Pressing clamp for automobile half shaft machining

Abstract

The invention discloses a pressing clamp for automobile half axle machining, and relates to the technical field of automobile half axle machining, the pressing clamp comprises moving seats which are arranged in a bilateral symmetry mode, the moving seats are used for being installed on a machine tool and can move towards or away from each other along a guide rail of the machine tool, and clamping mechanisms are installed on the moving seats through first driving mechanisms; and a bearing mechanism is mounted on the moving seat through a second driving mechanism. The device has the advantages that the process integration of positioning, machining and online deburring is realized; the adjusting unit drives the cleaning ring to axially move, the deflection seat drives the cleaning ring to circumferentially deviate, the cleaning ring is matched with the inner limiting ring, the cleaning ring and the inner limiting ring are matched in a staggered mode before milling groove machining operation so as to circumferentially wrap and press the spline end, rigid clamping without circumferential sliding is provided during machining, and the angular precision of milling grooves is guaranteed. And after the clamp spring notch is milled in the spline end, burrs at the joint of the spline end tooth groove and the clamp spring notch and burrs on the inner wall of the clamp spring notch are scraped off, and the fatigue resistance and reliability of the automobile half shaft piece are improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of automobile half shaft machining, and particularly relates to a pressing clamp for automobile half shaft machining. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the rapid development of the automobile industry, the precision, reliability and production efficiency of automobile half shafts, as key components in vehicle transmission systems, are increasingly improved. Milling a snap spring groove on a spline end is a key process. The snap spring groove is used for installing an elastic check ring, which prevents the ball cage from being axially detached from the spline end during subsequent assembly of the automobile half shaft and the inner ball cage (or inner star wheel of a three-ball pin type universal joint), thereby playing a key role in axial locking.

[0003] Traditional production processes usually use independent steps and equipment: first, a general pressing clamp such as a three-jaw chuck is used to position and clamp the automobile half shaft to complete the milling groove process; then the workpiece is transported to another station, and the operator uses a file or other tool to manually remove burrs generated during milling. The accuracy of the groove opening and the surface finish of the snap spring groove are directly related to the assembly reliability of the inner ball cage assembly and the fatigue life of the automobile half shaft as a whole. However, the use of a three-jaw chuck or other general clamp cannot ensure the accuracy of the milling groove position, and the clamping is unstable, which can lead to processing errors. Secondly, the space at the intersection of the spline teeth of the spline end and the snap spring groove is narrow and complex in structure, and traditional manual or general tools cannot completely remove the burrs at this intersection, resulting in poor quality consistency, which seriously affects the reliability and life of the product. Finally, the transportation, clamping and adjustment between processes consume a lot of auxiliary time, reduce efficiency, and the repeated clamping can lead to cumulative positioning errors, affecting the angular accuracy of the snap spring groove.

[0004] Therefore, in order to improve the accuracy of the milling groove position and remove the burrs at the intersection, the present application provides a pressing clamp for automobile half shaft machining. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application aims to solve the problems in the prior art and provides a pressing clamp for automobile half shaft machining.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present application adopts the following technical scheme: a pressing clamp for automobile half shaft machining is used for milling groove operation on an automobile half shaft, comprising a moving seat arranged symmetrically left and right, which is used for installation on a machine tool and can move towards or away from each other along the guide rail of the machine tool, a clamping mechanism is installed on the moving seat through a first driving mechanism, and a supporting mechanism is installed on the moving seat through a second driving mechanism.

[0007] The clamping mechanism comprises a supporting seat connected with the output end of the first driving mechanism, and further comprises a clamping unit, an adjusting unit, a deflection seat and a cleaning ring.

[0008] The cleaning ring is axially displaced by the adjusting unit, and is circumferentially offset by the deflection seat.

[0009] In the above-mentioned pressing clamp for automobile half shaft machining, the first driving mechanism is a motor for driving the overall rotation of the clamping mechanism.

[0010] In the above-mentioned pressing clamp for automobile half shaft machining, the clamping unit comprises an outer ring seat fixed on the supporting seat, and an inner limiting ring coaxially arranged in the inner side of the outer ring seat and fixed on the supporting seat.

[0011] In the above-mentioned pressing clamp for automobile half shaft machining, an adjusting cavity is formed between the outer ring seat and the inner limiting ring.

[0012] In the above-mentioned pressing clamp for automobile half shaft machining, the adjusting unit comprises a sliding seat slidingly arranged in the adjusting cavity, and the sliding seat is fixedly connected with an extension ring through a connecting ring.

[0013] In the above-mentioned pressing clamp for automobile half shaft machining, arc-shaped sliding grooves are formed in the sliding seat and the extension ring, and an annular deflection seat is slidingly connected in the arc-shaped sliding grooves, and the inner ring wall of the deflection seat is provided with the cleaning ring.

[0014] In the above-mentioned pressing clamp for automobile half shaft machining, the tooth pitch of the inner limiting ring and the cleaning ring is greater than the tooth pitch of the spline end.

[0015] In the above-mentioned pressing clamp for automobile half shaft machining, the tooth depth of the cleaning ring is adapted to the groove depth of the snap spring groove on the spline end.

[0016] In the above-mentioned pressing clamp for automobile half shaft machining, the supporting mechanism is used for V-shaped supporting the middle part of the automobile half shaft when the clamping mechanism is not clamped.

[0017] In the above-mentioned pressing clamp for automobile half shaft machining, the second driving mechanism is an electric push rod for driving the lifting of the supporting mechanism.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the advantages that: once clamping before processing, no need to loosen the workpiece after processing, eliminating auxiliary time between processes, avoiding secondary clamping error, realizing process integration of positioning, processing and online deburring, significantly shortening the production cycle of single product while ensuring processing accuracy, and being particularly suitable for mass production.

[0019] Before processing, the inner limiting ring and the cleaning ring are engaged by interlacing, providing rigid clamping without circumferential slip during processing, and ensuring the angular accuracy of the milled groove.

[0020] After processing, the cleaning ring is driven to perform preset axial scraping and circumferential deflection scraping actions, directly removing burrs on the inner wall of the snap spring notch and the spline end of the spline, and at the connection between the snap spring notch and the spline, solving the problem of removing burrs in key areas in a narrow space, significantly improving product reliability and consistency, and fundamentally improving the fatigue resistance and reliability of the automobile half shaft. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] The specific embodiments of the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 Overall structural schematic diagram.

[0022] Figure 2 Structure schematic diagram of the moving seat and the clamping mechanism.

[0023] Figure 3 Structure schematic diagram of the automobile half shaft before milling.

[0024] Figure 4 Structure schematic diagram of the automobile half shaft after milling.

[0025] Figure 5 Partial structure exploded schematic diagram of the clamping mechanism.

[0026] Figure 6 Another partial structure exploded schematic diagram of the clamping mechanism.

[0027] Figure 7 Partial structure sectional view schematic diagram of the clamping mechanism.

[0028] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the spline end inserted into the inner limiting ring.

[0029] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the inner limiting ring when the cleaning ring and the inner limiting ring cooperate to wrap and press the spline end circumferentially.

[0030] Figure 10This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning ring used to circumferentially wrap and press the spline end in conjunction with the inner limiting ring.

[0031] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning ring moving during cleaning.

[0032] Figure 12 Another diagram illustrating the cleaning process of the cleaning ring during cleaning.

[0033] In the diagram: 1. Movable seat; 2. Clamping mechanism; 21. Support seat; 22. Clamping unit; 221. Outer ring seat; 222. Inner limit ring; 223. Adjustment cavity; 23. Adjustment unit; 231. Sliding seat; 232. Arc-shaped slide groove; 233. Connecting ring; 234. Extension ring; 24. Deflection seat; 25. Cleaning ring; 3. Supporting mechanism; 9. Automobile half-shaft component; 91. Spline end; 92. Snap ring slot. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] Reference Figures 1 to 4 A clamping fixture for machining automotive half-shafts is disclosed, used to clamp automotive half-shaft components 9 during milling. It includes a movable base 1 symmetrically mounted on a spline milling machine. A clamping mechanism 2 is mounted on the movable base 1 via a first drive mechanism, and a supporting mechanism 3 is mounted via a second drive mechanism. The first drive mechanism is a motor, and the second drive mechanism is an electric push rod. The clamping mechanism 2 clamps the two spline ends 91 located at the left and right ends of the automotive half-shaft component 9 during milling, and performs cleaning operations after milling grooves 92 into the spline ends 91 to create retaining spring slots. The top of the supporting mechanism 3 is V-shaped, used to provide V-shaped support for the middle part of the automotive half-shaft component 9 when the clamping mechanism 2 is not clamping.

[0036] This product is suitable for milling grooves on large batches of automotive half-shaft parts with single dimensions and high precision requirements.

[0037] Before processing, the automotive half-shaft component 9, which has already undergone spline rolling and heat treatment, is placed on the V-shaped top of the support mechanism 3 by a gantry robot. The gantry robot and the support mechanism 3 limit its vertical movement. The two moving seats 1 drive the two clamping mechanisms 2 to change from a position far apart to a position close to each other, clamping and pressing the automotive half-shaft component 9 from both ends, thereby performing loading and positioning.

[0038] The spline milling machine is equipped with a forming milling cutter (not shown in the figure) that perfectly matches the shape of the retaining ring slot 92 to be cut. The spline end 91 to be slotted faces the milling cutter. During machining, the milling cutter rotates at high speed, while the clamping mechanism 2 drives the automotive half-shaft 9 to rotate slowly. The milling cutter feeds radially along the workpiece and cuts into the tooth groove of the spline end 91. After machining, the milling cutter retracts radially. After the clamping mechanism 2 performs a quick cleaning operation, it moves downwards via a gantry robot to cooperate with the support mechanism 3 to limit the upper and lower positions of the automotive half-shaft 9. After the clamping mechanism 2 resets, the gantry robot clamps and unloads the material.

[0039] A retaining ring slot 92 is opened on the spline end 91 by milling, which is used to install an elastic retaining ring when assembling the automotive half shaft part 9 with the inner ball cage (or the inner star wheel of the three ball pin universal joint). The elastic retaining ring is inserted into the slot to prevent the ball cage from axially dislodging from the spline end 91, playing a key axial locking role.

[0040] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 The clamping mechanism 2 includes a support base 21 connected to the output end of the motor. The rotation of the motor output end drives the support base 21 to rotate. A clamping unit 22 is provided on the support base 21. An adjustment unit 23 is provided on the clamping unit 22. A deflection seat 24 is provided on the adjustment unit 23. A cleaning ring 25 is provided on the deflection seat 24.

[0041] Reference Figure 5 The clamping unit 22 includes an outer ring seat 221 and an inner limiting ring 222. Both the outer ring seat 221 and the inner limiting ring 222 are fixedly connected to the side of the support base 21 away from the motor output end. The inner limiting ring 222 is detachably installed on the support base 21 by bolts. The inner limiting ring 222 is coaxial with the outer ring seat 221. The inner ring wall of the inner limiting ring 222 is toothed to match the spline end 91 on the automobile half-shaft 9. An adjustment cavity 223 is formed between the outer ring wall of the inner limiting ring 222 and the inner ring wall of the outer ring seat 221.

[0042] Reference Figures 5 to 7The adjustment unit 23 includes a sliding seat 231 that is slidably connected to the adjustment cavity 223 by an electric slider. A connecting ring 233 is detachably and fixedly installed on the side of the sliding seat 231 away from the support seat 21. An extension ring 234 in the shape of a trumpet is fixedly connected to the side of the connecting ring 233 away from the sliding seat 231. The cross-section of the extension ring 234 is trapezoidal. Two symmetrically distributed arc-shaped grooves 232 are provided on the side walls of the sliding seat 231 and the extension ring 234 that are close to each other. A deflection seat 24 is slidably connected to the arc-shaped groove 232 by an electric slider. The cross-section of the deflection seat 24 is L-shaped. A cleaning ring 25 is detachably installed on the inner ring wall of the deflection seat 24 by bolts. The inner ring wall of the cleaning ring 25 is toothed and adapted to the spline end 91 on the automobile half-shaft 9. The cleaning ring 25 is used to clean the spline end 91 and the retaining ring groove 92.

[0043] The specific operations for feeding and positioning are as follows: (Refer to) Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 The spline end 91 is inserted into the cleaning ring 25 and the inner limit ring 222 in sequence. The tooth pitch of the cleaning ring 25 and the inner limit ring 222 is the same and greater than the tooth pitch of the spline end 91. Therefore, the spline end 91 is not greatly restricted in entering the cleaning ring 25 and the inner limit ring 222, and has flexibility and versatility within a certain range.

[0044] After the spline end 91 enters, both ends are subjected to a clamping force towards the center; the deflector seat 24, driven by the electric slider, slides and deflects along the arc-shaped slide groove 232, and the cleaning ring 25 deflects accordingly. The cleaning ring 25 changes from a non-limiting state overlapping with the inner limiting ring 222 (viewed from the left and right sides) to an interleaved limiting state. The cleaning ring 25 and the inner limiting ring 222 cooperate to circumferentially wrap and press the spline end 91 to limit its movement (e.g., Figure 9 and Figure 10 Therefore, stable positioning is achieved, ensuring the angular accuracy of subsequent milling.

[0045] It should be noted that the electric slider that drives the deflection seat 24 is a high-precision micro-pitch electric slider. When changing processing batches, the sliding distance of the spline end 91 with different tooth pitches (the tooth pitch must be smaller than the tooth pitch of the cleaning ring 25 and the inner limit ring 222) is controlled by the control system, and is obtained through multiple experiments by those skilled in the art.

[0046] The specific operation for cleaning is as follows: After the retaining ring slot 92 on the spline end 91 is opened, and the milling cutter is withdrawn, the cleaning ring 25 and the inner limit ring 222 remain in a limited position. (Reference) Figure 11 and Figure 12The electric slider drives the sliding seat 231 to slide away from the support seat 21 in the adjustment cavity 223, which drives the deflection seat 24 and the cleaning ring 25 to move axially. The cleaning ring 25 moves axially along the tooth groove until the cleaning ring 25 moves to the tooth groove that is separated from the spline end 91 and overlaps with the snap ring groove 92. When the cleaning ring 25 is separated from the tooth groove of the spline end 91, the burrs at the connection between the tooth groove on this side and the snap ring groove 92 are removed.

[0047] The tooth depth of the cleaning ring 25 is matched with the groove depth of the snap ring groove 92. The deflection seat 24 and the cleaning ring 25 are deflected by the electric slider. When the cleaning ring 25 deflects in the snap ring groove 92, it scrapes the burrs on the inner wall of the snap ring groove 92.

[0048] After the cleaning ring 25 deflects within the retaining ring slot 92, it returns to its non-limited state. It then continues to slide the sliding seat 231 in the adjustment chamber 223 away from the support seat 21 via the electric slider, re-entering the toothed groove of the spline end 91. Next, the cleaning ring 25 is adjusted back to its limit state, and the sliding seat 231 slides closer to the support seat 21, continuing to enter the retaining ring slot 92. During this process, burrs at the connection between the other toothed groove and the retaining ring slot 92 are removed. Through these actions, the problem of removing burrs in critical areas within confined spaces is effectively solved, significantly improving product reliability and consistency, and fundamentally enhancing the fatigue strength and reliability of the automotive half-shaft component 9. It also prevents subsequent burrs from jamming the elastic retaining ring, preventing proper installation, or scratching the retaining ring surface and weakening its elasticity.

[0049] Finally, the cleaning ring 25 is reset to the non-limited state, and the sliding seat 231 moves it closer to the support seat 21 to reset. This completes the scraping and cleaning of burrs at the "cross" position formed by the spline end 91 and the retaining spring groove 92.

[0050] It should be noted that key components that directly contact the workpiece and are prone to wear, such as the cleaning ring 25 and the inner limit ring 222, can be quickly and individually replaced after wear.

[0051] In traditional processes, milling and deburring are performed step-by-step on multiple machines or at different workstations, resulting in repetitive positioning errors and time-consuming transfers. Furthermore, traditional manual deburring is inefficient and inconsistent. This solution, through an innovative fixture design, continuously and automatically completes the entire process from precise positioning and milling to deburring under the same clamping condition, achieving "process integration" of positioning, machining, and online deburring, significantly improving efficiency and accuracy. Moreover, the cleaning ring 25 and inner limit ring 222 work together to solve the problem of online burr removal in critical areas within confined spaces, significantly improving product reliability and consistency.

[0052] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0053] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "number one," and "number two" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first," "second," "number one," or "number two" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0054] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0055] The embodiments described herein are preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape, and principle of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A clamping fixture for machining automotive half-shafts, used for milling grooves on automotive half-shaft components, comprising symmetrically arranged movable seats for mounting on a machine tool and movable along the machine tool guide rails in opposite directions or backwards, characterized in that... A clamping mechanism is mounted on the movable seat via a first driving mechanism, and a supporting mechanism is mounted on the movable seat via a second driving mechanism. The clamping mechanism includes a support base connected to the output end of the first drive mechanism. The clamping mechanism also includes a clamping unit, an adjustment unit, a deflection seat, and a cleaning ring. The clamping unit includes an inner limiting ring. The inner ring walls of both the cleaning ring and the inner limiting ring are toothed, and the tooth shape is adapted to the spline end tooth shape on the automobile half shaft. The cleaning ring is driven to move axially by the adjustment unit, and the deflection seat drives the cleaning ring to move circumferentially. The cleaning ring and the inner limit ring cooperate with each other and are staggered to wrap and press the spline end circumferentially before the milling operation. After the snap ring groove is milled on the spline end, the burrs at the connection between the spline end tooth groove and the snap ring groove, as well as the burrs on the inner wall of the snap ring groove, are scraped off.

2. The clamping fixture for machining automobile half-shafts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first driving mechanism is a motor, which is used to drive the entire clamping mechanism to rotate.

3. The clamping fixture for machining automobile half-shafts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping unit includes an outer ring seat fixed to the support base, and an inner limiting ring that can be detachably installed on the support base is coaxially arranged on the inner side of the outer ring seat.

4. A clamping fixture for machining automobile half-shafts according to claim 3, characterized in that, An adjustment cavity is formed between the outer ring seat and the inner limiting ring.

5. A clamping fixture for machining automobile half-shafts according to claim 4, characterized in that, The adjustment unit includes a sliding seat that is slidably disposed in the adjustment cavity, and an extension ring is fixedly connected to the sliding seat via a connecting ring.

6. A clamping fixture for machining automobile half-shafts according to claim 5, characterized in that, Both the sliding seat and the extension ring are provided with arc-shaped grooves, and a ring-shaped deflector is slidably connected to the arc-shaped groove. A cleaning ring is detachably installed on the inner ring wall of the deflector.

7. A clamping fixture for machining automobile half-shafts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pitch of the inner limiting ring and the cleaning ring is greater than the pitch of the spline end.

8. A clamping fixture for machining automobile half-shafts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tooth depth of the cleaning ring is adapted to the groove depth of the retaining ring groove on the spline end.

9. A clamping fixture for machining automobile half-shafts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The supporting mechanism is used to provide V-shaped support for the middle part of the automobile half-shaft when the clamping mechanism is not clamping it.

10. A clamping fixture for machining automobile half-shafts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second drive mechanism is an electric push rod, used to drive the support mechanism to rise and fall.

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