Extruder barrel connection

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of extrusion equipment, in particular to an extruder barrel connecting piece which is used for solving the problems of low dismounting efficiency and high maintenance cost of traditional flange bolt connection. The connecting piece comprises two symmetrical C-shaped chucks and a bolt assembly, the inner ring surface of the chuck is provided with a wedge-shaped groove matched with the convex structure of the barrel flange, and the installation lug extended on the side is fixed through the bolt assembly. The middle part of the connecting piece is formed with a circumferentially-distributed four-leaf hollow structure, and the blade unit generates a radial elastic contraction force when being locked. The design replaces axial dismounting with radial opening and closing, and the chuck can be laterally slipped out by loosening a single group of bolts, so that the recombination efficiency of the barrel is remarkably improved; the four-leaf structure cooperates with the wedge-shaped groove to decompose the locking force into axial compression force and radial contraction force, and the sealing uniformity is ensured; the connecting piece is suitable for experimental extrusion equipment which needs to frequently adjust the barrel combination, the single dismounting step is simplified to two steps, and the labor intensity and maintenance cost are greatly reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of extrusion equipment technology, and specifically to an extruder barrel connector. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of twin-screw extrusion equipment, co-rotating twin-screw extruders often achieve multi-functional production through modular design. To adapt to the processing needs of different formulation materials, the barrel of the entire machine is usually composed of multiple barrel sections with different functions connected in series. Currently, the industry mainstream adopts flange bolt interlocking connection technology, that is, mechanical connection between barrels is achieved by mating flanges and radially tightening bolts. Although this traditional structure can ensure the strength of the basic connection, it has significant operational drawbacks: each barrel section connection requires the installation and tightening of a large number of high-strength bolts, especially when the entire machine contains dozens of barrel sections, the installation process is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

[0003] This deficiency is even more pronounced in experimental and research-oriented extrusion equipment. Because the experimental process requires frequent adjustments to the barrel assembly sequence to test different process parameters, operators need to perform multiple barrel disassembly and assembly operations daily. Traditional bolted connections not only make each disassembly and assembly take tens of minutes, but repeated tightening operations can easily lead to stripped threads or even bolt breakage, significantly increasing maintenance costs. Furthermore, bolt handling in confined spaces is difficult, easily causing installation positioning deviations and affecting the coaxiality and sealing performance between barrels.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a new barrel connection technology that combines efficient disassembly and assembly with reliable locking force to solve the systemic defects of existing flange bolt connection methods in terms of operating efficiency, maintenance costs and equipment adaptability. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of the above problems, this application provides an extruder barrel connector, including a chuck and a bolt assembly. The inner circumferential surface of the chuck has a groove for matching the convex structure of the flange end face of the extruder barrel. Bolt holes are provided on the side of the chuck, and at least two chucks are fixedly connected by the bolt assembly to form the extruder barrel connector.

[0006] The extruder barrel connector has a four-leaf shaped hollow structure in the middle, and the four blade units of the four-leaf shaped hollow structure are evenly distributed along the inner circumference of the extruder barrel connector.

[0007] Furthermore, the chuck is a C-type chuck, and two C-type chucks are connected by the bolt assembly to form an extruder barrel connector with a circular outer ring. Symmetrical mounting ears extend from both ends of the opening of the C-type chuck, and the bolt holes are opened in the mounting ears.

[0008] Furthermore, the bolt assembly includes a bolt, a conical washer, a spherical washer, and a lock nut. The conical washer and the spherical washer are nested together. The conical washer mates with the bolt hole. The bolt passes through the conical washer, the spherical washer, the chuck, the spherical washer, and the conical washer in sequence, and is locked in place with the lock nut.

[0009] Furthermore, the groove is a wedge-shaped groove, and its inclination angle matches the convex structure angle of the extruder barrel flange end face.

[0010] The technical effects achieved by the above-mentioned technical solution in this application are as follows:

[0011] This application, through the split design and lateral opening and closing characteristics of the C-type chuck, completely changes the traditional axial disassembly and assembly mode of flange bolt connections. Operators only need to loosen a single set of bolts to slide the chuck directly from the side of the barrel, without needing to disassemble adjacent barrels or reserve axial operating space. This greatly optimizes the disassembly and assembly time of a single barrel section, making it particularly suitable for experimental lines requiring frequent adjustments to barrel assemblies, resulting in a significant improvement in daily reassembly efficiency.

[0012] The symmetrical layout of the four-lobed hollow structure, combined with the synergistic effect of the wedge-shaped groove, solves the stress concentration problem of traditional connectors. When the bolt assembly is tightened, the four-lobed blades generate radial elastic contraction force, ensuring that the inner ring of the chuck evenly wraps around the barrel flange; simultaneously, the wedge-shaped groove decomposes the vertical tightening force into axial clamping force and radial contraction force, ensuring consistent stress at all points around the flange circumference. This design effectively prevents media leakage under high-pressure extrusion conditions.

[0013] The combination of the conical-spherical composite washer assembly and the wedge-shaped self-locking structure significantly improves the connection reliability under dynamic operating conditions. The conical washer eliminates bolt hole gaps, the spherical washer compensates for installation deviations, and the nesting of the two suppresses the attenuation of preload caused by vibration; while the wedge-shaped groove forms an interference fit under thermal expansion conditions to prevent micro-displacement.

[0014] The symmetrical lug design and single-point bolt locking mechanism of the C-type chuck eliminate the need for specialized tools during assembly. After visually aligning the lugs, the operator can tighten the bolt in a single pass, reducing the risk of human error. This design simplifies the barrel reassembly process to two steps, significantly reducing labor intensity. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the present application and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the present application to explain the application and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0016] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of an extruder barrel connector provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0017] Figure 2 This is an exploded structural diagram of an extruder barrel connector provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of an extruder barrel connector provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the usage state of the extruder barrel connector provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0020] Figure label:

[0021] 1. Chuck; 11. Groove; 12. Bolt hole; 13. Four-leaf hollow structure; 131. Blade unit; 14. Mounting ear; 2. Bolt assembly; 21. Bolt; 22. Conical washer; 23. Spherical washer; 24. Locking nut; 3. Extruder barrel flange end face convex structure. Detailed Implementation

[0022] In the following description, only certain exemplary embodiments are depicted simply. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, the drawings and description are considered exemplary in nature and not restrictive.

[0023] Unless otherwise defined herein, scientific and technical terms used in conjunction with this application will have the meanings commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, unless the context otherwise requires, singular terms shall include plural forms, and plural terms shall include singular forms. More specifically, as used in this specification and the appended claims, unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural indicators. In this application, unless otherwise stated, the use of “or” means “and / or.” Furthermore, the use of the term “comprising” and other forms such as “including” and “containing” is not limiting. Moreover, the scope provided in the specification and the appended claims includes all values ​​between endpoints. Preferred embodiments of this application are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are for illustrative and explanatory purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0024] See Figures 1 to 4This application provides an extruder barrel connector, mainly composed of a pair of chucks 1 and matching bolt assemblies 2. The chucks 1 are integrally machined from a robust metal material, with a semi-circular arc structure. The two chucks 1, when combined, form a complete annular connector. The inner annular surface of the chucks 1 has a continuously circling groove 11, the shape of which precisely matches the convex structure 3 on the end face of the extruder barrel flange. When the chucks 1 enclose the barrel flange, the groove 11 and the convex structure 3 form a nested fit, providing a stable alignment basis for subsequent locking.

[0025] The chuck 1 has symmetrical bolt holes 12 on its side. The bolt assembly 2 passes through the through holes to tighten and fix the upper and lower chucks 1, making the two chucks 1 form a rigid whole. This split design allows the operator to quickly open and close the chucks 1 from the side of the extruder barrel, completely avoiding the axial disassembly and assembly space limitations required by traditional flange connections.

[0026] The extruder barrel connector features a four-lobed hollow structure 13 in its center, composed of four identical blade units 131. These four blade units 131 are strictly symmetrically distributed along the circumference of the inner ring wall, with adjacent blade centerlines maintaining a 90-degree angle at equal intervals. Each blade unit 131 is a hollow area extending outward from the inner ring, forming a continuous pattern resembling four petals. This symmetrical layout allows the chuck 1 to produce a uniform deformation response under stress—when the bolt assembly 2 applies a vertical locking force, the thin-walled areas between the blade units undergo elastic deformation, causing the entire inner ring to contract synchronously towards the center. This ensures that all points around the extruder barrel flange experience consistent clamping force, eliminating the localized stress concentration problem caused by excessive rigidity in traditional solid chucks. Furthermore, the four-lobed hollow structure significantly reduces disassembly resistance while ensuring locking strength, making it particularly suitable for experimental conditions requiring frequent barrel reassembly.

[0027] In some embodiments, the chuck 1 adopts a C-shaped opening ring structure, with each chuck having a 180° semi-circular arc shape and symmetrical mounting ears 14 extending from both ends of its opening.

[0028] See Figure 4 Two identical C-type chucks are connected by bolt assembly 2 to form a closed circular outer ring, thus forming a complete extruder barrel connector. The inner ring profile of chuck 1 is clearance-fitted with the outer diameter of the convex structure 3 on the flange end face of the extruder barrel, ensuring that chuck 1 can open and close freely along the radial direction of the barrel.

[0029] The core advantage of the C-type design lies in its ability to achieve radial assembly freedom. Traditional flange connections require complete separation of the barrel to remove the bolts, while the C-type chuck only requires loosening bolt assembly 2, i.e., sliding the chuck opening laterally out of the flange area to complete the separation. The entire process requires no axial operating space. This feature is particularly suitable for multi-barrel tandem scenarios with limited space, completely solving the disassembly difficulties caused by axial bolt interference in traditional structures.

[0030] The design of the mounting lugs 14 at the opening end of the chuck 1 is particularly crucial. The outer side of the lug 14 is machined into a flat surface, while the inner side continues the inner ring curved surface contour. A bolt through hole is opened in the center of each lug 14, and the axis of the through hole is perpendicular to the parting surface of the chuck. When the two chucks are engaged, their lug 14 planes fit tightly together, and the lug 14 can be locked by a single bolt assembly 2. This single-point locking structure can effectively constrain the deformation of the chuck opening and fully meet the stability requirements of high-pressure extrusion conditions.

[0031] The combined circular outer ring offers multiple benefits: firstly, the circular structure ensures uniform circumferential transmission of bolt preload, preventing stress concentration; secondly, the closed-loop shape provides full circumferential constraint to the barrel, eliminating the vibration-induced relaxation defects of traditional open clamps. In actual assembly, the two C-type chucks self-position themselves using their ear planes when aligned, requiring only visual alignment for rapid bolt insertion, significantly reducing the precision requirements for operation.

[0032] In some embodiments, the outer surface of the chuck 1 is machined with anti-slip knurling or tool grooves to facilitate manual operation or robotic gripping. In heavy-duty barrel applications, lifting threaded holes can be added to the outer ring of the chuck 1 to prevent accidental falls during disassembly. This C-type split design innovates the traditional flange connection's "axial disassembly" mode into "radial operation," simplifying a single barrel disassembly and assembly operation from multiple steps to two steps.

[0033] In some embodiments, see Figure 2 The bolt assembly 2 includes a bolt 21, a conical washer 22, a spherical washer 23, and a lock nut 24. The conical washer 22 has a concave conical contact surface, while the spherical washer 23 has a convex spherical curved surface. When nested, the concave surface of the conical washer 22 and the convex surface of the spherical washer 23 mutually support each other. During assembly, the bolt 21 first passes through the center hole of the spherical washer 23, then through the conical washer 22, whose cone angle matches the chamfered profile of the bolt hole 12 edge of the chuck 1; next, it passes through both chuck 1 bodies, and then another set of conical and spherical washers are symmetrically nested within it; finally, the lock nut is screwed in to complete the tightening.

[0034] This nested design offers multiple benefits: the fit between the tapered washer and the chamfered bolt hole converts the axial tightening force of the bolt into a radial expansion force, effectively filling the assembly gap between the bolt and the hole wall and preventing stress concentration at local edges. For example, under vibration conditions, traditional flat washers are prone to causing micro-cracks at the bolt hole edges, while the tapered design evenly distributes the load across the entire contact surface. The curved structure of the spherical washer provides self-adjusting angle capability; when there is a parallelism deviation between the upper and lower chucks, the spherical surface can adaptively deflect the angle, ensuring that the bolt always bears pure axial tensile force.

[0035] The symmetrical arrangement of the bolt assemblies involves two identical sets of washers symmetrically installed above and below the chuck bolt holes, forming a bidirectional force-balanced system. When the nut is tightened, the upper washer set applies downward pressure, while the lower washer set pushes upward, causing the chuck to compress evenly along its thickness. This design eliminates the risk of chuck warping caused by unilateral pressure, ensuring a full-circumference seal on the flange end face, especially important for large machine barrel connections. Only two sets of bolt assemblies are needed for chuck locking, significantly simplifying the process compared to the dozens of bolts required for traditional flange connections.

[0036] In some embodiments, see Figure 3 The groove 11 machined on the inner annular surface of the chuck 1 is a continuous wedge-shaped structure with a symmetrically inclined V-shaped profile in cross-section. The two sidewalls of the groove 11 converge inward at a constant angle, forming a geometric feature that is a perfect mirror image of the convex structure 3 on the end face of the extruder barrel flange. The inclination angles of the two sides of the groove 11 are precisely designed to ensure a perfect match with the bevel angle of the barrel flange flange—when the chuck is closed, the beveled sides of the groove 11 form a full-circumferential interface contact with the flange convex face, without any assembly gaps.

[0037] This wedge-shaped fit mechanism provides a significant mechanical gain: when a vertical locking force is applied to the bolt assembly, the groove ramp and the flange convex face generate an interaction force. Due to the guiding effect of the ramp, the vertical locking force is decomposed into two components: the clamping force along the barrel axis drives the two barrel end faces to fit tightly together; the radially inward contraction force causes the inner ring of the chuck to grip the flange root.

[0038] The groove depth is matched to the flange flange height, and a 1:1 proportional design can be adopted to ensure that when the flange is fully embedded in the groove, a certain micro-gap is maintained between its top and the bottom of the groove. This design has a dual advantage: during assembly, it allows the flange flange to quickly slide into the groove guide area, achieving blind operation positioning; after locking, the micro-gap disappears, and at this time, the groove sidewall and the flange bevel form an interference fit, completely eliminating the micro-displacement caused by vibration.

[0039] In some embodiments, the wedge angle of the groove 11 can be selected as 10°-20°. A smaller angle (e.g., 10°-15°) provides a stronger radial contraction effect, suitable for heavy-duty barrels requiring high torsional strength; a larger angle (e.g., 15°-20°) reduces disassembly resistance, facilitating frequent disassembly and assembly of experimental models. Regardless of the angle, the mirror match between the groove and the flange ensures uniform load distribution, avoiding edge stress concentration caused by traditional right-angle step fits.

[0040] The usage process of the extruder barrel connector provided in this application is as follows:

[0041] During operation, first, pre-install two symmetrical C-type chucks on the flange end faces of adjacent barrels. The wedge-shaped grooves of the inner ring of the chuck need to be initially aligned with the convex structure of the barrel flange. Radial sliding can be easily achieved using the guide ramps of the grooves, without the need for precision positioning tools. At this point, the chucks are not yet locked and are in the open / closed state.

[0042] When connecting the barrel, align the two C-type chucks radially along the barrel, ensuring a tight fit between the mounting lugs. Then, pass the single bolt assembly (including bolts, tapered washers, spherical washers, and lock nuts) through the symmetrical lug bolt holes and tighten the lock nuts. The tapered washers in the bolt assembly automatically eliminate hole gaps, and the spherical washers compensate for installation misalignment, ensuring uniform transmission of locking force. As the nuts tighten, the four-lobed hollow blade unit undergoes radial elastic contraction, while the wedge-shaped grooves decompose the vertical locking force into axial compressive force and radial clamping force, resulting in a uniform seal between the flange ends of the two barrel sections.

[0043] Disassembly only requires completely loosening this single bolt assembly to allow the C-type chuck to slide directly along the side of the barrel. The entire process does not require axial movement of adjacent barrels or reserving operating space. The lateral opening and closing characteristic significantly improves reassembly efficiency, making it particularly suitable for scenarios where barrel assemblies are frequently adjusted on experimental lines.

[0044] Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Although this application 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 application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An extruder barrel connection, characterized by, The device includes a chuck and a bolt assembly. The inner circumferential surface of the chuck has a groove to match the convex structure of the flange end face of the extruder barrel. Bolt holes are provided on the side of the chuck. At least two chucks are fixedly connected by the bolt assembly to form an extruder barrel connector. The extruder barrel connector has a four-leaf shaped hollow structure in the middle, and the four blade units of the four-leaf shaped hollow structure are evenly distributed along the inner circumference of the extruder barrel connector.

2. The extruder barrel connection of claim 1, wherein The chuck is a C-type chuck, and two C-type chucks are connected by the bolt assembly to form an extruder barrel connector with a circular outer ring. Symmetrical mounting ears extend from both ends of the opening of the C-type chuck, and the bolt holes are opened in the mounting ears.

3. The extruder barrel connection of claim 1, wherein, The bolt assembly includes a bolt, a conical washer, a spherical washer, and a lock nut. The conical washer and the spherical washer are nested together. The conical washer mates with the bolt hole. The bolt passes through the conical washer, the spherical washer, the chuck, the spherical washer, and the conical washer in sequence, and is locked in place with the lock nut.

4. The extruder barrel connection of claim 1, wherein, The groove is a wedge-shaped groove, and its inclination angle matches the convex structure angle of the extruder barrel flange end face.

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