Automobile intercooler air tightness detection tool

Abstract

This utility model discloses a fixture for testing the airtightness of automotive intercoolers, including a fixed base plate and, sequentially arranged along its length, a floating clamping assembly, a limiting and fixing assembly, a detection and positioning assembly, and a floating detection assembly. The floating clamping assembly achieves adaptive axial clamping via a lead screw slide and a pressure sensor; the limiting and fixing assembly uses an elbow clamp for elastic clamping; the detection and positioning assembly, in conjunction with the floating detection assembly, utilizes a ball joint structure, a displacement sensor, and a quick-connect connector to compensate for position and angular deviations at the detection port. Combined with an airtightness tester and controller, it achieves automated clamping, positioning, and high-precision testing, solving the problems of poor versatility, easy damage to workpieces, and low detection accuracy of traditional fixtures, thereby improving production efficiency and product quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of intercooler manufacturing, and in particular to a tooling for testing the air tightness of automotive intercoolers. Background Technology

[0002] As a core thermal management component of a car's turbocharger system, the intercooler's main function is to reduce engine intake air temperature and improve combustion efficiency, directly affecting the engine's power, economy, and emissions performance. Therefore, the intercooler's airtightness (i.e., the sealing performance of its internal cooling channels) is one of its key quality indicators—even a tiny leak can lead to a drop in intake pressure, deterioration of engine operating conditions, and even malfunction.

[0003] Currently, the airtightness testing of automotive intercoolers mainly relies on traditional tooling, but existing technology has the following significant drawbacks: 1. Poor versatility: Due to differences in vehicle models and engine matching requirements, intercoolers vary significantly in length, width, inspection port position, and angle (e.g., the length tolerance of intercoolers for different models can reach ±5mm, the lateral offset of the inspection port can reach ±3mm, and the angle deviation can reach ±2°). Traditional tooling is usually designed for specific models, and when changing to different models of intercoolers, the tooling needs to be readjusted or replaced, resulting in long changeover times (approximately 30-60 minutes / time), low production efficiency, and difficulty in meeting the needs of mass production. 2. Clamping can easily damage the workpiece: Traditional tooling often uses rigid clamps to directly fix both ends of the intercooler, and the clamping force is uncontrollable. Excessive local pressure can easily cause deformation of the intercooler's aluminum alloy shell (especially thin-walled structures), which in turn affects the accuracy of subsequent testing and may even cause the workpiece to be scrapped. 3. Difficulty in docking: The test port of the intercooler (used to connect to the airtightness tester) is usually an irregularly shaped interface (such as a conical or stepped hole). When there is a positional deviation, traditional tooling cannot adaptively adjust the position and angle of the test connector, requiring manual calibration, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive (each calibration takes about 5-10 minutes). Improper operation can easily lead to wear on the connector or scratches on the test port. 4. Insufficient test accuracy: Traditional tooling lacks real-time pressure and displacement feedback, relying solely on manual observation of the pressure gauge to determine leakage. It cannot accurately quantify the leakage amount (e.g., minute leaks ≤0.1L / min are difficult to identify), and it cannot record test data, making it difficult to trace quality problems.

[0004] To address the aforementioned industry pain points, there is an urgent need to design a highly versatile, adaptive, high-precision, and automated intercooler airtightness testing fixture to improve testing efficiency and quality, and meet the automotive industry's stringent quality requirements for core components. Utility Model Content

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to overcome the defects of the prior art and provide a tooling for testing the air tightness of automotive intercoolers.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model provides the following technical solution: This utility model discloses a tooling for testing the air tightness of an automotive intercooler, comprising a fixed base plate. A floating clamping assembly, a limiting and fixing assembly, a detection and positioning assembly, and a floating detection assembly are sequentially arranged along the length of the fixed base plate. The floating clamping assembly is arranged parallel to the limiting and fixing assembly, and is used to clamp both ends of the intercooler. The detection and positioning assembly is located to the left of the limiting and fixing assembly, and the floating detection assembly is fixed above the detection and positioning assembly by a mounting bracket. The air output end of the floating detection assembly is connected to the input end of an air tightness tester, and the output end of the air tightness tester is electrically connected to a controller. The controller is electrically connected to the driving components of the floating clamping assembly, the detection and positioning assembly, and the floating detection assembly to coordinate and control the actions of each component.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the floating clamping assembly includes: a first linear slide rail arranged along the length of the fixed base plate, with two first slide tables slidably fitted on the first linear slide rail; the first slide tables are connected to a first drive motor via a first ball screw pair, and the first drive motor is fixed to the end of the fixed base plate; an L-shaped connecting plate is fixedly connected to the top of each first slide table, and two semi-circular arc-shaped limiting seats are fixed on the horizontal section of the L-shaped connecting plate, the axes of the two limiting seats are parallel to the axis of the intercooler, and their inner wall radii are clearance-fitted with the outer diameter of the end of the intercooler; pressure sensors are respectively embedded in the bottom and side surfaces of the limiting seats, and the signal output terminals of the pressure sensors are electrically connected to the controller for detecting the contact pressure between the limiting seats and the end of the intercooler and feeding it back to the controller.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the limiting and fixing assembly includes: two parallel L-shaped support blocks, the bottom edges of which are fixed to the fixed base plate by bolts, and the vertical edges extending upwards, the distance between the vertical edges of the two L-shaped support blocks being adapted to the width of the bottom of the intercooler; two vertical pressing seats, which are rectangular in structure and fixed to the two fixed base plates, with elongated holes on their top surfaces; and an elbow clamp, which is adjustablely mounted on the vertical pressing seats through the elongated holes, the pressing head of the elbow clamp being an elastic rubber pad used to press the top of the intercooler downwards.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the detection and positioning component includes: a second linear slide rail, arranged along the width direction of the fixed base plate, with two second slide tables slidably fitted on the second linear slide rail; the second slide tables are connected to a second drive motor via a second ball screw pair, and the second drive motor is fixed to the side of the fixed base plate; a detection base is fixedly connected to the top of each second slide table, and the top surface of the detection base has an oblong hole; and a mounting bracket, which is adjustablely connected to the floating detection component via bolts to accommodate the lateral positional deviation of the intercooler detection port.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the floating detection component includes: a third linear slide rail, vertically disposed on the side of the mounting bracket, with a floating slide table slidably fitted on the third linear slide rail; the top of the floating slide table is connected to the piston rod of a drive cylinder via a ball joint structure, and the cylinder body of the drive cylinder is fixed to the side of the mounting bracket; a connector mounting seat is fixed on one side of the floating slide table, and a quick-connect airtight connector is embedded in the connector mounting seat, with the inner hole of the quick-connect airtight connector clearance-fitted with the inner diameter of the intercooler detection port; a displacement sensor is fixed on the other side of the floating slide table, and the measuring rod of the displacement sensor is fixedly connected to the side of the mounting bracket via a connecting block, for real-time detection of the displacement of the floating slide table and feedback to the controller; the quick-connect airtight connector is connected to the input end of the airtightness detector via a high-pressure hose, and a pressure sensor is disposed on the high-pressure hose, with the signal output end of the pressure sensor electrically connected to the controller.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the ball joint structure includes a ball head and a ball seat: the ball head is threaded to the top of the piston rod of the drive cylinder; the ball seat is bolted to the top of the floating slide, and the diameter of the inner spherical surface of the ball seat is clearance-fitted with the diameter of the ball head to compensate for the angular deviation between the airtight joint and the intercooler detection port.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: 1. The floating clamping assembly drives two first slides to slide towards each other via a first linear slide rail and a first ball screw pair, adapting to intercoolers of different lengths; the limiting and fixing assembly adjusts the lateral position via the elongated hole of the elbow clamp to accommodate intercoolers of different widths; the detection and positioning assembly adjusts the position of the detection base via a second linear slide rail and a second ball screw pair, and uses the oblong hole of the mounting bracket for fine-tuning to compensate for lateral offset of the detection port; the floating detection assembly compensates for angular deviation of the detection port via a ball joint structure. This design allows the tooling to be compatible with multiple models of intercoolers, reducing changeover time to within 5 minutes, significantly improving production line flexibility and efficiency. 2. The inner wall of the semi-circular arc-shaped limiting seat of the floating clamping assembly is clearance-fitted with the outer diameter of the intercooler end to avoid rigid collision; pressure sensors on the bottom and sides of the limiting seat detect the contact pressure in real time, and automatically adjust the clamping force after feedback to the controller to prevent shell deformation due to excessive pressure; the elbow clamp of the limiting and fixing assembly uses an elastic rubber pressure head, and the clamping force is evenly distributed to avoid local damage to the top surface of the intercooler. Through the above design, the workpiece clamping qualification rate is increased from the traditional 92% to 99.5%, and the scrap rate is significantly reduced; 3. The driving cylinder of the floating detection component is connected to the floating slide through a ball joint structure, allowing the floating slide to swing within a certain angle and automatically compensate for the angular deviation between the detection port and the intercooler axis; the inner hole of the quick-connect airtight connector is clearance-fitted with the inner diameter of the intercooler detection port, and the insertion depth is detected in real time by a displacement sensor to ensure that the connector is fully inserted into the detection port; the air pressure sensor on the high-pressure hose monitors the change of inflation pressure in real time, which can identify minute leaks, and the detection accuracy is more than 5 times higher than that of traditional tooling. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the present invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the present invention to explain the present invention, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model; Figure 2 This is the front view of this utility model; Figure 3 This is a top view of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a side view of the present invention; In the diagram: 1. Fixed base plate; 2. Floating clamping assembly; 3. Limiting and fixing assembly; 4. Detection and positioning assembly; 5. Floating detection assembly; 6. Air tightness detector; 7. Controller; 21. First linear slide rail; 22. First slide table; 23. First ball screw pair; 24. First drive motor; 25. L-shaped connecting plate; 26. Limit seat; 27. Pressure sensor; 31. L-shaped support block; 32. Vertical clamping seat; 33. Elbow clamp; 41. Second linear slide rail; 42. ... 43. Second ball screw pair; 44. Second drive motor; 45. Detection base; 46. Mounting bracket; 51. Third linear slide rail; 52. Floating slide; 53. Ball joint structure; 54. Drive cylinder; 55. Connector mounting seat; 56. Airtight connector; 57. Displacement sensor; 58. High-pressure hose; 59. Air pressure sensor; 321. Oblong hole; 331. Pressure head; 531. Ball head; 532. Ball seat; 571. Measuring rod; 572. Connecting block. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0015] In the attached diagram, all identical reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0016] Example 1: Standard testing scenario for a medium-sized intercooler like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the fixed base plate 1 serves as the basic support platform, and the floating clamping assembly 2, the limiting and fixing assembly 3, the detection and positioning assembly 4, and the floating detection assembly 5 are arranged sequentially along its length.

[0017] Please see Figure 2 The floating clamping assembly 2 consists of a first linear slide rail 21 fixed along the length of the fixed base plate 1, on which two first slide tables 22 are slidably fitted. Each first slide table 22 is connected to a first drive motor 24 via a first ball screw pair 23, and the first drive motor 24 is fixed to the end of the fixed base plate 1. An L-shaped connecting plate 25 is fixedly connected to the top of each first slide table 22. Two semi-circular arc-shaped limiting seats 26 are fixed on the horizontal section of the L-shaped connecting plate 25, with their axes parallel to the intercooler axis and their inner walls clearance-fitted with the outer diameter of the intercooler end (providing axial floating tolerance). Pressure sensors 27 are embedded in the bottom and sides of the limiting seats 26 to detect the contact pressure with the intercooler end and feed it back to the controller 7.

[0018] Please see Figure 3 Limiting and fixing component 3: Two parallel L-shaped support blocks 31 are fixed to the base plate 1 by bolts at their bottom edges, and their vertical edges extend upwards. The spacing between them is adapted to the width of the bottom of the intercooler (supporting the bottom of the intercooler). The vertical clamping seat 32 is a rectangular structure, fixed to the two base plates 1, and has an elongated hole 321 on its top surface. The elbow clamp 33 is adjustablely installed on the vertical clamping seat 32 through the elongated hole 321, and its elastic rubber pressure head 331 presses downwards to the top of the intercooler (avoiding rigid pressure damage).

[0019] Please see Figure 4 The detection and positioning component 4 consists of a second linear slide rail 41 set along the width of the fixed base plate 1, on which two second slide tables 42 are slidably fitted. The second slide tables 42 are connected to the second drive motor 44 via a second ball screw pair 43, and the second drive motor 44 is fixed to the side of the fixed base plate 1. A detection base 45 is fixedly connected to the top of each second slide table 42, and an oblong hole is opened on the top surface of the detection base 45. The mounting bracket 46 is adjustablely connected to the oblong hole by bolts to accommodate the lateral position deviation of the intercooler detection port.

[0020] Please see Figure 3Floating detection component 5: A third linear slide rail 51 is vertically mounted on the side of the mounting bracket 46, on which a floating slide 52 slides. The top of the floating slide 52 is connected to the piston rod of the drive cylinder 54 via a ball joint structure 53, and the cylinder body of the drive cylinder 54 is fixed to the side of the mounting bracket 46. A fixed connector mounting base 55 is fixed on one side of the floating slide 52, in which a quick-connect airtight connector 56 is embedded, with its inner hole clearance matching the inner diameter of the intercooler detection port (for easy insertion); a displacement sensor 57 is fixed on the other side, and its measuring rod is fixedly connected to the side of the mounting bracket 46 via a connecting block 572, which detects the displacement of the floating slide 52 in real time and feeds it back to the controller 7. The quick-connect airtight connector 56 is connected to the input end of the airtightness detector 6 via a high-pressure hose 58, and a pressure sensor 59 is installed on the high-pressure hose 58 to detect changes in inflation pressure.

[0021] Ball joint structure 53: The ball head 531 is connected to the top of the piston rod of the drive cylinder 54 by a thread, and the ball seat 532 is fixed to the top of the floating slide table 52 by bolts. The inner spherical diameter is clearance-fitted with the diameter of the ball head 531 (to compensate for the deviation of the detection port angle).

[0022] Workflow: Place the intercooler on the fixed base plate 1, with both ends positioned between the limiting seats 26 of the floating clamping assembly 2; start the first drive motor 24, the first ball screw pair 23 drives the first slide 22 to slide towards each other, and the pressure sensor 27 stops after detecting the set pressure, completing the axial clamping. The bottom of the intercooler is supported by the L-shaped support block 31. Adjust the position of the elbow clamp 33 (through the elongated hole 321), and its elastic rubber pressure head 331 presses the top. Start the second drive motor 44, the second ball screw pair 43 drives the second slide 42 to slide along the second linear slide rail 41, and adjust the detection base 45 to above the detection port; fine-tune the position through the oblong hole and the adjustable bolt of the mounting bracket 46 to align the floating detection assembly 5 with the detection port. Start the drive cylinder 54, the floating slide 52 slides downward along the third linear slide rail 51, the ball joint structure 53 compensates for the angle deviation, and the quick-connect airtight connector 56 is inserted into the detection port; the displacement sensor 57 detects the displacement to confirm the connection is in place. The air tightness tester 6 pressurizes the intercooler with air through the high-pressure hose 58, the pressure sensor 59 monitors the pressure change, and the controller 7 determines the leakage (if the pressure drop is ≤ the threshold, it is qualified). After the test is completed, all components are reset and the intercooler is removed.

[0023] Example 2: Clamping and Adaptation Scenarios for Long-Wheelbase Intercoolers When the object being tested is a model with a long intercooler (exceeding the conventional size), the length of the first linear slide rail 21 of the floating clamping assembly 2 covers the length tolerance range of the intercooler (e.g., ±5mm). The first drive motor 24 drives the first ball screw pair 23, causing the two first slides 22 to slide towards each other along the first linear slide rail 21 until the semi-circular limit seats 26 respectively abut against the end faces of both ends of the intercooler. The pressure sensors 27 on the bottom and side of the limit seats 26 provide real-time feedback on the contact pressure, and the controller 7 controls the first drive motor 24 to stop, ensuring that the two ends of the long-wheelbase intercooler are evenly clamped, avoiding clamping offset or deformation due to excessive length.

[0024] Example 3: Intercooler testing scenario with large deviation in the position of the detection port When the intercooler test port is laterally offset (e.g., not coinciding with the intercooler axis) or tilted at an angle (e.g., the test port plane forms a 2° angle with the intercooler axis), the second linear slide rail 41 of the test positioning component 4 drives the second slide table 42 to slide, adjusting the lateral position of the test base 45. This, combined with the fine-tuning of the mounting bracket 46 through the oblong hole, aligns the quick-connect airtight connector 56 of the floating test component 5 with the center of the test port. When the drive cylinder 54 pushes the floating slide table 52 down, the ball head 531 of the ball joint structure 53 swings within the ball seat 532, compensating for the angular deviation of the test port (e.g., ±3°), ensuring the quick-connect airtight connector 56 is smoothly inserted into the test port. The displacement sensor 57 detects the displacement of the floating slide table 52 in real time. After confirming the connector is fully inserted, the airtightness tester 6 starts inflation, and the pressure sensor 59 monitors pressure changes, completing the high-precision test.

[0025] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit the utility model. Although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A tooling for testing the air tightness of an automotive intercooler, characterized in that, The device includes a fixed base plate (1), on which a floating clamping assembly (2), a limiting fixing assembly (3), a detection and positioning assembly (4), a floating detection assembly (5), an airtightness detector (6), and a controller (7) are arranged sequentially along the length direction. The floating clamping assembly (2) and the limiting fixing assembly (3) are arranged in parallel to clamp the two ends of the intercooler. The detection and positioning assembly (4) is located on the left side of the limiting fixing assembly (3), and the floating detection assembly (5) is fixed above the detection and positioning assembly (4) by a mounting bracket (46). The air output end of the floating detection assembly (5) is connected to the input end of the airtightness detector (6), and the output end of the airtightness detector (6) is electrically connected to the controller (7). The controller (7) is electrically connected to the driving components of the floating clamping assembly (2), the detection and positioning assembly (4), and the floating detection assembly (5) to coordinate and control the actions of each component.

2. The automotive intercooler airtightness testing fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The floating clamping assembly (2) includes: a first linear slide rail (21) arranged along the length of the fixed base plate (1), and two first slides (22) slidably fitted on the first linear slide rail (21); the first slides (22) are connected to the first drive motor (24) through the first ball screw pair (23), and the first drive motor (24) is fixed to the end of the fixed base plate (1); an L-shaped connecting plate (25) is fixedly connected to the top of each first slide (22), and two semi-circular arc-shaped limiting seats (26) are fixed on the horizontal section of the L-shaped connecting plate (25). The axes of the two limiting seats (26) are parallel to the axis of the intercooler, and their inner wall radius is clearance-fitted with the outer diameter of the end of the intercooler; pressure sensors (27) are respectively embedded on the bottom and side surfaces of the limiting seats (26), and the signal output end of the pressure sensors (27) is electrically connected to the controller (7) to detect the contact pressure between the limiting seats (26) and the end of the intercooler and feed it back to the controller (7).

3. The automotive intercooler airtightness testing fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The limiting and fixing assembly (3) includes: two parallel L-shaped support blocks (31), the bottom edge of which is fixed to the fixing base plate (1) by bolts, the vertical edge of which extends upward, and the distance between the vertical edges of the two L-shaped support blocks (31) is adapted to the bottom width of the intercooler; two vertical pressing seats (32), which are rectangular structures, are fixed to the two fixing base plates (1), and their top surfaces are provided with elongated holes (321); elbow clamps (33), which are adjustablely installed on the vertical pressing seats (32) through the elongated holes (321), and the pressing head (331) of the elbow clamps (33) is an elastic rubber pad used to press the top of the intercooler downward.

4. The automotive intercooler airtightness testing fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The detection and positioning component (4) includes: a second linear slide rail (41) arranged along the width direction of the fixed base plate (1), and two second slides (42) slidably fitted on the second linear slide rail (41); the second slides (42) are connected to the second drive motor (44) through the second ball screw pair (43), and the second drive motor (44) is fixed to the side of the fixed base plate (1); a detection base (45) is fixedly connected to the top of each second slide (42), and the top surface of the detection base (45) is provided with a waist-shaped hole; and a mounting bracket (46) for adjustable connection with the floating detection component (5) by bolts to adapt to the lateral position deviation of the intercooler detection port.

5. The automotive intercooler airtightness testing fixture according to claim 4, characterized in that, The floating detection component (5) includes: a third linear slide rail (51), which is vertically disposed on the side of the mounting bracket (46), and a floating slide (52) is slidably fitted on the third linear slide rail (51); the top of the floating slide (52) is connected to the piston rod of the drive cylinder (54) through a ball joint structure (53), and the cylinder body of the drive cylinder (54) is fixed on the side of the mounting bracket (46); a connector mounting seat (55) is fixed on one side of the floating slide (52), and a quick-connect airtight connector (56) is embedded in the connector mounting seat (55), the inner hole of the quick-connect airtight connector (56) being connected to the middle The inner diameter clearance fit of the cooler detection port; a displacement sensor (57) is fixed on the other side of the floating slide (52), and the measuring rod (571) of the displacement sensor (57) is fixedly connected to the side of the mounting bracket (46) through the connecting block (572) for real-time detection of the displacement of the floating slide (52) and feedback to the controller (7); the quick-connect airtight connector (56) is connected to the input end of the airtightness tester (6) through the high-pressure hose (58), and a pressure sensor (59) is provided on the high-pressure hose (58), and the signal output end of the pressure sensor (59) is electrically connected to the controller (7).

6. The automotive intercooler airtightness testing fixture according to claim 5, characterized in that, The ball joint structure (53) includes a ball head (531) and a ball seat (532): the ball head (531) is threaded to the top of the piston rod of the drive cylinder (54); the ball seat (532) is bolted to the top of the floating slide (52), and the diameter of the inner spherical surface of the ball seat (532) is clearance-fitted with the diameter of the ball head (531) to compensate for the angular deviation between the airtight joint (56) and the intercooler detection port.

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