An automatic assembly system and process for an automotive steering wheel switch

By setting up a stage mechanism and a pressing mechanism in the automatic assembly system of the automobile steering wheel switch, and combining the action of the station switching mechanism, the automatic assembly of pre-assembled parts is realized, solving the problem of low automation in the prior art and improving assembly efficiency.

CN115533516BActive Publication Date: 2025-06-24CHANGXING COUNTY VOCATIONAL & TECH EDUCATION CENT SCHOOL
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202211233023.8
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-10-08
Publication Date
2025-06-24
Estimated Expiration
2042-10-08

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The prior art lacks clamping tooling and tooling action transformation for the specific structure of the pre-installed parts of the automobile steering wheel, and it is impossible to fully automatic pre-installation and fastening assembly of each accessories after the pre-installed parts are installed.

Method used

By setting up a mutually cooperating stage mechanism and pressing mechanism, pre-assembled parts of flexible special-shaped structures are loaded in multiple points, and the automatic resetting action of the pressing mechanism is used to achieve the positioning of the accessories, and cooperate with the station switching action of the station switching mechanism to realize the automatic assembly of the pre-assembled parts.

Benefits of technology

Automatic assembly of handle assembly is realized, assembly efficiency is improved, and problems of low automation and high error rate in the prior art are solved.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present invention provides an automatic assembly system and process for an automotive steering wheel switch, including a station switching mechanism, on which a material loading mechanism is arranged in an array, and the station switching mechanism carries the material loading mechanism for station switching; further including: a press-fitting mechanism; by providing a cooperating carrier mechanism and a press-fitting mechanism, the present invention performs multi-point loading on a pre-assembled part with a flexible and irregular structure, realizes the displacement of internal parts of the pre-assembled part through the automatic reset function of the press-fitting mechanism, and when the station switching mechanism transfers the material loading mechanism to the accessory assembly station in cooperation with the station switching action, the pre-assembled part receives the pre-assembly of other accessories, and then the press-fitting driving mechanism drives the press-fitting mechanism to perform multi-stage actions to complete the position restoration and auxiliary press-fitting of the internal parts of the pre-assembled part, thereby realizing the automatic assembly of the handle assembly part, improving the assembly efficiency, and solving the above-mentioned technical problems existing in the prior art.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automotive steering wheel accessory assembly, and particularly to an automatic assembly system and process for automotive steering wheel switches. Background Art

[0002] On both sides of an automotive steering wheel, there are distributed lighting operation handles, windshield wiper operation handles, etc. During the assembly production process of the operation handles, generally, artificial labor is used to fix the accessories on the carrier table with the aid of specific tooling, and then other auxiliary equipment is used to assemble the various accessories. However, since various pre-treatments need to be carried out on the accessories before assembly, the existing pre-treatment methods and assembly equipment rely on manual labor, with low automation and high error rates.

[0003] Chinese Patent CN202011110177.9 discloses a fully automatic pre-assembly device for automotive steering wheels, including a mounting plate, and further including a turntable mechanism, a loading mechanism, a first oiling mechanism, a pressing mechanism, a second oiling mechanism, a pre-assembly mechanism, and an unlocking mechanism. A plurality of the loading mechanisms are arranged equidistantly along the circumference of the turntable mechanism. The first oiling mechanism, the pressing mechanism, the second oiling mechanism, and the pre-assembly mechanism are sequentially arranged along the rotation direction of the turntable mechanism on the circumferential edge of the turntable mechanism. The left handle assembly, the right handle assembly, and the base are all installed on the rotating turntable assembly through the loading mechanism, and the rotation of the turntable assembly is used to switch between various workstations, realizing pre-treatment operations such as oiling and pre-assembly of the left handle assembly, the right handle assembly, and the base before assembly.

[0004] However, in the prior art, there is no clamping tooling for the specific structural accessories such as the pre-assembled parts in the present invention, nor a finished product assembly structure and process in which the tooling cooperates through action transformation to complete the automatic pre-assembly and fastening assembly of the pre-assembled parts and other accessories, and it is impossible to achieve the full-automatic operation of the pre-assembly of each accessory and the complete assembly after the pre-assembled parts are installed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to address the deficiencies of the prior art and provide an automatic assembly system and process for automotive steering wheel switches. By setting a carrier table mechanism and a pressing mechanism that cooperate with each other to perform multi-point loading on the pre-assembled parts with a flexible and irregular structure, the automatic reset function of the pressing mechanism is used to achieve the displacement of the internal parts of the pre-assembled parts. When the loading mechanism is transferred to the accessory assembly workstation in cooperation with the workstation switching action of the workstation switching mechanism, the pre-assembled parts receive the pre-assembly of other accessories, and then the pressing drive mechanism drives the pressing mechanism to perform multi-stage actions to complete the position restoration of the internal parts of the pre-assembled parts and the auxiliary pressing, thereby realizing the automatic assembly of the handle assembly parts, improving the assembly efficiency, and solving the above-mentioned technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above purpose, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0007] An automatic assembly system for an automotive steering wheel switch, comprising: a station switching mechanism, on which a material loading mechanism is arranged in an array, and the station switching mechanism carries the material loading mechanism for station switching; further comprising: a pressing mechanism, a pre-assembled part is loaded on the material loading mechanism, the pre-assembled part includes a fitting B and a fitting C which are arranged vertically, wherein the fitting C is loaded on the material loading mechanism, and the fitting B is loaded on the pressing mechanism. When the pressing mechanism is in its initial position without being affected by an external force, the fitting B loaded thereon gives way from above the fitting C; and a fitting assembly station, which is arranged on the station switching path of the station switching mechanism, and the fitting assembly station includes: a pressing driving mechanism, which acts on the pressing mechanism to enable the pressing mechanism to transform to a pressing position where the fitting B thereon is above the fitting C.

[0008] Preferably, the pressing mechanism is arranged at the rear side part of the material loading mechanism, and it includes: a mounting seat; and a guide rail and a pressing assembly mounted on the mounting seat, the pressing assembly is limited to slide along the guide rail, the fitting B is loaded on the pressing assembly, and the pressing assembly is set as an elastic automatic reset structure, and without an external force, it automatically resets to the initial position.

[0009] Preferably, the pre-assembled part further includes: a PCB board, the PCB board is set as a flexible structure and connects the fitting B and the fitting C; the guide rail is set as an arc structure, and when the pressing assembly loaded with the fitting B is in its initial position, the PCB board between the fitting B and the fitting C is flexibly bent.

[0010] Preferably, the pressing driving mechanism is located behind the pressing mechanism, and it includes: a lateral driving part; and a swing arm driving part, the swing arm driving part is driven by the lateral driving part to perform a lateral movement to pre-fit with the pressing assembly, and the swing arm driving part drives the pressing assembly to slide through a lifting action to transfer the pressing assembly to the pressing position.

[0011] Preferably, the pressing assembly includes: a pressing seat, the pressing seat is slidably mounted on the guide rail; and a pressing part, the pressing part is rotatably mounted on the pressing seat, and the pressing part is set as an elastic automatic reset structure, and without an external force, it automatically resets to an inclined initial state.

[0012] Preferably, the pressing driving mechanism further includes: a pressing driving part, the pressing driving part is driven by the lateral driving part to perform a lateral movement to pre-fit with the pressing part, and the pressing driving part drives the pressing part to rotate to a horizontal pressing state through a pressing action.

[0013] Preferably, the accessory assembly station further includes: a pre-assembly module disposed on the side of the loading mechanism for sequentially assembling the rain volume knob and the wiper knob assembly onto the accessory C; and an assembly mechanism disposed on the top of the loading mechanism for tightly installing the accessory B and the wiper knob assembly to obtain a handle assembly.

[0014] Preferably, an oiling station, a pre-assembly station, an oil spraying station, an accessory assembly station, and a discharging station are sequentially arranged along the station switching path of the station switching mechanism; the following accessories are loaded on the loading mechanism: a rain volume knob, a wiper knob, an accessory A, a plunger, and the pre-assembled part; in coordination with the station switching rhythm of the station switching mechanism, the oiling station oils the rain volume knob, the wiper knob, and the accessory A, the pre-assembly station correspondingly installs the plunger onto the rain volume knob and the wiper knob, the oil spraying station sprays the pre-assembled part, the accessory assembly station assembles all the accessories into one body according to a preset assembly standard to obtain a handle assembly, and the discharging station discharges and outputs the handle assembly.

[0015] Preferably, the oiling station includes: a first oiling mechanism, a turning mechanism, and a second oiling mechanism sequentially arranged along the station switching path of the station switching mechanism; in coordination with the turning of the accessory by the turning mechanism for transfer, the first oiling mechanism and the second oiling mechanism respectively oil the front and back sides of the accessory.

[0016] Preferably, the oiling guns of the first oiling mechanism and the second oiling mechanism are inclined.

[0017] Preferably, the pre-assembly station includes: a clamping pre-assembly mechanism for clamping and installing a plurality of the plungers onto the rain volume knob and the wiper knob.

[0018] Preferably, the oil spraying station includes: an oil spraying transfer mechanism, and an oil spraying mechanism driven by the oil spraying transfer mechanism for position transfer. The oil spraying mechanism includes:

[0019] an oil spraying seat installed on the driving end of the oil spraying transfer mechanism; a link driving assembly installed on the oil spraying seat; and an oil spraying gun installed on the driving end of the link driving assembly. The link driving assembly drives the oil spraying gun to incline for oil spraying or reset to a horizontal position.

[0020] Preferably, the link driving assembly includes:

[0021] A telescopic driving member, a first connecting rod, and a second connecting rod. The driving end of the telescopic driving member is vertically installed downward on the fuel injection seat. The first connecting rod is horizontally rotatably installed on the fuel injection seat. One end of the second connecting rod is hinged to the driving end of the telescopic driving member, and the other end is fixedly connected to one end of the first connecting rod. The fuel injection gun is installed on the first connecting rod. When the telescopic driving member makes a telescopic movement, the first connecting rod and the fuel injection gun are driven to rotate through the linkage of the second connecting rod.

[0022] Preferably, the station switching mechanism is set as a turntable structure, and several of the loading mechanisms are arranged in a circumferential array. The oiling station, the pre-assembly station, the fuel injection station, the fitting assembly station, and the unloading station are sequentially arranged in the circumferential direction of the station switching mechanism along the rotation direction of the station switching mechanism.

[0023] The present invention also provides an automatic assembly process for an automotive steering wheel switch, including an assembly process, and the assembly process includes the following steps:

[0024] S1, Pre-assembled part loading: When the pressing mechanism is not subjected to an external force and is in its initial position, the fitting C of the pre-assembled part is loaded on the loading mechanism, and the fitting B is loaded on the pressing mechanism, and the fitting B gives way from above the fitting C.

[0025] S2, Fitting assembly: The station switching mechanism carries the loading mechanism and switches to the fitting assembly station. The pre-assembly module sequentially sets the rain volume knob and the wiper knob assembly onto the fitting C.

[0026] S3, Preparation for handle assembly: The pressing drive mechanism acts on the pressing assembly, and the pressing assembly acts to horizontally press the fitting B thereon onto the wiper knob assembly.

[0027] S4, Handle assembly fixation: The assembly mechanism tightly installs the fitting B and the wiper knob assembly to obtain a handle assembly.

[0028] Preferably, the above step S3 includes the following steps:

[0029] S3-1, Transfer to the pressing position: The lateral drive part drives the swing arm drive part and the pressing drive part to move horizontally synchronously. After the swing arm drive part is pre-fitted with the pressing assembly, the swing arm drive part drives the pressing assembly to slide through a lifting action, so as to transfer the pressing assembly to a pressing position where the fitting B thereon is above the wiper knob assembly.

[0030] S3-2, Change to the pressing state: After the above S3-1 is completed, the pressing drive part above the pressing part drives the pressing part to rotate through a pressing action, so as to reach a pressing state where the fitting B on the pressing part is horizontally pressed onto the wiper knob assembly.

[0031] Preferably, the automatic assembly process of the vehicle steering wheel switch further includes:

[0032] The pre-assembly process before the assembly process, which includes the following steps:

[0033] T0, fitting loading: Corresponding fittings are loaded onto the loading mechanism, and S1 is included in step T0;

[0034] T1, applying mechanical oil: The station switching mechanism carries the loading mechanism to switch to the oiling station, and the oiling station applies oil to the front and back sides of the rain volume knob, the wiper knob, and fitting A;

[0035] T2, plunger pre-installation: The station switching mechanism carries the loading mechanism to switch to the pre-installation station, and the pre-installation station installs the plunger onto the rain volume knob and the wiper knob correspondingly;

[0036] T3, spraying electronic oil: The station switching mechanism carries the loading mechanism to switch to the oil spraying station, and the oil spraying station sprays electronic oil on fitting C; and

[0037] S5, the blanking process after the assembly process: The station switching mechanism carries the loading mechanism to switch to the unloading station, and the unloading station outputs the handle assembly by blanking.

[0038] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0039] (1) By setting up a cooperating carrier mechanism and a pressing mechanism to perform multi-point loading on the pre-installed parts of the flexible special-shaped structure, and realizing the displacement of the internal parts of the pre-installed parts through the automatic reset function of the pressing mechanism. When the loading mechanism is transferred to the fitting assembly station by the station switching action of the station switching mechanism, the pre-installed parts receive the pre-installation of other fittings, and then the pressing drive mechanism drives the pressing mechanism to perform multi-stage actions to complete the position restoration and auxiliary pressing of the internal parts of the pre-installed parts, thereby realizing the automatic assembly of the handle assembly and improving the assembly efficiency;

[0040] (2) By pre-loading each fitting to be assembled on the carrier mechanism, during the process of the station switching mechanism carrying the carrier mechanism to rotate for station switching, the operations of automatically coating mechanical oil on the front and back sides of the knob fittings on the carrier mechanism, pre-installing the plunger, spraying electronic oil on the pre-installed parts, pre-installing the knob fittings, assembling the handle assembly, and blanking output are automatically completed, realizing the full-automatic and efficient assembly after the unified feeding of each fitting;

[0041] (3) The press-fitting mechanism in the present invention is set as an elastic self-resetting structure. Its press-fitting component is limited and slides on the arc-shaped guide rail. When there is no external force, the press-fitting component automatically resets to the bottom of the guide rail, so that the accessories loaded on it can make way. The structural design of the press-fitting mechanism fully combines the flexible connection structure of the upper and lower accessories of the pre-installed part. The arc-shaped sliding method is set so that only the flexible connection structure flexes flexibly when the positions of the upper and lower two accessories change, so as to complete automatic yielding without damaging the structure of the pre-installed part; and a press-fitting driving mechanism is set to act on the press-fitting mechanism to drive the press-fitting mechanism to perform two-level actions to restore the position of the top accessory of the pre-installed part, complete pre-press fitting while avoiding action interference, so as to quickly complete the subsequent fastening and assembly operations. The overall structural design is ingenious, and the cooperative actions are accurate and efficient;

[0042] (4) In the oiling station of the present invention, two groups of oiling mechanisms and a flipping mechanism are arranged in sequence along the station switching path to realize double-sided oiling of the front and back sides of the knob accessories. An inclined oiling gun is set to facilitate the flexible insertion of the gun head end into the interior of the accessory to oil the side wall and other places, realizing rapid and effective oiling and ensuring the oiling amount;

[0043] (5) In the oil spraying transfer mechanism of the present invention, by setting a link-type driving structure, the oil spraying gun is matched to be inclined for precise oil spraying or reset to the horizontal position to prevent oil leakage through the articulated linkage of multiple links. The structure is stable and the action is ingenious. Description of the Drawings

[0044] Figure 1 is the overall structural schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 2 is the cooperation relationship diagram of the press-fitting mechanism, the material loading mechanism and the press-fitting driving mechanism in the present invention;

[0046] Figure 3 is Figure 2 the enlarged view at A in

[0047] Figure 4 is the front view schematic diagram of the press-fitting mechanism in the present invention in the initial position;

[0048] Figure 5 is the front view schematic diagram of the press-fitting part in the present invention in the initial state;

[0049] Figure 6 is the front view schematic diagram of the press-fitting mechanism in the present invention in the press-fitting position;

[0050] Figure 7 is the structural schematic diagram of the pre-installed part in the present invention;

[0051] Figure 8 is the top view of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the press-fitting drive mechanism in the present invention;

[0053] Figure 10 It is a front view of the overall structure of the handle fitting in the present invention;

[0054] Figure 11 It is a diagram showing the cooperation relationship between the material loading mechanism and the press-fitting mechanism in the present invention;

[0055] Figure 12 is Figure 9 an enlarged view of part B in;

[0056] Figure 13 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the oil injection mechanism in the present invention;

[0057] Figure 14 It is a process flow chart of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0058] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0059] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

[0060] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality" means two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0061] Embodiment 1

[0062] As Figure 1As shown in the figure, an automatic assembly system for an automotive steering wheel switch includes: a station switching mechanism 1, on which a loading mechanism 2 is arranged in an array. The station switching mechanism 1 carries the loading mechanism 2 to switch stations, as Figure 2 shown, the following accessories 3 are loaded on the loading mechanism 2: a rain volume knob 31, a windshield wiper knob 32, an accessory A 33, a plunger 34, and a pre-assembled part 35.

[0063] Preferably, as Figure 7 shown, the pre-assembled part 35 includes an accessory B 351, an accessory C 352, and a PCB board 353 which are arranged in an up-and-down distribution. The PCB board 353 is set as a flexible structure and connects the accessory B 351 and the accessory C 352.

[0064] In this embodiment, the pre-assembled part 35 is composed of an accessory B 351 and an accessory C 352 which are spaced apart up and down and connected by a PCB board 353 made of a flexible material. When assembling the handle assembly, the rain volume knob 31 and the windshield wiper knob assembly 36 need to be sleeved on the accessory C 352 in sequence, and then the accessory B 351 is buckled with the windshield wiper knob assembly 36, and then each accessory is firmly fixed by fasteners such as bolts, so as to obtain the Figure 10 shown handle assembly 3'.

[0065] Preferably, as Figure 2 shown, it further includes: a press-fitting mechanism 6, which is arranged at the rear side of the loading mechanism 2, as Figure 3 shown, wherein the accessory C 352 is loaded on the loading mechanism 2, and the accessory B 351 is loaded on the press-fitting mechanism 6. As Figure 4 shown, when the press-fitting mechanism 6 is in its initial position 60 without being acted on by an external force, the accessory B 351 loaded on it gives way from above the accessory C 352; the accessory assembly station 40 is arranged on the station switching path of the station switching mechanism 1, as Figure 2 shown, the accessory assembly station 40 includes: a press-fitting driving mechanism 7, which acts on the press-fitting mechanism 6 to make the press-fitting mechanism 6 transform to a press-fitting position 60' where the accessory B 351 on it is above the accessory C 352.

[0066] Preferably, as Figure 5 shown, the press-fitting mechanism 6 includes: a mounting seat 61; and a guide rail 62 and a press-fitting component 63 mounted on the mounting seat 61. The press-fitting component 63 is limited to slide along the guide rail 62, and the accessory B 351 is loaded on the press-fitting component 63. The press-fitting component 63 is set as an elastic automatic reset structure, and without an external force, it automatically resets to the initial position 60.

[0067] Preferably, as Figure 4As shown, the guide rail 62 is configured as an arc-shaped structure, and when the press-fit assembly 63 loaded with the accessory B351 is in its initial position 60, the PCB board 353 between the accessory B351 and the accessory C352 is flexibly bent.

[0068] In this embodiment, the flexible connection structure of the pre-installed component 35 is utilized to match the press-fitting mechanism 6 with an elastic self-resetting structure. The press-fitting component 63 slides on the arc-shaped guide rail 62. In the absence of external force, the press-fitting component 63 automatically resets to the bottom of the guide rail 62. As a result, the accessory B351 loaded thereon gives way from above the accessory C352. At this time, the PCB board 353 is flexibly bent without damaging the structure of the pre-installed component 35. At this time, the rain knob 31 and the wiper knob assembly 36 are sequentially mounted on the accessory C352 to complete the pre-installation of the accessories.

[0069] As a preference, Figure 9 As shown, the press-fitting drive mechanism 7 is located at the rear of the press-fitting mechanism 6, and includes: a transverse drive portion 71; and a swing arm drive portion 72, the swing arm drive portion 72 is driven by the transverse drive portion 71 to move laterally to pre-match with the press-fitting assembly 63, and the swing arm drive portion 72 drives the press-fitting assembly 63 to slide through a lifting action to transfer the press-fitting assembly 63 to the press-fitting position 60'.

[0070] As a preference, Figure 6 As shown, the press-fitting assembly 63 includes: a press-fitting seat 632 slidably mounted on the guide rail 62 ; and a press-fitting portion 633 mounted on the press-fitting seat 632 .

[0071] As a preference, Figure 4-5 As shown, an elastic member A64 is connected between the lower front portion of the mounting seat 61 and the press-fit seat 632. When no external force is applied, the press-fit assembly 63 automatically returns to the initial position 60 at the bottom of the guide rail 62 under the elastic action of the elastic member A64.

[0072] As a preference, Figure 11 As shown, the press-fit assembly 63 further includes: a swing arm 631, which is rotatably mounted on the rear of the mounting seat 61 and connected to the press-fit seat 632; a guide wheel 634 is provided at the rear of the swing arm 631, as shown in FIG. Figure 12 As shown, a contact platform 721 is provided on the driving end of the swing arm driving part 72 , and the guide wheel 634 contacts the contact platform 721 to drive the swing arm 631 to rotate through the lifting action of the contact platform 721 .

[0073] In this embodiment, the press-fitting assembly 63 includes a press-fitting seat 632 slidably clamped on the guide rail 62 and a swing arm 631 connected to the press-fitting seat 632. By cooperating with the press-fitting assembly 63 to set the press-fitting driving mechanism 7, the swing arm driving part 72 can move up and down, and the lateral driving part 71 drives the swing arm driving part 72 to move laterally to the lower part of the guide wheel 634 of the swing arm 631. Then, the swing arm driving part 72 drives the guide wheel 634 to rise through the lifting action, so that the swing arm 631 swings, and the press-fitting assembly 63 is moved to the press-fitting position 60'.

[0074] Preferably, the press-fitting part 633 is rotatably installed on the press-fitting seat 632, and a loading groove A for fitting and clamping the fitting B351 is formed thereon. The press-fitting part 633 is set as an elastic automatic reset structure. Without external force, it automatically resets to the inclined initial state 50, as Figure 5 shown.

[0075] Preferably, as Figure 11 shown, an elastic member B65 is connected between the top of the press-fitting seat 632 and the press-fitting part 633. When there is no external force, the press-fitting part 633 automatically resets to the inclined initial state 50 under the elastic action of the elastic member B65.

[0076] Preferably, the press-fitting driving mechanism 7 further includes: as Figure 9 shown, a press-fitting driving part 73. The press-fitting driving part 73 is driven by the lateral driving part 71 to move laterally to pre-cooperate with the press-fitting part 633. The press-fitting driving part 73 drives the press-fitting part 633 to rotate to the horizontal press-fitting state 50' through the downward pressing action, as Figure 6 shown.

[0077] In this embodiment, the press-fitting part 633 is rotatably arranged on the press-fitting seat 632, thereby forming a press-fitting assembly 63 with a two-stage action mode. The press-fitting driving mechanism 7 further includes a press-fitting driving part 73 for driving the press-fitting part 633 to rotate. First, the swing arm driving part 72 drives the whole press-fitting assembly 63 to slide in an arc to the press-fitting position 60'. Then, the press-fitting driving part 73 drives the press-fitting part 633 to rotate and press down, so that the fitting B351 is press-fitted onto the wiper knob assembly 36 to reach the press-fitting state 50'. The two-stage action mode is set to avoid interference between the process of the fitting B351 returning to its original position and the already pre-installed wiper knob assembly 36.

[0078] Preferably, as Figure 11 shown, a pressure rod 635 is arranged on the side of the press-fitting part 633, as Figure 12 shown, a pressure wheel 731 is arranged on the driving end of the press-fitting driving part 73, as Figure 3 shown, and the pressure wheel 731 abuts against the pressure rod 635 to drive the press-fitting part 633 to rotate through the downward pressing action of the pressure wheel 731.

[0079] Preferably, the accessory assembly station 40 further includes: a pre-assembly module disposed on the side of the loading mechanism 2, which sequentially assembles the rain volume knob 31 and the wiper knob assembly 36 onto the accessory C352; and an assembly mechanism disposed on the top of the loading mechanism 2, which tightly installs the accessory B351 and the wiper knob assembly 36 to obtain the handle assembly 3'.

[0080] Preferably, as Figure 11 shown, the wiper knob assembly 36 is composed of a wiper knob 32 and an accessory A33 that are sleeved with each other. A plurality of loading slots are formed on the loading mechanism 2 to correspondingly match and load each of the accessories 3 and the wiper knob assembly 36.

[0081] Preferably, as Figure 6 shown, when the press-fitting part 633 is in the press-fitting state 50', the accessory B351 thereon is horizontally press-fitted onto the wiper knob assembly 36.

[0082] Preferably, as Figure 8 shown, the pre-assembly module includes: a first pre-assembly mechanism 8 that clamps and transfers the accessory A33 and sleeves it onto the wiper knob 32 to obtain the wiper knob assembly 36, then clamps and transfers the wiper knob assembly 36 to the corresponding loading slot, and then clamps and transfers the rain volume knob 31 and sleeves it onto the accessory C352; and a second pre-assembly mechanism 9 that clamps, flips, and transfers the wiper knob assembly 36 and sleeves it onto the accessory C352.

[0083] Embodiment 2

[0084] In this embodiment, the same or corresponding components as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the corresponding reference numerals in the above embodiment. For the sake of simplicity, only the differences from the above embodiment will be described below. The difference between this embodiment and the above embodiment is that:

[0085] Preferably, as Figure 1 shown, an oiling station 10, a pre-assembly station 20, an oil spraying station 30, an accessory assembly station 40, and a discharging station 70 are sequentially arranged along the station switching path of the station switching mechanism 1; in coordination with the station switching rhythm of the station switching mechanism 1, the oiling station 10 oils the rain volume knob 31, the wiper knob 32, and the accessory A33, the pre-assembly station 20 correspondingly installs the plunger 34 onto the rain volume knob 31 and the wiper knob 32, the oil spraying station 30 sprays oil on the pre-assembled part 35, the accessory assembly station 40 assembles all the accessories 3 into one body according to the preset assembly standard to obtain the handle assembly 3', and the discharging station 70 discharges and outputs the handle assembly 3'.

[0086] Preferably, the station switching mechanism 1 is arranged as a turntable structure, and a plurality of the material loading mechanisms 2 are distributed in a circumferential array. The oiling station 10, the pre-assembly station 20, the oil spraying station 30, the fitting assembly station 40, and the unloading station 70 are sequentially arranged in the circumferential direction of the station switching mechanism 1 in the rotation direction of the station switching mechanism 1.

[0087] In this embodiment, at the initial loading station, each fitting 3 is automatically loaded onto the loading slot of the material loading mechanism 2 by manual or robotic means. Then, the station switching mechanism 1 rotates to switch stations and passes through each station, successively completing operations such as mechanical oil coating on the front and back sides of the knob fitting, plunger pre-assembly, electronic oil spraying on the pre-assembled part, knob fitting pre-assembly, handle assembly assembly, and blanking output, etc., realizing full-automatic and efficient assembly after unified loading of each fitting.

[0088] Preferably, as Figure 8 shown, the oiling station 10 includes: a first oiling mechanism 41, a flipping mechanism 42, and a second oiling mechanism 43 sequentially arranged along the station switching path of the station switching mechanism 1; cooperating with the flipping mechanism 42 to perform intermediate flipping on the fitting 3, the first oiling mechanism 41 and the second oiling mechanism 43 respectively oil the front and back sides of the fitting 3.

[0089] Preferably, the oiling guns of the first oiling mechanism 41 and the second oiling mechanism 43 are inclined. By setting the inclined oiling guns, it is convenient for the end of the gun head to flexibly extend into the interior of the fitting to oil the side walls and other places, realizing rapid and effective oiling and ensuring the amount of oil applied.

[0090] Preferably, the pre-assembly station 20 includes: a clamping and pre-assembly mechanism that clamps and installs a plurality of the plungers 34 on the rain volume knob 31 and the windshield wiper knob 32.

[0091] Preferably, as Figure 8 shown, the oil spraying station 30 includes: an oil spraying transfer mechanism 51, as Figure 13 shown, and an oil spraying mechanism 52 driven by the oil spraying transfer mechanism 51 to perform position transfer. The oil spraying mechanism 52 includes: an oil spraying seat 53 installed on the driving end of the oil spraying transfer mechanism 51; a link driving assembly 54 installed on the oil spraying seat 53; and an oil spraying gun 55 installed on the driving end of the link driving assembly 54. The link driving assembly 54 drives the oil spraying gun 55 to be inclined for oil spraying or to be reset to a horizontal position.

[0092] Preferably, the link driving assembly 54 includes a telescopic driving member 541, a first link 542, and a second link 543. The driving end of the telescopic driving member 541 is vertically installed downward on the fuel injection seat 53. The first link 542 is horizontally rotatably installed on the fuel injection seat 53. One end of the second link 543 is hinged to the driving end of the telescopic driving member 541, and the other end is fixedly connected to one end of the first link 542. The fuel injection gun 55 is installed on the first link 542. When the telescopic driving member 541 performs a telescopic movement, the first link 542 and the fuel injection gun 55 are driven to rotate through the linkage of the second link 543.

[0093] At the fuel injection station 30: When the fuel injection gun 55 is in the reset state, it is in a horizontal state to prevent oil leakage. After the fuel injection transfer mechanism 51 drives the fuel injection mechanism 52 to move above the fitting C352, the driving end of the telescopic driving member 541 retracts and rises to drive the first link 542 to rotate through the second link 543, so that the fuel injection gun 55 is tilted and its gun head faces the fitting C352 for precise fuel injection.

[0094] Embodiment III

[0095] An automatic assembly process for an automotive steering wheel switch, as Figure 14 shown, successively includes a pre-assembly front process, an assembly process, and a blanking process.

[0096] T0, fitting loading: Each fitting 3 is manually assembled onto the loading mechanism 2 by a worker. The loading step of the pre-assembled part 35 is as follows: The pressing mechanism 6 is at its initial position 60 without external force, the fitting C352 of the pre-assembled part 35 is loaded onto the loading mechanism 2, and the fitting B351 is loaded onto the pressing mechanism 6, and the fitting B351 gives way from above the fitting C352.

[0097] Then, the pre-assembly front process is carried out, including the following steps:

[0098] T1, applying mechanical oil: The station switching mechanism 1 carries the loading mechanism 2 to switch to the oil application station 10, and the oil application station 10 applies oil to the front and back sides of the rain volume knob 31, the wiper knob 32, and the fitting A33.

[0099] At the oil application station 10: The first oil application mechanism 41 applies oil to the front sides of the rain volume knob 31, the wiper knob 32, and the fitting A33. The flipping mechanism 42 flips the rain volume knob 31, the wiper knob 32, and the fitting A33, and then the second oil application mechanism 43 applies oil to the back sides of the rain volume knob 31, the wiper knob 32, and the fitting A33.

[0100] T2, Plunger pre - installation: The station switching mechanism 1 carries the material - loading mechanism 2 and switches to the pre - installation station 20. At the pre - installation station 20, the plunger 34 is correspondingly installed onto the rain - volume knob 31 and the wiper knob 32.

[0101] At the pre - installation station 20: The clamping and pre - installation mechanism clamps and installs a plurality of the plungers 34 onto the rain - volume knob 31 and the wiper knob 32.

[0102] T3, Spraying electronic oil: The station switching mechanism 1 carries the material - loading mechanism 2 and switches to the oil - spraying station 30. At the oil - spraying station 30, the fitting C352 is sprayed with oil.

[0103] At the oil - spraying station 30: After the oil - spraying transfer mechanism 51 drives the oil - spraying mechanism 52 to move above the fitting C352, the connecting - rod driving assembly 54 acts to drive the oil - spraying gun 55 to tilt, with the oil - spraying gun head facing the fitting C352 directly for precise oil - spraying.

[0104] Then, an assembly process is carried out, including the following steps:

[0105] S2, Fitting assembly: The station switching mechanism 1 carries the material - loading mechanism 2 and switches to the fitting - assembly station 40. The pre - installation module sequentially sleevs the rain - volume knob 31 and the wiper - knob assembly 36 onto the fitting C352.

[0106] At the fitting - assembly station 40: The first pre - installation mechanism 8 clamps, transfers and sleevs the fitting A33 onto the wiper knob 32 to obtain the wiper - knob assembly 36. Then, it clamps and transfers the wiper - knob assembly 36 to the corresponding loading slot, and then clamps, transfers and sleevs the rain - volume knob 31 onto the fitting C352. Then, the second pre - installation mechanism 9 clamps, flips and transfers the wiper - knob assembly 36 and sleevs it onto the fitting C352.

[0107] S3, Preparation for handle assembly: The pressing - installation driving mechanism 7 acts on the pressing - installation component 63, and the pressing - installation component 63 acts to horizontally press the fitting B351 on it onto the wiper - knob assembly 36.

[0108] Preferably, the above - mentioned step S3 includes the following steps:

[0109] S3 - 1, Transfer to the pressing - installation position: The lateral driving part 71 drives the swing - arm driving part 72 and the pressing - installation driving part 73 to move horizontally synchronously. After the swing - arm driving part 72 is pre - mated with the pressing - installation component 63, the swing - arm driving part 72 drives the swing - arm 631 to rotate through a lifting action, so as to transfer the pressing - installation component 63 to the pressing - installation position 60' where the fitting B351 on it is above the wiper - knob assembly 36. At this time, the pressing - installation driving part 73 is located above the pressing part 633.

[0110] S3-2, Transformation to the press-fitting state: After the above-mentioned S3-1 is completed, the press-fitting driving part 73 above the press-fitting part 633 drives the press-fitting part 633 to rotate through a downward pressing action, so that the fitting B351 on the press-fitting part 633 is horizontally press-fitted onto the wiper knob assembly 36 in the press-fitting state 50'.

[0111] S4, Handle assembly and fixation: The assembly mechanism firmly installs the fitting B351 and the wiper knob assembly 36 to obtain the handle assembly 3'.

[0112] It should be noted that during the process of the assembly mechanism performing the fastening installation operation, the second pre-assembly mechanism 9 assists in clamping the wiper knob assembly 36. After obtaining the handle assembly 3', the second pre-assembly mechanism 9 and the press-fitting driving mechanism 7 are each withdrawn and reset.

[0113] Preferably, the blanking process is as follows:

[0114] S5, Blanking process: The station switching mechanism 1 carries the material loading mechanism 2 to switch to the unloading station 70, and the unloading station 70 unloads and outputs the handle assembly 3'.

[0115] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic assembly system for an automotive steering wheel switch, comprising: Workstation switching mechanism (1), on which a material loading mechanism (2) is arranged in an array, and the workstation switching mechanism (1) carries the material loading mechanism (2) to switch workstations; characterized in that it further comprises: A press-fitting mechanism (6), a pre-assembled part (35) is loaded on the material loading mechanism (2), the pre-assembled part (35) includes a fitting B (351), a fitting C (352) and a PCB board (353) which are arranged vertically, the PCB board (353) is set as a flexible structure and connects the fitting B (351) and the fitting C (352), wherein the fitting C (352) is loaded on the material loading mechanism (2), the fitting B (351) is loaded on the press-fitting mechanism (6), when the press-fitting mechanism (6) is in its initial position (60) without external force, the fitting B (351) loaded thereon gives way from above the fitting C (352); and a fitting assembly station (40), the fitting assembly station (40) is arranged on the workstation switching path of the workstation switching mechanism (1), and the fitting assembly station (40) includes: a press-fitting driving mechanism (7), the press-fitting driving mechanism (7) acts on the press-fitting mechanism (6) to make the press-fitting mechanism (6) transform to a press-fitting position (60') where the fitting B (351) thereon is above the fitting C (352). The press-fitting mechanism (6) is arranged at the rear side of the material loading mechanism (2), and it includes: a mounting seat (61); and a guide rail (62) and a press-fitting component (63) mounted on the mounting seat (61), the press-fitting component (63) is limited to slide along the guide rail (62), the fitting B (351) is loaded on the press-fitting component (63), the press-fitting component (63) is set as an elastic automatic reset structure, and without external force, it automatically resets to the initial position (60); the guide rail (62) is set as an arc structure, when the press-fitting component (63) loaded with the fitting B (351) is in its initial position (60), the PCB board (353) between the fitting B (351) and the fitting C (352) is flexibly bent; the press-fitting component (63) includes a press-fitting seat (632), the press-fitting seat (632) is slidably mounted on the guide rail (62); and a press-fitting part (633), the press-fitting part (633) is rotatably mounted on the press-fitting seat (632), the press-fitting part (633) is set as an elastic automatic reset structure, and without external force, it automatically resets to an inclined initial state (50); the press-fitting component (63) further includes: a swing arm (631), the swing arm (631) is rotatably mounted at the rear of the mounting seat (61) and is connected to the press-fitting seat (632); a guide wheel (634) is arranged at the rear of the swing arm (631), a contact platform (721) is arranged at the driving end of the swing arm driving part (72), and the guide wheel (634) contacts the contact platform (721) to drive the swing arm (631) to rotate through the lifting action of the contact platform (721). An elastic member A (64) is connected and arranged between the lower part of the front of the mounting base (61) and the press-fitting base (632). When there is no external force, the press-fitting assembly (63) automatically returns to the initial position (60) at the bottom of the guide rail (62) under the elastic action of the elastic member A (64); an elastic member B (65) is connected and arranged between the top of the press-fitting base (632) and the press-fitting part (633). When there is no external force, the press-fitting part (633) automatically returns to the inclined initial state (50) under the elastic action of the elastic member B (65); a pressure rod (635) is arranged on the side of the press-fitting part (633), and a pressure wheel (731) is arranged on the driving end of the press-fitting driving part (73). The pressure wheel (731) abuts against the pressure rod (635) to drive the press-fitting part (633) to rotate through the downward pressing action of the pressure wheel (731). The press-fitting driving mechanism (7) is located behind the press-fitting mechanism (6), and includes: a lateral driving part (71); a swing arm driving part (72), the swing arm driving part (72) is driven by the lateral driving part (71) to perform a lateral movement to pre-fit with the press-fitting assembly (63), and the swing arm driving part (72) drives the press-fitting assembly (63) to slide through a lifting action to transfer the press-fitting assembly (63) to the press-fitting position (60'); and a press-fitting driving part (73), the press-fitting driving part (73) is driven by the lateral driving part (71) to perform a lateral movement to pre-fit with the press-fitting part (633), and the press-fitting driving part (73) drives the press-fitting part (633) to rotate to the horizontal press-fitting state (50') through a downward pressing action.

2. The automatic assembly system for an automotive steering wheel switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The accessory assembly station (40) further includes: a pre-assembly module, the pre-assembly module is arranged on the side of the loading mechanism (2), and sequentially assembles the rain volume knob (31) and the wiper knob assembly (36) onto the accessory C (352); and an assembly mechanism, the assembly mechanism is arranged on the top of the loading mechanism (2), and tightly installs the accessory B (351) and the wiper knob assembly (36) to obtain the handle assembly (3').

3. An automatic assembly system for an automotive steering wheel switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, A lubricating oil application station (10), a pre-assembly station (20), an oil injection station (30), an accessory assembly station (40) and a discharging station (70) are sequentially arranged along the station switching path of the station switching mechanism (1); The following accessories (3) are loaded on the loading mechanism (2): a rain volume knob (31), a wiper knob (32), an accessory A (33), a plunger (34) and the pre-assembled part (35). In coordination with the station switching rhythm of the station switching mechanism (1), the oiling station (10) oils the rain volume knob (31), the windshield wiper knob (32), and the fitting A (33), the pre-assembly station (20) correspondingly installs the plunger (34) onto the rain volume knob (31) and the windshield wiper knob (32), the oil spraying station (30) sprays oil on the pre-assembled part (35), the fitting assembly station (40) assembles all the said fittings (3) into one body according to the preset assembly standard to obtain the handle assembly (3'), and the unloading station (70) unloads and outputs the handle assembly (3').

4. An assembly process of an automatic assembly system for an automotive steering wheel switch according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, It includes an assembly process, and the assembly process includes the following steps: S1, Pre-assembled part loading: When the pressing mechanism (6) is not under external force and is at its initial position (60), the fitting C (352) of the pre-assembled part (35) is loaded onto the loading mechanism (2), and the fitting B (351) is loaded onto the pressing mechanism (6), and the fitting B (351) gives way from above the fitting C (352). S2, Fitting assembly: The station switching mechanism (1) carries the loading mechanism (2) and switches to the fitting assembly station (40), and the pre-assembly module sequentially sleevs the rain volume knob (31) and the windshield wiper knob assembly (36) onto the fitting C (352). S3, Handle assembly preparation: The pressing drive mechanism (7) acts on the pressing component (63), and the pressing component (63) acts to horizontally press the fitting B (351) thereon onto the windshield wiper knob assembly (36). Step S3 includes the following steps: S3-1, Transfer to the pressing position: The lateral drive part (71) drives the swing arm drive part (72) and the pressing drive part (73) to move horizontally synchronously. After the swing arm drive part (72) is pre-fitted with the pressing component (63), the swing arm drive part (72) drives the swing arm (631) to rotate through a lifting action to transfer the pressing component (63) to the pressing position (60') where the fitting B (351) thereon is above the windshield wiper knob assembly (36). At this time, the pressing drive part (73) is located above the pressing part (633). S3-2, Change to the pressing state: After the above S3-1 is completed, the pressing drive part (73) located above the pressing part (633) drives the pressing part (633) to rotate through a downward pressing action until the fitting B (351) on the pressing part (633) is in the pressing state (50') of being horizontally pressed onto the windshield wiper knob assembly (36). S4, Handle assembly fixation: The assembly mechanism tightly installs the fitting B (351) and the windshield wiper knob assembly (36) to obtain the handle assembly (3').

5. The automatic assembly process of the automotive steering wheel switch according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes: The pre-assembly process before the assembly process, and the pre-assembly process includes the following steps: T0, Fitting loading: Corresponding fittings (3) are loaded onto the loading mechanism (2). T1, Applying mechanical oil: The station switching mechanism (1) carries the loading mechanism (2) and switches to the oiling station (10), and the oiling station (10) oils the front and back sides of the rain volume knob (31), the windshield wiper knob (32), and the fitting A (33). T2, Plunger pre-assembly: The station switching mechanism (1) carries the material loading mechanism (2) and switches to the pre-assembly station (20). The pre-assembly station (20) installs the plunger (34) onto the rain volume knob (31) and the wiper knob (32) correspondingly; T3, Spraying electronic oil: The station switching mechanism (1) carries the material loading mechanism (2) and switches to the oil spraying station (30). The oil spraying station (30) sprays electronic oil on the fitting C (352); and S5, Unloading process after the assembly process: The station switching mechanism (1) carries the material loading mechanism (2) and switches to the unloading station (70). The unloading station (70) outputs the handle assembly (3’) by unloading.

Citation Information

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