A special automated assembly equipment for water pump heads

Abstract

This invention provides a dedicated automated assembly equipment for water pump heads, comprising a frame, a locking mechanism, a tooling rotation mechanism, and a bolt supply mechanism. The locking mechanism includes a lifting assembly and a bolt sleeve; the bolt supply mechanism includes a power mechanism and a support frame with a limiting tube. The inner wall of the limiting tube is connected to a support wheel via an elastic support structure to support the bolt. During operation, the power mechanism drives the support frame to move, positioning the limiting tube between the pump head and the bolt sleeve for coaxial alignment; when the bolt sleeve is pressed down, it overcomes the elastic force of the elastic support structure, driving the bolt downwards to disengage from the support wheel and directly tighten onto the pump head. This achieves continuous operation of feeding, alignment, and fastening, significantly improving the efficiency and automation of pump head assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to mechanical equipment, and more particularly to an automated assembly equipment for water pump heads. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, during the assembly of water pumps, it is usually necessary to tighten the bolts on the pump head. To improve assembly efficiency, some semi-automatic tightening devices have emerged in the prior art. For example, Chinese patent document CN224043067U discloses an "automatic tightening device for pump head bolts". This technical solution mainly includes a locking mechanism and a tooling rotation mechanism mounted on a base frame. The locking mechanism includes a lifting assembly with a bolt sleeve, while the tooling rotation mechanism integrates a sliding assembly with sliding function, a tooling table, a rotating seat, a rotating plate with a clamp, and a driving component. This device aims to adjust the pump head posture through the tooling rotation mechanism, thereby allowing the bolt sleeve to automatically tighten pre-installed bolts in different directions.

[0003] However, the equipment's operating logic relies on the manual pre-installation of bolts on the pump head. This means that it is highly dependent on manual intervention before the final tightening of the bolts. Workers must manually and precisely place the bolts in the corresponding bolt holes on the pump head. Furthermore, to prevent the bolts from becoming misaligned or even falling off during subsequent adjustments to the sliding assembly or rotating plate, workers must manually screw the bolts in several turns for initial fixation before starting the equipment to allow the bolt sleeve to perform the subsequent tightening action. This significantly reduces the actual production efficiency of the automatic tightening equipment, failing to meet the high-efficiency requirements of modern production lines. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of this invention is to provide a dedicated automated assembly equipment for water pump heads, so as to improve production efficiency.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution of the present invention is: a dedicated automated assembly equipment for water pump heads, including a frame, a locking mechanism and a tooling rotation mechanism for clamping and adjusting the posture of the pump head, all mounted on the frame. The locking mechanism includes a lifting assembly and a bolt sleeve driven to rise and fall by the lifting assembly, and also includes a bolt supply mechanism. The bolt supply mechanism includes a support frame and a power mechanism. The power mechanism drives the support frame to move between the pump head and the bolt sleeve or resets the support frame. A limiting tube is connected to the support frame. Support wheels are connected to the side wall of the limiting tube through an elastic support structure. Multiple support wheels are used to support the bolt inside the limiting tube. When the support frame moves between the pump head and the bolt sleeve, the inner cavity of the limiting tube is coaxially aligned with the bolt sleeve. During the downward movement, the bolt sleeve overcomes the elastic force of the elastic support structure, drives the bolt downward to disengage from the support wheel, and then tightens the bolt onto the pump head.

[0006] To achieve the above technical solution, a power mechanism drives the support frame to move, causing the limiting tube connected to the support frame to move between the pump head and the bolt sleeve and achieve coaxial alignment. Subsequently, the lifting assembly drives the bolt sleeve to move downward. During the downward movement, the bolt sleeve overcomes the elastic force of the elastic support structure, driving the bolt downward to disengage from the support wheel, and finally tightening the bolt onto the pump head. This achieves automatic bolt delivery, positioning, and tightening, significantly reducing the degree of manual intervention and improving the overall work efficiency and processing continuity of the pump head assembly.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support frame is slidably connected to a guide plate along its width direction. The guide plate is fixed by a positioning member. The limiting tube is connected to the guide plate. The guide plate has a downwardly inclined sliding slope. The sliding slope has a placement groove extending along its inclined direction for the threaded portion of a bolt to pass through. A connecting tube is fixed to the guide plate. The side wall of the connecting tube has a connecting groove communicating with the lower end of the placement groove. The top end of the limiting tube is sleeved on the bottom end of the connecting tube. The lower end of the placement groove has a material drop hole.

[0008] To achieve the above technical solution, the bolt slides downward along the inclined sliding surface set downward on the guide plate under the action of gravity. During this process, the bolt's threaded part passes through the placement groove to maintain the guiding stability of the conveying posture. Finally, the bolt smoothly slides into the limiting tube through the drop hole and the connecting groove. By utilizing the combination of gravity and the inclined structure, continuous and directional bolt supply is achieved, improving the stability of the feeding process.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the side of the guide plate facing away from the sliding inclined plane is driven and rotated by a power motor to connect to a limiting plate. The limiting plate has multiple limiting grooves evenly distributed around its edge. The edge of the limiting plate extends to the bottom of the placement groove, so that the limiting grooves abut against the screw part that slides down. The bolts are then distributed one by one into the connecting groove by rotating the limiting plate.

[0010] To achieve the above technical solution, the power motor starts and drives the limiting disc to rotate. As the bolt slides down the sliding slope, the limiting grooves on the edge of the limiting disc abut against the outer wall of the bolt's threaded portion in sequence. Through the continuous rotation of the limiting disc, the queued bolts are released one by one and distributed into the connecting groove. This process achieves orderly separation and quantitative supply of bolts, effectively reducing the probability of multiple bolts being squeezed and jammed at the entrance of the connecting groove.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of limiting tubes are arranged in a row and rotatably connected to the connecting tube. Each limiting tube is coaxially fixed with a transmission gear. A pre-tightening cylinder is provided on the support frame. The pre-tightening cylinder is connected to a drive rack. The drive rack meshes with the plurality of transmission gears simultaneously.

[0012] To achieve the above technical solution, the pre-tightening cylinder is activated and drives the drive rack connected to it to perform a translational movement. Since the drive rack meshes simultaneously with multiple transmission gears coaxially fixed on the limiting tubes, it drives a row of limiting tubes to rotate synchronously. This, in turn, causes the support wheels on the limiting tubes to drive multiple bolts to be pre-tightened synchronously into the pump head. This achieves synchronous pre-tightening of bolts in multiple holes, improving the synchronization and assembly accuracy of the multi-bolt fastening process.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a connecting arc surface is provided on the outer wall of the support wheel, and the connecting arc surface is used to abut against the outer wall of the screw part.

[0014] To achieve the above technical solution, when the support wheel inside the limiting tube supports the bolt, the connecting arc surface on the outer wall of the support wheel fits and abuts against the outer wall of the bolt's threaded portion. This structure increases the contact area between the support wheel and the bolt, providing a more stable guiding and clamping effect for the bolt, and reducing the risk of the bolt's posture deviating during pre-tightening.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the elastic support structure includes a connecting groove, a support rod, and an elastic element. The connecting groove connects the outer wall and the inner wall of the limiting tube. The support rod is hinged to the outer wall of the limiting tube. The two ends of the elastic element are respectively connected to the support rod and the limiting tube. The support rod is partially inserted into the connecting groove and rotatably connected to the support wheel.

[0016] To achieve the above technical solution, when the bolt sleeve presses down on the bolt, the bolt applies an outward lateral thrust to the support wheel, causing the support rod to rotate around its hinge point on the outer wall of the limiting tube. Simultaneously, this overcomes the elastic force of the elastic element, causing it to deform. When the bolt disengages from the support wheel, the restoring force of the elastic element drives the support rod and support wheel to reset. This lever-type elastic structure has a highly sensitive response, ensuring smooth bolt passage under pressure and reliable support wheel reset.

[0017] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tooling rotation mechanism includes a support plate, a clamping cylinder, and a drive motor. The support plate is rotatably connected to the frame, the drive motor drives the support plate to rotate, the clamping cylinder is fixed to the support plate, and a pressure rod is connected to the piston rod of the clamping cylinder.

[0018] To achieve the above technical solution, during operation, the clamping cylinder drives the piston rod at its front end to actuate the pressure rod, firmly clamping the pump head onto the support plate. Subsequently, the drive motor starts, causing the support plate and the entire pump head to rotate relative to the frame. This process automates the switching and fixing of the pump head's processing posture, meeting the automated assembly requirements of the bolt holes on multiple sides of the pump head.

[0019] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support plate is provided with a limiting boss for inserting the pump head.

[0020] To achieve the above technical solution, when the pump head is placed on the support plate, the limiting boss connected to the support plate inserts into the corresponding hole in the pump head. This structure serves as initial positioning and mechanical blocking, limiting the slippage of the pump head during clamping and flipping, and improving the overall clamping accuracy of the tooling for the pump head.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bolt sleeve includes a rotating inner core and an anti-friction outer sleeve fitted outside the rotating inner core, wherein a bearing assembly is connected between the rotating inner core and the anti-friction outer sleeve; the rotating inner core is used to engage and drive the bolt to rotate, and the support wheel is used to abut against the outer wall of the anti-friction outer sleeve.

[0022] To achieve the above technical solution, when the bolt sleeve moves downward and rotates at high speed to lock the bolt, the rotating inner core engages and drives the bolt to rotate, while the anti-friction outer sleeve remains at idle or stationary relative to the rotating inner core under the action of the opposing friction force of the support wheel. This decoupled bearing assembly structure effectively transforms the relative sliding friction between the bolt sleeve and the support wheel into rolling friction within the bearing, significantly reducing the wear rate of the support wheel and extending the service life of the equipment mechanism. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the present invention, mainly showing the position of the bolts; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the present invention; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of point A; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the present invention, mainly showing the positions of the rotating inner core and the anti-friction outer sleeve; Figure 5 To illustrate the structural diagram of the support frame; Figure 6 To illustrate the structural diagram of the lifting assembly; Figure 7 To illustrate the structure of the limit plate; Figure 8 for Figure 7 Enlarged view of point B; Figure 9 To illustrate the structural diagram of the bolt; Figure 10 This diagram shows the location of the connecting pipes.

[0024] Reference numerals: 1. Frame; 2. Tooling rotation mechanism; 3. Support plate; 4. Limiting boss; 5. Clamping cylinder; 6. Piston rod; 7. Pressure rod; 8. Drive motor; 9. Nail feeding mechanism; 10. Support frame; 11. Power mechanism; 12. Transverse cylinder; 13. Transverse shaft; 14. Height cylinder; 15. Height shaft; 16. Guide plate; 17. Screw; 18. Sliding inclined plane; 19. Placement groove; 20. Power motor; 21. Limiting plate; 22. Limiting groove; 23. Limiting tube; 24. Connecting groove; 25. Transmission gear; 26. Pre-tightening cylinder; 27. Drive rack; 28. Elastic support structure; 29. ​​Connecting groove; 30. Support rod; 31. Elastic element; 32. Support wheel; 33. Connecting arc surface; 34. Locking mechanism; 35. Lifting assembly; 36. Bolt sleeve; 37. Rotating inner core; 38. Anti-friction outer sleeve; 39. Bolt; 40. Screw part; 41. Screw head; 42. Connecting tube; 43. Material drop hole. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that the technical solution of the present invention can be more easily understood and mastered.

[0026] An automated assembly device for water pump heads includes a tooling rotation mechanism 2. The tooling rotation mechanism 2 includes a support plate 3, a clamping cylinder 5, and a drive motor 8. To achieve mechanical positioning of the water pump head, two limiting bosses 4 are fixedly connected to the support plate 3 for inserting the water pump head. During assembly, the water pump head is placed on the support plate 3, and the limiting bosses 4 are inserted into the corresponding holes of the water pump head.

[0027] The clamping cylinder 5 is fixed to the support plate 3, and a pressure rod 7 is connected to the piston rod 6 of the clamping cylinder 5. The two clamping cylinders 5 are located on both sides of the limiting boss 4. After the water pump head is positioned on the support plate 3, the clamping cylinder 5 drives the pressure rod 7 to move, firmly pressing the water pump head on the support plate 3.

[0028] In order to achieve automated switching of different locking surfaces of the water pump head, the support plate 3 is rotatably connected to the frame 1, and the drive motor 8 is started and drives the support plate 3 to rotate relative to the frame 1, thereby precisely adjusting the processing posture of the water pump head.

[0029] The nail feeding mechanism 9 includes a support frame 10 and a power mechanism 11 for driving the support frame 10 to move. A guide plate 16 is slidably connected to the support frame 10 along its width direction, and multiple guide plates 16 are arranged along the width direction of the support frame 10. The guide plates 16 are fixed to the support frame 10 by screws 17. The power mechanism 11 includes a horizontally arranged transverse cylinder 12 and a vertically arranged height cylinder 14. The transverse shaft 13 of the transverse cylinder 12 is fixedly connected to the support frame 10, and the height shaft 15 of the height cylinder 14 is fixedly connected to the transverse cylinder 12 and is used to drive the transverse cylinder 12 to move along the height direction.

[0030] A downwardly inclined sliding ramp 18 is formed on the upper surface of the guide plate 16, and a placement groove 19 extending along its inclined direction is formed on the bottom wall of the sliding ramp 18. The threaded portion 40 of the bolt 39 passes through the placement groove 19, and the threaded head 41 overlaps the sliding ramp 18, so the bolt 39 can slide downward along the sliding ramp 18 by its own weight. A drop hole 43 is formed at the lower end of the placement groove 19, so that the threaded head 41 of the bolt 39 falls through the drop hole 43.

[0031] To achieve the sequential and quantitative release of bolts 39, the side of the guide plate 16 facing away from the sliding inclined plane 18 is driven and rotated by a power motor 20 and connected to a limiting disk 21. Multiple limiting grooves 22 are evenly distributed circumferentially along the edge of the limiting disk 21, and the edge of the limiting disk 21 extends below the placement groove 19. When the bolts 39 slide downwards, the inner wall of the limiting groove 22 abuts against the outer wall of the screw portion 40. Driven by the power motor 20, the limiting disk 21 rotates, distributing the bolts 39 one by one into the connecting groove 24, after which the bolts 39 enter the lower limiting tube 23. The power motor 20 is a servo motor and is fixed to the guide plate 16.

[0032] Two limiting tubes 23 are arranged in a row and rotatably connected to the connecting tube 42, which is fixed to the guide plate 16. Each connecting tube 42 has a connecting groove 24 on its side wall that communicates with the placement groove 19. A transmission gear 25 is coaxially fixed to the outer periphery of each limiting tube 23. A pre-tightening cylinder 26 is provided on the support frame 10. The pre-tightening cylinder 26 is connected to a drive rack 27, which meshes with multiple transmission gears 25 simultaneously.

[0033] The bolt 39, which enters the limiting tube 23, is supported by the elastic support structure 28. The elastic support structure 28 includes a support rod 30 hinged to the outer wall of the limiting tube 23 and an elastic element 31 connecting the support rod 30 and the limiting tube 23. One end of the support rod 30 passes through the connecting groove 29 and is rotatably connected to the support wheel 32.

[0034] Under normal conditions, the elastic element 31 pulls the support rod 30 to bring the support wheel 32 closer to the center of the limiting tube 23 and support the bolt 39. In order to improve the clamping effect, the outer wall of the support wheel 32 is provided with a connecting arc surface 33 for contacting the outer wall of the screw part 40; when the pre-tightening cylinder 26 drives the drive rack 27 to move, multiple limiting tubes 23 rotate synchronously, and the support wheel 32 drives the bolt 39 to be pre-screwed into the pump head synchronously through the connecting arc surface 33.

[0035] The locking mechanism 34 includes a lifting assembly 35 and a bolt sleeve 36 that is driven to rise and fall by the lifting assembly 35. To solve the problem of relative friction between the bolt sleeve 36 and the support wheel 32 when they rotate, the bolt sleeve 36 includes a rotating inner core 37 and an anti-friction outer sleeve 38 fitted outside the rotating inner core 37. A bearing assembly connects the rotating inner core 37 and the anti-friction outer sleeve 38. The rotating inner core 37 is used to engage and drive the bolt 39 to rotate, while the support wheel 32 is used to abut against the outer wall of the anti-friction outer sleeve 38.

[0036] In use, the operator places the pump head to be assembled on the support plate 3, allowing the two limiting bosses 4 to pass into the corresponding holes of the pump head for initial positioning. Then, the clamping cylinders 5 on both sides drive the pressure rods 7 to press down, firmly locking the pump head. The power motor 20 drives the limiting plate 21 to rotate and distribute the bolts one by one. Multiple bolts 39 fall into the corresponding limiting tubes 23 through the connecting grooves 24 and are firmly supported by the support wheels 32 on the elastic support structure 28. Next, the horizontal cylinder 12 drives the support frame 10 to move horizontally, moving the limiting tubes 23 above the pump head and aligning them coaxially with the screw holes of the pump head. Then, the height cylinder 14 drives the support frame 10 to descend vertically a small distance, allowing the lower tip of the supported bolts 39 to accurately probe into or abut against the threaded hole of the pump head. At this time, the pre-tightening cylinder 26 drives the drive rack 27 to move horizontally, which in turn drives multiple limit tubes 23 to rotate synchronously. The clamping friction of the support wheel 32 drives the bolt 39 to initially engage and screw into the pump head.

[0037] After the pre-spinning process is completed, the lifting assembly 35 of the locking mechanism 34 drives the bolt sleeve 36 to move down and pass through the limiting tube 23. When the bottom end of the bolt sleeve 36 moves down, it overcomes the elastic force of the elastic support structure 28 and smoothly opens the support wheel 32 outward. In the final locking stage, the rotating inner core 37 engages the screw head 41 and rotates at high speed to output the locking torque. At this time, the support wheel 32 is pressed tightly against the outer wall of the anti-friction outer sleeve 38. The anti-friction outer sleeve 38 remains stationary or idle relative to the high-speed rotating inner core 37. After the bolt 39 is locked, the lifting assembly 35 and the horizontal and height cylinders 14 are reset one after another. The drive motor 8 can drive the support plate 3 along with the water pump head to flip to the next processing surface according to the process requirements, and continue to repeat the above-mentioned screw feeding and locking actions until all the bolts 39 of the entire water pump head are assembled.

[0038] Of course, the above are just typical examples of the present invention. In addition, the present invention may have many other specific embodiments. All technical solutions formed by equivalent substitution or equivalent transformation fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated assembly equipment for water pump heads, comprising a frame (1), a locking mechanism (34) mounted on the frame (1), and a tooling rotation mechanism (2) for clamping and adjusting the posture of the pump head, wherein the locking mechanism (34) comprises a lifting assembly (35) and a bolt sleeve (36) driven to rise and fall by the lifting assembly (35), characterized in that: It also includes a nail supply mechanism (9), which includes a support frame (10) and a power mechanism (11). The power mechanism (11) drives the support frame (10) to move between the pump head and the bolt sleeve (36) or resets the support frame (10). A limit tube (23) is connected to the support frame (10). A support wheel (32) is connected to the side wall of the limit tube (23) through an elastic support structure (28). Multiple support wheels (32) are used to support the bolt (39) in the limit tube (23). When the support frame (10) moves between the pump head and the bolt sleeve (36), the inner cavity of the limit tube (23) is coaxially aligned with the bolt sleeve (36). During the downward movement, the bolt sleeve (36) overcomes the elastic force of the elastic support structure (28) to drive the bolt (39) downward to disengage from the support wheel (32) and tighten the bolt (39) on the pump head.

2. The automated assembly equipment for water pump heads according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support frame (10) is slidably connected to a guide plate (16) along the width direction. The guide plate (16) is fixed by a positioning component. The limiting tube (23) is connected to the guide plate (16). The guide plate (16) has a downwardly inclined sliding slope (18). The sliding slope (18) has a placement groove (19) extending along its inclined direction and through which the screw part (40) of the bolt (39) passes. A connecting tube (42) is fixed on the guide plate (16). A connecting groove (24) communicating with the lower end of the placement groove (19) is opened on the side wall of the connecting tube (42). The top end of the limiting tube (23) is sleeved on the bottom end of the connecting tube (42). A material drop hole (43) is opened at the lower end of the placement groove (19).

3. The automated assembly equipment for water pump heads according to claim 2, characterized in that: The guide plate (16) is driven and rotated by a power motor (20) to connect to a limiting plate (21) on the side facing away from the sliding inclined surface (18). The limiting plate (21) has multiple limiting grooves (22) evenly distributed around its edge. The edge of the limiting plate (21) extends to the bottom of the placement groove (19), so that the limiting grooves (22) abut against the screw part (40) that slides down. The bolts (39) are distributed one by one into the connecting groove (24) by the rotation of the limiting plate (21).

4. The automated assembly equipment for water pump heads according to claim 2, characterized in that: Multiple limiting tubes (23) are arranged in a row and rotatably connected to the connecting tube (42). Each limiting tube (23) is coaxially fixed with a transmission gear (25). The support frame (10) is provided with a pre-tightening cylinder (26). The pre-tightening cylinder (26) is connected to a drive rack (27). The drive rack (27) meshes with multiple transmission gears (25) simultaneously.

5. The automated assembly equipment for water pump heads according to claim 4, characterized in that: The outer wall of the support wheel (32) is provided with a connecting arc surface (33), which is used to abut against the outer wall of the screw part (40).

6. A specialized automated assembly equipment for water pump heads according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: The elastic support structure (28) includes a connecting groove (29), a support rod (30), and an elastic element (31). The connecting groove (29) connects the outer wall and the inner wall of the limiting tube (23). The support rod (30) is hinged to the outer wall of the limiting tube (23). The two ends of the elastic element (31) are connected to the support rod (30) and the limiting tube (23) respectively. The support rod (30) is partially inserted into the connecting groove (29) and rotatedly connected to the support wheel (32).

7. The automated assembly equipment for water pump heads according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tooling rotation mechanism (2) includes a support plate (3), a clamping cylinder (5), and a drive motor (8). The support plate (3) is rotatably connected to the frame (1). The drive motor (8) drives the support plate (3) to rotate. The clamping cylinder (5) is fixed on the support plate (3). A pressure rod (7) is connected to the piston rod (6) of the clamping cylinder (5).

8. The automated assembly equipment for water pump heads according to claim 7, characterized in that: The support plate (3) is connected to a limiting boss (4) for inserting the pump head.

9. The automated assembly equipment for water pump heads according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bolt sleeve (36) includes a rotating inner core (37) and an anti-friction outer sleeve (38) sleeved outside the rotating inner core (37). A bearing assembly is connected between the rotating inner core (37) and the anti-friction outer sleeve (38). The rotating inner core (37) is used to engage and drive the bolt (39) to rotate. The support wheel (32) is used to abut against the outer wall of the anti-friction outer sleeve (38).

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