Joint mechanism and assembly method

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of bearing, in particular to a joint mechanism and an assembling method. The joint mechanism comprises a joint bearing assembly and a pin assembly. The joint bearing assembly comprises a fixed part, an outer ring fixed on the fixed part, and an inner ring movably arranged in the outer ring. The inner ring can rotate and swing in at least one direction in the outer ring. The pin assembly comprises a pin body unit and a guide unit fixedly connected with each other. The projection of the guide unit along the axial direction of the pin body unit is located in the cross section of the pin body unit. When the pin assembly is assembled with the joint bearing assembly, the guide unit and the pin body unit pass through the inner ring in sequence. When the guide unit is inserted into the inner ring, the contact area between the guide unit and the inner ring is always less than a set value. By setting the contact area between the guide unit and the inner ring to be always less than the set value, the contact state between the two can be point contact or infinitely close to point contact, which solves the problem that the chamfer of the pin is difficult to insert into the inner wall of the joint bearing hole.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of bearing technology, and more specifically, to a joint mechanism and assembly method. Background Technology

[0002] In aerospace and marine applications, many servo components used to propel control surfaces are connected using spherical bearing assemblies. Spherical bearing assemblies include radial spherical bearings and rod end spherical bearings. A radial spherical bearing is mounted on the support at one end of the servo component, and a rod end spherical bearing is mounted on the other end. There are four raised arc-shaped lugs on the edge of the support of the servo component. The arc-shaped lugs can be connected to an external support to limit the movement of the support of the servo component, except for rotation relative to the inner ring and left and right swinging.

[0003] When a chamfered pin is inserted, the inner ring of the spherical plain bearing assembly deflects under the action of the pin. Once the chamfer of the pin contacts the inner ring hole of the spherical plain bearing assembly, the pin cannot be inserted further. See [link to documentation]. Figure 1 To address this issue, the current main method is to manually realign the joint bearing assembly. However, this method is inefficient, difficult to operate, and especially challenging when space is limited. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the problem that the chamfer of the pin being attached to the inner wall of the inner ring hole of the spherical bearing assembly makes it difficult to insert the pin, this invention provides a joint mechanism and assembly method.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a joint mechanism, the joint mechanism comprising:

[0006] A spherical bearing assembly includes a retainer, an outer ring fixed to the retainer, and an inner ring movably disposed within the outer ring; the inner ring is rotatable within the outer ring and can oscillate in at least one direction.

[0007] A pin assembly includes a pin body unit and a guide unit fixedly connected to each other, wherein the projection of the guide unit along the axial direction of the pin body unit is located within the cross section of the pin body unit; the pin body unit passes through the interior of the inner ring, and the outer circumferential surface of the pin body unit at least partially abuts against the inner wall of the inner ring;

[0008] When the pin assembly is assembled with the spherical bearing assembly, the guide unit and the pin body unit pass through the inner ring one after the other; when the guide unit is inserted into the inner ring, the contact area between the guide unit and the inner ring is always less than a set value.

[0009] Optionally, the pin body unit has a chamfer at one end near the guide unit.

[0010] Optionally, the radial dimension of the guide unit gradually decreases towards both ends, so that the outer surface of the guide unit forms a first guide surface and a second guide surface respectively in the direction close to the pin body unit.

[0011] Optionally, the guiding unit is a ball head, and the angle of the spherical surface of the ball head is between 180° and 220°.

[0012] Optionally, the pin assembly further includes a transition unit fixedly connected between the pin body unit and the guide unit, wherein the radial dimension of the transition unit is smaller than the radial dimension of the guide unit.

[0013] Optionally, the radial dimension of the guide unit near the end of the transition unit is greater than or equal to the radial dimension of the transition unit.

[0014] Optionally, the distance from the end of the transition unit furthest from the guide unit to the cross-section corresponding to the maximum radial dimension of the guide unit is equal to half the depth of the inner ring hole.

[0015] Optionally, the joint mechanism further includes a mounting assembly, which includes a first support, a second support, and a plurality of lugs. The distance between the first support and the second support matches the width of the joint bearing assembly. The first support has a through hole through which the pin body unit passes. The fixing member is connected to the second support through the lugs to restrict the fixing member and the outer ring from movement other than rotation and oscillation relative to the inner ring.

[0016] Secondly, the present invention provides a method for assembling a joint mechanism, the method comprising the following steps:

[0017] Perform initial positioning of the retaining element or outer ring of the spherical bearing assembly;

[0018] Insert the guide unit of the pin assembly into the inner ring of the spherical bearing along the axial direction of the outer ring until the guide unit completely passes through the inner ring; wherein, during the insertion of the guide unit into the inner ring, the contact area between the guide unit and the inner ring is always less than a set value, so that the angle between the axis of the inner ring and the axis of the guide unit is less than a preset value.

[0019] Insert the pin body unit of the pin assembly into the inner ring of the spherical plain bearing along the axial direction of the outer ring until the pin body unit is inserted to the target position of the inner ring.

[0020] Alternatively, when inserting the guide unit of the pin assembly into the inner ring of the spherical plain bearing along the axial direction of the outer ring, the force used is less than the set force value.

[0021] To address the problem that the chamfer of the pin adhering to the inner wall of the inner ring hole of the spherical bearing assembly makes the pin difficult to insert, this invention has the following advantages:

[0022] By fixing a guide unit to the end of the pin body unit and setting the projection of the guide unit along the axial direction of the pin body unit to be located within the cross section of the pin body unit, the guide unit can be inserted into the inner ring of the spherical bearing more easily than the pin body unit.

[0023] By setting the contact area between the guide unit and the inner ring to always be less than a set value, the contact state between the guide unit and the inner wall of the inner ring can be either close to point contact or infinitely close to point contact. This avoids the situation where the guide unit cannot be smoothly inserted into the inner ring due to a large contact area between the guide unit and the inner ring.

[0024] This solution involves inserting the guide unit first, followed by the pin body unit. During the insertion of the guide unit into the inner ring and its movement within the inner ring, the guide unit guides the inner ring to reduce its tilt angle, thus allowing the pin body unit to be smoothly inserted into the inner ring of the spherical bearing assembly. Furthermore, during the insertion of the guide unit into the inner ring, by ensuring that the contact area between the guide unit and the inner ring is always less than a preset value, the guide unit can be smoothly inserted into the inner ring, ultimately achieving the assembly of the pin body unit and the inner ring. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the state of the pin and the spherical bearing during the assembly process in the prior art is shown;

[0026] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the pin assembly in Embodiment 1 of the present invention is shown;

[0027] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates the state of the joint mechanism during the assembly process in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating the assembly steps of the joint mechanism in Embodiment 2 of the present invention is shown.

[0029] Figure label:

[0030] 10-Joint bearing assembly; 11-Fixed component; 12-Outer ring; 13-Inner ring; 20-Pin assembly; 21-Pin body unit; 211-Chamfer; 22-Guide unit; 221-First guide surface; 222-Second guide surface; 23-Transition unit; 24-Handle; 30-Mounting assembly; 31-First support seat; 32-Second support seat; 33-Ear protector. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The present disclosure will now be discussed with reference to several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are discussed only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and thus implement the present disclosure, and are not intended to imply any limitation on the scope of the disclosure.

[0032] As used herein, the term "comprising" and its variations are to be interpreted as open-ended terms meaning "including but not limited to". The term "based on" is to be interpreted as "at least partially based on". The terms "one embodiment" and "an embodiment" are to be interpreted as "at least one embodiment". The term "another embodiment" is to be interpreted as "at least one other embodiment". The terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "vertical", "horizontal", "lateral", "longitudinal", etc., indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for the purpose of better describing this application and its embodiments and are not intended to limit the indicated devices, elements, or components to having a specific orientation or being constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Furthermore, some of the above terms may be used to indicate other meanings besides orientations or positional relationships; for example, the term "upper" may in some cases indicate a dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application according to the specific circumstances. In addition, the terms "installed", "set up", "equipped with", "connected", and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or an internal connection between two devices, elements, or components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are mainly used to distinguish different devices, elements, or components (the specific types and structures may be the same or different), and are not used to indicate or imply the relative importance or quantity of the indicated devices, elements, or components. Unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0033] In aerospace and marine applications, many servo components used to propel control surfaces are connected using spherical plain bearing assemblies 10. When installing the spherical plain bearing assembly 10, a pin needs to be fitted onto the inner ring of the spherical plain bearing assembly 10. For example... Figure 1 As shown, when a chamfered pin is inserted, the spherical bearing will deflect under the action of the pin. When the chamfer of the pin touches the inner wall of the spherical bearing hole, the pin cannot be inserted further.

[0034] Example 1:

[0035] This invention provides a joint mechanism, such as... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the joint mechanism includes a joint bearing assembly 10 and a pin assembly 20. The joint bearing assembly 10 includes a fixing member 11, an outer ring 12 fixed to the fixing member 11, and an inner ring 13 movably disposed within the outer ring 12. The inner ring 13 can rotate within the outer ring 12 and swing in at least one direction. The pin assembly 20 includes a pin body unit 21 and a guide unit 22 fixedly connected to each other. The projection of the guide unit 22 along the axial direction of the pin body unit 21 is located within the cross-section of the pin body unit 21. The function of the guide unit 22 is to guide the pin body unit 21 to smoothly insert into the inner ring. 13. Therefore, the end of the guide unit 22 away from the pin body unit 21 should have a pointed tip. When the guide unit 22 is inserted into the inner ring 13, the pointed tip can provide primary guidance to the inner ring 13, thereby reducing the tilt angle of the inner ring 13, so that the guide unit 22 can be inserted into the inner ring 13 more easily. The pin body unit 21 passes through the inside of the inner ring 13, and the outer diameter D of the pin body unit 21 matches the inner diameter of the inner ring 13, so that the outer circumferential surface of the pin body unit 21 at least partially abuts against the inner wall of the inner ring 13. Specifically, the pin body unit 21 and the inner ring 13 are in clearance fit.

[0036] When the pin assembly 20 is assembled with the spherical bearing assembly 10, the guide unit 22 and the pin body unit 21 pass through the inner ring 13 one after the other; when the guide unit 22 is inserted into the inner ring 13, the contact area between the guide unit 22 and the inner ring 13 is always less than the set value.

[0037] In this embodiment, by fixing a guide unit 22 to the end of the pin body unit 21 and setting the projection of the guide unit 22 along the axial direction of the pin body unit 21 to be within the cross-section of the pin body unit 21, the guide unit 22 can be inserted into the inner ring 13 of the spherical bearing assembly 10 more easily than the pin body unit 21. The fact that the contact area between the guide unit 22 and the inner ring 13 is always less than a set value is to ensure that when the guide unit 22 contacts the inner wall of the inner ring 13, the contact state between the two can be or is infinitely close to point contact. Compared to the prior art where the chamfer of the pin is against the inner wall of the spherical bearing hole (the contact area between the chamfer of the pin and the inner wall of the spherical bearing hole is large), which would prevent the pin from being inserted further, in this solution, when the guide unit 22 contacts the inner wall of the inner ring 13, the contact state between the two can be or is infinitely close to point contact, thus allowing the guide unit 22 to be smoothly inserted into the inner ring 13, and ultimately allowing the pin assembly 20 to be inserted into the inner ring 13, achieving the assembly of the pin assembly 20 and the bearing assembly. Further, as... Figure 2 As shown, the pin body unit 21 has a chamfer 211 at one end near the guide unit 22.

[0038] It is understood that by setting a chamfer 211 at one end of the pin body unit 21 near the guide unit 22, the chamfer 211 can provide secondary guidance for the inner ring 13 when the pin body unit 21 is inserted into the inner ring 13, making it easier for the pin body unit 21 to be inserted into the inner ring 13.

[0039] Furthermore, the radial dimension of the guide unit 22 gradually decreases towards both ends, so that the outer surface of the guide unit 22 forms a first guide surface 221 and a second guide surface 222 respectively in the direction close to the pin body unit 21.

[0040] Preferably, in this embodiment, the guide unit 22 is a ball head, and the angle of the spherical surface of the ball head is between 180° and 220°. The ball head has a plane and a spherical surface, and one end of the plane of the ball head is fixedly connected to the pin body unit 21. Preferably, the outer diameter D1 of the ball head plane is greater than or equal to the outer diameter D2 of the small end face of the chamfer 211.

[0041] It is easy to understand that the first guide surface 221 is the outer surface of the tip of the guide unit 22 mentioned above. During the first guide surface 221's primary guiding function on the inner ring 13, the inner ring 13 will rotate counterclockwise, as... Figure 3 As shown; when the inner ring 13 flips to contact the second guide surface 222, the second guide surface 222 will restrict the inner ring 13 from continuing to flip. It can be understood that the second guide surface 222 provides three levels of guidance for the inner ring 13, thereby limiting the tilt angle of the inner ring 13 to a suitable range (such as 0~5°), so that the chamfer 211 of the pin body unit 21 can be smoothly inserted into the inner ring 13.

[0042] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 As shown, the pin assembly 20 also includes a transition unit 23 fixedly connected between the pin body unit 21 and the guide unit 22, and the radial dimension d of the transition unit 23 is smaller than the radial dimension of the guide unit 22.

[0043] It is understandable that when the guide unit 22 is inserted into the inner ring 13, the inner ring 13 will inevitably rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. Since the pin body unit 21 needs to cooperate with the inner ring 13, the radial dimension of the pin body unit 21 is relatively large, which will affect the rotation of the inner ring 13. By fixing the transition unit 23 between the pin body unit 21 and the guide unit 22, and setting the radial dimension of the transition unit 23 to be smaller than the radial dimension of the guide unit 22, it is equivalent to opening a clearance groove between the guide unit 22 and the pin body unit 21, reserving a certain space for the rotation of the inner ring 13.

[0044] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 As shown, the radial dimension D1 of the guide unit 22 near the transition unit 23 is greater than or equal to the radial dimension d of the transition unit 23.

[0045] It is easy to understand that when the second guide surface 222 of the guide unit 22 is engaged in operation, the maximum rotation angle of the inner ring 13 is such that the inner wall of the inner ring 13 is tangent to the end of the second guide surface 222 near the transition unit 23. At this time, the end of the inner ring 13 may extend to the left side of the guide unit 22. By setting the radial dimension of the end of the guide unit 22 near the transition unit 23 to be greater than the radial dimension of the transition unit 23, a certain space can be reserved for the end of the inner ring 13.

[0046] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 As shown, the distance L from the end of the transition unit 23 away from the guide unit 22 corresponding to the maximum radial dimension of the guide unit 22 is consistent with half the hole depth of the inner ring 13.

[0047] It is understandable that when the guide unit 22 moves in the inner ring 13, the main part actually involved in the work is the cross section corresponding to the maximum radial dimension of the guide unit 22. By setting the distance between the cross section corresponding to the maximum radial dimension of the guide unit 22 and the end of the transition unit 23 away from the guide unit 22 to be consistent with half the hole depth of the inner ring 13, when the cross section corresponding to the maximum radial dimension moves to the middle position of the inner ring 13, the outer surface of the pin body unit 21 just contacts the inner ring 13, so that the pin body unit 21 can be inserted into the inner ring 13 more smoothly.

[0048] Furthermore, to facilitate the operation of the pin assembly 20, the pin assembly 20 also includes a handle 24 fixedly connected to the end of the pin body unit 21 away from the guide unit 22.

[0049] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 As shown, the joint mechanism also includes a mounting assembly 30, which includes a first support 31, a second support 32, and several lugs 33. The first support 31 and the second support 32 are spaced apart, and the distance between them matches the width of the joint bearing assembly 10. The first support 31 has a through hole through which the main body unit 21 passes. The fixing member 11 is connected to the second support 32 through the lugs 33 to limit the movement of the fixing member 11 and the outer ring 12 relative to the inner ring 13, except for rotation and swing.

[0050] It is easy to understand that the area between the first support 31 and the second support 32 provides installation space for the spherical bearing assembly 10, and the through hole on the first support 31 provides a passage for the pin assembly 20.

[0051] Example 2:

[0052] This embodiment provides a method for assembling a joint mechanism, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the assembly method includes steps S10-S30, as detailed below:

[0053] S10: Perform initial positioning of the retainer 11 or outer ring 12 of the spherical bearing assembly 10;

[0054] S20: Insert the guide unit 22 of the pin assembly 20 into the inner ring 13 of the spherical bearing along the axial direction of the outer ring 12 until the guide unit 22 completely passes through the inner ring 13; wherein, during the insertion of the guide unit 22 into the inner ring 13, the contact area between the guide unit 22 and the inner ring 13 is always less than a set value, so that the angle between the axis of the inner ring 13 and the axis of the guide unit 22 is less than a preset value; specifically, the preset value can be 0~2°;

[0055] S30: Insert the pin body unit 21 of the pin assembly 20 into the inner ring 13 of the spherical bearing along the axial direction of the outer ring 12 until the pin body unit 21 is inserted into the target position of the inner ring 13; it should be noted that when the pin body unit 21 is inserted into the target position of the inner ring 13, the 1 / 2 position of the length of the pin body unit 21 coincides with the 1 / 2 position of the hole depth of the inner ring 13.

[0056] In this embodiment, the guide unit 22 is inserted first, followed by the pin body unit 21. During the insertion of the guide unit 22 into the inner ring 13 and during the movement of the guide unit 22 within the inner ring 13, the guide unit 22 can guide the inner ring 13 to reduce the tilt angle of the inner ring 13, thereby allowing the pin body unit 21 to be smoothly inserted into the inner ring 13 of the spherical bearing assembly 10. In addition, during the insertion of the guide unit 22 into the inner ring 13, by limiting the contact area between the guide unit 22 and the inner ring 13 to always be less than a preset value, the angle between the axis of the inner ring 13 and the axis of the guide unit 22 is less than a preset value, enabling the guide unit 22 to be smoothly inserted into the inner ring 13.

[0057] Furthermore, the force used when inserting the guide unit 22 of the pin assembly 20 into the inner ring 13 of the spherical bearing along the axial direction of the outer ring 12 is less than a set force value, which is 0.1 to 0.5 times the overall mass of the pin assembly 20.

[0058] It is easy to understand that by limiting the force used when inserting the guide unit 22 of the pin assembly 20 into the inner ring 13 of the spherical bearing along the axial direction of the outer ring 12 to less than the set force value, the situation where the inner ring 13 tilts due to external force when the guide unit 22 is inserted into the inner ring 13 can be improved, thereby allowing the guide unit 22 to be smoothly inserted into the inner ring 13.

[0059] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above embodiments are specific examples of implementing this disclosure, and in practical applications, various changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A joint mechanism, characterized in that, The joint mechanism includes: A spherical bearing assembly includes a retainer, an outer ring fixed to the retainer, and an inner ring movably disposed within the outer ring; the inner ring is rotatable within the outer ring and can oscillate in at least one direction. A pin assembly includes a pin body unit and a guide unit fixedly connected to each other, wherein the projection of the guide unit along the axial direction of the pin body unit is located within the cross section of the pin body unit; the pin body unit passes through the interior of the inner ring, and the outer circumferential surface of the pin body unit at least partially abuts against the inner wall of the inner ring; When the pin assembly is assembled with the spherical bearing assembly, the guide unit and the pin body unit pass through the inner ring sequentially; when the guide unit is inserted into the inner ring, the contact area between the guide unit and the inner ring is always less than a set value; the guide unit is a ball head; the pin assembly also includes a transition unit fixedly connected between the pin body unit and the guide unit, the radial dimension of the transition unit is smaller than the radial dimension of the guide unit; the distance from the end of the transition unit away from the guide unit corresponding to the maximum radial dimension of the guide unit is consistent with half the depth of the inner ring hole.

2. A joint mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pin body unit has a chamfer at one end near the guide unit.

3. A joint mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The radial dimension of the guide unit gradually decreases towards both ends, so that the outer surface of the guide unit forms a first guide surface and a second guide surface respectively in the direction close to the pin body unit.

4. A joint mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The angle of the spherical surface of the ball head is between 180° and 220°.

5. A joint mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The radial dimension of the guide unit near the end of the transition unit is greater than or equal to the radial dimension of the transition unit.

6. A joint mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The joint mechanism further includes a mounting assembly, which includes a first support base, a second support base, and a plurality of lugs. The distance between the first support base and the second support base matches the width of the joint bearing assembly. The first support base has a through hole for the pin body unit to pass through. The fixing member is connected to the second support base through the lugs to restrict the fixing member and the outer ring from movement other than rotation and oscillation relative to the inner ring.

7. A method for assembling a joint mechanism, used for assembling a joint mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The assembly method of the joint mechanism includes the following steps: Perform initial positioning of the retaining element or outer ring of the spherical bearing assembly; Insert the guide unit of the pin assembly into the inner ring of the spherical bearing along the axial direction of the outer ring until the guide unit completely passes through the inner ring; wherein, during the insertion of the guide unit into the inner ring, the contact area between the guide unit and the inner ring is always less than a set value, so that the angle between the axis of the inner ring and the axis of the guide unit is less than a preset value. Insert the pin body unit of the pin assembly into the inner ring of the spherical plain bearing along the axial direction of the outer ring until the pin body unit is inserted to the target position of the inner ring.

8. The assembly method of a joint mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that, When the guide unit of the pin assembly is inserted into the inner ring of the spherical bearing along the axial direction of the outer ring, the force used is less than the set force value.

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