Glass tube forming apparatus and forming method thereof

Abstract

The application provides a glass tube forming device and a forming method thereof, which comprises a jig, the jig is detachably installed with a mandrel and a glass tube, and a vacuum channel is arranged between the glass tube and the mandrel; a lifting heating device, the lifting heating device is provided with a first lifting mechanism and a heating device, the first lifting mechanism is used for driving the heating device to move along the axial direction of the glass tube and cover the glass tube; a lifting material taking mechanism, the lifting material taking mechanism is provided with a second lifting mechanism, a gripper and a cooling mechanism, the second lifting mechanism is used for driving the gripper to move along the axial direction of the glass tube and transfer the glass tube, and the cooling mechanism is used for cooling the formed glass tube. The glass tube is locally heated to change into a plastic state, then the softened glass tube is adsorbed and attached to the mandrel with a specific shape through negative pressure, and then the glass tube with a non-standard specific shape is formed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to glass tube processing, and more specifically to a glass tube forming apparatus and its forming method. Background Technology

[0002] Glass test tubes, as common glassware, play an indispensable role in laboratories. They are usually made of high-quality glass, possessing excellent heat resistance and chemical stability, and are commonly used equipment in various scientific and biological experiments.

[0003] Glass test tubes have a wide range of applications. In chemical experiments, they are used to observe and record various chemical reactions. In biological experiments, glass test tubes are used to culture biological samples such as cells, bacteria, and viruses. Furthermore, glass test tubes can be used for water quality testing, gas analysis, and as instruments for other specialized experiments.

[0004] In the laboratory, there are strict requirements for the quality and specifications of glass test tubes. Figure 1 The most common type of glass test tube is the straight cylindrical glass tube, with smooth and regular arc surfaces on both its inner and outer walls. However, in some fields, the requirements for the shape of the inner wall of the glass test tube have changed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a fully automated glass tube forming device. This device involves inverting a standard cylindrical glass tube onto a mandrel with a specially shaped outer contour, heating the glass tube to transform it into a plastic state, and then using a vacuum process to bring the inner wall of the glass tube into contact with the mandrel, ultimately forming the desired non-standard glass test tube. The specific solution is as follows:

[0006] A glass tube forming apparatus, the glass tube forming apparatus comprising:

[0007] A fixture, wherein a mandrel and a glass tube are detachably mounted on the fixture, the glass tube is upside down over the mandrel, the fixture is provided with a vacuum channel, and a gap is left between the glass tube and the mandrel to communicate with the vacuum channel;

[0008] A lifting heating device, wherein the lifting heating device is provided with a first lifting mechanism and a heating device installed on the first lifting mechanism, the first lifting mechanism being used to drive the heating device to move along the axial direction of the glass tube and cover the outside of the glass tube;

[0009] The lifting and material handling mechanism includes a second lifting mechanism, a gripper and a cooling mechanism mounted on the second lifting mechanism. The second lifting mechanism is used to drive the gripper to move along the axial direction of the glass tube and transfer the glass tube, and to drive the cooling mechanism to cool the formed glass tube.

[0010] Furthermore, the glass tube forming device includes a turntable, which has a first station and a second station arranged sequentially in the rotation direction, and the lifting heating device and the lifting material picking mechanism are respectively located directly above the first station and the second station.

[0011] The turntable is equipped with two sets of fixtures in the rotation direction, with at least one fixture in each set. A rotation drive mechanism is connected to the turntable's shaft, which drives the turntable to rotate, so that the two sets of fixtures sequentially pass through the first workstation and the second workstation.

[0012] Furthermore, the fixture includes a mandrel mounting post and an external cooling post;

[0013] The mandrel mounting post is a hollow column, the bottom opening of the mandrel is connected to the vacuum pumping device, and the bottom of the mandrel is connected to the top opening of the mandrel mounting post by a thread.

[0014] The external cooling column is a hollow column that is sealed and fitted on the outer diameter of the mandrel mounting column. The top of the mandrel mounting column is located in the central hole of the external cooling column. The mandrel mounting column is provided with a through hole for connecting the central hole of the mandrel mounting column and the central hole of the external cooling column. The through hole, the central hole of the mandrel mounting column, and the central hole of the external cooling column constitute the vacuum channel.

[0015] The external cooling column has a cooling channel inside, and the two ends of the cooling channel have liquid inlets and outlets opened on the outer surface of the external cooling column. The liquid inlets and outlets are connected to a liquid-cooled radiator through coolant pipes.

[0016] A clamping nut is threaded to the top of the external cooling column, and a sealing structure is provided between the clamping nut and the top of the external cooling column. The glass tube that is upside down on the mandrel is clamped and fixed by the clamping nut.

[0017] Furthermore, the cooling channels of the multiple external cooling columns are connected in series via adapters.

[0018] Furthermore, the cooling channel includes an annular flow channel surrounding the central hole at the top of the external cooling column, and vertical flow channels that communicate with both sides of the annular flow channel and extend downward, with the vertical flow channels on both sides respectively connected to the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet.

[0019] Furthermore, a sealing ring is provided between the outer diameter of the mandrel mounting post and the inner wall of the central hole of the outer cooling post, and the mandrel mounting post is fixed with an outwardly extending fixing seat, which is fixedly connected to the bottom of the outer cooling post by screws.

[0020] Furthermore, the first lifting mechanism includes a first lifting guide rail and a first servo driver. A heating platform is slidably mounted on the first lifting guide rail, and the heating device is fixedly mounted on the heating platform. The first servo driver is used to drive the heating platform to slide back and forth on the first lifting guide rail.

[0021] The heating device is provided with at least one muffle furnace heating hood located directly above the fixture, and an insulating shell is provided outside the muffle furnace heating hood.

[0022] Furthermore, the second lifting mechanism includes a second lifting guide rail and a second servo driver. A material picking platform is slidably mounted on the second lifting guide rail. The gripper and the cooling mechanism are fixedly mounted on the material picking platform. The second servo driver is used to drive the material picking platform to slide back and forth on the second lifting guide rail.

[0023] The gripper includes a flexible clamping block and a clamping block actuator for driving the flexible clamping block to open and close.

[0024] The cooling mechanism includes a plurality of downwardly extending air pipes distributed around the gripper, with the air outlets at the ends of the air pipes converging towards the center.

[0025] A glass tube forming method based on the above-mentioned glass tube forming apparatus, the method comprising the following steps:

[0026] Insert the mandrel and glass tube into the fixture in sequence;

[0027] The first lifting mechanism drives the lowering heating device to move and cover the glass tube. The heating device is activated to locally heat the glass tube to shape it. Negative pressure is provided through the vacuum channel to make the inner wall of the glass tube fit with the mandrel, so that the glass tube is formed.

[0028] The lifting and heating device is removed, and the second lifting mechanism drives the cooling mechanism to move in a cycle to cool the glass tube. After cooling is completed, the gripper removes the glass tube from the glass fixture.

[0029] Furthermore, after the glass tube is formed, the mandrel, glass tube, and fixture are cooled using the cooling channels inside the fixture.

[0030] The advantages of this invention are:

[0031] 1) By locally heating a glass tube to make it malleable, and then using negative pressure to adhere the softened glass tube to a mandrel of a specific shape, non-standard glass tubes can be formed. This process utilizes the principle of thermoplasticity, heating the glass tube to a certain temperature to make it soft and malleable. At this point, a negative pressure device tightly adheres the softened glass tube to a mandrel of a specific shape. After cooling and setting, a glass tube with a non-standard shape is obtained. This method has the advantages of simple operation and high forming accuracy, and is suitable for forming various non-standard glass tubes.

[0032] 2) A rotary multi-station glass tube forming device is provided. After the glass tube is softened and shaped by a lifting and heating device, the rotary table drives the fixture to the next station. A lifting and unloading mechanism then cools the glass tube before removing it, greatly improving production efficiency. This device uses a rotary table design and can process glass tube forming at multiple stations simultaneously. At the first station, the glass tube is heated and softened by the lifting and heating device, and then shaped by the forming mold. The rotary table then drives the fixture to the next station. Next, the lifting and unloading mechanism at the second station cools the glass tube and finally removes the formed glass tube. This design greatly improves production efficiency, reduces production costs, and shortens the production cycle.

[0033] 3) Replaceable mandrels: Different shaped mandrels can be used to form glass tubes with varying inner contours, meeting diverse customer needs. Simply replacing the mandrel allows for the adaptation to different glass tube shapes. This flexibility enables the provision of efficient and precise solutions for different customers and products. Attached Figure Description

[0034] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a commonly used straight-cylinder glass test tube;

[0036] Figure 2 A perspective view of a glass tube forming apparatus provided by the present invention;

[0037] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of a single fixture;

[0038] Figure 4The mandrel is mounted on the fixture, and the cross-sectional view after stripping is shown.

[0039] Figure 5 A diagram showing the shape of the cooling channels within a single fixture;

[0040] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a fixture with two workstations mounted on a turntable;

[0041] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting and heating device;

[0042] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting and material handling mechanism;

[0043] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the gripper and cooling mechanism for the material handling and retrieving mechanism;

[0044] Figure 10 This is a side view of a glass tube forming apparatus according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0045] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can be practiced without one or more of these details. In other instances, certain technical features well-known in the art have not been described in order to avoid obscuring the invention.

[0046] To fully understand this invention, detailed steps and structures will be presented in the following description to illustrate the technical solution of this invention. Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in detail below; however, in addition to these detailed descriptions, the invention may have other embodiments.

[0047] Reference Figure 2 As shown, the present invention provides a glass tube forming apparatus, which includes a fixture 100, a lifting and heating device 200, and a lifting and material handling mechanism 300.

[0048] Jig 100

[0049] like Figure 2 and Figure 6As shown, two sets of fixtures 100 are sequentially installed in the rotation direction of a turntable 400, with five fixtures in each set. The turntable 400 is divided into a first station 410 and a second station 420 in the rotation direction. A rotation drive mechanism 401 is connected to the rotation shaft of the turntable 400. The rotation drive mechanism 401 drives the turntable 400 to rotate, so that the two sets of fixtures 100 sequentially pass through the first station 410 and the second station 420. The lifting heating device 200 directly above the first station 410 heats and shapes the glass tube, and the lifting material picking mechanism 300 directly above the second station 420 removes the shaped glass tube.

[0050] Figure 3 and Figure 4 The diagram shown is a structural diagram of fixture 100. Among them, Figure 3 (a) and (b) are the outline drawings of jig 100. Figure 3 (c) is the AA section view of (a). Figure 3 (d) is a cross-sectional view of (a). Each fixture 100 includes a mandrel mounting post 110 and an external cooling post 120, which are used to mount the mandrel 1 and the glass tube 2, respectively. Both the mandrel mounting post 110 and the external cooling post 120 are hollow columns.

[0051] The bottom opening of the mandrel 1 is connected to the vacuum pumping device, and the bottom of the mandrel 1 is connected to the top opening of the mandrel mounting post 110 by a thread.

[0052] The external cooling column 120 is sealed and fitted onto the outer diameter of the mandrel mounting column 110, with the top of the mandrel mounting column 110 located within the central hole of the external cooling column 120. The mandrel mounting column 110 has a through hole 112 for connecting the central hole of the mandrel mounting column and the central hole of the external cooling column. The gap between the bottom edge of the glass tube 2 and the mandrel 1 is connected to the central hole of the external cooling column 120, forming a negative pressure channel.

[0053] A clamping nut 130 is threaded to the top of the external cooling column 120. A sealing structure 131 is provided between the clamping nut 130 and the top of the external cooling column 120. The glass tube 2, which is upside down on the core rod 1, is clamped and fixed by rotating the clamping nut 130, and the sealing structure 131 keeps it sealed to prevent air leakage in the negative pressure channel.

[0054] A clamping nut 130 is located at the top of the external cooling column 120. This clamping nut 130 not only provides a stable and reliable fixation for the glass tube 2, but also forms an effective sealing structure 131 between itself and the external cooling column 120. The sealing structure 131 can not only clamp and fix the glass tube 2, which is inverted on the mandrel 1, by rotating the clamping nut 130, but also maintain a sealed state, preventing air leakage in the negative pressure channel. This allows the entire device to maintain stable performance even under extreme environments such as high precision, high strength, and high pressure.

[0055] A cooling channel 121 is provided inside the external cooling column 120. Coolant flows through the cooling channel 121 to cool the glass tube 2, mandrel 1, and fixture 100, improving the lifespan of the parts while preventing burns. Figure 5 As shown, the cooling channel 121 includes an annular flow channel 121-1 surrounding the central hole at the top of the outer cooling column 120, and vertical flow channels 121-2 extending downwards and communicating with both sides of the annular flow channel, increasing the coverage area of ​​the heat dissipation channel. The two vertical flow channels 121-2 are connected to an inlet and an outlet on the outer surface of the outer cooling column 120. The cooling channels 121 of adjacent outer cooling columns 120 are connected via adapters 122 (e.g., ...). Figure 10 The components are connected in series, and the external liquid coolant is provided by an external liquid cooler to cool the external cooling column 120.

[0056] A sealing ring 113 is provided between the outer diameter of the mandrel mounting post 110 and the inner wall of the center hole of the outer cooling post 120. The mandrel mounting post 110 is fixed with an outwardly extending fixing seat 114, which is fixedly connected to the bottom of the outer cooling post 120 by screws.

[0057] The installation process is as follows: First, the mandrel 1 is passed through the external cooling column 120 and tightened to the top of the mandrel mounting column 110. Then, the glass tube 2 is passed through the clamping nut 130 and upside down on the mandrel 1. Then, the clamping nut 130 is tightened to keep the glass tube 2 fixed.

[0058] Lifting heating device 200

[0059] The lifting heating device 200 is located directly above the first station 410. The lifting heating device 200 is provided with a first lifting mechanism 210 and a heating device 220 installed on the first lifting mechanism 210. The first lifting mechanism 210 is used to drive the heating device 220 to move along the axial direction of the glass tube 2 and cover the outside of the glass tube 2.

[0060] The first lifting mechanism 210 includes a first lifting guide rail 211 and a first servo driver. A heating platform 213 is slidably mounted on the first lifting guide rail 211. A heating device 220 is fixedly mounted on the heating platform 213. The first servo driver is used to drive the heating platform 213 to slide back and forth on the first lifting guide rail 211. The heating device 220 is provided with at least one muffle furnace heating cover located directly above the fixture 100. A heat insulation shell is provided outside the muffle furnace heating cover.

[0061] Lifting and unloading mechanism 300

[0062] The lifting and picking mechanism 300 is provided with a second lifting mechanism 310, a gripper 320 and a cooling mechanism 330 installed on the second lifting mechanism 310. The second lifting mechanism 310 is used to drive the gripper 320 to move along the axial direction of the glass tube 2 and transfer the glass tube 2, and to drive the cooling mechanism 330 to cool the formed glass tube 2.

[0063] The second lifting mechanism 310 includes a second lifting guide rail 311 and a second servo driver 312. A material handling platform 313 is slidably mounted on the second lifting guide rail 311. A gripper 320 and a cooling mechanism 330 are fixedly mounted on the material handling platform 313. The second servo driver 312 drives the material handling platform 313 to reciprocate on the second lifting guide rail 311. The gripper 320 includes a flexible clamping block and a clamping block driver for driving the flexible clamping block to open and close. The cooling mechanism 330 includes a plurality of downwardly extending air pipes 331 distributed around the gripper 320, with the air outlets at the ends of the air pipes 331 converging towards the center.

[0064] The working process of this invention is as follows:

[0065] 1) First, pass the mandrel 1 through the external cooling column 120 and tighten it to fix it on the top of the mandrel mounting column 110. Then, pass the glass tube 2 through the clamping nut 130 and invert it on the mandrel 1. Tighten the clamping nut 130 to keep the glass tube 2 fixed.

[0066] 2) The first lifting mechanism 210 drives the lowering heating device 220 to move downward and cover the glass tube 2. The heating device 220 is started to heat the upper part of the glass tube 2 to soften it into a malleable state. The vacuum device is started. The vacuum device extracts the air between the glass tube 2 and the core rod 1 through the center hole of the core rod mounting column 110, the through hole 112, and the center hole of the outer cooling column 120. Under the action of negative pressure, the inner wall of the glass tube 2 is made to fit with the core rod 1.

[0067] 3) After the glass tube 2 is formed, the heating ends. The first lifting mechanism 210 drives the lowering heating device 220 to move upward. After the pressure holding is completed, the cooling system in the fixture 100 is started. The coolant flows in the outer cooling column 120 to cool the mandrel 1, glass tube 2 and fixture 100.

[0068] 4) The turntable rotates 180°, causing the fixture 100 with the formed glass tube on the first station to be transferred to the second station.

[0069] 5) The second lifting mechanism 310 drives the cooling mechanism 330 to move up and down in a cyclical manner. The gas blown out by the air blowing pipe 331 cools the glass tube 2 and the fixture 100. During the air blowing cooling process, the gripper 320 is in an open state to avoid interference with the glass tube 2. After cooling is completed, the clamping nut 130 is loosened, and the second lifting mechanism 310 drives the gripper 320 to descend so that it passes through the glass tube 2. Then the gripper 320 closes to clamp the glass tube 2, and the second lifting mechanism 310 rises again to transfer the formed and cooled glass tube 2 away.

[0070] It is important to emphasize that the coolant within the external cooling column 120 is stationary during the heating phase; that is, the coolant does not flow during this specific time period. However, at other times, the coolant maintains continuous flow to ensure effective system temperature control. This design is for cooling purposes, preventing the mandrel 1, glass tube 2, and fixture 100 from overheating and causing burns during transfer, thereby ensuring the stability and reliability of the system.

[0071] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and the devices and structures not described in detail should be understood as being implemented in a conventional manner in the art. Any person skilled in the art can make many possible variations and modifications to the technical solutions of the present invention using the methods and techniques disclosed above, or modify them into equivalent embodiments with equivalent changes, without departing from the scope of the present invention. This does not affect the essential content of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the present invention's technical solutions still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A glass tube forming apparatus, characterized in that, The glass tube forming apparatus includes: A fixture (100) is detachably fitted with a mandrel (1) and a glass tube (2). The glass tube (2) is upside down over the mandrel (1). The fixture (100) is provided with a vacuum channel. A gap is left between the glass tube (2) and the mandrel (1) to communicate with the vacuum channel. A lifting heating device (200) is provided with a first lifting mechanism (210) and a heating device (220) installed on the first lifting mechanism (210). The first lifting mechanism (210) is used to drive the heating device (220) to move along the axial direction of the glass tube (2) and cover the outside of the glass tube (2). The lifting and picking mechanism (300) is provided with a second lifting mechanism (310), a gripper (320) and a cooling mechanism (330) installed on the second lifting mechanism (310). The second lifting mechanism (310) is used to drive the cooling mechanism (330) to cool the formed glass tube (2) and to drive the gripper (320) to move along the axial direction of the glass tube (2) and transfer the glass tube (2). The glass tube forming apparatus includes a turntable (400), on which two sets of fixtures (100) are mounted in the rotation direction. The fixture (100) includes a mandrel mounting post (110) and an external cooling post (120). The mandrel mounting post (110) is a hollow column. The bottom opening of the mandrel (1) is connected to the vacuum pumping device. The bottom of the mandrel (1) is connected to the top opening of the mandrel mounting post (110) by a thread. The external cooling column (120) is a hollow column that is sealed and fitted on the outer diameter of the mandrel mounting column (110). The top of the mandrel mounting column (110) is located in the central hole of the external cooling column (120). The mandrel mounting column (110) is provided with a through hole (112) for connecting the central hole of the mandrel mounting column and the central hole of the external cooling column. The through hole (112) and the central holes of the mandrel mounting column (110) and the external cooling column (120) constitute the vacuum channel. The external cooling column (120) is provided with a cooling channel (121) inside. The cooling channel (121) has a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet at both ends on the outer surface of the external cooling column (120). The liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are connected to the liquid cooler through a coolant pipe. A clamping nut (130) is threaded to the top of the external cooling column (120). A sealing structure (131) is provided between the clamping nut (130) and the top of the external cooling column (120). The glass tube (2) that is upside down on the core rod (1) is clamped and fixed by the clamping nut (130).

2. The glass tube forming apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The turntable (400) is provided with a first station (410) and a second station (420) in the rotation direction. The lifting heating device (200) and the lifting material picking mechanism (300) are respectively located directly above the first station (410) and the second station (420). The number of each set of fixtures (100) is at least one. The rotating shaft of the turntable (400) is connected to a rotation drive mechanism (401). The rotation drive mechanism (401) drives the turntable (400) to rotate, so that the two sets of fixtures (100) pass through the first station (410) and the second station (420) in sequence.

3. The glass tube forming apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling channels (121) of the multiple external cooling columns (120) are connected in series via adapters.

4. The glass tube forming apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling channel (121) includes an annular flow channel (121-1) surrounding the central hole at the top of the outer cooling column (120), and vertical flow channels (121-2) that communicate with both sides of the annular flow channel (121-1) and extend downward, with the vertical flow channels (121-2) on both sides connected to the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet, respectively.

5. The glass tube forming apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A sealing ring (113) is provided between the outer diameter of the mandrel mounting post (110) and the inner wall of the center hole of the outer cooling post (120). The mandrel mounting post (110) is fixed with an outwardly extending fixing seat (114), and the fixing seat (114) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the outer cooling post (120) by screws.

6. The glass tube forming apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first lifting mechanism (210) includes a first lifting guide rail (211) and a first servo driver. A heating platform (213) is slidably mounted on the first lifting guide rail (211). The heating device (220) is fixedly mounted on the heating platform (213). The first servo driver is used to drive the heating platform (213) to slide back and forth on the first lifting guide rail (211). The heating device (220) is provided with at least one muffle furnace heating cover located directly above the fixture (100), and an insulating shell is provided outside the muffle furnace heating cover.

7. The glass tube forming apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The second lifting mechanism (310) includes a second lifting guide rail (311) and a second servo driver (312). A material picking platform (313) is slidably mounted on the second lifting guide rail (311). The gripper (320) and the cooling mechanism (330) are fixedly mounted on the material picking platform (313). The second servo driver (312) is used to drive the material picking platform (313) to slide back and forth on the second lifting guide rail (311). The gripper (320) includes a flexible clamp and a clamp driver for driving the flexible clamp to open and close; The cooling mechanism (330) includes a plurality of downwardly extending air pipes (331) distributed around the gripper (320), with the air outlets at the ends of the air pipes (331) converging toward the center.

8. A glass tube forming method based on the glass tube forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The method steps include: Insert the mandrel (1) and glass tube (2) into the fixture (100) in sequence; The first lifting mechanism (210) drives the lowering heating device (220) to move and cover the glass tube (2). The heating device (220) is activated to locally heat the glass tube (2) to shape it. The vacuum channel provides negative pressure so that the inner wall of the glass tube (2) fits with the mandrel (1) to form the glass tube (2). The lifting heating device (200) is removed, and the second lifting mechanism (310) drives the cooling mechanism (330) to move in a cycle to cool the glass tube (2). After cooling is completed, the gripper (320) removes the glass tube (2) from the fixture (100).

9. The glass tube forming method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, After the glass tube (2) is formed, the mandrel (1), glass tube (2) and fixture (100) are cooled by the cooling channel inside the fixture (100).

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