A frame welding device

Abstract

This application relates to the field of welding equipment technology, and in particular to a frame welding device, including a base and a spot welding structure disposed on the base, and a positioning structure. The positioning structure includes an upper adjustable component and a lower adjustable component. The upper adjustable component includes an upper support seat disposed on the base, a spot welding support seat disposed on the upper support seat, an upper limit assembly, and an upper clamping assembly. The upper limit assembly includes an upper adjustable support seat disposed on the upper support seat and a plurality of upper limit blocks disposed on the adjustable support seat. The plurality of upper limit blocks surround to form a limiting cavity for accommodating the frame and whose size is adjustable. The spot welding structure faces the limiting cavity. The lower adjustable component includes a lower support seat, a first adjustable component disposed on the lower support seat and whose position is adjustable, a second adjustable component, and a lower limiting component. The adjustable limiting cavity can quickly adapt to frames of different shapes and sizes for spot welding, thereby improving the adaptability and reliability of different frames.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of welding equipment technology, and in particular to a frame welding apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] A typical car sunroof is assembled by splicing together multiple "C"-shaped frames and covering them with glass. After the frames are stamped and formed, parts such as nuts need to be spot-welded onto their surface to facilitate subsequent splicing and assembly processes.

[0003] Currently, the conventional welding method involves using a welding machine to weld the frame. However, with the development of the automotive industry, sunroof frames now come in various specific shapes to meet different needs. This results in several uneven grooves and cavities forming on the surface of the frame during the stamping process, as well as folded edges on its sides. Conventional welding machines are difficult to adapt to frames of varying sizes and shapes, especially when spot welding nuts onto the folded edges of the frame. The frame is often difficult to lay flat for positioning, making the spot welding operation time-consuming and labor-intensive. At the same time, some frames require spot welding nuts at multiple locations in sequence. Conventional welding machines require operators to make judgments by observation, which can easily lead to errors, such as incorrect welding or even missed welding, affecting the product quality of the frame and resulting in a high defect rate. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a frame welding device, which aims to improve the problem of welding machines in related technologies being difficult to adapt to frames with varying shapes, and to improve the adaptability and reliability of the frame welding machine to different frames.

[0005] This application provides a frame welding device, including a base and a spot welding structure disposed on the base, and a positioning structure disposed on the base. The positioning structure includes an upper adjustable component and a lower adjustable component. The upper adjustable component includes an upper support seat disposed on the base, a spot welding support seat disposed on the upper support seat, an upper limit component, and an upper clamping component. The upper limit component includes an upper adjustable support seat disposed on the upper support seat and a plurality of upper limit blocks disposed on the adjustable support seat. The plurality of upper limit blocks surround each other to form a limiting cavity for accommodating the frame and whose size is adjustable. The spot welding structure faces the limiting cavity. The lower adjustable component includes a lower support seat disposed on the upper support seat, a first adjustable component disposed on the lower support seat and whose position is adjustable, a second adjustable component, and a lower limit component.

[0006] Furthermore, the first adjustable component includes a first adjusting seat disposed on the lower support base and a first positioning block disposed on the first adjusting seat. The first adjusting seat moves to adjust its position along the Y-axis direction, and the first positioning block moves to adjust its position along the X-axis direction. The first positioning block has at least two first positioning grooves for limiting the frame. The structure of the second adjustable component is the same as that of the first adjustable component.

[0007] Furthermore, the lower limit assembly includes a lower adjustable support seat disposed on the lower support base and a lower adjustable limit seat disposed on the lower adjustable support seat; the lower adjustable support seat moves to adjust its position along the Z-axis direction, and the lower adjustable limit seat moves to adjust its position along the X-axis direction.

[0008] Furthermore, the lower adjustable support seat is provided with a lower adjustable support block, which can be moved and adjusted along the X-axis direction; the lower adjustable limiting seat is provided with a plurality of lower limiting blocks, which together form a lower limiting cavity for limiting and whose size is adjustable.

[0009] Furthermore, the spot welding structure includes a spot welding head, and one end of the spot welding head facing the limiting cavity has a workpiece placement groove for placing and limiting the workpiece; the spot welding support is located below the spot welding head.

[0010] Furthermore, the spot welding support is clamped to the upper support and its position is adjusted by moving along the Z-axis; the end of the spot welding support facing the spot welding head has a detection end, and the detection end is provided with a plurality of contact points for detecting the workpiece.

[0011] Furthermore, there are multiple contact points, and several of the contact points are evenly arranged along the circumferential direction of the detection end.

[0012] Furthermore, the upper clamping assembly includes a clamping support base, a clamping head hinged to the clamping support base, and a clamping drive for driving the clamping head; the clamping head is provided with an adjustable clamping block, which can be moved along the Y-axis to adjust its position.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this application are: This application discloses a frame welding device. By incorporating an upper adjustable component and a lower adjustable component, the upper adjustable component supports the frame using a spot welding support base. An upper adjustable support base and an upper limit block of an upper limit assembly form a limiting cavity for the frame. When the frame shape changes, the size of the limiting cavity is altered by disassembling the upper limit assembly. Simultaneously, the first adjustable component, the second adjustable component, and the lower limit assembly of the lower adjustable component are moved to quickly adapt the frame, forming a welding device corresponding to the frame shape. The frame is placed into the limiting cavity, where it is limited and positioned on the spot welding support base. Subsequently, an upper clamping component clamps the frame, and the spot welding structure performs spot welding on the frame. This allows for rapid and accurate spot welding, thereby improving the adaptability and reliability of the frame welding machine for different frames. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a frame welding device provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperation structure between the spot welding structure and the upper adjustable component in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the adjustable component in the embodiment of this application; Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A magnified view of part A in the middle; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the spot welding support base in the embodiments of this application.

[0015] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Base; 2. Spot welding structure; 21. Spot welding head; 3. Positioning structure; 31. Upper adjustable component; 311. Upper support seat; 312. Spot welding support seat; 3121. Contact point; 313. Upper limit assembly; 3131. Upper adjustable support seat; 3132. Upper limit block; 314. Upper clamping assembly; 3141. Clamping support seat; 3142. Clamping pressure head; 32. Lower adjustable component; 321. Lower support seat; 322. First adjustable component; 3221. First adjustment seat; 3222. First positioning block; 32221. First positioning groove; 323. Second adjustable component; 324. Lower limit assembly; 3241. Lower adjustable support seat; 32411. Lower adjustable support block; 3242. Lower adjustment limit seat; 32421. Lower limit block. Detailed Implementation

[0016] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0017] It should be noted that although functional modules are divided in the device schematic diagram and a logical order is shown in the flowchart, in some cases, the steps shown or described may be performed in a different order than the module division in the device or the order in the flowchart. The terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and the aforementioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0018] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments of this application only and is not intended to limit this application.

[0019] Conventional automotive sunroof frames are C-shaped. However, with automotive advancements, the cavities, grooves, and folds on the frame's surface after molding have varied in structure and size, making it difficult for conventional welding machines to position and weld them. Operators must repeatedly adjust the frame's position for stability, making it impossible to guarantee precise welding point positioning. This is especially true when welding the side folds of the frame, where the lack of positioning devices often results in frame tilting and welding position misalignment.

[0020] Reference Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 Therefore, this application provides a frame welding device, including a base 1 and a spot welding structure 2 disposed on the base 1, and a positioning structure 3 disposed on the base 1. When the frame welding device is running, the spot welding structure 2 is used to spot weld the frame, and the positioning structure 3 adapts to frames of different shapes and sizes by adjusting its position, thereby enabling fast and precise spot welding of different frames.

[0021] The base 1 supports the spot welding structure 2 and the positioning structure 3. Both the spot welding structure 2 and the positioning structure 3 are located on the base 1, with the spot welding structure 2 facing the positioning structure 3. The positioning structure 3 includes an upper adjustable component 31 and a lower adjustable component 32. The upper adjustable component 31 is used to position and fix one end of the frame along its length; the lower adjustable component 32 is used to position and fix the other end of the frame along its length, so that the frame can be fixed and stabilized in the vertical direction, facilitating spot welding of the frame by the spot welding structure 2.

[0022] The upper adjustable component 31 includes an upper support base 311 disposed on the base 1, a spot welding support base 312 disposed on the upper support base 311, an upper limit assembly 313, and an upper clamping assembly 314. In this embodiment, for ease of description, the direction along the height of the base 1 is taken as the Z-axis direction, the direction along the left and right of the base 1 is taken as the X-axis direction, and the direction along the front and back of the base 1 is taken as the Y-axis direction. The spot welding support base 312 refers to the platform that supports the welding area of ​​the frame. The spot welding support base 312 is clamped to the upper support base 311 and its position can be adjusted by moving along the Z-axis direction. When the size or thickness of the frame changes, the position of the spot welding support base 312 can be adjusted along the Z-axis direction to adapt to frames of different specifications.

[0023] The upper limit assembly 313 includes an upper adjustable support 3131 disposed on the upper support 311 and a plurality of upper limit blocks 3132 disposed on the adjustable support. The plurality of upper limit blocks 3132 surround each other to form a limiting cavity for accommodating the frame and whose size is adjustable. The spot welded structure 2 faces the limiting cavity. Specifically, the upper adjustable support 3131 is installed on the upper support 311 by means of a threaded connection to realize position adjustment. In order to adapt to the upper adjustable support 3131, the upper support 311 has a plurality of threaded holes along the X-axis direction. Correspondingly, the upper adjustable support 3131 has a plurality of through holes for adjustment. When adjusting the position, it is only necessary to align the through holes of the upper adjustable support 3131 with the corresponding threaded holes of the upper support 311 and connect them by means of a threaded connection. The upper adjustable support 3131 can be quickly fixedly installed on the upper support 311 in the adjusted position. For the convenience of production and manufacturing, the adjustment method of each subsequent structure in this application is the same as this setting method.

[0024] Similarly, the upper adjustable support 3131 has several threaded holes along the Z-axis, and the upper limit block 3132 has several through holes for adjustment. The upper limit block 3132 is installed on the upper adjustable support 3131 via a threaded connection, allowing for position adjustment along the Z-axis. In this embodiment, there are two upper limit blocks 3132, which together form a limiting cavity for the frame. It is understood that when the size of the limiting cavity needs to be adjusted, multiple upper adjustable support 3131s can be set, and corresponding upper limit blocks 3132 can be set on several adjustable support slabs. By moving the adjustable support slabs and the adjustable limit blocks, limiting cavities of different shapes and sizes can be formed. By limiting the sides of the frame with the variable-sized limiting cavity, and limiting the bottom of the frame with the spot-welded support 312 that can be moved and adjusted along the Z-axis, frames of different shapes and sizes can be quickly positioned and fixed.

[0025] The upper clamping assembly 314 includes a clamping support 3141, a clamping head 3142 hinged to the clamping support 3141, and a clamping drive for driving the clamping head 3142. The clamping head 3142 is provided with an adjustable clamping block, which can be moved along the Y-axis to adjust its position. The clamping support 3141 is used to support the clamping head 3142 and the clamping drive, and can be formed by welding a steel plate with mounting holes. The clamping support 3141 is connected to the upper support 311 by a threaded connection to achieve position adjustment in the X-axis direction. The clamping head 3142 is connected to the clamping support 3141 via a hinge shaft. The clamping drive can be a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder. One end of the clamping head 3142 is connected to the piston end of the clamping drive, and the other end of the clamping head 3142 is used to install an adjustable clamping block. The clamping head 3142 is installed by a threaded connection to achieve position adjustment along the Y-axis. When the length of the frame end changes, the position of the clamping head 3142 in the Y-axis direction can be adjusted to a position facing the frame end and a stable clamping force can be applied. Under the drive of the clamping drive, the clamping head 3142 drives the adjustable clamping block to press down and clamp the frame.

[0026] Conventional welding machines have fixed clamping components. When the size and length of the frame change, the clamping components may align with the parts of the frame that have grooves or cavities, resulting in failure to clamp or damage to the frame during the clamping process. This application improves the adaptability to frames of different shapes and sizes by setting an adjustable upper adjustable component 31, utilizing a variable limiting cavity and an upper clamping assembly 314. This ensures that the frame does not shift or deform during the welding process, improves clamping stability, avoids frame deformation, and improves the positional accuracy and welding quality of the nut spot welding.

[0027] Reference Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 The lower adjustable component 32 includes a lower support base 321 disposed on the upper support base 311, a first adjustable component 322 disposed on the lower support base 321 and whose position is adjustable, a second adjustable component 323, and a lower limit component 324. The lower support base 321 is vertically disposed, and its upper end is connected to the upper support base 311. The lower end of the lower support base 321 is used to fit and install the first adjustable component 322, the second adjustable component 323, and the lower limit component 324. The first adjustable component 322, the second adjustable component 323, and the lower limit component 324 are arranged sequentially along the length direction of the lower support base 321.

[0028] The first adjustable component 322 and the second adjustable component 323 are used to position the frame in the vertical direction. The structure of the second adjustable component 323 is the same as that of the first adjustable component 322. Taking the first adjustable component 322 as an example, the first adjustable component 322 includes a first adjusting seat 3221 disposed on the lower support 321 and a first positioning block 3222 disposed on the first adjusting seat 3221. The first adjusting seat 3221 is connected to the lower support 321 by a threaded connection and an adjusting through hole, so that the first adjusting seat 3221 can move and adjust its position along the Y-axis. The first positioning block 3222 is connected to the first adjusting seat 3221 by a threaded connection and an adjusting through hole to achieve movement and adjustment of its position along the X-axis.

[0029] To position the frame, the first positioning block 3222 has at least two first positioning grooves 32221 for limiting the frame. The size and shape of the positioning grooves are adapted to the frame. Multiple first positioning grooves 32221 are provided to accommodate processes where multiple workpieces need to be welded sequentially onto the frame. Because the splicing processes of each frame are different, some frames require workpieces to be welded to both ends. During production, typically one production line welds workpieces at one end of the frame, and another production line welds workpieces at the other end. Conventional welding machines cannot adapt to the frames, and operators need to visually identify the end to be welded, which can easily lead to incorrect welding. This application, by providing multiple first positioning grooves 32221, ensures that when spot welding is required at one end of the frame, other first positioning grooves 32221 are closed, leaving only the corresponding first positioning groove 32221. This allows the frame welding device to accommodate only one type of frame, thus guaranteeing welding at that end of the frame. Similarly, the second adjustable component 323 includes a second adjustment seat disposed on the lower support 321 and a second positioning block disposed on the second adjustment seat. The frame is placed into the second adjustable component 323 to cooperate with the first adjustable component 322 for positioning.

[0030] The lower limit assembly 324 includes a lower adjustable support 3241 disposed on the lower support 321 and a lower adjustable limit seat 3242 disposed on the lower adjustable support 3241. Similarly, the lower adjustable support 3241 is installed on the lower support 321 via a threaded connection and an adjustment through hole to allow the lower adjustable support 3241 to move and adjust its position along the Z-axis; the lower adjustable limit seat 3242 is installed on the lower adjustable support 3241 via a threaded connection and an adjustment through hole to allow the lower adjustable limit seat 3242 to move and adjust its position along the X-axis.

[0031] To further improve the adaptability and fixation effect of the frame, in this embodiment, the lower adjustable support seat 3241 is provided with a lower adjustable support block 32411, which can be moved and adjusted along the X-axis direction; the lower adjustable limiting seat 3242 is provided with a plurality of lower limiting blocks 32421, which together form a lower limiting cavity for limiting and whose size is adjustable.

[0032] Specifically, the lower adjustable support block 32411 is installed on the lower adjustable support base 3241 via a threaded connection and an adjustment through hole to achieve X-axis movement adjustment; the lower limit block 32421 is installed on the lower adjustable limit base via a threaded connection and an adjustment through hole to achieve X-axis movement adjustment. Simultaneously, several lower limit blocks 32421 are staggered, each with a limiting end facing the lower limiting cavity, and a sensor for detecting the frame's positioning is installed within the limiting end. The staggered lower limit blocks 32421 can better accommodate frames of varying shapes and sizes, while the limiting end detects the frame's positioning. When the frame is not properly positioned, the limiting end issues an alarm to alert the operator, thus preventing the frame from being placed unsupported or misplaced.

[0033] Reference Figure 2 as well as Figure 5 The spot welding structure 2 includes a spot welding head 21, which faces the limiting cavity and is driven by a cylinder. A spot welding support 312 is located below the spot welding head 21. After the frame is placed and fixed, the spot welding head 21 moves downward under the drive of the cylinder, causing the workpiece to contact the frame and thus completing the spot welding. To prevent operators from placing the wrong workpiece into the spot welding head 21 and to position the workpiece, a workpiece placement groove is provided at the end of the spot welding head 21 facing the limiting cavity for placing and limiting the workpiece. The shape and size of the workpiece placement groove are adapted to the workpiece. Taking a nut workpiece as an example, the nut is pre-placed in the workpiece placement groove. During the welding process, the spot welding head 21 presses down to make the nut contact the folded edge. At this time, the inner wall constraint of the workpiece placement groove and the vertical support of the spot welding support 312 work together to ensure that the nut is fixed in the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions. For folded edges of different thicknesses, the height of the spot welding support 312 can be adjusted in the vertical direction to adapt the distance between the folded edge and the workpiece placement groove.

[0034] Conventional welding machines rely solely on planar support for the workpiece during welding, making it prone to misalignment due to vibration or operational errors during spot welding. This application addresses this by using a workpiece placement groove and spot welding support 312 for joint positioning, ensuring accurate workpiece placement and improving welding precision and quality.

[0035] Furthermore, relying solely on operator observation and judgment can easily lead to misplacement of workpieces and incomplete welding during the welding process. To increase the reliability of the welding device, the spot welding support 312 has a detection end at one end facing the spot welding head 21. The detection end is provided with several contact points 3121 for detecting workpieces, and there are multiple contact points 3121, which are evenly distributed along the circumferential direction of the detection end.

[0036] The contact points 3121 can be made of pressure sensors or conductive contacts. The spot welding support 312 is electrically connected to an external power supply to provide power to the contact points 3121. They are evenly arranged around the detection end to form a closed-loop detection area. When the workpiece is welded to the frame, the lower end of the workpiece will pass through the frame and contact each contact point 3121. When the workpiece contacts all contact points 3121, it proves that the workpiece has been welded in place, and a confirmation signal is generated. If any contact point 3121 does not trigger a signal, it is determined that the workpiece is not welded, not fully attached, or has shifted, and the spot welding operation is paused. The welding device uses multiple contact points 3121 to detect simultaneously, thereby avoiding misplacement of workpieces and incomplete welding. It should be noted that the contact points 3121 are evenly arranged around the detection end, and the specific arrangement can be set according to the shape of the workpiece to fit the outer contour of the workpiece and increase the detection accuracy.

[0037] Conventional welding machines rely on operators to visually judge the workpiece position, which is susceptible to visual errors and fatigue. This solution, through a multi-point contact detection mechanism, can automatically verify the workpiece positioning status after welding, eliminating errors from manual judgment. In particular, the multi-point circumferentially distributed contact points 3121 can realize the position detection of the workpiece edge contour, which is suitable for situations with complex workpiece contours.

[0038] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been specifically shown and described above. It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the detailed structures, arrangements, or implementations described herein; rather, this disclosure is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements contained within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A frame welding apparatus comprising a base (1) and a spot welding structure (2) provided to the base (1), characterized in that, It also includes a positioning structure (3) disposed on the base (1), the positioning structure (3) includes an upper adjustable component (31) and a lower adjustable component (32), the upper adjustable component (31) includes an upper support seat (311) disposed on the base (1), a spot welding support seat (312) disposed on the upper support seat (311), an upper limit assembly (313) and an upper clamping assembly (314); The upper limit assembly (313) includes an upper adjustable support (3131) disposed on the upper support (311) and a plurality of upper limit blocks (3132) disposed on the adjustable support. The plurality of upper limit blocks (3132) surround each other to form a limiting cavity for accommodating the frame and whose size is adjustable. The spot welding structure (2) faces the limiting cavity. The lower adjustable component (32) includes a lower support base (321) disposed on the upper support base (311), a first adjustable component (322) disposed on the lower support base (321) and whose position is adjustable, a second adjustable component (323), and a lower limit component (324).

2. A frame welding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The first adjustable component (322) includes a first adjusting seat (3221) disposed on the lower support (321) and a first positioning block (3222) disposed on the first adjusting seat (3221). The first adjusting seat (3221) moves to adjust its position along the Y-axis direction, and the first positioning block (3222) moves to adjust its position along the X-axis direction. The first positioning block (3222) has at least two first positioning grooves (32221) for limiting the frame. The structure of the second adjustable component (323) is the same as that of the first adjustable component (322).

3. A frame welding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The lower limit assembly (324) includes a lower adjustable support (3241) disposed on the lower support (321) and a lower adjustable limit seat (3242) disposed on the lower adjustable support (3241); the lower adjustable support (3241) moves to adjust its position along the Z-axis direction, and the lower adjustable limit seat (3242) moves to adjust its position along the X-axis direction.

4. A frame welding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein The lower adjustable support seat (3241) is provided with a lower adjustable support block (32411), which can be moved and adjusted along the X-axis direction; the lower adjustable limiting seat (3242) is provided with a plurality of lower limiting blocks (32421), which together form a lower limiting cavity for limiting and whose size is adjustable.

5. A frame welding device according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that The spot welding structure (2) includes a spot welding head (21), and the spot welding head (21) has a workpiece placement groove for placing and limiting the workpiece at one end facing the limiting cavity; the spot welding support (312) is located below the spot welding head (21).

6. A frame welding device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The spot welding support (312) is clamped to the upper support (311) and its position is adjusted by moving along the Z-axis; the end of the spot welding support (312) facing the spot welding head (21) has a detection end, and the detection end is provided with a plurality of contact points (3121) for detecting the workpiece.

7. A frame welding device according to claim 6, characterized in that, There are multiple contact points (3121), and several of the contact points (3121) are evenly arranged along the circumferential direction of the detection end.

8. A frame welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper clamping assembly (314) includes a clamping support (3141), a clamping head (3142) hinged to the clamping support (3141), and a clamping drive for driving the clamping head (3142); the clamping head (3142) is provided with an adjustable clamping block, which can be moved along the Y-axis to adjust its position.

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