Pneumatic actuator capable of being locked at any position

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of pneumatic actuators, and particularly relates to a pneumatic actuator capable of being locked at any position, which comprises a piston cylinder and a piston rod, one end of the piston rod is arranged in the piston cylinder, the other end of the piston rod extends out of the piston cylinder, the piston rod is telescopic relative to the piston cylinder, and a first cavity is arranged in the piston cylinder. The piston rod penetrates through the first cavity, the locking device further comprises a locking piston and a spring chuck, the spring chuck is located in the first cavity and arranged on the piston rod in a sleeving mode, the locking piston is arranged on the spring chuck in a sleeving mode, and the locking piston can be driven to act on the spring chuck to tightly hold the piston rod or loosen the piston rod. The pneumatic actuator aims at solving at least one of the technical problems that an existing pneumatic actuator is poor in locking effect and difficult to install, and has the advantages of being better in locking effect, higher in efficiency, simple in structure, easy to install and maintain and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the technical field of pneumatic actuators, and in particular relates to a pneumatic actuator which can be locked at any position. Background Art

[0002] On existing automated production lines, pneumatic actuators with arbitrary position locking functions are often used to prevent workpieces from falling, maintain the position of workpieces during travel or when the air is cut off, and for emergency stops. One of the technical solutions for the above-mentioned pneumatic actuator is to use a compression spring in the locking device to bias the clip perpendicular to the piston rod, and form a lever-like structure between the two points on the inner ring of the clip and the piston rod of the cylinder to clamp the piston rod, thereby locking the piston rod and stopping it. However, the above-mentioned solution of the pneumatic actuator locks the piston rod through the locking clip in the locked state. When the piston rod retracts or extends, it drives the clip, causing the spring to press down. The clip originally biased by the spring is close to perpendicular to the piston rod, resulting in the locking clip being unable to effectively and stably clamp the piston rod, thereby failing to achieve the locking purpose and having a poor locking effect. At the same time, the installation of the two springs and clips in the locking device of the above-mentioned pneumatic actuator is relatively difficult. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of the present utility model is to provide a pneumatic actuator that can be locked at any position, aiming to solve at least one of the technical problems of existing pneumatic actuators, namely, poor locking effect and difficulty in installation.

[0004] In order to achieve the above purpose, the utility model adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] A pneumatic actuator that can be locked at any position includes a piston cylinder and a piston rod with one end arranged in the piston cylinder and the other end extending outside the piston cylinder. The piston rod is retractable relative to the piston cylinder. A first cavity is provided in the piston cylinder, and the piston rod passes through the first cavity. It also includes a locking piston and a spring collet. The spring collet is located in the first cavity and is sleeved on the piston rod. The locking piston is sleeved on the spring collet. Driving the locking piston can act on the spring collet to tighten or loosen the piston rod.

[0006] Furthermore, the spring chuck is configured as an annular sleeve, which is axially provided with a plurality of spaced slots, the inner sidewall of which is configured to be inclined outward along the axial direction, and the outer sidewall of which is configured to be inclined inward along the axial direction.

[0007] Furthermore, the inclination angle of the inner wall and the outer wall is set to 4°.

[0008] Furthermore, the locking piston includes a cylindrical body, and the inner hole wall of the cylindrical body is provided with at least one inclined portion, and the inclined portion acts on the outer side wall of the spring collet.

[0009] Furthermore, the outer periphery of the cylindrical body is provided with at least one dividing ring, which divides the first cavity into a front compartment and a rear compartment, and the piston cylinder is provided with a first air inlet hole corresponding to the front compartment, and the piston cylinder is provided with a second air inlet hole corresponding to the rear compartment.

[0010] Furthermore, it also includes a limit ring, which is located in the first cavity and is staggered with the spring collet and sleeved on the piston rod, and one end of the spring collet facing the limit ring is pressed against the limit ring.

[0011] Furthermore, the inner hole wall of the cylindrical body is set as a straight cylindrical portion at a position corresponding to the limit retaining ring, and a first step portion is provided between the straight cylindrical portion and the inclined portion. The end of the spring collet that abuts against the limit retaining ring is provided with a second step portion on the limit retaining ring. When the locking piston is driven into position, the first step portion abuts against the second step portion.

[0012] Furthermore, it also includes a front cover, which is arranged at the front end of the piston cylinder, and the limit ring and the front cover adopt an integrated structural design.

[0013] Furthermore, the piston cylinder includes a front cylinder barrel and a rear cylinder barrel, the first cavity is provided in the front cylinder barrel, the second cavity is provided in the rear cylinder barrel, the piston rod passes through the first cavity to the second cavity, the piston rod is provided with a second piston at the end located in the second cavity, the piston cylinder is provided with a third air inlet hole at the front end corresponding to the second cavity, and the piston cylinder is provided with a fourth air inlet hole at the rear end corresponding to the second cavity.

[0014] Furthermore, a positioning boss is provided at one end of the front cylinder opposite to the rear cylinder, and the positioning boss is configured to be adapted to the size of the second cavity and embedded in the second cavity.

[0015] The pneumatic actuator of the present invention, when the locking piston is driven to act on the spring collet to clamp the piston rod, the piston rod becomes locked, and vice versa, the piston rod can be unlocked; the locking principle of the present invention is that the metal itself is elastically clamped, which can achieve locking of the cylinder piston rod at any position, and at the same time has better locking effect and higher efficiency.

[0016] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail in the subsequent detailed description of the embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of a pneumatic actuator that can be locked at any position provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0018] Figure 2A front view of a pneumatic actuator that can be locked at any position provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0019] Figure 3 A rear view of a pneumatic actuator that can be locked at any position provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0020] Figure 4 A stepped cross-sectional view of a pneumatic actuator that can be locked at any position provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0021] Figure 5 A central cross-sectional view of a pneumatic actuator that can be locked at any position provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0022] Figure 6 A three-dimensional diagram of a spring chuck of a pneumatic actuator that can be locked at any position provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0023] Figure 7 A three-dimensional diagram of a locking piston of a pneumatic actuator that can be locked at any position provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0024] Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of a locking piston of a pneumatic actuator that can be locked at any position provided by an embodiment of the utility model.

[0025] The names and numbers of the components in the figure are:

[0026] 10. Piston cylinder; 11. Front cylinder barrel; 12. Rear cylinder barrel; 13. Front cover; 110. Positioning boss; 111. First air inlet hole; 112. Second air inlet hole; 113. Third air inlet hole; 114. Fourth air inlet hole; 131. Limiting ring; 132. Second step portion; 100. First cavity; 101. Front compartment; 102. Rear compartment; 103. Second cavity; 2. Piston rod; 3. Spring collet; 31. Slot; 4. Locking piston; 40. Cylindrical body; 41. Splitting ring; 42. Inclined portion; 43. Straight portion; 44. First step portion; 5. Second piston. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0028] Please refer to the attached Figure 1-8As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a pneumatic actuator that can be locked at any position, including a piston cylinder 10 and a piston rod 2 with one end located within the piston cylinder 10 and the other end extending outside the piston cylinder 10. The piston rod 2 is retractable relative to the piston cylinder 10. A first cavity 100 is provided within the piston cylinder 10, through which the piston rod 2 passes. The actuator also includes a locking piston 4 and a spring collet 3. The spring collet 3 is located within the first cavity 100 and is sleeved on the piston rod 2. The locking piston 4 is sleeved on the spring collet 3. Actuating the locking piston 4 can act on the spring collet 3 to tighten or loosen the piston rod 2. When the spring collet 3 tightens the piston rod 2, the piston rod 2 enters a locked state. When the spring collet 3 loosens its grip on the piston rod 2 (loosens), the piston rod 2 is unlocked. The locking principle of the present invention is the elastic grip of the metal itself, which can achieve locking of the cylinder piston rod 2 at any position, while also achieving better locking effect and higher efficiency.

[0029] The spring chuck 3 is configured as an annular sleeve, which is axially provided with a plurality of spaced slots 31, the inner sidewall of which is configured to be inclined outwardly in the axial direction, and the outer sidewall of which is configured to be inclined inwardly in the axial direction. The slots 31 allow the spring chuck 3 to deform in the radial direction, and the deformation is advantageously elastic, so that the spring chuck 3 returns to its original (undeformed) shape after deformation. In one specific embodiment, the inclination angle of the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall is set to 4°, that is, the structural design of the two sides adding up to a total of 8°. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the inclination angle of the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall can also be other angles, such as 3°, 5°, 10°, etc.

[0030] The locking piston 4 includes a cylindrical body 40. The inner wall of the cylindrical body 40 is provided with at least one inclined portion 42, which acts on the outer wall of the spring chuck 3. Furthermore, the outer circumference of the cylindrical body 40 is provided with at least one dividing ring 41, which divides the first cavity 100 into a front compartment 101 and a rear compartment 102. The piston cylinder 10 is provided with a first air inlet 111 corresponding to the front compartment 101, and a second air inlet 112 corresponding to the rear compartment 102. Air and pressure are ventilated into the front compartment 101 through the first air inlet 111, driving the locking piston 4 to move backward and compress the spring chuck 3. The spring chuck 3, relying on its own elasticity, grips the cylinder piston rod 2, causing the piston rod 2 to enter a locked state (this is called gripping). The unlocking principle is to ventilate and pressurize the rear compartment 102 through the second air inlet 112, drive the locking piston 4 to move forward to release the spring clamp 3 (this is loosening), the spring clamp 3 rebounds, the piston rod 2 becomes free, and the lock is released.

[0031] The locking piston 40 further includes a retaining ring 131, which is located in the first cavity 100 and is staggered with the spring collet 3 and sleeved on the piston rod 2. The end of the spring collet 3 facing the retaining ring 131 abuts against the retaining ring 131. The inner hole wall of the cylindrical body 40 is provided with a straight cylindrical portion 43 at a position corresponding to the retaining ring 131. A first step 44 is provided between the straight cylindrical portion 43 and the inclined portion 42. The end of the spring collet 3 abutting against the retaining ring 131 is provided with a second step 132 on the retaining ring 131. When the locking piston 4 is driven into position, the first step 44 abuts against the second step 132.

[0032] It also includes a front cover 13, which is arranged at the front end of the piston cylinder 10. The limit ring 131 and the front cover 13 are designed as an integrated structure, which makes the structure simple and convenient for installation and disassembly.

[0033] The piston cylinder 10 includes a front cylinder 11 and a rear cylinder 12. The first cavity 100 is provided in the front cylinder 11, and a second cavity 103 is provided in the rear cylinder 12. The piston rod 2 passes through the first cavity 100 to the second cavity 103. The piston rod 2 is provided with a second piston 5 at the end located in the second cavity 103. The piston cylinder 10 is provided with a third air inlet hole 113 at the front end corresponding to the second cavity 103, and a fourth air inlet hole 114 at the rear end corresponding to the second cavity 103. The third and fourth air inlet holes 113 and 114 are used to drive the extension and retraction of the piston rod 2. The principle of this can be referred to the first and second air inlet holes 111 and 112 driving the movement of the locking piston 4, and will not be repeated here.

[0034] A positioning boss 110 is provided at one end of the front cylinder 11 opposite to the rear cylinder 12 . The positioning boss 110 is configured to fit the size of the second cavity 103 and is embedded in the second cavity 103 , making installation and alignment easier.

[0035] To sum up, in the pneumatic actuator of the present invention, when the locking piston 4 is driven to act on the spring collet 3 to clamp the piston rod 2, the piston rod 2 becomes locked, and vice versa, the piston rod 2 can be unlocked; the locking principle of the present invention is that the metal itself is elastically clamped, which can achieve locking of the cylinder piston rod 2 at any position, and at the same time, the locking effect is better and the efficiency is higher, and the structure is simple and easy to install and maintain.

[0036] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0037] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present invention. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art would be able to make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

[0038] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pneumatic actuator capable of being locked at any position, comprising a piston cylinder and a piston rod with one end disposed within the piston cylinder and the other end extending outside the piston cylinder, wherein the piston rod is retractable relative to the piston cylinder, and wherein: A first cavity is provided in the piston cylinder, and the piston rod passes through the first cavity. The piston cylinder also includes a locking piston and a spring collet. The spring collet is located in the first cavity and is sleeved on the piston rod. The locking piston is sleeved on the spring collet. Driving the locking piston can act on the spring collet to tighten or loosen the piston rod.

2. A pneumatic actuator capable of locking at any position according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spring chuck is configured as an annular sleeve, which is axially provided with a plurality of spaced slots, an inner sidewall of which is configured to be inclined outwardly along the axial direction, and an outer sidewall of which is configured to be inclined inwardly along the axial direction.

3. The pneumatic actuator capable of being locked at any position according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inclination angle of the inner wall and the outer wall is set to 4°.

4. The pneumatic actuator capable of being locked at any position according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking piston comprises a cylindrical body, the inner hole wall of the cylindrical body is provided with at least one inclined portion, and the inclined portion acts on the outer side wall of the spring collet.

5. The pneumatic actuator capable of being locked at any position according to claim 4, characterized in that: The outer circumference of the cylindrical body is provided with at least one dividing ring, which divides the first cavity into a front compartment and a rear compartment. The piston cylinder is provided with a first air inlet hole corresponding to the front compartment, and the piston cylinder is provided with a second air inlet hole corresponding to the rear compartment.

6. The pneumatic actuator capable of being locked at any position according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a limit ring, which is located in the first cavity and is staggered with the spring collet and sleeved on the piston rod. One end of the spring collet facing the limit ring is against the limit ring.

7. The pneumatic actuator capable of being locked at any position according to claim 6, characterized in that: The inner hole wall of the cylindrical body is set as a straight cylindrical portion at the position corresponding to the limit retaining ring, and a first step portion is provided between the straight cylindrical portion and the inclined portion. The end of the spring collet that abuts against the limit retaining ring is provided with a second step portion on the limit retaining ring. When the locking piston is driven into position, the first step portion abuts against the second step portion.

8. The pneumatic actuator capable of being locked at any position according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes a front cover, which is arranged at the front end of the piston cylinder, and the limit ring and the front cover adopt an integrated structural design.

9. The pneumatic actuator capable of being locked at any position according to claim 1, characterized in that: The piston cylinder includes a front cylinder barrel and a rear cylinder barrel, the first cavity is provided in the front cylinder barrel, the second cavity is provided in the rear cylinder barrel, the piston rod passes through the first cavity to the second cavity, the piston rod is provided with a second piston at the end located in the second cavity, the piston cylinder is provided with a third air inlet hole at the front end corresponding to the second cavity, and the piston cylinder is provided with a fourth air inlet hole at the rear end corresponding to the second cavity.

10. The pneumatic actuator capable of being locked at any position according to claim 9, characterized in that: A positioning boss is provided at one end of the front cylinder opposite to the rear cylinder. The positioning boss is configured to be adapted to the size of the second cavity and is embedded in the second cavity.

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