A hub gripping and transferring device

Abstract

This application discloses a wheel hub gripping and transferring device and its control method. The device includes: a traveling frame with guide blocks that slide and cooperate with the traveling track; a lifting motor; a gantry frame located below the traveling frame, with the drive shaft of the lifting motor connected to the top of the gantry frame for driving the gantry frame to translate along the Z-axis; and four sets of hydraulic clamping units located at the bottom of the gantry frame. Each hydraulic clamping unit includes a frame, grippers, and a hydraulic cylinder. The grippers of the four sets of hydraulic clamping units are located between the gantry frames and form a rectangular clamping surface capable of gripping the wheel hub. A slot is provided at the bottom of the gantry frame along the X-axis, and a protrusion matching the slot is provided at the top of the frame. A fixing plate is provided on the outer side of the gantry frame, and bolts are fixedly connected to the outer side of the protrusion facing the fixing plate. The frame and the fixing plate are fixed by adjusting nuts. This application can adapt to the gripping needs of wheel hubs of different widths, and has a simple structure, is easy to maintain, and has low cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automotive processing equipment technology, specifically to a wheel hub gripping and transferring device. Background Technology

[0002] In the wheel hub manufacturing process, the gripping and transferring device is a key piece of equipment connecting various processing steps. Existing wheel hub gripping devices have the following drawbacks:

[0003] Poor adaptability: The fixed spacing of traditional clamping units cannot adapt to the gripping needs of different wheel hub widths, requiring manual adjustment or replacement of clamps, resulting in low efficiency;

[0004] Low positioning accuracy: The hydraulic clamping unit of the existing device is usually driven synchronously, with the front and rear jaws contacting the edge of the wheel hub at the same time. This can easily lead to unstable clamping due to slight displacement of the wheel hub, which affects the accuracy of subsequent processing.

[0005] Complex structure: Some adjustable clamps adjust the spacing through gear transmission or electric push rod, but the mechanical structure is complex and the maintenance cost is high. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this application is to overcome the above-mentioned problems or at least partially solve or mitigate them.

[0007] According to one aspect of this application, a hub gripping and transferring device is provided, comprising:

[0008] The crane frame is a rectangular frame in general, and guide blocks that slide with the crane track are provided on opposite sides of the crane frame;

[0009] A lifting motor is installed at the top of the overhead crane frame;

[0010] A gantry frame is installed below the overhead crane frame. The drive shaft of the lifting motor is connected to the top of the gantry frame and is used to drive the gantry frame to translate along the Z-axis.

[0011] Four sets of hydraulic clamping units are located at the bottom of the gantry frame and are situated on the same horizontal plane;

[0012] Each hydraulic clamping unit includes a frame, grippers, and hydraulic cylinders. The grippers of the four hydraulic clamping units are located between the gantry frames and form a rectangular clamping surface that can clamp the wheel hub. The grippers and hydraulic cylinders are located inside the frame. A slot is provided at the bottom of the gantry frame along the X-axis. A protrusion matching the slot is provided at the top of the frame. A fixing plate is provided on the gantry frame outside the slot. A screw hole is opened on the fixing plate. A bolt is fixedly connected to the outside of the protrusion facing the screw hole. The bolt passes through the screw hole and is fixed to the frame and the fixing plate by adjusting the nut.

[0013] Optionally, the slot is an irregularly shaped slot.

[0014] Optionally, the upper part of the slot is wider than the lower part.

[0015] Optionally, in each set of hydraulic clamping units, the hydraulic cylinder is fixed in the frame along the Y-axis direction, and a rotating shaft is provided in the frame near the gantry along the Z-axis direction. The gripper may be provided with a through hole, and the rotating shaft passes through the through hole of the gripper. The drive shaft of the hydraulic cylinder is connected to the gripper through a rotating pin, and the hydraulic cylinder drives the gripper to rotate around the rotating shaft.

[0016] Optionally, the gripper has a friction surface on the side facing the rectangular clamping surface to increase clamping resistance.

[0017] Optionally, a guide plate is provided at the top of the gantry frame, and a limiting frame is provided at the bottom of the crane frame. Both the guide plate and the limiting frame are U-shaped, and a sliding fit is formed between the guide plate and the limiting frame.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the wheel hub gripping and transferring device provided in this application has the following beneficial effects or advantages:

[0019] This application utilizes a mechanically adjustable hydraulic clamping unit design, which can adapt to the gripping needs of wheel hubs of varying widths without the need for complex transmission mechanisms. It also features a simple structure, easy maintenance, and low cost. Furthermore, the separate hydraulic clamping unit allows for control of the driving hydraulic pressure of the grippers at different positions. The front high-pressure gripper prioritizes positioning (achieving initial positioning), while the rear low-pressure gripper assists in clamping, reducing the risk of wheel hub slippage. This achieves initial positioning of the gripped wheel hub and improves subsequent processing accuracy. Specifically, this can be summarized in the following three points:

[0020] The above and other objects, advantages and features of this application will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of specific embodiments of this application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The following sections will describe some specific embodiments of this application in detail by way of example and not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts or components. Those skilled in the art should understand that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a hub gripping and transferring device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the wheel hub gripping and transferring device according to one embodiment of this application from another perspective;

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A partially enlarged schematic diagram of the hub gripping and transferring device shown;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a front view structural schematic diagram of a hub gripping and transferring device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0026] The annotations in the attached figures are explained as follows:

[0027] 1. Overhead frame; 11. Guide block; 12. Limiting frame;

[0028] 2. Lifting motor; 21. Drive shaft of the lifting motor;

[0029] 3. Gantry frame; 31. Slot; 32. Fixing plate; 321. Screw hole; 33. Guide plate;

[0030] 4. Hydraulic clamping unit; 41. Frame; 411. Protrusion; 412. Bolt; 42. Gripper; 421. Friction surface; 422. Through hole; 43. Hydraulic cylinder; 44. Rotary shaft.

[0031] 5. Train track. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solution of this utility model will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0033] Furthermore, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of this utility model described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other. Example

[0034] This embodiment describes a hub gripping and transferring device, such as... Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, it includes:

[0035] The traveling frame 1 is a rectangular frame in general, and guide blocks 11 that slide with the traveling rail 5 are provided on opposite sides of the traveling frame 1;

[0036] The lifting motor 2 is located on the top of the overhead crane frame 1;

[0037] The gantry 3 is located below the overhead crane 1. The drive shaft 21 of the lifting motor 2 is connected to the top of the gantry 3, which is used to drive the gantry 3 to translate along the Z-axis.

[0038] Four sets of hydraulic clamping units 4 are located at the bottom of the gantry 3 and are situated on the same horizontal plane;

[0039] Among them, such as Figure 3 As shown, each set of hydraulic clamping units 4 includes a frame 41, grippers 42, and hydraulic cylinders 43. The grippers 42 of the four sets of hydraulic clamping units 4 are located between the gantry frames 3 and form a rectangular clamping surface that can clamp the wheel hub. The grippers 42 and hydraulic cylinders 43 are arranged inside the frame 41. A slot 31 is provided at the bottom of the gantry frame 3 along the X-axis. A protrusion 411 that matches the slot 31 is provided at the top of the frame 41. A fixing plate 32 is provided on the gantry frame 3 outside the slot 31. A screw hole 321 is opened on the fixing plate 32. A bolt 412 is fixedly connected to the outside of the protrusion 411 facing the screw hole 321. The bolt 412 passes through the screw hole 321 and is fixed to the frame 41 and the fixing plate 32 by adjusting the nut.

[0040] In one specific embodiment, the slot 31 is an irregularly shaped slot, and correspondingly, the protrusion 411 on the top of the frame 41 inserted into the slot 31 is also irregularly shaped, which can effectively hold the protrusion 411 in the slot 31 and prevent it from falling out along the Z-axis or Y-axis. The bolt 412 is connected to the screw hole 321 of the fixing plate 32, and the spacing between the two hydraulic clamping units 4 opposite each other in the same X-axis direction can be adjusted by rotating the adjusting nut.

[0041] In another embodiment, keeping the upper width of the slot 31 greater than the lower width also helps to keep the protrusion 411 in the slot 31 so that it does not fall out.

[0042] In one specific embodiment, in each set of hydraulic clamping units 4, the hydraulic cylinder 43 is fixed in the frame 41 along the Y-axis. A rotating shaft 44 is located in the frame 41 near the gantry 3 along the Z-axis. The gripper 42 may have a through hole 422, and the rotating shaft 44 passes through the through hole 422 of the gripper 42. The drive shaft 21 of the hydraulic cylinder 43 is connected to the gripper 42 via a rotating pin. The hydraulic cylinder 43 drives the gripper 42 to rotate around the rotating shaft 44. The gripper 42 is approximately L-shaped, with the through hole 422 on one arm and the other arm facing the wheel hub. The grippers 42 of the four hydraulic clamping units 4 are respectively close to four points on the lower part of the wheel hub. These four points are located on the same horizontal plane. This structure allows the gripper 42 to rotate more smoothly and stably, with a strong pushing force, thus making the clamping of the wheel hub more secure.

[0043] Additionally, the gripper 42 has a friction surface 421 on its side facing the rectangular clamping surface to increase clamping resistance. The friction surface 421 can be a grid pattern or stripes. The friction surface 421 can be a high-temperature resistant rubber friction plate (adhesive-bonded or screw-fastened to the gripper 42), a metal friction plate welded to the gripper 42, or a friction pattern integrally formed on the contact surface between the gripper 42 and the wheel hub.

[0044] In one embodiment, a guide plate 33 is provided at the top of the gantry frame 3, and a limiting frame 12 is provided at the bottom of the traveling frame 1. Both the guide plate 33 and the limiting frame 12 are U-shaped, and a sliding fit is formed between the guide plate 33 and the limiting frame 12. The structural design of the guide plate 33 and the limiting frame 12 can ensure that when the lifting motor 2 drives the gantry frame 3 to reciprocate along the Z-axis, the swaying in the X-axis and Y-axis directions is reduced, improving the stability of the device while also ensuring the quality of subsequent wheel hub processing to a certain extent. Example

[0045] This embodiment describes a control method for a wheel hub gripping and transferring device. The wheel hub gripping and transferring device has the structure described in Embodiment 1. With the wheel hub feeding direction as the positive direction, the driving hydraulic pressure of the two sets of hydraulic clamping units 4 located on the front side is greater than the driving hydraulic pressure of the two sets of hydraulic clamping units 4 located on the rear side. That is, by setting the driving pressure of the two sets of hydraulic clamping units 4 on the front side to be higher than that of the two sets of hydraulic clamping units 4 on the rear side, the device can ensure that the front clamping jaw 42 always contacts the edge of the wheel hub first and completes its positioning before the rear clamping jaw 42. Thus, the initial zero position is always located at the clamping jaw 42 of the front hydraulic clamping unit 4, and the initial positioning remains consistent. After positioning is completed, the rear clamping jaw 42 reinforces the clamping force to complete the gripping of the wheel hub.

[0046] Optionally, before using the wheel hub gripping and transfer device, the distance between each set of hydraulic clamping units 4 on the front and rear sides is adjusted along the X-axis according to the width of the wheel hub to be processed. It can be seen that the wheel hub gripping and transfer device can adapt to the gripping needs of wheel hubs of different widths without the need for a complex transmission mechanism, and it has a simple structure, is easy to maintain, and has low cost.

[0047] The following section, using specific examples such as device structure assembly, specific control methods, and workflow, further elaborates on the technical solution of this application.

[0048] I. Mechanical Structure Assembly of the Hub Grabbing and Transfer Device

[0049] 1.1 Assembly of crane frame 1 and gantry frame 3:

[0050] The guide block 11 is welded to both sides of the crane frame 1 and slides with the crane track 5.

[0051] The lifting motor 2 is fixed to the top of the crane frame 1, and its drive shaft 21 is connected to the center of the top of the gantry frame 3 through a flange.

[0052] A U-shaped guide plate 33 is welded to the top of the gantry frame 3, forming a sliding pair with the U-shaped limiting frame 12 at the bottom of the crane frame 1 to reduce swaying during lifting.

[0053] 1.2 Installation of hydraulic clamping unit 4:

[0054] A non-circular slot 31 (10mm wide at the top and 8mm wide at the bottom) is machined along the X-axis at the bottom of the gantry 3, and the protrusion 411 at the top of the frame 41 is inserted into the slot 31.

[0055] The fixing plate 32 is welded to the outside of the slot 31. Bolts 412 are welded to the outside of the protrusion 411 on the top of the frame 41. After the bolts 412 pass through the screw holes 321 of the fixing plate 32, they are locked by adjusting the nuts to achieve the X-axis positioning of the frame 41.

[0056] 1.3 Connection between gripper 42 and hydraulic cylinder 43:

[0057] Hydraulic cylinder 43 is fixed inside frame 41 along Y-axis, and its drive shaft 21 is connected to the middle of gripper 42 via rotating pin;

[0058] A bearing is embedded in the through hole 422 of the gripper 42 (or the bearing may not be installed). The rotating shaft 44 passes through the bearing and is fixed to the inner wall of the frame 41, so that the gripper 42 can rotate freely around the rotating shaft 44.

[0059] The contact surface of the gripper 42 is fitted with a 2mm thick rubber friction pad with striped ridges.

[0060] II. Control Method Operation

[0061] 2.1 Adjustment of the spacing between the hydraulic clamping units 4 on the front and rear sides:

[0062] Measure the width of the wheel hub to be gripped (e.g., 200mm) and calculate the theoretical spacing between the front and rear clamping units (wheel hub width + 10mm allowance).

[0063] Loosen the adjusting nut, push the frame 41 along the X-axis so that the side length of the rectangular clamping surface formed by the front and rear grippers 42 is greater than the width of the wheel hub, and then tighten the adjusting nut.

[0064] 2.2 Hydraulic pressure settings for the four sets of hydraulic clamping units 4:

[0065] The driving pressure of the two sets of hydraulic clamping units 4 on the front side is set to 8MPa, and that on the rear side is set to 5MPa.

[0066] During gripping, the front gripper 42 quickly contacts the edge of the wheel hub under high pressure to complete the XY plane positioning; the rear gripper 42 strengthens the clamping force under low pressure to prevent the wheel hub from slipping.

[0067] III. Working process of the device in the wheel hub gripping process:

[0068] The overhead crane 1 moves along the track to above the wheel hub, and the lifting motor 2 drives the gantry 3 to descend or rise to the grabbing height;

[0069] The front gripper 42 clamps the edge of the wheel hub under high pressure hydraulic pressure, correcting the slight displacement of the wheel hub;

[0070] The rear gripper 42 clamps under low pressure, and the four sets of grippers 42 work together to stably grasp the wheel hub;

[0071] The overhead crane 1 transfers the wheel hub to the next process, and the lifting motor 2 raises or lowers the gantry 3 to complete one wheel hub grabbing and transfer;

[0072] Repeat the above steps in a loop.

[0073] In summary, the wheel hub gripping and transferring device of this application, through the design of a mechanically adjustable hydraulic clamping unit 4, can adapt to the gripping needs of wheel hubs of different widths without the need for a complex transmission mechanism. It also features a simple structure, easy maintenance, and low cost. Furthermore, its control method, combined with the separate hydraulic clamping unit 4, allows for control of the driving hydraulic pressure of the grippers 42 at different positions. The front high-pressure gripper 42 prioritizes positioning (achieving initial positioning), while the rear low-pressure gripper 42 assists in clamping, reducing the risk of wheel hub slippage. This achieves initial positioning of the gripped wheel hub and improves subsequent processing accuracy.

[0074] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A wheel hub gripping and transferring device, characterized in that, include: The crane frame is a rectangular frame in general, and guide blocks that slide with the crane track are provided on opposite sides of the crane frame; A lifting motor is installed at the top of the overhead crane frame; A gantry frame is installed below the overhead crane frame. The drive shaft of the lifting motor is connected to the top of the gantry frame to drive the gantry frame to translate along the Z-axis. Four sets of hydraulic clamping units are located at the bottom of the gantry frame and are situated on the same horizontal plane; Each hydraulic clamping unit includes a frame, grippers, and hydraulic cylinders. The grippers of the four hydraulic clamping units are located between the gantry frames and form a rectangular clamping surface that can clamp the wheel hub. The grippers and hydraulic cylinders are located inside the frame. A slot is provided at the bottom of the gantry frame along the X-axis. A protrusion matching the slot is provided at the top of the frame. A fixing plate is provided on the gantry frame outside the slot. A screw hole is opened on the fixing plate. A bolt is fixedly connected to the outside of the protrusion facing the screw hole. The bolt passes through the screw hole and is fixed to the frame and the fixing plate by adjusting the nut.

2. The wheel hub grab-and-transfer device of claim 1, wherein, The slot is an irregularly shaped slot.

3. The wheel hub grab-and-transfer device of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The upper part of the slot is wider than the lower part.

4. The wheel hub grab-and-transfer device of claim 1, wherein, In each set of hydraulic clamping units, the hydraulic cylinder is fixed in the frame along the Y-axis direction, and a rotating shaft is provided in the frame near the gantry along the Z-axis direction. The gripper may be provided with a through hole, and the rotating shaft passes through the through hole of the gripper. The drive shaft of the hydraulic cylinder is connected to the gripper through a rotating pin, and the hydraulic cylinder drives the gripper to rotate around the rotating shaft.

5. The wheel hub grab-and-transfer device of claim 4, wherein, The gripper has a friction surface on the side facing the rectangular clamping surface to increase clamping resistance.

6. The wheel hub grab-and-transfer device of claim 1, wherein, The top of the gantry is provided with a guide plate, and the bottom of the traveling frame is provided with a limit frame. Both the guide plate and the limit frame are U-shaped, and the guide plate and the limit frame are in sliding fit.

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