Lithium-ion rack and pinion wood splitter

Abstract

This application relates to a lithium-ion battery-powered rack and pinion wood splitter, belonging to the field of wood processing machinery technology. The wood splitter includes a frame, a fixed cutter head, a slide rail, a movable base, a power drive assembly including a motor, and a transmission mechanism. The fixed cutter head and slide rail are mounted on the frame, and the movable base is slidably mounted on the slide rail. The transmission mechanism includes a gear driven by the motor and a rack meshing with the gear; the output end of the rack is hinged to the movable base via a hinge shaft. Furthermore, it is equipped with a rack limit guide wheel that rolls against the smooth surface of the rack, a stroke control assembly for power-off linkage, and a lithium-ion battery pack. This invention utilizes the hinge structure to release the lateral load stress generated during wood splitting, combined with the guide wheel's forced constraint to prevent tooth skipping, and uses mechanical triggering to achieve power-off at the limit stroke, effectively improving the stability of the heavy-duty transmission system and the safety of equipment operation. Moreover, the overall structure is compact, free from cable constraints, and convenient for outdoor mobile operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wood processing machinery technology, and in particular to a lithium-ion battery rack and pinion wood splitter. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, traditional log splitters primarily use hydraulic systems as their power transmission devices. While hydraulic log splitters offer significant thrust, they suffer from several drawbacks: slow operating speed (especially with long reciprocating stroke times), large and heavy size, and the risk of hydraulic oil leakage, resulting in high maintenance costs. Furthermore, traditional equipment often relies on AC power or internal combustion engines, and limitations imposed by cabling and exhaust emissions severely restrict its portability and mobile operation capabilities in outdoor environments without power grid coverage. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a lithium-ion rack and pinion wood splitter that effectively solves the problems of off-center loading, tooth knocking, and collision damage during heavy-duty wood splitting.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the lithium-ion rack and pinion wood splitter designed in this application includes: frame; The cutter head is fixedly mounted at the front of the frame; A slide rail table is provided along the length of the frame; A movable seat is slidably mounted on the slide rail and is arranged opposite to the fixed cutter head; A power drive assembly is installed in the middle and rear part of the frame, and the power drive assembly includes a motor driven by an independent power source; The transmission mechanism includes a gear driven by the motor and a rack meshing with the gear, wherein one end of the rack is an output end and the other end is a free end; The output end of the rack is hinged to the movable seat via a hinge shaft; the motor drives the gear to rotate to drive the rack to move linearly, thereby driving the movable seat to slide back and forth along the slide rail to approach or move away from the fixed cutter head.

[0005] Preferably, the transmission mechanism further includes a rack limiting guide assembly, the rack limiting guide assembly including at least one rack limiting guide wheel; the rack includes a toothed surface extending along the length direction of the frame and a smooth surface facing away from the toothed surface, the gear meshes with the toothed surface, and the rack limiting guide wheel rolls against the smooth surface of the rack.

[0006] Preferably, a gear mounting bracket is fixedly provided on the frame, and the gear and the rack limiting guide wheel are rotatably mounted on the gear mounting bracket through corresponding rotating shafts; the gear, the rack limiting guide wheel and the gear mounting bracket together form a limiting channel through which the rack passes and slides back and forth in a straight line.

[0007] Preferably, the device further includes a stroke control component, which includes a limit switch and a trigger; the trigger is installed at the free end of the rack and moves synchronously with the rack; the limit switch is fixed on the frame and located to the side of the rack's movement path; and the limit switch is electrically connected to the motor.

[0008] Preferably, the trigger is a plate-shaped structure or a bent structure extending outward from the free end of the rack; when the rack drives the movable seat to move towards the fixed cutter head to a preset maximum stroke position, the edge of the trigger abuts against and triggers the limit switch.

[0009] Preferably, the movable seat includes a main push block located above the slide rail and a slide assembly located below the slide rail; the main push block and the slide assembly are connected by fasteners passing through the two sides of the slide rail, so that the movable seat slides and hugs the slide rail; the hinge shaft passes through the main push block and the slide assembly.

[0010] Preferably, it further includes a protective shell, which is disposed on the outside of the meshing point of the gear and the rack and is fixedly connected to the frame; the side wall of the protective shell has an opening for the rack to extend and retract through.

[0011] Preferably, the power drive assembly further includes a lithium battery pack and a control box, the control box being fixed to the side of the frame, the lithium battery pack being detachably inserted into the side wall or top of the control box, and the top surface of the control box being provided with a control button area.

[0012] Preferably, the frame is symmetrically fixedly connected with side supports on both sides near the fixed cutter head. The side supports extend outward and upward from the side wall of the slide rail table and are suspended to form a support surface.

[0013] Preferably, a rigid support frame is fixedly provided at the front of the bottom end of the frame, and an axle is rotatably connected to the rear of the bottom end of the frame, with movable wheels installed at both ends of the axle.

[0014] The lithium-ion rack and pinion wood splitter designed in this application releases lateral stress when splitting wood under eccentric load by hinged connection between the rack output end and the moving base, avoiding direct stress transmission that could lead to rack deformation or gear breakage, thus improving transmission stability and equipment lifespan. The rack limit guide wheel abuts against the smooth surface of the rack, limiting radial displacement and ensuring stable meshing under heavy load conditions. A trigger element moves with the rack and works in conjunction with a limit switch to achieve power-off limit for mechanical displacement linkage, preventing overtravel and collision damage to the frame and motor. Combined with lithium battery pack power supply and a bottom moving wheel structure, the power cable constraint is eliminated, improving the equipment's portability and outdoor mobile operation capability. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lithium battery rack and pinion wood splitter provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of the transmission mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of the rack and pinion guide wheel provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the lithium battery rack and pinion wood splitter provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0019] The components include: frame 1, fixed cutter head 2, slide rail table 3, moving seat 4, main push block 41, slide assembly 42, fastener 43, power drive assembly 5, motor 51, lithium battery pack 52, control box 53, control button area 54, transmission mechanism 6, gear 61, rack 62, hinge shaft 63, rack limit guide wheel 71, gear mounting bracket 8, limit switch 91, trigger element 92, protective shell 10, side support 11, rigid support frame 12, wheel axle 13, and moving wheel 14. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The preferred embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit this application.

[0021] This embodiment provides a lithium-ion battery rack and pinion wood splitter, whose overall structure mainly consists of a load-bearing base component, a power transmission component, a wood-pushing execution component, and a safety and movement auxiliary component.

[0022] like Figures 1 to 4As shown, the frame 1 serves as the load-bearing foundation structure for the entire machine, assembled from metal profiles through welding or fasteners to provide structural rigidity against bending and torsional deformation. A fixed cutter head 2 is fixedly mounted at the front of the frame 1, with its splitting edge facing rearward, configured to apply concentrated stress to the wood it is contacting. A slide rail table 3 is provided along the length of the frame 1, and the upper surface of the slide rail table 3 forms a base reference surface for supporting the wood to be processed and guiding the assembly.

[0023] A movable seat 4 is slidably mounted on the slide rail table 3, and the movable seat 4 and the fixed cutter head 2 are arranged opposite each other along the axial direction of the slide rail table 3. A power drive assembly 5 is installed in the middle and rear part of the frame 1. The power drive assembly 5 is configured to output initial power and includes a motor 51 driven by an independent power source. To construct a motion conversion transmission chain, a transmission mechanism 6 is arranged on the frame 1. The transmission mechanism 6 includes a gear 61 that is connected to and driven to rotate by the motor 51, and a rack 62 that meshes with the gear 61. A reduction mechanism is arranged at the power output end of the motor 51 to amplify the output torque and drive the gear 61. The rack 62 is arranged parallel to the slide rail table 3, with one end near the movable seat 4 defined as the output end and the other end defined as the free end.

[0024] In specific implementation, such as Figure 1 As shown, the power drive assembly 5 is specifically constructed by a lithium battery pack 52 and a control housing 53. The lithium battery pack 52 serves as the independent power source for the aforementioned drive motor 51. The control housing 53 is fixed to the side of the frame 1, and the lithium battery pack 52 is reversibly mounted to the side wall or top of the control housing 53 using a quick-release structure such as a plug-in guide rail. The lithium battery pack 52 is configured to provide DC power to the motor 51 and the control module. The surface of the control housing 53 integrates a control button area 54, which allows operators to input action commands, thus creating a distributed operation terminal independent of the cable power supply network.

[0025] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown, the output end of the rack 62 is hinged to the movable seat 4 via a hinge shaft 63. In operation, the motor 51 drives the gear 61 to rotate, converting the rotational motion into linear translation of the rack 62 through tooth meshing. This translation pushes the movable seat 4 along the slide rail 3 towards the fixed cutter head 2, performing wood compression and splitting. Based on the non-rigid pivot connection established by the hinge shaft 63, when the movable seat 4 experiences lateral loads or impact loads due to uneven wood grain or knots during the pushing process, the resulting attitude deflection can be adaptively adjusted in multiple degrees of freedom through the hinge point. This flexible connection configuration effectively blocks the rigid transmission of lateral bending moments and non-axial stresses to the rack 62, thereby reducing the risk of plastic bending of the rack 62 and misalignment or tooth breakage due to meshing misalignment between the gear 61 and the rack 62. This improves the structural stability and service life of the transmission system under high-load and harsh operating conditions.

[0026] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, the transmission mechanism 6 is also equipped with a rack and pinion limiting guide assembly, which includes at least one rack and pinion limiting guide wheel 71. The rack 62 has two opposite sides formed in the extending direction, one side being a toothed surface with distributed teeth, and the other side being a smooth surface. While the gear 61 is engaged with the teeth on the toothed surface, the rack and pinion limiting guide wheel 71 rolls against the smooth surface of the rack 62. The reverse constraint force applied to the rack 62 by the rack and pinion limiting guide wheel 71 can effectively overcome the radial runout or deviation tendency generated on the rack when the gear 61 rotates and pushes, thereby optimizing the transmission smoothness under heavy load thrust output conditions.

[0027] Specifically, a gear mounting bracket 8 is mounted on the frame 1. The gear 61 and the rack limiting guide wheel 71 are rotatably supported on the gear mounting bracket 8 via corresponding rotating shafts. The outer circumferential surface of the gear 61, the outer circumferential surface of the rack limiting guide wheel 71, and the inner sidewall of the gear mounting bracket 8 together spatially enclose a limiting channel that has a clearance fit with the cross-sectional profile of the rack 62. The rack 62 passes through this limiting channel and performs linear reciprocating sliding under constraint. This limiting channel physically restrains the rack 62 in multiple dimensions, restricting its unnecessary degrees of freedom during loading and ensuring that the gear 61 and the rack 62 maintain a good meshing relationship.

[0028] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2As shown, the wood splitter is equipped with a stroke control component, which includes a limit switch 91 and a trigger 92. The trigger 92 is installed at the free end of the rack 62 and is configured to move synchronously with the extension and retraction of the rack 62. The limit switch 91 is fixed at a preset position on the frame 1 corresponding to the side of the movement trajectory of the rack 62 and is electrically coupled to the control circuit of the motor 51.

[0029] In specific implementation, the trigger element 92 is formed as a plate-shaped or bent structural member protruding outward from the main body of the rack 62. When the rack 62 drives the moving seat 4 to slide to a preset displacement extreme point, the edge feature of the trigger element 92 abuts against and changes the contact state of the limit switch 91. The control circuit responds to the trigger signal by instructing the motor 51 to cut off power or reverse. The interlocking mechanism, which uses the displacement of the moving actuator itself as the physical trigger source, achieves reliable limitation of the working stroke, preventing mechanical interference and overload damage caused by the moving component impacting the frame foundation structure due to overtravel.

[0030] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the movable seat 4 adopts a top-bottom clamping structure, including a main push block 41 disposed above the slide rail 3 and a slide assembly 42 fitted below the slide rail 3. The main push block 41 and the slide assembly 42 are locked together by fasteners 43 spanning both sides of the slide rail 3, so that the movable seat 4 is guided and assembled onto the slide rail 3 in a sliding and hugging manner. At the same time, the hinge shaft 63 is configured to pass through and connect the main push block 41 and the slide assembly 42, and rotatably support the output end of the rack 62 between the two. This spatial layout makes the line of action of the thrust vector closer to the structural centroid of the movable seat 4, optimizing the force distribution during the pushing process.

[0031] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the wood splitter is also equipped with a protective shell 10. The protective shell 10 covers the area around the meshing interaction between the gear 61 and the rack 62 and is rigidly connected to the frame 1. The protective shell 10 has a clearance opening that allows the rack 62 to pass through. This shell structure can prevent processing waste such as wood chips from entering the transmission gear groove and causing jamming, while physically isolating the high-speed mechanical transmission components from the operator to prevent interference from the external environment to the transmission system.

[0032] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1As shown, to optimize the smoothness and safety of the processing operation, the frame 1 is symmetrically equipped with side supports 11 on both sides of the section adjacent to the fixed cutter head 2. The side supports 11 extend obliquely outward and upward from the side wall of the slide rail table 3, forming a suspended support surface with a support height. After the wood is subjected to pressure and splits, the side supports 11 are configured to catch the wood that tilts to both sides, preventing safety hazards caused by uncontrolled material slippage.

[0033] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 , Figure 4 As shown, regarding the load-bearing and transfer structure of the equipment, a rigid support frame 12 is configured at the front bottom of the frame 1, which serves as a load-bearing fulcrum for contacting the ground and providing cutting reaction force during operation. A transversely arranged axle 13 is rotatably supported at the rear bottom of the frame 1, with movable wheels 14 locked to both ends of the axle 13. In the non-operating state, by applying a lifting force to the front of the frame 1 to lift it off the ground, a lever-type pushing configuration can be formed using the movable wheels 14 at the rear, improving the site transfer flexibility of the entire system.

[0034] The lithium-ion rack and pinion wood splitter provided in this application embodiment releases lateral stress when splitting wood under eccentric load by hingedly connecting the output end of the rack to the moving base, avoiding direct stress transmission that could cause rack deformation or gear breakage, thus improving transmission stability and equipment lifespan. The rack limit guide wheel abuts against the smooth surface of the rack, limiting radial displacement and ensuring stable meshing under heavy load conditions. A trigger element moves with the rack and works in conjunction with a limit switch to achieve power-off limit for mechanical displacement linkage, preventing overtravel-induced collision damage to the frame and motor. Combined with lithium battery pack power supply and a bottom moving wheel structure, the power cable constraint is removed, improving the equipment's portability and outdoor mobile operation capability.

[0035] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "vertical", "up", "down", "horizontal", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not 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 application.

[0036] In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "set up," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; 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; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0037] Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A lithium-ion battery rack and pinion wood splitter, characterized in that, include: frame; The cutter head is fixedly mounted at the front of the frame; A slide rail table is provided along the length of the frame; A movable seat is slidably mounted on the slide rail and is arranged opposite to the fixed cutter head; A power drive assembly is installed in the middle and rear part of the frame, and the power drive assembly includes a motor driven by an independent power source; The transmission mechanism includes a gear driven by the motor and a rack meshing with the gear, wherein one end of the rack is an output end and the other end is a free end; The output end of the rack is hinged to the movable seat via a hinge shaft; the motor drives the gear to rotate to drive the rack to move linearly, thereby driving the movable seat to slide back and forth along the slide rail to approach or move away from the fixed cutter head.

2. The lithium-ion battery rack and pinion wood splitter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission mechanism further includes a rack limiting guide assembly, which includes at least one rack limiting guide wheel; the rack includes a toothed surface extending along the length direction of the frame and a smooth surface facing away from the toothed surface, the gear meshes with the toothed surface, and the rack limiting guide wheel rolls against the smooth surface of the rack.

3. The lithium-ion battery rack and pinion wood splitter according to claim 2, characterized in that, A gear mounting bracket is fixedly provided on the frame. The gear and the rack limiting guide wheel are respectively rotatably mounted on the gear mounting bracket through corresponding rotating shafts. The gear, the rack limiting guide wheel and the gear mounting bracket together form a limiting channel through which the rack passes and slides back and forth in a straight line.

4. The lithium-ion battery rack and pinion wood splitter according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a travel control component, which includes a travel switch and a trigger; the trigger is installed at the free end of the rack and moves synchronously with the rack, the travel switch is fixed on the frame and located to the side of the rack's movement path, and the travel switch is electrically connected to the motor.

5. The lithium-ion battery rack and pinion wood splitter according to claim 4, characterized in that, The trigger is a plate-shaped structure or a bent structure extending outward from the free end of the rack; when the rack drives the moving seat to move towards the fixed cutter head to a preset maximum stroke position, the edge of the trigger abuts against and triggers the limit switch.

6. The lithium-ion battery rack and pinion wood splitter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movable seat includes a main push block located above the slide rail and a slide assembly located below the slide rail; the main push block and the slide assembly are connected by fasteners passing through the two sides of the slide rail, so that the movable seat slides and hugs the slide rail; the hinge shaft passes between the main push block and the slide assembly.

7. The lithium-ion battery rack and pinion wood splitter according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a protective shell, which is placed on the outside of the meshing point of the gear and the rack and is fixedly connected to the frame; the side wall of the protective shell has an opening for the rack to extend and retract through.

8. The lithium-ion battery rack and pinion wood splitter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power drive assembly also includes a lithium battery pack and a control box. The control box is fixed to the side of the frame. The lithium battery pack is detachably inserted into the side wall or top of the control box, and the top surface of the control box is provided with a control button area.

9. The lithium-ion battery rack and pinion wood splitter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frame has symmetrically fixed side supports on both sides near the fixed cutter head. The side supports extend outward and upward from the side wall of the slide rail table and are suspended to form a support surface.

10. The lithium-ion battery rack and pinion wood splitter according to claim 1, characterized in that, A rigid support frame is fixedly provided at the front of the bottom end of the frame, and an axle is rotatably connected to the rear of the bottom end of the frame, with movable wheels installed at both ends of the axle.

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