Airtightness detection equipment for automobile muffler

Abstract

This application discloses an airtightness testing device for automotive mufflers, including a base, multiple clamping components, a drive unit, and a transmission mechanism. The base has a placement station for placing the muffler body. The clamping components are horizontally slidably disposed on both sides of the top of the base and located on both sides of the placement station. Correspondingly cooperating clamping components form clamping assembly one and clamping assembly two. The drive unit is mounted on the base, and the transmission mechanism is mounted on the base with its input end connected to the output end of the drive unit. The output end of the transmission mechanism is connected to the clamping components. The beneficial effects of this application are: firstly, clamping assembly one completes clamping and positioning, at which point the area of ​​the muffler body corresponding to clamping assembly two is exposed; subsequently, clamping assembly two clamps and positions the muffler body, while clamping assembly one is released, completely exposing the area originally covered by clamping assembly one, thus achieving airtightness testing of the entire surface of the muffler body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of testing equipment technology, and in particular to an airtightness testing device for automotive mufflers. Background Technology

[0002] A car muffler is a component used to reduce the noise generated by a vehicle's engine while also helping to maintain engine performance and efficiency. However, if the muffler leaks, it can lead to the leakage of untreated exhaust gases, resulting in emissions that fail to meet standards and significantly reducing its noise reduction effect. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct airtightness testing during the manufacturing process of car mufflers.

[0003] like Figure 1 As shown, a car muffler mainly consists of three parts: the exhaust pipe, the main muffler, and the tailpipe. A common testing method is the wet (immersion) method: first, the car muffler is clamped and fixed; then, gas is injected into the muffler; finally, the pressurized muffler is immersed in water, and the presence of air bubbles is observed (refer to patent CN220794545U). A problem arises during testing: tight contact between the clamping component and the outside of the muffler is crucial for stable positioning, but this may lead to missed detections of the clamped portion of the muffler. Therefore, improving the clamping mechanism in existing testing equipment to overcome these problems is a problem urgently needing to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One of the objectives of this application is to provide a more comprehensive airtightness testing device for automotive mufflers.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted in this application is as follows: an airtightness testing device for an automotive muffler, comprising a base, multiple clamping components, a drive device, and a transmission mechanism. The base has a placement station for placing the muffler body. The clamping components are horizontally slidably disposed on both sides of the top of the base and located on both sides of the placement station. Correspondingly cooperating clamping components form clamping assembly one and clamping assembly two. The drive device is mounted on the base, and the transmission mechanism is mounted on the base with its input end connected to the output end of the drive device. The output end of the transmission mechanism is connected to the clamping components. During clamping and fixing, the drive device is adapted to drive the clamping components to move through the transmission mechanism and perform three processes. In the first process, clamping assembly one is adapted to cooperate with the muffler body, at which time clamping assembly two is disengaged from the muffler body. In the second process, clamping assembly two cooperates with the muffler body. In the third process, clamping assembly one is disengaged from the muffler body.

[0006] Preferably, the transmission mechanism includes multiple drive rods and multiple connecting rods. The drive rods are vertically slidably disposed on the base and their bottom ends are connected to the output end of the drive device. The first end of the connecting rod is hinged to the clamping member, and the second end of the connecting rod is hinged to the top end of the drive rod. When clamping and fixing, the drive device is adapted to drive the drive rods to move vertically upward, thereby driving the clamping member to move horizontally through the connecting rods until it abuts against the muffler body.

[0007] Preferably, the driving device includes a driving assembly and a driving plate. The driving assembly is installed at the bottom end of the base, and the driving plate is slidably disposed at the bottom end of the base and connected to the output end of the driving assembly. The driving plate and the driving rod cooperate through a guide structure. When clamping and fixing, the driving plate is adapted to move under the drive of the driving assembly, and then, with the cooperation of the guide structure, drives the driving rod to move vertically upward.

[0008] Preferably, the drive rod is connected to the base via an elastic element; the guide structure includes a guide block mounted on the end of the drive plate, the guide block having a trapezoidal structure and having a first inclined surface, a horizontal surface, and a second inclined surface; during the first process: the bottom end of the drive rod corresponding to the clamping assembly one is adapted to cooperate along the first inclined surface until it engages with the horizontal surface, so that the corresponding drive rod moves upward, while the clamping assembly two remains stationary; during the second process: the bottom end of the drive rod corresponding to the clamping assembly two is adapted to cooperate along the first inclined surface until it engages with the horizontal surface, so that the corresponding drive rod moves upward; during the third process: the bottom end of the drive rod corresponding to the clamping assembly one is adapted to cooperate with the second inclined surface, so that the corresponding drive rod moves downward under the action of elastic force.

[0009] Preferably, the bottom end of the drive rod has a guide wheel, and the guide structure includes a guide block installed at the end of the drive plate. The guide block is provided with a guide groove that cooperates with the guide wheel. The guide groove includes a first horizontal groove, a first inclined groove, a second horizontal groove, and a second inclined groove that are connected in sequence. During the first process: the guide wheel corresponding to the clamping assembly one moves from the first horizontal groove along the first inclined groove until it cooperates with the second horizontal groove, so that the corresponding drive rod moves upward. At this time, the clamping assembly two remains stationary. During the second process: the guide wheel corresponding to the clamping assembly two moves from the first horizontal groove along the first inclined groove until it cooperates with the second horizontal groove, so that the corresponding drive rod moves upward. During the third process: the guide wheel corresponding to the clamping assembly one is adapted to cooperate with the second inclined groove, so that the corresponding drive rod moves downward.

[0010] Preferably, the clamping members are in four pairs and are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the placement station; the two pairs of clamping members located at both ends of the placement station and close to each other form the first clamping assembly, and the two pairs of clamping members located at both ends of the placement station and far apart from each other form the second clamping assembly.

[0011] Preferably, the drive plate has a pair of symmetrically arranged at the bottom end of the base. The drive assembly includes a motor and a bidirectional lead screw. The motor is mounted at the bottom end of the base, and the bidirectional lead screw is rotatably mounted at the bottom end of the base and connected to the output shaft of the motor. The drive plate and the two sides of the bidirectional lead screw are correspondingly engaged, so that the bidirectional lead screw drives the drive plate to move synchronously under the drive of the motor.

[0012] Preferably, when the muffler body is in a clamped and fixed state, the axis of the connecting rod and the axis of the clamping member are on the same straight line.

[0013] Preferably, the muffler body includes an exhaust pipe, a main muffler, and a tailpipe. The top of the base is equipped with a placement block one that cooperates with the exhaust pipe and a placement block two that cooperates with the tailpipe. The placement block one and the placement block two cooperate to form the placement station, thereby allowing the main muffler to be suspended in the air, and the clamping member is adapted to cooperate with the main muffler.

[0014] Preferably, the airtightness testing equipment for automotive mufflers further includes a testing platform and a testing chamber, a first water tank, a second water tank, and a water pump installed on the testing platform. The base is located at the bottom of the testing chamber. The first water tank is located above the testing chamber and communicates with it. The second water tank is located below the testing chamber and communicates with it. The first water tank and the second water tank are connected by the water pump. During testing, the first water tank is adapted to discharge liquid into the testing chamber. After testing, the liquid in the testing chamber is adapted to discharge into the second water tank, and the liquid in the second water tank is adapted to be pumped back to the first water tank for storage.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows: This invention incorporates a driving device and a transmission mechanism. The driving device, through the transmission mechanism, can drive the clamping components to perform multiple actions. First, after clamping component one completes the clamping and positioning, the area of ​​the muffler body corresponding to clamping component two is exposed. Then, clamping component two clamps and positions the muffler body, and clamping component one is released. In this way, the area originally covered by clamping component one can be completely exposed, thereby enabling airtightness testing of the entire surface of the muffler body and effectively avoiding the problem of missed detection caused by continuous obstruction in traditional clamps. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the existing muffler body structure.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the testing station of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the state of the muffler body of the present invention when it is placed in the placement station.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the transmission mechanism of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the transmission mechanism of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure at the bottom of the base of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the driving device and guiding structure of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of clamping and positioning of the clamping component of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the clamping and positioning principle of the second clamping component and the principle of the first clamping component when it is released, according to the present invention.

[0026] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the guide structure of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the specific structure of the water conveying device of the present invention.

[0028] In the diagram: 1. Muffler body; 101. Exhaust pipe; 102. Main muffler; 103. Tailpipe; 2. Testing platform; 3. Testing box; 4. Water supply device; 401. Water tank one; 402. Water tank two; 403. Water pump; 5. Base; 6. Plug assembly one; 7. Plug assembly two; 8. Placement station; 801. Placement block one; 802. Placement block two; 9. Clamping component; 10. Transmission mechanism; 1001. Drive rod; 10 02. Connecting rod; 11. Drive device; 1101. Drive assembly; 11011. Motor; 11012. Two-way lead screw; 1102. Drive plate; 12. Guide structure; 1201. Guide block; 1202. First inclined plane; 1203. Horizontal plane; 1204. Second inclined plane; 1205. First horizontal groove; 1206. First inclined groove; 1207. Second horizontal groove; 1208. Second inclined groove; 13. Guide wheel. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The present application will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be noted that, without conflict, the various embodiments or technical features described below can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments.

[0030] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center", "lateral", "longitudinal", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., which indicate the orientation and positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application 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, and should not be construed as limiting the specific protection scope of this application.

[0031] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0032] Further description of the existing technology: When testing the airtightness of automotive mufflers, differential pressure testing and immersion testing are mainly used. Differential pressure testing can be used on high-speed production lines, but it can only provide a numerical result and cannot directly tell the operator or engineer where the leak is. Furthermore, differential pressure testing is very sensitive to the volume of the tested cavity and requires precise calibration. For mufflers with extremely complex internal structures (multiple chambers, multiple partitions, and winding internal piping), the pressure equalization time may be very long, or the slight connectivity between different chambers can lead to complex pressure change patterns, affecting the testing speed and accuracy. Therefore, next to the high-speed differential pressure testing production line, a immersion testing station is also set up for periodic spot checks to verify the stability of the differential pressure testing system, i.e., the airtightness testing equipment in this application.

[0033] The shortcomings of existing technologies: Regardless of whether the differential pressure method or the immersion method is used, a clamp is required to hold and fix the muffler body 1. Especially for the immersion method, due to the buoyancy of water, a greater clamping force is needed to ensure that the muffler body 1 remains stable during the test. However, the clamp and the muffler body 1 are generally in surface contact, and the contact area can be blocked due to the tight fit, preventing that area from interacting with water, thus leading to missed detections. For example, if there is a tiny crack on the side wall or weld of the muffler body 1, and if the crack happens to be located in the contact area of ​​the clamp 9, the air bubbles generated at the crack cannot be observed during the immersion test, resulting in inaccurate test results.

[0034] Therefore, the inventors of this application have developed an airtightness testing device for automotive mufflers, one embodiment of which is, for example... Figures 1 to 12 As shown, the device includes a base 5, multiple clamping components 9, a drive device 11, and a transmission mechanism 10. The base 5 has a placement station 8 for placing the muffler body 1. The clamping components 9 are horizontally slidably disposed on both sides of the top (front and rear) of the base 5, that is, on both sides of the placement station 8 (front and rear). The corresponding clamping components 9 form clamping assembly one and clamping assembly two. The drive device 11 is installed on the base 5. The transmission mechanism 10 is installed on the base 5 and its input end is connected to the output end of the drive device 11. The output end of the transmission mechanism 10 is connected to the clamping component 9.

[0035] Understandably, the muffler body 1 is first placed at the placement station 8. At this time, all the clamping components 9 are away from the muffler body 1. During clamping and fixing, the drive device 11 is activated. The drive device 11, through the transmission mechanism 10, drives the clamping components 9 to move. The entire clamping component 9 goes through three processes. The first process: the clamping component 9 in clamping assembly one engages with the muffler body 1, thereby clamping and fixing the muffler body 1; at this time, the clamping assembly is disengaged from the muffler body 1 or is in a stationary state. The second process: the clamping component 9 in clamping assembly two engages with the muffler body 1, that is, clamping assembly two also clamps and fixes the muffler body 1. The third process: the clamping component 9 in clamping assembly one disengages from the muffler body 1.

[0036] Therefore, in the water immersion method for airtightness testing, after clamping component one completes the clamping and positioning, the base 5 can be immersed in water for testing. At this time, the area of ​​the muffler body 1 corresponding to clamping component two is exposed. Subsequently, the second and third processes are performed in the water, that is, clamping component two clamps and positions the muffler body 1, and clamping component one is released. In this way, the area originally covered by clamping component one can be completely exposed, thereby realizing the airtightness test of the entire surface of the muffler body 1, effectively avoiding the problem of missed detection caused by continuous obstruction in traditional clamps.

[0037] As a further description of the above embodiments: such as Figure 6 As shown, the transmission mechanism 10 includes multiple drive rods 1001 and multiple connecting rods 1002. The drive rods 1001 are vertically slidably disposed on the base 5 and their bottom ends are connected to the output end of the drive device 11. The first end of the connecting rod 1002 is hinged to the clamping member 9, and the second end of the connecting rod 1002 is hinged to the top end of the drive rod 1001.

[0038] It is understandable that, such as Figure 6As shown in the upper figure, this is the initial state, where the front and rear clamping members 9 are far from the muffler body 1. During clamping and fixing, the drive device 11 can drive the drive rod 1001 to move vertically upward, and then drive the clamping member 9 to move horizontally until it abuts against the muffler body 1 through the connecting rod 1002, thereby achieving clamping and fixing of the muffler body 1. It can be seen that it uses the vertical movement of the drive rod 1001, and then drives the clamping member 9 to move horizontally through the action of the connecting rod 1002, thus realizing the conversion of the direction of movement. This allows the drive device 11 to be installed at the bottom of the base 5 and set in the vertical direction, making the space utilization efficiency of the base 5 higher and the overall structural layout more compact. It should be noted that, in general design, for example, a cylinder or hydraulic cylinder that cooperates with the clamping member 9 will be directly installed at the top of the base 5. In this case, sufficient installation space needs to be reserved in the horizontal direction at the top of the base 5 for the installation of the drive device 11, resulting in the base 5 occupying a large space in the horizontal direction.

[0039] Further optimization, such as Figure 6 As shown in the figure below, when the muffler body 1 is in a clamped and fixed state, the connecting rod 1002 and the axis of the clamping member 9 are on the same straight line, thus forming a self-locking (i.e., dead point position). In other words, the drive device 11 can generate a large clamping force in the horizontal direction with a small vertical driving force, thereby ensuring stable clamping while saving energy.

[0040] In one embodiment of this application, such as Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the drive device 11 includes a drive assembly 1101 and a drive plate 1102. The drive assembly 1101 is installed at the bottom of the base 5, and the drive plate 1102 is slidably disposed at the bottom of the base 5 and connected to the output end of the drive assembly 1101. The drive plate 1102 and the drive rod 1001 cooperate through the guide structure 12.

[0041] Understandably, during clamping and fixing, the drive plate 1102 moves under the drive assembly 1101, and then, with the cooperation of the guide structure 12, drives the drive rod 1001 to move vertically upward, thereby realizing the action process of the corresponding clamping component. In other words, the drive assembly 1101 only needs to drive the drive plate 1102 to slide, and with the cooperation of the guide structure 12, the corresponding action process of all clamping components 9 can be realized, which greatly simplifies the complexity of the control system. That is, it avoids the cumbersome design of configuring a separate drive source for each clamping component 9, and reduces the manufacturing cost and maintenance difficulty of the equipment.

[0042] This application does not specifically limit the guide structure 12, but two specific embodiments are provided below for reference: Example 1: As Figure 9 and Figure 10As shown, the drive rod 1001 is connected to the base 5 via an elastic element (e.g., a spring). The guide structure 12 includes a guide block 1201 mounted on the end of the drive plate 1102. The guide block 1201 has an isosceles trapezoidal structure and has a first inclined surface 1202, a horizontal surface 1203, and a second inclined surface 1204.

[0043] It is understandable that, such as Figure 9 As shown in the diagram above, this is the initial state. During the first process: the guide block 1201 moves towards the drive rod 1001 corresponding to the clamping assembly one, and the bottom end of the corresponding drive rod 1001 is adapted to cooperate along the first inclined plane 1202 until it engages with the horizontal plane 1203, so that the corresponding drive rod 1001 moves upward, thereby realizing the clamping and fixing of the pair of muffler bodies 1 of the clamping assembly. At this time, the clamping assembly two remains stationary, as shown in the diagram above. Figure 9 As shown in the figure below. During the second process: the bottom end of the drive rod 1001 corresponding to the clamping component two is adapted to cooperate along the first inclined surface 1202 until it engages with the horizontal surface 1203, so that the corresponding drive rod 1001 moves upward, thereby realizing the clamping and fixing of the muffler body 1 by the clamping component two. At this time, the drive rod 1001 corresponding to the clamping component one is still engaged with the horizontal surface 1203, thereby maintaining the clamping state, as shown in the figure below. Figure 10 As shown in the diagram above. During the third process: the bottom end of the drive rod 1001 corresponding to the clamping assembly is adapted to engage with the second inclined surface 1204. At this time, the corresponding drive rod 1001 moves under the action of elastic force, thereby releasing the pair of muffler bodies 1 of the clamping assembly, as shown in the diagram above. Figure 10 The image below is shown.

[0044] Example 2: Figure 11 As shown, a guide wheel 13 is provided at the bottom end of the drive rod 1001. The guide structure 12 includes a guide block 1201 installed at the end of the drive plate 1102. The guide block 1201 is provided with a guide groove that cooperates with the guide wheel 13. The guide groove includes a first horizontal groove 1205, a first inclined groove 1206, a second horizontal groove 1207, and a second inclined groove 1208 that are connected in sequence.

[0045] It is understandable that, similar to the principle in Embodiment 1 above, in the initial state, the guide wheels 13 corresponding to clamping component 1 and clamping component 2 are both located within the first horizontal groove 1205. During the first process: the guide wheel 13 corresponding to clamping component 1 moves from the first horizontal groove 1205 along the first inclined groove 1206 until it engages with the second horizontal groove 1207, causing the corresponding drive rod 1001 to move upward, thereby achieving clamping and fixing of the muffler body 1 by the clamping component. At this time, clamping component 2 remains stationary. During the second process: the guide wheel 13 corresponding to clamping component 2 moves from the first horizontal groove 1205 along the first inclined groove 1206 until it engages with the second horizontal groove 1207, causing the corresponding drive rod 1001 to move upward, thereby achieving clamping and fixing of the muffler body 1 by clamping component 2. At this time, the guide wheel 13 corresponding to clamping component 1 is still engaged with the second horizontal groove 1207, thus maintaining the clamping state. During the third process: the guide wheel 13 corresponding to the clamping component is adapted to cooperate with the second inclined groove 1208 so that the corresponding drive rod 1001 moves down, thereby realizing the release of the pair of muffler bodies 1 of the clamping component.

[0046] It should be noted that when the guide structure 12 adopts Embodiment 1, the up-and-down movement of the drive rod 1001 is mainly achieved by the compression of the guide block 1201 and the restoring force of the spring. Of course, a roller can be provided at the bottom end of the drive rod 1001 to reduce the friction between it and the guide block 1201. When the guide structure 12 adopts Embodiment 2, the up-and-down movement of the drive rod 1001 is achieved by the traction of the guide groove on the guide wheel 13, that is, there is no need to provide an elastic element. Both structures can meet the actual needs, and those skilled in the art can choose according to the actual application scenario.

[0047] In one embodiment of this application, such as Figure 5 As shown, the clamping members 9 preferably consist of four pairs (i.e., eight), and are symmetrically arranged near both ends of the placement station 8. Specifically, the two pairs of clamping members 9 located close to each other at both ends of the placement station 8 form clamping assembly one, and the two pairs of clamping members 9 located far apart at both ends of the placement station 8 form clamping assembly two. It can be understood that with two pairs of clamping members 9 located near both ends of the placement station 8, during clamping, the two sets of clamping assemblies alternately clamp and fix the muffler body 1, thereby ensuring that the muffler body 1 is always centered and clamped, preventing the muffler body 1 from shifting or shaking in the water due to unilateral force, and ensuring the stability of the testing process.

[0048] Based on the above embodiments, the corresponding drive plates 1102 are preferably arranged in a pair and symmetrically on both sides of the bottom end of the base 5. The drive assembly 1101 includes a motor 11011 and a bidirectional lead screw 11012. The motor 11011 is mounted on the bottom end of the base 5, and the bidirectional lead screw 11012 is rotatably mounted on the bottom end of the base 5 and connected to the output shaft of the motor 11011. The drive plates 1102 and the two sides of the bidirectional lead screw 11012 are correspondingly engaged. Thus, under the drive of the motor 11011, the bidirectional lead screw 11012 drives the drive plates 1102 to move relatively closer or further away, and cooperates with the guide structure 12 to realize the synchronous drive of the two drive rods 1001. It should be noted that the bidirectional lead screw 11012 has two sections of threads with different directions of rotation on one lead screw, namely one right-hand thread and one left-hand thread, which is common knowledge known to those skilled in the art.

[0049] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 As shown, the muffler body 1 includes an exhaust pipe 101, a main muffler 102, and a tailpipe 103. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, a placement block 801 that mates with the exhaust pipe 101 and a placement block 802 that mates with the tailpipe 103 are installed at the top of the base 5; placement block 801 and placement block 802 together form placement station 8. It can be understood that when placing the muffler body 1, the exhaust pipe 101 and tailpipe 103 are overlapped and placed on the corresponding placement blocks, allowing the main muffler 102 to be suspended in the air. The clamping member 9 mates with the main muffler 102 to clamp and fix the entire muffler body 1. It should be noted that during airtightness testing, the main muffler 102 is the primary focus. Therefore, the suspended design allows the side walls, welds, and other critical testing areas of the main muffler 102 to be completely exposed to water, preventing the base 5 from directly contacting and obstructing the surface of the main muffler 102.

[0050] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 and Figure 12 As shown, the airtightness testing equipment for automobile mufflers also includes a testing platform 2, a testing box 3 installed on the testing platform 2, and a water supply device 4. The base 5 is located at the bottom of the testing box 3. The water supply device 4 includes a first water tank 401, a second water tank 402, and a water pump 403. The first water tank 401 is located above the testing box 3 and is connected to the testing box 3 through a pipeline. The second water tank 402 is located below the testing box 3 and is connected to the testing box 3 through a pipeline. The first water tank 401 and the second water tank 402 are connected in cooperation through the water pump 403.

[0051] Understandably, during testing, the drain valve at water tank 401 is opened, and the liquid in water tank 401 is discharged into test chamber 3 by gravity, submerging the silencer body 1 inside test chamber 3 for airtightness testing. After the test is completed, the drain valve at test chamber 3 is opened, and the liquid in test chamber 3 can be discharged into water tank 402 by gravity. At this time, water pump 403 can then transfer the liquid in water tank 402 to water tank 401 for storage, for the next test.

[0052] It should be understood that in traditional immersion testing, the base 5 is lowered and immersed into the testing water tank using a hydraulic cylinder. This design not only increases the relative movement space between the base 5 and the testing water tank, but also requires an additional waterproof sealing structure to protect the drive device 11 at the bottom of the base 5 and the sealing cylinders in the plug assembly 6 and plug assembly 7 at the top of the base 5, resulting in a complex equipment structure and high maintenance costs. In contrast, this application, through the cooperation of the testing box 3 and the water supply device 4, improves the waterproofness of the entire device and extends its service life.

[0053] The working principle of this invention is as follows: For ease of understanding, such as Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the four pairs of clamping parts 9 are labeled as I, II, III and IV from left to right. It should be noted that there are two clamping parts 9 in each pair, and they are located on the front and rear sides of the muffler body 1 respectively. Among them, the two pairs of clamping parts 9, I and II, are located on the left side, and the two pairs of clamping parts 9, III and IV, are located on the right side. It is worth noting that the two pairs of clamping parts 9, II and III, form clamping component one, and the two pairs of clamping parts 9, I and IV, form clamping component two. How clamping component one and clamping component two alternately clamp is the key to achieving comprehensive testing.

[0054] ①For example Figure 5 As shown, first place the muffler body 1 in the placement station 8; as Figure 6 As shown in the upper figure, the clamping member 9 is initially in a state away from the muffler body 1; as Figure 9 As shown in the figure above, the two guide blocks 1201 are initially close to each other and do not engage with the corresponding drive rods 1001.

[0055] ② The forward rotation of motor 11011 drives two drive plates 1102 to move away from each other via the bidirectional lead screw 11012, such as... Figure 9As shown in the figure below, the guide blocks 1201 on both sides move away from each other, and the first process is performed: the drive rods 1001 corresponding to the two pairs of clamping members 9 (II and III) cooperate with the corresponding first inclined plane 1202. As the guide blocks 1201 move and the drive rods 1001 cooperate with the horizontal plane 1203, the corresponding drive rods 1001 move upward. Figure 6 As shown in the figure below, the two pairs of clamping members 9, II and III, move relative to each other until they abut against the two sides of the muffler body 1, that is, the clamping assembly clamps and positions the muffler body 1.

[0056] ③ The plug assembly 6 and the plug assembly 7 seal the exhaust pipe 101 and the tailpipe 103. The external air pumping equipment inflates the muffler body 1. Then, the water supply device 4 supplies water to the test box 3 to submerge the muffler body 1, thereby performing an airtightness test, i.e., letting it stand for a period of time to see if any air bubbles are generated. Of course, how the plug assembly seals and how the air pumping equipment pressurizes the muffler body 1 are common knowledge to those skilled in the art.

[0057] ④ Under the action of motor 11011, the guide blocks 1201 on both sides continue to move away from each other. At this time, the second process is carried out: the drive rods 1001 corresponding to the two pairs of clamping members 9 (I and IV) cooperate with the corresponding first inclined surface 1202. Similarly, the corresponding drive rods 1001 cooperate with the horizontal surface 1203, thereby making the clamping assembly two (the two pairs of clamping members 9 (I and IV)) clamp and position the muffler body 1. Figure 10 As shown in the diagram above. At this time, the drive rod 1001 corresponding to the clamping component is still engaged with the horizontal plane 1203, thus maintaining the clamping state.

[0058] ⑤ Under the action of motor 11011, the guide blocks 1201 on both sides continue to move away from each other. At this time, the third process is carried out: the bottom end of the drive rod 1001 corresponding to the clamping component is adapted to cooperate with the second inclined surface 1204. At this time, the corresponding drive rod 1001 moves under the action of elastic force, thereby realizing the release of the pair of muffler bodies 1 of the clamping component. Figure 10 As shown in the image below. Let it stand for a while to see if any bubbles are generated. At this time, you can carefully observe the area where the muffler body 1 is loose, thereby achieving a comprehensive inspection of the muffler body 1.

[0059] ⑥ After the test is completed, drain the water from the test chamber 3, and then loosen the muffler body 1. There are two ways to loosen it: First, the motor 11011 reverses, causing the guide blocks 1201 on both sides to move closer together to their initial positions. Second, the motor 11011 continues to rotate forward, causing the guide blocks 1201 on both sides to continue to move away from each other until the guide blocks 1201 are disengaged from all the drive rods 1001, thus loosening the muffler body 1. It should be noted that when testing the next muffler body 1, the initial state is that the guide blocks 1201 on both sides are far apart. Then, the motor 11011 reverses, causing the guide blocks 1201 on both sides to move closer together, following the same principle. At this time, the clamping component 2 clamps and fixes the muffler body 1 first, then the clamping component 1 clamps and fixes it, and then the clamping component 2 is released, thus alternating to complete the test. In other words, when using the second method, the forward or reverse rotation of motor 11011 constitutes a complete detection cycle. After each detection is completed, there is no need to reset guide block 1201 to its original initial position. The next alternating start of the clamping components can be achieved simply by switching the direction of motor 11011, which further improves detection efficiency.

[0060] Finally, it should be noted that in this design, four pairs of clamping parts 9 are used to alternately clamp the muffler body 1 to achieve clamping and positioning and all-round detection. Moreover, these multiple clamping parts 9 only need to use one drive source (i.e., motor 11011), and the mechanical guide structure 12 can realize the drive control of different clamping components. There is no need to configure multiple independent drive units and complex electrical control logic, which greatly simplifies the overall structure of the equipment and reduces manufacturing costs and later maintenance difficulties.

[0061] The basic principles, main features, and advantages of this application have been described above. Those skilled in the art should understand that this application is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely the principles of this application. Various changes and modifications can be made to this application without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claims. The scope of protection claimed by this application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An airtightness testing device for automotive mufflers, characterized in that, include: A base, wherein the base has a placement station for placing the muffler body; Multiple clamping components are horizontally slidably disposed on both sides of the top of the base and located on both sides of the placement station. The corresponding clamping components form clamping assembly one and clamping assembly two. A drive unit, the drive unit being mounted on the base; and A transmission mechanism is mounted on the base, with its input end connected to the output end of the drive device, and its output end connected to the clamping member. During clamping and fixing, the drive device is adapted to drive the clamping member through the transmission mechanism to perform three processes: First process: Clamping component one is adapted to engage with the muffler body, at which time clamping component two disengages from the muffler body; Second process: Clamping component two engages with the muffler body; Third process: Clamping component one disengages from the muffler body. The transmission mechanism includes multiple drive rods and multiple connecting rods. When clamping and fixing, the drive device is adapted to drive the drive rods to move vertically upward, and then drive the clamping member to move horizontally until it abuts against the muffler body through the connecting rods. The drive device includes a drive assembly and a drive plate. When clamping and fixing, the drive plate is adapted to move under the drive of the drive assembly, and then drive the drive rods to move vertically upward with the cooperation of the guide structure. The drive rod is connected to the base via an elastic element; the guide structure includes a guide block mounted on the end of the drive plate, the guide block having a trapezoidal structure and having a first inclined surface, a horizontal surface, and a second inclined surface; during the first process: the bottom end of the drive rod corresponding to the clamping assembly one is adapted to engage with the first inclined surface until it mates with the horizontal surface, so that the corresponding drive rod moves upward, at which time the clamping assembly two remains stationary; during the second process: the bottom end of the drive rod corresponding to the clamping assembly two is adapted to engage with the first inclined surface until it mates with the horizontal surface, so that the corresponding drive rod moves upward; During the third process: the bottom end of the drive rod corresponding to the clamping assembly is adapted to engage with the second inclined surface so that the corresponding drive rod moves under the action of elastic force.

2. The airtightness testing equipment for automobile mufflers as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom end of the drive rod has a guide wheel. The guide structure is replaced by a guide block installed at the end of the drive plate. The guide block is provided with a guide groove that cooperates with the guide wheel. The guide groove includes a first horizontal groove, a first inclined groove, a second horizontal groove, and a second inclined groove that are connected in sequence. During the first process: the guide wheel corresponding to the clamping component one moves from the first horizontal groove along the first inclined groove until it engages with the second horizontal groove, so that the corresponding drive rod moves upward, while the clamping component two remains stationary; during the second process: the guide wheel corresponding to the clamping component two moves from the first horizontal groove along the first inclined groove until it engages with the second horizontal groove, so that the corresponding drive rod moves upward. During the third process: the guide wheel corresponding to the clamping assembly is adapted to engage with the second inclined groove so that the corresponding drive rod moves downward.

3. The airtightness testing equipment for automotive mufflers as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The drive rod is vertically slidably disposed on the base and its bottom end is connected to the output end of the drive device. The first end of the connecting rod is hinged to the clamping member, and the second end of the connecting rod is hinged to the top end of the drive rod.

4. The airtightness testing equipment for automotive mufflers as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The drive assembly is installed at the bottom of the base, the drive plate is slidably disposed at the bottom of the base and connected to the output end of the drive assembly, and the drive plate and the drive rod cooperate through the guide structure.

5. The airtightness testing equipment for automobile mufflers as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The clamping members are in four pairs and are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the placement station. The two pairs of clamping members located at both ends of the placement station and close to each other form the clamping assembly one, and the two pairs of clamping members located at both ends of the placement station and far apart from each other form the clamping assembly two.

6. The airtightness testing equipment for automobile mufflers as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The drive plate has a pair of symmetrically arranged at the bottom of the base. The drive assembly includes a motor and a bidirectional lead screw. The motor is mounted at the bottom of the base, and the bidirectional lead screw is rotatably mounted at the bottom of the base and connected to the output shaft of the motor. The drive plate and the two sides of the bidirectional lead screw are correspondingly engaged, so that the bidirectional lead screw drives the drive plate to move synchronously under the drive of the motor.

7. The airtightness testing device for automobile mufflers as described in claim 3, characterized in that: When the muffler body is in a clamped and fixed state, the axis of the connecting rod and the axis of the clamping member are on the same straight line.

8. The airtightness testing device for automobile mufflers as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The muffler body includes an exhaust pipe, a main muffler, and a tailpipe. The top of the base is equipped with a placement block one that mates with the exhaust pipe and a placement block two that mates with the tailpipe. The placement block one and the placement block two mate to form the placement station, thereby allowing the main muffler to be suspended in the air, and the clamping member is adapted to mate with the main muffler.

9. The airtightness testing device for automobile mufflers as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The airtightness testing equipment for automobile mufflers also includes a testing platform and a testing box, a water tank one, a water tank two, and a water pump installed on the testing platform. The base is located at the bottom of the inside of the testing box. The water tank one is located above the testing box and is connected to the testing box. The water tank two is located below the testing box and is connected to the testing box. The water tank one and the water tank two are connected by the water pump. During testing, the first water tank is adapted to discharge liquid into the testing chamber; after testing, the liquid in the testing chamber is adapted to discharge into the second water tank, and the liquid in the second water tank is adapted to be transported to the first water tank for storage by the water pump.

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