A kind of automatic grease injection device suitable for steering machine ball screw pair

Abstract

This utility model relates to the field of automotive parts manufacturing technology, specifically an automated grease injection device for steering gear ball screw pairs. It includes a steering nut height detection mechanism, a steering nut grease injection mechanism, a friction wheel mechanism, a rack support mechanism, a horizontal mounting plate, a vertical mounting plate, and a gantry. The steering nut grease injection mechanism and the gantry are mounted on the horizontal mounting plate. The steering nut height detection mechanism is installed on the front side of the gantry and above the steering nut grease injection mechanism. The friction wheel mechanism is installed on the rear side of the gantry. The vertical mounting plate is installed below the horizontal mounting plate, and the rack support mechanism is installed on the front side of the vertical mounting plate and below the steering nut grease injection mechanism. Compared with existing technologies, this utility model uses the friction wheel mechanism to drive the nut pulley of the steering gear ball screw pair, causing the lower end face of the steering nut to fit against the steering nut grease injection mechanism, forming a closed space. This ensures the stability and reliability of grease injection and improves grease injection efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automotive parts manufacturing technology, specifically to an automated grease injection device for steering gear ball screw pairs. Background Technology

[0002] A ball screw assembly consists of a wave spring, a steering ball nut, a threaded ring, a ball bearing, a drive pulley, a ball guide, a sealing cap, a thrust ring, steel balls, spring plates, and a rack. During operation, the ball screw assembly converts the rotational motion of the pulley into the linear motion of the rack through the friction between the steel balls, the rack, and the nut. Therefore, ensuring that each steel ball in the nut receives adequate grease lubrication is crucial for eliminating steering gear noise and improving durability.

[0003] The internal circulation process of the steel balls can be understood as the steel balls reciprocating along a specific trajectory inside the steering nut. Therefore, it is impractical to uniformly lubricate all 117 steel balls within a cavity using traditional methods such as oil spraying. Furthermore, the lubricant used in the steering gear ball screw assembly is grease; during grease application, the stability and reliability of the grease must be considered.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to design an automated grease injection device for steering gear ball screw pairs to achieve rapid grease injection for steering gear ball screw pairs, laying the foundation for mass production of steering gears on automated assembly lines. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide an automated grease injection device for steering gear ball screw pairs, so as to realize rapid grease injection for steering gear ball screw pairs and lay the foundation for mass production of steering gears on automated assembly lines.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides an automated grease injection device for ball screw pairs in steering gears, comprising a steering nut height detection mechanism, a steering nut grease injection mechanism, a friction wheel mechanism, a rack support mechanism, a horizontal mounting plate, a vertical mounting plate, and a gantry. The steering nut grease injection mechanism and the gantry are mounted on the horizontal mounting plate. The steering nut height detection mechanism is mounted on the front side of the gantry and above the steering nut grease injection mechanism. The friction wheel mechanism is mounted on the rear side of the gantry. The vertical mounting plate is mounted below the horizontal mounting plate. The rack support mechanism is mounted on the front side of the vertical mounting plate and below the steering nut grease injection mechanism.

[0007] The friction wheel mechanism includes a motor, a third cylinder, a slide, a friction wheel body, a belt, and a fixing plate. A slide rail is mounted on the fixing plate, and the slide is slidably connected to the slide rail. The piston rod of the third cylinder is connected to the slide. A motor is mounted on the top of the slide, and the friction wheel body is mounted on the front side of the slide. The shaft of the motor is connected to the friction wheel body by a belt. The friction wheel body is in contact with or separates from the nut pulley of the ball screw pair of the steering gear.

[0008] The steering nut height detection mechanism includes a connecting plate, a cylinder, a displacement sensor, and a detection fixture. The connecting plate is connected to the gantry frame. The cylinder is installed on the front side of the connecting plate. The piston rod of the cylinder is connected to the detection fixture. A displacement sensor is installed on the side of the cylinder, and the measuring end of the displacement sensor faces the horizontally set detection fixture.

[0009] The steering nut grease injection mechanism includes two grease injection components arranged face to face. Each grease injection component includes a second cylinder, a grease injection valve, and a semi-circular grease injection block. The second cylinder is connected to a horizontal mounting plate, and the piston rod of the second cylinder is connected to the grease injection valve. A semi-circular grease injection block is installed at the end of the grease injection valve, and the grease output hole of the grease injection valve is connected to the grease channel of the semi-circular grease injection block.

[0010] The semi-circular oil injection block is a contour structure of the raceway of the ball screw pair rack of the steering gear.

[0011] The rack and pinion support mechanism includes a drive unit, a gripper cylinder, a gripper, and a slide plate. The drive unit is connected to a vertical mounting plate, and the movable end of the drive unit is connected to the slide plate. A gripper cylinder is mounted on the surface of the slide plate, and a gripper is mounted on each of the two movable ends of the gripper cylinder.

[0012] A camera is mounted on the side of the gripper.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, this utility model uses a friction wheel mechanism to drive the nut pulley of the ball screw pair of the steering gear, thereby making the lower end face of the steering nut fit with the steering nut grease injection mechanism to form a closed space for grease injection, ensuring the stability and reliability of grease injection and improving grease injection efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the steering nut height detection mechanism of this utility model.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the grease injection mechanism for the steering nut of this utility model.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the friction wheel mechanism of this utility model.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the rack and pinion support mechanism of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The present invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] See Figure 1 This utility model is an automated grease injection device for ball screw pairs in steering gears, including a steering nut height detection mechanism, a steering nut grease injection mechanism, a friction wheel mechanism, a rack support mechanism, a horizontal mounting plate, a vertical mounting plate, and a gantry frame. The steering nut grease injection mechanism 2 and the gantry frame 7 are mounted on the horizontal mounting plate 5. The steering nut height detection mechanism 1 is mounted on the front side of the gantry frame 7 and is located above the steering nut grease injection mechanism 2. The friction wheel mechanism 3 is mounted on the rear side of the gantry frame 7. The vertical mounting plate 6 is mounted below the horizontal mounting plate 5. The rack support mechanism is mounted on the front side of the vertical mounting plate 6 and is located below the steering nut grease injection mechanism 2.

[0021] join Figure 2 The steering nut height detection mechanism 1 includes a connecting plate 11, a cylinder 12, a displacement sensor 13, and a detection fixture 14. The connecting plate 11 is connected to the gantry 7. The cylinder 12 is installed on the front side of the connecting plate 11. The piston rod of the cylinder 12 is connected to the detection fixture 14. The displacement sensor 13 is installed on the side of the cylinder 12. The measuring end of the displacement sensor 13 faces the horizontally set detection fixture 14.

[0022] Cylinder 12 drives the detection fixture 14 to move up and down. When measuring the height of the steering nut, the detection fixture 14 moves down and directly contacts the top of the steering nut. The displacement sensor 13 collects the displacement of the detection fixture 14 to provide feedback on the height of the steering nut, thereby determining whether the bottom surface of the steering nut is in contact with the steering nut grease injection mechanism 2 to prevent incorrect grease injection.

[0023] See Figure 3 The steering nut grease injection mechanism 2 includes two grease injection components arranged face to face. Each grease injection component includes a second cylinder 21, a grease injection valve 22, and a semi-circular grease injection block 23. The second cylinder 21 is connected to the horizontal mounting plate 5. The piston rod of the second cylinder 21 is connected to the grease injection valve 22. The end of the grease injection valve 22 is equipped with a semi-circular grease injection block 23. The grease output hole of the grease injection valve 22 is connected to the grease channel of the semi-circular grease injection block 23.

[0024] The cylinders 21 of the two grease injection components push their respective semi-circular grease injection blocks 23 toward each other. After the two cylinders 21 reach their positions, because the semi-circular grease injection blocks 23 are contoured to the raceway of the ball screw assembly in the steering gear, the two semi-circular grease injection blocks 23 come into contact with and lock onto the rack raceway to prevent grease leakage. The grease injection valve 22 and the semi-circular grease injection blocks 23 are designed separately to provide a fixed amount of grease to the ball screw assembly.

[0025] See Figure 4 The friction wheel mechanism 3 includes a motor 31, a cylinder 32, a slide 33, a friction wheel body 34, a belt 35, and a fixing plate 36. A slide rail is installed on the fixing plate 36, and the slide 33 is slidably connected to the slide rail. The piston rod of the cylinder 32 is connected to the slide 33. The motor 31 is installed on the top of the slide 33, and the friction wheel body 34 is installed on the front side of the slide 33. The shaft of the motor 31 is connected to the friction wheel body 34 by a belt 35. The friction wheel body 34 is in contact with or separates from the nut pulley of the ball screw pair of the steering gear.

[0026] Cylinder 32 pushes slide 33 to move back and forth, so as to adjust the position between friction wheel body 34 and the nut pulley of the steering gear ball screw pair. Motor 31 drives friction wheel body 34 to rotate, thereby driving the nut pulley of the steering gear ball screw pair to realize the raising or lowering of the steering nut.

[0027] See Figure 5 The rack and pinion support mechanism 4 includes a drive device 41, a gripper cylinder 42, a gripper 43, and a slide plate 45. The drive device 41 is connected to the vertical mounting plate 6. The movable end of the drive device 41 is connected to the slide plate 45. The gripper cylinder 42 is mounted on the surface of the slide plate 45. A gripper 43 is mounted on each of the two movable ends of the gripper cylinder 42.

[0028] The drive unit 41 moves the slide plate 45 up and down, thereby adjusting the height of the gripper 43 to adapt to ball screw pairs of steering gears with different rack lengths; the gripper cylinder 42 drives the gripper 43 to clamp the rack, preventing axial movement of the rack. A camera 44 is provided on the side of the gripper 43 to identify the rack's QR code information, preventing the use of the wrong rack.

[0029] After the workpiece enters the workstation, the rack support mechanism 4 clamps the rack end of the steering gear ball screw pair. The friction wheel device 3 and the nut pulley of the steering gear ball screw pair rotate and drive the steering nut to rise. The two semi-circular oil injection blocks 23 of the steering nut grease injection mechanism 2 close and clamp the ball screw raceway. The friction wheel device 3 rotates in the opposite direction, driving the steering nut to fall and causing the lower end of the steering nut to fit against the semi-circular oil injection blocks 23, forming a closed space. Grease is injected into the steering gear ball screw pair through the grease injection valve 22 and the grease channel of the semi-circular oil injection blocks 23, thereby achieving the purpose of grease injection.

[0030] This invention uses a friction wheel mechanism to drive the nut pulley of the ball screw pair of the steering gear, thereby making the lower end face of the steering nut fit against the steering nut grease injection mechanism, forming a closed space for grease injection, ensuring the stability and reliability of grease injection, and improving grease injection efficiency.

Claims

1. An automated grease injection device for ball screw pairs in steering gears, comprising a steering nut height detection mechanism, a steering nut grease injection mechanism, a friction wheel mechanism, a rack support mechanism, a horizontal mounting plate, a vertical mounting plate, and a gantry frame, characterized in that: A steering nut grease injection mechanism (2) and a gantry (7) are mounted on a horizontal mounting plate (5). A steering nut height detection mechanism (1) is mounted on the front side of the gantry (7) and above the steering nut grease injection mechanism (2). A friction wheel mechanism (3) is mounted on the rear side of the gantry (7). A vertical mounting plate (6) is mounted below the horizontal mounting plate (5). A rack and pinion support mechanism (4) is mounted on the front side of the vertical mounting plate (6) and below the steering nut grease injection mechanism (2). The friction wheel mechanism (3) includes a motor (31), a cylinder (32), a slide (33), a friction wheel body (34), a belt (35), and a fixing plate (36). A slide rail is installed on the fixing plate (36), the slide (33) is slidably connected to the slide rail, the piston rod of the cylinder (32) is connected to the slide (33), the motor (31) is installed on the top of the slide (33), the friction wheel body (34) is installed on the front side of the slide (33), the shaft of the motor (31) is connected to the friction wheel body (34) by a belt (35), and the friction wheel body (34) is in contact with or separated from the nut pulley of the ball screw pair of the steering gear.

2. The automated grease injection device for ball screw pairs in steering gears according to claim 1, characterized in that: The steering nut height detection mechanism (1) includes a connecting plate (11), a cylinder (12), a displacement sensor (13), and a detection fixture (14). The connecting plate (11) is connected to the gantry (7). The cylinder (12) is installed on the front side of the connecting plate (11). The piston rod of the cylinder (12) is connected to the detection fixture (14). The displacement sensor (13) is installed on the side of the cylinder (12). The measuring end of the displacement sensor (13) faces the horizontally set detection fixture (14).

3. The automated grease injection device for ball screw pairs in steering gears according to claim 1, characterized in that: The steering nut grease injection mechanism (2) includes two grease injection components arranged face to face. The grease injection components include cylinder two (21), grease injection valve (22), and semi-circular grease injection block (23). Cylinder two (21) is connected to the horizontal mounting plate (5). The piston rod of cylinder two (21) is connected to the grease injection valve (22). The end of the grease injection valve (22) is equipped with a semi-circular grease injection block (23). The grease output hole of the grease injection valve (22) is connected to the grease channel of the semi-circular grease injection block (23).

4. The automated grease injection device for ball screw pairs in steering gears according to claim 3, characterized in that: The semi-circular oil injection block (23) is a contour structure of the raceway of the ball screw pair rack of the steering gear.

5. The automated grease injection device for ball screw pairs in steering gears according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rack and pinion support mechanism (4) includes a drive device (41), a gripper cylinder (42), a gripper (43), and a slide plate (45). The drive device (41) is connected to the vertical mounting plate (6). The movable end of the drive device (41) is connected to the slide plate (45). The surface of the slide plate (45) is equipped with a gripper cylinder (42), and each of the two movable ends of the gripper cylinder (42) is equipped with a gripper (43).

6. The automated grease injection device for ball screw pairs in steering gears according to claim 5, characterized in that: A camera (44) is provided on the side of the gripper (43).

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