Special-shaped automobile motor water inlet pipe assembly and welding tool thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a special-shaped automobile motor water inlet pipe assembly and a welding tool thereof, relates to the technical field of pipeline welding tools, and aims to solve the technical problem of difficult welding of special-shaped spiral pipelines. The welding tool comprises a machine tool, a clamping mechanism and a welding assembly are arranged on the workbench of the machine tool, and the clamping mechanism comprises a tool clamping unit and a tool feeding unit. The welding tool of the application works cooperatively with the multi-mode welding assembly through the innovative clamping mechanism. The beneficial effects are as follows: the valve module capable of switching the air path state is used to control the driving movement rod, the inner and outer two sides of the welding gun group can be accurately driven to perform the composite motion of approaching, moving away or synchronizing on the arc-shaped guide rail matched with the curvature of the workpiece, so that the precise centering positioning, the multi-mode welding of adaptive pressure control and the long-acting pressure maintaining function after welding are integrated on a single device, the high-precision and high-flexibility welding of complex space components is realized, and the technical problems of low welding precision and poor efficiency of special-shaped spiral pipelines are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of pipe welding fixture technology, and more specifically, to an irregularly shaped automotive motor water inlet pipe assembly and its welding fixture. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in the field of automotive motor cooling system manufacturing, (such as...) Figure 13 Irregularly shaped spiral water inlet pipes are used because they can improve heat dissipation efficiency by increasing the heat exchange area and guiding the flow; however, such workpieces have complex three-dimensional spiral configurations, and their welding ends are usually located on irregular curved surfaces, with strict requirements for coaxiality and circumferential alignment; traditional welding methods mostly rely on manual or simple tooling for positioning and operation, which has problems such as difficulty in workpiece clamping, low positioning accuracy, and difficulty in accurately matching the welding trajectory with the workpiece contour, resulting in unstable welding quality, low pass rate, and heavy dependence on the operator's skill level, making it difficult to meet the needs of large-scale production;

[0003] Existing welding equipment or tooling often has limited functionality, typically only capable of welding at specific angles or along simple trajectories, lacking process flexibility. For welding irregularly shaped spiral water inlet pipes, not only is continuous seam welding required, but also high-precision port alignment and pre-tightening may be necessary before welding, dynamic pressure adjustment based on workpiece heating during welding, and stable long-term pressure holding for special processes such as stress relief annealing after welding. Conventional equipment struggles to integrate and flexibly switch between these diverse welding modes and control strategies on a single machine, resulting in a lengthy process chain, high equipment investment, and difficulty in ensuring consistent welding quality under complex process conditions (such as heat treatment pressure holding). In view of this, we propose an irregularly shaped automotive motor water inlet pipe assembly and its welding tooling. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One of the objectives of this invention is to provide an irregularly shaped automotive motor water inlet pipe assembly to solve the technical problem of difficult welding of irregularly shaped spiral pipes.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an irregularly shaped automotive motor water inlet pipe assembly, comprising a motor body, a motor housing arranged on the motor body, and a water inlet pipe arranged inside the motor housing. The water inlet pipe includes a central spiral pipe and two connecting pipes. The two connecting pipes are respectively welded and connected at both ends of the central spiral pipe. The diameter of the spiral pipe is smaller than the diameter of the connecting pipes, and the welding surfaces A and B at both ends of the spiral pipe are located on the outer wall of its pipe body. The orientation of the two welding surfaces is perpendicular to the axial direction of the connecting pipes to be welded.

[0006] The second objective of this invention is to provide a welding fixture for welding the aforementioned irregularly shaped automotive motor water inlet pipe assembly, comprising a machine tool, wherein a clamping mechanism and a welding assembly are arranged on the worktable of the machine tool, the clamping mechanism comprising a fixture clamping unit and a fixture feeding unit; the welding assembly comprises two sets of longitudinally translatable splicing welding units; each set has two welding components adapted to the welding position at the end of the spiral pipe; one set is welded inside the spiral pipe and the connecting pipe, and the other set is welded outside the spiral pipe and the connecting pipe, wherein during welding, the inner and outer welding components on the same horizontal plane move around the same central arc;

[0007] The assembly and welding unit includes a welding module and a valve module that move longitudinally on the machine tool;

[0008] Any one of the welding modules includes:

[0009] A welding end plate that can be moved to the welding position, on which two welding gun groups that can move in an arc are arranged, and the center of their movement trajectory coincides with the axis of rotation of the welding surface;

[0010] A curved channel is provided inside the welding end plate, and a first pipe and a second pipe coaxial with both ends of the curved channel are connected to the welding end plate.

[0011] A sliding rod is sealed and slidably disposed within the first pipe and the curved passageway, and a telescopic rod is fixedly connected to the end plates of the sliding rod, with the output end of the telescopic rod hinged to the welding gun assembly;

[0012] The valve module can switch the on / off state of the gas path, and drive the moving rod to move the welding torch assembly in an arc shape in opposite directions.

[0013] Preferably, the tooling clamping unit includes a circular frame slidably mounted on a linear guide rail. A plurality of limiting holes are provided in a ring array on one side of the circular frame. A support rod is slidably fitted inside each limiting hole by a pneumatic slider. The plurality of support rods can be synchronously converged or expanded. A spiral support plate is fixedly connected to the end of each support rod. A groove is machined on each spiral support plate to match the shape of the spiral pipe to be welded and the connecting pipe.

[0014] Preferably, the tooling feeding unit includes a circular end plate slidably mounted on another linear guide rail. A movable disk is rotatably arranged on one side of the circular end plate. A first hydraulic cylinder is hinged to the frame, and the piston rod output end of the first hydraulic cylinder is hinged to one side of the movable disk. Several combination blocks are slidably adapted between the circular end plate and the movable disk in a ring array. Two guide plates on each combination block are respectively inserted into corresponding guide holes on the circular end plate and the movable disk.

[0015] Preferably, when clamping the workpiece, the piston rod of the first hydraulic cylinder extends, driving the movable disk to rotate relative to the circular end plate. This rotation is converted into the synchronous radial outward movement of several combined blocks through the constraint of the guide insert by the arc-shaped guide hole, thereby forming a channel between the combined blocks and the spiral support plate for the workpiece to pass through. When fixing the workpiece, the piston rod of the first hydraulic cylinder retracts, driving the movable disk to rotate in the opposite direction, forcing several combined blocks to move synchronously radially inward. The inner end face of the combined block pushes the spiral support plate in contact with it, causing the several spiral support plates to converge towards the center along their support rods until their grooves tightly fit and hug the outer contour of the spiral pipe and the connecting pipe.

[0016] Preferably, the welding module further includes a limiting base, which is fixedly installed on the machine tool's worktable. A mounting bracket is slidably fitted above the limiting base. A guide rod is slidably fitted inside a hole on the mounting bracket. Hydraulic rods are hinged to the inner walls on both sides of the mounting bracket, and the output end of the hydraulic rod is hinged to the end of the guide rod. The welding end plate is fixedly connected to the moving end of the guide rod. The moving rod is slidably fitted inside one of the channels of the first pipe and the curved channel. Arc-shaped guide rails are fixedly connected to both sides of the welding end plate. Each arc-shaped guide rail has an arc-shaped branch slidably fitted inside in a symmetrical structure. A straight guide rail is slidably fitted on each arc-shaped guide rail, and the center of the arc-shaped guide rail is located on the moving path of the straight guide rail.

[0017] Preferably, the valve module includes a hollow sphere, which is fitted inside the first pipe. A first through hole is formed on the surface of the hollow sphere, and the first through hole is coaxial and connected with the hole on the first pipe. An inner sphere is sealed and rotated inside the hollow sphere. A micro motor is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the hollow sphere. The output axis of the micro motor coincides with the rotation axis of the inner sphere. The housing of the micro motor is sealed through the inner wall of the hollow sphere, and its output shaft is coaxially fixedly connected to and drives the inner sphere to rotate. The side surface of the inner sphere has a symmetrical structure with a main flow hole and a secondary flow hole that is perpendicular to the axis of the main flow hole. An interface with a limit protrusion is fitted inside the first pipe.

[0018] Preferably, the inner sphere can rotate by a micro motor; when the main flow hole is connected to the interface, the first pipe on the two welded end plates is connected to the second pipe; when the secondary flow hole is connected to the interface, one of the main flow holes is connected through the first through hole for gas discharge; when neither the main flow hole nor the secondary flow hole is connected to the interface, the first pipe on each welded end plate is not connected to the second pipe, and the first pipe forms a sealed cavity through the end of the moving rod.

[0019] Preferably, when the main flow hole on one welding end plate is connected to the interface and the secondary flow hole on the other welding end plate is connected to the interface, gas is filled or extracted from the second pipe on one welding end plate. The gas flows through the curved channel, the gas pressure increases, and pushes one of the moving rods to move horizontally. The movement of the first moving rod will compress the gas in its end cavity and transmit the pressure to the end cavity of the second moving rod, thereby pushing the second moving rod to move in the opposite direction. Through the telescopic rod, a force is applied to the straight guide rail, causing the two welding gun groups to move symmetrically, in opposite directions or in opposite directions axially.

[0020] Preferably, when the secondary flow holes on the two welding end plates are connected to the interface, and the two second pipes are simultaneously filled or evacuated with gas, the two moving rods will move synchronously in the same direction under the same gas pressure. The two welding end plates can drive the welding torch assembly to move synchronously from one end of the trajectory to the other end, enabling continuous and consistent arc-shaped movement.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0022] 1. The welding fixture of the present invention solves the technical problems of low automation, poor precision, and weak adaptability in the welding of irregular spiral water inlet pipes by working in collaboration with an innovative clamping mechanism and multi-mode welding components. Its beneficial effects are reflected in the following: by controlling the moving rod through a valve module with switchable air circuit state, it can accurately drive the welding gun groups on both sides to perform compound movements in opposite directions or synchronously on the arc-shaped guide rail that matches the curvature of the workpiece. Thus, it integrates multi-mode welding (such as spot welding and continuous seam welding) with precise centering and positioning and adaptive pressure control, as well as long-term pressure holding function after welding on a single device, realizing high-precision and high-flexibility welding of complex spatial components, so as to solve the technical problems of low precision and poor efficiency in the welding of irregular spiral pipes.

[0023] 2. This invention utilizes an innovative clamping mechanism that combines radial adaptive fitting of the spiral support plate with outer ring constraint of the combined block. This mechanism enables rapid, precise positioning and secure clamping of water inlet pipes with spatial spiral contours, ensuring strict spatial alignment of multiple pipe sections. The core welding components are arranged symmetrically on both inner and outer sides and integrate multi-mode pneumatic control valves, which can drive the welding torch assembly to move along an arc trajectory that perfectly matches the curvature of the workpiece. This allows the tooling to automatically complete the entire welding process from precision centering and positioning welding to synchronous continuous seam welding, thus solving the technical problems of low welding accuracy and poor efficiency of irregular spiral pipes.

[0024] 3. This invention controls the air circuit connection status through a precision valve module. This tooling can switch between at least three core welding modes: differential linkage mode for zero-gap assembly and precision spot welding to ensure welding accuracy; independent synchronous mode for efficient and uniform continuous seam welding; and closed-loop pressure mode to provide long-term stable pressure maintenance for post-weld heat treatment. Furthermore, through sensor feedback and closed-loop control of air pressure, the system can compensate for workpiece thermal deformation in real time during welding, achieving adaptive pressure welding. This multi-mode and intelligent control capability allows the tooling to flexibly respond to different process requirements (such as ordinary connection welding and special post-weld heat treatment) and ensure that the weld achieves uniform penetration and excellent mechanical properties in all positions, greatly enhancing process adaptability and welding reliability.

[0025] 4. The water inlet pipe assembly designed in this invention has a unique structure. Its spiral pipe section adopts a small diameter design, which utilizes the Venturi effect to improve the flow rate of coolant and local heat exchange capacity. The spiral shape can be customized according to the distribution of heat sources inside the motor to achieve targeted and enhanced cooling of local hot spots. The water inlet pipe manufactured by the above-mentioned high-precision welding fixture has high weld strength, good sealing performance and smooth inner wall at the connection, which ensures smooth flow of coolant and long-term reliability of system operation. It improves the overall heat dissipation efficiency and working stability of the motor from both structural design and manufacturing quality aspects, so as to solve the technical problems of low motor cooling efficiency and local overheating. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional partial structural diagram of the present invention, illustrating the longitudinal movement structure of the splicing and welding unit.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the clamping mechanism of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the welding module of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional partial structure of the welding module of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the movable rod of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the welded end plate structure of the present invention, to illustrate the three-dimensional and cross-sectional structure of the valve module.

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the welding module of the present invention in use.

[0034] Figure 9 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the welding end plate structure of the present invention, illustrating the gas path structure of the two welding end plates.

[0035] Figure 10 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the welding torch assembly of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the automotive motor structure of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 12 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the automotive motor structure of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the water inlet pipe structure of the present invention.

[0039] The following are the labeling instructions in the diagram: 1. Machine tool; 2. Clamping mechanism; 3. Welding assembly; 21. Frame; 22. Tooling clamping unit; 221. Circular frame; 222. Limiting hole; 223. Support rod; 224. Spiral support plate; 23. Tooling feeding unit; 231. Circular end plate; 232. Movable disc; 233. First hydraulic cylinder; 234. Assembly block; 31. Welding module; 311. Limiting base; 312. Mounting bracket; 313. Guide rod; 314. Hydraulic rod; 315. Welding end plate; 316. Curved passageway; 317. First pipe; 318. Second pipe; 319. Moving rod; 3110. Telescopic rod; 3111. Arc-shaped guide rail; 3112. Arc-shaped branch; 3113. Straight guide rail; 3114. Welding torch assembly; 32. Valve module; 321. Hollow sphere; 322. First through hole; 323. Inner sphere; 324. Micro motor; 325. Main flow hole; 326. Secondary flow hole; 327. Interface; 4. Motor body; 41. Motor housing; 42. Water inlet pipe; 421. Spiral pipe; 422. Connecting pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0040] Example 1, such as Figures 11-13 As shown, the present invention relates to an irregularly shaped automotive motor water inlet pipe assembly, comprising a motor body 4, a motor housing 41 arranged on the motor body 4, and a water inlet pipe 42 arranged inside the motor housing 41.

[0041] The motor housing 41 has an inlet and an outlet on its surface; the inlet pipe 42 includes a central spiral pipe 421 and two connecting pipes 422; the two connecting pipes 422 are welded to and connected to both ends of the central spiral pipe 421.

[0042] Combination Figure 13As shown, the diameter of the spiral pipe 421 is smaller than that of the connecting pipe 422. The welding positions of the A end (i.e., welding surface A) and the B end (i.e., welding surface B) of the spiral pipe 421 are both located on the outer wall of its pipe body, and the orientation of the two welding surfaces is perpendicular to the axial direction of the connecting pipe 422 to be welded, so as to ensure a reliable connection.

[0043] Specifically, the spiral pipe 421 adopts a small-diameter design. When the coolant flows through this section, according to the Venturi principle, the fluid velocity increases and the pressure decreases at the location where the pipe cross-sectional area decreases, forming a local negative pressure zone. This design allows the coolant to achieve a higher flow velocity within the spiral pipe 421, significantly enhancing the convective heat transfer effect with the internal heat-generating components of the motor and improving cooling efficiency. The arrangement of the spiral pipe 421 and the two connecting pipes 422 can be specifically designed according to the internal heat distribution of the motor. During motor operation, the stator windings, rotor, and other core heat-generating components typically exhibit a non-uniform temperature distribution, and local hot spots require stronger cooling capabilities.

[0044] The water inlet pipe assembly designed in this invention has a unique structure. Its spiral pipe section 421 adopts a small diameter design, which utilizes the Venturi effect to improve the flow rate of coolant and the local heat exchange capacity. The spiral shape can be customized according to the distribution of heat sources inside the motor to achieve targeted and enhanced cooling of local hot spots. The water inlet pipe manufactured by the above-mentioned high-precision welding tooling has high weld strength at the connection, good sealing performance, and smooth inner wall, which ensures smooth flow of coolant and long-term reliability of system operation. It improves the overall heat dissipation efficiency and working stability of the motor from both structural design and manufacturing quality aspects, so as to solve the technical problems of low motor cooling efficiency and local overheating.

[0045] Example 2, as follows Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a welding fixture for welding irregularly shaped automotive motor water inlet pipe assemblies, comprising a machine tool 1, a clamping mechanism 2, and a welding assembly 3.

[0046] Specifically, such as Figure 3 As shown, the clamping mechanism 2 in this embodiment includes a tooling clamping unit 22 and a tooling feeding unit 23, wherein both the tooling clamping unit 22 and the tooling feeding unit 23 are mounted on the worktable of the machine tool 1 via the frame 21;

[0047] like Figure 3 As shown, the frame 21 of this embodiment includes a bracket mounted on the top of the machine tool 1, a linear guide rail arranged at the end of the bracket, and a hydraulic cylinder fixed on the bracket. The piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder can drive the tooling clamping unit 22 and the tooling feeding unit 23 to move synchronously or independently on the linear guide rail.

[0048] Combination Figure 3As shown, in this embodiment, the tooling clamping unit 22 includes a circular frame 221 slidably mounted on one of the linear guide rails. A plurality of limiting holes 222 are provided in a ring array on one side of the circular frame 221. A support rod 223 is slidably adapted inside each limiting hole 222 by a pneumatic slider. The plurality of support rods 223 can be synchronously converged or expanded when translated. A spiral support plate 224 is fixedly connected to the end of each support rod 223. A groove matching the shape of the water inlet pipe to be welded is machined on each spiral support plate 224.

[0049] Specifically, when the spiral support plates 224 converge toward the center, the spiral water inlet pipe can be fitted onto the spiral support plates 224, and the position of the spiral water inlet pipe can be adjusted so that the spiral pipe body matches the groove on the spiral support plate 224; when the spiral support plates 224 unfold, they can clamp and position the section of spiral water inlet pipe to be welded through the groove, ensuring that the clamped water inlet pipe sections are located on the same spiral axis, and their ports to be welded are aligned in the circumferential direction.

[0050] The tooling feeding unit 23 of this embodiment includes a circular end plate 231 slidably mounted on another linear guide rail. A movable disk 232 is rotatably arranged on one side of the circular end plate 231. A first hydraulic cylinder 233 is hinged on one of the frames 21, and the piston rod output end of the first hydraulic cylinder 233 is hinged to one side of the movable disk 232. A number of combination blocks 234 are slidably adapted between the circular end plate 231 and the movable disk 232 in a ring array. Two guide plates on each combination block 234 are respectively inserted into the corresponding guide holes on the circular end plate 231 and the movable disk 232.

[0051] In the assembled state, the radial inner end faces of several assembly blocks 234 are in active contact with the radial outer surface of the spiral support plate 224.

[0052] Specifically, when clamping the workpiece, the piston rod of the first hydraulic cylinder 233 extends, driving the movable disk 232 to rotate relative to the circular end plate 231. This rotation, through the constraint of the guide insert by the arc-shaped guide hole, is converted into the synchronous radial outward movement (i.e., unfolding) of several combined blocks 234, thereby forming a channel between the combined blocks 234 and the spiral support plate 224 through which the workpiece can pass. At this time, the spiral water inlet pipe to be welded can pass through this channel and let its pipe body fall into the contoured groove on the spiral support plate 224, completing the initial positioning. When fixing the workpiece, the piston rod of the first hydraulic cylinder 233 retracts, driving the movable disk 232 to rotate in the opposite direction, forcing the several combined blocks 234 to move synchronously radially inward (i.e., converge). The inner end face of the combined block 234 pushes the spiral support plate 224 in contact with it, causing the several spiral support plates 224 to converge towards the center along their support rod 223 until their grooves tightly fit and hug the outer contour of the water inlet pipe, realizing the final clamping and fixing of the workpiece.

[0053] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 8 As shown, in this embodiment, the welding assembly 3 includes two sets of longitudinally translatable splicing welding units, which are symmetrically arranged above the worktable of the machine tool 1. Each set of splicing welding units has two welding components corresponding to the welding positions of the spiral water inlet pipe ends to be welded, and the two welding components on each set of splicing welding units are arranged according to the welding surface of the spiral water inlet pipe ends. The welding components on one set of splicing welding units are adjusted by longitudinal movement, so that the welding components can weld the spiral water inlet pipe connections inside the several assembly blocks 234. The welding components on the other set of splicing welding units are adjusted by longitudinal movement, so that the welding components can weld the spiral water inlet pipe connections outside the several assembly blocks 234. During welding, the welding components mounted on the same horizontal plane on the two sets of splicing welding units located inside and outside the several assembly blocks 234 move in the same central arc.

[0054] In this embodiment, the two sets of welding units are identical in components and functions, and are used to collaboratively complete the welding operation of a specific port of the spiral water inlet pipe. Taking any one of them as an example: the welding unit includes a welding module 31 and a valve module 32 that move longitudinally on the machine tool 1, as detailed below:

[0055] Combination Figure 2 and Figures 4-10As shown, in this embodiment, the welding module 31 includes a limiting base 311, which is fixedly installed on the worktable of the machine tool 1. A mounting bracket 312 is slidably fitted above the limiting base 311. A guide rod 313 is slidably sleeved in a hole on the mounting bracket 312. Hydraulic rods 314 are hinged to the inner walls on both sides of the mounting bracket 312, and the output end of the hydraulic rod 314 is hinged to the end of the guide rod 313. A welding end plate 315 is fixedly connected to the moving end of the guide rod 313. A curved channel 316 is arranged on the welding end plate 315. A first pipe 317 is fixedly connected to the end of the welding end plate 315, and the axis of the first pipe 317 is coaxial with the axis of one of the channels on the curved channel 316. A second pipe 318 is fixedly connected to one side of the welding end plate 315, and the axis of the second pipe 318 is coaxial with the axis of the other channel on the curved channel 316. A sliding sleeve with a movable rod 319 is provided inside one of the channels of the pipe 317 and the curved channel 316. The two end plates of the movable rod 319 are fixedly connected to telescopic rods 3110. The two sides of the welding end plate 315 are fixedly connected to arc-shaped guide rails 3111, and the center of the arc-shaped guide rails 3111 coincides with the rotation center axis of the welding surface of the spiral water inlet pipe. Each arc-shaped guide rail 3111 has an arc-shaped branch 3112 slidably sleeved inside in a symmetrical structure. A straight guide rail 3113 is slidably adapted on each arc-shaped guide rail 3111. The center of the arc-shaped guide rail 3111 is located on the moving path of the straight guide rail 3113. A welding gun assembly 3114 is installed on the straight guide rail 3113 through a sliding seat that cooperates with it. The welding gun assembly 3114 realizes linear reciprocating motion on the straight guide rail through the sliding seat. The welding gun assembly 3114 is hinged to the output shaft of the telescopic rod 3110.

[0056] The welding modules 31 of the two sets of assembled welding units are fluidly connected through a piping system; specifically, combined with Figures 7-9 As shown, a first pipe 317 on one of the welding modules 31 is inserted into and sealed to the inside of a second pipe 318 on another welding module 31, forming a gas transmission path.

[0057] This invention utilizes an innovative clamping mechanism 2 that combines radial adaptive fitting of the spiral support plate 224 with outer ring constraint of the combination block 234. This mechanism enables rapid and precise positioning and secure clamping of water inlet pipes with spatial spiral contours, ensuring strict spatial alignment of multiple pipe sections. The core welding assembly 3 is arranged symmetrically on both inner and outer sides and integrates multi-mode pneumatic control valves, which can drive the welding torch assembly 3114 to move along an arc trajectory that perfectly matches the curvature of the workpiece. This allows the tooling to automatically complete the entire welding process from precision centering and positioning welding to synchronous continuous seam welding, thus solving the technical problems of low welding accuracy and poor efficiency of irregular spiral pipes 421.

[0058] Combination Figure 7As shown, in this embodiment, the valve module 32 includes a hollow sphere 321, which is sleeved inside the first pipe 317. A first through hole 322 is provided on the surface of the hollow sphere 321, and the first through hole 322 is coaxial and connected with the hole on the first pipe 317. An inner sphere 323 is sealed and rotated inside the hollow sphere 321. A micro motor 324 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the hollow sphere 321. The output axis of the micro motor 324 coincides with the rotation axis of the inner sphere 323. The housing of the micro motor 324 is sealed through the inner wall of the hollow sphere 321, and its output shaft is coaxially fixedly connected to and drives the inner sphere 323 to rotate. A main flow hole 325 is provided on the side surface of the inner sphere 323 in a symmetrical structure. A secondary flow hole 326 is provided on the side surface of the inner sphere 323 and is perpendicular to the axis of the main flow hole 325. An interface 327 with a limit protrusion is sleeved inside the first pipe 317.

[0059] The inner sphere 323 can rotate via a micro motor 324. When the main flow hole 325 is connected to the interface 327, the first pipe 317 and the second pipe 318 on the two welding end plates 315 are connected. When the secondary flow hole 326 is connected to the interface 327, one of the main flow holes 325 is connected to the outside through the first through hole 322. When neither the main flow hole 325 nor the secondary flow hole 326 is connected to the interface 327, the first pipe 317 and the second pipe 318 on each welding end plate 315 are not connected, and the first pipe 317 forms a sealed cavity through the end of the moving rod 319. Specifically, when the main flow hole 325 on one of the welding end plates 315 is connected to the interface 327 (forming a driving path), the other... When the secondary flow hole 326 on one of the welded end plates 315 is connected to the interface 327 (forming an exhaust passage), gas is filled or extracted from the second pipe 318 on one of the welded end plates 315 (while the other end connected to the exhaust passage remains unobstructed). When filling the gas, the gas flows through the curved channel 316, the gas pressure increases, and one of the moving rods 319 is pushed to move horizontally. Since the sealed end channels of the two moving rods 319 are connected through the gas path formed by the above-mentioned connection state, the movement of the first moving rod 319 will compress the gas in its end cavity, and transmit the pressure to the end cavity of the second moving rod 319, thereby pushing the second moving rod 319 to move in the opposite direction (the two moving rods 319 move in opposite directions). In the process, the telescopic rod 3110 applies force to the straight guide rail 3113, causing the two welding torch assemblies 3114 to move symmetrically, in opposite directions, or in opposite directions along the axial direction. This allows for precision spot welding or centering clamping of the spiral water inlet pipe, which requires simultaneous pressure from both sides, ensuring balanced stress on the workpiece during welding and preventing deformation. When the auxiliary flow holes 326 on the two welding end plates 315 are connected to the interface 327 (i.e., a double exhaust passage), and the two second pipes 318 are simultaneously filled or evacuated with gas, the two moving rods 319 will move synchronously in the same direction under the same gas pressure. This allows the two welding end plates 315 to drive the welding torch assemblies 3114 to move synchronously from one end of the trajectory to the other end, completing a continuous arc with a consistent trajectory. The moving part is used for continuous and uniform welding of the spiral water inlet pipe joint, resulting in good weld formation consistency and high welding efficiency. When the inner ball 323 rotates to the neutral pressure holding state where several flow channels (main flow hole 325 and secondary flow hole 326) are disconnected from the interface 327, the entire driving air circuit is closed. If, before this state, the moving rod 319 has been used to drive the welding gun assembly 3114 to press against the workpiece and reach the preset pressure through inflation, then after switching to this state, the welding pressure can be maintained stably for a long time by relying on the elasticity of the compressed gas in the closed air chamber without a continuous air supply. This is crucial for special welding processes such as stress-relief annealing that require continuous pressure holding, and can effectively prevent welding defects caused by pressure relaxation.

[0060] This invention controls the air circuit connection status through a precision valve module 32. This tooling can switch between at least three core welding modes: a differential linkage mode for zero-gap assembly and precision spot welding to ensure welding accuracy; an independent synchronous mode for efficient and uniform continuous seam welding; and a closed-loop pressure control mode to provide long-term stable pressure maintenance for post-weld heat treatment. Furthermore, through sensor feedback and closed-loop air pressure control, the system can compensate for workpiece thermal deformation in real time during welding, achieving adaptive pressure welding. This multi-mode and intelligent control capability allows the tooling to flexibly respond to different process requirements (such as ordinary connection welding and special post-weld heat treatment) and ensure that the weld achieves uniform penetration and excellent mechanical properties in all positions, greatly enhancing process adaptability and welding reliability.

[0061] Working Principle: This embodiment provides an irregularly shaped automotive motor water inlet pipe assembly and its welding fixture. Pipe clamping and positioning: The operator initially places the spiral pipe 421 to be welded in the fixture area. The external hydraulic system is activated, causing the first hydraulic cylinder 233 to work and drive the movable disc 232 to rotate. This rotation is converted into the radial synchronous unfolding motion of several assembly blocks 234 through the cooperation of the arc-shaped guide hole and the guide insert on the assembly block 234. At the same time, by controlling the pneumatic slider, several support rods 223 are driven to move radially along the limiting hole 222 on the circular frame 221, causing several spiral support plates 224 fixed at the ends of the support rods 223 to converge towards the center. At this time, the unfolded assembly blocks 234 and the converged spiral support plates 224 together form a loose assembly channel. The operator axially inserts the spiral pipe 421 onto the surface of the converged spiral support plates 224. Next, the pneumatic slider is controlled in reverse to drive the support rod 223 to radially unfold the spiral support plate 224, so that the contoured groove on each spiral support plate 224 initially fits the outer contour of the spiral pipe 421. Finally, the first hydraulic cylinder 233 is controlled to reverse, driving the movable disc 232 to reverse, forcing several assembled blocks 234 to radially converge inward. The inner wall of the converged assembled blocks 234 contacts the outer surface of the unfolded spiral support plate 224 and applies a uniform radial constraint force, thereby precisely fixing the spiral pipe 421 from both the inside and outside directions through the grooves of the spiral support plate 224, and ensuring that the welded ends of each section are aligned in the circumferential and axial directions.

[0062] Welding torch positioning: An external CNC system drives two mounting brackets 312 to move longitudinally on the machine tool table, initially positioning the welding assembly 3. Then, the hydraulic rod 314 is controlled to extend and retract, pushing the guide rod 313 and its end welding plate 315 to move precisely. Ultimately, one welding end plate 315 (inner welding torch carrier) extends into the spiral pipe 421, while the other welding end plate 315 (outer welding torch carrier) remains outside the pipe. The rotation center of the arc-shaped guide rails 3111 on both welding end plates 315 is precisely aligned with the curvature center axis of the spiral pipe section to be welded.

[0063] During welding, an external control system first moves two mounting brackets 312, aligning the axis of one guide rod 313 with the center of the spiral pipe 421. Then, the first hydraulic cylinder 233 drives the guide rod 313 to move, causing one welding end plate 315 to move inside the spiral pipe 421 to be welded, and the other welding end plate 315 to move outside the pipe to be welded, with both welding end plates 315 on the same horizontal plane. At this time, an external circuit mechanism drives the inner sphere 323 to rotate via a micro motor 324. The main flow hole 325 is connected to the interface 327, causing the first pipe 317 on the two welding end plates 315 to be connected to the second pipe 318; when the secondary flow hole 326 is connected to the interface 327, one of the main flow holes 325 is connected to the outside through the first through hole 322; when neither the main flow hole 325 nor the secondary flow hole 326 is connected to the interface 327, the first pipe 317 on each welding end plate 315 is not connected to the second pipe 318, and the first pipe 317 forms a sealed cavity through the end of the moving rod 319;

[0064] When the main flow hole 325 on one of the welding end plates 315 is connected to the interface 327 (forming a driving passage), and the secondary flow hole 326 on the other welding end plate 315 is connected to the interface 327 (forming an exhaust passage), gas is filled or extracted from the second pipe 318 on one of the welding end plates 315 (while the other end connected to the exhaust passage remains open). When filling the gas, the gas flows through the curved channel 316, the gas pressure increases, and pushes one of the moving rods 319 to move horizontally. Since the sealed end channels of the two moving rods 319 are connected through the gas path formed by the above-mentioned connection state, the first moving rod 31... The movement of rod 9 compresses the gas in its end cavity, transmitting pressure to the end cavity of the second moving rod 319, thereby pushing the second moving rod 319 to move in the opposite direction (the two moving rods 319 move in opposite directions). The telescopic rod 3110 applies force to the straight guide rail 3113, causing the two welding gun groups 3114 to move symmetrically, in opposite directions or in opposite directions axially. This allows for precision spot welding or centering clamping of the spiral water inlet pipe, which requires simultaneous pressure from both sides. The welding gun group 3114 can spot weld the weld joint, ensuring that the workpiece is subjected to balanced force during welding and preventing deformation.

[0065] When the secondary flow holes 326 on the two welding end plates 315 are connected to the interface 327 (i.e., dual exhaust passages), and the two second pipes 318 are simultaneously filled or evacuated with gas, the two moving rods 319 will move synchronously in the same direction under the same gas pressure. This allows the two welding end plates 315 to drive the welding torch assembly 3114 to move synchronously from one end of the trajectory to the other end, completing a continuous, consistent arc-shaped movement. This is used for continuous and uniform welding of the spiral water inlet pipe joint, resulting in good weld formation consistency and high welding efficiency. When the inner sphere 323 rotates... When the pressure holding state is switched to the neutral position where several flow channels (main flow hole 325 and secondary flow hole 326) are disconnected from the interface 327, the entire driving air path is closed. If, before this state, the moving rod 319 has been used to drive the welding torch assembly 3114 to press against the workpiece and reach the preset pressure by inflation, then after switching to this state, the welding pressure can be maintained stably for a long time by relying on the elasticity of the compressed gas in the closed air chamber without a continuous air supply. This is crucial for special welding processes such as stress relief annealing that require continuous pressure holding, and can effectively prevent welding defects caused by pressure relaxation.

[0066] The embodiments disclosed in this invention are preferred embodiments, but are not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can easily understand the spirit of this invention based on the above embodiments and make different extensions and variations, but as long as they do not depart from the spirit of this invention, they are all within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A welding fixture for an irregularly shaped automotive motor water inlet pipe assembly, characterized in that: The machine tool (1) is equipped with a clamping mechanism (2) and a welding assembly (3) on its worktable. The clamping mechanism (2) includes a tooling clamping unit (22) and a tooling feeding unit (23). The welding assembly (3) consists of two sets of longitudinally movable splicing welding units. Each set has two welding components adapted to the welding position at the end of the spiral pipe (421). One set is welded inside the spiral pipe (421) and the connecting pipe (422), and the other set is welded outside the spiral pipe (421) and the connecting pipe (422). During welding, the inner and outer welding components on the same horizontal plane move around the same central arc. The assembly and welding unit includes a welding module (31) and a valve module (32) that move longitudinally on the machine tool (1). Any of the welding modules (31) includes: A welding end plate (315) that can be moved to the welding position is provided with two welding gun groups (3114) that can move in an arc, and the center of their movement trajectory coincides with the rotation center axis of the welding surface. A curved passage (316) is provided inside the welding end plate (315), and a first pipe (317) and a second pipe (318) coaxial with both ends of the curved passage (316) are connected to the welding end plate (315). A sliding rod (319) is sealed and slidably disposed in the first pipe (317) and the curved passage (316), and a telescopic rod (3110) is fixedly connected to the end plates of the sliding rod (319), and the output end of the telescopic rod (3110) is hinged to the welding gun assembly (3114). The valve module (32) can switch the on / off state of the gas path, and drive the moving rod (319) to drive the welding torch assembly (3114) to move in opposite directions in an arc.

2. The welding fixture for an irregularly shaped automotive motor water inlet pipe assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tooling clamping unit (22) includes a circular frame (221) slidably mounted on a linear guide rail. The circular frame (221) has several limiting holes (222) arranged in a ring array on one side. Each limiting hole (222) is fitted with a support rod (223) through a pneumatic slider. The support rods (223) can be synchronously gathered or unfolded. Each support rod (223) is fixedly connected to a spiral support plate (224) at its end. Each spiral support plate (224) is machined with a groove that matches the shape of the spiral pipe (421) to be welded and the connecting pipe (422).

3. The welding fixture for an irregularly shaped automotive motor water inlet pipe assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The tooling feeding unit (23) includes a circular end plate (231) slidably mounted on another linear guide rail. A movable disk (232) is rotatably arranged on one side of the circular end plate (231). A first hydraulic cylinder (233) is hinged on the frame (21), and the piston rod output end of the first hydraulic cylinder (233) is hinged to one side of the movable disk (232). A number of combination blocks (234) are slidably adapted between the circular end plate (231) and the movable disk (232) in a ring array. Two guide plates on each combination block (234) are respectively inserted into the corresponding guide holes on the circular end plate (231) and the movable disk (232).

4. The welding fixture for an irregularly shaped automotive motor water inlet pipe assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: When clamping the workpiece, the piston rod of the first hydraulic cylinder (233) extends, driving the movable disk (232) to rotate relative to the circular end plate (231). This rotation is converted into the synchronous radial outward movement of several combined blocks (234) through the constraint of the guide insert by the arc-shaped guide hole, thereby forming a channel between the combined block (234) and the spiral support plate (224) for the workpiece to pass through. When fixing the workpiece, the piston rod of the first hydraulic cylinder (233) retracts, driving the movable disk (232) to rotate in the opposite direction, forcing several combined blocks (234) to produce synchronous radial inward movement. The inner end face of the combined block (234) pushes the spiral support plate (224) in contact with it, causing several spiral support plates (224) to converge towards the center along their support rod (223) until their grooves tightly fit and hug the outer contour of the spiral pipe (421) and the connecting pipe (422).

5. The welding fixture for an irregularly shaped automotive motor water inlet pipe assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The welding module (31) also includes a limiting base (311), which is fixedly installed on the worktable of the machine tool (1). A mounting bracket (312) is slidably fitted above the limiting base (311). A guide rod (313) is slidably fitted in the hole on the mounting bracket (312). Hydraulic rods (314) are hinged to the inner walls on both sides of the mounting bracket (312), and the output end of the hydraulic rod (314) is hinged to the end of the guide rod (313). The welding end plate (315) is fixedly connected to the moving end of the guide rod (313). The moving rod (319) is sealed and slidably sleeved inside one of the channels of the first pipe (317) and the curved channel (316). Both sides of the welded end plate (315) are fixedly connected with arc-shaped guide rails (3111). Each arc-shaped guide rail (3111) has an arc-shaped branch (3112) slidably sleeved inside in a symmetrical structure. Each arc-shaped guide rail (3111) is slidably fitted with a straight guide rail (3113). The center of the arc-shaped guide rail (3111) is located on the moving path of the straight guide rail (3113).

6. The welding fixture for an irregularly shaped automotive motor water inlet pipe assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The valve module (32) includes a hollow sphere (321), which is sleeved inside the first pipe (317). A first through hole (322) is provided on the surface of the hollow sphere (321), and the first through hole (322) is coaxial and connected with the hole on the first pipe (317). An inner sphere (323) is sealed and rotated inside the hollow sphere (321). A micro motor (324) is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the hollow sphere (321). The output shaft of the micro motor (324) The line is located on the rotation axis of the inner sphere (323). The housing of the micro motor (324) is sealed through the inner wall of the hollow sphere (321). Its output shaft is coaxially fixed and drives the inner sphere (323) to rotate. The side surface of the inner sphere (323) has a symmetrical structure with a main flow hole (325). The side surface of the inner sphere (323) has a secondary flow hole (326) that is perpendicular to the axis of the main flow hole (325). The first pipe (317) is fitted with an interface (327) with a limit protrusion.

7. The welding fixture for an irregularly shaped automotive motor water inlet pipe assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: The inner sphere (323) can rotate by working a micro motor (324); when the main flow hole (325) is connected to the interface (327), the first pipe (317) on the two welding end plates (315) is connected to the second pipe (318); when the secondary flow hole (326) is connected to the interface (327), one of the main flow holes (325) is connected to the interface through the first through hole (322) for venting gas; when neither the main flow hole (325) nor the secondary flow hole (326) is connected to the interface (327), the first pipe (317) on each welding end plate (315) is not connected to the second pipe (318), and the first pipe (317) forms a sealed cavity through the end of the moving rod (319).

8. The welding fixture for an irregularly shaped automotive motor water inlet pipe assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: When the main flow hole (325) on one of the welding end plates (315) is connected to the interface (327) and the auxiliary flow hole (326) on the other welding end plate (315) is connected to the interface (327), gas is filled or extracted from the second pipe (318) on one of the welding end plates (315). The gas flows through the curved channel (316), the gas pressure rises, and pushes one of the moving rods (319) to move horizontally. The movement of the first moving rod (319) will compress the gas in its end cavity and transmit the pressure to the end cavity of the second moving rod (319), thereby pushing the second moving rod (319) to move in the opposite direction. Through the telescopic rod (3110), a force is applied to the straight guide rail (3113), causing the two welding gun groups (3114) to move symmetrically, in opposite directions or in opposite directions.

9. The welding fixture for an irregularly shaped automotive motor water inlet pipe assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: When the secondary flow holes (326) on the two welding end plates (315) are connected to the interface (327) and the two second pipes (318) are filled or evacuated at the same time, the two moving rods (319) will move synchronously in the same direction under the same air pressure. The two welding end plates (315) can drive the welding torch assembly (3114) to move synchronously from one end of the trajectory to the other end, and can move continuously and in an arc with the same trajectory.

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