member moves toward or away from the second pressing member; the first and second driving members are arranged on the support frame, the first driving member being configured to drive the first and / or second pressing member to move relative to the support frame in the first direction, and the second driving member being configured to drive the first and / or second pressing member to move toward or away from each other in the second direction.

2. The clamping mechanism of claim 1, wherein, The pressing assembly further comprises a linkage member movably arranged on the support frame and in transmission connection with the second driving member, the first and second pressing members being connected with the linkage member, and the second driving member being configured to drive the linkage member to move and drive the first and second pressing members to simultaneously move toward or away from each other in the second direction.

3. The clamping mechanism of claim 2, wherein, The number of the first driving members is two, and each of the first driving members is configured to drive the first and / or second pressing member to move relative to the support frame in the first direction; the first pressing member comprises a first mounting portion and a pushing portion, the first mounting portion being movably arranged on the support frame and in transmission connection with the second driving member, the second driving member being configured to drive the first mounting portion to move in the second direction, and the pushing portion being movably arranged on the first mounting portion, one of the first driving members being arranged on the first mounting portion and configured to drive the pushing portion to move relative to the first mounting portion in the first direction.

4. The clamping mechanism of claim 3, wherein The pressing assembly further comprises a third driving member arranged on the first mounting portion and in transmission connection with the pushing portion, the third driving member being configured to drive the pushing portion to move relative to the first mounting portion in the second direction, so that the pushing portion is configured to mount an article to be processed on a pipe expanding assembly of a pipe expanding device.

5. The clamping mechanism according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The positioning assembly is located between the first and second pressing members and is movably arranged on the support frame, the moving direction of the positioning assembly being consistent with the second direction.

6. The clamping mechanism according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The positioning assembly is at least two in number, each of which is movably arranged on the support frame and located between the first and second pressing members, and adjacent two of which are arranged in the second direction.

7. The clamping mechanism of claim 5, wherein, The positioning assembly comprises a positioning member, a fourth driving member, a first clamping member and a second clamping member, the positioning member is movably arranged on the support frame in the second direction, the positioning surface is formed on the positioning member, the first and second clamping members are movably arranged on the positioning member in opposite directions, the fourth driving member is arranged on the positioning member and connected with the first and second clamping members, the fourth driving member can drive the first and / or second clamping members to move in a third direction on the positioning surface, the third direction is parallel to the positioning surface and intersects with the second direction.

8. The clamping mechanism of claim 7, wherein, The positioning member is a strip-shaped positioning plate, the length direction of the positioning plate is consistent with the third direction, the first clamping member is provided with a first guide groove, the second clamping member is provided with a second guide groove connected with the first guide groove, the positioning plate is arranged in the first and second guide grooves at both ends, the positioning plate can move in the first guide groove relative to the first clamping member, and the positioning plate can move in the second guide groove relative to the second clamping member.

9. A tube expander apparatus, characterized by, The pipe expanding equipment comprises: The clamping mechanism according to any one of claims 1-8; A mechanical arm, the support frame is arranged on the mechanical arm; and A pipe expanding assembly, the positioning surface of the positioning assembly can move towards or away from the pipe expanding assembly.

10. The tube-expanding apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that The pipe expanding equipment further comprises a rotating assembly and a flaring assembly, the flaring assembly and the pipe expanding assembly are arranged on different sides of the rotating assembly respectively, the positioning surface of the positioning assembly can position the to-be-processed article on the rotating assembly, and the rotating assembly can rotate relative to the flaring assembly, so that the to-be-processed article on the rotating assembly is located on the flaring assembly or the pipe expanding assembly.

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