Variable width automatic fiber placement roller suitable for stringer placement

Abstract

The application discloses a variable-width automatic fiber laying pressure roller suitable for rib laying, mainly comprising a pressure roller shaft, a shaft sleeve, a gear set, a pressure roller framework, an expansion sliding block, a driving sliding block and an elastic rubber sleeve. The application provides a variable-width fiber laying pressure roller for rib automatic laying, can effectively reduce the requirement of rib structure laying for the positioning accuracy of automatic fiber laying equipment and the manufacturing cost of the pressure roller caused by laying non-fixed-width prepreg tows, shortens the manufacturing and replacement time cost of the automatic fiber laying pressure roller, and improves the automatic fiber laying forming efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to automatic filament placement equipment, and more specifically to a variable-width automatic filament placement roller suitable for filament placement. Background Technology

[0002] Resin-based fiber-reinforced composites possess advantages such as light weight, high strength, high modulus, integrated structure and function, and integrated design and manufacturing. Carbon fiber reinforced composites, in particular, have a very broad application prospect in fields such as rail transportation, energy equipment, and aerospace. Automated fiber placement (AFP), as an advanced composite material manufacturing technology, boasts advantages such as high efficiency, high precision, and low cost, and has become an important piece of equipment for the automated manufacturing of large-scale composite materials. The compression system, as a crucial component of fiber placement equipment, is key to ensuring the accuracy of prepreg fiber placement and the final molding effect.

[0003] Automated fiber placement molding of composite materials has been widely used in the aerospace field, especially in the application of skin-reinforced structures. In existing automated fiber placement processes, the placement of stiffeners typically involves using rollers of a specific width inserted deep into the grooves of the stiffeners. To ensure proper compaction of the prepreg, the roller width is only slightly narrower than the groove width (typically 0.5mm). This results in high positioning accuracy requirements for the fiber placement equipment, significantly increasing manufacturing costs. Furthermore, different widths of rollers need to be manufactured to match different stiffener widths, increasing the time and cost associated with roller manufacturing and replacement. Therefore, reducing the dependence of stiffener placement on the positioning accuracy of automated fiber placement equipment and improving the applicability of the placement rollers are of great significance for improving the molding efficiency of skin-reinforced structural components and reducing manufacturing costs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the problems in the prior art, the purpose of this invention is to provide a variable width automatic wire placement roller for rib laying, which can reduce the dependence of rib laying on the positioning accuracy of the wire placement equipment, improve equipment adaptability, and reduce manufacturing costs.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A variable-width automatic yarn-laying pressure roller suitable for rib laying includes: a pressure roller shaft (10), a bushing (30), a gear set (40), a pressure roller skeleton (50), an expansion slider (60), a drive slider (70), and an elastic rubber sleeve (80); wherein,

[0007] The pressure roller shaft (10) is rotatably connected inside the bushing (30);

[0008] The outer side of the bushing (30) is connected to N spokes (31) that are evenly distributed in the circumference;

[0009] The pressure roller skeleton (50) is a ring structure and is located on the outside of the bushing (30). N radial holes (51) facing the center and at least 2N axial holes (52) perpendicular to the ring surface are uniformly provided on the ring structure.

[0010] There are N drive sliders (70), which are evenly distributed around the outer side of the pressure roller frame (50), and there is a gap between each pair of drive sliders (70); each drive slider (70) is arc-shaped, and a sliding column (71) is vertically connected to the inner surface of the arc, and the two symmetrical sides are inclined surfaces; the sliding column (71) passes through a radial hole (51) of the pressure roller frame (50) and is elastically connected to a spoke (31) on the bushing (30); all sliding columns (71) are provided with a rack structure on the same side;

[0011] There are 2N expansion sliders (60), which are evenly arranged between the pressure roller frame (50) and the drive slider (70); two expansion sliders (60) form a group and are located on both sides of the drive slider (70); each expansion slider (60) includes an arc-shaped upper base (61), an arc-shaped lower base (62) and several base springs (63) connecting the upper base (61) and the lower base (62); the side of the lower base (62) facing away from the upper base (61) is an inclined surface, which is matched with an inclined surface of the drive slider (70); at least two slide rods (64) are connected to the arc-shaped inner surface of the lower base (62), and the two slide rods (64) are slidably connected in the two axial holes (52) of the pressure roller frame (50);

[0012] There are N sets of gear sets (40). Each gear set (40) includes a gear (41), a drive shaft (42), two bearing seats (43) and a universal coupling (44). The gear (41) is rotatably sleeved on the drive shaft (42) and meshes with the rack structure of a slide column (71) of the drive slider (70). The two ends of the drive shaft (42) are fixed to the pressure roller frame (50) through the bearing seats (43). The universal coupling (44) is located between the drive shafts (42) of the two gear sets (40). The two ends of the universal coupling (44) are connected to the drive shafts (42) of the two gear sets (40).

[0013] An elastic rubber sleeve (80) is wrapped around the outside of the spokes (31), gear set (40), pressure roller skeleton (50), expansion slider (60) and drive slider (70).

[0014] Furthermore, the pressure roller shaft (10) is rotatably connected to the bushing (30) via a bearing (20).

[0015] Furthermore, each end of the pressure roller shaft (10) includes two parallel positioning planes (11) and a pin hole (12) passing through the two positioning planes (11).

[0016] Furthermore, the slide bar (71) is a hollow structure with a spring rod (72) inside; the spoke (31) is a hollow rod shape, with the end of the spoke (31) inserted into the hollow of the slide bar (71), and the end of the spring rod (72) inserted into the hollow of the spoke (31); the slide bar (71) and the spoke (31) can slide relative to each other.

[0017] Furthermore, a first return spring (73) is sleeved on the spring rod (72), one end of which abuts the end of the spoke (31) and the other end abuts the hollow bottom of the slide column (71); a second return spring (74) is provided inside the hollow of the spoke (31), one end of which abuts the end of the spring rod (72) and the other end abuts the hollow bottom of the spoke (31).

[0018] Furthermore, two tapered slide rails are provided on the two opposite sides of the slide column (71), which are located on both sides of the rack structure; the inner wall of the radial hole (51) of the pressure roller skeleton (50) includes two tapered surfaces that cooperate with the two tapered slide rails.

[0019] Furthermore, it also includes two pressure roller end caps (90), which cover the spokes (31), gear set (40) and pressure roller skeleton (50) and are wrapped by elastic rubber sleeves (80); the central circular hole of the pressure roller end cap (90) is fitted on the bushing (30), and the outer edge of the pressure roller end cap (90) is flush with the outer edge of the pressure roller skeleton (50). The outer edge is provided with through holes that correspond one-to-one with the axial holes (52) on the pressure roller skeleton (50) and have the same shape and size.

[0020] Furthermore, the universal coupling (44) is a cross-type universal coupling.

[0021] Furthermore, N is, but is not limited to, 8.

[0022] Furthermore, the upper base (61) and lower base (62) of each expansion slider (60) are connected by three base springs (63).

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects achieved by the present invention are as follows:

[0024] 1) The pressure roller proposed in this invention has lower positioning accuracy requirements for the filament placement equipment, which greatly reduces the manufacturing cost of the automatic filament placement equipment and increases the applicability of the equipment.

[0025] 2) This invention avoids the phenomenon of underpressure in some prepreg bundles caused by the large difference in width between the pressure roller and the rib groove.

[0026] 3) This invention eliminates the need for repeated replacement of the filament placement rollers, enabling the automatic filament placement process for prepreg bundles of different widths, thus effectively reducing production costs.

[0027] 4) The expansion slider designed in this invention is compressible. By compressing the spring between the upper and lower bases of the expansion slider, the pressure roller and groove will not be damaged due to excessive pressure, and the application range of the pressure roller is improved.

[0028] 5) The edgeless elastic rubber sleeve designed in this invention makes the pressure roller easier to deform, avoiding underpressure phenomenon in the prepreg bundle due to the presence of edges.

[0029] 6) The pressure roller proposed in this invention is used to produce ribs made of composite materials and other similar structural components. It can significantly reduce the requirements of automatic filament placement positioning accuracy for rib structure placement, effectively reduce the overall manufacturing cost of automatic filament placement equipment and the manufacturing cost of pressure rollers caused by laying non-fixed width prepreg bundles, shorten the manufacturing and replacement time cost of automatic filament placement pressure rollers, and improve the automatic filament placement forming efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a front view of the uncompressed state of the variable width automatic yarn-laying pressure roller in an embodiment.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a side view of the uncompressed state of the variable width automatic yarn-laying roller in an embodiment.

[0032] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the uncompressed state of the variable width automatic yarn-laying pressure roller in an embodiment.

[0033] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the expansion slider and the driving slider in an embodiment.

[0034] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram showing the connection relationship of the driving slider in an embodiment.

[0035] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the gear assembly in an embodiment.

[0036] Figure 7 This is a structural diagram of the pressure roller with a bearing housing in an embodiment.

[0037] Figure 8 This is an external view of the variable width automatic yarn-laying roller of an embodiment.

[0038] Figure 9 This is a front view of the compressed state of the variable width automatic yarn-laying pressure roller in an embodiment.

[0039] Figure 10 This is a side view of the compressed state of the variable width automatic yarn-laying pressure roller in an embodiment.

[0040] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0041] 10: Pressure roller shaft;

[0042] 11: Positioning plane;

[0043] 12: Pin hole;

[0044] 20: Bearings;

[0045] 30: Bushing;

[0046] 31: Spokes;

[0047] 40: Gear set;

[0048] 41: Gear;

[0049] 42: Drive shaft;

[0050] 43: Bearing housing;

[0051] 44: Universal coupling;

[0052] 50: Pressure roller skeleton;

[0053] 51: Radial hole;

[0054] 52: Axial hole;

[0055] 60: Expansion slider;

[0056] 61: Upper base;

[0057] 62: Lower base;

[0058] 63: Base spring;

[0059] 64: Sliding rod;

[0060] 70: Drive slider;

[0061] 71: Sliding column;

[0062] 72: Spring rod;

[0063] 73: First return spring;

[0064] 74: Second return spring;

[0065] 80: Elastic rubber sleeve;

[0066] 90: Pressure roller end cap. Detailed Implementation

[0067] To make the various technical features, advantages, or effects of the present invention more apparent and understandable, a detailed description is provided below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0068] This embodiment specifically discloses a variable width automatic yarn-laying pressure roller (hereinafter referred to as the pressure roller) suitable for yarn-laying, including a pressure roller shaft 10, a bearing 20, a bushing 30, a gear set 40, a pressure roller skeleton 50, an expansion slider 60, a drive slider 70, an elastic rubber sleeve 80, and a pressure roller end cap 90. The overall structure of the pressure roller is as follows: Figure 1-3 and Figure 7-10 As shown, where Figure 1 and Figure 9 To clearly show the internal structure, the central part of the elastic rubber sleeve 80 is not drawn, only the peripheral part is drawn, and the pressure roller end cap 90 is also not drawn. Figure 3 The structural diagram of the pressure roller, including the elastic rubber sleeve 80 and the pressure roller end cap 90, is not shown. The specific construction of this pressure roller is described in detail below.

[0069] like Figure 3 As shown, the pressure roller shaft 10 is rotatably connected to the bushing 30 through the bearing 20. Each end of the pressure roller shaft 10 includes two parallel positioning planes 11 and a pin hole 12 passing through the two positioning planes 11.

[0070] like Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the outer side of the bushing 30 is connected to eight circumferentially distributed hollow rod-shaped spokes 31, and the hollow interior is used to install the second return spring 74.

[0071] like Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the pressure roller skeleton 50 is an annular structure located on the outside of the bushing 30. The annular structure has eight radial holes 51 facing the center and at least 16 axial holes 52 perpendicular to the annular surface. The radial holes 51 drive the radial movement of the slider 70, contributing to the radial expansion and contraction of the pressure roller. The axial holes 52 allow for the axial movement of the expanding slider 60, contributing to the axial thickness variation of the pressure roller.

[0072] like Figure 3 and Figure 5As shown, there are eight drive sliders 70, evenly distributed around the outer side of the pressure roller frame 50. When the pressure roller is not compressed, there is a gap between each pair of drive sliders 70. When the pressure roller is compressed, the gap shrinks with the degree of compression until the edges of the two drive sliders 70 abut. Each drive slider 70 is arc-shaped, with a sliding post 71 vertically connected to its inner surface. Its two symmetrical sides are inclined planes. The sliding post 71 passes through a radial hole 51 in the pressure roller frame 50 and elastically engages with a spoke 31 on the bushing 30. All sliding posts 71 have a rack structure on the same side. The sliding post 71 is hollow, with a spring rod 72 inside. A first return spring 73 is sleeved around the spring rod 72. The end of the spoke 31 is inserted into the hollow of the sliding post 71, and the end of the spring rod 72 is also inserted into the hollow of the spoke 31. One end of the first return spring 73 abuts against the end of the spoke 31, and the other end abuts against the bottom of the hollow of the sliding post 71. One end of the second return spring 74 abuts against the end of the spring rod 72, and the other end abuts against the hollow bottom of the spoke 31. Furthermore, two tapered slide rails are provided on opposite sides of the slide column 71, located on either side of the rack structure. The inner wall of the radial hole 51 of the pressure roller frame 50 includes two tapered surfaces that mate with the two tapered slide rails. The characteristic of this structural design is that when the pressure roller is radially compressed, the drive slider 70 can contract towards the center of the pressure roller under pressure, the slide column 71 moves within the radial hole 51 of the pressure roller frame 50, and the slide column 71 and spring rod 72 penetrate deeply into the spoke 31, compressing the first return spring 73 and the second return spring 74. When in an uncompressed state, under the elastic restoring force of the first return spring 73 and the second return spring 74, the drive slider 70 is pushed away from the center of the pressure roller, returning to its original state.

[0073] like Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, there are 16 expansion sliders 60, evenly distributed between the pressure roller frame 50 and the drive slider 70. Two expansion sliders 60 form a group, located on both sides of the drive slider 70. Each expansion slider 60 includes an arc-shaped upper base 61, an arc-shaped lower base 62, and three base springs 63 connecting the upper base 61 and the lower base 62. The side of the lower base 62 facing away from the upper base 61 is an inclined surface, which matches an inclined surface of the drive slider 70. At least two sliding rods 64 are connected to the arc-shaped inner surface of the lower base 62, and these two sliding rods 64 are slidably connected in the two axial holes 52 of the pressure roller frame 50. The characteristic of this structural design is that when the pressure roller is compressed, the drive slider 70 moves towards the center. At this time, the inclined surfaces on both sides of the drive slider 70 will press against the inclined surface on the lower base 62 of the expansion slider 60. The lower base 62 will move towards the upper base 61, that is, outward. The base spring 63 is compressed, and then the upper base 61 is driven to move outward. The width D of the entire pressure roller increases. Thus, the expansion slider 60 can be compressed towards the center of the pressure roller while moving outward. The diameter of the pressure roller decreases while the width D increases (see...). Figure 9 and Figure 10 This allows it to meet the requirements of automatic wire laying process for rib structures. When the outer side of the expansion seat cannot move due to contact with the inner wall of the groove, the drive slider 70 continues to move upward, causing the expansion base to move outward continuously. At this time, the spring between the expansion base and the upper seat is compressed, preventing the pressure roller and groove from being damaged due to excessive pressure.

[0074] like Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, there are eight gear sets 40. Each gear set 41 includes a gear 41, a drive shaft 42, two bearing seats 43, and a universal coupling 44, specifically a cross-type universal coupling. The gear 41 is rotatably sleeved on the drive shaft 42 and meshes with the rack structure of a sliding column 71 of the drive slider 70. Both ends of the drive shaft 42 are fixed to the pressure roller frame 50 via bearing seats 43. The universal coupling 44 is located between the drive shafts 42 of the two gear sets 40, with both ends connecting to the drive shafts 42 of the two gear sets 40. The universal coupling 44 can transmit driving force to the entire pressure roller, thereby reducing the overall diameter of the pressure roller. The universal coupling 44 and the drive shaft 42 can drive the drive sliders 70 simultaneously via the gear 41 and rack, thus changing the overall width of the pressure roller and preventing uneven pressure on the pre-impregnated yarn due to untimely width changes.

[0075] like Figure 7As shown, the two pressure roller end caps 90 cover both sides of the spokes 31, the gear set 40 and the pressure roller frame 50. The central circular hole of the pressure roller end cap 90 is fitted onto the bushing 30. The outer edge of the pressure roller end cap 90 is flush with the outer edge of the pressure roller frame 50. The outer edge is provided with through holes that correspond one-to-one with the axial holes 52 on the pressure roller frame 50 and have the same shape and size.

[0076] like Figure 8 As shown, the elastic rubber sleeve 80 wraps around the outside of the pressure roller end cap 90, the expansion slider 60, and the drive slider 70. The elastic rubber sleeve 80 features rounded corners on both sides, ensuring that no sharp edges are generated while the diameter decreases and the width increases, thus guaranteeing the compaction effect of the prepreg. The rubber sleeve has high elasticity and an overall edgeless design. When the drive slider 70 is pressed upward and the expansion slider 60 moves to the sides, the rubber sleeve decreases in diameter and increases in width. The edgeless design facilitates the transformation of the rubber sleeve and also avoids the presence of sharp edges that could cause under-pressure in the prepreg.

[0077] The working principle of this pressure roller is as follows:

[0078] 1. When the automatic wire placement equipment is laying the reinforcing strip grooves, the pressure roller is not compressed, the expansion slider 60 is in a contracted state, and the overall width D of the pressure roller is relatively narrow (see...). Figure 2 It is easy to position inside the groove.

[0079] 2. When the pressure roller is pressed in the groove, the drive slider 70 moves towards the axis under pressure. At this time, the first return spring 73 and the second return spring 74 are compressed. The rack structure on the slide column 71 drives the gear 41. The gear 41 transmits power to all drive sliders 70 through the transmission shaft 42 and the universal coupling 44 to move, so as to achieve the purpose of synchronous width change of the pressure roller as a whole.

[0080] 3. As all the drive sliders 70 move simultaneously, the expansion sliders 60 on both sides are compressed and move outward. Under the combined action of the drive sliders 70 and the expansion sliders 60, the elastic rubber sleeve 80 decreases in diameter (see...). Figure 9 ), the width direction increases (see Figure 10 When the expansion slider 60 is unable to move further to the sides due to the pressure from the inner walls of the rib grooves on both sides, the expansion upper base 61 and lower base 62 compress the base spring 63 inside them to complete the overall change of the pressure roller. At this time, the pressure roller can meet the automatic prepreg compaction requirements of the overall rib groove width after the change.

[0081] 4. After laying is completed, the pressure roller is no longer pressed. The expansion slider 60 moves inward under the constraint of the elastic force of the elastic rubber sleeve 80, driving the slider 70 to move away from the axis under the action of the first return spring 73 and the second return spring 74. At this time, the diameter of the pressure roller increases (see...). Figure 1 The width becomes smaller (see) Figure 2 ), restore to the initial state.

[0082] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Appropriate modifications or equivalent substitutions made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions of the present invention should be covered within the protection scope of the present invention, which is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A variable-width automatic yarn-laying roller suitable for laying reinforcing ribs, characterized in that, include: The roller shaft (10), bushing (30), gear set (40), roller skeleton (50), expansion slider (60), drive slider (70), and elastic rubber sleeve (80); among which, The pressure roller shaft (10) is rotatably connected to the bushing (30); The outer side of the bushing (30) is connected to N spokes (31) that are evenly distributed in the circumference. The pressure roller skeleton (50) is a ring structure and is located on the outside of the bushing (30). N radial holes (51) facing the center and at least 2N axial holes (52) perpendicular to the ring surface are uniformly provided on the ring structure. There are N drive sliders (70), which are evenly distributed around the outer side of the pressure roller frame (50), and there is a gap between each pair of drive sliders (70); each drive slider (70) is arc-shaped, and a sliding column (71) is vertically connected to the inner surface of the arc, and the two symmetrical sides are inclined surfaces; the sliding column (71) passes through a radial hole (51) of the pressure roller frame (50) and is elastically connected to a spoke (31) on the bushing (30); all sliding columns (71) are provided with a rack structure on the same side; There are 2N expansion sliders (60), which are evenly arranged between the pressure roller frame (50) and the drive slider (70); two expansion sliders (60) form a group and are located on both sides of the drive slider (70); each expansion slider (60) includes an arc-shaped upper base (61), an arc-shaped lower base (62) and several base springs (63) connecting the upper base (61) and the lower base (62); the side of the lower base (62) facing away from the upper base (61) is an inclined surface, which is matched with an inclined surface of the drive slider (70); the arc-shaped inner surface of the lower base (62) is connected to at least two slide rods (64), which are slidably connected in the two axial holes (52) of the pressure roller frame (50); There are N sets of gear sets (40). Each gear set (40) includes a gear (41), a drive shaft (42), two bearing seats (43) and a universal coupling (44). The gear (41) is rotatably sleeved on the drive shaft (42) and meshes with the rack structure of a slide column (71) of the drive slider (70). The two ends of the drive shaft (42) are fixed to the pressure roller frame (50) through the bearing seats (43). The universal coupling (44) is located between the drive shafts (42) of the two gear sets (40) and the two ends of the universal coupling (44) are connected to the drive shafts (42) of the two gear sets (40). The elastic rubber sleeve (80) is wrapped around the outside of the spokes (31), gear set (40), pressure roller skeleton (50), expansion slider (60) and drive slider (70).

2. The variable width automatic yarn-laying roller for rib laying as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure roller shaft (10) is rotatably connected to the bushing (30) via a bearing (20).

3. The variable width automatic yarn-laying roller for rib laying as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The two ends of the pressure roller shaft (10) each include two parallel positioning planes (11) and a pin hole (12) passing through the two positioning planes (11).

4. The variable width automatic yarn-laying roller for rib laying as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The slide bar (71) is a hollow structure with a spring rod (72) inside; the spoke (31) is a hollow rod shape, with the end of the spoke (31) inserted into the hollow of the slide bar (71), and the end of the spring rod (72) inserted into the hollow of the spoke (31); the slide bar (71) and the spoke (31) can slide relative to each other.

5. The variable width automatic yarn-laying roller suitable for rib laying as described in claim 4, characterized in that, A first return spring (73) is fitted over the spring rod (72). One end of the first return spring (73) abuts against the end of the spoke (31), and the other end abuts against the hollow bottom of the slide column (71). A second return spring (74) is provided inside the hollow of the spoke (31). One end of the second return spring (74) abuts against the end of the spring rod (72), and the other end abuts against the hollow bottom of the spoke (31).

6. The variable width automatic yarn-laying roller for rib laying as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Two tapered slide rails are provided on two opposite sides of the slide column (71), which are located on both sides of the rack structure; the inner wall of the radial hole (51) of the pressure roller skeleton (50) includes two tapered surfaces that cooperate with the two tapered slide rails.

7. The variable width automatic yarn-laying roller for rib laying as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes two pressure roller end caps (90), which cover the spokes (31), gear set (40) and pressure roller skeleton (50) and are wrapped by elastic rubber sleeves (80); the central circular hole of the pressure roller end cap (90) is fitted on the bushing (30), and the outer edge of the pressure roller end cap (90) is flush with the outer edge of the pressure roller skeleton (50). The outer edge is provided with through holes that correspond one-to-one with the axial holes (52) on the pressure roller skeleton (50) and have the same shape and size.

8. The variable width automatic yarn-laying roller for rib laying as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The universal coupling (44) is a cross-type universal coupling.

9. The variable width automatic yarn-laying roller for rib laying as described in claim 1, characterized in that, N is 8.

10. The variable width automatic yarn-laying roller for rib laying as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The upper base (61) and lower base (62) of each expansion slider (60) are connected by three base springs (63).

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