Intelligent assembly device for water meter housing

Abstract

A smart assembly device for a water meter housing includes: an active sleeve, which can be driven to rotate after sliding up and down to a set position, and has an active keyway on its inner wall; a driven sleeve, which is coaxially fitted to the lower wall of the active sleeve, and has a driven keyway on its inner wall, with the driven keyway and the active keyway having opposite openings; a key bar, which is slidably disposed in the groove formed by the driven keyway and the active keyway, used to keep the active sleeve and the driven sleeve in an engaged or disengaged state; and a probe rod, which is slidably disposed in the active sleeve by a first spring, with one end of the key bar sleeved on the probe rod, and a positioning flange provided in the middle of the probe rod, the positioning flange driving the key bar to slide in the driven keyway and the active keyway. This invention achieves intelligent error prevention by converting the thickness of the missing component into the displacement of the probe rod in the height direction, and ultimately into the movement distance of the key bar, thereby changing the state of the driven sleeve and the active sleeve.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of water meter technology, specifically referring to an intelligent assembly device for a water meter housing. Background Technology

[0002] In the current automated press-fitting process for water meter housings, the sealing ring and glass cover are core internal components, and their installation integrity directly determines the product's sealing performance and service life. However, these parts are small in size and are easily missed during the pre-placement stage due to operational negligence or process fluctuations, posing significant quality risks.

[0003] Of particular concern is that existing press-fitting equipment, during the pressing operation, completely covers the casing opening from top to bottom with its press head or mold structure, creating a dual obstacle for both visual and physical inspection. This masking effect renders traditional photoelectric sensing or manual visual inspection methods ineffective in identifying missing internal components during the pressing process. This defect is often only discovered during the final airtightness test or operational testing phase, leading to a high product rework rate and significantly increasing production costs and time losses. Therefore, the industry urgently needs a technical solution that can achieve real-time and accurate error prevention at the press-fitting station to fundamentally eliminate such assembly oversights. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides an intelligent assembly device for water meter housings, which at least partially solves the above problems.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this invention is as follows: This invention proposes an intelligent assembly device for a water meter housing, comprising: The active rotating sleeve can be driven to rotate after sliding up and down to a set position. The inner wall of the active rotating sleeve is provided with an active keyway. The driven sleeve is coaxially fitted to the lower wall of the driving sleeve. The inner wall of the driven sleeve is provided with a driven keyway, and the driven keyway is correspondingly set with the slot of the driving keyway. The key bar is slidably disposed in the groove formed by the driven keyway and the driving keyway, and is used to put the driving sleeve and the driven sleeve into an engaged state or a disengaged state. The probe rod is slidably mounted inside the active rotating sleeve by a first spring. One end of the key bar is sleeved on the probe rod. A positioning flange is provided in the middle of the probe rod. The positioning flange can drive the key bar to slide in the driven keyway and the active keyway.

[0006] Furthermore, the active rotating sleeve has a cavity that deviates from its central axis. The probe is slidably disposed in the cavity. The probe is configured to achieve a combined motion of sliding up and down along the axis and rotating around the axis under the drive of the active rotating sleeve. An eccentric pressure block is fixed at the bottom end of the probe. The eccentric pressure block is configured to detect the installation status of the sealing gasket under the glass cover inside the water meter.

[0007] Furthermore, a guide post is provided inside the cavity, and a spiral groove is provided on the circumferential side wall of the probe rod. The spiral groove is a continuous groove that surrounds the probe rod body, and the spiral groove and the guide post form a sliding fit.

[0008] Furthermore, a side pressure head is embedded at the outer end of the eccentric pressure block. The side pressure head is configured to be driven to slide vertically in a direction perpendicular to the lower wall of the eccentric pressure block. A sensing rod is slidably arranged on the inner side of the upper wall of the eccentric pressure block. The sensing rod is linked to the side pressure head. The sensing rod is configured to drive the key bar to slide in the driven keyway and the active keyway when triggered.

[0009] Furthermore, the axial direction of the sensing rod is parallel to the axial direction of the probe rod, and the upper part of the sensing rod is slidably inserted into the positioning flange, and can move upward to protrude above the positioning flange when triggered, so that the key bar can slide completely into the active keyway.

[0010] Furthermore, a push block is horizontally slidably provided inside the eccentric pressure block. The outer end of the push block is engaged with the top end of the side pressure head through a first inclined taper structure, and the upper end of the push block is engaged with the lower end of the sensing rod through a second inclined taper structure. The push block and the eccentric pressure block are connected by a second spring.

[0011] Furthermore, the intelligent assembly device for water meter housing proposed in this invention also includes a pressing platform. The upper end of the pressing platform is provided with a cylinder, and the lower end of the pressing platform is provided with a fixing mold adapted to the water meter housing. The telescopic end of the cylinder is rotatably connected to the top end of the active rotating sleeve.

[0012] Furthermore, a support plate is provided below the cylinder, and the support plate is slidably connected to the upper wall of the pressing platform via a connecting rod, and the driven sleeve is rotatably disposed in the support plate.

[0013] Furthermore, a motor is provided on the support plate, and a gear set is provided on the output shaft of the motor. The gear set is located on the active rotating sleeve and is used to drive the active rotating sleeve to rotate.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: the probe can contact the glass cover of the water meter downwards during press-fitting and detect whether the glass cover is pre-installed. When a misinstallation occurs, the probe moves to the corresponding position, causing the key bar to separate from the active rotating sleeve, thus preventing the driven rotating sleeve from rotating. This linkage mechanism prevents the cover from achieving threaded engagement with the meter casing, facilitating timely detection of problems. Simultaneously, the eccentric pressure block can rotate with the probe to the edge of the glass cover. When the sealing gasket is missing, the glass cover tilts under eccentric pressure, pushing the sensing rod upwards and again driving the key bar to separate from the driven rotating sleeve. This structure achieves simultaneous detection of missing glass cover and sealing gasket, forming a dual error prevention mechanism and effectively avoiding the problem of missing parts. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the intelligent assembly device for water meter housing according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the transmission relationship of the driven sleeve; Figure 3 for Figure 3 A sectional view; Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged view of section I; Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the connection relationship between the probe rod and the keyway. Figure 6 for Figure 5 A sectional view; Figure 7 A cross-sectional view illustrating the driving relationship between the key bar and the sensing rod; Figure 8 for Figure 6 Enlarged view of Part II.

[0016] The components are as follows: 1. Pressing table, 2. Fixed mold, 3. Cylinder, 4. Support plate, 5. Motor, 6. Gear set, 7. Active sleeve, 8. Driven sleeve, 9. Probe rod, 10. First spring, 11. Cavity, 12. Key bar, 13. Active keyway, 14. Driven keyway, 15. Positioning flange, 16. Spiral groove, 17. Eccentric pressure block, 18. Sensing rod, 19. Side pressure head, 20. Push block, 21. Second spring, 22. Case, 23. Movement, 24. Glass cover, 25. Cover, 26. Sealing gasket.

[0017] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0020] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the existing water meter casing 22 pressing machine includes a pressing platform 1 and an active rotating sleeve 7. The upper end of the pressing platform 1 is equipped with a cylinder 3, and the lower end of the pressing platform 1 is equipped with a fixed mold 2. The groove of the fixed mold 2 is adapted to the casing 22, so that the casing 22 can be fixed during the pressing operation to prevent it from tilting. The active rotating sleeve 7 is located at the telescopic end of the cylinder 3 and is rotatably connected to the telescopic end of the cylinder 3. A support plate 4 is located below the cylinder 3. The support plate 4 is slidably connected to the upper wall of the pressing platform 1 through a connecting rod. A motor 5 is located on the support plate 4. A gear set 6 is located on the output shaft of the motor 5. The gear set 6 is located on the active rotating sleeve 7 and is used to drive the active rotating sleeve 7 to rotate.

[0021] Specifically, before the pressing operation, the movement 23, gasket 26, glass cover 24, and pressure cap 25 on the watch case 22 have all been pre-installed. The watch case 22 is placed in the fixed mold 2. After the cylinder 3 is started, the cylinder 3 drives the active rotating sleeve 7 to move down to the upper end of the watch case 22, so that the active rotating sleeve 7 is engaged in the groove on the pressure cap 25. Then the motor 5 is started, and the active rotating sleeve 7 is driven to rotate through the gear set 6, so that the pressure cap 25 is threadedly engaged with the watch case 22. However, this method cannot confirm whether the gasket 26 and glass cover 24 are missing, which poses a certain risk.

[0022] As a further improvement, such as Figures 2-4As shown in the embodiment of the present invention, an intelligent assembly device for a water meter housing 22 further includes a driven sleeve 8, a key bar 12, and a probe 9. In this invention, the driven sleeve 8 replaces the active sleeve 7 and is connected to the pressure cover 25, driving the pressure cover 25 to rotate so that it is threadedly connected to the housing 22. The driven sleeve 8 is coaxially attached to the lower wall of the active sleeve 7. In order to enable the driven sleeve 8 to be linked with the active sleeve 7, an active keyway 13 is provided on the inner wall of the active sleeve 7, and a driven keyway 14 is provided on the inner wall of the driven sleeve 8. The slots of the driven keyway 14 and the active keyway 13 are arranged opposite to each other, that is, the slot width, slot depth, and groove direction of the driven keyway 14 and the active keyway 13 are consistent, and the two form a complete groove. The key bar 12 is slidably disposed in the groove formed by the driven keyway 14 and the active keyway 13.

[0023] Specifically, when the key bar 12 is fully in the driven keyway 14 or the driving keyway 13, the driving sleeve 7 and the driven sleeve 8 are in a separated state. At this time, even if the driving sleeve 7 rotates, the driven sleeve 8 will not rotate, so the cover 25 cannot be screwed on. When both ends of the key bar 12 are in the driven keyway 14 or the driving keyway 13 respectively, the driving sleeve 7 and the driven sleeve 8 are in an engaged state. The driven sleeve 8 can rotate with the driving sleeve 7 and rotate the cover 25. During the rotation, the movement 23 and other components are pressed into the watch case 22 and the threaded connection is completed.

[0024] To prevent errors, during the pressing and tightening process, it is possible to detect whether the glass cover plate 24 is missing and to feed back this signal to the moving direction of the key bar 12, thereby changing the state of the driven sleeve 8. The probe rod 9 is slidably disposed in the active sleeve 7 via the first spring 10. One end of the key bar 12 is sleeved on the probe rod 9. The probe rod 9 has a positioning flange 15 in the middle, which can drive the key bar 12 to slide in the driven keyway 14 and the active keyway 13.

[0025] Specifically, when the glass cover 24 is missing, its thickness will change significantly. The probe 9, within the active sleeve 7 and driven sleeve 8, continuously moves downwards under the action of the first spring 10 until it contacts the object below. Therefore, the presence or absence of the glass cover 24 will affect the height of the probe 9, meaning the height of the positioning flange 15 on the probe 9 will also change. When the glass cover 24 is not pre-installed, the positioning flange 15 is in a low position, the key bar 12 is completely within the driven keyway 14, and the driven sleeve 8 is separated from the active sleeve 7. Even when the equipment is started... The driven sleeve 8 will not rotate during operation. When the operation is completed, the cover 25 and the case 22 are clearly separated, making it easy to detect abnormalities. When the glass cover 24 is pre-installed, the probe 9 will move up a certain distance, which is adapted to the thickness of the glass cover 24. At this time, the positioning flange 15 will also move a corresponding distance, and drive the key bar 12 to move the same distance, so that the two ends of the key bar 12 are respectively in the driven keyway 14 and the driving keyway 13. Thus, the driven sleeve 8 and the driving sleeve 7 are linked together, and the driven sleeve 8 is driven to rotate, completing the pressing and tightening operation.

[0026] Due to differences in product specifications and models, the installation methods of some sealing gaskets 26 vary. For models where the lower wall of the sealing gasket 26 is directly attached to the upper wall of the movement 23, when the sealing gasket 26 is missing, the overall installation height of the glass cover 24 will be lower than the normal position. This height change will be transmitted to the probe 9 and converted into a displacement signal of the probe 9 in the vertical direction. This displacement signal will then be transmitted to the drive key bar 12 to separate the active rotating sleeve 7 from the driven rotating sleeve 8, thus completing the error prevention action.

[0027] However, for Figure 4 The structure shown, where the sealing gasket 26 is fitted into the groove on the side of the upper wall of the mechanism 23, has a blind spot for detection when it is missing: when only the sealing gasket 26 is missing (the glass cover 24 is correctly installed), the installation height of the glass cover 24 will not change significantly, so the error prevention mechanism cannot be triggered by the height displacement of the probe 9. For this special structure, an additional detection scheme is required to achieve full error prevention coverage.

[0028] To address this issue, in some embodiments, such as Figures 3-5 As shown, the active rotating sleeve 7 has a cavity 11 that is off-center from its central axis. The probe 9 is slidably disposed in the cavity 11. The probe 9 is configured to achieve a combined motion of sliding up and down along the axis and rotating around the axis under the drive of the active rotating sleeve 7. The maximum axial rotation angle of the probe 9 is 360 degrees, that is, it only rotates once at most and will not continue to rotate after sliding a greater distance. An eccentric pressure block 17 is fixed at the bottom end of the probe 9. The eccentric pressure block 17 is configured to detect the installation status of the sealing gasket 26 under the glass cover 24 inside the water meter.

[0029] Specifically, a guide post is provided inside the cavity 11, and a spiral groove 16 is provided on the circumferential side wall of the probe rod 9. The spiral groove 16 is a continuous groove that surrounds the probe rod 9. The spiral groove 16 and the guide post form a sliding fit.

[0030] In some embodiments, a side pressure head 19 is embedded at the outer end of the eccentric pressure block 17. The side pressure head 19 is configured to be driven to slide vertically in a direction perpendicular to the lower wall of the eccentric pressure block 17. A sensing rod 18 is slidably disposed on the inner side of the upper wall of the eccentric pressure block 17. The sensing rod 18 is linked to the side pressure head 19. The sensing rod 18 is configured to drive the key bar 12 to slide in the driven keyway 14 and the active keyway 13 when triggered.

[0031] In some embodiments, the axial direction of the sensing rod 18 is parallel to the axial direction of the probe rod 9, and the upper part of the sensing rod 18 is slidably inserted into the positioning flange 15, and can move upward to protrude above the positioning flange 15 when triggered, so that the key bar 12 can slide completely into the active keyway 13.

[0032] During testing, the probe 9 is eccentrically positioned relative to the central axis of the cover 25. Preferably, the distance from the center of the probe 9 to the central axis of the cover 25 is half the radius of the upper opening of the cover 25. Simultaneously, when the probe 9 penetrates into the upper opening of the cover 25, the eccentric pressure block 17 is positioned close to the central axis of the cover 25 to prevent interference between the eccentric pressure block 17 and the edge of the cover 25. When the probe 9 contacts the glass cover 24, the probe 9 is compressed by the reverse force to move the first spring 10 upward. Simultaneously, the probe 9 rotates, causing the eccentric pressure block 17 to rotate. When the eccentric pressure block 17 rotates 180 degrees from the central axis to the circumferential edge of the cover 25, the eccentric pressure block 17 applies pressure to the glass cover 24.

[0033] If a sealing gasket 26 is installed under the glass cover plate 24, the glass cover plate 24 will be under stable force and will not tilt. The eccentric pressure block 17 will continue to rotate 180 degrees and remain stationary, and will not continue to rotate (even if the probe 9 continues to move upward). At this time, the driven sleeve 8 will rotate and tighten the pressure cap 25 until the pressure cap 25 is screwed into place. Then the cylinder 3 will drive the support plate 4 to move upward, so that the driven sleeve 8 will separate from the pressure cap 25. The probe 9 will move downward under the pressure of the first spring 10 and rotate in the opposite direction for one revolution, so that the eccentric pressure block 17 returns to its initial position.

[0034] If the sealing gasket 26 is missing from under the glass cover plate 24, the probe 9 will move a certain height after contacting the glass cover plate 24 and push the key strip 12 to slide, so that the key strip 12 connects the driven keyway 14 and the active keyway 13 respectively. When the probe 9 slides, it will rotate a certain angle and drive the eccentric pressure block 17 to rotate to the edge. At this time, the side pressure head 19 will apply pressure to the edge of the glass cover plate 24, causing the glass cover plate 24 to tilt. The side pressure head 19 will also slide down synchronously and protrude from the outer side of the lower wall of the eccentric pressure block 17. When the side pressure head 19 slides, the sensing rod 18 linked with it will move up synchronously. After the sensing rod 18 passes through the positioning flange 15, it will push the key strip 12 upward for the second time. The key strip 12 will slide up again and separate from the driven keyway 14, and be completely embedded in the active keyway 13. At this time, the driven sleeve 8 will separate from the active sleeve 7, and the driven sleeve 8 will not rotate, thus realizing the error prevention of the missing sealing gasket 26.

[0035] In some embodiments, such as Figures 6-8 As shown, a push block 20 is horizontally slidable inside the eccentric pressure block 17. The outer end of the push block 20 is engaged with the top end of the side pressure head 19 through a first inclined tapered structure. The upper end of the push block 20 is engaged with the lower end of the sensing rod 18 through a second inclined tapered structure. The push block 20 and the eccentric pressure block 17 are connected by a second spring 21. The second spring 21 always applies a pushing force towards the push block 20, so that the side pressure head 19, which is engaged with the push block 20 by a tapered structure, always has a downward pushing force so that it can apply pressure to the side of the glass cover plate 24. When the glass cover plate 24 warps, the side pressure head 19 has space to move downward. The side pressure head 19 will slide out under the action of the second spring 21 and the push block 20. The upper end of the push block 20, through the tapered engagement, will push the sensing rod 18 upward, thereby realizing linkage.

[0036] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0037] The present invention and its embodiments have been described above. This description is not restrictive, and the accompanying drawings are only one embodiment of the present invention; the actual structure is not limited thereto. In conclusion, if those skilled in the art are inspired by this description and design similar structures and embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention, such designs should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A smart assembly device for a water meter housing, characterized in that, include: The active rotating sleeve (7) can be driven to rotate after sliding up and down to a set point. The inner wall of the active rotating sleeve (7) is provided with an active keyway (13). The driven sleeve (8) is coaxially attached to the lower wall of the driving sleeve (7). The inner wall of the driven sleeve (8) is provided with a driven keyway (14), which is correspondingly provided with the driving keyway (13). The key bar (12) is slidably disposed in the groove formed by the driven keyway (14) and the driving keyway (13) to keep the driving sleeve (7) and the driven sleeve (8) in an engaged or disengaged state. The probe (9) is slidably mounted in the active rotating sleeve (7) by the first spring (10). One end of the key bar (12) is sleeved on the probe (9). The probe (9) is provided with a positioning flange (15) in the middle. The positioning flange (15) can drive the key bar (12) to slide in the driven keyway (14) and the active keyway (13).

2. The intelligent assembly device for water meter housing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The active rotating sleeve (7) has a cavity (11) that is off-center from its central axis. The probe (9) is slidably disposed in the cavity (11). The probe (9) is configured to achieve a compound motion of sliding up and down along the axis and rotating around the axis under the drive of the active rotating sleeve (7). An eccentric pressure block (17) is fixed at the bottom end of the probe (9). The eccentric pressure block (17) is configured to detect the installation status of the sealing gasket under the glass cover inside the water meter.

3. The intelligent assembly device for water meter housing according to claim 2, characterized in that: A guide post is provided inside the cavity (11), and a spiral groove (16) is provided on the circumferential side wall of the probe (9). The spiral groove (16) is a continuous groove that surrounds the probe (9) for one circumference. The spiral groove (16) and the guide post form a sliding fit.

4. The intelligent assembly device for water meter housing according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer end of the eccentric pressure block (17) is provided with a side pressure head (19). The side pressure head (19) is configured to be driven to slide vertically in a direction perpendicular to the lower wall of the eccentric pressure block (17). A sensing rod (18) is slidably provided on the inner side of the upper wall of the eccentric pressure block (17). The sensing rod (18) is linked to the side pressure head (19). The sensing rod (18) is configured to drive the key bar (12) to slide in the driven keyway (14) and the active keyway (13) when triggered.

5. The intelligent assembly device for water meter housing according to claim 4, characterized in that: The axial direction of the sensing rod (18) is parallel to the axial direction of the probe (9), and the upper part of the sensing rod (18) is slidably inserted into the positioning flange (15), and can move upward to protrude above the positioning flange (15) when triggered, so that the key bar (12) can slide completely into the active keyway (13).

6. The intelligent assembly device for water meter housing according to claim 4, characterized in that: A push block (20) is horizontally slidably provided inside the eccentric pressure block (17). The outer end of the push block (20) is engaged with the top end of the side pressure head (19) through a first inclined taper structure. The upper end of the push block (20) is engaged with the lower end of the sensing rod (18) through a second inclined taper structure. The push block (20) and the eccentric pressure block (17) are connected by a second spring (21).

7. The intelligent assembly device for water meter housing according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a pressing table (1), the upper end of which is provided with a cylinder (3), and the lower end of which is provided with a fixed mold (2) adapted to the water meter housing. The telescopic end of the cylinder (3) is rotatably connected to the top end of the active rotating sleeve (7).

8. The intelligent assembly device for water meter housing according to claim 7, characterized in that: A support plate (4) is provided below the cylinder (3). The support plate (4) is slidably connected to the upper wall of the press table (1) via a connecting rod. The driven sleeve (8) is rotatably disposed in the support plate (4).

9. The intelligent assembly device for water meter housing according to claim 8, characterized in that: The support plate (4) is provided with a motor (5), and the output shaft of the motor (5) is provided with a gear set (6). The gear set (6) is located on the active rotating sleeve (7) and is used to drive the active rotating sleeve (7) to rotate.

Images