Compact single-action rotary clamping cylinder

Abstract

The utility model discloses a compact single-action rotary clamping air cylinder, and belongs to the technical field of air cylinders. Comprising a rotating cylinder which is provided with a rotating shaft capable of rotating around the axis of the rotating shaft; the linear air cylinder is provided with a piston rod, and the piston rod can do linear motion independently in the axial direction; the rotating cylinder is detachably connected with the linear cylinder through a fastener, the rotating shaft is matched with the piston rod through a key groove, and when the rotating shaft is static, the piston rod can independently execute linear motion; when the rotating shaft rotates, the piston rod is driven to rotate synchronously. Due to the fact that the rotating action and the clamping action can be independently controlled, an operator can flexibly adjust the operation sequence according to different working condition requirements, the operation flexibility and logicality of the device are greatly improved, the device can better adapt to complex working scenes, and the production efficiency and the product quality are improved.

Description

A compact single-acting rotary clamping cylinder Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of cylinder technology, specifically relating to a compact single-acting rotary clamping cylinder. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional rotary cylinders, due to design limitations, typically require rotation and clamping actions to be performed simultaneously during the workpiece rotation and clamping process. This operating mode reveals its unreasonable action logic when facing complex working conditions, specifically in the following aspects:

[0003] Because the rotation and clamping actions must be performed simultaneously, it is difficult for the equipment to flexibly adjust the order of these two actions or independently control their execution timing according to actual needs. In some scenarios where precise positioning is required before applying a specific clamping force, simultaneous rotation and clamping cannot meet the requirements of precise operation.

[0004] For example, in high-precision assembly operations, it may be necessary to first control the clamping force precisely after the workpiece is rotated to a designated position to avoid damage or deformation to the workpiece. The motion logic of traditional rotary cylinders cannot provide such fine control.

[0005] Furthermore, when handling workpieces with irregular shapes or extremely high positioning accuracy requirements, this simultaneous rotation and clamping method may lead to inaccurate positioning or uneven distribution of clamping force, which in turn affects the quality of the final product.

[0006] Because the control system must simultaneously achieve precision in both rotation angle and clamping force, its design becomes exceptionally complex and difficult to operate efficiently and stably, especially in ever-changing production environments where this problem becomes even more pronounced. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention addresses the aforementioned problems in the prior art by proposing a compact, single-acting rotary clamping cylinder capable of independently performing rotation and clamping actions.

[0008] This utility model can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0009] A compact single-acting rotary clamping cylinder includes:

[0010] A rotary cylinder having a rotating shaft that can rotate about its own axis;

[0011] A linear cylinder having a piston rod that can move independently in a linear motion along the axial direction;

[0012] The rotary cylinder and the linear cylinder are detachably connected by fasteners, and the rotating shaft and the piston rod are connected by a keyway.

[0013] When the rotating shaft is stationary, the piston rod can independently perform linear motion;

[0014] When the rotating shaft rotates, it drives the piston rod to rotate synchronously.

[0015] As a further improvement of this utility model, a piston is sleeved on the piston rod, and an installation space is reserved between the inner wall of the piston and the outer wall of the piston rod.

[0016] As a further improvement of this utility model, it also includes a fastening nut, which is threaded to the outer wall of the piston rod and located in the installation space. There is a gap between the fastening nut and the piston. When the rotating shaft drives the piston rod to rotate, the fastening nut rotates synchronously and no friction is generated between it and the piston during the rotation process.

[0017] As a further improvement of this utility model, the side wall of the linear cylinder is provided with an air inlet communicating with its inner cavity. When air enters through the air inlet, it pushes the piston and the piston rod to move outward along their axial direction.

[0018] As a further improvement of this utility model, a return spring is also included, with its two ends abutting against the piston and the inner wall of the linear cylinder, respectively. The return spring is used to provide elastic force to the piston in the direction of the rotary cylinder. When the air inlet stops supplying air, the return spring pushes the piston to move, and the piston pushes the fastening nut to drive the piston rod to return to its original position.

[0019] As a further improvement of this utility model, a support ring is provided between the reset spring and the inner wall of the linear cylinder.

[0020] As a further improvement of this utility model, a magnet is installed on the outer circumference of the piston. A gap is left between the magnet and the inner wall of the linear cylinder for sensing connection with an external sensor. The position of the piston is identified by sensing the position of the magnet in real time through the sensor.

[0021] As a further improvement of this utility model, a guide band is also provided on the outer circumference of the piston, and the guide band abuts against the inner wall of the linear cylinder.

[0022] As a further improvement of this utility model, a first sealing ring is provided between the piston and the inner wall of the linear cylinder, and a second sealing ring is provided between the piston rod and the piston.

[0023] As a further improvement of this utility model, a sealing ring assembly is provided between the linear cylinder and the rotary cylinder.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0025] 1. Improved operational flexibility and logic: By using two solenoid valves to independently control the rotation and clamping actions, operators can flexibly adjust the operation sequence according to different working conditions, which greatly improves the operational flexibility and logic of the equipment, enabling it to better adapt to complex working scenarios and improve production efficiency and product quality.

[0026] 2. Simplified control system design: Since the rotation and clamping actions can be controlled independently, it is no longer necessary to simultaneously consider the accuracy of the rotation angle and clamping force, thereby simplifying the design of the control system and making it easier to achieve efficient and stable operation, especially in a constantly changing production environment.

[0027] 3. Reduce rotational friction resistance: There is a gap between the fastening nut and the piston. Since there is no direct contact between the two, the piston rod only drives the fastening nut to rotate when it rotates, while the piston does not need to rotate. Therefore, unnecessary friction is avoided during rotation, making the rotation of the piston rod smoother. It also reduces wear and heat generation caused by friction, thereby extending the service life of the equipment and improving operating efficiency.

[0028] 4. Energy-saving and efficient: By setting a return spring, when the piston rod extends and rotates to the required angle, it is only necessary to stop the air supply. The spring force released by the return spring can push the piston to return. The piston pulls the piston rod to return through the fastening nut. During this process, the clamping part installed at the extended end of the piston rod can clamp the workpiece. Thus, no air supply is required during the clamping process. While reducing energy consumption, it also solves the problem of difficulty in guaranteeing the clamping effect due to unstable air supply.

[0029] 5. Compact structure: The internal structure of the entire rotary clamping cylinder is compact, which improves space utilization and reduces the space occupied during use, making it more suitable for installation and use in equipment with limited space;

[0030] 6. Real-time monitoring: The position of the magnet is monitored in real time by the sensor, and the specific position of the piston is accurately identified. The system can then determine the extension length of the piston rod, which is especially important for applications that require high-precision positioning and also provides convenience for automated production.

[0031] 7. Extended service life: The support ring provides a stable support surface for the return spring, reducing the risk of wear and deformation caused by direct contact with the metal surface during operation, thus extending the service life of the return spring and reducing maintenance and replacement costs due to damage to the return spring. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the compact single-acting rotary clamping cylinder of this utility model;

[0033] Figure 2 is a partial enlarged view of point A in Figure 1 of this utility model.

[0034] In the diagram, 100 is a rotary cylinder; 110 is a rotating shaft; 120 is a fastening screw; 130 is a second sealing ring; 140 is a sealing ring assembly; 200 is a linear cylinder; 210 is a piston rod; 220 is a piston; 230 is a fastening nut; 231 is a clearance; 240 is an air inlet; 250 is a return spring; 260 is a support ring; 270 is a magnet; 280 is a guide band; and 290 is a first sealing ring. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The following are specific embodiments of the present invention, which are described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The technical methods of the present invention will be further described, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, this utility model provides a compact single-acting rotary clamping cylinder, comprising:

[0037] A rotary cylinder 100 has a rotating shaft 110, which can rotate about its own axis;

[0038] The linear cylinder 200 has a piston rod 210, which can move independently in a linear motion along the axial direction. The extended end of the piston rod 210 is used to install a clamping component. The linear movement of the piston rod 210 drives the clamping component to move to clamp the workpiece.

[0039] The rotary cylinder 100 and the linear cylinder 200 are detachably connected by fastening screws 120, and the rotating shaft 110 and the piston rod 210 are connected by a keyway to ensure synchronous or independent operation between the two.

[0040] The action logic is designed as follows:

[0041] 1. When the rotating shaft 110 is stationary, the piston rod 210 can independently perform linear motion, thereby allowing the clamping element to perform clamping or releasing operations independently;

[0042] Second, when the rotating shaft 110 rotates, it will drive the piston rod 210 to rotate synchronously, so that the workpiece can be accurately rotated to the designated position before being clamped.

[0043] In addition, the rotary clamping cylinder in this embodiment is equipped with two solenoid valves, which are used to control the extension and rotation of the piston rod 210, respectively. This allows the operator to flexibly adjust the order of these two actions according to actual needs, such as extending the piston rod 210 first and then rotating it, or rotating it first and then clamping the workpiece.

[0044] Compared to existing cylinders that simultaneously rotate and extend, the rotary clamping cylinder provided in this embodiment has at least the following advantages:

[0045] 1. Improved operational flexibility and logic: By using two solenoid valves to independently control the rotation and clamping actions, operators can flexibly adjust the operation sequence according to different working conditions, greatly improving the operational flexibility and logic of the equipment.

[0046] 2. Improve product quality: For workpieces with irregular shapes or extremely high positioning accuracy requirements, this improved rotary clamping cylinder can more accurately control the rotation angle and clamping force, avoiding problems such as inaccurate positioning or uneven distribution of clamping force, thereby improving the quality of the final product.

[0047] 3. Simplified control system design: Since the rotation and clamping actions can be controlled independently, it is no longer necessary to simultaneously consider the accuracy of the rotation angle and clamping force, thus simplifying the design of the control system and making it easier to achieve efficient and stable operation, especially in ever-changing production environments.

[0048] Preferably, a piston 220 is sleeved on the piston rod 210, and an installation space is reserved between the inner wall of the piston 220 and the outer wall of the piston rod 210.

[0049] Preferably, it also includes a fastening nut 230, which is threaded to the outer wall of the piston rod 210. The fastening nut 230 is located in the space reserved between the piston rod 210 and the piston 220. A gap 231 is left between the fastening nut 230 and the piston 220. When the rotating shaft 110 drives the piston rod 210 to rotate, the fastening nut 230 rotates synchronously and there is no friction between it and the piston 220 during the rotation.

[0050] It is worth mentioning that the design of the gap 231 between the fastening nut 230 and the piston 220 is another important improvement of this technical solution. Since there is no direct contact between the two, unnecessary friction is avoided during rotation. That is, the piston 220 does not need to rotate, making the rotation of the piston rod 210 smoother. It also reduces wear and heat generation caused by friction, thereby extending the service life of the equipment and improving operating efficiency.

[0051] Preferably, the side wall of the linear cylinder 200 is provided with an air inlet 240 that communicates with its inner cavity. When air enters through the air inlet 240, it pushes the piston 220 and piston rod 210 to move outward along their axial direction, thereby realizing the linear movement of the piston rod 210.

[0052] It should be noted that in the existing cylinder technology, the linear extension or retraction of the piston rod 210 is achieved by air supply. This means that during the workpiece clamping process, it is necessary to rely on a continuous air supply, which not only has the problem of high energy consumption, but also makes it difficult to guarantee the clamping effect when the air supply is unstable.

[0053] To solve the above problems, this embodiment adds a return spring 250. The two ends of the return spring 250 abut against the inner walls of the piston 220 and the linear cylinder 200, respectively, and are used to provide a spring force to the piston 220 in the direction of the rotary cylinder 100. Specifically:

[0054] By setting a return spring 250, when the piston rod 210 extends and rotates to the required angle, simply stop the air supply. The spring force released by the return spring 250 can push the piston 220 to return to its original position. The piston 220 pulls the piston rod 210 to return to its original position through the fastening nut 230. During this process, the clamping device installed at the extended end of the piston rod 210 can clamp the workpiece. Thus, no air supply is required during the clamping process, which reduces energy consumption and solves the problem of difficulty in guaranteeing the clamping effect due to unstable air supply.

[0055] Furthermore, a support ring 260 is provided between the return spring 250 and the inner wall of the linear cylinder 200. Its main function is to provide a stable support surface for the return spring 250 and reduce the risk of wear and deformation caused by direct contact between the return spring 250 and the metal surface during operation.

[0056] The support ring 260 can be made of POM (polyoxymethylene), an engineering plastic known for its excellent mechanical properties, wear resistance, low coefficient of friction and good dimensional stability. Using POM to make the support ring 260 can significantly extend the service life of the return spring 250, while reducing the maintenance and replacement costs caused by damage to the return spring 250.

[0057] Preferably, a magnet 270 is installed on the outer circumference of the piston 220, and a gap 231 is left between the magnet 270 and the inner wall of the linear cylinder 200. This design ensures that the magnet 270 does not directly contact the inner wall of the cylinder, thereby avoiding wear or interference caused by friction.

[0058] Magnet 270 is used to connect with an external sensor. In this way, the sensor can monitor the position of magnet 270 in real time and accurately identify the specific position of piston 220. The system can then determine the extension length of piston rod 210, which is particularly important for applications requiring high-precision positioning and also provides convenience for automated production.

[0059] Preferably, a guide band 280 is also fitted on the outer circumference of the piston 220. The close contact between the guide band 280 and the inner wall of the linear cylinder 200 provides good radial support, enabling the piston 220 to maintain a precise linear motion path throughout the entire stroke, reducing errors caused by piston 220 offset and enhancing guiding accuracy.

[0060] Preferably, a first sealing ring 290 is provided between the piston 220 and the inner wall of the linear cylinder 200, a second sealing ring 130 is provided between the piston rod 210 and the piston 220, and a sealing ring assembly 140 is provided between the linear cylinder 200 and the rotary cylinder 100.

[0061] The sealing performance of the entire rotary clamping cylinder is ensured by the arrangement of the first sealing ring 290, the second sealing ring 130 and the sealing ring assembly 140, thereby improving working efficiency and reliability.

[0062] Furthermore, the entire rotary clamping cylinder provided in this embodiment has a compact internal structure, which improves space utilization, reduces space occupation during use, and is more suitable for installation and use in equipment with limited space.

[0063] The technical means disclosed in this utility model are not limited to those described above, but also include technical solutions composed of any combination of the above technical features. The above are specific embodiments of this utility model. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the principle of this utility model, and these improvements and modifications are also considered within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0064] It should be noted that all directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in this utility model embodiment are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicator will also change accordingly.

[0065] Furthermore, in this utility model, the use of terms such as "first," "second," and "a" is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. The terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixed" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean the internal communication of two elements or the interaction between two elements, unless otherwise explicitly specified. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0066] The technical solutions of the various embodiments of this utility model can be combined with each other, but only if they can be implemented by those skilled in the art. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the protection scope claimed by this utility model.

[0067] The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative examples illustrating the spirit of this utility model. Those skilled in the art to which this utility model pertains may make various modifications or additions to the described specific embodiments or use similar methods to substitute them, without departing from the spirit of this utility model or exceeding the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A compact single-acting rotary clamping cylinder, characterized in that, include: A rotary cylinder has a rotating shaft that can rotate around its own axis; a linear cylinder has a piston rod that can move independently in a linear motion along the axial direction; the rotary cylinder and the linear cylinder are detachably connected by fasteners, and the rotating shaft and the piston rod are connected by a keyway; when the rotating shaft is stationary, the piston rod can perform linear motion independently; when the rotating shaft rotates, it drives the piston rod to rotate synchronously; a piston is fitted on the piston rod, and an installation space is reserved between the inner wall of the piston and the outer wall of the piston rod; a fastening nut is also included, which is threaded to the outer wall of the piston rod and located in the installation space, and a gap is left between the fastening nut and the piston; when the rotating shaft drives the piston rod to rotate, the fastening nut rotates synchronously and no friction is generated between it and the piston during the rotation; a return spring has two ends that abut against the piston and the inner wall of the linear cylinder respectively, and the return spring is used to provide elastic force to the piston in the direction of the rotary cylinder; a support ring is provided between the return spring and the inner wall of the linear cylinder.

2. A compact single-acting rotary clamping cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The linear cylinder has an air inlet on its side wall that communicates with its inner cavity. When air enters through the air inlet, it pushes the piston and the piston rod to move outward along their axial direction. When the air inlet stops flowing, the return spring pushes the piston to move, and the piston pushes the fastening nut to reset the piston rod.

3. A compact single-acting rotary clamping cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that, A magnet is installed on the outer circumference of the piston. A gap is left between the magnet and the inner wall of the linear cylinder for connection with an external sensor. The position of the piston is identified by sensing the position of the magnet in real time through the sensor.

4. A compact single-acting rotary clamping cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that, A guide band is also fitted on the outer circumference of the piston, and the guide band abuts against the inner wall of the linear cylinder.

5. A compact single-acting rotary clamping cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that, A first sealing ring is provided between the piston and the inner wall of the linear cylinder, and a second sealing ring is provided between the piston rod and the piston.

6. A compact single-acting rotary clamping cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that, A sealing ring assembly is provided between the linear cylinder and the rotary cylinder.

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