A mold conforming negative pressure chuck transfer device

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of mold transportation technology and discloses a mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device, including a transfer frame with a suction cup installed at the bottom. This mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device utilizes a sealing assembly. A turntable is manually rotated, coaxially rotating inside a fixed column with the air tube as the center. The arc-shaped groove on its surface generates radial thrust with rotation, pushing a sliding rod to slide smoothly along a preset trajectory. The sliding rod drives a hinged moving rod, which advances linearly along the groove of the fixed column towards the center of the air tube. The moving rod transmits the thrust to the sealing blocks via a connecting plate, causing two symmetrical sealing blocks to synchronously close towards the center and splice into a circle, tightly gripping the air tube connection to form a seal. The opposing force of the fixed spring keeps the adjusting block pressed tightly against the tube wall, adaptively compensating for errors and gaps, achieving efficient sealing, preventing negative pressure leakage at the air tube connection, and improving the suction cup adsorption reliability and device stability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of mold transportation technology, specifically to a mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device. Background Technology

[0002] In the production, processing, and transfer stages of molds, negative pressure suction cup transfer devices are commonly used for non-rigid clamping and handling. These devices use a transfer frame to carry suction cups, utilizing air pipes connected to a negative pressure air source to create suction force. They can adapt to molds of different shapes for conformal suction and transfer, and are widely used in mold processing production lines. The sealing performance of the negative pressure suction cup transfer device directly affects the suction stability. The sealing structure at the air pipe connection is a key component for maintaining negative pressure and ensuring continuous operation, directly determining the reliability of the device.

[0003] Currently, most commercially available mold negative pressure suction cup transfer devices use traditional structures for their air pipe connections, such as ordinary sealing rings, simple clamps, or direct threaded seals. These sealing methods are simple in structure but have poor adaptability. During mold transfer, under conditions of continuous equipment vibration, frequent air pipe disassembly and assembly, and long-term wear, the sealing points are prone to loosening, displacement, or even seal failure. Furthermore, traditional sealing structures lack self-adjustment capabilities and cannot effectively compensate for air pipe diameter errors, installation coaxiality deviations, and interface size differences, easily creating sealing gaps and causing negative pressure gas leakage. Negative pressure leakage directly leads to a decrease in suction cup adsorption force and insufficient adsorption stability. When transferring heavy molds, this poses a safety hazard of weak adsorption and mold slippage, affecting not only the normal operation of the production line but also potentially causing mold damage, equipment failure, and even safety accidents. Therefore, these devices fail to meet the practical requirements for efficient, stable, and safe mold transfer. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Technical problems to be solved To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device, which solves the problems of easy loosening of the air pipe connection seal, inability to adaptively compensate for errors, easy occurrence of negative pressure leakage leading to insufficient suction force of the suction cup, and poor mold transfer safety in traditional negative pressure suction cup transfer devices.

[0005] Technical solution To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device includes a transfer frame, a suction cup mounted at the bottom of the transfer frame, and an air tube mounted at the top of the suction cup; it also includes a sealing component for sealing the connection of the air tube; a fixing component for restricting the sealing component after use; and a limiting component for restricting the reverse drive of the sealing component; the sealing component includes: a fixing column mounted on the surface of the air tube, a turntable rotatably connected to the inner side of the fixing column, the turntable rotatably connected to the surface of the air tube, a sliding rod slidably connected to the surface of the turntable, a movable rod hinged to the surface of the sliding rod, the movable rod penetrating the fixing column, a connecting plate mounted on the surface of the movable rod, and a sealing block mounted at the bottom of the connecting plate.

[0006] Preferably, an adjusting block is slidably connected to the inner side of the sealing block, and a fixing spring is installed on the top of the adjusting block, with the fixing spring installed inside the sealing block.

[0007] Preferably, the surface of the fixed column is provided with a groove, and the surface of the turntable is provided with an arc-shaped groove.

[0008] Preferably, the fixing component includes: a control block, which is mounted on the surface of the turntable, a rod passing through the inside of the control block, a movable spring being mounted on the surface of the rod, and the movable spring being mounted on the outer wall of the control block.

[0009] Preferably, multiple fixing strips are installed on the inner side of the fixing column, and the insertion rod is inserted into the limiting groove formed between two adjacent fixing strips.

[0010] Preferably, the limiting component includes: a fixed plate, which is mounted on the outer wall of the fixed column; a movable rod is hinged to the inner side of the fixed plate; a torsion spring is mounted on one end of the outer wall of the movable rod; the torsion spring is mounted on the outer wall of the fixed plate; and a limiting block is attached to the other end of the outer wall of the movable rod; the limiting block is mounted on the outer wall of the fixed plate.

[0011] Preferably, a rotating plate is rotatably connected to the inner side of the fixed plate, the rotating plate is installed on the outer wall of the turntable, and an abutment rod is installed on the inner side of the rotating plate.

[0012] Preferably, two sealing blocks are provided, and both sealing blocks are symmetrically arranged with the center line of the turntable as the axis of symmetry. The cross-section of the two sealing blocks after splicing is circular.

[0013] Preferably, the inner cross-sections of the abutment rod and the movable rod are both L-shaped, and a threaded sleeve is installed on the outer wall of the fixed plate, the threaded sleeve being threadedly connected to the surface of the air tube.

[0014] Beneficial effects Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device, which has the following beneficial effects: 1. This mold-conforming negative pressure suction cup transfer device utilizes a sealing assembly. A manually rotated turntable, coaxially rotating inside a fixed column with the air tube as its center, generates radial thrust through its surface arc grooves, propelling a sliding rod smoothly along a preset trajectory. The sliding rod drives a hinged moving rod, feeding linearly towards the center of the air tube along the groove of the fixed column. The moving rod transmits the thrust to the sealing blocks via a connecting plate, causing two symmetrical sealing blocks to synchronously converge towards the center and form a circle, tightly sealing the air tube connection. During sealing, the outer wall of the air tube presses against the adjusting block, which compresses the fixed spring and retracts. The spring's reverse force keeps the adjusting block pressed tightly against the tube wall, adaptively compensating for errors and gaps, achieving efficient sealing, preventing negative pressure leakage at the air tube connection, and improving the suction cup's adsorption reliability and device stability.

[0015] 2. This mold-conforming negative pressure suction cup transfer device utilizes a fixed assembly. When the turntable rotates to the position where the sealing block grips the air tube, the control block rotates with the turntable to the fixed strip area. The insert rod, pushed by the movable spring, automatically inserts into the limiting slot between adjacent fixed strips, locking the control block and the turntable. This restricts the turntable's circumferential rotation, preventing vibration or negative pressure reaction forces from causing loosening and maintaining the sealing block's grip. To release the seal, pulling the insert rod outward compresses the movable spring, disengaging it from the slot, thus unlocking the turntable and reversing its rotation to release the sealing block. This prevents the sealing assembly from detaching on its own, improving the stability of the air tube sealing connection and the safety of the device.

[0016] 3. This mold-conforming negative pressure suction cup transfer device utilizes a limiting component. When the turntable is manually rotated to complete the sealing process, the turntable and the contact rod rotate synchronously. The contact rod pushes the movable rod to overcome the torsion spring's torque and deflect in the forward direction, providing clearance for rotation. When the turntable unexpectedly reverses its rotation, the contact rod reverses accordingly, and the movable rod swings back rapidly under the action of the torsion spring. It is then rigidly blocked by the limiting block, which presses against the contact rod and prevents reverse rotation, locking the turntable's reverse degree of freedom. This structure, together with the fixing component, forms a double limiting mechanism, eliminating the risk of turntable loosening and sealing block leakage, maintaining a stable seal, preventing negative pressure leakage at the air pipe connection, and improving the sealing reliability and operational safety of the mold negative pressure suction cup transfer device. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a front view schematic diagram of a mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device proposed in this invention; Figure 2 This is a side view of a mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device proposed in this invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the sealing component, fixing component, and limiting component of the mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device proposed in this invention; Figure 4 This is a front view schematic diagram of the sealing assembly of a mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device proposed in this invention; Figure 5 This is a front view of the fixing component of a mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device proposed in this invention; Figure 6 This is a front view schematic diagram of the limiting component of a mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device proposed in this invention.

[0018] In the diagram: 1. Transfer frame; 2. Suction cup; 3. Air tube; 4. Sealing assembly; 5. Fixing assembly; 6. Restricting assembly; 41. Fixing column; 42. Turntable; 43. Slide rod; 44. Moving rod; 45. Connecting plate; 46. Sealing block; 47. Adjusting block; 48. Fixing spring; 410. Groove; 420. Arc groove; 51. Control block; 52. Insert rod; 53. Movable spring; 54. Fixing strip; 61. Fixing plate; 62. Movable rod; 63. Torsion spring; 64. Restricting block; 65. Turning plate; 66. Abutment rod; 67. Threaded sleeve. Detailed Implementation

[0019] 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.

[0020] Please see Figure 1 - Figure 6 As shown, a mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device includes a transfer frame 1, a suction cup 2 installed at the bottom of the transfer frame 1, and an air pipe 3 installed at the top of the suction cup 2. It also includes a sealing component 4 for sealing the connection of the air tube 3; Fixing component 5 is used to restrict the sealing component 4 after use; Limiting component 6 is used to limit the reverse drive of sealing component 4; First, the sealing assembly 4 includes: a fixed post 41, which is installed on the surface of the air tube 3. The fixed post 41 and the turntable 42 are coaxially positioned to achieve smooth rotation without deviation, ensuring the sealing transmission accuracy. The turntable 42 is rotatably connected to the inner side of the fixed post 41. The turntable 42 is rotatably connected to the surface of the air tube 3. A sliding rod 43 is slidably connected to the surface of the turntable 42. A moving rod 44 is hinged to the surface of the sliding rod 43. The moving rod 44 passes through the fixed post 41. A connecting plate 45 is installed on the surface of the moving rod 44. A sealing block 46 is installed at the bottom of the connecting plate 45. The rigid connection between the connecting plate 45 and the sealing block 46 achieves synchronous closing and ensures proper sealing.

[0021] Secondly, an adjusting block 47 is slidably connected to the inner side of the sealing block 46. A fixing spring 48 is installed on the top of the adjusting block 47. The fixing spring 48 is installed inside the sealing block 46. The fixing spring 48 elastically pushes the adjusting block 47 to fit tightly against the outer wall of the air pipe 3, thereby achieving adaptive compensation for pipe diameter errors and improving the sealing effect.

[0022] Furthermore, the surface of the fixed column 41 is provided with a groove 410, which provides guidance and limit for the moving rod 44 to ensure that the radial movement of the moving rod 44 is accurate and stable; the surface of the turntable 42 is provided with an arc groove 420, which drives the slide rod 43 to move through the trajectory of the arc groove 420, converting the rotational motion of the turntable 42 into the radial closing motion of the sealing block 46.

[0023] Furthermore, the fixing component 5 includes: a control block 51, which is mounted on the surface of the turntable 42. A rod 52 passes through the inside of the control block 51. A movable spring 53 is mounted on the surface of the rod 52. The movable spring 53 is mounted on the outer wall of the control block 51. The rod 52 is automatically inserted and locked by the elastic force of the movable spring 53, and can be positioned without additional tools.

[0024] Furthermore, multiple fixing strips 54 are installed on the inner side of the fixing column 41, and the insertion rod 52 is inserted into the limiting slot formed between two adjacent fixing strips 54. Through the engagement and limiting of the insertion rod 52 and the fixing strip 54, the turntable 42 is positioned and locked to prevent loosening and rotation, and to keep the sealing block 46 stably and tightly held.

[0025] Furthermore, the limiting component 6 includes: a fixed plate 61, which is installed on the outer wall of the fixed column 41. A movable rod 62 is hinged to the inner side of the fixed plate 61. Through the hinged cooperation between the fixed plate 61 and the movable rod 62, the movable rod 62 can swing flexibly, avoid obstacles, and be limited. A torsion spring 63 is installed on one end of the outer wall of the movable rod 62. The torsion spring 63 is installed on the outer wall of the fixed plate 61. A limiting block 64 is attached to the other end of the outer wall of the movable rod 62. The limiting block 64 is installed on the outer wall of the fixed plate 61. The limiting block 64 limits the swing angle of the movable rod 62, forming a rigid stop to prevent excessive rotation.

[0026] Furthermore, a rotating plate 65 is rotatably connected to the inner side of the fixed plate 61. The rotating plate 65 is installed on the outer wall of the turntable 42. An abutting rod 66 is installed on the inner side of the rotating plate 65. The abutting rod 66 cooperates with the movable rod 62 to achieve smooth rotation in one direction and locking in the opposite direction, preventing the turntable 42 from rotating in reverse and loosening.

[0027] Furthermore, there are two sealing blocks 46, and both sealing blocks 46 are symmetrically arranged with the center line of the turntable 42 as the axis of symmetry. The cross-section of the two sealing blocks 46 after splicing is circular. The symmetrical structure of the sealing blocks 46 achieves force balance, and the circular clamping makes the fit tighter, greatly improving the sealing reliability.

[0028] Finally, the inner cross-sections of both the abutment rod 66 and the movable rod 62 are L-shaped. The L-shaped structure of the abutment rod 66 and the movable rod 62 increases the contact area, making the limiting more secure and the force more stable. A threaded sleeve 67 is installed on the outer wall of the fixed plate 61. The threaded sleeve 67 is threadedly connected to the surface of the air tube 3. Through the threaded connection between the threaded sleeve 67 and the air tube 3, quick disassembly and positioning are achieved, improving the overall installation stability and sealing.

[0029] Working principle: When the transfer device is in use, the air pipe 3 on the suction cup 2 needs to be connected with the air pump. After the connection is completed, the fixing post 41 of the sealing component 4 is put on the connection position of the air pipe 3, and the threaded sleeve 67 is tightened on the surface of the air pipe 3 to complete the positioning and installation of the sealing component 4. At this time, the turntable 42 is in the initial state, the sealing block 46 is not closed, and the adjusting block 47 extends out of the inner side of the sealing block 46 under the action of the fixing spring 48.

[0030] The turntable 42 is manually rotated, and it rotates stably inside the fixed column 41 with the air tube 3 as the center. The two form a coaxial rotational cooperation, providing a reliable power input for the overall sealing action. As the turntable 42 continues to rotate, the arc-shaped groove 420 on its surface moves in a circular motion in sync. The change in the trajectory of the arc-shaped groove 420 generates a directional radial thrust, which pushes the slide rod 43 to slide smoothly along the preset path of the arc-shaped groove 420, avoiding jamming and deviation. During the displacement process, the slide rod 43 drives the movable rod 44, which is hinged to it, to move synchronously. The movable rod 44 moves in a straight line along the groove 410 on the fixed column 41 towards the center of the air tube 3, ensuring accurate transmission direction and smooth movement without shaking. The movable rod 44 transmits the radial thrust evenly to the sealing block 46 through the connecting plate 45, driving the two symmetrically arranged sealing blocks 46 to close towards the center synchronously and at the same speed, ensuring balanced force. After the two sealing blocks 46 continue to come together, they eventually form a complete circular structure, tightly gripping the joint of the air pipe 3 from the outside, forming a rigid seal that effectively blocks the airflow leakage channel. During the clamping process of the sealing blocks 46, the outer wall of the air pipe 3 presses against the adjusting block 47, causing the adjusting block 47 to compress the fixing spring 48 and retract into the sealing block 46. The fixing spring 48 continuously generates a reverse elastic force, forcing the adjusting block 47 to always be tightly attached to the outer wall surface of the air pipe 3. This adaptively compensates for pipe diameter errors and installation clearances, eliminates sealing dead angles, and achieves a high-sealing and high-stability sealing effect. It prevents negative pressure leakage at the connection of the air pipe 3, improves the reliability of the suction cup 2 during mold transfer, and enhances the overall working stability of the device.

[0031] To prevent loosening of the seal at the designated sealing position, the detailed working principle is as follows: When the turntable 42 of the sealing assembly 4 rotates to the set position where the sealing block 46 fully grips the air pipe 3, the control block 51 installed on the surface of the turntable 42 rotates synchronously with the turntable 42 to the area of ​​the fixing strip 54 inside the fixing post 41. At this time, the insert rod 52 inside the control block 51 automatically extends towards the fixing post 41 under the elastic thrust of the movable spring 53 and accurately inserts into the limiting slot formed between two adjacent fixing strips 54. Through the locking and limiting action of the insert rod 52 and the fixing strip 54, the control block 51 and the turntable 42 are locked together. The relative positions are completely locked, restricting the circumferential rotation of the turntable 42 and preventing the turntable 42 from loosening due to external vibration or negative pressure reaction force. This ensures that the sealing block 46 always maintains a tight seal on the air tube 3. When it is necessary to release the seal, manually pull the insert rod 52 outward to compress the movable spring 53 and disengage it from the limiting slot between the fixing strip 54. This releases the limiting constraint on the turntable 42, allowing the turntable 42 to rotate freely in the opposite direction, thus releasing the sealing block 46 and preventing the sealing assembly 4 from loosening on its own. This improves the stability of the air tube 3 sealing connection and the safety of the device.

[0032] When the operator manually rotates the turntable 42 to drive the sealing assembly 4 to complete the sealing action, the rotating plate 65 fixed on the outer wall of the turntable 42 rotates synchronously and in the same direction as the turntable 42. The abutment rod 66 on the inner side of the rotating plate 65 then makes a circular motion. During the rotation, the abutment rod 66 contacts and pushes the movable rod 62 of the limiting assembly 6, causing the movable rod 62 to overcome the torsion force of the torsion spring 63 and deflect in the positive direction around the hinge point on the fixed plate 61, providing clearance space for the normal rotation of the abutment rod 66 and ensuring a smooth and unobstructed sealing and locking process. When the turntable 42 rotates to the working position where the sealing block 46 completely hugs the air pipe 3, if external vibration, negative pressure reaction force, or misoperation causes the turntable 42 to have a reverse rotation tendency, the abutment rod 66 will immediately rotate in the opposite direction. At this time, the movable rod 62 is in the position where the torsion spring 63 is in the working position. Under the elastic reset action of 3, the movable rod 62 swings back quickly. Since the swing stroke of the movable rod 62 is precisely limited by the limiting block 64 on the outer wall of the fixed plate 61, the movable rod 62 cannot continue to rotate in the opposite direction, thus forming a rigid blocking surface. It abuts against the opposing rod 66 rotating in the opposite direction. Through the limiting and locking action, it forcibly prevents the opposing rod 66 and the rotating plate 65 from continuing to reverse. It directly locks the reverse rotation degree of freedom of the turntable 42 from the transmission end. With the locking structure of the insertion rod 52 and the fixing strip 54 of the fixed component 5, it forms a double limiting protection, eliminating the risk of the turntable 42 rotating loose and the sealing block 46 loosening and leaking air. It ensures the continuous stability of the sealing state, prevents negative pressure leakage at the connection of the air pipe 3 due to the loosening of the seal, and improves the sealing reliability and operational safety of the mold conformal negative pressure suction cup 2 transfer device in the transfer operation.

[0033] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

Claims

1. A mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device, comprising a transfer frame (1), characterized in that: The bottom of the transfer frame (1) is equipped with a suction cup (2), and the top of the suction cup (2) is equipped with an air tube (3). It also includes a sealing assembly (4) for sealing the connection of the air tube (3); The fixing component (5) is used to restrict the sealing component (4) after use; Limiting component (6) is used to limit the reverse drive of sealing component (4); The sealing assembly (4) includes: a fixed column (41) which is mounted on the surface of the air tube (3), a turntable (42) which is rotatably connected to the inner side of the fixed column (41), the turntable (42) which is rotatably connected to the surface of the air tube (3), a sliding rod (43) which is slidably connected to the surface of the turntable (42), a moving rod (44) which is hinged to the surface of the sliding rod (43), the moving rod (44) which passes through the fixed column (41), a connecting plate (45) which is mounted on the surface of the moving rod (44), and a sealing block (46) which is mounted at the bottom of the connecting plate (45).

2. The mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: An adjusting block (47) is slidably connected to the inner side of the sealing block (46), and a fixing spring (48) is installed on the top of the adjusting block (47). The fixing spring (48) is installed inside the sealing block (46).

3. The mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the fixed column (41) is provided with a groove (410), and the surface of the turntable (42) is provided with an arc groove (420).

4. The mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixing component (5) includes: a control block (51), which is mounted on the surface of the turntable (42), and a rod (52) is inserted through the inside of the control block (51). A movable spring (53) is mounted on the surface of the rod (52), and the movable spring (53) is mounted on the outer wall of the control block (51).

5. The mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device according to claim 4, characterized in that: Multiple fixing strips (54) are installed on the inner side of the fixing column (41), and the insertion rod (52) is inserted into the limiting slot formed between two adjacent fixing strips (54).

6. The mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting component (6) includes: a fixed plate (61) which is mounted on the outer wall of the fixed column (41), a movable rod (62) which is hinged to the inner side of the fixed plate (61), a torsion spring (63) which is mounted on one end of the outer wall of the movable rod (62), the torsion spring (63) which is mounted on the outer wall of the fixed plate (61), and a limiting block (64) which is attached to the other end of the outer wall of the movable rod (62), the limiting block (64) which is mounted on the outer wall of the fixed plate (61).

7. The mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The fixed plate (61) is rotatably connected to a rotating plate (65), which is installed on the outer wall of the turntable (42). An abutment rod (66) is installed on the inner side of the rotating plate (65).

8. The mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are two sealing blocks (46), and both sealing blocks (46) are symmetrically arranged with the center line of the turntable (42) as the axis of symmetry. The cross-section of the two sealing blocks (46) after splicing is circular.

9. A mold conformal negative pressure suction cup transfer device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The inner cross-sections of the abutment rod (66) and the movable rod (62) are both L-shaped. A threaded sleeve (67) is installed on the outer wall of the fixed plate (61), and the threaded sleeve (67) is threadedly connected to the surface of the air pipe (3).

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