An expansion tool for a quick coupling of a fire hose

Abstract

This utility model discloses an expansion fixture for quick-connect hose assembly ports, including a support cylinder, a drive device, a base plate, a fixed seat, a movable pin, a movable block, and a return spring. An inner flange is embedded in the upper end of the support cylinder. The drive device includes a power source, a push rod, and a conical movable top block. The conical movable top block is driven by the push rod to slide up and down within the inner flange. The base plate is located on the upper surface of the support cylinder and protrudes upwards to provide a fixed seat. Pin holes are oppositely formed on the fixed seat, and the movable pin slides relative to these pin holes. The movable block is fixedly connected to the movable pin. Both the movable pin and the movable block are symmetrically arranged relative to the axis of the conical movable top block. The return spring is used to pull the movable pin inwards to return it to its original position. This utility model, through the synergistic action of the conical movable top block, the movable pin, and the movable block, appropriately expands the hose assembly port to match the quick-connect fitting. The return spring achieves rapid return, offering advantages such as simple overall structure, convenient operation, and ease of subsequent rapid assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of quick-connect hose manufacturing equipment, and specifically relates to an expansion tool for quick-connect hose assembly ports. Background Technology

[0002] Quick-connect hoses are devices used for rapidly connecting water pipes. They consist of a polyurethane hose and a quick-connect fitting made of aluminum alloy, primarily used in agricultural irrigation and firefighting. They are characterized by ease of operation and time-saving features. A quick-connect fitting typically consists of two detachable connectors. One connector is fixed to the end of the polyurethane hose, while the other is quickly attached to the hose end via a snap-fit ​​or threaded connection. Since high-pressure water mostly flows through quick-connect hoses, a slightly smaller, tighter polyurethane hose is required to ensure a tight and airtight connection between the hose and the fitting. In actual production, this is often done manually, which is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and inefficient. Furthermore, the hose joints are prone to damage from friction during tight fitting, affecting assembly quality. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this utility model is to propose an expansion tool for the assembly port of quick-connect water hoses, so as to solve the problem that the existing quick-connect water hose assembly relies on manual assembly, which is time-consuming, labor-intensive and difficult to guarantee the assembly quality.

[0004] This utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0005] This utility model proposes an expansion tooling for quick-connect water hose assembly ports, including a support cylinder, a drive device, a base plate, a fixed seat, a movable pin, a movable block, and a return spring. An inner flange is embedded in the upper end of the support cylinder. The drive device is located below the inner flange and includes a power source, a push rod, and a conical movable block at its top. The conical movable block is driven by the push rod to slide up and down within the inner flange. The base plate is fixed to the upper end face of the support cylinder, and a fixed seat protrudes upward from the base plate. Both the base plate and the fixed seat are annular, and the fixed seat has corresponding pin holes. The movable pin is slidably disposed relative to the pin hole. The movable block is disposed outside the fixed seat and fixedly connected to the movable pin. The movable block is used to fit the hose assembly port. Both the movable pin and the movable block are provided in pairs and are symmetrically arranged relative to the axis of the conical movable top block. The two ends of the return spring are respectively fixed on the movable pin. When the conical movable top block slides upward, it pushes the movable pin to drive the movable block to move outward by an equal amount to complete the expansion of the hose assembly port. The return spring is stretched accordingly. When the conical movable top block slides downward, the return spring pulls the movable pin to move inward relative to the pin and reset.

[0006] Based on the above technical solution, the conical movable top block, the symmetrically arranged movable pin, and the movable block work together to allow the hose assembly port to expand within a controllable range to match the outer diameter of the quick connector, thereby reducing the assembly difficulty of the hose and quick connector, and improving assembly efficiency and quality. At the same time, the reset spring enables the tooling to be quickly reset, ensuring the stability and uniformity of the hose expansion. The whole system features a simple structure, convenient operation, and easy maintenance, and is suitable for various high-pressure hose assembly scenarios.

[0007] Preferably, the movable block is detachably connected to the movable pin. The movable block is concave with its opening facing outward. The bottom surface of the concave shape is provided with a mounting hole, and the movable pin is also provided with a corresponding countersunk hole. The mounting hole and the countersunk hole are internally threaded with fastening bolts. This design facilitates the quick replacement and adjustment of the movable block, adapts to the assembly requirements of hoses of different specifications, and further enhances the flexibility and practicality of the tooling.

[0008] Preferably, the movable block is provided with an inverted L-shaped pad on its outer side, and an oblong adjustment hole is provided on the upper surface of the pad. An adjustment bolt is provided in the adjustment hole. The adjustment bolt is used to connect the movable block and the pad. This design is conducive to increasing and adjusting the expansion stroke of the hose assembly port to better match different specifications of hoses and quick connectors, and to ensure the tightness of the assembly process and the tightness of the connection.

[0009] More preferably, the pad is made of a flexible material, such as rubber or polyurethane, so that the pad can make elastic contact with the hose during expansion, reducing wear on the hose liner and ensuring the water hose's sealing performance.

[0010] Preferably, the fixed base is provided with an oiling channel communicating with the pin hole, and an oiling nozzle is provided at the top of the channel. The oiling nozzle and the oiling channel are used to inject lubricant into the pin hole to reduce the frictional resistance between the movable pin and the inner wall of the pin hole, ensure the uniformity of the movable pin's movement stroke, and avoid damage caused by uneven force on the hose assembly port.

[0011] Preferably, a limiting bracket is fixedly provided on the fixed base, and a limiting bolt is screwed to the top of the limiting bracket. The limiting bolt is coaxially arranged with the conical movable top block and is used to limit the rising height of the conical movable top block. The purpose of this design is to prevent the conical movable top block from moving excessively through mechanical limiting, ensure the controllability of the expansion range of the hose assembly port, avoid hose damage due to excessive expansion, and improve the safety and reliability of the overall assembly.

[0012] Preferably, the movable block has a groove at its contact surface with the base plate, and the base plate has multiple through holes equidistantly spaced corresponding to the groove. A positioning pin is movably installed in each of the through holes. The positioning pin is used to limit the outward expansion of the movable block. The purpose of this design is to limit the expansion stroke of the movable block by precisely positioning the positioning pin, so as to avoid excessive displacement of the movable block causing the hose to exceed the controllable deformation range, thereby ensuring the tightness and airtightness of the connection between the hose and the quick connector after assembly.

[0013] Preferably, the power source includes an oil tank, an oil pump, a control valve, a hydraulic oil pipe, and a hydraulic cylinder connected in sequence. The hydraulic cylinder is located inside the support cylinder. The hydraulic cylinder drives the push rod to move the conical movable top block up and down. This design, through the efficient transmission of the hydraulic power unit, facilitates high-precision control of the movement stroke of the conical movable top block.

[0014] Preferably, the control valve is connected to a PLC controller, and the PLC controller controls the movement stroke of the hydraulic cylinder in conjunction with the control valve, so as to facilitate the automated control of the expanded tooling, ensure the coordinated operation of each component, reduce human intervention errors, and improve assembly efficiency.

[0015] Preferably, it also includes a moving mechanism, which includes a vehicle body, a handrail, and wheels. The vehicle body is used to provide a support platform for the support cylinder and the power source. The handrail is located on one side of the vehicle body, and the wheels are located at the bottom of the vehicle body. This design, through the setting of the moving mechanism, enables the tooling to have flexible mobility, facilitates rapid on-site positioning, and improves the convenience of operation.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0017] By utilizing the recoverable elastic deformation characteristics of polyurethane hoses and water hoses, the expansion tool of this invention is used to expand the hoses and water hoses within a controllable range before assembly. This not only effectively improves the assembly efficiency of the hoses and water hoses and quick connectors, but also does not affect the connection stability and sealing between the hoses and water hoses and quick connectors, effectively ensuring that a stable connection can still be maintained under the impact of high-pressure water flow.

[0018] Specifically, (1) through the coordinated action of the conical movable top block, the symmetrically arranged movable pin and movable block, the hose assembly port can be expanded within a controllable range to match the outer diameter of the quick connector, thereby allowing the hose to be quickly fitted onto the outside of the quick connector, reducing the assembly difficulty of the two, and using the elastic recovery of the hose to achieve a tight connection between the two, ultimately improving assembly efficiency and assembly quality; at the same time, the tooling can be quickly reset by the reset spring to ensure the stability and uniformity of the hose expansion; the entire tooling has the characteristics of simple structure, convenient operation and convenient maintenance.

[0019] (2) The tooling is flexible and adaptable by the detachable connection between the movable block and the movable pin, and the adjustable connection between the pad and the movable block, so as to meet the assembly requirements of hoses of different specifications and make the tooling have good universality. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Other features, objects, and advantages of this invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the left view of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the front view of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a partial structural diagram of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a partial structural diagram of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0026] In the diagram: 1. Support cylinder; 2. Drive device; 3. Inner flange; 4. Base plate; 5. Fixed seat; 6. Movable pin; 7. Movable block; 8. Return spring; 9. Pad; 10. Limit bracket; 11. Limit bolt; 12. Vehicle body; 13. Handrail; 14. Traveling wheel; 201. Power source; 202. Push rod; 203. Conical movable top block; 2011. Oil tank; 2012. Oil pump; 2013. Control valve; 2014. Hydraulic oil pipe; 2015. Hydraulic cylinder; 401. Through hole; 402. Positioning pin; 501. Oil filling channel; 502. Oil filling nozzle; 701. Fastening bolt; 702. Groove; 901. Adjusting hole; 902. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0028] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this utility model provides an expansion tool for the assembly port of a quick-connect water hose, including a support cylinder 1, a driving device 2, a base plate 4, a fixed seat 5, a movable pin 6, a movable block 7, and a return spring 8.

[0029] The upper end of the support cylinder 1 is embedded with an inner flange 3. The driving device 2 is located below the inner flange 3. The driving device 2 includes a power source 201, a push rod 202, and a conical movable top block 203 at its top. The conical movable top block 203 is driven by the push rod 202 to slide up and down within the inner flange 3. The power source 201 can be a pneumatic push rod or an electric push rod, preferably, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the power source 201 includes an oil tank 2011, an oil pump 2012, a control valve 2013, a hydraulic oil pipe 2014, and a hydraulic cylinder 2015 connected in sequence. The oil pump 2012 is a combination of a high-pressure gear pump and a motor. The control valve 2013 is a hydraulic valve assembly. The hydraulic cylinder 2015 is located inside the support cylinder 1. The support cylinder 1 has a clearance hole on its side for the hydraulic oil pipe 2014 to pass through. The hydraulic cylinder 2015 drives the push rod 202 to move the conical movable top block 203 up and down. Furthermore, the control valve 2013 is signal-connected to a PLC controller (not shown in the attached diagram). The PLC controller, in conjunction with the control valve 2013, controls the stroke of the hydraulic cylinder 2015 to achieve automated control of the expansion stroke setting and the expansion process.

[0030] The base plate 4 is fixedly mounted on the upper end face of the support cylinder 1. A fixed seat 5 protrudes upward from the base plate 4. Both the base plate 4 and the fixed seat 5 are annular. When the conical movable top block 203 moves upward, it can enter the central cavity of the base plate 4 and the fixed seat 5. A pin hole (not shown in the attached diagram) is provided opposite to the fixed seat 5. The movable pin 6 is slidably disposed relative to the pin hole, i.e., as shown in the attached diagram. Figure 2As shown, the movable pin 6 passes through the pin hole, and both ends of the movable pin 6 protrude from both sides of the pin hole. The fixed seat 5 provides support and guidance for the movable pin 6. The movable block 7 is located outside the fixed seat 5 and is fixedly connected to the movable pin 6, used for fitting the hose assembly port. The movable block 7 and the movable pin 6 can be an integral structure or a separate structure. In this embodiment, the movable block 7 and the movable pin 6 are a detachably connected separate structure. Specifically, the movable block 7 is concave with its opening facing outward, and the bottom surface of the concave shape is provided with a mounting hole (not shown in the figure). The movable pin 6 is also provided with a corresponding countersunk hole (not shown in the figure). The mounting hole and the countersunk hole... The movable block 7 and the movable pin 6 are detachably connected by the threaded connection of the fastening bolt 701 with the mounting hole and the countersunk hole. The movable pin 6 and the movable block 7 are each provided with a pair and are symmetrically arranged with respect to the axis of the conical movable top block 203, so that when the conical movable top block 203 moves upward, it can push the movable pin 6 outward by an equal amount. The return spring 8 is provided on the front and rear sides of the movable pin 6, and the two ends of each return spring 8 are respectively fixed on the movable pin 6. As a feasible solution, the two ends of the return spring 8 can also be fixed on the movable block 7 to meet the synchronous action of each component. The return spring 8 is made of stainless steel to meet the corrosion resistance requirements.

[0031] As a preferred embodiment, refer to Figure 4 As shown, the movable block 7 is provided with an inverted L-shaped pad 9 on its outer side. The upper end face of the pad 9 is provided with an oblong adjustment hole 901. An adjustment bolt 902 is provided in the adjustment hole 901. The adjustment bolt 902 is used to connect the movable block 7 and the pad 9 to increase the adjustable range of the expansion stroke of the hose assembly port, thereby better matching different specifications of hoses and quick connectors. The pad 9 is preferably made of a flexible material. The flexible material can be a micro-elastic material such as rubber or polyurethane, so that the pad 9 can make elastic contact with the hose during expansion, reducing wear on the hose liner.

[0032] As a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, the fixed base 5 is provided with an oiling channel 501 that connects to the pin hole. The top of the channel is provided with an oiling nozzle 502. The oiling nozzle 502 and the oiling channel 501 are used to inject lubricant into the pin hole. The lubricant can be grease to reduce the frictional resistance between the movable pin 6 and the inner wall of the pin hole, ensure the consistency of the movement stroke of the movable pin 6 on the left and right sides, and avoid damage caused by uneven force on the hose assembly port.

[0033] As one of the preferred embodiments, a mechanical limiting structure is provided above the fixed base 5. Specifically, a limiting bracket 10 is fixedly provided on the fixed base 5, and a limiting bolt 11 is screwed to the top of the limiting bracket 10. The limiting bolt 11 is coaxially arranged with the conical movable top block 203 and is used to mechanically limit the rising height of the conical movable top block 203 to prevent the conical movable top block 203 from moving excessively and causing damage to the hose.

[0034] As another preferred embodiment, an adjustable mechanical limiting structure is also provided between the movable block 7 and the base plate 4, specifically, as shown in... Figure 5 As shown, the movable block 7 has a groove 702 at its contact surface with the base plate 4. The base plate 4 has multiple through holes 401 equidistantly spaced from the groove 702 (i.e., the outermost through holes 401 are all located within the groove 702 to avoid interference with the reset of the movable pin 6). A positioning pin 402 is movably installed in each through hole 401. The positioning pin 402 can be set one-to-one with each through hole 401, or it can be set as a group. The positioning pin 402 can be fixed by pressing or by threaded connection. By adjusting the position of the positioning pin 402 embedded in the groove 702, the side wall of the groove 702 near the center abuts against the positioning pin 402 and limits the outward expansion of the movable block 7, so as to avoid excessive displacement of the movable block 7, which would cause the hose to exceed the controllable deformation range and be damaged or unable to recover effectively, affecting the sealing performance after assembly.

[0035] Furthermore, to provide operational convenience and reduce site limitations, the extended tooling in this embodiment also includes a moving mechanism. The moving mechanism includes a vehicle body 12, a handrail 13, and wheels 14. The vehicle body 12 provides a support platform for the support cylinder 1 and the power source 201. The handrail 13 is located on one side of the vehicle body 12, and the wheels 14 are located at the bottom of the vehicle body 12. The wheels 14 include four omnidirectional wheels, allowing the tooling to be moved to any position for operation. To facilitate the fixing of each component, the bottom of the support cylinder 1 is connected to the vehicle body 12 via a flange, and the oil tank 2011 in the power source 201 is fixed to the vehicle body 12 via clamps. To improve operational safety, a protective railing can be installed around the motor of the oil pump 2012.

[0036] In this embodiment, during the expansion process, the hose assembly port is fitted onto the outside of the pad 9, and lubricant is injected through the oil filling channel 501 and the oil filling nozzle 502. The power source 201 and PLC controller are activated, driving the oil pump 2012 motor and control valve 2013 to operate the high-pressure gear pump. The high-pressure gear pump drives hydraulic oil through the hydraulic oil pipe 2014 into the hydraulic cylinder 2015. The hydraulic cylinder 2015 drives the push rod 202 to move the conical movable top block 203 upwards. The conical movable top block 203 presses against the movable pin 6, causing the movable pin 6 to expand to the left and right, simultaneously driving the left and right movable blocks 7 and the pads of the left and right movable blocks 7 to expand outwards. This expands the polyurethane hose assembly port to a size suitable for easy assembly onto the quick-connect fitting, completing the expansion process. During the expansion process, the control of the expansion stroke includes at least one of the following control methods: threshold limitation of the hydraulic cylinder 2015's stroke, height limitation of the limit bolt 11, and lateral displacement limitation of the movable block 7 by the positioning pin 402. After expansion is completed, the hydraulic oil is controlled to flow in reverse, driving the hydraulic cylinder 2015 to move the conical movable top block 203 downward to retract. The movable pin 6 is no longer restricted by the conical movable top block 203, and is pulled inward relative to return to its original position under the elastic restoring force of the return spring 8, until the inner surfaces of the left and right movable pins 6 abut against each other, that is, the return spring 8 returns to its natural state, completing one work cycle.

[0037] This invention utilizes the synergistic effect of a conical movable top block 203, symmetrically arranged movable pins 6, movable blocks 7, and pads 9. Through multiple control methods, including limiting the stroke of the hydraulic cylinder 2015, the upward movement height of the conical movable top block 203, and the lateral displacement of the movable block 7, the hose assembly port can be expanded within a controllable range to match the outer diameter of the quick-connect fitting. This reduces the assembly difficulty of the hose and quick-connect fitting, and improves assembly efficiency and quality. Simultaneously, a return spring 8 enables rapid reset of the tooling, ensuring the stability and uniformity of hose expansion. The overall design features a simple structure, convenient operation, easy maintenance, and facilitates rapid assembly of quick-connect hoses, making it suitable for various high-pressure hose assembly scenarios.

[0038] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and does not constitute any limitation on the technical scope of the present utility model. Therefore, any minor modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present utility model shall still fall within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An expansion tool for quick-connect water hose assembly ports, characterized in that: The system includes a support cylinder, a drive unit, a base plate, a fixed seat, a movable pin, a movable block, and a return spring. An inner flange is embedded in the upper end of the support cylinder. The drive unit is located below the inner flange and includes a power source, a push rod, and a conical movable block at its top. The conical movable block is driven by the push rod to slide up and down within the inner flange. The base plate is fixed to the upper surface of the support cylinder and has a fixed seat protruding upwards. Both the base plate and the fixed seat are annular. A pin hole is formed opposite to the fixed seat, and the movable pin slides relative to the pin hole. The movable block is located outside the fixed base and is fixedly connected to the movable pin. The movable block is used to fit the hose assembly port. Both the movable pin and the movable block are provided in pairs and are symmetrically arranged relative to the axis of the conical movable top block. The two ends of the return spring are respectively fixed on the movable pin. When the conical movable top block slides upward, it pushes the movable pin to drive the movable block to move outward by an equal amount to complete the expansion of the hose assembly port. The return spring is stretched accordingly. When the conical movable top block slides downward, the return spring pulls the movable pin to move inward relative to the axis to reset.

2. The expansion tool for the quick-connect water hose assembly port according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable block is detachably connected to the movable pin. The movable block is concave with its opening facing outward. The bottom surface of the concave shape is provided with a mounting hole. The movable pin is also provided with a countersunk hole. The mounting hole and the countersunk hole are internally threaded with fastening bolts.

3. The expansion tool for the quick-connect water hose assembly port according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable block is provided with an inverted L-shaped pad on its outer side. An oblong adjustment hole is provided on the upper surface of the pad. An adjustment bolt is provided in the adjustment hole. The adjustment bolt is used to connect the movable block and the pad.

4. The expansion tool for the quick-connect water hose assembly port according to claim 3, characterized in that: The pad is made of a flexible material, such as rubber or polyurethane.

5. The expansion tool for the quick-connect water hose assembly port according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting base is provided with an oiling channel that connects to the pin hole. An oiling nozzle is provided at the top of the channel. The oiling nozzle and the oiling channel are used to inject lubricant into the pin hole.

6. The expansion tool for the quick-connect water hose assembly port according to claim 1, characterized in that: A limiting bracket is fixedly provided on the fixed base. A limiting bolt is screwed to the top of the limiting bracket. The limiting bolt is coaxially arranged with the conical movable top block and is used to limit the rising height of the conical movable top block.

7. The expansion tool for the quick-connect water hose assembly port according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable block has a groove on its mating surface with the base plate. The base plate has multiple through holes equidistant from the groove. A positioning pin is movably installed in each of the through holes to limit the outward expansion of the movable block.

8. The expansion tool for the quick-connect water hose assembly port according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power source includes an oil tank, an oil pump, a control valve, a hydraulic oil pipe, and a hydraulic cylinder connected in sequence. The hydraulic cylinder is located inside the support cylinder, and the hydraulic cylinder drives the push rod to move the conical movable top block up and down.

9. The expansion tool for the quick-connect water hose assembly port according to claim 8, characterized in that: The control valve is connected to a PLC controller, and the PLC controller controls the movement stroke of the hydraulic cylinder in conjunction with the control valve.

10. The expansion tool for the quick-connect water hose assembly port according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a moving mechanism, which includes a vehicle body, a handrail, and wheels. The vehicle body is used to provide a support platform for the support cylinder and the power source. The handrail is located on one side of the vehicle body, and the wheels are located at the bottom of the vehicle body.

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