An automated grinding apparatus for sliding bearing finishing

Abstract

The application discloses an automatic grinding device for sliding bearing finishing, and relates to the technical field of machining, aiming to solve the technical problem that the existing device cannot complete the finishing of sliding bearings with different mechanism properties in one clamping, comprising a clamping table, a feeding mechanism, a bearing clamp, a grinding spindle box and a grinding head group. The grinding spindle box is provided with a rotating assembly, a movable assembly, a follow-up assembly and a linkage assembly. By controlling the follow-up assembly and the rotating assembly, the grinding head group can switch between single-rotation grinding and rotation-reciprocating composite grinding, thereby realizing high-precision geometric forming and surface texture processing of the bearing inner hole. The grinding head group is integrated with expansion units and ball grinding units. By self-rotation of each ball grinding unit and precise feeding of the feeding mechanism, the precision milling and grinding of the inner wall discrete oil storage pits are completed. The application realizes the finishing of multiple mechanisms in one clamping, and solves the precision and efficiency problems caused by process separation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of machining technology, and more specifically, to an automated grinding equipment for the precision machining of sliding bearings. Background Technology

[0002] As a key component in mechanical equipment, the geometric accuracy and surface quality of the inner working surface of a sliding bearing directly determine its load-bearing capacity, service life, and operational reliability. In the field of high-end equipment, the performance requirements for sliding bearings are becoming increasingly complex and demanding: on the one hand, applications such as high-speed precision spindles require bearing bores with extremely high geometric accuracy, such as roundness and cylindricity, to form a stable and uniform lubricating film; on the other hand, bearings operating under heavy loads, low speeds, or reciprocating motion conditions require their inner walls to have optimized microscopic surface textures, such as cross-hatching at specific angles and depths, to store lubricant and improve boundary lubrication conditions.

[0003] Currently, the industry employs separate technical approaches for precision machining. To achieve high geometric accuracy, rotary grinding processes such as internal grinding are commonly used; while reciprocating grinding processes such as honing are relied upon to create functional surface textures. This means that for sliding bearings requiring both high precision and high-performance surfaces, manufacturers must transfer workpieces between multiple specialized machines, performing multiple clamping and machining operations. This production model not only results in large equipment investments and floor space requirements, complex processes, and high production costs, but more importantly, multiple clamping inevitably introduces secondary errors, compromising the geometric accuracy achieved in the initial machining. This makes the final performance of the bearing a compromise between precision and function, making it difficult to simultaneously achieve the theoretically optimal value.

[0004] Furthermore, with advancements in sliding bearing design technology, to adapt to extreme operating conditions, a new type of bearing structure has begun to be used, featuring specific grooves in the inner wall of the bearing to fill solid lubricants, such as graphite or molybdenum disulfide composite materials. (See [link to relevant documentation]). Figure 1 The sliding bearing structure shown in the figure is crucial to the filling effect and working performance of the solid lubricant in terms of the precise forming and surface treatment of the groove. Existing general-purpose grinding equipment is difficult to perform efficient and precise composite machining on such discontinuous and irregular inner wall surfaces.

[0005] Therefore, existing technologies lack an integrated solution capable of adaptively completing precision machining of sliding bearings with different mechanisms in a single setup and on a single machine. This has become a technological bottleneck restricting further improvements in the manufacturing level of high-end sliding bearings. In light of this, we propose an automated grinding machine for the precision machining of sliding bearings. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automated grinding equipment for the precision machining of sliding bearings, so as to solve the technical problem that existing equipment cannot complete the precision machining of sliding bearings with different mechanistic properties in a single clamping.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an automated grinding equipment for precision machining of sliding bearings, including a clamping table, a feeding mechanism on one side of the clamping table, a bearing fixture on the top of the clamping table, a grinding spindle box at the output end of the feeding mechanism, and a grinding head assembly at the output end of the grinding spindle box;

[0008] The grinding spindle box includes:

[0009] The carrier box assembly is fixedly installed at the output end of the feed mechanism;

[0010] A rotating assembly, which is rotatably disposed within the support box assembly, is used to drive the grinding head assembly to rotate;

[0011] The movable component has one end movably mounted on the bearing box assembly and the other end connected to the rotating assembly, so that the movable component can rotate with the rotating assembly, and the movable component is connected to the grinding head assembly to drive it to perform reciprocating linear motion.

[0012] A follow-up component is disposed within the carrier box assembly;

[0013] A linkage component, which is connected between the follower component and the moving component;

[0014] The follower component has an engagement portion that can selectively engage or disengage with the rotating component. When the engagement portion engages with the rotating component, the rotating component can drive the follower component to rotate, thereby driving the movable component and the grinding head assembly to perform synchronous reciprocating linear motion while rotating through the linkage component, thus forming a compound grinding mode. When the engagement portion disengages from the rotating component, the rotating component only drives the grinding head assembly to rotate, thus forming a single rotary grinding mode.

[0015] Preferably, the grinding spindle box further includes a hoisting assembly, which is fixedly disposed on the top of the inner wall of the bearing box assembly, and the rotating assembly and the movable assembly are movably inserted into the hoisting assembly.

[0016] Preferably, the carrier box assembly includes a box body, a rotating hole, and a socket. The box body is fixedly disposed at the output end of the feeding mechanism. The rotating holes are symmetrically opened on the box body. The rotating component and the movable component are movably inserted into the rotating holes. The socket is opened at the bottom end of the box body. The follower component is movably inserted into the socket.

[0017] Preferably, the rotating assembly includes a motor, a rotating rod, a worm gear, and a convex strip. The motor is fixedly mounted on the outer wall of the bearing box assembly. The rotating rod is fixedly connected to the output end of the motor. The worm gear is fixedly sleeved on the rotating rod. The convex strip is fixedly mounted in a ring at equal intervals at one end of the rotating rod near the movable assembly. The worm gear is meshed with the follower assembly.

[0018] Preferably, the follower component includes a cylinder, a support plate, a worm gear, and an eccentric block. The cylinder is fixedly disposed on the outer wall of the bottom end of the bearing box assembly. The support plate is movably inserted into the bottom end of the bearing box assembly and fixedly connected to the output end of the cylinder. The worm gear is rotatably disposed between the two support plates. The eccentric block is fixedly connected to the worm gear through a rotating shaft. One end of the linkage component is movably sleeved on the eccentric block.

[0019] Preferably, the linkage assembly includes a base, a support rod, a follower rod, a ring sleeve, and a pulley. The base is fixedly disposed inside the bearing box assembly. The support rod is symmetrically rotatably disposed on the base. The follower rod is rotatably disposed in the middle of the support rod. The ring sleeve is fixedly disposed at the end of the follower rod away from the support rod and is movably sleeved on the eccentric block. The pulley is disposed at the top of the support rod, and the end of the pulley away from the support rod is movably disposed on the movable assembly.

[0020] Preferably, the movable component includes a movable rod, a limiting ring, a shaft hole, and a groove. The movable rod is movably inserted into the bearing box assembly, the limiting ring is fixedly sleeved on one end of the movable rod, the shaft hole is opened on the movable rod, the groove is opened in an annular shape at equal intervals on the inner wall of the shaft hole, the rotating component is slidably inserted into the shaft hole, and the grinding head assembly is fixedly connected to the end of the movable rod away from the rotating component.

[0021] Preferably, the grinding head assembly includes a grinding bushing, a movable hole, an expansion and contraction unit, and a ball milling unit. The grinding bushing is fixedly connected to the movable component. The movable hole is annularly and equally spaced on the outer wall of the grinding bushing. The expansion and contraction unit is fixedly disposed inside the grinding bushing. The ball milling unit is fixedly disposed at the movable end of the expansion and contraction unit.

[0022] Preferably, the expansion and contraction unit includes a motor A, a threaded rod, a threaded sleeve, and symmetrical connecting rods. The motor A is fixedly mounted on the inner wall of the grinding bushing. One end of the threaded rod is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the grinding bushing, and the other end of the threaded rod is fixedly connected to the output end of the motor A. The threaded rod has symmetrically formed threaded grooves. The threaded sleeve is symmetrically and movably mounted on the threaded rod. The symmetrical connecting rods are rotatably connected to the threaded sleeve in an annular shape with equal intervals. The end of the symmetrical connecting rod away from the threaded sleeve is rotatably connected to the ball milling unit, and the end of the ball milling unit away from the symmetrical connecting rods is movably inserted into the movable hole.

[0023] Preferably, the ball milling unit includes a telescopic block, a shrinkage hole, a motor B, and a hemispherical grinding block. The telescopic block is movably inserted into the movable hole, the shrinkage hole is formed on the telescopic block, the motor B is fixedly disposed in the shrinkage hole, and the hemispherical grinding block is fixedly connected to the output end of the motor B.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0025] 1. This invention integrates a clamping table, a feed mechanism, a spindle box with switchable grinding modes, and a multi-functional grinding head assembly into one unit, constructing a complete automated machining unit. It realizes the entire process of sliding bearings, from clamping, tool setting, fine grinding of the continuous inner surface, honing, to the machining of discrete lubrication structures, such as oil reservoirs, all completed sequentially in a single clamping. This completely solves the problems of cumulative errors, low efficiency, and high equipment investment caused by traditional multi-equipment, multi-clamping processes, and significantly improves machining accuracy, consistency, and production efficiency.

[0026] 2. This invention also utilizes a motion synthesis and switching mechanism comprised of a rotating component, a moving component, a follower component, and a linkage component. By controlling the engagement and disengagement of the follower component and the rotating component, it achieves rapid and reliable switching between two fundamentally different grinding modes: single high-speed rotation and rotational / reciprocating composite motion. This provides core motion assurance for sequentially completing high-precision geometric shaping, ensuring roundness, cylindricity, and functional surface texture creation, and generating oil-retaining mesh patterns under the same reference, overcoming the technical bottleneck that a single device cannot simultaneously handle two processing mechanisms.

[0027] 3. This invention also efficiently synthesizes and transmits the continuous rotational motion provided by the rotating component and the precise axial reciprocating motion converted through the worm gear pair, eccentric block, and connecting rod mechanism to the grinding head assembly during the compound grinding mode. This allows the hemispherical grinding block to move along complex spatial spiral or mesh-like trajectories, thereby directly machining optimized oil-retaining surface textures with controllable depth and angle on the inner wall of the bearing, significantly improving the service performance of sliding bearings under boundary lubrication conditions.

[0028] 4. The integrated radially adjustable expansion and contraction unit and independently driven multi-ball milling unit design of the grinding head assembly in this invention endow the equipment with extremely high process flexibility and functional expandability. The expansion and contraction unit allows a single grinding head to adapt to the machining of bearings with different bore diameters; while the independently driven ball milling unit, combined with the static state of the spindle box and precision feed, enables the equipment to seamlessly switch from continuous surface machining mode to discrete feature machining mode, precisely milling out a regular array of ball pits for filling solid lubricant. This multi-functional terminal design is key to the equipment's ability to cope with the future development trend of complex sliding bearing structures. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the sliding bearing structure processed by the device of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 3 This is a front view structural diagram of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping platform and bearing fixture structure of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the feed mechanism, grinding spindle box, and grinding head assembly of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional internal structure diagram of the grinding spindle box of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 7 This is a front view structural diagram of the rotating component, follower component, linkage component, and movable component of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating component, follower component, linkage component, and movable component of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram showing the disassembled structure of the linkage component and the active component of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of the rotating component and the movable component of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 11 This is a cross-sectional internal structure diagram of the grinding head assembly of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the grinding bushing, expansion and contraction unit, and ball milling unit of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of the ball mill unit of the present invention.

[0042] Explanation of the labels in the diagram:

[0043] 1. Mounting table; 2. Feed mechanism; 3. Bearing fixture; 4. Grinding spindle box; 5. Grinding head assembly;

[0044] 401. Load-bearing box assembly; 402. Lifting assembly; 403. Rotating assembly; 404. Follow-up assembly; 405. Linkage assembly; 406. Movable assembly;

[0045] 4011, enclosure; 4012, drill hole; 4013, socket;

[0046] 4031, Motor; 4032, Rotary rod; 4033, Worm gear; 4034, Raised bar;

[0047] 4041, Cylinder; 4042, Support plate; 4043, Worm gear; 4044, Eccentric block;

[0048] 4051, base; 4052, support rod; 4053, follower rod; 4054, ring; 4055, pulley;

[0049] 4061, Movable rod; 4062, Limiting ring; 4063, Shaft hole; 4064, Groove;

[0050] 501. Grinding bushing; 502. Movable hole; 503. Expansion / contraction unit; 504. Ball milling unit;

[0051] 5031, Motor A; 5032, Threaded rod; 5033, Threaded sleeve; 5034, Symmetrical connecting rod;

[0052] 5041, telescopic block; 5042, shrinkage hole; 5043, motor B; 5044, hemispherical grinding block. Detailed Implementation

[0053] like Figures 2 to 13 As shown, the present invention relates to an automated grinding equipment for precision machining of sliding bearings, including a clamping table 1, a feeding mechanism 2 on one side of the clamping table 1, a bearing fixture 3 on the top of the clamping table 1, a grinding spindle box 4 at the output end of the feeding mechanism 2, and a grinding head assembly 5 at the output end of the grinding spindle box 4.

[0054] The grinding spindle box 4 includes: a support box assembly 401, which is fixedly installed at the output end of the feed mechanism 2; a rotating assembly 403, which is rotatably installed inside the support box assembly 401 for driving the grinding head assembly 5 to rotate; a movable assembly 406, one end of which is movably installed on the support box assembly 401 and the other end is connected to the rotating assembly 403 for transmission, so that the movable assembly 406 can rotate with the rotating assembly 403, and the movable assembly 406 is connected to the grinding head assembly 5 to drive it to perform reciprocating linear motion; a follower assembly 404, which is installed inside the support box assembly 401; and a linkage assembly 405, which is connected between the follower assembly 404 and the movable assembly 406.

[0055] The follower component 404 has an engagement part that can selectively engage or disengage with the rotating component 403. When the engagement part engages with the rotating component 403, the rotating component 403 can drive the follower component 404 to rotate, and then drive the moving component 406 and the grinding head assembly 5 to perform synchronous reciprocating linear motion while rotating through the linkage component 405, thus forming a compound grinding mode. When the engagement part disengages from the rotating component 403, the rotating component 403 only drives the grinding head assembly 5 to rotate, thus forming a single rotary grinding mode.

[0056] In this invention, when a single rotary precision grinding is required on the inner bore of a sliding bearing, the engagement part of the control follower component 404 is separated from the rotating component 403. At this time, the rotating component 403 rotates, and through its transmission connection with the movable component 406, it drives the grinding head assembly 5 to perform pure rotary grinding motion. This can efficiently and accurately correct the macroscopic geometry of the inner bore, such as roundness and cylindricity. This mode is suitable for bearing precision machining with extremely high geometric accuracy requirements. When a functional surface with a specific oil-retaining texture needs to be formed, the control engagement part is engaged with the rotating component 403. While driving the grinding head assembly 5 to rotate, the rotating component 403 drives the follower component 404 to rotate. Then, through the linkage component 405, the movable component 406 and the grinding head assembly 5 are driven to perform synchronous axial reciprocating linear motion on the basis of rotation, thereby creating a composite cross-textured or micro-pitted structure on the inner wall of the bearing. This composite grinding mode significantly improves the surface oil retention and lubrication performance. This invention achieves integrated processing from high-precision geometric forming to high-performance surface texture by switching working modes in the same equipment and with a single clamping, solving the problems of precision loss and low efficiency caused by traditional multi-process processing.

[0057] In an embodiment of the present invention, the grinding spindle box 4 further includes a hoisting assembly 402, which is fixedly disposed on the top of the inner wall of the bearing box assembly 401, and the rotating assembly 403 and the movable assembly 406 are movably inserted on the hoisting assembly 402.

[0058] In this invention, the hoisting component 402 provides a stable support point located on the upper end of the inner wall of the bearing box assembly 401 for the rotating component 403 and the movable component 406, effectively constraining their radial runout and ensuring the smoothness of the driving action of the rotating component 403 and the guiding accuracy of the reciprocating linear motion of the movable component 406. Through the positioning of the hoisting component 402, the transmission connection between the rotating component 403 and the movable component 406 is more reliable, reducing vibration and error accumulation during motion transmission. This ensures the high-precision geometric forming capability of the grinding head assembly 5 in a single rotary grinding mode, as well as the process stability of generating a uniform and regular surface texture in a composite grinding mode, further improving the overall processing accuracy and reliability of the equipment.

[0059] In an embodiment of the present invention, the carrier box assembly 401 includes a box body 4011, a rotating hole 4012 and an insertion hole 4013. The box body 4011 is fixedly disposed at the output end of the feeding mechanism 2. The rotating hole 4012 is symmetrically opened on the box body 4011. The rotating component 403 and the movable component 406 are movably inserted into the rotating hole 4012. The insertion hole 4013 is opened at the bottom end of the box body 4011. The follower component 404 is movably inserted into the insertion hole 4013.

[0060] In this invention, the housing 4011 serves as the main structural component of the grinding spindle housing 4. Fixedly mounted at the output end of the feed mechanism 2, it provides a stable mounting foundation for all internal components. Symmetrically positioned rotating holes 4012 provide precise mounting and motion guidance for the rotating component 403 and the movable component 406, ensuring their relative positional accuracy within the housing 4011 and the axial stability of the reciprocating linear motion of the movable component 406. The insertion hole 4013 at the bottom of the housing 4011 provides space for the follower component 404 to be inserted, allowing it to be positioned relative to the housing 4011, thereby achieving reliable engagement and precise disengagement with the rotating component 403.

[0061] In another embodiment of the present invention, the rotating assembly 403 includes a motor 4031, a rotating rod 4032, a worm gear 4033, and a protrusion 4034. The motor 4031 is fixedly mounted on the outer wall of the bearing box assembly 401. The rotating rod 4032 is fixedly connected to the output end of the motor 4031. The worm gear 4033 is fixedly sleeved on the rotating rod 4032. The protrusion 4034 is fixedly mounted in a ring at equal intervals at one end of the rotating rod 4032 near the movable assembly 406. The worm gear 4033 is meshed with the follower assembly 404.

[0062] In this invention, the motor 4031 serves as the power source, driving the rotating rod 4032 to rotate. The rotating rod 4032 forms a transmission connection with the movable component 406 through the protrusion 4034 at one end, thereby directly driving the grinding head assembly 5 to perform rotary grinding. This is the basic power path for the single rotary grinding mode. Simultaneously, the worm gear 4033 fixed to the rotating rod 4032 and the follower component 404 form a worm gear meshing pair. When switching to a composite grinding mode is required, the follower component 404 is controlled to mesh with the worm gear 4033. At this time, the rotational motion of the rotating rod 4032 drives the grinding head assembly 5 to rotate through the protrusion 4034, and also drives the follower component 404 to rotate through the worm gear 4033. Furthermore, the rotational motion is converted into the axial reciprocating motion of the movable component 406 and the grinding head assembly 5 through the linkage component 405. The worm gear pair features a large transmission ratio and good self-locking properties. It not only enables the conversion of rotary motion to low-speed, high-torque operation to meet reciprocating drive requirements, but its self-locking characteristic also effectively prevents accidental rotation of the follower component 404 in the disengaged state, ensuring the reliability of mode switching and the purity of single-rotation mode operation. The structural design of the convex rib 4034 enables both torque transmission and axial relative sliding between the rotating rod 4032 and the moving component 406, which is crucial for the superposition of rotary and reciprocating motions in composite motion.

[0063] In another embodiment of the present invention, the follower component 404 includes a cylinder 4041, a support plate 4042, a worm gear 4043, and an eccentric block 4044. The cylinder 4041 is fixedly disposed on the outer wall of the bottom end of the bearing box assembly 401. The support plate 4042 is movably inserted into the bottom end of the bearing box assembly 401 and fixedly connected to the output end of the cylinder 4041. The worm gear 4043 is rotatably disposed between the two support plates 4042. The eccentric block 4044 is fixedly connected to the worm gear 4043 through a rotating shaft. One end of the linkage component 405 is movably sleeved on the eccentric block 4044.

[0064] In this invention, cylinder 4041 serves as the power actuator. Through the extension and retraction of its output end, it drives the support plate 4042 and the worm gear 4043 installed therebetween to move up and down relative to the carrier assembly 401. This achieves the engagement and disengagement of the worm gear 4043 with the worm 4033 in the rotating assembly 403, which is the core action of mode switching. When cylinder 4041 rises to engage the worm gear 4043 with the worm 4033, the rotational motion of the rotating assembly 403 is transmitted to the worm gear 4043 through the worm gear pair, causing the eccentric block 4044 on it to rotate as well. The rotational motion of the eccentric block 4044 is converted into the axial reciprocating motion of the movable assembly 406 through the linkage assembly 405, thus combining with the rotational motion transmitted by the rotating assembly 403 through the convex strip 4034, driving the grinding head assembly 5 to achieve rotary-reciprocating compound grinding. When cylinder 4041 retracts, separating worm gear 4043 from worm 4033, worm gear 4043 and eccentric block 4044 stop rotating. The reciprocating drive of linkage component 405 and moving component 406 ceases, and the equipment performs only single-rotation grinding. This design utilizes cylinders to achieve precise and rapid linear displacement control for switching between meshing states, resulting in a simple and reliable structure. The eccentric block converts rotary motion into reciprocating drive; the principle is mature, the motion law is well-defined, and it facilitates control of the trajectory and frequency of the composite motion, thus ensuring the controllability and consistency of surface texture in the composite grinding mode.

[0065] In an embodiment of the present invention, the linkage component 405 includes a base 4051, a support rod 4052, a follower rod 4053, a ring 4054, and a pulley 4055. The base 4051 is fixedly disposed inside the bearing box assembly 401. The support rod 4052 is symmetrically rotatably disposed on the base 4051. The follower rod 4053 is rotatably disposed in the middle of the support rod 4052. The ring 4054 is fixedly disposed at the end of the follower rod 4053 away from the support rod 4052. The ring 4054 is movably sleeved on the eccentric block 4044. The pulley 4055 is disposed at the top of the support rod 4052. The end of the pulley 4055 away from the support rod 4052 is movably disposed on the movable component 406.

[0066] In this invention, when the worm gear 4043 of the follower component 404 rotates, it drives the eccentric block 4044 on it to perform circular motion. The ring sleeve 4054 fitted on the eccentric block 4044 moves accordingly, driving the follower rod 4053 to swing. The swinging of the follower rod 4053 drives the support rod 4052, which is rotatably connected to it, to reciprocate around its hinge point with the base 4051. The symmetrically arranged support rod 4052 transmits this swinging motion through the pulley 4055 at its top and converts it into a linear pushing and pulling action on the movable component 406, thereby driving the movable component 406 and the grinding head assembly 5 to perform precise axial reciprocating linear motion. The base 4051 provides a stable mounting foundation for this linkage system, ensuring geometric accuracy during the motion conversion process. This design converts the rotational motion of the eccentric block into the linear reciprocating motion of the movable component, and its transmission ratio can be optimized by designing the length of the rods to achieve the required reciprocating stroke and speed characteristics. The use of pulley 4055 transforms the contact between the swing end of support rod 4052 and moving component 406 into rolling contact, greatly reducing friction and wear, ensuring the sensitivity and accuracy of reciprocating motion transmission during long-term operation, and thus making the surface texture processing under the composite grinding mode more stable and reliable.

[0067] In an embodiment of the present invention, the movable component 406 includes a movable rod 4061, a limiting ring 4062, a shaft hole 4063, and a groove 4064. The movable rod 4061 is movably inserted into the bearing box assembly 401, the limiting ring 4062 is fixedly sleeved on one end of the movable rod 4061, the shaft hole 4063 is opened on the movable rod 4061, and the groove 4064 is opened in an annular shape at equal intervals on the inner wall of the shaft hole 4063. The rotating component 403 is slidably inserted into the shaft hole 4063, and the grinding head assembly 5 is fixedly connected to the end of the movable rod 4061 away from the rotating component 403.

[0068] In this invention, the movable rod 4061 is the core component connecting the rotary drive and the reciprocating drive, ultimately outputting a composite motion. Its shaft hole 4063 allows the rotating rod 4032 of the rotating assembly 403 to be inserted, and the protrusion 4034 at the end of the rotating rod 4032 engages with the groove 4064 on the inner wall of the shaft hole 4063, forming an axially sliding spline-type transmission connection. This design allows the rotational torque of the rotating assembly 403 to be transmitted to the movable rod 4061 and the grinding head assembly 5 without loss, while allowing the movable rod 4061 to freely slide axially back and forth relative to the rotating rod 4032 under the drive of the linkage assembly 405, thereby achieving the decoupling and superposition of rotary and reciprocating motions. The limiting ring 4062 is fixed to one end of the movable rod 4061 and cooperates with the structure on the bearing box assembly 401 to play an axial limiting role, preventing the movable rod 4061 from disengaging during reciprocating motion, and may also serve as the force application point or guide surface of the pulley 4055 in the linkage assembly 405. The movable rod 4061 is fixedly connected to the grinding head assembly 5 at its other end, accurately transmitting the compound rotational-reciprocating motion to the processing end. This ingenious structural design decomposes the complex spatial compound motion into the transmission of two independent degrees of freedom integrated through the movable rod 4061, ensuring the purity of the two motion modes and the synchronization and accuracy of the motion in the compound mode. It is the key mechanical interface for realizing the dual-mode grinding function of this invention.

[0069] In another embodiment of the present invention, the grinding head assembly 5 includes a grinding bushing 501, a movable hole 502, an expansion and contraction unit 503, and a ball milling unit 504. The grinding bushing 501 is fixedly connected to the movable component 406. The movable hole 502 is opened in an annular shape at equal intervals on the outer wall of the grinding bushing 501. The expansion and contraction unit 503 is fixedly disposed inside the grinding bushing 501. The ball milling unit 504 is fixedly disposed at the moving end of the expansion and contraction unit 503.

[0070] In this invention, the grinding bushing 501 serves as the base of the grinding head assembly 5 and is fixedly connected to the movable rod 4061 of the movable component 406, thereby directly obtaining a combined rotational and reciprocating motion. The expansion and contraction unit 503 is built into and fixed inside the grinding bushing 501, and its moving end drives the ball milling unit 504. By controlling the expansion and contraction unit 503, the ball milling unit 504 can be driven to move radially along the grinding bushing 501, allowing it to extend or retract from the annularly spaced movable holes 502, thereby adjusting the grinding working diameter to adapt to the machining of sliding bearing inner holes of different diameters, realizing the radial self-adaptation and size adjustment function of the tool. The ball milling unit 504, as the final grinding actuator, performs grinding machining on the inner wall of the bearing when driven to rotate and reciprocate. This modular design integrates motion transmission, diameter adjustment, and grinding execution functions into one unit, enabling the grinding head assembly 5 to not only achieve complex composite motion trajectories but also flexibly adapt to different processing size requirements. This greatly enhances the equipment's process adaptability and processing range, providing end-point execution assurance for completing the precision machining of sliding bearing inner holes of various specifications and requirements in a single setup.

[0071] In another embodiment of the present invention, the expansion and contraction unit 503 includes a motor A5031, a threaded rod 5032, a threaded sleeve 5033, and a symmetrical connecting rod 5034. The motor A5031 is fixedly mounted on the inner wall of the grinding bushing 501. One end of the threaded rod 5032 is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the grinding bushing 501, and the other end of the threaded rod 5032 is fixedly connected to the output end of the motor A5031. Threaded grooves are symmetrically opened on the threaded rod 5032. The threaded sleeve 5033 is symmetrically and movably mounted on the threaded rod 5032. The symmetrical connecting rod 5034 is rotatably connected to the threaded sleeve 5033 in a ring with equal intervals. The end of the symmetrical connecting rod 5034 away from the threaded sleeve 5033 is rotatably connected to the ball milling unit 504. The end of the ball milling unit 504 away from the symmetrical connecting rod 5034 is movably inserted into the movable hole 502.

[0072] In this invention, motor A5031 serves as the drive source, rotating the threaded rod 5032. Because the threaded rod 5032 has symmetrically arranged threaded grooves with opposite directions of rotation, the two threaded sleeves 5033 generate opposite linear movements on the rotating threaded rod 5032, either moving closer together or moving away from each other. This relative movement is transmitted to the ball milling unit 504 through multiple sets of symmetrically spaced, annularly arranged connecting rods 5034. The two ends of the symmetrical connecting rods 5034 are rotatably connected to the threaded sleeves 5033 and the ball milling unit 504, respectively, forming a precise radial scaling mechanism. When the two threaded sleeves 5033 move towards each other, the symmetrical connecting rods 5034 push all the ball milling units 504 to extend radially outward simultaneously, increasing the grinding diameter; conversely, when the threaded sleeves 5033 move away from each other, the symmetrical connecting rods 5034 pull the ball milling units 504 radially inward, decreasing the grinding diameter. This design utilizes a single motor and a bidirectional threaded rod to achieve synchronous, equal-height, and constant-speed radial drive of multiple circumferentially distributed grinding units, ensuring uniform distribution of grinding force and roundness accuracy of the machined surface. Its compact structure, precise transmission, and rapid response enable continuous, stepless, and precise adjustment of the grinding diameter without changing the grinding head, significantly improving the equipment's adaptability to sliding bearings of different specifications and its processing efficiency.

[0073] In an embodiment of the present invention, the ball milling unit 504 includes a telescopic block 5041, a shrinkage hole 5042, a motor B5043, and a hemispherical grinding block 5044. The telescopic block 5041 is movably inserted into the movable hole 502, the shrinkage hole 5042 is formed on the telescopic block 5041, the motor B5043 is fixedly disposed in the shrinkage hole 5042, and the hemispherical grinding block 5044 is fixedly connected to the output end of the motor B5043.

[0074] In this invention, the telescopic block 5041 serves as the base of the ball mill unit 504 and is movably inserted into the movable hole 502 of the grinding bushing 501, allowing for radial adjustment of the grinding diameter under the drive of the expansion and contraction unit 503. The motor B5043 is fixed within the contraction hole 5042 of the telescopic block 5041, directly driving the hemispherical grinding block 5044 to rotate at high speed.

[0075] When the equipment needs to precisely machine hemispherical oil reservoirs for storing solid lubricant on the inner wall of the sliding bearing, the expansion and contraction unit 503 first precisely drives the telescopic blocks 5041 of all ball milling units to extend radially, so that the hemispherical grinding blocks 5044 reach the preset machining distribution circle diameter. In this machining mode, the rotation and reciprocating drive function of the grinding spindle box 4 is paused or placed in neutral, and the grinding bushing 501 and moving components 406 remain stationary. At this time, the motor B5043 in each ball milling unit 504 starts independently, driving its hemispherical grinding blocks 5044 to rotate at high speed, forming a local milling edge.

[0076] This design integrates a micro-milling unit, capable of independent rotation and radial adjustment, for machining discrete ball pit features, with a switchable rotary and reciprocating spindle system for machining continuous surfaces, all within the same end effector. This allows a single machine to perform high-precision grinding and honing of the bearing bore in a single setup, and immediately switch to ball pit milling mode. It perfectly solves the industry challenge of machining the continuous working surface and discrete oil storage structure of sliding bearings with solid lubricant storage structures separately, using separate equipment. This achieves ultimate process integration, significantly improving production efficiency and process consistency while ensuring the machining accuracy of each component.

[0077] Working principle: This embodiment provides a method for using an automated grinding equipment for the precision machining of sliding bearings, including the following steps:

[0078] Step 1: Installation and tool setting;

[0079] The sliding bearing to be processed is fixed on the clamping table 1 by the bearing fixture 3, and the grinding spindle box 4 and grinding head assembly 5 are moved by the feed mechanism 2 so that the grinding head assembly 5 is aligned with the center of the bearing inner hole to complete the tool setting and positioning.

[0080] Step 2: Fine grinding of the continuous inner surface;

[0081] When fine grinding of the continuous surface of the bearing inner bore is required: control the follower component 404 to separate the worm gear 4043 from the worm 4033, and the equipment enters a single rotary grinding mode.

[0082] The motor 4031 of the rotating assembly 403 is started. The motor drives the rotating rod 4032 to rotate, and the rotational motion is transmitted to the moving rod 4061 through the engagement of the protrusion 4034 at its end with the groove 4064 of the movable assembly 406, thereby driving the entire grinding head assembly 5 to perform pure rotational motion around the axis. In this mode, the motor B5043 of the ball grinding unit 504 does not work, and the hemispherical grinding block 5044 does not participate in continuous surface grinding.

[0083] Step 3: Inner hole honing mode;

[0084] When it is necessary to process cross-grain patterns on the inner hole surface: control the follower component 404 to make the worm wheel 4043 mesh with the worm 4033, and the equipment enters the compound grinding mode.

[0085] The rotating assembly 403 is activated. The rotational motion of the rotating assembly 403 continues to drive the grinding head assembly 5 to rotate, and simultaneously drives the worm wheel 4043 to rotate via the worm gear pair. The worm wheel 4043 drives the eccentric block 4044 to rotate, and through the linkage of the linkage assembly 405 and the pulley 4055, the rotational motion is converted into the axial reciprocating motion of the movable assembly 406, thus superimposing the axial reciprocating motion on the grinding head assembly 5 while it is rotating.

[0086] At this time, the expansion and contraction unit 503 adjusts the diameter of the hemispherical grinding block 5044 of the ball milling unit 504 to be slightly larger than the diameter of the grinding bushing 501. Simultaneously, the motor B5043 drives the corresponding hemispherical grinding block 5044 to rotate at high speed. This combined motion causes the hemispherical grinding block 5044 to form a uniform cross-grinding trajectory on the inner wall, creating a microscopic surface texture that optimizes lubrication performance.

[0087] Step 4: Fixed-point ball pit milling mode;

[0088] When discrete ball pits need to be machined: the grinding spindle box 4 completely stops working, the rotating component 403 stops rotating, and the follower component 404 remains separated. At this time, the grinding bushing 501 of the grinding head assembly 5 and the moving component 406 are in a stationary state.

[0089] The motors B5043 of the ball mill unit 504 are started, driving the corresponding hemispherical grinding blocks 5044 to rotate at high speed. The high-speed rotating hemispherical grinding blocks 5044 cut into the ball pits on the inner wall of the stationary workpiece. By indexing the workpiece, this process is repeated to process all the ball pits.

[0090] The embodiments disclosed in this invention are preferred embodiments, but are not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can easily understand the spirit of this invention based on the above embodiments and make different extensions and variations, but as long as they do not depart from the spirit of this invention, they are all within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. An automated grinding machine for the precision machining of sliding bearings, characterized in that, It includes a clamping table, a feeding mechanism on one side of the clamping table, a bearing fixture on the top of the clamping table, a grinding spindle box at the output end of the feeding mechanism, and a grinding head assembly at the output end of the grinding spindle box. The grinding spindle box includes: The carrier box assembly is fixedly installed at the output end of the feed mechanism; A rotating assembly, which is rotatably disposed within the support box assembly, is used to drive the grinding head assembly to rotate; The movable component has one end movably mounted on the bearing box assembly and the other end connected to the rotating assembly, so that the movable component can rotate with the rotating assembly, and the movable component is connected to the grinding head assembly to drive it to perform reciprocating linear motion. A follow-up component is disposed within the carrier box assembly; A linkage component, which is connected between the follower component and the moving component; The follower component has an engagement portion that can selectively engage or disengage with the rotating component. When the engagement portion engages with the rotating component, the rotating component drives the follower component to rotate, thereby driving the movable component and the grinding head assembly to perform synchronous reciprocating linear motion while rotating, thus forming a compound grinding mode. When the engagement portion disengages from the rotating component, the rotating component only drives the grinding head assembly to rotate, thus forming a single rotary grinding mode. The follower component includes a cylinder, a support plate, a worm gear, and an eccentric block. The cylinder is fixedly mounted on the outer wall of the bottom end of the bearing box assembly. The support plate is movably inserted into the bottom end of the bearing box assembly and fixedly connected to the output end of the cylinder. The worm gear is rotatably mounted between the two support plates. The eccentric block is fixedly connected to the worm gear through a rotating shaft. One end of the linkage component is movably sleeved on the eccentric block. The grinding head assembly includes a grinding bushing, a movable hole, an expansion and contraction unit, and a ball milling unit. The grinding bushing is fixedly connected to the movable component. The movable hole is opened in an annular shape at equal intervals on the outer wall of the grinding bushing. The expansion and contraction unit is fixedly disposed inside the grinding bushing. The ball milling unit is fixedly disposed at the moving end of the expansion and contraction unit. The expansion and contraction unit includes a motor A, a threaded rod, a threaded sleeve, and symmetrical connecting rods. The motor A is fixedly mounted on the inner wall of the grinding bushing. One end of the threaded rod is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the grinding bushing, and the other end of the threaded rod is fixedly connected to the output end of the motor A. The threaded rod has symmetrically opened threaded grooves. The threaded sleeve is symmetrically and movably mounted on the threaded rod. The symmetrical connecting rods are rotatably connected to the threaded sleeve in a ring with equal intervals. The end of the symmetrical connecting rod away from the threaded sleeve is rotatably connected to the ball milling unit, and the end of the ball milling unit away from the symmetrical connecting rods is movably inserted into the movable hole. The ball milling unit includes a telescopic block, a shrinking hole, a motor B, and a hemispherical grinding block. The telescopic block is movably inserted into the movable hole, the shrinking hole is opened on the telescopic block, the motor B is fixedly installed in the shrinking hole, and the hemispherical grinding block is fixedly connected to the output end of the motor B.

2. The automated grinding equipment for precision machining of sliding bearings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The grinding spindle box also includes a hoisting assembly, which is fixedly installed on the top of the inner wall of the bearing box assembly. The rotating assembly and the movable assembly are movably inserted into the hoisting assembly.

3. The automated grinding equipment for precision machining of sliding bearings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The carrier box assembly includes a box body, a rotating hole, and a socket. The box body is fixedly installed at the output end of the feeding mechanism. The rotating holes are symmetrically opened on the box body. The rotating component and the movable component are movably inserted into the rotating holes. The socket is opened at the bottom end of the box body. The follower component is movably inserted into the socket.

4. An automated grinding equipment for precision machining of sliding bearings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating assembly includes a motor, a rotating rod, a worm gear, and a convex strip. The motor is fixedly mounted on the outer wall of the bearing box assembly. The rotating rod is fixedly connected to the output end of the motor. The worm gear is fixedly sleeved on the rotating rod. The convex strip is fixedly mounted in a ring at equal intervals at one end of the rotating rod near the movable assembly. The worm gear is meshed with the follower assembly.

5. An automated grinding equipment for precision machining of sliding bearings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The linkage assembly includes a base, a support rod, a follower rod, a ring sleeve, and a pulley. The base is fixedly installed inside the bearing box assembly. The support rod is symmetrically rotatably mounted on the base. The follower rod is rotatably mounted in the middle of the support rod. The ring sleeve is fixedly mounted on the end of the follower rod away from the support rod and is movably fitted onto the eccentric block. The pulley is located at the top of the support rod, and the end of the pulley away from the support rod is movably mounted on the movable assembly.

6. An automated grinding equipment for precision machining of sliding bearings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movable component includes a movable rod, a limiting ring, a shaft hole, and a groove. The movable rod is movably inserted into the bearing box assembly. The limiting ring is fixedly sleeved on one end of the movable rod. The shaft hole is opened on the movable rod. The groove is opened in a ring at equal intervals on the inner wall of the shaft hole. The rotating component is slidably inserted into the shaft hole. The grinding head assembly is fixedly connected to the end of the movable rod away from the rotating component.

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