Elastic bonding mechanism for pipeline internal welding machine and pipeline welding equipment

Abstract

The utility model provides an elastic bonding mechanism for a pipeline internal welding machine and pipeline welding equipment, and the bonding mechanism comprises an expansion mechanism which is used for driving a bonding body to expand in the radial direction so as to be attached to the inner wall of a pipeline; the elastic assembly comprises at least one set of elastic pieces, and one ends of the elastic pieces are fixed to the expansion mechanism. The high-conductivity contact is fixed to the end, away from the expansion mechanism, of the elastic piece and used for forming rigid contact with the inner wall of the pipeline and conducting welding current, the expansion mechanism drives the elastic piece to deform, the high-conductivity contact and the inner wall of the pipeline form self-adaptive pressing, and it is ensured that an electrical path is stable. According to the structure, through elastic deformation driving, high-conductivity contact integration and integrated expansion design, self-adaption, high-stability and efficient operation of the bonding mechanism is achieved, the welding quality and the construction efficiency are greatly improved, and the bonding mechanism is suitable for automatic welding scenes in various fields of petroleum, chemical engineering, municipal pipelines and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of pipeline welding technology, specifically to a flexible grounding mechanism for an internal pipeline welding machine and pipeline welding equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In pipeline welding, the grounding mechanism of the internal welding machine is a key component to ensure stable welding current conduction. Traditional grounding mechanisms typically use wire clamps to temporarily fix the machine to the outer or inner wall of the pipeline, which has the following significant drawbacks:

[0003] Insufficient clamping force: The contact surface between the wire clamp and the pipe is prone to failure to clamp due to vibration or pipe deformation, causing the grounding body to slip off, resulting in interruption or fluctuation of welding current.

[0004] Poor contact stability: Traditional contacts are in rigid contact with the inner wall of the pipe, which cannot adapt to the unevenness of the pipe surface. This can easily cause local arc burns, leading to increased contact resistance and even welding quality defects.

[0005] These problems not only affect the stability of welding current, but also cause local arc burns on the pipe surface. In severe cases, they can lead to quality defects in the pipe, resulting in material scrapping and rework, which significantly reduces construction efficiency and increases project costs. Utility Model Content

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned defects or deficiencies in the prior art, this application aims to provide a flexible grounding mechanism for a pipe welding machine and a pipe welding equipment to improve the stability of welding current;

[0007] In a first aspect, this application proposes a flexible grounding mechanism for a pipe welding machine; comprising:

[0008] An expansion mechanism is provided to drive the grounding body to expand radially to fit the inner wall of the pipe.

[0009] An elastic component, the elastic component including at least one set of elastic sheets, one end of the elastic sheet being fixed to the tensioning mechanism;

[0010] A high-conductivity contact is fixed to the end of the elastic sheet away from the expansion mechanism, and is used to form rigid contact with the inner wall of the pipe and conduct welding current.

[0011] The expansion mechanism drives the elastic sheet to deform, causing the highly conductive contact to form an adaptive compression with the inner wall of the pipe, thus ensuring a stable electrical path.

[0012] According to the technical solution provided in the embodiments of this application, the expansion mechanism includes a driving part and multiple sets of expansion parts arranged in an array along the circumference of the driving part. Each expansion part includes a push rod and two expansion blocks installed at one end of the push rod. The driving part is used to drive the expansion blocks to expand or retract radially along the inner wall of the pipe.

[0013] According to the technical solution provided in the embodiments of this application, the elastic sheet has a fixed end and a free end. The fixed end is fixed in the radial groove of the expansion block by a detachable bolt, and the free end of the elastic sheet is fixed with the highly conductive contact.

[0014] According to the technical solution provided in the embodiments of this application, the highly conductive contact is made of copper material, the surface is plated with an anti-oxidation coating, and the contact surface of the contact is arc-shaped.

[0015] According to the technical solution provided in the embodiments of this application, the arc-shaped contact surface of the highly conductive contact matches the curvature of the inner wall of the pipe.

[0016] According to the technical solution provided in the embodiments of this application, the free end of the elastic sheet is fixed to the highly conductive contact by riveting or welding.

[0017] According to the technical solution provided in the embodiments of this application, the elastic sheet is made of stainless steel, the surface is covered with an insulating layer, and it is only exposed to the corresponding part of the highly conductive contact to conduct current.

[0018] According to the technical solution provided in the embodiments of this application, the driving unit includes a hydraulic cylinder, and a disc is installed at the end of the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder; multiple push rods are evenly hinged to the disc in the circumferential direction, and the driving unit is used to drive the disc to move along the axial direction of the pipe, so that the push rods rotate about the rotation axis of the hinge point to achieve radial expansion or retraction; the rotation axis is parallel to the axial direction of the pipe.

[0019] According to the technical solution provided in the embodiments of this application, the mounting plane of the elastic sheet is tilted upward relative to the plane where the expansion block is located, forming a preset angle, the angle being 10°-30°, and the tilting direction is towards the inner wall of the pipe. When the expansion block expands radially, the elastic sheet is compressed by the inner wall of the pipe and undergoes elastic deformation, the preset angle decreases, so that the highly conductive contact forms a continuous rigid contact with the inner wall of the pipe.

[0020] Secondly, this application proposes a pipe welding device, which integrates the aforementioned flexible grounding mechanism for pipe welding machines, and the flexible grounding mechanism for pipe welding machines is connected to the main body of the welding machine via a quick interface.

[0021] In summary, this application proposes an elastic grounding mechanism and pipe welding equipment for a pipe welding machine. The grounding mechanism includes an expansion mechanism for driving the grounding body to expand radially to fit the inner wall of the pipe. The elastic component includes at least one set of elastic plates, one end of which is fixed to the expansion mechanism. A highly conductive contact is fixed to the end of the elastic plate away from the expansion mechanism to form a rigid contact with the inner wall of the pipe and conduct welding current. The expansion mechanism drives the elastic plate to deform, so that the highly conductive contact forms an adaptive compression with the inner wall of the pipe, ensuring a stable electrical path.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0023] I. Adaptive Clamping and Stable Conductivity: The composite elastic component and the clamping mechanism work together. When the clamping block expands radially, the elastic sheet undergoes controllable deformation due to the reaction force from the inner wall of the pipe. This ensures that the highly conductive contact maintains a uniform clamping force against the inner wall of the pipe, completely preventing slippage or poor contact. The copper contact surface is coated with an anti-oxidation coating, and combined with the arc-shaped contact surface design, it reduces contact resistance and significantly reduces the risk of arc burns.

[0024] II. Integrated and rapid operation: The tensioning mechanism and elastic components are integrated into the main body of the welding machine. During construction, only the hydraulic cylinder needs to be driven axially to achieve automatic tensioning and retraction of the grounding mechanism. No secondary installation or disassembly is required, which shortens the single operation time.

[0025] This invention achieves adaptive, highly stable, and efficient operation of the grounding mechanism through elastic deformation drive, high conductivity contact integration, and integrated expansion design, significantly improving welding quality and construction efficiency. It is applicable to automated welding scenarios in various fields such as petroleum, chemical, and municipal pipelines. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 An exploded structural diagram of the elastic grounding mechanism for a pipe welding machine provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the installed structure of the flexible grounding mechanism for the pipe welding machine provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0028] The text labels in the image represent:

[0029] 1. Push rod; 2. Elastic plate; 21. Fixed end; 22. Free end; 3. Removable bolt; 4. Expansion block; 5. High conductivity contact; 6. Radial groove. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0031] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. This application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0032] Example 1

[0033] As mentioned in the background section, this application proposes a flexible grounding mechanism for a pipe welding machine to address the problems in the prior art; such as Figure 1-2 As shown, it includes:

[0034] An expansion mechanism is provided to drive the grounding body to expand radially to fit the inner wall of the pipe.

[0035] An elastic component, the elastic component including at least one set of elastic sheets 2, one end of the elastic sheet 2 being fixed to the tensioning mechanism;

[0036] A high-conductivity contact 5 is fixed to the end of the elastic sheet 2 away from the expansion mechanism, and is used to form a rigid contact with the inner wall of the pipe and conduct welding current.

[0037] The expansion mechanism drives the elastic sheet 2 to deform, causing the highly conductive contact 5 to form an adaptive compression with the inner wall of the pipe, thus ensuring a stable electrical path.

[0038] Furthermore, the driving unit includes a hydraulic cylinder, and a disc is installed at the end of the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder; multiple push rods 1 are evenly hinged circumferentially to the disc, and the driving unit is used to drive the disc to move along the axial direction of the pipe, so that the push rods 1 rotate about the rotation axis of the hinge point to achieve radial expansion or retraction; the rotation axis is parallel to the axial direction of the pipe.

[0039] Furthermore, the expansion mechanism includes a driving part and multiple sets of expansion parts arranged in an array along the circumference of the driving part. Each expansion part includes a push rod 1 and two expansion blocks 4 installed at one end of the push rod 1. The driving part is used to drive the expansion blocks 4 to expand or retract radially along the inner wall of the pipe.

[0040] Specifically, the tightening mechanism consists of a hydraulic drive unit (such as a hydraulic cylinder) and mechanical transmission components (such as a faceplate and push rod 1), used to convert axial thrust into radial expansion force. It should be noted that the tightening mechanism uses a traditional hydraulic cylinder and faceplate structure, and therefore is not shown in the attached drawings. The elastic component includes multiple sets of elastic metal sheets, one end of which is fixed to the tightening mechanism, while the other end is free to move. The highly conductive contact 5 is a conductive element made of copper substrate plated with silver or gold, installed at the free end 22 of the elastic sheet 2, directly contacting the inner wall of the pipe to conduct current.

[0041] The expansion mechanism drives the disc to move axially via a hydraulic cylinder. The disc drives the circumferentially distributed push rods 1 and expansion blocks 4 to expand outward. The root of the elastic sheet 2 is fixed in the radial groove 6 of the expansion block 4 by bolts. The free end 22 is welded to a contact head, and the surface of the contact head is coated with an anti-oxidation coating (such as nickel plating) through an electroplating process.

[0042] The technical principle is described as follows: The expansion mechanism provides radial expansion force. During expansion, the elastic plate 2 deforms under pressure from the inner wall of the pipe. The rebound force generated by this deformation is converted into a continuous clamping force on the contact. The arc-shaped surface of the contact fits against the inner wall of the pipe, reducing resistance through large-area contact. When the hydraulic cylinder pushes the disc into the pipe, the expansion block 4 expands outward, and the elastic plate 2 is bent by the pressure of the inner wall of the pipe. Under the rebound force of the elastic plate 2, the contact is tightly attached to the pipe wall, and the current flows stably from the welding machine through the contact. Adaptive clamping can be achieved: the deformation of the elastic plate 2 compensates for local unevenness of the inner wall of the pipe, ensuring the contact is always clamped, providing stable conductivity and preventing arc burns.

[0043] Specifically, the drive unit is a combination of a hydraulic cylinder and a disc. The disc is fixed to the end of the hydraulic cylinder piston rod. The disc has a disc-shaped structure with a circumferential opening for mounting the push rod 1. The tensioning unit includes the push rod 1 and the tensioning block 4. One end of the push rod 1 is hinged to the disc, and the other end is fixed to the tensioning block 4. The disc is fixed to the end of the hydraulic cylinder piston rod with bolts. The push rod 1 is installed in the circumferential hole of the disc through a hinge pin (the rotation axis is parallel to the pipe axis). The tensioning block 4 is welded to the end of the push rod 1 and moves radially as the push rod 1 swings. When the hydraulic cylinder pushes and pulls the disc axially, the push rod 1 rotates around the hinge axis, causing the tensioning block 4 to expand or retract radially. Multiple tensioning units are evenly distributed circumferentially to ensure that the grounding mechanism is in uniform 360° contact with the inner wall of the pipe. Multiple sets of tensioning units act synchronously, resulting in uniform pressure distribution. The hydraulic drive has a fast response and adjustable thrust.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment, the elastic sheet 2 has a fixed end 21 and a free end 22. The fixed end 21 is fixed in the radial groove 6 of the expansion block 4 by a detachable bolt 3, and the free end 22 of the elastic sheet 2 is fixed with the highly conductive contact 5.

[0045] Specifically, the fixed end 21: the root of the elastic sheet 2 is locked in the radial groove 6 of the expansion block 4 by bolts; the free end 22: the unfixed end of the elastic sheet 2, which can be freely bent and deformed. The bolt fixing provides a rigid connection to prevent the elastic sheet 2 from loosening during vibration.

[0046] In a preferred embodiment, the highly conductive contact 5 is made of copper, with an anti-oxidation coating on its surface, and the contact surface is arc-shaped.

[0047] Specifically, the copper material is pure copper (T2) or a copper alloy (such as beryllium copper) with a conductivity ≥58 MS / m; the anti-oxidation coating is an electroplated nickel layer or a chemically plated silver layer. The contacts are machined into an arc shape using a CNC lathe. The high conductivity of copper reduces contact resistance, and the plating prevents copper oxidation.

[0048] In a preferred embodiment, the arc-shaped contact surface of the highly conductive contact 5 matches the curvature of the inner wall of the pipe.

[0049] Specifically, the arc-shaped contact surface: the contact surface is machined into an arc with a radius R, where R and the pipe inner diameter D satisfy R = D / 2 ± 5%. The contact curvature is customized according to the pipe specifications; the arc surface fits snugly, reducing stress concentration at the contact point, and the curvature matching maximizes the contact area. This implementation method ensures uniform contact pressure distribution.

[0050] In a preferred embodiment, the free end 22 of the elastic sheet 2 is fixed to the highly conductive contact 5 by riveting or welding.

[0051] Specifically, the riveting method involves drilling through holes in the free end 22 of the elastic sheet 2 and the contact base, inserting rivets, and then pressing them with a rivet gun; the welding method involves using a clamp to fix the contact and the elastic sheet 2, and continuously welding with a welding gun at the edge of the contact surface.

[0052] In a preferred embodiment, the elastic sheet 2 is made of stainless steel, with an insulating layer covering its surface, and is only exposed to the corresponding portion of the highly conductive contact 5 to conduct current.

[0053] Specifically, the hinge point is composed of a stainless steel pin and a self-lubricating bearing; the rotation axis is the center line of the pin, which is parallel to the pipeline axis; several mounting holes are machined around the disc, and self-lubricating bearings are embedded in the holes; one end of the push rod 1 is connected to the bearing through the pin, and the other end is welded with the expansion block 4; the hydraulic cylinder thrust is converted into axial movement of the disc, and the push rod 1 rotates around the pin; multiple sets of push rods 1 swing synchronously to ensure that the expansion block 4 expands evenly, and the expansion speed and expansion force are adjustable.

[0054] In a preferred embodiment, the mounting plane of the elastic sheet 2 is tilted upward relative to the plane of the expansion block 4 to form a preset angle, the angle being 10°-30°, and the tilting direction is towards the inner wall of the pipe. When the expansion block 4 expands radially, the elastic sheet 2 is compressed by the inner wall of the pipe and undergoes elastic deformation, the preset angle decreases, so that the highly conductive contact 5 forms a continuous rigid contact with the inner wall of the pipe.

[0055] Specifically, the preset included angle provides initial deformation space to avoid friction in non-working states; during deformation, elastic potential energy is converted into contact pressure.

[0056] Example 2

[0057] Based on Embodiment 1, this embodiment proposes a pipe welding device, which integrates the flexible grounding mechanism for the pipe welding machine described in Embodiment 1 above. The flexible grounding mechanism for the pipe welding machine is connected to the welding machine body through a quick interface.

[0058] Specifically, the welding machine body can include a welding robot with a power module, control unit and walking mechanism, which has short replacement time and high equipment compatibility.

[0059] This document uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the methods and core ideas of this application. The above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of this application. It should be noted that due to the limitations of written expression, while there are objectively infinite specific structures, those skilled in the art can make several improvements, modifications, or changes without departing from the principles of this invention, and can also combine the above technical features in an appropriate manner. These improvements, modifications, changes, or combinations, or the direct application of the inventive concept and technical solution to other situations without modification, should all be considered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A flexible grounding mechanism for a pipe welding machine, characterized in that, include: An expansion mechanism is provided to drive the grounding body to expand radially to fit the inner wall of the pipe. An elastic component, the elastic component including at least one set of elastic sheets (2), one end of the elastic sheet (2) being fixed to the tensioning mechanism; A high conductivity contact (5) is fixed to the end of the elastic sheet (2) away from the expansion mechanism, and is used to form a rigid contact with the inner wall of the pipe and conduct welding current. The expansion mechanism drives the elastic sheet (2) to deform, so that the highly conductive contact (5) forms an adaptive compression with the inner wall of the pipe, ensuring the stability of the electrical path.

2. The flexible grounding mechanism for a pipe welding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The expansion mechanism includes a drive unit and multiple sets of expansion units arranged in an array along the circumference of the drive unit. Each expansion unit includes a push rod (1) and two expansion blocks (4) installed at one end of the push rod (1). The drive unit is used to drive the expansion blocks (4) to expand or retract radially along the inner wall of the pipe.

3. The flexible grounding mechanism for a pipe welding machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The elastic sheet (2) has a fixed end (21) and a free end (22). The fixed end (21) is fixed in the radial groove (6) of the expansion block (4) by a detachable bolt (3). The free end (22) of the elastic sheet (2) is fixed with the highly conductive contact (5).

4. The flexible grounding mechanism for a pipe welding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The highly conductive contact (5) is made of copper material, with an anti-oxidation coating on the surface, and the contact surface is arc-shaped.

5. The flexible grounding mechanism for a pipe welding machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The arc-shaped contact surface of the highly conductive contact (5) matches the curvature of the inner wall of the pipe.

6. The flexible grounding mechanism for a pipe welding machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The free end (22) of the elastic sheet (2) is fixed to the highly conductive contact (5) by riveting or welding.

7. The flexible grounding mechanism for a pipe welding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic sheet (2) is made of stainless steel, with an insulating layer covering its surface, and is only exposed to the corresponding part of the highly conductive contact (5) to conduct current.

8. The flexible grounding mechanism for a pipe welding machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The drive unit includes a hydraulic cylinder, and a disc is installed at the end of the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder; multiple push rods (1) are evenly hinged to the disc in the circumference; the drive unit is used to drive the disc to move along the axial direction of the pipe so that the push rods (1) rotate around the rotation axis of the hinge point to achieve radial expansion or retraction; the rotation axis is parallel to the axial direction of the pipe.

9. The flexible grounding mechanism for a pipe welding machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The mounting plane of the elastic sheet (2) is tilted upward relative to the plane of the expansion block (4) to form a preset angle, which is 10°-30° and the tilting direction is towards the inner wall of the pipe. When the expansion block (4) expands radially, the elastic sheet (2) is compressed by the inner wall of the pipe and undergoes elastic deformation, and the preset angle decreases so that the highly conductive contact (5) forms a continuous rigid contact with the inner wall of the pipe.

10. A pipe welding device, characterized in that: The pipeline welding equipment integrates a flexible grounding mechanism for pipeline welding machines according to any one of claims 1-9, and the flexible grounding mechanism for pipeline welding machines is connected to the main body of the welding machine via a quick interface.

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