Locking clip press-fitting mechanism and press-fitting method

Abstract

The application discloses a lock clip press-fitting mechanism and a press-fitting method. The lock clip press-fitting mechanism comprises a lock clip clamp, a press plate and a vertical driving mechanism. The lock clip clamp is used for clamping a lock clip and mounting the lock clip on a valve tappet. The press plate is used for pressing down a valve spring. The vertical driving mechanism is used for driving the press plate to move along a vertical direction Z, so that the press plate applies a pressing force to the valve spring. According to the lock clip press-fitting mechanism and the press-fitting method, the vertical driving mechanism is used for driving the press plate to press down the spring, so that a lock clip ring groove of the valve tappet is exposed, thereby providing operation space for the lock clip clamp to mount the lock clip on the lock clip ring groove. According to the technical scheme, the two operations of pressing down the valve spring and mounting the lock clip are separated and performed by independent operation devices, the influence of the spring reaction force on the industrial robot is avoided, the position precision of the lock clip assembled on the lock clip ring groove of the valve tappet by the industrial robot is equivalent to the operation precision of the industrial robot itself, and the success rate of lock clip mounting is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of mechanical assembly technology, and more specifically, to a locking clamp pressing mechanism and pressing method. Background Technology

[0002] For example, in the automotive engine manufacturing process, the assembly of valve lifters and valve locks is one of the key processes affecting engine performance. Currently, there are two main assembly methods in the industry: The first approach uses a servo slide drive. This approach typically requires building a large equipment frame, with columns and beams supporting the material handling and pressing stations to ensure overall structural stability. Its advantages include high rigidity and accurate pressing positioning, but the equipment occupies a large area, has a complex structure, and often requires adjustments to the mechanical structure or redesign of components if the product model changes, resulting in high modification costs and long development cycles.

[0003] The second approach employs a flexible automation solution using industrial robots for gripping and pressing. This solution eliminates the need for a large frame, relying on the movement of the robot itself to transfer and assemble the workpiece. However, in the actual pressing and clamping process, to install the clamp, the robot arm needs to continuously press down the valve spring to a designated position. The spring's reaction force causes the end position of the robot arm's six axes to shift. This shift affects the alignment accuracy between the clamp and the valve tappet slot, easily leading to malfunctions such as improper clamp installation or detachment, thus impacting the assembly success rate.

[0004] Therefore, how to provide a press-fitting solution that can effectively reduce or counteract the effect of spring reaction force on the robot has become a technical problem that needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, this application proposes a locking clamp pressing mechanism and pressing method, which separates the two tasks of pressing down the valve spring and installing the locking clamp, thereby eliminating the impact of spring reaction force on the manipulator of the industrial robot.

[0006] According to this application, a locking clamping mechanism is proposed, comprising: a locking clamp mounted on an industrial robot for clamping a locking clamp and installing it onto a valve lifter; a pressure plate mounted on a frame for pressing down on a valve spring; and a vertical drive mechanism mounted on the frame and drivenly connected to the pressure plate for driving the pressure plate to move vertically in the Z direction, thereby applying downward pressure to the valve spring; the pressure plate has a through hole through which the clamping end of the locking clamp or the valve lifter passes, wherein the maximum inscribed circle diameter of the through hole is smaller than the outer diameter of the valve spring.

[0007] Optionally, the locking clamp has at least two clamping arms, and the plurality of clamping arms are arranged opposite to each other. The clamping arms are rotatably connected to the locking clamp via a pivot shaft in their middle. The non-clamping end of the clamping arm is connected to the locking clamp via an elastic element in a pre-compressed state, so that the clamping arm is normally in the state of clamping the locking clamp.

[0008] Optionally, the locking and pressing mechanism further includes a clamping drive unit, which is mounted on the industrial robot and is used to apply force to the non-clamping end of the clamping arm.

[0009] Optionally, the clamping arm has an airflow channel inside, one end of which is connected to a negative pressure air pipe, and the other end is connected to the clamping end of the clamping arm to form an adsorption port for adsorbing the locking clamp.

[0010] Optionally, the pressure plate is provided with a pressing part at the through hole. The pressing part is used to press down a specific valve spring when there are multiple valve springs under the pressure plate. The pressing part has a pressing surface for pressing down the valve spring, and the center of the pressing part has a space for the clamping end of the locking clamp to penetrate.

[0011] Optionally, the locking clamping mechanism has a planar moving part, and the planar moving part is connected to the pressure plate, for driving the pressure plate to move the through hole above the valve spring.

[0012] Optionally, the planar moving part includes a first linear guide and a second linear guide, wherein the extension direction of the first linear guide is perpendicular to the direction in which the plurality of valve springs are arranged side by side; and the extension direction of the second linear guide is parallel to the direction in which the plurality of valve springs are arranged at an angle.

[0013] Optionally, the locking clamping mechanism has two or more pressure plates, and the two or more pressure plates have their own planar moving parts.

[0014] According to another aspect of this application, a locking clamp press-fit method is provided, the method comprising: placing a valve spring upper seat on the upper end of a valve spring; pressing down the valve spring upper seat with a pressure plate, indirectly pressing down the valve spring, so that the locking ring groove of the valve tappet is exposed; a locking clamp assembling a locking clamp into the locking ring groove; the pressure plate moving up to release the valve spring, the upper end of the valve spring acting on the valve spring upper seat with a preload, and the valve spring upper seat supporting and positioning the locking clamp through its inner conical surface.

[0015] Optionally, the planar moving part drives the pressure plate to move above the valve spring at different positions.

[0016] According to the locking clamp pressing mechanism and method provided in this application, a vertical drive mechanism drives the pressure plate to press down the spring, exposing the locking ring groove of the valve lifter, thereby providing operating space for the locking clamp fixture to install the locking clamp into the locking ring groove. The technical solution of this application separates the tasks of pressing down the valve spring and installing the locking clamp through independent operating devices, eliminating the influence of spring reaction force on the industrial robot. The positional accuracy of the industrial robot carrying the locking clamp in the locking ring groove of the valve lifter is equivalent to the operating accuracy of the industrial robot itself, ensuring a high success rate for locking clamp installation.

[0017] Other features and advantages of this application will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of this application, and the illustrative embodiments and descriptions thereof are used to explain this application. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the locking clamping mechanism according to a preferred embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is an exploded view of a locking clamp according to a preferred embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of a portion of region A in the middle; Figure 4 This is a perspective view of an industrial robot according to a preferred embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a partial schematic diagram (bottom view) of an industrial robot according to a preferred embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the pressure plate and planar moving part according to a preferred embodiment of this application; Figure 7 A detailed view of the planar moving part according to a preferred embodiment of this application; Figure 8 This is a bottom view of the pressure plate according to a preferred embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure Number: The frame includes a pressure plate 11 (including through hole 111 and pressing part 112), a vertical drive mechanism 12 (including vertical moving guide rail 121 and force receiving end 122), a planar moving part 13 (including first linear guide rail 131, second linear guide rail 132, transmission part 133 and support plate 134) and a bearing plate 14; wherein the pressure plate 11 is further divided into a first pressure plate 11A and a second pressure plate 11B; The industrial robot 20 includes a clamping fixture 21 and a clamping drive unit 22; the clamping fixture 21 includes a clamping arm 211 (including a suction port 2111), a pivot shaft 212, an elastic element 213, and a negative pressure air pipe 214; the clamping drive unit 22 includes a transmission plate 221. The engine 30 includes a locking clip 31, a valve lifter 32, a valve spring 33 (including a first valve spring 33A, a second valve spring 33B, a third valve spring 33C, and a fourth valve spring 33D) and a valve spring seat 34. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solution of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0021] This application provides a locking clamp pressing mechanism, which includes: a locking clamp 21, a pressure plate 11, and a vertical drive mechanism 12; the locking clamp 21 is mounted on an industrial robot 20 and is used to clamp a locking clamp 31 and install it onto a valve lifter 32; the pressure plate 11 is mounted on a frame and is used to press down on a valve spring 33; the vertical drive mechanism 12 is mounted on the frame and is drivenly connected to the pressure plate 11, and is used to drive the pressure plate 11 to move in the vertical direction Z (e.g., ...). Figure 8 As shown, the vertical direction Z is parallel to the axis of the valve spring 33, so that the pressure plate 11 applies downward pressure to the valve spring 33; the pressure plate 11 has a through hole 111 through which the clamping end of the locking clamp 21 or the valve lifter 32 passes. The maximum inscribed circle diameter of the through hole 111 is smaller than the outer diameter of the valve spring 33. Therefore, when the pressure plate 11 is pressed down, the valve spring 33 cannot pass through because its size is larger than the size of the through hole 111 on the pressure plate 11. It is forced to compress downward, thereby exposing the locking ring groove on the valve lifter 32. Thus, the locking clamp 21 can install the locking clamp 31 on the locking ring groove.

[0022] According to the locking clamp pressing mechanism provided in this application, the vertical drive mechanism 12 drives the pressure plate 11 to press down the spring, exposing the locking ring groove of the valve lifter 32, thereby providing operating space for the locking clamp 21 to install the locking clamp 31 into the locking ring groove. The technical solution of this application separates the tasks of pressing down the valve spring 33 and installing the locking clamp 31 through independent operating devices, eliminating the influence of spring reaction force on the industrial robot 20. The positional accuracy of the industrial robot 20 carrying the locking clamp 31 and assembling it into the locking ring groove of the valve lifter 32 is equivalent to the operating accuracy of the industrial robot 20 itself, ensuring the success rate of locking clamp installation.

[0023] To more flexibly and lightly clamp the locking clip 31, this application provides an embodiment of the locking clip fixture 21. Optionally, the locking clip fixture 21 has at least two clamping arms 211, and the multiple clamping arms 211 are arranged opposite to each other. Figure 2As shown, in this embodiment, a clamping arm 211 is provided on each of the two sides of the lock clamp 21. It is understood that clamping arms 211 can also be added to other sides of the lock clamp 21, or multiple clamping arms 211 can be provided on the same side, to more reliably clamp the lock clamp 31. The clamping arms 211 are rotatably connected to the lock clamp 21 body via a pivot 212 in their middle, allowing the clamping arms 211 to rotate relative to each other around the pivot 212. When opposing forces are applied to the non-clamping ends of the clamping arms 211, the clamping arms 211 rotate around the pivot 212, causing the clamping ends of the multiple opposing clamping arms 211 to separate, thereby realizing the operation of preparing to clamp or release the lock clamp 31. To ensure that the clamping arm 211 is in a clamped state when clamping the lock 31, the lock clamp 21 also has an elastic element 213. The two ends of the elastic element 213 abut against the body of the lock clamp 21 and the non-clamping end of the clamping arm 211, respectively, and are installed in a pre-compressed state. The non-clamping end of the clamping arm 211 is connected to the lock clamp 21 through the pre-compressed elastic element 213. The elastic force of the elastic element 213 continuously pushes the oppositely positioned non-clamping end of the clamping arm 211. Based on the lever principle, this force is transmitted to the clamping end of the clamping arm 211, thus converting into a clamping force on the lock 31, thereby ensuring that the lock clamp 21 is reliably clamped to the lock 31 under normal conditions.

[0024] When it is necessary to release the clamp 31, the operator presses the non-clamping end of the oppositely positioned clamping arm 211 to overcome the elastic force of the elastic element 213, thereby driving the clamping end of the clamping arm 211 to separate. To perform this operation more efficiently and consistently, the clamping mechanism may optionally include a clamping drive unit 22, which is mounted on the industrial robot 20 and applies force to the non-clamping end of the clamping arm 211, thereby causing the clamping arm 211 to release the clamp 31. Figure 3-4 As shown, the clamping drive unit 22 drives the transmission plate 221, which has multiple force application points. A single clamping drive unit 22 can simultaneously apply force to the non-clamping ends of multiple clamping arms 211, thereby achieving synchronous driving of the clamping ends of multiple clamping arms 211 to separate.

[0025] The locking clip 31 is typically composed of two conical halves. When the clamping ends of the multiple opposing clamping arms 211 separate, the locking clip 31 loses its support and falls. To enable the locking clip clamp 21 to adsorb the locking clip 31, it can be magnetically treated so that the locking clip 31 is magnetically adsorbed and fixed. In this embodiment, a simpler method is provided. The clamping arm 211 has an airflow channel inside. One end of the airflow channel is connected to the negative pressure air pipe 214, and the other end leads to the clamping end of the clamping arm 211 and forms an adsorption port 2111 for adsorbing the locking clip 31. By controlling the operation of the negative pressure device, the adsorption force of the adsorption port 2111 on the locking clip 31 can be controlled, thus ensuring that the locking clip 31 is reliably adsorbed on the clamping end or released and installed on the locking ring groove of the valve lifter 32.

[0026] In the technical solution for pressing the locking clip 31 provided in this application, the upper valve spring seat 34 is first placed on the upper end of the valve spring 33 at the front station; then the engine 30 is moved to the locking clip pressing station (i.e., the station where the locking clip pressing mechanism of this application is located) for locking clip installation. The pressure plate 11 presses down on the upper valve spring seat 34, indirectly pressing down on the valve spring 33, so that the locking ring groove of the valve tappet 32 ​​is exposed; in this embodiment, as Figure 6 As shown, the pressure plate 11 is connected to the support plate 14 of the frame, and the support plate 14 is connected to the vertical moving guide rail 121 located on its back by a guide seat (as shown). Figure 1 (As shown) and has a force-receiving end 122 on the back of the support plate 14, which is used to connect with the piston rod of the vertical drive mechanism 12, so that the vertical drive mechanism 12 can drive the support plate 14 to move along the vertical moving guide rail 121, and then the vertical movement is transmitted to the pressure plate 11. The driving force of the vertical drive mechanism 12 can be converted into the downward pressure of the pressure plate 11 on the valve piston. The pressure plate 11 directly contacts the upper seat 34 of the valve spring, and indirectly presses down the valve spring 33 under the driving force of the vertical drive mechanism 12, so that the locking ring groove of the valve tappet 32 ​​is exposed, so as to release the obstruction of the locking ring groove by the valve spring 33 and provide operating space for assembling the locking clip 31. The valve lifter 32 extends from the through hole 111 on the pressure plate 11, at which point the locking ring groove is also located on the pressure plate 11. The industrial robot 20, carrying the locking clamp 21, moves to above the valve lifter 32 and then lowers it. The locking clamp 21 releases its clamping end, assembling the locking clamp 31 into the locking ring groove. Subsequently, the vertical drive mechanism 12 drives the pressure plate 11 to move upward, thereby releasing the valve spring 33. The upper end of the valve spring 33 acts with a preload on the valve spring upper seat 34. The valve spring upper seat 34 supports and positions the locking clamp 31 through its inner conical surface that matches the locking clamp 31, completing the assembly of the locking clamp 31.

[0027] When multiple valve springs 33 are covered under the pressure plate 11, but the number of locking clamps 21 is limited, or the reaction force of pressing down on many valve springs 33 at the same time is too large, causing the locking clamp pressing mechanism to be overburdened, it is preferable to press down all valve springs 33 in batches: the pressure plate 11 is provided with a pressing part 112 at the through hole 111. The pressing part 112 is used to press down a specific valve spring 33 when there are multiple valve springs 33 under the pressure plate 11. The pressing part 112 has a pressing surface for pressing down the valve spring 33, and the center of the pressing part 112 has space for the clamping end of the locking clamp 21 to penetrate. Therefore, when the pressure plate 11 is pressed down, only the designated valve spring 33 is pressed down through the pressing part 112, avoiding the pressure plate 11 from directly pressing down on all the valve springs 33 covered by it. This would prevent the valve spring 33 where the already assembled locking clip 31 is located from being compressed again, exposing the locking clip 31 to the external environment, causing it to lose support and fall off. During press-fitting, due to the presence of the pressing part 112, after the pressure plate 11 is pressed down, the locking clip ring groove is still located below the pressure plate 11. At this time, the clamping end of the locking clip clamp 21 passes through the through hole 111, thereby releasing the clamping ends of the multiple opposing clamping arms 211, and assembling the locking clip 31 into the locking clip ring groove.

[0028] When valve springs 33 need to be pressed down in batches, the pressure plate 11 has the function of moving along a plane, thereby moving it above different valve springs 33 to be pressed. Optionally, the locking clamping mechanism has a planar moving part 13, and the planar moving part 13 is connected to the pressure plate 11, for driving the pressure plate 11 to move the through hole 111 on the pressure plate 11 above the valve springs 33. Figure 6-7 As shown, the planar moving part 13 is arranged on the bearing plate 14 and is connected to the pressure plate 11 via the transmission part 133. Figure 6 As shown, the transmission unit 133 consists of a flat plate of a guide seat connected to the slide rail and a column fixedly connected to the flat plate. The column is connected to the pressure plate 11. When the valve springs 33 are arranged side by side along the long side of the pressure plate 11, the transmission unit 133 can move along the direction perpendicular to the long side of the pressure plate 11 via the first linear guide rail 131 in the planar moving part 13, thereby driving the pressure plate 11 and moving the through hole 111 on the pressure plate 11 above the valve springs 33 in different rows.

[0029] When multiple valve springs 33 are arranged at an angle, the planar moving part 13 includes a first linear guide 131 and a second linear guide 132. The extending direction of the first linear guide 131 is perpendicular to the direction in which the multiple valve springs 33 are arranged side by side; the extending direction of the second linear guide 132 is parallel to the direction in which the multiple valve springs 33 are arranged at an angle. Figure 7As shown, the flat plate of the transmission part 133 is arranged on the guide seat of the second linear guide 132, the second linear guide 132 is arranged on the support plate 134, and the support plate 134 is arranged on the guide seat of the first linear guide 131. Thus, under the guidance of the first linear guide 131 and the second linear guide 132, the pressure plate 11 can move along the tilting direction of the multiple valve springs 33.

[0030] When multiple valve springs 33 are arranged at different inclination angles, the locking clamping mechanism may optionally have two or more pressure plates 11, each with its own planar moving part 13. By setting the first linear guide 131 or the second linear guide 132 in each planar moving part 13 to different inclination directions, the pressure plates 11 are moved in a planar displacement, thus accommodating all valve springs 33.

[0031] In this embodiment, such as Figure 8 As shown, the four valve springs 33 are arranged in a polygonal shape, but this polygon is not a parallelogram. The inclination angle of the hypotenuses of the first valve spring 33A and the second valve spring 33B is different from that of the hypotenuses of the third valve spring 33C and the fourth valve spring 33D. The first valve spring 33A and the second valve spring 33B are pressed down by the first pressure plate 11A, while the third valve spring 33C and the fourth valve spring 33D are pressed down by the second pressure plate 11B. The second linear guide rail 132 corresponding to the first pressure plate 11A is parallel to the hypotenuses of the first valve spring 33A and the second valve spring 33B, and the second linear guide rail 132 corresponding to the second pressure plate 11B is parallel to the hypotenuses of the third valve spring 33C and the fourth valve spring 33D.

[0032] In this embodiment, the two planar moving parts 13 share a first linear guide rail 131. During movement, the displacements of the first pressure plate 11A and the second pressure plate 11B perpendicular to the long side of the pressure plate 11 are constrained by the first linear guide rail 131, thereby preventing interference between the first pressure plate 11A and the second pressure plate 11B during movement. If slight interference occurs due to the different inclination angles of the two inclined sides, the planar plates of the two transmission parts 133 can be adjusted to slide along the second linear guide rail 132 for fine adjustment to avoid interference. The pressing sequence is as follows: first valve spring 33A, second valve spring 33B, third valve spring 33C, and fourth valve spring 33D.

[0033] The term "vertical direction" as used in this application refers to the attached... Figure 8The description is based on the Z direction shown in the figures. It is understood that the above directional terms are used to clearly indicate the relative positional relationship of the technical solution of this application. The placement and arrangement of the product carrying the technical solution of this application may not be limited to the positional relationship shown in the figures of this application. Therefore, the above directional terms do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0034] The preferred embodiments of this application have been described in detail above. However, this application is not limited to the specific details of the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of this application, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solution of this application, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of this application.

[0035] It should also be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, this application will not describe the various possible combinations separately.

[0036] Furthermore, various different implementations of this application can be combined in any way, as long as they do not violate the spirit of this application, they should also be regarded as the content disclosed in this application.

Claims

1. A locking and clamping mechanism, characterized in that, The locking clamping mechanism includes: A locking clamp (21) is mounted on an industrial robot (20) for holding a locking clamp (31) and mounting it to a valve lifter (32). Pressure plate (11), which is mounted on the frame, is used to press down the valve spring (33). A vertical drive mechanism (12) is mounted on the frame and drivenly connected to the pressure plate (11) for driving the pressure plate (11) to move in the vertical direction Z so that the pressure plate (11) applies downward pressure to the valve spring (33); The pressure plate (11) has a through hole (111) through which the clamping end of the locking clamp (21) or the valve lifter (32) passes. The maximum inscribed circle diameter of the through hole (111) is smaller than the outer diameter of the valve spring (33).

2. The locking clamping mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The locking clamp (21) has at least two clamping arms (211), and the plurality of clamping arms (211) are arranged opposite to each other. The clamping arms (211) are rotatably connected to the locking clamp (21) via a pivot (212) in the middle. The non-clamping end of the clamping arm (211) is connected to the locking clamp (21) via an elastic element (213) in a pre-compressed state, so that the clamping arm (211) is normally in the state of clamping the locking clamp (31).

3. The locking clamping mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping and pressing mechanism also includes a clamping drive unit (22), which is installed on the industrial robot (20) and is used to apply force to the non-clamping end of the clamping arm (211).

4. The locking clamping mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The clamping arm (211) has an airflow channel inside. One end of the airflow channel is connected to a negative pressure air pipe (214), and the other end is connected to the clamping end of the clamping arm (211) to form an adsorption port (2111) for adsorbing the locking clamp (31).

5. The locking clamping mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure plate (11) is provided with a pressing part (112) at the through hole (111). The pressing part (112) is used to press down a specific valve spring (33) when there are multiple valve springs (33) under the pressure plate (11). The pressing part (112) has a pressing surface for pressing down the valve spring (33), and the center of the pressing part (112) has a space for the clamping end of the locking clamp (21) to be inserted.

6. The locking clamping mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The locking clamping mechanism has a planar moving part (13), and the planar moving part (13) is connected to the pressure plate (11) to drive the pressure plate (11) to move the through hole (111) above the valve spring (33).

7. The locking clamping mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that, The planar moving part (13) includes a first linear guide (131) and a second linear guide (132). The extension direction of the first linear guide (131) is perpendicular to the direction in which the plurality of valve springs (33) are arranged side by side; the extension direction of the second linear guide is parallel to the direction in which the plurality of valve springs (33) are arranged at an angle.

8. The locking clamping mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that, The locking clamping mechanism has two or more pressure plates (11), and each of the two or more pressure plates (11) has a planar moving part (13).

9. A locking clamp pressing method, characterized in that, The locking clamp press-fit method includes: Place the upper valve spring seat (34) on the upper end of the valve spring (33); The pressure plate (11) presses down on the upper seat of the valve spring (34), indirectly pressing down on the valve spring (33), so that the locking ring groove of the valve tappet (32) is exposed; The locking clamp (21) assembles the locking clamp (31) into the locking clamp ring groove; The pressure plate (11) moves upward to release the valve spring (33). The upper end of the valve spring (33) acts on the valve spring seat (34) with a preload force. The valve spring seat (34) supports and positions the locking clip (31) through its inner conical surface.

10. The locking clamp pressing method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The planar moving part (13) drives the pressure plate (11) to move above the valve spring (33) which is in a different position.

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