A machining device and method for a vehicle suspension ball pin

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of processing device and method of automobile suspension ball pin, belong to automobile parts processing technical field, including support frame and rotary installation in the upper surface of support frame rotary table, the bottom center of rotary table is equipped with driving motor, the outer side wall of rotary table is equipped with the outer gear of uniform arrangement, outer gear is engaged with internal gear, and internal gear is fixed on support frame;The rotation angle of rotary table is controlled by the meshing transmission of outer gear and internal gear, so that the single rotation angle of rotary table is 120 °;Support frame is sequentially provided with turning area A, grinding area B and thread rolling area C in the circumferential direction, and the machining area is uniformly arranged in the form of ring with the center of rotary table as the center, and the central angle between adjacent machining areas is 120 °;The ball pin can complete the process of turning, grinding and thread rolling by the rotary table type multi-station ball pin processing mode, so as to reduce the cumulative positioning error caused by multiple clamping and effectively improve the workpiece machining accuracy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of automotive parts processing technology, specifically a processing device and method for automotive suspension ball joints. Background Technology

[0002] The ball joint of an automobile suspension is a core connecting component in the automobile suspension system. It is mainly used to connect the control arm and the steering knuckle, and bears the functions of load transmission and steering movement. Its machining accuracy directly affects the handling stability and driving safety of the whole vehicle. The machining of automobile suspension ball joints usually requires multiple precision processes such as turning, external cylindrical grinding, and thread rolling. Each process has high requirements for the coaxiality, surface finish and dimensional accuracy of the workpiece.

[0003] In the existing technology, the processing steps of ball pins adopt a decentralized single-machine processing mode, that is, turning, grinding and thread rolling are completed independently. The workpiece needs to be transferred between multiple machines by manual or robotic arms and clamped and positioned multiple times. This processing mode not only has a long process flow, low production efficiency and large equipment footprint, but also the multiple clamping can easily generate cumulative positioning errors, which reduces the processing accuracy of ball pins. Furthermore, the independent processing of single steps is difficult to form a continuous production process, which cannot meet the needs of large-scale processing of automotive parts.

[0004] Patent CN206702733U discloses an automatic processing machine for automobile suspension ball pin housings. The machine includes a programmable control cabinet, a feeding device, a material handling and clamping device, machine tool A, and machine tool B. Machine tool A and machine tool B are arranged symmetrically side by side. The feeding device is installed between machine tool A and machine tool B. The programmable control cabinet is located on one side of the rear end of the feeding device. The material handling and clamping device is located above the feeding device, machine tool A, and machine tool B. The feeding device, the material handling and clamping device, machine tool A, and machine tool B are all connected to the programmable control cabinet.

[0005] In the aforementioned patented solution, workpieces are loaded and processed one by one using a feeding device. The two machine tools need to be re-clamped and positioned for processing, which is very inconvenient and requires secondary clamping. The clamping accuracy is low and the processing efficiency is low. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a processing device and method for automotive suspension ball joints, which solves the technical problem that existing automotive suspension ball joints require multiple secondary clamping operations when processing adjacent processes, resulting in low clamping accuracy, low processing accuracy, and low processing efficiency.

[0007] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions: A processing device for automotive suspension ball joints includes a support frame and a turntable rotatably mounted on the upper surface of the support frame. A drive motor is installed at the bottom center of the turntable, and external gears are evenly arranged on the outer side wall of the turntable. The external gears mesh with internal gears, and the internal gears are fixed on the support frame. The rotation angle of the turntable is controlled by the meshing transmission of the external and internal gears, so that the single rotation angle of the turntable is 120°. The support frame is arranged circumferentially with a turning area A, a grinding area B, and a thread rolling area C. The processing areas are all evenly arranged in a ring around the center of the turntable, and the central angle between adjacent processing areas is 120°.

[0008] Furthermore, the bottom of the turntable is provided with a groove, and below the groove are multiple sets of evenly distributed first support seats. The lower part of the first support seat is fixed to the upper surface of the support frame, and the upper part of the first support seat is provided with a ball bearing. The first support seat and the ball bearing provide rolling support for the turntable through their cooperation.

[0009] Furthermore, a fixed seat is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the turntable, the fixed seat is coaxially arranged with the turntable and is centrally located at the center of the turntable; a first cylinder is fixedly installed on the side of the fixed seat.

[0010] Furthermore, multiple evenly distributed second support seats are fixedly installed on the upper surface of the turntable, and the second support seats are evenly distributed in a ring with the center of the turntable as the reference.

[0011] Furthermore, a movable plate is provided on the side of the second support base away from the first cylinder, and the output end of the first cylinder passes through the second support base and is fixedly connected to one side of the movable plate; a first fixed frame is fixedly installed on the other side of the movable plate, and a first sliding block is fixedly installed at the bottom of the first fixed frame, and the first sliding block is slidably mounted on the first slide rail.

[0012] Furthermore, a second cylinder is fixedly installed on the side of the movable plate near the first fixed frame, and the second cylinder is installed inside the first fixed frame; a second fixed frame is fixedly installed on the side of the first fixed frame away from the movable plate, a second slide rail is fixedly installed on the second fixed frame, and symmetrically arranged second sliding blocks are slidably provided on the second slide rail.

[0013] Furthermore, a connecting seat is fixedly installed at the output end of the second cylinder. Both ends of the connecting seat are hinged to one end of a connecting rod by bolts. The other end of the connecting rod is hinged to the second sliding block. Clamping plates are fixedly installed on the second sliding block.

[0014] Furthermore, the connecting rod is L-shaped, and the corner of the connecting rod is hinged to the second slide rail by bolts. One end of the connecting rod is provided with a first limiting groove, and the other end of the connecting rod is provided with a second limiting groove.

[0015] A method for processing a ball joint for automobile suspension, applicable to the processing apparatus for a ball joint for automobile suspension as described in any one of claims 1-8, includes the following steps: S1: Load the workpiece to be processed into turning area A for turning processing; S2: Transfer the finished workpiece to grinding area B for grinding, and at the same time load the next workpiece to be processed into turning area A for turning. S3: After grinding, the workpiece is transferred to the thread rolling area C for thread rolling. After turning, the workpiece is transferred to the grinding area B for grinding. At the same time, the next workpiece to be processed is loaded into the turning area A for turning. S4: Transfer the workpiece after thread rolling to turning area A for unloading.

[0016] Further, in step S1, the second cylinder retracts, driving the connecting rod to rotate around the hinge bolt on the second slide rail as a fulcrum, causing the end of the connecting rod near the clamping plate to rotate towards each other, driving the two sets of second sliding blocks to slide towards each other along the second slide rail, thereby driving the two sets of clamping plates to move towards each other to clamp the workpiece, completing the loading operation; in step S4, the second cylinder extends, driving the connecting rod to rotate around the hinge bolt on the second slide rail as a fulcrum, causing the end of the connecting rod near the clamping plate to rotate away from each other, driving the two sets of second sliding blocks to slide away from each other along the second slide rail, thereby driving the two sets of clamping plates to move away from each other to release the workpiece, completing the unloading operation.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. This invention utilizes a rotary multi-station ball pin machining mode, which allows the ball pin to complete turning, grinding, and thread rolling processes in a single clamping operation, eliminating the need for transfer and secondary clamping. This reduces the cumulative positioning error caused by multiple clamping operations and effectively improves the machining accuracy of the workpiece. At the same time, multiple stations can operate simultaneously, significantly shortening the machining cycle and improving production continuity and batch processing efficiency.

[0018] 2. The present invention, through the cooperation of multiple sets of first support seats and ball bearings, forms a uniform rolling support for the turntable around the entire circumference, which can effectively offset the gravity load of the workpiece, clamping plate and turntable itself, avoid problems such as sinking and displacement of the turntable during long-term heavy-load operation, significantly improve the running stability of the turntable during rotation, and ensure the long-term stability of workpiece clamping accuracy and processing quality.

[0019] 3. This invention controls the rotation angle of the turntable through the meshing rotation of internal gears and external gears, ensuring the consistency of workpiece position during workstation switching, ensuring the processing accuracy of each process connection, and improving the processing accuracy of the workpiece. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a top view of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the turntable structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a front view schematic diagram of the turntable of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom of the turntable of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping plate structure of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a top view of the clamping plate of the present invention; Figure 7 yes Figure 2 Enlarged diagram of point A.

[0021] In the diagram: 1. Turntable; 11. Support frame; 111. Groove; 112. External gear; 12. Internal gear; 13. Fixed seat; 14. Motor; 15. First support seat; 16. Ball bearing; 2. Second support seat; 21. First cylinder; 22. Moving plate; 3. Second cylinder; 31. Connecting seat; 32. First slide rail; 33. First sliding block; 34. First fixed frame; 35. Second fixed frame; 36. Second slide rail; 37. Connecting rod; 371. First limiting groove; 372. Second limiting groove; 38. Second sliding block; 39. Clamping plate; 4. Workpiece. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] Please see Figures 1-4 As shown, a processing device for automobile suspension ball pins includes a turntable 1, which is rotatably mounted on the upper surface of a support frame 11. A drive motor 14 is installed at the bottom center of the turntable 1, which is fixed on the support frame 11. The motor 14 outputs power to drive the turntable 1 to complete the rotation action.

[0024] The support frame 11 has a turning area A, a grinding area B, and a thread rolling area C distributed circumferentially. Each processing device is arranged in a ring with the center of the turntable 1 as the reference. The central angle between adjacent processing areas is 120 degrees. This allows the workpiece 4 to be processed in turning, grinding, thread rolling and other processes without the need to use a robot to transfer the workpiece 4 from one device to another for re-clamping. This reduces the number of workpiece 4 transfer and secondary clamping operations, effectively simplifies the processing flow, reduces the positioning error caused by multiple clamping of the workpiece 4, and improves processing accuracy and production continuity.

[0025] The outer wall of the turntable 1 is provided with evenly arranged external gears 112, which mesh with internal gears 12, and the internal gears 12 are fixed on the support frame 11. The transmission method of meshing external gear 112 and internal gear 12 can effectively control the rotation angle of turntable 1 and achieve high-precision positioning; it can improve the position accuracy of workpiece 4 during the switching process of each processing step and reduce the error of position offset.

[0026] The bottom of the turntable 1 is provided with a groove 111. Below the groove 111, there are multiple sets of evenly distributed first support seats 15. The lower part of the first support seat 15 is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the support frame 11. The upper part of the first support seat 15 is provided with a ball bearing 16, which is configured to cooperate with the groove 111.

[0027] The first support seat 15 and the ball bearing 16 work together to provide stable support for the turntable 1, thereby improving the smoothness of the turntable 1 during rotation, reducing the sinking and positional shift of the turntable 1 due to the gravity of the workpiece 4, and improving the clamping accuracy and machining accuracy of the workpiece 4.

[0028] A fixed seat 13 is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the turntable 1. The fixed seat 13 is coaxially arranged with the turntable 1 and is centrally located at the center of the turntable 1. A first cylinder 21 is fixedly installed on the side of the fixed seat 13. A plurality of evenly distributed second support seats 2 are also fixedly installed on the upper surface of the turntable 1. The second support seats 2 are evenly distributed in a ring with the center of the turntable 1 as the reference. The second support seats 2 are set in correspondence with the processing equipment.

[0029] Please see Figures 5-7 As shown, the second support base 2 consists of a horizontal plate and a vertical plate. A movable moving plate 22 is provided on the side of the second support base 2 away from the first cylinder 21. The output end of the first cylinder 21 passes through the second support base 2 and is fixedly connected to one side of the moving plate 22. A first fixed frame 34 is fixedly installed on the other side of the moving plate 22. A first sliding block 33 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the first fixed frame 34. The first sliding block 33 is slidably mounted on the first slide rail 32. The lower surface of the first slide rail 32 is fixedly installed on the horizontal plate of the second support base 2.

[0030] The first cylinder 21 controls the movement of the moving plate 22, which in turn moves the first fixed frame 34, which in turn moves the first sliding block 33 on the first slide rail 32; thereby moving the workpiece 4 and cooperating with the processing equipment to complete the processing operation.

[0031] A second cylinder 3 is fixedly installed on the side of the movable plate 22 near the first fixed frame 34, and the second cylinder 3 is installed inside the first fixed frame 34; a second fixed frame 35 is fixedly installed on the side of the first fixed frame 34 away from the movable plate 22, a second slide rail 36 is fixedly installed on the second fixed frame 35, and symmetrically arranged second sliding blocks 38 are slidably arranged on the second slide rail 36; the second slide rail 36 is horizontally distributed, and the second sliding blocks 38 move relative to or towards each other on the second slide rail 36.

[0032] The output end of the second cylinder 3 is fixedly installed with a connecting seat 31. Both ends of the connecting seat 31 are hinged to one end of the connecting rod 37 by bolts. The other end of the connecting rod 37 is hinged to the second sliding block 38. The second sliding block 38 is fixedly installed with a clamping plate 39. The clamping plates 39 are symmetrically arranged, and the clamping plates 39 have an arc-shaped surface on the opposite side to facilitate clamping the workpiece 4.

[0033] The connecting rod 37 is L-shaped, and the corner of the connecting rod 37 is hinged to the second slide rail 36 by bolts; one end of the connecting rod 37 is provided with a first limiting groove 371, and the other end of the connecting rod 37 is provided with a second limiting groove 372; the first limiting groove 371 is located at one end of the connecting seat 31, and the second limiting groove 372 is located at one end of the clamping plate 39; the length of the first limiting groove 371 is greater than the length of the second limiting groove 372.

[0034] When the second cylinder 3 is in the extended state, the connecting seat 31 moves toward the clamping plate 39. The connecting seat 31 drives the hinged connecting rod 37 to rotate with the bolt of the second slide rail 36 as the hinge point. The connecting rod 37 on the side closer to the connecting seat 31 moves in the opposite direction, and the connecting rod 37 on the side closer to the clamping plate 39 rotates in the opposite direction, so that the symmetrically arranged clamping plates 39 move in opposite directions.

[0035] When the second cylinder 3 extends, it drives the connecting seat 31 to move toward the clamping plate 39. The connecting seat 31 drives the connecting rod 37, which is hinged to it, to rotate with the bolt on the second slide rail 36 as the fulcrum. The two ends of the connecting rod 37 move in opposite directions, so that the connecting rod 37 near the clamping plate 39 rotates in the opposite direction. The two sets of symmetrically arranged clamping plates 39 also move in the opposite direction, thereby releasing the workpiece 4.

[0036] When the second cylinder 3 retracts, it drives the connecting seat 31 to move away from the clamping plate 39. The connecting seat 31 drives the connecting rod 37, which is hinged to it, to rotate with the bolt on the second slide rail 36 as the fulcrum. The two ends of the connecting rod 37 move in opposite directions, so that the connecting rod 37 near the clamping plate 39 rotates relative to it. The two sets of symmetrically arranged clamping plates 39 also move relative to it, thereby clamping the workpiece 4.

[0037] The present invention also provides a method for processing a ball joint of an automobile suspension, comprising the following steps: Step 1: Load the workpiece 4 to be processed into turning area A for turning processing; As the second cylinder 3 retracts, the connecting rod 37 rotates with the bolt on the second slide rail 36 as the pivot point, causing the connecting rod 37 near the clamping plate 39 to rotate relative to it, and the clamping plate 39 also moves relative to it, thereby clamping the workpiece 4 and completing the loading of the workpiece 4. Then, the first cylinder 21 is used to control the moving plate 22, which drives the workpiece 4 to the turning equipment for turning. Step 2: Transfer the finished workpiece 4 to the grinding area B for grinding, and at the same time load the next workpiece 4 to be processed into the turning area A for turning. Motor 14 drives turntable 1 to rotate 120°, moving workpiece 4 from turning zone A to grinding zone B. Since the rotation angles between adjacent stations are consistent, workpiece 4 does not need to be clamped twice, which improves its machining accuracy and efficiency.

[0038] Step 3: After grinding, the workpiece 4 is transferred to the thread rolling area C for thread rolling. After turning, the workpiece 4 is transferred to the grinding area B for grinding. At the same time, the next workpiece 4 to be processed is loaded into the turning area A for turning. Step 4: Transfer the workpiece 4, after the thread rolling process is completed, to the turning area A for unloading. As the second cylinder 3 extends, the connecting rod 37 rotates with the bolt on the second slide rail 36 as the pivot point, causing the connecting rod 37 near the end of the clamping plate 39 to rotate in the opposite direction, and the clamping plate 39 also moves in the opposite direction, thereby releasing the workpiece 4 and completing the unloading of the workpiece 4. Step 5: Repeat steps 1 to 4 until all workpieces 4 to be processed are completed.

[0039] It should be noted that, in this document, terms such as “comprising,” “including,” or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0040] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A processing device for automobile suspension ball joints, comprising a support frame (11) and a turntable (1) rotatably mounted on the upper surface of the support frame (11), characterized in that: A drive motor (14) is installed at the bottom center of the turntable (1). The outer side wall of the turntable (1) is provided with uniformly arranged external gears (112). The external gears (112) mesh with internal gears (12). The internal gears (12) are fixed on the support frame (11). The rotation angle of the turntable (1) is controlled by the meshing transmission of the external gears (112) and the internal gears (12), so that the single rotation angle of the turntable (1) is 120°. The support frame (11) is provided with a turning area A, a grinding area B and a thread rolling area C in sequence around its circumference. The processing areas are all arranged in a ring with the center of the turntable (1) as the center, and the central angle between adjacent processing areas is 120°.

2. The processing device for automobile suspension ball pins according to claim 1, characterized in that: The turntable (1) has a groove (111) at the bottom. Below the groove (111) are multiple sets of evenly distributed first support seats (15). The lower part of the first support seat (15) is fixed on the upper surface of the support frame (11). The upper part of the first support seat (15) is provided with a ball (16) that rotates. The first support seat (15) and the ball (16) provide rolling support for the turntable (1).

3. The processing device for automobile suspension ball pins according to claim 2, characterized in that: A fixed seat (13) is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the turntable (1). The fixed seat (13) is coaxially arranged with the turntable (1) and is centrally located at the center of the turntable (1). A first cylinder (21) is fixedly installed on the side of the fixed seat (13).

4. The processing device for automobile suspension ball pins according to claim 3, characterized in that: The upper surface of the turntable (1) is also fixedly equipped with a number of evenly distributed second support seats (2), which are evenly distributed in a ring with the center of the turntable (1) as the reference.

5. The processing device for automobile suspension ball joints according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second support base (2) has a movable moving plate (22) on the side away from the first cylinder (21). The output end of the first cylinder (21) passes through the second support base (2) and is fixedly connected to one side of the moving plate (22). A first fixed frame (34) is fixedly installed on the other side of the moving plate (22). A first sliding block (33) is fixedly installed at the bottom of the first fixed frame (34). The first sliding block (33) is slidably mounted on the first slide rail (32).

6. The processing device for automobile suspension ball joints according to claim 5, characterized in that: The movable plate (22) is fixedly installed with a second cylinder (3) on the side close to the first fixed frame (34), and the second cylinder (3) is installed inside the first fixed frame (34); the first fixed frame (34) is fixedly installed with a second fixed frame (35) on the side away from the movable plate (22), and a second slide rail (36) is fixedly installed on the second fixed frame (35), and symmetrically arranged second sliding blocks (38) are slidably arranged on the second slide rail (36).

7. The processing device for automobile suspension ball joints according to claim 6, characterized in that: The output end of the second cylinder (3) is fixedly mounted with a connecting seat (31). Both ends of the connecting seat (31) are hinged to one end of a connecting rod (37) by bolts. The other end of the connecting rod (37) is hinged to the second sliding block (38). The second sliding block (38) is fixedly mounted with a clamping plate (39).

8. The processing device for automobile suspension ball joints according to claim 7, characterized in that: The connecting rod (37) is L-shaped. The corner of the connecting rod (37) is hinged to the second slide rail (36) by bolts. One end of the connecting rod (37) is provided with a first limiting groove (371), and the other end of the connecting rod (37) is provided with a second limiting groove (372).

9. A method for processing an automotive suspension ball joint, applicable to the processing apparatus for an automotive suspension ball joint as described in any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1: Load the workpiece (4) to be processed into the turning area A for turning; S2: Transfer the workpiece (4) after turning to the grinding area B for grinding, and at the same time load the next workpiece (4) to be processed to the turning area A for turning. S3: Transfer the workpiece (4) after grinding to the thread rolling area C for thread rolling, and transfer the workpiece (4) after turning to the grinding area B for grinding. At the same time, load the next workpiece (4) to be processed to the turning area A for turning. S4: Transfer the workpiece (4) after the thread rolling is completed to the turning area A for unloading.

10. A method for processing a ball joint for automobile suspension according to claim 9, characterized in that: In step S1, the second cylinder (3) retracts, driving the connecting rod (37) to rotate around the hinge bolt on the second slide rail (36) as the fulcrum, causing the end of the connecting rod (37) near the clamping plate (39) to rotate towards each other, driving the two sets of second sliding blocks (38) to slide towards each other along the second slide rail (36), thereby driving the two sets of clamping plates (39) to move towards each other to clamp the workpiece (4), thus completing the loading work; In step S4, the second cylinder (3) extends and drives the connecting rod (37) to rotate around the hinge bolt on the second slide rail (36), causing the end of the connecting rod (37) near the clamping plate (39) to rotate in opposite directions, driving the two sets of second sliding blocks (38) to slide in opposite directions along the second slide rail (36), thereby driving the two sets of clamping plates (39) to move in opposite directions to release the workpiece (4) and complete the unloading work.

Images