A free-moving anti-reverse hand-held pipe expander

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of free movable anti-reverse handheld pipe expander, to solve the problems of existing handheld pipe expander, such as big reverse torque safety hazard, high artificial operation intensity, poor position adjustment flexibility. The pipe expander includes workbench, combined support and pipe expander main body;The overall movement and locking of the lower surface of workbench are realized by universal wheel with brake structure, the upper surface is connected combined support through first rotary pair;Combined support is symmetrical structure of "eight" character, including top mounting bracket, two symmetrically arranged connecting rod groups, auxiliary mounting bracket and pipe expander mounting bracket. Damping buffer rod is provided in connecting rod group, and pipe expander mounting bracket is connected pipe expander main body through L-shaped support and transverse support. The utility model can realize the multi-degree-of-freedom adjustment of pipe expander, offset reverse torque, reduce artificial holding weight, greatly reduce product failure rate, and improve operation efficiency by more than 40%, applicable to copper pipe expansion operation of condenser and other equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This article relates to a freely movable, anti-reverse handheld tube expander. Background Technology

[0002] In the production and assembly of refrigeration and heat exchange equipment, the connection between copper tubes and tube sheets requires a tube expansion process. A tube expander is used to enlarge the outer diameter of the copper tube ends, ensuring a tight fit between the copper tube and the tube sheet and guaranteeing a seal. Currently, most handheld tube expanders widely used in the industry are "gun-shaped" purely handheld structures, relying on the operator to hold and control the direction and force of the expansion throughout the process. This has the following significant drawbacks:

[0003] (1) Safety hazards of reverse torque: After the tube expansion is completed, the tool needs to be reversed and withdrawn. At this time, the friction between the inner wall of the copper tube and the expansion head will generate a large reverse torque (usually up to 60-100 N·m). When the operator holds the tool manually, it is difficult to stably counteract this torque, which can easily lead to loss of hand control. This may not only cause hand sprains and abrasions, but may also cause the tube expander to collide with the equipment to be installed or the copper tube, resulting in scratches on the surface of the equipment, deformation and scrapping of the copper tube, etc. The product defect rate is usually as high as 2%-5%.

[0004] (ii) High manual operation intensity: The weight of the handheld tube expander is usually 2-5kg. The operator needs to hold and adjust its position continuously. For tube expansion tasks with multiple positions (such as multi-layer copper tubes in evaporators and copper tubes on the side of condensers) and large batches (more than 50 copper tubes in a single operation), the arm muscles are in a state of tension for a long time, which can easily lead to muscle fatigue and soreness. After 4 hours of operation, the operator's fatigue level (VAS score) generally exceeds 7 points, resulting in a decrease in work efficiency of more than 30%. Moreover, the operation accuracy is reduced under fatigue, which further aggravates the risk of product defects.

[0005] (iii) Poor position adjustment flexibility: The existing handheld tube expander has no auxiliary support structure. When adjusting the position of the tube expander, the operator needs to move his body or adjust the placement of the equipment. For large evaporators and condensers, it is difficult to cover all copper tube positions. Frequent movement of equipment or building of auxiliary platforms is required, which is cumbersome, time-consuming and labor-intensive.

[0006] In summary, existing handheld tube expanders cannot meet the needs of modern production in terms of safety, ease of operation, and work efficiency. There is an urgent need for an improved tube expander that can achieve multi-degree-of-freedom movement, counteract reverse torque, and reduce manual labor intensity. Utility Model Content

[0007] To address the safety hazards of reverse torque, high manual operation intensity, and poor position adjustment flexibility of existing handheld tube expanders, this utility model provides a freely movable anti-reverse handheld tube expander. The aim is to optimize the equipment structure to achieve flexible adjustment of the expander with multiple degrees of freedom, offset reverse torque, and reduce the burden of manual holding, ultimately improving the safety, convenience, and production efficiency of tube expanding operations.

[0008] A freely movable, anti-reverse handheld tube expander includes a worktable, a combined support, and the tube expander body;

[0009] The combined support has an overall "eight" shaped symmetrical structure, including a top mounting frame, two symmetrically arranged connecting rod groups, an auxiliary mounting frame, and a tube expander mounting frame;

[0010] The two ends of the top mounting bracket are respectively hinged to the top of the two linkage groups; each linkage group includes an inner link, an outer link, a baffle and a sliding pin. The surface of the baffle is provided with a sliding groove, and the sliding pin is slidably embedded in the sliding groove. The sliding pin is fixedly connected to the bottom of the outer link, the bottom of the inner link is hinged to the baffle, and the tops of the inner and outer links are hinged to the top mounting bracket.

[0011] The top of the auxiliary mounting bracket is fixedly connected to the baffle of the right connecting rod assembly, the bottom of the auxiliary mounting bracket is rotatably connected to one end of the first bracket, and the other end of the first bracket is connected to the upper surface of the workbench through the first rotating joint.

[0012] The expansion tube mounting bracket is used to fix the expansion tube body, and the expansion tube mounting bracket is connected to the baffle of the left connecting rod assembly.

[0013] Furthermore, the lower surface of the workbench is connected to several casters via a base, and the casters are equipped with a braking structure. The rigid structure of the base ensures the stability of the connection between the workbench and the casters, preventing shaking during equipment movement or operation; the casters enable flexible movement of the entire equipment.

[0014] Furthermore, the middle part of the expander mounting bracket is rotatably connected to one end of a transverse bracket via an L-shaped bracket, and the other end of the transverse bracket is connected to the baffle of the left-side linkage assembly. The combination of the L-shaped bracket and the transverse bracket forms a "double rotating joint," providing additional movement space for the expander body. Operators can precisely align the expander body to different angles simply by rotating the L-shaped bracket or the transverse bracket without moving their body or adjusting the worktable.

[0015] Furthermore, the combined support is provided with a buffer mechanism, which includes at least two damping buffer rods, the two ends of which are respectively hinged to the inner and outer connecting rods in the corresponding connecting rod group.

[0016] Furthermore, both the inner and outer connecting rods are made of metal. The high strength of metal can withstand the torque during tube expansion and the weight of the equipment, preventing deformation such as bending or breakage of the connecting rods.

[0017] Furthermore, the first rotating joint can achieve 360° horizontal rotation. This 360° rotation without dead angles allows the first support, the upper combined support, and the tube expander body to be adjusted in any direction on the horizontal plane, covering the circular working area centered on the worktable.

[0018] Furthermore, the sliding pin can move up and down within the slide groove. The up-and-down movement of the sliding pin along the slide groove can drive the outer connecting rod to rotate around the top hinge point, thereby adjusting the opening and closing angle of the connecting rod assembly and ultimately achieving height adjustment of the tube expander body.

[0019] Furthermore, the expander mounting bracket is detachably connected to the expander body, using either bolt or snap-fit ​​connections. Bolt connections provide high-strength fixation and are suitable for expander bodies with greater weight or higher operating torque; snap-fit ​​connections enable tool-free quick assembly and disassembly, suitable for lighter expander bodies or those requiring frequent replacement; both connection methods ensure the positioning accuracy of the expander body after assembly and disassembly, avoiding recalibration.

[0020] Furthermore, a wear-resistant bushing is provided at the hinge joint between the top mounting bracket and the connecting rod assembly. The bushing is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The PTFE bushing isolates the metal hinge surfaces of the top mounting bracket and the connecting rod assembly, preventing wear caused by direct metal-to-metal contact.

[0021] Beneficial effects:

[0022] The modular support is shaped like the number "8" and contains symmetrical connecting rods. With the sliding pin moving in the groove and the rotating pair structure, the tube expander body can move freely with multiple degrees of freedom, flexibly adjust its height and horizontal position, easily adapt to the tube expansion operation of copper tubes in different positions of the equipment to be installed, and can also effectively counteract the reverse torque after tube expansion, avoiding safety hazards caused by reverse rotation.

[0023] The support frame can also support the weight of the tube expander body, significantly reducing fatigue from prolonged manual handling and improving operational comfort. Furthermore, the workbench design facilitates the overall movement of the equipment to adapt to multi-station operations, significantly improving the safety, convenience, and efficiency of the tube expansion operation and meeting actual production needs. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a freely movable, anti-reverse handheld tube expander;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the support structure.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a magnified view of the connection between the first support and the connecting rod assembly;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the main body mounting section of the tube expander;

[0028] In the diagram: 1. Caster wheel, 2. Base, 3. Workbench, 4. First rotating joint, 5. First bracket, 6. Outer connecting rod, 7. Inner connecting rod, 8. Baffle, 9. Tube expander body, 10. Auxiliary mounting bracket, 11. Sliding pin, 12. Sliding groove, 13. Tube expander mounting bracket, 14. L-shaped bracket, 15. Horizontal bracket. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To enhance understanding of this utility model, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only used to explain the present utility model and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0030] Example 1: As Figure 1-4 As shown, a freely movable anti-reverse handheld tube expander includes a worktable 3, a combined support and the tube expander body 9.

[0031] The lower surface of the workbench 3 is connected to four casters 1 with internal braking structures via the base 2, and the upper surface is connected to one end of the first bracket 5 via the first rotating joint 4. The other end of the first bracket 5 is rotatably connected to the bottom of the auxiliary mounting bracket 10.

[0032] The top of the auxiliary mounting bracket 10 is connected to the baffle 8 of the right linkage group; the combined bracket has an overall "eight" shaped symmetrical structure, including a top mounting bracket, two symmetrically arranged linkage groups, an auxiliary mounting bracket 10 and an expander mounting bracket 13. The two ends of the top mounting bracket are respectively hinged to the top of the two linkage groups. Each linkage group includes an inner linkage 7, an outer linkage 6, a baffle 8 and a sliding pin 11.

[0033] The baffle 8 has a groove 12 on its surface. The sliding pin 11 is slidably embedded in the groove 12 and fixedly connected to the bottom of the outer connecting rod 6. The bottom of the inner connecting rod 7 is hinged to the baffle 8. The expander mounting bracket 13 is used to fix the expander body 9 and is connected to the baffle 8 of the left connecting rod group.

[0034] The middle part of the expander mounting bracket 13 is rotatably connected to one end of the transverse bracket 15 via an L-shaped bracket 14, and the other end of the transverse bracket 15 is connected to the baffle 8 of the left connecting rod assembly. The expander mounting bracket 13 and the expander body 9 are bolted together.

[0035] How to use:

[0036] S1. First, push the base 2 equipped with casters 1 to move the worktable 3 to the side of the condenser where the tube is to be expanded, and lock the braking device of the casters 1 to ensure that the worktable 3 is stable and does not wobble.

[0037] S2. The operator holds the tube expander body 9 and adjusts the horizontal position initially by rotating the first bracket 5 around the first rotating joint 4 and the auxiliary mounting bracket 10 around the first bracket 5. At the same time, the operator controls the opening and closing of the outer connecting rod 6 and the inner connecting rod 7. At this time, the sliding pin 11 will move up and down along the sliding groove 12 on the surface of the baffle 8, driving the tube expander mounting bracket 13 and the tube expander body 9 to adjust the height and horizontal position synchronously until the expansion head of the tube expander body 9 is accurately aligned with the copper tube end.

[0038] S3. Start the tube expander body 9 and slowly push it forward to insert the expansion head into the copper tube to complete the tube expansion; during the process, the combined support supports part of the weight of the tube expander body 9 to avoid shaking when manually held, thus ensuring the accuracy of tube expansion.

[0039] S4. After the tube expansion is completed, the tube expander body 9 reverses, and the combined support counteracts the reverse torque to prevent the tube expander body 9 from reversing and causing safety problems; after the expansion head is completely withdrawn from the copper tube, turn off the power to the tube expander body 9.

[0040] S5. After all individual condensers are installed, release the brake on caster 1 and push workbench 3 to the next copper tube station. Repeat the above operation to achieve efficient and safe expansion of copper tubes in multiple positions.

[0041] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model and are not intended to limit it. Although this utility model has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of this utility model without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this utility model, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A freely movable, anti-reverse handheld tube expander, characterized in that, Includes a workbench, a modular support frame, and the main body of the tube expander; The combined support has an overall "eight" shaped symmetrical structure, including a top mounting frame, two symmetrically arranged connecting rod groups, an auxiliary mounting frame, and a tube expander mounting frame; The two ends of the top mounting bracket are respectively hinged to the top of the two linkage groups; each linkage group includes an inner link, an outer link, a baffle and a sliding pin. The surface of the baffle is provided with a sliding groove, and the sliding pin is slidably embedded in the sliding groove. The sliding pin is fixedly connected to the bottom of the outer link, the bottom of the inner link is hinged to the baffle, and the tops of the inner and outer links are hinged to the top mounting bracket. The top of the auxiliary mounting bracket is fixedly connected to the baffle of the right connecting rod assembly, the bottom of the auxiliary mounting bracket is rotatably connected to one end of the first bracket, and the other end of the first bracket is connected to the upper surface of the workbench through the first rotating joint. The expansion tube mounting bracket is used to fix the expansion tube body. The middle part of the expansion tube mounting bracket is rotatably connected to one end of the horizontal bracket via an L-shaped bracket. The other end of the horizontal bracket is connected to the baffle of the left connecting rod assembly.

2. The freely movable, anti-reverse handheld tube expander according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower surface of the workbench is connected to several casters via a base, and the casters are equipped with a braking structure.

3. The freely movable, anti-reverse handheld tube expander according to claim 1, characterized in that, The combined support is equipped with a buffer mechanism, which includes at least two damping buffer rods. The two ends of the damping buffer rods are respectively hinged to the inner and outer connecting rods in the corresponding connecting rod group.

4. The freely movable, anti-reverse handheld tube expander according to claim 3, characterized in that, Both the inner and outer connecting rods are made of metal.

5. A freely movable, anti-reverse handheld tube expander according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first revolute joint can achieve 360° horizontal rotation.

6. A freely movable, anti-reverse handheld tube expander according to claim 4, characterized in that, The sliding pin can move up and down within the sliding groove.

7. A freely movable, anti-reverse handheld tube expander according to claim 4, characterized in that, The expansion tube mounting bracket is detachably connected to the expansion tube body, and the connection method is bolt connection or snap-fit ​​connection.

8. A freely movable, anti-reverse handheld tube expander according to claim 4, characterized in that, The hinge joint between the top mounting bracket and the connecting rod assembly is provided with a wear-resistant bushing, and the bushing is made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

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