Automatic centering device

Abstract

The utility model discloses an automatic centering device. The device comprises a shell, an upper cover, a bottom plate, a magnet piece, a magnetic fastener, a spacer bush, a sliding mechanism and a tray, the bottom plate is arranged in the shell, and the magnet piece is embedded between the shell and the bottom plate; an accommodating cavity is formed between the upper cover and the shell; the magnetic fastener is partially arranged in the containing cavity, and the tray, the spacer bush and the sliding mechanism are sequentially arranged on the magnetic fastener in a sleeving mode from top to bottom. The sliding mechanism is located in the containing cavity, and the bottom of the sliding mechanism abuts against the bottom plate. The upper cover is provided with a containing hole, the inner diameter of the containing hole is larger than the outer diameter of the spacer bush, and the spacer bush penetrates through the containing hole. The magnetic fastening piece is aligned with the center of the magnet piece; a first gap is formed between the magnetic fastener and the bottom plate; the bottom of the tray and the upper surface of the upper cover are spaced by a first preset distance. The device is stable and quick to reset, the alignment efficiency of the injection molding nozzle and the mold receiving opening is favorably improved, and the injection molding efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of centering mechanisms, and particularly relates to an automatic centering device. Background Art

[0002] Mold injection molding refers to using a mold with a certain shape to inject a molten colloid into a mold cavity under pressure for molding. Its process principle is as follows: melting solid plastic according to a certain melting point, injecting it into the mold at a certain speed through the pressure of an injection machine, and the mold cools through a water channel to solidify the plastic to obtain a product identical to the designed mold cavity. It is mainly used for the molding of thermoplastic plastics and can also be used for the molding of thermosetting plastics.

[0003] In the scenario of mold injection molding, when the injection nozzle of an injection machine injects plastic into a mold, the injection nozzle needs to be aligned with the mold receiving port with the help of an automatic centering device.

[0004] For existing automatic centering devices, in order to ensure that the tray automatically returns to the central position without external force, a spring reset method is usually adopted. Summary of the Utility Model

[0005] In order to enrich the product types of automatic centering devices, increase the selection space of automatic centering methods, and improve the centering efficiency, the utility model provides an automatic centering device.

[0006] An embodiment of the utility model provides an automatic centering device, which includes a housing, an upper cover, a bottom plate, a magnet, a magnetic fastener, a spacer, a sliding mechanism, and a tray;

[0007] The bottom plate is arranged inside the housing, and the magnet is embedded between the housing and the bottom plate;

[0008] An accommodation cavity is formed between the upper cover and the housing;

[0009] Part of the magnetic fastener is arranged inside the accommodation cavity, and the tray, the spacer, and the sliding mechanism are sleeved on the magnetic fastener from top to bottom in sequence;

[0010] The sliding mechanism is located inside the accommodation cavity, and the bottom of the sliding mechanism abuts against the bottom plate;

[0011] The upper cover is provided with a receiving hole, the inner diameter of the receiving hole is larger than the outer diameter of the spacer, and the spacer passes through the receiving hole;

[0012] The magnetic fastener is centered with the magnet;

[0013] A first gap exists between the magnetic fastener and the bottom plate;

[0014] The bottom of the tray is spaced apart from the upper surface of the upper cover by a first preset distance.

[0015] In one or some alternative embodiments, the automatic centering device further includes a limit ring;

[0016] The limit ring is sleeved on the spacer sleeve;

[0017] The outer diameter of the limit ring is greater than the inner diameter of the accommodating hole;

[0018] The limit ring and the lower surface of the upper cover have a second gap.

[0019] In one or some alternative embodiments, the sliding mechanism includes a ball pressing plate, a ball holder and a plurality of balls;

[0020] The ball holder and the ball pressing plate are sleeved on the magnetic fastener;

[0021] The plurality of balls are movably arranged in the ball holder, and the ball pressing plate presses the plurality of balls.

[0022] In one or some alternative embodiments, the plurality of balls abut against the bottom plate, and the bottom ends of the plurality of balls are lower than the bottom end of the magnetic fastener.

[0023] In one or some alternative embodiments, the plurality of balls are circumferentially and uniformly distributed in the ball holder.

[0024] In one or some alternative embodiments, the magnetic fastener is a magnetic metal screw;

[0025] The magnetic fastener is threadedly connected to the ball pressing plate, the spacer sleeve and the tray respectively.

[0026] In one or some alternative embodiments, the two ends of the spacer sleeve are respectively sleeved with the ball pressing plate and the tray.

[0027] In one or some alternative embodiments, the upper cover includes a cover body and a limiting portion arranged below the cover body;

[0028] The cover body is located above the housing;

[0029] The outer side wall of the limiting portion is clamped with the inner side wall of the housing, and the bottom of the limiting portion abuts against the bottom plate.

[0030] In one or some alternative embodiments, there is a second preset distance between the outer periphery of the ball pressing plate and the inner side wall of the limiting portion;

[0031] There is a third preset distance between the outer periphery of the ball holder and the inner side wall of the limiting portion.

[0032] In one or some alternative embodiments, the magnet is located at the center of the housing.

[0033] The beneficial effects of the above technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present utility model at least include:

[0034] The automatic centering device provided by the embodiments of the present utility model enables the tray to move horizontally by setting a sliding mechanism, thereby facilitating the alignment of the mold workpiece on the tray with the injection nozzle. Through the adsorption of the magnet on the magnetic fastener, automatic centering and resetting are achieved. Compared with the centering device that uses multiple springs for resetting, it will not cause incorrect resetting due to the elastic error generated by the long-term use of the springs. And since the magnetic fastener does not contact the bottom plate and the tray does not contact the upper cover, there is only friction between the sliding mechanism and the bottom plate during resetting, making the resetting stable and fast. This ensures that the mold is still in the correct position when placed on the slide of the transportation device next time, and at the same time ensures that the tray also has a moving stroke in all directions, which is beneficial to improving the alignment efficiency between the injection nozzle and the mold receiving port and improving the injection efficiency.

[0035] Other features and advantages of the present utility model will be described in the subsequent description. And, in part, they will become obvious from the description or be understood by implementing the present utility model. The objectives and other advantages of the present utility model can be realized and obtained through the structures specifically pointed out in the written description and the drawings.

[0036] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be further described in detail below through the drawings and embodiments. Description of the Drawings

[0037] The drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present utility model and constitute a part of the description. They are used together with the embodiments of the present utility model to explain the present utility model and do not constitute a limitation to the present utility model. In the drawings:

[0038] Figure 1 is the automatic centering device provided by the embodiments of the present utility model.

[0039] Reference Signs:

[0040] 1. Housing; 2. Upper cover; 21. Cover body; 211. Accommodating hole; 22. Limiting part; 221. Step; 3. Bottom plate; 4. Magnet; 5. Magnetic fastener; 6. Spacer sleeve; 7. Sliding mechanism; 71. Ball pressing plate; 72. Ball holder; 73. Ball; 8. Tray; 9. Limiting ring; 10. Accommodating cavity. Detailed Embodiments

[0041] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure can be more thoroughly understood and the scope of the present disclosure can be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art.

[0042] In the description of the present utility model, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", "far", "near", "front", "rear", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present utility model and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present utility model. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0043] In the description of the present utility model, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present utility model can be understood according to specific situations.

[0044] The inventor found that in existing automatic centering devices, in order to ensure that the tray automatically returns to the center position without external force, a spring reset method is usually adopted. However, when the spring is in use, if it rubs against other parts, the situation of non-return will occur, and when multiple springs act together, due to the spring force error, the situation of not returning to the middle position will also occur.

[0045] In the scenario of mold injection molding, since it is difficult for the injection machine and the mold transportation machine to ensure 100% accurate alignment, when the injection nozzle needs to extend into the mold receiving port, there are often slight errors between the upper injection nozzle and the lower mold below, and it is difficult to ensure complete centering. At this time, the injection nozzle needs to overcome the frictional force between the mold and the tray to completely insert the injection nozzle into the mold receiving port. This will not only affect the injection efficiency but also easily cause damage to the injection nozzle and the mold.

[0046] Based on this, the present utility model provides an automatic centering device, which will be described in detail through specific embodiments below.

[0047] An embodiment of the present utility model provides an automatic centering device. Refer to Figure 1 As shown in the figure, it includes a housing 1, an upper cover 2, a bottom plate 3, a magnet member 4, a magnetic fastener 5, a spacer 6, a sliding mechanism 7 and a tray 8;

[0048] The bottom plate 3 is arranged inside the housing 1, and the magnet member 4 is embedded between the housing 1 and the bottom plate 3;

[0049] An accommodation cavity 10 is formed between the upper cover 2 and the housing 1;

[0050] Part of the magnetic fastener 5 is arranged inside the accommodation cavity 10, and the tray 8, the spacer 6 and the sliding mechanism 7 are sleeved on the magnetic fastener 5 from top to bottom in sequence;

[0051] The sliding mechanism 7 is located inside the accommodation cavity 10, and the bottom of the sliding mechanism 7 abuts against the bottom plate 3;

[0052] The upper cover 2 is provided with a receiving hole 211, the inner diameter of the receiving hole 211 is larger than the outer diameter of the spacer 6, and the spacer 6 passes through the receiving hole 211;

[0053] The magnetic fastener 5 is centered with the magnet member 4;

[0054] There is a first gap between the magnetic fastener 5 and the bottom plate 3;

[0055] The bottom of the tray 8 is spaced from the upper surface of the upper cover 2 by a first preset distance.

[0056] In this embodiment, the magnetic fastener 5 is centered with the magnet member 4 under the adsorption action of the magnet member 4. The tray 8, the spacer 6 and the sliding mechanism 7 are fixed to the magnetic fastener 5 from top to bottom in sequence. The sliding mechanism 7 is located at the bottom end of the magnetic fastener 5, and the bottom surface of the sliding mechanism 7 is lower than the bottom surface of the magnetic fastener 5. The sliding mechanism 7 can slide on the bottom plate 3. When the tray 8 is subjected to an external force in the horizontal direction, the tray 8 drives the sliding mechanism 7 to slide in the accommodation cavity 10 under the action of the horizontal force, and the magnetic fastener 5 moves accordingly against the adsorption force of the magnet member 4; when the external force in the horizontal direction acting on the tray 8 is withdrawn, the magnetic fastener 5 automatically resets and centers under the adsorption action of the magnet member 4.

[0057] In this embodiment, refer to Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the magnet member 4 is arranged at the center of the housing 1. Correspondingly, the magnetic fastener 5 is located at the center of the accommodation cavity 10; part of the spacer 6 is located inside the accommodation cavity 10, and the other part extends out of the upper cover 2. When the magnetic fastener 5 is located at the center of the accommodation cavity 10, there is a fourth preset distance between the outer periphery of the spacer 6 and the receiving hole 211, thereby restricting the movement range of the sliding mechanism 7. The material of the spacer 6 is a flexible material. Arranging the spacer 6 can also prevent friction and collision between the magnetic fastener 5 and the upper cover 2, avoid damage to the magnetic fastener 5 and the upper cover 2, and is beneficial to extending the service life of the automatic centering device.

[0058] The automatic centering device provided by the embodiment of the present utility model enables the tray 8 to move in the horizontal direction by setting the sliding mechanism 7, facilitating the alignment of the mold workpiece on the tray 8 with the injection nozzle. Through the adsorption of the magnet member 4 on the magnetic fastener 5, automatic centering and resetting are achieved. Compared with the centering device that uses multiple springs for resetting, it will not cause incorrect resetting due to the elastic force error generated by the long-term use of the springs. Moreover, since the magnetic fastener 5 does not contact the bottom plate 3 and the tray 8 does not contact the upper cover 2, only the friction between the sliding mechanism 7 and the bottom plate 3 exists during resetting, making the reset stable and fast. This ensures that the mold is still in the correct position when placed on the slide table of the transportation device next time, and at the same time ensures that the tray 8 also has a moving stroke in all directions, which is beneficial to improving the alignment efficiency between the injection nozzle and the mold receiving port, thereby improving the injection efficiency.

[0059] In an alternative embodiment, referring to Figure 1 As shown, the automatic centering device further includes a limit ring 9. The limit ring 9 is sleeved on the spacer sleeve 6, and the outer diameter of the limit ring 9 is larger than the inner diameter of the accommodation hole 211. There is only a small second gap between the limit ring 9 and the lower surface of the upper cover 2, thereby realizing the vertical limitation of the sliding mechanism 7 and the magnetic fastener 5, preventing the sliding mechanism 7 and the magnetic fastener 5 from tilting and misaligning under external forces, ensuring the normal lifting of the tray 8, effectively avoiding the dropping of the workpiece in the tray 8, and guaranteeing the smooth progress of the operation.

[0060] In an alternative embodiment, referring to Figure 1 As shown, the sliding mechanism 7 includes a ball pressing plate 71, a ball holder 72, and a plurality of balls 73. Among them, the ball pressing plate 71 and the ball holder 72 are sleeved on the magnetic fastener 5 up and down, and the plurality of balls 73 are movably arranged in the ball holder 72 so that the balls 73 can slide relative to the ball holder 72. Optionally, the ball holder 72 is provided with corresponding ball mounting through grooves (not shown in the figure), and the plurality of balls 73 are respectively installed in the corresponding ball mounting through grooves. The bottom of the balls 73 abuts against the bottom plate 3, enabling the balls 73 to move in any direction relative to the bottom plate 3 and the ball holder 72. The lower surface of the ball pressing plate 71 abuts against the tops of the plurality of balls 73, thereby pressing the plurality of balls 73 tightly, preventing the balls 73 from coming out of the ball holder 72, and ensuring that the bottoms of the plurality of balls 73 all abut against the bottom plate 3.

[0061] In an alternative embodiment, referring to Figure 1As shown, the bottoms of multiple balls 73 are in contact with the bottom plate 3, and the lowermost ends of the multiple balls 73 are lower than the bottom end of the magnetic fastener 5, so that there is a first gap between the magnetic fastener 5 and the bottom plate 3. When the balls 73 roll and the magnetic fastener 5 moves accordingly, no friction is generated between the magnetic fastener 5 and the bottom plate 3, thereby greatly reducing the external force required for the movement of the tray 8. Moreover, since there is also a gap between the tray 8 and the upper cover 2, in the scenario of mold injection molding, even if the injection nozzle and the mold are not completely centered, the injection nozzle only needs to overcome the rolling friction between the balls 73 and the bottom plate 3 to completely insert the injection nozzle into the mold receiving port, improving the injection efficiency and effectively avoiding damage to the injection nozzle and the mold.

[0062] In an alternative embodiment, the multiple balls 73 are circumferentially and uniformly distributed on the ball holder 72 to ensure that the frictional forces required for the balls 73 to roll in any direction are substantially the same, so that the tray 8 can move smoothly in any direction under the action of an external force, which is beneficial to improving the alignment efficiency between the injection nozzle and the mold receiving port.

[0063] In the embodiment of the present utility model, the magnet member 4 is embedded between the bottom plate 3 and the housing 1. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1 As shown, the upper part of the magnet member 4 is embedded in the bottom plate 3, and the lower part is embedded in the housing 1. Moreover, the thickness of the part of the bottom plate 3 above the magnet member 4 is small, which will not have a great impact on the upward adsorption force of the magnet member 4, so that the adsorption force of the magnet member 4 is sufficient to reset the magnetic fastener 5.

[0064] In an alternative embodiment, the magnetic fastener 5 is a magnetic metal screw, and an external thread is provided on its outer sidewall; internal threads are provided on the inner sidewalls of the ball pressing disc 71, the spacer sleeve 6 and the tray 8, and the ball pressing disc 71, the spacer sleeve 6 and the tray 8 are respectively threadedly connected to the magnetic fastening screw. Further, the upper end of the tray 8 is sleeved on the spacer sleeve 6, and the lower end of the ball pressing disc 71 is sleeved on the spacer sleeve 6, so that the connection between the ball pressing disc 71, the spacer sleeve 6, the tray 8 and the fastening screw is more compact, improving the structural compactness and the stability of the overall structure.

[0065] In an alternative embodiment, as shown in Figure 1 As shown, the upper cover 2 is in the shape of a cylinder with an opening downward, and includes a cover body 21 and a limiting portion 22 provided below the cover body 21. Among them, the cover body 21 is arranged above the housing 1, and the accommodating hole 211 is located at the center of the cover body 21; the outer wall of the limiting portion 22 is clamped with the inner sidewall of the housing 1. Further, a downward step 221 is provided at the bottom of the limiting portion 22, and the step surface of the step 221 abuts against the bottom plate 3, and the part outside the step 221 is inserted between the bottom plate 3 and the housing 1, thereby ensuring the connection tightness and realizing convenient disassembly and assembly at the same time.

[0066] In an alternative embodiment, as shown in Figure 1As shown, the ball pressing disc 71 and the ball holder 72 are located within the accommodation cavity 10. There is a second preset distance between the outer periphery of the ball pressing disc 71 and the inner side wall of the limiting portion 22, and a third preset distance between the outer periphery of the ball holder 72 and the inner side wall of the limiting portion 22. When the magnetic fastener 5 is in the central state within the accommodation cavity 10, there is a fourth preset distance between the outer periphery of the spacer sleeve 6 and the accommodation hole 211. Both the second preset distance and the third preset distance are greater than the fourth preset distance. Thus, when the tray 8 drives the magnetic fastener 5 to move radially by the maximum distance, the spacer sleeve 6 contacts the inner side of the accommodation hole 211, and there is still a gap between the ball pressing disc 71 and the ball holder 72 and the inner wall of the limiting portion 22, preventing collisions and ensuring the stability and working safety of the automatic centering device.

[0067] In an alternative embodiment, except for the magnet member 4 and the magnetic fastener 5, the remaining components of the automatic centering device, especially the components close to the magnet member 4, are made of non-magnetic materials to avoid affecting the adsorption force of the magnet member 4 on the magnetic fastener 5.

[0068] The assembly process of the automatic centering device provided by the embodiment of the present utility model may specifically include:

[0069] Place the magnet member 4 in the corresponding position of the housing 1, and place the bottom plate 3 into the housing 1 so that the magnet member 4 is embedded between the bottom plate 3 and the housing 1;

[0070] Install a plurality of balls 73 on the ball holder 72, and sequentially sleeved the ball holder 72, the ball pressing disc 71, and the spacer sleeve 6 on the magnetic fastener 5;

[0071] Integrally place the ball holder 72, the ball pressing disc 71, the spacer sleeve 6, and the magnetic fastener 5 into the housing 1, and align the center of the magnetic fastener 5 with the magnet member 4;

[0072] Insert the limiting portion 22 of the upper cover 2 into the housing 1 and snap it with the housing 1, and press against the bottom plate 3;

[0073] Fix the tray 8 to the top end of the magnetic fastener 5.

[0074] The automatic centering device provided by the embodiment of the present utility model has a simple and compact structure, is convenient for disassembly and assembly, is applicable to most working conditions requiring automatic centering, and has high economic value and promotion prospects.

[0075] The specific application process of the automatic centering device provided by the embodiment of the present utility model in the mold injection scene may include:

[0076] Place a plurality of automatic centering devices in sequence on the injection production line, and place the mold on the corresponding tray 8;

[0077] When the mold reaches below the injection nozzle, if the mold and the injection nozzle are not completely centered, after the injection nozzle contacts the receiving hole of the mold, it overcomes the friction between the ball 73 and the bottom plate 3, causing the tray 8 to move, and further causing the mold and the injection nozzle to be not completely centered;

[0078] The injection nozzle completely extends into the receiving hole of the mold to complete the injection molding;

[0079] After the injection molding is completed, the injection nozzle retracts, and the magnetic fastening screw automatically returns to the center alignment under the adsorption of the magnet member 4.

[0080] Obviously, using the automatic centering device provided by the embodiment of the present invention for workpiece centering in mold injection molding is only a preferred implementation manner. This automatic centering device can also be used in other production operation scenarios that require automatic centering. Here, no specific limitation is made.

[0081] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The present disclosure is not limited to the exact structure described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the present disclosure is only limited by the appended claims. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present invention fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention and their equivalent technologies, the present invention also intends to include these changes and modifications.

Claims

1. An automatic centering device, characterized in that: It includes a shell, an upper cover, a bottom plate, a magnet, a magnetic fastener, a spacer, a sliding mechanism and a tray; The bottom plate is arranged in the shell, and the magnet is embedded between the shell and the bottom plate; A receiving cavity is formed between the upper cover and the shell; The magnetic fastener is partially disposed in the accommodating cavity, and the tray, the spacer sleeve and the sliding mechanism are sequentially sleeved on the magnetic fastener from top to bottom; The sliding mechanism is located in the accommodating cavity, and the bottom of the sliding mechanism abuts against the bottom plate; The upper cover is provided with a receiving hole, the inner diameter of the receiving hole is larger than the outer diameter of the spacer, and the spacer passes through the receiving hole; The magnetic fastener is aligned with the center of the magnet; There is a first gap between the magnetic fastener and the base plate; The bottom of the tray is spaced apart from the upper surface of the upper cover by a first preset distance.

2. The automatic centering device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes a limit ring; The limiting ring is sleeved with the spacer; The outer diameter of the limiting ring is larger than the inner diameter of the accommodating hole; A second gap is formed between the limiting ring and the lower surface of the upper cover.

3. The automatic centering device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sliding mechanism comprises a ball pressure plate, a ball rack and a plurality of balls; The ball rack and the ball pressure plate are sleeved on the magnetic fastener; The plurality of balls are movably arranged in the ball rack, and the ball pressure plate presses the plurality of balls.

4. The automatic centering device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The plurality of balls abut against the bottom plate, and bottom ends of the plurality of balls are lower than the bottom end of the magnetic fastener.

5. The automatic centering device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The plurality of balls are evenly distributed on the ball rack in the circumferential direction.

6. The automatic centering device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The magnetic fastener is a magnetic metal screw; The magnetic fasteners are respectively threadedly connected to the ball pressure plate, the spacer sleeve and the tray.

7. The automatic centering device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The two ends of the spacer sleeve are respectively connected with the ball pressure plate and the tray.

8. The automatic centering device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The upper cover comprises a cover body and a limiting portion arranged below the cover body; The cover is located above the shell; The outer side wall of the limiting portion is clamped with the inner side wall of the shell, and the bottom of the limiting portion abuts against the bottom plate.

9. The automatic centering device according to claim 8, characterized in that: A second preset distance is spaced between the outer periphery of the ball pressure plate and the inner side wall of the limiting portion; A third preset distance is spaced between the outer periphery of the ball cage and the inner side wall of the limiting portion.

10. The automatic centering device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The magnet member is located at the center of the housing.

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