A bearing cage machining device

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of grinding processing and discloses a bearing retainer processing device which comprises an operation table, a grinding mechanism arranged on the operation table and a clamping mechanism; the clamping mechanism comprises a posture adjusting assembly and a clamp which can be detachably arranged on the posture adjusting assembly; the clamp comprises a clamp main body, a plurality of clamping bodies which are uniformly distributed on the clamp main body in a circumferential direction and a synchronous variable-diameter driving piece which is in transmission connection with the plurality of clamping bodies; the outer side of each clamping body is designed as an arc shape, and the inner side is designed as a flat surface. The integrated clamp with two working modes of inner support and outer clamping is designed, corresponding clamping modes can be selected according to different grinding processing requirements of the inner and outer annular surfaces of the retainer, and the clamp does not need to be frequently replaced, so that the grinding processing of the retainer is more convenient, the problems of low efficiency and positioning error caused by the fact that the traditional device needs to frequently replace special clamps are solved, and the processing efficiency and flexibility are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of grinding technology, and more specifically, to a bearing cage machining apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] The bearing cage is an important component of rolling bearings, its function being to evenly separate and guide the movement of rolling elements. The holes on the cage used to accommodate the rolling elements are called pockets. The dimensional accuracy and surface quality of the pockets have a direct impact on the bearing's operating performance, noise, and lifespan. Therefore, high-precision grinding is often required during the manufacturing process.

[0003] In existing cage grinding equipment, dedicated fixtures are typically used to clamp and fix the cage. However, these fixtures are relatively limited in function; a single fixture can generally only achieve one clamping method: either supporting and fixing the cage from its inner ring surface for grinding the outer diameter and end face, or clamping and fixing it from its outer ring surface for grinding the inner hole and pocket. When different surfaces of the cage need to be machined, the machine must be stopped and the corresponding fixture changed. This process is not only cumbersome, time-consuming, and labor-intensive, resulting in low processing efficiency, but frequent fixture changes also pose a risk of accumulated positioning errors, affecting the consistency of machining accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a bearing cage processing apparatus to solve the aforementioned technical problems.

[0005] The present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problems through the following technical solutions: This invention provides a bearing cage machining apparatus, comprising: Operating table, grinding mechanism and clamping mechanism mounted on the operating table; The clamping mechanism includes an attitude adjustment component and a clamp that can be detachably mounted on the attitude adjustment component; The fixture includes a fixture body, multiple clamping bodies evenly distributed on the fixture body, and a synchronous variable diameter drive component that is connected to the multiple clamping bodies for transmission. Each clamping body has an arc-shaped outer side and a flat inner side; when multiple clamping bodies are gathered together, they form a cylindrical structure with a rectangular groove on the inner side. The synchronous variable diameter drive unit drives multiple clamping bodies to move radially synchronously, giving the clamp two operating modes: In the first operating mode, the plurality of clamping bodies expand outward to support and fix the inner annular surface of the bearing cage from the inside; In the second operating mode, the plurality of clamping bodies retract inward to clamp and secure the outer annular surface of the bearing cage from the outside.

[0006] Preferably, the synchronous diameter changing drive includes a turntable, multiple sliding shafts, and a diameter changing drive unit. The turntable is rotatably disposed inside the fixture body and has multiple circumferentially distributed arc-shaped grooves on it. The clamping body has multiple straight grooves, and the number of sliding shafts, arc-shaped grooves, and straight grooves is the same as the number of clamping bodies. One end of the sliding shaft is fixed to the end of the corresponding clamping body, and the other end slides through the corresponding straight groove and then slides in conjunction with the corresponding arc-shaped groove.

[0007] Preferably, the variable diameter drive unit includes a worm gear coaxially fixed on the turntable and a worm rotating on the fixture body, wherein the outer side of the worm meshes with the worm gear.

[0008] Preferably, at least one of the clamping bodies is provided with a positioning component, the positioning component including a sliding body, an extension body, and an adjustment part for driving the sliding body and the extension body to move linearly. Each clamping body is provided with a through limiting groove, the sliding body is hidden and slidably disposed in the limiting groove, and the extension body is slidably disposed on the sliding body.

[0009] Preferably, the adjusting part includes an adjusting screw 1 rotatably disposed on the sliding body and an adjusting screw 2 rotatably disposed on the clamping body. The adjusting screw 1 is threadedly connected to the extension body, and the adjusting screw 2 is threadedly connected to the sliding body.

[0010] Preferably, the end face of the clamping body is provided with scale lines distributed around the circumference of the second end of the adjusting screw, and the end of the second adjusting screw is provided with marking lines corresponding to the scale lines.

[0011] Preferably, the attitude adjustment component includes a slide rail fixed to the operating table, a translation seat slidably disposed on the slide rail, a translation drive source for driving the translation seat to move linearly, and a composite drive component for driving the movement of the clamp.

[0012] Preferably, the composite drive unit is disposed on the translation seat, and includes a rotary drive unit and a linear translation drive unit that cooperates with the rotary drive unit for transmission.

[0013] Preferably, the grinding mechanism includes a base fixed to the worktable, a movable frame slidably disposed on the base, a linear drive source for driving the linear movement of the movable frame, and a grinding assembly disposed on the movable frame.

[0014] Preferably, a serrated groove is provided on the flat surface inside the clamping body, and the serrated groove is arranged in the same direction as the length direction of the clamping body.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention integrates two working modes, internal support and external clamping, by designing an integrated fixture. For different grinding requirements of the inner and outer annular surfaces of the cage, the corresponding clamping mode can be selected without frequent fixture changes, making cage grinding more convenient. This solves the problems of low efficiency and positioning error caused by the frequent replacement of special fixtures in traditional devices, and improves processing efficiency and flexibility. Meanwhile, its flexible diameter adjustment capability allows the clamp to accurately adapt to a range of cages of different sizes and specifications, significantly expanding the applicability and versatility of the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of the overall appearance of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping mechanism in this invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the clamp in this invention; Figure 4 This is a front view of the fixture in this invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the clamp body in this invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the back of the clamping body in this invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the clamping body in this invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning component in this invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the external clamping mode of the fixture in this invention; Figure 10 This is a side view of the grinding mechanism in this invention.

[0017] In the picture: 100. Control panel; 200. Grinding mechanism; 201. Base; 202. Moving frame; 203. Linear drive source; 204. Grinding assembly; 300. Clamping mechanism; 301. Fixture body; 302. Clamping body; 3021. Serrated groove; 303. Turntable; 304. Sliding shaft; 305. Arc-shaped groove; 306. Straight groove; 307. Worm gear; 308. Worm; 309. Sliding body; 310. Extension body; 311. Adjusting screw one; 312. Adjusting screw two; 313. Scale line; 314. Marking line; 315. Slide rail; 316. Translation seat; 317. Translation drive source; 318. Composite drive component; 319. Limiting groove; 400. Cage. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The subject matter described herein will now be discussed with reference to exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are discussed only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement the subject matter described herein, and changes may be made to the function and arrangement of the elements discussed without departing from the scope of this specification. Various processes or components may be omitted, substituted, or added as needed in the examples. Furthermore, features described in some examples may be combined in other examples.

[0019] Please refer to the following: Figure 1 and Figure 10 A bearing cage processing device includes: an operating table 100, a grinding mechanism 200, and a clamping mechanism 300, wherein the grinding mechanism 200 and the clamping mechanism 300 are both disposed on the operating table 100. The grinding mechanism 200 is mainly used to grind the pockets of the retainer 400. The grinding mechanism 200 includes a base 201, a movable frame 202, and a grinding assembly 204. The base 201 is fixed to the top of the worktable, and the movable frame 202 is slidably mounted on the base 201. A horizontally mounted linear drive source 203 is provided on the base 201. The telescopic end of the linear drive source 203 is connected to the sliding end of the movable frame 202. By telescoping the linear drive source, the movable frame 202 can be driven to move horizontally and linearly along the Y-axis on the base 201. The linear drive source can be an electric push rod, a cylinder, or other structures. The grinding assembly 204 is located on the upper end of the movable frame 202 and includes a rotating part, a linear lifting part, and a grinding tool. The rotating part is used to drive the grinding tool to rotate along its axis, while the linear lifting part is used to drive the grinding tool to move linearly along the Z-axis.

[0020] Please refer to the following: Figure 1 and Figure 2The clamping mechanism 300 includes an attitude adjustment component and a clamp detachably mounted on the attitude adjustment component. The attitude adjustment component is used to adjust the position of the clamp in the X and Y axis directions and can drive the clamp to rotate along its axis. Specifically, the attitude adjustment component includes a slide rail 315, a translation drive source 317, a translation seat 316, and a composite drive component 318. The slide rail 315 is fixed to the top of the operating table 100, the translation seat 316 is slidably mounted on the slide rail 315, and the translation drive source 317 is located at one end of the slide rail 315. Its drive end is connected to the translation seat 316. The translation drive source 317 can be an electric push rod or a cylinder, etc. By extending and retracting the translation drive source 317, the translation seat 316 can be driven to slide linearly along the slide rail 315 to achieve position adjustment of the clamp in the Y axis direction. The composite drive unit 318 is disposed on the translation seat 316. It includes a rotary drive unit and a linear translation drive unit that cooperates with the rotary drive unit for transmission. The clamp is detachably mounted on the end of the linear translation unit. The rotary drive unit can drive the telescopic end of the linear translation drive unit and the clamp to rotate together. The linear translation drive unit can drive the clamp to translate along the X-axis. Since the rotary drive unit and the linear translation drive unit are conventional technical means in this field, their specific structure and working process will not be described in detail here.

[0021] Please refer to the following: Figures 2 to 6 as well as Figure 9 The fixture includes a fixture body 301, a synchronous variable diameter drive, and four clamping bodies 302. The fixture body 301 is detachably connected to the end of the linear translation drive. The four clamping bodies 302 are evenly distributed around the end face of the fixture body 301. The outer side of each clamping body 302 is arc-shaped, and the inner side of the clamping body 302 is provided with a flat surface. The flat surface is provided with a serrated groove 3021, and the setting direction of the serrated groove 3021 is consistent with the length direction of the clamping body 302. The serrated groove 3021 on the clamping body 302 can increase the friction with the cage 400, ensuring the stability and safety of the cage 400 during the grinding process. When the four clamping bodies 302 are closed, they can form a cylindrical structure with a rectangular groove on the inner side.

[0022] The synchronous variable diameter drive includes a turntable 303, four sliding shafts 304, a worm gear 307, and a worm 308. The turntable 303 is rotatably mounted inside the fixture body 301 and has four circumferentially distributed arc-shaped grooves 305. The end face of the clamping body 302 has four straight grooves 306. The number of sliding shafts 304, arc-shaped grooves 305, and straight grooves 306 are consistent with the number of clamping bodies 302. One end of each of the four sliding shafts 304 is fixed to the end of each of the four clamping bodies 302, while the other end of each sliding shaft 304 slides through the corresponding straight groove 306 and finally slides with the corresponding arc-shaped groove 305. The worm gear 307 is coaxially fixed on the turntable 303. One end of the worm 308 rotates from the outside of the fixture body 301 to the inside of the fixture body 301, and its outer side meshes with the worm gear 307.

[0023] The aforementioned fixture has two operating modes. When grinding one side of the outer ring surface of the retainer 400 is required, the inner support clamping mode is selected. This involves directly fitting the retainer 400 onto the outside of the cylindrical structure formed by the clamping bodies 302, with one end of the retainer 400 adhering to the end face of the fixture body 301. Then, by rotating the worm gear 308, it drives the worm wheel 307 and the turntable 303 to rotate together. The four clamping bodies 302, driven by the corresponding arc-shaped grooves 305 and sliding shafts 304, slide linearly along the corresponding straight grooves 306. Once the outer sides of the clamping bodies 302 are tightly fitted against the inner ring surface of the retainer 400, the rotation of the worm gear 308 is stopped. At this point, the retainer 400 is stably supported and fixed by the four clamping bodies 302, and can then be passed through a grinding machine. The grinding mechanism 200 grinds the outer side of the cage 400. When grinding the inner ring surface of the cage 400 is required, the external clamping mode is selected. By rotating the worm gear 308, the clamping body 302 is first adjusted to an expanded state until the inner groove of the cylindrical structure composed of the clamping body 302 is larger than the diameter of the cage 400. Then, the cage 400 is placed into the inner groove of the cylindrical structure. By rotating the worm gear 308 in the opposite direction, the clamping body 302 is moved towards the outer side of the cage 400, and finally the serrated groove 3021 is made to fit against the outer side of the cage 400, thereby fixing the cage 400. Then, the grinding mechanism 200 can be used to grind the inner ring surface of the cage 400. At this time, in order to adapt to the grinding of the inner ring surface of the cage 400, the corresponding grinding tool also needs to be replaced.

[0024] As described above, the fixture of this invention has two usage modes. On the one hand, it allows for the selection of a corresponding clamping mode to meet different grinding requirements, eliminating the need for frequent fixture changes and making the grinding of the cage 400 more convenient. On the other hand, it can also meet the clamping requirements of cages 400 of different specifications, greatly improving processing efficiency and flexibility. Furthermore, the design of the grinding mechanism 200 fully considers actual processing needs. Through the cooperation of the linear drive source 203 and the rotating part, precise grinding of the cage 400 pockets can be achieved, ensuring processing quality and accuracy.

[0025] The synchronous diameter-changing drive component of this invention not only enables synchronous and smooth diameter adjustment, ensuring stable clamping force when clamping bearing cages 400 of different sizes, thus improving machining accuracy and efficiency, but also features a self-locking structure for the worm gear 307 and worm 308. This effectively prevents the clamping component from loosening due to vibration or external forces during machining, further enhancing machining safety and stability. Furthermore, by designing a finer tooth groove density for the worm gear 307 and worm 308, the adjustment accuracy of the clamping body 302 is improved, ensuring better adaptation to different cage 400 sizes and avoiding damage to the cage 400.

[0026] Please refer to the following: Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 In the above solution, when selecting the external clamping mode, during the process of manually placing the cage 400 vertically into the inner groove of the cylindrical structure, the lack of support and positioning on the end face of the cage 400 may cause it to not be in the standard vertical position, resulting in unstable clamping and affecting subsequent grinding. Therefore, this invention further optimizes the above solution, and the specific solution is as follows: Two symmetrically distributed clamping bodies 302 are equipped with positioning components, each including a sliding body 309, an extension body 310, an adjusting screw 311, and an adjusting screw 312. Both clamping bodies 302 have through-hole limiting grooves. The sliding body 309 is slidably disposed within the limiting groove. The extension body 310 is slidably disposed on the sliding body 309, and both ends of the extension body 310 can extend from both ends of the limiting groove to both sides of the clamping body 302. The adjusting screw 311 is rotatably disposed on one end of the sliding body 309, and the outer side of the adjusting screw 311 is threadedly connected to the extension body 310. The adjusting screw 312 is rotatably disposed on the clamping body 302, and the outer side of the adjusting screw 312 is threadedly connected to the sliding body 309. The end face of the clamping body 302 is provided with scale lines 313 distributed around the circumference of the end of the adjusting screw 312, and the end of the adjusting screw 312 is provided with a marking line 314 corresponding to the scale lines 313.

[0027] When clamping the cage 400 using the external clamping mode, one end of the extension body 310 needs to be adjusted to extend towards the serrated groove 3021. This can be achieved by rotating the first adjusting screw 311 in the forward direction, which will cause the extension body 310 to slide linearly along the sliding body 309 until the desired length is reached. At the same time, the distance between the extension body 310 and the end face of the clamping body 302 should be adjusted according to the thickness of the cage 400 and the processing requirements. This can be achieved by rotating the second adjusting screw 312, which will cause the sliding body 309 and the extension body 310 to slide together along the straight groove 306 until the desired position is reached. To ensure that the adjustment amount of the two sliding bodies 309 remains consistent, during adjustment, the operator can observe the position of the marking line 314 and the corresponding scale line 313 on the second adjusting screw to ensure that the two marking lines 314 are at the same position as the corresponding scale line 313. Then, the retainer 400 can be placed into the inner groove of the cylindrical structure, and the end face of the retainer 400 can be made to fit against the end faces of the two extension bodies 310. Through the restriction of the extension bodies 310, the retainer 400 can always be in a standard vertical posture, and then the retainer 400 can be clamped and fixed.

[0028] In addition, when selecting the internal support clamping mode, this positioning component can also be used as an auxiliary clamping structure. After the retainer 400 is fixed on the outside of the cylinder composed of the clamping body 302, the extension body 310 can be adjusted to extend towards the arc-shaped surface of the clamping body 302. By rotating the first adjusting screw 311, the extension body 310 extends towards the arc-shaped surface of the clamping body 302. Then, by rotating the second adjusting screw 312, the extension end of the extension body 310 is made to fit tightly against the end face of the retainer 400, thereby further positioning the end face of the retainer 400. This is suitable for retainers 400 made of relatively soft materials that are not suitable for internal support fixing with large support force, as well as retainers 400 that require multi-directional fixing.

[0029] Thus, by further configuring this positioning component, the present invention ensures that the cage 400 maintains a standard vertical posture when clamping the cage 400 in the external clamping mode, effectively improving clamping stability and thus guaranteeing the accuracy and efficiency of subsequent grinding processes. In the internal support clamping mode, it can also be used as an auxiliary clamping structure to enhance the clamping and fixing effect on the cage 400. Simultaneously, the extension body 310 adopts a sliding configuration, which not only facilitates adjustment of the extension length of the extension body 310 and the distance between the extension body 310 and the end face of the clamping body 302 to adapt to the clamping requirements of different specifications of cages 400, but also provides a certain degree of buffering, preventing damage to the cage 400 during clamping. Furthermore, the extension length and position of the extension body 310 can be adjusted by rotating the first adjusting screw 311 and the second adjusting screw 312, making operation simple and convenient and greatly improving work efficiency.

[0030] Furthermore, the specific process for grinding the pockets of the cage 400 in this invention is as follows: First, the length and width of the pockets are machined using a standard milling cutter. Then, under NC program control, the tool is moved above any corner, and then the tool is aligned and centered to find the precise infeed position at the corner of the pocket. The tool then feeds along the feed direction until it reaches the position required by the drawing, completing the machining of one corner of the hole. The remaining three corners are machined using the same method.

[0031] This processing technology improves product manufacturing efficiency, enabling continuous production in machining centers. One person can operate several machines simultaneously, significantly reducing labor costs. Product accuracy is improved from ±0.2 mm to ±0.03 mm, and surface roughness from Ra3.2 to Ra1. The product development cycle is shortened from 55 days to 10 days, and tooling costs are reduced from 10,000 yuan to 800 yuan. The tool is designed as a mechanically indexable insert, allowing for the machining of rectangular or square holes of any size using the same tool. Tool wear only requires replacement of the mechanically indexable insert, enabling multiple uses with a single tool. Furthermore, the new method is not limited by product structure and can machine both odd and even numbers of holes.

[0032] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of the present invention, all of which are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A bearing cage processing apparatus, characterized in that, include: Operating table, grinding mechanism and clamping mechanism mounted on the operating table; The clamping mechanism includes an attitude adjustment component and a clamp that can be detachably mounted on the attitude adjustment component; The fixture includes a fixture body, multiple clamping bodies evenly distributed on the fixture body, and a synchronous variable diameter drive component that is connected to the multiple clamping bodies for transmission. Each clamping body has an arc-shaped outer side and a flat inner side; when multiple clamping bodies are gathered together, they form a cylindrical structure with a rectangular groove on the inner side. At least one of the clamping bodies is provided with a positioning component, the positioning component including a sliding body, an extension body and an adjustment part for driving the sliding body and the extension body to move linearly, each of the clamping bodies is provided with a through limiting groove, the sliding body is hidden and slidably disposed in the limiting groove, and the extension body is slidably disposed on the sliding body; The adjusting part includes an adjusting screw 1 rotatably mounted on the sliding body and an adjusting screw 2 rotatably mounted on the clamping body. The adjusting screw 1 is threadedly connected to the extension body, and the adjusting screw 2 is threadedly connected to the sliding body. The attitude adjustment assembly includes a slide rail fixed to the operating table, a translation seat slidably disposed on the slide rail, a translation drive source for driving the translation seat to move linearly, and a composite drive component for driving the movement of the fixture. The composite drive unit is mounted on a translational base and includes a rotary drive unit and a linear translational drive unit that cooperates with the rotary drive unit for transmission. The synchronous variable diameter drive unit drives multiple clamping bodies to move radially synchronously, giving the clamp two operating modes: In the first operating mode, the plurality of clamping bodies expand outward to support and fix the inner annular surface of the bearing cage from the inside; In the second operating mode, the plurality of clamping bodies retract inward to clamp and secure the outer annular surface of the bearing cage from the outside.

2. The bearing cage processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The synchronous diameter changing drive includes a turntable, multiple sliding shafts, and a diameter changing drive unit. The turntable is rotatably disposed inside the fixture body and has multiple circumferentially distributed arc-shaped grooves on it. The clamping body has multiple straight grooves, and the number of sliding shafts, arc-shaped grooves, and straight grooves is the same as the number of clamping bodies. One end of the sliding shaft is fixed to the end of the corresponding clamping body, and the other end slides through the corresponding straight groove and then slides in conjunction with the corresponding arc-shaped groove.

3. The bearing cage processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The variable diameter drive unit includes a worm gear coaxially fixed on a turntable and a worm rotating on the fixture body, with the outer side of the worm meshing with the worm gear.

4. The bearing cage processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping body has scale lines distributed around the circumference of the two ends of the adjusting screw, and the end of the two adjusting screw has marking lines corresponding to the scale lines.

5. The bearing cage processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The grinding mechanism includes a base fixed to the worktable, a movable frame slidably disposed on the base, a linear drive source for driving the linear movement of the movable frame, and a grinding assembly disposed on the movable frame.

6. The bearing cage processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping body has a serrated groove on its flat surface inside, and the serrated groove is oriented in the same direction as the length direction of the clamping body.

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