Intercooler laminated radiator rivet fixture and assembly method

Abstract

The present invention proposes a riveting tool and assembly method for the stacked heat sinks of an intercooler, which belongs to the technical field of automobile intercoolers. The riveting tool of the present invention includes an upper pressure block, a lower pad and a tooth mechanism. A mounting cavity for the stacked heat sink is formed between the upper pressure block and the lower pad. The stacked heat sink is formed by stacking layer A and layer B up and down. Both sides of layer A are extended with a first rack and a first notch. The first racks on both sides are diagonally arranged, and the first notches on both sides are also diagonally arranged. Both sides of layer B are extended with a second rack and a second notch. The first rack is opposite to the second notch, and the second rack is opposite to the first notch. The tooth mechanism is provided on the upper template and the lower template. The tooth mechanism folds the first / second rack and the corresponding second / first notch twice to complete the overlap of layer A and layer B. During the two folding processes, the present invention ensures that the forces between the layers are balanced and the fit is tight during the folding process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automobile intercoolers, and in particular to a riveting tool for stacked heat sinks of an intercooler and an assembly method thereof. Background Art

[0002] As a critical component in automotive supercharged engine systems, the intercooler's performance directly impacts the engine's intake efficiency and overall power performance. Intercoolers typically utilize a stacked heat sink structure, with each fin comprised of two layers. The layers are typically initially secured together using a sprocket mechanism, allowing for subsequent brazing to create an efficient heat exchange channel. To ensure the heat sink's airtightness and structural strength, the sprocket connections between the layers must exhibit excellent fit and consistency. Existing techniques commonly rely on manual riveting with pliers. However, this manual method has significant drawbacks. Firstly, manual pliers are inefficient, making them difficult to scale up. Secondly, instability in manual operation (e.g., uneven force and angular deviation) can easily lead to uneven and tight fit between the two layers behind the pliers, compromising their flatness. This poor fit often leads to weld defects during the subsequent furnace brazing process due to thermal stress and insufficient material flow. This significantly increases the risk of coolant leakage, severely impacting product reliability and service life.

[0003] While some semi-automatic or automated equipment has been introduced for caulking, problems still exist, such as insufficient control accuracy, uneven caulking force, and a lack of effective quality inspection methods. Therefore, there is an urgent need for intelligent tooling and methods that can achieve high-precision and high-consistency riveting control to replace manual operations and improve product quality and production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a stacked heat sink riveting tool and an assembly method for an intercooler to solve the problems of the above background technology.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] On one hand, the present invention discloses a stacked heat sink riveting tool for an intercooler, comprising an upper template, a lower template, and a riveting assembly. The riveting assembly comprises an upper pressing block, a lower pad, and a tooth mechanism. A mounting cavity for the stacked heat sink is formed between the upper pressing block and the lower pad. The stacked heat sink is formed by stacking an A layer plate and a B layer plate up and down, and a heat dissipation belt is provided between the A layer plate and the B layer plate. The bottom surface of the upper pressing block is provided with a first accommodating cavity adapted to the top surface of the A layer plate. The top surface of the lower pad is provided with a second accommodating cavity adapted to the bottom surface of the B layer plate. The first accommodating cavity and the second accommodating cavity are bonded to form a mounting cavity for the stacked heat sink.

[0007] Both sides of the A layer plate are provided with a first rack extending therefrom and a first notch being opened therefrom, the first racks on both sides being diagonally arranged, and the first notches on both sides being diagonally arranged; both sides of the B layer plate are provided with a second rack extending therefrom and a second notch being opened therefrom, the first rack being opposite to the second notch, and the second rack being opposite to the first notch;

[0008] The upper template is used to fix the upper pressure block, and the lower template is used to fix the lower pad. The tooth mechanism is provided on the upper template and the lower template. The upper template and the lower template are controlled to open and close by a driving component. The driving component is electrically connected to the control unit. The control unit receives a mold closing signal and drives the tooth mechanism to fold the first rack and the corresponding second notch twice, and then fold the second rack and the corresponding first notch twice, to complete the riveting of the A layer plate and the B layer plate overlapping each other.

[0009] According to a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the sprocket mechanism includes a sprocket head and a sprocket pressing head. The upper and lower templates are both provided with the sprocket heads and are positioned opposite to each other. The sprocket head provided on the upper template is directly opposite to the overlapping position of the first rack and the second notch, and the sprocket head provided on the lower template is directly opposite to the overlapping position of the second rack and the first notch.

[0010] The buckle head movably connected to the upper template moves downward to fold the first rack downward by 90°, and the buckle head movably connected to the lower template moves upward to fold the second rack upward by 90°, completing the first folding; the first rack continues to be folded 90° inwardly by the buckle head to fit the plane of the second notch, and the second rack continues to be folded 90° inwardly by the buckle head to fit the plane of the first notch, completing the second folding.

[0011] Further preferably, the lower template is also provided with a cylinder assembly for pushing the crimping head laterally; the cylinder assembly includes a cylinder and a cylinder fixing seat, and multiple cylinder fixing seats are all provided on the lower template and symmetrically distributed on the sides of the first / second rack. The cylinder fixing seat is provided with a cylinder, and the cylinder is electrically connected to the control unit. The front end of the cylinder is provided with a crimping head, and the control unit controls the cylinder to extend and retract to push the crimping head to complete the second folding.

[0012] In another aspect of the present invention, a method for riveting and assembling laminated heat sinks of an intercooler comprises the following steps:

[0013] S100, placing the A layer plate and the B layer plate between the upper pressing block and the lower pad respectively, so that the first rack of the A layer plate corresponds to the second notch of the B layer plate, and the second rack of the B layer plate corresponds to the first notch of the A layer plate, and closing the mold;

[0014] S200: After receiving the mold closing signal, the control unit starts the first folding operation:

[0015] S300: Install a pressure sensor on each tooth head. Multiple tooth heads corresponding to the A-layer plate and the B-layer plate move synchronously under the drive of an independent force control system. The actual folding force of each tooth head is collected in real time and PID adjustment is performed.

[0016] S400: After the first folding is completed, the control unit controls the cylinder assembly to drive the crimping head to perform the second folding;

[0017] S500. Install a laser distance measuring sensor. After the folding is completed, the laser distance measuring sensor detects the length of the horizontal section of the first rack and the second rack after the folding. The control unit makes a quality judgment based on the detection result. If the detection value deviation exceeds the set threshold, it is judged as a defective product and the corresponding treatment measures are executed to complete the riveting assembly of a workpiece.

[0018] The preferred technical solution of the present invention, the specific process of step S300 is as follows: each sprocket head is driven by an independent driving unit, and a force sensor is set in its driving path to collect the actual folding force applied by the sprocket head in real time, and the control unit controls the force of each channel separately through PID adjustment; the average force of the actual folding force of multiple sprocket heads is calculated. , when the deviation between the actual folding force of any channel and the average force = Exceeding the set threshold When the folding force of the channel is adjusted, the control unit will make force compensation adjustments to the channel until the folding force of all channels is consistent, ensuring that the force of the A layer and the B layer is balanced and tightly fitted during the folding process.

[0019] The preferred technical solution of the present invention, the specific process of step S500 is to set a laser distance measuring sensor at the end position of the horizontal section of each sprocket fold, and the laser distance measuring sensor measures the length of the horizontal section at the position in real time. i The measurement value of each detection point is L i , set the design value of the horizontal section length after folding to L0, and calculate the relative error of each detection point: , when the relative error of any detection point Exceeding the set threshold If the test point is found to be unqualified, the system will send out an alarm signal and automatically mark the workpiece.

[0020] In summary, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0021] The present invention respectively provides diagonally arranged buckle heads on the upper pressure block and the lower pad, and adopts a four-channel independent force control system to monitor and adjust the folding force of each buckle head in real time, ensuring that the four buckle heads are subjected to balanced force during the first folding process, effectively avoiding problems such as poor layer fitting and poor flatness caused by uneven force in traditional manual operations, thereby significantly improving the stability and consistency of riveting quality.

[0022] After the second fold is completed, the present invention uses a laser ranging sensor to measure the length of the horizontal section of the sprocket in real time. A control unit then calculates the relative error at each detection point to automatically determine whether the riveting quality is acceptable. This passive detection mechanism not only quantifies and automates quality assessment but also enables the timely removal of substandard products, reducing the risk of weld leakage during the subsequent brazing process and improving the overall reliability of the product.

[0023] By linking the control unit with actuators such as drive components, sensors, and cylinders, this invention achieves automated control of the entire riveting process, reducing manual intervention and improving production efficiency. The system also boasts excellent scalability and can be integrated with the factory's MES system to enable production data traceability and quality management, providing strong support for enterprises' intelligent manufacturing upgrades. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 2. It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the stacked heat sink riveting tooling of the intercooler of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the riveting tooling for the stacked heat sinks of the intercooler of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 1. It is a top view of the riveting tooling for the stacked heat sinks of the intercooler of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 is a side view of the riveting tooling for the stacked fins of the intercooler of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the A layer in the stacked heat sink;

[0029] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the B layer in the stacked heat sink;

[0030] Figure 7 It is a cross-sectional view of a stacked heat sink;

[0031] Among them: 1-upper pressure block, 2-A layer, 20-first notch, 21-first rack, 3-heat dissipation belt, 4-B layer, 40-second notch, 41-second rack, 5-lower pad, 6-tooth head, 7-pressing head. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The following is a detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments given here are only used to illustrate and explain the present invention and cannot be used to limit the present invention.

[0033] It should be noted that many specific details are set forth in the following description to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also have other implementations and variations thereof. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0034] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, a stacked heat sink riveting tool for an intercooler includes an upper template, a lower template (not shown, similar to most upper and lower templates on the market) and a riveting assembly. The riveting assembly includes an upper pressing block 1, a lower pad 5 and a tooth mechanism. A mounting cavity for the stacked heat sink is formed between the upper pressing block 1 and the lower pad 5. The stacked heat sink is formed by stacking an A layer 2 and a B layer 4, with a heat dissipation belt 3 provided between the A layer 2 and the B layer 4. The bottom surface of the upper pressing block 1 is provided with a first accommodating cavity adapted to the top surface of the A layer 2. The top surface of the lower pad 5 is provided with a second accommodating cavity adapted to the bottom surface of the B layer 4. The first accommodating cavity and the second accommodating cavity are bonded to form the mounting cavity for the stacked heat sink.

[0035] Both sides of the A layer board 2 are extended with a first rack 21 and a first notch 20, and the first racks 21 on both sides are diagonally arranged, and the first notches 20 on both sides are also diagonally arranged. Both sides of the B layer board 4 are extended with a second rack 41 and a second notch 40, and the first rack 21 is opposite to the second notch 40, and the second rack 41 is opposite to the first notch 20;

[0036] The upper template is used to fix the upper pressure block 1, and the lower template is used to fix the lower pad 5. The tooth mechanism is provided on the upper template and the lower template. The upper template and the lower template are controlled to open and close by the driving component. The driving component is electrically connected to the control unit. The control unit receives the mold closing signal and drives the tooth mechanism to fold the first rack 21 and the corresponding second notch 40 twice, and then fold the second rack 41 and the corresponding first notch 20 twice, thereby completing the riveting of the A layer plate 2 and the B layer plate 4 overlapping each other.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment of this embodiment, the sprocket mechanism includes a sprocket head 6 and a sprocket head 7. The upper and lower templates are both provided with the sprocket heads 6 and are positioned opposite each other. The sprocket head 6 provided on the upper template is directly opposite to the overlapping position of the first rack 21 and the second notch 40, and the sprocket head 6 provided on the lower template is directly opposite to the overlapping position of the second rack 41 and the first notch 20.

[0038] The buckle head 6 movably connected to the upper template moves downward to fold the first rack 21 downward by 90°, and the buckle head 6 movably connected to the lower template moves upward to fold the second rack 41 upward by 90°, completing the first folding; the first rack 21 continues to be folded 90° inwardly by the buckle head 7 to fit the plane of the second notch 40, and the second rack 41 continues to be folded 90° inwardly by the buckle head 7 to fit the plane of the first notch 20, completing the second folding.

[0039] Further preferably, a cylinder assembly is also provided on the lower template for pushing the crimping head 7 laterally; the cylinder assembly includes a cylinder and a cylinder fixing seat, and a plurality of the cylinder fixing seats are all provided on the lower template and symmetrically distributed on the sides of the first / second rack. A cylinder is provided on the cylinder fixing seat, and the cylinder is electrically connected to the control unit. A crimping head 7 is provided at the front end of the cylinder, and the control unit controls the cylinder to extend and retract to push the crimping head 7 to complete the second folding.

[0040] In another aspect of this embodiment, a method for riveting and assembling laminated heat sinks of an intercooler includes the following steps:

[0041] S100, place the A layer board 2 and the B layer board 4 between the upper pressing block 1 and the lower spacer 5 respectively, so that the first rack 21 of the A layer board 2 corresponds to the second notch 40 of the B layer board 4, and the second rack 41 of the B layer board 4 corresponds to the first notch 20 of the A layer board 2, and close the mold;

[0042] S200: After receiving the mold closing signal, the control unit initiates the first folding operation: the two diagonally arranged sprocket heads 6 of the upper template fold the first rack 21 of the A layer 2 downward and closely contact the second notch 40 of the B layer 4; the two diagonally arranged sprocket heads 6 of the lower template fold the second rack 41 of the B layer 4 upward and closely contact the first notch 20 of the A layer 2, forming a "hugging" posture between the A layer 2 and the B layer 4;

[0043] S300. Install a pressure sensor on each sprocket head 6. Driven by an independent force control system, the multiple sprocket heads 6 corresponding to the A layer 2 and the B layer 4 move synchronously. The actual folding force of each sprocket head 6 is collected in real time and PID adjustment is performed. During the first folding process of this embodiment, the four sprocket heads 6 corresponding to the A layer 2 and the B layer 4 are driven by independent drive units respectively. The actual folding force of each sprocket head 6 is collected in real time through the pressure sensor. The control unit performs closed-loop force control on the four channels according to the PID control algorithm to ensure that the folding force of the four sprocket heads 6 is balanced.

[0044] The specific process is as follows: each sprocket head 6 is driven by an independent driving unit, and a force sensor is set in its driving path to collect the actual folding force signal applied by the sprocket head 6 over time in real time. The control unit controls the force of each channel separately through PID adjustment: i The target folding force of each sprocket head 6 is , at time t, the actual folding force collected is , then the force error for:

[0045]

[0046] The control unit calculates the adjustment amount of the channel according to the PID control algorithm :

[0047]

[0048] in, It represents the force error of the tooth head at time t; Indicates the adjustment amount of the channel calculated at time t; 、 、 is the PID adjustment parameter;

[0049] In order to ensure that the four points between the layers are balanced, the average force of the actual folding force of the four buckle heads 6, two on each side, is calculated. , when the deviation between the actual folding force of any channel and the average force = Exceeding the set threshold When the control unit adjusts the force compensation of the channel:

[0050] when , indicating that the folding force provided by the buckle head 6 is too small and the adjustment amount needs to be increased;

[0051] when , indicating that the folding force provided by the buckle head 6 is too large and the adjustment amount needs to be reduced;

[0052] Gradually adjust the system to stabilize and converge until the folding forces of all channels tend to be consistent, ensuring that the forces on the A layer 2 and the B layer 4 are balanced and tightly fitted during the folding process.

[0053] S400: After the first folding is completed, the cylinder assembly drives the crimping head 7 to perform a second folding, folding the first rack 21 and the second rack 41 by another 90° so that they fit in the corresponding notch planes;

[0054] S500, install the laser distance sensor. After the folding is completed, the laser distance sensor detects the length of the horizontal section after the first rack 21 and the second rack 41 are folded. Figure 7 ,The control unit makes a quality judgment based on the test results. If the test value deviation exceeds the set threshold, it is judged as a defective product and the corresponding treatment measures are executed to complete the riveting assembly of a workpiece.

[0055] The specific process is to set a laser distance measuring sensor at the end of the horizontal section of each buckle fold, and the laser distance measuring sensor measures the length of the horizontal section at this position in real time. i The measurement value of each detection point is L i , set the design value of the horizontal section length after folding to L0, and calculate the relative error of each detection point: , when the relative error of any detection point Exceeding the set threshold =±3%, the inspection point is judged to be unqualified, the system sends an alarm signal and automatically marks the workpiece.

[0056] This ensures consistent dimensions for each tether after folding, preventing problems such as loose laminates and weld leaks caused by improperly folded tethers. When a defective part is detected, the control unit immediately issues an alarm and automatically marks the part. An optional automatic rejection mechanism automatically removes defective parts, preventing them from entering subsequent processes. Real-time feedback control achieves closed-loop control of riveting quality, ensuring consistent product quality.

[0057] In this embodiment, the length of the horizontal section after the buckle teeth are folded directly reflects the angle of the buckle teeth folding, the tightness of the fit, and the bonding state between the layers. If a buckle tooth is not folded in place or is folded excessively, the length of the horizontal section will deviate from the design value, thereby affecting the quality of the fit between the layers. Therefore, selecting the length of the horizontal section as the detection object can intuitively and accurately reflect the riveting quality. The length of the horizontal section after the buckle teeth are folded is detected in real time by a laser ranging sensor, which is used as the basis for judging the riveting quality, ensuring the consistency of the size of each buckle tooth after folding, thereby indirectly reflecting the tightness of the fit between the layers and the reliability of the riveting quality.

[0058] It should be understood that the above embodiments are one or more embodiments of the present invention, and there are many other embodiments and variations thereof based on the present invention; the variations and modifications made by ordinary technicians in this industry through the present invention without making groundbreaking innovations all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A riveting tool for stacked heat sinks of an intercooler, comprising an upper template, a lower template, and a riveting assembly, characterized in that: The riveting assembly includes an upper pressing block, a lower pad and a tooth mechanism. A mounting cavity for a stacked heat sink is formed between the upper pressing block and the lower pad. The stacked heat sink is formed by stacking layer A and layer B. The bottom surface of the upper pressing block is provided with a first accommodating cavity adapted to the top surface of layer A. The top surface of the lower pad is provided with a second accommodating cavity adapted to the bottom surface of layer B. The first accommodating cavity and the second accommodating cavity are bonded to form a mounting cavity for the stacked heat sink. Both sides of the A layer plate are provided with a first rack extending therefrom and a first notch being opened therefrom, the first racks on both sides being diagonally arranged, and the first notches on both sides being diagonally arranged; both sides of the B layer plate are provided with a second rack extending therefrom and a second notch being opened therefrom, the first rack being opposite to the second notch, and the second rack being opposite to the first notch; The upper template is used to fix the upper pressure block, and the lower template is used to fix the lower pad. The tooth-gripping mechanism is provided on the upper template and the lower template. The upper template and the lower template are controlled to open and close by a driving component. The driving component is electrically connected to the control unit. The control unit receives a mold closing signal and drives the tooth-gripping mechanism to fold the first rack and the corresponding second notch twice, and then fold the second rack and the corresponding first notch twice, thereby completing the riveting of the A layer and the B layer. The clasp mechanism includes a clasp head and a clasp pressing head. The upper and lower templates are both provided with the clasp heads and are positioned opposite to each other. The clasp head provided on the upper template is directly opposite to the overlapping position of the first rack and the second notch, and the clasp head provided on the lower template is directly opposite to the overlapping position of the second rack and the first notch. The buckle head movably connected to the upper template moves downward to fold the first rack downward by 90°, and the buckle head movably connected to the lower template moves upward to fold the second rack upward by 90°, completing the first folding; the first rack continues to be folded 90° inwardly by the buckle head to fit the plane of the second notch, and the second rack continues to be folded 90° inwardly by the buckle head to fit the plane of the first notch, completing the second folding.

2. The stacked fin riveting tool for an intercooler according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower template is also provided with a cylinder assembly for pushing the crimping head laterally; the cylinder assembly includes a cylinder and a cylinder fixing seat, and multiple cylinder fixing seats are all provided on the lower template and symmetrically distributed on the sides of the first rack and the second rack. A cylinder is provided on the cylinder fixing seat, and the cylinder is electrically connected to the control unit. A crimping head is provided at the front end of the cylinder, and the control unit controls the cylinder to extend and retract to push the crimping head to complete the second folding.

3. The stacked fin riveting tool for an intercooler according to claim 1, characterized in that: A heat dissipation belt is provided between the A layer board and the B layer board.

4. A method for riveting and assembling laminated heat sinks of an intercooler, characterized in that: The stacked heat sink riveting tool for the intercooler according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the assembly method comprises the following steps: S100, placing the A layer plate and the B layer plate between the upper pressing block and the lower pad respectively, so that the first rack of the A layer plate corresponds to the second notch of the B layer plate, and the second rack of the B layer plate corresponds to the first notch of the A layer plate, and closing the mold; S200: After receiving the mold closing signal, the control unit starts the first folding operation; S300: Install a pressure sensor on each tooth head. Multiple tooth heads corresponding to the A-layer plate and the B-layer plate move synchronously under the drive of an independent force control system. The actual folding force of each tooth head is collected in real time and PID adjustment is performed. S400: After the first folding is completed, the control unit controls the cylinder assembly to drive the crimping head to perform the second folding; S500. Install a laser distance measuring sensor. After the folding is completed, the laser distance measuring sensor detects the length of the horizontal section of the first rack and the second rack after the folding. The control unit makes a quality judgment based on the detection result. If the detection value deviation exceeds the set threshold, it is judged as a defective product and the corresponding treatment measures are executed to complete the riveting assembly of a workpiece.

5. The method for riveting and assembling laminated heat sinks of an intercooler according to claim 4, characterized in that: The specific process of step S300 is that each sprocket head is driven by an independent driving unit, and a pressure sensor is set in its driving path to collect the actual folding force applied by the sprocket head in real time. , the control unit controls the channel of each drive path individually and adjusts it through PID; Calculate the average force of the actual bending force of multiple sprocket heads , when the deviation between the actual folding force of any channel and the average force = Exceeding the set threshold When the folding force of each channel is adjusted, the control unit will make force compensation adjustments to the channel until the folding force of all channels becomes consistent.

6. The method for riveting and assembling laminated heat sinks of an intercooler according to claim 4, characterized in that: The specific process of step S500 is to set a laser distance measuring sensor at the end position of the horizontal section of each folded tooth, and the laser distance measuring sensor measures the length of the horizontal section at this position in real time. The measurement value of the i-th detection point is set to L i , set the design value of the horizontal section length after folding to L0, and calculate the relative error of each detection point: , when the relative error of any detection point exceeds the set threshold If the test point is found to be unqualified, the system will send out an alarm signal and automatically mark the workpiece.

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