Automatic heat shrink tube centering mechanism for crawler-type heat shrink machine
By designing a weld point position detection and automatic alignment mechanism on a tracked heat shrink machine, the problems of weld point misalignment and rework caused by manual alignment of heat shrink tubing have been solved. Automatic alignment and wire feeding of heat shrink tubing have been achieved, improving efficiency and accuracy, and reducing costs and safety hazards.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202520611604.3
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-04-02
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-03
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-04-02
AI Technical Summary
Existing tracked heat shrink machines rely on manual operation during the alignment process of heat shrink tubing, which leads to weld point misalignment, high rework rate, and increased costs. Furthermore, existing automatic alignment mechanisms are complex in structure, have poor adaptability, and are costly.
Design an automatic alignment device for heat shrink tubing that includes a solder joint position detection mechanism and an automatic alignment mechanism. The device detects the solder joint position using a conductive sheet and uses a cylinder and a shift fork to achieve automatic alignment and wire feeding of the heat shrink tubing, simplifying the operation process and improving accuracy and efficiency.
It enables automatic alignment of heat shrink tubing, reduces manual adjustment time, improves the accuracy of heat shrink tubing positioning and the smoothness of equipment operation, meets the needs of factory automation, and reduces costs and safety hazards.
Smart Images
Figure CN223960690U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of automated equipment for wire harness production, and specifically relates to an automatic centering mechanism for heat shrink tubing used in a tracked heat shrink machine. Background Technology
[0002] With the continuous development of wire harness production, ultrasonic welding technology has been discovered and applied. After ultrasonic welding, the weld joints of the wire harness are exposed and require sealing and insulation with heat shrink tubing of a certain length to protect them. Before manufacturing, the wire harness undergoes precise calculations and design to minimize length and reduce costs while ensuring signal transmission. Therefore, the length and branch point locations during production are subject to high process specifications. To some extent, the location of the heat shrink tubing used for protection is also very important.
[0003] Currently, the main equipment used in the market for heat shrinking the aforementioned wire harness heat shrink tubing is a tracked heat shrink machine. The motor drives the belt to move the wire harness body through the heating area to complete the heat shrinking of the heat shrink tubing. Conventional heat sources always maintain the characteristic of high heat in the middle and low heat on both sides. Therefore, operators need to make the heat shrink tubing pass through the middle area as much as possible to maintain the highest heat shrinking efficiency. To meet the above requirements, operators need to roughly position the wire harness visually or by referring to markings (easily identifiable markings or stickers at the feed inlet), which affects their work efficiency. Furthermore, the heat shrink tubing used in this type of wire harness is often black and opaque (some factories use transparent tubing for easier observation, but transparent tubing is more expensive). When adjusting the position, workers cannot observe the relative position of the solder joints and the heat shrink tubing. After heat shrinking, the relative position of the solder joints and the heat shrink tubing is prone to shift. Significant shifts require rework, which disrupts the original process rhythm and affects overall work efficiency. The heat from double-walled heat shrink tubing causes highly viscous adhesive to overflow, which is extremely difficult to peel off after curing. Rework can damage the wire harness itself, rendering it unusable and wasting costs. From the factory's perspective, lacking effective optimization methods to increase efficiency, the only way to increase production capacity and meet market demand is to add production lines or lower process requirements, significantly increasing investment in manpower and equipment, and raising costs.
[0004] Various types of heat shrink tubing alignment mechanisms have emerged on the market, but these structures generally have some problems: during the alignment process, the mechanical structure replaces the action of moving the heat shrink tubing, but the wire feeding still requires manual operation; the alignment action will have certain deviations for different types of wire harnesses, resulting in a high alignment failure rate, meaning that it is compatible with a limited number of wire harness types; after changing the heat shrink tubing specification, the mechanical structure needs to be manually adjusted to meet the alignment action of that type of heat shrink tubing; the overall structure is relatively complex and costly. Utility Model Content
[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide an automatic centering mechanism for heat shrink tubing in a tracked heat shrink machine. This invention features a simple operating device that ensures the heat shrink tubing is fully centered and heated. Workers only need to lay out the tubing, eliminating intermediate adjustment steps, significantly improving work efficiency, and requiring minimal worker skill.
[0006] The specific technical solution adopted in this utility model is as follows:
[0007] This utility model provides an automatic alignment mechanism for heat shrink tubing in a tracked heat shrink machine, including a weld point position detection mechanism and an automatic alignment mechanism installed upstream of the tracked heat shrink machine.
[0008] The weld point location detection mechanism includes a conductive sheet for detecting the weld point location, a heat shrink tubing retraction fork for pushing the heat shrink tubing towards the weld point, and a wire harness conveying cylinder for conveying the welding line to the feed inlet of the track heat shrink machine and transporting it on the belt.
[0009] The automatic centering mechanism is located downstream of the weld point position detection mechanism and includes a centering fork that can push the heat shrink tubing to the center of the weld point and rotate with the welding line in the direction of transmission to the conveyor belt.
[0010] Preferably, the wire harness delivery cylinders are symmetrically installed on the left and right sides of the fixed base, and wire harness clamping cylinders are installed at their output ends, which can drive the wire harness clamping cylinders to move horizontally back and forth; the output ends of the wire harness clamping cylinders are connected to wire harness clamping arms, and the wire harness clamping blocks are fixed on the fixed base. The wire harness clamping cylinders can drive the wire harness clamping arms and wire harness clamping blocks to clamp and release the welding wire in the back and forth direction; the two heat shrink tubing retraction forks are located inside the two wire harness clamping cylinders, respectively, and are connected to the connecting rods. The rotating connection connects the connecting rod to the output ends on both sides of the heat shrink tubing retraction cylinder. Driven by the heat shrink tubing retraction cylinder, the two heat shrink tubing retraction forks can simultaneously move inwards or outwards. A weld point detection lifting cylinder is installed above the heat shrink tubing retraction cylinder. The output end of the weld point detection lifting cylinder is connected to two conductive plates via a conductive plate mounting block. The weld point detection lifting cylinder can drive the two conductive plates to move up and down synchronously. When the weld point contacts the conductive plate, a circuit is formed to activate the weld point position detection mechanism.
[0011] Preferably, the top of the wire harness conveying cylinder has a horizontal slide rail, and the bottom of the wire harness clamping cylinder is slidably connected to the horizontal slide rail; the fixing base is a U-shaped structure, including two vertical plates and a horizontal base plate; the two sets of wire harness conveying cylinders and wire harness clamping cylinders are respectively installed on the outside of the two vertical plates, and the heat shrink tubing retracting cylinder is installed on the horizontal base plate.
[0012] Preferably, the heat shrink tubing retractor fork has a Y-shaped structure with a low center of gravity, and its top opening size allows the welding line to enter.
[0013] Preferably, the two conductive sheets are located on the left and right sides of the conductive sheet mounting block, respectively. The plate surface is vertical and parallel to the operating direction of the wire harness conveying cylinder, and the top has a groove for contacting the welding wire. The conductive sheet mounting block has a scale to adjust the horizontal distance between the two conductive sheets.
[0014] Preferably, the two centering forks are slidably connected to the centering guide rail via connecting components. The centering guide rail is arranged parallel to the welding line axis. The two centering forks can move inward or outward simultaneously under the drive of the power source. A sensor is provided on the front side of the two centering forks. The sensor does not interfere with the movement of the welding line. When any centering fork rotates to the set position, it can trigger the sensor to start the automatic centering mechanism.
[0015] Preferably, the centering guide rail is installed behind the centering base plate, and the front of the centering base plate is connected to the feed inlet of the track heat shrink machine.
[0016] Preferably, the connecting assembly includes a centering fixing block, a centering fork support plate, and a centering adapter plate; the bottom of the centering fixing block is slidably connected to the centering guide rail, the side is fixed with a centering adapter plate for limiting the stroke, and the top is fixedly connected to the centering fork through the centering fork support plate.
[0017] Preferably, the centering fork has a lower center of gravity and symmetrical V-shaped grooves on its front and rear sides that can completely contain the welding line.
[0018] Compared with the prior art, this utility model has the following advantages:
[0019] Through practical production applications, this invention effectively solves the current reliance on manual operations such as thread alignment and heat shrink tubing position adjustment. Operators only need to locate the welding point during thread laying; the subsequent work can be completed by the equipment, saving significant adjustment time, reducing operational requirements, and improving the accuracy of heat shrink tubing position. The saved adjustment time can then be used for preparing the next thread, greatly improving efficiency. Compared to other mechanically assisted structures, this invention enables electronic adjustment of the heat shrink tubing length. Parameters can be modified simply through the operating interface, eliminating the need for complex manual adjustment procedures. Furthermore, electronic control offers higher precision, better meeting the current needs of factory automation and intelligence (e.g., MES). (Continued); The entire heat shrinking process of the wire harness, excluding the wire feeding step, is completed automatically by the equipment, eliminating human interference. The entire process is smooth and efficient, ensuring high accuracy in wire harness heat shrinking. The wire feeding is accomplished by a mechanism, thus eliminating safety hazards such as pinching fingers. The centering fork's external structure design can meet the centering requirements of most heat shrink tubing on wire harnesses. At the same time, it utilizes the offset center of gravity of the accessory itself to achieve self-return to the original position, greatly simplifying the centering structure and saving costs. For factory management, worker operation is simplified, allowing more work to be arranged in the preceding process, such as docking with the ultrasonic welding machine. This can save the labor cost of one person, streamline the process, save space, and thus greatly reduce costs. Attached Figure Description
[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the weld point position detection and centering mechanism of this utility model;
[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the manual placement of wire harnesses under the working conditions of a non-solder joint detection and automatic alignment mechanism in the prior art;
[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the weld joint detection structure designed in this utility model;
[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic centering structure of this utility model;
[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram used to describe the triggering of the solder joint detection mechanism;
[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram used to describe the clamping wires of the weld joint inspection mechanism;
[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram used to describe the wire feeding mechanism of the weld joint inspection system;
[0027] Figure 8 This is used to describe the triggering diagram of the automatic centering mechanism;
[0028] Figure 9 This diagram is used to describe the actions of an automatic centering mechanism.
[0029] Figure 10 This diagram is used to describe the disengagement of the automatic centering mechanism.
[0030] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall operation of a tracked vehicle with a weld point position detection and alignment mechanism.
[0031] The attached figures are labeled as follows: 1. Track heat shrink machine; 2. Weld point position detection mechanism; 3. Automatic centering mechanism; 4. Welding line; 5. Weld point; 6. Heat shrink tubing; 7. Heat shrink tubing boundary label; 8. Center position label; 9. Wire harness conveying cylinder; 10. Wire harness clamping cylinder; 11. Weld point detection lifting cylinder; 12. Heat shrink tubing retraction cylinder; 13. Heat shrink tubing retraction fork; 14. Conductive sheet; 15. Conductive sheet mounting block; 16. Wire harness clamping block; 17. Wire harness clamping arm; 18. Centering base plate; 19. Centering guide rail; 20. Centering fixing block; 21. Centering fork support plate; 22. Centering fork; 23. Centering adapter plate; 24. Sensor; 25. Conveyor belt; 26. Heating plate. Detailed Implementation
[0032] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a full understanding of this utility model. However, this utility model can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without departing from the spirit of this utility model. Therefore, this utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below. Technical features in various embodiments of this utility model can be combined appropriately without conflict.
[0033] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that when an element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected, i.e., there is an intermediate element. Conversely, when an element is said to be "directly" connected to another element, there is no intermediate element.
[0034] In this utility model, for ease of description, the weld point position detection mechanism is referred to as... Figure 3 The positions shown are described as "left", "right", "front", and "back"; for automatic centering mechanisms, they are... Figure 4 The positions shown are described as "left," "right," "front," and "back"; for the overall heat shrink tubing automatic centering mechanism of this utility model, ... Figure 11 The positions described as "upstream (i.e., right front side)" and "downstream (i.e., left rear side)" also represent the directions of movement of the welding line. Unless otherwise specified, the positional relationships in this utility model are described in this way.
[0035] In existing conventional equipment, during heat shrinking of wire harnesses, solder joints are centered manually by referring to reference marks, and the heat shrink tubing requires manual adjustment of its position. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the operator needs to grasp the welding line 4, put on the heat shrink tubing 6, and visually compare the position of the welding point 5 with the center position label 8 as a reference standard, ensuring it is in the center of the heating area of the heating plate 26. Then, the operator manually moves the heat shrink tubing 6 to completely cover the welding point 5, using the boundary label 7 and the center position label 8 as a reference to center it relative to the welding point 5 (or a ruler-type reference can be used for positioning the heat shrink tubing 6). Finally, it is fed into the conveyor belt 25 of the crawler heat shrink machine 1 for heat shrinking. However, existing equipment has the following problems during operation:
[0036] 1) Manual wire placement can cause the solder joints to deviate from the center of the heating area (the solder joints of the wire harness should be in the center of the heating area to achieve the best heat shrink efficiency); 2) Manual adjustment of the heat shrink tubing relative to the solder joint position is prone to misalignment (whether using black opaque or transparent heat shrink tubing, human factors are involved, resulting in asymmetry between the heat shrink tubing and the solder joint); 3) Existing automatic alignment mechanisms on the market require programmed actions during wire harness alignment, and the entire process is choppy; 4) Even after determining the solder joint position and aligning the heat shrink tubing, existing automatic alignment mechanisms still require manual pushing of the wire harness into the heat shrink tubing machine, and there is uncertainty as to whether solder joint misalignment or heat shrink tubing movement will occur; 5) Manually pushing the wire harness into the heat shrink tubing machine poses safety hazards according to the safety guidelines of some wire harness factories, etc.
[0037] This utility model provides an automatic alignment mechanism for heat shrink tubing in a tracked heat shrink machine, including a weld point position detection mechanism 2 and an automatic alignment mechanism 3 installed upstream of the tracked heat shrink machine 1. Figure 1 As shown. In addition to the manual reference markers for manual operation, this utility model includes a weld point position detection mechanism located at the front inlet of the tracked heat shrink equipment and an automatic centering mechanism located at the rear of the inlet. The weld point position detection mechanism can detect the centering position of ultrasonic weld points (including but not limited to ultrasonic weld points, such as crimped points, press points, and exposed copper points, hereinafter collectively referred to as weld points); the automatic centering mechanism can automatically center heat shrink tubing of different lengths (ensuring the heat shrink tubing is symmetrically centered relative to the weld points).
[0038] The weld point position detection mechanism and the automatic alignment mechanism work together to achieve the automatic alignment function of heat shrink tubing. The following describes their cooperation process.
[0039] In the device of this utility model, such as Figure 3 As shown, the weld point position detection mechanism 2 mainly includes a conductive sheet 14, a heat shrink tubing retraction fork 13, and a wire harness conveying cylinder 9. The conductive sheet 14 is used to detect the position of the weld point 5 to activate the weld point position detection mechanism 2; the heat shrink tubing retraction fork 13 is used to push the heat shrink tubing 6 towards the weld point 5; and the wire harness conveying cylinder 9 is used to convey the welding wire 4 onto the transmission belt 25 at the feed inlet of the crawler heat shrink machine 1.
[0040] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, wire harness feeding cylinders 9 are symmetrically installed on the left and right sides of the fixed base. Each wire harness feeding cylinder 9 has a wire harness clamping cylinder 10 installed on its output end. The wire harness feeding cylinder 9 can drive the wire harness clamping cylinder 10 to move back and forth horizontally. Each wire harness clamping cylinder 10 has a wire harness clamping arm 17 connected to its output end, and a wire harness clamping block 16 is fixed to the fixed base. Driven by the wire harness clamping cylinder 10, the wire harness clamping arm 17 and the wire harness clamping block 16 can clamp and release the welding wire 4 in the back-and-forth direction.
[0041] In actual use, the top of the wire harness conveying cylinder 9 has a horizontal slide rail, and the bottom of the wire harness clamping cylinder 10 is slidably connected to the horizontal slide rail. The wire harness conveying cylinder 9 can drive the wire harness clamping cylinder 10 to slide back and forth along the horizontal slide rail.
[0042] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, two heat shrink tubing retracting forks 13 are located inside the two wire harness clamping cylinders 10. The two heat shrink tubing retracting forks 13 are rotatably connected to the top of a connecting rod, and the bottom of the connecting rod is connected to the output ends on the left and right sides of the heat shrink tubing retracting cylinder 12. Driven by the heat shrink tubing retracting cylinder 12, the two heat shrink tubing retracting forks 13 can simultaneously move inward or outward. A solder joint detection lifting cylinder 11 is installed above the heat shrink tubing retracting cylinder 12. A conductive sheet mounting block 15 is fixed to the output end of the solder joint detection lifting cylinder 11. Two conductive sheets 14 are mounted on the top of the conductive sheet mounting block 15. The solder joint detection lifting cylinder 11 can drive the two conductive sheets 14 to move up and down synchronously. When the solder joint 5 contacts the conductive sheet 14, a circuit is formed, thereby activating the solder joint position detection mechanism 2.
[0043] In practical use, the heat shrink tubing retractor fork 13 can be configured as a Y-shaped structure, with its top opening size allowing the welding wire 4 to enter. The heat shrink tubing retractor fork 13 is designed with a slightly lower center of gravity during manufacturing, allowing it to self-reset under gravity after rotation. A certain offset exists between the placement ends of the two heat shrink tubing retractor forks 13 and the clamping ends between the two sets of wire harness clamping arms 17 and the wire harness clamping block 16. This offset allows the welding wire to more easily adhere to the heat shrink tubing retractor fork 13, thereby ensuring a higher success rate when the heat shrink tubing retractor fork 13 moves the heat shrink tubing inward.
[0044] In actual use, the two conductive plates 14 are located on the left and right sides of the conductive plate mounting block 15, respectively. The plate surface is vertical and parallel to the operating direction of the wire harness conveying cylinder 9, and the top has a groove for placing the welding wire 4. The conductive plate mounting block 15 is provided with a scale along the left and right direction so as to adjust the horizontal distance (i.e., opening) between the two conductive plates 14 according to the actual welding point length, while maintaining symmetry.
[0045] In practical use, the specific form of the fixing seat of the weld point position detection mechanism 2 of this utility model can be adjusted according to actual needs. Its main function is to provide the installation position of each functional component. Considering aesthetics and convenience, the fixing seat can be set as a U-shaped structure. The fixing seat includes two vertical plates and a horizontal base plate. Two sets of wire harness conveying cylinders 9 and wire harness clamping cylinders 10 are respectively installed on the outside of the two vertical plates, and the heat shrink tubing retraction cylinder 12 is installed on the horizontal base plate.
[0046] In the device of this utility model, such as Figure 4 As shown, the automatic centering mechanism 3 is located downstream of the weld point position detection mechanism 2, and mainly includes a centering fork 22. The centering fork 22 can push the heat shrink tubing 6 to the center of the weld point 5 and rotate along the conveying direction of the welding line 4 towards the conveyor belt 25.
[0047] In a preferred embodiment of this invention, two centering forks 22 are slidably connected to a centering guide rail 19 via connecting components. The centering guide rail 19 is axially parallel to the welding line 4, i.e., arranged in the left-right direction. The two centering forks 22 can simultaneously move inward or outward under the drive of a power source. A sensor 24 is located on the front side of the two centering forks 22, and the sensor 24 is positioned so as not to interfere with the movement of the welding line 4. When either centering fork 22 rotates to a set position, the sensor 24 is triggered to start the operation of the automatic centering mechanism 3. In this invention, to accommodate the different wire diameters on both sides of the welding line 4, relatively independent centering forks 22 are provided on both sides.
[0048] In practical use, the specific form of the automatic centering mechanism 3 frame of this utility model can be adjusted according to actual needs. Its main function is to provide installation positions for each functional component. Considering aesthetics and convenience, the frame can be set as a flat structure (i.e., centering base plate 18). The centering guide rail 19 is installed behind the centering base plate 18, and the front of the centering base plate 18 is connected to the feed port of the track heat shrink machine 1.
[0049] In practical use, the connecting assembly includes a centering fixing block 20, a centering fork support plate 21, and a centering adapter plate 23. The bottom of the centering fixing block 20 is slidably connected to the centering guide rail 19, the side is fixed with the centering adapter plate 23 for limiting the travel, and the top is fixedly connected to the centering fork 22 through the centering fork support plate 21. Specifically, grooves can be opened on both sides of the centering guide rail 19, and the centering adapter plate 23 is placed in the grooves, so that the connecting assembly can only slide within a specified range of the centering guide rail 19 under the limiting effect of the centering adapter plate 23.
[0050] In actual use, the centering fork 22 has symmetrical V-shaped grooves on both the front and rear sides that can completely accommodate the welding line 4. Through calculation and design, the overall structure of the centering fork 22 is designed to have a lower center of gravity during manufacturing so that it can automatically return to its original position under gravity after rotation.
[0051] Utilizing the aforementioned automatic alignment mechanism for heat shrink tubing in a tracked heat shrink machine, this utility model also provides an automatic alignment method for heat shrink tubing, which is as follows:
[0052] S1: Place the heat shrink tubing 6 on the welding line 4, so that the heat shrink tubing 6 is located between the heat shrink tubing retraction forks 13 on both sides and does not obstruct the welding point 5.
[0053] S2: The welding wire 4, fitted with heat shrink tubing 6, is placed downwards on the placement ends of the two conductive sheets 14 and the two heat shrink tubing retracting forks 13, using the inside of the wire harness clamping block 16, keeping it horizontal. When the welding point 5 contacts the conductive sheet 14, a circuit is formed, triggering the welding point position detection mechanism 2 to start operating, as follows:
[0054] Two wire harness clamping cylinders 10 simultaneously drive the wire harness clamping arms 17, which, in conjunction with the corresponding wire harness clamping blocks 16, clamp and fix both ends of the welding wire 4. The heat shrink tubing retraction cylinder 12 drives the heat shrink tubing retraction forks 13 on both sides to move inwards simultaneously, pushing the heat shrink tubing 6 towards the welding point 5, allowing the heat shrink tubing 6 to enter the feed inlet of the tracked heat shrink machine 1. Simultaneously, the weld point detection lifting cylinder 11 lowers the conductive sheet 14, providing clearance for the movement of the welding wire 4.
[0055] Subsequently, the two wire harness conveying cylinders 9 simultaneously drive the wire harness clamping arm 17 and the wire harness clamping block 16 to clamp the welding wire 4 and move horizontally in the direction of the conveyor belt. The heat shrink tubing retracting fork 13 is rotated backward by the force of the welding wire 4, causing the welding wire 4 to disengage and continue to move backward. After the heat shrink tubing retracting fork 13 separates from the welding wire 4, it rotates under its own gravity and returns to its original position. Driven by the wire harness conveying cylinders 9, the welding wire 4 is conveyed into the feed port of the crawler heat shrink machine 1 and docks with the conveyor belt 25. Then, the wire harness clamping cylinder 10 drives the wire harness clamping arm 17 to open, and the welding wire 4 moves with the conveyor belt 25 and enters the area of the automatic centering mechanism 3.
[0056] After the wire harness conveying cylinder 9 operates, the weld joint detection lifting cylinder 11 and the heat shrink tubing retraction cylinder 12 respectively drive the components on them to return to their original positions. The wire harness driving cylinder 9 returns to its original position after conveying the welding wire 4.
[0057] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, such as Figure 5 As shown, the length of the welding point 5 on the welding wire 4 is B, and the detection range of the welding point position detection mechanism 2 (i.e., the horizontal distance between the two conductive sheets 14) is A, where A is less than or equal to B, and the value of A can be adjusted within a certain range (it is equipped with a scale for reference adjustment). The operator holds the welding wire 4, with the heat shrink tubing 6 on it positioned between the heat shrink tubing retraction forks 13 on both sides, without obstructing the welding point 5. The welding point 5 contacts the conductive sheet 14, forming a circuit, triggering the welding point position detection mechanism 2 to start operating. Figure 6 As shown, after the weld point position detection mechanism 2 is triggered, the wire harness clamping arm 17 is driven by the wire harness clamping cylinder 10 to rotate in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and together with the wire harness clamping block 16, clamps and fixes the welding wire 4. The heat shrink tubing retraction cylinder 12 drives the heat shrink tubing retraction forks 13 on both sides to retract the heat shrink tubing 6 to a suitable position in the direction of the arrow in the figure (this position of the heat shrink tubing meets the requirements for entering the feed port of the track heat shrink machine 1). At the same time, the weld point detection lifting cylinder 11 sinks in the direction of the arrow in the figure to provide clearance for the movement of the welding wire 4. Figure 7 As shown in the diagram, the wire harness conveying cylinder 9, following the direction of the arrow, feeds the welding wire 4 into the feed inlet of the tracked heat shrink tubing machine 1, where it connects with the transmission belt 25. Then, the wire harness clamping cylinder 10 drives the wire harness clamping arm 17 to open, and the welding wire 4, driven by the transmission belt 25, enters the area of the automatic centering mechanism 3. After the wire harness conveying cylinder 9 has operated, the weld point detection lifting cylinder 11 and the heat shrink tubing retraction cylinder 12 drive their components to return to their original positions; the wire harness driving cylinder 9 returns to its original position after conveying the welding wire 4.
[0058] S3: The welding line 4 is conveyed by the transmission belt 25 to the clamping ends of the two centering forks 22, causing the two centering forks 22 to rotate backward under the drive of the transmission belt 25. When the centering forks 22 rotate to the set position, the sensor 24 is triggered and the automatic centering mechanism 3 is started, as follows:
[0059] The power source transmits power through the connecting assembly, driving the two centering forks 22 to move inward simultaneously, pushing the heat shrink tubing 6 towards the welding point 5 until it reaches the center position. Subsequently, the welding line 4, driven by the conveyor belt 25, continues to be fed to the heating plate 26 area of the tracked heat shrink machine 1 for heat shrinking. The centering forks 22 rotate under their own gravity and return to their original position.
[0060] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, such as Figure 8 As shown, the automatic centering mechanism 3 is fixed in a specific position via the centering base plate 18. The welding line 4 is conveyed to the automatic centering mechanism 3 by the transmission belt 25, and as it passes through the automatic centering mechanism 3, it drives the centering fork 22 to rotate in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure. When the centering fork 22 rotates to the set position, it triggers the sensor 24, activating the automatic centering mechanism 3. Figure 9 As shown, after the automatic centering mechanism 3 is triggered, its power source (which can be a motor and pulley belt, a motor and gear rack, a cylinder, etc.) transmits power through the centering adapter plate 23, the centering fixing block 20, and the centering fork support plate 21, driving the centering fork 22 to push the heat shrink tubing 6 to the center position in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure (the centering distance of the centering mechanism can be adjusted according to the actual length of the heat shrink tubing 6). Figure 10 As shown, after the heat shrink tubing 6 is pushed to the center position, it returns to its original position in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure. At the same time, the welding line 4 is driven by the conveyor belt 25 to the heating plate 26 area for heat shrinking. The centering fork 22 rotates in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure. Due to its special structural design, the centering fork 22 has a lower center of gravity. After the welding line 4 is detached, it can return to its original position by its own weight without any other assistance.
[0061] Repeat steps S1 to S3 to achieve continuous automatic alignment of heat shrink tubing 6 on multiple welding lines 4.
[0062] The embodiments described above are merely preferred solutions of this utility model, and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of this utility model. Therefore, all technical solutions obtained by equivalent substitution or equivalent transformation fall within the protection scope of this utility model.
Claims
1. A heat shrink tube automatic centering mechanism for a track-type heat shrink machine, characterized by, The welding point position detection mechanism (2) and the automatic centering mechanism (3) are installed upstream of the track heat shrink machine (1); The welding point position detection mechanism (2) comprises a conductive sheet (14) for detecting the position of the welding point (5), a heat shrink tube gathering yoke (13) for gathering the heat shrink tube (6) to the welding point (5), and a wire harness conveying cylinder (9) for conveying the welding wire (4) to the transmission belt (25) at the feeding port of the track heat shrink machine (1). The automatic centering mechanism (3) is located downstream of the welding point position detection mechanism (2) and comprises a centering yoke (22) that can push the heat shrink tube (6) to the center of the welding point (5) and rotate with the welding wire (4) to the transmission direction of the transmission belt (25).
2. The heat shrink tube automatic centering mechanism for a caterpillar heat shrink machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wire harness conveying cylinder (9) is symmetrically installed on the left and right sides of the fixed seat, and the output end is respectively provided with a wire harness clamping cylinder (10) that can drive the wire harness clamping cylinder (10) to move horizontally forward and backward; the output end of the wire harness clamping cylinder (10) is connected with a wire harness clamping arm (17), and a wire harness clamping block (16) is fixed on the fixed seat, so that the wire harness clamping arm (17) and the wire harness clamping block (16) can clamp and release the welding wire (4) in the forward and backward directions through the driving of the wire harness clamping cylinder (10); two heat shrink tube gathering yokes (13) are respectively located inside the two wire harness clamping cylinders (10) and are respectively connected with connecting rods, and the connecting rods are connected with the output ends on the left and right sides of the heat shrink tube gathering cylinder (12); the two heat shrink tube gathering yokes (13) can be simultaneously moved inward or outward through the driving of the heat shrink tube gathering cylinder (12); a welding point detection lifting cylinder (11) is installed above the heat shrink tube gathering cylinder (12), the output end of the welding point detection lifting cylinder (11) is connected with two conductive sheets (14) through a conductive sheet mounting block (15), and the two conductive sheets (14) can be driven to move synchronously up and down through the welding point detection lifting cylinder (11); when the welding point (5) contacts the conductive sheet (14), a loop is formed to start the welding point position detection mechanism (2).
3. The heat shrink tube automatic centering mechanism for a caterpillar heat shrink machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The wire harness conveying cylinder (9) has a horizontal sliding rail at the top, and the bottom of the wire harness clamping cylinder (10) is slidingly connected with the horizontal sliding rail; the fixed seat has a U-shaped structure and comprises two vertical plates and a horizontal bottom plate; two groups of wire harness conveying cylinders (9) and wire harness clamping cylinders (10) are respectively installed on the outer sides of the two vertical plates, and the heat shrink tube gathering cylinder (12) is installed on the horizontal bottom plate.
4. The heat shrink tube automatic centering mechanism for a caterpillar heat shrink machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The heat shrink tube gathering yoke (13) has a Y-shaped structure and a low center of gravity, and the top opening size can allow the welding wire (4) to enter.
5. The heat shrink tube automatic centering mechanism for a caterpillar heat shrink machine of claim 2, wherein, Two conductive sheets (14) are respectively located on the left and right sides of the conductive sheet mounting block (15), the plate surface is vertical and parallel to the actuating direction of the wire harness conveying cylinder (9), and the top has a groove for contacting the welding wire (4); the conductive sheet mounting block (15) has a scale for adjusting the horizontal distance between the two conductive sheets (14).
6. The heat shrink tube automatic centering mechanism for a caterpillar heat shrink machine of claim 2, wherein, Two said centering forks (22) are respectively connected with the centering guide rail (19) through the connecting assembly, the centering guide rail (19) is arranged axially parallel to the welding line (4), and the two centering forks (22) can simultaneously approach or move away under the driving of the power source; a sensor (24) is arranged on the front side of the two centering forks (22), the sensor (24) does not interfere with the travel of the welding line (4); when any centering fork (22) rotates to a set position, the sensor (24) can be triggered to start the automatic centering mechanism (3).
7. The heat shrink tube automatic centering mechanism for a caterpillar heat shrink machine of claim 6, wherein, The centering guide rail (19) is mounted at the rear of the centering bottom plate (18), and the front of the centering bottom plate (18) is connected with the feeding port of the track heat shrinking machine (1).
8. The heat shrink tube automatic centering mechanism for a caterpillar heat shrink machine of claim 6, wherein, The connecting assembly comprises a centering fixed block (20), a centering fork support plate (21) and a centering adapter plate (23); the bottom of the centering fixed block (20) is connected with the centering guide rail (19) in sliding mode, the side surface is fixed with the centering adapter plate (23) for limiting the stroke, and the top is fixedly connected with the centering fork (22) through the centering fork support plate (21).
9. The heat shrink tube automatic centering mechanism for a caterpillar heat shrink machine of claim 6, wherein, The center of gravity of the centering fork (22) is downward, and V-shaped notches capable of completely containing the welding line (4) are symmetrically arranged on the front and rear sides of the centering fork (22).