Automobile steering knuckle soaking treatment process and device

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of steering knuckle processing technology, and particularly relates to a heat treatment process and device for automotive steering knuckles. It includes a base and a housing fixed thereon, and further includes: a mounting plate fixed to one side of the outer wall of the base; a rotating seat disposed on the top surface of the base, with a toothed ring fixed to the bottom surface of the rotating seat; and multiple embedded tubes arranged in a circular array fixed to the top surface of the rotating seat. A rotating sleeve is axially slidably disposed inside each embedded tube, and a rotating shaft is rotatably connected inside the rotating sleeve. This invention achieves two sets of actions: fixed-point lifting and self-rotation heating, and revolution-linked self-rotation heat preservation. This significantly simplifies the multi-station transmission structure. Simultaneously, combined with a staged heating mode of fixed-point rapid heating by an electromagnetic heating coil and uniform heating around the spiral heating tubes, it completely eliminates the problems of temperature difference within the furnace and underheating at edge stations, greatly improving the uniformity of the microstructure and the stability of the mechanical properties of the steering knuckle after heat treatment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of steering knuckle processing technology, and particularly relates to a heat treatment process and apparatus for automotive steering knuckles. Background Technology

[0002] As a core safety component of the automotive chassis system, the steering knuckle bears the critical functions of supporting the vehicle's weight, transmitting steering torque, and withstanding complex alternating impact loads. Its mechanical properties directly determine the vehicle's handling stability and driving safety. Therefore, it is usually made of alloy structural steel such as 40Cr and 42CrMo, which, after forging, must undergo precision heat treatment to control its internal microstructure in order to obtain high strength, high toughness, and excellent fatigue resistance. In the traditional steering knuckle processing flow, the heat treatment stage often relies on pit furnaces or box furnaces for batch heating. The workpieces are stacked or statically placed in the furnace, which not only results in low heating efficiency and high energy consumption, but also leads to insufficient austenitization in different parts due to uneven heat conduction. This causes large hardness dispersion and deformation deviation after subsequent quenching, which seriously affects the subsequent machining accuracy and finished product qualification rate, making it difficult to meet the stringent requirements of modern automotive manufacturing for high consistency and high reliability of parts.

[0003] Currently, heat treatment of automotive steering knuckles mostly employs box-type resistance furnaces or multi-station rotary furnaces. Box-type furnaces require frequent manual loading and unloading, and the static heating of the workpiece within the furnace easily leads to uneven heating, with temperature differences exceeding 30°C at different locations, directly affecting the consistency of the steering knuckle's metallographic structure. Traditional multi-station rotary furnaces, to ensure independent rotation of each station, typically require independent lifting cylinders and drive motors for each station. This not only results in bulky equipment and high manufacturing costs but also presents problems such as numerous dynamic sealing points and the potential for coolant seepage into the transmission system, leading to a high failure rate. These methods are ill-suited to the low-cost, high-stability requirements of mass production. Therefore, we propose a heat treatment process and apparatus for automotive steering knuckles. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a heat treatment process and apparatus for automotive steering knuckles to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a heat treatment process and apparatus for automotive steering knuckles, including a base and a housing fixed thereon, and further comprising: Mounting plate, which is fixed to one side of the outer wall of the base; A rotating seat, wherein the rotating seat is disposed on the top surface of the base, and a toothed ring is fixed on the bottom surface of the rotating seat; Multiple embedded tubes are fixed on the top surface of the rotating seat in a circular array. A rotating sleeve is axially slidably disposed inside the embedded tube. A rotating shaft is rotatably connected inside the rotating sleeve. A one-way bearing is installed on the outer wall of the rotating shaft near the bottom end. A driven gear is installed on the outer wall of the one-way bearing. A support base, which is fixed to the top surface of the base; The heating mechanism is respectively disposed on the top surface of the base and on one side of the inner wall of the housing, and is used to heat the steering knuckle parts.

[0006] In this technical solution, the closed processing chamber formed by the base and the outer shell, combined with multiple embedded tubes arranged in a circular array on the top surface of the rotating seat and the internal sliding rotating sleeve and shaft structure, realizes the synchronous loading and independent rotation capability of multi-station steering knuckles. At the same time, the cooperation of the one-way bearing and the driven gear provides the transmission basis for the subsequent combined revolution and rotation motion. With the heating mechanism set on the top surface of the base and the inner wall of the outer shell, a dual heat source layout is formed, which not only ensures the convenience of parts loading, but also creates the hardware conditions for the implementation of subsequent phased differentiated heating processes. This effectively solves the problems of low efficiency of traditional single-station equipment and complex structure of multi-station equipment.

[0007] In the above technical solution, a first motor is fixed at the middle position of the inner bottom surface of the base. The output shaft of the first motor is fixed to the bottom surface of the rotating seat. A drive frame is provided below the rotating shaft. A conical abutment block is fixed at the top of the drive frame. A zigzag groove is provided at the bottom end of the rotating shaft. Friction grooves are provided on the outer wall of the conical abutment block and the inner wall of the zigzag groove.

[0008] In this technical solution, the rotating seat is rotated as a whole by the first motor, and the drive frame is raised and lowered by the telescopic cylinder to achieve the separable frictional contact between the conical contact block and the bottom groove of the rotating shaft. This constructs a dual-power independent control system of revolution drive and fixed-point rotation drive. The friction groove design of the conical contact block and the groove wall can automatically correct the radial eccentricity of the rotating shaft at the moment of contact, ensuring the stability of power transmission. The separate design of the first motor and the second motor avoids motion interference.

[0009] In the above technical solution, a buffer spring is further fixed between the top of the rotating sleeve and the bottom surface of the inner wall of the embedded tube.

[0010] In this technical solution, a buffer spring is installed between the top of the rotating sleeve and the bottom of the inner wall of the embedded tube to provide flexible buffering during the process of the telescopic cylinder lifting the rotating shaft. This effectively absorbs the impact load generated by the rigid collision between the conical abutment block and the spool, preventing the rotating shaft and the embedded tube from deforming or jamming due to excessive instantaneous force. At the same time, the preload of the buffer spring ensures that the rotating shaft can stably fall back into the embedded tube when it is not lifted, thus ensuring the reliability of the abutment transmission and the long-term service life of the equipment.

[0011] In the above technical solution, furthermore, a second motor and two telescopic cylinders are fixed to the inner bottom surface of the base, the telescopic ends of the two telescopic cylinders are fixed to the bottom surface of the drive frame, the telescopic end of the second motor is fixed to a drive shaft, and a square rod is fixed at the middle position of the bottom surface of the drive frame, the square rod and the top end of the drive shaft are slidably arranged.

[0012] In this technical solution, the drive frame is driven synchronously by two sets of telescopic cylinders, ensuring the stability and coaxiality of the conical abutment block lifting process and avoiding the off-center load problem caused by single-point drive. At the same time, the second motor, through the sliding cooperation structure between the drive shaft and the square rod, allows the drive frame to move up and down while realizing power transmission, which solves the contradiction between the revolution of the rotating seat and the fixed installation of the second motor. Only a single set of second motors can complete the fixed-point self-rotation drive of all workstations, which greatly simplifies the transmission system structure and reduces manufacturing costs.

[0013] In the above technical solution, the heating mechanism further includes an inner support fixed at the middle position of the top surface of the rotating seat, a spiral heating tube fixed on the outer wall of the inner support, a heating sleeve fixed on one side of the inner wall of the outer shell, an electromagnetic heating coil fixed inside the heating sleeve, and the electromagnetic heating coil is located above the corresponding rotating shaft.

[0014] In this technical solution, a dual-mode heating system is constructed by the electromagnetic heating coil on the inner wall of the outer shell and the spiral heating tube on the inner support of the top surface of the rotating seat, which consists of external fixed-point heating and internal surrounding insulation. The electromagnetic heating coil can quickly and accurately heat the individual steering knuckle that has been lifted to its lower position, while the spiral heating tube provides continuous and uniform heat radiation to all parts when the rotating seat revolves. The two heating modes can work independently or in combination according to process requirements, which not only meets the heating rate requirements of steering knuckles of different materials, but also ensures the uniformity of the temperature field of the parts in the whole furnace, significantly improving the consistency of heat treatment quality.

[0015] In the above technical solution, further, a cooling ring tube is fixed on one side of the inner wall of the outer shell and below the heating sleeve. Multiple atomizing nozzles are fixed in an array on the inner wall of the cooling ring tube. Multiple water pumps are fixed on the top surface of the mounting plate. A metal pipe is fixed to the delivery end of the water pump. The metal pipe passes through the outer shell and is connected and fixed to the outer wall of the cooling ring tube. A flexible hose is fixed to the water pump's pumping end. The flexible hose is connected and fixed to the outer wall of the outer shell near the bottom. A filter screen is fixed between the support base and the outer shell.

[0016] In this technical solution, a 360° fully covered spray cooling field is formed below the heating jacket through the ring array layout of cooling ring pipes and atomizing nozzles. Combined with the circulating water circuit consisting of water pumps, metal pipes, and hoses, and the filter screen between the support base and the outer shell, the cooling medium can be filtered, recycled, and reused. During the heat preservation stage, the water accumulated in the base can be drained through the drain pipe to avoid evaporation interference. During the cooling stage, the atomizing nozzles form a uniform and fine water mist to achieve gradient cooling of the steering knuckle, effectively preventing quenching cracks caused by rapid cooling. At the same time, the cooling waste liquid can be recycled after being filtered by the filter screen, reducing water consumption.

[0017] In the above technical solution, further, the outer wall of the rotating shaft is provided with a plurality of sliding grooves in a circular array near the top, and an expansion block is slidably arranged inside the sliding groove, and a clamping spring is fixed between the expansion block and one side of the inner wall of the sliding groove.

[0018] In this technical solution, an elastic clamping mechanism consisting of a sliding groove, a shrinking block, and a clamping spring arranged in a circular array near the top of the outer wall of the shaft is used. The preload of the clamping spring causes the shrinking block to automatically shrink and tighten the inner hole of the steering knuckle, realizing the rapid automatic centering and clamping of the parts. Compared with the traditional bolt clamping or chuck clamping method, this structure avoids the deformation of parts caused by uneven clamping force. At the same time, the elastic clamping can adapt to different specifications of steering knuckles within a certain dimensional tolerance range, improving the versatility of the equipment and the clamping efficiency.

[0019] In the above technical solution, further, a guide frame is fixed to the bottom surface of the rotating seat, and multiple vertical support wheels and multiple horizontal support wheels are rotatably installed in a circular array on the outer wall of the guide frame. The vertical support wheels roll against the inner bottom surface of the support seat, and the horizontal support wheels abut against the side wall of the support seat.

[0020] In this technical solution, the first motor and the second motor are enclosed and isolated by the support base. The vertical support wheel and the horizontal support wheel on the guide frame respectively provide axial and radial constraints on the rotating seat. This not only prevents coolant from seeping into the motor and causing short circuit faults, but also effectively counteracts the centrifugal force and overturning moment when the rotating seat revolves, ensuring stable operation under high-speed rotation. The rolling friction design of the vertical support wheel and the horizontal support wheel greatly reduces rotational resistance, improves transmission efficiency and reduces wear.

[0021] In the above technical solution, further, a water baffle is fixed to the bottom surface of the base, and the water baffle is also slidably sleeved on the outer wall of the support base. A water baffle sleeve is fixed to the outer wall of the rotating shaft, and the water baffle sleeve is slidably sleeved with the outer wall of the embedded tube. A sealing door is rotatably connected to the front side of the outer shell, and the sealing door is locked to the outer shell by a buckle. A water inlet pipe is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the outer shell, and a water outlet pipe is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the base. A water valve is installed on the water outlet pipe.

[0022] In this technical solution, the outer shell is sealed and locked by a sealing door and a snap fastener, ensuring that heat is not lost and external impurities are not allowed to enter during the heat treatment process. The cooperation of the water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe enables the quantitative injection and rapid discharge of the cooling medium. The water valve on the water outlet pipe can precisely control the timing of drainage, and timely drain the water accumulated in the base during the heat preservation stage, completely eliminating the interference of residual moisture evaporation on the temperature field inside the furnace and ensuring the temperature stability during the heat soaking stage. The water baffle on the bottom surface of the base and the water baffle sleeve on the outer wall of the rotating shaft form a double waterproof barrier. The water baffle slides on the outer wall of the support base and can rotate synchronously with the rotating base to block splashing coolant. The sliding sleeve structure between the water baffle sleeve and the outer wall of the embedded pipe prevents coolant from seeping into the interior of the rotating sleeve along the rotating shaft. The double protection ensures that the motor and transmission components inside the support base are always in a dry environment, avoiding equipment failure caused by water immersion and extending the service life of key components.

[0023] The above technical solution further includes the following steps.

[0024] S1. Clamping and sealing: Clamp multiple steering knuckles onto rotating shafts arranged in a circumferential array on the top surface of the swivel seat, and close and seal the outer casing; S2. Station-by-station fixed-point heating: Control the telescopic cylinder to lift the drive frame so that the conical abutment block abuts against the rotating shaft located below the electromagnetic heating coil. Use the second motor to drive the rotating shaft to lift and rotate, and heat the steering knuckle at the station. After completion, the drive frame is reset, and the first motor drives the rotary seat to change position. Repeat the above actions until all steering knuckles have completed fixed-point heating. S3, Revolving linkage heat preservation: The rotating seat continues to revolve, so that all the rotating shafts revolve with the rotating seat. At the same time, the driven gear on the bottom surface meshes with the gear ring and the locking engagement of the one-way bearing generates rotation. This, together with the spiral heating tube, provides uniform heat preservation. During the heat preservation period, the water accumulated in the base is drained. S4. Circulating cooling discharge: Cooling water is introduced into the outer shell and sprayed onto the rotating steering knuckle through atomizing nozzles for cooling. After cooling is completed, the material is discharged.

[0025] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. The heat treatment process and device for automotive steering knuckles uses a telescopic cylinder to drive the drive frame to rise and fall, achieving separable frictional contact transmission between the conical abutment block and the bottom groove of the rotating shaft. With the one-way locking characteristic of the one-way bearing, a single power unit can be reused to achieve the entire process of lifting and rotating at a designated station for heating, rotating multiple stations in sequence, and rotating and maintaining the temperature of all stations. The friction grooves opened on the walls of the conical abutment block and the groove can achieve automatic eccentricity correction. The buffer spring between the rotating sleeve and the embedded tube absorbs the impact load during the lifting process, ensuring the stability of the contact transmission.

[0026] 2. This automotive steering knuckle heat treatment process and device employs a two-stage thermal cycle logic of intermittent lifting and revolution-linked rotation. First, the steering knuckle is individually lifted to the central high-efficiency heating zone of the electromagnetic heating coil at each workstation, and then driven to rotate 360° counterclockwise within that zone. This ensures that each part's surface is heated without dead angles and that the heating layer depth is uniform, completely avoiding the underheating and soft spot problems that occur at the edge workstations due to deviations from the heating source in traditional fixed multi-station structures. After all workstations have completed their fixed-point heating, the rotating seat begins its revolution, synchronously driving all embedded tubes. The device rotates counterclockwise around its axis. At this time, the telescopic cylinder resets, causing the conical abutment block to separate from the groove. The entire shaft falls back into the embedded tube. The transmission between the constantly meshing toothed ring on the bottom surface and the driven gear, along with the locking state of the inner and outer rings of the one-way bearing, converts the linear velocity of the revolution into the rotational speed of the shaft. This allows the parts to maintain their own rotation while continuously revolving around the center and constantly changing their spatial position inside the furnace. Combined with the surrounding homogenizing heating field formed by the spiral heating tube on the inner support of the rotating seat, the local temperature difference inside the furnace is completely eliminated, achieving consistent temperature control of all parts in the furnace. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the outer shell in this invention; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged schematic diagram of the local structure at point A; Figure 4 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the support base in this invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the guide frame structure in this invention; Figure 6 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the front view plane structure; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure at the rotating shaft in this invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the embedded tube in this invention; Figure 9This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the zigzag groove in this invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the drive frame structure in this invention.

[0028] The markings in the diagram are as follows: 1. Base; 2. Outer shell; 3. Mounting plate; 301. Heating sleeve; 302. Electromagnetic heating coil; 303. Inner support; 304. Spiral heating tube; 305. Water pump; 306. Metal tube; 307. Cooling ring tube; 308. Atomizing nozzle; 309. Hose; 310. Filter screen; 4. Rotating seat; 401. First motor; 402. Gear ring; 403. Embedded tube; 404. Rotating shaft; 405. Driven gear; 406. One-way bearing; 407. Rotating sleeve; 408. Buffer spring; 409. Drive frame; 410. Conical abutment block; 411. Steering groove; 5. Second motor; 501. Telescopic cylinder; 502. Drive shaft; 503. Square rod; 6. Slide groove; 601. Expansion block; 602. Clamping spring; 7. Support base; 701. Guide frame; 702. Vertical support wheel; 703. Horizontal support wheel; 8. Water baffle; 801. Water baffle sleeve; 9. Sealing door; 901. Fastener; 10. Water inlet pipe; 1001. Water outlet pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figures 1-10 This application will be described in further detail.

[0030] In this application, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "middle," "vertical," and "horizontal," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship 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 device, element, or component to having a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0031] Example 1: This example provides a heat treatment process and apparatus for automotive steering knuckles, including a base 1 and a housing 2 fixed thereon, and further including: Mounting plate 3, which is fixed to one side of the outer wall of base 1; Rotary seat 4 is set on the top surface of base 1, and a toothed ring 402 is fixed on the bottom surface of the rotary seat 4. Multiple embedded tubes 403 are fixed on the top surface of the rotating seat 4 in a circular array. A rotating sleeve 407 is axially slidably arranged inside the embedded tube 403. A rotating shaft 404 is rotatably connected inside the rotating sleeve 407. A one-way bearing 406 is installed on the outer wall of the rotating shaft 404 near the bottom end. A driven gear 405 is installed on the outer wall of the one-way bearing 406. Support base 7, which is fixed to the top surface of base 1; Heating mechanisms are respectively installed on the top surface of the base 1 and on one side of the inner wall of the outer casing 2, and are used to heat the steering knuckle parts.

[0032] The closed processing chamber formed by the base 1 and the outer shell 2, combined with the multiple embedded tubes 403 arranged in a circular array on the top surface of the rotating seat 4, and the internal sliding rotating sleeve 407 and rotating shaft 404 structure, realizes the synchronous loading and independent rotation capability of the multi-station steering knuckle. At the same time, the cooperation of the one-way bearing 406 and the driven gear 405 provides the transmission basis for the subsequent combined revolution and rotation motion. Together with the heating mechanism set on the top surface of the base 1 and the inner wall of the outer shell 2, a dual heat source layout is formed, which not only ensures the convenience of parts loading, but also creates the hardware conditions for the implementation of subsequent phased differentiated heating processes, effectively solving the problems of low efficiency of traditional single-station equipment and complex structure of multi-station equipment.

[0033] Example 2: This example provides a heat treatment process and apparatus for automotive steering knuckles. In addition to the technical solutions of the above examples, it also has the following technical features: a first motor 401 is fixed at the middle position of the inner bottom surface of the base 1. The output shaft of the first motor 401 is fixed to the bottom surface of the rotating seat 4. A drive frame 409 is provided below the rotating shaft 404. A conical abutment block 410 is fixed at the top of the drive frame 409. A zigzag groove 411 is provided at the bottom end of the rotating shaft 404. Friction grooves are provided on the outer wall of the conical abutment block 410 and the inner wall of the zigzag groove 411.

[0034] In this system, the rotating seat 4 is driven to rotate as a whole by the first motor 401, and the drive frame 409 is raised and lowered by the telescopic cylinder 501 to achieve separable frictional contact between the conical abutment block 410 and the bottom groove 411 of the rotating shaft 404. This system constructs a dual-power independent control system of revolution drive and fixed-point rotation drive. The friction groove design of the conical abutment block 410 and the groove 411 wall can automatically correct the radial eccentricity of the rotating shaft 404 at the moment of contact, ensuring the stability of power transmission. The separate design of the first motor 401 and the second motor 5 avoids motion interference.

[0035] Example 3: This example provides a heat treatment process and apparatus for automotive steering knuckles. In addition to the technical solutions of the above examples, it also has the following technical features: a buffer spring 408 is fixed between the top of the rotating sleeve 407 and the bottom surface of the inner wall of the embedded tube 403.

[0036] By setting a buffer spring 408 between the top of the rotating sleeve 407 and the bottom of the inner wall of the embedded tube 403, flexible buffering is provided during the process of the telescopic cylinder 501 lifting the rotating shaft 404. This effectively absorbs the impact load generated by the rigid collision between the conical abutment block 410 and the groove 411, preventing the rotating shaft 404 and the embedded tube 403 from deforming or jamming due to excessive instantaneous force. At the same time, the preload of the buffer spring 408 can ensure that the rotating shaft 404 stably falls back into the embedded tube 403 in the unlifted state, thus ensuring the reliability of the abutment transmission and the long-term service life of the equipment.

[0037] Example 4: This example provides a heat treatment process and apparatus for automotive steering knuckles. In addition to the technical solutions of the above examples, it also has the following technical features: the inner bottom surface of the base 1 is also fixed with a second motor 5 and two telescopic cylinders 501. The telescopic ends of the two telescopic cylinders 501 are fixed together on the bottom surface of the drive frame 409. The telescopic end of the second motor 5 is fixed with a drive shaft 502. A square rod 503 is fixed at the middle position of the bottom surface of the drive frame 409. The square rod 503 is slidably disposed with the top end of the drive shaft 502.

[0038] Among them, the drive frame 409 is driven synchronously by two sets of telescopic cylinders 501, which ensures the stability and coaxiality of the lifting process of the conical abutment block 410 and avoids the problem of uneven load caused by single-point drive. At the same time, the second motor 5, through the sliding cooperation structure between the drive shaft 502 and the square rod 503, allows the drive frame 409 to move up and down while realizing power transmission. This solves the contradiction of motion interference between the revolution of the rotating seat 4 and the fixed installation of the second motor 5. Only a single set of second motor 5 can complete the fixed-point self-rotation drive of all workstations, which greatly simplifies the transmission system structure and reduces manufacturing costs.

[0039] Example 5: This example provides a heat treatment process and device for automotive steering knuckles. In addition to the technical solutions of the above examples, it also has the following technical features: the heating mechanism includes an inner bracket 303 fixed at the middle position of the top surface of the rotating seat 4, a spiral heating tube 304 fixed on the outer wall of the inner bracket 303, a heating sleeve 301 fixed on one side of the inner wall of the outer shell 2, and an electromagnetic heating coil 302 fixed inside the heating sleeve 301. The electromagnetic heating coil 302 is located above the corresponding rotating shaft 404.

[0040] The system utilizes an electromagnetic heating coil 302 on the inner wall of the outer shell 2 and a spiral heating tube 304 on the inner support 303 on the top surface of the rotating seat 4 to construct a dual-mode heating system consisting of external fixed-point heating and internal surrounding insulation. The electromagnetic heating coil 302 can rapidly and accurately heat a single steering knuckle that has been lifted below it, while the spiral heating tube 304 provides continuous and uniform heat radiation to all parts as the rotating seat 4 revolves. The two heating modes can work independently or in combination according to process requirements, which not only meets the heating rate requirements of steering knuckles made of different materials, but also ensures the uniformity of the temperature field of the entire furnace parts, significantly improving the consistency of heat treatment quality.

[0041] Example 6: This example provides a heat treatment process and apparatus for automotive steering knuckles. In addition to the technical solutions of the above examples, it also has the following technical features: a cooling ring pipe 307 is fixed on one side of the inner wall of the outer shell 2 and below the heating sleeve 301. Multiple atomizing nozzles 308 are arrayed and fixed on the inner wall of the cooling ring pipe 307. Multiple water pumps 305 are fixed on the top surface of the mounting plate 3. A metal pipe 306 is fixed at the delivery end of the water pump 305. The metal pipe 306 passes through the outer shell 2 and is connected and fixed to the outer wall of the cooling ring pipe 307. A hose 309 is fixed at the water pump 305. The hose 309 is connected and fixed to the outer wall of the outer shell 2 near the bottom. A filter screen 310 is fixed between the support base 7 and the outer shell 2.

[0042] The ring array of cooling ring pipe 307 and atomizing nozzle 308 forms a 360° full-coverage spray cooling field below the heating jacket 301. Combined with the circulating water circuit consisting of water pump 305, metal pipe 306, and hose 309, and the filter screen 310 between the support base 7 and the outer shell 2, the cooling medium can be filtered, recycled, and reused. During the heat preservation stage, the water accumulated in the base 1 can be drained through the drain pipe 1001 to avoid evaporation interference. During the cooling stage, the atomizing nozzle 308 forms a uniform and fine water mist to achieve gradient cooling of the steering knuckle, effectively preventing quenching cracks caused by rapid cooling. At the same time, the cooling waste liquid can be recycled after being filtered by the filter screen 310, reducing water consumption.

[0043] Example 7: This example provides a heat treatment process and apparatus for automotive steering knuckles. In addition to the technical solutions of the above examples, it also has the following technical features: multiple sliding grooves 6 are arranged in a circular array near the top of the outer wall of the rotating shaft 404. An expansion block 601 is slidably arranged inside the sliding groove 6. A clamping spring 602 is fixed between the expansion block 601 and one side of the inner wall of the sliding groove 6.

[0044] The elastic clamping mechanism, consisting of a sliding groove 6, an expansion block 601, and a clamping spring 602 arranged in a circular array near the top of the outer wall of the rotating shaft 404, utilizes the preload of the clamping spring 602 to automatically expand the expansion block 601 to tighten the inner hole of the steering knuckle, thus achieving rapid automatic centering and clamping of the parts. Compared with traditional bolt clamping or chuck clamping methods, this structure avoids part deformation caused by uneven clamping force. At the same time, the elastic clamping can adapt to steering knuckles of different specifications within a certain dimensional tolerance range, improving the versatility and clamping efficiency of the equipment.

[0045] Example 8: This example provides a heat treatment process and apparatus for automotive steering knuckles. In addition to the technical solutions of the above examples, it also has the following technical features: a guide frame 701 is fixed on the bottom surface of the rotating seat 4. Multiple vertical support wheels 702 and multiple horizontal support wheels 703 are rotatably mounted in a circular array on the outer wall of the guide frame 701. The vertical support wheels 702 roll against the inner bottom surface of the support seat 7, and the horizontal support wheels 703 abut against the side wall of the support seat 7.

[0046] The first motor 401 and the second motor 5 are enclosed and isolated by the support base 7. The vertical support wheel 702 and the horizontal support wheel 703 on the guide frame 701 respectively provide axial and radial constraints on the rotating seat 4. This not only prevents coolant from seeping into the motor and causing a short circuit, but also effectively counteracts the centrifugal force and overturning moment when the rotating seat 4 revolves, ensuring stable operation at high speeds. The rolling friction design of the vertical support wheel 702 and the horizontal support wheel 703 greatly reduces rotational resistance, improves transmission efficiency, and reduces wear.

[0047] Example 9: This example provides a heat treatment process and apparatus for automotive steering knuckles. In addition to the technical solutions of the above examples, it also has the following technical features: a water baffle 8 is fixed to the bottom surface of the base 1, and the water baffle 8 is also slidably sleeved on the outer wall of the support base 7. A water baffle sleeve 801 is fixed to the outer wall of the rotating shaft 404. The water baffle sleeve 801 is slidably sleeved with the outer wall of the embedded tube 403. A sealing door 9 is rotatably connected to the front side of the outer shell 2. The sealing door 9 is locked to the outer shell 2 by a buckle 901. A water inlet pipe 10 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the outer shell 2. A water outlet pipe 1001 is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the base 1. A water valve is installed on the water outlet pipe 1001.

[0048] The outer shell 2 is sealed and locked by the sealing door 9 and the buckle 901, ensuring that heat is not lost and external impurities are not allowed to enter during the heat treatment process. The cooperation of the water inlet pipe 10 and the water outlet pipe 1001 enables the quantitative injection and rapid discharge of the cooling medium. The water valve on the water outlet pipe 1001 can precisely control the timing of drainage, and drain the water accumulated in the base 1 in time during the heat preservation stage, completely eliminating the interference of residual water evaporation on the temperature field inside the furnace and ensuring the temperature stability during the heat soaking stage. The water baffle 8 on the bottom surface of the base 1 and the water baffle sleeve 801 on the outer wall of the rotating shaft 404 form a double waterproof barrier. The water baffle 8 is slidably sleeved on the outer wall of the support base 7 and can rotate synchronously with the rotating base 4 to block the splashing coolant. The sliding sleeve structure between the water baffle sleeve 801 and the outer wall of the embedded pipe 403 prevents the coolant from seeping into the interior of the rotating sleeve 407 along the rotating shaft 404. The double protection ensures that the motor and transmission components in the support base 7 are always in a dry environment, avoiding equipment failure caused by water and extending the service life of key components.

[0049] Example 10: This example provides a heat treatment process for automotive steering knuckles. In addition to the technical solutions described in the above examples, it also has the following technical features, including the following steps: S1. Clamping and sealing: Clamp multiple steering knuckles onto the rotating shafts 404 arranged in a circumferential array on the top surface of the rotating seat 4, and close and seal the outer shell 2; S2. Station-by-station fixed-point heating: Control the telescopic cylinder 501 to lift the drive frame 409, so that the conical abutment block 410 abuts against the rotating shaft 404 located below the electromagnetic heating coil 302. Use the second motor 5 to drive the rotating shaft 404 to lift and rotate, so as to heat the steering knuckle at the station. After completion, the drive frame 409 is reset, and the first motor 401 drives the rotating seat 4 to change position. Repeat the above actions until all steering knuckles have completed fixed-point heating. S3, Revolving linkage heat preservation: The rotating seat 4 continues to revolve, so that all the rotating shafts 404 revolve with the rotating seat 4. At the same time, the driven gear 405 on the bottom surface meshes with the gear ring 402 and the locking engagement of the one-way bearing 406 generates rotation, which works with the spiral heating tube 304 to perform uniform heat preservation. During the heat preservation period, the water accumulated in the base 1 is drained. S4. Circulating cooling discharge: Cooling water is introduced into the outer shell 2, and the rotating steering knuckle is cooled by spraying through the atomizing nozzle 308. After cooling is completed, the material is discharged.

[0050] Working principle: Open the sealing door 9 and put multiple steering knuckle workpieces onto the expansion blocks 601 at the top of each rotating shaft 404. The clamping spring 602 automatically contracts to make the expansion blocks 601 radially expand the inner hole of the workpiece to complete the quick centering and clamping. After closing the sealing door 9 and locking it by the buckle 901.

[0051] The equipment is started to enter the first stage of fixed-point heating: the telescopic cylinder 501 extends and pushes the drive frame 409 to rise, so that the conical abutment block 410 abuts against the groove 411 at the bottom of the rotating shaft 404 located directly below the electromagnetic heating coil 302. The second motor 5 drives the rotating shaft 404 to rise upward and rotate counterclockwise through the sliding transmission between the drive shaft 502 and the square rod 503. At this time, the inner and outer rings of the one-way bearing 406 can rotate relative to each other. The workpiece is heated 360° without dead angles in the high-efficiency heating zone in the center of the electromagnetic heating coil 302 along with the rotating shaft 404. After reaching the preset temperature, the telescopic cylinder 501 is reset, and the rotating shaft 404 falls back into the embedded tube 403 under the action of the buffer spring 408. The first motor 401 drives the rotating seat 4 to rotate counterclockwise by a certain angle, moving the rotating shaft 404 of the next station to below the electromagnetic heating coil 302. The above lifting and rotation heating action is repeated until the steering knuckles of all stations have completed fixed-point heating.

[0052] After all stations have completed their fixed-point heating, the equipment enters the second stage of revolution and heat preservation: the rotating seat 4 continues to rotate counterclockwise under the drive of the first motor 401, driving all embedded tubes 403 and internal rotating shafts 404 to rotate synchronously around the equipment axis. At this time, the telescopic cylinder 501 remains in the reset state, the conical abutment block 410 separates from the spur groove 411, the driven gear 405 on the bottom surface of the rotating shaft 404 and the gear ring 402 fixed on the bottom surface of the rotating seat 4 remain in constant mesh, and the inner and outer rings of the one-way bearing 406 are locked, converting the linear velocity of revolution into the counterclockwise rotation speed of the rotating shaft 404, so that the workpiece maintains its own rotation while continuously revolving and changing its position in the furnace. Combined with the surrounding heat field formed by the spiral heating tubes 304 on the inner support 303, the temperature of the parts in the whole furnace is balanced and the structure is homogeneous. During the heat preservation process, the residual water in the base 1 is drained through the water valve on the drain pipe 1001 to avoid water evaporation interfering with the temperature field inside the furnace.

[0053] After the heat preservation is completed, the third stage of gradient cooling begins: the heating mechanism is turned off, and cooling water is injected into the outer shell 2 through the water inlet pipe 10. The water pump 305 is started and the cooling water in the base 1 is drawn through the hose 309 and transported to the cooling ring pipe 307 through the metal pipe 306. The atomizing nozzle 308 forms a uniform and fine water mist that is sprayed onto the surface of the rotating workpiece. The baffle plate 8 and the baffle sleeve 801 prevent the coolant from seeping into the support base 7. The filter screen 310 filters and purifies the returned cooling medium to achieve recycling. During the cooling process, the rotating base 4 continues to maintain a low speed revolution and the rotating shaft 404 rotates on its own axis to ensure a uniform cooling rate of the workpiece and avoid quenching cracks caused by rapid cooling. After cooling to room temperature, the first motor 401 stops, the sealing door 9 is opened and the workpiece is taken out, completing the entire heat treatment process.

[0054] It is worth noting that the electromagnetic heating coil 302 is a DSPQ / DSP series electromagnetic coil produced by Ningbo De'en Company, and its matching circuit and power supply can also be provided by the same manufacturer. The spiral heating tube 304 is a heating tube produced by Dongfang Electric Heating Company. The filter screen 310 is an 80-mesh filter screen with a pore size of 180μm. The telescopic cylinder 501 is an Airtac MA16×50-S-CA cylinder.

[0055] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other. This application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A heat treatment device for automotive steering knuckles, comprising a base (1) and a housing (2) fixed thereon, characterized in that, Also includes: Mounting plate (3), which is fixed to one side of the outer wall of base (1); Rotary seat (4), the rotary seat (4) is set on the top surface of the base (1), and a toothed ring (402) is fixed on the bottom surface of the rotary seat (4). Multiple embedded tubes (403) are fixed in a circular array on the top surface of the rotating seat (4). A rotating sleeve (407) is axially slidably disposed inside the embedded tube (403). A rotating shaft (404) is rotatably connected inside the rotating sleeve (407). A one-way bearing (406) is installed on the outer wall of the rotating shaft (404) near the bottom end. A driven gear (405) is installed on the outer wall of the one-way bearing (406). Support base (7), which is fixed to the top surface of base (1); The heating mechanism is respectively disposed on the top surface of the base (1) and on one side of the inner wall of the outer shell (2), and is used to heat the steering knuckle parts.

2. The heat treatment device for automotive steering knuckles according to claim 1, characterized in that, A first motor (401) is fixed at the middle position of the inner bottom surface of the base (1). The output shaft of the first motor (401) is fixed to the bottom surface of the rotating seat (4). A drive frame (409) is provided below the rotating shaft (404). A conical abutment block (410) is fixed at the top of the drive frame (409). A zigzag groove (411) is provided at the bottom end of the rotating shaft (404). Friction grooves are provided on the outer wall of the conical abutment block (410) and the inner wall of the zigzag groove (411).

3. The heat treatment device for automotive steering knuckles according to claim 2, characterized in that, A buffer spring (408) is fixed between the top of the rotating sleeve (407) and the bottom surface of the inner wall of the embedded tube (403).

4. The heat treatment device for automotive steering knuckles according to claim 3, characterized in that, The inner bottom surface of the base (1) is also fixed with a second motor (5) and two telescopic cylinders (501). The telescopic ends of the two telescopic cylinders (501) are fixed together on the bottom surface of the drive frame (409). The telescopic end of the second motor (5) is fixed with a drive shaft (502). A square rod (503) is fixed at the middle position of the bottom surface of the drive frame (409). The square rod (503) is slidably disposed with the top end of the drive shaft (502).

5. The heat treatment device for automotive steering knuckles according to claim 4, characterized in that, The heating mechanism includes an inner support (303) fixed at the middle position of the top surface of the rotating seat (4). A spiral heating tube (304) is fixed on the outer wall of the inner support (303). A heating sleeve (301) is fixed on one side of the inner wall of the outer shell (2). An electromagnetic heating coil (302) is fixed inside the heating sleeve (301). The electromagnetic heating coil (302) is located above the corresponding rotating shaft (404).

6. The heat treatment device for automotive steering knuckles according to claim 2, characterized in that, A cooling ring pipe (307) is fixed on one side of the inner wall of the outer shell (2) and below the heating sleeve (301). Multiple atomizing nozzles (308) are fixed in an array on the inner wall of the cooling ring pipe (307). Multiple water pumps (305) are fixed on the top surface of the mounting plate (3). A metal pipe (306) is fixed at the delivery end of the water pump (305). The metal pipe (306) passes through the outer shell (2) and is connected and fixed to the outer wall of the cooling ring pipe (307). A hose (309) is fixed at the water pump (305). The hose (309) is connected and fixed to the outer wall of the outer shell (2) near the bottom. A filter screen (310) is fixed between the support base (7) and the outer shell (2).

7. The heat treatment device for automotive steering knuckles according to claim 6, characterized in that, The outer wall of the rotating shaft (404) near the top is provided with a plurality of sliding grooves (6) in a circular array. An expansion block (601) is slidably arranged inside the sliding groove (6). A clamping spring (602) is fixed between the expansion block (601) and one side of the inner wall of the sliding groove (6).

8. The heat treatment device for automotive steering knuckles according to claim 7, characterized in that, The top surface of the base (1) is fixed with a support seat (7). The first motor (401) and the second motor (5) are both located inside the support seat (7). The bottom surface of the rotating seat (4) is fixed with a guide frame (701). The outer wall of the guide frame (701) is rotatably mounted with multiple vertical support wheels (702) and multiple horizontal support wheels (703) in a circular array. The vertical support wheels (702) roll against the inner bottom surface of the support seat (7), and the horizontal support wheels (703) abut against the side wall of the support seat (7).

9. The heat treatment device for automotive steering knuckles according to claim 8, characterized in that, A water baffle (8) is fixed to the bottom surface of the base (1). The water baffle (8) is also slidably sleeved on the outer wall of the support base (7). A water baffle sleeve (801) is fixed to the outer wall of the rotating shaft (404). The water baffle sleeve (801) is slidably sleeved on the outer wall of the embedded tube (403). A sealing door (9) is rotatably connected to the front side of the outer shell (2). The sealing door (9) is locked to the outer shell (2) by a buckle (901). A water inlet pipe (10) is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the outer shell (2). A water outlet pipe (1001) is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the base (1). A water valve is installed on the water outlet pipe (1001).

10. A heat treatment process for automotive steering knuckles according to claims 1-9, characterized in that: Includes the following steps, S1. Clamping and sealing: Clamp multiple steering knuckles onto the rotating shafts (404) arranged in a circumferential array on the top surface of the rotating seat (4), and close and seal the outer shell (2); S2, station-by-station fixed-point heating: control the telescopic cylinder (501) to lift the drive frame (409), so that the conical abutment block (410) abuts against the rotating shaft (404) located below the electromagnetic heating coil (302), and use the second motor (5) to drive the rotating shaft (404) to lift and rotate, so as to heat the steering knuckle of the station. After completion, the drive frame (409) is reset, and the first motor (401) drives the rotating seat (4) to change position. Repeat the above actions until all steering knuckles are heated to a fixed point. S3, Revolving linkage heat preservation: The rotating seat (4) continues to revolve, so that all the rotating shafts (404) revolve with the rotating seat (4). At the same time, the bottom driven gear (405) and the gear ring (402) mesh and the one-way bearing (406) lock together to generate rotation, which works with the spiral heating tube (304) to perform uniform heat preservation. During the heat preservation period, the water in the base (1) is drained. S4. Circulating cooling discharge: Cooling water is introduced into the outer shell (2), and the rotating steering knuckle is sprayed and cooled through the atomizing nozzle (308). After cooling is completed, the material is discharged.

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