A friction reducing agent coating method and system

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of universal joint assembly, in particular to a kind of friction-reducing agent coating method and system.Method includes based on universal joint assembly positioning completion, drive coating brush moves to with the coating surface of universal joint assembly abuts.Based on coating brush and coating surface abut, drive end cover to first direction, first speed rotation around end cover center axis and along the radial direction of end cover reciprocating movement to end cover rotation around end cover center axis first set angle.Based on end cover to first direction, first speed rotation around end cover center axis first set angle, end cover stops moving, rotating.In this way, it solves the problem of reducing friction-reducing agent waste while allowing friction-reducing agent to be fully coated to the specified surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of universal joint assembly technology, and more specifically, to a method and system for applying a friction-reducing agent. Background Technology

[0002] Universal joints undergo relative movement with other components during operation. High friction can accelerate wear on the universal joint or other parts. Worn universal joint components affect transmission accuracy and lifespan. Therefore, applying an anti-friction agent to the contact surface of the universal joint reduces the coefficient of friction, effectively reducing energy loss and improving transmission efficiency. Because friction between the universal joint and other components generates heat during operation, if this heat cannot be dissipated promptly, the operating temperature of the universal joint will rise. The presence of an anti-friction agent reduces this heat generation. By lowering the coefficient of friction, less heat is generated when transmitting the same torque. With a lower coefficient of friction, energy loss during power transmission is reduced. Increased transmission efficiency means more power can be effectively transferred from the input to the output. In automotive drive systems, this improves vehicle performance and reduces energy waste.

[0003] However, currently, when applying friction-reducing agents to universal joints, a large soft-bristled brush is typically used to apply the agent to the joint surface. This can lead to the agent being applied to areas that don't need it, resulting in waste or negative effects after application. Conversely, using a smaller soft-bristled brush makes it difficult for the robotic arm to control the brush's movement precision, resulting in uneven application. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the issue of reducing friction reducer waste while ensuring adequate coating of the friction reducer onto the designated surface, this invention provides a friction reducer coating method and system.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for applying a friction-reducing agent, the method comprising:

[0006] Step S10: Based on the completion of the universal joint assembly positioning, drive the coating brush to move until it abuts against the coating surface of the universal joint assembly; wherein, the universal joint assembly includes a housing, an end cap, and a connecting shaft; the housing, the end cap, and the connecting shaft are sequentially fixedly connected along the axial direction of the housing; the diameter of the connecting shaft is smaller than the diameter of the end cap; the coating surface is the portion of the end cap that is away from the housing and spaced apart from the connecting shaft; L1 < L2; wherein, L1 is the maximum width of the contact area between the coating brush and the coating surface; L2 is the dimension of the coating surface along the radial direction of the end cap;

[0007] Step S20: Based on the contact between the coating brush and the coating surface, drive the end cap to rotate around the central axis of the end cap in a first direction and at a first speed, and reciprocate radially along the end cap until the end cap rotates around the central axis of the end cap by a first predetermined angle; wherein, when the end cap moves radially along the end cap, the coating brush reciprocates relative to the coating surface in a first region and a second region on one side of the central axis of the end cap; the coating surface includes a first region and a second region; the inner peripheral side of the second region communicates with the outer peripheral side of the first region;

[0008] Step S30: Based on the end cap rotating around the central axis of the end cap in the first direction and at the first speed by the first predetermined angle, the end cap stops moving and rotating.

[0009] In some embodiments, step S20 includes:

[0010] Step S21: Based on the contact between the coating brush and the first range of the second region, drive the end cap to rotate around the central axis of the end cap to a second set angle in the first direction and at the first speed; wherein, when the end cap moves radially along the end cap, the coating brush reciprocates relative to the coating surface in the first region and the second range on one side of the central axis of the end cap; the second region includes the first range and the second range; the inner peripheral side of the first range communicates with the outer peripheral side of the first region; the inner peripheral side of the second range communicates with the outer peripheral side of the first range;

[0011] Step S22: Based on the end cap rotating around the central axis of the end cap in the first direction and at the first speed to the second set angle, drive the end cap to reciprocate radially along the end cap;

[0012] Step S23: Based on the radial reciprocating movement of the end cap, the end cap rotates from the second set angle to the first set angle in the first direction and at the first speed.

[0013] In some embodiments, step S21 includes:

[0014] Step S211: Based on the fact that the coating brush abuts against the first range, drive the end cap to move to a first set height near one end of the coating brush;

[0015] Step S212: Based on the end cap moving to the first set height near the coating brush, drive the end cap to rotate around the central axis of the end cap to the second set angle in the first direction and at the first speed.

[0016] In some embodiments, step S23 includes:

[0017] Step S231: Based on the radial reciprocating movement of the end cap, the end cap rotates to the second set angle in the first direction and at the first speed;

[0018] Step S232: Based on the end cap rotating to the second set angle in the first direction and at the first speed, drive the end cap to rotate from the second set angle to the first set angle in the first direction and at the second speed; wherein, the second speed is less than the first speed.

[0019] In some embodiments, step S232 includes:

[0020] Step S2321: Based on the end cap rotating to the second set angle in the first direction and at the first speed, drive the end cap to rotate from the second set angle to the third set angle in the first direction and at the second speed;

[0021] Step S2322: Based on the end cap rotating from the third set angle to the third set angle in the first direction and at the second speed, the end cap moves to the second set height near the coating brush.

[0022] Step S2323: Based on the end cap moving to the second set height near the coating brush, the end cap rotates from the third set angle to the first set angle in the first direction and at the second speed.

[0023] In some embodiments, step S2323 further includes:

[0024] Step S23231: Based on the end cap moving to the second set height near the coating brush, the end cap rotates from the third set angle to the fourth set angle in the first direction and at the second speed;

[0025] Step S23232: Based on the end cap rotating from the third set angle to the fourth set angle in the first direction and at the second speed, drive the end cap to move to the third set height near the coating brush.

[0026] Step S23233: Based on the end cap moving to the third set height near the coating brush, the end cap rotates from the fourth set angle to the first set angle in the first direction and at the first speed.

[0027] In some embodiments, V1 > V2; wherein, V1 is the rotational speed of the end cap when the coating brush first contacts the set area; V2 is the rotational speed of the end cap when the coating brush contacts the set area for the second time and thereafter; the set area is the area covered by the coating surface when the coating brush contacts the first area and rotates around the central axis of the end cap in the first direction to a second set angle.

[0028] In some embodiments, step S30 further includes:

[0029] Step S30: Based on the end cap rotating around the central axis of the end cap in the first direction and at the first speed by the first predetermined angle, the end cap rotates around the central axis of the end cap in the second direction by the fifth predetermined angle.

[0030] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a friction-reducing agent coating system, wherein the friction-reducing agent coating system is applied to any of the friction-reducing agent coating methods in the first aspect, and the friction-reducing agent coating system comprises:

[0031] A universal joint assembly includes a housing, an end cap, and a connecting shaft; the housing, the end cap, and the connecting shaft are sequentially fixedly connected along the axial direction of the housing; the diameter of the connecting shaft is smaller than the diameter of the end cap; the coating surface is the portion of the end cap that is away from the housing and spaced apart from the connecting shaft; L1 < L2; where L1 is the maximum width of the contact area between the coating brush and the coating surface along the axial direction of the universal joint assembly; L2 is the radial dimension of the coating surface.

[0032] A coating assembly includes a base unit and a coating unit. The base unit includes a base and a motion module. The motion module includes a positioning platform, a rotating part, and a moving part. The moving part is movably connected to the base. The rotating part is detachably connected to the end of the moving part away from the base. The end of the rotating part away from the moving part is detachably connected to the positioning platform. The coating unit includes a coating brush, a robotic arm, and a storage unit. The robotic arm is detachably connected to the coating brush. The internal space of the storage unit stores friction-reducing agent.

[0033] The friction-reducing agent coating system includes a coating state; the coating state includes a detachable connection between the housing and the positioning platform at the end away from the base; the moving part drives the end cap to move radially along the end cap; the rotating part drives the end cap to rotate around the central axis of the end cap; and the robotic arm drives the coating brush to move to abut against the coating surface.

[0034] In some embodiments, the motion module further includes a lifting section; the moving section is detachably connected to the rotating section via the lifting section;

[0035] The coating state also includes the lifting unit driving the end cap to move closer to or away from the base.

[0036] To address the issue of reducing friction-reducing agent waste while ensuring adequate coating of the friction-reducing agent onto the designated surface, this invention offers the following advantages:

[0037] When the coating brush comes into contact with the coating surface, the rotating part drives the end cap to rotate around the central axis of the end cap in a first direction and at a first speed, while the moving part drives the end cap to reciprocate radially until the end cap rotates around the central axis of the end cap by a first set angle. This reciprocating motion ensures that the anti-friction agent on the coating brush is fully coated onto the coating surface, resulting in sufficient and uniform anti-friction agent coverage. This allows the coating of the anti-friction agent to be completed using a coating brush with a small contact area with the coating surface. This reduces the loss of anti-friction agent. Simultaneously, the positioning table restricts the position of the universal joint assembly. The rotating part drives the rotation of the universal joint assembly, and the moving part drives the reciprocating motion of the end cap, ensuring that the anti-friction agent is fully and uniformly coated onto the coating surface. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 A flowchart of a friction-reducing agent coating method according to one embodiment is shown;

[0039] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a friction-reducing agent coating system according to one embodiment is shown;

[0040] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a gimbal assembly according to one embodiment is shown;

[0041] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a coating assembly according to one embodiment is shown.

[0042] Reference numerals: Universal joint assembly 01; Housing 11; End cap 12; Connecting shaft 13; Coating assembly 02; Base unit 21; Base 211; Motion module 212; Positioning platform 2121; Rotating part 2122; Moving part 2123; Lifting part 2124; Coating unit 22; Coating brush 221; Robotic arm 222; Gripping part 223; Storage part 224. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The present disclosure will now be discussed with reference to several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are discussed only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and thus implement the present disclosure, and are not intended to imply any limitation on the scope of the disclosure.

[0044] As used herein, the term "comprising" and its variations are to be interpreted as open-ended terms meaning "including but not limited to". The term "based on" is to be interpreted as "at least partially based on". The terms "one embodiment" and "an embodiment" are to be interpreted as "at least one embodiment". The term "another embodiment" is to be interpreted as "at least one other embodiment". The terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "vertical", "horizontal", "lateral", "longitudinal", etc., indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for the purpose of better describing this application and its embodiments and are not intended to limit the indicated devices, elements, or components to having a specific orientation or being constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Furthermore, some of the above terms may be used to indicate other meanings besides orientations or positional relationships; for example, the term "upper" may in some cases indicate a dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application according to the specific circumstances. In addition, the terms "installed", "set up", "equipped with", "connected", and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or an internal connection between two devices, elements, or components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are mainly used to distinguish different devices, elements, or components (the specific types and structures may be the same or different), and are not used to indicate or imply the relative importance or quantity of the indicated devices, elements, or components. Unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0045] In this embodiment, the universal joint undergoes relative movement with other components during operation. Significant friction can lead to accelerated wear on the universal joint or other components. Therefore, the friction surfaces of the universal joint need to be coated with a friction-reducing agent to improve its service life. However, currently, when applying friction-reducing agents to universal joints, a large soft brush is typically used to apply the agent to the surface. This can result in the agent being applied to areas that don't need it, leading to waste or negative effects. Conversely, using a smaller soft brush makes it difficult for the robotic arm to control the brush's movement precision, resulting in uneven application. Therefore, to solve these problems, this invention provides a friction-reducing agent coating method.

[0046] Friction-reducing agent coating systems can be applied to friction-reducing agent coating methods. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the friction-reducing agent coating system may include a universal joint assembly 01 and a coating assembly 02.

[0047] like Figure 4 As shown, the coating assembly 02 may include a base unit 21 and a coating unit 22. The base unit 21 may include a base 211 and a motion module 212. The motion module 212 may include a positioning stage 2121, a rotating part 2122, and a moving part 2123. The moving part 2123 may be movably connected to the base 211. The rotating part 2122 may be detachably connected to the end of the moving part 2123 away from the base 211. The end of the rotating part 2122 away from the moving part 2123 may be detachably connected to the positioning stage 2121. The coating unit 22 may include a coating brush 221, a robotic arm 222, and a friction-reducing agent. The internal space of the storage unit 224 may store the friction-reducing agent. The robotic arm 222 may be detachably connected to the coating brush 221. The internal space of the storage unit 224 may store the friction-reducing agent.

[0048] like Figure 1 As shown, the friction-reducing agent coating method may include steps S10 to S30, which will be described in detail below.

[0049] Step S10: Positioning of the universal joint assembly 01 is completed. Positioning completion may include a detachable connection between the lower end face of the universal joint assembly 01 and the upper end face of the positioning part. The robotic arm 222 can drive the coating brush 221 to adsorb the friction-reducing agent in the storage part 224. Then, the robotic arm 222 can drive the coating brush 221, which has fully adsorbed the friction-reducing agent, to move until it abuts against the coating surface of the universal joint assembly 01, thereby causing the friction-reducing agent on the coating brush 221 to adhere to the coating surface. Wherein, as... Figure 3As shown, the universal joint assembly 01 may include a housing 11, an end cap 12, and a connecting shaft 13. The housing 11, end cap 12, and connecting shaft 13 may be sequentially fixedly connected along the axial direction of the housing 11. The diameter of the connecting shaft 13 may be smaller than the diameter of the end cap 12. The coating surface may be the portion of the end cap 12 away from the housing 11 and spaced apart from the connecting shaft 13. When the connecting shaft 13 is connected to other components, the coating surface may be used to abut against other components, thereby limiting and supporting the other components. L1 < L2. Wherein, L1 may be the maximum width of the contact area between the coating brush 221 and the coating surface. L2 may be the dimension of the coating surface along the radial direction of the end cap 12. To reduce the consumption of anti-friction agent, a soft-bristled brush with a small maximum contact area between the coating brush 221 and the coating surface is used. This prevents the coating brush 221 from applying the anti-friction agent to the outer peripheral surface of the universal joint assembly 01 that does not require coating, thus reducing the cost of anti-friction agent application. It also avoids applying the anti-friction agent to the outer peripheral surface of the universal joint assembly 01 other than the coating surface, which could negatively impact the universal joint assembly 01. For example, drive shaft seals are typically made of materials such as rubber, and their function is to prevent lubricant leakage and the ingress of external impurities. When anti-friction agent is applied to the drive shaft seals, its components are incompatible with the seal material, which may lead to aging, softening, or hardening of the seals.

[0050] In step S20, based on the contact between the coating brush 221 and the coating surface, the rotating part 2122 can drive the positioning part to rotate, which in turn drives the housing 11 to rotate. The end cap 12 follows the rotation of the housing 11, thereby causing the rotating part 2122 to drive the end cap 12 to rotate around the central axis of the end cap 12 in a first direction and at a first speed, and the moving part 2123 to drive the end cap 12 to reciprocate radially along the end cap 12 until the end cap 12 rotates around the central axis of the end cap 12 by a first set angle. The first direction can be clockwise or counterclockwise. The reciprocating motion allows the friction-reducing agent on the coating brush 221 to be fully coated onto the coating surface, ensuring that the friction-reducing agent on the coating surface is sufficient and uniform. Specifically, when the end cap 12 moves radially, the coating brush 221 reciprocates relative to the coating surface in a first region and a second region on one side of the central axis of the end cap 12. The coating surface can include the first region and the second region. The inner peripheral side of the second region can communicate with the outer peripheral side of the first region. Because the robotic arm 222 needs to drive the coating brush 221 to pick up the friction reducer and drive the gripping part 223 to grip the universal joint assembly 01, the movement range is usually large, resulting in insufficient precision when the robotic arm 222 moves in small ranges. If the robotic arm 222 drives the coating brush 221 to move back and forth relative to the coating surface in the first and second regions on one side of the central axis of the end cover 12, the robotic arm 222 will need to control the coating brush 221 to stop and turn many times. Each stop and turn will have a certain error, and the cumulative error of multiple stops and turns will make it impossible to complete the coating of the friction reducer. Because the robotic arm 222 is a cantilever, the lever arm from the base 211 of the robotic arm 222 to the coating brush 221 is long, making it difficult for the robotic arm 222 to drive the coating brush 221 to move back and forth. If an additional device is added to the end of the robotic arm 222 away from the base 211 to make the coating brush 221 move back and forth, the structure of the robotic arm 222 needs to be strengthened, which will result in a higher cost for coating the friction reducer. Therefore, the robotic arm 222 only needs to drive the coating brush 221 to abut and fix it against the coating surface, and then make the end cap 12 rotate around the central axis of the end cap 12 in a first direction and at a first speed, and move back and forth along the radial direction of the end cap 12 until the end cap 12 rotates around the central axis of the end cap 12 by a first set angle. This reduces the consumption of the anti-friction agent. At the same time, the position of the universal joint assembly 01 is restricted by the positioning table 2121, the rotating part 2122 drives the universal joint assembly 01 to rotate, and the moving part 2123 drives the end cap 12 to reciprocate, so as to accurately complete the application of the anti-friction agent. Because the base unit 21 is relatively lightweight and easy to control, the end cap 12 is controlled to move back and forth along the radial direction of the end cap 12, thereby reducing the cost of anti-friction agent application.

[0051] In step S30, based on the fact that the end cap 12 rotates around its central axis by a first set angle in a first direction and at a first speed, it can be determined that the friction-reducing agent has been uniformly and sufficiently coated onto the coating surface, and the end cap 12 stops moving and rotating. The first set angle can be 1800°. This method reduces friction-reducing agent waste while ensuring sufficient coating onto the coating surface, thus completing the application of the friction-reducing agent.

[0052] In this embodiment, step S20 of the friction-reducing agent coating method may include steps S21 to S23, which will be described in detail below.

[0053] In step S21, based on the contact between the coating brush 221 and the first area of ​​the second region, the rotating part 2122 can drive the end cap 12 to rotate around the central axis of the end cap 12 in a first direction and at a first speed to a second set angle, which can be less than 180°. Because the coating brush 221 has sufficient anti-friction agent when it is first dipped in it, after the coating brush 221 contacts the first area of ​​the second region, the rotating part 2122 drives the end cap 12 to rotate around the central axis of the end cap 12 in the first direction and at a first speed to the second set angle. From the contact between the coating brush 221 and the coating surface to the rotation of the end cap 12 around the central axis of the end cap 12 to the second set angle, this method can make the movement trajectory of the coating brush 221 on the coating surface shorter, avoiding excessive anti-friction agent adhering to the coating surface after the end cap 12 rotates to the second set angle, allowing sufficient anti-friction agent to be reserved on the coating brush 221, laying the foundation for the subsequent coating surface, and making the coating of the anti-friction agent uniform. This avoids excessive friction-reducing agent being applied to the first area by the coating brush 221, which could lead to insufficient friction-reducing agent on the subsequent coating brush 221 and prevent uniform coating of the coating surface. Specifically, as the end cap 12 moves radially, the coating brush 221 reciprocates relative to the coating surface within a first region and a second region on one side of the central axis of the end cap 12. The second region may include the first region and the second region. The inner circumferential side of the first region communicates with the outer circumferential side of the first region. The inner circumferential side of the second region communicates with the outer circumferential side of the first region. Because the centrifugal force of rotation does not cause a large amount of friction-reducing agent to move, and the friction-reducing agent has poor fluidity, the friction-reducing agent is applied to the first region, thus facilitating uniform coating of the friction-reducing agent on the coating surface.

[0054] In step S22, the rotating part 2122 drives the end cap 12 to rotate around the central axis of the end cap 12 in a first direction and at a first speed to a second set angle. Then, in the subsequent coating process, the end cap 12 can be driven to reciprocate along the radial direction of the end cap 12. When there is sufficient anti-friction agent on the coating brush 221, the rotating part 2122 drives the end cap 12 to rotate around the central axis of the end cap 12 in a first direction and at a first speed to a second set angle. As the anti-friction agent on the coating brush 221 gradually decreases, the end cap 12 is driven to reciprocate along the radial direction of the end cap 12, increasing the movement trajectory of the anti-friction agent to the coating surface.

[0055] In step S23, based on the radial reciprocating movement of the end cap 12, the end cap 12 rotates from a second set angle to a first set angle in a first direction and at a first speed. In this way, the coating brush 221 applies the anti-friction agent to the first area. When the coating brush 221 moves to the position where the anti-friction agent has been applied, the radial reciprocating movement of the end cap 12 can evenly apply the anti-friction agent to the first area and the second area, thereby completing the application of the anti-friction agent.

[0056] In this embodiment, step S21 of the friction-reducing agent coating method may include steps S211 and S212, which will be described in detail below.

[0057] The motion module 212 may also include a lifting section 2124. The moving section 2123 can be detachably connected to the rotating section 2122 via the lifting section 2124. The coating state may also include the lifting section 2124 driving the end cap 12 to move toward or away from the base 211.

[0058] In step S211, based on the contact between the coating brush 221 and the first area, the lifting unit 2124 can drive the end cover 12 to move to a first set height near the end of the coating brush 221. Since the coating brush 221 is a soft brush, the smaller the distance between the coating surface and the base 211, the less tight the contact between the coating surface and the coating brush 221, that is, the smaller the area of ​​contact between the coating brush 221 and the first area, which can prevent excessive application of the anti-friction agent on the coating brush 221 to the coating area of ​​the coating surface at the second set angle.

[0059] In step S212, based on the end cap 12 moving to a first set height near the coating brush 221, the end cap 12 is driven to rotate around its central axis in a first direction and at a first speed to a second set angle. This is because the coating brush 221 has just absorbed a sufficient amount of anti-friction agent from the storage section 224, thus reducing the area of ​​the coating brush 221 in contact with the first range. This prevents excessive anti-friction agent from being applied to the coating area of ​​the coating surface when the end cap 12 rotates around its central axis in the first direction and at the first speed to the second set angle, which would result in uneven coating and also allows sufficient anti-friction agent to be reserved for subsequent coating surfaces that have not been coated.

[0060] In this embodiment, step S23 of the friction-reducing agent coating method may include steps S231 and S232, which will be described in detail below.

[0061] In step S231, the end cover 12 is driven to reciprocate radially along the end cover 12 by the moving part 2123, and the rotating part 2122 then drives the end cover 12 to rotate to a second set angle in a first direction and at a first speed.

[0062] Step S232: Based on the end cap 12 rotating to a second predetermined angle in a first direction and at a first speed, drive the end cap 12 to rotate from the second predetermined angle to the first predetermined angle in a first direction and at a second speed. The second speed is less than the first speed. This allows one end of the coating brush 221 to contact the coating surface. The slower second speed allows the coating brush 221 to move a wider trajectory on the coating surface, while also giving the friction-reducing agent on the brush 221 more time to flow onto the coating surface. This ensures that the friction-reducing agent is applied more evenly to the coating surface.

[0063] In this embodiment, step S232 of the friction-reducing agent coating method may include steps S2321 to S2323, which will be described in detail below.

[0064] In step S2321, based on the end cap 12 rotating to a second preset angle in a first direction and at a first speed, the rotating part 2122 can drive the end cap 12 to rotate from the second preset angle to a third preset angle in a first direction and at a second speed. The sum of the third preset angle and the second preset angle is equal to the first preset angle.

[0065] In step S2322, based on the end cap 12 rotating from a third set angle to a third set angle in a first direction and at a second speed, the friction-reducing agent on the coating brush 221 is further reduced. Simultaneously, the friction-reducing agent has poor flowability, making it difficult for the upper part of the coating brush 221 to slide down to the part where the coating brush 221 contacts the coating surface, thus hindering adhesion. Therefore, the end cap 12 can be moved to a second set height near the end of the coating brush 221. Since the coating brush 221 is a soft brush, the greater the distance between the coating surface and the base 211, the tighter the contact between the coating surface and the coating brush 221. This tight contact causes the coating brush 221 to deform, resulting in a larger contact area between the coating brush 221 and the coating surface. This increases the contact area between the coating brush 221 and the coating surface, allowing the friction-reducing agent in the upper part of the coating brush 221 to fully contact the coating surface, maximizing the utilization of the friction-reducing agent on the coating brush 221 onto the coating surface.

[0066] In step S2323, based on the end cap 12 moving to a second set height near the coating brush 221, the end cap 12 rotates from a third set angle to a first set angle in a first direction and at a second speed. This allows the anti-friction agent on the coating brush 221 to be applied as much as possible to the coating surface, completing the anti-friction agent coating of the universal joint assembly 01.

[0067] In this embodiment, step S2323 of the friction-reducing agent coating method may include steps S23231 to S23233, which will be described in detail below.

[0068] In step S23231, based on the end cap 12 moving to a second set height near the coating brush 221, the rotating part 2122 can drive the end cap 12 to rotate from a third set angle to a fourth set angle in a first direction and at a second speed.

[0069] In step S23232, based on the end cap 12 rotating from a third set angle to a fourth set angle in a first direction and at a second speed, the end cap 12 is driven to move to a third set height near the coating brush 221. The third set height can be between the first set height and the second set height. Since the coating brush 221 is a soft brush, the larger the distance between the coating surface and the base 211, the tighter the contact between the coating surface and the coating brush 221, and the larger the contact area between the coating brush 221 and the coating surface. Conversely, the smaller the distance between the coating surface and the base 211, the looser the contact between the coating surface and the coating brush 221, and the smaller the contact area between the coating brush 221 and the coating surface. At this time, most of the anti-friction agent on the coating brush 221 has been applied to the coating surface. To avoid the anti-friction agent on the coating surface being absorbed by the coating brush 221 again, the contact area between the coating brush 221 and the coating surface is reduced. However, the contact area between the coating brush 221 and the coating surface cannot be too small, otherwise the anti-friction agent on the coating surface will not be applied evenly. Therefore, the drive end cap 12 moves to the third set height near the end of the coating brush 221, so that the contact area between the coating brush 221 and the coating surface is moderate, and the anti-friction agent on the coating surface is evenly applied.

[0070] In step S23233, based on the end cap 12 moving to a third set height near the coating brush 221, the end cap 12 rotates from a fourth set angle to a first set angle in a first direction and at a first speed. The fourth set angle indicates that the friction-reducing agent on the coating brush 221 is already low. The rotating part 2122 can drive the end cap 12 to rotate from the fourth set angle to the first set angle in a first direction and at a first speed. This faster first speed can improve the coating efficiency of the coating brush 221.

[0071] In this embodiment, V1 > V2. V1 is the rotational speed of the end cap 12 when the coating brush 221 first contacts the designated area. V2 is the rotational speed of the end cap 12 when the coating brush 221 contacts the designated area for the second and subsequent times. The designated area is the area covered by the coating surface when the coating brush 221 contacts the first area and rotates around the central axis of the end cap 12 in a first direction to a second designated angle. Because the coating brush 221 applies a relatively large amount of anti-friction agent to the coating surface when it first contacts the designated area, the rotational speed of the end cap 12 is slowed down when the coating brush 221 contacts the designated area for the second and subsequent times. This allows the coating brush 221 to absorb more anti-friction agent from the coating surface and then apply it to the coating surface with less anti-friction agent, resulting in a more uniform coating of the anti-friction agent.

[0072] In this embodiment, step S30 of the friction-reducing agent coating method may further include rotating the end cap 12 around its central axis by a first predetermined angle in a first direction and at a first speed, and rotating the end cap 12 around its central axis by a fifth predetermined angle in a second direction. When the first direction is clockwise, the second direction is counterclockwise. When the first direction is counterclockwise, the second direction is clockwise. When the end cap 12 rotates around its central axis by the first predetermined angle in the first direction and at the first speed, because the coating brush 221 is a soft-bristled brush and the friction-reducing agent has poor flowability, the soft bristles of the coating brush 221 deform along the first direction as the end cap 12 rotates, ensuring that the friction-reducing agent on the side of the coating brush 221 that contacts the coating surface is fully coated onto the coating surface. By rotating the end cap 12 around its central axis by the fifth predetermined angle in the second direction, the friction-reducing agent on the side of the coating brush 221 that contacts the coating surface is fully coated onto the coating surface, thereby ensuring that the friction-reducing agent on the coating brush 221 is fully applied to the coating surface.

[0073] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 As shown, the present invention provides a friction-reducing agent coating system, which can be applied to any of the above embodiments. The friction-reducing agent coating system may include a universal joint assembly 01 and a coating assembly 02.

[0074] like Figure 3As shown, the universal joint assembly 01 may include a housing 11, an end cap 12, and a connecting shaft 13. The housing 11, end cap 12, and connecting shaft 13 may be sequentially fixedly connected along the axial direction of the housing 11. The diameter of the connecting shaft 13 may be smaller than the diameter of the end cap 12. The coating surface may be the portion of the end cap 12 that is away from the housing 11 and spaced apart from the connecting shaft 13. When the connecting shaft 13 is connected to other components, the coating surface may come into contact with those components. L1 < L2. Wherein, L1 may be the maximum width of the contact area between the coating brush 221 and the coating surface along the axial direction of the universal joint assembly 01. L2 may be the radial dimension of the coating surface. To reduce the consumption of anti-friction agent, the coating brush 221 can be a small soft-bristled brush. This way, when applying the anti-friction agent, the coating brush 221 will not apply the anti-friction agent to the outer peripheral surface of the universal joint assembly 01 that does not need to be coated, thereby reducing the cost of applying the anti-friction agent and avoiding the negative impact of applying the anti-friction agent to the outer peripheral surface of the universal joint assembly 01 that does not need to be coated.

[0075] like Figure 4 As shown, the coating assembly 02 may include a base unit 21 and a coating unit 22. The base unit 21 may include a base 211 and a motion module 212. The motion module 212 may include a positioning table 2121, a rotating part 2122, and a moving part 2123. The positioning table 2121 can fix the universal joint assembly 01. The rotating part 2122 can be detachably connected to the end of the moving part 2123 away from the base 211 to prevent the universal joint assembly 01 from disengaging from the positioning table 2121 and causing damage when the rotating part 2122 rotates the universal joint assembly 01. The moving part 2123 can be movably connected to the base 211. The moving part 2123 can drive the end cover 12 to reciprocate radially along the end cover 12. The end of the rotating part 2122 away from the moving part 2123 can be detachably connected to the positioning table 2121. The coating unit 22 may include a coating brush 221, a robotic arm 222, and a storage unit 224. The robotic arm 222 can be detachably connected to the coating brush 221. The internal space of the storage section 224 can store friction-reducing agent. The robotic arm 222 can drive the coating brush 221 to adsorb the friction-reducing agent in the storage section 224, and the robotic arm 222 can drive the coating brush 221, which has been fully adsorbed with friction-reducing agent, to move to abut against the coating surface of the universal joint assembly 01.

[0076] The friction-reducing agent coating system may include a coating state. The coating state may include a detachable connection between the housing 11 and the positioning platform 2121 at the end furthest from the base 211. A moving part 2123 drives the end cap 12 to move radially along the end cap 12. A rotating part 2122 drives the end cap 12 to rotate about its central axis. A robotic arm 222 drives the coating brush 221 to move until it contacts the coating surface. Thus, the radial movement and rotation of the end cap 12 complete the uniform coating of the friction-reducing agent onto the coating surface of the universal joint assembly 01.

[0077] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 As shown, the motion module 212 may also include a lifting section 2124. The moving section 2123 can be detachably connected to the rotating section 2122 via the lifting section 2124.

[0078] The coating process can also include the lifting unit 2124 driving the end cap 12 to move closer to or away from the base 211. By adjusting the contact area between the coating surface and the coating brush 221 through the lifting unit 2124, the anti-friction agent on the coating brush 221 can be better utilized.

[0079] In some other embodiments, the coating unit 22 may also include a gripping part 223, which may be detachably connected to the robotic arm 222. The gripping part 223 may move the universal joint assembly 01 to be detachably connected to the positioning part, or move the coated universal joint assembly 01 to the transmission track for subsequent operations.

[0080] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above embodiments are specific examples of implementing this disclosure, and in practical applications, various changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for applying a friction-reducing agent, characterized in that, The friction-reducing agent coating method includes: Step S10: Based on the completion of the universal joint assembly positioning, drive the coating brush to move until it abuts against the coating surface of the universal joint assembly; wherein, the universal joint assembly includes a housing, an end cap, and a connecting shaft; the housing, the end cap, and the connecting shaft are sequentially fixedly connected along the axial direction of the housing; the diameter of the connecting shaft is smaller than the diameter of the end cap; the coating surface is the portion of the end cap that is away from the housing and spaced apart from the connecting shaft; L1 < L2; wherein, L1 is the maximum width of the contact area between the coating brush and the coating surface; L2 is the dimension of the coating surface along the radial direction of the end cap; Step S20: Based on the contact between the coating brush and the coating surface, drive the end cap to rotate around the central axis of the end cap in a first direction and at a first speed, and reciprocate radially along the end cap until the end cap rotates around the central axis of the end cap by a first predetermined angle; wherein, when the end cap moves radially along the end cap, the coating brush reciprocates relative to the coating surface in a first region and a second region on one side of the central axis of the end cap; the coating surface includes a first region and a second region; the inner peripheral side of the second region communicates with the outer peripheral side of the first region; Step S30: Based on the end cap rotating around the central axis of the end cap in the first direction and at the first speed by the first predetermined angle, the end cap stops moving and rotating.

2. The method for applying a friction-reducing agent according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step S20 includes: Step S21: Based on the contact between the coating brush and the first range of the second region, drive the end cap to rotate around the central axis of the end cap to a second set angle in the first direction and at the first speed; wherein, when the end cap moves radially along the end cap, the coating brush reciprocates relative to the coating surface in the first region and the second range on one side of the central axis of the end cap; the second region includes the first range and the second range; the inner peripheral side of the first range communicates with the outer peripheral side of the first region; the inner peripheral side of the second range communicates with the outer peripheral side of the first range; Step S22: Based on the end cap rotating around the central axis of the end cap in the first direction and at the first speed to the second set angle, drive the end cap to reciprocate radially along the end cap; Step S23: Based on the radial reciprocating movement of the end cap, the end cap rotates from the second set angle to the first set angle in the first direction and at the first speed.

3. The method for applying a friction-reducing agent according to claim 2, characterized in that, Step S21 includes: Step S211: Based on the fact that the coating brush abuts against the first range, drive the end cap to move to a first set height near one end of the coating brush; Step S212: Based on the end cap moving to the first set height near the coating brush, drive the end cap to rotate around the central axis of the end cap to the second set angle in the first direction and at the first speed.

4. The method for applying a friction-reducing agent according to claim 2, characterized in that, Step S23 includes: Step S231: Based on the radial reciprocating movement of the end cap, the end cap rotates to the second set angle in the first direction and at the first speed; Step S232: Based on the end cap rotating to the second set angle in the first direction and at the first speed, drive the end cap to rotate from the second set angle to the first set angle in the first direction and at the second speed; wherein, the second speed is less than the first speed.

5. The method for applying a friction-reducing agent according to claim 4, characterized in that, Step S232 includes: Step S2321: Based on the end cap rotating to the second set angle in the first direction and at the first speed, drive the end cap to rotate from the second set angle to the third set angle in the first direction and at the second speed; Step S2322: Based on the end cap rotating from the third set angle to the third set angle in the first direction and at the second speed, the end cap moves to the second set height near the coating brush. Step S2323: Based on the end cap moving to the second set height near the coating brush, the end cap rotates from the third set angle to the first set angle in the first direction and at the second speed.

6. The method for applying a friction-reducing agent according to claim 5, characterized in that, Step S2323 further includes: Step S23231: Based on the end cap moving to the second set height near the coating brush, the end cap rotates from the third set angle to the fourth set angle in the first direction and at the second speed; Step S23232: Based on the end cap rotating from the third set angle to the fourth set angle in the first direction and at the second speed, drive the end cap to move to the third set height near the coating brush. Step S23233: Based on the end cap moving to the third set height near the coating brush, the end cap rotates from the fourth set angle to the first set angle in the first direction and at the first speed.

7. A method for applying a friction-reducing agent according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that, V1 > V2; where V1 is the rotational speed of the end cap when the coating brush first contacts the set area; V2 is the rotational speed of the end cap when the coating brush contacts the set area for the second time and thereafter; the set area is the area covered by the coating surface when the coating brush contacts the first area and rotates around the central axis of the end cap in the first direction to a second set angle.

8. The method for applying a friction-reducing agent according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step S30 further includes: Step S30: Based on the end cap rotating around the central axis of the end cap in the first direction and at the first speed by the first predetermined angle, the end cap rotates around the central axis of the end cap in the second direction by the fifth predetermined angle.

9. A friction-reducing agent coating system, characterized in that, The friction-reducing agent coating system is applied to a friction-reducing agent coating method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and the friction-reducing agent coating system comprises: A universal joint assembly includes a housing, an end cap, and a connecting shaft; the housing, the end cap, and the connecting shaft are sequentially fixedly connected along the axial direction of the housing; the diameter of the connecting shaft is smaller than the diameter of the end cap; the coating surface is the portion of the end cap that is away from the housing and spaced apart from the connecting shaft; L1 < L2; where L1 is the maximum width of the contact area between the coating brush and the coating surface along the axial direction of the universal joint assembly; L2 is the radial dimension of the coating surface. A coating assembly includes a base unit and a coating unit. The base unit includes a base and a motion module. The motion module includes a positioning platform, a rotating part, and a moving part. The moving part is movably connected to the base. The rotating part is detachably connected to the end of the moving part away from the base. The end of the rotating part away from the moving part is detachably connected to the positioning platform. The coating unit includes a coating brush, a robotic arm, and a storage unit. The robotic arm is detachably connected to the coating brush. The internal space of the storage unit stores friction-reducing agent. The friction-reducing agent coating system includes a coating state; the coating state includes a detachable connection between the housing and the positioning platform at the end away from the base; the moving part drives the end cap to move radially along the end cap; the rotating part drives the end cap to rotate around the central axis of the end cap; and the robotic arm drives the coating brush to move to abut against the coating surface.

10. A friction-reducing agent coating system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The motion module further includes a lifting section; the moving section is detachably connected to the rotating section via the lifting section. The coating state also includes the lifting unit driving the end cap to move closer to or away from the base.

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