Air cylinder and tool clamp

Abstract

The utility model discloses an air cylinder, which relates to the technical field of electric vehicle manufacturing, and mainly comprises an air cylinder body, a piston, a piston rod and an elastic piece, the piston is movably arranged in the air cylinder body along a first direction and divides the space in the air cylinder body into a rod cavity and a rodless cavity, one end of the piston rod is positioned in the rod cavity and is fixedly connected with the piston, and the other end of the piston rod is fixedly connected with the elastic piece. The other end of the piston rod can movably penetrate through the air cylinder body and is in sealing contact with the air cylinder body, the rodless cavity is provided with an air inlet used for being connected with an air pipe, and the two ends, in the first direction, of the elastic piece apply pressure to the piston and the inner wall of the air cylinder body correspondingly. The utility model further discloses a tool clamp which comprises the air cylinder. The utility model can reduce the pipe consumption, save the cost and reduce the labor intensity of workers, and has a simple structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of electric vehicle manufacturing technology, and in particular to a cylinder and tooling fixture. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing automation of existing tooling fixtures for electric bicycles and electric motorcycles, the number of cylinders used in these fixtures is also increasing. The current cylinder wiring structure typically involves two air pipes fixed to the upper and lower connectors of the cylinder, with the other end of each pipe connected to an air pump via a switch or solenoid valve. Using two air pipes results in a large number of pipes, increasing costs and time spent connecting them during installation, thus increasing the workload for workers. Furthermore, the large number of cylinders in the tooling fixture leads to a cluttered and disorganized arrangement of air pipes. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new type of cylinder and tooling fixture to solve these technical problems. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this utility model is to provide a cylinder and tooling fixture to solve the problems existing in the prior art, reduce the amount of pipe used, save costs, simplify the structure, and reduce the labor intensity of workers.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following solution:

[0005] This utility model provides a cylinder, including a cylinder body, a piston, a piston rod, and an elastic element. The piston is movably disposed in the cylinder body along a first direction and divides the space inside the cylinder body into a rod chamber and a rodless chamber. One end of the piston rod is located in the rod chamber and is fixedly connected to the piston. The other end of the piston rod is movably disposed through the cylinder body and forms a sealed contact with the cylinder body. The rodless chamber has an air inlet for connecting an air pipe. The two ends of the elastic element along the first direction apply pressure to the piston and the inner wall of the cylinder body, respectively.

[0006] In some embodiments, the cylinder body includes a cylinder body and a sealing member, the top of the cylinder body is provided with an opening, the sealing member is used to be disposed at the opening and to seal it, and the piston rod slides through the sealing member.

[0007] In some embodiments, the elastic element abuts against the sealing element.

[0008] In some embodiments, the elastic element is fixedly connected to the sealing element.

[0009] In some embodiments, the end of the elastic element away from the sealing element is fixedly connected to the piston.

[0010] In some embodiments, the elastic element is a spring, which is sleeved on the piston rod.

[0011] In some embodiments, the elastic element is a spring, which is disposed on the side of the piston rod.

[0012] In some embodiments, multiple springs are provided and arranged circumferentially around the piston rod.

[0013] In some embodiments, the plurality of springs are evenly arranged around the piston rod in a circumferential manner.

[0014] This utility model also provides a tooling fixture, including the cylinder described above.

[0015] The present invention achieves the following technical advantages over the prior art:

[0016] The cylinder piston provided by this utility model is slidably disposed within the cylinder body, with the piston rod fixedly connected to the piston and slidingly passing through the top of the cylinder body. The cylinder body has an air inlet for connecting an air pipe, located at the end of the piston furthest from the piston rod. The two ends of an elastic element respectively abut against the piston and the top of the cylinder body. When operation is required, air is introduced into the cylinder body through the air inlet via a switch or solenoid valve. After the gas enters the cylinder, it pushes up the piston, causing it to move towards the top of the cylinder body along its height. At this time, the piston rod extends outward from the cylinder body, and the elastic element receives compressed and stored energy. After operation is completed, the switch or solenoid valve is closed, preventing further gas from entering the cylinder body. The energy stored in the elastic element is released, and the elastic element drives the piston to move away from the top of the cylinder body, while the piston rod retracts into the cylinder body. After operation, the piston and piston rod automatically retract to their original positions using the elastic potential energy stored in the elastic element. This eliminates the need for an additional power source or complex control mechanism to complete the return motion, simplifying system design and improving ease of operation and efficiency. Moreover, it only uses one air tube, reducing the number of air tubes used and saving costs and installation time. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the cylinder structure in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cylinder without the cylinder body and air pipe in some embodiments of this utility model.

[0020] In the diagram: 1-Cylinder body; 2-Piston; 3-Elastic component; 4-Piston rod; 5-Sealing component; 6-Air inlet; 7-Air pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0022] The purpose of this utility model is to provide a cylinder and tooling fixture to solve the problems existing in the prior art, reduce the amount of pipe used, save costs, have a simple structure, and reduce the labor intensity of workers.

[0023] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, the utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0024] Example 1

[0025] like Figures 1-2As shown, this utility model provides a cylinder, including a cylinder body 1, a piston 2, a piston rod 4, and an elastic element 3. The piston 2 is movably disposed within the cylinder body 1 along a first direction, dividing the space within the cylinder body 1 into a rod chamber and a rodless chamber. One end of the piston rod 4 is located in the rod chamber and is fixedly connected to the piston 2. The other end of the piston rod 4 movably passes through the cylinder body 1 and forms a sealed contact with the cylinder body 1. The rodless chamber has an air inlet for connecting an air pipe. The two ends of the elastic element 3 along the first direction apply pressure to the piston 2 and the inner wall of the cylinder body 1, respectively. The piston 2 is slidably disposed within the cylinder body 1, and the piston rod 4 is fixedly connected to the piston 2. The piston rod 4 slidably passes through the top of the cylinder body 1. The cylinder body 1 has an air inlet 6 for connecting an air pipe 7, and the air inlet 6 is located at the end of the piston 2 away from the piston rod 4. The air pipe 7 is connected to an air pump through a switch or a solenoid valve. The two ends of the elastic element 3 abut against the piston 2 and the top of the cylinder body 1, respectively. When operation is required, air is introduced into the cylinder body 1 through the air inlet 6 via a switch or solenoid valve. The gas pushes up the piston 2, causing it to move towards the top of the cylinder body 1 along its height. At this time, the piston rod 4 extends outward from the cylinder body 1, and the elastic element 3 is compressed, storing energy. After operation, the switch or solenoid valve is closed, preventing further gas from entering the cylinder body 1. The energy stored in the elastic element 3 is released, and it drives the piston 2 away from the top of the cylinder body 1. (It should be noted that the elastic force stored in the elastic element is greater than the air pressure below the piston, ensuring that the elastic element can overcome air pressure.) The piston rod 4 is also retracted into the cylinder body 1. After operation, the piston 2 and piston rod 4 automatically retract to their original positions using the elastic potential energy stored in the elastic element 3. No additional power source or complex control mechanism is needed to complete the return stroke, simplifying system design and improving ease of use and efficiency. Furthermore, only one air pipe 7 is used, reducing the number of pipes and saving costs and installation time.

[0026] Generally, the utilization rate of tooling fixture cylinders is around 80%. Using the cylinders in this embodiment, each tooling fixture saves 50% of the air pipes 7, reducing the cost of tooling fixtures. The setting of a single air pipe 7 also reduces the cost of switching. The tooling fixture reduces the number of air pipes 7, reducing assembly time and the labor intensity of employees. In addition, the reduction in the number of air pipes 7 in the tooling fixture improves the aesthetics of tooling wiring.

[0027] In some embodiments, the cylinder body 1 includes a cylinder body and a sealing member 5. An opening is provided at the top of the cylinder body, and the sealing member 5 is positioned at and seals the opening. The piston rod 4 slides through the sealing member 5. The sealing member 5 effectively prevents gas leakage within the cylinder body 1, ensuring stable gas pressure within the cylinder, thereby enabling the cylinder to operate more stably and reliably. Good sealing helps improve the cylinder's working efficiency, avoids power loss due to gas leakage, and ensures the cylinder can provide continuous and stable thrust. As an independent component, the sealing member 5 is convenient to install and remove. When it is necessary to inspect, repair, or replace parts inside the cylinder, the sealing member 5 can be easily removed without affecting the structure and installation of other major components. Simultaneously, the presence of the sealing member 5 also makes the installation and positioning of the piston rod 4 more accurate, improving the overall assembly precision of the cylinder. The piston rod 4 slides through the sealing member, which provides better guidance and support for the movement of the piston rod 4, making the piston rod 4 more stable during reciprocating motion, reducing swaying and deflection, and improving the accuracy and reliability of cylinder movement. This is especially important for some working applications that require high motion accuracy.

[0028] In some embodiments, the elastic element 3 abuts against the sealing element 5. The sealing element 5, as a fixing component, provides a clear and stable contact surface for the elastic element 3, making the installation and positioning of the elastic element 3 more precise. This prevents the elastic element 3 from shifting or tilting during installation, ensuring the stability and reliability of the elastic element 3 during operation, and thus ensuring the normal operation of the cylinder. When it is necessary to inspect, maintain, or replace the elastic element 3, the operation is relatively simple because the elastic element 3 abuts against the sealing element 5. The elastic element 3 can be easily handled by directly removing the sealing element 5, without the need for extensive disassembly of the entire cylinder structure, reducing maintenance workload and time, and improving equipment maintenance efficiency.

[0029] In some embodiments, the elastic element 3 is fixedly connected to the sealing element 5. This fixed connection ensures that the elastic element 3 remains in the correct position during cylinder operation, preventing displacement or detachment due to piston 2 movement, vibration, or other external forces. This guarantees the stable functioning of the elastic element 3 and improves the reliability of the cylinder operation. During assembly, since the elastic element 3 is fixed to the sealing element 5, they can be installed as a whole, reducing the steps of installing the elastic element 3 separately, lowering assembly difficulty, improving assembly efficiency, facilitating automated assembly, and reducing labor costs. The fixed connection forms an integral structure between the elastic element 3 and the sealing element 5, increasing the rigidity of the cylinder top. During cylinder operation, it can better withstand the force of the elastic element 3 and other external forces, reducing structural deformation and contributing to improved overall cylinder performance and working accuracy. The fixed connection between the elastic element 3 and the sealing element 5 allows the elastic element 3 to more accurately synchronize with the movement of the piston rod 4 when releasing energy to drive the piston 2 back. Because the relative position of the sealing element 5 and the piston rod 4 is fixed, the movement transmission of the elastic element 3 is more direct and accurate, improving the repeatability and precision of the cylinder movement.

[0030] In some embodiments, the end of the elastic element 3 furthest from the sealing element 5 is fixedly connected to the piston 2. This fixed connection prevents relative sliding or displacement between the elastic element 3 and the piston 2 during operation, thereby enhancing the stability of the entire system and avoiding malfunctions caused by an unstable connection between the elastic element 3 and the piston 2. Furthermore, it ensures high synchronization between the movements of the piston 2 and the elastic element 3, guaranteeing the positional accuracy of the piston 2 during its ascent and descent. This facilitates precise control of the cylinder movement and meets the accuracy requirements of cylinder movement in different working scenarios.

[0031] It should be noted that the connection between the elastic element 3 and the piston 2 and the sealing element 5 can be either abutting, fixed, or abutting the piston 2 and fixedly connected to the sealing element 5, or fixedly connected to the piston 2 and abutting the sealing element 5. For stability, it is preferable that the elastic element 3 is fixedly connected to both the piston 2 and the sealing element 5.

[0032] In some embodiments, the elastic element 3 is a spring, which is sleeved on the piston rod 4. The piston rod 4 acts as a guide, ensuring that the spring moves only along the axis of the piston rod 4 during compression and extension. This effectively prevents the spring from deflecting or twisting under force, ensuring uniform transmission of the spring force and the linearity of the piston 2's movement, thus improving the accuracy and stability of the cylinder's movement. Furthermore, the spring force applied to the piston 2 is evenly distributed, resulting in a more balanced force distribution on the piston 2 under spring force, reducing wear and deformation caused by uneven force distribution, and extending the service life of both the piston 2 and the cylinder.

[0033] In some embodiments, the elastic element 3 is a spring, which is disposed on the side of the piston rod 4. The spring is located on the side of the piston rod 4 and is relatively independent. When the spring needs to be inspected, maintained, or replaced, it is not necessary to disassemble other components related to the piston rod 4, as might be required when the spring is fitted onto the piston rod 4. This makes operation more convenient and reduces maintenance costs and downtime. Compared to a spring fitted onto the piston rod 4, a spring disposed on the side is less likely to interfere with the piston rod 4 and other moving parts. Especially when other accessories or actuators are mounted on the piston rod 4, the side-mounted spring can prevent collisions or friction with these components during movement, improving the stability and reliability of the entire system.

[0034] In some embodiments, multiple springs are arranged circumferentially around the piston rod 4, preferably evenly distributed around the piston rod 4. This uniform distribution ensures that the spring forces acting on the piston rod 4 are completely symmetrical in the circumferential direction. Regardless of the piston 2's position, the forces exerted by each spring on the piston rod 4 are balanced, minimizing lateral forces and bending moments caused by uneven forces. This guarantees that the piston rod 4 always moves linearly along the axial direction, improving the accuracy and stability of the cylinder's movement and reducing component wear and deformation caused by uneven force distribution. The evenly distributed springs work independently yet collaboratively during operation. Even if one spring fails, the others can continue to bear part or all of the load, preventing immediate cylinder failure. The system has a certain degree of fault tolerance, improving the reliability and safety of the entire device. Furthermore, due to the uniform force distribution, the fatigue levels of the evenly distributed springs are similar during long-term use, resulting in a more similar service life. This reduces the need for frequent replacements due to premature failure of individual springs, lowering maintenance costs and downtime.

[0035] Example 2

[0036] This embodiment also provides a tooling fixture, including the cylinder from Embodiment 1. It can reduce the amount of pipe used, save costs, has a simple structure, and reduce the labor intensity of workers.

[0037] This utility model uses specific examples to illustrate its principles and implementation methods. The above description of the embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core idea of ​​this utility model. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the idea of ​​this utility model. In summary, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

Claims

1. A cylinder, characterized in that: The cylinder includes a cylinder body, a piston, a piston rod, and an elastic element. The piston is movably disposed within the cylinder body along a first direction and divides the space within the cylinder body into a rod chamber and a rodless chamber. One end of the piston rod is located in the rod chamber and is fixedly connected to the piston. The other end of the piston rod is movably disposed through the cylinder body and forms a sealed contact with the cylinder body. The rodless chamber has an air inlet for connecting an air pipe. The elastic element applies pressure to the piston and the inner wall of the cylinder body at both ends along the first direction, respectively.

2. The cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cylinder body includes a cylinder body and a sealing member. The top of the cylinder body is provided with an opening. The sealing member is used to be disposed at the opening and to seal it. The piston rod slides through the sealing member.

3. The cylinder according to claim 2, characterized in that: The elastic element abuts against the sealing element.

4. The cylinder according to claim 2, characterized in that: The elastic element is fixedly connected to the sealing element.

5. The cylinder according to claim 4, characterized in that: The end of the elastic element away from the sealing element is fixedly connected to the piston.

6. The cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic element is a spring, which is sleeved on the piston rod.

7. The cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic element is a spring, which is disposed on the side of the piston rod.

8. The cylinder according to claim 7, characterized in that: The springs are provided in multiple quantities, and the multiple springs are arranged around the piston rod.

9. The cylinder according to claim 8, characterized in that: The plurality of springs are evenly arranged around the piston rod in a circumferential manner.

10. A tooling fixture, characterized in that: Including the cylinder as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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