Automatic nut feeding and press fitting device

Abstract

This invention discloses an automated nut feeding and pressing device, including a pressing mechanism and at least one automated nut pre-loading device. The automated nut pre-loading device includes a nut supply mechanism and a pre-loading auxiliary carrier. The pre-loading auxiliary carrier includes a base body and a floating carrier. The floating carrier is provided with a limiting platform for positioning and supporting the bottom wall of a disc-shaped structure. The limiting platform has nut pre-loading slots that correspond one-to-one with the nut holes. The base body has nut guide posts that correspond one-to-one with the nut pre-loading slots, penetrating the nut pre-loading slots and protruding outwards. The nut supply mechanism includes an automated nut supply section and an automated nut pre-loading section. The pressing mechanism includes a pressing end with lifting displacement. This invention uses a floating carrier with lifting displacement and nut guide posts working in tandem to achieve one-time positioning of the disc-shaped structure and simultaneous pressing of four nuts, completely solving the problems of low efficiency and cumulative error caused by traditional multi-stage pressing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to automated nut feeding and pressing equipment, belonging to the technical field of automated assembly equipment. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing prevalence of industrial automation technology, the assembly of various parts is gradually moving towards automation and efficiency, replacing traditional manual operations, improving assembly accuracy and production efficiency, and reducing the intensity of manual labor. In fields such as machining and automotive parts manufacturing, there exists a disc-shaped structure with four circumferentially evenly distributed holes on one side. During production, nuts must be precisely pressed into each hole to ensure a proper fit between the nut and the hole, meeting the assembly and usage requirements of subsequent products. This type of disc-shaped structure is widely used in the manufacturing of various transmission and connecting components, and the quality of its nut assembly directly affects the structural stability and reliability of the entire product.

[0003] However, current technologies for pressing nuts into the four holes of this disc-shaped structure still have many insurmountable shortcomings, failing to meet the high-efficiency and precision requirements of automated production. Traditional pressing methods mainly rely on manual pressing or simple pressing machines for assistance. Manual pressing is not only labor-intensive and inefficient, but also difficult to precisely control the force and angle of manual operation, easily leading to problems such as incomplete pressing, tilting, and loosening of the nuts, thus failing to guarantee assembly accuracy. While simple pressing machines can reduce manual labor intensity to some extent, they still require manual positioning of the holes, placement of the nuts, and triggering of the pressing action, also resulting in low efficiency and poor accuracy, making them unsuitable for the pressing needs of mass production scenarios.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, automated pressing lines have emerged in the industry, attempting to overcome the drawbacks of manual pressing. However, these automated pressing lines still have significant shortcomings. Firstly, they require conveyor lines to transfer the disc-shaped structure to different workstations, or a rotating pallet to sequentially switch the disc-shaped structure between four workstations for pressing each of the four holes. The entire pressing process involves multiple steps, including workstation switching, positioning, and pressing, making it cumbersome, labor-intensive, and time-consuming, severely hindering overall production efficiency. Secondly, in traditional pressing methods, the force is directly applied to the nut, requiring four pressing operations at each of the four holes. During these four pressing operations, any deviation in positioning or fluctuation in force will affect assembly accuracy. Furthermore, multiple pressing operations undoubtedly increase the risks of missed pressing, incorrect pressing, and repeated pressing, easily leading to product scrap and increased production costs. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of the prior art. In the current nut pressing operation of the four holes of the disc structure, there are problems such as low efficiency, insufficient accuracy, and high risk of product damage. Therefore, an automated nut feeding and pressing equipment is proposed.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: An automated nut feeding and pressing equipment is used for pressing nuts onto a disc-shaped structure. The bottom wall of the disc-shaped structure is provided with four nut hole slots evenly distributed circumferentially. Includes a pressing mechanism and at least one automated nut pre-installation device; The automated nut pre-assembly device includes a nut supply mechanism and a pre-assembly auxiliary carrier for switching displacement between the pressing mechanism and the nut supply mechanism; The pre-installed auxiliary vehicle includes a base body and a floating seat with lifting and floating displacement disposed on the base body. The floating seat is provided with a limiting platform for positioning and supporting the bottom wall of the disc-shaped structure. The limiting platform is provided with nut pre-installation slots that correspond one-to-one with the nut holes and slots. The base body is provided with nut guide posts that correspond one-to-one with the nut pre-installation slots, penetrate the nut pre-installation slots and are exposed. The nut supply mechanism includes an automated nut supply unit and an automated nut pre-assembly unit for picking up nuts supplied by the automated nut supply unit and loading them into the nut pre-assembly slot. The pressing mechanism includes a pressing end with lifting displacement for pressing and engaging with the top wall of the disc-shaped structure, and the pressing end is provided with a clearance channel for avoiding the nut guide post.

[0007] Preferably, the pre-installed auxiliary carrier includes a linear track and a carrier slide having linear displacement on the linear track. The carrier slide has a pressing station opposite to the pressing mechanism and a nut pre-installation station opposite to the nut supply mechanism. The base body is mounted on the vehicle slide.

[0008] Preferably, the base body has rotational displacement on the carrier slide, and the bottom of the carrier slide is provided with a rotational drive source that is connected to the base body in a transmission manner.

[0009] Preferably, the carrier slide is provided with two indexing limiting parts, the rotating end of the rotary drive source is provided with a follower limiting frame, and the follower limiting frame is provided with two limiting stakes that correspond one-to-one with the indexing limiting parts; When the indexing limiting part is engaged with the limiting pile, the base body has two locking positions; the relative rotation angle between the two locking positions is 90°.

[0010] Preferably, the automated nut supply unit includes a nut vibration chamber and two parallel linear vibration supply units disposed at the discharge end of the nut vibration chamber; The automated nut pre-assembly unit includes a nut transport seat for linearly switching displacement between the automated nut supply unit and the nut pre-assembly station. The nut transport seat has lifting displacement and is provided with two nut clamps that correspond one-to-one with the linear vibration supply unit.

[0011] Preferably, the discharge end of one of the linear vibration supply units of the automated nut supply unit is provided with a nut shifting mechanism, and the nut shifting mechanism has a nut shifting carrier with linear displacement.

[0012] Preferably, the pressing mechanism and / or the automated nut pre-assembly device are provided with a visual inspection unit for detecting the number and position of nuts on the pre-assembly auxiliary carrier.

[0013] Preferably, the disc-shaped structure is provided with a central through-hole and a disc through-groove located between the two nut hole slots; The floating carrier is provided with a central positioning post for cooperating with the central through-hole and a circumferential positioning post for cooperating with the through-groove of the disc.

[0014] Preferably, the automated nut pre-installation device is provided on both sides of the pressing mechanism, and the pre-installation auxiliary carriers of the two automated nut pre-installation devices operate in a tidal cross manner.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are mainly reflected in: 1. By using a floating carrier with lifting and floating displacement and a nut guide column in coordination, the disc-shaped structure can be positioned in one go and four nuts can be pressed in simultaneously, which completely solves the problems of low efficiency and cumulative error caused by traditional multi-stage pressing.

[0016] 2. By using the indexing rotation of the base body in conjunction with the double-clamp nut transport seat, the pre-installation of four nuts can be completed in just two pick-up actions, which significantly simplifies the loading process and improves the handling efficiency.

[0017] 3. The pressing mechanism is equipped with dual pre-installation auxiliary carriers on both sides for tidal cross-operation, which realizes the parallel processing of nut pre-installation and pressing processes, and the overall utilization rate and production efficiency of the equipment are greatly improved.

[0018] 4. By integrating a vision inspection unit to verify the quantity and position of pre-installed nuts in real time, assembly defects such as missing or misaligned nuts are eliminated, significantly reducing the product scrap rate. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Other features, objects, and advantages of this application will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the automated nut feeding and pressing equipment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the automated nut feeding and pressing equipment of the present invention from another perspective.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the automated nut feeding and pressing equipment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a partial default structural diagram of the automated nut feeding and pressing equipment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the pre-installed auxiliary carrier in the automated nut feeding and pressing equipment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the pre-installed auxiliary carrier in the automated nut feeding and pressing equipment of the present invention, showing its usage status.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the pre-installed auxiliary carrier in the automated nut feeding and pressing equipment of the present invention from another perspective of its usage state.

[0026] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the auxiliary carrier pre-installed in the automated nut feeding and pressing equipment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the pressing mechanism in the automated nut feeding and pressing equipment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the pressing mechanism in the automated nut feeding and pressing equipment of the present invention from another perspective.

[0029] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the nut supply mechanism in the automated nut feeding and pressing equipment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the linear track in the automated nut feeding and pressing equipment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, 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, 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.

[0032] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present application can be combined with each other.

[0033] This invention provides an automated nut feeding and pressing device, such as... Figures 1 to 12 As shown, the nut 200 is press-fitted into the disc-shaped structure 100, and the bottom wall of the disc-shaped structure is provided with four nut hole slots 110 evenly distributed in the circumference.

[0034] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, it includes a pressing mechanism 1 and at least one automated nut pre-installation device 2.

[0035] The automated nut pre-loading device 2 includes a nut supply mechanism 3 and a pre-loading auxiliary carrier 4 for switching displacement between the pressing mechanism 1 and the nut supply mechanism 3.

[0036] The pre-installed auxiliary carrier 4 includes a base body 41 and a floating carrier 42 with lifting and floating displacement set on the base body 41. The floating carrier 42 is provided with a limiting platform 5 for positioning and supporting the bottom wall of the disc-shaped structure. The limiting platform 5 is provided with nut pre-installation slots 50 that correspond one-to-one with the nut hole slots. The base body 41 is provided with nut guide posts 410 that correspond one-to-one with the nut pre-installation slots, penetrate the nut pre-installation slots and are exposed.

[0037] The nut supply mechanism 3 includes an automated nut supply unit 31 and an automated nut pre-loading unit 32 for picking up nuts supplied by the automated nut supply unit and loading them into the nut pre-loading slot.

[0038] The pressing mechanism 1 includes a pressing end 10 with lifting displacement for pressing and engaging with the top wall of the disc-shaped structure 100, and the pressing end is provided with a clearance channel 101 for avoiding the nut guide post.

[0039] Detailed implementation process and principle explanation: During the nut pressing operation, the floating carrier 42 is in the top position. The pre-installation auxiliary carrier 4 is displaced to a position relative to the nut supply mechanism 3.

[0040] Nuts 200 are supplied via an automated nut supply unit 31, while an automated nut pre-assembly unit 32 picks up the nuts and loads them into the nut pre-assembly slots. During loading, after the nut 200 is fitted onto the nut guide post 410 and guided by it, the automated nut pre-assembly unit 32 retracts when the nut partially enters the pre-assembly slot. At this point, the nut is supported by its own weight as it enters the nut pre-assembly slot, and is further supported by the ring 411 of the nut guide post 410.

[0041] After all four nut pre-installation slots are equipped with nuts, the structure is moved to be opposite to the pressing mechanism 1, i.e., at the bottom of the pressing mechanism 1. At this time, the disc-shaped structure 100 is picked up manually or by an automated mechanical mechanism and accurately positioned on the limiting platform 5. After being guided by the nut guide post 410 passing through the nut hole groove 110, the nut hole groove 110 is precisely aligned with the nut pre-installation slot.

[0042] After the disc-shaped structure 100 is installed, the pressing end 10 performs a pressing operation. The nut guide post 410 passes through the clearance channel 101, and the pressure of the pressing end acts on the top surface of the disc-shaped structure 100. As the pressing stroke progresses, the floating carrier 42 floats and moves downward under pressure, while the nut guide post 410 remains in a fixed position under the support of the base body 41. In this way, its ring 411 presses the nut in the nut pre-installation slot 50 into the nut recess at the bottom of the nut hole slot 110.

[0043] The precise positioning and single pressing of the disc-shaped structure 100 meet the requirement of simultaneous pressing of four nuts into place, significantly improving both pressing quality and pressing efficiency.

[0044] In one specific embodiment, the base body 41 has a limiting structure for the floating direction of the floating carrier 42, which ensures that its initial position is accurate and reliable.

[0045] In one specific embodiment, the pre-installed auxiliary carrier 4 includes a linear track 6 and a carrier slide 61 having linear displacement on the linear track 6. The carrier slide 61 has a pressing station 611 opposite to the pressing mechanism and a nut pre-installation station 612 opposite to the nut supply mechanism. The base body 41 is disposed on the carrier slide 61.

[0046] The linear track 6 carries the carrier slide 61, which enables linear displacement switching of the base body 41, thereby achieving precise position switching between the press-fit station 611 and the nut pre-fit station 612.

[0047] It should be noted that in some preferred embodiments, a position sensor 62 and / or a hard stop mechanism are designed to ensure the positional accuracy of the press-fit station 611 and the nut pre-fit station 612.

[0048] In one specific embodiment, such as Figures 5 to 8 The base body 41 shown has rotational displacement on the carrier slide 61, and the bottom of the carrier slide is provided with a rotational drive source 63 that is connected to the base body in a transmission manner.

[0049] It should be noted that the vehicle slide is bridged on the linear rail, and there is a base at the bottom of the vehicle slide that carries the rotary drive source. This base is relatively fixed to the vehicle slide by a connecting plate. The connection structure between the two is omitted in the attached figure.

[0050] Specifically, under normal circumstances, after the nut is output, the relative angle of its outer peripheral wall is fixed. The nut automatic pre-assembly unit 32 needs to meet the adjustment angle of the position switching and rotation axis in order to meet the mounting requirements of the four nut pre-assembly slots 50.

[0051] The rotational displacement of the base body 41 enables rotational displacement drive, which in turn allows switching of the position of the nut pre-assembly slot 50, enabling it to perform switching displacement at the nut pre-assembly station 612. This reduces the shaft position requirements of the nut automated pre-assembly unit 32 and the complex mechanical structure design and control of switching displacement, making the nut pre-assembly operation efficient and fast.

[0052] In one specific embodiment, the carrier slide 61 is provided with two indexing limit parts 613, and the rotating end of the rotary drive source is provided with a follower limit frame 630, which is provided with two limit stakes that correspond one-to-one with the indexing limit parts.

[0053] When the indexing and limiting part is engaged with the limiting pile, the base body has two locking positions; the relative rotation angle between the two locking positions is 90°.

[0054] Specifically, normally, four alignments using rotation switching can accommodate four nuts. However, this design employs a 90° switching station, allowing for the pre-assembly of two nuts in a single switching position. This necessitates only two alignment pre-assemblies in the linear direction for the automated nut pre-assembly unit 32, or the automated nut pre-assembly unit 32 can utilize two separate pick-up ends to meet the requirement of clamping two nuts at once. This further improves efficiency.

[0055] In one specific embodiment, such as Figure 11 As shown, the automated nut supply unit 31 includes a nut vibration chamber 311 and two parallel linear vibration supply units 312 disposed at the discharge end of the nut vibration chamber.

[0056] The automated nut pre-assembly unit 32 includes a nut transport seat 321 for linearly switching displacement between the automated nut supply unit and the nut pre-assembly station. The nut transport seat 321 has lifting displacement and is provided with two nut clamps 322 that correspond one-to-one with the linear vibration supply unit.

[0057] This allows for the simultaneous picking up of two nuts, enabling synchronous turnover and pre-loading operations, resulting in efficient, smooth, and stable operation. The nut clamp 322 is designed to grip the outer circumference of the nut, ensuring that the nut's inner hole is not interfered with during clamping, facilitating easy pre-assembly, positioning, and guidance.

[0058] In one specific embodiment, such as Figure 11 As shown, the discharge end of a linear vibration supply unit of the nut automated supply unit 32 is provided with a nut shifting mechanism 7, which has a nut shifting carrier 70 with linear displacement.

[0059] Specifically, under normal circumstances, the free ends of the direct vibration supply section are required to be relatively flush to meet the synchronous clamping and alignment requirements of the two nuts. However, due to space limitations, the supply direction cannot meet the requirement of the free ends being flush.

[0060] To address this issue, a nut shifting mechanism 7 was designed. The nut shifting carrier 70 can carry the nut and adjust its position so that the output parts of the two linear vibration supply units are aligned, thereby meeting the one-time precise alignment and picking requirements of the nut automated pre-assembly unit 32.

[0061] In one specific embodiment, the pressing mechanism 1 and / or the automated nut pre-assembly device 2 are provided with a vision detection unit for detecting the number and position of nuts on the pre-assembly auxiliary carrier.

[0062] Specifically, the visual inspection unit is not shown in the attached diagram. In practical applications, this visual inspection unit can detect the number and position of pre-installed nuts. When there are missing nuts or positional deviations, corresponding alarm signals are output, thus preventing missing nuts and crimping damage and reducing the scrap rate.

[0063] In one specific embodiment, the disc-shaped structure 100 is provided with a central through-hole 120 and a disc through-groove 130 located between two nut hole slots.

[0064] The floating carrier 42 or the limiting platform 5 is provided with a central positioning post 421 for cooperating with the central through hole and a circumferential positioning post 422 for cooperating with the through groove of the disc.

[0065] This satisfies the guiding requirements when the disc-shaped structure 100 is mounted, ensuring its reliable position and precise alignment with the nut guide post 410.

[0066] In one specific embodiment, such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, automated nut pre-installation devices 2 are provided on both sides of the pressing mechanism 1, and the pre-installation auxiliary carriers of the two automated nut pre-installation devices operate in a tidal cross manner.

[0067] The design employs a tidal alternating system of two automated nut pre-assembly devices 2 and one pressing mechanism 1. During the pressing operation, one automated nut pre-assembly device 2 performs automated nut pre-assembly, while the pre-assembly auxiliary carrier 4 of the other automated nut pre-assembly device 2 performs alignment, feeding, and pressing operations with the pressing mechanism 1. This tidal alternating operation further improves the pressing efficiency.

[0068] As described above, the use of a floating carrier with lifting and floating displacement capabilities, in conjunction with the nut guide column, enables one-time positioning of the disc-shaped structure and simultaneous pressing of four nuts, completely solving the problems of low efficiency and cumulative errors caused by traditional multi-stage pressing. Through the indexing rotation of the base body and the cooperation of a double-clamp nut transporter, the pre-installation of four nuts can be completed in just two pick-up actions, significantly simplifying the loading process and improving handling efficiency. Dual pre-installation auxiliary carriers on both sides of the pressing mechanism, operating in a tidal cross-operation manner, enable parallel processing of nut pre-installation and pressing processes, resulting in a significant increase in equipment utilization and production efficiency. The integrated vision inspection unit performs real-time verification of the number and position of pre-installed nuts, eliminating assembly defects such as omissions and misalignments, and greatly reducing product scrap rates. The term "comprising" or any other similar term is intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus / device that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent in such process, method, article, or apparatus / device.

[0069] The technical solution of the present invention has been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of the present invention is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after such changes or substitutions will all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated nut feeding and pressing device for pressing nuts onto a disc-shaped structure, wherein the bottom wall of the disc-shaped structure is provided with four nut slots evenly distributed circumferentially; characterized in that: Includes a pressing mechanism and at least one automated nut pre-installation device; The automated nut pre-assembly device includes a nut supply mechanism and a pre-assembly auxiliary carrier for switching displacement between the pressing mechanism and the nut supply mechanism; The pre-installed auxiliary vehicle includes a base body and a floating seat with lifting and floating displacement disposed on the base body. The floating seat is provided with a limiting platform for positioning and supporting the bottom wall of the disc-shaped structure. The limiting platform is provided with nut pre-installation slots that correspond one-to-one with the nut holes and slots. The base body is provided with nut guide posts that correspond one-to-one with the nut pre-installation slots, penetrate the nut pre-installation slots and are exposed. The nut supply mechanism includes an automated nut supply unit and an automated nut pre-assembly unit for picking up nuts supplied by the automated nut supply unit and loading them into the nut pre-assembly slot. The pressing mechanism includes a pressing end with lifting displacement for pressing and engaging with the top wall of the disc-shaped structure, and the pressing end is provided with a clearance channel for avoiding the nut guide post.

2. The automated nut feeding and pressing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pre-installed auxiliary vehicle includes a linear track and a vehicle slide with linear displacement on the linear track. The vehicle slide has a pressing station opposite to the pressing mechanism and a nut pre-installation station opposite to the nut supply mechanism. The base body is mounted on the vehicle slide.

3. The automated nut feeding and pressing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The base body has rotational displacement on the vehicle slide, and the bottom of the vehicle slide is provided with a rotational drive source that is connected to the base body in a transmission manner.

4. The automated nut feeding and pressing equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The carrier slide is provided with two indexing limiting parts, and the rotating end of the rotary drive source is provided with a follower limiting frame. The follower limiting frame is provided with two limiting stakes that correspond one-to-one with the indexing limiting parts. When the indexing limiting part is engaged with the limiting pile, the base body has two locking positions; the relative rotation angle between the two locking positions is 90°.

5. The automated nut feeding and pressing equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The automated nut supply unit includes a nut vibration chamber and two parallel linear vibration supply units located at the discharge end of the nut vibration chamber. The automated nut pre-assembly unit includes a nut transport seat for linearly switching displacement between the automated nut supply unit and the nut pre-assembly station. The nut transport seat has lifting displacement and is provided with two nut clamps that correspond one-to-one with the linear vibration supply unit.

6. The automated nut feeding and pressing equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that: The discharge end of one of the linear vibration supply units of the automated nut supply unit is provided with a nut shifting mechanism, which has a nut shifting carrier with linear displacement.

7. The automated nut feeding and pressing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressing mechanism and / or the automated nut pre-assembly device are equipped with a visual inspection unit for detecting the number and position of nuts on the pre-assembly auxiliary carrier.

8. The automated nut feeding and pressing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The disc-shaped structure is provided with a central through-hole and a disc through-groove located between the two nut slots. The floating carrier is provided with a central positioning post for cooperating with the central through-hole and a circumferential positioning post for cooperating with the through-groove of the disc.

9. The automated nut feeding and pressing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The automated nut pre-installation device is provided on both sides of the pressing mechanism, and the pre-installation auxiliary vehicle of the two automated nut pre-installation devices operates in a tidal cross manner.

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