Connector housing laser welding jig and laser welding equipment and laser welding method

Abstract

The application discloses a connector shell laser welding jig, laser welding equipment and a laser welding method. The jig comprises a jig main body provided with a product fixing groove for horizontally limiting the connector; a jig upper cover is arranged opposite to the jig main body and can move between a release position and a pressing position; a guide mechanism cooperates with the jig main body and the jig upper cover to guide the jig upper cover to reciprocate along the vertical direction; in the pressing position, the jig upper cover presses the connector metal shell to correct the flatness of the metal shell; at least one side of the jig main body is provided with a welding station opening for the laser beam to pass through. The application realizes full-dimensional clamping through the cooperation of horizontal limiting and vertical pressing and correcting, improves the welding precision and the yield, realizes in-situ welding of the workpiece through the lateral opening, simplifies the equipment structure, and multiple jig main bodies can be arranged in an array to realize multi-station synchronous operation and greatly improve the production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of precision tooling and fixture technology, specifically relating to a positioning and clamping fixture for laser welding of connector housings, as well as laser welding equipment including the fixture and a corresponding laser welding method. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of the connector industry, laser welding technology is now widely used to assemble the body and shell of connectors with metal shells. These products have strict requirements on the overall dimensions and flatness of the metal shell pins after welding, while mass production places high demands on welding efficiency and yield.

[0003] In existing technologies, fixtures used for laser welding of connector housings are mostly single-station, single-sided welding structures. A typical existing fixture consists of a base, a product placement slot, and a flip-up top cover. The top cover is closed and pressed using a magnetic structure, and welding holes are located on the top of the cover, supporting only single-sided laser welding from above. This type of fixture has the following problems: First, it simply supports the workpiece without providing surrounding restraint for the connector, making the product prone to displacement during welding and affecting welding accuracy. Second, the top cover only serves a pressing function and does not have the function of correcting the flatness of the metal housing feet, making it easy for the finished product dimensions to exceed tolerances and resulting in a low yield rate. Third, it only supports single-sided welding. When double-sided welding is required, it usually relies on a workpiece flipping mechanism or a laser head moving mechanism, which results in a complex equipment structure and introduces positioning errors during the movement process, affecting welding consistency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a laser welding fixture that can improve the positioning accuracy of connectors and the flatness of the shell, while simplifying the double-sided welding structure, which is an urgent technical problem to be solved.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution:

[0006] A laser welding fixture for connector housings includes: a fixture body with a product fixing groove for horizontally limiting the connector; a fixture cover opposite to the fixture body, movable between a release position and a clamping position; a guide mechanism cooperating with the fixture body and the fixture cover to guide the fixture cover to reciprocate vertically; in the clamping position, the fixture cover presses against the metal housing of the connector to correct the flatness of the metal housing; and at least one side of the fixture body has a welding station opening for a laser beam to pass through.

[0007] Furthermore, the guiding mechanism includes at least two guide posts symmetrically arranged on the fixture body and extending in a vertical direction, and the fixture cover is movably mounted on the guide posts.

[0008] Furthermore, the product fixing groove is a contoured cavity that matches the outer contour of the connector to be welded, and the welding station openings are provided on both opposite sides of the fixture body. The welding station openings are through openings and their positions correspond to the welding area of ​​the connector.

[0009] Furthermore, it also includes a fixture base, on which the fixture body is fixed.

[0010] A laser welding fixture for connector housings, comprising:

[0011] Fixture base;

[0012] The fixture bodies are arranged in an array and fixed on the fixture base. Each fixture body is provided with multiple product fixing slots for horizontally limiting the connector.

[0013] A guiding mechanism, corresponding to the main body of the fixture, guides the corresponding fixture cover to reciprocate between a release position and a clamping position in the vertical direction; in the clamping position, the fixture cover clamps the metal shell of the corresponding connector to correct the flatness of the metal shell;

[0014] The fixture body has a welding station opening on at least one side for a laser beam to pass through.

[0015] Furthermore, the fixture cover is configured to lift synchronously, and the welding station openings are provided on both opposite sides of the fixture body.

[0016] A laser welding device includes: a laser welding fixture for connector housings; and at least one laser welding lens disposed on the outside of the opening of the welding station.

[0017] Furthermore, it includes two laser welding lenses, symmetrically arranged outside the welding station openings on both sides of the fixture body, for simultaneously performing double-sided welding on the connector from both sides of the fixture body.

[0018] A method for laser welding connector housings, using the connector housing laser welding fixture as described above, the method comprising the following steps:

[0019] The connector is placed in the product fixing groove of the fixture body, and the connector is horizontally limited by the product fixing groove;

[0020] The fixture cover is guided by a guide mechanism to move vertically from the release position to the clamping position until the fixture cover clamps the metal housing of the connector and corrects the flatness of the metal housing;

[0021] The laser beam passes through the welding station opening on at least one side of the fixture body to perform laser welding on the side of the connector.

[0022] Furthermore, the laser beam simultaneously enters from the welding station openings on both sides of the main body of the fixture to perform in-situ double-sided synchronous welding on the connector; after welding is completed, the upper cover of the fixture is guided by the guide mechanism to move vertically from the pressing position to the releasing position, and the welded connector is taken out from the product fixing groove.

[0023] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows:

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the connector housing laser welding fixture, laser welding equipment, and laser welding method provided by the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0025] By incorporating a fixture body with a product fixing groove and a fixture cover that reciprocates vertically guided by a guide mechanism, the product fixing groove horizontally limits the connector in the clamping position, while the fixture cover presses down on the metal shell from the top. Together, they form a full-dimensional clamping of the connector, ensuring no workpiece displacement or loosening during welding, thus effectively guaranteeing welding accuracy and consistent finished product dimensions. Simultaneously, during the vertical downward pressing process, the clamping force of the fixture cover acts directly on the surface of the metal shell, actively correcting the flatness of the metal shell's feet and resolving dimensional deviations caused by deformation of the shell's feet, significantly improving the welding yield.

[0026] By creating a welding station opening on at least one side of the fixture body, a laser beam can pass through the opening and directly act on the side of the connector, allowing side laser welding to be completed without flipping the workpiece or moving the laser head. Compared to existing technologies that rely on workpiece flipping mechanisms or laser head moving mechanisms to achieve double-sided welding, the structure of this invention is simpler, eliminates positioning errors caused by motion mechanisms, improves welding consistency, and shortens the welding time for a single product.

[0027] Furthermore, by setting multiple product fixing slots on the main body of the fixture, a multi-station layout is formed. The fixture covers of the stations can be raised and lowered synchronously, and welding operations can be carried out synchronously at each station. Multiple products can be processed in a single operation, and the production cycle is increased many times over, which can meet the mass production needs of automated laser welding production lines.

[0028] Furthermore, by symmetrically arranging two laser welding lenses on the outside of the welding station openings on both sides of the fixture body, in-situ double-sided welding of the connector can be achieved simultaneously from both sides. The workpiece remains stationary throughout the process, which not only eliminates the workpiece loosening and positioning deviation that may be caused by the flipping action, but also reduces the welding time of double-sided welding to a level comparable to that of single-sided welding, thereby further improving production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a laser welding fixture for connector housings provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fixture body and the fixture cover after separation, according to an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a laser welding device provided in one embodiment of this application; Detailed Implementation

[0032] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention; however, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 This embodiment provides a laser welding fixture for connector housings, including a fixture base 10, a fixture body 20, a guide post 30, and a fixture cover 40.

[0035] The fixture base 10 is a flat structure made of hard metal sheet. It serves as the installation reference for the entire fixture set and is fixed to the worktable of the laser welding equipment with fasteners, providing load-bearing and vibration damping functions. The fixture body 20 is fixed above the fixture base 10, and a product fixing groove 21 is formed on the top surface of the fixture body 20. The product fixing groove 21 is a contoured cavity whose dimensions and contour precisely match the outer contour of the connector 200 to be welded, forming a surrounding limit on the connector 200 and restricting its horizontal displacement.

[0036] There are two guide posts 30, which are symmetrically and vertically fixed on the fixture base 10. The surface of the guide posts 30 is smooth. The fixture cover 40 is a plate-shaped pressing component that can be lifted and fitted onto the guide posts 30. The guide posts 30 constrain the movement trajectory of the fixture cover 40, so that the fixture cover 40 only moves back and forth between a release position and a pressing position in the vertical direction, without deviation or jamming during the movement.

[0037] Welding station openings 22 are provided on opposite sides of the fixture body 20. The welding station openings 22 are through openings and are connected to the product fixing groove 21. Their opening positions and heights correspond to the welding area 201 of the connector 200, ensuring that the laser beam can pass through without obstruction and weld the side of the connector 200.

[0038] The working process of this embodiment is as follows:

[0039] First, the connector 200 to be welded is placed into the product fixing groove 21 of the fixture body 20. The horizontal positioning of the connector 200 is achieved by the surrounding structure of the contoured cavity. Then, the external drive mechanism moves the fixture cover 40 vertically downwards along the guide post 30 until the bottom surface of the fixture cover 40 is completely in contact with the top surface of the metal shell 210 of the connector 200. At this point, the product fixing groove 21 restricts the horizontal displacement of the connector 200, and the fixture cover 40 restricts the vertical displacement of the connector 200. Together, they form a full-dimensional clamping of the connector 200, ensuring no displacement or loosening of the workpiece during welding. Simultaneously, during the downward pressing process, the clamping force of the fixture cover 40 acts directly on the surface of the metal shell 210, actively correcting the flatness of the metal shell 210's pins. This solves the problem of dimensional deviations caused by deformation of the shell pins, ensuring that the finished product dimensions meet the drawing requirements and improving the welding yield.

[0040] After clamping, the laser beam passes through the welding station openings 22 on both sides of the fixture body 20 and welds the areas 201 to be welded on both sides of the connector 200. Since the workpiece remains fixed throughout the process, there is no need to flip the workpiece or move the laser head, which eliminates the positioning error caused by the motion mechanism, simplifies the equipment structure, and improves welding consistency.

[0041] After welding is completed, the external drive mechanism drives the fixture cover 40 to return to the release position vertically upward along the guide post 30, opens the fixture, and the operator or robot arm takes the welded connector 200 out of the product fixing groove 21, thus ending a single operation cycle.

[0042] Example 2

[0043] Please see Figure 2This embodiment, based on Embodiment 1, provides a laser welding fixture for connector housings with a multi-station structure. This embodiment includes a fixture base 10 and a fixture body 20. The fixture body 20 has multiple product fixing slots 21 arranged in a linear array at equal intervals, forming an array-type fixture unit. Four guide posts 30 are symmetrically fixed on the fixture body 20, and a fixture cover 40 is correspondingly configured on each fixture body 20. The fixture cover 40 is vertically and flexibly fitted onto the corresponding guide post 30. Welding station openings 22 are provided on opposite sides of each fixture body 20.

[0044] In this embodiment, all fixture covers 40 are raised and lowered synchronously via an external drive mechanism, enabling synchronous clamping and release at all workstations. During operation, each workstation synchronously completes loading, clamping, welding, and unloading actions, allowing the processing of multiple products in a single operation. This significantly increases the production cycle time and can meet the mass production needs of automated laser welding production lines.

[0045] Example 3

[0046] Please see Figure 3 This embodiment provides a laser welding device, including a connector housing laser welding fixture as described in Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2, and a laser welding lens 50. The laser welding lens 50 is correspondingly disposed outside the welding station opening 22 of the fixture body 20, and the light output port of the laser welding lens 50 is directly facing the welding area 201 of the connector 200.

[0047] When welding station openings 22 are provided on both opposite sides of the fixture body 20, two laser welding lenses 50 are symmetrically arranged outside the welding station openings 22 on both sides of the fixture body 20. The two laser welding lenses 50 can be started synchronously, and the laser beam passes through the corresponding welding station openings 22 from both sides simultaneously to perform in-situ double-sided synchronous welding on the areas 201 to be welded on both sides of the connector 200. The workpiece remains stationary throughout the process, and the welding time for double-sided welding is reduced to a level comparable to that for single-sided welding, further improving production efficiency.

[0048] Example 4

[0049] This embodiment provides a laser welding method for connector housings, using the laser welding fixture for connector housings as described in Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2, and includes the following steps:

[0050] Step 1: Place the connector 200 into the product fixing groove 21 of the fixture body 20, thereby horizontally limiting the connector 200. Step 2: Guide the fixture cover 40 vertically from the release position to the pressing position via the guide post 30, until the fixture cover 40 presses against the metal shell 210 of the connector 200, and corrects the flatness of the metal shell 210. Step 3: The laser beam passes through the welding station opening 22 on at least one side of the fixture body 20, performing laser welding on the side of the connector 200.

[0051] Preferably, the laser beam enters simultaneously from the welding station openings 22 on both sides of the fixture body 20 to perform in-situ double-sided synchronous welding on the connector 200. After welding is completed, the upper cover 40 of the fixture is guided by the guide post 30 to move vertically from the pressing position to the releasing position, and the welded connector 200 is taken out from the product fixing groove 21, completing the complete operation cycle.

[0052] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A laser welding fixture for connector housings, characterized in that, include: The fixture body is provided with a product fixing groove, which is used to limit the connector in the horizontal direction. The fixture cover is disposed opposite to the fixture body and can move between a release position and a clamping position; A guiding mechanism, which cooperates with the fixture body and the fixture cover, guides the fixture cover to move back and forth in the vertical direction; In the clamping position, the fixture cover presses against the metal housing of the connector to correct the flatness of the metal housing; The fixture body has a welding station opening on at least one side for a laser beam to pass through.

2. The connector housing laser welding fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guiding mechanism includes at least two guide posts symmetrically arranged on the main body of the fixture and extending in a vertical direction, and the fixture cover is movably fitted onto the guide posts.

3. The connector housing laser welding fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The product fixing groove is a contoured cavity that matches the outer contour of the connector to be welded. The welding station openings are provided on both opposite sides of the fixture body. The welding station openings are through openings and their positions correspond to the welding area of ​​the connector.

4. The connector housing laser welding fixture according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, It also includes a fixture base, on which the fixture body is fixed.

5. A laser welding fixture for connector housings, characterized in that, include: Fixture base; The fixture bodies are arranged in an array and fixed on the fixture base. Each fixture body is provided with multiple product fixing slots for horizontally limiting the connector. A guiding mechanism, corresponding to the main body of the fixture, guides the corresponding fixture cover to reciprocate between a release position and a clamping position in the vertical direction. In the clamping position, the fixture cover presses against the metal housing of the corresponding connector to correct the flatness of the metal housing; The fixture body has a welding station opening on at least one side for a laser beam to pass through.

6. The connector housing laser welding fixture according to claim 5, characterized in that, The fixture cover is configured to lift synchronously, and the welding station openings are provided on both opposite sides of the fixture body.

7. A laser welding device, characterized in that, include: The connector housing laser welding fixture as described in any one of claims 1 to 6; at least one laser welding lens is disposed on the outside of the welding station opening.

8. The laser welding equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, It includes two laser welding lenses, symmetrically arranged on the outside of the welding station openings on both sides of the fixture body, for simultaneously performing double-sided welding on the connector from both sides of the fixture body.

9. A method for laser welding connector housings, characterized in that, Using the connector housing laser welding fixture as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, the method includes the following steps: placing the connector into the product fixing groove of the fixture body, and limiting the connector in the horizontal direction by the product fixing groove; The fixture cover is guided by a guide mechanism to move vertically from the release position to the clamping position until the fixture cover clamps the metal housing of the connector and corrects the flatness of the metal housing; The laser beam passes through the welding station opening on at least one side of the fixture body to perform laser welding on the side of the connector.

10. The laser welding method for connector housings according to claim 9, characterized in that, The laser beam simultaneously enters from the welding station openings on both sides of the main body of the fixture to perform in-situ double-sided synchronous welding on the connector; after welding is completed, the upper cover of the fixture is guided by the guide mechanism to move vertically from the pressing position to the releasing position, and the welded connector is taken out from the product fixing groove.

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