An electric pipe expander and a control method thereof
By determining the coordination between the stroke judgment component and the power component, the expanding power is automatically adjusted, solving the problem of adapting the electric expanding device to pipe fittings with different inner diameters, and ensuring the safety, reliability and accuracy of the expanding device.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- JINHUA WEIKE INDUSTRIAL & TRADING CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2023-10-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-02
Smart Images
Figure CN117680561B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This technical solution relates to the field of pipe expander technology, specifically to an electric pipe expander and its control method. Background Technology
[0002] An electric pipe expander is a device that expands one end of a pipe by squeezing. The pipe can be a plastic pipe or a thin metal pipe. Electric pipe expanders are widely used in industries such as petroleum, chemical, power, metallurgy, shipbuilding, and refrigeration for the manufacture and maintenance of boilers, heat exchangers, condensers, coolers, and other pressure vessels.
[0003] Chinese patent CN109926506B discloses an electric tube expander, which has the following disadvantages in use:
[0004] 1. Because it is necessary to expand pipes with different inner diameters, the pipe walls of larger inner diameter pipes are thicker, and the pipe walls of smaller inner diameter pipes are thinner. Therefore, if the electric pipe expander has a high power, it will over-expand the pipes with smaller inner diameters, causing damage to the pipes. If the electric pipe expander has a low power, it will not have enough power when expanding pipes with larger inner diameters, resulting in uneven thickness at the flared end of the pipe, making it impossible to fit the pipes properly and making it unusable. If only a single switch is used to control the power of the electric pipe expander, and personnel judge the inner diameter of the pipe and manually control the expanding power, firstly, it is impossible to accurately judge the inner diameter of the pipe, which will cause errors and reduce the accuracy of pipe size measurement; secondly, the operation steps of controlling the switch are cumbersome.
[0005] 2. The electric pipe expander and the clamp assembly are fixed by two interlocking protrusions. The protrusion on the clamp assembly is engaged with the inside of the protrusion on the pipe expander. With this connection method, the clamp assembly will gradually detach from the pipe expander when subjected to radial force during pipe expansion, which can easily lead to danger.
[0006] 3. The electric pipe expander can start the pipe expanding operation by simply turning on the power. However, if the clamp assembly is not installed stably before starting the pipe expanding, the clamp assembly may detach from the electric pipe expander. Summary of the Invention
[0007] The purpose of this technical solution is to provide an electric pipe expander and its control method. By setting a power component and a stroke judgment component inside the electric pipe expander, the working power of the expander components are controlled in cooperation, thereby solving the problem that the electric pipe expander cannot be adapted to pipe fittings with different inner diameters.
[0008] The purpose of this technical solution is achieved as follows:
[0009] An electric pipe expander includes: a pipe expander housing; a pipe expander assembly disposed within the pipe expander housing for expanding a pipe to be expanded; a clamp assembly disposed on a mounting groove in the pipe expander housing for clamping the pipe to be expanded; a power assembly disposed within the pipe expander housing for outputting a second power or a first power to the pipe expander assembly to perform pipe expansion; a stroke determination assembly movably disposed on the pipe expander assembly for outputting a power signal to the power assembly; a switch assembly disposed within the pipe expander housing for controlling the start and stop of the pipe expander assembly; and a locking assembly disposed within the pipe expander housing for locking or releasing the clamp assembly; wherein the pipe expander assembly drives the stroke determination assembly to move, and controls the power assembly to output corresponding power according to the movement state of the stroke determination assembly; the stroke determination assembly... The device includes: a control circuit connected to a power assembly and having a contact portion; a transmission component mounted on the expander assembly and having an internal mounting chamber; a contact component movably engaged within the mounting chamber, with its rear end extending out of the transmission component and movably abutting the contact portion; and a spring disposed within the mounting chamber, its front end abutting the expander assembly and its rear end abutting the contact component, thereby ensuring that the contact component always tends to move towards the contact portion. When the transmission component pushes the expander assembly to expand the tube, the spring pushes the contact component in the opposite direction towards the contact portion. Before the front end of the contact component engages with the rear end of the transmission component, the rear end of the contact component always abuts the contact portion. As the transmission component continues to push the expander assembly to expand the tube, the rear end of the contact component disengages from the contact portion. The control circuit controls the power output of the power assembly by detecting whether the contact component abuts the contact portion.
[0010] Preferably, the expander assembly includes at least: a spindle box disposed within the expander housing; an eccentric shaft disposed within the spindle box, with a second mounting chamber at its rear end; an eccentric cone disposed at the front end of the eccentric shaft; a mounting component disposed within the second mounting chamber; and a disc spring sleeved on the outside of the mounting component; wherein the front end of the transmission component movably abuts against the disc spring, and the disc spring drives the eccentric shaft and the eccentric cone to expand the tube.
[0011] Preferably, the power assembly includes at least: a battery disposed within the expander housing; a linkage disposed within the main spindle box and sleeved on the outside of the eccentric shaft; a turbine sleeved on the outside of the linkage; a transmission part, the upper end of which is movably engaged within the linkage and the lower end of which is engaged within the eccentric shaft; and a transmission bearing disposed within the main spindle box, with its outer side fixedly connected to the main spindle box and its inner side connected to the transmission component via a thread. The turbine drives the linkage to rotate, and the linkage drives the eccentric shaft to rotate via the transmission part, causing the transmission component to rotate accordingly. The threaded action between the transmission bearing and the transmission component enables the transmission component to drive the eccentric shaft and the eccentric conical expander.
[0012] Preferably, the clamp assembly is disposed in the mounting groove by a limiting structure; the limiting structure has at least: a plurality of protrusions 1, on which a snap-fit groove is formed; a plurality of protrusions 2, which protrude from the groove wall of the mounting groove, and adjacent protrusions 2 form mounting positions; after the protrusions 1 enter the mounting groove along the mounting positions, the clamp assembly is rotated so that the protrusions 1 snap into the lower end of the protrusions 2, and the clamp assembly is rotated further so that the snap-fit blocks snap into the snap-fit grooves and the protrusions 1 abut against the spring pin.
[0013] Preferably, the locking assembly includes: a switch module, which is rotatably mounted on the expander housing and has two working states: locked and unlocked; a locking part, which has a locking block at its front end and a movable contact with the switch module at its rear end, the locking block being movably engaged in a locking groove; and a second spring, which is sleeved on the locking part, with its front end abutting against the locking block and its rear end abutting against a baffle plate provided inside the expander housing, for ensuring that the locking part always has a tendency to move towards the locking groove; when the switch module is in the locked state, the locking part cannot move and the locking block is engaged in the locking groove, thereby locking the clamp assembly and the mounting groove; when the switch module is in the unlocked state, the locking part can move to allow the locking block to enter or exit the locking groove, thereby unlocking the clamp assembly and the mounting groove.
[0014] Preferably, the switch module includes: a rotating block disposed inside the expander housing, with its upper end extending out of the expander housing, and a clearance opening on its surface; and a switch part disposed on the rotating block for controlling the rotation of the rotating block; when the switch part is rotated so that the clearance opening and the locking part are misaligned, the switch module is in a locked state; when the switch part is rotated so that the clearance opening and the locking part are aligned, the rear end of the locking part can enter the clearance opening, and the locking block disengages from the snap-fit groove, and the switch module is in a relaxed state.
[0015] Preferably, the locking assembly further includes: a limiting cylinder disposed within the expander housing; limiting groove one and limiting groove two formed on the bottom surface of the rotating block; a limiting member, the lower end of which is placed within the limiting cylinder, and the upper end which is movably engaged within limiting groove one or limiting groove two; and a spring three disposed within the limiting cylinder, the upper end of which abuts against the limiting member, thereby ensuring that the limiting member always tends to move towards the rotating block; when the switch module is in the locked state, the limiting member is placed within limiting groove one; when the switch module is in the relaxed state, the limiting member is placed within limiting groove two; when the state of the switch module changes, the rotating block pushes the limiting member out of limiting groove one or limiting groove two and compresses spring three.
[0016] Preferably, the switch assembly includes: a protrusion 1 disposed on the periphery of the clamp assembly; a spring pin, the front end of which passes through the expander housing and movably abuts against the protrusion 1; a spring 4 sleeved on the spring pin, used to ensure that the spring pin always has a tendency to move in the direction of the protrusion 1; and a micro switch disposed inside the expander housing, used to control the start and stop of the power assembly; wherein, the protrusion 1 pushes the spring pin to trigger the micro switch, and the micro switch controls the operation of the power assembly.
[0017] Preferably, the switch assembly further includes: a switch pad mounted on the spring pin and moving with the spring pin; a spring piece disposed on the micro switch for controlling the operation of the micro switch; a first limiting block engaged in the expander housing for fixing the spring pin; and a second limiting block engaged in the expander housing for fixing the micro switch. The front end of the fourth spring abuts against the switch pad, and the rear end abuts against the second baffle disposed within the expander housing. The spring piece is pushed by the switch pad to trigger the micro switch.
[0018] A control method for an electric expander includes the following steps:
[0019] S1. During the installation phase, a contact component is installed inside the transmission component, so that the spring is compressed and the rear end of the contact component abuts against the contact part. The front end of the contact component is a certain travel distance from the rear end of the transmission component. This is the initial working state of the travel judgment component.
[0020] S2. Preparation stage: Fix the pipe fitting to be expanded onto the clamp assembly in preparation for pipe expansion work.
[0021] S3. During the working stage of the switch assembly, rotating the chuck assembly causes the protrusion to trigger the micro switch.
[0022] S4. During the locking component working stage, rotate the switch to fix the clamp component in the mounting slot, turn on the power, and prepare for pipe expansion.
[0023] S5. During the working stage of the expander assembly, the power switch is turned on, and the turbine controls the eccentric shaft to feed and rotate the expander at the first power. At the same time, the contact parts move with the eccentric shaft.
[0024] S6. During the working stage of the stroke judgment component, the tube expander continues to operate at the first power until the contactor disengages from the contact part. After the contactor disengages from the contact part, the control circuit detects this and controls the turbine to control the eccentric shaft to feed and rotate the tube expander at the second power, and then operates at the second power until the tube expander is completed.
[0025] The key and beneficial technical effects of this technical solution compared to existing technologies are:
[0026] 1. The stroke judgment component designed in this technical solution moves with the pipe expander component. While it moves, it controls the output power of the power component through its own stroke state. Then, it controls the operation of the pipe expander component based on the power. The working distance of the stroke judgment component corresponds to the size of the inner diameter of the pipe fitting. Thus, the size of the inner diameter of the pipe fitting can be matched with the output power, realizing the operation mode of using different power for pipe fittings with different inner diameters.
[0027] 2. The locking component designed in this technical solution can fix the clamp assembly in the mounting slot. By adjusting the state of the switch module, the clamp assembly can be locked and disengaged from the mounting slot, which improves the stability of the clamp assembly installed on the expander housing and ensures the safety of the expander during expansion. At the same time, rotating the switch module can freely switch between the locked and unlocked states. After the clearance port is aligned with the locking part, the locking part can extend and retract within the clearance port, allowing the front end of the locking part to exit from the snap-fit slot, thereby unlocking the clamp assembly from the mounting slot.
[0028] 3. The switch assembly designed in this technical solution can control the start and stop of the expander assembly. The switch assembly is triggered by a protrusion on the clamp assembly, so that the expander assembly can only work after the clamp assembly is stably installed. When the clamp assembly is not installed or is not stably installed, the expander assembly will not work even if the switch is turned on, thus ensuring the safety of the expander. Attached Figure Description
[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this technical solution.
[0030] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the technical solution.
[0031] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the expander assembly.
[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a structure in which the locking component is placed inside the expander housing.
[0033] Figure 5 A section view for locking components.
[0034] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the locking component.
[0035] Figure 7 An exploded view of the locked component.
[0036] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in which the switching assembly is placed inside the expander housing.
[0037] Figure 9 This is an exploded view of the switch assembly.
[0038] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the structure for the clamp assembly and the mounting slot to fit together.
[0039] Reference numerals: 1. Expander housing; 11. Mounting groove; 12. Baffle one; 2. Expander assembly; 21. Spindle box; 22. Eccentric shaft; 23. Eccentric cone; 24. Linkage part; 25. Turbine; 26. Transmission part; 27. Transmission bearing; 28. Mounting component; 29. Disc spring; 3. Chuck assembly; 4. Power assembly; 41. Contact part; 42. Battery; 5. Stroke judgment assembly; 51. Transmission component; 52. Mounting chamber one; 53. Contact component; 54. Spring one; 6. Switch assembly; 61. Protrusion 62. Spring pin; 63. Spring four; 64. Micro switch; 65. Switch pad; 66. Spring piece; 67. Limit block one; 68. Limit block two; 69. Baffle two; 7. Locking assembly; 71. Switch module; 711. Rotating block; 712. Clearance opening; 713. Switch part; 72. Locking part; 73. Locking block; 74. Spring two; 75. Limit cylinder; 76. Limit groove one; 77. Limit groove two; 78. Limiting component; 8. Limiting structure; 81. Snap-fit groove; 82. Protrusion two; 83. Mounting position. Detailed Implementation
[0040] The specific implementation of this technical solution will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0041] An electric pipe expander includes: a pipe expander housing 1; a pipe expander assembly 2 disposed within the pipe expander housing 1 for expanding a pipe to be expanded; a clamp assembly 3 disposed on a mounting groove 11 of the pipe expander housing 1 for clamping the pipe to be expanded; a power assembly 4 disposed within the pipe expander housing 1 for outputting a second power or a first power to the pipe expander assembly 2 to perform pipe expansion; a stroke determination assembly 5 movably disposed on the pipe expander assembly 2 for outputting a power signal to the power assembly 4; a switch assembly 6 disposed within the pipe expander housing 1 for controlling the start and stop of the pipe expander assembly 2; and a locking assembly 7 disposed within the pipe expander housing 1 for locking or releasing the clamp assembly 3. The pipe expander assembly 2 drives the stroke determination assembly 5, and the power assembly 4 outputs corresponding power based on the movement state of the stroke determination assembly 5. The stroke determination assembly 5 includes a control circuit connected to the power assembly 4. The device includes a contact portion 41; a transmission component 51, which is mounted on the expander assembly 2 and has an internal mounting chamber 52; a contact component 53, which is movably engaged within the mounting chamber 52, with its rear end extending out of the transmission component 51 and movably abutting against the contact portion 41; and a spring 54, which is located within the mounting chamber 52, with its front end abutting against the expander assembly 2 and its rear end abutting against the contact component 53, ensuring that the contact component 53 always tends to move towards the contact portion 41. When the transmission component 51 pushes the expander assembly 2 to expand the tube, the spring 54 pushes the contact component 53 in the opposite direction towards the contact portion 41. Before the front end of the contact component 53 engages with the rear end of the transmission component 51, the rear end of the contact component 53 always abuts against the contact portion 41. As the transmission component 51 continues to push the expander assembly 2 to expand the tube, the rear end of the contact component 53 disengages from the contact portion 41. The control circuit controls the power output of the power component 4 by detecting whether the contact component 53 abuts against the contact portion 41. Figures 1-3As shown, the expander assembly 2, as the main working component of the electric expander, is located at the front end of the expander housing 1. The electric expander requires the use of the clamp assembly 3. The power assembly 4 inside the electric expander controls the movement, rotation, and working power of the expander assembly 2. The stroke judgment assembly 5 determines the inner diameter of the pipe to be expanded based on its own movement, thus allowing the power assembly 4 to use a matching working power. For smaller inner diameter pipes, the first power is used; for larger inner diameter pipes, the second power is used. The first power is low, and the second power is high; the first power is less than the second power. The specific automatic power adjustment principle is as follows: clamp assembly 3, pipe to be expanded, eccentric cone 23, and eccentric cone 24... The mandrel 22 abuts against the pipe in sequence. When the inner diameter of the pipe to be expanded is small, the stroke of the eccentric cone 23 when expanding the pipe is also relatively small. When the inner diameter of the pipe to be expanded is large, the stroke of the eccentric cone 23 when expanding the pipe is also large. The stroke judgment component 5 moves with the eccentric cone 23 at all times. Therefore, the distance of movement of the eccentric cone 23 can be matched to the stroke judgment component 5. When the distance of movement of the eccentric cone 23 gradually increases, the spring 54 will gradually relax until the contact 53 disengages from the contact part 41. After the contact 53 disengages from the contact part 41, the power component 4 changes from the first power to the second power. Therefore, this application can automatically adjust the expansion power according to the size of the inner diameter of the pipe to complete the expansion work of pipes with different inner diameters and ensure that the pipe is not damaged.
[0042] Preferably, the expander assembly 2 includes at least: a spindle box 21 disposed within the expander housing 1; an eccentric shaft 22 disposed within the spindle box 21, with a second mounting chamber at its rear end; an eccentric cone 23 disposed at the front end of the eccentric shaft 22; a mounting member 28 disposed within the second mounting chamber; and a disc spring 29 sleeved on the mounting member 28. The transmission member 51 movably abuts against the disc spring 29 at its front end, and the disc spring 29 drives the eccentric shaft 22 and the eccentric cone 23 to expand the tube. The power assembly 4 includes at least: a battery 42 disposed within the expander housing 1; and a linkage 24 disposed within the spindle box 21. The eccentric shaft 22 is fitted inside the eccentric part 24; the turbine 25 is fitted outside the linkage part 24; the transmission part 26 has its upper end movably engaged inside the linkage part 24 and its lower end engaged inside the eccentric shaft 22; the transmission bearing 27 is located inside the spindle box 21, with its outer side fixedly connected to the spindle box 21 and its inner side threadedly connected to the transmission component 51; wherein, the turbine 25 drives the linkage part 24 to rotate, the linkage part 24 drives the eccentric shaft 22 to rotate through the transmission part 26, and causes the transmission component 51 to rotate accordingly, and the transmission component 51 pushes the eccentric shaft 22 and the eccentric cone head 23 to expand the tube through the threaded action between the transmission bearing 27 and the transmission component 51. Figures 1-3As shown, the turbine 25 is installed inside the main shaft box 21 and sleeved on the outside of the eccentric shaft 22. The turbine 25 can drive the transmission component 51 to rotate. Since the transmission bearing 27 is fixedly installed inside the main shaft box 21, when the transmission component 51 rotates, it can drive the eccentric shaft 22 to move through the threaded action between itself and the transmission bearing 27. The disc spring 29 is used to buffer the power transmitted from the transmission component 51 to the eccentric shaft 22, ensuring that the power received by the eccentric shaft 22 is gentle, thereby ensuring that the tube to be expanded will not be damaged. The mounting component 28 is installed at the bottom of the mounting chamber 52, and its surface has a protruding mounting post. The disc spring 29 is sleeved on the mounting post, and its rear end is in movable contact with the front end of the transmission component 51. The front end of the spring 54 abuts against the mounting post. Inside the tube expander housing 1 It has multiple working parts, some of which use existing technology and will not be elaborated here. The key difference is that the turbine 25 inside the spindle box 21 acts as a power source to control the feed and rotation of the eccentric shaft 22. The stroke judgment component 5 moves with the eccentric shaft 22. The transmission component 51 receives the power from the turbine 25 and transmits it to the eccentric shaft 22. The contact component 53 is located within the space enclosed by the transmission component 51 and the eccentric shaft 22, passing through a through hole at the rear end of the transmission component 51. When the transmission component 51 pushes the eccentric shaft 22, the rear end of the transmission component 51 moves away from the power component 4. At this time, the spring pushes the contact component 53 towards the power component 4. This movement continues until the contact component 53 engages with the transmission component 4. At the rear end of component 51, if the transmission component 51 continues to drive the eccentric shaft 22, the rear end of the contact component 53 will disengage from the power assembly 4. The turbine 25 will then receive a signal indicating that the contact component 53 has disengaged, and can thus control the turbine 25 to increase the expansion power. This is because the stroke of the eccentric shaft 22 is only large when expanding a pipe with a large inner diameter. When expanding a pipe with a small inner diameter, the contact component 53 will always be in contact with the power assembly 4, and the turbine 25 will always operate at a lower power. The contact part 41 is installed on the inner wall of the expander housing 1 by screws. When the spring 54 is compressed, the contact component 53 abuts against the contact part 41 and the front end is a certain distance away from the contact part 41. This is the initial state, and this distance is the determination distance for power change. When the distance traveled by the transmission component 51 is greater than this distance, the expander assembly 2 uses the second power expansion method; when the distance traveled by the transmission component 51 is less than this distance, the expander assembly 2 uses the first power expansion method. Therefore, the determination distance can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the contact component 53. Since the spring is in a compressed state initially, when the transmission component 51 starts to move, the contact component 53 will be immediately pushed out by the spring, keeping it in contact with the contact part 41. When the contact component 53 is fully extended and engaged at the rear end of the transmission component 51, this is the farthest distance traveled by the expander assembly 2 using the first power expansion method. This distance is set at 12mm. This distance can be adjusted according to the actual situation by changing the length of the contact component 53. When the stroke exceeds 12mm...This indicates that the pipe being expanded is a pipe with a large inner diameter, requiring a longer travel distance for expansion. When the transmission component 51 continues expanding, the contact component 53, stuck on the transmission component 51, cannot extend further and will disengage from the contact portion 41. Upon receiving the signal that the contact component 53 has disengaged from the contact portion 41, the expander assembly 2 increases the expansion power and continues expanding at high power. The signal transmission and control of the expander assembly 2 can be achieved through circuit control or through internal chip control.
[0043] Preferably, the clamp assembly 3 is disposed within the mounting groove 11 by a limiting structure 8; the limiting structure 8 has at least: a plurality of protrusions 61, on which a snap-fit groove 81 is formed; and a plurality of protrusions 82, which protrude from the groove wall of the mounting groove 11, with mounting positions 83 formed between adjacent protrusions 82; after the protrusions 61 enter the mounting groove 11 along the mounting positions 83, rotating the clamp assembly 3 causes the protrusions 61 to snap into the lower end of the protrusions 82, and continuing to rotate the clamp assembly 3 causes the locking block 73 to snap into the snap-fit groove 81 and the protrusions 61 to abut against the spring pin 62. Figure 10 As shown, the limiting structure 8 is used to limit and fix the chuck assembly 3 and the mounting groove 11 in the vertical direction. When the first protrusion 61 enters the mounting groove 11 through the mounting position 83, the chuck assembly 3 is rotated to move the first protrusion 61 to the bottom of the second protrusion 82 to complete the mutual fixation. Then, the angle of the chuck assembly 3 is adjusted by rotating the chuck assembly 3 to make the locking assembly 7 work. The first protrusion 61 has two ears, and the middle position of the two ears is recessed inward to form a snap-fit groove 81.
[0044] Preferably, the locking assembly 7 includes: a switch module 71, which is rotatably mounted on the expander housing 1 and has two working states: locked and unlocked; a locking part 72, with a locking block 73 at its front end and a rear end that movably abuts against the switch module 71, the locking block 73 being movably engaged in the engagement groove 81; and a spring 74, which is sleeved on the locking part 72, with its front end abutting against the locking block 73 and its rear end abutting against a baffle 12 provided inside the expander housing 1, for ensuring that the locking part 72 always has a tendency to move towards the engagement groove 81; when the switch module 71 is in the locked state, the locking part 72 cannot move and the locking block 73 is engaged in the engagement groove 81, thereby locking the clamp assembly 3 and the mounting groove 11; when the switch module 71 is in the unlocked state... When the locking part 72 is movable, the locking block 73 can enter or exit the snap-fit groove 81, thereby unlocking the clamp assembly 3 and the mounting groove 11. The switch module 71 includes: a rotating block 711, which is disposed inside the expander housing 1 and has its upper end extending out of the expander housing 1, and has a clearance opening 712 on its surface; and a switch part 713, which is disposed on the rotating block 711 and is used to control the rotation of the rotating block 711. When the switch part 713 is rotated so that the clearance opening 712 is misaligned with the locking part 72, the switch module 71 is in a locked state. When the switch part 713 is rotated so that the clearance opening 712 is aligned with the locking part 72, the rear end of the locking part 72 can enter the clearance opening 712, and the locking block 73 disengages from the snap-fit groove 81, and the switch module 71 is in a relaxed state. Figures 4-7 and Figure 10 As shown, when the clamp assembly 3 is connected to the mounting groove 11 of the expander housing 1, it needs to be fixed not only in the vertical direction but also in the circumferential direction. To prevent the clamp assembly 3 from loosening and detaching from the mounting groove 11 during expansion, the locking assembly 7 achieves a fixed connection between the clamp assembly 3 and the mounting groove 11 through a locking part 72 inserted into the snap-fit groove 81 and a switch module 71 that can abut against the locking part 72. The locking block 73 at the front end of the locking part 72 passes through the expander housing 1 and is movably snapped into the snap-fit groove 81. When the switch module 71 is in the locked state, the rear end of the locking part 72 abuts against the switch module. On the side wall of 71, it is unable to move. At this time, the locking block 73 is fixedly engaged in the locking groove 81, realizing the locking of the chuck assembly 3 and the mounting groove 11. When the switch module 71 is in the relaxed state and the chuck assembly 3 is rotated, the arc-shaped groove wall of the locking groove 81 acts on the locking block 73 to make it exit the locking groove 81. At the same time, the rear end of the locking part 72 can slide freely back and forth, realizing the unlocking of the chuck assembly 3 and the mounting groove 11. When the chuck assembly 3 is completely out of the mounting groove 11, the spring 74 pushes the locking part 72 to reset. At the same time, the locking block 73 is engaged in the edge of the expander housing 1, effectively preventing the locking part 72 from over-extending.
[0045] Preferably, the locking assembly 7 further includes: a limiting cylinder 75 disposed within the expander housing 1; a first limiting groove 76 and a second limiting groove 77 formed on the bottom surface of the rotating block 711; a limiting member 78, the lower end of which is placed within the limiting cylinder 75, and the upper end which is movably engaged within the first limiting groove 76 or the second limiting groove 77; and a third spring disposed within the limiting cylinder 75, the upper end of which abuts against the limiting member 78, thereby ensuring that the limiting member 78 always tends to move towards the rotating block 711; when the switch module 71 is in the locked state, the limiting member 78 is placed within the first limiting groove 76; when the switch module 71 is in the relaxed state, the limiting member 78 is placed within the second limiting groove 77; when the state of the switch module 71 changes, the rotating block 711 pushes the limiting member 78 out of the first limiting groove 76 or the second limiting groove 77 and compresses the third spring. Figures 4-7 and Figure 10 As shown, the switch module 71 is installed through the expander housing 1 and fixed by the internal structure of the expander housing 1. The switch module 71 can be switched between locked and unlocked states by manually controlling the switch part 713. When installing the clamp assembly 3, the switch module 71 is first adjusted to the unlocked state. At this time, the rear end of the locking part 72 can extend and retract out of the clearance opening 712. When the locking block 73 is accurately aligned with the locking groove 81, the locking part 72 is pushed out of the clearance opening 712 by the spring 74. At this time, the switch module 71 is adjusted to the locked state, and the rear end of the locking part 72 abuts against the side wall of the rotating block 711. When the locking part 72 is locked, the end of the limiting cylinder 75 is fixed inside the expander housing 1 by screws. The lower end of the spring three abuts against the bottom of the limiting cylinder 75, and the upper end abuts against the limiting member 78. The limiting member 78 is set as a ball. When the rotating switch part 713 drives the rotating block 711 to rotate, the ball moves to abut against the bottom surface of the rotating block 711. When the ball moves into the limiting groove 1 76 or the limiting groove 2 77, the ball will be pushed out by the spring three to strike the limiting groove 1 76 or the limiting groove 2 77 and make a sound, reminding the personnel that the switch module 71 is in the locked or relaxed state, which can effectively prevent the switch module 71 from loosening and displacing.
[0046] Preferably, the switch assembly 6 includes: a protrusion 61 disposed on the periphery of the clamp assembly 3; a spring pin 62, the front end of which passes through the expander housing 1 and movably abuts against the protrusion 61; a spring 63 sleeved on the spring pin 62, used to ensure that the spring pin 62 always has a tendency to move towards the protrusion 61; and a micro switch 64 disposed inside the expander housing 1, used to control the start and stop of the power assembly 4; wherein, the protrusion 61 pushes the spring pin 62 to trigger the micro switch 64, and the micro switch 64 controls the operation of the power assembly 4. 6 also includes: a switch pad 65, which is mounted on the spring pin 62 and moves with the spring pin 62; a spring piece 66, which is disposed on the micro switch 64 and used to control the operation of the micro switch 64; a first limiting block 67, which is engaged inside the expander housing 1 and used to fix the spring pin 62; a second limiting block 68, which is engaged inside the expander housing 1 and used to fix the micro switch 64; wherein, the front end of the fourth spring 63 abuts against the switch pad 65, and the rear end abuts against the second baffle 69 disposed inside the expander housing 1, and the spring piece 66 is pushed by the switch pad 65 to trigger the micro switch 64. Figure 8 and Figure 9As shown, when the clamp assembly 3 is placed in the mounting slot 11, its stable installation must be ensured before the expansion can begin. The switch assembly 6 is located inside the expander housing 1 and is fixed and limited by the baffle 69. Together, they control the start of the electric expander. The front end of the switch assembly 6 protrudes from the expander housing 1 and movably abuts against the outer wall of the clamp assembly 3 or the protrusion 61. The rotation of the clamp assembly 3 triggers the switch assembly 6. Only when the clamp assembly 3 triggers the switch assembly 6 and starts the motor will the expander assembly 2 begin the expansion operation. If the clamp assembly 3 is not placed in the mounting slot 11 or is placed in the mounting slot 11 but the switch assembly 6 is not triggered, the expander assembly 2 will not begin the expansion operation even if the motor is started. The switch assembly 6 effectively ensures the safety of the expander assembly 2 during startup and prevents accidents caused by unstable installation of the clamp assembly 3. The switch pad 65 is fitted in the middle of the spring pin 62, and the spring 63 is fitted in the lower part of the spring pin 62. Spring 63 and micro switch 64 are jointly disposed inside the expander housing 1. The spring 66 of micro switch 64 rests under the switch pad 65. When the switch pad 65 moves with spring pin 62, it triggers spring 66 to work, thereby controlling the micro switch 64 to work, and thus realizing the opening and closing of expander assembly 2. Limiting block 1 67 and limiting block 2 68 work together with expander housing 1 to limit and protect spring pin 62, spring 63 and micro switch 64. The front end of spring pin 62 protrudes from expander housing 1 and movably abuts against protrusion 1 61. The rear end of spring 4 63 abuts against baffle 2 69. Switch pad 65 protrudes and forms a switch block that mates with spring 66. The switch block and spring 66 move and abut against each other. The clamp assembly 3 needs to be manually installed in the mounting groove 11. First, the clamp assembly 3 is fixed in the vertical direction. The position where spring pin 62 abuts against the expansion tube housing 1 and protrusion 1 61 is adapted to the position where the clamp assembly 3 is snapped into the mounting groove 11. That is, when the clamp assembly 3 is stably placed in the mounting groove 11, protrusion 1 61 triggers switch assembly 6.
[0047] A control method for an electric expander, characterized by comprising the following steps:
[0048] S1. During the installation phase, a contact 53 is installed inside the transmission component 51, so that the spring 54 is compressed and the rear end of the contact 53 abuts against the contact portion 41. The front end of the contact 53 has a certain travel distance from the rear end of the transmission component 51. This is the initial working state of the travel judgment component 5.
[0049] S2. Preparation stage: Fix the pipe fitting to be expanded onto the clamp assembly 3 to prepare for pipe expansion work.
[0050] S3, during the working stage of the switch assembly 6, rotating the chuck assembly 3 causes the protrusion 61 to trigger the micro switch 64;
[0051] S4. During the working stage of locking component 7, rotate switch 713 to fix clamp component 3 in mounting slot 11, start power, and prepare for pipe expansion.
[0052] S5, during the working stage of the expander assembly 2, the power switch is turned on, the turbine 25 controls the eccentric shaft 22 to feed the expander and rotate the expander with the first power, and at the same time the contact member 53 moves with the eccentric shaft 22.
[0053] S6. During the working stage of the stroke judgment component 5, the tube is continuously expanded with the first power until the contact member 53 is separated from the contact part 41. After the contact member 53 is separated from the contact part 41, the control circuit detects this and controls the turbine 25 to control the eccentric shaft 22 to feed and rotate the tube with the second power, and runs with the second power until the tube expansion is completed.
[0054] In step S1, the stroke judgment component 5 has an initial working state and a working state. In the initial working state, the spring 54 is compressed, the rear end of the contact member 53 abuts against the contact part 41, and the front end of the contact member 53 is a certain distance away from the rear end of the transmission member 51. This distance is the judgment distance for the inner diameter of the pipe to be expanded. When the contact member 53 moves this distance, it will disengage from the contact part 41. At this time, we determine that the stroke distance is large. When expanding a pipe with a large inner diameter, this judgment distance can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the contact member 53. In this application, this judgment distance is set to 12mm. That is, after the contact member 53 moves 12mm, the expander component 2 changes from the first power to the second power.
[0055] In step S2, the pipe to be expanded is accurately installed in the clamp assembly 3, ensuring that the locking assembly 7 locks the clamp assembly 3 and the switch assembly 6 is triggered, so that the expansion can begin.
[0056] In step S3, the protrusion 61 is manually rotated to trigger the micro switch 64 at its ear. Only after the micro switch 64 is triggered can the electric expander work.
[0057] In step S4, after the protrusion 61 triggers the micro switch 64, the locking part 72 is engaged in the locking groove 81, and the control switch part 713 locks the chuck assembly 3 with the locking part 72, ensuring the stable installation of the chuck assembly 3.
[0058] In step S5, the turbine 25 provides power to expand the pipe to be expanded. When expanding a pipe with a smaller inner diameter, the stroke of the expander assembly 2 is shorter, so the expansion is completed with the first power. The contact member 53 is pressed against the contact part 41 by the action of the spring 54.
[0059] In step S6, when expanding a pipe with a large inner diameter, the expansion assembly 2 travels a large distance. After its movement exceeds the determined distance, the contact member 53 disengages from the contact part 41. At this time, the power of the turbine 25 is increased through internal signal transmission, and the expansion is performed at high power until the end.
[0060] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of this technical solution. Those skilled in the art should understand that this technical solution is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of this technical solution. Various changes and modifications can be made to this technical solution without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claimed technical solution. The scope of protection of this technical solution is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. An electric pipe expander, characterized in that, include: Expander housing (1); Expander assembly (2), which is disposed inside expander housing (1), is used to expand the pipe to be expanded; The clamp assembly (3) is disposed on the mounting groove (11) of the expander housing (1) and is used to clamp the pipe to be expanded; The power unit (4) is located inside the expander housing (1) and is used to output a first power or a second power to the expander assembly (2) to enable it to expand. The stroke determination component (5) is set on the expander assembly (2) and is used to output a power signal to the power assembly (4); A switch assembly (6) is disposed inside the expander housing (1) and is used to control the start and stop of the expander assembly (2); A locking assembly (7), which is disposed within the expander housing (1), is used to lock or release the chuck assembly (3); The expander assembly (2) drives the stroke judgment assembly (5) to move, and controls the power assembly (4) to output the corresponding power according to the motion state of the stroke judgment assembly (5); The travel determination component (5) includes: The control circuit is connected to the power assembly (4) and is provided with a contact part (41); The transmission component (51) is mounted on the expander assembly (2) and has an installation chamber (52) inside. The contact element (53) is movably engaged in the mounting chamber (52), and its rear end extends out of the transmission element (51) and movably abuts against the contact part (41); Spring 1 (54) is disposed in mounting chamber 1 (52), with its front end abutting against the expander assembly (2) and its rear end abutting against the contact member (53), so that the contact member (53) always tends to move toward the contact part (41); When the transmission member (51) pushes the expander assembly (2) to expand the tube, the spring (54) pushes the contact member (53) to move towards the contact part (41) in the opposite direction. Before the front end of the contact member (53) is engaged with the rear end of the transmission member (51), the rear end of the contact member (53) always abuts against the contact part (41). The transmission member (51) continues to push the expander assembly (2) to expand the tube, and the rear end of the contact member (53) disengages from the contact part (41). The control circuit controls the power output of the power assembly (4) by detecting whether the contact member (53) abuts against the contact part (41).
2. The electric pipe expander according to claim 1, characterized in that, The expander assembly (2) has at least: The spindle box (21) is located inside the expander housing (1): An eccentric shaft (22) is installed inside the spindle box (21) and has a second mounting chamber at its rear end; An eccentric cone (23) is located at the front end of the eccentric shaft (22); Mounting component (28) is disposed within mounting chamber two; Disc spring (29), which is sleeved outside the mounting piece (28); The transmission component (51) is movably abutted against the disc spring (29) at its front end, and the disc spring (29) pushes the eccentric shaft (22) and the eccentric cone (23) to expand the tube.
3. The electric pipe expander according to claim 2, characterized in that, The power assembly (4) has at least the following features: The battery (42) is disposed inside the expander housing (1); The linkage part (24) is located inside the spindle box (21) and sleeved on the outside of the eccentric shaft (22); The worm gear (25) is sleeved outside the linkage (24); The transmission part (26) has its upper end movably engaged in the linkage part (24) and its lower end engaged in the eccentric shaft (22); The transmission bearing (27) is located inside the spindle box (21) and is fixedly connected to the spindle box (21) on the outside and connected to the transmission component (51) on the inside by a thread. The worm gear (25) drives the linkage part (24) to rotate, and the linkage part (24) drives the eccentric shaft (22) to rotate through the transmission part (26), and causes the transmission component (51) to rotate accordingly. Through the thread action between the transmission bearing (27) and the transmission component (51), the transmission component (51) pushes the eccentric shaft (22) and the eccentric cone (23) to expand the tube.
4. The electric pipe expander according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamp assembly (3) is disposed in the mounting groove (11) by means of a limiting structure (8); The limiting structure (8) has at least the following characteristics: Several protrusions (61) are formed with snap-fit grooves (81); Several protrusions (82) are provided on the groove wall of the mounting groove (11), and mounting positions (83) are formed between adjacent protrusions (82); After the first protrusion (61) enters the mounting groove (11) along the mounting position (83), the chuck assembly (3) is rotated so that the first protrusion (61) is engaged with the lower end of the second protrusion (82). The chuck assembly (3) is rotated further so that the engaging block is engaged in the engaging groove (81) and the first protrusion (61) abuts against the spring pin (62).
5. An electric pipe expander according to claim 4, characterized in that, The locking component (7) includes: The switch module (71) is rotatably mounted on the expander housing (1) and has two working states: locked and unlocked. The locking part (72) has a locking block (73) at its front end and a movable abutment switch module (71) at its rear end. The locking block (73) is movably engaged in the slot (81). Spring 2 (74) is sleeved outside the locking part (72), with its front end abutting against the locking block (73) and its rear end abutting against the baffle 1 (12) provided inside the tube expander housing (1), so that the locking part (72) always has a tendency to move towards the snap-fit groove (81); When the switch module (71) is in the locked state, the locking part (72) cannot move and the locking block (73) is engaged in the locking groove (81), thereby locking the clamp assembly (3) and the mounting groove (11); When the switch module (71) is in the relaxed state, the locking part (72) can move to allow the locking block (73) to enter or exit the card slot (81), thereby unlocking the clamp assembly (3) and the mounting slot (11).
6. An electric pipe expander according to claim 5, characterized in that, The switching module (71) includes: Rotating block (711) is set inside the expander housing (1) and its upper end extends out of the expander housing (1), while a clearance opening (712) is provided on its surface. A switch (713) is provided on the rotating block (711) for controlling the rotation of the rotating block (711); When the switch part (713) is rotated so that the clearance opening (712) and the locking part (72) are misaligned, the switch module (71) is in a locked state; When the rotating switch part (713) is aligned with the clearance opening (712) and the locking part (72), the rear end of the locking part (72) can enter the clearance opening (712), and at the same time the locking block (73) disengages from the snap-fit groove (81), and the switch module (71) is in a relaxed state.
7. An electric pipe expander according to claim 6, characterized in that, The locking component (7) also includes: The limiting cylinder (75) is installed inside the expander housing (1); Limiting groove one (76) and limiting groove two (77) are formed on the bottom surface of the rotating block (711); The lower end of the limiting component (78) is placed inside the limiting cylinder (75), and the upper end is movably engaged in the limiting groove one (76) or the limiting groove two (77). Spring 3 is set inside the limiting cylinder (75), with its upper end abutting against the limiting member (78), so that the limiting member (78) always has a tendency to move towards the rotating block (711); When the switch module (71) is in the locked state, the limit member (78) is placed in the limit groove (76); When the switch module (71) is in the relaxed state, the limiting member (78) is placed in the limiting groove (77); When the state of the switch module (71) changes, the rotating block (711) pushes the limiting member (78) out of the limiting groove one (76) or the limiting groove two (77) and compresses the spring three.
8. An electric pipe expander according to claim 1, characterized in that, The switching assembly (6) includes: A protrusion (61) is provided on the periphery of the chuck assembly (3); The spring pin (62) passes through the expander housing (1) and moves to abut against the protrusion (61); Spring 4 (63) is sleeved outside spring pin (62) to make spring pin (62) always tend to move in the direction of protrusion 1 (61); A micro switch (64) is installed inside the expander housing (1) to control the start and stop of the power assembly (4); The protrusion (61) pushes the spring pin (62) to trigger the micro switch (64), and then the micro switch (64) controls the power component (4) to work.
9. An electric pipe expander according to claim 8, characterized in that, The switching assembly (6) Also includes: A switch pad (65) is mounted on a spring pin (62) and moves with the spring pin (62). A spring (66) is provided on the micro switch (64) and is used to control the operation of the micro switch (64); Limiting block 1 (67) is snapped into the housing (1) of the expander and is used to fix the spring pin (62); Limiting block 2 (68) is snapped into the housing (1) of the expander and is used to fix the micro switch (64); The front end of the spring four (63) abuts against the switch pad (65), and the rear end abuts against the baffle two (69) provided inside the tube expander housing (1). The spring piece (66) is pushed by the switch pad (65) to trigger the micro switch (64).
10. A control method applicable to the electric expander according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. During the installation phase, a contact (53) is installed inside the transmission component (51), so that the spring (54) is compressed and the rear end of the contact (53) abuts against the contact part (41). The front end of the contact (53) has a certain travel distance from the rear end of the transmission component (51). This is the initial working state of the travel judgment component (5). S2. Preparation stage: Fix the pipe fitting to be expanded on the clamp assembly (3) to prepare for pipe expansion work; S3, During the working stage of the switch assembly (6), the chuck assembly (3) is rotated so that the protrusion (61) triggers the micro switch (64); S4. During the working stage of the locking component (7), rotate the switch part (713) to fix the clamp component (3) in the mounting groove (11), start the power supply, and prepare for pipe expansion; S5. During the working stage of the expander assembly (2), the power switch is turned on, and the worm gear (25) controls the eccentric shaft (22) to feed and rotate the expander with the first power. At the same time, the contact (53) moves with the eccentric shaft (22). S6. During the working stage of the stroke judgment component (5), the tube is continuously expanded with the first power until the contact (53) is separated from the contact part (41). After the contact (53) is separated from the contact part (41), the control circuit detects it and controls the worm gear (25) to control the eccentric shaft (22) to feed the tube and rotate the tube with the second power, and runs with the second power until the tube expansion is completed.