A densification device for densifying large-sized three-dimensional braided preforms

Abstract

The present invention discloses a densification device for densifying large-size three-dimensional braided preforms, which includes a plurality of telescopic robotic arms arranged circumferentially, a lifting device for driving the telescopic robotic arms to move vertically, and a rotating device for driving the lifting device to rotate. The telescopic robotic arm includes a telescopic boom, a telescopic forearm, and a pushing cylinder. One end of the telescopic boom is connected to the lifting device, and the other end extends obliquely upward. The output end of the telescopic boom is hinged to the body of the fixed end of the telescopic forearm. Both ends of the pushing cylinder are respectively hinged to the telescopic boom and the telescopic forearm. When densifying the preform, the telescopic forearm extends outward to completely support all the knots of a single layer of yarn. The telescopic robotic arm extends and expands to completely support all the knots of a single layer, and the rotating device moves the telescopic robotic arm to switch the knots to be densified, adapting to complex large-size preforms; it improves the automation level of the overall large-size braiding equipment, improves the braiding accuracy and efficiency, and improves the braiding quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to three-dimensional braiding of composite materials, and more particularly to a densifying device for densifying large-size three-dimensional braided preforms. Background Art

[0002] Three-dimensional braiding of composite materials is a new advanced composite material forming process. Three-dimensional braided composite components have the advantages of high strength, low density, high modulus, high temperature resistance, and no layers in the structure. Therefore, three-dimensional braiding has been highly regarded and applied in many fields such as aerospace and weaponry.

[0003] However, three-dimensional braiding technology is more often only used for processing preforms with small sizes and small cross-sectional shape changes. For preforms with complex shapes, it is necessary to change the fiber arrangement or quantity during the braiding process, which complicates the processing procedures and has defects such as a small forming range and low automation level. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Object of the Invention: Aiming at the above disadvantages, the present invention provides a densifying device that can efficiently and quickly achieve densification of large-range preforms for large-scale three-dimensional braiding equipment.

[0005] Technical Solution: To solve the above problems, the present invention adopts a densifying device for densifying large-size three-dimensional braided preforms, which includes a plurality of telescopic robotic arms arranged circumferentially, a lifting device for driving the telescopic robotic arms to move vertically, and a rotating device for driving the lifting device to rotate. The telescopic robotic arm includes a telescopic boom, a telescopic forearm, and a pushing cylinder. One end of the telescopic boom is connected to the lifting device, and the other end extends obliquely upward. The output end of the telescopic boom is hinged to the body of the fixed end of the telescopic forearm. The end of the fixed end of the telescopic forearm is hinged to one end of the pushing cylinder, and the other end of the pushing cylinder is hinged to the body of the output end of the telescopic boom. When densifying the preform, the telescopic boom extends to drive the telescopic forearm to be positioned below the yarn knot, and the telescopic forearm extends outward to completely support all the knots of the single-layer yarn.

[0006] Furthermore, the rotating device includes an annular gear guide rail, a rotating drive motor, and a transmission gear. The transmission gear is arranged at the output end of the rotating drive motor and meshes with the annular gear guide rail. The lifting device is fixedly connected to the annular gear guide rail. The rotating drive motor drives the transmission gear to rotate, and the transmission gear drives the annular gear guide rail to rotate, thereby driving the lifting device to perform a circumferential circular motion along with the annular gear guide rail.

[0007] Further, the lifting device includes a lifting slide table, a lead screw, a lifting drive motor, and a lower base plate. The lead screw extends vertically. The lifting slide table is threadedly connected to the lead screw. The lifting drive device drives the lead screw to rotate, thereby driving the lifting slide table to move in the vertical direction. The lifting drive motor is fixedly arranged on the lower base plate, and the lower base plate is fixedly connected to the annular gear guide rail. The fixed end of the telescopic boom is connected to the lifting slide table.

[0008] Further, an angle adjustment device is arranged between the telescopic boom and the lifting device. The angle adjustment device includes a push cylinder fixed on the lifting slide table, a guide shaft arranged at the output end of the push cylinder, and a slider sleeved on the guide shaft. The slider is hinged to the body of the telescopic boom through a connecting rod. The fixed end of the telescopic boom is hinged to the lifting slide table. The push cylinder pushes the slider to move on the guide shaft, thereby adjusting the inclination angle of the telescopic boom.

[0009] Further, both the telescopic boom and the telescopic sub-boom include a telescopic drive device. The telescopic drive device includes a telescopic motor arranged at the fixed end of the telescopic boom or the telescopic sub-boom, a gear arranged at the output end of the telescopic motor, and a rack fixedly connected to the output end of the telescopic boom or the telescopic sub-boom. The gear meshes with the rack. The telescopic motor drives the rack to move through the gear, thereby driving the telescopic output of the output end of the telescopic boom or the telescopic sub-boom.

[0010] Further, the device further includes a bottom layer frame. The bottom layer frame includes a connecting part and a supporting part fixedly connected to the bottom end of the connecting part. The annular gear guide rail is arranged at the bottom of the connecting part. An annular guide rail is arranged at the top of the connecting part. The top of the lead screw is connected to an upper top plate. The upper top plate is arranged in the annular guide rail and moves along the annular guide rail. The connecting part is a cylindrical column. The annular gear guide rail is sleeved on the bottom of the cylindrical column. The annular guide rail is sleeved on the top of the cylindrical column. The cylindrical column is hollow. The supporting part is a hexagonal frame structure.

[0011] Further, a pick arm vibration device is arranged at the fixed end of the telescopic boom. The pick arm vibration device includes a vibration motor, and the vibration motor is used to make the telescopic robotic arm vibrate.

[0012] Beneficial effects: Compared with the prior art, the remarkable advantage of the present invention is that the dense range is extended and enlarged through the telescopic robotic arm to completely hold all the flower knots of a single layer. The rotating device moves the telescopic robotic arm to switch the flower knots to be densified, so as to adapt to complex large-sized prefabricated bodies and perform pre-densification operations on the large-sized prefabricated bodies; the automation degree of the overall large-sized weaving equipment is improved, the weaving accuracy and efficiency are improved, and the weaving quality is improved. Description of the Drawings

[0013] Figure 1 The following shows the overall structural schematic diagram of the densification device in the present invention;

[0014] Figure 2 The following is a schematic structural view of the rotating device in the present invention arranged on the bottom frame;

[0015] Figure 3 The following is a schematic structural view of the lifting device in the present invention;

[0016] Figure 4 The following is a schematic structural view of the telescopic robotic arm in the present invention;

[0017] Figure 5 The following is a schematic structural view of the angle adjustment device in the present invention;

[0018] Figure 6 The following is a schematic structural view of the telescopic drive device in the present invention;

[0019] Figure 7 The following is a schematic structural view of two degrees of freedom of the telescopic robotic arm in the present invention;

[0020] Figure 8 The following is a schematic structural view of the telescopic robotic arm inserted into the yarn flower knot in the present invention;

[0021] Figure 9 The following is a schematic working process view of the densifying device in the present invention. Specific embodiments

[0022] As Figure 1 shown, a densifying device for densifying large-sized three-dimensional braided preforms in this embodiment includes a bottom frame 1, a lifting device 2, a telescopic robotic arm 3, and a rotating device 4. The bottom frame 1 is used to fix other mechanisms; the bottom frame 1 includes a bottom support 7 (support part), a bottom plate 8, and columns 5 (connection parts). The bottom plate 8 is arranged on the upper side of the bottom support 7, and the columns 5 are arranged on the upper side of the bottom plate 8 for fixing and supporting; the bottom support 7 is a hexagonal frame structure with strong load-bearing capacity. The columns 5 are used to fix the upper top plate 11 of the lifting device, thereby fixing the lifting device and the telescopic robotic arm 3. The columns 5 are cylindrical and have a hollow structure, which reduces weight and leaves space, helping to place other mechanisms of the three-dimensional braiding equipment.

[0023] As Figure 2As shown in the figure, the rotating device 4 is used to rotate the telescopic robotic arm 3 to the next position of the to-be-pre-compacted flower knot, and includes an annular gear guide rail 9, an upper annular guide rail 6, a rotary drive motor 10, and a transmission gear. The annular gear guide rail 9 is arranged on the bottom frame 1 and sleeved on the bottom of the column 5. The upper annular guide rail 6 is connected to the top of the column 5. The rotary drive motor 10 is fixedly connected to the bottom support 7. The output shaft of the rotary drive motor 10 is connected to the transmission gear, and the transmission gear meshes with the annular gear guide rail 9. The lower bottom plate 17 of the lifting device is fixedly connected to the annular gear guide rail 9. The rotary drive motor 10 drives the transmission gear to rotate, and the transmission gear drives the annular gear guide rail 9 to engage and drive, so as to drive the lower bottom plate 9 to rotate with the annular gear guide rail 9. The rotation angle of the rotating device is the included angle between the flower knots and the center line of the knitting equipment. It can rotate the degree of a single included angle or the degrees of multiple included angles. The rotation angle is affected by the actual knitting requirements.

[0024] As Figure 3 shown in the figure, the lifting device 2 includes a lifting slide table 20, a lower bottom plate 17, an upper top plate 12, a guide shaft 15, a lead screw 16, and a lifting drive motor 13. The lower bottom plate is arranged on the annular gear guide rail, and the upper top plate is arranged on the annular guide rail and moves along the annular guide rail. The guide shaft 15 is arranged between the upper top plate 12 and the lower bottom plate 17 through a guide shaft fixing seat 11. The lead screw 16 is arranged between the upper top plate 12 and the lower bottom plate 17. The lifting drive motor 13 is arranged on the lower bottom plate 17 through a motor connecting seat 14, and the lifting drive motor 13 controls the rotation of the lead screw 16. The connecting piece 21 on the lifting slide table 20 is threadedly connected to the lead screw 16, and the rotation of the lead screw 16 drives the lifting slide table 20 to move vertically. The lifting height of the lifting device depends on the influence of the actual pre-compaction height requirement. The specific selection of the set pre-compaction height needs to be set according to the equipment size.

[0025] As Figure 4 shown in the figure, the telescopic robotic arm includes a telescopic large arm assembly, a telescopic small arm assembly, and a pick arm vibration assembly. The telescopic large arm assembly includes a telescopic large arm 18 and a telescopic large arm motor. The telescopic small arm assembly includes a telescopic small arm 19 and a telescopic small arm motor. One end of the telescopic large arm 18 is connected to the lifting slide table 20, and the other end extends obliquely upward. The output end of the telescopic large arm 18 is hinged to the arm body of the fixed end of the telescopic small arm 19. The end of the fixed end of the telescopic small arm 19 is hinged to one end of the push cylinder 23, and the other end of the push cylinder 23 is hinged to the arm body of the output end of the telescopic large arm. When pre-compacting the prefabricated body, the angle adjustment device adjusts the inclination angle of the telescopic large arm extending upward. The telescopic large arm motor drives the telescopic large arm to extend, so as to drive the telescopic small arm to be positioned at the lower end of the yarn flower knot. The telescopic small arm motor drives the telescopic small arm to extend outward to completely support all the flower knots of the single-layer yarn. The two degrees of freedom of angle adjustment and telescoping of the telescopic robotic arm help the telescopic arm mechanism to insert into the position of the to-be-pre-compacted flower knot while avoiding interference with other yarns. As Figure 7As shown, the two degrees of freedom of the telescopic arm are vertical movement along the Z-axis direction and horizontal rotation along the X-axis direction. As Figure 8 As shown, since the yarn is arranged vertically downward along the mandrel, the telescopic arm mechanism will not interfere with the yarn, reducing the frictional loss of the yarn during the pre-consolidation process, improving the degree of automation, improving the knitting accuracy and knitting efficiency, and improving the knitting quality. As Figure 5 As shown, the angle adjustment device includes a push cylinder 32 fixed to the lifting slide 20, a guide shaft 29 provided at the output end of the push cylinder 32, a slider 31 sleeved on the guide shaft. The slider 31 is hinged to the body of the telescopic boom 18 through a connecting rod 30. The fixed end of the telescopic boom 18 is hinged to the lifting slide through a hinge seat 33. The push cylinder 32 pushes the slider 31 to move on the guide shaft, thereby adjusting the inclination angle of the telescopic boom 18.

[0026] As Figure 6 As shown, both the telescopic boom and the telescopic small arm include a telescopic drive device. The telescopic drive device includes a guide wheel 24 provided at the fixed end 28 of the telescopic boom or the telescopic small arm, a telescopic motor, a gear 25 provided at the output end of the telescopic motor, and a rack 26 fixedly connected to the output end 27 of the telescopic boom or the telescopic small arm. The gear 25 meshes with the rack 26. The guide wheel 24 is used to guide the output end 27 of the telescopic boom or the telescopic small arm. The telescopic motor drives the rack to move through the gear, thereby driving the telescopic output of the output end of the telescopic boom or the telescopic small arm.

[0027] The push cylinder controls the angle between the telescopic boom assembly and the telescopic small arm assembly, providing a third degree of freedom. The telescopic arm mechanism 3 changes the angle between the telescopic boom assembly and the telescopic small arm assembly according to the specific knitting requirements of the three-dimensional knitting equipment and the knitting angle of the yarn, so as to reach the expected position after the flower knot pre-consolidation. The pick arm vibration assembly includes a vibration motor. The vibration motor 22 is provided under the telescopic boom assembly. The pick arm vibration assembly is used to vibrate the overall telescopic robotic arm, drive the yarn to vibrate, and reduce the yarn contact.

[0028] In this embodiment, there are six sets of telescopic robotic arms and lifting devices, which are evenly arranged circumferentially on the annular gear guide rail.

[0029] The flower knot of the yarn is a knot formed by the interlacing of the yarn. The yarn includes one or more of carbon fiber, aramid fiber, nylon fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, and carbon nanotube fiber.

[0030] As Figure 8 As shown, the working process of the above-mentioned densification device includes the following steps:

[0031] (1) The telescopic boom assembly moves (extends and swings), driving the telescopic small arm to extend into the yarn flower knot, and the telescopic small arm extends to completely support all the flower knots of a single layer;

[0032] (2) The lifting device drives the telescopic robotic arm assembly to move upward, lifting the flower section and increasing its height for pre-compaction work. At the same time, the pick arm vibration assembly generates vibrations to prevent the mutual stress between yarns from causing fuzzing or even breakage of the yarns when the compaction device lifts the flower section.

[0033] (3) When lifting the flower section, the telescopic arm assembly is contracted according to the actual requirements of the knitting equipment until the flower section is driven to the designated position to complete a single pre-compaction operation.

[0034] (4) After completing one lift of the flower section and the pre-compaction work, the telescopic boom assembly drives the telescopic forearm to move backward, driving the telescopic forearm away from the flower section where the pre-compaction is completed. The lifting device drives the telescopic forearm to move downward, driving the telescopic robotic arm back to its initial position.

[0035] (5) The rotating device rotates to drive the telescopic robotic arm to the position of the next flower section to be compacted.

[0036] (6) Repeat steps (1)-(5) until the pre-compaction of all flower sections is completed.

Claims

1. A densification device for densifying large-sized three-dimensional braided preforms, characterized in that, it includes a number of telescopic robotic arms (3) arranged circumferentially, a lifting device (2) for driving the telescopic robotic arms to move vertically, and a rotating device (4) for driving the lifting device to rotate. The telescopic robotic arm (3) includes a telescopic boom (18), a telescopic forearm (19), and a pushing cylinder (23). One end of the telescopic boom (18) is connected to the lifting device (2), and the other end extends obliquely upward. The output end of the telescopic boom is hinged to the body of the fixed end of the telescopic forearm. The end of the fixed end of the telescopic forearm is hinged to one end of the pushing cylinder (23), and the other end of the pushing cylinder (23) is hinged to the body of the output end of the telescopic boom. When densifying the preform, the telescopic boom (18) extends to drive the telescopic forearm to be positioned at the lower end of the yarn knot, and the telescopic forearm (19) extends outward to completely support all the knots of the single-layer yarn; the rotating device (4) includes an annular gear guide rail (9), a rotating drive motor (10), and a transmission gear. The transmission gear is arranged at the output end of the rotating drive motor and meshes with the annular gear guide rail (9). The lifting device is fixedly connected to the annular gear guide rail (9). The rotating drive motor (10) drives the transmission gear to rotate, and the transmission gear drives the annular gear guide rail to rotate, thereby driving the lifting device to perform a circumferential circular motion along with the annular gear guide rail; the lifting device (2) includes a lifting slide table (20), a lead screw (16), a lifting drive motor (13), and a lower base plate (17). The lead screw (16) extends vertically. The lifting slide table (20) is threadedly connected to the lead screw (16). The lifting drive device drives the lead screw (16) to rotate, thereby driving the lifting slide table (20) to move in the vertical direction. The lifting drive motor (13) is fixedly arranged on the lower base plate (17), and the lower base plate (17) is fixedly connected to the annular gear guide rail (9). The fixed end of the telescopic boom (18) is connected to the lifting slide table (20).

2. The densification device according to claim 1, characterized in that, an angle adjustment device is provided between the telescopic boom and the lifting device (2). The angle adjustment device includes a pushing electric cylinder (32) fixed to the lifting slide table (20), a guide shaft (29) arranged at the output end of the pushing electric cylinder (32), and a slider (31) sleeved on the guide shaft. The slider (31) is hinged to the body of the telescopic boom (18) through a connecting rod (30). The fixed end of the telescopic boom (18) is hinged to the lifting slide table. The pushing electric cylinder (32) pushes the slider (31) to move on the guide shaft, thereby adjusting the inclination angle of the telescopic boom (18).

3. The densification device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the telescopic boom and the retractable boom include a telescopic drive device. The telescopic drive device includes a telescopic motor disposed at the fixed end of the telescopic boom or the retractable boom, a gear disposed at the output end of the telescopic motor, and a rack fixedly connected to the output end of the telescopic boom or the retractable boom. The gear meshes with the rack, and the telescopic motor drives the rack to move through the gear, thereby driving the telescopic movement of the output end of the telescopic boom or the retractable boom.

4. The compaction device according to claim 1, characterized in that, it further includes a bottom frame (1). The bottom frame (1) includes a connecting portion (5) and a supporting portion (7) fixedly connected to the bottom end of the connecting portion. The annular gear guide rail (9) is disposed at the bottom of the connecting portion (5), and an annular guide rail (6) is disposed at the top of the connecting portion (5). The top of the lead screw (16) is connected to the upper top plate (12), and the upper top plate (12) is disposed in the annular guide rail (6) and moves along the annular guide rail.

5. The compaction device according to claim 4, characterized in that, the connecting portion (5) is a cylindrical column. The annular gear guide rail (9) is sleeved at the bottom of the cylindrical column, and the annular guide rail (6) is sleeved at the top of the cylindrical column. The cylindrical column is hollow.

6. The compaction device according to claim 4, characterized in that, the supporting portion (7) is a hexagonal frame structure.

7. The compaction device according to claim 1, characterized in that, a pick arm vibration device is disposed at the fixed end of the telescopic boom. The pick arm vibration device includes a vibration motor (22), and the vibration motor is used to vibrate the telescopic robotic arm.

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