Shell casting outer mold structure for new energy automobile

Abstract

The invention provides a shell casting outer mold structure for a new energy automobile, and relates to the technical field of automobile shell casting. The shell casting outer mold structure for the new energy automobile comprises an upper mold core and a lower mold core, a lower mold core; the inserts are arranged between the opposite surfaces of the upper mold core and the lower mold core; the driving assembly is in driving connection with the inserts, and when the driving assembly is in a high-temperature environment, the multiple inserts, the upper mold core and the lower mold core are used for forming a cavity for shell forming; and when the high-temperature environment where the driving assembly is located is cooled, the multiple inserts move in the direction away from the cavity. In the demolding process, the insert does not make contact with the surface of the motor end cover casting after being retreated, so that demolding resistance is reduced, the holding force between the casting and the mold is eliminated, surface strain or rib breakage caused by forced demolding of a traditional mold is avoided, and the yield is greatly increased.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automobile shell casting, and in particular to an outer mold structure for casting a shell for a new energy automobile. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of the new energy vehicle industry, lightweight, high-strength aluminum alloy housings (such as motor end covers and battery pack housings) have become key components. Such housings usually have features such as thin walls, multiple ribs, and complex curved surfaces, which place stringent requirements on the casting process: it is necessary to ensure dimensional accuracy and surface quality, as well as to achieve efficient demolding and low defect rates. However, traditional casting molds face the following technical bottlenecks when responding to such requirements.

[0003] When aluminum alloy castings cool and shrink, they tend to produce a clamping force with the mold cavity, especially in high resistance areas such as reinforcing ribs and bosses. Most traditional molds rely on ejectors or inclined ejector mechanisms to force demolding, which can easily cause scratches on the casting surface or rib breakage, resulting in poor yield. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a shell casting outer mold structure for new energy vehicles.

[0005] The present invention provides a shell casting outer mold structure for new energy vehicles, comprising: an upper mold core; a lower mold core; an insert, wherein a plurality of the inserts are arranged between opposite surfaces of the upper mold core and the lower mold core; and a drive assembly, which is connected to the inserts by driving, and when the drive assembly is in a high temperature environment, the plurality of inserts, the upper mold core and the lower mold core are used to form a cavity for molding the shell; when the high temperature environment in which the drive assembly is located cools down, the plurality of inserts move in a direction away from the cavity; The driving assembly includes a thermal expansion extension rod and a hollow positioning block, one end of the thermal expansion extension rod is connected to one end inside the hollow positioning block, and the other end of the thermal expansion extension rod passes through the other end inside the hollow positioning block and is connected to the insert.

[0006] Optionally, a first cooling channel is provided in the upper mold core, one end of the first cooling channel is connected to the hollow positioning block, the other end of the first cooling channel extends from the upper mold core, and the path of the first cooling channel is a serpentine path along the rib groove of the upper mold core.

[0007] Optionally, a second cooling channel is provided in the lower mold core, one end of the second cooling channel is communicated with the hollow positioning block, and the other end of the second cooling channel extends out of the lower mold core.

[0008] Optionally, a first variable seal is provided in the connection between the hollow positioning block and the first cooling channel, and a second variable seal is provided in the connection between the hollow positioning block and the second cooling channel. The second variable seal has the same structure as the first variable seal. When the first variable seal and the second variable seal are in a high-temperature environment, the first cooling channel and the second cooling channel are respectively in a sealed state. When the high-temperature environment in which the first variable seal and the second variable seal are located cools down, the sealing states of the first cooling channel and the second cooling channel are respectively gradually released.

[0009] Optionally, the driving assembly further comprises a conducting frame, wherein the conducting frame is disposed in the hollow positioning block and is connected to the thermal expansion extension rod.

[0010] Optionally, the top of the conductive frame is connected to the first variable sealing member, and the bottom of the conductive frame is connected to the second variable sealing member.

[0011] Optionally, the first variable sealing element comprises a rubber ball and a copper rod, one end of the copper rod is connected to the conductive frame, and the other end of the copper rod is connected to the rubber ball.

[0012] Optionally, a first groove is provided on the bottom surface of the upper mold core, and a second groove is provided on the top surface of the lower mold core. When the upper mold core and the lower mold core are molded together, the hollow positioning block is embedded in the first groove and the second groove, and a connecting groove is provided between the second groove and the cavity, and the insert is arranged in the connecting groove.

[0013] Optionally, the first cooling channel is integrally formed in the upper mold core, and the second cooling channel is integrally formed in the lower mold core.

[0014] The beneficial effect of the outer mold structure for casting the shell of the new energy vehicle of the present invention is: after the upper mold core and the lower mold core are positioned and molded, the upper mold core and the lower mold core are preheated to a preset temperature. At this time, the driving component is in a high temperature environment. A plurality of inserts, an upper mold core and a lower mold core are used to form a cavity for molding the shell. The aluminum alloy molten metal is pressed into the cavity at high speed and high pressure through a pouring system (injection cylinder and injection punch) to ensure that the aluminum alloy molten metal can quickly and accurately fill the cavity. After holding the pressure for a preset time, the upper mold core and the lower mold core are cooled to a preset temperature. At this time, the driving component is cooled to a preset temperature, so that the insert moves in a direction away from the cavity. In other words, the insert can be synchronously retreated outward, and the ejection mechanism lifts the motor end cover casting. Since the insert has no contact with the surface of the motor end cover casting after retreating, the demoulding resistance is reduced, the clamping force between the casting and the mold is eliminated, and the surface strain or rib breakage caused by forced demoulding of the traditional mold is avoided, thereby greatly improving the yield rate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 It is an exploded schematic diagram of the outer mold structure for casting a housing for a new energy vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 An exploded schematic diagram of another perspective of the outer mold structure for casting a housing for a new energy vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of the lower mold core in the outer mold structure for casting a shell for a new energy vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of an outer mold structure for casting a housing for a new energy vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the changing state of a driving component in an outer mold structure for casting a housing for a new energy vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 for Figure 5 A magnified view of the structure in Figure 2.

[0016] Explanation of the reference numerals: 1. upper mold core; 11. first groove; 12. first cooling channel; 2. lower mold core; 21. second groove; 22. connecting groove; 23. second cooling channel; 3. insert; 4. drive assembly; 41. thermal expansion extension rod; 42. conduction frame; 43. hollow positioning block; 5. first variable seal; 51. rubber ball; 52. copper rod; 6. cavity; 7. second variable seal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0019] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "embodiment", "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "exemplarily" and "one embodiment" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or embodiment are included in at least one embodiment or embodiment of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or embodiment. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or embodiments in a suitable manner.

[0020] The terms "first", "second", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features.

[0021] An embodiment of the present invention provides an outer mold structure for casting a shell for a new energy vehicle, comprising: an upper mold core 1; a lower mold core 2; an insert 3, wherein a plurality of inserts 3 are arranged between opposite surfaces of the upper mold core 1 and the lower mold core 2; and a drive assembly 4, which is drive-connected to the insert 3. When the drive assembly 4 is in a high-temperature environment, the plurality of inserts 3, the upper mold core 1 and the lower mold core 2 are used to form a cavity 6 for molding the shell; when the high-temperature environment in which the drive assembly 4 is located cools down, the plurality of inserts 3 move in a direction away from the cavity 6.

[0022] It should be noted that the outer mold structure designed in this scheme is suitable for the manufacture of the shell of new energy vehicles, specifically for the manufacture of motor end covers with reinforcing ribs. The casting equipment used to manufacture motor end covers with reinforcing ribs includes the outer mold structure designed in this scheme, which is used to form the outer contour and reinforcing ribs of the motor end cover; the inner mold structure (not shown in the figure): arranged inside the cavity 6, used to form the inner cavity of the end cover, the shaft hole and the mounting hole; the insert 3 is located between the upper mold core 1 and the lower mold core 2, surrounding the circumference of the cavity 6, and is used to form a complex contour structure of the shell (such as reinforcing ribs). If the shell needs to form multiple radial reinforcing ribs (ribs), the inner side of the insert 3 can be designed as a groove matching the outer contour of the reinforcing ribs (such as Figure 3 ), ensure that the ribs are full and there is no missing material when the metal liquid is filling the mold, the pouring system (not shown in the figure): includes a cross runner and an inner gate, which are distributed along the direction of the reinforcement ribs of the lower mold core 2 to prevent the metal liquid from directly impacting the mold cavity 6; an ejection mechanism (not shown in the figure): is arranged at the bottom of the lower mold core 2, and is linked with the retreat action of the insert 3 to ensure that the casting is demolded without deformation. The casting equipment also includes a fixed mold seat, a movable mold seat, a core measuring and pulling mechanism, etc. This scheme does not involve the improvement of the above-mentioned components, and no further details are given here. For example, when the motor end cover with reinforcement ribs is manufactured, the motor end cover is a thin-walled aluminum alloy part with a thickness of 3-5mm. The outer edge of the end cover is provided with annularly distributed radial reinforcement ribs (height 8-10mm, width 4-6mm), the center is provided with an axial hole, circumferentially distributed bolt mounting holes and heat dissipation grooves.

[0023] In this optional embodiment, if Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, after the upper mold core 1 and the lower mold core 2 are positioned and molded, the upper mold core 1 and the lower mold core 2 are preheated to a preset temperature. At this time, the drive component 4 is in a high temperature environment. Multiple inserts 3, the upper mold core 1 and the lower mold core 2 are used to form a cavity 6 for shell molding. The aluminum alloy molten metal is pressed into the cavity 6 at high speed and high pressure through the pouring system (injection cylinder and injection punch) to ensure that the aluminum alloy molten metal can quickly and accurately fill the cavity 6. After holding the pressure for a preset time, the upper mold core 1 and the lower mold core 2 are cooled to a preset temperature. At this time, the drive component 4 is cooled to a preset temperature, so that the insert 3 moves away from the cavity 6. In other words, the insert 3 can retreat outward synchronously, and the ejection mechanism lifts the motor end cover casting. Since the insert 3 has no contact with the surface of the motor end cover casting after retreating, the demoulding resistance is reduced, the clamping force between the casting and the mold is eliminated, and the surface strain or rib breakage caused by forced demoulding of the traditional mold is avoided, thereby greatly improving the yield rate.

[0024] Optionally, the driving component 4 includes a thermal expansion extension rod 41 and a hollow positioning block 43, one end of the thermal expansion extension rod 41 is connected to one end inside the hollow positioning block 43, and the other end of the thermal expansion extension rod 41 passes through the other end inside the hollow positioning block 43 and is connected to the insert 3.

[0025] Furthermore, a first cooling channel 12 is provided in the upper mold core 1, one end of the first cooling channel 12 is connected to the hollow positioning block 43, and the other end of the first cooling channel 12 extends from the upper mold core 1, and the path of the first cooling channel 12 is a serpentine path along the rib groove of the upper mold core 1.

[0026] Optionally, a second cooling channel 23 is provided in the lower mold core 2 , one end of the second cooling channel 23 is communicated with the hollow positioning block 43 , and the other end of the second cooling channel 23 extends out of the lower mold core 2 .

[0027] In this optional embodiment, combined with Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, during the cooling process, the coolant (water-based solution) enters the hollow positioning block 43 through the second cooling channel 23 to cool the conductive frame 42 and the thermal expansion extension rod 41 .

[0028] Optionally, a first variable seal 5 is provided in the connection between the hollow positioning block 43 and the first cooling channel 12, and a second variable seal 7 is provided in the connection between the hollow positioning block 43 and the second cooling channel 23. The second variable seal 7 has the same structure as the first variable seal 5. When the first variable seal 5 and the second variable seal 7 are in a high temperature environment, the first cooling channel 12 and the second cooling channel 23 are respectively in a sealed state. When the high temperature environment in which the first variable seal 5 and the second variable seal 7 are located cools down, the sealing states of the first cooling channel 12 and the second cooling channel 23 are gradually released.

[0029] Furthermore, the driving assembly 4 further includes a conducting frame 42 , which is disposed in the hollow positioning block 43 and connected to the thermal expansion extension rod 41 .

[0030] In this optional embodiment, combined with Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the conductive frame 42 can be a copper mesh structure, and the conductive frame 42 can be connected to the inner wall of the hollow positioning block 43. The conductive frame 42 can be connected to the thermal expansion extension rod 41 through thermal conductive silicone grease, so that heat and cold can be quickly transferred to the thermal expansion extension rod 41 through the conductive frame 42.

[0031] Optionally, the top of the conductive frame 42 is connected to the first variable seal 5 , and the bottom of the conductive frame 42 is connected to the second variable seal 7 .

[0032] Furthermore, the first variable sealing member 5 includes a rubber ball 51 and a copper rod 52 , one end of the copper rod 52 is connected to the conductive frame 42 , and the other end of the copper rod 52 is connected to the rubber ball 51 .

[0033] Specifically, the rubber ball 51 can be fluororubber, the conductive frame 42 can be connected to one end of the copper rod 52 through thermal grease, and the other end of the copper rod 52 can also be connected to the rubber ball 51 through thermal grease, thereby improving the sensitivity of the rubber ball 51 in response to thermal expansion and contraction. The rubber ball 51 can close the first cooling channel 12 when it expands when heated, and can open the first cooling channel 12 when it contracts when cooled.

[0034] In this optional embodiment, combined with Figure 5 As shown, heat and cold can be quickly transferred to the first variable seal 5 through the conductive frame 42 , and the second variable seal 7 can be stably fixed at the connection point between the hollow positioning block 43 and the second cooling channel 23 through the conductive frame 42 . When the upper mold core 1 and the lower mold core 2 are preheated to a preset temperature, the thermal expansion extension rod 41 is heated and elongated, pushing the insert 3 to move toward the center of the cavity 6, and the insert 3 is tightly fitted with the connecting groove 22 and the bottom surface of the lower mold core 2, thereby closing and forming a complete cavity 6. At this time, the first variable seal 5 and the second variable seal 7 respectively close the first cooling channel 12 and the second cooling channel 23, thereby improving the pressure holding effect. When the upper mold core 1 and the lower mold core 2 are cooled, by injecting coolant into the second cooling channel 23, the second variable seal 7 shrinks when it is cold, so that the coolant enters the hollow positioning block 43 to cool the thermal expansion extension rod 41, so that the thermal expansion extension rod 41 shrinks and drives the insert 3 to retreat outward, and the first variable seal 5 gradually shrinks when it is cold, so that the coolant enters the first cooling channel 12 to cool the rib groove of the upper mold core 1, thereby performing targeted cooling on the rib groove area of ​​the high-stress end cover housing casting, eliminating the shrinkage at the root of the rib groove, and improving the finished product quality of the motor end cover casting.

[0035] It should be emphasized that the coolant gradually cools the rubber ball 51, thereby causing the rubber ball 51 to gradually shrink. In other words, the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the rubber ball 51 and the inner wall of the first cooling channel 12 gradually increases. Therefore, the coolant entering the first cooling channel 12 gradually increases, thereby avoiding internal stress concentration or cracking in the rib groove area of ​​the end cover shell casting due to quenching.

[0036] Furthermore, a first groove 11 is provided on the bottom surface of the upper mold core 1, and a second groove 21 is provided on the top surface of the lower mold core 2. When the upper mold core 1 and the lower mold core 2 are molded together, the hollow positioning block 43 is embedded in the first groove 11 and the second groove 21, and a connecting groove 22 is provided between the second groove 21 and the cavity 6, and the insert 3 is arranged in the connecting groove 22.

[0037] In this optional embodiment, combined with Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the first groove 11 is integrally formed on the upper mold core 1, and the second groove 21 and the connecting groove 22 are integrally formed on the lower mold core 2. When the upper mold core 1 and the lower mold core 2 are molded together, an installation space for the hollow positioning block 43 is formed. During the mold closing, preheating, aluminum alloy molten metal injection and pressure holding processes, since the thermal expansion extension rod 41 is in a high temperature environment, the surface of the insert 3 is tightly fitted with the connecting groove 22 and the bottom surface of the lower mold core 2, and the insert 3 remains in a closed state to ensure that the reinforcing ribs are fully formed. Multiple inserts 3 and the upper mold core 1 and the lower mold core 2 form a complete cavity 6; during the cooling process, since the high temperature environment of the thermal expansion extension rod 41 is cooled, the insert 3 retreats outward (away from the cavity 6).

[0038] Optionally, the first cooling channel 12 is integrally formed in the upper mold core 1 , and the second cooling channel 23 is integrally formed in the lower mold core 2 .

[0039] In this optional embodiment, combined with Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the first cooling channel 12 and the second cooling channel 23 are integrally formed in the upper mold core 1 and the lower mold core 2 respectively, so that the manufacturing of the first cooling channel 12 and the second cooling channel 23 is simpler and the uniformity and stability of the cooling effect are ensured.

[0040] Although the present invention is disclosed as above, the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and these changes and modifications will fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A shell casting outer mold structure for new energy vehicles, characterized in that: include: Upper mold core(1); Lower mold core (2); Inserts (3), a plurality of the inserts (3) are arranged between the opposing surfaces of the upper mold core (1) and the lower mold core (2); and A driving assembly (4) is connected to the insert (3) in a driving manner. When the driving assembly (4) is in a high-temperature environment, the plurality of inserts (3), the upper mold core (1) and the lower mold core (2) are used to form a cavity (6) for molding the shell. When the high-temperature environment in which the driving assembly (4) is located cools down, the plurality of inserts (3) move in a direction away from the cavity (6). The driving assembly (4) comprises a thermal expansion extension rod (41) and a hollow positioning block (43), one end of the thermal expansion extension rod (41) being connected to one end inside the hollow positioning block (43), and the other end of the thermal expansion extension rod (41) passing through the other end inside the hollow positioning block (43) and being connected to the insert (3).

2. The outer mold structure for casting a shell for a new energy vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first cooling channel (12) is provided in the upper mold core (1), one end of the first cooling channel (12) is connected to the hollow positioning block (43), the other end of the first cooling channel (12) extends from the upper mold core (1), and the path of the first cooling channel (12) is a serpentine path along the rib groove of the upper mold core (1).

3. The outer mold structure for casting a shell for a new energy vehicle as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: A second cooling channel (23) is provided in the lower mold core (2), one end of the second cooling channel (23) is connected to the hollow positioning block (43), and the other end of the second cooling channel (23) extends out of the lower mold core (2).

4. The outer mold structure for casting a shell for a new energy vehicle as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: A first variable seal (5) is provided in the connection between the hollow positioning block (43) and the first cooling channel (12), and a second variable seal (7) is provided in the connection between the hollow positioning block (43) and the second cooling channel (23). The second variable seal (7) has the same structure as the first variable seal (5). When the first variable seal (5) and the second variable seal (7) are in a high-temperature environment, the first cooling channel (12) and the second cooling channel (23) are respectively placed in a sealed state. When the high-temperature environment in which the first variable seal (5) and the second variable seal (7) are placed is cooled, the sealed states of the first cooling channel (12) and the second cooling channel (23) are respectively gradually released.

5. The outer mold structure for casting a shell for a new energy vehicle as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The driving assembly (4) further comprises a conducting frame (42), wherein the conducting frame (42) is arranged in the hollow positioning block (43), and the conducting frame (42) is connected to the thermal expansion extension rod (41).

6. The outer mold structure for casting a shell for a new energy vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that: The top of the conductive frame (42) is connected to the first variable sealing member (5), and the bottom of the conductive frame (42) is connected to the second variable sealing member (7).

7. The outer mold structure for casting a shell for a new energy vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first variable sealing element (5) comprises a rubber ball (51) and a copper rod (52), one end of the copper rod (52) is connected to the conductive frame (42), and the other end of the copper rod (52) is connected to the rubber ball (51).

8. The outer mold structure for casting a shell for a new energy vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom surface of the upper mold core (1) is provided with a first groove (11), and the top surface of the lower mold core (2) is provided with a second groove (21). When the upper mold core (1) and the lower mold core (2) are molded together, the hollow positioning block (43) is embedded in the first groove (11) and the second groove (21), and a connecting groove (22) is provided between the second groove (21) and the cavity (6), and the insert (3) is arranged in the connecting groove (22).

9. The outer mold structure for casting a shell for a new energy vehicle as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The first cooling channel (12) is integrally formed in the upper mold core (1), and the second cooling channel (23) is integrally formed in the lower mold core (2).

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