A stress-free clamp combined with a vacuum chuck and a freeze chuck

Abstract

This invention discloses a stress-free clamp combining a vacuum suction cup and a freezing suction cup, comprising: a freezing suction cup assembly for freezing and bonding a workpiece thereon; and a vacuum suction cup assembly embedded within the freezing suction cup assembly for vacuum adsorption of the workpiece. In use, the workpiece is placed on the freezing suction cup assembly, the vacuum suction cup assembly operates, and the workpiece is vacuum-adsorbed to initially position and clamp it, preventing displacement due to external interference. Then, the freezing suction cup assembly freezes and bonds the workpiece in place. Therefore, this clamp, combining the synergistic work of the vacuum suction cup assembly and the freezing suction cup assembly, can accurately clamp and fix the workpiece, ensuring workpiece machining accuracy. Furthermore, the vacuum adsorption and freezing bonding achieve stress-free fixation of the workpiece, reducing mechanical stress applied to the workpiece during clamping and effectively preventing workpiece deformation, damage, or internal stress.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of clamping technology, and more specifically to a stress-free clamping device that combines a vacuum chuck and a freezing chuck. This clamping device is designed to work in low-temperature environments and is particularly suitable for fixing temperature-sensitive, thin-walled, non-magnetic workpieces, so as to facilitate high-precision processing and machining of the workpieces. Background Technology

[0002] In modern manufacturing and processing, the handling of thin-walled, non-magnetic material workpieces is becoming increasingly common. These materials are typically used in high-precision industries such as optics, microelectronics, and precision machinery. Traditional fixtures often apply mechanical pressure to the workpiece, which can easily cause deformation or internal stress, leading to workpiece deformation and loss of precision. Furthermore, for thin-walled material workpieces, fixture clamping may result in scratches or damage to the workpiece surface.

[0003] Against this backdrop, vacuum chucks and cryogenic chucks have emerged. Vacuum chucks provide reliable adhesion for thin-walled, non-magnetic workpieces; while ice is a strong adhesive that can bond almost any material, including rigid materials (metals, plastics, ceramics, graphite, etc.) and flexible materials (rubber, etc.). Utilizing this property of ice to bond and fix workpieces allows for simple, accurate, and stress-free clamping machining, improving workpiece machining accuracy and efficiency.

[0004] However, vacuum fixtures face challenges in maintaining airtightness during prolonged processing, leading to a decrease in adsorption force. For very small parts, vacuum fixtures may not provide sufficient adsorption force, resulting in insecure clamping. Furthermore, they require a high degree of surface flatness; uneven or bumpy surfaces can negatively impact adsorption. Cryogenic fixtures, on the other hand, typically lack pre-clamping functionality. This means that the workpiece is not initially positioned and clamped before being clamped, and the time required to reach low-temperature operating conditions can cause displacement of the workpiece before it is frozen and bonded, affecting the fixture's positioning and clamping accuracy and ultimately reducing machining precision.

[0005] Therefore, how to provide a stress-free clamping fixture that combines vacuum suction cups and freezing suction cups, which can accurately clamp the workpiece, ensure the machining accuracy of the workpiece, achieve stress-free clamping of the workpiece, reduce the mechanical stress applied to the workpiece during the clamping process, and effectively prevent the workpiece from deforming, being damaged, or causing internal stress, is a problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention provides a stress-free clamping fixture that combines a vacuum suction cup and a freezing suction cup, which can accurately clamp the workpiece, ensure the machining accuracy of the workpiece, achieve stress-free clamping of the workpiece, reduce the mechanical stress applied to the workpiece during the clamping process, and effectively prevent the workpiece from deforming, being damaged or causing internal stress.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] A stress-free clamp combining a vacuum suction cup and a freezing suction cup, comprising:

[0009] A freezing suction cup assembly, wherein the freezing suction cup assembly is used to freeze a workpiece bonded thereto;

[0010] A vacuum suction cup assembly is embedded within the frozen suction cup assembly and is used for vacuum adsorption of the workpiece.

[0011] As can be seen from the above technical solution, compared with the prior art, the present invention discloses a stress-free clamping fixture that combines a vacuum suction cup and a freezing suction cup. In use, a certain amount of water is first sprayed onto the freezing suction cup assembly, then the workpiece is placed on the freezing suction cup assembly. The vacuum suction cup assembly operates, vacuum-adsorbing the workpiece for initial positioning and clamping. Then, the freezing suction cup assembly freezes and bonds the workpiece in place. Therefore, this clamping fixture, through the synergistic work of the vacuum suction cup assembly and the freezing suction cup assembly, pre-fixes the workpiece using vacuum adsorption before freezing and bonding, preventing displacement due to external interference. Finally, freezing and bonding fixes the workpiece, thus accurately clamping and fixing it, ensuring workpiece processing accuracy. Furthermore, vacuum adsorption and freezing bonding achieve stress-free fixation of the workpiece, reducing mechanical stress applied to the workpiece during clamping and effectively preventing workpiece deformation, damage, or internal stress problems.

[0012] Furthermore, the frozen suction cup assembly includes:

[0013] A water-cooled plate, wherein multiple water-cooled heat dissipation blocks are fixed on the top surface of the water-cooled plate, and the water-cooled heat dissipation blocks have inlet and outlet water ports that are connected to an external circulating water chiller. The interior of the water-cooled heat dissipation blocks has serpentine water channels that are connected to the inlet and outlet water ports. A first through hole is provided on the water-cooled plate, and multiple support spacers are evenly screwed to the outer edge of the top of the water-cooled plate.

[0014] A freezing plate is located above a water-cooled plate. Multiple semiconductor cooling blocks are fixed to the bottom surface of the freezing plate. The multiple semiconductor cooling blocks are arranged in a corresponding manner with the multiple water-cooled heat dissipation blocks and are fitted together. A second through hole is opened on the freezing plate. The top of the vacuum suction cup assembly is embedded in the second through hole, and the bottom of the vacuum suction cup assembly passes through the first through hole.

[0015] Support columns, wherein there are multiple support columns, which are evenly distributed at the bottom outer edge of the water-cooling plate;

[0016] The first connecting screw, which is multiple, passes through the freezing plate, the support spacer and is screwed to the top of the support column.

[0017] The beneficial effects of adopting the above technical solution are as follows: In use, a certain amount of water is first sprayed onto the top surface of the freezing plate. Then, the workpiece is placed on the freezing plate. After the vacuum suction cup assembly vacuum-adsorbs the workpiece, the semiconductor cooling block is energized for cooling. During the cooling process, the heat generated by the semiconductor cooling block is transferred to the water-cooled heat sink for rapid heat dissipation, causing the water on the top surface of the freezing plate to cool rapidly and freeze the workpiece on it, thus bonding the workpiece to the fixture. Furthermore, the height and level of the fixture can be adjusted by rotating the support column forward or backward, ensuring the accuracy of workpiece processing.

[0018] Furthermore, the top surface of the water-cooled plate is provided with multiple water-cooled placement slots, and the bottom of each water-cooled heat sink is attached to the bottom surface of the corresponding water-cooled placement slot with thermally conductive silicone grease.

[0019] The beneficial effects of adopting the above technical solution are: thermal grease can improve the heat dissipation efficiency between the water-cooled heat sink and the water-cooling plate, enabling the water-cooled heat sink to dissipate heat quickly.

[0020] Furthermore, multiple semiconductor placement slots are formed on the bottom surface of the freezing sheet, and each semiconductor cooling block is attached to the bottom surface of the corresponding semiconductor placement slot by thermally conductive silicone grease.

[0021] The beneficial effects of adopting the above technical solution are: thermal grease can improve the cooling efficiency between the semiconductor cooling block and the freezing plate, enabling the freezing plate to cool down quickly.

[0022] Furthermore, the second through hole has an overlapping flange on its wall, and the top of the vacuum suction cup assembly has an overlapping edge, which overlaps the overlapping flange.

[0023] The beneficial effect of adopting the above technical solution is that it facilitates the quick assembly and disassembly of the vacuum suction cup assembly.

[0024] Furthermore, the vacuum suction cup assembly includes:

[0025] The lower base has an air extraction groove at its top, and an air extraction port connected to a vacuum generator or vacuum pump is opened at the bottom of the air extraction groove.

[0026] The upper adsorption seat has an overlapping protrusion on its top wall. The bottom end of the upper adsorption seat is connected to the top end of the lower base by a second connecting screw. The upper adsorption seat has multiple vacuum chambers and connecting channels inside. The top end of the vacuum chamber is a vacuum adsorption port for vacuum adsorbing the workpiece. The bottom end of the vacuum chamber is connected to the air extraction groove through the connecting channel.

[0027] The beneficial effects of adopting the above technical solution are: during vacuum adsorption, the vacuum generator or vacuum pump evacuates the vacuum chamber through the air extraction port, and then the vacuum adsorption port performs vacuum adsorption clamping on the workpiece.

[0028] Furthermore, each of the vacuum chambers is equipped with a one-way piston valve for allowing air to flow unidirectionally from the vacuum adsorption port to the air extraction slot.

[0029] The beneficial effect of adopting the above technical solution is that when there is air leakage between a vacuum chamber and the workpiece, the outside air can only flow unidirectionally from the vacuum adsorption port of the vacuum chamber to the air extraction tank, while the air in the air extraction tank cannot enter the other vacuum chambers upwards, causing the adsorption of the other vacuum chambers to fail, thereby ensuring the effect of vacuum adsorption of the workpiece.

[0030] Furthermore, it also includes a filter screen placed on the top surface of the one-way piston valve for filtering air impurities.

[0031] The beneficial effect of adopting the above technical solution is to prevent external impurities from entering the air holes of the one-way piston valve and clogging the one-way piston valve.

[0032] Furthermore, it also includes a first sealing ring embedded in the vacuum adsorption port, the first sealing ring being in sealing contact with the bottom end face of the workpiece.

[0033] The beneficial effects of adopting the above technical solution are: the first sealing ring ensures the airtightness of the vacuum adsorption port in contact with the workpiece, preventing outside air from entering and affecting the vacuum adsorption effect.

[0034] Furthermore, a second sealing ring is fitted on the outer wall of the one-way piston valve, which is in sealing contact with the inner wall of the vacuum chamber, and a third sealing ring is pressed between the top end of the lower base and the bottom end of the upper adsorption seat, the third sealing ring being embedded in the mounting groove on the lower base.

[0035] The beneficial effects of adopting the above technical solution are: the second sealing ring can ensure the sealing between the one-way piston valve and the vacuum chamber, avoiding air leakage that would affect the vacuum adsorption effect; the third sealing ring can ensure the airtightness of the pumping groove, avoiding air leakage that would affect the vacuuming efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0036] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, 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 embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0037] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the axial structure of a stress-free clamp that combines a vacuum suction cup and a freezing suction cup, provided by the present invention.

[0038] Figure 2 This is a front view schematic diagram of a stress-free clamp that combines a vacuum suction cup and a freezing suction cup, provided by the present invention.

[0039] Figure 3 This is a partially exploded structural diagram of the workpiece, the vacuum suction cup assembly, and the freezing suction cup assembly.

[0040] Figure 4 This is a first-person view of the exploded structure of the frozen suction cup assembly.

[0041] Figure 5 This is a second-view schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the frozen suction cup assembly.

[0042] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the water-cooling plate and the water-cooling heat sink.

[0043] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the exploded structure of a cryostat and a semiconductor refrigeration chip.

[0044] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the axial structure of the vacuum suction cup assembly.

[0045] Figure 9 This is a first-person view of the disassembled vacuum suction cup assembly.

[0046] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the vacuum suction cup assembly from a second-view perspective.

[0047] Figure 11 This is a perspective view of the upper adsorption seat. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0049] like Figures 1-11 As shown, this embodiment of the invention discloses a stress-free clamp combining a vacuum suction cup and a freezing suction cup, comprising:

[0050] Freezing suction cup assembly 1, which is used to freeze the workpiece 2 bonded thereto;

[0051] Vacuum suction cup assembly 3 is embedded in the freezing suction cup assembly 1 and is used for vacuum adsorption of workpiece 2.

[0052] Specifically, the frozen suction cup assembly 1 includes:

[0053] The water-cooled plate 11 has multiple water-cooled heat sinks 12 fixed on its top surface. Each water-cooled heat sink 12 has an inlet 121 and an outlet 122 that are connected to an external circulating water chiller. The interior of the water-cooled heat sink 12 has serpentine water channels that are connected to the inlet 121 and the outlet 122. The water-cooled plate 11 has a first through hole 111. Multiple support sleeves 13 are evenly screwed onto the outer edge of the top of the water-cooled plate 11.

[0054] The freezing plate 14 is located above the water-cooling plate 11. Multiple semiconductor cooling blocks 15 are fixed on the bottom surface of the freezing plate 14, all of which are electrically connected to the main control box (not shown) via power cords. The multiple semiconductor cooling blocks 15 are arranged in a corresponding position to the multiple water-cooling heat sinks 12, and the two are fitted together. A second through hole 141 is provided on the freezing plate 14. The top of the vacuum suction cup assembly 3 is embedded in the second through hole 141, and the bottom of the vacuum suction cup assembly 3 is inserted through the first through hole 111.

[0055] Support columns 16, there are multiple support columns 16, which are evenly distributed at the bottom outer edge of the water-cooling plate 11;

[0056] The first connecting screw 17, there are multiple first connecting screws 17, which pass through the freezing plate 14, the support spacer 13 and the top of the support column 16 and are screwed to fix them.

[0057] The top surface of the water-cooled plate 11 has multiple water-cooled placement slots 112, and the bottom of each water-cooled heat sink 12 is attached to the bottom surface of the corresponding water-cooled placement slot 112 with thermal grease.

[0058] Multiple semiconductor placement slots 142 are provided on the bottom surface of the freezing plate 14, and each semiconductor cooling block 15 is attached to the bottom surface of the corresponding semiconductor placement slot 142 by thermally conductive silicone grease.

[0059] Two adjacent semiconductor placement slots 142 are separated by positioning bumps (shown in the figure but not marked), and there is a gap between the positioning bumps and the slot wall of the semiconductor placement slot 142 to facilitate the routing of power lines of the semiconductor cooling block 15.

[0060] The second through hole 141 has an overlapping flange 1411 on its hole wall, and the top of the vacuum suction cup assembly 3 has an overlapping edge 321, which overlaps the overlapping flange 1411.

[0061] Vacuum suction cup assembly 3 includes:

[0062] The lower base 31 has a vacuum groove 311 at its top and a vacuum port 312 at the bottom of the vacuum groove 311 that is connected to a vacuum generator or a vacuum pump.

[0063] The upper adsorption seat 32 has an overlapping protrusion 321 on its top wall. The bottom end of the upper adsorption seat 32 is connected to the top end of the lower base 31 by a second connecting screw 33. The upper adsorption seat 32 has multiple vacuum chambers 322 and connecting channels 323 inside. The top end of the vacuum chamber 322 is a vacuum adsorption port 3221 for vacuum adsorption of the workpiece 2. The bottom end of the vacuum chamber 322 is connected to the air extraction groove 311 through the connecting channel 323.

[0064] Each vacuum chamber 322 is equipped with a one-way piston valve 34 for allowing air to flow unidirectionally from the vacuum adsorption port 3221 to the air extraction slot 311.

[0065] The stress-free fixture also includes a filter screen 35 for filtering air impurities, placed on the top surface of the one-way piston valve 34.

[0066] The stress-free fixture also includes a first sealing ring 36 embedded in the vacuum adsorption port 3221, and the first sealing ring 36 is in sealing contact with the bottom end face of the workpiece 2.

[0067] A second sealing ring (not shown in the schematic diagram) is fitted on the outer wall of the one-way piston valve 34 to seal against the inner wall of the vacuum chamber 322. A third sealing ring 37 is pressed between the top of the lower base 31 and the bottom of the upper adsorption seat 32. The third sealing ring 37 is embedded in the mounting groove 313 on the lower base 31.

[0068] Working principle:

[0069] When the user needs to use this fixture, first fix the fixture in the corresponding position on the CNC machine tool. The height and level of the fixture can be adjusted by rotating the support column forward or backward. Then spray a certain amount of water onto the top surface of the frozen slice.

[0070] The suction port is connected to the vacuum pump. After the vacuum pump is turned on, the vacuum chamber will be evacuated. The vacuum suction port will generate an adsorption force on the workpiece and adsorb the workpiece onto the platform of the freezing sheet.

[0071] Below the thermoelectric cooler, a water-cooled heat sink is attached via thermal grease. The water-cooled heat sink is maintained by an external circulating water chiller. When the thermoelectric cooler is powered on, it generates a large amount of heat, which is transferred to the water-cooled heat sink. The flowing water in the water-cooled heat sink continuously carries away the heat. The internal serpentine water channels extend the water flow length, allowing for more efficient heat removal and rapid cooling of the cold surface. This freezes the water on the fixture table, bonding the workpiece to the fixture table. In addition, a temperature sensor is attached below the freezing plate to monitor the processing temperature in real time. If the processing temperature exceeds the danger value, an alarm is triggered, and processing is stopped.

[0072] Through the above embodiments, the stress-free fixture of the present invention can effectively combine the pre-clamping function of the vacuum chuck and the clamping advantage of the freezing chuck, providing a stable and stress-free processing environment for thin-walled non-magnetic material workpieces.

[0073] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are as follows:

[0074] 1. Stress-free clamping: Through the pre-clamping function provided by the vacuum suction cup assembly and the clamping advantage of the freezing suction cup assembly, this fixture can achieve stress-free clamping of the workpiece. This reduces the mechanical stress applied to the workpiece during clamping and effectively prevents workpiece deformation, damage or internal stress.

[0075] 2. More targeted: Combining the pre-clamping of vacuum chucks and the clamping characteristics of freezing chucks, the fixture improves the machining accuracy of workpieces. This allows for more accurate clamping and machining of thin-walled non-magnetic materials with extremely high precision requirements in high-precision industries such as optics, microelectronics, and precision machinery.

[0076] 3. Improved stability: By combining the synergistic operation of the vacuum chuck and the freezing chuck, this fixture improves the stability of the clamping process, which helps prevent workpiece displacement during machining, thereby improving the controllability and stability of the machining process.

[0077] 4. Saves manpower and time: The design of this fixture makes it easier to clamp and process without complicated adjustments, which helps to save manpower and time and improve production efficiency.

[0078] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. For the apparatus disclosed in the embodiments, since they correspond to the methods disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the method section.

[0079] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A stress-free clamp combining a vacuum suction cup and a freezing suction cup, characterized in that, include: A freezing suction cup assembly (1) is used to freeze the workpiece (2) bonded thereto. Vacuum suction cup assembly (3), which is embedded in the frozen suction cup assembly (1) and is used to vacuum adsorb the workpiece (2). The frozen suction cup assembly (1) includes: A water-cooled plate (11) has multiple water-cooled heat dissipation blocks (12) fixed on its top surface. The water-cooled heat dissipation blocks (12) have inlet (121) and outlet (122) that are connected to an external circulating water chiller. The water-cooled heat dissipation blocks (12) have serpentine water channels that are connected to the inlet (121) and outlet (122). The water-cooled plate (11) has a first through hole (111). Multiple support sleeves (13) are evenly screwed onto the outer edge of the top of the water-cooled plate (11). A freezing plate (14) is located above the water-cooled plate (11). A plurality of semiconductor cooling blocks (15) are fixed on the bottom surface of the freezing plate (14). The plurality of semiconductor cooling blocks (15) are arranged in a corresponding manner with the plurality of water-cooled heat dissipation blocks (12), and the two are fitted together. A second through hole (141) is opened on the freezing plate (14). The top of the vacuum suction cup assembly (3) is embedded in the second through hole (141), and the bottom of the vacuum suction cup assembly (3) is inserted through the first through hole (111). Support columns (16), there are multiple support columns (16), which are evenly distributed at the bottom outer edge of the water-cooled plate (11); The first connecting screw (17) is multiple, which pass through the freezing plate (14), the support sleeve (13) and the top of the support column (16) respectively and are screwed to fix them. The second through hole (141) has an overlapping protrusion (1411) on its hole wall, and the vacuum suction cup assembly (3) has an overlapping protrusion (321) on its top, which overlaps the overlapping protrusion (1411). The vacuum suction cup assembly (3) includes: The lower base (31) has an air extraction groove (311) at the top and an air extraction port (312) connected to a vacuum generator or vacuum pump at the bottom of the air extraction groove (311). The upper adsorption seat (32) has an overlapping protrusion (321) on its top wall. The bottom end of the upper adsorption seat (32) is connected to the top end of the lower base (31) by a second connecting screw (33). The upper adsorption seat (32) has multiple vacuum chambers (322) and connecting channels (323) inside. The top end of the vacuum chamber (322) is a vacuum adsorption port (3221) for vacuum adsorption of the workpiece (2). The bottom end of the vacuum chamber (322) is connected to the air extraction groove (311) through the connecting channel (323). Each of the vacuum chambers (322) is equipped with a one-way piston valve (34) for allowing air to flow unidirectionally from the vacuum adsorption port (3221) to the air extraction slot (311).

2. A stress-free clamp having a vacuum chuck and a freeze chuck according to claim 1, wherein The top surface of the water-cooled plate (11) is provided with multiple water-cooled placement slots (112), and the bottom of each water-cooled heat sink (12) is attached to the bottom surface of the corresponding water-cooled placement slot (112) by thermally conductive silicone grease.

3. A stress-free clamp having a vacuum chuck and a freeze chuck according to claim 1, wherein The bottom surface of the frozen sheet (14) is provided with a plurality of semiconductor placement slots (142), and each of the semiconductor cooling blocks (15) is attached to the bottom surface of the corresponding semiconductor placement slot (142) by thermally conductive silicone grease.

4. A stress-free clamp having a vacuum chuck and a freeze chuck according to claim 1, wherein It also includes a filter screen (35) placed on the top surface of the one-way piston valve (34) for filtering air impurities.

5. The stress-free clamp with vacuum chuck and freeze chuck according to claim 1, wherein It also includes a first sealing ring (36) embedded in the vacuum adsorption port (3221), the first sealing ring (36) being in sealing contact with the bottom end face of the workpiece (2).

6. A stress-free clamp combining a vacuum suction cup and a freezing suction cup according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The outer wall of the one-way piston valve (34) is fitted with a second sealing ring that is in sealing contact with the inner wall of the vacuum chamber (322). A third sealing ring (37) is pressed between the top end of the lower base (31) and the bottom end of the upper adsorption seat (32). The third sealing ring (37) is embedded in the mounting groove (313) on the lower base (31).

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