Water-cooled plate joint automatic insertion equipment
By designing an automatic water-cooled plate connector insertion device, the automatic insertion of water-cooled plate connectors is achieved by using a robotic arm and negative pressure adsorption technology, which solves the problems of high labor intensity and low efficiency in the existing technology, and improves the insertion effect and production efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ESTON INTELLIGENT TECH (JIANGSU) CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2023-12-29
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-04
AI Technical Summary
The existing technology for inserting water-cooled plate connectors is labor-intensive, inefficient, and makes it difficult to guarantee insertion pressure and perpendicularity.
An automatic insertion device for water-cooled plate connectors was designed, including a worktable, a part picking and pressing mechanism, a stepping table mechanism, and a water-cooled plate positioning mechanism. The device achieves automated insertion of water-cooled plate connectors through a robotic arm and negative pressure adsorption technology, and uses a material ejection component to solve the jamming problem.
The automated processing of water-cooled plate joints has been achieved, which has improved production efficiency, reduced scrap rate, and ensured the connection effect and accuracy.
Smart Images
Figure CN117655693B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of water-cooled plate joint installation equipment. Background Technology
[0002] In recent years, the heat dissipation of power battery packs has been continuously innovated, but the insertion of water-cooled plate connectors has always been a challenge. It is necessary to ensure that the insertion pressure of the tubular water-cooled plate connector is not too high, and to ensure the perpendicularity of the tubular water-cooled plate connector to the water-cooled plate when it is inserted. At present, tooling is used to ensure this, and the water pipe connector is manually placed on the tooling for insertion. As shown in a Chinese utility model patent published on May 16, 2023, entitled "A Manual Insertion Tooling for Square Cell Water-Cooled Plate Connectors" with application number "202223399358.5", this method is not only labor-intensive and time-consuming, but also extremely inefficient due to manual operation of each connector. Summary of the Invention
[0003] To address the above problems, this invention proposes an automatic insertion device for water-cooled plate connectors, which can realize automated processing of water-cooled plate connectors with high processing efficiency, good insertion effect, and low scrap rate.
[0004] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: the automatic insertion device includes a workbench 1, a part picking and pressing mechanism 2, a stepping table mechanism 3, and a water-cooled plate positioning mechanism 4; The worktable 1 has two symmetrically arranged worktables. The water-cooled plate positioning mechanisms 4 are arranged in pairs and fixedly installed on the two worktables 1 respectively. The two ends of the water-cooled plate are fixed by the water-cooled plate positioning mechanisms 4. The part picking and pressing mechanism 2 also has two parts, which are connected to the two worktables 1 through the two-axis module 20 respectively and are located above the water-cooled plate positioning mechanisms 4. The part picking and pressing mechanism 2 grabs the vertical water-cooled plate joint and inserts it into the two ends of the water-cooled plate. The stepping stage mechanism 3 is arranged between the two worktables 1 and below the water-cooled plate positioning mechanisms 4. The stepping stage mechanism 3 lifts the water-cooled plate from one pair of water-cooled plate positioning mechanisms 4 and transports it to another pair of water-cooled plate positioning mechanisms 4.
[0005] The water-cooled plate positioning mechanism 4, as described above Figure 2-3 As shown, the water-cooled plate positioning mechanism 4 includes a positioning seat 41 and a positioning seat 42 arranged adjacent to each other. The positioning seat 41 has a contour groove adapted to the end of the water-cooled plate, and the positioning seat 42 has an installation groove adapted to the water-cooled plate. The installation groove is provided with a plurality of suction cups for connecting negative pressure sources.
[0006] like Figure 3 As shown, the water-cooled plate positioning mechanism 4 also includes a material ejection assembly 43 installed on one side of the positioning seat 41. The material ejection assembly 43 includes a material ejection cylinder 431 and a material ejection pin 432 that also serves as a positioning pin. The water-cooled plate has a positioning hole or positioning groove at its end for positioning. The positioning seat 41 has a sliding hole, and the center line of the sliding hole is at an angle to the length direction of the water-cooled plate positioning mechanism 4. The ejector pin 432 is slidably connected in the sliding hole, and its top end protrudes from the sliding hole. The cylinder body of the ejector cylinder 431 is fixedly installed on one side of the positioning seat 41, and the cylinder rod of the ejector cylinder 431 extends into the positioning seat 41 and is fixedly connected to the ejector pin 432. The cylinder rod of the ejector cylinder 431 is arranged parallel to the center line of the sliding hole.
[0007] The dual-axis module 20, as described above Figure 4 As shown, the two-axis module 20 includes a vertical support 201, a movable crossbeam 202, and a movable block 203; The vertical support 201 is provided with an X-axis guide rail and an X-axis linear power source arranged along the X direction. The movable crossbeam 202 is slidably connected to the X-axis guide rail and performs linear reciprocating motion in the X direction under the drive of the X-axis linear power source. The movable crossbeam 202 is arranged along the Y direction, and a Y-direction linear power source is connected to the movable crossbeam 202. The movable block 203 is slidably connected to the movable crossbeam 202, and performs linear reciprocating motion along the Y direction under the drive of the Y-direction linear power source. The component loading and pressing mechanism 2 is mounted on the moving block 203.
[0008] The part-removing and pressing mechanism 2 is as follows Figure 4 As shown, the component pressing mechanism 2 includes a Z-axis linear power source 21, a fixed base 22, a guide rod 23, a floating base 24, a pressure sensor 25, a spring 26, a pressure plate 27, a pneumatic gripper 28, gripper fingers 29, and a central positioning column 210. The fixed base 22 is fixedly installed on the movable block 203. The guide rod 23 is arranged vertically along the Z direction and passes through the fixed base 22. The floating seat 24 is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the guide rod 23. The Z-direction linear power source 21 is connected to the fixed base 22 and connected to the floating seat 24. The Z-direction linear power source 21 drives the floating seat 24 to perform linear reciprocating motion along the Z direction. The pressure plate 27 is buoyantly connected to the bottom of the floating seat 24 by a spring 26. The pressure sensor 25 is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the floating seat 24. The pneumatic gripper 28 is installed below the pressure plate 27. The pneumatic gripper 28 drives the multiple gripper fingers 29 connected to it to open or close synchronously. The central positioning post 210 is fixedly connected to the center of the bottom surface of the pressure plate 27.
[0009] In the above, the X-axis linear power source, Y-axis linear power source, and Z-axis linear power source can be common components such as linear motors, servo cylinders, electric actuators, pneumatic cylinders, and hydraulic cylinders.
[0010] The stepper mechanism 3 is as follows Figure 5-6 As shown, the stepper mechanism 3 includes a servo slide 31, a lifting cylinder 32, a lifting platform 33, a water-cooled plate suction cup 34, and a water-cooled plate fixture 35. The servo slide 31 is fixedly installed between two worktables 1 along the Y direction. The cylinder body of the lifting cylinder 32 is fixedly connected to the slider of the servo slide 31, and the lifting cylinder 32 is arranged vertically along the Z direction. The lifting platform 33 is fixedly connected to the cylinder rod of the lifting cylinder 32. The water-cooled plate fixture 35 is arranged along the X direction and is fixedly connected to the lifting platform 33. A support groove for accommodating the water-cooled plate is provided on the water-cooled plate fixture 35. The water-cooled plate suction cup 34 is located in the support groove and connected to a negative pressure source.
[0011] This invention features a simple structure and flexible operation, enabling precise press-fitting and mass production of water-cooled plates and water pipe joints. The device has a positioning function, effectively addressing the benchmark for press-fitting, thus facilitating efficient assembly and improving production efficiency. Attached Figure Description
[0012] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the case. Figure 2 This is a reference for the working status of the water-cooled plate positioning mechanism. Figure 1 , Figure 2a This is a reference for the working status of the water-cooled plate positioning mechanism. Figure 2 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the water-cooled plate positioning mechanism. Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the part-removing pressing mechanism and the two-axis module. Figure 4a This is a structural diagram of a two-axis module. Figure 4b This is a structural diagram of the part-removing and pressing mechanism. Figure 5 This is a reference diagram showing the working status of the stepper mechanism. Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the stepper mechanism; 1 in the diagram is the workbench; 2 is the part-picking and pressing mechanism, 21 is the Z-axis linear power source, 22 is the fixed seat, 23 is the guide rod, 24 is the floating seat, 25 is the pressure sensor, 26 is the spring, 27 is the pressure plate, 28 is the pneumatic gripper, 29 is the gripper finger, and 210 is the center positioning column. 20 is a two-axis module, 201 is a vertical support, 202 is a moving crossbeam, and 203 is a moving block; 3 is the stepper mechanism, 31 is the servo slide, 32 is the lifting cylinder, 33 is the lifting platform, 34 is the water-cooled plate suction cup, and 35 is the water-cooled plate tooling. 4 is the water-cooled plate positioning mechanism, 41 is positioning seat one, 42 is positioning seat two, 43 is the material ejection assembly, 431 is the material ejection cylinder, and 432 is the material ejection pin. Detailed Implementation
[0013] To clearly illustrate the technical features of this patent, the following detailed description is provided through specific embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
[0014] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention comprises four components: a workbench 1, a feeding system (the feeding system is a conveying component for the water-cooled plate connector, which is existing technology, used to supply the water-cooled plate connector and to make it vertical when outputting the water-cooled plate connector, which will not be described in detail here), a part picking and pressing mechanism 2, a stepping table mechanism 3, and a water-cooled plate positioning mechanism 4, which are symmetrical in form.
[0015] Overall equipment operation: The robotic arm picks up the water-cooled plate and places it at the loading position. The water-cooled plate fixture is fixed. The stepping slide moves the water-cooled plate to the tube insertion position. The loading system delivers the water-cooled plate connector to the correct position. The part-removing and pressing mechanism picks up the water-cooled plate connector and moves it to the insertion point for servo pressing. After pressing, the stepping slide moves the water-cooled plate assembly to the picking position. This cycle repeats.
[0016] The automatic insertion equipment includes a workbench 1, a part picking and pressing mechanism 2, a stepping table mechanism 3, and a water-cooled plate positioning mechanism 4. The worktable 1 has two symmetrically arranged worktables. The water-cooled plate positioning mechanisms 4 are arranged in pairs and fixedly installed on the two worktables 1 respectively. The two ends of the water-cooled plate are fixed by the water-cooled plate positioning mechanisms 4. The part picking and pressing mechanism 2 also has two parts, which are connected to the two worktables 1 through the two-axis module 20 respectively and are located above the water-cooled plate positioning mechanisms 4. The part picking and pressing mechanism 2 grabs the vertical water-cooled plate joint and inserts it into the two ends of the water-cooled plate. The stepping stage mechanism 3 is arranged between the two worktables 1 and below the water-cooled plate positioning mechanisms 4. The stepping stage mechanism 3 lifts the water-cooled plate from one pair of water-cooled plate positioning mechanisms 4 and transports it to another pair of water-cooled plate positioning mechanisms 4.
[0017] like Figure 2-3As shown, the water-cooled plate positioning mechanism 4 includes a first positioning seat 41 and a second positioning seat 42 arranged adjacent to each other. The first positioning seat 41 has a contoured groove adapted to the end of the water-cooled plate, and the second positioning seat 42 has a mounting groove adapted to the water-cooled plate. Several suction cups connected to a negative pressure source are provided in the mounting groove. Thus, after the end of the water-cooled plate is placed into the contoured groove and the mounting groove, turning on the negative pressure source allows the water-cooled plate to be stably adsorbed onto the water-cooled plate positioning mechanism.
[0018] Considering the aforementioned mounting groove's compatibility with the water-cooled plate and the contoured groove's compatibility with the water-cooled plate's end, when the suction cup releases its grip and the water-cooled plate needs to be removed, there is a possibility that the water-cooled plate might get stuck in the water-cooled plate positioning mechanism 4 due to an improper removal angle, resulting in the water-cooled plate being unable to be removed. Furthermore, because the water-cooled plate itself is relatively thin, the structural strength at its end is much higher than the plate itself. Therefore, forcibly grasping and sucking the water-cooled plate from the middle to separate it from the water-cooled plate positioning mechanism 4 could easily cause it to bend or even be damaged. To address this, this paper specifically proposes the following optimization techniques: like Figure 3 As shown, the water-cooled plate positioning mechanism 4 also includes a material ejection assembly 43 installed on one side of the positioning seat 41. The material ejection assembly 43 includes a material ejection cylinder 431 and a material ejection pin 432 that also serves as a positioning pin. The water-cooled plate has a positioning hole or positioning groove at its end for positioning. The positioning seat 41 has a sliding hole, and the center line of the sliding hole forms an angle with the length direction of the water-cooled plate positioning mechanism 4. The ejector pin 432 is slidably connected in the sliding hole, and its top end protrudes above the sliding hole. The cylinder body of the ejector cylinder 431 is fixedly installed beside the positioning seat 41, and the cylinder rod of the ejector cylinder 431 extends into the positioning seat 41 and is fixedly connected to the ejector pin 432. The cylinder rod of the ejector cylinder 431 is arranged parallel to the center line of the sliding hole. In this way, when the cylinder rod of the ejector cylinder 431 is retracted and placed in the initial position, the ejector pin 432 can be used as a positioning pin. When the water-cooled plate is placed, the ejector pin 432 extends into the positioning hole or positioning groove at the end of the water-cooled plate to accurately position the water-cooled plate. When the water-cooled plate needs to be removed, the ejector cylinder 431 can be activated, causing the ejector pin 432 to move away from its initial position and slide slightly. This allows the ejector pin 432 to leave the positioning hole or positioning groove and slightly lift the end of the water-cooled plate, thus fundamentally eliminating the jamming problem that may occur when the water-cooled plate cannot be removed and effectively ensuring the processing yield.
[0019] like Figure 4 As shown, the two-axis module 20 includes a vertical support 201, a movable crossbeam 202, and a movable block 203; The vertical support 201 is provided with an X-axis guide rail and an X-axis linear power source arranged along the X direction. The movable crossbeam 202 is slidably connected to the X-axis guide rail and performs linear reciprocating motion in the X direction under the drive of the X-axis linear power source. The movable crossbeam 202 is arranged along the Y direction, and a Y-direction linear power source is connected to the movable crossbeam 202. The movable block 203 is slidably connected to the movable crossbeam 202, and performs linear reciprocating motion along the Y direction under the drive of the Y-direction linear power source. The component loading and pressing mechanism 2 is mounted on the moving block 203.
[0020] like Figure 4 As shown, the component pressing mechanism 2 includes a Z-axis linear power source 21, a fixed base 22, a guide rod 23, a floating base 24, a pressure sensor 25, a spring 26, a pressure plate 27, a pneumatic gripper 28, gripper fingers 29, and a central positioning column 210. The fixed base 22 is fixedly installed on the movable block 203. The guide rod 23 is arranged vertically along the Z direction and passes through the fixed base 22. The floating seat 24 is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the guide rod 23. The Z-direction linear power source 21 is connected to the fixed base 22 and connected to the floating seat 24. The Z-direction linear power source 21 drives the floating seat 24 to perform linear reciprocating motion along the Z direction. The pressure plate 27 is buoyantly connected to the bottom of the floating seat 24 by a spring 26. The pressure sensor 25 is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the floating seat 24. The pneumatic gripper 28 is installed below the pressure plate 27. The pneumatic gripper 28 drives multiple gripper fingers 29 connected to it to open or close synchronously. The central positioning post 210 is fixedly connected to the center of the bottom surface of the pressure plate 27. The operation flow is as follows: The part-picking and pressing mechanism 2 runs to the feeding system position under the drive of the two-axis module. The Z-axis linear power source 21 is started to lower the pneumatic gripper 28 and the positioning pin is passed from top to bottom to the top of the water-cooled plate joint. Then the pneumatic gripper is started so that multiple gripper fingers 29 simultaneously close and clamp the water pipe joint. The Z-axis linear power source 21 moves in the opposite direction to drive the pneumatic gripper 28 to rise. Subsequently, driven by the two-axis module, the part-picking and pressing mechanism 2 moves to the position where it needs to be inserted; the Z-axis linear power source 21 starts to lower the pneumatic gripper 28 until the pressure sensor feedback pressure value reaches the predetermined target value, and the insertion is determined to be successful. The gripper fingers 29 release and move upward, waiting to pick up the next water-cooled plate connector.
[0021] In the above, the X-axis linear power source, Y-axis linear power source, and Z-axis linear power source can be common components such as linear motors, servo cylinders, electric actuators, pneumatic cylinders, and hydraulic cylinders.
[0022] like Figure 5-6As shown, the stepper mechanism 3 includes a servo slide 31, a lifting cylinder 32, a lifting platform 33, a water-cooled plate suction cup 34, and a water-cooled plate fixture 35. The servo slide 31 is fixedly installed between two worktables 1 along the Y direction. The cylinder body of the lifting cylinder 32 is fixedly connected to the slider of the servo slide 31, and the lifting cylinder 32 is arranged vertically along the Z direction. The lifting platform 33 is fixedly connected to the cylinder rod of the lifting cylinder 32. The water-cooled plate fixture 35 is arranged along the X direction and is fixedly connected to the lifting platform 33. A support groove for accommodating the water-cooled plate is provided on the water-cooled plate fixture 35. The water-cooled plate suction cup 34 is located in the support groove and connected to a negative pressure source. During operation, the servo slide is placed on the equipment base frame, which can make the entire upper part move linearly and make step-by-step transfer between the three workstations. The lifting cylinder can lift the water-cooled plate fixture and drop it at each workstation. The water-cooled plate fixture is equipped with a water-cooled plate suction cup to ensure that the position of the water-cooled plate does not shift during the movement.
[0023] There are many specific ways to implement this invention. The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements can be made without departing from the principle of this invention, and these improvements should also be considered within the scope of protection of this invention.
Claims
1. A water-cooled plate joint automatic insertion equipment, characterized in that, The automatic insertion device includes a workbench (1), a part picking and pressing mechanism (2), a stepping table mechanism (3), and a water-cooled plate positioning mechanism (4). The worktable (1) has two and is arranged symmetrically. The water-cooled plate positioning mechanism (4) is set in pairs and is fixedly installed on the two worktables (1) respectively. The part picking and pressing mechanism (2) also has two, which are connected to the two worktables (1) respectively through the two-axis module (20) and are located above the water-cooled plate positioning mechanism (4). The stepping stage mechanism (3) is set between the two worktables (1) and is located below the water-cooled plate positioning mechanism (4). The component pressing mechanism (2) includes a Z-axis linear power source (21), a fixed seat (22), a guide rod (23), a floating seat (24), a pressure sensor (25), a spring (26), a pressure plate (27), a pneumatic gripper (28), gripper fingers (29), and a central positioning column (210). The fixed seat (22) is fixedly installed on the movable block (203). The guide rod (23) is arranged vertically along the Z direction and passes through the fixed seat (22). The floating seat (24) is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the guide rod (23). The Z-direction linear power source (21) is connected to the fixed seat (22) and connected to the floating seat (24). The floating seat (24) is driven to make linear reciprocating motion along the Z direction by the Z-direction linear power source (21). The pressure plate (27) is buoyantly connected to the bottom of the floating seat (24) by the spring (26). The pressure sensor (25) is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the floating seat (24). The pneumatic gripper (28) is installed below the pressure plate (27). The pneumatic gripper (28) drives the multiple gripper fingers (29) connected to it to open or close synchronously. The central positioning column (210) is fixedly connected to the center of the bottom surface of the pressure plate (27). The water-cooled plate positioning mechanism (4) includes a positioning seat one (41) and a positioning seat two (42) arranged adjacent to each other. The positioning seat one (41) has a contour groove adapted to the end of the water-cooled plate, and the positioning seat two (42) has an installation groove adapted to the water-cooled plate. The installation groove has a number of suction cups connected to the negative pressure source. The water-cooled plate positioning mechanism (4) also includes a material ejection assembly (43) installed on one side of the positioning seat (41). The material ejection assembly (43) includes a material ejection cylinder (431) and a material ejection pin (432) that also serves as a positioning pin. The water-cooled plate has a positioning hole or positioning groove at its end for positioning. The positioning seat (41) has a sliding hole, and the center line of the sliding hole is at an angle to the length direction of the water-cooled plate positioning mechanism (4). The ejector pin (432) is slidably connected in the sliding hole, and its top end is higher than the sliding hole. The cylinder body of the ejector cylinder (431) is fixedly installed on one side of the positioning seat (41), and the cylinder rod of the ejector cylinder (431) extends into the positioning seat (41) and is fixedly connected to the ejector pin (432). The cylinder rod of the ejector cylinder (431) is arranged parallel to the center line of the sliding hole. When the water-cooled plate needs to be removed, the ejector cylinder (431) is activated, causing the ejector pin (432) to leave its initial position and slide slightly, thereby causing the ejector pin (432) to leave the positioning hole or positioning groove and slightly lift the end of the water-cooled plate.
2. The water cooling plate joint automatic insertion equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two-axis module (20) includes a vertical support (201), a movable crossbeam (202), and a movable block (203); The vertical support (201) is provided with an X-axis guide rail and an X-axis linear power source arranged along the X direction. The movable crossbeam (202) is slidably connected to the X-axis guide rail and performs linear reciprocating motion in the X direction under the drive of the X-axis linear power source. The movable crossbeam (202) is arranged along the Y direction, and a Y-direction linear power source is connected to the movable crossbeam (202). The movable block (203) is slidably connected to the movable crossbeam (202), and performs linear reciprocating motion along the Y direction under the drive of the Y-direction linear power source. The component pressing mechanism (2) is mounted on the moving block (203).
3. The water cooling plate joint automatic insertion equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The stepper mechanism (3) includes a servo slide (31), a lifting cylinder (32), a lifting platform (33), a water-cooled plate suction cup (34), and a water-cooled plate fixture (35). The servo slide (31) is fixedly installed between two worktables (1) along the Y direction. The cylinder body of the lifting cylinder (32) is fixedly connected to the slider of the servo slide (31), and the lifting cylinder (32) is arranged vertically along the Z direction. The lifting platform (33) is fixedly connected to the cylinder rod of the lifting cylinder (32). The water-cooled plate fixture (35) is arranged along the X direction and is fixedly connected to the lifting platform (33). A support groove for accommodating the water-cooled plate is provided on the water-cooled plate fixture (35). The water-cooled plate suction cup (34) is located in the support groove and is connected to a negative pressure source.